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00:00Perched on Britain's northwest sits Cheshire, a county that has it all.
00:09It's a lovely mix of towns, cities and countryside.
00:14Cradled between a patchwork of rolling emerald fields sit timeless villages, crisscrossed with tranquil waterways.
00:23I mean, look at that. Love it. Wouldn't be anywhere else.
00:27Stand vast county estates and castles.
00:32Beating with an industrial heart both old.
00:35That's the last of the cutting done.
00:37And new.
00:38This is going to be tight this week for the delivery.
00:40The rich tapestry of historic traditions.
00:43It's so difficult.
00:45And modern cultures.
00:46Ta-da!
00:47Forms a vibrant and thriving community.
00:50Welcome to Cheshire.
00:52He's looking good.
00:53This time, independent craft brewer Andy hopes his ale can pack a punch.
01:05There's such a good selection of beers there.
01:07And I keep watching people see which handle's being pulled.
01:10Is it ours?
01:11Oh, oh.
01:12Train devotee Brian pours his heart into saving a 1970s superstar.
01:17It's unique to British engineering.
01:20It's a one-off.
01:21There's a little bit oil.
01:22And in Chester Market, the Sharif family offer diners a unique taste of home.
01:28This is like the way we'd cook it in my room's village back home in Bangladesh.
01:33A horse rescuer is on a quest to find forever homes for her precious proteges.
01:40The type of home that we find for them has to be the right one.
01:47Miles and miles of open fields set amongst gentle hills and ancient woods and parklands,
01:53Cheshire's great outdoors is a feast for the eyes.
02:01Looking to the south of the bustling cities of Liverpool and Manchester, Cheshire's rural
02:06landscapes offer an altogether more tranquil setting.
02:12With numerous ancient bridleways to explore, Cheshire is ideal for horse riding.
02:20Look at them.
02:25Look how contented they are.
02:27It is beautiful.
02:29Don't you just love horses?
02:32In the heart of the county, five miles from Chester, is a place dedicated to the welfare
02:43of these magnificent animals.
02:47This refuge for abused and neglected horses and ponies was created by former nurse Tracy
02:54Brewer almost a decade ago.
02:57I mean, look at that.
02:59Love it.
03:00Wouldn't be anywhere else.
03:02Cheshire Horse Sanctuary means everything to me.
03:04It really does.
03:07When I was a kid, mum worked really hard and she bought me my first horse called Garth
03:12and he was a little Welsh pony.
03:15It was Tracy's mum who began rescuing ponies and inspired her daughter.
03:22I did it as a hobby originally and I would work 12 hour shifts as a nurse to fund it.
03:29And then one day, 2015 it was, my mum fell ill and so the ones that I was looking after then turned into looking after hers as well.
03:40And owning this land has been a gift for me from my mum and that's pretty much how Cheshire Horse Sanctuary all started.
03:48Right, Jen, let's get these horses done, eh?
03:52With 14 horses to care for, Tracy needs all the help she can get.
03:57With limited space, Tracy's goal is to rehabilitate and adopt her rescues into forever homes so she can save other needy ponies.
04:07Volunteer Jen is tasked with bringing in the latest rescues.
04:14Eric's only two months old so he was born in the middle of August.
04:17At like half twelve at night it was.
04:19It was an early call that day, early day.
04:24Eric and his mum Fleur and her friend Tilly are all up for adoption.
04:30He's getting brave now and he won't follow her straight away.
04:35Come on Eric!
04:40Go see mummy!
04:43That's it! Clever boy!
04:47Oh, oh, oh no, shut the game, shut the game!
04:50Oh, he's cheeky!
04:51He's coming!
04:52Good boy!
04:53Come on!
04:56Hey!
04:58Cheeky jumps!
05:01Mission accomplished.
05:04Eric, Fleur and Tilly have been at the refuge for six months.
05:09So their story is pretty much, we went to an auction one day and they all agreed when they saw these two little ponies sitting there in an auction.
05:19Oh, I couldn't leave them there, not knowing if they'd be alright or not.
05:25We wanted to give them a happy ending story.
05:28So Tracy won the bid for Tilly and Fleur, but to her surprise, it turned out that Fleur was in foal.
05:35And shortly after, along came Eric.
05:37Now Tracy wants to find them a permanent home, so she needs to find the right people to adopt them.
05:44I have a lovely family that are interested in giving them a happy ever after, really.
05:51The type of home that we find for them has to be the right one, and not just on paper, but in instinct as well.
06:01That's my promise to them, to make sure that I get them the happy ever after that they deserve.
06:07It's got to be right. It's got to be right for them, you know.
06:17After a bracing walk in the picturesque Cheshire countryside, nothing beats a well-deserved pit stop in one of the county's cosy traditional pubs.
06:27And if it's a craft beer you're after, there are plenty of local offerings, with more than 40 small independent breweries dotted around the county.
06:38In the heart of Cheshire is the historic town of Middlewich, and it's here where a family-run brewery is developing some unique draughts.
06:48Right, this is where the madness happens.
06:50Andy Thomason followed his passion in 2021, and got into the brewery business.
06:57The engine room, as somebody once said to me, the kit that we've got is hot water and a mash tun and a copper, as it's referred to.
07:05And across those three pieces of equipment, we can produce the wort that's required for the yeast.
07:11Andy and his family have always been enthralled to a home brew, and it all started in the kitchen.
07:17You know, I've been making beer at home, in the kitchen, and stinking the house out.
07:22You always have this home brewer's dream, maybe one day I can do this professionally.
07:26But who says dreams can't come true?
07:29For Andy, his long-suffering wife Sarah, and his son Elliot, the transition from amateur enthusiasts to commercial brewers came completely by chance.
07:39There was a pub that was closing down, and the guy that had bought the pub from me discovered that there was a commercial brewery in one of the back rooms.
07:48He needed the space. And we decommissioned his brewery, put it in the back of the truck, and off we went.
07:53And Sarah's dad said, where to? And I said, I've got no idea.
07:57He was hoping to put it down the side of our house, or in the house, and I went, no.
08:04Having found premises big enough, Andy bought the brewery equipment and got straight to work.
08:11He's now got the whole process down to a fine art.
08:14So we'll transfer from there using pumps into one of these three tanks here.
08:21Andy quickly went from producing 40 pints in the kitchen to an astonishing 1,400 pints with every batch.
08:29And one thing a man with a lot of beer on his hands will find, he becomes very popular.
08:35And, you know, we're making new friends as well as we go.
08:36Complete strangers writing to us and doing beer reviews.
08:39All of a sudden, like, this doesn't feel like a hobby anymore.
08:42It feels like an actual business now.
08:44So in 2021, Andy's brewery was born, named after four priests who founded the town around a monastery.
08:52It's become a popular local hangout, especially after he added a bar.
08:57The brewery is one thing, but, you know, I think what we've created here,
09:00and this space in particular, has added something of value to the community.
09:06People that came in just for a look when we first opened the place.
09:09Every time we open now, they're here, and they've become friends.
09:13It's amazing to see from behind the bar. It's very, very satisfying.
09:18Andy's branched out in recent years, evolving the flavour profiles in his beers.
09:24He's hoping it might help him win best beer at the coveted Middlewich Beer Festival.
09:29To win something there will be great, because it's also a statement from the community that, you know,
09:33we're part of it, they love us.
09:34Andy has created a special beer, especially for the competition, called Ginger Beard.
09:42For the Ginger Beard, we grated it all and put it into three bags,
09:45and we hang them into the top of the vessel only for 15 minutes while it's boiling,
09:50and that's a sufficient time to get all that gingery flavour.
09:54But Ginger Beard isn't just a passing fancy for Andy.
09:57It has been lovingly created in memory of one very special man.
10:04Andy and Sarah's good friend Liam, who died suddenly two years ago at just 37.
10:11Given Liam six foot seven and Ginger with a beard, we decided Ginger Beard was absolutely the right name for it.
10:19It was a lovely idea of what they wanted to do for Liam, because he was a lovely bloke and very well liked.
10:27People attending the festival will vote for their favourite beer from all the ones they try on the night.
10:33And with so many to choose from, the competition is intense.
10:38Fingers crossed.
10:39A lot of the people that are going like Ginger Beard the most out of the 28 other beers that are there.
10:44Obviously, with it being for Liam, it adds an extra step to it.
10:48It would be nice to remember Liam again and for people to get the opportunity.
10:53And if we pick up some recognition for that, that would be great.
10:56With just one week to go until the festival, the pressure is on.
11:02Coming up...
11:03Give us a kiss!
11:05Have Tracey's mischievous minis found their forever family?
11:09Come say hello to Philippa.
11:11Good girl!
11:12And train-obsessive Brian hits the jackpot in his quest to bring back a 70s legend.
11:19Now splits, now cracks.
11:20Bang on for what we want.
11:29As well as being famed for its natural beauty, Cheshire played its part in the Industrial Revolution.
11:35Producing salt, cars and chemicals that would be sent from here right across the British Empire.
11:45To the south of the county is Crewe.
11:48And not just a railway station, but a railway hub.
11:53Opened in 1837, it utilised Britain's expansive railway network to transport Cheshire's products across England and beyond.
12:02With the west coast mainline passing through Crewe, it easily connects Cheshire with London, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow.
12:14Just outside its mainline station is the Crewe Heritage Centre, which celebrates the town's railway history.
12:22And in the Crewe yard sits a mystery train.
12:26To the layman, this could be mistaken for a worthless relic of the past.
12:33But for Brian Porter, it's a lifelong obsession.
12:37Since I was a teenager, I've always been fascinated with this train.
12:41Having the opportunity to look after it and restore it is something I've always wanted to do.
12:45We know it's got to be looked after.
12:47That's because Brian has a vision.
12:51This is an Advanced Passenger Train, or APT.
12:56And as this is the last remaining of its kind in the country, Brian wants it restored to its former glory.
13:03The APT was a lightning-fast, pioneering dream of Utopia, with the promise of revolutionising travel.
13:14It was a train which achieved a speed of up to 125 miles an hour, even on corners, thanks to the special tilting mechanism.
13:23In the 1970s, the APT cut journey times by up to 20% and represented the future.
13:32It's unique to British engineering.
13:35It's a first, it's a one-off.
13:37The train itself was built for the West Coast Main Line.
13:41This one still holds the record from Euston to Glasgow.
13:46It was about 3 hours and 56 minutes.
13:48That was back in 1984.
13:50But why aren't we seeing this APT, the jewel of the rails, speeding past us today?
13:58It's scrapped because of technical issues regarding the tilt-pack and the brake systems.
14:04The government and the British Rail Board pulled the plug on the project mid-1980s.
14:09I visited round about 2008.
14:13This train was a bit of a mess, to say the least.
14:16Covered in green moss, algae, really faded and chip paint.
14:23So, after that visit, I went back home and thought, well, I want to get involved in keeping this edited train in the public conscience.
14:32And thought, well, only off chance I'll email if they want anybody to look after me as a custodian.
14:38And within a couple of minutes, I got a reply back saying, yes, please.
14:42And now this APT is Brian's baby.
14:45So, Brian has spent an astonishing 17 years on his obsession, commuting to Crewe from his home in Wales three times a week.
14:53I want people to see it as it was originally when it was first built.
14:58Right now, Brian's got a big job on his hands.
15:01He's completely refitting the interior.
15:04All this area would have been full of seats, second-class seats originally.
15:08As luck would have it, Brian's been gifted some seats by the Telford Steam Railway.
15:13They have the same seats, which they no longer require, which we need to fill the gaps up.
15:20Condition-wise, really good.
15:23Now splits, now cracks.
15:26Considering they are nearly 40 years old, according to the data on the stamp there.
15:32Yeah, really good.
15:34Bang on for what we want.
15:36The hull of this couch will be back to where it should be.
15:38What I'm trying to do now is put all these back into position where they should be.
15:43The seat covers will be original.
15:45The seat backs will be original.
15:47And all the fittings that we'll be using will also be original.
15:51But where did this obsession begin?
15:53And why this train?
15:55Because if this goes, we've got nothing else.
15:57There's no others anywhere else.
15:59This is the only place you can see it.
16:01And this is part of British Rail history.
16:03The finishing touch to his restoration are these original cushion covers from the APT.
16:12Brian has had them in storage for years, waiting for this moment.
16:18With some sections of the train open to visitors, Brian's meticulous restoration is already being admired.
16:25But there's still plenty to do until the whole train is restored.
16:32So by the middle of next year, this train will be back opened up, fully opened back up to the public.
16:38Right away from the train and the whole lot will be finished on the outside as well.
16:43So it will be one of the smartest exhibits we've got on site.
16:46That's it, complete. All done.
16:56It may not be setting any more speed records, but thanks to Brian, this APT is going to enjoy retirement being admired by generations.
17:06Hopefully when they come to sitting here, some people who have actually been here or been on this train in the past,
17:12and bring back some memories for them.
17:15It was worth every second of the 17 years he spent.
17:20She's a Bobby Dazzler, Brian.
17:26In the Cheshire Horse Sanctuary, three little Shetland ponies, Fleur, her foal Eric, and little Tilly, are waiting to be adopted.
17:35Tracy wants to find the perfect home, so that all three can stay together and be well looked after.
17:43In the village of Tarpaulie, 20 miles from the horse sanctuary, live a couple who are keen to adopt the ponies.
17:52We're looking for rug racks, so there's three black...
17:59Yep, three black racks.
18:00They're bigger than I thought they were going to be.
18:02Well...
18:03Oh well.
18:04Maybe they're designed for shale horses.
18:07Could be, yeah.
18:09A thick blanket of snow has covered the Cheshire countryside, creating an unseasonal early winter wonderland.
18:17We're all good. We're all ready to go.
18:19Okay.
18:20It's a big moment for Tony and Philippa, an experienced horsewoman who rode for more than 15 years, until she was paralysed in a freak riding accident four years ago.
18:32I was in intensive care for about three weeks, was it?
18:39Yeah.
18:41I was in hospital for a total of nine months.
18:44Yeah.
18:46Tony's got me through all of this.
18:50Yes.
18:51I mean, obviously I've got a great team that have helped me as well, but if Tony wasn't around, I don't know what I would have done.
19:03Tough. Tough times.
19:05Despite all she's been through, Philippa hasn't lost her deep love of horses.
19:11Meanwhile, Tony is a novice.
19:14It'll be a learning curve for me, Philippa getting the benefit of Philippa's experience that she's had with horses over the years.
19:21Tony and Philippa have built stables for the ponies.
19:24Right. Let's get this tidied up.
19:27And after the unexpected snow flurry, Tony has his work cut out to get the stables ready and impress Tracy at the sanctuary.
19:36So the idea when they come that Fleur and Eric will be in this middle stable and Tilly will be in the end one.
19:46That's pretty much the setup that they've got at the sanctuary.
19:49So I'm trying to make it as comfortable and as though it's kind of a home from home for them.
19:55So they look the same. The stables look the same.
19:58Although Tony is still learning how to care for horses, he's doing all this for his beloved wife.
20:05I think Philippa's really excited.
20:08I'm very, very proud of her as a person.
20:12She's coped with it really, really well.
20:15So I think the horses are going to be a real therapy for her.
20:20You know, I can just see her in summer coming out here.
20:23But as comfortable as Tony is making the stable, the adoption is far from a done deal.
20:30Sanctuary owner Tracy still has to confirm whether Tony and Philippa are a good match for the three ponies.
20:36Coming up, Andy's hoping his lovingly crafted ginger beard will be crowned best in show.
20:46Whatever happens, it's a win-win. There's so much choice here and they're all good beers.
20:50And it's decision time for Tracy and the minis.
20:53Finding the right home is always a challenge because you want to get it right.
20:57Cheshire is a county full of beautiful countryside, impressive woodlands and rolling hills.
21:12With its fertile plains and rich agricultural heritage, Cheshire has a bounty of breweries offering tasty ales for the discerning palate.
21:23In Middlewich, it's judgment day for independent brewer Andy Thomason.
21:29He's brought ginger beard to the annual beer festival in the hope it might take top prize.
21:35This much-anticipated event is overseen by Jack and Jacob.
21:42This is our beer festival, it's been going for 21 years now.
21:44It's just a really good celebration of the community, really.
21:47And it's a great excuse to enjoy a tipple or two.
21:50But with all that's on offer, looks like Andy's got an awful lot of competition.
21:55There's 28 casks, 3 keg, 4 gins, and 5 ciders. You're not going to get rid of all of them.
22:01There's lots of faces here that we see at the brewery and the tap room that's come here tonight to, you know, to be part of this.
22:09Andy's created a new beer, ginger beard, especially for this event, in the hope that it might be a hit with the punters who taste it at the festival.
22:19If enough people vote for it, he'll be crowned the winner.
22:23We're very, very busy. The hall's pretty full. We're seeing a lot of votes coming in. We've got plenty of people enjoying the beer. Music's been good.
22:35But it's hard for Andy to relax and kick back when there's so many rivals.
22:40There's such a good selection of beers there, and I keep watching people see which handle's being pulled. Is it ours?
22:47There's no telling how the voting will go, but Andy's guaranteed at least two votes from Carol and Gwyn, the in-laws of Liam, for whom the beer was made.
