Under a Cloud

The Poet Laureate Simon Armitage writes about clouds a lot. And high up in Marsden he lives in them too.
But he wants to bring the sky out of the background of his work and into the foreground - to consider why the floating grey blobs that ruin picnics and are the centrepiece of childhood paintings hold such a fascination for artists.
They hold a particular grip on poets, and most of us know exactly what Wordsworth wandered lonely as.
Simon visits the poet's home to browse Wordsworth's notebooks and heads to The National Gallery to explore the meticulous approach of John Constable in The Haywain.
Finally, he sets himself a nerve-wracking challenge, bringing a boyhood ambition full circle.
He's in serious training. He's going to present the weather.

Presented by Simon Armitage
Produced by Kevin Core