Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh - Season 8 - Episode 10 - video Dailymotion

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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.

00:05:47La, la, la, la, la, la.

00:05:50La, la, la, la, la, la, la.

00:05:51And 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.

00:06:01What it 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.

00:06:37So full 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 were 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, no one's tap danced on it before.

00:07:03And 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.

00:07:12Now, 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.

00:07:21So five 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 and a plot about a static caravan.

00:07:34This takes improv 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.

00:07:49I'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.

00:08:10You're going off in September.

00:08:12I'm going off for April.

00:08:13Sometime in the middle, we could put them together and see what happens.

00:08:16Special guest, Michaela Strachan.

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.

00:08:37Are you going to come, Alan?

00:08:38Give 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.

00:08:48A pin in the fall.

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.

00:08:59Oh, very good.

00:08:59Yeah.

00:09:00Well, the Crown Imperial or the Snakes had.

00:09:01The tall one.

00:09:02The Crown Imperial.

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 and I didn't know what it

00:09:20was.

00:09:21And I put it in a pot on a windowsill and after a few months, things started to appear.

00:09:27Anyway, it grew to about this high and I didn't know what it was.

00:09:31And I tell you, you told me what it was.

00:09:33Morgana Robinson, who's a brilliantly funny comic actress I was in Taskmaster with, she's

00:09:37a gardener.

00:09:38And I kept taking pictures of her and she told me what it was.

00:09:41And it was beautiful.

00:09:42It sprang 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 to that.

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

00:10:04Christ died.

00:10:05So an angel came down and admonished it.

00:10:08It blushed orange, turned its flowers down.

00:10:11And 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 the bag, that story.

00:10:20That's all history being passed away.

00:10:21Yes.

00:10:22Yeah.

00:10:22I mean, you and I were hanging on your every word there.

00:10:24It's unusual.

00:10:27Not many people do.

00:10:28Now, attempt now.

00:10:28Attempt now.

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.

00:10:48And horticulturist Ashley Edwards on the cut flowers you can grow from seed rather than

00:10:53bulbs, including poppies and marigolds.

00:10:55It almost smelled the summer and described as a modern-day black beauty.

00:11:00Oh, known to their majesty.

00:11:03Athleticism, impressive 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.

00:11:09Frisian horses.

00:11:10They've 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, you bet.

00:11:22Oh, okay.

00:11:23I'm a strawberry.

00:11:23Oh, so, how did you know I'd go for the strawberry?

00:11:27I can just tell.

00:11:29I 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 in the British countryside, which we continue to celebrate here at Love Your

00:12:41Weekend.

00:12:51But now, if you've ever enjoyed a story of the Knights of Old, galloping on horseback to perform a daring

00:12:58deed, odds are you might have in mind a Frisian horse.

00:13:02They really do look as though they're trotted straight out of a fairy tale.

00:13:07Well, originally hailing from the Netherlands, the Frisian stud book, founded in 1879, describes the breed as fiery, strong, intelligent

00:13:17and looking just a bit superior.

00:13:19As if she knows of her centuries-old heritage, as if she knows of the place she has in so

00:13:26many 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 Yaldo.

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 now

00:13:53she's three years old.

00:13:55And then we have Senna here, who's a five-year-old mare, who's in foal to the world champion stallion

00:14:01called Yepa.

00:14:02Wow.

00:14:02So we're very excited about that.

00:14:04So, I mean, there's a lot of breeding, Ian.

00:14:07I mean, how many horses in foal have you got at the moment?

00:14:10We 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 more sporty, light-footed

00:14:21animals.

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've got a, you know, you're ready to be a champion.

00:14:29It's always, it's 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 bought me a book of horses for the world and I just went,

00:15:11I 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

00:15:20in the KFPS 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

00:15:31years 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 and 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.

00:15:58Watch.

00:16:00Look at the way it lifts its hooves.

00:16:04It's just naturally elegant.

00:16:06I'll run, Gainer.

00:16:07Go on.

00:16:09Gainer.

00:16:10I'll run.

00:16:10They can get...

00:16:11Then you can...

00:16:12You can exercise yourself, don't you, Will?

00:16:15Yeah.

00:16:16I don't know who's got any more, 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.

00:16:30You're very fit, Ian.

00:16:31That's so impressive.

00:16:32Ian, 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.

00:16:48I'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.

00:17:18It 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.

00:17:33Particularly in terms of livestock.

00:17:34It's always such a treat.

00:17:35It's quite mind-blowing.

00:17:36Yeah.

00:17:36It's hard.

00:17:37Thank you, ladies.

00:17:38Thank you very much 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

00:18:03countryside with her trademark leggings, hiking boots, and a light waterproof, Michaela Strachan

00:18:09boots up once more as she takes to the 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

00:18:45to 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

00:18:53in their back garden.

00:18:55But first, to quote the late, great Vincent van Gogh, as I so often do of a Sunday morning,

00:19:00if 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

00:19:11the great outdoors and the animals that inhabit it.

00:19:15Well, Chulu may be a newcomer here at the orphanage, but already she knows the milk routine, and

00:19:21she'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

00:19:44very dehydrated, and 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 there, Elephant Diaries.

00:20:00Amazing, brave, not just because there's quite a lot of weight behind a baby elephant, but

00:20:04you are allergic to elephants.

00:20:06I'm allergic, I know.

00:20:06You're mad fool, Michaela, what possessed you to go into.

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

00:20:39over me and saliva all over me, and really in amongst them, that I realised that, yes,

00:20:44I am definitely allergic.

00:20:46But I was also pregnant at the time, and your hormones, when you're pregnant, can heighten

00:20:50allergies.

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

00:20:57like I had flu.

00:20:58There's a little right picture on the box.

00:21:00No close-ups, please.

00:21:02Keep your distance.

00:21:03The fascination with animals, I mean, there 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.

00:21:13So, 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.

00:21:28I mean, I was always incredibly empathetic towards animals, but my knowledge and my passion has

00:21:33grown 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 subjects,

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, if you ever want to know about anything, write a book

00:21:51about it.

00:21:51Yes, that's so true.

00:21:52That was before television existed.

00:21:53But in a way, the same applies, doesn't it, if you want to know more, make a television

00:21:57series 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, then it's way more interesting

00:22:13than 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, when we've got the cameras

00:22:26in the little nests, each 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.

00:22:36I've got a question for you.

00:22:37Go on.

00:22:37Sometimes you like to name the animals that we feature.

00:22:40Okay.

00:22:40So if you were going to name this partridge, what would you call it?

00:22:43Think, hold on, think before you answer.

00:22:44Okay.

00:22:45Think about where we are.

00:22:45Okay.

00:22:46Um, Ken.

00:22:48Ken.

00:22:49Why, why, Ken, Ken?

00:22:50No, 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.

00:23:03Very obviously.

00:23:06My goodness.

00:23:07Chris Packham at his most off the wall.

00:23:10Keeps 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.

00:23:17Because I didn't get the joke, obviously.

00:23:18You can see the complete blank look on my face.

00:23:20But, you know, I often don't get what Chris is saying instantly.

00:23:24No, a lot of us don't, really.

00:23:25He does.

00:23:26He does.

00:23:27He 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.

00:23:39And I think that's something to be 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?

00:23:52I should, shouldn't I?

00:23:53You should do some tap.

00:23:54I should come on tap dancing.

00:23:55You should.

00:23:56Not Just a Wildlife is the tour I'm going on.

00:23:59And 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.

00:24:08But before that, it was Saturday morning, kids' shows, Hitman and Her, singles.

00:24:15You know, I've had a really varied career.

00:24:17I mean, you are living proof of variety being the spice of life, really, aren't you?

00:24:21Thank 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.

00:24:31You know, I was challenged to do things.

00:24:33I get mixed up with Annika Rice, you know.

00:24:35I'm somebody that likes a challenge.

00:24:37And 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.

00:24:49I didn't really know how high Clifton Suspension Bridge was.

00:24:52It's high.

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.

00:25:13And 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.

00:25:19I 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.

00:25:32If God hadn't intended you to do that, it would have given you another four limbs.

00:25:35Exactly.

00:25:37The eight limbs.

00:25:40Michaela's.

00:25:40But it's been so interesting looking back at 40 years and trying to pick which bits I want in the

00:25:47show.

00:25:47You know, I mean, I could have done a five-hour show.

00:25:49It's been a long career.

00:25:50You did really incredibly well.

00:25:52Dancing 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.

00:26:41Look at that. You'd have been a shoo-in in the Winter Olympics. That was not remotely embarrassing, was it?

00:26:47I mean, that was good stuff. Original moves and the music. A bit scary in front of Torvalendine, though, wasn't

00:26:53it?

00:26:53Well, it was the final, so we'd done an awful lot of skating in front of Torvalendine. I absolutely loved

00:26:59every moment of Dancing on Ice, except for the fact that I did end up injured. In fact, that was

00:27:04the final, and without realising it, I had a torn hamstring and torn glutes doing that particular bolero.

00:27:10You see, will you never learn? It's adrenaline, isn't it? I have to confess, I was asked to do Dancing

00:27:15on Ice. I was 68 at the time. I can't tell you the words I said to my agent, because

00:27:22they're not broadcastable at this time in the morning.

00:27:25But I indicated to her how old I was, and there was an expletive in there somewhere. Well, I was

00:27:3058 when I did it, and I was the oldest celebrity to get to the final, so, and, and, you

00:27:37know, it's taken a long time for that injury to get better, because, because I'm older, yeah.

00:27:41Now, you spend, you live in South Africa, so this is an amazing commute you have to do to come

00:27:46here for Spring Watch. How does your year pan out? What do you do?

00:27:49I tend to come over in big chunks, so I've just been here for a month, and then I'm going

00:27:55home again, and then I'll have a bit of time at home and working from home, and then I'll come

00:28:00back and do Spring Watch.

00:28:01Well, I'm coming back, the next time I come back will be to do the tour. It starts on April

00:28:0413th, so then I'll be here for a few weeks doing the tour, going to all sorts of different theatres

00:28:09around the country.

00:28:10You can escape our weather, too. Do you know, my family keeps sending me pictures of these gorgeous sunsets, and

00:28:17I'm sending them pictures of, you know, another grey sky. I mean, it's rained, rained a lot, hasn't it?

00:28:22It has rained a lot. It has rained an awful lot, and being a garden, people say to me, good

00:28:26for the garden, and I restrain myself from that, you know, from that.

00:28:31You have a son, Ollie. Yes. Interested in nature? Have you managed to let it rub off?

00:28:35Do you know, I mean, when we take him out, he does enjoy himself, but his passion is sport, so

00:28:41he's at Loughborough University, and works for Oxford United Football Club with our academy team, and not playing, he does

00:28:48the social media for them, so 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, it is. Do you know, I haven't been impressed with some backstage. I did an arena tour once, Alan,

00:29:03with walking with dinosaurs, and I was the only human in the whole thing.

00:29:06The rest were huge animatronic dinosaurs, and I remember going to one of the back, I think it was Newcastle

00:29:11Arena, and there wasn't even a mirror in the dressing room, and there was just like a seat, and that

00:29:16was it.

00:29:17And I thought, I'd made it, you know, I thought, I've made it, I'm in arenas, and there I was

00:29:20in this seat.

00:29:21But apparently, the big stars bring in their dressing rooms, so they'll bring in a fridge, and a sofa, and

00:29:26a plant, and I was just sitting there on my seat.

00:29:29You know, you need a 40-page rider saying what you demand.

00:29:33Whenever I've done it, they say, what's on your rider? And they always say, a glass of wine in the

00:29:37interval and a towel.

00:29:38Yeah, that's all I need.

00:29:39That's all I need.

00:29:41Warm you up.

00:29:41Lovely to talk to you, love to have you on the programme.

00:29:43It'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, because in the

00:30:11same way that Michaela and I love nature,

00:30:13so do you.

00:30:14And this gives you a moment to think, to reflect and to feel.

00:30:19Yup, it's time for Walk on the Wild Side.

00:30:22That's it.

00:30:22Absolutely.

00:30:36That's great.

00:30:36Oh, right.

00:41:44And these are easy to push out.

00:41:46Yeah.

00:41:46And these are easy to push out.

00:42:13Yeah.

00:42:14That's class, isn't it, really?

00:42:15I'm going to make my greenhouse in the shape of a pot marigold seed.

00:42:19So this is your pot 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 always feels really cruel to do this.

00:42:32I hate doing it, but all you have to do is take off the top few leaves,

00:42:37pinch it down to a strong 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, you'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.

00:42:58That'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

00:43:13and then bring it indoors at nighttime 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,

00:43:23because you can get caught out by late frosts.

00:43:25I mean, you can have frosts in May, so you have to be really careful.

00:43:28Oh, you can, yeah.

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

00:43:48or garden compost, if you have your own.

00:43:51And with taller plants, like snapdragons, for example,

00:43:54you might want to put netting, like, string around them,

00:43:57just to keep them upright.

00:43:58There we are.

00:43:59Thanks, Alan.

00:44:05Since 2000, the number of hedgehogs has declined by up to 30% in rural areas

00:44:13and 75% in urban 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,

00:44:24who took a rather unusual step five years ago.

00:44:28They spent £60,000 of their own money

00:44:31and 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,

00:44:50the couple that we bought the house from asked us

00:44:52if we would continue to feed the hedgehogs that were visiting their garden.

00:44:55We 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,

00:45:03I want a feeding station and I want some cameras.

00:45:07So, when my wife came up with the idea of a hospital,

00:45:09you 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.

00:45:27Which means that they could be vulnerable to extinction.

00:45:30And sadly, one of the main reasons is their loss of habitat

00:45:33and also loss of natural food.

00:45:35So, since we first started five years ago,

00:45:38we'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,

00:45:49treat 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,

00:46:03that's when they're foraging for food.

00:46:05If you see a hedgehog during the day,

00:46:06normally 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,

00:46:22if they're climbing, if they're really unsettled,

00:46:25then it could be that there's something else going on internally

00:46:28that we're not aware of.

00:46:30So, that's when we would go back and sample their poo

00:46:32just to see if there's something else that we're not aware of

00:46:35that needs to be treated.

00:46:36You know, I often get sort of elbow in the ribs at night.

00:46:40There's a hedgehog in need.

00:46:42We need to go down now and get it.

00:46:44The most common internal parasites that I see on a day-to-day basis

00:46:48is 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.

00:46:58A hedgehog's natural food in the wild would be caterpillars,

00:47:01beetles or grubs.

00:47:03But sadly, there just isn't enough natural food.

00:47:06Michael was incredibly lucky

00:47:08because his finders have wildlife cameras in their garden

00:47:12and around the feeding station.

00:47:14And they heard Michael coughing on the camera

00:47:16and they knew that that was a sign of poor health.

00:47:21This is Ariana.

00:47:24And Ariana's being treated for lungworm and also ringworm.

00:47:29Ringworm is a fungal infection

00:47:30and it creates intense itchiness for the hedgehog

00:47:35and also spine loss.

00:47:37So the ringworm treatment is a really soothing, medicated bath

00:47:41and it will kill the ringworm.

00:47:43So Ariana will need four baths over 12 days

00:47:47and 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.

00:47:56This will stop them from going into the roads

00:47:59and 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.

00:48:07Any 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

00:48:18and they were brought into us when they were about 11 days old.

00:48:21They couldn't see, they couldn't hear

00:48:23and they couldn't walk properly.

00:48:24They required syringe feeding every two to three hours

00:48:27and their wounds needed managing

00:48:29to ensure that they were kept clean.

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,

00:48:39conserving valuable energy through the winter,

00:48:42ready for the spring.

00:48:44Got Ryder in here,

00:48:45but he's off walkabout at the moment.

00:48:48Very delighted to say that he's thriving in the wild.

00:48:53The Hedgehog Rescue is emotionally challenging,

00:48:56it's physically challenging,

00:48:57and it's financially challenging.

00:48:59You're required to do things at all hours

00:49:01when you're very tired,

00:49:02but what we do takes over and we love it.

00:49:06Oh, well done, Joe and Terry.

00:49:08What a wonderful thing to do, don't you think?

00:49:11Still ahead?

00:49:12Poplar comes to Manor Farm.

00:49:14Call the midwives Cliff Parisi and Annabel Apsian.

00:49:18Take a nostalgic look back

00:49:19at the iconic drama that continues

00:49:21to capture all our hearts.

00:49:24I'll see you with Mr and Mrs Buckle

00:49:26and more right after this.

00:49:43Welcome back to Love Your Weekend.

00:49:45Coming up from detective magician Jonathan Creek

00:49:48to mainstay on the QI panel,

00:49:50Alan Davis lifts the lid on an incredible career,

00:49:53both on and off the comedy circuit.

00:49:56But first, known for their charming,

00:49:59often humorous and bossy on-screen relationship,

00:50:03Violet and Fred Buckle have become,

00:50:05I can't say it any other way,

00:50:07something of a popular favourite,

00:50:08reminding viewers that love, loyalty

00:50:11and shared laughter are often the strongest medicine of all.

00:50:15There could never be

00:50:20A portrait of my life

00:50:26After the quiet ceremony Violet wanted,

00:50:29the wedding party went not to her home or to Fred's,

00:50:33but to a place where everyone was cherished

00:50:36and all doors and hearts were open.

00:50:39You will never see

00:50:44A portrait of my love

00:50:50For miracles

00:51:06Like the face of a devoted parent,

00:51:09Nannata's house was etched with a little more time each year,

00:51:13With each small shadow

00:51:15Every fading grace

00:51:17It grew more beautiful

00:51:19And was loved more than words can say

00:51:22Cliff Parisi and Anna Valapsin

00:51:24It's such a tearjerker

00:51:26I mean, the music there,

00:51:27But also Vanessa Redgrave's voice

00:51:30Finishes me off

00:51:32Every time

00:51:33Moving to be in

00:51:35As well as to watch

00:51:37For you, is it?

00:51:38I felt very emotional watching that

00:51:41And seeing everybody so young

00:51:43Including us, my dear

00:51:45Because that was probably 11 years ago

00:51:48But it was very moving

00:51:50And seeing all of that

00:51:51Yes, I was quite surprised

00:51:53Most of the cast have now

00:51:55Sat where you're sitting

00:51:56Which has been a delight for me

00:51:57As a firm fan favourite, really

00:52:00There's clearly a great family feeling, Cliff

00:52:02In all the cast, I think, really

00:52:04Oh, yeah

00:52:04I mean, we've been working together

00:52:06For donkeys years now, haven't we?

00:52:09So, 15 years

00:52:11And everybody that's come into the show

00:52:13Has slipped straight into the family

00:52:15And they've become part of the, you know

00:52:19And it's such a wonderful show

00:52:21I mean, it makes you weep for joy

00:52:24And 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

00:52:31From birth to death

00:52:33And relationships and community

00:52:36And family

00:52:37And all of those things are explored in real detail

00:52:40And some horror as well

00:52:43Because people can be bad

00:52:47And sickness can be cruel

00:52:50And so we explore all of that

00:52:53But what the backbone of it is

00:52:56Is that actually the nuns, the nurses, the community

00:52:59That come together always

00:53:02To support whatever storylines going on

00:53:06To try and drive it through to, you know, a conclusion

00:53:10And often that can be joyful

00:53:13It redresses the balance of the regular sort of tragedy and misery we get via the news

00:53:20Of showing the triumph of goodness

00:53:22And the fact that goodness and kindness exists in far greater quantities in the world

00:53:26Than the opposites

00:53:28Which we're treated to every day really

00:53:31It just reminds us what human beings are capable of being with one another

00:53:35On the positive side really, doesn't it?

00:53:38And now of course it's worrying for me

00:53:40Because it's now coming up to the 70s

00:53:42Because, you know, hang on a minute

00:53:44That's, that's modern, isn't it?

00:53:46Fun parts to play for both of you, I think, really

00:53:48And the chemistry between the two of you

00:53:50Is clearly enjoyable

00:53:52Thank you

00:53:53We always try and

00:53:54We 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

00:54:03Yeah

00:54:04In the Buckle household, Reggie

00:54:10I'm 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

00:54:31Hello, Mum

00:54:41Don't you look lovely there

00:54:43Oh, was he crying?

00:54:45Yeah, it was lovely

00:54:46It was a lovely storyline to do

00:54:48With, um, Reggie coming into the family

00:54:51And Violet was saying, oh, you know

00:54:53He shouldn't be here

00:54:54And, um, and Danny does the part so brilliantly

00:54:57He's such, so lovely to work with

00:54:59So, yeah, it's very special

00:55:01So we, you know

00:55:03Sorry

00:55:04Well, I'm glad it works

00:55:07I'm a cup of tea, love

00:55:09I'm a cup of tea

00:55:09We're feeling like that

00:55:11You know, it's good to know that you do as well

00:55:13So

00:55:14From your point of view, though

00:55:15As an actress

00:55:16It's, it's a, it's a part

00:55:18You've played quite different parts

00:55:20Quite different to Mrs. Beach

00:55:21In Goodnight, Mr. Tom

00:55:22Who was a bit of a piece of work

00:55:25Tell us a bit about her

00:55:27Well, she, um, sends her son off during the war

00:55:31You know, when they would get the children out of London

00:55:34To the countryside

00:55:34And he bedwets

00:55:37I don't know if you remember the story

00:55:39This is with John Thor

00:55:40With John Thor

00:55:41Who's Mr. Tom

00:55:43And he's a grumpy old man

00:55:45And he's, but he starts to realise

00:55:47That the little boy has had a very unhappy childhood

00:55:51And, um, 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

00:56:01So it was a very challenging role to do

00:56:04Because I had to think myself into that part

00:56:08And think how could somebody do that

00:56:11So I had to do lots and lots of thinking

00:56:14What's happened, what's going on

00:56:16Um

00:56:17Making your own backstory

00:56:18Yes

00:56:19Yes

00:56:20You were brilliant in that

00:56:22Thank you

00:56:23And really scary

00:56:24Let's have a look

00:56:25Let's be scared

00:56:26You know

00:56:30Willie?

00:56:35You look different

00:56:36Put 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

00:56:53Only they said you was ill

00:56:56Did they?

00:56:58So

00:56:59What 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?

00:57:04Mr. 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 bedsocks

00:57:11And Mrs. Little, that's the doctor's wife

00:57:13She said you were a bottle of tonic wine

00:57:15Wine?

00:57:16Everything I told you about the evils of drink

00:57:19It ain't a real drink, Mum

00:57:20Like you get in a pub

00:57:22It's got iron in it to help you get your strength back

00:57:24And what would you know about what you get in a pub?

00:57:31He must have been really hard to be so nasty

00:57:33To such a lovely lad

00:57:34That lad was amazing

00:57:35He was

00:57:37I'm going to meet up with him

00:57:40His partner contacted me

00:57:42And said would I meet up with him

00:57:44I used to do funny things in between the takes

00:57:47Because 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

00:57:56You're actors

00:57:57That's the challenge, isn't it?

00:57:58That's what we do

00:57:59But again, in EastEnders

00:58:01I mean, as Minty

00:58:03Still got a pair of overalls on, innit?

00:58:06I've got my own overalls now

00:58:07Taken with me everywhere

00:58:09Yeah, I mean

00:58:10I tend to play characters that are working class

00:58:14They've got a spanner in their head

00:58:16Do you yearn to play an aristocrat?

00:58:18Yes, sir, I would rather do that, of course

00:58:21Cliff's actually very good as Marlon Brando

00:58:24Aren't you?

00:58:25You're always doing The Godfather

00:58:26Well, we generally, we would do the scene

00:58:28And I would do the first rehearsal as Marlon Brando

00:58:31So, yeah, Fred Brando

00:58:34You do do quite a bit of location filming

00:58:37On Call the Midwife

00:58:38And I gather there was a beach scene

00:58:40When Storm Agnes is coming through

00:58:42Which is meant to be jolly and funny and sunny

00:58:44A bit tough, isn't it?

00:58:46Ice creams with sand in

00:58:48Yeah

00:58:48And shells

00:58:49Yeah

00:58:50It was sideways

00:58:51I 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

00:59:01But there was no continuity

00:59:03And they just gave up

00:59:05So, you know, normally they would dry your hair

00:59:07And reset it

00:59:08They couldn't

00:59:09We had, like, hair like that

00:59:12But it was fun

00:59:13It was really good fun

00:59:15Yeah, we just had to go with it

00:59:17Yeah, yeah, we did

00:59:18Yeah

00:59:18Thank you both for coming

00:59:20Pleasure

00:59:20Lovely to be with you

00:59:21You're with us every Sunday evening

00:59:23Or for a good part of the year anyway

00:59:25So, lovely to see the both of you together

00:59:26On our sofa

00:59:35We're talking butterflies now

00:59:37Not the 70s sitcom

00:59:39Featuring Wendy Craig and Geoffrey Palmer

00:59:41But the living jewels of the garden

00:59:43With their vibrant colour

00:59:45And magical elegance

00:59:47Here's Leslie Joseph

00:59:48And everything you need to know

00:59:50About that most delicate of insects

00:59:52The butterfly

00:59:55Good morning, Alan

00:59:56There's a definite feeling of anticipation in the air

00:59:59And we're all cautiously optimistic

01:00:01About putting the winter coat away right

01:00:03And then

01:00:04Quite suddenly

01:00:05A flicker of colour flutters past

01:00:09Oh, hello, you gorgeous thing

01:00:12Nothing, says spring, has truly sprung

01:00:16Quite like a butterfly

01:00:17Emerging from those colder months

01:00:19The butterfly can now be found

01:00:21Basking in the sunshine

01:00:23Angling their wings towards the sun

01:00:25So they can heat their flight muscles

01:00:27Ready for take-off

01:00:29The first butterflies we tend to see

01:00:31Are the clever ones

01:00:32Spending the colder months

01:00:33Tucked away in sheds

01:00:34Hollow trees

01:00:35Dense ivy

01:00:36Sometimes even the garage

01:00:38They wait for the temperature to creep

01:00:40Above about 10 degrees Celsius

01:00:43Before making their grand reappearance

01:00:46Oh gosh, I wish I woke up looking that refreshed

01:00:49Butterflies are cold-blooded

01:00:51They need warmth to fly

01:00:53Well, rather like me before my morning tea

01:00:56Did you know when it comes to colour

01:00:58It's often the males who turn up the volume

01:01:01Brighter and bolder

01:01:02Because females frequently choose their mate

01:01:05Based on that dazzling display

01:01:08The females, meanwhile, tend to be more subtly dressed

01:01:11Carrying eggs means keeping a lower profile

01:01:14Less eye-catching to predators

01:01:16Sensible, understated

01:01:18But oh so chic

01:01:20Perhaps surprisingly, in many British butterfly species

01:01:23Females are slightly larger than males

01:01:26In order to carry those precious eggs

01:01:28Each butterfly starts as a tiny egg

01:01:31Hatches into a ravenous caterpillar

01:01:34Whose main hobby is eating

01:01:36These hungry caterpillars molt and grow

01:01:38Before forming a chrysalis

01:01:40And out emerges a butterfly

01:01:45Oh, who could resist such charm

01:01:47And from one charmer to another

01:01:50Back to you, Alan

01:01:54Thanks, Leslie

01:01:55Did you know butterflies can taste with their feet?

01:01:58It's true

01:01:58They have sensors

01:01:59Known as chemoreceptors

01:02:01On the bottom of their legs

01:02:02Which they use to sense nutritious sugars

01:02:04And viable food sources

01:02:07Butterflies often drum with their feet

01:02:09Against the surface of a leaf

01:02:10To bring out the plant juices

01:02:11I just lob it in, you know

01:02:13Coming up, showcasing the women

01:02:16Tearing up the rule book

01:02:17And making their mark

01:02:19In this section of spirit land

01:02:21Drinks expert Becky Paskin

01:02:23Serves up some of her favourite

01:02:24Female producers and distillers

01:02:27Including a spicy margarita

01:02:29And a strawberry rhubarb smash

01:02:32Oh, yummy

01:02:33And it was the role, he says

01:02:35Changed his life forever

01:02:36The curly-haired deviser of magic tricks

01:02:39Who often found himself solving murders

01:02:42As you do

01:02:43Alan Davis

01:02:45Celebrating nearly 30 years

01:02:46Of the iconic duffel coat wearing

01:02:49Puzzle solver

01:02:50Jonathan Creek

01:02:51I'll see you with Alan

01:02:52Right after this

01:03:08Welcome back

01:03:10Coming up

01:03:11Whether it's the drinkers

01:03:12The makers

01:03:13Or the shakers

01:03:14The world of alcohol

01:03:16Has historically been

01:03:17Heavily dominated by men

01:03:19Till now

01:03:20Drinks expert Becky Paskin

01:03:22Will be showcasing

01:03:23A handful of women

01:03:24Tearing up the rule book

01:03:26And making their mark

01:03:26With their gins

01:03:28Whiskies

01:03:28And pre-made cocktails

01:03:30But first

01:03:31Improbable crimes

01:03:32Solved with wit and flair

01:03:34I'm talking

01:03:36The 1990s

01:03:37Murder mystery

01:03:38Following the adventures

01:03:40Of duffel coat wearing

01:03:41Curly-haired

01:03:42Magical mystery solver

01:03:44Jonathan Creek

01:03:46Well

01:03:46Anywhere you slice it

01:03:48Couldn't have been the same woman

01:03:49Both times

01:03:50That'd be some trick

01:03:51And you wouldn't say

01:03:52She was the cleverest person

01:03:53In 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

01:04:04Now

01:04:04Right here in this garden

01:04:05Would you call that a clever trick?

01:04:09Come on

01:04:11Okay

01:04:12Close your eyes and count to three

01:04:13Very quickly

01:04:15One

01:04:16Two

01:04:16Three

01:04:18Oh hey

01:04:29This is just

01:04:42You see

01:04:43It's just like that

01:04:45Wasn't it really?

01:04:45Yeah

01:04:45Very clever

01:04:47Yeah

01:04:4720 years

01:04:48Jonathan Creek

01:04:49Yeah

01:04:49That was 1999

01:04:50I think

01:04:51Yeah

01:04:52That's Tom Goodman Hill

01:04:53Yeah

01:04:53Who's a wonderful comic actor

01:04:56And he was part of a

01:04:57Jonathan Creek

01:04:58Appreciation Society

01:04:59So that's why he's got the duffel coat

01:05:01And the wig

01:05:01Oh right yeah

01:05:02And they had a meeting

01:05:03Part of the script

01:05:04And all these actors

01:05:05And supporting artists

01:05:07Turned up with wigs

01:05:08And duffel coats on

01:05:09It was very creepy

01:05:11Do you mind

01:05:12It's interesting

01:05:13Whenever you get with me

01:05:14I suppose it's ground force

01:05:15And I really don't mind

01:05:16Glad to be remembered for anything

01:05:18But is it a bit

01:05:19Yes I've done a lot since then

01:05:20Or do you mind Jonathan Creek

01:05:22It was so quirky

01:05:24I don't mind it

01:05:25And not least because

01:05:28People still watch it

01:05:29You know

01:05:29Yeah

01:05:30In fact they've put it all up

01:05:31On iPlayer

01:05:33And people still finding it

01:05:36And younger audiences

01:05:38It's timeless

01:05:39You know

01:05:40Yeah

01:05:40It didn't rely on anything quirky

01:05:42Or gimmicky at the time

01:05:44David Renwick who wrote it

01:05:46He understood television

01:05:48The mysteries in the heart

01:05:49And so it's something

01:05:51That survived the test of time

01:05:52Because it's so well crafted

01:05:54You weren't the first choice

01:05:55For the part

01:05:56No

01:05:56I was the 38th

01:05:59Person to audition

01:06:00They wanted Nicholas Lindhurst

01:06:03Right

01:06:03And he had just finished

01:06:05Well I say finished

01:06:06Fools and Horses

01:06:07Because of course

01:06:08They revived Fools and Horses

01:06:09Brilliantly afterwards

01:06:10But he didn't fancy it

01:06:12And then it was going to be

01:06:13Hugh Laurie

01:06:14And then anyway

01:06:15It ended up being me

01:06:17And I no one knew

01:06:18Who I was in TV land

01:06:19And so Alan Yentob

01:06:21Who was in charge of BBC One

01:06:23At the time

01:06:23Took some persuading

01:06:24But he let me do it

01:06:26Excellent

01:06:27Well the rest as they say

01:06:29Is Jonathan Creek

01:06:30You popped in last time

01:06:32To talk about your first

01:06:34Well the volume of autobiography

01:06:36Dealing with your early years

01:06:37Called Just Ignore Him

01:06:40With the most heartrending title really

01:06:42Your second one is out now

01:06:44I'm about to go out in paper

01:06:45But White Male Stand-Up

01:06:46So we're moving on now

01:06:48To slightly happier years

01:06:49And I mean

01:06:50That's

01:06:52It is a sort of

01:06:53Very basic title

01:06:54White Male Stand-Up

01:06:55Going back to that

01:06:56It's what you are

01:06:57But so this is

01:06:59The Stand-Up Years

01:07:00Is it?

01:07:00Well it goes really

01:07:02Up to the present day

01:07:03Really

01:07:04But that's

01:07:04So that was the descriptive term

01:07:06For what I was

01:07:08And they were very happy times

01:07:11On the comedy circuit

01:07:12And there are lots of

01:07:13Little anecdotes in there

01:07:14From contemporaries of mine

01:07:17Like Harry Hill

01:07:18And Lee Evans

01:07:19And Steve Coogan

01:07:20And Joe Brand

01:07:21And all these people

01:07:21That I met at that time

01:07:23Did lots of gigs with

01:07:24And then it goes into

01:07:26Jonathan Creek

01:07:27And QI

01:07:29And all the things

01:07:30I've done since

01:07:31Where I've been very lucky

01:07:32To have these long running shows

01:07:33But of course

01:07:34In the background

01:07:34All the time

01:07:35There's this

01:07:36Lugging along this

01:07:38Childhood trauma

01:07:39Which I sort of thought

01:07:41Oh well the future's

01:07:41Ahead of me

01:07:42The past is behind me

01:07:43It's all going to be fine

01:07:44And then you get to the future

01:07:45And the past just turns up

01:07:47Yeah

01:07:47With you

01:07:48Like it's in the car

01:07:49Yeah

01:07:49And so you have to

01:07:50Try and find a way

01:07:52To manage all that

01:07:52So that's all in there

01:07:54As well

01:07:55Didn't you do one

01:07:56At the Comedy Club

01:07:56In 1999

01:07:57I think you're talking

01:07:58About doing one

01:07:59You did one there

01:08:00And it really put you

01:08:01Off doing stand-up

01:08:02Well I went down

01:08:03To the Comedy Store

01:08:04Which I love

01:08:05And this is a wonderful

01:08:07Brilliant comedy room

01:08:08That all comedians love

01:08:09And I went down

01:08:11I thought I'll just drop in

01:08:12Do ten minutes

01:08:12You know

01:08:13I always felt comfortable

01:08:15And happy there

01:08:15And I went on stage

01:08:16And people started

01:08:17Chacking out things

01:08:18About Jonathan Creek

01:08:19Or the Abbey National

01:08:21Commercials

01:08:21I was doing back in the time

01:08:22And did I have a perm

01:08:24And was having an affair

01:08:26With my co-star

01:08:27And lots and lots

01:08:28Of shouting

01:08:29And people had had a drink

01:08:31And I couldn't really

01:08:34Yeah

01:08:34All the time I was thinking

01:08:35Oh no

01:08:36This is

01:08:37This is my favourite thing

01:08:39The stand-up

01:08:39With the microphone

01:08:41You talk about

01:08:42Is it better to be well known

01:08:43The anonymity

01:08:45To go on

01:08:45And they don't know you

01:08:46And they're amazed

01:08:47That you're funny

01:08:48Is actually really nice

01:08:49And I really loved all the

01:08:50And it had gone

01:08:51And I didn't go back there

01:08:53For ten years

01:08:54Gosh

01:08:54I should have gone away

01:08:55To little comedy clubs

01:08:56And worked up an act

01:08:57Instead of just thinking

01:08:58I could wander on

01:08:59And wing it

01:08:59So I did

01:09:01I did

01:09:01I did lose stand-up

01:09:02For a while

01:09:03And I don't think

01:09:04It was good for my

01:09:05Mental health

01:09:06I don't think

01:09:07Not having that outlet

01:09:08Yeah

01:09:09I thought it was a disaster

01:09:10For me really

01:09:11You got it back

01:09:12And you're doing a tour

01:09:13In New Zealand

01:09:14And you're touring here as well

01:09:15Yes

01:09:16Later on in the year

01:09:17Yes

01:09:17In September, October

01:09:18So the ticket's going on sale

01:09:21Imminently

01:09:22And so yeah

01:09:23I toured last year

01:09:24And I loved it

01:09:25And the show went really well

01:09:26And a lot of the show

01:09:28Comes out of that book

01:09:29Which I was kind of doing

01:09:30The two at the same time

01:09:32And I love being back on stage

01:09:34And so we're just going around again

01:09:37It's another 20 dates

01:09:38And I'm looking forward to it

01:09:40Well Jonathan Creek might have stopped

01:09:42In 2016

01:09:43But QI keeps on going

01:09:45You were in the very first episode of QI

01:09:48Yes

01:09:48All the shows

01:09:49I've been there

01:09:50We're doing the alphabet

01:09:52Every year

01:09:53It's the letter of the alphabet

01:09:55We're doing X

01:09:57As we speak

01:09:58Short show

01:10:01They say they've got a lot of X questions

01:10:03And then Y and then Z

01:10:05And I can hardly believe it really

01:10:08That it's gone so long

01:10:09It doesn't seem like

01:10:11A quarter of a century

01:10:12It never does

01:10:13No

01:10:13Let's have a look at QI

01:10:16Vampire bats

01:10:17Is he regarded as a bit of a looker?

01:10:19If Yoda had accepted the dark side

01:10:25That's how he would have looked

01:10:27But that's a very suave looking man

01:10:29Hello

01:10:32Would you mind opening me

01:10:33If I nipped you on the toes?

01:10:37Well having a few friends over

01:10:38Would you like a liqueur?

01:10:42What do they do?

01:10:46How do they ingest their blood?

01:10:48I mean what do they do?

01:10:49They bite and sniff it up

01:10:51Swallow it

01:10:52Lick it

01:10:53Slurp it

01:10:53Hide it

01:10:54Draw it

01:10:55Draw it off

01:10:55Who do you think you are?

01:10:57To cant it

01:10:58To cant it

01:10:59To cant it

01:10:59I don't know

01:11:00But we've played Don for a couple of years

01:11:04Stephen Fry

01:11:04And you can just see how you enjoy riffing off one another

01:11:08I mean that's the capacity you need there isn't it

01:11:10Is to be completely just relaxed into it and let it go

01:11:14That's a lovely clip actually

01:11:17And Bill and Jimmy Carr

01:11:19Were in the first series

01:11:21You know two of the really

01:11:23You can say this now with all the years gone by

01:11:26Two of the greats of British comedy

01:11:27You know and you don't really realise at the time

01:11:30What's happening

01:11:31Yeah

01:11:31But Stephen Fry's a living legend of our lives

01:11:34Who I revere and love dearly

01:11:37And see Bill and Jimmy there like that

01:11:39Very very happy memories

01:11:41It makes you feel fortunate

01:11:42It also sharpens your game doesn't it

01:11:45You know it's like if you play tennis with a really good player

01:11:46They say it lifts your own game

01:11:48Oh yeah

01:11:49Those two especially

01:11:50If they're going to start talking

01:11:51It's going to be funny

01:11:52Yeah

01:11:53And then Sandy took over from Stephen

01:11:55You know thinking

01:11:56Gosh who could possibly

01:11:57And in her own way

01:11:59The same ability

01:12:00To be sharp

01:12:01Well I think the thing that people perhaps

01:12:03Don't really realise

01:12:04Is all the work behind the scenes

01:12:06You know

01:12:06There's a research team who work for months

01:12:09And they create these scripts

01:12:11And all the stuff that's on the cards

01:12:13For the host

01:12:14And that's what keeps the show going really

01:12:17And it's all that kind of

01:12:19They're the kind of feet beneath the swan

01:12:22While we're on

01:12:23Our job as the comedians

01:12:24Is to go and slightly spoil it

01:12:28Not to do it quite right

01:12:29Not to do it quite right

01:12:30A near effort

01:12:32I love the fact that you were talking about

01:12:35Because you've got three children

01:12:36Are they teenagers now?

01:12:37Sixteen, fourteen and ten

01:12:39Well done dad

01:12:42They'll be impressed with that

01:12:43And a daughter who is obsessed with Agatha Christie

01:12:45Which I thought was lovely

01:12:46She loves Agatha Christie

01:12:48Yeah absolutely loves it

01:12:49I mean reads them all

01:12:51And has got the audio books

01:12:53I mean I like that

01:12:55About them

01:12:56You know reading for pleasure

01:12:58And having books in the house

01:13:00It's something that Katie and I

01:13:01Really value

01:13:03You know Katie my wife writes children's books

01:13:05And I've got my memoirs

01:13:06And so we just love books

01:13:10And I hope that they continue to do that

01:13:12It's hard once they get that

01:13:14The touching stone in their hands

01:13:16And they're doing this all the time

01:13:17It's quite hard for them

01:13:18Some of these websites are so addictive

01:13:21And I say to them

01:13:21It's not your fault

01:13:23They're designed to keep you on there

01:13:25But please put it down

01:13:26But you've done a Marple

01:13:28She must have been impressed by that

01:13:30Well the funny thing about the Marple I did

01:13:31Which I love doing

01:13:32With Geraldine McEwan

01:13:33It was a story called Towards Zero

01:13:36That Agatha Christie wrote

01:13:38And Marple's not in that

01:13:40So they inserted

01:13:41Miss Marple into it

01:13:43And created a Marple episode

01:13:46And it was fantastic fun

01:13:48I was an inspector

01:13:50And I had a couple of sidekick coppers

01:13:52Two young actors

01:13:53Who were really funny

01:13:54And we really really enjoyed it

01:13:56We shot it all down in Devon

01:13:57I think it's one of those shows

01:13:59That people like

01:14:00If you get the call

01:14:01Would you like to be in Marple?

01:14:02Yes

01:14:02Well I've got a little clip to show now

01:14:05Of MacDonald and Dodds

01:14:07Because you've now joined

01:14:08The Love Your Weekend

01:14:10Alumni of regulars

01:14:12That we enjoy having

01:14:13And Jason Watkins

01:14:15Is a regular

01:14:16And a few weeks ago

01:14:18We had Sean Phillips

01:14:19So I thought we'd haul out

01:14:21MacDonald and Dodds

01:14:22And see all three of you together

01:14:24Here we are

01:14:25You, Sergeant Dodds

01:14:27Are most definitely

01:14:28A North Somerset man

01:14:31Preponderance of

01:14:32Centralized nuclei diphthongs

01:14:34Would place you in

01:14:35Northwest Bath

01:14:36But that post-vocalic

01:14:37Roticity

01:14:38Those elongated vowels

01:14:40Leads me to the conclusion

01:14:42That you were born

01:14:43Bred

01:14:44And still reside in

01:14:45South Twerton

01:14:47My goodness, sir

01:14:49That is remarkable

01:14:51Die, young

01:14:52Golden year strikes again

01:14:54As I was saying, sir

01:14:56I wondered if I might

01:14:58Pick your professional

01:15:00Linguist brain

01:15:01Just a little

01:15:02Well, I would love to help you, Sergeant

01:15:05But I'm due to give another one of my talks

01:15:07Oh, come on, Spud

01:15:09Nobody cares about your George of the Jungle adventures

01:15:12Help the man

01:15:14I've always brought you up to be a law-abiding citizen

01:15:18Within reason

01:15:23I remember that episode

01:15:24We loved McDonald's and Dodds and they're not recommissioning it, which is tragic

01:15:27It's a real shame

01:15:28I 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

01:15:36But yeah, Sian Phillips was amazing

01:15:39And I loved being with her

01:15:41And hearing her

01:15:42And hearing her anecdotes about Peter O'Toole

01:15:45And any number of people

01:15:47And she always calls him O'Toole

01:15:48Yeah

01:15:49Never calls him Peter or Peter

01:15:51It's always O'Toole

01:15:52I would love to have a Sian Phillips gene

01:15:54Oh

01:15:55Because it's a sharp attack

01:15:56Great sense of humour

01:15:57Yeah

01:15:58What about your comedy heroes?

01:15:59Um, well

01:16:01I had a big hero of mine was Dave Allen

01:16:04Oh, gosh, yes

01:16:05But I suppose

01:16:06Speaking about Jonathan Creek

01:16:08One of the thrills for me

01:16:10Was having all

01:16:12Well, three of the main cast of The Young Ones

01:16:16Turning up

01:16:17Yeah

01:16:17Nigel Planer, Adrian Edmerson

01:16:19And Rick Mayer

01:16:21All appeared in Jonathan Creek

01:16:23And Rick in particular

01:16:24Was such a comic hero

01:16:26For my age

01:16:28I was 16 when the young ones came on TV

01:16:30And all of us at school

01:16:33Came in the next day

01:16:34Saying 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

01:16:42And just for the younger

01:16:43That's a videocassette recorder

01:16:45Yeah

01:16:45It predates

01:16:47A tape

01:16:47Vinyl

01:16:48And if you rented one

01:16:50You had to rewind it

01:16:52Which took about ten minutes

01:16:53Yes

01:16:53Oh, gosh, I'd forgotten that

01:16:55Then take it back to Blockbuster the following day

01:16:57Certainly, yeah

01:16:58Yeah?

01:16:59Oh, goodness

01:16:59Always a delight to talk to you

01:17:01Look, good luck with the talk

01:17:02Good luck with the book

01:17:03White Male Stand-Up

01:17:04Says 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

01:17:10To get out and about in nature

01:17:13And the British countryside

01:17:14Often because of the weather

01:17:16But never fear

01:17:17Because we like to bring a slice of the countryside

01:17:19To you at home

01:17:20Each week

01:17:21For a moment of calm

01:17:23Yep

01:17:24It's time

01:17:24For today's Ode to Joy

01:17:27Ode to Joy

01:17:48Ode to Joy

01:18:09Ode to Joy

01:18:26Ode to Joy

01:18:36Ode to Joy

01:19:04Special part of the United Kingdom

01:19:06About the Seven Sisters

01:19:07In East Sussex

01:19:09Courtesy of Chris Short

01:19:10And set to

01:19:11The Symphony No. 3

01:19:12By Franz Schubert

01:19:13Coming up

01:19:14The Trailblazing Women in Distilling

01:19:17Ever thought I'd say that?

01:19:18If you're looking for a beverage

01:19:20To celebrate International Women's Day

01:19:22Look no further

01:19:23Becky Paskins here

01:19:24With the female-owned drinks companies

01:19:26Sure to shake up your weekend soirees

01:19:29I'll see you with Becky

01:19:30Michaela

01:19:31And Alan

01:19:32Right after this

01:19:48Now from craft distilleries

01:19:51To boutique breweries

01:19:53Female entrepreneurs

01:19:54Are carving a space

01:19:56In an industry

01:19:56That's historically been dominated by men

01:19:59Over the past few years

01:20:00Female ownership and leadership

01:20:02Within the alcohol industry

01:20:03Has been steadily increasing

01:20:05As more women

01:20:06Create and lead

01:20:07Beverage brands

01:20:09And now

01:20:10A significant share

01:20:11Of new alcohol ventures

01:20:13Are founded

01:20:14By women

01:20:14Here to highlight

01:20:16The female spirit

01:20:17And give us rather a delicious

01:20:19Selection of beverages

01:20:20While she's at it

01:20:21Welcome

01:20:22Drinks expert

01:20:23Becky Paskin

01:20:24Hi Alan

01:20:25I bet you had fun

01:20:26Finding these

01:20:27Didn'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

01:20:34As well

01:20:35Is just phenomenal

01:20:36Because it's very difficult

01:20:37For women in the UK

01:20:38And the world

01:20:39To raise capital

01:20:40To create their own brand

01:20:41I think only 2%

01:20:42Of venture capital investment

01:20:44Actually goes to female-founded businesses

01:20:46Deborah Meaden's not working hard enough

01:20:48Well

01:20:50There'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

01:20:55We've got some amazing drinks for you

01:20:57We're going to kick off

01:20:58With Mother Root

01:20:59So speaking of a dragon

01:21:01This one is actually

01:21:02Had investment from a dragon

01:21:04Stephen 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

01:21:10Mother Root is a

01:21:12It's a shrub essentially

01:21:13So it's based on apple cider vinegar

01:21:15With ginger root in there

01:21:17Some blossom honey

01:21:17And I've lengthened it

01:21:19With pineapple juice

01:21:20And some soda water

01:21:21Just to make it

01:21:22A really nice

01:21:23Refreshing

01:21:24Lifting drink

01:21:25But there's a bit of chilli

01:21:27In the ginger

01:21:27Which gives it the kick

01:21:28Which makes you think

01:21:29That maybe there's alcohol

01:21:30In there

01:21:31But there's really not

01:21:31But you've not put too much in it

01:21:34It's very pineapply

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

01:21:42But it's not

01:21:42I feel I should have played tennis

01:21:44Before I had this

01:21:45It's that sort of drink

01:21:46Isn't it?

01:21:46Yeah

01:21:46It feels summery

01:21:47It feels summery

01:21:48You feel like you should have

01:21:49Got rid of some energy

01:21:50Before you down this one

01:21:51But it's lovely

01:21:52Very nice

01:21:53I like it

01:21:53Great

01:21:53Yeah

01:21:54So does that get the sums up

01:21:55From both of you?

01:21:55Yeah

01:21:56I love ginger

01:21:56Yeah

01:21:57Very nice

01:21:57We like that

01:21:58Next we're coming on to

01:21:59A ready made drink

01:22:01So I haven't really had to

01:22:02Do anything here at all

01:22:02But this is Pimento

01:22:04Which is a ready to drink

01:22:06Margarita brand

01:22:07And this is founded by

01:22:08Two ladies

01:22:09Alice Parmita

01:22:10And Winter Caro

01:22:12And this is inspired

01:22:13By some of the drinks

01:22:14They had in Mexico

01:22:15Brought them back to the UK

01:22:17Created their own brand

01:22:18This is the spicy

01:22:19Margarita version

01:22:21Which literally

01:22:22You could just pour it

01:22:23Into your glass

01:22:24Straight from the freezer

01:22:25That might need some

01:22:26Lengthening

01:22:26Yes

01:22:28What have you put

01:22:29On the side of the glass?

01:22:30So on the side

01:22:31This is just a sprinkling

01:22:33Of tajin

01:22:34Which is a

01:22:35Chili and lime

01:22:36Salt brim

01:22:37So you can drink from it

01:22:38Or not drink from it

01:22:39It's optional

01:22:39It's totally optional

01:22:41I do recommend

01:22:42You try it

01:22:43First thing

01:22:44Alan

01:22:44Gosh

01:22:45The thing that surprises

01:22:47You don't expect it

01:22:47To be a margarita

01:22:48Because it's not coloured

01:22:49Like a margarita

01:22:50It's very light

01:22:51It's very light

01:22:52Very fresh

01:22:52It does taste

01:22:53Very strong that

01:22:54Actually I think

01:22:55Maybe we'll only have

01:22:55A couple of those

01:22:56Alan

01:22:56How's the spice level

01:22:57For you in there?

01:22:59The stuff on the side

01:23:00Of the glass

01:23:01Is pretty

01:23:02Yeah

01:23:03Spice it up

01:23:04No it's weird

01:23:05I don't think it's good

01:23:06But actually

01:23:07It'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

01:23:14You know when you normally

01:23:15Have the salt

01:23:15It kind of takes the place

01:23:17Of the salt

01:23:17Doesn't it?

01:23:18I like it

01:23:19Absolutely

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

01:23:22Or the side with

01:23:23And it just changes up

01:23:24Your experience

01:23:24What's your alcohol percentage

01:23:25In there

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

01:23:35I'm not here too sweet

01:23:36It's always refreshing when you find your glass is fuller than your guest glass

01:23:40If you'd have been a good host

01:23:43Okay

01:23:43Right

01:23:44Well we're moving swiftly on

01:23:45We'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

01:24:01And fun loving Dan and Brighton

01:24:03Obviously

01:24:05If I do say so myself

01:24:07This is made with

01:24:09The glass from the bottle

01:24:11Is 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

01:24:19In 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

01:24:26Is I've paired it with a soda from Double Dutch

01:24:29This is a pink grapefruit soda

01:24:30Also female owned

01:24:31So Joyce and Raisa de Haas

01:24:33They founded this incredible range of mixers

01:24:36These are beautiful

01:24:36And I've created a kind of coastal seaside paloma

01:24:39Made with gin

01:24:40Just a touch of salt in there

01:24:42To bring out some salinity

01:24:43But essentially lovely

01:24:46Orangey

01:24:47Grapefruity

01:24:47It is very grapefruity

01:24:49Yeah

01:24:50I mean it doesn't taste like

01:24:52It's got a lot of alcohol in

01:24:53And that's always a bit dangerous isn't it

01:24:55Yes

01:24:55So in this serve

01:24:56I actually put 50ml of gin

01:24:58So there is a double serve

01:24:59Of gin in this drink

01:25:00So if you can't taste it

01:25:01Then it maybe is quite dangerous

01:25:02So don't drink one of these

01:25:04Before the tennis

01:25:05Michaela

01:25:05Yes

01:25:07Moving on to our fourth drink

01:25:09And this is where we're moving to whiskey territory

01:25:11Which is spirit

01:25:11They're very close to my heart

01:25:12And this is a newish brand

01:25:15That is called the Heart Cut

01:25:16This is from a wife and husband duo

01:25:18So Georgie Bell and Fabrizio Leone

01:25:20They actually founded this

01:25:22At the same time as having twins

01:25:23Which is very brave

01:25:25So they have three children

01:25:26At the same time

01:25:27No doubt

01:25:28Great wisdom

01:25:29So normally they focus on

01:25:32Independent bottlings

01:25:33So whiskeys

01:25:34They've sourced from all around the world

01:25:35And they do small runs of them

01:25:36But this particular whiskey

01:25:38Is their first core whiskey

01:25:40This is called barley

01:25:41And it is a blend of

01:25:42English single malt

01:25:44So five different distilleries

01:25:46Have gone in here

01:25:46Lots of flavours of

01:25:47Strawberry

01:25:48And cream

01:25:49Vanilla

01:25:50Marshmallows

01:25:51So I've created a

01:25:53Strawberry

01:25:54And rhubarb

01:25:55Old fashioned

01:25:55And just garnished it

01:25:57With a toasted marshmallow

01:25:58On the top

01:25:59That's yeah

01:26:01That's quite strong

01:26:02That's delight

01:26:03Isn't it

01:26:04Quite strong there

01:26:06Alan

01:26:06It's quite strong there

01:26:08I like that one

01:26:09This is delicious

01:26:10Yeah

01:26:11I'm a bit worried about the marshmallow

01:26:13Going in Alan's eye

01:26:13That's my

01:26:14Take mine off

01:26:19Tell me if I've got a marshmallow

01:26:21Stuck in my eye

01:26:23Well Michaela

01:26:24If you thought that one was strong

01:26:26Then we are moving into

01:26:28Neat whiskey now

01:26:29So this is our fifth

01:26:31And actually this is one of my

01:26:32Favourite whiskeys

01:26:33At the moment

01:26:34This is called

01:26:35Nicknian

01:26:36This is up on the west coast of Scotland

01:26:38And it's founded by

01:26:39A lady called

01:26:40Annabelle Thomas

01:26:41So she left her job

01:26:42Working in the city in London

01:26:43To start a distillery

01:26:45On her family's farm

01:26:46And created this beautiful

01:26:49Organic single malt

01:26:50They have sustainability

01:26:51At their heart

01:26:52This is also made from

01:26:53100% recycled bottles

01:26:55Lots of flavours of peach stone

01:26:57Apricots

01:26:58Just maltiness

01:27:00I just find it

01:27:01So fruity

01:27:02So delicious

01:27:03Such a heartwarming

01:27:04Beautiful dram

01:27:05That is your last swig

01:27:06Before you hit the pillow

01:27:08Isn't it

01:27:08Wow

01:27:10That's a late night sniff

01:27:12To that

01:27:12It's gorgeous

01:27:13Oh yes

01:27:14It's very nice

01:27:15Yeah

01:27:15Ellen you're leaning

01:27:16More and more on the bar

01:27:17Look at me

01:27:18You know some of those

01:27:19Scotch whiskeys

01:27:20They taste a bit weird

01:27:21In a good way

01:27:22They taste a little bit

01:27:23Antiseptic

01:27:23Some of them

01:27:24It's one of those

01:27:25That's probably the peat

01:27:27So actually only about

01:27:2810% of Scotch whiskey

01:27:29Is peated

01:27:29So it's only a small amount

01:27:31This one doesn't have

01:27:32Any peat in it

01:27:34So it's unpeated

01:27:36Single malt whiskey

01:27:36What I would say

01:27:37Is if you're not too sure

01:27:39About the strength

01:27:39Of whiskey and sipping

01:27:40This neat

01:27:41I think this is 46% ABV

01:27:43So if you wanted to

01:27:45You could add some water

01:27:45Or add a cube of ice

01:27:47I think this one

01:27:48You like the grapefruit one

01:27:49Yes I like the grapefruit one

01:27:50Yeah

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

01:27:56Today

01:27:57To Michaela

01:27:57Alan

01:27:58Annabelle

01:27:58And Cliff

01:27:59And of course

01:28:00To Becky

01:28:01To rounding off

01:28:02A very verbose programme

01:28:04Which I suspect

01:28:05In the next hour or so

01:28:06Is going to get even more

01:28:07If I could say the word

01:28:09It'd be good

01:28:09Wouldn't it

01:28:09Join me next week

01:28:10For Mothering Sunday

01:28:12Queen of Crime

01:28:12Linda Laplante

01:28:13And Wild Cherry Star

01:28:15James Murray

01:28:16Fletcher's Family Farms

01:28:18Next

01:28:18But I'll leave you

01:28:19With some meaningful words

01:28:20From Marlon Brando

01:28:21No less

01:28:22Regret is useless in life

01:28:24It's because I've got a cold

01:28:26That I can do Marlon Brando

01:28:27It's in the past

01:28:28All we have

01:28:29Is now

01:28:31How terribly profound

01:28:32A few glasses of this

01:28:34To come up with

01:28:34Something like that

01:28:35Now though

01:28:36I'm feeling very content

01:28:37Happy 60th

01:28:38Cheers

01:28:39Cheers

01:28:39Happy birthday

01:28:40Happy birthday

01:29:06Gay

Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh - Season 8 - Episode 10

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