Look and Read/Geordie Racer

From LookingAndSeeing.co.uk - a website about schools broadcasting

Completely contemporary (to 1988) story set in Newcastle about the invigorating amateur sports of marathon running and pigeon racing, and the unsavory world of art theft, and about the Hilton family which manages to get itself embroiled in all three. Spuggy Hilton isn't a Runner like the rest of his family, but is a keen pigeon fancier and owns one of the bonniest birds in NewCAStle. He and his friend Janie observe some suspicious activity, and link a spate of local robberies with obscure messages they find on some of the pigeons, but find they have even more problems when they go to spy on the crooks.

A local radio DJ called Mickey Stone also helped Spuggy in the story and did the Wordy bits from his studio, while Derek Griffiths played a hilarious 'High-Powered DJ' in some of the songs.

Contents 1 The Story 2 Episodes 3 Credits 4 Broadcasts

[edit] The Story

Young Richard Hilton, known as Spuggy, can't be bothered with the Great North Run (a sort of mini marathon thing that the rest of his family are taking part in), preferring to spend time at the local pigeon lofts with his favourite bird, Blue Flash. He meets a pigeon trainer called Baz and spends some time in his lofts, where he gets a look at several secret messages that Baz receives by pigeon. Spuggy and his friend Janie link the messages with a series of robberies that have been taking place. Learning of the next robbery from a message, they go to spy on the robbers and Spuggy is shocked to see that his unemployed dad (Kevin Whately) is working as their driver. When Spuggy eventually talks to his dad about this, he finds that dad didn't know they were actually commiting theft, he just wanted a job.

The final, big robbery is due to take place during the Great North Run, but when Janie discovers the details she is (accidentally) imprisoned by Baz. She gets a message to Spuggy by sending off Blue Flash - who had been lost during a race and discovered by Baz, who planned to keep the bird for himself - with a message. Spuggy is able to summon the police and gets his sister to chase the villains and get their stolen money back. Well, chuck it all over the street anyway.

[edit] Episodes

1. Runners and Fliers
   • The Hilton family is in training for the Great North Run - with the exception of Spuggy. Racing pigeons are Spuggy's great love and he's sure Blue Flash will be a champion.
2. Down in the Cellars
   • Spuggy has managed to surprise his family with his sponsorship idea. Meanwhile a surprise of a different kind awaits the children in the gloomy cellars of Seaton Delaval Hall.
3. Pigeon Post
   • Baz shows Spuggy how he uses his pigeons to carry messages - but is the message Spuggy sees really just 'a racing tip'?
4. 'This is Radio Newcastle'
   • Spuggy's interview with Mickey goes well and Blue Flash is sponsored by the time he leaves for the big race.
5. Race Day
   • While Spuggy waits for Blue Flash to return from the big race, he puzzles over the message brought by Baz's pigeon. Is Baz up to something? Then Spuggy finds a second message...
6. Light of St Mary
   • Spuggy and Janie link the pigeon messages with the recent spate of burglaries and while hot on the trail they make an important discovery - but Spuggy gets a terrible shock...
7. Lost Bird
   • Spuggy spends a sleepless night worrying about his dad. Who can he turn to for help? Meanwhile Blue Flash has fallen into the hands of Baz Bailey who has great plans for him...
8. 'Have You Gone Daft, Man?'
   • The photographs taken in the cellars give Spuggy and Janie the final proof of Baz's criminal activities, but Dad soon finds that Baz is not easy to outwit.
9. 'If Only We Knew When...'
   • The police need more information before they can arrest Baz and Victor. Then, on the day of the Great North Run, Janie visits her dad's ship...
10. Run!
    • As the crowd cheer and the Great North Run gets under way, Janie is still trapped on the ship. Will her message about the raid get through? Can the crooks be foiled?

[edit] Credits

Narrator	Michael Heath
Starring	Leon Armstrong as Spuggy Hilton Lien Lu as Janie Chung Lesley Casey as Cath Hilton Brian Hogg as Victor Madelaine Newton as Bev Hilton Fred Pearson as Baz Bailey Peter Rowell as Mickey Stone Kevin Whately as Ray Hilton Bungo as Plod Charles Collingwood as Wordy Katie Hebb as Wordy puppeteer Rachel Mackay as Bug-Bopper Mary Edwards as Bug-Bopper puppeteer
Singers	Derek Griffiths Julie Stevens Colin Marsh

Written by	Christopher Russell
Music by	Roger Limb
Design	Paul Munting Katia Montillet
Reading consultant	Mary Hoffman
Assistant producer	David Meldrum
Producer	Sue Weeks

Bungo supplied by	Pauline Clift
Pigeon advisers	Jim Nicholson Tom Young
Lyrics by	Rosanna Hibbert Gordon Snell
Film animation	Richard Taylor
Graphic designer	Peter Wane
Costume designer	Dennis Brack
Make-up designer	Jean Speak
Film cameraman	Colin Munn
Film editors	Ian McKendrick David Painter
Sound	Bob Roberts Brian Clark
Studio lighting	Chris Townsend
Studio technical co-ordinators	Peter Granger Michael Langley-Evans
CREW 5	Paul Kay
Videotape editor	Steve Knattress
Video effects	Dave Jervis
Production manager	Michael McDermott
Location manager	Terry Wright
Assistant floor managers	Angela de Chastelai Smith Diana Barton
Production assistant	Susan Lawton

[edit] Broadcasts

Here is a list of all of the broadcasts of this story on the BBC. Unless your teachers managed to get the video recorder to work, this is when you would have seen it in school. See the Schedules section for precise dates and times.

• Spring 1988, BBC2
• Spring 1990, BBC2
• Spring 1991, BBC2
• Spring 1993, BBC2
• Spring 1995, BBC2

• Summer 2003, CBBC
• Autumn 2003, CBBC
• Spring 2004, CBBC
• Autumn 2004, CBBC
• Spring 2006, CBBC
• Summer 2007, CBBC