Dispatches is currently following up this programme with a campaign to involve members of the public in identifying every site in the country covered by the scheme. This edition of Dispatches was another move in Channel 4's determination to push further the boundaries of television current affairs by using new styles, tones, techniques and personalities to explore issues of importance. Mark Thomas has often used comedy to address issues of public concern, as viewers of 'The Mark Thomas Product' will already be aware. London W12 8UF or learn how to Crack A County on the Dispatches website. Alternatively, you can take a peek at the MTCP archive where many diverse topics have already been discussed in infinite detail and depth by its contributers.
Nothing is more moving than a tale of aristocratic grandeur besieged by ill fortune.
Last year the Duke of Somerset suffered the ignominy of having to grant public access to his country seat, Bradley House in Wiltshire, in return for tax concessions from the Inland Revenue. The result was regrettable. More recently the Duke, while holidaying in Italy, learnt that Bradley House had caught fire. Thankfully no one was hurt, though, according to the Times, a Raphael painting did suffer smoke damage. Initial hopes that the insurance payout would be substantial have been disappointed.