18/05/2014 Countryfile


18/05/2014

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Our landscape is undergoing an extraordinary transformation...

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Awakening from its winter slumber.

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As the days get longer and warmer,

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we're all trying to spring back to life.

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A day in spring is a lifetime for some,

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and the beginning of life for others,

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and survival is down to one simple thing...

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timing.

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Listen to this. This is the sound of spring.

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BIRDSONG

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We've got resident and migrating birds that are returning

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to our shores with the promise of warmer weather.

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But now all they're after is a mate.

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And they're not alone.

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Millions of wild creatures are settling down to breed.

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Now, we're out here on the Somerset Levels

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in pursuit of one of our largest breeds of birds

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which have disappeared from these wetlands for centuries.

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They're out here somewhere, hopefully breeding.

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Now all we have to do is find them.

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As the spring day unfolds,

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we'll witness some of the miracles that emerge,

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from the beauty of blossom

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that will become fruitful later in the year...

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They've got, on this one site, the largest display of fruit trees

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and plants anywhere in the world, which means that in springtime,

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this place is blossom heaven.

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..To midday mayflies taking flight.

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And whole communities coming together to celebrate the season.

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But none of this would be possible without our springtime weather.

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Weather depends on where the UK is in relation to the jet stream.

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I'll show you where the jet stream is this spring.

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On a spring day, from dawn to dusk,

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we'll see how the season evolves

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as our countryside is brought back to life.

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BIRDS CHIRP

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It's just getting light, and already,

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I'm being treated to the sound

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that represents the beginning of each spring day.

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I'm going to get a front-row seat in what I'm told

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is the Royal Albert Hall of birdsong venues.

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I'm at Nagshead, in the Forest of Dean.

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It's just about to get a whole lot louder.

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As the sun rises, first light falls on the spring earth below.

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Life begins to stir, and the dawn chorus rises in volume.

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Both the ever present and the newly returned,

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like the pied flycatcher, add their voices to this avian orchestra.

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And a man able to pick out them all is the RSPB's Mark Eaton.

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So can you tell me what we can hear this morning?

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One of the things I can hear reeling away is wrens.

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That ch-ch-ch noise.

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That's a bluetit.

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And you can hear something new just starting up,

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quip-quip quip over there.

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-That's a nuthatch.

-This sound is unique to this time of year.

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It's a kind of either "Come and get me" or "Leave me alone"?

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Yes, it's the male bird singing "This is my territory, stay out."

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But at the same time, it's saying "Hey, girls, come and get me,

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"I've got a good place to breed. Come here."

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This ever-evolving soundscape can amaze and inspire.

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That's exactly what it did to a musician I'll be meeting later.

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But before I do, he's asked me to record some raw materials

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for him to work with,

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so we've enlisted the help of our sound recordist, Mary.

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-Are you all right, Mary?

-I'm all right.

-Good.

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So how do we record birdsong?

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Well, one of the ways we can do it is with one of these things,

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which is a parabolic reflector.

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The reflector focuses the sound into the centre of the dish,

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and then this microphone is pointed at the centre of the dish,

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so that's picking up that sound, so it's actually pointing backwards.

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So if I give you that...

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So hold this, your satellite dish.

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-..and there's a set of headphones there.

-I haven't got enough hands.

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-Do you mind holding that?

-I have that problem, too.

-Oh, wow.

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Don't we all hate the sound of our own voices?

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Now I can really hear it.

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OK, we're recording now.

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BIRDSONG

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I can hear my own stomach rumbling.

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I reckon that's got to be enough.

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-OK, I'll download that and then you can pass it on.

-Wonderful.

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With my recording in the bag, I head off to meet Jason Singh,

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a beatboxer turned vocal sculptor,

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who I'm told can recreate the sound of the dawn chorus

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using his own voice.

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-How are you doing, Jason?

-Hey, Ellie.

-Good to meet you.

-You too.

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So I've been listening to the dawn chorus this morning,

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and you're into that too. What got you into it?

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I've always been interested in birdsong and nature.

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I've been inspired by birdsong in terms of their rhythms,

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and I've looked at ways of translating that.

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It's a lot different from what I do as a beatboxer,

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which is straightforward... HE BEATBOXES

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-..sort of beats.

-Awesome!

-Into more experimental realms.

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HE IMITATES DARTH VADER BREATHING

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HE IMITATES MOUSE SQUEAKING

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Those sort of shapes and patterns, but then also using technology

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to move and pitch shift and manipulate and warp.

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That's incredible.

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-Well, I've got you some dawn chorus there on a memory stick.

-Thank you!

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Is there anything I can contribute to this?

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-This might be a really embarrassing moment for me.

-Can you whistle?

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-Whistle? Yeah.

-Perfect! Great.

-Let's have a go.

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So, when you're ready?

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ELLIE WHISTLES

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-That's great.

-So now I need to leave you to it in the studio?

-Yeah.

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Cheers. See you in a bit.

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Armed with a rather dodgy Harrison bird whistle

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and my dawn chorus recording, Jason gets to work.

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After listening to the real thing...

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..his mission is to make his own version using just his voice.

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HE IMITATES BIRDS CHIRPING

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HE IMITATES BIRD CALL

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20 minutes later, he's ready to unveil his ornithological opus.

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I'm looking forward to this.

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-How did you find your studio?

-Yeah, great, really comfy.

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All right, do you want me to play you back what you did?

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Yeah, let's hear my bit.

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ELLIE'S BIRD WHISTLE

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-Remember that?

-Yeah!

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That's how it was, and then basically what I've done is EQ'ed,

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and cut out certain frequencies. Here we go, here's the sound now.

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HIGHER-PITCHED TWEETING

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-You've birdified me!

-Birdified you!

-That's amazing.

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And now here's the whole piece, with everything.

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VARIED TYPES OF BIRDSONG

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That's amazing, because it sounds like a piece of music

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rather than just the dawn chorus, there's a lot of rhythm in there.

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How much of that is Mary's recording?

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None of that is Mary's recording.

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-It's all vocal.

-None of that is Mary's?

-No.

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So you've got your whistle

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and then loads of layers of sounds of listening to Mary's recording

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and mimicking as much as I can of those birds.

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That is incredible. That sounds like the dawn chorus from this morning.

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You are the man of many birdsongs.

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-I don't even need to get up at four now.

-Amazing.

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-This is it, no more dawn starts.

-Great.

-I'll just take this with me.

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'But I'm still not sure you can beat the real thing.'

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Here on the farm,

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the sights and sounds of the new season are all around.

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It's mid-morning here on the farm,

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and Ellie's not the only one being treated to birdsong.

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One bird that we've got a lot of here are the skylarks,

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and although they're difficult to see,

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they're very distinctive in their song,

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and they're dancing around up there,

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calling to one another.

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So spring is quite literally in the air.

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For me, spring is a time of new beginnings.

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The fields are filled with new life.

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LAMBS BLEAT

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And earth sown with crops is revealing green shoots

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and the promise of a good harvest to come.

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All I need now is perfect weather, a rare thing in this country.

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But knowing what's heading my way

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can help me cope with whatever's in store.

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So I've called in Countryfile weather favourite John Hammond,

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to explain the science behind our spring weather.

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Well, it's a bit different to last year, John.

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You can say that again, but that's the beauty of our weather.

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No two years are the same. A bit warmer this time around, isn't it?

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Now, you asked me to get these things together for you. What's the plan?

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Today, Adam, we're going to build

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-a stylised version of the UK, all right?

-Right.

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We're not getting all the details right,

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admittedly, of the British Isles,

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but we're drawing a broad picture of the shape of the UK.

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We haven't put on things like the Shetland Isles,

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the Isles of Scilly, etc. It doesn't matter,

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because what I'm trying to describe to you

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is a general outline of the UK

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and where it sits in relation to the Atlantic Ocean, etc.

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Where am I going with this one?

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You're in southern England now, whether you like it or not.

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I'll chuck you another one.

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Then I want Cornwall sort of here.

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And last but not least,

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if you put Northern Ireland over here...

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Could you shove the Midlands this way a bit,

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because we haven't got Wales at the moment.

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My mother's Welsh, we can't forget Wales.

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We don't want to upset her, no.

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With our straw bale United Kingdom built,

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it's time to add the finishing touches.

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If I just dribble Scandinavia over here,

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and if you could put Holland and Denmark roughly there.

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That's Holland.

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Denmark.

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If I might say so, it's probably the best weather map

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I've ever stood in front of.

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So what we've got is admittedly

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a rather agricultural version of the British Isles

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in relation to Denmark and Holland and Scandinavia

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and the surrounding seas.

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But our weather depends on where the UK is in relation to the jet stream.

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I'll show you where the jet stream is this spring, OK?

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The jet stream is like a conveyor belt of weather.

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Along the jet stream, weather systems go,

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and it's also a dividing line, if you like.

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It divides cold air to the north from much warmer air to the south.

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So you may have noticed that it's a lot warmer than it was last year,

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and that's because the jet stream is so far north. And basically,

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it's allowed a lot of warm air to come up from the south,

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and the cold Arctic air has been kept way to the north,

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and that's why it's so lovely. Last winter - very different.

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-Let's move the jet stream.

-OK.

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The jet stream just stayed way, way far south. It was way down here.

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And that made all the difference.

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That's why we had the coldest spring in living memory.

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-You asked me to do some snow.

-The snow, yes.

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Not only were we on the cold side of the jet stream,

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but what made matters worse is that it kept on snowing.

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It snowed well on into the spring

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and white stuff is reflective,

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so all the sun's radiation - the sun gets stronger in the spring -

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most of it was reflected straight back into space

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for month after month after month.

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So last spring - completely different compared to this spring.

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A transformation in the countryside.

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So this jet stream has a huge impact on our weather,

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-but how easy is it to predict?

-Well, in the short term,

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we've come on leaps and bounds with our forecasting skills.

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But when you look beyond that, it gets a lot more tricky.

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But what we can say is that, long term,

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there is a definite warming going on.

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So the growing season, of course,

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which has so much an impact on the farming community,

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when you and I were little in the early '70s,

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the growing season was 20 or 30 days shorter than it is now.

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So the growing season is significantly longer

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-than it used to be.

-It's fascinating,

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and I think I understand all that.

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Well done. Hard work, and I'm certainly getting quite warm.

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-I need to cool off.

-Have you got a duck pond anywhere?

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Where's this going? Yes, due west.

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Well, Adam, welcome to the Atlantic duck pond.

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We're going to do a little experiment,

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and you, my friend, have drawn the short straw

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because while I'm sitting on the coast here

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with my feet dangling in the sea with Wellington boots on,

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you, I notice, have taken your shoes and socks off

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because I want you to feel

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just how cold that sea is at this time of year. Take a dip.

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-So this is supposed to be the UK, and this is the sea?

-That's right.

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This is the UK. We're surrounded by the oceans.

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-Let's just see how...

-Ahh!

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..cold it is.

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That is really chilly!

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Good, I'm glad you said that, because it demonstrates really well

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just how cold the sea is at this time of year.

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Water takes a long time to warm up and a long time to cool down.

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So late winter and spring, the sea around the UK is at its coldest,

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around seven or eight degrees.

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So for holidaymakers wanting to take a dip

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going to the coast in the spring,

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they have a bit of a shock to the system, just as you have.

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When you get a sea breeze developing on a spring afternoon,

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the temperature can drop by seven

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or eight degrees in a matter of minutes.

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So it has a fundamental effect on the weather in the UK in springtime.

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Well, it's fascinating and I'm learning a lot here,

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-but my feet are freezing. Let's go and get a cup of tea.

-OK.

-Go.

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Perhaps because of winter's extreme weather,

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spring seems especially welcome this year.

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No more so than here, on the low-lying Somerset Levels.

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This landscape is still in recovery,

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but the changing season brings hope to everything in the natural world.

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This spring, it's hoped

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that new life will help boost the slow recovery

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of a mighty bird that has been lost from these wetlands for centuries,

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the common crane.

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The common, or now not so common crane

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was wiped out as a breeding bird in the south-west corner of Britain

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around 400 years ago as a result of hunting

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and then widespread drainage of the wetlands.

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But now, to secure the future of the species,

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for the past five years,

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95 baby cranes have been hand-reared from eggs sourced from the wild.

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The work is undertaken here, at a purpose-built crane school

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at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge.

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Now, we've put in quite a bit of preparation for meeting the cranes.

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I haven't been near my chickens for a whole week,

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and all of the camera equipment has been scrubbed and cleaned.

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So I think we're ready.

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Well, not quite.

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Next, we have to put on these disinfected shoes.

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Then, there's the outfits.

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All of this may look a bit odd and extreme,

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but I'm told it's vital to protect the cranes,

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and it's not just me that's dressed like this.

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There we are, lads.

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There we go.

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Nigel Jarrett is the lead

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feathery-fingered expert on the project.

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With a history of saving species from the brink of extinction,

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he is one of the surrogate parents to the crane chicks.

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-(I think this might be Nigel, but I can't tell. Is it Nigel?)

-Yes.

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-(How are you?)

-I'm good.

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We don't need to be wearing hoods, by the way.

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(OK, hoods down, lads.)

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(And the reason we are keeping our voices down as well?)

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Yes, it's because we've got baby cranes behind us.

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That's the reason we're disguising our bodies

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with this sort of sackcloth costume, it's not to look like cranes,

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but to disguise our body shape

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so that the babies that we have grow up thinking they're cranes and...

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well, not people, anyway. That's the important thing.

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In the crane school behind us,

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where we'll feed the birds in a second,

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we teach cranes from day-old chicks until they're ten weeks old,

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how to avoid predators like foxes, what to eat, what not to eat,

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basically how to become cranes that can survive

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in the British countryside.

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-And right now, we've got some eggs that are about to hatch.

-Really?

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-How close are they?

-Just around the corner.

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-Do we need hoods up for this?

-Not at this point.

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Upon graduation, these cranes will be free to explore the wild.

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But even before they hatch, they've been on quite a journey.

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It started 800 miles away in Brandenburg, Germany,

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as the thriving population of cranes there

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started to nest in early spring.

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Eggs were carefully selected under a special licence,

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without depleting their numbers.

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After sign-off by a local vet,

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the eggs were transported back to the UK

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on an 18-hour, non-stop road trip,

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and into the crane school incubator at Slimbridge.

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Just days later, here they are.

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15 and 17 and 20 are moving.

0:18:480:18:52

-Did you see that?

-Massive, that was.

-Fantastic.

0:18:520:18:55

That's like a baby kicking inside its mummy's tummy.

0:18:550:18:58

That egg is about a week from hatching.

0:18:580:19:00

What is fantastic for me to see is that it's the first time

0:19:000:19:02

we've seen that there's still life in that egg

0:19:020:19:05

after having just been driven

0:19:050:19:06

-800 miles from Germany two nights ago.

-Wow, look at it!

0:19:060:19:10

Amazing. That makes the hairs on my neck stand on end every time.

0:19:100:19:14

There's a while to go in this incubator,

0:19:140:19:17

but two have actually started to hatch,

0:19:170:19:19

and we've got those in this incubator just over here.

0:19:190:19:22

-Even from this lot here?

-Yeah.

0:19:220:19:24

What I'm about to do is play a brood call,

0:19:240:19:26

the sound that Mum and Dad make to babies that are hatching,

0:19:260:19:30

and that encourages the chick to come out of the shell.

0:19:300:19:33

If I just press it, you'll hear the growing sound.

0:19:330:19:37

-You can hear the baby calling.

-Yeah.

0:19:370:19:39

BROOD CALL RECORDING PLAYS

0:19:390:19:41

-Is that the little beak there?

-That's the beak just coming through.

0:19:440:19:47

And on the end of that beak is something called an egg tooth,

0:19:470:19:50

a little calcified sort of thing

0:19:500:19:53

that is used to break through the shell.

0:19:530:19:57

-Wow.

-That then drops off as soon as the baby's hatched.

0:19:570:20:00

But the feeling you must get from doing this, and, you know,

0:20:000:20:04

-giving them a chance...

-Like any expectant parent,

0:20:040:20:07

that exhilaration, that sort of pride you feel

0:20:070:20:10

isn't really there, you're just worried all the time.

0:20:100:20:13

These are the most precious things that we've got.

0:20:130:20:16

We literally have all our eggs in one basket, so to speak.

0:20:160:20:18

The important thing is that these babies

0:20:180:20:21

come out fit, well and healthy,

0:20:210:20:23

ready to receive food and plenty of exercise,

0:20:230:20:26

which is what we're about to do for those that have already been hatched.

0:20:260:20:30

Once the birds are a few days old,

0:20:300:20:32

it's time to introduce them to their lessons -

0:20:320:20:34

learning to walk, run, feed and forage.

0:20:340:20:37

It's all part of the process leading up to their graduation and release.

0:20:370:20:42

Finally, I get to pop my hood up.

0:20:430:20:45

-WHISPERS:

-Oh, my goodness me!

0:20:450:20:47

Now that is just adorable!

0:20:470:20:51

The ones that we're about to walk are between three and ten days old.

0:20:510:20:55

-I think we're going to walk some five-day-olds.

-I see.

0:20:550:20:58

These babies grow by almost a centimetre a day.

0:20:580:21:01

They need the exercise for those legs to grow long and straight.

0:21:010:21:05

'Time for me to be Daddy Crane.'

0:21:060:21:08

-WHISPERS:

-Oh, gosh, look! He's grabbed the whole stone!

0:21:080:21:12

Let's have a little wander. Come on.

0:21:130:21:16

'The chicks are encouraged to exercise by being rewarded with food

0:21:160:21:20

'fed to them by dummy crane heads.'

0:21:200:21:23

-WHISPERS:

-Well, I've taken some animals for a walk in my time,

0:21:240:21:28

never a baby crane.

0:21:280:21:30

This is wonderful.

0:21:300:21:32

As the days lengthen and the temperatures rise,

0:21:360:21:40

dark waters begin to stir.

0:21:400:21:42

The Tweed is one of Britain's great rivers.

0:21:480:21:51

For centuries, man has fished these waters

0:21:510:21:54

for salmon and trout.

0:21:540:21:56

It's a place where fly fishing takes on almost artistic form.

0:21:560:22:01

See the fish jump out that time?

0:22:010:22:03

The spring awakening attracts fishermen like Kenny Galt,

0:22:070:22:10

keen to take advantage of a spring miracle,

0:22:100:22:13

where tiny creatures emerge from the depths.

0:22:130:22:16

So I'm out fishing today to take advantage of the March Brown Hatch.

0:22:180:22:22

The March Brown is a mayfly that we have in many Scottish rivers.

0:22:220:22:25

And it's the time of year

0:22:250:22:26

when it changes from the juvenile form to the adult,

0:22:260:22:28

and when it does that, it comes to the surface of the water,

0:22:280:22:31

changes into the adult and flies off. When that happens,

0:22:310:22:33

quite often trout will come up and feed on them.

0:22:330:22:36

And as such, you can imitate the adult March Brown

0:22:360:22:39

and catch lots of trout.

0:22:390:22:40

Timing is everything for the mayfly hatch.

0:22:400:22:44

The temperature has to be just right.

0:22:440:22:47

The light has to be perfect.

0:22:470:22:49

Only then will the March Browns rise and take flight.

0:22:490:22:54

It's just approaching one o'clock, and the March Brown hatches

0:22:550:22:58

generally occur around lunchtime, generally starting about one o'clock.

0:22:580:23:02

Just how long the hatch will last varies from day to day,

0:23:020:23:05

but for the most part you can set your watch by the timing.

0:23:050:23:09

Mayflies are one of the most primitive life forms on the planet.

0:23:110:23:15

Underwater, the March Browns live amongst the rocks

0:23:150:23:18

for up to a year, avoiding predators with stealth and camouflage.

0:23:180:23:22

Their feather-light gills extract oxygen from the fast-flowing water.

0:23:240:23:27

The mayfly, as adults, only live for a few days,

0:23:330:23:36

maybe a week or so at most.

0:23:360:23:38

Their sole purpose as the adult is to reproduce,

0:23:380:23:40

so they don't even have mouths for feeding.

0:23:400:23:42

They just emerge out the water, reproduce,

0:23:420:23:45

go back to lay their eggs, then die.

0:23:450:23:47

The art of the angler is to wait for the perfect moment.

0:23:480:23:51

Until at last, the hatch begins.

0:23:560:23:59

The river becomes a frenzy of activity

0:24:040:24:06

above and below the water.

0:24:060:24:08

You can see the gulls are flocking down,

0:24:100:24:12

swooping down and taking the March Browns off the surface of the water.

0:24:120:24:15

The hatch is carefully choreographed.

0:24:170:24:19

Millions of March Browns will emerge during early spring,

0:24:190:24:23

ensuring that enough insects survive the waiting predators.

0:24:230:24:27

On the river banks, the newly emerged adults

0:24:270:24:30

dry off in the spring sunshine.

0:24:300:24:32

Mottled wings feel the air for the first time,

0:24:320:24:35

the three nymph tails now down to just two.

0:24:350:24:39

The trout also start to feed on the plentiful supplies

0:24:390:24:42

and finally, Kenny is rewarded for his patience.

0:24:420:24:46

Got it.

0:24:460:24:48

What we do now is, we just wet our hands

0:24:540:24:56

and quickly get the hook out the fish's mouth.

0:24:560:24:58

We wet our hands so as not to burn the flesh of the fish.

0:24:580:25:01

The hook's barbless, so it just slips out.

0:25:030:25:05

And I'll just... Before putting him back, just for our records,

0:25:050:25:08

we'll record the length of the fish.

0:25:080:25:10

This trout is, to the fork of the tail, 31.5cm.

0:25:110:25:16

Not bad, yeah. It's still quite slim, this one,

0:25:160:25:18

it's not started feeding after the winter.

0:25:180:25:20

Most anglers release their trout nowadays

0:25:200:25:23

so they can go on and reproduce. It's good to see a trout like that

0:25:230:25:25

cos it really is an indicator of a clean, healthy river full of food.

0:25:250:25:29

The Tweed has lots of trout like that in it.

0:25:290:25:31

Just cradle the fish at first, to make sure it's OK.

0:25:310:25:34

And then once it's ready, once it's breathing strong,

0:25:340:25:37

off it goes.

0:25:370:25:39

Just as quickly as it started, the hatching stops.

0:25:390:25:42

The remaining nymphs will have to wait until another day.

0:25:420:25:46

A mini miracle, missed by most,

0:25:460:25:49

but for the lucky few, one of spring's defining moments.

0:25:490:25:53

The first golden rays of morning begin to unfurl

0:25:580:26:02

the pink and white petals of apple blossom.

0:26:020:26:05

Soon, they'll be creating boughs of nature's glorious confetti.

0:26:050:26:10

It's a magical moment that signals spring is here -

0:26:100:26:14

the season of rejuvenation, renewal and regrowth.

0:26:140:26:17

And here at the National Fruit Collection

0:26:170:26:20

at Brogdale in Kent, they've got on this one site

0:26:200:26:24

the largest display of fruit trees and plants

0:26:240:26:27

anywhere in the world, which means that in springtime,

0:26:270:26:31

this place is blossom heaven.

0:26:310:26:33

Known as the Queen of Apples for her encyclopaedic knowledge,

0:26:380:26:41

Dr Joan Morgan is Britain's leading fruit historian.

0:26:410:26:45

People wanting to know more about their fruit trees

0:26:450:26:48

bring her apples and pears to identify,

0:26:480:26:51

and today she's taking me on a blossom walk

0:26:510:26:53

through some of the nearly 4,000 fruit varieties here at Brogdale.

0:26:530:26:58

The Queen of Apples, Joan, that's quite a title, isn't it?

0:26:590:27:01

I'm not sure about that! But I'm very fond of apples.

0:27:010:27:04

You must be! And this year has been

0:27:040:27:06

a fantastic year for blossom, hasn't it?

0:27:060:27:09

Yes, yes, it's wonderful. It's looking beautiful now.

0:27:090:27:12

Yes. These are all ornamental,

0:27:120:27:14

not the ones that produce edible apples

0:27:140:27:16

but the ones that produce apples you can make crab-apple jelly from.

0:27:160:27:19

-They certainly produce wonderful flowers!

-Yes, yeah.

0:27:190:27:22

Joan has already chronicled in precise detail

0:27:270:27:31

Britain's great range of apples,

0:27:310:27:33

and produced the definitive reference book.

0:27:330:27:36

Now she's almost completed a definitive work on pears.

0:27:390:27:43

So far, it's taken more than 15 years.

0:27:430:27:47

Why has it taken so long to compile this book on pears?

0:27:490:27:53

Ah, well, there's so many hurdles in the way, you know.

0:27:530:27:57

With pears, not every variety fruits well every year.

0:27:570:28:01

Sometimes you might just miss the moment

0:28:010:28:04

when you should have collected the fruit.

0:28:040:28:07

-So a long-time labour of love, then?

-Yes, yes.

0:28:070:28:09

I noticed that in your apple book,

0:28:090:28:12

you chose to have botanical illustrations

0:28:120:28:14

rather than photographs. Why's that?

0:28:140:28:17

Well, first of all, they're very beautiful.

0:28:170:28:19

I mean, this produces a really lovely plate.

0:28:190:28:22

And it's also possible to show

0:28:220:28:26

different stages in the apple's development,

0:28:260:28:29

you can have it here as it is on the tree when it's picked,

0:28:290:28:33

and then as it is when it's perfectly ripe.

0:28:330:28:35

I know you're going to be doing the same thing with the pear book,

0:28:350:28:38

-cos I'm about to go and meet the illustrator!

-Yes, yes.

0:28:380:28:41

And perhaps you would be kind enough to take with you

0:28:410:28:44

-a sprig of blossom so that she can paint.

-What have we got here?

0:28:440:28:47

This is Onward, and if I cut this just there, a little spring...

0:28:470:28:52

-Thank you.

-There we are.

-I'll take this carefully

0:28:520:28:54

-and give it to Elisabeth.

-Thank you very much.

0:28:540:28:57

This sprig will join many other specimens

0:28:590:29:02

that have already been received by Elisabeth Dowle,

0:29:020:29:05

a leading botanical illustrator.

0:29:050:29:07

-Hello, Elisabeth.

-Hello.

0:29:120:29:14

-Busy sketching there?

-Yes.

0:29:140:29:16

-What is it?

-This is a Williams pear.

0:29:160:29:18

I thought it looked familiar!

0:29:180:29:20

And here's another one. This is an Onward from Joan for you to sketch.

0:29:200:29:24

-Yes. It does look a bit limp.

-It does, doesn't it?

0:29:240:29:26

But I've got a solution in the house if you'd like to come with me.

0:29:260:29:29

Right. Onward, then!

0:29:290:29:31

At her studio in East Sussex,

0:29:350:29:38

blossom samples are stored in the fridge

0:29:380:29:40

to prolong the fleeting moment

0:29:400:29:43

Elisabeth has to record their ephemeral beauty.

0:29:430:29:46

-So this is your studio.

-It is, yes.

0:29:470:29:50

And obviously a degree of urgency when the raw material first arrives.

0:29:500:29:54

Yes, it does put you under a bit of pressure.

0:29:540:29:56

But as soon as Joan gives me the material,

0:29:560:29:58

I make careful colour notes of all parts of the plant,

0:29:580:30:02

and measurements, and any other characteristics

0:30:020:30:05

that need to be noted.

0:30:050:30:07

The painstaking work of painting the process

0:30:070:30:10

as blossom matures into fruit

0:30:100:30:12

means a single plate can take more than two years to complete.

0:30:120:30:16

-Is this a finished plate?

-This is a finished plate, yes.

0:30:160:30:19

This would show the fruit as you pick it,

0:30:200:30:23

and that's the eating stage, when it's ripe.

0:30:230:30:26

You've been painting pears now for 15 years or more.

0:30:260:30:29

-Do you get sick of them?

-Not at all.

0:30:290:30:32

Like a lot of people, I just thought all pears were yellow,

0:30:320:30:34

when I started, but the diversity in colour and shape

0:30:340:30:38

is quite amazing.

0:30:380:30:40

Which goes for the blossom as well, to some extent.

0:30:400:30:43

But, er, no, it's been quite an education.

0:30:430:30:46

And also I get to eat them at the end, which is nice.

0:30:460:30:50

The passing seasons in a humble pear orchard

0:30:510:30:54

so vividly depicted by Elisabeth

0:30:540:30:56

have now been captured forever in these beautiful pages.

0:30:560:30:59

Every year, blossom reminds us that winter is over, spring is here,

0:31:010:31:05

and summer is just around the corner.

0:31:050:31:08

Blossom time brings colour back into our natural world,

0:31:080:31:11

and it's just a fleeting moment in the great scale of things -

0:31:110:31:15

all too quickly, it's gone.

0:31:150:31:18

The majestic beauty of spring

0:31:290:31:31

has inspired some of our best-loved classical music composers.

0:31:310:31:34

And now the countryside at this time of year is having

0:31:360:31:39

deep impact on an altogether different type of musician.

0:31:390:31:43

The rock star/gentleman farmer.

0:31:430:31:45

MUSIC: "Song 2" by Blur

0:31:450:31:46

Good afternoon.

0:31:460:31:48

As the bass player of Britpop band Blur,

0:31:500:31:52

Alex James pursued a fast, urban lifestyle.

0:31:520:31:55

But then in 2003,

0:31:550:31:57

he called time on all of that.

0:31:570:32:00

# Oh, yeah. #

0:32:000:32:01

He gave up his bachelor pad in Covent Garden

0:32:010:32:04

for this idyllic 200-acre farm in rural Oxfordshire.

0:32:040:32:08

I remember the day that I got the keys to the farm.

0:32:080:32:11

It was utterly silent except for the trill of birdsong.

0:32:110:32:14

I'm sitting just above the Evenlode, which is a tributary of the Thames.

0:32:140:32:18

So this flows down through Oxford and eventually gets to London,

0:32:180:32:22

and I love the idea of sort of sitting upstream of my past.

0:32:220:32:26

Faced with all this open space and silence,

0:32:260:32:30

my musical taste sort of went upstream.

0:32:300:32:32

I remember putting the William Tell Overture on one Monday morning

0:32:320:32:36

and I was in tears by the end.

0:32:360:32:38

It completely blew me away what an accomplished,

0:32:380:32:41

enormous piece of music it is.

0:32:410:32:44

There's something about the countryside

0:32:440:32:46

which just invites expansive, lyrical melodies.

0:32:460:32:50

You can put on a piece of classical music and it looks...

0:32:500:32:54

and look out the window and it looks like

0:32:540:32:56

a massive-budget music video.

0:32:560:32:59

The kids have called this wood the Star Wars wood.

0:33:050:33:08

Never found an Ewok in there, but I wouldn't be surprised, actually.

0:33:080:33:12

Today, it's a creature closer to home that's on Alex's mind.

0:33:120:33:16

Over recent years, the call of the common cuckoo has been heard here -

0:33:160:33:20

the first harbinger of spring.

0:33:200:33:22

CUCKOO CALLS

0:33:220:33:23

I suppose the cuckoo is the most famous bird call of all.

0:33:250:33:28

I remember the first time I heard one, it was a complete surprise.

0:33:280:33:31

It was a wonderful thing.

0:33:310:33:33

The cuckoo's call is actually, it's a descending minor third,

0:33:360:33:38

it's a really important interval in music.

0:33:380:33:41

The oldest surviving piece of music

0:33:470:33:50

which demonstrates sophisticated harmony

0:33:500:33:53

is a song about spring - Summer Is Icumen In.

0:33:530:33:56

This time of year, I do find myself

0:34:000:34:02

wandering around whistling it.

0:34:020:34:04

And the constant refrain throughout it is,

0:34:040:34:06

# Sing cuckoo nu

0:34:060:34:08

# Sing cuckoo

0:34:080:34:10

# Sing cuckoo nu

0:34:100:34:12

# Sing cuckoo. #

0:34:120:34:14

It's... It's brilliant.

0:34:140:34:16

With spring, comes the impetus to start new work,

0:34:260:34:29

and with a new-found love of classical music,

0:34:290:34:32

Alex is beginning the process of creating his own classical work

0:34:320:34:35

with neighbour and composer William Lovelady.

0:34:350:34:38

THEY PLAY GUITAR

0:34:420:34:46

If there's a difference between pop music and classical music,

0:34:550:34:58

pop music is a lot bolder lines, you know.

0:34:580:35:02

It's very simple, it's like big crayons. Everything is essential.

0:35:020:35:07

I think...classical music has more sort of layering

0:35:070:35:13

in terms of, er, orchestration.

0:35:130:35:15

Pop music is very much about keeping things as simple as you can.

0:35:250:35:29

Maybe if you've got a 90-piece symphony orchestra

0:35:290:35:33

at your fingertips, there's room for a bit more sophistication.

0:35:330:35:36

There's a really fantastic sense of celebration and jubilation

0:35:510:35:56

about the music of spring. Never fails to knock me over.

0:35:560:36:00

I don't know what that is that we just played...

0:36:040:36:07

-Just play an instrument!

-..or why we need it,

0:36:070:36:11

-but it sure felt good.

-Mmm.

0:36:110:36:13

Springtime.

0:36:180:36:20

CHEEPING

0:36:210:36:23

And the miracle of birth.

0:36:230:36:25

For the past five years, the Great Crane Project

0:36:290:36:32

has hand-reared 95 baby cranes

0:36:320:36:35

to help restore the future of the species

0:36:350:36:37

in the south-west of Britain.

0:36:370:36:39

Earlier, I met Nigel Jarrett, one of the surrogate fathers to the chicks,

0:36:410:36:45

who, at Crane School, introduces them to their lessons -

0:36:450:36:48

learning to walk, run, feed and forage.

0:36:480:36:53

Well done, Matt. You're a natural Crane Daddy.

0:36:530:36:56

-WHISPERS:

-I'm not sure if I've ever looked so silly

0:36:560:36:58

and felt so good at the same time before!

0:36:580:37:01

After graduating at between 10 and 14 weeks old,

0:37:040:37:07

the cranes are released onto the Somerset Levels.

0:37:070:37:10

Damon Bridge from the RSPB closely monitors them

0:37:100:37:14

as they learn to adapt to the rigours of life in the wild.

0:37:140:37:17

-Now then, Damon.

-Hello.

0:37:180:37:20

Are we getting some positive beeps on that radio tracker?

0:37:200:37:23

Yeah, we're picking up all last year's released birds,

0:37:230:37:25

programmed into here and they've got radio tags.

0:37:250:37:28

What age are those that are down there?

0:37:280:37:30

The big group are all last year's young,

0:37:300:37:32

and then mixed in with them are some of the previous year's cohort,

0:37:320:37:36

-and the year before.

-Well, as I've been experiencing,

0:37:360:37:39

a lot of effort goes into making sure they're not too used to humans.

0:37:390:37:42

How close would we be able to get?

0:37:420:37:44

Well, about 300 metres, probably.

0:37:440:37:46

But we can go down one of the tracks and see if we can get nearer

0:37:460:37:49

-to record some more information.

-Great. I'll get your bits.

0:37:490:37:52

Thanks! Great.

0:37:520:37:54

But of course, as wild birds, they're prone to flying off...

0:37:570:38:00

just as you're getting close.

0:38:000:38:02

They've got to be out here somewhere.

0:38:030:38:05

Hang on a minute, what's over there?

0:38:050:38:07

Oh, that's a heron.

0:38:070:38:09

You're just looking at necks!

0:38:090:38:12

Oh, hang on.

0:38:120:38:13

-There we go.

-There they are.

0:38:130:38:15

Got them, got them.

0:38:150:38:17

-They're up and flying as well.

-How did they get over there?

0:38:170:38:19

Now, that is a beautiful sight.

0:38:190:38:22

It's amazing, isn't it?

0:38:220:38:24

They've got such a wingspan - it's about eight feet across.

0:38:240:38:27

The spring's obviously a very exciting time for the cranes,

0:38:270:38:30

that's when they form their pairs.

0:38:300:38:32

By the ring combinations you can pick up which bird's which,

0:38:320:38:35

you can tell that certain birds are always together.

0:38:350:38:38

Is that where this comes in?

0:38:380:38:39

-Yeah, it is. So we've got...

-It's a bit like a dating agency form.

0:38:390:38:44

It is, yeah. These are all the birds released in the different years.

0:38:440:38:48

These are two that have often been together -

0:38:480:38:51

-Swampy here and a bird over here, Mennis.

-Right.

0:38:510:38:54

When you see the group land, the pairs will always take themselves off

0:38:540:38:58

and they'll be just kind of walking around...

0:38:580:39:00

-Is that them calling?

-See, there are some still down here.

0:39:000:39:04

And that was a classic duet call, it's called,

0:39:040:39:08

with one bird doing the lower note and the other the higher.

0:39:080:39:11

How many pairs have you definitely got, then,

0:39:110:39:13

and what is the goal?

0:39:130:39:15

There's about seven pairs that we know of

0:39:150:39:18

spread around the South-West.

0:39:180:39:20

The goal is to get 20 breeding pairs by 2025.

0:39:200:39:25

Hopefully, this spring the first wild cranes

0:39:250:39:27

will hatch and flourish in the South-West,

0:39:270:39:30

something not seen for around 400 years.

0:39:300:39:33

However, it's not set to happen here on the Somerset Levels.

0:39:330:39:37

'I'm heading 80 miles north, back to the bird sanctuary at Slimbridge.

0:39:380:39:43

'Two cranes, Chris and Monty,

0:39:430:39:45

'were raised and released from here last year onto the Somerset Levels,

0:39:450:39:48

'but have somehow found their way back to breed.'

0:39:480:39:51

Nigel, you couldn't write this story, could you?

0:39:510:39:54

You really can't, no.

0:39:540:39:55

It's four years ago that we actually hatched this pair

0:39:550:40:00

about 300 metres away from here where we have our "crane school"

0:40:000:40:03

where we hatch cranes every year and release them

0:40:030:40:05

and this pair, Chris and Monty, have come back

0:40:050:40:07

and make a nest of their own and are incubating eggs at the moment.

0:40:070:40:10

That's after driving them,

0:40:100:40:11

what, an hour and a half away from here and how are they here?

0:40:110:40:14

What's your theory for them coming back?

0:40:140:40:16

Well, I think what's happened is, they've gone up in the air

0:40:160:40:19

in Somerset and they've seen the Severn Estuary

0:40:190:40:21

and just followed the river north.

0:40:210:40:23

When they fly over "crane school", you can

0:40:230:40:25

actually see them clock you clocking them.

0:40:250:40:28

Their head will tilt and they'll go down.

0:40:280:40:30

Cranes are one of those birds that actually make eye contact

0:40:300:40:33

and look at you, so I think they do know where they came from,

0:40:330:40:36

but they definitely are unafraid and register

0:40:360:40:39

that that was where they were raised too.

0:40:390:40:42

What's happening at the moment and what kind of stage are they at?

0:40:420:40:45

One of the birds is just sitting on the eggs now, keeping them warm,

0:40:450:40:49

keeping them safe from predators. The male also helps her.

0:40:490:40:53

They do take it in turns to sit on the eggs.

0:40:530:40:55

It was really interesting hearing your anticipation earlier on

0:40:550:40:58

when you said you paced the corridors

0:40:580:41:00

when the eggs are about to hatch

0:41:000:41:01

-cos you're that kind of surrogate father.

-Yeah.

0:41:010:41:04

Here you are with two of your surrogate offspring.

0:41:040:41:07

Life marches on, doesn't it?

0:41:070:41:09

And, yeah, we're going to become surrogate grandparents, I suppose.

0:41:090:41:12

Of course, it's not just me, there's a lot of us working on this

0:41:120:41:15

and so we're quite a big, happy family at the moment, just with

0:41:150:41:18

everything crossed that those babies and those eggs are going to hatch.

0:41:180:41:22

It's hoped, this spring, these chicks will hatch in the wild,

0:41:240:41:28

not reared by humans in costumes or fed by artificial heads.

0:41:280:41:32

Cranes Chris and Monty will be doing it all on their own.

0:41:320:41:36

Whilst the joy of new life

0:41:420:41:43

is one of spring's most welcome spectacles,

0:41:430:41:46

there's another staple of the season that's seen and felt by us all...

0:41:460:41:50

THUNDER RUMBLES

0:41:520:41:53

..April showers.

0:41:530:41:55

Despite their name, they happen all through the spring

0:41:560:42:00

and weatherman John Hammond

0:42:000:42:02

is taking me on a trip to Tiverton in search of some.

0:42:020:42:04

I've brought you somewhere where we use state-of-the-art,

0:42:050:42:08

high technology, literally, to forecast the weather.

0:42:080:42:11

Grab hold of that. Let me show you where we're off to.

0:42:110:42:14

'John's brought me to one of the Met Office's radar stations,

0:42:150:42:18

'part of a network that tracks cloud

0:42:180:42:21

'and rainfall as it passes across the country.'

0:42:210:42:24

This is just one, Adam.

0:42:240:42:25

There are several of these around the UK,

0:42:250:42:28

so there's a whole network of them, they're all joined up,

0:42:280:42:31

so that, at any one time, we forecasters can instantaneously see

0:42:310:42:35

where the rainfall is across the UK.

0:42:350:42:37

So, when I go to a market and I see an amazing looking bull,

0:42:370:42:40

you know, I love that, and this thing rocks your boat, doesn't it?

0:42:400:42:43

Sorry, not interested - this is what gets me excited. Let's go upstairs.

0:42:430:42:46

-I've got something else to show you, got some experiments to do.

-OK.

0:42:460:42:49

Here we are, Adam. Have a look at this little beauty, have a gander.

0:42:520:42:55

-What do you think?

-Amazing. I can see why you get so excited about it.

0:42:550:42:59

-I really do.

-Now, is this one of your little experiments here?

0:42:590:43:02

Yeah, we've gone from bales of straw to plastic bottles.

0:43:020:43:04

A bit like Blue Peter, isn't it? ADAM LAUGHS

0:43:040:43:07

I want to demonstrate, and hopefully generate, a cloud, OK?

0:43:070:43:11

So, let's, first of all, fill the bottle a little bit with some water,

0:43:110:43:16

some smoke, because in the atmosphere naturally you get dust.

0:43:160:43:21

Now we need to pressurise that bottle. Right, that's...

0:43:210:43:27

How are we doing? That'll do, that'll do. OK, fine.

0:43:270:43:31

What we're going to do now is suddenly decompress

0:43:310:43:34

that chamber and hopefully...

0:43:340:43:35

Wow! Look at that! How about that?

0:43:380:43:40

-Incredible!

-We've produced... It is quite impressive, isn't it?

0:43:400:43:43

We have produced our own cloud.

0:43:430:43:46

'We get more of these showery clouds at this time of year

0:43:470:43:51

'as the spring sun begins to heat up the ground,

0:43:510:43:54

causing warm air to rise.

0:43:540:43:55

'As this warm air meets the cool atmosphere above,

0:43:550:43:58

'it turns from gas into liquid with rain droplets forming

0:43:580:44:02

'around microscopic dust particles that fall on us as showers.

0:44:020:44:06

'But, of course, what we all want to know

0:44:060:44:08

'is when and where they're going to happen, so it's time

0:44:080:44:12

'to put the technology to the test with one final experiment -

0:44:120:44:15

'April shower chasing.'

0:44:150:44:17

It's April showers we're after.

0:44:170:44:19

And it's April showers we've got on the screen there, Adam.

0:44:190:44:22

In fact, there's a whole lot of them.

0:44:220:44:24

The blue echoes indicate relatively light showers,

0:44:240:44:27

but the yellow and the oranges are a pretty intense echo,

0:44:270:44:30

ie, some very heavy showers, some storms.

0:44:300:44:32

In fact if we look down in the Devon area,

0:44:320:44:34

I can see some showers moving their way in from the south-west

0:44:340:44:37

and then not a million miles away, so I reckon if you jump

0:44:370:44:40

in your car, there's a good chance

0:44:400:44:41

we might encounter some of those showers.

0:44:410:44:43

-I think it's about time we see you getting wet.

-Lovely. See you later.

0:44:430:44:48

Good luck.

0:44:480:44:49

Let's go and find some rain.

0:44:550:44:57

OK, well, I hope this does come off, because it's the last chance saloon.

0:45:020:45:06

I've sent Adam to into South Molton to coincide with this shower

0:45:060:45:09

which is moving up from the south-west,

0:45:090:45:11

but, as you can see, it is the last shower for a long time

0:45:110:45:14

because the wind is coming up from the south-west

0:45:140:45:16

and there are no showers at all - after this shower has gone through,

0:45:160:45:20

it's going to be completely dry.

0:45:200:45:22

So, fingers crossed, Adam gets to South Molton in time,

0:45:220:45:25

he gets thoroughly wet and the experiment would have worked.

0:45:250:45:28

As I race towards the rainbow,

0:45:280:45:31

it looks like I might be cutting it fine.

0:45:310:45:34

There's cars coming the other way with their headlights on,

0:45:340:45:38

so it may be that there's a heavy shower head of us.

0:45:380:45:41

We may have just missed it.

0:45:410:45:44

'The only thing to do is to follow that cloud.

0:45:440:45:47

'Back at base, I can see that South Molton is soon going to be

0:45:470:45:50

'shower central.

0:45:500:45:52

'Time to check in on Adam's progress.'

0:45:520:45:55

PHONE RINGS

0:45:550:45:57

-Hello.

-'How are you doing?'

0:45:570:45:58

All right, yeah, we've got black clouds all around us

0:45:580:46:01

but we haven't hit a shower ourselves yet.

0:46:010:46:04

I think we may be just behind it.

0:46:040:46:06

OK, how far away are you from South Molton now?

0:46:060:46:09

-We've passed South Molton.

-Oh.

0:46:090:46:13

Were going to turn off, I think, and go towards the north more.

0:46:130:46:18

-OK, good luck.

-Bye.

-Cheers.

0:46:180:46:20

He's gone through South Molton, surprise surprise,

0:46:210:46:24

he says the shower was behind him. I told him to go to South Molton,

0:46:240:46:27

but he's sailing off towards Barnstable.

0:46:270:46:29

It's hardly surprising the shower is behind him.

0:46:290:46:32

I don't know, some people just don't take instruction.

0:46:320:46:36

'I reckon I'm getting pretty close to that shower.'

0:46:360:46:39

Well, the road's a bit wet here

0:46:390:46:41

and these Exmoor ponies are stood in puddles.

0:46:410:46:45

Have you seen any rain lately?

0:46:450:46:48

'Before I can work out my next move,

0:46:480:46:51

'weather-hound Hammond is back on my case.'

0:46:510:46:54

I've looked at the radar

0:46:540:46:55

and the showers are literally disintegrating before my eyes.

0:46:550:46:58

'You need to get a move on.

0:46:580:47:00

'OK. We'll jump back in the car.'

0:47:000:47:01

I've had to put my windscreen wipers on.

0:47:050:47:07

We're getting a little bit of drizzle.

0:47:070:47:09

I think we've got behind the shower and I can see dark clouds ahead,

0:47:090:47:13

so I'm now chasing it.

0:47:130:47:14

'20 minutes later and the question is, was this just a dry run?'

0:47:160:47:21

So, Adam, talk me through it.

0:47:230:47:25

-Your car looks remarkably dry, I have to say.

-I got so close.

0:47:250:47:29

I could see the showers and dark clouds all around us,

0:47:290:47:32

we had a little bit of drizzle, but it wasn't a downpour.

0:47:320:47:35

It just gives you an idea,

0:47:350:47:36

Adam, of how difficult it is to predict showers and where they're

0:47:360:47:39

going to go, because they're not just moving along like that in time.

0:47:390:47:42

They're forming and they're disappearing and forming again

0:47:420:47:45

all the while - it's a real nebulous thing, forecasting showers.

0:47:450:47:48

I mean, really tricky, then, just to track one down at all.

0:47:480:47:51

Yes, although, if you'd actually stayed where I told you to be,

0:47:510:47:54

you'd probably have had better luck.

0:47:540:47:56

You weathermen, you're just full of excuses.

0:47:560:47:58

You farmers are always complaining.

0:47:580:48:00

-Come on. I'll give you a lift home.

-OK.

0:48:000:48:03

Spring - traditionally a time for communities to come together

0:48:220:48:26

and celebrate the changing season,

0:48:260:48:28

with many a city, town or village having its own custom or ritual.

0:48:280:48:33

The oldest one of all is said to be here in Padstow,

0:48:340:48:38

down on the Cornish coast.

0:48:380:48:40

On May Day, the narrow streets are ablaze with colour,

0:48:420:48:45

decorated with boughs of fresh spring greenery through which

0:48:450:48:49

dancing black stallions, known as "obby oss", will parade.

0:48:490:48:54

And right now, I'm waiting for the old oss to frolic

0:48:540:48:57

out of its stable, otherwise known as the pub.

0:48:570:49:01

CHEERING

0:49:010:49:02

Now, at large, the two prancing obby oss

0:49:060:49:09

will be carried by passionate locals,

0:49:090:49:11

who dance, sing and drink their way through these old streets.

0:49:110:49:15

It is bizarrely emotional.

0:49:160:49:18

There's something about the collective singing

0:49:180:49:21

and the collective dancing that actually makes you a bit choked.

0:49:210:49:25

'So what's it all about?

0:49:250:49:27

'If anyone knows the origins of this festival, it's Doc Rowe,

0:49:270:49:30

'who has spent a lifetime collecting material

0:49:300:49:33

'relating to British folklore.'

0:49:330:49:35

So, Doc, is this about fertility or the bringing in of summer or

0:49:350:49:39

warding off French sailors from the 14th century, what's it all about?

0:49:390:49:42

Everyone wants these things to go back to pagan times,

0:49:420:49:45

you know, that's what we desperately want,

0:49:450:49:47

but it's Padstow celebrating themselves.

0:49:470:49:50

It's like a pacemaker, you know, so it's the heart of the community

0:49:500:49:54

and on May Day they charge it up again for the rest of the year.

0:49:540:49:58

So where did the two different osses come from, the old oss,

0:49:580:50:01

the red one and then the blue ribbon one, that was later?

0:50:010:50:04

It's said that the turn of the last century,

0:50:040:50:06

some of the people in Padstow thought they were getting

0:50:060:50:09

rather inebriated on the day, so they brought in the blue ribbon

0:50:090:50:13

which was the sign of temperance, so it was actually a temperance oss.

0:50:130:50:17

They were sober.

0:50:170:50:18

And, again, the story goes, that within a year or so,

0:50:180:50:20

they were as intemperate as the others.

0:50:200:50:23

MAN SHOUTS

0:50:230:50:24

CROWD RESPONDS

0:50:240:50:26

'The origins of this festival may have been

0:50:260:50:28

'lost in the mists of time,

0:50:280:50:29

'but its customs live on, woven into the fabric of the community

0:50:290:50:33

'by principal families reprising the same roles

0:50:330:50:36

'they've had for generations.'

0:50:360:50:38

'Old Mack, he's 84 now and his dancing days are over

0:50:380:50:41

'and he's handing the club over to his little grandson Willie.

0:50:410:50:44

'Now, believe you me, little Willie is a grand dancer.'

0:50:440:50:47

'More than 60 years ago, the talk of the town was Willie McOwen,

0:50:490:50:53

'the artful teaser and terror of the oss.

0:50:530:50:56

'A generation later, Willie's all grown up

0:50:560:50:59

'and no longer teases the swirling beast,

0:50:590:51:02

'but his son Jamie has taken on the family mantle.'

0:51:020:51:05

What was that first experience like doing it?

0:51:050:51:08

Well, it's tremendous, isn't it?

0:51:080:51:09

When you come out with the club, you're in charge of that horse.

0:51:090:51:12

We've been brought up with it since we was little kiddies

0:51:120:51:15

cos your mam's brought you down here and you heard the drums

0:51:150:51:17

and once you hear them drums, it's in your head the rest of your life.

0:51:170:51:21

And that's when you've either got it then or you ain't.

0:51:210:51:23

And, Jamie, why tease the oss, what's that all about?

0:51:230:51:25

It's for the horse to follow, otherwise, if you just comes out,

0:51:250:51:28

he's just dancing blind. Like my dad said, you're brought up with it

0:51:280:51:31

from such a young age, you think of all your families going back

0:51:310:51:34

and you always hope you can do 'em proud and do it well.

0:51:340:51:37

And this is purely for people from Padstow, isn't it? You can't join

0:51:370:51:40

what you guys are doing if you're a girl from Gloucestershire, can you?

0:51:400:51:43

-Unless you married into a family.

-Oh, really?

-Yeah.

0:51:430:51:45

So the only way I could get in on this is

0:51:450:51:47

-if I was to marry someone from Padstow, is that right?

-Yeah.

0:51:470:51:50

-Pretty much.

-Pretty much.

-Well, that can be arranged.

-Can it?

-Yeah.

0:51:500:51:53

-I may get lucky today.

-You might be, I think.

0:51:530:51:55

'On their winding route through Padstow,

0:51:550:51:58

'both osses visit the nearby stately home of Prideaux Place -

0:51:580:52:02

'traditionally, the old oss stays outside,

0:52:020:52:05

'but the blue ribbon oss is welcomed inside.'

0:52:050:52:08

Well, I haven't managed to track down the groom,

0:52:080:52:10

but I have been given a special invitation

0:52:100:52:13

from the lord of the manor, Peter Prideaux-Brune, who has allowed me

0:52:130:52:16

special access to see what goes on in Padstow behind closed doors.

0:52:160:52:21

So, Peter, I understand it's a bit of a coup, then,

0:52:240:52:26

I'm allowed in here today when I'm not from Cornwall.

0:52:260:52:29

Well, it is, but I love Countryfile, so you're very welcome.

0:52:290:52:32

Well, that's very kind of you.

0:52:320:52:34

So when the blue ribbon oss come in, they will all be local people,

0:52:340:52:38

-will they?

-Oh, yes, absolutely.

0:52:380:52:40

You have to be a sixth generation Padstow.

0:52:400:52:43

There are occasionally the odd fistfights about who gets in

0:52:430:52:46

-and who doesn't.

-Do you have any allegiances?

0:52:460:52:48

The blue ribbon oss team get to come in here

0:52:480:52:51

whereas the old oss are outside.

0:52:510:52:53

I've no allegiance at all. I'm not allowed to.

0:52:530:52:57

-In fact, we had the red oss up here this morning.

-Yes.

0:52:570:53:02

-And I wore my red tie.

-So the ties are appropriate.

0:53:020:53:05

And then, when they go, I have to change quickly

0:53:050:53:08

and put my blue tie on.

0:53:080:53:09

So it's just tradition, then, that the blue ribbon oss come inside?

0:53:090:53:12

Yes, I don't know why, I've always said to the red oss

0:53:120:53:14

that they can come in, they're very welcome,

0:53:140:53:16

but they say, "No, we like to dance outside

0:53:160:53:18

"and the blue oss dances inside, traditionally."

0:53:180:53:21

And do you know? It still sends a prickle down the back of my neck.

0:53:210:53:26

TRADITIONAL SINGING

0:53:260:53:28

It's amazing, it's gone from an empty space to an instant party

0:53:320:53:36

and they love to party.

0:53:360:53:38

'I'm being caught up in the party atmosphere -

0:53:380:53:41

'it looks like the unexpected has happened.'

0:53:410:53:44

-Do you want a go with the club?

-Me? Really? Can I?

0:53:440:53:46

'I'd been invited to tease the oss.'

0:53:460:53:48

Come on then.

0:53:480:53:50

I'm allowed to have a go!

0:53:500:53:51

Am I allowed a go?

0:53:510:53:53

Sorry.

0:54:020:54:03

This is amazing.

0:54:070:54:08

Thank you so much.

0:54:110:54:13

I can't believe I got to have a go. What a privilege. What a privilege.

0:54:150:54:19

I thought I wasn't allowed. I'm certainly not from Padstow.

0:54:190:54:22

Oh-h!

0:54:220:54:24

With this crisp night drawing in,

0:54:280:54:30

it's time to bid farewell to the osses

0:54:300:54:33

and our glorious spring until next year.

0:54:330:54:36

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