0:00:29 > 0:00:33A winning combination of world-class scenery, sands and surf.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37Gower is the unspoilt jewel in South Wales' crown.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45I'll be exploring and exploding these extraordinary sands.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Far, far across the sea,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51the World Cup reaches its exciting finale tonight...
0:00:53 > 0:00:56And I'm going to be going football crazy - with a difference.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Tom asks whether we're putting productivity over animal welfare...
0:01:04 > 0:01:08Selective breeding to improve the next generation
0:01:08 > 0:01:10has long been part of farming -
0:01:10 > 0:01:16but is genetics pushing profitability now causing animals to suffer?
0:01:16 > 0:01:18I'll be investigating.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21..and Adam is counting sheep.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24This is a bundle of washed British wool,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27and wool is making a real comeback.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Here at this factory in Yorkshire,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31it's a bit of a sleepy business.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32Or is it?
0:01:41 > 0:01:45The Gower peninsula - the extensive coastline of South Wales,
0:01:45 > 0:01:49and the first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
0:01:49 > 0:01:51in the UK.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54With mile upon mile of stunning coastline...
0:01:56 > 0:01:59..Gower stretches from the city of Swansea to Whiteford Point.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07And here, on the edge of the Loughor estuary along Gower's north coast,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09there is more sand than you can imagine.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14The dune system here is changing rapidly,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18and hundreds of species are now making this their home.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20As a result, this area may soon become
0:02:20 > 0:02:24one of the most significant environmental sites in Wales.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Sand dunes, by their very nature, are constantly evolving.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34But the changes to this landscape have been more dramatic than most.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41In recent years these dunes have completely transformed
0:02:41 > 0:02:47this landscape by creating a new habitat - the freshwater slack.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Where we are now...
0:02:49 > 0:02:52'Nick Edwards, from Natural Resources Wales,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55'is here to tell me how this has happened.'
0:02:55 > 0:02:59So, what we've got first off is a dune that's been formed
0:02:59 > 0:03:01by sand that's come in.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Now, behind the dunes you've got an area called a slack.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07During heavy rainfall, this thing floods.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11And then, ephemerally, it'll disappear back down again
0:03:11 > 0:03:13leaving this kind of humid, moist area.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16We're talking about freshwater as opposed to saltwater
0:03:16 > 0:03:18- that's coming in.- Yeah, absolutely.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20So, these areas, now, the slacks,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23are excellent habitats for pioneering species.
0:03:23 > 0:03:28- Here we've got, like... - Like a tor system?- ..a tor system
0:03:28 > 0:03:31of calcareous limestone.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33And what happens here is all the uplands,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35which have been saturated with rain
0:03:35 > 0:03:38over a period of months, weeks, whatever,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41it filters down through the limestone
0:03:41 > 0:03:45and comes and filters into the system.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Environmentally, this area down here, this is gold.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49Absolutely, yeah.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Due to this natural phenomenon,
0:03:55 > 0:03:59the slacks are regularly surveyed by students from Swansea University.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04So, Dr Wendy, what are you looking for?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06What's the whole point of this particular project?
0:04:06 > 0:04:09We're actually looking at the different plant communities
0:04:09 > 0:04:11within the slack habitats to try
0:04:11 > 0:04:14and understand more about the relationship between the plants
0:04:14 > 0:04:15that grow above the soil
0:04:15 > 0:04:18and the microorganisms that grow below the soil.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20So, what have you been discovering?
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Here we've got the marsh helleborines, for example, there,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26and the water mint,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30which are examples of what would be present within a slack like this.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Someone who has seen the changes at these slacks first-hand
0:04:38 > 0:04:42is local historian Randolph Jenkins, who has lived here all his life.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Randolph, what's your first memory of this place?
0:04:47 > 0:04:51- Beach.- Beach?- A huge beach.- Uh-huh.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52Even up to 1980.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56You just came down the pathway 50 yards, perhaps, on the dunes,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58and then straight into the beach.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- All of it.- I mean, there's still an incredible amount of sand.- Oh, yeah.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05I can't imagine what that must have felt like for a young boy -
0:05:05 > 0:05:07- it would have been even more! - It was paradise, wasn't it?
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Because, you know, only local people were on the beach.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12And it was our playground, really.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17And when did you start to be aware of the change?
0:05:17 > 0:05:20We'll, I think the beach has been changing for quite a while,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24because Llanelli was quite a busy harbour,
0:05:24 > 0:05:25and they always dredged the river channel.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32We noticed, once they stopped dredging, the sand started moving.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34- Right.- Of course it built up and built up.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39It sort of blocked the sea coming in here, and developing this marshland.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42It's an evolving ecology.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Any time we get a rough tide we go up for a walk
0:05:44 > 0:05:46and you can see and more erosion.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49But the landscape is key to this place,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52and to be somewhere that's changing and evolving so quickly
0:05:52 > 0:05:54must have been very interesting for you.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57People come here for the beauty, for the flowers, for the beach.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59You can come here on a bank holiday Monday
0:05:59 > 0:06:02and there's only two or three people on the beach.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Not after this goes out on Countryfile.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06No, you can't park a car here!
0:06:07 > 0:06:09- It will remain precious.- Yes.
0:06:09 > 0:06:10Don't say where it is.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Shh, don't tell anyone.
0:06:12 > 0:06:13- No, no.- Come on.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20Now, in modern farming, selective breeding is the key to productivity.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24But is it also affecting the welfare of farm animals?
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Tom's been investigating.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Since the early days of farming, we've been trying to improve
0:06:34 > 0:06:37the productivity of our animals through breeding.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43And after thousands of years, we've become rather good at it.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Selective breeding has made a huge difference
0:06:46 > 0:06:48to food production and farming.
0:06:48 > 0:06:54We have cows that produce more milk, lambs that produce more meat
0:06:54 > 0:06:56and chickens that lay more eggs.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00But in recent decades, there's concern that animal welfare
0:07:00 > 0:07:03is paying the price for higher food production.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07This RSPCA footage shows the dramatic difference
0:07:07 > 0:07:09selective breeding can make
0:07:09 > 0:07:13to the growth rate of a broiler - a chicken produced for meat -
0:07:13 > 0:07:16compared to an egg-laying counterpart.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18The footage may be over a decade old,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22but the organisation says it's still very relevant today.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25The campaign group Compassion In World Farming
0:07:25 > 0:07:28shares the RSPCA's concerns.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31- These are Friesians. - These are British Friesians.
0:07:31 > 0:07:32British Friesians.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35They're what we think of as the slightly more traditional
0:07:35 > 0:07:37milking variety in this country.
0:07:37 > 0:07:38Well, exactly. Yes.
0:07:38 > 0:07:44Dil Peeling is a vet and the campaigns director at CIWF.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Because we've focused so much on productivity,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51getting the milk out of them, getting the meat out of them,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53it's had incredible collateral damage
0:07:53 > 0:07:55on some of the animals that we've bred.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59You get problems with lameness, you get problems with mastitis.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02We select for bigger animals that grow faster.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Often the skeleton doesn't keep track with it - in many animals,
0:08:05 > 0:08:07the heart doesn't keep track with it, either.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11The concerns of Compassion In World Farming aren't confined to cattle.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14It says similar issues are found in the mass production
0:08:14 > 0:08:16of broiler chickens.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18If you reduce the productivity of farm animals
0:08:18 > 0:08:20by changing the breeding
0:08:20 > 0:08:22then you end up with more expensive food for the customer.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25What you're talking about is a race to the bottom.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28You're talking about competition purely - purely -
0:08:28 > 0:08:29on the grounds of price.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33We have to compete on a global market in terms of quality.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36And the welfare of the animals has to be a part of that quality.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Animal welfare charities are pushing for changes
0:08:41 > 0:08:44in the breeding priorities of the industry
0:08:44 > 0:08:47that would put health at the top of the agenda.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50But how did we get to a place where selective breeding
0:08:50 > 0:08:52can have a detrimental impact on the animal?
0:08:53 > 0:08:57In simple terms, breeding is about passing on the qualities
0:08:57 > 0:09:00from one generation and improving them in the next.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03So, if you take Balfour, here,
0:09:03 > 0:09:05he's got the genes that means he has no horns,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08and that's good for farmworker safety.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Also, he's just a great beef breed - you can see it in his body shape,
0:09:11 > 0:09:13and especially the back end.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16What you can't tell that's also really important
0:09:16 > 0:09:19is that any calf that he sires will be born easily.
0:09:19 > 0:09:25Put him with the right mate and all those qualities will be enhanced.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30Balfour is a Salers bull, one of the oldest European cattle breeds,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32bred for milk and beef production.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Farmers have been selecting such positive traits in their animals
0:09:36 > 0:09:37throughout history,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41but after the Second World War the pace really picked up.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44We needed to feed a growing population cheaply,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47and the priority in breeding became productivity.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50And this development has been fastest in the broiler industry,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53where chickens are grown for their meat.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57In the post-war period it took around a hundred days
0:09:57 > 0:10:00for a typical chicken to reach its slaughter weight.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03By the 1970s, that had shrunk to around 60 days
0:10:03 > 0:10:08and today a chicken can be ready to eat in just 36 days.
0:10:08 > 0:10:14Now diet has been part of the story, but the biggest single change
0:10:14 > 0:10:18promoting their rapid growth has been improved breeding.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22This footage was secretly filmed in a British broiler farm
0:10:22 > 0:10:24by the charity Animal Aid in 2013.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29It claims to show the problems selective breeding has caused
0:10:29 > 0:10:31to the mobility of broiler chickens.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36'Keith Warner has been a poultry vet for 16 years.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41'He doesn't see any issues at the farm we're meeting at today,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44'but during his career, he's seen for himself the problems
0:10:44 > 0:10:48'broiler chickens have suffered due to rapid growth.'
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Two major things that would happen would be in the legs.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52So where these legs are nice and straight
0:10:52 > 0:10:55- and run flat down alongside the bird...- Mm-hm.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58..these legs might either come out sideways, such as this,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01or the long bones, in fact, bend one way or the other,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03because as the bone is developing,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07the weight on the breast meat is too great for that bone density.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11Is it comparable a bit to sort of asking an eight-year-old
0:11:11 > 0:11:13- to carry a full grown human's body weight?- Sure.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16The only thing that would happen is the heart and lungs would not
0:11:16 > 0:11:19be able to keep up with the large body mass that had been created,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22so that a proportion of individuals,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25fluid would be produced within the bird
0:11:25 > 0:11:27and that would settle out in the abdomen.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Those individuals that had those effects would either be
0:11:30 > 0:11:34in pain with their legs or would struggle to breathe, as I mentioned,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37with the fluid that was present.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39'But over the course of his career,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42'Keith says the industry has addressed these welfare issues.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47'And he's not the only one who thinks the picture is improving.'
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Many people in the farming industry insist that, overall,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52selective breeding has been a force for good.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Later on, I'll be asking why they believe
0:11:55 > 0:12:00high productivity and high welfare can go hand in hand.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12The great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas was inspired
0:12:12 > 0:12:14by Gower's beautiful landscape.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18This overwhelming beauty has meant that other local wonders
0:12:18 > 0:12:22and colourful characters are often overlooked.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24But now modern technology is stepping in
0:12:24 > 0:12:27and revealing some of Gower's hidden secrets.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37Dan Boys with the Gower Landscape Partnership
0:12:37 > 0:12:39has developed an interactive guide,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42accessible on a mobile phone.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46The heart of the app is a map and it moves along the trail
0:12:46 > 0:12:49- as you walk along. - So it uses GPS?- That's it.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51You've got images, you've got some text.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53And you've got some audio as well.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56So what are we sitting close to where we are now?
0:12:56 > 0:12:59We're just a couple of hundred yards away from Vernon Watkins.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Vernon Watkins? So his place is just up there, looking at that.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05- That's it.- Shall we go and take a look?- Yes, all right.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10'Gower was also an inspiration for Welsh poet Vernon Watkins,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13'the best friend and confidante of Dylan Thomas.'
0:13:14 > 0:13:16To me, poetry is a waiting game...
0:13:17 > 0:13:21..and for this for getting the poem right, er,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23solitude, of course, is absolutely necessary.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30- So this must be it here, then? - Yeah, here we are.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33So why have you included Vernon Watkins on your app?
0:13:33 > 0:13:37Vernon Watkins lived in this house with his wife and his five kids.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Dylan Thomas himself said "the most profound and greatly accomplished
0:13:40 > 0:13:43"writer of poems in English", which is a pretty nice thing to say.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45- Quite an accolade, isn't it? - Yeah, absolutely.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50I want to find out more about this renowned poet who spent
0:13:50 > 0:13:53the majority of his life living and writing on Gower.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Far more than a home to his family of five children and his wife Gwen,
0:13:59 > 0:14:03the Gower Peninsula was an enduring muse for the Welsh wordsmith.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08I suppose you can say it's like being married to someone
0:14:08 > 0:14:10who all his life has had
0:14:10 > 0:14:12a passionate love affair with another woman,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15only it isn't a woman in this case, it's just the muse.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21'Gwen still lives on Gower and she remembers just how important
0:14:21 > 0:14:23'it was to her husband.'
0:14:24 > 0:14:28In one of his poems, he has these lines -
0:14:28 > 0:14:30"I that was born in Wales
0:14:30 > 0:14:33"Cherish Heaven's dust in scales
0:14:33 > 0:14:35"Which may at dusk be seen
0:14:35 > 0:14:37"On every village green
0:14:37 > 0:14:39"Where Tywi, Taff or Wye
0:14:39 > 0:14:41"Through fields or woods goes by."
0:14:41 > 0:14:46- Wonderful.- He loved...he loved Wales. He loved Gower especially.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49After we were married, we lived in Swansea for a year
0:14:49 > 0:14:51in a rented house.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54And then one day, Vernon said,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57"I've found a bungalow in Penarth,"
0:14:57 > 0:14:59where he had lived before.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02"I think we could live there perhaps only temporarily,"
0:15:02 > 0:15:05but, of course, he lived there till he died
0:15:05 > 0:15:07and it was terrible - it was a wooden bungalow
0:15:07 > 0:15:10with no foundations, no running water,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12and Vernon loved it.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16He loved it passionately because when he opened his front door,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18- there was the sea and Gower. - How wonderful.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23There's one poem, in particular, Heron, that we'd love to see.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27Yes, below Penarth Castle, there's a beautiful little estuary.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31And the heron waited there for the tide to come rushing in,
0:15:31 > 0:15:35but the heron in this poem is also a type of the poet,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37who, whatever is going on round him,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40chaos and struggling and noise,
0:15:40 > 0:15:44is waiting for the right word in the poem.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52"The cloud-backed heron will not move
0:15:52 > 0:15:54"He stares into the stream
0:15:54 > 0:15:58"He stands unfaltering while the gulls and oyster-catchers scream
0:15:58 > 0:16:03"He does not hear, he cannot see The great white horses of the sea
0:16:03 > 0:16:09"But fixes eyes on stillness Below their flying team."
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Vernon Watkins and Dylan Thomas were very different characters,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18but formed an unlikely friendship,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21drawn together by their passion for poetry.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26I don't think either of them had ever had another relationship
0:16:26 > 0:16:31in which the great thing that they lived for,
0:16:31 > 0:16:35getting a poem right, could be discussed between them endlessly.
0:16:35 > 0:16:40They were quite different poets in a way, but he thought
0:16:40 > 0:16:42that he and Dylan would live like Yeats
0:16:42 > 0:16:46into old age, writing more and more beautiful poems
0:16:46 > 0:16:48and, of course, it didn't happen with either of them.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52But he had a strong connection with Gower right to the end?
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Oh, tremendously so, yes, very passionate connection.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58It was the love of his heart, I think.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Trying to capture the essence of Gower for their poetry
0:17:03 > 0:17:05brought Thomas and Watkins together
0:17:05 > 0:17:09and their words will mean these two friends are never forgotten.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Whiteford Burrows, north Gower -
0:17:17 > 0:17:21an ever-changing landscape of salt marsh and tidal ditches,
0:17:21 > 0:17:25which lends itself perfectly as a feeding ground
0:17:25 > 0:17:26for a wide variety of birds.
0:17:31 > 0:17:36And it's also home to the native Welsh mountain pony.
0:17:36 > 0:17:37Now since before Roman times,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40these ponies have made this place their own.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47These hardy and intelligent ponies graze on the salt marshland
0:17:47 > 0:17:50and in doing so, are also helping the environment.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54The mosaic pattern that you see here is down to the pony
0:17:54 > 0:17:58grazing at different levels, creating a variety of habitats
0:17:58 > 0:18:01for birds and butterflies, but it's not just the marshland
0:18:01 > 0:18:03that the ponies enjoy.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07As you can see here, they also spend quite a bit of time
0:18:07 > 0:18:08up in the sand dunes.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18'Peter Morgan had been monitoring these semi-feral ponies
0:18:18 > 0:18:20'for 13 years.'
0:18:22 > 0:18:25So, Peter, when you obviously hear the name "Welsh mountain",
0:18:25 > 0:18:27- you think altitude...- Yes.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Here we are at sea level, Peter - why are they here?
0:18:30 > 0:18:34They've adapted to live on this type of environment and they've...
0:18:34 > 0:18:36they've coped very, very well with it.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39The quality of the grass and the herbs that they've got
0:18:39 > 0:18:44- means that they can graze quite happily all year round.- Yeah.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47They've got quite a lot of space to be able to graze.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50- How much space? - There's about 4,000 acres in total
0:18:50 > 0:18:53- from one end of the marsh to the other.- Mm-hm.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56They've got so much space that they're able to, you know,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00be quite fit and active and I think it's that healthy lifestyle
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- that probably suits them very well.- Yeah.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Well, let's wander round there, see if we can get a little bit closer.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07We obviously don't want to spook them too much.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12- Oh, I can see a little foal just popping up there.- That's right.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Beautiful. So what's the story with this little herd here?
0:19:14 > 0:19:19That small bunch have been holding in this area for about two weeks.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22- Right.- That foal is about eight weeks old.- Uh-huh.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25We try to breed to the highest standards
0:19:25 > 0:19:26by using registered stallions
0:19:26 > 0:19:29which are put to registered mares,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32so the offspring are all pedigree ponies.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36That, obviously, allows us to have an opportunity to sell the stock.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41They can be used for riding, driving, they're very intelligent.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46They're very easy to train, they make ideal children's ponies as well.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47And you have a fine example
0:19:47 > 0:19:51- and your boys are just up the road, aren't they?- They are,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54and hopefully, you'll be able to have a quick look at our stallion.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57- Have a look.- Certainly.- We'll leave these to it. Come on. Let's go.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Peter's sons will be the fifth generation of the family
0:20:03 > 0:20:05to look after these ponies.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09What a beautiful sight.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Goodness me. You've got 20 of these, I saw, at home.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16- What do you do to help out? - Erm...muck out...
0:20:16 > 0:20:18- Good lad.- ..and train.- Good.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Very good. And I understand he's into a bit of driving.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Yes.
0:20:23 > 0:20:24That's what we're hoping to do.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29So, yes, introduce us to this fine Welsh mountain.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31This is Blini Fisher,
0:20:31 > 0:20:36a four-year-old registered Section A stallion, and he's our stud stallion.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40He's an example of Welsh mountain ponies.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42- They're very pretty and very photogenic.- Yes.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45And in the past they've been used, obviously, down the mines.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48But they've also been used to pull little carts back
0:20:48 > 0:20:54and forth before people had cars or bikes.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56A horse and tram was the way that they got around,
0:20:56 > 0:21:00and these were quite a pretty sight to see flying down the road.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Well, listen... You are a fine example, yeah?
0:21:04 > 0:21:06And you keep going, my friend, yes?
0:21:06 > 0:21:07Fifth generation, the pair of you.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11- Are you going to keep this thing going?- Yes.- Of course you are.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20The Countryfile photographic competition is now under way.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22This year we've got two new judges -
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Comedian and bird lover Bill Bailey
0:21:24 > 0:21:28and zoologist and TV presenter Charlotte Uhlenbroek.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32And we've got a brand-new topic for your photos - animal magic.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37The theme of animal magic is wide open to your own interpretations,
0:21:37 > 0:21:41but entries must feature either farm or wild animals,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43preferably in a rural setting.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49Pictures of pets are not eligible for our competition, nor are zoo animals,
0:21:49 > 0:21:54and any images of British wildlife in captivity must be declared as such.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59The best 12 photographs selected by the judges will take
0:21:59 > 0:22:03pride of place in the Countryfile calendar for 2015,
0:22:03 > 0:22:04one for each month.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08As always, we'll have an overall winner
0:22:08 > 0:22:10voted for by Countryfile viewers.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Their picture will grace the cover of the 2015 calendar,
0:22:14 > 0:22:16which we'll sell in aid of BBC Children In Need.
0:22:18 > 0:22:19CAMERA CLICKS
0:22:19 > 0:22:22To enter the competition, please write your name, address
0:22:22 > 0:22:24and a daytime and evening
0:22:24 > 0:22:26phone number on the back of each
0:22:26 > 0:22:27photo with a note of
0:22:27 > 0:22:28where it was taken.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Then send your entries to...
0:22:41 > 0:22:42It's not open to professionals.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45And because we're looking for something original,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49your entries must not have won other national competitions.
0:22:49 > 0:22:50You can send in up to three photos,
0:22:50 > 0:22:52but they must have been taken in the UK.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56And remember, we want hard copies, not e-mailed or computer files.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00And I'm sorry, but we can't return any entries.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Please read the full terms and conditions on our website,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07and you'll find the BBC's code of conduct
0:23:07 > 0:23:09for competitions there as well.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14The competition closes at midnight on Friday the 25th of July.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18That means you've got just two weeks to get your entries in,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21so why not go out and capture some animal magic?
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Now, as we've heard, selective breeding has dramatically
0:23:29 > 0:23:31increased the productivity of farm animals,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34but has it also damaged their welfare? Here's Tom.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39We've been using selective breeding to get more from our farm
0:23:39 > 0:23:41animals for thousands of years
0:23:41 > 0:23:43and, since the Second World War,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46we've seen the most dramatic rise in productivity.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50But the drive to feed a growing population with cheaper food
0:23:50 > 0:23:54has led to real concerns on the impact on the health of farm animals.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59But many in the industry say the days of breeding solely for efficiency
0:23:59 > 0:24:03and output are behind us,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07claiming that today health and welfare are high priorities.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10So, has the problem been solved?
0:24:10 > 0:24:13I'm meeting vet Keith Warner on a broiler farm,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16which produces chicken for meat under standards laid out by both
0:24:16 > 0:24:22the Red Tractor assurance scheme and the RSPCA's Freedom Foods label.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Earlier, he described some of the problems he's seen in the past,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28but he feels, in the last decade,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31there's been a clear change for the better.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34What genetic improvements have you seen in the recent years?
0:24:34 > 0:24:36In the recent years, the genetic improvements have
0:24:36 > 0:24:39driven down the route of improved performance,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42so that greater efficiency is achieved out of the animals,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45so that there's less of the world's resources used to produce
0:24:45 > 0:24:47each kilogram of meat that we eventually eat.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51And alongside that, the same genetic drive has been put into welfare
0:24:51 > 0:24:54issues, such as the heart fitness, the lung fitness
0:24:54 > 0:24:56and the leg fitness of these birds.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01So, today, the breeding programs use greater technology.
0:25:01 > 0:25:02They use x-ray technology in legs,
0:25:02 > 0:25:07they use specific oxygen monitoring technology in the blood
0:25:07 > 0:25:10to check that the birds that they're choosing to breed from,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12going forward, still give fitness.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Keith's views on the improvement of broiler welfare
0:25:17 > 0:25:19are echoed by the National Farmers' Union,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23which thinks that the health of animals bred for efficiency
0:25:23 > 0:25:25has increased in recent years.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Minette Batters is the Union's deputy president.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33How have the priorities in selective breeding changed?
0:25:33 > 0:25:35I think we've progressed enormously.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37You know, we've followed the science.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39The science is far more available now.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Obviously, that continues to change, but it's in our interest
0:25:43 > 0:25:44to work with that.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48We now have mobility scoring for dairy cows.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50We have condition scoring.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Part of your assurance is that you have a full health plan that
0:25:54 > 0:25:56you discuss with your vet every year.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59But would you accept there has been a bit of a progression here?
0:25:59 > 0:26:02That maybe ten or 20 years ago, productivity was more the key.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04People realised there were some downsides in that
0:26:04 > 0:26:07and now need to breed in other traits, too.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10I think I really good example of that is with your average dairy cow.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Ten years ago, it was producing 6,500 litres per annum.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19Now, with higher welfare controls through Farm Assurance,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22they're producing 1,000 litres more - up to 7,500 litres.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25So there you've got very clear evidence that, actually,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28welfare is really key to good production.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Many people we've spoken to
0:26:30 > 0:26:32do believe the industry has turned a corner.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36The RSPCA says that the situation is starting to improve,
0:26:36 > 0:26:40but feels that welfare is still a very real concern,
0:26:40 > 0:26:42especially amongst broiler chickens.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47Compassion World Farming too thinks the problems are far from resolved.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51So how current do you think the issues are today with
0:26:51 > 0:26:55- overbreeding in our farm animals? - Oh, current and getting worse.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59That the language is still of increasing milk yields even further.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02The language is still of increasing food conversion efficiency,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05getting more meat, getting bigger animals in there.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07It's no good to us. It's no good to the animals.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10At the moment, if the breeding sector is saying,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12"Don't worry, we're breeding for robustness.
0:27:12 > 0:27:13"Everything is going to be OK."
0:27:13 > 0:27:16When, in fact, their targets are far,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19far short of what's necessary to reform this industry,
0:27:19 > 0:27:23then I have very grave concerns about the nature of farming.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27So the question remains - can we square productivity
0:27:27 > 0:27:30and profit with better animal welfare?
0:27:30 > 0:27:31Well, within the industry,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34there are organisations working to do just that.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39The Food Animal Initiative is a commercial research centre working
0:27:39 > 0:27:43to breed animals that are both economically viable and healthier.
0:27:43 > 0:27:44On its farm in Oxford,
0:27:44 > 0:27:48they're running a selective breeding project with broiler chickens.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51She's quite even in her stride.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53She's not quite picking up her feet fully,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56but that might just be the way she's...
0:27:56 > 0:27:57going around the terrain.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00So he's curling his toes nicely.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Research scientists Annie Rainer and Carly Scott are conducting the study.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09It may look like she's just trying to sneak up behind a chicken,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12but there is serious science going on here for the welfare of the birds
0:28:12 > 0:28:14and it's all about how they walk.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19'The researchers are studying the chicken's gait
0:28:19 > 0:28:21'for potential leg problems.'
0:28:21 > 0:28:24- So how are they looking, generally, the birds?- They're walking well.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29There's a few concerns with the way the cockerels are striding out.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32They're a little uneven on their striding.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Why is the way they walk important?
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Well, birds need to navigate their environment.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39They need to be free from pain.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43They need to be able to go about, eat, drink and get to all their resources.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47So, for us, walking ability is really key to their welfare
0:28:47 > 0:28:51and what we really strongly select on.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55The initiative includes a range of animals in its experimental breeding.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Claire Smith is the program manager.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00These are New Zealand Suffolk.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03These have a much narrower head, which means, at lambing time,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06it's much easier for the ewe to push the lamb out.
0:29:06 > 0:29:07How are we doing on balance?
0:29:07 > 0:29:11Can we really have high productivity and high welfare?
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Yeah, I definitely think that's where we can get to.
0:29:13 > 0:29:14You can get there, can you?
0:29:14 > 0:29:17It's not just a sort of dream of having your cake and eating it?
0:29:17 > 0:29:20No, no, definitely not. It's just that, maybe in the past, we've...
0:29:20 > 0:29:23We've focused slightly too much on some of the production traits,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26but it's just a case of changing our selection criteria to
0:29:26 > 0:29:28head in a slightly different direction.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32It's clear the industry is currently taking steps to improve
0:29:32 > 0:29:36the health of selectively bred farm animals,
0:29:36 > 0:29:39but many welfare groups believe productivity
0:29:39 > 0:29:41is still the main motivation.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44For them, the industry may have turned a corner,
0:29:44 > 0:29:46but it's got a long way to go yet.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52These stretching white sands, beautiful bays
0:29:52 > 0:29:58and rugged hilltops make Gower the perfect haven for any naturalist,
0:29:58 > 0:29:59walker or sea lover.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06But the peaceful Whiteford Sands, here in North Gower,
0:30:06 > 0:30:09are significant in more ways than one.
0:30:14 > 0:30:20A 3,000-acre nature reserve and site of special scientific research,
0:30:20 > 0:30:25Whiteford Sands is a perfect habitat for flora, marine life and birds.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30But not all is quite as it seems.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36There is something lurking beneath these beautiful sands that's
0:30:36 > 0:30:40enough to make you jump to the Welsh mountains.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42And normally, you see us Countryfilers walking around
0:30:42 > 0:30:44with Ordnance Survey maps.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48Well, today, I'm concentrating on a very different type of ordnance.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53Yup, I'm going in search...
0:30:53 > 0:30:54of bombs.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00Whiteford Sands have a very interesting history indeed.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04- Oli.- Good morning, Matt. - You all right?
0:31:04 > 0:31:07'And here to tell me more is lieutenant commander Oli Alexander
0:31:07 > 0:31:09'of the Royal Navy's Southern Diving Group.'
0:31:11 > 0:31:13Just going through the plan, then, for today,
0:31:13 > 0:31:14what's going to be happening?
0:31:14 > 0:31:16Yeah, we are here, really, to conduct a clearance
0:31:16 > 0:31:19operation of historic explosive ordinance, which is on this beach.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21And that ordinance, why is it here?
0:31:21 > 0:31:22What went on here, historically?
0:31:22 > 0:31:25Yeah, you wouldn't have expected it, but during the Second World War,
0:31:25 > 0:31:29the Ministry of Suppliers, as it was then, was keen to develop
0:31:29 > 0:31:33technically advanced weapons to gain advantage over the enemy.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36And this area, going several miles back up the estuary,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39was used as a testing range for those weapons
0:31:39 > 0:31:42and the beach in front of us was the impact area.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44A lot of the munitions at the time, hundreds of thousands,
0:31:44 > 0:31:46functioned correctly and the scrap was removed.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48But of course, every now and again,
0:31:48 > 0:31:50one wouldn't have functioned and remains buried.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54So, what we're going to do today is try
0:31:54 > 0:31:57and find a reported unexploded bomb.
0:31:58 > 0:31:59It's being located
0:31:59 > 0:32:02by the Explosive Ordinance Clearance Team from the MoD.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06They come here in advance of us
0:32:06 > 0:32:10and tow a magnetometer around, up and down the beach, behind a vehicle.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14That then pinpoints ferrous or metallic content below the beach,
0:32:14 > 0:32:16which is then analysed by geophysicists
0:32:16 > 0:32:18back at their headquarters.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21That then is put into a GPS position.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23We then come out here with them to locate.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27- And that is where... - That's...
0:32:27 > 0:32:30'The bottom line is they've found a suspected bomb
0:32:30 > 0:32:34'and now they need to pinpoint exactly what and where it is
0:32:34 > 0:32:36'using a GPS system.'
0:32:36 > 0:32:39This is the arrow and it's pointing in the direction
0:32:39 > 0:32:41you need to walk in. You've got your north arrow there,
0:32:41 > 0:32:45so if you have that lined up with north, and you've got 158m to walk.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48- OK.- And then that should get you within a very
0:32:48 > 0:32:50close range of the target.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53And you're saying you want me to put this on and go and find this thing?
0:32:53 > 0:32:55- Yeah, I think you can do this for us?- What's this bit, here?
0:32:55 > 0:32:58This is the aerial, which is connected to our base station,
0:32:58 > 0:33:00which is up on the dunes.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02So the base station is basically just picking up all
0:33:02 > 0:33:03the satellites in the area.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05- OK. And that's me, is it? - You'll need those.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09They're the marker flags for when you're stood in the right position.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11- All right, then.- OK?- Yeah, good.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14Well, listen, it's been lovely to have met you both.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16THEY LAUGH We'll come with you.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18I just want to tell my wife and children how much I love them.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20Right, OK, on we go.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26'Joking aside, it takes months of training and years of experience
0:33:26 > 0:33:29'to become a bomb disposal operator.'
0:33:30 > 0:33:33OK, we've got 114m to go.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36'But Oli has assured me, with their guidance,
0:33:36 > 0:33:38'this part of the process is safe.'
0:33:41 > 0:33:44We've got 23m to go.
0:33:44 > 0:33:45It's over this way.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53We're getting very warm now.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56Oh, I've got a cross.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Well, I am stood now directly above
0:34:03 > 0:34:05the very thing that we're looking for.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08Who knows whether or not it's explosive or not -
0:34:08 > 0:34:10we'll find out very shortly. So...
0:34:10 > 0:34:11HE LAUGHS NERVOUSLY
0:34:11 > 0:34:15..with caution, I'm going to put this...
0:34:15 > 0:34:18into the sand, and that'll do there.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20'But before we delve into these sands any further,
0:34:20 > 0:34:22'we're going to leave you in suspense
0:34:22 > 0:34:24'for just a few more minutes.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27'Later, I'll be resorting to explosive means to find out
0:34:27 > 0:34:30'just what lurks beneath this beach in North Gower.'
0:34:35 > 0:34:38Farming has shaped, and continues to shape, our lives.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40And as Adam knows well,
0:34:40 > 0:34:43there's one thing that's had more impact than most.
0:34:49 > 0:34:50The humble sheep.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52From the valleys to the mountains,
0:34:52 > 0:34:55it's shaped our countryside for centuries.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02They've provided us with milk, meat and wool for thousands of years.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04In fact, you could say that they're man's best friend.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Well, apart from our other best friend.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10And it's believed that sheep production
0:35:10 > 0:35:12is our oldest organised industry.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15And although providing us with meat is very useful,
0:35:15 > 0:35:17it's wool that has really provided us with riches.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29Town, cities and even countries were built on the wealth from wool.
0:35:29 > 0:35:34And that's especially true of this wonderful sheep, the Cotswold,
0:35:34 > 0:35:37that named the Cotswold hills because a sheep cot is an enclosure
0:35:37 > 0:35:39and a wold is a rolling hill,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42so there were thousands of these sheep on the Cotswolds at one time.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45It's believed that these long wool breeds may have been
0:35:45 > 0:35:47introduced by the Romans into the country.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50And then, as farmers, we kept them and developed them,
0:35:50 > 0:35:51specifically for their wool.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54And the Cotswold has this golden fleece,
0:35:54 > 0:35:57partly because of its colour and its lustre,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00but golden also because of its value.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04And it's a beautiful big sheep with wool all over its body,
0:36:04 > 0:36:06even down its face.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08Great creatures.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11These are some of our primitive breeds,
0:36:11 > 0:36:14but the most ancient is this - the Soay.
0:36:14 > 0:36:19It's thought to have been around for something like six million years,
0:36:19 > 0:36:24and it lived on Soay and Hirta and St Kilda in the Outer Hebrides.
0:36:24 > 0:36:25A tiny little breed.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27This is a fully grown ram
0:36:27 > 0:36:32and their fleece is a mixture of kemp hair and finer wool.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35And sheep would have naturally moulted because they live
0:36:35 > 0:36:39in a temperate climate, so it's hot in the summer and cold in the winter.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42And what the farmers or crofters would have done is rood the fleece.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46The old fleece naturally breaks away from the new,
0:36:46 > 0:36:48and they would have plucked the wool
0:36:48 > 0:36:51from then rather than having to shear them.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54And then over years, we then bred from sheep that hung
0:36:54 > 0:36:57onto their wool, so now they have to be shorn.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59So this is a Texel.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02This breed of sheep has been developed over the years,
0:37:02 > 0:37:04primarily for meat production.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06You can look at her physique to see that.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Big back end, big shoulders, big loin.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12And we've moved away from the wool breeds like the Cotswold,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15because wool fell into decline, and then concentrated on meat.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17But we didn't ignore the fleeces.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21We kept the white wool, so it can be dyed any colour.
0:37:21 > 0:37:26And it's reasonably fine, so it can be used in carpets and in knitwear.
0:37:26 > 0:37:27But, of course, you can't pluck it.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29You can't roo a fleece like this any more.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31We've bred sheep to hang on to their wool,
0:37:31 > 0:37:34so they have to be shorn, now by a machine.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37TRIMMER BUZZES
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Sheep farmers up and down the country,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49at this time of year, are busy shearing.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Sheep are getting hot in all the warm weather with this heavy
0:37:52 > 0:37:55fleece on their back and it has to come off, really for welfare grounds.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58It can get quite mucky at times,
0:37:58 > 0:38:02and they can get maggots in the wool if it's dirty.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04White wool is quite valuable now,
0:38:04 > 0:38:07it's somewhere in the region of £1.40 a kilo,
0:38:07 > 0:38:10which is about 35% up on what it was last year.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13And it's great that the price of wool has lifted,
0:38:13 > 0:38:16because ten years ago it was hardly worth shearing it off a sheep's back.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Once you had paid the shearer and paid for electricity
0:38:18 > 0:38:21and got the sheep in, the wool was pretty much worthless.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31The main reason that fleeces are fetching a better price is demand.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33And it's no surprise the demand is growing
0:38:33 > 0:38:36when you can see all the thing wool can be made into.
0:38:37 > 0:38:42Farmers and fisherman have been using woolly jumpers for centuries.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44And here's something interesting.
0:38:44 > 0:38:49This is a woolly jumper that was knitted in Australia for penguins,
0:38:49 > 0:38:52when there was an oil spill, to stop them preening themselves
0:38:52 > 0:38:55and getting oil into their digestive system.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58And it's also really tough when it's woven together.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01Here, this rope, apparently,
0:39:01 > 0:39:04is strong enough to hold the weight of a rhino.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06Here are slug pellets.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10And wool has microscopic hooks
0:39:10 > 0:39:12on the fibres that hold them together,
0:39:12 > 0:39:15and those microscopic hooks are horrible for slugs,
0:39:15 > 0:39:17so they hate sliding over this.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19A very natural slug deterrent.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22So we've got all these amazing products.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26And wool has been so important to this country for such a long time.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30In the 1600s, the government passed an act saying that everybody
0:39:30 > 0:39:34had to be buried in a woollen shroud to protect
0:39:34 > 0:39:36the industry from foreign imports.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39In fact, now, a company has come up with woollen coffins.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42Of course, it's totally sustainable and biodegradable.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45And there's a lovely saying in the Cotswolds -
0:39:45 > 0:39:47"To respect a very good shepherd,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50"you should have a lock of wool laid on your coffin."
0:39:50 > 0:39:53Now you can have a whole coffin made of wool.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04There's clearly a healthy demand for wool in all kinds of products
0:40:04 > 0:40:07and that's why this business in Yorkshire is still going strong.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10Simon Spinks' family have been making wool mattresses
0:40:10 > 0:40:13for four generations, here in the heart of Leeds,
0:40:13 > 0:40:17a city built on wool and textiles.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19- Simon, hi. - Good to see you.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21My great grandfather learnt to make mattresses
0:40:21 > 0:40:23at a company called Somnus -
0:40:23 > 0:40:26they were the leaders at the time in making mattresses.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28He went on to team up with a guy called Harrison
0:40:28 > 0:40:32and the rest is history as far as we're concerned.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36I've been born with beds in the blood and have taken it forward.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38As you can see, it's still very much a hand process
0:40:38 > 0:40:40and it's not that dissimilar
0:40:40 > 0:40:43to how my great-grandad will have done it years ago.
0:40:43 > 0:40:44And why wool?
0:40:44 > 0:40:48Wool's just a fantastic filling material for beds.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50Been used for thousands of years in the construction of beds
0:40:50 > 0:40:53for a good reason - it keeps you the right temperature.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55You can't sleep when you're too hot.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57You can't sleep when you're too cold.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00You only have to look at the sheep and the range of temperatures they
0:41:00 > 0:41:04can deal with to understand that wool is the best thing to sleep on.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08I mean, interestingly, every mattress these days
0:41:08 > 0:41:10has to pass stringent flame retardancy laws
0:41:10 > 0:41:14and wool is one of the only natural materials
0:41:14 > 0:41:16we've got that's flame retardant.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18I can actually show you that it won't catch light.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20It will actually go out.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Are you sure you want to set fire to that in here?
0:41:22 > 0:41:24Erm, well, normally I wouldn't,
0:41:24 > 0:41:27but such is the confidence I've got in wool's ability,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30I reckon I can show you this and take the chance. Are you ready?
0:41:33 > 0:41:35- It just goes out. - You'll never get that lit.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38- So it keeps you warm and safe. - Warm and safe.
0:41:44 > 0:41:49It takes about three full fleeces to make one of Simon's mattresses
0:41:49 > 0:41:52and some of those come off the backs of his very own sheep.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54Here you are with your farm. How big is it?
0:41:54 > 0:41:56There's 300 acres in all.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00We've got 500 breeding ewes, about 350 lambs on at the moment.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02And what sort of breed are you using?
0:42:02 > 0:42:05We started with mules, which are a Swaledale/
0:42:05 > 0:42:08bluefaced Leicester cross. They make very good mothers,
0:42:08 > 0:42:12and we've brought in tups, which were Texel.
0:42:12 > 0:42:13We do Suffolk and Zwartble,
0:42:13 > 0:42:15which give us the sort of black wool,
0:42:15 > 0:42:19which is quite an interesting product for a mattress as well.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21It creates a very nice sort of bulky wool.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24And are you a farmer by trade or is this new to you?
0:42:24 > 0:42:28For some reason, I always wanted to be a farmer.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31And whilst I can't pretend to be very good at it, we've got
0:42:31 > 0:42:33some very good people here to help run the farm.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35I think I always wanted to drive a tractor.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37And...it's strange.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40We got so busy once we started growing our own mattresses here
0:42:40 > 0:42:44that I've not had a chance to drive that tractor yet.
0:42:44 > 0:42:45But...
0:42:45 > 0:42:49Yeah, it's been a great adventure for us and for the business.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58It's great to see a long-running British company still going strong
0:42:58 > 0:43:02and part of their success is because they're always developing new ideas,
0:43:02 > 0:43:04like growing their own fibres to go into the mattresses.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07And it just goes to show that wool is an ancient,
0:43:07 > 0:43:11versatile product that can really keep up with modern times.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25With the final of the World Cup just a matter of hours away,
0:43:25 > 0:43:29I'm heading into Swansea to tap into its footballing roots.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33In the heart of the city is Vetch Field.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36Former home of Swansea City Football Club,
0:43:36 > 0:43:38it was demolished in 2011.
0:43:40 > 0:43:44Often redeveloped urban areas like Vetch Field become new
0:43:44 > 0:43:48housing developments, office blocks, or even abandoned as wasteland,
0:43:48 > 0:43:50but on this occasion, the locals came together
0:43:50 > 0:43:52to create something rather special.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58Vetch Field took on a whole new set of supporters.
0:43:58 > 0:44:03As part of the Cultural Olympiad, the council assigned an area
0:44:03 > 0:44:07of Vetch Fields to the Sandfields community to be turned into
0:44:07 > 0:44:10allotments, their own little piece of the countryside
0:44:10 > 0:44:11in the heart of Swansea.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19Home to a wide variety of nationalities and cultures,
0:44:19 > 0:44:23these allotments are now bringing the communities together.
0:44:25 > 0:44:30Alan Lloyd held a season ticket here to watch the Swans for many years.
0:44:31 > 0:44:35What's left of the old football stadium now, then?
0:44:35 > 0:44:38Well...the area is still here.
0:44:38 > 0:44:43- I can more or less point out to where I used to sit.- Oh, really?
0:44:43 > 0:44:47The stand was there and I used to sit in the front row...
0:44:47 > 0:44:49Row A.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51So it must have been quite mixed feelings for you,
0:44:51 > 0:44:54because you were mayor as well when this place closed.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56Yeah. I look on it as an outdoor community centre,
0:44:56 > 0:45:02where the different communities in the Sandfields can meet, chat over.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04There's a lot more talking goes on here than growing.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08SHE LAUGHS But it's good for the community.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13Since its conception,
0:45:13 > 0:45:16Gerwin Thomas has been part of the redevelopment.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22What does it mean to you to be able to come down here
0:45:22 > 0:45:25- and have this space?- To me, with the garden and everything,
0:45:25 > 0:45:27it's an oasis in the middle of town.
0:45:27 > 0:45:31This is brilliant, you know, cos I can come down here whenever
0:45:31 > 0:45:36I feel like it and meet people of different nationalities, really.
0:45:36 > 0:45:40And their type of growing is totally different to the British, you know.
0:45:40 > 0:45:44- So you're learning a lot about other veggies?- You definitely are, yes.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46I must say, I am really, really jealous.
0:45:46 > 0:45:47I would love one of these near me.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55But with the World Cup coming to a close,
0:45:55 > 0:46:00the Vetch gardeners have their own way of honouring Brazil 2014.
0:46:00 > 0:46:05The Bangladeshi ladies are going to do a curry this afternoon to
0:46:05 > 0:46:08commemorate the World Cup in Brazil.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12- That's mine, that is.- All right, then, bagsy that one. It's yours.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20'So, with a curry to be made, Bangladeshi-born Kadeeji
0:46:20 > 0:46:25'and I need to harvest some more veg to add to Gerwin's tomatoes.'
0:46:25 > 0:46:28So, Kadeeja, what is it you love about coming to this place?
0:46:28 > 0:46:31Everything, like the vegetables and the peoples.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34When I talk to people, it's like feeling great, nice.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36It's become a second home.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38SHE LAUGHS
0:46:38 > 0:46:41- It's good just for hanging out, relaxing.- Yeah.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44Big family, but still I manage to come here every day...
0:46:44 > 0:46:45Summer times, yeah.
0:46:52 > 0:46:57- That's enormous! Are we having that one?- Yeah.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00I can use the leaves to make...you know saag?
0:47:00 > 0:47:02- Oh, make saag with the leaves. - Hmm.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05- How many leaves do you need? - Oh...loads.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11Food is a brilliant way of bringing people together.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15Vetch Field even has its own kitchen and cooking area.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19Goodness, it's like something from everybody's allotment in there.
0:47:19 > 0:47:20Yeah.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24- That is a community curry. - A community curry, yeah.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30- How long does this need now? - Ten minutes.- Ten minutes?- Yeah.
0:47:30 > 0:47:32And then we'll be feasting.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36So, with the curry simmering away on the hob,
0:47:36 > 0:47:38I want to find out just what the redevelopment
0:47:38 > 0:47:40means to everyone here.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44- I love coming over here.- Do you? What do you love about it, then?
0:47:44 > 0:47:47This feels like an extension of my back garden.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49And how was this before, when it was football ground?
0:47:49 > 0:47:51Oh...it was horrible.
0:47:51 > 0:47:56The stand was so high and then, when it came down,
0:47:56 > 0:47:57you could see the sky at night.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00I could sit in my back garden and I could see the stars
0:48:00 > 0:48:03and the hill and the lights on. It's amazing.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11What do you like about having your plot, here in the Vetch?
0:48:11 > 0:48:13What about the community here?
0:48:22 > 0:48:24Wandering through the allotment,
0:48:24 > 0:48:28I couldn't help but notice this rather stranger plant vessel.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30This is my hanging bra-sket.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32You can hold plenty in there, can't we?
0:48:32 > 0:48:35This ample brassiere. That's fabulous. I love it.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43The terraces may be long gone,
0:48:43 > 0:48:46but a crowd has returned to feast on our World Cup curry.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50Thank you so much.
0:48:50 > 0:48:54It's fantastic how a football pitch has maintained its team spirit,
0:48:54 > 0:48:57but instead of sport it's growing and sharing food in their own little
0:48:57 > 0:49:01piece of the countryside that's brought this community together.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05CHATTER
0:49:08 > 0:49:11A couple of months ago, we were working with Kew
0:49:11 > 0:49:15to give away more than 2,000 packets of wild flower seeds.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18You might remember, a couple of weeks ago,
0:49:18 > 0:49:20my fairly dismal effort.
0:49:20 > 0:49:21But if your flowers are blooming,
0:49:21 > 0:49:24we'd love to see a photo of them to share with everybody else,
0:49:24 > 0:49:27and details of how you can do that are on our website.
0:49:34 > 0:49:38Ellie and I have been exploring beautiful South Wales.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42Earlier, I was at Whiteford Sands on the Gower Peninsula,
0:49:42 > 0:49:46where I found the location of what could be an exploded bomb.
0:49:48 > 0:49:49Oh, I've got a cross.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54Lieutenant Oli Alexander and his team are now ready to take action.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57Right.
0:49:57 > 0:49:58Now I'm going to stand back.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01The Royal Navy guys are going to come down with their portable
0:50:01 > 0:50:02magnetometer and we'll confirm
0:50:02 > 0:50:05- that you've got the right position there.- Yeah.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09Here we are, lads. This is my first time using this bit of kit, so I...
0:50:09 > 0:50:13- Matt, can I introduce you to petty officer Mark Cockin?- Hi, Mark.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16He's the EOD operator, who is actually going to finally excavate
0:50:16 > 0:50:19the item and make the call as to what level of hazard it presents,
0:50:19 > 0:50:22and what the best way is of making that safe if necessary.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25What we're going to get now is leading diver
0:50:25 > 0:50:27Walton is going to come in with his metal detector...
0:50:27 > 0:50:29We'll move the flag out of the way.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31..and then try and detect the ferrous metal contact
0:50:31 > 0:50:32that we've had in the sand.
0:50:32 > 0:50:34BEEPS
0:50:34 > 0:50:37What he does is he makes a shape around the item to locate
0:50:37 > 0:50:40exactly where it is so we don't end up digging two or three
0:50:40 > 0:50:43- holes that we might not want to dig. - And the pitch, the more...?
0:50:43 > 0:50:46The pitch increases as it gets closer to the item, yeah.
0:50:48 > 0:50:52There will be heavy corrosion, what we call concretion, on the item.
0:50:52 > 0:50:54So I wouldn't mind betting that what you end up digging
0:50:54 > 0:50:57up doesn't look to you like anything other than a pile of stones.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00To our trained eyes, we know that it is something.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02BEEPS
0:51:04 > 0:51:06We've got contact.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09OK, everybody move back, then. I'll go and have a look.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11What we're doing here is employing
0:51:11 > 0:51:13the good old principle of one man, one risk.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15Even now, he doesn't have a huge amount
0:51:15 > 0:51:17- of protective kit on, does he?- No.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20It's all about making the threat assessment
0:51:20 > 0:51:23- and balancing risk against what we know.- Wow.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25He's got it there, then.
0:51:25 > 0:51:29There we are. He's happy to call us in, so we'll take a walk in.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31So what you can see is the effects of the concretion
0:51:31 > 0:51:34over the 60 or so years that that's been under the beach.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37If I was out here walking my dogs on the beach and I saw that,
0:51:37 > 0:51:39- I would never in a million years think that that was...- No.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42The principle that you should always apply is,
0:51:42 > 0:51:44if you don't know what it is,
0:51:44 > 0:51:47then because of the signage it could be dangerous.
0:51:47 > 0:51:51And that, then, is retire to a safe distance, call the police or
0:51:51 > 0:51:55coastguard on the end of 999 and they will call for our support.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58- So, what happens now?- We need to remove that concreted encasing.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00We do that using an explosive technique,
0:52:00 > 0:52:01using detonating equipment.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04Where do you do that? Here?
0:52:04 > 0:52:08Yeah, we'll be doing the detonation here with the detonator,
0:52:08 > 0:52:12just to shock that off, like the commanding officer said. So...
0:52:12 > 0:52:15What I'm going to get my lads to do now is break away,
0:52:15 > 0:52:17start getting all the kit out,
0:52:17 > 0:52:18and basically...
0:52:18 > 0:52:21Three strands of detonating cord down the length of the munition...
0:52:21 > 0:52:25- Yeah.- ..and then what we'll do is we'll remotely fire that from back
0:52:25 > 0:52:27up at the sand dunes.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35OK, this protects us nicely. We're nice and safe down here.
0:52:35 > 0:52:36We can see what's going on.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39The officer and the EOD operator can make sure that we've got
0:52:39 > 0:52:40a safe range, everybody's...
0:52:40 > 0:52:42- It's controlled and safe.- Good.
0:52:42 > 0:52:45- Right, well, when you're happy. - OK, PA Cockin.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48Stand-by. Fire in three, two, one. Fire in!
0:52:51 > 0:52:53EXPLOSION
0:52:55 > 0:52:58- Wow.- There we go. Great. Just what we needed.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01So a nice, hard crack should have removed that concretion.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05What happens now is the operator will then go back down
0:53:05 > 0:53:07and check that everything is stable.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10And then, providing he's happy, we'll see what you've found.
0:53:11 > 0:53:1325 pounder projectile.
0:53:13 > 0:53:17Can't determine whether it's HE or knot field,
0:53:17 > 0:53:20so unsafe to remove by road.
0:53:20 > 0:53:22Establish a temporary range. Destroy in situ.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26We found a four-inch naval shell,
0:53:26 > 0:53:29the type that would have been used during World War II.
0:53:31 > 0:53:37To detonate it safely, the team are using modern plastic explosives.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39I've heard there was a bit of a spectacle.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41And look who's turned up for the big event.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44So you've met the lads here. This is Oli.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46- Hi, how are you doing? - Hi, Ellie. Good to see you.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48So, well, we're all safe and sound here.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51- This is going to be great. - In our little bunker.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53- Feeling good?- I'm excited. - You're definitely looking the part.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56- Why, thank you. I'm in my greens. - Who's pressing what?
0:53:56 > 0:53:58- I'm on one.- OK.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01All positions RSO'd. Stand by. Firing serial.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05- Are you happy? - I... OK. Stand-by!
0:54:05 > 0:54:06Firing...
0:54:06 > 0:54:08now!
0:54:09 > 0:54:10BOTH: Ooh!
0:54:12 > 0:54:15- Goodness me! - My heart has changed a beat.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17That is extraordinary!
0:54:17 > 0:54:20- What an explosion. - Goodness me!- How about that?
0:54:20 > 0:54:22On that bombshell, we are going to end the programme.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25Next week, we're going to have more fireworks as we celebrate
0:54:25 > 0:54:30John Craven's 25 years on the programme. What a legend.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33Walk on. That's a good boy. Whoa.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35Those horns look a bit menacing, though, don't they?
0:54:35 > 0:54:38Shake his head about a bit. You're a natural.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41And that is definitely it from the gorgeous, and now quiet,
0:54:41 > 0:54:42surroundings of South Wales.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45Let's hope the World Cup final tonight is going to
0:54:45 > 0:54:48- be as explosive as that. - Bye-bye.- See you.