WE may criticise the Beeb for the quality of some of its output although compared with the other terrestial channels it is a vertiable oasis of quality.

But when it comes to factual programmes you do have to take your hat off to its ability to do the job properly.

Last night's Seven Man Made Wonders began a tour of the country looking at buildings and structures which we, the viewer have decided are veritable architectural marvel.

The first of the 10-part series took us to the South West and included the Bishop Rock Lighthouse, which even after having it explained to me I'm still not quite sure how they manaqged to build it.

We are all led to believe that today's technological age with its computers, microchips and other clever gadgets is a scientific age.

But for me, the real marvels were structures put up before the days of mechanisation, when a combination of ingenuity and perspiration resulted in lasting monuments to man's ability to be creative and practical.

Having watched the inmates over on Channel Four struggle to complete a coherent sentence never mind a simple Big Brother task, you do have to wonder if society really has progressed as much as we are led to believe.