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A Shepherd in London

Bill Paterson

David Blount

Jerome Vincent

A Shepherd in London: Episode 1: Flocking to Selfridge's

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Flocking to Selfridges

Episode 1

Episode 1: Flocking to Selfridge's

Flocking to Selfridge's

BBC Radio 4 - A Shepherd in London, Flocking to Selfridge'sSearch BBC

A Highland shepherd sees into the future after a meeting with a fellow Scot in London.

4 Extra Debut. By Jerome Vincent: A Highland shepherd sees into the future after a chance meeting with a fellow Scot in London.

In the 1920s and 30s, sheep were used in London parks to keep the grass down. Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Clapham Common and Hampstead Heath all had sheep grazing on them, and there was much competition between shepherds to get their flocks chosen for the privilege. There was considerable profit to be made too - for when they were good and fat, the sheep were herded to Smithfield Meat Market to be prepared for the table.

In Flocking to Selfridges, writer Jerome Vincent imagines the experiences of George Donald, a shepherd from Aberdeenshire, who has brought his flock (aided by his faithful sheepdog Birk) to graze in Hyde Park. George is no stranger to the capital, but is always astonished by the way in which Londoners behave, likening the crowds in Oxford Street to mindless flocks of sheep.

It's 1925, and technology is moving on apace. One day in the park, George bumps into a fellow Scot - a young man at the cutting edge of the next new thing. He's John Logie Baird, the inventor of television, and George Donald is able to give him a word of advice.

Reader: Bill Paterson
Producer: David Blount
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.

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Two short stories about Scottish shepherd George Donald and his sheep in 1920s London

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