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Susan Calman's Grand Day Out Season 9 Episode 3
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FunTranscript
00:00I'm on my travels again.
00:02Oh look, season's back!
00:04No!
00:06Enjoying all this wonderful country has to offer.
00:09Woo-hoo-hoo! It's absolutely gorgeous!
00:13And of course, I'm in my beloved camper van,
00:15named after one of my favourite people, Helen Mirren.
00:19That man looked very jealous of you, Helen!
00:21We're hunting for treasures.
00:23Now that's a set of keys.
00:25This is incredible!
00:27Finding new pastimes.
00:28Hello, I've got a call for you.
00:30One and two.
00:32Discovering unexpected local customs.
00:35Oh God, oh my!
00:37And making new pals along the way.
00:39Good morning, madam.
00:41Hiya!
00:42You having a grandie out, Rupert?
00:44Yes I am.
00:45We're taking in the sights.
00:47Ta-da!
00:48That's a castle.
00:49Nailed it.
00:50And the sounds.
00:52You can't hear anything.
00:54Loving every moment.
00:56This is a country filled with delights.
01:03Oh, that's lovely.
01:04Cheers.
01:05Chin-chin.
01:06This is exactly the experience I want.
01:08So come along.
01:11On my grand day out.
01:13Come on.
01:14Yes!
01:14This time I'm in Julie Cooper country, the glorious Cotswolds.
01:24Wow.
01:25Meeting incredible locals.
01:27Oh, I need a moment and a cup of tea, my goodness.
01:29Of all kinds.
01:33Trying out ancient fashion.
01:34Not as flattering.
01:36Do you not think so?
01:37Unique pastimes.
01:38I'm looking down at natural.
01:42And venturing.
01:43I always go down a slope sideways.
01:45Into unknown territory.
01:46It's my first day.
01:51With almost 800 square miles of classic English countryside, magnificent castles and picture
01:58postcard villages, the Cotswolds and its surroundings are somewhere I'll never tire of visiting.
02:07So, Helen, we are back in the Cotswolds and everything's gorgeous.
02:14Everywhere's gorgeous.
02:16Everyone here is absolutely gorgeous.
02:18What's more, this area inspired the setting of many of Julie Cooper's ever-popular novels.
02:30Famed for their depictions of the scandalous lives of the well-to-do.
02:34Much of it in-picture postcard country villages.
02:37A bit like Wharton on the water.
02:39Today, it may be low on scandal, but seems high on charm.
02:45Hello.
02:46Hello.
02:47How are you?
02:47Very well, thank you.
02:48I'm Susan.
02:49What's your name?
02:49My name's Alan.
02:50Alan.
02:50Pleasure to meet you.
02:51So, do you ride around on this bike then?
02:53I do.
02:54I do.
02:54I'm here all day on this spot.
02:56And then in the evenings, I deliver around the houses.
02:59So, you do a door-to-door ice cream delivery?
03:02I call it phoenacone.
03:04Phoenacone.
03:05Tell me, what's your most popular flavour of ice cream?
03:07Black currant and clotted cream.
03:09Shut up.
03:10No.
03:11Next level.
03:11Next level.
03:13No harm in an ice cream for the road.
03:15A small one, of course.
03:16Oh, that's enough, Alan, for goodness sake.
03:19Okay, thank you.
03:20There you go.
03:20Right, let me just have a wee try.
03:25That's absolutely gorgeous.
03:26You're welcome.
03:27Cheers to you.
03:28Thanks, Alan.
03:28Nice to meet you.
03:29Bye.
03:30Now I'm all set for my adventure, which is taking me around and about the Cotswolds.
03:38From here, I'll be travelling to Tewkesbury, then popping over to Bristol, before winding
03:43through some of the prettiest of pretty villages, including Jilly Cooper's very own one.
03:49Then I'll be moseying on to glorious Gloucester and brilliant Bromsgrove.
03:53First, though, I'm off to the marvellous medieval market town of Tewkesbury.
04:02What could be happier?
04:04A grand day out with Helen Mirren in the sunshine, driving through some of the most beautiful
04:09countryside you'll ever see.
04:10This historic Riverside town is bursting at the seams with beautiful buildings and bustling
04:19streets, which in the summer are the setting for a rather special spectacle.
04:24This is lovely.
04:27In the 15th century, the Battle of Tewkesbury was a defining moment in the Wars of the Roses,
04:33which saw the throne of England regained by King Edward IV.
04:37Hello.
04:38Good morning.
04:38How are you?
04:39I'm good, thank you.
04:40Will you?
04:40Yes.
04:41For the last 35 years, the battle has been commemorated in a rather fabulous way by volunteers like
04:48Richard.
