Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh - Season 8 Episode 14 - video Dailymotion

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00:00:22Whoa, I've never driven a steam car before.

00:00:26Happy Easter from Hampshire. Wind in the air, steam coming out at the bottom, the rumble

00:00:32of the engine, the sense of the ground beneath it. It's just like having your own steam engine

00:00:36really. 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 out.

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

00:01:33Farm's very own Easter bunny. This is Cottontail. Originally, much like me, she's absolutely itching

00:01:41to get going. So let's hop to it this Easter Sunday. That suit you, Cottontail? You don't

00:01:47look as if you're going to hop to anything, do you? But you're very happy, that's all right.

00:01:50Coming up. Funny, feisty, honest. And she makes for brilliant company. Dame Sheila Hancock

00:01:56on her incredible zest for life. And from a handsome pilot in Foil's War, to winning the

00:02:02heart of Lady Mary in Downton Abbey, to starring in a whole host of musicals. Julian Ovendon

00:02:09continuing to captivate audiences once more as he returns to the West End stage, this time

00:02:14in Cole Porter's High Society. And Simon Lycett takes his Easter floral decorations to a whole

00:02:22new level. And it's not just the kids having fun this Easter. Tom Serge is here with his

00:02:28tempting chocolatey cocktails, including a chocolate bunny martini, don't be alarmed Conte, and a

00:02:35white chocolate amaretto. And it's time of hard work and long hours for farmers, but it's

00:02:42also a time made joyful by cuddling newborns. We catch up with one young farmer currently in

00:02:49the 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

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

00:03:12Actually, it's very special to me. I'm a Quaker. And we don't celebrate any anniversaries particularly,

00:03:21but 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,

00:03:39and still he remains a good man. And he's such a good example. I turn to it constantly.

00:03:47There's a wonderful thing, you like classical music, and so do I, but one of my most favourite

00:03:51phrases is St Matthew's Passion. And there's this marvellous phrase in the music,

00:03:57and he wept bitterly.

00:03:59Yeah, I know, glorious.

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

00:04:06Julian, if you're musicals, but what sort of classical music do you listen to?

00:04:11Well, I started, I suppose, with a diet of English choral music.

00:04:14Yeah. I went to school as a chorister, so I was generally at school still, singing.

00:04:20But then I love all sorts of, all sorts of music. It's weird, I live with an opera singer,

00:04:28so a lot of opera.

00:04:29Kate Royal.

00:04:30Yeah, a lot of opera.

00:04:32Lovely.

00:04:33But I, it's difficult, it's like when you're doing it, it's a bit like, it's a bit like

00:04:37being an actor, you don't necessarily want to sort of surround yourself when you're,

00:04:40you know, clocking off in the evening, and not necessarily surrounding yourself with

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

00:04:49I want, I so want everybody to have the opportunity to try it.

00:04:55Do you know what I mean? I'm passionate, I do a lot of work with youngsters,

00:04:58introducing them to music. You know, they hear a piece of music in the lift and they

00:05:02think, oh, that's nice. Oh, did you know that's by a bloke called Brahms and he's

00:05:08actually written this bit, do you want to hear this bit as well?

00:05:10Well, especially live though, there is something amazing, amazing, and also essential,

00:05:14if you're experiencing something, to have it live.

00:05:17I 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.

00:05:26It's amazing.

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

00:05:30your emotions, I mean, it's so emotional. Let's have a bit of fun.

00:05:34Two great stage actors here, and film actors, and television actors.

00:05:38Mishaps, things that go wrong, because we all love it when you have these,

00:05:42you know, things collapse, things go wrong.

00:05:45I've had so many.

00:05:46We were just saying, we've had so many.

00:05:49Audiences love it when things go wrong.

00:05:51I was doing a show in New York, and I had to, it was a very, very simple scene,

00:05:57I had to come in and sit down on, I was playing the character of Death,

00:06:00and I had to come in and sit down on this quite slightly flimsy rattan sort of 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.

00:06:15It slightly ruined the, the impression that I was trying to go in.

00:06:18Falling over on stage is always...

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

00:06:24Indeed.

00:06:24I once played, 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 Allum was one of my sons.

00:06:38And we had to make our entrance with a wonderful old prop that belongs to the RSC, which are these

00:06:43horses.

00:06:44They're very heavy, wooden horse heads, with long skirts, which you're under, and you gallop on like this.

00:06:52And it looks as though you're coming on on a horse.

00:06:54Well, I came on, Patrick Stewart was playing Titus Andronicus, and he took it terribly seriously.

00:07:01Men love playing kings, you know, and he really loved it.

00:07:04I fell over, whoosh, and I was on the floor, surrounded by my skirt, with the head having

00:07:13dyed on the floor.

00:07:14And Roger Allum then started giggling.

00:07:17I started giggling.

00:07:18Patrick Stewart was livid with us, because we ruined the entrance.

00:07:24And it went on for the entire show.

00:07:27And I had this scene where I had to realise that my sons were cooked in a pie.

00:07:32And I just could not stop laughing.

00:07:34It just seemed so silly.

00:07:36It's both a wonderful experience, not being able to stop laughing, and also horrendous.

00:07:41And you dread it every night.

00:07:43When you come to that bit, you think, I mustn't laugh, I mustn't laugh.

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

00:07:49And the more you've got someone, in this case, like Patrick Stewart, being cross.

00:07:53Oh, the more you want to laugh.

00:07:55It's wonderful.

00:07:56Ian McKellen.

00:07:57I was in a play with Ian McKellen, and everybody had to die at the end of it.

00:08:02And I had to die over a thing, and I was giggling, as usual.

00:08:05And he actually turned to me and said, stop it, pull yourself together.

00:08:11I'm like, I've got worse.

00:08:13I've got worse.

00:08:15But on the whole, that's awfully bad behaviour.

00:08:17But I...

00:08:18People love it, though.

00:08:19Oh, they do.

00:08:20They do, but it's naughty.

00:08:21It is naughty, yeah.

00:08:22Naughty is sometimes nice.

00:08:24Yes.

00:08:24Well, you can be as naughty as you like on this show.

00:08:26You can laugh as much as you want as well.

00:08:28Now, you've both had the opportunity to play villains, which I've always suspected is far more fun

00:08:34than playing somebody who's a goody-two-shoes.

00:08:37I certainly find it more fun.

00:08:39Do you?

00:08:40Oh, yes.

00:08:40Much, much more fun.

00:08:42Who wants to play good people?

00:08:43Good people are boring.

00:08:44Yes.

00:08:45Well, no, I wouldn't say that.

00:08:47But I...

00:08:48I actually...

00:08:49It's fun to get inside the mind...

00:08:52Yes.

00:08:52..of somebody who behaves badly.

00:08:55I 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

00:09:06when they committed that murder.

00:09:07Up to a point, presumably, and then stop.

00:09:09Yes.

00:09:09You don't actually do it, but you have to think of it.

00:09:12Also, it's like it's a mistake to think that we're good or bad.

00:09:15I mean, as an actor, you're trying to empathise with something, as Sheila said.

00:09:19Absolutely.

00:09:19You're trying to understand.

00:09:20Absolutely.

00:09:21Because we've all got all these elements inside.

00:09:23But the trouble is, you always end up, don't you, as an actor,

00:09:26actually believing you're right to have murdered that person.

00:09:29Yes.

00:09:30And the evilness of you is utterly justified.

00:09:35Have you a villainous role, Julian?

00:09:37Yeah, quite a lot on television.

00:09:39I mean, I've done a lot of American television,

00:09:41and being English, they like you to be the villain, you know.

00:09:46I think Keir Starmer is finding that at the moment.

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

00:09:55Oh, yeah.

00:09:55Of Foyle's War.

00:09:57I've got obsessed with this wonderful series.

00:10:00Oh, it's superb.

00:10:00It's from way back.

00:10:02It actually, I think, took over after John's programme, Morse Finish.

00:10:06True.

00:10:06And it's the most amazing depiction of what I remember the war was like.

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

00:10:18Stoicism.

00:10:19Just getting on with it.

00:10:20There you are.

00:10:20Well, did you pay her 15 quid for that?

00:10:22Money well spent.

00:10:24Thank you both.

00:10:25Much more from Sheila and Julian later on.

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

00:10:31Our very own Willy Wonka.

00:10:32Tom Sergi is tempting us with some chocolatey cocktails, including a cream egg white Russian

00:10:38with a coffee liqueur.

00:10:40Simon Lycett's making the most of the seasonal bounty with his Easter bouquet, packed with

00:10:46spring delights.

00:10:47And they called it puppy love.

00:10:54Oh, I guess they'll never know.

00:10:59Yes.

00:10:59A cockapoo called Bramble and a Cocker Spaniel called Ivy.

00:11:04Oh, they love it.

00:11:05We'll meet the puppies, taking man's best friend to a whole new level.

00:11:09Bramble, I've got my eye on you.

00:11:11Be very, very careful.

00:11:12He likes having his tummy tickled.

00:11:15Don't we all?

00:11:17Ah, the memories, the memories.

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

00:11:22Julian, help yourself to a cucumber sandwich.

00:11:25I'm enjoying you.

00:11:26Cheers, all.

00:11:27Cheers.

00:11:42Welcome back to Love Your Weekend.

00:11:44It's the first week of April and life abounds.

00:11:48Lambing is in full swing.

00:11:50Tractors are back to work after winter's pause and the trees are becoming vibrant and verdant.

00:11:57The promise of more to come.

00:11:59And there's more to come on the show today, including Easter chocktails, baby lambs and

00:12:04Leslie Joseph gets up close and personal with magnolias.

00:12:08And he can sing, act, dance and woo with the best of them.

00:12:13Just ask Lady Mary.

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

00:12:21why we're all invited to the most swell party of the year as he takes to the stage in Cole

00:12:26Porter's High Society.

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

00:12:34But for the green-fingered, it's also a perfect time to appreciate all the beautiful

00:12:38British flowers that this time of year has to offer to showcase how to use some of your

00:12:45garden blooms to bring a splash of colour to your Easter celebrations.

00:12:49Floral designer Simon Lycett with a cornucopia of goodies here.

00:12:55Aren't they lovely?

00:12:55And did you lay that yourself?

00:12:57This was laid by the ooh-ah bird, I think.

00:13:00And I think we all know why.

00:13:02It's an ostrich, Jane.

00:13:03Fantastic, isn't it?

00:13:04How do you get the top off?

00:13:05Well, and they're almost like porcelain, so you have to use one of those little hand-cutty

00:13:10drill things.

00:13:11A bit triggering, because the noise is quite dental and the smell is very dental.

00:13:15They come with a tiny hole, so you could just use them as a bud vase, but I've made a

00:13:19bit of a bigger hole, and it becomes a gorgeous vase.

00:13:23Yeah.

00:13:23And then I've got a little urn, which...

00:13:25Hello, little urn!

00:13:27...acts as a wonderful egg cup for it.

00:13:29Add a bit of water.

00:13:30They're not porous, so they're nice and...

00:13:32They are actually, as you said, they are porcelain, aren't they really?

00:13:35Yes, pretty much.

00:13:36And then just using your hand as a vase, just an assortment of stems, things like these

00:13:42really cute little butterfly ranunculus, which are one of the newer flowers that we're getting

00:13:47now.

00:13:47Oh, they're gorgeous, aren't they?

00:13:48Aren't they cute?

00:13:48They look like Japanese alemones, don't they?

00:13:50And they've got a sort of iridescence to the petals, which just shimmers and sparkles.

00:13:55These is one of my favourites, they're called muscari.

00:13:58Muscari, yeah.

00:13:58And the thing about them is, of course, they have to track the early insects, which is

00:14:02why they need as much in their armoury as possible, to just draw them in.

00:14:05And then, of course, we love a little bit of...

00:14:07Oh, grand solidor!

00:14:09...fragrant solidor.

00:14:10So I'm threading the flowers in.

00:14:12I'm making sure that I haven't got any lower stems you want to trim off or remove all

00:14:16those leaves, otherwise the water can get a bit soupy.

00:14:19Now, I've got to ask you about heliboles.

00:14:20I know I ask every time, because a lot of people, you cut these, you put them in water

00:14:22and you get...

00:14:23They do.

00:14:24Secret?

00:14:25Secret really is, if you're going to cut them from the garden, try and cut them, get

00:14:29them straight into water.

00:14:30But a lot of people will use a knife and just take one slice, very lightly, all the way

00:14:35down the length of the stem.

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

00:14:41water.

00:14:42They are tricky things to deal with.

00:14:44So, ideally, always arrange in water, and especially when it's your heliboles.

00:14:48Right.

00:14:49And then just tie it off.

00:14:51I've got...

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

00:14:58are all quite soft.

00:14:59Because it looks just like...

00:15:00Yeah, it looks...

00:15:00It's the same colour as the green plastic coating, but yeah, paper.

00:15:03Yes.

00:15:03So it goes around, a couple of twists, snip that off, and then trim those stems.

00:15:09And because I've got some lilac in there, I just want to go in and find that lilac stem...

00:15:13Ah, split the end.

00:15:14...and split the end, because lilac, again, is something that is a bit tricky within your

00:15:18vase.

00:15:19And then you have a gorgeous little fragrant treat for Easter.

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

00:15:26Now, are you back later?

00:15:27I am, yes.

00:15:28Wonderful.

00:15:29More ideas.

00:15:30More ideas.

00:15:31Well, 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 of Easter

00:15:46and new beginnings, quite like a litter of lively puppies.

00:15:50These tiny bundles of fur, much like Easter itself, are a celebration of hope and fresh

00:15:56starts.

00:15:57So sit back, relax, and get ready for a dose of puppy joy.

00:16:02Welcome back, Manor Farm Vet, Bolo Esser, along with puppy trainer, Carol Wright.

00:16:08Welcome to you both, and we've got with us here, we have Anique with Biscuit and Rachel

00:16:13with Waffle, two of the best behaved puppies I have ever seen.

00:16:18Rachel, what is your dog and how old?

00:16:22Waffle is a Sheltie, a Shetland sheepdog, and he's four and a half months old.

00:16:26Right, and Anique?

00:16:27This is Biscuit, she's 15 weeks old, and yeah, she's a bundle of joy.

00:16:31And 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.

00:16:38So 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 and that chasing small game kind of instinct there.

00:16:50So sometimes they can lean towards destructive behaviours if we haven't nicked it in the bud

00:16:54early when they're a young puppy.

00:16:57And then with our Shelties, they're a little bit more calmer than our terriers.

00:16:59Now, Carol, training isn't the same for every kind of puppy.

00:17:02It obviously has to vary a bit then, does it?

00:17:04Well, the training that they need is actually very similar.

00:17:07I think the basics, the foundations of training are the same for all puppies,

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

00:17:19And temperament differences between adults, yeah.

00:17:20Some obviously are very quick to learn, some really struggle because of distraction,

00:17:25and particularly, you know, you do find in classes you have some puppies that are actually quite shy

00:17:30and lack confidence and we need to spend time with them building confidence.

00:17:36And I think a lot of people underestimate how much time they need to actually spend with their puppy.

00:17:44Rachel, is that true of you and Waffle?

00:17:46Yes.

00:17:47Yeah, we knew that having a puppy would be quite a responsibility in terms of time and things,

00:17:53but completely ignored the fact that he wants to be involved in everything we do,

00:17:58whether it's unloading the dishwasher, doing the laundry, getting ready for work,

00:18:04everything and anything he wants to be involved in, so everything takes longer.

00:18:08Yeah.

00:18:09Anik, how about you and Biscuit? I mean, same sort of thing.

00:18:11Yeah, dishwasher surfer is what we call her.

00:18:14You have to remember that at this age, this is the age where their brains are forming,

00:18:18so they really want that inquisition, they're interested in everything.

00:18:21Well, they're finding their boundaries, aren't they?

00:18:23Exactly.

00:18:23Or the boundaries that we create for them.

00:18:25Exactly.

00:18:25This early learning stage is super important for them because all the behaviours they learn now,

00:18:33they will carry into adulthood.

00:18:35And because they're like sponges in terms of learning, they very quickly pick up,

00:18:41not just the good behaviours that we want, but also some of the behaviours that we don't want.

00:18:45So we're about to meet another puppy, I think.

00:18:47Yes, we've got a little sprocker called Jerry.

00:18:49Right.

00:18:50So sprocker is a Springer and Cocker Spaniel.

00:18:54Yes.

00:18:55Probably the most alert mix of Spaniels that you can possibly get.

00:18:59Absolutely.

00:19:00So our sprocker is Jerry and his handler is Abbey.

00:19:05Welcome to you both.

00:19:06Now this is a Cocker with longer legs from the Springer, isn't it really?

00:19:09Exactly.

00:19:10So the Springer is slightly bigger than the Cocker and then we've got the best of both worlds here.

00:19:14We hope it's the best and not the worst.

00:19:15Exactly.

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.

00:19:25So I think this is where training gets a lot more important.

00:19:28But also it's finding that motivator because some dogs are motivated by food

00:19:32and something like a Cocker, Sprocker, you're going to be motivated more so by maybe activities.

00:19:38By people.

00:19:39Exactly.

00:19:40Abbey, is that your experience as well? Tell us about Jerry. Age?

00:19:43So he's coming up to six months now.

00:19:46Right.

00:19:46Yes, we got him into training a bit later on than we probably should have.

00:19:51Which Carol might tell you.

00:19:52Yes.

00:19:53But he's had two sessions now.

00:19:56Have you noticed a difference?

00:19:57Yes, absolutely.

00:19:58He's a lot calmer.

00:19:59Yeah.

00:19:59I know it doesn't look like it, but he actually is.

00:20:03Two surroundings.

00:20:04Right.

00:20:04I think the environment.

00:20:05This is one of these high arousal environments for this type of breed.

00:20:10Yeah.

00:20:10And I think the other thing is I think the training is important for all dogs, but I think particularly

00:20:16once you start talking working breeds and Spaniels and Collies, they all need a job.

00:20:23Yeah.

00:20:23And they all really thrive on the training.

00:20:26And I think the thing about them is that if you don't give them that job, if you don't

00:20:31give them enough to do, they tend to go self-employed.

00:20:33Exactly.

00:20:36What a lovely way of putting it.

00:20:37Well, Abbey and Jerry, who's now occupied in eating something, I'm sure is okay.

00:20:42Thank you very much indeed.

00:20:44Let's have a look at the basic training exercises then.

00:20:48First up, Jason and Bramble.

00:20:50Bramble is about seven months old, Cocker Spaniel, working Cocker.

00:20:54And she's quite excited by her environment, but that is absolutely fine.

00:20:59Jason's doing exactly the right thing.

00:21:01Bramble would love to come and have a really good sniff around the bales.

00:21:05Yeah.

00:21:06But...

00:21:06Oh, he's beginning to get around here.

00:21:08And around the cameras.

00:21:09So, we are just waiting.

00:21:11Good God.

00:21:12That's it.

00:21:12That's really good, Jason.

00:21:13Being a Cocker Spaniel, we can smell absolutely everything that's on here.

00:21:18Bramble, close.

00:21:19So, we've just lost our concentration, but look, that's super.

00:21:23Bolo, 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.

00:21:31So, you want to have a lot of patience, deep breaths, control your energy as you're training

00:21:35them because you want to make sure that you're calm so that they can remain calm.

00:21:39And when I talked to Myron with Sheepdogs, he was saying it's always short spells of doing

00:21:43it.

00:21:44Don't tire them doing it.

00:21:45Give them in regular short spells of it.

00:21:48A few minutes at a time is absolutely plenty for a young puppy.

00:21:51Well, the cones have gone.

00:21:52We now have toys sprinkled everywhere for Maple, who's here with Monica.

00:21:56So, what's going to happen here then, Carol?

00:21:58We're going to be doing a recall.

00:22:00Now, we've got quite a lot of distractions already here, but we've added some in the

00:22:04form of toys for Maple.

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

00:22:12And hopefully, that treat is going to be sufficient that Maple's not going to feel inclined to

00:22:17head for all the other lovely snippy smells that are going.

00:22:21And if Monica wants to walk to the end of that alley, and then we're going to call Maple

00:22:28to us.

00:22:29Now, if you haven't got her focus, don't call her.

00:22:33Go back.

00:22:35Yeah.

00:22:36So, let's go back with that treat and show it again, because she got a little bit distracted.

00:22:41That's much better.

00:22:42Oh, right.

00:22:42You've got the eye.

00:22:43Okay.

00:22:43Now call her.

00:22:45People come.

00:22:48There we are.

00:22:49Well done.

00:22:50So, you went and you got the look, and then call.

00:22:53Yes.

00:22:54When they got their attention and they're locked in, that's when you know that you can tell

00:22:57them what to do or how you want them to respond.

00:22:59That's exactly right.

00:23:00So, while we've been talking, the course has been set, and now we can let Ivy do her

00:23:08bit with Iona at the helm.

00:23:10So, tell us what's going to happen here, Carol.

00:23:12Okay.

00:23:13So, 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

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

00:23:30So, she's doing essentially a recall into middle.

00:23:32Here we go, then.

00:23:33Here we go, then.

00:23:33Sit.

00:23:34And wait.

00:23:38No distractions.

00:23:41Look at that.

00:23:42Looking.

00:23:43Ivy, come.

00:23:45Middle.

00:23:46Oh, impressive.

00:23:48Middle.

00:23:49Yes.

00:23:50Well done, Iona.

00:23:52Well done, Ivy.

00:23:54So, what breed have we got here?

00:23:55This is a working cocker.

00:23:57A working cocker spaniel.

00:23:58Yeah.

00:23:59Iona, well done.

00:24:00With all the cameras on you and Ivy.

00:24:02So, sure as well.

00:24:04So, that, you were saying, 16 months old here now.

00:24:07Absolutely.

00:24:07So, we've seen the passageway right the way through now.

00:24:09Yeah.

00:24:10Absolutely.

00:24:10Yes.

00:24:10Well, thank you to Bob and Carol, and to all our, I was going to say contestants, but they

00:24:15are in a way, aren't they?

00:24:16Yeah.

00:24:17So, coming up, while the Easter Bunny may be bringing baskets of chocolate and candy,

00:24:22Tom Surge is making sure that the adults are having a great time too, even after the

00:24:27egg hunts are well and truly over.

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

00:24:35martini and a cocoa twist on a pina colada.

00:24:39Oh, excuse me.

00:24:41Intriguing.

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

00:24:48screen presence, life's so not fair.

00:24:51Yes, from Edelweiss to People Will Say We're In Love to...

00:24:55Some Enchanted Evening.

00:24:56Some Enchanted Evening.

00:24:58He sung them all.

00:24:59Julian Ovenden on starring in nearly all of my favourite musicals.

00:25:03Join me and Julian for some enchanting pitch-out right after this.

00:25:23Welcome back to Love Your Weekend.

00:25:25Still ahead.

00:25:26Intelligent, social and naturally curious with fantastic memories.

00:25:31There are a few things in the world as cute as a newborn lamb.

00:25:34It's a shame they grow up in there.

00:25:36How one young farmer's coping with the busiest time in the farming diary.

00:25:40Lambing season.

00:25:41Not much sleep, I would imagine.

00:25:43Also coming up, we meet the first ever sculptor in residence for the British Army's Household

00:25:49Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

00:25:50Zoe Carmichael takes equine inspiration to a whole new level.

00:25:54But first, to a theatrical jack of all trades.

00:25:58From 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 blissful morning.

00:26:14Oh, what a blissful day.

00:26:18My God, a blissful scene.

00:26:23Everything's going my way.

00:26:26My God, a blissful day.

00:26:39Get happy, get ready

00:26:45Get ready, get ready

00:26:51For the judgment day

00:26:55Being alive, being alive

00:27:06Being alive

00:27:16Oh, what a beautiful morning, Maria, get happy, being alive

00:27:23and with a huge orchestra.

00:27:25I don't really like you, Julian O'Bendon.

00:27:28Why am I sitting here talking to someone who can do all that?

00:27:32I mean, the feeling when you're doing that.

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

00:27:39Yeah, I mean, you know, I'm terrified doing it

00:27:41because they're in big, often big halls and stuff like that

00:27:44but to do it with such an amazing orchestra,

00:27:48it's, yeah, it was a dream for me.

00:27:51Is it the high notes that are terrifying?

00:27:54Um, Maria is a particularly difficult song

00:27:57but, you know, I like a challenge.

00:28:00But it is a little bit of a tightrope walk.

00:28:03Um, it, actually, the hardest thing about that song

00:28:06is you do that big high thing

00:28:07and then the end of the song

00:28:09is very, very, very small and intimate

00:28:12and also quite high

00:28:13and that's much harder, technically.

00:28:16We'll talk about drama in a minute

00:28:17but it's drama and music

00:28:18and music and singing

00:28:19and musicals have always been at the core of what you do.

00:28:24Are those the real,

00:28:25this is why I do this,

00:28:26because this is the feeling I like best?

00:28:28I didn't set out to do musicals, I have to say.

00:28:30My musical training was much more kind of classical and choral.

00:28:34I was a chorister when I was a kid

00:28:35and when I started out to be an actor,

00:28:38you know, I wanted to be Peter O'Toole

00:28:40or, um...

00:28:41Roger Moore.

00:28:43But I sort of fell into musicals.

00:28:45My second job was a musical at the Don Mar,

00:28:47a Stephen Sondheim show

00:28:49and I sort of discovered it as I went along.

00:28:53Did you work with him?

00:28:54I did.

00:28:55He came to the dress rehearsal.

00:28:57In fact, there's a great moment.

00:28:59We were, we,

00:29:00the show Merrily Wrong starts as a school graduation

00:29:03and the show at the Don Mar,

00:29:05the production we did,

00:29:06we started outside as kids

00:29:08and then we processed in,

00:29:10in our robes and we started the show

00:29:13and we were doing the,

00:29:14we were doing the dress rehearsal,

00:29:16the first,

00:29:17yeah,

00:29:17the first run through maybe

00:29:19and we were outside

00:29:20in the foyer of the Don Mar

00:29:22and then out of the corner of my eye

00:29:23I saw,

00:29:24I saw this elderly gentleman

00:29:26in a sort of slightly dirty Mac.

00:29:28So thinking I was being helpful,

00:29:30I went up to him and I said,

00:29:31um,

00:29:32oh,

00:29:33excuse me, sir,

00:29:34the show doesn't start for another week

00:29:35but if you want to get tickets,

00:29:36the box office is downstairs

00:29:37and I'm sure they'll be able to help you

00:29:39and he looked at him and he went,

00:29:40I wrote this stuff.

00:29:43So that was my first meeting with him.

00:29:46But his,

00:29:47why his music and his shows work still

00:29:50is that they speak to people

00:29:52on a very human level

00:29:54and it's about real,

00:29:56real people

00:29:57and what real people feel

00:30:00and a lot of musicals

00:30:02are a sort of,

00:30:02a sort of fantasy lands perhaps,

00:30:05you know,

00:30:06and his stuff is always anchored in,

00:30:09in quite uncomfortable feelings.

00:30:11Yes.

00:30:12And there's often a lot of heartbreak

00:30:14and resentment.

00:30:16You're about to go into High Society

00:30:18playing Bing Crosby.

00:30:20Yeah.

00:30:21Or Cary Grant.

00:30:23Or no,

00:30:24yes,

00:30:24yes.

00:30:25So High Society,

00:30:26Cole Porter musical,

00:30:27fantastic,

00:30:28you know,

00:30:28very,

00:30:29very famous film

00:30:29which is based on

00:30:30a fantastic other film

00:30:32which I think is based on a play

00:30:33called The Philadelphia Story.

00:30:34So yes,

00:30:34we're doing it at the Barbican

00:30:35and then on a national tour

00:30:37around the country,

00:30:38around the British Isles

00:30:39and Dublin

00:30:41for the rest of the year.

00:30:43So it's going to be,

00:30:43yeah,

00:30:43it's going to be fun.

00:30:44Shall I give you a taster

00:30:46of what you're meant to have to?

00:30:47Oh, do you have to?

00:30:48Oh, go on.

00:30:48Well,

00:30:48just to remind everybody

00:30:49just how brilliant High Society is.

00:30:51Here's the film.

00:30:52Have you heard

00:30:53it's in the stars

00:30:56Next July

00:30:56we collide with Mars

00:30:59Well,

00:30:59did you ever

00:31:01What a swell party

00:31:05Swell party

00:31:08Swell again,

00:31:09well again

00:31:10party

00:31:10This is it

00:31:18Such deliciously close harmony.

00:31:20Bing Crosby

00:31:20and Frank Simatra

00:31:22pure Hollywood.

00:31:23I mean,

00:31:24you can see

00:31:25the kind of old school confidence

00:31:26and charm

00:31:27they both have there.

00:31:28It's interesting watching them both.

00:31:30It's a little bit like comparing

00:31:32Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire

00:31:34in terms of their dancing techniques.

00:31:35Bing Crosby

00:31:35is almost not,

00:31:37he almost not sings.

00:31:39Do you know what I mean?

00:31:39It just sort of comes out of him.

00:31:41It's like effortless.

00:31:42He speaks music.

00:31:43Do you know what I mean?

00:31:44Yeah, I do.

00:31:44Frank Sinatra

00:31:46it's one of the greatest singers

00:31:48of all time

00:31:48and his phrasing

00:31:49and everything

00:31:49but there's much more

00:31:51of a sense of

00:31:54craft about Sinatra

00:31:55and he's thought about it.

00:31:57It's wonderful, yes.

00:31:59So what?

00:32:00I mean,

00:32:00I'm in trouble.

00:32:01No, you're not.

00:32:02No, you're not

00:32:03because we've seen

00:32:03your musical credentials.

00:32:05You'll be okay.

00:32:06But it's fine.

00:32:06It's nice to do something.

00:32:08It's nice to reinvent something.

00:32:09Going to the straight acting,

00:32:11I mean,

00:32:11it's wonderful

00:32:11to discover that

00:32:12Sheila at the top of the show

00:32:13said, Foil's War,

00:32:15I've just discovered

00:32:16Foil's War

00:32:17and you had this

00:32:19series that we

00:32:20at home love

00:32:21and we watch

00:32:21playing Foil,

00:32:23Christopher Foil,

00:32:24Michael Kitchen's son

00:32:25during that whole episode

00:32:28of the start of the war

00:32:29right the way through

00:32:29to the end.

00:32:31Here is Julian

00:32:32in Foil's War.

00:32:34I hate goodbyes.

00:32:36Oh, come on, Sam.

00:32:37It's only Depton.

00:32:38It's not that far.

00:32:40I know.

00:32:43All right.

00:32:44There are always

00:32:45weekends.

00:32:46Please don't try

00:32:47to cheer me up

00:32:48any more, Andrew.

00:32:50Well,

00:32:52you'll look after

00:32:52Dad for me.

00:32:54We'll look after

00:32:55each other.

00:32:57Good luck, Sam.

00:32:59And you.

00:33:24Beautifully written,

00:33:25beautifully filmed,

00:33:26beautifully acted,

00:33:27Foil's War.

00:33:28You,

00:33:28Honeysuckle Weeks,

00:33:30Michael Kitchen.

00:33:31It's terribly moving.

00:33:32Still,

00:33:33it's a shame

00:33:34you were such a cad.

00:33:36Because you'd

00:33:37left her down,

00:33:38didn't you?

00:33:38I can take you

00:33:39to task about this.

00:33:41Yeah, people get

00:33:41very angry about that.

00:33:43Well, it shows you

00:33:43made your character

00:33:44believable, doesn't it?

00:33:45I suppose so, yes.

00:33:46I mean,

00:33:47for me,

00:33:47it was a great experience

00:33:48because it was my first

00:33:50job on camera.

00:33:52I'm working with Michael

00:33:53who I think is a great,

00:33:55a great actor

00:33:57and also great technician.

00:34:00Like,

00:34:01it's a little bit

00:34:02of a mystery

00:34:03working on camera

00:34:04how to be natural,

00:34:07as I'm sure you know.

00:34:08I mean,

00:34:09you're brilliant at it.

00:34:10No,

00:34:10but that can only

00:34:11play one character.

00:34:11No,

00:34:12no,

00:34:12but in terms of being

00:34:13natural and being yourself,

00:34:14that's the hardest thing

00:34:15to do

00:34:16and to be able,

00:34:17just to be able

00:34:18to breathe

00:34:18and to be able

00:34:19to be still

00:34:21and to be able

00:34:22to let the audience in,

00:34:24he was,

00:34:25he's brilliant at that

00:34:26and I certainly

00:34:26learned an awful lot.

00:34:28I remember Alan Bennett

00:34:29saying to me once,

00:34:29he'd been working

00:34:30with Kenneth Branagh

00:34:32way back on

00:34:34Fortunes of War.

00:34:35I remember that show.

00:34:36Yeah,

00:34:36yeah,

00:34:36with Emma Thompson.

00:34:37Was it Emma Thompson?

00:34:38Ken Branagh,

00:34:39and Alan played a part

00:34:40of the professor

00:34:40or lecturer.

00:34:41Yeah.

00:34:41And he said,

00:34:42oh, no,

00:34:42he said,

00:34:43I felt watching Ken work,

00:34:44I just felt as though

00:34:45I would pull him faces.

00:34:47And he sees that

00:34:48there's a stillness

00:34:49about it,

00:34:50isn't there?

00:34:51And Michael's

00:34:51like that particularly.

00:34:53Yeah,

00:34:53because the camera,

00:34:54you let the camera,

00:34:54I suppose,

00:34:55do the work.

00:34:55Although you are working,

00:34:57I mean,

00:34:57people say,

00:34:59you do less on camera.

00:35:00To a certain extent,

00:35:01that's true.

00:35:02But I think

00:35:02you have to work

00:35:03harder emotionally.

00:35:05You have to work

00:35:06harder inside.

00:35:07Yes.

00:35:08Just to,

00:35:08you know,

00:35:10and then let the camera

00:35:11just pick it up.

00:35:13But it was

00:35:14an amazing experience

00:35:15and also to be

00:35:16in a show where

00:35:17you know,

00:35:17people still,

00:35:19like Sheila today,

00:35:21saying how much

00:35:21she loves it,

00:35:23has a place

00:35:23in a kind of,

00:35:24it has a sort of

00:35:24national,

00:35:26I don't know,

00:35:27consciousness,

00:35:28which is,

00:35:29yeah,

00:35:29it's a rather

00:35:29privilege.

00:35:30because as Sheila

00:35:30said at the top,

00:35:31it was honest.

00:35:32It showed what

00:35:33it really felt like

00:35:34to be there

00:35:34at that time.

00:35:35It wasn't sensationalist

00:35:36or gung-ho,

00:35:37anything like that.

00:35:38No.

00:35:39Yeah.

00:35:40Yeah,

00:35:40and I suppose,

00:35:40yeah,

00:35:41because a lot of drama

00:35:41now is very much,

00:35:42you know,

00:35:44there's a lot of tears.

00:35:44Yeah.

00:35:45People think

00:35:46that you have to

00:35:46kind of,

00:35:47you know,

00:35:47go to an...

00:35:48To get an award,

00:35:49to get an award,

00:35:50you have to be

00:35:50happy.

00:35:50Yeah,

00:35:51you have to be

00:35:51operatic and

00:35:52grandstanding

00:35:52and I think

00:35:53that I don't,

00:35:55for me,

00:35:56I don't tend

00:35:57to be moved

00:35:58by that.

00:35:58I tend to be moved

00:35:59by people

00:36:00who are trying

00:36:00not to cry

00:36:02rather than,

00:36:02you know,

00:36:03crying.

00:36:04Bless you,

00:36:05good luck in our society.

00:36:07Now,

00:36:07to quote William Shakespeare,

00:36:09April hath put

00:36:10a spirit of youth

00:36:11in everything

00:36:12and with it

00:36:13come longer days

00:36:14and more opportunities

00:36:15to capture nature

00:36:17and wildlife

00:36:18in the beautiful

00:36:19British countryside.

00:36:20You've been busy

00:36:21doing just that

00:36:22so it's only right

00:36:23we show off

00:36:23some of your

00:36:24wonderful photography.

00:36:26It's time,

00:36:26you guessed,

00:36:27for Walk on the Wild Side.

00:36:36to the Wild Side.

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

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

00:38:35We'll see you next time.

00:38:45We'll see you next time.

00:38:49Springtime brings with it birdsong, baby animals in the fields, bright flowers emerging from the ground, a few rays of

00:38:58sunshine that push through the clouds and 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, including a chocolate egg white Russian and a chocolada

00:39:17complete with obligatory cocktail umbrella.

00:39:20And a bona fide pioneer of stage and scream, Dame Sheila Hancock on why taking life easy simply isn't an

00:39:28option.

00:39:28But first, it's time to enjoy a poetic interlude in this week's Voice of Nature.

00:39:34Here's Claire Rushbrook with Round the Year by Coventry Patmore.

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

00:39:52At April's touch, the crudest bark discovers gems of green.

00:39:58Then sleep the seasons full of might, while slowly swells the pod and rounds the peach.

00:40:06And 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, Claire. Lovely words.

00:40:33Now, heavily scented hyacinths, daffodils with their golden trumpets, and the many textures and colours of tulips.

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

00:40:48There really is no season like spring.

00:40:50And as our gardens wake up from their winter sleep, it's no wonder displays of our early risers can put

00:40:57a smile on anyone's face,

00:40:58showing us how we can make the most of this season's blooms for all designer, the master himself.

00:41:05Simon Lycett, I'll put your tulips down again now, because I felt I wanted to hold them just to explain,

00:41:11you know.

00:41:11Perfect.

00:41:11Aren't they gorgeous?

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 to the 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 you to do that?

00:41:27So, there's some fake eggs that you can find, lots of sort of craft suppliers sell them,

00:41:32secured to the basket, and then I just poke 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 that I've scrunkled up, and

00:41:45some water.

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

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

00:41:48Pretty much.

00:41:48But I am a bit.

00:41:51And then anything that's a woody stem, like this lovely gelder, so here I'm going to cut it on an

00:41:57angle,

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.

00:42:02It makes a lot of difference.

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

00:42:07any of the early foliage that we're starting to cut now from our gardens really benefits

00:42:13if you can let it have two or three days cut, stand it in water, in the cool,

00:42:19and then arrange it.

00:42:20And with tulips, I 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, your 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, and then another fabulous favourite kick of green is these heavenly hellebores.

00:42:40You know, when you look inside a flower like that, in the spring sunshine,

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

00:42:50dainty white, flushed with lime green.

00:42:52I 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, you get the back half of it, as it were, going

00:43:04green rather than white.

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

00:43:08And I like to grow mine in pots, because 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 so you can actually look at them.

00:43:17They're breeding them now, these Lenten hellebores, with a more upright habit,

00:43:21so that the flowers turn up more than hanging down.

00:43:24And then...

00:43:25Oh, look, lilac.

00:43:26A little bit of lilac.

00:43:27And again, this is a really woody stem, so cut on an angle and split up the stem.

00:43:32And the way I'm arranging, as I'm pushing into my container,

00:43:35what I don't want to do is just jam it down in onto the wire.

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

00:43:42Right the way through, which is why you use that wider chicken wire, rather than the narrow one, which is

00:43:46more difficult.

00:43:47And then things like these anemones, which are just...

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

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

00:43:54Absolutely gorgeous.

00:43:56This...

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

00:43:58There's a kind of bashfulness about the way the flower sits there,

00:44:01but nothing remotely bashful about its colour when it fully opens like that.

00:44:05The accent is magnificent, isn't it?

00:44:07Yeah, and that little ruff of green calyx behind the corolla, just a bit of botany there.

00:44:14Now, with your tulips, do you take any leaf off?

00:44:16I try and take quite a bit off, and also, when you're arranging tulips,

00:44:19they will grow about three or four inches during the vase life,

00:44:23so just be aware, if you're arranging something and you're not going to use it for a few days,

00:44:28cut them a little bit shorter to allow for them growing.

00:44:31But you can always pop them out, just trim it down and put them back in again afterwards.

00:44:35It's the whole range of colours, the range of, you know, the parrot tulips

00:44:40with their frilly petals that have been sliced at the edges,

00:44:44the lily flower that go in and then come out again,

00:44:47the range of tulips you can get now to grow in the garden.

00:44:50And if you've got a veg patch, go wild and buying tulip bulbs come the autumn,

00:44:56and you can plant them right up to Christmas tulips.

00:44:57They're quite happy to have been planted late.

00:44:59And then, if you plant them on a veg patch, you don't mind cutting them.

00:45:03No.

00:45:04As a cutting, and some of them will come up year after year after year.

00:45:07So, little furinunculus in there.

00:45:09Look at that.

00:45:11Joyous.

00:45:12I mean, how...

00:45:13A 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, in the old days, when Strictly come dancing,

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

00:45:22in the days of Peter West and Terry Wogan doing come dancing.

00:45:27That's for the older members of our audience.

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

00:45:31But isn't that gorgeous?

00:45:31Patent leather hair on all the men,

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

00:45:34Yes.

00:45:35All sewn on thy hand by 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.

00:45:41Oh, look at that, Simon.

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

00:45:43A little cone of just some bobby-dazzle coloured paper.

00:45:47They were actually sold as little baskets.

00:45:49But then, look, I've got some of these little Easter eggs.

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

00:45:56and then just nestle that in amongst your arrangement.

00:46:01How wonderful.

00:46:02It means that you can share a few eggs.

00:46:04Yes, with all the family, but particularly me.

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

00:46:10Oh, thank you.

00:46:10Right.

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

00:46:13Wonderful.

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

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

00:46:16I'm always worried about putting things in your arrangement.

00:46:19Oh, superb.

00:46:21Simon, you are, as ever, a genius.

00:46:24Pleasure.

00:46:25Who wouldn't want that on their table at 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, don't eat the ones with 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 Easter egg hunt in Manor Farms' chicken coop.

00:46:51Now, did you know egg-giving at Easter goes back hundreds of years?

00:46:56The earliest record of an Easter egg in England was almost 800 years ago, in 1290, when King

00:47:03Edward I bought 450 eggs, had them decorated, then gave them to members of his household.

00:47:11Finding 450 here might be a bit of a stretch.

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

00:47:15While I'm looking, time for the latest in our series on Britain's young farmers.

00:47:19Today, we're heading to East Sussex to visit Luke Curtis, who's deep in the throes of that most Easter-y

00:47:27of periods, the lambing season.

00:47:39Get them up, then.

00:47:41My journey in farming began when I was 12 years old.

00:47:45I used to help a close family friend out at lambing time in the evenings after school.

00:47:50And then, yeah, my passion for farming began there and just carried on with me until I went

00:47:55to agricultural college to play for their football academy as a profession, but I knew the head

00:48:01of agriculture there and he talked me into joining the course, and I never played a game

00:48:05of football after that.

00:48:07In this journey of farming, you don't have to come from a family farm.

00:48:11It's all about the people you meet and the opportunities that can arise around those people that makes

00:48:16it one of the best jobs in the world.

00:48:19I first started my sheep journey with four ewes, which I got as a graduation present from college.

00:48:25And then, many moons ago, and now we're at 300 ewes of my own on this holding, currently

00:48:31expanding all the time.

00:48:34So another part of the diversification in my life is that I come and help subcontract.

00:48:39A local farmer gets me in to do the sheep management.

00:48:42We've been lambing here for the past two months.

00:48:45It's a tiring job at this time of year because we are up 24-7.

00:48:50This really is the start of lambing.

00:48:52Now we've got 300 left to do.

00:48:55So we mark up the ewes and lambs with the same number, so that when they go outside,

00:49:00we can identify who they belong to, if there's an issue that may arise, and then we can sort

00:49:05out the problem.

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

00:49:09We've just come in this morning, and we've just walked in and we've seen this ewes started

00:49:12lambing.

00:49:13And we can tell that this lamb's coming backwards.

00:49:16Normally, you want them presented, obviously, two front legs and a nose, because it's the most

00:49:20streamlined for them.

00:49:21But when they're coming backwards, you have to kind of intervene and make sure you get

00:49:25them out.

00:49:25So that is what we're going to do is give her a little helping hand and make sure it comes

00:49:30out nice and quick, because you don't want the lamb taking its first breath inside the

00:49:34sheep, because then it can obviously drown in the birthing fluid.

00:49:37So what we've got now is the second lamb is jumbled up with its brother or sister, because

00:49:43she's got three on board.

00:49:44So it's a little bit of a jumble up in there.

00:49:48So now we've got to try and determine which legs belong to which lamb, and we're going to

00:49:52try and make mummy do a fair bit of the work, seeing as that's a natural way she would normally

00:49:58do it.

00:49:59But we've had to help her out a little bit.

00:50:03We'll go get one more out now.

00:50:13So when they come out, we want to make sure that all their air rays are as clear as possible,

00:50:17which is to kick start them in this fascinating cycle of them getting up and bonding with the

00:50:25mother.

00:50:25But what we also do is make sure they're sitting with their two front legs out, so it naturally

00:50:31makes them lift their head up and it extends their airways so they can get a good breath.

00:50:37So this first lamb is no longer than, what, two minutes old, and he's already trying to

00:50:42find his feet to get his close bond with his mum and try and get towards that milk, which

00:50:46is so vital for them surviving in this early stage, because the first bit of colostrum they

00:50:51get from the ewe, it's like gold dust.

00:50:52It's so strong of all the antibodies they need to survive.

00:51:00So what we've got happening now is a sheep's seen the newborn lambs and decided she wants

00:51:05to be an auntie and try and mother up with one of these lambs even though they're not hers.

00:51:12One of these newborn lambs could think that this sheep is her new mother.

00:51:16So then actually this ewe's not given birth yet.

00:51:19So she's gained a lamb and then if you try and put the newborn lamb back to her mother,

00:51:24she might reject it.

00:51:25So it's important now that we take the ewe that's just given birth with the lambs into

00:51:30an individual pen where she can create that bond between her and her newborn lambs without

00:51:36somebody else interfering.

00:51:40I'm very happy because that's a good start.

00:51:43Today's the due date and they're on time, which is the main thing.

00:51:45You know, that means I've done my part right.

00:51:53Thank you, Luke.

00:51:55Coming up, how brewers and distillers are getting in on the act, luring adult sweet tooths with

00:52:01classic Easter flavours and capturing the spirit of the season with whimsical Easter cocktails.

00:52:07That keen connoisseur of confection, Tom Sergi, has all bases covered in today's Best of British.

00:52:15And she's the household cavalry sculptor in residence.

00:52:19After years in a city job, Zoe Carmichael was destined to devote herself to the antique discipline

00:52:25of sculpture and immortalise her favourite subjects, horses, in bronze.

00:52:31I'll see you with Zoe and her equine bronzes right after this.

00:52:48Welcome back to Love Your Weekend.

00:52:51Coming up, you name it, she's done it.

00:52:53Dame Sheila Hancock on being top of her game for over seven decades.

00:52:58And he's been on his very own Easter egg hunt to find the perfect treats for us.

00:53:02Tom Sergi, indulging us with his eclectic selection of Easter chocolatey tipples.

00:53:08I see he's dressed for the occasion.

00:53:10I ask no questions.

00:53:12Now, earlier you saw me in a vehicle so quirky it could be straight out of wacky races.

00:53:17And so vintage it makes the Reliant Robin look like a spaceship.

00:53:21My short drive in the 1900 locomobile steam car, thought to be the world's first mass-produced car,

00:53:30wasn't nearly enough to satisfy my motor and curiosity.

00:53:33So, owner Tony Slingo has hopped back in the driving seat to explain how he came into possession of this

00:53:41time capsule on wheels.

00:53:43When you hear a sound like that, well, it thrills me.

00:53:47Well stopped, Tony.

00:53:49I'm getting very good at this now.

00:53:50You're getting good at it.

00:53:52I really enjoyed it.

00:53:53It was a bit scary at the top of the show.

00:53:55Tell me about it.

00:53:56I mean, 1900, the first mass-produced car?

00:53:59It's thought to be the world's first mass-produced car between 1897 and 1904.

00:54:07It's thought that 3,000 were made.

00:54:09Gosh.

00:54:10And, but sadly now only about 12 worldwide survive.

00:54:14That meant, so this is extraordinarily rare.

00:54:17How did you come upon it?

00:54:18It's, I bought this actually from a steam specialist down in Exeter.

00:54:22Did it look like this?

00:54:23No, it didn't, no.

00:54:24It was in many boxes of bits, and, but I was looking for a challenge, having restored many classic cars

00:54:32over the year.

00:54:32How did you work out what went well?

00:54:34Well, luckily I found someone up in Cambridge that also owns a car.

00:54:37Yeah.

00:54:38And he kindly allowed me to pop up there and photograph his car and detail it, which helped me, obviously,

00:54:43enormously.

00:54:44But it's a delightful run, and it feels like driving Chitty Bang Bang when you're on top of it.

00:54:49You've got steering here.

00:54:50Steering, yeah.

00:54:51That's the steering column, so that just moves the wheels left and right.

00:54:54That's it.

00:54:55This here is the throttle.

00:54:58Steam throttle.

00:54:59And this is, so that's forward, and you put that back in its reverse.

00:55:02Exactly.

00:55:02End of controls.

00:55:04That's it.

00:55:04But I did feel it was a bit like doing this.

00:55:06It's exactly that way.

00:55:07Yeah, yeah.

00:55:08But a lot of fun.

00:55:09So it's powered, obviously, by water, steam.

00:55:13Yes.

00:55:13Heated the water.

00:55:14What heats the water?

00:55:15It's got a petrol-fired burner underneath, which is actually quite advanced for its day.

00:55:19Prior to this, obviously, most of the steam engines were coal-fired.

00:55:23So this was a huge leap forward in technology for the day.

00:55:26Pressurized fuel, which is injected into the engine through a vaporizer.

00:55:32And then that comes out of the vaporizer back into the burner to produce, obviously, the flame

00:55:38that you need to heat the steam.

00:55:39Yeah.

00:55:39So, I mean, how big is the water tank?

00:55:42It holds 19 litres, so it's actually quite small.

00:55:45And it consumes about a gallon of water per mile.

00:55:49So you can go, what, about 15, 20 miles?

00:55:5215 miles or so.

00:55:52You're knocking on someone's door looking for a pond, basically.

00:55:55But that's the way it was.

00:55:57And how fast can you go?

00:55:58Because I have to say, when I came around that corner, I thought, crumbs!

00:56:00It's faster than that.

00:56:01Well, it's sort of cruiser speed comfortably.

00:56:03It's sort of 15 to 20 miles an hour.

00:56:05Yeah.

00:56:05But it will do 30 miles an hour, which, given the controls, is actually, as you know from yourself,

00:56:11you have to be quite brave.

00:56:13Yeah, a broom angle there.

00:56:13Exactly.

00:56:14Have you done the London to Brighton in it?

00:56:15No, I haven't.

00:56:16No.

00:56:18What I would like to do, actually, is complete the John de Groot's Land's End journey.

00:56:25This was one of the first cars to actually make that journey.

00:56:27How long did it take?

00:56:2916 days.

00:56:30That's an awful lot of 20 gallons.

00:56:32But the springs on it, I felt it was really quite comfortable coming down there.

00:56:35It is quite comfortable.

00:56:36And, of course, the seat's nice and warm, because you're actually sitting on the burner and the boiler.

00:56:40So it's actually a nice place to be.

00:56:43You can see, though, what it developed from, the horse's carriage.

00:56:47Oh, absolutely.

00:56:47It's just missing the horse at the front, isn't it?

00:56:49You've even got this sort of classic buckboard sort of sheet.

00:56:51Yeah, a team of horse in the front that wouldn't look out of place at all.

00:56:54Yeah.

00:56:55Well done, you, for putting it together.

00:56:57And do you get a chance to use it a lot now?

00:56:59As much as I can, yes.

00:57:00I mean, it's still under development, there's still work to do, but we're making good progress

00:57:05with it.

00:57:05Well, we've had an absolutely glorious day being with you.

00:57:08And I'm thrilled to bits.

00:57:10That is now officially the oldest car I've ever driven.

00:57:13I've done the one that was about 1903.

00:57:15Oh, right, OK.

00:57:16In the London to Brighton.

00:57:17Well, I've been on it, and I drove a little bit of it.

00:57:19Probably an internal combustion engine in that one.

00:57:21Yes, it was.

00:57:22Yeah.

00:57:22Well, this takes probably three quarters of an hour to raise steam.

00:57:26So, of course, as soon as the internal combustion engine came along, no one wanted a steam car.

00:57:30Ah, but you see, you're talking to a patron of the watercress line down here in Hampshire.

00:57:33Absolutely.

00:57:33I'm very happy to be anywhere near steam.

00:57:36Yes.

00:57:36Well, I should begrudgingly let you go now.

00:57:38It's been a delight to be with it and to have actually driven a steam car.

00:57:42Thank you, Terry.

00:57:43Pleasure to be here today.

00:57:49Did you know that in some parts of Germany, they don't have visits from the Easter bunny

00:57:55at this time of year, but from an Easter fox?

00:57:58A strange thought, isn't it?

00:58:00Don't worry.

00:58:01I can't tell I'm much happier with bunnies.

00:58:03A rabbit man, myself.

00:58:05Now, anybody can write a diary, but what it really needs is a wealth of lived experience.

00:58:10That's why the very best tell-alls concern those with a fair few years under their belt.

00:58:16What better subject for this week's spring diaries, then, than the ancient Magnolia,

00:58:2295 million years old.

00:58:25Leslie Joseph puts pen to paper in Chapter 3 of her spring diaries.

00:58:35Dear Diary,

00:58:36Last night I travelled through the night to Lindhurst, ahead of Mr Biggin's grand arrival.

00:58:42I confess to feeling quite spent.

00:58:45That was until my eyes caught sight of what could only be described as spring spectacle of splendour,

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

00:58:56and allow myself a moment of genuine admiration.

00:59:01Dear Diary, you would not believe it.

00:59:05The 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.

00:59:15One encounters it.

00:59:16Like arriving at a grand ball,

00:59:18and discovering a Duchess already stationed at the top of the staircase,

00:59:23draped in silk, with a feather in her hair,

00:59:26and every eye fixed firmly upon her.

00:59:29I know jealousy is unbecoming, but there are times one does struggle.

00:59:35For if ever a tree knew how to command attention,

00:59:39it is the Magnolia.

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

00:59:45because Magnolias are positively ancient aristocrats of the plant world.

00:59:50In fact, they were blooming on earth long before bees had even evolved.

00:59:55More than 90 million years ago.

00:59:58Oh, what beautiful blooms they are!

01:00:02Many Magnolias flower before a single leaf appears,

01:00:06leaving their branches decorated only with those glorious chalice-shaped blossoms,

01:00:11each one poised on a twig, like a champagne glass waiting to be filled,

01:00:17daring you to lift it to your lips and taste spring itself.

01:00:22Oh, I hear Mr. Biggins has arrived,

01:00:25so with great speed I must put will and paper down.

01:00:28Yours, as ever, L. Joseph.

01:00:35Thank you, Leslie, very much indeed.

01:00:37Did you know that the scent of some Magnolia flowers

01:00:40can trigger brain receptors associated with romantic feelings?

01:00:45Botanical romance at its best.

01:00:47Who knew?

01:00:48No, she's an internationally recognised sculptor,

01:00:52known for capturing the spirit movement and power of equine life in extraordinary detail.

01:00:58After training in a legendary Florence art school,

01:01:02Zoe Carmichael went on to become the first ever sculptor in residence

01:01:06with the British Army's Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment,

01:01:10where she continues to capture the military horses in bronze.

01:01:14With such a pedigree, I'm delighted that Zoe's carved some time out from a busy schedule.

01:01:21Sorry about that.

01:01:22To visitors here at Manor Farm.

01:01:24Zoe, lovely to see you.

01:01:26What astonishes me is that you've only been doing this for about four years.

01:01:31You began your working life in the city.

01:01:34Yes, I did.

01:01:35As what?

01:01:36I was head of account management at a market data finance firm.

01:01:40And that's the way in to start sculpting things.

01:01:42How astonishing, what triggered the change, apart from bravery?

01:01:47Well, I fancied a two-week holiday to Florence and I picked a two-week sculpting course.

01:01:53And I got there and then thought, hold on a second, this all makes quite a lot of sense.

01:01:58And then I went back home, quit my job.

01:02:00Everybody thought I was having a nervous breakdown.

01:02:03Moved to Florence for a year and here we are.

01:02:05What a wonderful, wonderful story.

01:02:07Well, let's have a look at the process and also some of the glorious things that you've made.

01:02:12First sculpture in residence for the Household Covering Mounties Regiment.

01:02:15Wow!

01:02:16And they begin life like this.

01:02:18Yes, this is the armature.

01:02:20And you've got to make the armature quite strong, especially for sculptures like Juno,

01:02:25which carry a lot of weight.

01:02:26And it starts off with a T and then you add on the extra appendages for legs and tails or

01:02:34rhino horns and things like that.

01:02:37And you can see where I've added it on, how I start.

01:02:39So, you know, you kind of just take it and you just squish it round.

01:02:43And then we go to...

01:02:45Yeah.

01:02:45And then you start to put the clay on.

01:02:48So, this is about day three, I would say.

01:02:51Yeah.

01:02:52And where I...

01:02:53You can see it's still quite rough, but you can start to see the general...

01:02:56When this is finished then and refined, and this is, you know, part of the way through at the moment,

01:03:01the next stage then presumably involves this down here, does it?

01:03:04Yes.

01:03:04So...

01:03:04Yeah.

01:03:05So then you put the silicon...

01:03:08I'll show you.

01:03:08Do you mind helping me open it?

01:03:10Okay.

01:03:12So...

01:03:13Woo.

01:03:14So this is when you get the foundry involved and you work together with them.

01:03:19And this is the silicon layer.

01:03:21Now, so we take that...

01:03:24Yeah.

01:03:24We put it in what?

01:03:26Well, you just drip.

01:03:28This would be liquid and you drip.

01:03:30It's like...

01:03:30You've never had your nails done.

01:03:33No, not recently.

01:03:34I'm a gardener.

01:03:35They're awful.

01:03:37I'm a sculptor, mine are too.

01:03:39So you pour liquid silicon on and it sets.

01:03:42Right.

01:03:42And you do another layer.

01:03:43And then you put a plaster layer on the top.

01:03:45And so you do it in two halves like you can see with the Rhino.

01:03:48Yes.

01:03:49This mould...

01:03:50This is done.

01:03:51This has had its mould taken.

01:03:53Is this what comes out?

01:03:54Yes.

01:03:55So the liquid wax gets poured in there.

01:03:57Right.

01:03:58And you let it set.

01:03:59And then so you'll see that this fits...

01:04:02Fits in there.

01:04:03Exactly.

01:04:04Yeah.

01:04:05In like that.

01:04:06And then you...

01:04:07So that is just wax now.

01:04:09Yeah.

01:04:10And you join them back together.

01:04:11Yeah.

01:04:12Two halves.

01:04:12Yeah.

01:04:13Yeah.

01:04:14I'm only asking these naive questions on behalf of the viewer.

01:04:17Because I don't know either.

01:04:19So it's...

01:04:19It's quite light.

01:04:20Yes, but this is fragile, isn't it?

01:04:21Very fragile.

01:04:22Yeah.

01:04:23It's very light.

01:04:24Yeah.

01:04:24Please take it off me.

01:04:25Yes, agreed.

01:04:26And then what you do is you take this sculpture and the foundry attach runners, so they're wax lines.

01:04:36Yes.

01:04:36And you dip it in a ceramic liquid.

01:04:39Yeah.

01:04:39Which you dip over a period of say two weeks and it sets hard.

01:04:43And you put that in a kiln.

01:04:44So then the ceramic will set completely hard.

01:04:47Right.

01:04:48And the wax will evaporate.

01:04:49So from clay to wax to ceramic.

01:04:52Yep.

01:04:52To...

01:04:53Pour in liquid molten bronze.

01:04:54Wow.

01:04:55Yep.

01:04:55That is...

01:04:56You see, that's beautiful.

01:04:58But when you do this to it...

01:05:00Yes.

01:05:00Oh my goodness.

01:05:02I'm back in Venice.

01:05:04With the horses on some marks.

01:05:06Those amazing horses.

01:05:07I love that fascination.

01:05:08That took quite an experimentation.

01:05:10So what do you use?

01:05:11What do you put on it?

01:05:12So this is fresh bronze.

01:05:13Yeah.

01:05:13You have to polish it down like this so there's not any kind of residue, your fingers or anything.

01:05:18Right.

01:05:18And then you need a lot of acid and heat to create different parts of the process.

01:05:23But your real pièce de résistance, Zoe, is Junot the drum horse in silver.

01:05:29Yeah.

01:05:29You've got the bronze version over there.

01:05:32But this is astonishing.

01:05:34And I mean, what an honour.

01:05:36Because the Queen named Junot, I think, didn't she?

01:05:39Yep.

01:05:39Junot was named by the Queen, yeah.

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 of the drum horse.

01:05:48Yeah.

01:05:48And she's the first mayor to the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

01:05:51So it's a really special piece to do.

01:05:54I'll tell you what.

01:05:55Don't go back to the city.

01:05:58Absolutely breathtaking.

01:05:59I'm quite busy now.

01:06:00I've got too much to do.

01:06:00I bet you're quite busy now.

01:06:01And you can obviously make a living at it as well with many conditions.

01:06:04Luckily.

01:06:05I feel very lucky.

01:06:06Yes.

01:06:06Well, I think we feel very lucky having seen exactly what you do.

01:06:09Thank 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 enamored.

01:06:14I'm enamored.

01:06:15Glorious, glorious work.

01:06:16Coming up, we haven't spent ourselves entirely in spite of this glory here.

01:06:22Five Easter Choctales that are worth hopping to the bar for.

01:06:27Tom Sergis serving up a cream, egg, white, Russian and chocolate bunny martini at the end

01:06:32of the show.

01:06:33And she's an Olivier Award winner, an OBE recipient and now a dame.

01:06:38Sheila Hancock on the twists and turns of an impressive acting career.

01:06:42And now Betty Davis inspired her to keep going.

01:06:46I'll see you with the dame and more right after this.

01:07:02Welcome back to Love Your Weekend.

01:07:04Coming up, chocolate and boozy treats.

01:07:06I mean I say more.

01:07:08Could it be Easter?

01:07:09First, do a treat of a different kind and somebody who never fails to entertain.

01:07:14My next guest is one of the most respected actresses and writers of our time.

01:07:18She became a household name in the 1960s sitcom The Rag Trade.

01:07:23Whistle everybody out.

01:07:24Miriam Carling, remember that.

01:07:25Since then, she's started everything from Carry On Cleo, the award winning Cabaret, the Sixth

01:07:32Commandment and Edie.

01:07:33But I wonder what was going through her mind when she got the call to star opposite this

01:07:38Hollywood icon.

01:07:39I'd like to see my grandchildren occasionally, Terry.

01:07:42They're waiting for you, ma'am.

01:07:44They're waiting to see what I bought them.

01:07:46Well, what have you bought them then, ma'am?

01:07:49You see, Shirley, no subtleties with Karen.

01:07:52What have you bought them?

01:07:55If you want to know, I'm giving them money.

01:07:57Oh, good idea.

01:07:58They make them buy what they like.

01:08:00Already bought it.

01:08:02Putting the money in trust funds so no one can get their hands on it.

01:08:09They're impatient, I know.

01:08:11I've had three chicks of my own.

01:08:15Only three, I grant you, Karen.

01:08:18But natural good manners told me when to put the plug in.

01:08:26I'm not surprised they are opposite Betty Davis.

01:08:29One of the most intimidating Hollywood actresses of all time.

01:08:34And from your point of view of acting with her, because you'd been in the stage play of the anniversary.

01:08:39Then you went to appear with her in the film of the anniversary.

01:08:43I would have been quaking in my boots, Sheila, opposite her.

01:08:46I think I was.

01:08:48I actually was.

01:08:49I remember the first day she appeared on set.

01:08:52We were told to...

01:08:54She had to make an entrance down a staircase.

01:08:57And we were told to go to the bottom and applaud her as she came down.

01:09:00She was actually a woman who needed support, really.

01:09:04She was surrounded by protectors and you couldn't get to her, really.

01:09:10And I remember once her saying, I did a shot with her and she did the voices off,

01:09:15which people don't normally do when they reach the kind of stardom that she had.

01:09:19But she did.

01:09:20And then she did her reverse and I did the voices off.

01:09:24And I actually said, gosh, well done, Miss Davis.

01:09:27And she said, oh, thank you, honey.

01:09:28The most I ever get is printed.

01:09:32And, you know, obviously nobody dared approach her.

01:09:36And we ended up being quite good friends at the end.

01:09:39But it was kind of forced on her.

01:09:42And she fought Hollywood.

01:09:44You know, this woman, she was so courageous and so strong.

01:09:49But she had hideous men always in her life.

01:09:53And I ended up deeply respecting her.

01:09:56She sacked everybody.

01:09:58When she arrived, the director we had was one of our top directors, Alvin Rakoff.

01:10:03She wasn't having any of that.

01:10:05I mean, she knew that they wanted this and she lit herself.

01:10:10She got rid of the lighting cameraman and she knew we all looked about 103

01:10:14and she looked two on the screen, you know.

01:10:17And she got rid of Alvin because she tried to make her play it utterly realistically.

01:10:23And she knew that wasn't what the public wanted.

01:10:26Was it founded on insecurity, do you think?

01:10:29I don't...

01:10:30I honestly...

01:10:31But no, I think it was founded on being battered like so many of that Hollywood generation,

01:10:36like Judy Garland, like Streisand, like all sorts of people.

01:10:40They were treated abominably badly, I think.

01:10:43And she had enormous talent and nobody listened to her.

01:10:47You know, but she was wonderful.

01:10:50Did you ever get to work with Olivier?

01:10:52No, I got to work with his wife.

01:10:54And I met him quite a bit on and off.

01:10:57John understudied him actually, my husband John Thor.

01:11:00He understudied him in a play and he went on.

01:11:03And he was rather better than Olivier because it was a modern play

01:11:06that Olivier wasn't at all happy in.

01:11:08And John went on and did it because it was a northern part and all that.

01:11:13And he felt more at home.

01:11:15I admired Olivier.

01:11:17I mean, you know, thank you National Theatre and all that.

01:11:20I'm not knocking him, but I don't think he was a film actor

01:11:23because he was a superb stage actor.

01:11:28Although, actually, probably if the young people today watched him,

01:11:32they wouldn't think that.

01:11:32Because it's of its era.

01:11:34It's of its time.

01:11:34It's slightly mannered.

01:11:35Yes.

01:11:36Your career has been so diverse.

01:11:38But I've known you as long as I've known you on television and film,

01:11:41and I do remember Carry On Clear.

01:11:43I've known you for radio as well, particularly Just A Minute.

01:11:46Yes.

01:11:47And you became a rarity, i.e. a very close friend of Kenneth Williams,

01:11:51who allegedly was not easy to get to know.

01:11:54But you were very close.

01:11:56Yes, I loved him.

01:11:58He'd have been 100 this year, astonishingly.

01:12:00He would.

01:12:00Well, we did a thing at the British Library remembering him

01:12:04because it would have been his 100th birthday.

01:12:06It was my birthday as well.

01:12:07I was 93 because we had the same birthday.

01:12:11And I loved him.

01:12:13He asked me to marry him once.

01:12:14And I said, but, Ken, I'm already married.

01:12:18And he said, yes, but it's a rubbish marriage.

01:12:19We would be much better.

01:12:21But everybody says that he was deeply unhappy.

01:12:24He wasn't, you know.

01:12:25He had lots of friends.

01:12:27He was hugely talented, but he wanted to be taken seriously as an actor.

01:12:34He was self-educated.

01:12:36He was always, for just a minute, he would read things up and he was very knowledgeable.

01:12:41And I used to say, you know, nobody takes me seriously.

01:12:44And I used to say to him, Ken, honestly, anybody can play Hamlet if they learn the lines.

01:12:50But nobody can do what you do.

01:12:53You're utterly individual.

01:12:55I don't want to do what I do.

01:12:56Do you know?

01:12:57So, in that way, he was a bit unhappy.

01:13:00And if he'd been in America, they would have built shows around him and he would have been a huge,

01:13:06huge star.

01:13:07But we're not very good in this country of dealing with people who are a bit odd.

01:13:11I mean, sometimes he'd let me go in the flat.

01:13:14He didn't like people going in the flat.

01:13:16And in those days, I smoked and he wouldn't let me smoke.

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

01:13:20I had to go down and use his mother's loo.

01:13:22His mother lived in the flat below.

01:13:24It was terrible.

01:13:25And the only decoration he had were crystals and things like that.

01:13:29He collected beautiful things like that.

01:13:33But sometimes he'd say, right, I've had enough of you, now go.

01:13:37Because he wanted to be on his own.

01:13:40And I'm a bit like that as well.

01:13:42I didn't mind at all because I knew how he felt.

01:13:46You wrote this book, Old Rage, which is wonderfully feisty.

01:13:50Oh, bless you.

01:13:50And, you know, you've done a second edition of it in paperback.

01:13:53And there's an anger in there.

01:13:57But the thing is, yes, you rant.

01:14:00But I love your rants.

01:14:01Because they're not bitter rants.

01:14:03They're just sort of frustrations of...

01:14:07And then there's humour shot through it.

01:14:10I mean, it seems to me that your life is...

01:14:12You've had to have a really good sense of humour and a sense of the ridiculous.

01:14:16You know, two husbands, very fond of you.

01:14:19And then John Thore and lost both of them.

01:14:22And you've battled on.

01:14:23You're still here.

01:14:24Yeah.

01:14:24If I'm allowed to say, 93.

01:14:26An incredible example to us all.

01:14:29Way to go.

01:14:30You know.

01:14:31But you're angry, but you're not.

01:14:34No, I'm not.

01:14:34I think life is so wonderful.

01:14:37And I get so angry at the people that are destroying it.

01:14:41Because it's so beautiful.

01:14:43Here we are today.

01:14:44The weather is wonderful, isn't it?

01:14:46I mean, I came.

01:14:47I only took the job because I wanted to see the country.

01:14:50I came down here.

01:14:51Thanks, Sheila.

01:14:53Seriously, no, I wanted to see you as well.

01:14:56But mainly, I just am so grateful to have been alive.

01:15:03And I don't want it to be spoiled.

01:15:06I will fight tooth and nail until the...

01:15:08And that's the only reason I don't want to die.

01:15:11Because I feel there's so much to be done.

01:15:14We've got to make it all right.

01:15:15And I think, particularly, women have got to make their voice heard.

01:15:20I really...

01:15:21And they are doing it.

01:15:22They are doing it a lot.

01:15:24But we've got to balance the male characteristics.

01:15:31I'm not talking gender necessarily here.

01:15:34And the female characteristics.

01:15:36And this lovely Easter time, when we, you know,

01:15:40look at the examples of a man who believed in the world

01:15:43and believed in human life and died for it.

01:15:47And I just think that we've got to cherish life.

01:15:52That's what I think.

01:15:53And keep a sense of humour too.

01:15:55Yes.

01:15:56Well, I do laugh a lot.

01:15:56Does that drive you through?

01:15:57You laugh a lot.

01:15:58Yeah, I do.

01:15:59I do.

01:15:59I laugh myself at myself sometimes.

01:16:01I think, what are you talking about, you silly cow?

01:16:05That makes no sense at all.

01:16:07I mean, sometimes I listen to myself.

01:16:09I occasionally, by mistake, listen to myself on the radio

01:16:12and think, what am I talking about?

01:16:15That's absolute rubbish.

01:16:18Well, you're welcome to come here and talk rubbish

01:16:20any time you want, Sheila.

01:16:22Bless you.

01:16:22Lovely to be with you, as always.

01:16:24Bless you.

01:16:25We'll give you a little treat at the end of the show.

01:16:27Good.

01:16:27Time now to pause, reflect, and take a moment

01:16:30to enjoy some wonderful footage,

01:16:32which really rather makes a point of what Sheila's saying.

01:16:36Wonderful footage set to equally wonderful music

01:16:38and reminding us all what is out there,

01:16:40especially at this time of year at Easter.

01:16:42It's today's Ode to Joy.

01:17:10From Christmas on Christmas on Christmas on Christmas.

01:17:12Bye, Suls for aball.

01:17:41ORGAN PLAYS

01:18:14ORGAN 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 Joseph Haydn.

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

01:18:43He wrote 104 symphonies.

01:18:44Crack 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,

01:19:24whether you're hosting a long, lazy Easter lunch,

01:19:27planning 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.

01:19:44And 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.

01:20:07Exactly.

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.

01:20:19It's honestly, 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,

01:20:35regeneratively 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 ml of that in a shake-up.

01:21:01Oh, 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.

01:21:15Everything 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?

01:21:50You can get...

01:21:51This is very easy.

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

01:21:53Really?

01:21:53Or quick 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.

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

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

01:22:07Toffee vodka?

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

01:22:10Yeah.

01:22:11And 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 is a 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, well, that needs a bit of salt.

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

01:22:26Yeah, exactly.

01:22:27And I'm tempted to come in and wakes him up.

01:22:29Yes, exactly.

01:22:30And it's exactly.

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

01:22:33Good food, do you like this?

01:22:34I love this one.

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

01:22:37but this is really good.

01:22:38It's delicious.

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

01:22:56And that is a Calimocho.

01:22:59And Calimocho 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, you know, equal measures.

01:23:11And what I've done with this to give it its lovely theme is we've put it into an egg.

01:23:15So 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, I've put equal parts, so a third of each,

01:23:29this amazing Moorish Morello cherry brandy liqueur from the brilliant producer,

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

01:23:38And the Spirit of the Downs make really high quality, grape-based spirits.

01:23:43They make brandies, all of them based from waste material that is pressed grapes for English

01:23:49wine, with some of the best vineyards in the country, that they then take to their distillery,

01:23:54ferment, distill.

01:23:55And so it's a completely kind of closed circle, really beautiful kind of sustainable model.

01:24:00And this is Kent and Sussex cherries, steeped 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?

01:24:12Sheila, it'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, like the Spirit of the Downs one.

01:24:27It does it.

01:24:28It sits beautifully alongside Coke, alongside the 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 it down.

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

01:24:41This is real Del Boy stuff.

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

01:24:44It's real Del Boy stuff.

01:24:46You're absolutely right.

01:24:46So 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 Pinot Colada.

01:24:53Oh, this is fab.

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

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

01:24:58Not from concentrate pineapple juice.

01:25:01That's important.

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

01:25:02That's good.

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

01:25:07That's really good.

01:25:08Rice wine vinegar, real coconut.

01:25:10That'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 because these other ones feel like they're at the end of

01:25:21the meal.

01:25:22Yeah.

01:25:22They feel like dessert.

01:25:22This is nice.

01:25:23But this is more, you know what I mean?

01:25:25I do.

01:25:26And a good Pinot Colada.

01:25:27What makes a good Pinot Colada is quite a lot of pineapple.

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

01:25:31You want loads of pineapple.

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

01:25:35Very simply.

01:25:36Into 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.

01:25:46Sheila.

01:25:47No, Sheila.

01:25:48Drink your drink.

01:25:50In the kitchen.

01:25:51We knew what you meant.

01:25:52We knew it was 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.

01:26:01We'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 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

01:26:31incredible Isle of Wight distillery, mermaid, salt, 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,

01:26:44elevates the flavour.

01:26:45A 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.

01:26:51So 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.

01:26:57Yes.

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

01:27:00But it's got a sweetness.

01:27:02It's got a little bit of a lovely coffee kind of, you know, saveriness running through.

01:27:07I don't like it.

01:27:07No.

01:27:07I know, Sheila, give it over here.

01:27:08It tastes like camp coffee.

01:27:10Camp coffee?

01:27:11Oh, yes.

01:27:11Do you remember?

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

01:27:14Yeah.

01:27:14It was, and I, sorry.

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

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

01:27:19It was in a bottle.

01:27:21And 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.

01:27:30Julian, 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.

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

01:27:45sherry for me.

01:27:47Because these are absolutely, you've excelled yourself, Tom.

01:27:51Brilliant.

01:27:52I'd have a job to choose between them, would you, Julian, or just the one you'd go for more

01:27:55than any other?

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

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

01:27:59That's it, was a great thanks to all my guests, the 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?

01:28:17Fletcher's Family Farm is up next, but I'll leave you now with this quote from celebrated

01:28:21American 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 bunny's taking notes.

01:28:30Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, and from us, a happy Easter.

01:28:34Cheers.

01:28:57Cheers.

Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh - Season 8 Episode 14

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