Episode 5 A Summer in Wales

The summer in Wales is a time of celebration. Holidays. And the

great outdoors. A time when many businesses must turn a profit.

have put everything we have got into this. Offices struggle to

survive the rest of the year. have got to keep your head above

water. A time when good weather can make all things possible, and bad

can leave dreams in tatters. weather could be nicer. This summer

was truly extraordinary. It is all laughter... Heartache if...

Triumph... And despair. The weather has beaten us. These are our

stories. Filmed in every corner of the nation across the summer of

2012. This is the story of a summer in Wales. Let's get this show on

the road! Summer 2012 may have turned out to be the wettest on

record, but a certain event did much to dispel the gloom. We are

seconds away from the start of the Olympic Games. Welcome to the games

of the 30th Olympiad. The spectacle of the London Olympic Games lifted

the spirit of the nation, and the competition kicked off right here

in Wales. Cardiff, and at the city's street cleaning headquarters,

manager Juliet Gamlin is briefing her team ahead of their busiest

phase of the summer timetable. teams have already arrived. They

are in the city centre. So it's really important that we

demonstrate what Cardiff has to offer, and you guys, being on the

front line there, are acting as our ambassadors, representatives of

Cardiff council. So please be your normal, friendly, helpful selves,

and I am sure you will shine through.

Today, not one, but two Olympic football matches are scheduled to

kick off in the capital. Street wash operator Rose Joseph and team-

mate Russell Davies have their hands full preparing the city

centre for its moment in the Olympic spotlight. It's going to be

pretty busy later on this morning. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing,

the Olympics coming to Britain. And we will have every man and his dog

around. Madness. Everyone is buzzing. It's a great atmosphere.

And when the games kick off later today, you will see the party

starting. But it's not the football that is tickling Russell's fancy.

Beach volleyball is the best winner. Later on at night. The kids are in

bed. Women in bathers. What more Summer is always a busy time for

the cleansing team, but thousands of football fans are flooding in to

see Mexico play Switzerland, and then Team GB play Uruguay just

under three hours later. Extra staff have been drafted in to help

with "Operation Deep Clean Mode". They have brought us in to keep the

city clean until the Olympics are over, so this means I get wages. It

keeps me busy. It keeps me off the streets. There is a carnival

atmosphere in the city centre. many times have I warned you? Three

times in the first half. If you keep doing it, you're off.

Russell's daughter Sophie, a street cleanser like her dad, is taking it

all in her stride. A special performance, that is. Welcome to

Cardiff. Iechyd da! Caerphilly cheese! Team GB. Bring it on.

swept up by the Olympic spirit, but to herself a gold medal. For being

on the streets at 4am, Monday to Saturday, alternative Sundays, to

keep the streets free of vomit, grease, blood spillages etc. With

one match about to kick off and more fans flooding into the city

centre streets ready for the second, the Cleaner Cardiff team have a

long day ahead of them. The Olympics wasn't the only event to

dominate the summer. For Wales' farming community, this is the

season of the agricultural show, from what's claimed to be Europe's

largest, the Royal Welsh, to more local affairs. This summer marks a

milestone for the Jones family of Pencastell farm in Ceredigion. For

the first time, Elin, aged five, Tomos, seven and Sion Ifan, eight,

will all be old enough to compete as young sheep handlers at the

local Llanilar agricultural show. Proud dad Geraint will be helping

them all the way. Pick the best ewe lamb to start with. I want the

number one. Number nine. Number four, number four. Sion Ifan is an

experienced handler. He competed last year and won a rosette, but

little sister Elin will not be outdone. This is the first time

I've done the sheeps. I'm going to be first, and I'm going to win a

prize. Hold the head up. That is the handbrake, so she will not go

forward. We are not only training the sheep, this is the process of

training the children to handle the sheep. The job now is getting this

sheep used to us handling her and getting her nice, and by the time

the show comes, she could be looking a million dollars.

thing's for sure - competition will be stiff. Elin and her brothers

will have to practise long and hard before putting their skills to the

test in the upcoming show in a few weeks' time. I've got her, I've got

On the border between Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion is Hammet House.

Until recently, it was a failing country hotel, but then Philippa

and Owen Gale bought it and invested their life savings into

transforming it into a luxury retreat. It is an ambitious project.

So we are going to go into room 15 now, which is one that we haven't

really touched yet. And it is just a lot more traditional in feel. You

have got ornate roll effect paintwork, decorative borders,

flowery curtains. Very soon, it is going to be completely redone in

Hammet House style. The couple are giving the hotel an

uncompromisingly modern makeover. But the refurbishment still has a

long way to go. Also, they are new to the hotel trade, and found that

delivering a luxury service means they have to be hands-on, seven

days a week. I would say we are both pretty limited in our capacity

to trust other people to do things absolutely properly. To make things

worse, summer is wedding season, the busiest time in the hotel

calendar. And just as it began, their chef decided to leave. Now,

one month later, a replacement has been found in the shape of Andy

Beaumont. I've got a lot of experience of doing high-end food

in three rosette and Michelin star establishments. At the end of the

day, we want to be as good as we can be. And what they are doing out

the front, it is very modern. It is very funky, and we are doing that

with the food as well, using hot jellies and foams and those sorts

of things. We have got high hopes. Philippa and Owen think that Andy's

modern approach is exactly what Hammet House needs. He has really

upped the quality of the food that we are producing here now, and also

the professionalism in the kitchen. We are really looking forward to

what he is doing next. To spread the word about their fancy cuisine,

they have decided to stage a seven- course tasting event, showcasing

their chef's culinary talent. A select group of high-profile diners

will be attending, including a food reviewer. So then, Andy, Welsh

tasting menu. Are you happy? Ready to go? The menu is quite detailed.

Seven courses. Seven chances to get something wrong. So it is quite an

important night. We are all quite keen to see your

ham, egg and chips. Hope you have got that well planned. Don't worry,

it will be on the ball. We have got a very important guest from the

bank coming. Obviously, we are quite nervous about the evening.

have got to make sure that it goes without fault, and everything has

to be perfect. For those of us with families, late summer means one

thing, school holidays. A time for bored children and panicking

parents. A time where an outdoor living history event never looked

more appealing. At Caerleon amphitheatre in south-east Wales, a

host of re-enactors are laying on a weekend long Roman extravaganza.

are just Romans generally, everywhere where we can be. It is

how I fill my summer, and most of my life as well. Looking to try her

hand at what is known in the trade as live costume interpretation is

Linda Bailey, who normally spends her Saturdays leading Gavin and

Stacey tours around Barry Island. Val Williams is a professional

costume interpreter who's agreed to train Linda to play the role of the

female Gladiator. Pleased to meet you. The event has drawn

interpreters and re-enactment groups from far and wide, eager to

celebrate all things Roman. I work on computers all day really, so

this is to an extent is escapism. adopted the pseudo name of Sextus

Julius Frontinus, who was the leading Roman Surveyor and he was

the guy who actually founded Caerleon so quite by coincidence, I

have returned to my original base. One thing sets Linda and Val apart

from this lot. They're what's known as first person interpreters. Not

only dressing up as historical characters, but actually acting

like one as well. Some of this year is about the

Gladiators. We know less about the females, but they were still

superstars of the day. You could earn a lot of money. And you had

all this adulation. You have got to really pretend you are the person

and stay as that person pretty much whatever happens. In this, you are

my youngest sister. I have retired honourably from the arena. You are

still fighting but I think it is time that you actually give up. In

fact ,you should be really authentic, be bare breasted. I tend

not to do first person re-enactment because they think we might be

slightly mad, but they are barking. This is my sister, Achilia. And

she's intending fighting here this afternoon. For the titillation of

men not as well bred as yourself, sir. For goodness sake, will

somebody tell her it's time she rested on her laurels and gave it

up. You are scaring me! Linda seems to be getting right into her role.

For the first time, that was amazing. There is no barrier like

between the stage and the public. You are eyeing each other's faces.

As things heat up in the amphitheatre, Linda comes across a

troupe of fellow gladiators all away from Italy. Hello. I am

fighting this afternoon. With us? No. I wouldn't dare. We are

Italians. Oh, my God. That is it, I'm hooked. It looks like this job

has its perks. Are they coming back In Ceredigion, it is the day of the

Llanilar agricultural show. Time for the Jones family children to

put weeks of preparation to the test in the young handlers' event.

I have been practising a lot. I want to win a rosette. With

competitors from all over the country, Llanilar is regarded as

one of the largest one-day local Dad Geraint has high hopes for Elin

but also has his own eye on another prize. That one's you and that

one's mine. It smells nice anyway. There is a competition in the show

for the men to bake a cake. I like cooking with my dad. We're allowed

to make a mess when we cook, aren't we? Yeah. Some people probably take

it a bit serious but no there's no need to take it serious. It's all a

bit of fun. My cake looks better than that one. There's quite a few

cakes entered for the men's competition. The Llanilar boys have

got a bit of talent going. Which is the best cake? That one. Yes this

one, I think so as well. Well here's some stiff competition as

well. I reckon. I think I have got the beating of you this year.

Let the best man win, Ger? Yes, I will. Elin? Cake competition aside,

it's time for Elin's young handler's event. There we go. Now

the judge is now going to be judging you. What's your sheep

called? Nesta. Nesta. At only five years old, she is one of the

youngest competitors. Oh dear. in the main tent, the public have

been cleared and the cake judging has begun. There are 31 entries in

the men's categories and Geraint faces some stiff competition. It's

down to judges Glenys Jones and Phyllis Eldridge to pick the

winners. We pick the best three and we taste them. We are not going to

taste every one of them. We should but In the ring, Elin and her

competitors are demonstrating their handling skills. In the tent,

Phyllis and Glenys are tackling the men's cake category. They are more

presentable than the ladies. What breed is this one then? A Lleyn.

Lleyn? Right, we can go on now then. Tension is mounting. You're not

supposed to speak with your mouth full. Finally it's decision time.

First. Second. This young lady again. You know quite a bit about

the sheep and she's a very good handler so, second prize to her.

And of course the final one for showing the sheep - there we are.

did very well. I came second. then. Let's see about this cake.

Very important competitors coming through. That can't be yours.

Is it? Billy Morris has won. It's a fix. What happened to yours then?

don't know. Where is the judge? We need to have words. As the day

comes to a close, there's been disappointment for Geraint but

success for the children, particularly Elin. Bye bye. Time to

head for home to celebrate with a slice of dad's cake. 40 miles to

the south at Hammet House, it's the evening of the seven course tasting

menu. The event planned to showcase the talents of new chef Andy

Beaumont to a select gathering of VIP guests. Yes, it's a little

nerve wracking. I'm putting a calm front on like I say but inside I'm

a little nervous to be honest. Fingers crossed it'll be alright.

Right so we'll head on up. I'll show you to your room. Lovely,

thank you. Can I take that bag for you? One person that Owen and

Philippa particularly hope to impress is food reviewer Joanna

Busk of Fork Magazine. A good write up from her could propel them to

the top league of luxury Welsh hotels. But as Joanna is shown to

her room, it soon emerges that there's a problem. Owen and

Philippa have had to leave the hotel. The owners of the house. Are

they here at the moment or are they coming down later? Unfortunately

not. They are not going to be attending tonight. It will be down

to trainee manageress Amy Cross to ensure it all runs smoothly front

of house. It's a shame the owners aren't here but I will try to cant

to as many people as possible. wasn't planned for me to be here by

myself tonight but everything is planned and is going to go

according to plan as it always does here at Hammet House. With the

staff busy preparing for the evening ahead, Joanna is left alone

to take a tour of the hotel. this is nice. Great mirror.

Fantastic. It's a lovely room. It's very unusual. It's certainly what

you wouldn't expect to find in an old country house hotel in this

little corner of Wales. Left to roam, she even wanders into the un-

renovated areas. You can see that there are some bits have been done

and some bits that haven't. It's still got the smelly carpet. I was

just saying it feels quite Schizophrenic. Next up for Joanna

is the kitchen. Hello, nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. How are you?

Very well. Excellent. Would you like this to be a destination

restaurant for people to be coming from outside the hotel? Definitely

I want to make this basically the best place to eat food in. Most

definitely Pembrokeshire and primarily Wales. I won't stop till

I get there. Wow. That's fighting talk. As the VIP guests arrive, Amy

and the front of house team leap into action. My shift started at

this 7.00am this morning. But still feeling good. The adrenaline has

kicked in. In the kitchen, Andy is prepping his modern take on ham,

egg and chips. This is a warm jelly you can warm up to about 60 degrees

and it still stays as a jelly. Then we have got a half poached quail

egg to go on top. A little diced crisped potatoes and some smoky

tomato sauce. Right Andy. So we are ready to move through for half past

if you are. OK? Thank you. As the guests move into the dining room,

the hotels' fate hangs in the balance. If the evening goes well

and Joanna writes a good review, Hammet House's reputation will be

given a huge boost. All facing the same way? But a bad one could spell

disaster. Wow. They've got to be level. You have to use two hands.

Three hours and six courses later, it looks like Andy is almost home

and dry. So far so good tonight. It's gone alright. And yes, I'm

very relieved and very happy and I'm going to relax and have a cold

drink. Then one of the waiting staff announces they are a dessert

short. One more. No there shouldn't be. Go and check. OK we might have

a problem. We might have forgotten one. Get a plate just in case It's

all right. I thought I could count. Clearly they can't count. Crisis

over but what is Joanna's verdict on the food? There were some great

bits and not so great bits. He's only been in the kitchen for a

month. You know he's very new here. The whole operation is very new

here. I would never expect to come in somewhere so early and find

everything perfect. I think they are going places and I think Andy

will do some great stuff here It's the end of a long stressful day for

Andy and the Hammet House staff. Now they will just have to wait

until the review is written up. Caerleon, the Roman extravaganza is

rolling on. Oh no. Would be female gladiator Linda is gathering

background information for her role. At the moment we are having a

little mingle and a bit of training really. Finding out what exactly

went on in this era and my history lesson is going quite well. Take

your index fingers, put it on your forehead and move the skin around

there. It's got nothing to do with the talk, I just wanted to see you

all doing it. My name is Maximus Festus Severus. He's a surgeon so a

medicus in the Roman term. Oh the bucket. The famous bucket of limbs,

yeah. Well the bucket, it's always handy, very good that one. It's

always very useful to have some hands and legs and toes lying about

and fingers just to demonstrate on there. I thought originally it was

going to be a bit gruesome for the kids. But of course the kids love

it. What Linda needs to do now is learn to fight convincingly. Well

she's doing all right but I think I'm right. She should retire. It is

time for her to give up the reign. Yes! No! On the other hand, if this

was her first ever fight she would be doing brilliantly. Tired now?

Shattered. It's been a long day for Linda. But this could well be the

curtain raiser on the whole new stage of her career as a guide.

Well, everything has drawn to a close. I know. It's been a good day.

It's been great. Fair play, you have really thrown yourself into it.

Yes, I shall be very sad to see Achilia disappear for I don't know

how long. A little bit more training. I think she could very

well be in that arena by next year, don't you think? Even be fighting

those men gladiators I reckon. But to be honest with you, I can't wait

to take my outfit off now I am cooking. Linda is not the only one

to have had a tough time. In Cardiff City Centre, it's early

evening. And the second Olympic football match of the day is about

to kick off in the capital's Millennium Stadium. Cleaner Cardiff

team member Sophie is still hard at it collecting litter from Olympic

football fans. If there were two English football teams, there would

be a lot more rubbish like people from all over the road and stuff.

It's a lot cleaner because they have a lot more respect. It's like

the British people, they look at you and they drop it on the floor.

You don't get none of that from like the international people or

anything like that. As the last match of the day kicks off and the

streets empty of fans, the cleaner Cardiff team leaps into action.

Their mission - to give the city centre a deep clean before the

final whistle blows and the fans hit the streets again. The game has

kicked off and they have let us in for about hour and a half to do a

quick clean up and then the night crew will come in to finish off

then when the game has finished. It's such a tight window, the crews

been cleaning, cleaning and cleaning. They haven't got time to

take it out so they dump it here. And let me come across and get it.

It's well orchestrated. They've had plenty of practice doing it before.

As the end of his shift approaches, Russell is feeling the strain.

don't know. Tired. You try getting up at 2.45am every morning. Catches

up by the end of the week He's in one of his happy moods today.

he grits his teeth together like that, stand back. There's been no

full moon or days. In no time at all, the city centre streets are

clean. We take pride in our city. We see it before and we see it

again at the end when it's all finished and it gives you a good

sense of we've done that. Every person that comes into the city

centre more or less has cameras or videos so they are taking that back

to their own places, showing how Cardiff is. Come on GB! When the

fans pour out, the litter picking will start all over again.

Next time: It's raining, not to worry. We're Welsh. We're used to

it. Cardiff Carnival battles a mini monsoon. Soggy but amazing.