Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh - Season 8 Episode 04 - video Dailymotion

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00:00:00A golden coat, a tail that could power a wind turbine, and a nose that's already inspected

00:00:07every hedgerow between here and the front gate. Yes, I'm talking about the ever faithful

00:00:13Labrador, and here's one of our star guests this morning. This is Martin. I think you've

00:00:16earned that, Martin. There you go. Man's best friend, and judging by the way he's glued

00:00:20to my side today, very possibly my new best friend too. It's time for Love You Weekend.

00:00:53Love You Weekend

00:01:00Late January isn't always the easiest of times. The resolutions are wobbling, the days feel

00:01:08twice as short as they should, and the biscuit tin keeps mysteriously emptying itself. But

00:01:15there's a charm to it. A calm between the storms, a moment to breathe, and the perfect excuse

00:01:22to settle in with good company and a warming cuppa. And we've plenty to accompany that cuppa

00:01:27this morning, right here at Manor Farm. Coming up, she's the grand dame who can elevate a monologue,

00:01:33enliven a storyline, and brighten any room she walks into. Then Maureen Littman talks Maltese

00:01:40escapades of the latest adventures back on the cobbles. And he's everyone's favourite

00:01:45cleric. Al Weaver talks murder, mystery and mayhem as Leonard Finch in Grantchester. Houseplant

00:01:52expert Claire Lauer is here with the indoor stars you'll want in pride of place for the

00:01:58year ahead. He's the man with the big voice and even bigger heart, Trevor Dion Nicholas,

00:02:03currently flexing his muscles in Hercules. And it could all go downhill fast in today's

00:02:10best of British apres ski special. Andy Clark and the Alpine Lodge tipple drinks guaranteed

00:02:16to make you schnappy.

00:02:23Let's kick things off with a trio to brighten up any Sunday. To start with a man who can unleash

00:02:29a scandal, a sermon or a mystery quicker than you can say, Grantchester, Al Weaver. And lastly,

00:02:41a woman who can unleash a withering glance so sharp it should carry a government health warning.

00:02:46Maureen Littman, welcome to you all. But only in character, Maureen. Such a diverse background

00:02:55in terms of theatricality. Yes, all theatre, but all from different areas really. Mentors

00:03:01I want to talk about. People who've helped you along the way. Now I learnt from a mentor

00:03:07of yours, Al, a while ago that she was your mentor. She's not shy of saying it either. Tessa

00:03:26went to all drama school and she came in sort of in the last year and did some, you know,

00:03:31she'd

00:03:31listened to my speeches for going out to auditions and things like that. And she was, I mean,

00:03:35I was completely starstruck because we grew up on Only Fools. It was like my dad's and my mum

00:03:40and me's favourite show. It was fantastic. So they got to meet her as well, which was really nice.

00:03:45And, but yeah, she'll always be quick to say that I didn't really listen to her. You know, you're just

00:03:51young

00:03:52and just like, but then, but then ten years later, we got to do Grantchester together. And she's one of

00:03:58my

00:03:58best friends. She's incredible. And she's the nicest, she's just the nicest person. Yeah, she's lovely, isn't she?

00:04:03And, you know, it's taken 20 years, but the advice is sinking in. Decided to take a bit of it.

00:04:09Maureen, but how about you? Mentors? No. None.

00:04:14Gone your own way. I suppose, really, Jack, my late husband, just watching how someone writes

00:04:23and how he applied himself every day and how he would just be apparently staring out of the window

00:04:30and, you know, typewriter, fag, carbon paper, you know, all that. Just watching that kind of application.

00:04:41So learning about hard work and not being in any way precious about you can't come in the room.

00:04:47You know, the kids were in there all the time. My mother was in there saying, Jack, do you rinse

00:04:52off the dishwasher

00:04:53before you put the plates, you know. And he was never precious. And so, yes, I would say I learned

00:05:00an incredible amount from that man.

00:05:02Yeah. Trevor, what about you?

00:05:04To be honest, both of my parents in different ways. My father was a singer for as long as I

00:05:11can remember growing up.

00:05:11And so I would always go and watch him perform. But my mother kind of carried a work ethic that

00:05:16I tried to instill into what I do.

00:05:19She went back to school to earn her doctorate in social work while she was teaching while I was in

00:05:25high school.

00:05:26And I watched that journey of her working full time and also studying full time to earn that.

00:05:31And, yeah, she really showed the way of, like, trying to instill that, the idea of hard work and the

00:05:37way that that carries through everything that you do.

00:05:40But what you three also know is it doesn't happen instantly. You've got to work your passage in a way.

00:05:46And I often think it's always interesting finding out from people who are now established who they understudied,

00:05:53whether because they did, you know, you start by being the understudy for and you've learned this enormous role.

00:05:58And you probably never go on because the star is going to go. Maureen, understudying for you?

00:06:03Yes, at the Old Vic on the Laurence Olivier's Company from 1970 to 73. Fantastic best time of my life.

00:06:12And I was covering Diana Rigg in Tom Stoppard's play, Jumpers. And I used to pop into her dressing room.

00:06:19You know, she always had a bottle of champagne on the go and a game of poker.

00:06:24Actors in those days all drank, you know, drunk. And then one day she just said to me,

00:06:32Oh, by the way, darling, I'll be off for two weeks. I'm having something done to my back.

00:06:40OK. And it was a big part. It was called Dottie, I seem to remember. Huge. Well done, yes, Dottie.

00:06:45And I was married to Michael Horton. I was 25 or something and he was about my age.

00:06:52And I just remember quite calmly putting on the gold dress to be taken on stage on a crescent moon.

00:06:59And I was going to sing and I had her wig on, which is about four sizes too big, pinhead.

00:07:05And just thinking, it's fine. It's absolutely fine.

00:07:08And then hearing the announcement, Miss Diana Rigg is not available for the evening.

00:07:14And then her play. Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, oh. Maury? Who? Yeah. So we got through it. We got

00:07:23through it.

00:07:24Al? Well, we, I did a set at the Old Vic, my sort of first job, me and Ben Whishaw

00:07:30kind of,

00:07:31he did five Hamlets, I did three a week. So we kind of like split the, split the job.

00:07:37Wow. Yeah, it's good. It's like all our first jobs. It was me, Ben, Rory Kinnear.

00:07:42Yeah. And it was great. Yeah. I mean, yeah, we would like run our lines together.

00:07:46And it was a beautiful company of young actors, all sort of 22, 23 years old, just loving it.

00:07:52Do you keep up? Do you keep up with them? Do you see them every now and again?

00:07:55I've worked with Rory a few times now. Yeah. So it's, he's always got, you know,

00:07:59he's got things that every time I've seen him, he's had another kid.

00:08:03I think he's only got two, but I think it's the two jobs. Too much time off.

00:08:06We did like a Mike Lee thing. We did this thing called South Cliff, which was years ago.

00:08:12But yeah, I mean, you know what it's like being an actor. You kind of, you stay in touch with

00:08:16some people

00:08:16and then you don't see them for 20 years and then you bump in and it's, you're literally thrown straight

00:08:20back

00:08:21to the, you know, the experience that you shared together and all that. So yeah, just fond memories of all

00:08:27that.

00:08:27Trevor, you understood it in Aladdin, didn't you? I did. I did. So like the thing that brought me here,

00:08:32I initially was, I was the standby for the genie for the Broadway company, standby for the original genie in

00:08:38Broadway,

00:08:39James Monroe Iglehart. And he and I honestly became like brothers and we've stayed really close.

00:08:45We still speak to each other. We still send memes back and forth and have a gig whenever we can.

00:08:50If he's here, if I'm there, we try to meet up and have food. But like, yeah, that really gave

00:08:54the, the, the,

00:08:56the kind of pulse that like was allowed me to take the steps in my career I've been able to

00:09:00take was, was that.

00:09:01And so I was standby on Broadway and I went on for my first like week of, of genie shows.

00:09:08And right after that, the producers asked me up to the office at the new Amsterdam theater

00:09:13and, and asked if I wanted to come and open the West End production.

00:09:16And I burst into tears and I was like, yeah, I'd love nothing more.

00:09:19When you did come, this is what we got.

00:09:22You know we got the job, you big-nay bot. You ain't never had a friend, never had a friend.

00:09:26Never had a friend, never had a friend.

00:09:29Never had a friend, never had a friend.

00:09:30Never had a friend.

00:09:31Never had a friend.

00:09:33He never had a friends like me.

00:09:40Whoa. With a shaven head.

00:09:42Yes, yes, yes, what a throwback.

00:09:44And what a pair of eyebrows.

00:09:45The funny, just for you, Alan.

00:09:47Do you go back?

00:09:48I mean, would you ever go back to anything?

00:09:50They always carry on doing you,

00:09:51and actors are always for fresh fields and whatnot,

00:09:54but things like that must be very tempting

00:09:55if it's a part you feel you've made your own.

00:09:57Of course, and even like we've spoken about Hamilton,

00:10:00like I would love to play that role again,

00:10:03ideally on Broadway, and get the opportunity

00:10:05to express it there and not just here, and like,

00:10:08but yeah.

00:10:08When did you do Hamilton?

00:10:09I did it from 2019 until, for like three and a half years

00:10:14over the lockdown period, and then reopened.

00:10:17I would have seen you, yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:10:19Yeah, he didn't like you.

00:10:20No, I'm sorry.

00:10:22The worst thing is when I watched Hamilton,

00:10:25I'd go, I really want to do a musical.

00:10:28I really want to do a musical,

00:10:29because it's so, it's just, it was fantastic.

00:10:31It's exhilarating, it's exhilarating.

00:10:32I got an audition for, I think it was Evita, to play Shay,

00:10:36but I mean, he hit some, like a big,

00:10:39and I was practicing, I was just like,

00:10:41yeah, I can't do this.

00:10:41Well, you need to go, remember Harry Seacombe,

00:10:43who was a great singer, and he saw,

00:10:45Harry had a very high tenor voice,

00:10:46and he said he always wore the tenor's friend,

00:10:48which is a truss with a spike.

00:10:50Yeah.

00:10:51So that'll get you the high notes.

00:10:53There we are.

00:10:54More from Trevor, Dave, Maureen,

00:10:56and then, oh, eye-watering really, isn't it?

00:10:58Later, still to come, turns out you don't need skis,

00:11:01snow, or even the slightest hint of coordination

00:11:04to enjoy a bit of apres.

00:11:05Andy Clark's here, with the cosy, alpine-inspired cocktails

00:11:09to keep January firmly at bay.

00:11:12And their reliable, big-hearted, and endlessly enthusiastic,

00:11:17Baldy returns with one of Britain's favourite breeds,

00:11:19the ever-faithful Labrador.

00:11:21And we've got quite the wagging welcome waiting for you.

00:11:24I'll be back with the labs and the vet right after this.

00:11:41Welcome back to Manor Farm here in Hampshire.

00:11:44Lots more to entertain you this January morning.

00:11:47Coming up, musical sensation Trevor Dion Nicholas

00:11:50on his latest Disney incarnation,

00:11:52this time in the hit Western musical Hercules.

00:11:55And if you don't have many gardening jobs to crack on with,

00:11:59fear not, indoors is where the action is this January.

00:12:03Houseplant expert Claire Lowry shows us the indoor greenery

00:12:06that'll keep your spirits up right through to spring and beyond.

00:12:10Now, we've had our fair share of excitable guests on this show,

00:12:13but today we may well have outdone ourselves.

00:12:16This lot are enthusiastic, endlessly loyal,

00:12:20and known for their boundless affection.

00:12:22We are, of course, celebrating the breed that,

00:12:25just a few weeks ago on this very show,

00:12:28you crowned your favourite pure breed puppy.

00:12:31Yes, it's the Labrador.

00:12:34And helping us to do them justice,

00:12:36Bolo Esu, along with a whole chorus line of wagging stars

00:12:39in varying shades of yellow, brown and black.

00:12:43So, are you a Labrador fan?

00:12:45I'm a Labrador fan.

00:12:46Not my favourite dog,

00:12:47because Bichon is my favourite.

00:12:49Bichon, right.

00:12:50But they're still a very special, special breed.

00:12:51Well, we love labs.

00:12:53We've had three labs over time.

00:12:55All of them yellow.

00:12:56Lou, the old lady.

00:12:57When we got two younger pops, Grace and Favour,

00:13:00we've got a new lease of life.

00:13:02So, three in our household at any one time,

00:13:04and they were absolutely loved.

00:13:06They're still with us, I think.

00:13:06Once you've had a dog,

00:13:08they remain part of your persona in a way, don't they?

00:13:10All the time.

00:13:11They stay with you forever.

00:13:12I always say they're right in here.

00:13:13Yeah.

00:13:14So, tell us about today.

00:13:15They're amazing breeds.

00:13:16Now, hopefully, the dogs that we're going to show you today

00:13:18are going to demonstrate how great the breed is.

00:13:20Yeah.

00:13:21Right, well, first up is Joy with Indy,

00:13:24who's a chocolate lab,

00:13:26and she's from the Labrador club.

00:13:28Now, the chocolate ones are the least common, aren't they,

00:13:31of the three colours, really?

00:13:33Exactly.

00:13:34So, when we're talking about the Labradors,

00:13:35we know that they come from Newfoundland,

00:13:37and that's their history with the Newfoundland dogs.

00:13:39They have that shared history with the Newfoundland,

00:13:41the big Newfoundland dogs that we know of.

00:13:43And, obviously, they come in that black colour.

00:13:45Yeah.

00:13:45And you've got our Labradors,

00:13:46they also come in that similar black colour.

00:13:47Whereas, we've got our Labrador here,

00:13:49that is that chocolate or liver colour.

00:13:51Is that right, Joy?

00:13:52Chocolate or liver is correct.

00:13:54Exactly.

00:13:54You go with either.

00:13:54Yes, yes.

00:13:56Yeah, and they're not the most common,

00:13:58but I think they're probably one of the most beautiful.

00:14:00A show dog here, though.

00:14:02She shows and works.

00:14:04So, she has a working test win,

00:14:07and she's quite a reasonable show dog as well.

00:14:10She's had three firsts in limit classes at championship shows,

00:14:14and a third in cross this year.

00:14:16What makes a good show dog, then, Joy?

00:14:19What makes a good...

00:14:20Well, going back to their roots,

00:14:22they've got to have this double coat,

00:14:24hard on the top, warm undercoat,

00:14:28so the water comes off.

00:14:29They're good swimming dogs.

00:14:31They've got to have a good depth of chest

00:14:33and good lung room.

00:14:34And all of these things, really,

00:14:36are to help their working.

00:14:38Yes, we've got that retrieving instinct

00:14:40when it comes to a working dog,

00:14:41and that's why we've got that more agile look to the breed.

00:14:45Thank you so much.

00:14:46That's very good to see you both.

00:14:47Next up, Jane and Sean with Rosie and Betty.

00:14:53Now, they are both Yellow Labs.

00:14:55Golden Labs, of course,

00:14:56Yellow's the correct name for them, isn't it?

00:14:58Yellow's the correct name.

00:14:59So, Rosie works and shows,

00:15:01while Betty just works.

00:15:02Just does the working side.

00:15:03Just does the working, exactly.

00:15:05So, how old are they, Sean?

00:15:06What age are they?

00:15:06Both four.

00:15:07They're both four.

00:15:08That's Aunty and Niece.

00:15:10That's Aunty and Niece.

00:15:10Right.

00:15:11So, 100.

00:15:12Slightly sideways.

00:15:13Yeah.

00:15:14And one slightly darker colour than the other one.

00:15:16Good to tell them apart.

00:15:18Yeah.

00:15:19So, both of them, you know,

00:15:20you've got that working background on both of them.

00:15:21And what's interesting is that, with working,

00:15:23you've got the field and the gun dogs, right?

00:15:25So, the field trials and the gun dogs.

00:15:27Yeah.

00:15:27But then, also, what I tend to mention with the working dogs

00:15:29is you have the dogs that are helping with disabilities.

00:15:32So, you've got the disability dogs

00:15:33and the awareness dogs,

00:15:35so medical detection dogs as well.

00:15:36And that comes under working as well.

00:15:38Yeah.

00:15:38A different line of working, yeah.

00:15:40A different line of working, yeah.

00:15:40It's because they have that propensity,

00:15:41because they're so intelligent.

00:15:42Yeah.

00:15:42They have that propensity to work in so many different aspects.

00:15:45So, we know that they're working in the fields

00:15:46and they can do well in retrieving,

00:15:48but they also work as companions,

00:15:50helping people in everyday life.

00:15:51It's a beautiful nature to please.

00:15:53Yeah.

00:15:53Exactly.

00:15:54Then they get tired, Sean.

00:15:55I presume they wear themselves out, do they?

00:15:56She doesn't, no.

00:15:57No.

00:15:59She'll work eight hours and then wind the others up.

00:16:02Yeah.

00:16:02No.

00:16:02I mean, look, they're absolutely so on it,

00:16:06but also very trainable.

00:16:08They're easy to train, but you have got to train them.

00:16:11Even though these are four years old,

00:16:13we still take them to training lessons

00:16:15and we still do a little bit of training even when walking.

00:16:17Even at four.

00:16:18Yeah.

00:16:19Oh, yeah.

00:16:19It never starts.

00:16:19And it's that importance of training,

00:16:21because the training acts as enrichment,

00:16:22stimulates their mind,

00:16:24and it stops them having those destructive personalities at home,

00:16:26because if they have all this energy

00:16:27and they can't have anywhere to outlet it,

00:16:29then they become a bit more destructive.

00:16:30Whereas if you're trained and working them,

00:16:32you're stimulating their mind,

00:16:33stimulating their nose,

00:16:34and using it for a good purpose,

00:16:35so they become a good dog.

00:16:38Yeah.

00:16:39Stimulation.

00:16:40Yeah.

00:16:40Well, we kept you standing still for too long, Rosie.

00:16:42I'm going to let you go now.

00:16:44Lovely.

00:16:45Lovely.

00:16:45Thank you very much.

00:16:46Pleasure.

00:16:48Thank you for coming.

00:16:50Okay, on to Simon with Eddie, Labrador,

00:16:53and Dorito, who is not?

00:16:55Dorito is a Dachshund.

00:16:57Yes.

00:16:58Yeah.

00:16:58So, now, why the pair?

00:17:00What's the two of them here?

00:17:01Um, well, we...

00:17:03So, Datsun is my son's dog, basically.

00:17:06Yeah.

00:17:06Of course, I end up walking him and doing nothing with him.

00:17:09Ah, yeah, the usual.

00:17:09But, um, with a really short coat,

00:17:12he doesn't like the wet at all.

00:17:13So, if it rains, he was like,

00:17:15I'm not coming out,

00:17:15and I had to drag him to come out,

00:17:17and one day I thought, hang on,

00:17:19the Labrador loves to go out.

00:17:21Why am I being the bad guy?

00:17:23So, I just gave him his lead.

00:17:24So, he leads him, which has its advantages,

00:17:26because, again, he's a working dog,

00:17:28and he's been trained for recall, et cetera,

00:17:30and when we go walking out in the commons,

00:17:32it's easy for me to tell him to go and get him.

00:17:35Now, that's novel.

00:17:37A dog doing the dog walk, rather.

00:17:39Do you know what?

00:17:40It's funny you say that,

00:17:41because it's something that I do see with Labradors,

00:17:43in terms of taking themselves for a walk.

00:17:44So, they often take their own lead,

00:17:46and then carry it along.

00:17:47But it's, again, that retrieving nature.

00:17:49So, they have it within them.

00:17:50They're almost bred for it,

00:17:52where they will pick up and retrieve it,

00:17:53and he's now looking after his own little friend, Dorito.

00:17:56And, again, it's like a testament to the breed,

00:17:57where they can get along with other dogs.

00:17:59So, there's a reason why they're a favourite for people,

00:18:01because they do get along in groups,

00:18:03whether it's the same Labrador,

00:18:04or whether it's a different dog.

00:18:06They do well in that kind of setting.

00:18:07Lovely to see you.

00:18:08Thanks very much.

00:18:09Now, we've got Jane coming in with Tosca.

00:18:13Now, I always think of Tosca as a female name,

00:18:15but then Tosca was Florida Tosca's surname.

00:18:17So, Tosca's...

00:18:18She is female.

00:18:19I guess Tosca's with me now.

00:18:21Sorry, she loves everybody.

00:18:22As you can see, she's a Ralph flower.

00:18:24There you are, glorious.

00:18:26I love a black lab here.

00:18:27Yeah.

00:18:28And Tosca's a nice, special case,

00:18:29because we know that the breed already,

00:18:33one of the big things that we look at with health conditions

00:18:35is their hips and their elbow.

00:18:37That's really important when it comes to Labradors,

00:18:39is making sure we check their hips, check their elbow,

00:18:41also checking the lineage to make sure that there's no history

00:18:44of those problems in the past.

00:18:45Now, Tosca's an example where she's had great hips and elbows,

00:18:49but when she was a puppy, accidents happen,

00:18:52and she still somehow managed to do damage to her hips.

00:18:55She started limping at three months,

00:18:56and she had to have an emergency op at five months,

00:18:59and they discovered that one of her back legs,

00:19:02I can't remember which, she'd cracked right up here.

00:19:05They had to replace the complete bone.

00:19:08And then she had to be crated for a long time.

00:19:11I couldn't move her.

00:19:12And then she had hydrotherapy on a wheel.

00:19:16Yeah.

00:19:16And I thought she was never going to be able to work or jump or swim.

00:19:21But once she'd recovered, sure enough, she's very lovely.

00:19:25Bionic Labrador.

00:19:26Exactly.

00:19:27So, she's absolutely, I mean, they did a fantastic job.

00:19:30From a health perspective,

00:19:31this is one of the things that you really want to continue with

00:19:34as they get older.

00:19:35So, as they get older, they get a little bit arthritic.

00:19:38Hydrotherapy and physiotherapy are all really important things

00:19:40to introduce to your dog,

00:19:41because it helps build that muscles, keep them strong,

00:19:43and stops them from feeling weak on their back legs.

00:19:45I mean, look.

00:19:46Butter with a milk.

00:19:47She'd like to be like this all day, every day.

00:19:52Oh, yeah, I want some cuddles too.

00:19:54It's not a dog that's not frightened of a vet.

00:19:57She doesn't know that yet.

00:19:59Sorry, I'm so slipped out.

00:20:01She gets so excited when she gets attention.

00:20:04Well, we're going to have to let you go now, Tosca.

00:20:06Tosca, come on.

00:20:06Just being a mother dog to me.

00:20:08Thank you so much.

00:20:09Lovely to see you.

00:20:10Thank you very much.

00:20:11Look at that.

00:20:12What a story.

00:20:13Sophie coming now with Martin, who's yellow,

00:20:16and Joy with Noli, another yellow.

00:20:18Now, so tell us about the relationship here.

00:20:21This is mother and daughter.

00:20:24Ah.

00:20:24Do you know, you look at the faces,

00:20:26and they're all so friendly, aren't they?

00:20:30It's such an open, loving face, I think.

00:20:34I know, I know.

00:20:34It's just that conformation, isn't it?

00:20:35It just makes them look so lovely.

00:20:36And as breeders, we have to protect that.

00:20:39We have to protect that temperament,

00:20:41their health and everything.

00:20:42So if people are thinking about having a lab,

00:20:44the important things to consider are

00:20:47looking at the health of the line.

00:20:48Yep, for sure.

00:20:49We've learned, yeah?

00:20:50Yeah, so looking at the health of the line,

00:20:52all the health conditions.

00:20:53So that's like their hips, their elbows, their eyes.

00:20:55You talk with your veterinary surgeon for some advice.

00:20:58Also checking their parents,

00:21:00being able to see the parents,

00:21:01being able to see the puppies when you're going to visit them,

00:21:03making sure that their kennel club approved.

00:21:05Those are all bits that you want to make sure.

00:21:06And then after that, it's making sure you have the time,

00:21:09the space, the commitment in order to look after these magnificent dogs.

00:21:13Well, thank you all for coming along today.

00:21:15Handfuls.

00:21:16I know what it takes to get a dog here.

00:21:18So, pleasure.

00:21:19Lovely to see you on.

00:21:20Thank you very much.

00:21:21Thank you very much indeed.

00:21:22Coming up is a good man to have on your side.

00:21:25From guiding Aladdin to keeping a watchful eye on Alexander Hamilton

00:21:28to causing chaos galore in Hadestown.

00:21:32Trevor Dion Nicholas putting the glad in gladiator

00:21:35in Disney's electrifying new musical Hercules.

00:21:38I'll be going from zero to hero with Trevor right after this.

00:21:56Welcome back to Love Your Weekend.

00:21:58And still ahead, Andy Clark's here with the very best in apres-ski tipples,

00:22:03including a half-hot chocolate with Ditchling Fling toffee vodka.

00:22:08And he's the nation's favourite cleric,

00:22:10who's navigated secret scandals and the occasional tricky sermon,

00:22:14Grantchester's Al Weaver on the unholy pleasures of Grantchester.

00:22:18Now, when it comes to bringing a bit of Disney magic to the West End stage,

00:22:23there's one man who can lift the roof off without lifting a wand.

00:22:28You're never just the same.

00:22:35Never a surprise.

00:22:41Never as before.

00:22:43Never trust as sure as the sun will rise

00:22:50Ho, ho, ho

00:22:55To the soul that's high

00:23:00To the soul that's high

00:23:03To the soul that's high

00:23:07Be the sweet and sweet

00:23:10Fighting you can't stand

00:23:13Loving you for gold

00:23:16Imagine what he's like in the shower

00:23:21Although in your powerful yet soulful role

00:23:23It's part of a magical Disney showcase

00:23:25In the presence of his Magister the King no less

00:23:28At the Royal Variety

00:23:29Does that give you an added frisson when you...

00:23:31I think so, I think if the King's present

00:23:33You've got to give as much gusto as you've got

00:23:35Yeah, absolutely

00:23:36But you have made these Disney roles

00:23:38You're stock in trade

00:23:39I mean, I love that one, I love that one

00:23:41Or rather nicely they're saying

00:23:43We love you for this, we love you for that

00:23:45I appreciate the work always

00:23:46Yeah, and Alan Menken clearly

00:23:47He's someone you admire hugely

00:23:50No, he's wonderful

00:23:51I'm Alan Menken

00:23:52We've been lucky to collaborate on so many different projects

00:23:55And he's always been so kind to me

00:23:57And for a lot of us people my age

00:23:59Those of us born in the 80s raised on the...

00:24:02Yes, don't push it too hard

00:24:04He's the soundtrack of our childhood

00:24:06Yes

00:24:06And of our youth

00:24:06And like, so yeah, it does lead that path through

00:24:10And so to get to work with that person is remarkable

00:24:12And for them to be as lovely as you can imagine

00:24:13Every time you interact with them

00:24:15Now last time you were on you were a bit cagey

00:24:17About what you're going to be doing next

00:24:18And now we know

00:24:19Yes, yes, yes

00:24:20You're in Hercules

00:24:21Absolutely, absolutely

00:24:22Disney's Hercules

00:24:23At Theatre Royal Drury Lane

00:24:24Playing Phil

00:24:26The role originally created by Danny DeVito for the animated film

00:24:29And getting to really put my own staple on it

00:24:31Because as you can see Danny and I have so many similarities

00:24:34In the way that we're cast and things

00:24:36But no, it's been awesome

00:24:37It's rather like Alan Schwarzenegger in Twins, isn't it?

00:24:39Oh, I love that movie, absolutely

00:24:40Yes, yes, yes, yes

00:24:42It's almost like going through a list, a litany of what you've done

00:24:45Because to do things like Hadestown

00:24:48To do Hamilton

00:24:49To do George Washington in Hamilton

00:24:51That I gather for you was a particular delight

00:24:54It was wonderful

00:24:54Hamilton is a show that has kind of cemented itself so much in the public

00:25:01Like everybody has this relationship to the music, to the story

00:25:04And having grown up in West Virginia

00:25:07At the time when George Washington was the first president of the United States

00:25:11It was all just Virginia

00:25:12And a lot of those areas overlap

00:25:14It's where I'm from

00:25:15And getting to play this iconic piece of American history

00:25:19And at the same time instill so much like truth and honesty and emotion into it

00:25:23It was phenomenal

00:25:24It was incredible

00:25:24Yeah, yeah, Hamilton

00:25:25Moving with a cousin

00:25:27A cousin

00:25:27Coming to suicide

00:25:29Left him with nothing

00:25:30But brewing pride

00:25:31Something new

00:25:32And signed up for his land

00:25:34Alex, you gotta offend for yourself

00:25:36It's time to retreat and read and have a treat

00:25:39It's time to tell

00:25:40There would have been nothing left to do for someone less astute

00:25:43He would have been dead or destitute without a sense of restitution

00:25:47Started working, working for his late mother's landlord

00:25:50Trading sugar cane and ramen for the things he can't afford

00:25:54Scouting for every book he can get his hands on

00:25:58One day for the future

00:25:59See him now

00:26:00As he stands on the bow of a ship

00:26:02Heading for a new land

00:26:04In New York you can be a new man

00:26:08Taking Hamilton to the heart of London at West End Live in Trafalgar Square

00:26:12But not in costume

00:26:13I mean, which obviously affects the performance to some degree

00:26:17Absolutely, absolutely

00:26:17But it was so groundbreaking, wasn't it?

00:26:19Absolutely

00:26:20It was incredible

00:26:21Hearing it again

00:26:21Like I got the same rush back through my spine that I got doing it for so many years

00:26:25And all of a sudden I miss taking a trip down the presidential path

00:26:31But it was a phenomenal show

00:26:33There's a reason that so many people have connected with it

00:26:35That people continue to know it word for word all the way through

00:26:39And look for different ways that they can find their path into seeing it

00:26:44And like it's still running

00:26:45It's still doing all the things that it's always done

00:26:48Which is changing the world through storytelling

00:26:50Tell me about the audiences on the two sides of the Atlantic

00:26:54Because you know, you perform over there, you perform over here

00:26:57How do they differ?

00:26:58And as an American performing there

00:27:00And as an American performing here in Britain

00:27:02What's the kind of dynamic for you?

00:27:04If I'm honest

00:27:05For me it's always been audiences feel like audiences

00:27:08They feel like they're there to enjoy the art that you're sharing

00:27:12They're there to cheer, scream, applaud

00:27:16And they want to have a good time

00:27:17And so like that

00:27:18As much as the cultural differences we find from person to person

00:27:21When you come into these audiences

00:27:22Especially in New York and London

00:27:24You have such international groups of people that come together

00:27:26This melting pot of experience

00:27:29Yeah, they're just happy to be along for the ride

00:27:31And that's the most wonderful thing

00:27:32But you're also involved in joyful shows really

00:27:35Which do lift people out of these things

00:27:36Sometimes, sometimes, sometimes

00:27:38Yeah, yeah, yeah

00:27:39The Hamilton gets a little sad at the end

00:27:42As did Hadestown and Next to Normal as well

00:27:45They all take a little dip

00:27:47But especially with the Disney shows

00:27:48With Aladdin, with Hercules

00:27:50Where we're there to give the audience a party and a good time

00:27:53At the end of Hercules

00:27:55I'm sure people have seen the clips online

00:27:57Of everybody during the curtain call

00:27:58The big dance break that happens in the audience as well

00:28:00It's wonderful

00:28:01Let's have a look at Hercules

00:28:03It's become quite an iconic number this

00:28:06Zero to Hero

00:28:06Oh, that time's all

00:28:10Earth was on a roll

00:28:12On a deep feeder

00:28:14Highly high

00:28:17And the nicest guy

00:28:18Not conceited

00:28:21He wasn't nothing

00:28:23Now he's a honcho

00:28:25Steer the high boy

00:28:26Bring it through

00:28:28Bill! Just get me to that temple! I'm going home!

00:28:33I'm a Zero to Hero

00:28:35I'm a Zero to Hero

00:28:36I'm a Zero to Hero

00:28:38I'm a Zero

00:28:40I'm a Zero

00:28:42I'm a Zero

00:28:43I'm a Zero

00:28:43Zero to Hero

00:28:51It's become quite an iconic song now

00:28:53Yeah, oh no, absolutely

00:28:54Zero to Hero is one of my favourites

00:28:55And our muses are iconic

00:28:57Like, they take the spirit of the animated film to another level

00:29:01And they continue to wow the audience

00:29:04The response our audiences give to them

00:29:06Is a whole other experience in and of itself

00:29:10You mentioned Next to Normal

00:29:12Which seems to occupy a particular place in your heart

00:29:15What's special about that?

00:29:16It was an incredible show

00:29:17It was a small cast of six

00:29:19And we all took really good care of each other

00:29:20It's a show that's now on NT Live

00:29:23People can see

00:29:23And it was phenomenal

00:29:25It was just a really special thing

00:29:27About a journey of a family

00:29:28And that journey with pain and grief and mental health

00:29:32And we tried to approach it

00:29:34With the most authentic way that we could

00:29:36And, yeah, I'm really proud of the work

00:29:38That all of us did in that show

00:29:40It's been really special to me

00:29:41Here it is

00:29:42Next to Normal

00:29:43Diana

00:29:44This way, please

00:29:55What did you just say?

00:29:57I said, welcome

00:29:58I'm Dr. Madden

00:30:00Have a seat

00:30:00It's nice to meet you

00:30:03Let's get it on now, baby

00:30:10Excuse me, what?

00:30:11I said, let's get started

00:30:12Are you nervous, Diana?

00:30:14I am a little

00:30:15A bit out of breath

00:30:18Tingly, actually

00:30:21Now you go

00:30:22Let's start by getting to know each other a bit

00:30:24Psychotherapy and medication work best in tandem

00:30:27But we can try the first alone

00:30:28And see how far we get

00:30:30Why don't you tell me?

00:30:31Baby

00:30:33What's your history?

00:30:35Where'd you go and who'd you see?

00:30:40Um, my history

00:30:44Just like going to your own GP really, isn't it?

00:30:47If only they did that, you'd feel so much better

00:30:49The audience reaction there

00:30:53It's quite

00:30:54That was what we aimed for

00:30:57We got exactly what we were seeking

00:30:58Absolutely

00:30:59And Casey Levy playing Diana

00:31:01And that was phenomenal

00:31:02One of the most incredible actresses I've ever worked with

00:31:04And she, another Disney link

00:31:06She was the original Elsa in Frozen on Broadway

00:31:09And so we kind of had a nice little odd Disney reunion

00:31:12In a very sad piece of theatre

00:31:14Yeah, challenging piece of theatre too

00:31:16Absolutely

00:31:17You started at the Donmar

00:31:18We started at the Donmar Warehouse

00:31:20Which is phenomenal

00:31:20A theatre I always wanted to work at

00:31:22A theatre I'd seen shows at

00:31:24Continue to go as a patron

00:31:25And experience the type of art that they put on there

00:31:28We had an awesome run at Windham's in the West End as well

00:31:32Does that make a difference?

00:31:33Where you're performing it?

00:31:34I mean, there's extremes there from the Donmar

00:31:36Where Next Normal started

00:31:38To, you know, either London Palladium or Drury Lane

00:31:43No, of course, I think it's always an adjustment

00:31:45Depending on your house

00:31:46Depending on your audience

00:31:47No two shows ever feel the same even in the same house

00:31:49But there is something about playing to the back of the house of Drury Lane

00:31:52Versus playing to the tenth row

00:31:54When people are only sat a few feet away from you at the Donmar

00:31:57And it is adjusting the way that you tell that story

00:32:01It's adjusting the way you're connecting with the other actors

00:32:03And being able and willing to find those differences is key

00:32:07When you talk about the Donmar and that performance

00:32:11You can tell them they were knocked back in their seats

00:32:13Oh, it was incredible, absolutely

00:32:14Because you're a powerful singer

00:32:16That's what I've heard

00:32:17That's what they say on the streets

00:32:18The Donmar, especially with the intimacy in that theater

00:32:24You can see everyone's face in the audience

00:32:26Which can be really jarring sometimes

00:32:27And it's such an emotional piece of theater

00:32:29It was our press night

00:32:30And I'll never forget

00:32:31I made the mistake of making eye contact with my father

00:32:34During an incredibly emotional scene

00:32:35And seeing his response to it

00:32:38And I was like, well, I won't make that mistake again

00:32:41But he was so close

00:32:42And everybody's seated so close in those instances

00:32:45That you can't not connect with people

00:32:47But in those large houses

00:32:48The applause feels like a wave of absolute emotion

00:32:51Knocks you over

00:32:52Yes

00:32:53Keep enjoying it

00:32:54I'll try, I'll try

00:32:55Always, always

00:32:56Always great

00:32:57For a lovely to see you again

00:32:58Yeah, thank you

00:32:58Thanks very much indeed

00:33:00Now, thankfully, so many of you have continued to brave the cold temperatures out there

00:33:05And share your adventures out and about in the countryside with us

00:33:08It's time to unleash your creative talents in today's Walk on the Wild Side

00:33:14Thank you

00:33:15Thank you

00:33:17Thank you

00:33:22Thank you

00:33:24Thank you

00:33:25Thank you

00:33:31Thank you

00:33:33Thank you

00:33:35Thank you

00:33:39Thank you

00:33:41Thank you

00:33:48Thank you

00:33:54Thank you

00:36:02zest for life time now for your voice of nature and with it being burns night who better to lead

00:36:09the way than gregor fisher and oh what thou in the cold blast with apologies to robert burns

00:36:24but wert thou in the cold blast on yonder lee on yonder lee my plady to the angry earth i'd

00:36:32shelter thee

00:36:34i'd shelter thee and what misfortune's bitter wind a runny blow a runny blow thy build would be my bosom

00:36:44to share it all to share it all

00:36:55oh thank you gregor a heartwarming song of love and hope to warm the spirits as the outside world

00:37:01gets chillier talking of which winter may be having the last word outdoors but indoors the plants are

00:37:08staging a full-scale takeover and frankly i don't blame them a good house plant can brighten a room

00:37:14far faster than i can find my secateurs here with a master class on the ones that really earned their

00:37:20spot on the shelf is houseplant expert claire lowry claire lovely to have you with us and i know you

00:37:26of old is the one how many house plants are you up to now in your house oh i think

00:37:30it's around the 300

00:37:31mark at the moment and it's a flat uh no it's now a house but it was a one-bedroom

00:37:36flat

00:37:36i think you have to be a house to get 300 plants i know well welcome thank you with i

00:37:42have to say it's

00:37:43lovely to see someone who brings their own plants in which are in a robust health they're shiny they're

00:37:48lustrous they're vibrant and green you clearly love them i i really do it's i could speak about it all

00:37:55day it's been just the best thing for my mental health and yeah just connecting me with nature in

00:38:01a way particularly i started obviously when i didn't have a garden and it was wonderful to be

00:38:05able to still garden from at the time my bedroom so surround yourself with greenery and then doing

00:38:10the atmosphere so much good as well as your spirits really yeah right tell us you've got some here

00:38:15that you reckon are pretty foolproof and that's what a lot of folk home will think oh great because

00:38:19i kill everything you know that sort of thing so what have you got for us yeah so i brought

00:38:23in some

00:38:23that i think uh very beginner friendly and very very hardy uh so starting off with this one here this

00:38:29is an

00:38:29agla nema silver queen uh and in fact i've got a couple of agla nema here that's on the top

00:38:35lustrous leaves you look at the leaves they've got this a great marbling on them of which is air

00:38:39isn't it inside the layers of the leaf which makes it either darker or lighter but lovely you you clean

00:38:45your plants as well i can see there's no dust on there to be honest a lot of the time

00:38:50i'll just get

00:38:50them in the shower and i'll give them a good wash down because it's easier take a house plant into

00:38:54the

00:38:55shower with you do not make the shower too hot so this is another glorious um shading on the leaf

00:39:01there on that one so aglaonema and just easy i mean i find it on the whole just a really

00:39:08brilliant

00:39:09brilliant genus it's really robust it typically does really well in lower levels of lights as well

00:39:14and this one here actually is one of my lowest maintenance because i've got it growing

00:39:18in a semi-hydroponic system oh right so there's water in here already there's a little reservoir

00:39:23at the bottom and as you can see this is just lava rock pumice lots of porous material because a

00:39:30lot

00:39:30of people they did just most folk kill plants by over watering them don't they but this one you've

00:39:34got sitting in water but the top half is not so it's getting its drainage there but it just means

00:39:40that i only have to fill its reservoir maybe once every couple of months if that really yeah this one

00:39:46lives in a relatively low light spot and it just remains looking really beautiful that wouldn't

00:39:51suit every i'll let you put that back up there it wouldn't suit every pot plant that would it but

00:39:55aglaonema is very happy with that so that's one reason why you're totally right there's some types

00:39:59of plant that i find don't get on with semi-hydro quite so well but aglaonema is is just one

00:40:04that

00:40:04loves it wonderful right next one uh and this one here this uh hoya crimson princess it's lovely

00:40:10variegation it's a this climbs as well you can train it as a climber you've got it as a trailer

00:40:15yeah i mean i've seen it trained up little trellises and things right yeah this is a lovely hoya with

00:40:20these glorious wax flower it's called isn't it yeah that's right when it flowers white flowers

00:40:25are the red center oh and they're pink when they come out the crimson princess is where it gets its

00:40:29name

00:40:29right i've not seen this one before it's lovely i've seen a variegated one but not the one with the

00:40:34pink

00:40:34so hoya crimson princess yeah that's right it's so lovely and i just think like if you're after a little

00:40:40splash of color but again something that i mean it's a semi-succulent it requires very little water

00:40:45it is variegated so that means it needs a little bit more light than something like aglaonema that's

00:40:50a good rule of thumb isn't it there's more variegation even more light the darker the greener the foliage

00:40:55the better they are in shade generally yeah absolutely lots of others here including mother-in-law's

00:41:01tongue that's right yeah that's a classic to have on the list isn't it and a really tough old brute

00:41:06isn't it really is although it's a succulent and obviously will prefer much higher levels of light

00:41:10it's super adaptable and can grow in literally your darkest corner my one lives in my hallway with

00:41:15barely any natural light and puts out lots of new growth that's really helpful here we've got now

00:41:20you've got an anthurium here yes that's what i love here is the difference as you pointed out between

00:41:27the immature leaves and the shape of the mature grown-up leaves it starts life like that just a little

00:41:34heart shape then we get these great sort of almost prehistoric shape it's amazing isn't it and i just

00:41:39i fell in love with this one the first time i saw it and yeah with every new leaf i

00:41:43get so excited

00:41:44because what's going to come next we must get you out more so talk us through um looking after and

00:41:52propagation and what we do about making more of our so propagation i've got actually quite a good example

00:41:57here that i brought this one is a syngonium chia pensae yeah and as you can see it's kind of

00:42:02growing

00:42:03off the moss pole that i've got it on uh and if you look at the top here you can

00:42:07see it's got

00:42:08really really good aerial roots yeah these yeah so i mean it's actually for for a lot of plants it

00:42:14might be quite difficult to spot the best way to kind of chop and propagate but with this one in

00:42:19fact

00:42:20grab myself and i'll take a cutting and show you

00:42:24because it's just there yeah you can see that that is where not only has it started rooting already but

00:42:29that's where it will continue to root from uh so we've got some sustainably sourced sphagnum moss

00:42:37and some little cups so you're a great cup collector i am such a cup collector whenever

00:42:42i go anywhere and they have cups i i put them in my bag and i leave with them and

00:42:46i think i'll use

00:42:47that for something planty and that one there good heat good light you absolutely like you don't reduce

00:42:52the leaf because sometimes you'd drop a leaf off to stop it transpiring you know sweating quite as

00:42:58much but that will support those leaves with what it's got with this one because it's got such defined

00:43:02aerial roots and there is a little bit of gap it should be fine you always risk losing the lower

00:43:07leaf

00:43:07you're totally right um but actually we have a little look at the begonia uh but this one doesn't

00:43:12have very defined aerial roots so if we just take a random cutting here yeah you're right the lower leaves

00:43:19will almost certainly start to rot there's almost no point in keeping them so if we just snip them off

00:43:24remove the lower leaves and that exposes the little bumps on the stem which you can actually see are

00:43:30quite similar to the bumps on the stem nodes yeah nodes here uh and that is again where the roots

00:43:37will

00:43:37grow from so again you can propagate in water you can propagate in moss so you just stick out in

00:43:41the jam jar

00:43:42if you want to be in the bottom seeing as you've got some moss here i'll double it up and

00:43:45i'll keep it in

00:43:45there and hopefully they should be rooting in the next few weeks or so but yeah it is as easy

00:43:50as that

00:43:50and here so this is a dracaena presumably yeah and you've got that there it is it's rooting beautifully

00:43:57in that bottle there and that's just a lump chopped off yeah i mean believe it or not this has

00:44:01been

00:44:01growing in this way for about two years now and it is i mean it's my lowest maintenance plant again

00:44:09it's one that does amazingly well in lower levels of light but i do nothing to it nothing to it

00:44:15at

00:44:15all so when people say to you what's the seat of success with house plants i'd say the biggest one

00:44:19though something you touched on earlier over watering i think that is definitely somewhere where i went

00:44:24wrong for a very long time because they'll recover from under watering they'll wilt due to under

00:44:29watering you water and they come back up if they wilt due to over watering which they can it's reverse

00:44:34osmosis they don't recover from that do they at all i mean if the roots of your plants start to

00:44:38rot and then if it's

00:44:39spreads to the rhizome and you i mean things go downhill so quickly claire this has been lovely

00:44:43it's lovely to see them so healthy lovely to get tips from someone who knows how to grow 300 different

00:44:49house plants come back and see us again soon absolutely i will thanks very much indeed

00:45:00as racehorse lovers here at love your weekend last week we jumped at the chance to visit world

00:45:06renowned trainer paul nichols yard to see how his team gear up for the jump season so when itv racing

00:45:13then invited us to cheltenham's november meeting well we couldn't accept fast enough one of the

00:45:20highlights of the racing calendar this thrilling three-day festival hosts the paddy power gold cup

00:45:26one of the first major races of the jump season drawing thousands of spectators we joined former national

00:45:34hunt jockey and itv racing presenter alice plunkett for an exclusive behind the scenes look at this

00:45:41iconic race

00:45:52at grandstands observing bad in fourth place on the outside well welcome to cheltenham race course the

00:45:57home of national hunt racing it's been the scene of racing for over 200 years

00:46:02high flower two links further away it's the most perfect sporting arena it's like a beautiful amphitheater

00:46:08that sits behind cleave hill with these extraordinary grandstands about to welcome over 30 000 people

00:46:16and the paddy power gold cup is one of the early targets for everybody to win this means yeah my

00:46:23season's okay the monkey's off your back this hill is so famous if you can get up this hill

00:46:29in front your name is put in the history book but this is the one where the fans really start

00:46:35to

00:46:36enjoy it the reins come the footing is perfect for the horses and so really the big guns start to

00:46:41come

00:46:41out at this november meeting harry codden is a champion jockey and when you talk to him he says it's

00:46:4820

00:46:48percent talent but 80 psychology mental preparation is as important as physical preparation when you're

00:46:56riding for six or seven different owners and multiple different trainers in a day and then

00:47:01you've got to work out how you're going to actually win on these horses there's a lot going on in

00:47:04a day

00:47:04so when i get home i i would go down to the farm and just walk around and it takes

00:47:09my mind off the

00:47:10racing and you know if you're not careful it gets old you and you start overthinking things

00:47:15i won't see harry until he comes in the paddock but he's probably thinking about any cows he can

00:47:19buy at market on monday knowing him and he's dead relaxed and laid back had a lovely winner yesterday

00:47:23so he's in good form harry codden is paul nichols's stable jockey so he has a good relationship with

00:47:29most of the horses and il rodoto who he rides in the feature race today he's ridden several times

00:47:34before he knows the horse really well paul nichols is dangerous when he targets a race he'll have been

00:47:41planning this for a long time for il rodoto who of course is the returning champ and paul's won the

00:47:48last two runnings of this race it would be an incredible achievement to make the hat trick

00:47:56he's in great shape very happy with him we had a lovely winner yesterday so we're in good form

00:48:00only thing i'm a bit concerned about is all the amount of rain that fell yesterday he's a slightly

00:48:04better horse on better ground when it's drier

00:48:07so yesterday was absolutely biblical in terms of the weather here we had about 80 millimeters of

00:48:13rain in one day which was crazy that's left conditions today heavy soft in places it's going

00:48:18to be muddy it's going to be grinding it out and of course the prize money today's a big pot

00:48:23it matters

00:48:23it's 91 000 to the winner the jockey gets 10 percent the trainer gets 10 percent and then the owner

00:48:29takes

00:48:29the rest for anybody it's a significant amount of money the paddy power gold cup is underway

00:48:35gelton poses its own challenges stamina speed balance because one minute you're up next minute

00:48:41you're running down you're jumping a fence up a hill you're jumping a fence down a hill and as a

00:48:45rider that means you always have to be thinking and in tune of how the horse is balanced underneath you

00:48:51i said you don't want that was a big key in the early doors we've got a spd

00:48:54run harry there's a lady vest perfecto panic attack we're all here together celebrating cheering

00:49:15shouting

00:49:15thought the ground would beat him

00:49:23so for harry cobden he'll know you win some you lose some it's a 25 strike rate if you're doing

00:49:29well

00:49:30the great thing is it's a three-day meeting here so that means we've got what 21 races

00:49:35paul nichols and harry cobden teamed up with a really impressive young horse yesterday

00:49:42they'll be taking that away and that'll be giving them hope for the future

00:49:48wow what a day thank you to alice paul harry and all the team at cheltenham and itv racing truly

00:49:56inspiring stuff coming up don't be fooled by its chocolate box appearance it's actually cambridge's

00:50:04most murderous village al weaver talks murder mystery and mayhem in the seemingly quiet 1950s

00:50:12cambridgeshire village of grantchester i'll see you with owl for some heavenly chat

00:50:17right after this

00:50:47welcome back

00:50:48and feel like you're missing out on the ski season if you're not andy clark's here to show

00:50:53us how to appray at home with his pick of the warming cocktails for your very own ski party

00:50:59but first what happens when you combine quintessential cambridge scenery crime-solving capers

00:51:06and cassocks well you get a tv series that's something of a favorite at ditch marsh towers

00:51:11hello mother mark my words families never bring happiness has he been a bit tipsy recently

00:51:20people lash out when they're insecure when they risk losing everything

00:51:25leonard doesn't have it in him you'll have it in us i'll be

00:51:29i will do whatever it is i don't care don't be trying to pin this on me everyone who witnessed

00:51:34a

00:51:35murder today hands up too many suspects not enough clues oh joining me now grantchester's

00:51:40leonard finch otherwise known as owl weaver welcome al been through quite a few vicars there but

00:51:47fairly steady curate carries on going yeah yeah well not a curate anymore is he but i know yeah

00:51:53yes i won't say defrocked yeah yeah defrocked indeed but yeah third the third vicar such a troubled soul

00:51:59yeah leonard yeah he is yeah ergo probably a wonderful part to play it is it's like it's all

00:52:05the best parts aren't they the ones that are like they just keep throwing stuff at them yeah i mean

00:52:10when we started i think it was he was kind of just the comedy relief along with like tessa and

00:52:16um a couple of other people it's kind of just all sort of light stuff but then it started going

00:52:20into his sort of personal life and his sexuality and all that sort of stuff and uh and then they

00:52:24just keep just like i said just throwing everything at him and it's great because for me it's every

00:52:30year we come back and you know we talk about it off season and say what can we do you

00:52:35know but again

00:52:35you know this year we find him and he's he's really happy ish happy as happy as he can be

00:52:41as he can be

00:52:41as he can be and then he's dissatisfied and then some outs happens and but for me it's it's a

00:52:47great

00:52:47joy to just kind of navigate all those different things that that we all experience i guess so was

00:52:52there a moment if you came in as the sort of comedy relief and light relief was there a moment

00:52:55when

00:52:55a script came you thought oh oh we're moving away a bit here from the the jolly i mean it's

00:53:01weird you

00:53:02know 11 years is such a long time and i kind of look back now and i was thinking about

00:53:08it and on the

00:53:09way up here and i was like god i remember those first days with james and you know just just

00:53:14being

00:53:14nervous and coming in and being told a bit bigger a bit less you know trying to find that balance

00:53:19of

00:53:19what the tone of the character is let's have a look at you this is i think right back at

00:53:23the beginning

00:53:24when you're your first episode you were young yeah two things page 13 i think you'll find it most

00:53:35useful and mr finch he's a curate i told you about the homosexuals looking for work leonard this is

00:53:47sydney chambers i've been in search of shortbread i have recently completed my theological training

00:53:59and consider myself ready for a proper parochial position

00:54:05you involve yourself in all areas of the community i imagine bible study fundraising for the mission

00:54:12there is and what not how well do you know miss young as well as opportunity allows she's out most

00:54:21of

00:54:21the time with men one of them sends her poems really are they any good dreadful although i suppose the

00:54:33name daphne is difficult to rhyme

00:54:38i'd forgotten the mustache you know we all forgot the mustache

00:54:45yeah that lasted one i think it was one episode yeah i think mrs c or usually mrs m is

00:54:51just like

00:54:52you gotta get rid of that mustache was it your did you have it when you went in there or

00:54:56did you grow it

00:54:57for it no it was it was in the script so what yeah i yeah i grew it i grew

00:55:01it for it and it takes me a

00:55:02to grow a mustache and then you shave it off after day but i remember when we that was the

00:55:06first time

00:55:07that was my first day uh the first time i we had met james at the read through but that

00:55:11was our first

00:55:11scene together and you come and they done they put the stuff on done my hair yeah did the mustache

00:55:17and

00:55:17i thought i was going to get fired honestly i was just like i look ridiculous i thought this is

00:55:22it i'm

00:55:22just going to walk on set and they'll be like we've made a mistake and i got on and emma

00:55:27and days of

00:55:28producers and they were just like this is perfect and it lee it just helps you just get into it

00:55:34because the way he looks kind of you know it it it navigates the way you perform it i think

00:55:40as

00:55:40well it doesn't there were people out was it greta garber had to have the feet right she would

00:55:44compare she'd act a lot in carpet slippers underneath that big dressing queen christina

00:55:49i remember beryl reed had to get the shoes right she said it's interesting isn't it which

00:55:54particular parts of your your body or your persona or whatever need to feel right it's not just all

00:56:00in the head there's got to be no no exactly it's not on the head no a lot of a

00:56:04lot of people shoes

00:56:05are a big thing um but with these costumes as well because they're quite tight and they they ride up

00:56:11you a bit and you know when you've got there yeah you've got the dog collar on that kind of

00:56:15does a

00:56:15lot for you as well along with things like call the midwife you deal with really quite tough issues

00:56:20and particularly with your character with daniel the homosexuality aspect of the 1950s yeah you

00:56:27know and the agonism the torment that went on at that time yeah it was horrible i mean my my

00:56:33late

00:56:33grandma i remember she she came to well she well she came to see a play i did um which

00:56:38had similar

00:56:38themes actually but um i remember her watching this and and she was like well you know what we always

00:56:43remember that guy at the bottom of the street says we all knew we all knew one of those those

00:56:48men at the

00:56:48bottom of the street who like was really good friends with the other guy and and i thought that

00:56:52was really it's really sad but it's you know really sweet as well as you know sort of leonard and

00:56:56daniel

00:56:57later on kind of living together but yeah i mean you know the homosexuality was not legal until the

00:57:04late 60s so it's a horrible place for him to be and the fact that this village well not even

00:57:11the village

00:57:12but you know mrs c and his friends and whatever kind of accept him um is gorgeous but that's i

00:57:17mean

00:57:17that's to do the writers the writers are just fantastic and i think that period the 50s is very

00:57:22much a backwater in history because it's immediately the decade immediately post-war yeah before the

00:57:28swinging 60s which is well documented everybody knows about 40s the war but the 50s i was born in

00:57:3349 so my childhood was right the way through the 50s okay um and it was it was a time

00:57:40of privation

00:57:42but also a time of britain getting its breath back yeah you were glad to come home when there

00:57:46was still a house there you knew it hadn't been bombed and so it was it really was that sort

00:57:51of

00:57:52oof and then the 60s jacked up but things like you know the issues that you cover in there

00:57:58people are sort of forgotten about because it 20s and 30s again very historic and the 50s

00:58:03still seems to a lot of us of a certain age quite recent yeah it isn't of course and your

00:58:08relationship

00:58:09with daniel that was interesting well that good here is you and and daniel in one of your moments

00:58:16braver than you know

00:58:23who is he daniel it gets easier with time what living with a broken heart

00:58:34i'd be very pleased if you said yes

00:58:43daniel this is leonard my fiancee how do you do how do you do

00:58:53maybe people aren't ready for us to be honest we should at least be honest with ourselves

00:59:04you always look for the best of people i'm very lucky you do for my sake at least

00:59:16you've been the light in my life i know that might sound trite that sounds rather wonderful actually

00:59:28the agony of it all you know oh goodness did it take it out of you doing things like that

00:59:34i mean

00:59:34yeah there's total commitment there isn't there in terms of emotion i mean it's yeah yeah i think

00:59:40what you know we always anyone who comes into grantchester and anyone who is on it has always

00:59:47just given 100 like emotionally and uh committed to the story and that's been the joy of it because

00:59:55you know as much as we laugh a lot on that set when this poignant stuff and and things that

01:00:01matter and

01:00:02things like that we take it you you have to you have to put yourself there and you have to

01:00:06invest in

01:00:07that and um yeah that is that is gorgeous that okay it's like we've finished that and it's just like

01:00:13looking at back i'm like oh my gosh you've also taken on a directing role now yes

01:00:18scary very very very scary yeah yeah i was gonna do it the year before and i kind of bottled

01:00:23it i

01:00:24i was just like oh god and tom brittany me and tom brittany had a we're drinking wine one night

01:00:29away filming and we're like right we're gonna ask the director and we can do this and da da da

01:00:33and

01:00:33he did it and i didn't and and i i watched in the next year and i was like why

01:00:38didn't you

01:00:39why did you do that yeah and then so then we talked about it and i went forward and but

01:00:44such a lot to

01:00:44take on board you're in it at the same time as directing it it's not as if you're taking an

01:00:49episode out to direct no i mean they they go a little lighter when i'm doing my episodes uh apart

01:00:55from last year which is some of the daniel stuff this year which is is going to be on uh

01:00:59in what

01:01:00it's on now but um yeah that that's hard because you've got quite emotional stuff and also what's weird

01:01:05is if i'm in a scene with you say you're ollie dimsdale who's daniel and i'm i'm trying to cry

01:01:11but i've got a monitor and i'm trying to like line the shot up i'm like okay if you just

01:01:15move a little

01:01:16to your just move it to your left and then we'll do the scene oh it's great ollie it's great

01:01:20um maybe

01:01:21just on that line maybe it's like it's it's a very surreal strange you can't totally give yourself to

01:01:28the action because you're here as well yeah and the last two series now yeah we're about to see

01:01:34the we're saying the the penultimate series another one done you are done we are doing just it it's

01:01:39finished another series to come after this one but yeah well and a big um farewell party i gather you

01:01:44had a good we had a good rap party yeah even even robson came even even robson came he never

01:01:50he'd

01:01:51never been he's never been to a rap party he didn't come uh and then this year i i don't

01:01:55know why

01:01:56why do you came i think it was something he had at adr the next day or something oh no

01:01:59we had an

01:01:59interview that day so he's like fine i'll come he was dancing for three hours i've never seen anything

01:02:03like it but it was good it was a real james norton dropped in as well the weirdest we we

01:02:09went for dinner

01:02:09at soho house me rishi um tessa casey bradley and and robson and we're having dinner and uh we're just

01:02:19talking and casey's face just went oh and then robson went oh and we all

01:02:26turned around it was james just like walking him and like we always went james and so i just

01:02:31stopped and he went whoa like what so he came over sat down had dinner with us and then uh

01:02:37he was going

01:02:38to play and then he came but we had tom there james there and rishi there yeah and it was

01:02:43gorgeous and

01:02:43it was all the producers the dlps the you know the whole crew that's the you know that's what people

01:02:49forget is that you know for a lot of the 11 years that we've done it is the the family

01:02:54aspect of the

01:02:55crew that's there all the you know whether that's the sparks or the the chippies or the you know who

01:03:00like everybody has been there for so long uh and you know we're all gonna miss we're gonna miss that

01:03:06but you know i think we've we've done as much as we can do the actor's life off to new

01:03:12pastures

01:03:14you've got you know career behind you as well i mean you alternated hamlet with ben wish all

01:03:18way back yeah my first first gig it's not bad is it no no of course it pleases me no

01:03:25end that you've

01:03:26got a garden i mean loosely a garden it's it's it's a courtyard it's not even a court i mean

01:03:32you know

01:03:32it's a courtyard at the back of the house that gets a lot of wind and i was like what

01:03:36can i do with it

01:03:37till those years of watching ground force were your mum paid off do they yeah they're told yeah

01:03:41yeah that's amazing i can't believe it we were such you know it was those fright it's friday nights

01:03:46wasn't it it was i think it's friday night so i think you guys were on you guys were on

01:03:50eight

01:03:51yeah and then roseanne was on at nine and then there was someone on from half nine to ten and

01:03:56then

01:03:56whose line is it anyway was on and that was mine and my mum's sort of friday nights and we

01:04:01used to

01:04:02watch that religiously it was great look we look forward to lots more alan oh thank you alan

01:04:06lovely to have you on lovely to talk to you come back and see us when you're doing something else

01:04:09thank you for having me thank you our pleasure

01:04:17still ed andy clark's raising the bar with apres ski cocktails guaranteed to warm you up faster than a

01:04:24log cabin and a cheese fondue and as coronation street's evelyn plumber her remarks can definitely

01:04:30sting but away from the cobbles maureen lippman dbe is one of the most entertaining raconteurs

01:04:36you could ever encounter i'll see you with maureen for some scintillating chat and much more after this

01:04:54welcome back to love your weekend still ahead we're on the piste in today's best of british no change

01:05:01there then andy clark's here with the apres ski tipples we can all be enjoying this winter but first

01:05:08every soap needs a matriarch and corrie certainly has theirs outspoken sharp-tongued and with a lovely

01:05:16line in one-liners can only be one woman if i ever find out who took you you'll wish you'd

01:05:26never been

01:05:42born a little early for this sort of thing good morning officer well if you lot did your job

01:05:47properly we wouldn't have to resort to things like this you call yourself public servants

01:05:53i'd like to know who you're serving i shall ignore that remark madam now this is a public

01:05:57place so if you and your friend wouldn't mind no no no he's not my friend no he's only here

01:06:02because i needed his woody this is referring to my yes but you know between you and me to be

01:06:07honest

01:06:08i've seen more life in a mint imperial we're not getting very far well you've obviously got nothing

01:06:14better to do feel free to join in okay out of the car hey i'm sorry i'm still not quite

01:06:22sure what we've

01:06:22done no of course you are come on out you're just having a good time really aren't you maureen honestly

01:06:28i'm just rambling on aren't i you know what's that written or did you just make it up as you

01:06:32go on i've

01:06:33no idea i think it was written to be fair but alan halsell who plays my grandson he does always

01:06:39say to me

01:06:39before we start the scene will you be saying anything that's in the script and uh i do try

01:06:45very hard to do that but that was a particularly funny he's great david nielsen isn't he yeah

01:06:51he's so good as roy's been in it for 9 000 years you know and he always looks so baffled

01:06:57and just creased you know that kind of what yes i know i know he's a very good actor not

01:07:03present

01:07:04yeah yeah when you've been in that since 2018 so seven years is it seven yeah yes well once you

01:07:11get

01:07:11in there time just stands still you know and it's very good for an elderly brain because you as you

01:07:17know you have to learn every night and then throw it away learn again you know six scenes five scenes

01:07:23whatever it is and when when you stop doing it because i'm kind of out now really my character has

01:07:29gone to university to study um law with a special emphasis on canine law don't ask me what it means

01:07:38but i mean you might get the ology at last it's been long enough coming up really 37 years or

01:07:46something

01:07:47since that ology i've just been writing about it actually and not a week goes by but that somebody

01:07:52doesn't say hmm have you still got an ology and i have to smile and think it's the wittiest thing

01:07:59anybody's ever said so yes um so i'm out probably out of that i don't know because it's wonderful when

01:08:07you can pop back it's so nice if you're a northerner alan to go and work up north because you

01:08:13suddenly

01:08:14all the pretension drops out of you yes yes because you stop worrying about whether you're going to say

01:08:20i do it near yeah or do the thora heard voice hello um and you just and you know when

01:08:28you go

01:08:29into reception and they say are you all right then maureen yeah have you had a nice weekend and you

01:08:34just feel oh that's it that's it now you know i have a a film somewhere i wish you could

01:08:41find it of me

01:08:41on the parkinson show having just left lambda and i'm dressed up like a christmas tree and and he's

01:08:48saying to me so you're just out and you've got a film and i'm saying i know and i think

01:08:53the wonderful

01:08:53thing is that one can use one's own accent now because of people like tom courtney and albert finney

01:09:00you know i can speak in my own act and you just want to slap her i remember all those

01:09:06years ago

01:09:06meeting your mom's over and now what did she make of it i mean because because you were from hull

01:09:12and i

01:09:13remember once going and talking to the hull literary and philosophical society and there's a lady there

01:09:17in charge of who pronounced it hull as opposed to old yeah as opposed to old yes no she she

01:09:23loved

01:09:24she loved all the things about show business that i really don't i mean i used to take her with

01:09:30me

01:09:30to lots of you know whatever i was doing in the day and she'd say oh i love doing one

01:09:35thing after another

01:09:36with no space in between don't you no basically no i like um lounging about and doing very little really

01:09:46but over the years um people have you know if i speak at a function they always say how was

01:09:53your mother

01:09:54well she was a force to be reckoned with she was she really was and um oh god there's so

01:10:00many

01:10:00stories but buckingham palace was you just because i took her with me when i got a gong and we

01:10:06came

01:10:07out through a little side entrance and just three steps and no uh no handrail oh she said you can't

01:10:14believe there's no banister can you and i said no matter that and then we went home and we had

01:10:20i could

01:10:21hear her in the kitchen the whole night long saying hello uh hello are you there hey gene i've been

01:10:29to

01:10:29buckingham palace with maureen you can't believe it when you come out there's no banister anyway i

01:10:34can't talk because maureen what's got someone coming through hello i say beauty won't believe

01:10:39it i've been to buckingham palace when you come out there's no i can't talk it was fabulous absolutely

01:10:45fabulous you know yeah i've been dining out on her for many many years now life has changed since you

01:10:52last on the show here you have got married congratulations thank you and i gather you did

01:11:01the proposing uh well we sort of talked about it in a jocular fashion you know but our ages were

01:11:08added up to 158 so we um david had lost his wife um i had lost my partner during covid

01:11:16uh guido and

01:11:20and then this bloke comes along and asks me for a date a date not a date since the old

01:11:25king died

01:11:27so and we went for a walk in hertfordshire and um you know he said he fell in love with

01:11:32me when i

01:11:33came out of the toilet which interesting must have been flushed anyway um yeah so we were on a train

01:11:41coming back from edinburgh yes and he said that it was a particular day in the jewish calendar

01:11:48uh that was a sort of like valentine's day in a way said oh yes it's a it's a joyous

01:11:53day it's a happy

01:11:53day and it's apparently a day when women can ask men to marry them so you wouldn't pass that one

01:12:00up if

01:12:00you were a comedian would you you know i slid under the table on the train and i said will

01:12:05you marry me

01:12:05and he said are you serious and i said oh heck yeah go on then so that's how it happened

01:12:12and we had this

01:12:13amazing day it was 12 weeks ago we're still married it was 12 weeks ago and we had it in

01:12:18his son's uh

01:12:19garden in highgate and it was a beautiful day and i came out to go under this chuppah with the

01:12:27most

01:12:28beautiful flowers down the side and it was the day that kia starmer was testing all the um

01:12:34you know all the sirens when all our phones rang so we sort of knew that but had forgotten but

01:12:41the

01:12:41rabbi shlammer was very clever and he said i i had a word with kia starmer he said he's sorry

01:12:45he can't

01:12:46be here but he's alerted the whole of england at that moment every single mobile phone in the 182

01:12:53mobile phones just went sorry about that sound man and and it was so extraordinary and so wonderful and

01:13:02different and you know your latest entertaining foray on the screen is the great escapers and you

01:13:10went to malta who with i went to malta with tanisha gore from aisha in um correy and andy wyman

01:13:17now a

01:13:18lot of those times we don't get to work together because there are 90 actors in it and the two

01:13:23and

01:13:23we're in blocks pink block green block so i'm as big as your head anyway so i thought it would

01:13:28be

01:13:28really nice to go to this place and to actually find out who i'm working with because on every job

01:13:35you make six friends and and then you carry them on with you through your life so and it was

01:13:41wonderful

01:13:41we just fell in love with one another let's have a look at you go on then i've learned flamenco

01:13:47in my

01:13:48time i've learned tango but i don't have an opportunity to use them

01:13:56bravo bravo do you like the dance oh yes yes we'd love to come on yeah i can't do the

01:14:02smiddy bit i'm

01:14:03going to be okay doing this in sliders yeah so what we'll be doing is we'll be going around

01:14:10going to your face don't worry okay okay here we go inside okay it's been a surreal day i did

01:14:18not

01:14:18expect the day to end like that i didn't expect us while we're dancing together yeah what a way to

01:14:24end

01:14:24it what a brilliant way it's been gorgeous i think i think it's really brought us together i think it's

01:14:28been a really really lovely day that's the one i love that maureen we're going into the metro now

01:14:42maureen doing her michael portillo with tanisha guri without the red trousers with tanisha and

01:14:48and yes well done um uh yes and then you know as with all these things they sort of sit

01:14:54you down and

01:14:54you have to spill about your life which is terribly embarrassing but you do it and it made a nice

01:15:01little travelogue and you're about to do the ultimate really it's back on the boards in in allegra come may

01:15:07which is this new play comedy about a woman who has very little self-editing by the sound of things

01:15:14yes

01:15:15it is uh called allegra it's written by the same writer who did um glorious which is the play about

01:15:22florence foster jenkins yes who couldn't sing and thought she could and it became a film with meryl

01:15:28streep and the director of that film stephen frears came to see me um and said to talk about and

01:15:34i knew

01:15:35he wasn't going to use me but i said who who have you got in it and he said meryl

01:15:39streep and i said

01:15:40oh no that's not right i said you want francis mcdormand what do i know anyway this play is about

01:15:48it's good for our times because it's about a woman who is it's a dotty but relentlessly happy

01:15:54and nobody she goes into places and she sings and she entertains and nobody wants her and so they're

01:16:00really trying to make her miserable like everybody else but of course when she is it's they don't like

01:16:07her that way and i'm going to tour which now that i've got nicely settled uh i'm loath to do

01:16:12but you have

01:16:13to so i shall pack up my my you know um thank god i don't have a dog this time

01:16:19because the last time

01:16:19i toured the dog ate every dressing room i was in i had to pay or everywhere i went for

01:16:26this dog you

01:16:27know uh so a daunting prospect taunt touring well tiring at this time of life but i mean look at

01:16:35am

01:16:35reid you know she was out there at 90. she's in new york at the moment at 90. i know

01:16:39i got texts from her

01:16:41do you when are you nice and coming out because this shopping out is wonderful it's lovely she is

01:16:46she's on cloud nine out there ambitious in a good way actor i've ever met she's fabulous and um yes

01:16:54i

01:16:54mean every every day is some sort of a surprise you know it's a it's a difficult world to live

01:17:01in

01:17:01at the moment if you're of my persuasion and sticking your head above the parapet is no fun

01:17:07it's scary um but then something comes along that that is uplifting yeah and that's important

01:17:14yeah well you keep doing that bit because that's what you're good at yes thank you you too

01:17:21thank you now before we get in the apres mood in this week's best of british which is really the

01:17:27only reason that maureen came here i love a nice app right yeah time to take a moment of calm

01:17:33and

01:17:33reflection in today's ode to joy

01:17:38oh

01:17:47oh

01:17:48oh

01:18:17ORGAN PLAYS

01:18:48ORGAN PLAYS

01:18:52That was Batalak in Cornwall, courtesy of Simon Smith,

01:18:56and set to the voice of Jupiter by Johann Sebastian Bach.

01:19:00Coming up, Andy Clark's here with the warming cocktails,

01:19:03perfect for the slopes, or for those of us whose skiing is strictly limited to the sofa.

01:19:08I'll be slipping into the apres mood.

01:19:10Ski boots, very much optional, except for you, Andy.

01:19:13Right after the break.

01:19:16MUSIC

01:19:29Best of British time, and we're going slightly off-piste this week

01:19:33to celebrate a time on the tradition synonymous with glamorous winter holidays.

01:19:38Apres Ski, the real fun that starts after the skiing bit,

01:19:41showing us how to create an alpine knees-up at home

01:19:44with a selection of the finest slope-side libations.

01:19:48And I'm glad I'm saying that before we drink that.

01:19:51Drinks expert Andy Clark's here to start the ski party

01:19:53with the cosy cocktails guaranteed to warm your toes,

01:19:57your spirits, your cockles,

01:19:59and quite possibly your entire outlook on January.

01:20:02Anyway, I've never seen such an exotic-looking, snow-filled collection of bottles.

01:20:07Absolutely, but I thought after the skiing, we need to warm ourselves from within.

01:20:11I'm not great at the skiing, but I'm good at the eating and drinking afterwards.

01:20:14So, we're going to get going.

01:20:16I've got a drink here, the one with the little slice of apple on it.

01:20:19This is called Ski It to Believe It.

01:20:21And you won't believe...

01:20:23He makes all this up, you know.

01:20:25He's still employing.

01:20:28So you won't believe that this is delicious without the alcohol.

01:20:31So the base of this is a drink called Chida.

01:20:33Imagine spiced apple juice with chai spices.

01:20:36So it's a chida.

01:20:37It's from Somerset.

01:20:38It's from a company called Herbie Four.

01:20:41And I have added to that Chilino non-alcoholic dark and spicy spirit.

01:20:47Can't you shoot at the back of the throat with cinnamon or something?

01:20:49Now, I'll tell you what I've done to replace that...

01:20:52Would a bit of ginger go well with this?

01:20:53It would.

01:20:54Now, you want to replace...

01:20:55If you're not going to have alcohol in a drink,

01:20:57I think you want to replace it with a bit of fun.

01:20:58So what I've done is added a tiny dash of balsamic vinegar to this

01:21:02to give it a little zing.

01:21:04When you say it, you can taste it, but not unpleasantly.

01:21:07Yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:21:08If it's used to measure...

01:21:09It's got a...

01:21:10Are you not sure?

01:21:11No, it's got a little...

01:21:13It's got a little...

01:21:14Yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:21:15You sort of want that kick,

01:21:17otherwise it could end up just tasting like an overbaked apple.

01:21:20Very nice.

01:21:20Is that alcoholic or non-alcoholic?

01:21:22That is non-alcoholic.

01:21:23That's non-alcoholic.

01:21:24No alcohol in there whatsoever.

01:21:25So it's just got to like the...

01:21:26Can I put a little bit of that in it?

01:21:28Oh, well, I can open one up for you.

01:21:29Actually, yes, you could.

01:21:30See, you could make that

01:21:31and then add your favourite little alcoholic tipple as well.

01:21:34But I think that's a really nice one

01:21:35to have at any time of day.

01:21:37No, this would be lovely, honestly, before a show.

01:21:39Like, truly, especially with it being non-alcoholic.

01:21:41Great for the vocal.

01:21:42Yeah, absolutely.

01:21:42That heat's going to be good.

01:21:43It's all good for you.

01:21:44Okay.

01:21:44Oh, I love that.

01:21:45With the second cocktail, I'm calling this Snow Much Fun.

01:21:49And I've made a little rim of snow using desiccated coconut.

01:21:55Now, this is a nod to a very popular apreski drink called a demi-pesh,

01:21:59which would be a light beer or a lager with a peach syrup or a peach liqueur.

01:22:04So I have used a little peach puree added to a wonderful beer called Flying Buffalo,

01:22:10authentic Indian beer.

01:22:11Used to be made in the Himalayas, using many things to make the beer,

01:22:16including basmati rice, which was helping the local farmers.

01:22:19They now make it in Bristol because it's so popular over here.

01:22:21And it's just a beautiful beer for a barbecue

01:22:24or as a sort of demi-pesh in the winter.

01:22:27It's really light.

01:22:28It doesn't feel like it hits too hard, especially coming off the apple.

01:22:31It really feels refreshing over the tongue,

01:22:35as opposed to over-indulgent.

01:22:37Oh, good.

01:22:37You've got to be careful about getting the balance.

01:22:39You want it to still taste of that wonderful lager,

01:22:41but you want the fruitiness.

01:22:43And I know some people are a bit funny about using cider or lager in cocktails,

01:22:46but I think they can really work.

01:22:47What do we reckon?

01:22:48Maureen?

01:22:49I like the coconut around the edge.

01:22:52Something for everyone.

01:22:53I'm feeling a bit desiccated.

01:22:56Travis, do you like that one?

01:22:57I like this one.

01:22:58I genuinely like how light it hits,

01:23:01and so it's easy to enjoy quickly,

01:23:03as opposed to feeling like I need to pace it up too much.

01:23:05It's weird, because I like to be fizzy.

01:23:10Yeah.

01:23:10So when it's not as fizzy, I...

01:23:11It's quite flat.

01:23:12Yeah.

01:23:13I think it confuses me.

01:23:15Yeah.

01:23:16You could also easily top that up with a dash of sparkling water

01:23:19to get the bubbles up there,

01:23:20because when you are diluting it or making it in a jug

01:23:22and serving it and it not being drunk immediately,

01:23:24sometimes the fizz can go a bit,

01:23:26but a dash of sparkling water can make it more vibrant.

01:23:29Okay, cool.

01:23:30Lovely.

01:23:30Right.

01:23:31Right, the next cocktail is called Mountaintop Sparkle.

01:23:35Of course it is.

01:23:35I love a sparkling wine in a cocktail,

01:23:37and this is a nod to the fact that Kia Royales are very, very popular

01:23:41in the apres ski community,

01:23:42but instead of using blackcurrant liqueur,

01:23:45I've used a wonderful Cornish whiskey liqueur

01:23:48from Rosemollion Distillery,

01:23:50and the whiskey is infused with orange,

01:23:53subtle spices and a dash of honey,

01:23:54and I've used a wonderful sparkling wine from Hampshire,

01:23:57from around the corner,

01:23:58called Louis Pomeroy England Brute.

01:24:00They were the first champagne house

01:24:01to come over from France and plant vines here,

01:24:04because they think they're making such great sparkly wine.

01:24:06So see what you think.

01:24:07Cheers.

01:24:08That sounds really nice.

01:24:09That's interesting.

01:24:10It's a cross between champagne,

01:24:12and you sort of want to knock it back,

01:24:13and you think,

01:24:14oh no, it's a bit stronger than just a bottle of fizz or prosecco, isn't it?

01:24:17The way the whiskey creeps up the back,

01:24:19almost like after you get the initial hit.

01:24:21It's almost a bit like when you have a classic champagne cocktail

01:24:23that has a little dash of brandy in the sugar lump,

01:24:25and you think, oh, this is harmless,

01:24:26and you go, oh, there's a poke to it.

01:24:28Whiskey, whiskey and champagne?

01:24:30So it's a whiskey liqueur,

01:24:31so it's not a full-strength whiskey.

01:24:33It'll be less alcohol and dash more sugar because of the honey.

01:24:35What percentage is that then?

01:24:36Is that like 20%?

01:24:37This is around 20%,

01:24:38and this is a dry sparkling wine

01:24:40made in the same style as champagne.

01:24:43In my opinion,

01:24:44better than most champagnes,

01:24:45this particular one.

01:24:46And so you've got the dry

01:24:47and the dash of sweet,

01:24:48and it's just about getting that balance right.

01:24:50Now, the next cocktail is a bit of a desserty, creamy cocktail.

01:24:54I'm calling my Nogvalanche.

01:24:55If there's any sort of snow movement outside,

01:24:58stay in and have a drink.

01:25:00Now, this Nogvalanche is based on eggnog.

01:25:02I'm using Preston's eggnog from Cheshire.

01:25:05This is made in Cheshire,

01:25:09and it's a one-man band.

01:25:10Right.

01:25:11I put this with a dash of Cotswold Drinks Company,

01:25:16toffee vodka,

01:25:17grain to glass in the Cotswolds,

01:25:19and then a dash of Bella Barista Embankment Coffee Blend

01:25:22made in Northamptonshire,

01:25:24organic coffee,

01:25:25and I blended it to make a nice,

01:25:27almost cream liqueur eggnog style cocktail.

01:25:30This is beautiful.

01:25:31This is my favorite cocktail I've ever had in my life.

01:25:35I'm a massive eggnog fan to begin with,

01:25:37and having moved here,

01:25:39I find it more difficult to find

01:25:40as readily available than I did in the United States.

01:25:43What is eggnog?

01:25:44This is stunning.

01:25:45Is it? Yeah, it's American, right?

01:25:48Is it like avocado?

01:25:50No, so eggnog was originally made here,

01:25:54but was taken on board by the USA,

01:25:57and everybody loved it over on your side of the water.

01:26:00Yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:26:00And it tends to be bourbon, egg yolks,

01:26:03cream, cinnamon, vanilla,

01:26:06and you can make it with other things.

01:26:07You can use rum.

01:26:08Rum sometimes.

01:26:09Yeah, rum.

01:26:09There's no fixed rule to it.

01:26:11This one actually uses a dash of vodka in there

01:26:13as well as a dark rum,

01:26:15but a traditional eggnog.

01:26:16They make a great, traditional, creamy, vanilla eggnog.

01:26:19Go on.

01:26:19I'm going to finish that one.

01:26:21Finish it.

01:26:22It's like an alcoholic milkshake.

01:26:23Absolutely.

01:26:24Absolutely.

01:26:25Which, who doesn't love an alcoholic milkshake?

01:26:27Wouldn't it be great poured over a dessert?

01:26:29Oh, yeah.

01:26:30Like, say, if you, or even,

01:26:31what do they call the Christmas cake?

01:26:33That's not, the Italian Christmas cake.

01:26:35Panettone.

01:26:36Okay, so you heat up your panettone.

01:26:38And pour that over it.

01:26:39Just a bit.

01:26:39And you pour this over it.

01:26:41Oh, this is incredible.

01:26:42I always have leftover cake in general.

01:26:44I had an uncle.

01:26:45My mother's brother, William,

01:26:47used to make eggnog at Christmas

01:26:49when he would come to visit.

01:26:50And they would basically empty out milk jugs,

01:26:53like big, big two-gallon milk jugs,

01:26:56and, like, they'd be filled with eggnog in the refrigerator.

01:26:58And you had to be careful as the kids coming in,

01:27:00because if you picked up the wrong jug,

01:27:02all the others would go,

01:27:02no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

01:27:04But there was so much rum in them.

01:27:05I swear you could smell them as soon as the top came off,

01:27:07but delicious.

01:27:08I think you can get away with the texture,

01:27:10because it's so creamy and velvety.

01:27:12You can get away with a dash more alcohol than you think,

01:27:14because it's balanced out.

01:27:16Okay, our last cocktail.

01:27:17We're ending on a warm one like we started.

01:27:19And this is what I call my slope off and warm up.

01:27:22So you've finished on the ski slope.

01:27:23You need to make yourself hot.

01:27:25This is a bit of a version of a hot toddy.

01:27:27This is based on a wonderful drink called Carvery,

01:27:31which is actually made in Hertfordshire,

01:27:34but is named after a river in South India,

01:27:36where the founder comes from.

01:27:37This is 100% root ginger,

01:27:38and I have paired that with a wonderful lemon gin

01:27:43called Montan Lemon Gin from the Rugby Distillery.

01:27:46Rugby Distillery obviously celebrates everything rugby.

01:27:48Look at the label.

01:27:49And they use grass from the original rugby pitch

01:27:51as a botanical in the gin,

01:27:53and Montan Lemons from the town

01:27:55that William Webb Ellis lived in at the end of his life as well.

01:28:00So there's a rugby nature there,

01:28:02and it's a nice version of a hot toddy.

01:28:04So there's your ginger for you, Maureen.

01:28:06Yeah, that's good enough to show that, isn't it?

01:28:07That feels so good.

01:28:08Yeah, this is a bit like...

01:28:09It's good, isn't it?

01:28:10It's a bit like my morning drink.

01:28:12Would you like to hear what my morning drink is?

01:28:14Absolutely.

01:28:15Because I'm going to tell you anyway.

01:28:17Clearly.

01:28:18It's a hot water, lemon juice,

01:28:22cider vinegar,

01:28:23turmeric mixed with a little olive oil,

01:28:27and cayenne pepper.

01:28:29That's it.

01:28:30Not that back first thing in the morning.

01:28:32I believe she was 246.

01:28:35We need the recipe, Maureen.

01:28:36We need the recipe.

01:28:38Well, I hope you're all as warmed up as I am.

01:28:40This is fantastic.

01:28:41Inside and out.

01:28:42What a selection.

01:28:43That's it for today.

01:28:44Thanks to all my guests.

01:28:46Thanks to Maureen,

01:28:47to Al,

01:28:48Trevor,

01:28:48and of course to Andy for his concoctions.

01:28:50Join me next week for some more Boundside Boundtom.

01:28:53But until then,

01:28:53I leave you with these words

01:28:55from George Bernard Shaw.

01:28:56If you can't appreciate what you've got,

01:28:59you'd better get what you appreciate.

01:29:01There's absolutely no doubt

01:29:03I'm appreciating all of these.

01:29:05Cheers, all.

01:29:05Cheers.

01:29:06Cheers.

01:29:07Cheers.

Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh - Season 8 Episode 04

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