22:57Andy and Sarah's brewery, they made the ginger beer for Liam, in his memory.
23:02Liam managed the local beer emporium and was famed as a formidable raconteur before he died suddenly at only 37 years old.
23:12Everything he put his mind to, he always had a smile on his face. He was loved everywhere. He really was.
23:19Middlewich is an amazing community, and Liam was a massive part of that.
23:23There was a crowdfunding that came out. The contributions to that, just incredible.
23:28Off the scale. Off the scale.
23:32Together, the people of Middlewich raised more than £18,000 for Liam's widow, Steph, and the baby daughter he was never able to meet.
23:43I completely adored Liam, and I completely love the ginger beer, and I take it as a massive tribute, and we know Liam would have loved it.
23:53There's all the emotional side about it, but at the end of the day, the beer's got to be good.
24:01Gwyn makes a great point. With so much competition, how is Andy's ginger-infused beer getting on?
24:08I thought, wow, what is that? And initially, I didn't like it, but I kept trying it, and I actually ended up quite liking it.
24:18And it just tastes like a normal beer, originally, and then afterwards, you get the aftertaste of the ginger, which is really nice.
24:24The ginger beer is definitely one of the better contenders that I've tasted this evening, so yeah, my vote's for this one.
24:31But crucially, will Ginger Beard get enough votes for it to be named the winner?
24:40There's so much choice here, and they're all good beers. I've sampled quite a few myself.
24:46I've got no idea how the voting will go, but just keep your fingers crossed, will you?
24:50Early signs are good, but Andy will not know until the festival is over and all the votes are counted.
24:57So it can go any way, any way.
25:01Go, Andy!
25:06In the west of Cheshire, it's a cold and frosty morning at the Cheshire Horse Sanctuary in the village of Picton.
25:13And Tracey's mini Shetland rescues have a big day ahead of them.
25:18Give us a kiss!
25:20Hopeful adopters, Philippa and Tony, are about to arrive for their final assessment.
25:27I need to be sure that Tony and Pip are the right fix for them, as well as them being their fix.
25:35Making sure that they can handle them and manage their needs, really, for the future.
25:40The couple have visited in the past, but Tracey wants to be confident that Tony and Philippa have fully bonded with the ponies before they can be adopted.
25:53Today, it all hinges on how they cope with the mischievous minis.
25:58Come and say a little to Philippa.
26:01Good girl! How beautiful!
26:04Oh, wow, she looks great!
26:07She's a good girl, aren't you? Eh?
26:10And there's no more mischievous than two-month-old Eric.
26:14Eric!
26:16Come on, Eric!
26:17Come on, Eric!
26:18Tracey wants to see if Tony can handle him and his mum, Fleur.
26:22Lovely, Eric.
26:24Come on, Fleur, you're a beautiful good girl.
26:27Looks like Eric's keeping Tony on his toes.
26:31Oh, look at that.
26:34Tony's doing a great job there.
26:36Come on, then.
26:37Good girl, Fleur.
26:39And that's what we needed to see, we needed to see this bond forming.
26:44He's doing really well, actually.
26:46He is surprising me.
26:49I think they're good for the soul as well, aren't they?
26:52Don't you think?
26:53Oh, yeah.
26:55That's it.
26:57Lots of praise for Tony, which is only good news for Philippa.
27:01We know, being horsewomen, exactly what this means to us.
27:07Yeah.
27:08This would be a dream come true for Philippa.
27:11You know, Philippa and I have been up every other Sunday working with them.
27:14I've got closer to Fleur now.
27:16Eric's a bit of a character.
27:18But I think you did really, really well today.
27:21Today was good.
27:22I felt we've made some progress today.
27:25But the buck stops with Tracy.
27:28She needs to be 100% sure that Tony and Philippa can provide everything the Shetlands need in their forever home.
27:34Finding the right home is always a challenge because you want to get it right.
27:39You want to get it right for them.
27:41It's a big decision for Tracy.
27:44I think they're ready.
27:45They're ready to go forward and learn together as a family.
27:48They've got what it takes for these ponies to have a good life.
27:53I think I've found a really good home for them.
27:56Tracy is confident with her decision.
27:58But there's another challenge.
28:01Transporting the ponies to their new home 20 miles away.
28:04It's been a week since the annual Middlewich Beer Festival and a gang have gathered in Andy's brewery.
28:13They're waiting to hear if Andy's ginger beard won the best beer award.
28:18We had plenty of positive comments when we were there.
28:22The beer was pouring nice and clear, which is always a good thing.
28:25Hopefully customers enjoyed it enough to put a tick in the box.
28:29We'll find out soon anyway, because Jack's on his way down.
28:33Festival organiser Jack has the all-important results.
28:40It's hard to do that. I always do like to come down for a few beers on the weekend.
28:43Hello!
28:47Hiya, alright?
28:49Guess what?
28:51Oh, wow!
28:57Wow, fantastic!
28:59Well done, mate.
29:00Thank you very much.
29:01That's amazing.
29:02I was hoping we'd won it, but this is brilliant.
29:05We counted the votes up last Sunday and it won by miles.
29:08Thank you very much.
29:10That's amazing.
29:11To know the customers and the drinkers there identified it as our beer and selected it.
29:17Yeah, it means a lot.
29:18It's nice in two ways.
29:19It's a great pint.
29:20It deserves to win.
29:21Also, there's a lovely story behind it as well.
29:23So, this one is a bit special.
29:25All that remains is to toast the victory.
29:28If there's any ginger beard left in the barrel, that is.
29:31We've got a little bit left.
29:32I think there's enough for most of the drinkers here.
29:35If they want to join us for a glass of ginger beard, then we should be able to scrape enough out the remainder of the keg to make sure they've all got a glass full.
29:42Cheers.
29:43Cheers.
29:44And after that, we'd better start brewing it again, I think.
29:48Oh.
29:53Yeah, it means a lot.
29:54Being able to tell the story and for everybody to raise a glass to Liam, I think.
29:57That was a win in itself.
29:58Coming up, in Chester Market, the Sharifs are hoping their special dish will be a hit with customers.
30:10Today we've got a chicken biryani special on.
30:13Mum's best dish.
30:14Hopefully we sell out, yeah.
30:15Good girl, Timmy.
30:17And will Tracy's mini rescues take to their new home?
30:21Come on.
30:22Come on.
30:23Come on.
30:28Founded by the Romans, the magnificent city of Chester has seen traders from all over the Roman Empire arrive to peddle their wares, bringing everything from jewellery to fish sauce.
30:44Today, Chester Market has traders offering sustainable local produce with meals made from Cheshire ingredients.
30:52But in echoes of the past, you can also feast on a selection of street food from across the globe.
30:59And one family is serving up tasty homestyle dishes handed down the generations.
31:05We've got Istiak over here.
31:07He's making our onion bhajis for the day.
31:09So every day we peel and slice about seven, eight kg of onion.
31:16And every morning we roll them out.
31:18But then you just have to keep making them, keep making them.
31:20They're very popular.
31:22It's early Friday morning, and chef Saif and his mum Sam are cooking up Bangladeshi street food to serve the lunchtime crowd.
31:31I'm by no means a chef.
31:32I'm a cook.
31:33Like, my mum's a cook as well.
31:34She's just taught me how to cook.
31:35But my only passion is cooking this food.
31:38Like, I don't really care much for anything else.
31:41You know, just buy some curry for us.
31:44Nothing wrong with that.
31:46Yeah.
31:47Just a little bit iron.
31:49Children, they learn.
31:52You know, cooking and how they make.
31:55But I'm a little bit happy for it because everybody learn everything.
32:01The family-run food store was the brainchild of Saif's older brother, Shaf.
32:06I'm from Chester, born and raised.
32:07My family's still living here.
32:08I went to Leeds to do, like, uni, studying, blah, blah, blah.
32:12I stayed there, got a career in HR, was loving it.
32:15And then COVID struck, and I was just like, I'm actually working from home anyway.
32:19I might as well move back.
32:21As a creme de la creme, mum was the key ingredient for Shaif's new business venture, which he wanted to start with his brother.
32:38I've never run a business before.
32:39I don't even know how to cook.
32:40Do you know what I mean?
32:41I need to convince my mum as well to, like, leave her job.
32:43I need to convince Saif to leave his job to come work with me.
32:48Saif, who worked in banking, was all in.
32:51But mum's Sam, a cleaner, was a harder nut to crack.
32:52I was like, well, I'm opening this thing.
32:53It's your food.
32:54Why don't you come work with us, yeah?
32:55And we can do this together.
32:56For three years now, the family had been running their popular food store.
32:58Without mum, they weren't going to work with us.
32:59I'd never run a business before.
33:00I'd never run a business before.
33:01I don't even know how to cook.
33:02Do you know what I mean?
33:03I need to convince my mum as well to leave her job.
33:04I need to convince Saif to leave his job to come work with me.
33:05Saif, who worked in banking, was all in.
33:08But mum's Sam, a cleaner, was a harder nut to crack.
33:11I was like, well, I'm opening this thing.
33:12It's your food.
33:13I'm going to work with us, yeah?
33:14And we can do this together.
33:15For three years now, the family had been running their popular food store.
33:20Without mum, there wouldn't be any guroma.
33:22Guroma means, in our dialect from Bangladesh, it means, like, little auntie or, like, little mum.
33:28That's what everyone calls my mum in the family.
33:30She's got that reputation in the family for having the best food.
33:34Like, whenever anyone comes around, they always go to the stove and see what she's cooking.
33:38So we're just sort of trying to mimic that here, but on a more wide-scale level.
33:42But today is a big day for Sam.
33:46She's hanging up her apron to enjoy a well-earned retirement.
33:51So, for her last shift, mum is serving up an exclusive treat from home.
33:57Today we've got a biryani special on, the chicken biryani.
34:00It's one of mum's best dishes, I'd say, in her arsenal.
34:04So as her final dish that she's putting on, it's just that, like, one final powwow that she's giving to the customers.
34:10Hopefully we sell out.
34:12Hopefully we sell out, yeah.
34:14The foundation of Bangladeshi meals are typically based on rice, often paired with fish,
34:19but bursting with flavour and aroma due to the variety of spices used.
34:24Everyone knows what a biryani is, but the Indian restaurant biryani and the traditional home-style biryani is two completely different things.
34:33The Indian restaurant biryani is more like a fried rice, from what I've seen.
34:36It's really nice, don't get me wrong.
34:38Like, I love it myself.
34:39But this one, with the layers and the traditional style, it's just a completely different kettle of fish.
34:45Like, it is banging.
34:46It's just a flavour explosion, like, it's really good.
34:49Hopefully they'll try it.
34:51Fingers crossed.
34:53But before they can count their chickens, the Sharif's need to get this dish on the stove.
34:59We're just going to marinate the meat before we actually start cooking it off for the biryani.
35:05So we're going to use turmeric, some garam masala, some biryani allspice.
35:13Biryani is comfort food.
35:15It's like a one-pot dish.
35:17You have it better in the winter, I'd say, because it warms you right up.
35:22This is like the way we'd cook it in my mum's village back home in Bangladesh.
35:27So I'm sure she's got her own tweaks to it, but that's just sort of unique to her.
35:31With mum bowing out, how will Saif cope without her guidance?
35:37To be honest, it's going to be different without her in the kitchen.
35:40It will certainly be challenging at some times, but I'm happy because, you know, she's done her hard work.
35:46It's time for us to carry on.
35:48Little bit of worry, but, inshallah, hopefully everybody, everything is good.
35:55With only a matter of hours to go before the lunchtime rush, the family won't have to wait too long to find out what customers think of the special.
36:04On the outskirts of Chester, in the village of Picton, it's early morning at Tracey's Horse Sanctuary.
36:13Mwah! Oh, he's a clever sausage!
36:17It's an important day for Eric, his mum Fleur and friend Tilly, because they're off to pastures new.
36:25I'm so excited to get there and watch them go into their new space.
36:31The carriage arrives. Travelling in the horse box is a first for two-month-old Eric.
36:37So, to make the experience as stress-free as possible, Tracey is giving the transport a makeover to look like a home from home.
36:46With a few unusual extras.
36:49He's a baby. You've got to, you know, yes, he's an equite baby, but he's still a baby.
36:56Looks like a horse box fit for a prince.
37:00Are we ready? Let's go.
37:03Right, I'm looking for you.
37:06He's off. He's off.
37:08Come on, good boy.
37:12Hey!
37:13Come on, good boy.
37:15Good boy!
37:17Good girl!
37:19Tracey, good girls!
37:22Ready?
37:23What clever little ponies.
37:25Not.
37:26Get in.
37:27Brilliant.
37:28They're in there now.
37:29We need to get on the road.
37:30So, let's go.
37:31See you at the other side.
37:33With the minis en route, up the road in the village of Tarpaulay, Tony's all set for the new arrivals.
37:44And here they are.
37:47But before the minis are let loose, Tracey needs to give the accommodation her seal of approval.
37:53Oh, you've done an amazing job.
37:56Look at it.
37:59An amazing place for them, isn't it?
38:01Sure.
38:02Can't wait to see them in the spots.
38:04You know, in their little place.
38:07I'm happy for them.
38:10And I'll probably be blubbering shortly, so.
38:14Time for the minis to discover their new home.
38:19Thank you, Emma.
38:20Emma?
38:21Good girl, Tinny.
38:22Hello, gorgeous.
38:23Good girl, Claire.
38:24Oh, come on.
38:25Hello, Sophie.
38:26Hang on.
38:27Hang on.
38:28He's got a little leg stuck.
38:29Come on.
38:30Pull release.
38:31Yeah, just go.
38:32Away.
38:33Good boy, Eric.
38:34The moment of truth.
38:36Oh, what's this?
38:37What's this?
38:38Oh.
38:39Is this nice?
38:40Is this your space?
38:41Is it?
38:42Be a good girl.
38:43Promise me.
38:44Be good.
38:45Yeah?
38:46Don't make notes.
38:47Speechless, ecstatic, in awe, what can I say?
39:14The Shetlands have quite the welcoming committee, but there's one very important person who's
39:20yet to say hello.
39:23Good morning.
39:27Hello.
39:28There you go.
39:29Tinny Boggs.
39:31Amazing.
39:32It's just fantastic.
39:35Tony's done so well.
39:37He's done all of this for me as well.
39:40I am.
39:41It's just amazing.
39:43It's nice.
39:44You know?
39:45Are you happy?
39:46Yeah, really happy.
39:47Thank you, Tony.
39:48Why do you always talk to me when I've got a cake in my hand?
39:50This is what we aspire to do.
39:51You know, we aspire to give that happy ever after for our ponies.
39:56Now they're home for life.
39:58And look, look at the difference it's made to two lives already.
40:11I think it's fair to say Tracy's work here is done.
40:22They're special ponies and they needed a special home.
40:26And by God, I think I've found one.
40:29I think you're gorgeous.
40:31Actually.
40:32Hi.
40:33Dream come true.
40:34Hello.
40:35Did it happen?
40:36Yeah, I think I am dreaming.
40:37You're not dreaming.
40:38It's all true.
40:39Yeah, I think I am dreaming.
40:40You're not dreaming.
40:41It's all true.
40:42At Chester Market, the Sharif family have a special dish on the menu to honour mum Sam.
40:58It would be a really nice send off my mum if the biryani does sell out today.
41:03But if I'm being honest, the whole business is a homage to my mum anyway.
41:07It's her name and it's her food as well.
41:09So I'm hoping it sells out anyway.
41:11Having created a biryani special to celebrate her last day at work,
41:16they are hoping that it'll be a hit with the crowd.
41:19Obviously, as usual, you know, when running the special, we're always a bit anxious.
41:23But to be honest, it's turned out brilliant just how we want it.
41:25It smells exactly how it is at home.
41:27There's no shortage of eager customers to the Sharif's food store.
41:34Right, too bad you not melt.
41:37Go with hot sauce, please.
41:38But what do they make of Sam's swan song special?
41:42I think the biryani is absolutely beautiful.
41:46The chicken's quite tender.
41:48The sauce is lovely.
41:50Not too hot and not too mild.
41:54As Goldilocks would say, just rice.
41:57I'd be giving you ten out of ten.
41:59You'd never give ten out of ten for anything.
42:01I know, but it's nice.
42:03Well, you can't say fairer than that.
42:07But there's more.
42:08We sold out all the biryani, which is great.
42:10A fitting tribute for mum's send-off.
42:13It's a sad day because mum's leaving.
42:15But, you know, always keep your phone on because we'll always be, we might always need help.
42:21You know what I mean?
42:22Happy and sad as well because obviously I'll leave here after three years.
42:27It's a little bit sad.
42:29But I'm happy by the time I'm going to holiday.
42:33She's going to be holidaying all the time, so she's good as range is.
42:36Yeah, exactly.
42:44Next time.
42:45Bye-bye.
42:46Sheepdog handlers Jane and James get competitive.
42:49Have you seen their choices?
42:50I feel very nervous.
42:52Textile graduates Bea and Ruth take on a 40-year challenge.
42:56There's so many things in the loom that could go wrong.
42:59And Chester Zoo is hoping for a new arrival.
43:02It's like the dream job.
43:49Cool.
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