On TV

The Reclaimers (BBC2)

ANYONE who says there isn't any justice in the world clearly doesn't watch Judge John Deed. There's an awful lot of legal argy-bargy going on, as various men and women in wigs get their briefs in a twist.

"What is freedom?," teacher Terry Rogers asked his pupils shortly before the long arm of the law reached inside the classroom and put him up before Judge John Deed, played as a wise old owl by Martin Shaw. He's a good judge. You know that because none of the other old dodderers want him on their circuit.

The ethics of the legal profession confused me as he presided over a case where his daughter Charlie was junior to the defending barrister, who also enjoyed a close relationship with him. When Charlie had a problem, she rang her grandfather for advice. "Play for time," he advised. "That will teach your father not to take a proper adjournment."

Jo Mills was determined to see justice done, even if it meant jeopardising her attempt to adopt a young boy. Corrupt coppers, whistleblowers and veiled threats failed to deter either her or her friend, the original good Deed, from seeing justice done. "I will do this if I have to approach the Attorney General, the Home Secretary and the Lord Chancellor - not necessarily in that order," said Judge John.

I could have done without the soapier elements of Mrs Mills and her childcare problems, but the lure of a good courtroom battle is irresistible.

Duncan in Felixstowe can't resist an English Rose kitchen, as we discovered in The Reclaimers, a new series looking at architectural salvage, a business worth £1bn a year in this country.

The English Rose kitchen was among the first fitted kitchens in Britain, a state-of-the-art dream from the 1950s. A basic sink and unit cost £98 and 15 shillings, the equivalent of a small family car back then.

Ron Donaldson finds, restores and sells such modernist-style, iconic kitchens. We followed him as he paid £350 for the salvage rights to a kitchen, removed it, restored it and resold the units for around £4,000. People like Duncan are eager to buy. He's spent the past five years acquiring an English Rose kitchen piece by piece, at a total cost of £6,000. I couldn't help wondering if he'd use it or look at it. Think of the anguish every time he spills something on the gleaning surfaces.

Old Etonian John, a former City worker who now runs an up-market salvage yard, specialises in troughs. Not any old trough but antique limestone ones from France, costing up to £7,000. He chartered a plane to fly over there to find six troughs at short notice for a rich client.

Bad weather delayed the plane taking off on the return flight. Keeping the aircraft longer cost him another £1,000 and he worried he'd end up making no money at all. As we'd witnessed him selling another trough for £15,000, I found difficulty feeling any sympathy for him.

Northern Sinfonia, Late Mix, The Sage Gateshead

AFTER 24 concerts spanning three years in Newcastle's All Saints, Northern Sinfonia's Late Mix series has moved across the river to its new home in Hall Two of the Sage Gateshead. With no pillars to impede views or humming heaters to distract during quieter passages of music, the intimacy of the new venue does full justice to the menu of chamber music on offer. And the hall's acoustic qualities were exploited to the full with its first Late Mix of two rarely played wind compositions.

The evening opened with Ligeti's six bagatelles for wind quintet; a showcase for the virtuoso skills of flautist Juliette Bausor, who wove her magic around the score. True to the composer's instructions "as though crazy", the performance was driven to a wild ending.

Next up was Mozart's Serenade for 13 wind instruments, a work conveying the full gamut of emotions. Conductor Douglas Boyd threw himself into his task, shaping the longer phrases into delicious dollops of sound, while keeping a firm grip on the sharper inflexions. The hall pulsated with unbridled energy in some brilliant exchanges - particularly between clarinettist Chris Richards and oboist Tom Owen.

It could have been their blazing conclusion that set off the fire alarm, leading to the building being evacuated. At least it waited for the memorable show to end.

l The next Late Mix concert features Ravel, Ligeti and Schoenberg at 9pm on Wednesday, February 2. Box office 0870 703 4555.

Gavin Engelbrecht