0:00:02 > 0:00:06Wales, land of legends, awe-inspiring landscape...
0:00:08 > 0:00:10..and giant veg.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Well, you think you're carrying a body out, you know,
0:00:13 > 0:00:15when you're carrying a marrow on a stretcher.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19Every August, the nation's growers gather to battle it out in the first
0:00:19 > 0:00:21competition of the season.
0:00:22 > 0:00:2435, heaviest marrow.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26- Got him?- Yeah.- Thank you.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29This is a story of extreme dedication...
0:00:29 > 0:00:33I would rather spend my money on giant veg than the ladies, these days.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36I nearly cried. A grown man, you know, crying when his marrow splits.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39..and defying nature to nurture some of the biggest vegetables
0:00:39 > 0:00:41on the planet.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43It's 44 inches.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45It's going to be a monster.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48We don't get nothing for breaking the world record.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50We don't even get knighted.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Welcome to the Land Of The Giants.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02The village of Llanharry, 15 miles west of Cardiff,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05home to a champion with a big reputation.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13I'm thinking about vegetables from the time I wake up till I go to bed.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Look at the length in that.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Four foot six - could be some marrow.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Phillip Vowles has been growing giant veg for over 30 years.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27That is the cucumber I broke the world record with.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32With the giant vegetable shows, the scales is the judge,
0:01:32 > 0:01:33it's all about the weights.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37This could be up to around 20st.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41You know, which is a lot of weight for a vegetable.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Come on, my beauty.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Come on, marrow, let's grow a couple more inches today.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50The wife reckons I talk nicer to my plants than I do to her.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52I get in big trouble.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55But Phillip's wife Brenda doesn't quite share his passion.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58I am definitely an allotment widow.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05You know, it's 12 hours a day, almost every day,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07unless the wife drags me away to go shopping.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11He is up there far too long and then he's absolutely worn out in the night-time.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Well, he is getting on now a bit, I suppose.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Oh, you cheeky devil.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26You're older than me.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28I don't look it, though!
0:02:31 > 0:02:36Early April - four months until the giant veg competition
0:02:36 > 0:02:38and Phillip is preparing his seeds for battle.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44Very often, I'll just file around the outside of the pumpkin seeds
0:02:44 > 0:02:47because sometimes when they've been standing all winter,
0:02:47 > 0:02:48they get a bit tough.
0:02:48 > 0:02:54That's the marrow seed and within 16 to 20 weeks, that will turn into
0:02:54 > 0:02:56a marrow over 100 pounds in weight.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00But these aren't your run-of-the-mill seeds.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02They are giant vegetable seeds
0:03:02 > 0:03:04and they've got to be giant vegetable seeds -
0:03:04 > 0:03:07you won't grow a giant out of a normal seed.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11I reselect my seed every year from the biggest and the best
0:03:11 > 0:03:15and I've had some real good results.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17I managed to win it last year,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20but I think this year, they're gunning for me this year,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22I think I've got strong competition.
0:03:23 > 0:03:29On the outskirts of Newport lives a man who grows on a grand scale.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32I can feel the ground is right through the seat of my pants.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36This monster plot belongs to Phillip's main rival,
0:03:36 > 0:03:3874-year-old Ian Neale.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41The doctors tell us we're not getting enough exercise -
0:03:41 > 0:03:44they want to come and join me when I'm doing this.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50I've got to think of another way of growing my parsnips and carrots
0:03:50 > 0:03:53because there's 36 holes like this to be dug.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58Ian's site used to be the family garden centre business.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01But after his parents died,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05he shut up shop to focus on his giant veg
0:04:05 > 0:04:09and has broken seven world records.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11The giant veg is on my mind all the time.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13How can I grow bigger, grow better?
0:04:13 > 0:04:15I'm planning it all up here.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19This is what you think about while you're watching the television,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22before you fall asleep in front of it, cos there's not a lot on it.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Dolphins, carrots, sweet peppers...
0:04:27 > 0:04:31Ian is known on the scene for his spectacular shirts.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34That's the most famous shirt in the world.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37That's the one I met Snoop Dogg in.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39HE CHUCKLES
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Nice, isn't it?
0:04:42 > 0:04:45MUSIC: Who Am I? (What's My Name?) by Snoop Doggy Dogg
0:04:47 > 0:04:49Yes, you heard correctly -
0:04:49 > 0:04:53rap Lothario Snoop Dogg heard about Ian's monster veg and sent
0:04:53 > 0:04:55a cheeky message to get some growing tips.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00What up, though? Shout out to my homeboy Ian Neale in Cardiff for
0:05:00 > 0:05:03breaking the world's records for the biggest vegetable.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Man, I want to tell you something, when I do my show in Cardiff,
0:05:06 > 0:05:09I want you to come backstage and see me because I do vegetation myself
0:05:09 > 0:05:11and I want to know your secret,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15so I can show you my vegetables and see if you can grow that into
0:05:15 > 0:05:16a real big vegetable.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20That swede there broke the world record and Snoop Dogg heard about it
0:05:20 > 0:05:24and he invited me backstage and I got a face like that
0:05:24 > 0:05:26cos I knew exactly what he was going to do -
0:05:26 > 0:05:29he's offering me a weed and I don't smoke.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38By late April, Ian and Phill's marrows are ready to transfer
0:05:38 > 0:05:40from pot to soil.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Good morning, you lot! You're looking well today.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Both have opted to grow inside in their big polytunnels.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55But not all competitors have got such huge resources.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59We haven't got a water supply here at all, no electric.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00But we'll manage.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08Vegetable-growing giant Vince has an allotment in Barry
0:06:08 > 0:06:11and is a relative newcomer to the scene.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13We started here four years ago
0:06:13 > 0:06:16and it looked like what you see over there -
0:06:16 > 0:06:19brambles, weeds, rubbish.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23Plenty of wood from work and donations and we managed to get it
0:06:23 > 0:06:24looking like this.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30But, unlike Phill and Ian, without a polytunnel big enough,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Vince has to grow his marrows outside.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35The only problem is it's still a touch cold in the nights so
0:06:35 > 0:06:38hopefully this frame will keep it a little bit warmer in the nights.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44This one is my own seed this year, it is,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47from the two best marrows I grew last year -
0:06:47 > 0:06:51from a 136-pounder, and a 122-pounder.
0:06:51 > 0:06:57I crossed the two together now so hopefully it should be a good plant.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01But growing a marrow outside is a high-risk game.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03You've got to have good seed, good ground, good weather,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06good luck and you need all four.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10And things don't always go to plan.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13Oh, my best marrow split last year, it did.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17It split at just under 10st, 136 pounds.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21It nearly brought a tear to my eye.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Vince crosses his fingers...
0:07:27 > 0:07:29and puts his marrow to bed.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Meanwhile, back at Llanharry,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39reigning marrow champion Phillip had better beware.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42We're going to pot some giant cabbage now, Raymond.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45His big brothers Bernard and Ray have entered the race.
0:07:46 > 0:07:47Raymond's the oldest...
0:07:48 > 0:07:52..then I'm next and then Phillip is the pup.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56They've ordered a special delivery.
0:08:00 > 0:08:01It's a cracking load, Ray.
0:08:01 > 0:08:0620 tonnes of prime manure to fuel their giants.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10This is where we might have one over on Phillip.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Myself and Raymond, we're going to be the posh gardeners -
0:08:13 > 0:08:17keep our hands in our pockets and let the beast do the job for us.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21While the boys continue their gentleman gardening...
0:08:22 > 0:08:27Back in the kitchen, Bernard's wife Beryl is busy keeping them fuelled.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31I make sure that they're fed and watered.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32So it's breakfast,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35elevenses and lunch.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38And then they come in and have a sleep.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41They're not having a lot today.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42I've been too busy.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47Come on, boys. No, look at him sat down there now,
0:08:47 > 0:08:48like lord of the manor.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54It may be the boys' first time in the competition
0:08:54 > 0:08:56but Beryl has full faith.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01He intends to beat Phillip this time and he is going to beat him.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03- You think so?- No.
0:09:03 > 0:09:04Oh, my God.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12Every year, the giant veg competition is held on the Fonmon Estate...
0:09:13 > 0:09:16..ancestral home of Sir Brooke Boothby.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27You have to be a bit careful getting around up here because the Normans
0:09:27 > 0:09:30were a lot smaller than we were and I think their average knight
0:09:30 > 0:09:33was only five foot four.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38Fonmon Castle has been in Sir Brooke's family for 11 generations,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40and gardening has always been in his blood.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44When I was a child,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47I was very frightened of the head gardener because he was very fierce
0:09:47 > 0:09:50and he considered small boys to be a great danger,
0:09:50 > 0:09:51which he was absolutely correct,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55we'd steal his peas and things if we possibly could.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57- Josh.- Yeah?- Could you come and give me a hand?
0:09:57 > 0:10:00I've got to assemble a mini greenhouse.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02- All right, sir.- Last year,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06Sir Brooke beat Phillip with his pumpkin when Phillip's rotted,
0:10:06 > 0:10:10and he's roped in junior gardener Josh to protect this year's entry.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16I'm very poor at DIY altogether.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18I was very spoiled as a child, you know,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22we had very competent staff in the garden and therefore didn't really
0:10:22 > 0:10:24need a lot of family input.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Ah. Blast. Split the wood.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Never mind. Here comes this masterpiece of construction.
0:10:34 > 0:10:35Like so. To me,
0:10:35 > 0:10:40half of the pleasure of gardening is in fact the ability to get out
0:10:40 > 0:10:43in the sun and do some physical work.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48I mean, it's A, very good for you, but I actually enjoy it, too so...
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Whoops. There is one of the fuchsias which I've now put my foot on.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Perhaps you could just splash a bit more water into that,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58as I think it looks as if he needs it, poor thing.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08With the plants safely in the ground, the race is on to grow...
0:11:08 > 0:11:09Special brew.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13..and every contender has their own unique formula.
0:11:13 > 0:11:14Bit of pigeon faeces.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19I've heard somebody giving the pill to a pumpkin!
0:11:22 > 0:11:25This is my magic mix.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30Teabags going in first, a little bit of molasses afterwards.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34And I'm not going to tell you what else I put in it.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37I've got to keep one or two little secrets.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44But the one thing none of the growers can control is the weather.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50- RADIO:- There is a risk of more heavy showers and thunderstorms,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54especially in mid and north Wales with a Met Office warning in force.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57May, and Wales is hit by heavy downpours.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59The rain will spread south-eastwards during the day,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01breezy, too, and cooler.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13About five or six days, we haven't been able to do a thing outside.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20But, like an Olympic athlete, whatever the weather,
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Ian has to keep on top of his game.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36All gardeners need a good back to do what they're doing.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39You're bending down, lifting.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45My osteopath said, "As you get older, you've got to be
0:12:45 > 0:12:49"like a sportsperson - you need to warm up before you start work."
0:12:49 > 0:12:53And if I do that every morning, touch wood, my back's all right.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00I'm planning up here till I'm 80, but I'm asking the question,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02"Do I want to carry on?"
0:13:04 > 0:13:05But what am I going to do?
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Sit in this chair, wait to die?
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Not likely. So I've got to carry on.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15That's it.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Stretched and ready for action,
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Ian has to protect his marrow plant from a disease in his soil.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Morning, you lot! Cor, you're looking well this morning.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32He's grafting a plant that he knows is immune to the disease
0:13:32 > 0:13:36onto his marrow in a bid to keep it safe.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Because they don't take very good,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41I make it about two inches long.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43This one, I've gone from the root upwards.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46This is like a surgery on the plant.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50I've never seen Sellotape used in surgery before.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Some of these don't take very good cos you sweat.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57Believe it or not, the new plant will fuse to the marrow and make it
0:13:57 > 0:14:00resilient to Ian's soil disease.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02I think I'm the only one doing this.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04I'm not going to let my competitors know...
0:14:05 > 0:14:07..till next... Till the show's on.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16Over the next six weeks, the plants grow at an alarming rate.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Marching on, day and night...
0:14:23 > 0:14:28..until the marrow and pumpkin shoots are up to 20 feet long.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35But the pumpkins and marrows don't just grow by themselves -
0:14:35 > 0:14:37they need to be pollinated.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40And these guys don't leave pollination to nature.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Today, Phillip is playing the part of a five foot eight bee.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Well, I am doing what a bee does, you know,
0:14:46 > 0:14:50perhaps I'm interfering with nature, perhaps I shouldn't do it.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53There's the female flower, you can see it's the female flower,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56it has got the fruit behind the flower there, there's the marrow.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Here's a quick lesson on the birds and the bees.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05There is the male flower going into the female flower to pollinate it.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09And that should be plenty good enough there,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12and that is the pollination done.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Without the pollen from the male flower being deposited
0:15:15 > 0:15:19in the female flower, the tiny marrow would fail to grow,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21and Phillip is leaving nothing to chance.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25I don't want any other bee coming in here now to cross-pollinate it,
0:15:25 > 0:15:31so what I do, I'll tie that flower up now to stop a bee going in there
0:15:31 > 0:15:33to cross-pollinate.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36With Phillip's marrow protected by its chastity belt,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38the race is on to grow the biggest fruit.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49The pumpkins and marrows put on an incredible six inches of growth a day.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57But, at the end of June, Wales gets hit with a heat wave.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04- RADIO:- Temperatures once again soaring - very warm or hot,
0:16:04 > 0:16:08humid, too, highs between 25 and 30 Celsius.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Cooler on some coasts, with a breeze...
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Over in Newport, the thermometer in Ian's polytunnel
0:16:13 > 0:16:15has reached astronomical heights.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19115.7!
0:16:20 > 0:16:22No wonder the plants are wilting.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27They just can't take enough water up to keep 'em going.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31And, with just one big, rather oddly-shaped marrow,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Ian is concerned.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37It is worrying, because that there could go soft.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40I had one, pear-shaped, and the end went soft.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46Back in Llanharry, Phillip has also been feeling the burn.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48So much heat coming off the side of the polytunnel,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50he's started to cook!
0:16:50 > 0:16:52I have lost six now through the hot weather.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58You've got to have failures, you can't have all success.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02But it is disappointing, you know, because it was a good marrow.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04And look at that inside there.
0:17:04 > 0:17:05Isn't that a good marrow?
0:17:07 > 0:17:10But Brenda will make some nice chutney out of that one.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14I'll just make you a sandwich now, and make you a cup of tea.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18But Brenda has more pressing things on her mind.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Just waiting now, waiting on the solicitors to tell us the date,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24and I will be happy to go now,
0:17:24 > 0:17:29because there is so much packing and things to sort out.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33After 48 years, they are moving house.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37Lovely memories with all the children and all the parties
0:17:37 > 0:17:39and everything else we have had here,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41we've had some lovely times here with the family.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Phillip has been doing the entire move by hand.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48How many trips have I made with this wheelbarrow?
0:17:48 > 0:17:50I haven't counted!
0:17:52 > 0:17:55And it is one heck of a journey,
0:17:55 > 0:17:57all the way to their new house...
0:17:59 > 0:18:01..three doors down the same road.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08We are moving from number four to number one.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Literally, what, 50 yards away?
0:18:13 > 0:18:14This has got to be about...
0:18:16 > 0:18:20..the 80th container that we've brought down.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Why? Because it is right by my allotment, is number one.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27And there is a little bit of ground alongside here,
0:18:27 > 0:18:32so we're hoping to put a little bungalow alongside the house here.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Just to retire in. Brenda's going to retire.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38Phillip's not going to retire, but Brenda is!
0:18:38 > 0:18:41The best view is up the back here.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Yes, every day, Phillip can wake up to a view of his beloved allotment
0:18:45 > 0:18:47from his bedroom window.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48Beautiful.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53People do say about moving abroad - no, thank you.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Just give me Llanharry.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02How are Phill's marrows doing, then?
0:19:04 > 0:19:06How big are they?
0:19:06 > 0:19:08One month to the show, and back in Barry,
0:19:08 > 0:19:12Vince has come up with a novel way to give his cucumbers some added...
0:19:12 > 0:19:14support.
0:19:14 > 0:19:15It's a DD cup, it is.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18I got it off my friend's mother, I did.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Take the strain off the stalk.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23My friend's mother will be happy, seeing her bra on telly, anyway.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27Vince may well laugh.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30While the polytunnel boys have been suffering with the heat,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33his two marrows have been thriving outside.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37This is my pride and joy at the moment, this is.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41I did get the tape measure on yesterday, and worked out on the chart,
0:19:41 > 0:19:43and it was 80 pounds yesterday,
0:19:43 > 0:19:45so it has probably grown a few more pounds since yesterday.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48It's motoring, flying, it is.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Another two weeks like that, they should...
0:19:50 > 0:19:54I reckon, by next weekend, it should reach 100 pounds by next weekend.
0:19:54 > 0:19:55No problem.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59But growing outside leaves Vince at the mercy of the elements.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04I'm just dreading tomorrow, there's going to be a good bit of rain
0:20:04 > 0:20:07tomorrow, so I just hope they don't swell too quick tomorrow,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09and end up with a split in them.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11That's what happened to my best one last year -
0:20:11 > 0:20:15we had two nights of rain, and it blew the side out of it.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18While Vince's veg have been flying along,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21things haven't been going so well for gentleman gardeners
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Bernard and Ray.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Cold drink today, because it is hot,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28and you can have some carrot cake,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31because I have been baking this morning.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Yes, the boys are well nourished, but the vegetables aren't.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37This one looks a good one,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40but I think I am going to have to have a chat with Phillip.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44I don't really know whether we ought to leave too many on the one plant.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48If we could give him a few pints this afternoon, he might...
0:20:48 > 0:20:50We might get it out of him, like.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53- Phillip-o!- Hello!
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Can you give me a lift with this cabbage?
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Before they go for a pint, the brothers need to pick up their cash.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03- Wow!- When I say cash, I really mean the "green stuff".
0:21:03 > 0:21:06- It's a beaut.- Not bad, is it?
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Don't be stepping on the roots of my marrow.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Oh, we wouldn't do a thing like that!
0:21:10 > 0:21:13- You would, just for spite, you would.- No, we wouldn't!
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Phillip often supplies the local pub with giant veg.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22One of his cabbages will make 100 Sunday lunches.
0:21:23 > 0:21:24One nice cabbage for you.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Oh, that is brilliant!
0:21:28 > 0:21:30So, do we need to reward you or anything?
0:21:30 > 0:21:32A few drinks would be nice!
0:21:33 > 0:21:36While the boys relax...
0:21:36 > 0:21:38- ALL:- Cheers.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42..it is a busy evening for Sir Brooke Boothby.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46As you can gather with me arriving,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49I'm going to part you from a little money.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53Sir Brooke is hosting one of his many charity garden parties.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56One marrow, just two inches long.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00But, as ever, his vegetables are never far from his mind.
0:22:00 > 0:22:01I have magic up my sleeve.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06And, when the revellers have gone home, they leave Sir Brooke
0:22:06 > 0:22:10with the perfect leftovers to feed his pumpkins.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13We have tried other things - lemonade and other such things,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16but they don't seem to work as well as the beer.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19I'm not entirely sure why, but they don't.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24Phillip better beware - the beer seems to be working wonders.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Well, this one is coming along pretty well.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29It will grow a good bit bigger by the time we get to the show,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33and it is beginning to turn into that nice golden colour
0:22:33 > 0:22:35so we are very... We're reasonably happy.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38A lot of people seem to thrive perfectly well without alcohol,
0:22:38 > 0:22:40but these don't.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Two weeks before the show, and Vince has had a disaster.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Split right round, and this way as well.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53I haven't seen them split that way before.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57Gone to bits, they have. 36 days of growing,
0:22:57 > 0:23:01and they split two weeks before the show, it has gone and split again.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07The rain that Vince predicted has come moving in,
0:23:07 > 0:23:11forcing his two marrows to suck up too much water, and split.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15It is no good for the show now.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Once the air gets inside, it will just start to decay and rot away.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Gutted again. It is like someone chopping your right arm off.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Still, Vince cannot resist finding out what this monster weighs.
0:23:34 > 0:23:3555 kilos.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40That's 121 pounds.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44May have had another week or two growth left in it yet.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Four months' work, gone.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49Gutted.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54It is the end of the road for Vince's marrow dreams.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00It's competition day.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04Time for Phillip to cut the umbilical cord on his giant babies,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06and move them to the show.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Or, at least, try to.
0:24:10 > 0:24:15When you are talking, you know, a 200 pound stone-dead pumpkin,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17it is pretty difficult.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19One, two... That's it.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21You know, me and my brothers are all getting on a bit now,
0:24:21 > 0:24:23and we do struggle a bit.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30Meanwhile, in Newport, Ian has to rely on the power of one.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Do you know, I stopped growing pumpkins cos they were too heavy,
0:24:33 > 0:24:34and these are getting too heavy.
0:24:36 > 0:24:37Or I'm getting too old!
0:24:38 > 0:24:42But his soil has been harbouring some monsters...
0:24:42 > 0:24:47- That is a good one. - ..including his giant Swede.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Oh, he's a winner.
0:24:49 > 0:24:50Yes, he's a winner.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Good luck, you two.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59PA SYSTEM CHIMES
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- ANNOUNCER:- Welcome to the Vale of Glamorgan Show.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05We have a great display of giant vegetables...
0:25:05 > 0:25:08At the Vale Show in the grounds of Fonmon Castle,
0:25:08 > 0:25:13the competitors gather to battle it out in 13 classes of giant veg.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16You go to any show, and you will not see a lot better.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20And, as competition chairman, Phillip oversees the weigh-in.
0:25:20 > 0:25:21You cannot mess about too much.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23It has got to be one process.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Through the door, onto the scales, onto the table.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30The heaviest vegetable in each class wins.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33And it is time for the pumpkins to be weighed in.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37Sir Brooke's first effort only comes in at 51 kilos.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40But he has a trick up his sleeve with his second entry.
0:25:40 > 0:25:4143...
0:25:43 > 0:25:44Excuse me!
0:25:44 > 0:25:45Objection!
0:25:45 > 0:25:48LAUGHTER
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Sir Brooke has loaded his blanket with weights...
0:25:52 > 0:25:55..and the pumpkin is rather light.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59I was a bit short of a good one, so I hired one from a props department!
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Are we going to disqualify him?
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Definitely! Out you go!
0:26:03 > 0:26:05- He's out!- Out!
0:26:05 > 0:26:08But the competition is about to get serious.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09Morning.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14Giant grower Tim has travelled from England with a beast.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21That's an unbelievable 18st of pure pumpkin.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Will Phillip's pumpkin be heavier?
0:26:27 > 0:26:29The scales say no.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33But he's gracious in defeat.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Good exhibit, well done.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Now, all Phillip's hopes lie with the most fiercely fought class -
0:26:41 > 0:26:42the marrow.
0:26:45 > 0:26:51And he has got a yellow whopper that he is hoping will weigh 50kg.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55It is not as big as I thought, not as heavy as I thought, anyway.
0:26:55 > 0:26:56God!
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Could have been another 20 pounds!
0:27:00 > 0:27:01Shock for Phillip.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06- That's disappointing. - It is just over 39 kilos.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08I thought he would have been heavier.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Well, there we are, he is what he is.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17His stumpy green marrow turns out to be a few kilos heavier,
0:27:17 > 0:27:21but will it be enough for Phillip to retain his marrow crown?
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Can he beat his brothers, and Ian?
0:27:29 > 0:27:32It's crunch time for Phillip's veg.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37First prize for the marrows
0:27:37 > 0:27:38goes to...
0:27:41 > 0:27:43..Phillip Vowles.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Because I'd won it the last couple of years,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53they call me the marrow champion,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56and I'm still the marrow champion.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Another first prize we have is going to Vince.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Despite his marrows having bust,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Vince went on to get five class wins,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08partly due to his friend's mum's bra.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Supported it well, the old DD cup.
0:28:10 > 0:28:11Lovely!
0:28:12 > 0:28:14And Ian had two first places.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18I got first in my swede,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21but I only come third in the marrow.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25And I got first in the carrots, so we haven't done too bad.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29But the king of the marrows is Phillip Vowles.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31To win the marrow, I'm so pleased.
0:28:31 > 0:28:32Excellent.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Yay!
0:28:34 > 0:28:38# Down the road, there lives a man I'd like you all to know
0:28:38 > 0:28:41# He grew a great big marrow for the local flower show
0:28:41 > 0:28:45# When the story got around, they came from far and wide
0:28:45 > 0:28:49# When the people saw the marrow, everybody cried
0:28:49 > 0:28:53# Oh, what a beauty!
0:28:53 > 0:28:56# We've never seen one as big as that before. #