OUR car welcomed in the new year by breaking down yet again. It is older than all of my children (the eldest is 21); so getting it fixed cheaply and in a timely fashion is nigh-on impossible.
With this stress hanging over us, I confess, I was less than enthusiastic about the plight of the super-rich people included in Saving Country Houses with Penelope Keith (Channel 4, 13 January), which involved far less mundane concerns than my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this three-part series, however: to my surprise, was an absolute hoot.
It opens with scenes of the undulating English countryside and glimpses of buttery Cotswold stone, accompanied by a rousing strings and Keith’s delicious, mellifluous tones cheekily quipping: “Of course, being to the manor born has always been a privilege.” She invites the viewer to follow the exploits of several families as they try to make the enormous buildings they call home both liveable and profitable.
My favourite was Chavenage House, in the Cotswolds, owned by James Lowsley-Williams, who inherited the estate from his grandfather. He and his wife, Emma, are trying hard to make the estate prosper under their stewardship, but it’s no easy feat. Their idea for a sauna initially gets short shrift from James’s no nonsense Aunt Caroline: “You mean we’ll have naked people running around, beating each other with birch twigs? I’ll believe it when I see it!”
There are complex issues to take into account, using sensitivity and prudence. These are not mundane concerns, but they are certainly valid ones. How do you preserve and breathe new life into places that have historical significance and architectural importance?
Questions of the relevance of bricks and mortar, of meaning and purpose, are, of course, highly pertinent to the Church. Having custody of a historical building is a privilege, but these buildings must also, somehow, earn their keep.
I loved David Baddiel: Cat man (Channel 4, Friday) so much that I found myself Googling halfway through: “I have a cat allergy. Which cat will make me sneeze the least?” This three-part series is Baddiel’s attempt to redress what he sees as a clear dog bias in British programming. Cats are our second most popular pet, but they have not been showcased on television, so far as I can recall, since Bagpuss — and he was made of saggy cloth.
Sure, cats are sneaky, selfish, lazy, and contrary, but, as Baddiel shows, they are also talented, adventurous, regal, funny, and charming. Their affection is harder to win than a dogs, which only adds to the honour of their choosing you.
Including anecdotes from fellow celebrity cat-lovers such as Jonathan Ross and Frank Skinner, plus some surprisingly moving philosophical discussion about pet grief, this is a must-watch for fans of all creatures feline.
