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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.
00:32Meeting 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.
01:00Goodbye.
01:01Lie down.
01:02...sheepdog handlers Jane and James get competitive.
01:05Have you seen the trophies?
01:07Trophies around there.
01:08I feel very nervous.
01:09Hi, John.
01:10Better crack on weaving.
01:12Textile 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...
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...
01:47...and its people.
01:50But the season is no slouch.
01:52Autumn begins with a flurry of activity.
01:56Cheshire's sweeping slopes and open pastures...
02:05...have made it one of Britain's agricultural heartlands.
02:09First 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...
02:28...sheep rule the roost.
02:30Over 200,000 of them call the fields of Cheshire home.
02:35But to manage these unpredictable roaming flocks...
02:39...it takes a good amount of persuasion...
02:41...that is best found in a sheepdog.
02:44For 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...collies soon became the favoured sheepdog...
03:05...not just in Cheshire, but all over the world.
03:08And over time, 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.
03:33To the east of the county, at the family-run Pie Ash Farm...
03:38...husband and wife team, James and Jane...
03:41...have become experts in the sport.
03:44Right, off you go.
03:45Playtime!
03:47This is a family-run farm.
03:49So, my dad grew up here...
03:51...and then we've been farming here 30 years.
03:54Just over 30 years now.
03:56I love this area that we live in.
03:58We live in Cheshire, a beautiful county.
04:01We've got the green fields, the rolling landscape.
04:05So, it's just a lovely place to live.
04:07Hey!
04:09These two are little sisters.
04:11And now they're seven months old.
04:12They've seen sheep, but not really had the contact with them yet.
04:15Flessie, come on!
04:16You can see them now.
04:17They're sort of playing 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, James and Jane have been lucky enough to breed and train a number of champion trial dogs.
04:39So, Peg, here we go.
04:41James' passion for sheepdogs started at an early age.
04:46Originally, 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.
04:56And we were both very keen, young.
04:59I practiced and practiced what I was taught.
05:01And this is where it's taken me to.
05:03Today, James' latest sheepdog coming through the ranks is Holly.
05:08Good girl.
05:09Holly's two years old now.
05:12She is maturing well.
05:14She's had the training.
05:16Probably competing now at about 10 different nursery trials.
05:20These trials meant for young dogs that are competing in their first season.
05:25And 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.
05:33Come by.
05:42How are we?
05:43And with the next set of trials just days 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.
06:03In northwest Cheshire, on the picturesque River Weaver, lies a 13th century market town of Frodsham.
06:11Surrounded by natural beauty and tranquil waterways, the area serves as an inspirational backdrop for traditional and modern artists alike.
06:22Jennifer Barker is a local artist whose love of working with glass began, by chance, when she was an A-level art student.
06:32I've lived in Cheshire all my life.
06:35I absolutely love Cheshire because it's a great place.
06:38It's quite country-fied.
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.
06:48Beautiful.
06:49I 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.
07:06After a master's 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 glasswork 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.
08:20The 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.
08:41So I'm under a lot of pressure to get this right.
08:47When finished, this sculpture will be the centerpiece 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.
09:22Because I haven't got any glass that's left.
09:26There we go. Oh, my God.
09:30We'd have been in real trouble if that didn't work.
09:37Right, I think my work here is done.
09:40I'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.
09:59That 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.
10:08Coming up, Chester Zoo is hoping for a new arrival.
10:17So 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's 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
11:02to 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.
11:39Together, the mill's 5,000 looms churned out luxury silk goods,
11:44destined 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.
11:56Today, 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 for eight. My 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.
12:25Me 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.
12:38It'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. It'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,
13:03we were really excited to get to the bottom of the Industrial Revolution and the heritage in this area.
13:09Now they have set themselves a massive challenge
13:13to design and produce the first piece of silk on these looms in decades.
13:19Hands 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.
13:29I remember the phone call that you made to me and you explained it and we just said,
13:35let's do it. Let'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 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.
13:51And the pressure isn't just about producing the product. It's about saving a dying craft.
13:58It's on the red list, on the endangered list of craft, which means that within the next generation,
14:05it's at risk of dying out completely, which is why it's so important for people like me and Ruth
14:10to be learning the skill and passing it on to future generations.
14:14It feels really important to keep working with it and keep working here so that it is no longer endangered.
14:21In 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 Bea can 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.
15:03This is the piano card cutter. This 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.
15:31And what I'm going to do is just paste a little bit over the top here.
15:36The 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.
16:02If we get a mistake and we don't notice it at this stage, we're wasting silk or wasting time.
16:08And for Ruth and Bea, the clock is ticking.
16:12They'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.
16:26Karen Sheldon, the granddaughter of the mill's previous owner.
16:31It'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.
16:52Whether they're history enthusiasts or nature lovers, thrill 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, it's no wonder this charming county is visited by around 50 million of us each year.
