
Wetherby 19
From apprentice to journeyman to master cooper, Alastair Simms teaches Natasha Raskin Sharp how to make an oak cask – with mixed results!
Natasha learns what it takes to be a super cooper when she visits the workshop of a master craftsman in Ripon. Alastair Simms was introduced to the highly skilled trade when he was 14 years old while on a school holiday job at a brewery. He’s one of a handful of master coopers making traditional oak casks.
In Wetherby, the teams hope to have each other over a barrel as they go shopping for three profitable antiques to sell at auction. With expert Roo Irvine are partners and NHS workers Victoria and Hayley, while David Harper is on hand to help friends Matthew and Marco. The reds nearly get off to an expensive start when Hayley has a mishap, but they soon find their way with a World War I compass. Across the fair, Matthew sizes up silver vesta cases, but they keep walking when David suggests one in the shape of a shoe.
At Beverley Racecourse, auctioneer Caroline Hawley gives her estimates on the teams’ items before stepping up to the rostrum. As ever, their fate lies in the hands and wallets of the bidders.
On TV
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Natasha Raskin Sharp |
Expert | David Harper |
Expert | Roo Irvine |
Production Manager | Moira Edwards |
Executive Producer | Paul Tucker |
Series Producer | Jo Dunscombe |
Director | Gareth Luxton |
Broadcasts
- Fri 25 Jul 2025 12:15
- Mon 28 Jul 2025 06:30ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Two England & HD only