- 2 days ago
The Hotel Inspector (2005) Season 20 Episode 4- By the Red Phone Box
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00:00I've been a hotelier for over three decades.
00:04Please remember at all times that you're representatives of the hotel.
00:08And I know just how tough this profession can be.
00:11It's 24-7. We're just exhausted.
00:13But not once in all my years...
00:16Oh, mother of God.
00:18...have I seen so many businesses...
00:20Everything I've earned has gone into this place.
00:22...and owners closer to the point of collapse.
00:25You're fired.
00:26It's too much.
00:28Sorry.
00:30So I'm back.
00:31Here to help rescue these flailing businesses.
00:34Can you put your belly away?
00:36It really looks like you just don't care.
00:39From hotel newbies...
00:40It's absolutely terrifying.
00:41...to traditional seaside B&Bs...
00:44On the beach like Pamela Anderson.
00:46...and village pubs.
00:48Sleeping under a pie may be a step too far for me.
00:51I wish I sensed humour.
00:52It's not my idea of fun.
00:55And I'm up against the clock...
00:57I'm feeling very anxious.
00:58...because they're all on the edge.
01:00...very critical situation financially.
01:03I don't like failing.
01:04I'll be rolling my sleeves up and getting stuck in...
01:08...that's closer to nature than I've been in a while.
01:11...delivering some tough love...
01:12It's a tip, woman.
01:14I don't know which bit I hate most.
01:15I'm sorry to be hurtful.
01:17I mean, hello.
01:19To help these hospitality businesses get on the right path...
01:23I don't have any way to put a pair of knickers...
01:25...but I've got a recycling thing.
01:26...before it's too late.
01:28Now our booking's empty.
01:30This time, I get stuck in on the farm...
01:38I'm going to have to get my hands dirty.
01:40You are, yes.
01:41You.
01:42...to help a family whose way of life is on a knife edge.
01:47Ian would keep farming until the bailiffs come.
01:50They've desperately diversified into glamping.
01:55We have no experience in hospitality.
01:59There's nowhere to put a mug of tea down.
02:01There's no area to sit in.
02:03Where's the romance?
02:05And I'm way out of my comfort zone.
02:08I just don't know what to do.
02:12Goodbye, goodbye.
02:14Deep in the Worcestershire countryside...
02:16...is a 25-acre farm...
02:19...owned by Ian, a third-generation farmer...
02:23...and his wife, Emma.
02:26I think that lamb needs to do.
02:28Yeah.
02:29It's home to them and their sons, Sam and Jack.
02:32I grew a quarter of oil away, so I haven't ventured far.
02:37I used to say, I'm going to marry a farmer when I grow up.
02:41And I managed to find one that would take me on.
02:45Come on then, ladies.
02:46They also leased 200 acres from neighbouring landowners to support their stock.
02:53We've got 200 ewes, 60 lambs, 20 single sucklers, and then some young stock around as well.
03:02That seems to keep us busy.
03:04The rest of the time, we have our feet up.
03:05But British farming isn't what it was for Ian's father and grandfather before him.
03:16I feed these three first.
03:19It's suffering a cash flow crisis after years of rising costs, policy changes and market volatility.
03:25You take a lamb to market, you don't know what you're going to be selling that product for on that day.
03:31And you sell him, or you bring him home, but next week the trade might be worse.
03:37OK, he's done.
03:39Money is so tight that Ian and Emma can't afford to take a wage.
03:44Oh, that's that.
03:45Or pay for help.
03:47The boys are off school this week, which is great, so we've got an extra pair of hands.
03:51Look at that.
03:52You've got to a stage where you think, well, hold on, something's got to change.
04:00Like over 70% of UK farms, Ian and Emma had no choice but to diversify to keep the wool from the farmhouse door.
04:09We have no experience in hospitality, other than I was a barmaid in my 20s.
04:15Five years ago, with only credit cards as a means of payment, they created off-grid camping pitches, a shepherd's hut and a bell tent.
04:26What we offer is a back-to-nature experience, so there's no Wi-Fi provided, there's no electric hook-ups, technology detox.
04:36The perfect draw during the post-COVID boom.
04:39But now their occupancy stands at 34% and their bell tent has succumbed to the elements.
04:45They've no savings to rebuild, and without the glamping business, their future in farming looks bleak.
04:56Guess for me, I don't like failing.
05:02Oh, sorry, hold on.
05:06Hold on.
05:08Give it a word.
05:12It's never a failure, you've always done your best.
05:14It's just like the farming.
05:22I know.
05:23It's in you, you can't walk away.
05:25It defines you.
05:26I know.
05:28Ian would keep farming until the bailiffs come, turfed us out, and loaded the animals up.
05:35You just worry what the future will hold, and that's why we do the camping and glamping, to keep farming.
05:41What do you mean?
05:46I'm sorry.
05:57Farming and hospitality are two of the most difficult businesses in the world.
06:02So already, alarm bells are ringing.
06:06The good news is that Worcestershire is currently experiencing a tourism boom, with visitors
06:12attracted to the county's picturesque villages, growing food and drink scene, and farming landscape,
06:18like this in the Teen Valley.
06:19There's birds tweeting, there's lambs gambling.
06:28We're nearly there, aren't we?
06:30Getting there.
06:32Ian and Emma are actually expecting me tomorrow.
06:34But I'm so worried, I'm arriving a day early.
06:39This is not my natural environment.
06:43As long as I don't have to cuddle any animals.
06:46We've still got our four lambs on the bottle.
06:50If Alex wants to get involved with that, she'll be very welcome.
06:52It's got a very odd name, this place, by the red phone box.
07:00Oh.
07:02I see it ahead of me.
07:04It doesn't seem to be anyone about.
07:14No one human, anyway.
07:19Unless my hosts are of the bovine variety, I must be in the wrong place.
07:26Oh, that'll probably be my dad.
07:28Hello.
07:29Hi, Emma.
07:30I'm Alex Polizzi, and I am in your farmyard.
07:34Where do I come?
07:35Come out the farmyard.
07:37Turn right.
07:38And halfway along the line there, there's a little sign.
07:40And we're there.
07:42Thanks.
07:42Bye, darling.
07:43Bye.
07:43Bye.
07:44Right.
07:45It's by the picture of the red phone box.
07:46Let's complicate the name a bit further.
07:51I thought it was going to be another customer.
07:53I thought, oh, we've got a bit of money coming.
07:57I am a little bit nervous.
07:59I don't know what she'll think of it.
08:02Aha.
08:03Here we are.
08:05Hello.
08:06Hello.
08:07I know you weren't expecting me today, were you?
08:09I know.
08:09It's quite a surprise.
08:10I'm afraid my aunt's aren't.
08:11It's all right.
08:12Hi, Emma.
08:12Hi, Ian.
08:13Nice to meet you.
08:14And you.
08:15What a beautiful part of the world.
08:18Having never camped myself, I'm keen to get a sense of the space and facilities here before
08:24I start the real work tomorrow.
08:26This is the camping pitches.
08:28Yeah.
08:29In this field, there are seven tent pitches and a hut with a communal shower, toilet and
08:34pot wash.
08:35And, having checked their website, all for £21 a night.
08:39What else do you have to show me?
08:42Lead on.
08:43Lead on.
08:46The field next door is where the camping, this is Ag Shepherd's Hut, so this sleeps a
08:52family of four, becomes glamping.
08:54Okay.
08:55A term first used in the noughties to describe luxury camping, it's now expanded to Shepherd's
09:02Hut's too.
09:03That's their kitchen.
09:04That's their kitchen.
09:05It's a growing market, bringing in around £160 million to the UK economy each year.
09:12This is the bathroom.
09:14This used to be my horse trailer.
09:17Okay.
09:18And over here is what?
09:23This was a glamping field and we've been putting a bell tent up on the decking and it ripped
09:29the end of the year, so it's what we do with it now.
09:32Yeah.
09:33Let's see.
09:34Okay.
09:35First impression is things in farming must be worse than I think if they think a glamping
09:42field and seven pictures are going to save them.
09:45My brain is absolutely whirring.
09:48This land means so much to them.
09:51It's family and history and it's also what they've built together.
09:55I am desperate to do what I can and I hope I can manage it.
10:02I've been called for Team Valley in rural Worcester by lifelong farmer Ian and his wife Emma
10:17and family.
10:18Have a good day.
10:21Despite farming all hours, and diversifying into hospitality, last year they pulled in just
10:29over 15,000 pounds to live off.
10:33This is a tough one for me and I'm not entirely sure that I have the answers.
10:37Morning.
10:38Morning Alex.
10:40So how many calves do you have this year?
10:4518 we'll have.
10:47We used to have 50 cows.
10:49Yeah.
10:50Cut them back slowly because the beef trade plummeted for a few years and we just thought,
10:55well, we're working for nothing but the trade has been quite good so we've just increased
11:00them up.
11:01Of course, it ain't something you can do quick.
11:04The glamping and camping.
11:05Through the summer, if it's 50 pound, 80 pound, I'll pay your water bill or pay.
11:10Yeah.
11:11That's how we live.
11:12Hello.
11:14Rising feed and fuel costs and fluctuations in the price of lamb and wool means sheep farming
11:21too is a risky business without instant returns.
11:26Hello doll.
11:27What are you up to?
11:28Hello.
11:29I'm feeding the pet lambs.
11:31Oh, right.
11:32I suppose I'm going to have to get my hands dirty.
11:34You are.
