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 Maypole,

00:00:05and the annual crowning of a May Queen. We may not have a May Queen, but we've definitely got

00:00:10two kings of the equine world. Here we have Frank and Percy, Shire horses, with one man going to

00:00:17mow. They're the biggest horse breed in the world, recognised for their remarkable strength and

00:00:23pulling power. And we're pulling out all the stops on today's show. Definitely we are

00:00:29highly sustainable. It's time to love your weekend.

00:01:06The month of May is the gateway to summer, wrote garden author Jean Hersey, and step outside and it's

00:01:15easy to see why. The last chill is lifted, the breeze feels softer, and the countryside begins

00:01:23to hum with life. Hedgerows froth with hawthorn blossom, often called the Mayflower, while

00:01:29delicate lily of the valley releases its sweet scent in shaded corners and under woodland. Soon,

00:01:36elderflower follows, ready for cordials and country kitchens. A sense of anticipation, similar to how

00:01:45I'm feeling about today's show. Coming up, she's the girl from Liverpool who went on to become one of

00:01:50our best loved stars. Rita Tushingham on being a part of the rebel upstarts, who created quite a

00:01:57stir in 60s British kitchen sink drama. And whether he's delivering the post in Postman Pat, serving

00:02:04divorce papers in The Split, or sitting on the goggle box sofa, he's writing award-winning books. Stephen

00:02:11Mangan on his latest page turner, and he'll be treating us to a reading too. Bringing her own touch of

00:02:17flower power. Horticulturist Camilla Bassett-Smith opens up the pages of her Mayday journal. And it's

00:02:24binoculars at the ready. Urban birder David Lindo gets up close and personal with a couple of coots. And

00:02:31hold on to your china teapot, because there's a wave of alcohol-infused afternoon tea offerings coming your

00:02:37way. Tom Sergi brings us the very best in boozy afternoon teas, including a gin tea fizz and a storm

00:02:45in a

00:02:45tea cup. And daughter, wife, mother and sovereign, royal biographer Robert Hardman, on the very

00:02:53private and public life of Queen Elizabeth II, on what would have been her 100th birthday.

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

00:03:10And today, it's not just the new month we're making a song and dance about. Thanks to Rita Tushingham and

00:03:15Stephen Mangan. Welcome to you both. And I was reminded of Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields' line,

00:03:23it's not where you start, it's where you finish. And here you two are at the finish. But where did

00:03:29it

00:03:29start? I suspect not quite so. Well, is it the finish? Have you got news for us? Are we out

00:03:33of show business?

00:03:34So far. It's all over. This is where you've got to, yeah. I know it's going to be, you know,

00:03:39a climb from here. 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, which is no lie.

00:03:52The theatre's shut shortly after I finished the play. Probably a comment on my performance. It was a sweet

00:03:58little theatre. It was a lovely little theatre. We did Mrs Warren's Profession. And I loved it.

00:04:03And I just wanted to do, I couldn't believe that I was in a play and being paid to act.

00:04:07I mean,

00:04:08it just seemed ridiculous. How much fun is that? Weren't you at school in Beauty and the Beast, though?

00:04:13I was at school, yes. Playing who? Well, Alan. Yeah. Beauty. You were, weren't you?

00:04:21I was beauty in Beauty and the Beast. I mean, it was an all-boys school, I can say that

00:04:25straight off.

00:04:26There weren't a lot of disgruntled girls. But yeah, I suppose, you know, either one of those

00:04:32parts. If you've got the lead in Beauty and the Beast, it's kind of good news, bad news if you're

00:04:35a boy.

00:04:37So I'll take it. Rita, what about you? First role. Back legs of a horse.

00:04:41Not the archetypal. I was the back legs of a horse and overacted a bit. And the front legs got

00:04:48a bit

00:04:48annoyed with me. Because I used to do a lot of doing that. Overacting with your back legs.

00:04:53Yeah, overacting with your back legs. And a rabbit.

00:04:57When you got out of the horse, was it? Yeah.

00:04:59Yeah. No, the back legs of a horse and then a rabbit. In the same production, Toad of Toad Hall.

00:05:04Oh, lovely. And I was paid for it too. Were you? Yes. Wow.

00:05:10Your horse that pulled the caravan that Toad was driving. I love the fact that you can overact as

00:05:14the back legs of a horse. That takes some doing. And I did it one night. I thought,

00:05:18oh, that's quite good. So I went over the top. You're both passionate about music. I mean,

00:05:23but you particularly, I mean, you, Beatles, you're a Liverpudlian, you know. Yeah. And you were there in

00:05:29those days. Well, 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.

00:05:48You never made it into the Fab Four, though. No, he didn't. It could have been the Fab Five with

00:05:52the washboard. He did deliver meat for the butchers. Oh, right. Okay.

00:05:56Did they dump him before they got the drum kit from Ludwig? No, but that was it. I saw them.

00:06:02Yeah. It's a magic time. Well, that was, that was skiffle. Yes, it was skiffle. It was just before.

00:06:06Lonnie Donaghan. Lonnie Donaghan, yeah. My dad made me one of those. We had an old bread bin.

00:06:11He turned upside down, so it's made of metal, and he put a broom handle up with a piece of

00:06:17string

00:06:17through it. And it's like a double base with one string. Yeah, yeah, they did that, yeah. With a washboard.

00:06:22The washboard, the spoons. Yeah. And all the thimbles that they had to wear.

00:06:26Yeah. For the washboard, yeah. It's reminiscent of time, this isn't it, really. Gosh.

00:06:32In my day. In my day. Back in my day. But you were in a group. I was in a

00:06:36band at school, yeah,

00:06:37yeah. We're a prog rock band. I had two keyboards. I was the keyboard player. Put one there,

00:06:44one there, so I could do Rick Wakeman, kind of, you know, a tiny little keyboard. Yeah, we were called

00:06:49Aragon. And we released an album called The Wizard's Dream.

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

00:07:00It's not the coolest thing in the world to say you're in a prog rock band, is it?

00:07:03Well, no. No, look at Rita looking at me. She knew the Beatles. I was playing 15-minute songs about

00:07:09dragons.

00:07:11Yeah, you're right. We should pass over that pretty, quite quickly.

00:07:14Now, we've got a bit of footage of you with the Smiths. This is Rita in the pro-pop prime,

00:07:20as it were.

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

00:07:26Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.

00:07:32Girlfriend in her coma, I know, I know it's in her...

00:07:41Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye.

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

00:07:50yeah way back it does that was from the leather boys that shot gosh yeah second

00:07:58film yeah oh wow what were you playing what's all I was playing a young wife

00:08:03right Dudley Sutton Dudley son yeah oh yeah it was in love joy play team yeah

00:08:09I'm joined on this something somebody said he once described him as having a

00:08:13face like a squashed cushiony and I remember one day we finished early and

00:08:28the hairdresser and that people were watching and she just came and took the

00:08:33wig off well now we get the sympathy time really because I want to talk to you

00:08:43best about football now now Steven I I'm living your life I was having a good

00:08:49time well my grandson is a supporter of Spurs and we're having great difficulty

00:08:55buoying him up at the moment so depressing so depressing going there it's like going

00:08:59to therapy now the 60,000 people sitting in a circle wondering what went wrong with

00:09:03their lives to bring you to this point it's just awful so I don't know what to

00:09:07say move on top and support really my wife's a Liverpool fan because you've

00:09:19supported them for well obviously being a liver pod Lee and yeah you have to don't

00:09:22you or Everton I suppose you well in the family my dad was ever and my mum was

00:09:26Liverpool and two brothers one was Everton one was Liverpool but when I left

00:09:31Liverpool it was part of me I had to support them and they go up and down at

00:09:36the moment don't they well they're a bit downy-uppy but never mind and I'm also

00:09:41I'm very involved I want to try and do a project about women in the First World

00:09:45War who formed football teams wait for the war effort way back they they worked in

00:09:51the munitions factory and they raised so much money for the war effort but the men

00:09:55didn't like it so when the war was over they wanted to get rid of them we could

00:10:02but you're still going to carry on your loyal I say I mean you choose your team

00:10:06is your team that's it you're stuck with them for the life you know you have to be

00:10:09don't you do yeah that's the whole point you'll go down yeah oh no double-sided

00:10:15isn't it sort of a voting football team it's ridiculous really but I don't like to

00:10:21know what the result is until it's all over everything I don't like to know what

00:10:26the result is after the game they won't go down you'll be all right well I'm sorry to

00:10:31ruin the start of the show what a downer we'll we'll lift it I come in here in good

00:10:35faith bring me down well more barnside banter after I've done the spot of

00:10:40counselling from our dynamic duo a little bit later still ed as bulbs fade and

00:10:46herbaceous borders grow in leaps and bounds it's clear that summer's approaching

00:10:49I'll cheer Stephen up Camilla Bassett Smith celebrates the new month with her

00:10:53May gardening calendar and long grass strong stock in a slice of rural history

00:10:58traditional mowing takes center stage with two heavy horses and the couple who

00:11:03like their horse power the old-fashioned way horses and horticulture coming up

00:11:08right after this seem to cheer you up would you like a scone with jam and cream

00:11:13words thank you there you are look have two I'm one in each hand okay I'm going

00:11:17for it and then I'll throw it and you have to save it I'm going for it look there you

00:11:21go look at that

00:11:22read a cucumber sandwich isn't that in boat for you I'm oh oh I'll have a cucumber

00:11:25sandwich thing I'll join you with a cucumber sandwich

00:11:42may is unique for having not one but two bank holidays a perfect excuse to pause relax maybe even

00:11:51raise a glass wouldn't you say and speaking of reasons to sit back and celebrate there's plenty

00:11:56in the show today coming up and keeping it in the family Stephen and Anita Mangan on their latest

00:12:02wildly imaginative page-turner welcome to weird street described as a brilliantly silly fast-paced

00:12:10read for parents and children alike and loose leaf tea dainty china fiddly sandwiches with the

00:12:16cuss cut off not the latest offerings from the pen of julian fellows but boozy afternoon teas now we're

