- 2 months ago
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00:00Come on Fletchers! We've reached our fourth year in farming and we've fallen
00:09for this way of life hook line and sinker. Can you keep this? Right Milo let's get
00:17some jobs done. Farming's a breeze compared to having four kids. We're
00:24surrounded by the spectacular peat district. As far as an office goals it's
00:29it's pretty good isn't it? With ancient woodlands and rolling hills as their
00:38playground. This year we've big plans to increase our flock and herd.
00:53Oh you can't ride on him, no. Whilst continuing to diversify. What about if
00:59we've created some sort of farm musical? Kevin we've got enough to do without creating a farm
01:04phantom. And we're excited about what our next chapter might hold. I can't think of
01:10something that would beat this for me. This is my version of a happy full life.
01:14Right let's get some cup of tea then.
01:23This week on our farm, Operation Wedding Barn is in full swing.
01:29Jemima's kindly invited the children and I said are you sure?
01:33Are we gonna do a smoochy kiss?
01:39Yes. Not in front of you, no. Liz and I attempt to relocate a rather delicate
01:45ornament. I hope this isn't Adele Trotter moment. I know. So do I, I'm up a ladder. And it looks
01:53as though the farm will soon be welcoming its newest family member. All eyes on the cows now.
01:59We're all so excited that it could happen any minute. Fingers crossed for a smooth, smooth carving. And fingers crossed we get half a calf.
02:18Smell it there. Smell it there. Whoa my goodness. Whoa.
02:23Since the fire at the farmhouse, we've been living in temporary accommodation. But our mornings
02:33haven't slowed down one bit. Getting breakfast ready for a family of six is still as hectic as ever.
02:39Right, who wants marmalade? Me!
02:45These are not our eggs. On the farm you just just go into the garden and get your eggs. But
02:52we've been giving our eggs to the guests in the cottage. Whoever's in the cottage have had
02:56the best scrambled eggs. And we've had to settle for some, some eggs bought in. So, that's it.
03:05Can I mix them? Oh, I love them.
03:08Here you go. It's not what you think. Well, didn't it be like any scrambled eggs before
03:16I ate it all? No, thanks. No?
03:20Renovations to the farmhouse are still yet to start. But we're desperate to get back on the
03:25farm. So, Liz and I are now on a mission to find a solution.
03:29Think about the farm every minute of every day. It's just weird not being there. There's
03:36a worry, there's a... It just doesn't feel the same.
03:41Have you heard? Yeah. Can I hear what you think?
03:45Yeah, I knew. I was thinking. It won't be long before I've got a...
03:51A little munchkin sat on my knee making all my food.
03:56The twins are three now, and I've not finished a meal in three years. Why is that?
04:05Well, I mean, you wish to have three boys.
04:10What always surprises me is when the twins say they miss the farm, because I was never
04:16sure that they fully understood where they live, but they do. They always just want to
04:20be there. It's a funny time for everyone, really. Just have to go through it as it's
04:25happened, I guess. Max, do you miss the farm? Do you know what happened to our house?
04:32Burned down my jacket. Burned it down. And what are we going to do now?
04:38Fix it, Daddy go fix it, and I go fix it with Daddy. Yay! This is just a chance of
04:47my life. And I'm just so grateful that we get to have temporary domination and the plan
04:54is to rebuild the house, be back in, and it'll just be a story to tell.
04:59Liz and I want to see if there's a way we can create a temporary home on the farm. That'll
05:04work for us as a family until the farmhouse renovation is complete.
05:08We'll have breakfast, we'll get straight over to the farm, and we're there all day, and
05:13we don't come back until late for tea. There's no kitchen or anything now at the farm, obviously.
05:17Nothing works. You know, there's no base for us, really, at the farm. We're outside all day.
05:21So it's a case of pet lunches every day, which I have to say aren't my foresay.
05:27Erm, I do my best. Try my hardest.
05:35Come on, go get your shoes on so that we can just get going.
05:38Can I not spin?
05:41You've got spin. Come on. I'll just climb it. Wait!
05:45Who's going in the front? I!
06:01Our lovely ladies, Cherry and Ruby, are both in calf and maternity leave is fast approaching.
06:08So while they're out enjoying the spring grass, it's the perfect excuse to give the cow shed a proper spring clean.
06:15After all, every expectant mum deserves a clean, peaceful space to go into labour and give birth.
06:23This is the job I quite enjoy, actually.
06:26We've basically got to get this shed mucked out, get it as clean as possible, and then get it all disinfected as well.
06:32Obviously, we've had the cows in here, so they've made quite a bit of mess.
06:35But we're going to bring Cherry back in because she's due to calf kind of any day now, really.
06:41So we want to get her inside, get her comfortable, and just so we can kind of keep our eye on her, really.
06:49Ruby isn't due her calf for a couple more months, but we'll bring her in to keep Cherry company.
06:54So the shed's going to be full, we're going to have the boys down at one end, and then at the other end, the girls will be in who are due to calf.
07:00A maternity suite, that's what we can call it, a nice maternity suite.
07:04And then hopefully any day now, we can expect a calf.
07:08You get a lot of job satisfaction from this type of work.
07:11So we just get all the muck out now, we're going to scrape the middle out, and then we'll scrape the beds out, get them all in the muck heap.
07:18Then we'll get the sweeper on it, and then we'll get it all re-bedded up, ready for Cherry.
07:25And it's not just the barn that's getting us spruce today.
07:28Next door in the old stables, the bride-to-be, Jemima, has joined Liz and the kids to start preparations ahead of the big day.
07:37Can you do it? Do you want to get up the ladder more? Are you cleaning the ladder?
07:46You can come up the ladder more. There you go.
07:50I'll hold on to you. There you go.
07:54Is that good? Is it fun?
07:58There you go. Good job.
08:01There's a lot going on today. It's all hands on deck.
08:04We're just cleaning the walls, getting everything.
08:07You know, this has been a stables for a long time.
08:10There's a lot of cobwebs. It needs a good brush down.
08:14Making it nice and clean, still with that rustic feel.
08:17We don't want any cobwebs on the day.
08:18So we'll get them all cleaned up, get the walls cleaned up, washed down.
08:22And then we can slowly start bringing the decorations in.
08:27In a few weeks time, this dust-laden barn will be hosting the first wedding on the farm.
08:32And it's made Liz and I realise that this space has got so much potential for other events too.
08:39And it's all thanks to friends of the family who saw the potential in this space before we did.
08:45Jemima and Christian always wanted to get mine in a barn.
08:49And as our gift to them, we've said, would you like to do it here?
08:53So our very first wedding on the farm, it's very romantic.
08:56And they're just getting stuck in, stuck in to making this how they want it to be.
09:01I like the fact that you can...
09:02We've got our own touch on it.
09:04We've got...
09:06We've picked the food and everything and we've picked the bars.
09:09So it's a bit more personal than a normal venue.
09:11Yeah.
09:12And yeah, it's just really exciting.
09:13And to get it stuck in like this, you don't get to normally do that.
09:16So it's nice.
09:17Yeah, exactly. You get from start to finish, don't you?
09:19Yeah.
09:21The groom's not here today, but his mum Gloria is.
09:24And we've known each other for so many years that it feels like a real family affair.
09:29Gloria's worked with us for about, is it three years now?
09:32Yeah, three years.
09:33And whenever we do events, anything, Gloria is the decoration queen.
09:38You've got such an eye for everything.
09:39She's amazing at cooking, amazing at decorating.
09:42You are. You're talented at everything.
09:44Anything.
09:45She's like family to us now.
09:46We couldn't live without Gloria.
09:47We're really, really honoured that her son and her daughter-in-law are going to get married here.
09:52Jemima and Christian can't wait to put their own stamp on the barn.
09:57And with the help of even the youngest members of the Fletcher family,
10:00this space will be looking good in no time.
10:03Do you think it's going to look good?
10:06Are you excited?
10:07Yeah.
10:08Are you going to dance?
10:09Yeah.
10:10Are you going to be on the dance floor?
10:11Yeah.
10:12The kids are huge fans of Gloria.
10:14So they, whenever she's around, they're always like clinging to her legs.
10:17Just wanting to get involved with her.
10:19So it's really nice to see them getting involved and helping out cleaning.
10:24They wouldn't do that for me, you know.
10:25But for Gloria, they'll do anything.
10:31Next door, I'm making good progress cleaning out the barn.
10:34This job is oddly satisfying, although not without its drawbacks.
10:39The main one being, the pong.
10:42As far as smells go, I mean, yeah.
10:45You get a whiff.
10:46I must have that stench now.
10:47I must have that farmer stench.
10:49Especially when you've been mucking the cows out.
10:51You must smell of it.
10:52I just have to make sure I'm a school runner.
10:54I don't stand next to any parents.
10:55But it's a smell I've become very familiar with.
10:59And dare I say, I quite like it.
11:02But I just, you know, it's familiar.
11:05It reminds me of Dome.
11:11Like many jobs on the farm, it's dirty work.
11:14But every pile has a purpose.
11:19It's all part of the natural cycle that keeps the farm and life thriving.
11:31This muck is actually crucial to our farm.
11:35Because the muck that we have here is what we use to feed the grass.
11:39And we spread this on the fields.
11:40So yeah, in that sense, this is liquid gold.
11:45The amount of nitrogen and all the stuff that plants and grass needs to grow.
11:50It's pretty much all in here.
11:51It's the waste product of the animal.
11:53Nothing's wasted.
11:55Every poo is used.
12:05I do love a tidy farm.
12:06So while I've got the chance,
12:08I'm going to break out all the tools.
12:11A quick change into my overalls.
12:12And time to make this shed glisten.
12:15That's the thing with cows.
12:17Cows and sheep.
12:18Cows just seem to poo everywhere.
12:20All at the side of the walls.
12:21On the gates.
12:24And it's just one of those things that...
12:27A job you look kind of thing.
12:28I need to do that soon.
12:29Before you know it, it's everywhere.
12:31This job does have its perks though.
12:33As it gives me the chance to use one of my favourite bits of kit.
12:38This is our little yard sweeper.
12:40It was actually a birthday present.
12:43From my parents.
12:44From my 40th.
12:45That's the type of stuff they kind of buy me now.
12:47Probably a bit big for the job we need it for,
12:49but you can't be a bit of convenience, can you?
12:52It's even got her family name on it.
12:58She's alive.
13:01Let's go sweeping.
13:02I feel like I look for a council here.
13:03Might go and do a little bit on the highways.
13:06There we go.
13:07Come on.
13:08From racing cars in the British GT Championship,
13:15to sweeping barns in the Cheshire countryside.
13:18It's been quite the gear change.
13:21Might as well do a quick sweep in here, haven't we?
13:38Yeah.
13:41Shed cleaned out.
13:43Jet washed.
13:44Disinfected.
13:46Ready for two pregnant cows.
13:49And hopefully,
13:51some newborn cows.
13:55As I move on to my next job,
13:57Liz and the kids are still hard at work with their cleaning.
14:01Oh my God, it's spotless already.
14:03Are you going to help guys?
14:04Yeah.
14:06Glory, you've done a great job.
14:08You guys have done a great job.
14:10I'm getting to work.
14:11Were you excited to clean this?
14:13I'm more excited to decorate, but yeah.
14:15What is your thought?
14:16What is your plan?
14:18So, it's quite informal, I suppose,
14:21and rustic, because of it being a barn.
14:23We're going to have the top table here,
14:25that's why we're cleaning this wall, ready to paint.
14:27And we're going to have fairy lights and flowers all over
14:30and bunting, and I've got some lanterns as well.
14:32We've got Kelvin's Gin Bar and then another bar maybe there,
14:36and we're going to have the hay bales in the corner
14:38as like a cosy, chilled place to sit.
14:40Nice.
14:41We've got a lot of kids coming.
14:43How drunk do you think you're going to get with two bars?
14:45Yeah, everyone's going to be very drunk.
14:47Why are you doing a smoochy kiss?
14:49Are we going to do a smoochy kiss?
14:51Yeah.
14:52Not in front of you, no.
14:54Jemima's kindly invited the children, and I said,
14:57are you sure?
14:59Yeah, because the wedding is really like a celebration.
15:03It's not really, you know, sitting down.
15:06We're not doing like a formal sit-down meal.
15:08It's going to be quite relaxed.
15:10So it's like a party.
15:12Yeah, it's like a big party.
15:13Do you want to put that on, Milo?
15:15Do you want to blast the cobwebs?
15:17Yeah.
15:19Not at people, Milo, not at people.
15:22No!
15:24It's the cobwebs.
15:25Go there.
15:28That's it.
15:32There, look.
15:34Right, that's enough now.
15:36I think when they do it worse.
15:38Good job, Milo.
15:39That looks better, doesn't it?
15:40There you go, you have that cloth.
15:41Yeah, that's it.
15:42Get it nice and wet.
15:43Ooh, there we go.
15:45Wow.
15:47You want to get up more?
15:49You want the bucket?
15:50Hang on.
15:51There you go.
15:53Get it in. Ooh.
15:55With a wedding just over a month away,
15:58it's fantastic to see everyone doing their bit.
16:01That looks better.
16:03To make sure the bride and groom's big day is a special one.
16:07We've not got a lot of time, there is a deadline,
16:09so we do need to get cracking, but I think we can do it.
16:13We love a deadline.
16:14It makes us work harder.
16:16We won't miss it.
16:17We've never missed a deadline yet.
16:18We won't do for this, I'm sure.
16:19Wet days like this have been few and far between this year,
16:20but when the rains come, it's harder not having the farmhouse to get dry in, or just make a brew.
16:21As it's still uninhabitable since the farmhouse came in,
16:22it's harder not having the farmhouse to get dry in, or just make a brew.
16:23As it's still uninhabitable since the fire,
16:26Liz and I wanted to get some water out of the farmhouse to get dry in,
16:28but when the rains come, it's harder not having the farmhouse to get dry in, or just make a brew.
16:33As it's still uninhabitable since the fire, Liz and I wanted to get some advice on whether there's an option to have a temporary home on the farm instead.
16:46My hair's not a fan of the rain, so we'll get under shelter.
16:48This is nice. This is cosy.
16:49Oh, look at this. We're a nice little barbecue area, this.
16:50We could just put walls on here and live in here, couldn't we?
16:51Yeah, put hot something.
16:52Yeah, yeah.
16:53Yes! Very good.
16:54That's the thing, there's always a spot for something round here.
16:55Paul is part of a team of the farmhouse to get dry in, or just make a brew.
16:58As it's still uninhabitable since the fire, Liz and I wanted to get some advice on whether there's an option to have a temporary home on the farm instead.
17:01My hair's not a fan of the rain, so we'll get under shelter.
17:03This is nice. This is cosy.
17:04Oh, look at this. It would be a nice little barbecue area, this.
17:06We could just put walls on here and live in here, couldn't we?
17:08Yeah, put hot something.