11:35Yes.
11:36Hello lambs.
11:38That's it.
11:39Good lord.
11:40I don't know about their table manners.
11:41There we go.
11:42There we go.
11:43Gosh.
11:44That's closer to nature than I've been in a while.
11:45Do you do this every morning then?
11:46Four times a day we do this.
11:47Life, to me, is just a juggling act.
12:02I think it's hard to romanticise farming, but people manage it somehow.
12:08It's just such bloody hard work, darling.
12:11I take my hats off to them.
12:13You know, I couldn't do it.
12:15This is going to be a steep learning curve for me.
12:18Hospitality is my forte.
12:21When it comes to farming, I'm still finding my feet.
12:24It's difficult for a city girl like me to understand a love for one's land.
12:30But I'm assuming that it's fairly potent.
12:33I mean, it's like having children, isn't it?
12:35Yeah.
12:36Oh, yeah.
12:37Yeah.
12:38It gets to me.
12:41Yeah, it's part of you.
12:43Farming is part of you.
12:45I don't think there's a day goes by that you don't worry about whether you can keep farming.
12:52Ian doesn't talk a lot.
12:55He's buried his head in the sand, don't you, mate?
12:58Yeah, I knew you'd think about it a lot, but there's no point here.
13:03I'm not saying you don't think about it.
13:05I'm saying you don't talk about it.
13:07I'm beginning to understand Ian's need to continue the legacy left from his forefathers.
13:12It literally runs through his blood.
13:15Does the farm make money?
13:18The farm just about supports itself.
13:21Well, you think you probably might sell a cow for a couple of grand.
13:24But how much of that is profit?
13:26A hundred pounds.
13:27I mean, it's mad, isn't it?
13:28And it might even be that.
13:29We've lost money sometimes, haven't we?
13:31It's a tough old life, really.
13:33Does the camping and the glamping make you money?
13:36Nothing makes lots of money.
13:39It's a cash flow.
13:40It is a wonderful cash flow.
13:42Knowing that you've got a little bit of money coming through the summer.
13:46Before the livestock's ready to sell.
13:49Because lambing is such an expensive type of carving.
13:52And you've got everything in and you're feeding everything.
13:54And you've got some really big bills.
13:56So to have that money coming in for the campsite.
13:59Yeah.
14:00It's fantastic.
14:01It creates a wave.
14:03I understand that the glamping and the camping is there to support the farming.
14:08You know, the farming's the main event.
14:10This is some sideshow.
14:11Yeah.
14:12But it's a sideshow that I've got to help me make more lucrative.
14:14And it's a sideshow we enjoy.
14:17But that leaves me with a huge problem on my hands.
14:20How on earth am I going to help them continue doing what they love.
14:24With a budget of just £1,000.
14:27I just don't know what to do.
14:29You know.
14:32There's a lot of things we could do with £10,000.
14:34Or with £8,000.
14:35Or with £5,000 maybe.
14:37But £1,000 isn't going to get us very far.
14:39So...
14:44It's a life they've chosen.
14:45And it's a life they enjoy.
14:47So, you know, it's up to me to try and make it a bit more viable.
14:51As the bell tent is no longer standing, Ian and Emma's glamping offering is just this £125 a night shepherd's hut for full.
15:01I mean, I wonder, you know, how comfortable is it for full people to actually sleep in here overnight.
15:06I can't imagine very.
15:07Shepherds' huts were historically an all-weather shelter for a shepherd watching the flock.
15:12So, by their nature, a cosy and intimate for a couple.
15:16And this is anything but.
15:18There's nowhere to put a mug of tea down.
15:22There's no area to sit in if the weather's not great.
15:27Top-end glamping experiences for couples can command up to £250 a night.
15:33But everything here is way off that.
15:37This isn't great.
15:39This approach to this shower block isn't great.
15:43And what is this random shed hiding?
15:46This is the kind of thing that really gives me the ick.
15:52Kind of total disorder.
15:54But it's not like they have a minute, do they? Ever.
15:58But a shed full of abandoned furniture is the least of my worries.
16:02This ghost of glamping past needs to be resurrected so that they can start making some money.
16:08The summer is literally upon us.
16:11And this should be used at least for the six weeks of the summer every single day.
16:16I think I know what needs to happen next.
16:19But first, I want Ian and Emma to understand why.
16:23So, first of all about this area here.
16:26I challenge you to spend a night with your two children in there and see how well it works.
16:31OK.
16:32I think you've got to experience your product.
16:35Yeah, yeah, I'll go with that. First time.
16:38First night camping?
16:39First night camping.
16:40That'll learn you won't it?
16:41Yeah.
16:42It's about time Ian tried out his own facilities.
16:45And while we're plain talking, I want Emma to own up to her shocker of a shed and its surroundings.
16:52Good lord, it's a tip, woman. What do you do? Just close your eyes and throw things backwards into it.
16:58Last autumn I did, yes.
17:01I would like to encourage you to tidy up this field.
17:04I think they've got the message. And now onto the elephant in the field.
17:09I'm absolutely positive that the answer is to having a structure here.
17:15Yeah.
17:16And then you'll have this to make the most of the summer season.
17:18That would be amazing.
17:19Oh, great.
17:20Yeah? Yeah.
17:21It will be all hands on deck.
17:22I might have an answer, but there's one thing that keeps pressing on my mind.
17:26I don't have much more, Nate, and I'm going to have to be bloody creative.
17:43Morning, Alex. We spent the night here last night.
17:46Sat round outside, barbecued.
17:49We've got a list of things we think that we could do better. See you soon. Bye.
17:58Sam, you've got that one.
18:00Good lad.
18:01Lovely.
18:02Is that alright there?
18:04Yeah.
18:05Hopefully that will all be screened off.
18:08I keep asking my boss for a day off, but he won't let me.
18:11It's been four weeks since I was last here, and I'm arriving with a spring in my step.
18:22Today is really key. I want to hit the ground running.
18:25Hello, my friends.
18:27Hello.
18:28Ooh.
18:29Gosh, that's looking very smart.
18:32Well done. It looks lovely here.
18:35While I've been gone, Ian and Emma have weather-proofed the decked area with a canopy and added a fire pit and outdoor furniture.
18:45So was any of this caused by you staying here?
18:48Yeah.
18:49Definitely made you think, oh, if it's raining, where are we going to sit?
18:54And did you think it was tight for fall?
18:56Four people's okay, but it's people's stuff.
18:58Stuff, especially if you're staying more than a night.
19:01Everything ends up on the floor, and then it's a mess, and it shouldn't be a mess because it looked really magical when all the lights come on.
19:07It is magical.
19:09And the progress continues.
19:11Gosh, this looks really smart.
19:16I love it.
19:18Now that they've got the place looking a bit more bougie on the outside, while Ian heads back to the farmyard,
19:26I want to talk marketing with Emma and outline my new plan for rustic retreats for couples, not families.
19:35What I think we're going to try and attract is the couple market, which is much more lucrative, and much more discerning, and really looks for something special.
19:44You know, an experience.
19:45Yeah.
19:46And you provide that in bucket loads.
19:48What do you think of what I've just said?
19:50It sounds great.
19:51And I don't know why I'd never thought of that.
19:53Then when you say it, it sounds perfect common sense.
19:55It makes sense.
19:56It's great that Emma is on board with the change in marketing direction.
20:01Now I need to dish out the bad news.
20:04Darling, I wanted to talk to you about your awful website.
20:09Well, you can't expect me only to tell you how wonderful you are, surely.
20:14It's just not sexy.
20:16Let's look at the shepherd's heart.
20:19That doesn't do it any justice at all.
20:22No.
20:23And it's so pretty now.
20:24Yeah.
20:25And it's got all the woven branches.
20:27Yeah.
20:28And it's got the canopy.
20:29Why on earth are you showing me a picture?
20:31What is that a picture of?
20:33A mirror?
20:34That's the mirror in the bathroom.
20:36I don't want to sound too hackneyed, but people have so little imagination, darling.
20:41Yeah.
20:42You have to kind of provide them with the idea of what they're going to find.
20:47People toasting marshmallows around a fire.
20:49Yeah.
20:50You're almost generating the excitement yourself.
20:53Hmm.
20:54You know, you said something incredibly poetic the other day about a barn owl swooping past
20:59you.
21:00I mean, where's the romance?
21:02It's not there.
21:03Yeah.
21:04You know.
21:05Yeah.
21:06You've got to pull them in, love.
21:07Yes.
21:08You know, reel them in.
21:09Yeah.
21:10She's right.
21:11When she points it out, it's like staring you in the face.
21:16And I need to put it right.
21:18Emma understood that actually it's too small for fall.
21:22It's just a miserable experience all crammed in a, you know, wet box, basically.
21:27These are two people who I really want to help.
21:30I don't have much money to help them with.
21:32I've got this enormous circular platform.
21:34I really want to be the showstopper piece.
21:37Everything is on its last legs in it.
21:52There's no money to reinvest.
21:54I'm on a uniquely different call out to help cash strapped farmers Ian and Emma revive
22:00their failing hospitality side hustle.
22:03This one has caused me sleepless nights.
22:06Farming is not my thing.
22:08Glamping is not my thing.
22:10And camping is definitely not my thing.
22:13They've diversified through pure necessity.
22:16We were finding that we couldn't support us as a family through the farming.
22:22The glamping keeps us farming.
22:24They currently have seven camping pitches, a basic shepherd's hut and an empty platform.
22:30And that isn't going to change their fortunes.
22:33But I have a plan.
22:35Upgrade the hut to a romantic retreat for couples.
22:41And create a second boutique place to stay.
22:46I've got a solution that I managed to do in budget.
22:51I have got you a lantern tent so you can stand up.
22:55That ed room will make a difference.
22:57It will be really important.
22:58I'm hoping so.
22:59And it has an integrated heart stone.
23:03Lovely.
23:04It will extend out the season.
23:06And it will keep the glampers cosy and warm whatever the British weather.
23:11For today, you shall have to call me the Caped Crusader.
23:16Righting wrongs in the glamping world.
23:19Why didn't we think of that?
23:21Don't know.
23:22I probably did.
23:26Now that we've got an idea about the size of the tent,
23:30I think we need to try and work out what we're going to put in it.
23:33OK.
23:34But I've spent most of the budget.
23:36So I need to look elsewhere for furnishings and I think I know just the place.
23:41Emma's storage shed.
23:43That's lovely.
23:44What was it doing hiding in there?
23:46I love the fact that Alex has used stuff that's knocking about.
23:51I do because it takes the money.
23:55And things are looking better every minute.
23:58Ah, the cavalry are on the horizon.
24:01I asked Ian if there was anyone who can help us as there's so much to do today.
24:06He sent an SOS out to the farming community and they've responded with tools.
24:12Thank you so much for coming to help.
24:15Across the country, small scale farmers like Ian and Emma rely on their community to share knowledge,
24:21resources and to provide a mutual helping hand.
24:25We're lucky.
24:27We've got real good friends, families, neighbours.
24:31Neighbours.
24:32We've got a good support network, haven't we?
24:35And collectively, everyone is pulling in the right direction.
24:39Make sure that door's square.
24:42Where's the middle?
24:43I think we need to drop it down a bit.
24:45What's happening in there?
24:47I see it.
24:48Gosh, that's amazing.
24:51It's actually bloody nice, isn't it?
24:53It's lovely.
24:55I want this to be a hotel experience under canvas.
24:58And I'm starting with a proper king-sized bed from Emma's shed, of course.
25:04Gosh, that looks really nice.
25:07With table and chairs.
25:10Would you have it like that?
25:12And the stove over there?
25:14Yes.
25:15And I need some storage.
25:16We could have a nice bowl on here.
25:18We could have a vase of flowers.
25:20It's got to be as nice as a hotel bedroom.
25:22And I need some more bits and bobs.
25:25But before I address that, I want to set Ian to work on the shepherd's hut.
25:30Ian!
25:33I want this to be a top choice for a couple having a nice romantic weekend away.
25:39I don't want all this babyish stuff.
25:42Sweet.
25:43No, thank you.
25:44Take that out.
25:47Take this out.
25:48Yeah.
25:49And pull the bed out.
25:50Even if there's just a shelf under the window.
25:52Yeah.
25:53So that you've got somewhere to put your glasses or to put your flashlight on.
25:57Thanks, darling.
25:58That will be fine.
25:59Because I want to rush off to the shops before they close.
26:01I'll get it done.
26:02Thanks, darling.
26:08To get the final flourishes, I'm heading to nearby Lemonster for a rummage.
26:16Having salvaged furniture from around Ian and Emma's farm, I have some money left to spend on quirkier finds.
26:25This could be a nice little table and it gives a bit of character to the place.
26:29I need a blanket.
26:31While I'm curating an insta-glamping experience, I'm hoping all is going well back at the farm.
26:37Because tomorrow I've got a surprise for Ian and Emma.
26:48Yesterday we got almost enough done, but not quite.
26:51I've got to kick it up a gear today.
26:53The eggs gave me the idea of offering hampers.
26:58These days, everyone's after experiences.
27:02And I think to try the amazing local produce, it will be a nice selling point.
27:08Every single farmer across the country is diversifying.
27:12Everyone has to.
27:13Within just 10 miles of Emma and Ian's is a wealth of wonderful farm gate produce to forage.
27:22Hiya.
27:23Thank you for meeting us.
27:24I want to source ingredients for a beautiful breakfast hamper to generate extra income and reinforce connections with other local farms.
27:34And my first stop is milk for the all-important campsite brew.
27:39Dairy farming is quite a tough industry, as I'm sure you know.
27:41I have heard rumours.
27:43Yes.
27:45Morley Milk started in 1982, and like many dairy farms, Rachel has had to adapt to keep farming.
27:52When it first started, it was glass bottles on the doorstep with the growth of supermarkets.
27:57We had to change direction a bit, and the national milk buyers, they're so price-driven.
28:02Having our own little brand, our own little dairy with our own drivers, we've just got that little bit of control over some of the milk price that we can get.
28:09It's reassuring to hear farmers like Rachel embracing a new direction to survive.
28:15After you.
28:17Next on my whistle-stop tour is a butcher shop that sources its produce very locally.
28:23So it's our family farm. Being in the family near in a hundred years.
28:27The butcher shop has been going for just about coming up 27 years.
28:31The farm only runs with the butcher shop.
28:34The perfect place for breakfast bacon.
28:37Do you like smoked or unsmoked?
28:38Unsmoked.
28:39Unsmoked.
28:40Six of those?
28:41Yeah.
28:42Perfect.
28:43I think it's really interesting to see how many farms have actually diversified already, so that we can carry on farming.
28:49I think everybody's just very determined.
28:51Few tomatoes.
28:53A quick pit stop for groceries.
28:56Large granary.
28:57That looks very nice.
28:58Great.
28:59Before our final visit, a sixth generation farm almost on Emma's doorstep.
29:05This is gorgeous darling.
29:07This is my neighbours.
29:09This place has won awards for its cider and apple juice.
29:13That's delicious.
29:15So our guests benefit while we keep food miles low.
29:19I don't think people like to taste where they're staying anyway.
29:22It's part of the experience.
29:23I completely agree.
29:24I'm going to take a case of that.
29:26And with Emma out of earshot, a chance to invite Sarah to an event I have planned in less than 24 hours.
29:33Tomorrow we've got a bit of a gathering to celebrate everything that's been happening down there.
29:38Will you come and raise a glass with us?
29:40Yeah, love to.
29:42But before we can pop any corks, I need to show Emma how our locally sourced breakfast box can turn a profit.
29:49Six eggs, they're £1.50 each.
29:52Apple juice, the cost price is I think £3 a bottle.
29:56Bacon, it's about £1 a rationer.
29:58So if we did full, that'd be £4.
30:01Mushrooms, £1.40.
30:04Lovely.
30:05The milk is £1.10.
30:07The butter is £2.75.
30:09And then bread.
30:10So let's work this out.
30:12One, two, three, four, five.
30:13Let's say ten slices of bread, which makes it £30 each.
30:17So four slices would be £1.20 equals £14.95.
30:24In a lot of the cafes, you'll be paying £15 for your cooked breakfast and your cup of coffee.
30:28There you go.
30:29Even if you sold it at £30, you'd be making £15 per foot.
30:33It would be nice.
30:34It would be very, very nice, yeah.
30:36It's definitely worthwhile connecting with the local farms and also making the point of how connected you are.
30:43You know, so don't tell, basically.
30:51It's been a valuable morning's work.
30:54But now we're back, I need to crack the whip at the glamping site as there's so much to do.
30:59Well, this looks much nicer and bigger.
31:02It certainly does.
31:04Ian's made good progress on the shepherd's hut.
31:06You got this foot up?
31:07Yep.
31:09Stripping it back from an impractical family holiday home with no space to put a cup of tea, let alone a suitcase.
31:15It looks so much better.
31:16It looks so much better.
31:17To what I hope will become a romantic, rustic retreat for two.
31:22A few books in the booksells.
31:25Much more saleable.
31:27I think by the end of the afternoon, this is really going to be a much easier proposition to sell.
31:33Which is good timing, because unbeknownst to Emma and Ian, I've got an event planned for them tomorrow, and I'm going to have to come clean.
31:41You know, my friends and neighbours have been so helpful.
31:44Yeah.
31:45It's only right and proper that we thank them and celebrate with them.
31:49So, tomorrow, we're going to invite people over to see what you've done.
31:54Well, that's a shock.
31:56Well, that's tomorrow's little surprise.
31:58But there's one more for today.
32:00We've got a couple coming to stay.
32:02Someone has to stay in it.
32:03Test drive it for us.
32:05Yeah.
32:06So, the guests will be here soon.
32:09Some people coming tonight.
32:10It was a surprise, yes.
32:13Yeah, you have to be a surprise.
32:15Whether it's a five-star establishment or a basic tent, it's crucial to arrange guinea pig guests to test the facilities to ensure a top experience for future paying customers.
32:28I want them to walk in and be really thrilled.
32:32But as well as glamping guests arriving shortly, there's under 24 hours before over 30 locals come for a nose.
32:40If you've got any willing helpers, a shepherd's hut needs a darn good clean.
32:44And I don't know what state the loo block's in.
32:46We need some flowers.
32:47Yeah.
32:48What else do I need?
32:49Clean the loos.
32:50Yeah, well, let's do that.
32:52Okay.
32:53I'll be back.
32:56All hands on deck.
32:59Put this on the table, Izzy, darling.
33:02So, I'm roping in as many volunteers and their offspring as possible.
33:06If you straighten that out, I'll get the chicken.
33:11Nearly there.
33:19Need some flowers.
33:20We're getting there.
33:21Well, I'm starting to feel really happy about this.
33:24There's really no time to spare, but I must grab Ian and Emma to take a look at their new hotel-style tent.
33:34Welcome to your new guest accommodation.
33:37It's lovely.
33:38I'm so impressed with the high-ceiling lantern tent, spacious enough for a king-size bed, and all the furniture one would have in a hotel room.
33:48It's lovely, isn't it?
33:49Yeah.
33:50Spot on.
33:51Set off with rustic bits and bobs.
33:54A few bit of mismatched things to make it look more vintage and special.
33:59I love the...
34:00Yeah.
34:01The flower.
34:02I thought you'd like that.
34:03I thought you'd like that.
34:04Quite frankly, I wouldn't mind staying here myself.
34:07Yes!
34:08There's just one thing missing.
34:09We haven't fixed the stove yet, that's got to happen.
34:13But it looks like we're going to have to hold fire on the stove.
34:17Because our road testers, John and Kay, have arrived.
34:21And we're not ready.
34:22Just tying the fence on, and we're going to remove the bag of rubbish.
34:25I'll have to buy us some time.
34:27So, my friends Emma and Ian have a glamping pod, and you are going to be the ones to christen it.
34:34I want you to be critical.
34:36Anything that you can say that's useful, I will much appreciate.
34:40Okay.
34:41You'll have to wait there a minute.
34:43Have you glamped before? Have you camped before?
34:46Oh, we've camped before, yes, but not glamping.
34:49Oh, good.
34:50I'll get rid of the bag of rubbish.
34:52You can't hear it.
34:53I'm hoping you're going to think it's lovely.
34:56Hello, hello.
34:57Hello, hello.
34:58Come and meet your first lantern tent guests.
35:02Welcome.
35:03Hello.
35:04Ian and Emma.
35:06Hi, Ian.
35:07Kay and John.
35:08Nice to meet you.
35:09Nice to meet you, Emma.
35:10Hello, Emma.
35:11I'm going to leave you in their hands, okay?
35:13Lovely.
35:14And I'll look forward to seeing you in the morning.
35:15See you in the morning.
35:16Bye, guys.
35:17Bye, bye.
35:18This is our lantern tent.
35:22Phew, just in time.
35:24That was too close for comfort.
35:26But what is also making me uncomfortable is the weather forecast.
35:30I've got death, and I'm afraid that this weather may not last.
35:34And not only for our glampers, but for our big community open day tomorrow.
35:39I'm extremely worried.
35:41Well, I mean, now it's sunshine.
35:43If it rains, I'm in the ****.
35:45Last night, after a race to the finish, the new lantern tent welcomed its first glampers to stress test the hotel style experience.
36:05God, it's raining, and I hope my first under canvas guests didn't get soaked in the night.
36:13Not a great start.
36:15We've had so much nice weather.
36:17And then it could be raining when our first guests are in that tent.
36:21But the weather's one thing we can't control.
36:23Let's hope our first-time glampers, John and Kay, have got that outdoor spirit and have embraced the British summer.
36:30Knock, knock!
36:32Can I come in?
36:33Morning, come in.
36:34Come on in.
36:35Get out of the rain.
36:36Thanks, darling.
36:37So, darlings, how was your night?
36:39Lovely.
36:40Lovely.
36:41Very comfortable.
36:42And do you like the decor?
36:43I do.
36:44It's a hotel experience inside canvas, and this is exactly what it is.
36:47It's got that kind of rustic feel.
36:49Yeah.
36:50Which we like.
36:51Good.
36:52So, the bed was comfy.
36:53Yeah.
36:54Really was.
36:55You were warm enough.
36:56With the hot water bottle we were, yes.
36:58But obviously when that's, it'll be lovely.
37:00It needed that addition.
37:01Yeah.
37:02I know.
37:03And we just ran out of time yesterday.
37:05The wood-burning stove would have been the crowning glory, but at least we now know it's an essential.
37:11Tell me what else.
37:13We weren't able to use the shower because there was no towels.
37:16Oh dear.
37:17No heat and no hot shower.
37:19This is all good insight for a virgin glamper like me.
37:23Towels.
37:24Yeah.
37:25The breakfast was gorgeous.
37:26Oh good.
37:27Good quality.
37:28The apple juice was to die for.
37:30The bacon was amazing.
37:31Ah, this sounds much more positive.
37:34I just think it missed a sausage.
37:36It missed a sausage.
37:39Well, almost.
37:40Let down by a sausage.
37:42I think it's a staple.
37:43Man needs a sausage.
37:44He certainly does.
37:45Good.
37:46Okay, so I will feed all that back to them.
37:49That's really useful.
37:50Overall, yeah, it was a lovely experience.
37:51It was our first glamping experience.
37:53Yeah.
37:54And it won't be our last.
37:55Oh good, I'm so pleased.
37:57That was a really good response to the first night under our new tent.
38:01I feel really enthusiastic about everything that we've managed to achieve.
38:06I mean, aside from the stove, the towels and the sausage, I feel spurred on by the feedback.
38:12Even the rain's not spoiling it for me.
38:15I mean, lovely weather for ducks.
38:20Knock, knock.
38:21Come on in.
38:22Good morning.
38:23Good morning.
38:24Our nice guests last night, John and Kay, were very complimentary about the tent overall.
38:29They said it was really comfy.
38:30They loved all the produce.
38:32They said they missed a sausage.
38:35They said the temperature dropped last night and they could have done with a stove.
38:39Yeah.
38:40So I think it is worth plumbing it in.
38:42Yes.
38:43They did say something about towels.
38:45Obviously you don't give it for camping.
38:47Yeah.
38:48But I'm wondering if for glamping it wouldn't be possible.
38:50Yes.
38:51It's the luxury feeling, isn't it?
38:52Yeah.
38:53It's the step above from the camping.
38:55Yeah.
38:56Now that we've ticked off stress testing the glamping experience, I need to focus on the
39:00event.
39:01I've invited the great and the good of the neighborhood to come and celebrate the revitalized
39:08glamping site.
39:12And the locals have responded in their droves.
39:15Clink, clink, clink.
39:17Cementing the true community support.
39:20I'd like to thank everybody for their help.
39:23And confirming crucial connections.
39:26I'd love you all to look at what we've done and thank you guys for being you guys.
39:31Cheers to you all.
39:32Cheers.
39:34Anyone who hasn't seen the tents, please do go round.
39:41First to face a closer inspection is the transformed shepherd's hut.
39:46From a squashed and squeezed family holiday nightmare into a rustic and restful couple's
39:53retreat.
39:54Oh my goodness.
39:55You've done a fantastic job lovely.
39:58Emma is really passionate about this area and about the community she's part of.
40:04I am glad that I took a risk with this one.
40:07It's beautiful, isn't it?
40:08Yeah, isn't it?
40:09But I believe it will ultimately help them be more successful.
40:15I know that this land means a lot to you.
40:17Are you pleased, Ian?
40:19I'm really pleased.
40:21You look at what we've done.
40:22You look at your friends that have, you know, got involved.
40:25This is what makes it all worth it.
40:30And as well as the event being a big thank you to the community.
40:34I absolutely love it.
40:35It's so cute, isn't it?
40:37It's also a marketing tool.
40:38It's miles bigger than you think from outside, isn't it?
40:43Word of mouth can be an impactful and trusted way to increase sales as personal recommendations
40:49can account for 13% of new business.
40:52Yeah?
40:53That's lovely.
40:54That's gorgeous.
40:55That was my present, too.
40:58Oh, darling.
40:59In my spare time, I quilted.
41:01Yes, I quilted.
41:02Yes, I quilted.
41:03I've almost gone good.
41:04And mine stitching that white candlelight.
41:06How are you managing out in the rural life?
41:11You know what's not to like.
41:13Exactly.
41:14If you can't relax here, you can't relax anyway.
41:17Agreed.
41:18It's a unanimously positive response.
41:21Ian and Emma are really highly regarded in this community and everyone wishes them well.
41:26Really encouraging, isn't it?
41:28Since first meeting Ian and Emma, my mission here has been clear.
41:32Revive their dilapidated glamping business and pull in the city slickers for a digital detox
41:38to add imperative income to save the family's farm.
41:43But I've also learnt a lot, too.
41:45I've been so grateful to have the opportunity to come here and discover this amazing community,
41:52this amazing landscape.
41:53I've enjoyed every minute.
41:55Thank you so much.
41:57I'm feeling a little bit sad because it's been like a good adventure.
42:03I think we've learnt a lot.
42:05We can see the improvements.
42:06The place has come alive, hasn't it?
42:08It's lovely.
42:09We just do with not having all the cars here.
42:12Ian and Emma deserve a bit of luck and hopefully I'll be their lucky tom.
42:18I don't think I'm quite at the point of becoming a camper yet.
42:22But a glamper, maybe.
42:28Hi Alex.
42:29Hi Alex.
42:30I just thought we'd send you an update.
42:32We've managed to do the shearing.
42:35We've done the silage.
42:37Now that we've caught up with the farming, we've put the stove in the lunar tent.
42:42I've started work on the website.
42:44We've changed the content.
42:45We've updated the photos.
42:46We've had our first booking for the lunar tent.
42:49With the shepherd's heart, we've had a couple staying there because of birthday treats.
42:54And they've done the changes we've made.
42:56So I'm hoping that the bookings will start coming in and get moving.
43:02Flat out.
43:03Thank you very much.
43:05Thank you very much.
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