Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00There's discoveries, and there's discoveries.
00:05SimpliSafe Home Security. Sponsors Extraordinary Stories on Channel 5.
00:11Welcome to Blenheim, jewel of Oxfordshire.
00:15Built by Sir John Van Brough and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.
00:21This is a real honour, and for me.
00:24With nearly a million visitors annually.
00:26Lots to see then, lots to do.
00:29Exploring the 300-year-old estate.
00:32Et voila, the door is open.
00:34It's non-stop.
00:35We're slightly overwhelmed, to be honest.
00:37For the staff behind the ground here.
00:39Got to protect the palace.
00:40As they conserve.
00:42Oh, that'd be beautiful.
00:43Entertained and inspired.
00:46I love the place, I love the people.
00:49Welcome to the beating heart of Britain's greatest palace.
00:54Today, the palace collections team battle an unruly trespasser.
01:01We have a pigeon that can't find its way back out again.
01:05The catering department are put through their paces.
01:08Five minutes to get this to the palace, guys.
01:10And the palace welcomes a special guest.
01:14This was their finest hour.
01:16It's early morning, and the golden light of dawn is breaking over Oxfordshire.
01:24Nestled amongst the picturesque countryside, stands 300-year-old Blenheim Palace.
01:29A masterpiece of Baroque architecture.
01:33But conserving this World Heritage site, whilst welcoming the million guests who visit each year,
01:39is no easy feat for the 500 employees that work across the estate.
01:45And in the thick of the action is George, an apprentice from the palace collections team.
01:50And today, he's been given the most important job of all, opening the palace.
01:55No, it is a real privilege to be the person letting all the light into the palace in the morning when no-one else is here.
02:00This process has been done for hundreds of years.
02:04Opening up all the staterooms is a time-consuming task.
02:09So it kind of feels like it's your palace, and you're opening up for the day.
02:13Or at least maybe you're the butler.
02:15The historic country house was designed by architect and playwright Sir John Vanbrugh,
02:21who was also behind the design of Castle Howard.
02:24They say that it was constructed so well that you could shine a laser through the keyholes from one end to the other.
02:31So it was sort of a nice anecdote.
02:34The first coaches full of visitors are expected to arrive within the hour, and there's still a lot to do.
02:41But overnight, there's been a break-in.
02:43We have a pigeon that has come in through a broken window, and it can't find its way back out again.
02:55But it's a big issue for us, because obviously we don't want the bird to hurt itself,
03:01but also their poo is very acidic, and so it's very bad for the stone.
03:06But for Keeper of Palace Kate, the droppings from the aerial ambush are also a threat to the priceless frocks in the temporary exhibition below.
03:15We've got all of these beautiful loans for the exhibition in the palace,
03:18and textiles and pigeon poo doesn't really mix.
03:22All the dresses are covered up just to protect them.
03:26And with thousands of guests coming to see the collection, it's not ideal.
03:30So Kate's enlisted the support of the maintenance team, who have supplied her with a few unconventional tools.
03:37They nest above the front door, which is one of the reasons we have my handy tool here, which is a Nerf gun,
03:46which has just got tidy little soft pellets in it, and we just fire that into the general area where they're nesting,
03:52and that seems to disturb them.
03:54Although gunning down pigeons isn't the most extreme method at their disposal.
03:58We also use a hawk sometimes.
04:01It just flies around in the general area, and then that scares them off.
04:06With the guests arriving shortly, there's no time for falconry, but Kate has another unusual approach.
04:12I'm going to play some pigeon sounds and see if that entices it.
04:16And then hopefully if it comes down, Timmy will catch it for us.
04:20Of course.
04:23We'll start whispering.
04:25Yeah, I don't think that's going to work on this one.
04:27Sometimes they can stay in for a few days, and then they exhaust themselves.
04:33Or they break windows.
04:35Or they break windows.
04:36It's a constant battle.
04:38And it's a battle they are losing.
04:41Another one just flew in.
04:42Where?
04:43Stairwell.
04:44Oh, no.
04:45And there's another one's just flown into the stairwell.
04:47So, Timmy's going to try and see if he can catch that one for us.
04:52Pigeon two.
04:53Kate and the team, nil.
04:57Across the estate, with less than an hour until guests arrive, everyone is busy preparing the palace for opening.
05:04And for the catering department, keeping shelves stocked across the site's four eateries is a challenging task.
05:12We have a lunch menu, and then we also do, we're most famous for our afternoon teas.
05:19Our scones are probably the best part.
05:21They're all homemade by our chefs every single day, and they're amazing.
05:25And since today's an especially busy day, with 30 minutes until open, head of catering Jack is in the hub kitchen, on the far side of the estate at Park Farm.
05:36Morning, morning.
05:37Keeping things on track.
05:39Barney, can we make sure that we just get this all out straight away, please, mate?
05:43Straight away, straight out.
05:44Yeah.
05:44The team is on the clock preparing salads, baguettes and sweet treats for over 2,000 guests expected to arrive imminently.
05:52Kate, how you doing?
05:52How do I come?
05:53Black Jacks, I presume?
05:54Yep, absolutely.
05:55How many are we making today?
05:56It's 250 pounds.
05:58Excited.
05:58It's a massive job for the 20 kitchen staff across the site, who each have to create hundreds of meals a day.
06:05Finish up the beef and horseradish baguettes.
06:07Brilliant.
06:08But keeping all the ingredients locally sourced is a huge challenge.
06:12This is all the produce that's come down from our gardens.
06:15Asparagus, rosemary, mint.
06:18This is wild garlic.
06:19Where we want to be is all our produce is within a 20-mile radius.
06:24We're probably about 60% at the moment.
06:27But empty shelves are the worst-case scenario, and the clock is still ticking.
06:31Five minutes to get this to the palace, guys.
06:35And to keep traffic away from the palace, the hub kitchen is a mile away.
06:40The guys, they are constantly running around.
06:44They barely have a moment to sit down.
06:47There is quite a lot of them.
06:48Blenheim, it's the best place I've ever worked at.
06:52The scenery is absolutely amazing.
06:54You know, you can take a walk in the park on your lunch break, and it's really soothing.
06:58With just minutes until the first coaches are due to arrive, Jack has driven ahead to help stop the pantry cafe.
07:06They've arrived.
07:06Oh, you've got it.
07:07I'm just going on.
07:08Yeah, cool.
07:08No problem.
07:09All right.
07:10Perfect.
07:10And it's all hands on deck.
07:12We're always on tight at 10 o'clock, because we've got lots of people coming in.
07:17We don't want lots of movement and stuff like that, so I'll jump in if I need to.
07:21Sell about 400 salads a week and about 1,500 sandwiches.
07:25The produce comes up twice a week, and then, yeah, we turn it around within 24, 48 hours.
07:31It's, you know, this is made this morning.
07:33It goes out.
07:34It gets sold.
07:35Happy days.
07:36And with moments to go, the pantry cafe is ready for guests.
07:40And though the resident ducks are keen to be first in the queue, they'll just have to wait their turn.
07:47However, back at the palace, not all the birds are being so cooperative.
07:53We have a pigeon that can't find its way back out again.
07:57And with the first round of coaches and cars arriving, the pressure to catch it is on.
08:06These morning groups are heading straight for the Great Hall.
08:10And with only moments left to catch the pigeon, they're trying every trick in the book.
08:15Ryan's brought some hot cross sponge to try and entice it down.
08:19So I have to finish.
08:19Oh, I'd go for hot cross sponge.
08:20I know.
08:24And it seems the pigeon couldn't resist either.
08:29Timmy, well done!
08:30It's a tiny little hole in the stone.
08:35And so Timmy did very well to catch him.
08:37OK, so we can take the covers off the dresses now, yeah?
08:47And we don't have to worry.
08:49Excellent.
08:49The pigeon has gone for now, and it's just in time.
08:53As the visitors flock towards the palace, the mannequins can have their protective covers removed
08:59and the dresses revealed, ready for the first group arriving at the main doors.
09:06Coming up, Jack goes in search of produce.
09:10We need so much more lettuce this year.
09:13And the events team are ready to party.
09:15Right, come on, it's tradition.
09:16Let's do the first selfie.
09:17Blenin Palace, built at the close of the Stuart dynasty over 300 years ago,
09:36has 118 stone columns which support the magnificent seven acres of buildings and courts.
09:42And since 1950, they have opened their doors to welcome visitors.
09:46Welcome to Blenin Palace, welcome to Blenin Palace.
09:48Have you been before?
09:49No, no.
09:50Oh, lots to see then, lots to do.
09:54Lovely, thank you.
09:55Enjoy.
09:56Hi, good morning, welcome to Blenin Palace.
10:01I think it's the first we've seen it, it'd be very busy.
10:04Hi, good morning.
10:05But it's OK, we should be good, because we've got everybody in their positions and everything.
10:08It's, you know, hectic, but it's OK.
10:11We'll run through it.
10:12Hi.
10:13The audio guides, if you just go to the left.
10:15Hello, welcome.
10:18Guests from all over the world add the ancestral home of the Duke of Marlborough to their travel itinerary.
10:24The halls are lined with historic artefacts that date back to 1704,
10:28when Queen Anne and a grateful nation gifted the estate and finance for the build to John Churchill, the first Duke,
10:35for his victorious leadership over the French at the Battle of Blenin.
10:39In the state rooms, the Marlborough tapestries tell the story that changed the fortunes of Europe,
10:45and with so much to learn, they'll need a helping hand.
10:48We need 40 Japanese, if you wouldn't mind.
10:5040?
10:5040 Japanese.
10:51Japanese.
10:51Yes.
10:52Yeah.
10:52Blenheim provides audio guides in a large number of languages, and needing to converse with a variety of international visitors,
10:59provides a daily challenge for the Blenheim Guest Services team.
11:03My first day working here, I had 60 Dutch tourists come, and it was great, it was good,
11:07because I got to sort of speak to them in my language, and I managed to do it all fast and quick,
11:13so it was all done efficiently.
11:15But, yeah, we're not always that lucky.
11:16I was just a one-off.
11:18Unfortunately, today isn't one of those lucky days,
11:22as the audio tours seem to be having problems connecting to the palace network.
11:26Sorry.
11:29I think we've got an AP down in the palace.
11:32Whereabouts?
11:32Looks like the access point under the Great Hall.
11:35It's for the audio guides.
11:38The Blenheim IT wizards are constantly monitoring the internet connectivity of the palace,
11:44and the red light could spell problems.
11:47Okay, let's go.
11:50With the team based at Woodstock Gate, there are only moments from the action.
11:56Never a dull moment here at the palace.
12:00It keeps it interesting.
12:02But running a historic palace is dependent on modern technology,
12:07and though it wasn't designed for the internet age,
12:10a crap team of specialists have come up with a system,
12:13and hidden the evidence below stairs.
12:19Shall I go and get to the step, ladders?
12:20You can go get to the step, sir.
12:21I'll see if I can spot it.
12:24We're looking for wireless AP, because it's so difficult to get cabling in the palace itself,
12:33in the staterooms, in the Great Hall.
12:35We've come up with an interesting way of beaming the Wi-Fi underneath from the undercroft here,
12:42because you've got decent cable trays, easy access, much easier to do cabling.
12:48The Wi-Fi signal, it's not too bad coming up through the floors,
12:51as opposed to trying to get through the thick stone walls.
12:56All right, Michael.
13:00I'm pretty sure it's just up here.
13:06Ah, here's the culprit, look.
13:09He's not working, there's no light.
13:10I think we might need to make that end off again, Michael.
13:12It looks a bit iffy.
13:14They didn't have to worry about Wi-Fi signal in the early 18th century,
13:18when the palace was built.
13:20But the three-foot-thick limestone walls won't defeat Av and the gang now.
13:27There we go.
13:28Hopefully that will resolve our issue.
13:32Maybe, Michael, you want to plug it in?
13:33Moment of truth, Av.
13:37There we go.
13:38Hey.
13:38Well done, Av.
13:38Voila, we got power.
13:40OK, I'll leave you to put that back up,
13:42and I will check and see if it comes back online.
13:45So this is the original alarm that we saw.
13:49So we should see that turn green once it's online.
13:53Well, it's so difficult to run cables,
13:54we don't want to damage any of the aesthetics, no.
13:57Here we go.
13:59We're green.
14:00We're good?
14:00Yep.
14:02Result.
14:04Upstairs in the Great Hall, with the Wi-Fi fixed,
14:06the 40 Japanese tourists are enjoying their tour.
14:10And with everything running smoothly inside again,
14:13there's a sense of excitement outside.
14:15The huge stage goes over there.
14:18It's just superb.
14:20It's a real build-up to it.
14:21It's really exciting.
14:23Nocturne, an annual four-day music festival
14:26held in the Great Court, is starting its build.
14:29I've been to quite a few outdoor concerts
14:32and in different places,
14:34but I think here, with this backdrop,
14:36it's absolutely unique,
14:37and the sound is just incredible.
14:40The series of concerts,
14:42which Blenheim has hosted annually since 2015,
14:45is a highlight of the events calendar.
14:48This year, the 12 acts performing
14:50are expected to introduce
14:52over 40,000 music lovers to the past.
14:55You'll see a lot of people standing on here as well,
15:03and just with the view and the music,
15:06it's just absolutely superb.
15:08Can't you tell me really enjoying Nocturne?
15:10You're back.
15:11And then it rains.
15:12And then it rains!
15:13No!
15:15Let's hope Ian hasn't jinxed it.
15:18With so many events and bookings to plan for,
15:20head of catering Jack is heading to the walled garden
15:23to meet Harrison, the vegetable gardener.
15:26We're going to go and talk about a grow plan today
15:28and see what he can come up with.
15:31And then we take that back to the chefs
15:33and we have a discussion
15:34and then we put a menu together.
15:36Jack has ambitious plans for this year's crops,
15:39but he needs to consult with Harrison,
15:41who is responsible for growing all the produce
15:43in their own backyard.
15:47Harrison?
15:47Oh, where is he?
15:51If he can only be found.
15:53Um, I actually can't find Harrison.
15:56Um, the guy doesn't have a mobile, which is good,
15:58um, because it's not on his email address.
16:05Hello?
16:07Harrison, hi.
16:08I didn't think you had a mobile.
16:09I thought you were sending pigeons out or something.
16:11Don't mention pigeons.
16:13Here he is.
16:14Old school vulgar.
16:15Harrison, I picked you up as this big celebrity.
16:17Gardener now.
16:18I don't have a bit of a mystery location.
16:20With Harrison located,
16:21it's time to talk shop.
16:23I just need to get a list of what you've got at the moment
16:25so we can actually start utilising it better.
16:28I mean, just over here now,
16:29there's two beds of cavlo nero.
16:31We've got white and red onion,
16:33loads of garlic.
16:34Unfortunately, the birds have had, like,
16:35their way with some of the crops.
16:37Is that why things are covered?
16:38That's why things are covered, exactly.
16:40A quarter of the garden
16:41is entirely mixed leaf salad.
16:44So that we're going to be turning over
16:45about 10 to 20 kilograms every week.
16:49Wow.
16:49To keep things organic,
16:51Harrison has been using a unique gardening system.
16:54What we've done is we've inter-sown them with the garlic,
16:57and what we're going to do,
16:57we're going to pick the outer leaves
16:59so the plants stay alive,
17:00and they're going to grow back,
17:02and we'll give one bed of rest each week,
17:05so it'll just be building up
17:06a kind of really flavoursome salad mix
17:09over the summer that's ever-changing.
17:11Delicious.
17:11We need so much more lettuce this year,
17:14you know, the salad sales and the sandwiches.
17:16I think we went through 700 sandwiches.
17:18That's just this weekend,
17:20and they've all got your lettuce in.
17:21Amazing.
17:22The kitchen garden is a huge bonus for the catering team,
17:26and the potential is not wasted on Jack.
17:28The reason I love the produce here
17:31is because we can just pick it up,
17:33wash it, and put it on a plate within 24 hours.
17:36You know, it's incredible.
17:37I've never seen this before in my career
17:39where we have this opportunity to do this,
17:40so it's amazing.
17:42So this year, I'm determined
17:44that I want at least one or two dishes in every cafe
17:47which comes from the garden.
17:48Yeah.
17:49Completely carbon neutral or negative carbon neutral.
17:51Yeah.
17:52So that might be just a baba ganoush
17:54from the aubergines or something with a dip,
17:56you know, like a flatbread dip or something.
17:58But that's the whole idea.
18:00And then we can say, right,
18:01this is Blenheim Estate Garden produce,
18:04which would be amazing.
18:05Yeah, that would be fantastic.
18:06Cool. Good.
18:09Plan fully formed.
18:10It's time to get to it.
18:12And Harrison's hard work is just getting started.
18:15But he doesn't seem to mind.
18:17It's a satisfaction, I think, in life,
18:20than being responsible for growing your own food,
18:23live by the seasons, eat healthily.
18:26It's just a great job to have,
18:29and I'm super fortunate to be here.
18:32There's always pressure to make sure
18:34that the kitchens are happy.
18:36And when there's no guarantees in this world,
18:38in the farming, in the gardening world,
18:40sometimes that translates to stress.
18:42You know, when you plant out two whole beds of something,
18:45and then the following day you come in
18:46and there's absolutely nothing left
18:48because the birds have eaten everything,
18:50that is a bit stressful.
18:53But you just have to remind yourself
18:54that this garden is not outside of the ecosystem
18:59of this walled garden,
19:01and that those birds have just held themselves
19:02to something that they thought was going.
19:05Work on the walled garden began with the palace build in 1705,
19:13with architect Sir John Vambra
19:15and royal gardener Henry Wise
19:16fulfilling the design for John Churchill and his Duchess Sarah.
19:21Palace life centred around the Great Court
19:23at the north of the building,
19:25where the original entrance was intended at Ditchley Gate,
19:28two miles away.
19:29Now the Column of Victory, built to honour the First Duke,
19:33stands at the midway point of the grand, tree-lined avenue
19:36that leads to the Great Court,
19:38where Blenheim's latest event,
19:40Nocturne Music Festival, is almost set up,
19:43and Natalie and Julian from events are raring to go.
19:47So it's our first night of Nocturne.
19:49We've got the Fatback Band,
19:51we've got Sister Sled and Shaka Khan.
19:54We've had various acts over the years.
19:55Elton John, Gary Barlow, Noel Gallagher...
19:59Kylie Minogue.
19:59Kylie Minogue, she was in here as well.
20:01Being a venue worthy of music royalty is no small feat,
20:07and events are a big and important revenue stream for Blenheim,
20:10which ploughs profits straight back
20:12into maintaining and future-proofing the palace.
20:15So it's important it goes off without a hitch.
20:19Final checks, 4.30, doors will open,
20:226 o'clock, the first act will be on stage,
20:23so it's an hour and a half to get everything ready, it's quite tight.
20:26It's crunch time to set up over 10,000 seats
20:29and complete sound checks.
20:31But for Natalie and Julian, this is second nature,
20:33and they're always having to think two steps ahead.
20:36It takes an awful lot of team and an awful lot of planning.
20:39It's always a year in the process,
20:40and you're always in the middle of one,
20:42you're already thinking about the next one,
20:44so it's constant.
20:45And Natalie is putting a lot of thought into forward planning.
20:48I think my dream headliner that I would love to see is Dolly Parton.
20:53Dolly at the palace.
20:55Parton at the palace.
20:57The final chair has been placed in the 300-year-old courtyard,
21:02and there's only one thing left to do.
21:03Right, come on, it's tradition.
21:05Let's do the first sail for you.
21:05But as the doors open, so do the heavens.
21:12We've seen people already, but their poncho's on.
21:15Whatever the weather, it's going to be a great night,
21:16so we won't let the rain dampen our spirits in any way.
21:20So we're ready to open.
21:21Security's done their checks.
21:22Everybody's happy.
21:23Good stuff, right.
21:25Nocturne, 2024.
21:26Let's rock and roll.
21:27Let's rock and roll.
21:28Inside, Apprentice George has other concerns.
21:35The palace is fine china,
21:37donated by Reverend Samuel Spaulding to the 4th Duke in 1793.
21:42So although it's a great opportunity
21:43to have these events at the palace,
21:45we do have to bear in mind the protection of our artefacts.
21:49You know, we have to look after the collection.
21:51One thing, especially for concerts and air shows,
21:53these kind of things, is vibrations, especially for china.
21:56So, ooh, I'll see if I can reach it.
22:01There we are.
22:02This is a vibrational sensor.
22:04So it just measures how fast it's accelerating
22:07and how fast it's moving.
22:10What tends to happen, unfortunately,
22:13after a big concert, is that china can move.
22:16Protecting the priceless collections and historic building
22:19is the priority for everyone at Blenheim.
22:22But it's expensive to run a palace,
22:24so it's a delicate balance to strike.
22:26We have to continually check.
22:28Because what we don't want, especially, is things touching.
22:31Any kind of mechanical stress on objects can cause damage.
22:37Very simple task.
22:38The worst bit about sensors is changing the batteries.
22:41Brilliant.
22:43I've got one more to check.
22:44Oh, will you wear that, then?
22:45I think I can reach it.
22:48Actually, will I need the ladder?
22:49No, you do hold that.
22:50Go on.
22:52It's embarrassing.
22:53Cut this.
22:56A lot of conservation is about monitoring.
22:59So we are detecting risks and managing them
23:01before they become damaged.
23:03Preventative conservation is what it's called.
23:05We're preventing damage.
23:07Coming up, will the china survive the party?
23:13This cow is a little bit, uh, twisted.
23:18And things have gone pear-shaped in the veg garden.
23:20I seem to have misplaced my scissors.
23:23Talk about being a fish in.
23:25Set in 2,000 acres of Oxfordshire parkland,
23:39Blenheim is the only non-royal palace in England,
23:43gifted to the Duke of Marlborough by Queen Anne in 1704.
23:47Now, with a reputation as one of the finest views in England,
23:50Blenheim is a popular choice for event organizers.
23:54Tonight, the latest event, Nocturne,
23:57a series of music concerts,
23:58has its opening night in the Great Court.
24:01But the heavens have opened,
24:02and with 10,000 attendees,
24:05it's a serious safety concern.
24:06So Monty is at the palace entrance
24:08to deal with any arising issues.
24:11I don't think the weather's going to get any better,
24:13but, uh, yep, we're still keeping an eye out
24:15in case anything happens on the ground,
24:16like first aid incidents or anything in the wet weather.
24:19There's lots of ducks out and lots of geeks as well.
24:21Of course, they actually enjoy the wet.
24:24Yeah, quite friendly.
24:25Although I wouldn't put my hands near them personally.
24:27Might try and eat your fingers.
24:28With their fingers still intact and the rain not letting up,
24:32Monty is being supported by Natalie,
24:34who is ferrying guests to and from the car park.
24:37It's a service they offer, rain or shine,
24:39but unsurprisingly, it's very popular today.
24:42We offer a buggy service from Blue Badge disabled parking
24:46or generally accessible parking back down to the palace.
24:50I love the place, I love the people, I love the public.
24:56It's made me a better person.
24:58It's the most me I've ever been in a job
25:00and can't see me ever doing anything else, really.
25:03With guests of all ages filling the Great Court and surrounding hospitality areas
25:10and with the stunning setting offering a fabulous backdrop for social media posts,
25:15even in the rain,
25:16the IT crowd are keeping a close eye on the bespoke network they've installed for Nocturne.
25:21We have to map up the entire event and all the access points
25:27and all the infrastructure that's keeping it going.
25:30We're running without any backups at the moment, just on the primary links.
25:34Fingers crossed it doesn't go down.
25:36So as long as it doesn't rain too heavily and we don't have a problem, then we're OK.
25:41But the weather is not cooperating
25:43and the inconsistent downpour is threatening to cause issues with the network
25:48and a system outage would spell disaster.
25:51So Sarah and the team are performing roaming spot checks.
25:55Yeah, at the moment I'm getting a distance of speed.
26:01I think it's on a train, is right?
26:03Are you on Traders?
26:04Yeah.
26:04Should be capital 10 out of 10.
26:06Yeah, I'm getting a half of them.
26:07OK, so it's pretty solid.
26:09I'm quite impressed.
26:11The success of the evening is dependent on that signal.
26:15The food traders, they're completely cashless,
26:17so all of the payments have to be contactless.
26:21So if they go down, then that is a major problem.
26:24What happened to those green mounds?
26:25Apart from the ice cream man who's got a sign saying he takes cash,
26:28they're like the winner.
26:31With the Wi-Fi holding up and the first act underway,
26:35inside the stables cafe, doubling as an artist's hangout,
26:40Bonnie and Jack are feeling the heat in the kitchen.
26:43So each night I'm given a sheet like this
26:46and it tells me exactly who's having the main course
26:49and any dietary requirements.
26:52So I know what I'm doing.
26:54With the team stretched across the event,
26:57Jack and Bonnie are getting stuck in
26:59as the 60 guests are looking forward to a hot meal
27:02before they step out on stage.
27:05That's the first chicken.
27:06You can also take...
27:07The veg.
27:07...veggies and just wait for the potatoes.
27:10It's all go.
27:13But this hasn't stopped the team putting together a menu
27:16worthy of the A-list artists.
27:18Chaka Khan, Sister Sledge and the Fatback Band
27:21all playing tonight.
27:23Oh, no, this is for the ice cream.
27:30Oh, he might mess up.
27:31I messed up my cell.
27:32I was right.
27:33Thank you again.
27:37Everyone thinks, you know, doing these events
27:42is all high life, having fun.
27:45I mean, a large part of it is,
27:47but then this is the part they don't think of
27:50is the wash-up, emptying of the bins.
27:54But it's all about teamwork.
28:00I remember when Jack first started.
28:03It was so nice just having that senior manager come in
28:06and just really want to improve it.
28:09You know, Jack's as employee of the week,
28:12he buys us all sweets.
28:14Jack, what do you think?
28:18She wants a pay rise, that's what I think.
28:20Oh, my gosh. Am I getting one?
28:22No.
28:22No.
28:24Back outside in the Great Court,
28:29Nocturne 2024 is in full swing.
28:32It's such a party, love.
28:34It's our last act of the evening.
28:36It was a great time, whatever the weather.
28:39We're so happy for now, it's fun today.
28:41And we're really excited for the rest of the month.
28:44The first night of Nocturne has been a huge success
28:47and the proud tradition of the festival
28:49continues for another year.
28:51As well as introducing more people to Blenheim,
28:54the revenue it's raised will help conserve the palace and its contents.
28:59And the morning after, hopes are that the revelry wasn't at the cost of damage to the delicate china.
29:10So, some of the china has moved a little bit overnight with the music going on.
29:17This cow is a little bit twisted.
29:21These things tend to be more or less symmetrical.
29:23We wouldn't place things at odd angles or twisted or touching each other,
29:27so you kind of, you can tell quite quickly.
29:30You can see things aren't symmetrical anymore.
29:32So, there's this.
29:34I'm not sure what that is, a dragon?
29:36With the contents being especially fragile,
29:39Keeper of Palace Kate arrives to restore some order.
29:43We've had quite a bit of movement.
29:44Nothing dangerous, but we'll need to keep an eye on it again tonight.
29:54Because if we see any major movement,
29:57then we know we need to play with the levels of the music outside.
30:01With another night of music ahead, Kate will need to do some multitasking.
30:06So I can keep an eye on the china and watch the sugar bass.
30:09Oh, that'd be nice and tall.
30:09Yeah.
30:10Very exciting.
30:11But whilst the china's safe for now,
30:14the bad news is the birds are back.
30:18But this time, Carmen, Kate's deputy, is taking no prisoners.
30:29Nailed it.
30:31We deal with pigeons every day.
30:33Very difficult tasks, because they make a horrible mess.
30:38And even the music from the concerts going to scare the pigeons away.
30:42So we are looking into sorting the problem in several ways,
30:46in a way that, of course, we're respectful towards the building and towards the animal.
30:50Very varied job.
30:52That's all part of it, though.
30:54God protect the palace.
30:56With the bird finally departed, on the south corner of the estate, Harrison is under pressure to get the crops to the busy, expectant kitchen.
31:09Harvesting is a lot of fun.
31:10Sometimes it's quite stressful.
31:12You know, the kitchen's demand at a certain time, and I have to try and get it done as soon as possible.
31:18I've got two different types of mint, ordinary garden mint and some spear mints.
31:22They're going to be used for fresh mint teas, cocktails at the bar.
31:27Having the garden on site and able to adapt to the kitchen's demands is a luxury.
31:34But it wasn't always like this.
31:37When I came here, the garden was basically just bare earth and wasn't being used for anything.
31:41And I was able to have the opportunity to pitch to the people here at Blenheim about making this into a productive, abundant space again.
31:49Currently, the kitchen garden only scratches the surface of what the kitchens demand.
31:56And back in the day, this whole walled garden would have been cultivated.
32:00So, definitely would like to expand going forwards.
32:05The walled garden, which includes its own orchard, is as old as the palace.
32:10It covers eight acres and is enclosed in 14-foot-high stone walls.
32:15But there is still a lot to do before the kitchen garden is restored to its former glory.
32:21And that progress is slow, as Harrison is often managing the crops alone.
32:26I mean, I do have help occasionally, but it's part of the economics of kitchen gardening,
32:34is that it's difficult to justify the wage of several people,
32:38when you could just actually import food cheaper.
32:42But we're trying to prove that with a small team,
32:46you can do a lot of work and grow a lot of vegetables
32:50to try and make it work financially going forward,
32:53trying to be hard-working and efficient.
32:55As resourceful as Harrison wants to be,
32:58sometimes unexpected obstacles arise.
33:01But with head chef Mark expecting a delivery urgently,
33:16he'll need to make do without.
33:18It is also possible to just snap off asparagus,
33:21although I should be doing this with a knife.
33:24If the head gardener saw me now, he'd be horrified.
33:26But, yeah, we need to get a bigger asparagus patch,
33:29because currently the kitchens want a couple of hundred asparagus spears twice a week.
33:38And this little patch is not quite cutting it at the moment.
33:43With his deadline fast approaching,
33:46things are going from bad to worse for Harrison.
33:49I've just received a text from Mark saying that he isn't able to get a buggy down here for us.
33:53Coming up, the palace welcomes a special guest.
34:02This is a real honour.
34:03And for me.
34:05And Carmen, deputy collections manager, reaches new heights.
34:09Going up.
34:09Blenheim Palace
34:22Blenheim Palace, jewel of the Oxfordshire landscape,
34:27was gifted to the Duke of Marlborough by Queen Anne
34:30and has been in the ancestral family since 1705.
34:34Costing £300,000, nearly £60 million in today's money,
34:38the palace and walled garden build began at the same time.
34:43And Harrison, head of the kitchen garden,
34:45is on a mission to restore it to its former glory.
34:48With regular deliveries to the kitchens, if only he can get there.
34:52I've just received a text from Mark saying that he isn't able to get a buggy down here for us.
34:59We might be able to commandeer one of the vans.
35:02Thankfully, he manages to catch a lift with Kate from the gardening team.
35:06Can I give you a hand?
35:14Yeah, sure.
35:15Wicked.
35:16Nice one.
35:17Since the kitchen is at its busiest, the delivery is a welcome relief.
35:22And as the orders go out,
35:24head chef Mark is preparing one of the Orangery's best-selling seasonal dishes.
35:28This is our asparagus that we've just got delivered from our garden.
35:33We will be lightly roasting it for a couple of minutes in the oven.
35:37And it's super tasty, so we don't really do too much to it.
35:41We're quite lucky that we get all the produce from the garden.
35:44And there we have it.
35:46Lunch is going out.
35:48It's time for Mark to prep a brand new afternoon tea.
35:52And head caterer Jack has come down to check it out.
35:56Hi, Mark. How are you doing?
35:57Good.
35:58All right, so we've got the Winston Churchill afternoon tea today?
36:00Yep.
36:01So it's a good four or five months of going into developing these with our pastry supplier.
36:05We tried to come up with ideas that people would be able to instantly recognise on the plate.
36:12I thought Winston Churchill was a fry-up man.
36:14I've seen pictures of him having a fry-up every day with a cigar.
36:16Well, it's funny you should say about a cigar because that's exactly what we've got on our desserts.
36:21Unbelievable. They look really good.
36:24It's all part of a very important occasion.
36:28So we're celebrating the 150th anniversary of Winston Churchill being born in the Palace.
36:34We have little chocolate cigars on the afternoon teas, some little Winston Churchill top hats as well.
36:40And we have somebody coming in as Winston Churchill.
36:43He stays as character the whole time.
36:47And he will normally stay in character with all the staff as well.
36:50It's really fun.
36:52A couple have been gifted tea as a birthday present and have no idea they will be joined by a special guest.
36:59It was a surprise today that we've come here.
37:02But, yeah, I actually travel past quite regularly.
37:05Always have a look in, but I've never been in.
37:07So this is my first time in the building.
37:09We do like our afternoon teas.
37:11We've been to a few over the years.
37:14So this is our first time.
37:16Yeah, truly unique experience.
37:17It's exciting, isn't it?
37:18Approaching from the north, by the ground, tree-lined avenue and paying tribute, is Stan, a Churchill look-alike known as Winstead.
37:33The Palace is looking wonderful again, sir.
37:34Absolutely.
37:35And the view across the lake must be one of the best views in England.
37:41The group are passionate about bringing history to life.
37:46That's where you witnessed the amphibious tanks.
37:50Yes, we did a lot of tests before and during the war.
37:54The duke was very agreeable to looking at landing crafts and amphibians here.
38:00Helped us no end.
38:03Churchill was born at Blenheim unexpectedly when his parents were visiting his grandfather, the seventh duke,
38:09and it became an important place for him all his life.
38:13He proposed to his wife, Clementine, in the Temple of Diana, and they spent their honeymoon at the palace.
38:18Ah, the classic view.
38:22Renowned for his wartime leadership, he was known to pop by when MI5 made Blenheim its headquarters.
38:30Today, Winstead brings Churchill's memory to life and is about to give Bruce and his wife a tea-time surprise.
38:37You never know quite what's going to happen.
38:43Ah!
38:45Hello!
38:46Are you Bruce?
38:47I am Bruce.
38:48Now, do I understand it's your birthday today?
38:51It is.
38:52Do you mind me asking how old you are?
38:5421.
38:54You're 21.
38:56You're looking good on it.
38:58I should be 150 at the end of the year.
39:02Yes, would you mind?
39:04It's always a great pleasure and privilege to come back here, because you do realise I was born here.
39:11But the afternoon isn't complete without Mark's custom-made treats inspired by some of Churchill's favourites.
39:18I've done a bit of research on it, obviously we're lucky that we've got the explanation to hand, so, and it's a little bit of a few luxury ingredients.
39:27And after months of historical research and menu planning, tea is finally served.
39:35You're rather envious of my cigar.
39:36Yes, it's quite impressive, isn't it?
39:39Yes, very impressive.
39:40And a hat.
39:41Yes.
39:42You managed to extract the poison first at the end of the year.
39:44It's a secret, sir.
39:45Enjoy your afternoon.
39:49Thank you very much.
39:50Thank you very much.
39:51I do love a good afternoon tea, and for me, it was absolutely brilliant.
39:57The food was fantastic, and who'd have thought we would have met the Winsome himself, which was a fantastic experience.
40:05The guy's knowledge and the way he looks and the way he behaves is exactly like Winsome himself.
40:13Brilliant.
40:13But back in the Great Hall, the work of protecting and conserving the Palace Collections is an ongoing job, and today, with the pigeons finally departed, the Palace Collections team, Kate and Carmen, are doing their rounds.
40:28There's something there that has got my eye, but it looks quite weird to me.
40:33Carmen has spotted a potential issue with the painting of the seventh Duchess, Frances, but with it being out of reach of the guests, the cause of the problem is a mystery from ground to me.
40:43Well, if you're happy, then I'll grab the hoist, and then I'll go and have a look.
40:49The only way up is the mechanical hoist, but with the West Corridor reaching 20 metres in height, it's not for the faint-hearted.
40:56I've always been terrified of heights, always, and I got kind of used to it, but year after year, a little higher, a little higher, a little higher.
41:06The highest that I've been is the capital over there.
41:11These jobs always gives you different challenges, and we love it.
41:22As she rises to the challenge, Carmen has enlisted Ryan from maintenance to make sure she'll be safe when working at heights.
41:29Going up.
41:39So what are you going to be checking for, then?
41:41So if possible, then it's just caught my eye.
41:45This is new.
41:46What, is it a scratch or...?
41:48No, no, no, what I can see are the threats of the canvas, so the paint is completely gone.
41:52I'm going to take a picture.
41:56And I'm going to check the condition report.
41:58I do not recall this.
42:00I just wonder if this was one of the pigeons trying to get out, just flying against everything.
42:07Those pesky pigeons.
42:09Your grace.
42:10But at least there's a silver lining.
42:12Very pleasantly surprised on the dust levels, but higher level is not that bad.
42:17I'm actually very happy about that.
42:23Right, shall we check that light, or do you want to do that one first?
42:25I think we'll do this one first.
42:26Yeah, perfect, let's do that.
42:29Assessing the many paintings, statues, and artifacts promises to keep them constantly busy, and it's no small responsibility.
42:37Yeah, that's much better.
42:39With every detail being as important as the last...
42:42Can you catch that cobweb?
42:44The expert team have their work cut out for them to make sure the palace and collections remain a legacy for future generations.
42:51Meanwhile, back outside the Orangery, with tea finished, it's time for Winstead to greet his public and surprise a few more folks.
43:02Have you come far?
43:04Yorkshire.
43:04Yorkshire.
43:05Oh, well, no, quite a way.
43:07Oh, yes, and pleasure.
43:07Let's see if you've got a walk.
43:09It's a sort of dignified continent as well.
43:12It's a very kind of you to say so.
43:13We take it seriously, we like to play a part, we have our roles, we understand historically the importance of that, and we try and recreate that for the public.
43:27This is a real honour, and for me.
43:33I think it's very important that Churchill's story is told in an authentic way.
43:37It's really special for me, and I know for the ladies as well.
43:42Yeah, a privilege.
43:42Yeah.
43:43A great privilege that we take very seriously.
43:46Much to the enjoyment of visitors from all over the world.
43:50I'm from Texas, right?
43:51Mr. Churchill.
43:52You're from Texas?
43:53Yeah.
43:53Oh, how wonderful.
43:54I'm studying Mr. Churchill from the time I knew myself.
43:56Uh-huh.
43:57We will win the war by land...
43:59Sea.
44:00Sea.
44:01And air.
44:02And air.
44:02And let us therefore brace ourselves to our due tips.
44:06This was their finest hour.
44:09So you have a wonderful day, and make it your finest hour.
44:13Thank you, Mr. Churchill.
44:17And with that, it's time for Winstan to depart.
44:21But with further appearances planned throughout the year, it won't be long before he returns to his beloved Blenheim.
44:32Next time, Sean the shepherd intervenes in a family feud.
44:37See, they dropped that and just left it.
44:39Social historian Antonia plays hide-and-seek.
44:42The mice are hidden somewhere in the room.
44:44And head of innovation, David, lets the dogs out.
44:48This is the best selfie moment we've ever had.
44:50And you can see that next Saturday at 20 past 8.
44:56Will it be a case of be careful what you wish for for the hard acres?
45:00The Rags to Itches Channel 5 original drama continues brand new Monday at 9.
45:04Not long ago, Charles and Camilla being pictured together in public was unthinkable.
45:09So how have they changed perceptions?
45:11Against All Odds Investigates, next.
45:13The Rags to Itches Channel 5