Serendipity

Serendipity means a "fortunate happenstance" or "pleasant surprise". That provided today's blip.

Intending to walk by the coast we sought coffee beforehand at Linlithgow canal basin teashop, only to be told that it was closed, awaiting a BBC film crew; but they were very late.

This sounded quite exciting (and potentially blippable) so, after coffee in town we returned to witness the expected celebrities - Timothy West and his wife Prunella Scales, recording an episode in their series Great Canal Journeys for Channel Four (not BBC).

Not conversant with the way such programmes are put together we were fascinated to observe the movements of celebrities and crew. We concluded that interviews had already taken place on the wharf, although there was no sign of their longboat. Then two cameras geared up to film, one positioned canalside, the other sited on the bridge, as eventually the celebrity boat glided from the other side of the bridge to moor up at the wharf and the pair disembark.

Our plan for the coast abandoned, we headed off along the towpath in the Falkirk direction, wondering whether the famous couple would overtake us - but, as we turned round after two miles, although the boat did come past, a stranger at the helm, there was no sign of them.

We eagerly await the broadcast, if only to see just how the footage is put together.