04:50So tell me, Richard, what it is that you're doing?
04:54Well, these are the banners we can see around us from knights and squires who fought at the
05:00Battle of Tewkesbury back in 1471.
05:03We've fortunately got descriptions of all their banners and we paint them on canvas.
05:10And then in the summer and then in the summer we hang them around the town.
05:13It's not necessarily the coats of arms of the knights that you're doing. It's things that represent the knight.
05:19You literally had what you wanted because on the battlefield, they were hung as opposed to a flag is flown. So it would always be displayed. So everyone would know who they were fighting with in your rallying point.
05:32There are 200 banners representing individual knights from each side of the battle. The Lancastrians and the Yorkists, both fighting over their right to the throne. Locals pick a banner to place outside their home or business at a choosing day at the town hall.
05:50Do people in Tewkesbury have favourite banners that they then go, oh, I've seen it, there it is.
05:56I wouldn't say it gets almost a reactament of the battle, but it does get a little bit testy sometimes.
06:01So my family have a coat of arms and it has passed to my brother and then to my nephew because it passes down the male line.
06:10Male line, yeah.
06:11Which annoys me.
06:13No?
06:14Yes.
06:16Whereas I've had a banner, it could have passed down to me.
06:20That's just a small family argument that we've been having for the past.
06:23Over the Christmas dinner table.
06:24The most popular banners are those featuring creatures like crows, dogs and fish.
06:35Hello.
06:35Hello.
06:36What's your name?
06:37Annie.
06:38How long have you been involved in this?
06:39Oh, nearly 20 years.
06:41Really?
06:42One of my credos is that art should be free for every man, woman and child.
06:47And the fact it's hung in the streets, nobody has to pay money.
06:50Oh, I'm with you.
06:51Yeah.
06:51I am absolutely with you.
06:53Oh, Annie's a moment on a cup of tea, my goodness.
06:58The group originally painted the banners onto bed sheets, but they've come a long way since then.
07:05Anne, it's quite a dramatic one.
07:08It's lovely when you walk through the street and you see them, a bit of a breeze and they're swinging and it's lovely.
07:13I find it really interesting though that, you know, you've got banners from both sides of the battle.
07:18Oh, yes.
07:18Every one of them represents someone, don't they?
07:21It's remembering people, but it's also about people who are here now celebrating the place.
07:29That's right.
07:30And trying to give, oh, Susan, just trying to do something nice.
07:35Something back.
07:36Life is about giving something back.
07:38I agree completely.
07:39OK, well, this is really nice.
07:42You just carry on.
07:48The banners don't just line the streets.
07:50They're also on display for a week each year in Tewkesbury's most famous building, its abbey.
07:56They look quite magnificent.
08:01These represent knights from the battle who are buried at the abbey.
08:05The colours really stand out against these pillars.
08:11But what is glorious about it is that the sun is just giving this incredible light.
08:17We can look at them and think about who all of these people were, what they were fighting for, what they wanted to be known as.
08:27The most glorious little hidden gem, heartwarming, wonderful story of people before, people after, and brilliant people right now.
08:40And if that's not enough, it's not the only brilliant thing about this amazing abbey.
08:49Someone mentioned this morning that they have very special vergers here who are called Eric and Flo.
08:57Apparently, if you just open your arms, they come running to you.
09:00This could be the best day of my entire life.
09:02So let's see what happens.
09:03Eric, Flo, oh, they're coming, they're coming, they're coming.
09:07Hello, sweetie pies.
09:08These two well-trained Labradors act as assistant vergers, welcoming abbey visitors a few times a week.
09:16If you come to Tewkesbury Abbey, you will be greeted by these two incredible vergers who take their jobs very, very seriously.
09:29Very, very seriously.
09:31Some people come just to meet Eric and Flo, who are so important, they even have their own name tags.
09:36There's nothing I like more, okay, than a dog with an ID badge.
09:44Are you allowed to kiss a verger?
09:47Are you allowed to kiss a verger?
09:48I've just done it.
09:49I've just done it.
09:50Well, I won't tell if they won't.
09:57Coming up, it's a whole new ball game.
10:00So I'm on a bike, I'm cycling along, I'm looking down.
10:03And Julie Cooper's village is, well, full of surprises.
10:07I didn't want there to be a well-based accident there.
10:10I'm enjoying an especially grandy out with my camper, Helen, around Julie Cooper country and beyond.
10:27Lots and lots of artists and writers have been inspired by the Cotswolds.
10:31Not least, a certain Julie Cooper, who has set a lot of her novels in this area.
10:42She recently had a very popular adaptation of Rivals.
10:47Helen and I did not watch it because we heard it was quite saucy.
10:51And we are not those type of gals.
10:54One local pastime that's synonymous with Julie Cooper is polo.
11:03But move outside the Cotswolds to nearby Bristol and it's polo with a difference.
11:11Cycle polo began at the end of the 19th century and there have been various versions since.
11:17It was even played in the Olympics in London in 1908.
11:21Now this edgier urban take on the game is played on hard courts.
11:28Bristol bike polo team player Cab has been involved for 15 years.
11:33Cab, bike polo, never heard of it before.
11:36Really started off back in the 90s.
11:38There were a lot of cycle messengers who had time on their hands.
11:41Started playing on their street bikes, pushing the ball around with a broom.
11:44The mallets that they used used to just be a brush handle or a chunk of wood on the end.
11:51Looking for something fun to do between deliveries, the bike couriers grabbed whatever equipment they could.
11:57But now it's a little fancier and probably a lot safer.
12:01Now we've got, if I'm going to show you this one, that's a custom made shaft with a machined plastic head on it.
12:09It's a lot more sophisticated than the handmade ones.
12:12If I used to play a lot of hockey, I've broken every finger, fractured my skull, fond memories, fond memories.
12:19But you've got to take the right precautions to make sure that you protect yourself as much as possible.
12:23Yeah, exactly.
12:23Well, listen, Cab, you go and join in and I'll just take a wee watch for a wee while.
12:30Like posh horseback polo, you work in teams to score goals against your opponents.
12:35It's so similar, in fact, that ponies are sometimes swapped for push bikes, even by royalty.
12:43Riding a bike isn't my strong suit, especially one-handed.
12:46So star player Cat is giving me a crash course in this fast-paced game on solid ground.
12:53We'll start everyone off off the bike with a mallet and a ball and just get used to getting a bit of ball control going.
13:00And you need to use those ends if you want to score a goal.
13:03So to hit the ball and score a goal.
13:04So you have to hit it with that to score a goal?
13:05Yeah, if you use the long side, that's called a shuffle.
13:08But you can use that to pass.
13:09Is there anything else that you need to know about?
13:11You can't put your feet down.
13:12You can't put your feet down?
13:13No, no, no, yeah, that's an important rule.
13:15Well, I would say that's the first rule you should have experienced with.
13:18Even though I'm going wheel-less, I'm still keen to have a try.
13:23This is Marcel Marceau where the mime about to happen.
13:27So I'm on a bike, I'm cycling along, I'm looking down.
13:31Look at that, natural.
13:33Yes, natural.
13:35So I'm cycling along, I'm cycling along, I'm cycling along.
13:38Oh, see, air shot.
13:41Oh!
13:42I promise it's not as easy as it looks.
13:48See, that's slightly easier.
13:50That's no problem.
13:54Recycling, thinking tactically, watching the other players, waiting for a pass, trying to get in the goal.
14:00Whilst trying to hit that ball at the same time.
14:01Yeah, yeah, it's a lot.
14:03Takes a while, but...
14:04Yeah.
14:05Yeah.
14:05But is it a good fun thing for people to do if they fancy it?
14:08There's something very addictive about it.
14:10To be safe, I'm sticking to something I am more comfortable with.
14:15Making sure everyone follows the rules.
14:18It's Cavs Team vs. Cats in Bike Polo's biggest event today.
14:23Okay, players.
14:25Three, two, one.
14:28Polo!
14:29That's how you start a game.
14:30I was told that.
14:31Oh, jeez.
14:34Friendly matches like this are just 12 minutes long, which is good for my nerves.
14:38Oh, oh, oh, oh.
14:40Cavs Team is off to a good start.
14:42Oh, saved.
14:44Saved again.
14:45But Cats side are fighting back.
14:49Oh, side netting.
14:50It's one of those ones, you know, when you watch the football and you think,
14:53they've scored!
14:53No, they haven't side netting.
14:57Cavs Team take the lead.
15:02Surging up the pitch.
15:04Whoa, tackles, tackles, tackles.
15:08But it's still all to play for.
15:10Here we go, here we go.
15:12Great save, Cap.
15:13Great save.
15:15It's all a bit of a blur, but I'm pretty sure Cavs Team won.
15:19Absolutely brilliant.
15:20Okay, mission aim, learn to ride a bike, play bike polo, and be hardcore on a hardcore.
15:37After all that excitement, I'm leaving the city to get back to the Cotswolds in all of its glory.
15:43It's just stunningly beautiful around here.
15:47My favourite Cotswold roads are the ones where you sort of come up a hill through some trees and then it opens up into this kind of vast expanse of farmland.
15:58And it's so glorious.
16:00Honestly, it makes my heart sing a little bit.
16:05And Bisley has to be a contender for one of the prettiest Cotswolds villages.
