The Flower of Gloster

A curious gem in the history of British children's television, The Flower of Gloster holds the distinction of being Granada Television’s first drama series filmed in colour—an ambitious move made two years before ITV’s regular colour broadcasts began. More than just a technical milestone, the series was an intriguing blend of storytelling, improvisation, and documentary-style exploration, loosely structured around a barge journey from North Wales to London.

The plot centres on Richard Doherty (played by Richard O'Callaghan), the eldest son of a Welsh boatyard owner, Jim (Jim Doherty), who injures himself and is unable to deliver a newly built narrowboat to the capital. Taking on the responsibility, Richard sets off on the journey, soon joined by his sister Elizabeth (Elizabeth Doherty), younger brother Mike (Mike Doherty), and their spirited friend Annette (Annette Robertson). Over the course of thirteen episodes, the young crew navigates the winding canals of western England, encountering everything from haunted woods to bovver boys, with the odd detour to places of historical or industrial interest, such as Woburn Abbey and the Stoeke Bruene Museum.

One of the more unusual aspects of The Flower of Gloster is its experimental tone. Characters played themselves—each using their real first names—and the blend of fiction with natural history and unscripted moments gave the show a semi-documentary feel. At times, it felt more like a travelogue than a traditional drama, with the sights and stories of Britain's inland waterways often taking centre stage over tightly plotted narrative arcs.

Chris McMaster, who would go on to create the faster-paced Freewheelers a year later, penned the series, basing the name and inspiration on Ernest Temple Thurston’s 1911 book The Flower of Gloster, a lyrical account of a springtime journey through the canals of Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Gloucestershire. Producer Bill Grundy, whose later career would implode spectacularly following his infamous Sex Pistols interview, took every opportunity to insert moments of cultural and historical interest into the series—an admirable, if occasionally jarring, choice when paired with tales of mysterious goings-on in the woods.

While its patchwork format may have seemed odd even at the time, The Flower of Gloster stands today as a fascinating time capsule: an early colour production, a meandering adventure, and a loving tribute to Britain's lesser-seen waterways. For those with a fondness for canal boats, nostalgic 1960s telly, or experimental children's programming, it’s well worth rediscovering.