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