Love Your Weekend

I HAD THE WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAR ON ITV’S LOVE YOUR WEEKEND PROGRAMME HOSTED BY ALAN TITCHMARSH. KEEP READING TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE!

HOW THE OPPORTUNITY AROSE

As a Stone carver, I’ve had the privilege of working on numerous projects that showcase the beauty and durability of natural stone. However, being featured on “Love Your Weekend” with Alan Titchmarsh may well have just been a personal highlight!

The opportunity to share my passion for working with stone on a national platform was both humbling and exciting. It came about through a recommendation from my woodcarving friend William Barsely who has been featured earlier on in the year. A researcher contacted me, and I waited in eager anticipation whilst my work was being viewed by the producer. Once I had confirmation, they wanted me to appear I was over the moon, but having agreed to an embargo of silence, I had to contain my excitement from friends and family!

CONFIRMATION!

I’d been asked if I could take a selection of different varieties of stone and show examples of different types of my work. They were also hopeful that I might be able to start a carving on camera and finish one too. It was only a couple of weeks from confirmation of my attendance, to filming and of course I was a third of the way through carving a  very complicated piece at the time, my immediate thought was, ‘can I get this finished!’

 Two weeks of madly carving and dust flying everywhere later, and I’d managed to get it to a good point to take along. I had an open brief as to what else I could show, having seen images of the set I knew there was ample space to exhibit my work nicely. Thankfully timing worked out well when I was able to collect work the week before filming from the Contemporary Applied Arts Gallery in Marylebone, following a group exhibition which I’d been part of.

The Portland limestone sphere starting to take shape 

PACKING THE CAR

The day came and wanting to make the most of the wonderful opportunity I carefully packed as many of my sculptures as I could safely into my car and set off for the filming barns.

From the moment I arrived on set, early in the morning, the sense of excitement and apprehension started to build! The set in the barn was lovely, with hay bales lining an old barn wall behind two simple wooden benches. Chickens were scratching around clucking gently, and in fact one had made a lovely nest in a box just next to the bench and was laying eggs!

I worked non-stop to prepare the set, hanging work, unpacking boxes and tools, adding dust I had collected from my studio, all to try and make it look like a cross between a private view and a carving studio! The crew kindly helped me ferry work from the car to the set and made suggestions about the set up. My prep was complete about 5minutes before the filming was due to take place so I have to admit I didn’t really have much chance for the nerves to kick in!

The barn on set for Love Your Weekend before set up

WORKING WITH ALAN TITCHMARSH

Working alongside Alan was an absolute delight. I grew up watching him on ground force and I can confirm he is as lovely in person as he appears on TV. His genuine curiosity and enthusiasm for my work was evident from the moment he stepped onto the set. His warmth and charm immediately put me at ease, creating an atmosphere of collaboration and camaraderie, although I have to admit I was a little star struck!

 After a brief chat, Alan walked me over to start filming. He effortlessly read his autocues to camera for the ‘join us after he break’ section before launching into my introduction and segment.

 The filming was done in one take, other than one pause to wait for a noisy aircraft to fly over. Ever the professional, Alan interrupted me mid flow, by placing his had on my arm and just calmly said, wait a moment for there’s a plane over head it’ll come across on the audio. When it had passed he kindly reminded me of what I had just been saying and asked a question to help me get back into the conversation!

Had to sneak a selfie with the very lovely Alan Titchmarsh MBE

FILMING OF LOVE YOUR WEEKEND

During the filming process, I had the chance to share some of my significant projects, from restoration carvings to intricate geometric patterns. We spoke about my background and training as well as the intricacies of the craft, highlighting the unique qualities of different types of stone and the skilled craftsmanship required to bring the designs to life.

 I felt Alan asked thoughtful questions and it was also relating them back to his training as a gardener. Before filming a researcher had asked me what safety equipment we would be using, and I had brought with me safety goggles for us both to wear. We discussed the timing of when best to put them on and placed them strategically in the right place. All of this information went completely out of my head the second the cameras were rolling which thankfully lead to an entertaining moment when I suddenly remember and had to pause and ask Alan to put his on!

It was just as well I remember when I did because as he was standing to my left it meant he was in direct firing line of the stone chips and although you couldn’t quite see it in the finished edit, I was actually slowly covering Alan with stone dust and chips!

 In a flash the filming was finished and after a brief closing chat with Alan (and thankfully a chance to apologise for the flying bit of stone!) it was all finished and he disappeared to film the next segment of the show.

My view on set!

WATCHING THE PROGRAMME

It’s at this point I probably could have done with a cup of tea and a sit down to take stock of what had just happened, but instead it was time to pack everything away again, playing the odd game of Jenga of fitting as much stone and wood into a VW as you can manage!

 There was about a month’s wait between filming and the broadcasting, which if you’re wondering it is ample time to get really nervous about seeing it! Watching yourself on TV is a rather odd experience, it feels rather like you’re watching someone who sounds and looks a little like you but isn’t actually you! I was far more nervous watching it back that I was recording it, probably not helped by my friends throwing a viewing party at 9.30am on a Sunday morning. Thankfully they had provided celebratory Mimosas, which took the edge off nicely!

THE AFTERMATH!

The impact of appearing on “Love Your Weekend” was immediate and a tad overwhelming! The episode sparked a surge of interest in my work, with email enquiries flooding in from viewers eager to learn more about my work and prices, but also signing up for carving courses. It was truly gratifying to see the positive response from viewers who were inspired by my passion for stone.

 I’m excited to see where this journey takes me next and what comes from the enquiries. With each new project and opportunity, I’m committed to upholding the legacy of craftsmanship and innovation that defines our work in the stone industry.

 Looking back on this experience, I’m reminded of the importance of seizing opportunities to share our expertise with a wider audience. “Love Your Weekend” provided a platform to showcase the beauty and versatility of natural stone, helping to raise awareness and appreciation for the craft.

The chickens wandering around the set of Love Your Weekend