17:09Yeah, yeah.
17:10Yes! Very good.
17:11That's the thing, there's always a spot for something round here.
17:14Paul is part of a team who builds lodges and cabins, and he's come to help us figure out if our plans to build a temporary lodge on the farm, while renovations get underway, is even possible.
17:26So, Paul, with us having the fire on site, we desperately need to be here just to look after the animals and make sure everything's ticking over.
17:35And we thought, if we could get a lodge, the best place for us, the flattest place that we could think of, is the menage.
17:41Yes.
17:42Now, ground-wise, could we put a lodge on that? Cos it's not obviously concrete, but...
17:47It's not the concrete, but we obviously could look at doing the ground screws with you, so that can go in, and obviously, with that, you're not putting something which is permanent,
17:55because obviously you're using it as temporary accommodation as well, so they can be moved when the lodge is moved afterwards.
18:01Oh, brilliant.
18:02So then it doesn't affect the ground.
18:04Oh, great.
18:05So you could do that. But yeah, this is a good location to do it as well, because you're close enough.
18:08And we'll hopefully be getting... We'll still have a bit of summer to... I know it doesn't feel like summer today.
18:12No.
18:13But hopefully, when we've got some good weather, it's in a good spot that you can actually...
18:17You've got the views to sit there and sit out and enjoy it.
18:19Yeah, it'll look pretty idyllic, won't it?
18:21Absolutely.
18:22Yeah.
18:23If it's there, you know, you're going to have your own space away from everything, because it's just that little bit away from everywhere, isn't it?
18:29As well, hidden.
18:30What, are you suggesting that I can just come and...
18:31Enjoy yourself.
18:32Hide away?
18:33Yeah.
18:34What, and leave Liz and kids all in the farm?
18:36Sounds like a good idea.
18:37Yeah, yeah.
18:38With a nice book.
18:39A cup of tea.
18:40We'll put a nice little man cave in.
18:41Oh, that'll be good, yeah.
18:42Hey, that would be good.
18:43Well, what I'm imagining you, honestly, is sat on the decking, because he'll be so close to his sheep now.
18:47I was going to say, I could just be checking on the sheep, couldn't I?
18:49You would just be, like...
18:50I could be sat having a cup of tea.
18:5124-7 sheep watch.
18:52Just checking everything.
18:53I could get a walkie-talkie to you.
18:55Yeah.
18:56Liz, just, you know, sort of...
18:57You'd be doing house reno.
18:58Yeah.
18:59And then I could just be here checking on the sheep.
19:01So you're checking on the builders, and I'm here checking on the sheep.
19:04It's your dream spot, isn't it?
19:05Yeah, it is, actually, yeah.
19:06After months of uncertainty, it's exciting to be making plans to get the family back on the farm.
19:12And for me, the lodge can't come soon enough.
19:15What do you think the timeframe is?
19:17From us deciding, kind of, what the layout, what the interior is, the size,
19:21what do you think the timeframe is on that?
19:23Once you've got that signed off and you're 100% happy with everything,
19:28we could, you know, two to three months, like, the timeline on that,
19:31to get everything done, built and delivered to site.
19:34Wow.
19:35That's quick.
19:39Real?
19:40Yeah?
19:41Yeah.
19:42Well, brilliant.
19:43Thank you for that.
19:44Can we get it?
19:45Yeah, exactly.
19:46Hey, it's stopped raining.
19:47It has, yeah.
19:48It's stopped raining.
19:49That's great.
19:50That's a sign.
19:53It definitely feels like there's light at the end of the tunnel,
19:56and the countdown to being back on the farm can begin.
20:10The work on the farmhouse is yet to start, but we have been given the green light to salvage what we can,
20:16and this is music to Liz's creative ears.
20:21Kelvin.
20:22Yeah?
20:24I've got a little job, but a big job for you, if you don't mind.
20:31Come on.
20:32Come on.
20:33You know the, the bronzy chandelier we've got in the house?
20:36Yeah.
20:37I want to try and salvage it, and put it in the...
20:40Barn.
20:41In the barn, so it's like the, we've saved something from the house to go into the stables.
20:46All right.
20:47What do you think?
20:49Yeah.
20:50It's beautiful.
20:51It's very high up in the house.
20:53Well, I've got ladders.
20:54I've got a rope.
20:55Yeah.
20:56I'm not an electrician.
20:58I get the electrician to put it up.
21:00You just get it down.
21:03Got that?
21:04Yeah.
21:10Right.
21:11You look a bit too nice to dress for this job.
21:16Shirt and trouser.
21:17Looking smart today.
21:18We'll need a qualified electrician to install it in the barn, but with the power switched
21:23off, I just have the small task of getting it down in one piece.
21:28Yeah, it's heavy.
21:30I'd say it's 25, 30 kilo.
21:39But I've got a plan.
21:41Right.
21:42First things first.
21:43I'm just going to connect the rope.
21:44So if you could pass me the rope, just as a secondary hoist.
21:55So this rope is going to hold the chandelier up.
21:59OK.
22:00When I think of these jobs, they're not as big, they're not as big in my head as they are
22:05when you come to do it.
22:06No job, what you ever think of Liz, is big in your head.
22:10I'll tell you this all the time.
22:13Because anything's possible.
22:15The smoke damage from the fire has left everything in the house ruined.
22:18But we're determined to salvage whatever we can, especially items that have been here
22:23longer than us.
22:24It's so disheartening to see the house like this.
22:26And it just, what isn't burnt, is completely smoke damaged.
22:31And the smell in here is so strong that after a bit, it'll just give you a headache.
22:35But although things probably can't be used, you know, the sofas are just, everything smells
22:42so strongly of smoke, but this chandelier was left in the house when we bought it.
22:48Probably because the owner didn't want to do this.
22:51And I've loved it ever since.
22:52And if we can salvage this and put it in the stables, then it'll just feel like a piece
22:57of the house has still been used.
23:00Get rid of the rope, babe.
23:01I'm going to undo it in a minute.
23:04I hope this isn't a Del Trotter moment.
23:07I know.
23:09So do I. I'm up a ladder.
23:13Right, are you ready?
23:14Yeah.
23:15The full weight of the chandelier...
23:17Yeah, but...
23:18..is on the rope.
23:19Kelvin never fails to impress me.
23:22Like, he can literally do any job.
23:24He's never done this before and he's just...
23:26I mean, he's lassoing a chandelier.
23:32I've never been regarded as being a handyman.
23:35I'm not that handy around the house.
23:36I'm not somebody you would call a DIYer.
23:38How do you know to do all this stuff when you've been an actor for 20 years?
23:42Well, that's why I used to say I'm not an actor, I'm just a lad that can act.
23:49That's what I always used to say.
23:51I feel like there should be a choir singing.
23:53Oh!
23:56Whey!
23:57Look at that!
24:01Beautiful!
24:07Wow, Kelvin, I'm so impressed.
24:10Done.
24:11There we go.
24:12That was amazing.
24:13Look how stunning this is.
24:18Done.
24:19Amazing.
24:20It's all intact, so all it needs now is just...
24:22I've left the connectors on.
24:25So, in theory, that...
24:27..full piece...
24:29..can be hung.
24:30Just go straight up.
24:31Straight up, yeah.
24:32And there's no point even cleaning it.
24:34Oh, I'll give it a little...
24:35..little look after.
24:36That's part of the look, isn't it?
24:37Just check all the bulbs.
24:38They work.
24:39Did it?
24:40Well, they did do.
24:41How do you know?
24:42Well, when we left the house before it set on fire, everything worked.
24:45Why do you think they'll have blown?
24:46Erm...
24:47No, you can see.
24:48They'll be all right, then.
24:51We've never seen it this close.
24:52And Liz has certainly never seen it this close,
24:53because it's never been cleaned.
24:55That's never seen a duster, has it?
24:57But it will do now.
24:59And it'll be pride and joy in the sense with the stables.
25:04I feel like you should have been a workman, babe, and not an actor.
25:10I feel like you enjoy being a really neat tradesman.
25:15Do you?
25:16Yeah.
25:17Like, even the way you carry the ladder,
25:18I know that you'll purposely not hit anything in the door.
25:21Right, see you, love.
25:23I'll send me your voice in post.
25:28See you later on.
25:30Thanks for coming.
25:31Thanks for that bru that I didn't get.
25:32I think that.
25:47After some mixed weather, the sun is back and so are the kids,
25:51all finding fun and mischief on the farm.
25:54Go on, be careful!
25:57It can't be all work and no play,
25:59and the kids never have to go far to find things to do.
26:03I love my dad more than I can see.
26:07I love just, like, being with my dad.
26:11I love that he does acting and dancing and strictly and singing.
26:19And I love watching his videos from Emmerdale.
26:23But on the farm, I love about my daddy is because he just gets stuck in
26:29and I love how he just, he has no fear in anything.
26:33And if, like, somebody said,
26:34oh, can you get down that drain?
26:35Yeah, sure, I'll get down that drain.
26:37He literally just gets straight into it.
26:40He makes everything dead fun.
26:42So does my mum.
26:44What's your favourite animal on the farm?
26:46Um, poo.
26:47Poo?
26:49Tell me nicely, what's your favourite animal on the farm?
26:52Lambs.
26:54It's just so beautiful to see them working out this,
26:58this farm life and just being kids and outside and messy,
27:02and I love it.
27:03Marnie and Milo lived in Oldham with us before we moved to the farm,
27:08but the twins have known no different.
27:10This is, this is all they know.
27:12And actually, it's really hard to be indoors with them
27:16because they're just desperate to get outside.
27:19And when trying to then run the farm,
27:22now that they've got their freedom, they kind of follow me on the bikes
27:25or their little go-karts.
27:27They're now picking up on the jobs that we do and they do them,
27:31like they love feeding the animals.
27:34And that's where you think, wow.
27:36It's so special.
27:38Mummy, what are they?
27:41They're mushrooms.
27:43They're not mushrooms that you eat, this is more like a fungus.
27:47Come on.
27:48Come on, Matthias.
27:51So, I've finished it and it says,
27:56I love my dad more than that I can see.
28:03What's this?
28:04Is it for me?
28:05Is it for me?
28:06It says,
28:08I love my dad more than that I can see.
28:16We are always here for you, kiss, kiss, kiss.
28:20And then my love, kiss, kiss, kiss.
28:22And then it goes, love from Marnie.
28:26Love heart here.
28:27And then, eh.
28:29Well, there's a lot of kisses and a lot of love hearts, isn't there?
28:32Eh?
28:34Oh, thank you.
28:35I love little messages like that.
28:36Should I add to it a little bit?
28:38You can add at the top.
28:39Should I add at the top?
28:40I'll close my eyes.
28:42Marnie can be so thoughtful at times,
28:44and I often find little handwritten notes for me and Mummy
28:47left by her around the farm.
28:49Today's canvas is just a little bit bigger.
28:52Marnie, don't tell Mummy but you're my favourite.
28:57Don't tell Mummy but you are my favourite girl.
29:03Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss.
29:05Daddy.
29:06Being parents of four kids, Liz and I know a thing or two
29:21about waiting for a baby to arrive.
29:23And with both cows in calf, Liz especially likes to keep a close eye on them
29:28as they reach their due date.
29:30Every pregnant woman out there knows that that last two weeks of pregnancy
29:35feels longer than the nine months.
29:38And you're just waiting and you're thinking when is it going to come
29:41and when it happens you're like, oh no, I'm not ready.
29:47After cleaning out the barn, Ruby, who's not due for a couple of months,
29:51is being nurse mate to Cherry, whose calf is due any day.
29:55I think there's three main things, three main things to look out for
29:58when she's about to calf.
30:00One she'll start to bag up, where another literally starts to fill with milk
30:05and the kind of hip bones somewhat will just start to sink.
30:10Just kind of here, they'll start to drop here now.
30:13So all the signs are telling us that Cherry is ready to give birth.
30:18But it's still a waiting game.
30:20I don't know if we're 24 hours away, if we're five hours away,
30:23if we're an hour away.
30:25She's with her friends, she's got a bit of company, she seems...
30:28You know, she seems pretty calm, that's the important thing,
30:30not to stress her out.
30:32Erm, I'm just really excited.
30:35I'd love if she calf today.
30:38For the twins to be here and watch it, it'd just be...
30:42..when the babies eat her.
30:45Yeah, then they feed the baby in their belly.
30:47Just like when you were in my belly.
30:49I was...
30:51..your belly was getting big.
30:54It was getting bigger!
30:55Yeah!
30:56Cos you two monkeys were in there, weren't you?
30:59Yeah!
31:00Do you remember being in there?
31:01What was it like?
31:03A ball!
31:04A ball!
31:05Oh, you're so cute!
31:08So different, the last time we calf,
31:11it was panic.
31:12You know, we'd caught the calf.
31:15We thought we'd lost the calf.
31:17The calf was stuck and, bless her, Ruby had been struggling all night.
31:22And it was, you know, it was a sunrise and it came to a silly sleeve
31:26and me and Liz were just instinctively pulling the calf out.
31:32And, you know, it was a success.
31:34But it was really quite traumatic, especially for the cow and calf.
31:38Hopefully this time round, it's a little bit more plain sailing.
31:41But we're not leaving anything to chance.
31:44And as we're still not living on the farm because of the fire,
31:47I want to make sure we don't miss a thing.
31:50What I might do is put up our little camera.
31:53Yeah.
31:54Anyway, just so we've got a bit of reassurance.
31:56Yeah.
31:57By putting up these CCTV cameras,
31:59we can keep an eye on Cherry any time, day or night.
32:03Still looking really calm, really relaxed, which is good.
32:06Erm, so it's still a waiting game, really.
32:11Could be in the middle of the night.
32:13So having something like this camera just gives you a little bit of
32:16reassurance, really, that you're not going to miss anything.
32:20So we just keep checking this as much as we can through the night.
32:25All eyes on the cows now.
32:27It's exciting, though.
32:29And weirdly, I think we're so used to no sleep now
32:32that it's not a problem.
32:35We're so used to it.
32:38And the adrenaline kind of kicks in
32:40because it's what I've been waiting for for so long.
32:43We're all so excited now.
32:45It could happen any minute.
32:46So just on standby.
32:48The good thing is, is that Cherry has calved before.
32:51So this is not her first, her first calf.
32:55So she's experienced.
32:56She knows what to expect.
32:58It's a nice, calm setting.
33:02She's looking in really good condition.
33:04Fingers crossed for a smooth, smooth calving.
33:10And fingers crossed we get a heifer calf.
33:13We want a female calf.
33:14We want to have some of our own breeding stock.
33:17Which would be great.
33:18Alongside our growing herd, our flock are looking great after spending time out in the summer sunshine.
33:34Filling up on the fresh grass.
33:36But they are also looking ready for their annual trip to the barbers.
33:41We shared our tups last year, me and Liz.
33:44And it was...
33:47We said never again.
33:49Never ever again.
33:51We've only done two and a half sheep.
33:54Oh, God.
33:56It looks like someone's been murdered.
33:58I did.
33:59I'm absolutely fuming.
34:00I don't want to laugh or cry.
34:03These boys make it look easy.
34:05Unless you actually have a go, you don't realise the physicality and how taxing it is.
34:09Obviously the technique is there, but the strength and that stamina is...
34:14And you don't see them stopping for a tea break every two minutes like us actors do.
34:18We like to have a tea break.
34:19James and Sam have helped keep our flock trimmed since we bought our very first sheep.
34:25And while they take care of the shearing, it's down to me to make sure the flock form an orderly queue.
34:32Sheep shearing day on the farm is always a big family favourite.
34:36So Liz and the kids are on their way to help too.
34:39Why do we shear the sheep, Matthias?
34:41So we shear the sheep because they get too hot in summer.
34:44And then what do we do with the wool?
34:46And make covers.
34:49Make covers, we make blankets, yeah!
34:54So that's like taking their coat off.
34:57And they'll be like, oh, finally!
35:00I've cooled down.
35:01Do you feel it?
35:02Do you like that in your fingers?
35:03What does it feel like?
35:05Does it feel soft?
35:07This is an exciting part of farming.
35:10It's when we finally get to shear the sheep.
35:13It's a fascinating tradition, really, when you think about it.
35:16Like, these guys are so skilled.
35:18And it is, you know, it's a slog, it's a big, it's a tough job.
35:22And they do it and they're passionate about it and they love it.
35:25And it's really fascinating to watch.
35:27I never get bored of watching it.
35:28Whoo!
35:29Full down.
35:3050 to go.
35:31And our best shepherdess, Marnie, is keen to get stuck in.
35:34Marnie, what you can try and do is when the fleece is done, fold the fleece up and put it in the bag.
35:40Do you want to try and do that job?
35:41Yeah, this is just, you know, there's a lot to do.
35:42Somebody bringing the sheep in, sorting the sheep out.
35:43Just giving the shearers less to do, really.
35:44They've got enough to do, shearing all these sheep without having to kind of sort them out and everything like that.
35:58But I've got Marnie here, my little helper, so she's on fleece duty at the minute.
36:03So as soon as the fleece are off the sheep, she folds it up and puts it in the bag.
36:06This is the best wool, black and white, like, look at it.
36:10So last year, we managed to take our wool to a mill that's in Oldham, where we grew up.
36:18And we managed to turn that wool into blankets and we did really, really well with it.
36:23I mean, look at that.
36:24That.
36:26Just...
36:28Gorgeous.
36:30And we could actually do something with it.
36:32And we sold out a lot.
36:33The whole stuff went.
36:34So this time, we've got the core colours.
36:37I've kind of...
36:38This time, I've worked with the mill a little bit more.
36:40I've actually looked at what's on trend.
36:42I mean, get me.
36:43I've actually looked at what colours are coming out this season.
36:48What's happening at the fashion shows.
36:50It's been really exciting.
36:51It's been amazing looking at different colour fabrics, colour swatches.
36:56Selling the blankets started as a side hustle, but it's fast becoming another important income to the farm.
37:02Get a few hundred blankets out of this.
37:05We're going to need a bigger bag.
37:07The next process for this is so exciting and interesting.
37:11Like, this will get washed.
37:12It'll get dyed.
37:13It'll get spawned.
37:14It'll get weaned.
37:15Just so fascinating that that becomes something else.
37:19How many we got left?
37:21Four or five more, is there?
37:23There's a lot of blankets there.
37:25That's what you've got to keep thinking of.
37:26It'll be worth it.
37:27This is good though.
37:28This is the bit I enjoy.
37:29The farming that I enjoy is, you know, when you're a bit of hard work, physical.
37:34And even though I'll never make a decent sheep shearer, I can't resist having another go.
37:39This time, under the guidance of the pros.
37:42It's alright, roll that way.
37:43Yeah.
37:44Keep the head this way all.
37:45The head this way, yeah.
37:46And going down that way.
37:48Don't.
37:49Don't need it.
37:50Don't want me.
37:51Yeah.
37:52Till when, till where.
37:53Yeah, are you up for all the skin?
37:56Savly field skin!
38:00Yeah, it's always good to learn, and it leads to attempt the skill.
38:05Just in case, but that's precious wool, you know.
38:10I don't want it coming off the little bits.
38:11I like it to come off as a full belief.
38:14Have some faith, Liz.
38:15I'm doing my best.
38:17That is the trick, when they shear, they have to shear the wool in such a way that it comes
38:22off almost in one piece. And that is the skill.
38:30I mean, the fact that you've got to hold the sheaf as well, which is really strong, make
38:34sure that they're safe and not moving, and then make sure the fleece comes off as worn.
38:39There's a lot of things going on at once, and they do brilliantly at it.
38:44I must admit, this is not easy, and I've got even more respect for James and Sam being
38:49able to shear our full flock so quickly.
38:51It's difficult. It's a feeling really, you just feel like you're going to nip it every
38:56time. You've just got the confidence to be right on the skin really.
39:00What did you start shearing, James?
39:03About 16.
39:05Are you talking to your dad?
39:07Yeah.
39:08There you go.
39:10How did you get on with that last one? I missed it.
39:13I missed it.
39:14I was terrible.
39:15Oh, right.
39:16I won't give up my day job.
39:17James will always ring you then, every year.
39:19I know we said our excuse last year was because we didn't have the proper kit, but I had the
39:23proper kit, and it's still hard.
39:25James, you've been with us since day one now, haven't you?
39:27I know. It's gone every year since then.
39:28You have, haven't you?
39:29Have you?
39:30James has been with us since we had ten sheep.
39:32All them Cotswolds.
39:33Two of them Cotswolds.
39:34Yeah.
39:35Yeah, yeah, yeah.
39:36Your price has gone up.
39:38Job well done, I think, yeah.
39:41They're all shared.
39:43They'll all feel a lot more comfortable now as it starts to heat up.
39:47Lambs are looking great.
39:48All in all, a good day.
39:50And, more importantly, lots of blankets.
39:55You better get busy with designing some new colours.
39:58I've already done it.
39:59What colours are we on?
40:00Wait and see.
40:01Let me know if you want to put an order in.
40:03Right, come on.
40:05Well done, guys.
40:06Thank you for that.
40:07We'll see you down there.
40:09The flock are looking fresh.
40:12The bags are bursting with wool, and we're all excited to see it come to life and be used
40:17for something truly special.
40:19With Cherry's Calf expected any day now, I've been on Night Watch via the CCTV cameras
40:40we installed in the barn.
40:42And at 5am this morning, our latest addition to the farm arrived without a hitch.
40:55And Cherry's maternal instincts kicked in immediately.
41:08Hello.
41:09You've always got to keep the calf in between you and the cow, so that the cow can see its
41:28calf and obviously see you as well.
41:30What you don't want to do is stand between the cow and the calf.
41:34It's really important.
41:36You're a beautiful little thing, aren't you?
41:39Beautiful.
41:43You've produced a gorgeous little calf, haven't you, Cherry?
41:54That's just...
41:57What an absolute privilege this is.
42:00I'd never have thought ever would I ever...
42:04Would this be my life.
42:09How good is nature?
42:10It's just unbelievable, isn't it?
42:12Cherry had done amazing.
42:13She'd calved herself.
42:15I think the most important thing as well, the calf looks good.
42:18And instinctively, they then go and look for a feed.
42:21That first few hours, just like a lamb, it's absolutely crucial for the...
42:26For the survival of the calf, really.
42:28And Cherry's just been so calm.
42:30You've got to be really careful when you, you know, it's a newborn calf.
42:33You've got to respect the animal.
42:35And she's just been so calm.
42:38She's allowed me to check the calf.
42:40I've given her a little stroke, a little cuddle to say, well done.
42:44And they just look so happy together.
42:47Every birth on the farm is special.
42:50And this young bull calf will grow up to play his part in expanding our herd too.
42:59A baby cow?
43:01Yeah, a baby cow.
43:03Are you ready?
43:05Oh, a baby cow!
43:08What do you think?
43:10Good.
43:11Why can't it not stand up?
43:13It's only just being born.
43:14It's just...
43:15You know, when you were first born, you didn't stand up straight away, did you?
43:19No.
43:20You had to be picked up.
43:21So, look.
43:22He stood up.
43:24And guess what it is?
43:26It's a boy.
43:27It's a little boy.
43:30It's a friend.
43:31Yeah.
43:32Aww.
43:33And she did it all around.
43:34All by herself.
43:35She's a great cow, isn't she?
43:38So, another bull.
43:39Another boy.
43:40Another boy.
43:41We're not doing well with these girls, are we?
43:44We can see what we do with.
43:45A female.
43:46A female.
43:47As Cheris seems relaxed, having me in the pen, I can weigh the calf so we can track his growth
43:54over the next few months.
44:1647
44:18I said 45
44:2047
44:22Wow
44:23Come on
44:24Amazing, well done
44:28Well done girl
44:29Well done
44:32Look at that beautiful little calf
44:36That's your baby
44:38Look at him
44:40Good girl
44:42Well
44:4447 kilo
44:46Bull calf
44:47That's a cracking little calf
44:50Now we just need to think of a name
44:53Maybe Barry
44:54Barry the bull
44:55Barry's a good strong name isn't he
44:59Barry the bull
45:01Oh the cow just loves me
45:03Let's go see your grandad
45:09Come on Ginger
45:10I think it's safe to say
45:14The name is undecided
45:15But I'm just thrilled to have another healthy calf join the herd
45:19Next week on our farm
45:25It's naming day for our new bull calf
45:29Milo first
45:29Wolf king
45:30Wolf king
45:31Wolf king
45:32Liz gets creative in the cottage
45:35Have I gone delusional or is that amazing?
45:41And we get one step closer to living back on the farm full time
45:45When you choose a caravan life the caravan life chose us
45:48And the
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