Christmas Special

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0:00:26 > 0:00:29There's nowhere quite like the Northumbrian coast at Christmas.

0:00:29 > 0:00:31And if you're having a Christmas party,

0:00:31 > 0:00:34then there's nowhere quite like a castle to have it.

0:00:34 > 0:00:37And Bamburgh Castle fits the bill perfectly.

0:00:37 > 0:00:39It's where I'm going to be decking the halls

0:00:39 > 0:00:42a little bit later on for a Countryfile festive knees-up.

0:00:42 > 0:00:44Yeah, and I'll be getting the party started

0:00:44 > 0:00:46with a flaming seasonal treat.

0:00:46 > 0:00:49I'm bringing a tipple from the nearby Holy Island of Lindisfarne.

0:00:49 > 0:00:52It's been a favourite through the ages.

0:00:52 > 0:00:54And what would Christmas be without church bells?

0:00:54 > 0:00:57Well, strangely quiet, probably.

0:00:57 > 0:01:00I'll be finding out where all the bell-ringers have gone.

0:01:00 > 0:01:05Ellie is here too, looking after the wildlife this Christmas.

0:01:05 > 0:01:06As a nation, we are absolutely fantastic

0:01:06 > 0:01:09at putting out food for the birds.

0:01:09 > 0:01:12But when temperatures drop well below zero,

0:01:12 > 0:01:16leaving out fresh water is just as important.

0:01:16 > 0:01:19And Adam's with the hill shepherdess on their way to church.

0:01:20 > 0:01:23It's an old tradition in the north country that on Sundays,

0:01:23 > 0:01:25and especially Christmas Day,

0:01:25 > 0:01:28shepherds would take their dogs to the church services with them.

0:01:28 > 0:01:30And, of course, there'll be plenty of carols as well.

0:01:30 > 0:01:35So grab a mince pie, sit back and enjoy Countryfile at Christmas.

0:01:35 > 0:01:38MUSIC: Deck the Halls

0:01:47 > 0:01:49Twinkling lights and tinsel,

0:01:49 > 0:01:52crisp air and festive good cheer.

0:01:52 > 0:01:55All across the land, the unmistakable spirit of Christmas

0:01:55 > 0:01:57has finally arrived.

0:01:58 > 0:02:01And to celebrate, I'm at Bamburgh Castle,

0:02:01 > 0:02:03bang on the Northumbrian coast,

0:02:03 > 0:02:05not far from the Scottish border.

0:02:06 > 0:02:09Well, this is the place that I'm going to be decorating

0:02:09 > 0:02:12for a Countryfile Christmas party a little bit later on,

0:02:12 > 0:02:14and you're all invited.

0:02:16 > 0:02:19It's the perfect place for a Christmas do, with its grand halls,

0:02:19 > 0:02:23medieval kitchens and treasures at every turn.

0:02:23 > 0:02:25They've celebrated Christmas here for centuries

0:02:25 > 0:02:27and current owner Francis Armstrong

0:02:27 > 0:02:29is going to tell me some of its history.

0:02:29 > 0:02:31- Nice to see you.- Nice to meet you.

0:02:31 > 0:02:33Welcome to Bamburgh. It's fantastic, isn't it?

0:02:33 > 0:02:35- What a room!- Yes, brilliant.

0:02:35 > 0:02:37This is the King's Hall, the ballroom of the castle.

0:02:37 > 0:02:38So what's the story?

0:02:38 > 0:02:43Well, the story is that this rock has been lived on since 5,000 BC...

0:02:43 > 0:02:46- Mm-hmm.- ..and then the rest of the castle was formed around it.

0:02:46 > 0:02:49The Normans came along in the 12th century, built the keep, which,

0:02:49 > 0:02:52you know, big thick walls, 12 feet thick in places.

0:02:52 > 0:02:55Lord Armstrong, my great, great, great uncle

0:02:55 > 0:02:58bought the place in 1894 for £60,000

0:02:58 > 0:03:01- and then spent over a million quid then restoring it.- Really?

0:03:01 > 0:03:03And that's how it's now in the family.

0:03:03 > 0:03:05- It's just stayed in the family ever since.- Yeah.

0:03:05 > 0:03:07I never really consider myself as the owner.

0:03:07 > 0:03:08I'm the sort of keeper of the place.

0:03:08 > 0:03:10And what are your memories of Christmas here?

0:03:10 > 0:03:12Christmas was awesome here when we were kids.

0:03:12 > 0:03:15It was just fantastic. We used to live in the keep.

0:03:15 > 0:03:17Big Christmas tree, big fire.

0:03:17 > 0:03:19I can imagine getting a bike for Christmas

0:03:19 > 0:03:20and riding it up and down in here.

0:03:20 > 0:03:23- Oh, no, I wouldn't be allowed to do that!- Would you not?!

0:03:23 > 0:03:24I'd have been killed.

0:03:24 > 0:03:27And so do you keep this place to yourself at Christmas time then,

0:03:27 > 0:03:28or is it still open to the public?

0:03:28 > 0:03:31It's open to the public all year round, weekends in the winter.

0:03:31 > 0:03:32Which... I mean, we have to do it.

0:03:32 > 0:03:35To keep the place standing, the money involved is horrific.

0:03:35 > 0:03:39We've got a great team of guys who work here, inside, outside,

0:03:39 > 0:03:40and they're constantly busy.

0:03:44 > 0:03:48Now, there's often a bit of sprucing up involved before the big day

0:03:48 > 0:03:49and Bamburgh Castle is no different.

0:03:51 > 0:03:54Helen Shinwell is in charge of the pre-Christmas clean-up.

0:03:55 > 0:03:58So who is this beautiful figure here then, Helen?

0:03:58 > 0:04:01This is a lady that was a regular performer

0:04:01 > 0:04:03at the Folies Bergere in Paris.

0:04:03 > 0:04:06There's a team of four of us and during the winter months

0:04:06 > 0:04:10- we do more of a detailed clean. - Do you?- Yeah.

0:04:10 > 0:04:12We don't really want it to be a museum

0:04:12 > 0:04:14and that's why a lot of things are on show,

0:04:14 > 0:04:17and things do get touched by people, obviously,

0:04:17 > 0:04:19and that's why it's important that we need to clean these.

0:04:19 > 0:04:21Do they always stay in the same position?

0:04:21 > 0:04:24Some things are moved, they're put away in archives

0:04:24 > 0:04:27- and then new things are brought out to put on show.- Right.

0:04:30 > 0:04:32CLOCK DINGS

0:04:32 > 0:04:33It's so lovely, isn't it, as you're working away

0:04:33 > 0:04:36and suddenly you just hear these clocks chiming in the background.

0:04:36 > 0:04:38- Yeah!- It's really nice, the kind of...

0:04:38 > 0:04:41The tempo that you work at seems to be set by the pace of these clocks.

0:04:41 > 0:04:44- It is, yeah, and it's lovely when they all chime together.- Yeah, yeah.

0:04:45 > 0:04:49Now, I was saying to Francis earlier on how kind of homely it feels here.

0:04:49 > 0:04:51Do you get that vibe as well?

0:04:51 > 0:04:53Yeah, this castle, it does feel warm and welcoming

0:04:53 > 0:04:55and people do comment on that.

0:04:55 > 0:04:56CLOCK DINGS

0:04:58 > 0:05:00Now, whilst I'm busy here at Bamburgh,

0:05:00 > 0:05:03Anita's heading to the hills in search of festive gifts.

0:05:07 > 0:05:11MUSIC: We Three Kings

0:05:20 > 0:05:24I'm far inland from Matt, out in the wilds of the North Pennines,

0:05:24 > 0:05:27and I've come in search of something special for the party.

0:05:28 > 0:05:32The Three Kings in the carol were wise men bearing gifts

0:05:32 > 0:05:35of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

0:05:35 > 0:05:38I reckon I could find something out here to rival them.

0:05:41 > 0:05:46This is Alexandra Jackson, an artist who draws inspiration

0:05:46 > 0:05:50from the landscape around her home in Langley, Northumberland.

0:05:50 > 0:05:54The natural materials she uses are just as precious to her

0:05:54 > 0:05:58as the gold, frankincense and myrrh of the Three Kings.

0:05:58 > 0:06:01She's got something very special planned for our festivities later.

0:06:04 > 0:06:06- Hi, Alex.- Hey.

0:06:06 > 0:06:07How you doing?

0:06:07 > 0:06:10- I'm good.- Good to see you. It looks like you started without me.

0:06:10 > 0:06:13Yeah, yeah, I've got some holly in here and some pine cones

0:06:13 > 0:06:17- and a few acorns as well. - Suitably Christmas.- Definitely.

0:06:17 > 0:06:20- What an amazing place.- It's pretty beautiful out here, isn't it?

0:06:20 > 0:06:23It's an inspiring landscape to have been, sort of, born into.

0:06:23 > 0:06:25Especially today, that sky is amazing, isn't it?

0:06:25 > 0:06:27Yes, it's especially amazing this morning.

0:06:27 > 0:06:29And what is it about this place that inspires you?

0:06:29 > 0:06:34I think it's the bleakness and sort of the emptiness of the landscape.

0:06:34 > 0:06:37I find it so beautiful and there's so much room to sort of think

0:06:37 > 0:06:39and it's so... It's so inspiring.

0:06:39 > 0:06:42Well, I'm with you today, so what is there left to collect?

0:06:42 > 0:06:45We've got some hawthorn berries behind the cottage in the garden,

0:06:45 > 0:06:47so if we want to collect a few of those?

0:06:47 > 0:06:49I'd love to. Which way do we go?

0:06:49 > 0:06:51- Out here. - Come on then, lead the way.

0:06:51 > 0:06:53MUSIC: The Holly and the Ivy

0:07:00 > 0:07:03'Some bright red hawthorn berries complete our haul.

0:07:03 > 0:07:06'Now it's back to Alexandra's studio,

0:07:06 > 0:07:09'an Aladdin's cave she's worked in since leaving school

0:07:09 > 0:07:11'a year or two ago.'

0:07:11 > 0:07:14- Oh, Alex! - What a perfect workshop.

0:07:16 > 0:07:18It's here she designs and creates the jewellery

0:07:18 > 0:07:21she sells online all over the world.

0:07:23 > 0:07:25Alex, I love it in here.

0:07:25 > 0:07:28Yeah, it's pretty perfect for what I need it for.

0:07:28 > 0:07:31- All this jewellery! - Definitely magical.- It is magical.

0:07:31 > 0:07:33So Christmassy, isn't it? It's perfect.

0:07:33 > 0:07:34Yeah, yeah, it's beautiful.

0:07:34 > 0:07:35So what are we making today?

0:07:35 > 0:07:39We're going to make a beautiful table wreath

0:07:39 > 0:07:41and there's going to be all sorts on there

0:07:41 > 0:07:44from the acorns and berries, and it's going to be in silver

0:07:44 > 0:07:48and gold, but first of all we've got to paint the leaves.

0:07:48 > 0:07:50Are you going to entrust me with a paint brush?

0:07:50 > 0:07:52Yes. No, of course.

0:07:52 > 0:07:54So what you're going to need is one of the leaves

0:07:54 > 0:07:59and I am going to paint a little acorn and just

0:07:59 > 0:08:00paint a really thin layer.

0:08:00 > 0:08:03And that's just an acorn that you've foraged or found?

0:08:03 > 0:08:08Yeah, and dried it off and now it's ready for painting.

0:08:08 > 0:08:10And this is all because it was really tough for you

0:08:10 > 0:08:12to try and find a job after school, wasn't it?

0:08:12 > 0:08:15Yes, yeah, it all sort of stemmed from that.

0:08:15 > 0:08:16Like, things like buses, it's just...

0:08:16 > 0:08:19Just about non-existent, there isn't a bus around here.

0:08:19 > 0:08:21It's just sort of using the landscape I love

0:08:21 > 0:08:24to sort of make a future for myself.

0:08:24 > 0:08:26Oh, it's so satisfying.

0:08:26 > 0:08:28You're an alchemist, really, aren't you?

0:08:28 > 0:08:30Yeah, yeah, a modern-day alchemist.

0:08:33 > 0:08:35And just like the alchemists of old,

0:08:35 > 0:08:38Alexandra is going to turn ordinary material

0:08:38 > 0:08:40into a precious gift of gold.

0:08:40 > 0:08:42MUSIC: We Three Kings

0:08:42 > 0:08:44So what happens next?

0:08:44 > 0:08:48So we're going to pop these leaves into the solution here.

0:08:48 > 0:08:51- Just bend over the wire. - Just like that?

0:08:51 > 0:08:53Yeah, make sure it's well attached to the copper pipe

0:08:53 > 0:08:56because that's where our current is going to flow through to the leaves.

0:08:56 > 0:08:57And what will happen to them?

0:08:57 > 0:09:00They will slowly transfer around the leaf

0:09:00 > 0:09:03and the leaves will turn into copper.

0:09:03 > 0:09:06The process she uses is called electroforming.

0:09:06 > 0:09:10It involves passing a small electric current through a solution.

0:09:10 > 0:09:12Atoms in that solution react with the current

0:09:12 > 0:09:16to create layers of copper, gold or silver around an object.

0:09:16 > 0:09:19With any luck, it'll add the decorative pizzazz

0:09:19 > 0:09:22our holly and pine cones need.

0:09:22 > 0:09:26'We just need to let nature and science take its course.

0:09:26 > 0:09:30'In the meantime, we can get on with weaving the willow base

0:09:30 > 0:09:32'and add some festive touches.'

0:09:32 > 0:09:35So we're just going to weave it like we did the willow.

0:09:39 > 0:09:42'Time now to see the results of our handiwork.

0:09:42 > 0:09:45'And where better to reveal our festive table wreath

0:09:45 > 0:09:47'than a suitably seasonal setting?'

0:09:49 > 0:09:53Gorgeous roaring fire, mulled wine.

0:09:53 > 0:09:55- Anyone would think it was Christmas, Alex.- Perfect!

0:09:55 > 0:09:58All we need is your creation.

0:09:58 > 0:09:59- Shall we have a look? - Well, here it is.

0:09:59 > 0:10:01Here's our wreath.

0:10:01 > 0:10:03That is spectacular.

0:10:03 > 0:10:05It's really beautiful, isn't it?

0:10:05 > 0:10:06Look how well the copper's come out.

0:10:06 > 0:10:08Yeah, yeah, so we've got the gold plating

0:10:08 > 0:10:10and we've tied in the silver as well.

0:10:10 > 0:10:12It looks really beautiful, doesn't it?

0:10:12 > 0:10:15I can't believe that these are real acorns under here.

0:10:15 > 0:10:18Yeah, all real and the berries we collected this morning.

0:10:18 > 0:10:20You are one gifted young lady.

0:10:26 > 0:10:28- Here's to a Merry Christmas. - Absolutely.

0:10:46 > 0:10:48There are some things about this time of year

0:10:48 > 0:10:51that just make it feel so Christmassy.

0:10:51 > 0:10:53The trees are looking festive.

0:10:55 > 0:10:58# Ding dong merrily on high

0:10:58 > 0:11:02# In heav'n the bells are ringing

0:11:02 > 0:11:04# Ding dong verily the sky... #

0:11:04 > 0:11:07And children's voices filling the air.

0:11:07 > 0:11:09They're really good.

0:11:09 > 0:11:12# Gloria... #

0:11:12 > 0:11:13BELLS TOLL

0:11:13 > 0:11:16And, of course, the peel of church bells.

0:11:17 > 0:11:21But there is a problem with this idyllic winter scene.

0:11:21 > 0:11:24Church bells need bell-ringers

0:11:24 > 0:11:27and in rural areas up and down the country,

0:11:27 > 0:11:29they're getting hard to recruit.

0:11:29 > 0:11:31So could this tradition be under threat?

0:11:33 > 0:11:38I'm at All Saints Church in Rothbury beside Northumberland National Park.

0:11:38 > 0:11:41Tower Captain Colin Wheeler helped restart

0:11:41 > 0:11:45these bells in the '80s after they had been silent

0:11:45 > 0:11:47for more than a decade.

0:11:48 > 0:11:52So, what were the bells like when you came to them a few decades ago?

0:11:52 > 0:11:54Well, they were the original installation.

0:11:54 > 0:11:56It was glorious to find them the way they are.

0:11:56 > 0:11:58And the sound of them I still love

0:11:58 > 0:12:00and think is just about as perfect as it can be.

0:12:00 > 0:12:03And what condition were they in when you came to them?

0:12:03 > 0:12:05Buried in bird nesting materials.

0:12:05 > 0:12:0919 sacks' worth went out first off.

0:12:09 > 0:12:11Fortunately because the air is so clear here,

0:12:11 > 0:12:13there was very little corrosion.

0:12:13 > 0:12:15Sorry, when you say buried, I mean, that's pretty deep here...

0:12:15 > 0:12:18- Oh, about to where your hand is. - Really?

0:12:18 > 0:12:20Up to here with nesting and bird droppings...

0:12:20 > 0:12:22BELLS RING

0:12:30 > 0:12:32BELLS TOLL

0:12:35 > 0:12:39These bells were installed in 1893.

0:12:39 > 0:12:42They were cast at the Whitechapel Foundry in London,

0:12:42 > 0:12:44the same place they made Big Ben.

0:12:44 > 0:12:48But sadly even this, the world's oldest bell making factory,

0:12:48 > 0:12:50is due to move site next year.

0:12:50 > 0:12:54MUSIC: Ding Dong Merrily on High

0:12:54 > 0:12:56Why do you like bell-ringing so much?

0:12:56 > 0:13:00It's all absorbing, it's an addiction rather than a hobby,

0:13:00 > 0:13:05I love the sound of them, and once the rhythm starts going,

0:13:05 > 0:13:07you lose yourself in it.

0:13:08 > 0:13:11How challenging is it to find bell-ringers now?

0:13:11 > 0:13:16It's difficult because the church congregation...

0:13:16 > 0:13:18I think we've tried all those who are able to

0:13:18 > 0:13:21make the stairs and would be able to ring.

0:13:22 > 0:13:25A recent national survey by BBC local radio

0:13:25 > 0:13:29found three quarters of the UK's bell-ringing groups

0:13:29 > 0:13:32are concerned about recruiting new members,

0:13:32 > 0:13:36even though two thirds say demand for their services is increasing.

0:13:40 > 0:13:45'Michael Pace and Betty Rogerson are proof that here at All Saints

0:13:45 > 0:13:48'they're bucking the trend. They both recently signed up.'

0:13:50 > 0:13:55Now, I don't quite know how to put this delicately but I was expecting

0:13:55 > 0:13:57young apprentices, would you at least give me a decade?

0:13:57 > 0:13:59- BOTH:- 50s. Yes.

0:13:59 > 0:14:01So what's the appeal?

0:14:01 > 0:14:05It's a really good mental challenge because you really do have to think

0:14:05 > 0:14:08about what you're doing and this is only the very easy, basic stuff.

0:14:09 > 0:14:11What about you, Betty? What drew you into it?

0:14:11 > 0:14:14Well, when there were a call-out for bell-ringers, I thought, well,

0:14:14 > 0:14:17I'm just going to go down and see what it's all about.

0:14:17 > 0:14:20And you get drawn in and you get hooked.

0:14:20 > 0:14:22How much would it help if you had some younger people

0:14:22 > 0:14:23in the group as well?

0:14:23 > 0:14:27We need the younger blood coming in because we are not going to be

0:14:27 > 0:14:30around forever and it's a tradition that's gone on for hundreds of years

0:14:30 > 0:14:33and we need it to go forward.

0:14:33 > 0:14:34As in many rural areas,

0:14:34 > 0:14:38Rothbury's ringers reflect the ageing countryside population

0:14:38 > 0:14:42but maybe for once the country could learn from the city

0:14:42 > 0:14:45because it seems many urban churches

0:14:45 > 0:14:48have a thriving young ringing community.

0:14:48 > 0:14:52Jemma Mills runs a city ringing group and she's just 19.

0:14:52 > 0:14:54Why do you do it?

0:14:54 > 0:14:57I do it because I just like the challenge.

0:14:57 > 0:15:00There's a new pattern to learn, there's a new skill to learn,

0:15:00 > 0:15:02there's a new weight of bell to ring, and that sort of thing,

0:15:02 > 0:15:05which all requires different skills.

0:15:05 > 0:15:08Do you think bells ringing's a bit fuddy-duddy?

0:15:08 > 0:15:11Not really because it's a very traditional English thing

0:15:11 > 0:15:14to ring bells in a church, to call people to worship on a Sunday,

0:15:14 > 0:15:19but at the same time it's keeping a tradition going with new people.

0:15:19 > 0:15:22How would you sell bell-ringing to younger people?

0:15:23 > 0:15:26I would maybe sell it to them if they're like,

0:15:26 > 0:15:30at uni age, like we are, with the social aspect as well.

0:15:30 > 0:15:33So we have a lot of parties and activities.

0:15:33 > 0:15:35Like, for example, at New Year,

0:15:35 > 0:15:37we went on top of the church next to Westminster Abbey

0:15:37 > 0:15:40and watched the fireworks over the Thames.

0:15:40 > 0:15:42That was pretty cool.

0:15:42 > 0:15:43Maybe Jemma has it.

0:15:43 > 0:15:46Could a more varied apres-bell social life

0:15:46 > 0:15:49draw in the younger generation?

0:15:49 > 0:15:52Well, ignoring the fact that some say I'm a bit clapped out,

0:15:52 > 0:15:56I've been inspired to find out what this addiction is all about.

0:15:56 > 0:15:58'And Colin's going to be my teacher.'

0:15:58 > 0:16:00- If you want to put your hands the same way round...- Yeah.

0:16:00 > 0:16:03Right over left. Now stretch up as high as you can stretch.

0:16:06 > 0:16:10- BELL RINGS - Catch now and pull.

0:16:10 > 0:16:11Let go.

0:16:11 > 0:16:14Don't look up. Catch now and pull.

0:16:14 > 0:16:16That's good. Keep going.

0:16:16 > 0:16:19Don't try... Oh, no. If you look up, looking up is...

0:16:19 > 0:16:23As you've just proved, looking up does not work at all.

0:16:23 > 0:16:26'Church bells can weigh anything from a quarter of a tonne,

0:16:26 > 0:16:30'which is three times my weight, to several tonnes.

0:16:30 > 0:16:33'But, as I'm finding out, it's not about muscle power.

0:16:33 > 0:16:37'The skilled ringer uses balance and rhythm.'

0:16:37 > 0:16:40Try and catch a little bit higher, you'll find it easier.

0:16:41 > 0:16:45That's it. That's the height. Lovely.

0:16:45 > 0:16:50It is an extraordinary kind of work-out for the mind and the body.

0:16:50 > 0:16:52I feel the moment that I'm distracted,

0:16:52 > 0:16:53it's all going to go to pot.

0:16:57 > 0:17:00I think Rothbury has probably heard enough of my efforts.

0:17:00 > 0:17:03Time to let the experts take over.

0:17:03 > 0:17:07Trebles ready. She's going... She's gone.

0:17:07 > 0:17:11And they've invited Jemma to join them.

0:17:16 > 0:17:18If young people like Jemma can spread the love

0:17:18 > 0:17:21of bell ringing out across the countryside,

0:17:21 > 0:17:24that great Yule time tradition will continue -

0:17:24 > 0:17:27the bells ringing out for Christmas Day.

0:17:27 > 0:17:30# And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day. #

0:17:36 > 0:17:39There's nowhere quite like a castle at Christmas.

0:17:39 > 0:17:42And I'm on a mission here at Bamburgh to deck the halls

0:17:42 > 0:17:46and lay on a celebratory Countryfile Christmas spread.

0:17:46 > 0:17:50Top of my shopping list is some festive fudge -

0:17:50 > 0:17:51if I can find a kitchen, that is.

0:17:56 > 0:17:58That's the wrong way, that's the dungeons.

0:17:58 > 0:18:00I'm trying to follow the smell.

0:18:01 > 0:18:04Got to be getting close now.

0:18:05 > 0:18:08Oh, Grazia, I found you.

0:18:08 > 0:18:10I'll tell you what, I have been looking for you for about an hour.

0:18:10 > 0:18:12I know, you're sweating a little bit.

0:18:12 > 0:18:14- What a place.- You must always get lost here, do you?

0:18:14 > 0:18:16- No, not any more. - Not any more.- Not any more.

0:18:16 > 0:18:18- Right.- You've come in at the right time.

0:18:18 > 0:18:21I followed the smell, it's absolutely beautiful in here.

0:18:21 > 0:18:22- These are you. - Oh, I'll put the gloves on.

0:18:22 > 0:18:24Yeah, thank you.

0:18:24 > 0:18:27'Grazia Calvert makes all of the fudge that's sold in the gift shop,

0:18:27 > 0:18:29'and she stays in one of the castle's private apartments

0:18:29 > 0:18:32'with her husband, who also works here.'

0:18:32 > 0:18:35Right, now, let's talk about this beautiful fudge

0:18:35 > 0:18:36because this is what...

0:18:36 > 0:18:38Which one are we going to try and create today?

0:18:38 > 0:18:41We are doing marzipan and cranberry today.

0:18:41 > 0:18:42- OK.- And...

0:18:42 > 0:18:45Which you can try and tell me what you think of it.

0:18:48 > 0:18:51It's delicious, goes without saying.

0:18:51 > 0:18:53So what's in there at the moment?

0:18:53 > 0:18:56Oh, lots of sugar and lots of butter...

0:18:56 > 0:18:58- All fabulous stuff, then. - All fabulous, yes.

0:18:58 > 0:19:01If you would like to add some cranberries.

0:19:01 > 0:19:04That's just lovely... Now the paddles are going.

0:19:04 > 0:19:06So they mix it up nicely.

0:19:11 > 0:19:13Switch it off.

0:19:14 > 0:19:16That's it.

0:19:17 > 0:19:18Look at that.

0:19:18 > 0:19:21I've got a bit in the middle there I need smooth.

0:19:21 > 0:19:23What do we think to that?

0:19:23 > 0:19:26- Happy with that? - I'm very happy with that, yes.

0:19:26 > 0:19:28- Oh, it smells divine, doesn't it? - Fantastic, yes.

0:19:28 > 0:19:29Oh, look at that.

0:19:29 > 0:19:32I tell you, I don't who's going to love this more -

0:19:32 > 0:19:35Anita, Tom, Adam or John.

0:19:35 > 0:19:38No, I think John. John's going to win the fudge-eating contest.

0:19:38 > 0:19:41I hope they're all going to enjoy it.

0:19:41 > 0:19:45- Yes, I'm sure they will.- Yes. - I'm sure they will.

0:19:45 > 0:19:51# O come, all ye faithful

0:19:51 > 0:19:55# Joyful and triumphant

0:19:55 > 0:19:58# O come, ye... #

0:19:59 > 0:20:01O come, all ye faithful.

0:20:01 > 0:20:05And the faithful have been coming here for nearly 1,400 years.

0:20:05 > 0:20:08This is the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.

0:20:12 > 0:20:16It's where Christianity took hold in England again for the first time

0:20:16 > 0:20:17since the Romans.

0:20:17 > 0:20:21These are the ruins of the 12th century priory,

0:20:21 > 0:20:23but St Aidan built the original monastery here

0:20:23 > 0:20:25five centuries earlier.

0:20:27 > 0:20:29Which makes Holy Island one of the first places

0:20:29 > 0:20:32where Christmas would once again have been celebrated.

0:20:32 > 0:20:34But it would've been a very different Christmas

0:20:34 > 0:20:36from the one we know today.

0:20:46 > 0:20:50To discover more, I'm heading to St Mary's Parish Church,

0:20:50 > 0:20:52built on the site of that first monastery.

0:20:53 > 0:20:55The Reverend Paul Collins is the vicar.

0:20:57 > 0:20:59Putting the final touches to the tree, Paul?

0:20:59 > 0:21:02Yes, it's a splendid tree, isn't it?

0:21:02 > 0:21:05Yeah, but of course there wouldn't have been any tree

0:21:05 > 0:21:07like this back in the seventh century, would there?

0:21:07 > 0:21:09No, I think that's all 19th century.

0:21:09 > 0:21:11I think with Prince Albert, wasn't it,

0:21:11 > 0:21:13who got us to have Christmas trees?

0:21:13 > 0:21:15What would Christmas have been like

0:21:15 > 0:21:18on the island for the monks back in the seventh century?

0:21:18 > 0:21:21Well, it was probably quite hard.

0:21:21 > 0:21:23They would have celebrated Christmas...

0:21:23 > 0:21:25In what sort of way?

0:21:25 > 0:21:29I think they probably spent time, first of all,

0:21:29 > 0:21:33in silence and saying the psalms and then eventually they would have

0:21:33 > 0:21:36celebrated the Eucharist and then they probably had a feast.

0:21:36 > 0:21:39Oh, really? What kind of feast? What sort of food would they eat?

0:21:39 > 0:21:42Well, round here there's lots of ducks and geese,

0:21:42 > 0:21:44so maybe they had something like that to eat.

0:21:44 > 0:21:47And what about fish? Because a lot of fish in the sea around here.

0:21:47 > 0:21:49- Probably not on Christmas Day. - Why not?

0:21:49 > 0:21:53Well, fish is often seen as a substitute for meat,

0:21:53 > 0:21:56which you would eat on a fast day.

0:21:56 > 0:21:59So on a feast day you'd have...

0:21:59 > 0:22:02- You'd really tuck into the meat. - I think so.

0:22:05 > 0:22:07After that festive feast,

0:22:07 > 0:22:10those monks would have returned to the scriptures again,

0:22:10 > 0:22:14reading the Nativity story in one of the greatest manuscripts ever

0:22:14 > 0:22:19produced, The Lindisfarne Gospels - and there's a replica in the church.

0:22:21 > 0:22:24And here are the Gospels, opened at the start of Saint Matthew,

0:22:24 > 0:22:27of course famous for its telling of the Christmas story.

0:22:27 > 0:22:30- That's right. - They're stunning, the illustrations.

0:22:30 > 0:22:34They're very beautiful. Such amazing colour and detail.

0:22:34 > 0:22:37And who was responsible for The Lindisfarne Gospels?

0:22:37 > 0:22:42Well, one of the monks became a bishop and his name was Eadfrith.

0:22:42 > 0:22:46And Eadfrith is the one credited with, at least commissioning,

0:22:46 > 0:22:50if not himself writing and illustrating the Gospels.

0:22:50 > 0:22:54And then here, we have the beginning of the Christmas story

0:22:54 > 0:22:57and it tells us this is "Mater eius Maria Joseph",

0:22:57 > 0:23:01Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph.

0:23:01 > 0:23:04And of course, in their day, The Lindisfarne Gospels

0:23:04 > 0:23:06were hugely important, weren't they?

0:23:06 > 0:23:08Many pilgrims would have come to see them.

0:23:08 > 0:23:11A couple of centuries after they were made,

0:23:11 > 0:23:13above each of the Latin words,

0:23:13 > 0:23:16the equivalent in Anglo-Saxon was written.

0:23:16 > 0:23:20So it's the first time the Gospels appeared in Early English.

0:23:20 > 0:23:24MUSIC: O Come, All Ye Faithful (choral version)

0:23:35 > 0:23:38Now, as well as the Gospels, Holy Island is also famous

0:23:38 > 0:23:42for something which I think is going to go down a real treat

0:23:42 > 0:23:46at our get-together later on, and that is Lindisfarne Mead.

0:23:46 > 0:23:49MUSIC: O Come, All Ye Faithful (jazz version)

0:23:52 > 0:23:56Mead's an old favourite that's been going down a treat for centuries.

0:23:56 > 0:23:59And just the thing for a cold Christmas night.

0:23:59 > 0:24:02I'm meeting Ronnie Tait, who's been making mead

0:24:02 > 0:24:04for more than 30 years.

0:24:06 > 0:24:08Can I stop production for a moment, Ronnie?

0:24:08 > 0:24:12- Yes, certainly. Yeah. - So, what exactly is mead?

0:24:12 > 0:24:15Mead is probably the oldest alcoholic drink in the world.

0:24:15 > 0:24:19In its simplest form, its water and honey fermented with yeast.

0:24:19 > 0:24:22And does mead-making go way back around here?

0:24:22 > 0:24:25There's a smallholding on the way here, called Beal,

0:24:25 > 0:24:27which is a shortened term for the Bee Hill.

0:24:27 > 0:24:29I believe the monks would go across to Beal

0:24:29 > 0:24:32to get the wax for the candles and, who knows,

0:24:32 > 0:24:35maybe they got the honey and made some mead here.

0:24:35 > 0:24:38And how many bottles a year do you produce?

0:24:38 > 0:24:41At least 100,000 and it's growing all the time.

0:24:41 > 0:24:44We're hoping to expand by 10% next year

0:24:44 > 0:24:46and maybe 10-15 the year after.

0:24:46 > 0:24:48- You may have to get robots to bottle it.- Yes...

0:24:48 > 0:24:50Yes, well, we'll need a bit more automation

0:24:50 > 0:24:51than we have at present, yeah.

0:24:51 > 0:24:53In the meantime, how do you do it? How do you...?

0:24:53 > 0:24:55Yeah, you just put the bottle on there and it will fill...

0:24:55 > 0:24:59- The pressure will fill it up there. - Another one. Yeah.

0:24:59 > 0:25:01Right.

0:25:01 > 0:25:04- There we go.- OK. - Makes a nice noise.- Yeah.

0:25:04 > 0:25:07- Right, there we go. Another one in here.- Good stuff.

0:25:09 > 0:25:11Right, now I know how it's bottled.

0:25:11 > 0:25:14What I want to know now is what does it taste like.

0:25:14 > 0:25:16'So it's off to the winery shop.'

0:25:18 > 0:25:20Right, Ronnie, what have we got here then?

0:25:20 > 0:25:23This is the spiced one. In here we've got cinnamon,

0:25:23 > 0:25:26cloves and finished off with a wee bit nutmeg.

0:25:26 > 0:25:28- Nice and warming in winter time. - Yeah, very good, yeah.

0:25:28 > 0:25:29It's similar to a mulled wine.

0:25:29 > 0:25:33And this one in particular we're sending off to the Christmas markets

0:25:33 > 0:25:35in Birmingham and Manchester.

0:25:35 > 0:25:38Well, it's great to warm the cockles on a cold winter's day when you're

0:25:38 > 0:25:41- wandering around these markets, isn't it?- Yeah, just the job.

0:25:41 > 0:25:43And what about this one?

0:25:43 > 0:25:45OK, this is the dark one that you were bottling earlier.

0:25:45 > 0:25:48It's sherry style, quite smooth.

0:25:48 > 0:25:53- More local honey.- Yeah, you can really taste the honey in this one.

0:25:53 > 0:25:55- Well, cheers, Ronnie. - Cheers. All the very best.

0:25:55 > 0:25:58And I tell you what I think I'll do, I'll take a bottle each...

0:25:58 > 0:26:00- Yeah, why not?- ..for our Countryfile Christmas party.

0:26:00 > 0:26:02- I hope you enjoy them. Merry Christmas.- Thank you.

0:26:02 > 0:26:04Happy Christmas to you.

0:26:04 > 0:26:08MUSIC: O Come, All Ye Faithful (recorder version)

0:26:11 > 0:26:13Those old monks had a saying,

0:26:13 > 0:26:16"If the soul was in God's keeping,

0:26:16 > 0:26:20"then body needed fortifying with Lindisfarne Mead."

0:26:21 > 0:26:24'And I can think of a few bodies who'd drink to that.'

0:26:28 > 0:26:31MUSIC: In the Bleak Midwinter

0:26:35 > 0:26:39Winter can sometimes feel bleak, but in the natural world

0:26:39 > 0:26:41it's always beautiful.

0:26:44 > 0:26:47Despite being the coldest and darkest time of the year,

0:26:47 > 0:26:49there's a wonderland of wildlife

0:26:49 > 0:26:52out there during these winter months.

0:26:54 > 0:26:56I'm close to home this Christmas,

0:26:56 > 0:26:59helping out The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust,

0:26:59 > 0:27:01of which I'm president.

0:27:01 > 0:27:03'I'm with volunteers on Greystone Farm,

0:27:03 > 0:27:06'who are working to maintain the rich habitat

0:27:06 > 0:27:10'found along the banks of the River Eye in the Cotswolds.'

0:27:10 > 0:27:13Well, I've been told if I work hard enough,

0:27:13 > 0:27:16I might even earn myself a mince pie and a glass of mulled wine

0:27:16 > 0:27:18at the farmer's Christmas bash a bit later.

0:27:21 > 0:27:24- That's it. Where do you want this? - You can pop those just down here.

0:27:24 > 0:27:26- Just on there?- That would be great.

0:27:26 > 0:27:29'Will Masefield is the community wildlife officer

0:27:29 > 0:27:31'here at Greystone Farm.'

0:27:31 > 0:27:33We're out here today doing what we call green revetment.

0:27:33 > 0:27:36So we're re-profiling this river bank.

0:27:36 > 0:27:38We do this sort of thing up and down the Cotswolds

0:27:38 > 0:27:41where perhaps cows might have smashed the river bank down

0:27:41 > 0:27:43and introducing a lot of silts

0:27:43 > 0:27:45and you lose this lovely bank profile,

0:27:45 > 0:27:47which is where water voles, for example,

0:27:47 > 0:27:49love to burrow and dig their burrows into here.

0:27:49 > 0:27:52A lot of the work that we do throughout the catchment

0:27:52 > 0:27:54is to benefit the invertebrates in the river

0:27:54 > 0:27:57and the vegetation and the fish, and then of course

0:27:57 > 0:28:00all the kingfishers and otters and the rest of the food chain

0:28:00 > 0:28:02- that benefits from that. - Yeah, absolutely.

0:28:02 > 0:28:04And how much of that work do you rely on volunteers for?

0:28:04 > 0:28:06An awful lot. We have over 400 volunteers

0:28:06 > 0:28:08- with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.- Wow.

0:28:08 > 0:28:10So a few mince pies and a bit of mulled wine.

0:28:10 > 0:28:13It's a small payment for all that work they do, isn't it?

0:28:13 > 0:28:15- Yeah, yeah... - Yeah, for a day like today.- Yeah!

0:28:15 > 0:28:18Standing in the river up to your chestnuts in cold water.

0:28:18 > 0:28:20But you know what? It's pretty glorious, isn't it?

0:28:20 > 0:28:24We're not moaning too much because the sun is shining.

0:28:25 > 0:28:29The volunteers have really put in a good shift today.

0:28:30 > 0:28:32But we can all do our bit.

0:28:32 > 0:28:34This Christmas, while we're tucking in,

0:28:34 > 0:28:38we should spare a small thought for wildlife,

0:28:38 > 0:28:39and you don't need waders to help.

0:28:43 > 0:28:47I'm going to show how you can make a difference in your own back garden

0:28:47 > 0:28:48with a festive twist.

0:28:50 > 0:28:53As a nation, we are absolutely fantastic

0:28:53 > 0:28:55at putting out food for the birds,

0:28:55 > 0:28:58but when temperatures drop well below zero,

0:28:58 > 0:29:01which they are doing at the moment, and the countryside is all frozen,

0:29:01 > 0:29:04leaving out fresh water is just as important,

0:29:04 > 0:29:07particularly for the seed-eating birds

0:29:07 > 0:29:09like the tits, the finches, nuthatches -

0:29:09 > 0:29:13they have a very dry diet, so they need to drink quite often.

0:29:13 > 0:29:16Now, one of the things you can do, if you have a bird bath with water in,

0:29:16 > 0:29:18is float something in the top.

0:29:18 > 0:29:22So I've got a little Christmassy bauble there, which will do the job.

0:29:22 > 0:29:26Or I'm sure many of you will have some of these during this season,

0:29:26 > 0:29:27fizzy wine cork.

0:29:27 > 0:29:29Let that blow around in the breeze.

0:29:29 > 0:29:32It'll prevent the crust of ice forming on the top

0:29:32 > 0:29:34and even if there's just a small gap,

0:29:34 > 0:29:36the birds will be able to access the water.

0:29:37 > 0:29:39Looks like the end of a good Christmas party.

0:29:47 > 0:29:50One thing that you can do that will ultimately help the birds but, in the meantime,

0:29:50 > 0:29:55will look fabulous and festive in your garden, is to make ice lanterns.

0:29:55 > 0:29:59You just need two vessels, one slightly smaller than the other.

0:29:59 > 0:30:04Add water, so that you're making a moat around the outside.

0:30:04 > 0:30:08And then because it's floating and because you want this middle one

0:30:08 > 0:30:10to stay as central as possible,

0:30:10 > 0:30:14I'm going to add some tape to keep it in place.

0:30:14 > 0:30:16That's the basics of the ice lantern.

0:30:16 > 0:30:19But it's rather nice to decorate it with some evergreen

0:30:19 > 0:30:23that's available all around the countryside at this time of year.

0:30:23 > 0:30:27I've got pieces of holly down here and you put it down into that moat.

0:30:27 > 0:30:30And simply freeze overnight.

0:30:31 > 0:30:33I've got an audience suddenly just joined me,

0:30:33 > 0:30:36intrigued to see how these are going to turn out.

0:30:38 > 0:30:41Now the moment of truth for the one I made earlier.

0:30:41 > 0:30:45Turn it out as you would a Christmas pud.

0:30:45 > 0:30:46Oh, my goodness, it looks amazing.

0:30:47 > 0:30:52Put it on your bird table with a beautiful candle inside.

0:30:55 > 0:30:59Eventually, the water in the ice lantern will melt and all

0:30:59 > 0:31:03of the greenery will act as a perch for the birds in the fresh water.

0:31:04 > 0:31:06Yes, love that.

0:31:09 > 0:31:11That's the smaller birds sorted for Christmas.

0:31:14 > 0:31:16But there's good news for the big birds, too.

0:31:16 > 0:31:18They won't be getting left out in the cold.

0:31:20 > 0:31:24They've got barn owls on the site here and they know because

0:31:24 > 0:31:26they leave behind these pellets.

0:31:26 > 0:31:30You can see tiny, tiny jawbones

0:31:30 > 0:31:34and tiny femurs and you can work out how many animals they've eaten,

0:31:34 > 0:31:36usually around four or five.

0:31:39 > 0:31:43The volunteers are building 16 new homes for barn owls.

0:31:44 > 0:31:48It's hoped they'll provide a lifeline for these beautiful birds

0:31:48 > 0:31:49here in the Cotswolds.

0:31:51 > 0:31:55John Fields from the Trust is leading the effort.

0:31:55 > 0:31:57How's the carpentry going, John?

0:31:57 > 0:31:59Yeah, I'm just measuring up some baton.

0:31:59 > 0:32:02- Good. "Measure twice, cut once," they say in carpentry, isn't it? - Yes, that's right.

0:32:02 > 0:32:04This is for the inside of barn owl boxes.

0:32:04 > 0:32:06How are barn owls doing here?

0:32:07 > 0:32:10Well, the sightings are getting quite frequent - that's good.

0:32:10 > 0:32:12But the success rate for breeding,

0:32:12 > 0:32:16it just isn't there and that's one of the things we're trying to address.

0:32:16 > 0:32:19How are they taking to the barn-owl boxes so far?

0:32:19 > 0:32:20Very well. They love them.

0:32:20 > 0:32:23We put barn-owl boxes in a small barn near to here

0:32:23 > 0:32:27and within a matter of days, we had barn owls in there.

0:32:27 > 0:32:28Yeah, they really do work.

0:32:28 > 0:32:31So last one for the day, this box?

0:32:31 > 0:32:32- Very much so.- You've worked hard.

0:32:32 > 0:32:34You deserve a mince pie and some mulled wine,

0:32:34 > 0:32:35which I think is on its way.

0:32:35 > 0:32:37Hey, check this out.

0:32:37 > 0:32:38Mulled wine, if you please.

0:32:38 > 0:32:40And a yule log!

0:32:40 > 0:32:41With a barn owl on!

0:32:44 > 0:32:46Thank you. Cheers.

0:32:46 > 0:32:48- ALL: Cheers. - Cheers, merry Christmas to you.

0:32:53 > 0:32:55Well done, everybody. You truly deserve this.

0:32:55 > 0:32:59And it's a happy Christmas from us all here in the Cotswolds.

0:32:59 > 0:33:01- Happy Christmas. - ALL: Happy Christmas!- Cheers!

0:33:11 > 0:33:15Now, putting up the Christmas decorations is always a big day, isn't it?

0:33:15 > 0:33:18I can't imagine what a massive challenge it would be living here at Bamburgh Castle.

0:33:18 > 0:33:22You need truckloads of tinsel and barrow loads of holly.

0:33:22 > 0:33:24Perfect. Hi, Chris.

0:33:24 > 0:33:27Thanks, mate. See you at about seven tonight, yeah?

0:33:27 > 0:33:30- Cheers!- Excellent. Just listen out for the music.

0:33:30 > 0:33:33Yeah, there's a big party going on here tonight and thankfully Robert is here

0:33:33 > 0:33:36to help me get all the Christmas decorations in order.

0:33:40 > 0:33:43- Now then, Rob.- Hello, Matt.- Whole barrow load of holly for you there with some ivy...

0:33:43 > 0:33:45- Thanks very much.- Oh, my word, look at that.

0:33:45 > 0:33:46Isn't that beautiful?

0:33:46 > 0:33:49This is a really natural door wreath,

0:33:49 > 0:33:54which is used with all Northumbrian foliage and then decorated with some

0:33:54 > 0:33:57nice scented bits, so you get a nice welcome scent at your door when

0:33:57 > 0:33:59visitors come over the festive period.

0:33:59 > 0:34:03- Yeah.- There's a nice, noble fir, blue foliage on the outside.

0:34:03 > 0:34:08The next layer is some golden yew and the last layer is the nice

0:34:08 > 0:34:09variegated holly in the middle.

0:34:09 > 0:34:13- Great. Shall we hang it up and see how it looks on this door, then? - Certainly can.

0:34:13 > 0:34:15This very grand door of this castle, which,

0:34:15 > 0:34:18as I understand it, the reason it's shaped like this -

0:34:18 > 0:34:20absolutely fascinating - is so that...

0:34:20 > 0:34:24Back in the day, if any soldiers or knights were under siege, they would

0:34:24 > 0:34:27actually ride into this courtyard on a horse,

0:34:27 > 0:34:31they'd open the door up and then they'd actually go through the door on horseback,

0:34:31 > 0:34:34so you've got the shape there of the horse and then the rider would go

0:34:34 > 0:34:37through the top bit. It's unbelievable.

0:34:37 > 0:34:40So, how have you actually constructed this, then, Rob?

0:34:40 > 0:34:43So, the ring is soaked in water and then wrapped in plastic

0:34:43 > 0:34:45and then the foliage is stuck into that,

0:34:45 > 0:34:51so that should keep your wreath nice and fresh until well past the festive season.

0:34:51 > 0:34:53I mean, it is, it's a beautiful art form.

0:34:53 > 0:34:55And actually it's that thought, isn't it, of bringing...

0:34:55 > 0:34:58Decking the halls with boughs of holly and actually bringing it out...

0:34:58 > 0:35:02It's nice to bring the garden straight to your front door.

0:35:02 > 0:35:04Well, that is very much the entrance sorted.

0:35:04 > 0:35:05- Let's get some of this...- Right.

0:35:05 > 0:35:08..in there and then we can start decking the halls.

0:35:08 > 0:35:10Taking greenery inside, like holly and ivy,

0:35:10 > 0:35:13is a tradition that goes back to pre-Christian times.

0:35:13 > 0:35:17Evergreen symbolised eternal life - that as one year ends,

0:35:17 > 0:35:20a new one begins and life renews.

0:35:20 > 0:35:24And this wreath will provide a festive welcome for our guests later on.

0:35:34 > 0:35:36Stay there!

0:35:36 > 0:35:37Stay there. Stay there.

0:35:44 > 0:35:48ADAM: Ashley Stamper is a 24-year-old hill shepherd

0:35:48 > 0:35:51working across 9,000 acres in Northumberland.

0:35:51 > 0:35:54In the festive season, she spends most of her time

0:35:54 > 0:35:57working up on the fell in the harshest of conditions,

0:35:57 > 0:35:59but today she's brought the ewe lambs

0:35:59 > 0:36:01down to the grassland at Belsay Hall

0:36:01 > 0:36:04to graze over the Christmas holidays.

0:36:04 > 0:36:07- Hi, Ashley.- Hello.- Lovely to see you.- How are you doing?

0:36:07 > 0:36:08What a beautiful place to work.

0:36:08 > 0:36:09Yeah. It's lovely.

0:36:09 > 0:36:13It's nice to be able to split my time between coming to

0:36:13 > 0:36:16the grass parks or working up on the hills as well.

0:36:16 > 0:36:17These sheep look beautiful.

0:36:17 > 0:36:18- Scottish blackface.- Yes.

0:36:18 > 0:36:21North of England type, with a bit of Scotch in them.

0:36:21 > 0:36:24With us down in the south, our farming is very different -

0:36:24 > 0:36:27quite easy in comparison to the hills. How tough do you find it?

0:36:27 > 0:36:29It changes all the time,

0:36:29 > 0:36:32so you think you've learnt the hill and then you go up one morning and

0:36:32 > 0:36:36the fog is right in front of your face and all of a sudden you have no idea where you are.

0:36:36 > 0:36:39I get a lot more out of it than working down here -

0:36:39 > 0:36:41it's a lot more challenging.

0:36:41 > 0:36:43So, tell me about these blue marks.

0:36:43 > 0:36:45It looks like you've got baubles on them for Christmas.

0:36:45 > 0:36:47No, no, not at all! Because we don't have fences,

0:36:47 > 0:36:49we need to teach the sheep where to stay

0:36:49 > 0:36:52and that's an expression called hefting.

0:36:52 > 0:36:57Hefting is where the sheep learn to stay on a certain part of the hill.

0:36:57 > 0:37:01So we would call one part of the hill a hersall and within

0:37:01 > 0:37:04the hersall we have different cuts of sheep.

0:37:04 > 0:37:08The cut is like a family and they learn to stay on that part of the hill.

0:37:08 > 0:37:10There's usually two or more marks -

0:37:10 > 0:37:13one mark tells you which hersall, which hill, they're on

0:37:13 > 0:37:16and the other mark tells you which cut they're from on that hersall.

0:37:16 > 0:37:18I know about hefting,

0:37:18 > 0:37:20where the sheep learn to live on a hill,

0:37:20 > 0:37:22where to find the water and the shade and the grass,

0:37:22 > 0:37:26but I've never heard of hersalls or cuts of sheep, I have to say.

0:37:26 > 0:37:29Yeah, OK, so they're traditional names and there's a lot more

0:37:29 > 0:37:31and I'm still learning them all!

0:37:34 > 0:37:36Jim, lie down. Lie down.

0:37:36 > 0:37:38You lie down there. And you,

0:37:38 > 0:37:41stop getting off the bike when you're not told.

0:37:43 > 0:37:46After Ashley has seen to her cheeky pup, Moe...

0:37:46 > 0:37:48Sit down there now, you stay there.

0:37:48 > 0:37:51..it's time to load the lambs that she's been bringing in today.

0:37:52 > 0:37:55They're off to a nearby Christmas livestock market.

0:37:55 > 0:37:58They are counting the lambs onto the lorry and they've got to get

0:37:58 > 0:38:01the correct number, so they know how many have gone to market.

0:38:01 > 0:38:03And Ashley is all across it.

0:38:03 > 0:38:05She knows exactly what she's doing.

0:38:05 > 0:38:07Staying quite calm, lovely nature,

0:38:07 > 0:38:09and that's the way you've got to be with animals.

0:38:09 > 0:38:12Frankie Walton has been shepherding for nearly 50 years.

0:38:15 > 0:38:17He's acting as a mentor to Ashley.

0:38:17 > 0:38:21- What a great team.- Ah, can you be here every week, please?

0:38:22 > 0:38:24Great team!

0:38:24 > 0:38:26And you get to go to the markets as well, you're following these in?

0:38:26 > 0:38:30- Yeah, I work at the market sometimes.- It's nonstop.- Nonstop.

0:38:30 > 0:38:34- Fish and chips on a Friday at the market.- What a treat!

0:38:34 > 0:38:36THEY CHUCKLE

0:38:36 > 0:38:38And you'll be home, you know, carving the Christmas turkey,

0:38:38 > 0:38:41just peering out of the window, looking at her up on the hill.

0:38:41 > 0:38:42Yes, yes. Oh, definitely.

0:38:42 > 0:38:44I've got to have my Christmas off.

0:38:52 > 0:38:53Ashley got her break into farming

0:38:53 > 0:38:55through the Prince's Countryside Fund,

0:38:55 > 0:38:58a scheme designed to help UK agriculture.

0:38:58 > 0:39:00But she's not from farming stock.

0:39:01 > 0:39:04So, tell me about your family background, then.

0:39:04 > 0:39:09Well, my family have absolutely nothing to do with shepherding or

0:39:09 > 0:39:11farming at all, really.

0:39:12 > 0:39:16Both my mum and dad are some way related to being in the beauty industry.

0:39:16 > 0:39:21Hence I started as a beauty therapist and became qualified and

0:39:21 > 0:39:25started running a beauty salon in East Lothian.

0:39:25 > 0:39:28- Why the change?- It was just indoors and wasn't for me

0:39:28 > 0:39:30and I'll never go back.

0:39:30 > 0:39:32I enjoy being outside.

0:39:32 > 0:39:34And now you're at university, too.

0:39:34 > 0:39:37I am in fourth year studying agriculture.

0:39:37 > 0:39:40The honours project, believe it or not, is in sheepdogs.

0:39:40 > 0:39:44There's not really much data out there that shows just how much work

0:39:44 > 0:39:47these dogs are doing, so I'm going to look at energy consumption.

0:39:47 > 0:39:49Fascinating. Cos they are on the go all the time.

0:39:49 > 0:39:53- They travel some miles.- Yeah, they do. This little pup's only five months, aren't you, Moe?

0:39:53 > 0:39:58And she's had a big day today and it would just be interesting to see

0:39:58 > 0:40:01how much energy she uses compared to a pup that isn't, you know,

0:40:01 > 0:40:04going to be a sheepdog and the same for the older guys.

0:40:04 > 0:40:07And it's not just that they're a working tool -

0:40:07 > 0:40:09it's the companionship, too, isn't it?

0:40:09 > 0:40:13Absolutely. When you're out on the hills by yourself and the mist is in

0:40:13 > 0:40:16and it's just you and your dog, it is special.

0:40:16 > 0:40:18I enjoy the dogs, I'm with them all the time.

0:40:20 > 0:40:23Shepherding and dogs are part of the fabric of this landscape.

0:40:23 > 0:40:27And in days gone by, Christmas was shared in a very special way.

0:40:29 > 0:40:31It's an old tradition in the north country that on Sundays,

0:40:31 > 0:40:33and especially Christmas Day,

0:40:33 > 0:40:36shepherds would take their dogs to the church services with them.

0:40:38 > 0:40:41Bolam Church is just a stone's throw away from Belsay.

0:40:41 > 0:40:46Lay minister Pam Walker is going to tell me all about those old traditions.

0:40:46 > 0:40:49- What a lovely little church.- It's amazing, isn't it? We're so lucky.

0:40:49 > 0:40:53Pam, tell me the story about shepherds bringing their dogs into the church.

0:40:53 > 0:40:56Well, there's certainly a tradition of that happening in the Borders.

0:40:56 > 0:40:59Especially in the festivals like Christmas,

0:40:59 > 0:41:02when everybody's families are coming back together, they're enjoying themselves -

0:41:02 > 0:41:05well, their dogs are part of the family as well as their working companions.

0:41:05 > 0:41:07So they would bring them into church with them.

0:41:07 > 0:41:10It must have been a bit strange for the person carrying out the service

0:41:10 > 0:41:12to have lots of dogs milling around.

0:41:12 > 0:41:16There are stories of travelling priests, certainly in the Borders,

0:41:16 > 0:41:19who would arrive at a church and be really, really puzzled

0:41:19 > 0:41:22why his congregation wasn't standing up at the appropriate places.

0:41:22 > 0:41:24And that's because if they did,

0:41:24 > 0:41:27the dogs would all stand up and think, "It's time to go off home."

0:41:27 > 0:41:29And that was what would happen. So it was easier

0:41:29 > 0:41:33and kept probably a more holy atmosphere if everybody remained seated.

0:41:33 > 0:41:35It's very lovely to see how quickly they've settled down -

0:41:35 > 0:41:38although they're working dogs, charging around in the fields,

0:41:38 > 0:41:40they seem to come into church and just relax.

0:41:40 > 0:41:43- Because it's a place of peace, I think, yes.- Aw.

0:41:44 > 0:41:49# While shepherds watched their flocks by night

0:41:49 > 0:41:53# All seated on the ground

0:41:54 > 0:42:00# The angel of the Lord came down

0:42:00 > 0:42:05# And glory shone around. #

0:42:06 > 0:42:10I find it wonderful that the bond between the shepherds and their

0:42:10 > 0:42:14dogs was so strong that they quite literally went everywhere together.

0:42:14 > 0:42:16Very special indeed.

0:42:17 > 0:42:23# Glad tidings of great joy I bring

0:42:23 > 0:42:27# To you and all mankind

0:42:29 > 0:42:34# The heavenly babe you there shall find

0:42:34 > 0:42:38# To human view displayed... #

0:42:40 > 0:42:43And since it's Christmas, what better way to finish the day

0:42:43 > 0:42:45than back out in the fields with Ashley,

0:42:45 > 0:42:46the shepherd, watching her flock?

0:42:58 > 0:43:01MATT: At the foot of Bamburgh Castle is Bamburgh village -

0:43:01 > 0:43:04the perfect place to do a bit of last-minute Christmas shopping.

0:43:08 > 0:43:09Food shopping, to be exact,

0:43:09 > 0:43:13and I'm looking for a bit of a twist on the usual Christmas menu to feed

0:43:13 > 0:43:16the rest of the Countryfile gang and our guests a little bit later on.

0:43:16 > 0:43:18And The Potted Lobster is the reason I'm here.

0:43:21 > 0:43:24Award-winning chef Richard Sim is a dab hand when it comes to

0:43:24 > 0:43:27traditional Northumbrian fare.

0:43:27 > 0:43:29So, Richard, this is some of the latest catch.

0:43:29 > 0:43:30This is it. Some fabulous oysters,

0:43:30 > 0:43:33just literally from just a stone's throw just down the road.

0:43:33 > 0:43:35Lindisfarne oysters, really, really good.

0:43:35 > 0:43:39Some spoots or spouts or razor clams.

0:43:39 > 0:43:41But, you know, spoots up here.

0:43:41 > 0:43:43Some lovely lamb. We're going to do a little bit of roast lamb.

0:43:43 > 0:43:46And there's a lot of sheep in this region.

0:43:46 > 0:43:49More sheep than people, they say, in Northumberland.

0:43:49 > 0:43:51That's one of our claims to fame, I think.

0:43:51 > 0:43:53Yeah. Yeah, that looks lovely.

0:43:53 > 0:43:57Fantastic lamb. The quality of the produce at the moment is absolutely at its best.

0:43:57 > 0:44:00- Do you want to try an oyster? - Yeah, yeah, why not?

0:44:01 > 0:44:04- OK, so a little squeeze of lemon. - Squeeze of lemon.

0:44:05 > 0:44:08- Thank you very much indeed. - Go for it. Cheers!

0:44:13 > 0:44:14That is a good one. That is a good one.

0:44:14 > 0:44:18- Yeah?- The sea round here tastes pretty good. I tell you.

0:44:18 > 0:44:19Back in medieval times,

0:44:19 > 0:44:23eating meat was prohibited in the run-up to Christmas.

0:44:23 > 0:44:25Advent was a month-long fast

0:44:25 > 0:44:28and only fish could be eaten before the 25th.

0:44:28 > 0:44:31So, what's the plan for tonight, as far as this feast is concerned?

0:44:31 > 0:44:34Run some food up to feed you, I think is the idea.

0:44:34 > 0:44:36Excellent. Well, listen, I'll let you crack on and we'll give you

0:44:36 > 0:44:39- a whistle from the top of the hill when we're ready.- OK, cheers, Matt.

0:44:39 > 0:44:41- See you later.- See you later. Cheers, Matt. Bye.

0:44:54 > 0:44:58ANITA: On my quest to bring a merry Christmas to our festive feast,

0:44:58 > 0:45:00I've travelled to rural Northumberland,

0:45:00 > 0:45:02just outside the old market town of Alnwick.

0:45:05 > 0:45:08What I'm looking for is the showstopper, the grand finale,

0:45:08 > 0:45:11the blazing flourish for our Christmas gathering,

0:45:11 > 0:45:14and that could only mean one thing - Christmas pudding.

0:45:18 > 0:45:22The Christmas pudding as we know it has been a firm favourite

0:45:22 > 0:45:26since Victorian times, but its origins date back

0:45:26 > 0:45:28to the Middle Ages as a way of preserving meat.

0:45:28 > 0:45:33The pottage, as it was known, was more of a broth made from mincemeat,

0:45:33 > 0:45:37dried fruits, spices and thickened with breadcrumbs.

0:45:37 > 0:45:38But not everyone was a fan.

0:45:40 > 0:45:45Some even claim Oliver Cromwell tried to ban the Christmas pudding.

0:45:45 > 0:45:46What a killjoy!

0:45:47 > 0:45:52But over the years, such luminaries as Prince Albert and Charles Dickens

0:45:52 > 0:45:54have all championed the Christmas pudding.

0:45:54 > 0:45:57And I've even heard John Craven is a fan.

0:45:58 > 0:46:02So I've come to meet award-winning pudding maker Susan Green

0:46:02 > 0:46:04on her family farm.

0:46:04 > 0:46:06This is quite some spot you've got here, Susan.

0:46:06 > 0:46:08Oh, it's fabulous. We're so lucky.

0:46:08 > 0:46:12So, when did the Christmas pudding business start?

0:46:12 > 0:46:16My pudding business started in 2000, 2001.

0:46:16 > 0:46:19My husband and I were going to have our fourth child.

0:46:19 > 0:46:22It was a time when, as tenant farmers,

0:46:22 > 0:46:25we were finding it a little bit of a struggle.

0:46:25 > 0:46:28And I decided I needed to do something to contribute.

0:46:28 > 0:46:29I'd always baked.

0:46:29 > 0:46:31I started doing some baking

0:46:31 > 0:46:33for a local farmers' market.

0:46:33 > 0:46:34And it grew from there.

0:46:34 > 0:46:37And the pudding business has developed from there.

0:46:37 > 0:46:39And I hear that there's a secret recipe.

0:46:39 > 0:46:41Well, do you fancy coming to have a look?

0:46:41 > 0:46:42I would love that.

0:46:44 > 0:46:46- Yeah, it's a beautiful house. - Oh, thank you.

0:46:48 > 0:46:51The farmhouse is full of festive spirit -

0:46:51 > 0:46:54just the setting for me to make my very first Christmas pudding.

0:46:58 > 0:46:59- Come into my kitchen.- Wow!

0:47:01 > 0:47:05So, Anita, with Christmas pudding, preparation is everything.

0:47:05 > 0:47:07It smells amazing in here, by the way.

0:47:07 > 0:47:09- Good.- So Christmassy, it's gorgeous.

0:47:09 > 0:47:11Citrusy and spicy and yummy.

0:47:11 > 0:47:15- So, what have we got?- We have got a mixture of dried fruits,

0:47:15 > 0:47:21and then we have fresh fruit, some dry ingredients, and some spice.

0:47:21 > 0:47:23I think I've just spotted your secret recipe.

0:47:23 > 0:47:27- Oh, yes.- I've got a homing device for fine alcohol.

0:47:27 > 0:47:30- So, what's this?- So, that's our local Alnwick rum.

0:47:30 > 0:47:31And how much of this goes into it?

0:47:31 > 0:47:35You're going to put all of that bottle into this pot.

0:47:35 > 0:47:36- Now?- Yes.

0:47:38 > 0:47:41Why do you put this into your Christmas pudding?

0:47:41 > 0:47:43My mother had always made her Christmas pudding with Alnwick rum.

0:47:43 > 0:47:45- Is that right?- Yeah.

0:47:45 > 0:47:49It's the recipe that my mum used when we were children and my family

0:47:49 > 0:47:51have eaten this Christmas pudding every year.

0:47:51 > 0:47:54So, this is an authentic Northumberland recipe,

0:47:54 > 0:47:56passed down through generations.

0:47:56 > 0:47:57Definitely.

0:47:59 > 0:48:04The dried fruit is soaked in the rum for a minimum of 48 hours,

0:48:04 > 0:48:07so, in the finest tradition, Sue has prepared a batch earlier.

0:48:07 > 0:48:09You really have to smell this one.

0:48:09 > 0:48:11- Oh, wow!- This one has had its two days.

0:48:15 > 0:48:16Ooh!

0:48:16 > 0:48:19- Wow!- You can smell the fumes, can't you?

0:48:19 > 0:48:20That's quite something.

0:48:23 > 0:48:26Next up, I add the zest and juice of a lemon to the mix,

0:48:26 > 0:48:29already containing fresh apple, carrot and orange.

0:48:32 > 0:48:34This is my first-ever Christmas pudding.

0:48:34 > 0:48:37Well, I hope you'll feel inspired to make one yourself next year.

0:48:37 > 0:48:40I don't know. I'm being taught by the Queen of Christmas puds here.

0:48:40 > 0:48:43I don't think the rum would get into the fruit stage.

0:48:45 > 0:48:46Right.

0:48:48 > 0:48:50Then to the mix of breadcrumbs, brown sugar,

0:48:50 > 0:48:54suet and flour we add the all-important festive spices.

0:48:56 > 0:48:58That smells like heaven in there.

0:48:58 > 0:49:02- Cinnamon...- It's the Christmas smell, isn't it?- Yeah.

0:49:02 > 0:49:04Whoo!

0:49:04 > 0:49:06'Finally, we add all the ingredients together...

0:49:08 > 0:49:09'..add some eggs...'

0:49:09 > 0:49:11And then if you'd like to switch it on...

0:49:11 > 0:49:12No problem.

0:49:14 > 0:49:16'..and give it a mix.'

0:49:21 > 0:49:25That looks so good. This is when real love gets involved.

0:49:25 > 0:49:27Why don't you do it all in the mixer?

0:49:27 > 0:49:30We can be sure that it's a nice, even mix.

0:49:30 > 0:49:33And, of course, we're getting all the last residue of the rum

0:49:33 > 0:49:35that was left in the bottom of the container.

0:49:35 > 0:49:37The most important thing.

0:49:37 > 0:49:38So that's looking great.

0:49:38 > 0:49:42- Lovingly done.- You have actually now made a Christmas pudding.

0:49:42 > 0:49:45Woo-hoo! I'd high-five you but, er...

0:49:49 > 0:49:53So, into the pudding bowl it goes, before steaming for ten hours.

0:49:57 > 0:49:58But we can't hang around.

0:49:58 > 0:50:00We've got to hightail it to Bamburgh Castle

0:50:00 > 0:50:02for the Christmas festivities.

0:50:02 > 0:50:04Here we are.

0:50:04 > 0:50:08So, once again, Susan is one step ahead, with another all ready to go.

0:50:12 > 0:50:14That is heavenly.

0:50:14 > 0:50:15I can't wait to taste it.

0:50:15 > 0:50:17In fact, I can't wait to show the others.

0:50:19 > 0:50:21All that's left now is to add the finishing touches

0:50:21 > 0:50:24and we're ready for the journey.

0:50:26 > 0:50:28In a moment, we'll be joining the Christmas feast.

0:50:28 > 0:50:30All we need now is a bit of snow.

0:50:30 > 0:50:33The question is, will we get any in the run-up to Christmas?

0:50:33 > 0:50:36Here's the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.

0:51:08 > 0:51:10MATT: It's party time at Bamburgh Castle.

0:51:10 > 0:51:12The halls are decked, the tree is up,

0:51:12 > 0:51:15and there's treat after tasty treat on offer.

0:51:15 > 0:51:17We've invited the folk we've met throughout the programme,

0:51:17 > 0:51:19even the sheepdogs.

0:51:21 > 0:51:24- Oh, you're here! I'm so pleased you came. Hiya, Tom.- Nice to see you.

0:51:24 > 0:51:27Nice to see you. Merry Christmas.

0:51:27 > 0:51:30- Hi, John.- Got some mead!- Wise man.

0:51:30 > 0:51:31Make yourselves at home.

0:51:38 > 0:51:41John, of course, has brought some of his favourite new tipple, mead,

0:51:41 > 0:51:43to get the party started.

0:51:43 > 0:51:45Have you ever drunk mead before?

0:51:45 > 0:51:47- No. Never.- Never in my life.

0:51:47 > 0:51:50No? Well, it's a fortified wine with honey in it.

0:51:50 > 0:51:53It goes really well with an occasion like this, doesn't it?

0:51:53 > 0:51:55Yes, certainly.

0:51:55 > 0:51:57- I'll have a drop as well. - Happy Christmas.

0:51:57 > 0:51:58Merry Christmas.

0:52:00 > 0:52:03- Would you like an oyster? - I'd love an oyster, yeah.

0:52:03 > 0:52:04Yeah. Have a little bit of that.

0:52:06 > 0:52:07Here we go.

0:52:11 > 0:52:12That's nice.

0:52:12 > 0:52:14It's good sea around here, you see?

0:52:14 > 0:52:17- Better than your neck of the woods. - Careful - they're supposed to be an aphrodisiac!

0:52:19 > 0:52:21I'm on my way. I'm on my way!

0:52:24 > 0:52:27- Would you like a taste? - I'd love some.- Spicy mead.

0:52:27 > 0:52:28I love a bit of mead, actually.

0:52:30 > 0:52:33- There we are. Merry Christmas. - Merry Christmas.- Down the hatch.

0:52:33 > 0:52:34There we are.

0:52:37 > 0:52:39Here's my present for you, Matt.

0:52:39 > 0:52:41- For me?- Yeah, for you.

0:52:41 > 0:52:43Well, do you know what? It just so happens

0:52:43 > 0:52:45that I have a present for you.

0:52:45 > 0:52:46They look alarmingly similar.

0:52:46 > 0:52:50- Um, anyway... Yeah.- Thank you. Happy Christmas.

0:52:50 > 0:52:52I know what's happening here.

0:52:52 > 0:52:54- Yeah.- What do you mean, you know what's happening?

0:52:54 > 0:52:56Well, I know what's happening.

0:52:56 > 0:52:58There we are. As predicted.

0:52:58 > 0:53:03Who could have guessed? Who could have suspected that?

0:53:10 > 0:53:13My word, you've got the dogs in the castles and in churches now.

0:53:13 > 0:53:14It looks as though he's been drinking my mead.

0:53:16 > 0:53:21As the oysters went down well, it's on to our medieval-inspired main.

0:53:21 > 0:53:23Put your hand up if you want fish pie.

0:53:23 > 0:53:25Hands up for fish pie.

0:53:25 > 0:53:26Who would like a bit of fish pie?

0:53:26 > 0:53:28Roll up. Come on.

0:53:28 > 0:53:30Who would like to...? Yes, this lady.

0:53:30 > 0:53:32Sold to the lady in the nice jersey.

0:53:36 > 0:53:39And now for the star of the show,

0:53:39 > 0:53:42the traditional Christmas pudding Anita brought with her.

0:53:42 > 0:53:44Just admiring your wreath.

0:53:44 > 0:53:46- It looks lovely.- It looks absolutely stunning.

0:53:46 > 0:53:47Beautiful, isn't it?

0:53:51 > 0:53:53- Here we go.- Here we go.- Ready?

0:53:53 > 0:53:55THEY CHEER

0:53:56 > 0:53:59- Lovely, look at that. - Fantastic.- Look at that!- Oh, wow!

0:53:59 > 0:54:01Absolutely spectacular.

0:54:01 > 0:54:04All together - one, two, three...

0:54:04 > 0:54:05Right. I'll do the honours.

0:54:05 > 0:54:09- Let's get in there.- Work on that wrist strength.

0:54:09 > 0:54:11I cooked it.

0:54:12 > 0:54:13Wonderful.

0:54:15 > 0:54:17That crew look hungry over there, don't they?

0:54:19 > 0:54:23- Can I take a picture of all of you? - Cheers, team!- Cheers!

0:54:25 > 0:54:28Well, that is all we got time for from a very festive Bamburgh Castle.

0:54:28 > 0:54:32We're going to be back on Boxing Day, at the earlier time of 12:50pm,

0:54:32 > 0:54:34with a programme all about our nation's favourite vet,

0:54:34 > 0:54:36James Herriot. But in the meantime,

0:54:36 > 0:54:38have a wonderful Christmas and it looks like we are

0:54:38 > 0:54:41all in the perfect position for a bit of carol singing.

0:54:41 > 0:54:43So, here we go, on four.

0:54:43 > 0:54:45One, two, three, four.

0:54:45 > 0:54:47ALL: # Deck the halls with boughs of holly

0:54:47 > 0:54:49# Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

0:54:49 > 0:54:51# 'Tis the season to be jolly

0:54:51 > 0:54:54# Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

0:54:54 > 0:54:56# Don we now our gay apparel

0:54:56 > 0:54:58# Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la

0:54:58 > 0:55:01# Troll the ancient yuletide carol

0:55:01 > 0:55:03# Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la. #

0:55:03 > 0:55:06- Happy Christmas!- Merry Christmas!