:00:28. > :00:29.HELEN SKELTON: With its flat, fertile plains,
:00:30. > :00:35.the East Midlands is more rural than you might think.
:00:36. > :00:42.And running through it, one of the UK's mightiest rivers, the Trent.
:00:43. > :00:45.Matt will be finding out how it's been brought back to life,
:00:46. > :00:48.whilst I'm an apprentice for the day at one of the last
:00:49. > :00:54.Nigel, you must be constantly covered in a cloud of flour. Yes.
:00:55. > :00:58.Is your beard really black under there?
:00:59. > :01:01.No, no, it's white with age and stress!
:01:02. > :01:05.Tom's in Wales, where a global health crisis is affecting
:01:06. > :01:11.Obviously, we're going to have to go back to plan A, I'd have thought.
:01:12. > :01:15.Which is...? Which is culling, I'd have thought. Yes.
:01:16. > :01:21.tonight sees the launch of this year's Photographic Competition.
:01:22. > :01:29.This is turning into more Carry On than I was expecting!
:01:30. > :01:32.And Adam's at the Bath and West Show catching up
:01:33. > :01:38.Tell me about your sheep, how many sheep have you got here to show?
:01:39. > :01:59.So which is your favourite? Willow. Willow.
:02:00. > :02:02.Early summer in the heart of England.
:02:03. > :02:07.Splashes of green burst on the river banks...
:02:08. > :02:33.I'm in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands.
:02:34. > :02:41.Just one of the counties cut through by the River Trent.
:02:42. > :02:44.But the Trent hasn't always been like this.
:02:45. > :02:57.200 years of heavy industry took its toll.
:02:58. > :03:04.Waste from factories and homes was dumped straight into the river.
:03:05. > :03:09.I'm going to meet a man who has helped its fortunes change.
:03:10. > :03:13.Alan Henshaw has known the Trent since he was a child
:03:14. > :03:17.and now works for the Environment Agency's fisheries team.
:03:18. > :03:21.This is a really, really special piece of river.
:03:22. > :03:24.As you can see, it's very natural, lots of weed,
:03:25. > :03:28.Yes. It really is. Very clear, isn't it?
:03:29. > :03:30.It is. It is. Today it's very, very clear.
:03:31. > :03:32.But that hasn't always been the case,
:03:33. > :03:36.I mean, at the end of the Industrial Revolution, how bad did it get here?
:03:37. > :03:41.In the 1880s, I think it was, there were 3,000 salmon in the river.
:03:42. > :03:44.Within a decade, that had dropped down to 10.
:03:45. > :03:47.So, it just shows you how bad the pollution was. Yeah.
:03:48. > :03:50.Right, and water temperature and stuff like that, as well.
:03:51. > :03:53.I mean, that's obviously key for a river. It is.
:03:54. > :03:55.In the 1940s, they built lots of coal-fired power stations.
:03:56. > :03:58.And they warmed the water up. You know, as a kid fishing,
:03:59. > :04:02.You just put your feet in the water and your feet stayed nice and warm.
:04:03. > :04:04.But, of course, that artificially heated it
:04:05. > :04:07.so it was making a kind of an unnatural habitat.
:04:08. > :04:18.Look closely and you might just see a few chub idling in the shallows.
:04:19. > :04:20.These fish need pristine conditions to thrive.
:04:21. > :04:26.It's testament to the improvement of their habitat that they're here.
:04:27. > :04:29.What's the situation these days with the fish stocks?
:04:30. > :04:32.We've stocked young salmon into rivers
:04:33. > :04:38.There are thousands of salmon that now run each year.
:04:39. > :04:40.They're a really good indicator species.
:04:41. > :04:44.If salmon are running, then your river is in good nick.
:04:45. > :04:47.And other species, as well, then? Definitely.
:04:48. > :04:50.The spread of species that we've now got, you know, the chub,
:04:51. > :04:52.the dace, the roach, the barbel, the bream.
:04:53. > :04:57.and that's because the water quality is so good now
:04:58. > :05:02.that the youngsters get a good start in life.
:05:03. > :05:07.I love the river. It's my river. Uh-huh.
:05:08. > :05:10.'To improve the numbers of fish in the Trent
:05:11. > :05:12.'Mother Nature was given a helping hand.'
:05:13. > :05:15.The river was restocked from the Environment Agency's fish
:05:16. > :05:23.The fish bred here are used to replenish rivers all over the UK.
:05:24. > :05:29.This is where the eggs... Oh, yeah. This is where all the eggs start.
:05:30. > :05:33.In here at the moment there is two, three, four million larvae.
:05:34. > :05:37.A lot of larvae in here and this is where everything starts life.
:05:38. > :05:43.And how long ago would these have hatched?
:05:44. > :05:48.Because they're destined for the wild it's important that
:05:49. > :05:53.This is the orange gloopy brine shrimp
:05:54. > :05:58.and it's a live food and it's much easier for the fish to digest it.
:05:59. > :06:01.The stuff comes from the great salt lakes in Utah.
:06:02. > :06:03.How often are you feeding them a mix like this?
:06:04. > :06:06.Feeding them five or six times a day.
:06:07. > :06:11.The larvae are feeding really, really aggressively.
:06:12. > :06:16.And this is what that food looks like under a microscope.
:06:17. > :06:19.As well as being easy to digest these tiny shrimps give
:06:20. > :06:22.the young barbel their first big lesson in life.
:06:23. > :06:29.will consist of small crustaceans and insects.
:06:30. > :06:33.There you can see they've all got orange bellies, they're feeding
:06:34. > :06:36.really, really well. All the little tiny orange dots are the shrimp.
:06:37. > :06:39.These fish are moving from tank to tank here under this roof?
:06:40. > :06:42.Yes, they're going to be in here for three,
:06:43. > :06:47.maybe four weeks and then we'll move them on to the next stage.
:06:48. > :06:49.These fish will remain here until they're 18 months old.
:06:50. > :06:52.Later I'll be back to find out how they're being taught to be
:06:53. > :07:02.streetwise - or river-wise - before being released into the wild.
:07:03. > :07:06.Normally at this time of year, badger vaccinations would be
:07:07. > :07:09.under way as part of the battle against TB in cattle,
:07:10. > :07:14.but as Tom has been finding out, a global health crisis in humans
:07:15. > :07:20.is affecting efforts to eradicate this invisible killer.
