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00:00:00The noble Frisian horse, what began as a regional war horse during medieval times has now been transformed into a
00:00:08show-stopping superstar, where once it trotted from battle to battle, now you'll find it capturing hearts with its majestic
00:00:17gait and beautiful black coat.
00:00:19Today, classic comedy, countryside capers and a couple of hedgehogs find their forever home. With these two beauties, it can
00:00:29only be. Love you weekend.
00:01:05Beautiful wax wings, common spawning frogs, mizzle thrushes singing from the tops of tall trees.
00:01:14Just some of the wildlife sounds and sights to enjoy as we emerge from those cold, dark months.
00:01:22Something to warm you up is today's show.
00:01:25Coming up from a geek in a duffel coat in Johnson Creek to TV's biggest taskmaster, Alan Davis, on returning
00:01:32to his comedy roots as he takes to the road for a brand new tour.
00:01:36And she exploded onto our screens in the late 80s with shows like The Really Wild Show and The Hitman
00:01:43and Her. Remember that?
00:01:45Michaela Strachan currently is celebrating 40 years on the box and she still only looks 23.
00:01:51And it's the Holby City for Hedgehogs.
00:01:53How one Buckinghamshire couple have spent the past five years setting up a hedgehog hospital in their back garden.
00:02:00And they're Poplar's favourite duo, Annabelle Atzian and Cliff Parisi, on what's next for Fred and Violet.
00:02:08And we're sampling some female-owned bevies, sure to get your spirits up on a March morning.
00:02:14Drinks expert Becky Paskin on the women breaking the glass ceiling in this week's Leicester British.
00:02:26Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start. I feel a song coming on.
00:02:31Please welcome to the bar, Michaela Strachan and Alan Davis.
00:02:35Now, things guests have in common. You two, it's a big year this year.
00:02:3960. Alan, you've just turned 60. Michaela, yours is coming up in April.
00:02:43It's true.
00:02:44Am I allowed to say this?
00:02:45Month apart. Month apart. We're both 60.
00:02:47Yes.
00:02:48Do you know, I'm really excited about being 60, because I think once you get to 60, you can kind
00:02:52of say what you really want to say.
00:02:55I don't feel that the filter is there anymore.
00:02:58So, this could go anyway, this show, couldn't it?
00:03:00Look at what to this.
00:03:01You kind of know who you are, don't you?
00:03:03Yes, you do.
00:03:04Yeah.
00:03:05No, a bit more enthusiasm. Come on.
00:03:07No, I'm okay with it.
00:03:10I mean, I didn't have any qualms at 50. I quite liked it.
00:03:14But 60, and when I was a kid growing up, 60 was really ancient.
00:03:19Oh, yes.
00:03:2170 was really old and 80 was unthinkable, but things have changed, right? 60 is the new 40, that's what
00:03:27I'm told.
00:03:27You don't let age define you. That's the thing. That's my new motto. Don't let age define you.
00:03:32I think you get kind of sort of bullish about it, don't you? Okay. But what you hesitate, you suddenly
00:03:39realise, you say, I'm 76.
00:03:42And you don't want to turn into that little old lady who says, I'm 83.
00:03:45Yeah.
00:03:47And then you let a day go by without telling people how old you are. That's key as you get
00:03:51older.
00:03:51Yes.
00:03:52Of course so. Some older folk, they do the same as you do when you're a child, which is you
00:03:57say, well, how old you are next birthday?
00:03:59How old are you? I'm 83 next birthday.
00:04:02Did you celebrate?
00:04:04Yes, I did.
00:04:05In a huge way.
00:04:06I nearly didn't make it here, I mean.
00:04:09You know, partying for your 60th, I've rather stupidly decided to go on tour six days after my birthday.
00:04:16Oh, no.
00:04:16That's really silly, isn't it?
00:04:18So, don't you think you'll have a six-day hangover? That's going to be so hard.
00:04:21I'm postponing my celebration.
00:04:23You're going to do this filter-free tour now. It's going to be unmissable.
00:04:27Do you think so? Filter-free?
00:04:30Yeah, because I can say whatever I like, but now I'm 60.
00:04:32You might as well, they've come.
00:04:34Not just a wildlife, it really will be. Not just a wildlife.
00:04:37Not just a wildlife, because you'll begin your life in musical theatre.
00:04:40I mean, she's a girl of musicals, you know.
00:04:43From your point of view, have you ever been asked to do musical theatre?
00:04:45Yes, I was asked.
00:04:47Oh.
00:04:48And you didn't?
00:04:49I was asked to do Caractacus Pots in Chitty Chitty Bank.
00:04:53Oh, wow.
00:04:54My father said to me, the Dick Van Dyke part?
00:04:56And I said, yeah.
00:04:57And he said, but Dick Van Dyke was marvellous.
00:05:01That was encouraging.
00:05:02Don't need your kids then.
00:05:03Like father, like daughter.
00:05:04Yeah.
00:05:05So I went and I said, listen, I've never done this.
00:05:07I don't know about singing.
00:05:08I went along to meet the musical director.
00:05:12And he said, well, we'll sing this song.
00:05:14I started to sing it.
00:05:15And he said, hmm.
00:05:16And then he came round and he put his hand on my diaphragm, which I didn't know I had.
00:05:21And he said to me, you're not breathing at all.
00:05:25Which I didn't take as a positive.
00:05:27And also I thought was medically not possible.
00:05:31And I didn't do it in the end.
00:05:33You have to sing with your diaphragm.
00:05:34Yeah, that's what he said.
00:05:35Yes, you do.
00:05:36Yeah.
00:05:36But also I was working with Leslie Sharp at the time.
00:05:39Oh, gosh.
00:05:42And she said, I said I'd been asked to do this.
00:05:44And she just said, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
00:05:50la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.
00:05:52And she said, in the next door dressing room every night for a year.
00:05:57Yes.
00:05:58So I had a little insight into what it might be like.
00:06:01It might be like.
00:06:03So did they eventually say to you, thank you, but no.
00:06:06No, once I'd said, I don't think I can do this, never heard from them again.
00:06:09Oh, they believed you.
00:06:10It is ruthless.
00:06:12There's nothing more ruthless than musical theatre.
00:06:15It's all this out front.
00:06:16It's the jazz bands.
00:06:19I took the kids to see Anything Goes at the Barbican,
00:06:23which was not long after COVID restrictions had finally been lifted.
00:06:28So it's everybody packed in the theatre for the first time for a while.
00:06:31And it was euphoric.
00:06:33It was extraordinary.
00:06:35And there are two massive tap routines in that show.
00:06:38Yeah.
00:06:38Full company.
00:06:39And they got standing ovations in the middle of the show,
00:06:42which was hard on the dancers.
00:06:44Yeah.
00:06:45They were all holding some pose.
00:06:47In a lift.
00:06:49We're all...
00:06:50Oh, how funny.
00:06:52There's nothing quite like a really good musical.
00:06:55There's nothing quite like it.
00:06:56I tap danced on all-star musicals.
00:06:58I decided to do 42nd Street because I thought,
00:07:01no-one's tap danced on it before.
00:07:02And I was thinking telly terms.
00:07:04I think, well, that would be a good variety, wouldn't it?
00:07:06So, yeah, I ended up doing 42nd Street.
00:07:09But I went to see Showstoppers recently.
00:07:11Have you seen that?
00:07:12Oh, yeah, yeah.
00:07:13Improvised.
00:07:13Now, that is phenomenal.
00:07:14So that is an improvised musical every night.
00:07:17And the audience says what they want the musical to be about.
00:07:20Oh, my goodness.
00:07:21Five people will give titles and then you'll vote for which title it was.
00:07:25So when I was there, it was a static caravan.
00:07:27And then they've got to make up a whole musical with songs
00:07:31and a plot about a static caravan.
00:07:34It was brilliant.
00:07:34This takes imprint to new heights, doesn't it?
00:07:36Don't ask Alan Davis to do it.
00:07:38No.
00:07:38Especially if there's a number from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
00:07:41I think we should do it right here, right now.
00:07:42We could do it on something like, let's make the musical about iced buns.
00:07:45This is what you people are like.
00:07:47Let's do one now.
00:07:48No.
00:07:48Go on.
00:07:49Make a musical.
00:07:49I've been worked at my show for months.
00:07:51It's perfect.
00:07:54Oh, let's do a song in it.
00:07:55No, you do yours.
00:07:57This is clearly.
00:07:58I'll do my tour.
00:07:58You do your tour.
00:07:59It's like being in the Hitman and her.
00:08:01I feel like being Waterman.
00:08:02You do that, Michaela.
00:08:04I'll stand in the corner and count the money.
00:08:06Do you know what I think would work really well, Alan?
00:08:08If we did mix our tours.
00:08:10Yes.
00:08:11You're going off in September.
00:08:12I'm going on for April.
00:08:13Sometime in the middle, we could put them together and see what happens.
00:08:16Special guest, Michaela Stracken.
00:08:19Wait, the audience.
00:08:20Oh, brilliant.
00:08:22She's going to tap.
00:08:23She's 60.
00:08:26I'm going to skate on, dance to an ice, do a song.
00:08:28Look at her go.
00:08:29Talk about wildlife.
00:08:31Come on.
00:08:31Come on, a bit portly.
00:08:32Another story about my childhood.
00:08:34Oh, God.
00:08:38Are you going to come, Alan?
00:08:38Get me, Kayla.
00:08:40I don't know.
00:08:41I feel I've seen the show already.
00:08:43Mr. T.
00:08:44Mr. T comes on at the end of the valley.
00:08:47Yes.
00:08:47With a plant.
00:08:48I pity the fool.
00:08:49I think so.
00:08:50He says to all his plants.
00:08:52Round it off with a few gardening tips.
00:08:53I think it would be an absolute hit.
00:08:56Tell you my favourite plant, Alan.
00:08:58Fritillaria.
00:08:58Oh, very good.
00:08:59Yeah.
00:09:00Well, the Crown Imperial Snakes have.
00:09:01The tall one.
00:09:02The Crown Imperial.
00:09:03Yeah.
00:09:04Yes.
00:09:04I grew one by mistake.
00:09:05How can you grow a Fritillaria by mistake?
00:09:07I got some bulbs.
00:09:10Yes.
00:09:10I planted tulips and daffs and normal sort of bulbs.
00:09:13I say normal.
00:09:14They're the ones I know.
00:09:15Yeah.
00:09:15And in this package of bulbs I ordered, a massive bulb came.
00:09:19And I didn't know what it was.
00:09:20And I put it in a pot on a windowsill.
00:09:24And after a few months, things started to appear.
00:09:27Anyway, it grew to about this high.
00:09:29And I didn't know what it was.
00:09:31And until you told me what it was, Morgana Robinson, who's a brilliantly funny comic actress
00:09:35I was in Taskmaster with, she's a gardener, and I kept taking pictures of her and she told
00:09:40me what it was.
00:09:41And it was beautiful.
00:09:43It sprung up and then these little bells came out of it.
00:09:46Yellow or orange?
00:09:47Orange.
00:09:47Yeah, that's the normal one.
00:09:49It's a lovely story attached.
00:09:50I don't take the mood down.
00:09:52But the story was that when it first grew, the crown imperial was white and its flowers
00:09:57were upturned.
00:09:59And it was the only flower in the garden of Gethsemane that didn't bow its head when Christ
00:10:04died.
00:10:05So an angel came down and admonished it.
00:10:08It blushed orange, turned its flowers down.
00:10:12And if you look inside each flower, you'll find a teardrop.
00:10:15It's just flower mythology.
00:10:17But how amazing that he just brings it out of the bag, that story.
00:10:20That's all history being passed away.
00:10:22Yeah.
00:10:22I mean, you and I were hanging on your every word there.
00:10:25It's unusual.
00:10:26Not many people do.
00:10:28Attempt.
00:10:30Okay.
00:10:30Well, because I feel we're doing the entire show here, but alas, we have to move on.
00:10:36More barnside banter from these two.
00:10:39We can't have an hour later.
00:10:40Coming up, we'll try and fit the rest in if we can.
00:10:43If you fancy a summer bounty of bargain bouquets, now's the time to be planning and horticulturist
00:10:49Ashley Edwards on the cut flowers you can grow from seed rather than bulbs, including
00:10:54poppies and marigolds.
00:10:55It almost smelled the summer and described as a modern-day black beauty.
00:11:00Oh, known to their majesty.
00:11:02Athleticism.
00:11:03Impressive gait, temperament, and shiny black coat.
00:11:07You have to see these horses.
00:11:08They're out there.
00:11:08They're gorgeous.
00:11:09Friesian horses that have been captivating equine enthusiasts for centuries.
00:11:14We'll be catching up with our noble steeds and much more right after this.
00:11:18Alan, can I tempt you to a cream horn?
00:11:20Yeah.
00:11:21Oh, I can't eat a strawberry.
00:11:24Oh, did you know I'd go for the strawberry?
00:11:27I can just tell.
00:11:29I've lost my nerve with the cream horn, but I'm not disappointed.
00:11:49For nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own.
00:11:54And from morning to night, as from the cradle to the grave, it is but a succession of changes
00:12:00so gentle and easy that we can scarcely mark their progress.
00:12:05Lovely words from Hampshire-born Charles Dickens on the ever-changing face of nature in the
00:12:11British countryside, which we continue to celebrate here at Love Your Weekend.
00:12:16Coming up, you've seen her Wide Awake on Saturday mornings, cuddling orangutans, wrangling Chris
00:12:22Packham and keeping Pete Waterman in check in The Hitman and Her.
00:12:26Michaela Strachan shares the anecdotes and the stories of an incredible career.
00:12:31Also coming up, the awards just keep on coming.
00:12:34Recently voted Best Continuing Drama.
00:12:37How Call the Midwife continues to reign supreme.
00:12:40Taking time out from their haberdashery, Cliff Parisi and Annabelle Apsian on Poplar's favourite
00:12:46handyman and queen of local government, Fred and Violet Buckle.
00:12:52But now, if you've ever enjoyed a story of the knights of old galloping on horseback to
00:12:57perform a daring deed, odds are you might have in mind a Frisian horse.
00:13:03They really do look as though they're trotted straight out of a fairy tale.
00:13:07Originally hailing from the Netherlands, the Frisian Stud Book, founded in 1879, describes
00:13:14the breed as fiery, strong, intelligent and looking just a bit superior.
00:13:20As if she knows of her centuries-old heritage.
00:13:23As if she knows of the place she has in so many hearts.
00:13:27Well, they certainly won over my heart last time they were here.
00:13:31It's a warm welcome back to Frisian breeders Ian Garbutt and Gaynor Morris.
00:13:35Having brought with you today, welcome.
00:13:38Who have you got here Ian?
00:13:39Well, this is Venda.
00:13:41Venda.
00:13:42We saw Venda here some time ago.
00:13:44Her mother was here, which is Yaldau.
00:13:46She was the two-times British Supreme Champion.
00:13:49And we brought her here today so we can show you how we're going to start training with her
00:13:53now she's three years old.
00:13:54And then we have Senna here, who's a five-year-old mare,
00:13:58who's in foal to the world champion stallion called Yepa.
00:14:02Wow.
00:14:02So we're very excited about that.
00:14:04So, I mean, there's a lot of breeding gain.
00:14:07I mean, how many horses in foal have you got at the moment?
00:14:09We have seven foals due this year.
00:14:12Wow.
00:14:12Four pure Frisians and three part-breds that we breed carefully with other horses to make
00:14:18more sporty, light-footed animals.
00:14:23It must be very exciting when you kind of don't know what you're going to get, do you?
00:14:27Especially when you're going to be ready for a champion.
00:14:29It's always about improving all the time.
00:14:33No horse is perfect, same as no people aren't.
00:14:36But Senna has faults.
00:14:39She's a star mare.
00:14:40She's very good quality.
00:14:41She's got a superb temperament and she's so calm for a five-year-old.
00:14:44Ian can take her out happy hacking totally safely.
00:14:47She goes in the carriage.
00:14:48We only use her lightly because she's in foal, but it's really good to keep them fit.
00:14:52Well, for you, Ian, why Frisians?
00:14:54You could pick any breed of horse you wanted.
00:14:56I'm saying that looking and thinking, well, I know why.
00:14:59They look so wonderful.
00:15:00Yeah, well, I know why as well.
00:15:01I mean, they're so majestic, aren't they?
00:15:03But it's actually Gaynor's fault, believe it or not.
00:15:06Oh, I see.
00:15:06Because around 13 years ago, she brought me a book of horses for the world.
00:15:10And I just went, I want that one.
00:15:12I want that one.
00:15:12And that was it.
00:15:13So you're training yourselves now, I think, isn't it?
00:15:15We're training ourselves.
00:15:16I think we've got to the stage that we've learned enough now that we know what the judges in the
00:15:21KFPS are looking for.
00:15:22Yes.
00:15:23And therefore, we're going to start training ourselves.
00:15:26This young lady has started her training only just recently because she's only just three years old.
00:15:32And she won't be grading until she's three and a half in September.
00:15:36And therefore, she's just learning, really.
00:15:39It's about manners at the moment.
00:15:40Yes.
00:15:41I think we should let them have a run, don't you?
00:15:44Do you want to just let one off?
00:15:45Then we've got some control.
00:15:46If you go over that side and I'll go over here, then she should run back towards centre.
00:15:49You can see the power can't be on these horses.
00:15:52I don't know about you, but watching a horse run like that, I can just stand for hours.
00:15:59Watch.
00:16:00Look at the way it lifts its hooves.
00:16:04It's just naturally elegant.
00:16:06I'll run, Gaynor.
00:16:07Go on.
00:16:09Gaynor.
00:16:10I'll run.
00:16:10They can get...
00:16:11Then you can...
00:16:12You can exercise yourself, don't you, William?
00:16:16I don't know who's getting more than the horse or the owner.
00:16:18But look at that conformation.
00:16:20Look at the way it lifts its feet.
00:16:24It seems to float.
00:16:29Wow.
00:16:30You're very fit, Ian.
00:16:31That's so impressive.
00:16:33Ian, that's a wonderful conformation.
00:16:35Goodness me.
00:16:36What a sight.
00:16:41Ian, you've only a cup of coffee.
00:16:43That's all you get from me.
00:16:45That is all we would ask from you.
00:16:47I'd be skiing if I wanted to do that.
00:16:49I'm no athlete.
00:16:50I think you are, man.
00:16:53Wonderful.
00:16:54So, when's the foal due here?
00:16:58She's due at the end of May.
00:17:00Yeah.
00:17:01So, you can see she carries her first foal.
00:17:03Yes.
00:17:04And you can see she carries very tight.
00:17:06You can hardly show she's in foal.
00:17:07No, you can't.
00:17:08It's amazing.
00:17:08But the big growth with the foals, it's probably about the size of a cat now.
00:17:12Right.
00:17:12It's amazing.
00:17:13The last three months, she's absolutely mad.
00:17:15That's where the size comes.
00:17:16So, it's grown all its bits now.
00:17:18Yeah.
00:17:18It has ears and eyes and legs and everything.
00:17:20Gestation is how long?
00:17:2111 months and a week.
00:17:22It's just wonderful to see you both again.
00:17:25Yeah, thank you.
00:17:26And to see these two.
00:17:27Yeah.
00:17:27And meeting people who are passionate and knowledgeable about what they love.
00:17:32Yeah.
00:17:32Particularly in terms of livestock.
00:17:34It's always such a treat.
00:17:35It's quite mind-blowing.
00:17:36Yeah.
00:17:37It's hard.
00:17:37Thank you, ladies.
00:17:38Much indeed.
00:17:39Ian, you can have a light hand.
00:17:42Yeah.
00:17:42I can't run to save my life.
00:17:44Brilliant.
00:17:44Frisian horses, the original black beauty, I think.
00:17:46Bless you.
00:17:47Coming up, the couple who've devoted their life and their savings to helping hedgehogs.
00:17:53Even setting up their very own hedgehog triage room in the back garden.
00:17:58Can you imagine?
00:17:59And the woman who shares my love for the great outdoors and everything that's great about our countryside.
00:18:04With her trademark leggings, hiking boots and a light waterproof, Michaela Strachan boots up once more as she takes to
00:18:12the great outdoors.
00:18:13This time, you're at Manor Farm.
00:18:15I'll see you with Michaela right after this.
00:18:32Welcome back to Manor Farm.
00:18:33Coming up, my favourite detective slash magician.
00:18:37And, of course, there are so many to choose from.
00:18:39The star of Jonathan Creek and long-serving QI panellist Alan Davies on his triumphant return to stand-up comedy.
00:18:46And he's a new memoir, too.
00:18:48Also, coming up, the inspiring story of the couple who've set up their own hedgehog hospital in their back garden.
00:18:55But first, to quote the late, great Vincent van Gogh, as I so often do of a Sunday morning,
00:18:59if you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.
00:19:04Words that will no doubt resonate with my next guest, who's spent the last 35 years celebrating the great outdoors
00:19:12and the animals that inhabit it.
00:19:15Well, Chulu may be a newcomer here at the orphanage, but already she knows the milk routine.
00:19:20And she's just as keen and eager as all the other orphans.
00:19:31It's very obvious which one is Chulu's bottle because it has this tea, thanks.
00:19:36It's hardly surprising she's so keen to get her bottle.
00:19:40It's thought that she was without her mum for about two weeks, and in that time she became very dehydrated.
00:19:46And the tell-tale signs of that are these sunken cheeks.
00:19:49You shouldn't be able to see the cheekbones on an elephant of this age.
00:19:54So, we need to pattern you up a little bit.
00:19:57Look at you, the elephant diaries.
00:20:00Amazing.
00:20:00Brave.
00:20:01Not just because there's quite a lot of weight behind a baby elephant, but you are allergic to elephants.
00:20:06I'm allergic, I know.
00:20:06I'm not sure, Michaela, what possessed you to go to.
00:20:09But you might be allergic to elephants.
00:20:11I've never got close enough to discover.
00:20:14Which I did ride on one in India, and it seemed to pass without incident.
00:20:18Yeah, I mean, absolutely bonkers, isn't it?
00:20:20I'm slightly allergic to long-haired cats as well, so maybe there's a link there.
00:20:23Did you not discover it then until you were there?
00:20:26Not really.
00:20:27I mean, I'd been sort of on safari, and every time we got near elephants, I'd start sneezing.
00:20:32So I thought, well, that's interesting.
00:20:34But it wasn't until I'm with orphans in Nairobi Elephant Orphanage, you know, with trunks all over me and saliva
00:20:40all over me,
00:20:41and really in amongst them, that I realised that, yes, I am definitely allergic.
00:20:46But I was also pregnant at the time, and your hormones, when you're pregnant, can heighten allergies.
00:20:51So it was quite bad.
00:20:53I mean, there was a rash from, like, here to here, and swollen eyes, and, yeah, I looked like I
00:20:57had flu.
00:20:58There's a little rat picture on the box.
00:21:00No close-ups, please. Keep your distance.
00:21:03The fascination with animals, I mean, there's since childhood?
00:21:06Obviously, I've always loved animals, but my passion as a youngster was musical theatre.
00:21:11Yeah.
00:21:11I share that with you, Alan.
00:21:13You do, you do.
00:21:14So I trained for the theatre, and I was in musicals to begin with.
00:21:18I was in Seven Brides of Seven Brothers, and then went into presenting children's television,
00:21:22and then sort of fell into presenting wildlife.
00:21:26So that's how it happened. I mean, I was always incredibly empathetic towards animals,
00:21:31but my knowledge and my passion has grown over the years.
00:21:34But also an innate curiosity as well.
00:21:37Yes.
00:21:37An enquiring mind, and wanting to know.
00:21:39Because it's evident when you're presenting that you are enthusiastic about your subject,
00:21:43and that, you know, you want to know more, and this is one way.
00:21:47I think it was John Ruskin who said,
00:21:48if you ever want to know about anything, write a book about it.
00:21:52Yes, that's so true.
00:21:52That was before television existed.
00:21:53But in a way, the same applies, doesn't it?
00:21:55If you want to know more, make a television series about it.
00:21:58Yeah, and on Springwatch, you know, every year we learn something new on all the watches.
00:22:03I mean, we delve into the little stuff, which is always fascinating.
00:22:07You know, once you get into the macro side of wildlife,
00:22:11then it's way more interesting than looking at lions and tigers and bears.
00:22:16You know, it's the detail.
00:22:19The devil's in the detail, isn't it?
00:22:21But also just by watching wildlife as we do on Springwatch,
00:22:25when we've got the cameras in the little nests,
00:22:27each year we see something that we've never seen before.
00:22:31Let's have a look at you on Springwatch.
00:22:33This is a hugely successful series.
00:22:36Got a question for you.
00:22:37Go on.
00:22:37Sometimes you like to name the animals that we feature.
00:22:40I do.
00:22:40OK, so if you were going to name this partridge, what would you call it?
00:22:43Think, hold on, think before you answer.
00:22:44OK.
00:22:45Think about where we are.
00:22:45OK.
00:22:46Erm, Ken.
00:22:48Ken.
00:22:49Why, why Ken?
00:22:50Ken.
00:22:51No, not Ken.
00:22:52We're in Norfolk, aren't we?
00:22:53We're in Norfolk.
00:22:54A partridge in Norfolk.
00:22:55Aha.
00:22:57Knowing me, knowing you.
00:22:59Aha.
00:23:01Alan.
00:23:02Alan Partridge, very obviously.
00:23:06My goodness.
00:23:07Chris Packham at his most off the wall.
00:23:10It keeps you fresh, doesn't it, really?
00:23:12I chose that clip specially for you.
00:23:15I really did.
00:23:16Because it was so funny, because I didn't get the joke.
00:23:18Obviously, you could see the complete blank look on my face.
00:23:20But, you know, I often don't get what Chris is saying instantly.
00:23:24A lot of us don't, really.
00:23:25Yes, he does.
00:23:26He goes so off a tangent.
00:23:29But, you know, I'm going on tour, and one of the things that I'm celebrating is our relationship.
00:23:35And, you know, I've worked with Chris Packham for 35 years on and off, and I think that's something to
00:23:40be celebrated.
00:23:42It's something to be congratulated upon, really, isn't it?
00:23:45Not Just a Wildlife, you're calling this tour.
00:23:47So, are you covering the musical theatre years?
00:23:49Are you going to be doing any tap?
00:23:51No, I should, shouldn't I?
00:23:54You should do some tap.
00:23:54I should come on tap dancing.
00:23:55You should, yeah.
00:23:56Not Just a Wildlife is the tour I'm going on, and it's to celebrate 40 years in television.
00:24:02And it's called Not Just a Wildlife, because obviously these days I'm very well known for doing wildlife and conservation
00:24:07environment programmes.
00:24:09But before that, it was Saturday morning, kids shows, Hitman and Her, singles.
00:24:15I have had a really varied career.
00:24:17I mean, you are living proof of variety being the spice of life, really, aren't you?
00:24:20Thank you, Alan.
00:24:21Is there anything you wouldn't do?
00:24:24Anything you say no to?
00:24:25Do you know that in the show, in the tour, there is the one thing that I bottled out of?
00:24:30Because I've done Michaela's Wild Challenge, you know, I was challenged to do things.
00:24:33I get mixed up with Annika Rice, you know, I'm somebody that likes a challenge.
00:24:38And so all of that is in the show.
00:24:40But the one thing I bottled out of, Alan, was on The Really Wild Show, they were building a spider's
00:24:45web from Clifton Suspension Bridge.
00:24:47And I'd never been to Bristol before.
00:24:49I was 24, I didn't really know how high Clifton Suspension Bridge was.
00:24:53It's really high.
00:24:54I thought it was going to be like a bridge over the River Thames.
00:24:57And I thought, OK, I could probably manage that.
00:24:59It wasn't until I got there and I looked over at this drop that I just thought, oh my gosh,
00:25:05I've got a fear of heights.
00:25:06I'd kind of forgotten that I'd got a fear of heights.
00:25:09And I've got the footage, the rushes, and you can smell the fear.
00:25:15So you were on camera when you said no?
00:25:17You were actually there?
00:25:18I was there, I was there.
00:25:20And I bottled out.
00:25:21I didn't do it.
00:25:22And we actually, I was supposed to be dangling in the middle of this incredibly impressive spider's web built out
00:25:28of ropes.
00:25:28And instead I stood at the top.
00:25:30So it worked as a piece.
00:25:31If God hadn't intended you to do that, it'd have given you another four limbs.
00:25:35Exactly.
00:25:37The eight-limbed Michaela's spackle.
00:25:41But it's been so interesting looking back at 40 years and trying to pick which bits I want in the
00:25:47show.
00:25:47I mean, I could have done a five-hour show.
00:25:49It's been a long career.
00:25:50You did really incredibly well on Dancing on Ice.
00:25:54And you danced in front of Torval and Dean to Bolero.
00:25:58Now this takes guts.
00:26:00Here we are.
00:26:10Here we are.
00:26:41Look at that.
00:26:42You'd have been a shoo-in in the Winter Olympics.
00:26:45That was not remotely embarrassing, was it?
00:26:47I mean, that was good stuff.
00:26:49Original moves and the music.
00:26:51A bit scary in front of Torval and Dean though, wasn't it?
00:26:54Well, it was the final.
00:26:55So we'd done an awful lot of skating in front of Torval and Dean.
00:26:58I absolutely loved every moment of Dancing on Ice, except for the fact that I did end up injured.
00:27:03In fact, that was the final.
00:27:05And without realising it, I had a torn hamstring and torn glutes doing that particular Bolero.
00:27:10You see, will you never learn?
00:27:11It's adrenaline, isn't it?
00:27:13I have to confess, I was asked to do Dancing on Ice.
00:27:16I was 68 at the time.
00:27:19I can't tell you the words I said to my agent because they're not broadcastable at this time in the
00:27:24morning.
00:27:25But I indicated to her how old I was and there was an expletive in there somewhere.
00:27:29Well, I was 58 when I did it and I was the oldest celebrity to get to the final.
00:27:35So, and, and, you know, it's taken a long time for that injury to get better because, because I'm older.
00:27:40Yeah.
00:27:41Now, you spend, you live in South Africa.
00:27:43So this is an amazing commute you have to do to come here for Spring Watch.
00:27:47How does your year pan out?
00:27:48What do you do?
00:27:49I tend to come over in big chunks.
00:27:51So I've just been here for a month and then I'm going home again and then I'll have a bit
00:27:57of time at home and working from home.
00:27:59And then I'll come back and do Spring Watch.
00:28:01Well, I'm coming back.
00:28:02The next time I come back will be to do the tour.
00:28:04It starts on April the 13th.
00:28:05So then I'll be here for a few weeks doing the tour, going to all sorts of different theatres around
00:28:10the country.
00:28:10You can escape our weather too.
00:28:12Do you know, my family keeps sending me pictures of these gorgeous sunsets.
00:28:17And I'm sending them pictures of, you know, another grey sky.
00:28:20I mean, it's rained, rained a lot, hasn't it?
00:28:22It has rained a lot.
00:28:23It has rained an awful lot.
00:28:24And being a garden, people say to me, good for the garden.
00:28:27And I restrain myself from that, you know, from that.
00:28:31You have a son, Ollie.
00:28:32Yes.
00:28:33Interested in nature?
00:28:34Have you managed to let it rub off?
00:28:35Do you know, I mean, when we take him out, he does enjoy himself.
00:28:38But his passion is sport.
00:28:41So he's at Loughborough University and works for Oxford United Football Club with our academy team.
00:28:47And not playing, he does the social media for them.
00:28:49So sport is his passion.
00:28:52And I gather once you took him on a tour and he wasn't terribly impressed with backstage.
00:28:56No.
00:28:57Is that right?
00:28:58Do you know, I haven't been impressed with some backstage.
00:29:00I did an arena tour once, Alan, with walking with dinosaurs.
00:29:04And I was the only human in the whole thing.
00:29:06The rest were huge animatronic dinosaurs.
00:29:08And I remember going to one of the back...
00:29:10I think it was Newcastle Arena.
00:29:12And there wasn't even a mirror in the dressing room.
00:29:15And there was just like a seat.
00:29:16And that was it.
00:29:17And I thought I'd made it.
00:29:18You know, I thought, I've made it.
00:29:18I'm in arenas.
00:29:19And there I was in this seat.
00:29:21But apparently the big stars bring in their dressing rooms.
00:29:24So they'll bring in a fridge and a sofa and a plant.
00:29:27And I was just sitting there on my seat.
00:29:29No, you're in a 40-page rider saying what you demand.
00:29:33Whenever I've done it, they say, what's on your rider?
00:29:36And they'll say, glass of wine in the interval and a towel.
00:29:38Yeah, that's all I need.
00:29:39That's all I need.
00:29:41Lovely to talk with you.
00:29:42Lovely to have you on the programme.
00:29:44It's always lovely to get another nature lover on, you know, in a programme which is actually predicated on the
00:29:48great outdoors.
00:29:49So lovely to have you with us.
00:29:50Oh, well, thanks very much.
00:29:51I mean, you know, nature heals you, doesn't it?
00:29:53The healing power of nature.
00:29:55That's why you and I have big smiles on our faces.
00:29:57It is.
00:29:57It's why, you know, we feel connected to the earth.
00:30:00Sometimes a very wet earth.
00:30:03Now, in this fast-paced world where the emphasis is on immediacy, a still photograph stops time.
00:30:10Because in the same way that Michaela and I love nature, so do you.
00:30:14And this gives you a moment to think, to reflect and to feel.
00:30:19Yep, it's time for Walk on the Wild Side.
00:30:25Walk on the Wild Side.
00:31:22Walk on the Wild Side.
00:31:25Walk on the Wild Side.
00:32:04Some incredible shots of Mother Nature there in all her finery.
00:32:08Gosh, you are good.
00:32:09Every week, you think, oh, isn't that good?
00:32:11Yeah, we relish everyone.
00:32:12Please keep sending them in.
00:32:13Coming up, drinks expert Becky Paskin raises a glass to the women breaking through the alcohol industry.
00:32:20She's here with some tremendous tipples for this week's Best of British.
00:32:24Michaela, will you be staying for a little tipple?
00:32:26Absolutely.
00:32:27And horticulturist Ashley Edwards explains why.
00:32:30So now, snip later is the way forward.
00:32:33Sounds a bit uncomfortable to me.
00:32:35Don't miss his guide to the very best in cut flowers.
00:32:38I'll see you with Ashley and his array of blooms right after this.
00:32:57March in the countryside marks the vibrant beginning of spring,
00:33:02characterised by warming days, blooming daffodils, blackthorn blossoms and the arrival of lambs.
00:33:10Nature wakes up with birdsong, emerging bumblebee queens and active wildlife.
00:33:16What a spring in his step, doesn't it?
00:33:18And we're quite active ourselves here on the farm.
00:33:21Coming up, we're heading Buckinghamshire Way to meet the family treating injured hedgehogs in their back garden.
00:33:27And he's had a remarkable career.
00:33:30Stand up, QI, acting, writing, unpacking the moments that have shaped him along the way.
00:33:36Alan Davies talks comedy and crime capers.
00:33:39But before that, it's time for your voice of nature.
00:33:43Here's Tamsin Althwaite under thrush's nest.
00:33:46By John Clare.
00:33:55Within a thick and spreading hawthorn bush that overhung a molehill large and round,
00:34:02I heard from morn to morn a merry thrush sing hymns to sunrise and I drank the sound.
00:34:10With joy and often an intruding guest.
00:34:14I watched her secret toil from day to day.
00:34:18How true she warped the moss to form a nest and modelled it within with wood and clay.
00:34:25And by and by, like heath bells gilt with dew, there lay her shining eggs as bright as flowers,
00:34:34ink spotted over shells of greeny blue.
00:34:37And there I witnessed in the sunny hours, a brood of nature's minstrels chirp and fly, glad as the sunshine
00:34:46and the laughing sky.
00:34:57Oh, thank you, Tamsin.
00:34:59The thrush's nest.
00:35:00Loving portrait of nature's quiet rituals celebrating the life of a thrush as she makes preparations for her young.
00:35:08Pause for thought, isn't it, really?
00:35:11Now, if you love a beautiful bouquet in your home, but don't love the price tag, growing cut flowers may
00:35:18be the answer.
00:35:19The low cost of annual flower seeds means that flowers like sweet peas, marigolds, snapdragons can provide charming displays at
00:35:27a fraction of the cost of your local florist.
00:35:30Yes, we need to support them, but we can also help support ourselves.
00:35:34Now's the time to be sowing seeds for the year ahead.
00:35:37Here to give us a masterclass in cut flower seed sowing, horticulturist Ashley Edwards.
00:35:43We're kind of born to sow seeds, aren't we, really?
00:35:45I think so.
00:35:46And every time you sow seeds, there's always a little miracle happening.
00:35:50And the pleasure and the excitement never goes.
00:35:53It never goes.
00:35:53It's pathetic, really.
00:35:54You see them sprouting, you're like, oh, my gosh.
00:35:56Yeah, it still works.
00:35:57It does.
00:35:57Spring has come.
00:35:58So now is the perfect time to sow seeds for summer, and that's what we need to think about.
00:36:02Think forward into summer, and if we sow now, then we'll have flowers continuously.
00:36:08So we can start indoors now while the temperatures are still cool outside.
00:36:11Are we talking windowsill sowing at the moment?
00:36:12Yeah, windowsill.
00:36:13Or propagator if you've got one.
00:36:15Yeah, if you're lucky to have a greenhouse, you can do them in an unheated greenhouse or a conservatory even.
00:36:20But, yeah, this is just a few of the things you could grow in your cut flower garden.
00:36:24So we've got lovely things.
00:36:25I mean, sunflowers, classic for those competitions for primary schools.
00:36:29So what's your recipe for the tallest sunflower?
00:36:31I think you need to start with a good deep pot because they don't like root disturbance.
00:36:37So you start them off strong in a small pot and then plant them out when they're stocky and they've
00:36:41got plenty of leaves on them.
00:36:43Because slugs and snails do love them as well.
00:36:44Yeah.
00:36:44So you need to protect them from slugs and snails.
00:36:46So get them out the way of slugs and snails.
00:36:47Exactly.
00:36:47And sun and really rich soil.
00:36:50Really, yeah.
00:36:50Full sun, as much sun as possible.
00:36:52And, yeah, like you say, rich soil.
00:36:54And you could feed them, liquid feed.
00:36:56That will give them boost.
00:36:57And hopefully they'll be 10 foot tall.
00:36:58And stocks you've got here, which are a lot of glorious scent.
00:37:01Yeah.
00:37:02They smell amazing.
00:37:03Wonderful.
00:37:03And they're actually biennials, so they will likely flower in the second year.
00:37:07Yeah.
00:37:07But if you sow them now, then you'll get flowers earlier next year.
00:37:11So they're a good one to do.
00:37:12And another beautifully scented plant, sweet peas.
00:37:16A garden without sweet peas.
00:37:18Like a kiss without a squeeze, isn't it?
00:37:20They are delicious.
00:37:21I just made a poem up there.
00:37:22I didn't realise, didn't you?
00:37:22Yeah.
00:37:23But they're fragrant.
00:37:25Wonderful sweet peas.
00:37:27Gorgeous.
00:37:27And the colours are just, yeah, fantastic.
00:37:29And they'll just keep coming and coming.
00:37:30And you have to keep cutting them to produce more and more.
00:37:32And then things like amni, they act as a great kind of filler plant for your vase,
00:37:37because they are quite a neutral colour.
00:37:39And, yeah, I love them for the dainty carrot-like flowers.
00:37:42And, yeah, marigolds.
00:37:43African marigolds.
00:37:44People are so sniffy about marigolds.
00:37:46I know.
00:37:46I think they, in the 80s, they used to plant, like, loads of them en masse.
00:37:49I remember, like, around my estate, they would have, like, big beds of them.
00:37:53And I don't know, for some reason they lost favour, but they're great.
00:37:56But they're cheerful.
00:37:57Yeah, they're so cheerful.
00:37:58People are sniffy about marigolds.
00:37:59And they're a great companion plant.
00:38:00So if you're growing things like tomatoes, they'll attract nematodes that can be beneficial for the soil.
00:38:07I actually saw a project where they're using them to get rid of rose sickness for replant syndrome.
00:38:12So it's not only great for the vase, but they're really good for your garden as well.
00:38:15Yeah.
00:38:15Beneficial.
00:38:17So there's lots of ways you can sow these seeds.
00:38:19We've just got a few things here.
00:38:21You can upcycle things from your home.
00:38:22We've got cardboard rolls.
00:38:24So you chop these up into bits?
00:38:26Yep.
00:38:26So they would be great for the sweet peas, which need to go quite deep.
00:38:29So these would be really good, almost like a root trainer.
00:38:31And then you've got reusable.
00:38:33This is actually rubber, natural rubber.
00:38:35And these, you can use them year after year.
00:38:38And then you've got biodegradable pots, which are great because the roots will actually start to come through this.
00:38:43And you can plant the whole thing in the ground without disturbing the roots.
00:38:46Provided it's wet.
00:38:47Yeah, it does need to be wet.
00:38:48The important thing is not to let it dry out, isn't it?
00:38:49Exactly.
00:38:49Because that becomes a bit less permeable to the root.
00:38:51Yeah, I usually put them in a tray and let them absorb that water.
00:38:55So I'm going to show you a few seeds that we've got to sow.
00:38:58And I'm going to start with the sweet peas.
00:39:00Yep.
00:39:00They're a big seed.
00:39:01So that means they need to go deep.
00:39:03And they like the darkness to germinate.
00:39:06So that's always a good indication, looking at the seed size.
00:39:09And they are quite big.
00:39:10So these need to go a few centimeters deep.
00:39:13So there's a lot of guides with sweet peas that say you should nick the coat.
00:39:17Because they have a very hard coat.
00:39:18And you should nick them with a knife.
00:39:19And I've done that before.
00:39:20And cut your finger.
00:39:21Yeah.
00:39:22It feels really dangerous.
00:39:23Yeah.
00:39:23And it's really fiddly.
00:39:25So what do you do, Alan?
00:39:26I don't bother.
00:39:27No?
00:39:27But what I do sometimes do is soak them overnight.
00:39:30Okay.
00:39:30In a little, you know, a lid from a jar, which is about half an inch deep.
00:39:34So just fill that full of water.
00:39:36Drop these in and soak them overnight.
00:39:38But generally speaking, I don't bother with that.
00:39:41I just sew them straight into compost.
00:39:43Water them in.
00:39:44And they come up.
00:39:45Because it's a miracle of nature.
00:39:46That's good to know.
00:39:47So many of these fiddly things.
00:39:49I will fill up a pot.
00:39:50Yeah.
00:39:51So we can demo this one.
00:39:53I'm going to fill this up to the top with some seed compost.
00:39:55And sweet peas need quite a deep root run.
00:39:58They don't like their roots disturbed.
00:39:59You could probably get away with sowing two in here.
00:40:01What do you think?
00:40:01Oh, I thought I'd sow three in there.
00:40:02Yeah, I'm greedy, man.
00:40:05And then all you want to do, you can use your finger.
00:40:07Or you can use a dibber if you fancy.
00:40:09So yeah, we're going to bury these about two centimeters deep.
00:40:11Put them in.
00:40:12And then, like you said, you want to keep them wet.
00:40:14Now we've got smaller seeds.
00:40:16I've got poppies here, which are almost like dust.
00:40:18Yeah.
00:40:18So these are a lot.
00:40:19Don't sneeze.
00:40:19Yeah.
00:40:20Don't breathe almost.
00:40:21So this is one that you can do in cells.
00:40:23So I would just fill this whole thing up with compost.
00:40:27You can smooth it out.
00:40:28There you are.
00:40:29Look how tiny they are.
00:40:30With these, they need to be closer to the surface of the soil to get light.
00:40:34And that's how they'll germinate.
00:40:36So that's why poppies grow in wastelands, really, because the soil is constantly disturbed.
00:40:41They get brought to the surface and they germinate.
00:40:42You take a little pinch and you can literally sprinkle, you can barely see them in each cell.
00:40:50And with poppies, you don't really need to cover those because you can either water it from below or if
00:40:57you water that with a can, it would actually, with a fine rose, it would actually settle the seeds into
00:41:01the surface.
00:41:02These will germinate after a week or two weeks and then, yeah, keep them in a light, bright place that's
00:41:08cool.
00:41:09So you don't want them near a radiator.
00:41:10If you are putting them on a windowsill, make sure they're not near a radiator or turn the radiator off.
00:41:14And then once they've started germinating, you can prick them out using a dibber and pop them on.
00:41:20With poppies, you could probably just take that whole thing and put it into a new pot.
00:41:24Yeah, because they don't like root disturbance.
00:41:26They don't like being disturbed.
00:41:27That's the great thing about growing them in those cells.
00:41:29As you say, you pop those out without actually having to dig up the seed.
00:41:33A lot of things like African-Americans, they don't mind a jot being dug up with a few little roots
00:41:38and transplanted.
00:41:39But things like poppies and a lot of hardy annuals don't like that root disturbance.
00:41:43They're perfect.
00:41:44Yeah, and these are easy to push out.
00:41:46So that's really good.
00:41:47I like the rubber idea.
00:41:48Once they've grown to a decent size, so here we have a popp marigold as an example.
00:41:53And I just want to show you the seeds because I think they're so beautiful.
00:41:56And popp marigold is one of the first plants I ever germinated as a child.
00:42:01Because my neighbor, she used to make me pick up all the dead heads.
00:42:04Little curly whirlies, aren't they?
00:42:05They're great for kids, I think.
00:42:07And I know at the Eden Project, they have a building actually modeled in the shape of one of these,
00:42:12which is quite cool.
00:42:13That's class, isn't it, really?
00:42:15I'm going to make my greenhouse in the shape of a...
00:42:17Potp marigold seed.
00:42:20So this is your potp marigold once it's grown on.
00:42:24And you want to pinch out the tops to produce more flower buds and a bushier plant.
00:42:29And it feels, it always feels really cruel to do this.
00:42:32I hate doing it.
00:42:33But all you have to do is take off the top kind of few leaves, pinch it down to a
00:42:38strong set of leaves like that.
00:42:41And then it feels really evil, doesn't it?
00:42:45Yeah, but as you say, you'll then get more flowers.
00:42:47But in the long run, you're benefiting the plant.
00:42:50It's going to grow bushier.
00:42:51You'll have loads of flowers on it.
00:42:53And it's going to be a nice, strong plant.
00:42:55Now, you want to harden off your plants if you've grown them indoors.
00:42:59That's really important.
00:43:00Putting them straight outside can send them into shock.
00:43:02So you've got the air movement, less humidity outside, and also cooler temperatures.
00:43:07So ideally, what you want to do is put this outside in the daytime and then bring it indoors at
00:43:14night time for about two weeks.
00:43:16And it should be hardy enough to then plant out permanently.
00:43:20And you need to protect them from any frosts because you can get caught out by late frosts.
00:43:25I mean, you can have frost in May.
00:43:27So you have to be really careful.
00:43:28Yeah.
00:43:28Generally, it always just say the end of May.
00:43:29Actually, it's generally felt safe about middle of May onwards, isn't it?
00:43:32Yeah.
00:43:33I think in London, where we've got microclimate, where I'm growing.
00:43:35Safe from about middle of February onwards.
00:43:37Yeah.
00:43:37No.
00:43:39You probably could get away with it in some places.
00:43:42And, yeah, this can then go out into the ground, keep them well-watered.
00:43:46You can mulch them with a really good farmhouse manure or garden compost, if you have your own.
00:43:51And with taller plants like snapdragons, for example, you might want to put netting, like string, around them just to
00:43:57keep them upright.
00:43:58There we are.
00:43:59Thanks, Alan.
00:43:59Thanks, Alan.
00:44:05Since 2000, the number of hedgehogs has declined by up to 30% in rural areas and 75% in
00:44:15urban areas.
00:44:16They're now listed as vulnerable on the red lists for British mammals.
00:44:20So, thank goodness for couples like Joe and Terry, who took a rather unusual step five years ago.
00:44:28They spent £60,000 of their own money and set up a hedgehog triage room in their back garden.
00:44:46So, when my husband and I, Terry, moved into this house 26 years ago, the couple that we bought the
00:44:51house from asked us if we would continue to feed the hedgehogs that were visiting their garden.
00:44:56We said, of course we would.
00:44:57We couldn't believe our eyes when we saw a mum and babies walking across the lawn.
00:45:01And then from that day on, I said to Terry, I want a feeding station and I want some cameras.
00:45:07So, when my wife came up with the idea of a hospital, you know, a hedgehog rescue, I immediately thought,
00:45:12oh, that's going to take over our life.
00:45:14And it has.
00:45:14And that's what we did.
00:45:16So, we had a couple of years training.
00:45:17We then decided it was time to set up Frickle Lodge.
00:45:20We'd given over our life and our house to hedgehogs and we love it.
00:45:24Hedgehogs are endangered.
00:45:26They're near threatened, which means that they could be vulnerable to extinction.
00:45:30And sadly, one of the main reasons is their loss of habitat and also loss of natural food.
00:45:35So, since we first started five years ago, we've admitted over 500 patients.
00:45:42Last year was our record intake of just over 200.
00:45:45And I'm delighted to say that we managed to rehabilitate, treat and release over 80%.
00:45:53Looking after a rescue is pretty much full on.
00:45:55It is 365 days a year.
00:45:58Hedgehogs, of course, are nocturnal animals.
00:46:01You know, at night when we're all asleep, that's when they're foraging for food.
00:46:05If you see a hedgehog during the day, normally it's in trouble and needs help from a rescue.
00:46:10This is where all the activity happens.
00:46:13This is our mission control.
00:46:15So, we've got 22 cameras in total.
00:46:18If we see that a hedgehog is particularly stressed, if they're climbing, if they're really unsettled,
00:46:25then it could be that there's something else going on internally that we're not aware of.
00:46:30So, that's when we would go back and sample their poo, just to see if there's something else that we're
00:46:35not aware of that needs to be treated.
00:46:37You know, I often get sort of elbow in the ribs at night.
00:46:40There's a hedgehog in need.
00:46:41We need to go down now and get it.
00:46:44The most common internal parasites that I see on a day-to-day basis is lungworm.
00:46:50Despite common belief, hedgehogs don't like to eat slugs and snails.
00:46:54The slugs contaminate the food that hedgehogs eat.
00:46:57A hedgehog's natural food in the wild would be caterpillars, beetles or grubs.
00:47:03But sadly, there just isn't enough natural food.
00:47:06Michael was incredibly lucky because his finders have wildlife cameras in their garden and around the feeding station.
00:47:14And they heard Michael coughing on the camera and they knew that that was a sign of poor health.
00:47:21This is Ariana and Ariana's being treated for lungworm and also ringworm.
00:47:29Ringworm is a fungal infection and it creates intense itchiness for the hedgehog and also spine loss.
00:47:37So the ringworm treatment is a really soothing, medicated bath and it will kill the ringworm.
00:47:43So Ariana will need four baths over 12 days and this is her second bath.
00:47:49So there are lots of things that people can do to help hedgehogs.
00:47:53The first thing is to provide access into your garden.
00:47:55This will stop them from going into the roads and it will help them forage for food.
00:48:01It will also help them to look for a mate.
00:48:04The other thing you can do is to provide food and water.
00:48:08Any meat-based kitten biscuits are ideal for hedgehogs.
00:48:12I think one of our biggest success stories is Izzy and Ryder.
00:48:16Izzy and Ryder were orphaned hoglets and they were brought into us when they were about 11 days old.
00:48:21They couldn't see, they couldn't hear and they couldn't walk properly.
00:48:24They required syringe feeding every two to three hours and their wounds needed managing to ensure that they were kept
00:48:31clean.
00:48:31And I'm delighted to say that they're both now in the garden.
00:48:35So we've got Izzy in here.
00:48:37So she's hibernating, conserving valuable energy through the winter, ready for the spring.
00:48:43Got Ryder in here but he's off walkabout at the moment.
00:48:47I'm very delighted to say that he's thriving in the wild.
00:48:53The Hedgehog Rescue is emotionally challenging, it's physically challenging and it's financially challenging.
00:48:59You're required to do things at all hours when you're very tired but what we do takes over and we
00:49:04love it.
00:49:06Oh well done Joe and Terry, what a wonderful thing to do don't you think?
00:49:11Still ahead, Poplar comes to Manor Farm.
00:49:14Call the midwives Cliff Parisi and Annabel Apsian.
00:49:18Take a nostalgic look back at the iconic drama that continues to capture all our hearts.
00:49:23I'll see you with Mr and Mrs Buckle and more right after this.
00:49:43Welcome back to Love Your Weekend.
00:49:45Coming up from detective magician Jonathan Creek to mainstay on the QI panel.
00:49:50Alan Davis lifts the lid on an incredible career both on and off the comedy circuit.
00:49:56But first, known for their charming, often humorous and bossy on-screen relationship,
00:50:03Violet and Fred Buckle have become, I can't say it any other way, something of a popular favourite,
00:50:08reminding viewers that love, loyalty and shared laughter are often the strongest medicine of all.
00:50:26After the quiet ceremony Violet wanted, the wedding party went not to her home or to Fred's,
00:50:33but to a place where everyone was cherished and all doors and hearts were open.
00:50:38You will never see a portrait of my love
00:50:48For miracles I'll never see
00:51:06Like the face of a devoted parent,
00:51:09Nanata's house was etched with a little more time each year,
00:51:13with each small shadow, every fading grace.
00:51:17It grew more beautiful and was loved more than words can say.
00:51:23Cliff Parisi and Annabel Apsian.
00:51:24It's such a tear-jerker.
00:51:26I mean the music there, but also Vanessa Redgrave's voice finishes me off every time.
00:51:33Moving to be in, as well as to watch for you, is it?
00:51:38I felt very emotional watching that and seeing everybody so young, including us my dear,
00:51:45because that was probably 11 years ago, but it was very moving and seeing all of that.
00:51:51Yes, I was quite surprised.
00:51:53Most of the cast have now sat where you're sitting, which has been a delight for me as a firm
00:51:58fan favourite really.
00:52:00There's clearly a great family feeling, Cliff, in all the cast I think really.
00:52:04Oh yeah, I mean we've been working together for donkeys years now, haven't we?
00:52:08So 15 years, and everybody that's come into the show has slipped straight into the family.
00:52:15And they've become part of the, you know, and it's such a wonderful show.
00:52:21I mean, it makes you weep for joy and it makes you weep for sorrow.
00:52:26And not many shows on TV can do that.
00:52:29It takes you through the human condition from birth to death.
00:52:34And relationships and community and family and all of those things are explored in real detail.
00:52:40And some horror as well, because people can be bad and sickness can be cruel.
00:52:51And so we explore all of that.
00:52:53But what the backbone of it is, is that actually the nuns, the nurses, the community that come together always
00:53:02to support whatever storylines going on to try and drive it through to, you know, a conclusion.
00:53:11And often that can be joyful.
00:53:13It redresses the balance of the regular sort of tragedy and misery we get via the news of showing the
00:53:21triumph of goodness and the fact that goodness and kindness exists in far greater quantities in the world than the
00:53:27opposites which we're treated to every day really.
00:53:31It just reminds us what human beings are capable of being with one another on the positive side really, doesn't
00:53:37it?
00:53:38And now, of course, it's worrying for me because it's now coming up to the 70s, you know, hang on
00:53:43a minute, that's, that's modern, isn't it?
00:53:46Fun parts to play for both of you, I think, really, and the chemistry between the two of you is
00:53:51clearly enjoyable.
00:53:53We always try and...
00:53:55We don't really like each other, do we?
00:53:57We're wonderful actors, aren't we?
00:54:00And, of course, you're not the only people in that household.
00:54:02There is another person in the Buckle household, Reggie.
00:54:10You're really afraid?
00:54:12There's a Battenberg cake by the kettle that wants a home.
00:54:16Smashing.
00:54:24Just a moment.
00:54:30Oh, hello, Reggie, love.
00:54:32Hello, Mum.
00:54:41Don't you look lovely there?
00:54:44Oh, was he crying?
00:54:45Yeah, it was lovely.
00:54:46It was a lovely storyline to do with Reggie coming into the family and Violet was saying, you know, he
00:54:53shouldn't be here.
00:54:54And Danny does the part so brilliantly.
00:54:58He's so lovely to work with.
00:55:00So, yes, very special.
00:55:02So, we, you know...
00:55:03Sorry.
00:55:04Well, I'm glad it works.
00:55:07I'm a cup of tea, love.
00:55:12I'm a cup of tea.
00:55:24It's a piece of work.
00:55:25Tell us a bit about her.
00:55:27Well, she sends her son off during the war, you know, when they would get the children out of London
00:55:34to the countryside.
00:55:34And he bedwets, I don't know if you remember the story.
00:55:39This is with John Thor.
00:55:41With John Thor, who's Mr Tom.
00:55:43And he's a grumpy old man.
00:55:45But he starts to realise that the little boy has had a very unhappy childhood.
00:55:51And, anyway, the mother wants him back.
00:55:54So, he's sent back to London.
00:55:56And then you realise that she's very mentally unwell, actually.
00:56:02So, it was a very challenging role to do because I had to think myself into that part and think,
00:56:09how could somebody do that?
00:56:11So, I had to do lots and lots of thinking, what's happened, what's gone on...
00:56:17Making your own backstory, in effect, then.
00:56:20You were brilliant in that.
00:56:23Thank you, darling.
00:56:23And really scary.
00:56:25Let's have a look.
00:56:25Let's be scared, you know.
00:56:30Willie?
00:56:35You look different.
00:56:37Put weight on.
00:56:40See, I'll take that for you.
00:56:42I'll say what to take and not to take.
00:56:49So, how are you feeling now?
00:56:52Fine.
00:56:53I'm fine.
00:56:54Only, they said you was ill.
00:56:56Did they?
00:56:58So, what you got in the bag, then?
00:57:01Just me things.
00:57:01And a present for you from Mr Tom.
00:57:04Mr Tom?
00:57:05Mr Oakley.
00:57:06The man I stays with down there.
00:57:08Well, I don't need charity, thank you.
00:57:10It's just some bed socks.
00:57:12And Mrs Little, that's the doctor's wife, just gave you a bottle of tonic wine.
00:57:15Wine?
00:57:16Evan, I told you about the evils of drink.
00:57:19It ain't a real drink, Mum, like you get in a pub.
00:57:22It's got iron in it to help you get your strength back.
00:57:25And what would you know about what you get in a pub?
00:57:31He must have been really hard to be so nasty to such a lovely lad.
00:57:34That lad was amazing, wasn't it, Mr Tom?
00:57:37He was.
00:57:37And I'm going to meet up with him.
00:57:40His partner contacted me and said would I meet up with him.
00:57:44I used to do funny things in between the takes because I was worried about him being upset by it.
00:57:50So I can't wait to meet him.
00:57:53I think playing against type, you're actors.
00:57:57That's the challenge, isn't it?
00:57:58That's what we do.
00:57:59But again, in EastEnders, I mean, as Minty.
00:58:03Still got a pair of overalls on, innit?
00:58:06I've got my own overalls now.
00:58:07Take them with me everywhere.
00:58:09Yeah, I mean, I tend to play characters that are working class.
00:58:14I've got a spanner in their head.
00:58:16Do you yearn to play an aristocrat?
00:58:18Yes, sir.
00:58:19I would rather do that, of course.
00:58:21It's actually very good as Marlon Brando, aren't you?
00:58:25You're always doing The Godfather.
00:58:27Well, we generally do the scene and I will do the first rehearsal as Marlon Brando.
00:58:32So, yeah, Fred Brando.
00:58:34You do do quite a bit of location filming on Call the Midwife.
00:58:38And I gather there was a beach scene when Storm Agnes is coming through.
00:58:42Which is meant to be jolly and funny and sunny and all that.
00:58:45Bit tough, isn't it?
00:58:46Ice creams were sanding.
00:58:48Yeah.
00:58:49And shells.
00:58:50Yeah.
00:58:50It was sideways.
00:58:52I mean, literally sideways.
00:58:53It was impossible for continuity.
00:58:56Because it was obviously supposed to be sunny.
00:58:58And our wigs were, like, totally flat.
00:59:02But there was no continuity.
00:59:04And they just gave up.
00:59:05So, you know, normally they would dry your hair and reset it.
00:59:08They couldn't.
00:59:09We had, like, hair like that, hair like that.
00:59:12But it was fun.
00:59:14It was really fun.
00:59:15We just had to go with it, didn't we?
00:59:17Yeah, we did.
00:59:18Yeah.
00:59:19Thank you both for coming.
00:59:20Pleasure.
00:59:20Lovely to be with you.
00:59:21You're with us every Sunday evening or for a good part of the year anyway.
00:59:25So, lovely to see the both of you together on our sofa.
00:59:28Bless you.
00:59:28Thank you, Alan.
00:59:35We're talking butterflies now, not the 70s sitcom featuring Wendy Craig and Geoffrey Palmer,
00:59:41but the living jewels of the garden with their vibrant colour and magical elegance.
00:59:47Here's Leslie Joseph and everything you need to know about that most delicate of insects,
00:59:52the butterfly.
00:59:55Good morning, Alan.
00:59:56Then there's a definite feeling of anticipation in the air, and we're all cautiously optimistic
01:00:01about putting the winter coat away, right?
01:00:03And then, quite suddenly, a flicker of colour flutters past.
01:00:09Oh, hello, you gorgeous thing.
01:00:12Nothing, says spring, has truly sprung quite like a butterfly.
01:00:17Emerging from those colder months, the butterfly can now be found basking in the sunshine, angling
01:00:24their wings towards the sun so they can heat their flight muscles ready for takeoff.
01:00:29The first butterflies we tend to see are the clever ones, spending the colder months tucked
01:00:34away in sheds, hollow trees, dense ivy, sometimes even the garage.
01:00:38They wait for the temperature to creep above about 10 degrees Celsius before making their grand
01:00:45reappearance.
01:00:46Oh, gosh, I wish I woke up looking that refreshed.
01:00:50Butterflies are cold-blooded.
01:00:51They need warmth to fly.
01:00:54Well, rather like me before my morning tea.
01:00:56Did you know when it comes to colour, it's often the males who turn up the volume, brighter
01:01:01and bolder, because females frequently choose their mate based on that dazzling display.
01:01:08The females, meanwhile, tend to be more subtly dressed.
01:01:11Carrying eggs means keeping a lower profile, less eye-catching to predators.
01:01:17Sensible, understated, but oh so chic.
01:01:20Perhaps surprisingly, in many British butterfly species, females are slightly larger than males.
01:01:26In order to carry those precious eggs.
01:01:29Each butterfly starts as a tiny egg, hatches into a ravenous caterpillar, whose main hobby
01:01:35is eating.
01:01:36These hungry caterpillars molt and grow before forming a chrysalis, and out emerges a butterfly.
01:01:45Oh, who could resist such charm?
01:01:47And from one charmer to another.
01:01:51Back to you, Alan.
01:01:54Thanks, Leslie.
01:01:55Did you know butterflies can taste with their feet?
01:01:58It's true.
01:01:59They have sensors, known as chemoreceptors, on the bottom of their legs, which they use
01:02:03to sense nutritious sugars and viable food sources.
01:02:07Butterflies often drum with their feet against the surface of a leaf to bring out the plant
01:02:11juices.
01:02:11I just lob it in, you know.
01:02:14Coming up, showcasing the women tearing up the rule book and making their mark in this
01:02:19section of spirit land, drinks expert Becky Paskin serves up some of her favourite female
01:02:25producers and distillers, including a spicy margarita and a strawberry rhubarb smash.
01:02:32Oh, yummy.
01:02:34And it was the role, he says, changed his life forever.
01:02:36The curly-haired divisor of magic tricks, who often found himself solving murders, as you
01:02:43do.
01:02:43Alan Davis, celebrating nearly 30 years of the iconic duffle coat wearing puzzle solver,
01:02:50Jonathan Creek.
01:02:51I'll see you with Alan, right after this.
01:03:08Welcome back.
01:03:10Coming up, whether it's the drinkers, the makers or the shakers, the world of alcohol
01:03:16has historically been heavily dominated by men till now.
01:03:20Drinks expert Becky Paskin will be showcasing a handful of women tearing up the rule book
01:03:26and making their mark with their gins, whiskies and pre-made cocktails.
01:03:30But first, improbable crimes solved with wit and flair.
01:03:35I'm talking the 1990s murder mystery, following the adventures of duffle coat wearing, curly-haired,
01:03:43magical mystery solver, Jonathan Creek.
01:03:46Well, any way you slice it, it couldn't have been the same woman both times.
01:03:50That'd be some trick.
01:03:51And you wouldn't say she was the cleverest person in the world.
01:03:54No.
01:03:56But maybe she didn't need to be.
01:03:59Say again?
01:04:01If I was to just suddenly disappear, now, right here in this garden, would you call that a clever trick?
01:04:09Come on.
01:04:11Okay.
01:04:12Close your eyes and count to three.
01:04:14Very quickly.
01:04:15One, two, three.
01:04:19Oh, hey.
01:04:20Oh.
01:04:25Oh, oh.
01:04:29Oh.
01:04:30This is just...
01:04:41Oh.
01:04:43Oh.
01:04:43Oh.
01:04:47Oh.
01:04:48Creek yeah that was 1999 I think yeah that's Tom Goodman Hill yeah who's a
01:04:54wonderful comic actor and he was part of a Jonathan Creek appreciation society
01:04:59so that's why he's got the duffel coat and they had a meeting part of the
01:05:04script and all these actors and then supporting artists turned up with wigs
01:05:08the duffel coats on it was very creepy do you know it's interesting whenever
01:05:13you get with me as but it's ground force and I really don't mind that's
01:05:17remembered for anything but is it a bit yes I've done a lot since then or do
01:05:21you mind Jonathan Creek it was so quirky I don't mind it and and and not least
01:05:27because people still watch it you know yeah in fact they've put it all up on
01:05:32iPlayer and people still finding it and younger audiences it's timeless you know
01:05:40yeah it didn't rely on anything quirky or gimmicky at the time David Renwick who
01:05:46wrote it he understood television the mysteries in the home and so it's
01:05:50something that survived the test of time because it's so well crafted you weren't
01:05:54the first choice for the part no I was the 38th person to audition they wanted
01:06:02Nicholas Lindhurst right and he had just finished what I say finished Fools and
01:06:07Horses because of course they revive Fools and Horses brilliantly afterwards but he
01:06:10didn't fancy it and then it was going to be Hugh Laurie and then anyway I ended up
01:06:16being me and I know I knew I was in TV land and so Alan Yentob who was in charge
01:06:22of BBC one at the time took some persuading but he let me do it
01:06:27excellent well the rest as they say is Jonathan Creek you popped in last time to
01:06:32talk about your first the volume of autobiography dealing with your early
01:06:37years called just ignore him with and with the most heart-rending title really
01:06:42your second one is out now I'm about to grab your paper but white male stand-up so
01:06:46we're moving on now to slightly happier years and I mean you that's it is a sort of
01:06:53really basic title white male stand-up going back to that was what you are but so
01:06:58this is the stand-up years is it well it goes really way up to the present day
01:07:03really but that's so that was the descriptive term for what that why I was
01:07:08and and they were very happy at times on the comedy circuit and there are lots of
01:07:13little anecdotes in there from contemporaries of mine like Harry Hill and
01:07:18Lee Evans and Steve Coogan and Joe Brand and all these people that I met at that
01:07:22time did lots of gigs with and then it goes into Jonathan Creek and and QI and
01:07:29all the things I've done since where I've been very lucky to have these long
01:07:32running shows but because in the background all the time there's this
01:07:36lugging along this childhood trauma which I sort of thought oh well the future's
01:07:41ahead of me the past is behind me it's all gonna be fine and then you get to the
01:07:45future and the past just turns up yeah with you like it's in the car yeah and so
01:07:50you'd have to try and find a way to manage all that so that's all in there as
01:07:54well didn't you do one at the comedy club in
01:07:561999 I think you're talking about doing one you did one there and it and and it
01:08:01really put you off doing stand-up when I went down to the comedy store which I
01:08:04love and this is a wonderful brilliant comedy room that all comedians love and I
01:08:10went down I thought I'll just drop in do 10 minutes you know always felt
01:08:14comfortable and happy there and I went on stage and people started chatting out
01:08:18things about Jonathan Creek or the Abbey National commercials I was doing back in
01:08:22the time and did I have a perm and was having an affair with my co-star and was
01:08:27and lots and lots of shouting and people that had a drink and I couldn't really
01:08:34all the time I was thinking oh no this is this is my favorite thing the stand-up
01:08:39with the microphone you talk about is it better to be well known it would the the
01:08:44anonymity to go on and they don't know you and that they may are amazed that you're
01:08:48funny is actually really nice and I really loved all the and it had gone and I
01:08:52didn't go back there for 10 years gosh I should have gone away to little comedy
01:08:56clubs and worked up an act instead of just thinking I could wander on and wing it
01:08:59so I did I did it I did lose stand-up for a while and I don't think it was
01:09:04good
01:09:04for my mental health I don't think I've not having that outlet yeah I thought was
01:09:10a disaster for me you've got it back and you're doing a tour in New Zealand and
01:09:14you're touring here as well yes later on in the year yes in September October so
01:09:19there's tickets going on sale imminently and so yeah I toured last year and it was
01:09:24I loved it and the show went really well and the show a lot of the show this comes
01:09:28out of that book which I was kind of doing the two at the same time and I
01:09:32love being back on stage and so we're just going around again it's another 20
01:09:37dates and I'm looking forward to it well Jonathan Creek might have stopped in 2016
01:09:43but QI keeps on going you're in the very first episode of QI yes all the shows I've
01:09:49been there we're doing the alphabet every year it's the letter of the alphabet we're
01:09:55doing X as we short short they say they've got a lot of X questions and then Y and then
01:10:05Zed yeah and I could hardly believe it really that it's gone so long it doesn't
01:10:10seem like the quarter of a century never does no let's have a look at QI
01:10:25that's a very suave looking man hello
01:10:41what do they do how do they ingest their blood I mean what do they do sniff it up swallow
01:10:52it lick it
01:10:53slurp it hide it
01:10:55who do you think you are
01:11:04Stephen Fry that is really and you can just see how you enjoy riffing off one another I mean
01:11:08that's the capacity you need there isn't it is to be completely just relaxed into it and let it go
01:11:14that's a lovely clip actually and and Bill and Jimmy Carr were in the first series in the two of
01:11:22the really
01:11:23you can say this now with all the years gone by two of the greats of British comedy you know
01:11:28and you
01:11:28don't really realize at the time what's happening yeah but Stephen Fry's a living legend of our lives
01:11:34who I revere and love dearly and and see Bill and Jimmy there like that very very happy memories
01:11:41it makes you feel fortunate it also sharpens your game doesn't it you know so if you play tennis with
01:11:46a really good player they say it lifts your own game
01:11:49those two especially if they're going to start talking it's going to be funny yeah
01:11:53and then Sandy took over from Stephen you know thinking gosh who could possibly and in her own way the
01:11:59same ability to be sharp
01:12:01the thing that people perhaps don't really realize is all the work behind the scenes you know the there's a
01:12:07research team who work for months
01:12:09and they create these scripts and all the stuff that's on the cards for the for the host and that's
01:12:15what keeps the show
01:12:16going really and it's all that kind of understand they're the kind of
01:12:20feet beneath the swan while we're on our job as the comedians is to go and slightly spoil it
01:12:28not to do it quite right yeah a near effort and I love the fact that you were talking about
01:12:35because you've got three children and we got other teenagers now 16 14 and 10 well done dad
01:12:42they'll be impressed and a daughter who is obsessed with Agatha Christie
01:12:46she loves Agatha Christie yeah absolutely loves it I mean reads them all and they've got the audio books
01:12:53and I mean I like that that about them you know reading for pleasure and having books in the house
01:13:00it's something that Katie and I really value you know Katie and I've writes children's books and I've got my
01:13:06memoirs
01:13:06and so we just we just love books and and and I hope that they continue to do that it's
01:13:12hard once they get once they get that
01:13:14once they get that the touching stone in their hands and they're doing this all the time it's quite hard
01:13:18for them I these some of these websites are so addictive and I say to them it's not your fault
01:13:23they're designed to keep you on there but please put it down yeah but you've done a Marple she must
01:13:29have been impressed by that well the funny thing about the Marple I did which I love doing with Geraldine
01:13:33McEwen
01:13:33it was a story called Towards Zero that Agatha Christie wrote and Marple's not in that so they inserted Miss
01:13:42Marple into it and created a Marple episode
01:13:46and it was fantastic fun I was an inspector and I had a couple of sidekick coppers two young actors
01:13:53who were really funny
01:13:54and we really really enjoyed it we shot it all down in Devon I think it's one of those shows
01:13:59that people like if you get the call would you like to be in Marple yes
01:14:02well I've got a little clip to show now of McDonald and Dodds because you've now joined the the love
01:14:09your weekend alumni of regulars that we enjoy having and Jason Watkins is is a regular
01:14:17and a few weeks ago we had Sean Phillips so I thought we'd haul out McDonald and Dodds and see
01:14:23all three of you together here we are
01:14:25you Sergeant Dodds are most definitely a North Somerset man preponderance of centralized nuclei diphthongs would place you in Northwest
01:14:35Bath but that post vocalic
01:14:37roticity those elongated vowels leads me to the conclusion that you were born bred and still reside in South Twerton
01:14:47my goodness sir that is remarkable
01:14:51die young golden year strikes again
01:14:55as I was saying sir I'm I wondered if I might pick your professional linguist brain just a little
01:15:02well I would love to help you Sergeant but I'm due to give another one of my talks
01:15:07oh come on Spud nobody cares about your George of the Jungle adventures help the man
01:15:14I've always brought you up to be a law abiding citizen within reason
01:15:23I remember that episode we loved McDonald and Dodds and they're not recommissioning it which is tragic
01:15:27it's a real shame and I love doing it although I don't know why I wore that scarf
01:15:33that looked like she got into the wrong part of the costume department
01:15:37but yes Sian Phillips was amazing
01:15:39and I loved being with her and hearing her and hearing her anecdotes about Peter O'Toole and any number of
01:15:46people
01:15:47and she always calls him O'Toole
01:15:49yeah never calls him Peter or Peter it's always O'Toole
01:15:52I would love to have a Sian Phillips gene because it's a sharp attack great sense of humour
01:15:57yeah what about your comedy heroes
01:15:59um well I had a big hero of mine was Dave Allen
01:16:04oh gosh yes
01:16:05but I suppose it's been thinking about Jonathan Creek
01:16:08one of the thrills for me was having all well three of the main cast of the young ones
01:16:16turning up
01:16:17yeah
01:16:17Nigel Plainer, Adrian Edmerson and Rick Mayer all appeared in Jonathan Creek
01:16:23and Rick in particular was such a comic hero for my age
01:16:28I was 16 when the young ones came on TV and all of us at school came in the next
01:16:34day saying the lines
01:16:36and also it coincided with getting a VCR for the first time
01:16:39so then you could watch these episodes over and over and over
01:16:42just for the younger that's a videocassette recorder
01:16:45yeah
01:16:46it predates
01:16:47a tape
01:16:47vinyl
01:16:49and if you rented one you had to rewind it which took about ten minutes
01:16:53yes oh gosh I'd forgotten that
01:16:55then take it back to blockbuster the following day
01:16:57exactly yeah
01:16:58yeah
01:17:00always a delight to talk to her
01:17:01look good luck with the talk good luck with the book white male stand-up
01:17:04it says what it is on the cover
01:17:06yes
01:17:07lovely to be with you
01:17:08thank you
01:17:08now it's not always possible to get out and about in nature
01:17:13and the British countryside often because of the weather
01:17:16but never fear
01:17:17because we like to bring a slice of the countryside to you at home each week
01:17:21for a moment of calm
01:17:23yep it's time for today's Ode to Joy
01:17:32you
01:17:40you
01:17:40you
01:18:05ORGAN PLAYS
01:18:22ORGAN PLAYS
01:19:04A special part of the United Kingdom,
01:19:06the Seven Sisters in East Sussex,
01:19:09courtesy of Chris Short
01:19:10and set to the Symphony No. 3 by Franz Schubert.
01:19:14Coming up, the trailblazing women in distilling.
01:19:17Never thought I'd say that.
01:19:18If you're looking for a beverage to celebrate,
01:19:21International Women's Day, look no further.
01:19:24Becky Paskins here with the female-owned drinks companies,
01:19:27sure to shake up your weekend soirees.
01:19:29I'll see you with Becky, Michaela and Alan right after this.
01:19:48Now, from craft distilleries to boutique breweries,
01:19:53female entrepreneurs are carving a space
01:19:56in an industry that's historically been dominated by men.
01:19:59Over the past few years, female ownership and leadership
01:20:02within the alcohol industry has been steadily increasing
01:20:05as more women create and lead beverage brands.
01:20:09And now, a significant share of new alcohol ventures
01:20:13are founded by women.
01:20:15Here to highlight the female spirit
01:20:17and give us rather a delicious selection of beverages
01:20:20while she's at it,
01:20:22welcome drinks expert Becky Paskin.
01:20:24Hi, Alan.
01:20:25I bet you had fun finding these, didn't you?
01:20:28Do you know what?
01:20:28It makes my life so easy
01:20:30when there are some amazing drinks
01:20:31that we can share with you guys.
01:20:33And the fact that they're female-owned as well
01:20:35is just phenomenal
01:20:36because it's very difficult for women in the UK and the world
01:20:39to raise capital to create their own brand.
01:20:41I think only 2% of venture capital investment
01:20:44actually goes to female-founded businesses.
01:20:46Deborah Meaden's not working hard enough.
01:20:49Well, there's a lot of hard work
01:20:51that goes on behind the scenes
01:20:52but also in front of them too.
01:20:54So, we've got some amazing drinks for you.
01:20:57We're going to kick off with Mother Root.
01:20:59So, speaking of a dragon,
01:21:01this one is actually had investment
01:21:03from a dragon, Stephen Bartlett,
01:21:05but it was founded by Bethan Higson.
01:21:07So, this is Mother Root.
01:21:08So, this is your first drink here
01:21:09with the pineapple on it.
01:21:11Mother Root is a shrub, essentially.
01:21:14So, it's based on apple cider vinegar
01:21:15with ginger root in there, some blossom honey.
01:21:17And I've lengthened it with pineapple juice
01:21:20and some soda water
01:21:21just to make it a really nice, refreshing, lifting drink.
01:21:25But there's a bit of chilli in the ginger
01:21:27which gives it the kick,
01:21:29which makes you think that maybe there's alcohol in there
01:21:31but there's really not.
01:21:31But you've not put too much in it.
01:21:34That's very pineapple-y.
01:21:35It's very refreshing.
01:21:37It's very refreshing.
01:21:38That sounds like a sort of...
01:21:40It looks medicinal with a bottle, but it's not.
01:21:42I feel I should have played tennis before I had this.
01:21:45It's that sort of drink, isn't it?
01:21:46Yeah, summery.
01:21:47It feels summery.
01:21:48You feel like you should have got rid of some energy
01:21:50before you down this one.
01:21:52But it's lovely.
01:21:52Very nice.
01:21:53I like it.
01:21:53Great, yeah.
01:21:54So, does that get the sums up from both of you?
01:21:55Yeah, I love ginger.
01:21:57Yeah.
01:21:57Very nice.
01:21:58We like that.
01:21:58Next, we're coming on to a ready-made drink.
01:22:01So, I haven't really had to do anything here at all.
01:22:03But this is pimento,
01:22:04which is a ready-to-drink margarita brand.
01:22:07And this is founded by two ladies,
01:22:10Alice Parmita and Winter Caro.
01:22:12And this is inspired by some of the drinks they had in Mexico.
01:22:16Brought them back to the UK, created their own brand.
01:22:18This is the spicy margarita version.
01:22:21Got quite a nose on it.
01:22:22Which, literally, you could just pour it into your glass,
01:22:24straight from the freezer.
01:22:25That might need some lengthening.
01:22:27Yes, it does.
01:22:28What have you put on the side of the glass?
01:22:30So, on the side here, this is just a sprinkling of tajin,
01:22:34which is a chilli and lime salt brim.
01:22:37So, you can drink from it or not drink from it.
01:22:39It's optional.
01:22:39It's totally optional.
01:22:41I do recommend you try it, first thing, Alan.
01:22:45Gosh.
01:22:46The thing that surprises you,
01:22:47you don't expect it to be a margarita
01:22:48because it's not coloured like a margarita.
01:22:50It's very light.
01:22:51It's very light, very fresh.
01:22:52It does taste very strong, that.
01:22:54Actually, I think maybe we'll only have a couple of those, Alan.
01:22:56How's the spice level for you in there?
01:22:59The stuff on the side of the glass is pretty cool.
01:23:02If you take it from the side, yeah.
01:23:02Yeah, you'll spice it up.
01:23:04No, it's weird.
01:23:05It smells like it's good.
01:23:06Actually, it's quite easy to drink.
01:23:08It's very easy to drink.
01:23:09I'm keeping away from that.
01:23:13It's actually nice.
01:23:14It's like, you know when you normally have the salt,
01:23:15it kind of takes the place of the salt, doesn't it?
01:23:18Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
01:23:19It's something a little bit different.
01:23:20So, every time you have a sip,
01:23:21you can sit from the side without or the side with,
01:23:23and it just changes up your experience.
01:23:24There's an alcohol percentage in there, Becky.
01:23:2614.5%.
01:23:29So, about average for a margarita.
01:23:31Alan, you look like you're falling off the stool already.
01:23:34Already?
01:23:34Already?
01:23:35I'm not here too, sweet.
01:23:37It's always refreshing when you find your glass is fuller
01:23:40than your guest glass.
01:23:41You think you've been a good host, you know?
01:23:43Okay.
01:23:44Right.
01:23:44Well, we're moving swiftly on.
01:23:46Yeah, warm us up, that one.
01:23:46We're actually going to a brand which is close to my heart,
01:23:49being a Brighton girl myself.
01:23:50This is Brighton Gin.
01:23:52This is founded by Cathy Caton,
01:23:54who's a bit of a legend in the spirits industry.
01:23:57Brighton Gin is very much,
01:23:58embodies the spirit of Brighton,
01:24:00so we're very free-thinking and fun-loving,
01:24:02Dan and Brighton, obviously.
01:24:04And this...
01:24:05If I do say so myself.
01:24:07This is made with...
01:24:10The glass from the bottle is actually 100% recycled glass
01:24:13from using Brighton recycled bottles,
01:24:15which is fantastic.
01:24:16Do you know you can taste that?
01:24:17You can taste the glass in the drink.
01:24:21But there's some beautiful orange notes
01:24:23and there's a very coastal style of gin.
01:24:25What I've done with this is I've paired it
01:24:27with a soda from Double Dutch.
01:24:29This is a pink grapefruit soda, also female-owned.
01:24:32So Joyce and Raisa de Haas,
01:24:33they founded this incredible range of mixers.
01:24:36These are beautiful.
01:24:37And I've created a kind of coastal seaside paloma
01:24:39made with gin.
01:24:41Just a touch of salt in there to bring out some salinity,
01:24:43but essentially lovely, orangey, grapefruit-y.
01:24:47It is very grapefruit-y.
01:24:49Yes.
01:24:50Very grapefruit-y.
01:24:50I mean, it doesn't taste like it's got a lot of alcohol in it.
01:24:53That's always a bit dangerous, isn't it?
01:24:55Yes.
01:24:55So in this serve, I actually put 50ml of gin,
01:24:58so there is a double serve of gin in this drink.
01:25:00So if you can't taste it, then it maybe is quite dangerous.
01:25:02So don't drink one of these before the tennis, Michaela.
01:25:06Yes.
01:25:07Moving on to our fourth drink,
01:25:09and this is where we move into whiskey territory,
01:25:11which is very close to my heart.
01:25:13And this is a newish brand that is called the Heart Cut.
01:25:16This is from a wife and husband duo,
01:25:18so Georgie Bell and Fabrizio Leone.
01:25:21They actually founded this at the same time as having twins,
01:25:24which is very brave.
01:25:25They probably needed it.
01:25:25So they have three children at the same time.
01:25:27No doubt.
01:25:29Great wisdom, as it's all.
01:25:30So normally they focus on independent bottlings.
01:25:33So whiskeys, they've sourced from all around the world,
01:25:35and they do small runs of them.
01:25:37But this particular whiskey is their first core whiskey.
01:25:40This is called barley,
01:25:41and it is a blend of English single malt.
01:25:44So five different distilleries have gone in here.
01:25:46Lots of flavours of strawberry and cream, vanilla, marshmallows.
01:25:51So I've created a strawberry and rhubarb old-fashioned
01:25:55and just garnished it with a toasted marshmallow on the top.
01:26:00Yeah, that's quite strong.
01:26:02That's a delight.
01:26:03That's a lot.
01:26:05It's quite strong there.
01:26:06Yeah, no lengthening here.
01:26:07It's quite strong there.
01:26:08I like that one.
01:26:09This is delicious.
01:26:11Yeah, I'm a bit worried about the marshmallow going in Alan's eye.
01:26:14That's my only worry.
01:26:15Take mine off.
01:26:19Tell me if I've got a marshmallow stuck in my eye, won't you?
01:26:23Well, Michaela, if you thought that one was strong,
01:26:26then we're moving into neat whiskey now.
01:26:29So this is our fifth.
01:26:31And actually, this is one of my favourite whiskeys at the moment.
01:26:34This is called Nicknian.
01:26:36This is up on the west coast of Scotland,
01:26:38and it's founded by a lady called Annabel Thomas.
01:26:41So she left her job working in the city in London
01:26:43to start a distillery on her family's farm
01:26:46and created this beautiful organic single malt.
01:26:50They have sustainability at their heart.
01:26:52This is also made from 100% recycled bottles.
01:26:55Lots of flavours of peach stone, apricots, just maltiness.
01:27:00I just find it so fruity, so delicious,
01:27:03such a heartwarming, beautiful dram.
01:27:05That is your last swig before you hit the pillow, isn't it?
01:27:08Wow.
01:27:10That's a late-night snifter, that.
01:27:12It's gorgeous.
01:27:14Oh, yes.
01:27:14It's very nice.
01:27:15Yeah.
01:27:15Alan, you're leaning more and more on the bar.
01:27:17Look at that.
01:27:18You know, some of those Scotch whiskeys,
01:27:20they taste a bit weird in a good way.
01:27:22They taste a little bit antiseptic, some of them.
01:27:24It's one of those ones.
01:27:25That's probably the peat.
01:27:27So actually, only about 10% of Scotch whisky is peated,
01:27:30so it's only a small amount.
01:27:31This one doesn't have any peat in it,
01:27:34so it's un-peated single malt whisky.
01:27:36What I would say is, if you're not too sure
01:27:39about the strength of whisky and sipping this neat,
01:27:41I think this is 46% ABV.
01:27:43So if you wanted to, you could add some water
01:27:45or add a cube of ice.
01:27:47I think this one, this one is.
01:27:48You like the grapefruit one?
01:27:49Yes, I like the grapefruit one.
01:27:51Yeah.
01:27:51Alan, do you have a favourite?
01:27:52I like the margarita.
01:27:54It's really nice.
01:27:55That's it.
01:27:55Thanks to all my guests today,
01:27:57to Michaela, Alan, Annabelle and Cliff,
01:27:59and, of course, to Becky,
01:28:01to rounding off a very verbose programme,
01:28:04which I suspect in the next hour or so
01:28:06is going to get even more of a verbose.
01:28:07Joining me, if I could say the word,
01:28:09it'd be good, wouldn't it?
01:28:10Joining me next week for Mothering Sunday,
01:28:12Queen of Crime, Linda Laplante,
01:28:14and Wild Cherry star, James Murray.
01:28:17Pleasure's Family Farms next,
01:28:18but I'll leave you with some meaningful words
01:28:20from Marlon Brando.
01:28:21No less.
01:28:22Regret is useless in life.
01:28:25It's because I've got a cold
01:28:26that I can do Marlon Brando.
01:28:27It's in the past.
01:28:29All we have is now.
01:28:31How terribly profound.
01:28:33You have a few glasses of this
01:28:34to come up with something like that.
01:28:35Now, though, I'm feeling very content.
01:28:37Happy 60th.
01:28:38Cheers.
01:28:39Cheers.
01:28:39Happy birthday.
01:28:41Happy birthday.
01:28:42Happy birthday.
01:28:57Happy birthday.
01:28:57Happy birthday.
01:29:00Happy birthday.
01:29:02Happy birthday.
01:29:04Happy birthday.
01:29:05Happy birthday.
01:29:07Happy birthday.
01:29:07Happy birthday.
01:29:07Happy birthday.
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