0:00:20 > 0:00:23Hello. Today I am on a journey through the unspoiled
0:00:23 > 0:00:26and expansive landscapes of North Lincolnshire.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34I'll begin my journey in the county town of Lincoln,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37starting on a high as I am treated to a unique look
0:00:37 > 0:00:42at the cathedral's stunning architecture.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45Are you ready? The view from St Hugh!
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Wow, wow, wow!
0:00:47 > 0:00:52Back on firm ground, I'll head down the hill to discover
0:00:52 > 0:00:55the secret life of local boy and Great British poet, Lord Tennyson.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Then, leaving Lincoln behind,
0:00:57 > 0:01:02I'll travel north-east to Theddlethorpe to meet a present-day poet
0:01:02 > 0:01:05in the Lincolnshire landscape that inspires him.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09What an amazing contrast between this beautiful, verdant,
0:01:09 > 0:01:13protected countryside, and then the threat of bombs.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18I'll head over to Louth, getting hands-on, preparing the local delicacy of chine.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Before rounding off my journey at Skegness
0:01:22 > 0:01:26as Billy Butlin's holiday camp celebrate their 75th anniversary.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30He designed the first chalet on the back of a cigarette packet
0:01:30 > 0:01:32and a legend was started.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Along the way, I'll look back at the best of the BBC's rural programmes
0:01:35 > 0:01:37from this part of the world.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Welcome to Country Tracks.
0:01:42 > 0:01:47Lincolnshire is one of Britain's most unspoilt landscapes.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Its vast farmlands and lack of motorways
0:01:49 > 0:01:54give the county the laid-back feel of another era.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Even the main city of Lincoln bursts with historic charm
0:01:57 > 0:02:02rather than the hustle and bustle of urban living.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Despite these rather tranquil surroundings,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11I have an appointment that's guaranteed to set my pulse racing
0:02:11 > 0:02:13halfway up the side of Lincoln Cathedral.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24The cathedral dominates the skyline for miles around.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28It is the third biggest cathedral in Britain and until 1549,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30when its central spire collapsed,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34it was the tallest building in the world.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37It's recognised as one of the finest mediaeval buildings in Europe
0:02:37 > 0:02:42with parts dating back as far as 1072.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45But the Gothic creation that stands here today was mainly built
0:02:45 > 0:02:51in the 13th century, inspired by the then Bishop of Lincoln, St Hugh.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55I have been promised an audience with the man himself,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59even though he's been dead for 800 years.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07Works manager Carol Heidschuster has promised me all will become clear.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Am I right in thinking you are taking me to see St Hugh?
0:03:11 > 0:03:16- I certainly am. He's 135 feet up. - After you.
0:03:26 > 0:03:32- It's quite good you can't see the height you are - the blue mesh screens it out.- That's right.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37- We are about 90 feet up now. Are you ready?- The big reveal.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42- Right, here we are.- Yep.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44What a view!
0:03:44 > 0:03:48- Stunning, isn't it?- Incredible.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Before we continue to the top on foot, Carol shows me
0:03:52 > 0:03:56why getting up close to this elevated architecture is so essential.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02When you haven't got scaffolding up, how do you know what needs work
0:04:02 > 0:04:06because you can't just look at this 100 foot up, can you?
0:04:06 > 0:04:11No, we have a conservator who is also an abseiler.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14He's been working on this every year,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17he inspects it and does detailed photographs.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Until you get up here,
0:04:20 > 0:04:26- and you can physically see we have some movement in some of the pinnacles.- A bit wobbly!
0:04:26 > 0:04:30I think that graphically shows why we are here.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34- Right, another one for the to-do list!- Definitely!
0:04:35 > 0:04:40When you look at how high we are, it's easy to see that without this ongoing maintenance,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42there could be terrifying consequences.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Right, are you ready? The view from St Hugh.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Wow!
0:04:56 > 0:04:57Wow, wow, wow!
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Totally exposed up here on his own.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03This is St Hugh.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05I should shake his hand.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09- He doesn't seem receptive. At least he's not wobbling!- No.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14So, what is wrong with him? Why does he need work?
0:05:14 > 0:05:21Well, the photographs from the 1920s showed his hand complete with two fingers.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24- There was a crozier here, bishop's crozier.- That's completely gone.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29- You see, all you've got is... - It snapped off.- Yeah.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32And the loss of detail.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34If you go to his robes around the back,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37you can see quite a lot of pointing.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40- That's had extra concrete on top. - Yes.
0:05:40 > 0:05:46That's what they did in the '20s to reform the drapery
0:05:46 > 0:05:50of his cloak, which would originally have been carved into it.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Now, we are at the apex of the health and safety revolution.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59There are barriers everywhere you look. What would it have been like in the 1920s?
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Well, there's a photograph on file.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06This is Robert Godfrey, the clerk of works at the time.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10He stood right there, on a box next to St Hugh.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12And not a barrier in sight!
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Isn't that incredible?
0:06:14 > 0:06:19When this was built, originally, God, St Hugh looking over you.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Very imposing figure.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Yes, all the buildings would not have been there.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27This was stood on the hill with the castle.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29It must have been really impressive.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31When you think St Hugh can date back that far,
0:06:31 > 0:06:36the fact he's still standing at all... We have a prevailing wind,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40he is taking everything that is thrown at the cathedral.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42You have made an interesting point.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46We are not convinced St Hugh is the original statue.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50There is a view it is a late- or mid-1800s replacement.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Got you. Even so, that would give him 200 years.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Yes, still 200 years old.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59- I don't think he has weathered badly when you feel the wind today.- Yeah.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Lashing rain, snow in the winter, freezing all the time.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08- He is doing OK.- It is our hope we will have the opportunity to carve a new one,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11and that will give our carver that privilege to be able
0:07:11 > 0:07:14to carve something that will be here for centuries.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Whoever carves him, St Hugh will have a place on this turret?
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Definitely.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23And we will have the original one, if we remove it,
0:07:23 > 0:07:26the original one will be on display.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30- Great, thanks very much. A pleasure to meet St Hugh.- Good!
0:07:35 > 0:07:41St Hugh is just a tiny piece in a vast and intricate puzzle.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44I am heading back to ground level to see
0:07:44 > 0:07:52the skills of the cathedral's craftsman in action and get a sense of the scale of their task.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56The cathedral is only one of three in the country with its own full-time restoration team.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01People like stone carver Paul Ellis work behind-the-scenes
0:08:01 > 0:08:07to make sure this beautiful building remains in pristine condition.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11- Hello, Paul. How are you doing?- Hello!
0:08:11 > 0:08:12What a great place to work!
0:08:12 > 0:08:14A lot of industry going on in here.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Not bad, there's worse!
0:08:17 > 0:08:18What are you working on?
0:08:18 > 0:08:22A capital, replacement capital, for the cathedral.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Where would you find a capital?
