LAUGHTER Away!
RALF LITTLE: Reuben Owen grew up with his eight siblings
on their remote hill farm deep in the Yorkshire Dales.
just like his friends, Sarah and Tommy,
he spent his entire childhood playing and learning on the land.
Now that great land is at the heart
of Reuben's new business venture with Tommy and Sarah.
Me business is going well, thanks to you guys,
but, er, I could still use your help to keep it going.
Well, you know we're here by your side, no matter what.
We all like doing the same things, and we have good craic doing it.
We're following their journey
as they work on the land they grew up on...
Oh, dear! It's all dropping out the back of the dumper.
Argh, such a big bit!
...reaping the benefits of their outdoor upbringing...
I've only had this on a week. Came out the womb in a hi-vis.
...sharing their milestones as they come of age...
This is the first time we're going overseas.
...as they continue to choose a traditional way of life
in the remote hills together.
Fixing it in the old ways is what kinda keeps Swaledale, Swaledale.
It's a lovely part of the world to live in.
It's my second year in business,
and I'm getting more confident with every job.
Like me, Tommy's grown up with machinery,
and I can rely on him to get the job clone.
Sarah's learning fast, and she's taking on more every clay.
Between us, there's not much we can't handle.
This week, the team is having an autumn clear out.
It's putting up a fight, it don't wanna go.
Their biggest job of the season disturbs a beloved garden.
Are you all right if we cut the bushes out?
Oh, no!
Tommy fulfils a childhood dream.
Two hands on the steering wheel! When you're a kid,
you don't think you'll get there, but... very exciting.
Reuben's brothers Sid and Miles join the team at an auction mart.
I'd chip in a little bit.
I'll put a bit in it. We could all race round in it.
I've just picked up the cake.
Sarah's on a secret mission for Tommy's 18th birthday.
How's it look? Good.
It's got a cute little, like, personalised number plate on it. Aw.
And the friends celebrate his rite of passage together.
Hip-hip... MEN: Hooray!
Oh, it's a Ford, as well! Happy birthday, lad.
Aye, cheers.
Reuben's base of operation is in the village of Muker,
and from there, the company covers a 75-mile radius.
It's the middle of October.
Reuben, Tommy and Sarah have returned
from their holiday road trip through France,
and as there's a busy autumn schedule ahead,
the team has a dose of the holiday blues.
It's definitely not as warm here, is it?
No, it's a bit cold today. Oh, well, we gotta get back to work.
Got a fair bit to do, and there's also
a little after-holiday surprise down at the yard
to make it feel a little more homely.
Is it a TV? No, it's not a TV.
This month, Reuben has plans
to mend and sell broken gear he's collected.
But before the big clear out can begin,
a new delivery has arrived at the yard in Muker.
There is it. Look at that!
Oh, God. Oh, my goodness.
They were throwing them out.
Yeah. That's what you should have clone.
Reuben hopes the sofas will give the yard a more personal feel.
They are beautiful. TOMMY LAUGHS
They're even better than they looked in the picture.
Can't wait for bonfire night.
There's nowt wrong with them, is there?
I mean... they'll do the job.
Reuben's already feeling precious about his salvaged soft furnishings.
Hey, you got it mucky, Sarah.
I think it was mucky when you bought it.
I didn't pay for it, actually.
Pretty happy with this chair.
I mean, don't look the greatest, but it's very comfy.
Moving up in the world (!)
It's not just the yard moving up in the world.
Tommy's 18th birthday is around the corner,
and he has big plans when he comes of age.
As soon as I am 18,
or as soon as I can, gonna try and get my HGV licence clone.
Is it big job to get your HGV licence?
Yeah, there's a lot more to it than a car test, anyhow.
Need to go for a medical examination, for a start. Oh.
Make sure I'm fit enough and healthy enough.
To go on the road, to be let loose in a lorry. Mm.
The friends are settling into their base
in the beautiful corner of the Dales.
Growing up on a remote farm in these hills,
Reuben learned to make do and mend
and knows one person's trash is another's treasure.
'Getting get some machinery ready for Kendal Auction.
'We're gonna get rid of our old Allie Chalmers tractor.
'Cos we've got an old plough
'and there's an old cow scraper we picked up.
'It's been damaged, so it just wants a bit of welding on one side.'
We are the ultimate repair team, aren't we, Tom? Yeah.
You name it, we've bodged it. Repaired it. Repaired it.
Repaired, nothing but serious bodgery.
Broken, it's worth nowt. It's scrap.
