Lancashire Coast Country Tracks

Today I'm on a journey along the rivers and coastline of Lancashire,

starting here on the River Lune and ending up by the sea near Blackpool.

I'll start out in Caton, paddling downstream,

where I'll learn about some rather slippery characters.

Then to the mouth of the river at Glasson Dock in Lancaster to visit the local smokehouse.

There's about 1,200-1,500 herring in there.

I make a quick stop at Lancaster Castle before heading to Fleetwood, famous for Fishermen's Friends.

One lady said, "They go through my lungs like a Hoover."

My journey will end in the nation's favourite seaside town.

Instead of hitting the fairgrounds, I'll learn about my future.

And I'll look back at some of the best BBC archive footage of this part of the world.

Welcome to Country Tracks.

Lancashire is one of the largest shire counties and it's surprisingly green as 80% is rural,

even though Burnley and Blackburn were the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.

It's also home to one of the UK's most popular tourist destinations - Blackpool.

The River Lune runs for 45 miles through Lancashire.

I'm starting at the Crook o' Lune, so called because the river completely turns back on itself,

forming the shape of a shepherd's crook.

And what better way to see it than on the water in an open canoe with Craig, an instructor

from the nearby kayak and canoe centre?

So what makes the Lune so great for kayaking and canoeing?

Just the options, really.

It's a very long river. It has options of white water stuff,

open boating, touring,

long, flat sections.

It's just a great river to just get out and see lots of scenery, really.

I have actually used a canoe like this before, but only with two people. On your own, it's trickier.

-Is that normal to find it hard to go in a straight line?

-Yeah, a lot of people learn in tandem,

two people in the boat. One can steer and one can do the paddle.

On your own, you have to do that both on one side, so it can be tricky,

but it's the best way to paddle them.

They can be used all over the world - in Canada, the big, open rivers and here on the Lune.

-You can pack them up for the day and off you go.

-This is picture perfect, but it can't all be like this.

There's long sections like this that are nice and scenic, very beautiful,

but there's some very big white water sections higher up,

which offer a kayaker a good day out.

What would you expect to see that you wouldn't see from the banks?

The wildlife that you see, the opportunity to see otters swimming and playing in the banks,

herons up against the sides of the banks. And kingfishers, which people don't see often,

-but we get to see quite a lot.

-You're pretty much silent.

-Yeah.

In an open canoe, the better you get, the more silent you can be.

'As we head downstream,

'there are some creatures beneath us that spend years struggling in the opposite direction.

'The European eel starts its life 3,000 miles away in the Sargasso Sea.

'After spawning, the larvae drift on the current north to Europe.

'Once they get to the cooler waters, they change shape and turn into elvers.

'They head upstream to places like here on the River Lune.

'However, seeing them could be difficult as European eels are now on the endangered species list.

'I've left the canoe and continued on foot to find out what has been done to help them.'

Eels aren't everyone's favourite fish, but in actual fact they're pretty interesting.

During their life cycle, they go on incredible journeys.

'I stopped off to meet Sarah Littlefield from the Lune River Trust.'

Why are eel numbers in decline?

Well, there are various reasons put forward. Scientists believe it's the marine environment.

It could be an exotic parasite, an Asian parasite, which is affecting their swim bladder,

which affects their ability to find the Sargasso Sea.

It could be over fishing, it could be pollution of their habitat up here.

-What's the significance of this part of the Lune?

-It's really important.

This part is where elvers access the system and they need to get up,

the whole catchment, so that they can breed up in the small tributaries further up.

This is of great significance, these weirs.

-Is that something we can see?

-Yeah, there's one down here.

So the elvers, the baby eels, they didn't always have a hand up the river.

-No.

-Why do you now need a contraption?

When they had huge numbers in the river, it wasn't a problem,

but now that numbers are so depleted, it really is. They might get lucky and get over when it's in flood,

but generally speaking it isn't when they come in spring,

-so they need this elver pass to get through.

-So what is it?

Well, down at the bottom, you can see the bristles there

to encourage them to access the elver pass. They wouldn't want to be in the main stem of the Lune.

-The river runs very fast there.

-Right.

-If they bump up against the weir, they're going to end up

against the side and they'll start to look for a way to go.

They come in at the bottom, wiggle their way up through the bristles.

We can track when they're running by looking here as they pass through more bristle board.

And on a lower weir we've got a camera so we can definitely monitor how many are coming through

and how it's going. They then proceed down the pipe and gently plop into the water.

Job done.

Once the elvers have made it up river, they live there for up to 20 years,

but as they mature, the pull for the Sargasso Sea returns.