0:08:25 > 0:08:28A capital is the transition point where an arch comes down
0:08:28 > 0:08:32and meets the columns on either a doorway or window opening.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36This is the sort of thing you are working on.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38These are old ones that have come off the building.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41They have failed, which is why they've been taken off.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46And this is a new one. We have to keep it in this style.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49How much variation is there within the style?
0:08:49 > 0:08:50Do you have to get it spot-on?
0:08:50 > 0:08:52No, there is a bit of licence to do it.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55As a carver, you make it fit how you want.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57- It could be sprouting this way or that way.- OK.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01But you have to follow the basic form, a basic form,
0:09:01 > 0:09:03but it is a bit like handwriting -
0:09:03 > 0:09:07everyone will write a certain letter in a different way.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10What is the little cross?
0:09:10 > 0:09:13That is my mark, that is my signature.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17In the old days, the head mason would have tallied up how many stones with my mark on
0:09:17 > 0:09:21and paid me accordingly for them. Mine is a sign of my faith.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24In the old days, they would have been various shapes,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28maybe a simple cross to start with
0:09:28 > 0:09:30and then the mason would pass that on to his apprentice
0:09:30 > 0:09:32who might have added another line.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35And then he would have passed that on to his
0:09:35 > 0:09:41and the symbol could have grown in size over a couple of generations.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44It is nice. The continuation of that experience and knowledge
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- and lineage of stone masonry.- It is.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51It is part of the craft and tradition we keep going, yes.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Guys have been doing this, like yourself, for hundreds of years.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08How much has it changed in that time? This is just a fairly basic chisel, isn't it?
0:10:08 > 0:10:13Yeah, a chisel and we also use mallets, that is a nylon mallet.
0:10:13 > 0:10:18The only difference traditionally would be a beechwood or apple or pear mallet.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22When you have three-dimensional carvings like this,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26you have to see that in your head. It's a gift from the big fella.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29- But you have got it.- Yeah.
0:10:29 > 0:10:35- And it's interesting you can put the gift from the big fella back into his place!- That's it!
0:10:35 > 0:10:39For us, it is a privilege to be part of that building.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41The masons in those days were the boys.
0:10:41 > 0:10:46They built that building along with the vaulting and everything that goes with it.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49All we are doing is putting plasters on it, pieces on it, to keep it going.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Don't sell yourself short, it is quite a skill,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54you have to have the skills they had.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57It is still a skill and we're using the same skills they had
0:10:57 > 0:11:01but unfortunately, nobody wants to build in that way any more.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03It is too expensive and time-consuming.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08But the other hand is, that building has been there 1,000 years nearly.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12There is nothing that's built nowadays that will last 1,000 years.
0:11:12 > 0:11:19It has been fascinating to get an insight into the hidden workings behind this historic building.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22From its iconic landmarks, to its rural landscapes,
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Lincolnshire is a place of many secrets,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27as Julia Bradbury found out.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28Lincolnshire has a reputation
0:11:28 > 0:11:30for being very flat
0:11:30 > 0:11:32but it's not that flat.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35I am definitely going up a hill.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38It's a little hill, but it is a hill.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43That's because I am in the little-visited Lincolnshire Wolds.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Come on, dear!
0:11:45 > 0:11:50They are an expansive landscape of rolling chalk hills.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53In fact, this is the highest spot in eastern England.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57It is a giant golf ball!
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Claxby radar station at the top of the Wolds
0:12:01 > 0:12:03adds a touch of mystery to the place.
0:12:05 > 0:12:12But I am here to delve deeper into another of Lincolnshire's unexpected wonders.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18The Humber Estuary is to the north and the Wash is to the south
0:12:18 > 0:12:22but nevertheless, Lincolnshire is one of the driest counties in Britain.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27But in the depths of these chalk hills, lies a hidden waterworld.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32And the man who knows how to find it is Richard Chadd.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36- Hello, Richard. How are you? - Fine, welcome to Lincolnshire Wolds.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39- Where are we heading?- Down a little chalk spring down here.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41It's very deep, inaccessible and slightly damp.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44- You'll need scruffy clothes and wellies!- I shall put that on.
0:12:44 > 0:12:50The hidden world we are off to find is a tiny chalk spring -
0:12:50 > 0:12:55one of the most protected and rarest of habitats in Britain.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58So, what's so special about this chalk spring?
0:12:58 > 0:13:01You can see all around you the intensely managed landscape.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03This one is so deep and steep,
0:13:03 > 0:13:08it's probably untouched for hundreds of years, so it's been left to nature, really.
0:13:08 > 0:13:13Richard is a scientist who monitors the health of these hidden springs.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15- Through here.- Yes.- Lead the way!
0:13:15 > 0:13:22'And he's got permission to show me one that is on private land.' Lots of nettles to battle through.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Absolutely, bits of hawthorn too. Watch yourself on those.
0:13:26 > 0:13:32- Suddenly, we are in deep, deep foliage.- Yes, indeed.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34- You can see how steep it is.- Yep.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Gosh!
0:13:36 > 0:13:38- We are in the Lost Kingdom. - That's it.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40It gets really steep here.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Where is the ladder?
0:13:44 > 0:13:48- You have to use the ivy instead. - Yep.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Ooh!
0:13:50 > 0:13:52It's getting quite cold too.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54Yeah, the temperature's dropping.
0:13:54 > 0:14:00You weren't kidding when you said it's steep! I am hooked in ivy. Ooh!
0:14:05 > 0:14:09- Where have you brought me?! - And here we are.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Too steep to farm, this woodland is wild and natural.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23It is a landscape in miniature.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27Suddenly, we've got all these ferns and lush species
0:14:27 > 0:14:30you wouldn't get anywhere but in this habitat.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33I can see why you love it so much.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36It's fabulous. Nobody has messed with this for hundreds of years.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39It's a magical place, I think.
0:14:39 > 0:14:45And the reason it's here at all is this crystal clear spring water.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Feel how cold it is.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Blimey, yeah.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54It's almost like having a remnant of the mountains in the middle of the English lowlands.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59Chilled by its journey through the chalk, the water emerges
0:14:59 > 0:15:02at a constant temperature in both summer and winter.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07Helping the native flora like these Hart's-tongue ferns
0:15:07 > 0:15:10to grow in abundance.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14There's liverworts and mosses on the boulders around here.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Some of them are quite nice. This one here...
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Ooh! Wow!
0:15:20 > 0:15:22You can't quite describe the smell but it's rather nice!
0:15:22 > 0:15:26What is it? It's a sort of muted mint.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30That's right, sort of. It's called scented liverwort.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Never smelt anything like that before. Very fresh.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35- It is.- It's not edible? - No.- Don't eat it.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39- Not as far as I know. - We won't try it now!
