0:00:25 > 0:00:29Today I'm on a journey along the rivers and coastline of Lancashire,
0:00:29 > 0:00:34starting here on the River Lune and ending up by the sea near Blackpool.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41I'll start out in Caton, paddling downstream,
0:00:41 > 0:00:45where I'll learn about some rather slippery characters.
0:00:48 > 0:00:54Then to the mouth of the river at Glasson Dock in Lancaster to visit the local smokehouse.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58There's about 1,200-1,500 herring in there.
0:00:58 > 0:01:05I make a quick stop at Lancaster Castle before heading to Fleetwood, famous for Fishermen's Friends.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09One lady said, "They go through my lungs like a Hoover."
0:01:09 > 0:01:13My journey will end in the nation's favourite seaside town.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18Instead of hitting the fairgrounds, I'll learn about my future.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23And I'll look back at some of the best BBC archive footage of this part of the world.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Welcome to Country Tracks.
0:01:28 > 0:01:34Lancashire is one of the largest shire counties and it's surprisingly green as 80% is rural,
0:01:34 > 0:01:40even though Burnley and Blackburn were the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45It's also home to one of the UK's most popular tourist destinations - Blackpool.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50The River Lune runs for 45 miles through Lancashire.
0:01:50 > 0:01:56I'm starting at the Crook o' Lune, so called because the river completely turns back on itself,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59forming the shape of a shepherd's crook.
0:01:59 > 0:02:06And what better way to see it than on the water in an open canoe with Craig, an instructor
0:02:06 > 0:02:10from the nearby kayak and canoe centre?
0:02:11 > 0:02:15So what makes the Lune so great for kayaking and canoeing?
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Just the options, really.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22It's a very long river. It has options of white water stuff,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25open boating, touring,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27long, flat sections.
0:02:27 > 0:02:33It's just a great river to just get out and see lots of scenery, really.
0:02:33 > 0:02:40I have actually used a canoe like this before, but only with two people. On your own, it's trickier.
0:02:40 > 0:02:47- Is that normal to find it hard to go in a straight line?- Yeah, a lot of people learn in tandem,
0:02:47 > 0:02:51two people in the boat. One can steer and one can do the paddle.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56On your own, you have to do that both on one side, so it can be tricky,
0:02:56 > 0:02:58but it's the best way to paddle them.
0:02:58 > 0:03:05They can be used all over the world - in Canada, the big, open rivers and here on the Lune.
0:03:05 > 0:03:12- You can pack them up for the day and off you go.- This is picture perfect, but it can't all be like this.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17There's long sections like this that are nice and scenic, very beautiful,
0:03:17 > 0:03:21but there's some very big white water sections higher up,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24which offer a kayaker a good day out.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28What would you expect to see that you wouldn't see from the banks?
0:03:28 > 0:03:35The wildlife that you see, the opportunity to see otters swimming and playing in the banks,
0:03:35 > 0:03:41herons up against the sides of the banks. And kingfishers, which people don't see often,
0:03:41 > 0:03:46- but we get to see quite a lot. - You're pretty much silent.- Yeah.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50In an open canoe, the better you get, the more silent you can be.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55'As we head downstream,
0:03:55 > 0:04:01'there are some creatures beneath us that spend years struggling in the opposite direction.
0:04:06 > 0:04:12'The European eel starts its life 3,000 miles away in the Sargasso Sea.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16'After spawning, the larvae drift on the current north to Europe.
0:04:16 > 0:04:22'Once they get to the cooler waters, they change shape and turn into elvers.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26'They head upstream to places like here on the River Lune.
0:04:26 > 0:04:32'However, seeing them could be difficult as European eels are now on the endangered species list.
0:04:32 > 0:04:38'I've left the canoe and continued on foot to find out what has been done to help them.'
0:04:38 > 0:04:43Eels aren't everyone's favourite fish, but in actual fact they're pretty interesting.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47During their life cycle, they go on incredible journeys.
0:04:48 > 0:04:54'I stopped off to meet Sarah Littlefield from the Lune River Trust.'
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Why are eel numbers in decline?
0:04:56 > 0:05:02Well, there are various reasons put forward. Scientists believe it's the marine environment.
0:05:02 > 0:05:08It could be an exotic parasite, an Asian parasite, which is affecting their swim bladder,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11which affects their ability to find the Sargasso Sea.
0:05:11 > 0:05:17It could be over fishing, it could be pollution of their habitat up here.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22- What's the significance of this part of the Lune?- It's really important.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26This part is where elvers access the system and they need to get up,
0:05:26 > 0:05:31the whole catchment, so that they can breed up in the small tributaries further up.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35This is of great significance, these weirs.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39- Is that something we can see? - Yeah, there's one down here.
0:05:40 > 0:05:47So the elvers, the baby eels, they didn't always have a hand up the river.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51- No.- Why do you now need a contraption?
0:05:51 > 0:05:55When they had huge numbers in the river, it wasn't a problem,
0:05:55 > 0:06:02but now that numbers are so depleted, it really is. They might get lucky and get over when it's in flood,
0:06:02 > 0:06:06but generally speaking it isn't when they come in spring,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10- so they need this elver pass to get through.- So what is it?
0:06:10 > 0:06:15Well, down at the bottom, you can see the bristles there
0:06:15 > 0:06:21to encourage them to access the elver pass. They wouldn't want to be in the main stem of the Lune.
0:06:21 > 0:06:28- The river runs very fast there. - Right.- If they bump up against the weir, they're going to end up
0:06:28 > 0:06:32against the side and they'll start to look for a way to go.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36They come in at the bottom, wiggle their way up through the bristles.
0:06:36 > 0:06:42We can track when they're running by looking here as they pass through more bristle board.
0:06:42 > 0:06:48And on a lower weir we've got a camera so we can definitely monitor how many are coming through
0:06:48 > 0:06:55and how it's going. They then proceed down the pipe and gently plop into the water.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Job done.
0:06:57 > 0:07:02Once the elvers have made it up river, they live there for up to 20 years,
0:07:02 > 0:07:07but as they mature, the pull for the Sargasso Sea returns.
0:07:07 > 0:07:13They then set out on the return journey all the way home, where they will mate and then die.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18It's an amazing story and the River Lune plays a crucial part.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22I had absolutely no idea about the life of the European eel.
0:07:22 > 0:07:28Learning about their huge journeys, about the dwindling stocks, about the challenges they face,
0:07:28 > 0:07:34it's fascinating, and also hearing about the communities along the Lune and what they're trying to do,
0:07:34 > 0:07:38not just for the species, but for the ecosystem.
0:07:38 > 0:07:45'I'm heading for the Lancashire coast, which is where Matt Baker discovered it's not just eels
0:07:45 > 0:07:47'that can become stranded.'
0:07:50 > 0:07:56The vast stretches of Morecambe's coastline are a beautiful but treacherous place.
0:07:56 > 0:08:03The unpredictable forces of mud, sand and water make this a landscape that deserves respect.
0:08:03 > 0:08:10As the high tide approaches, water rushes in from all directions at an incredibly high speed.
0:08:14 > 0:08:20The dangers of Morecambe sands hit the headlines in 2004 under tragic circumstances.
0:08:20 > 0:08:2621 Chinese cockle pickers drowned after they got cut off by the fast-rising tides.
0:08:27 > 0:08:33Thankfully, incidents of this scale are rare and for the majority of people who end up in difficulty,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35help is at hand.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Thanks to one of only 4 RNLI hovercrafts across the country,
0:08:39 > 0:08:45the Morecambe Bay lifeboat crew are specially equipped for high speed rescues across water and quicksand.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52- She's a beauty, isn't she, Harry? - Yes.- Is it all right to jump up? - Sure. Carry on.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56So when and why did this arrive here in Morecambe?
0:08:56 > 0:08:59It's been here about six years now.
0:08:59 > 0:09:05- Right. And what was the reason for it being here?- Because of the vast area we cover, of mud,
0:09:05 > 0:09:11when the tide's out, it's 150 square miles of mud, quicksand, channels, narrow gullies.
0:09:11 > 0:09:16There's a few elements to deal with, so the quicker the better.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19What's the plan today?
0:09:19 > 0:09:23- Well, hopefully, we'll put somebody in the mud.- Somebody?
0:09:23 > 0:09:25- A volunteer!- OK!
0:09:25 > 0:09:29- And...and then we'll get you out. - Brilliant.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34- We've not failed to get anyone out, so you'll be OK.- Fingers crossed!
0:09:34 > 0:09:39- Super, excellent. Well, let's go and get me submerged.- OK.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43'Training exercises like this are vital in making sure the crew
0:09:43 > 0:09:48'is ready to cope with any eventuality.
0:09:49 > 0:09:54'When an emergency call comes in, they often have no idea what they'll face,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58'so both the crew and the hovercraft arrive fully kitted out.
0:10:06 > 0:10:12'But before I get thrown out into the mud, the crew take me on a quick spin of the bay
0:10:12 > 0:10:15'to put the hovercraft through her paces.'
0:10:17 > 0:10:18Whoo-hoo-hoo!
0:10:18 > 0:10:25'Being able to fly across the bay, whatever the terrain, means they do the 10 miles from one end to another
0:10:25 > 0:10:28'in just 14 minutes.'
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Before the hovercraft came,
0:10:34 > 0:10:39we were basically stuck with the boats. At low water,
0:10:39 > 0:10:45if we had a job over that side, the boat would have to go, literally,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49right out to sea and right round to get to the casualty.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52With this machine, we go the way the crow flies
0:10:52 > 0:10:58- and get there within minutes. - How easy is it to get stuck in this kind of environment?
0:10:58 > 0:11:03Oh, it's so easy. You just get the public walking out off the beach
0:11:03 > 0:11:08- and they can literally go yards and be down to their knees.- Really?
0:11:08 > 0:11:14- And once you're stuck in there, there ain't no way out.- No way out, not without this machine.
0:11:14 > 0:11:20- Is it quite different working on the hovercraft to working on a boat? - I love this machine.
0:11:20 > 0:11:26- It's the best piece of kit the RNLI's got.- 'So it's time to put these guys' skills to the test.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31'To prove you don't have to go far to find quicksand, we head back to shore.'
0:11:31 > 0:11:35- Straight in.- OK. - And hopefully you'll sink.- Right!
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Here we go.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45- Waggle one foot at a time.- Eh? - One at a time.- I can't move 'em!
0:11:45 > 0:11:49- I actually cannot move.- Keep going, Matt. You're going down now, mate.
0:11:49 > 0:11:55That's it, Matt. Go on. You've no chance of getting out of there now.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59I'm going deeper, honestly!
0:12:01 > 0:12:07'The crew then leave me stranded to give me an idea of how it feels to be stuck out here alone.'
0:12:07 > 0:12:11I'm actually getting lower. Don't be too long!
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Honestly, please don't be too long! I am actually getting lower.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19It's so disconcerting. I'm getting lower and lower
0:12:19 > 0:12:23and there is no way my feet are coming out of here.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27And to think of the tide rushing in.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30It is frightening.
0:12:30 > 0:12:36'It might have only been a brief taste, but it's still a big relief when the hovercraft reappears.'
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Right, lads. Are we digging him out?
0:12:39 > 0:12:46'The rescuers use plastic boards to get out onto the sand without the risk of sinking in themselves.'
0:12:46 > 0:12:49- These are your little working platforms?- Yes.
0:12:49 > 0:12:55- If you want to sit down there, Matt. - Sit down here?- Get nice and comfy. - That's great.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59How deep potentially could it be? I'm here up to my knees.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03In this particular area, it can go just above your knees.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07There are places where you go up to the waist.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Right? There you go.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14All right...
0:13:14 > 0:13:20- So does this stop casualties sinking any lower, then? - It's mainly for reassurance.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24When we've got a real life casualty, they do panic.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29They try to grab hold of you and pull themselves out using you.
0:13:29 > 0:13:36So, basically, to give the casualty a job to do, to take their mind off the actual situation,
0:13:36 > 0:13:41we tell them to hold on to here. And if you do, you feel a lot safer.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45I'm not surprised they grab out for you. The sense of relief
0:13:45 > 0:13:50when you arrive. It's such an awful, lonely feeling.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54You don't know how long they've been out here. It could be half an hour.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59- Right.- Which is a hell of a long time when you're on your own.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04- Are we ready to get muddy, then? - Come on, James.
0:14:06 > 0:14:12'Using a metal stake with holes in it, water is squirted deep down to loosen the sand
0:14:12 > 0:14:16'that's now set solid around my legs.'
0:14:16 > 0:14:18We'll blast you with a little water.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21See it bubbling?
0:14:21 > 0:14:23All we've got to do is work you out.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29- That's fine.- That is extraordinarily powerful.- Feel the suction?
