The real MR MCGREGOR!

Pete Tasker on re-creating Beatrix Potter's garden

- HANNAH DAVIES

HIDDEN TREASURES OF THE NATIONAL TRUST NEW FRIDAY, 9PM (TIMES VARY), BBC2 FACTUAL (BOX SET, BBC IPLAYER)

Not a day goes by that Pete Tasker isn't mistaken for farmer Mr McGregor, the rake-wielding foe of Peter Rabbit and his friends from author and illustrator Beatrix Potter's beloved children's books.

But it's no surprise. As head gardener at Hill Top, Beatrix's beautiful Lake District retreat that inspired her stories, he has been known to shoo away real-life bunnies to stop them munching through his veg patch!

'Just the other day, 13 visitors asked me if I was Mr McGregor,' says Pete, 63, as he joins TV Times for an exclusive interview about showcasing his work at the 17th-century property in Hidden Treasures of the National Trust, which returns to BBC2 for a third series this week.