But I don't like TV

Only recently has it struck me that my move from near Afon Tafwys (Thames) to Afon Glaslyn and the surrounding area was between two places used variously by one television series from well over half a century ago. The lure of such locations, as tourist magnet, has never held much appeal, whether in Cornwall [I thought “Doc Martin Country'' was somewhere to buy decent boots], Yorkshire or Tannochbrae. And now the Isle of Wight, my home around 40 years ago, is referred to as “It's a Sin Island” after a recent Russell T Davies series. From simpler times, with only two channels from which to choose, I wonder if nonetheless the television of my formative years subconsciously, at least in part, informed my choices of home in later life, namely Surrey and Gogledd Cymru.

The following places are inextricably linked, as we shall see. Cue secret-agent-style harpsichord music: “da-da-da-daaa”.

In Surrey these locations include: Shepperton Green; Desborough Cut, Walton Lane; Hepworth Way, Walton on Thames; Laleham Court, Chertsey; Thames Court Hotel, Shepperton; Englefield Green; Oatlands Park Hotel, Weybridge. All places I knew well from 1988 to 2013. In Gogledd Cymru I have now come to know more intimately, although visiting infrequently since childhood: Portmeirion (6 citations); Llyn Efyrnwy (2); Beddgelert; Llyn Gwynant; Capel Curig; Betws y Coed (2); Trawsfynydd (3); Abaty Penmon, Ynys Môn; Bae Cemaes, Ynys Môn; Pont Britannia, Bangor; Biwmaris, Ynys Môn; Nant Ffrancon, Bethesda (incidentally also home to the “missing yeti” episodes of Dr Who). My thanks to those wonderful “anoraky” types who trawl through the ether to glean these old TV locations.

Others will have their own places that hold meaning for them. Here is my connection. All the above locations feature variously across the 86 episodes, between 1960-2 and 1964-8, of TV series Danger Man. "Da-da-da-daa". It starred Patrick McGoohan as John Drake, a British spy working for NATO. McGoohan's own personality shone through this and his subsequent series, The Prisoner. His appreciation of some of the locations is evident in their repeated use. Notably for the era, McGoohan refused to engage in the mysogynist or sexist scenes characteristic of many of his contemporaries. He refused to portray any intimacy on set. He eschewed fireams, and there was no seduction of female co-stars. Other series and spy films of the era are generally cringeworthy by comparison. Looking back, all this now resonates for me with memories of my father, who on seeing so much as a kissing scene on TV, would start whistling, mutter “there's not much on tonight is there boys?” and promptly leave the room. A pity, looking back from topical critiques of “toxic masculinity” and worse, that more men were not like that.

The supporting cast list is a veritable Who's Who of actors of the time, and includes Richard Wattis, Moira Lister, Warren Mitchell, Fenella Fielding, John le Mesurier, Lois Maxwell, Donald Pleasance, Wendy Craig, Ronald Allen, Honor Blackman, Patrick Troughton, Nyree Dawn Porter, Frank Thornton, Jackie Collins, Rupert Davies, Susan Hampshire, Peter Sallis, Wanda Ventham, Richard Thorp, And so many more that even I may have heard of over the years.

Many episodes are freely available on on-line media platforms. One caught my attention. In an episode entitled “Name, Date and Place”, the character Drake took an assumed name for a particular mission, "Mr RH Maddox". Was McGoohan aware of one William Maddocks who built The Cob sea wall in 1811 to drain Afon Glaslyn for pasture, and then named the town of Porthmadog and nearby village of Tremadog after himself? Reference was later made to Prince Madoc (Madog ap Owain Gwynedd), who according to legend “discovered” America in 1170, adding gravitas to Maddocks' naming, particularly when the towns increasingly adopted Cymraeg names (then Portmadoc, now Porthmadog). Many local people appeared in both Danger Man and The Prisoner, and may well have shared the history with McGoohan. Maybe they shared too the story of philosopher Betrand Russell who lived almost next door to Portmeirion, and his connections to various spies and local communists.

McGoohan's affection for Portmeirion shows even after The Prisoner ended. He seems to reference the experience during his several appearances in Columbo (Peter Falk). In one episode he confesses a liking for the faux charm of some old fashioned places and almost describes Portmeirion. He also quotes his famous Prisoner punchline on several occasions. *

My home village near Porthmadog may offer a bizarre parallel to Portmeirion across the estuary. I know a few who retired here after working with "overseas projects" for many years. Only one village played its part in Spy-Fi, but maybe both contain their fair share of prisoners, escapees, “expats”, the mutual and "unmutual", and some retired spies maybe.

* "Be seeing you".

LINKS

Danger Man – Random Connections

The Danger Man Website (danger-man.co.uk)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/waleshistory/2011/12/william_madocks_the_cob_porthmadog.html

http://cambriancrumbs.blogspot.com/2022/11/tales-of-espionage-in-four-ports.html?m=1

NOTE: "Unmutual" refers to an episode of The Prisoner in which No 6 was accused of not joining in with the life of The Village.

"Be seeing you" was prescient of a surveillance society yet to come.