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Even though it's tricky to get down here,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48these little ribbons show we are not the only visitors.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51What are these? People have been here.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54People find this place very precious indeed for spiritual reasons.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58I guess you've got the water coming out of the bones of the Earth.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01They have put these things in, I don't know what they mean
0:16:01 > 0:16:04but it's a precious place to somebody.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Mind yourself, because there is a waterfall just here.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Look!
0:16:13 > 0:16:15It is a little one. But it is a waterfall.
0:16:15 > 0:16:21When I first told somebody I found a little waterfall, they didn't believe me.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24- You don't get waterfalls in Lincolnshire. - What is the definition?
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Well, within habitat survey, the definition is the water
0:16:28 > 0:16:32- has to leave the rock face, which it does.- It does.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36- And when it doesn't? - It is called a chute.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38Yes. It's not exactly Niagara.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41- But it is something. - It is, especially for Lincolnshire.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52Julia Bradbury in one of Lincolnshire's idyllic hideaways.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Back in the county town of Lincoln, I've left the cathedral behind.
0:16:56 > 0:17:02I'm taking the short stroll down the hill to the next stop on my journey.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07It is fair to say Lincolnshire's most famous son is Alfred Tennyson,
0:17:07 > 0:17:12the Poet Laureate to Queen Victoria until his death in 1892.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Today, he's incredibly relevant still.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17He is read, studied and appreciated across the world.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22Where better to learn more about him than the local library?
0:17:22 > 0:17:26But this is no ordinary library.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29In a labyrinth of secure corridors, high above the Harry Potters
0:17:29 > 0:17:34and Daphne du Mauriers, the extraordinary private life of Lord Tennyson is laid bare.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38It makes for fascinating reading.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Leading me to this hidden treasure is Grace Timmins.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46What are these, original proofs?
0:17:46 > 0:17:50These are some of the most interesting manuscripts we have got.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54The jewel of the collection is the manuscript of In Memoriam
0:17:54 > 0:17:57which is a long poem consisting of 131 lyrics
0:17:57 > 0:18:02or versus that Tennyson wrote over the course of 14 or 15 years.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06People don't really read it from start to finish now.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08We quote it without realising.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11So, things like, "It is better to have loved and lost
0:18:11 > 0:18:15"than never to have loved at all" is in it.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21It is perhaps the most famous line Tennyson wrote and it came to have
0:18:21 > 0:18:25special significance for many people who lost loved ones,
0:18:25 > 0:18:30including his royal patron, Queen Victoria, when Prince Albert died.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33In fact, Victoria was so comforted by his words
0:18:33 > 0:18:38that when Tennyson lost his son, she wrote him a letter of condolence
0:18:38 > 0:18:40that laid bare her own feelings.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45We have got a letter here from Queen Victoria.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48- Wow! 1886.- Indeed.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53And it's a remarkably warm letter of sympathy from Queen Victoria.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Perhaps the most telling bit is on this side, where she says,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00"But I say from the depth of a heart which has suffered cruelly,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04"and lost almost all it cared for and loved best."
0:19:04 > 0:19:06She is really opening up.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10And, as you see from the black edgings to the paper,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- she is still mourning nearly 20 years later.- Solemn.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17- Very solemn.- But this isn't just an official letter to the Poet Laureate.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21- This is a very personal account. - Indeed, yes.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27But Tennyson wasn't just a great writer.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30The advent of mass printing meant he was the first poet
0:19:30 > 0:19:34to make real money and reach a vast audience.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38His popularity made him a celebrity everyone wanted a piece of.
0:19:38 > 0:19:46He was extremely well known and well loved by a very wide range of the population.
0:19:46 > 0:19:53There is a very funny letter here that is from a Lucy Hindley.
0:19:53 > 0:19:54No royalty in this one?
0:19:54 > 0:19:58No royalty in this one. And basically, she's asking Tennyson
0:19:58 > 0:20:02if he'd write a verse in honour of her dead Scotch Terrier.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04I know!
0:20:04 > 0:20:07"Even though I don't know you one bit, I'm going to write to you
0:20:07 > 0:20:09"and ask you for a great favour."
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Tennyson has a rather complex relationship
0:20:12 > 0:20:14with this kind of fanbase, because on the one hand
0:20:14 > 0:20:19he really rather objects to it, especially if he has to see them.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22But on the other hand, he would kind of... This letter has been saved
0:20:22 > 0:20:25and there are boxes and boxes of this kind of thing.
0:20:25 > 0:20:30And he was quite dependent on being loved by his readers.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32So, there's a two-way relationship there.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36- Like celebrities like to be in sort of chat magazines.- Absolutely.
0:20:36 > 0:20:37He quite likes the limelight.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Yes. Apparently, according to one of his great friends,
0:20:40 > 0:20:44he would be worried if he hadn't had letters in the post for a couple of days.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48- It's an interesting conundrum which I'm sure faces many celebrities today.- Exactly!
0:20:52 > 0:20:54In fact, there's evidence that Tennyson
0:20:54 > 0:20:57actively courted his celebrity status
0:20:57 > 0:21:00and his image was carefully managed in life, and death.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04This catches my eye. What is this?
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Well, it's a calendar for 1896, which is about four years after he died.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11A great image of the venerable poet at the front
0:21:11 > 0:21:15and then quotations from his work to go with every month of the year.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18These aren't the only objects you've got here, are they?
0:21:18 > 0:21:25What we've got in this cabinet are items that Tennyson would have used every day
0:21:25 > 0:21:29and that his family have kept because they knew people might be interested in them.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32- That's a self-conscious preservation.- Indeed.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34- They could be important?- Exactly.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38So we have his pipes, very, very well used.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41His pocket watches. And a lock of his hair.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Then we get to some quite grisly things
0:21:44 > 0:21:46that are associated with his death.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48We've got to his last medicine cup.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50- A thermometer.- Right!
0:21:50 > 0:21:56Scissors off his table that were used for everything in the room after he passed away.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01So, the family put a tremendous importance on the process of his death?
0:22:01 > 0:22:06Yes. And it's...it's part of the.. not consciously celebrity making,
0:22:06 > 0:22:11but it is kind of a great kind of honouring of
0:22:11 > 0:22:14what they considered to be the genius in their midst.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17- He was great, therefore we should preserve everything.- Exactly.
0:22:17 > 0:22:24- Even his thermometer.- Indeed. - And some scissors. - Yes, exactly. Yes.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28It's been great to get this glimpse into Tennyson's inner life.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30He was clearly a literary genius.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33But what's amazing is to discover how his poetry
0:22:33 > 0:22:37touched people's lives and how his legacy was being preserved
0:22:37 > 0:22:39from the very moment he died.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44Back to poetry in a little bit.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48But first, James Wong and some Lincolnshire turf.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55It's so common, you probably don't even give it a second glance
0:22:55 > 0:22:58but it's the unsung hero of the park world.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Grass is great.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04You can lie on it and watch the clouds go by,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07play football on it, picnic on it, and of course,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09where would our sports stadia be without it?
