0:00:32 > 0:00:37Hills, moorland, crashing waterfalls and beautiful coastline,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39County Durham has got the lot.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Now, this is the place that I was born,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44but I'm not here to talk about its scenery.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Today I'm here for one thing - panackelty.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50'It's a dish well-known in these parts
0:00:50 > 0:00:52'and I'll be showing how it's made.'
0:00:52 > 0:00:54- And there you have it.- Ooh!
0:00:54 > 0:00:57- Who's first? - Me!- Is it you, Lucy? Right.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Ellie takes the plunge at the stunning Low Force waterfall.
0:01:01 > 0:01:02Yeah!
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Woohoo!
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Tom's looking at a messy problem in our countryside.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12This is really shocking. It's like an avalanche of rubbish
0:01:12 > 0:01:14across this slope here.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18And Adam's meeting the farmers who think grass-fed beef is best.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Right, come on, let's have a little taste.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Really smooth flavour. Very nice.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37The shimmering North Sea...
0:01:39 > 0:01:40..rolling countryside...
0:01:43 > 0:01:45..with flashes of gorse in bloom...
0:01:47 > 0:01:50..and a monument to mining past...
0:01:52 > 0:01:54..this is Easington Colliery in County Durham.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Easington Colliery is a former mining community
0:01:58 > 0:02:00that sits right on the Durham Coast.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06There's a dish around these parts that has a special place
0:02:06 > 0:02:07in locals' hearts.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09It's made of potatoes, onions,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11vegetables and, originally,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13any cheap meat you could get your hands on.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17It's called panackelty,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20known elsewhere in the north-east as pan haggerty.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24It's a cheap and cheerful dish, cooked in quantity,
0:02:24 > 0:02:25shared with neighbours...
0:02:27 > 0:02:30..a hearty meal to come home to after a day at the coalface.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35It's still popular today, even though the mine has long gone.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Well, that was the winding shaft for the pit.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Over to my right-hand side, that's where all the spoil heaps
0:02:41 > 0:02:44were and, of course, the miners used to live just there.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Now, I know that for a fact cos I used to deliver their milk.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51The pit closed in 1993.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55Since then, the site has undergone quite a transformation.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58It's now a nature reserve, where Angela Surtees is a volunteer.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02Do you know, anybody coming down here today that didn't know of the
0:03:02 > 0:03:05area's past would never believe that there was a pit here, would they?
0:03:05 > 0:03:06No, absolutely not.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10It's still locally referred to as the former pit site.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15In 2001, the Turning the Tide project actually came and developed
0:03:15 > 0:03:19the site and thousands of tonnes of colliery spoil was removed.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22The site was profiled and turned into what you can see today
0:03:22 > 0:03:23with the grasslands,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25the trees and copses.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28And last year there was a celebration of the local dish here.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32So where was the panackelty festival, then?
0:03:32 > 0:03:35It was actually over on the mown grassed area over there.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37- We had two tepees.- Right.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41And inside the tepees we had local chef Bill Smithson
0:03:41 > 0:03:46and he cooked three variations of the dish panackelty
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and the locals came and tested and voted on their favourite.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52Bill, a former MasterChef regional finalist,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55will be cooking panackelty for us later.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58First, though, I need to get the ingredients together.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Any good panackelty starts with potato and onion,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03and I know exactly where to find them.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Well, this place goes on and on and on.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07SHE CHUCKLES Doesn't it? How many greenhouses
0:04:07 > 0:04:09- have you got here?- I've no idea!
0:04:09 > 0:04:11- I've never counted them. - THEY LAUGH
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Allotments play a big part in local life,
0:04:16 > 0:04:20each proud plot passed down from generation to generation.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Carol Ingram used to help her grandad here.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28We've got pictures of me when I was very small
0:04:28 > 0:04:31- and I first started coming to the garden.- This is you, is it?- Yeah.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34- So your earliest memories, then, I guess, are of this place.- Yes.
0:04:34 > 0:04:35Uh-huh. Yeah
0:04:36 > 0:04:40This gentleman here was known to everybody as Grandad Nelson,
0:04:40 > 0:04:44who had a garden up the village and he was the only man in
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Easington that grew grapes and every child what went past his garden
0:04:48 > 0:04:51got a bunch of black grapes and that, I think,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54was my first experience of fruit.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55Really?
0:04:56 > 0:05:00The first taste of veg, too, often came from the allotment,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02but it wasn't all grown for eating.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Prize specimens could win big prizes at shows
0:05:05 > 0:05:09and growing methods are closely guarded secrets.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Even Carol is giving nothing away.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13And so this is what it's all about, then,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16the quality of the soil is absolutely wonderful.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19So how long has this stuff been in these beds?
0:05:19 > 0:05:21A very long time.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26Basically, you take the stuff out, sieve it,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28- add other stuff and put it back. - Right.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- What other stuff do you put in? - Yeah, I won't be saying that, like.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33This is all... It's top secret.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36No, this is why it gets really serious because even know
0:05:36 > 0:05:38there's a very tightknit community around here...
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Yeah, there's nobody lets you know, at all.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43The leeks look great
0:05:43 > 0:05:46but what I really need are some spuds and onions,
0:05:46 > 0:05:50so I'm off to meet another champion grower, former miner Derek Rivers.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55- Derek, where are you? - I'm in here. Come in.- How you doing?
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- All right, mate.- You all right? - All right, aye, champion.
0:05:58 > 0:05:59Good to see you.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Now, they tell me that you've got some potatoes in storage.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04- I have, yes, in here. - Can I have some? Is that all right?
0:06:04 > 0:06:08- I've got some out for you. - Oh, perfect. All ready to go.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11- We're...- You'll need big ones for slicing.- Whoa, look at that.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13That's a beauty, that.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Yeah, we're making panackelty.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17What's your recipe? Do you have one?
0:06:17 > 0:06:23- Do you have a favourite panackelty recipe?- Generally use corned beef, onions, bacon and sliced potatoes.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26- Yeah, have you got any onions? - Yes, any amount.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28MATT CHUCKLES I'm saying that, I can see them!
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Can I have some, as well? Is that all right?
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- I'll cut some off.- What do you recommend? Which ones would you...?
0:06:34 > 0:06:38Well, these ones, the white ones for panackelty.
0:06:38 > 0:06:39Yeah, all right. Thanks.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42You get a great view over the colliery down here.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45- When was that picture taken? - I think it was about 1980.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47And then all your certificates, look, surrounding there.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49The good old days.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51- Lovely. Well, listen, thank you so much for these.- Yes.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54- I hope you enjoy your panackelty. - Yeah, I'll give you a shout how well
0:06:54 > 0:06:57it goes. It'll taste delicious.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58- See you later on now.- Right.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Now, we are in the grip of a fly-tipping epidemic.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11Latest figures show that rubbish is being dumped illegally right
0:07:11 > 0:07:15across the UK thousands of times a day. Here's Tom.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Suburban woodland in Cheshire.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Here you'll find a wide variety of plants and wildlife.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31Gorse Covert Mounds in Warrington is a stone's throw
0:07:31 > 0:07:35away from the M62, giving quick and easy access to
0:07:35 > 0:07:38locals wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of inner-city life.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43It's maintained by the Woodland Trust.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47They rely on the enthusiasm of volunteers for planting,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50cutting back and generally creating habitats for wildlife
0:07:50 > 0:07:52to thrive here.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54But there's something many of them didn't expect when they
0:07:54 > 0:08:00signed up and that's this - piles and piles of rubbish dumped here
0:08:00 > 0:08:04illegally and the charity is left to pick up the bill.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07Like it or not,
0:08:07 > 0:08:12illegal waste left on private land is the landowner's responsibility.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16And although volunteers have cleared this mess up a number of times,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18it just keeps coming back.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24This is really shocking. It's like an avalanche of rubbish
0:08:24 > 0:08:26across this slope here.
0:08:26 > 0:08:31And the things that are amongst it, this is office light fittings,
0:08:31 > 0:08:35chairs, this is an old fertiliser can,
0:08:35 > 0:08:40and this one looks like the padding from a child's trampoline.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42It really is disgusting.
0:08:43 > 0:08:48Nationally, the Woodland Trust spent £44,000 last year
0:08:48 > 0:08:51getting rid of dumped rubbish.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54So far this year, they've already spent half that.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56That's a perverse kind of mountaineering.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00For volunteers like Nigel Balding,
0:09:00 > 0:09:05it makes what should be an enjoyable time a waste of time.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08So, I guess, this is the kind of work you signed up to rather
0:09:08 > 0:09:11- than the rubbish clearance? - Yes, it's a variety of things that
0:09:11 > 0:09:14we get involved with and this is the nicer side of it,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17planting some plants and improving the view up at the top of the hill.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20As a group, we're here to make a difference, have fun,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23but the fly-tipping his beaten us.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26We've tried very hard over the years to try and improve the situation,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28but it just keeps coming back and it's so frustrating.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31You say you have to clear it up, but describe to me what you actually
0:09:31 > 0:09:33have to do to get rid of it.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37So we've had to use our group funds to hire skips and then get
0:09:37 > 0:09:40the volunteers in to actually load all of the fly-tipping into
0:09:40 > 0:09:43the skips and then pay them to take it away.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Some other things are more difficult. Tyres they won't take in
0:09:46 > 0:09:48skips and we've had asbestos in the past, as well,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51and they all need special treatment. So it's such a mess.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Do you feel you're winning or are you a bit more like King Cnut
0:09:53 > 0:09:55facing a tide of rubbish?
0:09:55 > 0:09:56It's just keeps coming back.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00It's awful that we can't catch the people that are doing it
0:10:00 > 0:10:03or restrict access or do something, anything,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05to stop it, because it's criminal activity,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07it really harms the community and
0:10:07 > 0:10:09it harms a community resource and it's just selfishness.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15This isn't the odd bin bag, this is big business,
0:10:15 > 0:10:16stretching right across the UK.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22In Purfleet in Essex, 3,000 tonnes of rubbish, including
0:10:22 > 0:10:26pharmaceutical waste, was dumped in a pile spreading half a mile.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Across the country in Claverley,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33one Shropshire farmer's yearly revenue was almost
0:10:33 > 0:10:39wiped out after 100 tonnes of waste was dumped on his land.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42And over the years I've spoken to a number of farmers who have
0:10:42 > 0:10:45been left with whopping clean-up costs.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49I would say we have fly-tipping once every three weeks,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52- so it is a fairly common thing. - So what have you found in here?
0:10:53 > 0:10:59We've had shredded rubber, garden waste, building materials.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02- Do you put gates on as many as you can?- We do barriers and gates.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04- They'll even steal the gates.- No!
0:11:04 > 0:11:06We've had those taken, too.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13There is a huge multi-million pound industry dedicated to the
0:11:13 > 0:11:16legal and responsible disposal of waste.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Some is recycled, this stuff is going to be burnt to keep the
0:11:19 > 0:11:23lights on, and the rest goes to landfill,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26and none of those outcomes end up littering the countryside.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28But this easily available,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31legitimate business doesn't seem to have put off the cowboys.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33According to the latest Government figures,
0:11:33 > 0:11:38there are more than 100 incidents of illegal dumping across the
0:11:38 > 0:11:42UK every hour and the cost to us, the taxpayer,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45for cleaning that up, £50 million a year.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51Some believe that cuts in bin collections, reduced opening
0:11:51 > 0:11:55hours at recycling centres and rules and regulations are adding to
0:11:55 > 0:11:59the problem, but costs vary from county to county.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Margaret Bates is a professor of sustainable waste management
0:12:03 > 0:12:06and she believes there's more to it than that.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Why do you think fly-tipping is on the rise?
0:12:08 > 0:12:09People have said that,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13"Oh, more local authorities are introducing bulky waste charges."
0:12:13 > 0:12:16But I was talking to a local authority yesterday who went
0:12:16 > 0:12:19from a free bulky waste collection to a charged for,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21no impact on fly-tipping.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23People say it's cos we've got reduced waste collection from
0:12:23 > 0:12:26households, but that's not the kind of waste that's being fly-tipped,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29so that doesn't make any sense.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32The only thing is that criminal gangs are seeing it as that
0:12:32 > 0:12:35opportunity to make money and so they're just finding that niche
0:12:35 > 0:12:36and exploiting it.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38And when you talk about criminal gangs,
0:12:38 > 0:12:43this is genuinely quite a big crime enterprise, is it, today?
0:12:43 > 0:12:46We have an issue across the whole of the waste and resource sector.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49We've got a criminal element that are going up to people and
0:12:49 > 0:12:51saying, "Oh, I can clear that for you cheaper."
0:12:51 > 0:12:54And sometimes that cheaper should give you the indication that
0:12:54 > 0:12:56it's really not right, it is illegal.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58You know, if it sounds too good a deal,
0:12:58 > 0:13:00it probably is too good a deal.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Criminals are moving into it because they get more money for their
0:13:02 > 0:13:06effort and they're less likely to go to prison.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09People assume somehow environmental crime is still
0:13:09 > 0:13:13victimless, that nobody's being hurt by you dumping waste by
0:13:13 > 0:13:16the side of the road or on a farmer's land or in
0:13:16 > 0:13:18a beauty spot or any of these places,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21but actually taxpayers pay for it, landowners pay for it.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28This rise in waste crime has hit many parts of the UK quite hard,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31but some authorities have decided not to take it lying down.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Later, I'll be on the road with one rural crime team who are
0:13:39 > 0:13:43trying to buck the trend and reduce the problem in their area.
0:13:47 > 0:13:52I'm a few miles west of Matt, in Weardale in the North Pennines.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56This is high country, the roof of England,
0:13:56 > 0:14:01where open moors and rich pasture go on and on and on.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05This is a landscape to stir the imagination
0:14:05 > 0:14:09and it was irresistible to one particular artist.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15- Hi, Ellie.- How you doing? - I'm fine, how are you?- Yeah, good.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19'These hills cast a spell over Ellie Langley more than a decade ago,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22'so she upped sticks and moved to this remote cottage,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24'which doubles as her studio.'
0:14:26 > 0:14:31'Key to her craft are these - her own small flock of sheep.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33'She uses their wool to make felt,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37'but these sheep are more than just raw materials to Ellie.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39'They're like family.'
0:14:39 > 0:14:43- Ellie, how many have you got here? - 25 now,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45which is a lot more than I ever intended!
0:14:45 > 0:14:48And they seem to be different breeds.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51They are, yes. I've got just a handful of pure breeds
0:14:51 > 0:14:53and nearly all of them are crosses.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55This is Minkie, she's a Bluefaced Leicester.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Do you farm them?
0:14:57 > 0:15:00I don't, no. I take them in,
0:15:00 > 0:15:04they're all rescue sheep who would otherwise have gone for slaughter.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07- Oh, right.- So I'm vegetarian... - I see.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09I don't breed them, I don't ever have lambs.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Talk to me about the different characters,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13you've got names for them all?
0:15:13 > 0:15:17- Yes, they've all got names. This is Kester.- Kester.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21He is three-quarters Shetland and one-quarter Bluefaced Leicester.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23So I've spotted one I really like,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26the one that's got a dark face and a beautiful tuft on top.
0:15:26 > 0:15:31- And stunning eyelashes, it's Pearl. - Pearl is my favourite, I love Pearl.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34She's actually three-quarters Manx Loaghtan,
0:15:34 > 0:15:38an eighth Shetland and an eighth Bowmont.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42- Beautiful Pearl, she's the poster girl for your flock.- She's gorgeous.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45'Their thick fleeces have seen them through the winter,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48'but leaving them any longer will cause problems.'
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Unfortunately, because they're usually clipped late June,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53early July, the wool felts on their backs,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56so I want to try clipping them early
0:15:56 > 0:15:58and hopefully the fleeces will be better.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01So the mission is to round up the exact four?
0:16:01 > 0:16:06The exact four, who are Eric, Horlsey, Brian and Neil.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09- Well, Minkie here.- This is Horsley.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Horsley and Eric, his twin, who's now disappeared over there.
0:16:13 > 0:16:19Oh, Neil's wandered off too. Neil is lovely, he's my friendliest sheep.
0:16:19 > 0:16:20Neil, we've got some food.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Local sheepshearer Mark Robson has been called in for the job.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Come on, sheep. Come on, lovelies.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32'But first, we've got to round up Neil and his pals.'
0:16:32 > 0:16:34They're coming.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38- There we go. There it is.- Come on. - Come on then.- Come on.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41- Oh, it's working beautifully. - Come on.
0:16:42 > 0:16:47'With Neil in tow, Parsley, Brian and Eric soon follow on.'
0:16:48 > 0:16:51And Mark's shears are soon whirring into action.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00This wool will need a good wash before it can be used,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03but Ellie's got some all ready for felting.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07- Right then.- It's got sheep on it. - It is, it's a very fitting apron.
0:17:07 > 0:17:08So talk me through the process.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13Right, so we're going to make just a square of felt.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15'We start by layering a few handfuls.'
0:17:15 > 0:17:18It's incredibly strong, isn't it, felt?
0:17:18 > 0:17:19It's very strong, yes,
0:17:19 > 0:17:23because of the scales holding the fibres in place.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28'Next, add a sprinkle of water, a dash of soap...
0:17:30 > 0:17:33'..and then a good bit of elbow grease.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37'While we crack on in the workshop, outside,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40'Brian and Neil are getting used to their new number ones.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44'While Eric's not taking it lying down.'
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Let's have a look at this.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55- Oh, yeah.- Wow.- It's definitely a piece of felt.- It is.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57- I'm quite proud of that, you know. - It's well felted.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Ellie uses it to make all sorts - from fuzzy chesspieces
0:18:03 > 0:18:05to bespoke items of clothing.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10- That's a very amazing dress. - ELLIE LAUGHS
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Wow. Talk me through this incredible piece.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16So I made this dress for an exhibition.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18- A bride's dress fit for a shepherdess.- Yeah!
0:18:21 > 0:18:24'And if you want to get ahead, as they say...'
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Here we go, this is Liza Minnelli's answer to Countryfile there, look.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32- All...that...jazz. - THEY LAUGH
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Wonderful, a little piece of the Durham landscape in high fashion.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39- Yeah.- 'And Ellie's even got the afterlife all sewn up.'
0:18:39 > 0:18:43This is my coffin, which is the reason I started making felt,
0:18:43 > 0:18:47because I wanted to make a coffin that would biodegrade
0:18:47 > 0:18:49with me and be made from something I'd produced.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Hopefully it will decompose with me.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55- I don't know why I've got a viewing window in it.- Just in case!
0:18:55 > 0:18:58I made a death mask originally to go with it!
0:18:58 > 0:18:59But I don't where it's gone.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02When you think about the end, it's very life-affirming.
0:19:02 > 0:19:03Well, it is, actually,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06and my children saw me make it and saw me having fun making it,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09so I think that's really nice.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11They'll be confident knowing you put some love,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15and there's your sheep in here, and that's where you'll end your days.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18- It is.- Amazing. - Hope they think it's funny anyway!
0:19:19 > 0:19:21Ellie's feeling for her craft is clear
0:19:21 > 0:19:24and that helps when you're making felt.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34The mighty River Tees.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39Once blighted by industry, the water polluted and lifeless,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42it has undergone a remarkable transformation.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48It's now a place to be enjoyed, by people...
0:19:48 > 0:19:50and by wildlife,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52like seals lured by the returning salmon.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Here in the shadow of the Tees Barrage in Stockton,
0:19:56 > 0:19:58there's a special conservation effort.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02All thanks to these guys,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05the boys and girls of the 15th Middlesbrough Scout Group.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08They're off to get changed into their work clothes.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Today is St George's Day,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13the day when Scouts traditionally renew their scouting promise.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18I promise that I will do my best to do my duty to God
0:20:18 > 0:20:22and the Queen, to help other people and to keep the Cub Scout Law.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27But modern scouting is much more than just Bob-a-Job Week.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31It's just as much about nature and doing your bit to help wildlife.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38The Canal & River Trust, who operate the Tees Barrage,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40are turning some nearby wasteland
0:20:40 > 0:20:43into a wildlife garden for all to enjoy.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45The Scouts are playing a big role,
0:20:45 > 0:20:47getting stuck in with all sorts of jobs.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Reece Hugill from the Trust is overseeing their work.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52So, Reece, the Cub Scouts have just gone to get ready,
0:20:52 > 0:20:54what have you got in store for them?
0:20:54 > 0:20:57So today we'll be painting a boat beside the dipping pond,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01we'll be making a bug mansion for pollinators and minibeasts,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05we'll be planting up some planters around the pond.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08And the river looks really healthy as well, doesn't it?
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Yeah, it's improved a lot.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Going back a few years, it was considered a dead river,
0:21:14 > 0:21:19there was industry downstream, there was saltwater for 22km.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22So now the barrage is in place, it impounds the river,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25so that means all-year-round the river is kept at
0:21:25 > 0:21:29a mean high tide level, and that opens up for watersports,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33boating, fishing, people can enjoy the river a lot more.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Now we've got the return of migratory fish like salmon
0:21:35 > 0:21:38and sea trout, we've got seals. Hundreds and hundreds of people
0:21:38 > 0:21:41through the summer come to see the seals.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47This summer, those visitors can also enjoy this dipping pond
0:21:47 > 0:21:49and nature garden, which the industrious Cub Scouts
0:21:49 > 0:21:51are improving by the minute.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55So, Andrew, how did these guys get involved?
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Well, the Cub Scouts were looking for a community impact project,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00and they reached out to the Canal & River Trust and asked if
0:22:00 > 0:22:03there was somewhere they could adopt and take forward and develop,
0:22:03 > 0:22:05and that's how we ended up here.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Is it a national project?
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Well, it's part of something called A Million Hands, so we've got
0:22:11 > 0:22:12more than half a million Scouts in the UK,
0:22:12 > 0:22:17so obviously more than a million hands, and it's about getting people
0:22:17 > 0:22:20together to focus on helping on the big challenges in their community.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24There's four strands to it, around helping people, around issues with
0:22:24 > 0:22:29disability, dementia, clean water and sanitation and mental wellbeing.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33The mental wellbeing bit is what you're focusing on here, isn't it?
0:22:33 > 0:22:36That really is, and the issues were picked by young people,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38things that were important to them.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40As Scouts, we're used to being outside, going camping
0:22:40 > 0:22:44and hillwalking and things, and we know the benefits that can have.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46I think it's fantastic you're focusing
0:22:46 > 0:22:48on mental wellbeing, particularly here.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50It's something that is really close to my heart, my son is struggling
0:22:50 > 0:22:54with OCD at the moment, so to see all these young people
0:22:54 > 0:22:56getting stuck in, doing something for mental wellbeing,
0:22:56 > 0:22:58it's just brilliant to see.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Wow, this looks better already.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07- So you're painting it nice and blue, why's that?- GIRLS: Because...
0:23:07 > 0:23:10- It started to rust, the other paint...- And it looked really ugly.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Yeah. And now it looks better.
0:23:12 > 0:23:13And what's going to happen?
0:23:13 > 0:23:16- Are you going to put some plants inside this?- BOTH: Yeah.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19Why's that important when people come and see it?
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Because they don't want to look at old stuff like...
0:23:22 > 0:23:24They want to look at shiny things and stuff.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Yeah, and it makes people feel better, doesn't it,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29when they can see nice things?
0:23:29 > 0:23:31- Are you enjoying painting down there?- Yeah.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Painting literally everyone!
0:23:33 > 0:23:35- Are you painting everyone? - He's painted me!
0:23:35 > 0:23:37- Yeah, including the rock. - Including a rock.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- Have you put a little bit of blue on his nose?- Managed to get me as well!
0:23:40 > 0:23:42SEAN LAUGHS
0:23:42 > 0:23:44Oh, need to be careful with that!
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Old driftwood has its uses too.
0:23:50 > 0:23:55- Wow, you're busy. What's this? - It's a lavender.- A lavender?
0:23:55 > 0:23:58And you've put all of these plants in a big log.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00- Where did the log come from? - The river.- From the river?
0:24:00 > 0:24:03And what you're doing here is helping make this area
0:24:03 > 0:24:05really good so other people can enjoy it -
0:24:05 > 0:24:06how does that make you feel?
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Well, it makes me feel proud of myself.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Yeah, you should feel proud of yourself. That's really good.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13- How do you feel about that?- Good.
0:24:13 > 0:24:14That you're helping other people,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16you're helping make a really good place.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Cos not many people really get this opportunity
0:24:18 > 0:24:20- to come here and plant all these. - Yeah.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25I feel happy just seeing the flowers, it's colourful.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29- I like colours.- Yeah. - Adds a bit of life.- Yeah.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32'Even creepy-crawlies are catered for.'
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Wow, this looks interesting, guys. What is it?
0:24:37 > 0:24:40- It's a den for creatures. - A den for creatures?
0:24:40 > 0:24:43The creatures like it scruffy
0:24:43 > 0:24:46cos then they can hide from birds and stuff.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50They can get there, but the big birds can't get through the holes.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53- Yeah. Do you enjoy this? Looks like you do.- ALL: Yeah.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56- You like getting out and about and helping here?- Yeah.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01It makes me feel like I've helped people, and creatures,
0:25:01 > 0:25:06so they can live a happier life, and then they'll be able to live longer.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- What, the creatures or the people? - The creatures.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11- LAUGHING:- And the people? - And the people.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14It must be great being part of this, seeing this place developing,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16but you also see the kids developing with it.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Yeah, cos obviously there's not many places round here that
0:25:20 > 0:25:21you can do stuff like this,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25so to be part of helping something start up and then come back
0:25:25 > 0:25:28in a few months' time and be able to see the fruits of our labour.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35In just a couple of hours, the Scouts have made quite a difference.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38It's amazing how much work you can get done with...
0:25:38 > 0:25:39ALL: A million hands!
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Now, earlier we heard how waste crime is on the rise,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51costing charities thousands of pounds.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52But it's not just them.
0:25:52 > 0:25:58UK taxpayers forked out £50 million last year to clean up
0:25:58 > 0:25:59other people's mess
0:25:59 > 0:26:03and Tom's got himself, well, in a whole HEAP of it.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13If you're still in the midst of that spring clean,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16then you need to be careful that your rubbish doesn't end up
0:26:16 > 0:26:20dumped in the countryside, left for others to clear up.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23And if you're not, you could feel the long arm of the law.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27Three-and-a-half years ago, here in North Wales, the Rural Crime Team
0:26:27 > 0:26:30was set up and tackling fly-tipping is high on their agenda.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Morning, officer.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37'I'm on patrol with DC Eryl Lloyd.'
0:26:37 > 0:26:39- So when it comes to...- Fly-tipping.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Fly-tipping, yeah, what kind of cases do you tend to get involved in?
0:26:42 > 0:26:45I tend to get involved in the large scale ones, really,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47sort of commercial ones.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Anything over a transit van load, really.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Covert camera footage from fly-tipping hotspots has helped Eryl
0:26:57 > 0:26:59and his team catch the criminals,
0:26:59 > 0:27:03but it seems many people are unaware that they're
0:27:03 > 0:27:06still responsible for their rubbish even after it has left their home.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11What I'm finding now, last few months,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14people will go on a man and a van site.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18It's basically cash in hand, back of the van, and off it goes,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and subsequently they get a knock from the local authority,
0:27:21 > 0:27:25from the police, saying, "How come your waste is fly-tipped?"
0:27:25 > 0:27:28And 99% of the time, they are absolutely shocked.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36'Eryl has been called to an incident just off the A470.
0:27:36 > 0:27:37'In the past couple months,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40'there have been three reports of fly-tipping in the area.'
0:27:40 > 0:27:43So this stretch is turning into a bit of a fly-tipping hotspot?
0:27:43 > 0:27:44- Yeah, especially for tyres.- OK.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46So what we're going to do is go through them,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49see if there's any markings or anything
0:27:49 > 0:27:51really distinguishable that we can
0:27:51 > 0:27:53- look to progress the inquiry further.- Yeah.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59- They're always full of water, tyres, aren't they? - ERYL LAUGHS
0:28:04 > 0:28:08- This one's got a label on.- Has it?
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Yep, it's got a label, possibly, barcode, serial number,
0:28:11 > 0:28:13possibly we can make some inquiries.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15In other kinds of dumps, what sort of evidence might you find
0:28:15 > 0:28:17there that would help you link to a perpetrator?
0:28:17 > 0:28:20If it's binbags and domestic waste,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23we will go through the waste looking for letters, bank details,
0:28:23 > 0:28:28anything really that's connecting to that person who owns the waste.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32On the large-scale flytips, we have taken things away for
0:28:32 > 0:28:36fingerprinting, DNA, to see if we can find anyone linked to it.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42'And it seems dedicated patrols, hidden cameras
0:28:42 > 0:28:44'and checking hotspots IS paying off,
0:28:44 > 0:28:46'as the team have had a number of prosecutions.'
0:28:46 > 0:28:48So have you got what you need there, do you think?
0:28:48 > 0:28:50Well, I've got some inquiries I can carry on with,
0:28:50 > 0:28:52so we'll see what happens.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55The most recent case on Eryl's patch
0:28:55 > 0:28:57was at Crown Court just three weeks ago.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01This type of crime could attract a five-year prison sentence,
0:29:01 > 0:29:04but this builder from Anglesey
0:29:04 > 0:29:07only got a fine of £750 and community service.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11So, might some in the business of organised crime see
0:29:11 > 0:29:14this outcome as a risk worth taking?
0:29:14 > 0:29:16Those kind of fines don't go anywhere near even covering
0:29:16 > 0:29:19- the costs of the investigation, does it?- No, it doesn't.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22Would you like to see stiffer penalties for this kind of thing?
0:29:22 > 0:29:24Oh, definitely. Definitely.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28It's the sort of crime now which members of the public hate
0:29:28 > 0:29:33and therefore I feel that the court system should possibly
0:29:33 > 0:29:34reflect that a bit more.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38Stricter penalties are one thing,
0:29:38 > 0:29:41but how do we ensure we do the right thing at home?
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Helen Bingham from Keep Britain Tidy
0:29:44 > 0:29:47believes we have the power to reduce waste crime.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51What would you like to see to get on top of this problem?
0:29:51 > 0:29:56We'd like to see tougher sentencing, obviously, and we'd like to see
0:29:56 > 0:29:59the public be educated properly about what their role
0:29:59 > 0:30:01and responsibilities are when it comes to fly-tipping.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03Can we just divide those up?
0:30:03 > 0:30:04As far as the authorities are concerned,
0:30:04 > 0:30:07- what needs to be done there? - From government,
0:30:07 > 0:30:11what we'd like to see them do is use some of the landfill tax
0:30:11 > 0:30:15to support local authorities to keep recycling centres open,
0:30:15 > 0:30:18to reduce the costs of bulky waste collection
0:30:18 > 0:30:20so that people can get rid of stuff the right way.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23And what duties do we householders have?
0:30:23 > 0:30:26What we can do is make sure that when we're getting rid of something,
0:30:26 > 0:30:30you need to make sure that that person is a licensed waste carrier.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34So we need people to understand that they have
0:30:34 > 0:30:37a duty to make sure their waste is being disposed of properly.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41- More than two-thirds is coming from us.- It absolutely is.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43Two-thirds of fly-tipping is from households,
0:30:43 > 0:30:46can clearly be identified as being from households.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49Cut that out and we can let the authorities deal with the big stuff.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57I've done many investigations into fly-tipping over the last decade
0:30:57 > 0:30:59and the sad thing is that, in recent years,
0:30:59 > 0:31:01the problem seems to be getting worse.
0:31:01 > 0:31:06But there is one thing we can all do to help reduce the fouling
0:31:06 > 0:31:09of parts of our countryside, and that's make sure whoever's
0:31:09 > 0:31:12taking our rubbish away is going to put it in the right place.
0:31:19 > 0:31:20I'm in County Durham,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23gathering the ingredients for the regional dish panackelty.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28I've got the veg sorted, but it needs a bit of protein.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34And I'm hoping farmer Andrew Wilson can help me out.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39- Andrew, how you doing? - Hello there, Matt.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41Come on then.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45- Just on the top of there, as well? - Yeah, on the top of there, Matt.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49- Oi, gis-gis-gis.- Oh, there's lots of lovely stuff in there.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53Great. Well, listen, I've been up at the allotment and I've got
0:31:53 > 0:31:54all me veg sorted for the panackelty.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57The question is, I've come to you for the recommendation
0:31:57 > 0:32:00of what meat I should be putting in. What do you think?
0:32:00 > 0:32:02I would say bacon pieces.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04A lot of people would say corned beef, mind you.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06Yeah, well, this is the thing.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08But I think the traditional is bacon pieces.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10OK, so what recipe are we talking then,
0:32:10 > 0:32:13and what would it have looked like?
0:32:13 > 0:32:16- Sliced potato, onions, any allotment veg...- Yep.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19..and offcuts, cheap offcuts of the bacon.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22Would it have been more meaty or more veggie for you then?
0:32:22 > 0:32:25Well, it all depends how friendly you were with the butcher,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28if you had more meat or more veg!
0:32:28 > 0:32:31We didn't always have a lot of meat in ours, I'll tell the truth,
0:32:31 > 0:32:33- we always had more veggie.- Right.
0:32:33 > 0:32:38- My mam's was always cooked in a coal oven.- Was it?
0:32:38 > 0:32:41And as big a pot as we could to feed everybody, there was a lot of us.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43It would be nice and crispy when it come out,
0:32:43 > 0:32:45- with a nice bit of soot on the top. - MATT LAUGHS
0:32:45 > 0:32:47From the stove?
0:32:47 > 0:32:49Yeah, just as she'd get it out, we'd get a soot fall,
0:32:49 > 0:32:51but it never bothered you, we still ate it,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54and everybody else ate it and all, because they were that ready
0:32:54 > 0:32:57for something to eat after they'd been working on the farm.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00Well, listen, Andrew, your pigs are lovely and the good news is
0:33:00 > 0:33:03- there's a great butcher not too far away from here, isn't there?- Aye.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06- Yeah, there is. - I'm going to head down there now.
0:33:06 > 0:33:07THEY LAUGH
0:33:10 > 0:33:12- Here he is. Andrew.- Hello, man.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16- You've binned your wellies and got your gladrags on now, eh?- Yeah.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19I've got just the thing for you.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22So when you're not producing then, you're behind the counter.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Yeah, three days a week I try and do in the shop,
0:33:24 > 0:33:29and the rest of the week - and nights - on the farm.
0:33:29 > 0:33:30It must have really helped you then,
0:33:30 > 0:33:34if you have that kind of contact with your consumer.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Yeah, you see what the consumers are wanting and what's in demand.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40- Look at them.- Lovely stuff.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44- Wow. Thank you very much indeed. - Oh, you're most welcome, man.
0:33:44 > 0:33:45Much appreciated.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47Well, today isn't just St George's Day,
0:33:47 > 0:33:51it's also the start of British Beef Week and, to mark it,
0:33:51 > 0:33:54Adam is meeting some farmers who are fanatical about keeping
0:33:54 > 0:33:56their animals on grass.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58- Andrew, are you one of them? - Absolutely.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04I think our livestock farmers produce some of
0:34:04 > 0:34:06the best beef in the world.
0:34:06 > 0:34:07Like a fine wine or whisky,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10British beef can be just as varied and complex.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15But just how much does the grass that our animals graze
0:34:15 > 0:34:16affect their taste?
0:34:18 > 0:34:21It's inevitable that the way we look after our animals and what
0:34:21 > 0:34:24we feed them will affect the flavour of their meat.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28Many farmers supplement grass by feeding processed food
0:34:28 > 0:34:31that's full of grains, proteins, oils and minerals,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34but some cattle farmers are managing to feed just grass
0:34:34 > 0:34:37all-year-round and feel it's a much better system.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48'Russ Carrington is a founder member of Pastures for Life.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52'It's a scheme that awards a mark of quality to meat from animals
0:34:52 > 0:34:54'fed exclusively on pasture.'
0:34:56 > 0:34:58And this has actually got a proper certification then,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00you check people?
0:35:00 > 0:35:02That's right, it's legally defined,
0:35:02 > 0:35:04it's the only one in the UK and - we believe - in Europe.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07And we have auditors going out on farms to check that farmers
0:35:07 > 0:35:10are indeed producing those animals in that particular way.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12So traditionally, and I'd be one of them,
0:35:12 > 0:35:16farmers have used manufactured cattle food, and in there
0:35:16 > 0:35:19would be soya from abroad and oils and those sorts of things.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21Are we turning away from that now, do you think?
0:35:21 > 0:35:23Things are changing now, the world is changing,
0:35:23 > 0:35:26we're having to question the way we're doing things,
0:35:26 > 0:35:29but with economic changes in farming, it's also forcing farmers
0:35:29 > 0:35:33to focus more on pasture management and getting the best from the grass.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36Having the right animals, the right genetics, the right management,
0:35:36 > 0:35:38the right approach by the farmer,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41any area of the country can run a purely pasture-fed system.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48So far, around 70 farms have been certified throughout the country,
0:35:48 > 0:35:52on a diverse mix of landscapes.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55Come on! Come on!
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Here in the bleak uplands of the Brecon Beacons,
0:35:58 > 0:36:00John Price farms Belted Galloway.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04So what's in it for him?
0:36:04 > 0:36:05Come on.
0:36:06 > 0:36:11- Come on.- I was told I'd find you with your cattle.- Yeah, yeah.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13Hi, Adam. I spend a lot of time up here, yeah.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15It's beautiful, isn't it? Not a bad office.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17It's spot-on, yeah, I love it up here.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19And do the cattle live out all winter?
0:36:19 > 0:36:22No, unfortunately they can't. We have nearly three metres of rain.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24But then out here for the spring and summer.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Yeah, out for the spring and summer, they'll spend all their time
0:36:27 > 0:36:29up here and the molinia grass will green up on the top.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31Why did you go for an all-grass system?
0:36:31 > 0:36:35Naturally they eat grass, they eat pasture, and it just works for us.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39Is it more profitable doing it this way?
0:36:39 > 0:36:42It's more profitable doing it this way, the way we do it,
0:36:42 > 0:36:44purely because we sell the end product.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46We need to make profit, we need to make money in farming,
0:36:46 > 0:36:50there's no question, but it's about producing that high-end product,
0:36:50 > 0:36:53and the people we sell to, the comments they give back to us,
0:36:53 > 0:36:55that's what makes the job worth doing.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59'For John, having his Belted Galloways
0:36:59 > 0:37:03'certified 100% grass-fed makes good financial sense.'
0:37:03 > 0:37:05Come on.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07'Along with the added status it brings,
0:37:07 > 0:37:10'grass and pasture is much cheaper to feed to cattle than
0:37:10 > 0:37:13'growing cereals or buying in manufactured feeds.'
0:37:16 > 0:37:18But if you think grass is the same everywhere,
0:37:18 > 0:37:20you couldn't be more wrong.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28Back on my home turf in the rolling Cotswold Hills, I'm meeting
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Rebecca Charley, who farms a wonderful herd
0:37:31 > 0:37:32of pedigree red polls.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36There's no need for any supplementary feeding up here,
0:37:36 > 0:37:39you don't need to bring hay onto this hillside, do you?
0:37:39 > 0:37:41- No, because it keeps them full. - Yeah.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46'Conservation is important to Rebecca and her cattle are
0:37:46 > 0:37:49'helping to support wildlife by grazing hard-to-reach land.'
0:37:50 > 0:37:53It's certainly quite rough pasture, some of the modern
0:37:53 > 0:37:55continental breeds wouldn't like it up here, would they?
0:37:55 > 0:37:59They wouldn't, as you can see, it's not been grazed very much recently.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01But our cattle are doing a good conservation job here
0:38:01 > 0:38:03cos this is part of
0:38:03 > 0:38:04the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust Reserve
0:38:04 > 0:38:06and, if this isn't grazed off,
0:38:06 > 0:38:09then the species that are here anyway will be lost.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12'It's good news for nature
0:38:12 > 0:38:15'and I'm told it's just as good for the cattle.'
0:38:15 > 0:38:17This hay smells lovely and sweet
0:38:17 > 0:38:21and its full of all different plants, isn't it?
0:38:21 > 0:38:23There are probably over 50 or 60 different varieties of plants
0:38:23 > 0:38:26- and herbs, yeah. - Incredible, isn't it?
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Which is then good cos it's healthy for the animals cos they can...
0:38:29 > 0:38:30I think they self-medicate, anyway,
0:38:30 > 0:38:32so they've got a much better balance
0:38:32 > 0:38:34of minerals and elements that they can eat.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37Come on then, girls and boys, here's your winter rations.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41'A natural diet of hay and grass
0:38:41 > 0:38:44'is not only good for the health of Rebecca's Red Polls,
0:38:44 > 0:38:47'it's been shown to be better for human health, too.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50'It's said that when compared to grain-fed beef,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53'it's higher in vitamin E and lower in saturated fat.'
0:38:53 > 0:38:56We're about 800ft above sea level here.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01'Just 20-odd miles down the road from Rebecca,
0:39:01 > 0:39:05'Ian Boyd runs an organic pedigree Hereford suckler herd.'
0:39:12 > 0:39:14'We may still be in the same county,
0:39:14 > 0:39:18'but the grazing here is very different to Rebecca's.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22'It's more intensively managed, but still great for the cattle.'
0:39:22 > 0:39:25We're growing these herb-rich meadows,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28which have got 20 different species of grasses,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31herbs and legumes on them, to try and add
0:39:31 > 0:39:35a lot of biodiversity into the soil to improve the soil health.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37And so what have you got in here, specifically?
0:39:37 > 0:39:41First on the menu is the salad burnet.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43Mmm, that's good! Nice, what else?
0:39:43 > 0:39:45Now I think we want to try some sheep's parsley.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52Wonderful! That is just like ordinary parsley you get in a salad.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56It is, yeah. The other one is the sainfoin.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58This is the real Cotswold plant
0:39:58 > 0:40:01that's got so many magical properties.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03It's got medicinal properties for the cattle -
0:40:03 > 0:40:07it stops the bloat and it cures the worms in their gut.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11It also flowers a lovely pink flower that the insects love to pollinate.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15So, all these herbs are helping your soil health
0:40:15 > 0:40:17because you're an organic farm.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19Not only is it helping the soil health,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22it's also helping the nutrient density of the beef
0:40:22 > 0:40:24for the cattle that eat it.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27So, is it the cattle fitting into your rotational system
0:40:27 > 0:40:29or the system fitting into the cattle?
0:40:29 > 0:40:31- They both fit together.- Wonderful!
0:40:38 > 0:40:43Well, it's fascinating to see how passionate these farmers are
0:40:43 > 0:40:46about the diets of their animals,
0:40:46 > 0:40:50but does the beef taste as distinctive as they claim?
0:40:53 > 0:40:55There's only one way to find out.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01'We've cooked up similar cuts of beef from the three farms I visited
0:41:01 > 0:41:03'to try and taste the difference
0:41:03 > 0:41:06'between the environments they've grazed.
0:41:06 > 0:41:11'Fancy French winemakers have a phrase for this - gout de terroir -
0:41:11 > 0:41:13'that's "the taste of the earth" to you and me.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17'And, like all good farmers,
0:41:17 > 0:41:21'the chance to sample some grub washed down with a bit of plonk
0:41:21 > 0:41:23'has enticed everyone I've met today
0:41:23 > 0:41:26'and their families to try what's on offer.'
0:41:28 > 0:41:31Not on solids yet - bit more for us.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34- And we don't know whose is whose? - We don't.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38- Come on, let's get it handed round. Do we need plates?- No, just fingers.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Right, come on. Let's have a little taste.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44'So, how do the varied landscapes translate into taste?'
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Go on, John, don't be polite.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49'Our farmers don't know it,
0:41:49 > 0:41:52'but they're eating John's Belted Galloways,
0:41:52 > 0:41:54'who graze the Welsh hillside.'
0:41:55 > 0:41:59Where in the country has this come from?
0:41:59 > 0:42:03- It's a sort of sweet aftertaste. - Really smooth flavour, very nice.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05- It might be yours, John. - It might be!
0:42:05 > 0:42:08- LAUGHTER - It's nice, it's very nice.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10'How very modest of you!
0:42:10 > 0:42:12'Next, we have Ian's Hereford's.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16'So, can anyone pick up the taste of their herb-rich diet?'
0:42:16 > 0:42:20- It is almost, like, herby.- Yes, I think it is, isn't it, quite herby?
0:42:22 > 0:42:23'I'm impressed.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27'And, finally, we have Rebecca's Red Polls from the Cotswold hills.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29'How different will this taste?'
0:42:29 > 0:42:31That's got a sharper flavour.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33There's a lot of aftertaste and flavour there,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36and there's a sort of earthiness about them all.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40It all comes back to the terroir of the farms, the soil,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43the pasture those animals have eaten, just like wine or whisky.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46It's a really great story of what makes beef special to a locality.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50'With a range of sweet tones, floral notes and sharpness,
0:42:50 > 0:42:53'it just goes to show what cattle are fed on
0:42:53 > 0:42:55'makes a significant difference to taste.'
0:42:55 > 0:42:57Rearing beef on simply grass alone
0:42:57 > 0:43:00certainly gives you a tasty, tender product,
0:43:00 > 0:43:04but it also allows the farmer to work with their local environment,
0:43:04 > 0:43:07producing beef in an ethical and sustainable way.
0:43:14 > 0:43:21These are the Durham Dales, an area famed for its natural beauty...
0:43:22 > 0:43:24..its tranquillity.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29It's here that the River Tees starts life,
0:43:29 > 0:43:33the infant river rising on the high moors.
0:43:36 > 0:43:41Up here, there's a real sense of time stood still -
0:43:41 > 0:43:45just the sound of the wind and the water
0:43:45 > 0:43:49coursing through this boggy ground for thousands of years.
0:43:51 > 0:43:55I'm following the river along one of its most beautiful stretches,
0:43:55 > 0:43:59starting not far from its source up in the north Pennines.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06Spring is when life returns to these boggy moors.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08It's the start of the breeding season
0:44:08 > 0:44:10for many species of wading bird.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13There's oystercatcher, lapwing,
0:44:13 > 0:44:17golden plover and if I'm lucky and listen carefully,
0:44:17 > 0:44:21I might get to hear that distinctive warbling call of the curlew.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25WARBLING BIRDSONG
0:44:27 > 0:44:31HIGH-PITCHED BIRDSONG
0:44:32 > 0:44:36Lapwings come in huge numbers to breed here,
0:44:36 > 0:44:39their distinctive call a familiar sound of spring.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43These waders spend the winter down at the coast,
0:44:43 > 0:44:45but, at this time of year,
0:44:45 > 0:44:48come to the uplands to breed and it's ideal for them -
0:44:48 > 0:44:52lots of thick tussocky grass to camouflage their nests
0:44:52 > 0:44:53and, thanks to this river,
0:44:53 > 0:44:57lots of boggy, wet ground full of invertebrates
0:44:57 > 0:45:00to feed them and their chicks.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05'As the Tees flows on, the landscape changes -
0:45:05 > 0:45:09'rough moors give way to gentle pastures,
0:45:09 > 0:45:13'quiet woods and some surprises.'
0:45:13 > 0:45:15Listen.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18- WATER RUSHES - Can you hear that?
0:45:25 > 0:45:28This is High Force.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33In full spate, it carries more water
0:45:33 > 0:45:35than any other waterfall in the country.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43Wow!
0:45:43 > 0:45:45I'm getting sprayed on from here, the power of that water!
0:45:45 > 0:45:47It's absolutely deafening.
0:45:47 > 0:45:53This is the spot at which the Tees drops 70ft over the waterfall
0:45:53 > 0:45:57and it's been doing it for thousands of years,
0:45:57 > 0:46:02but the rock that it's carving through is even more ancient.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06It's known locally as whinstone and it was formed
0:46:06 > 0:46:10when molten rock from the Earth's core rose to the surface,
0:46:10 > 0:46:15cooled and solidified - 300 million years ago.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27'As wonderful as the view is,
0:46:27 > 0:46:30'there's an entirely different way to experience this river...'
0:46:32 > 0:46:34'..as long as you don't mind getting wet.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38'So, I'm joining the guys from the Kingsway Activity Centre
0:46:38 > 0:46:40'to do just that.'
0:46:41 > 0:46:44They've told me I'm in for a bit of a bumpy ride.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47'My instructor is Rob Atkinson.'
0:46:47 > 0:46:49I'm in safe hands, aren't I, Rob?
0:46:49 > 0:46:50You're absolutely in safe hands.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52We're going to have a fantastic time.
0:46:52 > 0:46:53Talk me through what's happening.
0:46:53 > 0:46:54So, here we are at Salmon Leap
0:46:54 > 0:46:57and Salmon Leap is this fantastic stretch of the River Tees here.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59It comes over these falls and you can see them behind me,
0:46:59 > 0:47:01you can see the gushing white water
0:47:01 > 0:47:03and that's where we're doing our activity today.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06It's a lovely piece of water and we're going to have loads of fun.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08- Let's do it, then.- Let's go.
0:47:10 > 0:47:11'Who needs a canoe?
0:47:11 > 0:47:13'This is white-water swimming
0:47:13 > 0:47:16'and right here is one of the best places for it in the country.'
0:47:23 > 0:47:27'Stage one, to swim across the river - accomplished.
0:47:27 > 0:47:29'But it does get tougher.'
0:47:29 > 0:47:31Yeah!
0:47:31 > 0:47:36'Like this, my first chute - riding the rapids through narrow channels
0:47:36 > 0:47:40'whilst dodging any big boulders. Here goes.'
0:47:45 > 0:47:49INAUDIBLE
0:48:00 > 0:48:03'OK, how about two chutes this time?'
0:48:27 > 0:48:29Yeah!
0:48:29 > 0:48:31Woohoo!
0:48:31 > 0:48:33That is very invigorating.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39'First stage - easy-peasy.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42'The chutes - a little trickier.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44'But now for something altogether more challenging.'
0:48:47 > 0:48:50- Rob, that looks like a serious rapid.- A serious rapid?
0:48:50 > 0:48:52This is Low Force and this is our final challenge today.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55We're going to jump off the waterfall just behind us here.
0:48:55 > 0:48:56James Bond-style?
0:48:56 > 0:48:59James Bond-style, maybe, but you'll certainly get a buzz
0:48:59 > 0:49:01as you come off the top there and land in the pool at the bottom.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04It's a lovely, deep, safe pool. It's going to be fantastic.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06So, yeah, we're going to do this final challenge
0:49:06 > 0:49:08and you'll come out feeling a real sense of achievement
0:49:08 > 0:49:10- when you've done this. Let's go.- OK.
0:49:17 > 0:49:21'Blimey! It's a lot higher than it looks from the river bank.
0:49:24 > 0:49:28'Come on, Ellie, it's now or never.'
0:50:10 > 0:50:13A bit of rock climbing to end that adventure.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15SHE LAUGHS
0:50:15 > 0:50:17That was amazing!
0:50:18 > 0:50:20Amazing!
0:50:20 > 0:50:22Oh, yeah, I loved that.
0:50:22 > 0:50:27I don't think I could be any more drenched, but perhaps I could.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29I wonder what the weather's got planned.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31Time to find out with the Countryfile forecast
0:50:31 > 0:50:33for the week ahead.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07# Keep on the sunny side
0:51:07 > 0:51:09# Always on the sunny side... #
0:51:09 > 0:51:12'I'm in County Durham, where there's a party going on,
0:51:12 > 0:51:14'and it's all because of panackelty.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18'A well-loved regional dish, I've gathered together the potatoes,
0:51:18 > 0:51:20'the onions, the carrots and the bacon needed
0:51:20 > 0:51:23'for our own big panackelty feast.'
0:51:26 > 0:51:30'There's music from a local ukulele band
0:51:30 > 0:51:33'and doing the honours in the kitchen is Bill Smithson,
0:51:33 > 0:51:35'a former MasterChef regional finalist
0:51:35 > 0:51:37'and undisputed panackelty king.'
0:51:37 > 0:51:40Where do you want to start, then, with this, Bill? What's the plan?
0:51:40 > 0:51:43I think we'll get the bacon bits starting to fry,
0:51:43 > 0:51:45- then I'll show you how I want the carrots chopping, OK?- OK.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48We're under pressure here cos we've got quite a local audience going on.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50Every family's got a different panackelty recipe.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53- This is the point. - That's the beauty of panackelty.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56It's got regional variations, but also family variations, too.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59- Yeah, yeah. Now, we're not going for any corned beef here.- No.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01- No, we're not. - Is everybody all right with that?
0:52:01 > 0:52:03There's no corned beef going in. SOME GROANS
0:52:03 > 0:52:04Oh, I know. That got quite a reaction.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07The reason is we're trying to keep it local and we've got stuff
0:52:07 > 0:52:09from the allotment gardens, where you get a carrot,
0:52:09 > 0:52:11an onion and a potato quite easily sourced.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13The local butcher, you go and get some scraps of bacon,
0:52:13 > 0:52:16so we're trying to keep it real, how it would have been.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18Look at that one. I got that one from Derek. That was from Derek.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21Wow. I think it must be on steroids, that one.
0:52:21 > 0:52:25Onions are a key, key ingredient in this panackelty.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28Wherever you go, onion is definitely in there, as is potato.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31Yeah, well, I was asked to judge a competition last year
0:52:31 > 0:52:33and we had 48 different recipes
0:52:33 > 0:52:35and I had to narrow it down to three for the final.
0:52:35 > 0:52:40- What, 48 panackelty recipes?- 48 different panackelty recipes, yeah.
0:52:40 > 0:52:45The dish that won was basically just carrots, onions, potatoes,
0:52:45 > 0:52:47corned beef and bacon.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50- Right.- So it was quite true to the roots of panackelty.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53'This panackelty is made from layers
0:52:53 > 0:52:56'of potatoes, onions, carrots and bacon.'
0:52:56 > 0:52:59Just rustic. Just throw them in.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01We're not going for Michelin stars here.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04Well, you've got pedigree, haven't you, with the old MasterChef?
0:53:04 > 0:53:06Well, it was a long time ago.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08- Did you do panackelty at one point? - Certainly not.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11- Did you not do it? - MasterChef's gourmet food.
0:53:11 > 0:53:15This is working class... It's simple peasant food, this, panackelty.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17Maybe that's where you slipped up.
0:53:17 > 0:53:22I'll use my asbestos fingers cos you've got TV presenter's fingers.
0:53:22 > 0:53:23It'll be a bit hot for you.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26'Next, a jug of gravy.'
0:53:26 > 0:53:30Some people put cheese on top, but I don't.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33Well, that's where the whole pan haggerty thing comes in,
0:53:33 > 0:53:34which is a similar word,
0:53:34 > 0:53:37but slightly different cos what's that, just cheese and potatoes?
0:53:37 > 0:53:39Yeah, pan haggerty is a Northumberland dish.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41That is potato, cheese and onions, that's all it is.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43'No cheese here,
0:53:43 > 0:53:45'just a final layer of tatties
0:53:45 > 0:53:48'and there you have it - panackelty.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53'Bill was part of last year's Pan Hag Project,
0:53:53 > 0:53:56'an arts project that focused on the food and traditions
0:53:56 > 0:53:58'of the communities here in east Durham.'
0:54:00 > 0:54:03'It was the brainchild of Gayle Chong Kwan.'
0:54:04 > 0:54:06So, Gayle, of all of the dishes in all of the world,
0:54:06 > 0:54:09why did you want to do a project about panackelty?
0:54:09 > 0:54:12So, I discovered that actually panackelty was a dish
0:54:12 > 0:54:15as part of the skills and traditions of the area
0:54:15 > 0:54:17that had been passed down from generations.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20It was something that was really important to people
0:54:20 > 0:54:23for memories of, in a way, how they managed when times were hard.
0:54:23 > 0:54:27It's a dish that kind of speaks about the resilience of the area,
0:54:27 > 0:54:29about aspects of the landscape
0:54:29 > 0:54:31and about the kind of positivity of people here
0:54:31 > 0:54:35to make things the best out of what they've got.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38'Right, time to tuck in.'
0:54:39 > 0:54:42We're going to reveal the foil and have a good look.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44Here we go, are we ready?
0:54:44 > 0:54:47- And there you have it. Who's first? - Me!
0:54:47 > 0:54:51Is it you, Lucy? Now, what's the best way of dishing this out, Bill?
0:54:51 > 0:54:54As quickly as possible, they're very hungry. Just like that, yeah.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58This has turned out like a proper panackelty party.
0:55:02 > 0:55:03- Would you like some?- Yes, please.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06Ellie, would you like some?
0:55:06 > 0:55:08Save me a bit, I'm on my way,
0:55:08 > 0:55:11and my time here at this stunning spot is done.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13Next week, I'll be in Warwickshire,
0:55:13 > 0:55:15where I'll be meeting the young girls doing their bit
0:55:15 > 0:55:18to save some of our most endangered animals.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20Here we go. I tell you what, this queue's never-ending.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22Never-ending!
0:55:22 > 0:55:24And John will be meeting up a farmer
0:55:24 > 0:55:25who's gone from producing milk
0:55:25 > 0:55:27to brewing beer,
0:55:27 > 0:55:29but it looks like I'm going to be still here
0:55:29 > 0:55:31serving the rest of County Durham all this panackelty.
0:55:31 > 0:55:33From all of us here, bye-bye.