25th Anniversary Countryfile

It's not just new music in the air,

there's a buzz too,

a great feeling of a countryside celebration.

A traditional country fair.

A time for communities to come together

and share our love of the Great British countryside.

-ALL:

-Ooh!

-He's very good, isn't he?

-Very good.

We're here to mark a very special occasion.

This is Countryfile's Silver Jubilee.

Can you believe it?

To celebrate, we are hosting our very own country fair

right here, in the Cotswolds, and we're all here on Adam's farm.

Thanks for having us, Adam.

It's lovely to have you guys here.

But, also, we've got 250 Countryfile viewers

who were randomly selected to be here

from literally thousands of people who applied. So, welcome.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

It's lovely to have you all here, from all over Britain.

So what is the order of ceremony?

I hear Countryfile titan John Craven has a special treat in store.

That's right, Ellie.

I'm going to be putting everybody's memories to the test

with a special Countryfile quiz.

What are you up to, Tom?

-I'm looking at a very precious gift. JULIA:

-John Craven?

-No, not quite.

Something we couldn't live without, that has shaped our landscape

and has run like a theme through Countryfile for 25 years.

There's lots to look forward to. Shall we get on with the show?

-Yes, wagons roll! Come on, everyone!

-CHEERING

25 years, it's been quite a journey.

From the first programme in July 1988, to today,

Countryfile has brought the best of the UK's countryside

to the nation's homes.

We've covered the rural stories that have shaped our times,

from farming and the environment,

to the land and its people.

And we thought, what better way to celebrate

than to bring everybody together at our own country fair.

But let me tell you,

this lot has taken some setting up over the last 24 hours.

Tepees have gone up.

Stallholders from across the Cotswolds have assembled

food, games, entertainment

and bunting that goes on forever.

And we have something that I am very, very excited about.

-Our own artist-in-residence, Cecil.

-Hi.

-A very good morning to you, how are you?

-I'm very well, thanks.

-Oh, you've started already with a few pencil lines.

-That's right.

It's good to get it planned.

Is it quite difficult often to capture a live scene like this

if it's going to be changing a lot with people?

It's tricky, but the painting has a liveliness

-because you've done it on the spot.

-Yeah, sure.

And that's the challenge.

Scenes like this have long been a staple of rural life.

From humble beginnings,

they've become a highlight of the summer calendar.

Author Clive Aslett is very much a fan of the fair.

-Very nearly did it!

-Good to see you. Let's have a go then.

-Oh, no! You are a cricketer.

-MATT LAUGHS

Clive, good to see you.

Tell us, what are the origins of the country fair?

I think they go back to the Middle Ages

when fairs were really important for trade.

There was another thing, the Church ale,

which was when the Church raised money,

and a lot of ale was obviously drunk.

And they were quite lewd at times.

Of course, the Puritans didn't really like it.

Let's go sample the cheese, yes.

I'm going to go for this traditional cheddar.

Can I have the double Gloucester?

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

In the 18th century, with the agricultural revolution,

it became important for great landowners to show

what you could do to improve your farm.

They gathered everybody together.

Fairs were also a chance to show off the fruits of your labour.

Our fairs, I think, are really a product of the Victorian era

when everything was getting a bit more decorous and a bit more polite.

And, of course, they're great fun.

The opportunity to sponge the person you've always wanted to.

Very nearly!

Of all the things, what do you love about them, Clive?

Here we are, people put on their summer dresses, maybe a hat,

and they come out to a field to take part

in some fairly home-spun entertainment.

We all love it, this is our tradition.

It's unlike anything else that there is in Europe because

everybody else does things which are a bit more gutsy,

a bit more ambition.

-But we like this simple home-made scale, I think.

-Yes.

-Oh!

-CHEERING

-JULIA:

-While Matt tries to get out of that tricky situation,

I'm nipping off for a look around.

The setting for our summer fair is familiar to us all - Adam's farm.

For the past four years,

it's given us a rare insight into farming life.

We see this place week in, week out, on the telly.

But what's it like behind the scenes?

So, this is HQ. It's not a TV set, it's the nerve centre of the farm.

It's a busy working farm. Almost 1,000 acres of crop.

2,500 animals to run.

And there's a man who has to do the planning, business, the strategy.

You might think it's Adam, but it's not.

-Afternoon, Duncan, how are you?

-Very well, thank you.

-Nice to see you.

-So, this is it.

-This is the nerve centre.

A lot of livelihoods depend on the success of this farm.

Not just Adam's family but my family too.

But also 14 full-time staff and up to 50 seasonal staff.

That's the business side of things

but, of course, this is also Adam's home.

And it's not just the people he works alongside

who've become the stars of the show.

Over the years, his son Alfie and daughter Ella

have also appeared on the programme.

-Hi, Ella.

-Hi.

-How are you?

-I'm really good, thank you.

-Lovely chickens.

-Yeah, they're barred rocks.

-They're very pretty, aren't they?

-Yeah.

Tell me what life's been like since your dad's been on the telly?

Yeah, it's really good.

Having the film crew here is also quite interesting.

What do you think people at home don't know about your dad?

He does quite a lot of work on the farm.

Some people think he doesn't do a lot, like he's away quite a lot.

But he works really hard doing the sheep and cows.

-He is juggling, he's very hands-on.

-Yeah.

-Are you proud of him?

-Yeah.

-He's a cool dad to have.

-Got to be.

-He'd be very proud that you got the name of the chickens right.

-Yeah.

COCK CROWS

OK, so that's the family and the business.

Now for the main man.

And, surprise, surprise, he's filming.

I wanted one of my best looking animals in the background

so people could see him from the country fair.

-And now, I think he's looking tip-top.

-The master at work.

I'm very pleased with that. Ah, hello, Julia, what do you think?

-I don't know, I think Eric's looking pretty gorgeous.

-He is, isn't he?

Is it grooming time?

It is. He's had a shampoo. Me and Alfie have shampooed him

so that he looks beautiful for the country fair.

And now, we've got to walk him up there.

-You can give me a hand, if you like?

-Absolutely.

Adam's let the cameras into his life for four years.

But he's got a history on Countryfile which goes way back.

In fact, it all started with a presenter search in 2001,

and an audition tape from a fresh-faced young farmer.

Television presenting is something I've always wanted to do.

I've got a close understanding of people

and animals and agricultural issues.

And I hope that you will be able to consider me for the job.

Since then, Adam's been a familiar face on our screens.

And we've been with him through the highs, and some of the lows.

Probably the worst time for us here has been TB testing.

And filming it makes it even worse.

It is a very tense day, bringing the cattle into the pens,

the bulls getting too close together,

cows being separated from their calves.

If you lose an animal to TB, and it has to be compulsory slaughter,

and you've got a camera in your face,

you're supposed to give a response. It is very real.

CATTLE LOW

Reaction?

The first cow, and she's reacted.

It's an absolute travesty, a complete disaster.

All right.

That was a huge blow for Adam.

But there have been happier moments too,

both on the farm and beyond.

Sometimes, I have to pinch myself to think,

I'm getting paid to do this job. Getting behind the scene on farms,

meeting other farmers is always great.

I've travelled abroad,

going to Australia, following Hereford cattle.

If they were to do this with horse people on the ground,

it would take them weeks, I'd imagine.

-There have been wonderful moments.

-BULL LOWS

-Eric agrees with you, you see!

-ADAM LAUGHS

Just like Adam, the countryside overall has had its fair share

of ups and downs over the last quarter of a century.

And we've been there to see them all.

Since the very beginning of the programme,

we've covered the issues that matter.

We were there for the start of the organic movement.

Today, we're investigating the upsurge in organic farming.

We've witnessed foot-and-mouth.

BSE.

And bird flu.

Not forgetting the issues that divided the countryside.

The people who've banned it just don't understand it.

Yeah, it's a good day for us, a good day for the wildlife.

But there's one subject that flows through everything we do,

and it always will.

Water. A fundamental of the natural world.

It sustains our landscape and all life within it.

But it's also given our countryside some of its greatest challenges.

In the early days of the programme,

the big challenge was pollution in our water.

Although the presenters' fashion taste

was sometimes as questionable as the state of our waterways.

Believe it or not, it takes just one pint of milk

discharged into a river or stream

to do as much damage as 800 gallons of treated sewage.

1988 saw the birth of Countryfile,

and the privatisation of the water industry in England and Wales.

A year later, the National Rivers Authority was created

to clean up our waterways.

So, I think the idea it's cheaper to go on polluting and pay the fines

is going to be a thing of the past.

We, as an organisation, will not hesitate to prosecute for offences.

More than 20 years after he first appeared on the show,

Lord Crickhowell is back to reflect.

When you set up the National Rivers Authority,

-what was the scale of the problem you were facing?

-Oh, very big.

Water pollution was extensive. Farm pollution was extensive.

There was flooding on a considerable scale.

There were water shortages on a considerable scale.

Many of the fisheries were dead.

The National Rivers Authority became the Environment Agency in 1996.

So, did these agencies really manage to get to grips with the problems?

I think they've got better.

I won't say they've gone away, I think the Environment Agency

has got to go on working extremely hard on all these problems.

Because we live in a very congested country.

We live in a world of changing climate.

And the problems aren't going to go away.

Our rivers may now be far cleaner,

but they can still turn nasty.

Floods aren't a new phenomenon

but, since the turn of the century,

the British Isles have seen flooding on an almost unprecedented scale.

Boscastle in Cornwall, 2004.

Gloucestershire, 2007.

Cumbria, 2009.

We're seeing heavier, more frequent downpours

and, with predictions of yet more extreme weather,

more and more of us are relying on flood defences

and early warnings to keep us safe.

Manning the defences against flooding

is the Environment Agency,

and their latest weapon is a remote control Navy.

-Am I allowed a bit of a go with your toy?

-You sure can.

And use this cyber remote control, and have a little tweak.

-Ooh, there we go.

-Just slow down just slightly.

-You can tell it's very responsive.

-It is, yes.

I can feel a note of nervousness in your voice, Mike!

It is a lot of fun, I can see that, but what's it actually for?

OK, it's used for measuring the depth of the water,

and the speed of the water.

And that will give you the amount of water moving down the river.

Which is absolutely key if you're trying to work out flood risk

-and anything else like that.

-This is the future of technology.

-The future of flood defence, in fact.

-Yes.

If you noticed, I'm going around in circles

because I've worked out how to do that.

I'm not trying anything too stretching here.

If the past 25 years have taught us anything,

it's that we are rarely in control of the natural world.

And that's true above all of water.

We've had successes, like the clean-up of our rivers,

and also endured stresses,

like the battle against the harshest of the elements.

But one thing's for sure, whether it's too much water or too little,

that struggle is only going to intensify in the future,

as I'll be finding out later.

The party's in full swing down on Adam's farm.

But no country fair would be the same without food. My favourite!

Over the past quarter of a century, Countryfile has followed

the incredible journey of our food, from field to fork.

The aim is to eat as many nettles as you can in one hour.

Cromer lobster, fresh from the sea, and onto the plate.

-That's a nice truffle.

-A strong smell.

It's not about size, it's about the quality of the truffle.

For some crazy reason, we now agree to try the shop-bought wasabi.

-Without the salmon, that's very brave.

-Argh! Rargh...

This time, though, we've asked the food to come to us.

Our invited guests are taking part

in Countryfile's Grow It, Bake It or Preserve It competition.

All morning, people have been delivering some tasty delights

in the hope of winning a rosette or two.

Including some more familiar faces.

Beautiful. Gloucestershire Old Spot pork pie. It is a winner!

Well. Look at all this jam. What a spread!

Anyway, luckily, I've got just the man to help me judge them all.

Ladies and gentlemen, we're welcoming a culinary king,

it's Nigel Slater!

There's a lot of jeopardy involved... I'm sorry, guys,

we're going to have to do this behind closed fake windows.

And no peeking through the plastic.

Nigel, in here, come on, get your game face on.

Security's tight.

-We're in, Nigel. OK, let the judging begin.

-Begin.

So, basically, from your perspective,

how does British food compare with that of the rest of the world?

It's fabulous but it's underrated, it's so underrated.

We've had an idea, I think, for a long time, that other people are better.

That their cooking is better than ours, which is how we've ended up

with so many different cultures being thought of as ours.

Whether it's pizza, pasta, whatever.

And, only now, only recently,

have we started to realise the treasure that we've got.

The wonderful ingredients, the great cooking and fabulous recipes.

And what you do is you inspire people to have a go,

which is what our viewers have done here.

-So, let's start here with the grown section.

-Beautiful.

I'm sorry, I'd rather have that than a bunch of flowers.

Really, really tight.

These will be so good.

Tomato and basil alpaca.

-Alpaca meat?

-Yes. Is this a first for you?

-Absolutely.

Yeah, it's dense.

You've got a nice bit of coarseness, nice little bit of texture.

-What's this?

-This is a elderflower cordial.

Wow!

Right, and a wonderful, wonderful selection.

Things from the hedgerows, things from the allotment,

things from the garden, in jars, we're great at it.

-Mm.

-That's very good.

-A nice bit of rind there.

I do love a lemon curd.

If I'm going to spread one thing on my toast, it's going to be this.

Do you see, that's perfect for me. Absolutely perfect.

It's when things quiver on the spoon rather than just sit there.

Oh, that's a lemon meringue pie in a jar.

Imagine that in a little jam tart.

Ah. That's good.

-The next table awaits now, Nigel.

-Cake!

THEY LAUGH Cake.

So, a bit of pork pie.

It's tender, soft, crumbly.

If this was Adam Henson's, that's not his writing.

No, but he's a pork pie man.

Rhubarb and apple crumble.

-I'm always drawn to a crumble.

-OK.

What is going on there? Has that been in the oven long enough?

Something's going on there, isn't it?

It's sharp with that rhubarb.

Sorry, I'm turning into you!

Right. Good.

So, we're talking about British food.

Let's find out we you think to the South African breakfast rusks.

As they say in South Africa, these rusks are "ongelooflik".

Unbelievable.

SHARP TAPPING

Am I allowed to say awful?

We might be here a while!

No, OK, let's... Are these frozen? No.

Wow.

Look at that. Oh.

If I'd made that cake, I would be so proud.

Who do you think cooked this one?

I think it's Mary Berry.

It's perfect.

This is going to be tough.

You've got a doughy bit.

-You see, you had me at rhubarb.

-That was amazing.

Do you want some water?

Mm.

There's something in there that I don't want in there.

Later Matt and Nigel will be handing out a few rosettes.

Say hello to Moses. He's a magnificent peregrine falcon.

14 months old, so a juvenile.

These guys are known as nature's rockets.

They can reach speeds of up to 200 miles an hour,

that's faster than John Craven!

Off you go.

HE LAUGHS

That was really close, I wasn't expecting that.

Peregrine numbers dropped seriously in the 1960s,

but they've now recovered quite a lot

thanks to the fact they are a protected species.

But, perhaps the greatest wildlife success story

in the time Countryfile has been on the air,

certainly as far as birds are concerned,

is the reintroduction of the red kite.

Once widespread in the UK,

persecution reduced numbers to just a few,

but now they're back again right across the country

following a project which started in the 1990s, and which we helped with.

I'm just boarding a flight to London

escorting a rather unusual passenger,

it's this rare and beautiful bird of prey, a red kite.

And since then we've seen our fair share of wildlife firsts.

It feels like we are on, kind of, safari in Bedfordshire.

I tell you what, I can imagine for those that don't like spiders,

that is a horrific sight.

BIRDS SQUAWK

SHE LAUGHS Ow!

And our appreciation of wildlife doesn't stop there.

This summer our landscape is simply glorious.

Wild flowers dance in the breeze, and wildlife,

well, it's having a whale of a time.

In recent years, we have all been encouraged to do what we can

to protect the natural environment and all the life that lives in it.

Anything from inviting wildlife into our garden, to picking up litter.

Every little counts, and it's a job for us all.

I've come to a small patch of rare limestone grassland

just a stone's throw from the revelry of the fair, Barton Bushes.

80 years ago, 40% of the Cotswolds were

cloaked in grassland like this.

Today, it covers just 1.5%

making this a site of special scientific interest.

I'm going to take a look at the plants and animals

that make this rare grassland their home

and I've called in an army of wildlife enthusiasts

to give me a hand.

Pupils from nearby Temple Guiting school.

Our mission is to record as many species as we can in one morning.

We want to see how healthy the grassland is.

So, bug kit, check.

Clipboard, check. Camera, check.

We'll be reporting to Paul Hackman from Natural England.

OK, everybody. We are going to go on a creepy-crawly hunt.

The most important animals of all are the creepy-crawlies.

They feed all the bigger animals that we usually get excited about.

Paul and I are going to come around with you, see what you get.

We'll have a lot of fun. Have you all got your bug kits?

-CHILDREN:

-Yes.

-Let's go.

Here's a fly, quick.

Yes, a ladybird crossed with a butterfly.

It's a moth.

-There's a grasshopper.

-Well done. See if you can get it.

It's a grasshopper, they need nice, tall grass to live in.

The snail is important as well because they live on the Cotswolds.

They like all the lime soil that helps them to form their shells.

-What have we got here?

-Poo.

We've got Exmoor ponies that come in here in the winter

and the autumn. The grazing gets the grass nice and short.

And that helps the wild flowers to come up for the following season.

'Watching on, their teacher Miss Newsham is hoping today's quest

'will contribute to a wildlife project closer to home.'

We have got a wildlife area back at school that's just beginning,

-literally just beginning.

-Oh, right.

So, blank canvas and I just want them to get a little bit motivated

and get a little bit of enthusiasm to take back to school.

-How are they doing, do you think?

-They have been amazing.

I can't believe how much they have found,

and the interest, I'm really impressed.

The team are also recording flowers.

Oh, wow. Josephine, that's great drawing.

It's this one you're drawing, isn't it?

-What is this one, Paul?

-This one is ploughman's spikenard.

How many flowers do you think you have seen here today?

-We've seen six species of flowers.

-And all of these.

As well as some unexpected creatures.

OK, everybody, time is up. Come on over.

You have all done fabulously well.

We have been here a really short time.

But how many plant and animal species have we found?

We have a grand total of 34!

CHEERING

Fantastic. You've done brilliantly well.

'With the mood high, it's about turn and back to school,

'to the wildlife garden where I have called on the services

'of Will Masefield from the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.'

Come on in here. It's all happening.

This gang at the back are doing the finishing touches

on the creepy-crawly hotel.

If you come round here,

this group are busy working away preparing the ground

for some wild flowers which are great for the pollinators.

Will and this group are leading the charge on the pond.

-How's it all going? ALL:

-Good.

-Good.

Do you want to plant that?

It's really important to have as much diversity

of habitat as possible.

Some of this, some of the native plants that we can put in

like these, the native ones are much less vigorous

and can exist side-by-side much more easily.

'If you use the right species and provide lots of shallow areas,

'in no time at all, you'll have a watery wildlife hotel.'

-We just did it about five minutes ago.

-I've got two tadpoles...

-Well, it's not quite a tadpole.

-Oh, look at this.

Do you guys know what this is? There's two of them.

-They look like grown-up tadpoles.

-Yeah?

-They've got legs.

And they are a little bit longer

than your average tadpole, aren't they?

They're amphibians. These are baby newts.

'Well, I never. Newts already! I hope Miss Newsham is impressed.'

So, what do you reckon to the wildlife garden?

It's coming along fantastically.

It's good, isn't it? Do you know we found two newts already.

Really? I didn't think we had anything in there at all.

It's fab, isn't it? Let the wildlife move in.

If you want to know about the incredible species in your back yard,

log onto the Countryfile website

where you will find all the information about the BBC's

summer of wildlife and how you can get involved.

There's a real buzz in the air at the Countryfile summer fair.

The viewers are getting caught up in the spirit of things and so am I.

Water is a source of fun as well as the stuff of life.

As important to farming in the countryside as it is to all of us.

And, as we have seen earlier, it has given some of the biggest

challenges to us in the last 25 years.

But could things be even tougher in the future?

When the British weather is at its best, our farms are some

of the most productive in the world.

But as every farmer knows, the weather doesn't always deliver.

It is hard to believe on scorching summer days like these,

but since Countryfile began we have had four of the five

wettest years on record

and that has meant financial disaster for our farmers.

Ellie met Worcestershire farmer Charles Hudson who grows

flowers for natural confetti.

In 2007, the floodwaters hit.

We lost 75% of our crop that year.

We just had enough, sort of, stock to tide us through.

This summer it's been a different story,

but Charles is still fearful for the future.

So are you in no doubt that the climate is changing a bit?

Definitely, definitely. There is no question about it.

I have farmed here since 1974.

Through to 1998, we didn't have any problems like this.

The river came over, it flooded the flood plain,

and I know things have been exacerbated enormously

by excessive development and building on the flood plain,

but that coupled with these torrential storms we now get...

I was going to ask you, that is one thing they say about climate change.

It is not just the overall quantity of water,

it's the fact that storms can be fiercer and presumably,

particularly for... Excuse me for picking this,

but for something like that, if it gets battered by rain...

-Not good for it. Soggy confetti.

-Soggy confetti.

With current predictions of climate change, over the next 25 years

we could see more unusual and dramatic weather than in the last.

That doesn't just mean too much water, it could also mean too little.

But when it comes to water shortage we can't just blame the weather.

So, 43 buckets, Jacob, what do they represent?

If these were all full of water, that's 500 litres of water.

And that's as much as a family of four, two adults, two kids,

the average family use in a single day.

Families, food producers and energy suppliers,

everyone wants more of the wet stuff.

But what happens when the taps run dry?

But it's not just farmers who'd feel the pain of a water shortage,

potatoes use half of the water needed to irrigate crops.

So, if these become dearer, your bag of chips could rocket up in price.

We're already seeing the impact of our thirst for water

in the countryside, so just how big is the challenge that lies ahead?

Jacob Tompkins, from Waterwise.

Are we running out of water?

That's a very difficult question!

Yes and no.

On one hand, it looks like there is water everywhere,

it seems to rain all the time. On the other hand,

the amount of water we use and the changes in rainfall patterns

means it's very difficult to collect and store that water.

And the way we're going at the moment, it's unsustainable.

We will not have enough money to sustain the lifestyles

we currently have, in terms of water use.

Is it a crisis of too much, too little

or just too extreme, either way?

Both. It's effectively a crisis of water management.

What we've got to do is adapt to these new natural circumstances

and try and live with nature a bit more.

Water is an issue that affects all of us...

..but whether too much or too little, water is the stuff of life

and we certainly shouldn't take it for granted.

JOHN: As the longest-serving member of the Countryfile team,

I know quite a bit about the countryside

and about the programme's history.

But just how much do Matt and Julia know? Let's find out.

I'm going to be hosting a Countryfile quiz,

pitching Matt against Julia.

Fancy a little quiz about the countryside and Countryfile?

-I'm not good at quizzes.

-Definitely. Come on.

I reckon you'd better look around this group of people here -

some of our biggest fans - to recruit a couple of team members each.

-Two each?

-Two each.

Young man, just come here a second.

If somebody has to look like you, John, I think I've found the man!

This is perfect!

-Do you watch Countryfile for more than the weather?

-Yes.

Great, let's have a chat! OK, come on!

-Are you a big fan, Patricia?

-Oh, yes.

-What are you good with?

-Geography?

-Flowers.

-Flowers!

-Wild flowers.

-That's good.

-Any flower questions?

-Can't say.

-Who are you with today?

-With my wife, Rosie.

-Hello, Rosie, how are you?

So, it's all about the fashion of the day. It is all about fashion.

You've done a lovely job with your nails.

Look at this!

'That's my favourite part, Adam's farm.'

He's pretty cool, isn't he, Adam?

A Hebridean. Is that a cow or a sheep?

-It's a cow.

-Ugh!

I'm looking for somebody to be a member of my quiz team.

-What's your name?

-Jack.

-Jack, I've lodged you.

-I might be back.

-I wouldn't be very good, mind.

I need somebody good, cos I'm rubbish!

Have you got any idea what the investigation was

in the second Sunday of October last year?

MAN LAUGHS

-No!

-Was it something about cows?

Unbelievable(!)

-It's a sheep.

-A sheep.

-Little black one. Very hard.

LAUGHS

JOHN: And we'll find out later just who they picked.

ADAM: Earlier, Julia was finding out

what life's really like down on my farm,

but now I need to get on

with preparing some of my animals that will take centre stage

at the country fair.

Miam!

HE WHISTLES

Come on, then! Come on, then!

HE LAUGHS

It's really important,

when you're selecting animals for a country fair, to have ones

that are really friendly and this is a little golden Guernsey cross goat

that one of my staff has trained. She's called Miam,

which is a strange name, but it's a bit like when a goat bleats -

"Miam, miam!" There we are!

She comes to the whistle. I'll take her to the fair and put her in a pen

and, hopefully, that will inspire people.

They'll be able to feed and touch her and think they might like to keep

some goats or sheep or other animals on their little smallholdings.

Come on, then!

I do have my favourites and Eric the bull's one of them.

He has to be on display at the fair, but I want him looking his best,

so I'm taking him back to the farm, to tidy him up.

It's never easy moving such a large beast.

As we pass the bulls in the other fields,

Eric gets a bit feisty and takes his aggression out on a straw bale.

Look at the power of this bull. He's an absolute monster!

He's chucking that bale around like it's nothing,

but it probably weighs about a quarter of a tonne.

He's got such strength in his shoulders and neck. He's a real star.

We've loved him since he came to the farm.

He's become a bit of a national treasure.

MOOING

To help with Eric's makeover, my son Alfie's offered to lend me a hand.

-Hi, Alf!

-All right?

-You're just in time to help me wash Eric.

-Right, you have that bucket and I'll have this one.

-OK.

Come round this way. Right.

If you just hold there, I'll just put this on him.

There you go, boy!

So, you need to just get him nice and wet. You pour your one on.

-Just chuck it on?

-Yeah, chuck it on. Don't get wet yourself.

ADAM LAUGHS

That's it! And then rub it in.

-Watch it, Dad!

-Sorry, Alf!

Eric's lost his winter coat, but he's still got quite a lot of hair,

even though this is his summer coat.

He's quite dirty and dusty,

so we're shampooing him, so he looks at his best.

This is a special animal shampoo.

Really good for getting the grease out of their coat

and making them lovely and shiny.

-Grab his tail.

-Yep.

-Shove it in the bucket.

Give it a good wash. You wash it.

'A light sanding of the horns,

'a dab of oil, to shine them up, and he's a new bull.'

I really wanted to have one of my best-looking animals

in the background, so that people could see him at the country fair.

And now, I think Eric, here, is looking tip-top.

I'm pleased with that.

'Eric's not the only animal getting a starring role at the country fair.'

In here are some of my geese.

Five of them. Come on, then. Out you come.

These are Toulouse geese. Quite young ones.

A mixture of males and females - ganders and geese.

And they are quite a lively bunch. We've all heard of dog agility,

but today, what we're going to do is a bit of geese agility.

There we are. Just got these loaded. That should be everything in order

for a good country fair.

'Later, you'll be able to see how they get on.'

MUSIC: "TOP OF THE FORM" THEME

JOHN: Hello and welcome to Countryfile's 25th Anniversary Quiz.

CHEERING

So, Matt, who have you found to join you on your team?

This is Bridget and this is Patrick!

The reason I have gone

for Bridget is because she has a degree in the Classics,

so she'll know what happened when Countryfile started.

LAUGHTER

And Patrick doesn't go anywhere in his car without his walking poles.

-Julia, introduce us to Team Bradbury.

-This is the lovely Patricia.

She's a lady in charge. Good with horticulture. Keen gardener.

That's what you said!

LAUGHTER

And young Chris. He's a travel agent

-and he's good at pub quizzes, apparently.

-I lied to get on TV.

Oh-h-h!

We have a very good friend of the programme, somebody known,

on occasion on TV, to pass off as me - Jon Culshaw!

APPLAUSE

Welcome, Jon. We've raided the dog's toy box.

Yes!

-Julia, you can have the ducks.

-Fab!

-And Matt, you've got the pigs!

-Oh, good!

-The first question...

Name for me, at least one of the original presenters.

QUACKING

There was a lady in the mix. Do you remember the lady?

There were two ladies.

-Caroline...

-Caroline..?

Caroline Hall was one of them.

Well done! Yes!

I'd like you to take a look and a listen now to the following

Countryfile theme tunes. What I'd like you to do is to

rearrange them in the order they've appeared over the last 25 years,

with the oldest one first.

Here they come.

Yep. Yeah.

-I think that was before A.

-Yeah.

Matt, which order?

-We think the oldest one was...

-C.

-Then A.

-Then...

-D.

-Then B.

What's your thoughts on this one, Julia and your team?

Well, we're going to go C, D, A, B.

-Matt's team were right.

-Excellent!

CHEERING

And let's go straight on to round two,

which happens to be all about my time on Countryfile.

So I thought it might be nice, Jon, if you don't mind,

to read these questions as if you were me.

-AS JOHN:

-So, question two is the John Craven round.

And the first of those questions, what year did I join the programme?

Well, you've been here since the beginning,

-didn't you come straight from Newsround?

-No, not straight.

Ah, that's confusing.

-That's why I was not in the list of first presenters.

-I wasn't born, so...!

-So I'll give this one to you, Matty.

-What do you want to say, Bridget?

I mean, you've got a degree in the Classics.

-Come on, what was he doing?

-LAUGHTER

-I'd say '89.

-Yeah.

-Let's go '89.

-You'd be absolutely right.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

So, next question. What was the occasion

when I was surprised, nay ambushed,

by someone doing a rather cheeky impersonation of me?

It was 20 years of Countryfile.

-Absolutely right.

-Well done.

-Absolutely right. Up popped you.

-We ambushed you.

-Yes!

Anyway, next question.

I like a good tune and I've sung a few times on the programme.

The question is, when and where

was my first performance for two possible points?

This is a hard one, I must admit.

The Highlands, you were singing in the Highlands of Scotland.

-Have another go.

-I'm going to go with Wales.

Wales, you'd be wrong. Shores of Galway Bay.

-Oh, beautiful!

-Yes. And I think we've got a clip of that.

-Excellent.

Bing Crosby had a big hit with a song about Galway Bay.

-'I might be able to sit on the shores...'

-Don't do it, John!

-Don't do it, John!

-So here's a first for Countryfile.

# If you ever go across the sea to Ireland

# Then maybe at the closing of your day... #

We quickly mixed to Bing Crosby!

-That's quite emotional, John.

-I think Bing was slightly better.

APPLAUSE

So, very close, all to play for in our final round. What happened next?

Come on, Chris.

We've got a couple of outtakes here when things didn't quite go to plan.

What we'd like you to tell us is, what happened?

First up, for you, Julia, it's Matt, showing off his sporting prowess.

-As ever!

-Not his dancing.

Enid loved to swing the clubs...

Oh, yes! This is brilliant.

But this place was an inspiration for her Famous Five books.

-Because as she played golf...

-So, what happened next?

-You'll never get it, actually.

-A duck.

-Some wildlife...

-A duck, shall we go for a duck?

-Some wildlife entered the shot.

-Bit close on that, Andy, I think.

-Oh!

-He hit the camera!

-LAUGHTER

Oh! Oh, dear.

There you go!

Right, next one for you, Matt.

This year it was found here, in the Forest of Dean.

The idea is to stop it in its tracks...

-So. What happened next?

-Something falls on her head?

A squirrel drops something on her hat?

Something happens to her head, Bridget?

-She takes an impact of some sort from here upwards.

-Fine.

-That's your final answer?

-Yes.

-Let's see what actually happened.

That means that thousands of these trees...

..aren't going anywhere! They just stay right here!

LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE

So...

-..are for the chop.

-CHEERING

-So, that brings us to the end of our little Countryfile quiz.

-Oh!

-So the final scores, please, Jon.

-Well, final scores.

It's six points to Team Matt, and Julia's team,

the winner with seven points.

CHEERING

Well done, Patricia! Well done, Chris!

It couldn't have been closer, so congratulations to both of you

-and your team members.

-Thank you.

-Thank you!

APPLAUSE

Back at the produce tent, there's tension in the air.

The crowds are gathering,

eager to see whose efforts have most made Matt and Nigel's mouths water.

Over to our judges.

-Wow!

-We have some tough decisions to make.

Of all the things, right there, on those tables right now,

if you close your eyes, which one are you going to run back to?

I think we have our winners.

I don't know about the South African rusks,

but you can cut the tension with a knife.

Right, everybody!

We have sliced, we've sampled,

and we've celebrated all that you have bought here today.

And now it's time to find out who has been victorious. So, in you go.

'Ooh, my award-winning crumble!'

-Try a bit of this, actually.

-Delicious!

Second prize. With a bit of rhubarb.

I could quite happily take that home.

-Adam! When did you bake this pork pie?

-My auntie Jan made it.

Yeah, exactly! Exactly!

-Look at the first prize.

-So, Adam...

-Miss Harrison.

-My sister!

-You should bring her in.

-I've got a good sister, she's a fine cook.

-There she is.

-Where is she?

Yay! Thanks, sis!

Now, who made the lemon curd that's on that table?

Honestly? I just have to give you a round of applause.

Because actually, you don't want to hear it from me, hear it from Nigel.

-Because it was very impressive.

-It is beautiful.

-Thank you very much.

It's airy and soft and light and sharp and fabulous.

-So, honestly, congratulations.

-Well done, very good.

-Best in show!

-APPLAUSE

It's not just cooking that our viewers excel at.

Since 1990, our annual photographic condition

has really caught the imagination of hundreds of thousands of you

who are keen to become Countryfile's photographers of the year.

In 2000, those winning photos were turned into a calendar

we sold in aid of Children In Need.

And here's just a selection of those calendars over the past 14 years,

with a stunning image on every cover.

Well, now for a big moment, everybody,

because I can reveal just how much the Countryfile calendar

has raised for Children In Need over the past 14 years or so.

And here comes the figure. It is...

£6,316,877!

How about that!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Now, that is the very first time I've seen that figure as well.

It's amazing, isn't it?

And here it says that that amounts to almost 1%

of all the money ever raised for Children In Need.

So, well done everybody who's bought the calendars,

and everybody who's sent in pictures.

And we will be revealing the winners of the current calendar

in a couple of months' time.

Now, normally, I'm found digging away on the investigations,

the more serious side of the programme.

But today I'm doing something a touch lighter.

I'm looking for a straw man with an interesting tale to tell.

-And here he is. David. So, David...

-Hello, Tom.

Tell me all about what you're doing here.

This lantern was first made to keep the corn spirit in

-so at the following year they had a good harvest.

-Can I have a go?

Yes. I have got one here which is a bit simpler.

-It's going to have to be a lot simpler, I can tell you that!

-Right!

Over the front, and round the back. Round the back, and over the front.

Tell me, as I have a go, how did you get into this yourself?

I first started making corn dollies when I was six years old.

A thatcher by name and a thatcher by trade showed me

how to make a corn dolly and he said to me, in broad Gloucestershire,

"I'll show you summat, young'un, that'll last you the rest of your life."

-And has it?

-Yes. Well, I'm still here making them!

Well, making a corn dolly is a first for me, as you can probably tell!

And another first would be introducing the weather.

It's a glorious day on Adam's farm, but what about the week ahead?

Here's the Countryfile weather forecast.

If you're having a big old 25th birthday bash outside,

what better present could you wish for than a sunny day?

Well, we got the sun and we've really gone to town.

We've got craft stalls.

Food.

Entertainment.

And 250 specially invited guests,

all here to mark Countryfile's quarter of a century.

Now, you can't have a country fair without a bit of friendly competition.

And I'm preparing something with these guys.

Geese, that aren't very well trained,

and have never done anything like this before.

And every year on Countryfile, those behind the scenes

revel in setting us presenters various challenges to do on screen.

HE LAUGHS

-This is to stimulate your nervous system.

-Just surprise me.

-Go for it! Oh, lovely!

-This is the brandy and soda of the water cure.

-And this is the equivalent of a plunge pool.

-Oh!

HOUNDS BARK

-They're here, they're here, I can hear them.

-Yeah.

-So scary.

Are we going? Go for it! Go!

Hie! Hie! Hie! Hie! Hie!

Go on, keep running!

Hie... Whoa!

Now, this time, I'm in charge. And it's a different kind of pain.

Geese herding.

Matt and Julia have done something similar before

involving Indian runner ducks.

Not listening to a word I'm saying.

-I'm enjoying watching them.

-His ducks are on the run, aren't they?

I'm more of a spectator in this one.

I tell you what, I tell you what...

-Away! Oh, so close.

-Yes!

-Lovely! Very good.

-Woo hoo!

But they've never done it before without a sheepdog or with geese.

So that will get them running around.

-What do you reckon, then, John?

-Good!

Geese look much the same, don't they? We need to differentiate teams

-so I thought we'd put stickers around the necks of one team.

-You're a clever man.

I'm always learning from you, John.

-I'll hold the geese, you do the stickers.

-There we go.

-Not too tight, now!

-There you are, there you are. One sticker on.

-They're being very well-behaved.

-They are, aren't they?

-I'm hoping they're going to give Matt and Julia a bit of a run around.

-I'm sure they will.

The course is built. The geese are in place.

The spectators are arriving.

All we need now are the contestants.

Right, now then, fellow presenters.

-We have the goose challenge. Girls versus boys.

-I'm an expert at this.

-Pick your geese.

-I think we'll have these two.

And the challenge is, through the bails, zig-zag the sacks,

round the churn, back down the middle, into the pen, on the stopwatches.

-John will be judging and we have our very own commentator.

-Excellent!

Are you ready? On your marks, get set, go!

-Come on, girls!

-They are off!

From Adam's farm, Cotswolds, England,

it really is a case of let's get ready to rumble.

That's very much the key to this.

The geese are going into the crowd now!

-They're going over each other's course!

-That's ours.

'Oh, dear. It's not going well.'

Parts of the course being ignored here,

-they're going around the cameras.

-They're gone!

The geese are running off into the field there.

-Look at them, look. Bye!

-Freedom!

'They didn't have their freedom for long.

'We got them back in place for attempt two.'

Are you ready? On your marks, go.

The geese are out now.

This is going to be straight through the straw Stonehenge. Not quite!

The team are chasing after them now.

All of the obstacles abandoned at this stage.

-Turning left at the can, that's pretty good.

-Come on, girls.

And that is absolutely textbook.

Look at this, like a goose One Direction, ladies and gentlemen!

The two green tagged geese at the back,

the goose ombudsmen keeping a good look-out there.

We're coming back to the straw henge.

These are definitely geese, technically they're not emus,

we looked at that earlier.

This is a beautiful, beautiful, very gentle guidance of the geese.

Goodness gracious, 25 years of Countryfile

and it should come to this! This is the pinnacle, quite unprecedented.

We have got them straight back into the pen. Look at that!

APPLAUSE

'Well, we got there in the end. Geese safely in the pen.

'But with no clear winner, it's down to the master of ceremonies

'to decide if any of them are worthy of a rosette.'

-The ladies can have a first, and a runner-up.

-Fabulous.

And the gents can have a first and a runner-up.

-CHEERING

-Thank you. Thank you, John.

Thank you very much indeed.

JOHN: Presenter challenge done and dusted.

And there's just time to see how our artist in residence,

Cecil Rice, got on capturing the day in a painting.

And here it is.

Well, what a fantastic way to celebrate

the real star of our show, the British countryside.

And of course, our special relationship with it

in our silver jubilee year.

Yes. And thanks to everybody here for making a special day

even more memorable.

We're going to leave you with a little reminder of why we're all here.

-Bye-bye.

-Bye!

-Bye!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd