Whicker's World - Vol. 2

A cultural icon, consummate interviewer and guiding light behind some of the most popular documentaries ever made, Alan Whicker’s quiet brand of incisive, insightful television journalism has enthralled audiences for the last six decades. This second volume showcases the diversity of his output from aristocracy to Disneyland, from the majesty of Alaska to the fl eshpots of Los Angeles.The Aristocracy BusinessAlan Whicker investigates the aristocracy, talking to rich peers and land-owners, including the Baron of Guiseborough, the Baron of Faversham, Viscount Down, and George Howard (Castle Howard).Tankers/Boat People (Hong Kong)It’s the Chinese New Year’s Day and Alan Whicker focuses on a picturesque Chinese race and their strange ‘centuries-old’ pattern of life - the Boat People, whose homes, shops, restaurants and brothels (or ‘flower-boats’) all float.Devil’s IslandThe most dreaded island in the world has been undisturbed and decaying for a few silent years. Alan Whicker seeks out ex-convicts who survived the Island’s unspeakable cruelties, and parts the curtain on a grisly stage where 75,000 Bagnards lived, fought and died.Pixie Dust on the Goodie Goodie LandAlan Whicker discusses the coming of Disneyworld to Florida. The special magic of Disneyworld is explored and Whicker finds himself judged unacceptable by the tribe of ‘apostles’ preparing to spread pixie dust on ten million people a year.Large Sums of Money Have a Very Fusty SmellIn one of Whicker’s most riveting interviews, Charmain Biggs, wife of Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs, talks at length about the background to his part in the robbery, his dramatic escape from Wandsworth and their life on the run in Australia where they were eventually discovered.Anchorage, Alaska - The Ultimate Dream, the Last Chance to do it RightAlan Whicker heads north to the spectacular landscpe of Alaska. It has the most hostile conditions in the world; Winter temperatures average minus 60 degrees, if there’s a wind, it can plummet below minus 100 degrees and the nights last two months.Nothing is Utopia, This Comes Pretty CloseAlan Whicker meets some of the 50,000 Britons that have made Los Angeles their home, drinking in English-style pubs and playing cricket. He interviews Christopher Lee and Peter Sellers and also meets that model of Englishness, Patrick Macnee, who admits he would like to die in Dorset.The Absolute MonarchAlan Whicker joins the Sultan of Brunei (reputedly the richest man in the world) in his kingdom on the island of Borneo. He joins in the silver jubilee celebrations and meets the Sultan’s family and his army.Special Features:None Listed