10/06/2012 Countryfile


10/06/2012

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Warwickshire -

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a county set deep in the heart of England,

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rich in history, rural charm

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and captivating countryside.

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I'm going to be celebrating

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the 80th year of the National Federation of Young Farmers

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by brushing up on the old farming skills.

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And I won't be chickening out on any of them.

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While Matt's getting stuck in, something tells me

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I'm going to be a bit saddle sore by the end of the programme.

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I'll be learning the ladylike way to ride a horse side-saddle.

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I'll also be trying out a classic British bike

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and training to race against a former Olympic champion.

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Tom's taking on an altogether more serious challenge.

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These distinctive black and white cows

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are the backbone of the British dairy industry,

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but there's a cost to making sure that we are kept in milk,

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so I'll be discovering what's being done

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to stop the deaths of tens of thousands of dairy calves.

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And Adam's up in the Yorkshire Dales.

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I've come to see these wonderful Belted Galloway cattle

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that help preserve this beautiful limestone countryside.

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They live up on the moor here pretty much all year round.

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They're hardy beasts but today they're enjoying the sunshine

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and wallowing in the water here.

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But I'm here to see if there's a good bull to buy.

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A landlocked county in the heart of the England.

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Warwickshire is a place of pastoral landscapes and picturesque towns

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stretched out gloriously across 1,200 square miles.

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'Tucked away on its southernmost border is Shipston-on-Stour.

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'Founded as a sheep market in the 8th century,

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'today farming is still very much at the heart of the local community

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'amongst both the old and the young.'

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It may sound like a contradiction,

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but this year the National Federation of Young Farmers clubs

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is 80 years old and it's something that I know all too well

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because I'm its president.

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Now, you wouldn't believe what our members get up to.

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Welly-wanging is just the start of it. Wa-hey!

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That's a beauty!

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At this farm in Shipston-on-Stour,

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they're putting on a county rally,

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which I'll be taking part in later.

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Across England and Wales, rallies like this take place

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throughout the year, as young farmers aged between 10 and 26

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get together to have some fun and pit their skills against each other.

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It's something young farmers have been doing for eight decades.

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While the way they farm has changed, their passions certainly haven't.

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I'll tell you what, James, looking at these,

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Young Farmers have certainly come a long way in the 80 years.

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Hasn't it just, yeah?

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So, 23,000 members these days but it all started back in Devon

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when competition was the key.

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Yeah, it did. It started with calf and pig rearing clubs.

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United Diaries actually organised a competition to encourage young people

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to raise livestock -

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encouraged to raise the standards that livestock was being reared by.

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-It was quite popular back then?

-It was amazingly popular, yeah.

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It was the core competition that kick-started all Young Farmers.

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In under ten years, there were over 100 clubs up and down the country.

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The competitions have widened out a little bit

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using more and more agricultural skill as well.

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-Yeah.

-So tractor maintenance and all that kind of stuff.

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Exactly. There's a lot of people who owe their skills and careers

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to the skills they picked up with Young Farmers.

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-The Agricultural Minister for one.

-The Agricultural Minister.

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-Some guy called Matt Butcher or something(!)

-Yeah, very good.

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He was in Young Farmers.

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You don't have to be a farmer to be a member of Young Farmers.

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No, you don't have to "be one to be one" is the old phrase as it goes.

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I'm not a farmer. I don't come from a farming background.

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If you like being outside, then great.

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If you like being stuck to a computer, then maybe not for you.

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'There's a lot more to these clubs than just competitions, though.

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'They give youngsters a voice on farming both here in the UK

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'and in Europe and they are enjoying something of a resurgence.

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'This club in Shipston-on-Stour started last year

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'and is already thriving with nearly 50 members.

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'I'm meeting one if its founders who's lending me his wheels

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'to compete around the tractor course later.'

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An absolute beauty. Show me the controls before you let me loose.

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It's a fairly modern tractor.

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So it's not difficult to drive.

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All it is is forward and back on that lever there.

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Your gears are here so if you want to go faster, it's the hare

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and slower, tortoise.

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And pedals then just as you would in a car?

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Yeah, accelerator, brake and clutch. Simple.

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-Perfect. Right.

-Your turn.

-Let's go for a drive.

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Look after it.

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This machinery is a lot heftier than the stuff we have on our hill farm.

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So, with ten tonnes at my mercy and a trailer in tow,

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I'm making sure I get the hang of the handling out in an open field

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before I attempt the course.

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Right, well, I'm feeling OK actually in an open field

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but there's parts of that course that are looking pretty tight

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but I'm ready for the challenge.

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While the guys here finish their preparations,

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I'm heading off to meet one of the club's other young farmers

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who's honing her rural skills.

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Annabel James lives on a farm a few miles down the road

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and is learning the art of shepherding from her dad, Will.

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HE WHISTLES

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So your dad's teaching you the tricks of the trade

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as far as sheepdog trialling or training is concerned. Good.

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How long have you been doing it?

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-Um, I have only just started.

-Right. How are you getting on?

-OK.

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Well, we're about to find that out, actually.

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The challenge is then, Annabel,

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for you to get them into that little pen at the end.

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Yeah, go for it. Show us your skills. Good luck.

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Away. Right, away.

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Fly away.

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Just to give you an idea of what's going on here,

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there's quite a few sheepdog commands.

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You might have heard of "come by" and "away."

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If you imagine that your field is a clock,

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when your dog is running clockwise, starts with a C, known as "come by".

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And when your dog is running anticlockwise, it starts with an A,

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that's "away".

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Away. Get away. Get away.

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Walk them on.

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Good girl. Walk them on.

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This is good, Annabel, it's very good.

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Good girl.

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Walk them on.

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There we go. Teamwork. Perfect.

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-How's she coming on, then, as a little pupil?

-She learning.

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She's keen, so that's brilliant.

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'Although Annabel's not planning to be a farmer herself,

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'it's great to see how determined she is to learn these skills

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'and stay close to her rural roots.'

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Earlier in the year on Countryfile, we told you how eating British veal

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could help prevent the needless deaths of thousands of dairy calves.

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But is anything actually being done? Tom has been to find out.

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'Black and white cows grazing in green pasture.

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'It's a typically British rural scene

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'and one we've been familiar with for centuries,

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'thanks to our love of milk and a whole host of other dairy products.'

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But behind this idyllic scene lies a problem

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which affects many of Britain's dairy farmers

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and, more pointedly, their newborn calves.

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The problem stems from the fact

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that cows need to regularly have calves to produce milk.

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Roger Mason runs a dairy farm

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here on the southern fringes of the Lake District.

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Hi, Roger. Nice to see you keeping your ladies well fed.

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-Morning, Tom.

-So tell me about the herd you have.

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We keep around 150 milk cows, give or take ten either way,

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giving 9,000 litres per cow per year.

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Wow, that's a lot of milk.

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How do you go about making sure

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you've got plenty of milk most of the time?

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Well, a cow has to be pregnant and have a calf

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to be able to produce milk in the first place.

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It's just a case of getting a calf off a cow every 12 months.

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So you've got a lot of calves being born to this herd?

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Yeah, 150 cows, 150 calves.

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'In an ideal world the female calves would go on to produce milk

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'and the males could be reared to produce beef

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'but as we reported back in January, it's not as simple as that.'

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95% of our national dairy herd is of the Holstein type,

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these familiar black and whites.

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They've been specially bred to maximise milk yield,

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making them perfect for the dairy industry

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but not ideal for the economics of modern beef production.

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'Dairy cattle just don't carry as much meat as beef breeds

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'so they can cost more to rear than they sell for.

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'That means while female calves are kept for milking,

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'a quarter of all male or bull calves are shot at birth.

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That's around a 100,000 animals every year.

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'Members of the Beyond Calf Exports Forum are trying to change that.'

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These calves have been historically viewed

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as waste and treated as such.

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What we wanted to do was see the number of calves exported reduced,

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the number of calves being shot at birth reduced,

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and an increase in the rearing of these calves in Britain

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in higher welfare systems.

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-So how are you doing?

-I think we're doing pretty well.

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From a situation where most calves were exported or shot on farm,

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now more than three out of four are being retained in Britain,

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reared by British farmers to higher welfare standards.

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'As John reported in January,

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'one solution could be to rear surplus bull calves for veal.'

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Dairy farmers want to rear their animals, look after their animals.

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They want to see them have a life.

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In the past, production of white veal from calves kept in cramped crates

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was seen as cruel and it's an image that still persists.

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But in reality those days are long gone, and now in the UK,

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the meat from young cattle is a high welfare product.

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A new couple of calves for Roger's farm.

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British Rose Veal comes with the approval of both

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Compassion In World Farming and the RSPCA.

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Farmer's like Roger Mason have certainly noticed

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an increase in interest since our last report.

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Pretty happy to get in here, bouncing about.

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That's right. It shows that they're nice and healthy and happy.

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-How are veal sales going?

-Yeah, they are on the up.

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I think the awareness of the public helps

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and programmes like this help as well. It puts it out there.

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I think it's always had bad publicity, from the '70s and '80s,

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of the crates and cruelty, but now because they are welfare friendly,

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people realise they can eat veal and it is good to eat it.

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It should keep moving forward, but it is slow.

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'So is there scope to sell even more?

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'After all, in Europe, 10% of their cattle is reared and eaten as veal,

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'whereas here in the UK it's less than 1%.'

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So if someone came along to you and said,

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"The solution to the problem of dairy calves being slaughtered at birth

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"would be for everyone to go into veal," what would you say to that?

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I just think it would flood the market

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and there wouldn't be that market there for it at this stage.

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But what do the people who have to sell it think?

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The supermarket Asda is a member of the Beyond Calf Exports Forum

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and made a commitment to stopping the deaths of newborn male bull calves.

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Is veal their answer?

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In the UK, we're not really a veal-eating country

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and the issue is we do have customers coming in asking for veal

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but they only want certain cuts such as the escalope.

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The escalope equates for less than 10% of the carcass.

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Then what do we do with the remaining 90%?

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Then we get into food waste issues and bigger problems.

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So your solution is some of it can go as veal

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-but we've got to work on the beef?

-Exactly, yeah.

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'For people with high hopes that veal could stop all the wasteful deaths

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'of dairy bull calves, this may come as disappointing news.'

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Veal calves like this hungry fella are part of the solution.

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They're just not the whole answer

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but all is not lost, as we'll find out later in the programme.

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This week we're exploring the beautiful Warwickshire countryside

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and I'm trotting back in time

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to learn about a rather elegant pursuit...

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..the graceful art of side-saddle riding.

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It was originally developed as a way for ladies to ride horses

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in a modest fashion whilst also wearing fine clothing,

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though snug-fitting jodhpurs seems to have relegated the spectacle

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to the equine archives.

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I'm meeting Susanna Forrest

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who has recently written a book on its history.

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So tell me about side-saddle riding. Where did it all come from?

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It was basically a very patriarchal thing.

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The first signs you get are on the Greek pots

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when the nice Greek goddesses ride side-saddle

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and the nasty war-like Amazons wear trousers and ride astride.

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It kind of grew from there.

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There began to be this idea it was something respectable ladies did

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and it was for ceremonial use.

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So why did it fizzle out then?

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I guess it can't have been terribly practical really?

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Basically what killed it to some extent was the First World War

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because a lot of young women

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who were posh, good hunting girls

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ended up working in army remount depots as grooms

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and as exercise riders for horses

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and there was no point in them doing that side-saddle.

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Once they'd shown themselves riding well and respectably astride,

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after the war a lot of them just didn't go back.

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So before you could say "votes for women",

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the skirts were banished to the attic and everyone was riding astride.

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But this small corner of Warwickshire

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is playing a big part in the renaissance of side-saddle riding.

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I'm at one of a few riding schools in the country

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where you can learn the art.

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Stable owner Roger Philpot is a leading international instructor.

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-Hi, Roger. Who's this?

-This is Geoffrey.

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Geoffrey, what a fine horse.

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He's really known as Squadron Leader because of his moustache.

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-He has incredibly long eyebrows. I love that. Off we go.

-That's it.

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Warwickshire has had a long history with side-saddle riding, hasn't it?

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It goes right back when hunting came through.

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The actual Warwickshire Hunt is based a quarter of a mile from here.

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This particular yard was used for liveries for a lot

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of the masters of the Warwickshire Hunt who actually rode side-saddle.

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-That is how we got involved in it originally.

-Excellent.

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'Roger has produced the Side-Saddle Rider of the Year in England

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'for the last 14 years.

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'Let's see if I've got any potential.'

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Foot in the stirrup. To get on as if you're going to ride astride, OK?

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-So here and then...

-That's it. Just swing your leg over.

-All right.

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-There we are. How does that feel?

-Feels very stable, actually.

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-I can go now you're on.

-You stay here!

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What I want you to do now is bring your right leg over that one

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and keep your hips square.

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That's the whole technique of riding side-saddle.

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-So, my legs are at a right angle here?

-Yes, very slightly.

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Your weight comes through from the right seat bone

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through to the back of your right knee.

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All the time you're riding side-saddle,

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you're turning your body in a clockwise direction.

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-I can already feel different muscles being used here.

-That's it.

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-It's going to be good for me, I know it.

-You won't walk tomorrow!

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You'd better have some reins.

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I'll be walking in circles tomorrow if this right leg does all the work.

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Just ask him quietly now to walk on.

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Walk on. Good boy. Good boy.

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-Bring that right shoulder round.

-Yeah.

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Are you going to keep going, yeah? Good boy.

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The most important thing in side-saddle

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is you've got to think elegance the whole time.

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Right. Think like a lady. I can have a go at that.

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You shouldn't find that very difficult.

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Well, I could surprise you, Roger!

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'I seem to have grasped the basics, but that's only the half of it.

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'Time for a costume change.'

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I feel terribly Jane Austen.

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Maybe Mr Darcy could give me a hand with my buttons?

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So now what I'm going to do is just undo

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your modesty bit.

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So this is what you would do to get on a horse.

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Then keep turning round that way and it all comes out

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and now we can see the whole shape of the habit.

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Wow, that tailoring is amazing.

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So your knee, when you're on side-saddle,

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-fits into there.

-Look at that.

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'So the "habit", as it's known, gives the illusion of wearing a full skirt

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'when actually it's more like an apron.

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'It's time for me to grace my trusty steed Geoffrey

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'with all the refinement of the most dignified side-saddle rider.

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'Failing that, I could always be an extra on Downton Abbey.'

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No matter what kind of rider you are, you can't help but feel

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incredibly elegant in this get-up on this fine horse as well.

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'Although I think I'll feel it in my thighs later!

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'Well, I've got a long way to go before I'm as good as this lot.

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'To watch the ladies ride these noble beasts with such skill and poise

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'truly is a sight to behold.

0:18:510:18:53

'As for me, Mr Darcy, pass me the muscle rub!'

0:18:550:19:00

Later in the programme, I'll be back in the saddle,

0:19:000:19:03

this time on a classic British bike.

0:19:030:19:05

You can't come to Warwickshire without mentioning the Bard.

0:19:050:19:08

John has been in Stratford-upon-Avon.

0:19:080:19:11

This is the Warwickshire countryside that surrounds the town

0:19:150:19:18

that will forever be associated with William Shakespeare.

0:19:180:19:21

And it's this peaceful landscape that provided inspiration

0:19:210:19:26

for the county's best known son when he was writing some of the plays

0:19:260:19:30

that made him world-famous.

0:19:300:19:32

This farm house is where William's mother, Mary Arden, was born.

0:19:340:19:39

And, as a young boy, he'd come here to visit his grandparents

0:19:390:19:42

from his home in the nearby town of Stratford-upon-Avon.

0:19:420:19:46

This would have been William Shakespeare's playground.

0:19:460:19:49

'It's now an educational working farm set 400 years ago

0:19:490:19:54

'so I'm taking a step back in time

0:19:540:19:56

'to see just how these surroundings influenced him.'

0:19:560:19:59

This all looks incredibly authentic but just set the scene for me.

0:19:590:20:03

Would it have looked like this in Shakespeare's day?

0:20:030:20:06

It would have been more rustic.

0:20:060:20:07

It would have been more like a working farm.

0:20:070:20:09

There would have been a lot of muck.

0:20:090:20:12

Shakespeare would have taken part in the life of the farm

0:20:120:20:15

when he visited his grandmother

0:20:150:20:17

and grandparents undoubtedly.

0:20:170:20:19

He would have been happy to turn his hand to mucking out the pigs

0:20:190:20:21

or collecting the eggs. He would have loved that

0:20:210:20:24

-I'm sure.

-He was a town boy, really, wasn't he?

-He lived in a town, yes.

0:20:240:20:28

Stratford was a town of 2,000 or so people in his time,

0:20:280:20:31

but it was a town, not very large, a town with 2,000 or so people.

0:20:310:20:35

Shakespeare was deeply imbued

0:20:350:20:38

in country life, in country pursuits,

0:20:380:20:40

in the landscape of the country.

0:20:400:20:43

And he brings it into a place, not consciously,

0:20:430:20:46

but because it is part of his mental set-up.

0:20:460:20:49

So he can't help but refer to these things.

0:20:490:20:53

But he does make fun of country people, doesn't he?

0:20:530:20:55

Up to a point he does, yes, but he makes fun of all sorts of people.

0:20:550:21:00

He sees the funny side of them.

0:21:000:21:03

We are still handling our ewes,

0:21:030:21:04

and their fells, you know, are greasy.

0:21:040:21:06

Ah, but does not your courtier's hand sweat?

0:21:060:21:10

And is not the grease of a mutton

0:21:100:21:13

as wholesome as the sweat of a man?

0:21:130:21:17

Shallow. Shallow. A better instance. Come.

0:21:170:21:20

'Sheep were a common theme in Shakespeare's work,

0:21:200:21:24

'including A Winter's Tale.'

0:21:240:21:26

Come, spare your blushes and be that which you are -

0:21:260:21:30

mistress of the feast.

0:21:300:21:31

Bid us welcome to your sheepshearing

0:21:310:21:34

so your good flock may prosper.

0:21:340:21:35

BLEATING

0:21:370:21:39

'I want to get a real feel

0:21:390:21:41

'of how Shakespeare would have experienced this farm

0:21:410:21:44

'so I present to you...Master John.'

0:21:440:21:48

If Ellie can get dressed up, so can I.

0:21:490:21:52

'Master Joe here tends to the animals using the same methods

0:21:530:21:57

'used in Shakespeare's day.'

0:21:570:21:59

This is something I've never done before, Joe.

0:21:590:22:01

Hand shearing a sheep.

0:22:010:22:03

But I suppose it's something

0:22:030:22:04

that young William would have been used to seeing.

0:22:040:22:06

Yes, I imagine he'd have been used to these kind of scissors as well

0:22:060:22:10

because his dad was a glove maker

0:22:100:22:12

and they used shears like this in the glove making trade.

0:22:120:22:16

Also his father was a dealer in wool.

0:22:160:22:18

Certainly with me an awful lot slower.

0:22:180:22:20

It would probably take me a whole day to do this.

0:22:200:22:22

There's no rush because this is very valuable.

0:22:220:22:26

In Tudor times, this was a very valuable crop.

0:22:260:22:29

What you want to try and do is get as close to the skin as possible

0:22:290:22:32

because that's where all the money is down there.

0:22:320:22:35

'In fact, back in those days, wool made up three quarters

0:22:360:22:39

'of the country's exports.'

0:22:390:22:41

I will leave this to you.

0:22:410:22:43

I was going to go and have a drink of ale while you finished it off!

0:22:430:22:47

OK, I'll try a bit more.

0:22:470:22:48

'In William Shakespeare's day, the clothes worn by farm workers,

0:22:480:22:53

'and just about everybody else, would have been made

0:22:530:22:56

'from the precious fleece.'

0:22:560:22:57

BLEATING

0:22:590:23:01

CAT-WALK MUSIC PLAYS

0:23:010:23:03

English wool was known worldwide to be the best.

0:23:050:23:09

The crafty mistresses would spin it into some fancy designs.

0:23:090:23:12

After a hard morning of labour on the farm,

0:23:220:23:25

it is time to prepare for dinner Shakespeare style.

0:23:250:23:29

In a Midsummer Night's Dream he wrote of several bad harvests

0:23:290:23:32

which just proves the wet spring we've had is nothing new.

0:23:320:23:35

But something could always be found in the hedgerows

0:23:350:23:38

if other crops had failed.

0:23:380:23:40

It seems dramatic touches weren't just saved for Shakespeare's plays.

0:23:400:23:43

This salad looks incredibly elaborate.

0:23:460:23:49

It was all about showing off.

0:23:490:23:51

You wanted to present your food

0:23:510:23:54

so that it was a feast for the eye as well as the stomach.

0:23:540:23:58

Your board was almost like a stage and you set it

0:23:580:24:00

and you wanted it to look good.

0:24:000:24:03

You wanted people to go, "Oh!" and gasp at it.

0:24:030:24:06

Thank you, Mistress Rosie. That looks good. Soup to start with.

0:24:130:24:18

How many courses altogether?

0:24:180:24:20

In the warmer summer months, your dinner would last up to three hours.

0:24:200:24:23

In that three hours you could have up to eight courses.

0:24:230:24:26

Goodness me!

0:24:260:24:27

How could you work after that?

0:24:270:24:29

The reason for having such an extended dinner break

0:24:290:24:32

is so that your oxen are really well rested.

0:24:320:24:35

-I don't know if you've ever tried to make a tired oxen work...

-Never.

0:24:350:24:38

..but it will sit down and not move again.

0:24:380:24:40

You need to have that rest.

0:24:400:24:42

It acts as a good excuse to have a nice long dinner break.

0:24:420:24:45

Absolutely. Yes. And it's lovely to get everyone together as well.

0:24:450:24:48

Here's to a very nice meal.

0:24:480:24:49

'Just one way that times have certainly changed down on the farm.'

0:24:490:24:55

I'm travelling through the lush landscapes around Shipston-on-Stour

0:25:000:25:03

meeting some of the members of its Young Farmers' Club,

0:25:030:25:06

the newest of more than 650 clubs across England and Wales.

0:25:060:25:10

The lad that I am about to meet typifies everything that

0:25:110:25:14

Young Farmers' Clubs is about.

0:25:140:25:16

Up until a few years ago he hadn't kept anything other than dogs

0:25:160:25:19

or cats, but now he has fallen in love with the farming lifestyle

0:25:190:25:23

and is surrounded by his own award-winning feathered friends.

0:25:230:25:26

How did all this come about?

0:25:290:25:30

I've always had a passion for the countryside

0:25:300:25:33

and it just grew from there really.

0:25:330:25:34

You've ended up with this little yard. How did you acquire this?

0:25:340:25:39

The next-door neighbour, a farmer, he keeps a few chickens down here

0:25:390:25:43

and I look after them for him.

0:25:430:25:45

-Right.

-And he lets me keep some here as well.

0:25:450:25:47

-OK, so which ones are yours?

-The Buff Orpingtons.

0:25:470:25:50

This is it? You'll have chickens for the rest of your life?

0:25:500:25:52

Yes, definitely, chickens, turkeys, everything.

0:25:520:25:54

'Tom might be proud of his birds,

0:25:540:25:56

'but he can't afford to get too attached

0:25:560:25:58

'because they are bred for a purpose.

0:25:580:26:01

'Eggs, of course, but also meat.

0:26:010:26:03

'And before you can cook then you've got to pluck them.'

0:26:030:26:07

-You don't get them like this in the supermarket.

-No, you do not.

0:26:070:26:09

'Tom has even entered chicken-plucking competitions,

0:26:090:26:12

'so with two birds ready for the pot he has given me a masterclass.'

0:26:120:26:16

-These are still warm, aren't they?

-Yes, they are still warm.

0:26:160:26:20

OK, and where do you start with a record-breaking chicken pluck?

0:26:200:26:24

You have got to start... You've got to think which body part loses

0:26:240:26:27

the warmth quickest.

0:26:270:26:29

-Yes.

-You start with the wings.

-OK.

-Then the legs.

0:26:290:26:32

-You just pull upwards, yeah?

-Yes. Just twist them.

0:26:320:26:36

'Tom's record pluck took just 20 minutes.'

0:26:370:26:40

-Tom's onto his second wing.

-Yes.

0:26:400:26:44

'And it will take more than a wing

0:26:440:26:46

'and a prayer for a novice like me to top that.'

0:26:460:26:49

I've obviously got quite a bit of this bird left to do

0:26:510:26:54

so while I continue, here's what else is coming up

0:26:540:26:56

on tonight's programme.

0:26:560:26:57

'Ellie is back in the saddle and going for gold...'

0:26:590:27:03

John is beating me on the last corner.

0:27:030:27:06

'..Adam's up in Yorkshire looking for a new bull...'

0:27:060:27:09

-I quite like the look of that black one there.

-Yeah.

0:27:090:27:12

'..and we'll have the Countryfile weather forecast

0:27:120:27:15

'for the week ahead.'

0:27:150:27:17

The dairy industry is part of what makes the British countryside tick,

0:27:280:27:32

but there is a price to pay for those lush green fields

0:27:320:27:35

and beautiful black and white cows as Tom has been finding out.

0:27:350:27:39

Every year around 100,000 dairy bull calves are shot

0:27:390:27:44

at birth because as boys

0:27:440:27:46

they can't produce milk and it costs too much to rear them on for beef.

0:27:460:27:52

'As we've heard, turning them into veal is one option,

0:27:530:27:56

'but there's simply not enough demand to cope with all those

0:27:560:27:59

'extra calves, so what else could we do?'

0:27:590:28:02

In an ideal world, every calf born on a dairy farm would be female

0:28:040:28:08

and then it could be milked just like its mother.

0:28:080:28:11

But that's not possible, or is it?

0:28:110:28:14

'At these labs in Cheshire, they're leading the way in the development

0:28:160:28:20

'of something called sexed semen -

0:28:200:28:22

'effectively, separating the girls from the boys.'

0:28:220:28:26

Here is where you can actually see an individual sperm sample.

0:28:260:28:30

Absolutely amazing.

0:28:300:28:32

It looks very busy, but what are you seeing there?

0:28:320:28:35

I'm seeing a really good sample here.

0:28:350:28:36

As you can see, there's one or two dead sperm there.

0:28:360:28:39

A lot swimming are around in straight lines.

0:28:390:28:41

We've got one with a bent tail.

0:28:410:28:42

That's not going to get anything in calf.

0:28:420:28:44

-It's looking pretty potent, is it?

-Really potent.

0:28:440:28:46

What exactly is sexed semen?

0:28:480:28:51

If you look back on the screen over there, we saw a lot of semen

0:28:510:28:54

swimming around and you've got 50 percent female, 50 percent male.

0:28:540:28:58

What we want to be able to do

0:28:580:28:59

is provide our customers with female calves.

0:28:590:29:01

The only difference between a male and female sperm

0:29:010:29:05

is a female sperm carries 3.8 percent more DNA

0:29:050:29:08

so we add a dye to the sperm.

0:29:080:29:09

Because the female sperm has got more dye, she glows brighter.

0:29:090:29:12

We then pass past some magnets here

0:29:120:29:14

and when the semen comes through

0:29:140:29:16

in a single droplet we give a positive charge

0:29:160:29:19

and we end up with a female sperm ending up in this pot here.

0:29:190:29:22

That pot has got what you want. It's just got female sperm?

0:29:220:29:28

There is over 90 percent female sperm in there

0:29:280:29:30

and 100 percent live sperm.

0:29:300:29:32

'This technology has been developed for over a decade

0:29:320:29:36

'and is now being used on farms to inseminate cows across Britain.

0:29:360:29:40

'One of the daily farmers trying it out is Geoff Spence.'

0:29:400:29:43

Why is sexed semen so useful to dairy farmers like you?

0:29:430:29:47

It solves the issue of having a lot of bull calves

0:29:470:29:52

and sexed semen gives you a good guarantee of a heifer calf.

0:29:520:29:55

So I'll just clean that area there and then we pop the...

0:29:550:30:02

-So that is the actual straw with the semen in it?

-That is right. Yes.

0:30:020:30:07

That is just through the cervix

0:30:080:30:11

and we just drop it in

0:30:110:30:13

and the semen works its way up the fallopian tubes and...

0:30:130:30:16

-Does the business.

-Does the business, yes.

0:30:160:30:20

COW MOOS

0:30:200:30:23

'Waitrose, Tesco's, Sainsbury's and Asda

0:30:230:30:26

'are all now supporting the use of methods like this.'

0:30:260:30:29

Sexed semen is becoming more widely used,

0:30:290:30:33

but it's not a miracle solution.

0:30:330:30:35

It's quite pricey, it's a complex procedure,

0:30:350:30:38

and not always 100 percent reliable.

0:30:380:30:41

Let's get back to that original question - why not rear

0:30:410:30:45

more dairy bull calves as beef?

0:30:450:30:48

'The argument against doing just that has always been simple economics.

0:30:490:30:53

'Because dairy cattle aren't designed to produce meat,

0:30:530:30:57

'they don't fetch as much at market as their beefier counterparts,

0:30:570:31:00

'and because they cost money to feed and house, on average £400 each,

0:31:000:31:05

'farmers aren't always able to make money when it comes to selling them.'

0:31:050:31:09

But times are changing.

0:31:090:31:11

Demand for beef is on the way up and that increases prices.

0:31:110:31:14

'So should we consider keeping some of those 100,000 calves to

0:31:140:31:19

'sell on as beef rather than shooting them?

0:31:190:31:21

'Members of the Beyond Calf Exports Forum think we should.'

0:31:210:31:25

Beef from dairy bull calves can be

0:31:260:31:29

just as good in terms of taste

0:31:290:31:31

and better in terms of health attributes.

0:31:310:31:34

Dairy bull beef from Holstein Friesians can be lower in bad fats,

0:31:340:31:40

higher in the good stuff, so it is a better quality product.

0:31:400:31:44

So those who say that the best beef comes from a beef breed,

0:31:440:31:47

an Aberdeen Angus or a Hereford, or a Galloway

0:31:470:31:49

or something like that, are they wrong?

0:31:490:31:51

What's wrong is to think that dairy bull calves can't produce

0:31:510:31:54

good quality beef.

0:31:540:31:55

They can and they do.

0:31:550:31:57

That is what a great part of the industry is now picking up on.

0:31:570:32:01

'But not everyone is as convinced

0:32:030:32:05

'that dairy cattle make such a good beef product - and with good reason.'

0:32:050:32:09

It's at the back end where you really see

0:32:090:32:12

the difference between a beef breed and a dairy breed.

0:32:120:32:16

Dairy cows tend to have a much more bony rump

0:32:160:32:19

because so much of the energy is going into the milk,

0:32:190:32:22

going into the udder,

0:32:220:32:23

whereas your classic beef breed will be much beefier on the back end.

0:32:230:32:29

'But there is another way to make your dairy calves beefier -

0:32:300:32:34

'a bit of crossbreeding.

0:32:340:32:36

'This Holstein dairy cow was inseminated

0:32:380:32:40

'by a beef-producing Wagyu bull

0:32:400:32:43

'and she's just become a proud new mum.'

0:32:430:32:45

Who's this cute little addition to the herd?

0:32:450:32:48

This is a freshly calved Wagyu-cross-Holstein calf

0:32:480:32:50

just born about two hours ago.

0:32:500:32:52

What's the significance of this Wagyu breed?

0:32:520:32:56

Wagyu is deemed to be the best beef in the world. It's a Japanese breed

0:32:560:33:00

and the traditional cross in Japan is Wagyu-crossed-Holstein

0:33:000:33:04

that yields fantastic eating-quality meat.

0:33:040:33:07

That means we can replicate it here in the UK

0:33:070:33:09

and produce the finest top-quality meat for our customers.

0:33:090:33:12

'So from crossbreeding and sexed semen to rearing animals as beef

0:33:120:33:16

'and veal, there are plenty of options in the quest to stop

0:33:160:33:20

'the deaths of newborn dairy bull calves.

0:33:200:33:23

'But how near are we to eliminating the problem completely?

0:33:230:33:27

'The supermarket Asda believes it has cracked it.'

0:33:270:33:29

We've been working with our farmers trying to solve this problem

0:33:290:33:32

since 2007 and we are there now basically.

0:33:320:33:35

By getting them to use sexed semen,

0:33:350:33:37

encouraging sexed semen through discounts,

0:33:370:33:39

through trial work that we are doing, and by discounting

0:33:390:33:43

beef semen such as the Wagyu and other breeds,

0:33:430:33:45

we're pretty much there.

0:33:450:33:47

Problem solved.

0:33:470:33:48

You have achieved that aim of being calf neutral pretty much?

0:33:480:33:51

Yes. We are there.

0:33:510:33:52

'Calf neutral means no wasted bull calves.

0:33:520:33:57

'Quite an achievement.

0:33:570:33:58

'But the industry as a whole has some way to go yet.

0:33:580:34:01

'Thanks to our love of milk and all things dairy,

0:34:020:34:05

'cows will always need to have calves to maintain milk production.'

0:34:050:34:08

For many years, the death of these bull calves

0:34:100:34:13

was dairy farming's guilty secret.

0:34:130:34:15

But, as we've seen, exposure of that painful truth and huge efforts

0:34:150:34:19

by farmers and some retailers

0:34:190:34:21

mean that now fewer of these young lives are wasted.

0:34:210:34:25

Down on the farm, Adam is preparing for summer

0:34:320:34:36

and so are his animals including hundreds of new arrivals

0:34:360:34:40

getting to grips with life in the great outdoors.

0:34:400:34:43

Lambing is over now but we have had a month of wet cold weather

0:34:510:34:55

and the lambs haven't grown quite as fast

0:34:550:34:57

as I might have liked them to do.

0:34:570:34:58

But now the sun is out, they're basking in its glory,

0:34:580:35:02

there's quite a few sheep chilling out lying in the sunshine

0:35:020:35:05

and this stream divides the top part of this field and the bottom half.

0:35:050:35:10

We're grazing is bottom half first.

0:35:100:35:12

They are starting to get a bit hungry.

0:35:120:35:13

Some of the lambs are looking to jump across.

0:35:130:35:15

There are two that have already gone the wrong side.

0:35:150:35:18

Now they want to jump back and be with their mum.

0:35:180:35:20

Here they come.

0:35:200:35:21

'While my flock are in good health, enjoying the much-needed sunshine,

0:35:220:35:25

'on the other side of the farm my piglets are sharing a field

0:35:250:35:29

'with a breed of cattle that I'm very fond of.'

0:35:290:35:32

I've got three Belted Galloways -

0:35:320:35:34

aptly named because of this lovely white belt around their middle.

0:35:340:35:38

They come in three different colours -

0:35:380:35:40

a red one, a black one, and a dun one.

0:35:400:35:42

They're a lovely cattle. I'm very fond of them.

0:35:420:35:44

We had them on the farm now for about 30 odd years.

0:35:440:35:47

They produce a fantastic beef -

0:35:470:35:49

a very hardy animal that lives outdoors all year round.

0:35:490:35:52

A couple of years ago, I sadly lost my stock bull to TB.

0:35:520:35:56

So last year we had to use artificial insemination

0:35:560:35:59

to get these cows pregnant.

0:35:590:36:00

Hopefully they're all in calf.

0:36:000:36:02

When they calve, I'll need another bull,

0:36:020:36:05

so although I went out shopping for an Irish Moiled Bull very recently

0:36:050:36:08

I've got to go again.

0:36:080:36:10

Good girl.

0:36:100:36:12

'I'm prepared to travel quite a distance for this one

0:36:190:36:22

'because I'm keen to find the right bull for the girls back home.'

0:36:220:36:25

I'm heading to Malham in North Yorkshire and I'm just

0:36:250:36:27

coming into the Dales now with these classic dry stone walls

0:36:270:36:31

to meet up with an old buddy of mine, a guy I went to agricultural

0:36:310:36:34

college with and he's got a big herd of Belted Galloways.

0:36:340:36:36

'Neil Heseltine is fourth-generation farmer up here in Yorkshire.

0:36:390:36:43

'His Belted Galloways spend all year out on the uplands

0:36:430:36:46

'and they seem to love it.'

0:36:460:36:47

-Hi, Neil.

-Adam, how are you doing?

-Good to see you.

-How's things?

0:36:490:36:52

All right, yeah, pretty good. This is Malham Cove at its best isn't it?

0:36:520:36:55

It is. You will not see anything better. It is beautiful today.

0:36:550:36:58

Much needed sun.

0:36:580:36:59

-All limestone through here?

-All limestone, yes.

0:36:590:37:02

Obviously limestone cove and all those walls are limestone.

0:37:020:37:06

For me this is completely different topography to what I am used to.

0:37:060:37:08

-Pretty rough.

-You have it pretty easy down there in the Cotswolds,

0:37:080:37:11

it makes life easy, but, yeah, it's different terrain altogether.

0:37:110:37:15

How many Belted Galloways have you got now?

0:37:150:37:18

We're up to about 80 at the moment which is the kind of amount

0:37:180:37:20

we need to satisfy gazing requirements and that sort of thing,

0:37:200:37:23

-so that's about the number we need to be at.

-Where are they now?

0:37:230:37:26

They are right up on the tops

0:37:260:37:27

-so we can take you up there now to see them.

-Great. Fantastic.

0:37:270:37:30

'Over the last 30 years cattle numbers have decreased

0:37:330:37:36

'in the upland areas, but the Belted Galloways have been

0:37:360:37:39

'introduced as part of a project to restore mixed grazing

0:37:390:37:42

'which has its benefits.'

0:37:420:37:44

Goodness me. I have never seen a scene like it.

0:37:440:37:46

They are having a bit of a wallow.

0:37:460:37:47

They are. It has got too hot for them.

0:37:470:37:49

-They have had to take to the water.

-Why Belted Galloways?

0:37:490:37:52

Obviously they look nice,

0:37:520:37:54

but they are also well suited to this environment.

0:37:540:37:57

They are hairy as you can see so in the winter

0:37:570:37:59

when they're up here they can still survive then.

0:37:590:38:01

They are easy calving and they can make meat

0:38:010:38:04

out of this not particularly productive grassland

0:38:040:38:07

we've got up here.

0:38:070:38:09

-You leave them up here all winter?

-Yes, all year round they're outside.

0:38:090:38:12

There is no straw, or no concentrates, or anything like that.

0:38:120:38:15

It's just what they pull from the grass.

0:38:150:38:17

-Incredible.

-They are amazing cattle. They really are. They're incredible.

0:38:170:38:22

Conservation grazing is important?

0:38:220:38:24

Yes, we have introduced the Belteds to try

0:38:240:38:26

and alter what goes on up on this landscape.

0:38:260:38:28

We have taken some sheep off and introduced the cattle

0:38:280:38:31

because they graze it in a different way.

0:38:310:38:33

What were the sheep doing wrong?

0:38:330:38:34

The sheep are just a little bit too selective.

0:38:340:38:36

They actually eat the flowers when they flower

0:38:360:38:39

and the cattle are much less selective and then we take them off

0:38:390:38:42

at this time of year when the flowers are flowering

0:38:420:38:44

and setting seed and it allows them to develop.

0:38:440:38:46

-Is it working, do you think?

-Yes, it is.

0:38:460:38:49

Today up here there is an array of colour. That colour will change

0:38:490:38:52

as the summer goes on and different flowers flower

0:38:520:38:54

and, yes, there's definitely been a difference.

0:38:540:38:57

What about buying a bull?

0:38:570:38:58

We've got a few choices for you. We've either got an old bull,

0:38:580:39:01

he's about five years old,

0:39:010:39:02

but he is just starting to come back onto his own heifers

0:39:020:39:05

so he needs to move on. Or we've got some of his progeny, his sons,

0:39:050:39:08

that you can look at as well, so we've plenty of options.

0:39:080:39:10

OK, great.

0:39:100:39:12

Right, it's time to round this lot up

0:39:170:39:19

and Neil is working me like a dog.

0:39:190:39:21

Away! Look back!

0:39:210:39:24

HE LAUGHS

0:39:240:39:25

'The cattle need moving off the moorlands to fresh pasture

0:39:260:39:29

'a mile down the hill.

0:39:290:39:31

'This allows the flowers to regenerate and seed

0:39:310:39:34

'and for the herd they get to feast on un-grazed grass

0:39:340:39:38

'at the bottom.

0:39:380:39:39

'Moving them is no easy task in this heat and on this rugged terrain.'

0:39:390:39:43

Come on then, girls. They're going along quite nicely now.

0:39:430:39:47

They are, once we have got them away from that water.

0:39:470:39:50

Yeah. There are some little tiny calves there.

0:39:500:39:52

Yes, they have just been born.

0:39:520:39:54

One was just born last night,

0:39:540:39:55

so it's a bit of a surprise to see that this morning.

0:39:550:39:58

You don't have to keep a careful eye on them - they are self-sufficient?

0:39:580:40:01

Part of bringing them down today is to keep an eye on them when calving.

0:40:010:40:04

But they do calve themselves 99% of the time.

0:40:040:40:07

Brilliant. So it's really easy-care cattle?

0:40:070:40:09

Yeah, easy care and the calves are really wick

0:40:090:40:12

when they are born so they get up and they are sucking straightaway.

0:40:120:40:15

-Yeah, they're great.

-Wick - is that a Yorkshire word?

-It is, yeah.

0:40:150:40:19

Alive, it means.

0:40:190:40:21

It's a long walk down off the hills. It looks like the cows might agree.

0:40:230:40:26

They have found a bit of water

0:40:260:40:28

so we'll give them a break for a couple of minutes.

0:40:280:40:30

-It is quite warm today. We'll just have a bit of a rest.

-Yeah.

0:40:300:40:34

I don't think I have ever seen so many Belties in one place.

0:40:340:40:37

I've only got three!

0:40:370:40:38

I think the bull should marry those three, Adam.

0:40:380:40:41

-I think he should!

-We'd best get on with that job.

-Yeah.

0:40:410:40:43

'Eventually, the cattle arrive at the lowlands.

0:40:500:40:53

'We cross a couple more fields and then the final stretch

0:40:530:40:55

'along the old stone lanes where the herd are driven into their new home.'

0:40:550:41:00

-Nearly there, Adam.

-They are going easier contained in these old walls.

0:41:000:41:04

-They are, they were a bit of a run around on that field.

-They were.

0:41:040:41:07

I think they are getting a bit tired.

0:41:070:41:09

And these old tracks would have been used for driving stock along

0:41:090:41:12

-for thousands of years, wouldn't they?

-They will, yeah.

0:41:120:41:14

Malham's quite famous for its monks

0:41:140:41:16

and they will have brought cattle along these lanes

0:41:160:41:19

and then drovers after that.

0:41:190:41:20

-Literally, thousands of years.

-So what will happen to them now?

0:41:200:41:25

Well, we will leave them here for a couple of days, let them rest up.

0:41:250:41:28

And then they will stay down here until they calve again.

0:41:280:41:31

Once they get tagged and castrated, they'll be back up onto the hills.

0:41:310:41:35

-They seem happy, don't they?

-They are just resting up.

-Yeah.

0:41:350:41:38

'But I have come here to do some bull shopping.

0:41:390:41:42

'And Neil has plenty to choose from.'

0:41:420:41:44

You've got a nice herd of bulls, Neil.

0:41:440:41:45

Yeah, they've done some good over the last 12 months.

0:41:450:41:48

-I quite like the look of that black one, there.

-Yeah?

0:41:480:41:51

He's got a nice length on him, good depth of body,

0:41:510:41:54

smart-looking Beltie head and a good white belt around the middle.

0:41:540:41:57

-I think it's between that black one and that dun.

-Yes.

0:41:570:42:00

They have both a bit more length about them,

0:42:000:42:02

a bit higher off the ground.

0:42:020:42:04

-But good true-to-type Belties as well.

-They are.

0:42:040:42:07

You wouldn't be wanting a lot of money for them, would you?

0:42:070:42:10

It depends who I am selling to, really, to be honest.

0:42:100:42:13

I was probably thinking around the two grand mark.

0:42:130:42:15

I think that's fair for a good Beltie bull.

0:42:150:42:18

-Sure.

-Well, let me check out his breeding and work out the haulage.

0:42:180:42:22

I might be able to arrange a trip down to you with him.

0:42:220:42:25

-That would be great. Nice one.

-Cheers.

0:42:250:42:27

Next week, I'll be back on my farm,

0:42:280:42:30

tending to my animals that need extra attention during the summer months.

0:42:300:42:34

This week, Ellie and I are in the wilds of Warwickshire -

0:42:390:42:43

not a bad place to get inspiration

0:42:430:42:45

for our annual photographic on petition.

0:42:450:42:47

The theme this year is "walk on the wild side"

0:42:470:42:50

and we want wild landscapes, wildlife and even wild weather.

0:42:500:42:55

The best 12 will make up the Countryfile calendar for 2013,

0:42:550:42:58

sold in aid of Children in Need.

0:42:580:43:00

Here's John with a reminder of how to enter.

0:43:000:43:02

Our competition isn't open to professionals

0:43:070:43:10

and entries must not have won any other competitions

0:43:100:43:13

because what we are looking for is original work.

0:43:130:43:16

You can enter up to four photos

0:43:170:43:20

which must have been taken in the UK.

0:43:200:43:22

Write your name, address and a daytime and evening phone number

0:43:220:43:26

on the back of each photo with a note of where it was taken.

0:43:260:43:31

And then all you have to do is send your entries to:

0:43:310:43:34

Whoever takes the winning photo,

0:43:430:43:45

as voted for by Countryfile viewers, can choose from a range

0:43:450:43:49

of the latest photographic equipment to the value of £1,000.

0:43:490:43:53

And the person who takes the picture the judges like best

0:43:530:43:57

gets to pick equipment to the value of £500.

0:43:570:44:00

The full terms and conditions are on our website

0:44:010:44:03

where you will also find details of the BBC's code of conduct.

0:44:030:44:08

The closing date is July 22nd

0:44:080:44:10

and I'm sorry, but we can't return any entries.

0:44:100:44:14

Best of luck.

0:44:140:44:15

Stratford-upon-Avon - a town crammed with ancient buildings

0:44:210:44:25

and tourists on the trail of the world's most famous playwright.

0:44:250:44:29

Stratford-upon-Avon is a place soaked in history.

0:44:300:44:34

But while most people come here for the Bard,

0:44:340:44:36

I've come here to get my bike and get back into the saddle...

0:44:360:44:40

again.

0:44:400:44:41

Stratford is also home to the oldest working cycle company

0:44:440:44:48

in England - Pashley's, which was founded in 1926.

0:44:480:44:52

Heritage is at the heart of these cycles where classic designs

0:44:520:44:55

are given a modern twist.

0:44:550:44:57

And every machine is still handmade to order.

0:44:570:45:01

But every new bike here starts as a few tubes of metal.

0:45:020:45:07

I'm going to help try to turn this into one of these,

0:45:070:45:10

a 1930s style race bike known as the Guv'nor.

0:45:100:45:14

That's the plan, anyway.

0:45:140:45:15

'I'm going to help create the heart of the bike - its frame.

0:45:180:45:22

'The joints are all hand-brazed in place,

0:45:220:45:24

'giving essential strength to the finished product.'

0:45:240:45:28

-Knock, knock. Hello, Mike, how are you doing?

-I'm very well.

-Good.

0:45:280:45:32

'I'm being let loose

0:45:320:45:34

'under the watchful eye of experienced welder Michael Tomes.

0:45:340:45:37

'He seems relaxed at the prospect, but I am already feeling the heat.'

0:45:370:45:40

Can I do it some damage? Don't let me completely mess this up.

0:45:400:45:43

-Oh, no, it's fine.

-Are you sure? Go on, then. You crack on.

0:45:430:45:46

I need these, do I? Are you really sure about me doing this?

0:45:460:45:49

Yes, yeah, no problem.

0:45:490:45:51

You want to get the point of the flame

0:45:510:45:53

-right at the base of the material.

-OK.

0:45:530:45:55

-How about that?

-Yeah.

0:45:550:45:57

Once you see it start to go red, you can start dipping your rod into it.

0:45:570:46:01

Is that red? I've got dark glasses on, I can't see!

0:46:010:46:04

Shouldn't be a problem. Yeah.

0:46:040:46:06

This is like needlework,

0:46:060:46:07

but under the pressure of burning the place down.

0:46:070:46:10

-I'm sweating, Michael.

-It is a bit warm.

0:46:120:46:15

Oh, that was quite nerve-racking.

0:46:150:46:17

'For the safety of the person who ends up buying this bike -

0:46:170:46:20

'and the sake of my nerves -

0:46:200:46:21

'I think I'll leave the rest of the process to the professionals.

0:46:210:46:25

'Once it leaves here, each frame is checked, buffed

0:46:260:46:29

'and powder-coated with paint.

0:46:290:46:30

'It's then one person's job to assemble a cycle from scratch

0:46:320:46:36

'before it's ready to roll out of the door.'

0:46:360:46:38

They turn out 50 bikes a day here.

0:46:380:46:42

I am pretty sure I brought down that average today, but never mind.

0:46:420:46:45

Here it is, the finished bike.

0:46:450:46:47

And although it only just came off the production line,

0:46:470:46:50

come on, it exudes 1930s elegance.

0:46:500:46:54

I'm going to take it for a spin.

0:46:540:46:56

1930s-STYLE MUSIC

0:46:580:47:01

In fact, you can just tell that as soon as you sit in the saddle,

0:47:010:47:04

you're going to feel transported to another era.

0:47:040:47:07

It's not just me that's come over all nostalgic, though.

0:47:090:47:14

There's a passion for celebrating our past that, once in the saddle,

0:47:140:47:17

many find hard to resist.

0:47:170:47:19

RINGS BELL Now, tell me, what's with the tweed?

0:47:210:47:24

Tweed is commensurate with the era,

0:47:240:47:27

I guess, in which these bicycles are designed.

0:47:270:47:30

It takes you back to a completely different era.

0:47:300:47:34

It's the most relaxing thing to do. I mean, look at where we are now.

0:47:340:47:38

-It's glorious.

-It doesn't get any better than this.

0:47:380:47:41

Chris is part of the Guv'nors Assembly,

0:47:420:47:45

a group who always dress "traditionally" on their bikes

0:47:450:47:48

but it seems that their old-fashioned attire is catching on.

0:47:480:47:51

-So tell me about this Tweed Run?

-We get dressed up like we are now.

0:47:510:47:56

We tootle along around London.

0:47:560:47:59

The criteria is you actually have to ride wearing tweed.

0:47:590:48:03

And they get about 600 people riding it.

0:48:030:48:06

-We have a Manchester one, there is a Liverpool one...

-Oh, wow!

-Yeah.

0:48:060:48:10

'We might be enjoying a spot of peaceful perambulation,

0:48:150:48:18

'but some locals feel the need for speed more than the need for tweed.

0:48:180:48:23

'Head of the pack at Stratford cycling club

0:48:230:48:26

is 75-year-old John Oxtoby, who, I'm told, is a former Olympian,

0:48:260:48:29

'so I can't resist the chance to meet him and take him on.'

0:48:290:48:32

Right, I'm in more up-to-date cycling gear now, hence the funny walk.

0:48:350:48:39

And I'm here to meet John at his local racetrack.

0:48:390:48:42

But to me, I could be in the wrong Stratford,

0:48:420:48:44

cos that clearly isn't a velodrome.

0:48:440:48:46

-Hi, John.

-Hello, nice to see you, Ellie.

-Nice to see you.

0:48:480:48:51

Not the sort of place I would expect to find a medal-winning Olympian?

0:48:510:48:55

Well, it's a long story but that is the medal

0:48:550:48:59

and it is the Warwickshire Olympics, actually!

0:48:590:49:02

-I've never heard of the Warwickshire Olympics.

-I'm not surprised.

0:49:020:49:05

The team came fourth out of five.

0:49:050:49:08

'OK - so I'm following in the footsteps

0:49:090:49:11

'of slightly more modest sporting achievement than I'd thought.

0:49:110:49:14

'But I can't resist the chance to race against an Olympian of sorts.

0:49:140:49:19

'Since he's shown me his, it's only right that I show him mine.'

0:49:190:49:23

Right here, I've got the Countryfile Celebrated Sportsman gold medal.

0:49:230:49:27

Well, if I win, that'll be the first gold medal that I have ever won!

0:49:270:49:31

Could be yours, could be mine, who knows?

0:49:310:49:34

Three, two, one, go!

0:49:350:49:37

Come on, shoes, come on, shoes!

0:49:370:49:40

Oh, no! I've lost a shoe!

0:49:400:49:42

My heart's going.

0:49:530:49:54

Would you believe it?!

0:49:550:49:57

John is pipping me on the last corner!

0:49:580:50:01

I can't believe it! Come on!

0:50:010:50:04

No!

0:50:040:50:06

-John, your gold medal at last.

-Wonderful.

0:50:080:50:11

Well, if you fancy getting out and about on your bike this week,

0:50:110:50:15

you'll want to know what the weather has in store for the week ahead.

0:50:150:50:18

.

0:52:500:52:57

'Today, we are in Warwickshire, where Ellie and I

0:53:100:53:13

'have been discovering how the heritage and modern-day heart

0:53:130:53:15

'of this area have been shaped by its breathtaking landscape.

0:53:150:53:19

'And my day has been building up to one thing.'

0:53:210:53:23

I have spent the day brushing up on the old farming skills

0:53:230:53:26

with the members of the Young Farmers Club. There they are.

0:53:260:53:29

CHEERING

0:53:290:53:30

This rowdy bunch are in for a treat,

0:53:300:53:32

cos I'm about to be let loose on this course here.

0:53:320:53:35

'The course has been laid out to simulate a farmyard,

0:53:350:53:38

'complete with its own barn and track around the outbuildings.

0:53:380:53:42

'All I've got to do is navigate it

0:53:420:53:45

'in the ten-tonne tractor and trailer.'

0:53:450:53:48

Tom set it up, didn't you? Just talk me through.

0:53:480:53:51

Fairly easy course, going round in an S shape.

0:53:510:53:54

It is very tight, I have had a go. Then reverse into the little barn.

0:53:540:53:58

Get nice and straight

0:53:580:54:00

and then just reverse in. Easy?

0:54:000:54:02

Yeah, easy as pie(!) Here we go, then.

0:54:020:54:06

'With a quick five-minute practice in an open field,

0:54:100:54:13

'the pressure is now on.

0:54:130:54:15

'I am president of the Young Farmers Clubs and I don't want

0:54:150:54:18

'to lose face in front of this lot.

0:54:180:54:20

'My mentor, Tom, doesn't seem entirely confident.'

0:54:200:54:24

If this was my workshop walls, I'd be quite scared.

0:54:240:54:29

'As predicted, the S-bend is the bit that proves tricky.'

0:54:290:54:33

Watch your trailer! Oh, he's getting it! Come on, in one! In one!

0:54:350:54:40

Keep going.

0:54:400:54:41

THEY CHEER AND JEER

0:54:410:54:43

'While the cautious approach might not be a crowd-pleaser,

0:54:430:54:46

'with the turn behind me, all I have to do now is reverse into the barn.

0:54:460:54:51

'And as my driver instructor always taught me,

0:54:520:54:55

'check your mirrors before you manoeuvre.'

0:54:550:54:58

Oh, using the wing mirrors!

0:54:580:55:00

'Job done.'

0:55:000:55:02

CHEERING

0:55:040:55:06

-Tom.

-Well done, mate, you did very well. Well done.

0:55:080:55:12

It's tough around the top there, isn't it?

0:55:120:55:14

I told you it gets a bit tight. Now, it looked like you enjoyed that.

0:55:140:55:17

Yeah. Cheeky little course, that one, though.

0:55:170:55:20

'With my pride as Young Farmers' president still intact,

0:55:220:55:27

'there's time to relax.

0:55:270:55:28

'And whenever there's a party taking place,

0:55:280:55:31

'a certain Miss Harrison is never far from hand.

0:55:310:55:34

'But these get-togethers thrive on a dose of healthy competition.

0:55:340:55:39

'And that is something Ellie knows about all too well.'

0:55:390:55:41

Just driven past a cheering cyclist. He was well in his 70s.

0:55:410:55:44

Don't start! Thanks for that(!)

0:55:440:55:45

-You lost, then?

-Yeah, I'm afraid I did.

0:55:450:55:49

He was very fit, though.

0:55:490:55:51

-We've got a competition lined up for you.

-Go on.

0:55:510:55:53

-This is your chance. Have you ever tug-of-warred before?

-I have not.

0:55:530:55:57

-Have you?

-Once, once or twice.

-OK...

-But this is good, OK?

0:55:570:56:01

You're going to be over there on the boys' team.

0:56:010:56:04

-I'm going to be on the girls' team.

-There's loads of them!

0:56:040:56:06

Yeah, well, we thought with boys and girls, 11 versus eight.

0:56:060:56:10

There are some big boys. I'm happy with that.

0:56:100:56:12

Come on, come and meet your team. This is Tom.

0:56:120:56:15

-Hi, Tom.

-You'll be in good hands. This is Ellie.

-Nice to meet you.

0:56:150:56:18

-Nice to meet you.

-In it to win it, yes?

-We will.

0:56:180:56:20

-Who cares about blisters.

-Just have a look at these weapons here.

0:56:200:56:22

-Look at this. Absolutely unbelievable.

-Calves of steel.

0:56:220:56:26

And the belt.

0:56:270:56:29

-We are going to win.

-Do you know how this works, Ellie?

0:56:310:56:34

You just pull with all your might, right?

0:56:340:56:36

The idea is, we are trying to get these T-shirts over the middle

0:56:360:56:39

-and you're trying to get our T-shirt over the middle.

-Job done.

0:56:390:56:42

-OK?

-Everyone pick up the rope.

0:56:420:56:44

Take the strain...pull!

0:56:460:56:48

SHOUTING AND CHEERING

0:56:480:56:53

Pull!

0:56:560:56:58

Come on! Come on!

0:57:010:57:03

Come on, pull! Go on, come on!

0:57:030:57:05

CHEERING

0:57:080:57:11

It's gone.

0:57:110:57:13

Oh! Well...

0:57:130:57:15

You deserved to win. Bless you.

0:57:160:57:19

-How was that, did you enjoy it?

-I was amazed at my wrists.

-Brilliant.

0:57:190:57:23

Well done, lads, well done. Unlucky, girls, unlucky.

0:57:230:57:27

That's it from Warwickshire.

0:57:270:57:29

Next week, we are going to be down on the south coast in Dorset.

0:57:290:57:31

I'll be on the trail of Enid Blyton.

0:57:310:57:33

-And I will be on a reptile hunt. See you then.

-See you later.

0:57:330:57:37

Oh, my word! Well done, team.

0:57:370:57:40

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