weekend18 january 2020 inside brilliant 12-page pinch of nom slimming recipe pullout

Del Boy’s

secret sideline Sir David Jason tells why his lifelong obsession with miraculous machines makes him the perfect presenter for a new show celebrating Britain’s greatest inventions hen he’s not act- ing, Sir David Jason loves noth- REUNITED WITH ing better than Helicopter tinkering in his W‘man cave’ - fixing things, assem- DEL BOY’S VAN bling, building, inventing. ‘I’m fasci- In his new series David is delighted, but she’s a temperamental old girl – nated by how things work,’ he says. on a visit to Beaulieu Motor Museum I have to treat her with respect,’ he Currently he has a few projects on in Hampshire, to be reacquainted says, juddering along in the iconic the go. He’s making a new seat for pilot, inventor, with the Reliant Regal van he and yellow van emblazoned with the his dinghy (he has a small lake in the brother Rodney, played by Nicholas words ‘Trotters Independent grounds of his Buckinghamshire Lyndhurst, owned in Only Fools And Trading. New York, Paris, Peckham’. farmhouse). ‘It’s very old and the seat Horses. ‘Did I imagine when we were David also reveals that he harnessed has sunk so low I can’t get out of it, so filming in that very van that it would his car mechanic’s skills to invent a I’m raising it. I was thinking of build- later end up in a motor museum?’ he way of making the old jalopy belch ing an armchair for it.’ He chuckles. asks. ‘Not on your nelly!’ white smoke in Only Fools. ‘I had ‘I’ve also got to repair the lamp in engineer... He takes a spin in the vehicle. ‘She’s the idea of mixing engine oil with Grandma’s room. It blew a fuse on a symbol of great British eccentricity, Redex [a fuel additive] and putting Boxing Day,’ he reminds his wife Gill a pump into the carburettor to make of her mother’s room at their home. smoke clouds billow ‘I’ve never met anyone more indus- out of the back,’ trious than David,’ remarks Gill, he laughs. who’s accompanied her husband David Jason’s today. ‘And he’s so calm. When he does a job he focuses completely. It helps that he has a wife who takes Del Boy and Rodney in 2014, care of his diary.’ She smiles. ‘He with their van needs me to organise him. It frees him to do the things he’s good at.’ Accolades are routinely lavished on Sir David. He has been voted the lovely-jubbly life greatest comedy actor of the last half it,’ he says. ‘The jet engine, the hov- normal a life as possible, and I think century and is elevated, thanks to the ercraft, the telephone, even the light So who better then to host a that’s rubbed off on Sophie. the drag artists transformed them- shorthand notes of our conversation. affection in which his characters are bulb – they’re all fascinating pieces ‘We should be proud of her, really. selves. What I hate, though, is vulgar ‘There’ll be people who say that’s held, to the rank of national treasure. of technology invented in the UK.’ new show about great British She’s a good girl. She loves horses language, graphic sex and violence terribly old-fashioned, but I see it as a But long before he won our hearts as In episode one of the four-part and has a little job at the local stables. on TV. Why is there such a fascina- very useful tool. It suddenly becomes wheeler-dealer Del Boy Trotter in series, David travels to Yorkshire to inventions? Here the comedy It’s menial stuff – clearing up what tion with it? The BBC used to have wonderfully efficient when the bat- Only Fools And Horses, David (who, visit a Victorian bicycle enthusiast the horses leave behind – and she very strict rules about profanity and teries on your Dictaphone run out.’ incidentally, qualified as a helicopter who builds penny-farthings (our comes home with an aroma which swearing, and it forced writers to be We’re back to the series, and the pilot in 2005 after Gill had bought intrepid presenter tries – and fails – to legend tells Frances Hardy isn’t as nice as when she goes out creative. If a script is strong enough, ingenious minds that dreamt up Brit- him a flight in one for his birthday) ride one). He travels back to the birth with her boyfriend. But I’m delighted you don’t need bad language. ain’s most enduring inventions. worked as a mechanic and an electri- of the steam engine, when Britain led about his passions – and why she’s buckling down and has this job, ‘We were watching the BBC’s ‘These people had vision. They cian. This is at odds, of course, with the world in pioneering technology starting at the bottom. She has pocket adaptation of A Christmas Carol couldn’t be still. Their minds were Del Boy’s hilari- a n d G e o r g e his greatest joy is his family money too... not a vast amount. with Gill’s mum – she’s 84 – over the endlessly creative and buzzing with ous incompetence St e p h e n s o n’s viewed him – more than a decade his job, David is also a devoted dad. ‘You worry, of course. She’s got a festive season and there was quite a ideas. But perhaps more than any- – who can forget Rocket, which ago – he was marvelling at the mod- Now Sophie is in her late teens, father- boyfriend and that area of life is full lot of unnecessary effing and blind- thing they had imagination.’ t he pr iceless ‘There isn’t reached giddying ern phenomenon of party bags. His hood is bringing a new set of joys and of pitfalls. She’s passed her driving ing. Grandma threw up her handbag Imagination, he concludes, is a chandelier drop- speeds of 30mph, daughter Sophie had just turned sev- tribulations. She is David and Gill’s test and has an old banger. Well, a and said, “Have wonderful com- ping to the ground much I can’t h e r a ld e d t h e en and he was incredulous that guests only child, born when he was 61 and safe, roadworthy old banger, but we got to watch modity. ‘When or his iconic tum- golden age of the were given gifts just for turning up. she 41. They have raised her unpre- nothing posh. And like everyone her this?” It’s such a ‘I’ll always you read a book ble through a bar? turn my train. ‘It was the Now Sophie is about to celebrate tentiously, away from the showbiz age, her mobile phone is practically shame they felt you have to con- ‘When I was most advanced her 19th birthday and her father will hoopla, and she’s just won a place to glued to her hand.’ He rolls his eyes. the need to use jure up pictures 15 I had a paper hand to’ technology of its be 80 next month. He won’t be mark- study equine science at university. ‘But I’ve enjoyed every minute of language like love my job, in your mind,’ he round,’ David day,’ says David. ing the milestone with any fanfare ‘We tend to be quiet and homey,’ being a dad!’ he beams. ‘When she that. Dickens says. ‘That’s why reminisces. ‘It earned me a few shil- ‘Imagine seeing it steaming along though – he prefers not to acknowl- he says. ‘I’ve never been a fan of was little she’d make me laugh hys- didn’t. The best but fame is I always used to lings for going out on my bike in all through a field of cows. It would’ve edge it. ‘I enjoy working so much,’ he going to parties or red carpet events. terically. I used to tell her the story of versions of the read to Sophie, .

e difficult’ gs p weathers, then I worked in a garage frightened the socks off you!’ says, ‘I don’t want anyone to say, “We I’ll always love doing my job, but the Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs David today, story don’t. They and why it’s a rdin : sco and it encouraged me to be practical. We progress through to the era of don’t need that old codger any more.”’ fame side is difficult to cope with. So and she couldn’t say “dwarf”, so she’d and (inset) stick to the origi- great loss young There isn’t much I can’t turn my hand the motor car and learn about Freder- Aside from being passionate about we keep our heads down and lead as say “wharf” instead. It tickled me. with Gill and nal and there are wonderful perform- people do everything on their mobiles otos their daughter

by co at to. After that I had an apprenticeship ick Lanchester, a ‘genius engineer’ Since then she’s always been called ances, such as Alastair Sim’s, without now. I don’t think there’s so much v r ph a e Sophie in 2001 r h as an electrician. But it’s not the mod- who, in the early 1900s, invented the “Wharf”. She doesn’t mind – as long any unnecessary swearing. attraction in reading a book any s c . ot r ern way, is it?’ he laments. ‘All the floor accelerator pedal, disc brakes David with his as I don’t say it in public,’ he grins. ‘And when I was playing Frost [the more, and it’s a disappointment. home-made com . young people want to go to university and power steering. Less auspicious, ‘David has a lovely relationship knighted, with Sophie as bridesmaid). repairs on the house and I assemble paradise for Sophie, growing up in a curmudgeonly Detective Inspector ‘I’ve lived through the days when

se electric motor vid wea u a o to do computer skills. You’re not we discover, in the field of great Brit- in the series with Sophie. They’re very affection- They met on the set of the comedy- model kits. We were just saying I’ll home full of extraordinary and Jack Frost who David portrayed in A it was mind-blowing to see moving , d -h

es encouraged to be a carpenter or a ish inventions was the three-wheel ate,’ adds Gill, showing me a photo drama A Bit Of A Do, where Gill was have to donate some to charity.’ bizarre memorabilia, and they both Touch Of Frost from 1992 to 2010] pictures transmitted through the rn a twell blacksmith. I’m not saying they ought car, a van version of which Del Boy on her phone of them larking around, location manager, in 1989 and stayed ‘Yes, we’ve got 15 or 20 models. agree it was. ‘We’d have kids coming we stuck to very strict rules. If Frost ether to a TV in our sitting room. r a b a

ri to get up at 4am and work a 16-hour famously owned. gurning for the camera. ‘I just wish friends. A relationship began after They’re filling up the house!’ cries to the house, all Sophie’s mates, and was really up against it we’d allow There was a real sense of wonder , h se cto u day, but we have to be careful we When we meet, David is on they wouldn’t pull silly faces all the David’s partner of 18 years, Myfan- Gill. ‘Then there are your penny they’d be absorbed by the magic of it. one “bloody hell”, but aside from that about it. Now kids are very blasé. o : vi g don’t lose sight of traditional skills.’ sparkling form, dapper in a blue wool time. I haven’t got a single photo of wy Talog, died of cancer in 1995. arcade machines and all the automata It was really lovely,’ says David. we’d always ask, “Do we really need They can stream anything on their in This all makes him an ideal pre- suit, the consummate performer run- them where one isn’t messing about or Today theirs is a palpably fond, [mechanical devices designed to fol- Of course time moves on, and now it?” And the answer, usually, was no.’ mobile phones. But we should be twell h oom r r

a senter for Great British Inventions, a ning through his repertoire of comic making rabbit ears behind the other.’ mutually supportive partnership. low predetermined actions] you’ve Sophie’s preoccupations are more Unsurprisingly, he finds much of very proud of what we’ve invented , g es More4 series exploring the stories voices. ‘All this is mine, of course!’ Gill is the softly spoken Yorkshire They bicker amiably, as long-married built. There are quite a few things in grown up. ‘She watches TV shows the modern world of social media and achieved in the world. That’s h n at yn a o i behind Britain’s ground-breaking he hams, gesturing round the grand woman to whom David has been couples do. David tells me about the the house we need to clear out.’ like RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ says Dav- unfathomable. ‘Apparently these why I loved doing this show that cel- inventions – and he even recreates library at Hartwell House, the stately married for 15 years (they tied the many projects that occupy him at ‘I thought you’d say that,’ grum- id. ‘I used to say, “Why are you days you can get 10 million hits just ebrates it all.’ n eale h n locat : n e some in his workshop. ‘We’ve always home setting of our photoshoot. I knot quietly at the Dorchester Hotel home. ‘I can’t sit still for long,’ he bles David affably. watching this rubbish?” but secretly I from pulling a funny face,’ he says, David Jason’s Great British Inven- d o id e s been a nation with a pioneering spir- remind him that last time I inter- in London the day before he was says. ‘There are always running I remark that it must have been a thought it was very clever, the way incredulous. He applauds me taking tions, Tuesday, 9pm, More4. ph a r nd in r a e otog v As well as writing Oscar-winning music for Jaws, ET and Star Wars, John Williams also composed the fanfare for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, winning a Grammy (The Great Film Composers, Mon, 9pm, Sky Arts) co ph give him a medal!  weekend weekend