Sheep thrills

THEY’RE small, woolly and taste great with mint sauce.

Whether you’re a carnivore who enjoys eating them, or a vegetarian who prefers to see them frolicking in the fields, the birth of a lamb is oddly entertaining. Just ask the thousands who tuned into the last series of Lambing Live.

Presenter Kate Humble witnessed the births of nearly 200 of the cute critters during a five-day stay with the Beavan family, in South Wales.

This time around, she’s hoping for even more as she journeys north to a property owned by the Marston clan in Eden Valley, a picturesque setting in Cumbria.

Despite having experienced the highs and lows of last year’s lambing season, Humble is still viewed as an apprentice by the Marstons, who’ve dedicated decades to hill farming. There are 698 pregnant sheep on the farm, expecting a total 1,268 lambs.

The property is run by Andrew and his father, Donald, who live in adjacent houses with wives Rachel and Christine.

Last year, the Beavans were breeding commercially for meat, but for the Marstons, it’s all about breeding stock – they’re looking for quality, not quantity.

The breeds they specialise in are Swaledales, Beltexes, North of England Mules and Bluefaced Leicesters.

In September, Humble received her first lesson in hill sheep farming, and discovered how challenging it can be. “Lambing is a make-or-break time for farmers all over the country, as well as helping to make this a successful season for the Marstons,” she says.

“I’m hoping to give people a glimpse of what farming really means. It can be about breeding the best of the best, producing food for our table or the finest of wools.”

Joining her is Adam Henson. He’s delivered thousands of lambs of his own on his 1,624-acre farm in the Cotswolds. But this experience is going to be very different – he’s used to lambing indoors and on relatively low land.

“Lambing Live is a great way of showing audiences the real nuts and bolts, and highs and lows, of sheep farming,” he explains.

“Our hearts are always warmed by the sights of lambs skipping in springtime, but behind the joy of new birth there is a huge amount of hard work, planning and complicated animal husbandry.”

V IEWERS of a certain age will remember Crown Court, the daily afternoon ITV drama which covered one case over the course of a week. That ended in 1984 and there’s been nothing like it since. However, new series Justice comes close.

Based at the Dovefield Public Justice Centre (PJC), it centres on Judge Patrick Coburn. He’s been unable to convince his staff – never mind the local community – of his new approach to justice, and Coburn’s bosses at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) also remain unconvinced that he’ll be able to deliver results.

To make matters worse, the PJC has been broken into overnight. It doesn’t look like much has been taken, but a key memo from the MoJ is missing.

Although Coburn wants to hush it up, community liaison officer and second-incommand Marie thinks he’s taking the wrong approach. She knows that they need some good press, and fast, so local reporter Louise Scanlon is brought in to interview Coburn. Robert Pugh and Gary Mavers head the cast.

THE first series of Great British Menu was described by various national newspapers as “compelling”, “deadly competitive”, “a must for all foodies”, and “a glorious melange of egotism, envy and raspberry coulis”.

That was in 2006, and five years on it’s still going strong.

This week it’s back for a new run, with many of the nation’s finest chefs battling it out in a bid to win a prestigious prize.

Top cooks from across the country gave us an insight into the highly-competitive world of fine dining as they competed to create food fit for a queen.

In the first serving, North-East chefs Andrew Pern, Stephanie Moon and Tim Bilton compete to create their most impressive starters. Dishes include potted venison with watercress and fennel salad, and sticky pigeon breast with forager’s relish and beer crisps.