They then set out on the return journey all the way home, where they will mate and then die.

It's an amazing story and the River Lune plays a crucial part.

I had absolutely no idea about the life of the European eel.

Learning about their huge journeys, about the dwindling stocks, about the challenges they face,

it's fascinating, and also hearing about the communities along the Lune and what they're trying to do,

not just for the species, but for the ecosystem.

'I'm heading for the Lancashire coast, which is where Matt Baker discovered it's not just eels

'that can become stranded.'

The vast stretches of Morecambe's coastline are a beautiful but treacherous place.

The unpredictable forces of mud, sand and water make this a landscape that deserves respect.

As the high tide approaches, water rushes in from all directions at an incredibly high speed.

The dangers of Morecambe sands hit the headlines in 2004 under tragic circumstances.

21 Chinese cockle pickers drowned after they got cut off by the fast-rising tides.

Thankfully, incidents of this scale are rare and for the majority of people who end up in difficulty,

help is at hand.

Thanks to one of only 4 RNLI hovercrafts across the country,

the Morecambe Bay lifeboat crew are specially equipped for high speed rescues across water and quicksand.

-She's a beauty, isn't she, Harry?

-Yes.

-Is it all right to jump up?

-Sure. Carry on.

So when and why did this arrive here in Morecambe?

It's been here about six years now.

-Right. And what was the reason for it being here?

-Because of the vast area we cover, of mud,

when the tide's out, it's 150 square miles of mud, quicksand, channels, narrow gullies.

There's a few elements to deal with, so the quicker the better.

What's the plan today?

-Well, hopefully, we'll put somebody in the mud.

-Somebody?

-A volunteer!

-OK!

-And...and then we'll get you out.

-Brilliant.

-We've not failed to get anyone out, so you'll be OK.

-Fingers crossed!

-Super, excellent. Well, let's go and get me submerged.

-OK.

'Training exercises like this are vital in making sure the crew

'is ready to cope with any eventuality.

'When an emergency call comes in, they often have no idea what they'll face,

'so both the crew and the hovercraft arrive fully kitted out.

'But before I get thrown out into the mud, the crew take me on a quick spin of the bay

'to put the hovercraft through her paces.'

Whoo-hoo-hoo!

'Being able to fly across the bay, whatever the terrain, means they do the 10 miles from one end to another

'in just 14 minutes.'

Before the hovercraft came,

we were basically stuck with the boats. At low water,

if we had a job over that side, the boat would have to go, literally,

right out to sea and right round to get to the casualty.

With this machine, we go the way the crow flies

-and get there within minutes.

-How easy is it to get stuck in this kind of environment?

Oh, it's so easy. You just get the public walking out off the beach

-and they can literally go yards and be down to their knees.

-Really?

-And once you're stuck in there, there ain't no way out.

-No way out, not without this machine.

-Is it quite different working on the hovercraft to working on a boat?

-I love this machine.

-It's the best piece of kit the RNLI's got.

-'So it's time to put these guys' skills to the test.

'To prove you don't have to go far to find quicksand, we head back to shore.'

-Straight in.

-OK.

-And hopefully you'll sink.

-Right!

Here we go.

-Waggle one foot at a time.

-Eh?

-One at a time.

-I can't move 'em!

-I actually cannot move.

-Keep going, Matt. You're going down now, mate.

That's it, Matt. Go on. You've no chance of getting out of there now.

I'm going deeper, honestly!

'The crew then leave me stranded to give me an idea of how it feels to be stuck out here alone.'

I'm actually getting lower. Don't be too long!

Honestly, please don't be too long! I am actually getting lower.

It's so disconcerting. I'm getting lower and lower

and there is no way my feet are coming out of here.

And to think of the tide rushing in.

It is frightening.

'It might have only been a brief taste, but it's still a big relief when the hovercraft reappears.'

Right, lads. Are we digging him out?

'The rescuers use plastic boards to get out onto the sand without the risk of sinking in themselves.'

-These are your little working platforms?

-Yes.

-If you want to sit down there, Matt.

-Sit down here?

-Get nice and comfy.

-That's great.

How deep potentially could it be? I'm here up to my knees.

In this particular area, it can go just above your knees.

There are places where you go up to the waist.

Right? There you go.

All right...

-So does this stop casualties sinking any lower, then?

-It's mainly for reassurance.

When we've got a real life casualty, they do panic.

They try to grab hold of you and pull themselves out using you.

So, basically, to give the casualty a job to do, to take their mind off the actual situation,

we tell them to hold on to here. And if you do, you feel a lot safer.

I'm not surprised they grab out for you. The sense of relief

when you arrive. It's such an awful, lonely feeling.

You don't know how long they've been out here. It could be half an hour.

-Right.

-Which is a hell of a long time when you're on your own.

-Are we ready to get muddy, then?

-Come on, James.

'Using a metal stake with holes in it, water is squirted deep down to loosen the sand

'that's now set solid around my legs.'

We'll blast you with a little water.

See it bubbling?

All we've got to do is work you out.

-That's fine.

-That is extraordinarily powerful.

-Feel the suction?

-Yeah.

-That's the vacuum underneath your foot. We have to break that up, underneath in the water.

Then we just work it out. That's one foot out.

Nearly there.

Aw, there you go. Phew!

Cheers. Thank you very much indeed. Give us a hand up. Perfect.

Hopefully, I will never ever find myself in that situation again,

but it's very nice to know that you guys aren't too far away.

That's a terrifying experience which I'm glad I won't go through.

I'm en route to Glasson Dock, a small village at the mouth of the River Lune in Lancaster.

I've stopped off at the river to talk to a local fisherman, Steve Carr,

who by chance has a fish on just as I arrive.

Fish on!

-So what have you caught?

-It looks like a salmon, Mark.

That's quite incredible.

-Isn't it just?

-Do people not talk about having to wait days on end?

-Years, years.

I know fellow anglers who have fished for 20 years and never caught one.

-That's quite remarkable, really.

-Do they normally fight hard?

-They do.

It fights well.

'What a stroke of luck! Salmon and trout fishing on the River Lune runs from February to October,

'but there are strict regulations attached to salmon fishing. It's important to follow the rules.'

-So how does that rate? Is that a big one?

-Em, not really.

I would think it's one that has spawned and is on its way back.

So this time of year you're not allowed to catch them.

-He's very silver, slightly thin.

-Right.

-But a nice, clean fish.

-I can tell you're still surprised.

-Very much so.

'An impressive catch for Steve, but it's a case of catch and release today.

'We have to let the salmon go to protect future stocks, so I can't take it to my next destination,

'the smoke house. Lancashire has 137 miles of coastline,

'encompassing stunning countryside, seaside towns and fishing harbours.

'The fishing ports here are steeped in history. Fishermen work hard to bring back the catch of the day.

'Once the fish is caught, it's straight to the smoke house where Michael Price will smoke anything!'

If someone walked in with a salmon like this, what's the process?

-Is there something you can show me now as to how you would work with that?

-Yeah, by all means.

Basically, the first step would be the fish has come off the river or someone's caught the salmon.

The first job is to gut it but because we freeze our fish out of season, we have to remove the gut

so it doesn't stain the flesh of the fish.

So I run a knife straight down the middle of the belly,

clean the gut out, turn her over and what I'm going to do is cut at the back of the gill.

The head is absolutely solid. As soon as it goes soft, knife in.

Straight down to its backbone, cut round its gill and the head off.

Then the next step is to turn the fish over to take the fillet off.

The first fillet, you always have the back of the fish facing you, you lift up the flank of the fish,

your knife goes in on top of the backbone

and as long as you can hear that noise of your knife going through the bone, it's on top of the bone,

-you get a lovely fillet of wild salmon.

-Beautiful.

When my father first started, 37, 38 years ago, he primarily started with trout and salmon.

But as time changes, we've progressed to meat, fish, game, cheese and poultry now.

But our specialist or what we're renowned for is our wild smoked salmon,

our kippers that we do, fresh Lancashire kippers.

We sell them all over the country.

And the way we smoke them is a tailored smoke. Rather than lightly kiln them using oak,

we blend wood for different flavours.

'Before the salmon is smoked, it's cured by covering it in sea salt for up to 12 hours.

'This draws the moisture out and helps preserve it.'

Once they've come out the salt, we bring them in to the smokers.

If you look in here now, these fish here are private fishermen.

They bring them in and we'll cure them, smoke them, slice them, you can have them in packets.

It's nearly ready. You can see the oils coming out. It's not an exact science. Do it by touch, by eye.

It's something you learn. It's not something you can be master of overnight.

-What about the famous Lancashire kippers?

-Well, I'll take you over to this other kiln and show you.

It's over here.

-Basically, we've got this one here.

-Wow!

-Look at all them.

-Look at that, indeed!

-There's about...

-Fantastic!

-1,200-1,500 herring in there.

-They were worked on this morning.

-It's the smell again.

-Exactly.

Fresh North Sea herring. Brined this morning.

That's the herring in there drying. They've been in all day.

We can produce roughly about 3,000-4,000 kippers a week.

So what we're going to do now is put it in this, a rough shaving,

as opposed to sawdust we use in the other kilns. We don't mind if this ignites. It's not as important.

Even though kippers are a cold-smoked product,

it's got such a great distance to travel, the smoke, by the time it gets to the chamber it's cool.

So all we do is light a bit of tissue. It's as simple as this.

There's no exact science to it. Let that get ignited, pop it in, pop it on top of there.

-It's exciting to see where your food comes from.

-Indeed.

'The process of salting and smoking is called kippering, which is where the name comes from.

'The herring spend 24-36 hours in the smoke. It's an ancient method of cooking once used to preserve,

'but now simply for the taste.

'I'm moving on to my next Lancashire landmark. Julia Bradbury went to a different, rather surprising area

'to look for wildlife.'

'Just off the hectic M6 near Preston is what looks like a building site,

'but I've been assured that these 250 acres are well worth a look.'

By spring 2011,

this will be Britain's latest nature reserve and I'm here to lend a hand laying the foundations

of a brand-new wildlife landscape.

'Since 2007, the Wildlife Trust of Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside have been building this

'on the site of an old quarry.

'Brockholes Nature Reserve aims to recreate an ancient Lancashire landscape for wildlife to move in.

'Sophie Leadsom is the manager with a devoted bunch of volunteers taking cuttings from the reed beds.'

-So what are we doing here, Sophie?

-What we're doing is cutting

these fluffy seed heads here on the reed. This contains all the seeds.

-The reed bed is an important habitat.

-It IS very important.

They have a lot of specialist species. A lot of birds and wildlife aren't found anywhere else.

Reed warbler, sedge warbler... Without reed beds, these birds can't flourish.

And it's water vole and otter as well. They depend on reed beds for their safe being.

-How many do we need?

-As many as we can cut!

-Right. Keep slipping, eh?

-Oh, yes.

'The reeds will be used throughout the wetland landscape,

'but they'll also frame the view of the floating visitor centre.

'Later on, I'll find out how it works, but first we've got to get the cuttings in the earth.'

-Hello! Little seedlings. How old are these?

-Six months.

These were propagated. This is where it all happens. This is where the reed beds start.

-Seedlings in action.

-Oh, yes.

-'This place is really self-sufficient.

'All the waste soil is put to use to help these seeds grow.'

What's it like being involved in a project of such magnitude? This is a big deal, isn't it?

To be absolutely at the very beginning of a project that is bringing conservation to the front,

and really leading the way, all I can say is it's a privilege.

'After a quick water, it's on with the fluffy heads.'

-Is that it?

-This is it.

-This is how all good re-beds start.

-A dusting of reed seedlings.

-That's right.

-And we're off.

'These seeds will grow on in here until the weather warms up.

'At Brockholes, there are huge areas of grazing marsh. This bunch of good-looking longhorns

'know how to earn their keep.' Why these instead of sheep?

The way that cattle feed, they wrap their tongues around the grass and pull,

and that produces tussocky grass. And that is the grass

that our target birds need to hide their nests in - redshank and lapwing.

They need the variation that the cows will produce.

If we were to use sheep, they're like little lawnmowers and it's like a bowling green.

These guys are like bulldozers. They create big open areas,

they wallow, create ponds by default. They rip the place to pieces

and it's all those tiny little areas that the birds will find to make their nests and find food in.

-And they're very handsome.

-They are. They're superb. Absolutely superb.

'These cattle are a real asset, but I still want to find out why this location by the motorway

'was the right spot for a reserve.'

A few years ago, this was just agricultural fields. Then a quarry was built.

And when that came to an end, what to do with the site?

-Lancashire is a well-kept secret.

-It is an unusual location, though.

You have got the M6 and motorway noise, we've got aircraft up above.

But wildlife takes very little notice of the aeroplanes and roads.

And we can get so many people here, so it's a great opportunity.

Let's bring people into Lancashire. Don't just drive through it.

Stop and see what there is to offer. You'll find some fantastic surprises.

'When the visitors finally come, they'll witness a centrepiece that quite literally floats.

'Architect Adam Khan has designed a visitors centre that will appear to emerge from the lake.'

-So this is going to be water, both sides.

-This will be water.

And full of reeds. All the reeds you've been busy planting,

as soon as they're grown they'll be six foot high.

You'll be nestled among the reeds with this landscape of roofs hovering over the reed tops.

-It really is a floating visitors centre.

-It really will float.

Soon, they'll let that water in. It will trickle under the concrete

-and the whole thing will lift off.

-Exciting stuff.

'A staggering 27 million people pass by on the motorway every year.

'Let's hope a few of them make a detour to this fascinating place.'

I'm glad to report the centre has now been successfully floated and the nature reserve is open.

Just before heading south, I'm taking a detour to the centre of Lancaster from Glasson Dock

to check out the castle.

'Lancaster Castle dates back to Roman times, a perfect spot on top of the hill,

'looking down over Lancaster.'

You can certainly see the history of this building etched in the walls

because its use has changed so much over the centuries.

'There have been assizes or periodic criminal courts in Lancaster Castle

'since the 14th century.

'And it was here that some of the most dramatic events ever in Lancashire were played out.'

This is the Crown Court. It was built in 1795 and became known as the Hanging Court.

Only the Old Bailey in London sentenced more people to death.

The judge sits at the bench. The jury would sit in the block of seats on the right.

Originally, 200 years ago, they would be propertied men.

Originally above them, the Grand Jury, anywhere from 13-24 men of high standing

who acted as an early Crown Prosecution Service.

They would look at the evidence, interview witnesses and decide if there was enough for a trial.

They'd come in here, sit up there, hand down a paper to the court and someone was tried or released.

Opposite them, spectators.

The judge's friends and family in the lower seats. Above them, rich ladies.

They came to be entertained. Because of their social status, they were given a special gallery.

The dock where the defendant stands trial. Originally with men with javelins, the court security.

'Back then, the crimes and the consequences were very different to today.'

In the Crown Court here,

there were over 200 offences for which you could be hanged.

Most were offences against property - stealing a horse, counterfeiting money,

writing graffiti on Westminster Bridge, stealing clothes or food.

So virtually anything you did could be construed as a crime and you could be hanged.

One of the most feared crimes was witchcraft.

It was here in this very castle that the infamous Pendle witch trials took place

in the year 1612.

19 people over Easter were rounded up and brought to Lancaster Castle and held here for four months

in the dungeons which are still here today.

The shackles are still there.

They spent four months in total darkness until their trial took place in the courtroom.

It consisted of two families, the Southerns and the Whittles,

both headed by 80-year-old widows. One was nicknamed Old Demdike and the other Chattox,

a corruption of chatterbox because she never stopped talking.

In those days, a widow was considered to be a very dangerous person. She was out of the control of a man.

'Many of the allegations resulted from accusations that members of the families made against each other.

'Perhaps they were in competition, both trying to make a living from healing, begging and extortion.'

10 people were found guilty of being witches, eight ladies and two men.

There was no defence and the main witness for the prosecution was a 9-year-old girl,

one of the granddaughters of two matriarchs of the two families involved.

'We know the particulars of these outlandish trials as Thomas Potts, the court clerk,

'wrote a detailed account of them as they happened.'

You shall all go from hence to the castle from whence you came.

From thence, you shall be carried to the place of execution

where your bodies shall be hanged until you be dead.

'The Pendle witches weren't actually hanged here at the castle.

'They were taken out on the moors nearby to meet their end.

'Rural Britain is full of chilling and tragic stories. Julia Bradbury uncovered another

'at Sunderland Point, just up the coast.'

'This tiny village takes a bit of getting to.

'High tide covers the single track road completely, cutting it off from its nearest neighbours.

'Unlocking the secret requires careful planning and a special key -

'a timetable for the tides.'

Before we go any further, let's just check that the road is actually going to be open

and it won't be a big problem.

Date...

Fine. No tide. Good.

'It's called Sunderland Point because of the way the sea sweeps in to set it apart or asunder

'from the mainland.'

"Danger - do not proceed when these posts are in water."

They absolutely make sure you're not going to make a mistake.

'When the waters recede, they leave behind a bleak, beautiful marshland,

'an unusual sort of back garden.

'The dock was built early in the 18th century to land goods from ships that were too big

'to make it along the Lune to the main port at Lancaster.

'Now it's used by local fishermen who work the sea within sight of their homes.

'But there are others who have chosen to make a life in one of the two rows of houses on the shore.

'Lynne Levey moved here 29 years ago from her native Merseyside.

'She now lives on Sunderland Point's Second Terrace.'

What made you want to live here?

Born in Liverpool where all you could see was the back of another house,

-this is just wonderful.

-How do you cope with the isolation?

You come home and the tide comes up and, personally, I welcome it.

-What about the practical side of it? I'm always late.

-You live your life around the tide.

We've all become quite proficient at working it out, but the wind blows, the weather changes

and it comes up a bit sooner and you're either stuck across the other side or you can't go to work.

Oh, dear. What a shame.

Yeah, that's quite a good excuse. "Sorry. The tide has come in."

You can't use it too often, though.

All the doors have flood barriers on. Have they been flooded a lot?

Yeah, they have, actually. Although we will bail if necessary.

It's all hands to the pump and that's where this community is so great.

People help each other, you know.

-What's your favourite thing here?

-What I love most is the big sky. I mean, look at this sky.

And it changes all the time. When it's stormy, it's so dramatic.

It's a big, big sky. And time after time, I come out here to look at the sky.

'Sunderland Point holds another secret. Hidden away in a remote field on the opposite side

'is a reminder of one of the darkest chapters in our country's history.

'When Sunderland Point was in its prime, Lancaster was a major hub of the slave trade.

'Nearly 30,000 slaves were transported on Lancaster ships.

'Most of the slaves were sold in the Americas, but in 1736,

'one unfortunate young man ended up here.

'He died in this house within just a few days of landing.

'The local landlord arranged a burial for a boy they called Sambo.'

This is the path that Sambo's body was carried along by the townspeople.

'Because he wasn't a Christian, the young slave was laid to rest in unconsecrated ground

'in a lonely corner of a farmer's field.'

So here it is.

Sambo's grave.

And he's been buried here for nearly 300 years.

In a windswept field on the Lancashire coast.

'Six decades after the burial, a local schoolmaster laid a plaque on the grave with a poem

'commemorating him.' It says a man shall be judged not on his colour, but on the worth of his heart.

'The sight has been marked by local people ever since

'and even now visitors regularly come to this secret little spot

'to remember the unfortunate boy who travelled so far to die at Sunderland Point.

'It's a story and a place that touches people. Remote, inaccessible and haunting.

'A fragment of a forgotten past.'

A very moving story and obviously one much cherished by the people of Sunderland Point.

After the horrors of Lancaster Castle,

I've headed back to the coast and on to the Victorian seaside town of Fleetwood.

# Oh, William Masters was... #

'Fleetwood is a pretty typical seaside town.

'Once a hub of fishing activity, the trawlers have long gone

'and the town has struggled with the loss.

'But Jacinta still sits in the dock here. She's an old stern trawler,

'built in 1972, famous for bringing back record catches from Iceland.

'In her 23 years at sea, she earned over £17 million.

'Now she's a floating museum, but Captain Tony Barkworth has fond memories of his time

'at sea with her.'

Sailed from Fleetwood, it took us 3.5 days to get to Iceland.

Then you'd get on the grounds and do 10 or 12 days there.

The crew used to work 18 hours on, six off.

And then we did 20-odd days and then we'd come back.

Conditions were OK in the summer, but winter would get really bleak, icing up and everything.

There was a bad spell at Iceland and three trawlers were lost through the ice and that.

Luckily, we survived. I know the Fleetwood ships survived that particular bad spell

and that's how we went on.

There must have been 150 ships in Fleetwood then when I started.

It wore on through the years and, of course the Cod Wars. We always fished Iceland mainly.

The Cod Wars came on so we had to come out and it declined from then.

We finished up with what you see now. Nothing, basically.

'The fishing heritage is still strong in Fleetwood

'and the town's main employer is a rather curious one.'

The fishing industry might have long left, but one product associated with Fleetwood and fishing

is still going strong. This little lozenge.

-I wish you wouldn't go.

-I'll be all right.

-You've still got that cold.

You must take these. Extra strong Fisherman's Friend with menthol for your nose

and eucalyptus oil for your cold.

Years ago, Fleetwood fishermen used to take them on long, cold Icelandic trips.

-Take care, darling.

-Fisherman's Friend helps ease your nose and throat on land or sea.

Remember that? Well, they were invented right here in Fleetwood in 1864.

And they're standing the test of time.

Fishermen often suffered from terrible colds, spending days at sea in terrible weather conditions.

It was down to the local pharmacist, James Lofthouse, to save the day.

Tony Lofthouse, great great grandson of James, and his wife Doreen met with me to tell the tale.

What was your great-great-grandfather's idea?

He'd moved down from Lancaster and opened a pharmacist's shop on what was the main street.

The trawlers were going further and further in more severe conditions

and fishermen came back with chesty coughs. So he formulated a liquid which you took on a sugar cube.

That was OK, but the bottles didn't stand up to the conditions at sea and they were breaking.

So he then reformulated it into a lozenge. It had no name.

But the trawlermen used to come in and say, "I want some of my friends."

And the public said, "I want those lozenges the fishermen have."

The Fisherman's Friends were popular locally, but it was only when Doreen got involved that they took off.

I realised when I was there how popular these Fisherman's Friend lozenges were.

I thought, "If they'll sell in Fleetwood, they'll sell in Manchester or Nottingham, wherever."

So I had an old van. I piled them in the back and took them round Lancashire mainly.

And sometimes by the time I got home, they were ringing up saying, "We sold them. We want some more."

'They are now sold in over 100 countries in a variety of flavours.'

-What do you think the secret of the recipe is?

-It works.

That's basically it.

-It does what it says on the tin.

-It does.

-It works.

They say put one in your mouth before you go to bed, a little will still be there the next morning.

But in the meantime, it's getting onto your lungs and clearing the passageways.

One lady said, "They go through my lungs like a Hoover!"

'They are still developing, while holding on to the history and roots of Fleetwood's past.

'Duncan Lofthouse is son and heir to the company.' In terms of the actual... Do you call it a medicine?

Do you call it a sweet?

It depends which part of the world we're talking about.

In the UK, the consumers' perception is as a medicated product.

But in many of our overseas markets it's regarded as a strong flavoured candy.

-How much is sold each year?

-We make about 40 tonnes a week now in Fleetwood,

97% of which is exported. We're very heavily export-driven.

-40 tonnes a week?!

-Per week.

That sounds like a vast amount, whatever you call it.

'A great example of how big things can come from very small beginnings.

'A little further south is my final destination - Blackpool,

'recently voted the nation's favourite seaside town.'

The plane just landing behind me never leaves UK airspace.

It belongs to the Ordnance Survey flying unit.

The Ordnance Survey makes over 150 sorties a year from their base in Blackpool.

I've come into town to meet Trevor Hilton, an aerial surveyor.

So why Blackpool?

Well, we map the whole of the country. Blackpool's the airport nearest the centre of Britain.

Another advantage is lovely weather. This stretch of coast gets a lot of sunshine,

-so we're not fog-bound many days or stuck on the airport.

-What are you actually doing up there?

Britain has one of the most comprehensive mapping databases in the world.

We update it by various means, mainly on the ground, but sometimes it's more efficient by air.

'The OS use a super high resolution camera, a whopping 128 megapixels.

'The photographs are processed at their Southampton HQ,

'but computer software still needs help with detailed variations

'like new housing, roads or coastal changes. These are traced in by hand.

'This then becomes the basis for standard OS maps we rely on.

'But one of their biggest challenges is right on their doorstep.

'Formby Sands, just south of Blackpool, is the most dynamic dune system in England.

'Here, whole features have been wiped off the map.

'The OS are going up to photograph Formby's changing coastline,

'but I've come to meet coastal engineer Paul Wisse to discover what's happening on the ground.'

-I'd say this was a fairly typical coastal dune system.

-Yes,

but what's striking is the speed that it's rolling back.

-25 years ago, this was a caravan park.

-So, literally,

-the dunes have rolled back inland and engulfed it.

-Beneath us are caravans.

-So sometimes caravans get exhumed?

-Not yet, but in the next couple of years, it's very likely

-that some will pop out onto the beach.

-Can you see any of it?

Just down below us is an edge where the car park was.

The children in the distance are helping pick up some of the rubble that has been washed out

by the erosion.

'5,000 feet up, Trevor is taking pictures to show us how Formby's dunes are shifting.

'Meanwhile, Paul and his team have taken me out to get the perspective from sea level.'

-How fast are the dunes here changing?

-On average, over the last 100 years,

they've eroded by 5 metres a year.

The Sefton coast is mainly made of sand which is readily moulded by the coastal processes

such as the waves, the tide, the wind. There used to be a cafe on Formby Point, lost to erosion.

-Oh, really?

-We've got some photos.

-This is the cafe in 1958.

-Right.

-And just three years later, in 1961.

-Oh, my goodness.

-So that was wave action.

-Undermined by the coastal erosion, the waves.

-It's just collapsed.

-What happened to the cafe?

-According to my GPS,

-it's right beneath us.

-Here?!

-But we're 100 metres or so...

-50 metres off shore.

Oh, look. There's the plane going over. The OS are up there taking our aerial survey.

So you were saying this coastline has been eroded for 100 years. Where would it have been back then?

Keith?

We're going an awfully long way out!

-Another 350 metres.

-Really?!

-So right about where we are now

-is where the coast was in 1906.

-That is incredible.

-We are half a kilometre from the dunes.

-Yes.

'That's half a kilometre of Lancashire coast wiped off the map in just 100 years.

'The dramatic erosion here at Formby is a combination of the soft sand and high tidal range.

'What I want to know is how the Ordnance Survey's aerial photographs

'capture the history of this eroding coastline.'

-Hi, Trevor.

-Hiya.

-How was Formby Sands from the air?

-We've got a couple of photos here that we took earlier at Formby.

-Right.

-It was a beautiful morning.

Oh, it looks fantastic.

You can really see the line of the dunes there along the beach.

We've got an earlier shot here taken back in 1978.

-You can see here a caravan park. You see this bend here?

-Yeah.

-That's that bend there.

-It's completely buried by these dunes.

-Indeed, yes.

So how soon before we can expect to see these changes on these maps?

Every week we produce new sheets. An individual sheet would be a number of years.

So next time you're on the beach and a plane flies overhead,

it may be adding you to the map of Britain.

The map of my journey shows that I've reached Blackpool, my final destination.

Famed for its illuminations, rollercoasters and huge beach,

Blackpool is a tourists' haven. It receives over 7 million visitors each year.

In Blackpool, once you've had an ice cream, maybe fish and chips, lost your money on slot machines,

there is one more seaside experience still to be had.

You'll see them everywhere. Mysterious little booths, velvet and crystals, but what really goes on

behind the curtains?

The Petulengro family have now been in Blackpool for decades.

They're a Romany family who believe in their psychic abilities,

which are put to the test by thousands of people out to discover what may lie in their future.

I'll be heading in to meet Sarah Petulengro and find out what my future holds,

but first let's see if this week's weather can be accurately predicted.

.

I began today's journey paddling a canoe on the River Lune near Caton.

In Lancaster, I learned the secret of fish smoking and dark tales of witchcraft in the castle.

In Fleetwood, I met the family behind Fisherman's Friends,

but now I'm in Blackpool, where I hope to meet my destiny face to face.

'I'm getting into the spirit by having my fortune told.

'Sarah Petulengro and her daughter Julie look into the future of Blackpool's tourists.

'The rest of the family, including youngest daughter Nancy, are champion accordion players.'

-Blackpool looks like it's having quite a facelift.

-It is, yes.

-Is this all change?

-Or is this...?

-There's a lot going on and it will be unbelievable when it's finished.

It's well-known in the UK as a tourist destination,

but that's going to change. How long have you been here as a family?

We've been here for hundreds of years. We started off at South Shore, where the Pleasure Beach is now.

-And how well are the family known in the town?

-I think most people

know the Petulengros for fortune telling and playing the accordion.

Is that something that is handed down from generation to generation?

Especially with Romany Gypsies. They seem to recognise psychic abilities.

-My mother's still got her little kiosk.

-Has she?

My sister, she's at the back.

My aunt is on the South Pier.

We're all family all around. There's about five altogether in Blackpool.

-Romany Gypsies going back through the ages, would they have lived the way you do now?

-No.

-I live in a house now. They would travel up and down in trailers, caravans.

-Right.

And go to all the different fairs all over the country, set up their stalls

and you'd have the ladies out with the fortune-telling boards.

-So it was like a business by day and their home at night.

-OK.

And the men would usually be sat outside playing the accordions.

It was an entertainment thing as well.

This is an important time for you. You're taking on your own responsibilities, your own place.

-Are you excited about that?

-Excited and nervous.

-I can imagine.

-I think I'll be feeling better about it some time next year.

-OK.

-Fantastic. Well, I think we should see what you can do.

-Right. We will do. Whether it's good or bad.

-I'm fascinated, so let's find out.

-Right, then.

'The Petulengros have read the palms of hundreds of celebrities here.

'These are sometimes more rewarding as their predictions are often played out in the public eye.'

-Have you ever had a reading before?

-No, this is all new to me.

So I'm quite interested. I think I've got quite an open mind,

but I imagine a lot of people come in here already believing or completely not believing.

-How do you deal with that?

-We do get a lot of people in for a laugh,

-but once they come in, they don't go out laughing.

-That sounds very serious!

-It could be good news.

-But it's still serious to them.

-Even if it's good news, they know that you can see into the future and it's not a laugh any more.

-Yeah.

That's interesting. And this is something you don't do on camera.

-It's very unlucky to do a reading on camera.

-OK.

So before we do the reading, we have to shut the doors.

'The Petulengros will do crystal reading and Tarot cards, but I've gone for a simple palm reading.

'And it doesn't take long.'

I went in with a pretty open mind and it was pretty interesting.

So I can't tell you too many secrets, but, yeah, I'd say that was a good experience.

My watery journey through Lancashire ahs taken me down the rivers all the way to the sea.

I've seen some pretty amazing stuff.

From the eels and the salmon, some of the produce that is made,

also visiting the quite scary past of Lancaster Castle.

And here in Blackpool, well, I've heard my future. Maybe not your average day in the north.

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2011

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