Suffolk Country Tracks


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Today I'm on a journey through East Anglia.

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I'll be meeting iconic animals, intriguing characters

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and sampling some of the delights that Suffolk has to offer.

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'My journey begins on a farm in the village of Rede,

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'where I will be helping to train

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'one of the rarest horse breeds in the world,

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'and hear of a foal's amazing story of survival.'

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The old mare was glad to have, well, not a companion,

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but she liked the idea of having another young one, I think.

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'From there, it's a short trip to Bury St Edmunds,

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'where I'll visit the ancient ruins of the Abbey

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'and learn about the origins of our legal system.

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'My next stop is near the border with Norfolk,

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'where I'll be finding out

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'what it's like to own your very own piece of woodland.'

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What made you pick this particular bit of woodland?

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Because it was breathtakingly beautiful.

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'My journey ends on the coast at Orford,

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'where I'll taste some of Suffolk's specialities

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'and follow food from sea to plate.'

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Ah!

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Along the way, I'll look back at the best of the BBC's rural programmes

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from this part of the world.

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Welcome to Country Tracks.

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'The Suffolk countryside prides itself on being an authentic slice

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'of real England, with a wide variety of landscape.

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'There is woodland, coastline, farmland and ancient towns,

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'but few hills.

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'In fact, Suffolk is very flat, creating vast skies

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'and a great feeling of open space.

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'The county is edged with 40 miles of coastline to the east,

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'which is largely unspoiled, and dotted with shingle beaches.'

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But I'm starting inland, pretty near to Bury St Edmunds.

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I've come to this farm in Rede

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to meet one of the icons of the county -

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the Suffolk Punch horses.

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'These beautiful animals are one of the oldest breeds

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'of working horse in the world. They have the longest written pedigree of any such breed,

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'which specifies their colouring and unique shape.

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'Although the Suffolk Punch is held fondly in the hearts of many,

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'they are sadly now very rare,

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'and are classed as critical

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'on the Rare Breeds Species Trust watch list.

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'Fewer and fewer are being used for working the fields.

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'Thankfully, there are people, like Nigel Oakley,

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'who truly love the breed

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'and are working hard to increase their popularity and numbers.

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'Jasper is a five-year-old Suffolk Punch.'

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-How many Suffolk Punches are left?

-About 500.

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-In the entire world?

-Yeah.

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The Suffolk Horse Society in Woodbridge monitors the whole breed.

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It still monitors the Australians,

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like New Zealand, Australia and so on.

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The Americans have a Suffolk Horse Society.

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But it's not recognised in England.

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-Are you worried about the number of Suffolk Punches that are left?

-I don't think I do.

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When I started keeping Suffolks 30 years ago,

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there were only something like 240.

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Last year, we had 50 live foals,

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which was the best year since 1950-something.

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He looks great. He's great for working for you,

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but why do you think

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it's so important to make sure we keep breeding Suffolk Punches?

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Well, I think it's essential we don't lose any of our breeds,

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whether they are native birds, animals...

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Suffolk's a beautiful county. The Breadbasket of England.

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All the cereals were grown in East Anglia,

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and that horse shaped this county,

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because he worked the field, and I think it's a shame

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if our grandchildren's children don't have the privilege

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to do what we're doing now.

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'Obviously, the survival of the Suffolks depends on breeding them,

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'which Nigel happens to be good at. There are a couple of foals on the farm.

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'One in particular has had a tough start in life,

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'but thanks to the amazing support of one of the older mares,

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'the foal has survived.'

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Right, Nigel, who have we got here?

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We've got Philippa holding Pride, a mare that I bred.

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She's an elderly mare of 17.

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The foal is Max, who Debbie is holding.

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Debbie's doing well to hold!

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Debbie, bless her, is used to this sort of thing.

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Max is a four-month-old foal.

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And what's unique about these two,

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they aren't really mare and foal, or mother and daughter.

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'Max's mother sadly didn't survive after his birth,

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'and bottle-feeding isn't a great option,

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'as the foal becomes humanised.

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'So, Nigel decided to put this mare Pride with Max for companionship.'

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We brought the mare in and, obviously,

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you don't put them together straightaway.

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We let the mare see the foal and let it sniff the foal.

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It wasn't long before we realised

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it wasn't going to be a problem,

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that the old mare was glad to have, well, not a companion,

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but she liked the idea of having another young one, I think.

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The foal didn't even realise it was a different horse, I'm certain.

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It was that young that, from the foal's point of view,

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it was very easy to get an adoption onto that mare.

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But the mare, not only did she take to the foal as a companion,

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but within three days, she started to bag up and come in to milk,

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which I've never known with a horse.

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And now, she's actually feeding, or was when we last checked it,

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feeding full-strength milk to the foal,

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so it's nothing shorter than some really good news.

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-That's a mini-miracle, isn't it?

-It's a major miracle.

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-A major miracle!

-A major miracle.

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'It's important to Nigel

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'his Suffolks are well behaved and represent their breed well.

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'So, training them to work the fields is

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'a big part of what he does.'

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Nigel, what are you getting Jasper to do?

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What I'm getting to do is teaching him to stand square,

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go back when I tell him.

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Go back. If you're working him, the horse has got to back readily.

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Come on. Go on, go back. Don't worry about them chickens. Go back.

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Go on. Whoa. That's it, good boy.

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And then I want him to stand there without me holding him. Stand up!

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If I was ploughing in the field and I wanted to adjust the plough,

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the horse should stand there quiet, because if he goes forward,

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he'll tighten the chain, so I wouldn't know where I was.

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It's like with a dog,

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one of the most important things you need them to do is stand still.

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-That's right.

-What you're doing is taking the stress out of the horse.

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If the horse is content to stand doing nothing,

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then he's not going to get stressed

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and be told to behave himself all the time.

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The secret with a horse that hasn't worked is to do it regularly.

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You'd better do ten minutes a day, every day.

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-The horse gets handled on a regular basis and keeps to a routine.

-Yes.

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There's a good boy. Come up, then. Come up. Oi.

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'Today, the horses are only occasionally used

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'for ploughing and field work,

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'because there have been advances in technology

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'that replaced their natural strength,

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'as Jimmy Doherty found out.'

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For me, this is such a familiar landscape.

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It fills me full of joy, because the huge skies, massive horizons,

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and it's a space that you can really dream in.

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But the weird thing is that, in terms of farming, it's really alien to me.

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My farm's just down the road. It's 150 acres.

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But I'm pin prick in terms of food production.

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I mean, some of the farms here,

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some of the fields, are bigger than my entire farm.

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I really want to understand how these big boys produce

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such huge quantities of food.

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-Hi, Jim.

-How are you getting on, Ali?

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Not too bad at all, and yourself?

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-All right, not bad, not bad. Harvest time, busy?

-Very busy. Very busy.

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'Ali Kerr's the key man behind this large-scale set-up.

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'He's the third generation of his family to farm here.'

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-It's like a house in here. Look at this!

-It costs the same.

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'I'm here to help him harvest in this 300 grand machine.'

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-How do I operate this beast?

-Push the pedal on the floor

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and you pull the steering wheel back. Keep it close to you.

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Get it so you're comfortable.

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This is terrifying. Here we are. Right.

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-Have you ever crashed it?

-No.

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-Don't crash it. The handle is called a joystick.

-Yeah.

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-The buttons on it control the front.

-Yeah.

-Fire it up to full power.

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-Maximum power.

-Maximum power.

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Take the yellow switch, lift it up.

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So, your front is now OK.

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-Ready?

-Yeah, let's do it.

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It's now starting to feed its way into the front of the crop.

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You need to press the "A" button on the lever.

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-Where's the "A"? Here?

-Yeah. Press that.

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Your green light comes on. Let go of the steering wheel.

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-And it's now steering for you.

-What?!

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'Nothing is left to chance here.

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'It's precision farming, driving down costs and increasing efficiency.

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'The harvester is now using infrared beams to line itself up

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'with the edges of the crop.

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'That keeps it cutting in straight lines.

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'No part of the field is missed or overlapped.

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'And all the time, on-board sensors are measuring

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'exactly how much wheat is being harvested.'

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-It's recording the amount of crop coming into the combine.

-Yeah.

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As you get all that crop coming in, it's bringing it in from 30 feet.

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It's recording that volume of crop the whole time.

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'The crop output is then matched up with a satellite map

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'to tell Ali exactly how well each part of his farm is performing.

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'Blue areas are producing high yields,

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'the orange ones are doing badly. Ali can target precisely

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'where chemical fertilisers are needed, so none get wasted.

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'Even the crop itself has been designed for maximum efficiency.

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'New varieties of wheat were developed in the 1960s,

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'part of what became known as the Green Revolution.

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'They were shorter, but higher yielding.'

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If you only get a limited amount of sunlight,

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you don't want to use it to grow straw.

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To feed the world, you've got to grow wheat.

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That's what the Green Revolution was.

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This was the breakthrough,

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reducing the height of the corn and producing higher yields.

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By reducing it down,

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we can focus more of that sunlight on producing ears.

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You weren't looking to produce straw.

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-You're interested in the business end, this bit here.

-Yeah.

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-And not the stalk, which would be wasted.

-Yeah.

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If the crop was so high,

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with the weight of the corn, it would fall over.

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-It helps it be nice and sturdy.

-We're trying to produce food,

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so we focus on producing food and not the by-product.

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'Advances like these have seen yields in wheat

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'triple in Britain in the past 50 years.

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'That sounds impressive to me.

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'Especially when you think what this kind of farming used to be like.

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'Just two generations ago, getting the harvest in would have been

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'a lot harder work, and a lot less efficient.

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'And this is what you used - the horse-drawn binder.'

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-It's much quieter than a combine.

-It is at the moment.

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Once I start it up, it clanks and bangs a bit.

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-You haven't got that engine sound.

-No.

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-There's something quite graceful about it.

-Oh, yeah.

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Whoa.

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Go on.

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Go on, Al.

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'This contraption cut and tied the stalks of wheat into the sheaves.

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'It was still the main way of harvesting right up until the 1930s.'

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Brilliant.

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It's taking in the crops and being cut at the bottom.

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As they come through, they come bound.

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You've lost...

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You've lost a part of it!

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'It's fair to say that it wasn't always reliable.'

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First problem?

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-First problem?

-What is it? Has something spooked them?

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-No, he's just being lazy.

-Combines don't have that problem.

-They don't.

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'The big breakthrough was designing a single device

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'that could thresh the wheat on the move,

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'removing the straw and husk and leaving the all-important grain.

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'Combining all these jobs in one machine gave us

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'the combine harvester.'

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-Right, blimey. Go on, lads, go on.

-Alf, get on.

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Have you got the break on? Go on, Alf.

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Woo hoo hoo!

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Come on, lads.

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Let's get it harvested. Come on, fellas.

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-That's it. Do I look like Ben Hur?

-Yeah!

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HE LAUGHS

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'It's tempting to get nostalgic about the old days,

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'when farmers relied more on skill and muscle

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'than on science and technology.

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'But this shows how hard it was for our grandparents' generation

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'to put bread on the table.'

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I'll beat that other machine!

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Whoa, whoa!

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Here he comes, whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you catching up yet?

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We've just about caught up. How did you get on?

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A cinch, no problem at all. I've just done this strip here.

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We've got about eight little stacks. Quite impressed, really.

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What have you been doing with all your time?

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This is what you call the convertible version of yours.

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But in terms of getting a harvest in, yeah, it's not brilliant.

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But to be fair to it, this machine was designed to collect

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a completely different type of wheat.

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Not your short, fat variety that you grow - the tall, elegant variety.

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-Exactly.

-How long do you reckon it'll take

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to harvest this whole field?

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To harvest it and collect it, a few days,

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and then probably another two days to thrash.

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-A good week's work.

-For about 15 men.

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15 men here. And for you?

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An hour. And it's threshed at the end of it.

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I have to keep going up and down... That's yours.

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Hang on, this is your stuff.

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-You carry it back to the barn.

-It's all money.

-Come on, load up.

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But I have to keep going up and down and turning round.

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-One more.

-And then...

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-You've got to get it back before it rains.

-You swine!

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'Ali's style of farming may not be romantic.

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'But ultimately, its efficiency is something we all rely on.'

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'After meeting the Suffolk punch horses,

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'I reckon the old-fashioned way is still the best.

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'It's just a short journey from Rede

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'to the nearby town of Bury St Edmunds.

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'This is a beautiful market town with a rich and important history.

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'The buildings are made up of mediaeval architecture,

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'elegant Georgian squares

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'and, of course, the Abbey Cathedral and gardens.

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'Lying here are the remains of once the wealthiest

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'and most powerful Benedictine abbey in England.'

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The abbey was established in 1020,

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but it wasn't finished until the turn of the 13th century.

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This is the magnificent West front.

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Although its use has been changed and it's now used for accommodation,

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you can still see where the original arches are.

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The relationship between the abbey

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and the townspeople wasn't always great.

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That's because there was such a huge divide

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between the riches inside and the poverty outside.

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It all came to a head in the summer of 1327 with a series of riots

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in which this side entrance was completely destroyed.

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The monks were quick to rebuild, and by 1347, this had been resurrected.

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'In the mid-1500s, King Henry VIII took hold of the Abbey

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'and began to strip it of its valuables,

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'including the building materials holding it together,

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'so it slowly crumbled, and much of it was lost.'

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At first glance, this might look like a load of jagged ruins,

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but when you spend a bit of time here,

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you start to appreciate that these piles of stones

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are a beautiful reminder of the history in Bury St Edmunds.

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'The Abbey of Bury St Edmunds was also the location

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'of an incredibly important meeting in 1214.

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'It secured the future of the Magna Carta,

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'a rulebook written by the barons and bishops of the time

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'which went on to become the framework

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'of our democratic legal system.

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'Local businessman and historian Simon Pott begins the story

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'at the time of King John.'

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These were an oppressed people, the people in Britain at the time,

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because King John, while he had many good attributes, I'm sure,

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was a bit of a bully and had his own way.

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Therefore the barons, the bishops and the Archbishop

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wanted to have an understanding

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of where the law went, how was this going to develop

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in order that people had what we now know as rights?

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-So they wanted to rein the King in?

-Yes.

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Why did they decide to come here?

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This was the biggest place of pilgrimage

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in this part of the country, so truly huge.

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Bear in mind the size of the Benedictine Abbey, quite enormous.

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Therefore, a position in which St Edmund...

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And St Edmund's Day is 20th November,

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and the reason the barons came here on St Edmund's Day

0:19:080:19:11

was because it was a good cover for them all coming and getting together.

0:19:110:19:15

They pretended they were coming for St Edmund's Day?

0:19:150:19:19

Yes, and they bowed in front of the high altar and paid allegiance

0:19:190:19:23

to the King, who they were about to try and stab in the back.

0:19:230:19:27

-But they were writing a rulebook for the King?

-Absolutely.

0:19:270:19:30

Then they got together and created this exercise

0:19:300:19:36

about the various things they felt they needed

0:19:360:19:39

for the people of the country.

0:19:390:19:42

The secret meeting of the barons took place here in 1214,

0:19:420:19:46

but it wasn't until 1215 they actually met with King John

0:19:460:19:50

in the town of Runnymede where he signed the Magna Carta.

0:19:500:19:54

It wasn't a quick process, though, was it?

0:19:540:19:56

No, no. It'd taken place over some years,

0:19:560:19:59

but then this was fundamentally changing the power of the King.

0:19:590:20:02

And changing the way that a lot of Europe is governed today?

0:20:020:20:05

-And the world.

-Do you think people realise how significant the Magna Carta is?

0:20:050:20:10

Because it's a historical document kids learn about.

0:20:100:20:13

That's what we're trying to create here.

0:20:130:20:15

We're trying to say this was an astonishing bit of work,

0:20:150:20:17

an astonishing bit of law-making.

0:20:170:20:19

It didn't stay completely unchanged. What happened, at least it created the springboard

0:20:190:20:25

for the rest of people who now know and understand and love the rights that they have.

0:20:250:20:30

We're walking over towards this plaque. What is this plaque?

0:20:300:20:33

This, near this spot, as it says, they met.

0:20:330:20:37

On the left-hand side are the various people for whom we really should be

0:20:370:20:40

very grateful for the work that their forebears did.

0:20:400:20:44

-We're talking about a register of people who came here in 1214.

-Yep.

0:20:440:20:50

It's phenomenal to think that those people met here

0:20:500:20:53

and created something that had such a legacy for the rest of the world.

0:20:530:20:57

'A lot of the abbey remains are still hidden underground.

0:20:590:21:03

'When Matt Baker came to this area, he discovered

0:21:030:21:06

'another of East Anglia's hidden secrets.'

0:21:060:21:09

This is Britain's largest protected wetland.

0:21:110:21:15

A stunning 188 square miles of lakes and rivers.

0:21:150:21:19

It's easy to forget that this watery wilderness is all man-made,

0:21:230:21:27

the result of excavations that began over 1,000 years ago.

0:21:270:21:33

This whole area was once manually dug for peat

0:21:330:21:36

and when sea levels rose, it all naturally flooded,

0:21:360:21:39

creating this waterscape of reeds, windmills, boats and utter peace.

0:21:390:21:45

I'm sailing along here isn't just the best way to see

0:21:470:21:50

the quieter parts of the Broads, it's the only way.

0:21:500:21:54

'Although these waters can get busy with over 12,000 boats each year,

0:21:560:21:59

'I'm looking for the one part of the Broads that is hardly ever visited.

0:21:590:22:04

'A real treat right off the beaten track.'

0:22:050:22:10

Somewhere hidden behind this reed bed is an island.

0:22:100:22:16

But because of these reeds, it looks so similar

0:22:160:22:19

to everything else, you would never know it was there.

0:22:190:22:22

And it's one of Norfolk's best-kept secrets.

0:22:220:22:24

It's known as Heigham Holmes.

0:22:260:22:28

Even from the air, it's hard to see amongst the narrow channels

0:22:310:22:34

and tall reed beds, but these 500 acres are truly cut off,

0:22:340:22:39

as getting onto this secret island is far from straightforward.

0:22:390:22:43

Thankfully, local farmer John Stafford knows the way.

0:22:430:22:47

-John, how are we doing, all right?

-Not too bad, how are you?

-I'm very good.

0:22:470:22:52

I tell you what, I am very, very intrigued about this bridge here.

0:22:520:22:56

-Yeah.

-Is it a bridge, is that what you call it?

0:22:560:22:58

The locals know it as Martham Ferry, but it actually is a floating bridge.

0:22:580:23:02

-First we'll unlock it.

-Yeah, so we're all padlocked.

0:23:040:23:07

And then we pull...this chain here.

0:23:090:23:13

-Right. So we just literally grab the chain and pull ourselves across?

-Yes.

0:23:130:23:18

-And it hinges...

-In that corner.

-..from that point.

0:23:200:23:23

'It's one of just 13 floating bridges in the country

0:23:250:23:28

'and it's the only way onto this island.'

0:23:280:23:32

It's a brilliant bit of kit, this.

0:23:320:23:34

And how long have you been doing this for then,

0:23:340:23:36

-how many years have you been coming across?

-Oh...25 years.

-25 years?

0:23:360:23:40

'There's one last trick to this unusual bridge.'

0:23:420:23:45

Here we go.

0:23:450:23:47

Here comes the tipping point. Gently does it...

0:23:470:23:52

Brilliant.

0:23:520:23:53

Absolutely superb. I tell you what, who needs modern technology

0:23:530:23:58

when you've got something as brilliant as that?

0:23:580:24:00

It's idiot-proof, isn't it?

0:24:000:24:03

'And that's how you unlock the secret of Heigham Holmes.'

0:24:040:24:08

This island was once private farmland,

0:24:130:24:15

but since the National Trust bought it in 1987,

0:24:150:24:18

it's open to visitors for just one day every September.

0:24:180:24:22

For the rest of the year, Heigham Holmes is a wildlife refuge and pasture.

0:24:270:24:31

'The only other visitor is the island's warden, Stephen Prowse.'

0:24:350:24:39

Well, it's certainly a very quiet spot.

0:24:390:24:42

People don't know it's here. I had a job finding it.

0:24:420:24:45

Yes, you won't be alone. Many of the locals

0:24:450:24:47

in the village up the road here, they had no idea it was here either

0:24:470:24:50

when we first started having our annual opening day.

0:24:500:24:53

So we manage it as a sanctuary.

0:24:530:24:56

The Broads is perhaps one of the last wilderness areas in southern England.

0:24:560:24:59

Heigham Holmes is probably one of the remotest parts of that. It's really rather special.

0:24:590:25:04

Once a shallow hill rising out of the Fens,

0:25:060:25:08

Heigham Holmes became cut off as the rivers rose.

0:25:080:25:12

Over the years, its banks have been built up

0:25:140:25:16

to stop the pastures from flooding.

0:25:160:25:18

So now much of the island actually lies below sea level.

0:25:180:25:22

And it does seem to arc a little bit, does it?

0:25:240:25:27

Yes, that's right. When I say, "the upland", people laugh,

0:25:270:25:31

but it is about a metre above sea level,

0:25:310:25:32

but the whole site resembles a fried egg.

0:25:320:25:34

You have the white, which is the low-lying area below river level - or sea level, if you like.

0:25:340:25:39

Then you have the high level, which is the yoke,

0:25:390:25:41

the yellow bit in the middle with the buildings on.

0:25:410:25:44

'The open grassland and big skies are quintessentially Norfolk

0:25:440:25:48

'but a hidden Norfolk, one that few people ever get to see.'

0:25:480:25:53

'I've left the abbey of Bury St Edmunds

0:25:540:25:56

'and headed north-east to the village of Flixton.

0:25:560:25:59

'My destination is deep within the trees of Priory Wood.'

0:25:590:26:03

In recent years, there's been plenty of controversy surrounding woodland.

0:26:030:26:07

Who should own it, what should be done with it.

0:26:070:26:09

But whichever side of the fence you sit on, there's one thing that cannot be denied.

0:26:090:26:14

Woodland is a vital part of our landscape.

0:26:140:26:17

Woods are used for recreation, walking and camping,

0:26:190:26:22

for shelter and to provide us with raw materials.

0:26:220:26:25

They're home to wildlife, store carbon and generate oxygen.

0:26:250:26:30

Above all, they are magical, beautiful places.

0:26:300:26:34

But what would it be like to own your own woodland?

0:26:340:26:37

It's not just a nice idea,

0:26:370:26:39

it's actually a reality for an increasing number of people.

0:26:390:26:42

Somewhere among these trees is the owner of this woodland, Peter Forster.

0:26:420:26:46

'Peter bought this wood a couple of years ago after he retired.'

0:26:500:26:55

How on earth did you end up owning a bit of a wood?

0:26:550:26:59

Well, I knew from a friend, who owns a patch of woodland in Kent,

0:26:590:27:02

that it was possible to buy wood, small acres of wood.

0:27:020:27:05

And this is only 3.5 acres.

0:27:050:27:07

There are companies that buy areas of woodland and then sell them on

0:27:070:27:12

to people such as myself.

0:27:120:27:14

It is undoubtedly beautiful,

0:27:140:27:16

and I can see why you'd want to spend time here, but...

0:27:160:27:19

I was brought up on a farm, and you buy land that is of value.

0:27:190:27:23

You buy land that you can grow crops on.

0:27:230:27:25

I can't imagine you can grow much here. Why buy it?

0:27:250:27:30

I like being out of doors, so it was a love of the outdoors.

0:27:300:27:34

I like physical exercise involved in managing a wood, moving wood,

0:27:340:27:39

cutting down trees with permission,

0:27:390:27:41

supplying my home with wood for my wood-burning stoves.

0:27:410:27:46

I want to learn about conservation

0:27:460:27:48

and I would love to restore this woodland to some of the majesty

0:27:480:27:51

it used to have, because it's declining at the moment.

0:27:510:27:55

Woodland can set you back anything from £10,000 upwards,

0:27:580:28:02

depending on the acreage and location.

0:28:020:28:05

Anyone can buy it, but it's a good idea to get in touch

0:28:050:28:07

with companies like the Woodland Trust or Natural England to understand

0:28:070:28:12

more about caring for it.

0:28:120:28:15

Does it worry you that bits of the countryside can be handed over

0:28:150:28:18

to individuals? What if someone did come down here

0:28:180:28:21

and have a barbecue every weekend and park a caravan up?

0:28:210:28:24

There's quite a lot of responsibility that comes

0:28:240:28:27

with owning a bit of wood.

0:28:270:28:28

There is. We view ourselves as custodians. I know we own it, we bought it.

0:28:280:28:33

But we are holding it, if you like, for the next generation.

0:28:330:28:36

While one buys a piece of woodland like this, you have to sign

0:28:360:28:41

a covenant with the company who sell it to you,

0:28:410:28:45

that you say you won't cover it over in tarmac

0:28:450:28:48

and use it as a car park, you won't put up a caravan site.

0:28:480:28:52

'Peter has a five-year management plan for this ancient

0:28:520:28:57

'broadleaved woodland as agreed with Natural England.

0:28:570:29:00

'Part of this plan is to create a glade in the middle

0:29:000:29:02

'of the wood by chopping down a few of the trees.

0:29:020:29:05

'He's still drying out the log, so I'm giving him a hand stacking them.'

0:29:050:29:10

How long did it take you to clear this glade then, Peter?

0:29:120:29:16

I've been doing it for the last year

0:29:160:29:19

and I've cleared about 10 trees.

0:29:190:29:24

It created this area of about 30 metres by 10 metres,

0:29:240:29:30

really to allow more light into the lower parts of the wood.

0:29:300:29:34

I know it's only a year, but are you seeing much benefit?

0:29:340:29:38

Before we had this glade, we'd never seen any butterflies in here,

0:29:380:29:41

but this spring, we saw some butterflies,

0:29:410:29:44

small white butterflies, and that was very exciting, because it showed

0:29:440:29:47

that this intervention was having some benefit.

0:29:470:29:50

There's more light.

0:29:500:29:52

There's more light, so the butterflies were present.

0:29:520:29:54

That must be really rewarding.

0:29:540:29:57

It may seem a very small reward, but from my point of view,

0:29:570:30:00

it was enormously rewarding for the amount of effort

0:30:000:30:03

which it had taken to clear this wood.

0:30:030:30:05

Why did you pick this particular bit of woodland, Peter?

0:30:050:30:09

-Because it was breathtakingly beautiful.

-Yeah.

0:30:090:30:11

I knew within a very short time of entering the woodland

0:30:110:30:14

that this was what I was looking for.

0:30:140:30:17

I think anyone who bought it would buy it primarily

0:30:170:30:21

out of love for the countryside, rather than for finance.

0:30:210:30:24

There are about 100,000, 120,000 small woodland owners

0:30:250:30:32

in the United Kingdom and they're doing a huge amount of work conservation.

0:30:320:30:37

They're an unsung army of heroes, because they are planting trees,

0:30:370:30:41

putting up bird boxes, digging ponds.

0:30:410:30:45

They don't get any money for this, but they get enormous pleasure

0:30:450:30:49

and they're improving the countryside.

0:30:490:30:52

In all honesty,

0:31:030:31:04

initially I was a bit concerned about handing over huge chunks

0:31:040:31:08

of the countryside to individuals, but if the people buying woodland

0:31:080:31:11

are half as passionate as Peter is, I think we're going to be all right.

0:31:110:31:15

It's great news the butterflies have been spotted in Peter's wood

0:31:150:31:20

and it was butterflies that brought Miranda Krestovnikoff to a special haven in Norfolk

0:31:200:31:24

when she was on the trail of the elusive swallowtail.

0:31:240:31:27

I'm on the hunt for five of Britain's most fascinating butterflies.

0:31:280:31:32

But today is definitely my toughest challenge.

0:31:320:31:35

I'm looking for the swallowtail.

0:31:350:31:38

They're rare, elusive and they're completely unpredictable. Nightmare.

0:31:380:31:45

But this area of the Norfolk Broads is their main stronghold,

0:31:450:31:49

so I am in with a chance.

0:31:490:31:51

To help me track them down, Matthew Oates,

0:31:510:31:53

our butterfly expert, is on hand.

0:31:530:31:56

Why is it that the swallowtails are found here especially?

0:31:560:32:00

Well, it needs huge areas of marsh and swamp

0:32:000:32:04

and also where a very special plant grows.

0:32:040:32:07

What's the food plant they're looking for?

0:32:070:32:09

It's a very strange plant called milk parsley, which only lives

0:32:090:32:12

in this sort of place. And even then, it's not common.

0:32:120:32:17

This plant is so crucial to the swallowtail's survival

0:32:190:32:23

that it has to be carefully managed.

0:32:230:32:26

Polish ponies have been brought in to graze the sedge,

0:32:260:32:29

enabling the milk parsley plants to flourish

0:32:290:32:32

and provide food for hungry swallowtail caterpillars.

0:32:320:32:36

So the caterpillars are here, albeit rather tiny.

0:32:400:32:44

I still haven't seen butterflies.

0:32:440:32:46

I think it's time we get out on the water.

0:32:460:32:49

-Into the real world.

-Yeah.

0:33:030:33:05

Our sightings are going to be momentary.

0:33:100:33:12

Keep your eyes peeled, then.

0:33:120:33:15

'After a couple of hours of searching out on the water,

0:33:200:33:23

'I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever see a swallowtail.

0:33:230:33:27

'But our luck was about to change.'

0:33:270:33:29

One has just gone over. Yes!

0:33:290:33:32

Oh, God. Yes!

0:33:320:33:35

-Good boy, good boy, good boy.

-Look at that.

0:33:360:33:41

-Oh, yes, yes, yes!

-Oh, that has made my day now.

0:33:410:33:44

I really thought we weren't going to see one.

0:33:440:33:46

'That first glimpse was great, but Matthew and I want to see

0:33:460:33:49

'if we can get an even closer look.'

0:33:490:33:52

To the right of the kit.

0:33:540:33:55

To the right, coming towards us.

0:33:550:33:58

-Coming right into the camera now.

-Bother.

0:33:580:34:03

-Oh, he's going to land on the...

-No, he's not.

0:34:030:34:06

He's not going to land anywhere. He's skittish.

0:34:060:34:10

He's going to come and see us.

0:34:100:34:13

He's up again, coming towards us.

0:34:130:34:15

He's going to come right between us...now.

0:34:150:34:18

There he goes. Yes!

0:34:180:34:20

-Amazing!

-Look at that.

0:34:210:34:23

I've never been so excited to see a butterfly in my life, actually.

0:34:230:34:27

There has been this build-up, and the fact we weren't going to see it.

0:34:270:34:29

This is a tropical experience, this butterfly.

0:34:290:34:34

Fantastic.

0:34:340:34:36

So how old would he be, because he looks quite battered?

0:34:360:34:38

My guess is he's a couple of weeks old.

0:34:380:34:41

We don't rightly know how long they live for, maybe two to three weeks.

0:34:410:34:45

Everything depends upon the weather.

0:34:450:34:47

-His right wing is pretty much intact.

-Yes.

0:34:470:34:50

There's a little bit of the tail there, which is why they've got this name, the swallowtail,

0:34:500:34:54

because of the beautiful tails which do look exactly like a swallow,

0:34:540:34:58

apart from the colourings of the rest of the body.

0:34:580:35:00

He's lost a lot of his colourings, a lot of his blue.

0:35:000:35:03

-Is that just through...

-age. He's an old boy, let's be honest.

0:35:030:35:06

-Two weeks is an old boy.

-He's still utterly beautiful.

0:35:060:35:10

When you get a magic moment like this,

0:35:110:35:14

it really does reach deep into the soul.

0:35:140:35:17

-We really are immensely fortunate. It's party time for us.

-Great stuff.

0:35:170:35:23

Well, I have to say, I really had my doubts when we started off here.

0:35:260:35:30

Things were not looking good, but those hours of searching

0:35:300:35:33

and waiting have really paid off. We got some fantastic and really,

0:35:330:35:37

really close-up views of Britain's largest and most secretive butterfly.

0:35:370:35:42

I've driven down the coast

0:35:450:35:47

to the pretty waterside village

0:35:470:35:49

of Orford in search of some food.

0:35:490:35:51

With Suffolk's range of landscapes comes a delicious variety

0:35:510:35:54

of food produce, and lots of the food and drink

0:35:540:35:57

from Suffolk can be followed from source to plate.

0:35:570:36:01

There's nothing better than knowing exactly where your food comes from.

0:36:010:36:05

'When Polly Robinson moved to Suffolk a few years ago,

0:36:060:36:10

'she wanted to make the most of the amazing wealth of produce

0:36:100:36:13

'around her, so she now takes people on food safari tours.

0:36:130:36:18

'Today, she wants to show me some of the seafood available right here

0:36:180:36:22

'on her doorstep and later the best ways to eat it.'

0:36:220:36:25

Are you OK?

0:36:280:36:29

'We're boarding the Regardless for a trip on the River Or with skipper Peter.'

0:36:340:36:38

Polly, what has Suffolk got to offer in terms of food?

0:36:400:36:43

Suffolk has traditionally been the breadbasket of England, hasn't it?

0:36:430:36:48

There's a lot of big arable farms here.

0:36:480:36:50

There are also a lot of farms diversifying

0:36:500:36:54

and doing new foodie things.

0:36:540:36:55

There's also great fish, great beer, we've got lots of breweries.

0:36:550:36:59

Pork is another thing that this area is famous for.

0:36:590:37:03

And there's a wealth of small businesses.

0:37:030:37:06

I think there's an absence of big supermarkets in quite a wide area,

0:37:060:37:10

which has meant that small, independent retailers have thrived.

0:37:100:37:14

That has given an opportunity to small food producers as well

0:37:140:37:17

to sell their stuff direct.

0:37:170:37:19

We're heading out to the North Sea, but where exactly are we? What's this river?

0:37:190:37:24

This is both the Alde and the Ore.

0:37:240:37:26

The Alde comes into the River Ore at Orford, where we are now.

0:37:260:37:30

And it goes out, down to the sea, down towards Felixstowe.

0:37:300:37:33

So this is an unusual river. The salt content is really high.

0:37:330:37:37

What does that mean in terms of the fish?

0:37:370:37:39

It means that things you'd not normally find in a river here,

0:37:400:37:44

so we get lobsters, which we'll hopefully find today,

0:37:440:37:47

different kinds of crab, starfish and other shellfish.

0:37:470:37:51

'Peter Merrion is just one of the local fishermen

0:37:530:37:56

'proud to share his trade.

0:37:560:37:59

'Today we're hoping to catch lobster in the pots that he has out here

0:37:590:38:03

'on the river, and I'm keen to get stuck in.'

0:38:030:38:05

You look as if you're ready to pull that pot up yourself?

0:38:050:38:08

-I'm going to give it a go.

-Do you want a hand?

0:38:080:38:10

I probably will do. It's not too bad.

0:38:100:38:13

If it gets too tiring, I'll give you a hand.

0:38:130:38:15

How many lobster pots do you have out here?

0:38:150:38:17

We have about 12 lobster pots.

0:38:170:38:19

-Do you always pull up lobsters in them?

-Not every time.

0:38:190:38:23

You're not lucky every time, but on average, we get about three or four.

0:38:230:38:28

-How long is this rope?

-It's a very deep river for its size.

0:38:280:38:32

-Oh.

-That's it.

0:38:350:38:37

Oh, what?!

0:38:370:38:39

-These ones are shore crabs.

-OK.

0:38:390:38:42

So before we put the lobster pot back in, we need to put bait in it.

0:38:440:38:47

We've got a piece of mullet head that we caught earlier. Nothing is wasted.

0:38:470:38:52

-Put the head in.

-So that's brilliant bait for a lobster.

0:38:520:38:57

-It is good bait, yeah.

-OK.

0:38:570:38:59

The lobster crawls in there to eat that and then he gets stuck inside.

0:38:590:39:03

Instead of coming back out the way it came in, it moves from this chamber into that chamber,

0:39:030:39:08

-and that's where it gets caught.

-OK.

0:39:080:39:11

-You can put it in.

-All right.

0:39:110:39:13

Make sure the ropes are no where near your feet.

0:39:150:39:19

-Yeah.

-One, two, three, go.

0:39:190:39:21

'There are no lobsters in pot number two either.

0:39:230:39:26

'Apparently, summer is the best time of year to catch them,

0:39:260:39:30

'and in the 20 years that Peter has been fishing this river,

0:39:300:39:34

'he reckons the stocks have stayed pretty healthy.

0:39:340:39:36

'So fingers crossed for pot number three.'

0:39:360:39:38

We're there.

0:39:380:39:39

Oh, look at that!

0:39:390:39:41

We've got one. We've got three!

0:39:430:39:45

Third time lucky, three in a pot.

0:39:450:39:48

-How about that?

-Oh, yes!

0:39:480:39:50

When you catch lobsters in a pot,

0:39:530:39:56

if you've got one lobster in there, it encourages more into the pot.

0:39:560:39:59

Is there a limit on how many you can catch in a year?

0:39:590:40:03

No, there's not a limit, you can catch as many as you like.

0:40:030:40:06

-As long as they're within a certain size, you can keep them.

-OK.

0:40:060:40:10

And the size is normally 87mm from the eye socket

0:40:100:40:14

to the back of the shell.

0:40:140:40:16

-Any smaller, they go back in?

-They go back in, yeah.

0:40:160:40:19

I think these are all restaurant size, so they're OK.

0:40:190:40:22

The lobsters are kept alive until they arrive at a restaurant.

0:40:220:40:26

We'll be taking my three back to Orford,

0:40:260:40:29

as we continue to follow their journey to the plate.

0:40:290:40:32

OK, come on then, little fella. Off to the kitchen with you.

0:40:320:40:36

Thank you, Peter - I really enjoyed that. Success.

0:40:360:40:39

'Polly has another great seafood treat for me to see -

0:40:400:40:43

'the oysters on the beds of the estuary.

0:40:430:40:46

'Bill Pinney and his family have been working this water for years,

0:40:460:40:50

'with the help of his team of dredgers.'

0:40:500:40:53

-Oh, wow.

-Look at those.

-Some of these are huge.

0:40:530:40:57

That's a thick-shelled rock oyster.

0:40:590:41:03

And that's a flat-shelled oyster.

0:41:030:41:06

And that is the native oyster from this country -

0:41:060:41:10

it's what's been in these waters for the last 2,000 years.

0:41:100:41:13

So why are these doing so well? There's loads of those.

0:41:130:41:16

These grow very quickly, they're very hardy.

0:41:180:41:21

These are exactly the opposite.

0:41:210:41:22

Whereas this one takes about three years to mature,

0:41:220:41:25

-this one takes about five or six. That's only a baby one, really.

-OK.

0:41:250:41:29

-Would you say these are taking over in England?

-Very much so, yeah.

0:41:290:41:33

There are still some natives, but they are extremely rare now.

0:41:330:41:37

-Does it affect what they taste like, their age?

-No, not at all.

0:41:370:41:41

Except, obviously it's a bit too much for a mouthful.

0:41:410:41:44

We'd use the bigger ones for soup or cooking or something like that.

0:41:440:41:48

-I can't see any villages or towns near here.

-No.

0:41:480:41:51

-That must be good for the oysters.

-Fantastic, yes.

0:41:510:41:54

We've got no sewage coming into the water and no pollution,

0:41:540:41:57

so we've got lovely pure water. It makes a huge difference.

0:41:570:42:00

Do oysters taste different around the country?

0:42:000:42:03

Everywhere you go. Every single site is different, yes.

0:42:030:42:06

Even just a couple of miles away it'll be completely different.

0:42:060:42:09

Yeah. It's all to do with the local conditions.

0:42:090:42:11

Once the oysters are brought in,

0:42:110:42:13

they're taken to the tanks for cleaning.

0:42:130:42:15

Water passes through a UV light

0:42:150:42:18

and circulates around the oysters for two days to kill off any nasties.

0:42:180:42:22

Some of them will end up at Bill's restaurant in Orford,

0:42:220:42:25

where I'm heading to next.

0:42:250:42:28

I'm genuinely excited about the seafood we've caught this morning.

0:42:280:42:31

I think you forget what amazing stock we have on our very doorstep.

0:42:310:42:35

You know what makes it even more special?

0:42:350:42:37

Everything has been caught within three miles

0:42:370:42:40

of where I started in Orford.

0:42:400:42:41

Soon I'll be tasting the seafood we've caught.

0:42:430:42:46

But first, when Matt Baker came to Suffolk,

0:42:460:42:48

he met some entirely different animals.

0:42:480:42:50

Come on!

0:42:530:42:54

'Paul Rilott has kept alpacas for five years

0:42:540:42:56

'and is now responsible for a prize-winning herd of 120.'

0:42:560:42:59

-I think they're something else.

-We think so, but we're biased!

0:42:590:43:03

Yeah, we really like them.

0:43:030:43:05

With the weather being wet like this, we like to make sure

0:43:050:43:08

they've got plenty of fuel in the tank to keep them warm.

0:43:080:43:12

How did you end up with them here in Suffolk?

0:43:120:43:13

Well, about five years ago, I was made redundant

0:43:130:43:17

from a plant-breeding business.

0:43:170:43:19

We went over to Peru and came across them while up there.

0:43:190:43:22

Jude, my wife, said, "Couldn't we do that?"

0:43:220:43:24

So we started off with just a few and the following year, we managed

0:43:240:43:28

to bring in another 18 Peruvians and a couple from Australia.

0:43:280:43:32

The key was to get the right animals, and that's exactly

0:43:320:43:34

what we were all about.

0:43:340:43:35

They're just packed with character. I mean, their faces!

0:43:350:43:39

-I absolutely love 'em. Big eyes.

-The big eyes look right into your soul.

0:43:390:43:43

You just got to love 'em.

0:43:430:43:45

One thing about them coming here is they don't get as much

0:43:450:43:48

vitamin D as they should do from the sunlight,

0:43:480:43:51

so we want to give the cria in particular

0:43:510:43:52

a vitamin boost to make sure they don't get rickets.

0:43:520:43:55

-Talking about the cria, that's the young?

-Yep.

0:43:550:43:57

OK, firstly, can I introduce you to Viki?

0:43:570:44:00

-Hiya.

-Viki looks after the herd for me.

0:44:000:44:03

As far as I'm concerned, every farm should have a Viki.

0:44:030:44:06

She is like a walking herd book, she knows all of these animals,

0:44:060:44:09

all their names, everything we need to know about them, she'll tell you.

0:44:090:44:13

-Hang on, all their names?

-Yeah.

-Every single one has a name?

0:44:130:44:16

-Yes, they do.

-Really?

0:44:160:44:18

All our white females, for instance, they're named after Bond girls.

0:44:180:44:21

We've got a Domino, Tatiana, an Honor, Miss Moneypenny, to name but a few.

0:44:210:44:27

Come on, girls.

0:44:270:44:29

-A mouthful of vitamins.

-Mouthful of vitamins. Good boy, Scratchy.

0:44:290:44:33

Steady, steady.

0:44:330:44:34

-Oh! Did you get it? Mmm, good boy!

-Next one.

0:44:360:44:40

'There's approximately 20,000 alpacas in the UK, in 800 herds.

0:44:420:44:46

'This may sound a lot, but when you compare it to sheep,

0:44:460:44:50

'of which there's about 32 million, this is farming on a small scale.'

0:44:500:44:54

-There you are.

-Well done!

0:44:540:44:56

Alpacas seem to kind of communicate on a different level.

0:44:580:45:00

-They're really intuitive with their young.

-They are.

0:45:000:45:03

They only give birth when it's nice weather,

0:45:030:45:06

so if it's raining, she won't bother. If it's cold, she won't bother,

0:45:060:45:09

she'll hang on till the next day or the next week.

0:45:090:45:12

She'll only give birth between 8am and 2pm.

0:45:120:45:14

So if it gets to two o'clock and she hasn't had her babe,

0:45:140:45:17

she'll hold on till the next day.

0:45:170:45:19

That's because the sun's at the highest point in the sky then

0:45:190:45:23

and it gives the babe its best chance

0:45:230:45:25

to have a feed and to be up and about before dusk.

0:45:250:45:28

They've got this lovely noise, like "Oooh!"

0:45:280:45:31

This little one - very noisy, aren't you, Pen?

0:45:310:45:33

-How is Miss Moneypenny looking?

-Looking good.

0:45:330:45:35

'Alpacas come in 22 different colours,

0:45:350:45:38

'and the fleece is in demand for clothing.'

0:45:380:45:40

The first thing you'll notice is it's been a wet day,

0:45:400:45:43

but when you open it up, how dry it is in there.

0:45:430:45:45

-That just shines, yeah?

-Yeah.

0:45:450:45:48

This is worth £100 a kilo processed against a sheep's fleece.

0:45:480:45:51

-Is it really? £100 a kilo?

-Yeah.

0:45:510:45:54

-Up against a sheep fleece, which is what, less than a pound?

-Exactly.

0:45:540:45:57

Big difference.

0:45:570:45:58

Not only that, but it's five times harder-wearing than sheep's wool,

0:45:580:46:03

so you make yourself a proper suit out of alpaca,

0:46:030:46:06

it'll last you a lifetime.

0:46:060:46:08

Come, boys! In you go, my friends.

0:46:080:46:12

'Now it's time to look at the big boys,

0:46:120:46:14

'who Paul constantly monitors, as they're his best studs,

0:46:140:46:16

'one of them being the East Anglian champion.'

0:46:160:46:19

As a champion, what is he worth?

0:46:190:46:22

If you were to offer me somewhere between £20-25,000 today,

0:46:220:46:26

I might take it.

0:46:260:46:28

-25 grand, really?

-Yeah. Some of the top whites could be double that.

0:46:280:46:32

In the States, their supreme champions

0:46:320:46:34

will fetch up to half a million.

0:46:340:46:36

-Never!

-Absolutely.

0:46:360:46:38

'Paul can earn £1,500 a time putting these boys out to stud.

0:46:380:46:42

'Not all alpacas cost 25 grand. You can pick one up for around £500.

0:46:420:46:47

'Alpacas are not just kept for their wool, though.

0:46:470:46:50

'Their protective instinct is the reason

0:46:500:46:51

'Sue Sharott keeps three to guard her chickens.'

0:46:510:46:54

When did you come across the alpacas?

0:46:540:46:57

My husband and children went out to buy some more chickens for me

0:46:570:47:01

and came back deciding that we were going to have alpacas instead!

0:47:010:47:04

HE LAUGHS

0:47:040:47:07

-And this is Emma and Sam here?

-This is Emma and Sam.

-Lovely to see you.

0:47:070:47:10

How are you? What is it like having alpacas in your garden?

0:47:100:47:13

It's a bit unusual.

0:47:130:47:15

We got them primarily

0:47:150:47:17

because we were told that they would stop the foxes getting the chickens.

0:47:170:47:21

-And do they?

-Yes, we haven't lost any yet.

0:47:210:47:24

-Fingers crossed it keeps going.

-Yes, exactly.

0:47:240:47:26

-Quite expensive guard dogs.

-They are expensive guard dogs.

0:47:260:47:31

I know Prince Charles has alpacas to guard his lambs, so obviously

0:47:310:47:35

it's the up-and-coming animal to have as a guard dog, I suppose.

0:47:350:47:38

Definitely.

0:47:380:47:39

'If it's good enough for Prince Charles,

0:47:390:47:41

'it's good enough for me, and it's planted a seed in my mind

0:47:410:47:44

'to buy a couple of these fantastic animals to guard our family flock.'

0:47:440:47:48

They really are charming animals,

0:47:480:47:51

and it's lovely to see fields full of them.

0:47:510:47:53

I'm on my way into Orford village, where local food lover

0:47:560:48:00

Polly Robinson has one last stop on our gastronomic tour of the area -

0:48:000:48:03

Bill Pinney's restaurant.

0:48:030:48:06

It's been here in Orford since the 1960s

0:48:060:48:09

when the Pinney family opened it.

0:48:090:48:11

And as I saw earlier, some of the produce comes straight here

0:48:110:48:16

from the Pinney's very own oyster beds.

0:48:160:48:19

I'll be heading in there to prepare some of the food I caught earlier,

0:48:200:48:23

but first here's the Country Tracks weather for the week ahead.

0:48:230:48:26

.

0:50:500:50:57

Today I'm on a journey through East Anglia.

0:51:060:51:08

I began on a farm in Rede,

0:51:080:51:10

where I met some beautiful Suffolk Punch horses.

0:51:100:51:14

From there, it was a short trip to Bury St Edmunds,

0:51:140:51:17

where I learned about the origins of the Magna Carta.

0:51:170:51:22

At my next stop, Flixton,

0:51:220:51:23

I explored the possibilities of owning a little bit of woodland.

0:51:230:51:27

And today my journey ends here in Orford,

0:51:290:51:32

where I'm about to taste oysters for the very first time.

0:51:320:51:36

My foodie guide, Polly Robinson, has brought me

0:51:370:51:40

to Bill Pinney's restaurant for a lesson in seafood preparation.

0:51:400:51:43

Honestly, I've never eaten an oyster, I've never opened one, so...

0:51:430:51:48

-Right, well.

-I'm a total novice.

0:51:480:51:50

There's a deep shell - that's the bottom and the top -

0:51:500:51:53

and at the end, you have a hinge.

0:51:530:51:55

-What we're going to do is put the knife in through the hinge.

-OK.

0:51:550:51:58

Just press it in until you've broken the hinge

0:51:580:52:01

and then you just flick the top shell open.

0:52:010:52:04

Then give your blade a little wipe.

0:52:040:52:08

-Move it along the top shell.

-Oh, wow!

0:52:080:52:11

And you cut the muscle, the adductor muscle, on the top of the oyster.

0:52:110:52:17

-That looks so clean.

-It's a lovely plump oyster.

0:52:170:52:20

And then you...just cut the oyster underneath, and it's ready to eat.

0:52:200:52:25

You serve it in the shell?

0:52:250:52:27

Served in the shell.

0:52:270:52:28

-What makes a good oyster, then?

-The really important thing is the meat.

0:52:280:52:32

You can see you have a very nice plump oyster here.

0:52:320:52:35

Sometimes when they've spawned or they are out of condition,

0:52:350:52:38

they can be rather green and transparent.

0:52:380:52:42

But that one you see there is in absolutely prime condition.

0:52:420:52:46

-Can I have a go at opening one, then?

-You can.

0:52:460:52:48

-You have to be very careful not to cut your hands.

-OK.

0:52:480:52:51

You need special little knife?

0:52:510:52:52

-I think you ought to put gloves on really.

-Oh.

0:52:520:52:55

-We don't want blood on the screen.

-No.

0:52:570:53:00

-That would put people off oysters full stop.

-Yes. Right.

-Right.

0:53:000:53:04

Now, you've got to press it in there.

0:53:040:53:06

And you've got to hold that with your left hand,

0:53:060:53:09

press that in quite firmly and wiggle it

0:53:090:53:11

until you feel you've broken through.

0:53:110:53:15

I can see why you don't have much faith in me.

0:53:150:53:17

Keep going. Keep going.

0:53:170:53:18

-You're through, yes, that's good.

-OK, yes.

0:53:180:53:21

Now push it in a bit further.

0:53:210:53:23

Right. Little bit further. Now give the knife a turn, a twist.

0:53:230:53:27

Go on, be a little firm with it.

0:53:290:53:32

That will crack open then.

0:53:320:53:34

Leave your knife in.

0:53:340:53:36

Lift it up, wedge it open.

0:53:360:53:39

Now run this knife along the top of the oyster -

0:53:390:53:42

be careful along the top of the shell,

0:53:420:53:43

or you'll cut some of the meat away.

0:53:430:53:46

Just run it along there. That's it.

0:53:460:53:48

-There we go.

-That's pretty good.

0:53:480:53:51

Yes, very good.

0:53:510:53:53

How on earth do you throw that back in one gulp?

0:53:530:53:56

-That's a big oyster, isn't it?

-Is it? Well, it is a big oyster, yes.

0:53:560:53:59

-I haven't eaten oyster for years.

-Really?

0:53:590:54:02

You just don't sometimes, do you?

0:54:020:54:04

-Mm.

-Nice?

-Lovely, very nice.

0:54:080:54:11

Haven't eaten one for years, but would you eat another one tomorrow?

0:54:110:54:15

-Yes, I would, yes. Yourself?

-I've got to try it, haven't I?

0:54:150:54:18

When in Rome.

0:54:180:54:21

Or in Orford.

0:54:210:54:22

-Do I chew it or just throw it back?

-Chew it.

0:54:240:54:27

-Salty.

-Yes. Sweet but salty?

-Certainly an acquired taste.

-Yes!

0:54:420:54:47

Well done.

0:54:490:54:51

'I didn't want to be rude, but oysters are definitely not for me.

0:54:530:54:56

'Hopefully the lobsters will be a bit more to my taste.'

0:54:560:55:01

These are the lobster we caught earlier today

0:55:010:55:04

and they look so dramatically different.

0:55:040:55:07

A few minutes in boiling water

0:55:070:55:09

and they go from navy blue to bright pink.

0:55:090:55:11

-These were just plunged in boiling water?

-Yes.

0:55:110:55:13

Just brought up to the boil for about 12 minutes.

0:55:130:55:16

-12 minutes and then they're cooked inside?

-They're ready to eat, yes.

0:55:160:55:20

We're not going to eat these chaps just yet,

0:55:200:55:22

because, although I'm proud of them, they're tiny compared to...

0:55:220:55:27

Duh, duh, duh-da-a-a-a!

0:55:280:55:32

Look at those beasts.

0:55:320:55:35

-Now, that is a lobster isn't it?

-It is, yes.

0:55:370:55:42

'And those beasts are actually caught out at sea.

0:55:420:55:45

'They're much bigger than the ones we brought back from the river.

0:55:450:55:48

'Because of their size, they're easier to prepare.

0:55:480:55:52

'After cutting down the centre of the underside of the lobster,

0:55:520:55:55

'there's the head meat, the more sought-after tail meat,

0:55:550:55:59

'and the best bit - out comes the hammer

0:55:590:56:01

'to crush the shell and reveal the tasty claw meat.'

0:56:010:56:05

-That's it, and again.

-I've never eaten lobster ever.

-Haven't you?

-No.

0:56:050:56:09

See if you prefer it to oysters.

0:56:090:56:11

Quite a brave chunk I'm going for.

0:56:130:56:15

It's definitely fishier.

0:56:180:56:20

I have to say lobster is definitely above oyster for me.

0:56:200:56:25

Fair enough.

0:56:250:56:27

'It's a great experience to follow food directly from sea to plate,

0:56:280:56:33

'even if the oysters were a bit hard to swallow.'

0:56:330:56:36

You couldn't get more source to plate than this,

0:56:360:56:39

we caught the lobster, it's on our plate.

0:56:390:56:41

But why is it important that people know about that journey?

0:56:410:56:45

I think it's so disconnected now

0:56:450:56:47

when we buy food in the supermarket or eat it in a restaurant.

0:56:470:56:50

We have no idea where it's come from.

0:56:500:56:52

Doing something like we've done today just really reconnecting it

0:56:520:56:56

and experiencing what the fishermen go through, seeing that side of it.

0:56:560:57:00

Then following through every stage.

0:57:000:57:02

And I think it tastes so much better.

0:57:020:57:04

I was satisfied with my lobster

0:57:040:57:06

until I saw the size of the ones Bill showed me,

0:57:060:57:09

and then he told me they can grow up to 50 years old.

0:57:090:57:12

-So, sorry, buddy, you're just a baby.

-I'm sure he'll still taste good.

0:57:120:57:17

This has been a rewarding day,

0:57:170:57:20

but it's also been a reminder of the hard work

0:57:200:57:23

that fishermen like Peter do every day to put food on our plates.

0:57:230:57:27

I knew I'd have a good time in Suffolk, because I got to come here

0:57:290:57:32

and enjoy some of the best the county has to offer.

0:57:320:57:35

I've learnt about the plight of Suffolk Punch horses,

0:57:350:57:39

heard tales of secret meetings that paved the way for the Magna Carta,

0:57:390:57:43

I've discovered the benefits of woodland ownership and,

0:57:430:57:47

ultimately, I've developed a taste for some of Suffolk's specialities.

0:57:470:57:52

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0:57:580:58:01

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0:58:010:58:04

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