:07:21. > :07:26.Our relationship with badgers has never been straightforward.
:07:27. > :07:30."Tommy Brock was a short bristly fat waddling person.
:07:31. > :07:35."He ate wasp nests and frogs and worms,
:07:36. > :07:44.Brock the Badger - cast as a villain by Beatrix Potter 100 years ago
:07:45. > :07:49.and still seen as a bad guy by some in farming today.
:07:50. > :07:54.Why? Badgers are blamed by some for helping to spread tuberculosis in
:07:55. > :08:01.cattle and TB is devastating parts of our beef and dairy industry.
:08:02. > :08:12.they have controversial programmes to shoot badgers.
:08:13. > :08:15.But here in Wales, there's a no-cull policy.
:08:16. > :08:21.Instead, they rely on bio-security, testing and they vaccinate badgers
:08:22. > :08:26.to stop them catching and spreading TB.
:08:27. > :08:29.But there is a worldwide shortage of the vaccine
:08:30. > :08:36.so this year no badgers will be vaccinated at all.
:08:37. > :08:47.it's causing extra confusion for farmers at the sharp end
:08:48. > :08:50.like Gareth and Ann Gamage in Pembrokeshire.
:08:51. > :08:55.Today, they are getting the result of TB tests on their 500 dairy cows.
:08:56. > :08:59.Gareth, tell me what are these TB testing days like for you?
:09:00. > :09:02.Pretty stressful. Yeah? Pretty stressful and it's a lot of work,
:09:03. > :09:06.the pasture at this time of year is hard work.
:09:07. > :09:09.How many years have you been fighting this problem?
:09:10. > :09:13.It's been ongoing for best part of 10, 12 years with us.
:09:14. > :09:15.You've got the financial implications,
:09:16. > :09:20.And of course, you've got the physical aspects to deal with.
:09:21. > :09:23.I've got to draft staff in today now to help us
:09:24. > :09:25.and I've got to do this twice in a week.
:09:26. > :09:29.Just one positive reading will mean that animal being destroyed
:09:30. > :09:32.and the whole herd effectively quarantined and retested.
:09:33. > :09:37.animal movements will be severely restricted.
:09:38. > :09:42.You have sleepless nights beforehand, don't you,
:09:43. > :09:47.because it is D-Day. They live or die on these tests.
:09:48. > :09:51.As they reach the last few cows, the tensions are even getting
:09:52. > :09:54.We're getting near the end of the tests now.
:09:55. > :09:57.It makes me feel really nervous. Why particularly now?
:09:58. > :10:00.Well, because we've been clear so far
:10:01. > :10:08.and it only takes one to put us back to square one again. OK.
:10:09. > :10:12.The fear of infection being spread by badgers has prompted
:10:13. > :10:22.while in England there are selective culls and some vaccination.
:10:23. > :10:24.And in Northern Ireland they trap badgers,
:10:25. > :10:28.test for TB and then either vaccinate or cull.
:10:29. > :10:32.Here in Wales the overall cost of the vaccination programme
:10:33. > :10:40.George Walters vaccinates badgers and he's set up a trap to show me
:10:41. > :10:44.We use peanuts as bait for the badger
:10:45. > :10:46.and we are usually on the farm for about two weeks.
:10:47. > :10:48.When we're confident, after usually 10 or 12 days
:10:49. > :10:50.with the badger going in and going out,
:10:51. > :10:53.we will then set the cages to trap. And then, bang.
:10:54. > :10:56.Yes. What we do, we use these and we'll put them
:10:57. > :10:59.through the cage like that. We can then push the badger
:11:00. > :11:03.towards the side and then we will simply inject through the cage.
:11:04. > :11:07.or do you think it is quite benign for the badger?
:11:08. > :11:09.I don't see any problem for the badger.
:11:10. > :11:12.Generally, we capture around 30% of the badgers from the previous night,
:11:13. > :11:15.so they're quite happy to come back and take the peanuts,
:11:16. > :11:17.even though they have been caught already.
:11:18. > :11:21.that you have got this year where there is no vaccine?
:11:22. > :11:26.I think this role is vital in the fight against bovine TB.
:11:27. > :11:28.While it's no silver bullet on its own, used in conjunction
:11:29. > :11:31.with other bio-security methods, it goes a long way
:11:32. > :11:34.in being able to do something about the TB problem.
:11:35. > :11:39.It's vital that we get this vaccine back again next year.
:11:40. > :11:43.if the vaccine wasn't available for next year?
:11:44. > :11:49.in trying to offer the farming community
:11:50. > :11:52.a viable option in the fight against bovine TB.
:11:53. > :11:55.It is disappointing that we don't, you know...
:11:56. > :11:57.We have the policy in Wales of vaccination.
:11:58. > :12:03.It's completely unworkable without the vaccine.
:12:04. > :12:06.As there is no badger culling in Wales,
:12:07. > :12:09.some say this leaves dairy and beef farmers powerless
:12:10. > :12:15.Also, they say this is more than a minor hiccup,
:12:16. > :12:18.and adds uncertainty to an already muddled debate.
:12:19. > :12:27.That's what I'll be looking at later in the programme.
:12:28. > :12:30.I'm in Leicestershire, a stone's throw away
:12:31. > :12:32.from the market town of Melton Mowbray,
:12:33. > :12:36.the self-titled rural capital of food.
:12:37. > :12:39.one food has always been at the heart
:12:40. > :12:47.And in these parts, it was one cheese in particular -
:12:48. > :12:51.Colwick, a long-lost traditional cheese now being revived
:12:52. > :12:58.He is using Red Poll cattle, an old English breed,
:12:59. > :13:05.whose creamy milk is perfect for making Colwick cheese.
:13:06. > :13:08.For Alan, it is all about the animals.
:13:09. > :13:11.You have a lifelong passion for cows.
:13:12. > :13:18.When I was seven, I had my first calf for my birthday
:13:19. > :13:21.and I must have been the proudest chap in England.
:13:22. > :13:26.put it on the back-seat of the car, and came home with it.
:13:27. > :13:31.And Alan knows all of his ladies by name.
:13:32. > :13:34.Most of them have actually got pedigree names.
:13:35. > :13:38.So you keep family names going. Yeah.
