To Orwell Today,

Dear Ms. Jura,

Have you seen the BBC2/Wall To Wall programme "George Orwell: A Life in Pictures", and if so, what is your opinion of its accuracy? I haven't had the opportunity to watch it. Do you know where I might be able to purchase it? Thanks.

Sincerely,
Danae McGill

Greetings Danae,

When I was in the village of Wallington last summer, August 2004, the present owner of Orwell's house invited us inside for a tour.

While we were having "a nice cup of tea" she told us that last year she had watched the BBC documentary GEORGE ORWELL: MY LIFE IN PICTURES and that it was quite well done.

I told her that when I had been in England the previous summer, 2003, other people had told me about an excellent documentary and she suggested that this would be the same one. I wrote it down in my Travel Diary and when I got home I looked it up on BBC. Here is the link:

George Orwell: My Life in Pictures. BBC TWO, Saturday, June 14, 2003

I notice that on the bottom of the article it says:

"All the BBC's digital services are now available on Freeview, the new free-to-view digital terrestrial television service, as well as on satellite and cable. Freeview offers the BBC's eight television channels, interactive services from BBCi, as well as 11 BBC radio networks"

but so far I have been unable to figure out whether or not archived shows are available. Maybe you'll have better luck. If so, please let me know and I'll share the info with all the readers as no doubt everyone would like to see the program.

Thanks for reminding me about BBC's GEORGE ORWELL: MY LIFE IN PICTURES because I had forgotten about it.

All the best,
Jackie Jura

PS - The owner of Orwell's Wallington house also told me about an article that had appeared in the Daily Telegraph in September 2003 which talked about the house being up for sale (by the previous owners) and suggested that I look it up on their website, which I did:

At the gates of Animal Farm, Daily Telegraph, Sep 24, 2003