0:00:02 > 0:00:04- Summer in Wales is a time of celebration...- Cheese!
0:00:04 > 0:00:07- ..holidays... - I want to see a castle, pubs.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10- Keep rowing! - ..and the great outdoors.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15A time when many businesses must turn a profit...
0:00:15 > 0:00:17We have put everything we have got into this.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20..or face a struggle to survive the rest of the year.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23You've got to keep your head above water at the moment.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26A time when good weather can make all things possible
0:00:26 > 0:00:28and bad can leave dreams in tatters.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32The weather could be a little nicer, but that's not anybody's fault.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34The summer was truly extraordinary.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Was that the cleverest idea at the time?
0:00:37 > 0:00:39It saw laughter...
0:00:39 > 0:00:41- SHE LAUGHS - ..heartache...
0:00:41 > 0:00:42It's going to be a cruel game.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45- ..triumph... - I came second.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48- ..and despair. - The weather's beaten us once again.
0:00:48 > 0:00:49These are our stories.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Nice bit of pavement pizza going on here.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Filmed in every corner of the nation across the summer of 2012...
0:00:56 > 0:00:57You can't beat it, can you?
0:00:57 > 0:01:00..this is the story of A Summer In Wales.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Let's get the show on the road!
0:01:14 > 0:01:17It's early summer in Wales.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21From the cities of the south, to the high peaks of the north,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23the nation is stirring.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32On the tiny tidal island of Cribinau, off the south west coast
0:01:32 > 0:01:36of Anglesey, stands St Cwyfan's Church, in the sea.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Closed all winter, each year, when summer begins,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42this medieval church is opened up for business.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Today, at low tide, Canon Madalaine Brady
0:01:47 > 0:01:50is making her way across the causeway, to prepare the church
0:01:50 > 0:01:54for the wedding of local couple, Gareth and Amy.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56I don't know if this church is unique,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59but I can't imagine there's very many
0:01:59 > 0:02:02where you have to walk across sand at low tide to get to a wedding.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05But that's all part of the charm.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08So long as we've got the tides right,
0:02:08 > 0:02:12and we don't mess about, it will be kind to us.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16But, you know, in the end, the tide has the last say.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Whatever we do, it's in charge.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25On Anglesey, husband-to-be Gareth and his groomsmen are getting ready.
0:02:27 > 0:02:28'Amy, originally,'
0:02:28 > 0:02:31when she was little, always said she'd like to get married there.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Sort of, fairytale, princess dream, as you're a kid.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37We're really happy that we can do it.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Basically, we had two days in the year that were compatible
0:02:41 > 0:02:45with the tide and the vicar being free and the hotel being free,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47so we, yeah, the day was pretty much chosen for us
0:02:47 > 0:02:51by the situation of the church.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53The tide will be out, though. We have sorted that one.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56So we're not going to have to swim there.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02This is the one drawback, as far as I'm concerned!
0:03:02 > 0:03:06And stones have a horrible habit of moving, the minute you trust them.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12I always ask couples, do tell your guests to wear wellies,
0:03:12 > 0:03:17or sensible shoes, because if anybody arrives on the beach,
0:03:17 > 0:03:23looks at this, and is wearing stilettos, they're in trouble.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Fortunately, Gareth and Amy's guests arrive wearing suitable footwear.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Some need a little more help than others.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Make sure we have a pen.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Oh, wedding candle. Thank you, Betty.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53I think that's about everything.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Oh, don't pull it too hard. Dennis, don't.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02- SHE LAUGHS - It won't come off. Dennis!
0:04:02 > 0:04:05The other little thing I usually say to the best man is,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08if anything at all goes wrong, it's your fault.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11If it all goes beautifully, it's all down to me.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Right. OK.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16For my next trick!
0:04:16 > 0:04:19The guests have arrived, the church is ready,
0:04:19 > 0:04:23all they need now is the bride.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Fingers crossed she turns up now.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29It has once happened that a bride was three quarters of an hour late,
0:04:29 > 0:04:31and the tide was rushing in.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Some 200 miles to the south, another island is opening up for the summer.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51On a little knuckle of rock in the chilly Bristol Channel,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54lies the Kiss Me Quick beach resort of Barry Island.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05The resort's iconic fairground first arrived in 1910
0:05:05 > 0:05:08and since then, has entertained generations
0:05:08 > 0:05:10from South Wales and far beyond.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15These days, it's run by manager Vernon Studt.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Vernon is a fourth generation showman,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20part of the Studt family funfair dynasty.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25'The family has been in the fairground business
0:05:25 > 0:05:27'since the early 1800s.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31'When you're born as a showman, it's a way of life.'
0:05:31 > 0:05:35I couldn't sit in an office, and sit behind a desk, that's not for me.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37All right. Malcolm, OK?
0:05:37 > 0:05:40The little one will be in charge, won't he?
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Barry's fairground community is close knit.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45All right! How's the goldfish looking?
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Vernon's relationship with the team
0:05:47 > 0:05:50is much more than a business arrangement.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52We all know each other, we all get on well.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55The fella with the Waltzers is a good colleague of mine
0:05:55 > 0:05:56from Stoke on Trent.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58The guy with the Jumping Frogs is another colleague -
0:05:58 > 0:06:00showman - we all know each other.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Hello, Tommy!
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Vernon believes the funfair still has a strong appeal today,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09given the right weather.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14It's a typical seaside place with a funfair and candy floss,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16and rock and ice-cream.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19When the sun shines, Barry shines.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24When the rides are full up with people, there's an atmosphere,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27laughter, and screaming from the kids.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30It gives you a bit of a buzz then.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35It makes you think, well what you're doing is right. And it's worthwhile.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39It's the first bank holiday weekend of the summer season
0:06:39 > 0:06:42and Vernon's hoping to attract bumper crowds through the gates.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46It's looking OK today. Looking spick and span here ready.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50- Only thing we need is customers. - A few of.- That's what we need.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54In its glory days, the fairground could attract
0:06:54 > 0:06:58nearly half a million visitors in one August Bank Holiday week.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01But the wash-out summers of recent years have put paid to all that.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06If the weather isn't good, we don't get no people.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08We need good weather to get people out.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14The fella that owns the Waltzer, is ringing me now to see how it is.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16How are you, Henry?
0:07:17 > 0:07:20I'm turning them away from the gate!
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Yeah, I wish I had that problem. Is it...?
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Well, diabolical, you know, there's just nobody here.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31The only thing today that's not doing here is raining.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36The fairground's fallen on hard times.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39There's not even enough cash
0:07:39 > 0:07:43to maintain what were once its most popular rides.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46I remember coming here 25 year ago, and that log flume
0:07:46 > 0:07:50was very, very popular. In its day, it was one of the best.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53It was talked about all over the country, that log flume,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55when it originally went in.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Looking a bit sad now, but there we are.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Things are so bad that the park's owner, Ian Rogers,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04plans to demolish the fairground
0:08:04 > 0:08:06to make way for an under-cover leisure complex.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Everybody realises that something's got to happen down here.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16So September/October time, we'll be starting to move.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20We can't compete with the likes of Oakwood and Alton Towers.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23No, it's the end of an era,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26but it's the start of a new one, which is very exciting
0:08:26 > 0:08:29for everybody that's going to be involved.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35Well, I've just lost, lost again.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37No goldfish for me today, I'm afraid, no.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43Vernon's not clear what will be happening to the fairground.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Oh! Second time.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48It possibly could be the last summer,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52but I'm optimistic that, hopefully, I'll still be here next year.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58A slow start to the summer season is the last thing Vernon needs.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02I can't see us being much later than about six o'clock, you know,
0:09:02 > 0:09:04if we reach six o'clock.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08It's now half past four, just gone half past four, nobody here.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Keep it going for nothing. It's costing money, you know,
0:09:11 > 0:09:13just to keep it all running out there.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Vernon decides to cut his losses and close the fairground early.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24Barry Island Pleasure Park will close at 6:30pm tonight.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Thank you, all, thank you.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28Everybody's done bad.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31It's no good worrying because that's not going to help you, at all.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33You've just got to take it day by day,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36and, like I said, it's not over until the fat lady sings.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38We're here until the end of September,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40so we've got plenty of time for that, you know.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Let's just hope that my bank manager understands
0:09:43 > 0:09:46and is as kind about this as I am.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53A good summer will see over a million people
0:09:53 > 0:09:57cross the Severn Bridge, to spend time and money in Wales.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Many of them will visit Cardiff.
0:09:59 > 0:10:06So, it's important that the city looks its best...no matter what.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08- Good morning, everybody. - Good morning, David.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10It's been a very pleasant evening in the city centre,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13so I would imagine there's quite a bit of litter out there.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15So, let's go, as soon as you're ready.
0:10:16 > 0:10:185am, Sunday morning.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21The Cleaner Cardiff specialist cleansing team
0:10:21 > 0:10:23head off to clear the streets of litter
0:10:23 > 0:10:25left by Saturday night revellers.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32They've a tight five-hour window
0:10:32 > 0:10:34to get the city centre ready for business.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41Street wash operator Rose Joseph knows just what to expect.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46It's not just the litter, you know, you've got the grease,
0:10:46 > 0:10:48the blood, the urine, the vomit.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53This little cubby hole's amazing.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56It seems like most of the clubs come out, straight in the corner,
0:10:56 > 0:10:57up the walls.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01And when it's wet with heat off the land, you'll smell it.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05All jokes aside, you can tell the difference between human poop
0:11:05 > 0:11:10and animal poop, really. Mostly in the phone boxes you'll find that.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Years of street cleaning hasn't dulled
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Russell Davies' sensitivity to the pong.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19When you get the old water on it. Ooh! There we come!
0:11:19 > 0:11:22But people don't realise that until they walk past it
0:11:22 > 0:11:24and then they have the smell.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27But we've got to put up with it every day - part of the job.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Paul Johnson, team co-ordinator, takes a real pride in his work.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37We call ourselves the 4th emergency service.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41We get a lot of drunks and that.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44But they're pretty good to the street cleaners.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46We don't get no problems with them.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49We sort them out if we can, give them a hand.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51As you can see, a nice bit of pavement pizza
0:11:51 > 0:11:55in this corner here. Lovely jubbly.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57This summer, the team will be tested
0:11:57 > 0:12:01to their limits as their manager, Juliet Gamlin, knows all too well.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05We've got the torch relay, we've got the Diamond Jubilee celebrations
0:12:05 > 0:12:07with the Big Lunch, and we've actually got
0:12:07 > 0:12:08the very first event of the Olympics,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10so it's going to be all eyes are on Cardiff.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12You know, there's an awful lot going on.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15I've got a fantastic team out there, really dedicated,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18and sometimes, you know, it's quite the unnoticed role.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20People seem to always sort of take it for granted
0:12:20 > 0:12:23that the city looks great.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25A lot of people say, how can you enjoy, you know,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27cleaning up other people's mess?
0:12:27 > 0:12:28I just love it.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31I couldn't sit in an office 9-5, I couldn't do that.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34I'd go absolutely demented. I'd be climbing the wall.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36I love being outdoors, love it.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41As you can see, there is perks to the job. 50p!
0:12:41 > 0:12:43HE LAUGHS
0:12:43 > 0:12:47In this male dominated industry, a female boss is a rarity.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51She's not bad for a 50-year-old.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55I know she's not 50.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57You're unemployed as of Monday.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59I would say that she's 48.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01The joke is, oh, better not let Jules out there,
0:13:01 > 0:13:03she might snap a nail or something drastic.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06There are obviously more men than there are women.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10So, having a female boss does, maybe belittle a lot of the boys
0:13:10 > 0:13:13doesn't it, because they don't like women in command.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15You just play along with it, don't you, that's what happens.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17I give as good as I get, mind.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20If we think she's in the wrong, we'll tell her.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24And she will listen, but it's always done her way. Sometimes.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31By 10am, Cardiff city centre streets are as clean as a whistle.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37It's stinking when we start, and it's immaculate when we finish.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39You could eat your dinner off it but it's not advisable.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41Absolutely!
0:13:45 > 0:13:49No summer would be complete without a Royal visit.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51And this summer was no different.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02In North Wales' Conwy Valley stands the Bodnant Estate.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05The estate's gardens are world famous but, today,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08family member Michael McLaren is launching
0:14:08 > 0:14:13a new multi-million-pound venture - the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18Hi! Hello. How very nice to see you.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21What a pity I've got to have this umbrella up.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23So, we're on the restaurant terrace at the moment
0:14:23 > 0:14:27and all sorts of things are not quite finished yet.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Some last minute tarmacking, promised for 8 o'clock in the morning,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33it's now 10:30am.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37The centre, which celebrates the best of the nation's produce,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40is due to be opened by a senior member of the Royal Family.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42It's a very big day.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45We've got the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall,
0:14:45 > 0:14:47who will be here for an hour and a half.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52And, as you can see, there's an awful lot of last minute preparations.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55There's a huge amount of water pouring down that bank there.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57If it rains like it did Friday,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59I think we'll be needing a Royal canoe.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03It's also a bit down to the wire in the WCs there.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06But, fortunately, all this bit is fine. Sorry, sorry!
0:15:11 > 0:15:14This is exciting. It's the first time I've seen the ice cream
0:15:14 > 0:15:16in the ice cream counter.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Hello. I love your Welsh chillies.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Tarmac's all down. When I came here half an hour ago,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26it had just been laid. At least now we can walk down this.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30It's the first time I've walked on the Tarmac. Ooh, it's hot!
0:15:31 > 0:15:35He's not going to walk around with large amounts of Tarmac on his feet.
0:15:35 > 0:15:42I'll be somewhere else after 12, so I won't be meeting him.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45As long as he doesn't look too closely, it's ready.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49And all in the nick of time, as the Prince and Duchess
0:15:49 > 0:15:51are just minutes away.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57We got there. The rain stopped.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59It's a good start, Tarmac's down.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03We've had the fire alarm go off, we cured that.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06The plumber, who was soldering, caused the fire alarm to go off.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08He's been told not to do any more soldering
0:16:08 > 0:16:11till after the Royal party's been and gone.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15As the Royal party pulls up, host Michael springs into action.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26The Prince and the Duchess are on a four-day whistle-stop tour
0:16:26 > 0:16:28of the principality.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36They've taken time out of a packed schedule to launch the new venue.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41The Food Centre has been seven years in the planning
0:16:41 > 0:16:44and has already cost £6.5 million.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51It's important the visit goes without a hitch.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54The Royal seal of approval is essential.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Tour complete, the Royal couple have one last duty to perform.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Despite all the last minute hitches,
0:17:22 > 0:17:26the visit has gone smoothly, much to Michael's relief.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29It was wonderful. Just wonderful.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31He was so interesting and interested - both of them were.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34And, um, I think they really enjoyed it.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37I'm sure if they hadn't enjoyed it, they would have given the impression
0:17:37 > 0:17:40they did, but I got the genuine feeling they loved it.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49For Wales' 7,000 odd hotel and guest houses,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51summer is their busiest season.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55And, this year, a new establishment has joined their ranks.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59On the border between Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion
0:17:59 > 0:18:02stands Hammet House.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Until recently, it was a failing country hotel.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08But then Philippa and Owen Gale bought it,
0:18:08 > 0:18:12and set about transforming it into a luxury retreat.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16It's an ambitious project.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21We have got plans to redevelop this into a hot spa pool,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23a second pool with a swim jet,
0:18:23 > 0:18:28and then some spa treatment rooms on the inside here.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32As you can see, we've got a lot of work to do to get to that stage.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37When you stepped through the door before, it was kind of like
0:18:37 > 0:18:42an old people's home sort of feel.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45There was swirly carpets, just lots of stuff everywhere,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49ornaments, lots of old furniture.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51We've completely changed it,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54and now we've got a really funky, contemporary vibe
0:18:54 > 0:18:57going on in the bar here, and throughout lots of the house.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02Things like these ghost chairs. They're a classical chair shape
0:19:02 > 0:19:06but it's made out of single injection moulded polycarbonate.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09So, it's like a microcosm of the whole house.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12It's something really old but it's been made really new.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Not ones to do things by halves,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Philippa and Owen have also changed the name of the hotel
0:19:18 > 0:19:21from the Welsh, Castell Malgwyn, to Hammet House.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26The idea for renaming the house was to take it back to its roots.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28This is Sir Benjamin Hammet,
0:19:28 > 0:19:32he's the chap that had the house built in 1795, and we do like
0:19:32 > 0:19:35to think that he's got a little bit more of a smile on his face.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38But, in this corner of Welsh Wales,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41the couple's changes haven't met with general approval.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43We did have one lady, who stomped in and told me
0:19:43 > 0:19:46that I couldn't do this to this house,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49didn't I know this was a much loved house?
0:19:49 > 0:19:51And I was, sort of, felt like telling her,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53well, actually it's my house.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58People, I wouldn't say they get stuck in their ways here,
0:19:58 > 0:20:01but... they get stuck in their ways here!
0:20:03 > 0:20:07There are hotels similar to this in the UK.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12I think obviously London, the Cotswolds, Brighton,
0:20:12 > 0:20:17just general areas that are the Mecca of more trendiness
0:20:17 > 0:20:20and we're trying to bring a bit of that to the area.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Owen and Philippa have invested their life savings
0:20:26 > 0:20:28and all their energy into the business.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Guests expect a perfectly cooked breakfast,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35served swiftly, with a smile.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41But they're new to the hotel trade, and found that delivering
0:20:41 > 0:20:45a luxury service means they have to be hands-on, seven days a week.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49There's an old shed in the garden here. It's a bit of an eyesore.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58We've got a couple of housekeepers, but obviously they need help
0:20:58 > 0:21:02when we've got loads of rooms to do, and it's important
0:21:02 > 0:21:06for them to know that A - that I'm there to help them
0:21:06 > 0:21:08and B - that I'm there to check on them as well,
0:21:08 > 0:21:13which I'm sure annoys some of the staff sometimes.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16It's putting up a bit more of a fight than expected.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Owen's very similar in that respect.
0:21:18 > 0:21:23I'd say we're both pretty limited in our capacity to trust other people
0:21:23 > 0:21:25to do things absolutely properly.
0:21:28 > 0:21:33Pillows have a label on them, and the label must always go
0:21:33 > 0:21:37underneath the flap of the pillowcase,
0:21:37 > 0:21:42to ensure that it does not show through.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45I do get in a bit of a rage if I see one showing through,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48and it gets made a note of, and someone gets talked to.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Ah, job done!
0:21:56 > 0:21:59It definitely has been a very steep learning curve, hasn't it?
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Yes. I was a forensic scientist,
0:22:02 > 0:22:08so this is all quite different to my previous career.
0:22:08 > 0:22:13It's certainly not a lifestyle that I'd recommend for anybody.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Don't say that! No.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23Summer season is make or break in the hotel trade.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26To succeed, Hammet House needs to be fully booked.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28But, because of the refurbishment work,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31many of the rooms can't be used.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34The couple need to get the work finished quickly,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37especially with wedding bookings looming.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39This room is for the mother of the bride.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43Time's ticking now, furniture's not here,
0:22:43 > 0:22:45the blinds aren't here, the bed's not together,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49the mirror's not up, the picture's not up.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Urgh! So, whether we're going to be able to use this room,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55I don't know at the moment.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57It's going to be touch and go.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Ohh!
0:22:59 > 0:23:02It's a very, very big house, big project,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05so it's sort of endless, really.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08We've got this old style wallpaper.
0:23:08 > 0:23:1250% of people come through the door to the corridor, and say,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14"Oh, what wonderful wallpaper!
0:23:14 > 0:23:16"You're not getting rid of that, are you?"
0:23:16 > 0:23:19And the other 50% of people come up here and go,
0:23:19 > 0:23:24"Oh!" And we go, "Oh!" because we hate this wallpaper
0:23:24 > 0:23:26and can't wait to get rid of it.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29It's the old, we want it gone, we want it stripped
0:23:29 > 0:23:33and painted in our palette of greys to match the rest of the house.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36When we were in the process of buying the hotel,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38people were saying, "Oh, that's very brave!"
0:23:38 > 0:23:42And we thought, what are you on about? It's not brave.
0:23:42 > 0:23:48But, I think, actually, now we're here, maybe we were a bit brave.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50We've got a lot, well, everything's riding
0:23:50 > 0:23:53on the success of this business.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56We will make a success of this.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Because I don't know what we're going to do if we don't.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11Dawnsio haf or Summer Dancing is an age old Welsh tradition,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15celebrating the arrival of summer, and the start of the fine weather.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21But this year, the sun was slow to appear.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34It's the final day of the bank holiday weekend.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37And in Barry, the weather's gloomy.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39But with so much at stake, Vernon takes a gamble
0:24:39 > 0:24:41and opens the park gates.
0:24:41 > 0:24:47All right, we'll get open now. Ashley, put some music on, please.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Whether it's going to be financially viable or not,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55I don't know, but I feel because it's the Bank Holiday Monday,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58we've got to try, and try and get something in, you know.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Slowly but surely, customers trickle in.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Tell you what. If you have another go, I'll give you five darts.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Thank you, thank you. Thank you.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Want to buy any food or are you starving it?
0:25:27 > 0:25:29While Vernon and his fairground team
0:25:29 > 0:25:31worry about how soon the weather will break,
0:25:31 > 0:25:36park owner Ian Rogers' mind is on his leisure complex.
0:25:36 > 0:25:41The piazza's going to go right the way through to the beach.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Just by here, there's going to be a big, sort of,
0:25:44 > 0:25:46multi-storey car park, and then down here
0:25:46 > 0:25:49we've got sort of a glass tunnel.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Where the log flume is, there will be a big sort of glass dome,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55and this will be where the cinema screen's going to go.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57I think it's going to be a shame for it to go
0:25:57 > 0:26:00but it's all got to be levelled off.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02Be surprising how much room there's going to be
0:26:02 > 0:26:05when this comes down, you know.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09This is just an artist's impression of what it's going to look like.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13The log flume at the moment is in this area here - quite a big chunk.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17The multi-screen cinema/ten pin bowling alley
0:26:17 > 0:26:19is going to be put into this area.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21The multi-storey car park in the middle.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25We've got cafe quarters, bars, restaurants underneath.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28It's fantastic. I can't wait to get it underway.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31It's a dream come true.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33It looks like there's no place
0:26:33 > 0:26:36for Vernon and the fairground in the complex.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Worse, the weather has broken
0:26:40 > 0:26:43and the soggy crowd soon heads for home.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48It's not going to clear up, there's no point in trying to kid yourself
0:26:48 > 0:26:49that it is going to clear up.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52We'll have to close the gates, unfortunately.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54When there's weather like this, he gets stressed out.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56He's not just thinking of himself,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59he thinks of everyone he's brought in to this park.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02He's a genuine guy, he's a nice fella.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04He's a likeable fella, you know.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09I thought it was going to clear up earlier
0:27:09 > 0:27:12and give us a little bit more chance, but, unfortunately, no,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15the weather's beaten us once again.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18The end of another glorious day!
0:27:29 > 0:27:34On tiny Cribinau, in St Cwyfan's Church in the Sea,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38they're awaiting the bride.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42The tide's great, it's just about coming to the turn, I think,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46but it's behaving exceedingly well today, I'm happy to say.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58I just don't want to be like Mary Poppins and take off!
0:28:06 > 0:28:10So, Gareth. If you will take Amy's ring...
0:28:11 > 0:28:15Well, as Gareth and Amy have consented together in marriage,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18and have made their pledge to one another
0:28:18 > 0:28:23and before God, I declare that they are now husband and wife.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Gareth, you may kiss your wife.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32APPLAUSE
0:28:43 > 0:28:45I'm the happiest man in the world!
0:28:45 > 0:28:50I've got myself a wife, so, yeah, all good.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54We moved to Anglesey when Amy was six, and she came here.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57She said, "Mum, I'm going to get married here."
0:28:57 > 0:29:01And she was six years old, and it's been a fairytale wedding.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:29:06 > 0:29:09We've actually had a wedding reception here,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12a very small wedding, and they spread out a blanket
0:29:12 > 0:29:16and had a reception picnic. It was brilliant. It was just lovely.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20No toilets, no power, no water, so you use your initiative round here.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Ceremony over, the wedding party heads back to the mainland
0:29:25 > 0:29:28in search of creature comforts.
0:29:28 > 0:29:33OK, well, there we are. Wedding done, everything went beautifully,
0:29:33 > 0:29:38and everybody's safely off the island before the tide comes in.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40So I'm going to go, because I'm not being stranded here
0:29:40 > 0:29:45till late tonight, so, that's it. Wrap it up for today, OK?
0:29:53 > 0:29:58In summer 2012, we were all encouraged to stay-cation.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00That's holiday at home to you and me.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03It should have been a bumper year for campsites and hotels
0:30:03 > 0:30:06but the weather undermined the best laid plans.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13Hiya, guys! Just arrived? Have you set up and everything, OK?
0:30:13 > 0:30:16- Yep.- Yeah. Just to let you know, there's a little bit of wet weather
0:30:16 > 0:30:20coming tonight, so, just to make sure you're all pegged in.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23At Three Cliffs Bay campsite in the Gower,
0:30:23 > 0:30:26owner Tom Beynon has just heard of the approach
0:30:26 > 0:30:28of a nasty weather front.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30We've got a full site coming in,
0:30:30 > 0:30:33and the weathermen are suggesting there's going to be a monsoon,
0:30:33 > 0:30:35which isn't particularly helpful.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Just to make sure everything is secure
0:30:37 > 0:30:40and you don't leave anything that can fly away during the night.
0:30:40 > 0:30:45Tom's family have been running the campsite for three generations.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48My grandmother and grandfather used to farm the farm.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51And one day, somebody knocked on the door, one wet Friday evening,
0:30:51 > 0:30:53wanted to put a tent in the field,
0:30:53 > 0:30:56which my grandfather and grandmother thought they were nuts.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58But then they saw a bit of money, and they thought,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01"Oh well, hang on", you know, "let's not be too hasty."
0:31:01 > 0:31:03So, we had a tent in the bottom corner there
0:31:03 > 0:31:05with the sheep in the field.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09We get lots of regulars that come year in, year out,
0:31:09 > 0:31:12which is really nice, and some people you get to know.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14And several people, who came here as children,
0:31:14 > 0:31:16who've got married here as well.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19So, we get a real, real mix of people,
0:31:19 > 0:31:23and sometimes in the summer we can have 200 people playing football.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25It all adds to the nice family atmosphere
0:31:25 > 0:31:28that we've got going on here.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30This is the view that the campers get to look at
0:31:30 > 0:31:33when they have their cornflakes in the mornings.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36This former sheep field is now regularly reviewed
0:31:36 > 0:31:39as being one of Europe's top campsites.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42In fact, one national paper voted it as having the best view
0:31:42 > 0:31:44from a campsite anywhere in the world.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48When it's sunshine and lovely,
0:31:48 > 0:31:51everybody wants to be overlooking Three Cliffs Bay like these tents.
0:31:51 > 0:31:52But like this evening now,
0:31:52 > 0:31:55when a little bit of wind and a little bit of rain is on the way,
0:31:55 > 0:31:58we need to put the people in the protected fields
0:31:58 > 0:32:00at the back there to give them a bit of shelter
0:32:00 > 0:32:02from the inclement weather.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07It doesn't take long before the wet front arrives.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11But the hardy campers' spirits aren't dampened.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Glass of wine and some beer. All ready for the night.
0:32:19 > 0:32:24Camping, which was once enjoyed by only the most adventurous of us,
0:32:24 > 0:32:26has become a British holiday craze.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30With money tight, millions of families are embracing
0:32:30 > 0:32:33sleeping bags, camp fires and tent pegs.
0:32:33 > 0:32:34We had one practice run.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37I'm hoping we've got the right poles.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41For the veteran camper, it can offer a little entertainment.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45It's the worst possible scenario, isn't it?
0:32:45 > 0:32:48Exactly what you wish doesn't happen when you turn up at a campsite.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51But it's quite nice watching them doing it.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54It happens to all of us at some point or other.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57It is quite bad. I'm sure Sam will go and help them in a minute.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59I love it, though. I love the rain actually,
0:32:59 > 0:33:00as long as it doesn't go on for too long.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04No, it's really nice. It's that cosy, warm, cosy feeling.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09We were hoping for a bit better weather, really.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12It might be a bit better tomorrow. That will do.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15I tell you what, if there's any relationships going on there...
0:33:15 > 0:33:17They're all broken and severed now.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21It's going to take a couple of days for that to make up.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24But if you can past that, you'll get past anything.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28It's the first test in a marriage.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32Get that out of the way, you'll cruise through the rest of it.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43The summer was turning out to be the wettest since records began.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46- WEATHER REPORTS:- 'But already, more rain in the south
0:33:46 > 0:33:48'is spreading northwards, again some of it heavy.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50'The wind is strongest in the south and west...'
0:33:50 > 0:33:52'..it is looking wet and windy
0:33:52 > 0:33:55'so outdoor activities could be quite challenging.'
0:33:55 > 0:33:57Everyone's hoping for good weather,
0:33:57 > 0:33:59not least the inhabitants of Pritchard Street
0:33:59 > 0:34:02in South Wales' Ely Valley.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04This summer they're stringing up the bunting to celebrate
0:34:04 > 0:34:06the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09- Rise up the top. - Up you go.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12These 88 households have held street parties to mark every
0:34:12 > 0:34:17big occasion since the 1940s. From VE Day to Royal weddings.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Well, it means a chance for everybody to get together
0:34:20 > 0:34:24and have a good time and reacquaint with each other.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28Valleys communities are very close-knit and in Pritchard Street
0:34:28 > 0:34:32everyone from young to old gets involved.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34My dad lives down by there, I live by here,
0:34:34 > 0:34:36and my brother lives over there.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38Including long term resident, Marian Owen.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42In this street, you never, ever feel alone.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46And as you grow older, I think you need that,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49that you need that, you know, a coming together.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54Parties on Pritchard Street are a cut above the norm.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56Everyone is expected to wear fancy dress.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00- Wayne.- Yeah?- Let it come out a bit from there.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02With over 200 residents plus friends and relatives
0:35:02 > 0:35:06coming from all over, Pritchard Street is pulling out all the stops
0:35:06 > 0:35:08and laying on a big spread.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11We've got a bit of a production line going here.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14But with the gloomy weather forecast for the long Jubilee weekend,
0:35:14 > 0:35:17will their big day be a big washout?
0:35:17 > 0:35:20The most important part of today is that it doesn't rain.
0:35:20 > 0:35:25Please, Mr Weatherman, be kind. Derek, I'm talking to you.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43Torrential rain may have spoiled the early summer for many,
0:35:43 > 0:35:46but for some, it's just what they've been hoping for.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51In the foothills of Snowdonia, two enthusiasts
0:35:51 > 0:35:53and their families are on a quest.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00Isn't this fantastic? Absolutely beautiful.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04Andrew Smith and John Piggott are wild swimmers,
0:36:04 > 0:36:08spending their free time hunting out new bathing spots to explore,
0:36:08 > 0:36:11far from the safety of lifeguards and swimming pool rules.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16Despite the water temperature being a chilly 12 degrees Celsius,
0:36:16 > 0:36:20these two shun wetsuits in favour of a more natural approach.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24I don't have anything against wetsuits if you want to wear them.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27I prefer not to. I want to have
0:36:27 > 0:36:30as little between me and the environment as possible.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32I want to feel the water. You know,
0:36:32 > 0:36:35if there's fish in there or weeds then I want to feel those as well.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37For other people's consideration,
0:36:37 > 0:36:42I might wear some swimming trunks. I will be today.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45John has been wild swimming since childhood
0:36:45 > 0:36:47and swims every day if he can.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53I think some people sort of would actually like to do it
0:36:53 > 0:36:55but then don't think they can.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59You get all sorts of people say all sorts of things, but I'm old
0:36:59 > 0:37:04enough now, I don't care what people think anymore, so it's good fun.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06Very excited.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10Surrounded by sea on three sides, with 568 lakes
0:37:10 > 0:37:12and over 1,000 rivers and streams,
0:37:12 > 0:37:14Wales is a paradise for wild swimmers.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17And while some will happily bathe all year round,
0:37:17 > 0:37:20for most, summer is the season to venture out.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25The summer makes it so much easier.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27We've just got a couple of rucksacks,
0:37:27 > 0:37:31and we haven't loaded up with warm clothes to get in afterwards.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33And it's not blowing a gale.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Yeah, in the summer, everything is fair game.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49Oh, absolutely wonderful.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Best swim I've ever done, I think, this one.
0:37:52 > 0:37:53Whoo!
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Summer is festival season in Wales, with hundreds of events
0:38:08 > 0:38:12from local to international taking place across the country.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15For Wales' event caterers, it's their busiest season.
0:38:20 > 0:38:21That one's ready.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24Jonathan Williams is the founder and owner of Cafe Mor...
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Crab sandwich.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29..a mobile catering business specialising in fresh Welsh seafood.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34The company is only a year old, but this summer, Jonathan plans
0:38:34 > 0:38:37to launch himself into festival season in a big way...
0:38:37 > 0:38:39- How's it all going? - Getting there.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42..with the help of his supportive mum, Tina.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45I retired last year, you know.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47She's done more work in the last year than in the last 20, I think.
0:38:47 > 0:38:48Excuse me!
0:38:50 > 0:38:54Next week is the first big one, that's Hay-on-Wye Book Festival.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56You know, it's 250,000 people go to Hay.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58Obviously it's international these days.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02You know, you're keen to get everything spot on and right.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04And the next big one after that then, we're doing Wakestock
0:39:04 > 0:39:08up in North Wales and it's definitely a younger market there.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12- And then after that we've got the Eisteddfod.- Yes.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15- Oh, no, you grease the... - I know what I'm doing.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17- You've got to grease the greaseproof paper.- I know.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19- Why are you doing that? - Just leave me alone.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22- I never do it like that.- Yes, cos the greaseproof... Just shush!
0:39:25 > 0:39:26Last year, Cafe Mor was judged
0:39:26 > 0:39:30overall winner of the British Street Food Festival.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32Put these brownies in there.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35Jonathan's prize - a pitch in the Athletes' Village
0:39:35 > 0:39:37of the London 2012 Olympics,
0:39:37 > 0:39:41smack bang in the middle of Welsh festival season.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49We're getting all these beach huts ready. It's going to be really busy.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52I don't think about it all. I wouldn't be able to cope.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55So I just think about the next week, really.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58And if that weren't pressure enough, Jonathan and his partner Hannah
0:39:58 > 0:40:02are just weeks away from the birth of their first child.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05If it comes on the 13th or 14th of June, that would be ideal.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07But, you know, there's no way I'm missing the birth of my child.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11It could potentially come at any time,
0:40:11 > 0:40:14but when it does, that's it, he's coming back to be with me.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17There's no question about that. I don't care what he's doing.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21Yeah, definitely, it's going to be a manic, manic summer.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Jonathan's first event of the season is the 10-day
0:40:28 > 0:40:30Hay International Book Festival,
0:40:30 > 0:40:34which, this year, is celebrating its 25th birthday.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36Right, can I help anyone?
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Big crowds are expected and Jonathan's hoping to do well.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Have you taken the names of everyone who's ordered?
0:40:41 > 0:40:43They're all standing in front of us.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45- Are they?- It won't be long. Five minutes.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49It's like a wave. Everyone's starving.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51Cafe Mor catered the festival last year
0:40:51 > 0:40:55and Jonathan has a good grasp of what his well-read customers expect.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59We don't have fresh crab in Oklahoma. It's a land-locked state.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02She's my number one customer in Hay.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05Business is good but it's still early days.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07With festival pitches costing thousands,
0:41:07 > 0:41:11Jonathan needs to do well at each and every event this summer.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14It's a great way to start the season
0:41:14 > 0:41:19and see how it goes in the next couple of events, really.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21Looks great, don't you think?
0:41:21 > 0:41:23I think it's the best one here.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35Summer's a busy time for the nation's private country houses.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38On the border between Wales and England,
0:41:38 > 0:41:43set in 60 acres of parkland, stands Bryngwyn Hall, ancestral seat
0:41:43 > 0:41:48of the Sandbach family and home of Auriol, Marchioness of Linlithgow.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50I've known this house since I was five
0:41:50 > 0:41:53and I completely fell in love with it.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55That's my grandfather.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57He was Curzon's military secretary
0:41:57 > 0:41:59when Curzon was Viceroy of India.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01And everything in here, he brought back.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05This is Gary, an Indian gharial, which is an Indian alligator,
0:42:05 > 0:42:07which was shot in Jogiwala...
0:42:07 > 0:42:10It's a wonderful name, Jogiwala, isn't it?
0:42:10 > 0:42:12..in 1907.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15And then we have Monty Python up there,
0:42:15 > 0:42:17who was shot in Bhutan.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22He might need a bit of restoration one day but he's OK for the moment.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25I feel a great responsibility here. I very much feel myself that
0:42:25 > 0:42:28I don't own this place, that I'm a custodian.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31It's mine for my lifetime and will be handed on to the next
0:42:31 > 0:42:34generation for their tenure.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38This is a portrait painted of me when I was married to John Ropner.
0:42:38 > 0:42:39Anyway, I couldn't think why
0:42:39 > 0:42:42I had to be painted this specific size, only to find out I was
0:42:42 > 0:42:47put into the frame of John's first wife when he'd given her a portrait.
0:42:47 > 0:42:52And when we sadly parted, he gave me the portrait but not the frame.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56And history doesn't relate if the third wife is in the same frame.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59I used to, once upon a time, in the dim and distant past,
0:42:59 > 0:43:03be a model, which really annoyed my father intensely.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08And what might you be wanting up here, madam?
0:43:08 > 0:43:12When Lady Linlithgow inherited Bryngwyn in 1987,
0:43:12 > 0:43:15the Grade II listed house had been mothballed for over 50 years
0:43:15 > 0:43:18and was practically derelict.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20You know you're not really meant to come up here
0:43:20 > 0:43:22unless specifically invited, don't you?
0:43:24 > 0:43:28It was in the most appalling state. There was dry rot everywhere.
0:43:28 > 0:43:34Bats, mice, rats, you name it. It was a complete haven for wildlife.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37And the garden was in the most ghastly state.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42But I had this great passion to want to restore this house.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44It was very exciting, actually,
0:43:44 > 0:43:47but financially it was extremely difficult.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52Right, I did this last night.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54One is very, very lucky to have an estate
0:43:54 > 0:43:58but unless you're very, very, very rich, which I'm not,
0:43:58 > 0:44:00you have to be prepared to get your feet dirty like this.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04I'm not doing very well here, am I? Have you got a stick there, Tudor?
0:44:04 > 0:44:05No, I haven't.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08There might be one behind that bush.
0:44:08 > 0:44:09I like being hands-on.
0:44:09 > 0:44:13I'd be very bored if I didn't have something to do like this.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17Hey! Come here! Come here, you bloody dog!
0:44:17 > 0:44:23Faith, Faith. She's just found a baby pheasant. Faith! Leave it!
0:44:23 > 0:44:25Bad dog!
0:44:27 > 0:44:30To fund the restoration and running of Bryngwyn,
0:44:30 > 0:44:34Lady Linlithgow has had to turn it into a money-making enterprise
0:44:34 > 0:44:37with the help of her household of five full-time staff.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40Cook Christine Horton has seen it all.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45We started doing tours of the house,
0:44:45 > 0:44:50perhaps tea or lunch or whatever and it's just gone on from there.
0:44:50 > 0:44:56Then we started doing shooting and weddings. What's the next?
0:44:56 > 0:44:58Paranormal, I hear. Oh, my!
0:45:00 > 0:45:03Whatever the event, a careful eye must be kept on the budget.
0:45:05 > 0:45:06So what have we got to eat?
0:45:06 > 0:45:09I think we'll be about eight.
0:45:09 > 0:45:11I haven't got a salmon in.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15- What are salmon like at the moment?- Expensive.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19Are they? We're sensible without being stingy, aren't we?
0:45:19 > 0:45:24- We are.- And we spend, what we spend the most money on is on meat.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27Really, really good quality meat and really good quality fish.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30And a huge sirloin with a fillet in is expensive
0:45:30 > 0:45:32but some of our shooting guests love it
0:45:32 > 0:45:36and they're regular customers and, of course, one gives them the best.
0:45:36 > 0:45:37Yeah.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41And then we pray that they choose something cheap on the menu instead.
0:45:43 > 0:45:44Courgettes or something!
0:45:49 > 0:45:53Running Bryngwyn Hall makes for a hectic schedule
0:45:53 > 0:45:56but daily Pilates lessons help Lady Linlithgow
0:45:56 > 0:45:57deal with the strain.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59Do you want to get the heart rate up a bit?
0:45:59 > 0:46:02- Do a bit of bouncing on the ball?- Not really.
0:46:02 > 0:46:03Are you doing it too? Go away.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06- Come on, darling. - Go away!- Come on, darling.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10It's certainly helps the stress. There's a massive amount to do.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14There's the garden, there's the house. The buck stops here with me.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18Right, we've done enough of that.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22'There are always things that need attending to.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26'It's a costly operation, keeping this house going.'
0:46:26 > 0:46:29I was approached some years ago as to
0:46:29 > 0:46:33whether I would let the house be used as a porn movie location.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36And that is a no-no. Absolute no-no.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38SHE LAUGHS
0:46:43 > 0:46:48Some 65 miles to the North West, on the other side of Wales,
0:46:48 > 0:46:51tradition also plays a big part in everyday life.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58On the rugged Carneddau mountain range in Snowdonia,
0:46:58 > 0:47:03early summer's marked by the centuries-old custom of gathering.
0:47:03 > 0:47:04HE SHOUTS AND WHISTLES
0:47:04 > 0:47:07Sheep which have been left to graze all spring on the mountain slopes
0:47:07 > 0:47:12are herded together and brought down to the lowlands, ready for shearing.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15Owen Pritchard's family has been taking part
0:47:15 > 0:47:18in this age-old roundup for over 100 years.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21I am the fourth generation on my family's farm
0:47:21 > 0:47:24and it's nice to see the old traditional jobs going on.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28HE SHOUTS COMMANDS
0:47:28 > 0:47:32Today he's joined by five other neighbouring farmers to bring
0:47:32 > 0:47:34hundreds of sheep down from the mountain,
0:47:34 > 0:47:38and then separate them into individual flocks.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40What's happening now?
0:47:40 > 0:47:42Just getting the sheep in. As soon as they're all,
0:47:42 > 0:47:45we've got a full pen here, we'll catch individual ones out.
0:47:54 > 0:47:56Each one of these sheep has its own mark.
0:47:56 > 0:48:00It's a tradition that goes back hundreds of years.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06So that's our specific mark. It's a T on its side.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08It comes from the shape of the old tables
0:48:08 > 0:48:10they used to use for splitting slates.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12My great grandfather was a quarryman
0:48:12 > 0:48:16so that's still stayed with the family, really.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19This one here has been born on the mountain
0:48:19 > 0:48:23so it hasn't got any mark but I saw it come in with one of our ewes
0:48:23 > 0:48:25so it should find its mother over there.
0:48:25 > 0:48:26So hopefully...
0:48:28 > 0:48:31..she'll be one with an orange spot and a purple mark on her head.
0:48:31 > 0:48:33She's over there.
0:48:33 > 0:48:35When we get her down to the farm we'll mark her
0:48:35 > 0:48:38and put an ear mark on her so we know that it's ours.
0:48:38 > 0:48:39We own this lamb.
0:48:44 > 0:48:46For Owen, this is his dream job.
0:48:46 > 0:48:50I grew up here, I've never wanted to do anything else.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53It really is a pleasure to be farming. I mean,
0:48:53 > 0:48:56you can't get a better office than up there in the mountains.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59HE SHOUTS COMMANDS
0:49:03 > 0:49:07But down on the family farm of Glanmor Isaf, it's not his sheep
0:49:07 > 0:49:10that will be taking up most of his time this summer.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13Summer, to me, means campers and it means fitting jobs
0:49:13 > 0:49:15on the farm around the campers.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19Owen's jumped on board the hot travel trend of glamping -
0:49:19 > 0:49:21otherwise known as glamorous camping.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24Like many farmers, he's had to modernise to survive.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27The farm isn't big enough to sustain two families,
0:49:27 > 0:49:29so the idea was that I went away
0:49:29 > 0:49:32and I ended up teaching, believe it or not, for 10 years.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35When I looked at moving back and doing more work on the farm,
0:49:35 > 0:49:38it was obvious I had to bring more money into the business.
0:49:38 > 0:49:40I looked at setting up these posh tents and
0:49:40 > 0:49:45that seemed to be a nice idea and it seemed to pay the bills.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51The type of customer we have normally is middle class
0:49:51 > 0:49:53who want to see a bit of the country,
0:49:53 > 0:49:57who don't like the idea of pitching a tent in the rain.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03It is camping because you're in the countryside.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05The mountains are just outside your front door.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08But you're not going to get cold with the stove,
0:50:08 > 0:50:09you've got a toilet in the tent
0:50:09 > 0:50:11and the proper beds to sleep on.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14This is the toilet.
0:50:14 > 0:50:18It flushes and it's like a medieval castle toilet.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25For Owen, farming may be second nature,
0:50:25 > 0:50:29but playing the good host is a whole new challenge.
0:50:29 > 0:50:33I try to go round the campers at least twice a day.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35I only go round the sheep once a day.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37- You up the tree again, Harry?- Yeah.
0:50:37 > 0:50:42- Yeah? Do you want to sleep up there this evening?- Yeah.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45Humans are more demanding than the animals.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50You've got to watch the kids sometimes. They climb everything.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52They climb the trees, they'll go up walls,
0:50:52 > 0:50:55they'll try and climb up on top of the hen coops.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57I've actually found one toddler -
0:50:57 > 0:50:59I was checking the water one morning
0:50:59 > 0:51:01and there was a lot of rustling from inside the hen coop.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04And I opened the nest box and all I saw was two little legs and
0:51:04 > 0:51:09some toddler had decided she wanted to get in to check for eggs and she
0:51:09 > 0:51:13couldn't work out how to open the lid so she went in through the door.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17Owen's guests not only require a watchful eye,
0:51:17 > 0:51:20they also want a taste of farm life.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23It's really good for the kids to learn about the animals
0:51:23 > 0:51:26They can obviously collect eggs from the chickens,
0:51:26 > 0:51:29they always like holding the chickens.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33'We offer various different extras, if you like.'
0:51:33 > 0:51:35The ones that they like,
0:51:35 > 0:51:39especially the children, is the private chicken coops.
0:51:39 > 0:51:45And, for a fee, they can have two chickens in that coop
0:51:45 > 0:51:49and then they get to feed them and collect the eggs and clean them out.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52It just gives them a taste of farming.
0:51:52 > 0:51:53OK, if you want to take it out,
0:51:53 > 0:51:57you can have that for your breakfast tomorrow. Is there one there?
0:51:57 > 0:52:02For Owen, the extra work the summer glampers bring is well worth it.
0:52:02 > 0:52:07The tents have been my way of ensuring that I can come to farm.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10To bring my kids up on the farm
0:52:10 > 0:52:14is what I feel is the ideal way of growing up.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18If everything goes well, I'll be here for the foreseeable, I think.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31Despite the rain and chilly temperatures,
0:52:31 > 0:52:35the Diamond Jubilee brought out the party spirit in the people of Wales.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41At Powis Castle, they've rolled out the bunting and transported
0:52:41 > 0:52:45visitors back to 1952, the year the Queen inherited the throne.
0:52:45 > 0:52:46SONG: "Sing, Sing, Sing (With A Swing)"
0:52:46 > 0:52:50# Swing, swing, swing, swing Listen to those trumpets swing
0:52:50 > 0:52:52# Like dee-dee-dee... #
0:52:52 > 0:52:54Fun day out, really.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56# Now you're singing with a swing... #
0:52:56 > 0:52:59It's a lovely era. it's a very elegant era.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01# Listen to those trombones blow... #
0:53:01 > 0:53:04Celebrating with picnics and cream teas...
0:53:04 > 0:53:06It's a good day for cake.
0:53:06 > 0:53:09- We all like sweets, don't we? - ALL:- Yeah!- And we're off!
0:53:09 > 0:53:11..and good old-fashioned fun.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13# Everybody start to sing
0:53:13 > 0:53:16# Like dee-dee-dee, bah, bah, bah-dah
0:53:16 > 0:53:21# Everybody goes. #
0:53:23 > 0:53:26APPLAUSE
0:53:29 > 0:53:32Back in the Ely Valley, the weather's held, and last-minute
0:53:32 > 0:53:35preparations for the Pritchard Street party are well underway.
0:53:37 > 0:53:43This is going to be a party for the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen.
0:53:43 > 0:53:44Kate, come and spray me, babe.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46Marian's neighbour, Sadye,
0:53:46 > 0:53:48is putting the finishing touches to her costume.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50We're just prepping ourselves now as grannies.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52The Queen's muckers, we are.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55There you go - my sexy pop socks.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58I even bought a granny bra but I won't show you that.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01I have a surprise - I have bloomers on.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07Welcome to the Tonyrefail street party!
0:54:07 > 0:54:11Come on out of your houses. Show your faces.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13I'm Audrey Hepburn.
0:54:13 > 0:54:15But with blonde hair.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20The whole street's made an effort to dress up.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23Marian's going as the Queen.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26Sadye is going to have a makeover with me,
0:54:26 > 0:54:28which should be about six months, I think.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33As Marian gets the royal treatment,
0:54:33 > 0:54:36neighbour Dai, a factory foreman, is keeping alive a tradition
0:54:36 > 0:54:41started by his father at the Silver Jubilee in 1977.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44If my father's done it, it's all right to do it
0:54:44 > 0:54:47and the way to go and the street party is about tradition.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56- Does that hurt? - No, it's fine. Which do you think?
0:54:56 > 0:54:58- That's it. Like Sadye got. - That's it.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02- Have I got it? Have I got it?- Yeah. - Right, I've got it.
0:55:02 > 0:55:06With her wave perfected, Marian's ready to make an appearance.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10- Hey, thank you.- There we are. - All right?
0:55:12 > 0:55:15Best Welsh cake maker in the world, you are.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17Thank you. And the best neighbour in the world.
0:55:17 > 0:55:19- Ah!- Yes.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25The street's oldest resident, 85-year old Alice Hippsley,
0:55:25 > 0:55:28makes a grand entrance dressed as an Olympic Torch bearer.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30CHEERING
0:55:30 > 0:55:34Finally, it's time for the traditional Pritchard Street
0:55:34 > 0:55:36party parade and photograph.
0:55:37 > 0:55:41- One, two three.- ALL: Cheese!
0:55:47 > 0:55:51At Three Cliffs, the bad weather has well and truly set in.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55Camping in conditions like this is not for the faint-hearted.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58We've got a bit of a blowy tent over here, which
0:55:58 > 0:56:01I think the people have actually gone to a B&B for the night.
0:56:01 > 0:56:05As you can see, the wind and the rain is having a bit of an effect on that.
0:56:05 > 0:56:07But everything else, considering it's quite rough,
0:56:07 > 0:56:11everyone else seems pretty, pretty good.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13It's fantastic. You can't beat it, can you?
0:56:13 > 0:56:16I mean, you know,
0:56:16 > 0:56:20you wouldn't want to go to, like, Tenerife or anywhere, really,
0:56:20 > 0:56:21or Acapulco. I've done them.
0:56:23 > 0:56:25So us wardens will just be up now and just keeping
0:56:25 > 0:56:28an eye on everyone, and try to get them through the night.
0:56:28 > 0:56:33You've got to be nuts, but you can't not go, especially
0:56:33 > 0:56:35if you've paid for it in advance, which we have.
0:56:35 > 0:56:37Yeah, we've had a couple of cancellations,
0:56:37 > 0:56:40a couple of people chickened out. It's all part of the adventure,
0:56:40 > 0:56:43coming in this weather. I think it's part of the experience.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46We've probably had about 10% of people cancelling, which, actually,
0:56:46 > 0:56:50for the weather warnings that they've given, we're quite pleased with that.
0:56:50 > 0:56:55Yes, it will be sunshine tomorrow, so it will all be OK tomorrow. Yeah.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01Hiya, buddy, all right? How you doing?
0:57:01 > 0:57:05- Is that the cleverest idea to try and take it down?- We just...
0:57:05 > 0:57:07Right, what we got to do, we've got do these zips up, look,
0:57:07 > 0:57:10because the wind's getting in there, which is blowing it up.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12The wind just blew the pegs out the floor
0:57:12 > 0:57:14and the tent nearly disappeared.
0:57:14 > 0:57:18So we had to grab it before it took off.
0:57:18 > 0:57:19Are you pushing or pulling?
0:57:19 > 0:57:22Probably go find a B&B, I think.
0:57:22 > 0:57:25Can't get the tent back up with a broken pole.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27This hasn't put you off camping though, has it?
0:57:27 > 0:57:28You'll be back next year.
0:57:28 > 0:57:32There we are, see? One tent down today, another one tomorrow.
0:57:32 > 0:57:34Keep on going, that's what we need.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36A bit of sunshine over there, there we are.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39It'll be sunny in an hour, everyone.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42- WEATHER REPORTS:- 'Wales is in the firing line for some heavy rain,
0:57:42 > 0:57:43'gales and a risk of flooding.'
0:57:43 > 0:57:46'Very gusty winds and we've got the heavy rains'.
0:57:47 > 0:57:49Next time...
0:57:49 > 0:57:51I want to see a castle, some pubs.
0:57:51 > 0:57:53..the Americans do North Wales...
0:57:53 > 0:57:56The weather could be a little nicer but that's not anybody's fault.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58I'd like to know where they got all their rock.
0:57:58 > 0:58:00..the WI descend on Bryngwyn Hall...
0:58:00 > 0:58:03Christine gets very nervous when they're coming to tea.
0:58:03 > 0:58:05I'm making scones. Which I hate.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08This is Stacey's house.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11..TV tourists descend on Barry...
0:58:11 > 0:58:13If you stand by them and blur your eyes a bit,
0:58:13 > 0:58:15it looks like the real thing.
0:58:15 > 0:58:17Ladies and gentlemen.
0:58:17 > 0:58:20..and Owen and Philippa are put to the test.
0:58:20 > 0:58:22A lot of our business relies on our reputation.
0:58:22 > 0:58:24I'm just looking for the groom.
0:58:24 > 0:58:25Monkey!
0:58:25 > 0:58:27Grab your wife, get her in.
0:58:29 > 0:58:33Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd