14/01/2013 Inside Out East

While our war veterans being denied medals by our government? Cyril

banks took part in some of the most dangerous convoys in the Second

World War. Russia wants to give him a medal for his bravery but of

foreign Office says know. Of the Russian government is generous

enough to give us it, why can't we have it?

Could the cows in our fields be replaced by this? Smaller farms

can't compete. All they can look forward to his greater pressure

until they are forced to give up. And we look back at the Country's

first ever play park. They are the stories that matter here in the

Hello. We were told about our first story tonight by a viewer in Essex

who believes her father is one of hundreds of people in their 80s and

90s being treated unfairly by the British Government. Fred Henley

took part in the Arctic Convoys, described by Churchill as the "most

dangerous run of the war". So why have the veterans who served on

them not been given a medal for that service? Fred Henley from

Clacton fought in the Second World War and has been decorated for

service in North Africa and Italy. But there's something missing -

he's been offered a medal to honour him for his most dangerous campaign,

but the British Government say he can't have it because of red tape.

The largest convoy ever taken to Russia, feeling its way... Fred

served on the Arctic convoys, taking supplies to Russia. When we

set off from Iceland it wasn't too bad, but as we got up into the

Arctic Circle things got really bad. We had some attacks by German

bombers from Norway, and there were U boats strung about the area, but

the main thing was the cold. Ice was forming on the superstructure

which we had to chip off to keep the ship stable. A few months ago,

Fred received a letter from the Russian Embassy offering him the

Ushakov medal for his courage in the Arctic.

How did you feel when you got the letter? Well quite happy with it.

Quite proud to think the Russians thought something of us for all the

turmoil we went through. Then a few weeks later, that excitement turned

to bitter disappointment when he received another letter from the

Russians, saying the British Foreign Office had blocked the

presentation of the medals. These boys up in Parliament, or the

Foreign Office never knew what we went through. How did you feel when

you read that letter? Well, quite angry. It was insulting, I thought.

His daughter and grand-daughter can't understand why the government

won't allow him to have the medal. The Australians and the Kiwis have

got theirs but we're all part of the Commonwealth, aren't we? So how

come the Aussies and the Kiwis have got theirs and the Americans and

the Canadians and we haven't got ours? It's a bit embarrassing I

think. Several RAF veterans of the convoys have contacted retired Air

Commodore Philip Wilkinson after they received letters about the

Ushakov medal. As a former air and defence attache in Moscow, he

understands the Russian medal system. It is a significant medal

to the Russians. It's a significant gesture they've made to open this

one up to allies as they have, so clearly to those few who still

remain it would be a most significant gesture. Let's not

forget there have been years in the Cold War period when there have

been difficulties and that sort of recognition was never going to be

given. And in fact there was a certain unwillingness in the Stalin

era to consider that such a thing had happened. How could mighty

Russia have been needing assistance? That's all changed.

This offer, this hopeful, fruitful offer of the Ushakov medal is the

culmination of a rapid and now steadily continuing change of heart

and opening up of relationship improvement. How important were the

Arctic convoys? There is no question that throughout the war

years entirely, the percentage of major supplies came into Russia by

the convoys constantly delivering through the northern ports.

Aviation, aviation fuel, armoured vehicles. Something in the order of

3,200 Hurricanes were shipped towards Russia. Any number of

different categories of equipment and items of vital supply were

constantly being delivered. There are thought to be just over 800

people in the same position as Fred and his daughter and grand-daughter

can't believe what has happened. just gave him the letter and said

read that. He said, "I can't believe that" and there didn't seem

to be any justification for it. He's really upset which upsets us,

you know, because he's 89 after all but, what can you do? So do you

think it's important that your dad, your granddad gets this medal?

earned it and they went through a lot on those convoys and they

haven't had any recognition from the British Government. And the

Russians were willing to give them a medal and they should be allowed

to take it. It's the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who make

decisions on foreign medals. No-one from the Foreign office was

available for interview but they told us the rules on the acceptance

of foreign awards clearly state that the service should have taken

place within the previous five years. But we've found that that

rule isn't always enforced. Cyril Banks from Bishop's Stortford

served in the Arctic and has also been told he can't have the Ushakov

medal from Russia. But last year he was allowed to receive another

foreign award for his service in the Second World War. Have you ever

received an award from a foreign country that you're actually

allowed to wear? Yes. A French one. Well the French One is the Legion

d'honneur as they call it. received the honour for clearing

mines in the Channel before the Normandy landings almost 70 years

ago. The majority of people, if you mention D-Day, you would think of

landing craft coming in on the beaches and men running up there

getting blown to pieces and shot and things like that. That's the

typical scene you see, isn't it? We had to sweep that Channel before

the landing craft could come in. And what did it feel like to get

something of that calibre? Highly chuffed, very proud. How does it

make you feel knowing you can wear one from France but not from

Russia? If the Russian government is generous enough to give us it,

why can't we have it? We asked the Government why the French medal was

allowed when the Russian one is not. The Foreign Office told us "the

fact that permission has been given in one case does not mean that it

will be given in another". And the Foreign Office told us that the

Russians should know the rules. They said "a general award has

already been made by Russia and when this exception was made, it

was announced that no further exceptions would be allowed." So

are the veterans caught up in a diplomatic game? Sir Tony Brenton

lives and works in Cambridge, he used to be the British Ambassador

to Russia. For the Russians, victory in World War Two was a

matter of huge national pride. And they have on various occasions

wanted to give medals and other awards to the sailors and others

who were involved in those conflicts. I mean the Russians

didn't think about British rules about receiving medals. They

thought, here is a very good way of honouring some old men who have

been very helpful to our country and I personally think, my instinct

is, this is a diminishing group of very brave men who deserve to be

honoured. We've never had a specific Arctic medal ourselves and

I rather hope we can find a way of enabling them to accept this

Russian honour. We have been in touch with the Russian Embassy here

in London. They didn't want to be interviewed but they did tell us

this decision gives us grounds for deep regret. We hope that the

British authorities will reconsider this bureaucratic formality and

review their position. Just before Christmas, David Cameron announced

that a new British medal to honour the Arctic Convoy veterans will be

awarded in the spring, but the Government have told us the

veterans still cannot receive the Russian Medals. Fred and Cyril are

very happy about the new medal but say it doesn't alter their feelings

about the Russian one. Meanwhile, Fred's family are still hoping for

a change of mind. I've been pushing a petition around, which is of the

Government e-petitions called the medal of Ushakov. Anybody that we

see, we say "can you sign this for us" but we'll keep going, but as

the next step comes up we'll have to think right what shall we do

now? My instinct is that we're letting bureaucracy get in the way

of doing what is obviously the right thing, and I very much hope -

as I say, I know there are various moves afoot to try and get the

rules waived or adjusted in this specific case - and I very much

hope those moves succeed. Let's face it, numbers are decreasing,

every year. So I mean, is it going to be that when they're all gone

they won't have the trouble of giving a medal out then, will they?

You know what I mean? Review would like to get in touch about anything

you think we should be looking into, get in touch. You are watching

Inside Out. Still to come - the man who became known as the inventor of

children's playgrounds. This playground was in front of the

catalogues showing the latest things he had brought out and the

Dairy farms are vanishing fast and some predict that milk will come

from vast industrial scale units housing thousands of cows that

never roam freely outside. Richard Once there were thousands of dairy

farms across the East of England. Now there are just a couple of

hundred left. Unable to make their businesses pay, smaller dairy

farmers are selling up. The memories flood back for me when

I'm on a dairy farm. I grew up on one. I milked cows. I fed them. I

mucked them out. The demise of so many herds is upsetting for those

in the industry. Does it matter where our milk comes from? And is

our countryside, as some claim, under threat as a result? And would

we be happy getting our milk this way instead? The future lies with a

large-scale supplier dairy farms, as we have seen in the United

States, growing because they are low-cost producers, have our --

have higher animal welfare standards and are sustainable.

everyone sees it that way. It's milking time at the Strachan's 80-

strong herd at Rendham in Suffolk. Like all dairy farms, they receive

an EU subsidy. But to survive, they've had to diversify. Ten years

ago, with the milk price falling, they founded Marybelle. Instead of

selling their milk to a processor, they now make and market dairy

products themselves. We source milk from six local farms in Norfolk and

Suffolk. They are all delivered daily and to the processing plant

at Marybelle. The process all that milk into various products from

normal milk, cream, yoghurts, ice- cream. We also supply a lot of ice

cream makers and have our own round where we deliver to hotels, shops

and restaurants and doorstep delivery, businesses, fruit and

vegetable companies and supermarkets as well.

ultimately, this is a business like any other. Farms are already

subsidised. But actually, shouldn't you be like any other business

would in no subsidy, sink or swim? Yes, weaken the American as well,

the city over there, big factory farm over there, that is how it can

go. That is if people want that and they can vote with their feet. I do

not think that is what people want. We an abyss has grown from nothing

and we do 4 million litres a year. -- we are a business that has grown

from nothing. We know where that business has come from and have a

connection with the rural community. As a nation, we're still self-

sufficient in the production of fresh milk and cream. The trouble

is we're not when it comes to higher value products such as

butter and cheese. We import far more than we export. Worldwide

producers are becoming larger and more efficient. That's piling on

the pressure for smaller producers. If this trend continues and we

moved to farms with 500 cows plus, in 514 years, there will be a big

impact, because rural areas like this will be affected. -- in five

or ten years. But will the countryside suffer? Five years ago,

we filmed Brian Hull as his dairy herd was sold. He feared this

pastoral scene would be replaced with bland, arable fields. We are

taking the fences down to open up the land for arable farming. Under

landscape will be changed forever. But his worst fears didn't

materialise. The farm became arable and he now has 11000 free range

chickens. The farm didn't become a prairie. We started recruiting

grass strips, nectar plants, planted trees. It is what we have

done rather than what would have happened if we had carried on doing

arable. So you have ended up with more hedgerows than when you had

the cows? Yes. We were already planting does. Put yourself in

someone who has a small herd and are struggling. What would you

advise be? I think you have to try and take your heart out of the job

and look at it on a financial basis. That is what it comes down to. That

is what we made our decision on at the end. There was no point working

seven days a week just to stay still or go backwards. But would

all farmers do what Brian Hull did? This conservationist believes the

loss of small dairy farms threatens biodiversity and could change the

face of the countryside for good. am quite concerned about the demise

of the small dairy farms. They are intrinsically linked to producing

landscape benefits. It is nice to see cows and fields, rather than

blankets of winter wheat. We used to see wheat alongside grazed

pasture. That seems to be declining rapidly. One of the problems I have

with these larger units is what is their environmental impact? Whether

that is water coming off the farm or the biodiversity that could be

held on the farm as well. So could super dairies like this one in the

US soon become a feature of the East Anglian landscape? Herds

thousands strong. Cows that may never get to roam or graze outdoors.

Last year, a planning application for one in Lincolnshire was

withdrawn. Sean Rickard, former chief economist to the National

Farmers Union, believes it's just a matter of time before they arrive

here. All my life, we have been losing dairy farmers. People are

saying we mustn't go any farther. I am afraid that is not reality. Food

is one of the most important things we spend money on. Any sensible

Government, any sensible industry will try to ensure the industry is

efficient, produce these at low- cost and provides affordable food.

It is large farms that do far -- that do that. If you want to pay

another 30% for your food, try to protect small farms and you would

still waste your time. The dairy industry has always changed. The

speed and direction it takes is next is largely down to want to

what we, as customers, want. I was in California ten years ago

and they had 18,000-20,000 cows then. They are managed in large

groups and take a lot of resources. I do not know where we would put

them in Britain and can do a better job currently. I am not saying big

is available, but not a super dairy in Britain. I think I have been

kind. I would like to see to a farmer the truth and that the trend

is against them. The bigger units that the future, because they are

lower cost, can afford to invest. Smaller farms cannot. They can only

look forward to greater pressure until eventually they are forced to

give up. 100 years ago, a man from Kettering

what this patch of land with the dream of building a park or the

people. Charles Wicksteed had revolutionary ideas about how

important it was for ordinary children to have spaces to play in.

His legacy was Britain's first play park which still claims to be the

biggest free playground in Europe. What you probably did not realise

is all of this equipment is stamped with the name of one man. He is

from this neck of the woods. Who is Charles Wicksteed, born 1847, was a

pioneer of the playground. He's been called the inventor of

children's play. He has been credited with creating the first

ever slide at his factory in the East Midlands. But is it true?

It all started at Kettering, so I have come here. A pioneer of the

Edwardian age. He started out with farm equipment then made their lead

you boxes. But it was his hydraulic hacksaw that brought him instant

success and some serious money. But his passion was always play. And

that would be his legacy. Mr Wicksteed's former factory no

longer makes hydraulic hacksaws. It makes much more exciting stuff like

swings and seesaws. In fact, it's now Britain's biggest producer of

playground equipment. And chances are, if you're under 80, you'll

have had fun on something made here. It is incredible that factory is on

the same site. Absolutely, it started in 1876, many jury

narrations working here. -- many generations. I'm meeting Stuart

Wetherell, who's going to show me around. He's got some classic early

photos. Great photos, a little before my

time. What is this contraption? That is one of the very first

swings made by Charles Wicksteed. We do not have the drawings, but

estimate its height was 25-30 feet. A child using it at full extension,

standing on the seat. No seat for supper sing there. If he falls, he

falls on to concrete. --Sappers thing. You would not get away with

that now. Nor health and safety? Not a great deal. But fairly good

engineering, sound engineering processes applied to the design.

Charles Wicksteed revolutionised playing. There were no boundaries

to his imagination? Absolutely not, quite a clear innovator, engineer,

so when this started to appear locally, it was probably the game's

computer explosion of the 90s, that was the equivalent of what these

children were exposed to it. If you take into account those slides were

first manufactured, there are hundreds of thousands of them in

the UK. I have left they were shocked and

moved down the road to book Wicksteed Park. I am sure it look

different back then. When he first book plans in place a little over a

century ago, this was one of the past Leisure Parks and Britain and

the first to feature a playground, like the one over there. -- this

was one of the first Leisure Parks in Britain. The classic silver

slide still takes pride of place. And just like battlefields and

historic houses, this park has been listed by English Heritage as a

site of importance. In fact, it's a national gem.

I'm meeting Charles's great grandson Oliver. He still helps to

run the park. We're catching a lift on the Wicksteed Express.

Oliver, Wicksteed Park, a great feel to it, people walking their

dogs, a massive open spaces. It is a different kind of place, not like

a normal Dean Park or park in the centre of town. This is centuries

of people enjoying the parts together. Try to keep the spirit of

Charles Wicksteed alive? Very much so. He was a very successful

engineer and wanted to give something back and build the park

for the people, his staff, and people on the streets, to give

something healthy away from pollution, sports fields, a lake, a

real way, a whole new wave of families enjoying themselves.

Keeping his dream alive is our constant ambition. This really was

his last legacy and was to become the biggest Little Light Railway in

the country. Sadly, a week before it opened in 1941, Charles died of

pneumonia. But that's not the end of his story. The park and the

factory were passed onto his sons. Both were eventually sold, but kept

the family name. The park still draws big crowds. And it's free to

get in. Many return to relive their memories. People like 1940s

sweethearts Roland and Joyce. They met here many moons ago. I can

picture it now, beautiful summer's day, the boats get closer, you leap

into her boat and give a massive kiss. Is that how you met? No. It

was in a canoe. You celebrated year anniversary one week ago? Yes.

six the first. If it was not for Charles Wicksteed, you would never

have met. No, a lot to thank him for. There's no doubting Charles's

generosity and his creativity. But was he really the inventor of the

first children's slide? Remember those early photos? Play historian

Linden Grove has been studying them. I want to ask her opinion.

You can answer this burning question. Charles Wicksteed, the

inventor of the children's slight? No, it must have been invented by a

lip -- by a medieval child sliding down a tree trunk. But he made it

so popular that you would not imagine a playground without one.

He is a legend and it is amazing to think that parks around the world,

this one we are in now, it was in the front of catalogues showing the

latest things he had brought out. Across the world, children's

fleeing was shaped by Charles Wicksteed. -- playing. Charles

really was fanatical about fun. He went from mending farm equipment to

manufacturing on a massive scale. Among his many crazy ideas it's

said he can also take the credit for this. The water chute, as it

was known back in his day. Wicksteed's park in Kettering and

his swings and slides shipped all over the world. And have thrilled

children for the best part of a century. And being a big kid myself,

it's time to have some fun. The next time you visit up Leigh

Park, give and not to local legend Charles Wicksteed. -- the next time

you visit a playground. You would not want to go down that

slide at this time of year. That is it from Wicksteed Park. If you

think we should look at anything, send me some tweets. Or you can

send me any meal. See you next week. -- you can send

me an e-mail. In ten weeks, the NHS undergoes its biggest ever

organisation. Find out what it will mean for you. We visit a successful

free scheme will bring children lose weight and ask why so few