0:00:24 > 0:00:27The Suffolk coast.
0:00:27 > 0:00:33A breathtaking mix of sandy beaches, remote heathland and hidden secrets.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36With summer just around the corner, it's the cue
0:00:36 > 0:00:40for seaside towns like Southwold to start tarting things up a bit.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42The famous beach huts get a lick of paint
0:00:42 > 0:00:44and ice-cream inventors create new flavours.
0:00:44 > 0:00:49I just hope they like the seaside themed one I've got in mind.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54The quiet waterways, which flow to the sea along this coastline,
0:00:54 > 0:00:56were once the M25 of their day.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59And this would have been the lorry of its time.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Barges like this would sail up and down this stretch of river,
0:01:02 > 0:01:04taking goods to the capital.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07But when the factories closed down and the workers moved out,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10the artists moved in.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14I'm going to be meeting musicians and painters finding inspiration here.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21Tom's looking at the environmental effects of a gardener's favourite.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24This stuff, peat, is better than any rainforest
0:01:24 > 0:01:26at protecting us against climate change.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30So, how come we're still digging it up? I'll be investigating.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37And Adam's celebrating new life on the farm.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39But there's a cloud hanging over the Cotswolds.
0:01:39 > 0:01:40Where I live is racehorse country
0:01:40 > 0:01:43and lots of top racehorses are trained round here,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46including Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Synchronised.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Sadly, his box now lies empty
0:01:48 > 0:01:51because he suffered a fatal injury at the Grand National.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55I'll be paying tribute to this fine racehorse.
0:02:04 > 0:02:05The Suffolk coast -
0:02:05 > 0:02:09a patchwork of fields, dotted with picturesque villages.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13All eventually giving way to 50 miles
0:02:13 > 0:02:16of some of the most desirable shoreline in the country.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20A jewel in this east coast crown is Southwold.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24A pretty special seaside town.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26No kiss-me-quick hats here.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Rather the refined air you'd expect
0:02:29 > 0:02:32from somewhere that's made its name as an expensive retreat
0:02:32 > 0:02:34for the well-heeled and wealthy.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Sounds delightful, doesn't it? A lovely place to live.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Apparently, there's a right little gem of a property just along here.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46Bags of character, far-reaching views
0:02:46 > 0:02:49and buyers are dying to get hold of it.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51But I've got the details.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55And I booked myself an appointment with the estate agent.
0:02:55 > 0:03:00So, Aidan, here we are, at beach hut 98B.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05- That's the one.- £55,000!
0:03:05 > 0:03:09- But look where it is!- Yeah. - Steps up to the town.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11You're right on the beach.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13The outlook is stunning and it's Southwold.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15What more do you want for your holiday?
0:03:15 > 0:03:19- Yeah, I agree, the location is pretty special.- Oh, yeah.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22- Shall we have a look inside?- Indeed.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Most of the huts are sold with contents. They vary, of course.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31Oh, right. That's quite a nice surprise, that. Very spacious.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Do come in.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36- It's quite deceiving from the outside.- They are TARDIS-like.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40- Yeah.- Don't we always say that? You get the daybed.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43There's usually a little Calor stove, as we've got here.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47- Where's the nearest loo?- Er, only about 100 yards in either direction.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50100 yards, it's nothing, really, is it?!
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Right. Well, here's you giving me the hard sell.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Actually, you don't have to, because you have a waiting list.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58They go so quickly usually.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Very often they don't even come to the market, in fact.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03They'll change hands within families -
0:04:03 > 0:04:05- family groups, social groups.- Yeah.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07- Lots of people are waiting for them. - You'll get this
0:04:07 > 0:04:09close to the asking price of 55,000?
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Yeah. Three price bands, really, in the town.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15- If you go to the prime location... - Don't tell me, there's more.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19There's more. Right up there, Gun Hill. Prime Southwold.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21They've changed hands for 120,000.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24For a shed this big?
0:04:24 > 0:04:27What a bargain! Shall I get the contract?
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Not just yet.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33I might not be sold
0:04:33 > 0:04:38but there's no denying the enduring appeal of these huts.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41For some of Southwold's residents,
0:04:41 > 0:04:42they've been a lifetime love affair
0:04:42 > 0:04:45since their very earliest incarnations.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50I'll tell you what, Jack, you were a bonny lad. How old were you here?
0:04:50 > 0:04:54Well, I was one - 1919.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- Right!- A bit before your time. - A little bit.
0:04:57 > 0:05:02- That was of my mother and I in a bathing machine.- Right!
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Was that on this beach somewhere?
0:05:05 > 0:05:09Yes, it was down near the old pier. Um...
0:05:09 > 0:05:12In the days when the bathing machine was taken down
0:05:12 > 0:05:15to the edge of the sea by a horse.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19These bathing machines were the forerunners of beach huts
0:05:19 > 0:05:23and were designed to protect the modesty of changing swimmers.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26As more relaxed attitudes brought in mixed bathing,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28they began to be used for shelter and storage instead.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33Eventually, they disappeared from the shoreline altogether,
0:05:33 > 0:05:38evolving into the static huts on the promenade that we know today.
0:05:38 > 0:05:43They haven't really changed that much, have they?
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Is that part of the magic for you, then? How basic they are.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50- Er, yes, it's just part of Southwold.- Yeah.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53There's a lot of hassle and a lot of expense
0:05:53 > 0:05:57in connection with a beach hut nowadays.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02But once you get in that hut, when the sun is shining from the east,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04into the hut, you enter another world.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08Back in 1919, when Jack first visited Southwold,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11there were only a handful of beach huts here.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14It's a testament to their timeless charm that today
0:06:14 > 0:06:16there are 300 of them and counting.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20With summer fast approaching, proud owners like Ken Waters
0:06:20 > 0:06:24are busy preparing for a season in the sun.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27- Now, then, Ken, how are you doing? - Hi, fine.- Are you well?
0:06:27 > 0:06:31- Yes, indeed, thank you.- What a bonny beach hut you've got here.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34It's lovely, yeah. We've enjoyed this hut for many, many years.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37- Is this annual maintenance, then? - Well, it's about every other year.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41It's pretty harsh. There were quite a few lost a few years ago.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46We had a big storm which came up and swept about 12 of them away totally.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Some of them landed up in Dunwich. But, er, otherwise in bits.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53- We were lucky.- Here we are, we're painting this white and...
0:06:53 > 0:06:56- You've got some black wood stain as well.- That's right.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Are you restricted with colours? Are there any council guidelines?
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Not really. Some people have them candy-striped
0:07:03 > 0:07:05and some people have them just in pastel colours.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09Little children come along and they shout out
0:07:09 > 0:07:12all the names as they come along, which is also very nice.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- What's the name of yours? - It's called Watershed.- OK.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Which was my name being Waters and it is a shed.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23And so, hearing these ridiculous prices, are you tempted to sell?
0:07:23 > 0:07:27- Not a chance. No, no.- No?- I think the children wouldn't forgive me.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30- They all come down. - She's part of the family, then.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Yes, I think that's right.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Desperate times if we ever had to sell this.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38I might not have been tempted into buying my own beach hut
0:07:38 > 0:07:41but I've certainly bought into the simple pleasures
0:07:41 > 0:07:44that owning one can bring. Beautiful views
0:07:44 > 0:07:47and your own piece of the great British seaside.
0:07:47 > 0:07:48What could be better?
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Peat may be good for our gardens but, if we look after it,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00it's even better at preventing climate change.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04But are we doing everything we can? Tom's been to find out.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15The uplands of Britain. Vast, open landscapes, starkly beautiful.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19But that's not all which makes them remarkable.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22It's the peat bogs and the vital job they do in locking away
0:08:22 > 0:08:28billions and billions of tonnes of harmful greenhouse gases.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31But only a fifth remain undamaged.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35The rest, like this, are eroding and leaking carbon,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38which is bad news, because this is our best,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41though battered, shield against climate change.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45The damage here in the South Pennines
0:08:45 > 0:08:48is the legacy of the Industrial Revolution.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Smoke from nearby mill towns attacked the peat,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54leaving it too acidic for anything to grow.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57The scarring you can see is the end result.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01These peatlands are now the battleground
0:09:01 > 0:09:04in our fight against climate change.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08A fight which is now joined by the very big guns.
0:09:09 > 0:09:15It's a massive effort and it begins here - with helicopters.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19And huge buckets of special fertiliser.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25This stuff contains lime, which neutralises the acid in the soil,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29the first step to bringing the bog plants back.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34On the ground, close up, you can see just what these guys are up against.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37And, here, what's happened here?
0:09:37 > 0:09:41Well, this really is like a surface of the moon situation, isn't it?
0:09:41 > 0:09:44There's probably been a fire in here at some stage
0:09:44 > 0:09:46and the peat has disappeared completely.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50We're right down to the mineral soil, the gritstone showing through.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51This is what a lot of the Peak District
0:09:51 > 0:09:56and the South Pennines would look like if we lost all of the peat.
0:09:56 > 0:09:57Really?
0:09:57 > 0:10:01It's got this destiny facing it if we don't do anything about it?
0:10:01 > 0:10:04The areas that are bare peat that have lost vegetation off the top,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07this is the end result - this is what will happen if we don't intervene.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12After the acid soil has been sorted, the next step
0:10:12 > 0:10:16is getting the moor back to being a big, soggy carbon store.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21- A bit bouncy too. The earth moves beneath my feet.- It does.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25But this is the key plant, is it? This little thing down here.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Er, sphagnum moss is what's known as a keystone species.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32If we pick a little piece of it out,
0:10:32 > 0:10:37you can see straight away that it holds massive amounts of water.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- That's part of the key. - So, the survival and the health
0:10:40 > 0:10:44of the whole peatland system depends on this tiny little plant here.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48The whole of this peatland landscape has been built by this tiny plant
0:10:48 > 0:10:52and one or two other bog-building plants, but mainly sphagnum.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Everything we can see around this landscape, all of this peat,
0:10:55 > 0:10:59was built largely by this tiny plant.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Sphagnum is something of a miracle plant.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05As it grows, the vegetation below dies but doesn't totally decay,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07unlike most other plants.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10This means the carbon is locked safely inside.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14It grows slowly and spreads reluctantly
0:11:14 > 0:11:16but Chris's team have hit on an ingenious solution.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21I have to say it looks like a cross between mushy peas and fish eggs.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25- In each one of these is a little bit of sphagnum, is it?- There is, yeah.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28The idea is you'll spread these from a helicopter,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30they drop on the ground and it will be new life from above.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32It will, yeah.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38The battle's being fought on many other fronts too.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40These are the North Yorkshire Moors.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Here, the land was drained to grow trees for timber.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47The bogs dried out, but now they're beginning to turn the tide.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52It may seem a little bit odd that they're actually
0:11:52 > 0:11:55putting a digger down into the peat.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00The whole idea here is to create barriers which hold back the water.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03The wooden ones are over there and they've got one
0:12:03 > 0:12:05made of peat and soil over here.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07They form the same basic purpose.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11They stop the water flooding down here, causing further erosion.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Instead, the water builds up, soaking into the surrounding bog,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18and helping more peat to regenerate.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20Look, it's working!
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Despite all this effort, in other parts of the country,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28they're still digging peat up,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30leaving behind landscapes that look like this.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34So, is all the repair work a waste of time?
0:12:34 > 0:12:37One man thinks saving our peat bogs is still vital.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41He's climate scientist Dr Fred Worrell.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43So, what's happened to this landscape?
0:12:43 > 0:12:46On a site like this, this has been extracted for peat.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50People have dug it up for horticultural use mainly.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53And to understand how much peat we've lost from a site like this,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56there's about half a metre left here now on this site.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00- It would have been seven metres above our head.- From here?
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Yes. I know I'm short, but it would have been that much above my head.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08- That's an extraordinary volume of lost earth, if you like.- Absolutely!
0:13:08 > 0:13:13What does that mean in terms of the carbon that was locked up here?
0:13:13 > 0:13:16This site at the moment is actively losing it to the atmosphere.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19- It's giving off greenhouse gas. - Right.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21On a site like this, if we could restore it,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24the amount of carbon we could then store would be equivalent
0:13:24 > 0:13:29to about two million to almost three million car miles a year
0:13:29 > 0:13:32per square kilometre, on a site this size.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Let me make sure I've got that straight.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36- This is more than one square kilometre.- Yes.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Probably two or three. You're saying, each square kilometre here,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43because of what's happened to it, is losing in CO2,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46the equivalent of nearly three million car kilometres.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50- Car miles!- Car miles! That's an extraordinary amount.- Yes.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55The UK's peatlands store the same amount of carbon as the forests
0:13:55 > 0:13:58of Britain, France and Germany put together.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00The problem is that at the moment,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03we simply don't seem to be able to do without our peat.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07Or can we? I'll be finding out later.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20The Suffolk coastline reveals some glorious stretches
0:14:20 > 0:14:22of unspoilt heathland and marsh.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24And the reed banks on the River Alder
0:14:24 > 0:14:27are a haven for all kinds of interesting bird life.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Occasionally, an even more striking shape
0:14:30 > 0:14:33can be spotted gliding through the reeds.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40Thames sailing barges were once a common sight along these waters,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42as they ferried cargo down to London.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44I'm going to catch a lift on this one,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48to find out just what they would have carried.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55'The Cygnet is the oldest working Thames sailing barge in the UK.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57'It's a wet old day
0:14:57 > 0:15:01'but skipper Des Kalichevsky is letting me lend a hand.'
0:15:01 > 0:15:04- This is called the haliade? - Yes. We can pull it up.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08It's fairly easy, just hand over hand.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10- How's that?- That's it.- Yeah?
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Ta-da! Off we go.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17So, Des, what sort of thing would these boats have been used for?
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Well, this particular one belonged to a farmer
0:15:20 > 0:15:22and it was taking his wheat
0:15:22 > 0:15:26to the flour mills and barley to the maltings.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29- Is that what we can see over there, that building?- That's right.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31- That's Snape Maltings.- Ah.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Were these the ideal vessels for the sort of waters that we're in?
0:15:35 > 0:15:36Well, they were.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Flat bottom, shallow draft, they could sit on the mud
0:15:39 > 0:15:43- and get up these narrow rivers and creeks.- Yeah.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45And sailed by just two men.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Here we go, then.
0:15:47 > 0:15:53100 years ago, barges like this would've been queuing up at high tide
0:15:53 > 0:15:58to get to the maltings here at Snape, and that's right where I'm heading.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Des, what an elegant way to travel. Thank you so much.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03That was really good, thank you.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Time to explore!
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Snape was once the largest maltings in the UK,
0:16:10 > 0:16:13employing nearly 100 workers.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18Barley was germinated and kiln-dried on huge drying floors like this
0:16:18 > 0:16:21to produce malt, which was then turned into beer,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23whisky and malt vinegar.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Production finally ceased here in the mid-'60s.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28For 83-year-old Pat Lord,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31who was evacuated to Snape during the war, the memories are still fresh.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36- Hi, Pat.- Hi. - Look at these photos. What are these?
0:16:36 > 0:16:40- I'm just admiring them. There's the maltings.- And here's you.- Yes, me.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43I was ten, my brother was seven.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Eventually when we got to know some people here and the night-watchman.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50We were allowed to go round with him at night to stoke the fires up
0:16:50 > 0:16:55for heating the floors for the barley and everything.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59- A bit of a playground for you?- Yes, definitely.- What was it like inside?
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Very steamy and you got all the floors laid out with malt.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06If we were lucky, we got a little tin of barley and we could go round
0:17:06 > 0:17:09to the engine room and they'd roast it for us
0:17:09 > 0:17:11- and then it was like chewing toffee.- Really?
0:17:11 > 0:17:13It was great. Really exciting.
0:17:13 > 0:17:14You know, it was...
0:17:14 > 0:17:18There's just something about this place that just gets you.
0:17:18 > 0:17:23It's very much part of my life and I love every stick and stone of it.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Well, Pat's not the only one still enamoured with these old buildings.
0:17:27 > 0:17:32Malt hasn't been produced here for nearly 50 years, but the malthouses
0:17:32 > 0:17:36here are Snape are now thriving in a completely different way.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38The clue to why can often be heard
0:17:38 > 0:17:40coming out of those old bluffs up there.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Once production had ceased here,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49the renowned composer Benjamin Britten, who lived locally,
0:17:49 > 0:17:55suggested one of the huge malthouses be converted into a concert hall.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57It was opened in 1967 and is now at the heart
0:17:57 > 0:18:01of an internationally recognised centre for music.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10These bricks that were once heated by kilns now contribute to
0:18:10 > 0:18:15the great acoustics that help make this place so popular with musicians.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Benjamin Britten's legacy continues with new generations
0:18:25 > 0:18:29of experimental composers such as the Aldeburgh Young Musicians.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Apparently students here often take their lead from the landscape.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Things like the sound of the wind blowing through the reeds
0:18:39 > 0:18:43is a common source of inspiration for these young composers.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48It's not just musicians benefiting from this stimulating location.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53The family run maltings complex also houses shops, workshops
0:18:53 > 0:18:55and local art.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58These dramatic oil paintings are inspired by the landscape
0:18:58 > 0:19:02surrounding the site. And with the reed beds now bathed in sunshine,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06I'm seeking out the woman behind those works - artist Emma Green.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12- Hi, Emma.- Hi, Ellie.- Good to see you. What a lovely spot.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16- Now this, I'm guessing, is for me? - That's for you.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18I am a bit scared. OK, let's take my coat off.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Don't be intimidated by the blank canvas.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22There's a very big blank canvas there.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24- So, we're going to put the horizon line in quite low.- Yeah.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25Round about here.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28That's going to be the base of that reed bed there.
0:19:28 > 0:19:29- Oh, I see. The shadowy bit.- Yes.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31- Go for it. - See, in my mind, I'm Monet.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34So long as I don't paint, I will always be Monet,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36but now I'm having this whole illusion ruined.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Does having these big, wide, open skies help?
0:19:40 > 0:19:43It's distinctive because it's so flat,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46so the skies really take full reign.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49It's always changing, but so's the landscape below.
0:19:49 > 0:19:50Especially here. It's tidal.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54So, in certain weathers, it's hard to tell where the land ends
0:19:54 > 0:19:56and the sky begins sometimes.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Oh!
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Honestly!
0:20:02 > 0:20:04- Just cover it, Ellie.- Really?
0:20:04 > 0:20:06- We'll deal with it after.- Yeah.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10If it was up to me doing the sky,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13there would just be a big yellow sun in the corner and a big blue sky.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18'Well, Suffolk has inspired some famous landscape artists
0:20:18 > 0:20:20'over the years.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24'I'm not sure I'm quite up there with Gainsborough or Constable,
0:20:24 > 0:20:26'but it's a start!'
0:20:28 > 0:20:33- What do you think, Emma? - I think you've done incredibly well.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37You've got some of the feel of this watery, fluid landscape.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38The sky's been incredible today.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Every time you looked at it, it's been different,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42so I think you've coped with that really well.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Whilst I've been exploring the artistic side of the Suffolk coast,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Jules has been delving into its secrets.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55Orford Ness is a spit of shingle ten miles long,
0:20:55 > 0:20:59separated from the mainland by only a few hundred yards.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07What happened over there across the water
0:21:07 > 0:21:12arguably had a profound effect on the course of British history.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22This intriguing landscape is now owned by the National Trust.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24To find out more about it,
0:21:24 > 0:21:28I'm heading across the water into the Ness's striking interior.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30'Guiding me in is Duncan Kent.'
0:21:30 > 0:21:32- Duncan, how you doing?- How are you?
0:21:32 > 0:21:34- Very well thank you.- That's for you.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38- Wow.- It's full of secrets. A bit mysterious.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Duncan, when we think of the National Trust, we tend to think
0:21:48 > 0:21:51of grand country houses and teacakes and all the rest of it.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55Yeah, that's true. The National Trust has a much wider approach
0:21:55 > 0:21:57to heritage and conservation.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00So, this is a particularly important site, both for nature conservation
0:22:00 > 0:22:03but also for the range of military testing that was done here.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07- It was a secret experimental site. - As a military historian,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10this is a fascinating story. When does it start?
0:22:10 > 0:22:12The Royal Flying Corps formed 1911, got themselves organised
0:22:12 > 0:22:15and were looking for somewhere as a base to do experimental work.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18So, trying to learn how to use a plane as a weapon.
0:22:18 > 0:22:24By 1915, it then embarked upon a huge amount of activity,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27doing experimental work on all sorts of military aviation.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30So, from the design of aircraft, to aeronautics and aerobatics,
0:22:30 > 0:22:34through the design of bombs, all of those kind of things.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37How would you define the national importance of this site?
0:22:37 > 0:22:40The early development of military aviation, crucial to that.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43There isn't anywhere like this in the world, I would say.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50By 1917, more than 600 people were stationed at Orford Ness.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53A clandestine community had been quietly assembled,
0:22:53 > 0:22:57undertaking work that carried on into World War Two,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00when Bert Smith became one of their number.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02So, looking across this landscape now,
0:23:02 > 0:23:04clearly a lot of the old buildings have gone.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06What did it look like back in 1942?
0:23:06 > 0:23:09- There would've been a hanger there...- Yeah.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13..which contained a lot of German aircraft and engines,
0:23:13 > 0:23:14and we technical people
0:23:14 > 0:23:19set up German-British aircraft as targets.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21We would attack a German aircraft
0:23:21 > 0:23:26with British airborne guns on the ground.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29So, presumably you were looking
0:23:29 > 0:23:31for the weak spots in the enemy's systems?
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Absolutely, and we worked solidly
0:23:34 > 0:23:37because what we did protected
0:23:37 > 0:23:41a lot of the British and American airforce crew.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45Despite the work that went on here, Orford Ness was never bombed
0:23:45 > 0:23:49and its secrets were never uncovered by the enemy.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Many believe that the barren landscape and remoteness
0:23:52 > 0:23:54of this location was enough to allay suspicions
0:23:54 > 0:23:57that anything of any consequence could happen here.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59When you walk around here,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02it's easy to see how you'd reach that sort of conclusion.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04I mean, take this building over my shoulder.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06On the surface, yes, it's dilapidated,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08but it still doesn't look anything special.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11But what if I told you that the events that happened in there
0:24:11 > 0:24:15not only kept us in the war but arguably helped us win it?
0:24:15 > 0:24:17You might think twice about it.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25It was in this small brick building on this remote Suffolk island
0:24:25 > 0:24:28that a team of young scientists,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31led by Sir Robert Watson-Watt, proved that radar worked.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35It was a pivotal moment without which we wouldn't have won
0:24:35 > 0:24:37the Battle of Britain, and the outcome of the whole war
0:24:37 > 0:24:39might've been very different.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44This tiny spit of Suffolk coast had helped shape
0:24:44 > 0:24:48the outcome of two world wars, but its role was far from over.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50As the Cold War dawned,
0:24:50 > 0:24:54this landscape was about to hide some much darker secrets.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58So, is this where the bombs were wheeled in?
0:24:58 > 0:25:01- Yeah, they come in this way. - My goodness me.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05- It's clearly seen better days, hasn't it?- It certainly has.
0:25:05 > 0:25:06It's fascinating.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11Jim Drane was an engineer working in this laboratory,
0:25:11 > 0:25:15where Britain's fledgling nuclear arsenal was quietly developed.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18I would be involved in actually fitting the various sensors
0:25:18 > 0:25:22onto the weapon and then assisting with the testing.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25But just to be clear, the bombs that you worked on here,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29they weren't fully armed with their nuclear cores, where they?
0:25:29 > 0:25:30Um... No.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36- No.- You would say that, wouldn't you? - I would, yeah.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38But how were the bombs brought here?
0:25:38 > 0:25:41They came by van, I understand,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44and just one police escort.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Nothing over the top.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49The bomb arrived in a van with a copper,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51presumably just driving through the night?
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Well, I think that's the British way and it seems it worked, didn't it?
0:25:54 > 0:25:57That's the main thing. If you draw attention to something,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59- you'll get problems. - What about your family?
0:25:59 > 0:26:02- Could you talk about what you were doing at home?- No.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04So, for years, your family had no idea
0:26:04 > 0:26:07what you were doing here, day in day out?
0:26:07 > 0:26:10No. That's tended to carry on after I finished here!
0:26:10 > 0:26:11THEY LAUGH
0:26:15 > 0:26:18When at last relations between East and West thawed,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21the military finally packed up and left,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23letting nature reclaim Orford Ness.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26But this tiny shingle spit,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29just ten miles long, holds a unique place in our past.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32As much as the people who worked here, it's the location
0:26:32 > 0:26:36and character of this landscape which have kept its secrets safe
0:26:36 > 0:26:40and which have shaped the history not only of Suffolk
0:26:40 > 0:26:42or even our own country, but life far beyond these shores.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50Still to come on tonight's Countryfile...
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Ellie's leaving treasure in the woods.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56John Craven!
0:26:56 > 0:26:58Adam's welcoming new life onto the farm.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00She's got good, strong black points.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Black ears, eyes and nose, and on her feet. She's perfect, really.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08And we'll have the five-day Countryfile weather forecast.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21As we've already heard, the UK's peat bogs are suffering.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24They've been damaged by decades of industrial pollution,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26agriculture and forestry.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29The harmful greenhouse gases they've been locking away
0:27:29 > 0:27:34since the ice age 10,000 years ago are leaking into the atmosphere,
0:27:34 > 0:27:36adding to the problems of climate change.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41So, why are we digging them up?
0:27:42 > 0:27:44The simple answer is, we love peat.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46There's a huge demand from gardeners.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49Two-thirds of all the peat dug up in the UK
0:27:49 > 0:27:52winds up in people's gardens and greenhouses.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Here at Chat Moss near Manchester,
0:27:57 > 0:28:01they've been meeting that demand since the 1960s.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04The man behind the company doing the digging is Bernard Burns.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Here's what's perplexing me.
0:28:08 > 0:28:09We've been to a lot of places
0:28:09 > 0:28:12where people are spending thousands and thousands of pounds
0:28:12 > 0:28:15building peat up by the millimetre
0:28:15 > 0:28:19and here you're digging it out by the many, many tonnes.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21How can that be right?
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Well, peat's no different from coal,
0:28:24 > 0:28:28gas, oil, all the fossil fuels.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31In fact, if anything, it's more replaceable than any of those
0:28:31 > 0:28:33because nothing that you're looking at
0:28:33 > 0:28:36- is any older than 10,000 years old. - But it is a bit different.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40We're just using it in our gardens for something that's not a necessity.
0:28:40 > 0:28:45It's not a vital energy to keep us warm and lit. It's a luxury.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49Well, you're going to be putting something on your garden.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53Anything you put on your garden's got carbon in it.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56Despite being in peat for a profit,
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Bernard's amongst the first to call for a ban.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04When the Government thought that tungsten lightbulbs were bad,
0:29:04 > 0:29:05they banned it.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09When the Government thought CFCs in aerosols were bad, they banned it.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13When they thought lead in petrol was bad, they banned it.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15If the environmental imperative is so obvious,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18why don't they do exactly the same thing here?
0:29:21 > 0:29:24I can make a profit without peat if the Government banned peat.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27If there was no peat within the country,
0:29:27 > 0:29:29everybody would have to give it up and we'd find a solution.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32- And would you like that? - I'd like them to ban it.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34If they don't, I'd like them to tax it.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38The Government wants companies like Bernard's
0:29:38 > 0:29:41to get out of peat production by 2030.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45The keyword here though is "want". There's no legal pressure to do so.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50In the meantime, extraction will carry on.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52But there is an alternative,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55and it's thanks to the rubbish we all chuck away.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59Well, could this be the answer?
0:29:59 > 0:30:02Every day, we throw mountains of waste
0:30:02 > 0:30:05out of our kitchens and gardens,
0:30:05 > 0:30:09and increasingly, this stuff is being processed
0:30:09 > 0:30:11to make a peat-free compost.
0:30:11 > 0:30:161,600 tonnes of rubbish gets dumped here every week,
0:30:16 > 0:30:20straight from our dinner plates and gardens to the conveyor belt.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23But it helps if we do our home recycling properly.
0:30:23 > 0:30:24Coming through here should be
0:30:24 > 0:30:27green garden waste and then food waste from the kitchen.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30That's all that really should be coming through now.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33- But as you can see, there's elements of plastic.- Yep.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37And they're also pulling out things like glass bottles,
0:30:37 > 0:30:39- metal, et cetera.- Really?
0:30:39 > 0:30:40Things that residents, consumers
0:30:40 > 0:30:43are putting the wrong things into the wrong bins, in essence.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45Absolutely right.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48It's a fairly unique site as it's an in-vessel site.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51So, we can handle food waste. Not every composting site can do that.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54It's amazing what people put into kitchen and garden waste.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57There we go, a nice toy fire station there.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00Absolutely, it never ceases to amaze us what we will find in here.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02What have we got?
0:31:02 > 0:31:05A magazine, a cushion, even a shoe here.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09You know what? The Generation Game just isn't what it used to be.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14Once the rubbish has been picked through
0:31:14 > 0:31:16it winds up here, a vast maturing shed
0:31:16 > 0:31:20where huge piles of assorted waste are left to rot.
0:31:21 > 0:31:26It's hot, damp, and a bit like being on the set of a sci-fi movie.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30But this is fact, not fiction, and it could mean a future without peat.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35The proof of the pudding.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39Oh, that looks nice.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42There you go, that's a really nice open product
0:31:42 > 0:31:44that can be used as a soil improver in this instance.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47And you're convinced that this can grow plants as well as peat?
0:31:47 > 0:31:49Absolutely right.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51We know from all the trials that we've done
0:31:51 > 0:31:53that this can grow plants as well as peat.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55We've proven that fact over the number of years
0:31:55 > 0:31:57that we've had it in the market. Eight weeks ago
0:31:57 > 0:31:59this was in somebody's back garden as a growing plant,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02and now it's something that can go back to the garden centre
0:32:02 > 0:32:03and be used again.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05The quality of the alternative products
0:32:05 > 0:32:07on the market today does vary
0:32:07 > 0:32:10and production-wise we're still some years away
0:32:10 > 0:32:12from being totally peat-free.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15That means sites like Chat Moss
0:32:15 > 0:32:18could still be worked to meet consumer demand.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20But all is not lost.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23On other parts of this site, peat dams and plastic piling
0:32:23 > 0:32:27are locking in the water, bringing this bog back to life.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31We've seen a lot of other peat environments in this programme,
0:32:31 > 0:32:33and, to be honest, they've been looking pretty sad.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36They're not looking good. But here, it gives hope for the future.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39It does, it gives a huge amount of hope
0:32:39 > 0:32:42that we can restore these really badly degraded sites.
0:32:42 > 0:32:43It is possible,
0:32:43 > 0:32:46it just takes a lot of hard work and a lot of money to be able to do it
0:32:46 > 0:32:48but we can save them.
0:32:54 > 0:33:00Chris's work shows even a landscape as desolate as this can recover.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04What I've seen in making this film is the incredible fragility of peat,
0:33:04 > 0:33:06its value as a carbon store,
0:33:06 > 0:33:10and the massive efforts that some people are making to protect it.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Even the man in charge of peat digging
0:33:13 > 0:33:16thinks that there should be a ban.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19But one thing to remember, this isn't all about them.
0:33:19 > 0:33:24We also have a choice whether we use peat in our gardens.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29Farming's never been a nine-to-five job
0:33:29 > 0:33:32and for Adam, spring is an especially hectic time of year.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35His newborn lambs are keeping him busy,
0:33:35 > 0:33:37and so are his rare-breed cattle.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39His herd of White Parks are his pride and joy
0:33:39 > 0:33:42but one of his cows is having some problems.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53These are White Park cattle
0:33:53 > 0:33:55and I think they're stunning to look at
0:33:55 > 0:33:58with their white bodies, their black noses, black eyes and black ears.
0:33:58 > 0:33:59And there's a train of thought
0:33:59 > 0:34:02that they were introduced to the country by the Romans
0:34:02 > 0:34:05and they would have pulled the carts and the plough,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08and then they were left behind when the Romans went home,
0:34:08 > 0:34:10and they were isolated in the parklands of Britain
0:34:10 > 0:34:13and they say that the Kings and Lords
0:34:13 > 0:34:16used to hunt the bulls on horseback with spears and dogs.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18It would have been terrifying.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21And today they can't really compete with the big Continental beef breeds,
0:34:21 > 0:34:24they're not had enough, but their meat is delicious,
0:34:24 > 0:34:26and I'm really fond of them.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28While the majority of the herd are in good health
0:34:28 > 0:34:30and enjoying the freedom of the spring pastures,
0:34:30 > 0:34:34I'm concerned about one of the cows and her newly born calf
0:34:34 > 0:34:36so I need to get them into the handling pens.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44Go on, in you go, go on!
0:34:45 > 0:34:48The calf is only suckling on three of the four teats
0:34:48 > 0:34:50and one of the teats is quite swollen and red,
0:34:50 > 0:34:55so I'm worried that it might have an infection in it known as mastitis.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00On the good teat here you can see the milk is very white and clean.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03If I get hold of the swollen teat
0:35:03 > 0:35:06the milk is very yellow
0:35:06 > 0:35:11and if that was mastitis, it would be clotted and lumpy
0:35:11 > 0:35:13with some blood in it probably,
0:35:13 > 0:35:15but actually, this is OK.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18It's very runny, and this is probably just colostrum,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20the first milk that the cow produces,
0:35:20 > 0:35:22and the calf hasn't suckled on that quarter,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24it's got enough milk out of the other three teats.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26Because this one's a bit swollen and sore,
0:35:26 > 0:35:28she's probably been kicking him off.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30I'm pleased it's not mastitis, so what I'll do
0:35:30 > 0:35:33is I'll just milk a little bit of this out now
0:35:33 > 0:35:36to relieve the pressure off the teat
0:35:36 > 0:35:39and hopefully the calf will get onto it, so it should be fine.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43While she's safely secured,
0:35:43 > 0:35:45I'm taking the opportunity to catch her calf.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47She needs ear tagging, so I've got Mike to help out.
0:35:52 > 0:35:53All right?
0:35:55 > 0:35:57This is a really lovely little White Park,
0:35:57 > 0:35:59she's got good, strong black points.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01Black ears, eyes and nose,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04and on her feet. She's perfect, really.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06So, this little calf has to have two tags,
0:36:06 > 0:36:09a plastic one in one ear and a metal one in the other.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Then it gets a passport, and all cattle have got a passport
0:36:11 > 0:36:14that stays with them for the rest of their lives
0:36:14 > 0:36:17and that's their identification, just like our passports.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Mike's going to put the metal tag in now,
0:36:19 > 0:36:22and that carries its individual number,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25700315, like a little earring.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29Then the plastic tag is just so we can see it from a distance, really.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33There we go, perfect.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38And it's time to reunite mother and daughter.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48My ewes are also mothering their offspring,
0:36:48 > 0:36:50and we need to keep a close eye on them too.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56In this field we've got all our rare-breed ewes.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58We've got about 65 of them with their lambs.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02They all gave birth at about the same time, so the lambs are a similar age,
0:37:02 > 0:37:03and they're all looking very well
0:37:03 > 0:37:07apart from there is one little Cotswold lamb that's quite lame,
0:37:07 > 0:37:10so I've got the dog with me and John's just come into the field,
0:37:10 > 0:37:12so we'll see if we can catch it and see what's wrong with it.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15Come on, then.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19'You'd think a lamb with a limp would be easy to catch.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22'But with a dodgy back, I fail miserably.'
0:37:22 > 0:37:24Come! Come! Here!
0:37:27 > 0:37:29'So, John has a go next.'
0:37:30 > 0:37:32Well done, brilliant!
0:37:32 > 0:37:34'Well, he's younger and fitter than me.'
0:37:34 > 0:37:35Fantastic!
0:37:35 > 0:37:38- It's quite sore, isn't it?- Yes.
0:37:40 > 0:37:41Might just take that scab off.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43It's difficult to know what's caused it.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46It might have been a thorn or something that's caused an infection,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49and I'll just put a bit of this antiseptic spray on.
0:37:49 > 0:37:50It'll help clear it up.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54Just give it a quick jab
0:37:54 > 0:37:57with some antibiotics into the muscle in its neck.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01There you go, little one. Give it a rub. There.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03There you go, let's take it back to its mum.
0:38:03 > 0:38:04Thanks, John.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12The lamb is calling to the ewe, and she's coming racing back now,
0:38:12 > 0:38:14so John will let it go.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27Whilst it's all about springtime and newborns on the farm here
0:38:27 > 0:38:31there's still a bit of a grey cloud hanging over the district.
0:38:31 > 0:38:32I'm surrounded by racehorse trainers
0:38:32 > 0:38:35and one of them is very famous, Jonjo O'Neill,
0:38:35 > 0:38:39and at the Grand National a couple of weeks ago, his very best horse died.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Synchronised, ridden by champion jockey AP McCoy,
0:38:44 > 0:38:45was the bookies favourite
0:38:45 > 0:38:48after winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup earlier in the year.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50He calls them forward once again.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54This time they're off and running in the 2012 Grand National.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56Right down...
0:38:56 > 0:38:58But there's always risks during any race,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01and Synchronised had a fall and had to be put down.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04I was absolutely gutted when I heard the news about Synchronised,
0:39:04 > 0:39:08because just over two weeks ago, I went over to see Jonjo
0:39:08 > 0:39:10to do a deal about a Jacob sheep.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13And whilst I was there, I got a sneak preview of Synchronised,
0:39:13 > 0:39:15just before he went off to the Grand National.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19Jonjo trains about 90 racehorses,
0:39:19 > 0:39:21but on that day back at the beginning of April,
0:39:21 > 0:39:24it was Synchronised that I really wanted to see.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30So, here he is, Synchronised.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32What a lovely fellow.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34Can you get him out?
0:39:34 > 0:39:36- Get him out.- Fantastic.
0:39:36 > 0:39:37Come on, old chum.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40What's he like? Is he quiet?
0:39:40 > 0:39:43He's really quiet. He's a lovely natured horse, really.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46Well, I saw him in the Gold Cup
0:39:46 > 0:39:50and the way he weaved and AP McCoy got him through to win the race,
0:39:50 > 0:39:51it was extraordinary, wasn't it?
0:39:51 > 0:39:53It was, great race to watch, wasn't it?
0:39:53 > 0:39:57These horses we dream about in the game.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59They are normal horses for a few seasons,
0:39:59 > 0:40:00and then all of a sudden,
0:40:00 > 0:40:02they just come good, you know.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04And it's just time and maturing and all the rest of it,
0:40:04 > 0:40:08and him enjoying racing, which is even more important, you know?
0:40:08 > 0:40:11- He's so quiet.- He's a lovely nature.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13Think how fiery he gets when he's on the racecourse,
0:40:13 > 0:40:16and here he is, quiet as a lamb.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19He saves it all for the racecourse, puts it all together.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21He's a great character.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Just a few days before the Grand National
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Synchronised, with his distinctive white face,
0:40:28 > 0:40:29was looking every inch the champion
0:40:29 > 0:40:31as he trained alongside the other horses.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37But with all the training in the world,
0:40:37 > 0:40:40there's always a danger when it comes to horse racing.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44It's never easy for the yard when they lose a horse.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50So, I've come back to meet Jonjo, to find out
0:40:50 > 0:40:51how he and the team are coping.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58Well, I'm sorry to be here in the circumstances,
0:40:58 > 0:41:00but how's the feeling in the yard?
0:41:00 > 0:41:03It's very low, really.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05Obviously he was a super horse
0:41:05 > 0:41:10and when that happens, everybody is really upset about it,
0:41:10 > 0:41:14and it goes right through the yard, you know.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18It's like losing part of your family, really, isn't it?
0:41:18 > 0:41:19But life goes on
0:41:19 > 0:41:23and we've got to pull ourselves together and crack on
0:41:23 > 0:41:25because we've got lots of other nice horses,
0:41:25 > 0:41:27and the show goes on, so that's it.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30And what happened, then, Jonjo?
0:41:30 > 0:41:33Well, he started off and he was jumping brilliantly
0:41:33 > 0:41:36all the way down the first five fences down to Beeches,
0:41:36 > 0:41:38and he went knuckled over landing at Beeches
0:41:38 > 0:41:43and then he got up and went off and he jumped another four fences
0:41:43 > 0:41:48and he broke his leg when he was loose, you know, so...
0:41:48 > 0:41:50It can happen anywhere.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53And AP got unseated before the start of the race.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55Would you have done anything different?
0:41:55 > 0:41:58No. That was just the horse's well-being, really.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01He was full of himself and he's a great little character, you know,
0:42:01 > 0:42:03and he ducked from the line, really,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06and that just shows you how bright and alert he was.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10He just took to one side and AP went the other way,
0:42:10 > 0:42:13but that was typical of his character.
0:42:13 > 0:42:18Do you think the Grand National at Aintree should be changed in any way?
0:42:18 > 0:42:20Well, they have done a great job in changing a lot of the jumps
0:42:20 > 0:42:22and made them a lot easier,
0:42:22 > 0:42:27but listen, they'll look into it again
0:42:27 > 0:42:31and hopefully, if they can make more improvements, they will do,
0:42:31 > 0:42:33because everybody in the game
0:42:33 > 0:42:36wants the race to be properly organised
0:42:36 > 0:42:39and they're doing everything they possibly can.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43As a farmer, I suppose I have to become reasonably tough
0:42:43 > 0:42:46about life and death on the farm.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50- Is it the same in racing? - Yes, it is.
0:42:50 > 0:42:56We've had horses... We had one last year that just went into his box
0:42:56 > 0:43:00and just lay down and dropped dead, so it happens.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02It's not what you look forward to happening, obviously,
0:43:02 > 0:43:04but these things happen in life.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07Best of luck in the future, and thanks for seeing me again,
0:43:07 > 0:43:11and hopefully you've got a few more winners in the yard here.
0:43:11 > 0:43:12Let's hope so.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14Onwards and upwards, please God.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19Next week, I'll be sharing a proud moment with my favourite bull, Eric.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29The rolling fields and stunning woodlands of Suffolk
0:43:29 > 0:43:33have been a source of adventure and discovery for generations.
0:43:33 > 0:43:34But are children today
0:43:34 > 0:43:37seeing as much of the British countryside as perhaps they should?
0:43:39 > 0:43:42With the spreading influence of gadgets, computer games
0:43:42 > 0:43:43and over-protective parents,
0:43:43 > 0:43:45today's generation of children
0:43:45 > 0:43:48are spending more time indoors than any other,
0:43:48 > 0:43:52and could be affected by what's coined nature deficit disorder.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55Now, I've come to the village of Middleton to do my small bit
0:43:55 > 0:43:57towards putting that right.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01I've arranged for these primary school kids
0:44:01 > 0:44:04to discover just what the great outdoors has to offer.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07Boxes, OK.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11Sorry to interrupt. Hello, everybody. How are you doing?
0:44:11 > 0:44:13Who wants to come outside
0:44:13 > 0:44:15and do some outdoor activities instead of maths?
0:44:15 > 0:44:17- ALL:- Me!
0:44:17 > 0:44:20Of course! Come on, let's get coats and boots.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22Well done.
0:44:22 > 0:44:27Nature deficit disorder isn't exactly a medical diagnosis,
0:44:27 > 0:44:28but rather a metaphor
0:44:28 > 0:44:30for how many children are losing touch with nature.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33It seems classic pursuits like tree climbing
0:44:33 > 0:44:36and den building may be in terminal decline.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39Recent research commissioned by the National trust revealed that
0:44:39 > 0:44:43fewer than 10% of kids today play in wild places,
0:44:43 > 0:44:46down from 50% just a generation ago.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53So, in a bid to encourage children and families to get more adventurous,
0:44:53 > 0:44:57the National Trust have put together a list of fun activities entitled
0:44:57 > 0:45:0050 Things To Do Before You're 11 3/4,
0:45:00 > 0:45:03and we're going to try and tick off some of these today.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11First up, we're skimming stones on the beach here at Dunwich Heath
0:45:11 > 0:45:14and the list includes loads of simple pleasures,
0:45:14 > 0:45:18instantly recognisable to most adults from their childhoods.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25Next up, number seven on the list.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28Not a lot of wind, so you've got a challenge today. Are you ready?
0:45:28 > 0:45:33- Got your line? Say, three, two, one, go.- Three, two, one, go.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37Yeah! We've done it!
0:45:39 > 0:45:40The kids seem pretty set,
0:45:40 > 0:45:44so I'm finding out more about the campaign from Justin Scully.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46- Justin, how are you doing? - How are you?- Good, thank you.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48So, tell me about the aim of the campaign.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52We've launched a campaign to encourage kids to get off the sofa
0:45:52 > 0:45:55and outdoors and enjoy nature and the outdoors.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58But is there actual evidence behind kids staying indoors more?
0:45:58 > 0:46:00Yes, we've commissioned a report
0:46:00 > 0:46:04that says on average, kids spend 60% less time outdoors
0:46:04 > 0:46:05than their parents did.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08As a parent too, I feel that there's so much information out there
0:46:08 > 0:46:10that we're perhaps a bit more fearful.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13The dangers were always there, but we're much more aware of them now
0:46:13 > 0:46:16so it's difficult from a parent's point of view letting go a bit.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18Again, that's something we found from the survey, was,
0:46:18 > 0:46:20there's three times more hospital admissions
0:46:20 > 0:46:23from falling out of bed than there are from falling out of a tree.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26We don't need to be chasing them round the beach to do this.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28- They're perfectly happy. - Running on their own.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31Indeed, they're running around, having a great time.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34The 50 things won't all be familiar to parents and grandparents.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38Number 49 on the list is the rather modern activity of geo-caching.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44Geo-caching is a technology based treasure hunt
0:46:44 > 0:46:48and caches are small items that are hidden somewhere in the landscape
0:46:48 > 0:46:51and you use a GPS device like this or a phone app to try and find them.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53How are we doing?
0:46:53 > 0:46:55- Quite good. - Good, good, let's keep going.
0:46:55 > 0:46:56OK?
0:46:56 > 0:46:59Is it there?
0:46:59 > 0:47:00No. Nothing.
0:47:02 > 0:47:08Oh, well done. What's inside? Let's have a look.
0:47:08 > 0:47:09Ooh!
0:47:09 > 0:47:13Trinkets and treasures.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16'Caches can contain all sorts of things
0:47:16 > 0:47:18'left by previous intrepid explorers.'
0:47:18 > 0:47:21What we have to do is leave our own treasure.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23John Craven. How about that?
0:47:23 > 0:47:25- Did you see him?- Sure did.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27- That is cool.- We're done.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30Let's hide it again so that the other people can't find it.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33It's all about developing that sense of adventure,
0:47:33 > 0:47:35something key to our next activity,
0:47:35 > 0:47:37bug hunting.
0:47:37 > 0:47:39Oh, there's a little worm.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42Isn't that a red one? Cool!
0:47:42 > 0:47:44Oh, wow, look at the size of that caterpillar,
0:47:44 > 0:47:46and an earwig.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48And a ladybird, that's amazing.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51'Jessica Cormack runs activity days here at Dunwich Heath.'
0:47:51 > 0:47:52This is amazing!
0:47:52 > 0:47:55What do they get out of this kind of activity
0:47:55 > 0:47:57- when you see kids doing this kind of thing?- So much.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59A lot of the children
0:47:59 > 0:48:01haven't been bug hunting before in their lives.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03We find a lot these days are scared of ladybirds,
0:48:03 > 0:48:05they don't know what a ladybird will do to them,
0:48:05 > 0:48:06they'll get one on their hand
0:48:06 > 0:48:10and they're like, will it sting us, will it kill us, will it bite us?
0:48:10 > 0:48:13You get a lot of children from inner-city London,
0:48:13 > 0:48:16a lot have never been to the seaside, so a lot of kids,
0:48:16 > 0:48:189, 10, 11-year-olds they live half an hour away from the beach
0:48:18 > 0:48:20and have never been to the sea.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23Seems like these kids haven't had their fill of nature just yet.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25So, we've come down the road
0:48:25 > 0:48:28to the RSPB reserve at Minsmere, where their Wildwood adventure
0:48:28 > 0:48:31has trees to climb and dens to be built.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38A lot of big decisions going on here, which tree,
0:48:38 > 0:48:41taking the best bits of wood.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43- I'm going to make one of my own. - It's stuck.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45Oh, you shouldn't...!
0:48:45 > 0:48:47Wow, this is good.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49These kids have loved it and the odd brush
0:48:49 > 0:48:52with nature's wild side is all part of the experience.
0:48:54 > 0:48:55Didn't you get stung by a stinger?
0:48:55 > 0:48:59- Yes, I did.- But it's OK now, is probably not hurting now, is it?
0:48:59 > 0:49:00- No, not really.- There you go.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03- Good den, girls.- Thank you.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06What was your favourite thing about the day?
0:49:06 > 0:49:07Um...
0:49:07 > 0:49:10I think building this den.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12- Yes.- Was it?- I really enjoyed it.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16Did you have a good time or would you rather have been indoors?
0:49:16 > 0:49:18- Outside, definitely.- Yeah?
0:49:18 > 0:49:24It's nice to get off the TV and get outside and play.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27You can find the full list of activities on our website.
0:49:28 > 0:49:32So, we've managed to tick off seven of our list of 50 things to do today,
0:49:32 > 0:49:34and if you're planning on getting out and about
0:49:34 > 0:49:37and trying these kinds of activities, you'll want to know
0:49:37 > 0:49:39what the weather forecast has in store for the week ahead.
0:51:49 > 0:51:57.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11Today we're in Suffolk,
0:52:11 > 0:52:13where Ellie and I have been discovering
0:52:13 > 0:52:16some of the hidden gems along the coastline and the countryside
0:52:16 > 0:52:18of Britain's most easterly county.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21The fertile land here is dominated by farming.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24Its tapestry of fields,
0:52:24 > 0:52:27part of what defines this rural landscape.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33Most of the farms here have one thing in common.
0:52:33 > 0:52:37They use these fertile flat lands for crop-growing arable farming,
0:52:37 > 0:52:39which makes this one here in Redenham a rarity
0:52:39 > 0:52:43as it's one of only a handful of dairy farms left in the area
0:52:43 > 0:52:44and a few years ago,
0:52:44 > 0:52:47you wouldn't have laid odds on it being here at all.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51A decade ago, milk prices plummeted,
0:52:51 > 0:52:55just as foot-and-mouth disease swept our countryside.
0:52:57 > 0:52:58For the Strachan family,
0:52:58 > 0:53:01a generations-old way of life was threatened.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03What saved them was the family rallying together
0:53:03 > 0:53:06and adding value to their milk
0:53:06 > 0:53:09by using it to make yoghurts, cream, and ice creams.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11So, how bad did things get, then?
0:53:11 > 0:53:14How close did the farm come to closure?
0:53:14 > 0:53:18Well, pretty close, really. There were three things.
0:53:18 > 0:53:20We either sold the cows,
0:53:20 > 0:53:25we expanded drastically and invested a lot of money in the farm...
0:53:25 > 0:53:27- Yeah.- ..or we went into the diversification.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30- Right.- And we chose the diversification.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33And James, you were quite far away at the time, were you in Canada?
0:53:33 > 0:53:36Yes, I was in Canada. I had a good opportunity for a job.
0:53:36 > 0:53:38Katherine was developing her career.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40In computers.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42- Yes.- A long way away from farming.
0:53:42 > 0:53:43A long, long way from farming.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45- But you decided to come back.- Yes.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47You all got round and said you'd make this work.
0:53:47 > 0:53:53The Strachans scaled back from more than 200 cattle to a manageable 80.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55And although milk still provides the bulk of their business,
0:53:55 > 0:53:59the plan to expand into other areas has secured a future for them
0:53:59 > 0:54:04and the farm that's been in their family for more than 35 years.
0:54:04 > 0:54:08One of the big moneymakers these days is the family's own ice cream,
0:54:08 > 0:54:10and the flavours are created here
0:54:10 > 0:54:12in the farmhouse kitchen by mum, Collette,
0:54:12 > 0:54:14and I am very intrigued to find out
0:54:14 > 0:54:16what she thinks of my new innovation.
0:54:17 > 0:54:18Well, Collette,
0:54:18 > 0:54:21- I knew you were going to be showing me some of your flavours.- Yes.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23- I thought I'd bring one of my own. - Right.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26The Southwold Pier bag is a bit of a clue.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29Stand by for the seaside sensation that is
0:54:29 > 0:54:32- rock and choc.- Right.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35- It's mint rock.- Mint rock. - And chocolate.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38- Do you think that would work? - How do you want to do this?
0:54:38 > 0:54:41I thought you were going to help me out!
0:54:41 > 0:54:44It turns out all I've got to do is bash it.
0:54:44 > 0:54:49While I'm hammering out Baker's rock and choc ice cream,
0:54:49 > 0:54:51Collette's cooking up her new salted caramel flavour
0:54:51 > 0:54:54which will be delighting the Suffolk crowds.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58I really think it's going to work - quite excited about this.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00I might be up against an ice-cream queen,
0:55:00 > 0:55:03but I'm pretty convinced that my first foray
0:55:03 > 0:55:06into the world of frozen food is going to be a summer sizzler.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12Right, that's me done, then, Collette.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14Obviously you're close behind.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17Well, I'm glad you didn't pick something
0:55:17 > 0:55:18that's going to take a long time!
0:55:22 > 0:55:23Now we've created our recipes,
0:55:23 > 0:55:26in my case crushed rock and chocolate,
0:55:26 > 0:55:29they go to the dairy, where they're added to an ice-cream base mix
0:55:29 > 0:55:30made with the farm's milk.
0:55:30 > 0:55:34In just a couple of hours they'll be favoured, frozen,
0:55:34 > 0:55:36and I'll be unleashing them on an unsuspected public
0:55:36 > 0:55:41to see if rock and choc can win over the Southwold sightseers.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48Oh, look at this! The rock and choc has arrived. Fresh from the dairy.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50Look at that.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52Doesn't that look delightful?
0:55:52 > 0:55:54Here we go.
0:55:54 > 0:55:56How's it going to taste?
0:55:56 > 0:55:58Get a stick of rock in there, plenty of chocolate.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06I tell you what, that says British seaside town to me.
0:56:06 > 0:56:07Let's go a-taste testing.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11- Right, are you hungry?- Yes.
0:56:11 > 0:56:12Brace yourself.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15Cos it's quite amazing. There you are.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17- What do you think of that flavour? - Yummy.- Yummy!
0:56:17 > 0:56:19That's exactly what I was after.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23- Give him your honest opinion. - Really?
0:56:23 > 0:56:25That one's terrible.
0:56:25 > 0:56:27Oh!
0:56:27 > 0:56:31- Sorry about that. - Don't be sorry, just be honest.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34Anyway, we don't have to use that anyway!
0:56:34 > 0:56:37With the future of rock and choc hanging in the balance,
0:56:37 > 0:56:39it's down to an ice-cream connoisseur
0:56:39 > 0:56:42to deliver the final verdict.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45Ellie, how are you?
0:56:45 > 0:56:47I am well, how are you? Oh, wow!
0:56:47 > 0:56:50You are the deciding factor in this taste test.
0:56:50 > 0:56:52Right?
0:56:52 > 0:56:56Rock and choc has been very popular with the kids.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59I shall give it a fair go, fair hearing.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06In the nicest way, it's only because
0:57:06 > 0:57:08perfectly good chocolate gets ruined
0:57:08 > 0:57:10by the flavour of toothpaste, in my mind.
0:57:10 > 0:57:11I'm not a big minty fan.
0:57:11 > 0:57:12That's it from the Suffolk coast.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15Next week, it won't be ice cream we're tasting.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18It'll be fine English wine as we visit Derbyshire's oldest vineyard.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20And I shall be investigating
0:57:20 > 0:57:23- a mysterious find in Bakewell Churchyard, see you then.- Bye.- Bye.
0:57:46 > 0:57:48Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd