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Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh - Season 8 - Episode 07
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00:00:00See the mountains kiss high heaven, and the waves clasp one another.
00:00:06No sister flower would be forgiven if it disdained its brother.
00:00:10And the sunlight clasps the earth, and the moonbeams kiss the sea.
00:00:16What is all this sweet work worth, if thou kiss not me?
00:00:21Lovely words there, from Percy Bysshe Shelley.
00:00:24A love letter to the natural world, and a perfect opening to today's show on this Valentine's weekend.
00:00:31Today, a gold medal-winning Olympian, a supermodel turned special constable,
00:00:37and we've a romantic tale from a couple of loved-up geese.
00:00:40Only on this show, it's time for Love Your Weekend.
00:01:18It's another winter's day here on Manor Farm.
00:01:21Fields and hedgerows hold their breath beneath a pewter sky,
00:01:26and the countryside moves slowly as they're listening to itself.
00:01:31In the words of William Wordsworth,
00:01:33nature never did betray the heart that loved her,
00:01:37and betray me she never has.
00:01:39She's tested me once or twice, but we always kiss and make up.
00:01:43Coming up, she's the model turned special constable,
00:01:46who's married to one of our biggest rock stars,
00:01:49Penny Lancaster, on her life in the spotlight,
00:01:52and our hubby, Sir Rod Stewart, keeps her on her toes after two decades together.
00:01:57And we really have struck gold today at the farm.
00:01:59Max Whitlock on Olympic medals, fatherhood,
00:02:02and how a teenage dream became reality.
00:02:06Garden designer Chris Hull beckons in the year of the horse
00:02:10with a show-stopping display of plants in honour of the Chinese New Year.
00:02:14And it's been called the sport of kings.
00:02:17We'll be rubbing shoulders with the great and the good
00:02:20as we step into the world of competitive polo.
00:02:28But first, to quote T.S. Eliot,
00:02:31every moment is a fresh beginning.
00:02:34It's worth reminding yourself of that now and again, isn't it?
00:02:36And that moment begins right here.
00:02:37Welcome to Penny Lancaster and three-time Olympic gold medal winner,
00:02:42gymnast Max Whitlock.
00:02:44Welcome, Berth.
00:02:45For a minute, then, I thought it was Penny Lancaster,
00:02:47Olympic gold medal.
00:02:49I'll give you the dream, Penny.
00:02:51I'll give you the dream.
00:02:54Valentine's got to ask.
00:02:56I mean, romantic.
00:02:57Now, tell me about your proposal.
00:02:58Look at that.
00:02:59Well, we put them on specially for you.
00:03:01You and Rod, romantic proposal?
00:03:03Just romantic all year round.
00:03:06Oh, hate him.
00:03:08He said to me the other day,
00:03:11he said, darling, give me three or four days
00:03:14out of the calendar coming up soon
00:03:18and I'm going to take you somewhere special.
00:03:19I'm not telling you where I'm taking you,
00:03:21just give me three or four days.
00:03:23So get the school run covered and all of that.
00:03:25I mean, that's the kind of guy that I'm married to.
00:03:29He doesn't particularly enjoy, and neither do I,
00:03:33being told when to be romantic.
00:03:34So Valentine's Day is the commercial love, isn't it?
00:03:39Whereas we like the spontaneity,
00:03:42and so we are both very, very romantic.
00:03:45Whether it's a train ride or up the Eiffel Tower
00:03:50where he proposed to me.
00:03:51He proposed up the Eiffel Tower,
00:03:53but you can't match that match.
00:03:57I certainly can't.
00:03:59A romantic proposal, was it?
00:04:01Yeah, so we...
00:04:02Just tell us about you and Leah,
00:04:04because you've known each other since I think you were 12.
00:04:06I was 14, so yeah, I was still very, very young.
00:04:09My son's 14, I can't imagine him meeting a girl
00:04:12and getting married if it happens.
00:04:14How romantic is that?
00:04:16Yeah, so yeah, I was really young.
00:04:17So, yeah, met at that young age,
00:04:20and then we were together for 10 years
00:04:23before I asked Leah to marry me.
00:04:26I took Leah to Lake District,
00:04:28so we went up there,
00:04:29and we went away for a few days,
00:04:30had a whole thing planned.
00:04:32So, yeah, it was a good time.
00:04:34I think for me,
00:04:35I was so, so nervous for that moment.
00:04:38It was crazy.
00:04:39When I look back now,
00:04:40I think, I can't believe I was so nervous,
00:04:42because all I was doing was just talking to Leah,
00:04:44but I wanted to get these words out,
00:04:46but I couldn't say a thing.
00:04:47I literally crumbled.
00:04:48You were still so young, weren't you, though?
00:04:49Yeah, I was young,
00:04:50but that was no excuse for that.
00:04:53No, I couldn't get my words out.
00:04:54Did you just get the box out?
00:04:55Pretty much.
00:04:56I had this whole thing that I planned out,
00:04:58I wanted to say,
00:05:00nothing come out.
00:05:01Nothing come out,
00:05:02so then I had to...
00:05:02But that's beautiful, though.
00:05:04Yeah, yeah.
00:05:04It was a nice time, good core memory,
00:05:06but it just feels so long ago now.
00:05:08At least you said yes.
00:05:10Oh, exactly.
00:05:12Yeah.
00:05:13Oh, goodness.
00:05:13Well, both of you have travelled tremendously.
00:05:16I mean, you know,
00:05:17a proposal at the Eiffel Tower.
00:05:18Whereabouts in the Lake District were you?
00:05:20Do you remember where you were standing?
00:05:22Windermere.
00:05:22Oh, yeah, yeah.
00:05:23Which was quite good,
00:05:24because I could almost keep that a secret
00:05:26to the very last minute,
00:05:27because when we got on the train,
00:05:29I didn't tell her where we're going or anything,
00:05:31and because it was saying Windermere,
00:05:34it's like she'd never heard of that before,
00:05:35so it was all kept a secret
00:05:37to the very last minute.
00:05:38You didn't get that thing,
00:05:39but I need to know what to wear.
00:05:40I need to know how cold it's going to be.
00:05:42Do I take me swimming in costume?
00:05:45No, it was a good weekend, good memories.
00:05:47I think, yeah,
00:05:49an amazing place up there as well,
00:05:51so we need to revisit at some point.
00:05:52And I think a train journey anywhere
00:05:54is the start of a very romantic trip.
00:05:56Yeah, true.
00:05:58Have you done the Orient Express?
00:05:59Yes, we did that for our wedding anniversary
00:06:03just last year.
00:06:04He is good, isn't he?
00:06:05He's very good.
00:06:05Well, actually, I did that one.
00:06:07It was a new route that they were taking
00:06:10from Paris to Portofino,
00:06:12and we got engaged in Paris,
00:06:14and we were married in Portofino.
00:06:16Oh, had to be done.
00:06:17Yeah, had to be done.
00:06:18Were you all right on the train?
00:06:20Were you left alone?
00:06:20Or there were lots of selfies going on there?
00:06:22No, no, no, it was very respectful,
00:06:24and it was black tie for dinner,
00:06:26and it was a lovely little note in our cabins
00:06:29to say,
00:06:29if you don't wish to participate in the dress code,
00:06:32we're quite happy to serve your dinner in your cabin.
00:06:35So it was everyone had to dress up,
00:06:37and it was like going back in time
00:06:39and just being rocked asleep
00:06:40as the train was going along.
00:06:42Beautiful.
00:06:42But for you, special places abroad,
00:06:44because travel, I mean, gymnastics takes,
00:06:46heavens above, absolutely everywhere,
00:06:48so special places for you.
00:06:49Yeah, I do feel fortunate.
00:06:51I've been able to travel the world
00:06:52doing something that I love doing.
00:06:54I think I've been to some amazing places.
00:06:56I think the only downside is going
00:06:58and travelling as an athlete
00:06:59is that you don't see loads of the country,
00:07:01so I see the hotel rooms,
00:07:03and I see the training gyms and the arenas.
00:07:05Don't give us time off.
00:07:07No, it's not a sightseeing tour, unfortunately,
00:07:08but I think, yeah, amazing places.
00:07:11Rio stands out as an unbelievable place,
00:07:14but Tokyo is one of my,
00:07:16you know, Japan in general
00:07:18is just an unbelievable country to visit.
00:07:20Japan, and you've done Rio, haven't you?
00:07:22You've done Rio.
00:07:22Japan and Rio, I mean,
00:07:24just discovering new cultures and ways of life,
00:07:26and we were in Rio recently.
00:07:29Rod was touring down in South America in October,
00:07:31and it happened to be school half term,
00:07:33so we got to take the kids as well,
00:07:34and doing the Christ Redeemer trip at the top.
00:07:37I mean, that is rather spiritual, actually,
00:07:40and it was just as the sun was setting,
00:07:42and it's quite magical.
00:07:44But how do you deal with jet lag when you're travelling,
00:07:46and do you have to be there, like, a week before to...
00:07:49You tend to, yeah.
00:07:50So we fly out a little bit before,
00:07:52but we have to be really careful on the flight,
00:07:54so you're trying to sleep at the right times
00:07:56or not eat the foods at certain times
00:07:58to try and help there as much as possible,
00:07:59but there's only so much you can do.
00:08:02Well, of course, when you come back,
00:08:03you're guaranteed a good welcome.
00:08:05Look at the kind of Max...
00:08:06Look at the kind of welcome Max gets when he comes back.
00:08:10Go, go, go, go, go, go, go!
00:08:22That is the best age to be welcomed home, isn't it?
00:08:25Oh, 100%.
00:08:26It's such a welcome...
00:08:27Do you remember when they were that little?
00:08:28Gosh, if only they were still that little!
00:08:31And you still got that welcome when he came home.
00:08:33Well, they do get through that terrible teen, and then they come back to you.
00:08:37So I've got my six-foot-five oldest son who still wraps his arms around me.
00:08:41I used to wrap mine around him, and now it's the other way around, so...
00:08:45It's worth going away to come back, then, Max.
00:08:47Oh, 100%. That feeling was amazing.
00:08:49It was lucky I didn't run her over with the luggage, surely.
00:08:52I saw it at the last minute, but that feeling, yeah, it's tough going away,
00:08:55but coming back and getting greeted like that, yeah, you can't beat it.
00:08:58Yeah. Much more from Penny and Max later.
00:09:01Coming up, your New Year celebrations may be over,
00:09:04but it's time to crack open the champagne once more.
00:09:06Garden designer Chris Hull welcomes in the Chinese New Year
00:09:09with an array of exciting botanical offerings from that continent
00:09:13and showcasing the world's very best nature photography.
00:09:18We'll be taking a look at some of the winners
00:09:19from last year's prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
00:09:24Also coming up...
00:09:27How a rare inter-species love affair
00:09:30is blossoming here at Manor Farm.
00:09:32Yes, it's a beautiful thing.
00:09:35Ivan, our Czech, and Gigi, our Toulouse goose,
00:09:39have fallen for each other.
00:09:42Geese, finding love after loss
00:09:44in what must be a love-your-weekend-first.
00:09:48Max, can I tempt you to a cinnamon swirl?
00:09:52The whole tray?
00:09:53Yeah, the whole thing.
00:09:54Feed yourself up for LA.
00:09:56We'll see carbs for you.
00:09:57Penny, have a hug.
00:09:59Oh, you're so romantic.
00:10:01Best thing to do.
00:10:16The perfect Sunday could involve a catch-up brunch
00:10:20with friends over an early tipple
00:10:22or a gentle stroll in your local park
00:10:24and a roast dinner with family
00:10:26as you anticipate the week ahead.
00:10:28Well, we hope to be a small part of your perfect Sunday too
00:10:31and we've prepared plenty of treats for you.
00:10:34Coming up, a man of Olympian prowess
00:10:37with 32 major championship medals to his name,
00:10:40including three Olympic goals.
00:10:42Max Whitlock on reversing his decision to retire
00:10:46and targeting the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
00:10:50At the grand old age, he will be 35.
00:10:53And he's been known to mount the odd pommel horse himself.
00:10:56Yes, what happens at the Christmas party
00:10:57stays at the Christmas party,
00:10:59keeping his feet firmly on the ground today, Jonathan.
00:11:01Pang, serving up the very best in nibbles and tipples
00:11:05to kick-start your Sunday in style,
00:11:07including a whiskey and soy-glazed salmon
00:11:10and a black truffle salami served with a sparkling wine.
00:11:15Like to see him getting over his pommel horse
00:11:17after that little lot.
00:11:19One posh picnic.
00:11:20Now, if you're out of some real lovebirds this Valentine's weekend,
00:11:23look no further than the loyal goose.
00:11:27Known for their devoted and often lifelong partnerships...
00:11:30Yes, I'm talking about you.
00:11:31These feathered waterfowl are seen as the ultimate symbol of affection.
00:11:35It's a reminder that true love takes commitment,
00:11:38connection and the occasional honk.
00:11:41A warm welcome back to Farmer Tom Davis
00:11:44and an apron full of goose.
00:11:48Yeah, this is one of our lovely Toulouse geese here.
00:11:51Toulouse, we've got Toulouse there and the white ones are...
00:11:54Czech geese.
00:11:55So, one of the common misconceptions with, namely, ducks and geese
00:12:00is, firstly, that any white duck is an Aylesbury...
00:12:03Yes.
00:12:03..and any white goose is an Emden goose.
00:12:05Right.
00:12:06Now, that's not the case at all.
00:12:07There are lots of different breeds that do come in the white colour.
00:12:12But here, the reason I brought you these two breeds today
00:12:16is because the Toulouse is one of the largest breeds of domestic goose.
00:12:20It's a hefty bird, isn't it?
00:12:21The Czech is the smallest breed or one of the smallest breeds of domestic goose.
00:12:26So, two ends of the spectrum here.
00:12:26Absolutely.
00:12:27Yeah.
00:12:27Just for the visual there.
00:12:28And the big Toulouse that sat down there is a female
00:12:32and we've got two male Czech geese there as well behind her.
00:12:35So, it just gives you the idea that, you know, in most breeds,
00:12:39the male is bigger, but it shows you how big the Toulouse is as a goose breed.
00:12:44Yeah, compared with the others there.
00:12:45Now, from Toulouse, a French bird originally?
00:12:48Yes, originally a French breed used for the sort of meat and stuff like that as a breed.
00:12:55But the thing is, is they take so long to mature, in bird terms, very slow to develop.
00:13:01And, you know, some Toulouse geese might not be looking in their prime
00:13:04until they're at least three or four years of age.
00:13:07So, what they did is the more common commercial hybrids then chose favour over the Toulouse
00:13:14and the Toulouse became a rarer breed and a breed that was used mainly for exhibition.
00:13:18Because they were slow to mature?
00:13:19Yes.
00:13:20So, we're talking about a goose here.
00:13:22Now, forgive me talking about you in this way, but you'll know it.
00:13:24You'll have heard it all before.
00:13:25Meat and eggs or meat rather than eggs?
00:13:28The Toulouse goose would have been mainly meat, but they do still lay.
00:13:33And, you know, they don't lay as many as some of the lighter, more commercial goose strains,
00:13:39but they will probably still lay you somewhere in the region of between 20,
00:13:43sometimes in a good year, 30 eggs or maybe even a few more.
00:13:47In a year?
00:13:48In a year.
00:13:48Which, compared with a chicken, is absolutely nothing.
00:13:50I mean, if you look, you know, during the laying stage, you get an egg a day,
00:13:53which is an awful lot, which is why people end up buying too many chickens
00:13:56and absolutely overwhelmed by eggs, you know.
00:13:59So, a smaller bird, the Czech, the white one,
00:14:02so its characteristics as compared with the Toulouse.
00:14:04Yes, so it's a smaller, a lot smaller breed.
00:14:07It's got a shorter, rounder head and a smaller bill.
00:14:10And the Toulouse is obviously known for this great, big, huge size
00:14:14and this big dewlap that hangs down underneath the chin here.
00:14:19Now, both of them share the same common ancestor,
00:14:22like the dog is connected to the wolf.
00:14:26Yeah.
00:14:26The goose, all apart from two breeds of goose,
00:14:29the African and the Chinese goose,
00:14:30all descend from the grey lag goose
00:14:33that we would see wild around and about the fields, the lakes, the farms here in the UK.
00:14:39So, through selective breeding over the years,
00:14:41we have ended up with a plethora of different goose breeds.
00:14:45In terms of people having them, people often have geese as watchdogs.
00:14:49Yeah.
00:14:49You know, if you're out in the country and you've got a long drive or whatever,
00:14:52you see geese in farmyards and they honk when people come.
00:14:55One of the most common things that I get asked is obviously, you know,
00:15:00people say to me, well, I've got these geese as guard dogs,
00:15:03but one got taken by the fox.
00:15:05Yeah.
00:15:06Although they're big, they're huge things,
00:15:08the fox is still going to eat them and still going to kill them.
00:15:11So, you still need to lock geese up at night time in a shed.
00:15:16Yeah.
00:15:16You know, unless you've got a vast lake with an island in the middle,
00:15:19and even that takes time for them to be trained to go onto the island as their safe place.
00:15:24You know, but I would always recommend that geese,
00:15:28any kind of ducks and waterfowl and poultry are always, unless it's wildfowl,
00:15:32are locked in a shed at night time to keep them safe.
00:15:34That is the most important thing.
00:15:36So, if you were cultivating geese at home for meat,
00:15:40I mean, would you go for the Czech because it matures that much faster than the Toulouse?
00:15:43Well, it depends.
00:15:45Usually the Toulouse are highly sought after now as exhibition birds.
00:15:48Yeah.
00:15:49You know, so their main, the main reason that people keep these is solely for exhibition, the Toulouse.
00:15:54And to their beauty.
00:15:55Yeah, because they are basically, if you look at them with next to a grey lag,
00:15:59they're exactly the same colour pattern, but just about six times the size.
00:16:05You know, they've been super sized.
00:16:07They've got the double chin and everything.
00:16:09But the whole thing is, is at this day and age now,
00:16:12with the threats of bird flu and everything else like this, cost of living, etc.,
00:16:17our geese breeds, native and otherwise, are becoming rarer.
00:16:22And they're one of the first things that people get rid of when things get tight.
00:16:27You know, and it's down to the Rare Breed Survival Trust,
00:16:30the British Waterfowl Association, and their dedicated members and breeders,
00:16:34keeping these breeds alive.
00:16:36Now, the Romantic Association, then, where does that come from?
00:16:39Well, it's linked to them and when they start to lay.
00:16:42So geese are said to start laying, the old wives' tales,
00:16:45there are plenty in farming, around St Valentine's Day.
00:16:49And you'll generally find that once a gander and a goose have paired,
00:16:53they can pair for life.
00:16:54If, you know, a lot of the younger geese, you know, post-90s,
00:16:57they're a little bit more promiscuous.
00:16:58Well, there you are.
00:16:59There you are.
00:17:00I blame the parents.
00:17:01You know, but...
00:17:02Or social media.
00:17:04Yeah.
00:17:05You know, but the whole thing is, is once they do pair,
00:17:08they do have a very, very strong pair bond.
00:17:11I mean, I know someone who had a pair of geese,
00:17:13they lost the goose and the gander paired to a donkey that was in the field.
00:17:18Really?
00:17:18And would always be sat with the donkey all the time.
00:17:21So they're like companionship, that's the thing.
00:17:23And they have a very...
00:17:24It goes back to them when they hatch as a gosling.
00:17:26They have an incredibly strong imprinting mechanism in them.
00:17:30And the biggest thing that moves,
00:17:32and the first thing they see that's bigger than them that moves when they hatch,
00:17:35they automatically think is their mother.
00:17:37So is there any romantic attachment going on down here?
00:17:40Yes.
00:17:40Unfortunately, it's not between the Czech geese.
00:17:44It's one of the Czech ganders, Ivan,
00:17:46as paired to the Toulouse goose called Gigi.
00:17:49But that's a forbidden love.
00:17:52Because you know at Mudshute we like to keep the breeds pure
00:17:55as part of that conservation programme.
00:17:58So I am on the search, on the hunt for a Toulouse gander for these two geese.
00:18:04Ivan, you've chosen a girl above your station.
00:18:07Heaven's above, we can't have that.
00:18:09That's something out of Jane Austen, not allowed.
00:18:12And the eggs, what, in cakes or what?
00:18:14You wouldn't want one for your breakfast, would you?
00:18:15They're huge.
00:18:16Well, if you had a fried goose egg,
00:18:17you'd have to cut the white away from the sandwich around the edge.
00:18:20And they've got very, very big yolks.
00:18:22They are absolutely delicious.
00:18:24Yeah.
00:18:24But, yeah, I mean, a lot of people also, as well as eating the goose eggs,
00:18:28obviously they sort of blow the eggs,
00:18:30get the contents out of the middle,
00:18:31and then they decorate them.
00:18:32Because they're a bigger surface,
00:18:34they're actually very, very popular for decorating.
00:18:37A bit like ostrich eggs.
00:18:38It's not quite so big, not quite so hard.
00:18:40Tom, always a delight.
00:18:42Thank you to your Toulouse geese and your Czech geese.
00:18:45You've been beautifully well-behaved, ladies and gentlemen.
00:18:48Thank you very much indeed.
00:18:49Thanks, Tom.
00:18:50No worries.
00:18:50You're welcome.
00:18:51Still to come, ambition, love, obsession,
00:18:54and scandal within the elite equestrian polo set.
00:18:58Sounds like a scene straight out of a Jilly Cooper novel.
00:19:01Oh, well, it is.
00:19:02But I can't promise that.
00:19:04What I can promise, though, is a very nice day out.
00:19:06Don't miss our VIP pass to one of the world's oldest known team sports,
00:19:10which boasts a rich tapestry of history extending back over 2,000 years.
00:19:16Polo.
00:19:16And he's been called Britain's greatest gymnast,
00:19:19so you'd think there'd be nothing left to prove.
00:19:22Not so for Max Whitlock,
00:19:24who's decided to come out of retirement
00:19:26at the ripe old age of 33, may I add.
00:19:29I'll be catching up with Max and much more right after this.
00:19:46Welcome back.
00:19:47Still ahead, she's worn heels on the runway,
00:19:50boots on the beat,
00:19:51and this summer, wellies on the field.
00:19:54Penny Lancaster on a varied career,
00:19:56a family holiday to a rather well-known festival in Somerset,
00:20:00and doing her bit, the king and country.
00:20:03Now, my next guest says his entire career
00:20:05has been fuelled by wanting to prove people wrong.
00:20:09There were times, as a junior international gymnast,
00:20:12that he was told he simply wasn't good enough.
00:20:14So I'd love to have been a fly on the wall,
00:20:16when in 2016, Max Whitlock
00:20:19became the most successful gymnast in British history.
00:20:23What was it about the pommel horse that made that your speciality,
00:20:27the thing you, I don't know what you like doing it most,
00:20:30but the thing you've had most success in?
00:20:34Yeah, I loved it.
00:20:35You pointed out that.
00:20:36I think that's the most important thing.
00:20:37From a very young age,
00:20:38so I started gymnastics at seven years old,
00:20:40and from a very young age,
00:20:41I just gravitated toward the pommel horse.
00:20:44Throughout my whole career,
00:20:45I've trained twice as much as any other operators.
00:20:49So I've doubled down on the pommel horse.
00:20:51I've really enjoyed it.
00:20:52I've had this kind of relentless energy
00:20:54to just want to do more,
00:20:55learn new skills on it and keep going.
00:20:57And it was just almost naturally suited to me.
00:21:00So, yeah, I just almost kept pushing
00:21:02and kept pushing for the competitions,
00:21:03but almost as I saw progress,
00:21:05I made it one of my main focuses
00:21:07that I just wanted to put all my energy into.
00:21:10Do what you're good at, basically.
00:21:11Yeah, exactly.
00:21:12And your body almost is in that instance,
00:21:14and your body and brain, obviously,
00:21:15are telling you where your biggest aptitude lies then,
00:21:19presumably, and that was pommel horse.
00:21:21Yeah, yeah, I think it did,
00:21:23and I think it just become natural.
00:21:25And then I, you know,
00:21:26I've done all six operators in gymnastics.
00:21:28You have six to do as part of the men's discipline,
00:21:30but I think pommel was always that one
00:21:32that kind of stood out to me.
00:21:34It was always the one that I enjoyed most.
00:21:36And funnily enough,
00:21:37it's one of the most common ones
00:21:38that most gymnasts dislike the most.
00:21:41So for me, that almost worked in my advantage.
00:21:43So I had to kind of use that
00:21:45and just carry on, keep trooping on,
00:21:47and try and basically master that craft
00:21:50over what I knew was going to be a very, very long journey.
00:21:53Do you think the way that artistry has come into it now
00:21:56has made it that much more exciting for people to watch?
00:22:00There's beauty there as well as athletic skill.
00:22:02Yeah, and I think that's the amazing thing about gymnastics.
00:22:05I think it's, you know,
00:22:06you're trying to push your body to this absolute limit,
00:22:09but be able to show that you can perform it with ease.
00:22:11And I think making sure that you can look like
00:22:14you're doing it without any struggle.
00:22:16Yeah, it's like ballet.
00:22:18Yeah, yeah.
00:22:18So having that element in it,
00:22:20but then having a unique element,
00:22:21trying to stand out to the judges
00:22:23in your own kind of unique way
00:22:25and trying to master that craft
00:22:28while doing something different and unique
00:22:30is almost then comes together to your performance.
00:22:33We see you for a minute,
00:22:34but we have an idea of what you've been doing
00:22:35the previous four years.
00:22:36Yeah, it's crazy.
00:22:38I feel like the journey to get to Olympic Games
00:22:43is that specific four years,
00:22:45but it goes far beyond it as well.
00:22:47I think starting as a junior at seven years old,
00:22:49going into the gym with just that pure enjoyment,
00:22:52love for the sport, loving every minute,
00:22:54just thriving off of the obsession
00:22:56of wanting to constantly just get better.
00:22:59But a huge satisfaction to confound those people
00:23:03who said you're never going to be good enough.
00:23:05Yeah.
00:23:06Why did they think you weren't going to be good enough?
00:23:09It can't have been your application
00:23:10because I can't believe that you were ever
00:23:12not that bothered about it.
00:23:14I mean, did they just think you'd not got
00:23:16the athletic kind of body ability really?
00:23:19You weren't the right shape or size or what?
00:23:21To be honest, I think there was a difference
00:23:23in the way I trained to quite a lot of gymnasts
00:23:26and I think as I got older,
00:23:28I think if you almost quickly looked at the way I trained
00:23:31and the way I warmed up before I get into competition,
00:23:35it looked like I'd never done gym before.
00:23:37So it was all scruffy, it was a mess,
00:23:39but it was the way that I could like feel the sport,
00:23:41feel the skills and kind of settle in
00:23:44and almost settle my nerves and just get into the motion,
00:23:47almost get into the skills that I was doing
00:23:49and not focus about anything else or what it looks like.
00:23:51Do it your way.
00:23:52My way and I think that almost didn't sit well at some times.
00:23:56So I remember going to qualifying for some competitions
00:23:59as I started to move up the ranks a little bit
00:24:02and then, yeah, people were seeing me for the first time
00:24:05and wondering why I was in the teams
00:24:07because I didn't look like a professional gymnast.
00:24:11I just looked like someone that's rocked up
00:24:12and just doing everything scruffy.
00:24:14So everything looked a mess and I think that's why
00:24:16because I'd done stuff differently.
00:24:17I had massive ambitions at the same time as that
00:24:23and people didn't believe that it was possible.
00:24:25Some of those ambitions hadn't been achieved before
00:24:28and from a young child to start saying,
00:24:32I want to try and achieve this,
00:24:34I think obviously the odds are slip.
00:24:37And they don't feel they can see that potential
00:24:39because of the way you're carrying yourself
00:24:40at that particular moment.
00:24:41So here you are, biggest, best champ Britain has ever had.
00:24:45You're 33, Paris was meant to be your swan song,
00:24:49that was it, but you didn't medal, you're fourth.
00:24:51Yeah.
00:24:52And so now you're going for the 2028 Olympics
00:24:56when you will be 35,
00:24:58which in almost any sport is pretty over the hill.
00:25:03I don't want to be discouraging it,
00:25:05but in gymnastics, wow.
00:25:07Yeah.
00:25:07Is it the fact that you would have liked to have gone out on a high
00:25:11and Paris wasn't?
00:25:12Is it this kind of driven bit?
00:25:16It really is.
00:25:18And I know it can be seen as a bit of a dangerous game to play.
00:25:21It's very dangerous, yeah.
00:25:23To finish on that kind of dream scenario.
00:25:26But I think in my head,
00:25:28I'm thinking it's definitely worth trying to not.
00:25:31How confident are you that you can do it?
00:25:32I've got more in the tank, I can definitely feel that.
00:25:35And one thing I know for sure is that now being back in
00:25:39and saying I'm back in, it feels amazing.
00:25:41It feels unbelievable to be a gymnast again.
00:25:43To be able to say that, I think it's part of me,
00:25:46it's what I know,
00:25:47and I'm aware that that's where my comfortable feeling is.
00:25:50And that will help drive you towards it.
00:25:52I mean, that's an important thing to feel, isn't it?
00:25:55Yeah.
00:25:55To aim for it, to feel not overconfident,
00:25:58but confident, I can do this.
00:25:59Yeah.
00:26:00And you alone know your body more than anybody does,
00:26:04and you'll think your body can do this.
00:26:05Completely.
00:26:06And don't get me wrong,
00:26:07I'm back in and my body's in pieces at the moment,
00:26:10so I've got aches and pains everywhere.
00:26:12But that's part of the sport.
00:26:13But I do feel like I've got more left in the tank,
00:26:15and I feel like I can push it.
00:26:16And I feel, like you said,
00:26:18it's almost that fire, that motivation that I have.
00:26:21The competitive side hasn't stopped.
00:26:23So I'm really excited to be back,
00:26:25but excited to kind of push it to the limits.
00:26:28I think that's what I want to see.
00:26:29From a young age, I've wanted to do the sport,
00:26:32and I've done the sport because I loved every second,
00:26:35loved every minute of it,
00:26:36but I wanted to carry on for as long as I possibly can.
00:26:39If I actually stopped after Paris,
00:26:41and stopped on the way that it ended,
00:26:43I feel like it left it open, it left it unfinished.
00:26:46And for the rest of your life,
00:26:47you'd be what-if-ing, wouldn't you?
00:26:48Exactly.
00:26:49Yeah.
00:26:49So it's worth it for me to take that risk,
00:26:53go back in, and just see where my limits are,
00:26:56and squeeze everything I can out of the sport.
00:26:59Let's go back 14 years, London 2012.
00:27:02Yeah, London 2012 was like a core memory.
00:27:06Like, it was an unbelievable time,
00:27:08and I think you take that back,
00:27:10and you just think that everybody remembers
00:27:12London 2012 Olympics.
00:27:13For us, it being a home games,
00:27:15and for everybody watching, it was incredible,
00:27:18but for athletes, like that rare occasion
00:27:21for that to come round,
00:27:22and for me to be the right age,
00:27:24the right time,
00:27:25and to make my first Olympics at home games,
00:27:27I feel so fortunate for that,
00:27:29to be in there, the crowd.
00:27:31That's how I...
00:27:31It was amazing.
00:27:33Tell me about the code of points,
00:27:35because there's another thing you're aiming for here.
00:27:37Yeah.
00:27:37Code of points is this...
00:27:39The Book of Gymnastics.
00:27:42And certain moves and manoeuvres
00:27:44are named after people.
00:27:46There is not yet a Whitlock,
00:27:49and is that eating away at you a bit?
00:27:51It is a little bit, and I feel bad.
00:27:53I've been asked in many interviews
00:27:55after competitions before,
00:27:56like, when's the Whitlock coming,
00:27:58and I've almost, like, teed it up
00:28:00and teased it a little bit,
00:28:01but it's never become a reality.
00:28:03Is it in preparation?
00:28:04It is, yeah.
00:28:05So, in this kind of three years,
00:28:09which is getting close to two and a half years back,
00:28:12you know, on that journey to LA,
00:28:13I really hope that I can also tick off
00:28:15that kind of new skill,
00:28:18my own skill,
00:28:18to leave something behind
00:28:20that I could see kind of next generations,
00:28:21the younger generations trying...
00:28:23The Fosbury flop of yore.
00:28:24Exactly.
00:28:25Exactly.
00:28:26Well, you've got stuff in place, as it were,
00:28:29to do when you do eventually retire
00:28:32from competitive gymnastics.
00:28:33You've got the Max Whitlock's gymnastics
00:28:36you're doing in primary schools.
00:28:38Yes.
00:28:38Because Leah, your wife, was a gymnast.
00:28:40You've got Willow now,
00:28:41who's now seven this February.
00:28:43Seven.
00:28:43So, is she into it?
00:28:45Are you...
00:28:45She loves it.
00:28:46Yeah.
00:28:47She loves it.
00:28:48She's a really busy little girl, actually.
00:28:51She does so many different sports.
00:28:53Her week is absolutely jam-packed,
00:28:55but she loves every minute of every sport she does.
00:28:58And I think, yeah, I love her doing gymnastics
00:29:02because I feel it's truly one of the best starting sports.
00:29:06And that's what I want to encourage.
00:29:07I want to encourage children to start with gymnastics
00:29:09or have it there.
00:29:11But even if it's just once a week,
00:29:12a few hours a week,
00:29:14because it just sets children up.
00:29:16I've seen it so many times
00:29:17where they can then go into another sport
00:29:20or continue it,
00:29:21but they almost just get a bit of a platform,
00:29:23a bit of a help
00:29:24that just teaches their body,
00:29:25teaches them so many skills that are so valuable.
00:29:27Well, we've got a shot of some film of you and Willow
00:29:32practising together.
00:29:33Here you are.
00:29:34This is Dad with Daughter.
00:29:45Yeah, back when she was really young.
00:29:47One day, I mean, this is...
00:29:48I'm going to show this is...
00:29:49I don't think people realise how heavy they are, Max.
00:29:51This is so heavy.
00:29:53This is your Tokyo gold.
00:29:55It is such a treat for any human being.
00:29:57I will not put it around my neck
00:29:58because I haven't earned it.
00:29:59But there we are.
00:30:00Tokyo 2020.
00:30:02You feel you've won something
00:30:03when it's that heavy, don't you, really?
00:30:05I mean, yeah,
00:30:06it's definitely a medal
00:30:07that you could feel proud of.
00:30:08That's what you'd want an Olympic medal to look like.
00:30:10So that's my favourite one
00:30:12in terms of design,
00:30:13in terms of the quality.
00:30:15Beautiful.
00:30:15The meaning behind it,
00:30:16Tokyo was an unbelievable experience,
00:30:18but to come away with that
00:30:19was incredible, yeah.
00:30:21Family support, I guess,
00:30:23must be huge.
00:30:24And not only the pride,
00:30:25which, of course, you've done me to,
00:30:26but, I mean, very proud.
00:30:28You're also incredibly supportive.
00:30:29I mean, you don't get to where you've got
00:30:31without that backup, do you?
00:30:33Yeah, couldn't agree more.
00:30:35I think there's definitely been times
00:30:37in that kind of 25-year career so far
00:30:39that it's been a bit rocky.
00:30:42How do you cope with the downs?
00:30:43How do you get out of it?
00:30:44It's family.
00:30:46Family, the people close to me,
00:30:48the times where I felt that
00:30:49I wasn't really good enough
00:30:50when I was starting to compare
00:30:52to other gymnasts
00:30:54and I almost didn't see age
00:30:55as anything that was relevant.
00:30:58I almost just looked and thought,
00:30:59they're who I've got to compare to
00:31:01and I'm nowhere near that level yet.
00:31:03And it was family.
00:31:04It was people close to me
00:31:05and my family, my coach,
00:31:07who helped me kind of get through that,
00:31:08kind of build your confidence back up.
00:31:10But almost just act as your real support,
00:31:13that kind of safety net.
00:31:14And I think that's what you need
00:31:15when you're going through those rough patches.
00:31:17I look back now and I think it's crazy,
00:31:20but when you're younger,
00:31:21you just keep going with the flow
00:31:22and don't think too much.
00:31:24But my mum used to pick me up
00:31:26at 12 o'clock from school.
00:31:27I used to get to gym for 1 o'clock,
00:31:29train till 8 o'clock
00:31:31and she used to wait for me that whole time.
00:31:33And then I used to drive home,
00:31:35get home at nine
00:31:36and do the same the next day.
00:31:38This is your mum's medal, isn't it?
00:31:39Completely.
00:31:40Completely.
00:31:41But it's that family support that,
00:31:43like I said,
00:31:44you almost just,
00:31:45you keep moving forwards
00:31:46and my mum never complained,
00:31:48never said anything.
00:31:49We always just worked as a team,
00:31:51as a family.
00:31:51And yeah, 100% that medal.
00:31:53But you were never pressured
00:31:54by your parents to do it.
00:31:56It was always from underneath.
00:31:57It was support rather than pressure.
00:32:00Yeah.
00:32:00And I think that's like
00:32:01almost like a really important factor
00:32:03that played such a huge role
00:32:06because I never felt any pressure whatsoever.
00:32:09I was always doing it
00:32:11because I liked going into train.
00:32:13Yeah.
00:32:14And when it comes back
00:32:15and when it's that simple,
00:32:16it becomes easy to go in.
00:32:18So it doesn't really feel like
00:32:20I'm sacrificing much.
00:32:21It feels like actually
00:32:23I'm just going to do what I want to do.
00:32:24Yeah.
00:32:24And the people around me
00:32:25are not only supporting it,
00:32:27but allowing me to have those opportunities
00:32:29to go and do that.
00:32:30And yeah,
00:32:31I'm massively grateful for that.
00:32:33Well, we shall keep supporting you
00:32:35like anything
00:32:36right the way through
00:32:37to LA in 2028.
00:32:40The very best of luck.
00:32:41Thanks for coming
00:32:42and sharing your experiences
00:32:43and your medal.
00:32:44It's a lovely to have you with us.
00:32:45Thank you for having me on.
00:32:46Pleasure.
00:32:46Pleasure.
00:32:47Coming up,
00:32:47it's not only the livestock
00:32:49that love grazing.
00:32:50Jonathan Pang whips out
00:32:51a smorgasbord of sumptuous snacks
00:32:53and the tipples to twin with them
00:32:55in this week's Best of British.
00:32:57And I'm feeling quite zen.
00:32:59Garden designer Chris Hull
00:33:00on the plants
00:33:01that not only look beautiful,
00:33:02but also carry deep cultural meanings
00:33:04for good luck,
00:33:05health and prosperity.
00:33:07Chinese New Year
00:33:08comes to Manor Farm
00:33:09right after this.
00:33:23Welcome back to a breezy Manor Farm.
00:33:27Now, February
00:33:28has long held cultural significance
00:33:31as a month with
00:33:32high stakes
00:33:33across the rural parts
00:33:35of the UK.
00:33:35In days gone by,
00:33:37stored feed had to last.
00:33:39Livestock
00:33:40had to come through
00:33:41and farmers judged
00:33:43the coming year
00:33:44by how February behaved.
00:33:46A dry February
00:33:47was once taken
00:33:48as a sign
00:33:49of a good harvest ahead.
00:33:50A wet one,
00:33:51a warning.
00:33:53Thankfully,
00:33:53the signs are positive
00:33:55for what's to come
00:33:56on today's show.
00:33:57described as an emotional,
00:33:59honest and gutsy memoir.
00:34:00Penny Lancaster opens up
00:34:02about her childhood,
00:34:04marriage to Rod Stewart
00:34:05and her role
00:34:06as a special constable
00:34:08in her fascinating
00:34:09and candid autobiography.
00:34:11Plus,
00:34:12they say,
00:34:13a photo is worth
00:34:14a thousand words.
00:34:15Well,
00:34:15that's certainly true
00:34:16of some of these pictures.
00:34:17magnificent,
00:34:19breathtaking
00:34:20and surprising.
00:34:21There were more than
00:34:2260,000 entries
00:34:24from 95 countries
00:34:26for this year's
00:34:27Wildlife Photographer
00:34:28of the Year competition.
00:34:29But first,
00:34:30it's time
00:34:31for your
00:34:31voice of nature.
00:34:33Today,
00:34:33it's the turn
00:34:34of Carol Drinkwater
00:34:35and leisure
00:34:37by W.H. Davies.
00:34:46What is this life
00:34:48if full of care
00:34:50we have no time
00:34:52to stand
00:34:54and stare?
00:34:56No time
00:34:57to stand
00:34:57beneath the boughs
00:34:58and stare
00:35:00as long as
00:35:01sheeps
00:35:01and cows.
00:35:03No time
00:35:04to see
00:35:05when woods
00:35:06we pass
00:35:07where squirrels
00:35:08hide their nuts
00:35:09in grass.
00:35:10No time
00:35:11to see
00:35:12in broad
00:35:13daylight
00:35:13streams
00:35:14full of stars
00:35:17like skies
00:35:18at night.
00:35:20No time
00:35:21to turn
00:35:22at beauty's glance
00:35:24and watch
00:35:25her feet
00:35:25how they can
00:35:27dance.
00:35:28No time
00:35:29to wait
00:35:30till her mouth
00:35:31can enrich
00:35:31that smile
00:35:32her eyes
00:35:34began.
00:35:35A poor life
00:35:37this
00:35:37if full
00:35:38of care
00:35:39we have
00:35:41no time
00:35:42to stand
00:35:44and stare.
00:35:54the importance
00:35:55of slowing
00:35:56down
00:35:57in our busy
00:35:58modern lives
00:35:58to appreciate
00:35:59the simple
00:36:00beauties of
00:36:01nature
00:36:02a passing
00:36:03shower
00:36:04and the world
00:36:05itself.
00:36:06Thank you Carol
00:36:06that was lovely.
00:36:07Now as we welcome
00:36:08the Chinese New Year
00:36:09on Tuesday
00:36:10it's the perfect
00:36:11time to celebrate
00:36:12a new year
00:36:12of growth
00:36:13and it may
00:36:13surprise you to know
00:36:14just how many
00:36:15of the garden
00:36:16plants across
00:36:17the United Kingdom
00:36:17hail originally
00:36:19from China
00:36:19from the robust
00:36:21rhododendron
00:36:21to elegant
00:36:23wisteria
00:36:23to lush
00:36:24peonies
00:36:25famous plant
00:36:26hunter
00:36:26Ernest Chinese
00:36:28Wilson
00:36:29alone
00:36:30introduced over a
00:36:31thousand different
00:36:32Chinese plants
00:36:33to this country
00:36:34here to champion
00:36:35the Chinese plants
00:36:36that should do it
00:36:37for your garden
00:36:38horticulturist
00:36:39Chris Hull
00:36:39welcome Chris
00:36:40and he's a hero
00:36:41to we gardens
00:36:42isn't he
00:36:42Ernest Wilson
00:36:43unbelievable isn't he
00:36:44him and George
00:36:45Forrest
00:36:46yeah
00:36:46and I think
00:36:48Ernest Wilson's
00:36:49done over a thousand
00:36:49but I think there's
00:36:50about 10,000 plants
00:36:51that have been brought
00:36:52from China
00:36:52and introduced
00:36:53into the West
00:36:54and that was really
00:36:55early part of the
00:36:5520th century
00:36:57that's when stuff
00:36:58was coming over here
00:36:59in its hundreds
00:36:59imagine the excitement
00:37:01of seeing these plants
00:37:03for the first time
00:37:04never seen them before
00:37:05well I think
00:37:05if I was around then
00:37:06obviously you can't
00:37:07quite do that now
00:37:08but if I was around then
00:37:09that would have been
00:37:09a bit of me
00:37:10I would have been
00:37:10over there exploring
00:37:11over there plant collecting
00:37:12yeah
00:37:12and a lot of the stuff
00:37:13that we grow
00:37:14is perfectly hard to hear
00:37:15because it's in parts
00:37:15of China
00:37:16which is equally cold
00:37:18equally chilly
00:37:18equally wet
00:37:19things like this
00:37:19prunus cerula
00:37:21the wonderful
00:37:22peeling coppery bark
00:37:23on that
00:37:24exactly
00:37:24and obviously
00:37:25it does have the flowers
00:37:26but they're not the
00:37:27showy part of this one
00:37:28are they
00:37:28it is all about that
00:37:29and it's the joy
00:37:30of winter isn't it
00:37:31because in fact
00:37:32it gets more coppery
00:37:34than that doesn't it
00:37:35that one's actually
00:37:35quite dark
00:37:36yeah
00:37:36but it really does
00:37:37glow coppery
00:37:38once they mature as well
00:37:39if you've got a standard
00:37:41with a really thick stem
00:37:42as well
00:37:42and it's just
00:37:43it's so smooth
00:37:44and shiny
00:37:44you just want to go
00:37:45touch it
00:37:45go out and wash it
00:37:46wash the green slime off
00:37:48is that what you do
00:37:49and then it peels a bit
00:37:51you know
00:37:51and it's much brighter
00:37:52then we've got
00:37:53well bamboo
00:37:53you know
00:37:54that's synonymous
00:37:55with china
00:37:55isn't it really
00:37:56now this is
00:37:56phylostachis nigra
00:37:57the black bamboo
00:37:59which I really like
00:38:00obviously for its dark stems
00:38:01and they show up
00:38:02really well
00:38:02against the foliage
00:38:03but you know
00:38:04the one thing you've got
00:38:05to watch with bamboo
00:38:06especially phylostachis
00:38:07is that they will run around
00:38:08and there's a bit of a misconception
00:38:10that this black bamboo
00:38:12is a clumper
00:38:13I often hear people saying that
00:38:14but it's not
00:38:14it's just slightly less vigorous
00:38:16it's a bit slower in moving
00:38:18yeah
00:38:18it doesn't get quite as far as china
00:38:20but it'll go across your lawn
00:38:21yeah
00:38:22some of them will
00:38:22but it is a lovely contrast
00:38:24between the green leaf
00:38:25and the really really dark cane
00:38:27and if you want a little trick
00:38:29what you can do
00:38:29you get down low
00:38:30and cut out all that foliage
00:38:32can't you
00:38:33and then you really show them off
00:38:34oh and then this
00:38:35the witch hazel
00:38:36I mean he's another cracker
00:38:37everybody has to love this
00:38:39because it's bringing you
00:38:40the beautiful flowers
00:38:41at this time of year
00:38:41when you know
00:38:42there's not necessarily
00:38:43loads of things out
00:38:44in February
00:38:45but it's beautiful
00:38:47you get the multi-stem habit
00:38:49and you know
00:38:50you do get the scent
00:38:51spidery flowers
00:38:51well either bright yellow
00:38:52which really sing out
00:38:54in dull weather
00:38:54rather better
00:38:55this is gelina I think
00:38:56isn't it
00:38:57this variety
00:38:57yes
00:38:57do you know my trick
00:38:59for getting the scent off it
00:39:00go on then
00:39:01well you haven't got to be
00:39:01eating garlic
00:39:02but you go
00:39:06then you get
00:39:06it's because your breath
00:39:07warms up the flower
00:39:08and you kind of end up
00:39:09this is
00:39:10this is a new trick
00:39:11isn't it
00:39:12have you not
00:39:12no
00:39:12see
00:39:14there you go
00:39:15it works
00:39:16you may mock
00:39:18and then now
00:39:19on to one of my favourites
00:39:21this is the
00:39:23Trachycarpus
00:39:24Fortunii
00:39:25the Chuzan palm
00:39:26I love this
00:39:27because it's one of those plants
00:39:28you wouldn't necessarily
00:39:28think it's from China
00:39:29but it's so hardy
00:39:31in our climate
00:39:31it's the best palm
00:39:32that anybody can grow
00:39:33and you get so much
00:39:34structure out of it
00:39:35well obviously you can do it
00:39:36in an enormous pot
00:39:37like that one
00:39:37do it in a big pot
00:39:38yeah
00:39:38yeah you can
00:39:39don't have to plant it
00:39:40in the garden
00:39:40they're brilliant
00:39:41and yeah I just think
00:39:43they work really well
00:39:44with lots of these plants
00:39:45we've got
00:39:45they're quite fast growing
00:39:46as well
00:39:46there's a name drop
00:39:47coming up
00:39:48forgive the name drop
00:39:48coming up
00:39:49go on
00:39:49but in the early 2000s
00:39:51I planted one
00:39:52with Her Majesty the Queen
00:39:53on the Isle of Wight
00:39:54in the garden
00:39:54at Osborne
00:39:55and it was about that big
00:39:56I've got a photograph
00:39:57of us planting it
00:39:57and now
00:39:59it's way up there
00:39:59and I go back
00:40:00I'll give it a nod
00:40:01if you're going to name drop
00:40:02that's how you want to name drop
00:40:04isn't it
00:40:04you've done well then
00:40:05reminder of a happy day
00:40:06so Mahonias here then
00:40:08now Mahonias
00:40:09and we've got a few different ones here
00:40:11my favourite Mahonia
00:40:13which is a sort of a new one
00:40:14is this Mahonia soft caress
00:40:16in the front
00:40:16which isn't spiky
00:40:17it isn't spiky
00:40:19so gardeners like it more
00:40:20but it's just got a much more delicate foliage
00:40:23it's really nice
00:40:24the flowers are finishing up
00:40:25we get these wonderful
00:40:26bright yellow cockades
00:40:27out the top
00:40:28they are
00:40:29they're amazing
00:40:29even if you
00:40:30you know when you cut them
00:40:30don't you
00:40:31then the stems are even bright yellow
00:40:32aren't they
00:40:33yeah
00:40:33yeah
00:40:33they sap inside
00:40:34and of course
00:40:35when they start to get too tall
00:40:36hack them back
00:40:37round about February-March
00:40:38and they'll branch out
00:40:39from below
00:40:40they go away
00:40:41don't be frightened of it
00:40:41now
00:40:42on to some of these
00:40:43smaller beauties
00:40:44I quite like winter
00:40:45because you do actually
00:40:46get a lot of scented flowers
00:40:47don't you
00:40:48and we've got a really nice mix here
00:40:50the Sarka Koka
00:40:51is a classic
00:40:52this
00:40:52the Christmas box
00:40:53I mean it's a bit late for Christmas
00:40:54but you can see the whiskery flowers
00:40:56and the fragrance
00:40:57you're about three feet past
00:40:59aren't you
00:40:59when you go
00:40:59yeah
00:41:00what's that
00:41:01there it is
00:41:01and they grow
00:41:02you know
00:41:02they can grow quite big
00:41:03and obviously because they're evergreen
00:41:05you're just getting
00:41:05you're getting something all year round
00:41:07with the flowers as well
00:41:07and then on to
00:41:09the winter honeysuckle
00:41:10winter honeysuckle
00:41:11again a glorious scent
00:41:13oh that's beautifully sweet
00:41:15that isn't it
00:41:16yeah
00:41:16now it does look
00:41:18a little bit spindly right now
00:41:19but it is worth it
00:41:20for the scent
00:41:21it's a good back of the border plant
00:41:22isn't it really
00:41:23it's just it's green leaves
00:41:24it's not particularly exciting
00:41:26when it's out of flower
00:41:27in leaf
00:41:28but it does make a good background
00:41:29and then in winter
00:41:30as soon as you get that
00:41:31if you have it near your door
00:41:32somewhere where you're going in
00:41:33and out the house
00:41:34even in winter
00:41:34beautiful
00:41:35that's where you want that
00:41:35look at your Daphne
00:41:36it's a good one isn't it
00:41:38which one's that
00:41:38very stripy
00:41:39so it's a Daphne Adora
00:41:41Mariani
00:41:43and it's got
00:41:44obviously the variegated foliage
00:41:45beautiful flowers
00:41:46fabulous
00:41:47again hugely fragrant flowers
00:41:50have a sniff of that
00:41:52wonderful stripe
00:41:52there are a few variegated Daphne
00:41:54but none quite as bright
00:41:55as that other
00:41:57Mariani
00:41:57I should remember
00:41:58and obviously this will grow
00:42:00in size
00:42:00and form a big mound
00:42:01and once it's really
00:42:02covered in flowers
00:42:02it's a dream
00:42:04yeah gorgeous
00:42:04little Nandina there
00:42:06yeah Nandinas are great
00:42:07aren't they
00:42:08and a lot of these plants
00:42:08they really fit well together
00:42:10you can sort of imagine
00:42:11these all in the back
00:42:12of the border
00:42:13and Nandinas will get
00:42:14quite tall obviously
00:42:15won't they
00:42:15but they get that colour
00:42:16as well
00:42:17it does change
00:42:18through the seasons
00:42:18really rich reds
00:42:19and they're little white flowers
00:42:20followed by the berries
00:42:21heavenly bamboo
00:42:22that's what it's called
00:42:23isn't it
00:42:24that's right
00:42:24it's a beautiful one
00:42:25while talking black stems
00:42:27over there
00:42:27you've got little black leaves
00:42:28on this one here
00:42:29so the Ophiophagin
00:42:30they're a great grass
00:42:31I've always had
00:42:32a sort of love-hate
00:42:34relationship with these
00:42:35I know
00:42:36they sort of
00:42:37they make a sort of
00:42:38thickish rug
00:42:39on the ground
00:42:39but they are
00:42:40the colour of wet soil
00:42:42really
00:42:42so they
00:42:44oh yes
00:42:45lovely
00:42:46you're useful
00:42:46because you're covering
00:42:47the ground
00:42:48they work in the right scheme
00:42:49with the right plants
00:42:50perhaps in a
00:42:51contrasting coloured container
00:42:52yes
00:42:53is when you get a bit of
00:42:54and with some
00:42:54more zingy green
00:42:55foliage against it
00:42:56so it stands out
00:42:57that works
00:42:58but they are quite
00:42:58slow growing
00:42:59so you need to plant
00:42:59a lot of them
00:43:00to get that effect
00:43:01I mean such a tiny plant
00:43:02for a name like
00:43:02Ophiophagin
00:43:03planiscapis nigressens
00:43:04it's not fair is it
00:43:06savouring that
00:43:07with that
00:43:07with that
00:43:08but
00:43:09look at this
00:43:11glorious camellias here
00:43:12so camellias
00:43:13and rhododendrons
00:43:14become a staple
00:43:15in our gardens
00:43:16haven't they
00:43:16especially if you've got
00:43:17some acid soil
00:43:18but hailing from China
00:43:21well and all across Asia
00:43:22actually
00:43:23but this
00:43:23yeah this is a
00:43:24camellia japonica
00:43:25and japonica means
00:43:26Japan
00:43:27but actually
00:43:27that's just where
00:43:28it was found at the time
00:43:29but they do range
00:43:30all the way into China
00:43:31as well
00:43:31and the williamsii varieties
00:43:33are quite good
00:43:34because although the japonicas
00:43:35when they fade
00:43:36they tend not to shed
00:43:37their blooms
00:43:37the williamsii camellias
00:43:39which is
00:43:39we've got one down there
00:43:40down there
00:43:41there's a lovely pink one
00:43:42when those flowers fade
00:43:43they drop
00:43:44and they'll tidy up
00:43:45the bush for you really
00:43:46exactly
00:43:47I'm glad you're putting that down
00:43:48I'll put mine down
00:43:48just for solidarity
00:43:50it seems to be slackening off
00:43:51in honour of the Chinese New Year
00:43:53we've got this beautiful
00:43:53Chinese pot
00:43:54so I thought
00:43:55why not
00:43:56plant this one up
00:43:57and put those around it
00:43:59some around the base
00:44:00because that's the best thing
00:44:01actually for them
00:44:02is somewhere
00:44:02they can hang out
00:44:03over the edges a bit
00:44:04and it just softens up
00:44:05the edge of the pot
00:44:07now
00:44:08yeah this is
00:44:09the only way I can grow camellias
00:44:10in the current garden
00:44:11I'm moving to acid soil
00:44:12which is lovely
00:44:13because I can then plant them
00:44:13in the ground
00:44:14but at the moment
00:44:15on chalk
00:44:15I just have to grow
00:44:16rhododendrons and azaleas
00:44:18if I want them
00:44:19in tubs
00:44:19of pericaceous
00:44:21lime free compost
00:44:22I love these pots
00:44:24you get some really big ones
00:44:25as well
00:44:25so you could have something
00:44:26you know like
00:44:27the pruna cerula
00:44:29if you've got a massive one
00:44:30you can have that
00:44:30coming out the pot
00:44:31with loads of things
00:44:32spilling out over the edges
00:44:33but what a wonderful object lesson
00:44:34here
00:44:35in what we owe
00:44:36to China
00:44:37and the Chinese plant collectors
00:44:38like Wilson
00:44:39and Forrest and Co
00:44:40and Roy Lancaster
00:44:41who's still with us
00:44:42and Roy collected out there
00:44:43one of our great plant collectors
00:44:45and the reason we go
00:44:46and collect plants
00:44:46is to propagate them
00:44:48and spread them even further
00:44:49all part of a big
00:44:50conservation movement
00:44:51so it's not going
00:44:52and stealing things
00:44:53it's going
00:44:54taking
00:44:55borrowing a bit
00:44:56and making sure it goes out
00:44:57they always say
00:44:57if you want a plant to survive
00:44:59give it away
00:45:00exactly
00:45:00because then when yours dies
00:45:01you can go and get one
00:45:02from somebody else
00:45:03that's true
00:45:04so there we are
00:45:05you know now
00:45:07we know now
00:45:07a few more plants
00:45:08from China
00:45:09to be grateful
00:45:10for the variety
00:45:12of flora in the world
00:45:14and thanks very much Chris
00:45:15for bringing them all
00:45:15to our attention
00:45:16I'll fight you
00:45:17I'll fight you for the witch
00:45:17Hazel
00:45:18all right
00:45:18let's go and get it
00:45:25it's one of the oldest
00:45:26team sports in the world
00:45:28with a history stretching back
00:45:30more than 2,000 years
00:45:31polo has long been known
00:45:34as the sport of kings
00:45:35and since arriving on our shores
00:45:37has embedded itself
00:45:38in British rural life
00:45:40becoming synonymous
00:45:41with tradition
00:45:42royalty
00:45:43and elite competition
00:45:44among its fans
00:45:46are some of the best known
00:45:47people on the planet
00:45:48Bing Crosby
00:45:49Walt Disney
00:45:50and of course
00:45:51King Charles
00:45:52another big fan
00:45:53is friend of the show
00:45:55and skilled farrier
00:45:56Sam Dracot
00:45:57recently
00:45:58he swapped
00:45:59horseshoe hammers
00:46:00for mallets
00:46:02to stage
00:46:02a charity polo event
00:46:04we just couldn't miss
00:46:24so I'm Sam Dracot
00:46:25UK registered farrier
00:46:26and I am at Ash Farm
00:46:28to be hosting my first ever
00:46:29charity polo match
00:46:30for Red Wings
00:46:31which is a charity
00:46:32that gives horses
00:46:33a second chance
00:46:34and educates people
00:46:35on how to look after
00:46:36their horses
00:46:37I love playing polo
00:46:38I love watching it
00:46:39and I just think it's
00:46:40a fantastic game
00:46:41for people to watch
00:46:42and get involved in
00:46:431, 2
00:46:46I first found polo
00:46:47and fell in love with it
00:46:49literally the day
00:46:50I played
00:46:51on my second week
00:46:52of university
00:46:53wow
00:46:54what a sport
00:46:59this kind of event
00:47:00makes it all
00:47:01accessible for everyone
00:47:02it's got people
00:47:03probably never seeing
00:47:04polo before
00:47:05that's it
00:47:06there we go
00:47:06have a look at the back
00:47:07I've always loved horses
00:47:08I have been riding
00:47:10probably from the age
00:47:11of about 6
00:47:11however I have not
00:47:12stepped foot on a horse
00:47:14for a good year and a half
00:47:15and this is my first time
00:47:16playing polo
00:47:18okay
00:47:18back there
00:47:20and through
00:47:21today I'm here to
00:47:23teach the
00:47:24infants and celebrities
00:47:25how to play polo
00:47:26some of them have had
00:47:27had a go before
00:47:28some of them haven't
00:47:29she has never picked up
00:47:31a stick before in her life
00:47:32so that's going to be
00:47:32a bit difficult for her
00:47:34today but when I go for
00:47:35a lesson earlier
00:47:35she did really well
00:47:37that's it there we go
00:47:38I'm not going to lie
00:47:39I'm very nervous
00:47:40I'm out of my comfort zone
00:47:41I mean it's difficult
00:47:42when I'm on my feet
00:47:44I think it's going to be a lot
00:47:45more harder on a horse
00:47:48as long as I keep my balance
00:47:49and I keep in the saddle
00:47:51then we'll just have to go there
00:47:56I've yet to touch a ball
00:47:57the set up today is
00:47:59we have an arena
00:48:00which is 100 metres by 50 metres
00:48:02and it's a sand surface
00:48:04the teams are made up of
00:48:06beginners, intermediates
00:48:08and professionals
00:48:09so each team has a professional
00:48:11on there to help the ball
00:48:13move around a little bit more
00:48:16I'm just hoping that my
00:48:17professional player on my team
00:48:19is going to take most of the heat
00:48:22to explain polo
00:48:24I think to someone
00:48:25that has never played it
00:48:26or never even seen it
00:48:27it's the skill of golf
00:48:29and the hand eye
00:48:29but the aggressivity of rugby
00:48:31and it is a team sport
00:48:36so if anyone has managed
00:48:37to swing a golf club
00:48:39at a little golf ball
00:48:40imagine doing that
00:48:41on a horse that's moving
00:48:42with a mallet that is
00:48:44probably one and a half times
00:48:45the length of the golf club
00:48:46and people don't know
00:48:48you can use the front of the mallet
00:48:49and the back of the mallet
00:48:50it's not like croquet
00:48:51you spin it around 90 degrees
00:48:52and you have to hit it
00:48:55so all the rules are there
00:48:56for safety basically
00:48:57every time a ball is hit
00:48:59an imaginary line is created
00:49:00and you mustn't cross that line
00:49:02it's a little bit like a road
00:49:03yeah lots of people don't understand
00:49:04it's a contact sport
00:49:05you are using your shoulder
00:49:07of your horse
00:49:08to barge into the other horse
00:49:09to get them off this imaginary line
00:49:12a few skills that you need
00:49:13to be a mediocre polo player
00:49:15like myself
00:49:16it's all about balance
00:49:18but that 500 kilo horse
00:49:20underneath your legs
00:49:21is your machine
00:49:22and you've got to be at one with it
00:49:26yeah I love coming here
00:49:28mentally it's good
00:49:29you get to actually enjoy the horses
00:49:30because at the end of the day
00:49:32I'm the farrier
00:49:33and I'm learning
00:49:34more and more
00:49:34the more you ride
00:49:35the better you can sort of
00:49:36transfer that into your farrier work
00:49:37and how you need to tweak the feet
00:49:38to get the best out of them
00:49:39it's an amazing experience
00:49:40it's definitely an adrenaline rush
00:49:43I was terrified
00:49:44I don't think I touched the ball once
00:49:47it's harder than it looks
00:49:49I had a good day
00:49:50I loved every second of it
00:49:51unfortunately
00:49:52we didn't win as a team
00:49:53but you know
00:49:54I was out there
00:49:55and the action hit the ball
00:49:55so I'm happy with that
00:49:56yes it's a team effort
00:49:58but I will take the win
00:50:00I did score the winning goal
00:50:02but humility
00:50:03is what my father taught me
00:50:04so I'm calm about it
00:50:09oh thank you Sam
00:50:11what an event
00:50:11wonderful
00:50:12it's a very spectacular polo
00:50:14coming up
00:50:15and proving that the world
00:50:16truly is full of wonder
00:50:18we'll be taking a look
00:50:19at some of the outstanding entrants
00:50:21from the 2025
00:50:23prestigious wildlife photographer
00:50:25of the year
00:50:26I'll see you with those winning pics
00:50:28right up to this
00:50:43welcome back to Love Your Weekend
00:50:45coming up from modelling and photography
00:50:48to life in the spotlight
00:50:49alongside one of music's biggest stars
00:50:52Penny Lancaster
00:50:53has quite the story to tell
00:50:54and she's sharing it all
00:50:56in a new autobiography
00:50:57to someone like me
00:50:58but first
00:51:00for 60 years
00:51:01the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition
00:51:03held by the Natural History Museum
00:51:05has been wowing us
00:51:07with stunning images
00:51:08of all creatures
00:51:09great and small
00:51:10last year
00:51:11the competition
00:51:11attracted more than
00:51:1260,000 entries
00:51:14from professional
00:51:15and amateur photographers
00:51:17across 95 countries
00:51:19we're lucky enough
00:51:20to have some of the winning photographs
00:51:22in our barn today
00:51:23alongside the judge
00:51:24Andy Parkinson
00:51:25and photographers
00:51:27who contributed
00:51:28to the exhibition
00:51:29and even got prizes
00:51:30Amy Jones
00:51:31and Khutab Uddin
00:51:32very warm welcome
00:51:33to all three of you
00:51:3460 years
00:51:35long time Andy
00:51:36it's been going on
00:51:37and 60,000 images
00:51:38a lot of images
00:51:39but I was one of seven judges
00:51:41so between us
00:51:42once we had the images
00:51:43at home on a hard drive
00:51:44we came to the Natural History Museum
00:51:46for five days
00:51:47and we had condensed it down
00:51:49to 6,000
00:51:50so we had five days
00:51:52of arguing
00:51:53about 6,000 images
00:51:54I love a short list
00:51:55of 6,000
00:51:56it must be daunting
00:51:57Amy
00:51:58when you enter it
00:51:59thinking
00:51:59I'll never get anywhere
00:52:01is that the case
00:52:02100%
00:52:04but it is
00:52:05you know
00:52:05such an incredible competition
00:52:06because so many people
00:52:07get to see your images
00:52:08and as photographers
00:52:10that's what we want
00:52:10isn't it
00:52:10we want to show people
00:52:11what we've produced
00:52:13and Khutab
00:52:14from Bangladesh
00:52:15so it obviously
00:52:16reaches far and wide
00:52:18as I said
00:52:1895 countries
00:52:19so
00:52:20have you been taking
00:52:21photographs of
00:52:22well now
00:52:22let's look at yours first
00:52:23we've got this here
00:52:24not many people say
00:52:25right
00:52:25I'm going to photograph
00:52:26slime moulds
00:52:28but
00:52:29they're wonderful
00:52:30eye openers
00:52:31aren't they
00:52:32because we then
00:52:32see these things
00:52:33so that's obviously
00:52:34on a macro lens
00:52:35is it
00:52:36on a magnifying lens
00:52:37yeah
00:52:37it's a high magnification lens
00:52:39so the lens I use
00:52:40is a 1x to 5x
00:52:42magnification lens
00:52:43five times
00:52:44they are only
00:52:451.5mm each
00:52:46so it's very tiny
00:52:47yeah
00:52:48you'd think it was
00:52:49more than five times
00:52:50you'd get that big
00:52:50wouldn't you
00:52:51I think it
00:52:51what I love about it
00:52:52is this is the
00:52:53the beauty of what's
00:52:54hidden on the forest floor
00:52:55when we walk through the forest
00:52:57this is what's beneath our feet
00:52:59and so many people don't see it
00:53:00and that's why it's such
00:53:01an extraordinary image
00:53:02now does that
00:53:03come into your judging
00:53:04thinking this is a real eye opener
00:53:06of this particular
00:53:07facet of nature
00:53:08for instance
00:53:08I think with this image
00:53:10there was
00:53:10there was technical aspects
00:53:11there's the jaw-dropping beauty of it
00:53:13it's the unseen world
00:53:15and it's also a unique style of photography
00:53:17cut of actually
00:53:19this is actually
00:53:2094 individual images
00:53:22together
00:53:23because when you take picture of the high magnifications
00:53:25the depth of field becomes very shallow
00:53:28so it's impossible to keep all subject in focus
00:53:31in a single shot
00:53:32so you're taking
00:53:33different depths of field
00:53:35and adding them all together
00:53:36together in software
00:53:37now this is your winning photograph
00:53:40yeah
00:53:41so who's it by
00:53:42and what's it of
00:53:43this is by a South African photographer
00:53:44excuse the pronunciation
00:53:46but it's Wim van den Heffer
00:53:48he's a phenomenal photographer
00:53:50and it's taken in I believe
00:53:51Coleman's Cop
00:53:52which is a deserted gold mining town
00:53:54in Namibia
00:53:56and there's an incredible amount of research
00:53:58went into this image
00:53:58he was visiting this site
00:54:00I believe for about six months
00:54:01he was speaking to the security guards
00:54:03that said he'd seen footprints of a brown hyena
00:54:06so he set up this remote camera trap
00:54:07and as is so often the case with wildlife photography
00:54:11you can have all of the endeavour
00:54:12all of the skill
00:54:13invest all of the time
00:54:14but you need the magic of luck
00:54:16you need the luck
00:54:18and it's the weather conditions
00:54:19and the hyena coming in
00:54:21to the perfect part of the frame
00:54:22an astonishing image
00:54:25and I think it was almost a unanimous decision
00:54:27we get things like this one behind me
00:54:29which is astonishing
00:54:30which is one fish eating another fish
00:54:33and about to be eaten by a bird
00:54:34I mean that's
00:54:35so this is the kind of spectacular nature shot
00:54:38that I think that you
00:54:39you know people expect in this kind of show
00:54:42I mean it's just an astonishing image
00:54:43they're both after the same fish
00:54:45so the egret is after the small fish
00:54:47and then the big fish has come along
00:54:49and just gone
00:54:49I was rather worried after the big fish
00:54:51for a moment
00:54:52it just thinks it's got its lunch
00:54:53then it's going to be somebody else's
00:54:55the big fish is safe
00:54:56it's the little fish that's got a double problem
00:54:59but it's not always the glamorous wildlife shots
00:55:02that are prize winners
00:55:03Amy, yours is very much bringing to attention
00:55:07the importance of conservation
00:55:09the importance of caring for wild and native animals
00:55:12with an extraordinarily dispiriting
00:55:15and really harrowing photograph
00:55:18of a tiger in considerable discomfort
00:55:21so tell us the story behind this
00:55:23so this tiger is named Salamas
00:55:27and this photo was taken on a tiger farm
00:55:30in northern Thailand
00:55:31and Salamas had been inside this exact enclosure
00:55:36for 20 years
00:55:37oh heaven above
00:55:38and she'd been bred
00:55:39so that her cubs could then be sold
00:55:41into various different trades
00:55:43like the bone skin trade
00:55:45and also the tourism trade
00:55:47which a lot of tourists contribute
00:55:49but I took this during her rescue
00:55:52so she was rescued alongside 11 of the tigers
00:55:57and three leopards
00:55:59and they were taken to a sanctuary
00:56:00and so after 20 years
00:56:02she was able to experience
00:56:03that's an unconscionable amount of time
00:56:05it's an unbelievable amount of time
00:56:07now a lot of your photography
00:56:08comes as a result of conservation work
00:56:10you're getting your shots
00:56:11but also you are making a difference
00:56:12to the lives of animals
00:56:13well I think certainly the NGO
00:56:16that I worked with
00:56:16Wildlife Friends Foundation
00:56:18Thailand
00:56:18WFFT
00:56:20they're the ones
00:56:20that are really getting in there
00:56:21and making the difference
00:56:22on the ground
00:56:23and as photographers
00:56:25we're the ones trying to get the word out there
00:56:27I think
00:56:27trying to tell people
00:56:28don't go and take selfies with tigers
00:56:30because behind the scenes
00:56:31this is what's happening
00:56:32this is what's going on
00:56:33you must see things
00:56:34that move you to tears Amy
00:56:35I should think
00:56:35yeah
00:56:36a lot
00:56:37a lot of different things
00:56:38and all animals
00:56:39you know
00:56:39my work explores
00:56:40how we exploit all animals
00:56:42whether it's for entertainment
00:56:43or for food
00:56:44or for fashion
00:56:46experimentation
00:56:48but I see a lot of
00:56:49hope as well
00:56:50I often interact with the people
00:56:52that are working to change this
00:56:54and that's important to focus on
00:56:55otherwise you do lose all hope
00:56:56and your work continues
00:56:57in that vein
00:56:58does it?
00:56:59it does
00:56:59yeah
00:56:59it does
00:57:00yeah
00:57:00I just released a documentary
00:57:03actually
00:57:04which is
00:57:0430,000 Monkeys in Our Backyard
00:57:06and it's about a corporation
00:57:07who wanted to
00:57:08build essentially
00:57:09a monkey factory farm
00:57:12somewhere in America
00:57:13so that these monkeys
00:57:14can be raised for experimentation
00:57:15but the documentary
00:57:16is all about
00:57:17the community
00:57:18fighting back
00:57:19and stopping this
00:57:19so in my work
00:57:21although you've got the heavy side of things
00:57:22you've also got this
00:57:23you know
00:57:24this incredible rise of people
00:57:25working to change that
00:57:26so
00:57:26and Kutub you will continue to look at the forest floor
00:57:30presumably
00:57:31spotting things
00:57:32beyond the eyesight of the rest of us
00:57:34to look at
00:57:35that minute and microscopic world
00:57:37which is clearly your fascination
00:57:39yeah
00:57:39I love taking pictures of them
00:57:41it's a fun
00:57:41something
00:57:42it's very interesting
00:57:44it's something
00:57:45not everyone takes pictures
00:57:47and you know
00:57:48it's on the ground
00:57:49and most of the people
00:57:51just ignore it
00:57:51don't even see it
00:57:52walk over it
00:57:54Andy
00:57:54will you continue
00:57:55doing your judging
00:57:56for this competition?
00:57:57it was the honour of my career
00:57:58to be asked
00:57:59I'm just a normal
00:58:00wildlife photographer
00:58:00but I actually
00:58:02I've returned to my normal role
00:58:03as an entrant
00:58:04and actually today
00:58:05I actually
00:58:06had it confirmed
00:58:07that I've got a few images
00:58:08shortlisted for
00:58:09for this year's competition
00:58:11so I would love to be asked
00:58:14to be one of the judges
00:58:15again at some point in the future
00:58:16it would be another massive honour
00:58:17but for the moment
00:58:18you're Gamekeeper 10 poacher
00:58:19absolutely
00:58:20I'm returning to my role
00:58:22as a pretty picture taker
00:58:23as a wildlife photographer
00:58:24well we've got sensational images here
00:58:26particularly that one back there
00:58:28I should have asked you about that
00:58:28because that is astonishing
00:58:29it's a spider
00:58:30this is by a phenomenal
00:58:32young lady
00:58:34Welsh photographer
00:58:34called Jamie Smart
00:58:35who won the
00:58:36under 10 category
00:58:37and this was taken
00:58:38I believe in her back garden
00:58:39this lady's a real tour de force
00:58:41wow
00:58:42she'll be someone
00:58:43you'll hear a lot about
00:58:44in the coming years
00:58:45I'm confident
00:58:46she's a brilliant photographer
00:58:48she's got a wonderful family
00:58:50behind her
00:58:51and yeah
00:58:52to win such an incredible accolade
00:58:53at the age of 10
00:58:55is an astonishing achievement
00:58:56her name again
00:58:57Jamie Smart
00:58:58Jamie Smart
00:58:59is the name to watch
00:59:00she'll be back
00:59:01Jamie congratulations to you
00:59:03thanks to Andy
00:59:04and Amy
00:59:04and Kutub
00:59:05it's been a delightful
00:59:06to have you
00:59:06thank you very much indeed
00:59:07and as you know
00:59:08we like to celebrate
00:59:09nature photography
00:59:10every week
00:59:11on this show
00:59:12in fact it's one of my favourite parts
00:59:14and I know it's one of yours as well
00:59:15courtesy of you at home
00:59:17it's time now
00:59:18for Walk on the Wild Side
00:59:19or go away
00:59:48and see you next time
00:59:49for you at home
00:59:49and I know it's time
01:01:19And she's the model turned special constable, who's married to one of our biggest rock stars.
01:01:24Penny of Lancaster, a life in the spotlight, and our hubby Rod Stewart still keeps her on her toes after
01:01:30two decades together.
01:01:31I'll see you with Penny and the Libations right after this.
01:01:48Welcome back to Love Your Weekend.
01:01:49And still ahead, combining his passion for delicious artisanal produce with creative flair and genial hospitality, master of the house
01:01:58and the best innkeeper in town.
01:01:59No, not to Nadia, though I'm sure he's got the tides.
01:02:02But Jonathan Pang, on the food trend of grazing, providing the perfect excuse for a mid-morning snack this Valentine's
01:02:09weekend.
01:02:10But first, as if performing on Strictly Come Dancing isn't pressure enough, imagine then being asked to perform not only
01:02:17to millions of viewers,
01:02:18but also in front of your rock star husband, who also happens to be exercising his vocal chords right behind
01:02:24you.
01:02:25And she didn't seem phased at all.
01:02:27It's the same old song, but there's a difference in the sense of human now.
01:02:35It's the same old song, but there's a difference in the sense of human now.
01:02:44Oh, thank you.
01:02:58What about you?
01:03:00What about that guy?
01:03:02Oh, thank you so much, the fabulous Rod Stewart.
01:03:06Oh, the dancers were Matthew Cutler, and I'm sure you noticed Penny Lancaster.
01:03:11And Penny, thanks for bringing Rod with you.
01:03:16I'd love to see Brucey again.
01:03:18So wonderful, Brucey.
01:03:18But you can see the joy on both your faces.
01:03:21Not many chances you get to form together.
01:03:23A lot of fun or tremendous pressure.
01:03:25So nerve-wracking.
01:03:25Really.
01:03:26I mean, that was the famous Blackpool Forum.
01:03:29Yeah, Forum, yeah.
01:03:30And when I was first on Strictly, the year we got married in 2007,
01:03:36it was actually a rehab for me because I'd just had back surgery.
01:03:40I didn't make it as far as Blackpool.
01:03:42So to be invited back and have the opportunity to dance on that famous floor was incredible,
01:03:47but extremely nerve-wracking, with husband singing behind you.
01:03:52Sitting behind you.
01:03:53Just don't distract from my performance.
01:03:57You get it right.
01:03:58I'll all be looking at you and nobody will listen to what I'm singing at all.
01:04:01You've written, at long last, Penny, your autobiography, Someone Like Me.
01:04:06And the byline at the bottom, Lessons in Life, Love and Staying True.
01:04:12It's a story, obviously, the majority about you and Rob, which everybody will avidly, you know,
01:04:17get in lovely photos as well.
01:04:19But also, less happy times, traumas that happened to you when you were younger.
01:04:24And it's not by any means what they used to call the misery memoir.
01:04:29But there are traumatic things in there, which clearly it's taken you quite a lot of courage to come out
01:04:34with.
01:04:35And you say with the intention of just saying to other people,
01:04:38it's all right to admit things like this.
01:04:40It's helpful.
01:04:41Well, kind of hence the title, Someone Like Me,
01:04:43because I recognise by delving back and pulling back those layers
01:04:49and exposing some of the more painful experiences,
01:04:53at the time, I think people feel that they're alone in coping with those things,
01:04:58whether it's bullying, whether it's sexual abuse,
01:05:01whether it's simply the struggle with IVF, getting pregnant.
01:05:05But when you talk about those stories,
01:05:08you realise how they resonate with so many other people
01:05:11and how they can connect with those stories
01:05:14and feel comfort from hearing other people's perspectives.
01:05:19So it was a real kind of challenge, but cathartic.
01:05:24And in a sense, it was like a therapy.
01:05:26A release, really.
01:05:28Yeah. And especially doing the audiobook version,
01:05:31because I'm dyslexic,
01:05:33I thought maybe I'm not going to be able to do this.
01:05:35I'll give it a go, because I always say just try.
01:05:37You know, you never know until you try.
01:05:39But I got through it.
01:05:41And that was kind of like a real pat on the back for me to do that.
01:05:45And you've had the book printed.
01:05:46It's in a print, which you say is...
01:05:49Very dyslexic friendly.
01:05:50Yeah.
01:05:51It's easier to read.
01:05:52There's larger spaces between each word
01:05:54and there's a larger space between each line.
01:05:57Because for me, normally, I just see a lot of letters
01:06:01and they can jumble about.
01:06:03So, yeah, it was a real blessing to be able to do that book.
01:06:06Lots of lovely stories in the book.
01:06:09Many of them, obviously, the vast majority, concerning Rod.
01:06:12You know, you've been married 20 years now.
01:06:13Yeah, together 25.
01:06:15So, you know, a good half of my life.
01:06:17It's nearly a silver wedding.
01:06:18It's a silver something, isn't it?
01:06:2025 years, anyway.
01:06:21And watching you...
01:06:22I mean, I see you every now and again,
01:06:24and I see you together,
01:06:25because we're both ambassadors for the King's Foundation.
01:06:30And there's a great rapport between you and the King, particularly.
01:06:34You know, you see Rod at a dinner with his gong around his neck.
01:06:39His knight around his neck.
01:06:40So he should be.
01:06:42But you clearly still relish each other's company.
01:06:45But it must be a challenge living with a man who is now 80,
01:06:48who has just, for his 80th birthday, done 80 concerts in a year.
01:06:52Is he...
01:06:52I actually think he's in bed for the next year, isn't he?
01:06:55You would think so, wouldn't you?
01:06:56Yeah, yeah.
01:06:56And he's actually just flown some of his band members in,
01:06:59because he's working on a new album.
01:07:02And then the tour starts again next month.
01:07:05He just keeps going.
01:07:06And he loves it so much.
01:07:07Yeah.
01:07:08He's found a new method in warming up his voice,
01:07:12so he can kind of sing for longer.
01:07:14He doesn't have to, like, do so much voice rest the night before.
01:07:17So he feels like he's got a new lease of life at 80.
01:07:20So, I mean, he's an amazing example for myself and our boys
01:07:25of, like, that work ethic and...
01:07:28But do you chip in and say, now, look...
01:07:30I do.
01:07:31You can...
01:07:32I don't mean controlling, but, I mean, you must say no occasionally.
01:07:36You know, for his own sake, it was like when he was playing football
01:07:38and he had to have a surgery on his knee.
01:07:41I said, if you want to continue playing football,
01:07:43you need to do a little less of it,
01:07:44and then you'll be able to play for many more years.
01:07:46The same with the voice and performing.
01:07:48I said, you know, let's spend a bit more quality time together as a family.
01:07:51Let's have those breaks in between for you to kind of...
01:07:55It's about rest and recovery, and then you can go for it again.
01:07:58So I'm trying.
01:07:59Yeah.
01:08:00Keep trying.
01:08:01You had a great time at Glastonbury.
01:08:03Oh, my gosh.
01:08:03It was a big 80s birthday celebration at Glasto.
01:08:06That was the pinnacle, I think, of his year.
01:08:09Other than celebrating with family for his 80th
01:08:11and determined to get those 80 shows,
01:08:13the Glastonbury was the real cherry on the cake.
01:08:16The kids came over from America.
01:08:18All of them camped for those five days at the festival
01:08:22and then, of course, were just in heaven,
01:08:27sitting there together, standing, watching Dad performing.
01:08:32And I did sort of some photographs for Hello! magazine
01:08:36to sort of celebrate that event,
01:08:38and it was magical, really, truly magical.
01:08:41Families in the public eye have pressures,
01:08:44as we see quite regularly from a lot of Britain's most famous families.
01:08:49Yours is complex in that there have been several wives before you
01:08:53and children from different marriages,
01:08:56and yet it seems you make it your business to get on with one another.
01:09:00Am I right there,
01:09:01or are you just very good at covering up the problems?
01:09:03I and all of us have worked continuously hard putting children first.
01:09:11And, yeah, at the beginning, 25 years ago,
01:09:15you know, there were some, you know, dips and potholes in the road as we went along.
01:09:20But it was about being patient and often being diplomatic
01:09:26and realising and putting myself in the shoes of others,
01:09:31seeing things from a different perspective
01:09:32and understanding how everybody felt,
01:09:36not just focusing on me and Rod,
01:09:38but including the whole family dynamics.
01:09:41How important is it to get the balance between family and brand right?
01:09:46Because that's really come to the fore at the moment.
01:09:49That if you're so concerned about the brand, whatever it's called,
01:09:54that family can suffer, and we've seen.
01:09:56So do you have to work at that to make sure that it doesn't overtake the other?
01:10:01Our priority is family.
01:10:03I mean, the Rod Stewart brand takes care of itself
01:10:07because he's iconic and, as I say, his work ethic
01:10:11and the amount of effort and time that he gives to his public,
01:10:15whether it's in service as charity or whether it's on stage,
01:10:19making thousands of people happy.
01:10:22It's what brings him joy.
01:10:24And, you know, whenever we can as a family, we join him on tour.
01:10:28But it's never been a case of we have to be a part of it
01:10:32and there's never been restrictions or anything forced on anybody.
01:10:36All the kids have been able to take their own path,
01:10:38whether it's dance or hockey or, you know, whatever their interests are.
01:10:43There's always been that space to breathe.
01:10:45And it's important that they have it.
01:10:47Yes.
01:10:48And it's important that you do your own thing as well.
01:10:50Absolutely.
01:10:50Being a policewoman.
01:10:52Yes, a special customer.
01:10:53Yeah.
01:10:54Now, you did this programme which sort of took you into the force
01:10:57as a sample of celebrity pleasing.
01:10:59And then you thought, I'm going to do this.
01:11:02When you're...
01:11:03I know you've got a leg problem at the moment.
01:11:05But when you are fitting up running, how much do you do?
01:11:08How often are you out there?
01:11:10The duties that they expect is about 200 hours a year,
01:11:14which is about one duty a week.
01:11:17And sadly, it was just before my duty for the weekend of the service of remembrance
01:11:22and the law and mayor's show, the College of Policing,
01:11:25and up to the level of the fitness test, which is a bleep test.
01:11:29And I had to run in last minute to do it.
01:11:31I completed it.
01:11:32But unfortunately, I tore my Achilles.
01:11:33I think it's one of those things, when women hit 50 and they go into menopause,
01:11:40you're more prone, probably, to picking up injuries like that.
01:11:43So it's important.
01:11:44I'm in the gym four or five times a week to maintain my strength and do what I can.
01:11:50But I love that aspect of my life, having that independence,
01:11:54something that's sort of separate from the madness of the Rod Stewart tour and everything.
01:11:59Do people recognise you when you've got your kit on?
01:12:01Not normally, because my hair's scraped back.
01:12:04I've got almost no make-up on.
01:12:05And I'm in this huge uniform, all padded up and, you know, all the gear on.
01:12:10So not really, unless I spend time with somebody, chatting, engaging,
01:12:14and then they might think, hang on, the voice, the expression, you know,
01:12:18and something might twig.
01:12:19But normally, no.
01:12:20And that's everyday policing.
01:12:21But you also got to be on duty for the coronation and for the Queen's funeral.
01:12:25So special occasions and events like that that must have given you a feeling of doing something really important.
01:12:31Well, when we take that oath and we swear our allegiance,
01:12:34it was with Her Majesty at the time, the Queen.
01:12:37And then, of course, went to Prince Charles the King.
01:12:43And it was the biggest honour of all to be there on the coronation.
01:12:48Very, very proud moment.
01:12:50Yeah.
01:12:51Are you an ambitious soul?
01:12:53I mean, you're such a support to Rod.
01:12:55And he keeps going, as you say, he's going out on another tour.
01:12:58Go, heavens above.
01:13:01From your point of view, are you content with your lot, as it were, as Rod's wife, policewoman.
01:13:06And mother, of course, yes.
01:13:08And loose women.
01:13:09Yes, loose women.
01:13:10So the other day, I was working early in the morning.
01:13:13So it was Rod's responsibility to do the school run.
01:13:15But apparently, his alarm didn't go off in time.
01:13:18So I'm micromanaging, you know, from wherever I am.
01:13:20That is an old one.
01:13:21Rod, that doesn't cut any ice.
01:13:23It doesn't get you out of doing all future.
01:13:25I think that's a good one.
01:13:27Maybe he should get the attention.
01:13:30Definitely.
01:13:31Oh, dear.
01:13:32What comes out in the book is this love the family has for dressing up.
01:13:35Now, whenever I see Rod, he's always in some amazing attire.
01:13:38Absolutely.
01:13:38But there's all kinds of things.
01:13:40He's dressed as a woman in one shot in here.
01:13:42Well, that was when I actually first met Rod.
01:13:44And I thought it was an initiation test when he told me,
01:13:47tonight, all the guys are going to be in drag and the girls will be his guys.
01:13:51And I just threw myself into it.
01:13:52In fact, I was doing all the guys' make-up.
01:13:54And Rod was in one of my dresses in my heels because he's just one size bigger than me.
01:13:59So a slingback, it was just about squeezed in.
01:14:02And for his 80th, he said that had to be one of the special nights where everyone switched out.
01:14:07It's hilarious.
01:14:08And then, of course, there was another evening where everybody dressed as a Rod Stewart
01:14:12from different eras in his life.
01:14:14So that was like seeing all of his album covers lined up.
01:14:17Did you tell him what you were going to do?
01:14:19That was a surprise one.
01:14:20Oh, gosh.
01:14:22There's a countryside to Penny Lancaster and Rod Stewart as well.
01:14:25You keep bees.
01:14:27Oh, gosh.
01:14:28They're magical.
01:14:29When we first moved into the property, it was rather dilapidated.
01:14:33And there were some beehives, but the bees had fallen.
01:14:36Long gone, yeah.
01:14:37So we knew that once we'd finished the renovation, we would bring the bees back.
01:14:42And we started with four.
01:14:43And now we have about ten hives.
01:14:46And the honey is beyond.
01:14:48I mean, when people say the difference between a supermarket and a local honey, it's such a huge difference.
01:14:55Because, of course, it's raw.
01:14:57It hasn't gone through a heating process.
01:14:59I mean, it goes back to the Egyptian times.
01:15:01People used to be buried in the Egyptian era with honey in their coffins.
01:15:06So it's got to be nurtured, hasn't it?
01:15:10Do you get enough time to switch off?
01:15:11I make time.
01:15:13Even if it's taking the dogs for a walk.
01:15:15We've got quite a large garden.
01:15:17And, you know, I run off with our lily and the two new puppies who are just about to turn
01:15:21one.
01:15:21And it's just hearing and breathing that fresh air, listening to the birds.
01:15:27It just makes my shoulders drop a few inches.
01:15:31Makes me think about my breath.
01:15:33And then I can kind of go, OK, back into it.
01:15:35It's so important.
01:15:37But lovely to have you with us.
01:15:38So lovely to be here again.
01:15:40Bless you.
01:15:41Now, before the corks pop and the screw tops unwind,
01:15:44why not unwind yourself to some beautiful footage and calming music?
01:15:48It's time for today's Ode to Joy.
01:17:41That was glorious St Ives in Cornwall,
01:17:43courtesy of Phil Heavycamp and set to the Symphony No. 4 by Beethoven.
01:17:47Still to come, time to indulge in the spot of grazing.
01:17:51Not in our paddock, but in the Manor Farm arms.
01:17:54Jonathan Pang's here with a fine array of grazing goodies,
01:17:57including fancy salami and an award-winning salmon,
01:18:00washed down with a G&T or perhaps a sparkling wine.
01:18:03I'll have one of everything, please.
01:18:05Wonderful.
01:18:06I'll be grazing with Max, Penny and Jonathan right after this.
01:18:24Welcome back to Love Your Weekend.
01:18:26Now, Sundays are the day of rest.
01:18:27So what better time to take the pressure off and have a lazy graze for lunch?
01:18:33A morsel of this, a nibble of that, and a soupçon of something to sip alongside it.
01:18:38But I'm not talking about an old-school buffet table.
01:18:40No cheese and pineapple chunks on sticks here.
01:18:43Today, it's all about beautifully curated boards brimming with the best of British mites.
01:18:49I'm so glad I'm saying this before we have any interest in it.
01:18:52To guide us through this culinary voyage made for second helpings,
01:18:56the host with the most, Jonathan Pang.
01:18:58Hello, Jonathan.
01:18:59Hello.
01:18:59How are you?
01:19:00I always get such classy food when you're here.
01:19:02Well, I do aim to please, Alan, as you know.
01:19:04So welcome to my midday graze.
01:19:06I've got some gorgeous things for you.
01:19:08We're going to kick off here with a delicious black truffle salami
01:19:12from The Real Cure Company in Dorset.
01:19:14And I'm serving it with Dig Me Fine English 2014 Vintage Reserve Brut.
01:19:20Oh, that'll do.
01:19:20So, you know, I think what's so great about this,
01:19:23this is their sort of flagship sparkling wine.
01:19:26It has a good balance of acidity
01:19:28and it can cut through the fat of that salami
01:19:30but still allowing the black truffle to be the star of the piece.
01:19:34Do we eat the gherkin with it?
01:19:35Well, up to you.
01:19:37I'm partial to the gherkin.
01:19:39I think you're getting to the gherkin.
01:19:41Don't look.
01:19:44It's impossible to eat politely.
01:19:46I can see the little specks of black truffle through.
01:19:50Well, you know, there's something quite earthy about the black truffle.
01:19:55You see, I'm not wild about truffle
01:19:57but it's not too strong in that.
01:19:58No, it's not.
01:19:58The salami still tastes.
01:20:00Because you add a love of earth truffle, don't you?
01:20:03Do you like truffle, Max?
01:20:04Mmm, a little bounce, but I think that was actually really nice.
01:20:08No, it's quite subtle, isn't it?
01:20:09And it just feels a little bit special.
01:20:11Well, yeah, the fish is great, isn't it?
01:20:13Yes, it is.
01:20:14It's interesting.
01:20:15It's not too sharp.
01:20:17That's right.
01:20:18It has just enough acidity to cut through the fat of the salami.
01:20:22Max, do you celebrate with champagne, would you?
01:20:24I know you're obviously very careful as an athlete.
01:20:26As a gymnast, but do you have the odd glass of champagne?
01:20:30I'll have the odd sip of a champagne as, like, a celebratory thing.
01:20:35I'm not a big drinker, as people would probably imagine being an athlete.
01:20:38So, yeah, I'm up for trying stuff.
01:20:40Does it go to your head that much more rapidly when you don't practice enough?
01:20:44I mean, it probably will.
01:20:45I mean, we've got a lot on the table today.
01:20:48Have you ever been sprayed with champagne when you've got your gold medal?
01:20:51Like Formula One.
01:20:52I wish it was like that in gymnastics, but it's a shame it's not.
01:20:55I think we should maybe introduce that in and get it on the champagne.
01:20:58Do you know, at the end of this, this could be a TV first.
01:21:01I could be helping Max Whitlock hobble off.
01:21:05It was all out of the place.
01:21:06Because he can't stand up.
01:21:08It's all my fault.
01:21:09Well, I will be with all of this, but we'll see.
01:21:11OK, that was number one.
01:21:13What's number two?
01:21:14So, I've got some smoked salmon, which is glazed with whiskey and soy,
01:21:18which I just love.
01:21:19Because smoked salmon, I think, is quite difficult,
01:21:21because sometimes it can be a bit greasy or a bit tasteless.
01:21:23You've just got to be quite careful with it.
01:21:25But the Smoking Brothers do this amazing blend here.
01:21:28And I think the soy and the whiskey give the salmon
01:21:32a little bit of a sour taste in a good way
01:21:35to complement the sweetness of the salmon.
01:21:37And there's a reason that sort of Michelin-starred chefs
01:21:39universally love this brand.
01:21:41But just try that flavour.
01:21:43There's something really lovely and balanced about it.
01:21:47Is that an all-in-one or is that just a little?
01:21:49Yes, give it an all-in-one.
01:21:51I'm serving it on a bit of a bagel.
01:21:52We won't look much.
01:21:54And I'm serving it with a gin from Orkney.
01:21:57It's an aquavit gin, which is a sort of ancient recipe
01:22:01from the Vikings.
01:22:02And it's distilled for longer than gin.
01:22:04And it has wonderful notes of sort of caraway and rosehip.
01:22:08And a little touch of star anise.
01:22:10So, it's quite special and it's very smooth.
01:22:12This is multi-award winning.
01:22:14You get the caraway, don't you?
01:22:15Absolutely gin.
01:22:16Also the star anise.
01:22:17Yes.
01:22:18It's really interesting.
01:22:19I quite like it.
01:22:20I mean, you know, I quite like it just as a little shot
01:22:23to go through it.
01:22:23Because, again, it can cut through the richness of that salmon.
01:22:29You see, I've got the station now
01:22:30where I'm starting to worry about Max.
01:22:33I am now worried about that 2028 gold medal.
01:22:36There's a lot of tonic in here.
01:22:39There is.
01:22:40Yeah.
01:22:41Yeah, but if I introduce Max to alcohol,
01:22:43it could be his ruin, you know.
01:22:46No, but that's, like, I can...
01:22:50The caraway's there, isn't it?
01:22:51Those botanicals are really strong and really fragrant.
01:22:54Yeah, it's not completely overpowered, or does it?
01:22:56It's actually drinkable for me.
01:22:58Just pretend it's all tonic.
01:23:00Yeah.
01:23:01That's quite refreshing, actually.
01:23:02It is.
01:23:02Nice.
01:23:03Yeah.
01:23:03Good.
01:23:03I'm glad.
01:23:05OK, so next I've got some amazing air-dried ham
01:23:08from a company called Rare and Pasture.
01:23:11And it's been matured and cured for over six months,
01:23:14which gives it a very delicate flavour.
01:23:16But it's a slow-growing flavour,
01:23:18because the flavour will develop as time goes on
01:23:22whilst you're eating it.
01:23:23And I've wrapped it around a little bit of melon
01:23:24just to sort of get the sweetness
01:23:26to cut through the fat of the ham.
01:23:28Fusciutto melone.
01:23:29Yes, so it's basically that, isn't it?
01:23:31My favourite combination.
01:23:32Which is a classic combination.
01:23:33Yes.
01:23:33Go to an Italian restaurant.
01:23:34It's so hard to resist, this cram amamel.
01:23:36Beautiful combination.
01:23:37I would say we love the texture of this ham,
01:23:40because of that maturing process.
01:23:41It really makes it quite mouth-watering.
01:23:44It's delicious.
01:23:44Yeah, it is.
01:23:45Yeah, that's really nice.
01:23:46And I'm serving it with an old-fashioned cocktail,
01:23:48which is a mixture of malt, whiskey and bourbon,
01:23:51with a few little botanicals in there as well,
01:23:53a little bit of bitters and some orange too.
01:23:56And it's a company called Edmunds
01:23:58that make ready-made cocktails,
01:23:59which I think are just great.
01:24:00Oh, gosh, that's good.
01:24:01Because, you know,
01:24:02who has the space for cupboards full of spirits?
01:24:04And you can literally design a box of all the cocktails.
01:24:08Be careful with that one.
01:24:09Yeah, that's again.
01:24:10I feel the kick on that one a little bit, yeah.
01:24:14It's rather like when you're a boy, for the rest of us,
01:24:16your parents taking you out for your first half of cider.
01:24:19I feel so responsible for my facts.
01:24:23At the ripe age of 33, being introduced to our call.
01:24:27Yeah, that one's definitely on the stronger side of it.
01:24:29No, it is.
01:24:30And, you know, because another thing I like about Edmunds are,
01:24:34they're, you know, they're very strong.
01:24:36I mean, they're absolute double measures,
01:24:38but it brings all that sophistication
01:24:40of a cocktail bar into your home without all the hassle.
01:24:43It makes it very difficult to say the word sophistication.
01:24:47But what's lovely about that
01:24:48is that a lot of them have that sort of artificial flavour to them,
01:24:53but that tastes like you've poured it from different individual boxes.
01:24:58The brothers that have set up this company, Tom and Paul,
01:25:01handcraft all of this, and they bottle it themselves as well.
01:25:04I can taste that.
01:25:05It's very genuine flavour.
01:25:07So, last but not least, we're going to end on some cheese.
01:25:10And I have a wonderful cheese called Fetish,
01:25:13which is a sort of hybrid of Greek-style cheeses.
01:25:16So, think sort of Feta meets Graviera.
01:25:19It's a sheep's milk cheese, and it's made in Somerset from White Lakes.
01:25:23And it has a very interesting texture,
01:25:26because it's sort of smooth, yet slightly crumbly at the same time.
01:25:30Oh, wow.
01:25:30And, again, this flavour develops more and more as well.
01:25:34And we've smeared it with some honey,
01:25:36just a little bit of drizzle of raw eucalyptus honey,
01:25:39which really brings out the savouriness of the cheese.
01:25:42It's a fabulous combination, isn't it?
01:25:44It is, isn't it?
01:25:44Yeah.
01:25:45Gorgeous.
01:25:45And, you know, I think light meat's like,
01:25:47and we're serving it with some traditional mead from Wheatleys and Yorkshire,
01:25:51again, made from honey,
01:25:52because I think it just makes it quite a harmonious experience,
01:25:55and it's, you know, sweet and smooth.
01:25:58Are we there here?
01:25:59Yeah.
01:26:00Well, now you keep bees, Penny,
01:26:02so maybe mead is the next thing to go for.
01:26:05I would say so.
01:26:07Mmm.
01:26:07I think people have forgotten about mead,
01:26:09and I think it's a really comforting, warming drink,
01:26:12and it goes so beautifully with cheese.
01:26:13It's very sweet.
01:26:14Oh, actually, this is nice.
01:26:15It's got...
01:26:16It's not just sweet, sweet.
01:26:19It's flavour in there as well.
01:26:20Oh, gosh, yes.
01:26:21Isn't it?
01:26:23What is it, Jonathan?
01:26:24It's almost smoky.
01:26:26Yes.
01:26:26Well, absolutely.
01:26:27And it's a combination of honey as well, this one.
01:26:30So, and I think that sort of just gives it a bit more depth.
01:26:34Ah, yeah, yeah.
01:26:36That's really, like, a different taste.
01:26:38I don't, I don't know, I've ever tried to drink that.
01:26:40But it's quite comforting, isn't it?
01:26:41And it does come with a drier variety as well,
01:26:44depending on what tickles your fancy.
01:26:46But what a good thing to have with cheese.
01:26:48Yeah, no, it really is.
01:26:49It complements cheese very well.
01:26:51Sitting by the fireplace at this time of year.
01:26:53Precisely that.
01:26:54Come there, Penny, come there.
01:26:56Max is there.
01:26:57He's got a cough now, isn't he?
01:27:01You see, Max, drinking is just like...
01:27:03It's just like gymnastics.
01:27:05You need to practise.
01:27:09One sip at a time.
01:27:11That just went down the wrong hole.
01:27:13Oh, dear.
01:27:16Never drink while you're coughing.
01:27:19But that cheese was lovely, actually.
01:27:21I would never pick to, you know, grab something like that.
01:27:24But it was really tasty.
01:27:26I don't think I'd have thought to have put honey on cheese, which is silly.
01:27:28No, I know.
01:27:29I put honey on everything.
01:27:31Favourites, any particular one that stands out for you, Max?
01:27:34For me, it was this one.
01:27:35The gin.
01:27:36The gin.
01:27:37Yeah.
01:27:37That caraway is an intriguing, it's a lovely combination.
01:27:41It really is.
01:27:41It's just like, easy to drink, really refreshing.
01:27:45Yeah.
01:27:46Yeah, and a long drink.
01:27:46It doesn't taste like alcohol.
01:27:47You don't get that, like, really sharp hit.
01:27:51I think that's probably why I like it.
01:27:53Because I'm really enjoying this, because I've never tasted anything quite like it before.
01:27:57Me too, yeah.
01:27:57It's so unusual.
01:27:59I'm going to take a little while longer making up my mind.
01:28:02I'll just start with this one.
01:28:03That's it for today.
01:28:04This Valentine's weekend.
01:28:07Thanks to all my guests, to Penny, Max, and, of course, Jonathan.
01:28:11Joining me next week, star of White Mischief and Heat and Dust, Greta Skaki.
01:28:15From Father Ted to Death in Paradise, Ardler Hanlon drops by.
01:28:19And back by popular demand, the equivalent of the BAFTAs.
01:28:24The WAFTAs, that's the Wine and Fizzy Tipple Awards.
01:28:27Fletcher's family farm is up next, but I leave you with these words.
01:28:31To quote the Irish proverb,
01:28:33laughter is brightest in the place where the food is.
01:28:37And to drink.
01:28:39And I'm pleased to say, with both food and drink here,
01:28:41now, what shall I have now?
01:28:43Cheers, all.
01:28:43Cheers.
01:28:44Cheers.
01:28:47Cheers.
01:28:57Cheers.
01:28:59Cheers.
01:29:01Cheers.
01:29:09Cheers.
01:29:11Cheers.
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