Countryfile Live and Blenheim Palace

The BBC's Countryfile, Live in the Grounds of Blenheim Palace - and a Quick Look at the Palace

Oxfordshire

Fate kindly showered us with a couple of complementary tickets for Countryfile Live (thanks Gaby) so, on what promised to be a warm August day, we made our way down to Blenheim Palace just outside Woodstock in Oxfordshire

The grounds of Blenheim are vast with ample room for the show and the car parking. The complex logistical exercise of getting so many vehicles in and out seemed to go well, though locals must have endured some disruption with multiple temporary traffic lights and country lanes normally seeing dozens of cars a day suddenly coping with hundreds, if not thousands.

John Craven and Adam Henson

We arrived early and as soon as the gates opened headed for the ‘Big Barn’. Being regular viewers of the show, we wanted to see some of the presenters live so we settled on our hay bales (well it was Countryfile) to watch John Craven and Adam Henson, with producer Jo Brame, talking to Helen Fospero (GMTV, Lorraine, Watchdog and more).

Adam Henson, John Craven, Helen Fospero and Jo Brame (l to r)
Countryfile Live, Blenheim Palace

John and Adam have a good professional and personal relationship, and both picked as highlights occasions when John (the television professional) had been roughed up by the livestock of Adam (the farming professional).

John Craven has been on our screens since John Logie Baird and admits to being 78. That makes him 10 years older than me, and I shall be delighted if I am in such good condition in 2029 – actually that bird may already have flown. Adam Henson mixes his farm work with Countryfile presenting, claiming in answer to a question from the audience that he divides his time about 50-50. He then detailed his upcoming Countryfile commitments, suggesting the farm might be well below 50% in the immediate future. His father, Joe Henson, who died in 2015, opened the Cotswold Farm Park in 1971 and was the founding chairman of the the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

British Charcuterie

The nearby British Charcuterie tent gave us the opportunity to taste the wares of a dozen or so producers in (according to the Show Guide) this ‘booming sector of artisanal food production’. I love charcuterie but I am aware that sustainability requires us to eat less meat and health requires us to cut down on processed meat. I could use the ‘I am too old to change’ excuse, though it is not really true, but I expect I will go on damaging the environment and myself regardless.

Helen Browning, Wiltshire farmer and Chief Executive of the Soil Association, is the organic farmer’s organic farmer – so it is not all bad. She produces a full range of charcuterie including an organic corned beef – not a product I had previously thought of as charcuterie. Her corned beef resembles Frey Bentos in little more than the name - who knew something so humble could be so delicious?

Helen Browning;s stall, Countryfile Live

We enjoyed the wild venison salami made by Good Game of Topsham in Devon, and the Suffolk Salamis from Lane Farm in the tiny village of Brundish. We particularly like the rosemary salami, though its fennel cousin has been the one nominated for awards.

Lane Farm Foods, Countryfile Live

Two stalls in the tent which nobody could call charcuterie had rather different but still excellent products. The charcoal salt from Churchfields Saltworks, Droitwich sold under the label of the Michelin starred restaurant Carter’s of Moseley (Moseley must have changed since my student days!) was complex and subtle, and capable of transforming a steak. Cult Vinegars, apparently based in a residential house in Balham, south London, were less acidic than most vinegars so tasting them was not wince inducing. The herb infused vinegars were herbal, the PX, Port and Bordeaux vinegars really did taste of sweet Pedro Ximenez, Port and claret. The English red wine vinegar was less distinctive (but that is the one nominated for awards.)

Cult vinegar stall, Countryfile Live

We are now owners of venison and rosemary salamis, a bag of charcoal salt and a collection of tiny bottles of very expensive vinegar.

Charles Hanson and Rick Stein

We had tickets to see Charles Hanson (Bargain Hunt, Antiques Road Trip etc) and strolled through the show to the appropriate venue. This took us through the ‘Dog Lovers’ Arena’. Doggy people naturally assume that everybody loves dogs as much as they do. I do not, I have an allergy – and I dislike their behaviour. Dogsters usually believe this character defect can be rectified by their particular darling slobbering on the defective. I keep my distance.

Pigs though are different, and there is little cuter than a pile of Saddleback piglets. There were once two breeds of Saddleback, Essex and Wessex. and in the 1940s they accounted for almost half the British pig population. In 1955 the Howitt Report decided that breed diversity was handicapping our pig industry which henceforth should concentrate on three breeds only, none of them saddlebacks. By 1967 the herd-books of the saddleback breeds had become so thin, they were merged to create the British Saddleback. The population has grown and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust now lists them as a ‘minority’ rather than a ‘rare’ breed.

British Saddlebacks, Countryfile, Live

My interest in antiques is less than all-consuming, but Charles Hanson spoke amusingly and answered questions for an hour that passed swiftly. I cannot remember anything he said, but over 37 years as a teacher, I suspect there were students who might have said the same of me, though perhaps their time flowed more sluggishly.

Charles Hanson at Countryfile Live

We dashed back to the big barn to see the end of Rick Stein’s chat. Food interests me more than antiques and we have eaten at Stein’s Padstow sea food restaurant. We also seem to follow each other round, we had the same local guide in Puebla in Mexico, and ate at the same street food stalls in Lucknow

Rick Stein in the Big Barn, Countryfile Live

He was taken to task during the Q&A for the quantity of salt he uses when cooking on TV. I sympathise with his defence: these are dishes for pleasure not survival (moderation in all things – including moderation), but I feel that although his restaurant gets it right, on TV he throws in more than can be pleasurable.

Lunch at Countryfile Live

It was now lunchtime and there were many options.

Food choices, Countryfile Live

We settled on crispy duck wraps, Lynne had a freshly squeezed orange juice and I had a pint from the Three Fiends Brewery stall next door. Three Fiends is a microbrewery set up by three friends in Holmfirth in 2014. Thankfully, their brewing is better than their punning and I can wholeheatedly recommend their Two Face Pale Ale.

Crispy duck wraps and the Three Fiends Brewery, Countryfile Live

Pull up a bale and sit down, lunch at Countryfile Live

Sheep, Horses, Ducks and More

We spent the afternoon dropping in on various exhibits, starting with Stuart Barnes and his sheep show. With eight different breeds on stage I suspect there was some serious point to the show, but by the time we arrived music was playing and Stuart was showing the different dancing styles of the various breeds.

Stuart Barnes and his sheep show, Countryfile Live

More Countryfile presenters were appearing on the main stage, and we saw John Craven (again) and Ellie Harrison aided by two members of the public and, as there was a quiz of sorts, a member of the production team operating what the BBC might call a laser display board.

John Craven, Ellie Harrison and others, Countryfile Live

Unfortunately, I suffer the same (literally) eye-wateringly unpleasant reaction to horses as to dogs, but nobody looks at you oddly if you decline to pet their horse, so we spent some time watching dressage in the Mane Arena (it was a day for bad puns). Despite the best efforts of the enthusiastic commentator I still do not understand the finer points of dressage, indeed I do not understand the broader ones either….

Dressage, Countryfile Live

….and I am almost as ignorant about Morris Dancing. The Hereburgh Morris team, from the Warwickshire village of Harbury were giving their all, so we moved on before being co-opted onto the dance floor.

Hereburgh Morris, Countryfile Live

It was time for an ice cream, and having never previously encountered goat’s milk ice cream we took the opportunity. It was fine, but the familiar, distinctive goaty flavour was either absent or lost under the mint and chocolate chip.

Goat's milk ice cream from the Greedy Goat

We have seen people carving Buddha statues from wood and marble with electric sanders in Vietnam, and Mike Burgess’ chainsaw sculptures fall into the same category. Not only could I not do this, I do not understand how anyone can; I am in awe of Mike Burgess and his Vietnamese confrères.

Mike Burgess and his chainsaw sculptures

Stuart Barnes had left his sheep and was in the arena with his ducks and dogs. He is a serious dog trainer and his insights into dog psychology, imparted with forthright Australian wit, explained convincingly why there are no bad dogs, just bad owners. Wary, as I am of dogs, I do like ducks, and we really came to see his Indian running ducks, wonderful if slightly unlikely creatures here doing a job usually undertaken by sheep.

Stuart Barnes with his dogs and ducks, Countryfile Live

Apart from some second visits for purchases decided on earlier, that was it for our day at Countryfile Live. It had been, as Wallace would say, a grand day out. Mostly visitors could have been unaware they were in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, though it can be seen from near the main stage and this post would be incomplete without a few words about this massive pile.

Blenheim Palace from near the Countryfile Live main stage

Blenheim Palace

The House and its History

Blenheim Palace is a whacking great house, one of the largest in the country and the only ‘palace’ that is not a residence of the queen or a bishop. We visited in February 2017 with our daughter, son-in-law and grandson.

Blenheim Palace. Critics are divided about the building. In my humble (oh, so very humble) opinion it is a massive monument to ostentatious bad taste.

Born in Devon in 1650 into the gentry rather than aristocracy, John Churchill’s successful diplomatic and military career was more a consequence of his ability than his birth – though his wife’s friendship with Queen Anne probably helped.

Entrance Hall, Blenheim Palace

In the first decade of the 18th century Churchill led the Grand Alliance in a series of major victories in the War of the Spanish Succession, most notably at Blenheim. As a reward a grateful nation paid to build him a house on land donated by Queen Anne, who also made him the 1st Duke of Marlborough.

Ceiling, Blenheim Palace

Baroque was never a big hit in England, and Blenheim designed by Sir John Vanburgh, is one of very few English Baroque houses. The project was dogged by political in-fighting, and the Duchess’s falling out with the queen. Never particularly rich, the Duke of Marlborough spent what fortune he had completing the project.

Vases, Blenheim Palace

Despite many difficulties Blenheim has remained the residence of the Dukes of Marlborough ever since. Winston Churchill was born here in 1875...

Winston Churchill was born in this room, Blenheim Palace

... and in 1895 his friend and cousin Charles, the 9th Duke ensured economic stability by marrying Consuelo Vanderbilt the daughter of American railroad millionaire William Vanderbilt. Charles got his money, the Vanderbilts got a titled daughter and the unfortunate Consuelo got a husband she never wanted. The couple separated in 1906 (after Consuelo had produced an heir and a spare) and divorced in 1921.

The Long Library, Blenheim Palace

The 11th Duke opened the house to the public, so us peasants can now (for a price) wander round the house and gardens. He died in 2014 and the 12th Duke, whose well documented troubles have including prison sentences and drug abuse, is now in residence. The house is administered by a board of trustees.

Formal gardens, Blenheim Palace

The Entertainment

Blenheim also has family orientated attractions, situated a little way from the house so they provide a train to take you there.

Blenheim's little train

The maze is fun; being able to look down from above is both helpful and frustrating….

The Blenheim maze

…and the butterfly house provides welcome tropical warmth on a cold day. There were plenty of butterflies but they can be difficult to identify; the one below is (I think) a red helen, a native of southern India.

A red helen (I think) in the Blenheim butterfly house

The butterflies share their home with a flock of zebra finches; common in central Australia, but looking pleasingly exotic in Oxfordshire.

Zebra finches in the Blenheim butterfly house

And there is a model of part of the town of Woodstock.

Part of the Woodstock model
You will be pleased to know that our grandson now has a full complement of teeth again

Blenheim provides a good day out, even in February when such things are rare – but its not a cheap day.