:13:39. > :13:41.So we've got quite a lot of Dellas, Candys...
:13:42. > :13:43.Hilarys are another, quite a big name.
:13:44. > :13:50.Cheese is a serious business in these parts -
:13:51. > :13:54.along with bread, it was a staple of the working poor.
:13:55. > :13:58.Think of a ploughman's lunch and you get the idea.
:13:59. > :14:06.to protest about the huge hike in food prices.
:14:07. > :14:09.In Nottingham, there were riots about the cost of cheese,
:14:10. > :14:17.which had rocketed by a third and left people to go hungry.
:14:18. > :14:20.Thankfully, Alan's cheese has been winning awards
:14:21. > :14:26.I am headed to the dairy now to join Alan's wife Jane
:14:27. > :14:30.to see where the magic of Colwick cheese happens.
:14:31. > :14:32.OK, Jane, talk us through this process, then.
:14:33. > :14:36.Alan has put the milk in here, this morning,
:14:37. > :14:39.and we have put some starter culture and rennet in.
:14:40. > :14:46.and then it just goes in these moulds.
:14:47. > :14:50.So Colwick cheese is a cheese that is made in a cloth
:14:51. > :14:53.and it sticks to the sides of the cloth
:14:54. > :14:58.Presumably, originally, they were...socks, or something.
:14:59. > :15:03.Yes, or stockings, actually, I think,
:15:04. > :15:07.But we don't use those today, obviously.
:15:08. > :15:12.so you could put, like, blackberries in the middle,
:15:13. > :15:16.or an up-to-date take on it is a sweet chilli sauce...
:15:17. > :15:19.In the middle of the cheese? Yes. Oh, wow!
:15:20. > :15:23.I am just so impressed at you guys, because diversifying, for farmers,
:15:24. > :15:26.is something a lot of people are forced to do,
:15:27. > :15:28.but you guys seem to be doing this with a smile on your face.
:15:29. > :15:31.We decided that we had to do something different,
:15:32. > :15:33.because if we had just produced a black-and-white milk,
:15:34. > :15:36.it would have tasted exactly the same.
:15:37. > :15:43.to preserve the English rare and native breeds.
:15:44. > :15:48.The cheese has done phenomenally well, hasn't it? It has.
:15:49. > :15:51.We have won a gold for Rutland Slipcote at Nantwich,
:15:52. > :15:54.which is the world's largest dairy event,
:15:55. > :16:03.So they now have to stand there... OK. ..overnight.
:16:04. > :16:07.And how long does it take for them to turn into edible cheese?
:16:08. > :16:12.So, they drain, and then we salt them.
:16:13. > :16:16.How much did you know about cheese before you started making this?
:16:17. > :16:18.Nothing at all before we started making cheese.
:16:19. > :16:22.It has been a lot harder to learn how to make the cheese
:16:23. > :16:27.just this simple cheese has taken two years to develop it
:16:28. > :16:39.It's time for the bit I have been looking forward to the most.
:16:40. > :16:42.Jane, perfect timing. I've brought you a cup of tea.
:16:43. > :16:58.It's not crumbly, is it? Creamy.
:16:59. > :17:04.Possibly more than we should do. LAUGHTER
:17:05. > :17:10.Put some on some nice bread, tomatoes on top,
:17:11. > :17:15.I can see why you've won all those awards.
:17:16. > :17:17.Thank you very much. Thank you, Helen.
:17:18. > :17:21.I'm all in favour of bringing back forgotten recipes like this.
:17:22. > :17:29.I could eat this till the cows come home.
:17:30. > :17:36.A fleeting, magical time when the world awakens
:17:37. > :17:43.Throughout the day, the landscape is transformed
:17:44. > :17:52.until dusk cloaks the countryside, returning it to sleep.
:17:53. > :17:54.For this year's Countryfile Photographic Competition,
:17:55. > :18:00.and capture the British countryside in its ever-changing glory,
:18:01. > :18:12.To launch our contest, I have come to a nature reserve
:18:13. > :18:19.It's a charitable project run by one of this year's judges,
:18:20. > :18:26.Simon King, the distinguished wildlife cameraman and presenter.
:18:27. > :18:29.Also joining Simon and I on the judging team
:18:30. > :18:33.is the comedian and writer Rhona Cameron.
:18:34. > :18:42.bringing her discerning eye to bear on your photos.
:18:43. > :18:45.I'd like to accept your offer. Excellent!
:18:46. > :18:48.Our new judges are all keen photographers,
:18:49. > :18:59.Welcome to the judging team. Lovely to be here.
:19:00. > :19:01.Nice to see you. Good to see you. Hello.
:19:02. > :19:05.I am going to send you out on a photographic safari
:19:06. > :19:07.to see what you can find on Simon's reserve,
:19:08. > :19:11.but I know you've been studying the current calendar,
:19:12. > :19:14.so anything there stands out in particular to you?
:19:15. > :19:20.See, that is very restful. Calm, isn't it? It is very sleepy.
:19:21. > :19:22.Very calming. Everything is sleeping.
:19:23. > :19:25.Absolutely. And I have to say I echo your choice.
:19:26. > :19:28.Thank you, Simon. I think you'll find we have impeccable taste.
:19:29. > :19:33.you're a bit of a toughie, aren't you? Well...
:19:34. > :19:35.How tough are you going to be with our entrants?
:19:36. > :19:40.because there are a lot of amazing entries,
:19:41. > :19:42.and you have to be really singular about what is it
:19:43. > :19:44.that makes this really, really special,
:19:45. > :19:47.because it'd be easy to sit there and say they are all brilliant.
:19:48. > :19:51.talk about the golden hour, don't you?
:19:52. > :19:55.That period just after sunrise, just before sunset,
:19:56. > :19:59.when the light is at its warmest and colour is at its most saturated,
:20:00. > :20:02.of course, it can make an image absolutely sing.
:20:03. > :20:08.It's down to the eye of the photographer
:20:09. > :20:12.something that we might not otherwise have seen.
:20:13. > :20:17.Well, we'll see what you can do. Off you go into the reserve.
:20:18. > :20:24.LAUGHTER See you later.
:20:25. > :20:29.are more than 25 specially rigged cameras
:20:30. > :20:35.Everything you see in front of you is live. Oh, wow!
:20:36. > :20:38.On the left, there you go. That's a great tit
:20:39. > :20:41.who is currently feeding a brood of chicks.
:20:42. > :20:46.Clearly, there's lots of fascinating wildlife here.
:20:47. > :20:50.Such a lovely day as well. It is, let's make the most of it.
:20:51. > :20:55.But just how much of it will Deborah, Rhona and Simon see today
:20:56. > :20:58.down the lenses of their own cameras?
:20:59. > :21:01.I know I've got a big lens, you haven't got to point that out.
:21:02. > :21:08.But Simon believes you can take great pictures
:21:09. > :21:15.particularly for close and macro work.
:21:16. > :21:18.In many ways, you can be much more intimate
:21:19. > :21:22.than you can with a great big digital single lens...
:21:23. > :21:26.Yeah, that's really close. I mean, I'm in there.
:21:27. > :21:30.So around the ground here are bits of manky old tin,
:21:31. > :21:35.which actually provide sanctuary for a host of different creatures.
:21:36. > :21:39.There we go. Oh, wow! A field vole.
:21:40. > :21:42.Nailed it. Thank you very much. There is a vole.
:21:43. > :21:45.Well, I've just checked my picture...
:21:46. > :21:48...double-checking that she has got a...!
:21:49. > :21:51.And I have just got a big corrugated thing, pulled up,
:21:52. > :21:56.Well, don't worry if you are not as speedy at snapping as Deborah,
:21:57. > :22:00.because Simon has a top tip on how to photograph other small creatures.
:22:01. > :22:03.So, every time I see a harvest mouse in a picture,
:22:04. > :22:05.it's kind of sitting on an ear of wheat.
:22:06. > :22:07.Almost certainly it's a harvest mouse in captivity, in a set.
:22:08. > :22:10.When I photograph harvest mice, I build a special set.
:22:11. > :22:13.In fact, this is an out-of-focus picture of a field
:22:14. > :22:16.that acts as a backdrop for an image of a field
:22:17. > :22:19.when I am taking a photograph of a harvest mouse.
:22:20. > :22:21.And that's out of focus because it gives you...
:22:22. > :22:23.Because it gives you depth and perspective. OK.
:22:24. > :22:29.So it gives an artificial view of the world.
:22:30. > :22:35.any images of British wildlife in captivity must be declared as such
:22:36. > :22:37.and pictures of pets are not allowed,
:22:38. > :22:44.But whatever you decide to photograph,
:22:45. > :22:50.and take care not to disturb any animals,
:22:51. > :22:54.especially protected ones, or damage the environment.
:22:55. > :23:00.is wide open to your own interpretations.
:23:01. > :23:03.What we ARE looking for are eye-catching photographs which will
:23:04. > :23:09.show off the British countryside at its very best all through the year.
:23:10. > :23:14.It could be scenes of snow-covered fields at dawn,
:23:15. > :23:16.the shadows of clouds sweeping across the landscape
:23:17. > :23:23.bathed in the light of the setting sun.
:23:24. > :23:29.It really can be any aspect of our landscape throughout the day.
:23:30. > :23:33.From all your photos showcasing the British countryside from dawn
:23:34. > :23:37.till dusk, the very best 12 selected by the judges will take
:23:38. > :23:41.pride of place in the Countryfile calendar for 2017 -
:23:42. > :23:47.And just here is a great tit nesting.
:23:48. > :23:50.To be really close enough to take good photographs,
:23:51. > :23:54.So you can help me... Right, so what happens?
:23:55. > :23:59.we'll have an overall winner voted for by Countryfile viewers.
:24:00. > :24:01.See the bits that look like dimples? This bit here?
:24:02. > :24:04.No, you push them out, don't you? No, you...
:24:05. > :24:05.HE LAUGHS There we go.
:24:06. > :24:12.Not only will their picture feature on the cover of the calendar,
:24:13. > :24:17.they'll also get to choose photographic equipment worth ?1,000.
:24:18. > :24:21.Don't! That tickles, don't! Please don't.
:24:22. > :24:23.Are we in the right...? Right a bit. Right.
:24:24. > :24:26.This is turning into more Carry On than I was expecting.
:24:27. > :24:30.Whoever takes the judge's favourite photo will be able
:24:31. > :24:34.to pick photographic equipment to the value of ?500.
:24:35. > :24:37.So, what's the longest time you've been in a hide?
:24:38. > :24:40.The longest period I spent, for possibly the shortest return,
:24:41. > :24:44.was to film a sparrow hawk catching a blue tit and on the 14th day,
:24:45. > :24:48.the male sparrowhawk arrived, was at the table for about a second
:24:49. > :24:51.and a half, grabbed a blue tit and took off.
:24:52. > :24:58.It's actually a very privileged view.
:24:59. > :25:05.Deborah, Rhona and Simon have really made the most of their time
:25:06. > :25:08.here but what are their favourite photos of the day?
:25:09. > :25:12.So how did you do, then? I think the proof's in the pudding, isn't it?
:25:13. > :25:17.I got a demoiselle fly... Yeah, a beautiful demoiselle.
:25:18. > :25:20...actually looking at me. There it is.
:25:21. > :25:22.And the detail's phenomenal, isn't it? Yeah.
:25:23. > :25:26.That's the only half-decent one and it's not great.
:25:27. > :25:32.My talent is capturing people and desolate landscapes and buildings.
:25:33. > :25:35.I like it. But this is... Not a lot of those
:25:36. > :25:37.in the Countryfile Photographic Competition.
:25:38. > :25:43.Now, what about you, Simon? Got some goose, goose pics.
:25:44. > :25:47.There are really different layers to that, isn't there?
:25:48. > :25:49.It's fun, isn't it? I think what this proves
:25:50. > :25:52.though is that you can take great pictures on any kind of camera.
:25:53. > :25:55.Yeah. And how are you looking forward to the actual judging?
:25:56. > :26:00.This is where I'm going to have to put on my Dragon's hat.
:26:01. > :26:02.I will enjoy the small sense of power
:26:03. > :26:06.I will get from the proceedings, being a benign despot type.
:26:07. > :26:08.You can be a Dragonette. Indeed.
:26:09. > :26:12.You know, I think that, very quickly, with that sort of process,
:26:13. > :26:15.the winners jump out at you - they get you.
:26:16. > :26:24.If you think your skills behind the camera could really impress
:26:25. > :26:27.the judges, there's only one way to find out.
:26:28. > :26:30.To enter the competition, please write your name, address
:26:31. > :26:33.and a daytime and evening phone number on the back of each photo
:26:34. > :26:50.The competition isn't open to professionals
:26:51. > :26:53.and because we're looking for something original,
:26:54. > :26:57.your pictures must not have won any other national competition.
:26:58. > :27:02.they must have been taken in the UK and please remember
:27:03. > :27:06.we're looking for hard copies, not e-mailed or computer files.
:27:07. > :27:11.And I'm very sorry, but we just can't return any entries.
:27:12. > :27:15.The full terms and conditions are on our website and that's where you'll
:27:16. > :27:20.also find details of the BBC's code of conduct for competitions.
:27:21. > :27:24.The competition closes on July 22nd, so that means you've got just
:27:25. > :27:26.under five weeks to send in your pictures,
:27:27. > :27:30.so it's time to go out and capture the British countryside
:27:31. > :27:38.from dawn till dusk and we look forward to seeing your entries.
:27:39. > :27:41.Tom's been looking into fresh concerns over the battle
:27:42. > :27:46.A programme to vaccinate badgers in hot spots in England
:27:47. > :27:49.and Wales has been put on hold indefinitely
:27:50. > :27:52.because of a shortage of the vaccine.
:27:53. > :28:03.Last year, across the UK, more than 47,000 cattle were
:28:04. > :28:07.slaughtered after testing positive for TB.
:28:08. > :28:12.Farmers at the sharp end say something has to change.
:28:13. > :28:16.The crisis means TB testing is a regular fixture for cattle farmers
:28:17. > :28:20.like Gareth and Anne Gamage in Pembrokeshire.
:28:21. > :28:26...and it only takes one to put us back...
:28:27. > :28:32.Many blame badgers for helping to spread TB to cattle.
:28:33. > :28:34.But while in England and Northern Ireland,
:28:35. > :28:37.there is badger culling, here in Wales,
:28:38. > :28:45.they rely on bio-security, testing cattle and vaccinating badgers.
:28:46. > :28:48.The trouble is, this year, there is no vaccine.
:28:49. > :28:52.The Welsh NFU says it's time for an about-turn and Gareth agrees.
:28:53. > :28:55.We've got cattle here that are in a controlled environment,
:28:56. > :28:58.they're tagged, we know what we're treating.
:28:59. > :29:01.To actually tackle wildlife, when we don't know what's there,
:29:02. > :29:05.and try and vaccinate that, it just seems very difficult to me.
:29:06. > :29:07.You can probably trap the same badger ten times,
:29:08. > :29:11.And now we haven't got a vaccine for a year, what do you make of that?
:29:12. > :29:14.Obviously, we're going to have to go back to plan A, I'd have thought.
:29:15. > :29:32.Dr Liz Lewis-Reddy and her husband Mike breed Welsh coloured cattle.
:29:33. > :29:36.They were hit by TB last year but they take a very different view.
:29:37. > :29:39.This is one of our largest setts on the farm.
:29:40. > :29:43.You can see all the holes that have been recently excavated.
:29:44. > :29:48.Liz is Head of Living Landscapes for the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust.
:29:49. > :29:50.She trained to vaccinate badgers herself
:29:51. > :29:56.so she could inoculate the ones on her land and protect her cattle.
:29:57. > :29:59.How frustrating is it that you're not able to go ahead?
:30:00. > :30:04.because when you're a farmer who's invested a lot financially,
:30:05. > :30:07.the fact that there's nothing you can do,
:30:08. > :30:10.that there's always going to be the risk of interacting with
:30:11. > :30:14.or a badger that's infected with TB,
:30:15. > :30:17.and so the vaccination protocol gave you the chance
:30:18. > :30:20.to do something positive and proactive.
:30:21. > :30:23.Do you think that this year gap invalidates both the science
:30:24. > :30:26.and the effectiveness of the vaccine programme?
:30:27. > :30:28.I'm not really worried if it's only this one year.
:30:29. > :30:32.appear that it won't invalidate the process.
:30:33. > :30:36.but to the groundswell of public opinion and support,
:30:37. > :30:39.both in the agricultural community and beyond,
:30:40. > :30:41.that has been developed because of the protocol.
:30:42. > :30:45."Look, vaccination was the alternative to culling.
:30:46. > :30:48."If we can't vaccinate, we should cull." What do you think?
:30:49. > :30:51.Well, I don't see vaccination as an alternative to culling.
:30:52. > :30:53.Vaccination is part of the suite of options
:30:54. > :30:58.Culling isn't something we, as a wildlife trust, would support
:30:59. > :31:00.because we know of this perturbation effect,
:31:01. > :31:03.the fact that when you disrupt the badger social network,
:31:04. > :31:06.it increases the risk of spreading the disease elsewhere.
:31:07. > :31:09.And as individuals here, we ourselves as farmers
:31:10. > :31:13.would only be interested in culling infected animals.
:31:14. > :31:18.is the same as the TB vaccine used on people.
:31:19. > :31:21.The shortage has been caused by a rise
:31:22. > :31:24.in cases of TB in humans around the world.
:31:25. > :31:28.As one dose for a badger can protect 20 children,
:31:29. > :31:38.it's no surprise that all badger vaccinations are now on hold.
:31:39. > :31:42.But where does that leave the Welsh no-cull policy?
:31:43. > :31:48.Professor Christianne Glossop is the Chief Vet for Wales.
:31:49. > :31:51.It just seems to me, if you're designing a scientific test,
:31:52. > :31:54.the whole point is, you know, you set the parameters,
:31:55. > :31:56.here's what we're going to do, and if you suddenly take a year
:31:57. > :31:58.out of it, isn't the whole thing worthless?
:31:59. > :32:01.Well, it wasn't a test, it wasn't a trial,
:32:02. > :32:06.it was applying a number of different measures in one area
:32:07. > :32:09.to see what impact they would have, collectively.
:32:10. > :32:12.So, yes, it's true, we've done four years of badger vaccination
:32:13. > :32:17.But all the other measures in that area continue.
:32:18. > :32:19.And what has that four years told you
:32:20. > :32:22.about the effectiveness of vaccination?
:32:23. > :32:24.Well, we didn't expect to demonstrate a benefit in such
:32:25. > :32:32.slight reduction in the incidence of TB in that area
:32:33. > :32:35.but I can't tell you whether that's the vaccine or
:32:36. > :32:37.whether it's the additional measures.
:32:38. > :32:40.We didn't set up the pilot project to answer that question.
:32:41. > :32:42.What we're trying to do is fight a disease.
:32:43. > :32:45.And given that you don't have vaccination as an option this year,
:32:46. > :32:51.Well, I think we all agree that badgers are part of the problem
:32:52. > :32:55.and where they are causing a problem to the cattle population,
:32:56. > :32:58.we have got to figure out a way of stopping those two populations
:32:59. > :33:03.And one approach to that, of course, was the vaccination programme.
:33:04. > :33:08.So will you now reach for that in that TB zone?
:33:09. > :33:10.Well, another approach would be bio-security,
:33:11. > :33:12.trying to keep badgers and cattle apart.
:33:13. > :33:16.and we're looking carefully at what is happening in England.
:33:17. > :33:19.But culling badgers is not the policy in Wales right now.
:33:20. > :33:22.Do you wish it were? Do you wish it were a policy?
:33:23. > :33:24.Is it a tool you'd like to have in your arsenal?
:33:25. > :33:28.What I'd like to see is TB eradication in Wales.
:33:29. > :33:32.that you'll have a vaccine for next year, for 2017?
:33:33. > :33:36.At the moment I'm not confident. Really? Yes, I'm not confident.
:33:37. > :33:40.We're talking with the companies, we've got lots of different ways
:33:41. > :33:43.of approaching this, but I can't say today
:33:44. > :33:50.that we've definitely got vaccine for next year.
:33:51. > :33:54.The news that there may well not be any vaccine available,
:33:55. > :33:57.even next year, will come as a huge blow to people
:33:58. > :34:00.who care about the lives of both cattle and badgers.
:34:01. > :34:04.It puts a big question mark over a key element
:34:05. > :34:07.of the TB control strategy for the whole of the UK.
:34:08. > :34:12.although the chief vet would not be drawn on the subject,
:34:13. > :34:17.it surely brings the no-cull policy back into the argument.
:34:18. > :34:22.after seven emotionally gruelling hours of testing,
:34:23. > :34:26.the last of their 500 cattle gets the all clear.
:34:27. > :34:44.Yeah, it's a relief. It's a relief until the next test. Yeah.
:34:45. > :34:47.Now, a couple of years ago, Adam met Arthur Jones.
:34:48. > :34:51.Despite having cerebral palsy, which affects his ability to walk,
:34:52. > :34:55.Arthur's been helping out on the family farm in Dorset
:34:56. > :35:05.I've come across many farmers in my time,
:35:06. > :35:09.but meeting Arthur and his grandmother Nicky a few winters back
:35:10. > :35:17.Working with sheep has helped him? It has, incredibly.
:35:18. > :35:19.They said he wouldn't walk until he was four.
:35:20. > :35:23.He's two-and-a-half and he's walking.
:35:24. > :35:26.And he took his little pet ewe, Twinkle,
:35:27. > :35:29.into the Dorset County Show in the children's class
:35:30. > :35:34.and he won a cup for the child that showed the most endeavour.
:35:35. > :35:37.Arthur won that! Amazing. Best handler. It is.
:35:38. > :35:42.He let go of my hand and walked into the ring by himself. Incredible.
:35:43. > :35:47.So we all had a lump in our throats when he'd done that.
:35:48. > :35:51.I've come to the Royal Bath and West Agricultural Show,
:35:52. > :35:58.is preparing his prize-winning sheep for yet another competition.
:35:59. > :36:01.Cerebral palsy is a lifelong condition
:36:02. > :36:04.but it's remarkable how Arthur continues to cope.
:36:05. > :36:12.Tell me about your sheep. How many sheep have you got here to show?
:36:13. > :36:15.Five. Five? So, which is your favourite?
:36:16. > :36:21.Which one is Willow? This one. She's lovely, isn't she?
:36:22. > :36:27.Er, so she doesn't get anything in her wool.
:36:28. > :36:32.Where's Granny? Shall we go and see her?
:36:33. > :36:35.Come on then, let's go and see Granny.
:36:36. > :36:39.There she is. Hello, Arthur. Hello, Adam. Lovely to see you. And you.
:36:40. > :36:44.He's a little action man, isn't he? He is now.
:36:45. > :36:47.How's he be getting on since I last saw him?
:36:48. > :36:52.Last year, he had both legs broken and had his bones realigned.
:36:53. > :36:57.And then this year, because his tendons and muscles were so tight,
:36:58. > :37:00.they cut the muscles in the back of his legs
:37:01. > :37:03.and stretched them, which he had done two weeks ago,
:37:04. > :37:06.and he only started walking on Thursday.
:37:07. > :37:09.Two weeks ago? And just trouble free, it seems.
:37:10. > :37:14.He's not moaning about it, is he? No. On no medication, nothing.
:37:15. > :37:18.Quite an inspiring little chap. He is. He's an inspiration to everyone.
:37:19. > :37:20.Is there still quite a lot to do to the sheep
:37:21. > :37:23.before you show them tomorrow? Yes, there is,
:37:24. > :37:26.there's just the final one to do and that's it,
:37:27. > :37:34.There's a lot of work taking place across the showground
:37:35. > :37:40.Arthur will certainly have plenty of competition
:37:41. > :37:51.Show programme inside. Just ?3 for your show guide.
:37:52. > :37:53.TANNOY: 'It is the Royal Bath and West show.
:37:54. > :37:57.'They're all very patiently waiting for the judge.'
:37:58. > :38:00.It's the first day of the Royal Bath and West Show.
:38:01. > :38:03.The public have started arriving, there's a real buzz in the air,
:38:04. > :38:05.there's lots of preparations going on.
:38:06. > :38:07.I remember as a child getting really excited
:38:08. > :38:09.about coming to agricultural shows.
:38:10. > :38:12.But also nervous about taking animals into the show ring.
:38:13. > :38:22.Hello, all. Good morning. How are you, Arthur?
:38:23. > :38:27.Which one is this one? Willow. Willow, she's lovely.
:38:28. > :38:31.What have you got to do, Arthur, to make her look pretty for the show?
:38:32. > :38:37.A little pat. And what does it do to the wool? Makes it white.
:38:38. > :38:39.And have you done all the clipping? I did the clipping, yes.
:38:40. > :38:42.We won't let you loose on the clippers just yet, will we?
:38:43. > :38:47.And I suppose all this work helps take his mind off things. It does.
:38:48. > :38:51.While he's involved with them, he doesn't think about his legs.
:38:52. > :38:54.Which way round does this go, Arthur? I'm not sure.
:38:55. > :38:56.This bit goes at the front. Does it?
:38:57. > :38:57.That bit goes at the front. Well done.
:38:58. > :39:00.I'm glad you know what you're doing. There we are.
:39:01. > :39:02.Now then, Arthur, when you go showing later,
:39:03. > :39:16.This is one of the biggest agricultural shows in the country.
:39:17. > :39:22.there will be plenty of other judging happening.
:39:23. > :39:31.one of the most popular attractions is the cider competition.
:39:32. > :39:36.Barny Butterfield is a cider maker from Devon.
:39:37. > :39:39.I can see around you, cider judging is still going on.
:39:40. > :39:43.cider-judging competitions in the world.
:39:44. > :39:48.I thought I could introduce you to both the good and the bad.
:39:49. > :39:51.So, cider has been in this country for hundreds of years.
:39:52. > :39:53.It was certainly recorded by the Romans
:39:54. > :39:58.when they first came uninvited, and we've been making it ever since.
:39:59. > :40:05.Can you suck some air through your...through that...?
:40:06. > :40:08.I shouldn't have done that, but that's...
:40:09. > :40:15.It's not bad cider, but they've allowed the air to get to it.
:40:16. > :40:18.So that's a very difficult cider. That's enough of that one.
:40:19. > :40:25.So you get to try the championship-winning cider.
:40:26. > :40:29.This is from a sweet class, it's naturally sweet, taste some.
:40:30. > :40:32.You're getting a totally different experience.
:40:33. > :40:38.It's quite sweet. It's a world apart from the other cider.
:40:39. > :40:41.It's been made with skill and it's been made carefully.
:40:42. > :40:44.Presumably, when you're tasting all these ciders,
:40:45. > :40:51.Every single drop, we spit out, Adam, as you well imagine.
:40:52. > :41:00.Agricultural shows are all about competitions.
:41:01. > :41:03.And there's one I really don't want to miss -
:41:04. > :41:08.Arthur's latest attempt at winning another top prize.
:41:09. > :41:12.But before I can go in the ring with him, I'd better look the part.
:41:13. > :41:14.Arthur's told me I need to smarten myself up.
:41:15. > :41:18.I need a white coat and a tie if I'm going in the show ring with him.
:41:19. > :41:27.There we go, Arthur. How am I looking? Great.
:41:28. > :41:29.There's quite a skill to showing animals well -
:41:30. > :41:33.keeping the sheep looking at its best all the time.
:41:34. > :41:36.But I think it's looking all right so far, Arthur, isn't it? Yes.
:41:37. > :41:45.The judge is now making his mind up, talking to the steward.
:41:46. > :41:48.Well done, Arthur! Congratulations!
:41:49. > :42:08.to encourage young people into agriculture.
:42:09. > :42:12.And showing sheep and other livestock is a great way to do it.
:42:13. > :42:15.And particularly, with the difficulties Arthur's got,
:42:16. > :42:20.to overcome them and have the joy of getting first prize is so lovely.
:42:21. > :42:36."Unspoiled, clean and full of fine buildings.
:42:37. > :42:39."Fine country smells of arable farming.
:42:40. > :42:42."With great stone barns of neatness and order
:42:43. > :42:46."and natural good taste almost everywhere.
:42:47. > :42:50."Rutland is both very small and very good."
:42:51. > :42:53.So said the famous landscape historian WG Hoskins
:42:54. > :42:57.Driving through the English countryside,
:42:58. > :43:00.you come across lots of hidden treasures.
:43:01. > :43:02.And the village of Whissendine has a real gem.
:43:03. > :43:11.I'm here to meet one of the caretakers
:43:12. > :43:15.Nigel Moon is a lifelong windmill enthusiast
:43:16. > :43:21.and has been milling here for 20 years.
:43:22. > :43:23.I first came in here when I was a little tot.
:43:24. > :43:26.In those days, the windows were broken, so it was all
:43:27. > :43:30.full of pigeons, holes in the floor and wonky ladders and cobwebs.
:43:31. > :43:32.You clearly fell in love with this place.
:43:33. > :43:35.What is it about the windmill that captured your heart?
:43:36. > :43:38.I don't know, really, it's just something that I've always liked.
:43:39. > :43:43.It's all I ever wanted to do, was run a windmill.
:43:44. > :43:49.there were at least 3,000 windmills in England,
:43:50. > :43:55.with around 150 of those in Rutland and Leicestershire alone.
:43:56. > :44:00.Right, this is a hive of activity, isn't it?
:44:01. > :44:02.We've hooked the sack on at the bottom
:44:03. > :44:05.and now we're going to pull the string.
:44:06. > :44:09.So it's the wind that... The wind is lifting that.
:44:10. > :44:16.'Nigel is using a wind-powered hoist to lift the heavy bags of grain
:44:17. > :44:19.'from the ground floor to the top of the mill.'
:44:20. > :44:22.Is this how it would always have been done, winching it up?
:44:23. > :44:26.You see pictures in the medieval documents
:44:27. > :44:28.of a miller carrying it up on his back.
:44:29. > :44:33.Nigel, you must be constantly covered in a cloud of flour. Yeah.
:44:34. > :44:36.Is your beard really black under there?
:44:37. > :44:39.No, it's white with ageing and stress.
:44:40. > :44:43.'The earliest recognisable windmills appeared in Persia,
:44:44. > :44:47.'or what is now modern-day Iran, more than 1,000 years ago.
:44:48. > :44:50.'And by the 12th century, they were well established here.'
:44:51. > :44:54.The last stage is to put the grain... Into the hopper.
:44:55. > :44:56.And then what happens? Then it falls down the chute
:44:57. > :45:00.and arrives at the millstones on the...two floors down.
:45:01. > :45:06.Cos that tells you if things are going wrong.
:45:07. > :45:10.And they say the whole time, millers could go to sleep in the mill,
:45:11. > :45:13.leave it running, and they would wake up
:45:14. > :45:22.if something didn't quite appeal to them.
:45:23. > :45:26.Much like ships' captains, millers are highly attuned
:45:27. > :45:29.to the changing wind and the movement of the sails.
:45:30. > :45:32.To keep the blades turning at their optimum speed,
:45:33. > :45:40.So, there are two bits to the windmill at the top, aren't there?
:45:41. > :45:43.The sails on the front. Yeah. And this rudder bit at the back.
:45:44. > :45:50.So you can always have the sails facing into the strongest wind.
:45:51. > :45:53.Yeah, it always has to point head to wind.
:45:54. > :45:55.It doesn't feel that windy today. No, it's not.
:45:56. > :45:59.Of course, the shutters of the sails can be opened and closed
:46:00. > :46:04.to increase the surface area and catch the maximum amount of wind.
:46:05. > :46:08.That's rustic in the most charming sense of the word. Yes, yes.
:46:09. > :46:11.It's a family heirloom, that is. Is it?
:46:12. > :46:16.I love this view, Nigel. This must take your breath away.
:46:17. > :46:19.It's a nice view when you want to have a cup of tea.
:46:20. > :46:22.Do you have time for a cup of tea? Occasionally.
:46:23. > :46:25.Well, if she's set right and she's going right,
:46:26. > :46:30.to some extent she looks after herself.
:46:31. > :46:35.By the 1850s, the rural landscape in England had changed forever.
:46:36. > :46:39.Factories and steam power put paid to wind power.
:46:40. > :46:42.Today, there are just 52 windmills left,
:46:43. > :46:46.and only a handful are still working.
:46:47. > :46:48.Right, so, Nigel, we're back where we started. That's right.
:46:49. > :46:52.The grain went up, and what's come down is...?
:46:53. > :47:00.Oh, wow! That's wholemeal, that's everything.
:47:01. > :47:07.For the white flour, we sieve a little bit of the brown out.
:47:08. > :47:13.that I still have a set of balance scales in the mill.
:47:14. > :47:16.They seem to think it's almost prehistoric.
:47:17. > :47:18.But these aren't for effect, are they?
:47:19. > :47:22.D'you know, Nigel, it would be really easy
:47:23. > :47:26.to patronise this whole experience and say what a quaint operation,
:47:27. > :47:31.this is a working, living, breathing mill, isn't it? Producing flour.
:47:32. > :47:35.which hopefully a lot of people like. Well, I'd love this to say
:47:36. > :47:37.I'm going to take this away and bake some bread,
:47:38. > :47:40.but I'm probably just going to put it on the shelf and say
:47:41. > :47:44.I got this from one of the last working windmills in the country
:47:45. > :47:53.Brilliant. There you go. See you again.
:47:54. > :47:57.and it's just the gentlest of breeze in the air.
:47:58. > :47:59.Will the wind pick up over the next few days?
:48:00. > :48:16.Here's the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.
:48:17. > :48:25.The wind has picked up. Slow-moving storms and it led to some big
:48:26. > :48:30.rainfall contrasts. The dry spots of the UK so far this month, very few
:48:31. > :48:39.would have guessed Shetland. But those big storms last week,
:48:40. > :48:43.Nottinghamshire has had two months worth of rainfall so far. More rain
:48:44. > :48:47.tonight. The Atlantic breeze has picked up and it is these weather
:48:48. > :48:52.fronts, widespread rain across the UK and heavy bursts for a time. It
:48:53. > :48:59.will ease off but it will pep up again. A cloudy and mild night. Not
:49:00. > :49:05.great if you are hoping to see the solstice sunrise. You will have to
:49:06. > :49:10.be up early. Best of the cloud breaks to the northern half of the
:49:11. > :49:15.UK. More rain than you have had so far this month. Wet start to Monday,
:49:16. > :49:20.heaviest of the rain around the English Channel. Easing off into the
:49:21. > :49:23.afternoon but precious little sunshine across the south-east
:49:24. > :49:30.corner. Not a bad afternoon elsewhere. Feeling fresher. You have
:49:31. > :49:34.sunshine anon of the persistent rain. The wind is coming in from the
:49:35. > :49:37.Atlantic. The jet stream is weakening and eclipse the
:49:38. > :49:43.north-west. Nothing too substantial. Occasional rain and gusty wind up
:49:44. > :49:51.time. Morning mist and fog clearing. Sunny spells for many. It clears
:49:52. > :49:54.tonight but the rain comes across the English Channel so it could be
:49:55. > :49:58.murky across the Channel Islands. The weather front is crucial because
:49:59. > :50:09.it separates building human air again across the near continent. --
:50:10. > :50:15.humid air. Going to be a glancing blow to the south and the East and
:50:16. > :50:18.with it risk of intense thunderstorms. But the most on
:50:19. > :50:21.Wednesday, not a bad day. A few passing showers, breezy as across
:50:22. > :50:26.the Northwest. Pleasant in the sunshine. Rate chance of the storms
:50:27. > :50:30.close by in the south-east corner and East Anglia on Wednesday night
:50:31. > :50:37.into Thursday. A lot of uncertainty how far West or East they could be.
:50:38. > :50:39.Could be nothing at all. If it is nothing, we stick with the Atlantic
:50:40. > :50:45.are, some sunshine and increased showers on Thursday, compared with
:50:46. > :50:50.Wednesday. Low-pressure which starts to win over for the end of the week.
:50:51. > :50:53.Clearing of the potential for the humid air back into northern parts
:50:54. > :50:58.of Europe. Low-pressure at the end of the week, we still run the risk
:50:59. > :51:01.of scattered showers. Slow-moving across western areas. Eastern areas,
:51:02. > :51:09.largely dry with a few showers late in the day. Though showers could be
:51:10. > :51:12.in the South East of England. Pleasant in the sunshine.
:51:13. > :51:18.Low-pressure for next weekend. Southern areas will be the heaviest
:51:19. > :51:26.of the showers. Over the weekend it looks like the jet stream will kick
:51:27. > :51:30.in over the north of the UK. Even if you start with storms in
:51:31. > :51:35.Glastonbury, potentially later into the weekend and later next week,
:51:36. > :51:37.things turn drive. Showers southwards and