0:00:27 > 0:00:28Warwickshire -
0:00:28 > 0:00:31a county set deep in the heart of England,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33rich in history, rural charm
0:00:33 > 0:00:35and captivating countryside.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39I'm going to be celebrating
0:00:39 > 0:00:42the 80th year of the National Federation of Young Farmers
0:00:42 > 0:00:44by brushing up on the old farming skills.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50And I won't be chickening out on any of them.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53While Matt's getting stuck in, something tells me
0:00:53 > 0:00:56I'm going to be a bit saddle sore by the end of the programme.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00I'll be learning the ladylike way to ride a horse side-saddle.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03I'll also be trying out a classic British bike
0:01:03 > 0:01:07and training to race against a former Olympic champion.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Tom's taking on an altogether more serious challenge.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14These distinctive black and white cows
0:01:14 > 0:01:17are the backbone of the British dairy industry,
0:01:17 > 0:01:21but there's a cost to making sure that we are kept in milk,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24so I'll be discovering what's being done
0:01:24 > 0:01:28to stop the deaths of tens of thousands of dairy calves.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33And Adam's up in the Yorkshire Dales.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35I've come to see these wonderful Belted Galloway cattle
0:01:35 > 0:01:39that help preserve this beautiful limestone countryside.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42They live up on the moor here pretty much all year round.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45They're hardy beasts but today they're enjoying the sunshine
0:01:45 > 0:01:47and wallowing in the water here.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50But I'm here to see if there's a good bull to buy.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06A landlocked county in the heart of the England.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Warwickshire is a place of pastoral landscapes and picturesque towns
0:02:10 > 0:02:14stretched out gloriously across 1,200 square miles.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19'Tucked away on its southernmost border is Shipston-on-Stour.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23'Founded as a sheep market in the 8th century,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26'today farming is still very much at the heart of the local community
0:02:26 > 0:02:29'amongst both the old and the young.'
0:02:29 > 0:02:31It may sound like a contradiction,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34but this year the National Federation of Young Farmers clubs
0:02:34 > 0:02:38is 80 years old and it's something that I know all too well
0:02:38 > 0:02:40because I'm its president.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Now, you wouldn't believe what our members get up to.
0:02:42 > 0:02:48Welly-wanging is just the start of it. Wa-hey!
0:02:48 > 0:02:49That's a beauty!
0:02:49 > 0:02:52At this farm in Shipston-on-Stour,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54they're putting on a county rally,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57which I'll be taking part in later.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Across England and Wales, rallies like this take place
0:03:00 > 0:03:04throughout the year, as young farmers aged between 10 and 26
0:03:04 > 0:03:08get together to have some fun and pit their skills against each other.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11It's something young farmers have been doing for eight decades.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15While the way they farm has changed, their passions certainly haven't.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18I'll tell you what, James, looking at these,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Young Farmers have certainly come a long way in the 80 years.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Hasn't it just, yeah?
0:03:22 > 0:03:26So, 23,000 members these days but it all started back in Devon
0:03:26 > 0:03:29when competition was the key.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Yeah, it did. It started with calf and pig rearing clubs.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35United Diaries actually organised a competition to encourage young people
0:03:35 > 0:03:36to raise livestock -
0:03:36 > 0:03:40encouraged to raise the standards that livestock was being reared by.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43- It was quite popular back then? - It was amazingly popular, yeah.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48It was the core competition that kick-started all Young Farmers.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51In under ten years, there were over 100 clubs up and down the country.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53The competitions have widened out a little bit
0:03:53 > 0:03:56using more and more agricultural skill as well.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59- Yeah.- So tractor maintenance and all that kind of stuff.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Exactly. There's a lot of people who owe their skills and careers
0:04:02 > 0:04:05to the skills they picked up with Young Farmers.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08- The Agricultural Minister for one. - The Agricultural Minister.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12- Some guy called Matt Butcher or something(!)- Yeah, very good.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14He was in Young Farmers.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18You don't have to be a farmer to be a member of Young Farmers.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22No, you don't have to "be one to be one" is the old phrase as it goes.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26I'm not a farmer. I don't come from a farming background.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29If you like being outside, then great.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33If you like being stuck to a computer, then maybe not for you.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36'There's a lot more to these clubs than just competitions, though.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39'They give youngsters a voice on farming both here in the UK
0:04:39 > 0:04:42'and in Europe and they are enjoying something of a resurgence.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45'This club in Shipston-on-Stour started last year
0:04:45 > 0:04:50'and is already thriving with nearly 50 members.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53'I'm meeting one if its founders who's lending me his wheels
0:04:53 > 0:04:55'to compete around the tractor course later.'
0:04:59 > 0:05:03An absolute beauty. Show me the controls before you let me loose.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06It's a fairly modern tractor.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09So it's not difficult to drive.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12All it is is forward and back on that lever there.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Your gears are here so if you want to go faster, it's the hare
0:05:16 > 0:05:18and slower, tortoise.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20And pedals then just as you would in a car?
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Yeah, accelerator, brake and clutch. Simple.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- Perfect. Right.- Your turn. - Let's go for a drive.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Look after it.
0:05:30 > 0:05:36This machinery is a lot heftier than the stuff we have on our hill farm.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38So, with ten tonnes at my mercy and a trailer in tow,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41I'm making sure I get the hang of the handling out in an open field
0:05:41 > 0:05:45before I attempt the course.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Right, well, I'm feeling OK actually in an open field
0:05:51 > 0:05:54but there's parts of that course that are looking pretty tight
0:05:54 > 0:05:57but I'm ready for the challenge.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01While the guys here finish their preparations,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04I'm heading off to meet one of the club's other young farmers
0:06:04 > 0:06:06who's honing her rural skills.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Annabel James lives on a farm a few miles down the road
0:06:09 > 0:06:13and is learning the art of shepherding from her dad, Will.
0:06:13 > 0:06:14HE WHISTLES
0:06:14 > 0:06:16So your dad's teaching you the tricks of the trade
0:06:16 > 0:06:20as far as sheepdog trialling or training is concerned. Good.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21How long have you been doing it?
0:06:21 > 0:06:27- Um, I have only just started. - Right. How are you getting on?- OK.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Well, we're about to find that out, actually.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31The challenge is then, Annabel,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33for you to get them into that little pen at the end.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Yeah, go for it. Show us your skills. Good luck.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Away. Right, away.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Fly away.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Just to give you an idea of what's going on here,
0:06:47 > 0:06:48there's quite a few sheepdog commands.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51You might have heard of "come by" and "away."
0:06:51 > 0:06:53If you imagine that your field is a clock,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57when your dog is running clockwise, starts with a C, known as "come by".
0:06:57 > 0:07:00And when your dog is running anticlockwise, it starts with an A,
0:07:00 > 0:07:01that's "away".
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Away. Get away. Get away.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Walk them on.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Good girl. Walk them on.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11This is good, Annabel, it's very good.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13Good girl.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Walk them on.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18There we go. Teamwork. Perfect.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23- How's she coming on, then, as a little pupil?- She learning.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25She's keen, so that's brilliant.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28'Although Annabel's not planning to be a farmer herself,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31'it's great to see how determined she is to learn these skills
0:07:31 > 0:07:34'and stay close to her rural roots.'
0:07:38 > 0:07:43Earlier in the year on Countryfile, we told you how eating British veal
0:07:43 > 0:07:46could help prevent the needless deaths of thousands of dairy calves.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50But is anything actually being done? Tom has been to find out.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56'Black and white cows grazing in green pasture.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58'It's a typically British rural scene
0:07:58 > 0:08:00'and one we've been familiar with for centuries,
0:08:00 > 0:08:06'thanks to our love of milk and a whole host of other dairy products.'
0:08:07 > 0:08:10But behind this idyllic scene lies a problem
0:08:10 > 0:08:14which affects many of Britain's dairy farmers
0:08:14 > 0:08:17and, more pointedly, their newborn calves.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21The problem stems from the fact
0:08:21 > 0:08:25that cows need to regularly have calves to produce milk.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Roger Mason runs a dairy farm
0:08:29 > 0:08:31here on the southern fringes of the Lake District.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Hi, Roger. Nice to see you keeping your ladies well fed.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39- Morning, Tom.- So tell me about the herd you have.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43We keep around 150 milk cows, give or take ten either way,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46giving 9,000 litres per cow per year.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Wow, that's a lot of milk.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50How do you go about making sure
0:08:50 > 0:08:52you've got plenty of milk most of the time?
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Well, a cow has to be pregnant and have a calf
0:08:55 > 0:08:58to be able to produce milk in the first place.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01It's just a case of getting a calf off a cow every 12 months.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06So you've got a lot of calves being born to this herd?
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Yeah, 150 cows, 150 calves.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12'In an ideal world the female calves would go on to produce milk
0:09:12 > 0:09:15'and the males could be reared to produce beef
0:09:15 > 0:09:18'but as we reported back in January, it's not as simple as that.'
0:09:18 > 0:09:2495% of our national dairy herd is of the Holstein type,
0:09:24 > 0:09:26these familiar black and whites.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30They've been specially bred to maximise milk yield,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32making them perfect for the dairy industry
0:09:32 > 0:09:37but not ideal for the economics of modern beef production.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41'Dairy cattle just don't carry as much meat as beef breeds
0:09:41 > 0:09:44'so they can cost more to rear than they sell for.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46'That means while female calves are kept for milking,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50'a quarter of all male or bull calves are shot at birth.
0:09:50 > 0:09:55That's around a 100,000 animals every year.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59'Members of the Beyond Calf Exports Forum are trying to change that.'
0:09:59 > 0:10:01These calves have been historically viewed
0:10:01 > 0:10:04as waste and treated as such.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08What we wanted to do was see the number of calves exported reduced,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11the number of calves being shot at birth reduced,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15and an increase in the rearing of these calves in Britain
0:10:15 > 0:10:17in higher welfare systems.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- So how are you doing? - I think we're doing pretty well.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25From a situation where most calves were exported or shot on farm,
0:10:25 > 0:10:31now more than three out of four are being retained in Britain,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34reared by British farmers to higher welfare standards.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38'As John reported in January,
0:10:38 > 0:10:42'one solution could be to rear surplus bull calves for veal.'
0:10:42 > 0:10:46Dairy farmers want to rear their animals, look after their animals.
0:10:46 > 0:10:47They want to see them have a life.
0:10:47 > 0:10:53In the past, production of white veal from calves kept in cramped crates
0:10:53 > 0:10:57was seen as cruel and it's an image that still persists.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01But in reality those days are long gone, and now in the UK,
0:11:01 > 0:11:06the meat from young cattle is a high welfare product.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09A new couple of calves for Roger's farm.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13British Rose Veal comes with the approval of both
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Compassion In World Farming and the RSPCA.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Farmer's like Roger Mason have certainly noticed
0:11:19 > 0:11:21an increase in interest since our last report.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Pretty happy to get in here, bouncing about.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27That's right. It shows that they're nice and healthy and happy.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31- How are veal sales going? - Yeah, they are on the up.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33I think the awareness of the public helps
0:11:33 > 0:11:37and programmes like this help as well. It puts it out there.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41I think it's always had bad publicity, from the '70s and '80s,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45of the crates and cruelty, but now because they are welfare friendly,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49people realise they can eat veal and it is good to eat it.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51It should keep moving forward, but it is slow.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55'So is there scope to sell even more?
0:11:55 > 0:11:59'After all, in Europe, 10% of their cattle is reared and eaten as veal,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02'whereas here in the UK it's less than 1%.'
0:12:02 > 0:12:05So if someone came along to you and said,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08"The solution to the problem of dairy calves being slaughtered at birth
0:12:08 > 0:12:11"would be for everyone to go into veal," what would you say to that?
0:12:11 > 0:12:14I just think it would flood the market
0:12:14 > 0:12:18and there wouldn't be that market there for it at this stage.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22But what do the people who have to sell it think?
0:12:22 > 0:12:26The supermarket Asda is a member of the Beyond Calf Exports Forum
0:12:26 > 0:12:31and made a commitment to stopping the deaths of newborn male bull calves.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32Is veal their answer?
0:12:34 > 0:12:37In the UK, we're not really a veal-eating country
0:12:37 > 0:12:41and the issue is we do have customers coming in asking for veal
0:12:41 > 0:12:43but they only want certain cuts such as the escalope.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46The escalope equates for less than 10% of the carcass.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Then what do we do with the remaining 90%?
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Then we get into food waste issues and bigger problems.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54So your solution is some of it can go as veal
0:12:54 > 0:12:56- but we've got to work on the beef? - Exactly, yeah.
0:12:56 > 0:13:01'For people with high hopes that veal could stop all the wasteful deaths
0:13:01 > 0:13:06'of dairy bull calves, this may come as disappointing news.'
0:13:06 > 0:13:10Veal calves like this hungry fella are part of the solution.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12They're just not the whole answer
0:13:12 > 0:13:16but all is not lost, as we'll find out later in the programme.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24This week we're exploring the beautiful Warwickshire countryside
0:13:24 > 0:13:25and I'm trotting back in time
0:13:25 > 0:13:27to learn about a rather elegant pursuit...
0:13:29 > 0:13:33..the graceful art of side-saddle riding.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38It was originally developed as a way for ladies to ride horses
0:13:38 > 0:13:42in a modest fashion whilst also wearing fine clothing,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46though snug-fitting jodhpurs seems to have relegated the spectacle
0:13:46 > 0:13:49to the equine archives.
0:13:49 > 0:13:50I'm meeting Susanna Forrest
0:13:50 > 0:13:53who has recently written a book on its history.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56So tell me about side-saddle riding. Where did it all come from?
0:13:56 > 0:13:59It was basically a very patriarchal thing.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01The first signs you get are on the Greek pots
0:14:01 > 0:14:03when the nice Greek goddesses ride side-saddle
0:14:03 > 0:14:07and the nasty war-like Amazons wear trousers and ride astride.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09It kind of grew from there.
0:14:09 > 0:14:14There began to be this idea it was something respectable ladies did
0:14:14 > 0:14:16and it was for ceremonial use.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18So why did it fizzle out then?
0:14:18 > 0:14:21I guess it can't have been terribly practical really?
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Basically what killed it to some extent was the First World War
0:14:24 > 0:14:26because a lot of young women
0:14:26 > 0:14:29who were posh, good hunting girls
0:14:29 > 0:14:32ended up working in army remount depots as grooms
0:14:32 > 0:14:34and as exercise riders for horses
0:14:34 > 0:14:37and there was no point in them doing that side-saddle.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42Once they'd shown themselves riding well and respectably astride,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44after the war a lot of them just didn't go back.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47So before you could say "votes for women",
0:14:47 > 0:14:51the skirts were banished to the attic and everyone was riding astride.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58But this small corner of Warwickshire
0:14:58 > 0:15:02is playing a big part in the renaissance of side-saddle riding.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04I'm at one of a few riding schools in the country
0:15:04 > 0:15:07where you can learn the art.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Stable owner Roger Philpot is a leading international instructor.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15- Hi, Roger. Who's this? - This is Geoffrey.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Geoffrey, what a fine horse.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21He's really known as Squadron Leader because of his moustache.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27- He has incredibly long eyebrows. I love that. Off we go.- That's it.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31Warwickshire has had a long history with side-saddle riding, hasn't it?
0:15:31 > 0:15:35It goes right back when hunting came through.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38The actual Warwickshire Hunt is based a quarter of a mile from here.
0:15:38 > 0:15:43This particular yard was used for liveries for a lot
0:15:43 > 0:15:48of the masters of the Warwickshire Hunt who actually rode side-saddle.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52- That is how we got involved in it originally.- Excellent.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57'Roger has produced the Side-Saddle Rider of the Year in England
0:15:57 > 0:15:58'for the last 14 years.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01'Let's see if I've got any potential.'
0:16:02 > 0:16:07Foot in the stirrup. To get on as if you're going to ride astride, OK?
0:16:07 > 0:16:11- So here and then...- That's it. Just swing your leg over.- All right.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14- There we are. How does that feel? - Feels very stable, actually.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16- I can go now you're on. - You stay here!
0:16:16 > 0:16:20What I want you to do now is bring your right leg over that one
0:16:20 > 0:16:24and keep your hips square.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26That's the whole technique of riding side-saddle.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29- So, my legs are at a right angle here?- Yes, very slightly.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Your weight comes through from the right seat bone
0:16:31 > 0:16:34through to the back of your right knee.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36All the time you're riding side-saddle,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39you're turning your body in a clockwise direction.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- I can already feel different muscles being used here.- That's it.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46- It's going to be good for me, I know it.- You won't walk tomorrow!
0:16:46 > 0:16:48You'd better have some reins.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51I'll be walking in circles tomorrow if this right leg does all the work.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54Just ask him quietly now to walk on.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Walk on. Good boy. Good boy.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00- Bring that right shoulder round. - Yeah.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Are you going to keep going, yeah? Good boy.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09The most important thing in side-saddle
0:17:09 > 0:17:12is you've got to think elegance the whole time.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Right. Think like a lady. I can have a go at that.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17You shouldn't find that very difficult.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Well, I could surprise you, Roger!
0:17:19 > 0:17:23'I seem to have grasped the basics, but that's only the half of it.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26'Time for a costume change.'
0:17:28 > 0:17:32I feel terribly Jane Austen.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Maybe Mr Darcy could give me a hand with my buttons?
0:17:40 > 0:17:43So now what I'm going to do is just undo
0:17:43 > 0:17:46your modesty bit.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48So this is what you would do to get on a horse.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Then keep turning round that way and it all comes out
0:17:52 > 0:17:55and now we can see the whole shape of the habit.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Wow, that tailoring is amazing.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00So your knee, when you're on side-saddle,
0:18:00 > 0:18:01- fits into there.- Look at that.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09'So the "habit", as it's known, gives the illusion of wearing a full skirt
0:18:09 > 0:18:11'when actually it's more like an apron.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18'It's time for me to grace my trusty steed Geoffrey
0:18:18 > 0:18:22'with all the refinement of the most dignified side-saddle rider.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26'Failing that, I could always be an extra on Downton Abbey.'
0:18:28 > 0:18:31No matter what kind of rider you are, you can't help but feel
0:18:31 > 0:18:36incredibly elegant in this get-up on this fine horse as well.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39'Although I think I'll feel it in my thighs later!
0:18:44 > 0:18:47'Well, I've got a long way to go before I'm as good as this lot.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51'To watch the ladies ride these noble beasts with such skill and poise
0:18:51 > 0:18:53'truly is a sight to behold.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00'As for me, Mr Darcy, pass me the muscle rub!'
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Later in the programme, I'll be back in the saddle,
0:19:03 > 0:19:05this time on a classic British bike.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08You can't come to Warwickshire without mentioning the Bard.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11John has been in Stratford-upon-Avon.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18This is the Warwickshire countryside that surrounds the town
0:19:18 > 0:19:21that will forever be associated with William Shakespeare.
0:19:21 > 0:19:26And it's this peaceful landscape that provided inspiration
0:19:26 > 0:19:30for the county's best known son when he was writing some of the plays
0:19:30 > 0:19:32that made him world-famous.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39This farm house is where William's mother, Mary Arden, was born.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42And, as a young boy, he'd come here to visit his grandparents
0:19:42 > 0:19:46from his home in the nearby town of Stratford-upon-Avon.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49This would have been William Shakespeare's playground.
0:19:49 > 0:19:54'It's now an educational working farm set 400 years ago
0:19:54 > 0:19:56'so I'm taking a step back in time
0:19:56 > 0:19:59'to see just how these surroundings influenced him.'
0:19:59 > 0:20:03This all looks incredibly authentic but just set the scene for me.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Would it have looked like this in Shakespeare's day?
0:20:06 > 0:20:07It would have been more rustic.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09It would have been more like a working farm.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12There would have been a lot of muck.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Shakespeare would have taken part in the life of the farm
0:20:15 > 0:20:17when he visited his grandmother
0:20:17 > 0:20:19and grandparents undoubtedly.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21He would have been happy to turn his hand to mucking out the pigs
0:20:21 > 0:20:24or collecting the eggs. He would have loved that
0:20:24 > 0:20:28- I'm sure.- He was a town boy, really, wasn't he?- He lived in a town, yes.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Stratford was a town of 2,000 or so people in his time,
0:20:31 > 0:20:35but it was a town, not very large, a town with 2,000 or so people.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Shakespeare was deeply imbued
0:20:38 > 0:20:40in country life, in country pursuits,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43in the landscape of the country.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46And he brings it into a place, not consciously,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49but because it is part of his mental set-up.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53So he can't help but refer to these things.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55But he does make fun of country people, doesn't he?
0:20:55 > 0:21:00Up to a point he does, yes, but he makes fun of all sorts of people.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03He sees the funny side of them.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04We are still handling our ewes,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06and their fells, you know, are greasy.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Ah, but does not your courtier's hand sweat?
0:21:10 > 0:21:13And is not the grease of a mutton
0:21:13 > 0:21:17as wholesome as the sweat of a man?
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Shallow. Shallow. A better instance. Come.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24'Sheep were a common theme in Shakespeare's work,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26'including A Winter's Tale.'
0:21:26 > 0:21:30Come, spare your blushes and be that which you are -
0:21:30 > 0:21:31mistress of the feast.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Bid us welcome to your sheepshearing
0:21:34 > 0:21:35so your good flock may prosper.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39BLEATING
0:21:39 > 0:21:41'I want to get a real feel
0:21:41 > 0:21:44'of how Shakespeare would have experienced this farm
0:21:44 > 0:21:48'so I present to you...Master John.'
0:21:49 > 0:21:52If Ellie can get dressed up, so can I.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57'Master Joe here tends to the animals using the same methods
0:21:57 > 0:21:59'used in Shakespeare's day.'
0:21:59 > 0:22:01This is something I've never done before, Joe.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Hand shearing a sheep.
0:22:03 > 0:22:04But I suppose it's something
0:22:04 > 0:22:06that young William would have been used to seeing.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10Yes, I imagine he'd have been used to these kind of scissors as well
0:22:10 > 0:22:12because his dad was a glove maker
0:22:12 > 0:22:16and they used shears like this in the glove making trade.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Also his father was a dealer in wool.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Certainly with me an awful lot slower.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22It would probably take me a whole day to do this.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26There's no rush because this is very valuable.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29In Tudor times, this was a very valuable crop.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32What you want to try and do is get as close to the skin as possible
0:22:32 > 0:22:35because that's where all the money is down there.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39'In fact, back in those days, wool made up three quarters
0:22:39 > 0:22:41'of the country's exports.'
0:22:41 > 0:22:43I will leave this to you.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47I was going to go and have a drink of ale while you finished it off!
0:22:47 > 0:22:48OK, I'll try a bit more.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53'In William Shakespeare's day, the clothes worn by farm workers,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56'and just about everybody else, would have been made
0:22:56 > 0:22:57'from the precious fleece.'
0:22:59 > 0:23:01BLEATING
0:23:01 > 0:23:03CAT-WALK MUSIC PLAYS
0:23:05 > 0:23:09English wool was known worldwide to be the best.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12The crafty mistresses would spin it into some fancy designs.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25After a hard morning of labour on the farm,
0:23:25 > 0:23:29it is time to prepare for dinner Shakespeare style.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32In a Midsummer Night's Dream he wrote of several bad harvests
0:23:32 > 0:23:35which just proves the wet spring we've had is nothing new.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38But something could always be found in the hedgerows
0:23:38 > 0:23:40if other crops had failed.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43It seems dramatic touches weren't just saved for Shakespeare's plays.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49This salad looks incredibly elaborate.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51It was all about showing off.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54You wanted to present your food
0:23:54 > 0:23:58so that it was a feast for the eye as well as the stomach.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Your board was almost like a stage and you set it
0:24:00 > 0:24:03and you wanted it to look good.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06You wanted people to go, "Oh!" and gasp at it.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18Thank you, Mistress Rosie. That looks good. Soup to start with.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20How many courses altogether?
0:24:20 > 0:24:23In the warmer summer months, your dinner would last up to three hours.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26In that three hours you could have up to eight courses.
0:24:26 > 0:24:27Goodness me!
0:24:27 > 0:24:29How could you work after that?
0:24:29 > 0:24:32The reason for having such an extended dinner break
0:24:32 > 0:24:35is so that your oxen are really well rested.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38- I don't know if you've ever tried to make a tired oxen work...- Never.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40..but it will sit down and not move again.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42You need to have that rest.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45It acts as a good excuse to have a nice long dinner break.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Absolutely. Yes. And it's lovely to get everyone together as well.
0:24:48 > 0:24:49Here's to a very nice meal.
0:24:49 > 0:24:55'Just one way that times have certainly changed down on the farm.'
0:25:00 > 0:25:03I'm travelling through the lush landscapes around Shipston-on-Stour
0:25:03 > 0:25:06meeting some of the members of its Young Farmers' Club,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10the newest of more than 650 clubs across England and Wales.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14The lad that I am about to meet typifies everything that
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Young Farmers' Clubs is about.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Up until a few years ago he hadn't kept anything other than dogs
0:25:19 > 0:25:23or cats, but now he has fallen in love with the farming lifestyle
0:25:23 > 0:25:26and is surrounded by his own award-winning feathered friends.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30How did all this come about?
0:25:30 > 0:25:33I've always had a passion for the countryside
0:25:33 > 0:25:34and it just grew from there really.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39You've ended up with this little yard. How did you acquire this?
0:25:39 > 0:25:43The next-door neighbour, a farmer, he keeps a few chickens down here
0:25:43 > 0:25:45and I look after them for him.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47- Right.- And he lets me keep some here as well.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50- OK, so which ones are yours? - The Buff Orpingtons.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52This is it? You'll have chickens for the rest of your life?
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Yes, definitely, chickens, turkeys, everything.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56'Tom might be proud of his birds,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58'but he can't afford to get too attached
0:25:58 > 0:26:01'because they are bred for a purpose.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03'Eggs, of course, but also meat.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07'And before you can cook then you've got to pluck them.'
0:26:07 > 0:26:09- You don't get them like this in the supermarket.- No, you do not.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12'Tom has even entered chicken-plucking competitions,
0:26:12 > 0:26:16'so with two birds ready for the pot he has given me a masterclass.'
0:26:16 > 0:26:20- These are still warm, aren't they? - Yes, they are still warm.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24OK, and where do you start with a record-breaking chicken pluck?
0:26:24 > 0:26:27You have got to start... You've got to think which body part loses
0:26:27 > 0:26:29the warmth quickest.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32- Yes.- You start with the wings.- OK. - Then the legs.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36- You just pull upwards, yeah?- Yes. Just twist them.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40'Tom's record pluck took just 20 minutes.'
0:26:40 > 0:26:44- Tom's onto his second wing. - Yes.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46'And it will take more than a wing
0:26:46 > 0:26:49'and a prayer for a novice like me to top that.'
0:26:51 > 0:26:54I've obviously got quite a bit of this bird left to do
0:26:54 > 0:26:56so while I continue, here's what else is coming up
0:26:56 > 0:26:57on tonight's programme.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03'Ellie is back in the saddle and going for gold...'
0:27:03 > 0:27:06John is beating me on the last corner.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09'..Adam's up in Yorkshire looking for a new bull...'
0:27:09 > 0:27:12- I quite like the look of that black one there.- Yeah.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15'..and we'll have the Countryfile weather forecast
0:27:15 > 0:27:17'for the week ahead.'
0:27:28 > 0:27:32The dairy industry is part of what makes the British countryside tick,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35but there is a price to pay for those lush green fields
0:27:35 > 0:27:39and beautiful black and white cows as Tom has been finding out.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44Every year around 100,000 dairy bull calves are shot
0:27:44 > 0:27:46at birth because as boys
0:27:46 > 0:27:52they can't produce milk and it costs too much to rear them on for beef.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56'As we've heard, turning them into veal is one option,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59'but there's simply not enough demand to cope with all those
0:27:59 > 0:28:02'extra calves, so what else could we do?'
0:28:04 > 0:28:08In an ideal world, every calf born on a dairy farm would be female
0:28:08 > 0:28:11and then it could be milked just like its mother.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14But that's not possible, or is it?
0:28:16 > 0:28:20'At these labs in Cheshire, they're leading the way in the development
0:28:20 > 0:28:22'of something called sexed semen -
0:28:22 > 0:28:26'effectively, separating the girls from the boys.'
0:28:26 > 0:28:30Here is where you can actually see an individual sperm sample.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Absolutely amazing.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35It looks very busy, but what are you seeing there?
0:28:35 > 0:28:36I'm seeing a really good sample here.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39As you can see, there's one or two dead sperm there.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41A lot swimming are around in straight lines.
0:28:41 > 0:28:42We've got one with a bent tail.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44That's not going to get anything in calf.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46- It's looking pretty potent, is it?- Really potent.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51What exactly is sexed semen?
0:28:51 > 0:28:54If you look back on the screen over there, we saw a lot of semen
0:28:54 > 0:28:58swimming around and you've got 50 percent female, 50 percent male.
0:28:58 > 0:28:59What we want to be able to do
0:28:59 > 0:29:01is provide our customers with female calves.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05The only difference between a male and female sperm
0:29:05 > 0:29:08is a female sperm carries 3.8 percent more DNA
0:29:08 > 0:29:09so we add a dye to the sperm.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Because the female sperm has got more dye, she glows brighter.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14We then pass past some magnets here
0:29:14 > 0:29:16and when the semen comes through
0:29:16 > 0:29:19in a single droplet we give a positive charge
0:29:19 > 0:29:22and we end up with a female sperm ending up in this pot here.
0:29:22 > 0:29:28That pot has got what you want. It's just got female sperm?
0:29:28 > 0:29:30There is over 90 percent female sperm in there
0:29:30 > 0:29:32and 100 percent live sperm.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36'This technology has been developed for over a decade
0:29:36 > 0:29:40'and is now being used on farms to inseminate cows across Britain.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43'One of the daily farmers trying it out is Geoff Spence.'
0:29:43 > 0:29:47Why is sexed semen so useful to dairy farmers like you?
0:29:47 > 0:29:52It solves the issue of having a lot of bull calves
0:29:52 > 0:29:55and sexed semen gives you a good guarantee of a heifer calf.
0:29:55 > 0:30:02So I'll just clean that area there and then we pop the...
0:30:02 > 0:30:07- So that is the actual straw with the semen in it?- That is right. Yes.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11That is just through the cervix
0:30:11 > 0:30:13and we just drop it in
0:30:13 > 0:30:16and the semen works its way up the fallopian tubes and...
0:30:16 > 0:30:20- Does the business. - Does the business, yes.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23COW MOOS
0:30:23 > 0:30:26'Waitrose, Tesco's, Sainsbury's and Asda
0:30:26 > 0:30:29'are all now supporting the use of methods like this.'
0:30:29 > 0:30:33Sexed semen is becoming more widely used,
0:30:33 > 0:30:35but it's not a miracle solution.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38It's quite pricey, it's a complex procedure,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41and not always 100 percent reliable.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45Let's get back to that original question - why not rear
0:30:45 > 0:30:48more dairy bull calves as beef?
0:30:49 > 0:30:53'The argument against doing just that has always been simple economics.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57'Because dairy cattle aren't designed to produce meat,
0:30:57 > 0:31:00'they don't fetch as much at market as their beefier counterparts,
0:31:00 > 0:31:05'and because they cost money to feed and house, on average £400 each,
0:31:05 > 0:31:09'farmers aren't always able to make money when it comes to selling them.'
0:31:09 > 0:31:11But times are changing.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14Demand for beef is on the way up and that increases prices.
0:31:14 > 0:31:19'So should we consider keeping some of those 100,000 calves to
0:31:19 > 0:31:21'sell on as beef rather than shooting them?
0:31:21 > 0:31:25'Members of the Beyond Calf Exports Forum think we should.'
0:31:26 > 0:31:29Beef from dairy bull calves can be
0:31:29 > 0:31:31just as good in terms of taste
0:31:31 > 0:31:34and better in terms of health attributes.
0:31:34 > 0:31:40Dairy bull beef from Holstein Friesians can be lower in bad fats,
0:31:40 > 0:31:44higher in the good stuff, so it is a better quality product.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47So those who say that the best beef comes from a beef breed,
0:31:47 > 0:31:49an Aberdeen Angus or a Hereford, or a Galloway
0:31:49 > 0:31:51or something like that, are they wrong?
0:31:51 > 0:31:54What's wrong is to think that dairy bull calves can't produce
0:31:54 > 0:31:55good quality beef.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57They can and they do.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01That is what a great part of the industry is now picking up on.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05'But not everyone is as convinced
0:32:05 > 0:32:09'that dairy cattle make such a good beef product - and with good reason.'
0:32:09 > 0:32:12It's at the back end where you really see
0:32:12 > 0:32:16the difference between a beef breed and a dairy breed.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19Dairy cows tend to have a much more bony rump
0:32:19 > 0:32:22because so much of the energy is going into the milk,
0:32:22 > 0:32:23going into the udder,
0:32:23 > 0:32:29whereas your classic beef breed will be much beefier on the back end.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34'But there is another way to make your dairy calves beefier -
0:32:34 > 0:32:36'a bit of crossbreeding.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40'This Holstein dairy cow was inseminated
0:32:40 > 0:32:43'by a beef-producing Wagyu bull
0:32:43 > 0:32:45'and she's just become a proud new mum.'
0:32:45 > 0:32:48Who's this cute little addition to the herd?
0:32:48 > 0:32:50This is a freshly calved Wagyu-cross-Holstein calf
0:32:50 > 0:32:52just born about two hours ago.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56What's the significance of this Wagyu breed?
0:32:56 > 0:33:00Wagyu is deemed to be the best beef in the world. It's a Japanese breed
0:33:00 > 0:33:04and the traditional cross in Japan is Wagyu-crossed-Holstein
0:33:04 > 0:33:07that yields fantastic eating-quality meat.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09That means we can replicate it here in the UK
0:33:09 > 0:33:12and produce the finest top-quality meat for our customers.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16'So from crossbreeding and sexed semen to rearing animals as beef
0:33:16 > 0:33:20'and veal, there are plenty of options in the quest to stop
0:33:20 > 0:33:23'the deaths of newborn dairy bull calves.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27'But how near are we to eliminating the problem completely?
0:33:27 > 0:33:29'The supermarket Asda believes it has cracked it.'
0:33:29 > 0:33:32We've been working with our farmers trying to solve this problem
0:33:32 > 0:33:35since 2007 and we are there now basically.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37By getting them to use sexed semen,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39encouraging sexed semen through discounts,
0:33:39 > 0:33:43through trial work that we are doing, and by discounting
0:33:43 > 0:33:45beef semen such as the Wagyu and other breeds,
0:33:45 > 0:33:47we're pretty much there.
0:33:47 > 0:33:48Problem solved.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51You have achieved that aim of being calf neutral pretty much?
0:33:51 > 0:33:52Yes. We are there.
0:33:52 > 0:33:57'Calf neutral means no wasted bull calves.
0:33:57 > 0:33:58'Quite an achievement.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01'But the industry as a whole has some way to go yet.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05'Thanks to our love of milk and all things dairy,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08'cows will always need to have calves to maintain milk production.'
0:34:10 > 0:34:13For many years, the death of these bull calves
0:34:13 > 0:34:15was dairy farming's guilty secret.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19But, as we've seen, exposure of that painful truth and huge efforts
0:34:19 > 0:34:21by farmers and some retailers
0:34:21 > 0:34:25mean that now fewer of these young lives are wasted.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36Down on the farm, Adam is preparing for summer
0:34:36 > 0:34:40and so are his animals including hundreds of new arrivals
0:34:40 > 0:34:43getting to grips with life in the great outdoors.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55Lambing is over now but we have had a month of wet cold weather
0:34:55 > 0:34:57and the lambs haven't grown quite as fast
0:34:57 > 0:34:58as I might have liked them to do.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02But now the sun is out, they're basking in its glory,
0:35:02 > 0:35:05there's quite a few sheep chilling out lying in the sunshine
0:35:05 > 0:35:10and this stream divides the top part of this field and the bottom half.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12We're grazing is bottom half first.
0:35:12 > 0:35:13They are starting to get a bit hungry.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15Some of the lambs are looking to jump across.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18There are two that have already gone the wrong side.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20Now they want to jump back and be with their mum.
0:35:20 > 0:35:21Here they come.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25'While my flock are in good health, enjoying the much-needed sunshine,
0:35:25 > 0:35:29'on the other side of the farm my piglets are sharing a field
0:35:29 > 0:35:32'with a breed of cattle that I'm very fond of.'
0:35:32 > 0:35:34I've got three Belted Galloways -
0:35:34 > 0:35:38aptly named because of this lovely white belt around their middle.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40They come in three different colours -
0:35:40 > 0:35:42a red one, a black one, and a dun one.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44They're a lovely cattle. I'm very fond of them.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47We had them on the farm now for about 30 odd years.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49They produce a fantastic beef -
0:35:49 > 0:35:52a very hardy animal that lives outdoors all year round.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56A couple of years ago, I sadly lost my stock bull to TB.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59So last year we had to use artificial insemination
0:35:59 > 0:36:00to get these cows pregnant.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02Hopefully they're all in calf.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05When they calve, I'll need another bull,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08so although I went out shopping for an Irish Moiled Bull very recently
0:36:08 > 0:36:10I've got to go again.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12Good girl.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22'I'm prepared to travel quite a distance for this one
0:36:22 > 0:36:25'because I'm keen to find the right bull for the girls back home.'
0:36:25 > 0:36:27I'm heading to Malham in North Yorkshire and I'm just
0:36:27 > 0:36:31coming into the Dales now with these classic dry stone walls
0:36:31 > 0:36:34to meet up with an old buddy of mine, a guy I went to agricultural
0:36:34 > 0:36:36college with and he's got a big herd of Belted Galloways.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43'Neil Heseltine is fourth-generation farmer up here in Yorkshire.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46'His Belted Galloways spend all year out on the uplands
0:36:46 > 0:36:47'and they seem to love it.'
0:36:49 > 0:36:52- Hi, Neil.- Adam, how are you doing? - Good to see you.- How's things?
0:36:52 > 0:36:55All right, yeah, pretty good. This is Malham Cove at its best isn't it?
0:36:55 > 0:36:58It is. You will not see anything better. It is beautiful today.
0:36:58 > 0:36:59Much needed sun.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02- All limestone through here? - All limestone, yes.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06Obviously limestone cove and all those walls are limestone.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08For me this is completely different topography to what I am used to.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11- Pretty rough.- You have it pretty easy down there in the Cotswolds,
0:37:11 > 0:37:15it makes life easy, but, yeah, it's different terrain altogether.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18How many Belted Galloways have you got now?
0:37:18 > 0:37:20We're up to about 80 at the moment which is the kind of amount
0:37:20 > 0:37:23we need to satisfy gazing requirements and that sort of thing,
0:37:23 > 0:37:26- so that's about the number we need to be at.- Where are they now?
0:37:26 > 0:37:27They are right up on the tops
0:37:27 > 0:37:30- so we can take you up there now to see them.- Great. Fantastic.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36'Over the last 30 years cattle numbers have decreased
0:37:36 > 0:37:39'in the upland areas, but the Belted Galloways have been
0:37:39 > 0:37:42'introduced as part of a project to restore mixed grazing
0:37:42 > 0:37:44'which has its benefits.'
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Goodness me. I have never seen a scene like it.
0:37:46 > 0:37:47They are having a bit of a wallow.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49They are. It has got too hot for them.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52- They have had to take to the water. - Why Belted Galloways?
0:37:52 > 0:37:54Obviously they look nice,
0:37:54 > 0:37:57but they are also well suited to this environment.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59They are hairy as you can see so in the winter
0:37:59 > 0:38:01when they're up here they can still survive then.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04They are easy calving and they can make meat
0:38:04 > 0:38:07out of this not particularly productive grassland
0:38:07 > 0:38:09we've got up here.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12- You leave them up here all winter? - Yes, all year round they're outside.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15There is no straw, or no concentrates, or anything like that.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17It's just what they pull from the grass.
0:38:17 > 0:38:22- Incredible.- They are amazing cattle. They really are. They're incredible.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24Conservation grazing is important?
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Yes, we have introduced the Belteds to try
0:38:26 > 0:38:28and alter what goes on up on this landscape.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31We have taken some sheep off and introduced the cattle
0:38:31 > 0:38:33because they graze it in a different way.
0:38:33 > 0:38:34What were the sheep doing wrong?
0:38:34 > 0:38:36The sheep are just a little bit too selective.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39They actually eat the flowers when they flower
0:38:39 > 0:38:42and the cattle are much less selective and then we take them off
0:38:42 > 0:38:44at this time of year when the flowers are flowering
0:38:44 > 0:38:46and setting seed and it allows them to develop.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49- Is it working, do you think? - Yes, it is.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52Today up here there is an array of colour. That colour will change
0:38:52 > 0:38:54as the summer goes on and different flowers flower
0:38:54 > 0:38:57and, yes, there's definitely been a difference.
0:38:57 > 0:38:58What about buying a bull?
0:38:58 > 0:39:01We've got a few choices for you. We've either got an old bull,
0:39:01 > 0:39:02he's about five years old,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05but he is just starting to come back onto his own heifers
0:39:05 > 0:39:08so he needs to move on. Or we've got some of his progeny, his sons,
0:39:08 > 0:39:10that you can look at as well, so we've plenty of options.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12OK, great.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19Right, it's time to round this lot up
0:39:19 > 0:39:21and Neil is working me like a dog.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24Away! Look back!
0:39:24 > 0:39:25HE LAUGHS
0:39:26 > 0:39:29'The cattle need moving off the moorlands to fresh pasture
0:39:29 > 0:39:31'a mile down the hill.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34'This allows the flowers to regenerate and seed
0:39:34 > 0:39:38'and for the herd they get to feast on un-grazed grass
0:39:38 > 0:39:39'at the bottom.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43'Moving them is no easy task in this heat and on this rugged terrain.'
0:39:43 > 0:39:47Come on then, girls. They're going along quite nicely now.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50They are, once we have got them away from that water.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52Yeah. There are some little tiny calves there.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Yes, they have just been born.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55One was just born last night,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58so it's a bit of a surprise to see that this morning.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01You don't have to keep a careful eye on them - they are self-sufficient?
0:40:01 > 0:40:04Part of bringing them down today is to keep an eye on them when calving.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07But they do calve themselves 99% of the time.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09Brilliant. So it's really easy-care cattle?
0:40:09 > 0:40:12Yeah, easy care and the calves are really wick
0:40:12 > 0:40:15when they are born so they get up and they are sucking straightaway.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19- Yeah, they're great.- Wick - is that a Yorkshire word?- It is, yeah.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21Alive, it means.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26It's a long walk down off the hills. It looks like the cows might agree.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28They have found a bit of water
0:40:28 > 0:40:30so we'll give them a break for a couple of minutes.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34- It is quite warm today. We'll just have a bit of a rest.- Yeah.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37I don't think I have ever seen so many Belties in one place.
0:40:37 > 0:40:38I've only got three!
0:40:38 > 0:40:41I think the bull should marry those three, Adam.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43- I think he should!- We'd best get on with that job.- Yeah.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53'Eventually, the cattle arrive at the lowlands.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55'We cross a couple more fields and then the final stretch
0:40:55 > 0:41:00'along the old stone lanes where the herd are driven into their new home.'
0:41:00 > 0:41:04- Nearly there, Adam.- They are going easier contained in these old walls.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07- They are, they were a bit of a run around on that field.- They were.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09I think they are getting a bit tired.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12And these old tracks would have been used for driving stock along
0:41:12 > 0:41:14- for thousands of years, wouldn't they?- They will, yeah.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Malham's quite famous for its monks
0:41:16 > 0:41:19and they will have brought cattle along these lanes
0:41:19 > 0:41:20and then drovers after that.
0:41:20 > 0:41:25- Literally, thousands of years. - So what will happen to them now?
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Well, we will leave them here for a couple of days, let them rest up.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31And then they will stay down here until they calve again.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35Once they get tagged and castrated, they'll be back up onto the hills.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38- They seem happy, don't they? - They are just resting up.- Yeah.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42'But I have come here to do some bull shopping.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44'And Neil has plenty to choose from.'
0:41:44 > 0:41:45You've got a nice herd of bulls, Neil.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48Yeah, they've done some good over the last 12 months.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51- I quite like the look of that black one, there.- Yeah?
0:41:51 > 0:41:54He's got a nice length on him, good depth of body,
0:41:54 > 0:41:57smart-looking Beltie head and a good white belt around the middle.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00- I think it's between that black one and that dun.- Yes.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02They have both a bit more length about them,
0:42:02 > 0:42:04a bit higher off the ground.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07- But good true-to-type Belties as well.- They are.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10You wouldn't be wanting a lot of money for them, would you?
0:42:10 > 0:42:13It depends who I am selling to, really, to be honest.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15I was probably thinking around the two grand mark.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18I think that's fair for a good Beltie bull.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22- Sure.- Well, let me check out his breeding and work out the haulage.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25I might be able to arrange a trip down to you with him.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27- That would be great. Nice one. - Cheers.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Next week, I'll be back on my farm,
0:42:30 > 0:42:34tending to my animals that need extra attention during the summer months.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43This week, Ellie and I are in the wilds of Warwickshire -
0:42:43 > 0:42:45not a bad place to get inspiration
0:42:45 > 0:42:47for our annual photographic on petition.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50The theme this year is "walk on the wild side"
0:42:50 > 0:42:55and we want wild landscapes, wildlife and even wild weather.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58The best 12 will make up the Countryfile calendar for 2013,
0:42:58 > 0:43:00sold in aid of Children in Need.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02Here's John with a reminder of how to enter.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Our competition isn't open to professionals
0:43:10 > 0:43:13and entries must not have won any other competitions
0:43:13 > 0:43:16because what we are looking for is original work.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20You can enter up to four photos
0:43:20 > 0:43:22which must have been taken in the UK.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26Write your name, address and a daytime and evening phone number
0:43:26 > 0:43:31on the back of each photo with a note of where it was taken.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34And then all you have to do is send your entries to:
0:43:43 > 0:43:45Whoever takes the winning photo,
0:43:45 > 0:43:49as voted for by Countryfile viewers, can choose from a range
0:43:49 > 0:43:53of the latest photographic equipment to the value of £1,000.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57And the person who takes the picture the judges like best
0:43:57 > 0:44:00gets to pick equipment to the value of £500.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03The full terms and conditions are on our website
0:44:03 > 0:44:08where you will also find details of the BBC's code of conduct.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10The closing date is July 22nd
0:44:10 > 0:44:14and I'm sorry, but we can't return any entries.
0:44:14 > 0:44:15Best of luck.
0:44:21 > 0:44:25Stratford-upon-Avon - a town crammed with ancient buildings
0:44:25 > 0:44:29and tourists on the trail of the world's most famous playwright.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34Stratford-upon-Avon is a place soaked in history.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36But while most people come here for the Bard,
0:44:36 > 0:44:40I've come here to get my bike and get back into the saddle...
0:44:40 > 0:44:41again.
0:44:44 > 0:44:48Stratford is also home to the oldest working cycle company
0:44:48 > 0:44:52in England - Pashley's, which was founded in 1926.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55Heritage is at the heart of these cycles where classic designs
0:44:55 > 0:44:57are given a modern twist.
0:44:57 > 0:45:01And every machine is still handmade to order.
0:45:02 > 0:45:07But every new bike here starts as a few tubes of metal.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10I'm going to help try to turn this into one of these,
0:45:10 > 0:45:14a 1930s style race bike known as the Guv'nor.
0:45:14 > 0:45:15That's the plan, anyway.
0:45:18 > 0:45:22'I'm going to help create the heart of the bike - its frame.
0:45:22 > 0:45:24'The joints are all hand-brazed in place,
0:45:24 > 0:45:28'giving essential strength to the finished product.'
0:45:28 > 0:45:32- Knock, knock. Hello, Mike, how are you doing?- I'm very well.- Good.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34'I'm being let loose
0:45:34 > 0:45:37'under the watchful eye of experienced welder Michael Tomes.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40'He seems relaxed at the prospect, but I am already feeling the heat.'
0:45:40 > 0:45:43Can I do it some damage? Don't let me completely mess this up.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46- Oh, no, it's fine.- Are you sure? Go on, then. You crack on.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49I need these, do I? Are you really sure about me doing this?
0:45:49 > 0:45:51Yes, yeah, no problem.
0:45:51 > 0:45:53You want to get the point of the flame
0:45:53 > 0:45:55- right at the base of the material. - OK.
0:45:55 > 0:45:57- How about that?- Yeah.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01Once you see it start to go red, you can start dipping your rod into it.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04Is that red? I've got dark glasses on, I can't see!
0:46:04 > 0:46:06Shouldn't be a problem. Yeah.
0:46:06 > 0:46:07This is like needlework,
0:46:07 > 0:46:10but under the pressure of burning the place down.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15- I'm sweating, Michael. - It is a bit warm.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17Oh, that was quite nerve-racking.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20'For the safety of the person who ends up buying this bike -
0:46:20 > 0:46:21'and the sake of my nerves -
0:46:21 > 0:46:25'I think I'll leave the rest of the process to the professionals.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29'Once it leaves here, each frame is checked, buffed
0:46:29 > 0:46:30'and powder-coated with paint.
0:46:32 > 0:46:36'It's then one person's job to assemble a cycle from scratch
0:46:36 > 0:46:38'before it's ready to roll out of the door.'
0:46:38 > 0:46:42They turn out 50 bikes a day here.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45I am pretty sure I brought down that average today, but never mind.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47Here it is, the finished bike.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50And although it only just came off the production line,
0:46:50 > 0:46:54come on, it exudes 1930s elegance.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56I'm going to take it for a spin.
0:46:58 > 0:47:011930s-STYLE MUSIC
0:47:01 > 0:47:04In fact, you can just tell that as soon as you sit in the saddle,
0:47:04 > 0:47:07you're going to feel transported to another era.
0:47:09 > 0:47:14It's not just me that's come over all nostalgic, though.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17There's a passion for celebrating our past that, once in the saddle,
0:47:17 > 0:47:19many find hard to resist.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24RINGS BELL Now, tell me, what's with the tweed?
0:47:24 > 0:47:27Tweed is commensurate with the era,
0:47:27 > 0:47:30I guess, in which these bicycles are designed.
0:47:30 > 0:47:34It takes you back to a completely different era.
0:47:34 > 0:47:38It's the most relaxing thing to do. I mean, look at where we are now.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41- It's glorious. - It doesn't get any better than this.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45Chris is part of the Guv'nors Assembly,
0:47:45 > 0:47:48a group who always dress "traditionally" on their bikes
0:47:48 > 0:47:51but it seems that their old-fashioned attire is catching on.
0:47:51 > 0:47:56- So tell me about this Tweed Run? - We get dressed up like we are now.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59We tootle along around London.
0:47:59 > 0:48:03The criteria is you actually have to ride wearing tweed.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06And they get about 600 people riding it.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10- We have a Manchester one, there is a Liverpool one...- Oh, wow!- Yeah.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18'We might be enjoying a spot of peaceful perambulation,
0:48:18 > 0:48:23'but some locals feel the need for speed more than the need for tweed.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26'Head of the pack at Stratford cycling club
0:48:26 > 0:48:29is 75-year-old John Oxtoby, who, I'm told, is a former Olympian,
0:48:29 > 0:48:32'so I can't resist the chance to meet him and take him on.'
0:48:35 > 0:48:39Right, I'm in more up-to-date cycling gear now, hence the funny walk.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42And I'm here to meet John at his local racetrack.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44But to me, I could be in the wrong Stratford,
0:48:44 > 0:48:46cos that clearly isn't a velodrome.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51- Hi, John.- Hello, nice to see you, Ellie.- Nice to see you.
0:48:51 > 0:48:55Not the sort of place I would expect to find a medal-winning Olympian?
0:48:55 > 0:48:59Well, it's a long story but that is the medal
0:48:59 > 0:49:02and it is the Warwickshire Olympics, actually!
0:49:02 > 0:49:05- I've never heard of the Warwickshire Olympics.- I'm not surprised.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08The team came fourth out of five.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11'OK - so I'm following in the footsteps
0:49:11 > 0:49:14'of slightly more modest sporting achievement than I'd thought.
0:49:14 > 0:49:19'But I can't resist the chance to race against an Olympian of sorts.
0:49:19 > 0:49:23'Since he's shown me his, it's only right that I show him mine.'
0:49:23 > 0:49:27Right here, I've got the Countryfile Celebrated Sportsman gold medal.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31Well, if I win, that'll be the first gold medal that I have ever won!
0:49:31 > 0:49:34Could be yours, could be mine, who knows?
0:49:35 > 0:49:37Three, two, one, go!
0:49:37 > 0:49:40Come on, shoes, come on, shoes!
0:49:40 > 0:49:42Oh, no! I've lost a shoe!
0:49:53 > 0:49:54My heart's going.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57Would you believe it?!
0:49:58 > 0:50:01John is pipping me on the last corner!
0:50:01 > 0:50:04I can't believe it! Come on!
0:50:04 > 0:50:06No!
0:50:08 > 0:50:11- John, your gold medal at last. - Wonderful.
0:50:11 > 0:50:15Well, if you fancy getting out and about on your bike this week,
0:50:15 > 0:50:18you'll want to know what the weather has in store for the week ahead.
0:52:50 > 0:52:57.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13'Today, we are in Warwickshire, where Ellie and I
0:53:13 > 0:53:15'have been discovering how the heritage and modern-day heart
0:53:15 > 0:53:19'of this area have been shaped by its breathtaking landscape.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23'And my day has been building up to one thing.'
0:53:23 > 0:53:26I have spent the day brushing up on the old farming skills
0:53:26 > 0:53:29with the members of the Young Farmers Club. There they are.
0:53:29 > 0:53:30CHEERING
0:53:30 > 0:53:32This rowdy bunch are in for a treat,
0:53:32 > 0:53:35cos I'm about to be let loose on this course here.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38'The course has been laid out to simulate a farmyard,
0:53:38 > 0:53:42'complete with its own barn and track around the outbuildings.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45'All I've got to do is navigate it
0:53:45 > 0:53:48'in the ten-tonne tractor and trailer.'
0:53:48 > 0:53:51Tom set it up, didn't you? Just talk me through.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54Fairly easy course, going round in an S shape.
0:53:54 > 0:53:58It is very tight, I have had a go. Then reverse into the little barn.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00Get nice and straight
0:54:00 > 0:54:02and then just reverse in. Easy?
0:54:02 > 0:54:06Yeah, easy as pie(!) Here we go, then.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13'With a quick five-minute practice in an open field,
0:54:13 > 0:54:15'the pressure is now on.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18'I am president of the Young Farmers Clubs and I don't want
0:54:18 > 0:54:20'to lose face in front of this lot.
0:54:20 > 0:54:24'My mentor, Tom, doesn't seem entirely confident.'
0:54:24 > 0:54:29If this was my workshop walls, I'd be quite scared.
0:54:29 > 0:54:33'As predicted, the S-bend is the bit that proves tricky.'
0:54:35 > 0:54:40Watch your trailer! Oh, he's getting it! Come on, in one! In one!
0:54:40 > 0:54:41Keep going.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43THEY CHEER AND JEER
0:54:43 > 0:54:46'While the cautious approach might not be a crowd-pleaser,
0:54:46 > 0:54:51'with the turn behind me, all I have to do now is reverse into the barn.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55'And as my driver instructor always taught me,
0:54:55 > 0:54:58'check your mirrors before you manoeuvre.'
0:54:58 > 0:55:00Oh, using the wing mirrors!
0:55:00 > 0:55:02'Job done.'
0:55:04 > 0:55:06CHEERING
0:55:08 > 0:55:12- Tom.- Well done, mate, you did very well. Well done.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14It's tough around the top there, isn't it?
0:55:14 > 0:55:17I told you it gets a bit tight. Now, it looked like you enjoyed that.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20Yeah. Cheeky little course, that one, though.
0:55:22 > 0:55:27'With my pride as Young Farmers' president still intact,
0:55:27 > 0:55:28'there's time to relax.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31'And whenever there's a party taking place,
0:55:31 > 0:55:34'a certain Miss Harrison is never far from hand.
0:55:34 > 0:55:39'But these get-togethers thrive on a dose of healthy competition.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41'And that is something Ellie knows about all too well.'
0:55:41 > 0:55:44Just driven past a cheering cyclist. He was well in his 70s.
0:55:44 > 0:55:45Don't start! Thanks for that(!)
0:55:45 > 0:55:49- You lost, then?- Yeah, I'm afraid I did.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51He was very fit, though.
0:55:51 > 0:55:53- We've got a competition lined up for you.- Go on.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57- This is your chance. Have you ever tug-of-warred before?- I have not.
0:55:57 > 0:56:01- Have you?- Once, once or twice.- OK... - But this is good, OK?
0:56:01 > 0:56:04You're going to be over there on the boys' team.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06- I'm going to be on the girls' team. - There's loads of them!
0:56:06 > 0:56:10Yeah, well, we thought with boys and girls, 11 versus eight.
0:56:10 > 0:56:12There are some big boys. I'm happy with that.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15Come on, come and meet your team. This is Tom.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18- Hi, Tom.- You'll be in good hands. This is Ellie.- Nice to meet you.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20- Nice to meet you.- In it to win it, yes?- We will.
0:56:20 > 0:56:22- Who cares about blisters.- Just have a look at these weapons here.
0:56:22 > 0:56:26- Look at this. Absolutely unbelievable.- Calves of steel.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29And the belt.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34- We are going to win. - Do you know how this works, Ellie?
0:56:34 > 0:56:36You just pull with all your might, right?
0:56:36 > 0:56:39The idea is, we are trying to get these T-shirts over the middle
0:56:39 > 0:56:42- and you're trying to get our T-shirt over the middle.- Job done.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44- OK?- Everyone pick up the rope.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48Take the strain...pull!
0:56:48 > 0:56:53SHOUTING AND CHEERING
0:56:56 > 0:56:58Pull!
0:57:01 > 0:57:03Come on! Come on!
0:57:03 > 0:57:05Come on, pull! Go on, come on!
0:57:08 > 0:57:11CHEERING
0:57:11 > 0:57:13It's gone.
0:57:13 > 0:57:15Oh! Well...
0:57:16 > 0:57:19You deserved to win. Bless you.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23- How was that, did you enjoy it? - I was amazed at my wrists.- Brilliant.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27Well done, lads, well done. Unlucky, girls, unlucky.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29That's it from Warwickshire.
0:57:29 > 0:57:31Next week, we are going to be down on the south coast in Dorset.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33I'll be on the trail of Enid Blyton.
0:57:33 > 0:57:37- And I will be on a reptile hunt. See you then.- See you later.
0:57:37 > 0:57:40Oh, my word! Well done, team.
0:58:03 > 0:58:05Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd