Love Your Weekend With Alan Titchmarsh S08E18

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Transcript

00:00:00It's Maybank holiday weekend, packed with fun, revelry, children dancing around the

00:00:04Maypole and the annual crowning of a May Queen. We may not have a May Queen, but we've definitely

00:00:09got two kings of the equine world. Here we have Frank and Percy, Shire horses, with one

00:00:16man going to mow. They're the biggest horse breed in the world, recognised for their remarkable

00:00:22strength and pulling power. And we're pulling out all the stops on today's show. Definitely

00:00:28we are highly sustainable. It's time for Love Your Weekend.

00:01:06The month of May is the gateway to summer, wrote garden author Jean Hersey. And step outside

00:01:14and it's easy to see why. The last chill is lifted. The breeze feels softer and the countryside

00:01:22begins to hum with life. Hedgerows froth with hawthorn blossom, often called the Mayflower,

00:01:29while delicate lily of the valley releases its sweet scent in shaded corners and under

00:01:35woodland. Soon, elderflower follows, ready for cordials and country kitchens. A sense

00:01:42of anticipation, similar to how I'm feeling about today's show. Coming up, she's the girl

00:01:48from Liverpool who went on to become one of our best-loved stars. Rita Tushingham on being

00:01:54a part of the rebel upstarts who created quite a stir in 60s British kitchen sink drama. And

00:02:01whether he's delivering the post in Persman Pat, serving divorce papers in The Split or sitting

00:02:07on the gogglebox sofa, he's writing award-winning books. Stephen Mangan on his latest page-turner,

00:02:13and he'll be treating us to a reading too. Bringing her own touch of flower power, horticulturist

00:02:19Camilla Bassett-Smith opens up the pages of her Mayday journal. And it's binoculars at the

00:02:25ready. Urban birder David Lindo gets up close and personal with a couple of coots. And hold

00:02:32on to your china teapot, because there's a wave of alcohol-infused afternoon tea offerings

00:02:36coming your way. Tom Sergi brings us the very best in boozy afternoon teas, including a gin

00:02:43tea fizz and a storm in a teacup. And daughter, wife, mother and sovereign, royal biographer

00:02:51Robert Hartman on the very private and public life of Queen Elizabeth II on what would have

00:02:56been her 100th birthday.

00:03:04But first, the beginning of May emerged as a time of dancing in towns and villages across

00:03:09the country. And today, it's not just the new month we're making a song and dance about.

00:03:13Thanks to Rita Tushingham and Stephen Mangan, welcome to you both. And I was reminded of Cy

00:03:20Coleman and Dorothy Fields' line. It's not where you start, it's where you finish. And

00:03:26here you two are at the finish. But where did it start? I suspect not quite so.

00:03:31Well, is it the finish? Have you got news for us? Are we out of show business? It's all

00:03:35over. This is where you've got to, yeah. I know it's going to be, you know, a climb from

00:03:40here. Where did you start, Stephen? What was your first job? Yeah, first thing in acting.

00:03:45Theatre. I went to do a George Bernard Shaw play in the Redgrave Theatre in Farnham,

00:03:51which is no lie. The theatre's shut shortly after I finished the play. Probably a comment

00:03:57on my performance. It was a sweet little theatre. It was a lovely little theatre. We did Mrs Warren's

00:04:00Profession. And I loved it. And I just wanted to do it. I couldn't believe that I was in

00:04:05a play and being paid to act. I mean, it just seemed ridiculous. How much fun is that?

00:04:11Weren't you at school in Beauty and the Beast, though? I was at school, yes. Playing

00:04:15who? Well, Alan. Yeah. Beauty. You were, weren't you? I was Beauty in Beauty and the Beast.

00:04:23I mean, it was an all-boys school, I should say that straight off. There weren't a lot of

00:04:27disgruntled girls. But yeah, I suppose, you know, either one of those parts. If you've got

00:04:33the lead in Beauty and the Beast, it's kind of good news, bad news if you're a boy. So I'll

00:04:38take it. Risa, what about you? First role? Backlegs of a horse. Not the archetypal.

00:04:43Yeah, I was the backlegs of a horse and overacted a bit. And the front legs got a bit annoyed

00:04:48with me. Because I used to do a lot of doing that. Overacting with your backlegs. And a

00:04:55rabbit. When you got out of the horse, was it? Yeah. No, the backlegs of a horse and then

00:05:01a rabbit. In the same production, Toad of Toad Hall. Oh, lovely. Oh, the horse that pulled...

00:05:07And I was paid for it, too. Were you? Yes. Wow. Your horse that pulled the caravan

00:05:11that Toad was driving. I love the fact that you can overact as the backlegs of a horse.

00:05:15That takes some doing. And I did it one night. I thought, oh, that's quite good. So I went

00:05:20over the top. You're both passionate about music. I mean, but you particularly, I mean,

00:05:24you, Beatles, you're a Liverpudlian, you know. Yeah, yeah. And you were there in those days.

00:05:29Well, I saw them doing their first gig in Walton, just up the road from my grandmother's

00:05:34house. And then we all knew each other, you know, because we come from Liverpool and everything.

00:05:40Yeah. No, it was a great time. And I was going out then with a fellow called Gerald Thorogood,

00:05:46and he played the washboard. Oh, right. I tell you. You never made it into the Fab Four,

00:05:50though. No, he didn't. The Fab Five with the washboard. He did deliver meat for the butchers.

00:05:55Oh, right. OK. Did they dump him before they got the drum kit from Ludwig?

00:05:59No, but that was it. I saw them. It was a magic time. Well, that was skiffle. Yes,

00:06:05it was skiffle. It was just before. Donny Donegan. Donny Donegan, yeah. My dad made me one of

00:06:09those. We had an old bread bin that he turned upside down, so it's made of metal, and he put

00:06:15a broom handle up with a piece of string through it. And it's like a double base. Yeah, yeah,

00:06:20they did that. With a washboard. The washboard, the spoons. Yeah. And all the thimbles that they

00:06:25had to wear. For the washboard, yeah. It's reminiscent of time, this isn't it, really.

00:06:31Gosh. In my day. In my day. Back in my day. But you were in a group. I was in

00:06:36a band at

00:06:36school, yeah, yeah. We're a prog rock band. I had two keyboards. I was the keyboard player.

00:06:43Put one there, one there, so I could do Rick Wakeman, kind of, you know, a tiny little keyboard.

00:06:48Yeah, we were called Aragon. And we released an album called The Wizard's Dream.

00:06:55It's very past tense, this. Did we not get very far with it? I'm trying to distance myself

00:06:59from it. It's not the coolest thing in the world to say you're in a prog rock band, is

00:07:03it? No. Look at Rita, look at them. She knew the Beatles. I know. Well, you also...

00:07:08I was playing 15-minute songs about dragons. Yeah, you're right, we should pass over that

00:07:13pretty, quite quickly. Now, we've got a bit of footage of you with the Smiths. This is Rita,

00:07:18you know, in the pop prime, as it were.

00:07:21Do you really think she'll pull through, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

00:07:30oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.

00:07:31Girlfriend ain't a coma, I know, I know it's silly.

00:07:48Oh, that takes me back. Does that take you back?

00:07:51Yeah, way back. It does. That was from The Leather Boys, that shot.

00:07:55Gosh. The Leather Boys?

00:07:57Yeah, second film, yeah.

00:07:58Oh, wow. What were you playing?

00:08:00I was playing a young wife.

00:08:03Right.

00:08:04Dudley Sutton.

00:08:05Dudley Sutton?

00:08:06Yeah.

00:08:06Oh, yeah, it was in Lovejoy.

00:08:08He played Tinker, didn't he, in Lovejoy, Dudley Sutton.

00:08:11Somebody said he once described him as having a face like a squashed cushiony.

00:08:15Well, it was a bit, actually.

00:08:17He'd never played Beauty, would he?

00:08:19No, we know which part he'd have got, don't we, really?

00:08:21The same.

00:08:22But the classic bouffant hair.

00:08:25Well, that was a wig, and I remember one day we finished early,

00:08:28and the hairdresser, and people were watching,

00:08:31and she just came and took the wig off.

00:08:34And I was left, and people went, ooh.

00:08:37Well, she rented it or something.

00:08:38What's she done with her hair?

00:08:40Well, now we get the sympathy time, really,

00:08:42because I want to talk to you both about football.

00:08:45Now, Stephen, I'm living your life.

00:08:48I was having a good time.

00:08:50Well, my grandson is a supporter of Spurs,

00:08:53and we're having a great deal of difficulty buoying him up at the moment.

00:08:56It's so depressing.

00:08:57It's so depressing.

00:08:58It's like going to therapy now.

00:09:00There's 60,000 people sitting in a circle,

00:09:02wondering what went wrong with their lives to bring them to this point.

00:09:05It's just awful, so I don't know what to say.

00:09:07Move on.

00:09:08I'm going to sit here very quietly.

00:09:09My son-in-law's a Tottenham supporter.

00:09:11My wife's a Liverpool fan.

00:09:12Oh, well, there you go.

00:09:13Another Scousel.

00:09:14Another Hacker Scousel.

00:09:15Shall we change it to Liverpool, then?

00:09:16Shall we talk about Liverpool?

00:09:18Because you've supported them for...

00:09:20Well, obviously, being a Liverpoolian, then...

00:09:21Yeah.

00:09:22You have to, don't you?

00:09:23Or Everton, I suppose.

00:09:24Well, in the family, my dad was Everton, my mum was Liverpool,

00:09:27and two brothers.

00:09:29One was Everton, one was Liverpool.

00:09:30But when I left Liverpool, it was part of me.

00:09:33I had to support Liverpool.

00:09:35And they go up and down at the moment, don't they?

00:09:37Well, they're a bit downy-uppy, but never mind.

00:09:40And I'm also very involved.

00:09:42I want to try and do a project about women in the First World War

00:09:46who formed football teams for the war effort.

00:09:50Way back then.

00:09:50They worked in the munitions factory,

00:09:52and they raised so much money for the war effort,

00:09:54but the men didn't like it,

00:09:56so when the war was over, they wanted to get rid of them.

00:09:59We could do a few of them at Spurs, actually.

00:10:02But you're still going to carry on.

00:10:03You're loyal, I used to, at Spurs.

00:10:04I mean, you choose...

00:10:05Your team is your team.

00:10:06That's it.

00:10:07You're stuck with them for the life.

00:10:08Well, you have to be, don't you?

00:10:10You do, yeah.

00:10:11That's the whole point.

00:10:11Do you think you'll go down?

00:10:13Yeah.

00:10:14Oh, no.

00:10:15Double-sided, isn't it, sort of a sporting football team?

00:10:18It's ridiculous, really, but you just can't help it.

00:10:20I don't like to know what the result is

00:10:22until it's all over and I turn everything off.

00:10:25I don't like to know what the result is after the game.

00:10:27I've seen it.

00:10:29They won't go down.

00:10:30You'll be all right.

00:10:30Well, I'm sorry to ruin the start of the show.

00:10:33What a downer.

00:10:33We'll lift it now, Steve.

00:10:34I come in here in good faith.

00:10:36Bring me down.

00:10:37Well, more barnside banter after I've done the spot of counselling

00:10:41from our dynamic duo a little bit later.

00:10:43Still, Ed, as bulbs fade and herbaceous borders grow

00:10:47in leaps and bounds, it's clear that summer's approaching.

00:10:49I'll cheer, Steve.

00:10:50Now, Camilla Bassett-Smith celebrates the new month

00:10:53with her May gardening calendar.

00:10:55Long grass, strong stock and a slice of rural history.

00:10:58Traditional mowing takes centre stage with two heavy horses

00:11:02and the couple who like their horse power the old-fashioned way.

00:11:06Horses and horticulture coming up right after this.

00:11:09Steve, to cheer you up, would you like a scone with jam and cream?

00:11:13Yes, thank you.

00:11:14There you are.

00:11:14Look, have two.

00:11:15I've won in each hand.

00:11:17OK, I'm going for it.

00:11:17And then I'll throw it and you'll have to save it.

00:11:20I'm going for it.

00:11:20Look, there you go.

00:11:21Look at that.

00:11:22Rita, cucumber sandwiches and battenberg for you.

00:11:24Oh, I'll have a cucumber sandwich.

00:11:25Princess Leia.

00:11:27I'll join you with a cucumber sandwich.

00:11:42May is unique for having not one, but two bank holidays.

00:11:47A perfect excuse to pause, relax, maybe even raise a glass,

00:11:52wouldn't you say?

00:11:53And speaking of reasons to sit back and celebrate,

00:11:55there's plenty in the show today.

00:11:57Coming up and keeping it in the family,

00:11:59Stephen and Anita Mangan on their latest wildly imaginative page-turner,

00:12:05Welcome to Weird Street.

00:12:07Described as a brilliantly silly, fast-paced read

00:12:10for parents and children alike.

00:12:11And loose-leaf tea, dainty china,

00:12:14fiddly sandwiches with the cuss cut off.

00:12:17Not the latest offerings from the pen of Julian Fellows,

00:12:20but boozy afternoon teas.

00:12:22Now we're talking.

00:12:23Tom Sergi has the afternoon tea tipples

00:12:25that'll have your little finger poking out

00:12:28before you can say, I'll be mother.

00:12:30But first, the celebration of May Day dates back to ancient times

00:12:34when Romans celebrated the festival of flora,

00:12:37the goddess of flowers and spring.

00:12:39For many, marks the first day of summer.

00:12:42And with a new month comes new activities

00:12:44to keep you busy in your garden.

00:12:46Here with her top gardening tips for the month,

00:12:49horticulturists, Camilla Bassett-Smith,

00:12:51looking suitably sunny and cherry-like there.

00:12:54Indeed, I feel I ought to be talking about fruits,

00:12:56but I'm not.

00:12:56I'm talking about the fruits of the garden

00:12:58with all of these amazing flowers.

00:13:01Oh, my favourite group of plants, pelagoniums.

00:13:03Don't we have so much choice at this time of year?

00:13:04Yeah.

00:13:05And you collect, you have a lot, don't you?

00:13:07I do.

00:13:07Yeah, a fair few.

00:13:08They're just so reliable.

00:13:10Lots of colour, lots of fragrance,

00:13:12and the perfumed ones, you know, the fragrant-leaved ones.

00:13:15I love them.

00:13:15And so much variety.

00:13:17Yeah.

00:13:17If we start with what people know,

00:13:18right back at the very start,

00:13:19with the zonal.

00:13:21These, very bright, often used in bedding schemes,

00:13:24popular in Victorian times and the 1950s and 1960s as well.

00:13:29But they're not all these colours.

00:13:30You can get some very subtle pinks like this one.

00:13:33A lovely pale pink.

00:13:33They're called zonals because they have this darker zone

00:13:36around the leaf.

00:13:37You can see it more on the others there, isn't it?

00:13:39And they flower all summer, don't they?

00:13:40Yeah, they do.

00:13:40Like a really dry sunny spot.

00:13:41The single ones will often carry on through the winter,

00:13:44but the double ones send a slip in the water.

00:13:46And then within the zonals, you get, as you said,

00:13:48these zonal leaves,

00:13:49but perhaps more pronounced markings on them,

00:13:52such as these ones here.

00:13:53And you can really see those variegations.

00:13:55Crystal Palace gem.

00:13:56A lot of them, these are very old.

00:13:58They're over 100 years old, some of them.

00:13:59And that one there, Frank Headley.

00:14:00Frank Headley.

00:14:01He's a really popular one.

00:14:02Yeah, with that salmon pink flower.

00:14:03And as you do,

00:14:05many people do collect the different types

00:14:06because there's just so many once you start looking.

00:14:09And the apple blossom types.

00:14:10Now, these were the result of a mutation

00:14:13back in, I think, around the 1850s,

00:14:15where they started to produce these really

00:14:17apple blossom type flowers.

00:14:19This one isn't apple blossom, actually,

00:14:21but it looks very much like it.

00:14:22And that was a favourite of Queen Victoria.

00:14:25Apple blossom rose bulb.

00:14:27And my grandfather had some.

00:14:28And I, to keep my grandfathers going,

00:14:31I do many cuttings of them.

00:14:32Now, these should have been potted up already, really,

00:14:34because look.

00:14:35Look at that.

00:14:36And they're just rooted in water.

00:14:37Yeah, just rooted in water.

00:14:38Yeah.

00:14:38Off the main plants,

00:14:39because I don't want to lose them,

00:14:40because they were his plants.

00:14:42And just so easy to keep going.

00:14:43And then pop those up.

00:14:45And then the regals come into play, don't they?

00:14:48Now, these don't have a flower for quite so long,

00:14:50don't they?

00:14:50What a spectacle when they do.

00:14:51They are.

00:14:51I think they're the real show-offs

00:14:52of the Pelagonian world.

00:14:54Mm, regal.

00:14:54With the whiskery leaves.

00:14:55Yes, beautiful flowers

00:14:56and very bright colours.

00:14:57Often with different colours in,

00:14:58you get some whites with purple in.

00:15:00And they are really, really attractive.

00:15:02And then the trailing ivy leaf ones.

00:15:05This one is crocodile.

00:15:07And again, you know,

00:15:09you're admiring them as much for their leaves

00:15:10as you are for their flowers often.

00:15:12And very nice for hanging baskets,

00:15:13trailing over.

00:15:14And this one here, elegant.

00:15:17And you get a slight pinking.

00:15:18Pink tins.

00:15:19Yes, under stress, I'm told.

00:15:21So I've obviously not looked after this one

00:15:23very well over the last few days.

00:15:25And then you're down to the favourite leaf ones.

00:15:26Is this chocolate peppermint?

00:15:28Yes, it is.

00:15:28And you can cook with them as well.

00:15:29We've got this one, which is a lemon one,

00:15:31lemon kiss.

00:15:31And the citrus ones,

00:15:33there's lots of them out there.

00:15:34They're oranges.

00:15:35They really are very, very pungent.

00:15:37I've been growing this one for a few days.

00:15:38This is Pelagonia papillianaceum.

00:15:40You look at it here

00:15:40and you think,

00:15:41what a sweet little plant.

00:15:42It grows this big.

00:15:43It's a huge one.

00:15:44From the ground.

00:15:45See, I've never grown that, Alan.

00:15:46Over the years,

00:15:47it's quite a long time to root,

00:15:49the cutting state.

00:15:49They do root,

00:15:50but you've got to be very patient with them.

00:15:51A bit of bottom heat.

00:15:52And it makes massive plants

00:15:53with great clusters

00:15:54of these tiny flowers here.

00:15:56They're wonderful.

00:15:56But the flowers on those,

00:15:57these species ones,

00:15:58very delicate

00:15:59compared to the bigger ones.

00:16:00And I just wanted to mention quickly

00:16:01the stellar varieties here.

00:16:03And these ones are quite a new introduction

00:16:05from the 1970s,

00:16:06mostly bred in Australia

00:16:08with these star-like flowers.

00:16:10And they're really rather pretty, aren't they?

00:16:12Wonderful.

00:16:12Different ones across the board, though.

00:16:13Thanks, Kimberl.

00:16:14And you'll be back later?

00:16:15I shall, indeed.

00:16:16Wonderful.

00:16:22Now, power, patience and a touch of history.

00:16:25Heavy horses have been mowing hay

00:16:27the traditional way for centuries.

00:16:29But traditional horse mowing

00:16:31isn't just beautiful to watch.

00:16:33It's a win for biodiversity,

00:16:36supporting habitats

00:16:37that modern machinery often disrupts.

00:16:39Two people who've spotted the magic

00:16:42and the environmental benefits

00:16:44of this age-old skill

00:16:45and have since started a business

00:16:47bringing these gentle giants

00:16:49back to British Meadows

00:16:50are Nicola Reid and Tom Nixon,

00:16:53who join me now

00:16:54just as the heavens are about to open.

00:16:56I think shire horses work in all weathers.

00:16:58Welcome, Nicola.

00:16:59Welcome, Tom.

00:17:00So how long have you been working

00:17:02with these shires?

00:17:03You're from Oakwood, Clydesdales,

00:17:05but these are shires, aren't they?

00:17:07These two are shires,

00:17:08so we have nine horses in total.

00:17:10Yeah.

00:17:10And these are our only two shires,

00:17:12the rest of Clydesdales.

00:17:13So how long have they been cutting grass?

00:17:16So the business has actually been running

00:17:18since 2023.

00:17:20Yeah.

00:17:20And these horses joined us in 2024.

00:17:24So a couple of years now

00:17:25they've been working with us.

00:17:26Yeah.

00:17:26So they know what they're doing, Tom.

00:17:28They do.

00:17:29They know their job, Alan.

00:17:30They're Frank and Percy.

00:17:31Which is which?

00:17:33We've got Percy here

00:17:34and Frank there on the outside.

00:17:35And who's the boss?

00:17:37They're a good working pair.

00:17:38They get on so well

00:17:38there's no boss there.

00:17:40They just...

00:17:40That's important, isn't it?

00:17:42It is, really.

00:17:43It's good that the horses

00:17:44work well together.

00:17:44They have a good working relationship

00:17:46and they're good friends

00:17:46in the fields as well.

00:17:47Yeah.

00:17:48Yeah.

00:17:49And they're an ideal couple

00:17:50to work together.

00:17:51Well, we're coming to their

00:17:52heavy season, presumably, as well.

00:17:54You know, grass is growing

00:17:55like stink now.

00:17:56So where do you utilise them?

00:17:59Where do you go?

00:18:00We're based in Hampshire and Hook

00:18:02but we work from between London, Kent,

00:18:06the home counties.

00:18:07Basically anywhere that want to use horses

00:18:10instead of machinery.

00:18:11Anybody that sees the value of using them.

00:18:13It's not just, you know,

00:18:14a wonderfully romantic notion of historic...

00:18:17This is a practical and pragmatic way

00:18:19of custodianship of the land, isn't it?

00:18:22It is, yeah.

00:18:23Exactly that.

00:18:23And, you know, when you look at tractors,

00:18:26even small compact tractors,

00:18:27they're quite weighty.

00:18:28Yeah.

00:18:28And you have, obviously,

00:18:30four big wheels that are in contact

00:18:32with the soil the entire time.

00:18:34Whereas these guys,

00:18:35they're just taking a tread here

00:18:37and a tread there.

00:18:38And so, ultimately,

00:18:40it leads to much less soil compaction

00:18:43compared to even quite small tractors

00:18:46and machinery.

00:18:47So, when you can improve the drainage

00:18:50in the soil,

00:18:51then obviously you can also allow

00:18:53those wildflower seeds

00:18:54to germinate and grow.

00:18:55Wildflower seeds now

00:18:56are at a fair premium, aren't they?

00:18:57If you want to sell a meadow.

00:18:58They are quite expensive.

00:19:00Yeah.

00:19:00And I know that we have had

00:19:02clients comment that actually

00:19:03having us in to collect seed

00:19:05from existing meadows

00:19:07is actually far more cost-effective

00:19:09for them than purchasing new seed.

00:19:11Yeah.

00:19:11Well, they also get far more off it

00:19:14than with a proper seed collector

00:19:16like that.

00:19:16That's it.

00:19:17What we're going to see

00:19:17in our tackle is

00:19:18we've got a nice, you know,

00:19:20spring shower coming down

00:19:21on this now.

00:19:21That's what makes the grass grow.

00:19:23So, these two guys

00:19:24won't bother at all,

00:19:25will they, about the weather?

00:19:26Do they work in all weathers?

00:19:27They work in all weathers, yeah.

00:19:28The only thing that will keep us

00:19:30away from the job

00:19:30is high wind.

00:19:31Yeah.

00:19:32Just for safety.

00:19:33Yeah.

00:19:33But generally speaking,

00:19:34a bit of shower,

00:19:35that won't bother us.

00:19:36Don't bother us.

00:19:36All right, okay, guys,

00:19:37don't bat a hair,

00:19:39Percy and Frank.

00:19:40So, let's let you harness up.

00:19:42Okay, we're going to hook in now

00:19:43and we'll have a sound tomorrow

00:19:45and do a little bit of a mower.

00:19:46So, you've got all the harness on.

00:19:47It always baffles me.

00:19:48If you carry on,

00:19:49it looks so complex.

00:19:51I couldn't begin to put,

00:19:52you know,

00:19:52even a horse collar on.

00:19:53I know where that would go over her head,

00:19:54but that would be about something, really.

00:19:56Right, Chris.

00:19:56Come back.

00:19:56So, we've now got this bar at the front

00:19:59going on.

00:20:01Watch, mate.

00:20:04That's the mat.

00:20:07It's not like one of those wardrobes

00:20:08you used to put up, is it, Nick?

00:20:09You suddenly find a bit

00:20:10and you don't know where it goes.

00:20:12You've got it all worked out.

00:20:15The harness can be a little bit that way

00:20:16when you take it all apart.

00:20:17Yeah.

00:20:18You can see this blade now

00:20:19coming out the side.

00:20:20It's very effective for long grass, isn't it?

00:20:22Yes.

00:20:22Because it gets right down the bottom.

00:20:24Here we go.

00:20:25Right, it's a wonderfully archaic

00:20:27looking piece of equipment, isn't it?

00:20:30There it is.

00:20:31Oh, look at that nicely sprung seat.

00:20:33Yeah.

00:20:34So, right, I'm lowering the blades now.

00:20:37There we go.

00:20:37I like to see the blades moving side to side.

00:20:41Because this grass isn't really long enough for you,

00:20:43is it?

00:20:43When you get to the longer bit,

00:20:44you can see it's cutting it.

00:20:45We should have laid some long reeds,

00:20:47shouldn't we?

00:20:48You can talk more at all.

00:20:49That's it.

00:20:49You won't see it, though.

00:20:51Come back in the summer

00:20:52when it's a hay meadow.

00:20:54Do you know the other lovely thing?

00:20:56I'm going to shut up now

00:20:56because I just want you to listen

00:20:59to the sound

00:21:00of horses

00:21:02mowing a meadow

00:21:03with an owl inside.

00:21:04Listen.

00:21:13So much nicer,

00:21:15the sound

00:21:15and the throbbing tractor engine,

00:21:17don't you think?

00:21:22I find myself

00:21:24looking at this

00:21:25and thinking,

00:21:25what would I rather watch,

00:21:26this or a week in politics?

00:21:29Bell contest.

00:21:31Tom, that was just lovely.

00:21:33Yeah, it is.

00:21:34And as you can see,

00:21:36it works and it works well.

00:21:37Yeah.

00:21:37It's very practical.

00:21:38The mower works really well

00:21:39for an old mower

00:21:40and the horses

00:21:41are quite happy at it.

00:21:43How old's the machine?

00:21:44These machines were built

00:21:45about 1930.

00:21:47It's a McCormick-Deering.

00:21:48So it's coming up

00:21:49400 years old.

00:21:50Yeah.

00:21:51And we cut, I suppose,

00:21:52about 300 acres

00:21:53every year with it.

00:21:54Gracious me.

00:21:55Carry on then, Tom.

00:21:56Okay, lads.

00:21:56Come on together.

00:22:01Thank you, Frank and Percy.

00:22:03Anne-Licker and Tom.

00:22:05Thank you very much indeed.

00:22:06Good to see you.

00:22:07Okay.

00:22:09Reloctant to leave them, really.

00:22:11Coming up,

00:22:11he's spent years

00:22:12bringing characters to life

00:22:14and also watching

00:22:15how others do the same

00:22:16on canvas.

00:22:17Stephen Mangan

00:22:18on Portrait Artist of the Year

00:22:20and why writing for children

00:22:21has opened up

00:22:22a whole new world for him.

00:22:24I think it's book number eight.

00:22:25I'll see you with Stephen

00:22:26for some literary chat

00:22:28and more

00:22:29if I can drag myself

00:22:31away from the horse.

00:22:32Bye-bye.

00:22:47Welcome back to

00:22:48Love Your Weekend.

00:22:49Coming up,

00:22:49she's starred with the likes

00:22:50of Alec Guinness,

00:22:51Rod Steiger

00:22:52and Arthur Richardson

00:22:53to name but three.

00:22:54Rita Tushingham

00:22:56talks humble beginnings,

00:22:58her trailblazing career

00:22:59and keeping Oliver Reed

00:23:00in check.

00:23:01That wasn't easy.

00:23:03And afternoon tea

00:23:04was a difference.

00:23:05Things have certainly

00:23:05moved on

00:23:06since the Downton days.

00:23:08Crustless cucumber sandwiches,

00:23:09piping hot tea

00:23:10and more manners

00:23:11than you could squeeze

00:23:12into a corset.

00:23:13Drinks expert Tom Surgey

00:23:15gets ready to raise

00:23:16the roof

00:23:16and your pinkies

00:23:17as we bring you

00:23:18the best boozy

00:23:19and bottomless

00:23:20afternoon teas.

00:23:21But first,

00:23:23cast directly by author

00:23:24Sue Townsend

00:23:25who, after a close inspection,

00:23:27told him he was

00:23:28perfect for the part.

00:23:30I think that was a compliment.

00:23:32It was the performance

00:23:33that launched Stephen Mangan

00:23:35into the public consciousness.

00:23:36A slightly pretentious

00:23:38and down-on-his-lock

00:23:39single parent

00:23:40working as an

00:23:42awful chef

00:23:43and with dreams

00:23:44of becoming

00:23:44a successful novelist.

00:23:46Welcome to the chaotic world

00:23:48of Adrian Mole

00:23:49aged 31 and three quarters.

00:23:52Where do birds go

00:23:53when they're tired?

00:23:55They go to sleep.

00:23:56In their nests, of course.

00:24:12There's nobody here.

00:24:14They've gone inside.

00:24:15Go on, William.

00:24:17Will you come in with me?

00:24:19Look, I'm in a hurry.

00:24:20I've got to get back.

00:24:27Mr. Mole,

00:24:28may I have a word about

00:24:29time here?

00:24:30No, I'm sorry, Mrs. Parvez.

00:24:31I'm on national television

00:24:32in 13 minutes.

00:24:34Yes, go off, Mrs. Parvez.

00:24:36The next time you see me,

00:24:37I'll be a household name

00:24:38on a par with

00:24:40Domestos

00:24:40or Roy Hattersley.

00:24:43Nothing says modern parenting.

00:24:45Quite like a reluctant goodbye

00:24:46at the school gates.

00:24:48Especially when it's wrapped

00:24:49in Adrian Mole's

00:24:50signature blend

00:24:51of self-absorption

00:24:52and mild existential panic.

00:24:54I mean,

00:24:55did you feel a pang

00:24:56of guilt

00:24:57about acting that out?

00:24:58You've been there yourself.

00:24:59It was fun.

00:25:00But that reminded me

00:25:01when you were at drama school,

00:25:02you think,

00:25:03who will I play

00:25:03when I, you know,

00:25:04get out there

00:25:05in the big,

00:25:05will I be James Bond?

00:25:07No.

00:25:08Adrian Mole.

00:25:09So why did Sue Townsend

00:25:11think you were

00:25:12absolutely right?

00:25:13Sue Townsend

00:25:14was one of my heroes.

00:25:15I loved her to bits.

00:25:17And when we were filming,

00:25:18she had diabetes.

00:25:19She was losing her eyesight.

00:25:21So I went for an audition.

00:25:23She said,

00:25:23I can't really see you

00:25:24that well.

00:25:25Can I have a close look at you?

00:25:26I said, of course.

00:25:27She got out

00:25:28this huge magnifying glass

00:25:29and came up to

00:25:30within six inches

00:25:31of my face.

00:25:32And she said,

00:25:34the actor who plays

00:25:35Adrian Mole

00:25:35cannot be good looking.

00:25:37He just can't be.

00:25:38Adrian Mole is a geek.

00:25:39He's pretentious.

00:25:40He's not a good looking man.

00:25:42And she literally scanned me

00:25:43all the way down

00:25:44my face

00:25:44from this far away

00:25:46and then said,

00:25:47you're perfect.

00:25:49The ultimate double-edged sword.

00:25:51I mean,

00:25:51I love that woman.

00:25:52Loved her.

00:25:53But also,

00:25:53her writing was so superb.

00:25:55I mean,

00:25:55miss her now.

00:25:56What she would have done

00:25:57with what's going on

00:25:58in the world of politics

00:25:58and everything.

00:25:59She was a genius.

00:26:01It's that kind of clarity

00:26:02of vision of a wordsmith,

00:26:03isn't it?

00:26:03They can translate

00:26:04onto the page

00:26:06what you felt

00:26:08but could not do.

00:26:09Could not articulate.

00:26:10They unlock something.

00:26:11Yes, they do.

00:26:12And also,

00:26:12that gap between

00:26:14how we see ourselves

00:26:15and how the world

00:26:16sees us.

00:26:17And it's just such a joy.

00:26:18A character like Alan Partridge,

00:26:20for example,

00:26:20is a similar thing.

00:26:21You know,

00:26:21he thinks he's his heroic,

00:26:25brilliant broadcaster

00:26:26and we look at him

00:26:27in a different way.

00:26:28So, yeah,

00:26:29a treat.

00:26:30I mean,

00:26:30what a break

00:26:32to get that early

00:26:33in my career

00:26:34to play Adrian Moll.

00:26:36Do you know,

00:26:37when you're working

00:26:37with people

00:26:38that you've always admired,

00:26:40I mean,

00:26:40you must have to certainly,

00:26:41no,

00:26:42I can do this,

00:26:43you know,

00:26:43not be overawed,

00:26:44you know.

00:26:44It's a weird feeling,

00:26:45especially if you're a fan

00:26:46of a show

00:26:47and then you join it,

00:26:48you think,

00:26:49I've seen this on telly

00:26:51and I love this

00:26:52and now I'm part of it.

00:26:53You really,

00:26:54it's a real pinch yourself stuff.

00:26:55Is there also a moment

00:26:56of,

00:26:56I must not mess this up?

00:26:57Oh,

00:26:57really?

00:26:57Because you know

00:26:58these things are

00:26:59adored and revered

00:27:01and people watch them,

00:27:01you know,

00:27:03forensically.

00:27:04yeah.

00:27:05You're rehearsing

00:27:06at the moment

00:27:06or about to hear this

00:27:07next week

00:27:08for The Truth.

00:27:09The Truth,

00:27:10yes.

00:27:10Now,

00:27:10tell us about the stage play.

00:27:11A stage play,

00:27:12comedy in the West End

00:27:13about a man having

00:27:14an affair

00:27:15with his best friend's wife.

00:27:17Oof.

00:27:18And,

00:27:20great cast,

00:27:20just four of us in it.

00:27:22Sarah Hadland

00:27:22is playing my mistress,

00:27:25Janie D,

00:27:25my wife

00:27:26and Ardlo Hanlon

00:27:27who's on your show

00:27:28recently I think.

00:27:28He was a few weeks ago,

00:27:29yeah.

00:27:29He's my best friend

00:27:31but as things go on

00:27:32all is not what it seems

00:27:34but it's a treat.

00:27:35Now,

00:27:35you're with Nicola Walker

00:27:38in Unicorn

00:27:39in the West End

00:27:39playing really rather strangely.

00:27:41I mean,

00:27:41you seem to be taking

00:27:42this as a special.

00:27:43That was about thruttles,

00:27:44yeah.

00:27:44Yes.

00:27:44I don't know why

00:27:45they come to me

00:27:45for these parts.

00:27:46No,

00:27:46I'm beginning to wonder.

00:27:47I'm very straight-laced on

00:27:48and I promise in real life

00:27:49this is not who I am.

00:27:51So,

00:27:52I don't know why.

00:27:53I don't know.

00:27:54No idea.

00:27:54West End Stage,

00:27:55I've seen you on West End Stage,

00:27:56I remember that lovely thing,

00:27:58the P.G. Woodhouse thing

00:27:59that you did.

00:28:01Yes,

00:28:01Jeeves and Worcester.

00:28:02Jeeves and Worcester.

00:28:02Yeah,

00:28:02with Matthew McFaddy.

00:28:04What a pair you were.

00:28:05The best curtain call

00:28:06I've ever seen

00:28:06with the most astonishing

00:28:07dance routine

00:28:08that put Strictly in the shade,

00:28:10this great Charleston.

00:28:10This incredible Charleston

00:28:11at the end of a sort of,

00:28:12there's only three of us

00:28:13in the place

00:28:13and it was absolutely

00:28:14exhausted,

00:28:14you know,

00:28:14and at the end

00:28:15we had to do this

00:28:15sort of seven-minute dance

00:28:17which the audience loved

00:28:19and we were on stage

00:28:20going,

00:28:21I'm going to get back

00:28:21to my tracks.

00:28:22I'm exhausted.

00:28:24But West End Stage,

00:28:25special for you,

00:28:26clearly.

00:28:26Do you know what,

00:28:27I think if I had my way

00:28:28I would do nothing,

00:28:30acting-wise,

00:28:31I would do nothing

00:28:31but theatre.

00:28:32I just love it.

00:28:33There's something about

00:28:35the sense of occasion

00:28:36every night,

00:28:37you know,

00:28:37all those people out there,

00:28:38it's never to be repeated.

00:28:40But your other staples

00:28:41as it were continue,

00:28:43Classic FM

00:28:43on a Sunday afternoon,

00:28:44Yes.

00:28:44Introducing Music

00:28:46and Portrait Artist

00:28:47and Landscape Artist

00:28:48of the Year.

00:28:49Yeah, yeah.

00:28:50You've been very kind

00:28:50having me on,

00:28:51Tommy Portrait.

00:28:52Well, yeah.

00:28:52What's he done

00:28:53with your portrait?

00:28:53Where is it?

00:28:54It's my sister has it.

00:28:55Oh, great.

00:28:55Yeah, thank goodness

00:28:56somebody wanted it.

00:28:58We're not quite sure

00:28:59where to put this

00:28:59because Sue Barker

00:29:01has hers

00:29:02over the mantelpiece

00:29:03when people come round

00:29:04for dinner.

00:29:05Oh.

00:29:06She puts it there

00:29:07and they go,

00:29:07ooh.

00:29:08And then she

00:29:09gives them about

00:29:10five minutes of,

00:29:11yes.

00:29:12Well, she sort of

00:29:13spin it around.

00:29:13And then she says

00:29:14it's a joke

00:29:15and she takes it down.

00:29:16But it's such a lovely day

00:29:17coming and doing that show.

00:29:19Yeah, it's really,

00:29:19I think,

00:29:20interesting for people

00:29:21like yourself

00:29:22who are used to being busy

00:29:23and like right at the heart

00:29:25of things

00:29:26and in a way

00:29:27once you're introduced

00:29:28you sit there

00:29:28and the artist

00:29:30takes over then

00:29:30and it's, yeah.

00:29:31It's really rather pleasurable.

00:29:33I mean,

00:29:33people seem to love

00:29:34coming on the show

00:29:35and I now have

00:29:36all sorts of actors

00:29:37and writers

00:29:37and comedians

00:29:38come up to me

00:29:38and say,

00:29:39please can I come on the show

00:29:40and please can I have

00:29:41my portrait painted.

00:29:42Wow.

00:29:43Yeah.

00:29:43And you've got

00:29:44a long catalogue

00:29:45of people

00:29:45who will keep coming

00:29:46so you'll run forever.

00:29:47I think so.

00:29:48We were worried,

00:29:48you know,

00:29:48would we find enough artists

00:29:49but there is an unendable,

00:29:52is that not a word?

00:29:53It's unending.

00:29:54Unending, thank you.

00:29:55An unending stream of talent.

00:29:58Thank God there's a writer here.

00:30:00An unending stream

00:30:00of talent out there.

00:30:01People who just,

00:30:03you know,

00:30:04I love it

00:30:04because I'm just watching

00:30:05talented people

00:30:06being talented

00:30:06and that's...

00:30:07Well, I suppose

00:30:08it's the ultimate really

00:30:09showing that

00:30:10watching paint dry

00:30:11can be interesting.

00:30:12It can be interesting,

00:30:12yeah, yeah.

00:30:14But we now see you

00:30:16in a different role as well

00:30:17with your sister

00:30:18whom we're about to meet

00:30:19because the Mangan siblings

00:30:22take part in this thing

00:30:23called Gogglebox.

00:30:25I thought what we could do

00:30:26is draw each other

00:30:27without looking.

00:30:29It's a game.

00:30:29Without looking.

00:30:30Yeah, so you can't look

00:30:31at your paper.

00:30:32You just look at me.

00:30:33You're right ready, go.

00:30:35Stephen and his sister Anita.

00:30:39Hmm.

00:30:40Interesting.

00:30:43You're so tempted

00:30:44to look at the paper, aren't you?

00:30:45I know.

00:30:46Okay, I'm done.

00:30:55It looks just like you.

00:30:57That looks just like me.

00:31:00Look at that.

00:31:01The teeth, honestly.

00:31:03Have I really got

00:31:03that many teeth?

00:31:05I like the way

00:31:05your nose is up here

00:31:06but your nostrils

00:31:07are down here.

00:31:09Talent is not the word,

00:31:10is it, really?

00:31:11Not for me and my art, no.

00:31:13Great art needs confidence

00:31:15and no eye contact

00:31:16with the page.

00:31:17Well, I can tell you're

00:31:18the artist out of the two, really.

00:31:19But you've come together again

00:31:21because you very sweetly

00:31:22both came on last time.

00:31:23Now we've got another

00:31:24the eighth children's book, Stephen.

00:31:27That's it, yeah.

00:31:27So, you know, Beethoven

00:31:28only wrote nine symphonies.

00:31:29Well, I'm coming for him.

00:31:31Are you okay?

00:31:31Yeah.

00:31:32Welcome to Weird Street.

00:31:33Funniest short stories ever.

00:31:36Anita, when he said to you

00:31:38will you do the illustrations

00:31:39was it because he thought

00:31:40he was getting them

00:31:41on the cheap, do you think?

00:31:42Yeah, I mean,

00:31:43I don't actually get paid, do I?

00:31:44You get all the money, so...

00:31:47Are you critical of the story?

00:31:49You know, we've grown up together, obviously,

00:31:51and we've had the same sense of humour

00:31:53so anything he writes

00:31:54I get immediately

00:31:56and I just...

00:31:57I love drawing to make him laugh

00:31:59so anything that he, you know,

00:32:03that he writes about

00:32:03I always find it hilarious

00:32:05and I just try and make it even funnier.

00:32:07Were you trained as a graphic artist then?

00:32:09I was, I was.

00:32:10Yeah.

00:32:10And an illustrator as well, so...

00:32:12Yeah, because you've done...

00:32:13It's not just Steve

00:32:15that you illustrate for me.

00:32:15Your name pops up everywhere, I mean...

00:32:17I've done a lot of cookbooks

00:32:18and, yeah, I've designed or illustrated

00:32:21over 100 books.

00:32:23But I love, yeah, I love books.

00:32:25They're just, it's something about

00:32:27the tactile nature of the book

00:32:29and the print and the smell.

00:32:31There's a lot of us who feel like that.

00:32:33You can't...

00:32:34Can't beat it.

00:32:34The heft, they call it.

00:32:36Yeah, that's exactly the heft.

00:32:36And there's not a lot of heft

00:32:37in a tablet.

00:32:39No, exactly, exactly.

00:32:41Will you read us a bit?

00:32:42Yes, I will, absolutely.

00:32:44So, lots of different short stories

00:32:46but Weird Street is about

00:32:47all the people in Weird Street.

00:32:49Yes.

00:32:49I wanted to sort of link

00:32:50the short stories

00:32:51so there was a theme

00:32:52so I set it in Weird Street.

00:32:55Here we go.

00:32:55OK, all right.

00:32:56Come with me.

00:32:57Down there,

00:32:58way down there is a town.

00:33:00I think you might know it.

00:33:01It's not far from where you are

00:33:03right now.

00:33:04From this high up

00:33:05it looks like a lot of towns.

00:33:07There's the park,

00:33:07there's the railway station,

00:33:08there's the school.

00:33:10But come with me.

00:33:11Let's take a closer look.

00:33:13Over there.

00:33:15That street over there.

00:33:17The street that leads nowhere.

00:33:19The street shaped like a comma.

00:33:21The houses that line it.

00:33:23That's where we're going.

00:33:25As we draw near

00:33:26we notice every house

00:33:28is different from the one next door.

00:33:30No two houses are even remotely alike

00:33:31and we can see

00:33:32that there are only

00:33:33two creatures on this street

00:33:35that leads nowhere

00:33:36on this street

00:33:37shaped like a comma.

00:33:38One is a girl

00:33:39and one is a cat.

00:33:42Will you come and read

00:33:43a bedtime story for me

00:33:44every night as well?

00:33:45I will.

00:33:46Have you brushed your teeth?

00:33:48Yes!

00:33:48Good.

00:33:49Then we can read.

00:33:51You see,

00:33:52this is the double gift.

00:33:54This is having someone

00:33:54who can write

00:33:55but also someone

00:33:56who can read well

00:33:57what they write.

00:33:58You obviously love

00:33:59reading stories to your children.

00:34:01I love reading stories

00:34:01but I always thought

00:34:02that was the thing

00:34:03as an actor.

00:34:04I could read them stories

00:34:05and I would put

00:34:07everything into it.

00:34:08All the characters

00:34:09would have different voices

00:34:10and accents

00:34:11and my kids were having

00:34:12none of it.

00:34:12Just read it, Dad.

00:34:14Just read it.

00:34:15In other words,

00:34:16stop overacting.

00:34:17So Anita,

00:34:18you've got a career now

00:34:19doing your brother's books,

00:34:20doing other books as well.

00:34:21Absolutely.

00:34:22Yeah, I love it.

00:34:23I sit in my studio

00:34:24at the end of the garden

00:34:26drawing silly pictures

00:34:27with my dog

00:34:28sleeping below.

00:34:29And I try and just,

00:34:31I always try and,

00:34:32Anita told me that horses

00:34:33are quite difficult to draw

00:34:34so I wrote a whole book

00:34:35about reindeer.

00:34:36Oh, yeah, you are.

00:34:36Oh, I remember.

00:34:37Yeah, I'm an older brother.

00:34:38I've got to do these things.

00:34:39Is there anything

00:34:39particularly difficult

00:34:40in this one?

00:34:41I can't remember.

00:34:41No, I made more work

00:34:42for myself by wanting

00:34:43to draw a house

00:34:44at the beginning

00:34:45of each chapter.

00:34:46There's two courgettes

00:34:47in a fridge

00:34:48having a conversation,

00:34:49aren't there?

00:34:49There are, yeah,

00:34:49with a bag of spinach

00:34:50behind them

00:34:51but that's easy.

00:34:53There are a lot

00:34:54of different stories

00:34:55in this book, yeah.

00:34:56So many of my conversations

00:34:57here seem to tell you

00:34:58it's a therapist.

00:34:59Who knows this?

00:35:00Who do you admire

00:35:01in your kind of art world?

00:35:05Have you got heroes

00:35:05and heroines?

00:35:06Yeah, so Axel Sheffler,

00:35:08obviously, he's amazing.

00:35:09He's a children's book

00:35:10illustrator.

00:35:11He does all the

00:35:12Julia Donaldson books,

00:35:13He does all the

00:35:13Julia Donaldson.

00:35:15Oliver Jeffers,

00:35:16he writes and illustrates

00:35:18his own books

00:35:18and he has a lovely style

00:35:20as well.

00:35:20He's got a style

00:35:21all of his own,

00:35:21hasn't he?

00:35:22So long may you

00:35:23not become

00:35:24Beatrix Potter

00:35:25and do your own

00:35:25illustrations as well

00:35:27as your own story.

00:35:27Yeah, I know

00:35:27I want to see

00:35:28my illustrations.

00:35:29They're horrendous.

00:35:29Well, we saw the ones

00:35:30where you weren't looking.

00:35:31Is he any good

00:35:31when he looks?

00:35:32I'm worse.

00:35:33He's worse, yeah.

00:35:34I better when I don't look.

00:35:36It's the only thing

00:35:37he's not good at

00:35:37so it's just as well.

00:35:39There's a job for me.

00:35:40Yeah, best that he has

00:35:41something that he's not good at.

00:35:42Yeah, absolutely.

00:35:43Look, always a delight

00:35:44to talk to you both.

00:35:45Thank you so much

00:35:46for your company.

00:35:46Good luck with

00:35:47Welcome to Weird Street.

00:35:48I want the next chapter now.

00:35:49I just have to go home

00:35:50and read it for myself though

00:35:51to my grandchildren.

00:35:53That'll do.

00:35:53Now, the wonderful thing

00:35:54about gardens

00:35:55and woodlands

00:35:56and native landscapes

00:35:58and the species

00:35:59that call them home

00:36:00is their abundance

00:36:01particularly at this time of year.

00:36:03And thanks to you

00:36:04we're able to share those

00:36:05with a wider audience.

00:36:07It's time for today's

00:36:08Walk on the Wild Side.

00:36:37Walk on the Wild Side

00:37:07Walk on the Wild Side

00:37:10Walk on the Wild Side

00:37:51Some absolutely delightful shots

00:37:53of Mother Nature

00:37:54in all her finery there

00:37:55and such glorious

00:37:57musical accompaniment.

00:37:58We relish each and every one.

00:37:59Please do keep sending them in.

00:38:01I know how much you love them.

00:38:02Coming up

00:38:03and celebrating

00:38:04what would have been

00:38:04her 100th birthday

00:38:06Royal biographer

00:38:07Robert Hardman

00:38:08plays tribute

00:38:09to the life and legacy

00:38:10of Queen Elizabeth II

00:38:11our longest ever

00:38:13serving monarch.

00:38:14Queen Victoria

00:38:15only made it to 81.

00:38:16Queen Elizabeth II

00:38:18made it to 96.

00:38:19And they might not be

00:38:20the Hanging Gardens

00:38:21of Babylon

00:38:22but Camilla Bassett-Smith's

00:38:23Hanging Baskets

00:38:24of Manor Farm

00:38:25come a close second.

00:38:26I'll be hanging out

00:38:27with my friend Camilla

00:38:28and her baskets of delight

00:38:30right after this.

00:38:45You know the world

00:38:46may sometimes feel

00:38:46a complicated place

00:38:48but if you take the time

00:38:49to look out of the window

00:38:51things can feel

00:38:52just that little bit better.

00:38:54The wisteria's budding

00:38:55lambs are gumballing

00:38:56in the fields

00:38:57the scent of bluebells

00:38:58in the wood

00:38:59is almost overpowering.

00:39:01Hopefully

00:39:02we can make you feel

00:39:03a bit better today

00:39:04with all this.

00:39:05Still ahead

00:39:07pugnacious and cranky

00:39:08no not me

00:39:09when the clocks go forward

00:39:10but a bird

00:39:11recognised by its

00:39:12black feathers

00:39:13distinctive silhouette

00:39:14and staccato

00:39:15goot goot goot

00:39:17chatter.

00:39:17David Lindo

00:39:18returns to

00:39:19Arundel Wetlands

00:39:20and this time

00:39:21he's tackling a bird

00:39:22that may look

00:39:23calm from afar

00:39:24but up close

00:39:25is all but

00:39:26and hailed

00:39:28as one of our

00:39:28finest ever actresses

00:39:29with her soulful eyes

00:39:31and expressive face

00:39:32which help to give her

00:39:33an on-screen vulnerability

00:39:34and emotional transparency

00:39:37Rita Tushingham

00:39:38reflects on a 60-year career

00:39:40in the showbiz spotlight.

00:39:42But first

00:39:43it's your weekly

00:39:44poetic interlude

00:39:45here's Mark Addy

00:39:46and The Hills

00:39:47by Rachel Field.

00:39:57Sometimes I think

00:39:58the hills

00:39:59that loom across

00:40:00the harbour

00:40:01lie there

00:40:02like sleeping dragons

00:40:03crouched

00:40:04one above another

00:40:05with trees

00:40:07for tufts of fur

00:40:08growing all up

00:40:09and down

00:40:10the ridges

00:40:11and humps

00:40:11of their backs

00:40:12and orange cliffs

00:40:14for claws

00:40:15dipped in the sea

00:40:16below.

00:40:18Sometimes a

00:40:19wisp of smoke

00:40:20rises out of the

00:40:21hollows

00:40:21as if in their

00:40:23dragon sleep

00:40:23they dreamed

00:40:24of strange

00:40:25old battles.

00:40:27What if the hills

00:40:29should stir

00:40:29someday

00:40:30and stretch

00:40:31themselves

00:40:31shake off

00:40:33the clinging

00:40:33trees

00:40:34and all

00:40:35the clustered

00:40:36houses?

00:40:45The power

00:40:46of imagination

00:40:47highlighting

00:40:48how a simple

00:40:48landscape

00:40:49can be transformed

00:40:50into something

00:40:51ancient

00:40:51and legendary

00:40:52thanks Mark

00:40:53now I'm back

00:40:54with Camilla

00:40:54Bassett-Smith

00:40:55for the second

00:40:56part of her

00:40:56May diary

00:40:57and first up

00:40:58we're talking

00:40:59about a flower

00:41:00that's small

00:41:00and I'm assuming

00:41:01but packed

00:41:02with charm

00:41:03don't let the

00:41:04name fool you

00:41:04the wallflower

00:41:06is perfect

00:41:06for May borders

00:41:07and pots

00:41:08bringing a splash

00:41:09of colour

00:41:10and a delightful

00:41:11fragrance

00:41:11when the sun

00:41:12shines on its

00:41:13velvety petals

00:41:14it's about time

00:41:15that we put

00:41:16these flowers

00:41:17centre stage

00:41:18don't you think?

00:41:18I think so

00:41:19and this is a plant

00:41:20as you said

00:41:21it's classic

00:41:21it's quite old

00:41:22fashioned

00:41:22but boy do they

00:41:23keep on giving

00:41:24especially

00:41:25Bowles Mauve

00:41:26which is really

00:41:27the original

00:41:28and it flowers

00:41:29for such a long

00:41:29time

00:41:30and you take

00:41:30cuttings of it

00:41:31you can

00:41:31I mean

00:41:32with all of them

00:41:33these are the

00:41:33perennials we're

00:41:34looking at here

00:41:35rather than the

00:41:35biennial types

00:41:36you would say

00:41:37perhaps a short

00:41:38lived perennial

00:41:38maybe five years

00:41:39but that's still

00:41:40five years

00:41:40what a good

00:41:41investment for one plant

00:41:42Bowles Mauve

00:41:43does tend to get

00:41:44quite large

00:41:45doesn't it

00:41:45a little bit

00:41:45leggy

00:41:46so they have

00:41:47introduced a bit

00:41:48more of a compact

00:41:48version which is

00:41:49Poem Lavender

00:41:50the Poem series

00:41:51which is just a little

00:41:52bit more compact

00:41:53but I would still say

00:41:55that Bowles Mauve

00:41:56probably flowers

00:41:56for the longest

00:41:57and just keeps on

00:41:58going which is

00:41:59fabulous

00:41:59and then this one

00:42:00here

00:42:00yeah you've got

00:42:01the Erisimum

00:42:02Irresistible Yellow

00:42:03the Irresistible

00:42:04group

00:42:05spelt like Erisimum

00:42:07Irresistible

00:42:08it's a bit of a

00:42:09mouthful

00:42:09but they're bred

00:42:11to be more

00:42:11tightly packed

00:42:12with clusters

00:42:13of flowers

00:42:14and as you can

00:42:14see their nature

00:42:15is just to keep

00:42:16that flower

00:42:17really really

00:42:18tight

00:42:18this one is

00:42:19Irresistible

00:42:20sunset

00:42:21and I love

00:42:21those colours

00:42:22across that

00:42:22mixing multicolors

00:42:24it is right

00:42:24from maroon

00:42:24right down

00:42:25to orange

00:42:25isn't it

00:42:26it's a strange

00:42:26mixture

00:42:27and they're great

00:42:27in pots aren't

00:42:27they

00:42:27they're really

00:42:28good to use

00:42:28in pots

00:42:28or in the

00:42:29garden

00:42:29now on to

00:42:30something

00:42:30I always like

00:42:30to bring

00:42:31something a

00:42:31bit new

00:42:31and this

00:42:32is an

00:42:33exclusive

00:42:33I'm biased

00:42:34because this

00:42:35is Streptocarpus

00:42:36Camilla

00:42:36I wonder who

00:42:38it's named

00:42:38after

00:42:38probably not you

00:42:39no

00:42:39sadly not me

00:42:40I think Her Majesty

00:42:41was the inspiration

00:42:42behind this

00:42:43it's a double flower

00:42:44Streptocarpus of course

00:42:45houseplants

00:42:46but really good

00:42:47because you've got

00:42:48that double glossy

00:42:48purple

00:42:49and of course

00:42:50your daughter's

00:42:50called Camilla

00:42:51I've still have to

00:42:51check one out

00:42:51for her

00:42:52yes I think you will

00:42:53so we'll both be

00:42:53very pleased

00:42:54about that one

00:42:55but brand new

00:42:55not being launched

00:42:56until Chelsea

00:42:57so really a new plant

00:42:58and they're great to

00:42:59grow

00:42:59once you get the hang

00:43:00of Streptocarpus

00:43:01east facing window

00:43:02not too hot

00:43:03enough light

00:43:04they'll go

00:43:05and if you can

00:43:06cope with a plant

00:43:06with a leaf

00:43:07like a cow's top

00:43:07yes I know

00:43:08not your favourite

00:43:09leaves

00:43:09you can take

00:43:10the big ones off

00:43:11no no no

00:43:12I wouldn't do that

00:43:12it's me being rude

00:43:13about it

00:43:13you carry on

00:43:14you're looking

00:43:14beautiful

00:43:14yes at the moment

00:43:15the flower's looking

00:43:16good

00:43:16and I just had to

00:43:17mention this Alan

00:43:18because you gave me

00:43:19these from your garden

00:43:20a couple of years ago

00:43:21the variegated

00:43:22lily of the valley

00:43:23they're wonderfully

00:43:24striped aren't they

00:43:25you do get flowers

00:43:25as well

00:43:26yes they're hiding

00:43:28they're hiding

00:43:28look

00:43:30she's going to flower

00:43:31for me

00:43:31because I was so

00:43:32excited because I

00:43:33wanted to show you

00:43:33that I haven't killed

00:43:34her

00:43:35and she's still going

00:43:36they're lovely

00:43:37they're on

00:43:37it's like a bit of

00:43:38apple shade

00:43:38yeah but moving on

00:43:39all of these plants

00:43:40of course most of

00:43:41them offer great

00:43:42benefits for pollinators

00:43:44pollinators so

00:43:45important

00:43:4595% of the world's

00:43:47flowering plants

00:43:4875% of the world's

00:43:50food crops rely on

00:43:51pollinators

00:43:52so it's no surprise

00:43:53that we're always

00:43:54talking about how

00:43:54important they are

00:43:55in this country

00:43:56in this country we

00:43:57have I think

00:43:571,500 pollinating

00:43:59species

00:44:00of which 260

00:44:01are bees

00:44:02but apparently

00:44:0490% are solitary

00:44:05bees

00:44:05so bees

00:44:07bumblebees

00:44:08honeybees

00:44:08are other two

00:44:09types

00:44:10but they're so

00:44:11so important

00:44:12and there is so

00:44:13much that we can

00:44:13do to keep them

00:44:14happy really

00:44:15starting off with

00:44:16growing as many

00:44:17flowering plants as

00:44:18we can

00:44:18not just annuals and

00:44:20perennials as we tend

00:44:20to think of

00:44:21but flowering shrubs

00:44:22flowering trees

00:44:23it's also important

00:44:24isn't it

00:44:24it is

00:44:25yeah

00:44:25they've all got

00:44:26pollen and nectar

00:44:27that keep them

00:44:28fuelled

00:44:28and what we've got

00:44:29here a couple of

00:44:30planters

00:44:30bee friendly planters

00:44:32Alan you've got

00:44:32little bees on yours

00:44:33I thought they're

00:44:34quite sweet

00:44:34that's all I have

00:44:35and I've got a

00:44:36planter which has

00:44:37got a bee house

00:44:38in it

00:44:38so these are for

00:44:39solitary bees

00:44:40so they can go

00:44:40and make their

00:44:41little houses

00:44:42and they do

00:44:42and they gum

00:44:43the front up

00:44:44you can tell

00:44:44they've been in

00:44:44there because

00:44:45they're sealed

00:44:45I know you can

00:44:46see which ones

00:44:46are in use

00:44:47so that's what

00:44:48hopefully the bees

00:44:49will start using

00:44:49this but I've got a

00:44:50selection of bee

00:44:51friendly plants

00:44:53blue plants

00:44:53that is their

00:44:54favourite colour

00:44:55so I've got this

00:44:57lovely scabious

00:44:58this is pink mist

00:44:59actually rather than

00:45:00you've got butterfly blue

00:45:01but they're all in

00:45:01that kind of lilac

00:45:04colouration which

00:45:04looks so pretty

00:45:05doesn't it

00:45:06oh my gorgeous

00:45:07they'll just keep

00:45:07flying loads and

00:45:09loads of buds

00:45:09coming on there

00:45:09and it's best to

00:45:11use where you can

00:45:11single flowers

00:45:12I've actually got a

00:45:13hanging basket behind

00:45:14me in which I've

00:45:15put little purple

00:45:16daisies

00:45:18I love the way

00:45:19you've lined it

00:45:20with lumps from

00:45:21your conif edge

00:45:22bit of clippings

00:45:23because that's good

00:45:24habitat but also

00:45:25it's quite good

00:45:26I mean it probably

00:45:26dries out a little

00:45:27bit more in the wind

00:45:28because you've got

00:45:29the air going through

00:45:30but looks quite

00:45:31natural and good

00:45:31habitats for insects

00:45:32and bees as well

00:45:33I think particularly

00:45:33in summer that's the

00:45:34key isn't it with

00:45:35hanging baskets is to

00:45:36make sure they don't

00:45:36dry out and also to

00:45:38feed them quite

00:45:38regularly as well

00:45:39now hanging baskets

00:45:40get a bad press

00:45:41don't they people are

00:45:42a bit snooty about

00:45:43them

00:45:43they do

00:45:43but they bring

00:45:44colour and life

00:45:45at a too high level

00:45:47they do and there's

00:45:48so many different

00:45:48plants that you can put

00:45:49in hanging baskets

00:45:50whether that's just

00:45:50foliage over the

00:45:51winter time or at

00:45:52this time of year

00:45:53we are spoilt for

00:45:54choice with basket

00:45:54plants and for

00:45:56pollinators as well

00:45:56not just for us

00:45:57looking at them

00:45:58but they bring all

00:45:59that nature right

00:46:00to your doorstep

00:46:00especially if you

00:46:01have them either

00:46:01side of a front

00:46:02door

00:46:02you've given me

00:46:03some nemesia here

00:46:04yeah they're so

00:46:05pretty

00:46:05little tiny snap

00:46:06dragon flowers on

00:46:07nemesia

00:46:08and with fragrance

00:46:08as well

00:46:09and I've got

00:46:10bacopa

00:46:10I love bacopa

00:46:11mostly seen in

00:46:12white but in

00:46:13this lilac colour

00:46:14and bacopa is a

00:46:15self-cleaning plant

00:46:16which you don't have

00:46:17to deadhead

00:46:18and that makes life

00:46:19a lot easier

00:46:19oh it's the cockapoo

00:46:20of the plant world

00:46:21it is indeed

00:46:22it doesn't shed

00:46:22no

00:46:24and I will just

00:46:25while I'm doing that

00:46:25I wanted to mention

00:46:26this little bee revival

00:46:27kit which you can buy

00:46:29if you're out and about

00:46:30and you see a bee

00:46:31that's poorly

00:46:32you can get these

00:46:33and they're on key rings

00:46:34first aid for bees

00:46:35first aid for bees

00:46:36we can't get the label

00:46:37off the door

00:46:37that's fine

00:46:39and inside it has

00:46:40a little vial

00:46:42of

00:46:43sugar water

00:46:44goodly

00:46:45how sweet is that

00:46:46that's better than

00:46:47perfume isn't it

00:46:47it is

00:46:48I could dab it

00:46:48on my wrist

00:46:50later on maybe

00:46:51see how that does

00:46:52but that's quite fun

00:46:53if you see a little bee

00:46:53that needs a little bit

00:46:54of help

00:46:55you can give them

00:46:56a little bit of sugar

00:46:57and of course

00:46:58the bacopa will tumble

00:46:59over the front

00:46:59and I like the bacopa

00:47:01in lilac

00:47:01you can get it in pink

00:47:02and the white

00:47:02the classic

00:47:03but this is the larger

00:47:05flowering one as well

00:47:05isn't it

00:47:06I prefer that colour

00:47:07to the white really

00:47:07that's nice

00:47:08I love that

00:47:09and of course the bees

00:47:10the butterflies

00:47:10are going to absolutely

00:47:11love that

00:47:12thank you very much

00:47:12indeed

00:47:18now they're sleek

00:47:19and surprisingly feisty

00:47:22known for their bright white beaks

00:47:24lobed feet

00:47:25and glossy black plumage

00:47:28the coot

00:47:28is one of the most determined

00:47:30and entertaining residents

00:47:32of Britain's wetlands

00:47:33fearless

00:47:33in defending its territory

00:47:35and endlessly inventive

00:47:37when it comes to foraging

00:47:38Arundel Wetland

00:47:39in West Sussex

00:47:40provides the perfect stage

00:47:42for this water bird

00:47:43a haven of reed beds

00:47:45ponds

00:47:46and abundant wildlife

00:47:48where coots

00:47:49and countless other species thrive

00:47:51over to the urban birder

00:47:53David Lindo

00:48:01wetlands are my favourite habitat

00:48:03to watch birds

00:48:04because you just look out there

00:48:06you don't have to try too hard

00:48:07because the birds are there

00:48:08they want the water

00:48:09it's easy

00:48:12simply speaking

00:48:13a wetland

00:48:14is where water meets land

00:48:16it could be a reservoir

00:48:18or lake

00:48:19it could even be

00:48:20a coastal area

00:48:21but these places

00:48:23are vital ecosystems

00:48:24for birds

00:48:25you find many many birds

00:48:26there as well as

00:48:27other types of animals

00:48:31the bird I'm looking for now

00:48:32is the coot

00:48:35coots are really fascinating

00:48:37water birds

00:48:38because they have really strong legs

00:48:41and long toes

00:48:42they're members of the rail family

00:48:45so they're not related to ducks at all

00:48:47and their toes are long

00:48:50and they have

00:48:51instead of webbed feet

00:48:52they have lobes on each toe

00:48:55and it allows them to swim perfectly

00:48:58they use their legs also

00:49:00when fighting each other

00:49:02they often rear back on their tail

00:49:05in the water

00:49:06and then they lash out

00:49:08at each other with their legs

00:49:11okay I think there's a coots nest over here

00:49:13there is a bit of etiquette involved

00:49:16by the way

00:49:16when birding

00:49:17and especially when around nests

00:49:20firstly

00:49:20as Elvis Presley said

00:49:22only fools rush in

00:49:24you take your time

00:49:26go slowly

00:49:27because if you go too quickly

00:49:28you're going to startle anything

00:49:29that's nesting

00:49:30and also

00:49:31never approach nests

00:49:33very close

00:49:34always have a respectable distance away from the bird

00:49:37and never disturb the birds

00:49:39so I'm here looking across the bank

00:49:42and I can actually see

00:49:44from the safe distance

00:49:45a wonderful coot

00:49:48and it looks like this bird already has chicks

00:49:55it's really interesting

00:49:56that their nests

00:49:58are so big

00:49:59and bulky

00:50:00yet so well camouflaged

00:50:02because

00:50:02I wouldn't have seen this nest

00:50:05unless I didn't notice before

00:50:07the adults coming to and fro

00:50:09because they indicate where the nest is

00:50:11coots are quite aggressive

00:50:12so they're quite

00:50:13you know

00:50:14well able to defend their nests

00:50:16against anyone

00:50:17than most predators

00:50:19coots actively feed their young

00:50:22they actually have food items

00:50:24and give their chicks the food

00:50:26whereas ducks

00:50:26who are unrelated

00:50:28don't

00:50:29yeah there's a real parental scenario going on

00:50:32in which both birds take turns

00:50:35in looking after their young

00:50:37but they are very ruthless

00:50:39if there is a situation where there is a food shortage

00:50:43they will think nothing of killing the weaker ones

00:50:47in order for the stronger ones to survive

00:50:52look at that little one there

00:50:53just about to step into the water

00:50:55for his first tentative swim

00:50:57these guys

00:50:58the common coot

00:51:00as much as they are

00:51:01all over the place

00:51:02they are still

00:51:02wonderful birds to stop and watch

00:51:04and these little babies

00:51:06they are making their first steps

00:51:09towards adulthood

00:51:18thank you david

00:51:20goodness me

00:51:21you know male and female coots

00:51:22have different alarm calls

00:51:24often described as a

00:51:26pook for males

00:51:27and a poonk for females

00:51:29yes all female coots are punks at heart

00:51:32coming up

00:51:33from timeless romances

00:51:35to thrilling adventure

00:51:36so versatile performances

00:51:38have left an indelible mark

00:51:39on cinematic history

00:51:41we delve into the enchanting world

00:51:43of rita tushingham

00:51:45and describes an unmissable portrait

00:51:47of a modest and endlessly fascinating giant of modern history

00:51:51from the master of royal biography

00:51:54on the centenary of her birth

00:51:56best-selling biographer and royal commentator

00:51:58robert hardman celebrates the extraordinary legacy and life

00:52:02of queen elizabeth the second

00:52:03i'll see you with robert and more

00:52:05right after this

00:52:20welcome back to love your weekend

00:52:22coming up

00:52:23how our traditionally quaint afternoon tea is evolving

00:52:26with pleasantly quirky and boozy results

00:52:29tom surgy has a roundup of some of the best in town

00:52:32including a gin tea fizz

00:52:34and a storm in a teacup

00:52:36but first

00:52:37a story of devotion

00:52:39triumph

00:52:40tragedy humour

00:52:41and conflict

00:52:42of an outwardly stoical

00:52:44inwardly complex woman

00:52:46whose love of family

00:52:48love of country

00:52:49and duty to the crown

00:52:50never failed

00:52:52a global stateswoman

00:52:54who wielded her great authority

00:52:55with charm and understatement

00:52:57in his new biography

00:52:59of queen elizabeth

00:53:00royal author

00:53:01robert hardman

00:53:02chronicles

00:53:03lovely photograph robert

00:53:05elizabeth the second's

00:53:07incredible 70 year reign

00:53:09including what was to be

00:53:10the late queen's final

00:53:11major public appearance

00:53:15this is the moment

00:53:17when london

00:53:19when the uk

00:53:20when the commonwealth

00:53:23says thank you

00:53:24to her majesty

00:53:26who is out on the balcony

00:53:28of buckingham palace

00:53:30with the cambridges

00:53:32and their children

00:53:34to look at the scene before her

00:53:36joined of course

00:53:38by her son

00:53:38the prince of wales

00:53:40and his wife

00:53:41got a moment

00:53:52an amazing bit of film

00:53:54there robert

00:53:54and a snapshot

00:53:56i was there

00:53:57on the stage

00:53:58as somebody taking part

00:54:00in that amazing

00:54:01platinum jubilee

00:54:02and it was almost

00:54:04it was totally tangible

00:54:06that feeling

00:54:06when she came out there

00:54:07everybody

00:54:08big stars

00:54:09little stars

00:54:10minor twinkles

00:54:11and that great raft

00:54:13of people down the mail

00:54:14there

00:54:14it was

00:54:15there was

00:54:16it was

00:54:17you could feel it

00:54:18in the air

00:54:18astonishing

00:54:21I was there too

00:54:22I wasn't on the stage

00:54:23like you

00:54:23and I was just watching

00:54:24I was just a minor one

00:54:25with people like Ed Sheeran

00:54:27who you know

00:54:27Ed Sheeran played his song

00:54:29and

00:54:30I mean it was

00:54:31it was very very moving

00:54:32because she hadn't actually

00:54:33been confirmed

00:54:35as coming to that

00:54:36she was watching it

00:54:37on tv at windsor

00:54:38because she was very weak

00:54:39by then

00:54:39and as the pageant

00:54:41went on

00:54:42the prince of wales

00:54:43as he then was

00:54:44thought she's really

00:54:45got to be here for this

00:54:46so they brought her

00:54:48from Windsor

00:54:48they brought her

00:54:48from Windsor

00:54:50and she came in

00:54:50through the back door

00:54:51because obviously

00:54:52the front of the palace

00:54:52everyone was sort of

00:54:53processing past

00:54:54yes

00:54:55and suddenly

00:54:56there was this

00:54:57very dramatic moment

00:54:58where at the top

00:54:59of the palace

00:55:00down came the union jack

00:55:01and up went the royal standard

00:55:02and you thought

00:55:02my god she's here

00:55:03you know

00:55:04and she was

00:55:05and she came out

00:55:06and it was terribly touching

00:55:08and one or two things

00:55:09as always happens

00:55:10with those things

00:55:11went wrong

00:55:12because of the weather

00:55:13the red arrows

00:55:14had to cancel their fly pass

00:55:15and it simply didn't matter

00:55:17because what we saw there

00:55:18that was

00:55:19that was the finale

00:55:20nobody would have bothered

00:55:20looking up

00:55:21would they

00:55:21they looked at her

00:55:23and I remember thinking

00:55:25at the time

00:55:25no one

00:55:26ever has stood

00:55:27on that balcony

00:55:28as often as she had

00:55:30she first went out

00:55:30on that balcony

00:55:31and I think it was 1927

00:55:32as a baby effectively

00:55:35when her grandfather

00:55:36Georgia V was king

00:55:37and she'd been going

00:55:38on that balcony

00:55:39and you think

00:55:39all the things she's seen

00:55:41she was there on VE day

00:55:43she was there after her wedding

00:55:45after her coronation

00:55:46after all her

00:55:47you know

00:55:47children's weddings

00:55:48jubilees

00:55:49and this was the last time

00:55:51she stood on that balcony

00:55:52very powerful

00:55:53you've written about

00:55:54quite a lot before

00:55:55and this is your

00:55:55if you know

00:55:56the final valediction

00:55:57if you like

00:55:58there are new things in here

00:55:59does anything

00:56:01has anything

00:56:01in writing this book

00:56:02surprised you about the queen

00:56:04that you really

00:56:04didn't know before

00:56:05because you know

00:56:06people say

00:56:06oh well we've already

00:56:07thought before now

00:56:08we know what it was like

00:56:09but clearly

00:56:10the snippets

00:56:11that I've gleaned from you

00:56:13there's a lot in there

00:56:14that surprised even you

00:56:15what?

00:56:16well there's a lot

00:56:16of new stuff in there

00:56:17and it's really amplifying

00:56:19what I knew

00:56:21or thought I knew before

00:56:22but really ramming it home

00:56:24I mean that sense

00:56:25of pragmatism

00:56:27the fact that

00:56:28whatever the drama

00:56:30or the challenge

00:56:32people are being

00:56:33sort of

00:56:33what should we do now

00:56:34when they're faced

00:56:35with a problem

00:56:36and she would

00:56:36she would always opt

00:56:37for the most

00:56:38the most sensible

00:56:39or straightforward

00:56:42solution

00:56:42regardless of

00:56:43sort of tradition

00:56:44and also the way

00:56:45she was

00:56:46she didn't like

00:56:48she was authentic

00:56:49she was authentic

00:56:50to the end

00:56:51and she didn't like

00:56:51doing anything

00:56:52that she thought

00:56:52was insincere

00:56:54so for example

00:56:55what I discovered

00:56:55was when she was

00:56:56sitting down

00:56:57to do that famous

00:56:58Covid speech

00:56:59which was extraordinary

00:57:00right in the middle

00:57:00of the darkest moment

00:57:02to the pandemic

00:57:02culminating in that

00:57:04extraordinary line

00:57:05we will meet again

00:57:06she actually

00:57:07initially

00:57:08crossed that out

00:57:09of the speech

00:57:10and there was

00:57:10a sort of internal

00:57:11discussion with her

00:57:12advisors

00:57:13and she said

00:57:13no it's too whimsical

00:57:16it's insincere

00:57:17she kind of sensed

00:57:18it was almost

00:57:19too theatrical

00:57:20yeah yeah

00:57:20and she thought

00:57:21no I'm you know

00:57:22I've got to be

00:57:23straightforward here

00:57:24I'm the monarch

00:57:25I don't do stunts

00:57:26or jokes

00:57:27and that sort of thing

00:57:27at a time like this

00:57:28but actually

00:57:29I think wisely

00:57:30she was prevailed upon

00:57:31it's okay

00:57:32it's a good line

00:57:33and it went global

00:57:34it went global

00:57:35it was one of the

00:57:36defining speeches

00:57:37of her life

00:57:38and I think

00:57:38why it was so powerful

00:57:40was that it was

00:57:41almost exactly

00:57:4180 years

00:57:42since her very first

00:57:43broadcast

00:57:44from the same place

00:57:45it was as a 14 year old

00:57:46princess at the height

00:57:47of the blitz

00:57:48it was a broadcast

00:57:49to the children

00:57:50of the empire

00:57:51with princess Margaret

00:57:52she was 14

00:57:53and it was really

00:57:54just saying to the

00:57:56children of Britain

00:57:57and what was then

00:57:59called the empire

00:57:59look it's going to be

00:58:00okay we're going to

00:58:01get through this

00:58:01and that speech

00:58:02resonated so powerfully

00:58:05that it actually

00:58:06it was turned into

00:58:07a record in America

00:58:08and sold

00:58:09as it was her first hit

00:58:11if you like

00:58:12on record

00:58:13in 1940s

00:58:15you're describing

00:58:15outwardly stoical

00:58:16but inwardly complex

00:58:17now complex in what way

00:58:20that sounds as though

00:58:21there's some kind of

00:58:22conflict going on inside

00:58:23well we see the

00:58:24you know we see the

00:58:25outward Elizabeth

00:58:26we saw the outward

00:58:27Elizabeth II

00:58:27very dutiful

00:58:28quite serious

00:58:29obviously started to be

00:58:31more sort of smiley

00:58:32later in life

00:58:33but very dutiful

00:58:34very conscientious

00:58:35but in private

00:58:37there was this

00:58:38very complex figure

00:58:42who could be

00:58:42she was always

00:58:45much sharper

00:58:46I would say

00:58:47she wasn't

00:58:49as inscrutable

00:58:50in private

00:58:51as she was in public

00:58:52so she would

00:58:52again

00:58:53going back to that point

00:58:54she didn't like to

00:58:55be inauthentic

00:58:56so if she didn't like

00:58:58something

00:58:58she'd say

00:58:58no I don't like that

00:58:59I talked to one minister

00:59:02who'd been standing

00:59:03there having a drink

00:59:05with her

00:59:05in the grand reception

00:59:06room at Windsor

00:59:07and they looked out

00:59:07to the north

00:59:08and you could see

00:59:08slough in the distance

00:59:09and this minister said

00:59:10oh I grew up in slough

00:59:13and the queen said

00:59:14oh you poor thing

00:59:15there was no varnishing

00:59:18well they always used to say

00:59:19the queen has no opinions

00:59:21and I've been lucky enough

00:59:22to meet her several times

00:59:23and oh yes she does

00:59:25she's quite distinct

00:59:26did you meet her?

00:59:27yeah I met her

00:59:28I met her quite a few times

00:59:29because I mean

00:59:29even I was a royal correspondent

00:59:32many years ago

00:59:32and always on her tours

00:59:34around the world

00:59:35I went on many of them

00:59:36and they were some

00:59:36some of the

00:59:37I think

00:59:38one of the most amazing things

00:59:39I ever saw

00:59:40her first ever state visit

00:59:42to Moscow

00:59:43the first state visit

00:59:45to post apartheid

00:59:46South Africa

00:59:47and I was there

00:59:48as a journalist

00:59:49but she would always have

00:59:50a reception

00:59:51at some point

00:59:51during these tours

00:59:52to meet the press

00:59:53covering the tour

00:59:54even at the time

00:59:55I mean this was a period

00:59:56when relations

00:59:57between the palace

00:59:57and the press

00:59:58were not good

00:59:59but she always felt

00:59:59that it was

01:00:00again it was her sort of duty

01:00:02these people have come

01:00:03all this way

01:00:03to report on my trip

01:00:04I ought to meet them

01:00:05so I'd meet her

01:00:06on those occasions

01:00:06I met her when we were

01:00:07when I was making

01:00:09royal documentaries

01:00:10and you know

01:00:11what that's like Alan

01:00:13you know sometimes

01:00:14you'll be sort of

01:00:15waiting to sort of

01:00:15set up

01:00:16or the camera's

01:00:17doing something

01:00:18and she would

01:00:19particularly if she was

01:00:20someone she was

01:00:21very happy

01:00:21or comfortable

01:00:23like the

01:00:23I remember going

01:00:25around the muse

01:00:25at Windsor

01:00:27and she was just

01:00:27feeding carrots

01:00:28to her horses

01:00:29and she was very chatty

01:00:32and again

01:00:33you know

01:00:33when we were filming

01:00:34her at Balmoral

01:00:34and she was

01:00:35you know

01:00:36somewhere she felt

01:00:37very safe

01:00:38very comfortable

01:00:38which is why

01:00:39she went there

01:00:40when she went there

01:00:41I mean

01:00:41I remember

01:00:42my wife saying to me

01:00:44she's gone up there

01:00:45to die

01:00:45hasn't she

01:00:46well I mean

01:00:47she had

01:00:48and again

01:00:49while writing the book

01:00:50it was really interesting

01:00:51talking to people

01:00:52who'd been with her

01:00:52in that final year

01:00:54and there was that sense

01:00:56as she left Windsor

01:00:56in July

01:00:572022

01:00:59she was doing things

01:01:01that people thought

01:01:01oh this is slightly unusual

01:01:03she wanted to go and say

01:01:04goodbye to her fell pony

01:01:05Emma

01:01:06the fell pony

01:01:07she adored

01:01:09and when she was saying

01:01:11goodbye to staff

01:01:12and people

01:01:12they now looking back

01:01:14they say

01:01:14they sort of sensed

01:01:15at the time

01:01:16and she

01:01:16you know

01:01:17she went up there

01:01:17she was so conscientious

01:01:20she knew

01:01:20that that summer

01:01:21she was going to have to

01:01:22appoint a new prime minister

01:01:23because Boris Johnson

01:01:24at that point

01:01:24had resigned

01:01:26as Tory leader

01:01:27and once a new

01:01:28Tory leader

01:01:28had been elected

01:01:29then that person

01:01:30would become prime minister

01:01:31so the Queen thought

01:01:32well I'll have to come back

01:01:33down to London

01:01:34to appoint this new prime minister

01:01:36do it properly

01:01:37and her staff was saying

01:01:38well you don't really have to do that

01:01:40and she went

01:01:40oh no no I do

01:01:41it looks terrible

01:01:42it was very selfish

01:01:43if I'm dragging all these people

01:01:44because we have to drag

01:01:45the outgoing prime minister

01:01:46and the incoming one

01:01:47all the way up to the highlands

01:01:48I think I ought to get the train down

01:01:51and as that summer went on

01:01:54essentially her staff

01:01:55and her family

01:01:56Princess Anne told me

01:01:57that the family

01:01:57said to her

01:01:58you don't have to

01:02:00you can just stay here

01:02:01and I think at that point

01:02:02she realised

01:02:03she was not going to be

01:02:05going south again

01:02:06and she was very very happy

01:02:07she was worried

01:02:08that somehow

01:02:09she'd be causing

01:02:09she said to Princess Anne

01:02:12that it might make life

01:02:13difficult for everyone

01:02:14if she were to die

01:02:15in Scotland

01:02:15and everyone said

01:02:16just carry on

01:02:18wherever you want

01:02:19do what you like

01:02:20you're the Queen

01:02:21the winding down

01:02:23of both their lives

01:02:24I found quite poignant

01:02:25Prince Philip saying

01:02:26I've done my bit

01:02:28and retiring to Wood Farm

01:02:29and then the Queen

01:02:31slowing down

01:02:32there are lovely moments

01:02:33in that range

01:02:34so much has been written

01:02:35about them

01:02:36one of the most

01:02:36actually very moving things

01:02:38I discovered

01:02:38was someone told me

01:02:41and she had told them

01:02:43the true story

01:02:45of that shooting

01:02:46in 1981

01:02:47when she's riding

01:02:48in the birthday parade

01:02:49and suddenly shots ring out

01:02:50and it's trooping the colour

01:02:53and her horse is sort of

01:02:55her mare

01:02:56Burmese

01:02:56is sort of

01:02:57is startled

01:02:58but she sort of

01:02:59calms the horse

01:02:59and she just keeps

01:03:01riding on

01:03:02in a straight line

01:03:03and everyone said

01:03:03oh golly

01:03:04that's very cool

01:03:05calm and collected

01:03:06that's our Queen

01:03:06what of course

01:03:07she didn't know

01:03:08nobody knew

01:03:09that the gunman

01:03:10was firing blanks

01:03:11and what she said

01:03:12to this person afterwards

01:03:13who told me

01:03:14was the reason

01:03:15she looked straight ahead

01:03:16she said

01:03:17I could see the police

01:03:18and everybody

01:03:18running past me

01:03:19and she said

01:03:20I thought my husband

01:03:21had been shot

01:03:22and they said

01:03:23what struck in their mind

01:03:24she very very rarely

01:03:25used the phrase

01:03:25my husband

01:03:26on that case

01:03:27she said

01:03:27I thought my husband

01:03:28had been shot

01:03:29and I just couldn't face

01:03:31seeing his body

01:03:32so she was literally

01:03:33on autopilot

01:03:34riding in a straight line

01:03:35and if you look back

01:03:36at the footage of that

01:03:37what's so remarkable

01:03:38as are

01:03:38a few seconds later

01:03:39it's quite clear

01:03:40the parade is continuing

01:03:41and then finally

01:03:43she risks turning round

01:03:44as they're going on

01:03:45to Horse Guards Parade proper

01:03:47and she turns round

01:03:48and you see her

01:03:49see Philip behind her

01:03:51and the grin on her face

01:03:53she was never one

01:03:53for smiling on parade

01:03:54it was probably quite serious

01:03:56and she's just got

01:03:57that sort of look

01:03:57of utter joy really

01:03:59they are treasured memories

01:04:01people would say

01:04:02I always thought it interesting

01:04:03that you

01:04:04have devoted your life

01:04:06you know

01:04:07you're a good political commentator

01:04:09you're a

01:04:09a man who knows

01:04:11news and everything

01:04:11and yet you chose

01:04:12this role

01:04:13this route

01:04:14of following

01:04:15the Queen

01:04:17and I remember

01:04:18asking this for

01:04:18and you said to me

01:04:19the fascination

01:04:20of soft power

01:04:21but it is power

01:04:23isn't it

01:04:23and effective power

01:04:25it's very effective power

01:04:26and you know

01:04:27we've been seeing it

01:04:28of late

01:04:29I wrote to

01:04:31a certain Donald Trump

01:04:32saying can I have a chat

01:04:33about the Queen

01:04:34there's no way

01:04:35I'd have got through

01:04:36the door

01:04:37of Mar-a-Lago

01:04:38to talk to him

01:04:38for any other reason

01:04:40but the fact was

01:04:40he wanted to talk

01:04:41about the Queen

01:04:42he adored her

01:04:42he was devoted

01:04:43he just thought

01:04:44she was one of the most

01:04:45impressive leaders he met

01:04:47so I had a chat

01:04:48with him for the book

01:04:49I mean previously

01:04:50Barack Obama

01:04:51when he was doing a speech

01:04:53at the end of his presidency

01:04:54reflecting on

01:04:55the great leaders

01:04:56of his lifetime

01:04:57and he picked out

01:04:58two in particular

01:04:59who just represented

01:05:00in his view

01:05:00the essence of leadership

01:05:01one was Nelson Mandela

01:05:03and the other was

01:05:04Elizabeth II

01:05:04and to have

01:05:05that level of clout

01:05:08gives Britain

01:05:09a huge leg up

01:05:10and we've seen that

01:05:12in recent weeks

01:05:13because you think back

01:05:15to 1956

01:05:17and there's suddenly

01:05:18the Suez crisis

01:05:19and Britain is in the doghouse

01:05:21and is humiliated

01:05:22because of its

01:05:23disastrous attempt

01:05:24to reclaim the Suez Canal

01:05:26and America

01:05:27is very cross

01:05:28with Britain

01:05:28and London

01:05:29and Washington

01:05:30are arguing

01:05:31what does London do?

01:05:33London sends the Queen

01:05:34on a state visit

01:05:35to Washington

01:05:36the following year

01:05:37it's a great success

01:05:38does that ring any bells?

01:05:39yeah

01:05:39it's sounding

01:05:40amazingly familiar

01:05:41it's a fascinating read

01:05:43Elizabeth II

01:05:44Robert Harden

01:05:45Robert

01:05:45love it to be

01:05:46thank you very much

01:05:47thank you

01:05:53coming up

01:05:54sandwiches

01:05:54cakes

01:05:55and fizz

01:05:56pure indulgence

01:05:57utterly essential

01:05:58Tom Sergi

01:05:59brings us the very best

01:06:01in boozy afternoon teas

01:06:03including

01:06:03a deconstructed

01:06:05drinkable cucumber sandwich

01:06:07sounds unusual

01:06:09and she's the girl

01:06:11from Liverpool

01:06:11who went on to become

01:06:12one of our best loved stars

01:06:14Rita Tushingham

01:06:15on her incredible career

01:06:16and the incredible people

01:06:17she's met

01:06:18along the way

01:06:19I'll see you with Rita

01:06:20right after this

01:06:35welcome back to Love Your Weekend

01:06:37coming up

01:06:38back in the day

01:06:39mid-afternoon tea

01:06:40for the rich and famous

01:06:41often entailed a spread of cakes

01:06:43a cup of tea

01:06:44and a hefty glug of gossip

01:06:46perhaps that's why

01:06:47drinks don

01:06:48Tom Sergi

01:06:49is adding a little booze

01:06:50for proceedings

01:06:50in today's

01:06:51afternoon tea

01:06:52inspired

01:06:53best of British cocktails

01:06:54but first

01:06:55my next guest

01:06:56became a defining face

01:06:58of the 1960s

01:06:59British new wave cinema

01:07:00she was a prominent star

01:07:02in kitchen sink realism films

01:07:05including

01:07:05The Leather Boys

01:07:06and

01:07:07The Knack

01:07:08and How to Get It

01:07:08and of course

01:07:09the gritty

01:07:10groundbreaking

01:07:11and critically acclaimed

01:07:13taste of honey

01:07:16I don't think it's doing

01:07:17any good being with me

01:07:18all the time

01:07:19I couldn't move away

01:07:20from you now

01:07:21you must

01:07:22we can't be together

01:07:23all the time

01:07:24I'd rather be dead

01:07:25than away from you

01:07:27you say that

01:07:28as if you mean it

01:07:29well I do mean it

01:07:31before I knew you

01:07:32I didn't care much

01:07:33whether I lived or died

01:07:34you know

01:07:36but then

01:07:37I met you

01:07:38and well being with you

01:07:39is me life

01:07:43hey there's no need

01:07:44for us to split up

01:07:45is there Joe

01:07:46come on rain

01:07:47come on storm

01:07:50Joe

01:08:00it kicked me Jeff

01:08:04it kicked me

01:08:07Murray Melvin

01:08:08and Rita Tushingham

01:08:09a great example

01:08:11in a British new wave film

01:08:12could you sense

01:08:14Rita

01:08:14that you were part

01:08:15of a new genre

01:08:16something completely

01:08:17different from what

01:08:18had gone before

01:08:19well I think so

01:08:20because there was

01:08:21a lot of chat about it

01:08:22and especially

01:08:23about a taste of honey

01:08:24but it was just

01:08:26something that was

01:08:26of the time

01:08:27and very exciting

01:08:29so it was exciting

01:08:30to do it

01:08:30oh yes

01:08:31because it was

01:08:32groundbreaking to watch

01:08:33and it's going

01:08:34oh people don't talk

01:08:35like that in films

01:08:36they all talk

01:08:36rather like that

01:08:37I know they did

01:08:38make a cup of tea

01:08:39dollars

01:08:40and people would say

01:08:42to me

01:08:42but there aren't people

01:08:43like that

01:08:43people are characters

01:08:45a lot of people

01:08:46will get upset

01:08:47about the characters

01:08:48we were playing

01:08:49but in the film

01:08:50it was the first

01:08:50interracial kiss

01:08:52on film

01:08:52taste of honey

01:08:53yeah which you

01:08:54were a part of

01:08:55wonderful

01:08:56how different

01:08:57was filmmaking

01:08:59in those days

01:09:00in the 1960s

01:09:01you work in films

01:09:02now as well

01:09:02how different is it

01:09:04how did they contrast

01:09:05with one another

01:09:06well it was on film

01:09:08now it's

01:09:08yeah

01:09:09it's not

01:09:10they don't really

01:09:11because I'd never

01:09:12done film before

01:09:13but it's just

01:09:14the same exciting thing

01:09:15you're just

01:09:16trying to produce

01:09:17a good product

01:09:18to make a good film

01:09:20of all the things

01:09:22that you've done

01:09:23certainly from my

01:09:24point of view

01:09:25one that stands out

01:09:26which was iconic

01:09:26of its time

01:09:27was Dr Zhivago

01:09:29oh yeah

01:09:30which again

01:09:31I mean

01:09:31the blockbuster

01:09:33of its day

01:09:34astonishing cast

01:09:35you know

01:09:35Omar Sharif

01:09:36Julie Christie

01:09:37and Rita Tushingham

01:09:38I guess

01:09:41how did you come

01:09:42to be lost

01:09:45we were running

01:09:46in a street

01:09:47we

01:09:47my father

01:09:48not your father

01:09:49Komarovsky

01:09:50I don't know

01:09:52the street

01:09:53was on fire

01:09:54there were explosions

01:09:55and the houses

01:09:56were falling down

01:09:57and he

01:09:58he

01:09:59he let go

01:10:00of my hand

01:10:03he let go

01:10:04of my hand

01:10:06and I was lost

01:10:11your father

01:10:12has done that

01:10:14oh yes

01:10:16people will do

01:10:17anything

01:10:17it was Komarovsky

01:10:22this man

01:10:25was your father

01:10:28why won't you

01:10:29believe it

01:10:31don't you want

01:10:32to believe it

01:10:34not if it

01:10:35isn't true

01:10:37there's such a

01:10:39striking intensity

01:10:40to that scene

01:10:41between you

01:10:41and Alec Guinness

01:10:42and terribly fragile

01:10:44on your part

01:10:45what was it like

01:10:47working with

01:10:48Alec Guinness

01:10:49I have to ask

01:10:49well it was wonderful

01:10:50because he

01:10:51we spent all the time

01:10:52together

01:10:53and we had

01:10:54just a wonderful

01:10:55relationship

01:10:56we'd go on long

01:10:57walks

01:10:57and he had

01:10:58the most wonderful

01:10:59sense of humour

01:11:00we just hit it off

01:11:02and from today

01:11:03now

01:11:04he used to leave

01:11:05messages for me

01:11:06and put a hand

01:11:07on the envelopes

01:11:09and to this day

01:11:10when I send

01:11:11something by hand

01:11:12to people

01:11:12I always put

01:11:14what Alec put

01:11:15on

01:11:15a little hand

01:11:16on the envelope

01:11:17you know I wrote

01:11:18an envelope this morning

01:11:19I wrote by hand

01:11:20on it

01:11:20I shall now

01:11:20I must

01:11:21can I copy now

01:11:23I'll tell you where I got

01:11:24that idea from

01:11:26but it's such a nice

01:11:27and if I tell people

01:11:29they love the story

01:11:30it's

01:11:31he was such an

01:11:33understated actor

01:11:34and Tom Courtney's

01:11:35sat where you're

01:11:36sitting

01:11:36well I knew Tom

01:11:38was one of the first

01:11:39people I met

01:11:40when I came

01:11:40to London

01:11:42Tom Courtney

01:11:42and also

01:11:44one of the first

01:11:45people I met

01:11:45you'd be interested

01:11:46in this

01:11:46was the artist

01:11:47Francis Bacon

01:11:48goodness me

01:11:49and I knew him

01:11:50quite well

01:11:51because Paul Danquare

01:11:52who played

01:11:53the sailor

01:11:53in A Taste of Honey

01:11:55Francis had

01:11:56a studio

01:11:57in his flat

01:11:58in Bates

01:11:59in Battersea

01:12:00and so I met him

01:12:03and I just thought

01:12:04oh this is London

01:12:05and I was taken

01:12:06to Muriel's Bar

01:12:07in Soho

01:12:08and things like that

01:12:09but to meet Francis

01:12:10was quite something

01:12:11Did he paint you?

01:12:12No he said he was going to

01:12:13He never got rid of it

01:12:15Someone who is often

01:12:16regarded as quite challenging

01:12:17was somebody you worked

01:12:18with in the trap

01:12:20which is

01:12:20Oliver Reed

01:12:31All right child

01:12:33Her parents were killed

01:12:34in an Indian raid

01:12:35ten years ago

01:12:36My husband found her

01:12:37and brought her home

01:12:38to live with us

01:12:40What's your name

01:12:40little rabbit?

01:12:45Speak to me

01:12:47I'm talking to you

01:12:48She can't speak

01:12:50Shock

01:12:51But she's a good

01:12:52strong girl

01:12:53She cooks well

01:12:54and she sews too

01:12:55Her name's Eve

01:12:58$8,000 for a woman

01:12:59who can't talk

01:13:01That's a lot of money

01:13:02Better than a woman

01:13:04who talks too much

01:13:06You're playing a mute

01:13:07No lines at all

01:13:09And in scenes like that

01:13:11with a powerful actor

01:13:13like Oliver Reed

01:13:14Now that's tricky

01:13:16because you've got to get

01:13:18your character over

01:13:19without speech

01:13:21So there's an intensity

01:13:22which you get in there

01:13:23Harder or easier?

01:13:26No it's harder

01:13:27because physically

01:13:28you have to

01:13:29I mean you can't say a word

01:13:31which I didn't

01:13:32so you've got to get it over

01:13:34in a physical way

01:13:36and also

01:13:37I mean I always like to prepare

01:13:39but you've got to be

01:13:40absolutely prepared for it

01:13:42because you're not

01:13:43really giving anything back

01:13:44apart from perhaps

01:13:45an expression on the face

01:13:47but it was

01:13:48I mean I enjoyed doing it

01:13:50but it was hard

01:13:51Oliver Reed

01:13:52famously tricky to work with

01:13:54What's he tricky to work with

01:13:54on the track?

01:13:57Well he had his moments

01:13:58but I stood up to him

01:14:00I wouldn't take

01:14:02his nonsense

01:14:03and so we got on very well

01:14:06but I didn't

01:14:07I didn't let him

01:14:08get the better of me

01:14:09and he sort of would

01:14:10he mellowed

01:14:12and he's a wonderful actor

01:14:13he was a wonderful actor

01:14:15and I don't think he realised

01:14:16how good he was

01:14:17or a lot of people

01:14:18didn't realise

01:14:19but no we had

01:14:20a very good relationship

01:14:21because it was mostly

01:14:22just Oliver and myself

01:14:24in the film

01:14:25Well you've almost

01:14:26come full circle

01:14:26since Taste of Funny

01:14:27which was Sheila Delaney

01:14:29and you've been working

01:14:30with her daughter

01:14:30Well no

01:14:31her daughter Charlotte

01:14:33found a play

01:14:35that Sheila wrote

01:14:36in 70 something

01:14:3875, 76

01:14:39about when Sheila

01:14:40ran away from home

01:14:41for a couple of days

01:14:44and she sent it to me

01:14:45and said

01:14:46would you please

01:14:47be part of this

01:14:47of course I would say yes

01:14:48because Sheila

01:14:49was such an important

01:14:50part of my life

01:14:51and now I'm playing

01:14:52a bag lady in the park

01:14:54it's quite nice

01:14:57no pressure

01:14:58no no

01:14:59no it's a completely

01:15:00different

01:15:00but no I'm doing that

01:15:01it's a radio play

01:15:02so I'm doing that

01:15:03next month

01:15:04oh wonderful

01:15:04so you get in the voice

01:15:05I remember vividly

01:15:06you having a part in Bread

01:15:08kind of keeping

01:15:08oh yeah

01:15:09with Jean Boat

01:15:10yeah lovely Jean

01:15:12wonderful situation

01:15:13comedy

01:15:14that was on

01:15:14in the 80s 90s

01:15:16hugely successful

01:15:18so your career

01:15:19has encompassed

01:15:20both you know

01:15:21from Dr Zhivago

01:15:22to Bread

01:15:23heck of a

01:15:24a quantum leap

01:15:25really from one to the other

01:15:26but that's the thing

01:15:27isn't it about acting

01:15:28that's the wonderful

01:15:29thing about it

01:15:29and also shooting

01:15:30because I'm from Liverpool

01:15:31and we shot in Liverpool

01:15:33and Carla Lane

01:15:34of course

01:15:35who was a very good friend

01:15:36so that was fun to do

01:15:37do you have

01:15:38it gives you great pleasure

01:15:40looking back

01:15:41at these moments

01:15:42do you amuse on

01:15:43the variety

01:15:44that life has presented you with

01:15:46it's been astonishing

01:15:47yeah

01:15:48it has been

01:15:48a lot

01:15:49I mean

01:15:50when I think of

01:15:52years ago

01:15:53I was looked after

01:15:55I went to San Francisco

01:15:56to receive an award

01:15:58and I was looked after

01:16:01by Shirley Temple

01:16:04and introduced to people

01:16:06by Bing Crosby

01:16:07and often when

01:16:08at Christmas time

01:16:09when I'm in a shop

01:16:10and I hear the carols

01:16:11and everything

01:16:11and I think

01:16:12I'm sure I'm the only person

01:16:14here

01:16:15that has met him

01:16:17and been introduced by him

01:16:18did you get on well with him

01:16:19oh you know

01:16:19he was very nice

01:16:21and Shirley Temple

01:16:22was lovely

01:16:23and looked after me

01:16:24how did Shirley Temple

01:16:25end up looking after you

01:16:26I don't know

01:16:27she just happened to be part

01:16:28of this festival

01:16:29oh right

01:16:30so she was your mind

01:16:31yeah I know

01:16:31can you imagine

01:16:32I mean it was

01:16:33that was quite exciting

01:16:34she became a politician

01:16:35of course

01:16:35didn't she

01:16:36yes Shirley Temple

01:16:36black

01:16:37yes

01:16:37yeah

01:16:38wasn't she

01:16:39the ambassador

01:16:40of Ghana

01:16:41she was

01:16:42I think she was

01:16:42the Ghanaian ambassador

01:16:43yeah

01:16:44no that was quite exciting

01:16:47I always feel sometimes

01:16:48like a taxi driver

01:16:49you know

01:16:49who said

01:16:50do you know

01:16:51what I had in the back

01:16:51of the cab last week

01:16:52you know

01:16:54like you and Rita

01:16:55no but it's true

01:16:56but isn't that what

01:16:56it gives us that

01:16:59that's the gift

01:17:00I mean

01:17:00my dad

01:17:00was a grocer

01:17:01he had some grocer's

01:17:02shops in Liverpool

01:17:03and I think

01:17:04I'd never have been

01:17:05able to do that

01:17:06I wouldn't have been

01:17:07able to go to

01:17:07Downing Street

01:17:08I wouldn't have been

01:17:09able to go to

01:17:09the ambassador

01:17:10in then Czechoslovakia

01:17:14and also

01:17:16dance

01:17:17with Khrushchev's wife

01:17:20Rita Koshian

01:17:21danced with Khrushchev's wife

01:17:24when?

01:17:25it was in

01:17:26Kalevivare

01:17:27the film festival

01:17:28yeah

01:17:29and she came

01:17:30and she danced

01:17:30with me

01:17:31gosh

01:17:32did you get to meet him?

01:17:33no

01:17:34just her

01:17:35but her

01:17:35yeah

01:17:36because when I went to

01:17:38I went to Moscow

01:17:40and because of the roles

01:17:41I played

01:17:42I was called

01:17:42the people's actress

01:17:44you know

01:17:45the working class

01:17:46and so that was quite

01:17:47sort of exciting

01:17:48but no I danced with her

01:17:49the things that crop up

01:17:51when you're talking to people

01:17:52it's funny isn't it

01:17:53it's heard some tales

01:17:54of this sofa

01:17:55Rita

01:17:56absolutely delighted

01:17:57to have you with us

01:17:58thank you

01:17:58you've been a part of my life

01:17:59for as long as I've been around

01:18:01really

01:18:01thank you very much indeed

01:18:02thank you

01:18:03I've really enjoyed it

01:18:04thank you

01:18:04we'll stay for a drop

01:18:05to drink afterwards

01:18:06we'd love to have you with us

01:18:07now

01:18:08Bill Bryson

01:18:09foreigner

01:18:10lived in Britain

01:18:11still lives in Britain

01:18:12said that Britain

01:18:14has the most reliably

01:18:15beautiful countryside

01:18:16in the world

01:18:17who is going to disagree

01:18:19certainly not me

01:18:20and here's proof

01:18:21it's time

01:18:22for Ode to Joy

01:18:23time

01:18:23one nearby and it's

01:18:25Okey there's only

01:18:45and I'll only

01:18:46but look and this

01:18:47you are a

01:18:52table and

01:18:52you can also

01:19:54Stunning pictures of Grasmere in the Lake District, courtesy of Andra Kilimaitre, and set to Symphony No. 9 by who

01:20:02else? Beethoven.

01:20:03Coming up, sandwiches, cakes and fizz. Pure indulgence and utterly essential. Tom Sergi brings us the very best in boozy

01:20:12afternoon teas, including a storm in a teacup and a milk oolong martini. Sounds intriguing.

01:20:18Afternoon tea with that lot will be served right after this.

01:20:37There are a few things more quintessentially British than a glorious array of cakes, scones and cucumber sandwiches.

01:20:43A popular pastime since the mid-19th century. Afternoon tea was introduced by Anna Russell, the Duchess of Bedford, who

01:20:51complained, as most of us would, of feeling hungry around four o'clock and requested from her footman, no doubt,

01:20:57some light finger food and a brew.

01:20:59Oh, that means she didn't put it like that, though, did she? These days, it's just as common to indulge

01:21:03in a spot of fizz with your afternoon nibbles and ham and eggs and you can call it high tea.

01:21:08But it's not just bubbles that go down well at this time of day. Drinks expert Tom Sergi is here

01:21:13with a selection of afternoon tea-inspired cocktails.

01:21:18It's tea time and I can't wait to be served. Goodness me, Tom, fire away.

01:21:23It looks OK, doesn't it? Here we go.

01:21:25It looks very dangerous to me.

01:21:29I've taken the brief quite literally. So a lot of these drinks involve tea, there's lots of caffeine involved, we're

01:21:34looking at kind of really elegant flavours, looking at cucumber sandwiches.

01:21:39I've gone a bit wild in the garnishes, Alan, which I know is your favourite thing.

01:21:42I'm loving the cravat, by the way.

01:21:43Isn't this cool?

01:21:44Yes.

01:21:44I turned up today and they specifically said, look, you've got a cravat. I learned how to put a cravat

01:21:48on.

01:21:48Stephen, you might learn from this.

01:21:49I'm already learning, yeah.

01:21:51There you go. Come on.

01:21:52Yeah, I'm not sure I'll belt it tight after drinking these a lot, but we'll see.

01:21:55After drink number three, we'll swap. That's fine.

01:21:57I remember seeing you as Bertie Worcester and there was a lot of cravat going on in that.

01:22:00There was a lot of cravat work.

01:22:01Fair of a point.

01:22:02Now, we're going to begin. We've got this first drink here, OK?

01:22:06And one of my favourite things, something I drink probably by the litre more of at home than anything else,

01:22:11is beautiful green tea.

01:22:13I'm obsessed with tea.

01:22:15And this here is actually an oolong tea that is made by the lovely Jing, who bring it in.

01:22:20It's from Taiwan and it comes as these whole leaves.

01:22:23So you'll see it's garnished with a whole tea leaf in it.

01:22:26Gently dried. This is called milk oolong tea.

01:22:28It's got this richness and viscosity and softness to it, which I thought was very appropriate.

01:22:32We've mixed it with vodka.

01:22:34Yes.

01:22:34Given it a decent stir.

01:22:35I thought the tea had rather a kick.

01:22:38I'm like the other tea I've had before.

01:22:40I've created my milk oolong martini, which is a thing.

01:22:43Nice.

01:22:44Mmm.

01:22:44There, very sweet.

01:22:45Come on.

01:22:46Tea.

01:22:47Vodka tea.

01:22:48Anita.

01:22:49Not my choice.

01:22:51Cup of tea.

01:22:51Not my cup of tea.

01:22:53Boom, boom.

01:22:54I like a sweeter cocktail.

01:22:56I think I'd rather have it without the tea in it.

01:22:59I know it sounds terrible.

01:22:59Just neat vodka.

01:23:00Yes.

01:23:01It's like a tea martini, basically.

01:23:03Yes, it is.

01:23:03That's exactly what it is.

01:23:04Tea martini.

01:23:05Yeah.

01:23:06Exactly.

01:23:06You're sitting very quietly, Rita.

01:23:08Well, I'm thinking it's not quite my taste.

01:23:12How dare you?

01:23:13But it's just like a cold cup of tea.

01:23:15What a start.

01:23:15What a start, I know.

01:23:17Out the gates.

01:23:18There we go.

01:23:18Now, we're sticking with the tea theme.

01:23:20We're keeping you caffeinated.

01:23:22There's an amazing drink called the Gin Fizz.

01:23:24And so I've created a Gin Fizz with a bit of lime, a little bit of lemon, a little bit

01:23:27of egg white just to give it a bit of that froth.

01:23:29And crucially, amazing Portobello Road Distillery Old Tom Gin.

01:23:34Old Tom Gin, higher ABV gin.

01:23:37It's a bit stronger in alcohol, that means.

01:23:39And a little bit sweet.

01:23:40It's the original English gin before the dry.

01:23:42Oh, now you're talking.

01:23:44Now, that's great.

01:23:45It's good, hey?

01:23:45Come on.

01:23:46You're just trying to, you know, trying to get me back in favour.

01:23:49Oh, no, we're not.

01:23:50No, no, that's good.

01:23:51That's very good.

01:23:52What I've done is, as I've poured that in from a shaker, that mixture of citruses,

01:23:56a little bit of sugar in the gin, we've then topped it up with Darjeeling tea from

01:24:00the lovely SciShow.

01:24:01So this is just cold-brewed Darjeeling tea made into a sparkling fizz, delicious on its own.

01:24:06And as you pour them in together, you get this lovely froth on top.

01:24:09And it works.

01:24:10So it's a lemony, Darjeeling-y, gin-y situation.

01:24:13Neater?

01:24:14Perfect on a warm day.

01:24:15I like this one.

01:24:16It's nice.

01:24:16It's gorgeous.

01:24:17It's fresh.

01:24:17It's all here, Rita.

01:24:18Yeah.

01:24:19Mm.

01:24:20And like all things that have got a bit of sweetness and a bit of citrus to it, you

01:24:23can hide quite a lot of booze in there.

01:24:25So it's about a half full of actual milk.

01:24:28Is it really?

01:24:30Stephen?

01:24:31Two drinks in.

01:24:31Yeah.

01:24:32Come on.

01:24:33More tea, Vicar.

01:24:34Come on.

01:24:34The cravat's looking better by the second.

01:24:36That's it.

01:24:36The swap's on.

01:24:37The swap's on.

01:24:38Lemony, though.

01:24:39Lovely.

01:24:39But it's got a hint.

01:24:40Now what we've got here is a little concoction I created, pretty much exclusively because I

01:24:44wanted to garnish it with a cucumber sandwich.

01:24:48And so we've made little cucumber sandwich fingers that go very nicely with it.

01:24:51And in your glass, it's a little bit of lemon juice blended into cucumber juice.

01:24:56So you've got a whole cucumber blitzed together and blended.

01:24:59And then crucially, in equal parts, this amazing vermouth, white English vermouth from

01:25:04In The Loop added into it.

01:25:05So it's made by a really lovely lady called Janina in a tiny little vineyard, little shed

01:25:10outside a vineyard near Cobra in Sussex.

01:25:13And she uses English wines as the base, gives them a little bit of extra pep with a bit

01:25:17of spirit just to bring the alcohol up to 17% and then adds in wild-grown gorse flowers,

01:25:23oregano, bay, wormwood that she grows in the garden.

01:25:26And so it's really handmade artisan.

01:25:28Can you imagine if it's not on a warm picnic?

01:25:30I mean, it'd be fabulous, wouldn't it?

01:25:31Yeah, it's pretty good, hey?

01:25:32Very good.

01:25:33What's Rita got there?

01:25:34Refreshed.

01:25:34Good.

01:25:35Well, Rita, we are moving on to this.

01:25:37Have a look at this.

01:25:37You have got, I'm calling it, storm in a teacup.

01:25:41Yes.

01:25:41And what you've got here is you've got silver, which is a brand new, really cool non-alcoholic

01:25:47spirit.

01:25:47So this is ultrasonically matured non-alcoholic spirits.

01:25:52They get cherry wood, apple wood, various different really beautiful bits of wood, and

01:25:57they sonically age it in a kind of vacuum environment, which draws out this smoky,

01:26:02woody, rich kind of texture.

01:26:04It's a bit like a whiskey, a little bit like a non-alcoholic whiskey.

01:26:07And I've mixed that with a bit of lemon juice, a bit of honey in a syrup that I've made,

01:26:11a little bit of ginger, and stretched it out with a lovely little bit of water.

01:26:14And you end up with something that is kind of warming and recognisable, but is...

01:26:18Bold.

01:26:19Very bold.

01:26:20Yeah, it's big.

01:26:21So if you're into the non-alcoholic way of things, then I think silver's quite interesting.

01:26:25It tastes like nothing else, doesn't it, really?

01:26:25No, there's nothing you can compare it to, is there?

01:26:28No.

01:26:28But it does taste alcoholic.

01:26:29Is that just...

01:26:30Yeah.

01:26:31It's got a hotness like chilli has, but it's not chilli.

01:26:35Exactly.

01:26:35It's just warming, but cold.

01:26:37Yeah.

01:26:38Just drained.

01:26:38Now the final one...

01:26:40Pudding.

01:26:40Pudding, yes.

01:26:41And this is a drink of two parts.

01:26:44There is a drink out there, there's a very classic cocktail called Remember the Main,

01:26:47and this has got nothing really to do with that, but I've called it, because of that,

01:26:51for ease, Remember the Battenberg.

01:26:52And what we've done is, at the very bottom of it, you've got some really beautiful framboise,

01:27:00raspberry liqueur, and then on top we've floated this oat cream.

01:27:03So it's completely vegan.

01:27:04It's just oat cream, like the single cream version, mixed with amaretto and this amazing

01:27:11rum.

01:27:11So this is Lowland rum, a Scottish rum from the amazing John Paul Jones team, which is

01:27:17quite elegant golden rum with a little bit of seaweed in there for a bit of salinity.

01:27:21Now the idea is, the cream which has got amaretto and rum in it, and a little vanilla, you need

01:27:27to drink through that to get to the framboise.

01:27:29Well, that's going to take half an hour.

01:27:30Well, no, no, no.

01:27:31Not if you tilt it enough and you sip it firmly enough.

01:27:34If you get a decent glug going on, you'll get a bit of both.

01:27:37You ready?

01:27:38I like the boozy Battenberg that's hanging onto the edge there.

01:27:41It tastes like liquidised Battenberg dessert, doesn't it?

01:27:45It does.

01:27:47Battenberg in a glass.

01:27:48Oh, my goodness.

01:27:49It does like the Battenberg cake.

01:27:50You're going to have to go for it.

01:27:51You're going to have to lean into it.

01:27:53Still not getting there.

01:27:56This could take a while.

01:27:58It's going to be a while.

01:27:59Delicious.

01:28:00It's a very delicious kind of viscous situation.

01:28:03It's absolutely outrageous and delicious.

01:28:06And Stephen Mangan will not be able to stand up.

01:28:08Oh, God, forget it.

01:28:10It's all over.

01:28:11You need to have the whole world.

01:28:11Here we go.

01:28:12Yes, he's in!

01:28:13The payoff.

01:28:15Very good.

01:28:16Yes!

01:28:16It was worth it.

01:28:18But I may have to go and have a lie down.

01:28:21As you say, Anita, I mean, that is liquid Battenberg in a glass, isn't it?

01:28:24Delicious.

01:28:25Come on.

01:28:26Does anybody else feel as warm as I feel now?

01:28:29As ever today?

01:28:30Well, it has to be now.

01:28:32That really is it for the day.

01:28:33Thanks to all my guests, to Rita, Stephen, Anita, Tom, and, of course, Robert, who missed

01:28:40the cocktails.

01:28:41But there we are.

01:28:41I can't even say cocktails now, really.

01:28:44Joining me next week, Jason Watkins, Pixie Lott and Bill Bailey.

01:28:48But before we go, to quote the opening line of Henry James' Portrait of a Lady,

01:28:52there are a few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known

01:28:59as afternoon tea.

01:29:00This is nothing like the ceremony known as afternoon tea.

01:29:02We've already done ten minutes.

01:29:04I'll have another gin tea fizz.

01:29:06Actually, I want to have another Battenberg.

01:29:07Tom, enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

01:29:10Cheers.

01:29:11Cheers, all.

01:29:11Cheers.

01:29:12Cheers.

01:29:13Cheers.

01:29:14Cheers.

01:29:16Cheers.

01:29:17Cheers.

01:29:18Cheers.

01:29:19Cheers.

01:29:21Cheers.

01:29:22Cheers.

01:29:25Cheers.

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