Chris Packham: The Walk that Made Me

I didn’t know about his first dog. How sad. I know he used to try to get song titles into his tv work. He’s very complex isn’t he. Doesn’t live with people but us more chatty and friendly to passing strangers than many people would be.

Maybee70

Itchy and Scratchy were not his first dogs but, as he explains in the programme, they were the ones that helped improve his mental health after his previous dog Fish had been knocked over and killed.

I don't know but am guessing that Itchy and Scratchy were named for the fictitious characters in The Simpsons. I think he said the dogs he has now are called Sid and Nancy which will be after Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen a nod to his love of punk rock.

Thank you granfromafar for flagging this programme.
I recorded it, and we watched it last night.
Thought it very thought provoking and it is one of those that I could easily watch again.

I fell asleep watching it but enjoyed what I saw so will watch the bit I missed. We met him years ago and we’re very impressed with him. He is very extreme in his views, though. We do have to co exist with nature and some of the things he is so opposed to do encourage wildlife. I bet, back in the day, he would have been campaigning about the railway being built saying that we should just stick to canals. I assume he’s allergic to dogs which is why he has poodles and called his first dogs Itchy and Scratchy but he’s never actually said that.

The programme sounds interesting so I will endeavour to catch up.
Chris P is an activist and a great campaigner. In our neck if the woods he has succeeded in delaying a multi million pound conservation project which was due to improve the environment and natural habitat. All because of a nesting bird, a warbler I believe. Then once the nesting season is over, enter the dormice who are a protected species who can't be disturbed either. More campaigning. More delaying.
So I am not sure how I feel about him, but then it is his programme about him personally.

JenniferEccles

To start with, this programme seemed so promising.
I absolutely loved the fact that there was a complete absence of the usual awful background ‘music’ and instead we were allowed to just listen to the sounds of birdsong and the river.

I expected the presenter to be just talking about what he was seeing on the route, but instead it ended up being all about him.

Disappointing.

The programme was called Chris Packham: The walk that made -me-.

And you were disappointed it was all about him? I expected it to be all about him given the title, but it was an hour packed with him in discussion with the many interesting people he met. He also talked about history, wildlife, landscape, geography, animals, pets, love, the river, the irrigation of land, his family, Winchester Cathedral, books, poetry, encouraging children to take joy in wildlife, conservation, helping people with mental health.

Did you have the sound on?

It’s obvious that people who enjoy shooting, hunting and trapping birds of prey, destroying species, want to use as much pesticide as they like to maximise their income, kill any inconvenient wildlife and treat animals like a commodity don’t like him, as he speaks out against the destruction of wildlife and the environment.

Just catching up with this conversation and pleased that so many others enjoyed it too. He's obviously not to everyone's taste which is fair enough. If everyone liked the same people and things, life would be very boring!
Shysal- I obviously didn't watch the credits in full so missed the tribute to his beloved father. Thanks for pointing that out.

To start with, this programme seemed so promising.
I absolutely loved the fact that there was a complete absence of the usual awful background ‘music’ and instead we were allowed to just listen to the sounds of birdsong and the river.

I expected the presenter to be just talking about what he was seeing on the route, but instead it ended up being all about him.

Disappointing.

What a lovely post Flexagon, I couldn’t have put it better myself! I was also impressed by his sense of humour so managed to chuckle as well as shed a few tears. When I saw that his dear dad had died I was so sad for him...

This was a beautiful and poignant film made by a thoughtful and reflective man about a river walk he had shared many times with his father, a man who was coming to the end of his life.

His comments on the importance of animals in his own life, the bond he shared with his beloved dogs and birds of prey was extremely moving. Clearly he is a man fascinated by the history of the countryside, poetry and art as well as the animal world.

He was very candid about his struggles with his mental health and what we can all do to be alert to friends and family who may be going through similar struggles and maybe help save a life. He also highlighted the importance of assistance dogs for helping people live with autism.

What struck me too was the variety of ways that humans interact with riverscapes: a dog walker using the tow path, children fascinated by sticklebacks and minnows, open water swimmers, the man spotting kingfishers and exploring otter spraint (jasmine tea?) and the people of the village managing the seasonal flooding of the meadows.

And to top it all off, preregrine falcons nesting at Winchester Cathedral.

Thank you granfromafar for flagging up this lovely film and to know that Mrs P's baking was on a par with my own!

Best programme of the year so far. Full of beauty, peace, humility, empathy and humanity.

I am from a farming background and live on Exmoor. Great viewing for this person who is not a townie.

It is possible to live in the country, shoot and still maintain an open, enquiring mind.

I'm watching it right now farview. I don't care what he thinks about fox hunting or cows or any of the rest of it. Even golf ?.

What honesty he shows. The stories about his poodles and his advancing decrepitude should make it necessary viewing for anyone.

I really enjoyed the programme his childhood reminds me of mine in a away. I would be out all day as a child with my sisters and brothers roaming in meadows and woods foraging and pond dipping.

He did get rather emotional but that’s his nature and it added to the programme. His love of the natural world is enthusiastic and it made the programme so interesting.

Just watched on catch up...feel so very emotional...had mixed feelings re Chris ....but his honesty, re mental health issues,...his love of nature,..his love of his dad....oh..just everything about the programme was beautiful..I will watch it again for sure....it helped keep as I'm struggling at the moment with feelings/emotions...dont feel as afraid to let them out now.....thank you Chris Peckham.....beautiful walk beautiful talk...

I remember watching ‘Asperger’s and Me’ and really wanted to give him a hug - which I’m sure was the last thing he would want! On the other hand, he is so dogmatic and self-righteous about his environmental views that I avoid listening to him. I assume that it’s his asperger’s that prevents him from recognising nuance but it’s bloody annoying, especially when the media seem to regard him as the fount of all knowledge about British wildlife, which he is patently not.

''DH can’t stand him, mainly for his views on shooting. ''

his views on shooting is one of the many reasons so many of us follow him, support him, and admire him. And NO, many of us are NOT townies.

Sick to the backteeth of all the shooting brigade, and even worse, fox hunters (and no, it has not stopped) - just shouting 'townie' at anyone who does not approve of their activities, and actually try to fight them.

Best programme on this week. Chris Packham rocks IMO ?

BUT we must remember he is 1st and foremost a tv presenter and a wildlife cameraman

Bit like that Attenborough fella, eh?

it was a good programme
BUT we must remember he is 1st and foremost a tv presenter and a wildlife cameraman
of course he comes across well but as others have just said his knowlege about conservation and farming is not extensive and is sometimes incorrect

Hear! Hear! NoddingGanGan and Nanacool as a farmer's daughter and country person I can't stand him. He'd like to turn the countryside into a nature reserve. He doesn't understand that the countryside has to be managed or it would be over run with nettles and brambles and that farmers are important if we want to eat!

silvercollie

Other than this programme about his autism which I found to be very moving, I find listening to Chris Packham talking about farming very irritating as he clearly does not know a thing about the subject! One of his cohorts - George Monbiot - is just as bad.
These two guys need to stick with their chosen focus and leave farmers alone!
Farmers have more than enough to contend with the ridiculous claims that cattle et al are creating climate change. No, good people, climate change is mostly to do with nature.

DH can’t stand him, mainly for his views on shooting.

He appeared on The Chase once, it was quickly turned off, even though DH likes the programme.

He was in nostalgic and melancholic mood and at times he seemed quite shy. Beautiful scenery and interesting facts. An enjoyable programme.

Pippa22

I might like the man a bot more if I could bear to watch this programme. Most of you seemed to enjoy it. Unfortunately he usually annoys me , I find him rather cocky and a bit patronising.

If you watched the programme I feel sure you would change your opinion of him. Neither cocky or patronising, but honest and humble.

I'm with @nanacool on this. What CP knows about the countryside could be written on the point of a pin. Would never watch anything he presented. Odious little man.