17:13And 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 year.
17:27As a top attraction in the region, the park welcomes in over 2 million excited visitors each year
17:36to explore the 125 acres site that is home to over 20,000 animals, many of which are endangered.
17:49You good girls! Hi!
17:54Fiona has been a zookeeper here at the park for the past 17 years.
17:59You good girly!
18:00It is an incredible place to work.
18:02Inspiring 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.
18:11So 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 and 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 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 programme at the zoo has been set up to protect some of their more endangered residents.
18:45Hi Mum!
18:46And there are carpi, or forest giraffe, are proving a success story.
18:52It's vitally important that we have a good, solid breeding programme 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.
19:03Carpi are incredible to look after.
19:05I've worked with almost 17 now and they all are unique.
19:09All different characters, work 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 come in!
19:20They are quite an intricate species to her, which I like.
19:23I feel like I'm always learning.
19:25Specific to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the acarpi are regarded as endangered species
19:32due 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 programmes like this are vital to the species' future.
19:47Good girl!
19:48Chester Zoo is also the only park in Europe to have a special science lab that is dedicated to monitoring poo.
19:56And with Ada having recently shown size that she might be pregnant, Fiona is working with colleagues at the park
20:03who will be able to confirm either way.
20:06So I'm just collecting Ada's morning faecal sample, the freshest sample she's just passed,
20:12and then we can take it up to the labs to run for hormone analysis.
20:17With fresher carpi poo pocketed, Fiona is off to put the new lab through its paces.
20:23Morning John!
20:24Hi Phee!
20:25Here's Ada's faecal sample for you.
20:26Perfect, thank you.
20:27See you in a bit!
20:28See you soon!
20:29Donna Hamlin is the lab technician, and it's down to him to work out whether Fiona's a carpi 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's been added, we're just going to give it a quick shake.
20:47Just 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 their carpi's gestation period, boosting their chances of a safe pregnancy and, fingers crossed, a new addition to the park.
21:14So now we're just going to measure the hormone itself in the sample.
21:20We've been working with Lukapi 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.
21:28And at 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 Lukapi's 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.
21:47It'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.
22:03With more collaborations like this in the future, Chester Zoo is hoping more endangered species can be brought back from the edge of extinction.
22:14Blessed with a unique blend of rural beauty and historical significance, Cheshire has for centuries given birth to countless influential artists.
22:29From 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.
22:57So 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 before the opening of the restaurant.
23:47Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
23:50Coming up, our silk weavers take a gamble.
23:57We'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.
24:15The 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.
25:00OK, 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?
25:51Trophies around there, with a table with all the trophies on.
25:55Yeah.
25:58Holly.
25:59Come 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 with in 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 she's got the sets of sheep, then your sheep are very unforgiving and well run.
26:48Lie down, steady, way.
26:50Having successfully negotiated the sheep through pre-positioned gates, James now has the hardest challenge to come.
26:58Lie down.
26:59Get them into the pen.
27:00Holly.
27:01Holly.
27:02Holly.
27:03Holly.
27:04Now, they have been proven quite tricky to pen. Just need them to walk straight in. Now, you're not allowed to touch the sheep.
27:11Go on, get in.
27:12Yeah, well done.
27:14That was really good. That was really good.
27:16Good gear.
27:17Good gear.
27:18Good. I'm going to get the dog out.
27:19Having 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.
27:28Whew. Get me breath. I'll just give her a drink.
27:31Good gear. Come on, Rita.
27:34There's a lot of people who have failed at the pen and have run out of time.
27:38Come by.
27:39See how Jane gets on.
27:41She's missed two of the gates, and now she's going to bring them back to the pen. These sheep have been tricky to pen today, so she'll be happy if she gets them in.
27:50It'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.
28:09Right 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.
28:26If 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, don't you?
28:37Happy?
28:38Yeah.
28:39I did good.
28:40With 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.
28:51First prize on 86 points.
28:53Cheers, mate.
28:54Well done.
28:55The novice, 79 bucks.
29:01And then the nursery aggregate was won by James Gilman with Holly.
29:05Thank you very much, Malcolm.
29:06Thank you very much.
29:07Welcome.
29:08Good to see us again soon and all that sort of thing.
29:09Yeah, thank you.
29:10Longwood.
29:11Yeah, get this fella on here.
29:12Come on, get him on here.
29:13Done a marvellous job.
29:14Look at that.
29:15That's pretty good scoring, that.
29:16Congratulations.
29:17Winning the aggregate cup.
29:18It's my dog running well every trial I go to.
29:22Hopefully 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 and see what they were up to.
29:31Yeah.
29:32How's it going there?
29:33And these are scores.
29:35And I won the novice.
29:37Yeah.
29:38Well done, do you?
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, ever.
29:47Did you sort them sheep out?
29:49Did you?
29:50No.
29:53Man's best friend.
