THE charms of quintessential bucket and spade town Weymouth were brought to the fore in last night’s episode of Dorset: Coast & Country.

TV viewers watching Channel 5 at 8pm were treated to scenes of the resort and a busy beach on a glorious sunny day.

The cameras called in to Rossi’s Ices on the Epslanade, where Fulvio Figlioni was making ice-cream using the family’s secret recipe. Helped by his daughter Aimee, who is learning the trade, Fulvio told the programme makers ‘you should never be in a hurry to make something nice’.

Throughout the programme, Fulvio’s progress in making an ice-cream cake was followed, enough to make anyone with a sweet tooth crave a slice.

Three miles down the road in Chickerell, the scenic Bennett’s Water Gardens were explored, a stunning attraction formed after former clay pits were flooded.

The Bennett family showed how they grow baby waterlilies and gave viewers a look at some of the delicious cakes on offer in the tearoom.

The Blue Pool at Wareham, recently taken over by new owners, was dived into - with an insight to some of the changes at the attraction.

Among them are the introduction of glamping, the chance to stay in a treehouse at the ‘magical’ location, and a revamped tearoom still in keeping with the original 1930s style. We also saw visitors enjoy a wildlife tour of the site, complete with a visit to see the ever-popular pigs.

The highlight though had to be seeing Walter, the Blue Pool’s curious peacock, who can be heard by staff knocking on the door of the tearoom wanting a scone for breakfast.

West Dorset didn’t go neglected in this edition of the programme, with a visit down to Abbotsbury Swannery where swanherd Steve was seen stoically ‘taking the hits’ from some protective swan parents as staff checked on the nests to do their cygnets’ count.

The fluffy balls of grey at the swannery weren’t the only things providing the aww factor in the show – the cameras took a trip across to the Dorset Heavy Horse Farm Park in Verwood, where the star turn had to Suffolk Punch mare Mosey, who was known for being rather nosey!

CCTV footage showed the animal making its way into the gift shop for a good old browse after the door was left open.

This episode, a lively and engaging watch, showed the whimsical side of Dorset that makes it feel like home for many of us.

Next week our county town will get its turn in the spotlight. The show will be visiting Dorchester, which it describes as ‘steeped in history and renowned as the home of Thomas Hardy’.

  • If you missed last night’s episode, you can catch up on Channel 5’s streaming service My 5, or watch the repeat on Channel 5 on Sunday, August 13 at 6pm.