00:12:23talking Tom Sergi has the afternoon tea tipples that'll have your little finger poking out before

00:12:28you can say I'll be mother but first the celebration of May Day dates back to ancient times when Romans

00:12:34celebrated the festival of flora the goddess of flowers and spring for many marks the first day of

00:12:41summer and with a new month comes new activities to keep you busy in your garden here with her top

00:12:47gardening tips for the month horticulturist Camilla Bassett Smith looking suitably sunny and cherry-like

00:12:53there indeed I feel I ought to be talking about fruits but I'm not I'm talking about the fruits

00:12:58of the garden with all of these amazing flowers and my favorite group of plants pelagoniums don't we

00:13:03have so much choice at this time of year yeah and you did you collect you have a lot don't

00:13:07you

00:13:07yeah fair few they're just so reliable lots of color lots of fragrance yes from perfumed ones you

00:13:13know the fragrant leave ones I love them and so much variety yeah if we start with what people know

00:13:18right back at the very start with the zonal these very bright often used in bedding schemes popular in

00:13:25Victorian times and the 50s 1950s and 1960s as well but they're not all these colors you can get some

00:13:31very subtle pinks like this one pale pink called zonals because they have this darker zone around

00:13:37the leaf you can see it more on the others there isn't it and they flower all summer don't they

00:13:40yeah they do like a really dry the single ones will often carry on through the winter but the

00:13:44double ones tend to stop yeah and then within the zonals you get as you said these these zonal leaves

00:13:49but perhaps more pronounced markings on them such as these ones here and you can really see those

00:13:54variations crystal palace gem a lot of them these are very old they're over 100 years old some of them

00:13:59and that one there frank hedley he's a really popular yeah with that salmon pink flower and

00:14:04as you do many people do collect the different types because there's just so many once you start

00:14:08looking and the apple blossom types now these were the result of a mutation back in i think around

00:14:14the 1850s where they started to produce these really apple blossom type flowers this one isn't

00:14:20apple blossom actually but it looks very much like it and that was a favorite of queen victoria apple

00:14:25blossom rose bud and my grandfather had some and i to keep my grandfather's going i do many cuttings

00:14:32of them now these should have been potted up already really because look look at that and they're just

00:14:36rooted in water yeah just rooted in water yeah off the main plants because i don't want to lose them

00:14:40because they were his plants and just so easy to keep going and then pop those up and then the

00:14:46regals

00:14:46come into play don't they now these don't have a flower for quite so long doesn't it what a spectacle

00:14:51when they are i think they're the real show-offs of the pelagonian world with the whiskery leaves

00:14:55yes beautiful flowers and very bright colors often with different colors in you get some whites with

00:14:59purple in and they are really really attractive and then the trailing ivy leaf ones this one is crocodile

00:15:07and again you know you're admiring them as much for their leaves as you are for their flowers often

00:15:11and very nice for hanging baskets trailing over and this one here elegant and you get a slight pinking

00:15:18pink tin yes under stress i'm told so i've obviously not looked after this one very well over the last

00:15:24few days and then you're down to the fragrant leaves this is chocolate peppermint yes it is and you can

00:15:28cook

00:15:28with them as well we've got this one which is a lemon one lemon kiss and the citrus ones there's

00:15:33lots of

00:15:33them out there the oranges and they really are very very pungent i've been growing this one for a few

00:15:38this is this is pelagonia papillianaceum you look at it here and you think what a sweet little plant

00:15:42it grows this big it's a huge one from the ground see i've never grown that alan so it over

00:15:47the years

00:15:47it's quite a long time to root the cutting state they do really you've got to be very patient with

00:15:51a bit of bottom heat and it makes massive plants with great clusters these tiny flowers here they're

00:15:56wonderful flowers on those these species ones very delicate compared to the bigger ones and i just

00:16:01wanted to mention quickly the stellar varieties here and these ones are quite a new introduction from the

00:16:051970s mostly bred in australia with these star-like flowers and they're really rather pretty aren't

00:16:11they different ones across the border thanks and you'll be back later i shall indeed wonderful

00:16:22now power patience and a touch of history heavy horses have been mowing hay the traditional way

00:16:28for centuries but traditional horse mowing isn't just beautiful to watch it's a win for biodiversity

00:16:35supporting habitats that modern machinery often disrupts two people who spotted the magic and the

00:16:43environmental benefits of this age-old skill and have since started a business bringing these gentle

00:16:49giants back to british meadows and nicola reed and tom nixon who join me now just as the heavens are

00:16:55about to open i think nothing shire horses work in all weathers welcome nicola welcome tom thank you

00:17:01so how long have you been working with these shires you're from oakwood clydesdales but these are shires

00:17:06aren't they these are two are shires so we have nine horses in total yeah um and these are our

00:17:11only two

00:17:12shires the rest of clydesdale so how long have they been cutting grass so uh the business has actually

00:17:18been running since 2023 yeah um and these horses joined us in 2024 um so a couple of years now

00:17:25they've been working with us yeah so they know what they're doing tom they do they know their job

00:17:29alan yeah yeah yeah they're frank and percy which is which yeah well we've got percy here yeah frank

00:17:34there on the on the outside who's the boss they're a good working pair they get on so well there's

00:17:39no

00:17:39boss there they just that's important isn't it it is really yeah it's good that the horses worked

00:17:44well together they have a good working relationship and they're good friends in the fields as well

00:17:47yeah yeah um yeah and they're an ideal couple to to work together well we're coming to their

00:17:52heavy season presumably as well you know grass is growing like stink now so this is so where do you

00:17:58utilize them when you go we're we're based in hamstring hook um but we work um as from between

00:18:04london kent the home counties uh basically anywhere that want to use horses instead of machinery

00:18:11anybody that sees the value of using them it's not just you know oh wonderfully romantic notion

00:18:16of historic this is a practical and pragmatic way of custodianship of the land isn't it it is yeah

00:18:22exactly that and you know when you look at um tractors even small compact tractors they're quite

00:18:27weighty yeah and you have obviously four big wheels that are in contact with the soil the entire time

00:18:34whereas these guys they're just taking a tread here and a tread there um and so ultimately

00:18:40it leads to much less soil compaction compared to even quite small tractors and machinery um so

00:18:48and when you can improve the drainage in the soil yeah then obviously you can uh also allow those

00:18:53wildflower seeds to germinate and grow wildflower seeds now are at a fair premium aren't they if you

00:18:58want to sell a meadow they are quite expensive yeah um and i know that we have had clients comment

00:19:02that actually having us in to um collect seed from existing meadows is actually far more cost

00:19:09effective for them than purchasing new seed yeah well they also get far more off it than with a

00:19:15property collector like that that's it well we're going to see you know a tackle is we've got nice

00:19:19you know spring shower coming down on this now that's what makes the grass grow so these two guys

00:19:24won't bother at all will they about the weather but they work in all weathers i mean they work in

00:19:28all weathers yeah the only thing that can keep us away from the job is high wind yeah just for

00:19:32safety

00:19:32yeah um but generally speaking a bit of bit of showers don't bother us all right okay guys don't

00:19:37bat her hair uh percy and frank so let let's let you harness up okay we're going to hook in

00:19:43now and

00:19:44we'll um so you've got all the harness on it always baffles me if you carry on um it's it

00:19:49looks so

00:19:50complex i couldn't begin to put you know even a horse collar on i know where that go over her

00:19:54head

00:19:54but that should be about something really so we've now got this bar at the front going on

00:20:01watch man

00:20:04that's the map

00:20:07it's not like one of those wardrobes you used to put up is it nick you suddenly find a bit

00:20:10and

00:20:10you 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 when you take it all apart

00:20:17yeah you can see this blade now coming out the side it's very effective for long grass isn't it

00:20:22yes because it gets right down the bottom here we go right it's a wonderfully archaic looking piece

00:20:28of equipment isn't it oh look at that nicely sprung seat

00:20:34yeah so right i'm lowering the blades now there we go i can see the blades moving side to side

00:20:41because this glass isn't really long enough for you is it when you get to the longer bit you can

00:20:44see it's cutting it we should have laid some long reads shouldn't we you can talk more at all

00:20:49that's it that's it though yeah come back in the summer when it's a high meadow and

00:20:54do you know the other lovely thing i'm going to shut up now because i just want you to listen

00:20:59to the sound of horses mowing a meadow with an hour inside listen

00:21:13so much nicer the sound and a throbbing tractor engine don't you think

00:21:22i find myself looking at this i mean what would i rather watch this or a week in politics

00:21:29no contest tom that was just lovely yeah it is and it's it as you can see it works and

00:21:36it works

00:21:37well yeah it's very practical the mower works really well for an old mower and and the horses are quite

00:21:42happy at it how old's the machine the machine these machines were built about 1930 it's mccormick

00:21:48doing it so it's coming up 100 years old yeah yeah and we caught i suppose about 300 acres

00:21:53every year with it gracious me carry on then tom okay that's more together

00:22:01thank you frank and percy and nick and tom thank you very much indeed

00:22:09reluctant to leave them really coming up he's spent years bringing characters to life and also

00:22:15watching how others do the same on canvas stephen mangan on portrait artist of the year and why

00:22:20writing for children has opened up a whole new world for him i think it's book number eight i'll see

00:22:26with stephen for some literary chat and more if i can drag myself away from the horse

00:22:47welcome back to love your weekend coming up she started the likes of alec guinness rod steiger and

00:22:52arf richardson to name but three rita tushingham talks humble beginnings her trailblazing career

00:22:59and keeping oliver reed in check that wasn't easy and afternoon tea was a difference things have

00:23:05certainly moved on since the downturn days crustless cucumber sandwiches piping hot tea and more manners

00:23:11than you could squeeze into a corset drinks expert tom sergey gets ready to raise the roof and your

00:23:17pinkies as we bring you the best boozy and bottomless afternoon teas but first cast directly

00:23:24by author sue townsend who after a close inspection told him he was perfect for the part i think that

00:23:31was a compliment it was the performance that launched stephen mangan into the public consciousness

00:23:36a slightly pretentious and down on his luck single parent working as an awful chef and with dreams

00:23:44of becoming a successful novelist welcome to the chaotic world of adrian mole aged 31 and three quarters

00:23:52where the birds go when they're tired they go to sleep in their nests of course

00:24:14they've gone inside go on william will you come in with me look i'm in a hurry i've got to

00:24:20get back

00:24:27mr moore may i have a word about time no i'm sorry mrs parvez i'm on national television in 13

00:24:33minutes

00:24:34yes go off mrs parvez the next time you see me i'll be a household name on a par with

00:24:39domestos or roy hattersley nothing says modern parenting quite like a reluctant goodbye at the school

00:24:47gates especially when it's wrapped in adrian moles signature blend of self-absorption and

00:24:52mild existential panic i mean did you feel a pang of guilt about acting that out you've been there

00:24:59yourself it was fun but that reminded me when you were at drama school you think who will i play

00:25:03when

00:25:04i you know get out there in the big will i be james bond no adrian mole so why did

00:25:10sue townsend think

00:25:11you were absolutely right sue townsend was one of my heroes i loved her to bits and when we were

00:25:18filming she had diabetes she was losing her eyesight um uh so i went for an audition she said i

00:25:23can't

00:25:23really see you that well can i have a close look at you i said of course she got out

00:25:28this huge magnifying

00:25:29glass and came up to within six inches of my face and she said the actor who plays adrian mole

00:25:36cannot be

00:25:36good looking he just can't be adrian mole is a geek he's pretentious he's not a good looking man

00:25:41she literally scanned me all the way down my face from this far away and then said you're perfect

00:25:49the ultimate double-edged sword i mean i love that woman loved her oh so her writing was so

00:25:54super i mean miss her now what she would have done with what's going on in the weather politics and

00:25:59everything she she was a genius it's that kind of clarity of vision of a wordsmith isn't it they can

00:26:04translate onto the page what you felt but could not do couldn't articulate they unlock something

00:26:11yes they do and also that gap between how we see ourselves and how the world sees us and it

00:26:17sees us

00:26:17and it's just such a joy a character like alan partridge for example is a similar thing you know

00:26:21he thinks he's his heroic uh um brilliant broadcaster and we look at him in a different way so yeah

00:26:28you

00:26:29uh a treat i mean what a what a what a break to get that early in my career to

00:26:34play uh adrian

00:26:36mole yeah when you're working with people that you've you've always admired i mean you must have

00:26:41to certainly no okay i can do this you know not be overawed you know it's a weird feeling especially

00:26:45if you're a fan of a show and then you join it you think i've seen this on telly and

00:26:51i love this and

00:26:52now i'm part of it you really it's real pinch yourself is there also a moment of i must not

00:26:56mess this

00:26:57oh really because you know these things are adored and revered and people watch them you know

00:27:03forensically so yeah you you're um rehearsing at the moment or about to hear this next week for

00:27:08the truth the truth yes now tell us about the stage play a stage play comedy in the west end

00:27:13about a man having an affair with his best friend's wife and uh great cars just four of us in

00:27:21it uh

00:27:22sarah hadland is playing my mistress uh janey d my wife and ardlo hanlon who's on your show

00:27:28recently a few weeks ago yeah he's my best friend but as things go on all is not what it

00:27:33seems but

00:27:34it's a treat now no you're with nicola walker in unicorn in the way playing really rather strange i

00:27:41mean you you seem to be taking that was about thruttles yeah i don't know why they come to me

00:27:45for

00:27:45these parts i'm very straight laced on and i promise in real life this is not who i am so

00:27:52i

00:27:52don't know why i don't have no idea west end stage i've seen you on the west end stage i

00:27:56remember that

00:27:57lovely thing that the the pg woodhouse thing that you did uh yes jeeves and worcester yeah with

00:28:03machia mcfady what a pair you were the best curtain call i've ever seen with the most astonishing

00:28:07dance routine that they're put strictly in the shade this great charleston incredible charleston at

00:28:12the end of the sort of there's only three of us in the place it was absolutely you know and

00:28:15at the

00:28:15end we had to do this sort of seven minute dance which the audience loved and we were on stage

00:28:20going

00:28:21i'm exhausted yeah but west end stage special for you clearly you know i think if i had my way

00:28:28i would do nothing acting wise i would do nothing but theatre i just love it there's something about

00:28:35the the sense of occasion every night you know all those people out there it's never to be repeated

00:28:39but your other staples as you were continue classical family on a sunday afternoon introducing music

00:28:46um and portrait artist and landscape artist of the year yeah yeah you've been very kind having me

00:28:51on to report well yeah what's he done with your portrait where is my sister has it oh great yeah

00:28:55thank goodness somebody wanted it because we're not quite sure where to put this because uh sue barker

00:29:01has hers over the mantelpiece when people come round for dinner oh she puts it there and they go

00:29:07oh and and then she gives them about five minutes of yes and she sort of and then she says

00:29:15it's a

00:29:15joint she takes it down you know but it's such a lovely day coming and doing that show yeah it's

00:29:19really i think interesting for people like yourself who are used to being busy and like right at the heart

00:29:25of things and in a way once you're introduced you sit there and the artist takes over then and it's

00:29:31yeah rather pleasurable i mean people seem to love coming on the show and i now have all sorts of

00:29:36actors and writers and comedians come up to me and say please can i come on the show and please

00:29:40can i have my portrait painted um yeah and you've got a long catalog of people who keep coming so

00:29:46you'll

00:29:47run forever i think so we were worried you know wouldn't we find enough artists but there is an un

00:29:51unendable is that's a what not a word is unending unending thank you an unending stream of talent

00:29:58thank god there's a writer here an unending stream of talent out there people who just uh you know i

00:30:04i

00:30:04love it because i just watching talented people being talented and that's well i suppose it's

00:30:08it's the ultimate really showing that watching paint dry can be interesting interesting yeah yeah

00:30:13uh but we now see you in a different row as well with your sister whom we're about to meet

00:30:19because

00:30:20the mangan siblings take part in this thing called goggle box i thought what we could do is draw each

00:30:27other without looking it's a game without looking yeah so you can't look at your paper you just look at

00:30:33me you're right ready go stephen and his sister anita interesting

00:30:43you're so tempted to look at the paper i know okay i'm done

00:30:55it looks just thank you that looks just like me look at that the teeth honestly have i really got

00:31:03that many teeth i like the way your nose is up here but your nostrils are down here

00:31:09talent is not the word is it really not for me and my art no great art needs confidence and

00:31:15no

00:31:16eye contact with the page going well until you're the artist out of the two really but you've come

00:31:20together again because you very sweetly both came on last time now we've got another the eighth

00:31:25children's book steven that's it yeah so you know beethoven only wrote nine symphonies well he's i'm coming for

00:31:30him are you okay yeah welcome to weird street funniest short stories ever nita when he said to

00:31:38you will you do the illustrations was it because he thought he was getting them on the cheap do you

00:31:42think yeah i mean i don't actually get paid do i you get all the money so um are you

00:31:48critical of the

00:31:49story you know we we've grown up together obviously and we've had the same sense of humor so anything

00:31:54he writes i get immediately and i just i love drawing to make him laugh so anything anything

00:32:01that he you know that he writes about i always find it hilarious and i just try and make it

00:32:06even funnier

00:32:07well you trained as a graphic artist there was yes yeah and an illustrator as well yeah because you've

00:32:12done but it's not just steve that you illustrate for your name pops up everywhere i mean i've done a

00:32:17lot

00:32:18of cookbooks and um yeah i've i've designed or illustrated over a hundred books um but i love

00:32:24yeah i love books they're just it's something about the tactile nature of the book you've got print and

00:32:31the smell there's a lot of us who feel like that you can't can't beat the heft they call it

00:32:35and there's

00:32:36not a lot of heft in a tablet no exactly exactly will you read is a bit yes i will

00:32:43absolutely so it's

00:32:44lots of different short stories but weird street is about all the people in it weird street yes i

00:32:50wanted to sort of link the short stories so there was a theme so i set it in weird street

00:32:54here we go

00:32:55okay all right come with me down there way down there is a town i think you might know it

00:33:01it's not

00:33:02far from where you are right now from this high up it looks like a lot of towns there's the

00:33:07park

00:33:07there's the railway station there's the school but come with me let's take a closer look over there

00:33:15that street over there the street that leads nowhere the street shaped like a comma the houses

00:33:22that line it that's where we're going as we draw near we noticed every house is different from the

00:33:29one next door no two houses are even remotely alike and we can see that there are only two creatures

00:33:34on

00:33:34this street that leads nowhere on this street shaped like a comma one is a girl and one is a

00:33:41cat

00:33:42will you come and read a bedtime story for me every night as well i will have you brushed your

00:33:47teeth

00:33:47yes good then we can read you see this is now this is the double gift this is having someone

00:33:54who can

00:33:55write but also someone who can read well what they write you obviously love reading stories to your

00:34:00children i love reading stories i always thought that was the thing i could as an actor i could read

00:34:05them

00:34:05stories and i would put everything into it all the characters would have different voices and accents

00:34:11and my kids were having none of it just read it dad just read it in other words stop overacting

00:34:17so anita

00:34:18you've got a career now doing your brother's books doing other books as well absolutely yeah i love it

00:34:23i sit in my studio at the end of the garden drawing silly pictures with my dog sleeping below and

00:34:29i try

00:34:29and just i always try and i mean he told me that horses are quite difficult to draw so i

00:34:35wrote a whole

00:34:35book about reindeer oh yeah oh i remember yeah yeah i'm an older brother i've got to do these things

00:34:39is there anything particularly difficult in this one i can't remember no i made more work for

00:34:43myself by wanting to draw a house at the beginning of each chapter so having two courgettes in a fridge

00:34:48having a conversation there are yeah with a bag of spinach behind them but that's easy there's a

00:34:53very there's a lot of different stories in this book yeah so many of my conversations here seem to

00:34:58turn into therapy oh do you admire in in your in your kind of art world have you got heroes

00:35:06and heroines

00:35:06yeah so axel scheffler obviously he's amazing children's book illustrator um he does all the

00:35:12julia donaldson he does all the julia donaldson um oliver jeffers um he writes and illustrates his

00:35:18own books and that's he has a lovely style he's got a style all of his own yeah yeah so

00:35:22long may

00:35:23you not become beatrix potter and do your own illustrations yeah i could i know i want to see

00:35:28my illustrations well we saw the ones where you weren't looking is he any good when he looks

00:35:33he's worse he's worse he's better when i don't look it's the only thing he's not good at so it's

00:35:38just as well there's a job for me yeah best that he has something yeah he's not good absolutely look

00:35:43always a delight to talk to you both thank you so much for your company good luck with welcome

00:35:47to weird street i want the next chapter now i just have to go home and read it for myself

00:35:51though

00:35:51to my grandchildren that'll do now the wonderful thing about gardens and woodlands and native

00:35:57landscapes and the species that call them home is there abundance particularly at this time of year

00:36:02and thanks to you we're able to share those with a wider audience it's time for today's walk on the

00:36:09wild

00:36:29so

00:36:39so

00:36:40so

00:38:10Queen Elizabeth II, our longest ever serving monarch.

