0:00:35 > 0:00:38The Wye Valley is special to me.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43I can't imagine living a year of my life without the river.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45I'd be lost without it.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51The river runs 157 miles from the mountains of Mid-Wales to Chepstow,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53where she meets the Severn,
0:00:53 > 0:00:57and anyone that doesn't fall in love with the Wye Valley,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00there's got to be something wrong with them.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21I made a conscious decision when I left school to become a farmer.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24In the uplands it's not something you can be taught in a college.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28You've got to have a love for the mountains and for the sheep.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46The Wye Valley is unique.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50The climate here makes it perfect for cider growing,
0:01:50 > 0:01:52and that makes it perfect for me.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Fourteen years ago, I brought my bees here,
0:02:18 > 0:02:20and I never left.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23The Wye couldn't be a better place for me to make a living.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04I'm lucky enough to live in the Wye Valley
0:03:04 > 0:03:06within sight of May Hill,
0:03:06 > 0:03:11where tradition says the best cider apples are grown.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17I think that's because we have a relatively dry climate here
0:03:17 > 0:03:21so we get a lot more sun, which means you get really good quality apples.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26It's January.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29That's when I start pruning.
0:03:29 > 0:03:30You prune for crop.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33The more apples you have, the better,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36which means having a decent-size tree
0:03:36 > 0:03:39with horizontal branches spaced evenly.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44Once you get into January, February, the buds will start fattening up for blossom time.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48You can tell from now where the big crops are going to be...
0:03:50 > 0:03:52if the rabbits don't get them first.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11The success of the crop is at the mercy of the weather in the valley.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15At the start of the new year, we have a ritual in the orchard.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19We light fires round the oldest tree and we toast it,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21so that it bears heavy with fruit.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25It's called wassail and it means "good health".
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Some people might think it's strange, but it's an ancient ritual
0:04:34 > 0:04:38designed to improve the crop and ward off evil spirits.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44It comes from a time when they didn't really know why they had good crops and bad crops,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48but even though these days we've figured it out, it's still important
0:04:48 > 0:04:52to continue the tradition, as a sign of respect to nature.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57Just as we toast our friends and wish them good health, we toast our trees.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08After we've blessed the tree, the youngest boy in the village,
0:05:08 > 0:05:14known as the tomtit, hangs bread soaked in cider in the tree.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16This is for the birds to eat.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21And then we make as much noise as possible to frighten off the evil spirits.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23And then we drink lots of cider.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32In January, it's time to really start the season
0:05:32 > 0:05:35on the repairs of equipment,
0:05:35 > 0:05:41scorching frames, scorching boxes, re-waxing frames, making up the new equipment.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45If we've got any hives that have died out during the season,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48if it has been some sort of a disease,
0:05:48 > 0:05:52we'll scorch the box out, more or less as a sort of sterilisation,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55so that we're not introducing anything in the following year.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Some of the damage we get is just normal wear and tear.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05We also get a fair bit of damage from things like woodpeckers.
0:06:07 > 0:06:13Woodpeckers will put a hole the size of your fist through each of the sides of the boxes
0:06:13 > 0:06:16and everything else in-between, if they're able to,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20cos they're after the larvae plus the bees themselves.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Woodpeckers are a problem during the colder weather,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35when the bees are fairly dormant - they're very slow.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38If they tried it in the summer, the bees would deal with them.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45I'm on a deadline.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50Soon the weather will warm up and the bees will wake up from hibernation.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56The quiet days of winter will end and we'll all be on the move again.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07KETTLE WHISTLES
0:07:10 > 0:07:14I'm a ghillie here on the River Wye.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19As a ghillie, I look after the ladies and gentlemen that comes to fish here,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23and through the non-season you manage the river.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31The river's changed over the years.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35It looks the same from above, but underwater it's different.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38It's still a good fishing river,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40but the number of salmon is down.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45They've been hit hard by disease and pollution...
0:07:47 > 0:07:50but they seem to be making a bit of a comeback now.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07We have started the season later to make it easier on the spring fish.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11Now March 3rd is when the salmon and the trout season starts.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14And you're getting your kit ready,
0:08:14 > 0:08:18like you could be making baits, making sure all your rods and reels are up to scratch,
0:08:18 > 0:08:22all ready to go for the salmon fishermen again.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Right throughout the winter, I make lures quietly.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28I enjoy doing it.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33I love the old country life, and I'll be watching telly and making these quietly.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40I love the Wye. I love and breathe the Wye, because I've always looked upon it as my river.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43It's the first main river my dad brought me to.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46I've been fishing it since I was seven.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49I just love the Wye.
0:08:49 > 0:08:56I says to the gentleman that I work for, I says, "You own the river, but it's my river."
0:08:56 > 0:08:58And that's the way I look upon it.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00I love and breathe the river.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17The weather makes a big difference to us.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23If it rains up in the headwaters, Elan Valley, Llangurig,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25anywhere up there in the headwaters,
0:09:25 > 0:09:30that water will take a day and a half to reach us here at Ross.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37I need the water to rise for the salmon to run up the river,
0:09:37 > 0:09:38so it affects me,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40it affects the birds,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44it affects the animals and everyone that lives along it.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49Whether she's in a good mood or a bad mood, it affects everyone.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02I suppose as the crow flies,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06we'd be about ten miles from the source of the Wye.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08It is a beautiful place to live.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11I'm sure a lot of people would want to swap me in the summer...
0:10:13 > 0:10:15..but in the winter it can become a bit of a problem.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18But, you know, you can't have everything good,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22you've got to have some bad days, as, I guess, in any part of the world.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29I like my Welsh sheep. They're bred to survive this environment.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Nothing else would survive so well.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40I wouldn't say they're stupid, but they do rely on us,
0:10:40 > 0:10:44so we have to supplement their feed at the end of December right through till May,
0:10:44 > 0:10:48until they go back to the mountain with their lambs.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09In the long, dark winters, it's a pleasure to see the kites.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11They're a beautiful bird.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14They're common to us, but we still appreciate them
0:11:14 > 0:11:17and try to look after them the best we can,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19make sure nobody disturbs them.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Hard winters affect the kites.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29They are scavengers, and with the new legislation that's just come through now,
0:11:29 > 0:11:34that all dead animals have got to be picked up, even off the hillsides,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36it's becoming increasingly difficult for them.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Fifteen, twenty years ago up here,
0:13:08 > 0:13:13we would get snow that lasted weeks - snowdrifts, everything.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19The climate is getting warmer now, though.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23It seems to vanish as fast as it arrives.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30I suppose it's good for me in a way, the milder winters.
0:13:33 > 0:13:40But the harsh weather we do get now is coming later in the year, end of February, end of March.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43That's when the ewes are heavy,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46and that can cause problems with lambing...
0:13:48 > 0:13:51..so it's a relief when it finally melts.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12It's March 3rd, start of the salmon season today.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I'm out fishing myself...
0:14:16 > 0:14:18..testing the water,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20seeing if there's any fish around.
0:14:23 > 0:14:29I've been waiting all winter for this to start again and looking forward to a good season.
0:14:30 > 0:14:37Hopefully, conditions will be good enough to allow us to have a good season.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39It just remains to be seen.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47If we could have a wet spring and fill the dams and the water table,
0:14:47 > 0:14:53it'll hold the river up for a far greater time for us, for the season.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22It's early spring.
0:15:22 > 0:15:27We bring the sheep into the sheds now to lamb, so that we can look after them.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32We wait for them to give birth.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43I've probably delivered...
0:15:43 > 0:15:46tens of thousands of lambs in my life,
0:15:46 > 0:15:50but it's still a joy to see a new, healthy lamb arrive.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56I love lambing,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59although it's a busy time of year.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04We're up 24 hours a day with them all the time.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11We've got 500 ewes now to bring in
0:16:11 > 0:16:15and lamb them within the next two or three weeks.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22Veronica and I work as a team during lambing.
0:16:22 > 0:16:28When I'm catching forty winks, she's out in the sheds doing the work, and vice versa.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Lambing kind of marks the start of spring for me.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48The cold days of March are over and the valley seems to be waking up.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55New lambs are born.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58New life is springing up everywhere
0:17:58 > 0:18:01and we've got the summer to look forward to.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17The kite chicks are hatching.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Everything's on the move.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Even the grass, that's starting to grow.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Summer's coming. You can smell it in the air.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04My favourite bit of the year would be early spring,
0:19:04 > 0:19:10when the day's starting to get warmer and longer and the blossom's coming out.
0:19:10 > 0:19:16It starts really in April, although a lot of cider blossom comes out in May.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22It's been a really wet May.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26The really heavy rain seemed to wash a lot of the blossom off.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31It's a key time for us.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33We need mild weather for pollination,
0:19:33 > 0:19:37because the bumblebees and the honeybees work so much harder.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45This time of year, we get blossom weevils, who'll be laying their eggs in the buds,
0:19:45 > 0:19:52which then will hatch into maggots and eat the buds out before the blossom can come out.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Because we don't spray a lot of the fruit,
0:19:56 > 0:20:02especially in the old orchards, we rely on birds to keep the insect populations down.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13We put bird boxes around the farm for the blue tits and great tits, to keep them happy.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24I love seeing the birds in the orchard, better than any pesticide.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28I know how hard they're working for me.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32I have another spring workforce - the honeybees.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35They're really important to ensure a good crop.
0:20:35 > 0:20:41There are a lot of apple trees out there and the more bees we get, the better the pollination.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47So a friend of mine, Gareth, brings his hives here.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49It's a good working relationship we have.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52They supply the labour, I supply the pollen.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03I normally bring about a dozen colonies down here to Mike's orchards.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Nature quite often does the pollination quite well,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13but on those off chances of a bad spring,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17me going in there with three quarters of a million honeybees is
0:21:17 > 0:21:20a pretty good insurance policy for a cider grower.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29May was very wet.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31Now it's getting hot and dry.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35The sheep are coming down off the hill to drink.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39The lambs are beginning to fatten up nicely.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50I was worried about the kites with all the rain in May,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54but their nest seems to have survived and the chicks are doing well.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58You can see him flapping his wings and getting them ready for take off.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07There's been a pair of redstarts nesting in my tractor.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10I didn't know what a redstart was when I first saw them.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13I had to look them up. They're a handsome bird, though.
0:22:22 > 0:22:28I've been watching the chicks, nestled in just by the radiator,
0:22:28 > 0:22:33Mum and Dad going in all day long with insects.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38They seem to be doing well - better than my tractor, anyway.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49We start shearing in June.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52There's a good slot of weather now, warm and dry.
0:22:52 > 0:22:59Hopefully, that will continue until Barry, our shearing contractor, comes here to shear the sheep.
0:23:03 > 0:23:09We need to get the 500 ewes and lambs off the hill, put them in the sheds ready for him to shear.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14It's hot, hard work, but we love it.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13The wool no longer makes us any money.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16It just about covers the cost of shearing.
0:24:28 > 0:24:34We need it dry for the wool to be packed up and sent away and we also need it warm for the sheep.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38It must be a great relief to have their winter coats taken off.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54When I first moved up to the Wye Valley, the first year,
0:24:54 > 0:24:58I got calls for 120 swarms of bees, to go and sort them out.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Last year, I had one call.
0:25:07 > 0:25:13We've had a problem with a disease, called varroa, that kills the bees if it's not treated.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16There are very, very few feral colonies left.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23One thing about the weather at the moment -
0:25:23 > 0:25:28with all this warm dry weather, the bees are really, really busy.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32It's amazing, going out at four o'clock in the morning
0:25:32 > 0:25:37and they're as busy as they are at eight, nine, ten o'clock at night sometimes.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13You're sat there on the riverbank,
0:26:13 > 0:26:19you just aren't watching the rod, it's everything that goes on around, and it's relaxation.
0:26:33 > 0:26:41One of the things that I think is a terrible shame is we have Wye Valley Walk up through here
0:26:41 > 0:26:47and I see them walking up the far side there with their heads down, and they're seeing nothing.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Now, what a waste of a good walk in the country.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57The whole idea of going for a walk in the country is that you see the wildlife.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Kingfishers here. Lovely!
0:27:07 > 0:27:09I got two pair nest here every year.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13I won't tell you where they nest, I won't tell anyone.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17In July, you'll see 'em fishing hard.
0:27:17 > 0:27:18It's nice.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21It's been an awful summer for the salmon fishing.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25It's been too warm and no rain.
0:28:25 > 0:28:31The river's so low, lower than it's been for a number of years, definitely.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34I find it very frustrating,
0:28:34 > 0:28:38and there's nothing you can do about it.
0:28:38 > 0:28:44There's no rain down here, there's no rain in the mountains, so it's rubbish.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49All this dry weather's fantastic.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Although it rained in May, it just didn't rain at all after that.
0:28:52 > 0:28:57With it having been a relatively wet early spring, we're hoping that
0:28:57 > 0:29:01this will have set the heather and made it a good crop.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05By the look of the heather up on the hillsides,
0:29:05 > 0:29:07it looks good.
0:29:07 > 0:29:14So I load the hives into the truck, turn the stereo up and away we go, me and a million bees.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28# Oh, Heather, honey
0:29:28 > 0:29:33# Warm as the sunshine
0:29:33 > 0:29:38# Oh, Heather, honey
0:29:38 > 0:29:43# Your love is so fine
0:29:43 > 0:29:46# I've been here, I've there
0:29:46 > 0:29:48# I've been around
0:29:48 > 0:29:50# And I've fell in and out of love
0:29:50 > 0:29:52# Most every town
0:29:52 > 0:29:55# But the girls I knew were not like you
0:29:55 > 0:29:57# You're a different kind
0:29:57 > 0:29:59# Heather, honey Now, can't you see
0:29:59 > 0:30:02# You're blowing my mind?
0:30:02 > 0:30:06# Oh, Heather, honey
0:30:06 > 0:30:11# Warm as the sunshine
0:30:11 > 0:30:16# Oh, Heather, honey
0:30:16 > 0:30:21# Your love is so fine... #
0:30:21 > 0:30:26Heather moors finish the season off for us quite well, in that
0:30:26 > 0:30:30if there's a crop to be had, it's a premium-value crop.
0:30:30 > 0:30:35Heather honey is one of the better honeys for us during the year, and it's a premium price,
0:30:35 > 0:30:41and if we don't get the crop, we at least get the bees fed for the winter,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44which, for us, is probably the most important part,
0:30:44 > 0:30:48because we need the bees in good condition for the spring.
0:30:55 > 0:31:01I really love these lingering summer evenings up on the moors.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05The days are long and the work is hard, but just to be high up there,
0:31:05 > 0:31:10with the birds and the scent of the heather, it's a place where all the elements come together.
0:31:10 > 0:31:11It's magical.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02It's September.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07There's only a few weeks left of the season.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11It finishes on October 17th,
0:33:11 > 0:33:14and I'm still thrashing the river for a fish.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22If I catch none this year,
0:33:22 > 0:33:27you still can't beat getting up at dawn on such glorious days as this,
0:33:27 > 0:33:31to put a fly on the water.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34Nothing nicer. Nothing can beat it.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44The mists arrive this time of the year,
0:33:44 > 0:33:49when the air is cooling, and the river temperature's holding.
0:33:49 > 0:33:54I personally believe it's not a good time to fish
0:33:54 > 0:33:57until the mists are lifting off the water.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01You don't seem to catch many fish when the mists are down.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05When the mist starts to lift, that's the time to start fishing,
0:34:05 > 0:34:09and so we get down here, lovely at dawn,
0:34:09 > 0:34:11to catch the mist going off, so we're ready,
0:34:11 > 0:34:13because that seems to be the best time
0:34:13 > 0:34:15to have a chance of catching a fish.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11Timing is crucial in cider making,
0:35:11 > 0:35:16in that you must press the right apples at the right time.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25Timing is everything. Too early, the taste won't be right.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29Too late, and the birds will take the crop.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38This year, with it being so dry, I was really worried about the crop,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41but because the mild weather went on so long,
0:35:41 > 0:35:45I've ended up with really good, large, juicy apples.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05The only influence for flavour in the ciders are the variety.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07A blend of two or three varieties
0:36:07 > 0:36:11is almost always superior to a single variety.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17I've got about 40 varieties of apples,
0:36:17 > 0:36:21so each barrel of cider can be different to the next,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24because there's different varieties in it.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45One of the nice things about being a cider maker
0:36:45 > 0:36:48is I do get to do quality control,
0:36:48 > 0:36:52which means I do have the temptation to drink too much.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56All in all, it's still fairly healthy, as long as you're careful.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Because it's a natural product,
0:37:00 > 0:37:02it doesn't taste as alcoholic as it is,
0:37:02 > 0:37:05and, erm, we find you have to keep warning people,
0:37:05 > 0:37:09because if you're not used to it, it can be quite dangerous.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17You press the apples at the right time,
0:37:17 > 0:37:20that's the most important element,
0:37:20 > 0:37:22and then you put the right ones together.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39The more years I make cider, the more interesting it becomes,
0:37:39 > 0:37:42and the more combinations there are to try.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07At this time of year,
0:38:07 > 0:38:10we're getting more of a problem with wasps and hornets,
0:38:10 > 0:38:13predominantly in the organic fruit farms.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Ten years ago, I'd never seen a hornet.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22This year, we've got a couple of hornets' nests,
0:38:22 > 0:38:26very local to where we've got bees.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30This is a bit of a worry, because they can invade the hives,
0:38:30 > 0:38:33kill the bees and larvae, and steal the honey.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39Towards the back end of the season, there's not the nectar out there.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41We've got hives full of honey,
0:38:41 > 0:38:45and then sometimes it just looks like an easier target,
0:38:45 > 0:38:49and if they find a hive that's weak, or having a bit of a problem,
0:38:49 > 0:38:52they'll go in, and they'll take advantage of it.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57The wasps are going in,
0:38:57 > 0:39:01and they're primarily looking for honey, for nectar,
0:39:01 > 0:39:04for sugar. Colonies are full of it.
0:39:04 > 0:39:12Often there's uncapped honey, that probably smells wonderful to wasps,
0:39:12 > 0:39:14and if they can get in there, they will.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20Then, at the end of the season, we narrow the entrances down,
0:39:20 > 0:39:23to give the bees a bit more of a chance of defending themselves.
0:39:26 > 0:39:31If a wasp tries to get in, it's a bit like a gatecrasher at a club -
0:39:31 > 0:39:35the bouncers, the guard bees, can usually defend the colony,
0:39:35 > 0:39:39and it'll take two or three bees to see off a wasp.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45If a hornet decides to come in,
0:39:45 > 0:39:49it takes a lot more bees to defend the colony,
0:39:49 > 0:39:51and quite often, if a hornet wants to go in,
0:39:51 > 0:39:55it's pretty successful in getting in there.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08One of the most satisfying times is at the end of the year,
0:40:08 > 0:40:11when you're bringing the boxes of honey back.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14You're never quite sure what you're going to get,
0:40:14 > 0:40:18what the bees have been into and harvesting.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29I used to really enjoy honey,
0:40:29 > 0:40:33and I still like some of the honeys that we extracted,
0:40:33 > 0:40:37but I think it's probably like one of those people
0:40:37 > 0:40:39that work in a chocolate factory.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43The first ton was all right, but after that, you tend to go off it.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12One thing that can be said about honey,
0:41:12 > 0:41:15it really sums up all autumn colours.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19It's an amazing process.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Sometimes I feel like an alchemist.
0:41:34 > 0:41:40During the winter, we try and bottle more creamed and set honey,
0:41:40 > 0:41:43around a ton or more of honey a month,
0:41:43 > 0:41:46which would be about two to three and a half thousand jars,
0:41:46 > 0:41:48depending on the size of the jar.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31It's October.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33It's coming to the end of the season.
0:42:33 > 0:42:38The rains have arrived, but they've arrived too late for us.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44The salmon have finally got the rise in the water they needed,
0:42:44 > 0:42:48so they're running up through us now, not stopping.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52The clock's ticking,
0:42:52 > 0:42:56they've got to get upriver to spawn. I hope they all make it.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59But our season's over.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08This year, it started off well,
0:43:08 > 0:43:11and a lot of people had caught the same amount of fish
0:43:11 > 0:43:13as we'd caught last year,
0:43:13 > 0:43:18and we thought, "Great, it's on the up, we're gonna do well".
0:43:18 > 0:43:24But unfortunately, May, everything changed.
0:43:24 > 0:43:30We had a good rise on the river, which we expected salmon to come,
0:43:30 > 0:43:32and they didn't.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35And it's the first time that has ever happened
0:43:35 > 0:43:37in the 28 years I've been on this beat.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41We never caught a fish after May this year.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45I've gotta say, it was a disappointing season,
0:43:45 > 0:43:46very, very disappointing.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06It's been a good year this year. The lambs have gone off to market now.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08They've not made a bad price at all.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11We need to get the ewes ready now to be mated,
0:44:11 > 0:44:14to start the cycle once again.
0:44:24 > 0:44:29We're shearing their tails to keep them clean, and we worm them,
0:44:29 > 0:44:32and give them a vitamin dose as well, ready for the winter.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37It was one of the worst springs we've had for a long time.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40The beginning of summer was cold and wet,
0:44:40 > 0:44:42and then we had one of the hottest, driest summers
0:44:42 > 0:44:45we've had for 20 years.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48But once the end of July came, we had the rain,
0:44:48 > 0:44:51the ground was warm, and we had grass right up into the autumn.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54It's been a really good time.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00It's increasingly getting harder to make a living
0:45:00 > 0:45:01on small hill farms like ours.
0:45:01 > 0:45:07Our product, price-wise, is going down, but everything we buy goes up.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12I really enjoy what we do. We love it.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15We were born to it, I guess. It's a hard life,
0:45:15 > 0:45:18and we don't get much financial reward,
0:45:18 > 0:45:20but, you know, we wouldn't swap it for anything else.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23Hopefully, we can survive.
0:45:31 > 0:45:36It's a nice feeling when you finally finish picking the last fruit.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46You can sit back and relax, and try the first of the ciders.
0:45:52 > 0:45:57They're still a bit young, but maturing nicely in the barrel.
0:46:01 > 0:46:02The orchards are quiet now,
0:46:02 > 0:46:05and there's only a few apples left on the trees.
0:46:05 > 0:46:09I like to leave these for the fieldfares and the redwings.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11They do deserve it after their long migration.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17Traditionally, you shouldn't tap the ciders
0:46:17 > 0:46:20until you hear the first cuckoo of spring,
0:46:20 > 0:46:23but I think it's always wise to do a bit of quality control.
0:46:38 > 0:46:43Autumn's coming later these days - November, December.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45Times are changing.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48Can't fish for salmon, but there's still plenty to be done -
0:46:48 > 0:46:53clearing the banks, keep the river flowing nicely.
0:46:53 > 0:46:57I love this time of the year,
0:46:58 > 0:47:03especially here on our beat, because, well, just look around you.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06Look at the changing, and the colours of the leaves.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08It's absolutely fantastic.
0:47:10 > 0:47:11If you went to a carpet shop,
0:47:11 > 0:47:14you'd spend a fortune to buy the same thing,
0:47:14 > 0:47:16which I can look at every day for nothing.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33There are few places in Britain as beautiful
0:47:33 > 0:47:35as the Wye Valley in autumn.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43The river seems to reflect that thought.
0:47:43 > 0:47:49The beauty shines back from her surface, and she turns gold.
0:47:55 > 0:48:01It'll be a few months before I fish for salmon again, sadly.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04So I'll have a few days off, myself,
0:48:04 > 0:48:08take the wife off, so she remembers what I look like,
0:48:08 > 0:48:12and look forward to next season.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd - 2007
0:48:45 > 0:48:48Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk