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Britains Most Scenic Counties S01E02
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00:00Perched on Britain's north-west sits Cheshire, a county that has it all.
00:09It's a lovely mix of towns, cities and countryside.
00:13Cradled between a patchwork of rolling emerald fields sit timeless villages, criss-crossed with tranquil waterways.
00:23I mean, look at that. Love it. Wouldn't be anywhere else.
00:27Stand vast county estates and castles.
00:31Beating with an industrial heart both old...
00:35That's the last of the cutting done.
00:36...and new.
00:37This is going to be tight this week for the delivery.
00:40...the rich tapestry of historic traditions...
00:43It's so difficult.
00:44...and modern cultures...
00:46Ta-da!
00:47...forms a vibrant and thriving community.
00:50Welcome to Cheshire.
00:52He's looking good.
00:53Oh!
00:57This time...
00:59Lie down.
01:00Come by. Lie down.
01:01...sheepdog handlers Jane and James get competitive.
01:05Have you seen the trophies?
01:06The trophies is round there.
01:08I feel very nervous.
01:09Hi, John.
01:10Better crack on weaving.
01:11Textile graduates Bea and Ruth take on a 40-year challenge.
01:16There's so many things in the loom that could go wrong.
01:19They've not been tested in over 40 years.
01:22Good girl.
01:23And Chester Zoo is hoping for a new arrival.
01:27I'd say it's the dream job.
01:29It's amazing.
01:33Tucked between the Welsh hills to the west...
01:36...and the mighty Pennines to the east...
01:38...the charming county of Cheshire is on the turn.
01:42Autumn time is spreading across the region...
01:45...changing the landscape and its people.
01:50But the season is no slouch.
01:52Autumn begins with a flurry of activity.
02:02Cheshire's sweeping slopes and open pastures have made it one of Britain's agricultural heartlands.
02:08First farmed over 6,000 years ago...
02:12...today, over 70% of the county still exists as farmland...
02:17...famed worldwide for the high quality of its dairy herds.
02:21To the east of the county...
02:23...as the wide-open plains change into a more rugged terrain...
02:27...sheep rule the roost.
02:29Over 200,000 of them call the fields of Cheshire home.
02:34But to manage these unpredictable roaming flocks...
02:39...it takes a good amount of persuasion...
02:41...that is best found in a sheepdog.
02:49For generations, the highly intelligent and agile broader collie...
02:54...the quintessential sheepdog...
02:56...has served the sheep farmers of Cheshire.
02:59Specially bred at the end of the 19th century...
03:02...colleys soon became the favoured sheepdog...
03:05...not just in Cheshire, but all over the world.
03:08And over time...
03:10...the collaboration between farmer and dog...
03:13...has developed from simple farm work...
03:16...into a fiercely fought competition.
03:19Battled at local, national and even international level...
03:23...sheepdog trials have for decades...
03:26...tested the ability for handler and dog...
03:29...to demonstrate a controlled dominance over the sheep herd.
03:34To the east of the county...
03:36...at the family-run Pie Ash Farm...
03:38...husband and wife team, James and Jane...
03:41...have become experts in the sport.
03:43Right, off you go!
03:45Playtime!
03:46This is a family-run farm...
03:49...so my dad grew up here...
03:51...and then we've been farming here 30 years...
03:54...just over 30 years now.
03:56I love this area that we live in.
03:58We live in Cheshire, a beautiful county...
04:01...we've got the green fields, the rolling landscape...
04:05...so it's just a lovely place to live.
04:07Hey!
04:09These two are little sisters...
04:11...and now they're seven months old.
04:12They've seen sheep...
04:13...but not really had the contact with them yet.
04:15Fessy, come on!
04:16You can see them now, they're sort of playing...
04:18...and they're stalking each other.
04:20So they're showing a bit of that...
04:22...hunting instinct already whilst they're just playing.
04:25Come on, come on!
04:26Picking a pup is really difficult.
04:28We want something that's got a bit of character.
04:31Over the past 30 years...
04:33...James and Jane have been lucky enough...
04:35...to breed and train a number of champion trial dogs.
04:40So Peg, here we go.
04:42James's passion for sheepdogs started at an early age.
04:47Originally, when I left school in the early 80s...
04:50...Dad bought me a little sheepdog called Jill...
04:52...and we had a few lessons...
04:54...through the Agricultural Training Board...
04:56...and we were both very keen, young.
04:59I practised and practised what I was taught...
05:01...and this is where it's taken me to.
05:04Today, James's latest sheepdog coming through the ranks is Holly.
05:09Good girl.
05:11Holly's two years old now.
05:13She is maturing well.
05:14She's had the training...
05:16...probably competing now at about ten different nursery trials.
05:20These trials meant for young dogs...
05:23...that are competing in their first season.
05:25And she's doing quite well.
05:27Currently ranking in the top of the league...
05:29...James and Holly are on target to take this year's championship.
05:34Come by.
05:41How are we?
05:42And with the next set of trials just days away...
05:45Good girl.
05:46...can James and Holly zero in on that all-important title win?
05:50Lie down.
05:51Lie down.
05:52And they aren't the only ones competing.
05:54Jane and her dog, Rita, will also have a trial.
05:57That'll do.
05:58Holly!
05:59In North West Cheshire, on the picturesque River Weaver...
06:06...lies a 13th century market town of Frodsham.
06:10Surrounded by natural beauty and tranquil waterways...
06:14...the area serves as an inspirational backdrop...
06:18...for traditional and modern artists alike.
06:21Jennifer Barker is a local artist...
06:26...whose love of working with glass began, by chance...
06:30...when she was an A-level art student.
06:32I've lived in Cheshire all my life.
06:34I absolutely love Cheshire because it's a great place.
06:38It's quite country-fied.
06:39You can get into the country very quickly...
06:41...but also you've got access to Manchester, Chester, Liverpool...
06:44...some fab cities.
06:45So it's a great place.
06:47Beautiful.
06:48I went to a local sixth form college...
06:52...and they asked us to do an A-level project...
06:54...on something that was a bit more diverse...
06:57...than doing Picasso or Henry Moore base work...
07:00...and I decided that I was going to look at glass blowers...
07:03...and I was hooked.
07:05After a Masters in glass design...
07:08...Jennifer became a fully-fledged and renowned glass artist...
07:12...who is in demand.
07:14Jennifer's intricate designs require meticulous planning...
07:17...which is all part of a painstaking process...
07:20...to create the works of art.
07:22This specialist glass comes all the way from Oregon in the USA.
07:27Jennifer doesn't want to waste a shard.
07:30It's very expensive to work with...
07:34...which means that if it goes wrong...
07:37...it's a total nightmare for me.
07:39So I'm just putting a design together...
07:43...for a multi-component sculpture.
07:46I've done a full-scale drawing...
07:48...and now I'm going to cut out the various components.
07:52Today, Jennifer is busy creating a special piece of glass work...
07:57...to celebrate the first year anniversary...
07:59...of a Cheshire-based organic restaurant.
08:02So the design that I'm making is going to be all about organic growth.
08:07This is almost like a seed...
08:09...and then everything will be coming from there...
08:12...so all of these kind of leaves will be coming up from there.
08:15So it's all very abstract.
08:17The first stage in creating the artwork...
08:22...is cutting large sheets of glass to fit Jennifer's design.
08:27So a lot of the cuts that I've got to make are quite intricate.
08:31They're really difficult to do.
08:33The glass can easily crack at this point.
08:36The entire thing just could go completely wrong...
08:39...if I don't cut it out well enough.
08:41So I'm under a lot of pressure to get this right.
08:47When finished, this sculpture will be the centrepiece...
08:50...for the special anniversary celebrations.
08:53Just a few days away.
08:56It's a little bit stressful...
08:58...because I've got a really tight turnaround on this.
09:01I've basically got two days to finish this piece.
09:05I hope I've got enough glass.
09:07Jennifer's last piece is by far the most challenging.
09:11So glass wants to cut straight edges...
09:14...so cutting a curve like this is really, really difficult.
09:17I think it might crack along there...
09:21...and then we've got a problem...
09:23...because I haven't got any glass that's left.
09:33There we go. Oh, my God.
09:34We'd have been in real trouble if that didn't work.
09:36Right, I think my work here is done.
09:39I'm quite pleased with it.
09:42I'm hoping that the firing and the kiln gods do their magic.
09:47There's still this element where you sort of think,
09:50Oh, my God, is it going to crack? Is it going to work?
09:53And so there is an element where it could go horribly wrong.
09:58That moment that I close the kiln,
10:01it's sort of a little bit in the lap of the gods.
10:04And there's nothing else I can do.
10:06I've just got to wait and see.
10:14Coming up, Chester Zoo is hoping for a new arrival.
10:17This is Ada, one of our two breeding females in this enclosure.
10:22As you can see, they're really quite a friendly species to work with.
10:27And textile graduates, Ruth and Bea, are finding the going tough.
10:32Ruth's made a mistake here. She's crossed over the top.
10:35We mess it up fairly often.
10:37At one time, a powerhouse on the national and international stage,
10:53Cheshire made a significant contribution to the industrial revolution.
