It's a Knockout

The 1982 series of the inter-town competition to determine who represents Great Britain in Europe starts with a bang this evening from the Play Close, Melton Mowbray. Farming is the theme, and teams from Melton Mowbray, Charnwood and Rutland do battle in the shade of the Parish Church for the coveted prize of a trip to the Italian Heat of Jeux sans Frontieres to be held in Sardinia later in the year. Introduced by Stuart Hall Special guest presenters Peter Duncan, Sarah Greene and Simon Groom featuring Blondini

The second in the 1982 series of this inter-town competition to determine who represents Great Britain in Europe tonight comes from Cockermouth in Cumbria. Countryside pursuits is the theme, and teams from COCKERMOUTH KESWICK and MARYPORT take part in this Lakeland heat to decide who travels to Yugoslavia for Jeux sans Frontieres later in the year, Games are set among the Wordsworthian daffodils beside the River Derwent, and inevitably the teams take a ducking. Introduced by Stuart Hall Special guest presenters Maggie Philbin and Keith Chegwin

The third in the series of this inter-town competition comes from Christchurch in Dorset, and the prize is a trip to Paris to represent GB in Jeux sans Frontières. The theme is Gardening, and the teams are from CHRISTCHURCH, GOSPORT and WINCHESTER. Introduced by Stuart Hall Special guest presenters Brian Cant and Floella Benjamin

The programme travels to Lochgilphead in Argyll and Bute for heat four of the domestic series. The theme is holiday fun, featuring sandcastles, paddling, all the fun of the fair and a glimpse of the Loch Ness monster. LOCHGILPHEAD, OBAN and PERTH compete for a place in the Euro. pean heats, and the winner travels to Switzerland later in the year. Introduced by Stuart Hall Special guest presenters The Krankies and Stu Francis

Normanby Hall Country Park, Scunthorpe, is the venue for heat five of It's a Knockout 1982. Teams from SCUNTHORPE, CLEETHORPES and ROTHERHAM compete for a place in the Portuguese Inter. national Heat of Jeux sans Frontieres, to be held on the Island of Madeira later in the year. The theme of the programme is Stately Homes, and you are invited to take champagne on the lawn and a dip in the fountain. 'Nora Batty' presides over the scoreboard, and 'Compo' hosts the Marathon. Introduced by Stuart Hall Special guest presenters Bill Owen and Kathy Staff featuring OWEN HESSLETINE, ESQUIRE

The last in the 1982 series of the inter-town competition to determine who represents Great Britain in Europe, is staged in the open-air swimming-pool at Chippenham in Wiltshire. The theme is maritime, with drunken sailors and Mississippi steam-boats much in evidence. Gloucester, Ross-on-Wye and the home team, Chippenham, compete for the coveted prize of a trip to the Belgian Heat of Jeux sans Frontieres, to be held in Ghent later in the year. Introduced by Stuart Hall Special guest presenter Tom O'Connor