Island, Farm, City William Whiskerson

# William Whiskerson, mouse explorer Finds adventure round every corner

# Where will he go, who will he meet?

# His amazing adventures will make you squeak

Squeak! # William Whiskerson

# Mouse explorer! #

Here comes William Whiskerson in his amazing travelling globe.

Greetings, adventurers, I am William Whiskerson,

the famous mouse explorer.

Where has our intrepid mouse explorer landed today?

William in on an island.

An island is a piece of land surrounded by water.

Cheese phone, reveal my location.

The cheese phone shows William where he is in world.

'Hi, William, today you're on the Isles of Scilly -

'right at the bottom of Great Britain,

'off the South West tip of Cornwall.'

The Isles of Scilly? That's a funny name.

William takes a look around.

Three are 150 islands in the Isles of Scilly,

but only five are inhabited and have people living on them.

William came in his globe but most people get to the islands by boat,

plane and even by helicopter.

BEEPING Look, I've got a message

coming through on my cheese phone.

-BOTH: Hello, William.

-I'm Zoe.

-And I'm Isaac.

BOTH: Welcome to our island.

Lock the location, cheese phone.

The map shows William where to meet Zoe and Isaac.

William sets off to find them, exploring the island as he goes.

He sees wild ponies grazing on the grass...

..a little goose...

And what's he spotted now?

Say, cheese!

MOO!

-There he is!

-Here they come.

Pleased to squeak you, Zoe and Isaac.

BOTH: Please to squeak you too, William.

Can you two show me your island? BOTH: Yeah!

Explorers, away!

Is this where you live?

No, my mummy has holiday cottages here.

Oh, so who stays here?

Visitors, like you.

Zoe and Isaac's mum and dad run holiday cottages where tourists

come and stay when they visit the island.

What a lovely view!

Bryher's main village, which they call town,

is very small and only has a few houses.

There are hardly any cars and it doesn't take long

to travel from one side of the island to the other.

Zoe and Isaac take William to see the village shop.

-This is our island shop.

-Oh!

-And post office.

-William takes a look around.

-Maps, very useful.

Cheese!

Squeak-a-licious!

The shop gets some of its supplies locally,

but things that aren't produced on the island

have to be delivered by boat from the mainland.

This is the post office.

Isaac is helping William send a post card

to his Auntie Cheddar in London.

-Thank you.

-Thank you!

It's picked up by the post lady

and travels by boat

and then helicopter before it reaches the mainland.

There are lots of interesting rocks on the island.

The rocks are made of granite

and they were formed over 300 million years ago.

This is Droopy Nose Point!

That's a funny name. Why is it called that?

If you look carefully, you can see it looks a bit like a droopy nose.

-Oh! Hey, and that one on top looks like a seal!

-Yeah.

I wonder if we'll see any real seals.

You might, they're quite common.

Further out in the bay, two seals are bobbing about in the water.

Can you see them?

William, Zoe and Isaac enjoy playing on the beach in the sunshine.

It's October, but it's lovely and warm here.

The Isles of Scilly feel warmer

because they're surrounded by an ocean current

called the Gulf Stream.

This flows from a very hot part of the world

and raises the island's temperature.

Strong winds also blow into the island from the Atlantic Ocean

which is between Great Britain and America.

Zoe and Isaac spend a lot of time playing on the beach.

They like to look for crabs under rocks.

-What is it?

-It's a crab.

Oh, keep it away from my nose!

We should put him back where we found him.

Lots of rubbish that is bad for the environment

gets washed up on the beach,

like plastic bottles, rubber gloves

and old bits of fishing net.

The name for this is flotsam and jetsam.

Isaac and Zoe are building a den to play in

so are collecting shells and wood.

William thinks it's the perfect hideout for an adventurer.

It's so much fun here on your island!

-Do you want it come to school with me and Isaac tomorrow?

-Yes, please.

Explorers, away!

So where is your school?

Over there.

But how do you get there?

-By a boat.

-By a boat?!

For the people living on the five main islands,

almost everything is done by boat.

There's an ambulance boat,

a post boat,

a ferry boat,

even a school boat.

And here it comes, ready to pick them up.

All the children from the island make their way to the quay.

This is the place where the boat arrives.

Zoe and Isaac travel to school by boat every morning.

The school is on the island opposite called Tresco.

The jet boat is very fast and it only take five minutes to get there.

On the way, they sometimes see dolphins.

Wow!

William's enjoying his journey.

Zoe, Isaac and William arrive on Tresco and walk to school.

William thinks their school looks brilliant.

Quick! The bell's ringing. It's time to go into class.

Not many children live on the nearby islands,

so the school only has two classes,

one for the infants and one for the juniors.

Zoe and Isaac are in the junior class.

It only has 12 children in it.

William meets Zoe and Isaac's teacher, Mr Wilson.

Good morning, children.

We have a really special visitor in class with us today,

and his name is William Whiskerson.

Please to squeak you, everybody.

ALL: Please to squeak you too.

William joins in class...

..takes a look around...

..and goes out to play.

William has a really fun day at school,

but now it's time for him to go.

Zoe and Isaac have drawn a lovely picture of him on their island.

Look, it's me on Bryher Island.

Thank you, it's mousey marvellous.

Squeak you later, Zoe and Isaac.

BOTH: Squeak you later, William.

Can you remember where William went today?

William visited a group of islands called the Isles of Scilly.

He landed on Bryher, where he met his friends Zoe and Isaac.

Can you remember all the places they visited?

They visited the island shop,

the beach,

and then they travelled to school.

How did they get there?

They got there by boat.

Zoe and Isaac drew William a beautiful picture

to remember his visit.

Time to fly, explorers! We're off on another adventure.

See you soon, William!

Here comes William Whiskerson in his amazing travelling globe.

Greetings adventurers, I am William Whiskerson,

the famous mouse explorer.

William is in the countryside.

He can see green, grassy fields everywhere,

but which part of the United Kingdom is he in?

Cheese phone, reveal my location.

The cheese phone shows William where he is in the world.

'Hi, William, today you're in the South West of England

'in a county called Somerset.'

BEEPING Look, I've got a message

coming through on my cheese phone.

Hi, William, I'm Theo. Do you want to come and meet me on my farm?

A farm?

That sounds like a real adventure. Lock the location, cheese phone.

The map shows William where to meet Theo.

Explorers, away!

On his way, he passes through lots of green fields full of grass.

There's Theo.

Hi, Theo!

Please to squeak you, William. This is my dad, Guy.

Would you like to see his farm?

-Hello, William.

-Hello. Yes, I'd love to.

-Would you like to see all my friends?

-Ah!

You mean the cows?

MOO!

They're called Holstein-Friesians.

Holstein-Friesians. How many cows do you have?

-330.

-You need a lot of fingers and toes to count them!

Most of the cows on Theo's farm are female.

You can tell because they have udders for making milk.

Why do you have so many females?

We have lots of female cows

because they produce milk we can sell to the shops.

Farmers who produce milk like Theo's dad are called dairy farmers.

Theo offers to show William around the farm.

First, Theo takes William to a special shed

where baby cows, called calves, are housed.

The calves are very little. How old are they?

Up to 12 weeks.

Cows only start making milk when they've had a baby,

so lots of calves are born on the farm all year round.

Female calves are called heifers and they'll grow up to be dairy cows

and produce milk just like their mums.

Quick, William, I've got something

really exciting to show you! Come on!

Explorers away!

-William, look. She's had a baby.

-Oh!

This little baby calf has just been born

and its mummy is licking it clean.

How long does it take the calf to stand up?

Only about 30 minutes.

Very slowly, the little calf stands up for the first time.

William can't believe his eyes.

What a special moment!

During the day, the grown-up cows stay out in the fields

but at night, and when the weather's bad,

they're taken into the cow sheds.

While the cows are still in the fields,

their sheds can be cleaned out.

OK, you two, we need to clean out these cow sheds.

What's this stuff on the floor?

It's cow poo.

The cow dung has to be cleaned out every day.

This cow dung's very smelly. Where does it all go?

The cow dung is moved into something called a slurry lagoon.

Theo takes William to look at it.

It's a huge pool of cow dung.

Cow poo might be smelly,

but it's full of nutrients which are very good for the soil.

The dung is spread on the fields

to help grow grass and crops, which are fed to the cows.

When they aren't eating fresh grass, they eat something called silage,

a mixture of different crops which have been grown on the farm.

The silage is kept in a silage pit.

Look at that! It's like a giant mountain!

What is it?

It's cow food. We've got wholecrop wheat

and we've got ryegrass and red clover that we call grass silage.

The machine cuts big blocks of silage.

It's then added to the other ingredients in the feeder wagon.

The scales let the farmer know exactly how much silage to put in.

It's then mixed up, ready to feed the cows.

The cows on Theo's farm are organic.

This means all the food they eat has been grown without chemicals.

The cows think it's delicious.

It's milking time now. The cows are moved into the collecting yard,

where they wait to be taken into the parlour for milking.

Can we go into the parlour to watch the cows being milked?

Yes, come on, then.

The cows enter the milking parlour in small groups.

They're then cleaned before milking begins.

Why is there a hole in the floor?

That's the parlour pit. We stand in it to reach the cows' udders.

A machine called a milking unit milks the cows.

It has cups that fit onto the cows' teats.

Look! I can see the milk!

The milking unit squeezes the teats on the cow's udder -

this causes the milk to flow out.

It travels down a pipe

into a barrel called a collecting jar.

When the milk stops flowing, the milking unit drops away.

How much milk does a cow produce each day?

We're producing about an average of 30 litres a cow.

And that's 60 of these!

-What happens to the milk now?

-It's pumped next door

where it's chilled and stored in the bulk tank, ready for collection.

The tank stores the milk and keeps it cold, ready to be collected.

A special lorry called a tanker

comes every day to take the milk to the dairy.

The delivery man attaches a pipe and pumps the milk into the tanker.

The tanker has to be very big to hold all the milk.

The cows on Theo's farm produce 7,000 litres a day.

The dairy is only six miles away,

so the milk gets there quickly and stays fresh.

William and Theo go to the dairy to meet Steve, who shows them around.

They have to wear special clothing to stop germs spreading.

The milk is heated up in a machine

which kills off any harmful germs and makes it safe to drink.

The milk is then poured into plastic bottles.

The lids are placed on the bottles

and heat is used to seal them shut.

This stops air getting inside the milk and keeps it fresh.

A label is then added.

What happens to our milk now?

It's going to the shops for people to buy.

Our milk's been on quite a journey.

Yes, it has. From the farm to the dairy to the customers

in less than four days.

Would you like to come back to the farm and try some milk?

Oh, yes, please!

Explorers away!

Back at the farm, Theo pours William a lovely glass of milk.

Thank you.

HE SLURPS

Ah!

Thanks, Theo! That was squeak-a-licious!

Theo shows William lots of other things made from milk - yoghurt,

cream, butter

and even cheese.

He then gives William a cow

to remind him of his dairy farm adventure.

Thanks, Theo. I've had a lovely time on your dairy farm.

Squeak you later!

Squeak you later, William!

Can you remember where William went today?

William visited his friend Theo, who lives on a dairy farm.

Can you remember how the cows were milked?

They were herded together and taken into a milking parlour.

Here, a machine collected their milk.

Where did the milk go next?

To the dairy, where it was bottled.

William loved his glass of milk.

Squeak-a-licious!

Now it's time to fly, explorers!

We're off on another adventure!

See you soon, William!

Here comes William Whiskerson

in his amazing travelling globe!

Greetings, adventurers!

I am William Whiskerson, the famous mouse explorer.

Where has our intrepid mouse explorer landed today?

William is in a big city, with a river

and lots of important-looking buildings.

Cheese phone, reveal my location.

The cheese phone shows William where he is in the world.

'Hi, William! Today you're in the south-east of England,

'in the city of London.

'London is the capital of England.

'It's the home of the Queen and the Houses of Parliament.

'You're just outside the main city,

'in a place called Bermondsey.'

BEEPING Wow! I've got a message

coming through on my cheese phone.

Hi, William. I'm Kulala.

Come and meet me at my flat. I want to show you London.

How exciting! Kulala's going to take me on a city adventure.

Lock the location, cheese phone!

The map shows William where to meet Kulala.

Explorers away!

On his way to meet Kulala, William sees lots of traffic

and lots of people.

There are eight million people living in London.

Because the city is quite crowded,

many people like Kulala live in flats,

which are homes built on top of each other to save space.

Here comes Kulala and her mum.

Hello, Kulala. Pleased to squeak you.

Konichiwa, William.

What does that mean?

"Hello."

It means hello? In which language?

-Japanese.

-Oh!

Are we in Japan, then?

-No.

-No.

-Oh!

Then where are we?

Lon-don.

Kulala? Would you show me around London?

-Yes!

-Oh, thank you! That sounds like a real adventure.

Explorers away!

There are lots of ways to travel around London.

Bicycle,

red London bus,

taxi and car,

or even a boat.

Today, Kulala and William are going on the London Underground.

-Where are the trains, Kulala?

-This way, William.

They're going to take a train

that travels deep below the ground.

First, they pay for their journey with a travel card.

BEEP!

Then they take the escalator down to the platform under the ground.

What's this?

This is the map of the Underground, showing all the train lines.

Each line has a different colour.

-Which coloured line are we travelling on?

-The silver line.

From Bermondsey to Green Park.

Oh! Oh! I can hear the train coming!

Explorers away!

The Underground is also called the tube,

named after the round tunnels that the trains move through.

It's still the quickest way for tourists and people living in London

to travel around the city.

On his way out,

William passes a jolly busker performing with a guitar.

Here we are, William. This is the centre of London.

The streets are even busier here!

Look at the rows of tall buildings.

There are also tourist shops and smart hotels.

And so much traffic!

-There are also green spaces in London, William.

-Where?

Come and see.

Green Park is one of the five Royal Parks.

People come here to relax,

keep fit,

-play...

-THEY GIGGLE

..and escape the bustle of the city.

What do you like doing in the park?

Playing on the swings and slides and roundabouts.

What sort of animals live here?

Squirrels and mouses like you.

Mice like me? HE GIGGLES

Next, they go somewhere really special,

a huge palace known as Buckingham Palace.

What a magical place. Who lives here?

Buckingham Palace is the Queen of England's official home.

The palace is very big and has 600 rooms.

Outside, the Queen's Guards are marching up and down.

Can you see their bearskin hats?

There's a flag on top. What do you think it means?

It means the Queen's at home.

Now something really exciting happens.

Two beautiful carriages go past.

Perhaps it's special visitors for the Queen.

Next come the Royal Troops on horseback.

Look at their magnificent capes.

They also have shiny helmets and swords.

Now Kulala's mum takes William and Kulala

to an area called Westminster.

Wow! Look at those grand buildings!

That's the Houses of Parliament.

They look very important.

Who lives there?

No-one lives there. That's where the Prime Minister works.

Here, the Prime Minister

and a group of people called the government make important laws

that affect everyone in the country.

This is a very famous clock.

Do you know what it's called?

CLOCK CHIMES

That's the biggest clock I've ever seen! What's it called?

It's called Big Ben.

That's a funny name.

Why is it called Big Ben?

It was named after a big bell

and it chimes every hour

and lots of tourists go and see it.

Oh. I can see why.

William spots a huge wheel called the London Eye.

Can we go on it?

Yes, we can. Let's go.

The London Eye is one of London's most modern landmarks.

Kulala and William board a special carriage called a pod.

We're going up into the sky!

I can see the whole city from up here. It stretches on for miles!

Look at that big river!

-What's it called?

-The River Thames.

It's the longest river in England

and it stretches throughout the city.

Like many cities, London grew up around a river

which leads all the way to the sea.

Why are so many bridges on the river?

That helps people to cross one side to the other side of the city.

They go to take a closer look

at one of the most famous bridges.

Look at that bridge. It's giant!

-What's it called?

-Tower Bridge.

Is that because of the two towers?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-I see.

Just then, a tall ship arrives

and something very unusual happens.

The road across the bridge is raised

to let the boat through!

Not many bridges can do that!

Oh! And what's that castle there? Do you see it?

Tower of London.

The Tower of London was built over 900 years ago.

It was once a prison, but now it houses the Queen's jewels.

I've had a wonderful time. Thank you for showing me around.

-I've got a present for you.

-Oh, wow!

It's a red London bus!

Thank you, Kulala. I'll squeak you later.

Mata ne!

Bye! Ooh, hee-hee!

Can you remember where William went today?

He visited his friend Kulala who lives in the city of London.

Kulala and her mum took William sightseeing.

They travelled by tube.

Can you remember the places they visited?

They went to Buckingham Palace,

the Houses of Parliament,

the London Eye,

and Tower Bridge.

Kulala gave William a toy London bus

so he could remember all the wonderful things he'd seen.

Now it's time to fly, explorers.

We're off on another adventure!

See you soon, William!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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