00:08
It’s just like playing football, you want your team to be the best.
00:14
I love chickens. They’re all a bit stupid.
00:20
This chicken is not just a chicken.
00:41
So, do you reckon any of those chicks are going to be,
00:43
like, superstars?
00:45
Maybe, one day. We’ll see at the national.
00:55
When I know I have bred something good that is going to do well
01:00
at the shows, I get excited, ready to show it.
01:06
There’s various books on genetics, but a lot of it’s trial and error.
01:12
My friends all think I’m mad,
01:14
but they have never felt the adrenaline to beat somebody.
01:35
So, this weekend is the Scotch National Show.
01:39
It is the biggest two-day event in Scotland.
01:42
How do you feel?
01:45
Excited to go, it is one of the best weekends of the year.
01:51
I only get it cut for certain shows.
01:55
You used to have it really long, didn’t you?
01:57
Cos you didn’t like your hearing aids.
01:59
Used to hide my hearing aids with my hair. Oh, really? Uh-huh.
02:03
And then I grew up and stopped caring.
02:05
We weren’t bothered no more, were we?
02:07
Bye, Joanne. Bye.
02:19
Is that, like, shampoo for people with blonde hair?
02:21
Yeah, that’s what my girlfriend said.
02:24
She said, “Bloody hell, that’s expensive shampoo.”
02:26
PHONE RINGS
02:30
Hi. Hi, did you get your hair cut? Yeah.
02:33
I am busy on a Friday night washing birds, getting birds ready.
02:37
So, being the lovely boyfriend that I am,
02:40
I try and fit Lauren in for five minutes.
02:43
And, normally, it’s talking while washing the birds.
02:46
What do you think of the birds, Lauren?
02:49
They’re definitely more of a priority than what I am.
02:54
Am I still coming Monday night?
02:56
Yeah.
02:57
Lauren does media make up,
03:00
so she always needs a tall, handsome model,
03:04
so she settles with me going down.
03:07
Tell them what I’m dressing up as.
03:09
He’s being a Gothic angel.
03:12
Do you often dress up as a Gothic angel?
03:14
It will actually be my first time, believe it or not.
03:19
I’ve got to go now, love you.
03:22
Love you too. Bye.
03:37
Step on it.
03:47
My uncle is a retired bus driver, so he absolutely loves going away.
03:52
Do you want a chocolate?
03:54
Yeah.
03:56
Is there a coffee one?
04:00
No, you’ve got Brazil nut, caramel…
04:21
The easiest way to explain it is like Crufts for chickens.
04:28
You get points for type and carriage, quality of plumage,
04:32
colour, size, then legs and feet and condition.
04:41
There’s the very, very competitive people,
04:44
who take it way too seriously, like me.
04:46
And then there’s the friendly people who just do it
04:49
for the joy of the birds.
04:51
When you first start out, it’s a lot of boys who you see winning
04:55
week in and week out and you’re just happy to beat them.
05:49
The competition here is pretty strong.
05:53
And all the top boys are here.
06:03
You’re always thinking you’ve left the best bird at home.
06:22
Is that yours? Yes.
06:24
How has it done? She’s done third.
06:26
Pretty strong class.
06:28
I have been beaten for best blue.
06:32
By the cockerel, which I am a bit disappointed.
06:34
There you go. Oh, that’s mine.
06:40
We’re fourth.
06:42
A bit disappointing, but she deserves to be beaten.
06:45
She deserved to be beaten? Yeah, yeah.
06:47
All three of them are a much better colour than her,
06:50
so no complaints here.
07:01
So, how do you feel about having got that?
07:03
Happy, it’s another red card to go on my wall.
07:15
Locally, I’d say I am quite high.
07:18
Nationally, I am still quite low in the pecking order.
07:23
As long as you’re improving every year,
07:25
you’ll hopefully get to the point one time
07:28
when your birds are best.
07:30
Hi. Hiya.
07:31
How did it go? Aye, it went all right.
07:34
I got more cards than I expected.
07:36
So, you’re happy, then? No, I am never happy.
07:39
Should have had better birds here.
07:41
There’s always next year.
07:42
You had a nice day?
07:56
Is there somebody going to Doncaster with you next week?
07:59
Aye.
08:00
So, I’ll get a weekend off?
08:02
Yes. Good lad.
—
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