16:11It's also home to Jilly Cooper herself, no less, and a perfect setting for those steamy stories.
16:17Now, it's not somewhere I've been before, but it is charming and gorgeous and all of the things you think a quintessential English village would be.
16:28And I could lose hours just wandering around the streets, peering in the windows, just in a curious way, not in a weird way.
16:38I'm meeting Kim, Diana, Sue and Dawn, a group of local lassies who I imagine know all that goes on in this village.
16:51Hello. Now, I understand there is a quite famous resident around here, is there not an author?
16:57There is, Jilly Cooper.
16:59A couple of years ago, she was doing a book about sort of schools.
17:02She wanted to know how it would work where an office member of staff and a headteacher could actually embezzle funds and sneak off with the money.
17:13So she spoke to me originally about that, from my perspective, working from the school.
17:19You said, it's an administrative nightmare. It can't happen, Jilly. It just can't happen.
17:23But today, these four are less concerned with literature and more with a rather charming custom,
17:29centred around the village's ancient water wells.
17:32Now, this is all about well dressing, yes?
17:37Yes.
17:38Not dressing well, well dressing.
17:40Yes.
17:41Tell me where it started.
17:42It started in 1863. It was started by the Reverend Thomas Keeble.
17:47And I think he had seen wells dressing in Derbyshire and thought it would be a great thing to do in Bisley,
17:53especially as he had just modified the village wells and refurbished them.
17:58It was a very poor village back then.
18:00He was definitely trying to improve the area.
18:04For over 160 years, the community has gathered to make stunning floral displays
18:10and placed them on an ancient freshwater well to give thanks for the village's clean water.
18:16I mean, these are very beautiful flowers.
18:19You're making these as the decorations.
18:23We use lots of greenery, lots of sort of fillers, and then we put the flowers on.
18:28The event takes place on Ascension Day, 40 days after Easter, with the local school children playing a huge part in the procession,
18:40taking the flowers down to the water well.
18:43Like her mother and aunt, Diana's been involved in the tradition since she was a young girl.
18:48Now, do you have any photographs?
18:51Oh, I've got this one.
18:53In year six, they're postures.
18:55Is that first time wearing shoes?
18:57Yeah, of course.
18:58Exactly.
18:58They're boxed on the occasion, aren't they?
18:59It's new for Ascension Day.
19:03Although I'm a little early for the parade itself, the lovely ladies are taking me to see where it all happens.
19:09I always go down a slope sideways.
19:12People always laugh at me, but if you do this, you don't fall.
19:20These are the beautiful wells.
19:23I see!
19:25And then we cover the wells here with the hoops, and then all the poses of flowers get put in the water.
19:32So the whole part of it will be decorated with flowers.
19:35Diana's giving me a sneaky peek of how well the well will look, no matter what it takes.
19:41I'm fine.
19:42I'm fine.
19:43It's not too bad.
19:44You can see it's a bit mossy, but it's not too bad at the moment.
19:48I didn't want there to be a well-based accident there.
19:50I know.
19:51But this has been the most incredibly special experience.
19:55And I hope it all goes so beautifully for you this year, because it's a lovely thing.
20:05Coming up, Tudor fashion leaves me flustered.
20:09Avert your eyes if you're of a nervous disposition.
20:12And I meet the top dog in dry stone walls.
20:15He's quality control.
20:16Quality control.
20:17I'm back on the road, exploring Jilly Cooper country, a beautiful part of Britain, around the Cotswolds.
20:34I'm in the car on my own, I can sing how I like.
20:37Tuneless.
20:37And lucky for Helen and me, our next stop is one filled with secrets, scandal and sovereigns.
20:49No, it's not the setting of a Jilly Cooper novel, although Suitley Castle wouldn't be out of place as one of her character's family homes.
20:58There's only really one word for this place.
21:03And that is wow.
21:05A castle has stood here since around the 10th century.
21:11It reached this level of splendour in 1837, thanks to a pair of wealthy Worcester glove makers.
21:17But it's always been a bit special.
21:20Back in the day, they knew how to build their castles with a bit of drama.
21:25As you walk through that archway, you're faced with this.
21:29Apparently, the castle has a special connection to Tudor royalty, something Suitley's archivist, Derek, knows all about.
21:39Derek, I've been to a lot of castles in my time.
21:42This one, though, I've said wow probably about five or six times just walking around it.
21:47Because the gardens are gorgeous as well.
21:50This garden as such is as near a copy as we can make from the Elizabeth I Progress.
21:56She came here 1592 and the family decided to really go out and entertain the Queen.
22:02They built this garden.
22:04They built her water features.
22:05It rained for three days solid and the Queen went away in a strop.
22:10One of the things that really excited me about coming here, before I knew what it looked like,
22:14Catherine Parr was the final wife of Henry VIII, out Liveden.
22:18What's her association with here?
22:21She lived here and unfortunately died here.
22:23And we do have her tomb and her body is buried within the church.
22:28Those who've done Tudor history, divorce, beheaded, die, divorce, beheaded, survive.
22:32Everybody assumes, oh, she's the nursemaid, she's the one just looking after him.
22:35Yes, yes.
22:36But absolutely not.
22:38She was possibly one of the most important queens of the time.
22:42I'm so pleased you're talking about this because she was actually intelligent.
22:46She supported Henry and I can only imagine the mental agility required to survive in the court of Henry VIII.
22:53She was a brilliant manipulator.
22:55Yeah, because when you think about it, Anne Boleyn poked her head up and it went.
22:59Yeah, she also brought together his children, Mary, Elizabeth and Edward.
23:07Catherine Parr played a crucial role in reinstating Mary and Elizabeth to the line of succession.
23:13This allowed Mary to take the throne, followed by her half-sister, who, as Elizabeth I, became one of England's most significant rulers.
23:23Henry died.
23:25She quite quickly remarried, though, didn't she?
23:27She had met Thomas Seymour, loved him, really wanted...
23:32She was always in love with him, really, wasn't she?
23:33Always in love with him.
23:34It's a tragic story because she became pregnant...
23:38Yeah, at the age of 36, which for that sort of...
23:40It's like a grandmother in their sort of times, really.
23:44She died within eight, ten days of giving birth and is buried here.
23:50Would you mind if I went to have a look at the chapel?
23:53You might need something special for that.
23:56Now, that's a set of keys, Derek.
23:58That's a set of keys.
24:02Sudley is the only private castle in England to have a queen buried in its grounds.
24:06And this is the tomb of Catherine Parr.
24:19To find her here in this very, very beautiful place, at peace, is a wonderful conclusion to her story.
24:31What a silent, wonderful place for an incredible woman.
24:45Catherine Parr was also known for her love of the finer things in life.
24:49And here they've gathered a striking collection of replica outfits from all of Henry VIII's wives.
24:55Elle is a historical actor and costume expert, whose specialist subject today is the style of Henry's queens, in chronological order.
25:07Elle, I'm going to utter a sentence I never thought I would utter before.
25:10Let's talk fashion.
25:11OK.
25:12Specifically, Henry VIII and his wives.
25:15Were they influential in how, you know, people in the country were dressing at the time?
25:20Well, yes. So, when Catherine of Aragon came to the UK, she brought with her the farthingale, which gives you that nice cone shape that you see with cheetah fashions.
25:28The big skirts.
25:29The big skirts, yeah.
25:31We then move on to Anne Boleyn, who is probably responsible for popularising the French hood, which was quite racy.
25:39Why was it quite racy?
25:41Up until then, they'd been wearing gable hoods, which look a little bit like a dog kennel.
25:45So, they'd cover everything on the face, because generally, everyone covered their hair.
25:51When Anne Boleyn came from the French court, she wore a hood back on her head, exposing her hair.
25:58Shut up.
25:59So, there would have been a lot of Tudor tutting.
26:01But then, when you get to Jane Seymour, obviously, she knew well that her husband had a little bit of a roving eye.
26:08And so, she thought...
26:09That's such a polite way of putting it.
26:10So, she made sure that her ladies were all covered up.
26:15And then, she made sure they all wore the gable hood, which, again...
26:19So, back the way.
26:20Yeah.
26:21And then, she dies.
26:23And in comes Anna von Claeve with her schtickleschen, which, again, is very much covering up the head.
26:29That didn't catch on.
26:31Right, okay.
26:31No.
26:32Then, we get to Catherine Howard.
26:34Yes.
26:34Very young.
26:35She then goes back to the French hood, because it's nice and racy, and what young girl wouldn't want to look fashionable?
26:41One of the things I always think is, my goodness, they're wearing a lot of clothes.
26:46Oh, yes.
26:46Lots of layers.
26:47Lots of layers.
26:48They were big into corsets, and then there's one fascinating piece of the fashion.
26:53Yes.
26:53Which was the bum roll.
26:55So, before Kim Kardashian...
26:58The bum roll.
26:58Yeah, the bum roll.
26:59Whilst I'm in Jilly Cooper country, it seems appropriate to delve into the slightly saucier fashion of the Tudors, which the lovely Jen is demonstrating.
27:10So, that's the bum roll.
27:11Yes.
27:12Well, if your bum's that high up, you've got an issue, quite frankly.
27:14My bum's further down than that.
27:16But I know what you mean.
27:17But what that does, it allows the drapery of the gown to just fall prettily away.
