0:00:05 > 0:00:07- Cupcakes!- How are you for a cupcake?
0:00:07 > 0:00:10- Oh, I love a cupcake.- Bit of a cupcake man?- Oh, love them.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12- You?- Never touch them.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16It's taken 50 years in broadcasting
0:00:16 > 0:00:18but I've finally cracked it.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22The chance to meander around the country, see the sights,
0:00:22 > 0:00:24meet the people...
0:00:24 > 0:00:27and, ah, yes, eat and drink.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30Is melt in the mouth a suitable phrase?
0:00:31 > 0:00:33I've hailed a cab with one of London's finest cabbies
0:00:33 > 0:00:38Mason McQueen to steer me around Britain's highways and byways.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40I'm looking forward to a decent meal, are you?
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Oh, I'm starving. I can't wait, Ter.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45Our route has been mapped out by an adventurous gourmand,
0:00:45 > 0:00:49Samuel Chamberlain in his book British Bouquet.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Almost 60 years later, we're following in his footsteps.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54I'll do all the work, Ter.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58To seek out weird and wonderful regional British cuisine
0:00:58 > 0:01:01and discover how our tastes have changed over the years.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Do it right, son.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05- Whoa!- Whoa!
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Don't kill any of these ducks.
0:01:08 > 0:01:09We'll get in trouble.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21On this leg of our festival of feasting
0:01:21 > 0:01:23we're in the grand old city of Oxford
0:01:23 > 0:01:26in search of some improving thoughts and food.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Slotted between the Chilterns and the Cotswolds,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36it's home to the oldest university in the country.
0:01:38 > 0:01:43It's extraordinary, the dreaming spires of Oxford.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Certainly that, Ter. Some of the architecture's stunning.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48It's almost a pleasure to drive in Oxford
0:01:48 > 0:01:51if it wasn't for the traffic, isn't it?
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Now you know why they're all on bikes.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Famed for its brilliant minds, we're here to find out what the
0:01:58 > 0:02:01learned population eat while studying.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Mason, you've driven in Oxford before, haven't you?
0:02:08 > 0:02:10I've been here once before, Terence. Yes.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12I brought some Americans down here for lunch.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14And did they think it was cute?
0:02:14 > 0:02:16AMERICAN ACCENT: They loved the place.
0:02:16 > 0:02:17I heard an American once say,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21"Hey, you know, some of this stuff here is 100 years old."
0:02:21 > 0:02:23THEY LAUGH
0:02:26 > 0:02:29The city's narrow streets are not a natural home for Mason's
0:02:29 > 0:02:34suspension so parking up, we set off in search of breakfast.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Christmas Day at the workhouse here.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40One time you're walking down a narrow street in Oxford...
0:02:40 > 0:02:42- Hi!- There's nobody there.- Hello.
0:02:42 > 0:02:43How you doing?
0:02:43 > 0:02:46And the next thing, the world and his wife is swarming all over you!
0:02:46 > 0:02:49- It's turned into Oxford Street. - I thought this was a private street.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51- POSH ACCENT:- Clear orf, will you?
0:02:55 > 0:02:57- Are you from Oxford? - Cambridge, actually.- Oh, Cambridge!
0:02:57 > 0:03:01- Whey!- Oh, gosh, you're slumming, aren't you?- We are.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06- And you're down for the day?- For the day, yes. With my grandchildren.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09- I'm with my teenage son.- You are? - My eldest boy, yes.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12- He's having a great time, ain't you, son?- Thank you, Dad.
0:03:14 > 0:03:15Battling the crowds,
0:03:15 > 0:03:20we know where to get a flavour for the local diet, the market.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Always a guarantee of some seductive snacks.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27That is a naked woman! Mm.
0:03:27 > 0:03:28She's in the bath.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30- That's a bit saucy for a cake, isn't it?- Yes!
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Unlike the ladies in its cakes, this is a covered market and it
0:03:35 > 0:03:39has been distracting students from their studies for over 200 years.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Generally, where there's a good market,
0:03:41 > 0:03:45there's a good sausage and it seems Oxford is no exception.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49- I like a sausage, I know you do. - There's the Oxford, look.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52- Is that famous? - It must be. Speciality.
0:03:52 > 0:03:53I like an old banger.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Well, you know, you've been in the back of it.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Don't half get rattled about.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02You can't say you're not getting variety in the sausage market here.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04- Shall we go in? - Yeah, let's have a look.- OK.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10This unassuming sausage shop is home to Oxford's very own
0:04:10 > 0:04:12professor of pig, David John.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16To be frank, I'd never heard about an Oxford sausage, had you?
0:04:16 > 0:04:18What makes an Oxford sausage so special?
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Good quality pork, herbs with lemon.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22- Lemon?- Lemon, yeah.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Lemon on your fish. Not lemon on your sausage.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Little squirt of lemon, you know, gives it a bit of flavour.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Very good.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31- This man is eager to try his hand. - Is he? Right.
0:04:31 > 0:04:32Could you show him the way?
0:04:32 > 0:04:35- Yeah, we can put a bib on him and... - I'll have a go.- Yeah.
0:04:35 > 0:04:36I like him in a bib.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41David has been making sausages in Oxford for almost 40 years.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44But today he's risking his hard-earned reputation
0:04:44 > 0:04:46and handing control over to Mason.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Well done, expert. Look at this!
0:04:51 > 0:04:53- Oh, hang on!- No, stop!
0:04:53 > 0:04:56- The nozzle's gone.- That's fine. That's brilliant.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59- Look at that.- A McQueen snorker. - MASON LAUGHS
0:04:59 > 0:05:01- A snorker.- Yes.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03I've got a Lincoln, though. That could be my demise.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Now, we just link the sausage in
0:05:07 > 0:05:09this way and underneath.
0:05:09 > 0:05:10Ooh.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Pretty ringlets.
0:05:13 > 0:05:14All in the wrist action.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Snorkers to the right of me,
0:05:16 > 0:05:17snorkers to the left of me.
0:05:17 > 0:05:18Do you want a go, Mason?
0:05:18 > 0:05:20So, just a squeeze there, yeah?
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Squeeze, yeah.
0:05:22 > 0:05:23Then turn.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24Yeah, you've got it.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Then bring the other one.
0:05:26 > 0:05:27Well, Mason,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29you've given it your best here
0:05:29 > 0:05:33and I shall do my best in my own way to contribute
0:05:33 > 0:05:35by eating those sausages.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37A bit of mustard on these, Ter.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Sausage sandwich, food of the gods.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50To get the most out of Mason's Oxford sausage,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54we've delivered them to Will Puget at the Vaults Cafe,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57a local lad with a passion for local food.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- Look at this.- Good morning, Terry. - Good morning, Will.
0:06:05 > 0:06:06I was expecting you.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09- And I haven't been disappointed. - Cheers, Will. Good man.
0:06:09 > 0:06:14- Oxford sausage with Oxford sauce and Oxford blue cheese.- Wow.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Do you know, I have the man with me who made these very sausages.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20- Did you?- Yes.- I didn't realise. Wow!
0:06:20 > 0:06:22These were carved by my very own hand.
0:06:22 > 0:06:23- Wow.- Look at that.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25- What a delicate touch.- What a touch.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27I'm almost afraid to eat them.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29- Now, tell us about this. - I'm hungry.- What's this?
0:06:29 > 0:06:30This is Oxford sauce.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32So my father created this.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34We call it Daddy's Sauce and...
0:06:34 > 0:06:35No, you can't do that. You'll be sued.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38HE LAUGHS
0:06:38 > 0:06:40You know, you've been speaking of this. What's great about this?
0:06:40 > 0:06:45Well, it is a really good balance between spiciness,
0:06:45 > 0:06:47warmth and sweetness.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50But it hasn't spread beyond Oxford, has it?
0:06:50 > 0:06:54- Well, not really.- In the way that Worcester has.- No.- No.- Quite.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56It's a bit of a local secret.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59Mm!
0:07:01 > 0:07:02Messy but good.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07Predominantly, though, it's the Mason McQueen sausage.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11We're following in the footsteps of a book called British Bouquet
0:07:11 > 0:07:14which you'll never have heard of and nobody else has either
0:07:14 > 0:07:17and he really was extolling the virtues of British food
0:07:17 > 0:07:20when nobody liked it.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- But I don't think he mentioned... - Oxford sauce.- No.
0:07:23 > 0:07:24Or indeed Oxford sausages.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28- In fact, he didn't mention Oxford food at all, did he?- No.- Not a word.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29Well, this is an outrage.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Well...
0:07:31 > 0:07:33- Tell Chamberlain.- It was his loss.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35- Will, these sausages...- Who's going to do it?
0:07:35 > 0:07:37..although I have made them, are exceptionally good.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40- Won't you agree with me, gentlemen? - They're a credit to you.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Ten out of ten. They're brilliant. Local produce at its best.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46A McQueen sausage.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49One to be treasured, but at the same time...
0:07:50 > 0:07:51..eaten.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Now you may not have heard of the sauce or the sausage,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05but there is a mainstay of the British breakfast table
0:08:05 > 0:08:07that Oxford is famous for - marmalade.
0:08:09 > 0:08:14Fine cut or chunky, Oxford marmalade is known throughout the world
0:08:14 > 0:08:17and is the preferred marmalade of Her Majesty the Queen.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23The aroma of stewing Seville oranges and sugar the left Oxford's streets
0:08:23 > 0:08:27in the early '60s, but the marmalade legacy still survives
0:08:27 > 0:08:31at The Old Jam Factory which today has been reinvented.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35- Good morning.- Hello.- Good morning.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38- Andrew.- All right, mate.- Good to meet you.- Nice to meet you.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40- Very good to meet you.- Thank you.- Welcome.
0:08:40 > 0:08:41Welcome to The Jam Factory
0:08:41 > 0:08:45which is now a restaurant, arts centre and bar,
0:08:45 > 0:08:47but historically was Frank Cooper's
0:08:47 > 0:08:51marmalade factory where he used to make his famous preserve.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53- Oxford.- Oxford marmalade, of course.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57It was actually Sarah Cooper who came up with the recipe
0:08:57 > 0:08:59for Oxford marmalade back in 1874,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02but like all good Victorian husbands
0:09:02 > 0:09:03Frank took the credit.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Production moved to The Jam Factory in 1903
0:09:09 > 0:09:12and revered jars of marmalade were sent around the world.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18As a nod to the building's history, Andrew is serving his own
0:09:18 > 0:09:21family brand of marmalade to the good people of Oxford.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26This is Mum's marmalade, so every year,
0:09:26 > 0:09:31both my mum and my auntie Edna pride themselves on making
0:09:31 > 0:09:34about 80 jars each and it is pretty good.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Well, even if it wasn't pretty good, I'd say it was pretty good.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42That's it, and I don't want to hear anything other than
0:09:42 > 0:09:44- it's pretty good marmalade! - I don't want to argue with this man.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46I'm not going to argue with Mum either.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Mum's chunky Seville marmalade.
0:09:49 > 0:09:50- Yeah.- Oh, yeah.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55- On toast?- Is the toast ready?
0:09:57 > 0:10:01In the 16th century, marmalade was the name for a quince paste
0:10:01 > 0:10:04and was only made with oranges in 1677.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Where's the marmalade? Come on, come on.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12And it looks like Andrew's mum and auntie Edna are pushing
0:10:12 > 0:10:15the boundaries of British marmalade once again.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Give it a slice. Good.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Now, go about your business and leave this to me.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24- I'll look after this. - There, I've prepared that for you.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Continue with the conversation.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28THEY LAUGH
0:10:28 > 0:10:30As usual, stuffing your face.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Yeah. I'm afraid so.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35And, well? What do you reckon?
0:10:35 > 0:10:37What do you think? You think I'm going to criticise his mother?
0:10:37 > 0:10:40HE LAUGHS
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Not everybody enjoys marmalade.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44What's the matter with them?
0:10:44 > 0:10:49We've even here received complaints about marmalade.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52People still send letters to Frank Cooper Oxford,
0:10:52 > 0:10:53The Jam Factory.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Not sure what this post is about.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59They're spreading malicious rumours.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01"To The Jam Factory,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04"Dear Sirs, I usually make my own marmalade
0:11:04 > 0:11:05"but a combination of old age
0:11:05 > 0:11:09"and having missed the Seville oranges persuaded me
0:11:09 > 0:11:11"to buy two jars of your marmalade.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13"I am most disappointed by it. The peel is hard and unchewable.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16"If it were home-made I would suggest that it hadn't been
0:11:16 > 0:11:18"cooked long enough before the addition of the sugar.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20"I enclose a few pieces which I spat out."
0:11:20 > 0:11:23- If you could just grab that piece there.- I can't believe that!
0:11:23 > 0:11:25I do get bizarre mail myself.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27But that... Nobody has ever sent me...
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Who's it by? T Wogan?
0:11:41 > 0:11:42According to Chamberlain,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45"Tourists stay in Oxford for varying periods depending on the extent of
0:11:45 > 0:11:48"their curiosity, their pocketbooks..."
0:11:48 > 0:11:49He's an old cynic, isn't he?
0:11:49 > 0:11:50"..and leg muscles."
0:11:50 > 0:11:53- Yeah.- "You're best to walk around Oxford, I think, or get on a bike."
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Yeah, things ain't changed since Chamberlain's time.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59No, I think it has always been fairly congested.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03Leaving Mason to battle the traffic,
0:12:03 > 0:12:08I have taken Chamberlain's advice and continue my exploration on foot.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14"Speak Friend," says the sign,
0:12:14 > 0:12:15"And enter."
0:12:17 > 0:12:18You know...
0:12:18 > 0:12:20unless I miss me guess,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23this is The Story Museum.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32As you might expect from such a scholarly town,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Oxford has a rich literary heritage,
0:12:35 > 0:12:39from the magical worlds of Narnia and Alice's Wonderland,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41the city has inspired some of the greats
0:12:41 > 0:12:44and today these stories have their very own museum.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48- You're Kim?- I am indeed.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52And this Heath Robinson contraption,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54what does this mean in the world?
0:12:54 > 0:12:57- And there's parts of it moving. - Indeed, indeed.
0:12:57 > 0:12:58What does it do?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00- Well, it makes stories.- Oh!
0:13:00 > 0:13:03It's a story loom. It weaves stories.
0:13:03 > 0:13:04Who designed this?
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Well, this was a young man called Barnabas Rochester.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09He was a young engineer who was trying to impress a girl.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Unfortunately, she was more keen on literary
0:13:12 > 0:13:14types like Lewis Carroll,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18but he devised this machine that could create stories
0:13:18 > 0:13:19better than any man.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23The way that it works is you have to put a small child in here,
0:13:23 > 0:13:24feed them humbugs to distract them
0:13:24 > 0:13:27but then you can extract their imagination.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31So, with the absence of small children or Mason,
0:13:31 > 0:13:36our attention turns to another literary installation at the museum.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38You'll have to choose a few words.
0:13:38 > 0:13:39I would like to be...
0:13:41 > 0:13:44..an enormous monkey.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46An enormous monkey. And where might that monkey come from?
0:13:46 > 0:13:48He might come from the jungle.
0:13:52 > 0:13:53And then sit on the throne.
0:13:55 > 0:13:56And see what happens.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Never one to turn down the opportunity to sit down.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06TRUMPETS PLAY MUSICAL FLOURISH
0:14:06 > 0:14:12- MAN:- Presenting the enormous monkey of the jungle!
0:14:15 > 0:14:17How did that happen?
0:14:17 > 0:14:18Magic.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23All this creativity has given me an appetite so I will venture
0:14:23 > 0:14:28through the wardrobe and see if it can transport me somewhere tasty.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32- Come with me. - It is a wardrobe as well.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34There's a couple of fur coats in here.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Sophie Grigson, as I live and breathe.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Mr Wogan!
0:14:45 > 0:14:48This is The Story Museum's kitchen where well-known chef
0:14:48 > 0:14:53Sophie Grigson bakes and prepares cakes with a literary theme.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56So this is our Alice cake.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58She has fallen into the hole.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Would you touch up her legs?
0:15:00 > 0:15:03It's been a bit of a labour of love, this one, but
0:15:03 > 0:15:06I love making these themed cakes here.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09You see, I thought you were doing a green one
0:15:09 > 0:15:11in honour of Saint Patrick or me,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14but, in fact, you're doing it because it is Alice In Wonderland.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Yes, and it's her going out into the park and...
0:15:17 > 0:15:18No, no, no. Hold on. Hold on.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20We've got a little bit of earth here.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23- You are so picky!- I'm very picky.
0:15:23 > 0:15:24You can put some more icing on.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Sophie, you know a thing or two about food.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31We're following this old American guy who tried to actually
0:15:31 > 0:15:33help the image of British food in the '60s
0:15:33 > 0:15:36when it didn't have much of a reputation.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39That was a pretty hard thing to do, wasn't it, improve the food?
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Well, yeah, he did his best though, and what do you find?
0:15:42 > 0:15:46What's your experience of eating in Oxford, for instance, now?
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Well, the funny thing is I think it has got a huge amount better.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Oxford has never really been much of a foodie town
0:15:54 > 0:15:57and when I was a kid, there were a few, maybe two or three
0:15:57 > 0:15:59really good restaurants...
0:15:59 > 0:16:01- WHISPERS:- A little bit snobby.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03And that was it.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07And I think one of the problems that Oxford has had is that it is, you
0:16:07 > 0:16:11know, all the academics and some of the students have eaten in halls.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14- Of course. - So there was nobody much to go out
0:16:14 > 0:16:17and pay for good restaurants, but now in Oxford
0:16:17 > 0:16:21there are farmers' markets on practically every corner.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24We have a lot of young people who have emerged from universities
0:16:24 > 0:16:27and who are creating great food.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29So we are quite modern these days.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33I think, Sophie...
0:16:33 > 0:16:36that this melange...
0:16:36 > 0:16:39is a minor work of art.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Hold on a second. Yes, so do I.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46With Alice safely down the rabbit hole and the Mad Hatter
0:16:46 > 0:16:47pulling up outside,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50it must be time for a tea party.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52- Oh, Mason.- Ah.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55I know you love a bit of cake, you'll love this.
0:16:55 > 0:16:56It's an Alice In Wonderland cake.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59And I think I'm taking Terry on as apprentice.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01- How was he, Soph? Did he do well? - Well, look.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Well, I can see he's done a great job.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08Once you cut into this cake, it gets curiouser and curiouser.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12And then you've got the next piece there.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14It's a rainbow cake.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16It's a rainbow cake indeed.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Sophie...
0:17:20 > 0:17:23I have eaten Alice In Wonderland cakes in the past.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26- Have you? - And will in the future again.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29- But I have never had one quite as good as this.- Oh, I love you!
0:17:29 > 0:17:31You're such a flatterer.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39In his guide to Oxford, Samuel Chamberlain fills
0:17:39 > 0:17:43a number of pages on Oxonian hospitality.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48But there was one hostelry he managed to avoid,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Oxford Prison.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Incorporating part of Oxford Castle, the site has been
0:17:54 > 0:17:59used as a prison since the Civil War and only closed in 1996.
0:18:02 > 0:18:03In the 21st century,
0:18:03 > 0:18:09some bright spark decided to turn the old cell block into a hotel.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12I've no doubt that Chamberlain would have been fascinated.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17What a place!
0:18:17 > 0:18:20This is the atrium of the A wing. It's a prison
0:18:20 > 0:18:24for the Victorians built 1848.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27In the 19th century, the only bars here were in the windows.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29And there were serious consequences
0:18:29 > 0:18:32for those who tried to check out early.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Punishments would include shot drill.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38You'd pick up a cannonball
0:18:38 > 0:18:42and you would physically carry it across the prison yard, put it down.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46You'd pick it up, you'd bring it back, you'd put it down.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49You'd pick it up, you'd take it back, you'd put it down.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52So at least you were doing something useful.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55So, what about the diet here? What was the food like?
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Well, back then it was pretty grim.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02You've got very little in the way of fruit and vegetables.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05It's just to give you energy to do that physical work.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08- Is this is where the word porridge comes from?- Absolutely.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10You think we could try some?
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Oh, I'm sure you can but it's not going to taste very nice.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Oh, good.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Porridge is still on the menu in the hotel.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26And so to get a real taste of life behind bars,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Tracy has taken me to the kitchen.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32So this is a far cry from the old Victorian prison kitchen
0:19:32 > 0:19:34- wouldn't it be? Hey, Brian. - How are you, sir?
0:19:34 > 0:19:35I understand you're going to show us
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- the finer points of the porridge. - Yep, the finer points.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40OK, so what we have here was the old-style porridge they
0:19:40 > 0:19:44used to do for the prisoners. So basically just water and some salt.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Three parts water to the one part porridge.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51So it's to keep the prisoners alive just...
0:19:51 > 0:19:54slightly alive so they are not dead.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59To keep things authentic, Bill is serving up his period
0:19:59 > 0:20:02porridge in an old mess tin,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05and has tried to make it more palatable by adding some berries.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08But I...I don't think they're going to help.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11You know, I think it's a shame that old Chamberlain
0:20:11 > 0:20:14who wrote this book, the British Bouquet: An Epicurean Tour,
0:20:14 > 0:20:19it's a shame he never came here to the old jail and tried the porridge.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21He let us down a little bit.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Maybe the old boy was right to give it a wide berth.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27The welcome wouldn't have been very friendly.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30In! Now.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Sit down. Don't speak.
0:20:41 > 0:20:42So, Tracy.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44This is scarcely justice,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46but then nobody got justice in those days, did they, anyway?
0:20:46 > 0:20:48And that's the thing -
0:20:48 > 0:20:52100 years before the Victorians are giving you this kind of food,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55you went to prison and you paid for your bed and your board.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58So you brought your food, you brought your blankets and you
0:20:58 > 0:21:00could die of cold, hunger
0:21:00 > 0:21:03very, very easily in the old-style prisons.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06So this might look not very appetising to you today,
0:21:06 > 0:21:10but to the Victorians themselves, this was probably very, very good.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14I don't know what you mean. It's absolutely delicious.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17I'll just put it down for the moment and have one of your strawberries.
0:21:17 > 0:21:18- Help yourself.- Thank you.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33So, Mason, what I'm looking forward to is a little bit of punting,
0:21:33 > 0:21:38which is traditional in the cities of Cambridge and Oxford.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41And you, you are going to punt me.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- I'm going to what?- Punt me. - Oh, right.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48So now you'll be sitting in front of me relaxing,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50rather than sitting behind me relaxing.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Some things never change, you know, Ter.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03- What's that huge thing you've got there?- Is that a scaffold pole?- No.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06This is the pole that you use to actually propel the punt.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08I had no idea they were that tall.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10You've got to be able to reach the riverbed.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13So they have to be tall because it can get up to
0:22:13 > 0:22:15five meters deep in the deepest parts.
0:22:15 > 0:22:16I'm afraid I have
0:22:16 > 0:22:18- a previous engagement. Will you excuse me?- No.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21You, come here. You ain't going anywhere. You stay here.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24You'll be fine. We'll be OK. We're in good hands.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29You step on.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31- OK. - HE CHUCKLES
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Go forward a little bit further.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37'While Mason gets to grips with the controls,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39'I settle down to take in the scenery.'
0:22:39 > 0:22:41This is the life!
0:22:45 > 0:22:48You all right, Ter? The meter's on.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52It's not long before Mason is in sole charge of our vessel.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56I can only tell you, Nick,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59that it's a blessing that I can't see him.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01- NICK LAUGHS - If I could see him, I would panic.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Trust me, he's doing fine.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09This is a beautiful part of the world, Nick. I've got to tell you.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12- Must be a pleasure working here. - It's an absolute pleasure.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15I never tire of it. Absolutely gorgeous.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Tell me, do people swim in the Cherwell?
0:23:19 > 0:23:23Not as such, but what we do get is end of exams,
0:23:23 > 0:23:28the students covered in foam and confetti and everything else,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30and they tend to jump in the river.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34One likes to have a little mental picture of Boris Johnson or...
0:23:34 > 0:23:39Or the grand Mr Cameron leaping into the Cherwell stark naked.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42- Or the Bullingdons. - I'd rather not think about that.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45- No, perhaps you're right. - NICK LAUGHS
0:23:47 > 0:23:50People have been punting on the Cherwell since the 1880s,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53but few have done it with the same degree of suave sophistication
0:23:53 > 0:23:55as Mason and I.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59- Let me throw you a strawberry.- Oh!
0:24:02 > 0:24:05I'm used to going over bridges. Not under them.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07TERRY LAUGHS
0:24:07 > 0:24:09I could do this all day, Mason.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11BREATHING HEAVILY: Yeah, I bet you could.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17It's tiring, really tiring.
0:24:17 > 0:24:18Using all your core muscles.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29"If you schedule a visit for spring or autumn,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32"you'll be rewarded by the sight of hurried young men with black
0:24:32 > 0:24:34"gowns flying from their shoulders."
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Have you seen a hurried young man?
0:24:36 > 0:24:39- I've never...- With a black gown flying from his shoulders?
0:24:39 > 0:24:40Not at the moment.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44I've seen several spotty youths on bicycles, but...
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Maybe that's the new student.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51In this city of scholars, it would be rude
0:24:51 > 0:24:54not to squeeze in a visit to part of the university.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00So, I shall be donning the lab coat and heading into a hi-tech
0:25:00 > 0:25:04microbiology laboratory where students are working hard to
0:25:04 > 0:25:06unlock the secrets of one of the most important
0:25:06 > 0:25:10ingredients in nearly all our food - protein.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13A protein, it's a
0:25:13 > 0:25:16small molecule, it's a chain of small subunits.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Here, I can quite show you here.
0:25:18 > 0:25:19I mean, if you think of a protein...
0:25:19 > 0:25:23- And there I was thinking they were prayer beads. - HE LAUGHS
0:25:23 > 0:25:27It's a long chain made up of hundreds of amino acids, which is
0:25:27 > 0:25:30then folded up together into a defined shape like wet
0:25:30 > 0:25:34spaghetti, so the string inside this shape I have here...
0:25:35 > 0:25:39- ..as a representation of a protein structure.- Do you know,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42you're putting people off their food.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Knowing as much as you do, do you actually enjoy eating anything?
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Yes, I do. It's...
0:25:47 > 0:25:51The great thing is, is that the more you know about the science
0:25:51 > 0:25:54behind how something tastes and how it works,
0:25:54 > 0:25:58the greater chances you have at success in baking it and making it.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03To better humanity, Peter is putting his knowledge of proteins to
0:26:03 > 0:26:07good use by trying to create the world's greatest pizza.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13He's a founding member of Oxford's Pizza Society where
0:26:13 > 0:26:15some of the brightest scientific minds in Britain,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18and just for today, Mason McQueen,
0:26:18 > 0:26:22get together to solve the elusive mystery of the perfect pizza.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Somehow this doesn't strike me as serious research.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32- So how long has this society been going?- About a year.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Yeah, we are quite a new society. We just started about a year ago.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40And how do you get in? Can I get in, or I'll be blackballed, right?
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Lead me into the Pizza Society.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47A very distinguished group I can see here.
0:26:47 > 0:26:48Mason, how come you are with them?
0:26:48 > 0:26:51- As soon as he got the smell of food, of course.- I'm here.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Straight into the society.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56- So this, unless I miss my guess, is a margarita.- No.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01This is a classic ham and pineapple with a little bit of a twist.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04We've got some great smoked cheeses and some fantastic English ham.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07But, look, just because you know about proteins and enzymes,
0:27:07 > 0:27:08there's no need to argue with me,
0:27:08 > 0:27:10- you know? - HE LAUGHS
0:27:10 > 0:27:13- Am I going to be allowed to have a slice of this?- Oh, yes, please.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Would you mind slicing it?
0:27:15 > 0:27:19I kind of feel that I can see a protein or enzyme bubbling
0:27:19 > 0:27:20away there.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Like that one, look. Watch it go down.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25That's the trouble with you, isn't it?
0:27:25 > 0:27:29- You have no academic potentials whatsoever.- You take that back.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31- I'm sorry. - I'm a student of the K-nowledge.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33- I completed the Knowledge. - Of course you are.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35I studied at Oxford, right. It was Oxford Street.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38No right turns, left turns. That's the only difference.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Dreaming spires, groves of academe...
0:27:46 > 0:27:48and traffic all over the place.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Can I hold that book? You look too intelligent.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51Let me... Can I have the book?
0:27:51 > 0:27:54You know, that's the nicest thing you said to me.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Do I look brainier? Tell the truth.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Um, I wouldn't say that but just the occasional
0:27:59 > 0:28:02glimmer of intelligence crosses your...crosses your nose.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03Cheers, Ter.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06ENGINE STARTS