The programming you and your friend are interested in should be available on That's TV Gold, as well as on That's TV Local.
That's TV Gold is available on Freeview channel 91 in some areas but on Freeview channel 264 in others. As Barry says, it's available on Sky channel 187 but not on Virgin Media.
However That's TV Local (which is on either Freeview channel 7 or channel 8, depending upon one's location) is available on Virgin Media in
some parts of the country. (For example, That's TV East Anglia is available on Virgin Media channel 159 around here but there's no similar coverage for That's TV Lancashire).
To find out how That's TV Local can be accessed in your part of the country, hover your mouse over 'That's TV Local' here, select the relevant area and scroll down to the pink panel:
http://www.thats.tv/