Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh Season 8 Episode 14

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Transcript

00:00:22Whoa. I've never driven a steam car before. Happy Easter from Hampshire. Wind in the air,

00:00:29steam coming out of the bottom, the rumble of the engine, the sense of the ground beneath it.

00:00:34It's just like having your own steam engine really. Oh goodness me. Welcome to Love Your Weekend.

00:01:19Happy Easter. You know, spring into summer really is the most glorious time of year to be outside,

00:01:26and the perfect time of year to delve into all things seasonally British. Say hello to Manor Farm's

00:01:34very own Easter bunny. This is Cottontail. Originally, much like me, she's absolutely itching to get going.

00:01:42So let's hop to it this Easter Sunday. That suit your Cottontail? You don't look as if you're going

00:01:48to hop to anything, do you? But you're very happy. That's all right. Coming up, funny, feisty,

00:01:52honest. And she makes for brilliant company. Dame Sheila Hancock on her incredible zest for life.

00:01:58And from a handsome pilot in Foil's War, to winning the heart of Lady Mary in Downton Abbey,

00:02:05to starring in a whole host of musicals. Julian Ovendon continuing to captivate audiences once more

00:02:12as he returns to the West End stage, this time in Cole Porter's High Society.

00:02:17And Simon Lycett takes his Easter floral decorations to a whole new level. And it's not just the kids

00:02:25having fun this Easter. Tom Surge is here with his tempting chocolatey cocktails, including

00:02:30a chocolate bunny martini. Don't be alarmed, Conte. And a white chocolate amaretto.

00:02:37And it's time of hard work and long hours for farmers, but it's also a time made joyful by

00:02:44cuddling newborns. We catch up with one young farmer currently in the throes of the lambing season.

00:02:56But first, our leisurely morning starts right here. Please welcome to the Manor Farm stage,

00:03:01Dame Sheila Hancock and Julian Ovendon. And since it's Easter, the Manor Farm mimosas are out. Look,

00:03:07a nice big treat there, isn't it? I mean, how special is Easter, Sheila, to you?

00:03:13Actually, it's very special to me. I'm a Quaker and we don't celebrate any anniversaries particularly,

00:03:20but I always find Easter a very moving time, the crucifixion. And it's full of human suffering

00:03:30and a man behaving unbelievably well while people are hating, rejecting, ignoring him. And still,

00:03:40he remains a good man. And he's such a good example. I turn to it constantly. There's a wonderful thing,

00:03:48you like classical music and so do I, but one of my most favourite phrases is St. Matthew's Passion.

00:03:54Mm-hm. And there's this marvellous phrase in the music, and he wept bitterly. Yeah, I know that's glorious.

00:04:01It's clear classical music is very close to both of you. You're particularly well-known, Julian,

00:04:07if you're musicals, but what sort of classical music do you listen to? Well, I started, I suppose,

00:04:12with a diet of English choral music. Yeah. I went to school as a chorister, so I was generally at

00:04:19school

00:04:20still singing, but then I love all sorts of, all sorts of music. Um, it's weird. I live with an

00:04:27opera singer, so a lot of opera. Kate Royal. Yeah, a lot of opera. Um, but I, it's difficult. So

00:04:34when

00:04:35you're doing it, it's a bit like, it's a bit like being an actor. You don't necessarily want to sort

00:04:39of

00:04:39surround yourself when you're, you know, clocking off in the evening and not necessarily surrounding

00:04:43yourself with the thing you do in the day. So we don't actually listen to an awful lot of music

00:04:47at home.

00:04:48Um, I want, I so want everybody to have the opportunity to try it. Yeah. Do you know what

00:04:55I mean? I'm passionate. I do a lot of work with youngsters. Yeah. Introducing them to music. You

00:05:00know, they hear a piece of music in the lift and they think, oh, that's nice. Oh, did you know

00:05:05that's

00:05:05by a bloke called Brahms and he's actually written this bit. Do you want to hear this bit? Especially

00:05:10live though. There is something amazing, amazing and also essential if you're experiencing something to

00:05:16have it live. I think that surprises a lot of people who don't go to live music, you know,

00:05:21pop concerts apart, but who don't go to orchestral music, big orchestral concerts. It's amazing.

00:05:27And when you go in and when you're part of it and it surrounds you, it grabs your emotions. I

00:05:31mean,

00:05:31it's so emotional. Oh, let's have a bit of fun. Um, two great stage actors here and film actors and

00:05:37television actors. Mishaps, things that go wrong, because we all love it when you have these, you

00:05:42know, things collapse, things go wrong. I've had so many. We were just saying we've had so many.

00:05:49Audiences love it when things go wrong. I was doing a show in New York, um, and, um, I had

00:05:55to,

00:05:56it was a very, very simple scene. I had to come in and sit down on, I was playing the

00:05:59character of

00:05:59Death and I had to come in and sit down on this, um, on this quite slightly flimsy rattan sort

00:06:05of sofa

00:06:06and as I came on, I was singing at the time and I sat down and I went straight through

00:06:10it.

00:06:12Completely broke the whole thing and ended up on my, on my bum. Um, slightly ruined the, uh,

00:06:17the impression that I was trying to go. Falling over on stage is always... Well,

00:06:20if you're playing Death, you're dying on stage. You gave it a new meaning then, really. Indeed.

00:06:24I, I, I once played, I, at the Royal Shakespeare Company, I did a play called Titus Andronicus.

00:06:29I had to end up eating my sons in a pie, which you can imagine was quite difficult not to

00:06:35giggle.

00:06:35And Roger, Roger Allen was one of my sons and we had to make our entrance with a wonderful old

00:06:41prop that belongs to the RSC, which are these horses. They're very heavy wooden horse heads

00:06:47with long skirts, which you're under and you gallop on like this and it looks as though you're coming

00:06:53on on a horse. Well, I came on, Patrick Stewart was playing Titus Andronicus and he took it

00:06:59terribly seriously. Men love playing kings, you know, and he really loved it. I fell over,

00:07:07and I was on the floor surrounded by my skirt with the head having died on the floor and Roger

00:07:15Allen then started giggling. I started giggling. Patrick Stewart was livid with us because we ruined

00:07:22the entrance. It was just one. And it went on for the entire show. And I had this scene where

00:07:28I

00:07:28had to realise that I, my sons were cooked in a pie. I just could not stop laughing. It just

00:07:35seems so

00:07:35silly. It's a one, it's sort of a, both a wonderful experience not being able to stop laughing and also

00:07:41horrendous. And you dread it every night when you come to that bit. Yeah. You think I mustn't laugh,

00:07:46I mustn't laugh. And I, you spend the whole day thinking, I will not laugh at that bit tonight. And

00:07:50the more

00:07:50you've got someone in this case, like Patrick Stewart, being cross. Oh, the more you want to laugh.

00:07:56Ian McKellen. I was in a play with Ian McKellen and everybody had to die at the end of it.

00:08:02And I,

00:08:02I had to die over a thing and I was giggling as usual. And he actually turned to me and

00:08:07said,

00:08:07stop it. Pull yourself together. I got worse. I got worse. But on the whole,

00:08:16that's awfully bad behaviour. But I, I. People love it though. Oh, they do. They do,

00:08:20but it's naughty. It is naughty. Naughty sometimes nice. Well, you can be as naughty as you like on the

00:08:25show.

00:08:26You can laugh as much as you want as well. Now, you've both had the opportunity

00:08:30to play villains, which I've always suspected is far more fun than playing somebody who's a goody two

00:08:36shoes. I, I certainly find it more fun. Do you? Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Much, much more fun. Who wants

00:08:42to play good

00:08:43people? Good people are boring. Yes. Well, no, I would say that. But I, I, I, I actually, it's fun

00:08:50to get inside the

00:08:51mind. Yes. Of somebody who behaves badly. I mean, an actor's job is to actually feel what that person,

00:09:00if you're a murderer, you've got to find a way of feeling the way that person felt when they committed

00:09:06that murder. Up to a point, presumably, and then stop. Yes. You don't actually do it. But you have to

00:09:12think of it.

00:09:12Also, it's like, it's, it's a mistake to think that we're good or bad. I mean, as an actor, you're

00:09:16trying to,

00:09:17you're trying to empathise with something, as Sheila said. Absolutely. You're trying to understand.

00:09:20Absolutely. Because we've all got all these elements inside. But the trouble is, you always end up,

00:09:25don't you, as an actor, actually believing you're right to have murdered that person. Yes. And the,

00:09:30and the, the, the evenness of you is, is utterly justified. Have you, villainous role, Julian?

00:09:37Yeah, quite a lot in, on television. I mean, I've done a lot of, of American television and being

00:09:41English, they like you to be the villain. You know, um, I think Keir Starmer is finding that at the

00:09:48moment.

00:09:50I, I have to say, I've, I've been watching an old series of yours.

00:09:55Oh, yeah. Of Foil's War. I've, I've got obsessed with this wonderful series.

00:10:00Oh, it's superb. It's from way back in, actually, I think, took over on, after John's programme,

00:10:05Morse Finish. True. And it's the most amazing depiction of what I remember the war was like.

00:10:12Yeah. The calmness, the lack of emotional weeping and wailing and being frightened,

00:10:18just getting on with it. Stoicism, yeah. There you are. Did you pay her 15 quid for that?

00:10:22Money well spent. Thank you both. Much more from Sheila and Julian later on.

00:10:28Coming up, there'll be no abstinence in today's Best of British. Our very own Willy Wonka,

00:10:32Tom Surgey, is tempting us with some chocolatey cocktails, including a cream,

00:10:37egg white Russian with a coffee liqueur. Simon Lycett's making the most of the seasonal bounty

00:10:43with his Easter bouquet, packed with spring delights.

00:10:47And they called it puppy love. Oh, I guess they'll never know.

00:10:59Yes. A cockapoo called Bramble and a Cocker Spaniel called Ivy. Oh, they love it. We meet the puppies,

00:11:06taking man's best friend to a whole new level. Bramble, I've got my eye on you. Be very,

00:11:11very, very careful. He likes having his tummy tickled. Don't we all? Ah, the memories, the memories.

00:11:18Yes, I'll be back with Simon, his bouquets, and the puppies right after this. Julian,

00:11:23help yourself to a cucumber sandwich. I've been enjoying you. Cheers, all. Cheers.

00:11:42Welcome back to Love Your Weekend. It's the first week of April, and life abounds.

00:11:48Lambing is in full swing. Tractors are back to work after winter's pause, and the trees

00:11:54are becoming vibrant and verdant. The promise of more to come. And there's more to come on the show

00:12:00today, including Easter chocktails, baby lambs, and Leslie Joseph gets up close and personal with

00:12:07magnolias. And he can sing, act, dance, and woo with the best of them. Just ask Lady Mary.

00:12:15Star of Downton Abbey, Foil's War, and man of a thousand musicals, Julian Ovenden, on why we're all

00:12:21invited to the most swell party of the year, as he takes to the stage in Cole Porter's High Society.

00:12:28But first, Easter, for the lucky ones among us, is a time to relax and reflect. But for the green

00:12:35-fingered,

00:12:35it's also a perfect time to appreciate all the beautiful British flowers that this time of year

00:12:41has to offer, to showcase how to use some of your garden blooms to bring a splash of colour to

00:12:47your

00:12:48Easter celebrations, floral designer Simon Lycett with a cornucopia of goodies here. Aren't they lovely?

00:12:55And did you lay that yourself? This was laid by the ooh-ah bird, I think.

00:13:00And I think we all know why. It's an ostrich, Jane. Fantastic, isn't it? How do you get the top

00:13:05off?

00:13:05And they're almost like porcelain, so you have to use one of those little hand-cutty drill things. A bit

00:13:11triggering, because the noise is quite dental and the smell is very dental. They come with a tiny hole,

00:13:17so you could just use them as a bud vase, but I've made a bit of a bigger hole, and

00:13:20it becomes

00:13:21a gorgeous vase. Yeah. And then I've got a little urn, which... Hello, little urn!

00:13:27Acts as a wonderful egg cup for it. Add a bit of water. They're not porous, so they're nice and...

00:13:32They are actually, as you said, they are porcelain, aren't they, really? Yes, pretty much. And then just

00:13:37using your hand as a vase, just an assortment of stems, things like these really cute little

00:13:43butterfly ranunculus, which are one of the newer flowers that we're getting now. Oh, they're

00:13:47gorgeous, aren't they? Aren't they cute? They look like Japanese lemones, don't they? And they've got a

00:13:51sort of iridescence to the petals, which just shimmers and sparkles. These is one of my favourites,

00:13:56Ertel Muscari. Muscari, yeah. And the thing about them is, of course, they have to track the early

00:14:01insects, which is why they need as much in their armoury as possible to just draw them in. And then,

00:14:05of course, we love a little bit of... Oh, Grand Solidor! A little bit of fragrance Solidor. So I'm threading

00:14:11the flowers in,

00:14:12I'm making sure that I haven't got any lower stems. You want to trim off or remove all those leaves,

00:14:17otherwise the water can get a bit soupy. Now, I've got to ask you about helibods. I know I ask

00:14:20every

00:14:20time, because a lot of people, you cut these, you put them in water and get... They do. Secret? Secret

00:14:25really

00:14:26is, if you're going to cut them from the garden, try and cut them, get them straight into water. But

00:14:31a lot of

00:14:31people will use a knife and just take one slice, very lightly, all the way down the length of the

00:14:35stem.

00:14:36I also sometimes will put them into hand-hot water, leave them, then top them up with cold water.

00:14:42They are tricky things to deal with. So ideally, always arrange in water,

00:14:47and especially when it's your hellebores. Right. And then just tie it off. I've got...

00:14:52This is a paper-covered wire, so it's not too aggressive on the stems, because spring stems

00:14:57are all quite soft. It looks just like... Yeah, it looks... It's the same colour as the green plastic

00:15:02coating, but yeah. So it goes around, a couple of twists, snip that off,

00:15:07and then trim those stems. And because I've got some lilac in there, I just want to go in and

00:15:12find

00:15:12that lilac stem and split the end, because lilac again is something that is a bit tricky

00:15:17within your vase. And then you have a gorgeous little fragrant treat for Easter.

00:15:23It does. It's as good as a Burford Brown, that isn't it?

00:15:26Now, are you back later? I am, yes. Wonderful. More ideas.

00:15:30More ideas. Well, they're always inspirational. And these tell you that Easter's a ride, don't they?

00:15:40Now, spring has always been a season of renewal, and not much captures the spirit

00:15:45of Easter and new beginnings, quite like a litter of lively puppies. These tiny bundles of fur,

00:15:52much like Easter itself, are a celebration of hope and fresh starts. So sit back, relax,

00:15:59and get ready for a dose of puppy joy. Welcome back, Manor Farm Vet, Bolo Esso,

00:16:05along with puppy trainer, Carol Wright. Welcome to you both. And we've got with us here,

00:16:10we have Anique with Biscuit and Rachel with Waffle, two of the best behaved puppies I have ever seen.

00:16:19Rachel, what is your dog and how old? Waffle is a Sheltie, a Shetland sheepdog,

00:16:24and he's four and a half months old. Right. And Anique? This is Biscuit. She's 15 weeks old.

00:16:30And, yeah, she's a bundle of joy. And the breeds then, from your point of view, Bolo?

00:16:35I think they're both excellent breeds. I'm a bit of a terrier person as well.

00:16:38Yeah. So we've got some working lines in there as well. So there is that instinct to work from

00:16:42both of them as well. But the thing is that with a terrier, you've got a lot more of that

00:16:46ratting

00:16:46and that chasing small game kind of instinct there. So sometimes they can lean towards destructive

00:16:52behaviours if we haven't nicked it in the bud early when they're a young puppy. And then with our

00:16:57Shelties, they're a little bit more calmer than our terriers. Now, Carol, training isn't the same for

00:17:01every kind of puppy. It obviously has to vary a bit, Linda, does it? Well, the training that they need

00:17:06is

00:17:06actually very similar. I think the basics, the foundations of training are the same for all

00:17:12puppies. But obviously there are some distinct breed differences when you're working with them.

00:17:19And temperament differences between adults. Some obviously are very quick to learn.

00:17:22Some really struggle because of distraction. And particularly, you know, you do find in classes,

00:17:28you have some puppies that are actually quite shy and lack confidence, and we need to spend time with

00:17:34them building confidence. And I think a lot of people underestimate how much time they need to

00:17:42actually spend with their puppy. Rachel, is that true of you and Waffle?

00:17:46Yes. We knew that having a puppy would be quite a responsibility in terms of time and things, but

00:17:54completely ignored the fact that he wants to be involved in everything we do, whether it's unloading

00:18:00the dishwasher, doing the laundry, getting ready for work, everything and anything he wants to be

00:18:05involved in. So everything takes longer. Yeah. And how about you and Biscuit? I mean, same sort of thing.

00:18:11Yeah. Dishwasher surfer is what we call her. You have to remember that at this age, this is the age

00:18:16where their brains are forming, their brains are, so they really want that, there's that inquisition,

00:18:20they're interested in everything. Well, they're finding their boundaries, aren't they? Or the boundaries

00:18:23that we create for them. Exactly. This early learning stage is super important for them,

00:18:31because all the behaviours they learn now, they will carry into adulthood. And because they're like

00:18:36sponges in terms of learning, they very quickly pick up, not just the good behaviours that we want,

00:18:43but also some of the behaviours that we don't want. So we're about to meet another puppy, I think.

00:18:47Yes, we've got a little sprocker called Jerry. Right. So a sprocker is a springer and cocker spaniel.

00:18:54Yes. Probably the most alert mix of spaniels that you can possibly get. Absolutely. So our sprocker

00:19:01is Jerry and his handler is Abby. Welcome to you both. Now, this is a cocker with longer legs from

00:19:08the springer, isn't it, really? Exactly. So the springer is slightly bigger than the cocker,

00:19:12and then we've got the best of both worlds here. We hope it's the best and not the worst. Exactly.

00:19:16And when you've got a springer cocker mix, you're definitely going to get that highly incentivised dog,

00:19:20nose, lots of energy, they're full of beans, so they just want to go and play and play. So I

00:19:25think this is

00:19:25where training gets a lot more important. But also it's finding that motivator, because some dogs are

00:19:31motivated by food, and something like a cocker, sprocker, you're going to be motivated more so

00:19:37by maybe activities. By people. Exactly. Abby, is that your experience as well? Tell us about

00:19:42Jerry. Age? So he's coming up to six months now. Right. Yes, we got him into training a bit later

00:19:48on than we probably should have, which Carol might tell you. But he's had two sessions now.

00:19:56And you notice the difference? Yes, absolutely. He's a lot calmer. I know it doesn't look like it,

00:20:01but he actually is. I think the environment, this is one of these high arousal environments for this

00:20:08type of breed. Yeah. And I think the other thing is, I think the training is important for all dogs,

00:20:14but I think particularly, once you start talking working breeds, and spaniels, and collies,

00:20:21they all need a job. Yeah. And they all really thrive on the training. And I think the thing about

00:20:28them is that if you don't give them that job, if you don't give them enough to do, they tend

00:20:32to go

00:20:33self-employed. Exactly. What a lovely way of putting it. Well, Abby and Jerry, who's now occupied in

00:20:40eating something, I'm sure is okay. Thank you very much indeed. Let's have a look at the basic training

00:20:47exercises then. First up, Jason and Bramble. Bramble is about seven months old, a cocker spaniel,

00:20:53working cocker. Close. And she's quite excited by her environment, but that is absolutely fine.

00:20:59Jason's doing exactly the right thing. Bramble would love to come and have a really good sniff

00:21:04around the bales. Yeah. Oh, he's beginning to get the idea. And around the cameras. So we are just

00:21:11waiting. That's it. That's really good, Jason. Being a cocker spaniel, we can smell absolutely

00:21:16everything that's on here. Bramble, close. So we've just lost our concentration, but look,

00:21:22that's super. Boldo, what's becoming really evident here is the requirement of patience in the owner.

00:21:27It's very easy for you to be frustrated by a puppy at such a young age. So you want to

00:21:31have a lot of

00:21:32patience, deep breaths, control your energy as you're training them, because you want to make

00:21:36sure that you're calm so that they can remain calm. And then I've talked to Myron with sheepdogs. He

00:21:41was saying it's always short spells of doing it. Don't tire them doing it. Give them in regular,

00:21:47short spells of doing it. A few minutes at a time, it's absolutely plenty for a young puppy. Well,

00:21:51the cones have gone. We now have toys sprinkled everywhere for Maple, who's here with Monica.

00:21:56So what's going to happen here then, Carol? We're going to be doing a recall. Now,

00:22:00we've got quite a lot of distractions already here, but we've added some in the form of toys for Maple.

00:22:07And Monica's just going to be showing Maple that she's got a very, very yummy treat. And hopefully that

00:22:13treat is going to be sufficient that Maple's not going to feel inclined to head for all the other

00:22:19lovely snippy snails that are going. And if Monica wants to walk to the end of that alley, and then

00:22:25we're going to call Maple to us. Now, if you haven't got her focus, don't call her. Don't call her.

00:22:33Go back.

00:22:35Yeah. So let's go back with that treat and show it again, because she got a little bit distracted.

00:22:40That's much better. Oh, right. You've got the eye. Okay. Now call her. People come.

00:22:48There we are. Well done. So you went and you got the look, and then call. Yes.

00:22:54We've got their attention and they're locked in. That's when you know that you can tell them what

00:22:57to do or how you want them to respond. That's exactly right. So while we've been talking,

00:23:02the course has been set, and now we can let Ivy do her bit with Iona at the helm. So

00:23:10tell us

00:23:10what's going to happen here, Carol. Okay. So Iona is going to be asking Ivy to sit and wait,

00:23:17and Iona's going to walk to the other side of the three jumps, and she's going to recall Ivy through,

00:23:24and then she's going to ask Ivy to come into the middle position at the end. So she's doing

00:23:30essentially a recall into middle. Here we go, then. Iona sit and wait.

00:23:38No distractions. Look at that. Looking. Ivy, come. Middle. Oh, impressive.

00:23:50Yes. Well done, Iona. Well done, Ivy. So what breed have we got here? This is a working

00:23:56cocker. Really? A working cocker spaniel. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Iona, well done. With all the cameras

00:24:01on you and Ivy. So shows up. So that, you were saying, 16 months old here now. Yes, absolutely. So

00:24:17coming up, while the Easter Bunny may be bringing baskets of chocolate and candy, Tom Surge is making

00:24:24sure that the adults are having a great time too, even after the egg hunts are well and truly over.

00:24:29He's here with his selection of choctails, including a tempting sounding chocolate bunny

00:24:35martini and a cocoa twist on a pina colada. Oh, excuse me. Intriguing.

00:24:42And to a man who always intrigues with his suave charm, impeccable vocals and undeniable screen

00:24:48presence, life's so not fair. Yes, from Edelweiss to People Will Say We're In Love to...

00:24:55Some Enchanted Evening. Yes, Some Enchanted Evening. He sung them all. Julian Ovenden on starring

00:25:01in nearly all of my favourite musicals. Join me and Julian for some enchanting fit chat. Right after this.

00:25:23Welcome back to Love Your Weekend. Still ahead. Intelligent, social and naturally curious with

00:25:29fantastic memories. There are a few things in the world as cute as a newborn lamb.

00:25:34It's a shame they grow up in there. How one young farmer's coping with the busiest time in the

00:25:39farming diary. Lambing season. Not much sleep, I would imagine. Also coming up, we meet the first

00:25:45ever sculptor in residence for the British Army's Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

00:25:50Zoe Carmichael takes equine inspiration to a whole new level. But first, to a theatrical jack of all

00:25:58trades, from dramas like Foyle's War, Downton Abbey and calling the shots in trigger point,

00:26:04to lighting up the musical stage with performances like these.

00:26:09Oh, what a wonderful morning. Oh, what a wonderful day. My God, there's the ceiling. Everything's going my way.

00:26:26Oh, what a wonderful day. Get happy. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready.

00:26:54Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready.

00:27:16Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready.

00:27:17Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready.

00:27:22Get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Get ready

00:27:24orchestra. I don't really like you Julian Ovendon. Why am I sitting here talking to someone

00:27:30who can do all that? The feeling when you're doing that.

00:27:35Yeah, oh it's some of the most wonderful vocal music ever written. Yeah, I mean, you know,

00:27:40I'm terrified doing it because they're in big, often big halls and stuff like that but

00:27:44to do it with such an amazing orchestra, it's, yeah, it was a dream for me.

00:27:50Is it the high notes that are terrifying?

00:27:55Maria is a particularly difficult song but, you know, I like a challenge but it is a little

00:28:01bit of a tightrope walk. Actually the hardest thing about that song is you do that big high

00:28:07thing and then the end of the song is very, very, very small and intimate and also quite

00:28:13high and that's much harder technically. We'll talk about drama in a minute but it's drama

00:28:17and music and singing and musicals have always been at the core of what you do. Are those

00:28:24the real, this is why I do this, because this is the feeling I like best?

00:28:28I didn't set out to do musicals, I have to say. My musical training was much more kind

00:28:32of classical and choral. I was a chorister when I was a kid and when I started out to be

00:28:38an

00:28:39film at all or Roger Moore. But I sort of fell into musicals, my second job was a musical

00:28:46at the Donmar, Stephen Sondheim show and I sort of discovered it as I went along.

00:28:53Did you work with him? I did. He came to the dress rehearsal, in fact there was a great moment,

00:28:59we were, the show Merrily Were Wrong starts as a school graduation and the show at the

00:29:04Donmar, the production we did, we started outside as kids and then we processed in, in

00:29:11our robes and we started the show. And we were doing the, we were doing the dress rehearsal

00:29:16the first, yeah, the first run through maybe. And we were outside in the foyer of the Donmar

00:29:22and then out of the corner of my eye I saw, I saw this elderly gentleman and there was

00:29:27a slightly dirty Mac. So thinking I was being helpful I went up to him and said,

00:29:31um, oh, excuse me sir, the show doesn't start for another week but if you want to get tickets

00:29:36the box office is downstairs and I'm sure they'll be able to help you. And he looked to him and

00:29:39he went, I wrote this stuff. So that was my first meeting with him. But his, why his music

00:29:48and his shows work still is that they speak to people on a very human level. And it's about

00:29:55real, real people and what real people feel. And a lot of musicals are a sort of, a sort

00:30:03of fantasy lands perhaps, you know. And his stuff is always anchored in, in quite uncomfortable feelings.

00:30:11Yes. And there's often a lot of heartbreak and resentment. You're about to go into high society.

00:30:18Playing Bing Crosby. Yeah. Or Cary Grant. Or no, yes, yes. So High Society, Cole Porter musical,

00:30:27fantastic, you know, very, very famous film, which is based on a fantastic other film which

00:30:32I think is based on a play called The Philadelphia Story. So yes, we're doing it at the Barbican

00:30:35and then on a national tour around the country, around the British Isles and Dublin for the rest

00:30:42of the year. And so it's going to be, yeah, it's going to be fun. Shall I give you a

00:30:45taster

00:30:46of what you're meant to remember? Oh, do you have to? Oh, go on. Well, just to remind everybody

00:30:49just how brilliant our society is. Here's the film.

00:30:52Have you heard it's in the stars? Next July we collide with Mars. Well, did you ever

00:31:01hear it's in the stars? What a swell party. Swell party. Swell again, elegant party. This

00:31:11is it. Such deliciously close harmony. Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. Pure Hollywood. I mean, you

00:31:24can see the kind of old school confidence and charm they both have there. Yeah. Isn't it? It's interesting

00:31:29watching them both. It's a little bit like comparing Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire in terms

00:31:34of their dancing techniques. Bing Crosby is almost not, he almost not sings. Do you know

00:31:39what I mean? It just sort of comes out of him. It's like effortless. He speaks music. Do you know

00:31:44what I mean? Yeah. Where's Frank Sinatra, I mean, it's one of the greatest singers of all time

00:31:48and his phrasing and everything. But it's, there's much more of a sense of, I don't, craft

00:31:54about Sinatra and he's thought about it. It's wonderful. Yes. So what, I mean, I'm in trouble.

00:32:01No, you're not. No, you're not. Because we've seen your musical credentials. You'll be okay.

00:32:06But it's fine. It's nice to do something. It's nice to reinvent something.

00:32:09Going to the straight acting, I mean, it's wonderful to discover that Sheila at the top of the show said,

00:32:14Foil's War. I've just discovered Foil's War. And you had this series that we at home love

00:32:21and we watch playing Foil, Christopher Foil, Michael Kitchen's son, during that whole episode

00:32:28of the start of the war right the way through to the end. Here is Julian in Foil's War.

00:32:34I hate goodbyes. Oh, come on, Sam. It's only Depton. It's not that far.

00:32:40I know. We're all right. And there are always weekends.

00:32:46Please don't try to cheer me up anymore, Andrew.

00:32:50Well, you'll look after Dad for me. We'll look after each other.

00:32:56Good luck, sir. And you.

00:33:00Good luck, sir.

00:33:06Good luck, sir.

00:33:27War you Honeysuckle Weeks Michael Kitchen it's terribly moving still it's a shame you were such

00:33:34a cad because you'd left her down didn't you I can take you to task about this yeah people get

00:33:41very angry about it well it shows your character's believable I suppose so yes I mean for me it was

00:33:47a

00:33:47great experience because it was my first first job on camera and working with Michael who I think is

00:33:54a great a great actor and also great technician like it's a little bit of a mystery working on

00:34:03camera how to be natural as I'm sure you know I mean you're brilliant at it no that can only

00:34:11play

00:34:11one carry no no but you're in terms of being natural and being yourself that's the hardest

00:34:15thing to do and to be able just to be able to breathe and to be able to be still

00:34:20and to be

00:34:21able to let the audience in he was he's brilliant at that and I certainly learned an awful lot I

00:34:28remember Alan Bennett saying to me once he'd been working with Kenneth Branagh way back on fortunes

00:34:34of war yeah I remember that yeah yeah with Emma Thomas Emma Thomas yeah and Alan played a part of

00:34:40the you professor or lecture yeah and he said oh no love he says I felt watching Ken work it

00:34:44I just

00:34:45felt as though I were pulling faces and it is that there's a stillness about it isn't there and Michael's

00:34:51like that particularly yeah because the camera you let the cameras I suppose do the work although you

00:34:56are working I mean people say you need to do less on camera but to a certain sense that's true

00:35:02but I

00:35:02think you have to work harder emotionally you have to work harder inside yes just you know and let and

00:35:10then

00:35:11let the camera just pick it up but it was an amazing experience and also to be in a show

00:35:16where you know

00:35:17people still like Sheila today mmm saying how much she loves it has a place in a kind of it

00:35:24has a sort of

00:35:24national I don't know consciousness which is yeah it's a rather it was honest it showed what it really

00:35:33felt like to be there yeah it wasn't sensationalist or gung-ho no anything like that it should no yeah

00:35:39yeah and I suppose yeah because a lot of drama now is very much you know there's a lot of

00:35:44tears yeah

00:35:45people think that you have to kind of you know go to to get an award to get an award

00:35:50yeah you have

00:35:51to be operatic and grandstanding and I think that I don't I turn for me I don't tend to be

00:35:57moved by that

00:35:58I tend to be moved by people who are trying not to cry rather than you know cry now to

00:36:07quote William

00:36:08Shakespeare April hath put a spirit of youth in everything and with it come longer days and more

00:36:15opportunities to capture nature and wildlife in the beautiful British countryside you've been busy

00:36:21doing just that so it's only right we show off some of your wonderful photography it's time you guessed

00:36:27for a walk on the wild side

00:37:13a walk on the wild side

00:37:15and I think that's a great story

00:37:16and I think that's a great story

00:37:17and I think that's a great story

00:37:18and I think that's a great story

00:37:21and I think that's a great story

00:37:44¶¶

00:38:09Oh, perfectly capturing the essence of early spring in the British countryside

00:38:13with that glorious music, roll of honour, glorious, my, Oliver Ledbury.

00:38:19Thank you for all your wonderful pictures there.

00:38:21Please do keep sending them in.

00:38:23Still ahead, with long stems, daffodils, heliballs, anemones, tulips, hyacinths.

00:38:28What's not to like about Simon Lyce's Easter bouquet?

00:38:31We'll see you with Simon and his impressive blues right after this.

00:38:48¶¶

00:38:48Springtime brings with it birdsong, baby animals in the fields,

00:38:54bright flowers emerging from the ground,

00:38:57a few rays of sunshine that push through the clouds

00:39:00and, if you're really lucky, a big patch of blue sky.

00:39:03Importantly, it brings with it a real sense of joy, much like today's show.

00:39:09Coming up, Tom Sergi tempting us all with some chocolatey cocktails,

00:39:13including a chocolate egg white Russian

00:39:15and a chocolada complete with obligatory cocktail umbrella.

00:39:20And a bona fide pioneer of stage and scream,

00:39:24Dame Sheila Hancock on why taking life easy simply isn't an option.

00:39:28But first, it's time to enjoy a poetic interlude

00:39:32in this week's Voice of Nature.

00:39:35Here's Clare Rushbrook with Round the Year by Coventry Patmore.

00:39:46The Crocus, while the days are dark, unfolds its saffron sheen.

00:39:53At April's touch, the crudest bark discovers gems of green.

00:39:59Then sleep the seasons full of might, while slowly swells the pod

00:40:04and rounds the peach, and in the night the mushroom bursts the sod.

00:40:11The winter falls, the frozen rut is bound with silver bars.

00:40:17The snowdrift heaps against the hut, and night is pierced with stars.

00:40:31Thank you, Clare. Lovely words.

00:40:34Now, heavily scented hyacinths, daffodils with their golden trumpets

00:40:39and the many textures and colours of tulips,

00:40:43they're all associated with happiness and hope, and quite right too.

00:40:47There really is no season like spring.

00:40:50And as our gardens wake up from their winter sleep,

00:40:53it's no wonder displays of our early risers

00:40:56can put a smile on anyone's face,

00:40:59showing us how we can make the most of this season's blooms.

00:41:02For all, designer, the master himself, Simon Lycett.

00:41:06I'll put your tulips down again now,

00:41:08because I felt I wanted to hold them just to explain, you know.

00:41:11Perfect.

00:41:11Aren't they, Gorge?

00:41:12Do you know, it's a shot in the arm, isn't it?

00:41:14Especially when the sun shines.

00:41:16All that winter wet and grey.

00:41:18What a difference.

00:41:19A few bits of sun make, and some gorgeous spring flowers.

00:41:22I mean, look at this.

00:41:24What have you done?

00:41:25How many hours did it take to do that?

00:41:27So, there's some fake eggs that you can find,

00:41:30lots of sort of craft suppliers sell them,

00:41:32secured to the basket,

00:41:33and then I just poked some moss in amongst it.

00:41:36A little bit of gingham ribbon to add a bit of Easter fun,

00:41:39and then inside I've got a bowl with some two-inch mesh of chicken wire

00:41:43that I've scrunkled up, and some water.

00:41:45And that's my mechanic.

00:41:46This is pure Doris Day, this, isn't it?

00:41:48Pretty much, but I have a bit.

00:41:51And then anything that's a woody stem, like this lovely gelder,

00:41:55so here I'm going to cut it on an angle,

00:41:58and then I'm just going to split that stem as well.

00:42:00And this makes them take out the moisture better.

00:42:02Makes a lot of difference,

00:42:03and also if you can give it a drink for a day or two beforehand,

00:42:06any of the early foliage that we're starting to cut now

00:42:10from our gardens really benefits

00:42:13if you can let it have two or three days cut,

00:42:17stand it in water, in the cool, and then arrange it.

00:42:20And with tulips, they often do them right up to the neck of the flower.

00:42:23Yes.

00:42:23So they don't do that swallow down.

00:42:25And it also means when you arrange them,

00:42:27your vases don't need topping up quite as much,

00:42:30because it's amazing how much water they all take up.

00:42:33So using those to form some little clusters,

00:42:35and then another fabulous favourite kick of green

00:42:38is these heavenly hellebores.

00:42:40You know, when you look inside a flower like that,

00:42:43in the spring sunshine,

00:42:45and you see the work of art with those golden-tipped stamens

00:42:48and the petals, dainty white, flushed with lime green.

00:42:53I mean, it's just...

00:42:54And as the petals fall, you get the...

00:42:57Or as the central part of the flower falls,

00:43:00you get the back half of it, as it were,

00:43:04going green rather than white.

00:43:06So it lasts and lasts and lasts.

00:43:08And I like to grow mine in pots,

00:43:10because they can be a little bit sort of...

00:43:12They'll sort of hang their heads quite often.

00:43:14So I grow mine in pots, and then you can move them around...

00:43:17Lift them up.

00:43:27And again, this is a really woody stem,

00:43:29so cut on an angle and split up the stem.

00:43:32And the way I'm arranging,

00:43:33as I'm pushing into my container,

00:43:35what I don't want to do

00:43:37is just jam it down in onto the wire.

00:43:40You need to just negotiate the stems through.

00:43:42Right the way through,

00:43:43which is why you use that wider chicken wire

00:43:45rather than the narrow one,

00:43:46which is more difficult.

00:43:47And then things like these anemones

00:43:49that are just...

00:43:50To me, they're a fabulous spring flare.

00:43:52They're one of my real faves.

00:43:54Absolutely gorgeous, this.

00:43:56I mean, there's nothing...

00:43:58There's a kind of bashfulness

00:43:59about the way the flower sits there,

00:44:01but nothing remotely bashful about its colour

00:44:03when it fully opens like that.

00:44:05And that black centre's magnificent, isn't it?

00:44:07And that little ruff of green calyx

00:44:11behind the corolla,

00:44:12just a bit of botany there.

00:44:14Now, with your tulips,

00:44:15do you take any leaf off?

00:44:16I try and take quite a bit off.

00:44:17And also, when you're arranging tulips,

00:44:19if they will grow about three or four inches

00:44:22during the vase life,

00:44:24so just be aware,

00:44:25if you're arranging something

00:44:26and you're not going to use it for a few days,

00:44:28cut them a little bit shorter

00:44:29to allow for them growing.

00:44:31But you can always pop them out,

00:44:32just trim it down

00:44:33and put them back in again afterwards.

00:44:35It's a whole range of colours,

00:44:38the range of, you know,

00:44:39the parrot tulips

00:44:40with their frilly petals

00:44:42that have been sliced at the edges,

00:44:44the lily flower that go in

00:44:46and then come out again,

00:44:47the range of tulips you can get now

00:44:49to grow in the garden.

00:44:50And if you've got a veg patch,

00:44:53go wild and buying tulip bulbs

00:44:55come the autumn

00:44:56and you can plant them

00:44:56right up to Christmas tulips.

00:44:57They're quite happy

00:44:58being planted late.

00:44:59And then,

00:45:00if you plant them on the veg patch,

00:45:01you don't mind cutting them.

00:45:03No.

00:45:04As a cutting,

00:45:05and some of them will come up

00:45:06year after year after year.

00:45:07So, a little few ranunculus in there.

00:45:09Look at that.

00:45:11Joyous.

00:45:12I mean,

00:45:12a Barbara Cartland of a flower.

00:45:15It is, isn't it?

00:45:16It's a fully double tutu.

00:45:17There's a ballet.

00:45:18You know,

00:45:19in the old days

00:45:19when Strictly come dancing,

00:45:21when they used to wear frocks like that,

00:45:22in the days of Peter West

00:45:24and Terry Wogan

00:45:25doing come dancing,

00:45:27that's for the older members

00:45:28of our audience.

00:45:29He'll go back that far.

00:45:31But it's not your audience.

00:45:31There's patent leather hair

00:45:32on all the men

00:45:33and a million sequins on the ladies.

00:45:34Yes.

00:45:35All sewn on thy hand

00:45:36by their mothers.

00:45:37Yes.

00:45:38Remember that well.

00:45:39I'm getting a nice little bunch here.

00:45:40Look at these.

00:45:40Oh, look at that, Sam.

00:45:42Now, what are you doing with that?

00:45:43Little cone of

00:45:44just some bobby-dazzle

00:45:46coloured paper.

00:45:47They were actually sold

00:45:48as little baskets.

00:45:49But then, look,

00:45:50I've got some of these.

00:45:51Oh!

00:45:52Little Easter eggs.

00:45:54So, just sit those in there

00:45:56and then just nestle that

00:45:59in amongst your arrangement.

00:46:01How wonderful.

00:46:02And it means that you can

00:46:03share a few eggs.

00:46:04Yeah, with all the family.

00:46:05But particularly, me.

00:46:09I'll give you one for later.

00:46:10Oh, thank you.

00:46:10Right.

00:46:11I'll give him a little bunch here.

00:46:13Wonderful.

00:46:14Go on, you put that.

00:46:14I'll put that one in down there.

00:46:16I'm always worried about

00:46:17putting things in your arrangement.

00:46:18It's good for doing it there.

00:46:20Oh, superb.

00:46:21Simon, you are, as ever,

00:46:23a genius.

00:46:24Pleasure.

00:46:25Who wouldn't want that

00:46:26on their table

00:46:27at Easter?

00:46:29Simon, you're a genius.

00:46:30Thank you very much.

00:46:31Happy Easter.

00:46:32Happy Easter.

00:46:33Oh!

00:46:34Don't eat the ones

00:46:35with silver paper on.

00:46:42You're all right.

00:46:43Thank you for those.

00:46:44Thank you very much.

00:46:47Caught me on my very own

00:46:48Easter egg hunt

00:46:49in Manor Farms' chicken coop.

00:46:51Now, did you know

00:46:52egg giving at Easter

00:46:53goes back hundreds of years?

00:46:55The earliest record

00:46:57of an Easter egg in England

00:46:58was almost 800 years ago

00:47:00in 1290

00:47:02when King Edward I

00:47:04bought 450 eggs,

00:47:07had them decorated,

00:47:08then gave them

00:47:09to members of his household.

00:47:11Finding 450 here

00:47:12might be a bit of a stretch.

00:47:14I've got a couple.

00:47:15While I'm looking,

00:47:16time for the latest

00:47:16in our series

00:47:17on Britain's young farmers.

00:47:19Today,

00:47:20we're heading to East Sussex

00:47:22to visit Luke Curtis,

00:47:23who's deep in the throes

00:47:25of that most Easter-y

00:47:27of periods,

00:47:27the lambing season.

00:47:39Get them up, Ben.

00:47:41My journey in farming

00:47:43began when I was 12 years old.

00:47:45I used to help

00:47:46a close family friend out

00:47:47at lambing time

00:47:48in the evenings after school.

00:47:50And then, yeah,

00:47:51my passion for farming

00:47:52began there

00:47:52and just carried on with me

00:47:54until I went to agricultural college

00:47:56to play for their football academy

00:47:58as a profession.

00:47:59But I knew the head

00:48:01of agriculture there

00:48:01and he talked me

00:48:02into joining the course

00:48:03and I never played

00:48:04a game of football after that.

00:48:07In this journey of farming,

00:48:09you don't have to come

00:48:10from a family farm.

00:48:11It's all about

00:48:12the people you meet

00:48:13and the opportunities

00:48:13that can arise

00:48:14around those people

00:48:16that makes it

00:48:17one of the best jobs

00:48:17in the world.

00:48:19I first started

00:48:20my sheep journey

00:48:21with four ewes,

00:48:23which I got

00:48:23as a graduation present

00:48:24from college

00:48:25and then many moons ago

00:48:27and now we're at 300 ewes

00:48:29of my own

00:48:30on this holding,

00:48:31currently expanding

00:48:32all the time.

00:48:34So another part

00:48:35of the diversification

00:48:36in my life

00:48:37is that I come

00:48:38and help subcontract.

00:48:39A local farmer

00:48:40gets me in

00:48:41to do the sheep management.

00:48:42We've been lambing here

00:48:43for the past two months.

00:48:45It's a tiring job

00:48:47at this time of year

00:48:47because we are up

00:48:4824-7.

00:48:50This really is

00:48:51the start of lambing.

00:48:52Now we've got 300

00:48:52left to do.

00:48:55So we mark up

00:48:56the ewes and lambs

00:48:57with the same number

00:48:59so that when they go outside

00:49:00we can identify

00:49:01who they belong to

00:49:02if there's an issue

00:49:03that may arise

00:49:04and then we can

00:49:05sort out the problem.

00:49:06It's a good management tool.

00:49:09We've just come in

00:49:09this morning

00:49:10and we've just walked in

00:49:11and we've seen

00:49:11this ewes started lambing

00:49:12and we can tell

00:49:14that this lamb

00:49:15is coming backwards.

00:49:16Normally you want

00:49:16to present it

00:49:17obviously two front legs

00:49:18and a nose

00:49:19because it's the most

00:49:20streamlined for them

00:49:21but when they're

00:49:22coming backwards

00:49:22you have to kind of

00:49:23intervene and make sure

00:49:24you get them out.

00:49:25So that is what we're

00:49:26going to do

00:49:27is give her a little

00:49:27helping hand

00:49:28and make sure

00:49:29it comes out

00:49:30nice and quick

00:49:31because you don't

00:49:31want the lamb

00:49:32taking its first breath

00:49:33inside the sheep

00:49:34because then it can

00:49:36obviously drown

00:49:36in the birthing fluid.

00:49:37So what we've got now

00:49:38is the second lamb

00:49:40is jumbled up

00:49:41with its brother

00:49:41or sister

00:49:42because she's got

00:49:43three on board

00:49:44so it's a little bit

00:49:45of a jumble up

00:49:47in there

00:49:48so now we've got

00:49:49to try and determine

00:49:50which legs belong

00:49:51to which lamb

00:49:52and we're going to

00:49:52try and make mummy

00:49:53do a fair bit

00:49:55of the work

00:49:56seeing as that's

00:49:57a natural way

00:49:58she would normally

00:49:58do it

00:49:59but we've had

00:50:00to help her out

00:50:01a little bit.

00:50:03We'll go get

00:50:04one more out now.

00:50:13so when they come out

00:50:14we want to make sure

00:50:15that all their airways

00:50:16are clear as possible

00:50:17which is to kickstart

00:50:19them in this

00:50:21fascinating cycle

00:50:22of them getting up

00:50:23and bonding

00:50:24with the mother

00:50:25but what we also do

00:50:26is make sure

00:50:27they're sitting

00:50:28with their two front legs

00:50:29out

00:50:30so it naturally

00:50:31makes them lift

00:50:31their head up

00:50:32and it extends

00:50:33their airways

00:50:34so they can get

00:50:35a good breath

00:50:37so this first lamb

00:50:38is no longer

00:50:40than what

00:50:40two minutes old

00:50:41and he's already

00:50:42trying to find

00:50:43his feet

00:50:43to get his close

00:50:44bond with his mum

00:50:45and try and get

00:50:45towards that milk

00:50:46which is so vital

00:50:47for them surviving

00:50:48in this early stage

00:50:49because the first bit

00:50:50of colostrum

00:50:50they get from the ewe

00:50:51it's like gold dust

00:50:52it's so strong

00:50:53of all the antibodies

00:50:54they need to survive

00:51:00so what we've got

00:51:01happening now

00:51:01is a sheep's

00:51:02seen the newborn

00:51:04lambs

00:51:04and decided

00:51:05she wants to be

00:51:06an auntie

00:51:07and try and

00:51:08mother up

00:51:09with one of these

00:51:10lambs

00:51:10even though they're

00:51:11not hers

00:51:11one of these

00:51:12newborn lambs

00:51:13could think

00:51:13that this sheep

00:51:14is her new mother

00:51:15so then

00:51:16actually

00:51:17this ewe's

00:51:18not given birth yet

00:51:19so she's gained

00:51:20a lamb

00:51:20and then

00:51:21if you try

00:51:22and put the

00:51:22newborn lamb

00:51:23back to her mother

00:51:24she might reject it

00:51:25so it's important

00:51:26now that we

00:51:26take the ewe

00:51:28that's just given

00:51:29birth with the lambs

00:51:30into an individual

00:51:31pen where she can

00:51:32create that bond

00:51:33between her

00:51:34and her newborn lambs

00:51:35without somebody else

00:51:36interfering

00:51:40I'm very happy

00:51:41because that's

00:51:42a good start

00:51:42today's the due date

00:51:43and they're on time

00:51:44which is the main thing

00:51:45you know

00:51:46that means I've done

00:51:47my part right

00:51:53thank you Luke

00:51:55coming up

00:51:56coming up

00:51:56how brewers

00:51:57and distillers

00:51:58are getting in

00:51:58on the act

00:51:59luring adult sweet tooth

00:52:01with classic Easter

00:52:02flavours

00:52:02and capturing

00:52:03the spirit of the season

00:52:05with whimsical

00:52:06Easter cocktails

00:52:07that's keen

00:52:09connoisseur of

00:52:10confection

00:52:10Tom Sergi

00:52:11has all bases

00:52:12covered

00:52:13in today's

00:52:14best of British

00:52:14and she's the

00:52:16household cavalry

00:52:17sculptor

00:52:18in residence

00:52:19after years

00:52:20in a city job

00:52:21Zoe Carmichael

00:52:22was destined

00:52:23to devote herself

00:52:24to the antique

00:52:25discipline of sculpture

00:52:26and immortalise

00:52:27her favourite

00:52:28subjects

00:52:29horses

00:52:30in bronze

00:52:31I'll see you

00:52:32with Zoe

00:52:32and her equine

00:52:34bronzes

00:52:34right after this

00:52:48welcome back to

00:52:50Love Your Weekend

00:52:50coming up

00:52:51you name it

00:52:52she's done it

00:52:53Dame Sheila Hancock

00:52:54on being top of her game

00:52:55for over seven decades

00:52:57and he's been on his

00:52:59very own Easter egg hunt

00:53:00to find the perfect

00:53:01treats for us

00:53:02Tom Sergi

00:53:03indulging us

00:53:04with his

00:53:04eclectic selection

00:53:06of Easter

00:53:07chocolatey tipples

00:53:08I see he's dressed

00:53:09for the occasion

00:53:10I ask no questions

00:53:11now earlier

00:53:13you saw me

00:53:13in a vehicle

00:53:14so quirky

00:53:15it could be

00:53:16straight out

00:53:16of wacky races

00:53:17and so vintage

00:53:18it makes the

00:53:19Reliant Robin

00:53:20look like a spaceship

00:53:21my short drive

00:53:22in the 1900

00:53:25locomobile steam car

00:53:26thought to be

00:53:27the world's first

00:53:28mass-produced car

00:53:30wasn't nearly enough

00:53:31to satisfy my

00:53:32murder and curiosity

00:53:33so owner

00:53:34Tony Slingo

00:53:35has hopped back

00:53:36in the driving seat

00:53:37to explain how

00:53:38he came into possession

00:53:40of this time capsule

00:53:42on wheels

00:53:43when you hear a sound

00:53:44like that

00:53:45well it thrills me

00:53:46well stopped

00:53:47Tony

00:53:49I'm getting very good

00:53:50at this now

00:53:50you're getting good

00:53:51at it

00:53:51I really enjoyed it

00:53:53it was a bit scary

00:53:54at the top of the show

00:53:55tell me about it

00:53:56I mean 1900

00:53:57the first mass-produced car

00:53:59it's thought to be

00:54:00the world's first

00:54:01mass-produced car

00:54:02between

00:54:041897

00:54:04and

00:54:051904

00:54:07it's thought that

00:54:083,000 were made

00:54:09gosh

00:54:10and

00:54:10but sadly

00:54:11now only about

00:54:1212 worldwide

00:54:13survive

00:54:14so this is

00:54:15extraordinarily rare

00:54:17how did you come

00:54:17upon it

00:54:18I bought this

00:54:19actually from

00:54:20a steam specialist

00:54:21down in Exeter

00:54:22did it look like this

00:54:23no it didn't

00:54:24no it was

00:54:24in many boxes

00:54:25of bits

00:54:27and

00:54:28but I was looking

00:54:29for a challenge

00:54:30having restored

00:54:31many classic cars

00:54:32over the year

00:54:32how did you work out

00:54:33what went well

00:54:34luckily I found

00:54:35someone up in

00:54:36Cambridge

00:54:36that also owns a car

00:54:37yeah

00:54:38and he kindly

00:54:39allowed me to pop up

00:54:40there and photograph

00:54:40his car and detail it

00:54:42which helped me

00:54:43obviously enormously

00:54:44but it's a delightful

00:54:45run

00:54:45it feels like driving

00:54:47Chitty Bang Bang

00:54:47when you're on top of it

00:54:48you've got steering

00:54:49here

00:54:50steering

00:54:50that's the steering

00:54:52column

00:54:52so that just

00:54:53moves the wheels

00:54:54left and right

00:54:54this here

00:54:56is the throttle

00:54:57steam throttle

00:54:58yes

00:54:59and this is

00:55:00so that's forward

00:55:00and you put that

00:55:01back and it's reverse

00:55:02exactly

00:55:02end of controls

00:55:03that's it

00:55:04but I did feel

00:55:05it was a bit like

00:55:05doing this

00:55:06it's exactly that way

00:55:07yeah

00:55:07but a lot of fun

00:55:09so it's powered

00:55:10obviously

00:55:11by water

00:55:12steam

00:55:12yes

00:55:13what heats the water

00:55:15it's got a

00:55:16petrol fired burner

00:55:17underneath

00:55:17which was actually

00:55:18quite advanced

00:55:19for its day

00:55:19prior to this

00:55:21obviously most of the

00:55:21steam engines

00:55:22were coal fired

00:55:23so this was a huge

00:55:24leap forward

00:55:25in technology

00:55:26for the day

00:55:27pressurised fuel

00:55:28which is injected

00:55:29into the engine

00:55:30through a vaporiser

00:55:32and then that

00:55:33comes out of the

00:55:33vaporiser

00:55:34back into the burner

00:55:35to produce

00:55:37obviously the flame

00:55:38that you need

00:55:38to heat

00:55:39so I mean

00:55:40how big is the

00:55:41water tank

00:55:42it holds 19 litres

00:55:44so it's actually

00:55:44quite small

00:55:45and it consumes

00:55:46about a gallon

00:55:47of water per mile

00:55:48so you can go

00:55:50what

00:55:50about 15-20 miles

00:55:5115 miles

00:55:52or so

00:55:52you're knocking

00:55:53on someone's door

00:55:53looking for a pond

00:55:54basically

00:55:55but that's the way

00:55:56it was

00:55:57and how fast

00:55:57can you go

00:55:58because I have to say

00:55:58when I came around

00:55:59that car

00:55:59I thought crumbs

00:56:00this is faster

00:56:00than that

00:56:01well it's sort of

00:56:02cruiser speed

00:56:03comfortably

00:56:03sort of 15-20 miles

00:56:04an hour

00:56:05but it will do

00:56:0630 miles an hour

00:56:08which given the

00:56:09controls is actually

00:56:10as you know

00:56:11from yourself

00:56:11you have to be

00:56:12quite brave

00:56:12exactly

00:56:13have you done

00:56:14the London to

00:56:14Brighton in it

00:56:15no I haven't

00:56:16no

00:56:18what I would like

00:56:19to do actually

00:56:20is complete the

00:56:22John de Groot's

00:56:23the land's end

00:56:24journey

00:56:24this was one of

00:56:25the first cars

00:56:26to actually make

00:56:27that journey

00:56:27how long did it

00:56:28take

00:56:2816 days

00:56:30that's an awful

00:56:31lot of 20 gallons

00:56:32but the springs on it

00:56:33I felt it was really

00:56:34quite comfortable

00:56:35coming down

00:56:36it is quite comfortable

00:56:36and of course the seat's

00:56:37nice and warm

00:56:38because you're actually

00:56:38sitting on the burner

00:56:39and the boiler

00:56:40so it's actually

00:56:41a nice place to be

00:56:43you can see though

00:56:44can't you

00:56:44what it developed from

00:56:45the horse's carriage

00:56:46oh absolutely

00:56:47it's just missing

00:56:48the horse at the front

00:56:49isn't it

00:56:49you've even got

00:56:49the sort of

00:56:50classic buckboard

00:56:50sort of shape

00:56:51yeah team of horse

00:56:52in the front

00:56:52that wouldn't look

00:56:53out of place at all

00:56:54well done you

00:56:55for putting it together

00:56:56and do you get a chance

00:56:57to use it a lot now

00:56:58as much as I can

00:57:00yes

00:57:00I mean it's still

00:57:01under development

00:57:01there's still work to do

00:57:02but we're making

00:57:04good progress with it

00:57:05well we've had

00:57:06an absolutely glorious

00:57:07day being with you

00:57:08and I'm thrilled to bits

00:57:10that is now

00:57:10officially

00:57:11the oldest car

00:57:12I've ever driven

00:57:13I've done the one

00:57:14that was about

00:57:141903

00:57:15the moors

00:57:16in the London

00:57:16to Brighton

00:57:17well I've been on it

00:57:18and I drove a little

00:57:18bit of it

00:57:19probably an internal

00:57:19combustion engine

00:57:20in that one

00:57:21yes it was

00:57:22well this takes

00:57:23probably three quarters

00:57:24an hour to raise steam

00:57:25so of course

00:57:26as soon as the

00:57:27internal combustion

00:57:27engine came along

00:57:28no one wanted a steam car

00:57:30ah but you see

00:57:31you're talking to a patron

00:57:32of the watercrest line

00:57:32down here in Hampshire

00:57:33I'm very happy to be

00:57:34anywhere near steam

00:57:36yes

00:57:36well I should begrudgingly

00:57:37let you go now

00:57:38it's been a delight

00:57:39to be with it

00:57:40and to have

00:57:41actually driven a steam car

00:57:42thank you Terry

00:57:43pleasure to be here today

00:57:44thank you

00:57:49did you know that in some parts of Germany

00:57:52they don't have visits from

00:57:54the Easter bunny at this time of year

00:57:56but from an Easter fox

00:57:57a strange thought isn't it

00:58:00don't worry

00:58:00can't tell I'm much happier with bunnies

00:58:03rabbit man myself

00:58:05now anybody can write a diary

00:58:07but what it really needs is a wealth of lived experience

00:58:10that's why the very best tell-alls

00:58:13concern those with a fair few years under their belt

00:58:16what better subject for this week's spring diaries then

00:58:20than the ancient magnolia

00:58:25let's go to the next week's spring diaries

00:58:34dear diary

00:58:36last night I travelled through the night to Lindhurst

00:58:39ahead of Mr Biggin's grand arrival

00:58:42I confessed to feeling quite spent

00:58:44that was until my eyes caught sight of

00:58:47what could only be described as

00:58:49spring spectacle of splendour

00:58:52that I was quite compelled to halt my promenade

00:58:55clutch my parasol

00:58:56and allow myself

00:58:58a moment of genuine admiration

00:59:01dear diary

00:59:03you would not believe it

00:59:04the magnolia has begun

00:59:07I am bewitched by her presence

00:59:10one does not simply notice a magnolia in bloom

00:59:14no

00:59:14one encounters it

00:59:16like arriving at a grand ball

00:59:18and discovering a duchess

00:59:20already stationed at the top of the staircase

00:59:22draped in silk

00:59:24with a feather in her hair

00:59:26and every eye

00:59:27fixed firmly upon her

00:59:29I know jealousy is unbecoming

00:59:32but there are times one does struggle

00:59:34for if ever

00:59:36a tree knew how to command attention

00:59:38it is

00:59:40the magnolia

00:59:42I would be wrong to deny her such greatness

00:59:45because magnolias are positively

00:59:47ancient aristocrats of the plant world

00:59:50in fact

00:59:51they were blooming on earth

00:59:53long before bees had even evolved

00:59:55more than 90 million years ago

00:59:58oh

00:59:59what beautiful blooms they are

01:00:02many magnolias flower before a single leaf appears

01:00:05leaving their branches decorated only

01:00:08with those glorious chalice shaped blossoms

01:00:11each one poised on a twig

01:00:13like a champagne glass

01:00:15waiting to be filled

01:00:16daring you

01:00:17to lift it to your lips

01:00:19and taste spring itself

01:00:22oh

01:00:23I hear Mr. Biggins has arrived

01:00:25so with great speed

01:00:26I must put will

01:00:27and paper down

01:00:28yours

01:00:29as ever

01:00:29L. Joseph

01:00:35thank you Leslie very much indeed

01:00:37did you know

01:00:37the scent of some magnolia flowers

01:00:40can trigger brain receptors

01:00:42associated with romantic feelings

01:00:44botanical romance at its best

01:00:47who knew

01:00:48now

01:00:49she's an internationally recognized sculptor

01:00:52known for capturing the spirit movement

01:00:54and power of equine life

01:00:56in extraordinary detail

01:00:58after training

01:00:59in a legendary

01:01:00Florence art school

01:01:02Zoe Carmichael went on

01:01:03to become the first ever

01:01:05sculptor in residence

01:01:06with the British Army's

01:01:08household cavalry mounted regiment

01:01:10where she continues

01:01:11to capture the military horses

01:01:13in bronze

01:01:14with such a pedigree

01:01:16I'm delighted that Zoe's carved

01:01:18some time out

01:01:19from her busy schedule

01:01:20sorry about that

01:01:21to visit us here

01:01:22at Manor Farm

01:01:24Zoe lovely to see

01:01:25what astonishes me

01:01:27is that

01:01:28you've only been

01:01:29doing this for about

01:01:30four years

01:01:30you began your working life

01:01:32in the city

01:01:33yes I did

01:01:35as what

01:01:35I was head of account management

01:01:37at a market data

01:01:39finance firm

01:01:39and that's the way in

01:01:41to start sculpting things

01:01:42how astonishing

01:01:43what triggered the change

01:01:45apart from bravery

01:01:46well I fancied a two week holiday

01:01:48to Florence

01:01:49and I picked a two week

01:01:51sculpting course

01:01:52and

01:01:53and I got there

01:01:54and then thought

01:01:55hold on a second

01:01:56this all makes quite a lot of sense

01:01:57and then went back home

01:01:59quit my job

01:02:00everybody thought I was

01:02:01having a nervous breakdown

01:02:02moved to Florence for a year

01:02:04and here we are

01:02:05what a wonderful

01:02:06wonderful story

01:02:07well let's have a look

01:02:08at the process

01:02:09and also some of the

01:02:10glorious things

01:02:11that you've made

01:02:11first sculptor in residence

01:02:13for the household cavalry

01:02:14mounted regiment

01:02:14wow

01:02:16and they begin life

01:02:17like this

01:02:18yes this is the armature

01:02:20and you've got to make

01:02:21the armature quite strong

01:02:22especially for

01:02:23sculptures like Juno

01:02:25which carry a lot of weight

01:02:26and

01:02:27and it starts off

01:02:28with a T

01:02:29and then you add on

01:02:30the extra appendages

01:02:32for legs and tails

01:02:33or

01:02:34or

01:02:34rhino horns

01:02:35and things like that

01:02:36and you can see

01:02:37where I've added it on

01:02:38how I start

01:02:39so

01:02:39you know

01:02:40you kind of

01:02:40just take it

01:02:41and you just

01:02:42squish it round

01:02:43and then we go to

01:02:44yeah

01:02:45and then

01:02:45you start to

01:02:47put the clay on

01:02:48so this is about

01:02:49day three

01:02:50I would say

01:02:51yeah

01:02:51and where I

01:02:53you can see it's still

01:02:54quite rough

01:02:54but you can start

01:02:55to see the general

01:02:56when this is finished

01:02:57then and refined

01:02:58and this is

01:02:59you know

01:02:59part of the way

01:03:00through at the moment

01:03:00the next stage

01:03:01then presumably

01:03:02involves this down

01:03:03here does it

01:03:04so

01:03:04yeah so then

01:03:05you put the silicon

01:03:07I'll show you

01:03:08should we

01:03:09do you mind

01:03:09helping me open it

01:03:10yeah okay

01:03:11so

01:03:11there we go

01:03:14so this is

01:03:15when you get

01:03:16the foundry involved

01:03:17and you work

01:03:18together with them

01:03:19and this is

01:03:20the silicon layer

01:03:21now so

01:03:22we take that

01:03:23yeah

01:03:24we put it

01:03:25in what

01:03:26well you just drip

01:03:28this would be liquid

01:03:29and you drip

01:03:30it's like

01:03:31you've never had

01:03:32your nails done

01:03:32no not recently

01:03:34I'm a gardener

01:03:35they're awful

01:03:36I'm a sculptor

01:03:38why not too

01:03:38so you pour

01:03:40liquid silicon on

01:03:41and it sets

01:03:41right

01:03:42and you do

01:03:42another layer

01:03:43yeah

01:03:43and then you put

01:03:44a plaster layer

01:03:44on the top

01:03:45and so you do

01:03:46it in two halves

01:03:47like you can see

01:03:47with the rhino

01:03:48yes

01:03:49this mould

01:03:50this is done

01:03:50this has had

01:03:52its mould taken

01:03:53is this what

01:03:53comes out

01:03:54yes so the

01:03:55liquid wax

01:03:56gets poured in

01:03:57there

01:03:57right

01:03:57and you let it

01:03:58set

01:03:58and then

01:03:59so you'll see

01:04:00that this

01:04:01fits

01:04:02fits in there

01:04:03exactly

01:04:04yeah

01:04:04in like that

01:04:05wow

01:04:05and then

01:04:07so that is just

01:04:08wax now

01:04:09yeah

01:04:09and you join

01:04:10them back together

01:04:11yeah

01:04:11two halves

01:04:12yeah

01:04:14I'm only asking

01:04:15these naive questions

01:04:16on behalf of the viewer

01:04:17because I don't know

01:04:18either

01:04:18so it's

01:04:20quite light

01:04:20yes but it's fragile

01:04:21isn't it

01:04:21it's very fragile

01:04:22yeah

01:04:23it's very light

01:04:24yeah

01:04:24please take it off

01:04:25and then

01:04:27what you do

01:04:28is you

01:04:28you take this

01:04:29sculpture

01:04:29and the

01:04:30the foundry

01:04:31attach runners

01:04:32so their

01:04:33their wax

01:04:34lines

01:04:35yeah

01:04:36and you dip it

01:04:37in a ceramic liquid

01:04:38yeah

01:04:39which you dip

01:04:40over a period of

01:04:41say two weeks

01:04:41and it sets hard

01:04:42and you put that

01:04:43in a kiln

01:04:44so then the ceramic

01:04:45will set completely hard

01:04:47right

01:04:47and the wax

01:04:48will evaporate

01:04:49so from clay

01:04:50to wax

01:04:50to ceramic

01:04:51yep

01:04:52to

01:04:52pour in liquid

01:04:53molten bronze

01:04:54wow

01:04:55that is

01:04:56you see

01:04:56that's beautiful

01:04:57but when you do

01:04:59this to it

01:05:00yes

01:05:00oh my goodness

01:05:01I'm back in Venice

01:05:03with the horses

01:05:04on some marks

01:05:05those amazing horses

01:05:07I love that

01:05:08that's a

01:05:08quite an experimentation

01:05:09so what do you use

01:05:11what do you put on it

01:05:11so this is fresh bronze

01:05:13you have to polish it down

01:05:14like this

01:05:15so there's not

01:05:15any kind of residue

01:05:16your fingers or anything

01:05:17right

01:05:18and then

01:05:18you need a lot of

01:05:19acid and heat

01:05:21heat to create

01:05:22different parts of the process

01:05:23but your real

01:05:24piece de resist

01:05:25on Zoe

01:05:25is Juno the drum horse

01:05:28in silver

01:05:29we've got

01:05:29the bronze version

01:05:32over there

01:05:32but this is astonishing

01:05:34and I mean

01:05:35what an honour

01:05:36because the queen named Juno

01:05:38I think didn't she

01:05:39yep Juno was named

01:05:40by the queen

01:05:41yeah

01:05:41and then casting it in silver

01:05:43yeah

01:05:43this is my first silver piece

01:05:45and the first silver

01:05:47of the drum horse

01:05:48and she's the first mayor

01:05:49to the household cavalry

01:05:50manager regiment

01:05:51so it's a really special piece

01:05:53to do

01:05:53I'll tell you what

01:05:54don't go back to the city

01:05:58absolutely breathtaking

01:05:59quite busy now

01:05:59I bet you're quite busy now

01:06:01and you can obviously

01:06:02make a living at it as well

01:06:03with many conditions

01:06:04luckily

01:06:04I feel very lucky

01:06:05yes

01:06:06well I think we feel very lucky

01:06:07having seen exactly what you do

01:06:08thank you so much Zoe

01:06:10thank you for having me

01:06:11you're welcome

01:06:12come back again

01:06:13I'm enamoured

01:06:14glorious glorious work

01:06:16coming up

01:06:17we haven't spent ourselves entirely

01:06:20in spite of this glory here

01:06:21five Easter choctales

01:06:24that are worth

01:06:25hopping to the bar for

01:06:26Tom Sergi's serving up

01:06:28a cream egg white Russian

01:06:29and chocolate bunny martini

01:06:31at the end of the show

01:06:32and she's an Olivier Award winner

01:06:35an OBE recipient

01:06:37and now a dame

01:06:38Sheila Hancock

01:06:39on the twists and turns

01:06:40of an impressive acting career

01:06:42and now Betty Davis

01:06:44inspired her to keep going

01:06:45I'll see you with the dame

01:06:47and more

01:06:48right after this

01:07:01welcome back to

01:07:03Love Your Weekend

01:07:04coming up

01:07:04chocolate and boozy treats

01:07:06I mean I say more

01:07:08could it be Easter

01:07:09but first

01:07:10do a treat of a different kind

01:07:12and somebody

01:07:12who never fails to entertain

01:07:14my next guest

01:07:15is one of the most respected

01:07:16actresses and writers of our time

01:07:18she became a household name

01:07:20in the 1960s sitcom

01:07:21The Rag Trade

01:07:22whistle

01:07:23everybody out

01:07:24Miriam Carlin

01:07:25remember that

01:07:25since then

01:07:26she's started everything

01:07:28from Carry On Cleo

01:07:29the award winning cabaret

01:07:31The Sixth Commandment

01:07:32and Edie

01:07:33but I wonder

01:07:34what was going through her mind

01:07:35when she got the call

01:07:36to star opposite this

01:07:38Hollywood icon

01:07:39I'd like to see my grandchildren

01:07:41occasionally Terry

01:07:42They're waiting for you

01:07:44Mum

01:07:44They're waiting to see

01:07:45what I bought them

01:07:46What have you bought them then Mum?

01:07:49You see Shirley

01:07:50no subtleties with Karen

01:07:52What have you bought them?

01:07:54If you want to know

01:07:55I'm giving them money

01:07:56Oh good idea

01:07:58and they can buy

01:07:59what they like

01:08:00Already bought it

01:08:01Putting the money

01:08:03in trust funds

01:08:04so no one

01:08:05can get their hands on it

01:08:09They're impatient

01:08:10I know

01:08:11I've had three

01:08:13chicks of my own

01:08:15Only three

01:08:16I grant you Karen

01:08:18But natural good manners

01:08:20told me

01:08:21when to put the plug in

01:08:26I'm not surprised

01:08:27They are opposite

01:08:28Betty Davis

01:08:29One of the most

01:08:30intimidating

01:08:32Hollywood actresses

01:08:33of all time

01:08:34And from your point of view

01:08:36of acting with her

01:08:37because you'd been in the stage play

01:08:38of the anniversary

01:08:39Then you went to

01:08:40appear with her

01:08:41in the film

01:08:42of the anniversary

01:08:43I would have been

01:08:44quaking in my boots

01:08:45Sheila

01:08:45opposite her

01:08:46I think I was

01:08:48I actually was

01:08:49I remember the first day

01:08:51she appeared on set

01:08:52we were told to

01:08:54she had to make an entrance

01:08:55down a staircase

01:08:56and we were told

01:08:57to go to the bottom

01:08:58and applaud her

01:08:59as she came down

01:09:00She was actually

01:09:01a woman

01:09:01who needed support

01:09:03really

01:09:04She was

01:09:06surrounded by protectors

01:09:07and you couldn't

01:09:09get to her really

01:09:10and I remember once

01:09:11her saying

01:09:12I did a shot with her

01:09:13and she did the voices off

01:09:14which people

01:09:15don't normally do

01:09:16when they reach

01:09:17the kind of stardom

01:09:18that she had

01:09:19but she did

01:09:20and then she did

01:09:21her reverse

01:09:22and I did the voices off

01:09:24and I actually said

01:09:25gosh well done

01:09:26Miss Davis

01:09:27and she said

01:09:27oh thank you honey

01:09:28the most I ever get

01:09:30is printed

01:09:31and you know

01:09:33obviously nobody

01:09:35dared approach her

01:09:36and we ended up

01:09:37being quite good friends

01:09:38at the end

01:09:38but it was

01:09:40it was kind of

01:09:41forced on her

01:09:42and she fought

01:09:43Hollywood

01:09:44you know

01:09:45this woman

01:09:45she was so courageous

01:09:47and so strong

01:09:49but she had

01:09:50hideous men

01:09:51always in her life

01:09:52and I ended up

01:09:55deeply respecting her

01:09:56she sacked

01:09:57everybody

01:09:57when she arrived

01:09:59the director we had

01:10:01was one of our

01:10:02top directors

01:10:02Alvin Rakoff

01:10:03she wasn't having

01:10:04any of that

01:10:05I mean she knew

01:10:06that they wanted this

01:10:08and she lit herself

01:10:09she got rid of

01:10:10the lighting cameraman

01:10:11and she knew

01:10:12we all looked

01:10:13about 103

01:10:14and she looked

01:10:15two on the screen

01:10:16you know

01:10:17and she

01:10:18and she got rid of Alvin

01:10:19because she tried

01:10:20to make her

01:10:21play it

01:10:22utterly realistically

01:10:23and she knew

01:10:24that wasn't

01:10:25what the public wanted

01:10:26was it founded

01:10:27on insecurity

01:10:28do you think

01:10:28I don't

01:10:30I honestly

01:10:30but no

01:10:31I think it was

01:10:31founded on being

01:10:32battered

01:10:33like so many

01:10:34of that Hollywood

01:10:35generation

01:10:36like Judy Garland

01:10:37like Streisand

01:10:38like all sorts of people

01:10:40they were treated

01:10:41abominably badly

01:10:42I think

01:10:42and she had

01:10:44enormous talent

01:10:45and nobody

01:10:46listened to her

01:10:47you know

01:10:47but she

01:10:49she was wonderful

01:10:50did you ever get

01:10:50to work with Olivier

01:10:52no

01:10:52I got to work

01:10:53with his wife

01:10:54and I met him

01:10:55quite a bit

01:10:56on and off

01:10:57John understudied him

01:10:58actually

01:10:58my husband John Thor

01:11:00he understudied him

01:11:01in a play

01:11:02and he went on

01:11:03and he was rather better

01:11:04than Olivier

01:11:04because it was a modern play

01:11:06that Olivier wasn't

01:11:07at all happy in

01:11:08and John went on

01:11:10and did it

01:11:10because it was

01:11:11a northern part

01:11:12and all that

01:11:13and he felt

01:11:14more at home

01:11:15I admired Olivier

01:11:17I mean you know

01:11:17thank you

01:11:18National Theatre

01:11:19and all that

01:11:20I'm not knocking him

01:11:21but I don't think

01:11:22he was a film actor

01:11:23because he

01:11:24he was a state

01:11:25he was a superb

01:11:27stage actor

01:11:28although actually

01:11:29probably

01:11:29if the young people

01:11:30today watched him

01:11:31they wouldn't think that

01:11:32because it's of its

01:11:33era

01:11:34slightly mannered

01:11:35yeah

01:11:35your career has been

01:11:37so diverse

01:11:38but I've known you

01:11:39as long as I've known you

01:11:40on television and film

01:11:41and I do remember

01:11:42carry on clear

01:11:43I've known you

01:11:43for radio as well

01:11:45particularly just a minute

01:11:46yes

01:11:47and you became

01:11:47a rarity

01:11:48i.e. a very close friend

01:11:50of Kenneth Williams

01:11:51who allegedly

01:11:52was not easy

01:11:53to get to know

01:11:54but you were very close

01:11:56yes

01:11:56I loved him

01:11:58he would have been

01:11:58100 this year

01:11:59astonishingly

01:12:00he would

01:12:01we did a thing

01:12:02at the British Library

01:12:03remembering him

01:12:04because it would have been

01:12:05his 100th birthday

01:12:06it was my birthday as well

01:12:07I was 93

01:12:08because we had the same birthday

01:12:10and I loved him

01:12:13he asked me to marry him once

01:12:14and I said

01:12:15but Ken

01:12:17I'm already married

01:12:18and he said

01:12:18yes but it's a rubbish marriage

01:12:19we would be much better

01:12:21but everybody says

01:12:22that he was deeply unhappy

01:12:24he wasn't

01:12:25you know

01:12:25he had lots of friends

01:12:27he was hugely talented

01:12:29but he wanted to be

01:12:30taken seriously

01:12:31as an actor

01:12:32he was self-educated

01:12:35he was always

01:12:36for just a minute

01:12:37he would read things up

01:12:39and he was very knowledgeable

01:12:40and I used to say

01:12:42you know

01:12:43nobody takes me seriously

01:12:44and I used to say to him

01:12:45Ken

01:12:46honestly anybody

01:12:47can play Hamlet

01:12:48if they learn the lines

01:12:50but nobody

01:12:51can do what you do

01:12:53you're utterly individual

01:12:54I don't want to do

01:12:55what I do

01:12:56do you know

01:12:57so in that way

01:12:58he was a bit unhappy

01:13:00and if he'd been in America

01:13:02they would have built

01:13:03shows around him

01:13:04and he would have been

01:13:05a huge huge star

01:13:06but we're not very good

01:13:08in this country

01:13:08of dealing with people

01:13:10who are a bit odd

01:13:11I mean I would

01:13:12sometimes he let me go

01:13:14in the flat

01:13:14he didn't like people

01:13:15going in the flat

01:13:16and in those days

01:13:16I smoked

01:13:17and he wouldn't let me smoke

01:13:18wouldn't let me use his loo

01:13:20I had to go down

01:13:20and use his mother's loo

01:13:22his mother lived up

01:13:23in the flat below

01:13:24it was terrible

01:13:25and he had

01:13:25the only decoration he had

01:13:27were crystals

01:13:28and things like that

01:13:29he collected

01:13:30beautiful things like that

01:13:31and he

01:13:32but he liked

01:13:34sometimes he'd say

01:13:35right I've had enough of you

01:13:36now go

01:13:37because he wanted

01:13:38to be on his own

01:13:39and I'm a bit like that

01:13:41as well

01:13:42I totally

01:13:42I didn't mind at all

01:13:44because I knew how he felt

01:13:45you wrote this book

01:13:46Old Rage

01:13:47which is wonderfully feisty

01:13:49and you know

01:13:51you've done a second edition

01:13:52of it in paperback

01:13:53but there's an anger in there

01:13:57but the thing is

01:13:58yes you rant

01:13:59but I love your rants

01:14:01because they're not

01:14:02they're not bitter rants

01:14:03they're just sort of

01:14:05frustrations of

01:14:07and there's humour

01:14:09shot through it

01:14:09I mean it seems to me

01:14:11that your life

01:14:12you've had to have

01:14:13a really good sense of humour

01:14:14and a sense of the ridiculous

01:14:15you know

01:14:17two husbands

01:14:18very fond of

01:14:19you know

01:14:19and then John Thor

01:14:21and lost both of them

01:14:22and you've battled on

01:14:23you're still here

01:14:23yeah

01:14:24if I'm allowed to say

01:14:2593

01:14:26an incredible

01:14:28example to us all

01:14:29way to go

01:14:30you know

01:14:30but

01:14:32you're angry

01:14:33but you're not

01:14:33no I'm not

01:14:34I think life is so wonderful

01:14:37and I get so angry

01:14:39at the people

01:14:40that are destroying it

01:14:41because it's so beautiful

01:14:43here we are today

01:14:44the weather is wonderful

01:14:45isn't it

01:14:46I mean I came

01:14:47I only took the job

01:14:48because I wanted to see

01:14:49the country

01:14:50I came down here

01:14:51thanks you know

01:14:53seriously no

01:14:54I wanted to see you as well

01:14:56but mainly

01:14:58I just am so grateful

01:15:01to have been alive

01:15:02and I don't want it

01:15:04to be spoiled

01:15:05I will fight

01:15:07tooth and nail

01:15:08and that's the only reason

01:15:09I don't want to die

01:15:10because I feel there's

01:15:11so much to be done

01:15:13we've got to make it all right

01:15:15and I think

01:15:16particularly

01:15:17women have got to make

01:15:19their voice heard

01:15:20I really

01:15:21and they are doing it

01:15:22they are doing it a lot

01:15:23but we've got to balance

01:15:26the male characteristics

01:15:30I'm not

01:15:31I'm not talking gender

01:15:32necessarily here

01:15:33and the female characteristics

01:15:35and this lovely Easter time

01:15:38when we you know

01:15:40look at the examples

01:15:41of a man who believed

01:15:42in the world

01:15:43and believed in human life

01:15:46and died for it

01:15:47and I just think

01:15:48that we've got to cherish life

01:15:51that's what I think

01:15:52and keep a sense of humour

01:15:54too

01:15:54yes

01:15:55well I do laugh

01:15:56does that drive you through

01:15:57you laugh a lot

01:15:58yeah I do

01:15:58I do

01:15:59I laugh myself

01:16:00at myself sometimes

01:16:01I think

01:16:02what are you talking about

01:16:04you silly cow

01:16:04that it makes no sense at all

01:16:07I mean sometimes

01:16:08I listen to myself

01:16:09I occasionally

01:16:10by mistake

01:16:10listen to myself

01:16:11on the radio

01:16:12and think

01:16:12what am I talking about

01:16:14that's absolute rubbish

01:16:17that's

01:16:18well you're welcome

01:16:19to come here

01:16:19and talk rubbish

01:16:20any time you want

01:16:21Sheila

01:16:22love it to be with you

01:16:23as always

01:16:24bless you

01:16:24we'll give you a little treat

01:16:26at the end of the show

01:16:26good

01:16:27time now to pause

01:16:29reflect

01:16:29and take a moment

01:16:30to enjoy some wonderful footage

01:16:32which really rather makes a point

01:16:34of what Sheila is saying

01:16:35wonderful footage

01:16:36set to equally wonderful music

01:16:38and reminding us all

01:16:39what is out there

01:16:40especially at this time of year

01:16:41at Easter

01:16:42it's today's

01:16:44Ode to Joy

01:16:45Ode to Joy

01:17:11Ode to Joy

01:17:42VIOLIN PLAYS

01:18:12VIOLIN PLAYS

01:18:21VIOLIN PLAYS

01:18:27Well, we talked earlier with Sheila and Julian

01:18:30about the glories of classical music,

01:18:32and that was the gorgeous Coastline of Torquay in Devon,

01:18:35courtesy of Ryan Wills,

01:18:37and set to the symphony number 101 by Josef Haydn.

01:18:41There's inspiration for you.

01:18:43He wrote 104 symphonies.

01:18:45Crack on. What an idler I am.

01:18:47Still ahead, delicious, decadent and devilishly creamy.

01:18:51Tom Sergi serves up his ever-so-tempting Easter cocktails.

01:18:55So tempting that Julian and Sheila have started already.

01:19:00If you leave some with me,

01:19:01I'll see you with the chocolate and the guests right after this.

01:19:20Now, with Easter celebrations well and truly underway,

01:19:23whether you're hosting a long, lazy Easter lunch,

01:19:26planning a garden gathering,

01:19:28or simply indulging in a little bank holiday treat,

01:19:31king of the cocktail, Tom Sergi is here,

01:19:34to shake, stir and sip his way and our way

01:19:38through this week's Best of British,

01:19:40courtesy of some sumptuous Easter Choctales.

01:19:43Choctales, and when you look at these,

01:19:45oh my goodness, what we're in for, Tom.

01:19:48It's a segment based entirely on that, isn't it?

01:19:50The word Choctales, which is lovely, which is so good.

01:19:53So we are doing five very chocolatey.

01:19:56Only five?

01:19:57Only five.

01:19:58We can go back through them if we've got time.

01:20:00Are there people who don't like chocolate?

01:20:02No, I love chocolate.

01:20:04I love it.

01:20:04Love chocolate.

01:20:05Everyone loves chocolate.

01:20:06And alcohol.

01:20:06Exactly.

01:20:07Two together.

01:20:08And there's a great range of things like chocolate liqueurs on the market,

01:20:11and you can make, you know, quite a lot of this is quite like baking, really.

01:20:15You know, you can make white chocolate ganaches and things.

01:20:17You may be able to.

01:20:18Mix them into drinks.

01:20:19Honestly, it's easy.

01:20:20It's easy.

01:20:21A couple of the chocolate martinis and then, you know, you can try anything.

01:20:24Okay.

01:20:25So we'll begin with my Easter Bunny martini.

01:20:28So garnished with a little chocolate bunny, of course,

01:20:31this is sapling vodka, which is a climate-positive,

01:20:34regeneratively farmed, really beautiful vodka made in the UK

01:20:38that plants a tree for every bottle sold.

01:20:41So I like them a lot.

01:20:42Wow.

01:20:42And what we've done is we've shaken that with a chocolate cream liqueur

01:20:46and a little bit of hot chocolate.

01:20:48And what it does is it gives you a very boozy, punchy, ice-cold, creamy chocolate.

01:20:53That is totally outrageous.

01:20:54When you say hot chocolate, you mean it was hot when it went in?

01:20:57I made some hot chocolate, I let it cool down,

01:20:59and I put 50 mils of that in a shaker.

01:21:00Oh, yes, I can taste that.

01:21:01And you're away.

01:21:02I love that.

01:21:03And so you can make these beforehand, you can pre-batch them,

01:21:06and then as long as you shake them and get them nice and cold.

01:21:08And the trick is...

01:21:09Really?

01:21:09Yeah, lots of vodka as well.

01:21:10You need lots of vodka to keep the consistency.

01:21:12You put the vodka in at the beginning?

01:21:13Everything in all at once.

01:21:14Everything in all at once.

01:21:15I'm afraid I've eaten my bunny.

01:21:17That's entirely fair enough.

01:21:18What we're moving on to, if you like,

01:21:20is I wanted to play around with a bit of white chocolate

01:21:22and the priline, that amazing combination of creaminess,

01:21:27that white chocolate, a bit of a kind of nuttiness,

01:21:30a little bit of toffee.

01:21:31And so what I've done here is we have put the amazing Cool Swan,

01:21:35which is an Irish whiskey-based cream liqueur,

01:21:37based on white chocolate, cream and Irish whiskey.

01:21:41We've put that into a shaker alongside some amaretto,

01:21:44beautifully kind of almond-y, nutty.

01:21:46I thought I'd buy the toffee vodka.

01:21:47Where do you buy these things?

01:21:49Where do you buy that white stuff?

01:21:51This is very easy.

01:21:52Honestly, quick Google and you'll find that.

01:21:53Really?

01:21:53Quick search online and you'll find that.

01:21:55It's like an upmarket Baileys.

01:21:57It is like a...

01:21:57It is.

01:21:58It is a bit like that.

01:21:59And you could build it up off that.

01:22:01So cream liqueur, a little bit of toffee vodka,

01:22:04something to give it a bit of sweetness.

01:22:06Toffee vodka?

01:22:06Really nice.

01:22:07You need some toffee vodka in your line.

01:22:08What you then add is a bit of amaretto for the nuttiness.

01:22:10Yeah.

01:22:10And then finally, a pinch of sea salt.

01:22:13What you need is a little bit of salt in there.

01:22:14Yeah, because white chocolate can be very kind of cloying.

01:22:17How did you come to get the recipe?

01:22:20I made it up.

01:22:20I spent hours toiling away in my kitchen.

01:22:23So you think, oh, that needs a bit of salt.

01:22:25I'll put a bit of salt in there.

01:22:26Yeah, exactly.

01:22:27And somebody comes in and wakes him up.

01:22:30Yes, exactly.

01:22:30Exactly.

01:22:32But it's, yeah, not a bad gig.

01:22:33Good for you.

01:22:34Do you like this?

01:22:34I love this one.

01:22:35Because I don't really like white chocolate,

01:22:37but this is really delicious.

01:22:38It's got a nice...

01:22:40It's not sickly, is it?

01:22:41No.

01:22:41It's just rich but sort of clean.

01:22:45100%.

01:22:46Now, next up, there is a drink out in Spain

01:22:50that, when it's in any other country, is highly contentious.

01:22:53But when you go to Spain, it's kind of, you know,

01:22:55respected and it's fun.

01:22:57And that is a Kalimucho.

01:22:59And Kalimucho is a combination of red wine and Coca-Cola.

01:23:03Or cola.

01:23:05And so red wine and cola, half and half, 50% of each,

01:23:10you know, equal measures.

01:23:11And what I've done with this to give it its lovely theme

01:23:13is we've put it into an egg.

01:23:16So you cut the top off an egg.

01:23:17It creates a very, very good glass for you.

01:23:21You can eat it afterwards.

01:23:23And into that, into that red wine and cola mix,

01:23:26I've put equal parts, so a third of each,

01:23:29this amazing Moorish Morello cherry brandy liqueur

01:23:33from the brilliant producer,

01:23:35which is Spirit of the South Downs.

01:23:38And the Spirit of the Downs make really high-quality,

01:23:41grape-based spirits.

01:23:43They make brandies, all of them based from waste material

01:23:47that is pressed grapes for English wine

01:23:49with some of the best vineyards in the country

01:23:51that they then take to their distillery, ferment, distill.

01:23:55And so it's a completely kind of closed-circle,

01:23:58really beautiful kind of sustainable model.

01:24:00And this is Kent and Sussex cherries

01:24:04steeped in beautiful grape spirit.

01:24:06It's pretty good, isn't it?

01:24:07I think my teenage daughter would love this.

01:24:09I mean, it's so much work, isn't it?

01:24:13It's all been done for you, just drink it.

01:24:15It's so complicated.

01:24:17How do you like this one?

01:24:18It's Coca-Cola and something.

01:24:19Coca-Cola, red wine and cherry liqueur.

01:24:21That's exactly it.

01:24:22What's so nice about this is really high-quality cherry liqueur,

01:24:25like the Spirit of the Downs one.

01:24:27It does, it sits beautifully alongside Coke,

01:24:29alongside the red wine.

01:24:30I've used an English Pinot Noir as the red wine.

01:24:33And equal combinations, a bit like a great Negroni.

01:24:35All these equal parts hit a perfect harmony.

01:24:38Let's carry down.

01:24:39Oh, this one is amazing.

01:24:40I mean, this is real Del Boy stuff, isn't it?

01:24:41But you can't get at the drink because it's got so much on top.

01:24:44It's real Del Boy stuff, you're absolutely right.

01:24:46All right, so this is my Choco Colada, okay?

01:24:49And as far as I know, no one's made one of these before.

01:24:52It's a Pina Colada.

01:24:53Oh, this is fab.

01:24:55It's beautiful coconut cream.

01:24:57It's really, really high-quality,

01:24:59not from concentrate pineapple juice.

01:25:01That's important.

01:25:01Oh, that's good.

01:25:02And it's this amazing myth, non-alcoholic coconut cane spirit,

01:25:06which I love.

01:25:07That's really good.

01:25:08Rice wine vinegar, real coconut, that's pretty much it.

01:25:11A little bit of sugar.

01:25:12It's a very straightforward, non-alcoholic spirit alternative,

01:25:15and it tastes this of incredibly pure coconut.

01:25:18You could have this at the start

01:25:19because these other ones feel like they're at the end of the meal.

01:25:21Yeah.

01:25:22They feel like dessert, but this is more, you know what I mean?

01:25:25I do.

01:25:26And a good Pina Colada,

01:25:26what makes a good Pina Colada is quite a lot of pineapple.

01:25:29If they're too heavy and dense, they're challenging.

01:25:32You want loads of pineapple,

01:25:33and what I've added is a little bit of hot chocolate.

01:25:35Very simply, into the mix, you add a bit of hot chocolate.

01:25:38And funnily enough, pineapple and cocoa and a bit of coconut,

01:25:41it really works.

01:25:42It's good, isn't it?

01:25:43I'd love to see you at it.

01:25:45There you go.

01:25:45Sheila, I mean...

01:25:46Sheila.

01:25:47No, Sheila, I mean...

01:25:48Drink your drink.

01:25:50We knew what you meant when you were downhill.

01:25:53A bit of pink with this in there and a bit of chalk and all that.

01:25:56Sheila, we'll try and see if we can range for you to see him at it.

01:26:00We've got one more drink.

01:26:02Come on.

01:26:02Here we go.

01:26:03This is gorgeous.

01:26:04I like this one very much.

01:26:05That is superb.

01:26:07Absolutely wonderful.

01:26:08Now, just a little pick-me-up at the end.

01:26:10I thought we'd do a twist.

01:26:11Pick-me-up?

01:26:11A little pick-me-up here.

01:26:12This is...

01:26:13It's based on a white Russian.

01:26:15And so this is my white chocolate white Russian.

01:26:19It's quite cream egg-like.

01:26:22I think there's a kind of cream egg white Russian vibe to it.

01:26:24And what it is, is it is this fantastic Café Solo, cold-brewed coffee liqueur, mixed with

01:26:30incredible Isle of Wight distillery, mermaid...

01:26:33Isle of...

01:26:34Salt.

01:26:35...vodka.

01:26:36So Isle of Wight sea salt spiked vodka, which is absolutely beautiful.

01:26:39I like that one.

01:26:40And the combination of those two things really kind of softens the bitterness of coffee, elevates

01:26:45the flavour, a little bit of salt there.

01:26:46And then I've stirred into it, over the top, drizzled over the top, a little white chocolate

01:26:51ganache.

01:26:52So it's single cream and white chocolate.

01:26:53I can't taste the alcohol very much.

01:26:55I could start the day with this.

01:26:56Is it?

01:26:57Yes.

01:26:57And I think you probably will, Julian.

01:27:02It's got a little bit of a lovely coffee kind of...

01:27:05No, I don't like this one so much.

01:27:06I don't like it.

01:27:07No.

01:27:07I know, Sheila, give me another one.

01:27:08It tastes like camp coffee.

01:27:10Camp coffee?

01:27:10Oh, yes.

01:27:11Do you remember?

01:27:12You used to get camp coffee during the war.

01:27:14Yeah.

01:27:14It was...

01:27:15And I...

01:27:15Sorry.

01:27:16No, don't be sorry.

01:27:17I'm interested.

01:27:18I've never had camp coffee.

01:27:19It was in a bottle.

01:27:21Oh, it's coffee and chicory.

01:27:22So I've toiled away and recreated camp coffee, which, look, I'm pretty happy with.

01:27:26I think that's all right.

01:27:28Cream egg, white Russian there, gang.

01:27:30It's absolutely delicious.

01:27:31Julian, not having tasted camp coffee, do you like what you're drinking?

01:27:33I love a camp coffee.

01:27:36Do you like this one?

01:27:37I quite like this one.

01:27:38Yeah, me too, Sheila.

01:27:39I quite like the one.

01:27:40Do you?

01:27:41Yeah, yeah.

01:27:41Well, I think the great thing is, this will put any of us three off saying, no, just a

01:27:45small sherry for me, because these are absolutely...

01:27:49You've excelled yourself, Tom.

01:27:51Brilliant.

01:27:51I'd have a job to choose between them, would you, Julian, or just the one you'd go for

01:27:55more than any other?

01:27:56Well, I did like the first one.

01:27:57I mean, I liked all...

01:27:57I have to say, I liked them all.

01:27:59That's it, basically.

01:28:01Thanks to all my guests.

01:28:02The Sheila, particularly, Julian and Tom.

01:28:05They're lovely.

01:28:06And the menagerie of dogs, lambs and rabbits.

01:28:09What an Easter Sunday.

01:28:10Join me next week for some more barnside banter.

01:28:13Fletcher's Farm, Family Farm, as you see, it's telling, isn't it?

01:28:18Fletcher's Family Farm is up next, but I'll leave you now with this quote from

01:28:21the celebrated American poet, Ogden Nash.

01:28:23I love Ogden Nash.

01:28:24Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.

01:28:27Yeah.

01:28:27Let's hope the Easter money's taking notes.

01:28:29Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

01:28:31And from us, a happy Easter.

01:28:34Cheers.

01:28:39Cheers.

01:28:40Cheers.

01:28:41Cheers.

01:28:42Cheers.

01:28:58Cheers.

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