27:23You're wanting to have that kind of shape coming out, aren't you?
27:27Flat chest.
27:28Flat chest.
27:29With rising moons.
27:30With rising...
27:31Oh, dearie me.
27:33Is that not racy?
27:35Yes, but it was normal, so no one really thought about it.
27:39The Tudors are desperately confusing about their morality, aren't they?
27:42They are.
27:43Speaking of which, I'm particularly keen on seeing that racy French hood.
27:48Avert your eyes if you're of a nervous disposition.
27:51Oh, heavens, yes.
27:52I can see how that was considered desperately racy.
27:54We all know which one I'm getting to try.
27:58If I can get it on.
27:59The other way round.
28:00Oh, is it the other way round?
28:02Yes, it's the dog kennel gable hood.
28:04This is what they were wearing.
28:08Yeah.
28:08It is terrible.
28:09You can't hear anything.
28:10No.
28:10You can't see anything unless you turn all the way round.
28:14It's like being in a little soundproof chamber.
28:17Not as flattering.
28:19Sorry.
28:19Do you not think so?
28:21I can get you one.
28:22Not something I'll be sneaking back to Helen with me.
28:26You've given me a lot of things to think about.
28:29Might need to wear a corset.
28:30Yes.
28:31Or just a bum roll.
28:33Or just a bum roll.
28:34You can get them from Greg's, I think, can't you?
28:36Lovely.
28:37From one solid foundation to another.
28:47Helen and I are now crossing the Cotswolds towards the village of Bybury to see another
28:52of the area's fantastic features.
28:56Now, what I always remember about the Cotswolds is the stone.
29:00Not just in the little houses and the villages that you drive through, but also in the dry
29:06stone walls that delineate all the boundaries of the farms and the paths, they're not just
29:12practical, they're also very, very beautiful in themselves.
29:18There are around 6,000 kilometres of dry stone walls in this area, built without mortar or
29:25cement, and this traditional handicraft is being kept alive by people like Beau Bark.
29:32Hey, sweetie.
29:33How are you doing?
29:34Hiya.
29:34Hello.
29:35So, this is Frank.
29:37Frank's your beautiful dog.
29:38Who helps?
29:40Yeah.
29:41He's quality control.
29:42Quality control.
29:44Beau's currently repairing a wall that was built hundreds of years ago.
29:48Tell me just about the construction then, because you've always got layers and layers
29:52of stone, one on top of each other.
29:54How do they stay like that?
29:55It's all gravity and friction, and yeah, the structure.
29:59Is it bigger stones on the bottom to be a good foundation, and then as you build up,
30:02you build it up and build it up?
30:03Yeah, definitely, that's how, that's what you want, is obviously big, lumpy, solid things.
30:07And they reckon it's about a tonne of stone per metre, or a yard.
30:10Oh, that's huge, isn't it?
30:12Yep.
30:14As it's a job that seems like painting the fourth bridge, I feel the need to try and
30:18chip in.
30:19Now we've got those two there, we want to cross that join.
30:22We're looking for something with a bit of a face on it as well.
30:25We're not, that's not much of a face.
30:27That just makes me laughable.
30:28That's a phrase that my mum uses all the time.
30:31You've got a face, don't you?
30:32You're looking a bit mardy.
30:33Yeah, that's exactly it!
30:34You're turning it over, you're looking at it.
30:36I'm thinking he's going to sit across that joinlet.
30:40Not too bad.
30:41Not too bad.
30:42He's a bit rocky-rolly, so again, we want to get some stone in the back.
30:46Oh, look at that.
30:47That's perfect.
30:48It's not going anywhere, is it?
30:49That's perfect.
30:51You're doing it naturally, Tissue, a smart lady, but you're laying them flat as well.
30:56It's brilliant because it's using natural materials, it's using a bit of science,
31:00because it's using physics, really, and gravity, but it's also using a bit of artistry.
31:05It's using your brain, a little bit of brawn, all of those kind of things.
31:08There is some lovely features where they've built little tunnels,
31:13which nowadays we build as nature tunnels for hedgehogs and things,
31:16but back in the day, I think it was for when partridge shooting was a big sport in this area.
31:22Right.
31:22And the partridge would run under the walls, because they knew they'd get shot if they went over.
31:26So are all the walls made the same way?
31:29Generally, this is the technique.
31:31It's the two sides, filling in the middle, using stones to pin,
31:35Have you always done this, though?
31:36I haven't, no. I've been doing this get down about seven years.
31:41I was working in an accounting office.
31:43Oh, right. It's quite an unusual change of career.
31:46Yeah, I think a few people thought I'd get cold and wet one winter and be back in the office.
31:50But they underestimated you, didn't they?
31:51They did, and they underestimated how much I enjoyed it.
31:54And it's not just Bo who's having fun.
31:57Get down.
31:58How many times a day do you have to say, get down?
32:03Oh, he doesn't normally bother me. He normally goes off and...
32:05It's me! Fred loves me!
32:08Right, let's carry on with this.
32:10Which may take some time.
32:15Coming up, I delve into a magical childhood tale.
32:19The cat is not happy!
32:21And take a trip down memory lane.
32:24This is Susan calling. I'd like to have Bushyheath 294.
32:36I'm on the final stretch of my grandie out in Jilly Cooper country, around and about the Cotswolds.
32:43Quite a big bendy, bendy hill.
32:46It's what we like to call a challenge, isn't it, my sweet?
32:48Yes, it is!
32:52This bendy but beautiful landscape didn't just provide inspiration for Jilly Cooper.
32:58On the western edge of the Cotswolds, the charming city of Gloucester is the setting for one of my favourite childhood books.
33:07Hello.
33:08Hi.
33:09The Taylor of Gloucester was written by Peter Rabbit creator Beatrix Potter in 1903.
33:15It was inspired by a tailor, based in this building, whose work was finished for him while he slept.
33:24June works here and, like me, is potty for Miss Potter.
33:32Beatrix Potter wrote so many charming and beautiful tales.
33:34Many of us will have had these when we were growing up.
33:38Those tales stay with you.
33:40Yes.
33:41And they're as relevant to my niece and nephew as they were to me when I was growing up.
33:46Yes.
33:46The Taylor of Gloucester, though, is it the only one that's based on a real story that she heard?
33:51Yes, that's the only one that's based on a true story because the Taylor lived at the end of the passage and so she actually met him.
33:58So, the tale that the Taylor told, say that, the tale that the Taylor told was that the garment was finished by apprentices and she changed it to...
34:12Nice.
34:14The fact that Beatrix Potter probably stood out there looking at that archery, I just find that absolutely awe-inspiring.
34:21Yes.
34:22That there is somewhere I can come where Beatrix Potter was.
34:25Thanks so much.
34:26Bye.
34:27Bye.
34:27At the back of the shop, there's a replica of the Taylor's kitchen.
34:32It's lovely and the little mice everywhere that you can see in the cups.
34:37And upstairs, a tribute to all things Beatrix Potter.
34:42This is a recreation of the Taylor of Gloucester's waistcoat, recreated by the WI.
34:49The embroidery work on this is absolutely exquisite.
34:54And it's like, it's bringing the tale to life.
34:57Very talented mice managed to do that embroidery on the waistcoat.
35:03But the Women's Institute have come up trumps there.
35:05It took the ladies involved 400 hours to research and embroider the waistcoat.
35:13But there's something else that's caught my eye.
35:14So, place 50p coin in here.
35:20Anything that requires a coin, I'm in for it.
35:25So...
35:25Oh, it's the little mice.
35:32Yes.
35:33And there's the cat.
35:34And there's the cat.
35:35The cat is not happy.
35:36Meow.
35:37Meow.
35:38Meow.
35:39Meow.
35:40Meow.
35:41Meow.
35:42Meow.
35:43Meow.
35:44Meow.
35:45Meow.
35:46Meow.
35:47Meow.
35:48Meow.
35:49Meow.
35:50Meow.
35:51Meow.
35:52Meow.
35:53Meow.
35:54Meow.
35:55Meow.
35:56Meow.
35:57Meow.
35:58Meow.
35:59Meow.
36:00Meow.
36:01Meow.
36:02But Bear Tricks Potter books weren't my only passion as a young girl, and a few of my other
36:08childhood hobbies are still firm favourites today.
36:11I love collecting Agatha Christie's and Doctor Who comics, and I sometimes sit like I'm an
36:18eight-year-old child with them all spread out in front of me, just admiring them, and
36:21then I put them away again.
36:24One of the things I've always enjoyed as I've travelled around the country is meeting people
36:30who collect things.
36:31The more obscure the better, actually.
36:35So exploring any collection of treasures is always a treat.
36:39The collection here, however, is off the charts.
36:44Avoncroft is England's first open-air museum and has over 14,000 objects and 30 historic
36:51buildings and structures dating from the 13th to the 20th century.
36:56Oh, wow.
37:00Oh, come on.
37:02But there's one special selection I'm dying to see.
37:07The National Telephone Kiosk Collection.
37:09And you might think, oh, season, whatever.
37:11No, listen.
37:12It's amazing because we used to use these to make calls to other people's landlines.
37:19This is my teenage years.
37:2210pm, dial the number, and your call would only last as long as your money did.
37:29Because there was no mobile phones.
37:30What?
37:31There were no mobile phones.
37:32So if you were going to get a phone call, you had to hang around the phone box waiting
37:34for a phone call.
37:35Ah, the good old days.
37:38There are over 20 different boxes, which show every stage of their progression from 1905
37:45to the present day.
37:47This is what's called the K2, and this is like the iconic design for phone boxes that
37:54people know.
37:55Now, look, you can see an obvious design flaw if you were a shorter person.
37:58I mean, how am I meant to reach that?
38:04It still works.
38:06Hello.
38:07This is Susan calling.
38:08I'd like to have Bushyheath 294.
38:12But there's a different type of box that is a huge Doctor Who fan I can't wait to see.
38:18This is an old police box.
38:21Now, police boxes were intended as kind of almost miniature police stations, but of course
38:27that is irrelevant to what it actually is.
38:29It's a TARDIS, isn't it?
38:31It's an actual TARDIS.
38:33I have never actually been this close to one of these before.
38:39And I'm going to go in and just see if it's true.
38:42Is it bigger on the inside?
38:43Let's find out.
38:45Oh, it's massive.
38:47It's massive.
38:48It's massive.
38:49I'm off to the 1920s.
38:51One person who gets just as excited as me over all things box related is volunteer of over
39:0530 years, Steve.
39:07Steve, this is an incredible collection.
39:11For so many of us, telephone boxes were such a part of life growing up.
39:16It's an incredible kind of walk through social history though.
39:21Where were these boxes manufactured?
39:24Largely in your neck of the woods, three major foundries up there in central Scotland.
39:30There's the Cairn of Falkirk, there's the Saracen of Glasgow and the other one is the Lion Foundry.
39:38And there were a handful made south of the border, but we won't talk about them.
39:41No, we won't talk about them.
39:43Behind you, that is immense, isn't it?
39:46It's a huge lump of concrete, that.
39:48Is it?
39:48Yes.
39:49I was hoping to lift it away with me and Helen, but I probably can't manage that, can I?
39:54What's your favourite box that's here?
39:56I think the K2.
39:57Yeah?
39:58I think that's really smart.
39:59I love the fluted columns, the pierced crown at the top.
40:02But of course, a phone box is useless without actually being able to make a call.
40:08Now, I've heard a rumour that you have an exchange here.
40:10Yes, we have a small rural exchange for a small village with just three,
40:15three hundred lines.
40:17For over a century, more than five thousand telephone exchanges kept us connected to one
40:24another and to the rest of the world via physical telephone lines.
40:29In the early days, operators would manually link calls by placing cords into ports on a
40:34switchboard.
40:35Look at all of the wires that are all collected in and everything.
40:42There are things happening all over the place.
40:44It's brilliant.
40:45Wonderful.
40:46Tell me what this is.
40:47So, I've seen this in films.
40:48Yep.
40:49Where a cable comes out and you put it into a thing, but I don't really know how it works.
40:54A rapid rise in the telephone network from the early to mid 20th century meant a huge,
41:00mainly female workforce were charged with keeping us all connected.
41:04Hopefully, with a little training, I can have a go.
41:07That's an incoming call on exchange line one.
41:10Hello?
41:11Yes.
41:12So, I pick up the answering cord, which is there.
41:14There.
41:15Put it into exchange line one right at the bottom.
41:17They make it look so easy in the films.
41:19Then what I would do is...
41:20You pick up the calling cord.
41:21Oh, the calling cord.
41:22Right.
41:23Okay.
41:24But it's not quite as simple as it seems.
41:27Pull this back to the ring position with one hand and turn the handle with the other.
41:33And a third hand is essential.
41:40Hello, I've got a call for you.
41:42Hello.
41:43No, I did get their name.
41:44It's my first day.
41:48What an absolute treat this place is.
41:50Isn't it?
41:51Oh, thank you.
41:52We think so, yes.
41:53I think it's wonderful.
41:54A fantastic end to my incredible trip in and around the Cotswolds.
42:06My adventure has been a feast for the eyes and the mind.
42:11I've met some brilliant people.
42:13I've learned some fascinating facts.
42:15And I've driven through some of the most beautiful countryside you can possibly imagine.
42:20Which part of the Cotswolds is the most attractive?
42:25The answer is simple.
42:27All of it.
42:42Next time I'm hitting the tourist trail on the east coast of Scotland.
42:46Seeing stunning sights.
42:50This is my favourite bridge.
42:54And inspirations in Edinburgh.
42:56You're Sherlock Holmes, mate.
42:57End of story.
42:58I'll taste the high life.
43:00Now, well, there's a design flaw.
43:02Before I take flight.
43:06On a very grand day out.
43:08Wow!
43:16Good.
43:39Good luck.
43:41How dare you?
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