Episode 5 Countryfile Summer Diaries


Episode 5

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Long sunny days when our countryside is bursting with colour and life.

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It's the season that brings out the child in us all.

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Summer is here.

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It's the perfect time to enjoy the beauty of our great British landscape.

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And our amazing wildlife.

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Some of us are still hard at work.

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But whatever you're doing, and whatever the weather,

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our island is at its very best.

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All week, we're travelling the length and breadth of the UK...

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..bringing the very best seasonal stories that matter to you.

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46% of young adults have at least some hay fever symptoms.

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It is hard to believe that such microscopically small grains

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could cause such trouble for millions of us.

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The very warmest of welcomes to Countryfile Summer Diaries.

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And here's what's coming up on the programme today.

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If you're an urban dweller,

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Paul is discovering how you could keep city bees.

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My initial response was, this is absolutely barking.

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It's a silly idea.

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I can't believe that is so good and it comes from the rooftop here.

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Keeley discovers the dramatic rescue of a stranded dolphin clinging to life.

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We realised quite soon after the tide had come in

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that we didn't have very long at all.

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She needed to swim and she needed to swim now.

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And I'll be finding out how going back to the past could help to offer

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a solution for the future.

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All this week we're enjoying summer on the beautiful and historic

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Isle of Wight.

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The island broke free from mainland Britain after the Ice Age,

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which helped form its stunning rugged coastline,

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its picturesque hills and slopes,

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and created a haven for fauna and flora.

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The island has had its fair share of visitors, too, over the millennia,

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including the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons and,

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in the 12th century, a small group of Benedictine monks

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who built Quarr Abbey.

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You can see its ruins over there.

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There's a new abbey built behind it and a community of monks is still

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working and worshipping here today.

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This amazing ancient oak tree grew

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amidst the monks' original infirmary building

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and more recent visitors have also made their mark

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on the island and on our national taste buds.

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Margherita is now following her nose in pursuit of a whiffy,

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yet intriguing tale from the Second World War.

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If you walk into any kitchen, you'll find the same staples in most cooks'

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cupboards - salt, pepper and of course, garlic.

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Garlic is a relative newcomer to our shores

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and dinner tables.

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In fact, some 40-odd years ago, it was unheard of,

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so how did that little bulb arrive from the Mediterranean

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to the Isle of Wight?

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Well, apparently it all started with a secret wartime mission

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behind enemy lines.

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So the story goes that during the Second World War, a fleet of

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French ships were stationed off the coast at Cowes.

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And the French crew, not too happy with the bland English food,

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thanks to the help of a local publican, hatched a plan to change all that.

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The pub landlord was a man called Bill Spidy.

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He told George Castle the full story.

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In October 1942,

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250 Frenchmen were in Cowes and the French complained about the food -

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that there was no taste to the food in the Isle of Wight.

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He said he would try and get some garlic.

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He had some friends working in the SOE at Tangmere, near Chichester.

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The SOE, or Special Operations Executive,

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was a British wartime organisation tasked with performing espionage,

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sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied Europe.

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The next night, a Lysander took off from Tangmere and went to Auvergne.

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The next night the garlic arrived at Cowes, two bags of garlic,

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and it was taken to the local farm where the Spidys lived, called Little Duxmore.

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And that's where the garlic was first planted, at Little Duxmore farm.

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The garlic Bill grew for his French customers is known as Solent Wight.

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It's the same stock third-generation farmer Colin Boswell started his

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business with. His links to the bulb run deep into the past, too.

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Colin, how did you come to first grow garlic here?

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Well, my mother was growing it in the kitchen garden.

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We got garlic from the Auvergne, the same place that Bill Spidy had it

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when he grew it in the 1940s on the farm next door to us.

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So there is a close connection there.

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So she may have seen that garlic in his garden and thought,

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"Oh, that's quite nice."

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He was a great chatter-upper, so...

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LAUGHTER

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And then how did we get to the point where you're growing

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fields and fields of it?

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Well, I came back in 1976 and decided to come back to the farm with my wife, Jenny.

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And we looked at the garlic my mother grew in the kitchen garden

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and it looked so much better than what was on the supermarket shelf,

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we thought we could do this and we could sell it.

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Now, Colin grows over 40 types of garlic,

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alongside this stunning array of wild flowers.

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We've got a selection of garlic from all over the world.

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We've got garlic from Irkutsk in Siberia,

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we've got garlic from south-west France,

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we've got Bill Spidy's garlic from the Auvergne,

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and from eastern Turkey on the

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Syria-Iraq border we have got tuncelianum, the original garlic.

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That's really interesting because it still grows in the wild,

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which all other garlics don't.

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Colin, I would like a little bit of garlic for lunch.

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What would you recommend I try?

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Well, currently I recommend this one.

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This has been raised in France,

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but is actually of Chinese origin and it's ready five weeks before

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any other garlic.

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-The first garlic of the season?

-First garlic of the season.

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I can't wait to try it so I'm off to meet Colin's daughter Natasha.

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While her father is passionate about growing garlic,

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she's an expert on cooking with it.

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-Hi, Natasha.

-Hello.

-I brought these in for you.

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I had no idea there were so many different types of garlic.

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-Do they all taste the same?

-Absolutely not. So, some of them

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have that extraordinary heat that you get when you chew raw garlic.

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Some of them have a more rounded and sweeter flavour.

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-Would you like to try some?

-Yeah, great.

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I saw it come out of the ground with my own eyes.

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This is straight out of the field, so it's green garlic.

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So it's not completely dried yet.

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This variety will get slightly stronger when it dries.

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-So...

-Oh, my goodness.

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-Here you go.

-OK.

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So, here we go.

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Oh, I can feel it on my tongue straightaway.

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Wow! Ooh!

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It's like fireworks.

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You're very brave.

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-Oh, my goodness.

-It really is strong.

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You wouldn't need much of that if you are cooking.

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Precisely. So, if you're making, for example,

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a bruschetta or something where you'd want to have

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the strength of the raw garlic,

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that would be an excellent variety to try.

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-If I needed...

-Your eyes are watering, I'm so sorry.

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Let me not put the garlic up to my eyes.

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I can feel it still in my mouth

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and I can almost feel it on the insides as well.

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Well, it will be doing you a lot of good.

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Not only is garlic full of flavour, it's packed with health benefits,

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from lowering cholesterol and blood pressure to preventing colds,

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boosting our immune system and could even protect us

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against some cancers.

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What the World Health Organization recommends is one clove of garlic

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per day. And the best way to get the health benefits is to eat it raw.

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The sulphur compounds in garlic that are so good for our health are also

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great for our gardens,

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by keeping bugs like greenfly away.

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So time to find out how to grow it.

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We break a clove off like that.

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And we can start it in a pot like this.

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Any particular soil that the garlic likes?

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Just a general compost.

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And do you take the skin off first?

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No, don't take the skin off.

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The skin is there to protect it.

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The growing top there, root there, point there.

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Push it in.

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There's a good inch of soil over the top of it.

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Press it down tight, water it.

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And keep it watered.

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Once the plant is about that high, there'll be a massive root.

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The roots will be really going like crazy.

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Take it out of this pot, and put it into bigger pot.

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Even better, plant it in the soil so it can grow naturally.

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But if you haven't got that available, then the bigger the pot

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you put it in, the better the garlic crop you'll get.

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Once you've potted, then where do you leave it?

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It can be on any space that you've got, preferably outside.

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Garlic needs cold for its chemistry to work.

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And how long before I'd get my first harvest?

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Let's say that you planted in October, November.

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If it's Extra Early White, you'll harvest that at the end of May.

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You'll have your own bountiful harvest of garlic.

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Well, I've definitely had my eyes and taste buds opened to a world of

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garlic I never knew existed.

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And I'm certainly looking forward to cooking up a storm after I've

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harvested my first crop.

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Visitors to the Isle of Wight often come to spot its great wildlife.

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And the island has become a stronghold for our much-threatened

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native red squirrel.

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Woodlands like these in the grounds of the abbey provide a sanctuary

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for around 3,500 of them.

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It's all possible because the water surrounding the island is a natural

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barrier for the invasive grey squirrel.

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Visitors also flock to the coast to see some of the island's

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other great wildlife.

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But if it's dolphins you're after,

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one of the best places to go to is Scotland.

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And last summer saw a dramatic dolphin rescue in the Moray Firth.

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Keeley now investigates.

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Last year, there were more than 800 marine mammal strandings across the

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UK. So how can we do our bit for the wildlife around Britain's coasts?

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That figure is just for dolphins and whales,

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who are often caught by a rapid turn of tides, get beached ashore,

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and are unable to return to the sea.

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But around the coast, there are groups of volunteers,

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like the British Divers Marine Life Rescue,

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training to undertake any wildlife emergency.

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Led by Martin Boon, today the volunteers are learning how to save

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a dolphin using a lifelike model, and I'm lending a hand.

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One, two, three.

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It's vital training because Scotland's waters are home to around

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200 bottlenose dolphins.

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For various reasons,

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this small and vulnerable population has been under threat.

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Keeping the group's numbers up, especially breeding females,

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is vital for long-term survival.

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Last year, an unsuspecting wildlife watcher, like me,

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spotted a young dolphin named Spurtle.

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This was no ordinary sighting.

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Spurtle was stranded.

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Somehow, Spurtle was stuck on tidal mudflats about three miles from

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the sea at low tide. By the time she was spotted she'd been out of

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the water for at least 14 hours, and was in a critical condition.

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With time running out,

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Martin and the volunteers answered the emergency call.

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What we think possibly happened is at this time of year,

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a lot of juvenile males get a bit boisterous and she maybe thought,

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I'll just come in here out of the way, and because of the geographics of the bay, it empties really,

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really quick. It's really shallow and she just got caught out.

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Every moment out of the water was putting Spurtle's life in greater danger.

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The lead vet involved in the desperate attempt to save her life was Andrew Brownlow.

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So why is it such a problem if they are out of the water for that long?

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-Cos they can breathe out of the water, can't they?

-Yeah, of course. I mean, they're mammals.

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They've evolved to need the water to supply buoyancy.

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So if you take that away from them,

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then they can no longer support their own weight,

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so when they're lying on their side their muscles can become sort of

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crushed by their own body weight and their skin cannot survive being

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exposed to the wind and the sun.

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As soon as they get out of the water the skin begins to dry out,

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it begins to crack and it begins to blister.

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Animals without fur, feathers or scales are prone to sunburn and blisters,

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with whales and dolphins particularly vulnerable.

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Infections which follow are common and often deadly.

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So what kind of state was she in when you arrived, then?

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You could tell from the respiratory rate that she was quite distressed.

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My job is to sort of assess the animal,

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and see whether or not it is possible to get them back out to sea,

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whether or not the process of them being stranded has caused so much damage

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that you actually have to put them down, put them to sleep.

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Andrew decided to try and save Spurtle but there was a problem -

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the next high tide would not hit until 4am the following morning.

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They would have to stay with her to make sure she survived the night.

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Morning came and Spurtle was still alive,

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but it was now a race against time.

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We realised kind of quite soon after the tide had come in that we

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actually didn't have very long at all before the tide went back out again.

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She needed to swim and she needed to swim now.

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If Andrew didn't think Spurtle could survive back at sea,

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he'd have to make a tough call and end the rescue attempt.

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It was absolutely nerve-racking, to be honest.

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I held her in my hands, in my arms,

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and pushed her a couple of times to try and encourage her to swim

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and the first couple - it didn't go so well.

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And then on the third time I gave a big push and that was it,

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she remembered how to swim.

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She started really powering through the water.

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-What a moment.

-And it was the most amazing thing that I've seen during

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a refloat. She just took off.

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Although Spurtle had found strength to swim,

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there was no guarantee she'd recover from her injuries once back at sea.

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Unfortunately, most dolphins that are stranded don't end up back in

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the water. Spurtle was lucky -

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she had a dedicated team on hand to refloat her,

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but with such extensive sunburn and potentially other injuries,

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would she survive?

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And Keeley will be back later to discover Spurtle's fate.

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Now, in this technological age there is a risk of workers losing their

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jobs to artificial intelligence and automation.

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So, could the jobs of the future be found in the skills of the past?

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Jules has been to a village near Salisbury

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contemplating a change of career.

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The world over,

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people's vision of the English countryside

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is one of chocolate-box villages full of pretty cottages

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topped by straw and reed.

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And each and every one of those thatched roofs has been

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skilfully crafted in time-honoured tradition.

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Now, as a roofing material,

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thatch has long since fallen out of fashion.

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But of course it is the original eco-friendly option.

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So, as a self-confessed nut when it comes to historic buildings,

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I can't wait to get a history lesson in a technique that really does go

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back as far as the Iron Age.

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Teaching me the tricks of the trade is Adam Nash.

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As a master thatcher for 12 years,

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he is a dab hand with a bundle of straw, known in the trade as a yelm.

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Hello, mate. Nice to see you.

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Talk me through how you make a yelm, then, the ridge.

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So what we're doing is we're topping and tailing,

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so that when it is snapped over the ridge,

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it feathers down so we haven't got a big thick lump at either end.

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-I've got it. So you're balancing it out, really.

-Yeah, yeah. We're just trying to equal it all out.

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Here is one I made earlier.

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And so what's going to happen is we're going to...

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In effect, they're broken over the ridge.

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Like that. And that then helps seal the roof at the end of the job

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and keep it watertight when we start to ridge it.

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Adam makes 100 yelms a day and to thatch a typical cottage,

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he'll carry around four to six tonnes of straw up to the roof.

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You had a career as an army officer, didn't you? What gave you the idea to go from army to thatcher?

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I didn't want to sit behind a desk. I wanted to be outdoors.

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I wanted to be fairly fit, and I considered dry-stone walling,

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I considered being a blacksmith.

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I just wanted to be able to say, "Well, I did that."

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And to see the results of your work is very rewarding.

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So how did you make the transition from army officer to thatcher?

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I went and found a master thatcher and he was kind enough to indulge me.

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I said to him, "Look, is there any way you'd be prepared to take me on

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"and train me in an apprenticeship process?"

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Over that time he taught me to thatch.

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Well, talking of apprentices, you've got me for today.

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So what's next?

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Well, if we were up on the roof we would be twisting spars and we use these.

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They're made of hazel, and they haven't changed in 250 years,

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so we twist them like that, and that becomes a staple.

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You made that look so easy.

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How did you do that?

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-See, just twist it.

-JUST twist it?

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-So put your hands together. Closer together.

-Yes.

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You seem more machine than man.

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It's all by hand. So all you're doing is twisting and then bending.

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-There you go.

-Like that?

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So when they go into the straw, they spring and open up and they hold.

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So I wouldn't normally be putting them here,

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but if I put that into there now, that is difficult to pull out.

0:20:120:20:15

And of course it is green wood. So as it dries, it is going to get really tough, isn't it?

0:20:150:20:19

Yes. You can take these out a roof 20 years later and they've still got

0:20:190:20:22

spring in them.

0:20:220:20:25

With over 60,000 thatched houses across the country,

0:20:250:20:28

thatching is a skill that's still in demand.

0:20:280:20:31

But it is just one of many heritage crafts under threat of being lost.

0:20:310:20:36

Well, keeping these skills alive takes people.

0:20:360:20:39

People who not only are prepared to pass those skills on,

0:20:390:20:42

but of course people who are prepared to learn them.

0:20:420:20:44

But I can tell you, twisting hazel...

0:20:450:20:48

It might actually have worked.

0:20:530:20:55

..is a lot harder than you think.

0:20:550:20:57

In a bid to resurrect these skills,

0:20:580:21:00

Nick Crean from the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust

0:21:000:21:03

is investing in young, talented British craftsmen and women.

0:21:030:21:07

Over the last 27 years,

0:21:070:21:08

we've given out about 3.8 million to 440 craftsmen,

0:21:080:21:15

and by doing that, we're investing in skills like circus sign writing,

0:21:150:21:20

clog making, coach building.

0:21:200:21:22

Skills where people have very nearly forgotten how important these skills are.

0:21:220:21:27

I'm fascinated by the idea of the apprenticeship scheme.

0:21:270:21:31

-That's something you are keen to champion.

-Having something where you've gone and trained

0:21:310:21:35

the discipline of sourcing, the discipline of pricing, the discipline of selling...

0:21:350:21:39

All of that as part of your craft is of huge value.

0:21:390:21:43

Are there any skills that we've lost

0:21:430:21:46

that you would love to help resurrect?

0:21:460:21:48

Well, I think the one that really stands out are cricket balls.

0:21:480:21:52

No-one is making cricket balls in the UK any longer.

0:21:520:21:55

That skill has gone.

0:21:550:21:56

So you're telling me that I can't buy a cricket ball that's made in Britain?

0:21:560:22:00

You cannot go out and buy a British-made cricket ball.

0:22:000:22:03

That's shocking. From where you stand, looking forward,

0:22:030:22:06

do you think our craft industry has a bright future?

0:22:060:22:10

I think craft is having the most fantastic future.

0:22:100:22:12

It's been elevated to where it should be, which is on par with art.

0:22:120:22:16

So I think it is a wonderful time to be part of that craft movement,

0:22:160:22:20

adding to that continuum that we've had in this country for hundreds

0:22:200:22:23

if not thousands of years.

0:22:230:22:25

It shaped the national character of the country and helped shape

0:22:250:22:29

the people within it.

0:22:290:22:30

You know, it's easy to see why it takes years to master a skill like

0:22:340:22:39

thatching, but it must be nice to think that in mastering the craft,

0:22:390:22:42

the fruits of your labours are going to be around for a very long time.

0:22:420:22:47

And Adam's second career is certainly going well.

0:22:470:22:51

-Adam.

-Jules, hi.

0:22:510:22:53

I love it. Those finishing touches just with a pair of shears.

0:22:530:22:57

It takes a while. Ultimately,

0:22:570:22:59

you want it to be steep because you want to get that water off the roof

0:22:590:23:02

as quickly as possible because it's the water that wears it.

0:23:020:23:05

-And it's so neat.

-A little bit of fine tuning but we're getting there.

0:23:050:23:09

What would you say to anybody who is thinking about chucking it all in

0:23:090:23:12

and taking up a craft skill as a vocation?

0:23:120:23:15

If that's what you want to do, be prepared for quite a long haul,

0:23:150:23:18

but if you're passionate about what you're doing and you're enthused

0:23:180:23:21

about what you're doing, the light is at the end of the tunnel.

0:23:210:23:24

-Well, it's a beautiful job, mate. Well done, you.

-Thank you.

0:23:240:23:27

Come on, let's get back to it.

0:23:270:23:28

And if you fancy a change in career, and why wouldn't you, maybe this...

0:23:290:23:33

..could be just the option.

0:23:340:23:37

I love it.

0:23:370:23:38

Here on the Isle of Wight, Quarr Abbey has its own smallholding.

0:23:470:23:51

It's got pigs and enough fruit and veg is produced to feed the monks

0:23:510:23:55

and to sell at the Abbey shop.

0:23:550:23:57

Now, at this time of year, all kinds of rural produce are on display

0:23:570:24:01

at country shows all over the UK.

0:24:010:24:04

And here is our Countryfile guide to some of the best.

0:24:040:24:07

The Kent County Show celebrates farming and country life.

0:24:140:24:17

With champion breeds...

0:24:200:24:21

..traditional skills...

0:24:230:24:24

..and crowd-pleasing displays.

0:24:250:24:27

It even boasts its very own Lamb National...

0:24:320:24:35

..and the hottest of horse shows.

0:24:370:24:38

They are lighting the rings.

0:24:390:24:41

It's about to get a little bit more dangerous.

0:24:410:24:43

Here we go. This is the moment of truth.

0:24:450:24:47

It is terrifying to watch.

0:24:470:24:48

This is amazing.

0:24:480:24:49

If you head out west,

0:24:560:24:57

the Cotswolds show at Cirencester Park offers a perfect family day out

0:24:570:25:02

with fun activities to try.

0:25:020:25:03

And a mouthwatering food hall to tickle your taste buds.

0:25:060:25:10

And here's a very local loaf - a Painswick loaf.

0:25:100:25:13

This one I created with a hint of Earl Grey tea.

0:25:130:25:15

But there are many shows that offer an alternative to food and produce.

0:25:170:25:21

Every summer for the past 45 years,

0:25:240:25:26

things have got hot and steamy in Blandford Forum.

0:25:260:25:30

These gleaming machines are all part of the Great Dorset Steam Fair.

0:25:320:25:36

In fact, this is the biggest event of its kind in the world.

0:25:360:25:40

This five-day celebration helps keep our heritage alive...

0:25:410:25:45

..with iron giants like Old Tim,

0:25:460:25:50

a centenarian who served during the First World War.

0:25:500:25:53

Well, I hope that that little taster inspires you to find out about

0:25:580:26:02

country shows in your local area.

0:26:020:26:04

Earlier we heard about the dramatic rescue last summer

0:26:120:26:15

in the Moray Firth of Spurtle,

0:26:150:26:17

the bottlenose dolphin who'd been beached for 24 hours

0:26:170:26:21

before a dedicated team managed to get her back into the water.

0:26:210:26:25

But with life-threatening sunburn and maybe other injuries, too,

0:26:250:26:29

what was to become of her?

0:26:290:26:31

Keeley has been finding out.

0:26:310:26:32

One of the reasons the rescue team knew so much about Spurtle was

0:26:410:26:44

because the dolphins of the Moray Firth are closely monitored.

0:26:440:26:47

The University of Aberdeen has been studying the small group of dolphins

0:26:490:26:53

in this area since 1989.

0:26:530:26:56

Barbara Cheney heads up their dolphin identification programme

0:26:570:27:01

so if anyone can tell me Spurtle's fate, it's her.

0:27:010:27:04

Barbara, you know the dolphins in this area better than anyone.

0:27:050:27:08

How is Spurtle? Did she survive?

0:27:080:27:10

It's a dolphin we see quite a lot.

0:27:100:27:12

We know her quite well. We've seen her since she was born.

0:27:120:27:15

And so when we hadn't seen her for two months after the stranding,

0:27:150:27:18

we just thought she hadn't made it,

0:27:180:27:21

so we were very pleasantly surprised when we saw her and she was still

0:27:210:27:24

alive. But then of course we saw the sunburn wounds and we were quite

0:27:240:27:28

concerned about that. And actually,

0:27:280:27:31

we really didn't think she was going to make it at all.

0:27:310:27:33

You can see the whole side of the skin is missing there.

0:27:330:27:36

-And you can see how the wind...

-It's really bad, isn't it?

0:27:360:27:38

-The burns.

-I mean, although she was with other dolphins when we saw her,

0:27:380:27:42

she didn't seem to stay with the group.

0:27:420:27:44

She was always on the outskirts of the group.

0:27:440:27:46

Dolphins are always very social animals and they are very physical

0:27:460:27:49

with each other. They rub up and down against each other

0:27:490:27:52

to keep their social bonds.

0:27:520:27:54

And we wondered if she was deliberately staying away

0:27:540:27:56

from the other dolphins so that they wouldn't rub up

0:27:560:27:59

against the wound on her side.

0:27:590:28:00

It would be quite sore to rub up against her with that, wouldn't it?

0:28:000:28:03

You'd imagine that, yes, definitely.

0:28:030:28:04

And how often do you spot her?

0:28:040:28:06

So actually last week was the first time we'd seen her.

0:28:060:28:09

-Oh, really?

-Yeah, since 2016.

0:28:090:28:11

It looks so much better now than it did last year.

0:28:110:28:14

So this is Spurtle when we saw her last week.

0:28:140:28:17

That must be a relief to see her progress.

0:28:170:28:19

Yes. Actually it was a little surprise.

0:28:190:28:21

We weren't sure if she would survive the winter.

0:28:210:28:24

So the difference between just a couple months afterwards and now

0:28:240:28:28

is amazing, isn't it?

0:28:280:28:29

And how's she behaving now?

0:28:290:28:31

-Is she back to normal?

-Yes, I would say so.

0:28:310:28:33

She was in the middle of quite a big group of animals and she was

0:28:330:28:37

actually... We even saw her leaping out of the water.

0:28:370:28:40

It's great to hear that Spurtle has come on leaps and bounds and she's

0:28:400:28:44

back mixing with the other dolphins, too -

0:28:440:28:47

a few of whom are making an appearance today.

0:28:470:28:49

Is this a good spot to see the dolphins from, then?

0:28:510:28:54

I would say definitely the best spot in the UK if not the world, actually.

0:28:540:28:57

-Really?

-Though I'm a little biased, obviously.

0:28:570:29:00

I might not have seen Spurtle today,

0:29:010:29:02

but I'm just happy she's out there alive and well,

0:29:020:29:05

and doing what dolphins do best.

0:29:050:29:07

If you'd like to join a dedicated team of volunteers like this one

0:29:120:29:15

and get involved in marine wildlife rescues in your area,

0:29:150:29:19

contact the British Divers Marine Life Rescue to find out how.

0:29:190:29:23

And you too can help out whales and dolphins like Spurtle this summer.

0:29:230:29:28

At the height of our British summer, flowers are blooming everywhere.

0:29:340:29:38

And in the last few years,

0:29:380:29:40

British-grown blooms have become increasingly popular

0:29:400:29:43

in the cut flower market.

0:29:430:29:45

But why has there been such a renaissance in British cut flowers?

0:29:460:29:50

Anita has been to the world's most famous flower market,

0:29:500:29:54

New Covent Garden, to get the answer.

0:29:540:29:56

It's six o'clock in the morning and the place is buzzing.

0:30:030:30:06

There are buyers and sellers and flowers from all over the country,

0:30:080:30:12

like these stalks from Cambridgeshire which don't just

0:30:120:30:15

look beautiful, they smell divine.

0:30:150:30:18

And whether they're from Sussex or the Scillies, Norfolk or Guernsey,

0:30:230:30:29

they are a riot of colour and scent.

0:30:290:30:31

There are flowers here from all over the world,

0:30:320:30:35

but it is the UK flowers that are really creating the buzz.

0:30:350:30:38

And they're championed by two stalwarts of the market -

0:30:430:30:46

Mick Waite of Pratley Flowers and Graeme Diplock from Zest.

0:30:460:30:51

Hi, Graeme. Why do you specialise in British flowers?

0:30:510:30:55

The flowers were picked literally a day, two days ago.

0:30:550:30:58

They're as fresh as you can get and local.

0:30:580:31:01

It's varieties of flowers you don't get in Holland or Colombia

0:31:010:31:05

or wherever you want to be.

0:31:050:31:07

-So where are these from?

-Spalding.

0:31:070:31:10

-Spalding.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Not too far.

0:31:100:31:12

So all these little buds here,

0:31:120:31:14

they will all open up into a little flower like this.

0:31:140:31:16

That is absolutely gorgeous.

0:31:160:31:17

And how long will the season for these Sweet Williams last?

0:31:170:31:20

They'll go on for about eight weeks.

0:31:200:31:22

People would rather buy British flowers.

0:31:220:31:24

It's like with food, everyone wants British, local food.

0:31:240:31:28

Local produce. It's great.

0:31:280:31:30

I'm passionate about what I do so if I can promote English flowers,

0:31:300:31:34

if it's something we're good at, why not do it?

0:31:340:31:36

Look at the green fields we've got.

0:31:360:31:38

Why not do what we're good at?

0:31:380:31:40

Last year more than 220,000 boxes of flowers, worth around £56 million,

0:31:410:31:48

passed through the market.

0:31:480:31:49

Buyers come here from all over the country, from supermarkets,

0:31:490:31:53

hotel chains and specialist florists like Ellie and Anna,

0:31:530:31:58

who've turned a passion for flowers into a business.

0:31:580:32:00

As it's British Flowers Week, I've asked Anna and Ellie to come up with

0:32:020:32:06

something a little out of the ordinary to mark the occasion.

0:32:060:32:08

Hello, ladies. How are you doing?

0:32:100:32:12

-Good.

-Look at these fantastic flowers.

0:32:120:32:15

What is it about British bloom?

0:32:150:32:17

I know the two of you particularly like using British flowers, don't you?

0:32:170:32:20

-Why?

-There's something about them.

0:32:200:32:22

They've just got a different quality, we think, to imported flowers.

0:32:220:32:26

They often have a really lovely scent.

0:32:260:32:28

Flowers that have come from far away can lose their scent a bit.

0:32:280:32:33

The other thing about British flowers is this is very different from what you see at the rest

0:32:330:32:37

of the market. The kind of cultivated flowers from further afield wouldn't travel so well.

0:32:370:32:42

The delicacy, and the lightness and the bounce that they have,

0:32:420:32:45

it's like a different feel to cultivated flowers, I think.

0:32:450:32:49

-So what's the plan?

-We thought we'd show you how to make your very own

0:32:490:32:53

British flower headdress, using all these wonderful British flowers.

0:32:530:32:58

What do we need to pick for this wonderful headdress?

0:32:580:33:01

Well, let's just choose a selection of anything you like the look of.

0:33:010:33:04

I'm choosing sweet peas that smell divine, dramatic guelder rose,

0:33:060:33:12

some vibrant campion,

0:33:120:33:14

garlicky alliums

0:33:140:33:16

and delicate scilla.

0:33:160:33:18

I'm going to feel like I'm in A Midsummer Night's Dream, aren't I?

0:33:190:33:23

-Shall we head back?

-Let's.

0:33:230:33:24

Let's get creating.

0:33:240:33:25

Just as the rest of the city is getting up for work,

0:33:300:33:32

we're off to Anna and Ellie's studio.

0:33:320:33:35

And I can't believe the riot of colour and scent that hits my senses.

0:33:350:33:39

This floral headdress is going to be something else.

0:33:420:33:44

These are all the things that you need.

0:33:440:33:46

So we're going to start with this little allium.

0:33:460:33:48

And then go for a bit of guelder.

0:33:480:33:50

I might go for one of those as well, then.

0:33:500:33:53

That's great. So then you put your first flower there and fix it nice

0:33:530:33:59

-and tight.

-OK.

0:33:590:34:01

And go down at a slight diagonal.

0:34:010:34:04

And then you go back up again.

0:34:050:34:07

This is really therapeutic.

0:34:070:34:09

I'm really enjoying myself.

0:34:090:34:10

It's hard to work and talk.

0:34:140:34:15

We find there is often silence in our workshops.

0:34:150:34:18

"Oh, gosh, is everybody having a good time?"

0:34:180:34:20

And we look around and everyone is concentrating so hard.

0:34:200:34:24

That's a good one.

0:34:270:34:28

-You need one more.

-I think I do.

-Do you want a guelder?

0:34:300:34:32

Yes, please. Let's finish the way we started.

0:34:320:34:35

Yes.

0:34:360:34:37

So, which way does it go?

0:34:420:34:44

Yeah, that's good.

0:34:440:34:45

-That looks so great.

-Does it?

0:34:480:34:50

It really does. Have a look in the mirror.

0:34:500:34:53

Yours is gorgeous.

0:34:530:34:55

I love it. I mean, you can enjoy flowers not just in a vase -

0:34:550:34:58

you can get out into your garden and make a headdress.

0:34:580:35:01

It's easy.

0:35:010:35:02

Here at the Abbey,

0:35:110:35:13

the monks have been as busy as bees making their own honey for 40 years.

0:35:130:35:18

And last year, Paul and his wife Charlotte embarked on their very own

0:35:180:35:22

beekeeping adventure at their smallholding in Wiltshire.

0:35:220:35:26

It's been a learning curve, but this summer,

0:35:260:35:29

Paul is finding out how you too can keep bees on even the smallest patch

0:35:290:35:34

of land.

0:35:340:35:35

Our quest to produce honey has definitely had

0:35:420:35:44

a few stings in its tail.

0:35:440:35:46

From Varroa mites in the hive...

0:35:460:35:49

We are going to be thinking about how we can treat the Varroa

0:35:490:35:53

and get the Varroa out of your hive.

0:35:530:35:55

..to a swarming queen.

0:35:560:35:58

They're not the happiest ladies today.

0:35:580:36:00

I'm getting a bit uncomfortable.

0:36:000:36:01

We are now fairly confident with our beekeeping skills,

0:36:040:36:07

although we admit there's still so much more to learn.

0:36:070:36:10

We are not alone. There are currently around 30,000

0:36:100:36:14

amateur beekeepers in the UK, and a growing number are in urban spaces.

0:36:140:36:19

Limited land seems no barrier to beekeeping.

0:36:190:36:22

I've come to an unlikely spot for bees in the heart of the city

0:36:230:36:27

of Bristol to meet urban beekeeper Quentin Alsop.

0:36:270:36:30

Quentin's hive isn't in a garden or even on a proper patch of land -

0:36:330:36:37

it's on a roof.

0:36:370:36:38

It's an unusual spot to keep bees with.

0:36:410:36:44

You've got so many hives up here.

0:36:440:36:45

Why did you do this? What was the main inspiration behind this?

0:36:450:36:49

Well, it was the cafe and food hall downstairs in St Nicholas market.

0:36:490:36:53

They approached us to see if we would keep bees up here.

0:36:530:36:57

My initial response was, this is absolutely barking.

0:36:570:37:00

It's a silly idea. But they were very keen on the provenance

0:37:000:37:04

of their food and that kind of rang a bell with me.

0:37:040:37:07

Knowing where things come from, it's really,

0:37:070:37:09

-really important.

-Well, obviously, it's been very successful.

0:37:090:37:12

Cos you probably started with one hive?

0:37:120:37:14

Well, in each box you've got nine or ten

0:37:140:37:17

frames of honey and that's maybe 30lbs of honey so that's quite a lot

0:37:170:37:23

of activity going on just to fill one box.

0:37:230:37:27

And they kept on coming for the second one, third, fourth, fifth, six.

0:37:270:37:32

It was just crazy. Better than any of my other hives.

0:37:320:37:36

It was wonderful.

0:37:360:37:38

But why are these bees such happy city-dwellers?

0:37:380:37:41

Up here we're at bee level. You can see all of the trees.

0:37:430:37:45

I can see there's a park over there.

0:37:450:37:47

Is there enough to sustain the bees?

0:37:470:37:49

Well, we're really lucky in Bristol because all the streets are lined

0:37:490:37:53

with trees and mainly lime trees,

0:37:530:37:56

and when they come into flower that's a massive surface area,

0:37:560:38:00

that's great. So I like to say Bristol streets are lined with gold.

0:38:000:38:04

The city's plethora of parks and trees might make great foraging,

0:38:050:38:09

and Quentin reckons it also makes their honey taste better.

0:38:090:38:13

So how does city honey compare to the stuff produced by my countryside

0:38:140:38:18

hives? Time for a taste-off.

0:38:180:38:22

Here it is, Quentin.

0:38:220:38:24

The summer of '16 - that is our first batch.

0:38:240:38:27

We had one and a half pots.

0:38:270:38:28

My first reaction is, it's a lot lighter than your honey.

0:38:280:38:32

Yes, that's true.

0:38:320:38:33

And it's a very fine grain as well.

0:38:330:38:37

All natural honey starts off runny but the speed which it crystallises

0:38:370:38:41

varies, depending on the bees' pollen source.

0:38:410:38:44

My bees gather most of their pollen from nearby oilseed rape fields,

0:38:440:38:49

which sets really quickly.

0:38:490:38:51

So let's try a bit.

0:38:510:38:52

-That's really good.

-It's not bad, is it?

0:38:570:39:00

It's better than not bad.

0:39:000:39:01

It's beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

0:39:010:39:03

You should be really, really proud.

0:39:030:39:05

Well, that's mine out of the way.

0:39:050:39:07

-Can I try yours now?

-You can, yeah.

0:39:070:39:09

On to the city honey. Oh, this is like syrup.

0:39:090:39:11

Quentin's honey is bursting with complex flavour,

0:39:140:39:17

and it's all down to the nectar from Bristol's wide range of blossoming

0:39:170:39:21

trees. That is fantastic.

0:39:210:39:23

It has a fruitiness.

0:39:230:39:25

Apple and cherry.

0:39:250:39:27

So the cherries came out, fruit trees came out.

0:39:270:39:30

And the first time I tried it there was a hint of cherry

0:39:300:39:33

-in the first mouthful.

-Oh, there is, isn't it?

-It is a very

0:39:330:39:36

different taste and you wouldn't get that with a supermarket honey.

0:39:360:39:40

I can't believe that is so good.

0:39:430:39:45

And it comes from the rooftop here in the city centre.

0:39:450:39:48

That's blown me away.

0:39:480:39:50

We can't decide,

0:39:500:39:51

so we're bringing in cafe owner Joe to give the final verdict.

0:39:510:39:55

First up is my country honey.

0:39:550:39:57

That's a really nice sweetness. It's a very nice flavour. Very good.

0:39:590:40:03

Now for the city honey.

0:40:030:40:04

-Here we go.

-Thank you.

0:40:050:40:07

So, which is it, Joe? Number one or number two.

0:40:080:40:11

In my opinion the second one is my favourite.

0:40:110:40:13

It had much more going on,

0:40:130:40:15

more depth of flavour to it and the longer...

0:40:150:40:18

A longer taste on the palate.

0:40:180:40:19

Well, there you go.

0:40:190:40:21

-Put it there. You're the winner.

-Thank you!

0:40:210:40:25

Those urban bees are definitely doing something right.

0:40:250:40:28

A worthy winner.

0:40:280:40:30

A city centre rooftop is an unusual spot to keep bees but there are

0:40:300:40:36

easier-to-reach places where you can set up a hive,

0:40:360:40:39

even if you don't have a garden.

0:40:390:40:42

Retired couple Penny and David chose this local allotment.

0:40:420:40:46

But their motivation wasn't honey and Penny wasn't initially keen.

0:40:460:40:51

-Nice to meet you.

-This is brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

0:40:510:40:54

So who fell in love with beekeeping first?

0:40:540:40:57

It was me to start with because I was on the allotment one day

0:40:570:41:00

and thought, "There aren't any bees."

0:41:000:41:02

There's nothing pollinating my fruit and veg.

0:41:020:41:05

And so I investigated the idea of keeping bees, then bought my

0:41:050:41:09

first hive and in May 2016 was lucky enough to get my bees.

0:41:090:41:13

So, May was the first introduction to beekeeping for you.

0:41:130:41:17

Yes. Up until that point I just thought they are going to be a lot

0:41:170:41:21

of time, a lot of money, and probably a real nuisance to look after.

0:41:210:41:25

-And now you're the one that is totally in love with them.

-I know, I know, how did that happen?

0:41:250:41:29

-Yes.

-I'm sure you would name them all if you could.

0:41:290:41:32

LAUGHTER

0:41:320:41:33

But you both grow your own fruit and veg. This is your plot, I can see

0:41:330:41:37

the strawberries, raspberries, loganberries, your peas.

0:41:370:41:40

Everything is looking so good.

0:41:400:41:42

And our plot holders next door just commented on what a fantastic

0:41:420:41:45

strawberry crop they've got this year,

0:41:450:41:47

and they are sure it's thanks to the bees

0:41:470:41:49

-that are pollinating it.

-They're pollinating everything.

0:41:490:41:52

The bees are doing a fantastic job.

0:41:520:41:55

And what about honey? Any plans to get some honey?

0:41:550:41:58

If there is a great big surplus this year,

0:41:580:42:00

we may have some honey but that's not the reason we got the bees.

0:42:000:42:03

Just to pollinate the veg?

0:42:030:42:04

-Yes, indeed.

-We left all the honey for the bees to keep them through

0:42:040:42:07

the winter. And we were really glad we did.

0:42:070:42:10

And, to be honest, we would be happy to do the same thing next year.

0:42:100:42:14

If you're thinking of keeping bees in a small space in the city,

0:42:140:42:18

go for it. But be sure it's the right thing for you.

0:42:180:42:22

Get hands-on training, consult your neighbours.

0:42:220:42:25

And if you do decide to take the plunge and start a hive of your own,

0:42:250:42:29

get yourself an experienced mentor

0:42:290:42:32

who can advise you every step of the way.

0:42:320:42:35

Would you encourage more people to keep bees?

0:42:350:42:38

I definitely would.

0:42:380:42:40

But only if they've thought about it,

0:42:400:42:43

and they know that bees are needed in that area - then it is fantastic.

0:42:430:42:46

So whether you live in the city or the countryside,

0:42:470:42:50

no matter how large or small your patch of land is,

0:42:500:42:53

or indeed if you don't have a garden at all,

0:42:530:42:56

you can still produce your own honey, and believe me,

0:42:560:42:59

nothing tastes better.

0:42:590:43:00

And that brings us to the end of our Countryfile Summer Diaries

0:43:090:43:12

from the Isle of Wight. But please,

0:43:120:43:14

make a note in your diaries to join us again in three months' time

0:43:140:43:18

when we'll be celebrating autumn.

0:43:180:43:20

So, until then, goodbye.

0:43:200:43:22

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