00:38:14Queen Victoria only made it to 81.

00:38:16Queen Elizabeth II made it to 96.

00:38:19And they might not be the Hanging Gardens of Babylon,

00:38:22but Camilla Bassett-Smith's Hanging Baskets of Manor Farm.

00:38:25Come a close second.

00:38:26I'll be hanging out with my friend Camilla and her baskets of delight right after this.

00:38:45You know, the world may sometimes feel a complicated place,

00:38:48but if you take the time to look out of the window, things can feel just that little bit better.

00:38:53The Wisteria's budding, lambs are gumballing in the fields,

00:38:57the scent of bluebells in the wood is almost overpowering.

00:39:01Hopefully, we can make you feel a bit better today with all this.

00:39:05Still Ed, pugnacious and cranky.

00:39:08No, not me when the clocks go forward, but a bird recognised by its black feathers,

00:39:13distinctive silhouette and staccato coot-coot-coot chatter.

00:39:17David Lindo returns to Arundel Wetlands,

00:39:20and this time he's tackling a bird that may look calm from afar,

00:39:24but up close is all but.

00:39:27And hailed as one of our finest ever actresses with her soulful eyes and expressive face,

00:39:32which helped to give her an on-screen vulnerability and emotional transparency,

00:39:37Rita Tushingham reflects on a 60-year career in the showbiz spotlight.

00:39:42But first, it's your weekly poetic interlude.

00:39:45Here's Mark Addy and The Hills by Rachel Field.

00:39:57Sometimes I think the hills that loom across the harbour

00:40:01lie there like sleeping dragons, crouched one above another,

00:40:06with trees for tufts of fur,

00:40:08growing all up and down the ridges and humps of their backs,

00:40:12and orange cliffs for claws dipped in the sea below.

00:40:18Sometimes a wisp of smoke rises out of the hollows,

00:40:22as if in their dragon sleep they dreamed of strange old battles,

00:40:27what if the hills should stir some day and stretch themselves,

00:40:32shake off the clinging trees and all the clustered houses?

00:40:45The power of imagination, highlighting how a simple landscape

00:40:49can be transformed into something ancient and legendary.

00:40:53Thanks, Mark.

00:40:54Now I'm back with Camilla Bassett-Smith

00:40:55for the second part of her May diary.

00:40:57And first up, we're talking about a flower that's small

00:41:00and, I'm assuming, but packed with charm.

00:41:03Don't let the name fool you.

00:41:05The wallflower is perfect for May borders and pots,

00:41:08bringing a splash of colour and a delightful fragrance

00:41:11when the sun shines on its velvety petals.

00:41:14It's about time, Camilla, isn't it, that we put these flowers centre stage, don't you think?

00:41:18I think so.

00:41:19And this is a plant, as you said, it's classic, it's quite old-fashioned,

00:41:22but boy do they keep on giving, especially Bowles Mauve,

00:41:26which is really the original, and it flowers for such a long time, doesn't it?

00:41:30And you take cuttings of it.

00:41:31You can.

00:41:32I mean, with all of them, these are the perennials we're looking at here,

00:41:35rather than the biennial types.

00:41:36You would say perhaps a short-lived perennial, maybe five years,

00:41:39but that's still five years.

00:41:41What a good investment for one plant.

00:41:43Bowles Mauve does tend to get quite large, doesn't it?

00:41:45A little bit leggy.

00:41:46So they have introduced a bit more of a compact version,

00:41:49which is Poem Lavender, the Poem series,

00:41:51which is just a little bit more compact.

00:41:54Yeah.

00:41:54But I would still say that Bowles Mauve probably flowers for the longest

00:41:57and just keeps on going, which is fabulous.

00:42:00And then this one here.

00:42:00Yeah, you've got the irisimum irresistible yellow,

00:42:03the irresistible group.

00:42:06Spelt like irisimum irresistible.

00:42:08It's a bit of a mouthful now.

00:42:10But they're bred to be more tightly packed with clusters of flowers.

00:42:14And as you can see, their nature is just to keep that flower really, really tight.

00:42:19This one is Irresistible Sunset,

00:42:21and I love those colours across that mixing, multi-colours.

00:42:24It is, right from maroon right down to orange, isn't it?

00:42:26It's a strange mixture.

00:42:26And they're great in pots, aren't they?

00:42:27They're really good to use in pots or in the garden.

00:42:29Now, on to something.

00:42:30I always like to bring something a bit new.

00:42:32And this is an exclusive.

00:42:33I'm biased because this is Streptocarpus camilla.

00:42:37I wonder who it's named after.

00:42:38Probably not you.

00:42:39No, sadly not me.

00:42:41I think Her Majesty was the inspiration behind this.

00:42:43It's a double flower.

00:42:45Streptocarpus, of course, houseplants.

00:42:46But really good because you've got that double glossy purple.

00:42:49And, of course, your daughter's called camilla.

00:42:51I'd love to check one out for her.

00:42:52Yes, I think you will.

00:42:53So we'll both be very pleased about that one.

00:42:55But brand new, not being launched until Chelsea, so a really new plant.

00:42:58And they're great to grow.

00:42:59Once you get the hang of Streptocarpus, east-facing window, not too hot, enough light, they'll go on.

00:43:05And if you can cope with a plant with a leaf like a cow's toy.

00:43:08Yes, I know, it's not your favourite leaf.

00:43:10You can take the big ones off.

00:43:11All right, no, no, no, I wouldn't do that, really.

00:43:13It's me being rude about it.

00:43:13You carry on, you're looking beautiful.

00:43:15Yes, at the moment the flower's looking good.

00:43:16And I just had to mention this, Alan, because you gave me these from your garden a couple of years

00:43:21ago.

00:43:21The variegated lily of the valley.

00:43:23They're wonderfully striped, aren't they?

00:43:25You do get flowers as well.

00:43:26Yes, they're hiding.

00:43:28They're hiding, look.

00:43:29Oh, they are there.

00:43:30They're just coming.

00:43:30She's going to flower for me.

00:43:31Yeah, there we are.

00:43:32Because I was so excited because I wanted to show you that I haven't killed her and she's still going.

00:43:36They're lovely, they're on.

00:43:37They sound like a bit of dappled shade.

00:43:39But moving on, all of these plants, of course, most of them offer great benefits for pollinators.

00:43:44Pollinators are so important.

00:43:4695% of the world's flowering plants, 75% of the world's food crops rely on pollinators.

00:43:52So it's no surprise that we're always talking about how important they are.

00:43:56In this country we have, I think, 1,500 pollinating species, of which 260 are bees.

00:44:02But apparently 90% are solitary bees.

00:44:05So bees, bumblebees, honeybees are our other two types.

00:44:10But they're so, so important.

00:44:12And there is so much that we can do to keep them happy, really.

00:44:15Starting off with growing as many flowering plants as we can.

00:44:18Not just annuals and perennials as we tend to think of, but flowering shrubs, flowering trees.

00:44:23It's all so important, isn't it?

00:44:25It is, yeah.

00:44:26They've all got pollen and nectar that keep them fuelled.

00:44:28And what we've got here, a couple of planters, bee-friendly planters.

00:44:32Alan, you've got little bees on yours.

00:44:34I thought they were quite sweet.

00:44:35Oh, that's all I have.

00:44:35And I've got a planter which has got a bee house in it.

00:44:39So these are for solitary bees.

00:44:40Yeah.

00:44:40So they can go and make their little houses in here.

00:44:42And they do.

00:44:42And they gum the front of them.

00:44:44You can tell they've been in there because they've sealed them.

00:44:45I know.

00:44:45You can see which ones are in use.

00:44:47So that's what, hopefully the bees will start using this.

00:44:50But I've got a selection of bee-friendly plants.

00:44:52Now, they prefer blue plants.

00:44:54That is their favourite colour.

00:44:56So we've got some scabious.

00:44:56So I've got this a little bit scabious.

00:44:58It's pink mist, actually, rather than you've got butterfly blue.

00:45:01But they're all in that kind of lilac colouration, which looks so pretty, doesn't it?

00:45:07Gorgeous.

00:45:07They'll just keep flying.

00:45:08Loads and loads of buds coming on there.

00:45:10And it's best to use where you can single flowers.

00:45:12I've actually got a hanging basket behind me in which I've put little purple daisies.

00:45:18I love the way you've lined it with lumps from your conif edge.

00:45:22It's a lowland cycle.

00:45:23A bit of clippings because that's good habitat.

00:45:25But also, it's quite good.

00:45:26I mean, it probably dries out a little bit more in the wind because you've got the air going through.

00:45:30But it looks quite natural and good habitats for insects and bees as well.

00:45:33I think, particularly in summer, that's the key, isn't it, with hanging baskets, is to make sure they don't dry

00:45:37out.

00:45:37And also to feed them quite regularly as well.

00:45:39Now, hanging baskets get a bad press, don't they?

00:45:42People are a bit snooty about them.

00:45:43They do.

00:45:44But they bring colour and life at a too high level.

00:45:47They do.

00:45:48And there's so many different plants that you can put in hanging baskets, whether that's just foliage over the wintertime,

00:45:52or at this time of year, we are spoilt for choice with basket plants.

00:45:55And for pollinators as well, not just for us looking at them, but they bring all that nature right to

00:46:00your doorstep,

00:46:00especially if you have them either side of a front door.

00:46:03You've given me some Nimesia here.

00:46:05Yeah, they're so pretty.

00:46:05These little tiny snapdragon flowers on Nimesia.

00:46:08And with fragrance as well.

00:46:09And I've got Bacopa.

00:46:10I love Bacopa, mostly seen in white, but in this lilac colour.

00:46:14And Bacopa is a self-cleaning plant, which you don't have to deadhead, and that makes life a lot easier.

00:46:20Oh, it's the cockapoo of the plant world.

00:46:21It is, indeed.

00:46:22It doesn't shed.

00:46:23No.

00:46:23So, and I will just, while I'm doing that, I wanted to mention this little bee revival kit, which you

00:46:28can buy.

00:46:29If you're out and about and you see a bee that's poorly, you can get these little key rings.

00:46:34It's first aid for bees.

00:46:35First aid for bees.

00:46:36We do care, aren't we?

00:46:37Can't get the label off the top.

00:46:37Oh, that's fine.

00:46:39And inside it has a little vial of sugar water.

00:46:44Good Lord.

00:46:45How sweet is that?

00:46:46That's better than perfume, isn't it?

00:46:47It is.

00:46:48I could dab it on my, yeah, dab it on my wrist later on, maybe.

00:46:51Oh, no, no.

00:46:51Yeah, that does.

00:46:52But that's quite fun.

00:46:53If you see a little bee that needs a little bit of help, you can give them a little bit

00:46:57of sugar water.

00:46:57It's going on working.

00:46:57And, of course, the Bacopa will tumble over the front.

00:46:59And I like the Bacopa in lilac.

00:47:01You can get it in pink and the white, the classic.

00:47:03But I just, this is the larger flowering one as well, isn't it?

00:47:06I prefer that colour to the white, really.

00:47:08That's nice.

00:47:09I love that.

00:47:09And, of course, the bees, the butterflies are going to absolutely love that.

00:47:12Thank you very much, indeed.

00:47:18Now they're sleek and surprisingly feisty, known for their bright white beaks, lobed feet and glossy black plumage.

00:47:28The coot is one of the most determined and entertaining residents of Britain's wetlands,

00:47:33fearless in defending its territory and endlessly inventive when it comes to foraging.

00:47:39Arundel wetland in West Sussex provides the perfect stage for this water bird,

00:47:43a haven of reed beds, ponds and abundant wildlife where coots and countless other species thrive.

00:47:51Over to the urban birder, David Lindo.

00:48:01Wetlands are my favourite habitat to watch birds because you just look out there,

00:48:06you don't have to try too hard because the birds are there, they're on the water, it's easy.

00:48:12Simply speaking, a wetland is where water meets land.

00:48:16It could be a reservoir or lake, it could even be a coastal area.

00:48:21But these places are vital ecosystems for birds.

00:48:25You find many, many birds there as well as other types of animals.

00:48:31The bird I'm looking for now is the coot.

00:48:35Coots are really fascinating water birds because they have really strong legs and long toes.

00:48:42They're members of the rail family, so they're not related to ducks at all.

00:48:47And their toes are long and they have, instead of webbed feet, they have lobes on each toe

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

00:48:58They use their legs also when fighting each other.

00:49:02They often rear back on their tail in the water and then they lash out at each other with their

00:49:09legs.

00:49:11OK, I think there's a coots nest over here.

00:49:14There is a bit of etiquette involved, by the way, when birding and especially when around nests.

00:49:20Firstly, as Elvis Presley said, only fools rush in.

00:49:25You take your time, go slowly because if you go too quickly, you're going to startle anything.

00:49:30That's nesting and also never approach nests very close.

00:49:34Always have a respectable distance away from the bird and never disturb the birds.

00:49:40So I'm here looking across the bank and I can actually see from the safe distance

00:49:46a wonderful coot and it looks like this bird already has chicks.

00:49:55It's really interesting that their nests are so big and bulky yet so well camouflaged

00:50:02because I wouldn't have seen this nest unless I didn't notice before

00:50:07the adults come in to and fro because they indicate where the nest is.

00:50:12Coots are quite aggressive so they're quite, you know, well able to defend their nests

00:50:16against anyone in most predators.

00:50:20Coots actively feed their young. They actually have food items and give their chicks the food,

00:50:26whereas ducks, who are unrelated, don't.

00:50:29Yeah, there's a real parental scenario going on in which both birds take turns in looking after

00:50:36their young. But they are very ruthless. If there is a situation where there is a food shortage,

00:50:43they will think nothing of killing the weaker ones in order for the stronger ones to survive.

00:50:52Look at that little one there, just about to step into the water for his first tentative swim.

00:50:58These guys, the common coot, as much as they are all over the place,

00:51:02they are still wonderful birds to stop and watch.

00:51:05And these little babies, they're making their first steps towards adulthood.

00:51:19Thank you, David. Goodness me. You know, male and female coots have different alarm calls,

00:51:24often described as a punk for males and a punk for females. Yes, all female coots are punks at heart.

00:51:32Coming up, from timeless romances to thrilling adventures, so versatile performances have left

00:51:38an indelible mark on cinematic history, we delve into the enchanting world of Rita Tushingham,

00:51:45and described as an unmissable portrait of a modest and endlessly fascinating giant of modern history,

00:51:51from the master of royal biography. On the centenary of her birth, bestselling biographer

00:51:57and royal commentator Robert Hardman celebrates the extraordinary legacy of life

00:52:02of Queen Elizabeth II. I'll see you with Robert and more right after this.

00:52:21Welcome back to Love Your Weekend. Coming up, how our traditionally quaint afternoon tea is evolving

00:52:26with pleasantly quirky and boozy results. Tom Sergi has a round-up of some of the

00:52:32best in town, including a gin tea fizz and a storm in a teacup. But first, a story of devotion,

00:52:39triumph, tragedy, humour and conflict of an outwardly stoical, inwardly complex woman whose love of

00:52:47family, love of country and duty to the crown never failed. A global stateswoman who wielded her great

00:52:55authority with charm and understatement. In his new biography of Queen Elizabeth, royal author Robert Hardman

00:53:02chronicles, lovely photograph Robert, Elizabeth II's incredible 70-year reign, including what was to be

00:53:10the late Queen's final major public appearance.

00:53:15This is the moment when London, when the UK, when the Commonwealth

00:53:21Queen Elizabeth II says thank you to Her Majesty who is out on the balcony of Buckingham Palace

00:53:30with the Cambridges and their children to look at the scene before her, joined of course by her son,

00:53:38the Prince of Wales and his wife. Got a moment.

00:53:52An amazing bit of film there, Robert, and a snapshot. I was there on the stage as somebody taking a

00:53:59part in

00:54:00in that amazing Platinum Jubilee. And it was almost, it was totally tangible, that feeling when she came

00:54:07out there. Everybody, big stars, little stars, minor twinkles, and that great raft of people down the

00:54:14mouth there. It was, there was, it was, you could feel it in the air. Astonishing.

00:54:20You could. I was there too. I was on the stage like you, and I was just watching.

00:54:25I was just a minor one with people like Ed Sheeran.

00:54:27No, you know. He did. He was Ed Sheeran played his song. And I mean, it was, it was very,

00:54:32very moving

00:54:32because she hadn't actually been confirmed as coming to that. No.

00:54:36She was watching it on TV at Windsor because she was very weak by then. And as, as the pageant

00:54:41went on, the Prince of Wales, as he then was, thought she's really got to be here for this.

00:54:47So they brought her from Windsor. They brought her from Windsor. And she came in through the back door,

00:54:51because obviously the front of the palace, everyone was sort of processing past, yes. And, and suddenly there was

00:54:56this very dramatic moment where at the top of the palace, down came the Union Jack and up went the

00:55:01Royal Standard. And you thought, my God, she's here, you know. And she was, and she came out,

00:55:06and it was terribly touching. And one or two things, as always happens with those things,

00:55:11went wrong. Because of the weather, the Red Arrows had to cancel their flypast. And it simply didn't

00:55:17matter, because what we saw there, that was, that was the finale.

00:55:20Nobody'd have bothered looking up, would they? No, no. They looked at her.

00:55:23And, um, and I, I remember thinking at the time, no one ever has stood on that balcony

00:55:29as often as she had. She first went out on that balcony, and I think it was 1927, as a,

00:55:33as a baby,

00:55:34effectively, um, when her grandfather, Georgia V, was king. And she'd been going on that balcony,

00:55:39and you think, all the things she's seen, you know, she was, she was there on VE day. She was

00:55:44there

00:55:44after her wedding, after her coronation, after all her, you know, children's weddings, jubilees.

00:55:49Um, and this was the last time she stood on that balcony. Very powerful.

00:55:54You've written about quite a lot before, and this is your, if you know, the final valediction,

00:55:57if you like. There are new things in here. Does anything, has anything in writing this book,

00:56:03surprised you about the Queen that you really didn't know before? Because, you know, people say,

00:56:06oh, well, we've already thought before now, we know what it was like. But clearly,

00:56:10the snippets that I've gleaned from you, there's a lot in there that surprised even you. What?

00:56:16Well, there's a lot of new stuff in there, and it's, it's really amplifying what I knew,

00:56:21or thought I knew before, but, you know, really ramming it home. I mean, that sense of pragmatism,

00:56:27the fact that whatever the drama or the challenge, um, people are being sort of, what should we do now,

00:56:34when they're faced with, with, with a problem. And she would, she would always opt for the most,

00:56:38uh, the most sensible, uh, or, or straightforward, um, solution, regardless of sort of tradition.

00:56:44And also the way she was, um, she, she didn't like, she was, she was authentic. She was authentic

00:56:50to the end. And she didn't like doing anything that she thought was insincere. So for example,

00:56:55what I discovered was when she was sitting down to do that famous COVID speech, which was extraordinary,

00:57:00right at the middle of the darkest moment of the pandemic, culminating in that extraordinary line,

00:57:05we will meet again. She actually initially crossed that out of the speech. And there was a sort of

00:57:11internal discussion with her advisors. And she said, no, it's, it's, it's, it's too whimsical.

00:57:16It's insincere. She kind of sensed that it was almost too theatrical. Yeah. Yeah. And she,

00:57:21she thought, no, no, I'm, you know, I'm, I'm going to be straightforward here. I am,

00:57:24I'm the monarch. I'm, I don't do stunts or jokes and that sort of thing at a time like this,

00:57:28but actually I think wisely she was prevailed upon. It's okay. It's a good line.

00:57:33And it went, it went global. It went global. It was one of the defining speeches of her life.

00:57:38And I think why it was so powerful was that it was almost exactly 80 years since her very first

00:57:43broadcast from the same place. It was as a 14 year old princess at the height of the Blitz.

00:57:48It was a broadcast to the children of the empire with Princess Margaret. She was 14.

00:57:54And it was really just saying to, to, to the children of Britain and,

00:57:57and, and what was then called the empire, look, it's going to be okay. We're going to get through

00:58:01this. And that speech resonated so powerfully that it actually, it was, it was turned into a record

00:58:08in America and sold as a, as it was her first hit, if you like, on record, uh, in, in,

00:58:14in 1940s.

00:58:15You described everything outwardly stoical, but inwardly complex. Now complex in what way?

00:58:20That sounds as though there's some kind of conflict going on inside.

00:58:23Well, we see the, you know, we see the outward, as we saw the outward Elizabeth II,

00:58:27very dutiful, quite, quite serious, obviously started to be more sort of smiley later in life,

00:58:33but, but very dutiful, very conscientious. But in, in, in private, there was this, this, this very, um,

00:58:40a very complex figure who, who could be, and she was always, uh, um, much sharper, I would say.

00:58:47I mean, you know, she, she, she, she wasn't, um, as inscrutable in, in private as she was in public.

00:58:52So she would gain, going back to that point, she didn't like to, uh, be inauthentic. So if,

00:58:57if she didn't like something, she'd say, no, I don't like that. Or there was, I mean, I, I, I

00:59:01talked to one minister

00:59:02who'd been standing there having, having a drink with her in the grand reception room at Windsor,

00:59:07and they looked out to the north and you could see Slough in the distance. And this minister said,

00:59:10oh, I, I, uh, I grew up in Slough. And the Queen said, oh, you poor thing. You know, there

00:59:15was,

00:59:16there was, there was sort of, you know, no, no varnishing. Well, they always used to say that

00:59:20the Queen has no opinions. And I've been lucky enough to meet her several times. And, oh, yes,

00:59:24she does. Oh, yes, she does. Did you meet her? Yeah, I met her, I met her quite a few

00:59:28times,

00:59:29because, I mean, even, I, I was a royal correspondent many years ago and always on her tours around the

00:59:34world.

00:59:35I went on many of them and they were some, some of the, I think, one of the most amazing

00:59:39things

00:59:39I ever saw. First, first ever state visit to Moscow, the first, um, state visit to post apartheid South

00:59:46Africa. And I, I was there as a, as a journalist, but she would always have a reception at some

00:59:51point

00:59:51during these tours to meet the press covering the tour. Even, even at the time, I mean, this was a

00:59:56period when, when relations between the palace and the press were not good, but she always felt that it was,

01:00:01again, it was her sort of duty. These people have come all this way to report on my trip,

01:00:04I ought to meet them. So I'd meet her on those occasions. I met her when we were,

01:00:08when I was making, um, royal documentaries and, and you know what that's like, Alan. Um,

01:00:14you know, sometimes you'll be sort of waiting to sort of set up, uh, or the camera's doing something.

01:00:18And, and she would, uh, particularly if she was somewhere, she was very happy or, or comfortable,

01:00:23like the, the, the, I remember going around the Meuse at, uh, Windsor and she was just feeding

01:00:27carrots to her horses and she was very chatty. Um, and, uh, and, and again, you know,

01:00:33when we were filming her at Balmoral and she was, uh, you know, somewhere she felt very safe,

01:00:38very comfortable. Which is why she went there when she went there. I mean, I remember a while

01:00:42saying to me, she's gone up there to die, hasn't she? Well, I mean, she, she had, and again,

01:00:49while writing the book, it was really interesting talking to people who'd been with her in that final

01:00:54year. And there was that sense as she left Windsor in July, 2022, she was doing things that people

01:01:01thought, Oh, this is slightly unusual. She wanted to go and say goodbye to her fell pony, Emma,

01:01:06the fell pony she adored. Um, and, and, you know, when she was saying goodbye to staff and people,

01:01:12they, they, they, they, they, they now looking back, they say they sort of sensed at the time.

01:01:16And she, you know, she, she went up there. She was so, um, conscientious. She knew that that summer,

01:01:21she was going to have to appoint a new prime minister because Boris Johnson at that point had resigned

01:01:26as Tory leader. And once a new Tory leader had been elected, then, then that person would become prime

01:01:31minister. So the queen thought, well, I'll have to come back down to London to appoint this new

01:01:35prime minister, do the, do it properly. And her staff were saying, well, you don't really have

01:01:40to do that. She went, oh, no, no, I do. It looks terrible. It was very selfish if I'm dragging

01:01:43all

01:01:43these people, because we have to drag the outgoing prime minister and the incoming one all the way up

01:01:47to the highlands. Um, I think I ought to get the train down. And, and as that summer went on,

01:01:54um,

01:01:54essentially her staff and her family, Princess Anne told me that the family said to her, look, it's just,

01:01:59you don't have to, you can just stay here. And I think at that point she realised she was not

01:02:04going

01:02:05to be going south again. And she was very, very happy. She was worried that somehow she'd be

01:02:09causing, uh, she, she, she said to Princess Anne that it might, it might make life difficult for

01:02:13everyone if she, if she were to die in Scotland. And everyone said, you just, just, you carry on.

01:02:19Wherever you want. Well, you do what you like. You're the queen.

01:02:22The winding down of both their lives, I found quite poignant. Prince Philip saying,

01:02:26I've done my bit and retiring to wood farm. Uh, and then the queen slowing down. There are lovely

01:02:33moments in that range. So much has been written about them.

01:02:36One of the most actually very moving things I discovered was, uh, was, was someone told me,

01:02:41and she had told them, uh, the true story of that shooting in 1981 when she's riding in the birthday

01:02:48parade and suddenly shots ring out. And it's trooping the colour. And, um, her horse is sort of,

01:02:55her, her mare, Burmese, is sort of, uh, is startled. But she sort of calms the horse.

01:03:00Mm. And she just keeps riding on in a straight line. And everyone said,

01:03:03oh, golly, that's, you know, very, very cool karma collected. That's our queen.

01:03:07What, of course, she didn't know, nobody knew that the gunman was firing blanks.

01:03:11And what she said to this person afterwards, who told me, was the reason she looked straight ahead.

01:03:17She said, I could see the police and everybody running past me. And she said,

01:03:20I thought my husband had been shot. And they said what struck in their mind. She very,

01:03:24very rarely used the phrase, my husband, but she, on that case, she said,

01:03:27I thought my husband had been shot. And I just couldn't face seeing his body.

01:03:32So she was literally on autopilot riding in a straight line. And if you look back at the

01:03:37footage of that, what's so remarkable is a few seconds later, it's quite clear the parade is

01:03:41continuing. And then finally, she risks turning around as, as they're going on to horse guards parade

01:03:46proper. And she turns around and you see her see Philip behind her. And the, the grid on her face,

01:03:53she was never one for smiling on parade. It was probably quite serious. And she's just got that sort

01:03:57of look of utter joy, really. They are treasured memories. People would say, well, you said,

01:04:03I've always thought it interesting that you have devoted your life, you know, you're a good political

01:04:08commentator. You, you, you're a man who knows news and everything. And yet you chose this role,

01:04:14this route of following the Queen. And I remember asking someone, you said to me,

01:04:19the fascination of soft power, but it is power, isn't it? It's an effective power.

01:04:25It's very effective power. And, and, and, you know, we've been seeing it of late. I wrote to a

01:04:31certain Donald Trump saying, can I have a chat about the Queen? There's no way I'd have got through the

01:04:36door of Mar-a-Lago to talk to him, uh, for any other reason. But the fact was,

01:04:41he wanted to talk about the Queen. He adored her. He was devoted. He just thought she was

01:04:44one of the most impressive leaders he met. So I had a chat with him for the book. I mean,

01:04:49previously Barack Obama, when he was, um, doing a speech at the end of his presidency,

01:04:54reflecting on the great leaders of his lifetime. And he picked out two in particular who just

01:04:59represented in his view, the essence of leadership. One was Nelson Mandela and the other was

01:05:04Elizabeth II. And to have that level of clout, um, gives Britain a huge leg up. And, and we,

01:05:11we've seen that in, in, in recent weeks because you think back to 1956 and there's suddenly the

01:05:19Suez crisis and Britain is in the doghouse and, and is humiliated because of its disastrous attempt

01:05:24to reclaim the Suez Canal. Uh, and America is very cross with Britain and London and Washington

01:05:30are arguing. Who's our charge? What does London do? London sends the Queen on a state visit to

01:05:36Washington the following year. It's a great success. Does that ring any bells? Yeah, it's sounding

01:05:40amazingly familiar. It's a fascinating read, Elizabeth II, Robert Harden. Robert, love it to

01:05:46thank you very much. Thank you.

01:05:53Coming up, sandwiches, cakes and fizz. Pure indulgence. Utterly essential. Tom Sergi brings

01:06:00us the very best in boozy afternoon teas, including a deconstructed drinkable cucumber sandwich.

01:06:07Sounds unusual. And she's the girl from Liverpool who went on to become one of our best loved stars.

01:06:14Rita Tushingham on her incredible career and the incredible people she's met along the way.

01:06:19I'll see you with Rita right after this.

01:06:35Welcome back to Love Your Weekend. Coming up, back in the day, mid-afternoon tea for the rich and famous

01:06:41often entail the spread of cakes, a cup of tea and a hefty glug of gossip. Perhaps that's why drinks

01:06:47Don Tom Sergi is adding a little booze to proceedings in today's afternoon tea-inspired

01:06:53vested British cocktails. But first, my next guest became a defining face of the 1960s British

01:06:59New Wave cinema. She was a prominent star in kitchen sink realism films, including The Leather Boys and

01:07:07The Knack and how to get it. And of course, the gritty, groundbreaking and critically acclaimed

01:07:13taste of honey.

01:07:16I don't think it's doing any good, Ben, with me all the time.

01:07:19I couldn't move away from you now.

01:07:21You must. We can't be together all the time.

01:07:24I'd rather be dead than away from you.

01:07:27You say that as if you mean it.

01:07:29Well, I do mean it. Before I knew you, I didn't care much whether I lived or died,

01:07:35you know. But then I met you and well being with you is me life.

01:07:43Hey, there's no need for us to split up, is there, Jo?

01:07:46Come on, rain. Come on, storm.

01:07:50Jo?

01:08:00It kicked me, Jeff.

01:08:04It kicked me.

01:08:07Murray Melvin and Rita Tushingham, a great example in a British New Wave film.

01:08:12Could you sense, Rita, that you were part of a new genre, something completely different

01:08:18from what had gone before?

01:08:19Well, I think so, because there was a lot of chat about it, and especially about a taste

01:08:24of honey. But it was just something that was of the time and very exciting.

01:08:29So it was exciting to do it.

01:08:31Oh, yes.

01:08:32Because it was groundbreaking to watch. I mean, it's like,

01:08:34ooh, people don't talk like that in films, they all talk rather like that.

01:08:37Yeah, I know they did, didn't they? Make a cup of tea doll and do this.

01:08:40And people would say to me, but there aren't people like that. People are characters.

01:08:46A lot of people will get upset about the characters we were playing. But in the film,

01:08:50it was the first interracial kiss on film, Taste of Honey.

01:08:54Yeah, which you were a part of.

01:08:57How different was filmmaking in those days, in the 1960s? You work in films now as well.

01:09:03How different is it? How did they contrast with one another?

01:09:06Well, it was on film, now it's not. They don't really, because I'd never done film before.

01:09:13But it's just the same exciting thing. You're just trying to produce a good product,

01:09:19to make a good film.

01:09:20Of all the things that you've done, certainly from my point of view, one that stands out,

01:09:26which was iconic of its time, was Dr Zhivago, which again, I mean, the blockbuster of its day.

01:09:34Astonishing cast, you know, Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, and Rita Tushingham, I guess.

01:09:41How did you come to be lost?

01:09:45We were running in a street.

01:09:47We?

01:09:47My father.

01:09:49Not your father, Kamarovsky.

01:09:50I don't know.

01:09:52The street was on fire. There were explosions and the houses were falling down.

01:09:57And he, he, he let go of my hand.

01:10:03He let go of my hand.

01:10:06And I was lost.

01:10:11Your father has done that?

01:10:14Oh, yes.

01:10:16People will do anything.

01:10:18It was Komarovsky.

01:10:22This man was your father.

01:10:28Why won't you believe it?

01:10:31Don't you want to believe it?

01:10:34Not if it isn't true.

01:10:38There's such a striking intensity to that scene between you and Alec Guinness and terribly fragile

01:10:44on your part. What was it like working with Alec Guinness? I have to ask.

01:10:49Well, it was wonderful because he, we spent all the time together.

01:10:53Yeah.

01:10:53And we had just a wonderful relationship. We'd go on long walks and he had the most wonderful

01:11:00sense of humour. We just hit it off. And from today now, he used to leave messages for me and

01:11:06put

01:11:06a hand on the, the envelopes. And to this day, when I send something by hand to people, I always

01:11:13put

01:11:14what Alec put on a little hand on the envelope. You know, I wrote an envelope this morning. I wrote

01:11:19by hand on it. I shall now. I must know. Can I copy now? I'll tell you where I got

01:11:25that idea from.

01:11:26It came from Rita Tushing and got it from.

01:11:27But it's such a nice, and if I tell people, they love the story.

01:11:31It's, it's. He was such an understated actor. And Tom Courtney's sat where you're sitting.

01:11:37Oh, yeah. Well, I knew Tom was one of the first people I met when I came to London, Tom

01:11:42Courtney.

01:11:43Yeah. And also, one of the first people I met, you'd be interested in this, was the artist,

01:11:47Francis Bacon. Goodness me. And I knew him quite well because Paul Dankwer, who played the sailor in

01:11:54A Taste of Honey. Yes. Francis had a studio in his flat in Bates, in Battersea. Yeah. And so I

01:12:03met him

01:12:03and I just thought, oh, this is London. And I was taken to Muriel's bar in Soho and things like

01:12:09that.

01:12:09But to meet Francis was quite something. Did he paint you? No, he said he was going to.

01:12:15Someone who is often regarded as quite challenging was somebody you worked with in the trap,

01:12:20which is Oliver Reed.

01:12:31All right, child. Her parents were killed in an Indian raid 10 years ago.

01:12:36My husband found her and brought her home to live with us.

01:12:40What's your name, little rabbit?

01:12:45Speak to me. I'm talking to you!

01:12:48She can't speak. Shock. But she's a good, strong girl.

01:12:53She cooks well and she sews too. Her name's Eve.

01:12:58$8,000 for a woman who can't talk. That's a lot of money.

01:13:03Better than a woman who talks too much.

01:13:05Huh?

01:13:05You're playing a mute, no lines at all. And in scenes like that, with a powerful actor like Oliver Reed.

01:13:15Now that's tricky because you've got to get your character over without speech.

01:13:21So there's an intensity which you get in there. Harder or easier?

01:13:26No, it's harder because physically you have to, I mean, you can't say a word, which I didn't.

01:13:33So you've got to get it over in a physical way. And also, I mean, I always like to prepare.

01:13:39But you've got to be absolutely prepared for it. Because you're not really giving anything back,

01:13:45apart from perhaps an expression on the face. But it was, I mean, I enjoyed doing it, but it was

01:13:51hard.

01:13:51Oliver Reed famously tricky to work with. Was he tricky to work with on The Trap?

01:13:57Well, he had his moments, but I stood up to him. I wouldn't take his nonsense.

01:14:04And so we got on very well. But I didn't. I didn't let him get the better of me.

01:14:09And he sort of would, he mellowed. And he's a wonderful actor. He was a wonderful actor.

01:14:15And I don't think he realised how good he was. Or a lot of people didn't realise.

01:14:19But no, we had a very good relationship because it was mostly just Oliver and myself in the film.

01:14:25Well, you've almost come full circle since Taste of Funny, which was Sheila Delaney.

01:14:29And you've been working with her daughter.

01:14:31Well, no, her daughter, Charlotte, found a play that Sheila wrote in 70-something, 75, 76,

01:14:39about when Sheila ran away from home for a couple of days. And she sent it to me and said,

01:14:46would you please be part of this? Of course, I would say yes, because Sheila was such an important

01:14:50part of my life. And now I'm playing a bagged lady in the park. It's quite nice.

01:14:56I'm a witcher, I'm a witcher. No pressure.

01:14:58No, no. No, it's a completely different, but no, I'm doing that. It's a radio play,

01:15:03so I'm doing that next month. Oh, wonderful. So you're getting the voice.

01:15:05I remember vividly you having a part in Bread, kind of keeping it with Jean Boat,

01:15:10and that great, wonderful situation comedy that was on in the 80s, 90s, hugely successful.

01:15:18So your career has encompassed both, you know, from Dr Zhivago to Bread,

01:15:24heck of a quantum leap really from one to the other.

01:15:26But that's the thing, isn't it, about acting. That's the wonderful thing about it.

01:15:29And also shooting, because I'm from Liverpool, and we shot in Liverpool. And Carla Lane,

01:15:34of course, who was a very good friend. So that was fun to do.

01:15:38Do you have, it gives you great pleasure, looking back at these moments. Do you amuse on

01:15:43the variety that life has presented you with? It's been astonishing, really.

01:15:48Yeah, it has been a lot. I mean, when I think of years ago, I was looked after.

01:15:55I went to San Francisco to receive an award. And I was looked after by Shirley Temple.

01:16:04And introduced to people by Bing Crosby. And often, at Christmas time, when I'm in a shop,

01:16:10and I hear the carols and everything, and I think, I'm sure I'm the only person here

01:16:15that has met him and been introduced by him.

01:16:18Did you get on well with him?

01:16:19Oh, you know, he was very nice. And Shirley Temple was lovely and looked after me.

01:16:24And how did Shirley Temple end up looking after you?

01:16:27I don't know. She just happened to be part of this festival.

01:16:30Oh, right. So she was your minder.

01:16:31Yeah, I know. Can you imagine? I mean, it was, that was quite exciting.

01:16:34She became a politician, of course, didn't she?

01:16:35Yes, Shirley Temple Black.

01:16:37Yes, yeah.

01:16:38She was, wasn't she the ambassador, a garner?

01:16:41She was.

01:16:42I think she's the Ghanaian ambassador.

01:16:44Yeah, yeah.

01:16:44No, but that was quite exciting.

01:16:47I always feel sometimes like a taxi driver, you know, who said,

01:16:50do you know I had in the back of the cab last week, you know?

01:16:54People like you and Rita.

01:16:55No, but it's true, but isn't that what, it gives us that, that's the gift.

01:17:00I mean, my dad was a grocer, he had some grocery shops in Liverpool,

01:17:03and I think I'd never have been able to do that.

01:17:06I wouldn't have been able to go to Downing Street,

01:17:08I wouldn't have been able to go to the ambassador in then Czechoslovakia.

01:17:14And, and also dance with Khrushchev's wife.

01:17:21Rita Krushchev danced with Khrushchev's wife.

01:17:24When?

01:17:25Oh, it was in Kalavivari, the film festival.

01:17:29Yeah, yeah.

01:17:29And she came and she danced with me.

01:17:31Gosh, did you get to meet him?

01:17:33No, no.

01:17:34Just her?

01:17:35But her, yeah.

01:17:37Because when I went to, I went to Moscow,

01:17:40and because of the roles I played, I was called the people's actress.

01:17:44You know, the working class.

01:17:46And so that was quite sort of exciting.

01:17:48But no, I danced with her.

01:17:50The things that crop up when you're talking to people on this sofa.

01:17:53It's funny, isn't it?

01:17:53It's heard some tales of this sofa.

01:17:55Yeah.

01:17:56Absolutely delighted to have you with us.

01:17:59You've been a part of my life for as long as I've been around, really.

01:18:01Thank you very much indeed.

01:18:03Lovely to see you.

01:18:03I've really enjoyed it, thank you.

01:18:04We'll stay for a drop to drink afterwards.

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

01:18:08Now, Bill Bryson, foreigner, lived in Britain, still lives in Britain,

01:18:13said that Britain has the most reliably beautiful countryside in the world.

01:18:18Who is going to disagree?

01:18:19Certainly not me.

01:18:20And here's proof.

01:18:21It's time for Ode to Joy.

01:18:50It's time for Ode to Joy.

01:18:51Great.

01:19:07Now, by the time was out there.

01:19:09What is out there?

01:19:10What мир is.

01:19:11What do you expect?

01:19:11Bye-bye.

01:19:11Do you feel like you're at the mountains?

01:19:13Bye-bye.

01:19:13See you.

01:19:13Bye-bye.

01:19:15Bye-bye.

01:19:54Stunning pictures of Grasmere in the Lake District,

01:19:56courtesy of Andra Kilimaitre,

01:19:59and set to Symphony No. 9 by who else? Beethoven.

01:20:03Coming up, sandwiches, cakes and fizz,

01:20:06pure indulgence and utterly essential.

01:20:09Tom Sergi brings us the very best in boozy afternoon teas,

01:20:13including a storm in a teacup

01:20:15and a milk oolong martini.

01:20:17Sounds intriguing.

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

01:20:37There are a few things more quintessentially British

01:20:40than a glorious array of cakes, scones and cucumber sandwiches.

01:20:44Popular pastime since the mid-19th century,

01:20:47afternoon tea was introduced by Anna Russell,

01:20:50the Duchess of Bedford,

01:20:51who complained, as most of us would,

01:20:53of feeling hungry around four o'clock

01:20:55and requested from her footman, no doubt,

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

01:21:00That means she didn't put it like that, though, did she?

01:21:01These days it's just as common to indulge in a spot of fizz

01:21:04with your afternoon nibbles and ham and eggs,

01:21:07and you can call it high tea.

01:21:08But it's not just bubbles that go down well at this time of day.

01:21:11Drinks expert Tom Sergis 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.

01:21:22Goodness me, Tom, fire away.

01:21:23It looks OK, doesn't it?

01:21:24Here we go.

01:21:25Ooh, it looks very dangerous to me.

01:21:28It is dangerous to us.

01:21:29I've taken the brief quite literally.

01:21:31So a lot of these drinks involve tea,

01:21:33there's lots of caffeine involved,

01:21:34we're looking at kind of really elegant flavours,

01:21:37looking at cucumber sandwiches.

01:21:38I've gone a bit wild in the garnishes, Alan,

01:21:41which 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,

01:21:46look, you've got a cravat.

01:21:47I learned how to put a cravat on.

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

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

01:21:51There you go.

01:21:51Come on.

01:21:52Yeah, I'm not sure I'll belt it tight

01:21:53after drinking these, but we'll see.

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

01:21:56That's fine.

01:21:57I remember seeing you as Bertie Worcester

01:21:58and there was a lot of cravats going on in that.

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

01:22:01Fairly point.

01:22:02Now, we're going to begin.

01:22:04We've got this first drink here, okay?

01:22:06And one of my favourite things,

01:22:08something I drink probably by the litre

01:22:10more 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

01:22:17that is made by the lovely Jing,

01:22:19who bring it in.

01:22:20It's from Taiwan.

01:22:21And it comes as these whole leaves,

01:22:23so you'll see it's garnished

01:22:24with a whole tea leaf in it.

01:22:26Gently dried.

01:22:27This is called milk oolong tea.

01:22:28It's got this richness and viscosity

01:22:30and softness to it,

01:22:31which I thought was very appropriate.

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

01:22:34Yes.

01:22:34Given it a decent stale.

01:22:35Oh!

01:22:36I thought the tea had rather a kick.

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

01:22:40I've had milk oolong martini,

01:22:42which is a thing.

01:22:43Nice.

01:22:44Mmm.

01:22:45There.

01:22:45Yeah, very sweet.

01:22:46Come on.

01:22:46The tea.

01:22:47Vodka tea.

01:22:49Not my choice.

01:22:51Cup of tea.

01:22:51Not my cup of tea.

01:22:53Boom.

01:22:54I like a sweeter cocktail.

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

01:22:59That sounds terrible.

01:23:00Just neat vodka.

01:23:00Yes.

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

01:23:03Yes, it is.

01:23:04That's exactly what it is.

01:23:04Tea martini.

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,

01:23:26a little bit of lemon,

01:23:27a little bit of 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.

01:23:42Oh, no, you're talking.

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

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

01:23:45Come on, you're just trying to, you know,

01:23:47trying to get me back in favour.

01:23:49No, we're not.

01:23:50That's good.

01:23:51That's very good.

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

01:23:55that mixture of citruses, a little bit of sugar in the gin,

01:23:57we've then topped it up with Darjeeling tea

01:23:59from the lovely SciShow.

01:24:01So this is just cold-brewed Darjeeling tea

01:24:03made into a sparkling fizz, delicious on its own.

01:24:06And as you pour them in together,

01:24:07you 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 good.

01:24:17It's fresh.

01:24:18It's a year, Rita.

01:24:18Yeah.

01:24:19Yeah.

01:24:19Mm.

01:24:20And like all things that have got a bit of sweetness

01:24:22and a bit of citrus to it,

01:24:23you can 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.

01:24:32Yeah.

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 swaps on.

01:24:37The swaps on.

01:24:38What is the lemony, though?

01:24:38Lovely.

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

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

01:24:43pretty much exclusively because I wanted to garnish it

01:24:45with a cucumber sandwich.

01:24:48And so we've made little cucumber sandwich fingers

01:24:50that go very nicely with it.

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

01:24:54blended into cucumber juice.

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

01:24:59And then crucially, in equal parts,

01:25:01this amazing vermouth, white English vermouth

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

01:25:05So it's made by a really lovely lady called Janina

01:25:08in a tiny little vineyard,

01:25:09little shed outside a vineyard near Cobra in Sussex.

01:25:13And she uses English wines as the base,

01:25:15gives them a little bit of extra pep with a bit of spirit

01:25:17just to bring the alcohol up to 17%,

01:25:19and 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, eh?

01:25:33What's Rita got?

01:25:34A fresh air.

01:25:34Well, 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,

01:25:44which is a brand new, really cool non-alcoholic spirit.

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

01:25:52They get cherry wood, apple wood,

01:25:55various different really beautiful bits of wood,

01:25:56and they sonically age it in a kind of vacuum environment,

01:25:59which draws out this smoky, woody, rich kind of texture.

01:26:04It's a bit like a whiskey,

01:26:05a little bit like a non-alcoholic whiskey.

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

01:26:09a bit of honey in a syrup that I've made,

01:26:11a little bit of ginger,

01:26:12and stretched it out with a lovely little bit of water.

01:26:14And you end up with something that is kind of warming

01:26:16and recognisable, but is...

01:26:18Bold.

01:26:19Very bold.

01:26:19Yeah, it's big.

01:26:21So if you're into the non-alcoholic way of things,

01:26:23then I think silver's quite interesting.

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

01:26:25Yeah.

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

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,

01:26:34but it's not chilli.

01:26:35Exactly.

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

01:26:37Yeah.

01:26:38Strange.

01:26:39Now the final one...

01:26:40Pudding.

01:26:40Pudding, yes.

01:26:42And this is a drink of two parts.

01:26:44There is a drink out there,

01:26:45there's a very classic cocktail called Remember the Main,

01:26:47and this has got nothing really to do with that,

01:26:49but I've called it, because of that,

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

01:26:52And what we've done...

01:26:54Look at this.

01:26:55...is at the very bottom of it,

01:26:57you've got some really beautiful framboise,

01:27:00raspberry liqueur,

01:27:01and 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,

01:27:07mixed with amaretto and this amazing rum.

01:27:11So this is Lowland rum, a Scottish rum,

01:27:15from the amazing John Paul Jones team,

01:27:17which is quite elegant golden rum

01:27:19with 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

01:27:25in it and a little vanilla.

01:27:26You need to 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...

01:27:36This could go wrong.

01:27:37...you'll get a bit of both.

01:27:37Are you ready?

01:27:38I like the boozy Battenberg that's hanging on to 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, doesn't it?

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.

01:27:56It's going to 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.

01:28:02Still not getting there.

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

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

01:28:08I can't get it.

01:28:10It's all over.

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

01:28:11Here we go.

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

01:28:13The payoff.

01:28:15Very good.

01:28:16Yes!

01:28:17It's 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 if for today...

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

01:28:32That really is it for today.

01:28:34Thanks to all my guests, to Rita, Stephen, Anita, Tom, and of course, Robert, who missed

01:28:40the cocktails, but there we are.

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

01:28:43Joining me next week, Jason Watkins, Pixie Lott, and Bill Bailey.

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

01:28:53there 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.

01:29:13Cheers.

01:29:16Cheers.

01:29:17Cheers.

01:29:28Cheers.

01:29:29Cheers.

01:29:32Cheers.

01:29:33Cheers.

01:29:34Cheers.

01:29:35Cheers.

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