0:23:09 > 0:23:11But boy, do we treat it bad.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22But where does this quantity of turf come from?
0:23:22 > 0:23:24A turf farm.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Now, this isn't any old type of grass.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29The grasses grown here are specifically formulated
0:23:29 > 0:23:30for all sorts of use,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32whether that's a polo field,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36a rugby pitch or some of the finest putting greens on earth.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Each is cleverly mixed with all different types of seed
0:23:39 > 0:23:43and different types of soil to match a whole number of different uses.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48This farm in Lincolnshire has been growing and harvesting turf for 20 years.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51It covers an area of 1,000 acres
0:23:51 > 0:23:55and it's also where turf for the Ricoh Arena was first sown.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58This is almost impossible to believe that it's a farm.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00- It's like a living room carpet.- Yes.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02How do you get it to be so perfect?
0:24:02 > 0:24:06Well, it all starts about 18 months ago from now.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10We prepare the field with specialist implements.
0:24:10 > 0:24:15We get it nice and level so that we don't have any undulations anywhere.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Then we drill the seed and there's a lot of preparation time
0:24:18 > 0:24:20in-between drilling the seed and this.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23But we have specialist equipment to do that.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Some real boys' toys back there.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28You've got quite a few on your farm. What do those do?
0:24:28 > 0:24:32One of them is a wide area mower, the one on the left there.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34That can mow about ten metres wide, and then
0:24:34 > 0:24:37the other machine is basically an industrial vacuum.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39And that just brushes
0:24:39 > 0:24:44and sucks up the clippings that we don't really need on the surface.
0:24:44 > 0:24:4850% of the turf here is destined for domestic gardens.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52What I really want to know is if I can tell the difference
0:24:52 > 0:24:55between that and the grass that's produced for top-level sports.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00So, this is our custom-grown turf product.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04It's quite different to what we've seen in the other fields.
0:25:04 > 0:25:05You can really see it.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09Yeah. This is absolute top dollar turf, this.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13This is the best turf you could possibly buy.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17- It happens to be customised by the customer.- Yeah.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20He has chosen, it's a golf course customer, he's chosen
0:25:20 > 0:25:23the root zone underneath, he's chosen the grass species,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26he's actually chosen how we look after it too.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29It's so tight, that's what you notice. And so short.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31I didn't know you could mow that short.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34That's what the customer wants and that's what we give him.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39- So, this is your Savile Row, bespoke suit turf?- Absolutely.
0:25:39 > 0:25:40I couldn't put it better myself.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44It's developed for speed and accuracy
0:25:44 > 0:25:47- and I have a golf ball here to demonstrate that.- OK, let's go.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51So, it's run smoother and faster
0:25:51 > 0:25:55and it's exactly what the pro golfers want of a surface.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57Yeah, because it's hard and there's no resistance.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00It's so short that you have to be really precise.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02That's right.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04It's actually about 6mm in height of cut at the moment.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08By next spring, when it goes to the customer, it will be 2.5.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09- Millimetres?- Yes.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14And growing grass that can withstand being cut so short takes a lot of scientific research.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17I'm off to meet Christian Spring
0:26:17 > 0:26:20at the Sports Turf Research Institute.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Here they create a patchwork of grasses,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25each with a different soil type and grass species,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28experimenting with combinations for every sporting need.
0:26:28 > 0:26:34One of the most important tests is how the surface reacts upon impact.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36For example, cricket, you want the pitch
0:26:36 > 0:26:38to be as firm as you can get it.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40You don't want it too wet or the ball doesn't behave
0:26:40 > 0:26:43as you would like it too.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Soccer, you want a surface which isn't too soft
0:26:45 > 0:26:47that it'll cut up. But you want it soft
0:26:47 > 0:26:50so the player, when he falls, isn't going to get hurt.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52It's a very fine balancing act that we have.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57We are having to think about a compromise between all those characteristics we need
0:26:57 > 0:27:01from both our playing surface or our lawn
0:27:01 > 0:27:05and actually how the grass...what the grass needs to actually survive.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10Who would have thought there's so much science in growing just a bit of grass?
0:27:12 > 0:27:16James Wong visiting a turf farm in Lincolnshire.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23I'm carrying on my Lincolnshire journey by heading out
0:27:23 > 0:27:26to the rugged and remote coastline at Theddlethorpe.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30With the legacy of Tennyson such a strong part of the county's identity,
0:27:30 > 0:27:35it was decided that Lincolnshire should have its very own poet laureate,
0:27:35 > 0:27:40someone whose job it is to create verses about life here.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43I've come to meet this modern-day bard
0:27:43 > 0:27:47in one of the landscapes that's inspired him.
0:27:47 > 0:27:52- You're a poet laureate but not THE Poet Laureate, are you?- No! - What's your role exactly?
0:27:52 > 0:27:55It's my job to go around Lincolnshire, meet people, see places,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59write a poem every month and do workshops, readings.
0:27:59 > 0:28:04- I assume you were always a poet. - Sure.- How did you apply and get this position?
0:28:04 > 0:28:06There can't be many of them?
0:28:06 > 0:28:09There aren't many jobs for poets, you might be shocked to find out!
0:28:09 > 0:28:12No, I saw it advertised and I applied and I had an interview,
0:28:12 > 0:28:16which is like a normal job interview, except you have to read a couple of poems.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20And they asked me to do it, which is wonderful, I'm having a great time.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23What have you written so far? What's inspired you?
0:28:23 > 0:28:26It's my first month, so I've written one poem so far
0:28:26 > 0:28:28and that's actually about the beach where we are now.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31I was here on holiday, I was walking my dog along the beach,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34and further round, it's a wildlife preserve,
0:28:34 > 0:28:36lots of rare birds nesting.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39I thought, it'll be beautiful, not a care in the world, wide open skies,
0:28:39 > 0:28:43beautiful English countryside, and I came across a sign on the beach here.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45- Right here?- Yeah.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48A Ministry of Defence warning sign saying, "If you find
0:28:48 > 0:28:53"something in the sand, don't touch it, run as fast as you can," or words to that effect.
0:28:53 > 0:28:58I thought, what an amazing contrast between this beautiful, verdant, protected countryside,
0:28:58 > 0:28:59and then the threat of bombs.
0:28:59 > 0:29:05- I took this as a challenge. My first poem was about someone finding something in the sand.- Wow!
0:29:05 > 0:29:08I'd love to hear the poem. We are standing by the sign,
0:29:08 > 0:29:10the point of inspiration, so it would be great to hear it.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12Absolutely, that's the job.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15It doesn't have a title because I'm not very good at titles
0:29:15 > 0:29:18but it goes almost exactly like this.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23At Theddlethorpe The sea goes out for miles
0:29:23 > 0:29:25And England falls away beneath your feet
0:29:25 > 0:29:27While concrete bunkers hidden in the dunes
0:29:27 > 0:29:29Wait silently for rabbits to retreat
0:29:31 > 0:29:34Amongst the drift of wood and broken shells
0:29:34 > 0:29:38The path along the seaweed tide is lined with white on red official signs
0:29:38 > 0:29:41That warn that there'll be no reward for things you find
0:29:42 > 0:29:44One scuffing school shoe thunks on something hard
0:29:44 > 0:29:47He kneels down and starts to excavate
0:29:47 > 0:29:49He feels it Metal buried in the sand
0:29:49 > 0:29:52One hand digs deep, then pulls He feels the weight
0:29:52 > 0:29:54He stumbles on a sunken pile of kelp
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Turns with his ankle Spins and sprints away
0:29:57 > 0:30:00Behind him sits the lump of metal still
0:30:00 > 0:30:02He knows that there'll be no reward today
0:30:02 > 0:30:05He feels a burning in his throat and lungs
0:30:05 > 0:30:08Imagined Spitfires cover his retreat
0:30:08 > 0:30:10At Theddlethorpe the sea goes out for miles
0:30:10 > 0:30:13as England falls away beneath his feet.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22It was the beauty of the countryside rather than the coastline
0:30:22 > 0:30:24that Matt Baker took in when he visited.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27For his stroll along the lanes of Lincolnshire,
0:30:27 > 0:30:31he chose some rather unusual companions.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38Today, the Lincolnshire Wolds are a patchwork of arable fields
0:30:38 > 0:30:40but a few centuries ago, it was livestock
0:30:40 > 0:30:43and in particular sheep that dominated the landscape.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45Like the Cotswolds, Lincolnshire Wolds
0:30:45 > 0:30:49grew rich off the back of the booming wool trade.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55In an age when there was no motorised transport,
0:30:55 > 0:30:59the only way to move animals to market was to walk them there,
0:30:59 > 0:31:01sometimes hundreds of miles.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04For centuries, farmers relied on a network of alleyways
0:31:04 > 0:31:09laid out between fields known as droving roads.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13Many of them still exist today, transporting cars, not sheep.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16To find out what it was like for drovers herding animals,
0:31:16 > 0:31:21I'm going to re-trace a traditional route here in the Wolds.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25The plan is to walk this flock of rare breed Lincoln longwools
0:31:25 > 0:31:28to fresh pasture which is about three miles from here.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31I've moved loads and loads of sheep around our farm up in Durham
0:31:31 > 0:31:35but to drove this lot down unfamiliar roads
0:31:35 > 0:31:38without my trusty sheepdog, Meg, is going to be interesting.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42Now, I have enlisted the help of their owner, Mike Harrison, who is...
0:31:42 > 0:31:45well, he's as itching to get going as I am.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48- Plan of action, are we going into that corner?- That's the way.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Round we go, then. Come on, girls.
0:31:50 > 0:31:55Mike regularly hires his sheep out to nearby farmers to help graze their land.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58Normally he'd move them the whole way by trailer
0:31:58 > 0:32:00but he's going to help us turn the clock back.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02First, we've got to pen them up.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06- There we are, all in.- That went well, that. First stage complete.
0:32:06 > 0:32:07Yeah, indeed.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12Are you optimistic about what we're about to do today, Mike?
0:32:12 > 0:32:15- I'm up for anything.- Yeah... THEY LAUGH
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Have they ever been down these roads?
0:32:18 > 0:32:21No, but I'm confident they will behave.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25We need to be absolutely adamant about how many we've got.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27We don't want to lose any. We're saying 15 or 16.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31- Do we need to do a head count? - I think we need to do one.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33I think we should, right.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37- One, two, three...- Yeah, you count and I'll count and see what we get.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39..16, 17. I got 17 as well.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42It's a real honour to be droving them today,
0:32:42 > 0:32:45on this land, around here and I can't wait to get going.
0:32:51 > 0:32:56Now, of course, the biggest change since the days of traditional droving
0:32:56 > 0:32:59is the amount of traffic out there.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02Because the farm's on a busy main road, we are going to start
0:33:02 > 0:33:09the whole little journey by driving as opposed to droving.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Needs must!
0:33:11 > 0:33:12Come on, girls. Up we go!
0:33:16 > 0:33:19From here, it is two miles to pastures new.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26Let's get the girls out and get them settled.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Do you think they are just going to leg it?
0:33:28 > 0:33:30No, no, no.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32Let's find out!
0:33:32 > 0:33:35I am sure they will be fine.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39Nice and gentle, have a sniff.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46Steady, steady.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49Steady. They're off. They are off at speed.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52Great. We had better catch up with them
0:33:52 > 0:33:56because wherever we are going, it won't take us long.
0:33:56 > 0:33:57So, we are off to a flying start.
0:33:57 > 0:34:02I don't think the traditional drovers were joggers.
0:34:04 > 0:34:09A lot of farms, you will find, even today, have little paddocks
0:34:09 > 0:34:13strategically bought and kept along these roadways
0:34:13 > 0:34:17that we use as stopping off points for these flocks as they were driven to market
0:34:17 > 0:34:20or out to their summer grazing.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24This is interesting because we have a car coming in front of us.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28There we are, perfect. Hang on, don't go in front of the car.
0:34:28 > 0:34:33There is a car coming in behind us. It's like the M25!
0:34:35 > 0:34:38Thank you!
0:34:38 > 0:34:41Good job you came along.
0:34:42 > 0:34:47We are approaching the halfway point. The perfect time to stop and take a breather.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50- They are keen to get their heads down.- Yeah.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53A bit of grazing. Traditionally, a lot of all farms
0:34:53 > 0:34:57had grazing down on the outmarsh, near the coast.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01And this would be a traditional sight as these animals made their way
0:35:01 > 0:35:04to their summer grazing and back again in autumn.
0:35:04 > 0:35:10Drovers would have walked sheep across the countryside like this for hundreds of years.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14In other parts of the country, all kinds of livestock from horses,
0:35:14 > 0:35:18geese, turkeys and cows, would have been moved in this way.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21Come on, girls. Let's keep going.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24It's lovely, this. It's a lovely walk if nothing else, isn't it?
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Nice.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30Best kept secret, this part of the world.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33We are droving for just two miles today.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37Once, they would have walked their animals over much greater distances,
0:35:37 > 0:35:41a journey that often took days or months.
0:35:42 > 0:35:47Journey's end is in sight. Just a few more yards to go.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49That's it, girls.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52Straight through the gateway.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55There we are.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59Right at the last minute we nearly lost one! Super.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03- Pastures new.- We did it, team. We did it!
0:36:03 > 0:36:06Absolutely terrific.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08Our droving is complete, in front of an audience,
0:36:08 > 0:36:13what a lovely way to finish. Very nice. Look at that. They look happy, don't they?
0:36:13 > 0:36:15They do.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19And for the Lincoln longwools, time for a well-earned rest.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26Back on my journey, I am on my way to meet a man
0:36:26 > 0:36:30who is keeping a rare Lincolnshire delicacy alive.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36I have headed back inland to a town called Louth
0:36:36 > 0:36:39to learn about a local delicacy called chine.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42Who better to teach me about it than the man who was crowned
0:36:42 > 0:36:44Young Butcher of the Year?
0:36:46 > 0:36:48- Hello, Jim.- Good morning.
0:36:48 > 0:36:53- Pleased to meet you.- Now, when I think butchers, Lincolnshire, I think sausages.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56- But there are plenty of them here. - There is.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00You are here to talk about chine. I've no idea what it even looks like.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Can you give me a butcher's crash course?
0:37:02 > 0:37:06Of course, come this way and we can get kitted up and you can have a go.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Let's do it.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16Right, what we got around here? Crikey!
0:37:16 > 0:37:20We have the start of a Lincolnshire stuffed chine.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22- This is the raw ingredient. - Look at those fellas.
0:37:22 > 0:37:27Amazing. So, what is chine, where does it come from?
0:37:27 > 0:37:31It takes its name from the bone that runs down the back of the pig.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35This is its backbone and we call it a chine bone.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39Legend has it, it came about because the pigs in Lincolnshire
0:37:39 > 0:37:43had so much fat round on the back that they could not get in.
0:37:43 > 0:37:48See how difficult it is to get in this pig, let alone one with two inches of fat.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51So, they thought, it is easier to go through the rib bones,
0:37:51 > 0:37:53- we'll cut through there.- I see!
0:37:53 > 0:37:56That created this cut here, which we call the chine.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00We cut down each side here and take this chine piece out
0:38:00 > 0:38:05and then it goes into the most important part of the process, which is curing.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09So, a big walk-in fridge and a bucket.
0:38:09 > 0:38:15In here, we have some chines that have been in there for three or four weeks...
0:38:15 > 0:38:20curing. And as you see, they have changed colour, they've gone pink.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Just like bacon does because it is cured.
0:38:22 > 0:38:27- Salty water, basically. - There are a few spices and some sugar in there
0:38:27 > 0:38:29but in essence, it is just salty water.
0:38:29 > 0:38:34- That sits in there for three weeks. - Three weeks, so it firms up nicely.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38You can see how that is different from the raw pork product.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41- Yes.- That will hang up for another week to dry out
0:38:41 > 0:38:46- and develop the flavour. - What next? What will we do today?
0:38:46 > 0:38:50We will take this one out today and I will show you how we turn it into a stuffed chine.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53- Brilliant, let's do it. - Thank you.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01First of all, we score into it so we have somewhere to stuff the parsley.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04- That's the key, to flavour it. - That's the key.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08Whilst I do these, why don't you make a start on this one.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11This is a bit of a safer job because it doesn't involve the knife!
0:39:11 > 0:39:14That's for the best. I can't make a pig's ear out of it.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16Ba-doom, chush!
0:39:16 > 0:39:23So, the trick is to open up the score and take some parsley
0:39:23 > 0:39:27and you drop that in and give it a good push down with your fingers
0:39:27 > 0:39:30because it has to get to the bottom of the pocket.
0:39:30 > 0:39:35Really stuff it in. Right, even I should be able to do that. Let's give it a go.
0:39:35 > 0:39:41Stuffing the parsley isn't the best job in the world. You get cold fingertips.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Absolutely freezing!
0:39:44 > 0:39:49And Jim, I understand you have quite a prestigious award, haven't you?
0:39:49 > 0:39:52Tell me what your award was.
0:39:52 > 0:39:59Well, I won BBC Young Butcher of the Year in 2009, which was fantastic.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02I understand there was a boat involved.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06Well, they asked us to create something that was eye-catching
0:40:06 > 0:40:10to stop people in the street as they walked by the butcher shop.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14So, I created a longboat of lamb using the loin of lamb
0:40:14 > 0:40:18which is a bit cringeworthy when you watch that now.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22But the judges said if nothing else, you would have to stop and look
0:40:22 > 0:40:24when you went by the shop window with it in.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28That's the point. Have the lads stopped taking the mickey?
0:40:28 > 0:40:32- Just about! - Seriously, you are a young guy
0:40:32 > 0:40:36and it's amazing you have the skills, because it is quite rare now.
0:40:36 > 0:40:41Yes, butchery has now changed a lot from what it used to be.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44A butcher used to know his trade from start to finish
0:40:44 > 0:40:47from the slaughter through to selling in the shop.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49Now it has been broken up
0:40:49 > 0:40:52so you are only in charge of one section of it.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55If we were doing this on a production line,
0:40:55 > 0:40:58I would be trained how to score and that's easy,
0:40:58 > 0:41:00you can teach that in ten minutes.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Then you'd do the stuffing, someone else put it in a bag.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07Nobody has to be skilled, it doesn't take a long time to train anybody.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10- So, it's the cheap and efficient way of doing it.- Yes.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12I wouldn't want to be the guy that does this bit
0:41:12 > 0:41:16because I've lost feeling in the end of my fingers! Frozen off!
0:41:16 > 0:41:20But the point is, you don't get one person with that knowledge base.
0:41:20 > 0:41:25That's right and because the average age of a butcher now is 55,
0:41:25 > 0:41:28it means that knowledge is in grave danger of being lost
0:41:28 > 0:41:31because it's not being passed on to the next generation.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35Got you. I don't mean to be a wuss but this is killing my fingers!
0:41:35 > 0:41:40Can I be cheeky and come back later, because I wouldn't mind warming up my hands.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42It's not the best job in the world!
0:41:42 > 0:41:46- Can I get a taste? - Let's go and try some.- Lovely!
0:41:50 > 0:41:54Once the meat is stuffed, it is boiled for six hours to end up
0:41:54 > 0:41:57as the final product that we are about to taste.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01Right, hands recovering and clean again.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04- This is the good bit. - We're going to try some now.
0:42:04 > 0:42:09Is this something you're keeping alive for the sake of it, or do people still eat this?
0:42:09 > 0:42:12People really still eat this.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15It is having a revival at the minute.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19We are getting through four or five of these whole joints a week.
0:42:19 > 0:42:20- Really?- Yep.
0:42:20 > 0:42:25And we go to the County Show in June and will take 30 or 40 there.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Find someone as to stuff all those, then!
0:42:28 > 0:42:31- Can I try a bit?- Yes.- Lovely.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Traditionally, it is eaten with a splash of malt vinegar.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36Or with English mustard.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40- It is really good, yeah. There is a real strength to the parsley.- Yep.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44That's been a delightful pit stop on my journey. Thank you.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52Lincolnshire is a county brimming with fantastic foods.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55When Nicholas Crane headed up the case to Grimsby,
0:42:55 > 0:42:58he tucked into one of the nation's favourites.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02Sailing as far away as the Arctic Circle and Newfoundland,
0:43:02 > 0:43:08fishermen often worked in appalling conditions but they reaped a rich harvest,
0:43:08 > 0:43:13with trawler skippers being some of the best paid men in England.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19These days, it is a very different picture.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21Overfishing, depleted stocks
0:43:21 > 0:43:27and now fish quotas have reduced the mighty fleet to only 12 vessels.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31But Grimsby is a major player in the fish business.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42Ahoy there, mates!
0:43:42 > 0:43:45Anyone partial to Birds Eye fish fingers?
0:43:45 > 0:43:49Fish fingers first made their appearance in 1955
0:43:49 > 0:43:53and were considered a luxury after wartime rationing.
0:43:53 > 0:43:58By the early '60s, they had firmly established their seemingly unassailable position
0:43:58 > 0:44:02as the six-year-old's staple diet.
0:44:02 > 0:44:07So, take a tip from Cap'n Birds Eye - give them Birds Eye fish fingers.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10And Grimsby is fish finger central,
0:44:10 > 0:44:14processing nearly a million tonnes of fish a year.
0:44:14 > 0:44:18Although sadly, none of it is caught locally any more.
0:44:18 > 0:44:23Most of it arrives in frozen blocks from as far away as Alaska.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38Here at this processing plant 3,000 fish fingers
0:44:38 > 0:44:41roll off the conveyor belt every minute.
0:44:41 > 0:44:46At full throttle, Grimsby can batter, breadcrumb and flash fry
0:44:46 > 0:44:49ten million fish fingers in a week.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01The outside is cooked so fast
0:45:01 > 0:45:04that the inside remains frozen.
0:45:04 > 0:45:10From block to box takes only 35 minutes.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17Today cod stocks are diminishing worldwide
0:45:17 > 0:45:21and manufacturers are looking at new ideas and more exotic fish.
0:45:23 > 0:45:28For added continental panache, Young's have even brought in a French chef,
0:45:28 > 0:45:31Serge Nollent.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35So, we have the barramundi, which comes from the Indian Ocean,
0:45:35 > 0:45:36three days old.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39- That is sharp!- Be careful.
0:45:39 > 0:45:40It has a big, ugly mouth.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43- You wouldn't want to get your arm stuck down there.- No.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45And what about this guy?
0:45:45 > 0:45:48This is a barracuda.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50Don't point that at me! It's got big teeth.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53Yes, it is a very lively fish.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55Barracuda, from the Indian Ocean.
0:45:55 > 0:45:59Do you think the British are going to warm to barracuda and chips?!
0:45:59 > 0:46:00Possibly, you never know!
0:46:00 > 0:46:05The challenge for Serge and his team is to devise a dish
0:46:05 > 0:46:07that will sell as well as the trusty fish finger.
0:46:07 > 0:46:12Serge clearly has aspirations for haute cuisine.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14I wonder if there's a place for these
0:46:14 > 0:46:16in the frozen section of the local supermarket.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18What is that fish?
0:46:18 > 0:46:21This is a filleted seabass, some British asparagus
0:46:21 > 0:46:27and a little sauce - a reduction of shallots, wine, butter and cream.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31These dishes look absolutely delicious, but one uses scallops,
0:46:31 > 0:46:33the other asparagus.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35Neither are really mass-produced factory fodder
0:46:35 > 0:46:38for the tables of the British public.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41Have you created a dish which is economical
0:46:41 > 0:46:45- and which can be mass produced for a factory like this one? - Yes, we have.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49We are working at it at the moment, which is made with pollock.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54Serge has come up with, wait for it...
0:46:56 > 0:46:59That is the biggest fish finger I have ever seen!
0:46:59 > 0:47:03'..an old recipe with a new twist.' What's inside here?
0:47:03 > 0:47:08Inside, we have got some mushy peas,
0:47:08 > 0:47:14which is a classic accompaniment with fish and chips.
0:47:14 > 0:47:18- Do you mind if I perform an autopsy on it?- Not at all!
0:47:18 > 0:47:21- So, a batter layer on top.- Yeah.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25- And that is the pollock, is it? - Yes.
0:47:25 > 0:47:29- And inside, the mushy peas. - The mushy peas, yep.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33- Can I try a bit? - Yes, you can.- It looks very hot.
0:47:40 > 0:47:44- Yeah, I prefer those to fish fingers. - Yeah?- Yeah.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47The mushy peas give some strong flavour.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49It's got a nice little tang in the middle.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52But what are you going to call this?
0:47:52 > 0:47:55I don't know. Jumbo mushy peas fingers?!
0:47:55 > 0:47:59Jumbo mushy pea finger! No, Serge, jumbo mushy pea finger!
0:47:59 > 0:48:03It's not going to work! You need a good name.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06- It is something we are working on.- OK.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08- You have the product, you just need the name.- Yes.
0:48:10 > 0:48:13Nicholas Crane in the fishing port of Grimsby.
0:48:13 > 0:48:18I'm heading back to the coast myself to Skegness,
0:48:18 > 0:48:21a place that made seaside tourism boom.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27With the growth of the railway network, by the 1870s,
0:48:27 > 0:48:30people could come here by train to Skegness.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33And visitors flocked for their sun, sea and sand.
0:48:33 > 0:48:36In fact, it became known as the Blackpool of the East Coast.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40Or, the less likely name of Nottingham by Sea.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46In 1936, one man cashed in on this tide of tourism.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49His name was Billy Butlin.
0:48:49 > 0:48:5375 years on, the holiday camps he created still going strong.
0:48:53 > 0:48:58And that is where I am heading for the final stop on my journey.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01But first, for those of you planning your own British getaway,
0:49:01 > 0:49:04here is the Country Tracks weather for the week ahead.
0:50:50 > 0:50:57.
0:51:06 > 0:51:07I'm on a journey
0:51:07 > 0:51:10through the captivating landscapes of Lincolnshire.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13I started out in the county town of Lincoln,
0:51:13 > 0:51:16getting a unique view of the city's cathedral
0:51:16 > 0:51:20and learning about the secret life of poet Lord Tennyson.
0:51:20 > 0:51:22Heading to the coast at Theddlethorpe,
0:51:22 > 0:51:24I met a modern-day poet laureate,
0:51:24 > 0:51:26before travelling back inland to Louth,
0:51:26 > 0:51:29getting to grips with the local delicacy of chine.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31Now for my final stop
0:51:31 > 0:51:33I'm back out on the east coast,
0:51:33 > 0:51:34drawn by the seaside
0:51:34 > 0:51:36that's been attracting tourists
0:51:36 > 0:51:37since Victorian times.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42Skegness, or Skeg Vegas, as I've heard it called,
0:51:42 > 0:51:46was probably made most famous by Billy Butlin's 1930s holiday camps.
0:51:46 > 0:51:51And this year, Butlin's is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53Looks like they weren't kidding when they said
0:51:53 > 0:51:56British holidays are still bigger than ever.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58And who better to tell me
0:51:58 > 0:52:01how it all started than the man who now runs all this?
0:52:01 > 0:52:04Resort director Chris Baron.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08- Hi, Chris.- Hi, Joe. Good to see you. - Hello. Good to see YOU.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11I hear you're giving me a tour. I'm guessing this might be our vehicle?
0:52:11 > 0:52:15- Thought I'd make it a bit easier and bit quicker for you. - Fantastic! This is awesome!
0:52:15 > 0:52:18So, I guess the bag can go on the front.
0:52:18 > 0:52:23- We've both got steering wheels. Who's actually stealing this thing? - We'll leave that for you.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26- You can go wherever you want. - Whoo-hoo! OK, here we go, then.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40Plenty of people around, very busy, but where did this all start?
0:52:40 > 0:52:43It all started in the mind of one man, Billy Butlin.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46He'd always had a dream of wanting to make a holiday camp.
0:52:46 > 0:52:48He'd been around seaside resorts, seen B&B accommodation,
0:52:48 > 0:52:50being kicked out at nine in the morning,
0:52:50 > 0:52:54not allowed being back in until five at night, regardless of the weather,
0:52:54 > 0:52:56and he just knew this would work.
0:52:56 > 0:52:57And what was his background?
0:52:57 > 0:52:59Did he have a history in holiday camps?
0:52:59 > 0:53:01No, Billy was a showman
0:53:01 > 0:53:03and he started out with a small hoopla stall
0:53:03 > 0:53:07and then gradually built up into funfairs, and as per usual,
0:53:07 > 0:53:12you have that stroke of luck that makes you, and his was cottoning onto dodgems,
0:53:12 > 0:53:14taking on the concession from America,
0:53:14 > 0:53:16so he ran them in the whole of the UK and Europe as well.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19- He was the man who brought dodgems to this country?- He did.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22It made his career - very strong in the funfair world.
0:53:29 > 0:53:31And then a holiday camp.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34He saw the need for it, but why Skegness, why bring it here?
0:53:34 > 0:53:37It's another one of those twist of fates. He's sat in a pub in London,
0:53:37 > 0:53:40he sees these two very wealthy-looking businessmen
0:53:40 > 0:53:43sat around talking and wondering why they'd made so much money.
0:53:43 > 0:53:47He hears that they've come from Skegness and they've got stalls there,
0:53:47 > 0:53:49so he thinks, "This is the place to go."
0:53:49 > 0:53:51Didn't have the faintest idea where Skegness was,
0:53:51 > 0:53:55but he knew it was on a train line, came, and decided to set up a fairground.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57So, his ears pricked up at that possibility?
0:53:57 > 0:53:59He was always one to spot an opportunity.
0:53:59 > 0:54:04I guess this wasn't a sort of aristocrat 1930s camp.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06You know, this was for real people.
0:54:06 > 0:54:12Yeah, this was for the working man. This was, as his later slogan became, "A week's holiday for a week's pay."
0:54:12 > 0:54:17He's there at the right time as the holiday boom happens. We start to get paid holiday.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19Yeah, straight after the war.
0:54:19 > 0:54:23Billy was very actively campaigning for the working man
0:54:23 > 0:54:25and he invited all the MPs down to Clacton
0:54:25 > 0:54:28and said how important it was that they allowed holiday pay.
0:54:28 > 0:54:33- He was the only man in situ who could make the benefit of that.- What about these famous competitions?
0:54:33 > 0:54:37Knobbly knees springs to mind, something Butlin's became known for.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39But that's what people wanted in the '60s.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42People wanted to be included in the entertainment.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44Now they want entertainment brought to life,
0:54:44 > 0:54:47the TVs...to be seen on the stage, so things have changed.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50So, he's clearly a showman, but he's also got this sort of
0:54:50 > 0:54:54practical mix of entrepreneurial and pioneering spirit, hasn't he?
0:54:54 > 0:54:57He has. He designed the first chalet on the back of a cigarette packet,
0:54:57 > 0:54:59that's how he started out.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02He built this place with a reasonable amount of money
0:55:02 > 0:55:04but not realising how much it was going to cost.
0:55:04 > 0:55:08Gets halfway through it and realises the funds are going to run out
0:55:08 > 0:55:10and he'll need the support of his bankers.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14And he realises the easiest way is to pretend he hasn't got money worries.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17So, hires a Rolls-Royce for the day and drives around his bankers,
0:55:17 > 0:55:21parks it in the front car park and, hey presto, the funds are sorted.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24Incredible! Are there certain traditions that stay with the Butlin's name?
0:55:24 > 0:55:26The Redcoat is the obvious one, isn't it?
0:55:26 > 0:55:28It started because people came,
0:55:28 > 0:55:31he just thought they would automatically enjoy themselves,
0:55:31 > 0:55:33but they weren't used to this environment.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37He knew he needed somebody to lead them who could be easily spotted.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39He sent Norman Bradford into town
0:55:39 > 0:55:42to get the most brightly coloured jacket he could find,
0:55:42 > 0:55:45which just so happened to be red, and a legend was started.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55I feel I've now got a pretty good idea of what Butlin's is all about,
0:55:55 > 0:55:59but I can't leave here without trying to follow in the footsteps
0:55:59 > 0:56:01of some of the famous performers that have been here -
0:56:01 > 0:56:03Jimmy Tarbuck, Des O'Connor...
0:56:03 > 0:56:06I want to see if I've got what it takes to be a Redcoat.
0:56:06 > 0:56:07Charlotte, what's first?
0:56:07 > 0:56:10My singing, my dancing's pretty good, a few magic tricks?
0:56:10 > 0:56:14Um, I know! Try and sweep this path. It needs sweeping.
0:56:14 > 0:56:18There you go. I'll be back in half an hour. Good luck!
0:56:18 > 0:56:21Just like when I started out on Country Tracks!
0:56:25 > 0:56:27Travelling through North Lincolnshire
0:56:27 > 0:56:28has been a fascinating experience.
0:56:28 > 0:56:32From the celestial heights of Lincoln Cathedral
0:56:32 > 0:56:36to the natural beauty of the countryside and coastline.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41And all along I've found a county with a strong sense of identity,
0:56:41 > 0:56:44rich in history, culture and cuisine.
0:56:44 > 0:56:48No wonder, then, it's been drawing visitors back here for generations.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:04 > 0:57:06E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk