Episode 3 A Summer in Wales

Summer in Wales is a time of celebration...

THEY CHEER

Holidays...

-I want to see a castle, pubs.

-Keep rowing!

And the great outdoors.

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

We have put everything we've got into this.

..Or face a struggle to survive the rest of the year.

You've just got to try and keep your head above water at the moment.

A time when good weather can make all things possible.

CROWD CHEER

And bad can leave dreams in tatters.

The weather could be a little nicer but that's not anybody's fault.

The summer was truly extraordinary.

Was that the cleverest idea at the time, take it down?

It saw laughter...

SHE LAUGHS

Heartache...

This can be a cruel game.

Triumph...

I came second.

And despair.

The weather's beaten us once again.

These are our stories...

Nice bit of pavement pizza in this corner here.

..Filmed in every corner of the nation across the summer of 2012.

You can't beat it, can you?

This is a story of a summer in Wales.

Let's get the show on the road.

Summer 2012 may have turned out to be one of the wettest on record

but a certain event did much to dispel the gloom.

We are seconds away from the sounding of the great Olympic bell,

the start of the London Games.

Ladies and gentlemen, 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, host of many of the Games' football matches

and at the city's street cleansing headquarters,

manager Juliet Gamlin is briefing her crew.

The teams have already arrived. They are in the city centre.

It's really important that we demonstrate

what Cardiff has to offer.

And you guys being on the front line there, are acting

as ambassadors, representatives of Cardiff Council, so please be

your normal friendly, helpful selves and I'm 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 once in a lifetime, the Olympics coming to Britain.

So we'll have every man and his dog round.

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

Beach volleyball is the best one. Later on at night.

The kids are in bed. Women in bathers.

What more could you ask for?

WHISTLING AND CHEERING

THEY CHANT Suarez! Suarez!

Summer is always a busy time for the cleansing team but with

thousands of football fans flooding in to see Mexico play Switzerland...

Excuse me, please. Any rubbish, anyone?

..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've 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's a carnival atmosphere in the city centre.

How many times have I warned you?

Three times in the first half. If you keep on 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! Enjoy!

Team GB. Bring it on.

Rose, swept up by the Olympic spirit,

awards herself a gold medal.

For being on the streets of Cardiff at 4.00am, Monday to Saturday,

alternative Sundays.

To keep the streets free of vomit, urine, grease,

blood spillages, oil spillages etc etc.

With one match about to kick off and more fans flooding in

to the city centre streets ready for the second,

the Cleaner Cardiff team have a long day ahead of them.

Summer is a busy time for many of the nation's private country houses.

On the border between Wales and England stands Bryngwyn Hall,

ancestral seat of the Sandbach family

and home of Auriol, Marchioness of Linlithgow.

I've known this house since I was five

and I completely fell in love with it.

It was shut up. It had been occupied in the war.

There was dry rot everywhere.

But I had this great passion to want to restore this house.

It was very exciting, actually,

but financially it was extremely difficult.

Right.

To fund the restoration and running of Bryngwyn

and its 60 acres of parkland,

Lady Linlithgow has had to turn it into a moneymaking enterprise.

I think I live in paradise here,

and as I always say, paradise doesn't come cheap.

Today, the household is playing host to an etiquette course

run by former newsreader Diana Mather.

Now, ladies, what we don't want is any of this.

THEY LAUGH

Our young ladies come onto the course to actually learn

social etiquette, which is common sense and mainly good manners.

The course is just one of a string of moneymaking ventures that

Bryngwyn cook, Christine Horton, has seen Lady Linlithgow take on.

We started doing tours of the house, then we started doing shooting

and weddings and etiquette weekends.

I've had to diversify in many ways,

and I've had to just really laterally think about what

we can do to keep this house running well and in good conditions.

Then, if he's a real gentleman, he should actually help you out.

That would be lovely.

We're thinking of doing paranormal weekends and my daughter-in-law

suggested that we have parties with butlers in the buff,

which is an interesting thought at £45 an hour per bottom.

SHE GIGGLES

Sorry.

SHE SNORTS

That's very naughty of me, sorry.

Now we're going to do sitting.

Now when we sit, it's always knees and ankles together.

Absolutely fine. And up again.

Now keep the elbows in when you get up. So sit down.

And keep your elbows by your sides. And up.

Lovely.

Lady Linlithgow herself has never attended an etiquette course.

I wasn't given any training, no.

I mean, I came from a background where manners were king, really.

For Christine, courses usually mean an added workload.

We've had one before and they've had a lady showing them how to

walk properly and how to greet people correctly.

And how to project themselves at interviews and things.

So I'm not sure what this lot are doing

but they're not having a cookery lesson, which is great.

Follow me, please.

You can look beautiful in a bin bag if you stand correctly

and walk well.

So, Edible And Medicinal Plants, here we go.

So, looking straight ahead keeps my head still

and my shoulders still, and my spine in line.

Hands by your sides, just relax.

SHE YELPS

And straight ahead. Very nice indeed.

SHE LAUGHS

In addition to hosting the event,

Lady Linlithgow plays a key part in the etiquette course.

There are two different sorts of curtseys.

There's the bob and it was literally that.

But if you do a Royal curtsey, it's right down. Oops!

If you're wearing high heels, it's not very easy. You go right down.

And that was what you were learnt...you were taught to do

at Madame Vacani's before you were presented to the Queen.

Lady Linlithgow brings her experience.

She and I are of an age where you actually did the season.

That's what the finishing school was all about.

To teach young ladies how to go out into society,

how to behave properly and marry a very rich husband

and live hopefully happily ever after.

Of course, we all fell in love with a ski instructor, didn't we?

We were given the oldest and ugliest instructor.

But there were some very good looking younger ones.

I don't know if I've even got a photograph of Maurice in here

who I had a crush on.

'I suppose I am on show as much as the house.'

I certainly don't have as much of a private life as I used to have.

'That has rather gone by the wayside

'but I absolutely, passionately love this place.'

I'm passionately determined that it's going to be handed over

to the next generation in a good state. Depending on the taxman.

SHE LAUGHS

Just a glimpse of Welsh summer sun will see crowds of us

flocking to a park, any park, particularly in Cardiff,

which is blessed with more parkland per head

than any other city in the UK.

Whether it's just to sit and watch the world go by...

OK, ladies, we're going to warm up now. Just loosen up.

Just get ourselves ready.

..or indulge in more strenuous pursuits like this

bunch of keen mums who come together for a vigorous outdoor workout.

It's just lovely. You've got benches, fences, you've got the grass,

you've got hills, so you can do a total body workout in the park.

This time, girls, just change it to a side step.

Three, two, one, let's go! In and out the buggies.

Feet moving.

If this looks a little too energetic for your tastes,

there's always the more traditional park pursuits.

Meet the boys of the Fair Oak Bowls Club.

It's nice to play the game when the sun is out because,

apart from having a good time, and the weather's lovely,

you also get a good tan.

It takes all your stresses away and you forget about everything.

Keeps me out of mischief.

It gets me out of the house from the missus.

That's going out on the telly - be careful.

THEY LAUGH

You've just dropped yourself in it!

These lads take their sport seriously.

Everybody thinks it's an old man's game - it's not.

It's not boring. There's no way it's boring.

It's not as easy as it looks.

Ask him with the cap what happened to him about two years ago.

And as I was stepping forward to play the game,

I fell backwards with a broken leg.

The ambulance man Couldn't believe it. He thought this was a quiet, gentle game.

And they blamed me for losing the match by one point.

They may be getting on in years but they're certainly not over the hill.

These silver bowlers have still got the killer instinct.

Hang on. Hang on. Oh!

We'll have a chat about this, that or the other but we never try

to put each other off.

It's in the ditch, Ken, it's in the ditch.

Well bowled. HE LAUGHS

See, they don't wind me up at all.

LAUGHTER

You just try to be as good as you possibly can.

HE LAUGHS

Sometimes you're rubbish.

If you get the pace wrong, you're finished.

Come on! Unlucky!

Well, consistent!

In the ditch.

For Wales' farming community,

summer is the season of the agricultural show.

From what's claimed to be Europe's largest, The Royal Welsh,

to more local affairs.

THEY GIGGLE

THEY CHEER

This summer marks a milestone for the Welsh-speaking

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 nine.

Number four, number four.

THEY LAUGH

Sion Ifan is an experienced handler.

He competed last year and won a rosette

but little sister Elin won't 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's the handbrake so she won't 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 looking nice

and by the time the show comes, she should be looking a million dollars.

One 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 her.

She likes kisses.

SHE LAUGHS

The bad summer weather has wreaked havoc with tourism

all over Wales.

On a little knuckle of rock in the chilly Bristol channel,

Barry Island's funfair has had a disastrous season so far.

But whenever the rain stops falling, the crowds flood in.

Win a wet goldfish!

Come on. Good boy. There we go, then. Thank you very much.

-£10 worth, yeah?

-Yeah.

-Thank you very much.

For manager Vernon Studt and his team, it's good news.

We've got a few more coming in, William, aye.

This is our Bill here. He's getting ready with the fish.

They're all wet. They're all wet and orange, aren't they?

THEY LAUGH

Ring the bell.

To be honest, I didn't expect this many people here.

It's a horrible day, isn't it?

It's overcast. But they're coming out, aren't they? It's filling up.

A little bit more sunshine and it will be even better.

Win a goldfish, all wet and orange. Are you having a go?

But it's a case of too little, too late.

In recent years, the funfair has been hit by washout summers

and the writing is on the wall.

Everybody is finding things difficult.

I think it's the survive, certainly the survival of the fittest,

and you've just got to keep going and try

and keep your head above water at the moment.

Park owner Ian Rogers has had enough.

He's secured planning permission to demolish the funfair

and replace it with an undercover leisure complex.

Times change and we've got to change with them.

So...it will always be a fantastic place, though, Barry Island,

do you know what I mean?

It's now just a question of when the work will begin.

Will you drive one way around, please. No head-on bumping.

RINGING

Vernon is part of the Studt family funfair dynasty.

A fourth generation showman.

Can you come and help us out for a couple of hours?

Oh, you're a good un. You're a good un.

Until he took on Barry Island's summer pleasure park six years ago,

he worked the travelling circuit all year round.

Being the fairground manager has given him

a chance to live a more settled life.

Thank you.

Partner Tracy is worried.

Vernon will have to go back travelling with his, you know,

with his dodgems, so...

I think he's done his fair share of travelling now.

I'd settle for a few more years still here, hopefully.

When this is going to take place, I don't know.

But maybe, maybe I'll be here next year. I don't know yet.

Like I said, I've got to speak to Mr Rogers and see

when development will start.

Barry Island will always be Barry Island.

What I want to do is make people talk about it even more,

you know, for the right reasons.

For Vernon and his fellow showmen,

closing the funfair will be the end of an era.

Very, very big shame.

I came here in 1973, and it's gradually gone downhill.

'The park will be closing in 15 minutes.'

The park will close in 15 minutes. Thank you.

Because Barry is going to finish, we're not going to just,

you know, curl up and finish with the business, that doesn't happen.

The show must go on.

On the border between Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion is Hammet House.

Philippa and Owen Gale bought it and invested their

life savings to transform it into a luxury retreat.

It's an ambitious project.

The couple are giving the hotel an uncompromisingly modern make-over.

But the refurbishment still has a long way to go.

So we are going to go into room 15 now,

which is one that we haven't really touched yet.

And it's just a lot more traditional in feel.

You've got ornate rolled-effect paintwork. Decorative borders.

Very soon it's going to be completely redone

in Hammet House style.

Also, they're new to the hotel trade and found that delivering

a luxury service means they have to be hands-on seven days a week.

I'd say we are both pretty limited in our capacity to trust

other people to do things absolutely properly.

To make matters 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.

At the end of the day, we want to be as good as we can be.

And what they are doing out the front is very modern.

It's very funky. And we are doing that with the food as well.

To spread the word about their new fancy cuisine,

they've decided to stage a seven-course tasting event

showcasing their chef's culinary talents.

A select group of high-profile diners will be attending,

including a food reviewer.

So then, Andy, Welsh tasting menu. Are you happy? Everything prepped?

-Ready to go?

-Yep.

It's quite an important night. Seven courses.

Seven chances to get something wrong. So, yeah.

We're obviously quite nervous about the evening.

We've got to make sure it goes without fault.

We have got a very important guest from the bank coming.

It's always important to impress Mr Bank Manager.

Everything has to be perfect.

In recent years, Wales has become one of Europe's top destinations

for sport enthusiasts.

From the extreme...

..to the downright quirky.

This summer, in celebration of the London Olympics,

the tiny town of Llanwrtyd Wells in the very heart of Wales

stages the world's first ever alternative games event.

Over the course of a fortnight,

competitors attempt all manner of weird and wonderful sporting events.

From bath tubbing...

..to pea shooting.

Turn the table only once.

And even Russian egg roulette.

You take those eggs.

Six of those will be hard boiled, two of them will be raw eggs.

You shoot your forehead, and you can see who is staying and who is gone.

It's a family-friendly sport with no skill required.

CROWD CHEER

The climax of the event is a mid-Wales favourite,

the bog snorkelling championship,

in which competitors swim two uninterrupted lengths

of a water-filled trench cut through a peat bog.

Three, two, one, go!

If they come in fancy dress, they're here for a laugh.

About four people then we're up.

We hand-stitched every cotton ball on to our costume.

Two days' hard work.

And it will probably be washed off in about four seconds.

ALL: We're going in!

I didn't know until I turned up! THEY LAUGH

You will see the people here who are determined to win.

They'll be trying to work out what particular stroke they can do.

I just get in and swim, to be honest.

CHEERING

Am I in the lead?

-157.3.

-Dammit.

Stop the competition now!

Rather them than me!

My objective is to not be sick in my own snorkel from over-exertion.

THEY CHEER

There goes the bride-to-be!

-We think it's crazy, but it's a good crazy.

-Much fun.

We love that. We feel sorry because French can't do that.

They're too serious or too...I don't know what.

Quel dommage, madame!

Here in Wales, we know how to let our hair down.

SHE SCREAMS

Whatever the weather, come rain or shine,

summer's a busy time for those of us with allotments.

Oooh. Still crackers, Merv.

THEY LAUGH

I think mine are better than yours anyway.

Oh, aye, aye.

In South Wales' Cynon Valley, retired miners Mervyn Owens

and Horace Rogers have been growing veg

and getting mud in their wellies for the last 30 years.

I'm 68 now. You know, a lot of people at my age,

they couldn't do this.

A day in the allotments is equivalent to a day in the gym.

I've got a bit of a tummy now, mind. That's from good eating, that is.

-Beer pot.

-No, I don't think so.

THEY LAUGH

Growing your own may be all the rage, but for Horace and Merv

it's never been out of fashion. They're allotment old guard.

We're out here on average at least six hours a day, isn't it, Merv?

Yeah, seven days a week. Rain come shine, we do the lot.

Well, I told you earlier on, I nearly had a divorce for this game.

These boys are serious gardeners,

and regularly compete in the cut-throat world of vegetable shows.

Dai Blainey over Tonyrefail, John Sugar, John Oliver.

They're top gardeners, very top gardeners.

There's always a bit of banter, you know.

"I've had you. I've had you."

And always Horace says, "Next year. I'll have you next year."

I'm going to have John Sugar next year, Merv.

I'm going to take him out.

To compete against them and win is an achievement.

And on behalf of this young man here now,

it's an achievement I'm very proud of.

Yes, thank you, Merv.

All too often, fate can deal the vegetable grower a cruel blow.

I could pull all these and I wouldn't get a decent carrot.

You know, it's as simple as that.

I had it here one year, it was three years ago,

the fly went all through them.

-They just...

-Oooh, heartbreaking.

But there are compensations.

-We never buy vegetables.

-Oh.

I've got three freezers in the shed there.

All the veg we grow, freeze it, in the shed.

Now that's a cracking carrot that is, look. That's a good carrot.

Nice fresh onion. I'm not much of a chef but the flavour is there,

I can guarantee you that. Isn't it, Merv?

I can cook as well. I can cook anything. I cook everything.

As long as it doesn't move on the plate, I'll eat it.

Look at the colour on them. Fit for a queen, Merv, eh?

See the board there. Won first, second, first, second, third.

Oh, Merv. It's spot-on, Merv, this is.

-Oh, lovely!

-Stunning. You couldn't buy this stuff.

THEY LAUGH

I don't need a woman, Merv. I grow it, I cook it.

What more do you want?

From the garden to the pot, that's the saying, isn't it?

People think we're nuts. Are we nuts, Merv?

Aye.

In Ceredigion, it's 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've been practising a lot.

I want to win a rosette.

Dad Geraint has high hopes for Elin

but also has his own eye on another prize.

It smells nice, anyway.

There is a competition in the show for the men to bake a cake.

I like cooking with my dad.

Yeah, we're allowed to make a mess when we cook, don'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.

Yeah, there is quite a few cakes.

Here's some stiff competition coming now.

I reckon.

Yes, I think I have got the beating of you this year, Ger.

-Nah.

-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?

-Um...Nesta.

-Nesta.

At only five years old, she is one of the youngest competitors.

Oh, dear.

Back in the main tent, the public have been cleared

and the cake judging has begun.

It's down to Glenys Jones and Phyllis Eldridge

to pick the winners.

We pick the best three and we taste them.

They are more presentable than the ladies'.

What breed is this one then?

-A Lleyn.

-A Lleyn? Right, we'll go on now then.

Tension is mounting.

You're not supposed to speak with your mouth full.

Finally, it's decision time.

-First.

-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 winner for showing the sheep. There we are.

APPLAUSE

I did very well. I came second.

Right, then. Let's see about this cake.

Yeah. Very important competitors coming through.

That can't be yours.

No. Is it? Billy Morris has won.

It's a fix. What happened to yours, then?

I 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.

-Bye-bye.

Time to head for home to celebrate with a slice of Dad's cake.

Now that the writing is on the wall for Barry Island,

Vernon's other showman ventures are more important than ever.

OK, here we go. Hold tight.

He's travelled to Aberystwyth to check up on an amusement ride pitch

he leases on the promenade.

Well, basically, what you have here is a children's train ride,

which folds down.

Behind you, you have the children's cups and saucers.

And I think what might stand to be very popular is, just over there,

you have the children's bungees.

I think they'll work pretty well here.

I love Aberystwyth. The people of Aberystwyth are great,

and it's a nice part of the country, Aberystwyth.

Our family have been associated with fairgrounds here for 130, 140 years.

Despite being based in Barry for a large part of the year,

Vernon has kept his close ties with the travelling showman community.

Vernon is a cousin of mine, and he's known me all my life.

Yes, he's a nice fella, Vernon is.

Although we're in Barry Island, I've never given up the travelling side.

And maybe one day I'll come back myself in here

and bring my own equipment, it all depends.

For Vernon, a move west could well be on the cards.

Back on Barry Island, it's another washout day,

The school holidays have started and the park should be at its busiest.

But with no hope of the weather improving,

Vernon has decided not to open the funfair.

A familiar sight, looking at those gates closed over there.

Time is running out for Vernon and his team.

And Ian the park owner now has news of when the demolition work

is scheduled to start.

This is the day, isn't it? It's the day for it.

Nice warm cup of tea there for you, Ian.

We need something to try and warm us up because nothing else is.

This is the second day this week now.

It's not giving any of us a chance, none whatsoever.

With the new complex down here, whatever it might be, whether it's

retail, cinemas, bowling alleys, whatever you have in mind,

it's got to be better than what it is at the moment.

One thing's for sure, we're ready to go.

The area where the log flume is, is going to be demolished first.

So come the end of September,

all these rides will be pulled off the site.

It's bad news for the funfair, but Ian does have a proposal for Vernon.

Are you going to be interested in coming into the new development?

Well, yes. I would like to be along, and come on board.

The way I see it is, you know, anybody that's supported me

through the hard times, and it's been very hard in the last...

We're certainly having them now, aren't we?

..five years. Yeah. And I'm glad to hear that you're interested.

Oh, yes. Yes, definitely.

I'm not going to, at the end of the day, I'm here now.

And with basically the old expression,

taking the good with the bad,

and then hopefully there's got to be some good at the end of all this.

It will be cracking. It will be cracking.

So they say on Gavin And Stacey. Is that right, Vernon?

THEY LAUGH

Barry Island's cracking. I wouldn't lie to you. That's what they say.

THEY LAUGH

Some 200 miles north of Barry Island lies the Llyn Peninsula,

a finger of land reaching out from the mountains of Snowdonia

towards the Irish sea.

On its south coast, known as the Welsh Riviera,

lies the stylish seaside resort of Abersoch.

Famed for its iconic beach huts, it's a fashionable destination

for well-healed British holidaymakers.

Jan Atherton's family has been coming here for four generations.

My great-grandparents came to Abersoch first

and then my grandparents and then my mum and dad.

So I've been coming before I was born, if you know what I mean.

The beach huts are basically upmarket sheds with hardly

enough room to swing a kiss-me-quick hat. On average, 9ft square,

they've no running water or electricity.

But do come with a bit of beach attached.

They're such a must-have for the fashionable holiday makers

of Abersoch that one was recently snapped up for a staggering £85,000.

People hold on to beach huts because they're gold dust, really.

Jonny Hancox's family have been proud owners for the last 90 years.

My great-grandfather had five children,

and all of those families continue to come down here.

I've come to Abersoch for as long as I can remember and it's my summer.

It's everything all in one, sailing, usually sun, not this year.

This is the heights of my children throughout the years

so obviously they're up and up and up. I'm not sure where I am.

Yes, in the '60s or even going back to 1950s there as well.

For Jonny and his fellow holidaymakers,

the highlight of the long summer holiday is the Abersoch Yacht Club's

best-dressed beach hut competition.

Jan Atherton and her family have gone for a jazz theme.

I don't think we'll win because there's some fantastic entries

but we'll have a go, we'll have a go.

Further along the beach, the Bale family are hoping to shock

the judges into awarding them a prize.

We're doing an operating theatre theme for our beach hut competition.

The important thing is attention to detail.

And scaring the judges.

That looks really real, that's horrible.

Jan's neighbours, the Mount family, have gone Mexican.

A lot of competition - we're friends, great friends,

but a lot of competition here.

We don't like them. THEY ALL LAUGH

We just put up with them all the time.

I think the moustaches here are, they're a bit...

Oh, they're here!

The competition judges have arrived.

These are my little amigos.

Loving the hats, just a little something you had lying around.

Just literally, just found it underneath the beach.

Rivalry is keen.

Is any bribery allowed?

No, definitely, definitely not. No. We have to be totally impartial.

Fingers crossed. Enjoyed it. That's the main thing.

Took part. Took part.

Who's going to tell me what it's all about?

Is it the Olympics?

Yes.

Wow, how old are you? That one? Three?

He's on his podium with his gold medal. Well done.

Thank you very much.

We're seeing an Olympic theme this year, aren't we?

Finally, the judges arrive at the Bale family's beach hut.

We're in a field hospital, are we? Oh, dear.

So I shall...are you ready?

Can I come in? Oh!

Which limb should go first?

Very good.

It's decision time.

We do have one outright winner, and it's hut N,

and their first prize is this cup and their theme was the Olympics.

APPLAUSE

Well done.

Medals.

You can share it. That's good.

The Bales too win a prize.

-I got a medal.

-A highly commended.

-Highly commended.

And though Jan's hut doesn't get a mention,

her neighbours, the Mounts, are also rewarded.

It was a really good turn-out this year

and it was a good reflection on the effort that people put in.

As the curtain falls on another fun-filled regatta events week,

Jan's in good spirits.

Generations of families come year after year.

So the parents form friendships and then their children do.

And it's sort of like reunion time in the summer.

I just feel totally content here.

Very, very special friendships, and a beautiful place.

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.

We're 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.

If I start saying things like, "What's occurring?"

it's not going to go down well, I don't think.

Val Williams is a professional costume interpreter

who's agreed to train Linda to play the role of a Gladiatrix.

That's a female Gladiator to you and me.

Pleased to meet you, Val.

-You look lovely but not quite...

-I know.

-Will you transform me, babes?

-I will do my best.

-Thank you.

The event has drawn interpreters and re-enactment groups from

far and wide, eager to celebrate all things Roman.

CHEERING

I work on computers all day so this is, to an extent, escapism.

I 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.

You have got to really pretend you are the person.

In this, you are my youngest sister.

I have retired honourably from the arena.

Right.

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.

Right.

THEY LAUGH

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.

My name is Achilia.

And anyone who is going to take me on, I am going to a-kill-ya.

You're scaring me.

Come on.

Linda seems to be getting right in to her role.

I think for the first time, fair play, that was amazing.

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.

GROANING

Linda comes across a troupe of fellow gladiators

all the way from Italy.

Hello. I am fighting this afternoon.

OK, with us?

No, I wouldn't dare.

We are from Italy. We are Italians.

Oh. Talking Italian. Oh, my God.

That's it now. I'm hooked.

-Thank you.

-You're welcome.

It looks like this job has its perks.

Are they coming back here for a pint after?

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 ring.

Yes! No!

On the other hand, if this was her first ever fight

she would be doing brilliantly.

GRUNTING

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 so...

-I know. It's been a good day. It's been great.

-Good.

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.

For your average overseas holidaymaker,

a tour of North Wales' famous Caernarfon Castle

is a must-do activity.

But this evening, for one group of American tourists,

the town's main attraction

is the terraced home of the Leung family.

If everyone would like to take their seats.

-There we go.

-Nice to meet you.

-It's our kind of chocolate. From California.

-Thank you.

Monica, her husband and children are throwing a home host dinner party

for six transatlantic guests

on a tailor-made package holiday to the UK.

Home hosting is a part of their holiday

and they get it in whatever country they're going to.

They come and have a meal with us

and really become a part of the family for the evening.

It's just a nice way to spend an evening.

You're going to make tea anyway. I think for us, the food is secondary

to chatting, having fun and interacting with the family.

I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to write down your name,

otherwise, when I walk back in the kitchen,

I'm going to have a brain freeze and I'm not going to remember.

-Who've we got here?

-Cyril. C. Y. R. I. L.

-My name is Ellie. Short for Eleanor.

-Ellie.

I'm Irene. From Southern California, the Los Angeles area.

-Herb. H. E. R. B.

-H. E. R. B.?

I'm Ray. R. A. Y.

-I'm Esther.

-Esther.

You're going to tell me now how many home hostings

you've been to and I'm going to go to pieces.

This is the Leung family's second year of home hosting

and Monica still finds it a nerve-racking experience.

They're obviously seasoned travellers. They've done it a lot.

That makes me a little nervous.

I feel like I've got a lot to match up to.

Home hosting is really about enjoying the company

but at this stage, I go in to major frantic panics.

The guests are expecting a traditional local three-course meal

but when it comes to starters, chez Monica,

things are very cosmopolitan.

I serve pate or melon. I mean, obviously pate is French

and we're supposed to be serving typically British food,

but it would be typically British of us to eat it, wouldn't it?

Everything's all in. Fingers crossed it doesn't burn.

The pate is the best I've ever eaten.

It is wonderful. I may move back to Wales.

So far, so good. Now for the main course.

I'm going to have something burning if I'm not careful.

Why do I do it?

I do it because a friend of mine did it

and she said she really enjoyed it.

So I said I'd try and see if we enjoy it. And now we're hooked!

Chicken and leek pie is a very sort of old traditional dish

that a lot of people, especially in Wales, would eat.

Mushy peas is a staple British diet, I think.

We haven't just taken normal peas and mushed them up.

They're split peas and they've been soaked in bicarbonate of soda.

Mushy peas are delicious, but they're mushy!

I make ham and pea soup and it reminds me of that. I like that.

I'm wondering how she got them so green. I was going to ask you that.

Next up, dessert. And Monica has gone classically British.

There's the trifle.

I do feel that we're ambassadors for the country.

There we are. We'll see who's into puddings now.

Oh, my God!

Look at that! Wow!

We're all on diets.

THEY LAUGH

He's just loosening his belt.

This one is rhubarb and apple crumble. This is hot custard.

And hot custard is something that's very, very popular in the UK.

-What did you call it?

-This one? Hot custard.

Do you know what I think we should do, we should test both of them

and we'll tell you which one we like the most.

He will tell you which one he likes the best.

It's a big hit with the guests! Monica's done us proud.

How have you found Wales?

Has it been how you imagined before you set off

or have you been here before?

We just got here this afternoon.

So far, you've been rushed in to somebody's house,

thrown trifle at.

What a wonderful start.

What I like about this place is that

we can come back here tomorrow and have dessert again.

THEY LAUGH

It was wonderful, and the trifle and the what do you call that?

-Rhubarb crumble.

-Yes, it was wonderful.

I love Wales.

The people are wonderful. This was a wonderful experience.

I'm just sorry that I'm too old to rent a car and run around Wales

and stay in the B&Bs, because it looks delightful.

I seldom go back to the same place twice

but I would consider coming back here.

I liked it very much. The dessert was the best part.

THEY LAUGH

Monica's American guests leave stuffed and happy.

They did a good job of demolishing the trifle and the crumble.

They were pudding people, I think.

Hwyl fawr!

It couldn't have been nicer.

Glad to hear it, madam.

Over 100 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-racking.

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 all right.

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 editor and 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 there's a problem.

Owen and Philippa have had to leave the hotel.

-The owners of the house...

-Yes.

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

Unfortunately not.

Which means I'll be covering the hotel manager's position tonight.

It's now down to trainee manageress Amy Cross to ensure it all

runs smoothly front of house.

It 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.

Great mirror. Fantastic.

It's a lovely room.

It's very unusual.

It's certainly isn't 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.

-Andy, hello.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-How are you?

-Very well, thanks. Yourself?

-Excellent.

Would you like this to be a destination restaurant,

for people to be coming sort of from outside the hotel?

Definitely. I want to make this basically the best place to

eat food in, well, most definitely Pembrokeshire, but 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 jump into action.

My shift started at this 7.00 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 hotel's 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, yeah?

But a bad one could spell disaster.

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

Three hours and seven courses later, it looks like Andy's home and dry.

But what's 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.

This whole operation is quite new.

I would never expect to come into 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.

Summer is festival season in Wales, with hundreds of events,

from local to international, taking place across the country.

For the nation's event caterers, it's their busiest season.

CHEERING

Jonathan Williams is the founder and owner of Cafe Mor,

a mobile catering business

specialising in fresh Welsh seafood.

The company's only a year old, but this summer,

Jonathan's launched himself into festival season in a big way.

Won't be long. Five minutes.

So far, with the help of his supportive mum Tina,

he's catered the Hay International Book Festival.

And Wakestock. Which didn't go well.

It's the worst I've ever seen at a festival.

So I've just cut our losses, really.

And all between running a pitch in the Athletes' Village

of the London 2012 Olympics, and welcoming his first child.

Meet Josie. I'm a ya-ya, Greek for granny.

Poor old Hannah has been at home looking after our lovely baby girl

and I've just been running around like a madman.

So looking forward to getting home

and hopefully giving her a little rest.

Now he's catering the National Eisteddfod,

one of the oldest cultural festivals in Europe.

It's an opportunity to get his business back on track.

Wakestock was just the wrong clientele,

but we're still fighting, we're still getting strong.

It kind of puts the pressure on the Eisteddfod.

Cos obviously, you just want to try and make things work here.

We've got lots of bilingual signs everywhere.

I'm not a Welsh speaker so we had to find someone that spoke Welsh.

Cafe Mor's latest recruit, Angharad Rosser, is fluently Welsh speaking.

I've been teaching Jonathan a few phrases like dyma chi. Here you are.

Unrhywbeth arall? Anything else?

I'm the worst student ever cos my brain doesn't work with languages.

I can barely speak English so trying to learn any other language

is a mammoth, mammoth task.

What's please in Welsh?

-Please? Diolch? That's thank you. Erm, prynhawn da. No. Croeso.

-No.

Os gwelwch yn dda, but a lot of people just say plis.

What's that?

-For please.

-Just plis? Yeah, it's confusing, you see.

Jonathan's new approach seems to working well.

It's all looking good.

We're not running off in the middle of the night on this one.

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.

THEY SING

If there were two British teams, there would be a lot more rubbish.

Like people from all over the world and stuff

are 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.

Come on!

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

or anything like that.

You. Off!

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've let us in for about 90 minutes

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 must work quickly.

Our boys have 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.

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

Oh, God! I don't know.

Tired. You try getting up at 2.45 every morning.

Catches up by the end of the week.

He's in one of his happy moods today.

When he grits his teeth together like that, stand back.

In no time at all, the city centre streets are clean.

We take pride in our city.

We see it before and we'll 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...

Let's get the show on the road!

It's Mardi Gras in Cardiff.

Come on, we're late. Hurry up!

Open the gates!

Things get explosive at Bryngwyn Hall.

Who am I going to fall out with today?

The ballroom gets a last-minute make-over at Hammet House.

-It's going to be a tight one.

-See if you can cancel the wedding.

I don't think that's really an option.

It's got to be done.

Is it the end of the line for Vernon and the Barry funfair?

I'm a showman. I don't retire.