21/10/2013 Inside Out South West

Hello and welcome to Inside Out South West, stories and

investigations from where you live. Tonight, the cattle disease they

cannot beat. She is an inconclusive. Why bovine TB is driving this Devon

farmer out of the industry he loves. It is sad? Why can we not have a

vaccine? Also tonight, expelled from her country, given sanctuary in the

South West. 40 years on, this refugee goes in search of Plymouth

saviour. In a new country, all on my own, in hospital, she played a big

part in my life. An David Fitzgerald takes a walk on the wild side of

autumn. I have not seen one of these since I was a child. I am Sam Smith

and this is Inside Out South West. Farming is a tough industry and for

those who rear cattle, one of the most difficult issues is how to

control bovine TB which can devastate herds and businesses. One

possible and controversial solution is to kill badgers which can carry

the disease and a trial cull organised by the government has just

been extended. As we have been finding out, not all farmers, even

those whose cattle have been infected, support such a drastic

measure. It is TB testing time on this farm in Devon. This

veterinarian measures the thickness of the skin before giving them test

injections. She will return in four days time to see if any lumps have

developed, an indication of bovine TB. It is an absolute nightmare. You

do know `` you do not know what will happen. She did a fantastic job, but

you do not know what the outcome will be. You could be in tears or

celebrating. Kate bought this farm 13 years ago following a career in

teaching. She produces textiles from her rare breed. When I learned that

they were one of the endangered rare breeds, less than 500 left in the

country, I felt driven to have some and try and actually improve that

situation. I think now I am the biggest breeder of this particular

species in the country. Robert's pride and joy is there a herd of

organic cattle. Two years ago, they were devastated when a routine TB

test resulted in the slaughter of 13 of their herd, including their prize

bull. He was the best bowl in our minds in 25 years. My father said he

was the best he had ever seen. We were heartbroken. They have had

enough. They decided to leave farming. Rising costs have played a

part in the decision, but so has TB. We have had two years of nonstop

brain. There was TB as well. It made us think, there is more to life than

working hard. In less than two months, everything on the farm will

be sold, including the stock. The cattle cannot go unless they are

free from TB which is why they are being tested again. Last year,

38,000 TB infected cattle were slaughtered in Britain. Over the

past decade, the disease has cost the taxpayer of ?1 billion. The

government has identified badgers as the prime source of bovine TB and

marksmen have been licensed to shoot 5000 of the animals in parts of the

South West. Many farmers support the coal, but not Robert. `` the badger

cull. It is not getting to the source of the problem. As it is,

they are killing healthy badgers. They want to kill badgers that have

the disease. The government says there is not a test which is

practical enough to separate infected from healthy badgers. It is

four days since Rachel tested the cattle. She is due back soon to see

if they show signs of TB and if they do, they will be sent for slaughter.

You do not know what she will find. We could be OK or we might not be.

This is what the general public do not understand, what stress you

have. Robert rounds up his cattle ready for the return of Rachel. He

cannot resist a quick check of his own. He knows what Rachel will be

looking for. It looks like we have got to lumps. I do not know what it

is yet. `` two lumps. What people do not understand is the pressure. I

have not slept for two night. It is just sad `` nights. Why can we not

have a vaccine? We need a vaccine. The government says it is investing

nearly ?12 million in the search for an effective vaccine. It will be

something like ten years before one is ready. On her return visit,

Rachel gives the first few animals a clean bill of health. But then

Robert's fears are realised. Rachel finds lumps on the side of a cow.

She measures the skin again to make sure before checking her findings

against a charge. `` chart. She is an inconclusive. She will need to be

tested again. This is the one I have been worrying about all morning.

1090. Altogether three cows have inconclusive results. They will need

to be retested in two months time. The government ad nets the test is

not 100% accurate but says it is the best available `` admits. Apart from

the emotional strain, a failed test has serious financial implications.

It is not only the inclination on the three, it is the rest of the

herd as well. Will anyone by our cattle, Pedigree organic, at a

decent priced, they will not. It has probably slashed half the price of

the cattle. The government will not deal with TB. They need to. We need

someone here to see what they say about it. DEFRA chose not to be

interviewed for this film. Six weeks have passed. It is the day of the

sale. 800 people have turned up. These ones are attracting attention.

I disturbed that they go to people who appreciate them and love them ``

I just hope. The ruby red stood not make the sale. There are retests are

not for another fortnight and until then none of them can be moved. Kate

and Robert are now looking forward to a life outside of farming. We

will be sad, but when we go to livestock events we will see things

with our breeding in the animals and that gives you pleasure. Following

the sale, two of the suspect cattle were given the all clear. The third

gave an inconclusive result for a second time, which meant she had to

be destroyed. She was five months in calf. Just over 40 years ago this

way, an African dictator X L 70,000 of his own citizens. Some of them

ended up here in the South West with little more than a single suitcase.

Tonight we have the moving story of one woman who has more reason than

most to remember those traumatic events. This woman is returning to

the South West for the first time in four decades. Retracing a journey

that would reshape her world. It is overwhelming that I am coming back

here after 41 years. Hers was not the only life changed by dramatic

events back in October, 1972. An Indian restaurant with a

difference. The menu is exclusively vegetarian, because of the beliefs

of its owners. We take nonviolence to any creature seriously. If we

cannot have violence towards anyone, we will not have it on our plates.

For this family, Plymouth has proved a warm and welcoming city. I think

Plymouth is great. It is a friendlier place than other places

and the lifestyle here is a little slower, but so what? It is a nice

environment. They did not choose to come to the South West or even to

the UK. On 4th August, Eddie Amin, Ugandan Indians were told they had

90 days to leave. They had been in the country for almost a century,

originally recruited by the British to build Uganda's railways. One

third of the refugees find themselves in Britain. Many were

bound for old army camps like the former military hospital but once

stood on or more. Bill and Hasmita were among them. This is where the

camp once stood. We knew that we had 90 days to get out, but we thought

he was joking and it would pass. Come September, everybody started

panicking. After a long journey through the night, Hasmita's family

arrived on 15th October. Which had come early that year. It was so cold

that morning! And completely different from where we come from,

really, really cold. We were in sandals with no socks on, no coats,

no cardigans. When the snow fell for the first time, our parents would

tell us, go inside. We did not listen, we just wanted to play. It

was so new. It was different. Hasmita has a special reason for

remembering the day they arrived. Her mother and sisters did not know

it, but she was nine months pregnant. A routine medical check

meant she could hide it no longer. As we were queueing up to have an

x`ray, I saw a sign on one of the doors which said, no x`ray if you

are pregnant. I said to the doctor, I am pregnant. He said fine, set

aside and we will check you later. But then the next thing, the nurses

got together, the health visitors, they made me sit down and that

afternoon, they rushed me to the hospital. Hasmita was brought to

Plymouth's Freedom Fields hospital. Houses nice dad in its place. Ware

has `` where has the hospital gone? I do not recognise any of this. The

hospital might have disappeared but the memories of what happened

remain. I do not remember how long I was in labour. The next thing, such

a lot of buzz ` it's a girl! A new mother in a foreign country, unsure

how her family would react. But Hasmita was not alone. She has never

forgotten the kindness she received from one staff member who was

present at the birth. It was all so new to me. I can remember talking to

somebody and there were so many people, but I distinctive remember

Mrs Geary, because she looked at me with those eyes. I cannot explain

it. It must have been her next to me because my mum was not there with

me. Phyllis gearing was a social worker. For the next few weeks, she

became a mother to Hasmita. She'd played a major part when my baby was

being born in a new country, all my own hospital. She cleared a big part

in my life at that time. `` she played. Phyllis is now 91. She lives

here. My little girl. Phyllis, I have some

pictures to show you of the baby. That is four months. What are a lot

of hair. `` what a lot of hair. Still cuddly, beautiful eyes. Big,

big eyes. She is now a successful businesswoman working overseas.

Phyllis recalls the day she met Hasmita. She had nothing, as they

all did. I got her three pretty 90s, different colours. Do you remember?

And some toiletries. Hasmita asked if I could stay with her, which I

did. Right until the birth. When the baby was born, they put in my arms.

It was gorgeous. And then you had her back again, didn't you? It

really was lovely. When it was time to return to camp, Hasmita was

anxious about facing her mother. Phyllis went with her. She had a

plan. I took the baby from Hasmita, in to see her mother. I gave her the

baby and she gave me the most had a full flower, and then I knew all was

well. `` you to full flower. And then it was settled. All the fears

were gone. Hasmita is planning another trip to the south`west. Next

time, with the child that spent her first deer 's `` her first days here

on Dartmoor in 1972. We put David Fitzgerald into some

uncomfortable situations. He has always risen to the challenge.

Tonight, he is in his element, exploring in ancient Dartmoor would

land in all its ancient splendour. `` woodland.

This is a glorious time of year for a walk in the woods. Autumn brings a

final burst of growth and a blaze of colour before winter sets in. I am

making the most of it. Here in the Valley is a surviving piece of

ancient woodland. Over time, ancient woods have been lost and today there

is only a tiny amount left. Less than 2% of our woodland overall.

Here, they are trying to bring it back. The structure is simple. You

have got Hazell, Birch, Holly, Rowan. I have come for a ramble and

I will find out what makes this such a special place. Your Mac and

ancient woodland is a woodland that we know has been in existence since

1600. In all probability, the assumption is that it was a woodland

in 1600 and has remained so over the last 400 years stop the reality is

it was probably woodland before that. This does not look like

ancient woodland. This is obviously deliberately planted. There was open

woodland in the 1960s that was coppiced. It has lost its economic

verve. That is why it was cleared and replanted with North American

conifers, which are fast growing. We are looking to establish a new

future for the site. 50 years on, these trees are in the wrong place.

They will not make much money as timber and they cast such heavy

shade that native Stri sees `` species struggle to survive. Because

the light levels are low, they favour the conifers. All of these

seedlings are beginning to develop. If we are not careful, we will just

end up with another crop of conifers. We are going to increase

the light levels to give native trees a chance to compete. David has

some young recruits to help. These children are gathering acorns and

other tree seeds to plant in place of the spiny saplings. I do not

think that is ready to put in the ground. That one has just popped off

the shell. One Oak tree can produce 90,000 acorns and this autumn there

is a bumper crop. It is a fantastic autumn as far as tree seeds is

concerned for hazel and beech. It is remarkable so many species have

produced so much seed this year. And where there are acorns, there

are acorns orders, most famously, jays. They are trying to create a

winter food store, like a squirrel. We know that they might plant as

many as 5000 acorns for an individual will stop how many of

those they find and recover to eat is not known, but clearly there is a

lot of planting going on. If they recover three quarters of them it

does not matter, it means that there are acorns out there waiting to

germinate and turn into future oak trees. What are the chances of

seeing one? About as much chance as seeing a slow worm. I have a plan, a

digital decoy. This is the call of a jay. That is the contact call. I

might be able to play this and coax them out of the woodland. They are

shy, so they are probably keeping out of the way of these human jays,

who are planting the Forest of the future. These mossy trees, which

have grown here for centuries, are living proof of how pristine the air

is on Dartmoor's eastern flank. In this name, amp world grows and

abundance of fun guy `` fungi. They are everywhere, if you know where to

look. You must know what you are going to do if you pick them. This

is a definite no`no, it is the flyer agaric. They can be poisonous. Best

left to gnomes and pixies. The woodland is designated a site of

special scientific interest because of these rare lichen. This is

Premier League in terms of lichen. This is one of the rarest lichens of

all. It was known as lungwort, because it is shaped a bit like the

inside of lungs. People believed you could make a remedy for a chest

infection. Lichen is made up of two layers of fungus with algae in the

middle. There is a broken section here, which you can try if you

like. I am not sure I would recommend it. I can imagine it is

not nice. I am discovering that bringing the ancient woodland back

to both sides of the river cannot be hurried. Ten years ago, the Woodland

Trust failed this entire slope of conifers, realising later the

mistake. We created a perfect habitat for gorse and other young

conifers. That has smothered ancient ground. We have learned that

access, clear`felling was the wrong approach to take. These thick

woodlands are perfect jay territory, but so far they had not arrived, or

so I thought but so far they had not arrived, or

two in the trees behind me. Do you hear them call? They are the most

beautiful birds, part of the crow family, closely related to the

magpie, but their beauty is spoiled by the fact that their voice is

appalling. I am wondering if I can food them. `` if I can deceive them.

They are there, but I cannot see them. But guess what I have found? I

have not seen one of these since I was a child. Be very careful, he is

very wriggly! That is a baby slow worm. It is actually a lizard with

no limbs. We will put him back where he belongs. Bit by bit, the slow

worms and other species that live in this ancient woodland will migrate

across the river and turned the on love conifers forest into broadleaf

woodland once more. `` unloved conifer forest. The children who

planted their acorns probably will see the great oaks grow.

That is all. We are back next Monday with more stories from where you

live. See you then. Hello, I'm Ellie Crisell with your

90 second update. The UK is getting its first nuclear power plant for 20

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over ?100 a year from December. 82-year old Mohammed Saleem was

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emergency's been declared. 30,000 tonnes in six months. That's how

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half of all bakery items end up in the bin - it's promised

If we are not careful, we will just end up with another crop of

conifers. d