0:00:02 > 0:00:04JOHN CRAVEN: This is the toughest time of year.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08But it can also be the most spectacular season
0:00:08 > 0:00:10in the entire calendar.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Winter is upon us!
0:00:17 > 0:00:21It's a time when days are short and temperatures can plunge.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27But there are still plenty of ways growers can make the most of the season.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31It's the time when the British weather
0:00:31 > 0:00:33throws everything it's got at us.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36And while some animals are hibernating,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39others are bringing new life into the world.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45All this week, we're travelling the length and breadth of the UK.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47How much time have we got given the tide?
0:00:47 > 0:00:51We have about an hour and a half before it starts turning.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Bringing the very best seasonal stories that matter to you.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58It's exciting planting trees.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Everybody should get the chance to plant a tree
0:01:00 > 0:01:03and it's not for us, it's for our children and their kids.
0:01:05 > 0:01:10The very warmest of welcomes. This is Countryfile Winter Diaries.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Here's what's coming up on today's programme.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Steve Brown discovers if leaving titbits out for wild birds
0:01:23 > 0:01:25could be doing more harm than good.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29During the breeding season, if we are attracting in predators,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31sometimes they are going to come across nests.
0:01:31 > 0:01:37Paul learns just how important our canals are as a haven for wildlife.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41We have had otters in the past so they are making a comeback.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Kingfishers, a resident pair of swans
0:01:43 > 0:01:46that have been nesting here for over ten years.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49And Keeley will be finding out if the salt that keeps
0:01:49 > 0:01:52our winter roads safe is about to run out.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57We have mined about 600 miles, it's like an underground city.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Our base this week is Scotland's first national park
0:02:09 > 0:02:13with the famous Loch Lomond and many other lochs as well
0:02:13 > 0:02:16surrounded by the hills and mountains of the Trossachs.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23Small wonder that four million visitors flock here every year
0:02:23 > 0:02:26to take in the sheer wonder of this place.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34It's a sad fact that much of our natural environment is under threat.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Animals have long been a target for wildlife crime
0:02:38 > 0:02:41and now plants are in danger as well.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Margherita has been digging around for clues.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Security measures like these are more usually associated with
0:02:49 > 0:02:52safeguarding precious gems or gold bullion.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55But would you believe they are now a necessary measure to protect
0:02:55 > 0:02:59the tiny white flower we associate with the end of winter?
0:02:59 > 0:03:04It may seem hard to believe, but some snowdrops are so sought after
0:03:04 > 0:03:07that thieves will think nothing of coming into
0:03:07 > 0:03:11a beautiful garden like this and digging them out in clumps.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15So, just what is so special about the snowdrop?
0:03:15 > 0:03:20To the untrained eye, one snowdrop looks pretty much like another,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23but there are in fact 2,000 cultivated varieties
0:03:23 > 0:03:25and some are very rare indeed
0:03:25 > 0:03:28which makes them a target for thieves.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32But gardeners are fighting back and they are taking extreme measures
0:03:32 > 0:03:34to stop the snowdrop snatchers.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Hampshire
0:03:37 > 0:03:39has one of the largest winter gardens in Europe.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43It's home to around 20 different varieties of snowdrop,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45all of them carefully nurtured
0:03:45 > 0:03:48by botanist and snowdrop expert, Barry Clark.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50So, this is what it's all about, the snowdrop.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53What is it about this plant that we have fallen in love with?
0:03:53 > 0:03:56It's probably because it's the first bulb of the new year
0:03:56 > 0:04:00coming out of the winter and they're white, but it's the first flowers
0:04:00 > 0:04:04and everyone is amazed by this carpet they can produce.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06It has captured our hearts because of that.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10In fact, snowdrops are not native to Britain but were brought here
0:04:10 > 0:04:12from the mountainous regions of Eastern Europe.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15It's the Victorians that introduced them.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Like many plants they brought in as ornamentals for the garden
0:04:18 > 0:04:21which was the first era people were bringing in plants
0:04:21 > 0:04:23as ornamentals and they spread naturally.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27People love this flower, but some people really take it to extremes.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Yeah, you could say super fans are obsessed.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33I love them, but there are some people that take it further,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35these galanthuphiles, we call them.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Galanthus being the Latin name for snowdrop.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41They are mad about the slight differences in the flowers
0:04:41 > 0:04:43and they get a bit fanatical about it.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46And what about this particular snowdrop, what do we have here?
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Yeah, this is Ophelia. It's not rare, rare.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49It's a lovely snowdrop, however.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52It's different from the normal, it's a lot taller
0:04:52 > 0:04:55with a largish flower which is double
0:04:55 > 0:04:57and people covet them quite a lot.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59And how much are these bulbs worth?
0:04:59 > 0:05:02It's the lower sort of scale, but even a single bulb of this
0:05:02 > 0:05:05could be five or six pounds so if you look at a clump like this,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09which is 25 or 30 bulbs, it's quite a lot of money in the ground.
0:05:09 > 0:05:10So, how valuable can they get?
0:05:10 > 0:05:14The average sort of rarish bulb will go from between £40, £80,
0:05:14 > 0:05:19that sort of price but you can get some between £100 and £200.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20A couple of years ago,
0:05:20 > 0:05:25one sold for £780 and I heard recently online one sold for £1,400.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29That was called Golden Fleece and the prices seem to go up and up.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- It really is lock-up-your-snowdrops time.- It is, yeah.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36And when it comes to the rarer varieties of snowdrop here,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39they have had to do just that.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43And what security measures do you have here to ensure
0:05:43 > 0:05:45that they are not going to get stolen?
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Apart from the enclosure being locked every day,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51each of the plants also has a code number, not a name.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55So if I was chancing my arm, as a thief,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59I wouldn't know if this was a £5 bulb or £1,000 bulb.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Not unless you're an expert that can tell the difference and there are few of those.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06They have even installed security cameras
0:06:06 > 0:06:08to catch would-be thieves in the act.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10So, under lock and key,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13coded and cameras.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17- You really have had to do a lot to deter these thieves.- We have.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20It's sad it has to come down to this, yeah.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23And what lengths do people go to to actually steal?
0:06:23 > 0:06:27People will bring in their own spades and dig up clumps and, yeah,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29I know it's a terrible thing to do but they do.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Some people are being quite brazen about taking these.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35What has been your own experience of theft here?
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Some time ago I had a single bulb, £25 it was,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42a snowdrop called Blueberry Tart, beautiful little thing,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45upward-facing flower, blueish kind of leaves, so I propagated it.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47After five or six years,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50I had a nice little clump of them, and then that week,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53a horticultural magazine did an article on it,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55focused on Blueberry Tart,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58so I went out to the garden the next day and they were all gone!
0:06:58 > 0:07:01The whole patch and I was pretty upset.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03That was years of work down the drain.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06- Heartbreaking.- It was, yeah.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10What can I do as a plant grower to plant snowdrops in my garden?
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Where do I get them from, how do I know they haven't been stolen?
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Well, if you want the specialist bulbs,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17you have to go to specialist growers and nurseries
0:07:17 > 0:07:21and the best time to buy them is around end of January, February time.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Lots of garden centres with snowdrops.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Just looking at this plant up close, it's really pretty.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31I can understand how people would really become collectors.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33So delicate.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37The Hillier Gardens has 40,000 different plants and Barry and
0:07:37 > 0:07:42his team have the mammoth task of doing a stock take of all of them.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Part of the survey we've caught you in the middle of today is
0:07:45 > 0:07:48not just the health of the plants but also what
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- has gone missing from the gardens. - Yeah, it can be.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55Wintertime is our main planting season and as we plant them,
0:07:55 > 0:08:00we note down their GPS coordinates and with the surveys we can
0:08:00 > 0:08:03go back to them and check if they are still there, that they are OK
0:08:03 > 0:08:06- and doing well. - Is it a bigger issue, theft,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- than just the snowdrops? - It is, yeah.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11We're not the only gardens that experience it but things like
0:08:11 > 0:08:14shrubs or small trees go missing.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- Small trees? People take trees?- They do.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21It's not just our gardens that are under attack, it's our countryside.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25It's illegal under the Wildlife And Countryside Act
0:08:25 > 0:08:27to remove plants from the wild.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31Do you think people are aware they cannot just help themselves
0:08:31 > 0:08:33sometimes, whether from your gardens or their local wood?
0:08:33 > 0:08:36I think there is a certain amount of people but think you can just
0:08:36 > 0:08:39go into the countryside and help yourself to various things, but
0:08:39 > 0:08:42plants in the countryside are just as protected as the plants in here.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44It's just as illegal.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Could you microchip plants in future, would that be the next step?
0:08:47 > 0:08:48It does happen.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51It sounds mad, but there are gardens that are doing that now
0:08:51 > 0:08:52and people are being caught.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54So, we might have to go all out
0:08:54 > 0:08:58- to protect our snowdrops and other plants?- Sadly, but yes.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03Before today, I would never have believed such an ordinary
0:09:03 > 0:09:07little flower could be the focus of such attention.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10But having seen up close just how delicate and beautiful
0:09:10 > 0:09:14the snowdrop is, I can see now it may be time for all of us
0:09:14 > 0:09:17to do our bit to protect this little winter wonder.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29It's an interesting fact that six times more species of plants
0:09:29 > 0:09:33are protected under international treaties than animals,
0:09:33 > 0:09:37but in this country some of our wildlife is still threatened.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43Majestic birds of prey hovering in the winter skies are one of
0:09:43 > 0:09:45the most spectacular sights at this time of year.
0:09:47 > 0:09:48But by late Victorian times,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52persecution had wiped out one particular species in England
0:09:52 > 0:09:56and Scotland with just a tiny number left in Wales.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58It was the red kite.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05And one of the highlights of my career was back in the 1990s when
0:10:05 > 0:10:09I helped reintroduce them in the Chiltern hills of Buckinghamshire.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14The red kites we saw being released a few minutes ago are now
0:10:14 > 0:10:17settling in the treetops over there.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21'Since then, I have followed the progress of these magnificent birds
0:10:21 > 0:10:22'with great interest.'
0:10:22 > 0:10:26These days, some gardeners and farmers are actively
0:10:26 > 0:10:28encouraging them onto their land,
0:10:28 > 0:10:33but what if putting food out in winter for red kites and other birds
0:10:33 > 0:10:35is doing more harm than good?
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Steve Brown takes a look.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45You might be wondering what I'm doing
0:10:45 > 0:10:47in the rush-hour traffic here on the M4,
0:10:47 > 0:10:51but I am looking for a different type of commuter entirely
0:10:51 > 0:10:52and it's the red kite.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Hundreds of them make their way every day
0:10:55 > 0:10:58from the hills to the north down into Reading.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03The kite population was re-established in 1989 using
0:11:03 > 0:11:05birds from Spain and they have been quick to discover
0:11:05 > 0:11:09that living within striking distance of a human population
0:11:09 > 0:11:13of more than 300,000 has some distinct advantages.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22These beautiful birds are some of nature's finest opportunists.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25And they travel into Reading because they've realised
0:11:25 > 0:11:28some of the residents are leaving food out for them.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33John Vincent lives in the suburbs of Reading
0:11:33 > 0:11:37and like about half of us in Britain, he regularly feeds birds.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Three years ago, he started putting out titbits for the kites.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45You see them already congregating in the sky,
0:11:45 > 0:11:47what are you feeding them on?
0:11:47 > 0:11:50A bit of beef and chicken, sometimes bacon.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Anything we have going spare, they have it.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55That sounds better than what I get for dinner!
0:11:55 > 0:11:58How many birds are we talking?
0:11:58 > 0:11:5920, 30.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02- In one sitting?- Yeah.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05- They come out from all angles. - Let's give it a go, shall we?
0:12:05 > 0:12:08- Let's get some food out there. - Yeah. See what happens.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14The birds' reintroduction to the Chilterns has been a soaring success
0:12:14 > 0:12:18with an estimated 1,000 breeding pairs now in residence.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20And it looks like John's food has attracted
0:12:20 > 0:12:22a respectable number of them today.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27There are four, five, six in the sky already. Seven.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32And we are feeding them 12 foot in front of us here.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34It's like they are expecting it.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38These are meant to be skittish, scared birds.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40He's whistling them down!
0:12:40 > 0:12:42And they're coming!
0:12:44 > 0:12:48- Will they land? - No. No, they are scavengers.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52You see where they have picked it up once they finish
0:12:52 > 0:12:54because all the grass has been raked up.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58- Oh, I see. So a swooping motion. - Swoop down.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01They are such wonderful creatures,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04I only hope they come close enough for us to get a good look.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12As you watch them fly over, and you see their grace and beauty
0:13:12 > 0:13:15and size, when they come right down low into the garden like this,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18you really get an idea of how big they are.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20As well as their size and grace,
0:13:20 > 0:13:24they have a fork tail which separates them and makes them
0:13:24 > 0:13:27very easy to recognise amongst other birds of prey.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Despite the impressive number of kites circling around the garden...
0:13:32 > 0:13:34A couple over there...
0:13:34 > 0:13:38..none are brave enough to take a star turn in front of the camera today.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42Come on, kites, don't make me have to make excuses for you!
0:13:45 > 0:13:49We have come inside simply because having the film crew there,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51I think has put them off.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56We are absolutely surrounded by red kites.
0:13:56 > 0:13:57I can't believe the numbers.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00I have not seen them in this sort of number before.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Let's keep our fingers crossed.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14But it looks like John's tasty morsels
0:14:14 > 0:14:17are not working their usual magic.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Luckily, our friends at Springwatch have had more success.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41The kites' no-show today isn't about to put John off feeding them.
0:14:41 > 0:14:42And he is not alone.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47Research by Professor Mark Fellowes from Reading University
0:14:47 > 0:14:51has discovered that almost 10% of households in the area
0:14:51 > 0:14:52have fed the kites.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56That's great for them, but with so many other native bird species
0:14:56 > 0:14:58in decline, is it all good news?
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Here in Reading, it's all about feeding red kites.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Surely, that in itself has an adverse effect
0:15:07 > 0:15:09on the number of small birds in the garden.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12The kites seem to have no effect whatsoever
0:15:12 > 0:15:14on small birds in your garden.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17They don't predate those things. In the city, in the town,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20really what they are looking for is the food people are providing.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23They come in, take that and disappear off.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25What about just scaring the local birds,
0:15:25 > 0:15:27they're a big, strong-looking bird,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29surely that would put the frighteners up me
0:15:29 > 0:15:32if I was a robin nesting in a back garden somewhere!
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Well, it's interesting, on personal observation, there's red kites
0:15:35 > 0:15:38flying over us at the moment. No difference.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41The birds are not responding, they know it's not a threat.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45If the thriving kite population isn't affecting the number of
0:15:45 > 0:15:47other birds, then what is?
0:15:47 > 0:15:52Mark's research shows human kindness is actually part of the problem.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57How on earth can feeding the birds possibly be detrimental to their numbers?
0:15:57 > 0:16:00During the breeding season, if we are attracting in predators
0:16:00 > 0:16:02like magpies or grey squirrels,
0:16:02 > 0:16:04they come to the food and forage around the area
0:16:04 > 0:16:06looking for other food they can eat.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Sometimes they are going to come across nests,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11nests of blackbirds or song thrush and they will come in,
0:16:11 > 0:16:16take the eggs and that will mean it is a failed breeding attempt.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Mark isn't trying to clip the wings of Britain's devoted bird feeders.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22He just wants us to proceed with caution.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28So, if you was to summarise how and when to feed garden birds,
0:16:28 > 0:16:29what would your advice be?
0:16:29 > 0:16:33My advice would be to feed throughout the year apart from
0:16:33 > 0:16:36during the breeding season where you might want to think twice,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38provide a big diversity of natural foods.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41I would advise people put cages around their feeders
0:16:41 > 0:16:44largely because it excludes things like magpies and squirrels
0:16:44 > 0:16:47and if you are feeding magpies and squirrels, you are building
0:16:47 > 0:16:50their populations up which will help them be predators later.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53We have all these nature reserves around the country
0:16:53 > 0:16:56and one person manages these big nature reserves,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59every householder is a reserve manager in their back garden.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02It means you and I can make a difference in our own home.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08And it's that home-grown stewardship that has helped
0:17:08 > 0:17:11the local population of kites climb to such dizzy heights.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15It really does show that if we all pull together,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19conservation projects like this really can make a difference.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24But conservation is about so much more than looking after
0:17:24 > 0:17:26the big headline-grabbing birds.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30It's important we take care in the way we feed all our native species,
0:17:30 > 0:17:32especially in harsh winter conditions.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38JOHN: Winter is a tough time for all our wildlife,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40not least here in Scotland.
0:17:40 > 0:17:45On average, the UK as a whole can expect 24 days of snow a year
0:17:45 > 0:17:49but parts of the Highlands can get 100 or more.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51In freezing conditions,
0:17:51 > 0:17:55keeping our roads open all around the clock is of vital importance,
0:17:55 > 0:18:00but can we be sure there will be enough road salt to cope?
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Keeley has the forecast.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09The cold weather looks set to continue over the next few days,
0:18:09 > 0:18:13Arctic air being driven down on those cold northerly winds and
0:18:13 > 0:18:16we are looking at the risk of ice on untreated roads and pavements.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20I think the gritters will be out in force through this evening and overnight.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26In freezing weather, up to two million tonnes of salt
0:18:26 > 0:18:29can be deposited on our motorways and A roads.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32The cost, a staggering £150 million.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36But that is money well spent.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40In my job, I know just how important it is to have the reserves
0:18:40 > 0:18:44ready for the gritters at the first sign of bad weather.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46But where does all that salt come from?
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Over a third of it is extracted here at the Boulby Mine
0:18:53 > 0:18:56on the coast of the North York Moors.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02This is an immense operation.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05The mine drops more than a kilometre below ground
0:19:05 > 0:19:09and produces around 350,000 tonnes of salt each year.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Today, I'm battling my claustrophobia and going
0:19:13 > 0:19:17deep underground with chief mining engineer, Richard Severn.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Right, ready. As I will ever be! Please let me return.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25I certainly will.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30I want to see just how much hard work goes into keeping us all
0:19:30 > 0:19:33on the move in winter.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38And crucially, just how long these essential salt reserves will last.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41- I think it's going to be warmer down there.- Just a touch.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Challenge number one, the lift.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46It's about seven minutes.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49- Seven minutes down?!- Yeah! - Seven minutes down?
0:19:51 > 0:19:54More than enough time to get my nerves jangling.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04This is the closest area, the oldest area of the mine.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08This is probably mined in 1973.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12We have mined about 600 miles of roadways.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17And we keep expanding at about 125 miles a year.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19I was expecting to feel claustrophobic,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22for it to be quite small, but there are cars and all sorts down here.
0:20:22 > 0:20:28Yeah, it's where we have huge store areas, vehicle workshops,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31electrical workshops so really it's like an underground city.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34So, are we near to where the salt is mined here?
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- No, we're about 12km away.- 12km?!
0:20:37 > 0:20:40It's about 30 minutes' drive.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44- Right, I wasn't expecting that! - This is our transport for the day.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47- Excellent.- All nice and sprayed pink just for you.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58This little jaunt is actually taking us right out under the North Sea.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04It does seem a lot faster, it seems like we are zooming around.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10And with the temperature now nudging 35 degrees Celsius, I am
0:21:10 > 0:21:16beginning to get a sense of just how challenging it is to work down here.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18What strikes me, I know it got gradually warmer,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21- is how hot it is here. - Yeah, it's difficult.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24The guys work 11.5 hour shifts in here so you can imagine
0:21:24 > 0:21:29it takes some acclimatisation to get used to working in this environment.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33- What have we got here, then? - This is one of our mining machines.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35It's about 110 tonnes.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40At the front end it has got about 130 tungsten carbide picks
0:21:40 > 0:21:42and that is what grinds the rock out
0:21:42 > 0:21:46and then it's sent from here all the way to the surface,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48about 9km of conveyor belting.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Just stood here, you can taste the salt, it's flying around.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01What he is doing now is moving the machine into the face line,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05the guy on the right-hand side has a remote control box
0:22:05 > 0:22:10- he drives the machine with.- Couldn't it be done remotely on the surface?
0:22:10 > 0:22:13It's a possibility in future but not for the moment.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16I think that is the kind of mining I would want to do!
0:22:17 > 0:22:20The mine runs 24/7, there are even people down here
0:22:20 > 0:22:24on Christmas Day and the whole operation is designed
0:22:24 > 0:22:28to react quickly to peaks in demand during the winter months.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31But after more than four decades of digging,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33surely stocks are about to run out?
0:22:34 > 0:22:39- How long is this salt going to last? - Um, hundreds of years.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41It's the same deposit they mine in Germany
0:22:41 > 0:22:44so it goes from here right under the North Sea to Germany.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47All the way to Germany, this salt line? That's incredible.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52- And would I be able to have a go? - I am sure you will.- He says!
0:22:52 > 0:22:55"I'm sure it will be absolutely fine!" You being a miner.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Miner Paul Stone is an old hand here.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03If anyone knows the tricks of the trade, it's him.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05How do you find working down here?
0:23:05 > 0:23:07I have been doing it for 27 years, so not too bad.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09You must quite like it.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12I've only been down here for half an hour and I'm struggling.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15- You get used to it.- How do you feel about me having a go at this?
0:23:15 > 0:23:18- It's nice you've cleaned it up for me as well.- No problem.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22How on earth do you control this when you can't see anything?
0:23:22 > 0:23:26You hear the sound of the machine. You listen to the machine.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30It's intuitive what you are doing, all the time. OK. Any tips for me?
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Dig deep! And fill the cars.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35OK, let's have a go at this, then.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- How long should I hold that down for?- Hang on.
0:23:40 > 0:23:45- The machine has gone haywire. - Oh, no!- Typical.- I have broken it.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50'Just my luck. Let's hope I can crack it second time.'
0:23:50 > 0:23:54MACHINE WHIRS LOUDLY
0:24:00 > 0:24:04MACHINE DROWNS CONVERSATION
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- So, that's my salt?- Yeah!
0:24:34 > 0:24:36What was it like to mine your first 20 tonnes of salt?
0:24:36 > 0:24:39- That was 20 tonnes?- Yeah, 20 tonnes.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42I tell you what, I feel like I had a lot of responsibility there.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45You can't really see what you are doing.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48- Your judgment must be absolutely spot-on.- It is, yeah.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51I will give this back to you. Safer hands than mine, I think.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Today has opened my eyes to the skill and stamina of the miners
0:24:58 > 0:25:02who worked tirelessly to keep the country moving
0:25:02 > 0:25:04when the mercury plummets.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Next time I forecast cold weather,
0:25:08 > 0:25:10I am going to be thinking of those men.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18JOHN: Isn't it humbling to discover the conditions
0:25:18 > 0:25:22those miners work in to keep the rest of a safe? Gripping stuff.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28When it comes to wildlife, I think it's fair to say we are not
0:25:28 > 0:25:32particularly even-handed in our affections.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37Most of us would find a rabbit more endearing than, say, a rat.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41And there is one creature that gets a particularly bad press
0:25:41 > 0:25:45and that is the wolf. But is that poor reputation really justified?
0:25:45 > 0:25:49I have not exactly been dancing with wolves but I have been
0:25:49 > 0:25:52walking with them on a wintry day in Cumbria.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00This is called Humphrey Head and it is said that in the 1390s,
0:26:00 > 0:26:05the very last wolf in England was speared to death up there
0:26:05 > 0:26:08after killing a child from a nearby village.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Or so the story goes.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15From the Humphrey Head wolf to Little Red Riding Hood, wolves
0:26:15 > 0:26:19have always made a good subject for stories, usually as the baddies.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25But one Cumbrian couple are keen to separate the fact from the fairy-tale.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Just a stone's throw from Humphrey Head,
0:26:30 > 0:26:35Dee and Daniel Ashman offer people the chance to walk with wolves.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39To meet them, I have come to private land well off the beaten track.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45- Dee, Daniel, good to see. - Good morning.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49And it's the first time I have ever seen wolves in the back of a truck!
0:26:50 > 0:26:54- This is Kajika and this is Maska. - Great names.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56They are Native American Indian names.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Maska means strong and Kajika means walks without sound.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03And they are an F3 hybrid. What that means is we have crossed
0:27:03 > 0:27:07a wolf with a Czechoslovakian wolf dog to third-generation.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Because they are hybrids,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12humans are legally allowed to get closer to them and interact
0:27:12 > 0:27:16more than they would be able to do with pure wolves.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18For us, it's conservation by connection.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21We're not here to teach people about what a wolf hybrid is,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24we are here to teach people to care about the plight of wolves
0:27:24 > 0:27:25and how wolves affect an ecosystem.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27And they still look like wolves to me.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31- They do.- Handsome creatures, aren't they?- Yeah, beautiful.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Do I have to introduce myself to them, Daniel?
0:27:33 > 0:27:37Put your hand up towards the bars so they have the opportunity
0:27:37 > 0:27:40- just to lick and smell. - I got a lick, then.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42I had a lick from a wolf!
0:27:42 > 0:27:44That is the first time that's ever happened.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48- So, they have accepted me, do you think?- They have, yes.- Right!
0:27:48 > 0:27:51- You are part of the pack. - Good, so we can let them out.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Yeah, we will let them out.
0:27:56 > 0:27:57And off we go.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Understanding just how wolves communicate with one another and
0:28:05 > 0:28:10the complex social structure of the pack is important to Dee and Daniel.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Is it at all risky doing this?
0:28:12 > 0:28:15No, even a wild wolf is suspicious
0:28:15 > 0:28:18but is a social animal.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20If people come across wolves in the wild,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23they are more likely to run away than anything else.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26And anything we shouldn't do?
0:28:26 > 0:28:30- The most important thing is don't bend down.- Why?
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Because that is inviting them, if you go down to greet them,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36bend down, they will assume you are greeting them and that is
0:28:36 > 0:28:40- like saying, put my neck in your mouth!- Oh, they want to play?
0:28:40 > 0:28:43They would, they would greet you and start playing.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46I don't fancy my neck in your mouth, mate!
0:28:46 > 0:28:48- He is very gentle.- Ha-ha!
0:28:48 > 0:28:50With permission from private landowners,
0:28:50 > 0:28:55we are able to let the wolves run freely inside a fenced enclosure.
0:28:59 > 0:29:00Off they go!
0:29:02 > 0:29:07Here, you can really appreciate their superb predatory powers.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14We, as humans, have 400 sensory receptors in our nose,
0:29:14 > 0:29:16they have over 200 million.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20And our 400 allows us to smell a trillion scents
0:29:20 > 0:29:23so you can imagine what 200 million does for you.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26That is why they never stop, they are always on the alert.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28Always smelling and looking.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31The wolf is the perfect all-terrain mammal.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33They can run, jump,
0:29:33 > 0:29:37swim and climb up steep areas of screed or embankment.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41For that ability, they have fully developed webbed feet,
0:29:41 > 0:29:44they are webbed right up to the nail bed,
0:29:44 > 0:29:47and they also have a dual layered coat.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49They have an inner thermal layer,
0:29:49 > 0:29:54and then an outer layer of fur, traditionally known as guard hairs.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00And the hairs that make up the coat are hollow like a polar bear
0:30:00 > 0:30:03allowing them to tolerate temperatures as low as -40.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06It makes our winters rather mild for them.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09So, lots to be learned then from walking with wolves
0:30:09 > 0:30:13and they do have the classic form of communication, the howl.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15Yeah, there's lots of different howls.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17There isn't one magical howl that does everything.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21And they all change in tone and structure depending on what they are trying to say.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24And can you do them to communicate with these?
0:30:24 > 0:30:28We can. The one we use the most is a family bonding howl.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30And what does that sound like?
0:30:30 > 0:30:33You do it first and I will try and copy come see what happens.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35See how it goes!
0:30:35 > 0:30:37SHE HOWLS
0:30:40 > 0:30:42JOHN JOINS IN
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Howling with wolves!
0:30:48 > 0:30:50WOLVES HOWL AND BARK
0:30:54 > 0:30:58Meeting those wolves certainly opened my eyes
0:30:58 > 0:31:02to what intelligent and sociable creatures they are.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04Though they have long died out around here,
0:31:04 > 0:31:08it isn't hard to imagine the howls echoing through Scotland's
0:31:08 > 0:31:11spectacular winter woodlands.
0:31:12 > 0:31:17For me, one of the most picturesque features of the British landscape
0:31:17 > 0:31:20is a man-made one - our canals.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22Once the backbone of the Industrial Revolution,
0:31:22 > 0:31:26they are now places to enjoy ourselves. They are also home
0:31:26 > 0:31:29to more than 2,000 listed structures,
0:31:29 > 0:31:3250 scheduled ancient monuments
0:31:32 > 0:31:36and five UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38And where they snake through the countryside,
0:31:38 > 0:31:41they are a vital artery for all sorts of wildlife.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46An army of people, nearly all volunteers, help restore them and
0:31:46 > 0:31:51keep them going and they need your help, as Paul has been finding out.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59The Kennet and Avon Canal is one of Britain's best loved waterways,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02cutting a line right across southern England -
0:32:02 > 0:32:05linking London to the Bristol Channel.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09And, for me, the best bit is that part of it runs through my land.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15# Here comes the sun... #
0:32:15 > 0:32:19Well, the sun isn't quite here yet, but canal holidays are
0:32:19 > 0:32:22becoming increasingly popular in Britain.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25But what does it take to keep our much-loved waterways in
0:32:25 > 0:32:30tiptop condition for us all to enjoy over the next few months?
0:32:30 > 0:32:33Paul Fox is the senior project manager
0:32:33 > 0:32:35for the Canal and River Trust.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37Why is it important to dredge?
0:32:37 > 0:32:41It's essential we dredge because of the sediment coming into the canal,
0:32:41 > 0:32:44the run-off from the fields and that sort of thing.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47Building up and building up layers of silt on the canal bed
0:32:47 > 0:32:49and eventually affecting the passage of boats.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53And judging by those reeds there, they have been there a few years.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56Yeah, we haven't dredged here for about 15 years.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00And so periodically we need to come along and cut the reeds back
0:33:00 > 0:33:03and dig out the sediment. An area like this where we have encroaching reeds,
0:33:03 > 0:33:06we would only tackle in the winter because of the nesting birds.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10It's a great habitat, water voles and other wildlife we love.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12What will you do with all of these reeds?
0:33:12 > 0:33:14These reeds are going off to a compost site,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17they will end up in a soil conditioner of some sort.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21- And that bit of kit, what do you call that?- That is our truck saw.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25And that is a great bit of kit for tidying up the floating reeds
0:33:25 > 0:33:28that escape the dredger.
0:33:28 > 0:33:29It's amphibious,
0:33:29 > 0:33:32it can come in and out of the water under its own steam.
0:33:32 > 0:33:33And once that's done,
0:33:33 > 0:33:38I can see all of that silt you are picking up, what happens to that?
0:33:38 > 0:33:40That silt we are storing temporarily,
0:33:40 > 0:33:41when we dredge it, it's wet,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44we will come back in the summer months when the ground is drier,
0:33:44 > 0:33:48the silt is drier and that material will be spread onto the field...
0:33:48 > 0:33:52- Oh, composting, in a way. - It's recycling.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56It means fewer artificial fertilisers will be needed.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59- That is as good as it gets, really. Nature has done that.- Perfect.
0:34:01 > 0:34:06It's not just important to keep the canals clear for river traffic.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08Although they are man-made structures,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11they play a vital role in helping our natural environment.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15Max Ward is the Canal and River Trust's volunteers' supervisor.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20- Why are our canals and waterways so rich in wildlife?- Er...
0:34:20 > 0:34:22Well, there's lots of water, for a start
0:34:22 > 0:34:24which is a great resource for many animals.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28They pass through rural and urban areas, often a safe haven for
0:34:28 > 0:34:31many animals, small, medium and large, and you have these ponds
0:34:31 > 0:34:35as well which give the chance for different vegetation to grow.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39Sure. I only live up the road and I know I see herons most days.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43And I see the odd kingfisher. What else can you see here?
0:34:43 > 0:34:47So, these side ponds, we have had otters in the past.
0:34:47 > 0:34:48They're making a comeback.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51You mention the kingfishers, we have a resident pair of swans
0:34:51 > 0:34:54that have been nesting here for over ten years.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56Looking at the ponds adjacent to the canal,
0:34:56 > 0:34:59can you tell me why they are here?
0:34:59 > 0:35:04The canal rises up to 237 feet in two miles so the locks are in short
0:35:04 > 0:35:08succession and when each boat goes down, it takes a load of water down
0:35:08 > 0:35:12with it, but there's one of these side ponds for each of the 16 locks.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16Obviously we need to maintain our waterways and canals.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18How can members of the general public help,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20how can they volunteer and get hands-on?
0:35:20 > 0:35:23They can look at the website and see what volunteering opportunities we have out there,
0:35:23 > 0:35:25canalrivertrust.org.uk.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28By going on that, you will see there is a vast amount of
0:35:28 > 0:35:30opportunities they can get involved with.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33They can be a lock keeper, they can join us on the tow path taskforce,
0:35:33 > 0:35:37keeping the tow path looking good, keeping the locks painted.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41Without the volunteers, the man-made structure would start to deteriorate.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44200 years old, half the time it's constantly underwater,
0:35:44 > 0:35:46it needs constant maintenance.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49I'm keen to get Max's advice on how to tackle
0:35:49 > 0:35:53a particular problem on MY stretch of the canal.
0:35:53 > 0:35:59This is the area I wanted to show you and you can see the bank
0:35:59 > 0:36:05has been eroded from cattle in and out using the canal as their water source.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08What can I do, how can I reinstate the bank?
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Rather than a hard edged bank like that, you could look at doing
0:36:11 > 0:36:15a natural technique using coil roll which is recycled coconut husks
0:36:15 > 0:36:18that you can post in and it's a planting platform.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22That is a really good idea. And then backfill, yeah, up to that?
0:36:22 > 0:36:26Absolutely. And then you have your bank restored but you still have
0:36:26 > 0:36:29a soft edge which is great for water voles which are succeeding on
0:36:29 > 0:36:33the Kennet and Avon because we have done so much soft bank protection.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36And when you say plant up in it, what can I plant in it?
0:36:36 > 0:36:41A variety of native things, sedges, reeds for a bit of colour, irises.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43- Flag irises. - Flag irises would be good.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46That would look really good.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49- It would tidy it up.- We might have a team of volunteers to help you!
0:36:49 > 0:36:51I might take you up on that!
0:36:54 > 0:36:58JOHN: Encouraging to learn that even during our hardest season,
0:36:58 > 0:37:01we can all work to maintain our precious canals
0:37:01 > 0:37:04and the wildlife that depends on them.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10And when it comes to pulling together to battle the elements,
0:37:10 > 0:37:15a close-knit community in 1940s Britain led the way,
0:37:15 > 0:37:17as Matt discovered.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25It's a part of the country that knows how to cope with a proper wild winter.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28It's Upper Teesdale.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31The vast expanse of fell is a stage set for the weather
0:37:31 > 0:37:34to play out its many different moods.
0:37:42 > 0:37:48Rain, wind, sleet and snow.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51This place gets hammered by the weather, and I should know.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53I grew up not far from here.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56Our farm is on the other side of that dale.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04Teesdale is no stranger to brutal winters.
0:38:04 > 0:38:0870 years ago, it was tested by one of the worst.
0:38:10 > 0:38:15The infamous winter of 1947 and in that year Teesdale recorded
0:38:15 > 0:38:20the most snowfall of any inhabited place in England.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23And it was recorded at the bottom of this hill.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30But the people who can remember that winter are slowly disappearing.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33And with them, their stories.
0:38:33 > 0:38:34It sparked an idea,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
0:38:37 > 0:38:42Partnership started an oral history project called a Winter's Dale.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47By recording interviews with elderly locals,
0:38:47 > 0:38:50they created a treasured archive of winter memories.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58I was a ten-year-old boy at the time and I can remember walking along the
0:38:58 > 0:39:03top of the heaps and you could reach up and touch the telephone wires.
0:39:04 > 0:39:10The sheep were in dire need of food and it was pitiful to see them,
0:39:10 > 0:39:14just skeletons. Absolute skeletons.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20It was the most magical walk down the valley. A moonlit night.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25And great icicles hanging off barns.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28Oh, it's a dream. A dream.
0:39:30 > 0:39:34One of the surviving contributors to a Winter's Dale,
0:39:34 > 0:39:36is retired farmer Maurice Tarn.
0:39:36 > 0:39:41He is now 86 but remembers those years like only yesterday.
0:39:42 > 0:39:47Maurice, what are your memories of that winter of 1947?
0:39:47 > 0:39:52Very, very savage winter. It blew from the East, and the West.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55And all of this snow cutting business as well.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59No diggers and this, that and the other back then. It was all shovels?
0:39:59 > 0:40:05Yes, it was hand shovel, my father had to go out snow cutting.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09When the sun shone, he came home with a tan.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12- What, off the reflection off the snow.- Aye.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14And of course you did not have the five-day forecast from
0:40:14 > 0:40:19- Countryfile, did you? You had to act on instinct.- Definitely.
0:40:19 > 0:40:25You had to look up the valley and see where the clouds were coming from!
0:40:25 > 0:40:29So, you are telling me all of this with a huge smile on your face.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33- And you have enjoyed your time in the dale?- Oh, yes.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35Aye, I would not live anywhere else.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40Times have changed since Maurice was a young lad.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43But winter is still tough here.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49Tom Hutchinson is a tenant farmer
0:40:49 > 0:40:52on 100 acres near Middleton in Teesdale.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54Today brings clear skies,
0:40:54 > 0:40:57a blanket of snow and a frosty bite in the air.
0:40:57 > 0:41:02The kind of conditions in which Tom and his dog Kyle and the quad bike can cope.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08Right then, Tom. Let's get these fed up, shall we?
0:41:09 > 0:41:13Tom's utter passion is his purebred Swaledales.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17He has even been known to describe them as the worst addiction known to man.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21It's what drives him to weather these winters, year in, year out.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27The thing about the Swale sheep, you have so many different ideas
0:41:27 > 0:41:29and different thoughts on what is a good one.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33It means when you go to the market, you can have people having
0:41:33 > 0:41:36a conversation about the same sheep, but a different opinion, completely
0:41:36 > 0:41:40different opinion and it might just be down to one hair on its head.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43And when you look down a line of sheep like this, the wonderful thing
0:41:43 > 0:41:47is the back story and the connection you have with each of your animals.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49Yeah, for me it is.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51It's probably not the same for everybody,
0:41:51 > 0:41:53but for me I like to have more history.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57I can go back and know they're great-great-grandmothers.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03Farming these hills is no bed of roses.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06It's not just Tom's dedication but the efforts of the whole
0:42:06 > 0:42:08family that keep this place going.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11The Hutchinsons are typical of most farmers.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15Braving the elements every day to make a living.
0:42:17 > 0:42:18Lie down!
0:42:21 > 0:42:27JOHN: A timely reminder of just how brutal this beautiful season can be.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30And we hope you can join us again tomorrow when we will have
0:42:30 > 0:42:33more entries in our Countryfile Winter Diaries.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38When Jules will be on the trail of a bristly troublemaker that
0:42:38 > 0:42:40is causing chaos for its human neighbours.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43Look at what's happened to the ground underneath my feet.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45That can't be good for business.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49Keeley will be helping seal pups facing a life or death situation.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51There you go.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54I thought we would struggle to capture this and they would be off.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57There you go. Freedom!
0:42:57 > 0:43:00And I'll be joining a group of walkers that may be able to help
0:43:00 > 0:43:02more of us find the path to true love.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07Until then, goodbye.