12/02/2012 Countryfile


12/02/2012

Similar Content

Browse content similar to 12/02/2012. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

The Isle of Wight. England's largest island.

0:00:260:00:30

A mosaic of contrasting landscapes.

0:00:300:00:33

Clifftop trails, sandy beaches

0:00:330:00:35

and lush meadows make this a walker's Paradise.

0:00:350:00:39

Love is in the air,

0:00:390:00:41

and with Valentine's Day just a couple of days away,

0:00:410:00:43

I'm going to be meeting some hopeful singles

0:00:430:00:46

taking part in speed date walking.

0:00:460:00:48

But is it possible to find love on an island in a five-minute walk?

0:00:480:00:53

-It worked for me!

-Did it? Oh!

0:00:530:00:56

And, while Matt is romantically engaged, I'll be seeing how,

0:00:580:01:03

50 years ago, the Isle of Wight's wild side brought a new sport

0:01:030:01:07

to this part of the world.

0:01:070:01:09

It may seem unlikely, but winter is the perfect time

0:01:090:01:12

to go surfing off the south side of the island,

0:01:120:01:15

but how would this original wooden surfboard fare against those waves?

0:01:150:01:19

We'll be putting it to the test.

0:01:190:01:21

Back on the mainland, John uncovers the dangers of our country roads.

0:01:210:01:26

New statistics compiled for Countryfile reveal that

0:01:260:01:29

young drivers in rural areas are far more likely to be killed or injured

0:01:290:01:34

than those living in towns and cities.

0:01:340:01:36

I'll be investigating why and discovering how, using tactics

0:01:360:01:40

like this skid car, safety experts are trying to reduce the dangers.

0:01:400:01:45

Meanwhile, Adam is taking a trip away from the farm.

0:01:450:01:48

This ship is being loaded with 3,750 tonnes of barley,

0:01:480:01:52

and some of it's mine.

0:01:520:01:53

I'll be seeing why my crop is being exported

0:01:530:01:56

to the brewing giants of Germany.

0:01:560:01:59

The Isle of Wight lies off the Hampshire coast

0:02:090:02:11

between the Solent and the English Channel.

0:02:110:02:14

It's just 23 miles by 13, but, in sheer variety of landscapes,

0:02:140:02:20

it punches way above its weight.

0:02:200:02:22

West Wight is the less populated, remoter side of the isle.

0:02:220:02:27

This is a landscape that has been walked

0:02:270:02:30

and enjoyed by some eminent people.

0:02:300:02:32

Alfred Lord Tennyson and Queen Victoria to name just two.

0:02:320:02:36

But, as well as being a haven for walkers and Victorian nobility,

0:02:360:02:40

these downs have bred countless generations of horses.

0:02:400:02:45

One of which was to become a legend.

0:02:450:02:49

His name was Warrior, and his fame was forged

0:02:490:02:52

in the turmoil of the First World War.

0:02:520:02:54

This was the so-called Great War.

0:02:570:02:59

Man and animal, fighting side-by-side

0:02:590:03:01

in the most devastating conflict the world had ever seen.

0:03:010:03:04

Millions never returned.

0:03:040:03:07

Michael Morpurgo's book, War Horse, adapted for the stage,

0:03:070:03:10

and more recently, a Spielberg film,

0:03:100:03:13

depicted this man-made hell from an equine point of view.

0:03:130:03:16

Well, the war horse that everyone is talking about at the moment

0:03:180:03:22

is a work of fiction, but the Isle of Wight's Warrior is true.

0:03:220:03:26

Racing journalist and former jockey Brough Scott

0:03:300:03:33

knows the story of this heroic horse better than anyone.

0:03:330:03:36

It was Brough's grandfather who owned Warrior, and took him to war.

0:03:360:03:40

So, this is the horse you're going to be riding out on then, Brough.

0:03:400:03:44

This is Laddie, the massive Laddie.

0:03:440:03:46

And this is Sky, your very own Warrior.

0:03:460:03:48

So we're going to take a little ride

0:03:480:03:50

out over the landscape that Warrior would be used to?

0:03:500:03:52

Yes, this is Where warrior was born,

0:03:520:03:55

and it's a gorgeous place to ride in.

0:03:550:03:57

-Wow.

-Sea and downs.

-Yeah!

-Lifts the heart.

0:04:020:04:06

Warrior was born here in West Wight in 1908.

0:04:060:04:10

He soon lived up to his name.

0:04:100:04:12

This is quite an iconic field that we are in now, I understand.

0:04:120:04:16

Sidling Paul, it's called.

0:04:160:04:19

Warrior was here from yearling right through to three year-old

0:04:190:04:21

And, just here, grandpa would have got on him the first time

0:04:210:04:25

and he bucked him off, three times running.

0:04:250:04:28

And he sat there and said, "Now, listen,

0:04:280:04:30

"you're going to have to make this work for me."

0:04:300:04:34

Anyway, they then rode on together for the next 30 years.

0:04:340:04:38

The feisty young Warrior enjoyed his early years

0:04:440:04:47

in the idyllic surroundings here in West Wight.

0:04:470:04:50

But, with the coming of war, Brough's grandfather,

0:04:500:04:53

by this time a cavalry general,

0:04:530:04:56

decided to take his precious six-year old into combat.

0:04:560:04:59

What kind of situations were these horses riding into?

0:04:590:05:02

Well, they're riding into shells landing

0:05:020:05:05

literally in front of you, and bullets knocking them over.

0:05:050:05:08

And, of course, horses are very big targets.

0:05:080:05:11

And remember, this is mud, a lot of it, horrible.

0:05:110:05:15

A lot of the horses were pack horses, pulling things.

0:05:150:05:17

And because the mud all got churned up,

0:05:170:05:21

and they would literally sink in and die where they were.

0:05:210:05:24

And Warrior, at Passchendaele, he sank right into the mud

0:05:240:05:27

and only, but for the luck of the people around him, who got him out.

0:05:270:05:30

Escaping the mud at Passchendaele wasn't the only time

0:05:410:05:44

Warrior survived when many around him perished.

0:05:440:05:47

His front-line service took him to all the major battlefields,

0:05:470:05:51

from Ypres to the Somme.

0:05:510:05:52

But, his bravery and fortune were legendary,

0:05:520:05:55

and carried him through the duration of the war.

0:05:550:05:58

Soldiers must have wanted to come and see this horse, you know,

0:05:580:06:01

as he went into battle after battle,

0:06:010:06:03

and everyone suddenly realised that this horse was just invincible.

0:06:030:06:06

Well, that's the thing,

0:06:060:06:09

that he became the ultimate mascot.

0:06:090:06:12

And he stands still when the shells fall,

0:06:120:06:14

and there would be bullets whirring, you can imagine

0:06:140:06:17

the sort of inspiration he would give other people.

0:06:170:06:20

When he died in 1941, his obituary in the Times,

0:06:200:06:23

the headline said, The Horse The Germans Could Not Kill.

0:06:230:06:27

What had sealed Warrior's status as a war hero

0:06:290:06:31

was his leading of a cavalry charge in 1918 near Amiens,

0:06:310:06:35

which crucially checked the German advance.

0:06:350:06:38

But, even after his war exploits, Warrior still wasn't finished.

0:06:380:06:43

When he came home, he still wanted to run.

0:06:430:06:45

He became a racehorse. He won the Isle of Wight point-to-point.

0:06:450:06:48

And he won it, four years to the day

0:06:480:06:50

when he led the cavalry charge at Moreuil Wood.

0:06:500:06:54

And what was rather sweet, normally, after a race, the horse is led away,

0:06:540:06:58

and the owners all pat each other on the back and go and have a drink.

0:06:580:07:02

And my grandfather said, no, set him up again,

0:07:020:07:04

and the two of us are going home together.

0:07:040:07:07

He rode him up over the downs, and home.

0:07:070:07:09

It was too important an anniversary.

0:07:090:07:11

To share it with anybody else.

0:07:110:07:13

Warrior saw out his days in peace,

0:07:160:07:19

on the island where he'd been born and raised.

0:07:190:07:23

Over 70 years have passed since he died.

0:07:230:07:26

Warrior had destiny on his side.

0:07:260:07:29

And he seems destined to be remembered for many years to come.

0:07:290:07:34

Now, every day, more than 70 people are killed or seriously injured

0:07:350:07:39

on Britain's roads, but there's a far greater chance

0:07:390:07:43

of being involved in an accident if you live in the countryside.

0:07:430:07:46

John has been to find out why.

0:07:460:07:48

Cheers, Sky. Really enjoyed that.

0:07:480:07:50

Britain's roads are some of the safest in the world.

0:07:550:07:58

Despite the massive rise in the number of vehicles we're using,

0:07:580:08:02

in the last 40 years, deaths have fallen by more than two thirds.

0:08:020:08:06

But there are still problems that are proving difficult to crack.

0:08:060:08:11

You might think that our quiet country roads are far less dangerous

0:08:110:08:15

than those in towns and cities,

0:08:150:08:17

where the traffic can often be bumper-to-bumper.

0:08:170:08:20

But, in fact, the opposite is true. And, on rural roads,

0:08:200:08:23

it's younger drivers who are in greatest danger.

0:08:230:08:26

Now, for the first time,

0:08:260:08:28

Countryfile can put a figure on just how much greater those risks are.

0:08:280:08:32

We're working with a company called Road Safety Analysis,

0:08:320:08:36

who've put together a detailed study of rural accidents,

0:08:360:08:39

based on the number of drivers on a particular kind of road.

0:08:390:08:45

The results are pretty stark.

0:08:450:08:46

Young drivers living in the countryside are 47 % more likely

0:08:460:08:52

to be killed or injured in a road accident

0:08:520:08:55

than those living in urban areas.

0:08:550:08:57

So, why are the risks on country roads so much greater?

0:08:570:09:01

Two teenage friends killed by a disqualified driver...

0:09:010:09:05

Paramedics were called but the driver was pronounced dead...

0:09:050:09:08

..facing the wrong way up the carriageway

0:09:080:09:11

-and was struck by another car...

-In Lincolnshire, serious accidents

0:09:110:09:15

are a regular feature on the nightly news bulletins.

0:09:150:09:18

Most roads here are surrounded by farmland.

0:09:180:09:21

There's no motorway and few dual carriageways.

0:09:210:09:24

In the past, it's had one of the worst road safety records in the UK.

0:09:240:09:28

I can see the white lines in the centre of the road have got longer

0:09:280:09:32

indicating I'm approaching a hazard.

0:09:320:09:34

On patrol today is PC Jim Wollaton.

0:09:340:09:37

The area he looks after is very different

0:09:370:09:40

from the busy streets covered by his urban colleagues.

0:09:400:09:44

We've got such an eclectic mix of vehicles and drivers.

0:09:440:09:48

From vehicles moving at higher speeds,

0:09:480:09:53

obviously, a passenger car at 60 miles an hour,

0:09:530:09:56

right down to the agricultural vehicles at 15, 20 miles an hour.

0:09:560:10:00

And we've got some very fast roads.

0:10:000:10:03

This one in particular, the A15, is a very straight road all the way,

0:10:030:10:08

this stretch, from Lincoln to Sleaford.

0:10:080:10:11

You would think that visibility is good.

0:10:110:10:15

But it is single carriageway here as well?

0:10:150:10:17

It is and whilst cars can be doing 60 miles an hour,

0:10:170:10:20

HGVs shouldn't be doing more than 40.

0:10:200:10:22

Time and time again, officers like Jim have seen driving here

0:10:220:10:26

that simply beggars belief.

0:10:260:10:27

Their own figures show that the faster you travel,

0:10:270:10:31

the more likely you are to be killed or injured

0:10:310:10:34

or to do the same to someone else.

0:10:340:10:36

Despite the county's long, straight roads,

0:10:360:10:38

bends are a particular problem,

0:10:380:10:40

as is overtaking.

0:10:400:10:42

Within the last couple of years, I've attended a collision where

0:10:420:10:45

a young driver performed an ill-advised overtake

0:10:450:10:49

on a slower moving vehicle,

0:10:490:10:51

on quite a good stretch of road, although it was a rural back road.

0:10:510:10:55

Unfortunately, he came into collision head on

0:10:550:10:58

with a young lad on his motorcycle.

0:10:580:11:01

The young man who died was John van Spike.

0:11:010:11:04

His mother Emma has agreed to talk to us.

0:11:040:11:07

I believe that he had left late that day

0:11:070:11:11

and it was the week after the clocks had gone back

0:11:110:11:14

so it was dark and it was raining.

0:11:140:11:17

He set off on his motorbike from home.

0:11:170:11:22

Probably a third of the way into the journey,

0:11:220:11:27

a car overtaking a taxi,

0:11:270:11:31

in fairly bad driving conditions,

0:11:310:11:35

just hit him straight on.

0:11:350:11:38

John was just 18-years-old when he was killed.

0:11:400:11:43

Another young and inexperienced driver was charged

0:11:430:11:46

with causing his death but Emma felt he had suffered enough.

0:11:460:11:51

When the young driver appeared in court,

0:11:510:11:53

you did what many people will think, perhaps, is a remarkable thing.

0:11:530:11:56

You wrote a letter to the judge

0:11:560:11:58

asking him not to send this young man to prison.

0:11:580:12:01

Yes. I couldn't see that, on top of everything he had been through,

0:12:030:12:07

being in jail away from his family and support network,

0:12:070:12:11

was going to help him.

0:12:110:12:14

He was obviously very, very contrite and he just kept on saying,

0:12:140:12:18

"I didn't see him, I didn't see him."

0:12:180:12:20

-And he didn't go to jail, did he?

-No. He didn't.

0:12:200:12:25

I believe he had a driving ban

0:12:250:12:27

and community service.

0:12:270:12:29

Do you think anything can be learnt

0:12:290:12:31

from accidents like the one that killed your son?

0:12:310:12:34

It seems that the onus has been on speed,

0:12:340:12:36

and obviously, I don't know enough about that,

0:12:360:12:39

but I have observed a lot of careless driving.

0:12:390:12:42

Having driven myself for quite some years,

0:12:420:12:48

I am surprised at the overconfidence that I see on the roads.

0:12:480:12:51

That overconfidence combined with inexperience is a dangerous mix

0:12:530:12:57

and our research shows that young people are two thirds more likely

0:12:570:13:01

to be involved in serious accidents than older drivers,

0:13:010:13:06

maybe because they just don't realise how vulnerable they are.

0:13:060:13:11

I think to some extent once people get into their vehicle,

0:13:110:13:15

they're in their own little bubble and feel protected.

0:13:150:13:18

Whilst they might consider that they don't want to get caught speeding,

0:13:180:13:22

I don't think people appreciate they're also at risk from having

0:13:220:13:25

a serious or even fatal collision.

0:13:250:13:27

This can be a problem anywhere,

0:13:270:13:29

but the nature of rural roads seems to increase those risks,

0:13:290:13:32

especially as people in the countryside

0:13:320:13:35

tend to make longer journeys.

0:13:350:13:36

Kevin Delaney is from the Institute of Advanced Motorists.

0:13:360:13:40

Is part of the danger, do you think, the fact that people have the thrill

0:13:400:13:45

of an open road in the countryside?

0:13:450:13:47

I think the big danger, John, is that if you look at it,

0:13:470:13:50

this road looks safe. If you think about city streets or the motorways,

0:13:500:13:55

there is something about them which makes us feel uneasy.

0:13:550:13:58

They seem inherently unsafe.

0:13:580:14:00

So we actually take a lot more care about how we use them.

0:14:000:14:04

You come to a road like this, and especially on a day like this,

0:14:040:14:07

it looks so safe that nothing bad could ever happen here.

0:14:070:14:11

It lulls into a false sense of security

0:14:110:14:13

because, of course, roads like this

0:14:130:14:15

do have their hazards. They're just different hazards.

0:14:150:14:19

So exactly how do we persuade young people to take more care

0:14:190:14:23

on country roads? That's what I'll be asking in a few minutes' time.

0:14:230:14:28

This week, Matt and I are taking in

0:14:360:14:38

the rugged scenery of the Isle of Wight.

0:14:380:14:41

'I'm exploring its wild west coast and I couldn't help but notice

0:14:410:14:45

'one feature that just keeps recurring.'

0:14:450:14:48

Come and check this out.

0:14:480:14:49

We've got Cowleaze Chine, Shepherd's Chine,

0:14:490:14:53

Whale Chine, Ladder Chine

0:14:530:14:56

and they carry on all the way across the back here.

0:14:560:14:59

But what are they?

0:14:590:15:01

Geologist Trevor Price is going to show me.

0:15:020:15:06

If we have a look at the map, they are tiny, little, short,

0:15:060:15:09

steep-sided valleys and the clue is in the rivers.

0:15:090:15:12

There's a little stream approaching each one of these things

0:15:120:15:16

and basically they dive over the top of the cliff

0:15:160:15:18

very, very quickly down to the sea

0:15:180:15:20

and they leave a very steep-sided, very short, little valley.

0:15:200:15:23

We call those chines.

0:15:230:15:25

'So this is a little baby one, this is a new one'

0:15:250:15:28

It's probably going to get bigger as it eats its way into the cliff.

0:15:280:15:32

If we look at the map from about 30 years ago,

0:15:320:15:36

it's not here. It's actually marked as being a little waterfall.

0:15:360:15:40

Wow!

0:15:400:15:42

But it's not only the chines that are exciting geologists.

0:15:420:15:46

As erosion by the sea causes the chines to cut deeper

0:15:460:15:49

into the cliff face, they are revealing prehistoric treasures.

0:15:490:15:52

-Any ideas at all?

-It looks like a rock.

-It is a rock.

0:15:520:15:56

Trevor's taken local school pupils on a journey back in time.

0:15:560:16:01

We are looking here at an object that is about 126-million-years-old.

0:16:010:16:07

We can see that it's got a point here and a point there

0:16:070:16:10

and another point there.

0:16:100:16:12

That makes it really special.

0:16:120:16:14

It's a foot cast and it's a foot cast from a very large dinosaur.

0:16:140:16:17

Whoa! That's really awesome.

0:16:170:16:20

-It's amazing, isn't it?

-Yeah.

0:16:200:16:22

The fascination with chines and their hidden secrets

0:16:250:16:28

goes back some 200 years.

0:16:280:16:31

Shanklin Chine was the island's first tourist attraction.

0:16:310:16:36

Wow!

0:16:360:16:37

This is so much bigger than the one I've seen.

0:16:390:16:45

It's like a tropical paradise in winter.

0:16:460:16:49

It's lush forest drew famous Victorian admirers...

0:16:530:16:56

Keats, Turner, Jane Austen.

0:16:560:17:00

Today, the chine is owned by Anne Springman.

0:17:020:17:05

It's been in her family since 1705.

0:17:050:17:08

It's got a unique microclimate here

0:17:080:17:12

so a lot of people compare it to a tropical rainforest.

0:17:120:17:16

It's very famous for its flora

0:17:160:17:20

and fauna and we have all these liverworts

0:17:200:17:24

and mosses and lichens

0:17:240:17:25

and some of them have never been discovered anywhere else.

0:17:250:17:29

Is this all natural or have you planted anything here?

0:17:320:17:35

No, it's completely natural.

0:17:350:17:37

I've had to uncover all its history, gradually.

0:17:370:17:40

I've always known about it but we came down after the war

0:17:400:17:44

and it was the first time. It was just known as

0:17:440:17:46

a shortcut to the beach.

0:17:460:17:48

Is there a lot of responsibility

0:17:510:17:53

that comes with having a feature like this?

0:17:530:17:55

Yes. You do have a great responsibility to maintain it.

0:17:550:17:59

It is so unique and it's got this wonderful, magical quality.

0:17:590:18:04

Here at Shanklin, work has been done

0:18:050:18:07

to prevent the chine from cutting further inland.

0:18:070:18:10

But elsewhere, it's a different story.

0:18:100:18:13

The Military Road runs

0:18:130:18:15

all along the cliff top on the south side of the island

0:18:150:18:17

and it's a major tourist attraction. People come here to drive it,

0:18:170:18:20

to walk it and to cycle it because the views out there are stunning.

0:18:200:18:24

The trouble is, as these chines or valleys cut deeper into the island,

0:18:270:18:32

over time, they will literally take out the road.

0:18:320:18:36

But conservationists are worried that holding back the sea

0:18:360:18:40

could threaten me chines and the wildlife that call them home.

0:18:400:18:44

These cliffs are protected. They're internationally important

0:18:440:18:48

for their geology and their invertebrate interest.

0:18:480:18:51

There's potter wasps and mining bees and mason bees

0:18:510:18:55

and they like all this water coming out with the mud and the sand.

0:18:550:18:59

They build their little cells

0:18:590:19:03

that they lay their eggs in on this stuff.

0:19:030:19:05

With the island's chines causing wildlife to thrive

0:19:080:19:11

but our infrastructure to crumble,

0:19:110:19:13

the scene is set for an interesting conflict.

0:19:130:19:16

Earlier we heard how there's a greater chance of being injured

0:19:170:19:21

or killed while driving in the countryside than driving in cities.

0:19:210:19:25

So is there anything that can be done to make our rural roads safer?

0:19:250:19:29

John's been investigating.

0:19:290:19:31

Countryfile has been given figures that illustrate for the first time

0:19:330:19:38

just how much more dangerous it is

0:19:380:19:40

to drive on rural roads, particularly if you're young.

0:19:400:19:43

The statistics from road safety analysis show people under 30

0:19:430:19:48

are 37% more likely to be killed or injured in the countryside.

0:19:480:19:52

Young rural drivers are the highest risk group so what can be done?

0:19:520:19:57

The biggest problem is the actual lack of driving experience.

0:19:570:20:01

As you might expect, the riskiest time for any new driver

0:20:010:20:05

is during the first year after they've passed the test.

0:20:050:20:08

These students from Kesteven and Sleaford High School

0:20:080:20:12

in Lincolnshire are all new drivers.

0:20:120:20:14

Do they realise the dangers they could be facing?

0:20:140:20:17

Once you pass your test, you're really confident

0:20:170:20:20

and you want to go out and show your friends that you can drive

0:20:200:20:23

so you probably don't think about the safety.

0:20:230:20:25

Although your test teaches you how to pass your test,

0:20:250:20:28

I don't know if it teaches you how to drive. Experience,

0:20:280:20:31

you don't get much of it.

0:20:310:20:33

You maybe get a bit cocky and think you know everything,

0:20:330:20:35

but really, you've not got much experience on the road.

0:20:350:20:40

In Lincolnshire, young drivers are singled out

0:20:400:20:43

by the county's Road Safety Partnership for special training.

0:20:430:20:47

It was set up a decade ago with the aim of

0:20:470:20:50

making the roads safer for everyone.

0:20:500:20:52

Since then, the number being killed or seriously injured has dropped

0:20:520:20:56

by more than 40% and the figure is even greater for young people.

0:20:560:21:01

Young drivers in Lincolnshire represent 30% of the casualties.

0:21:010:21:06

We've reduced that by 50%,

0:21:060:21:09

just by educational programs and the things we interact with them.

0:21:090:21:14

And by things like this. A skid car. How does this work?

0:21:140:21:18

Well, this is almost a technical innovation.

0:21:180:21:21

Rather than an oily pan that we would normally use,

0:21:210:21:26

we can make the car rear-steer and over steer and under steer.

0:21:260:21:31

-On a normal surface like this?

-Yes, on a normal surface.

0:21:310:21:35

We don't have to train them to make it skid. We can do that for them.

0:21:350:21:39

We just have to train them how to recover the car.

0:21:390:21:41

So, what will our students learn from a session in the skid car?

0:21:430:21:47

I'm scared. What do I do?!

0:21:470:21:50

You'll feel the steering phone, OK?

0:21:510:21:54

SHE SCREAMS

0:21:540:21:56

It can seem like a bit of fun but this training is teaching Olivia

0:21:560:22:00

what it's like to lose control of a car

0:22:000:22:02

and how to recover it before she has an accident.

0:22:020:22:05

So, has the experience made an impression?

0:22:080:22:11

-How was it?

-That was so weird. I don't even know how to explain it.

0:22:130:22:18

It was so strange. It was like driving when there was ice there.

0:22:180:22:21

Seeing those two in the back... It's an eye opener,

0:22:210:22:25

but it was scary. I thought I was going into the cones a few times.

0:22:250:22:29

Methods like this are increasingly being used across the country.

0:22:290:22:32

They're even more effective when put together with better enforcement

0:22:320:22:36

and improvements to the roads.

0:22:360:22:39

But some groups would like to go even further.

0:22:390:22:42

We want the Government

0:22:420:22:44

to reduce the default speed limits on rural roads to 50.

0:22:440:22:47

But we also need drivers to change their attitudes towards rural roads.

0:22:470:22:51

The road safety charity Brake wants to see not only lower speed limits

0:22:510:22:55

but also a new way of introducing young drivers to our roads.

0:22:550:22:59

You would have a minimum learning period, say, of a year.

0:22:590:23:02

-Before you get your licence?

-Before you can take your test

0:23:020:23:05

and get your licence, yes. Then, after you get your licence,

0:23:050:23:08

you would have a restricted licence for the first year.

0:23:080:23:11

There would be restrictions such as, zero tolerance drink drive limit.

0:23:110:23:14

So that's no alcohol before driving.

0:23:140:23:17

And a curfew, a night-time curfew,

0:23:170:23:20

and also restrictions on having young passengers,

0:23:200:23:24

people who are your age in the car with you.

0:23:240:23:26

The reason we're calling for this is we know it works in other countries.

0:23:260:23:30

This is when all the crashes happen for young people.

0:23:300:23:33

But what about the roads themselves? Could they be made safer?

0:23:330:23:37

Part of Lincolnshire's success has come from better signs

0:23:370:23:41

and safer junctions, but that all costs money.

0:23:410:23:44

So why don't we just bring down the national speed limits?

0:23:440:23:48

There is obviously some scope for reducing speed limits

0:23:480:23:51

-on local roads like this.

-What about reducing it from 60 to 50 everywhere?

0:23:510:23:55

If speed limits are going to be effective,

0:23:550:23:57

they've got to be virtually self-enforcing.

0:23:570:23:59

They have to be logical to road users.

0:23:590:24:02

If they don't see the logic, they're less likely to respect them,

0:24:020:24:06

they're less likely to keep to the speed limit.

0:24:060:24:08

So the idea of reducing from 60 to 50 everywhere,

0:24:080:24:11

I think is going to be counter-productive

0:24:110:24:14

and what it will actually lead to is people not obeying the speed limit

0:24:140:24:18

and then possibly disobeying the next speed limit they come to

0:24:180:24:21

which otherwise might have seemed logical.

0:24:210:24:24

The success they've had in Lincolnshire clearly shows

0:24:240:24:27

the dangers of rural roads can be reduced even for young people.

0:24:270:24:31

Across the UK, we may never be able to make driving in the countryside

0:24:310:24:36

as safe as it is in towns and cities, but we can make it safer.

0:24:360:24:41

Still to come on tonight's Countryfile,

0:24:440:24:47

Adam's following his barley to the great brewing houses of Germany...

0:24:470:24:52

So we leave the police boat behind and now we're motoring upstream

0:24:520:24:56

and my barley's on board.

0:24:560:24:57

Ellie gets a crash course in surfing...

0:24:570:24:59

Paddle, paddle, paddle, push, off, go. Perfect.

0:24:590:25:04

But will she be able to handle the Isle's Whitewater?

0:25:040:25:08

And if you're heading to the coast this weekend,

0:25:080:25:10

we'll have the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.

0:25:100:25:13

The Isle of Wight may be part of England,

0:25:220:25:25

but as an island it feels removed from the mainstream world

0:25:250:25:28

in its affairs, a kind of retreat.

0:25:280:25:30

So maybe it's not surprising that here on its north coast

0:25:300:25:34

is one of the UK's few Benedictine monasteries.

0:25:340:25:38

The abbey has kindly allowed James to spend a day getting an insight

0:25:380:25:41

into the life of the monks here.

0:25:410:25:43

And monastic life starts early.

0:25:430:25:46

I can tell you the first thing about being a monk, it means 8pm lights out

0:25:460:25:51

and a 5am wake-up time, which, I can tell you,

0:25:510:25:55

for someone who doesn't really get to bed before 1am,

0:25:550:25:58

I haven't had a huge amount of sleep.

0:25:580:26:01

So I'm really looking forward to seeing what this day has to offer.

0:26:010:26:04

BELL CHIMES

0:26:040:26:07

CHOIR SINGS

0:26:070:26:10

'Quarr Abbey was founded on this site in 1132.

0:26:170:26:21

'For 400 years, the monks lived a peaceful life of seclusion,

0:26:210:26:25

'prayer and devotion to God.'

0:26:250:26:28

So being a severely lapsed Catholic

0:26:330:26:36

who hasn't been to church in pretty much 20 years or so,

0:26:360:26:40

that brought back lots of memories but was strangely unfamiliar,

0:26:400:26:44

so I'm really looking forward to catching up with the monks

0:26:440:26:48

over breakfast and finding out what's in store for me the rest of the day.

0:26:480:26:52

'Unfortunately, the monks prefer to have breakfast away from the cameras,

0:26:520:26:56

'while I have to respect the rules and have mine in absolute silence.'

0:26:560:27:02

'After a contemplative breakfast...

0:27:050:27:08

'..it's service number two.'

0:27:110:27:13

After morning services, the monks return to their rooms

0:27:160:27:19

to read scripture and to pray.

0:27:190:27:21

And as this is something I've not really done before,

0:27:210:27:24

I'm really happy to have the guidance of Father Luke

0:27:240:27:27

who's offered to be my mentor to guide me through the whole process.

0:27:270:27:32

The whole purpose of our life here is to open our hearts to God.

0:27:320:27:36

And we do that in the silence, really.

0:27:360:27:38

God speaks in the silence more than in anything.

0:27:380:27:41

I'm going to suggest psalm 62

0:27:410:27:45

because that actually rather nicely sums up what we're trying to do.

0:27:450:27:51

-Thank you very much. Psalm 62?

-62, yes.

0:27:510:27:55

"For God alone my soul waits in silence. From him comes my salvation.

0:27:550:28:01

"He alone is my rock and my salvation,

0:28:010:28:04

"my fortress, I shall never be shaken."

0:28:040:28:07

'In 1536, King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries.

0:28:150:28:20

'The mediaeval Quarr Abbey was dismantled

0:28:200:28:23

'and the remains fell into ruins.

0:28:230:28:25

'Then in 1901, an order of monks in exile from France

0:28:250:28:29

'came to the Isle of Wight seeking a new home.

0:28:290:28:32

'It was they who built the abbey which graces the skyline today.

0:28:320:28:37

'Centuries had passed but the purpose remained and remains the same.

0:28:370:28:42

'To seek and praise God.'

0:28:420:28:44

So far today, it's all been about service, silence and prayer.

0:28:510:28:55

But now the day starts properly, so does the work.

0:28:550:28:59

Work is a big part of abbey life, presumably?

0:29:030:29:07

It's a big part of Benedictine life.

0:29:070:29:09

There's a tradition that working is a sort of prayer.

0:29:090:29:12

Labora est ora. To work is to pray.

0:29:120:29:17

-So what did you do before you were a monk?

-I was a teacher.

0:29:170:29:20

I'm very interested to find out about how you become a monk

0:29:200:29:25

if it isn't part of your careers guidance you get in school.

0:29:250:29:28

Perhaps we should introduce it. It's not a career though.

0:29:280:29:33

It's more a way of life.

0:29:330:29:34

It's perhaps closer to getting married than to having a job.

0:29:340:29:38

Would you consider it a sacrifice, leaving the wider world?

0:29:380:29:43

It's also a gift. There's a saying that in God nothing is neglected.

0:29:430:29:49

If everything's kept in being with God, if you've got God,

0:29:490:29:53

you've got everything.

0:29:530:29:55

So it's a net gain, really.

0:29:550:29:58

Along with the fruit trees, Quarr Abbey has a vegetable garden

0:30:000:30:04

and also rears its own pigs.

0:30:040:30:06

Any pig farmers out there...

0:30:060:30:08

I know a lot about plants, nothing about animals.

0:30:080:30:11

Any produce the monks don't eat

0:30:120:30:14

goes to their cafe which is open to the public.

0:30:140:30:17

The fourth service of the day is short,

0:30:190:30:21

a quick reminder of the monks' higher calling.

0:30:210:30:24

At lunch, speaking is not allowed.

0:30:320:30:34

But I'm kind of getting used to that.

0:30:340:30:38

Next, there's some downtime

0:30:380:30:40

and Father Luke takes me to a place he finds especially inspiring.

0:30:400:30:44

This is an amazing view at the bottom of your garden path.

0:30:440:30:47

Yes, there's the mainland over there. I actually prefer it

0:30:470:30:50

when it's shrouded in mist

0:30:500:30:52

and we can truly feel that we're on an island.

0:30:520:30:55

The sea is, for me, a sort of symbol of eternity.

0:30:550:30:58

Many of the most important moments that I've spent here

0:31:000:31:03

have been down here by the sea

0:31:030:31:06

and they've been on bits of land that have now crumbled into the sea,

0:31:060:31:10

just as moments of our life fade into eternity.

0:31:100:31:14

-Do you know the poem by Tennyson, Crossing the Bar?

-No, I don't.

0:31:140:31:19

It's a poem about crossing to the mainland from here

0:31:190:31:22

and he develops that as a symbol of the journey into the next life.

0:31:220:31:28

and he says,

0:31:280:31:30

"At the end of it,

0:31:300:31:32

"I hope to see my pilot face to face when I have crossed the bar."

0:31:320:31:36

And that really is our aspiration too,

0:31:380:31:40

one day to go beyond this life

0:31:400:31:45

and to see God face to face.

0:31:450:31:47

My extraordinary day finishes with one last chore

0:32:000:32:05

and one last service.

0:32:050:32:08

You know, before coming to a place like this,

0:32:130:32:16

it's so easy to think of a monk's life as a spartan existence,

0:32:160:32:21

almost a form of self punishment, in many ways.

0:32:210:32:24

But having only been here 12 hours,

0:32:240:32:26

you suddenly stop seeing just what it deprives you of,

0:32:260:32:30

but what it offers you, this feeling of contentment,

0:32:300:32:34

a sense of purpose, a feeling of peace

0:32:340:32:37

and this really tight-knit community, which so many people just don't have,

0:32:370:32:41

these guys have got it in bucket loads.

0:32:410:32:45

ELLIE: Life's a lot less serene on the south side of the island.

0:32:520:32:57

Here in winter, it's wild.

0:32:570:33:00

Crashing waves are whipped up by Atlantic storms.

0:33:000:33:04

When there are waves like that,

0:33:130:33:15

there's always someone willing to take them on.

0:33:150:33:18

And I'm going to be joining them in February.

0:33:240:33:28

I must be out of my mind.

0:33:280:33:31

At this time of year and in this weather,

0:33:340:33:37

it's only the pros out there. I'm really not one of those

0:33:370:33:40

but, thankfully, I'm going to be in good hands.

0:33:400:33:43

-How are you doing there, Scott?

-Hi, Ellie. How are you?

-I'm good.

0:33:470:33:50

I'm amazed that this is the time of year people would come out surfing.

0:33:500:33:54

I know, it's pretty cold, but as you see today,

0:33:540:33:56

there's a few waves behind us.

0:33:560:33:58

Is this the time of year that you'd only get the pros out there?

0:33:580:34:01

The really passionate ones?

0:34:010:34:02

You've got to be die-hard to surf in England.

0:34:020:34:05

I've never surfed successfully before. Can I have a lesson?

0:34:050:34:08

-Sure, we can see if we can get you standing up.

-You reckon?!

-Yeah.

0:34:080:34:11

When we're on the water,

0:34:160:34:17

what do you think will happen if you lay too far forward?

0:34:170:34:20

I'll fall off the front.

0:34:200:34:21

Put your hands under your chest, put your toes up first, push up pull.

0:34:250:34:30

I haven't got the abs for this!

0:34:300:34:32

Paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, push, hop, go.

0:34:340:34:37

Perfect.

0:34:370:34:39

OK, let's go.

0:34:400:34:41

'That's the basics out of the way. Time to hit the surf.

0:34:410:34:45

'But nothing could have prepared me for this.'

0:34:490:34:53

This is lazy surfing by Ellie Harrison.

0:34:560:34:58

I've got to get on my feet.

0:35:000:35:01

SHE WHOOPS AND CHEERS

0:35:080:35:11

'That was awesome. Scott has taught me well.

0:35:170:35:21

'But I'm still not quite ready to join the league of pro surfers

0:35:210:35:25

'this island has turned out.'

0:35:250:35:26

That was amazing fun. To find out how

0:35:260:35:29

this Isle of Wight surf scene started,

0:35:290:35:32

we need to travel back in time to the 1960s.

0:35:320:35:36

# Listen to the king of the surf guitar... #

0:35:400:35:43

The craze may have kicked off in sun-drenched California,

0:35:430:35:46

but it wasn't long before it swept the shores of the Isle of Wight.

0:35:460:35:50

# Listen to the king. #

0:35:500:35:52

In the '60s, the only way to get a surfboard on the island

0:35:550:35:58

was to make your own.

0:35:580:35:59

Pioneer surfers hit the waves on home-made wooden boards,

0:35:590:36:03

and at the heart of that scene was this man, Archie Trickett.

0:36:030:36:07

Sadly, Archie died last year, aged 89, but his wife Betty remembers

0:36:080:36:13

their surf days here at Compton Bay like they were yesterday.

0:36:130:36:17

So, Betty, how did Archie get into surfing in the first place?

0:36:170:36:20

-Heaven knows! We started with the belly boards.

-Right.

0:36:200:36:25

We came down here one day, nobody else has belly boards,

0:36:250:36:28

and somebody had been on holiday in Torquay

0:36:280:36:30

and brought the belly boards.

0:36:300:36:31

So Archie said, "We'll go home and make them."

0:36:310:36:34

And then his friend came and he said, "Let's do surfboards."

0:36:340:36:39

So I don't know where he got the design from or anything.

0:36:390:36:42

How long did it take him to make that board on top of your car?

0:36:420:36:44

-A few weeks, I expect.

-Really?

0:36:440:36:47

It's pretty sizeable.

0:36:470:36:48

How did you get it down to the beach?

0:36:480:36:51

We had a motorbike and sidecar.

0:36:510:36:53

-He fixed it so it stood over, it lay over the top of the sidecar.

-Oh, wow!

0:36:530:36:57

And then we put it on our car.

0:36:570:36:59

But he used to have a towel on his head and carry it on his head.

0:36:590:37:04

There's a photo of you on the motorbike there.

0:37:040:37:06

-He taught me to ride his motorbike.

-Wow!

0:37:060:37:09

350 Velocet, very tough bike to ride.

0:37:090:37:13

-And look, there's you surfing!

-That's on the board.

0:37:130:37:16

That's my wetsuit in action.

0:37:160:37:18

That's what we got here. Let's have a look.

0:37:180:37:20

Aren't they fantastic?

0:37:200:37:21

Where on Earth did you get a design like best from?

0:37:210:37:24

Well, it wasn't a design.

0:37:240:37:26

Just the material, the zip and those two fasteners

0:37:260:37:30

and the tape and the glue.

0:37:300:37:32

So how would you feel, Betty,

0:37:320:37:35

if we got one of the surfers out there today...

0:37:350:37:37

It would be lovely to see it launched again!

0:37:370:37:39

Oh, I think it would be lovely! It's been waiting for somebody to use.

0:37:390:37:43

Excellent.

0:37:430:37:45

Archie and his contemporaries' pioneering spirit

0:37:480:37:51

is still alive and kicking.

0:37:510:37:53

The island surf club is thriving.

0:37:530:37:55

Every winter, they run frostbite competitions,

0:37:550:37:59

so they are pretty used to surfing on a day like today.

0:37:590:38:03

Here it is! Look at that!

0:38:030:38:05

So, Matt, you've just carried that. What do you make of its weight?

0:38:050:38:09

Yeah, pretty heavy piece of kit, actually, compared to modern boards.

0:38:090:38:13

For the time, it's an amazing thing

0:38:130:38:16

to have built in a home and then used,

0:38:160:38:18

and for it to be functional and to work is incredible.

0:38:180:38:21

It's in amazing nick, isn't it? How about this?

0:38:210:38:26

-Any takers for Archie's old wetsuit?

-Maybe on a summer's day.

0:38:260:38:29

Well, I'm not going to make you try the wetsuit on,

0:38:290:38:32

but are there any takers for Archie's board on the waves?

0:38:320:38:35

-I think I'll have a go at that.

-You're going to have a go, Alan?

0:38:350:38:39

You're a longboard champion, aren't you?

0:38:390:38:41

Yes, British Longboard Masters Champion 2011.

0:38:410:38:44

-So you'll be a dab hand at one of these, maybe?

-Ooh, hope so.

0:38:440:38:47

So how does it feel now to see Alan take out Archie's old board?

0:38:500:38:54

-It just looks like him going out there.

-Does it?

-Yeah. Lovely.

0:38:540:38:58

Here he goes. How about it?! That board's doing amazingly!

0:39:000:39:04

Oh, well done!

0:39:040:39:07

He's got it and he's up. Yes, that's great.

0:39:070:39:11

-Doing a great job.

-Oh, look at them! Brilliant!

0:39:110:39:14

-Just looks like him out there.

-Still surfing well, that board.

0:39:180:39:23

-Yeah, that was great, Alan! How was the board?

-Absolutely brilliant.

0:39:290:39:34

-Really?!

-Great fun. A privilege and an honour.

0:39:340:39:37

-Oh, it's lovely!

-A wonderful board.

0:39:370:39:39

The Isle of Wight's new surf generation

0:39:400:39:43

owe a lot to these pioneers.

0:39:430:39:45

This '60s craze has certainly stood the test of time.

0:39:450:39:49

Over to the Cotswolds now, where Adam's discovering

0:39:570:40:00

why his barley is the toast of drinkers across the world.

0:40:000:40:03

And with all that hard work down on the farm,

0:40:030:40:06

he's certainly worked up a thirst.

0:40:060:40:08

We grow quite a lot of grass on the farm for sheep and cattle,

0:40:120:40:15

but most of the fields are used for growing arable crops,

0:40:150:40:18

wheat, oilseed rape and barley.

0:40:180:40:20

Last year, we grew about 400 acres of malting barley for making beer,

0:40:200:40:25

and today, some of that is about to start an incredible journey.

0:40:250:40:28

'Elved Phillips is my grain trader.

0:40:330:40:36

'It's his job to get the best price for my crops.

0:40:360:40:39

'He's managed to sell this lot, barley,

0:40:390:40:41

'to a country famed for its beer.'

0:40:410:40:43

-So why are we selling it to Germany?

-It's going there because we have

0:40:430:40:47

a 300,000 tonne surplus malting barley crop in the UK each year.

0:40:470:40:50

It's got to go somewhere, and the Germans need the barley.

0:40:500:40:53

They can't rely on Denmark and France always, because although

0:40:530:40:57

they produce big surpluses,

0:40:570:40:59

sometimes the quality, like this year, isn't very good,

0:40:590:41:02

so they spread their risk by buying from the UK.

0:41:020:41:04

Well, the shed's getting empty now. It's pretty good stuff, isn't it?

0:41:040:41:08

It certainly is. You've got some good grain size, some good colour.

0:41:080:41:12

I'm going to just put a bit through

0:41:120:41:14

these old barley cutters of mine. Used to use these 20, 30 years ago

0:41:140:41:17

when I started going to corn exchanges and buying barley,

0:41:170:41:20

because it would give you a quick cut and a good guide

0:41:200:41:24

as to what the barley nitrogen is.

0:41:240:41:26

Then you finish up showing a bed of barley which,

0:41:260:41:29

if it was white in colour, like a hound's tooth, you'd know

0:41:290:41:32

the barley was going to be low enough in nitrogen to make malt.

0:41:320:41:35

So, along with my barley, I'm heading 50 miles south

0:41:360:41:40

to Avonmouth docks, where the ship Merit awaits her cargo.

0:41:400:41:44

Here it is! This is the barley from my farm

0:41:470:41:49

being unloaded out of the grain hatch there.

0:41:490:41:51

It goes up the elevator, up that conveyor and then into the ship.

0:41:510:41:55

It really feels quite satisfying to be down here seeing it

0:41:550:41:59

on the second leg of its journey.

0:41:590:42:01

In a couple of hours' time when the tide is right,

0:42:030:42:06

the ship will set sail, and it's an amazing journey for my barley

0:42:060:42:09

that was planted on the farm about a year ago.

0:42:090:42:11

It's now being joined by barley from 20 other farms

0:42:110:42:14

into the hull of the ship that will go through the English Channel,

0:42:140:42:17

into the North Sea, all the way to the port of Rotterdam.

0:42:170:42:20

This 660-mile crossing will take two days.

0:42:200:42:24

At Rotterdam, the barley will be transferred

0:42:240:42:26

to a river barge on the Rhine. Four days later, it will reach Bonn.

0:42:260:42:30

That's where I'll be joining it

0:42:300:42:32

for the final leg of its journey to Gernsheim.

0:42:320:42:34

Over there is Bonn, the original German capital,

0:42:340:42:37

but I've got no time for sightseeing.

0:42:370:42:39

I've got a boat to catch.

0:42:390:42:40

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Nice to meet you.

0:42:440:42:48

We're getting some very extra-special treatment.

0:42:480:42:51

We're being taken out to the barge on this police boat.

0:42:510:42:53

The Rhine is running incredibly fast

0:42:530:42:56

and there's a huge amount of traffic going up and down the river.

0:42:560:43:00

But we're in good hands.

0:43:000:43:01

We leave the police boat and Bonn behind,

0:43:130:43:16

and now we're motoring upstream.

0:43:160:43:18

My barley's on board.

0:43:180:43:20

The family that run this barge live on it and work on it.

0:43:200:43:23

They've even got the family car going with them.

0:43:230:43:26

'I'm meeting Kase, a Dutchman who's charted the barge which is

0:43:280:43:31

'taking my barley to the malting house.'

0:43:310:43:33

So, getting my barley from Avonmouth to Gernsheim,

0:43:330:43:36

what part is your responsibility?

0:43:360:43:39

Our part, our responsibility is to take the cargo over to

0:43:390:43:43

Rotterdam and bring it to Gernsheim. It's for the Rhine area.

0:43:430:43:47

It's quite a long way, but we seem to be going quite slowly.

0:43:470:43:50

Yes, we are very slowly now, because of the level of the river.

0:43:500:43:53

We are around eight kilometres.

0:43:530:43:57

These barges take around four days to come into Gernsheim

0:43:570:44:01

where you will unload this cargo.

0:44:010:44:02

You can really see why

0:44:070:44:08

so many tourists took flock to the Rhine during the summer.

0:44:080:44:11

Beautiful vineyards along the hillside

0:44:110:44:13

and castles dotted along the top,

0:44:130:44:15

and of course, during the World War, the Rhine was a huge barrier

0:44:150:44:19

and there were some fierce battles fought here,

0:44:190:44:21

so it's steeped in history.

0:44:210:44:23

Evidence of war scores the landscape here.

0:44:230:44:26

Black pillars mark the point where the Allies crossed

0:44:260:44:29

the Ludendorff Bridge into mainland Germany.

0:44:290:44:32

It was later dismantled to accommodate cargo boats

0:44:320:44:34

like the one I'm travelling on today.

0:44:340:44:37

A boat like this cost around 1 million euros.

0:44:370:44:39

For the family that live on board,

0:44:390:44:42

it's not only the way they make their living,

0:44:420:44:45

but their second home too.

0:44:450:44:46

'Right, time for a quick catch-up with the family over lunch.'

0:44:460:44:49

-And how long have you lived on the barge?

-Always.

0:44:520:44:55

-As a child, I was always on the barge.

-Incredible!

0:44:550:44:58

-And so you're going to stay here all your life too.

-Yes.

-Amazing life.

0:44:580:45:03

Yes.

0:45:030:45:05

The evening's setting in now, and there's not enough room

0:45:110:45:14

for me to hunker down on the barge, so I've joined the police boat again

0:45:140:45:18

and I'm heading to shore to find myself a B&B for the night.

0:45:180:45:21

It's just been incredible joining my barley

0:45:210:45:23

and meeting the family on the barge and finding out what goes on.

0:45:230:45:27

In the morning, I'm off to the malting house,

0:45:290:45:32

the final destination for my barley.

0:45:320:45:34

It takes a week for my barley to cross the Channel

0:45:390:45:41

and come up the Rhine to Gernsheim here

0:45:410:45:44

which is slap-bang on the banks of the Rhine,

0:45:440:45:47

very convenient to unload the barley through a series of pipes

0:45:470:45:50

and conveyors that takes it over to that massive building.

0:45:500:45:55

These storage towers, apparently,

0:45:550:45:57

will store a whole barge-worth of barley.

0:45:570:46:00

Inside this monolith of a building is a hugely technical malt house.

0:46:000:46:05

I'm off to meet the manager.

0:46:050:46:07

Berthold's taking me right to the top of the plant

0:46:120:46:15

where the barley begins its conversion to malt.

0:46:150:46:17

So we're right at the top of the building now.

0:46:190:46:22

What's happening to the barley in here?

0:46:220:46:24

It's the first step of malt production.

0:46:240:46:26

It's called steeping. This is the steeping house.

0:46:260:46:29

We raise the water content from 14% in the barley

0:46:290:46:34

up to 40% in the first step here.

0:46:340:46:36

I have it at 14% in the barn at home, so it stores,

0:46:360:46:39

but here you want to get it wet so it germinates and starts to grow.

0:46:390:46:42

It will start the germination to build the enzymes

0:46:420:46:45

for later for the brewing process.

0:46:450:46:48

So how long will it take you to use up the barge load?

0:46:480:46:51

-It's one week.

-Amazing.

0:46:510:46:53

'The barley is now gravity-fed through pipes

0:46:540:46:57

'until it arrives below in the germination box.'

0:46:570:47:00

So for the barley's life with you,

0:47:010:47:03

this is day two and the next level down.

0:47:030:47:06

Yes, it's day two of the steeping.

0:47:060:47:08

And we see here the germination box, the second step of malt production.

0:47:080:47:13

So now the barley has started to germinate.

0:47:130:47:17

It's putting out all its little roots.

0:47:170:47:19

Yes, you can see the roots.

0:47:190:47:21

I know the barley we produce on the farm has to be grown

0:47:210:47:23

to a high germination, because that's important to you.

0:47:230:47:27

The germination capacity of barley is a big point for us,

0:47:270:47:30

so we can only produce from germinated barley.

0:47:300:47:33

Is this called malt now?

0:47:330:47:34

No. If you smell it, it smells a little bit green.

0:47:340:47:38

Now it's no longer barley. We call it now green malt.

0:47:380:47:41

The living seed now goes to the kiln room,

0:47:450:47:48

which is the last stage of the process.

0:47:480:47:50

It's absolutely boiling in here!

0:47:500:47:53

Yes, we have over 60 degrees here

0:47:530:47:56

and that's the final step of malt reduction. It's called kilning,

0:47:560:48:00

and it's a place where we build, smell and taste,

0:48:000:48:04

and we remove the water and dry it up to 4% of moisture content.

0:48:040:48:08

So it's very, very dry.

0:48:080:48:10

Yes, it's very dry and you can see the dry rootlets

0:48:100:48:14

and you can have a smell...

0:48:140:48:17

..and a taste. And that's for the character of the beer,

0:48:180:48:21

and if you stay a little bit longer in your mouth,

0:48:210:48:25

it goes sweet so the enzymes are working now.

0:48:250:48:28

It's crunchy like a biscuit. It's lovely.

0:48:280:48:30

Really lovely. Great stuff.

0:48:300:48:32

So this is malt.

0:48:320:48:34

This is now malt.

0:48:340:48:36

And after this process, we do it in malt storage silos

0:48:360:48:40

and it's ready for delivery to our customers all over the world.

0:48:400:48:43

Barley from my little, old farm in the Cotswolds.

0:48:430:48:46

Here in Germany, turned into malt,

0:48:460:48:48

and then it could get exported anywhere in the world.

0:48:480:48:50

I sold my barley for £200 a tonne.

0:48:500:48:54

By the time it's made into beer, it's worth around £40,000 a tonne.

0:48:540:48:57

Amazing.

0:48:570:48:59

It's been really fascinating following my barley

0:48:590:49:02

from the farm down to Avonmouth when it went on the ship,

0:49:020:49:05

and then picking it up coming up the Rhine here, all the way to the malt,

0:49:050:49:09

and so many farmers load grain onto lorries on the farm,

0:49:090:49:12

and never really know where it ends up.

0:49:120:49:14

Just one last thing to do though - try the local brew.

0:49:140:49:18

Prost.

0:49:220:49:24

ALL: Prost.

0:49:240:49:26

MATT: Back on the Isle of Wight, I'm developing a taste

0:49:330:49:36

for these wonderful views

0:49:360:49:39

but for some romantic souls, views aren't enough.

0:49:390:49:42

The Isle of Wight is a walker's paradise.

0:49:440:49:46

It's criss-crossed by over 500 miles of footpath

0:49:460:49:49

and every year, it holds the largest walking festival in the UK.

0:49:490:49:53

Now this week, I'm going to be trying a walk with a difference.

0:49:530:49:57

I'm joining this lot, who are speed-date walkers,

0:49:570:50:00

and they're ready to go!

0:50:000:50:02

You're very adventurous! You're like mountain goats!

0:50:020:50:05

I tell you what, anything could happen on this walk!

0:50:050:50:08

But before that, let's see what the weather centre is predicting

0:50:080:50:11

for the week ahead with the Countryfile forecast.

0:50:110:50:14

.

0:52:490:52:57

I'm on the Isle of Wight's south coast,

0:53:090:53:11

a setting for love in the landscape.

0:53:110:53:13

Now, I couldn't be happier with my wife

0:53:130:53:16

but for all of those people that are looking for love, this is for you.

0:53:160:53:19

We have a line for the ladies and a line for the men

0:53:190:53:22

and stand next to your appropriate number.

0:53:220:53:25

So Liz, you'll go with number one, who will actually be Matt.

0:53:250:53:29

If Liz decides she likes Matt, basically she'll put a big tick.

0:53:290:53:34

If Matt likes Liz, he'll tick also.

0:53:340:53:37

If there's two ticks, that's a perfect match.

0:53:370:53:40

After two minutes, Den will blow his whistle...

0:53:400:53:43

and then the gentlemen in the front will move to the back of the queue

0:53:430:53:47

and everybody moves forward.

0:53:470:53:49

This is speed-date walking and in honour of St Valentine,

0:53:510:53:55

I'm going to be meeting a succession of charming ladies.

0:53:550:53:59

Until the whistle blows, I'll be with Liz.

0:53:590:54:01

People come because they like to walk in the countryside

0:54:010:54:05

and they like to see the nice landscape,

0:54:050:54:08

so you've automatically got shared interests.

0:54:080:54:11

So what is the best chat-up line you've heard?

0:54:110:54:13

What was my first car was probably a memorable one?

0:54:130:54:16

WHISTLE BLOWS

0:54:160:54:17

What's your first car? I'll try that one. Nice to see you.

0:54:170:54:21

We're swapping over now.

0:54:210:54:23

-Oh, hi. I'm Fran.

-Hello, Fran.

0:54:310:54:34

It's quite a bizarre thing, this, isn't it.

0:54:340:54:37

It is a bit weird. It's fun though.

0:54:370:54:39

It's a really nice way to meet people

0:54:390:54:41

cos everyone gets a bit of a giggle out of it.

0:54:410:54:43

-How's it going so far.

-0K! It's good.

0:54:430:54:46

I've met somebody I already know.

0:54:460:54:48

Oh, right!

0:54:480:54:49

No. Some nice friendly people,

0:54:490:54:51

but I don't think quite potential, I'm afraid.

0:54:510:54:54

Roxy's from Spain.

0:55:010:55:03

How did you end up in the Isle of Wight on a speed-dating walk?

0:55:030:55:07

I don't know!

0:55:070:55:08

LAUGHTER

0:55:080:55:09

How did you hear about this?

0:55:090:55:11

Well, long time ago, you know, because I came originally in 1996

0:55:110:55:15

and then I moved to Jersey with my ex-husband,

0:55:150:55:18

and it's now nearly five years that I'm divorced.

0:55:180:55:22

I just can't find love in this island!

0:55:220:55:24

Do you fancy a tall gentleman, like Paul?

0:55:240:55:27

I think he's too young for me! I like more mature!

0:55:270:55:33

LAUGHTER

0:55:330:55:34

Things seem to be going swimmingly.

0:55:370:55:40

Maybe there is something in this speed-date walking.

0:55:400:55:43

How did this all start then? Where did it come from?

0:55:430:55:46

Basically, having organised the Isle of Wight Walking Festival,

0:55:460:55:51

a lot of people walk on their own, singles,

0:55:510:55:54

and it was suggested we did a speed-dating walk.

0:55:540:55:56

That was seven years ago.

0:55:560:55:58

During that seven years we've had three weddings,

0:55:580:56:01

we've had one speed-dating baby, born in August,

0:56:010:56:05

and we've got another wedding coming up in May.

0:56:050:56:07

And here they are. The happy couple. June and Mike.

0:56:150:56:18

-Lovely to see you both.

-Hi.

-Hi.

0:56:180:56:20

How long ago was it that you first met?

0:56:200:56:23

About three years, I think.

0:56:230:56:25

Take me back to that moment when the whistle went

0:56:250:56:28

and you swapped partners and that was it. What happened, Mike?

0:56:280:56:31

We started to talk near the end and the walk finished,

0:56:310:56:34

and we went to the pub with everybody else and had a drink

0:56:340:56:37

and the pub closed and I said to June,

0:56:370:56:39

"Do you want to get something to eat?"

0:56:390:56:41

And June went back to the hotel where she was staying

0:56:460:56:48

and I started to drive home and halfway home I thought,

0:56:480:56:51

"No, I don't want to leave it any longer", so I phoned you,

0:56:510:56:54

and said, "what are you doing tomorrow?"

0:56:540:56:56

she said "I'm going on a walk", so I said, "can I come with you?"

0:56:560:56:59

He actually proposed at the place where we first met

0:57:040:57:06

which was quite nice.

0:57:060:57:08

So it does work. What would you say to people out there

0:57:080:57:11

who may be thinking of this as an option?

0:57:110:57:13

If you don't try, how are you going to know?

0:57:130:57:16

Give it a go. See what happens.

0:57:160:57:19

That's all we've got time for from the romantic Isle of Wight.

0:57:290:57:33

Next week, Ellie will be in Ennerdale,

0:57:330:57:35

delving into the Countryfile archives

0:57:350:57:37

to find the wilder side of life. Hope you can join us then.

0:57:370:57:40

Subtitling by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:58:010:58:05

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS