Staffordshire Glorious Gardens from Above

Britain has some of the finest gardens anywhere in the world.

For me, it's about getting in amongst the wonderful plants

that flourish in this country

and sharing the passion of the people who tend them.

However, there is another way to enjoy a garden.

And that's to get up above it.

I love ballooning because you get to see the world below

in a whole new light.

From up here, you get a real sense of how the garden sits

in the landscape, how the terrain and the climate have shaped it.

And I want you to share that experience with me.

I've been lucky enough to float across the skies of Britain,

experiencing some truly breathtaking landscapes.

Phenomenal!

Awesome! Absolutely awesome.

And this is no different.

Today, I'm off visiting Staffordshire.

In the north, you've got hilly moorlands,

but in the south, the famous Cannock Chase

with its deciduous forests and its conifers

making it a fascinating county.

Staffordshire is a landlocked county lying in the heart of England.

Its largest city, Stoke-on-Trent,

is associated with the pottery industry.

The county is also rich in iron and coal deposits.

And it's got some amazing gardens.

This is my chance to experience Staffordshire

from a whole new perspective.

Today I'm dropping in on two historic gardens,

both of which are full of surprises.

-Is that it?

-That's it.

It covers around three-quarters of an acre.

That is massive!

They've touched the hearts of generations

of the people who have looked after them.

-My great-great-grandad worked here.

-Your great-great-grandfather?

-Yeah.

And of course, I'll be getting stuck in.

And they stink!

Eugh!

And employing the help of a few friends.

Celebrate!

THEY CHEER

Lying in the middle of the UK,

Staffordshire experiences cool summers and mild winters,

with over 31 inches of rain a year.

The mainly clay soil is rich in nutrients

and, when plenty of organic matter is added,

it provides the perfect mix for growing plants.

And there's some fantastic examples in the first garden

I'm dropping in on.

In this little corner of Middle England,

you've got a garden that travels the world.

It is so theatrical and reflects the passions

of the Victorian plant collectors

and I just can't wait to get down there.

To the north of the county, near the border with Cheshire,

sits Biddulph Grange, a grand Victorian house

that was built on the proceeds of Staffordshire's industry.

Its gardens were the passion project of James Bateman,

a dedicated plantsman and horticulturalist.

And they're some of the most extraordinary in Britain!

From 1842, the gardens here at Biddulph were designed

as a showcase for Bateman's extensive plant collection

from all over the world.

He and his wife Maria had a passion for plants

and the means to indulge it.

Biddulph Grange for me is a garden full of adventure and fun.

It's a journey around the world.

One minute, you're in Egypt, then you're in Italy, then you find yourself in China.

And it's all topped off with the most amazing plants.

As a big kid, I just love the place.

You peek through hidey-holes and you're transported

to a different part of the globe.

China comes to life before your eyes,

with far Eastern exotic plants.

In Egypt you experience high hedges of beech and yew.

And as you stroll down the Wellingtonia walk,

you're dwarfed by the colossal American trees.

But I'm heading down the Dahlia Walk to meet up with the man tasked

with managing this fascinating garden - Paul Walton.

-Hi, Paul.

-Hi, Christine.

-Nice to meet you.

-Yes, likewise.

-What you doing here?

-Just dahlias.

Had quite a lot of rain so we had a boost of growth.

So we're just supporting them.

-Can I give you a hand at all?

-Yeah.

-Do you mind working on the back?

-No, not at all.

-I'll just cut you a bit of string.

-Yep. Great.

I mean, these are looking lovely, aren't they?

Yeah, they're fabulous. They've really come on.

They're a really good show.

The idea is to tie them up, not pull them too tight.

Cos they're known for doing this, aren't they?

Don't want to squeeze them in and they just don't look natural.

Regimental Sergeant Major - my busby's on top!

Ridiculous.

So how did you get your job here?

Well, when I left school, my sister worked in the tearoom

and I used to come with my dad to pick her up.

Saw this fabulous garden, thought how great it would be to...

..sort of mowing the lawns here at Biddulph.

Anyway, there's garden...and there was a two-year training scheme

and I was lucky enough to get it and I've been here ever since,

working my way up the ladder to where I am now.

That's great. Right from the bottom, right the way up top.

Yeah. Loved every minute of it, yeah.

And seeing it for me, when I started,

some of these hedges were quite low down and now

they've come up, so seeing areas mature, yeah, it's just fabulous.

James Bateman was one of the world's most respected orchidologists.

He also shared the Victorian mania for dahlias,

and to showcase them he carved out a sunken walk with yew hedges,

dividing the terrace beds into a series of compartments.

But what we see here today is not Bateman's original work.

Biddulph's splendour required huge amounts of money and commitment.

This proved an unsustainable passion for Bateman.

So, in 1871, it was sold

to Staffordshire industrialist Robert Heath.

Then, in 1921, the house and the estate was donated

for use as a hospital.

But the gardens became rundown and neglected,

and the dug-out terrace around the Dahlia Walk was filled in

to make a lawn for patients.

But in 1988, the National Trust acquired the gardens

and embarked on an extensive restoration project,

with the aim of returning Biddulph

to the glory of its Victorian heyday.

The Dahlia Walk was rediscovered after extensive excavations

of the site, and the beds replanted with a range of vibrant colours

similar to the ones used in Bateman's original design.

Dahlias have gone in and out of favour over the decades

but they've always been a firm favourite with one little critter.

Walking along this border, what surprised me was

there seems to be very, very little earwig damage.

We've been ever so fortunate.

-Ever since I've been here, we've never had any problem at all.

-Really?

We have a lot of visitors asking us,

you know, "How do you stop the earwigs?"

We've never had any problem. We've been so lucky.

That's amazing, cos in my day, we used to get straw,

we used to bung it in a pot at night -

this was a job that we'd do last thing at night,

first thing in the morning -

and then you'd poke it on your canes.

And the earwigs would come up these, go up there to sleep,

and then in the morning, you take the whole thing off.

And you could get 50 or 60 earwigs and it's a really good tip.

-This looks more...

-Yeah, a terracotta pot as well.

Well, you know, there's something rather rustic...

-Character there.

-Yeah, quite.

Give you a bit of string.

What makes Biddulph so special to you?

It's like a family atmosphere here.

Working with colleagues, they're not just work, they're friends.

I just love it. I've seen the garden develop over the years.

I feel very fortunate that I manage such a fabulous garden.

And it's like that with a lot of the team.

You know, they're very passionate.

Cos these days, it's quite hard running a garden, isn't it?

Yeah. It can be. We are quite a small team.

And we have to prioritise work,

but there's always jobs we could do with an extra hand with.

I've actually got a job now, Christine,

if you wouldn't mind just giving us a hand.

-I don't mind that. Yeah.

-Quick.

Nothing personal, but do you mind dressing up?

-What do you mean by that?

-I'll show you.

Something tells me it might not be

a pretty Victorian frock I'll be wearing!

Although the team here is tasked

with keeping the garden true to its Victorian past.

The garden's Grade One listed status

means it's of exceptional historic value.

Every plant, shrub and tree planted here

is as close to Bateman's original design as possible.

But now I've changed, I'm not sure I like where this is going.

Listen, when you said dressing up, I wasn't expecting this.

So, I mean... Well, many a garden I've looked after...

SHE LAUGHS

So what in the blazes are we up to?

Today we're finning out some of the waterlilies

and we really appreciate your help with this.

-If that's OK.

-OK.

You know, I'm not good in boats, don't you?

Oh, it will be all right. I'll only move a little bit.

All right, you got some Kwells or something for me? Seasick pills?

I think I might need them. OK, then. Let's give it a go.

-I've got to get in here.

-You get in the boat, yes.

And we'll try and keep you in the boat, eh?

Right, well, I'd prefer that, to be perfectly honest.

-I'm not sure about this enormous...

-SHE LAUGHS

Eh! Whoa!

-Hang on a minute.

-There we go.

-Right. OK.

-Right. Good luck.

Eh, come on, bugalugs!

Come on! If I'm in, you're in.

-I'm getting in now.

-I should hope. Come on!

-I'm in.

-We're all in this mess together.

Now, hang on a minute - why haven't I got any oars?

-You're in safe hands, safe hands.

-You reckon?

Got no other options, have ya?

Come on, then. Let's get on with it.

-Sort this one out.

-Go on. Get on with it.

Come on, love. Get it in here.

This one's a bit bigger, this one.

It's a bit aromatic.

God, look at it.

I mean, they stink. God!

Eugh!

I must admit, when I think of waterlilies,

this is not the image that immediately springs to mind.

Waterlilies are a hugely popular water plant,

with many elegant flower shapes and colours.

With dwarves and large forms available,

this versatile plant is an excellent choice for small water features,

in formal ponds or large lakes.

They thrive in calm, still water away from disturbances

like waterfalls or fountains.

They're best planted between late spring and late summer

and will produce more flowers

if planted in the sunniest open position of the water.

Flowers last three to four days and should be cut off

below the water line, along with any old leaves,

before they sink and rot.

Stop faffing about, lad.

-There we go.

-Look, get it in here.

SHE LAUGHS

Eugh! I'm not sure if I like this.

-Look!

-Oh, look at this.

My leg's underneath there. I can't get it back out.

I can tell you now, I wouldn't be mucking about

in this boat without good reason.

And it's because the white lilies are historically accurate,

while the pink ones are a newer variety,

not in keeping with the original garden, so they have to be cleared.

The problem we have, we have to borrow a boat.

Oh, no.

If not, we're dragging to the bankside, back again.

-And it takes days.

-So it is easier to do it like this.

Oh, yeah, we've very kindly been lent this boat.

-We've only got it for today.

-Right.

We'll do what we can, but then it's next time we get one available.

-So you never clear it properly.

-No, no.

Ideally, it just wants readying,

cos we're only in here every couple of years.

Without constant managing, the newer pink lilies

will continue to encroach into the lake,

causing a real headache for Paul and his team.

History is important, isn't it, really?

And heritage is important but, I mean, this is seriously hard work.

Oh, it is hard work but whatever it takes, the brilliant team here,

brilliant team of volunteers,

we're working to that vision of restoring this garden

back to how it was when James Bateman was here.

Some lovely fishing here as well so...need to take care of it.

-All the nibbly!

-I can't swim in them, then.

The team here is committed to returning the garden to its

Victorian splendour.

And just a stone's throw away, in Biddulph,

is a group of volunteers

who are moving on from their town's industrial past.

Like much of this part of Britain,

Biddulph once relied on local industry for its prosperity.

Mining, the railways, and its proximity to the Potteries

put the town on the map in the 19th century.

The decline of those local industries hit the town hard.

But one local resident, Hilda Sheldon,

has made it her mission to brighten up the place.

The town found itself in a really, really bad way and a group of us

got together to try and do something about the town's poor environment

and to give the people a sense of pride in where they lived.

Over 20 years ago, Hilda set up Biddulph in Bloom.

With a dedicated group of volunteers,

she set to work revitalising the town through gardening and planting

thousands of plants and trees, and maintaining local areas.

Today, they are out in force.

-You want six across.

-Six across.

-And then if you do them about that far apart.

-Yeah.

One of the group's local volunteers, Harold Hancock,

is in charge of nurturing some of the plants and shrubs

that line the streets of Biddulph.

And where better to start than in his own back garden?

This is where some of the pansies are.

For the summer, we grow getting on for 19,000

and for the winter, 11,000-12,000.

Up there, we have stub plants for next year's bedding

so we're working 12 months ahead.

It's a lot growing in a very small area!

So much so, he's had to commandeer his next-door neighbour's garden.

We also do a few tomatoes for ourself.

It's a 12-month of the year job, gardening is,

so it never stops.

It sort of keeps me off the street and out of the pub. Great!

And the other volunteers are also feeling the benefits.

I haven't got a garden of my own so I use this as my garden

and I've made a lot of friends since I've been here.

It's just made such a difference to everybody's lives,

not just us who work on it,

but just everybody.

The dedication of the volunteers means this once depressed area

is now known as the Garden Town of Staffordshire.

And their hard work hasn't gone unnoticed.

Over the years, Biddulph in Bloom has won numerous awards.

Recently they won gold

at the national RHS Britain in Bloom contest.

People often say to me, you know,

"I wouldn't have thought of coming to Biddulph before

"cos it was always a miserable place

"but what you do now is just marvellous."

But there's no doubt about the driving force behind the charity.

Hilda is Biddulph in Bloom.

Where the heck she finds her energy from, I don't know,

and she's a credit to Biddulph.

For her services to Staffordshire, and her community work,

Hilda was awarded an MBE.

It's very humbling.

The community have really taken on board what we're trying to do

and they are so supportive

and that gives us the energy to keep carrying on.

What a truly inspirational lady!

Whether it's transforming your own garden, revitalising a town

or restoring a Victorian masterpiece,

it just goes to show what can be done with hard work and dedication.

And there must be something in the water around here.

Local lass Helen Wilshaw is Biddulph Grange's visitor services manager,

and she's putting her heart and soul into the garden she grew up with.

What does the garden actually mean to you?

It's sort of part of my upbringing, you know.

-I've had ancestors that have worked here.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-My great-great grandad worked here.

-Your great-great grandfather?

Yeah. He was here.

Helen's connection to the garden goes back a century

to when Robert Heath owned the estate.

My great-great grandfather lived in a farm

a bit further up from the grange

and he used to come down and help out as well

and in my great aunt's memoirs, she talks about him being there

and knocking the snow off the tree branches

and how he caught pneumonia he was working so hard one winter there,

so there's quite a connection.

Helen was just six years old when she first came here.

I was taken up there for a hospital fete and it was quite different

and you'd see the hospital just butting up to the garden.

The patients were rolled out on their beds

and I remember they were waving to us

and then much later on when you heard about it coming up for sale,

it was a little more derelict then.

So to come back and work there and do this beautiful restoration

is quite amazing.

And working in the garden is still a family affair.

I have my father that volunteers every week there. My mum comes down.

I give her a ring and say, "Mum, we're busy. Come and give us help."

Having grown up at the garden,

Helen knows how important the restoration of Biddulph is

for the future generations to enjoy.

There's almost a weight on my shoulders

to make it be a special place for everybody.

You know, it's a responsibility

and from Biddulph, everybody's really got strong memories of it

and I want it to be right for everybody.

What about the water and those pink and white waterlilies?

SHE LAUGHS

The waterlilies. The ongoing waterlilies.

-See, that's one of my pet subjects - the pink waterlilies.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

I'm a bit of a 'get rid of the pink and keep the white' girl, you know?

Bateman would have had white lilies so true to keeping this garden

within its time, within its era, I think we should have white lilies.

-So the pink - it's a horrible job but they've got to go.

-I'll say.

Before they ask me to get in that boat again,

I'm taking to the skies.

From high above, you can see that Staffordshire's

at the heart of the inland waterways network.

It has more miles of canals than any other shire county.

It's an enduring feature of the Industrial Revolution.

During its heyday, the Trent and Mersey Canal

saw almost one and a half million tonnes of freight carried

along its route each year.

And around the same time that the first canals were being built

here in the 18th century,

so began the transformation of the next garden I'm off to visit.

About 35 miles south of Stoke is another very fascinating garden.

Follies, yew trees and a garden that's really well worth visiting.

In 1720, wealthy landowner Thomas Anson

inherited the Shugborough Estate

and spent the next 50 years turning the small manor house

into an imposing country seat.

He knocked down everything that spoiled his view of the Trent Valley

and annexed 1,000 acres of Cannock Chase to complete his dream.

Like Biddulph Grange, it's a Grade 1 listed estate,

with formal gardens planted with English

lavender, striking conical yellow yews

and eight magnificent monuments, set in lush green parkland.

Head gardener Derek Higgott is charged with

keeping the garden here spick and span.

-Hi, Derek.

-Hi, Christine.

-Nice to see you. Hi.

-How are you?

I'm fine, thank you. Somebody told me you were planting clematis.

-Thought I'd give you a hand.

-Yes.

-Hey, that's very good.

-Are you a deep planter?

I like to plant about four or five inches deeper

-than what they are in their pots.

-OK, so let's get this out.

-So how long have you been here now?

-I've been here seven years.

-I'm going into my eighth season.

-Great.

-Yes.

-I came here when I was 16 on a YTS scheme.

-Really?

Yeah, and I came here just down

in the garden for a couple of weeks and they wanted a job for me

-but then I had to wait 30 years to come back.

-30!

-Yeah.

You're a persistent soul!

-I'll be here till I retire here now.

-Great.

So we'll get this in here and then we'll...

-I can't believe how nice this soil is.

-Oh, it's beautiful.

We add plenty of muck to it and leaf mould as well.

Just the stuff for growing clematis.

And with masses of spectacular flowers,

no wonder it's one the most popular garden plants.

This versatile plant has a wide range of colours and sizes,

and can be grown on walls and pergolas, in containers,

or left to scramble through trees and shrubs.

It's best planted in the spring or early autumn,

and the many varieties will give you colour from winter to late summer.

Clematis enjoys sun or partial shade

and needs moisture-retentive but well-drained soil to thrive.

But a common problem is clematis wilt.

To avoid this, plant deep - three to four inches deeper than normal.

And here's another top tip.

You can use something like an old tile.

-Yeah.

-Or a flat pot with the bottom taken off

-and then if we feed that through there...

-Yeah.

-Now, that protects that stem.

-Yes, can see that.

So it can't move about and that means that

the plant will grow away, establish really well

and you don't get clematis wilt.

-Good watering and hey, presto!

-That's it.

The National Trust now owns these historic gardens,

along with the magnificent house and 900 acres of parkland.

But in 1842, the first Earl of Litchfield, Thomas William Anson,

a gambling man and lover of extravagance,

put the whole estate in jeopardy.

It was reported that he was with some friends and they split

an apple in half and it was full of maggots and they had a maggot race.

-A maggot race!

-Yeah, and he waged 1,000 pound on it.

And his was losing so he blew on it after having alcohol

and they say that it died on the table.

And he gambled that much away

that they had to sell the whole contents of the house.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Based on the maggot.

-Yeah.

-OK.

I'm not sure too about that maggot story.

But legend has it there's a beast that lurks here,

which is said to be as wide as the Albert Hall.

At first glance, this may seen like a very large bush,

but on closer inspection, you'll see it's one enormous yew tree,

with a single trunk at its very heart.

-That is massive!

-Covers around three-quarters of an acre.

It's enormous!

And it has its own ecosystem

and there is a family of muntjac who live in there as well.

-I mean, how old is it?

-Some people say 600. Some people say 300.

-But look at it! I mean, it's massive.

-Yeah.

Wouldn't like the job of trimming that, would you?

I wouldn't want to trim that.

These fascinating trees are incredibly long-lived

and slow-growing.

This one may seem quite old

but it's a baby when you consider some yew trees are estimated to be

over 3,000 years old.

They can grow up to 25 metres tall

and although this one isn't that tall, it is extremely wide.

But I want to know how wide

and the only way I can truly get a sense of the scale

of this mammoth tree is to enlist

the help of the people of Staffordshire.

-You look a motley crew.

-THEY LAUGH

It's lovely that you've all turned out

and this is all about celebrating

your county's biggest yew tree.

And the only way we can do that

is I want you all to fan out and hold hands.

So, men, ladies, children - off you go!

Go on, get round the back. Go on. Go on. Keep going!

Keep stretching. Come on. We're nearly there.

I think we're going to do it! Come on. Are we connected?

Whoo! So I'm going to go around.

I'm going to count and see how many people surround this tree.

So one, two, three, four...

..31, 32, 33, 34...39...

..60, 61, 62...67...100!

101...58, 59, 160, 162...

Come on. Come on. We can do it. We can do it.

..163. We've done it!

THEY CHEER

163 people!

THEY CHEER

It's enormous! It's the widest tree in Staffordshire,

in Britain and probably in Europe.

THEY CHEER

Thanks to the people of Staffordshire,

I've got a whole new perspective on this magnificent yew tree.

THEY CHEER

As you float away from one living monument,

there's another in the south of the county, near Burton-on-Trent.

It's a source of pride not just to the people of Staffordshire,

but to the whole country.

Located in the heart of the nation, sitting alongside the River Tame,

stands the National Memorial Arboretum.

It was opened in 2001

and the 152-acre site has over 300 memorials,

lasting tributes to those who've served their country

and honouring the fallen.

The assistant curator here is James Shallcross.

There's many, many memorials - civilian and military -

and they range from the Royal National Lifeboat Institute,

the RNLI garden, through to the Basra Wall.

The Royal Navy have a lovely memorial, blue-glass memorial,

which was opened this year.

The beauty of it is just discovering them when you walk around.

It's a young arboretum but there are already over 40,000 trees

around the grounds, many of which have relevance

to the memorials around them.

The chestnuts that line the Police Memorial Avenue were chosen

because the first truncheons were made

from this extremely durable wood.

The 2,535 trees in the Merchant Navy Convoy Wood

represent vessels lost during World War II.

The idea of having the memorials within the trees,

it makes it a soft landscape.

It's parkland, it's woodland, it's nature.

It just gives that peace and contemplation

which is really what the arboretum's about.

The centrepiece is the Armed Forces Memorial.

On it are the names of over 16,000 service personnel

who have been killed on duty since the end of the Second World War.

Stonemason Nick Hindle is responsible

for adding the names to the wall.

It's a fantastic place to work at. I'm extremely proud.

It isn't just the names, you know?

There's families and friends behind all these people

and for them to come here and see their loved one on the wall,

they must be very proud.

Just these last few months, a lady came and watched me

from marking on the name right to the last chisel mark

and it's hard for me to do that but for that poor lady to stand there

and watch that must've been the worst thing in the world.

But I suppose that might have given her a little bit of comfort.

In 1982, during the Falklands conflict,

Margaret Allen's husband Iain Boldy

was killed on board the HMS Argonaut.

It was very difficult at the time because he was not repatriated.

He was actually buried at sea.

All we got back was a story

and there needed to be a place that we could go and be and reflect

and spend time and this is what the National Memorial Arboretum offers.

When I get to this place, I can feel him here.

I know he's here and, you know, in spirit,

and I know they're all together.

And that is so comforting.

For Carol Jones whose son Sergeant John Jones was killed in Iraq,

the memorial offers the chance to meet people and share experiences.

This place is a second home to me.

I come here more than I go to the grave

because I can sit here all day if I want to.

I know most of the families with the names on the walls

and I know most of the families who have lost loved ones in Afghanistan.

We're all one big family.

Although the National Memorial Arboretum

serves as a place of remembrance,

it's also a great source of comfort for so many people.

It's the most incredible place.

It has this wonderful energy about it.

It's not in the slightest bit mournful. It's happy.

It's just got a special feel.

It's so peaceful and the people that do the grounds

and work for the arboretum, the volunteers,

they do an amazing job and this is why it's like it is.

I feel an affiliation to lots of the memorials and then also to be able to

work with the trees and gardens, it is a great pleasure to be here.

Without this place, life would have been an awful lot more difficult,

so I'm very grateful for it.

Taking this space and turning it into somewhere special for people to

enjoy is what gardening is all about for me,

and to see the comfort it brings here is truly heart-warming.

So when people appreciate the work that goes on,

it makes it all the more worthwhile.

And back at Biddulph Grange, I'm finding out just how much

they appreciate Helen Wilshaw.

She's the gardens' visitor services manager with a family history here

that goes back centuries.

Since visiting as a child, she's seen the gardens transformed.

She will do anything she can to help you.

You can call her any time of day and she'll be there.

One minute she will be in the shop.

Another minute, she'll be in the restaurant,

then she'll be in the garden showing people around.

Everything is important to her.

She just talks herself and she helps us out with any problems

and we're all great friends, actually.

She's just the heart and soul of Biddulph Grange and if ever

she did leave, I don't think that anyone could ever fill her shoes.

She is the lady of Biddulph by a mile, yeah.

For me, what makes this place so special is just how much everyone

here shares the sense of magical adventure this garden creates.

Well, gardening is about mischief and fun, but you two just exude it!

-Yeah.

-It's when he starts spending money and I say, "What you doing?"

-Spending money!

-I'm not allowed to spend money unless Helen says.

No, not at all. Yeah. I have to keep him under control.

The thing I get from talking to both of you

is A - a local sense of pride.

-Oh, very much so.

-Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, and that really comes across.

But how much flipping hard work is involved in trying to bring this

back true to Bateman and its history and everything else?

The layout of the garden really is a big challenge.

We've got no machinery in here at all.

Everything is carried in and out.

So it is a hard garden to work

-and we just want the garden to look the best all year around.

-We do.

Yeah. I actually think you're doing a pretty magnificent job.

-It's really quite something.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

The garden is testament to just how dedicated the team is

and having experienced firsthand how hard it is to conserve this garden,

I've come up with an idea of how to help.

Without the use of their own boat all year round, clearing those pesky

pink waterlilies will be an endless task,

so there's another little restoration project on the go.

We've asked boat maker Roger Wilkinson to take this old wooden

boat, which, to be fair, could do with a bit of TLC,

and refurbish it to make it shipshape again.

So whenever the Biddulph Grange team needs to get out on the lake,

-they'll have their very own boat.

-It's a nice little dinghy.

It's a little bit rough at the edges at the moment.

We've got various holes and cracks in the planking.

But I'm sure it will look lovely when I...

..by the time I'm finished and it will be a nice surprise.

So the basic thing is to get the boat square and back to its original shape

and then I'll be basically coating the bottom of the boat

and filling all the holes in.

Well, that's one little job done. Only another...

..300 or more to go

and then we can put this nice little boat on the water at Biddulph.

Hope it doesn't sink.

You and me both, lad.

So you'd best get on with it

because I'm gathering together some of Helen's friends,

family and colleagues to join in with the surprise.

And of course, if you're going to launch a boat,

you need a bit of bubbly.

Hello!

SHE LAUGHS

-I know it's been a long day.

-We thought we'd have refreshments.

THEY LAUGH

Helen, one of the things that's been quite touching today

-is the love and warmth that people have expressed...

-Right.

Volunteers and this chap here, even though he did try to drown me.

..have been expressing that you are the life and soul

of Biddulph Gardens.

And I just thought that it would be quite nice to acknowledge

that amount of work.

-So...here you are. I'll have that.

-You want that?

THEY LAUGH

But we just thought it would be quite nice to actually...

..get you a more stable boat

because I just can't believe that you lot dive in

and not only is it Biddulph's boat,

but actually this is Helen's Boat...

-It's fantastic.

-..for a very, very special person.

-Oh, thank you.

So as a little thankyou for a lovely day, and it's been lovely,

volunteers together, people, celebrate Helen's Boat.

So here's to Helen's Boat.

Helen's Boat!

-I'm really impressed.

-Come on, lads. Let's get this boat in the water.

And for a proper sendoff, we need a naming ceremony.

Well, I think I'm going to declare this Helen's Boat

but it's Helen's Boat for lots of waterlilies.

THEY CHEER

And me.

And now it's time for the maiden voyage.

-Now, then, where are we off now, then?

-Off you go.

I don't think you do it like that.

THEY LAUGH

Come here, woman!

I do enjoy a good boat trip.

But my preferred method of transport is up in the air.

From high above the heart of England, the scars

of Staffordshire's industrial heritage are clear to see.

But everywhere I look, I see people breathing new life into the land.

Reclaimed sites are turned into peaceful places of contemplation.

Once industrial areas

are transformed into beautiful garden towns.

And I'll leave here safe in the knowledge that

the dedication of the people who restore

and maintain these magnificent historic gardens means

future generations will get to enjoy their magic as much as I have.