Repaired, you know, some farmer will use that,
wants to scrape his cows out, it's perfect.
Yeah, would be a lot cheaper than a new one or owt daft like that.
Me and Tommy, wouldn't say we're the best welders out there,
but we can make summat stick.
Look at that! Not bad at all.
Somehow, we've clone a really good weld.
Tidy work. Looks nice and strong.
Yeah, be all right with that.
This autumn, Reuben's taking on an intricate plumbing project,
which will be a first for his new business.
Bit of a different job today.
Putting a new sewage treatment plant in.
Lovely.
I know it's not, er, the most glamorous job,
but you know what they say,
"Where there's muck, there's money" and all that.
Reuben's jobs are often spread miles apart throughout the Dales,
but today's work is far closer to home,
as he's been contracted by his neighbours.
John and Rachel, I've known all the time I've been alive.
I used to always get, like, packets of nails and screws
and tools for Christmas off them.
They're a lovely bunch.
It's nice of them to choose us to do this job.
The traditional stone cottage needs an updated sewage system,
so Reuben's ordered a state-of-the-art septic tank
for his family friends.
I was reading the brochure when I ordered the tank
and it said that apparently, if you wanted,
you could drink the water that comes out the back of one of these tanks.
I think we should let Tommy have a bit of a sample when it's in.
RACHEL: Think we should. No chance I'm drinking sewage water.
Not fancy it? Well, do you?
No. TOMMY AND RACHEL LAUGH
This is the old tank.
They're out of date now, these things.
They run off into the river, and they're quite polluting.
So we'll put a new modern treatment plant in here.
So, what we're gonna do today is just
get our head round the system that's in here now.
What, like, uncover all the pipes, then?
Yeah. Wanna start by taking that patio up, to start with.
This is the first time the young team has worked on a friend's home,
and Reuben's keen they take extra care.
Don't break it, that's a special one, that's round.
Oh, my God! Don't drop it.
Do you think you'd know how to put it back down?
No, it's gonna be like the worst jigsaw puzzle we've ever done.
Reuben's used to using his diggers for excavation,
but investigating the ancient pipework
needs a more delicate approach.
The worst thing could happen is
we could upset the sewerage system now, early on,
which is why we're gonna start digging with a shovel to start with.
There it is. Great, that's good.
That's the sewage pipe, see, if we'd gone in with a digger,
you damage a pipe like that, they can't use the house.
I've known Reuben since he was just a babe in arms
and held him when he was just a scrap when he was born,
and we're glad to be able to give him the job to do this work.
There's your water pipe, john. Is it?
You won't cut the pipe, Reuben, will you?
No. You'll know if I do, though. I'll be soaked.
Reuben's discovering that replumbing
Rachel and john's outdated sewerage system
will be an invasive operation.
The pipework comes across the garden there,
are you all right if we cut the bushes out?
Certainly not. Oh, no! Certainly not?
Think you can get them out without damaging them?
Oh, I hope so. We want them to live and go back in.
15 or 20 years they've been in.
Aren't the roots supposed to be as big as the actual plant itself?
Yeah. Right.
That ain't gonna come out very easy. The pipe's been found.
just getting our head round the system
that's in there now, ready for when we replace it,
so we're making a good start.
Replacing the septic tank is proving trickier than expected,
and preserving the mature box hedges in the couple's prized garden
will be the friends' next challenge.
It's late October, and in Swaledale, back on the septic tank job,
Reuben, Tommy and Sarah are attempting to excavate
Rachel and john's precious box hedges.
Bit worried, really. It might end up a disaster, this.
There you go! Give it a pull, Sarah.
You think this is a good idea, Reuben?
I think so.
If this doesn't work, we'll have to knock the house down,
bring a bigger digger in.
RACHEL LAUGHS I don't like the sound of that.
In lieu of a landscape gardener,
Reuben's having to adapt his heavy-duty toolkit...
Oh, it's out. Phew.
No damage clone.
...and has invented an unconventional repotting method.
just like that. just like that, Reuben.
A great relief to see it come out in one piece.
The next test will be that it lives.
Right Ru, do you wanna take this one out?
The second bush is more firmly rooted,
so will test Reuben's mechanical method to the max.
Think this one will go as well? I hope so.
Whoa, whoa.
I don't think we're gonna lift it up high enough.
RACHEL: That one's not wanting to budge, is it?
SARAH: It's just cos there's so many branches.
This isn't shifting, they said. Is it not going as well?
It's coming. All right.
Ooh. Ooh.
More crunching this time. An awful lot of crunching.
Ooh.
That is... Well clone.
..100% success rate. Yes.
Rachel's relieved to see her shrubbery intact,
and green-fingered Reuben's figured out a way
to preserve the plants while work continues.
The wetness of the soil should keep the plants alive
for long enough that they can go back in,
and like we've never been there.
That was a really good idea.
You know, not much has broken off them, really.
Have to say, for Swaledale, you have a very nice garden.
LAUGHING: Thank you. Ancl now it's destroyed.
I don't think destroyed, it's more disassembled at the minute.
It'll all go back in and look good again.
Good. That was a success.
Thank you. See you another clay. See you later. See ya.
They've started the groundwork,
but as the new pipes have yet to arrive,
the team will return in a few days' time.
The autumn season is marching on, and this morning,
Tommy's driving to Carlisle to undergo a health check,
compulsory for every aspiring trucker.
This is the start of quite a long journey
towards becoming a truck driver.
It is the dream.
just dreamt of it as a kid, and when you're a kid,
you don't think you'll ever get there, but today is the clay
where it's the start of the journey towards getting my licence.
It's very exciting.
So, try to read the lowest line that you can read.
T, X, O, F, U, H.
Before Tommy can start his HGV lessons,
he must pass today's medical.
I'm a bit nervous.
I've heard stories of folk who've turned up,
and they've found, like, unknown heart conditions.
It's a massive childhood dream of mine.
Every member of me family's clone it.
Worst case scenario, they find summat, and I can't drive a truck.
Yeah. That would be a disaster, but hopefully not.
You have a perfect bill of health. Your medical is OK to go through.
Oh, that's all right, then. Yep.
Panic over. Least I know I'm medically fit to drive, then.
Yeah. One step closer to the goal now.
Yeah, and wish you all the best. Yeah, no, thank you.
I'm over the moon, really.
That's the first step to becoming a truck driver. So, yeah.
Couldn't have gone any better, really.
Ancl when I'm 18, then I can
hopefully go out with my Uncle Neil and do some learning.
Tommy makes his way back to the yard,
where Reuben and Sarah are waiting to find out if he's passed.
So, how did your medical go, Tommy?
Yeah, no, it went really well.
I passed it, so that's the main thing.
What's the next step, then, do you have to go for lessons or something?
Yeah, well, I've sent off for my provisional,
and then once my provisional gets back,
I can book my theory test.
So I can book that for, well, sharpish after me birthday.
The auction is a few days away,
and as Reuben's collected a treasure trove
of vintage tractors over the years,
he's decided to part ways with one of his classics.
I do really like this tractor,
and I'm quite sad I'm getting rid of it
cos I like it, but there's £1,000 to just spend
in this engine to make it right, I would have thought.
As a business, it would be daft to spend a fortune on this.
Reuben's finally deciding to part with one of his little tractors,
and he's convinced it's to free up space, but I know Reuben,
and I know that it's just so he has more space
to buy another vintage tractor.
No, it's good to clear some space out in the shed.
Definitely. More tractors can go in there now.
Newer tractors. Nicer tractors.
Definitely worse things to be interested in.
Makes him happy, so... it's nice.
They're determined to make as much cash as they can.
Someone'll hopefully buy it for vintage ploughing
and put it on the back of a vintage tractor.
Or use it as decoration outside their house.
While Sarah's up cycling the vintage plough,
Reuben and Tommy want to get the engine running,
as it'll raise the tractor's value at auction.
Ready?
ENGINE STUTTERS
That's not sounding very good. Not good at all.
So, the starter motor's not having it.
Only one thing for it.
Bumpy.
Over time, Reuben's learned
that his fleet of vintage tractors can be tiringly temperamental
but are almost worthless without the engine working.
Don't go too fast, remember I've got no brakes.
Flat out? LAUGHING: No, S|.0W!
Buying and flipping vintage tractors from a young age,
Reuben has always enjoyed the challenge
of bringing them back to life.
ENGINE WHIRS
It started! There she goes. We're alive.
Did all right, that.
Little rough, but we'll put it into an auction as...
Runs. In need of restoration.
Type of thing that someone would buy that's...
you know, grandad had one.
They'll take it into their garage and do it up.
In the barn, Sarah's nearing the end of her restoration...
Oh, well done, Sarah, you're getting there.
Yeah. Slowly. Can't rush perfection.
...but wind-up merchant Reuben can't resist sticking his oar in.
I think it just needs a few finishing touches.
No, put that down, no, put that down.
Right, give me that, and give me that,
and you go outside and let me do it before you ruin everything.
Banished to the yard,
Reuben and Tommy get back to work readying the load for auction day...
The steering's so heavy! Go on. Go on.
...but the vintage tractor seems reluctant to leave.
GROANS Kick the steering round.
It's putting up a fight, it don't wanna go.
Right, watch your front wheels.
That's it. Yeah, that'll do.
Right, I think that is pretty much finished.
Think there's only a few runs on it. It looks the part.
Hopefully, it'll do well in auction now.
It's time to store their stock,
but Sarah's lovingly painted plough is sitting in Reuben's parking spot.
Whoa! Whoa, whoa. Whoa!
That was a little too close to my plough for my liking.
Nearly hit it.
Ru. Yeah?
Come here. All right, chick?
I spent all clay painting this plough,
and you almost hit it with your trailer.
Nowhere near. Nowhere near. You've clone an amazing job.
Well clone, you. Look at your hands, though.
I know, I'm covered.
How you gonna get that off your hands?
I don't know, it's permanent. Forever.
Probably is, you know. Yeah, but I did good job.
I think. Absolutely brilliant job.
Well clone. Thanks.
Right, let's work out how to get that paint off your hands.
It's been a successful day, and time will tell
if the team's hard work will result in a profit.
It's late October,
and the friends are off to their second mucky job of the season.
Ho, ho! Come on.
Hill shepherd Bob Blades wants a feeding area built for his livestock
at a gate entrance high on the moors.
Right, Reuben, if you walk across there
and get as far as that second hollow,
you'll level this out here and make me a hardcore standing.
So, through here, round in a big semi-circle?
Then it'll give me enough room to put three feeders on, won't it? Yep.
Don't like the ground all churned up. Yeah.
So remember that by the time you finish, won't ya?
Yeah, we got tractor on here, so it won't make a scrow.
Scrow is a large mess. Yeah.
What's the technical term for this stuff?
Slother. That's the slothery bit. Slother. A slothery bit.
That's very broad Yorkshire. It's a slothery mess.
If you're as bad on your legs as me,
you go down, and it is not a pretty sight.
REUBEN LAUGHS We'll let you get on.
Right, thank you very much. Good to see you, Bob.
Reuben makes quick work of the "slother",
which he passes to Sarah to track and dump in a neighbouring field.
But the team's promise to not turn Bob's field
into a messy "scrow" quickly comes unstuck.
I locked it! I swear to God, I locked it!
Oh, dear. It's all dropping out of the back of the dumper.
Argh, for God's sake!
Argh, such a big bit. Man.
Dropping giant-sized mole hills out the back of the dumper.
Oh, you...
Well, at least she'll know where to go next time. just follow the trail.
If there's anything left in the dumper by the time she gets there.
Which there might not be.
Please, please, please.
Stay in.
Right, that is locked. I swear.
ls the back door shut this time? Yeah, I've double checked.
Arghg
After a couple of hours, the slother has been shifted,
ready for the hardcore to be level led out into a dry area
for Bob's flock to feed from in the harsh winter months.
Never been so happy to see a stone delivery.
The very first time Reuben drove a digger,
he moved stone around on his family's farm...
He's got his big toy on the job.
He could have done it with a much smaller digger, but...
Maybe a touch overkill.
...and his best mates can see
he's just as content on the job now as when he was a kid.
Look at him, he's so happy.
The concentration face is hilarious.
Look, see, so now when Bob comes, he unties his gate,
swings his gate round,
and he's got lovely, nice hard standing to drive on.
He'll like it. His sheep will like it.
Everyone's happy-
We're happy cos Bob's happy. Bob's happy cos the sheep are happy.
The sheep are happy cos they're not gonna get wet feet
when they have to eat the bales. Yay!
So we have brought happiness.
Look at them, they're coming for a look.
Oh, they're loving it. SHEEP BAA
Ho, ho! Ho, hope! Come on.
Bob returns, eager to inspect their handiwork and his new hard standing.
The cow's gonna be the first one on.
Oh, that sheep's gonna come on, Bob. That all right, Bob?
Yeah, they're not bothered about coming onto it.
Spot on. I thought we were gonna have to clig it out a minute ago.
No. Not yet, but I'll certainly let you know if it doesn't work.
Thank you very much, Bob. OK.
Hopefully, it'll be a lot better for feeding,
easier for tractor in and out without ploughing the ground up
and it'll be better standing for the sheep.
I think it'll work all right.
It's early November, and though Reuben is his own boss,
he still loves hanging out with his younger brothers.
So, as it's half term, he's invited 11-year-old Sid
and 17-year-old Miles to the farmers' auction.
ls there owt particular you wanted to see today?
Tractors. Tractors.
I might go and have a look at some of the livestock,
if there is any.
Morning! ALL: Morning.
They're hoping to sell Reuben's classic tractor,
scraper and Sarah's painted plough,
but first, they need to get it there in one piece.
Right. Up a bit.
Look at that. Without a mark!
I'm kind of sad to see it go. I put a lot of effort into this.
Don't want to leave that down the M6, do we?
Knock a bit of paint off it. No, please don't.
That took a lot of effort.
Sid has been fascinated with vintage kit since he was a toddler,
when he used to help Reuben mend machines at home
on their 2,000-acre hill farm
and is looking forward to seeing what the auction has to offer.
So, it's not a bad way to fill your half term break in, Sid.
Yeah, it's good. It's better than school.
What you gonna do when you finish school?
I'll probably help Dad on the farm. Ancl I might do a bit for you.
Yeah, you came with us the other day,
didn't ya, Sid, in the tractor?
Yeah, it was good. That was good craic.
Do you enjoy coming with us? Yeah.
It was good, apart from the seat. Apart from the seat.
Yeah, the passenger seat in the tractor isn't great,
but four, five years, and you'll soon get your tractor licence. Yeah.
We'll get you trained up, Sid.
Here we are!
All right, we're finally here!
Reuben and the gang are excited to arrive at the auction site,
where they're surrounded by farm machinery
of all shapes and sizes, ready to catch someone's eye.
Go on, then, unstrap it.
As they're preparing to unload their three lots,
they spot Sarah's plough's competition!
Aye, that hasn't had a Sarah paint job.
No, it hasn't. Ah, that's got nothing on mine.
It's probably got more paint on it than yours, Sarah.
I don't know. Well, I'm not sure.
There's quite a lot of paint on mine.
Off. So, this is going in.
Hopefully, seven or 800 quid for it.
Ancl the rest of the bits and bobs make a few hundred quid.
Their items will be sold at an online auction
in a few days' time, so they're seeing
if there are any lots they'd like to buy
before the bidding starts.
Ah, look at you two cuties.
Do a little wheelie. That back brake works.
Look at the floor mat in this one! That is high quality.
Oh, that stinks!
The prospective buyers have their eyes peeled for a bargain.
What do you think, Sid? Looks cool.
Wow, he's impressed.
I quite like the look of that yellow go-kart.
I could see, well, me and Reuben having a little tinker with it,
seeing if we can get it going.
The brothers have always enjoyed
fixing motorbikes and go-karts together,
since Sid was old enough to join Reuben in the workshop.
And the buggy could be the perfect project
for the whole team to work on together.
Go on, turn the steering. Does it work?
No, steering's solid. I can't get it into any gear.
Seems a bit... Nah, it needs a bit of TLC, but...
Go on, Sid. How much do you want me to bid it to?
450, maybe.
I'll bid it to 450, Sid. We'll see what happens.
I'd chip in a little bit. Be a good craic, that.
I'll put a bid in it, we could all race round in it.
Sid's seen that little buggy,
so I've got its lot number written down,
and we'll see what it makes.
If I'm feeling kind, I might put a few quid towards it.
Today, livestock will be sold in the auction ring,
so shepherd's sons Miles and Sid flock over to take a closer look.
My brother's hoping to make profit out of plant machinery,
and, well, when I grow up, I hope to make profit
out of animals and farming.
SHEEP BLEAT
I quite like cows and sheep
cos they're part of our family heritage.
This is the sort of stuff I would like doing one clay.
Sid and Miles have attended sheep sales with their parents
since they were small and appreciate their family pedigree.
Finally, some Swales, some proper sheep are coming in.
So, Sid, you enjoy the auction mart? Yeah, I do.
I hope to be here more often
when I become a farmer and leave school.
Nice. So you do want to become a farmer?
Yeah, I do. What about you? Yeah, same.
AUCTION CHATTER
I can't talk fast enough to be an auctioneer. Me neither.
With Miles and Sid looking forward to their future as farmers,
Tommy is continuing to dream about life as a trucker.
That there is the dream.
That's the only thing here that I want.
just need to get my licence passed.
And he's spotted old school friend Henry,
who's already one step further along the road.
No, it's a fair outfit.
It is a fair outfit, it's a fair bit of kit.
No, that's what I'm hoping to do.
It's hard work, but there's no better feeling
than getting on the road.
It's worth it in the end. Now, once I've got me licence,
I'll have to come for a ride out with you.
No, that will do. Well, I'll show you how the big boys do it.
Yeah? I'll show you how it's really clone.
Keen to learn. Yeah.
He's 18-and-a-half, and, yeah, I'm about to be 18,
so I'd like to think that I would be able to do what he does.
I mean, credit it to him,
like, look at that for an outfit at 18 years old.
No, he's clone very well.
Oh, no, very excited, it'll hopefully be me soon.
Take care, see you later.
Farmers are making their way home,
as the livestock auction is over and the mechanical lots are in.
We've got all our machines away in into the lot
without damaging them.
The Allie-Chalmers made it.
The ploughs all made it without too much scratches.
That will do for today. Let's get back on the road.
Right. Back down that motorway. Come on, then.
After a busy day, the team heads home to the Dales
and now have an agonising wait to see if their items will sell.
In Swaledale, back at the septic tank job,
Reuben and Tommy are adding the finishing touches
to the newly laid pipework.
What's the pea gravel for, then?
just kind of future-proofing it, if the ground ever moves or...
Ancl drainage as well.
Now we got a good little system here.
I shovel it in and then watch you shovel it out.
I find it very satisfying. Shovelling?
No, you know, it was mud, water and awful,
and now it's... pristine.
Gravel. Where's Sarah gone to?
Doctor's? Yeah. She all right?
Yeah, It's to do with her...
Is it to do with her tonsils or something? All right.
Unbeknownst to Tommy,
Sarah's actually on a secret birthday mission.
And Reuben's enjoying throwing him off the scent.
Go on, Tom! Come on!
Keep it coming, keep it coming, that's it, round the corner!
So, I've just picked up the cake, and this is it!
Me and Reuben have decided to get him a present,
and we weren't sure what to get him, so we figured
we'd get him a birthday cake in the shape of his tractor.
Says Tom on the front.
Yeah, it looks pretty cool.
All I have to do is get it to him in one piece.
Ancl... yeah. Let's hope he likes it.
Sarah's made it back to site,
and while Tommy's taking a break,
Reuben's getting the low-down on the birthday plans.
How's it look? Uh... yeah.
You can tell it's a tractor.
I'm not sure you can tell it's Tom's tractor.
But it's a tractor. But it's funny, it's good.
Ancl it will feed a lot of people cos it's massive.
What colour is it, then? It's blue!
I sent... The reference photo was Tommy's Ford.
And it's... Yeah, it's inspired by it.
It's got a cute little, like, personalised number plate on it.
Same number plate as his? No. It says Tom on it.
Oh. 18.
Aw!
It's the thought that counts, Ru. It is.
Unless it's Tommy, and then he'll be massively disappointed.
Don't say that. I can't cope.
They've done as much as they can for today,
so Reuben's getting Rachel and john up to speed on their progress.
So we've got it piped up.
I rung the building regs fella,
and he said to pea gravel it to the top of the pipe,
till he can come and make sure everything's on point.
You're doing a good job. Thank you very much.
Next, er... It looks professional.
It looks professional? Well, that's something.
Oh, that is something. Oh, it is professional.
It is? Oh, yeah. One clay, I'll be able to say that.
What's next on the agenda?
Once the man's been and checked it all,
we'll back fill this
and start digging out for the new tank.
But we don't wanna disturb the old tank until we're ready.
No, you won't. It's not very convenient.
And then, we'll start putting the garden back together.
We're getting there slowly. We'll soon have them bushes back in.
They're doing quite well. They're doing well, aren't they?
With the newly laid pipework complete,
it'll be a week or two before the team can connect the new system,
so they call it a day and head home before dark.
It's the morning after the online auction,
and the friends have come down to the yard
to see how their lots have fared.
Put all sorts of things in auctions.
You win some, you lose some.
You never know what things are gonna make.
We'll have a look and see how we did.
Maybe even see if I have won that buggy for Sid.
With the online bids all closed, their nerves are high,
and Reuben's banking on them all to sell.
I've got me laptop.
The clogs chewed the end off my charger, so I've only got 1 1 %.
Better hurry up, then. So we'll have a look,
see what it made.
So... Right, here we are. Here we are.
Allie-Chalmers.
Final bid...
£700.
More than you get for it.
That did really well. The scraper.
With that fine welding job.
£170 for that!
Hell of a do. Right, the plough.
Well, I'm hoping it went for a couple hundred quid, at least.
I mean, I spent a lot of time painting it.
Final bid... what's your guess?
I don't know. I don't even want to guess.
Not good. H E CH UCKLES
140 quid!
You are joking?
We've been robbed. We've been robbed.
I'm glad I didn't paint it.
Oh, well. So, that's clone all right,
I mean, the plough didn't do as well as I thought,
but we got nearly a thousand quid.
Did you manage to put a bid in for that little buggy thing? I did!
Look at that!
500 British pounds.
Hmm. That will be good fun, that. It will be good fun.
No, success, really, at the auction.
I mean, we made a bit, and we've bought a buggy,
and we've now got a space to put something interesting in our shed.
I'm sure you'll soon fill it.
What are you thinking to put in the shed?
I don't know, but you do realise you don't just clear out a shed
to then just fill it with more stuff?
I do! SHE CH UCKLES
It's been a successful sale.
By fixing and repairing the unwanted machines together,
they've kept the pounds rolling in,
and to celebrate their winnings, Reuben has a treat in store.
We're having ab it of a clay after digging today.
For your birthday, Tom. Yeah.
You've got your new bike on. Yeah.
No, looking forward to it. Oh, me, too.
Inch Perfect Trials Bike Centre is a place
experienced riders Tommy and Reuben have wanted to visit for a while.
And instructor Matt Alpe is on hand
to help them get to grips with the course.
We'll do some nice... nice circuits around the field.
We'll do some figure of eight turns, and I think you're good to go, then.
OK. All right? Yeah.
Sarah's new to trials biking
so needs a bit more practice to keep up with Reuben and Tommy.
Can hear them screaming the bikes about up there.
It's quite scary, actually.
It's not very easy at all.
But, erm, I think the worst part is
making sure, when you're standing up, you don't lean back.
Cos if you lean back, you pull the throttle,
and then, you're, like, over there, and you're back here.
But, no, it's good fun. I'm excited to...
to blast it about and see where else we're going.
While Sarah's mastering the beginners' slopes,
Matt leads Tommy and Reuben to the advanced course.
And as they've both been riding bikes since they were kids,
the off-roading enthusiasts are in their element.
I really enjoyed it. A good birthday gift.
It's, er, somewhere I've always wanted to come,
for quite a while, so...
No, good to have been here
and... had a go and I'll definitely come back.
After several hours of biking, their day has come to an end.
How good was that?
That was brilliant. Aye, thank you very much for bringing us here.
No problem. Been a good day. It has been a good clay.
How you finding that, Sarah?
It's great. It has loads of power.
Ancl I don't think I even slipped anywhere.
I'm sweating more than I would have been
if we'd been digging. I took me jacket straight off.
I'm well warm.
Oh, well, can't... Yeah, head back.
Feeling hot and bothered,
Reuben and Tommy have the perfect way to cool off.
Whose bike are you washing?
HE CHUCKLES
RALF LITTLE: It's mid-November,
and Tommy's birthday's finally arrived,
so he's heading to the family's haulage yard in Kirkby Stephen.
Now 18, he's having a ride out with his dad's cousin Neil,
who's agreed to take him out on his very first lorry lesson.
Morning, Neil. Happy birthday.
Thank you. Right, driving lesson.
How we feeling? Er, a little bit nervous.
A bit bigger than a tractor and trailer. Yeah.
Nah, I'm looking forward to it, as long as everything goes well.
Good, good. I'll get I plates on.
I plates on, daily checks clone while I have me brew.
Tommy comes from a long line of truckers
who've driven haulage lorries throughout the country,
and it's them who have inspired him to be here today.
This is a childhood dream. Been 18 years of waiting.
I mean, it's in the family, like, on the side here,
that top one's the one that Neil learnt to drive in,
and then there's a picture there of baby Neil in front of a wagon.
And now 'R's my tum.
Once he gets going down the road,
he'll find it's a bit bigger than what he's used to anyhow,
so we'll see how we get on.
I'm nervous more than him, probably.
Side lights on. Knob on the door. Big knob.
Don't you know how to put headlights on?
Big responsibility for a first lesson,
I mean, it's Neil's pride and joy. Bit nervous, really...
Ready? Yeah.
Let's go, then.
'..especially when you got Neil in the passenger seat next to you.'
Keep your foot on the brake. Turn that away.
Watch yous back end.
Part of Neil's haulage business
includes buying and selling second-hand machinery.
So today, Tommy's driving them 40 minutes to an auction in Penrith,
quite a distance for this nervous novice.
Right, go on. A bit faster than that. Come on.
We wanna be there before dinner. We will be there before dinner.
Tight, innit? Yeah.
Slow down. You will be well over.
Go on, lock it round now. Watch that back end on the wall.
Watch that wing.
Now just keep hold of that steering wheel, it catches the wind,
especially going over sharp.
You can really feel the wind against you, can't ya?
Compared to a car.
Two hands on the steering wheel. On.
Right. Go on, get on.
Go on, or you're not gonna get through the lights.
What other tips is there I need to know?
Keep checking your mirrors, and keep two hands on the steering wheel.
You have to do that with a car. Yeah, which is exactly the same.
just a bit bigger, innit? A bit.
Could be doing worse things on your birthday, couldn't you?
Yeah. No, I'm happy to be doing this.
It's what I wanted to do,
and to do it on me actual birthday's pretty good.
I've clone plenty of miles sat in the passenger seat,
and now we've reversed roles.
It's all right, sat in this side, I can look at the scenery.
I'm happy with that, then.
Get me test passed, and we'll make it a permanent swap.
I dunno about that.
Have you got your phone on you?
Yeah. Take a video of me so I can show Granddad when I get back.
Finally let the best driver have a go.
just watch where you're going.
Slow down. Slow down. Slow down.
Right, turn in, not too sharp, and take the thing off.
Handbrake on, out of gear. Wipers off.
Tommy safely made it to the auction site,
and his driving hasn't dampened man-of-few-words Neil's appetite!
How was that, then?
Er, all right.
Tommy's driving lesson is now over.
All that's left is to load up Neil's goods.
He were a bit nervous at the start,
especially coming out of village on't narrow road.
But once we got up main road, he were fine.
As long as he keeps checking his mirrors
and two hands on the wheel, he'll be all right.
Yeah, he'll get there.
Most folk on their 18th birthday lie in bed all clay,
go out for dinner, and then go to the pub.
But I've been out in a wagon.
Wouldn't have any other way, to be fair. That was great fun.
Get me theory test clone and me test passed,
then I can go out on my own.
Are you gonna let us go on a few more lessons, then?
I would think so, if there's summat to do, we'll do some of them.
Well, I think it's best that I do as much practice as I can
before going to a driving school.
Yeah. You can't beat practice.
All helps, doesn't it? Yep, it does.
Driving behind the wheel has left Tommy in a celebratory mood,
and he's looking forward to continuing the birthday festivities.
So as evening falls,
the friends have arranged to meet at their local,
and Sarah's excited to reveal her surprise to the birthday boy.
Can we get three cheers for Tommy?
Hip-hip... ALL: Hooray!
Hip~hip... Hooray!
There you go. Happy birthday. Oh, it's a Ford as well.
REUBEN: Happy birthday, Tom! Cheers.
Did you make this? Yes, I did, actually.
I, er... I got the wheels a bit wrong, but the rest's all right.
You've got it close enough.
It was a shoe, but then I decided to turn it into a tractor.
But anyway, happy birthday, lad. Aye, cheers.
Go on, then, Tom, make a wish.
ALL: Hooray!
Typical Ford... on fire. Did you bake it, Sarah?
No, sadly, I didn't. It looks pretty good.
Thank you very much, yeah. It looks lovely.
No problem.
We'll get cake sawn up, and I'll share it out.
Split it for us, and put a clutch in.
Window's a bit frosted, need to start it up and de-mist it.
Hey, Tommo, you had a good birthday, like?
Yeah, no, it's been grand. Good craic, like?
Yeah, no, glad to be 18,
and thanks for everyone coming today and having some drinks and that.
Happy birthday, big lad. Cheers.
'It's really good to have all me friends ancl family up here tonight
'celebrating my 18th.'
And, yeah, been a cracking clay.
Been on my first driving lesson with Neil.
Exciting times ahead and hopefully do some more trucking.
But I also wanna continue working with Reuben and Sarah.
Couldn't wish for anything better.
The friends have made the most of autumn.
They've cleared space in the yard by cashing in on Reuben's clutter
and picked up new skills along the way.
And with the festive season around the corner,
there'll be plenty more celebrating to look forward to.
Next time... it all goes wrong for Reuben and his pals.
The tank has floated out the hole. That is a total disaster.
Tommy and Sarah decorate a dozer... Eight-foot tree.
Strap it to the front of the tractor and decorate that.
...for a festive show like no other.
There's Mum and Dad. Mum with pink phone, Dad in't red jacket.
And Reuben has a birthday surprise for his younger brother Sidney.
Did you actually buy this for me? Yeah, no, got it for you Sid.
lthought it was just up your street.