ETTC 23 Sep

93 by local nobleman sir thomas treshan this extraordinary folly is testament to a rather unusual obsession so where is it and why was it built find out in just a moment or three thatched cottages rolling hills and dales a breathtaking view of a valley then delicate buttercups glowing in the sunshine escape to the country presented by ginny buckley on today's show we meet a husband and wife who are looking for a home to retire to and are almost struck dumb with what they see i won't quite say i'm speechless i've never lost her words but i'm pleased yes and when it comes to choosing houses we find out who's the boss we can dance my wife says we can downsize so we can downsize sorted today i'm in northamptonshire and this is rushton triangular lodge it has three sides each has three windows and is 33.3 feet long there are three floors and it contains three inscriptions with 33 letters this unique structure was designed by sir thomas tresham as a pious monument to the holy trinity and reflects his enduring obsession with the number three tresham was a committed catholic who was fined and in prison for 15 years for his refusal to convert after the reformation when he was released he set about creating the lodge in secret affirmation of his faith but wonderful architectural oddities like this are not all that northamptonshire has got to offer situated in the east midlands landlocked northamptonshire is bordered by eight counties including leicestershire and rutland to the north and oxfordshire and buckinghamshire to the south patchwork fields of farmland and pretty period properties of landscape this largely rural county known as rose of the shires at the hearts it's the georgian town of northampton built on the original norman settlement in the 19th century grew in fame for its footwear industry which flourished in the city and continued to grow further with the introduction of the grand union canal which meanders past the town and on through the county streaming by picturesque villages the longest canal in the uk meets one of the broadest canal tunnels at blissworth at over one and a half miles long it allows two narrowboats to pass inside before coming out to the wonderful waterways and nature reserves of the nen valley perched on a hilltop is the 11th century rockingham castle built by william the conqueror as a royal palace and hunting lodge many years later it's believed charles dickens was a regular visitor and so it became the inspiration for the aristocratic estate chesney wald in his novel bleak house with all this on offer and a plethora of properties to choose from it's no wonder buyers have great expectations of finding a dream home in this county vast fields of green under a moody sky when it comes to property values the average cost of a detached house here in the county is 252 000 pounds that's about 12 000 pounds below the national average making northampton show good value for your property pound and that's even more so when you consider that in buckinghamshire which neighbors the county to the south the average cost of a detached house is 574 000 pounds which is more than double so where in the county are a couple looking to move to let's meet them and find out retired i.t professional alan and his wife anne have lived in their family home for the last 25 years in the commuter village of brickett wood in hertfordshire they first met when a mutual friend introduced them on a works night out this friend mentioned that she had a friend staying with her and i said invite her along the more the merrier type of thing especially if there's a girl rather than a bloke kept in touch a little bit and went out a few times and it just grew from there married for 35 years they have two children who have now grown up and moved away and it's their desire to be closer to their family that's fueling the move our daughter lives near oxford and our son lives in loughborough so we're looking to go somewhere in between the two brickette wood has served us well there's no two ways about that but we feel the world is whizzing past the door virtually there's the m1 m25 and the a405 all major roads that are very close to the house but now that we don't need to be racing out and joining the wider world we like somewhere with a quieter slightly slower pace of life adam was born with cerebral palsy which affected his lower limbs after a number of operations as a child he's been able to live a fairly active life but over the last five years walking has become difficult so they invested in a mobility scooter which changed everything we bought this little mobility scooter just over a year ago now it's a portable one it's quite small so we can fold up and go in the boot of the car you can just whenever there's a suitable path out it can come in and we can go places together new fan freedom will certainly come in handy for their next move active members of their current community both alan and ann are looking forward to village life what we're looking for in the village we move to is to have some organisation because we enjoy being part of the community and we want us it to stay that way we would want a an area that has a community spirit somewhere we can get involved in whilst downsizing from their four-bedroom house is an option they still need room for their many hobbies and enjoys gardening whilst alan is keen to keep his passions on track my main hobby really is railway related i have had over a number of years a large model railway in this house i would want to continue that in a new property so it's full steam ahead as we search for their next property and the pressure's on as alan and anne chose their chalet bungalow home within 10 minutes of walking through the door when we walked into this house we both had the same feeling even before we looked around all the rooms we both felt yes we like this house that's the sort of feeling i'm looking for i do think i would recognize the house that if it was the right one yes a peaceful canal then a map of the county alan and anna asked us to concentrate our search to the south and center of northamptonshire so i'm meeting up with them in the county to find out more about their motives for moving well welcome to northamptonshire so what is it about this part of the country that does appeal to the two of you it's a lovely countryside and we wanted to move close to family we have family in leicestershire and oxfordshire so northamptonshire seemed a natural choice in the middle a lovely location so why are the two of you making this move now at this particular time well i retired in 2013 and it was always a plan to move away from the busy area where we currently live into a more quieter rural area and hopefully we'll retire soon so now is the right time for us to start and make a move so what are you looking for for your home here what image do you have in mind i'm hoping it'll be in well probably one of the slightly larger villages rather than a hamlet um probably a bungalow or a house with that's suitable for allen's accessibility issues yes as well as nice sized reception rooms and that sort of thing space for hobbies we have some exercise equipment um i have a hobby of model railways which i'd like to facilitate and that sort of thing i'd like space for a garage and a little bit of a workshop if possible so while we say we're downsizing we still want a little bit of space around us you want your man space don't you exactly yes exactly and what about a garden oh yes yes must have a garden um doesn't necessarily have to be a great big one um but want some space have to grow raspberries you want to go raspberry so remind me of the budget that we've got for this search well the budget is 450 000 pounds we have sold our property so ready to pack and ready to go so the pressure's on time-wise it's certainly this is well it is a healthy budget for this part of the country and we've got some great properties to show you are you ready yes yes let's go yeah with the budget of 450 000 pounds our buyers are ideally looking for a property similar to their current home downsizing to two or three bedrooms is a possibility if the living areas are spacious and easily accessible for alan a garage and a room for his model railway are a must whilst ann would like a moderate sized garden and as they both like to get involved in village life a strong community spirit is important and we've got three wonderful houses lined up but we won't be revealing their prices until the end of each tour a final property the mystery house will certainly test whose strength of character is strongest when it comes to deciding which type of house to go for on the road so we're off to look at a property what would you like to see when we pull up outside it in old prophecy a new property i've got a very open mind on that part of me pulls towards a newer style of house but i'm not ruling anything out okay and i want a house with character okay so you're each being pulled in opposite directions slightly a little bit but that's no different to a lot of things in life but we always come back together at the end we're starting off our northamptonshire search in the heart of the county equidistant from their son and daughter in the village of east haddan the village has all the romans you could hope for honey-colored houses thatched roofs a parish church and can even boast its very own fairytale tower which is a two-story water tariff built from stone in 1890. widely recognized for its strong community spirit east haddon should suit our couple due to its popular local pub an active village hall hosting plenty of clubs and the local shop which can be found just a two-minute drive away in the neighboring village of ravensthorpe the first house i want to show our buyers sits in the center of east haddon with easy access to everything so this is a property that i've brought you to see and it's this modern it's a brick-built chalet bungalow it's got your nice big garage i just spot that straight what are your initial impressions the garage is great yeah i was really looking forward to getting in the front door i was certainly interested to have a look okay well we've got four bedrooms to show you two of which are downstairs which could be interesting yes very helpful so come on let's go and take a look [Music] this property should suit allen's desire for something modern built in the 1980s this chalet bungalow offers flexible living throughout recently extended to the rear is a new kitchen dining which provides a welcome addition and a wide hallway leads us there so here we go oh this is lovely yeah it is a nice space plenty of cupboard space very good yeah i like it yeah how do you feel about this open plan living look i keen on that to be honest and i think what a lovely place to sit yeah absolutely it uh i won't quite say i'm speechless i've never lost for words but uh i'm pleased yes i'm pleased it looks lovely you could imagine sitting there in the morning with a cup of tea and those doors open yes that's right yeah absolutely so why don't we go and take a look at the sitting room yes yes please ginny leads the way now we had a hint of the view from the kitchen but here it is in this lovely bright airy sitting room it's lovely isn't it it is a nice room proper fireplace yeah i mean what's going through my mind is the furniture that we currently have will fit nicely in here and still leave plenty space [Music] mentally moving in is a great sign also downstairs there's a shower room and two further rooms which could offer the potential for ground floor bedrooms one is presently used as a study and i have an idea about how to use the second one so it's currently used as a dining room but i just thought i could see a train set in here i could see some exercise equipment yes yep it is a lovely sized room a very big train set don't tempt me yet could you could you fill this room with a model train yeah it would take a year or two but it's a lovely room as well yeah we would end up debating as to how the space was actually used but we would certainly use the space it is it is good it's a good space well i think we're off to a good start yes let's explore upstairs and see if you're still happy after you've seen that yeah very good downstairs so far so good but will the further two bedrooms upstairs also appeal decorated in a neutral pallet the first bedroom comes with its own ensuite whilst a large jack and jill bathroom serves the final and most spacious first floor room so this is the the master bedroom wow quite a nice view from the window indeed that's lovely it is very very pleasant yeah it's nice it's light it's airy plenty storage space fantastic absolutely wonderful yes great okay well let's go out into the garden and you need to start thinking as well because you know what i'm going to be asking you soon don't you yes put your thinking caps on into the rear of the property there's a low maintenance garden with a stunning agricultural outlook although a keen horticulturalist anne wasn't looking for a large space so hopefully this modest garden will work for her what do you think of the size garden-wise possibly i'd like a little bit more land but obviously there's compensations of the fact that it's not enclosed and you're looking at green space behind you so yeah certainly wouldn't take me long to mow the lawn so maintaining the law would not be an issue that's great all right well let's guess the price come on who wants to start should i start yes i think this property would be four three five okay and i'm gonna go a little bit higher 440. you're both off the mark you're both under the asking price it's on the market for 450 000 pounds it's only been on the market for six weeks and the owners are open to an offer particularly to people in your position um they can also move quickly right eight weeks they could be out in so it could be a quick move for you yeah well it's good to see you smiling so i think you should go back in explore have a really good look around again and i'll come and find you it's great okay come on just get up go and have a look bang on budget at 450 000 pounds this property offers our couple the layout and flexibility that they're looking for in a location close to the center of the village with the bright kitchen diner and the option of ground floor bedrooms there's plenty of scope for the future as well as room for their hobbies then a further two upstairs bedrooms both come with their own ensuite bathrooms outside there's a double garage for alan and whilst the garden is a little on the small side for anne the stunning vista certainly makes up for it it's a great start like this property very much the kitchen dining area that is definitely a bit of a wow factor for the house it's got a space which is better than a conservatory because it's usable all year round it is definitely a contender it has an awful lot to offer just looking forward to seeing the others as well have you both seen enough yes for the time being well you went in with a smile on your face and you've come out with smiles on your faces so a good start definitely fantastic great a golden field dotted with bales of hay back in the 18th century northamptonshire was celebrated for its pure and wholesome air and had a reputation as being one of the healthiest counties in the country a place where agriculture and livestock flourished and what could be more healthy than to pick your own seasonal fruits with ann keen to grow raspberries in her new garden we brought her and alan along to a farm near kettering to pick up some top tips from the owner robert bai we're very pleased to come to dove coat farm obviously members of the public come and pick fruit and what else do you do at the farm we're growing strawberries raspberries gooseberries currants red currants black currants we have 900 acres of arable land which has been in the family for three generations so what's in season now raspberries is the main thing at the moment right that's uh that's in season quite a lot of nice raspberries out there i love it right you love raspberries should we go and try and pick some then yes raspberries belong to the same botanical family as the rose and originated from asia and eastern europe it's thought that the first raspberries were cultivated by the romans and were not only eaten as fruit but the berries and leaves were also used for medical purposes treating anything from sore eyes to cleaning teeth with over 200 different varieties five grown on this farm it's a great opportunity to learn what makes a perfect pick your own when we're picking raspberries what are we looking for is what's the optimum raspberry you're looking for a nice red one sometimes they're quite low down and inside the bushes so if you squeeze it gently and just pull it off the yeah off the calyx and that's uh that's what you're looking for bear in mind they are soft fruit so the more you squeeze them the less shelf life they're going to have so have you any tips for growing them if we wanted to you need to keep the nutrition quite high feed them well just be careful on the watering don't over water them because they will rot and regular picking really which variety would you recommend for the home grower you know with a small plot i would always opt for an autumn fruiting variety right because they're a little bit easier to manage what grows up will produce fruit in the autism yeah so how long is the raspberry season for us it starts at the end of june and runs through july and into early august with an abundant crop on offer it's time to say goodbye to robert get picking and fill up a couple of punnets with this tasty fresh fruit and because the proof is always in the pudding the next stop is the tea room gardens where the farm chef caroline cross redken is going to teach them how to make raspberry roulette hello i'm caroline hello to me oh fabulous freshly picked with meringue base ready made from sugar egg whites and baked at 170 degrees for 25 minutes in the oven a layer of lemon curd is added before the whipped cream so who would like to start doing that for me whipped and sweetened with a bit of icing sugar and a touch of vanilla it's spread evenly over the top that's great you'll be doing these at home that's lovely and then you want to put the pop the raspberries on yeah now just spread them on yeah just put them on however you like to as long as it sort of covers everywhere that's absolutely fine that's marvellous that's it that's lovely okay that's everything apart from the final step which is the rolling of the roulade with a clean cloth for support the roulade is lifted and gently rolled into shape wow so have a taste they tuck in the lemon and the raspberries they go nicely together that's delightful i've enjoyed it thank you now that tasty treat's been devoured it's high time we turned our attention back to the property search back on the road for our second property we're moving further south to a village called never hayford stroll down peaceful country lanes past pretty cottages historic schools and churches and you find yourself at the wide village green said to be one of the largest in england this space along with the village hall is host to many clubs and societies locals are also well catered for here not only does the village boast two pubs and a local shop but a butcher and bakers as well just a short distance from this enormous historic green is where we find property number two i wanted to show you something something different really you've talked about you know perhaps this move could be about downsizing and i want to put that to the test and see how you feel about something smaller okay so what are your first impressions very nice little little bungalow um yeah definitely good first impressions it looks neat and tidy the exterior looks well cared for i'm not at this point seeing a garage but yeah initially it looks good now there was a garage there that the present owners have taken down the the base and one of the walls is still there if you wanted to rebuild that and that was you know important for you then that would be a relatively easy thing to do yeah okay yeah okay well should we see how you feel about downsizing yes please happy for that built in the 1970s this three-bedroom detached bungalow is again more to allen's taste being a modern property and although it is smaller than the first house it's deceptively spacious having been extended over the years in addition it's been completely renovated inside which comes as a welcome surprise oh this is lightning it is it is you've got a downstairs toilet with a shower room in there and let me bring you in here into the cozy living room beautifully presented isn't it it is it's nicely very nice room i like the fact that the seti is at the angle where you can actually look out into the garden beautifully presented house is this is it to your taste yeah it's lovely and this isn't the end of the living space either because you've got some excellent living space right next door so good so come up look at that so here's your second living space oh this is lovely oh wow excellent this is this has taken me by surprise this is a nice space for living in for dining in another nice fireplace yeah let's just swing around and take a look at the kitchen because of course just like everything else it's beautifully done sweet kitchen it is yeah plenty of units a very workable kitchen it's smaller than i expected but it looks okay i mean this there's enough space here you know how big a kitchen do you need for two people to bounce around in yeah and you know when you're downsized yes you get this i'm trying to keep that in my head at the moment and of course that brings me onto bedrooms and they are smaller you're not you haven't got as much space um so let's go and take a look in this bungalow the reception rooms sit to the right of the property whilst to the left there are three bedrooms in the family bathroom fabulously decorated with a stylish three-piece suite and shower next to it is a single bedroom currently set up as a study with built-in storage another room now used as a sewing space would make an excellent double and finally we come to the master so this is the largest of the three bedrooms and it's again it's got a lovely view out onto the garden and the summer house this is fine it's got plenty of storage space plenty room around the bed for a bedroom it's fine space wise you're sounding reticent talent um i'm not sure um how much space do you need in the bedroom we're gonna say are you trying to convince yourself or convince me i'm not trying to convince myself to be honest so it's got what you need yes if you're thinking about downsizing definitely yeah if you dance well yeah yeah we can dance we could my wife says we can downsize so we can downsize sorted and i know one of the concerns on the last property was the size of the garden you'd have liked us in a bit more space and we've got more space to show you on this one okay thank you start thinking about the price so a few negative vibes coming from alan but i am hopeful that upsizing to a bigger garden found at the rear of the property will change their minds so just as much care and attention has been given to the garden as you can see it's got two lovely seating areas yeah beautiful summer house it's a lovely lovely garden it is what about the size the size of this garden sponge it's a nice size it'll take me a little longer to cut the lawn but it's still manageable yes and the summer house is a nice feature yep definitely you know what's coming now who wants to go fast me i suppose my turn well so i'm gonna go for four two five okay i would go for three nine five okay i'm sorry to say that you're both wrong yet again surprisingly i'm good at this uh only this time you're both over oh quite considerably it's on the market for 375 000 pounds that's interesting because that brings us yeah big difference in the price there is a big difference and the current owners they're more than happy to go into rented accommodation so it could be flexible and could move quickly if that work with your time scale yeah with that in mind go back in and take another look and and just give some thought to how you would really feel about downsizing and you know what you'd be able to bring with you to something of this size i'll get my skip out considerably below budget at 375 000 pounds this beautifully renovated bungalow may be a downsize for our couple but it still has plenty of living space there's a small fully equipped kitchen being on one level it allows easy access to the three bedrooms and bathrooms to the rear of the property there's a large garden and space to build a garage in the future the house itself is absolutely beautifully presented loads of living space the sitting room is lovely the bedrooms are smaller which leaves with me trying to think what we can do to maybe fit some of the extras that i know alan wants so my thoughts for the exercise bike maybe in the train set is that potentially consider digging this out and then having a small building here i think it's a good idea it's worth investigating definitely a contender there's a bit of deliberation and thought needs to go on tonight when anna and i sit down at the end of the evening and try and weigh things up here you come two very different properties indeed very interesting your mind's worrying yeah well they've both got pluses and minuses and i think that uh definitely we've got food for thought a lot of thinking to do well come on let's go and get a drink and you can do some thinking excellent a setting sun peeking through a tiny hole in the clouds it's the start of our second day here in northamptonshire with recently retired allen and his wife anne from bricketwood in hertfordshire with a 450 000 pound budget they would consider downsizing but want somewhere that has enough space for allen to navigate with ease as well as plenty of room for their hobbies still to come the mystery house is proof that age is just a number it looks well maintained it's weathered over the years better than i have and i find out that the force is still going strong when it comes to the county's centuries-old footwear industry i need to know why you have darth vader's footprint on your wall here in the middle of northamptonshire [Music] we had a good start to the search yesterday with positive reactions to both our properties with that second bungalow really challenging a couple on how far they're prepared to go when it comes to downsizing now anne obviously puts allen's practical needs first when it comes to looking for their new home but i have a feeling that it's character properties that pull on her heartstrings whilst modern home seemed to appeal more to alan and i've got high hopes for our mystery house it has a unique style that i think could end up appealing to both of them and for our third and final house we're heading further north close to the northamptonshire leicestershire border to the village of great oxendon despite its name great oxendine is the smallest of our three country villages while sleepy in comparison it still has lots of clubs and activities on offer in the village hall and daily essentials are catered for by the local farm shop for bigger items historic market harbor just three miles up the road holds a weekly fruit and veg market and has all the amenities you could want back in great oxford and just off a quiet country road we find our last property which offers unique style and character that should suit both alan and anne so this is the mystery house it's an older property it's not the modern ones we've been showing you alan no lovely looking house it is a nice looking house it's taken my breath away a little bit it's a much older property than i expected to see its age it has got character it looks on externally it looks well maintained for its age it's weathered over the years better than i have it was two costumes 350 to 400 years old that have been knocked together one of them used to be the village suite shop oh interested to see it well there's a few interesting things to show you inside so come on let's go and take a look dating back to the 17th century this brick-built four-bedroom period home is packed with character features with a stunning oak framed extension to the rear it takes advantage of its location looking over the open countryside and we're starting off in the cosy rooms indoors i'm not sure if you're a fan of character and beans but we've got a lot of that here certainly have very attractive characters it is yeah it's decent-sized window so it's a reasonably bright room it's not dark and i like the idea of the fire nice place to sit of an evening this would be alan you're looking it was a pensive yes this is a surprise could i see myself sitting here could i see myself living here at the moment i'm saying why not so that's still all formulating in my mind you've probably noticed a couple of doors here this is a good under cupboard and storage space but that leads through to an extra sitting room so there's a second sitting room down there it's good size which i guess over time could be utilized for exercise equipment model railways a downstairs bedroom should you need it so you do have a lot of living space excellent but the part that i think gives this house the real world factor is just through here so just come and take a look in here and it's this fantastic open plan kitchen diner that was added on three years ago it's lovely beautiful kitchen plenty space actually has really has a view that's what i call a view this is nice it's light it's airy it's spacious it's got an island yeah like it like this room but certainly absolutely fabulous room so i think this combines old and new really beautifully what about the two of you do you think it works i think it works really well i think this is a this is a gorgeous room and you'd really use this day today okay well let's explore upstairs there's a lot to see and i think i have found the most perfect spot for you to put your exercise equipment honestly i don't think it can be better so follow me riding high from their initial response i feel encouraged to show them the four bedrooms upstairs one a bright and spacious double another is currently set up as a twin a smaller single ideal as a hobbies room and a family bathroom but before i show them the master i want us to stop and admire the landing you can just see that stunning view out over the fields i could see you on your exercise bike on here ellen trying to reach those distant trees but what a thing to aim for just turning to some of the practical considerations the stairs would absolutely accommodate a stair lift if that's what you'd want to do and another option that you could explore is the possibility of removing one of the glass panels from up here and putting a small lift in yeah yeah very good [Music] up a couple of steps and to the right of the landing is the master so the the older nature of the house is definitely apparent up here but it's very quaint it's very very sweet room nice plenty of storage space it's fine for a bed for a master bedroom yeah yeah it's a sweet room now another big appeal about the house is the view and why wouldn't it be so let's go into the garden and take a look at it and just uh you know really take in how beautiful it is out there once outside i'll be putting them to the test when it comes to the price hopefully it will be a price worth paying as in the garden there's a large double garage as well as those beautiful views from the garden itself now what do you think about the size of the garden for your green fingers i think this garden's fine there's plenty you can do with it yeah i would be happy enough with this because together with putting some more interesting garden you've got a wonderful view and now comes a point where i'd like to know what you think this house is on the market for i don't know my head's in a bit of a bit of a twirl really the old the new it's just stab in the dark i'll go four hundred thousand four hundred okay and what about you i think i'd pay more for this house i wouldn't be surprised if it was on our budget but i think let's say four three five okay well you're both wrong again but annie's very close um it's on the market for 425 thousand pounds oh very good yeah listen why don't you go inside and just spend a bit more time in it and just take in that mix of old venue that's fantastic um i got the reaction i was so hoping for from this house we've managed to bring together that blend of old and new they both seem to have really good vibes about it and the budget at 425 000 pounds this period property has certainly proved popular a perfect blend of historic and contemporary character the downstairs rooms offer plenty of space 30 feet of it in the kitchen diner alone a galleried landing leads to four good sized bedrooms and a bathroom whilst to the rear there's a double garage and a lawn leading to those lovely views i was very interested to see the mystery house i was very excited about that magnificently large but still old and full of character room alan was hoping for something new i was hoping for something old you put the do together great mixture this is a cozy little room wow i wasn't expecting this to be here no i wasn't useful room to have yes sit here on a winter's night lovely it's good i love this space at the kitchen area behind me is everything one would need there's a nice relaxing sitting area ample space for dining upstairs needs further thought but where there's a will there's a way hello well that's the three property scene lovely house really interesting delighted to have seen it yes absolutely delightful property i think you've got a lot of thinking to do we have you've thrown the whole thing up in the air again oh we love it when that happens come on thinking time okay a sheep and a lamb in a field [Music] pretty village's roaning hills and nature in abundance this county belies its once industrial past a long history of shoemaking dating back to the 13th century with its plentiful supply of oak bark and water for tanning and a bountiful stock of leather the footwear industry flourished helped by a large order from oliver cromwell to kit out his army in the civil war after years of decline there's been a recent rise in demand for this skilled british craft so i've come to the village of ravensthorpe and the horus baton factory who make heritage riding boots i'm meeting the current owner tim batten what a treasure trove it is here it's a stunning place thank you so how did the company get started as a family we go back as boot makers to shall we say 1804 and that gentleman there started the business he was horace my father his son was also called horus which causes some confusion so you're carrying on the family tradition are you are the boots still made using the same techniques and the same skills that would have been back in the day when the first horace was around yes it hasn't changed a great deal how long does it take to make one a pair of your boots i suppose the stock answer is it takes about three months but it depends on the processes so it's very hard to quantify how long it takes my eagle eyes spotted on the wall something that says footprint for darth vader i need to know why you have darth vader's footprint on your wall here in the middle of northamptonshire well my father was approached in the mid-80s to make a pair of boots for darth vader in fact that boot there was the prototype for that project now of course star wars is very famous when it came to him it was all sort of can you make a pair of boots with this guy he's going to be something in the film famous feat aside in the past these boots have also kitted out submariners and the women's land army in the second world war today the time and quality dedicated to each pair of boots is such that they can sell for between one thousand and two thousand pounds all bespoke and based on the original designs if you come through here we'll show you one where we start the process which is of course with a last that we have here this has been modified a little bit otherwise this is fairly standard have you noticed any changes over all the years in the shape of people's feet people's shape has changed really i would say dramatically in 1960 the average shoe size was like a seven and a half or an eight it's now a nine and a half or ten now imagine if that carries on for the next three hundred years we'll all be twelve feet tall but we're on a feet like darth vader exactly with five key stages involved in building these boots they still use traditional tools and machinery the process starts with measuring and tailoring cutting out the leather and then stitching it together and when the leather upper boot is molded into shape the soles are added this is our making department what's happening here is that the upper has been pulled over the last and it's held temporarily in position with these nails the next stage will be that we will put a welt in and that will be stitched in by hand the welt is a strip of leather onto which the outer sole is attached the boot is then shaped and final touch is applied and while some of these wonderful skills can take up to two years to learn i have just two minutes to get the hang of one of the detailing processes right we're doing a little bit of stitching here perhaps you'd like to have a go okay okay so you hold it with your left hand yeah right hand on there and turn clockwise yeah all right that's good it's effortless isn't it wow yes now you're doing actually i know they say that but you're actually doing very well indeed now this is where the skill comes in you've got to manipulate it pull it slightly as you're going to pull it slightly towards you keep going go on that's it ah and you can pull it out excellent practice makes perfect though my sewing seems to be a success i must hang up my boots and catch up with our house buyers to see if any decisions have been made al and alan have had positive reactions to all three of the properties that we've shown them and at this point i'm genuinely feeling quite confused because i have no idea which of the three they're leaning towards because they seem to like them all [Music] hello you two hello well i'm very intrigued and i'm looking forward to hearing what your thoughts are at this point it's been an interesting few days away we've seen three very different properties and the first property was plenty of space and certainly had the double garage that i had on my little wish list and the kitchen dining area with the wonderful outlook at the back really was a bit of a bonus you agree yeah number one house is exactly ideal for us and then you throw the curved ball in yeah property three the house itself was interesting took my breath away a little bit a lot a lot but it's not the type of house that i would actually buy so our conclusion is that we'd like to have a second look at house number one yes fantastic so we've actually contacted our children and said are you free on saturday too well i'm absolutely thrilled that you've found a property that's um sparked enough interest in you to want to go back and take the family with you and wherever you end up we hope you have a really happy escape to the country thank you very much [Music] we're leaving anne and allen on a positive note heading off for a second viewing on the first property we showed them a house which is pretty similar to the home they've lived in for the last 29 years well after exploring the local area more i really hope they've found a new home to be happy in for years to come join me next time on escape to the country allen and ann did go back for a second viewing with their family but decided to buy another property in the area and i'm pleased to say they've had their offer accepted if you'd like to escape to the country in northern ireland scotland wales or england and need our help please apply online at bbc.co.uk forward slash be on a show right time for a garden rescue see what a five and a half thousand pound budget can do as charlie

Channel: Dutch Boy

Views: 16,230

Rating: 4.8400002 out of 5

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Id: 4NIWfMWQe8Y

Length: 43min 17sec (2597 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 23 2020