0:00:28 > 0:00:31The green fields and hills of rural Worcestershire.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34We're in traditional farming country
0:00:34 > 0:00:38and you could be forgiven for thinking that nothing noisy happens around here.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40But you'd be wrong.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45This peaceful, pastoral scene is not what it seems.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49Because under the surface lies a deep burning passion,
0:00:49 > 0:00:52the need for speed.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55We're in the heart of hill-climbing country
0:00:55 > 0:00:59and after a bit of practice, I'll be challenging James to a race.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01I guess it's ladies first.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Good luck to you both, I know you're going to need it.
0:01:05 > 0:01:06Come on.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Matt's also got racing on his mind,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13at the Isle of Wight Round the Island Race.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17Hello to the old boys from Tonbridge School! Countryfile calling!
0:01:17 > 0:01:19MEN CHEER
0:01:22 > 0:01:26And with the ever-growing worldwide demand for food,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29such as wheat, I'll be asking whether we should be trying to guarantee
0:01:29 > 0:01:32that we all have enough to eat in the future
0:01:32 > 0:01:35by growing more of our own. And also on Countryfile tonight:
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Down the farm, Adam's got his hands full.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Over the last few weeks, quite a few of our sows have given birth
0:01:44 > 0:01:48and this is the sow's first litter and they're doing really well.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50You're a good girl, aren't you?
0:01:53 > 0:01:54And in Droitwich,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58James is boiling up some of Worcestershire's industrial past.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01There's enough salt in there for your whole canteen's fish and chips!
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Worcestershire, a patchwork of fields, rolling green hills
0:02:18 > 0:02:20and picturesque villages.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24Deep within the county, Shelsley Walsh.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27I've come to find out how a sleepy village
0:02:27 > 0:02:33turns into a racetrack in one of our quirkiest rural sports.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Let's be honest, this isn't an obvious spot
0:02:35 > 0:02:39for a massive motorsport event, but for over 100 years,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43thousands of petrolheads have been flocking here to Shelsley Walsh
0:02:43 > 0:02:46to take on the might of the hill.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51It's all about car hill-climbing,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54a race against the clock uphill over 1,000 yards.
0:02:54 > 0:03:01And this track is world's oldest operational motorsports venue.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03It all began in 1905 when a farmer
0:03:03 > 0:03:07let a motorcar club use his steep track.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Little did he know that 100 years later,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13it would be the international home of hill-racing.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Even Stirling Moss honed his skills here.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Soon, I'm going to be taking on the course AND James
0:03:19 > 0:03:23in a head-to-head run up here but first, I want to find out more
0:03:23 > 0:03:28about the history of the hill climb and its enduring appeal.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31John Moody is president of the Midland Automobile Club,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35so who better to tell me all about it?
0:03:35 > 0:03:37The first time this was used was 1905,
0:03:37 > 0:03:41so how does the time then compare to the times that they register now?
0:03:41 > 0:03:46Well, the best time of the day was 77 seconds in 1905
0:03:46 > 0:03:51and the current record for the hill is 22.58 seconds.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54What sort of speeds are they getting up to?
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Well, at that mark in the bank,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01the very quick chaps are doing 130mph,
0:04:01 > 0:04:06but don't forget they have then got to negotiate a 90 degree corner
0:04:06 > 0:04:12and then over the finishing line, the very fastest are doing over 140mph.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15I might go a little slower than that, just because
0:04:15 > 0:04:19- I don't want to make James feel under too much pressure.- Exactly.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25Shelsley hosts several race meetings a year. People come from all over the country
0:04:25 > 0:04:28to compete and soak up the atmosphere.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32This place has an extraordinary historical atmosphere about it.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35It's been running since early in the century
0:04:35 > 0:04:38and it's just the same today as it was in 1905.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41If you do make a mistake, the consequences can be sort of painful,
0:04:41 > 0:04:46at least on the wallet, if not in other ways, too.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50I've got to take this on later today, so what advice would you give me?
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Do as you're told from your instructor!
0:04:53 > 0:04:56- Open your eyes now and again, that helps.- Oh, no!
0:04:56 > 0:04:59"Do as I'm told" might be the biggest problem of all.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04So the most important advice I've been given
0:05:04 > 0:05:06is listen to what the man tells me.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09And I know just the man to give me that information,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11because he lives here.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15Five years ago, Simon Durling sold up to move here,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19to the top of the racetrack, because he loved the sport so much.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21And he's foolish enough to let me
0:05:21 > 0:05:23drive up this narrow hill in one of these.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27So this shall be my steed and what's she like to drive?
0:05:27 > 0:05:29What do I need to think about?
0:05:29 > 0:05:35Quite a lot of power, therefore when you use the accelerator,
0:05:35 > 0:05:38you squeeze, you don't stamp.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Before I get my hands on the wheel,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47I'm going to pick up some tips from the passenger seat.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50I'm sure I'll be in safe hands with Simon.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- Far over to the right as possible. - Yeah.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Left, as far as you can.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Hit that drain cover. Quite late through here.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11- Break as soon as you see the sleepers.- OK.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Change down to second.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Wow.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30- Woo-hoo!- And then we stop.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36I'm not going to lie to you, but I tell you,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39you're such a sweet, quiet-looking person,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42that I didn't actually expect that.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45And when you started, I just thought, jeepers, what's he doing?!
0:06:45 > 0:06:48- And then suddenly, OK, we're going to go really fast!- Your turn.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Made me feel a little bit sick.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54'Later in the programme,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57'James and I will be going head-to-head in a race'
0:06:57 > 0:06:59up this historic track.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01I think I've got a fair bit of practising to do
0:07:01 > 0:07:04before I'm ready to take him on.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08First, with food prices on the rise, there's increasing concern
0:07:08 > 0:07:11that we're relying too heavily on imports for the things that we eat,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15so how secure are our food supplies? John has been investigating.
0:07:21 > 0:07:2670 years ago, Britain was at war, a war that affected everyone's lives.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31Enemy action at sea had a drastic impact on food imports.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Shortages became part of daily life.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Memory lane for me, because the problem was so bad
0:07:37 > 0:07:41that people were still having to use ration books way into the 1950s.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Now this is a picture of me when I was about 10 years old,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47with my little sister and my mum. I can still remember
0:07:47 > 0:07:50having to hand in my ration book every Saturday morning
0:07:50 > 0:07:52to get my weekly sweets.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57These days, no-one's physically stopping food getting into Britain,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00but with a rapidly growing world population,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04there's less and less of it to go round.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06And that could affect our imports.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09So what happens when our food supplies are cut off?
0:08:09 > 0:08:12And how did we cope last time?
0:08:13 > 0:08:18Historian John Martin has spent many years
0:08:18 > 0:08:20researching our wartime food policy.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23John, exactly what happened last time?
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Why did the country find itself in such problems for food during the war?
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Well, first of all, Britain in the 1930s
0:08:30 > 0:08:33was heavily dependent on importing food.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36You could say abnormally dependent. It depended more on imported food
0:08:36 > 0:08:39than any other country except neutral Switzerland.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Prior to the war, we were importing about 75% of our food requirements.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47By the end of the war, it amounted to only about 25%.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50- Just how bad did it get? - It was certainly a major crisis.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Britain could have been starved into submission,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56or at least malnutrition could have been widespread.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59But looking back, what I couldn't understand at the time
0:08:59 > 0:09:01was why were my sweets still being rationed,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04nearly 10 years after the war had finished?
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Well, first of all, there's a major world food shortage after the war.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Also, starvation in countries like India meant that what food
0:09:12 > 0:09:15was available from Britain had to be partly diverted to these countries.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Bread was rationed for the first time in 1946
0:09:18 > 0:09:22and sugar was in short supply, largely because Britain's literally broke.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Back then, we were in the midst of a global war.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31People who lived through those times might well believe that these days
0:09:31 > 0:09:36our food supplies are much more secure. But are they?
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Three years ago, we all got a bit of a shock
0:09:40 > 0:09:45when the cost of food across the world suddenly shot up.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49The reasons for the 2008 price spike still aren't completely clear,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52but low stockpiles, failed harvests and high oil prices
0:09:52 > 0:09:57all played a part. More than 30 countries banned the export of food
0:09:57 > 0:09:59because they needed it for themselves.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03And since then, things haven't got better for shoppers.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07How are prices now compared to 2008?
0:10:07 > 0:10:10I'd say prices in general are consistent with 2008.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14'Unlike during the war, problems over global supplies
0:10:14 > 0:10:16'don't mean that Britain will run out of food,
0:10:16 > 0:10:20'but they do mean we'll pay more for what we're bringing in.'
0:10:20 > 0:10:25- How much is imported here?- Well, we reckon that in Britain generally,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29about 60% of all the food that's sold is made here, produced here.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31We have a philosophy of "British whenever we can."
0:10:31 > 0:10:34But sometimes, for example, apples at this time of year,
0:10:34 > 0:10:38- they're going to be imported. - How much have they gone up?
0:10:38 > 0:10:43Well, they reckon about 20% over the last couple of years.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47So, you know, that could be quite a significant hike for some shoppers.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53We're nowhere near as reliant on imports as we were before the war,
0:10:53 > 0:10:57but price rises like those on fruit and vegetables have made many believe
0:10:57 > 0:11:02that we'd be safer if we produced more of what we eat here at home.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Supermarkets like Morrisons are working closely with British farmers.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09This potato crop will be going into your supermarkets?
0:11:09 > 0:11:13Absolutely, yeah, we'll buy all of it, this entire crop.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Of course, you've heard arguments that supermarkets have a sort of stranglehold over farmers in Britain,
0:11:17 > 0:11:22but do you think in this case it could be a force for good?
0:11:22 > 0:11:27It's really important for us and our business that we've got a strong British farming industry.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31We spent quite a bit of money ourselves on new research
0:11:31 > 0:11:34to help farmers increase yields, if you like, for potatoes etc,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38so that we can make more of the land that we have.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43But despite companies like this buying more home-grown foods,
0:11:43 > 0:11:48predictions are that our level of self-sufficiency will continue to drop.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52For years to come, we will keep on relying on the rest of the world.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Well, what's going to happen in the future?
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Will we see even greater food shortages?
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Are prices going to get even higher?
0:11:59 > 0:12:02I'm off to meet someone who should know.
0:12:02 > 0:12:07Charles Godfray has worked on the most comprehensive report to date
0:12:07 > 0:12:10on the safety of the UK's food supplies,
0:12:10 > 0:12:13what's known as our food security.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15How do you see the future then?
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Well, we're going to see a greatly increased demand for food.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22The population at the moment is a little under 7 billion.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27By the middle of the century, it's going to be somewhere between 9 and 10 billion people.
0:12:27 > 0:12:28Those people are going to be wealthier,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31they're going to demand a diet that's more varied
0:12:31 > 0:12:35and the type of foods they will demand will be the type of foods,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38such as, for example, meat, which needs more resources to produce.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41How much more food is the world going to have to produce
0:12:41 > 0:12:44- to meet this increased demand? - That's a complicated question
0:12:44 > 0:12:47because it depends exactly what the nature of that demand is.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51- Give me a rough prediction. - Somewhere between 50% and 100% -
0:12:51 > 0:12:53more food than we do at the moment.
0:12:53 > 0:12:58And how would it affect people in the UK, this increased demand for food?
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Well, it will increase it largely economically.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03As demand goes up, we're going to see,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06almost certainly, food prices going up,
0:13:06 > 0:13:08and we can begin to see that happening at the moment.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12We may have halved our imports since the food crisis of the 1940s
0:13:12 > 0:13:16but are we still too reliant on foods from abroad?
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Do predictions of global shortages
0:13:19 > 0:13:22mean we should now be producing more at home?
0:13:22 > 0:13:24And could we do that, even if we wanted to?
0:13:24 > 0:13:28That's what I'll be asking later in the programme.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Continuing the theme of classic and historic sporting events,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Matt has been behind the scenes of the legendary Round the Island Race,
0:13:35 > 0:13:39where professional and amateur sailors alike go head-to-head
0:13:39 > 0:13:41on the waves off the Isle of Wight.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51They come here from all over the world,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54pitched in a battle against each other and the elements,
0:13:54 > 0:13:58nerves and sinews straining with just one aim,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00victory in one of sailing's biggest races.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03The Round the Island Race
0:14:03 > 0:14:07is legendary and there's thrills and spills aplenty.
0:14:07 > 0:14:08Whoa!
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Wow, you really feel like you're in it here.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17This is the Isle of Wight. 16,000 sailors, nearly 2,000 boats,
0:14:17 > 0:14:22all here competing for top spot in the 80th staging
0:14:22 > 0:14:23of this historic race.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27It really does feel like the calm before the storm here in Cowes,
0:14:27 > 0:14:29but in a matter of hours, this marina will be empty
0:14:29 > 0:14:35and all 1,908 yachts will be racing around the Isle of Wight.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42That's 50 nautical miles through some of the trickiest waters,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46and in weather like this, just getting around is no mean feat.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51Back in the '30s and '40s, only a handful of boats took part, but now it's grown to be one of
0:14:51 > 0:14:54the most popular sailing events in the world,
0:14:54 > 0:14:59and this year's 1,900 entries is a record.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02And this is what they're all vying for, the Gold Roman Bowl,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05one of the most sought-after trophies in sailing.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07But how difficult is it to get hold of?
0:15:07 > 0:15:13Well, to find out, I'm joining three-times Olympic gold medal winner Ben Ainslie.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17This is the sixth time that he's entered this race, but he's yet to win it.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19That doesn't stop him being one of this year's hot favourites.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22The plan is to join Ben for a practice session.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26I'm just about able to scramble aboard, but in these rough seas,
0:15:26 > 0:15:30the film crew have to stay on the support boat.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Ben, how important is this race for someone like yourself?
0:15:33 > 0:15:35It's a big race. I mean, annually,
0:15:35 > 0:15:40you get thousands of boats out every year from all round the country to come and compete here
0:15:40 > 0:15:45round the Isle of Wight, and this year we've got a record entry, so the race is stronger than ever.
0:15:45 > 0:15:46So I'm looking forward to a great race.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51And what are your thoughts about the weather that's predicted for tomorrow?
0:15:51 > 0:15:54It's supposed to be very strong winds, a bit like we've got now.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57As a team, we've never actually sailed together before on this boat.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01So we're really taking it through its paces today, trying to learn
0:16:01 > 0:16:04the manoeuvres, how to make the boat go fast.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07There's a lot to be done in a short period of time.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11Ben's boat is a Ker 40.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16That's half a million pounds worth of pure racing yacht, and it's fast.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20But a handicap system means that a slow boat crewed by amateurs
0:16:20 > 0:16:24has just as much chance of picking up the top prize.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28These conditions are pretty testing.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31The wind's up at 20 knots and there's a one-metre swell.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36But when these fellas move, they move.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Tacking like this is about split-second timing.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42On the day it's this kind of teamwork that could give them the edge.
0:16:44 > 0:16:45But it's not all about speed.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47It's about knowing the water, too.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51That's when navigator Mike Broughton comes in.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55Mike, this is where you spend quite a lot of your time, sat on the edge of this boat.
0:16:55 > 0:17:02I'm leaning out as far as I can to keep the weight out and the boat keeps more upright and we go faster.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04And sometimes I get shouted at for not leaning out far enough.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06It does go faster if you lean further out, does it?
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Yes, get the weight out, the boat will go faster.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12And is it quite a hard race to navigate, this particular one?
0:17:12 > 0:17:19Yeah, it is, very much so because it's a good six hours of racing, always close to the Isle of Wight.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23If you think about it, it's around the Isle of Wight, so the shortest distance is going
0:17:23 > 0:17:24very close to the Isle of Wight,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27so right up to the rocks in some places - but without quite hitting them.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34The smart money, though, is on high winds on race day.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38If that happens, these lads have a secret weapon - the spinnaker.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43Ten grands' worth of sail that turbocharges the yacht.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47Ben called for the spinnaker to go up, which is the big, billowing sail at the front.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Now we're just leaning back as much as possible under his order.
0:17:50 > 0:17:56I see the little speedo on there and we're just popping over 16, which is incredible.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00As you can see, the front of the boat keeps popping down into the waves,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03so we've got as much weight back as possible.
0:18:06 > 0:18:07Whoo!
0:18:14 > 0:18:17I can't believe how fast we're going, I really can't.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21It takes your breath away, honestly.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28How happy are you with how the boat's going today?
0:18:28 > 0:18:30- 50 seconds to tacking.- OK.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35It's that technical that in 50 seconds we're going to tack?
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Yes, if we don't tack at 50 seconds, we'll run aground and we won't be racing tomorrow!
0:18:38 > 0:18:42Yes, right, fair enough! Let's do it! HE LAUGHS
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Here we go, tacking in -
0:18:44 > 0:18:47three, two, one. Now!
0:18:51 > 0:18:53The boys can still race tomorrow.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00So that's how the professionals do it. But what about the amateurs?
0:19:00 > 0:19:06I've chosen to follow three teams from Tonbridge School in Kent, all taking part for the first time.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08These are the Old Tonbridgians.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12Like Ben, they're getting in a bit of pre-race practice.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Hello to the Old Boys from Tonbridge School.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Countryfile calling.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20THEY CHEER
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Did you have a happy sail over here.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Brilliant!
0:19:24 > 0:19:27And how are you all faring for the race tomorrow?
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Oh, thumbs-up right across the board.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Looking confident.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35There are two other teams from Tonbridge School.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39The boat, Sparkling Spirit, is crewed by current pupils.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41I'm Jack Morrell, crew on the Sparkling Spirit.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44I'm Ollie Russell. I'm spotting on the Sparkling Spirit.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47I'm George Collins and I'm navigating on the Spark...um, yuh.
0:19:47 > 0:19:48LAUGHTER
0:19:48 > 0:19:51- What is it, Sparkling Spirit?- Yes. - Sparkling Spirit. That's it.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Well, George, you'd better remember which boat you're on tomorrow.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00The final yacht is crewed by the boys' parents, who are underplaying their chances.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04We'd quite like to beat the boys, but we don't think we will.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07We thought, "Oh, it's quite busy," and then the skipper said,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10"You realise there'll be 20 times more boats than this tomorrow?"
0:20:10 > 0:20:14We all thought, "Hmm, right, OK!" Cos we were sort of gently tacking.
0:20:14 > 0:20:20And finally, here are the Old Boys of Tonbridge, or OTs as they're known.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23That was a super park under pressure, by the way.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Congratulations.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27So let's meet them.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30James Leahy, galley slave.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34Richard Langridge, crewman.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Nick Sloan, ballast and drinks waiter.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Quentin Skinner, looking out for things to bump into.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43And Keith, you're kind of in charge of the whole thing, is that right?
0:20:43 > 0:20:47For my sins, yes. All that matters is who beats who.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48Are OTs going to beat everybody
0:20:48 > 0:20:50or are the parents going to take the bragging rights?
0:20:55 > 0:20:58In next week's programme, amateurs and professionals alike are
0:20:58 > 0:21:05battling the elements in the roughest conditions seen in decades. Whoa!
0:21:05 > 0:21:06Wow!
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Will the Tonbridge teams cope with these seas and will Ben Ainslie
0:21:12 > 0:21:16battle through to win his first Round the Island Race?
0:21:16 > 0:21:22Later on Countryfile, Adam's got two lovesick bulls on the farm.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Eric is threatening the other bull, telling him to stay away from his cows.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29LOUD MOOING
0:21:29 > 0:21:33And what are my chances of beating James in our hill-climbing race?
0:21:36 > 0:21:38That does not sound like a man going slowly.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42Plus we'll have the weather forecast for the week ahead.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Deep in the Worcestershire countryside lies Droitwich Spa.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59This sedate market town was once the centre of a lucrative trade
0:21:59 > 0:22:03thanks to a vast brine lake hundreds of feet underground.
0:22:03 > 0:22:04The lake's been a source
0:22:04 > 0:22:07of salt for thousands of years, and by the Industrial Revolution,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10extraction was big business.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Precious for its preservative properties,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16salt was at one point more valuable than gold.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Even the Romans came to Droitwich for salt.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24Legionnaires worth their salt were paid in it.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28It was entrepreneur, John Corbett, who in the 19th century
0:22:28 > 0:22:31turned salt extraction into a major industry.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34I'm meeting his great, great granddaughter to find out more
0:22:34 > 0:22:36about the Salt King at Impney,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40the grand chateaux that Corbett built with the fortune he made from salt.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42This is such a spectacular building.
0:22:42 > 0:22:43Definitely.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Corbett's approach to salt manufacture was revolutionary.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50He pumped water into the ground to release the deposits
0:22:50 > 0:22:54before sucking it back up and using evaporation to retrieve the salt.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55Was this a process of his invention?
0:22:55 > 0:22:59Yes, he got these evaporation pans.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04It was a very hot and steamy process
0:23:04 > 0:23:07but it was more efficient, at the time.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12It was incredibly hard labour.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14It was also quite dangerous work.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18People had been known to fall into the boiling brine.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20It was perilous.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23So, salt made him very wealthy but he was very generous with it too.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28His workforce had a dispensary built for their medical needs,
0:23:28 > 0:23:32they had a school, he built a school for them.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Erm, there was a chaplain and a doctor on hand,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39especially employed to look after their needs.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44In return, he expected them to work extremely hard, not to be wasteful,
0:23:44 > 0:23:51to keep the standard and quality of his salt, the best that could be produced.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55I imagine it's difficult for us nowadays to appreciate quite how important salt was,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57because we think of it as a flavouring additive.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01In the days before refrigeration, it was key to the preservation of food, keeping it fresh and healthy to eat.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06Absolutely. It was incredibly precious.
0:24:06 > 0:24:14And...it's hard to imagine the sort of things they would have to go without if salt was not available.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Corbett was the Bill Gates of his day
0:24:17 > 0:24:20and lavished much of his money on good causes.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24The natural Droitwich brine which made John Corbett so wealthy,
0:24:24 > 0:24:28contains about two-and-a-half pounds of salt water per gallon.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32That's an amazing 15 times saltier than sea water,
0:24:32 > 0:24:36and rivalled only by that of the Dead Sea.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39So just how much salt can you get from Droitwich brine?
0:24:39 > 0:24:43Well, I'm about to find out with the help of a local primary school.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49Alan Davie is showing the children how to get salt by boiling up brine extracted from reserves
0:24:49 > 0:24:52hundreds of feet under the town.
0:24:52 > 0:24:53Whoa!
0:24:53 > 0:24:56It's a salt pancake.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00That's a good centimetre, I guess,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02right on the bottom of that pan,
0:25:02 > 0:25:03from maybe less than a litre of water.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Could be about 10 plates full of chips.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12There's enough salt for your whole canteen's chips, look at that.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Salt wasn't only used for industry.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24In 1876, Droitwich opened its first brine baths in a bid to become a spa town.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28The salty water was advertised as a cure for all ills.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32It's said it was so salty, you could float a fully laden tea-tray in it.
0:25:33 > 0:25:38Then, in the 1930s, this place opened, the Droitwich Lido,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41a saltwater pool using the same brine that made Corbett a rich man.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Nowadays, the brine's diluted
0:25:44 > 0:25:47and they chuck in a bit of chlorine for good measure.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54In its heyday, the Lido claimed to be the seaside-come-to-Droitwich.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58I'm not sure about that but it's just the job after that bag of chips I ate earlier!
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Now if swimming is your idea of a good workout,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07then the BBC's Big Splash campaign can help you.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10It's all about inspiring the nation to swim.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12For details, go to our website.
0:26:15 > 0:26:21Earlier, John was looking at concerns over the security of our food supplies here in the UK.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Should we be producing more of our own food
0:26:23 > 0:26:26and could we, if we wanted to?
0:26:31 > 0:26:35I've been hearing how a huge rise in the world's population
0:26:35 > 0:26:38could threaten the future of Britain's food suppliers
0:26:38 > 0:26:43because around 40% of what we eat, is imported.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Our last major food crisis came during the Second World War,
0:26:46 > 0:26:51when rationing helped prevent the possibility of starvation.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53So how did we recover from that?
0:26:53 > 0:26:56Firstly, we have a scientific and technological revelation after the war
0:26:56 > 0:26:59which raises agricultural productivity quite significantly.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Crop yields after the war rise rapidly.
0:27:01 > 0:27:07We've got tractors, sprays, chemicals, land re-organisation,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10all of which ensures what is a silent revolution in agriculture.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15This meant Britain was able to produce much of its own food
0:27:15 > 0:27:19during the second half of the 20th century.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24In fact, until relatively recently, more than three-quarters of it was home-grown.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28During the past decade, we've become more reliant again on imported food,
0:27:28 > 0:27:32so should we then be producing more of our own?
0:27:32 > 0:27:36According to a national survey conducted by Countryfile,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38you certainly seem to think so.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Almost half the people questioned felt that food production
0:27:41 > 0:27:46most deserved the use of more British farmland in the future.
0:27:46 > 0:27:47Perhaps surprisingly,
0:27:47 > 0:27:5488% felt the UK was too reliant on other countries for our food.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02As our population increases, can Britain produce more of what we eat?
0:28:02 > 0:28:05As we saw last week, our fields are needed for other things,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08such as biofuels, as well as for food.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12The big question is, how do we grow more
0:28:12 > 0:28:16on the limited amount of land that we've got in this country?
0:28:16 > 0:28:21Creating higher, better yields, means turning to science for some ingenious solutions.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Researchers believe that something like this,
0:28:24 > 0:28:28a footwear waterproofer, could be one of the answers.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31At Harper Adams University College in Shropshire,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34crop scientist, Peter Kettlewell,
0:28:34 > 0:28:38has been pioneering a technique to produce drought-resistant wheat.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42How does a waterproofer like this actually help with growing wheat?
0:28:42 > 0:28:45It'll do exactly the same as it will on your shoes.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47It'll waterproof them.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51With wheat, what we're trying to do is not stop water getting in,
0:28:51 > 0:28:53we're trying to stop water getting out.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57That plant needs that water to survive and grow.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01So we get more grains, more yield, more food.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04- Don't they use waterproofing on fruit?- That's right, yes.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07The biggest use probably is on these things,
0:29:07 > 0:29:09your citrus fruit that you buy.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12If every farmer had had this in Britain this year,
0:29:12 > 0:29:14they might have been getting a better wheat yield.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16That's absolutely right.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18We've had the driest spring since 1893
0:29:18 > 0:29:24and we can't rely on having enough rain all the time, even in this country.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27So far, we've only been doing this research literally in this field.
0:29:27 > 0:29:32What we need to do now, is try it in different places,
0:29:32 > 0:29:34and see that it does work elsewhere.
0:29:35 > 0:29:36But that needs money.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40In the mid-'80s, major cuts in public funding
0:29:40 > 0:29:45for agricultural research had a massive impact. Productivity slowed down.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48In recent years, funding has increased.
0:29:48 > 0:29:54But are we getting the best value from the £420 million a year of taxpayers' money?
0:29:54 > 0:30:01Many millions of pounds are being spent on agricultural research, but is it going in the right places?
0:30:01 > 0:30:04I think, at the moment, it's not going in the right places,
0:30:04 > 0:30:08in so far as we need to have investment in the laboratory,
0:30:08 > 0:30:10but also investment in the field.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14At the moment, money's going more into the lab than into the field?
0:30:14 > 0:30:18It's about getting the balance right. If farmers can't pick up the advances in technology
0:30:18 > 0:30:23and apply them in the field, what's the point of the investment? That's what they're crying out for.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Shouldn't you be putting more money into it?
0:30:26 > 0:30:30Farmers do invest in their own research and have been doing for a number of years.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34It's something they'll look to consider to increase over time
0:30:34 > 0:30:36if that is something that is needed.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41'As long as someone pays for it, research in new technology
0:30:41 > 0:30:44'seem to offer our best hope of producing more.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47'According to the experts, supplying too much of our own food
0:30:47 > 0:30:50'would actually cause its own problems.
0:30:50 > 0:30:55'If Britain was 100% self-sufficient, just one bad harvest
0:30:55 > 0:30:58'could leave us facing shortages as severe as those during the war.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01'Yet relying on the rest of the world to feed us
0:31:01 > 0:31:05'doesn't come with any guarantees either.'
0:31:05 > 0:31:09Finding enough food is going to be a huge global problem,
0:31:09 > 0:31:14so how is what happens everywhere else going to affect us here in the UK?
0:31:14 > 0:31:17We're a small island here, but we live in a global food system.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20The prices we pay for food in the UK,
0:31:20 > 0:31:24the decisions the farmers make to decide what crops to grow
0:31:24 > 0:31:27depend on what happens all around the world.
0:31:27 > 0:31:32For the last couple of years, we've seen wheat prices being very high.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36One of the reasons for that is that there have been droughts in wheat in Australia
0:31:36 > 0:31:39and droughts in parts of central Asia.
0:31:39 > 0:31:44Many of the areas where wheat is grown require underground water
0:31:44 > 0:31:47- and that's going to run out in ten or 20 years.- What's your prediction?
0:31:47 > 0:31:50Are we going to be able to feed people in the future?
0:31:50 > 0:31:52I'm an optimist. I think we can do,
0:31:52 > 0:31:56but only if really critical decisions are made.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59It really is a critical time.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03The decisions that we make in the next couple of decades
0:32:03 > 0:32:06will have effects that will ripple down the centuries.
0:32:07 > 0:32:13'It's almost impossible to separate the future of our food supplies from global food security.
0:32:13 > 0:32:18'But what we can do is provide research to help every country produce more,
0:32:18 > 0:32:23'hopefully preventing the predicted food crisis from becoming our problem as well.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27'And if you want to find out more, tune into Farming Today
0:32:27 > 0:32:30'on Radio 4, every morning this week at a quarter to six.'
0:32:35 > 0:32:39Still to come on Countryfile, James and I go head-to-head in our rural motor race.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43- CRUNCH! - Oh, that's a good start(!)
0:32:43 > 0:32:47And find out if the weather's going to be a non-starter
0:32:47 > 0:32:49with the Countryfile forecast.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03Today, we've been exploring the rather savoury past of Droitwich.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06But now I'm looking at the legacy the salt industry left behind -
0:33:06 > 0:33:08its canals.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11Until the railways took over, the canals were the only way
0:33:11 > 0:33:14of getting this precious mineral out of the country.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16In their day, they were a major trade route,
0:33:16 > 0:33:20but with the decline of salt extraction, they fell into disrepair.
0:33:21 > 0:33:28That was until the 1970s, when a major restoration project aimed to open up the network again.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31Jason, I'm very jealous about your job. This is beautiful.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34- Good to meet you. - And you. Hi, James.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39Just walk me through how you restore a canal network. What do you have to do?
0:33:39 > 0:33:43We've restored nine broad-beam locks on the barge canal,
0:33:43 > 0:33:47using lime mortar to make sure they're as original as possible.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50We've had to tunnel under the A449 dual-carriageway.
0:33:50 > 0:33:55That was a huge construction job. We created 500, 700 metres of new canal
0:33:55 > 0:33:58and the new bridge that we're passing through now.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01We're trying to get the planting right. We've gone to a lot of effort
0:34:01 > 0:34:02to make sure we retain as much
0:34:02 > 0:34:05of the natural environment to get the balance between modern use
0:34:05 > 0:34:07and the wildlife.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15'But in just a few places, the canal hasn't followed its original route
0:34:15 > 0:34:17'and I'm off to find out more.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19'I'm meeting conservationist Paul Wilkinson
0:34:19 > 0:34:25'in a section of the old canal that's now home to some rather special amphibians.'
0:34:25 > 0:34:27I don't think I've ever seen a newt in real life.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29We'll sort that out! OK. Good stuff.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32'I'm told this place is full of newts.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34'Time for a paddle to see what I can net.'
0:34:34 > 0:34:36Oh, there are signs of life!
0:34:38 > 0:34:40How common are these newts?
0:34:40 > 0:34:44The smooth newts are reasonably widespread and common.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47Great crests are obviously protected.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53'And first catch, a smooth newt.'
0:34:53 > 0:34:55They're almost close to leaving the water now.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58They're going very much like the adult colour.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Those gills will be absorbed back into the head
0:35:01 > 0:35:05and they'll get lungs and stop breathing underwater and start to breathe air.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09- Look at that! - You've got something exciting there.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11Fantastic, well done. A great crested newt.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15That's got a really wide tail. That's much bigger than the last one.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17Yes. Let me get him in there so we don't do him any harm.
0:35:17 > 0:35:22That is a great crested newt tadpole, which I wasn't expecting to catch today.
0:35:22 > 0:35:27'Paul's licensed to survey newts, so I'm OK to do this under his supervision.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31'Great crested newts are protected. It's illegal to catch or disturb them.'
0:35:31 > 0:35:36It's almost one of those tropical guppies with a colourful wide tail. Look at that.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39They behave like a fish - out in the open in the water, catching water fleas.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42That's where the fish pick them off, so they're after ponds,
0:35:42 > 0:35:46big, with lots of food, but without fish. Those are rare habitats.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49- Is that part of the reason they're under threat?- Yes.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58'It's not just the wildlife that's benefiting from this restoration.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02'John Weston runs a family dairy farm that backs onto the canal.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10'But work's about to start here on a very different venture.'
0:36:10 > 0:36:15Five years ago, when the council proposed
0:36:15 > 0:36:18the restoration of these new canals, they identified
0:36:18 > 0:36:22one particular field of ours for a possible site for a marina,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25so over the last five years we've been following it up
0:36:25 > 0:36:29and getting planning permission and we're about to start construction.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33'Today, I'll be helping John and son-in-law Nick
0:36:33 > 0:36:36'drive the cows out of the field for the very last time.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39'But first, I want to find out more about that marina
0:36:39 > 0:36:44'and the plan to moor 238 narrow boats here.'
0:36:44 > 0:36:48We're trying to create a real countryside feel. Eventually,
0:36:48 > 0:36:53by spring next year, we'll have boats moored up, really.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56That's a really quick turnaround.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00- This is the tree we're underneath right at the moment?- Yes.
0:37:00 > 0:37:05We're lucky the canal literally just goes past your piece of land, right there.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08You're going to have just as many moorings as cows.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12Well, not far away! Hopefully, if things go well
0:37:12 > 0:37:16and the joys of the British weather help us along as well,
0:37:16 > 0:37:18we shall be opening next spring.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25Time to say goodbye to the cows and hello to the boats,
0:37:25 > 0:37:27in this field at least.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31And it's all thanks to the restoration of the canal.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34This dairy farming business is pretty easy. Even I can do this!
0:37:34 > 0:37:37We just need to get them out! THEY LAUGH
0:37:45 > 0:37:49Now, the lambs on Adam's farm are almost fully grown.
0:37:49 > 0:37:50But there's no rest in sight,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53as there are dozens of newly-born piglets to look after.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04I've got about 12 different sows of various breeds -
0:38:04 > 0:38:08this is an Iron Age. Pigs breed all year round.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11Their gestation period is three months, three weeks and three days.
0:38:11 > 0:38:16And this sow has had a lovely litter. She's had 11 piglets.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20In a commercial system,
0:38:20 > 0:38:26modern day sows are having anything from 16, even 20 piglets at a time.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29So they're really producing a lot of pork.
0:38:29 > 0:38:34With the rare breeds, it's more about taste and quality than numbers.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38But we still need them to have good-sized litters.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42There's a good old girl. Done well, haven't you?
0:38:42 > 0:38:46'Some of the other breeds have had disappointingly small litters this time,
0:38:46 > 0:38:48'particularly my Tamworth.'
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Part of the reason I keep rare breeds is for conservation.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54But the other reason is to produce meat.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58And a sow like this costs a lot of money to keep all year round.
0:38:58 > 0:39:03So she needs to give me a return in lots of piglets and four isn't enough.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06What I'll do is wean these in about six weeks' time,
0:39:06 > 0:39:10put her straight back to the boar and hopefully her next litter will be bigger.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13If she keeps having small litters, she'll have to go.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16'It seems tough, but farming is a business.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20'The animals kept for breeding have to be the best.'
0:39:24 > 0:39:27This Gloucester Old Spot sow hasn't done too well either.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31She's only given birth to five piglets.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34But she's made up for it because she's adopted this little Tamworth
0:39:34 > 0:39:37that was outside and got kicked by one of my Exmoor ponies.
0:39:37 > 0:39:42I thought it was going to die and I put it in with this sow who'd recently fallowed
0:39:42 > 0:39:47and she now loves it and it's suckling with all its new little brothers and sisters.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51Because she's only had five, there's plenty of milk to go round.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55'At just a couple of weeks old, our piglets will start to eat solid food too.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59'Over the next few months, they'll grow really quickly.'
0:40:00 > 0:40:05I've got some pigs along here from a previous litter. They're about five months old now.
0:40:05 > 0:40:10They need weighing because they're nearly ready to go for pork.
0:40:17 > 0:40:18Come on.
0:40:19 > 0:40:25So, we want them to be between 70 and 75 kilos to make good pork
0:40:25 > 0:40:30and this one weighs 72, 73, so it's about right.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34I could maybe keep it for another week to put on a little more meat,
0:40:34 > 0:40:38but I reckon it's ready to go, so I'll mark this one.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41And we'll take it to the butcher's next week.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44You can tell these other two aren't nearly as big.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48They're not the weight yet but I'll weigh them to see how well they're growing.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52That's it. There's a good pig.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56So, that's 50, 55.5 kilos.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01What we do is write down the weight and the date that we've weighed them
0:41:01 > 0:41:04and work out how much weight they're putting on every day
0:41:04 > 0:41:07and then their food that we need to feed them.
0:41:07 > 0:41:14So that's tag number 1,504. That's 57.5 kilos.
0:41:14 > 0:41:19That's still got a good month to go before it gets up to the weight of that other one.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26'Out in the fields, the lambs born this spring can survive on grass now,
0:41:26 > 0:41:29'so it's time to wean them away from the ewes.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32'I need to round them up into the handling pens
0:41:32 > 0:41:35'and as usual, my dog Pearl is happy to help.'
0:41:42 > 0:41:45What I've got to do now is sort out the ewes from the lambs.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49And the lambs will go on to some very good pasture
0:41:49 > 0:41:51and the ewes will go on to some poor pasture,
0:41:51 > 0:41:54so their milk dries up and they don't get mastitis,
0:41:54 > 0:41:57then they'll have a couple of months' break,
0:41:57 > 0:42:01ready to go back to the rams so they lamb again in the spring.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06'Mike and I weigh the lambs so we can work out
0:42:06 > 0:42:09'how much longer they need to fatten up on grass.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13'They all have electronic ID tags in their ears,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16'so we can keep a record of their progress.'
0:42:16 > 0:42:21I remember this little lamb being born because he's number one on his side.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23It's a Norfolk Horn.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26- How heavy is he? - He's 37.5 kilos.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30- He feels pretty good. - He's almost there.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33Almost there, ready for the butcher. A nice lamb.
0:42:33 > 0:42:34It's a strange concept,
0:42:34 > 0:42:38helping the lamb when its born and seeing it through its life
0:42:38 > 0:42:41and knowing it's going to go to the butcher, but it's something to be proud of.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45We've given it a good life and created some lovely meat.
0:42:48 > 0:42:53'Whilst most of our lambs go for meat, the best ewe lambs will stay on the farm.'
0:42:53 > 0:42:57So with our flock, what we do is breed our own replacements.
0:42:57 > 0:43:01Females like this Dartmoor will have a blue dot on
0:43:01 > 0:43:04and she'll be kept in the flock.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08She'll be going to the ram next autumn. Not this coming year, but the following autumn,
0:43:08 > 0:43:12and then she'll be giving birth on this farm in two years' time.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17These lambs will go away into the field and graze quite happily,
0:43:17 > 0:43:19but the ewes will call for them for a day or two.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22It seems a bit mean, but the ewes have got to have a rest
0:43:22 > 0:43:26before we get them pregnant again and they lamb the following spring.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32'Our lambs needs to fatten up before they go to the butcher,
0:43:32 > 0:43:36'so we're putting them onto our best pasture.'
0:43:36 > 0:43:38This field was cut for hay about a week ago
0:43:38 > 0:43:41and the grass is starting to grow now the rain has come.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45There are young, short, sweet shoots of grass for the lambs to eat
0:43:45 > 0:43:47and they'll absolutely love it out there.
0:43:49 > 0:43:54'A couple of weeks ago, I moved our Highland bull Eric back in with the heifers.
0:43:54 > 0:43:56'I'm hoping he'll get them all in calf soon
0:43:56 > 0:43:58'so they'll give birth in the spring.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01'He's been a quiet boy for the last few months.
0:44:01 > 0:44:05'But now he's in with the ladies, he's found his voice again.'
0:44:05 > 0:44:08BULL BELLOWS
0:44:08 > 0:44:14Eric's making this grumbling noise and looking over there because I've got another bull over there.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17At this time of year, when the cows are coming into season,
0:44:17 > 0:44:21they moan at each other and threaten each other from a few fields away.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24BULL BELLOWS
0:44:26 > 0:44:29The other night, I had a bit of a surprise.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31There was a hell of a din going on and bulls roaring
0:44:31 > 0:44:34and I came out here because I knew there was trouble.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37The old bull had jumped over the fence into the road
0:44:37 > 0:44:41and come over two more fences to get in with Eric and his cows,
0:44:41 > 0:44:46and one of the old cows that I've now had to separate out was bulling - she was in season.
0:44:46 > 0:44:51And the old bull beat Eric up and went off with one of his wives!
0:44:52 > 0:44:54Bacchus is the bull that got onto Eric's patch,
0:44:54 > 0:44:59and as he fathered many of the cows, we don't want him mating with them.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01Dad's offered to give me a hand catching him.
0:45:01 > 0:45:06- I don't want any more bullfights here so we need to move him away from Eric.- Perfect!
0:45:09 > 0:45:14- BULL BELLOWS - Don't you moan at me, you old devil!
0:45:14 > 0:45:15- It's all noise and no action.- Yes!
0:45:15 > 0:45:19Shall we take them all up to the gate and cut the cows back?
0:45:19 > 0:45:23Yeah, I think that's a good idea. Then we'll get the bull down the alleyway on his own.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27- Right.- He won't want to leave them. - I know. That's what I was thinking.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30Ever so quiet, aren't you? There's a good boy.
0:45:30 > 0:45:35Wouldn't have thought that when I was chasing him around at midnight the other night!
0:45:35 > 0:45:37Go on, then. All together. Go on.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43Go on, then. Go on.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46Once he's in, we've got him.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48- That's right.- Go on. - Don't change your mind!
0:45:49 > 0:45:52- Walk on!- Go on.
0:45:54 > 0:45:59Although Bacchus is on his best behaviour today, he's a powerful beast, so we have to be careful.
0:45:59 > 0:46:04We're moving him to the other side of the farm, as far away from Eric as possible.
0:46:06 > 0:46:11I'm going to put this bull in the barn now where he'll be locked up
0:46:11 > 0:46:17safe from causing any more damage and serving any other cows that we don't want him to.
0:46:17 > 0:46:22I'll probably get another steer to keep him company.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25Go on, then, fellow. Good boy. In you go.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27In you go. There's a good boy.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29In you go.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38Right. He's definitely not getting out of there.
0:46:40 > 0:46:45Next week, it's all hands on deck, as it's harvest time for our crops.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48After the dry spring, I just hope they've recovered.
0:46:50 > 0:46:55Thank you to everybody who's entered the Countryfile Photographic Competition,
0:46:55 > 0:47:00which we've called Best In Show. Haven't we, Abigail? We've been amazed at the quality of the photos.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03They're fantastic, and the very best of them are going to make it into
0:47:03 > 0:47:05the Countryfile calendar for 2012
0:47:05 > 0:47:07which is sold in aid of Children In Need.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11If you haven't yet entered, you've just got one week left to do so.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14Here's John with a final reminder of what to do.
0:47:16 > 0:47:21Here's just a taster of some of the pictures that we've received so far.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42We're absolutely delighted with the response,
0:47:42 > 0:47:46and if you still want to enter, well, you better move quickly.
0:47:46 > 0:47:51The closing date is Friday the 12th of August.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55Let me remind you of the rules and how to enter.
0:47:56 > 0:48:00The best photo in each class will be put to the viewers' vote.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04The person who takes the winning photo will be declared Best In Show
0:48:04 > 0:48:08and gets to choose from a range of the latest photographic equipment
0:48:08 > 0:48:09to the value of £1,000.
0:48:09 > 0:48:13Whoever takes the judges' favourite photo will get to choose equipment
0:48:13 > 0:48:16to the value of £500.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19Our competition isn't open to professionals.
0:48:19 > 0:48:23Your entries mustn't have been offered for sale or won other competitions.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26That's because we want something original.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32You can enter up to four photos which must be taken in the UK.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36Please write your name, address and daytime and evening phone number
0:48:36 > 0:48:40on the back of each photo with a note of which class
0:48:40 > 0:48:41you want it to be judged in.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44Each photo can only be entered in one class.
0:48:44 > 0:48:49Then all you have to do is send your entries to -
0:48:57 > 0:49:00The full terms and conditions are on our website,
0:49:00 > 0:49:04as well as details of the BBC's code of conduct for competitions.
0:49:04 > 0:49:10Please write to us enclosing a stamped addressed envelope if you want a copy of the rules.
0:49:17 > 0:49:21In a moment, I'll be revving up and raring to go up the Shelsley Walsh hill.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24First, here's a look at the weather for the week ahead.
0:51:49 > 0:51:56.
0:52:06 > 0:52:11This week, we've been exploring the Worcestershire countryside and I've been finding out
0:52:11 > 0:52:15about the oldest operational motorsport venue in the world, Shelsley Walsh.
0:52:15 > 0:52:20It's race time now. James and I are going head-to-head.
0:52:20 > 0:52:26James, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to drive as fast as you can up a very steep hill.
0:52:26 > 0:52:31- It's just over half a mile long. Straight up the hill.- OK.- The whole way up.- How hard can it be?
0:52:31 > 0:52:35- Exactly.- Put your foot down and go. - It's not difficult. Don't even think about it.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38- Laters.- Good luck. You'll need it.
0:52:40 > 0:52:44In order to have any chance of beating Clare, I've teamed up
0:52:44 > 0:52:49with record-breaking hill-racing champion Martin Groves in his Jaguar XFR Le Mans.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52And I'm with the man who lives and breathes this hill,
0:52:52 > 0:52:56Simon Durling, in his lighter, nippier Morgan Aero 8.
0:52:56 > 0:53:02Martin, beneath your mild-mannered exterior, I hear you're a bit of a driving demon.
0:53:02 > 0:53:06- I've been known to put a car up this course fairly quickly.- How quick?
0:53:06 > 0:53:12The outright record I currently hold is 22.58 seconds.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15That's an average speed of just over 90mph.
0:53:15 > 0:53:20Obviously I do want to go faster than James, but my mother says it's really
0:53:20 > 0:53:24unattractive when I get competitive, so I've got to pretend that I don't really mind.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28I've got my own strategy worked out. But there's something Martin needs to know first.
0:53:28 > 0:53:33I've never driven anything before, apart from a golf buggy when I was 16 and I made that capsize.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35- Ah!- But I've got a plan!
0:53:35 > 0:53:39We're both wearing helmets, Clare's never going to know...
0:53:39 > 0:53:42- Do you want to swap seats? - That sounds like a good plan.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46Plan hatched. I wonder how Clare's getting on.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49I'm getting my first practice run on the track.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52I'd rather have my visor up... CRUNCH!
0:53:52 > 0:53:57- That's a good start(!)- This racing business really isn't that hard. - James, she's got no chance.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02Ooh, my word. Sorry.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12I need to get the old gear changes in a bit sooner, don't I?
0:54:12 > 0:54:14It'll come.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17- You've only just sat here. - 'That's my training done.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21'Next time I drive this course, I'll have my race face on.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24'Just time for a few last-minute tips.'
0:54:24 > 0:54:28- As you're coming out of Top S, don't be too fierce on the throttle. - Look at you two swots!
0:54:28 > 0:54:30- How's it going?- Oh, hi, James.
0:54:30 > 0:54:32Yeah, it's fine. Have you been practising?
0:54:32 > 0:54:36You don't really need practising. It's just a hill.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38- You are kidding? - You just put your foot down.
0:54:38 > 0:54:43- That's one way of looking at it. - I'll see you at the top of the hill later on. It's ladies first,
0:54:43 > 0:54:45so good luck to both of you. I know you'll need it.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49- I'll see you in a little bit. - Thanks, James.- See you round.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52- Seriously fired up now? Really? - Yes.- Yeah.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56Come on.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01And this is it, race time.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03Fastest one up the hill wins. I'm ready.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06- Good luck, Clare!- Thank you.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14'Not a bad start. Happy with that.'
0:55:17 > 0:55:19- Stay in this gear.- Yep.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25The track is wet now. This is taking every ounce of my concentration.
0:55:25 > 0:55:27Stay off the throttle.
0:55:27 > 0:55:31That's brilliant. Now floor it.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35'And before I know it, the finish is in sight.'
0:55:38 > 0:55:4041 seconds 37.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42My hand is actually shaking.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45That's because of concentrating so hard.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48If your hand isn't shaking or you aren't shaking slightly
0:55:48 > 0:55:52- when you get to the top then you haven't gone fast enough. - He'll do well to beat that.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56But of course, what Clare doesn't know is I can't drive.
0:55:56 > 0:56:01Instead I've got my own Stig, Martin, the course record holder, at the wheel.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08ENGINE ROARS He's gunning it, isn't he?
0:56:10 > 0:56:13- HE LAUGHS - This is so much fun.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15That does not sound like a man going slowly.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22Here he comes, here he comes. He's got his indicator on.
0:56:25 > 0:56:27One, two, three, go!
0:56:27 > 0:56:29- He's nailed it, hasn't he?- He has.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33- He's destroyed me.- I'm afraid so. - Clare Balding, eat my dust.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39How's that, Clare?
0:56:42 > 0:56:44He's smashed it, hasn't he?
0:56:44 > 0:56:48- Not bad for someone who's never driven before. - That wasn't you! That wasn't you!
0:56:48 > 0:56:52I couldn't even figure out how to get this helmet on.
0:56:52 > 0:56:57I was looking at the clock and thinking, "He's smashed this!"
0:56:57 > 0:57:02- Were you never going to do it? - I was never going to do it. I've never driven before.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04- I have no idea how to drive. - You don't drive?
0:57:04 > 0:57:06I've never had a lesson, or been in a car.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08You do not drive?
0:57:08 > 0:57:12Did you lot know this? I'm thinking, "How can he be that quick?"
0:57:12 > 0:57:17and I'm watching you come up going, "He hasn't even been up here and he's absolutely flying!"
0:57:17 > 0:57:21Thanks a lot(!) And that is all we've got time for this week.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23Next Sunday, Matt will be back on the high seas
0:57:23 > 0:57:27in the Round The Island Race, and John's going to be in Hardy country.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29- Fantastic.- Well done, James.
0:57:29 > 0:57:31- Thank you very much.- Thanks. Bye.
0:57:44 > 0:57:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:46 > 0:57:48E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk