Cornwall Countryfile


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Sheltered coves and tumbling waves, sea spray and surf.

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This is the glorious coastline of Cornwall.

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And it's more than just a feast for the eyes,

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because along this coastline, underneath the waves,

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there is plenty of food to be had.

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You've just got to know where to look.

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And it's amazing what you can find with a bit of expert help.

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Wow! Even from here, that perfume coming out of there.

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-That's wild oregano.

-I mean, certainly the earlier machines...

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Helen's going back to a day that changed the world.

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Tomorrow, it will be 100 years since Britain joined the First World War.

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Here at the Lost Gardens of Heligan,

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they've turned the clock back to 1914, and I'll be finding out

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what happened to the gardeners caught up in the conflict.

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Tom asks if new towns can tackle an old problem.

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Garden cities are back on the agenda

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as a solution to our national housing shortage,

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but what impact would these 21st-century towns have

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on our countryside?

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And Adam's helping his new bull to settle in.

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Because he's much younger than they are,

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and quite small in stature,

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what he has to do is assert his authority,

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and he's doing that with all those big bellows, deep grumbles.

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Tropical green creeks... golden beaches...

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and picturesque fishing villages.

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This can only be Cornwall.

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I'm going to be exploring the coast near Newquay in the north

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and St Austell in the south, looking for food for a fabulous free lunch.

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For centuries,

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fishermen have eked out a living along this rugged coastline,

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but now there's a new generation with a whole new approach.

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Ian Donald forages for food beneath the waves,

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and he does it by just holding his breath.

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They call it freediving, and Ian is going to show me how.

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So, Ian, what exactly is the concept of freediving?

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Well, basically what we're doing is, we're holding our breath for,

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-hopefully, an extended amount of time.

-Yeah.

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Enough time to be able to get down, you know, enjoy what's around us.

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What really started me in a lot of this

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was the fact that I could pick up my own sustainable, easily caught food,

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delicious seafood, you know, right here.

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The whole point, obviously, is to be holding your breath.

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-I guess that's where we start.

-Yeah.

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We're going to get you to try holding your breath.

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We're going to see how long you can do now,

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-and then we'll see how long you can do after some training.

-Yeah.

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-All right?

-Yeah.

-Comfortable?

-Yeah.

-In your own time.

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No pressure, but I'm never going to make it as a freediver

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if I can't hold my breath.

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HE EXHALES Well done, that was good.

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All right, so that's a baseline at around 40 seconds.

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-Oh, that is pretty rubbish.

-Well, it's not that bad.

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-Right.

-I've had worse.

-How long can you hold yours for?

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-About seven minutes.

-Oooh!

-Yeah.

-Do you practise in the bath?

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40 seconds.

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Well, I'll have to do a lot better than that

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if I'm going to go in the water.

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Ian reckons, with a bit of training, he can double my time.

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Here goes.

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Slightly deeper than normal breath in.

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Then full exhale. Just get rid of everything. Spit, spit, spit, spit.

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Deflating.

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Then into your chest, in that big, wide open mouth.

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That's it. And hold and relax.

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Just keep loose. Keep loose. That's it.

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You're going to start feeling those contractions coming.

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Just relax. Don't shake. Just relax, relax, relax. Loose, loose, loose.

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HE PANTS

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-Well done.

-Wow.

-Do you want to know how long you did?

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That is different. Yeah, go on.

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Two minutes, one second.

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Really? Did I?!

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-There you go.

-Oh, man. Wow.

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Before I hit the water, I need to get kitted out.

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But first, I've got to figure out how to get the suit on.

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So, you're going to have to pull it down now, so just... Right, head up.

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That's it. Right...

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-'I don't remember Spider-Man finding it in this difficult.'

-Keep going.

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-And breathe.

-That's it, well done. Right...

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-Good job we did all that breath-holding earlier.

-That's it.

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The hooded suit and extra-long fins make me more efficient in the water.

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Now to put my new-found skills to the test and go in search of lunch.

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That way.

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My first ever freedive, and I think I'm going to like this.

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That felt great.

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It's so liberating, I can't tell you, just swimming along the bottom

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and the fish are coming up and having a little look.

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There's a lot of life down here,

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but we're looking for something we can eat.

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The freediving mantra is take only what you need

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and select animals of the right size and species.

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-He's quite young.

-He's small.

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-There won't be much meat in him either.

-Right.

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'Brown crab is delicious,

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'but this little fella is too small to eat,

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'so we're going to put him back.'

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Now, this looks more promising. A full-grown lobster.

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It looks like it's been in the wars,

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but even with one claw, it'll put up a fight.

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Got it. That's one claw for me and... Sorry, Ian.

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It's not a banquet, that's for sure, but I did manage to grab a lobster.

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Quite a feisty little thing, he was.

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A lovely way to get your food, and cos you're face-to-face with it,

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when you take it off the sea bed and you're going to eat it,

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you have a lot more respect for your food that way.

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You know exactly where it came from.

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Well, I'm pretty pleased with my haul.

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Later, I'll be scouring the shoreline for edible plants

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to go with my freedived feast.

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Now, new housing and where to put it

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is one of the most controversial issues in the countryside,

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So, could a new wave of garden cities be the answer? Here's Tom.

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The British landscape is a precious commodity

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and many believe we should do everything possible

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to protect it from development.

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But having somewhere to live, a plot of land

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and a home to call your own,

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well, that's also a very precious commodity.

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According to the latest statistics, we need to be building

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around a quarter of a million homes a year to meet demand.

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At the moment, though,

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we're managing to construct less than half of that.

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So, how are we going to make up for this shortfall?

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The latest solution is an old idea, to build a wave of new garden cities,

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and I've come to the world's first, Letchworth in Hertfordshire,

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to meet the man championing the idea,

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Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg.

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So, what's your plan for garden cities?

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I think if we return to the old tradition, if you like,

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of Ebenezer Howard, Raymond Unwin,

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those great pioneers who built places like this.

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Beautiful, green, settled communities

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with the right amenities, the right transport links,

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places where people want to bring up children,

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where they want to grow old.

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I think if we do that, with local support,

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you can actually stop this endless aggravation around urban sprawl

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and, instead,

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build on a scale which also helps build the number of homes we need.

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'The Deputy Prime Minister's initial plan

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'is for three new garden cities, each with around 15,000 homes.

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'But he says they'll only be built

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'if local people propose and support them.'

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Isn't there a danger, though, you'll replace, as you call it,

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a rash of planning battles with, let's say, a handful,

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three, four, five, really big ones, really iconic ones?

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Well, that's why it's important that I'm saying

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this will not go ahead unless there is local support.

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It cannot be imposed from...you know, from the top, from the centre.

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We're not going to just sort of drop a garden city

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on top of a community that don't want it.

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Garden cities were first proposed at the end of the 19th century

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as an antidote to urban overcrowding.

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The idea was to blend the very best of the town and the countryside

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in a single community.

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Letchworth came first, in 1903.

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A step back in time with a little slide show of Letchworth.

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This is Ebenezer Howard, the founder of the place,

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the real godfather of the garden city movement in Britain.

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After World War II, a fresh wave of so-called new towns were built,

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32 in all, each inspired by garden city principles.

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'The satellite town scheme

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'is planned to reduce the congestion in London

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'and give workers employment in pleasant surroundings.'

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But who is going to want to build one now?

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It's still early days,

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but one place that has already expressed an interest

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in learning more about the scheme is Bicester, in Oxfordshire.

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Councillor Michael Gibbard is the lead member for planning.

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So, what have you got in mind for Bicester?

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We do have the existing Bicester.

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We are now well under way with North West Bicester,

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which is an eco-town.

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We have housing where we are now.

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We have South West Bicester, and Graven Hill.

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But hang on.

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This is a long-standing plan to expand Bicester

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and give it 15,000 new greener homes.

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Now the council want to call it a garden city.

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So, what is going on?

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And what is it you think entitles this to be called a garden city

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rather than a bunch of new housing developments round a town?

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We have the opportunity to reshape Bicester

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to fully integrate these new areas

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and to do it in an eco-friendly way...

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Really? A garden city? Honestly?

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In order to create that, we do need additional investment.

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We would look for the Government in promoting garden city.

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Does the change of title simply give you a way

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of squeezing more money out of the Government?

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If need be, I will do that, but it's a garden city by design.

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So, being accepted as a garden city

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may help Bicester unlock Government cash and support

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for its housing expansion, but you don't have to go far

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to discover what the impact of that expansion might be.

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Wendlebury, a small rural village to the southwest of Bicester.

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It's currently surrounded by green fields,

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but that could be about to change.

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Well, we've seen, haven't we,

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from the developments that are going on, that the map is...

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the road is coming all across this fantastic countryside over here.

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'Julian Cordy heads up a protest group

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'against one of the proposed Bicester development sites.'

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-Hello. This must be campaign headquarters.

-Yes, it is indeed.

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'The group is not against the housing.

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'It's fighting a road that goes with it.'

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-What am I looking at here?

-Well, this is a map of Wendlebury.

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The big problem for us is this the proposed relief road.

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It's proposed to come in right against our village over here,

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within maybe 150 yards of houses, and it's there for no good reason.

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Our big concern is the loss of our rural identity,

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the potential impact of increased traffic coming through the village,

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noise, and, really, losing our rural way of life

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is a really big concern for us.

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'To see how the area could be affected,

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'Julian's taken me to one potential route for the planned road.'

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Well, this is a lovely bit of countryside,

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a footpath that a lot of the villagers use,

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and this is actually the very site

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where this proposed road may be going.

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As you can see, it's fantastic countryside

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and it's going to be under tonnes and tonnes of concrete.

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Does this make you think that they're sort of...

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they don't consider villages, they don't consider your feelings?

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I don't think there's any doubt about that. They definitely do not.

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Everything is tunnel vision, it's all about houses, houses, houses,

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don't think about the villages,

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don't listen to the impact, and it's not at all joined up.

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The district council, to the county council,

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to the Highways Agency, to the Environment Agency,

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the whole thing is a complete muddle,

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and we're the villages that are suffering as a result of it.

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The Wendlebury protest

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illustrates one of the biggest potential problems

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for new garden cities - local opposition.

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And now this scheme's come through,

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it looks like losing our home and everything we've worked for.

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Post-war new towns attracted protests, but in more recent years,

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even relatively modest plans for new rural housing

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caused major controversy.

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The Deputy Prime Minister, though, has a plan

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to make garden cities more palatable for existing communities.

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We could maybe give deductions on their council tax

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for the period of time during which the garden city's being built.

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We could possibly also say to those homes

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where they think the price of their home will be affected,

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we will guarantee the price of their home

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by buying it, if you like, up front.

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Wow, so if their home value is blighted by a nearby garden city,

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you're saying the Government will step in and compensate them?

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-We could. We could.

-Really? That would be a big bill.

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Well, I actually don't think it will be as big as people think.

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All I'm saying is, we're actively looking at things like that

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to show that we will go the extra mile

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to allay those concerns of people who feel that their property

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or the price of their home might be affected.

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-We don't want people to lose out.

-You buy them off?

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This is something that we do anyway.

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As a country where you have big infrastructure projects,

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where people are affected, we make sure that they don't lose out,

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and I think the same principle can and should apply to garden cities,

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but to really give that belt and braces assurance

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we are actively looking at those kind of things.

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So, the Deputy Prime Minister is banking on local support

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to make the new garden cities a reality

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and, as we just heard, he's open to using public money

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to win opinion round, but what would we get for that money?

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I'll come back to this subject in a couple of weeks

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to see whether present-day town and country

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can ever sit happily together.

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Back in Cornwall, the latest addition to the Countryfile team,

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Anita Rani, is about to make a big entrance.

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Stand by, Anita. In three, two, one.

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Oooh!

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Oh, my goodness!

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28,000 tonnes of rock have just been blown up,

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and this is the largest china clay pit in the world.

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That was seriously impressive.

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SHE LAUGHS

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Wonderful!

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Over 500 acres in size and 450 feet deep.

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Three million tonnes of clay are excavated from this mine every year.

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But where does it all go?

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Ivor Bowditch has worked here for nearly 50 years.

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So, Ivor, we all know that a china cup makes the best cup of tea.

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But what else is it used for?

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Today, 50% goes into paper manufacturing.

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It is the supplement which would have the higher...

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The shiny, glossy magazine paper?

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..quantity, and you would be looking at, probably, 25% by weight,

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that Saturday or Sunday supplement is containing china clay.

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A quarter of the weight of my weekend paper.

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The poor old paperboy. But clay is more versatile than that.

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It's also used in pharmaceuticals,

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rubber, paint, plastics, cosmetics - the list goes on.

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What happens to all the waste? Presumably it's not 100% clay.

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Every tonne of china clay, we have up to nine tonnes of by-products.

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This very plant here supplied aggregate to the Olympic Village.

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So, next time I'm cycling through the Olympic Village,

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I will think about this very pit.

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But to understand the true scale of this pit,

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I've got to get down there.

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This pit has been continuously mined since 1830.

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300,000 tonnes of china clay are mined here annually,

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and the work goes on around the clock.

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Meeting such big demand requires big toys.

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It's huge!

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If you stand by the wheel, it'll give you some indication of how big it is.

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-There you go.

-£5,000 a tyre.

-Don't want to get a puncture, do you?

-No.

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-Can I get up there?

-Yes.

-Off to have a go in a dump truck.

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Hello.

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Carrying 65 tonnes in one load,

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these monstrous trucks make light work of the huge quantities of clay.

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OK, Chris, tip it.

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About 65 tonnes just dumped.

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-Easy as that.

-Easy as that.

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I didn't think it could get any better, but now for the best bit.

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Firing water at the rock is the easiest way

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of separating out the valuable china clay.

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Up she goes.

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This water cannon fires out 14,000 litres of water a minute,

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or the equivalent of eight

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Olympic-sized swimming pools a day...

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..and at a force that's enough to blast a 4x4 clean off its wheels.

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Ivor, do you think I've got a job?

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I think you're shaping up. You're doing a proper job,

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as we would say in Cornwall.

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This is brilliant.

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But I think I should probably leave this to the professionals.

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It's an impressive landscape -

0:19:570:19:59

a white gouge beneath a soft blue sky.

0:19:590:20:03

Local artist Jenny Beavan

0:20:050:20:06

takes inspiration form the landscape around her.

0:20:060:20:09

She uses a variety of natural materials

0:20:100:20:12

found in the Cornish landscape, not least the china clay.

0:20:120:20:17

Here is the china clay, which has been processed

0:20:200:20:23

-so it might be a bit...

-Ah, in powder form.

-..loose in this wind.

0:20:230:20:27

It's so fine, isn't it?

0:20:270:20:30

So delicate.

0:20:300:20:31

It's like talc.

0:20:310:20:33

One minute I'm blasting it,

0:20:330:20:34

next minute helping Jenny make art with it.

0:20:340:20:37

We're going to work with the idea of what water does.

0:20:370:20:40

Water flows as a whirl.

0:20:400:20:43

She doesn't just take inspiration from the natural world,

0:20:430:20:46

she also uses it.

0:20:460:20:48

-What's in here? Wild flowers?

-Yes.

0:20:480:20:50

Things that are seasonal.

0:20:500:20:52

So this is all local?

0:20:520:20:54

You just work with the earth, then, you really do.

0:20:540:20:56

They will go into the clay,

0:20:580:20:59

and they will eventually combust out

0:20:590:21:02

and they'll leave gaps so that the glaze can then fill.

0:21:020:21:05

I've travelled. I've worked in Japan and Finland and places

0:21:070:21:10

and I've seen bags of this china clay

0:21:100:21:13

-from Cornwall.

-From Cornwall?

-Yeah.

-In Japan?

-Yes.

0:21:130:21:16

I feel so proud and I think, "How many other people

0:21:160:21:18

"know that this comes from this small little area of England?"

0:21:180:21:22

So this is 100% Cornish art.

0:21:220:21:26

Everything is set but Jenny's left me the tricky bit.

0:21:260:21:29

(She's going to let me pour it on.)

0:21:290:21:32

I don't know if that's wise!

0:21:330:21:35

Easy does it.

0:21:360:21:37

This thick clay will hold it all together.

0:21:370:21:40

Are there any beauty properties... Will I live for ever

0:21:400:21:43

if I cover myself in it?

0:21:430:21:44

-Everyone who works around here looks a lot younger.

-Do they?

-Yeah.

0:21:440:21:48

I'm figuring it's something to do with the clay.

0:21:480:21:50

Oh, my goodness!

0:21:500:21:52

This is just the start of the process.

0:21:520:21:54

Our piece will be left to dry for three months,

0:21:540:21:56

then it'll be fired and glazed

0:21:560:21:58

and maybe one day look like this,

0:21:580:22:01

taking its place alongside all of Jenny's inspired artwork.

0:22:010:22:06

There's something about this landscape

0:22:080:22:11

and the way the light's reflecting off the water.

0:22:110:22:14

It just looks beautiful. It's industrial and it's a wasteland

0:22:140:22:18

-but it's gorgeous.

-It is.

0:22:180:22:20

What an absolute pleasure.

0:22:200:22:21

I've loved it.

0:22:210:22:23

What a better place to come and have my first ever ceramics lesson.

0:22:230:22:27

-This is pretty special.

-It's perfect.

-Thank you.

0:22:270:22:30

It's perfect.

0:22:300:22:31

In the spring, James Wong was in the countryside

0:22:400:22:43

looking at all the plants and flowers

0:22:430:22:45

bursting back to life.

0:22:450:22:46

A riot of life and colour

0:22:460:22:48

that we all know and love.

0:22:480:22:50

But there is one plant that's perhaps

0:22:510:22:54

captured our hearts more than any other -

0:22:540:22:56

the native bluebell, one of Britain's favourite wildflowers.

0:22:560:23:00

But there is more to this plant than meets the eye.

0:23:000:23:03

I've come to meet a scientist on a mission

0:23:040:23:07

to unlock the secrets of the bluebell.

0:23:070:23:09

Hello?

0:23:110:23:13

-Hello.

-Vera?

0:23:130:23:14

-James.

-Good stuff. Good to meet you.

-And you.

0:23:140:23:17

Originally from Germany, Doctor Vera Thoss

0:23:170:23:20

is a chemist at Bangor University.

0:23:200:23:22

She specialises in the study of plants

0:23:220:23:25

on a molecular level.

0:23:250:23:26

Vera, you're a chemist, not a botanist.

0:23:260:23:29

What's led you to study bluebells?

0:23:290:23:30

Because they've got interesting poisonous chemicals in them.

0:23:300:23:34

So you're not looking at them from the point of a plant,

0:23:340:23:36

you're looking at them from the point of, like,

0:23:360:23:38

-a cocktail of chemicals that's within theirselves?

-Yes.

0:23:380:23:41

We are trying to chemically take apart to look at the individuals.

0:23:410:23:45

What Vera is trying to do is explore the chemicals within bluebells

0:23:480:23:51

by breaking them down into their component parts.

0:23:510:23:53

To aid her research,

0:23:530:23:55

she is licensed to manage a wild colony of bluebells.

0:23:550:23:58

She is the only person in Wales with such a licence

0:23:580:24:01

and one of only a handful in the entire UK.

0:24:010:24:04

Much of Vera's work has looked into

0:24:070:24:09

how bluebell conservation can be improved.

0:24:090:24:11

Along the way, she has also explored

0:24:110:24:13

how bluebells spread to form those magical carpets.

0:24:130:24:17

What you've got is

0:24:170:24:18

the flower.

0:24:180:24:20

Those flowers on here

0:24:210:24:23

will turn into seed capsules.

0:24:230:24:25

The seed will ripen in them.

0:24:250:24:27

It stays in them and at the end of the life, they fall down.

0:24:270:24:30

So you have got a little bit, just a short distance

0:24:300:24:32

away from where the flower was.

0:24:320:24:34

If that happens year in, year out,

0:24:340:24:36

if you've got a high density,

0:24:360:24:38

eventually you get a bluebell carpet.

0:24:380:24:40

But bluebells, like woodlands,

0:24:400:24:43

take decades or centuries to grow

0:24:430:24:45

because that spread continues.

0:24:450:24:48

This is why, where you see a bluebell carpet,

0:24:480:24:50

it's taken as an indicator of an ancient woodland.

0:24:500:24:53

It's amazing how these enormous things can start from

0:24:530:24:56

very small beginnings.

0:24:560:24:57

But her research into these flowers

0:24:570:24:59

goes far beyond increasing the number of bluebells.

0:24:590:25:02

Look at this! It's like some kind of blue landslide.

0:25:020:25:06

-Painting the mountains blue.

-Amazing.

0:25:060:25:09

When you look at this as a geeky chemist,

0:25:090:25:11

you're not looking at it in terms of being beautiful,

0:25:110:25:14

you're more interested in the chemicals that go on inside.

0:25:140:25:16

About half of all medicines that we use today

0:25:180:25:20

come originally from plants, also from a biological source.

0:25:200:25:23

Bluebells are mostly described as poisonous.

0:25:230:25:27

But there are potential future medicines in there.

0:25:270:25:29

We know there is immuno-sugars in there.

0:25:290:25:33

Those immuno-sugars are potential anti-cancer drugs,

0:25:330:25:37

anti-TB drugs, so we still have to try to

0:25:370:25:40

tease them apart and see what are the individual ones,

0:25:400:25:44

what are their structure, what could they possibly do.

0:25:440:25:47

We're still scratching the surface

0:25:470:25:49

when it comes to the medicinal potential of the plant world.

0:25:490:25:51

But with around 300,000 plant species on Earth,

0:25:510:25:55

that's a lot of testing.

0:25:550:25:57

Medicine aside, Vera reckons there may be even more uses

0:25:570:26:00

for bluebells.

0:26:000:26:01

How do you go from this

0:26:030:26:04

to finding out its potential future applications?

0:26:040:26:07

Well, the first thing we have to do

0:26:070:26:09

is look at the different components which are in the plant.

0:26:090:26:12

The oil, the carbohydrates,

0:26:120:26:14

the scent, the pigment.

0:26:140:26:16

What are they and how we can get them out.

0:26:160:26:19

And if you want...

0:26:190:26:21

we can maybe get the pigment out of these flowers.

0:26:210:26:24

First of all, though, we need to pick some.

0:26:260:26:28

It's not illegal to pick bluebells for your own use

0:26:320:26:34

but you would be breaking the law if you took the blubs.

0:26:340:26:37

And always get the landowner's permission

0:26:370:26:39

before you pick any wildflower.

0:26:390:26:41

How much do we need?

0:26:420:26:44

Oh. How much have you got?

0:26:440:26:46

That'll do. That will do. We can use those.

0:26:460:26:50

-OK, OK.

-Just to illustrate the principle.

0:26:500:26:53

Having collected a few handfuls,

0:26:540:26:56

the next step is to add some solvent,

0:26:560:26:58

in this case, methanol.

0:26:580:27:00

What we should begin to see after a few minutes

0:27:030:27:05

is that the bluebells will begin to go pale.

0:27:050:27:08

Right. So we've added the solvent to the flowers.

0:27:110:27:15

Pigment travelled into the solvent.

0:27:150:27:17

What we do is we leave it for a day,

0:27:170:27:19

take it back to the lab,

0:27:190:27:22

take off the flowers

0:27:220:27:24

and distil off the solvent.

0:27:240:27:26

What we are left with then

0:27:260:27:27

is something which looks like that.

0:27:270:27:29

Unbelievably, when you concentrate it down,

0:27:290:27:32

you get this really intense, almost like grape jelly kind of pigment.

0:27:320:27:37

So much darker than the flowers themselves.

0:27:370:27:40

So much darker than I ever imagined.

0:27:400:27:42

Vera is hoping to reveal

0:27:440:27:47

just how versatile bluebells can be.

0:27:470:27:48

But I've got an experiment of my own

0:27:480:27:50

that I'm keen to put to the test.

0:27:500:27:52

Just across the Menai Straits

0:27:580:28:00

lies Anglesey, home of an artist known for capturing

0:28:000:28:02

some of the most picturesque scenes of North Wales,

0:28:020:28:05

Janet Bell.

0:28:050:28:07

I'm hoping that she'll be able to use

0:28:070:28:08

this pigment in her latest creation,

0:28:080:28:11

a bluebell wood.

0:28:110:28:13

Janet. What a great place to be creative in!

0:28:130:28:15

Isn't it just.

0:28:150:28:17

I'm painting bluebells at the moment.

0:28:170:28:19

My painting's more about colour and form

0:28:190:28:23

rather than the detail of the flowers

0:28:230:28:26

-but I adore flowers so this is a great place to be.

-Great.

0:28:260:28:30

In terms of capturing the hue of something,

0:28:300:28:32

I've got a little surprise for you.

0:28:320:28:35

I've got this pigment here,

0:28:350:28:36

which, believe it or not,

0:28:360:28:38

is a pure extract from the bluebells that you are taking

0:28:380:28:41

images of right now.

0:28:410:28:43

I'm wondering - I'm no artist -

0:28:430:28:46

whether you can paint with this.

0:28:460:28:48

I'm led to believe you can.

0:28:480:28:50

-OK.

-Shall we have a go?

0:28:500:28:51

Absolutely. Let's have a go.

0:28:510:28:54

Wow. It really is quite strong purple, isn't it?

0:28:540:28:59

-Unusual texture.

-An Indian ink kind of colour.

0:28:590:29:01

If I add white paint to it, let's see what happens.

0:29:010:29:06

That's quite a good purple.

0:29:090:29:11

BIRDSONG

0:29:110:29:14

That's real bluebell!

0:29:160:29:18

You're painting bluebells using bluebells!

0:29:180:29:20

Using bluebells.

0:29:200:29:22

The other interesting thing about this pigment,

0:29:230:29:25

is...it doesn't have a fixative in it,

0:29:250:29:28

so we don't know exactly how long

0:29:280:29:30

it'll keep its colour for.

0:29:300:29:32

So...the flowers in this painting

0:29:320:29:35

may be as fleeting as the real flowers

0:29:350:29:38

that you're taking pictures of!

0:29:380:29:40

OK. The bluebells are here for three weeks.

0:29:400:29:42

The painting might just be here for three weeks!

0:29:420:29:45

Yeah! It looks great as it is! We'll see what happens.

0:29:450:29:48

This may have been just a bit of fun,

0:29:480:29:51

but there is no denying that Janet has really captured

0:29:510:29:54

the beauty of these bluebells.

0:29:540:29:56

It never ceases to amaze me

0:30:020:30:04

about how even the most familiar plants

0:30:040:30:06

can still harbour this enormous range

0:30:060:30:09

of unknown properties.

0:30:090:30:11

Maybe one day we'll unlock the secrets

0:30:110:30:14

behind this fantastic little flower.

0:30:140:30:16

Earlier on, I learned to freedive and bagged myself a lobster

0:30:190:30:22

in the clear waters off Newquay.

0:30:220:30:25

Now I'm on the south coast,

0:30:280:30:30

looking for a seaside side dish.

0:30:300:30:32

There's plenty of foodie things to be found along the Cornish coast,

0:30:340:30:38

without even getting your feet wet.

0:30:380:30:40

Local wild food expert Tom Hunt

0:30:430:30:45

is going to help me put together a tasty side dish or two.

0:30:450:30:48

Tom, how are you doing?

0:30:490:30:51

Nice to see you.

0:30:510:30:52

You've obviously been very busy here.

0:30:520:30:55

Where do you get all this stuff from?

0:30:550:30:56

This has been all over.

0:30:560:30:58

I've been everywhere from my home this morning,

0:30:580:31:00

which is on the estuary, right round the coast

0:31:000:31:02

and a bit of the fields.

0:31:020:31:03

This time of year is a great time of year for foraging.

0:31:030:31:06

There's heaps of stuff - everything from flowers,

0:31:060:31:09

shoots, roots, berries, nuts.

0:31:090:31:12

It's just a great way of living.

0:31:120:31:14

It's a great lifestyle.

0:31:140:31:15

Has it ever gone wrong for you? Have you ever eaten the wrong stuff?

0:31:150:31:18

-No.

-You must have done! Come on!

0:31:180:31:20

I get asked that question quite a lot.

0:31:200:31:22

It's an important point because

0:31:220:31:24

certainly at this time of year,

0:31:240:31:26

there's a hemlock water dropwort,

0:31:260:31:28

which is the most dangerous plant in the whole of the Northern Hemisphere.

0:31:280:31:31

It's fully in bloom and if you were to eat some of that,

0:31:310:31:34

you wouldn't get much past about three hours

0:31:340:31:36

before we'd wave you goodbye into the next world.

0:31:360:31:38

It's pretty potent stuff.

0:31:380:31:39

That's why I always tell people

0:31:390:31:42

get handbooks, cross-reference on the internet

0:31:420:31:44

and get yourself on a course.

0:31:440:31:46

That's how we can just incorporate the wild

0:31:460:31:49

into our everyday lives.

0:31:490:31:51

When it comes to wild food,

0:31:520:31:54

the saying is what grows together goes together.

0:31:540:31:57

Tom thinks we can get some great things

0:31:570:32:01

to go with my lobster right here on this beach.

0:32:010:32:04

We're going to start with quite a potent plant.

0:32:040:32:07

This is actually black mustard.

0:32:070:32:09

-OK. Definitely.

-Brassica nigra.

0:32:090:32:11

It's in flower at the moment.

0:32:110:32:13

OK?

0:32:130:32:14

-Pop that in your mouth.

-All of it?

-Yeah. Whole thing.

0:32:140:32:17

It's pretty potent. Tell me what you think.

0:32:170:32:19

-Do I chew it?

-Yeah. Certainly.

0:32:190:32:21

Yeah. I'm definitely getting that mustard straightaway.

0:32:230:32:26

Now it's getting spicy.

0:32:260:32:27

Very spicy?!

0:32:270:32:28

Now it's getting... Yeah, now it's hot.

0:32:280:32:30

Wow.

0:32:300:32:32

Yeah, that fills your whole mouth.

0:32:330:32:35

I tell you what, I was having a few problems equalising earlier on

0:32:350:32:38

but that's clearing my sinuses beautifully!

0:32:380:32:41

It's pretty potent stuff.

0:32:410:32:42

This is the reason that English mustard

0:32:420:32:44

is the strongest mustard of all

0:32:440:32:46

because we've got so much black mustard.

0:32:460:32:48

Tom's introducing me to some basic plants

0:32:510:32:54

I can seek for myself.

0:32:540:32:55

There's an incredible range of things to choose

0:32:590:33:01

just metres from the sea.

0:33:010:33:03

And in no time at all,

0:33:030:33:05

we've got ourselves a feast.

0:33:050:33:08

Look at this. Some beautiful stuff as well.

0:33:080:33:10

On a plate, I mean, you know...

0:33:100:33:12

It just looks delightful.

0:33:120:33:14

Well, it looks good. Have a smell.

0:33:140:33:16

Rub one of the leaves.

0:33:160:33:17

You've got to mash it up a touch.

0:33:170:33:19

Wow!

0:33:210:33:22

Even from here that perfume coming out of there.

0:33:220:33:25

That's wild oregano.

0:33:250:33:27

It's actually quite rare. We're quite lucky.

0:33:270:33:30

That's the first spot I've found of that in quite a while.

0:33:300:33:33

Foraging may be subject to local bylaws

0:33:330:33:36

so check for permission before you go gathering.

0:33:360:33:39

Above all, use common sense.

0:33:390:33:42

Don't damage plants or habitat

0:33:420:33:44

and don't eat anything if you're in any doubt.

0:33:440:33:47

What about this stuff? That looks quite interesting.

0:33:480:33:50

You must eat in posh restaurants.

0:33:500:33:52

I don't, to be honest with you.

0:33:520:33:54

I'm not, honestly! I hardly ever do, but go on.

0:33:540:33:57

-This is one that most...

-Should I know what that is?

0:33:570:33:59

..most people, I would say, would recognise that one.

0:33:590:34:03

-Marsh samphire.

-Hm.

0:34:030:34:06

I love that stuff.

0:34:060:34:07

Hopefully, that lobster's going to taste

0:34:070:34:10

absolutely exquisite with a little bit of whatever we decide

0:34:100:34:13

to put next to it.

0:34:130:34:14

It beats popping to the local shops.

0:34:150:34:17

Or one of those posh restaurants.

0:34:170:34:19

We've easily got enough to make a proper fish supper.

0:34:190:34:22

Later, I'll be putting my culinary skills to the test

0:34:220:34:25

by cooking up that free-food lunch.

0:34:250:34:28

On Countryfile, we travel far and wide

0:34:310:34:34

to cover every corner of the UK.

0:34:340:34:36

But sometimes

0:34:360:34:38

it's just nice to have a little time in familiar surroundings.

0:34:380:34:41

This week, Adam's doing just that,

0:34:410:34:43

spending the day at home on his farm.

0:34:430:34:47

-Cheers. See you later.

-See you later.

0:34:470:34:49

It's eight o'clock in the morning and I've been up for about an hour,

0:34:490:34:53

checking through e-mails and planning the week ahead.

0:34:530:34:55

Now I'm going to spend a day doing what I enjoy most

0:34:550:34:57

and that's getting out and about on the farm.

0:34:570:35:00

Although it's generally a quiet time of year now,

0:35:000:35:02

there still seems to be a lot going on on the farm. Everyone is busy.

0:35:020:35:06

But at least the sun is shining.

0:35:060:35:08

The first job I've got to do is turn one of my new bulls out

0:35:170:35:20

with the cows.

0:35:200:35:21

A few months ago, I had the great pleasure

0:35:210:35:23

of going up to the Queen's estate in Scotland, to Balmoral,

0:35:230:35:26

to see her wonderful herd of Highland cattle.

0:35:260:35:28

I met up with he farm manager, there, Docky.

0:35:280:35:31

Being a good Scotsman, he soon persuaded me

0:35:310:35:33

to buy one of his bulls.

0:35:330:35:35

-I want him.

-Good!

0:35:350:35:36

THEY LAUGH

0:35:360:35:37

Thank you very much.

0:35:370:35:39

Here he is. One of the lads has got him tied up for me

0:35:450:35:47

so I'll lead him out to his cows.

0:35:470:35:49

GATE CLANGS

0:35:510:35:52

He likes having his neck scratched.

0:35:520:35:54

Archie, like any new arrival onto the farm,

0:35:540:35:57

had to be quarantined, to make sure he wasn't carrying any

0:35:570:36:00

nasty diseases or infections.

0:36:000:36:02

I'm pleased to say this little fella

0:36:030:36:05

got a clean bill of health

0:36:050:36:06

so he's ready to finally meet his new lady friends.

0:36:060:36:09

BULL BELLOWS

0:36:100:36:12

He's certainly asserting his authority,

0:36:120:36:14

sounding very manly.

0:36:140:36:16

BULL BELLOWS

0:36:180:36:21

Go on!

0:36:230:36:25

BULL BELLOWS

0:36:270:36:30

I'm quite worried about him.

0:36:320:36:34

Because he's much younger than they are,

0:36:340:36:37

and quite small in stature,

0:36:370:36:39

what he has to do is assert his authority

0:36:390:36:42

and he's doing that with all those big bellows,

0:36:420:36:45

deep grumbles.

0:36:450:36:47

He's just checking out there's not another bull in the field.

0:36:490:36:52

BULL BELLOWS

0:36:550:36:58

The girls are actually very impressed.

0:37:010:37:03

BULL BELLOWS

0:37:030:37:05

They look like they're a bit nervous of him.

0:37:050:37:07

BULL BELLOWS

0:37:070:37:10

HE LAUGHS

0:37:170:37:18

Dirty fella!

0:37:180:37:19

Now he knows there's no-one to fight with,

0:37:200:37:22

he's got something else on his mind.

0:37:220:37:24

BULL BELLOWS

0:37:290:37:31

Best to leave Archie to it

0:37:320:37:33

and take stock of some of our other beasts.

0:37:330:37:36

Just checking on some of my young bulls we've got here.

0:37:360:37:39

Belted Galloway, White Park,

0:37:390:37:41

and then this silvery Highland,

0:37:410:37:44

is Nevis.

0:37:440:37:46

He's Eric's son, my old Highland bull.

0:37:460:37:48

Unfortunately, he broke his horn off when he was younger.

0:37:480:37:50

He's still looking good.

0:37:510:37:53

We check around all the livestock at least once a day.

0:37:590:38:02

It's something I enjoy doing.

0:38:020:38:04

There's a group of sheep down here under the trees in the shade.

0:38:040:38:06

I'll drive round and get them all up.

0:38:060:38:09

It's important to see

0:38:090:38:10

all the animals up on their feet, walking about,

0:38:100:38:12

to make sure they're happy and healthy.

0:38:120:38:14

HE WHISTLES

0:38:140:38:16

Come by, sheep. And again. Come on.

0:38:160:38:18

They all look well so I'll check around the perimeter

0:38:230:38:26

and make sure the water trough is full, then this field's done.

0:38:260:38:29

It's all looking good for the animals I've seen so far.

0:38:370:38:39

But at this time of year it's our arable land,

0:38:400:38:43

which is really on my mind.

0:38:430:38:45

This is a field of our winter wheat.

0:38:470:38:49

We grow about 350 acres of wheat.

0:38:490:38:51

That makes up about a third of our cropable area.

0:38:520:38:54

It's a very important crop to us.

0:38:540:38:56

We invest a huge amount of money and time and energy in it.

0:38:560:38:59

Martin, our arable manager, is here just checking it over.

0:38:590:39:02

-Hi, Martin.

-Hi, Adam.

0:39:040:39:06

This crop looks tremendous.

0:39:060:39:08

There's hardly any disease in it at all.

0:39:080:39:10

It's really good. Really pleased with it.

0:39:100:39:12

We're going to check and see how the nitrogen is going on in the plant

0:39:120:39:15

so we get good proteins.

0:39:150:39:17

We've been monitoring this now for two weeks.

0:39:170:39:19

Hopefully, we've still got plenty in the plant.

0:39:190:39:22

-You just squeeze some sap out...

-That's it.

-Like that.

0:39:220:39:27

You should just run in there.

0:39:270:39:29

We are looking for it to go purple pretty quick.

0:39:290:39:32

If you had low nitrogen, that would mean low proteins

0:39:320:39:36

and this would get rejected from bread-making and go into animal feed.

0:39:360:39:39

-That's it, yes.

-This is perfect, isn't it? That's really good.

-Yes.

0:39:390:39:43

Well done, you. Let's hope for a bumper harvest.

0:39:430:39:45

The crops are looking excellent.

0:39:470:39:49

A little later, I will be taking delivery of a new piece of kit

0:39:490:39:53

which I hope is going to make this year's harvest a breeze.

0:39:530:39:56

But before that, there are some sheep that need a bit of attention.

0:39:580:40:01

-Hi, Becka.

-Hello.

0:40:010:40:04

So these are some lambs that Becka is treating for lameness.

0:40:040:40:07

A few weeks ago, we had an expert

0:40:070:40:08

come to the farm and advise us not to trim

0:40:080:40:10

our sheep any more with foot trimmers,

0:40:100:40:12

so we have avoided doing that.

0:40:120:40:14

We now spray their feet with this anti-biotic, antiseptic spray.

0:40:140:40:18

Then we will be putting a vaccine programme in place

0:40:180:40:21

and we have put in lime around the gateways. Hopefully,

0:40:210:40:24

in time, we will get on top of the problem. How are they looking, Becka?

0:40:240:40:28

Really well, actually, they are growing really well at the moment.

0:40:280:40:31

-Their feet are getting a lot better.

-Good.

0:40:310:40:33

It is so difficult trying to keep the sheep's feet clean

0:40:330:40:36

in a situation like this in the pens, where they get mucky.

0:40:360:40:39

There is a risk of cross infection

0:40:390:40:41

so the lower the incidence of foot rot in the flock,

0:40:410:40:44

the less chance there is of that. Well done. Catch up with you later.

0:40:440:40:49

We are slowly getting on top of the feet problems

0:40:520:40:55

but I am finding it quite difficult not trimming their feet, it is

0:40:550:40:58

something I have done for ever.

0:40:580:41:00

When their toenails get long, the temptation is to trim them back.

0:41:000:41:04

But the advice is, leave them be. It goes against the grain a bit.

0:41:040:41:08

It is time to meet Martin again, to check out our brand-new beast.

0:41:090:41:14

An enormous combine ideal for the bumper harvest

0:41:140:41:18

we are really hoping for.

0:41:180:41:20

Goodness me, Martin, boys and their toys.

0:41:210:41:23

-You have been treating me again, haven't you?

-Spoiling you.

-I know.

0:41:230:41:27

So this cutter bar which cuts the wheat in the field, how long is that?

0:41:270:41:31

That is 30 feet this time.

0:41:310:41:34

-I think that is the biggest we have ever had on this farm.

-It is, yes.

0:41:340:41:37

The header goes on the front of the combine and it cuts the crop

0:41:370:41:40

that then goes into the guts of the machine for threshing.

0:41:400:41:43

-She cost us, what, 250,000?

-Yes.

-So put that on finance over five years.

0:41:450:41:50

She has got to cover some acres.

0:41:500:41:51

How many acres are we going to be cutting?

0:41:510:41:53

It's got to cut at least 1,500 acres a year.

0:41:530:41:55

It's capable of maize, grass, seed, sunflowers, everything.

0:41:550:41:59

Tell me about these, tracks like you get on a tank.

0:41:590:42:02

Yes, we put tracks on this one this time.

0:42:020:42:04

The weight of the combine is over 20 tonnes, that is

0:42:040:42:07

without any grain in the tank. So that we can get up the hills easier.

0:42:070:42:11

Brilliant. It is really smart.

0:42:110:42:13

I can't wait to see it working in the fields.

0:42:130:42:15

-Won't be long.

-Catch up with you later.

0:42:150:42:17

Come on then.

0:42:210:42:23

It is six o'clock now.

0:42:300:42:32

Just doing the evening feed, the animals indoors get fed twice a day.

0:42:320:42:35

This is Meredith, my lovely White Park bull I bought recently.

0:42:350:42:39

He'll be going out with the cows soon.

0:42:390:42:41

It's been a good day on the farm, the crops are looking good,

0:42:410:42:44

the lambs are all sorted

0:42:440:42:45

and Archie, my new Highland bull, settled in well.

0:42:450:42:48

Just a few things to sort out in the office and then home for tea.

0:42:480:42:51

Imagine a summer 100 years ago.

0:43:020:43:05

Crops ripening in the fields,

0:43:050:43:07

the sun beating down on farmers making hay.

0:43:070:43:09

Here, the gardeners of the Heligan estate were busy cutting,

0:43:120:43:16

pruning and tending vegetables.

0:43:160:43:19

But that idyllic summer would soon be shattered.

0:43:190:43:22

For a conflict like none before was coming.

0:43:220:43:25

Exactly 100 years ago tomorrow,

0:43:250:43:27

Britain declared war on Germany as part of the First World War

0:43:270:43:31

and nothing would ever be the same again.

0:43:310:43:33

It would cost millions of lives,

0:43:350:43:38

a whole generation of young men would be wiped out.

0:43:380:43:41

12 Heligan gardeners went to war but not all of them came home.

0:43:420:43:47

To find out more about the lost heroes,

0:43:470:43:50

I am meeting Heligan historian Peter Lavis.

0:43:500:43:53

-Hi, Peter.

-Hello, Helen.

0:43:540:43:56

So what do we know about the 12 men who went to World War I from here?

0:43:560:44:00

We have got the Heligan estate labour book here

0:44:000:44:04

which dates from April 1914

0:44:040:44:06

and it gives, under each day, the jobs that the men were allocated.

0:44:060:44:12

We have got a family called the Paynters.

0:44:120:44:15

We have got Richard Paynter, Frederick Paynter

0:44:150:44:18

and William Paynter. William was the father, he was a stonemason.

0:44:180:44:23

Richard was one of his sons, he was the carpenter here.

0:44:230:44:26

Here we have Fred, and there it is written, "Left to enlist".

0:44:260:44:30

-We know that 12 went. How many came back?

-Only three. Nine perished.

0:44:340:44:40

75%. It is a big proportion.

0:44:400:44:44

Hearing that Britain had joined the war, they would never have

0:44:440:44:47

known how significant that was going to be, would they?

0:44:470:44:50

I think a lot of young lads thought it was an adventure

0:44:500:44:52

and didn't realise the implications of what they were going to fight in.

0:44:520:44:57

Why do you think it is important to pay tribute to these men,

0:44:570:45:00

and why do you think it is important to get the gardens back to how

0:45:000:45:03

-they were?

-We pay tribute to these men because they gave their lives.

0:45:030:45:07

With the help of the families, we are

0:45:070:45:09

slowly putting those stories back together which means that

0:45:090:45:12

the men are coming back to life in people's memories.

0:45:120:45:15

There are echoes of those old gardeners at every turn.

0:45:170:45:21

Here and there are vegetable beds they laid out,

0:45:210:45:23

trees they planted and even old buildings

0:45:230:45:26

they would have used are just as they were back in 1914.

0:45:260:45:31

The gardens have undergone massive restoration.

0:45:340:45:38

They have been returned to their original splendour

0:45:380:45:40

and the methods and techniques would be familiar still

0:45:400:45:43

to the gardeners of 100 years ago.

0:45:430:45:45

Nicola Bradley is their modern-day equivalent,

0:45:470:45:50

keeping alive those old traditions.

0:45:500:45:52

-Nicola, hello.

-Hello.

-You look busy there.

0:45:550:45:58

I am, yes, just putting on some kale to go out in the winter brassica bed.

0:45:580:46:02

How close is this to how it would have been in 1914?

0:46:020:46:07

Pretty much as close as it could be, really.

0:46:070:46:09

They are so atmospheric, these buildings.

0:46:090:46:12

You can almost feel the gardeners of time gone by.

0:46:120:46:15

Let's get this kale on the next stage of its journey

0:46:150:46:18

so that we can enjoy it.

0:46:180:46:20

Will just pop them in this cold frame here

0:46:270:46:30

and we will make sure we put a net over them later.

0:46:300:46:33

-Keep the pigeons off.

-Are birds a bit of an issue?

0:46:330:46:35

They are a nightmare, yes.

0:46:350:46:36

Of course, they would have had the same problem back in 1914,

0:46:360:46:39

they would have had pigeons.

0:46:390:46:40

But I think they would probably have had a lot of pigeon pie

0:46:400:46:43

-back then as well.

-Win, win.

-Yes.

0:46:430:46:45

I can imagine people ask you about why you do things in a certain way.

0:46:450:46:49

As far as we are concerned, it is a good way to garden.

0:46:490:46:51

It is very labour intensive, obviously.

0:46:510:46:53

People look at us like we're crazy sometimes

0:46:530:46:55

but we have got amazing soil and we can grow parsnips,

0:46:550:46:59

you know, that long, because we have got beautiful rich topsoil

0:46:590:47:02

and because we dug it that way.

0:47:020:47:05

Is there anything that they did in 1914 that you wouldn't do now?

0:47:050:47:08

They did use, believe it or not, cucumber straighteners.

0:47:080:47:12

Nicola, take me to the cucumber straightener.

0:47:120:47:14

A sentence I never thought I would say!

0:47:140:47:16

Completely derelict 25 years ago, the beautiful greenhouses

0:47:220:47:26

have been fully restored to their former glory.

0:47:260:47:29

-This is a cucumber straightener.

-Of course!

0:47:330:47:37

You have got to attach it to a relatively small cucumber.

0:47:370:47:42

Back then, it was a matter of pride, you know, in the produce you produce.

0:47:420:47:47

Also, probably quite high expectations of your employer.

0:47:470:47:51

It said something about them, the produce that was on their table.

0:47:510:47:54

If it wasn't perfect, the guests would go away

0:47:540:47:57

and probably gossip about that. So it was very much a matter of pride.

0:47:570:48:01

-What are the little boxes?

-They are basically natural predators.

0:48:010:48:06

They would have been spraying really horrible stuff like nicotine

0:48:060:48:10

and arsenic as pest control. Hideous chemicals.

0:48:100:48:13

Didn't that poison the plants?

0:48:130:48:15

Well, some of it would have gone into the plants, yes.

0:48:150:48:19

-Perfectly straight cucumbers with a side helping of arsenic!

-Yes!

0:48:190:48:23

The summer that the First World War broke out was perfect.

0:48:270:48:30

The conditions were ideal for growing crops.

0:48:300:48:34

In the fields,

0:48:340:48:35

the gardeners of Heligan would have been harvesting hay.

0:48:350:48:37

To get a sense of how different that process was, I am turning

0:48:450:48:49

the clock back with the help of David Jones and Bumble, his horse.

0:48:490:48:54

Up until the First World War,

0:48:550:48:57

most of the jobs on the farm would have been done by horses.

0:48:570:49:00

They worked the hay pole, they ploughed,

0:49:000:49:02

they did pretty much all the jobs on the farm.

0:49:020:49:05

100 years ago, hay making was time consuming and labour intensive.

0:49:070:49:12

From scything the hay to cocking it for drying

0:49:120:49:15

required many man-hours and lots of elbow grease.

0:49:150:49:18

Today, we are trying our hand at some of those old methods.

0:49:200:49:24

I feel a little bit naive because when I see

0:49:260:49:28

pictures of my grandad doing this, exact thing in the fields,

0:49:280:49:31

I think, how romantic,

0:49:310:49:32

he was probably there enjoying the sunshine, moseying along.

0:49:320:49:36

But actually, you can't switch off.

0:49:360:49:38

It was hard work and relatively dangerous as well.

0:49:380:49:42

-This time I am going to concentrate and get it right.

-Right, excellent.

0:49:420:49:47

-Do you want the reins as well?

-Do you trust me?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Walk on!

0:49:470:49:51

-He probably won't listen to you.

-Not many men do.

0:49:510:49:54

Bumbles. Come on, fella. Bumble.

0:49:540:49:56

-There you are.

-Off he goes. Go on, Bumble. Walk on. Walk on.

0:49:560:50:01

It's so heavy!

0:50:050:50:07

Bumble!

0:50:070:50:09

Hey, look at you!

0:50:120:50:14

-Good boy!

-And again.

-Thank you, Bumble.

0:50:180:50:22

I am in Cornwall, where I have been foraging above

0:50:310:50:34

and beneath the waves for the ingredients for a seaside feast.

0:50:340:50:38

So far, I have caught a lobster with my bare hands

0:50:380:50:40

and plucked an array of herbs and sea vegetables from the shoreline.

0:50:400:50:45

All that is left is to cook it.

0:50:450:50:47

Simon Stallard runs a beach restaurant

0:50:480:50:51

and is a dab hand with foraged food.

0:50:510:50:53

There is a vision of a man who likes to be prepared. Simon, how are you?

0:50:580:51:02

Hi, Matt, how are you doing?

0:51:020:51:03

-Good to see you.

-Welcome to Porthcurnick.

0:51:030:51:05

-Look at all these goody stuff that I have for you here.

-Wow, wicked.

0:51:050:51:09

-That comes from Thom. This here is the result of my freedive.

-Wow!

0:51:090:51:13

It's a lobster, as you can see, with just the one claw.

0:51:130:51:15

-Maybe a bit more practice?

-I think so!

0:51:150:51:18

-Can you do something with that?

-Yes, yes, we will get him on the grill.

0:51:180:51:22

What's it like for you to be out here cooking with

0:51:280:51:31

the sound of the water coming in, knowing that all of this stuff

0:51:310:51:34

has just been foraged from a matter of miles?

0:51:340:51:38

I don't think it gets any better, really.

0:51:380:51:40

I gave up my life living and working in London kitchens to come and

0:51:400:51:43

actually just cook and work around these waters with this produce.

0:51:430:51:49

We try to cook as much as we can over wood, coconut coals.

0:51:490:51:53

Just really about that sort of flavour, realness,

0:51:530:51:56

certainly unpretentious style of cooking, really.

0:51:560:51:59

'Simon has brought along the king of sustainable Cornish seafood,

0:52:010:52:04

'the spider crab.'

0:52:040:52:05

Look at the size of that one. That's huge.

0:52:050:52:08

'There are loads of them in our seas but we usually export them abroad.'

0:52:090:52:13

The majority, I think about 80%, goes to Spain.

0:52:130:52:17

The Spanish value it as much as lobster.

0:52:170:52:19

Unfortunately we don't seem to see the same value.

0:52:190:52:22

'Speaking of lobster, Mine is done.'

0:52:230:52:26

Look at that!

0:52:260:52:28

-I think you should just have a bit of your fruits.

-Just to try it.

0:52:280:52:32

-Yeah, just get straight in.

-Here we go.

0:52:320:52:34

That tastes absolutely beautiful.

0:52:390:52:42

The spider crab is cooked.

0:52:440:52:47

Now for the delicate task of getting at the meat,

0:52:470:52:49

which it turns out is anything but delicate.

0:52:490:52:53

My basket of leaves has given Simon food for thought.

0:52:580:53:01

I see that as my lemon juice, this here has lovely saltiness to it.

0:53:020:53:07

Just shredded down.

0:53:070:53:09

So I have got my saltiness, these can go in, we'll just roll them up.

0:53:090:53:13

My foraged sea beet is blanched

0:53:130:53:15

and is filled with the other ingredients.

0:53:150:53:17

In goes the spider crab, my lobster and all my hand-picked herbs.

0:53:170:53:22

The bite-sized parcels are then seared on the griddle.

0:53:220:53:25

Does it bring a different perspective to it that this

0:53:250:53:29

is all free?

0:53:290:53:30

It always tastes sweeter when it doesn't cost anything.

0:53:300:53:33

Looks like these fabulous cooking smells have attracted

0:53:330:53:36

a few scavengers.

0:53:360:53:38

This looks very productive.

0:53:380:53:39

Would you believe it, just in time! Here they come. Hungry bellies.

0:53:390:53:43

-Nice to see you all.

-What have you got for us?

0:53:430:53:46

Well, this is an absolute delight. This is basically my day in a bite.

0:53:460:53:51

So we have got sea beet all round the outside.

0:53:510:53:54

Inside there you have got spider crab,

0:53:540:53:56

you have got hand-foraged and grabbed one-armed lobster.

0:53:560:54:01

-Right.

-By my good self!

0:54:010:54:04

That is delicious. Really nice.

0:54:040:54:07

That is just perfect.

0:54:090:54:11

I might just lie down here on this beach

0:54:110:54:13

and just listen to the waves and fall fast asleep.

0:54:130:54:16

That is all we have got time for from Countryfile this week,

0:54:160:54:19

from the Cornish coast.

0:54:190:54:20

Next week the whole team will be in the Cotswolds,

0:54:200:54:22

where it is no-holds-barred.

0:54:220:54:24

Look at this.

0:54:240:54:25

-Did we say no mercy?

-No mercy.

0:54:250:54:27

Come on! Oh!

0:54:310:54:33

-That is not like you, to be competitive.

-Anyway, who wins?

0:54:360:54:40

-Find out next week. That is it from us. Goodbye.

-How's that?

-Delicious.

0:54:400:54:44

Hands off!

0:54:440:54:46

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