Late last year during one of our regular weekly visits to Whipsnade Zoo, we were surprised to come across a group of painters with easels congregated around the flamingo pond. Also a surprise was the filming equipment aimed in the direction of this group and the attendant "flunkies" running around between them making a fuss. Not only that, but there was a vicar standing in the shade, a vucar with a reconisabke face. It was the Rev. Richard Coles of t.v. and radio fame. Yes, the new series of BBC's "Big Painting Challenge" was "doing" Whipsnade. We later ran across the same group setting up on Bison Hill presumably to capture the view across to the distant Ivinghoe Beacon. The resulting Whipsnade episode of the BPC is being aired this Sunday (26th. February) evening at 18:00 on BBC1. Having watched the first two episodes of BPC, I dispare at the lack of talent shown by any of the competing "artists". The term "scraping the barrell" springs to mind. Perhaps their appearance is more a result of compensation for not making it onto BBC's Great Pottery Throwdown than their ability to paint? I dread to think how Whipsnade will appear in their pictures, especially the abstract painter who has won the "peoples vote" for the last two weeks despite producing artwork which appears to bear no resemblence to anything within her vista. Perhaps I will switch off after Songs of Praise to avoid disppointment!
