0:00:02 > 0:00:04Maybe you've thought about living by the sea,
0:00:04 > 0:00:06but you're not sure if it's quite for you, or you've wondered
0:00:06 > 0:00:09what would it be like living right in the middle of the countryside
0:00:09 > 0:00:13miles from anywhere, the question is, would you really like it?
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Well, home swapping gives people the chance
0:00:15 > 0:00:19to exchange their properties and try out a brand-new lifestyle.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23It's a growing trend here in the UK and this series offers people
0:00:23 > 0:00:26who've never tried it before the chance to give it a go.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30- Woh-hoh!- Woh-hoh!
0:00:32 > 0:00:36Families from across Britain are about to go on an adventure.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42They don't know each other and have no idea yet where they're going, or
0:00:42 > 0:00:46what type of property they will be calling home for the next few days.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Goodness me! Imagine waking up to that every day.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53During their stay, they'll give their verdict
0:00:53 > 0:00:54on each other's home...
0:00:54 > 0:00:58- It's a bit claustrophobic.- I don't think you can get more different.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01..and get the opportunity to try something new
0:01:01 > 0:01:02in a different part of the UK.
0:01:03 > 0:01:08- Yes!- Nothing is coming out.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Only on their return will they get to see who has been
0:01:10 > 0:01:12living in their house...
0:01:12 > 0:01:16- Oh, yes.- I think we're almost psychic.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18..and what they really think of it.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20- Very minimalist.- Sparse.
0:01:20 > 0:01:21It is not.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24I don't think there is one thing that I would change.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26It's ridiculous how much we love our house.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Our first home swappers are Dene and Karen.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38He is a pop musician and she is a data analyst.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41They met in the Spanish holiday resort of Benidorm
0:01:41 > 0:01:44and, as they say, it was love at first sight.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48They've been married for two years and live in a 19th-century country
0:01:48 > 0:01:53cottage in the picturesque village of Barwick-in-Elmet in Yorkshire.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Our house was built in 1830
0:01:56 > 0:01:59but it's had a lot of modifications since then.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Very quirky, lots of beams and things, but we love it.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05- We love living here, don't we? - We do, yes.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Barwick-in-Elmet is a thriving historic village dating back
0:02:10 > 0:02:15to around 400 BC with a population of around 2,500 people.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19Now, Dene and Karen's home is an intriguing prospect.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21It used to be the local doctor's surgery
0:02:21 > 0:02:24and even though the pills and prescriptions have long disappeared
0:02:24 > 0:02:28they have still managed to retain a few of the unique features.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32The original front door is now a false front door
0:02:32 > 0:02:34- and that's now a cupboard.- Yes.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37I think that's why I keep banging my head.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Yes, you do, because the freezer's in there, isn't it, now?
0:02:40 > 0:02:41Each room's very different.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46Everything is sort of old farmhouse, the kitchen is, anyway.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50In the bedrooms, we've got the old beams from the ships.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53- Old ship...- Old ship beams from many, many years ago.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57- You can't go into the spare bedroom...- Without ducking down.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59So it's a challenge.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02It's a challenge getting in and out of the room sometimes upstairs.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05They've been living in their home for just four months
0:03:05 > 0:03:08but Dene has very strong links to the village.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12I've lived here most of my life from being three years old up until...
0:03:12 > 0:03:16I've been working away but I always come back to my roots.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18We have that War of the Roses because I'm from Lancashire
0:03:18 > 0:03:22- and you're from Yorkshire so... - But Karen does come out with
0:03:22 > 0:03:25some Yorkshire sayings sometimes, don't you?
0:03:25 > 0:03:26I don't mean to.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30Let's hope there are not too many disagreements between these two.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Although there's certainly no disputing who wears
0:03:32 > 0:03:35the trousers when it comes to interior design.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38I would say this is definitely shabby-chic, isn't it, villagey?
0:03:38 > 0:03:43I think your taste is shabby-chic, yeah, and you're very girly.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45You like it all very girly.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Girly it may be but Dene has ensured there is plenty of room to
0:03:48 > 0:03:50show off his musical prowess.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52I used to be in a group called Black Lace
0:03:52 > 0:03:56and we had many, many hits in the '80s and early '90s.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01I've got some gold discs in there and some awards from America.
0:04:01 > 0:04:02I used to work in the doctor's.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05So I got to see the villagers on a daily basis.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07But they don't call us Karen and Dene,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09they call us Mr and Mrs Agadoo,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12and that's sort of stuck, really, hasn't it?
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Yes, it's stuck with us.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Well, let's see if the home of Mr and Mrs Agadoo appeals
0:04:18 > 0:04:22to our next swappers, who are globetrotters Harry and Lindy.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24He's a retired financial printer
0:04:24 > 0:04:27and she used to work in the travel industry.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30When they are not hot-footing it around the world, home is
0:04:30 > 0:04:33a traditional stone Lake District cottage, which is
0:04:33 > 0:04:35set in the idyllic Longsleddale Valley.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39It's a truly glorious setting, but to get to the house they'll
0:04:39 > 0:04:43have to navigate the six-mile single track road, which makes each day
0:04:43 > 0:04:48an adventure just to reach this beautiful but very remote property.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50It is pretty special, it's quite idyllic.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52You know, you're kind of in the middle of nowhere.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Every day is different with the weather.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57I mean, one day, you know, it's really sunny, the next day
0:04:57 > 0:04:59it's absolutely pouring down.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01And it's ten miles to the nearest shop,
0:05:01 > 0:05:03it's ten miles to the nearest pub.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Sounds perfect if you want to get away from it all.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Back in the 17th century the property was two cow barns,
0:05:10 > 0:05:11but after lots of hard work
0:05:11 > 0:05:16Harry and Lindy have transformed it into their dream home.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Harry did most of the labouring and I did a lot of the electrics.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22- We still pulled together as a team, didn't we?- Absolutely.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24It was a monumental undertaking for me
0:05:24 > 0:05:28cos my DIY skills are not of the greatest.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30But I helped the builders for six months.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34The builder actually said, "Without your help, Harry, we'd have finished
0:05:34 > 0:05:38"a month earlier." I'm not quite sure what he meant by that but...
0:05:38 > 0:05:42With such grand expectations, it's no surprise that Harry
0:05:42 > 0:05:46and Lindy are very particular about the styles of property they like.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49I quite like modern things.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52I don't like clutter, but if that's their house,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54that's their house, so...
0:05:54 > 0:05:58I don't like small rooms, particularly. I like space.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02The lifestyles of our first-time swappers may be poles apart,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05but they do have one thing in common and that's a desire to try
0:06:05 > 0:06:08new experiences in the shape of a home swap.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13It's early morning and they're busy packing.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Your shawl for if it's cold.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17- It's a scarf.- Oh, is it a scarf?
0:06:17 > 0:06:18Men!
0:06:18 > 0:06:22Now, you don't necessarily have to own your own house to
0:06:22 > 0:06:23participate in a home swap.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27If you rent, check with your landlord or read the fine print
0:06:27 > 0:06:30on your lease to see if you can do a temporary sub-let.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33So what do you think we need, love? T-shirts?
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Definitely T-shirts.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37And these swaps aren't just for couples.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Families and singles can exchange homes to their heart's content,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43as long as they can find someone else who likes
0:06:43 > 0:06:45the look of their property, of course.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Whenever we go anywhere, I've pretty much planned it
0:06:48 > 0:06:52to the Nth degree, so this is quite different for me.
0:06:52 > 0:06:53I'm quite excited.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57One of the best things I think about home swapping is trying out
0:06:57 > 0:06:59a part of the country we may not know.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Now, our couples have agreed to really broaden their horizons
0:07:03 > 0:07:05and let us choose where they're going
0:07:05 > 0:07:08based on their personalities - brave people.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10But first to find out their destination
0:07:10 > 0:07:12are Dene and Karen, who are off to Cumbria.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- Hey, told you it would be.- Cumbria!
0:07:15 > 0:07:18You thought it was going to be the Lakes.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Oh, I'm excited. I like the Lake District, yeah, Cumbria.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24- I wonder which part, though. There's remote, though...- Mountains.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26..and then there's busy.
0:07:26 > 0:07:27Bring it on, let's go.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32For Harry and Lindy, it's the county of Yorkshire.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34- We're going to Yorkshire. - Yorkshire - it's somewhere
0:07:34 > 0:07:36- I've never even thought about. - I haven't either.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39Destinations revealed...
0:07:39 > 0:07:41- Here you are.- Thank you.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43..it's time to head off.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Dene and Karen are travelling
0:07:51 > 0:07:53just under 90 miles north-west,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55to the beautiful unspoiled valley
0:07:55 > 0:07:56of Longsleddale in Cumbria
0:07:56 > 0:07:58on the edge of the Lake District.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03It's a tiny parish with around 30 houses scattered over four miles.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Honestly, I tell you, more sheep live here than humans.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10It's said that this valley
0:08:10 > 0:08:13inspired the popular children's TV show Postman Pat.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Just down the road tourists can enjoy
0:08:15 > 0:08:17the town of Kendal around ten miles away.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23After a two-and-a-half-hour journey, Dene and Karen finally arrive.
0:08:24 > 0:08:30- Oh, wow, look at this.- Gosh!- Wow! This is right up your street, love.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33- Flutter-by.- Flutter-by, yeah.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36- Wow! It's remote... - Compared to ours.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39- Yeah, because I'm frightened of the dark.- Yeah, but I'm sure...
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Do they have street lights in the country? No.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44No! No street lighting.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46I can't wait to see inside, can you?
0:08:46 > 0:08:49- Shall we have a look? - Yes.- Come on.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52While exploring the great British countryside is an attraction
0:08:52 > 0:08:56to many home swappers, another guilty pleasure is
0:08:56 > 0:08:59giving your verdict on somebody else's house.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Hey, look at this. Same lighting, look.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04- Yeah.- Wow.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07- I love the colours. - Look at the Aga.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09- Oh, I love it. - It's an Aga-doo-doo-doo, that!
0:09:09 > 0:09:14- Is it, now?- Shall we go through here, then?- Yeah.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18- We're going to have an explore.- All right, then.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Oh, wow, look at this.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Oh, my goodness. Well, I wasn't expecting that.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26I wasn't expecting this. It's very big, isn't it?
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- Wow, what a fantastic room! - It's lovely.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32It's very much like our house, isn't it? Same fire, look.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34We've got the log fire there.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Every single window you get a different view, look.
0:09:36 > 0:09:37You do, yeah.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39I was shocked when I came up the stairs there
0:09:39 > 0:09:41and realised this was the lounge.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44- I thought this might be the bedroom. - Yeah, me too.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46What a fantastic room. I love it.
0:09:47 > 0:09:52Dene and Karen continue their tour, and next up it's the bedroom.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Oh, look at the exposed brick.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Yeah, I wonder how old this is.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59I wonder if it's as old as our house.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02I don't know. I wouldn't like to say.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04It's a very big bedroom, isn't it, this one?
0:10:04 > 0:10:05- Yeah.- Look at the beams, look.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08They're such a lot higher in this house than ours.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11In ours, we have to duck to go through ours, don't we?
0:10:11 > 0:10:14I hope they don't bang their heads. Look at the view they've got.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Again, there's a treehouse out there as well, look.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- Yeah.- Look at that lovely stream at the back.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23- It is beautiful.- It would be lovely in the summer, sat out there.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25- You'd never bore of looking out of the window, would you?- No.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30I like the colour scheme of the carpet as well.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33- The whole house just flows. - It flows through from here
0:10:33 > 0:10:35- through to the kitchen. - They've got lovely taste.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41While Dene and Karen get used
0:10:41 > 0:10:42to their remote retreat,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44our other home swappers Harry
0:10:44 > 0:10:46and Lindy have headed south-east
0:10:46 > 0:10:49to Barwick-in-Elmet in Yorkshire.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53One of the most notable landmarks in this village is the wooden maypole.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55It measures 26 metres high
0:10:55 > 0:10:59and stands at the junction of Main Street and the Cross.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Every three years, there's a local festival that attracts
0:11:01 > 0:11:03literally thousands of visitors.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08But at this point it's time for them to see their home away from home.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10It looks kind of cute, doesn't it?
0:11:10 > 0:11:12It's a pretty little tree.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14It's quite cute. It's quite a nice little place.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16It's a complete contrast to ours
0:11:16 > 0:11:20because it's, like, a rendered building and it's got small windows
0:11:20 > 0:11:24and I think upstairs it must be, like, pitched upstairs as well,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28because look at where the window is. Oh, it must be really low ceilings.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Yes, you've got to walk like that.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32We'll have to be really short people.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33Or hunched over.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36The village here is in complete contrast to where we live
0:11:36 > 0:11:39cos where we live we haven't got anything nearby at all, have we?
0:11:39 > 0:11:42And there's buses, which is fantastic, here.
0:11:42 > 0:11:43Fair amount of traffic.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47So it will be interesting to see what that's like on the inside.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Let's hope there's triple glazing.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53- We're not used to traffic where we live.- None whatsoever.- None.
0:11:55 > 0:11:56Oh, wow!
0:11:57 > 0:11:59What a smart little place.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02- Yeah.- Isn't that cute? - Look at the table, it's so cute.
0:12:02 > 0:12:03Set for two.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07A little office space. Somebody works from home.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11There's loads more packed into it than there is in ours.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14I've just seen a poster with Black Lace on, that looks a bit, er...
0:12:16 > 0:12:19You'd have to wonder what it was originally.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21It's obviously been converted.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23I'm a bit troubled by the wine rack.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27- The wine looks like water.- Ugh! - That's not good.
0:12:29 > 0:12:30Where's the wine?
0:12:35 > 0:12:37- Oh, my goodness, wow. - Oh, that is lovely.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39That's amazing.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43- That is lovely. - What a big space this is.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44- It's on about six levels.- Yeah.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49Look, he must be really into... It's got to be something to do
0:12:49 > 0:12:51- with Black Lace.- A member of.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55- That's who it is.- Yeah.
0:12:56 > 0:13:01- Oh, fantastic! We're in a celebrity's house!- We are.- Very smart.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04I like this place, it's good.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06It's really nice. That beam's enormous, isn't it?
0:13:06 > 0:13:10I wonder if it was a ship's mast at some point. Go on, upstairs.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Let's go to this room first. Oh, wow! Watch your head.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Look at this. Just watch it. That's lovely.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22- That is a serious beam.- Isn't it? - It's lovely.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24It adds loads of character, doesn't it?
0:13:24 > 0:13:26- And yet you're right on the front. - It's quiet as well, isn't it?
0:13:26 > 0:13:29- So quiet.- Yeah. - I am surprised, I really am.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34- Pleasantly surprised.- It's a nice room to stay in, for sure, yeah.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46As the evening draws to a close, both couples are starting
0:13:46 > 0:13:48to settle in to their new homes.
0:13:48 > 0:13:54We put some things in here and some things in there.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56- Watch your head.- Be careful. - Remember your head.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01- Oh, dear.- It was quite busy when we arrived, wasn't it, that road?
0:14:01 > 0:14:05And then people walking right by the house as well, which obviously
0:14:05 > 0:14:07we don't get at home.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11They've got quite a big collection of ornaments in the lounge,
0:14:11 > 0:14:17which are definitely not to my taste but, again, each to their own.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19It's on one, two, three, four levels.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21It really is a quirky, quaint,
0:14:21 > 0:14:25lovely, lovely little house. I really like it.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Do you want to hang that jacket up for me?
0:14:29 > 0:14:32- Right, there we go.- We're in.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Dene and Karen have spent their first night
0:14:42 > 0:14:44in the Cumbrian wilderness, which is
0:14:44 > 0:14:48a stark contrast to their busy village in the county of Yorkshire.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Time for breakfast and it's lovely fresh eggs.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56A local egg - this is from their hens.
0:14:56 > 0:14:57Aren't they white, these eggs?
0:14:57 > 0:14:59There you go. That's it.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01That's just been running around outside, that hen
0:15:01 > 0:15:02that's laid that one.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07As for Harry and Lindy, it's been an eventful night.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09I slept really well last night.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10Very soft bed...
0:15:12 > 0:15:14..and then I woke up early in the morning
0:15:14 > 0:15:17because Harry banged his head on the ceiling.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24As part of their home swap, each couple has written a booklet.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Shall we have a quick look through the manual?
0:15:28 > 0:15:32It gives tips on the workings of their house and they've
0:15:32 > 0:15:35also provided a section full of ideas for days out in the area.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38The nearest shops are nine miles away.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41But there's an added bonus in the shape of an envelope.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45Hidden inside is a special day trip, which will give our couple
0:15:45 > 0:15:48a unique taste of what this region is all about.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50But first they need to crack the clue.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52What does it say?
0:15:52 > 0:15:54It says, "You're driving me crazy,"
0:15:54 > 0:15:57but that's just applying to you, I think!
0:15:57 > 0:16:01"You're driving me crazy." Do you think it's driving a train?
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Or crazy...driving me crazy?
0:16:04 > 0:16:08- Rally cars.- It could be rally cars. It could be go-karts.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Come on, guys, we haven't got all day, you know.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12- Let's see if I'm right. - Let's see if you're right.
0:16:16 > 0:16:17- Oh, wow.- Were you right?
0:16:17 > 0:16:19- No.- No, completely wrong.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24"Today, you're getting behind the wheel of a range of classic cars
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- "at the Lakeland Motor Museum." - Wow, my favourite!
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- Right up our street, yeah. - I love classic cars.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Cumbria may conjure up images of hill walking and the Lakes.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36However, it's an area that has
0:16:36 > 0:16:39so much more to offer, including a wide range of museums -
0:16:39 > 0:16:42from those celebrating local literary greats
0:16:42 > 0:16:46to showcasing our national motoring history.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49With a passion for classic cars, Dene and Karen are travelling
0:16:49 > 0:16:5330 minutes down the road to visit a unique exhibition.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56The Lakeland Motor Museum is one of the UK's largest collections
0:16:56 > 0:16:58of motoring memorabilia.
0:16:59 > 0:17:00- Hello there.- Hi.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Their guide for the day is Chris Lowe, who's worked here
0:17:04 > 0:17:05for over 20 years.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09We have got 30,000 exhibits - cars, motorbikes, bicycles,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11petrol pumps, all sorts of things.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14So have you got any personal favourites here?
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Well, I am a bit of a Jaguar man.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19So we have an XK 140 Jaguar that's rather nice.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22We've got Bentleys, Jaguars, MGs, lots of British things.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25- I love Bentleys.- And then some oddities, some rarities.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27I had a Jaguar, actually, years and years ago
0:17:27 > 0:17:28when I was about 18, 19 years old.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30- You've had a nice little sports car.- I had an MG.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Oh, well, we've got a couple of MGs in the museum.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37- Lovely.- What make was yours, what model was the MG?
0:17:37 > 0:17:39- It was a brown one! - A brown one.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Ours is green.
0:17:41 > 0:17:42Oh, well, there you go.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46The museum is filled to the rafters with garage equipment
0:17:46 > 0:17:47and petrol pumps.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50These historic artefacts were once quite common,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54but now they're highly collectable and are a reminder of a bygone age.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56So this is a real gangster's car, a Cadillac.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00That's what I was telling you about, the bonnet line, earlier,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- and then that was Donald Campbell's Bentley in light blue.- Fantastic.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07With such a wealth of classic motors, unsurprisingly
0:18:07 > 0:18:10they're very keen to take one for a spin.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12I thought we would have a little drive in this Jaguar.
0:18:12 > 0:18:13This is a surprise!
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Oh, thank you, kind sir.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Oh, I like it, it's all red inside.
0:18:18 > 0:18:23Their car for the day is a luxury 1961 Jaguar Mark 9.
0:18:25 > 0:18:26This is comfy, isn't it?
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Isn't it comfy? It's like a bed.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31It's ever so bouncy in the back.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34- It's comfy, that seat, in't it? - Really, really comfy.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36This is our special treat.
0:18:38 > 0:18:39Uh-oh! I do hope they come back.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Oh, well, it looks like they didn't
0:18:45 > 0:18:49get too comfortable as they stopped off at the nearby town of Kendal.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52It's a location steeped in history.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55It used to be one of the most important wool manufacturing towns
0:18:55 > 0:19:00in Britain and it's also home to the celebrated Kendal mint cake.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Now, it's said that the famous explorer Sir Edmund Hillary
0:19:03 > 0:19:07dined on it during his journey to the peak of Everest.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11If this area appeals for a home swap, there are many styles of
0:19:11 > 0:19:15property that you could potentially choose - from an array of lovely
0:19:15 > 0:19:18village cottages to a scenic country hideaway.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25While Dene and Karen continue exploring Kendal,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28back in Yorkshire Harry has a visitor.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35Hello! I'm the owner. Give us a wave.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39This must be a puppet of the guy that owns this place.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Hello! What do you think of it so far?
0:19:44 > 0:19:46I didn't see his lips move.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47Enough larking around -
0:19:47 > 0:19:50there's a lot to Agadoo, so bring on the envelope.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52"Roll out the barrel."
0:19:52 > 0:19:57Barrels, you get beer in barrels, which would be a good one.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59You can float down the rivers in barrels.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04- Unless we're being rolled in... - Barrel rolling.- Yeah. Oh, God, no.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08Shall we do it? Open up and see.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12"Today, we will be making barrels at a Yorkshire cooperage."
0:20:12 > 0:20:14HARRY LAUGHS WEAKLY
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Hmm! Don't sound too excited, will you(?)
0:20:19 > 0:20:23Just a 20-minute drive down the road in Wetherby is White Rose Cooperage,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26home to Alistair Sims, England's last master cooper,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29and they're about to learn some of his vital trade secrets.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33- Hi, Alistair.- Hiya.- How are you?
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- Pretty good. Yourself?- Not bad. - Nice to meet you.- Nice to meet you.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38So tell us, what are you up to?
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Well, I'm knocking this one down to make it into smaller barrels.
0:20:41 > 0:20:42Recycling?
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Yes, cos I'm in what you call a commercial cooperage.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Besides beer casks, I make wine, cider, whisky
0:20:49 > 0:20:52and anything else... Anything heritage-wise I do.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55- So you use wine barrels or whisky barrels to make beer barrels?- Yeah.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57And does that not affect the taste of the beer?
0:20:57 > 0:21:00It does, but some of these craft brewers want that, don't they?
0:21:00 > 0:21:03You know, they want that little bit of difference and...
0:21:03 > 0:21:05I mean, I've just done some for
0:21:05 > 0:21:09a brewery in Sheffield and they wanted white wine barrels,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13because they are actually using Sauvignon hops from New Zealand.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15- Oh, yeah.- So they were hoping the white wine barrels,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18putting the beer in the white wine barrels, conditioning in
0:21:18 > 0:21:21the white wine barrels would bring the flavouring out, more of the hop.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Excellent, wow!
0:21:24 > 0:21:28Alistair prepares wooden staves to form the actual cask.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31These are then positioned together for the next stage,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33which is known as raising up.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40Just hold it in your hand like that...just pop it into your...
0:21:40 > 0:21:41just pop it against your knee.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Pick it up and the first one goes against your knee like that.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Then see how you got your thumb?
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Use your thumb like a crocodile clip...
0:21:50 > 0:21:52and then just keep feeding them in.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57As long as you keep it tight against your knee
0:21:57 > 0:21:59it will go nowhere.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01I can see it being all over the floor.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Over the centuries, brewery production across Yorkshire
0:22:06 > 0:22:09has grown steadily, and now there are over 40 breweries
0:22:09 > 0:22:13in the west of the county and many of them are open to the public.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16If you get it standing we'll have a pint.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Just keep feeding them.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22You're not keeping your hoop up. Your hoop's drooping...
0:22:22 > 0:22:23Don't droop your hoop!
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Not a bad attempt though for a first time.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32I wonder if Lindy can do better.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37Same as Harry - if you get it standing I'll buy you a pint.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39Ha! I want more than a pint.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Well, you can have a gallon then and Harry won't have to have one
0:22:42 > 0:22:43and he can drive.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Maybe two heads are better than one.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Yes! How about that? I think that's terrific.
0:22:51 > 0:22:52I'm well pleased with that.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54It was all right for an ale cask.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57- For a first attempt! - For a first attempt, you're right.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59You said if it stood up I could have a beer...
0:22:59 > 0:23:03- I'll keep to that as well. I'll get you a beer.- Good man.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09The local ale isn't the only thing that appeals to the many tourists
0:23:09 > 0:23:12who visit Yorkshire. England's largest county is made up
0:23:12 > 0:23:17of stunning dales and moors and of course the glorious Peak District.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20If you'd like this area as your new home away from home,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22there's a wealth of potential property styles scattered
0:23:22 > 0:23:25right across the region, and if you really love country cottages,
0:23:25 > 0:23:29well, the list of possible options is almost endless.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34One of the joys of travelling around Britain rather than going abroad
0:23:34 > 0:23:37is the wide range of really good food that you can
0:23:37 > 0:23:39find in different parts of the country.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43So it's no surprise that home swappers like to show off some
0:23:43 > 0:23:46of the fantastic local produce available in their own region.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Back in the wilds of Cumbria it's early evening.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56Dene and Karen have been left lamb cutlets, local potatoes
0:23:56 > 0:23:58and some potted shrimps from Morecambe.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02- So are those shrimps, then, you'd say? Like prawns?- Yeah.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07- Never had these before, have we? - No.- We'll see what happens.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Meanwhile, in Yorkshire,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Harry and Lindy are about to discover what's on their menu.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Oh! Joint Yorkie pudding - lovely.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Yorkshire pudding - yum!
0:24:21 > 0:24:24And sausages...local sausages even.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25Creamy mashed potato.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29Garden peas, and I do believe there is some gravy as well.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33- It had to be Yorkshire pudding in Yorkshire - it really did.- Yeah.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37The first recorded recipe for Yorkshire pudding was in 1737.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40It appeared in a book called The Whole Duty Of A Woman.
0:24:40 > 0:24:41Now, those were the days.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44It was originally known as a dripping pudding,
0:24:44 > 0:24:46with the dripping coming from the juices of meat.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51I've got the Yorkie puds, love. They didn't make their own.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55I do like a nice Yorkshire pudding, it's one of my favourites.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59So what's these Karen, tell me what they are.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Potted shrimps in butter with some Melba toast.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06- Right, so shrimp and prawn are completely different?- I don't know.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Not really my thing.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16It tastes a bit like kippers.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Yeah.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Ooh! I don't like that!
0:25:22 > 0:25:26As Lindy tackles the local sausages, Harry takes on a mightier mission.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Shall I go and get some wine to go with your dinner, darling?
0:25:29 > 0:25:32That would be very nice - don't get diverted at the pub.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Fallen on deaf ears, methinks, Lindy!
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Hi, there. Can I have a half a cider, please?
0:25:39 > 0:25:43It seems like Harry just can't resist the temptation to
0:25:43 > 0:25:46wet his whistle in his new local.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51It's the easy life for some - but Lindy has got her hands full.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56I am kind of going between the two - watching the potatoes,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58watching the sausages, watching potato, watching sausages.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02I was just reading their instructions, and they've left us
0:26:02 > 0:26:03some eggs for the mash.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09But I've never put eggs in mash and I'm not quite sure that I want to.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13Maybe that's a Yorkshire thing, putting mash with an egg?
0:26:13 > 0:26:17I don't know. But I think I might leave that out - thank you and all,
0:26:17 > 0:26:19but I think I will leave that out.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Back in Cumbria, Dene and Karen are about to tuck into their main course.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Have you tried your lamb? That's well done, yeah?
0:26:28 > 0:26:32- Yes, you've done it lovely, it's beautiful.- Really nice.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34I like the potato because potatoes, to me,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38they don't really taste like this when we have them at home,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40and we've chosen Yorkshire puddings, haven't we, for them?
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Yeah, and maybe they don't like Yorkshire puddings.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46I think they will do. I think everybody likes Yorkshire puddings.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50Of course they do, and at least Harry has made an appearance... Good man!
0:26:50 > 0:26:53It looks very good.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Yeah, the sausages look amazing.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57The sausages are really nice.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02This is a lovely meal, perfect for the end of the day that we have had.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Absolutely right.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07- Yes, it is, it's very good. - Loving it!
0:27:07 > 0:27:12In Cumbria it's course number three - a sticky toffee pudding.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Karen, you should try some of this, it's wonderful.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20- I don't like toffee. - But this is lovely.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23But you're just a pudding face, aren't you?
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Dene and Karen from Barwick-in-Elmet in Yorkshire
0:27:33 > 0:27:36have swapped their 19th-century cottage in a vibrant village
0:27:36 > 0:27:40with Harry and Lindy, whose pride and joy is their self-restored barn
0:27:40 > 0:27:45conversion, which nestles in the Valley of Longsleddale in Cumbria.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48It's day three and Dene and Karen are exploring.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52- Oh, wow, look at this. - Oh, it's lovely.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55When we looked through the window... you don't see
0:27:55 > 0:27:58all of this, do you? Look at the stream, look.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02- That's lovely, isn't it? - It's a lot different to our house.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04A lot, yeah.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06We've just got the courtyard
0:28:06 > 0:28:09and then to be able to put your own flowers where you want them and...
0:28:09 > 0:28:12- Our dog would be in there all the time.- He would, yeah.
0:28:12 > 0:28:13He loves swimming.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Settled back in the comfort of the house,
0:28:15 > 0:28:19our Cumbria swappers are about to discover what's in store today.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22But first the all-important clue.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28Oh, my goodness! "Heard it on the grapevine".
0:28:28 > 0:28:33On the grapevine? Oh, we could be making some wine... Wine or...?
0:28:33 > 0:28:36It could be wine tasting.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Let's have a look and see what it is.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46"Today you will be learning how to herd Cumbrian sheep."
0:28:46 > 0:28:50- Oh, God, no!- With a world champion shepherdess.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55Cumbria is a county where huge numbers of sheep are reared
0:28:55 > 0:28:57on hill farms and moorlands.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01The total population is thought to be around three million.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03The sheep used to be bred for their wool
0:29:03 > 0:29:06but now it's for their meat, and there are plenty of open farms
0:29:06 > 0:29:09to visit if you're in this neck of the woods.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Dene and Karen are off to a school for budding shepherds
0:29:12 > 0:29:16and the head sheep master is Katy Cropper.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18- Hello.- Hi, Dene and Karen.
0:29:19 > 0:29:24Welcome to Shap, to my sheep dog training centre.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26I've got you both a shepherd's crook,
0:29:26 > 0:29:28but these really are for show.
0:29:28 > 0:29:33The shepherd's crooks that we use for shepherding are plastic,
0:29:33 > 0:29:37so you would use this to catch a sheep...
0:29:37 > 0:29:40- Hook its neck.- OK. That's why the hook's there.- Yeah...
0:29:40 > 0:29:41These are just ornamental really.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44And you've actually won awards for this, then?
0:29:44 > 0:29:46A long time ago now, Dene.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49I won One Man And His Dog in 1990.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51- Oh, did you really? - Well done!
0:29:51 > 0:29:53So it was a long time ago now but...
0:29:53 > 0:29:55So award-winning, then?
0:29:55 > 0:29:58It's my passion and I love sheepdogs and competing.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01I love training them. So shall we do it?
0:30:01 > 0:30:03Yes, let's. Come on then.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05Katy and her three-year-old collie Zac
0:30:05 > 0:30:08have been sheep herding for ten years.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11I hope Dene and Karen are taking good notes from the expert.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13SHE WHISTLES AND CALLS
0:30:15 > 0:30:17Do they just follow each other, then?
0:30:17 > 0:30:21Yes, they'll just go in that pen eventually - see the pen there?
0:30:21 > 0:30:23Yeah.
0:30:23 > 0:30:24Here, here, here!
0:30:25 > 0:30:29There they are, and that's how you do it.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32She makes it look easy, doesn't she?
0:30:32 > 0:30:33Good lad.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38Sheepdog competitions in Britain have been running for
0:30:38 > 0:30:42well over a century, but I bet they've never had competitors
0:30:42 > 0:30:44quite like our Dene and Karen.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47Oh, well, there's only one way to find out.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52We use the traditional command, sort of "come by" to the left...
0:30:52 > 0:30:56"Away" is to the right.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00The most important command of all is "lie down" for stop.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04So the idea is to get your dog to get to the back of the sheep
0:31:04 > 0:31:07and he will bring them straight to you.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11But remember it's the dog's left and right when you ask him to plank.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13So away is...?
0:31:13 > 0:31:16- Anticlockwise. - Right, and the left is...?
0:31:16 > 0:31:17- Come by.- Come by.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Off he goes - he's gone.
0:31:20 > 0:31:25Now, why do I get the feeling that this is not going to go too well.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27- Come by.- Come by.- Lie down.
0:31:30 > 0:31:35Who knows, maybe the sheep are struggling with his Yorkshire accent.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37- Come by.- Now, what you did then was...
0:31:37 > 0:31:41you just needed to stand back a bit and they would have gone in then.
0:31:41 > 0:31:42Lie down. No.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46- Can I not open that a bit more?- Yeah.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50Good idea - good thinking, Batman.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52- Come by again.- Come by.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54You've got to watch your sheep.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57- Lie down.- Lie down.- Say come by.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59Come by. Lie down.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07- Which one are you going to have for your supper?- Ha-ha!
0:32:07 > 0:32:09Supper?! That's charming.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12I think these sheep have earned a day off, don't you?
0:32:12 > 0:32:14I don't think I'd make a very good shepherd.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16Stick to your singing!
