THE LITHERLAND RUNNING MAN
by Emmey Little
The most interesting thing is not so much finding out exactly who this person is. The interesting thing is what people THINK he is.
The Litherland Running Man is a local phenomenon. A mystery athlete who has captured the imagination of Sefton's residents with his daily, half-clothed, all-weather running regime.
But what begins as a roadtrip to find the phantom marathon man emerges as something more significant: a journey through a peculiar kind of fandom. Because the Litherland Running man has become a social media icon, with legions of spottings and theories posted online.
Emmey talks to Dr Nedim Hassan, Senior Lecturer in Media and Cultural studies at Liverpool John Moores University, to learn more about fandom, culture and identity, and how this applies to the creative mythology that has arisen around the Litherland Running Man.
And as the roadtrip around south Sefton reaches its climax, things come to a head at The Netherton pub...
Contributors:
Harry Anderson, Caroline Arnold, James Coe, Ruth Dalton, Kate Deamon, Jo Fisher, Sian McGreary, Nedim Hassan, Steph Lynch, Emma Nibbs, Tricia O'Neill, Morven Proctor, Kirsty Rothwell, Ian Thorlad
Original Music and Sound Design:
Christopher Johns
Producer:
Chris Fittock
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All Episodes:
by Emmey Little
He runs around Sefton 48 hours a day, eight days a week. Some say he is training for a new series of Takeshi's Castle. Others say his right nipple is the same shape as the Nürburgring. But who is the Litherland Running Man? This documentary fearlessly seeks out the answers.
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by Joseph Rynhart
Join a cabbie from one sunrise to the next, meeting his passengers along the way. Residents, tourists, shoppers, clubbers: Southport is a town of contrasts. Listen to its changing character as the hours — and years — tick by.
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by Helen Stenson & Rebecca Downing
A local journalist unearths Sefton's spooks, including poltergeists and exorcisms in Altcar, and strange reports of flashing lights at the abandoned Seaforth radar tower.
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by Chelsea B. Bassnett
The Sefton Coast has witnessed a millennium, and is privy to an ancient, transcendent wisdom. This documentary seeks the spiritual side of Sefton — partaking in a gong bath and joining an earth chant on Formby Beach. How do we connect now to traditions long lost, and to nature itself? Meet the people who think they know the answers.
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by Phil Montgomery
"Wistful contemplation of the sea." "Council bullied into buying scrap." Antony Gormley's Another Place provokes diverse opinion. What is the value of public art in Sefton? This documentary looks for answers by listening to a group of Year 4 children from Forefield Junior School who are embarking upon a musical project inspired by the Iron Men.
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by Ashleigh Panther
One of Sefton's greatest assets is its natural coast. This documentary looks at the threats it faces, as well as how we can preserve it. It goes on location at Ainsdale National Nature Reserve, finds out more about the re-development of the town's train station by Merseyrail, and speaks to the young winners of Sefton's 2015 Eco Champion Awards.
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Bonus Material:
by Forefield Junior School & Steve Marriott
Listen to Forefield Junior School pupils' piece of music inspired by their investigations into the Iron Men. Created as part of the Another Place Like Home documentary.
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by The Internet
We asked the Internet to describe what it thinks of the Iron Men. The Internet responded. Created as part of the Another Place Like Home documentary.
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