Our Great Yorkshire Life

In this very first episode, we meet the Jenkinson family who have fished the waters off the Whitby coast for generations. Will Jenkinson is the life blood of the family business and today, like most other days, he's braving the North Sea to eke out a living fishing for crab and lobster. We follow his fortunes out on the water and meet his 87-year-old grandfather who has only recently retired. Yorkshire Vet Julian Norton heads to Robin Hood’s Bay to get involved in one of his favourite indulgences. He’s been invited to Yorkshire’s newest vineyard where excited owners Becky and Ian Sheveling are about to harvest their first ever crop. It’s a real privilege for Julian as he is one the very few people to get his hands on the precious vines and even gets to taste previous wine produced by the Shevelings. Snaking its way through the wuthering heights of Bronte Country, The Keighley and Worth Valley heritage Railway has been a local treasure for over a hundred and fifty years and is now run mainly by an army of volunteers. Today, operations manager Noel and volunteer Kieran have their work cut out as the team get ready for one of the biggest events in the railway's calendar: diesel day. A fleet of historic diesel engines will carry passengers through some of Yorkshire's finest scenery if the team can get them in position in time. Local journalist Christa Ackroyd visits the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is Saltaire, and Salts Mill, on the outskirts of her home city, Bradford. It’s a place close to Christa’s heart and on this journey she discovers a new side and history to this unique place, and discovers why people from all over the world are drawn to this outstanding landmark.

Yorkshire Vet Peter Wright has a very special day out planned for wife Lin to celebrate their 35th Anniversary. After cooking up a fancy alfresco breakfast, Yorkshire style, he whisks her off to Knaresborough - a place that holds a special in their hearts. And the surprises keep coming as Lin is treated to a glass of fizz on a boat under the famous viaduct before Peter enjoys his own little treat in his favourite pub. In Southowram, Halifax, well versed, award winning 25-year-old farmer Stephen Short needs to get his farm ready for his herd of 65 cows that will soon be returning from the hills. A new gate and stone gate posts – crafted from Yorkstone - need fitting but the rounding up of the herd from the exposed hills of Shibden proves more difficult than he ever could imagine. In Scarborough on the East Coast, 78-year-old engineer Trevor Frankland is preparing for the final display of the season. For decades, the crowds have flocked to Peasholm Park lake to enjoy ‘the smallest manned navy in the world’ complete a re-enactment of a famous naval battle. This year is it the 1939 Battle of the River Plate. And in the village of Hinderwell, in North Yorkshire, 32-year-old Blacksmith artist Katie Ventress is trying to finish her most ambitious design to date – a complicated, 125kg oak tree and dry-stone wall sculpture complimented by an unusual centerpiece which is a her client’s passionate love – stoats and weasels. With only 6 weeks to complete the work, Katie is feeling the heat.

In the wuthering heights of Bronte Country, an eager band of 50 workers and volunteers at the Keighley and Worth Valley heritage railway have a week of hectic maintenance work to complete before the railway re-opens to the public. Retired signal man David ‘Bruce’ Bruce leads the charge but will his new crossing gates, ordered two years ago, ‘mind the gap’ and fit perfectly at the station on arrival? In York, local journalist Christa Ackroyd enjoys a behind-the-scenes invite to York Minster – the most important medieval building in Europe – where stone mason James Digger invites Christa to get hands on with the restoration of the 250-year-old limestone architecture. And Christa is given an exclusive ‘first look’ of a restored panel of St Cuthbert window – one of the largest surviving narrative windows in Europe. In Scarborough, legendary ‘King of the Keyboards’, Howard Beaumont prepares for his latest performance at Scarborough Spa’s stunning Sun Court. Every week in the summer, his passionate fans travel to the east coast town - Britain’s first ever seaside resort – from far and wide as Howard, accompanied by wife Eileen put on a star turn in the great outdoors. And in Horsforth, West Yorkshire, aspiring restaurateur Matt Healy – a runner up on MasterChef The Professionals – has put all of his eggs in one basket as he races to complete building work for his new eatery and finish his menu designed using local produce from God’s Own Country. Matt heads to Fortunes smoke house in Whitby on the tail of a fish ingredients for a new dish he is planning.

Cannon Hall Farm’s Rob and Dave Nicholson have a rare day out together when they head over to Whitby for a day on the open sea as they plan to catch something they can cook up for their supper. When unexpected competition scuppers their plans, they go looking for other options and find Darren ‘Archie’ Archibald who shows them his Whitby salt production house before treating them to a culinary delight on the beach. In West Yorkshire, boutique retreat owners Jo and Phil Oundsley are busy preparing for the most demanding of guests who are about to drop into their fancy hotel in Dewsbury. The evening’s entertainment and dinner menus need finalising as they work to satisfy every single personal request from each guest. But the menu is more à la cat than à la carte because they run a luxury hotel… for feline guests only! At Eden Camp Museum and Visitors’ Centre in the market town of Malton, North Yorkshire, Site and Restorations Manager Frank Wood has his toughest, dirtiest challenge yet as he works with engineer Brian to get ‘Mother’ - a M50 Sherman tank - back on track and get her running at full pelt four decades after she retired from active service. And in Burn, North Yorkshire, retired finance director Tracy Dockray has recently turned sixty and to celebrate she’s drawn up a bucket list of ‘must dos’. At the top of Tracy’s list is a wish to see the glorious sights of her beloved Yorkshire from up on high. Thankfully, neighbour Dave Bellamy is a gliding instructor. Unfortunately, there is a problem – Tracy suffers from travel sickness and is scared of heights.

This week Yorkshire Vet Peter Wright and wife Lin head over to Whitby for a special weekend that attracts crowds from all over the UK and beyond. It’s Goth Weekend and Peter and Lin discover why the picturesque seaside town was so influential for Bram Stoker’s Dracula before really getting into the spirit of things with a rather shocking make over. In Horsforth near Leeds, award winning chef and restauranteur Matt Healy is racing to get his new eatery open after a series of setbacks. Undeterred, he continues to source local produce to inspire his new menu. Today, Matt sources the finest of cuts from an award winning charcutier and then meets artisan cheese maker Mario in Otley where he finds a cheese perfect for his new beef tartar creation. In Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales, dairy farmer turned craftsman William Lambert turns his hand to the challenge of making a traditional Dales five bar gate for a client in the next valley. Their previous gate stood the test of time for 50 years, so the bar is high for both William and his senior apprentice and pal Ian to make the grade. And in Haworth, West Yorkshire, retired dentist Gordon Hutchinson is leading the line as he rallies his troops for the Haworth Home Guard re-enactment society’s annual 1940s weekend event. 20,000 visitors are expected to tip into Bronte country but it’s been a while since Gordan’s troops have last performed and Major Gordon is a stickler for fine detail.

This week Emmerdale actor Dean Andrews is determined to show off the great wonders of Yorkshire to co-star and Lancastrian Liam Fox. Dean kicks things off with a trip to Malham in the Yorkshire Dales where they meet geologist Dr John Helm. John is keen to show the boys a part of the Dales many visitors pass by without even noticing but the journey underground proves to be a nerve-racking experience for both. Yorkshire Vet Peter Wright and wife Lin have a right royal day out in Harrogate where they experience the famous Turkish Baths for the very first time and go behind the scenes at Royal Horticultural Society Garden Harlow Carr for a lesson in natural border building with curator Paul Cook, before they discover the story of how a Swiss immigrant founded the world-famous tearoom, Betty’s, in North Yorkshire. West Yorkshire Vet and wildlife artist Avneet Cheema finishes a night shift at his suburban Leeds veterinary practice before travelling deep into the Dales in search of one of Britain’s most elusive mammals, the red squirrel. He’s looking for inspiration for his next creation – a wireframe sculpture of this beautiful but endangered animal that is eagerly expected at his local art gallery. And it’s all hands to the pump at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway in Brontë country as volunteer Josh swaps oily rags for beer towels as he takes on the organisation of their all-important fundraising event – the annual beer and music festival. With up to two thousand thirsty punters expected at the three different venues along the railway’s stations, Josh and the team have their work well and truly cut out.