0:14:29 > 0:14:36- Yeah.- That's the vacuum underneath your foot. We have to break that up, underneath in the water.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40Then we just work it out. That's one foot out.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43Nearly there.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Aw, there you go. Phew!
0:14:46 > 0:14:51Cheers. Thank you very much indeed. Give us a hand up. Perfect.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56Hopefully, I will never ever find myself in that situation again,
0:14:56 > 0:15:00but it's very nice to know that you guys aren't too far away.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05That's a terrifying experience which I'm glad I won't go through.
0:15:05 > 0:15:11I'm en route to Glasson Dock, a small village at the mouth of the River Lune in Lancaster.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25I've stopped off at the river to talk to a local fisherman, Steve Carr,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29who by chance has a fish on just as I arrive.
0:15:31 > 0:15:32Fish on!
0:15:35 > 0:15:39- So what have you caught? - It looks like a salmon, Mark.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41That's quite incredible.
0:15:41 > 0:15:47- Isn't it just?- Do people not talk about having to wait days on end? - Years, years.
0:15:47 > 0:15:53I know fellow anglers who have fished for 20 years and never caught one.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58- That's quite remarkable, really.- Do they normally fight hard?- They do.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00It fights well.
0:16:00 > 0:16:07'What a stroke of luck! Salmon and trout fishing on the River Lune runs from February to October,
0:16:07 > 0:16:14'but there are strict regulations attached to salmon fishing. It's important to follow the rules.'
0:16:19 > 0:16:24- So how does that rate? Is that a big one?- Em, not really.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29I would think it's one that has spawned and is on its way back.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32So this time of year you're not allowed to catch them.
0:16:32 > 0:16:37- He's very silver, slightly thin. - Right.- But a nice, clean fish.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41- I can tell you're still surprised. - Very much so.
0:16:41 > 0:16:47'An impressive catch for Steve, but it's a case of catch and release today.
0:16:47 > 0:16:53'We have to let the salmon go to protect future stocks, so I can't take it to my next destination,
0:16:53 > 0:16:58'the smoke house. Lancashire has 137 miles of coastline,
0:16:58 > 0:17:03'encompassing stunning countryside, seaside towns and fishing harbours.
0:17:03 > 0:17:10'The fishing ports here are steeped in history. Fishermen work hard to bring back the catch of the day.
0:17:10 > 0:17:17'Once the fish is caught, it's straight to the smoke house where Michael Price will smoke anything!'
0:17:17 > 0:17:22If someone walked in with a salmon like this, what's the process?
0:17:22 > 0:17:28- Is there something you can show me now as to how you would work with that?- Yeah, by all means.
0:17:30 > 0:17:36Basically, the first step would be the fish has come off the river or someone's caught the salmon.
0:17:36 > 0:17:42The first job is to gut it but because we freeze our fish out of season, we have to remove the gut
0:17:42 > 0:17:46so it doesn't stain the flesh of the fish.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50So I run a knife straight down the middle of the belly,
0:17:50 > 0:17:56clean the gut out, turn her over and what I'm going to do is cut at the back of the gill.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01The head is absolutely solid. As soon as it goes soft, knife in.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06Straight down to its backbone, cut round its gill and the head off.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11Then the next step is to turn the fish over to take the fillet off.
0:18:11 > 0:18:17The first fillet, you always have the back of the fish facing you, you lift up the flank of the fish,
0:18:17 > 0:18:21your knife goes in on top of the backbone
0:18:21 > 0:18:27and as long as you can hear that noise of your knife going through the bone, it's on top of the bone,
0:18:27 > 0:18:32- you get a lovely fillet of wild salmon.- Beautiful.
0:18:32 > 0:18:38When my father first started, 37, 38 years ago, he primarily started with trout and salmon.
0:18:38 > 0:18:45But as time changes, we've progressed to meat, fish, game, cheese and poultry now.
0:18:45 > 0:18:51But our specialist or what we're renowned for is our wild smoked salmon,
0:18:51 > 0:18:55our kippers that we do, fresh Lancashire kippers.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57We sell them all over the country.
0:18:57 > 0:19:04And the way we smoke them is a tailored smoke. Rather than lightly kiln them using oak,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07we blend wood for different flavours.
0:19:07 > 0:19:13'Before the salmon is smoked, it's cured by covering it in sea salt for up to 12 hours.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17'This draws the moisture out and helps preserve it.'
0:19:19 > 0:19:23Once they've come out the salt, we bring them in to the smokers.
0:19:23 > 0:19:29If you look in here now, these fish here are private fishermen.
0:19:29 > 0:19:35They bring them in and we'll cure them, smoke them, slice them, you can have them in packets.
0:19:35 > 0:19:42It's nearly ready. You can see the oils coming out. It's not an exact science. Do it by touch, by eye.
0:19:42 > 0:19:48It's something you learn. It's not something you can be master of overnight.
0:19:48 > 0:19:55- What about the famous Lancashire kippers?- Well, I'll take you over to this other kiln and show you.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57It's over here.
0:20:00 > 0:20:06- Basically, we've got this one here. - Wow!- Look at all them. - Look at that, indeed!
0:20:06 > 0:20:10- There's about...- Fantastic! - 1,200-1,500 herring in there.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15- They were worked on this morning. - It's the smell again.- Exactly.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20Fresh North Sea herring. Brined this morning.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24That's the herring in there drying. They've been in all day.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28We can produce roughly about 3,000-4,000 kippers a week.
0:20:28 > 0:20:33So what we're going to do now is put it in this, a rough shaving,
0:20:33 > 0:20:40as opposed to sawdust we use in the other kilns. We don't mind if this ignites. It's not as important.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Even though kippers are a cold-smoked product,
0:20:44 > 0:20:50it's got such a great distance to travel, the smoke, by the time it gets to the chamber it's cool.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55So all we do is light a bit of tissue. It's as simple as this.
0:20:55 > 0:21:01There's no exact science to it. Let that get ignited, pop it in, pop it on top of there.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05- It's exciting to see where your food comes from.- Indeed.
0:21:05 > 0:21:11'The process of salting and smoking is called kippering, which is where the name comes from.
0:21:11 > 0:21:17'The herring spend 24-36 hours in the smoke. It's an ancient method of cooking once used to preserve,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20'but now simply for the taste.
0:21:20 > 0:21:26'I'm moving on to my next Lancashire landmark. Julia Bradbury went to a different, rather surprising area
0:21:26 > 0:21:28'to look for wildlife.'
0:21:28 > 0:21:34'Just off the hectic M6 near Preston is what looks like a building site,
0:21:34 > 0:21:38'but I've been assured that these 250 acres are well worth a look.'
0:21:40 > 0:21:42By spring 2011,
0:21:42 > 0:21:48this will be Britain's latest nature reserve and I'm here to lend a hand laying the foundations
0:21:48 > 0:21:51of a brand-new wildlife landscape.
0:21:51 > 0:21:57'Since 2007, the Wildlife Trust of Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside have been building this
0:21:57 > 0:21:59'on the site of an old quarry.
0:21:59 > 0:22:06'Brockholes Nature Reserve aims to recreate an ancient Lancashire landscape for wildlife to move in.
0:22:06 > 0:22:13'Sophie Leadsom is the manager with a devoted bunch of volunteers taking cuttings from the reed beds.'
0:22:13 > 0:22:18- So what are we doing here, Sophie? - What we're doing is cutting
0:22:18 > 0:22:22these fluffy seed heads here on the reed. This contains all the seeds.
0:22:22 > 0:22:27- The reed bed is an important habitat.- It IS very important.
0:22:27 > 0:22:33They have a lot of specialist species. A lot of birds and wildlife aren't found anywhere else.
0:22:33 > 0:22:39Reed warbler, sedge warbler... Without reed beds, these birds can't flourish.
0:22:39 > 0:22:45And it's water vole and otter as well. They depend on reed beds for their safe being.
0:22:45 > 0:22:51- How many do we need? - As many as we can cut!- Right. Keep slipping, eh?- Oh, yes.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56'The reeds will be used throughout the wetland landscape,
0:22:56 > 0:23:00'but they'll also frame the view of the floating visitor centre.
0:23:00 > 0:23:06'Later on, I'll find out how it works, but first we've got to get the cuttings in the earth.'
0:23:06 > 0:23:10- Hello! Little seedlings. How old are these?- Six months.
0:23:10 > 0:23:16These were propagated. This is where it all happens. This is where the reed beds start.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20- Seedlings in action.- Oh, yes.- 'This place is really self-sufficient.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25'All the waste soil is put to use to help these seeds grow.'
0:23:25 > 0:23:31What's it like being involved in a project of such magnitude? This is a big deal, isn't it?
0:23:31 > 0:23:38To be absolutely at the very beginning of a project that is bringing conservation to the front,
0:23:38 > 0:23:42and really leading the way, all I can say is it's a privilege.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46'After a quick water, it's on with the fluffy heads.'
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- Is that it?- This is it.
0:23:49 > 0:23:55- This is how all good re-beds start. - A dusting of reed seedlings. - That's right.- And we're off.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01'These seeds will grow on in here until the weather warms up.
0:24:01 > 0:24:08'At Brockholes, there are huge areas of grazing marsh. This bunch of good-looking longhorns
0:24:08 > 0:24:13'know how to earn their keep.' Why these instead of sheep?
0:24:13 > 0:24:18The way that cattle feed, they wrap their tongues around the grass and pull,
0:24:18 > 0:24:22and that produces tussocky grass. And that is the grass
0:24:22 > 0:24:27that our target birds need to hide their nests in - redshank and lapwing.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31They need the variation that the cows will produce.
0:24:31 > 0:24:37If we were to use sheep, they're like little lawnmowers and it's like a bowling green.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41These guys are like bulldozers. They create big open areas,
0:24:41 > 0:24:46they wallow, create ponds by default. They rip the place to pieces
0:24:46 > 0:24:52and it's all those tiny little areas that the birds will find to make their nests and find food in.
0:24:52 > 0:24:58- And they're very handsome. - They are. They're superb. Absolutely superb.
0:24:58 > 0:25:04'These cattle are a real asset, but I still want to find out why this location by the motorway
0:25:04 > 0:25:06'was the right spot for a reserve.'
0:25:06 > 0:25:13A few years ago, this was just agricultural fields. Then a quarry was built.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17And when that came to an end, what to do with the site?
0:25:17 > 0:25:23- Lancashire is a well-kept secret. - It is an unusual location, though.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27You have got the M6 and motorway noise, we've got aircraft up above.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32But wildlife takes very little notice of the aeroplanes and roads.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35And we can get so many people here, so it's a great opportunity.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40Let's bring people into Lancashire. Don't just drive through it.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Stop and see what there is to offer. You'll find some fantastic surprises.
0:25:46 > 0:25:52'When the visitors finally come, they'll witness a centrepiece that quite literally floats.
0:25:52 > 0:25:59'Architect Adam Khan has designed a visitors centre that will appear to emerge from the lake.'
0:25:59 > 0:26:04- So this is going to be water, both sides.- This will be water.
0:26:04 > 0:26:09And full of reeds. All the reeds you've been busy planting,
0:26:09 > 0:26:14as soon as they're grown they'll be six foot high.
0:26:14 > 0:26:20You'll be nestled among the reeds with this landscape of roofs hovering over the reed tops.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24- It really is a floating visitors centre.- It really will float.
0:26:24 > 0:26:30Soon, they'll let that water in. It will trickle under the concrete
0:26:30 > 0:26:34- and the whole thing will lift off. - Exciting stuff.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41'A staggering 27 million people pass by on the motorway every year.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46'Let's hope a few of them make a detour to this fascinating place.'
0:26:48 > 0:26:55I'm glad to report the centre has now been successfully floated and the nature reserve is open.
0:26:55 > 0:27:01Just before heading south, I'm taking a detour to the centre of Lancaster from Glasson Dock
0:27:01 > 0:27:03to check out the castle.
0:27:06 > 0:27:13'Lancaster Castle dates back to Roman times, a perfect spot on top of the hill,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16'looking down over Lancaster.'
0:27:16 > 0:27:20You can certainly see the history of this building etched in the walls
0:27:20 > 0:27:24because its use has changed so much over the centuries.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29'There have been assizes or periodic criminal courts in Lancaster Castle
0:27:29 > 0:27:32'since the 14th century.
0:27:34 > 0:27:41'And it was here that some of the most dramatic events ever in Lancashire were played out.'
0:27:43 > 0:27:49This is the Crown Court. It was built in 1795 and became known as the Hanging Court.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Only the Old Bailey in London sentenced more people to death.
0:27:53 > 0:28:00The judge sits at the bench. The jury would sit in the block of seats on the right.
0:28:00 > 0:28:06Originally, 200 years ago, they would be propertied men.
0:28:06 > 0:28:12Originally above them, the Grand Jury, anywhere from 13-24 men of high standing
0:28:12 > 0:28:16who acted as an early Crown Prosecution Service.
0:28:16 > 0:28:22They would look at the evidence, interview witnesses and decide if there was enough for a trial.
0:28:22 > 0:28:28They'd come in here, sit up there, hand down a paper to the court and someone was tried or released.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32Opposite them, spectators.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37The judge's friends and family in the lower seats. Above them, rich ladies.
0:28:37 > 0:28:44They came to be entertained. Because of their social status, they were given a special gallery.
0:28:44 > 0:28:52The dock where the defendant stands trial. Originally with men with javelins, the court security.
0:28:52 > 0:28:58'Back then, the crimes and the consequences were very different to today.'
0:28:58 > 0:29:00In the Crown Court here,
0:29:00 > 0:29:05there were over 200 offences for which you could be hanged.
0:29:05 > 0:29:10Most were offences against property - stealing a horse, counterfeiting money,
0:29:10 > 0:29:15writing graffiti on Westminster Bridge, stealing clothes or food.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20So virtually anything you did could be construed as a crime and you could be hanged.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27One of the most feared crimes was witchcraft.
0:29:27 > 0:29:33It was here in this very castle that the infamous Pendle witch trials took place
0:29:33 > 0:29:35in the year 1612.
0:29:35 > 0:29:4219 people over Easter were rounded up and brought to Lancaster Castle and held here for four months
0:29:42 > 0:29:46in the dungeons which are still here today.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48The shackles are still there.
0:29:48 > 0:29:55They spent four months in total darkness until their trial took place in the courtroom.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59It consisted of two families, the Southerns and the Whittles,
0:29:59 > 0:30:04both headed by 80-year-old widows. One was nicknamed Old Demdike and the other Chattox,
0:30:04 > 0:30:08a corruption of chatterbox because she never stopped talking.
0:30:08 > 0:30:15In those days, a widow was considered to be a very dangerous person. She was out of the control of a man.
0:30:16 > 0:30:23'Many of the allegations resulted from accusations that members of the families made against each other.
0:30:23 > 0:30:30'Perhaps they were in competition, both trying to make a living from healing, begging and extortion.'
0:30:30 > 0:30:3510 people were found guilty of being witches, eight ladies and two men.
0:30:35 > 0:30:41There was no defence and the main witness for the prosecution was a 9-year-old girl,
0:30:41 > 0:30:47one of the granddaughters of two matriarchs of the two families involved.
0:30:47 > 0:30:53'We know the particulars of these outlandish trials as Thomas Potts, the court clerk,
0:30:53 > 0:30:57'wrote a detailed account of them as they happened.'
0:30:57 > 0:31:02You shall all go from hence to the castle from whence you came.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07From thence, you shall be carried to the place of execution
0:31:07 > 0:31:13where your bodies shall be hanged until you be dead.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17'The Pendle witches weren't actually hanged here at the castle.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21'They were taken out on the moors nearby to meet their end.
0:31:24 > 0:31:29'Rural Britain is full of chilling and tragic stories. Julia Bradbury uncovered another
0:31:29 > 0:31:32'at Sunderland Point, just up the coast.'
0:31:32 > 0:31:36'This tiny village takes a bit of getting to.
0:31:36 > 0:31:42'High tide covers the single track road completely, cutting it off from its nearest neighbours.
0:31:42 > 0:31:48'Unlocking the secret requires careful planning and a special key -
0:31:48 > 0:31:51'a timetable for the tides.'
0:31:51 > 0:31:57Before we go any further, let's just check that the road is actually going to be open
0:31:57 > 0:32:00and it won't be a big problem.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02Date...
0:32:04 > 0:32:06Fine. No tide. Good.
0:32:08 > 0:32:14'It's called Sunderland Point because of the way the sea sweeps in to set it apart or asunder
0:32:14 > 0:32:16'from the mainland.'
0:32:20 > 0:32:26"Danger - do not proceed when these posts are in water."
0:32:26 > 0:32:30They absolutely make sure you're not going to make a mistake.
0:32:32 > 0:32:37'When the waters recede, they leave behind a bleak, beautiful marshland,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40'an unusual sort of back garden.
0:32:47 > 0:32:53'The dock was built early in the 18th century to land goods from ships that were too big
0:32:53 > 0:32:58'to make it along the Lune to the main port at Lancaster.
0:32:58 > 0:33:04'Now it's used by local fishermen who work the sea within sight of their homes.
0:33:07 > 0:33:14'But there are others who have chosen to make a life in one of the two rows of houses on the shore.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20'Lynne Levey moved here 29 years ago from her native Merseyside.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24'She now lives on Sunderland Point's Second Terrace.'
0:33:24 > 0:33:26What made you want to live here?
0:33:26 > 0:33:31Born in Liverpool where all you could see was the back of another house,
0:33:31 > 0:33:37- this is just wonderful. - How do you cope with the isolation?
0:33:37 > 0:33:41You come home and the tide comes up and, personally, I welcome it.
0:33:41 > 0:33:47- What about the practical side of it? I'm always late. - You live your life around the tide.
0:33:47 > 0:33:53We've all become quite proficient at working it out, but the wind blows, the weather changes
0:33:53 > 0:34:00and it comes up a bit sooner and you're either stuck across the other side or you can't go to work.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Oh, dear. What a shame.
0:34:03 > 0:34:08Yeah, that's quite a good excuse. "Sorry. The tide has come in."
0:34:08 > 0:34:11You can't use it too often, though.
0:34:11 > 0:34:16All the doors have flood barriers on. Have they been flooded a lot?
0:34:16 > 0:34:20Yeah, they have, actually. Although we will bail if necessary.
0:34:20 > 0:34:25It's all hands to the pump and that's where this community is so great.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28People help each other, you know.
0:34:28 > 0:34:35- What's your favourite thing here? - What I love most is the big sky. I mean, look at this sky.
0:34:35 > 0:34:40And it changes all the time. When it's stormy, it's so dramatic.
0:34:40 > 0:34:47It's a big, big sky. And time after time, I come out here to look at the sky.
0:34:51 > 0:34:58'Sunderland Point holds another secret. Hidden away in a remote field on the opposite side
0:34:58 > 0:35:03'is a reminder of one of the darkest chapters in our country's history.
0:35:04 > 0:35:11'When Sunderland Point was in its prime, Lancaster was a major hub of the slave trade.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17'Nearly 30,000 slaves were transported on Lancaster ships.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23'Most of the slaves were sold in the Americas, but in 1736,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27'one unfortunate young man ended up here.
0:35:27 > 0:35:32'He died in this house within just a few days of landing.
0:35:33 > 0:35:38'The local landlord arranged a burial for a boy they called Sambo.'
0:35:44 > 0:35:50This is the path that Sambo's body was carried along by the townspeople.
0:35:57 > 0:36:04'Because he wasn't a Christian, the young slave was laid to rest in unconsecrated ground
0:36:04 > 0:36:07'in a lonely corner of a farmer's field.'
0:36:08 > 0:36:10So here it is.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12Sambo's grave.
0:36:12 > 0:36:17And he's been buried here for nearly 300 years.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22In a windswept field on the Lancashire coast.
0:36:32 > 0:36:38'Six decades after the burial, a local schoolmaster laid a plaque on the grave with a poem
0:36:38 > 0:36:45'commemorating him.' It says a man shall be judged not on his colour, but on the worth of his heart.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54'The sight has been marked by local people ever since
0:36:54 > 0:36:59'and even now visitors regularly come to this secret little spot
0:36:59 > 0:37:05'to remember the unfortunate boy who travelled so far to die at Sunderland Point.
0:37:07 > 0:37:14'It's a story and a place that touches people. Remote, inaccessible and haunting.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18'A fragment of a forgotten past.'
0:37:22 > 0:37:28A very moving story and obviously one much cherished by the people of Sunderland Point.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32After the horrors of Lancaster Castle,
0:37:32 > 0:37:38I've headed back to the coast and on to the Victorian seaside town of Fleetwood.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42# Oh, William Masters was... #
0:37:42 > 0:37:47'Fleetwood is a pretty typical seaside town.
0:37:47 > 0:37:52'Once a hub of fishing activity, the trawlers have long gone
0:37:52 > 0:37:56'and the town has struggled with the loss.
0:37:56 > 0:38:01'But Jacinta still sits in the dock here. She's an old stern trawler,
0:38:01 > 0:38:05'built in 1972, famous for bringing back record catches from Iceland.
0:38:06 > 0:38:11'In her 23 years at sea, she earned over £17 million.
0:38:11 > 0:38:17'Now she's a floating museum, but Captain Tony Barkworth has fond memories of his time
0:38:17 > 0:38:20'at sea with her.'
0:38:20 > 0:38:24Sailed from Fleetwood, it took us 3.5 days to get to Iceland.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29Then you'd get on the grounds and do 10 or 12 days there.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33The crew used to work 18 hours on, six off.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37And then we did 20-odd days and then we'd come back.
0:38:37 > 0:38:43Conditions were OK in the summer, but winter would get really bleak, icing up and everything.
0:38:43 > 0:38:49There was a bad spell at Iceland and three trawlers were lost through the ice and that.
0:38:49 > 0:38:55Luckily, we survived. I know the Fleetwood ships survived that particular bad spell
0:38:55 > 0:38:57and that's how we went on.
0:38:57 > 0:39:02There must have been 150 ships in Fleetwood then when I started.
0:39:02 > 0:39:09It wore on through the years and, of course the Cod Wars. We always fished Iceland mainly.
0:39:09 > 0:39:14The Cod Wars came on so we had to come out and it declined from then.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17We finished up with what you see now. Nothing, basically.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21'The fishing heritage is still strong in Fleetwood
0:39:21 > 0:39:26'and the town's main employer is a rather curious one.'
0:39:26 > 0:39:32The fishing industry might have long left, but one product associated with Fleetwood and fishing
0:39:32 > 0:39:36is still going strong. This little lozenge.
0:39:36 > 0:39:41- I wish you wouldn't go.- I'll be all right.- You've still got that cold.
0:39:41 > 0:39:47You must take these. Extra strong Fisherman's Friend with menthol for your nose
0:39:47 > 0:39:50and eucalyptus oil for your cold.
0:39:52 > 0:39:57Years ago, Fleetwood fishermen used to take them on long, cold Icelandic trips.
0:39:57 > 0:40:04- Take care, darling. - Fisherman's Friend helps ease your nose and throat on land or sea.
0:40:06 > 0:40:13Remember that? Well, they were invented right here in Fleetwood in 1864.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16And they're standing the test of time.
0:40:16 > 0:40:22Fishermen often suffered from terrible colds, spending days at sea in terrible weather conditions.
0:40:22 > 0:40:27It was down to the local pharmacist, James Lofthouse, to save the day.
0:40:27 > 0:40:34Tony Lofthouse, great great grandson of James, and his wife Doreen met with me to tell the tale.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38What was your great-great-grandfather's idea?
0:40:38 > 0:40:45He'd moved down from Lancaster and opened a pharmacist's shop on what was the main street.
0:40:45 > 0:40:50The trawlers were going further and further in more severe conditions
0:40:50 > 0:40:56and fishermen came back with chesty coughs. So he formulated a liquid which you took on a sugar cube.
0:40:56 > 0:41:02That was OK, but the bottles didn't stand up to the conditions at sea and they were breaking.
0:41:02 > 0:41:07So he then reformulated it into a lozenge. It had no name.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11But the trawlermen used to come in and say, "I want some of my friends."
0:41:11 > 0:41:16And the public said, "I want those lozenges the fishermen have."
0:41:16 > 0:41:23The Fisherman's Friends were popular locally, but it was only when Doreen got involved that they took off.
0:41:26 > 0:41:32I realised when I was there how popular these Fisherman's Friend lozenges were.
0:41:32 > 0:41:40I thought, "If they'll sell in Fleetwood, they'll sell in Manchester or Nottingham, wherever."
0:41:40 > 0:41:46So I had an old van. I piled them in the back and took them round Lancashire mainly.
0:41:46 > 0:41:53And sometimes by the time I got home, they were ringing up saying, "We sold them. We want some more."
0:41:53 > 0:41:57'They are now sold in over 100 countries in a variety of flavours.'
0:41:57 > 0:42:02- What do you think the secret of the recipe is?- It works.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05That's basically it.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09- It does what it says on the tin. - It does.- It works.
0:42:09 > 0:42:15They say put one in your mouth before you go to bed, a little will still be there the next morning.
