Valentine’s Day special: love in your city
We take a trip around the UK to explore love in your city, and discover what you can get up to this Valentine’s Day.
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00:00 [Music]
00:13 Well we're feeling all loved up and who can blame us at this time of year.
00:18 So in celebration of Valentine's Day we sent our teams out around the country
00:23 to discover more about the love of your city and to see what you could be getting up to
00:27 at this time of year. We'll be heading to Liverpool, Bristol, Leeds and Cardiff
00:34 but first we're going to start with Emma in Manchester
00:37 who's celebrating one of the loves of my life, food.
00:41 [Music]
00:46 Valentine's to me is about food and drinks really. It's just about exploring different places,
00:52 different places trying to give us different facets of their drinks or their food. So it's
00:57 just an amazing time to try different foods, try different drinks, not just food and drinks,
01:02 like different experiences. It's like Manchester is such a buzzing city. We've got everything
01:06 happening all at once, like something new popping up every day. So it's just like a lovely time to
01:11 get with a loved one and just try and do everything really.
01:14 Many people may be hoping to celebrate the day of love with partners or friends.
01:18 Some may be wondering what to plan for the big day, whether to check out a special event or try
01:22 a new menu. So we thought we'd get involved with something Valentine's themed to give you
01:27 some inspiration. Everything very Valentine's, love, coquette, like the whole pink fantasy really.
01:34 And we've got loads of people who don't want to celebrate Valentine's Day but still want to do
01:37 something special. We've got like loads of little things that just celebrate love rather than
01:41 celebrate Valentine's Day because at the end of the day Valentine's Day is just about love isn't it?
01:45 [Music]
01:50 Well I've filmed at Temple Newsome a fair few times over the years and this time let's go
01:55 back in time to take a look at the lovers who have called this place home.
02:00 With its rich history there's sure to be a few romantic tales to tell.
02:05 When it comes to love there's lots to love about Temple Newsome.
02:12 The Tudor Jacobian mansion just east of Leeds City Centre is loved by history lovers.
02:17 The grounds are enjoyed by outdoor lovers but what about those that have been in love here
02:22 through the centuries?
02:23 There's 500 years of history and that's not taking into account the 500 years beforehand
02:29 when the Knights Templar were here. So there's been a lot of people that have lived here at
02:34 the house, a lot of romantic goings on. So the one that I wanted to focus on really was one of the
02:40 later owners of Temple Newsome and it is the lady here, this is Emily Menel Ingram and Emily's
02:47 grandfather on her father's side was actually Earl Grey the Prime Minister so she came from
02:52 a very important family in her own right and she was from the Whigs, the Liberals.
02:58 Now her husband Hugo, he from a slightly different political family but he was the last
03:03 descendant of the gentleman that actually built Temple Newsome in the 1620s or should
03:08 I say rebuilt in the 1620s, he was called Arthur Ingram and his family were Tories so they were
03:14 very politically divided couple.
03:16 While living in Leeds the couple exchanged a series of heartfelt and passionate love
03:20 letters which still exist today.
03:22 He actually addresses her 'my dearest kitten', a bit of a nickname and I wondered why I was
03:28 not blessed by a sight of your beautiful paw but it's now accounted for which to some people
03:34 might feel that slightly nauseating, I don't know but clearly it meant something to Hugo.
03:40 So they married in 1864 and they had a happy six or seven years and very very sadly following
03:47 a riding accident Hugo passed away following complications and Emily descended into a period
03:55 of complete mourning, something akin to what Victoria really experienced.
04:00 She never remarried and she passed away in 1904 and then left the house to her nephew
04:06 who was Edward Wood, Lord Halifax, who was actually the Foreign Secretary during the
04:10 Second World War.
04:12 With Valentine's Day often coinciding with half term, Temple Newsome welcomes families
04:17 to share the love with crafting activities and a visit to the lovable animals on Home Farm.
04:22 It's a wonderful place to come any time of the year but particularly during the holidays so
04:28 this half term our theme is share the love or caring and sharing.
04:32 What do you love most about Liverpool?
04:40 Our music, impressive architecture, our humour.
04:42 We're famous across the globe for a whole host of reasons but nothing unites us as much
04:48 as sport.
04:49 Home to two top flight Premier League teams which have shaped our past, present and future.
04:56 Bob Waterhouse knows all too well about the trials and tribulations of the beautiful game.
05:01 The retired teacher's latest book titled Liverpool Football Club Ruined My Life
05:07 examines why the Reds overtook the Toffees as the dominant Merseyside club.
05:12 In the early 60s when I started supporting Everton and they were definitely the number
05:19 one team on Merseyside then, however this dominance was about to come apart very rapidly.
05:29 The history of both clubs is so intrinsically linked.
05:34 Everton were the first of the two teams to exist.
05:36 Known first as St Domingos, they started life playing in Stanley Park,
05:40 moving on to Anfield to accommodate their crowd of fans.
05:44 Following a disagreement over rent, the Blues moved to Goodison Park,
05:47 making space for Liverpool FC to be formed.
05:50 Some of the younger fans may not realise that Everton used to play at Anfield.
05:56 And I think that common source has given the city a degree of unity that,
06:04 for instance, has never existed in Glasgow.
06:06 Liverpool fans have been left feeling bereft.
06:10 The bombshell news that Jurgen Klopp has announced he'll be leaving the club at the end of the season.
06:15 The Reds' beloved managers led the team to victory in six major trophies over his
06:20 nine and a half years at the club.
06:22 Over on the Blue side of the city, despite being hit by a second charge by the Premier League,
06:27 there is plenty to look forward to,
06:29 with a brand new home at Bramley Moor Dock on the horizon for the Toffees.
06:33 In terms of the fans, they've got much more in common than separates them.
06:39 But I think Everton's fans in particular, probably as a result of the relative
06:44 lack of success over the last 30 or 40 years.
06:47 Everton's fans are very much localised.
06:50 About 20 years ago, there was a survey suggesting that over half of them come from within a
06:55 30 or 40 mile radius of the city.
06:58 Liverpool's fan base, as I'm sure you know, is much more globalised.
07:01 So not that Everton's isn't.
07:03 [Music]
07:09 Time now to look at something to do this Valentine's Day.
07:12 The romantic experience at Bristol's Aquarium.
07:16 Bristol Aquarium opened in 2009 and has ever since given the people of Bristol an insight
07:22 into the depths of a beautifully themed sunken shipwreck.
07:25 But how is the aquarium turning romantic?
07:29 We've got thousands of aquatic creatures here, from big to small, that are absolutely fascinating.
07:34 How does an angular fish like its ladies?
07:37 What happens in the love jewel of a flatworm?
07:40 Just how dirty is a dolphin?
07:42 There is loads to do at the adults-only walkthrough here at Bristol Aquarium this Valentine's Day.
07:49 Let's chat to their team to find out more.
07:51 The Valentine's evening event is always a really, really popular event.
07:56 It's an adults-only evening, so basically it gives the adults a chance to come in
08:02 and enjoy the animals in a bit of peace and quiet without the kids.
08:05 People come here, they can expect to be amazed, be wondered.
08:09 They can definitely expect to learn something.
08:11 It's a really great place to come and learn new things.
08:16 Fantastic place for kids.
08:18 And also a great place to learn about how people can take care of the planet a bit better.
08:25 Sustainability is a really important thing to us.
08:26 So yeah, learning how to live with the creatures that we share the planet with
08:31 is definitely something you can find all about.
08:32 And now, Cardiff is one of the greenest cities in the country,
08:46 thanks to beautiful parks dotted all around.
08:48 From the iconic Bute Park to Wroath Park,
08:50 and all the little ones maybe even near your house.
08:53 Our parks is what makes Cardiff the city it is.
08:55 So we're taking a look at as many as we can, finding the beauty in every single one.
08:59 Where else to start our journey other than Bute Park?
09:01 It's absolutely huge, over 130 acres.
09:04 You can spend an entire day here exploring around and finding plenty of hidden gems.
09:08 There are gardens, wooded areas, the Taft flows right through the middle.
09:11 There's so much going on in this park and there's always something new to see.
09:15 Plus it's almost literally a stone's throw from the city centre.
09:18 Not many cities can say that.
09:22 What makes Bute Park quite so special is the massive number of so-called 'Champion Trees'.
09:26 The biggest or tallest of its type in the UK or Ireland.
09:29 Bute Park is home to more Champion Trees than any other park
09:32 anywhere across the British Isles, 41 in total.
09:35 There's a trail you can follow to spot every single one in the park,
09:37 which takes you on a beautiful little expedition across the gardens and the fields.
09:41 Bute Park in the summer is full of Cardiffians taking in the sun, relaxing on the grass,
09:48 and throughout the year hosts a number of different events like festivals and shows.
09:51 Bute Park has got to be the jewel in Cardiff's Park crown.
09:55 Another park close to the city centre is here in Alexandra Gardens,
10:02 smack bang in the middle of the civic area just behind City Hall.
10:05 The park is home to warm memorials and the beautiful dolphin adorned fountain in the centre.
10:10 This relatively small park has so much on offer, perfect for a lovely little stroll,
10:14 especially in the summer with the flowers all in bloom.
10:19 And then just around the corner from Alexandra Gardens you've got Gorseth Gardens,
10:22 which despite its small size has plenty of sculptures and statues
10:26 and a great little walk just by the town.
10:28 And of course here in Wroath Park it's a real fan favourite.
10:34 It's got absolutely loads to do from kids parks to rowing boats on the lake
10:37 and even a pristine rose garden.
10:39 Wroath Park is more than a park, it's a real full day out.
10:42 The beautiful lake is also of course home to the iconic lighthouse just behind me,
10:45 which is on plenty of Cardiff postcards and really one of the
10:48 landmarks of our city.
10:49 Fun fact, the lighthouse was built along with a small boat on top
10:53 to commemorate Captain Scott's trip to Antarctica, which set sail from this very city.
10:57 There's even a glass greenhouse home to birds and insects and turtles,
11:03 plenty of diverse nature and just like Bute, it's home to a number of champion trees,
11:07 12 in total.
11:08 You don't get a much better duo than Wroath Park and Bute Park
11:11 and Cardiff really is spoilt for choice.
11:17 And then just outside the city centre, but no more than half an hour's walk or so,
11:20 you've got Victoria Park.
11:22 This place is full of people in the summer with water parks, sports fields and plenty of space.
11:26 It might not have the diverse nature of some others,
11:28 but the massive green areas make this place a fantastic park for locals
11:31 and people looking for a lovely walk around.
11:34 All of the amazing parks here in Cardiff are staples of the city
11:40 and make it such a fantastic place to live.
11:42 Green spaces just make a place nicer, don't they?
11:44 And the embarrassment of riches Cardiff has in all its parks
11:47 is genuinely quite unique in a capital city.
11:49 We're spoilt for choice here in Cardiff, so get out there and love your parks.
11:53 James Beach Watkins, here in Wroath Park.