0:00:05 > 0:00:08All this week, we're bringing you the top countryside stories that
0:00:08 > 0:00:10define our British summer.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14The team has been travelling the length and breadth of the UK.
0:00:14 > 0:00:19Wow! Unearthing the seasonal stories that affect you.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21My goodness me! What's that?
0:00:21 > 0:00:23It's a bad day if these are falling out of the sky.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Whoa! How old is she?
0:00:28 > 0:00:31I have to admit, I was expecting to see armed guards,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33considering you are growing a drug.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37Hey presto, the best slug trap in the world.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41This is Countryfile Summer Diaries.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53And here's what we've got for you on today's programme -
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Keeley is on the case of a killer beneath the waves.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Oh!
0:00:58 > 0:01:00You feel insignificant out here.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02If I was actually in trouble,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05I'm not sure anybody would be able to see me or spot me.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Picking your own fruit is one of the joys of summer, but if you don't
0:01:11 > 0:01:15have room to grow your own fruit trees, I'll be showing you how
0:01:15 > 0:01:16you can rent one.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19And Jules investigates why
0:01:19 > 0:01:22you're spotting more and more seagulls in cities.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26And I'll be reporting from a secret location on a controversial crop
0:01:26 > 0:01:30that not only produces one of the world's most addictive drugs,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33but one of our most powerful painkillers.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38Now, with the UK ranking in the top ten summer holiday destinations
0:01:38 > 0:01:43worldwide, it's no wonder that more of us are choosing to enjoy what
0:01:43 > 0:01:46the countryside has to offer here at home.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49And what better way to get into the spirit of summer
0:01:49 > 0:01:52than by spending some time by the sea?
0:01:52 > 0:01:55So we've come to a jewel in the crown of south-west Wales,
0:01:55 > 0:01:57to the Gower Peninsula
0:01:57 > 0:01:59and it's easy to see, isn't it,
0:01:59 > 0:02:01how it got its title of Britain's first
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12Within Gower's 70 square miles are salt and freshwater marshes,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15wooded valleys, farmland and, of course, beaches,
0:02:15 > 0:02:17one of which, Rhossili,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20is regularly voted one of the best in Britain.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22And with the school holidays in full swing now,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25everyone's keen to make the most of the summer sunshine.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31But what starts out as fun can so quickly turn to tragedy.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34With the number of people losing their lives through drowning at a
0:02:34 > 0:02:39five-year high, Keeley now looks at a ground-breaking way of tackling
0:02:39 > 0:02:44head-on this issue, this often seasonal issue, of life or death.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Cameron was 18.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51He'd just finished high school.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Cameron jumped about 70 feet and a gust of wind got him.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03He was unconscious as soon as he hit the water.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13One person drowns in UK waters every 20 hours,
0:03:13 > 0:03:19and thousands more are left with severe or life-changing injuries after nearly drowning.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22And although you might imagine that the power and the unpredictability
0:03:22 > 0:03:23of the ocean is to blame,
0:03:23 > 0:03:28more than half of those deaths occur in inland waters.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36It was the icy cold waters of Preston Hill Quarry,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39just outside Inverkeithing in Fife,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42that claimed the lives of two young men in less than a year.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Popular with young men who come to chill out and swim in the summer,
0:03:48 > 0:03:53this is where the life of Gillian Barclay's son was tragically cut short.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Cameron just finished high school
0:03:57 > 0:04:00and had got enough qualifications to get into Napier University,
0:04:00 > 0:04:04and one, you know, beautiful Sunday morning,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07I asked him what he was going to do for the day, and he said,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11"Just something," and I guessed he might jump off the quarry.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15I don't know what made me think of it, but I said, "You're not going to jump off the quarry, are you?"
0:04:15 > 0:04:17And he said, "No promises, Mum."
0:04:18 > 0:04:22And I saw him collect his sailing gear, and I ran after him and said,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26"Please don't jump off the quarry. You can do something else."
0:04:26 > 0:04:30He said, "Mum, it's fine. I've done it 100 times, I'll be fine."
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Cameron jumped about 70 feet, it's quite a height,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37and a gust of wind got him halfway down,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40changed his angle of trajectory
0:04:40 > 0:04:42and he broke his neck on hitting the water.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47His cause of death was obviously drowning, but he didn't suffer,
0:04:47 > 0:04:52he didn't panic, because he was unconscious as soon as he hit the water.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55A year later, at the same spot where Cameron died,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57another boy lost his life.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Yes. Really tragic and so preventable.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03After the second drowning in the quarry,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05I was contacted by a local councillor.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08They said they wanted to do something together with
0:05:08 > 0:05:13the Fire and Rescue Service and the RLSS and the RNLI to educate young people.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17I was shocked by...a fire officer,
0:05:17 > 0:05:21who said she'd been in the rescue service for 14 years,
0:05:21 > 0:05:26and she'd never had one live rescue from a water situation,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29and she'd attended four in the last 24 months.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32When people do get into trouble,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34it's the job of the Fire and Rescue Service
0:05:34 > 0:05:36to try and get them out of it.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43But the message that senior fire officer Ian Vincent
0:05:43 > 0:05:46wants to get across is it's not that easy.
0:05:46 > 0:05:52Well, we take part in the project going around the schools to educate the children,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54and what we like to do is to get all the equipment out,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58all the dry suits, and we let the kids put the equipment on.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01And what it demonstrates to them is how long it actually takes
0:06:01 > 0:06:04to get the equipment on. It's going to take time
0:06:04 > 0:06:07and that message really hits home when we go around the schools.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11The main message from us is, if at all possible, don't go in the water.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15That's because you have no idea what lies beneath.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Quarries like these are often used as dumping grounds,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20with untold hazards below the surface.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27And even on the sunniest of summer days, the water is often so cold
0:06:27 > 0:06:31it can send your body into a state of life-threatening shock.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34But over half of those who drown each year
0:06:34 > 0:06:38never intended to get into the water in the first place.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Most at risk from drowning are runners and walkers who lose their
0:06:41 > 0:06:45footing and find themselves unexpectedly submerged.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49So, if you're with someone who gets into trouble, what should you do?
0:06:49 > 0:06:52The first thing we would say is not to follow that person
0:06:52 > 0:06:53that's in the water,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57and it will be their instinct to grab on to you as well, and more than likely pull you under.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01The first thing to do is look and see if there's anything you can use to pull them out.
0:07:01 > 0:07:02Most people don't think of it,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05but your jumpers, your jackets, trousers,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08tie them together, throw line, or look for something with buoyancy,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10a football, something like that,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13that you can throw to that person who's in difficulty,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15they can hold on to until the emergency services arrive.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19One of the most important things for us as well is you may know this area
0:07:19 > 0:07:20locally as a quarry,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23but that might not mean something to the call centre that you're phoning,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27so, to pick another landmark that's nearby and say where you are,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30so the emergency services can be directed there quickly.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Every time we have happy family events, it's...
0:07:38 > 0:07:41it's hard because he's not there to enjoy them
0:07:41 > 0:07:45and to see his older brother graduate last week.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48And he won't get married or graduate.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50When I go round speaking to schoolchildren,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53because they are one of the high-risk groups,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56I do talk about Cameron and his loss and the impact that's had,
0:07:56 > 0:08:00because I think that that is the message that stays with children,
0:08:00 > 0:08:05when they hear of a real-life story and of somebody their own age,
0:08:05 > 0:08:07and I ask them to think about their best friends,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10and what would happen, how they'd feel if they suddenly disappeared.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14And I think it's important that they see me and I get upset,
0:08:14 > 0:08:15because it is hard.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18I wouldn't underestimate how difficult it is to talk about
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Cameron publicly, but I do feel it's worthwhile
0:08:21 > 0:08:23if I've saved one child
0:08:23 > 0:08:26and one family from going through this awful experience.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37It really shocked me to hear today that half the people who drowned
0:08:37 > 0:08:40didn't even mean to be in the water in the first place.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42I do my regular jog round a lake
0:08:42 > 0:08:46and it's really made me question if I tripped and fell into the water,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49whether I'd actually be able to get myself out.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53Later, I find out for myself what it's like to be caught by one of the
0:08:53 > 0:08:56deadliest threats found in our seas
0:08:56 > 0:08:57and how to survive it.
0:09:07 > 0:09:08Back on dry land,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11if you don't have a large enough garden to grow your own fruit,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14well, Paul, on his Wiltshire smallholding,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16might just have the solution for you.
0:09:18 > 0:09:19I absolutely love the summers.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21I mean, just look at this.
0:09:21 > 0:09:22Everything comes alive.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23It's lush and green.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Wonderful smells in the air.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26The lavender we can pick up.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30But more importantly, we get to enjoy the first fruits of our labour.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Back in spring, I showed you how to plant fruit trees
0:09:35 > 0:09:37on my smallholding in Wiltshire.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41I planted some young saplings,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43the beginnings of my traditional apple orchard.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49And now, a few months on, tiny apples are starting to form.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51I don't want this tree to fruit this summer
0:09:51 > 0:09:53and, as you can see, apples are coming through,
0:09:53 > 0:09:56so the bees really are doing their stuff.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58If we pluck all the apples off...
0:10:00 > 0:10:03..the tree will stop feeding the energy to the fruit
0:10:03 > 0:10:07and start feeding itself and then grow stronger and heavier,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11and larger and, hopefully, next summer,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13we'll have an even bigger harvest.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17I'm chuffed to bits with our fledgling mini orchard.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20But if you don't have a garden big enough
0:10:20 > 0:10:22for growing your own fruit trees, then, fear not.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Now you can rent one.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Banker turned fruit farmer Michael Dalloway has hit on the idea
0:10:31 > 0:10:36of renting out his trees to cherry-loving local families in East Sussex.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39You get to rent a tree from our orchard. They're all numbered,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41they're all lettered, you get your own individual tree,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43and then that's your tree for the year to come and pick.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Well, let's take this tree, for example.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48How much would that one cost? So, ?46 for a year.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52OK. And what sort of harvest will that give you?
0:10:52 > 0:10:57We've had comfortably sort of 20-25 kilos off the trees some years.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Gosh, that's quite a lot, isn't it? Exactly. I think you've got a new client. We, literally, do
0:11:01 > 0:11:03all the hard work and you get to bowl up and have all the fun.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Yeah, because there's a lot of cutting back and pruning,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07there's all sorts going on, isn't there?
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Yeah, there is. Yeah, there really is.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11They're a difficult crop to maintain, cherries.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13But we find it such a lovely, lovely,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17rewarding way to run some of the orchard, it really is.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Why is the south-east of England so famous for soft fruits?
0:11:20 > 0:11:22It's got the right climactic conditions.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24We don't get all the abundance of rain
0:11:24 > 0:11:27that the sort of west of the country gets,
0:11:27 > 0:11:28the Atlantic fronts die out a bit.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31I think the other thing that is perfect that we get in England,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34which is why you get the fullness of flavour with the fruit,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36is the difference in temperatures.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Cool nights with the heavy dews and then up to 30 degrees the next day,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43but this variety in particular caught the best of the pollination weather
0:11:43 > 0:11:47and have grown on beautifully, and they're glistening like jewels,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51aren't they? They are. It's as if you've gone along with a duster and polished every single one.
0:11:51 > 0:11:52They're lovely. I've got to try one, Michael.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Yeah, feel free. Pick one of the darkest ones.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Yeah, absolutely. They're the best ones.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00All the flavour's in there when they're that colour.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Mm! Straight off the tree, I mean, it's unrivalled, isn't it,
0:12:03 > 0:12:05the flavour like that. That's so...
0:12:05 > 0:12:06So sweet! Yeah.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09When the fruits are ready for picking,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12the families have ten days when they can come
0:12:12 > 0:12:14and enjoy harvesting their own crop.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16Hi. Hello.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Hello. This looks like fun.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21It is lots of fun. Gosh, you've been busy already, look.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23I've got a few for you. Why do you rent a tree?
0:12:23 > 0:12:25It's really nice to have fresh fruit,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28especially lovely, juicy cherries.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30You can come and spend the whole day here, you can come and bring
0:12:30 > 0:12:33a picnic, and it's a nice, seasonal thing to do.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34So, it's a win-win situation?
0:12:34 > 0:12:37It is, yes. For the farm and for you?
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Yeah. And what kind of harvest do you get?
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Almost too much, because I end up giving some away
0:12:42 > 0:12:45and I still have some in the freezer from last year.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48And for very little money. It's very cost-effective.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51The best bit is that you can pick it yourself
0:12:51 > 0:12:53and there's clearly a real art to this.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56OK, so it's really important that you make sure you don't take
0:12:56 > 0:12:59too much of the bud off, so you want to keep this nice, new bit there
0:12:59 > 0:13:02so that they reproduce lots next year, so you have to lift...
0:13:02 > 0:13:03and twist it.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06So, you lift upwards slightly and then a little twist?
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Do you know, I didn't know that. A lot of people might think, "Oh..."
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Pull the fruit off the stalk.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15Pull the fruit off the stalk. But you want to be able to have the stalk.
0:13:15 > 0:13:16That's a really useful tip.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20So, you just pull the stalk upwards and twist slightly.
0:13:20 > 0:13:21That's it. Like that.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23Yep. There we go.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Fantastic. I tend to use them in cakes, or...
0:13:25 > 0:13:29I was going to say cherry cake. Or I've made alcoholic beverages
0:13:29 > 0:13:31with them and soaked them.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33They're good for Christmas. Yeah.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35They've got all sorts of uses.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Cherries are one of the last true seasonal fruits in the UK.
0:13:39 > 0:13:44Adored by us Brits, we picked over 3,500 tonnes last year.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49For me, cherries are truly a great British fruit,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52steeped in family nostalgia.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56They remind me of the summer months I spent with my parents picking your
0:13:56 > 0:13:58own and enjoying the fruits of our labour.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02That's what it was all about - a fun family day out.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06Now, if you ask me, a rentable orchard is definitely the way forward.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08As we've seen, it is fun,
0:14:08 > 0:14:13but it's also an effective and an economic way of supporting our own
0:14:13 > 0:14:14home-grown produce.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Every summer, the British harvest bursts into life
0:14:21 > 0:14:26when a year's hard work culminates in a few, short, critical weeks.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29But not all these crops are harvested for food.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33Margherita now reports on one that's grown right across the country in
0:14:33 > 0:14:37secret locations, exclusively under licence from the Home Office
0:14:37 > 0:14:42and it's a crop which is more usually associated with the black market.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54Conflict-torn Afghanistan
0:14:54 > 0:14:58produces an estimated 90% of the world's opium.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02It's a trade with links to organised crime and terrorism,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06so it's the very last crop you'd expect to find growing here
0:15:06 > 0:15:08in the leafy lanes of Hampshire.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Chris Spain is here to explain exactly what's going on.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16He's an agronomist for Macfarlan Smith,
0:15:16 > 0:15:20the only company licensed to extract opium in the UK.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Chris, when most people think of poppies, we think of those red,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28gorgeous fields of poppies.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31This field looks stunning, but are they the same thing?
0:15:31 > 0:15:36No. These are grown as an agricultural crop rather than a weed,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38which the red poppy is.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41So, what can we get from this particular poppy?
0:15:41 > 0:15:45We harvest morphine, predominantly, from this crop,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48but also thebaine and codeine.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53So, will this crop make drugs that we can use in our NHS,
0:15:53 > 0:15:54in our medical system?
0:15:54 > 0:16:00Yes. There is an increasing demand for pharmaceutical morphine across
0:16:00 > 0:16:04the world and we're helping to supply that market.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06And we can't make morphine or codeine artificially,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08it has to come from the natural poppy?
0:16:08 > 0:16:12At the moment, it has to come from the natural poppy, yes.
0:16:14 > 0:16:20This is just one of 45 secret sites producing 2,000 hectares of opium
0:16:20 > 0:16:23poppies right the way across the UK.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27A product that's vital to the wellbeing of countless patients,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29who would otherwise be in pain.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37And nursing the poppies from seed to harvest relies on the expertise of
0:16:37 > 0:16:39farmers like Richard Monk.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44His family have been farming here for the last 50 years, but opium
0:16:44 > 0:16:46production is relatively new.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Richard, how long have you been growing poppies?
0:16:52 > 0:16:55We've been farming poppies since 2002.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57We've been growing them ever since,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00roughly 40 hectares, 100 acres each year.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05And it fits into the farm as a different crop to the wheat and barley that we grow a lot of.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Are they an easy crop to grow? Have you faced any challenges?
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Choosing the right field with the right soil type, nothing too
0:17:12 > 0:17:15difficult, so we can get a fine seedbed for the cultivations.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18It takes a while for it to emerge, up to four weeks sometimes,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21so you do wonder, sometimes, whether it's actually coming.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Scrabbling around on our knees just to make sure that it's emerging.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27And what have you discovered during the process of growing?
0:17:27 > 0:17:29The perfect growing conditions are having a bit of moisture
0:17:29 > 0:17:31when we're trying to establish the crop.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34After that, we're just happy with good amounts of sunshine,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36the occasional shower of rain to keep the moisture up,
0:17:36 > 0:17:41and then harvesting in dry conditions is actually the perfect
0:17:41 > 0:17:43end to the whole thing. And when conditions are good,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45the crop is a lucrative one.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51In fact, it can make around ?400 per acre.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55I have to admit, I was expecting to see armed guards and security when
0:17:55 > 0:17:58I arrived here, considering you are growing a drug.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Have you had to change anything on the farm?
0:18:00 > 0:18:05No. We have a Home Office licence, but it's very low-key.
0:18:05 > 0:18:06There's no issues.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11It's a totally different poppy to which you see is grown elsewhere in
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Afghanistan or wherever you may be thinking of.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16So it's not something you can scrape and get anything out of it.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19You can get much better things quicker in the local town
0:18:19 > 0:18:21than trying to do anything in the field.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Unlike the Afghan poppy, where each head is individually bled,
0:18:29 > 0:18:33the morphine produced by this specially developed variety
0:18:33 > 0:18:35is gathered using more traditional farming methods.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42Chris, is this our crop ready to harvest when the poppy's in full bloom like this? No.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46The plant is actually harvested dry.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49The flowers only stay open for about two days.
0:18:49 > 0:18:54They open, the petals fall away and they leave a capsule.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56And the capsule will keep swelling,
0:18:56 > 0:19:01and it'll swell to approximately the size of a ping-pong ball.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05The morphine will increase inside the capsule wall of the plant.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Inside the capsule is thousands of seeds.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12So, those are the poppy seeds that I might get on my loaf for lunchtime,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15or the bun that I might have at lunchtime?
0:19:15 > 0:19:19Yes, in the UK, it's almost guaranteed that if you're eating a poppy seed,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21it's been grown by us.
0:19:21 > 0:19:22So, that's a by-product.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25The seeds are a by-product of the poppies.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Where do we actually get the medicine from?
0:19:27 > 0:19:30The seed and straw is then separated.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34It is then ground up and made into a pellet.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39So, if I had a headache, or my back was in terrible agony...
0:19:39 > 0:19:41if I swallowed one of those, would I feel any better?
0:19:41 > 0:19:45No, you wouldn't. It needs to go through a chemical process
0:19:45 > 0:19:48to extract the morphine.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Each acre produces 6kg of morphine.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55That's 600 doses of essential painkilling drug
0:19:55 > 0:19:58grown legitimately on home soil.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02It's hard to believe that a flower that we could find growing in our back garden
0:20:02 > 0:20:05could ever be associated with conflict or crime,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09but when you're surrounded by a sea of natural beauty like this,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12it's very easy to get that sense of the wellbeing
0:20:12 > 0:20:14that the poppy provides for our health.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24A little while back, I took a trip across the Irish Sea to visit the
0:20:24 > 0:20:25Ballinderry River,
0:20:25 > 0:20:30which provides the habitat for a species on the brink of extinction.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35It's a beautiful river, but it's much more than that.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39It's a last stronghold of one of our most endangered creatures -
0:20:39 > 0:20:41the freshwater pearl mussel.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Once, there were millions of them on this river.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Now there's perhaps 1,000.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Freshwater pearl mussels are slow-growing creatures.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55They can live for up to 150 years,
0:20:55 > 0:20:59but they need absolutely pristine conditions to survive.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06And there's the problem, because the slightest contamination of the water
0:21:06 > 0:21:10can and has wiped out whole populations.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13But help is at hand.
0:21:13 > 0:21:20Conservationist Mark Horton is heading up a world-leading project to save the pearl mussel.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23What's been causing the contamination, Mark?
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Well, the catchment is full of agricultural land,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28so there's lots and lots of cattle
0:21:28 > 0:21:30have been getting in and out of the river and eroding the banks.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33And they've simply been doing that to get drinking water.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36And it's been proven in the past that cattle standing in the river
0:21:36 > 0:21:38are more likely to go to the toilet there anyway.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41So, you've got all sorts of things getting into the water.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45All this muck and silt can settle on the mussels and suffocate them.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49So, keeping cattle away from the river banks is vital.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53Mark's using an ingenious bit of kit to help do this.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55This is a pasture pump,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59and what's great about this is that the cows operate it themselves.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03And the cattle simply come here and nudge the pump with their nose,
0:22:03 > 0:22:05and this fills the trough from the river,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09and so they have access to the drinking water that they need.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12This device has helped clean up the Ballinderry.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14All we need now are some young mussels.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18The Ballinderry River Trust runs this breeding centre,
0:22:18 > 0:22:23which is playing a major part in saving the freshwater pearl mussel.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Well, some of these are pretty big, aren't they, Rebecca?
0:22:26 > 0:22:29They do, they can grow to quite a large size.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31How old do you reckon this one could be?
0:22:31 > 0:22:35That one is probably about 100 years old, so to put it into context,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38that mussel was a baby when the Titanic was being built.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Goodness! And they're called pearl mussels...
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Yes. ..but obviously not every one has a pearl in it.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Not every one. Maybe about one in every 1,000 has a pearl.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51These are specimens from the university collection.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55They're the two very fine ones, aren't they? Yeah, they are very nice ones.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58The brown ones are pearls as well, are they? Yes, you can get them in a range of colours.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03So, is the reason that they're threatened now because people do hunt them for the pearls?
0:23:03 > 0:23:07It is one of the main reasons. That, along with habitat destruction.
0:23:07 > 0:23:13To survive, baby mussels depend almost entirely upon one of the most
0:23:13 > 0:23:16unusual relationships in nature.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19It's with this local species of trout.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Adult mussels will spit out the baby mussels
0:23:22 > 0:23:26and the fish will eat the baby mussels, essentially.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28And then the mussels will live on the gills of the fish for about
0:23:28 > 0:23:31nine months, and then they'll drop off into the sediment.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35And what benefit do the baby mussels get from that?
0:23:35 > 0:23:37The oxygenation of the gills.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Oxygen passing over the gills of the fish...
0:23:39 > 0:23:42It helps them grow. Wow, that's incredible, isn't it? Mm-hm.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51I'm heading to a secret location
0:23:51 > 0:23:54where Mark and his team are just about to
0:23:54 > 0:23:57release this year's first batch of juvenile mussels.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Mark, what are you doing with that traffic cone?
0:24:02 > 0:24:04This is called a bathyscope.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06It's a glass-bottomed traffic cone.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10So you can look down the inside of it... Right.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14..under the water and you'll be able to see the mussels in the gravel.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17So, do you want to have a go? I thought we were releasing baby mussels.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20What are you looking for ones that are already in the river for?
0:24:20 > 0:24:24So, this stretch of river that we're in here is where the remaining wild mussels live
0:24:24 > 0:24:28and it's important that we bring them together into a tight group.
0:24:28 > 0:24:29It helps in the breeding process.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32It means that the females are more likely to get fertilised and,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34grouped together, they're actually safer.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Do you put the baby mussels in with the big ones?
0:24:36 > 0:24:38You put them in with the bigger ones, yeah.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41And that creates a population unit. Have you found any? Yes, there's three just here,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44if you want to have a little look under the water, yeah.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Oh, yeah. Yes. So, they're bedded down into the gravel.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50And they have a foot that sticks out the bottom of the shell,
0:24:50 > 0:24:51and that holds them into the gravel.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54So, you're clustering them all together, what, along the bank somewhere?
0:24:54 > 0:24:57In a safe place behind a big boulder.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Right. And then we'll bring the juveniles and we'll put
0:24:59 > 0:25:01the juveniles out between the adult mussels.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Rebecca, you've brought the young ones along, haven't you?
0:25:07 > 0:25:09We have. How old are these?
0:25:09 > 0:25:12These ones are about 15 to 16 years old.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14They're the teenagers, then? They're the teenagers of the group, yeah.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17I hope they get on with the oldies! Hopefully they'll behave themselves.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20How many teenagers are we planting in today?
0:25:20 > 0:25:24In this patch, we're going to plant 20 teenagers altogether.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29From where I'm standing, things are looking rather more hopeful
0:25:29 > 0:25:31for the freshwater pearl mussel.
0:25:37 > 0:25:42Be it freshwater or seawater, there really is no better place on a hot,
0:25:42 > 0:25:44sunny day. Over in Scarborough,
0:25:44 > 0:25:51Keeley is experiencing first-hand how Mother Nature may look especially warm and welcoming,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53but beneath the calm surface,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56there remains a threat to be reckoned with -
0:25:56 > 0:25:57the rip current.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05Being swept out to sea accounts for more than half of the rescues
0:26:05 > 0:26:08the RNLI will carry out this summer.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09It's a nice day, it's sunny.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11And I'm really cold in here.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16I can't even imagine what it would be like to be stuck out here in a bikini.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19I've come to Scarborough to find out how you can stop yourself
0:26:19 > 0:26:21from becoming just another statistic.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27One person drowns every day in the UK,
0:26:27 > 0:26:32with the peak summer months of July and August accounting for nearly a quarter of deaths annually.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Even a really strong swimmer can find themselves in trouble with the
0:26:35 > 0:26:37challenges of open water.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40So, I'm joining Scarborough Swim Safe Team
0:26:40 > 0:26:42to find out how I can stay safe.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49With young people most likely to get into trouble near rivers, in lakes
0:26:49 > 0:26:50and around the coast,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54these sessions are being rolled out across 14 locations.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56And it's three, two, one, go!
0:26:59 > 0:27:03Gareth Oxley is teaching children skills that may one day
0:27:03 > 0:27:04help to save a life.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08He has a very personal reason for running the scheme here.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12How did you get involved with the project?
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Well, I'm an RNLI lifeguard and have been for many years,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18and I'm close friends with the man, Andrew McGeown,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22that drowned further down the beach in February last year.
0:27:22 > 0:27:29Having a friend who's drowned must really spur you on to get that message across. Yeah, definitely.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32It was, like, very hard to take, but it does definitely make me more driven
0:27:32 > 0:27:34for this programme to be a success.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42The RNLI courses are run both inland and on the beach.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45It's an opportunity for young people to learn practical skills.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48The sea is very unpredictable
0:27:48 > 0:27:52and it is important that they learn to respect the water,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54and how to stay safe when they are around the water.
0:27:56 > 0:27:57Swim Safe teaches lessons,
0:27:57 > 0:28:00like sticking together if you've drifted out of your depth.
0:28:00 > 0:28:07One of you two guys put your arm in the air, until we've attracted attention of a lifeguard.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10And making your body into a tight ball to combat the cold.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15Even in the height of summer, the coastal waters around Britain,
0:28:15 > 0:28:19water very rarely goes above 14 degrees, which might sound warm,
0:28:19 > 0:28:22but I think it comes out of the cold tap at 12,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25so that gives you an idea of how cold the water is all the time.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29So far, the scheme has shared vital skills for staying out of trouble around
0:28:29 > 0:28:34water with 11,000 children by teaching the Safe Code.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37So, we have to remember the word Safe, is that right?
0:28:37 > 0:28:40Yeah. And what does S stand for?
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Spot the dangers. And what kind of dangers are there?
0:28:42 > 0:28:44Surfboards and...
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Boats. And what about A?
0:28:47 > 0:28:49Alone. And what does that mean?
0:28:49 > 0:28:55That you should always have an adult or a friend with you.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58What about F? Follow the flogs. Flags!
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Follow the flogs! You need to stay between the red and yellow flags.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04And, so, then you know where it's safe to swim.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07Yeah. And, finally, what about E?
0:29:07 > 0:29:10Emergency. And what does that mean?
0:29:10 > 0:29:14You'd call 999 and then ask for the Coastguard.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17Although the water may look inviting,
0:29:17 > 0:29:23Gareth teaches the class never to underestimate the power of the sea.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28It's very calm today, but we have rip currents that can appear
0:29:28 > 0:29:32and they can be dangerous, with people being swept off them
0:29:32 > 0:29:34when there is high tide and high seas.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38And it's rip currents that account for 66% of all RNLI incidents.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40Most at risk are teenage boys,
0:29:40 > 0:29:44who account for nearly half of those who need to be rescued.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47The RNLI want to make sure they get the message.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58What is a rip current? So, a rip current... It's probably easier
0:29:58 > 0:30:00if I just draw it in the sand, is that OK? Yeah, yeah.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04OK, so if you imagine this is the land, OK?
0:30:04 > 0:30:06House on the land, or building on the land.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08In front of that, we've got some rocks on the shoreline.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11At high tide, all that gets covered up, the tide goes back out again,
0:30:11 > 0:30:13it wants to find the path of least resistance,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16so it will either be through a channel or go around the edge
0:30:16 > 0:30:19of the objects, but either way, it becomes quite a pressurised channel,
0:30:19 > 0:30:20much like a river.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24So, rip currents are fast-moving waters that flow in channels between
0:30:24 > 0:30:26sandbanks on a beach or head land.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29So, what would happen if we got caught in this part of the rip?
0:30:29 > 0:30:33I could explain it to you, but it's probably easier just to show you and to put you in there yourself.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37Out there? Then you can feel it for yourself. Yeah, if you like. Go on, then.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42Across the UK, five people a day on average find themselves
0:30:42 > 0:30:44being dragged out to sea by the current.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46OK, here goes.
0:30:47 > 0:30:48SHE SHRIEKS
0:30:48 > 0:30:51'Matt is dropping me just outside the breaking waves
0:30:51 > 0:30:53'where the rip current ends,
0:30:53 > 0:30:56'so I can get a taste of where I'd end up if I was swept away.'
0:30:56 > 0:30:59Oh, it's gone up my back!
0:30:59 > 0:31:01That is really cold.
0:31:01 > 0:31:06In two minutes, you can find yourself almost 200 metres from the safety of the beach.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08If I was actually in trouble,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11I'm not sure anybody would be able to see me or spot me.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19I am really cold in here and it's almost like you...
0:31:19 > 0:31:22Your hands and legs aren't your own any more!
0:31:24 > 0:31:30I have to admit that although Matt and his team are keeping a close eye on me, I really don't like this.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32Being dropped in here...
0:31:32 > 0:31:36has really illustrated to me how all of the messages that these guys have
0:31:36 > 0:31:38been trying to get through to people today,
0:31:38 > 0:31:43just how important it is to keep yourself safe in the water...
0:31:43 > 0:31:45You know, this is a bit of a struggle
0:31:45 > 0:31:48and I consider myself quite a fit person.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51And I think... It's so cold, I think I've had enough.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54Guys, I'm ready. Come and get me!
0:31:57 > 0:32:01What should someone do if they are caught in a rip current?
0:32:01 > 0:32:03The best thing you can do is to let it take you out into deeper water.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06The worst thing you can do is swim against it, because you're going to
0:32:06 > 0:32:08use a lot of energy that you'll need later on.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Just raise your arm up in the air, lie on your back, shout as loud
0:32:11 > 0:32:14as you possibly can, try and maintain your head above water.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Somebody will see you and call it in. So, there you have it.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20Don't swim against a rip current if you want to stay alive.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23I grew up by the seaside and I feel a bit embarrassed,
0:32:23 > 0:32:26because I never really gave it a lot of thought
0:32:26 > 0:32:29as to just how dangerous the water can be.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33A lot of people will find themselves in difficulty in water this summer.
0:32:33 > 0:32:34Just make sure you're not one of them.
0:32:41 > 0:32:46Well, now, safely back on dry land, we turn our attention to lavender.
0:32:46 > 0:32:51It's been recognised throughout history for its potency as well as its beauty.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54Adam went to the lavender fields of Kent to find out how this
0:32:54 > 0:32:59multifaceted healing flower goes from field to fragrance.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06It can be eaten, it can be rubbed into the skin, it helps us sleep
0:33:06 > 0:33:08and it has amazing colour.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Caroline Alexander has been growing lavender on her farm
0:33:15 > 0:33:17for more than 20 years.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Caroline, this is absolutely stunning, isn't it?
0:33:20 > 0:33:22You've caught it at just the right time.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26There are actually two very distinct types of lavender.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29This one is the true lavender variety
0:33:29 > 0:33:33and there'll be lots of different varieties of this that people would have in their garden,
0:33:33 > 0:33:37and this one has got a really strong scent to it.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40It's a very, very soft, very gentle scent
0:33:40 > 0:33:44and the oil from this is what is most valued for perfumery,
0:33:44 > 0:33:47for medicinal use, for high-end toiletries,
0:33:47 > 0:33:51for aromatherapy massages and for sleep products as well,
0:33:51 > 0:33:55because there is nothing stimulating in this one at all.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58The other type is actually called lavandin.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00It's a hybrid cross lavender
0:34:00 > 0:34:03and the specific characteristic of that is that
0:34:03 > 0:34:05about 10% of the oil is camphor.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08And if you think of how camphor is used in a lot of the products
0:34:08 > 0:34:12to help you breathe if your nose is stuffed up, or you've got a cold or something,
0:34:12 > 0:34:15it's actually making you inhale, it's waking you up
0:34:15 > 0:34:17and it's acting as a stimulant.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19That is the sort that will be used in washing powders,
0:34:19 > 0:34:23a lot of household products, room sprays, that kind of thing.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26But the really crucial thing is to remember that lavandin,
0:34:26 > 0:34:27being a stimulant,
0:34:27 > 0:34:32is not the one you want to put in the bath at night because that will wake you up.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Make sure you get that right. Yeah.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41Lavender is harvested like most crops, with a big machine,
0:34:41 > 0:34:44but with lavender, the plants stay in the ground.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47The leaves, stems and flowers are collected and, then, on this farm,
0:34:47 > 0:34:51they're taken round the back to extract its prize asset - oil.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53So, what's happening here, William?
0:34:53 > 0:34:56Well, I've just brought this trailer in from the fields with six tonnes
0:34:56 > 0:34:58of lavender flowers in it.
0:34:58 > 0:34:59This is our distillery.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02And I've connected her up to the steam, and I'll show you
0:35:02 > 0:35:04what happens, if we go around the other side. OK.
0:35:06 > 0:35:11OK, Adam. This distillation process hasn't changed over the years.
0:35:11 > 0:35:16And it used to be done in a copper vessel, in a laboratory,
0:35:16 > 0:35:18but we're doing it here with a lot of flowers
0:35:18 > 0:35:23and we make the trailer into a distillation vessel.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27This is the steam valve.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30We are introducing steam through here, into the flowers,
0:35:30 > 0:35:34heating up the flowers and then picking up the oil from that.
0:35:34 > 0:35:39I'm just getting you some here to have a proper sniff
0:35:39 > 0:35:42of really fresh... It's almost got a greeniness to it.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Goodness me, it has, yes.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47Oh, that's really potent, isn't it?
0:35:47 > 0:35:51Very, very strong. And, then, does this need watering down at all,
0:35:51 > 0:35:52or do you leave it as pure?
0:35:52 > 0:35:58No, this is pure oil and that's what we use for massaging,
0:35:58 > 0:36:01and fragrancing, and all the uses that we put it to.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04Thanks very much, William.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08Not all of the oil distilled here leaves the farm.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13Some of it goes full circle and is used back in the fields where it came from.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17Caroline, it was fascinating seeing the oil extracted from the plants,
0:36:17 > 0:36:19but I didn't imagine to find people being massaged
0:36:19 > 0:36:21out in the lavender fields.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24Well, this is lavender oil being used at its best, really,
0:36:24 > 0:36:26for an aromatherapy massage.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29And, in the summer, during the short lavender season,
0:36:29 > 0:36:32we like to try and give as many people as possible this experience
0:36:32 > 0:36:34of lying out here on a couch,
0:36:34 > 0:36:37the sound of the bees and the birds out here,
0:36:37 > 0:36:40the scent of the lavender - it's a pretty blissful experience.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43What's it like down there? Are you having a good time?
0:36:43 > 0:36:44It's absolutely beautiful.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46Pam's doing a wonderful job.
0:36:47 > 0:36:52And, Pam, as an aromatherapist, are the lavender oils important to you?
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Well, yes, absolutely, because the oil is absorbed through the skin,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58and that helps you relax and reduces anxiety, so, yes,
0:36:58 > 0:37:02it's really important. And do you often massage people out in fields?
0:37:02 > 0:37:04All the time. THEY LAUGH
0:37:04 > 0:37:07I must remember the difference between lavandin and lavender.
0:37:07 > 0:37:12Indeed! And to help you do that, I have here a couple of plants.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15Oh, lovely. So, we have got the lavandin...
0:37:15 > 0:37:17Yeah. ..and we've got the lavender.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20Well, there we are. I'm not sure I'm going to go home and be a lavender
0:37:20 > 0:37:22farmer, but these will do lovely for the garden.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24Lavandin to wake me up in the morning.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26Lavender so I sleep well.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28Thank you very much. You're very welcome.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35Few things are less relaxing than being pestered
0:37:35 > 0:37:37by a flock of hungry gulls.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40They're champion scavengers and they've now invaded our towns
0:37:40 > 0:37:43and cities in search of an easy meal.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46Jules has been to Swansea to find out what the connection is between
0:37:46 > 0:37:50a seagull, a pasty and a robot.
0:37:52 > 0:37:58It's summertime and our skies are plagued by an aerial menace worthy
0:37:58 > 0:37:59of a Hitchcock horror film.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03Herring gulls nesting in towns have attacked people and killed family pets.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05I felt this sharp peck on my head
0:38:05 > 0:38:08and I just started pouring with blood.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10They're like flying rats, aren't they?
0:38:11 > 0:38:14With a wingspan of up to five feet,
0:38:14 > 0:38:17an adult herring gull is a force to be reckoned with.
0:38:21 > 0:38:22Now, for most of the year, to be fair,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25herring gulls are relatively harmless,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28but between the breeding season of June and July,
0:38:28 > 0:38:30well, all that changes.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37Populations of gulls on our coast
0:38:37 > 0:38:40have declined by half, but in urban areas
0:38:40 > 0:38:41there's been a fivefold increase.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48And they won't let anything stand in the way of their next free lunch.
0:38:48 > 0:38:53Something that shoppers and traders in Swansea are all too aware of.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56They're a big nuisance.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59A very big nuisance. People can't walk the streets some days.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02They just come down from behind, whoof, take your food and gone.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06My daughter was eating a pasty one day
0:39:06 > 0:39:10and one flew down and actually took the pasty out of her hand.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14But what can be done about it?
0:39:14 > 0:39:17Well, in high-risk areas, such as here at Swansea market,
0:39:17 > 0:39:19the council are fighting back...
0:39:19 > 0:39:20with one of these.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26Layla Bennett runs the largest gull deterrent business in Britain,
0:39:26 > 0:39:30with 39 trained hawks and falcons at her disposal.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33So, Layla, who and what have we got here?
0:39:33 > 0:39:34This is my colleague Shaka.
0:39:34 > 0:39:39He's named after Shaka Zulu, one of the most famous Zulu warriors,
0:39:39 > 0:39:42because he's really, really confident and very feisty.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44He certainly looks quite at home here
0:39:44 > 0:39:46given this isn't his natural environment.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50He's specially reared for his job. He's what we call a social imprint,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53so he's been reared at home with me in my living room.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57During the summer months, Shaka the hawk is hired to keep
0:39:57 > 0:39:59the city centre free from nesting gulls.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Well, Layla, we've just climbed up here
0:40:02 > 0:40:04to the roof of Swansea's market
0:40:04 > 0:40:07and the noise that has now accompanied our arrival,
0:40:07 > 0:40:12all of these gulls are going berserk at the sight of Shaka.
0:40:12 > 0:40:13You must be used to this.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17It's incredible. They're highly perceptive. The second that we step
0:40:17 > 0:40:19out of any roof door, all the gulls go absolutely mad.
0:40:19 > 0:40:24Now, the role that Shaka has isn't to hunt and predate these gulls, is it?
0:40:24 > 0:40:26He's not, but they don't know that.
0:40:29 > 0:40:30He is both a predator and an opportunist,
0:40:30 > 0:40:33so he will take a gull that was at low level,
0:40:33 > 0:40:36that was busy doing something else - at roost, on its nest,
0:40:36 > 0:40:38something like that. So, as soon as they see him,
0:40:38 > 0:40:40all the gulls tell each other there is a hawk here,
0:40:40 > 0:40:44that's what all the screaming is about, and they all get up into the air, out of his way.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47So, effectively, he's just making his presence known, isn't he?
0:40:47 > 0:40:49He actually has the easiest job in the world.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52He doesn't have to do anything. Just be here. Just be here.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55We've only been working with Swansea indoor market this actual year and
0:40:55 > 0:40:57already we've seen an enormous decrease,
0:40:57 > 0:41:0080% decrease in the number of nesting gulls up here,
0:41:00 > 0:41:02so it's been hugely effective already.
0:41:04 > 0:41:05So, he'll just follow you, will he?
0:41:05 > 0:41:07He'll just follow me everywhere I go.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11He's working as part of the team and he knows I have lots of food for him in my pocket.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16But Shaka can only be there one day a week.
0:41:16 > 0:41:17For the remaining six days,
0:41:17 > 0:41:21the work is taken over by a bird the gulls fear just as much.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25What's that?!
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Can I lift it out? Yes, you certainly can. This is Pedro.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34Forgive me for laughing, but it looks like an enormous budgie.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37He is an enormous peregrine, or modelled on a peregrine.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Enormous, luminous feet!
0:41:39 > 0:41:41And they're there for a precise reason.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43That's exactly what gulls react to on a bird of prey,
0:41:43 > 0:41:47it's the big feet, the beak, the yellow and the large eyes.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49So, we've taken those features and made them extra large on him,
0:41:49 > 0:41:51and it does actually seem to work.
0:41:51 > 0:41:52Well, well done, Pedro.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56But I have to say my admiration is all with you and with Shaka.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58He is the most beautiful bird.
0:41:58 > 0:42:03And he's clearly doing a really effective job of trying to persuade these gulls
0:42:03 > 0:42:06that this is not somewhere they should call home.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13The increasing urban gull population is a problem which is compounded by
0:42:13 > 0:42:16the fact that they are a protected species.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Well, this, of course, puts town councils in a tricky position.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23They're bound by a duty of care to protect the public,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26but also bound by the law to protect the gulls.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32Lizzie Wilberforce is from Wildlife Trust Wales.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35Lizzie, how is it that herring gulls are protected,
0:42:35 > 0:42:40given that there seem to be so many of them taking over our urban centres like this one?
0:42:40 > 0:42:43They're protected because of the way their numbers are declining.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45We used to have a breeding population of about 150,000 pairs
0:42:45 > 0:42:48of herring gull. That's gone down by about 30%.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54But by littering our streets and leaving bin bags unprotected,
0:42:54 > 0:42:57we've created the perfect nesting ground for gulls.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00We've got lots of food waste, lots of rubbish
0:43:00 > 0:43:03and you've even got street lamps all night that help you to forage
0:43:03 > 0:43:0424 hours a day, if you want to.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11The simple truth is that herring gulls wouldn't be drawn to our towns
0:43:11 > 0:43:13and cities if we didn't make life easy for them.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18Maybe the root of the problem lies in our own wasteful habits.
0:43:18 > 0:43:24Perhaps we humans should take some responsibility for the birds' bad behaviour.
0:43:24 > 0:43:28In short, maybe we should stop giving them a free meal.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35And that's all we've got time for today, but I hope you can join us
0:43:35 > 0:43:37again at the same time tomorrow.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41I'll be finding out how changing something as simple as your shower gel
0:43:41 > 0:43:45could help save our seas and protect our marine life.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48And I'll be discovering how a traditional family recipe
0:43:48 > 0:43:52based on a summer flower grew into a multi-million pound business.
0:43:52 > 0:43:56And it all starts here with the humble elderflower.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00So, until the same time tomorrow, goodbye.
0:44:32 > 0:44:33Join me, Patrick Kielty,
0:44:33 > 0:44:37in a brand-new BBC Two quiz show, Debatable,
0:44:37 > 0:44:41where a team of celebrities put their debating skills to the test
0:44:41 > 0:44:44to try to win their contestants pots of cash.