Classic Plant Iconic TV Show: Diggers

Our friend Liam Kavanagh recently posted a tweet containing a link to a You Tube video of an episode from a great TV series and it reminded me what a fantastic show it was and well worthy of a spot here on the Digger Man Blog.

First broadcast on Channel 4 in 1998, “Diggers” was the first of a six-part documentary series focusing on plant and machinery from a bygone era. The show was made even better by the engaging and enthusiastic narration of the late John Peel.

The opening scene is iconic, as the young lad scrambles to the top of a heap to look down at the shiny yellow and red JCB’s working below, in what must have been one of the Staffordshire based manufacturers early marketing videos, something that they are still masters of to this day!

I’m sure many of us can relate to it too, I know I can, climbing up to gain a decent vantage point and then sitting there for hours on end watching the machines in action. John’s opening line is legendary too, “Children love diggers” a very true statement and some of us never grow out of it!

The show features some awesome footage of machines from JCB, Ruston Bucyrus and Priestman and much more besides and interviews with some high-profile classic plant enthusiasts, some of whom are sadly no longer with us I believe.

The action in this video doesn't really get going until around the 29 seconds mark, as its not been edited that well, but its well worth the wait. 

I will run another episode which is of interest to plant men and women next week here on the Digger Man Blog, so stay tuned.