10:58From the world-renowned salt mines of Northwich,
11:03to the cutting-edge locomotive of cruise pioneering railways,
11:08the county represented a cornerstone for the British Empire.
11:13And it was Macclesfield's silk industry
11:16that added a touch of glamour to the party.
11:19During its heyday of the mid-1800s,
11:23Macclesfield, affectionately known as Silk Town,
11:27would have echoed to the clacking, whirring and rustling
11:31of over 70 silk mills,
11:33providing employment to thousands of the townsfolk.
11:39Together, the mill's 5,000 looms churned out luxury silk goods
11:44destined for the high-end fashion retailers
11:47of London, Paris and New York,
11:50generating so much money
11:52that it helped to swell the national economy.
11:56Today, though, that industrial pinnacle
11:59has given way to technological advancement
12:01and foreign competition.
12:03The glorious past can still be remembered here,
12:07at Paradise Mill.
12:09Nice day for eight.
12:12My body's still hurting from weaving yesterday.
12:15Oh, no.
12:17While lovingly preserved as a working museum,
12:20Paradise Mill hasn't produced any new silk designs in 40 years.
12:25Lee and Ruth attended Manchester University School of Art
12:29and came to the mill while on a graduate programme.
12:33It sounds cheesy, but I think you kind of feel it when you walk in here.
12:37It's the fact that everything is left exactly as it was
12:42when people dropped their tools in the 80s.
12:45It's unavoidable, the feeling that you have when you walk in this room.
12:49It's amazing.
12:51It feels like there's so much potential here still as well.
12:54The pair were instantly fascinated by the history of the mill
12:58and what it represented.
13:00We're both from the south, but being in Manchester,
13:02we were really excited to get to the bottom of the industrial revolution
13:06and the heritage in this area.
13:08Now they have set themselves a massive challenge
13:12to design and produce the first piece of silk on these looms in decades.
13:18Hands away.
13:20So that one comes all the way through.
13:24It felt impossible at the time, but we just decided we needed to do it.
13:28I remember the phone call that you made to me
13:31and you explained it and we just said, let's do it.
13:35Let's just do it. Let's see what we can do. Let's give it a go.
13:39The difficulty is they're going to have to teach themselves
13:42how to work this Victorian technology as they go through the process.
13:47How to set up a loom, how to weave, how to use these machines.
13:51And the pressure isn't just about producing the product.
13:54It's about saving a dying craft.
13:57It's on the red list, on the endangered list of craft,
14:01which means that within the next generation,
14:05it's at risk of dying out completely,
14:07which is why it's so important for people like me and Ruth
14:10to be learning this skill and passing it on to future generations.
14:13It feels really important to keep working with it
14:16and keep working here so that it is no longer endangered.
14:20In designing our pattern,
14:23we've been able to visualize what it's going to look like.
14:26We know that it will look cool,
14:28but we've never woven it before.
14:31So actually, there's so many things that could go wrong.
14:34Looms of the early 19th century
14:36used an ingenious method of stretching silk across beams
14:41that, when operated, allowed another thread to interweave
14:46between the strands to create lengths of fabric.
14:50Before Ruth and Beacon even get to weaving,
14:53first they have to feed the 200-year-old loom instructions
14:58on how to weave the new design in a language it understands.
15:03This is the piano card cutter.
15:06This is the machine that we use to translate our design
15:12into what is readable by the loom.
15:14So it works on punch cards, which read binary code.
15:18It is very complicated.
15:20You're working off of all sorts of math.
15:22So it's very much the same system as modern-day computing.
15:25We mess it up fairly often.
15:28So you can see Ruth's made a mistake here.
15:30She's crossed over the top.
15:31And what I'm gonna do is just paste a little bit over the top here.
15:35The more that we do it, the more that we practise,
15:38the more we're able to pick up on those mistakes.
15:45So that's 288 done.
15:48With the holes punched to match the required design,
15:51it's down to be to stitch together the guide, ready for weaving.
15:56And should they be the wrong amount of space apart from each other,
16:00it might jam up the loom.
16:02If we get a mistake and we don't notice it at this stage,
16:05we're wasting silk or wasting time.
16:09And for Ruth and Bea, the clock is ticking.
16:12They've set themselves a deadline of just two days
16:15to prove Macclesfield's traditional silk weaving can be saved.
16:20And they've invited one of the few people still alive and qualified
16:24to judge the final product.
16:27Karen Sheldon, the granddaughter of the mill's previous owner.
16:32It's important to us that Karen likes our work
16:35because she's seen this mill in all its glory.
16:37It's a huge legacy that we're working on top of at the mill.
16:41So for her to like what we're doing here would be amazing.
16:52Whether they're history enthusiasts or nature lovers,
16:55thrill seekers or shopaholics,
16:58the county of Cheshire has something for everyone.
17:01Even the Romans found themselves lured across its borders.
17:05With so much an offer,
17:07it's no wonder this charming county is visited
17:10by around 50 million of us each year.
17:13And one destination in particular is always a firm favourite.
17:18Chester Zoo, close to the Welsh border,
17:22is one of the largest and most renowned zoological parks in the UK.
17:30As a top attraction in the region,
17:32the park welcomes in over 2 million excited visitors each year
17:37to explore the 125 acres site that is home to over 20,000 animals.
17:47Many of which are endangered.
17:50You're good girls.
17:53Hi.
17:54Fiona has been a zookeeper here at the park for the past 17 years.
17:59You're a good girlie.
18:00It is an incredible place to work,
18:02inspiring because we work so closely with conservation,
18:06such unique animals,
18:07and it is, I'd say it's like the dream job.
18:10It's amazing.
18:11So this is Ada,
18:12one of our two breeding females in this enclosure.
18:16As you can see, they're really quite a friendly species to work with.
18:21So you can have good body checks,
18:23and then you can also check for signs of pregnancy,
18:25a bigger tummy as the gestation goes on,
18:29and then also check for a milk bag
18:31to see when she's getting close to give birth.
18:34As part of the park's remit to help safeguard species worldwide,
18:38a breeding program at the zoo has been set up
18:41to protect some of their more endangered residents.
18:44Come on, Mum.
18:45And their Okapi, or forest giraffe,
18:49are proving a success story.
18:52It's vitally important that we have a good, solid breeding program here.
18:56We've got the five individuals,
18:58one breeding male, three breeding females,
19:00and there's only 13 individuals in the UK currently.
19:03Okapi are incredible to look after.
19:05I've worked with almost 17 now,
19:07and they all are unique, all different characters,
19:10work closely with youngsters when they're born,
19:13build up a nice, solid relationship so you can have hands-on,
19:16you can do hoof care with them.
19:18You come in.
19:20They are quite an intricate species to her, which I like.
19:22I feel like I'm always learning.
19:25Specific to the Democratic Republic of Congo,
19:28the Okapi are regarded as endangered species
19:32due to habitat loss from deforestation, poaching,
19:36and the impacts of ongoing conflict in the region.
19:39With only 10,000 left in the wild,
19:42reading programs like this are vital to the species' future.
19:46Good girl!
19:47Chester Zoo is also the only park in Europe
19:50to have a special science lab
19:52that is dedicated to monitoring poo.
19:55And with Ada having recently shown size that she might be pregnant,
20:00Fiona is working with colleagues at the park
20:03who'll be able to confirm either way.
20:05So I'm just collecting Ada's morning faecal sample,
20:09the freshest sample she's just passed,
20:12and then we can take her up to the labs to run for hormone analysis.
20:16With fresher carpi poo pocketed,
20:19Fiona is off to put the new lab through its paces.
20:23Morning, John!
20:25Here's Ada's faecal sample.
20:26Perfect. Thank you.
20:27All right. See you in a bit.
20:28See you soon.
20:29John O'Hanlon is the lab technician,
20:31and it's down to him to work out
20:33whether Fiona's a carpi is hopefully pregnant.
20:36All the work we do here at Chester is through poo.
20:39Why? Because there's lots of it,
20:41and it's really easy to get hold of.
20:43So now the alcohol's been added,
20:45we're just going to give it a quick shake.
20:51Just a shake called the Hormones L of the faecal sample
20:54into the sample that we'll measure later on.
20:59With pregnancies lasting up to 450 days,
21:02an early conformation will help gain a clearer insight
21:06into their carpi's gestation period,
21:09boosting their chances of a safe pregnancy
21:11and, fingers crossed, a new addition to the park.
21:15So now we're just going to measure the hormone itself
21:17in the sample.
21:20We've been working with the carpi for over 13 years here at the zoo,
21:23and what we can see here is really nice, clear Easter cycle,
21:26so following a nice cyclic wave up and down.
21:28At this point here, she was mated,
21:31and in the samples, essentially,
21:33concentrations go up and stay elevated,
21:35and so we can tell when the carpi's pregnant
21:37within the first 20 days following mating.
21:39And considering this is sample number 20,
21:41we can confirm, because it's still elevated,
21:43that she is pregnant,
21:44and we should have a baby okapi on the way.
21:47It's a great result for the zoo's breeding programme
21:50and even better news for Ada the Okapi.
21:54We get a good indication when we think they could be pregnant,
21:57but for us, working closely with science
21:59helps us back up that knowledge
22:01and confirm they are differently pregnant.
22:03With more collaborations like this in the future,
22:07Chester Zoo is hoping more endangered species
22:10can be brought back from the edge of extinction.
22:19Blessed with a unique blend of rural beauty
22:21and historical significance,
22:23Cheshire has for centuries given birth
22:27to countless influential artists.
22:29From Lewis Carroll to Gary Barlow,
22:31the county is a hotbed of creativity.
22:35And over in the east of the county,
22:37world-renowned glass artist Jennifer Barker
22:41is taking her life in her hands
22:43to finish her wall sculpture
22:45that she is making for a local restaurant
22:47who are celebrating their first anniversary.
22:53Jennifer is crafting twigs of glass
22:55to complement her artwork.
22:57So I've tried to make some really interesting shapes
23:00for the restaurant
23:02to hopefully put in some of their flower arrangements.
23:04And for the final glass piece,
23:06Jennifer hopes to bring that extra bit of je ne sais quoi.
23:11I've got a mould here,
23:13and I'm going to do a technique called draping.
23:16And basically, it's heat and gravity
23:18that pull the glass down over the mould
23:21and create it into a vessel.
23:23So hopefully, this piece will go down
23:28and it will sort of cascade down
23:30and then all the frongs will stand up.
23:34If it doesn't work, I will have to really...
23:37Well, I really pray it does.
23:38But if it doesn't work,
23:40I'm going to have to remake another one really quickly
23:43before the opening of the restaurant.
23:46Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
23:53Coming up, our silk weavers take a gamble.
23:57We've been able to visualise what it's going to look like,
23:59but we've never woven it before.
24:02And it's showtime for James and Jane.
24:05She's missed two of the gates,
24:08and now she's going to bring them back to the pen.
24:10These sheep have been tricky to pen today,
24:12so she'll be happy if she gets them in.
24:14The county of Cheshire in the northwest of Britain
24:24has a long and proud agricultural heritage.
24:28From arable farming to livestock rearing,
24:32the fertile soils of its rolling pastures
24:35have contributed significantly
24:37to the local and national economy.
24:40And while some century-old traditions
24:43have been modernised,
24:45others have remained strong.
24:47Good girl!
24:49In the east of the county,
24:51it's an early morning for sheepdog handlers,
24:54husband and wife team, James and Jane.
24:57Okay, I hope these dogs run well today.
24:59I know.
25:00Quite a lot riding on it.
25:01Today, both competing in not one,
25:03but two separate sheepdog trials each.
25:07So, it's all to play for,
25:10with the placings and the league table.
25:13So, Jane will be running in the novice with Rita,
25:16and I'll be running in the nursery class with Holly.
25:19I'll be trying my hardest to win that cup.
25:22Having already competed in a number of trials this year,
25:26today is all about winning more points
25:28to build a championship lead on their competitors.
25:32At the end of the year,
25:34the pair with the most points takes the win.
25:37Well, I'm very nervous.
25:40Keep calm and carry on, dear.
25:42That's it. I will.
25:43First up, it's James, with two-year-old Holly.
25:47Have you seen her trophies?
25:48Trophies around there,
25:49with a table with all the trophies on.
25:51Holly, come by, get out.
25:58So, a sheepdog trial, basically,
26:02is they let some sheep out at the top of the field.
26:05We have to herd them around the course,
26:08around the sets of gates that are set out,
26:11and then, finally, into a pen to finish with,
26:14and that's all done within an allowed time.
26:18With a total of 100 points up for grabs in each run,
26:22a dog's natural ability, obedience, and calm demeanour,
26:26as well as the handler's skill in communicating effectively,
26:30are being scrutinised.
26:32She's now got to lift the sheep.
26:34Everything should be done calm and controlled.
26:37The judge is looking out for straight lines,
26:40and if she's got the sets of sheep,
26:42then the sheep are very unforgiving and won't run.
26:44Lie down, steady, way.
26:47Having successfully negotiated the sheep
26:50through pre-positioned gates,
26:52James now has the hardest challenge to come.
26:55Get them into the pen.
26:57Holly, holly, holly, holly, holly.
27:00Now, they have been proven quite tricky to pan.
27:03Just need them to walk straight in.
27:05Now, you're not allowed to touch the sheep.
27:07She's got one getting in.
27:09Yeah, well done.
27:10That was really good.
27:12That was really good.
27:13Good gear.
27:14Good gear.
27:15Good.
27:16I'm going to get my dog out.
27:17Having done everything right,
27:18James and Holly make it look easy,
27:20but hopefully the sheep will also be as accommodating
27:23for Jane and her dog, Rita.
27:25Whew!
27:26Get me breath.
27:27I'll just give her a drink.
27:29Good gear.
27:30Come on, Rita.
27:31There's a lot of people who have failed at the pen
27:33and have run out of time.
27:35Come by.
27:36See how Jane gets on.
27:37She's missed two of the gates
27:40and now she's going to bring them back to the pen.
27:42These sheep have been tricky to pen today,
27:44so she'll be happy if she gets them in.
27:46It's quite difficult trying to get three or four sheep
27:50into a pen that's just put up in the middle of her field,
27:53but that's the challenge.
27:57She's now at the pen.
27:59The sheep have gone past the pen.
28:02She's regrouped them.
28:06Right on.
28:07And she's putting a bit of style on herself now, Jane is.
28:10Right on.
28:11Trying to get these sheep in the pen,
28:14so she's doing all right.
28:16With the clock ticking,
28:17Jane has to get the sheep moving
28:19or she'll run out of time.
28:22If she can get these sheep in, she'll be happy.
28:25Go on.
28:26Get in.
28:27Go on.
28:30Yes.
28:31Yeah.
28:32She'll be happy with that.
28:33I got them in, yeah, didn't she?
28:35Happy?
28:36Yeah, dead good.
28:37With strong performances from James and Holly
28:40and Jane and Rita,
28:42it's time to find out who's taken top dog
28:45and gets to walk away with a trophy.
28:48First prize on 86 points.
28:51Cheers, mate.
28:52Yeah, well done.
28:53The novice, 79 points.
28:58And then the nursery aggregate
29:00was won by James Gilman with Holly.
29:02Thank you very much, Malcolm.
29:03Good to see us again, sir, and all that sort of thing.
29:05Long win.
29:06Yeah, I'll get these fella on here.
29:07Come on, get him on here.
29:08Done a farthest.
29:09Look at that.
29:10That's a pretty good scoring, that.
29:11Congratulations.
29:13We've ended up winning the aggregate cup.
29:15It's my dog running well every trial I go to.
29:19Hopefully the results will be in
29:21from the other trial that we've been to today.
29:24I'll give him a ring.
29:25Give him a ring.
29:26Give him a ring and see what we're up to.
29:27Yeah.
29:28How's it going there?
29:29Any of the scores?
29:32And I won the novice.
29:34Yay!
29:36So well done, dear.
29:37Yeah.
29:38Might not be quite such a big trophy,
29:39but I am very happy.
29:40I've never won a novice class ever, ever.
29:42Did you sort them sheep out?
29:45Did you?
29:46No.
29:51Man's best friend.
30:01At one time, the centre of the British Industrial Revolution,
30:04the 18th and 19th century, saw great change to Cheshire.
30:09Railways and canals fed by salt and silk
30:12brought vast wealth to the region.
30:15In Macclesfield, the silk weaving industry
30:17was declared the finest in the world.
30:21Today, in Cheshire's last traditional silk mill
30:24with functioning looms, Ruth and Bea are embarking
30:27on an almost impossible challenge
30:30to revive a forgotten craft
30:32using only the traditional machines and tools.
30:36We've been designing the first new pattern
30:38that's been done in this mill in roughly 40 years.
30:42In our lifetime?
30:43Yeah.
30:44The first thing Ruth and Bea have to do
30:45is to grapple with this ancient technology
30:48to turn their design into a reality.
30:51In designing our pattern,
30:54we've been able to visualise what it's going to look like,
30:57but we've never woven it before.
30:59That's something that could potentially go wrong
31:01is that we weave it and it turns out
31:03it's all squashed or warped.
31:05As well as that, there's so many things in the loom
31:07that could go wrong.
31:08They've not been tested over long stretches of weaving
31:11in over 40 years.
31:13Or potentially that we've cut the cards wrong.
31:15The holes that Ruth has punched into the 288 cards
31:19should tell the loom exactly what to do,
31:22but will what the machine's stitches actually match their design?
31:27Have you got it? You've got that.
31:29To get this card set on the loom
31:31is the most exciting feeling.
31:34Hands away?
31:35Yeah.
31:38How's it looking?
31:39Yeah, all good.
31:40Ready to start?
31:41Yeah.
31:42Cool.
31:49Come on, then.
31:50You got me.
31:52Well, at first, things get off to a promising start.
31:56I mean, it looks like how we imagined it.
31:59We can just see a couple of...
32:01We can just see maybe two millimetres of it,
32:03so we can't really tell at this point,
32:06but it looks right, though.
32:08Better crack on weaving.
32:09I'll come back, find you.
32:10Yeah, I'll get on with it.
32:11It's not long before there is a hitch.
32:16The old loom is starting to show its age.
32:20Uh-oh.
32:25It's now down to the museum's loom expert, Dan Hearn,
32:29to save the day.
32:30Otherwise, all their hard work could have been for nothing.
32:34All right, yeah, I can see some turned hooks.
32:38Uh-oh.
32:39Yeah.
32:40Well, two have definitely turned 90 degrees.
32:42We've got two that have turned...
32:43In fact, now, actually, three that have turned...
32:45Yeah.
32:46...the four 180 degrees.
32:47It's a major setback.
32:48The bent hooks mean they're not lifting the thread...
32:50...needed for Ruth and Bea's complex design.
32:53So, if we can't fix this now, we're going to have to take apart the mechanism,
32:57and that's obviously going to delay the weaving that you're going to be doing,
33:01because taking apart the mechanism is not a quick job.
33:04Coming up, Jennifer's dreams of a beautiful glass sculpture are at risk of being shattered.
33:12Normally, it goes well, but for some reason, today, it is just not going to plan.
33:19And the silt mill gets a VIP inspection.
33:23I'm really nervous that it won't live up to the standards that they had here when she was in the mill.
33:34At the peak of success during the 18th and 19th century, the Cheshire Silk Empire centered around the industrial town of Macclesfield.
33:45And although the industry has declined almost completely since then, there is one mill still clinging on to the past.
33:53Today, Ruth and Bea are attempting to revitalize the critically endangered craft of silk weaving.
34:01But a centuries-old loom has been acting up and is hampering progress.
34:06So, if you release the treadle.
34:08Yep.
34:10All these hooks are in the correct position.
34:12We are up and running again.
34:14Cool.
34:15The pressure is on, as the granddaughter of the mill's previous owner is coming to inspect their work.
34:21Karen Sheldon is one of the last people alive who remembers how a proper Cheshire Silk should look and feel.
34:30I'm really nervous that it won't live up to the standards that they had here when she was in the mill.
34:36A new design hasn't been attempted in the mill for over 40 years.
34:41And Ruth and Bea are quickly discovering just how much skill it takes to keep the old tradition alive.
34:48It's so beautiful.
34:49It's so much more difficult than weaving with just, you can see them out of breath.
34:58It's so much more difficult than weaving with just one shuttle because I'm constantly using this mechanism, this double shuttle mechanism.
35:06So I'm moving maybe twice as many things as I'm normally moving whilst I'm weaving.
35:16It's taken Ruth and Bea days to start weaving the sample.
35:20Finally, the beauty of their design is beginning to be revealed.
35:25We could only imagine what it looked like when we were designing it.
35:30Did we imagine it to look like this?
35:32I think it's even better than we imagined it, to be honest.
35:34Yeah.
35:35I think it is.
35:36Yeah, I'm really pleased with how it looks.
35:38Scales right, the colour looks amazing, the way that the silk works with the design.
35:42We've done it.
35:44It seems like all the hard work is starting to pay off, but there is only one way to find out for sure.
35:54Karen Sheldon is the granddaughter of Stuart Sheldon, the mill's former owner, and fondly remembers her early years at the mill.
36:03I used to come and visit Granny and Grandpa, which I absolutely loved.
36:08With a lifetime spent around the craft, what will Karen make of Bea and Ruth's brand new pattern?
36:16I hope she likes it.
36:17I'm sure she will.
36:18I'm sure she will.
36:19Will their work live up to the silks that were produced here in the past?
36:24Have they managed to revitalise the tradition and create something of intrinsic value?
36:31Hello.
36:32Hello.
36:33It's lovely to be here.
36:34I'm so pleased.
36:35It's so lovely to have you here as well.
36:37It's really special.
36:38It's this piece of silk.
36:39Ta-da!
36:40Oh!
36:41Just looking at the colours, they're so wonderful.
36:44Because it doesn't look like anything that's ever been woven here before.
36:49What do you think of the design?
36:51It just all goes together so well.
36:53Aw, thank you.
36:54How do you like it?
36:55That means a lot.
36:56Because obviously, when we were designing it, we took in so many things from around the mill.
37:00Yeah.
37:01And we went through some of the archives and we looked at so many things.
37:04Yeah.
37:06How does it feel to see the mill producing some fabric again?
37:10Can I say I've been waiting 40 years.
37:13That is so perfect.
37:14It's all I've waited for.
37:15Is it up to the standard of how they used to weave here?
37:18Easily.
37:20Gosh, yes.
37:21Yes.
37:22It's beautifully done.
37:23I mean, no wonkiness down the sides.
37:25Yeah.
37:26That's what we always look for as a weaver, I'm sure you know that.
37:28Oh, yeah.
37:29But, yeah.
37:30Yeah.
37:31I feel like everything's kind of come together.
37:34Meeting Karen.
37:35Mm-hmm.
37:36Amazing.
37:37I've heard her thoughts on what we've been doing.
37:38Yeah.
37:39And I'm so glad that she's enjoyed seeing our process and seeing what we do here.
37:42Yeah.
37:43Yeah.
37:44It means a lot.
37:45As well as securing Karen's approval, Bea and Ruth can claim victory with their significant
37:50contribution to saving this endangered craft.
37:54I think we've achieved more than we thought was actually possible.
37:58Mm-hmm.
37:59And we've proved that it is possible at the same time, which is amazing, but I'm so proud
38:04of how much we've done here.
38:06I'm hugely proud of the work we've done.
38:08Yeah.
38:09Having proved that it can be done, Bea and Ruth have a new challenge.
38:13To pass on their newfound knowledge.
38:16But the next thing is being able to hand over these skills because I don't want these
38:22to die with us.
38:23I think it's been such, it's been completely invaluable the experience that we've had here.
38:28But it's that much more important that we are able to share it with other people and
38:33able to preserve the craft and get it off the endangered list.
38:37Yeah.
38:45Over in the west of the county, the city of Chester, known for its historical charm and
38:51vibrant community, has become a significant cultural hub to the region.
38:56Tonight, glass artist Jennifer Barker is revealing her latest piece at a local restaurant, 28.
39:05Specialising in serving organic produce sourced locally with sustainability at its heart,
39:11Jennifer has created a design that mirrors those themes.
39:15It's a very small space.
39:17I'm used to working with a bigger space than this.
39:20So, um, it's going to be interesting how it works.
39:24But the artwork isn't pre-deporting.
39:27Jennifer must plan precisely where her installation will be mounted.
39:31What we're going to do now is we're going to place the components where they need to be, one at a time.
39:39We're going to work from the bottom upwards. Bottoms up.
39:44So, this is the first component at the bottom.
39:53I know the fixtures are there.
39:55Right, okay, so that's ready for the base of the fixtures to go in.
39:59Okay.
40:02Oh, gosh.
40:07It's still a little bit too...
40:11It's not in the right place.
40:14Um...
40:15Oh, that's too wobbly now.
40:18Normally, it goes well.
40:20But for some reason, today, it is just not going to plan.
40:25The wall fixtures aren't lining up with the ones in the glassware.
40:29I can't put it on.
40:31I'm going to force the glass, and then I'm going to end up cracking the glass.
40:34And I don't want to do that.
40:36So, um...
40:38So, we're just having a little rethink.
40:41No panic.
40:43With the clock counting down, there really is no time to lose.
40:47It's very stressful.
40:49Because you've got a hammer and a drill right next to some very expensive glassware.
40:55Okay, let's have a look.
40:58Okay, let's just hope.
41:01Fingers crossed.
41:03We can get this in.
41:06Okay, that's great.
41:08Crisis averted.
41:14I mean, it has changed a little bit, but it doesn't matter, does it?
41:18And then we've only got one more to do.
41:22Last piece.
41:24Ha-ha.
41:25You got it?
41:26Yeah.
41:27Fab.
41:29I think it looks great.
41:31But let's see what they think when it gets revealed tonight.
41:42Night has fallen, and guests are gathering to celebrate the exclusive evening event.
41:48Welcome, everybody, to Restaurant 28 this evening.
41:55Where Jennifer is hoping that her organically inspired work of art will impress the crowd.
42:01And we're delighted to be part of this celebration event for one full year now.
42:10It's like revealing your soul when you make a piece of artwork, because you just don't know what people's reaction is going to be.
42:17And art is such a subjective thing.
42:20Finally, after all her hard work, Jennifer's artwork is revealed.
42:26Oh, yes.
42:27That's fantastic.
42:28The reaction to the piece was absolutely great.
42:38I'm really, really chuffed.
42:40Everyone seems really taken with it.
42:42It fits in really well with the restaurant.
42:45It's just been a really great occasion.
42:48So, really pleased.
42:55Next time, wildlife superhero Ray Jackson has a life or death case on his hands.
43:00It was going downhill fast.
43:02A family of cheesemakers are trying something new.
43:05I'm quite excited to make this cheese. I'm a little bit apprehensive.
43:08And Macclesfield's mega market is back in business.
43:11We expect about 15,000 people to walk through the town centre.
43:15And you can see that next Friday at 9.
43:20Will a risky investment sow more seeds of division in the Foresight family?
43:25Five's brand new drama continues Monday at 9.
43:28A bombshell email, a devastating memoir.
43:31What next for the former Duke of York?
43:33Five days that brought down Prince Andrew is brand new tomorrow at 9.20.
43:37Next, hello, hello, 40 years of laughs.
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