0:32:16 > 0:32:20I think I'll probably stick to pushing pineapples and shaking trees.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23I don't think that Katy is a Black Lace fan.
0:32:28 > 0:32:29When visiting a new area, most of us
0:32:29 > 0:32:33can't resist having a quick peek in the local estate agent window,
0:32:33 > 0:32:35and our couples are just the same.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38I like this one and I like that one up there.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41That one is a really good price.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43In Cumbria and the surrounding area
0:32:43 > 0:32:47the average detached house price is about £230,000,
0:32:47 > 0:32:51a semi will set you back about £120,000
0:32:51 > 0:32:54and a terrace house around £80,000.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58Do you know what? They're not as dear as I thought they would be.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00Probably because we're in a remote area, there's not
0:33:00 > 0:33:02- a lot of work round here so...- Yeah.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05Well, the area doesn't look actually too bad for house prices.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07£415,000.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10It's actually more of the sort of price that
0:33:10 > 0:33:13I would have expected in such a nice little village.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15Where Harry and Lindy are staying in Yorkshire,
0:33:15 > 0:33:21a typical detached home is around £200,000, a semi would cost
0:33:21 > 0:33:25approximately £100,000 and a terraced about £70,000.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28£320,000.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31Three beds. Well preserved.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35Master bedroom with en-suite. My favourite, I love en-suites.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42Back in Yorkshire, Harry and Lindy are about to discover where
0:33:42 > 0:33:45they'll be heading for their next day out.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47But not before a cunning clue.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51"Suits you, sir."
0:33:51 > 0:33:53Suits you, sir....
0:33:53 > 0:33:57- That's, erm...- The Fast Show. - The Fast Show.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00- Join the Fast Show.- Do you reckon we'll be in a comedy sketch?
0:34:00 > 0:34:01No, shall we look?
0:34:03 > 0:34:05Oh, fantastic!
0:34:05 > 0:34:10"Today you'll be all in a spin at a world famous wool manufacturer
0:34:10 > 0:34:12"based in the heart of Yorkshire."
0:34:12 > 0:34:13Oh, that's brilliant.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19Leeds, in Yorkshire, has been described as a city built on wool.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22The woollen industry grew rapidly in the 16th century,
0:34:22 > 0:34:26helping support a population of around 3,000 people.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29But such was the strength of the Industrial Revolution
0:34:29 > 0:34:33that by the mid-19th century the population of Leeds had spiralled
0:34:33 > 0:34:35to over 150,000.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38Hainsworth is one of Yorkshire's oldest mills.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42It's family-run and has been producing wool and textiles
0:34:42 > 0:34:43since 1783.
0:34:43 > 0:34:48Harry and Lindy's guide is company director Roger Hainsworth.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51Well, here's where it all begins.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53This is the first process in the mill.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57This blend is incorporating about five or six different
0:34:57 > 0:35:04sorts of wool, and this blending machine, it's job is to mix
0:35:04 > 0:35:09the wool well, open the fibres up ready for future processing.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Why do you have five or six different sorts?
0:35:12 > 0:35:14To try and get consistency over the blends,
0:35:14 > 0:35:16the same as blending tea.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19You get a consistent product by blending the wools.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24Over 200 years since first opening its doors,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Hainsworth is one of the last working mills in the country,
0:35:27 > 0:35:29still making everything on-site.
0:35:31 > 0:35:36I reckon this is more strenuous than you would have expected, really.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38Some of this wool is quite heavy.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43I have done some!
0:35:46 > 0:35:49The mill produces four tonnes of wool every single day
0:35:49 > 0:35:53and some of it has a very important destination.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56This area was always famous for uniform cloths,
0:35:56 > 0:35:59and we have continued that tradition,
0:35:59 > 0:36:04and we are now the sole maker of the Guards' scarlet cloth used by
0:36:04 > 0:36:08the Royal Guards for the Trooping of the Colour and the London districts.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12But we've been making uniform cloths for the British Army
0:36:12 > 0:36:14since the time of George III.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17Men fought at the Battle of Waterloo wearing Hainsworth uniform cloth.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20- Gosh.- Do you have to match the colour all the time?
0:36:20 > 0:36:23That is one of the most important things.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27Some of the uniforms on parade can be 20 to 30 years old.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29So the light fastness,
0:36:29 > 0:36:32the colour fastness has to be absolutely spot on.
0:36:32 > 0:36:37Because you're being inspected by about the most rigorous inspector
0:36:37 > 0:36:41in the world, which is the Queen, and you don't want to upset her,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43because if she gave the word out
0:36:43 > 0:36:46they would be looking for another manufacturer.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49But she's pleased with what we do and we have the Royal Warrant,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52- so we must be doing something right. - Excellent.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54They certainly are.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57We're back in Cumbria.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00Having spent time in their rural retreat, do Dene and Karen
0:37:00 > 0:37:04have any idea who lives in a cottage like this?
0:37:05 > 0:37:08I feel that they're roughly our age.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10And I think maybe a little bit younger than us.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14I just think by looking round the house here that they love to travel
0:37:14 > 0:37:15and they're that type of person.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19I think they're well educated people and they like to read.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21- Yes, and they like reading as well. - Definitely.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26I think they've done a lot of the house theirselves.
0:37:26 > 0:37:31So I would say travel industry or the building trade, so...
0:37:31 > 0:37:33Yeah. I agree.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37I think Dene is a really gregarious character.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40I think he's one of these larger-than-life people,
0:37:40 > 0:37:45who loves to be in the limelight, who loves to be outgoing.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47In fact, he's a damn good singer,
0:37:47 > 0:37:50so he likes to be in the spotlight, as it were.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52He's quite a gregarious character, it seems.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54And his wife is definitely called Karen
0:37:54 > 0:37:57because there are lots of "Dene and Karens" around the place.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00She seems to like pink, there's lots of pink things in the house.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03I think they're very much a couple that are together,
0:38:03 > 0:38:06and really in love, would you say?
0:38:06 > 0:38:08And they do a lot together.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14They certainly Agadoo - sorry, just couldn't resist that!
0:38:20 > 0:38:24It's the last day of the home swap and Dene and Karen are packing,
0:38:24 > 0:38:26ready to make the journey back to their Yorkshire home of
0:38:26 > 0:38:27Barwick-in-Elmet.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31It's always nice to go away.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34But it's always nice to go home as well when you've been away, isn't it?
0:38:34 > 0:38:37Do you think our memory mattress will remember us?
0:38:37 > 0:38:39- I hope so.- I do too.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45Meanwhile, in Yorkshire, Harry and Lindy are reflecting
0:38:45 > 0:38:47on their time away from isolation.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53- I am quite looking forward to going home, going back.- Yeah.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57You're only just getting settled in, really, and finding out where
0:38:57 > 0:39:01everything is in the house and then you're tootling off again.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06As well as allowing you a very different type of break,
0:39:06 > 0:39:08home swapping also saves a lot of money.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12For example, staying in the county of Yorkshire for three nights
0:39:12 > 0:39:16typically costs around £240 for a good-quality B&B.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21While a similar experience in the Longsleddale area of Cumbria
0:39:21 > 0:39:25could set you back around £400 for a three-night stay.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33Home swapping can sometimes seem like a very mysterious business,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36as someone else is in your home while you're not there.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39So to make things a little easier for our first-timers,
0:39:39 > 0:39:43we're giving them the opportunity to see exactly what their guests
0:39:43 > 0:39:45thought of their property.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48First up, Harry and Lindy meet Dene and Karen.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Hello there, I'm Dene.
0:39:50 > 0:39:56I'm 57 years old and I am the lead singer of the hit band Black Lace.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58Remember Agadoo and all that? Pushing pineapples,
0:39:58 > 0:40:00shaking trees.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08Kitchen is very much the same. Look at the Aga.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11- Oh, I love it.- That's an Aga-doo-doo-doo, that.- Is it now?
0:40:14 > 0:40:17- That's so funny!- I bet that's not the first time he's said that!
0:40:17 > 0:40:19Quite quirky as well, isn't it?
0:40:19 > 0:40:22It's got all of the nice furniture. All the quirky furniture.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26Well, that style over there is totally different to the style here.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28- It is, it's like in two halves, isn't it?- I love it.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31- Yep, exactly right. - That's exactly what we aim for.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34Very interesting room, I love it.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36I'm going to cry!
0:40:37 > 0:40:40- Look at that lovely stream at the back.- Beautiful.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42Be lovely in the summer sat out here.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45You'd never bore of looking out the window, would you?
0:40:45 > 0:40:49- No, that's true.- You're absolutely right, Karen, you're never bored.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52Back in the comfort of their shabby-chic home in Yorkshire,
0:40:52 > 0:40:56Dene and Karen are about to meet their fellow house swappers.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58- I'm Harry.- And I'm Lindy.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00He looks like a Harry, doesn't he?
0:41:00 > 0:41:02The village here is in complete contrast
0:41:02 > 0:41:05to where we live, because we haven't got anything nearby us
0:41:05 > 0:41:10at all, have we? You drive or walk or you get the horse out.
0:41:10 > 0:41:11The horse, yeah!
0:41:11 > 0:41:14- 'Wow. - Oh, that's great.'
0:41:14 > 0:41:16It's got the wow factor.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20- How unexpected is that? - I wasn't expecting this at all.
0:41:20 > 0:41:21It's on about six levels.
0:41:21 > 0:41:22THEY LAUGH
0:41:22 > 0:41:24What a cracking place. Oh, I like this.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26'I really like the staircase and everything.'
0:41:26 > 0:41:28And gold discs.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31I know, I noticed those, and all the guitars as well.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33- It's got to be something to do with Black Lace.- A member of.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36- We're in a celebrity's house. - We are.- Very smart.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40I like this place.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45- That's a serious beam. - Isn't it?
0:41:46 > 0:41:49You're going to have to watch your head, you'll hit it
0:41:49 > 0:41:50every time on that.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Yeah, how many times did he bang his head on that, we wonder?
0:41:53 > 0:41:55Should've put a sign on that beam, I think.
0:41:55 > 0:42:01The furnishings are not particularly to my taste.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03- The what? - The furnishings.- Oh.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06I don't think we would have as many hearts but...
0:42:06 > 0:42:09It's just different, a different style to ours, that's all.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12I agree with the comments
0:42:12 > 0:42:16and I still want to meet up with them and have a good chat
0:42:16 > 0:42:18- with them.- Oh, definitely, I think we'd get on great.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20I think we'd get on brilliant.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23It's certainly been a voyage of discovery for our home swappers,
0:42:23 > 0:42:27and for Dene and Karen the experience has been enlightening.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30I thought, oh, I can see myself, you know, fires,
0:42:30 > 0:42:34the chickens, but no, rural life is just not for me.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37I think we'll have to do another swap, but to do the seaside.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41But then again I'm frightened of birds, seagulls.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44And for Harry and Lindy, well, their first home swap has been
0:42:44 > 0:42:46life-changing.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49It's really lovely to come home but it has reinforced that
0:42:49 > 0:42:53at some point, you know, we'll properly think about...
0:42:53 > 0:42:55Moving to a village or a small town.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58Somewhere that's got a little bit more life.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01We are missing out on things, simply because you can't do,
0:43:01 > 0:43:03instantly, something that you want to do.