0:42:15 > 0:42:21But in the meantime, it's getting onto your lungs and clearing the passageways.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25One lady said, "They go through my lungs like a Hoover!"
0:42:25 > 0:42:32'They are still developing, while holding on to the history and roots of Fleetwood's past.
0:42:32 > 0:42:39'Duncan Lofthouse is son and heir to the company.' In terms of the actual... Do you call it a medicine?
0:42:39 > 0:42:41Do you call it a sweet?
0:42:41 > 0:42:45It depends which part of the world we're talking about.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50In the UK, the consumers' perception is as a medicated product.
0:42:50 > 0:42:56But in many of our overseas markets it's regarded as a strong flavoured candy.
0:42:56 > 0:43:03- How much is sold each year? - We make about 40 tonnes a week now in Fleetwood,
0:43:03 > 0:43:0897% of which is exported. We're very heavily export-driven.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10- 40 tonnes a week?!- Per week.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14That sounds like a vast amount, whatever you call it.
0:43:14 > 0:43:20'A great example of how big things can come from very small beginnings.
0:43:20 > 0:43:25'A little further south is my final destination - Blackpool,
0:43:25 > 0:43:29'recently voted the nation's favourite seaside town.'
0:43:29 > 0:43:34The plane just landing behind me never leaves UK airspace.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37It belongs to the Ordnance Survey flying unit.
0:43:37 > 0:43:44The Ordnance Survey makes over 150 sorties a year from their base in Blackpool.
0:43:44 > 0:43:49I've come into town to meet Trevor Hilton, an aerial surveyor.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51So why Blackpool?
0:43:51 > 0:43:57Well, we map the whole of the country. Blackpool's the airport nearest the centre of Britain.
0:43:57 > 0:44:03Another advantage is lovely weather. This stretch of coast gets a lot of sunshine,
0:44:03 > 0:44:09- so we're not fog-bound many days or stuck on the airport.- What are you actually doing up there?
0:44:09 > 0:44:14Britain has one of the most comprehensive mapping databases in the world.
0:44:14 > 0:44:21We update it by various means, mainly on the ground, but sometimes it's more efficient by air.
0:44:21 > 0:44:27'The OS use a super high resolution camera, a whopping 128 megapixels.
0:44:27 > 0:44:31'The photographs are processed at their Southampton HQ,
0:44:31 > 0:44:36'but computer software still needs help with detailed variations
0:44:36 > 0:44:41'like new housing, roads or coastal changes. These are traced in by hand.
0:44:41 > 0:44:46'This then becomes the basis for standard OS maps we rely on.
0:44:46 > 0:44:50'But one of their biggest challenges is right on their doorstep.
0:44:50 > 0:44:56'Formby Sands, just south of Blackpool, is the most dynamic dune system in England.
0:44:56 > 0:45:00'Here, whole features have been wiped off the map.
0:45:06 > 0:45:11'The OS are going up to photograph Formby's changing coastline,
0:45:11 > 0:45:19'but I've come to meet coastal engineer Paul Wisse to discover what's happening on the ground.'
0:45:19 > 0:45:23- I'd say this was a fairly typical coastal dune system.- Yes,
0:45:23 > 0:45:27but what's striking is the speed that it's rolling back.
0:45:27 > 0:45:31- 25 years ago, this was a caravan park.- So, literally,
0:45:31 > 0:45:37- the dunes have rolled back inland and engulfed it. - Beneath us are caravans.
0:45:37 > 0:45:43- So sometimes caravans get exhumed? - Not yet, but in the next couple of years, it's very likely
0:45:43 > 0:45:48- that some will pop out onto the beach.- Can you see any of it?
0:45:48 > 0:45:52Just down below us is an edge where the car park was.
0:45:52 > 0:45:58The children in the distance are helping pick up some of the rubble that has been washed out
0:45:58 > 0:46:00by the erosion.
0:46:04 > 0:46:12'5,000 feet up, Trevor is taking pictures to show us how Formby's dunes are shifting.
0:46:13 > 0:46:19'Meanwhile, Paul and his team have taken me out to get the perspective from sea level.'
0:46:19 > 0:46:25- How fast are the dunes here changing?- On average, over the last 100 years,
0:46:25 > 0:46:27they've eroded by 5 metres a year.
0:46:27 > 0:46:33The Sefton coast is mainly made of sand which is readily moulded by the coastal processes
0:46:33 > 0:46:40such as the waves, the tide, the wind. There used to be a cafe on Formby Point, lost to erosion.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43- Oh, really?- We've got some photos.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46- This is the cafe in 1958.- Right.
0:46:46 > 0:46:50- And just three years later, in 1961. - Oh, my goodness.
0:46:50 > 0:46:55- So that was wave action.- Undermined by the coastal erosion, the waves.
0:46:55 > 0:47:00- It's just collapsed. - What happened to the cafe? - According to my GPS,
0:47:00 > 0:47:03- it's right beneath us.- Here?!
0:47:03 > 0:47:07- But we're 100 metres or so... - 50 metres off shore.
0:47:07 > 0:47:15Oh, look. There's the plane going over. The OS are up there taking our aerial survey.
0:47:15 > 0:47:22So you were saying this coastline has been eroded for 100 years. Where would it have been back then?
0:47:22 > 0:47:24Keith?
0:47:30 > 0:47:33We're going an awfully long way out!
0:47:34 > 0:47:39- Another 350 metres.- Really?! - So right about where we are now
0:47:39 > 0:47:44- is where the coast was in 1906. - That is incredible.
0:47:44 > 0:47:48- We are half a kilometre from the dunes.- Yes.
0:47:48 > 0:47:55'That's half a kilometre of Lancashire coast wiped off the map in just 100 years.
0:47:55 > 0:48:02'The dramatic erosion here at Formby is a combination of the soft sand and high tidal range.
0:48:04 > 0:48:09'What I want to know is how the Ordnance Survey's aerial photographs
0:48:09 > 0:48:13'capture the history of this eroding coastline.'
0:48:13 > 0:48:18- Hi, Trevor.- Hiya. - How was Formby Sands from the air?
0:48:18 > 0:48:24- We've got a couple of photos here that we took earlier at Formby. - Right.- It was a beautiful morning.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27Oh, it looks fantastic.
0:48:27 > 0:48:32You can really see the line of the dunes there along the beach.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36We've got an earlier shot here taken back in 1978.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40- You can see here a caravan park. You see this bend here?- Yeah.
0:48:40 > 0:48:47- That's that bend there. - It's completely buried by these dunes.- Indeed, yes.
0:48:47 > 0:48:52So how soon before we can expect to see these changes on these maps?
0:48:52 > 0:48:57Every week we produce new sheets. An individual sheet would be a number of years.
0:48:58 > 0:49:02So next time you're on the beach and a plane flies overhead,
0:49:02 > 0:49:07it may be adding you to the map of Britain.
0:49:12 > 0:49:18The map of my journey shows that I've reached Blackpool, my final destination.
0:49:18 > 0:49:22Famed for its illuminations, rollercoasters and huge beach,
0:49:22 > 0:49:29Blackpool is a tourists' haven. It receives over 7 million visitors each year.
0:49:30 > 0:49:37In Blackpool, once you've had an ice cream, maybe fish and chips, lost your money on slot machines,
0:49:37 > 0:49:41there is one more seaside experience still to be had.
0:49:41 > 0:49:47You'll see them everywhere. Mysterious little booths, velvet and crystals, but what really goes on
0:49:47 > 0:49:49behind the curtains?
0:49:49 > 0:49:54The Petulengro family have now been in Blackpool for decades.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58They're a Romany family who believe in their psychic abilities,
0:49:58 > 0:50:04which are put to the test by thousands of people out to discover what may lie in their future.
0:50:04 > 0:50:11I'll be heading in to meet Sarah Petulengro and find out what my future holds,
0:50:11 > 0:50:15but first let's see if this week's weather can be accurately predicted.
0:52:50 > 0:52:57.
0:53:04 > 0:53:09I began today's journey paddling a canoe on the River Lune near Caton.
0:53:09 > 0:53:15In Lancaster, I learned the secret of fish smoking and dark tales of witchcraft in the castle.
0:53:15 > 0:53:19In Fleetwood, I met the family behind Fisherman's Friends,
0:53:19 > 0:53:25but now I'm in Blackpool, where I hope to meet my destiny face to face.
0:53:26 > 0:53:30'I'm getting into the spirit by having my fortune told.
0:53:30 > 0:53:37'Sarah Petulengro and her daughter Julie look into the future of Blackpool's tourists.
0:53:37 > 0:53:44'The rest of the family, including youngest daughter Nancy, are champion accordion players.'
0:53:45 > 0:53:52- Blackpool looks like it's having quite a facelift.- It is, yes. - Is this all change?
0:53:52 > 0:53:58- Or is this...? - There's a lot going on and it will be unbelievable when it's finished.
0:53:58 > 0:54:02It's well-known in the UK as a tourist destination,
0:54:02 > 0:54:07but that's going to change. How long have you been here as a family?
0:54:07 > 0:54:15We've been here for hundreds of years. We started off at South Shore, where the Pleasure Beach is now.
0:54:15 > 0:54:20- And how well are the family known in the town?- I think most people
0:54:20 > 0:54:25know the Petulengros for fortune telling and playing the accordion.
0:54:25 > 0:54:30Is that something that is handed down from generation to generation?
0:54:30 > 0:54:34Especially with Romany Gypsies. They seem to recognise psychic abilities.
0:54:34 > 0:54:39- My mother's still got her little kiosk.- Has she?
0:54:39 > 0:54:41My sister, she's at the back.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44My aunt is on the South Pier.
0:54:44 > 0:54:50We're all family all around. There's about five altogether in Blackpool.
0:54:50 > 0:54:55- Romany Gypsies going back through the ages, would they have lived the way you do now?- No.
0:54:55 > 0:55:01- I live in a house now. They would travel up and down in trailers, caravans.- Right.
0:55:01 > 0:55:07And go to all the different fairs all over the country, set up their stalls
0:55:07 > 0:55:12and you'd have the ladies out with the fortune-telling boards.
0:55:12 > 0:55:16- So it was like a business by day and their home at night.- OK.
0:55:16 > 0:55:21And the men would usually be sat outside playing the accordions.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24It was an entertainment thing as well.
0:55:24 > 0:55:31This is an important time for you. You're taking on your own responsibilities, your own place.
0:55:31 > 0:55:35- Are you excited about that? - Excited and nervous.- I can imagine.
0:55:35 > 0:55:40- I think I'll be feeling better about it some time next year.- OK.
0:55:40 > 0:55:46- Fantastic. Well, I think we should see what you can do.- Right. We will do. Whether it's good or bad.
0:55:46 > 0:55:50- I'm fascinated, so let's find out. - Right, then.
0:55:50 > 0:55:55'The Petulengros have read the palms of hundreds of celebrities here.
0:55:55 > 0:56:01'These are sometimes more rewarding as their predictions are often played out in the public eye.'
0:56:01 > 0:56:06- Have you ever had a reading before? - No, this is all new to me.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10So I'm quite interested. I think I've got quite an open mind,
0:56:10 > 0:56:16but I imagine a lot of people come in here already believing or completely not believing.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20- How do you deal with that?- We do get a lot of people in for a laugh,
0:56:20 > 0:56:26- but once they come in, they don't go out laughing. - That sounds very serious!
0:56:26 > 0:56:30- It could be good news. - But it's still serious to them.
0:56:30 > 0:56:36- Even if it's good news, they know that you can see into the future and it's not a laugh any more.- Yeah.
0:56:36 > 0:56:41That's interesting. And this is something you don't do on camera.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44- It's very unlucky to do a reading on camera.- OK.
0:56:44 > 0:56:49So before we do the reading, we have to shut the doors.
0:56:52 > 0:56:59'The Petulengros will do crystal reading and Tarot cards, but I've gone for a simple palm reading.
0:56:59 > 0:57:01'And it doesn't take long.'
0:57:01 > 0:57:06I went in with a pretty open mind and it was pretty interesting.
0:57:06 > 0:57:13So I can't tell you too many secrets, but, yeah, I'd say that was a good experience.
0:57:19 > 0:57:26My watery journey through Lancashire ahs taken me down the rivers all the way to the sea.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29I've seen some pretty amazing stuff.
0:57:29 > 0:57:33From the eels and the salmon, some of the produce that is made,
0:57:33 > 0:57:39also visiting the quite scary past of Lancaster Castle.
0:57:39 > 0:57:44And here in Blackpool, well, I've heard my future. Maybe not your average day in the north.
0:57:56 > 0:58:00Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2011
0:58:00 > 0:58:02Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk