Life

TV review: Supercommuters - how far would you travel to work?

Billy Foley

Billy Foley

Billy has almost 30 years’ experience in journalism after leaving DCU with a BAJ. He has worked at the Irish Independent, Evening Herald and Sunday Independent in Dublin, the Cork-based Evening Echo and the New Zealand Herald. He joined the Irish News in 2000, working as a reporter and then Deputy News Editor. He has been News Editor since 2007

Max, Liam, Amanda, Amelia Reece who moved to the Isle of Wight for a better standard of living
Max, Liam, Amanda, Amelia Reece who moved to the Isle of Wight for a better standard of living Max, Liam, Amanda, Amelia Reece who moved to the Isle of Wight for a better standard of living

Supercommuters: How Far Would You Go? Channel 4, Monday at 7.30pm

So who far would you travel to work? And would you commute long distances to get a more substantial home?

These are questions which were answered originally by the richest people during the industrial revolution, but are now basic decisions for almost all modern families.

I remember working in Dublin in the mid to late 1990s when my contemporaries were starting to get married and buy homes.

At the time Dublin was booming and a property bubble was sending first time buyers out into the rest of Leinster.

A basic public transport infrastructure and roads unable to cope with a city that stretched, in reality, from Gorey to Portlaoise and as far north as the outskirts as Drogheda, meant that traffic chaos was endemic.

Plenty of people were so stressed at sitting in cars for three or four hours a day that they started taking motorbike lessons.

The decision for these people was a simple one – do I buy a one-bed apartment in Dublin or a three-bed semi, with a garage in Co Meath and face the traffic?

Most opted for the traffic. I knew of a journalist who used the get up at 5am, drive to Dublin in 35 minutes (avoiding a 90-minute drive later in the morning) and sleep for another couple of hours parked up outside his work.

Supercommuters considered even more extreme family decisions.

With house prices in London so out of kilter with average incomes – a one-bed flat now costs £500,000 – families have to get creative.

HR manager Liam Reece mad the dramatic decision to move his family to the Isle of Wight and completes a six-hour commute to London, three days a week.

This begins with a three-mile cycle from his large and impressive home to the port. A 22 minute ferry to Portsmouth and a two-hour train ride to London.

He leaves his home at 6am sharp and arrives at his city desk at 9.10am, if everything goes to plan.

As they sat on the ferry pondering early morning life, presenter Charlie Luxton pointed out to Reece that he spends one month a year of his life commuting.

“It’s totally worth it,” said Reece, without hesitation.

Another family moved to the south of France, with the mum commuting to London by plane for her job in London fashion.

Incredibly her transport costs had reduced from when she was paying for a daily commuter train to London.

I suppose it’s time to count your blessings. Belfast may have some traffic issues but I can cycle to work in about ten minutes.

***

New Years’ Eve Live, RTE 1, Saturday at 10.30pm

How refreshing to see RTE make a descent effort at ringing in the New Year.

The national broadcaster hasn’t always put its best foot forward on December 31, but 2016 was different.

In a four location show, Claire Byrne chatted to guests at the Department of Foreign Affairs at Iveagh House in Dublin.

Aidan Power brought us bouts of music from the ‘Countdown Concert’ at St Stephen’s Green, Bryan Dobson was live in New York and Kathryn Thomas was at a party in London hosted by the Irish Ambassador to Britain.

It was interesting, entertaining and uniquely Irish. Well done RTE.

***

Celebrity Big Brother, Five, Tuesday at 9pm

There was a time when CBB was a reasonable distraction in the cold and dark month of January.

I’m not sure if it’s the trivialisation that social media has brought to our lives or the increasingly dire fare of television, but I just can’t face it this year.