Original subtitles

BIRDSONG

GARETH HALE: Here in the English countryside...

...in amongst the greenery...

...and wildlife,

perhaps an overnight stay in a 14th-century inn

boasting seductive accommodation,

afternoon tea...

...cold drinks on a summer's day.

Or maybe you'd like something a little livelier.

HORNS BLARE

Yes, in the heart of the West Midlands,

just a few minutes off the M6 is a hotel...

Good morning, The Moat House, Chloe speaking. How can I help?

...offering sumptuous rooms with a bird's eye view

of the UK's longest motorway.

The M6 is the heart of the whole country,

so it's a very, very busy network.

Where frantic commuters can get away from the delays and hold-ups.

"Report of obstruction."

How many times do you see that on the motorway? Oh!

Weary drivers can escape the hell of a bank holiday tailback

for a spot of dinner a deux.

Perfect, to be honest. A lovely stay.

And truckers can refuel with some grub in the bar.

Can I have the bangers and mash, please? Yeah.

In the motorway hotel, it's all this and more.

People just came five minutes off the motorway,

they find gems of places like this.

Enjoy your stay.

Good luck. Hope it goes well for you.

This time, will 17-year-old Hayden land a hotel job

to help support his mum?

I think it'll be a bit of a wait and see.

Recovery man Greg has another close encounter on the M6.

We are one metre away from HGVs, lorries,

cars and vans doing 80 mile an hour.

Please can we all be upstanding for the new Mr and Mrs Perry?

New appointment Emily must take the wheel at her first big wedding.

Is that their name? Perry? Perry.

Yeah. LAUGHS

And can a fanatical lorry spotter drag himself away from the M6

to celebrate his wife's birthday?

There are lots of things that you have to do

to support the person that you love.

RADIO: 'There's one lane closed on the M6 southbound

'between junctions 14 and 13,

'which is causing tailbacks for over a mile.

'Northbound between 9 and 10,

'there's a van that's spilled its load...'

The Moat House Hotel hosts over 90 weddings a year.

Situated handily close to the M6,

tapping into the UK's multi-million-pound marriage market

was a no-brainer for owner Chris Lewis...

So this is the oldest part of the building.

...ever since Chris and his wife Dawn staked everything

on converting their beloved farmhouse into a hotel.

This is quite a nice, intimate space for a medium sort of sized wedding.

When we did the restoration back in '88,

we created, um, back to how it was in, sort of, medieval times.

So you've got all the timber framing.

The rest of the building goes back to the 16th century.

Originally, it was the manor house of the Trussell family,

hence the village name, Acton Trussell.

But despite the hotel now turning over £3.6 million a year,

risk is ever present.

OK.

Tomorrow, untested 24-year-old Emily Hewitt...

Er, yeah!

...becomes the new weddings coordinator

and takes charge of her first event.

What a woman. Got a really itchy nose.

Hotel boss Emily Lewis

has taken a huge risk appointing someone so young.

I need to move all those chairs. Hm.

Adam.

Today, it is my first wedding at the Moat House,

which is really exciting.

Amazing.

just getting stuff clone now,

ready for 3:30 ceremony.

Adam, we need to get the hoover out.

Lesson number one for a successful wedding - timekeeping.

My watch is fake. It's broke. Let's say it's half an hour.

Here she is!

What's with the flowers? I haven't had any!

Emily is job-sharing the role with the more experienced Vicky.

If today doesn't go well,

Vicky will be sharing the job with... just herself.

Emily's first task -

she must get the bride to the altar.

It is Lauren, and is his name Richard?

What's the groom's name? Richard. Is it Richard? Is it Laura?

And 'R's Laura, not Lauren.

Oh, my God! It's Laura.

Laura, Richard.

So it is Lauren...

GAS PS

I can't keep doing that! You need to get that out of my head.

Shall I go see how the bride's getting on?

just for clarification,

the bride's name is definitely Laura.

I never really wear make-up.

Today is a big day.

And the groom's name is almost certainly Richard.

Pressure!

And they've been engaged for two years.

Half hour before the ceremony,

I'm gonna be, like... I don't know, somersaults.

The nerves will probably kick in.

'The couple are really lovely.'

I'm a world of emotions, like, at the minute,

I still don't know how to take it, do you know what I mean?

The groom's arrived on a canal boat today.

Few deep breaths.

Maybe a stiff drink.

Bride was here nice and early.

GENTLE KNOCKING

With guests pouring off the M6 into the hotel car park...

Hello! Hello.

...Emily needs to check on the bride's progress...

You excited? Yeah.

...especially now that the registrar is already here.

THUNDERCLAP

It never rains, but it pours.

Laura was meant to take a short route that was partially outdoors.

To prevent Laura's big day being ruined,

Emily will have to think fast to keep her dry and on time.

Are we gonna walk through the bar?

Yeah. I don't want you to get your dress wet outside.

And that's not all.

We forgot cuff links.

Coming up...

Emily starts to feel the heat at her first wedding in charge.

Yeah, I was like, "Oh, my God, I've forgotten what I have to say."

Canal residentjo needs her son to land a hotel job.

He can have his own money. Takes the pressure off me.

That's the plan.

And can a lorry-spotting fanatic make it to the hotel

in time for his wife's birthday?

Well, hello. It's your old mate Dave Spencer

back with you once again.

RADIO: 'It's a busy clay out there on the roads with a broken-down car

'in lane one on the M6 just north of Stafford,

'causing a few problems for commuters on the inside lane.

'Allow an extra 20 minutes northbound for that one,

'and there's a warning across the whole county -

'flooding later, if the rain picks up as expected.

'So do take care.'

Do you reckon we should make a sandwich today, perhaps?

That pate you got us was just spot on.

GARETH HALE: just 50 miles north from the motorway hotel,

in a typical semi-detached house in a quiet street in Cheshire...

These exotic places I take you, I mean,

we're going to lovely Staffordshire.

Yeah!

...live lorry-spotter Dave and his wife of 49 years, Mandy.

Today is a very special one, and Dave's got plans.

Well, it's Mandy's birthday today, and there's a special treat.

We're gonna go and stay at the Moat House Hotel,

which is just near junction 13,

so it's really handy for me, just down the M6.

HORN BLARES

Oh, it's stopped raining!

And as a special birthday treat,

Mandy gets to drive Dave the hour-or-so down south.

"Report of obstruction."

How many times do you see that on the motorway? Oh!

I think they stuff these signs up

for the sake of putting something there.

Eventually, they're within touching distance of the Moat House.

Where's the roundabout? Here's the roundabout.

And just as Mandy can almost taste a much-needed cup of tea,

Dave smells an opportunity.

Sorry, it's the next one up here. Next one.

Sorry, sorry. It's over there.

Dave has been here before.

Or has he?

It must be this road here.

Sorry. There you are. There's the railway bridge.

Oh!

I could confuse for England.

Anyway, here we are.

Dave has finally found what he's looking for.

I'll get my clobber on.

It's 24-year-old Emily Hewitt's first day in charge

as the motorway hotel's new wedding coordinator.

Rain has threatened the bride's arrival at the altar.

Can you all please stand to welcome the bridal party?

But eventually,

a resplendent Laura glides into view.

Well, good afternoon again, everyone.

May I offer you a warm welcome to The Moat House.

Emily has managed to navigate the first hiccup of the day.

All she needs to do now is get through a marriage,

a meal, and a party.

I give you this ring. As a symbol of our marriage.

As a symbol of our marriage.

Over the next six to eight months,

90-odd couples will tie the knot at the hotel...

I, Laura, do take thee, Richard.

...earning the business vital thousands.

You are now husband and wife together.

A big round of applause.

APPLAUSE

Emily has worked hard planning Laura and Richard's big day,

but there's no time to relax.

Ancl we, along with the staff at The Moat House,

wish them a long and happy life together.

And perhaps as an omen for the newlyweds and Emily,

the rain clouds disappear.

We can all make our way back down to the reception now ready for drinks,

if you wanna just follow us all around.

The ceremony is always the most stressful bit, I think.

It's the most important bit of the clay, really.

Next on the check list, introducing the bride and groom.

Ladies and gentlemen,

please can we all be upstanding for the new Mr and Mrs Perry?

APPLAUSE

But in her efforts to keep the day running smoothly,

Emily may have made a mistake.

Is that their name?

Perry? Perry.

Yeah. LAUGHS

What's their name?!

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

You can all take your seats now and enjoy the rest of the clay.

Emily is clearly struggling,

but the guests' good mood is working in her favour.

I know you've only just sat down,

but would you like to go and get your food?

So I'll go home about ten o'clock.

Nice little 12-hour clay.

With the serious stuff out of the way,

the guests start to let their hair down.

It's been tense at times, but we got through it all.

It's been emotional, seeing my sister getting married.

But apart from that, yeah, it's been fantastic.

Get the drinks flowing,

get me speech over and done with, then I'm done for the evening.

He might be, but Emily certainly isn't.

Now I've got to announce speeches.

Like a director guiding her cast...

SHE MOUTHS

...she still has to manage the remainder of the event.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Yeah.

just about to do speeches.

Emily's next nerve-wracking job is to make introductions.

But someone decides to throw her a lifeline...

Ladies and gentlemen, can I have you attention, please?

We wanna say a big thank you to everyone for coming today.

...letting Emily off the hook.

I didn't have to do speeches. My groom was on it today.

He just got up. I think he was nervous.

He just wanted to get it clone.

Can we just have a look at our beautiful Laura?

WHOOPING AND CHEERING

Yeah. I was like, "Oh, my God, I've forgotten what I have to say."

Um, but, yeah, didn't have to say it,

so next time, it'll be my time to introduce speeches.

So, all raise a glass to Richard and Tessa.

LAUGHING

MAN SHOUTS

The best man can make mistakes, but Emily can't.

Next, phase three, the evening function.

Thank you, everybody, so much. I hope you've all enjoyed your food.

Ancl if I could just ask you all if we could go back out

into the foyer so we can get the room ready for your evening,

ancl then we'll just get you all called back in. But again,

I just wanna say a massive congratulations

to the new Mr and Mrs Perry. So thank you very much.

RADIO: 'On the roads in the county, there's a lorry

'having a tyre changed on the inside lane of the M6

'between junction 13 and 14 northbound,

'With a lane closure currently in place.

'That's causing a bit of a backlog at the moment.

'Elsewhere, the A34 is slow-moving clue to roadworks

'and a traffic light for pothole repairs...'

MAN: Vehicle breakdown, how can I help?

Motorway hotel customer and recovery operator Greg Berger

has just had a call from a stricken motorist.

We do offer service normally around 60 minutes

from point of booking, so it will be quite quick as well.

A delivery van needs a new tyre urgently.

We've got a live job on the motorway between junctions 15 and 16.

He has got a blow-out, and we need to get there as fast as we can.

Like the hotel,

Greg very much relies on the M6 to bring him customers.

We got one!

We got one. Way-hey'.!

And if his phone is ringing,

then his wheels aren't turning and he ain't earning.

But there's a problem that could delay him today.

I've gotta quickly shoot back to the yard.

He's in the wrong vehicle for a tyre change.

We need to go and swap vehicles for one of our mobile tyre vans

because that is kitted out

to do a whole mobile tyre change at the roadside,

but the timer is now ticking.

I've just put my compressor on just to get it warmed up,

so I've got no issues when I get to the job.

Greg doesn't want to leave anything to chance

working at the side of the busy motorway.

I always like to just get it on

so I know I've got full air when I get there.

But he'll be cutting it fine to reach his customer on time.

Let's go.

Well, if we share the chips and share the onion rings.

We could do that. Yeah, shall we do that?

On average, the hotel's restaurant and bar

caters for around 50,000 hungry diners per year.

I'm gonna go for the steak.

I haven't had steak in such a long time.

Community nursejo

has decided to treat her 17-year-old son, Hayden,

to dinner.

It's a rare night out for the hard-working mum

and her offspring.

God, there's a lot of chips there, isn't there?

Perfect. Thank you.

But this is no ordinary outing.

jo is here with a plan.

So, do you remember I mentioned the other clay...

Mm-hm. ..about you...

Well, you're 17 in May,

your driving lessons and you want a car.

So you need to pay for petrol, you need to pay for insurance.

So what are your thoughts on getting a job just to help pay for that?

Er...

Despite living on a narrow boat,

Jo's wages can't cover all their living expenses.

She needs her son to start earning.

The thing is,

what is actually the wage of my age? Cos I haven't got a clue.

I haven't... I've never had a job before, so...

Would the pay actually cover all my expenses I need?

But Jo's one step ahead of Hayden.

She's pre-arranged a chat with a member of the hotel staff.

All right. So, how's things going at school?

Going all right.

Ness, the hotel's operations manager.

We've got some work going in events,

so the weddings and functions. Yeah.

We've got a busy week next week. Might need some extra help.

With a mix of events going on through the week,

in the evenings and during the day,

it's nice to have a good mix of staff,

urn, on hand to call from.

Lovely. Enjoy the rest of your evening.

All right. Take care. Take care.

'I'm gonna bring him in for a trial shift,'

see how he gets on with everyone, urn, just see how he feels

about being here, and hopefully, we can welcome him on board.

Fantastic.

That's really good, isn't it? It's really good news. Yeah, it is.

Cheers to you. Cheers.

Well clone. It's been a productive night, hasn't it?

just get through the trial. Do well.

I'll try. Yeah.

RADIO: 'The M6 is very busy this morning,

'and it's not being helped by an overturned goods vehicle

'just north of junction 14 on the southbound carriageway.

'Emergency services are cleaning that up as we speak,

'but expect delays of up to 30 minutes through there.

'On the rest of the road... '

Despite having to worry about Hayden's future,

living on a narrow boat suits jo perfectly.

There's just something about boiling your water

on gas and on the stove. I just love it.

Do you want a biscuit?

jo took the decision to move on to a boat

as it was the only affordable way she could keep a roof

over their heads when Hayden was younger.

It got to a stage where I...

I literally couldn't afford to live any more.

After-school fees, before-school fees,

me and Hayden would have been homeless.

It was just horrendous.

The pace of life on the canal

is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby motorway.

I own my boat. I bought it outright.

It's my little sanctuary. I'm autonomous.

You know, you can't pick a house up and move it.

I can just unhook my boat,

which I do most weekends when I'm off,

even in the winter, and I just go out.

But with Haydon studying for his A-levels, the time is right

for him to start helping his mum.

Hayden wants to drive. I'm sick of working.

He needs a job.

He can have his own money.

Takes the pressure off me. That's the plan.

Coming up...

Can recovery man Greg get his stricken customer back on the road?

Little bit flat, in't it, that one?

If you just wanna come and stand behind my van,

that'd be brilliant, and I'll get all of it clone for you, all right?

Hello, there. Hi.

Mandy is reminded how many miles she's clocked up with Dave.

To 49 years of marriage, and we're doing all right.

Do you prefer tea, madam?

And customers and staff eagerly await the arrival of a pop legend.

It's gonna be great. He hasn't come on yet.

GARETH HALE: just a few miles from the motorway hotel,

recovery op Greg Berger has a priority-one breakdown.

The gentleman has suffered a blow out on the driver's side rear tyre.

Greg's promised the driver that he'd be there within the hour,

but as ever, he's at the mercy of the M6.

Time is ticking.

just across this bridge.

Nearing the casualty vehicle,

it's essential to let other road users know what he's doing.

I'm gonna indicate left,

and I'm gonna pop warning beacons on,

and I'm gonna dump my hazard lights on and off, on and off.

There he is. Right.

Before he can get to work,

Greg first needs to ensure he and the driver are safe.

Hiya. All right?

LAUGHS

A little bit flat, in't it, that one?

If you just wanna come and stand behind my van somewhere around here,

that'd be brilliant, and I'll get all of it clone for you, all right?

The hardest part of this is jacking it up.

I think the van's gonna be pretty loaded.

So, just have to fight it a little bit.

But the van driver, Tony, has an answer for that.

I do chip-shop paper packaging.

That's what I do. Ancl I've got a ton and 'alf

on me van, like, fully loaded.

I was coming down on the, er, middle lane doing 70,

got a blow-out, and I've managed to get over onto the...

this lane here to pull in.

Greg needs Tony to be his eyes and ears while he works.

We're one metre away from a running motorway.

HGV lorries, cars and vans doing 80 mile an hour.

You just gotta be switched on and get that job clone as efficiently

and as quickly as possible.

You don't wanna waste any time.

But this one isn't going as well as he'd hoped.

Vital seconds are ticking by because Tony's van is loaded to the gills

and is proving to be a tricky customer.

just trying to get underneath it was hard.

As soon as Greg gets the van off the ground,

he can get to work removing the trashed tyre.

Let's go. Here is the culprit.

There's nothing left of it.

While swapping vehicles ate into the call-out time...

Do you know what tyre pressure you want going in?

About 50, 55? Yeah.

Yeah? Yeah.

...this van has all the equipment on board to allow Greg to change,

replace and inflate the new tyre.

Ready to rock and roll.

It might not have been the speed of an F1 pit stop,

but Greg is happy that it's another motorway earner out of the way.

The final job for Greg before he can depart the scene himself

is to ensure Tony gets safely back onto the motorway.

Don't go straight back into the carriageway.

No. Build up your speed on the hard shoulder first.

Yeah. I feel better now I'm getting going again.

Cheers. Thank you. Bye.

Another job well clone.

Keep going, Grandad! Come on. Keep going.

Time to get off this motorway and back into safety. Let's go.

As Oscar Wilde once said,

"I can resist everything except temptation."

And despite it being Mandy's special day,

the M6 is too much for Dave to resist.

Well, hello, it's your old mate Dave Spencer again.

Dave has been filming trucks and buses since the 1990s.

I'm just scrambling through the undergrowth here.

Let's get stuck in and see what we can find today.

Do I need my umbrella or not? No.

I don't think you need an umbrella. OK, we'll go for no umbrella.

Willingly or otherwise,

Dave's all-consuming passion has sucked Mandy into its orbit.

Hat. Scarf. I even have electric gloves, don't I?

Yeah. Electric gloves and heated socks.

Socks, for when it's really cold.

Right. I think just up on the over bridge there.

I'll sit in the car and wait for you.

You sit in the car and keep warm.

You think of that lovely hotel for later on. Oh!

As Dave trudges off in search of his bridge,

Mandy resigns herself to a familiar scenario.

So I just sit in the car, and I might bring my book

and read my book while he's doing filming.

You know, you sort of, you just adapt, don't you,

to whatever the situation is?

Well, hello. It's your old mate Dave Spencer

back with you once again.

What are we gonna see today?

Of course, plenty of lorries out there.

You cannot live with somebody for 49 years

without having to give and take.

I honestly think there's more traffic coming down the other way,

so I'm just going to switch directions for a moment.

I can always tell when he's finished.

Tripod goes up, and he pulls it down a bit and carries it,

and he walks quickly back so I know that's the end for today.

Hiya, love, you all right?

Yeah, I did all right.

Have you turned everything off?

Actually, you're right, cos I hadn't pressed stop up on the recording.

Well, there you go. So you're always right.

I know, I'm always right. I know.

With Dave's urges hopefully now satisfied,

there's a hotel to go to.

But now you've promised me you're gonna retire when you're 80.

No, I said I'm not going to do DVDs, but...

No, you said you were going to retire. I'll hold you to that.

No, it'll be about 90 something, I think.

Anyway, let's go and... Have a brew.

Oh, yeah. Oh, spot of rain.

Oh! Hey, your timing is magic.

Lorry-spotting lovebirds Dave and Mandy are booked

into the motorway hotel for a birthday celebration.

Hello, there. Hi.

If you go through the lounge bar and up a couple of steps

that'll lead you to the Orangery Restaurant,

which is where we've got you booked at 7.30.

After waiting patiently nearly an hour

while her elderly husband filmed lorries

on a bridge above eight lanes of traffic,

Mandy can finally begin to enjoy her big day.

Have a lovely stay. Thanks very much.

Oh, that's a good view, too. Yes, gorgeous moon.

Absolutely lovely. Oh, this'll be nice for your birthday, won't it?

It will, won't it? Look at that.

Welcome to Staffordshire. Oh!

This evening is a perfect way for Dave to thank Mandy

for her bottomless pit of patience.

A different birthday, doing something a bit different.

Oh, do you remember that night in Moscow when I was there?

Oh, gosh.

Knowing that the reassuring distant drone of the M6

will accompany his dreams tonight, Dave seems happy with his lot,

especially as he still has marvellous Mandy.

To 49 years of marriage... Yeah.

..and quite a lot of birthdays under the belt, eh?

Too many birthdays, I think.

Ancl we're doing all right, aren't we? We are.

We are. just about. Yeah.

And with any luck, on the way home, Dave could detour via the A56

and catch some action at junction 21A.

HORN BLARES

I think it went really well. It was so nice.

The couple have been absolutely lovely today.

Over in the wedding suite,

Emily is wrapping up her first big day in charge.

Cut the cake!

It's been so nice as a first wedding,

like, to break me in here.

OK, Mr and Mrs Perry, are you ready for your first dance?

CHEERING

OK. That's what I like to hear.

I think it does bring you closer together, even after like 11 years.

Definitely. It's brought us closer together.

Today, it makes you realise how you appreciate each other.

Been fantastic.

Considering this is Emily's first wedding at the Moat House,

I would never expected that. She's clone fantastic.

She's clone really well.

I am so glad that I went

for the role as wedding and events coordinator.

Like, today's just proving how good it's gonna be.

Like, it's been so good.

Yeah. So, yeah, we're gonna go now and have a fantastic night.

Ancl dance the night away. And dance the night away.

Sandwiched between the roar of the M6

and the bustle of the motorway hotel

is the canaljo and her 17-year-old son, Hayden, call home.

All ready? Yeah.

Yeah? Done your hair?

Looking smart.

He's been offered a trial shift in the hotel's busy restaurant

that could lead to a much-needed job.

Nervous for him.

I think I'm definitely more nervous today. Yeah.

It's the first time kind of venturing out on his own,

and I'm not there as the kind of back-up.

So it is a bit... a bit scary.

His first step to... yeah, being an adult.

Quite nervous. Yeah. It's the first clay, so...

If I do not actually pass the trial,

I don't really know what I'm gonna do.

Right, then, good luck, hope it goes well for you.

Yeah. Take care.

You'll be fine. You'll be fine.

'My mum'll be quite mad if I don't have a job,

'and making her pay for everything, so, yeah.'

Bless him. His shoes will be all dirty now,

won't they, walking down this towpath?

Hayden's boss for the day is waiting for him.

Hello. Nice to meet you. I'm Adam. Welcome.

How are you feeling today? Nervous, but, yeah.

Good. Well, you'll be following me today,

so I'll keep you busy with whatever you need to do.

They'll both work the shift together,

so Adam's the person Hayden needs to impress.

So, we've got a barbecue wedding today.

Buffet kind of style thing. Any questions, let me know.

Firstly, can we get some glasses from the bars?

And there's no mucking about

as Hayden's straight into the cut and thrust

of the hospitality industry.

It's vital for both he and his mum that today's a success.

We keep an eye on him. He'll follow me around, seeing what we do.

Hayden? Yeah. In the cupboard there,

there's some candles like this. Do you wanna grab a box of them?

Grab two boxes, please. Thank you.

No problem.

I'll be letting Ness know what I think.

I think it'll be a bit of a wait and see.

Here you go.

I haven't broke anything yet.

With the tables all set,

if Hayden thought he had earned himself a tea break...

Feeling strong? ..he'd be very wrong, indeed.

Ready, three, two, one.

I'll go backwards. You go forward.

Can you go and ask for a bucket of hot, soapy water, please?

And with today's wedding now properly underway,

the jobs are coming thick and fast.

Clingfilm that one, put it in the fridge,

and clingfilm the brown sauce as well, please.

Occasional shift work at the hotel is much sought after locally.

But has Hayden got what it takes?

just setting up for the function this evening,

which is the Elton John tribute night.

They arrive at seven.

It's a three-course meal, er, with coffee.

Ancl then Totally Elton starts at 9pm.

Have a good singalong tonight. Yeah.

I think we should listen to Elton john.

HUMS

The last few years have been hard on the hotel,

and musical tribute acts have become big business,

and boss Emily is hoping

that tonight Elton will get the cash tills ringing.

We do about three or four of these events every year.

Spice Girls, Michael Buble, ABBA.

Ancl they're always really good, fun nights,

and they go down really well with the guests.

I served fish and chips to Joe Lycett,

and he's the one that does, um, House Under The Hammer.

Homes Under The Hammer. Oh, is it?

LAUGHING

Tables are all named after

the songs of the tribute we have on tonight.

So, tonight, it's Elton john, so they'll all be Elton john songs.

It's quite nice, actually,

cos it's better than doing, like, table one, table two, table three.

I love the tribute acts.

I just love waiting to see what they actually sound like,

if they do sound like them and their costume,

obviously, what they're gonna look like.

With tonight being a sell-out,

it's gearing up to be a busy night in the kitchen and the bar.

It's been advertised quite a while,

so a lot of people are excited for it.

What we're hoping is the guy that's doing Totally Elton

will not be "totally" Elton,

and he'll be a bit more down to Earth

cos obviously, the real Elton john, bit of a diva.

So, at the start, you'd be dead busy.

Normally, 150 people in here,

pouring drink, running in and out, you know what I mean?

But the mighty M6 has so far failed to deliver the talent.

With reports of jams at nearby junction 13,

he could be close but stuck.

The tribute nights do tend to really attract a local audience.

We really seem to have built up this kind of local following

of guests who, you know, are really engaged

with the tribute nights that we put on.

As the minutes tick by, the guests start to arrive.

But still no Elton.

Can't wait to see, you know,

the Elton John tribute, should be really good.

I've never seen an Elton tribute act before,

so I'm really excited to see what this is gonna be like,

so it'll be good, I'm sure.

If Rocket Man doesn't land soon,

sorry really will be the hardest word.

RADIO: 'Due to an early incident on the southbound section of the M6,

'just past junction 14, speed restrictions are in place.

'The emergency services are in attendance...'

Coming up...

Hayden, do you want to come in?

It's D-Day for 17-year-old Hayden's search for a hotel job.

So, how have you found it today?

And it's curtains up for a pop legend...

if he can make it.

I'm really looking forward to tonight.

We've been really excited about it. Can't wait to hear it.

I've heard good things about it.

RADIO: 'There's a wide-load convoy currently on the move

'between junctions 13 and 14 southbound.

'There's a police escort, and traffic is slow moving,

'so expect delays for another hour or so.'

GARETH HALE: In the motorway hotel,

an evening of musical fun is just getting into gear.

All the ticket-paying guests have arrived,

and the food has been served and eaten,

and drinks are flowing.

There's just one problem.

Tonight's act, a tribute to Sir Elton john,

is nowhere to be seen.

I'm really looking forward to tonight.

We've been really excited about it.

Can't wait to hear it. I've heard good things about it.

It's gonna be great. He hasn't come on yet.

The crowd have paid good money for tonight

and are primed for Captain Fantastic.

Do you prefer tea, madam? Yes, please.

CHATTERING

But just as the sun is threatening to go down on the whole evening,

someone appears at reception.

Hello? You all right? I'm very well, thank you.

I'm Paul, I'm doing the entertainment this evening.

Amazing.

With sighs of relief all round,

it's goodbye, M6 hold up, and hello, Yellow Brick Road.

I like Elton john's music. I'm not keen on listening to him live.

I saw him live about 15 years ago. I didn't think he was very good,

but I think this guy's probably gonna be a lot better.

I guess he's a lot younger and got a better voice, I don't know.

Tribute artist Paul Bacon has arrived just in time,

so he's only got a few minutes to transform himself...

...as word spreads that Elton is in the building.

Elton John getting changed.

Upstairs, the great man is in no hurry to reveal himself.

I've seen Elton John live at the Birmingham Hippodrome, 1982.

Yeah, he was terrific. Yeah, we were dancing in the aisles. Yes.

But finally, Paul Bacon, aka Reginald Kenneth Dwight,

aka Elton Hercules john, is ready...

and so is the motorway hotel.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Hi.

SHOUTING, CHEERING

Thank you very much.

LAUGHING

SONG: 'Crocodile Rock'

CHEERING

# I remember when rock was young

# Me and Susie had so much fun

# Holding hands and skimming stones

# Had an old gold Chevy Ancl a place of my own... #

I think he actually looks all right. I was quite surprised.

I know he's got a wig on, and he's got...

And he's got the sunglasses, and he actually sounds OK, yeah.

CHEERING

What people need to realise is

if they just came five minutes off the motorway,

they'd find gems of places like this.

After bringing the house down and filling the cash tills,

wandering minstrel Elton/Paul has been reclaimed by the M6

en route to another expectant crowd.

RADIO: 'Traffic is building up on the northbound carriageway

'at junction 14 on the M6 after an accident.

'There's one lane closed with queues reaching back to junction 13,

'ancl traffic slow on the southbound carriageway.'

That's all the plates. Now what do we do?

17-year-old local boy Hayden

is coming to the end of his trial shift.

You take that one.

Hayden has definitely worked his socks off today.

Now he just needs Ness to say yes.

OK, do you want to come on in, Hayden?

So, how have you found it today? I found it good, yeah.

You enjoyed it? Yeah, I enjoyed it.

If anyone's more anxious than Hayden,

it's his mum,jo.

I've found myself with three clays of washing.

I'm hoping it's gonna dry, but it's not, is it?

No, it's not.

jo needs Hayden to start bringing in some much-needed money.

She's tired of managing on her own.

I'm hoping he's liked it better than what he thought it'd be,

and he'll get offered a job.

You all right? Yeah.

So, how did it go?

Got the job, which is good. Yay! Well clone.

I'm so proud of you. Thanks.

That's brilliant. Yeah, it is. Yeah.

I'm very happy, yeah. It's more relief than anything.

I can actually do stuff I want to,

not asking my mum for everything, so that's all good.

Right, then. It's bloody freezing out here.

Shall we get in? Yeah. Let's have the fire on.

So do you want Chinese for tea?

Can we have Indian? Indian? Oh, God!

I'll have an Indian. All right, we'll get you an Indian.

Next time on The Motorway Hotel...

I thought it was hedges.

A delegation of maize growers sew confusion in the back office.

Maize, maize.

They have mazes.

Actual mazes?

Yeah. Made of maize.

Embarrassed owner Chris needs some roadside assistance.

Bloody hell, trouble! How are you? Right.

I bet you had a bit of a fright when it started going, didn't you?

And the kitchen road tests a brand-new trainee chef...

Been a bit tough on your feet, though, hasn't it?

It has, yeah.

...who's looking for a move up the career ladder.

I had four clays off from being an estate agent

and then came straight into the house of the chef.