The Cotswolds & Beyond with Pam Ayres returns to Channel 5 for 2022 with the famous comedy poet Pam travelling around the West of England again, but this time venturing a little bit further into neighbouring counties, hence the renaming of her second series to add '& Beyond'.
"I’m so pleased the first series was so well-received," says Pam. "This time we’ve gone over the borders, visiting beautiful places like Wells Cathedral and the caves in Cheddar. It’s such a novelty as I lead a fairly solitary existence normally. But it’s nice to be nosey!"
The six-part series also sees Pam chatting to famous locals, from Olympic rowing legend Sir Steve Redgrave to being greeted by Prince Charles at his Highgrove home. She begins by popping in on singer and actor Toyah Willcox, who lives in the village of Pershore in nearby Worcestershire.
So here's everything you need to know about Channel 5 travel series The Cotswolds & Beyond with Pam Ayres...
The Cotswolds & Beyond with Pam Ayres air date
You can watch The Cotswolds & Beyond with Pam Ayres on Channel 5 from Friday September 2 at 8pm. It's a six-part series and Pam's show will also be available on My5 and we can update here if there's a US or international release date.
The Cotswolds and Beyond with Pam Ayres — destinations and episode guide
Here's our episode guide to The Cotswolds and Beyond with Pam Ayres so do keep checking back for updates each week...
Episode 1: Friday September 2
Pam begins with a trip to Stonehenge at sunrise. "It was particularly special to visit Stonehenge, because I first went in the 1960s, when you could just wander around and chalk your initials on the stones – it wasn't accorded any respect," says Pam. "Now it's revered as a mysterious monument, which I’m glad about."
Later, Pam visits Letcombe Brook in Oxfordshire, where she hears about conservation efforts to protect the water vole. "I looked very stylish in my pink cashmere jumper with my waders," she laughs. "You don’t see water voles anymore, it's such a loss. They were commonplace when I was a child. You'd just see them in all the brooks and wouldn't think twice about it, but now it's a novelty. I’d like to go back and see how they’re getting on."
Singer and actor Toyah Willcox lives in the village of Pershore in Worcestershire so joins Pam for a chinwag in this episode too.
Episode 2: Friday September 9
The main place of interest for Pam this week is Highclere Castle which of course doubles as Downton Abbey in the hit series and movies! "I had been there once before when I was a guest at my friend Des O' Connor's wedding, so I had already seen some of it," reveals Pam. "It's a very beautiful building with marvellous old rooms, it’s fascinating. But you do expect Carson to come in at any moment with a tray of coffee and a silver service!"
Episode 3: Friday September 16
Pam has a right royal special time visiting Prince Charles at his Highgrove stately home in Gloucestershire. "The build-up to meeting Prince Charles was tremendous because there's such a lot security around him, but we had a great chat," reveals Pam. "We got on very well because we're both very interested in conservation and wild flowers. We walked along the famous topiary Thyme Walk, looked at all the orchids and talked about the demise of insects. It was great to meet a range of people from all walks of life. I don't think I could have done it 20 years ago, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to go bowling into Highgrove and chat away, but I'm older now and comfortable in my own skin. I'm perfectly happy talking to anybody and I treat everybody the same."
Episodes 4 to 6
We'll update with the remaining episodes right here as soon as we can!
More from Pam Ayres on her amazing career
Do you think we’re starting to appreciate the beauty of the UK more, with the rise of staycations?
Pam says: Yes I do, air travel has become so unpredictable that people are looking closer to home and quite right too, because there are such wonderful places in our own country. I think people are tired of the terrible way you get treated in airports, like cattle. I've got no inclination to go abroad now. It sounds a bit defeatist but I've been very fortunate to travel lots in my life for work, I've done 12 tours of Australia and New Zealand and I've been to so many countries. But I love my home and I’m so fortunate to live in this beautiful area. I feel unhappy in cities, I don't like those concrete buildings that make you feel dwarfed. I’m incredibly blessed to live in the Cotswolds and I’ve got a much better overview of the area since making this programme."
Has this series given you a taste for more presenting?
Pam reveals: "We’ll see, it’s a lovely job but I’m 75. I'm not apologising for my age, and I’m lucky to be very fit, I just haven’t quite got the stamina I had when I was 30. I was ready for a break at the end of the shoot – it was 10 and a half weeks of full on work and long days, which I enjoyed, but it was nice to come home. Still, there was no time to put my feet up with a glass of rose, I had to crack on with everything else. I’ve got a book coming out in September, ‘Who Are You Calling Vermin?’ and I've written the lyrics for a children's version of Peter Pan, which is being staged in October. So there has been a lot of tweaking to do, and I’ve got theatre shows coming up as well. It’s ever so busy – I’m much busier than I thought I would be at this age.
Do you ever think about retiring?
Pam says: "I've got no wish to sit and look at the wall. Sometimes it's too much — sometimes I'm at my wit's end and wondering why on earth I have taken all this stuff on. But then I look at other friends of a similar age and they've sort of given up. Well, I haven't given up, I'm still going strong!
Is there a trailer for The Cotswolds and Beyond with Pam Ayres?
Channel 5 has yet to release a trailer for The Cotswolds and Beyond with Pam Ayres but we'll post here if one arrives.