29:59At one time, the centre of the British Industrial Revolution, the 18th and 19th century, saw great change to Cheshire.
30:12Railways and canals fed by salt and silk brought vast wealth to the region.
30:18In Macclesfield, the silk weaving industry was declared the finest in the world.
30:24Today, in Cheshire's last traditional silk mill with functioning looms, Ruth and Bea are embarking 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 their design into a reality.
30:54In designing our pattern, we've been able to visualise what it's going to look like, but we've never woven it before.
31:02That's something that could potentially go wrong, is that we weave it and it turns out it's all squashed or warped.
31:07As well as that, there's so many things in the loom that could go wrong.
31:10They'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?
31:29Have you got it?
31:30Got that.
31:31To get this card set on the loom is the most exciting feeling.
31:37Hands away?
31:38Yeah.
31:41How's it looking?
31:42Yeah, all good.
31:43Ready to start?
31:44Yeah.
31:47Cool.
31:52Come on then.
31:53You're with me.
31:55Well, 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.
32:06So, we can't really tell at this point, but.
32:09It looks right though.
32:10Better crack on weaving, I'll come back.
32:12Find you?
32:13Yeah, I'll get on with it.
32:17It's not long before there is a hitch.
32:20The old loom is starting to show its age.
32:24Uh-oh.
32:25It'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.
32:38All right, yeah, I can see some turned hooks.
32:41Uh-oh.
32:42Yeah.
32:43Two 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.
32:51The bent hooks mean they're not lifting the thread needed for Ruth and Bea's complex design.
32:56So, if we can't fix this now, we're going to have to take apart the mechanism, and that's obviously going to delay the weaving that you're going to be doing.
33:03Because taking apart the mechanism is not a quick job.
33:06Coming up, Jennifer's dreams of a beautiful glass sculpture are at risk of being shattered.
33:15Normally, it goes well, but for some reason, today, it is just not going to plan.
33:21And 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 Bea 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're up and running again.
34:20Cool.
34:21The 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 Bea are quickly discovering just how much skill it takes to keep the old tradition alive.
34:54So beautiful.
34:56It'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.
35:13So I'm moving maybe twice as many things as I'm normally moving whilst I'm weaving.
35:22It's taken Ruth and Bea 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 color looks amazing, the way that the silk works with the design.
35:48We've done it.
35:51It 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 Bea 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 colors, 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.
37:00How do you like it?
37:01That means a lot.
37:02Obviously, 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.
37:10Yeah.
37:12How does it feel to see the mill producing some fabric again?
37:16Can 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.
37:25Gosh, 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.
37:49Yeah.
37:50It means a lot.
37:51Yeah, it does.
37:52And after Karen's approval, Bea and Ruth can claim victory with their significant contribution
37:57to 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.
38:21But the next thing is being able to hand over these skills because I don't want these to
38:28die 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
38:39to 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
38:58community, 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.
39:17Jennifer has created a design that mirrors those themes.
39:21It's a very small space.
39:23I used to working with a bigger space than this.
39:26So 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.
39:38What 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.
39:49So, this is the first component at the bottom.
39:57So I know the fixtures are there.
40:01Right, OK, so that's ready for the base of the fixtures to go in.
40:05OK.
40:08Oh, gosh.
40:13It's still a little bit too...
40:17It's not in the right place.
40:20Oh, that's too wobbly now.
40:22Normally it goes well, but 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.
40:35I 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, we're just having a little rethink.
40:48No panic.
40:49With the clock counting down, there really is no time to lose.
40:54It's very stressful because you've got a hammer and a drill right next to some very expensive glassware.
41:01OK, let's have a look.
41:04OK, let's just hope.
41:07Fingers crossed.
41:09I can get this in.
41:13OK, that's great.
41:14Crisis averted.
41:21I mean, it has changed a little bit, but it doesn't matter, does it?
41:25And then we've only got one more to do.
41:28Last piece.
41:30Ha-ha.
41:31You got it?
41:32Yeah.
41:33Fab.
41:35I think it looks great, but 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, because 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.
42:31Oh, yes, that's fantastic.
42:35The 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.
43:13And Mucklesfield's mega market is back in business.
43:17We expect about 15,000 people to walk through the town centre.
43:21The end, huge Gefühl made in the MICHAEL lambda summer.
43:25The end, lots of Dingen.
43:26There you can find gray, poverty tiles and turning them down today.
43:30We expect about 10 seconds to re Innen all the time.
43:32We expect you to see.
43:34You're practically wrecked the world, living here.
43:37We expect král gawards with a sneeu.
43:40And we want everythingnemouths, living nowisan natural science, living nowthatstatedmore,
43:42our entire life, every day.
43:43You're not decreased.
43:44Have a beraber feet sad that is a Werner.
43:45Wanna see you?
43:46It's really cool.
43:47You're still dead.
43:48Home, dzusalera.
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