0:00:26 > 0:00:28The Thames Valley.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31On the doorstep of London but away from the madding crowd.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36This picturesque countryside has at its heart
0:00:36 > 0:00:38the river that bears its name.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43I am at the spiritual home of rowing - Henley-on-Thames.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Now, this is one of our oldest and most traditional sports.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48And, of course, Great Britain are pretty good at it too.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52Now, people come here from far and wide to watch and take part
0:00:52 > 0:00:56in the Boat Race, and this is where Olympic rowers cut their teeth.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00And, as you can see, I'll be finding out just how they do it.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05For centuries, wealthy and influential residents have
0:01:05 > 0:01:09left a legacy of historic houses and palaces in the Thames Valley.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Like this one. Cliveden House.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18This house was once the glittering hub of high society
0:01:18 > 0:01:22and it gained even more notoriety in the 1960s when it played a pivotal
0:01:22 > 0:01:27role in the political scandal that became known as the Profumo Affair.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31This area was a honey pot for affluent Londoners trying
0:01:31 > 0:01:33to escape the city. I'll be finding out why.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Tom is on the south-west coast looking at threats to our birdlife.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42In the past, they have been covered in oil
0:01:42 > 0:01:47and now thousands are being killed by a mysterious glue-like substance,
0:01:47 > 0:01:52washed-up in Devon and here on the coast of Cornwall.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56But is there an even greater challenge facing our seabirds?
0:01:56 > 0:01:59I'll be investigating.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02And there is never a dull day down on Adam's farm.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05We have had a bit of a surprise on the farm. This is a Highland calf
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and I've never seen one this colour before, so I've invited
0:02:08 > 0:02:12an expert to the farm to let me know if it's as unusual as I think it is.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21The Thames Valley.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25A green and pleasant land running alongside our most historic river.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29I'm in the pretty riverside town of Henley-on-Thames,
0:02:29 > 0:02:31a place that is intrinsically linked to the river.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38This is the spiritual home of rowing
0:02:38 > 0:02:42and its roots can be traced back to the early 1800s when the first
0:02:42 > 0:02:46University Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge was held here.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Every summer, for one week,
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Henley holds its world-famous Regatta, transforming this
0:02:53 > 0:02:54tranquil part of the Thames
0:02:54 > 0:02:57into one of our most-loved sporting events.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00But what makes this place the cradle of rowing?
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Well, to find out, I am taking to the water with a man who
0:03:05 > 0:03:10knows this stretch more than most. Sir Matthew Pinsent, good morning.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Sir Matthew Pinsent is one of our most successful Olympians.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17He has won four gold medals at successive Olympic Games,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20along with 16 wins here at Henley Royal Regatta.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24And most of his training was done on this stretch of water.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27So, Matthew, this is a place that you know very, very well.
0:03:27 > 0:03:33Yes, it's probably the bit of river I spent most of my life on.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36This is the Regatta course.
0:03:36 > 0:03:37The finish line is just here
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and the start line is way, way down in the distance.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44You can see what we call the Temple. That's the start down there.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48And you'll see, just as we sweep around, one of the few places on
0:03:48 > 0:03:51the whole of the stretch of the Thames where it runs straight
0:03:51 > 0:03:54as far as the eye can see. Which is why the Regatta is here.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00175 years ago, when the Regatta first started, to have an
0:04:00 > 0:04:04almost dead-straight course on a natural river was a rarity.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07It provided the perfect setting for racing and spectating
0:04:07 > 0:04:09and it still does today.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11People will come down with their boats
0:04:11 > 0:04:13and moor up on the booms here.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17So, just here, you will get a real atmosphere which, actually,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19- even an Olympics won't match. Because...- Really?
0:04:19 > 0:04:24Well, they're there. At an Olympics, the crowd is 100 metres away.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27How does the competition kind of play out, then, over the week?
0:04:27 > 0:04:31- Who is here?- You will have some of the best rowers, men and women,
0:04:31 > 0:04:32in the world come to the Regatta.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36I remember coming here as a schoolboy. We sort of started a race
0:04:36 > 0:04:39and the race ahead of us was the Olympic champions.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41And you think, "Look at them.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44"That is so-and-so." And, you know, that's magical.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48People have been racing for the trophy that you want to win
0:04:48 > 0:04:49at Henley for 175 years.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Even the Olympics doesn't have the history that this place does.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55So it is very, very unique.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Preparations for the July Regatta are already underway.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Today it is a slick-run event but, as chairman Mike Sweeney knows,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09that wasn't always the case.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11In the early days, when it started,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15the river was absolutely covered in boats - punts, gigs, any sort.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18You could literally walk from one side to the other.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22And at the start they fired a cannon.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25And the theory was that everybody moved out of the way to allow
0:05:25 > 0:05:27the racing crews to come through.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Well, it didn't always actually happen 100%, so occasionally
0:05:30 > 0:05:34collisions between punts and racing boats was the order of the day.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39- So, Mike, when was the first Henley Regatta?- 1839.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43It was ten years after the first Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race
0:05:43 > 0:05:46and it was that race that had given the townspeople the idea,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48"Actually, this is good for the town.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49"It brings business, it brings people."
0:05:49 > 0:05:55It was one day, and the winners were First Trinity Cambridge.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59And then the next year it got, what, more days and more days?
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Yeah, it's now five days and has been for the last 30 years.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05So, apart from offering young rowers like we have got here
0:06:05 > 0:06:08the opportunity to row alongside Olympians,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10what other support do your offer your rowers?
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Well, in 1988, we started the Charitable Trust
0:06:13 > 0:06:16and since then we have given away over £3 million to
0:06:16 > 0:06:18junior development, youth development,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21getting kids out in boats all over the country
0:06:21 > 0:06:25- and it has been very, very successful.- I'll bet.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27'Later on, I'll be meeting some of the youngsters who could
0:06:27 > 0:06:30'benefit from some of the Regatta's support.'
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Whilst I'm making the most of our day here out on the Thames,
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Tom has travelled to the beaches of south-west England to find out
0:06:37 > 0:06:39why British seabirds are in decline.
0:06:48 > 0:06:54The seas around the British coast - part larder, part nursery.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Vital to hundreds of thousands of seabirds flocking
0:06:58 > 0:07:01to our coastline to breed and feed.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07It's where these guys should be - out at sea, fattening up
0:07:07 > 0:07:13for the breeding season, instead of being in here, in rehab, getting food
0:07:13 > 0:07:19on a floating tray from me. Still, they are lucky to be alive.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Experts now fear that thousands of seabirds may have been killed
0:07:25 > 0:07:29by a glue-like substance in the sea off the south coast of England.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32- NEWS REPORTER:- 'Thousands may have been lost out at sea.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36'Second time in three months.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38'The majority died before they reached help.'
0:07:41 > 0:07:45In February and again in April, thousands of seabirds were
0:07:45 > 0:07:48caught up in an environmental disaster.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52A mysterious glue-like substance had coated their feathers,
0:07:52 > 0:07:57killing more than 4,000 and leaving hundreds just clinging to life.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59We initially got the call to come down
0:07:59 > 0:08:01and rescue a couple of guillemots.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06'The RSPCA's Peter Ferris was one of the first on the scene.'
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Roughly how many did you find on this actual beach?
0:08:08 > 0:08:13- On this beach, around about 150-250 birds dead.- In total?
0:08:13 > 0:08:16That was the ones I could see.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20What was the actual stuff like?
0:08:21 > 0:08:25It was like children's craft glue, PVA glue, the white glue.
0:08:25 > 0:08:26- Yeah.- It was like that.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28It was like, quite a few of them,
0:08:28 > 0:08:32as if they had just had the pot of glue poured all over them.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36'This sticky substance had coated their feathers, making
0:08:36 > 0:08:40'the birds unable to fly or dive for food.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45'It's hard to imagine just how bad it was until you see it for yourself.'
0:08:46 > 0:08:51This is what they found. Unbelievably sticky. Look.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56It almost sticks on my upturned hand.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58It is gummed into all the feathers.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02You can see how this wing is stuck to the flank of the bird.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07This one...I can barely pull it off.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09And at the time when these were washed up,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12this gluey substance was a complete mystery.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19'It didn't look like oil and there were no reports of spillages,
0:09:19 > 0:09:20'so birds like this one
0:09:20 > 0:09:24'were sent for analysis to the University of Plymouth.'
0:09:24 > 0:09:27So this is what we scraped off of one of the birds.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30So, it is quite an opaque white,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33very sticky, viscous substance.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37I can see it is a bit thicker at the bottom than it is at the top there.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39- That's right, yes. - A milky substance.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43When you actually scraped it off, what was the texture of it like?
0:09:43 > 0:09:46It was like taking old chewing gum off. It was really thick.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Really difficult to get a grasp of it and pull it off.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56The substance was identified as polyisobutene - PIB for short.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59It is used in everyday things like clingfilm and chewing gum
0:09:59 > 0:10:04and in ships to make their engines run more efficiently.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07This is PIB in its pure form and, as you can see, it is
0:10:07 > 0:10:12quite syrupy, but it is clear and it is also not as thick
0:10:12 > 0:10:15and gluey as the stuff they found on the birds.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17So, what caused it to change?
0:10:17 > 0:10:21Something pretty commonplace, especially in the sea.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25The scientists found that by mixing PIB and seawater,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29they were able to recreate the substance found on the birds.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Wow.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35- You can really see how thick and gloopy that is, can't you?- Yeah.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40If you just spread it out, you can just see how it wants to
0:10:40 > 0:10:42stick to everything it comes in contact with.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48So, how did it get into the sea in the first place?
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Well, the law says ships can dump PIB quite legally,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54as long as they are 12 nautical miles from the shore,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57and only then if they're just flushing out residue
0:10:57 > 0:11:01from their tanks. But with two clean-up operations in a single year,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04some are calling for tighter restrictions.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07What do you suspect went wrong this time?
0:11:07 > 0:11:09It's likely there were two incidents
0:11:09 > 0:11:12and either ships have been washing out engine oil that has been
0:11:12 > 0:11:16thickened with PIBs or they have been carrying PIBs
0:11:16 > 0:11:18and they have washed out their tanks at sea.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20A lot of people might be surprised that this is legal.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22How did we get here?
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Well, under the Marine Pollution Convention, the so-called
0:11:24 > 0:11:28MARPOL Convention, a certain number of substances are banned.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33PIBs have never been banned. They are shipped quite a lot.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37I think it is time to reclassify them under the convention
0:11:37 > 0:11:39so that ships cannot wash them...
0:11:39 > 0:11:42wash out tanks at sea which have contained PIBs.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46There is now an ongoing investigation
0:11:46 > 0:11:48to discover where the PIB came from
0:11:48 > 0:11:51and whether the rules were broken or there is a problem
0:11:51 > 0:11:53with the rules themselves.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56'Back at the RSPCA centre near Taunton
0:11:56 > 0:12:00'the birds they saved are almost ready to be released.'
0:12:00 > 0:12:02It is mesmerising looking at them.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05That matt, silky, grey neck they've got.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08So different from the oiled one I saw earlier.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Yeah, they look like a whole different bird now, don't they?
0:12:10 > 0:12:14'As things stand, there is nothing to stop another ship flushing out
0:12:14 > 0:12:19'more PIB into the sea, potentially causing another disaster.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21'But, as I'll be finding out later, there is
0:12:21 > 0:12:24'an even bigger threat to the future of our seabirds.'
0:12:32 > 0:12:33The Thames Valley.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35For hundreds of years, a place where the rich
0:12:35 > 0:12:39and famous came to escape the hustle and bustle of London.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44Dotted along the banks, you catch echoes of the luxurious past,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47and I want to get a taste of it.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51This is my destination. Cliveden House.
0:12:51 > 0:12:56A place known for ostentatious wealth, fancy living and scandal.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00I love it.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03'Before I go inside, I am keen to get a sense of why this area'
0:13:03 > 0:13:07was a magnet for the great and the not so good.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10I am taking to the water with Dr Jeremy Burchardt
0:13:10 > 0:13:12from Reading University.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14The key thing was that it was close to London
0:13:14 > 0:13:16but not TOO close to London.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18So, back in the 17th century, it was very attractive to courtiers
0:13:18 > 0:13:22like George Villiers, the second Duke of Buckingham, who built Cliveden.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24They wanted to be near the court but have somewhere they could
0:13:24 > 0:13:27retire to, I suppose, to get away from it sometimes.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29But it moves on in the 18th century,
0:13:29 > 0:13:34and you get a wider range of very wealthy people settling here.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36So you get kind of rich lawyers, I suppose,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39and then you get royalty as well.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41It is a sort of changing picture
0:13:41 > 0:13:44but always the wealthy and the powerful, I think.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Sometimes the sources of that wealth
0:13:46 > 0:13:48were perhaps a little bit more questionable.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51So, just up river you could reach Fawley Court
0:13:51 > 0:13:53and that was built by William Freeman,
0:13:53 > 0:13:54who was a slave trader.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56It looks beautiful, idyllic, peaceful
0:13:56 > 0:13:58and completely innocent, but the reality that
0:13:58 > 0:14:02lies behind that is not always quite so innocent, I suppose.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08The landscape gardeners of the day
0:14:08 > 0:14:10really enjoyed this area as well, didn't they?
0:14:10 > 0:14:12It was a challenge to relish.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14It was a complete gift to them, I think.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16And, I suppose, even in the 17th century,
0:14:16 > 0:14:21the kind of huge views you could get from up here were important.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25The crucial thing, I suppose, is this kind of high Buckinghamshire bank
0:14:25 > 0:14:29of the Thames over here on our east, and that is unusual.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33It's one of the very few stretches of the river which is like that.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36And then it is kind of thickly clad with trees, as you can see.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Kind of gnarled and a variety of colours.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Variety was really crucial to the picturesque movement.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44So it just had everything in terms of landscape ideals
0:14:44 > 0:14:46at the end of the 18th century.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48You have sold it. Shall we buy?
0:14:48 > 0:14:51I'd love to, but I don't have the money.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Let's do it. Go on. Let's do it.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58'No chance! You still need a hefty bank balance'
0:14:58 > 0:15:00to enjoy THIS lifestyle.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05For 150 years, Cliveden House has been THE place to aspire to,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07set high above the Thames
0:15:07 > 0:15:10among 370 acres of National Trust gardens.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17There has been a grand house here since the 1600s, and no wonder.
0:15:17 > 0:15:18Just look at the views.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21The whole of Berkshire spread out beneath your feet,
0:15:21 > 0:15:25the Thames gently meandering through the tree-lined countryside.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28And over there - a shadow in the distance
0:15:28 > 0:15:31but strategically very important - Windsor Castle.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36The original house was built by the second Duke of Buckingham
0:15:36 > 0:15:38George Villiers.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40He was a bit of a bounder.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42He might have built this house, but that didn't stop him
0:15:42 > 0:15:44laying his trowel elsewhere.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47In 1668, he shot his mistress's husband,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49the Count of Shrewsbury, in a duel.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52The Countess's portrait is hanging downstairs.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Twice, the house was burnt down and the current mansion was
0:15:57 > 0:15:58built in the 1850s.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06In 1893, the richest man in America, William Waldorf Astor, paid
0:16:06 > 0:16:09over 1 million for the house and estate.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12He wanted to make his mark amongst the English gentry.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15If he wasn't born into it, he'd buy his way into it.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Astor remodelled the gardens in grand style,
0:16:22 > 0:16:26importing flamboyant features like the Fountain of Love
0:16:26 > 0:16:29and the Borghese Balustrade.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35Inside is pretty plush too. It is now a hotel.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38I'm getting a "what the butler saw" tour with, you guessed it,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40the butler, Michael Chaloner.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45This was really, I suppose, the most important room for the Astors,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48- wasn't it?- It was. This is where they hosted all their parties.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52And in the winter time, this was a real focal point to it.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53A wonderful Medieval French fireplace,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56bought by the Astors to decorate their home.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58They imported everything, didn't they?
0:16:58 > 0:17:01They wanted the best and the most opulent.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03If they wanted it, they had it.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06'Astor's son married American Nancy Langhorne.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10'As Mrs Nancy Astor, she set out to woo English society with her
0:17:10 > 0:17:13'good looks and witty conversation.'
0:17:13 > 0:17:16They entertained everyone from Charlie Chaplin, George Bernard Shaw,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Gandhi, of all people. The Royal Family were regular visitors.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22So, really, the guests they had had no limit.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24This was quite a saucy place, wasn't it?
0:17:24 > 0:17:26The parties were pretty swinging.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30I'm not sure how involved she was in some of the worst or best
0:17:30 > 0:17:33parties that we had here, but she really sort of took an active
0:17:33 > 0:17:37part in making sure the house was always alive. Especially at weekends.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40'Nancy eventually won over the British public too,
0:17:40 > 0:17:44'becoming the first woman MP to take up a seat in Parliament.'
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Well, this is the French Dining Room.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50This is quite a dining room, isn't it?
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Can you imagine the parties in here?
0:17:52 > 0:17:55All the people that we have mentioned through the ages that have come here.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57If these walls could talk, eh?
0:17:57 > 0:17:59One of the key stories that has come out of that time was
0:17:59 > 0:18:02when Winston Churchill was having dinner with Nancy Astor
0:18:02 > 0:18:06and they really had a very, sort of, quite a tense relationship.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09They got on very well but very badly at the same time.
0:18:09 > 0:18:10Nancy Astor saying to him,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13"Winston, if you were my husband, I would put poison in your coffee."
0:18:13 > 0:18:17And he said, "Madam, if I was your husband, I'd drink it."
0:18:17 > 0:18:22That is really sort of evocative of the tension they had between them.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Nobody could resist an invitation to Cliveden.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28We already know that the world
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and his very famous rich wife or mistress came here,
0:18:31 > 0:18:32but there was one invitation that
0:18:32 > 0:18:35would result in a scandal that rocked the Government.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39And it all started here by the pool. Doesn't it always!
0:18:39 > 0:18:41MUSIC: "Scandal" by Queen
0:18:41 > 0:18:43# Scandal! #
0:18:43 > 0:18:48It was here in 1961 that Secretary of State for War John Profumo
0:18:48 > 0:18:51first set eyes on the 19-year-old Christine Keeler.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55What followed was a three-month affair.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Keeler was a call girl who was also having a relationship with
0:18:58 > 0:19:01a Soviet diplomat. Hmm, troublesome.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04When the story hit the headlines two years later,
0:19:04 > 0:19:08Profumo had to resign, his reputation in tatters.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Harold Macmillan's Conservative Government lost the next election.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16With the help of some carefully staged photographs
0:19:16 > 0:19:19in the Sunday papers, Christine Keeler became a household name
0:19:19 > 0:19:24and Cliveden secured its place in history as the home of scandal.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Downstream, John is joining the horsy set as they uncover
0:19:33 > 0:19:36some revealing facts about their faithful steeds.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41There could be well over a million horses in the UK.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44No-one knows the exact figure, and until recently there has been
0:19:44 > 0:19:48no national project to keep check on their general health.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52But the Blue Cross animal charity is changing that.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56It has launched a one-week long, UK-wide annual survey to try to
0:19:56 > 0:20:02paint a picture of just how fit or unfit the nation's horses really are.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Blue Cross came to prominence during the First World War,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09caring for horses and working dogs injured on the battlefields.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12The "blue" distinguished it from the Red Cross which, of course,
0:20:12 > 0:20:14cared for wounded soldiers.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19Today, it still has the health of horses at its very core.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22This is the fifth equine survey it has carried out
0:20:22 > 0:20:24and it is by far the biggest.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27So, what do you already know about Britain's horses?
0:20:27 > 0:20:29What we have found out is really important.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Three quarters of all horses have something wrong with them
0:20:32 > 0:20:35and so we want to get a much bigger picture of that
0:20:35 > 0:20:36and drill down into those figures
0:20:36 > 0:20:39and find out what actually is affecting the horses in Britain.
0:20:39 > 0:20:40That is a staggering fact, isn't it,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43that three-quarters of all horses have something wrong?
0:20:43 > 0:20:44What kind of things?
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Well, the commonest things we have found
0:20:46 > 0:20:50are about 15% have skin conditions, about 13% are lame.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53So, that sort of information, if we can find out more about it,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55will then help to inform vets and farriers and
0:20:55 > 0:20:58pharmaceutical companies, really, and charities like the Blue Cross
0:20:58 > 0:21:01about what advice they say should be giving to horse owners.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Students at the Berkshire College of Agriculture are carrying out
0:21:05 > 0:21:09the horse survey as part of their course in equine health.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12So, tell me, Sarah, what exactly are you having to do?
0:21:12 > 0:21:13So, we will start on the head,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16look at their teeth, make sure they're in good condition
0:21:16 > 0:21:18then we will look at their nose.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22So they have got a nice, clean nose, bright, shiny eyes,
0:21:22 > 0:21:23nice and alert ears.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27Then we will move down to look at their feet and their hooves,
0:21:27 > 0:21:29make sure there is no lameness or anything.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33- Well, this mare looks in perfect condition to me.- She is.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36However, when we were grooming her, we found some lumps on her skin
0:21:36 > 0:21:39that you can just feel up here, which aren't normal.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41There are lumps all over her, aren't there?
0:21:41 > 0:21:43So, what are you going to do about that?
0:21:43 > 0:21:45We'll report it to a skin specialist and have them
0:21:45 > 0:21:47come out and have a look at her.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50- Hopefully it is not serious. - Hopefully.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Though it's largely a countryside survey,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55you have to head into the capital to discover why a great
0:21:55 > 0:21:58British institution is taking part for the first time.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05These are just some of the horses of the Household Cavalry, returning from
0:22:05 > 0:22:09ceremonial duties to the regiment's barracks here in Central London.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12At the moment, there are 240 horses here
0:22:12 > 0:22:16and the regiment itself is the most senior in the British Army.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19It has played a key role
0:22:19 > 0:22:21in Britain's state and military heritage,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23always on duty at great occasions
0:22:23 > 0:22:27and one of the top tourist attractions of London.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29The wellbeing of its fine horses is crucial
0:22:29 > 0:22:32and Blue Cross is here to help with the survey.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Andy, your horse is getting the once-over now from the Blue Cross.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40- What sort of a horse is he? - He's a three-quarter Irish Draught.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42The reason we get the Irish Draught horses is
0:22:42 > 0:22:45because we need the right temperament for the horses
0:22:45 > 0:22:48within London and also the size and the weight he has to carry.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51He is carrying about four stone of equipment on him,
0:22:51 > 0:22:55also possibly 16 or 17 stone of soldier as well.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58- So he needs to be big and strong. - That's right, John, yes, he does.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00The last 12 months or so have been very busy, haven't they,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03with, you know, the Jubilee, the Olympics and everything else?
0:23:03 > 0:23:05That's right. Really busy.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09So it's vital that all the horses here are fit all the time.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Fit, healthy and well looked after.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13And they couldn't be in better hands.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17Regimental vet Major Ann O'Flynn keeps a close eye on them.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20- We have got a casualty here, then, Ann.- Yes, this is Vainglory.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Unfortunately he slipped over this morning in rehearsals.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25That's a nasty gash on his knee.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Yeah. I am just going to give it a quick cleanup.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Is this quite a common occurrence?
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Well, this is pretty run-of-the-mill for us.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35Horses that are going out in groups of anything from 10 to 200,
0:23:35 > 0:23:39we see a few cuts, kicks, grazes, bumps and that sort of thing.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41So, when will he be back on parade, then?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44We are hoping back on the next parade we do.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47And with so many horses here, your big worry must be
0:23:47 > 0:23:52if some infection or disease gets in and sweeps through.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Yes, that's right, we've got a herd of 550 horses in the Army
0:23:55 > 0:23:57so we have horses living in such close proximity to each other
0:23:57 > 0:24:00and so many in one place that, yeah,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03things that can spread from horse to horse are a key concern for us.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05These aren't ordinary horses, are they? If anything happened,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08it would, you know, be a long time before they could be replaced.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Yes, there is a training pipeline.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13These horses will spend 18 months to two years in training,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15so if we do lose one through injury or sickness,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18we have got to look quite hard for a replacement.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23'With the survey nearly complete, how has the regiment fared?'
0:24:23 > 0:24:26- So, just about the last one now, Gemma.- Yes.- How has it gone?
0:24:26 > 0:24:28- It has gone really well, yes. - Are they fit?
0:24:28 > 0:24:31They are in really tiptop condition.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33'Good news for the Household Cavalry.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36'And the full results of the national survey'
0:24:36 > 0:24:37will be published later this year.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40If you are a horse owner and want to take part next year,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42details are on our website.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49This 2km stretch of the Thames is one of the most enchanting
0:24:49 > 0:24:51parts of the entire river.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55At the beginning of July, this place will be heaving with people -
0:24:55 > 0:24:58spectators watching all of the rowers lining up
0:24:58 > 0:25:00for the Henley Royal Regatta.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02But there is a lot of hard work that goes into making this
0:25:02 > 0:25:04countryside look its best.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Caring for the course is as much about looking
0:25:07 > 0:25:10after its banks as it is the channel itself.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12I am heading to Temple Island
0:25:12 > 0:25:15to catch up with arboriculturalist Jago Keen.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17He is responsible for the maintenance of more
0:25:17 > 0:25:19than 1,000 trees on this riverbank.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24He is concerned that a disease called massaria might be here.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26It is a fungus that has already infected
0:25:26 > 0:25:30nearly 40% of the plane trees downstream in the City of London.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33It just simply is being found in the branches,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36and it's where the branch is attached to the trunk
0:25:36 > 0:25:40and it decays through the wood and it makes them fall off.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42So it is something we have to check for.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Especially somewhere like this, where we are going to have
0:25:45 > 0:25:49spectators during the Henley Royal Regatta that comes up in July.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Right. And what does it look like?
0:25:51 > 0:25:54- I can show you a sample that we took. - OK.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58We took this one from a plane tree last year and we have treated it.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01- So it's safe.- It's safe. We have killed the disease.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Oh, right, yeah, you can see it.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08As you can see, it produces this classic V-shaped decay.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11- It's like a fungus, then, is it? - It is a fungus, yes.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Now, the dead bark is found on the top of the branch
0:26:15 > 0:26:17and that's why, to me,
0:26:17 > 0:26:19the only real way of finding this disease
0:26:19 > 0:26:21is to do what Lee is doing today,
0:26:21 > 0:26:25and that is climbing the tree and looking from above.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28He has got a lovely flow about him. He has got such a great way.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32He's just wandering. He's just meandering around the tree up there.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Lee, what have you seen up there?
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Well, I have had a good look round the whole crown
0:26:37 > 0:26:38but no signs of massaria.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Good. Great news.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42It is great news because we don't want it here.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Have you found any on your patch?
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Fortunately we have found none at all over here in Henley.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49But, of course, you know, we are not far,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52we're in this Thames corridor, and that is connected to London,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56so the Regatta wants to be one step ahead
0:26:56 > 0:26:57because it wants to make sure
0:26:57 > 0:27:00it has tree stock here for future generations.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03That is why we are looking for it now, ahead of the game.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08'It's not just our plane trees that are under threat.'
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Earlier, we heard how thousands of seabirds had been
0:27:10 > 0:27:14killed by a mysterious substance off the south-west coast.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18But is there a bigger threat to our seabirds? Here's Tom.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23For years, our seabirds have been going into decline.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27Puffins on the east coast have taken a big hit of late.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32Skuas and terns are now amongst our rarest seabirds
0:27:32 > 0:27:36and kittiwakes in Scotland are on the verge of total collapse.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41While pollution incidents like we've seen off the south-west coast have
0:27:41 > 0:27:45an impact, they can't account for the scale of decline we are seeing.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49In some parts of the UK, it is staggering.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54Here in Scotland, the number of seabirds has declined by 53%
0:27:54 > 0:27:55since the mid-'80s.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59To find out what is behind these figures,
0:27:59 > 0:28:03I have come to the Isle of May off Scotland's east coast, home to
0:28:03 > 0:28:08puffins, shags, guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12It is one of the key seabird monitoring sites in the UK.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16Mark Newell is gathering important data about the island's birds.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22What has been the story over recent years or possibly decades,
0:28:22 > 0:28:24- if you can go back that far? - For kittiwakes,
0:28:24 > 0:28:28the population has been in a slow decline on the island.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Not as dramatic as some colonies,
0:28:30 > 0:28:34but by looking at the return rate of the individuals we are
0:28:34 > 0:28:38able to see on a yearly basis how they have fared over that winter.
0:28:38 > 0:28:39It may sound a bit unscientific but
0:28:39 > 0:28:41do you actually begin to recognise them?
0:28:41 > 0:28:43Would you recognise one from year by year and say,
0:28:43 > 0:28:45"Oh, I remember that couple from last year?"
0:28:45 > 0:28:50- Yeah, you do link them to sight and, yeah, who was with who.- Brilliant.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53You come back every day and you sort of... It sticks in the mind.
0:28:54 > 0:28:59Seeing if these adult birds come back year after year helps Mark
0:28:59 > 0:29:02understand why kittiwake numbers here are falling
0:29:02 > 0:29:04and nationally the picture is even worse.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08Experts reckon we are on the verge of losing them altogether
0:29:08 > 0:29:11and it is largely down to what they eat.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14And where they eat it.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Kittiwakes spend more than half their lives at sea.
0:29:18 > 0:29:23It is where they feed and catch the fish they need to feed their young,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26so trouble at sea spells trouble for seabirds.
0:29:28 > 0:29:33For years now, the favourite food of our seabirds has been disappearing.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37It is thought a lack of sand eels is driving down bird numbers.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41What we are seeing is that sand eels appear to have shown
0:29:41 > 0:29:44some quite significant changes over that period,
0:29:44 > 0:29:47and it seems to be driven by the availability of their own food
0:29:47 > 0:29:50so their own food supply has got lower quality
0:29:50 > 0:29:52and it is to do with the warming of the sea.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55So, as the sea has got warmer over the last 30 or so years,
0:29:55 > 0:29:59the food of these sand eels has changed
0:29:59 > 0:30:02and is of lower quality, and that has knock-on effects for seabirds.
0:30:02 > 0:30:07So worse food for sand eels - that means fewer sand eels for seabirds?
0:30:07 > 0:30:09That is exactly right. Sand eels on average have got smaller,
0:30:09 > 0:30:12and in some cases less abundant, and that is exactly right.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16We see the knock-on effects both on the breeding success of the birds
0:30:16 > 0:30:17and on the survival in winter.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21And what do you think is making the seas warmer?
0:30:21 > 0:30:23We think it's part of a much broader-scale change
0:30:23 > 0:30:26that we are seeing across the North Atlantic, which is
0:30:26 > 0:30:29that, driven by climate, we are seeing warming of whole regions
0:30:29 > 0:30:32which is occurring, and this is particularly the case
0:30:32 > 0:30:36in the North Sea. Just in the last 30 years, we have seen the average
0:30:36 > 0:30:39temperature in winter increasing by almost a degree.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Winter temperatures are hugely important for the development
0:30:42 > 0:30:45of sand eels and the long-term well-being of sand eels.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47That's why we think their numbers
0:30:47 > 0:30:50and quality have declined over that period.
0:30:50 > 0:30:55So climate change may be wiping out our seabirds' staple diet
0:30:55 > 0:30:59and it could also be affecting them in other ways.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02This winter saw the death of thousands of puffins on a scale
0:31:02 > 0:31:04not seen in decades.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07So what has been the recent story of the puffins?
0:31:07 > 0:31:12The puffin wrecks, as we call them, or seabird wrecks, are usually
0:31:12 > 0:31:17associated with periods, prolonged periods of severe winds -
0:31:17 > 0:31:19very cold, harsh winds -
0:31:19 > 0:31:23which means the birds simply aren't able to feed out at sea,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26and they can't get enough food to meet their nutritional needs.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29And how bad has it been for the puffins?
0:31:29 > 0:31:33This year, recent months have been REALLY bad for puffins.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35Quite unheard of, really.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39We ended up with almost 3,000 birds caught,
0:31:39 > 0:31:43found dead along our coast, all the way up the east coast of the UK.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47'It was hoped the creation of special Marine Protected Areas
0:31:47 > 0:31:50'would at least provide some support for these vulnerable colonies,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53'but seabirds were largely left out.'
0:31:53 > 0:31:57We can't understand why the UK and Scottish Governments
0:31:57 > 0:32:00won't create Marine Protected Areas for seabirds.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03It's completely within their gift, and this is at a time
0:32:03 > 0:32:05when seabirds are really under pressure.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09The Government's own scientists say we have lost species
0:32:09 > 0:32:13such as kittiwakes - two-thirds of them lost in 20 years.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16They could do something today to help that decline stop.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19Their line is that seabirds have already got protection.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22There is European legislation which, frankly, hasn't been used.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26There is still not one protected area for seabirds at sea,
0:32:26 > 0:32:28for their feeding areas out at sea.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30It's all very well protecting seabirds on land,
0:32:30 > 0:32:33but if you don't protect the areas at sea
0:32:33 > 0:32:34where they need to feed,
0:32:34 > 0:32:36you're simply giving them a safe place to starve.
0:32:36 > 0:32:41But despite the concerns of groups like the RSPB,
0:32:41 > 0:32:45both governments insist that British seabirds ARE important to them
0:32:45 > 0:32:47and that they are well protected.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55It's really inspiring to see these colonies of seabirds
0:32:55 > 0:32:59so close up, and it's tragic to think that climate change could be
0:32:59 > 0:33:03turning the waters around Britain into a more hostile environment.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08The odds seem stacked against our seabirds, and although views differ
0:33:08 > 0:33:12on the best ways of protecting them, one thing is certain -
0:33:12 > 0:33:15we can little afford more environmental disasters
0:33:15 > 0:33:17like the ones we saw this spring.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28There are many different breeds on Adam's Cotswolds farm,
0:33:28 > 0:33:32and at last they are all benefiting from some much-needed sunshine.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35As a farmer, Adam rarely has a dull day.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37Today, a newcomer is causing a bit of a stir,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39and Eric the bull is partly to blame.
0:33:52 > 0:33:57My dad introduced Highland cattle to the farm around 30-odd years ago,
0:33:57 > 0:34:00because he really loved this hardy Scottish breed.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02And he's always drummed it into me
0:34:02 > 0:34:05that good-quality breeding stock is essential.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07So selecting the right cows to keep and breed from,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10and having the right males.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12It was a couple of years ago I went out and bought Eric here.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14He's absolutely magnificent.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23I went to the Oban Highland cattle sale in Scotland.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26If you're after a quality Highland bull, this is the place to be.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28There was plenty on offer
0:34:28 > 0:34:31but there was one in particular that I took a liking to.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34- Now, as soon as I walked in, he caught my eye.- He caught your eye?
0:34:35 > 0:34:39But with a full auction house and a budget of £1,500,
0:34:39 > 0:34:41it was a nervous moment. I really wanted Eric.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46'I was soon bidding well over my budget.'
0:34:49 > 0:34:51Adam Henson, 2,400.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57He's mine. A little bit more than I'd hoped to spend.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59But I reckon he's the best bull here.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05I paid about £1,000 more than I had in my budget for this bull.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08I've only got five cows, so you can do the economics.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10It doesn't really stack up.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13But he's a really lovely fellow, and he's more than just a stock bull.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15Although he has got some great calves -
0:35:15 > 0:35:16we had two heifer calves
0:35:16 > 0:35:20and two bull calves born last year that have turned out really nicely.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23He's turned into a bit of a national treasure -
0:35:23 > 0:35:27lots of people know about Eric now. And he's got a wonderful temperament.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29It's so lovely to be able to walk up to a bull like this
0:35:29 > 0:35:31and give him a scratch in the middle of a field,
0:35:31 > 0:35:33and hopefully he'll pass on that temperament
0:35:33 > 0:35:36to the youngsters that are coming into the herd,
0:35:36 > 0:35:38the animals that I'll be breeding from in the future.
0:35:38 > 0:35:43And I just absolutely adore him. He's superb, aren't you, old fella?
0:35:50 > 0:35:55But even an old favourite like Eric can throw me a curve ball at times.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58I got the biggest surprise I've had in a long time
0:35:58 > 0:35:59when I saw his new calf.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02Eric may be a redhead, but his son was pure silver.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13When it comes to animal breeding, you sometimes get some strange results,
0:36:13 > 0:36:17and there's a little calf over there that I'm not getting too close to
0:36:17 > 0:36:21cos his mum is quite protective, that's come out this silver colour
0:36:21 > 0:36:23which is very unusual. And he's a cracking calf.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26He's a little bit bigger than his half-brothers and sisters,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29even though he's younger, and he may be following after his father, Eric,
0:36:29 > 0:36:34with that great stature. So he might grow into a good bull one day.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37And I've got to name him now. This is where you come in.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41Last year, you helped me name Eric's first crop of calves.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44We had to use the letter M. We use a different letter for every year.
0:36:44 > 0:36:49So all the calves born in 2012 in the Highlands began with M.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52We came up with McGee, Maisie and Mavourna.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Now I'd like to name this little steely grey calf.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58So it has to begin with N - the next letter in the alphabet.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01And it could have maybe something to do with Scotland,
0:37:01 > 0:37:03it has to be a boy's name.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07So, if you've got any ideas, send them to us by e-mailing -
0:37:14 > 0:37:17I've never seen a silver Highland, and neither has my dad.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20So I've invited Robin Chilton to the farm.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22'He's from the Highland Cattle Society
0:37:22 > 0:37:24'and knows a lot about the breed.'
0:37:24 > 0:37:27I'm hoping he might have some answers.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Robin, we met at the Oban sales when I bought Eric.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31In fact, you encouraged me a little bit.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34No, I tried to stop you spending so much money!
0:37:35 > 0:37:39- What do you think to him now?- He's turned out a very nice bull, yes.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42He certainly adjusted to being down here. He's thriving down here.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45He's making a bit of fuss about that Gloucester bull.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Yes, he's showing off a bit over there.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50He standing about six inches taller than normal!
0:37:50 > 0:37:53I know, they puff themselves up and really show their masculinity.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01It's the silvery colour. Have you ever seen anything like that before?
0:38:01 > 0:38:03I have, yes. There's a few of them about.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06They start off silvery
0:38:06 > 0:38:09and people immediately think they've got a silver calf.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12But they tend to go a dark colour, almost a dunny colour.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16And his mother is this sort of chocolaty colour.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18She's a sort of dun-coloured cow.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20Surrounded!
0:38:22 > 0:38:25So how can you tell what colour he'll turn out like, then?
0:38:25 > 0:38:28Well, if we look around the nose, and here,
0:38:28 > 0:38:32this little gentleman is still quite light around the nose.
0:38:32 > 0:38:37So he's got every chance of staying a lighter-coloured dun.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41Let's have a look at the tail head. The tip of the tail.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Now, that tail there is a little bit darker.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47- You can see it against my hand there.- Yes.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49LOUD MOOING
0:38:49 > 0:38:51He's going to go a shade darker.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Do you think that's sought-after in the breed? It's quite unusual -
0:38:54 > 0:38:56they're usually this red colour, aren't they?
0:38:56 > 0:39:00I quite like duns, because of the beefiness
0:39:00 > 0:39:03and their natural fleshing. Some people don't like them.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07It's more...
0:39:07 > 0:39:10It's unusual, and they stay away from it a little bit.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13I think when you are eating something,
0:39:13 > 0:39:15you don't worry about the colour of it!
0:39:18 > 0:39:21'While Robin is here I'd like some advice about McGee,
0:39:21 > 0:39:23'one of Eric's calves from last year.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26'I'm hoping he'll make a good stock bull like Eric one day.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29'He's recently been halter-trained so he should behave
0:39:29 > 0:39:31'while Robin takes a closer look.'
0:39:31 > 0:39:36- Right. We'll hold him up there. - Whoa, whoa, fella.- Steady, steady.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41Yeah, he's walking a bit tight and his feet are well underneath him.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46And here, he's a bit weak behind the shoulder.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50- If I press my hand in like that. - It ought to be very meaty and full.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53We should be doing that, and it's there.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56There's nothing behind the shoulder there.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58He's a little bit better on the plates.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00He's got a good spring of rib.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04He's got a lot of daylight here, considering he's been in and fed.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08- Not a lot of second thigh.- Not enough meat around the back end?
0:40:08 > 0:40:09Exactly.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14- And I personally wouldn't keep him...- OK.- ..as a bull. Sorry.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17No, no, I don't mind at all. I respect your honesty.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19I think it is really important if you're going to breed bulls
0:40:19 > 0:40:22- to sell on to other breeders, they have got to be up to scratch.- Yes.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25And if he hasn't got what it takes, there are a lot of other good
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Highland bulls out there that will do a better job.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31- All we're going to do is multiply the problems in him.- Exactly.
0:40:31 > 0:40:36And that little dun or silvery bull that we looked at, he has potential?
0:40:36 > 0:40:40Yes. He has a bit of potential, but as I said to you,
0:40:40 > 0:40:42it's like...
0:40:42 > 0:40:46picking your wife when she's in nursery. Give it more time!
0:40:46 > 0:40:48THEY LAUGH
0:40:48 > 0:40:50- Oh, steady. Bye-bye!- He's off!
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Next week, I'm shopping for some Hereford cattle
0:40:56 > 0:40:58which is the start of a new venture.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10Just a stone's throw from the River Thames, Burnham Beeches,
0:41:10 > 0:41:15a woodland bought by the City of London in 1880 as a green lung -
0:41:15 > 0:41:18a place for city folk to escape the grime and smoke.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27This is a pretty ideal day for me - blue skies, sunshine,
0:41:27 > 0:41:31wandering through a forest, surrounded by beautiful trees.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34Some of these are more than 450 years old.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37But it's not easy keeping these old girls alive, you know.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44For hundreds of years, a combination of livestock grazing
0:41:44 > 0:41:48and pollarding was used to keep them under control and safe.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51Pollarding is basically coppicing or pruning,
0:41:51 > 0:41:53but it's done at a high level to promote tree growth.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56And it's done up there, because if it was done at a low level,
0:41:56 > 0:42:00the animals would have easy access to all the lovely shoots.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06If that's not done, the trees can get top-heavy and topple over,
0:42:06 > 0:42:10just like this one. 100 years of neglect here has taken its toll.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14But 20 years ago they brought back the cattle
0:42:14 > 0:42:18and resumed pollarding to help save the trees for future generations.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21I'm meeting head ranger, Martin Hartup.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24And I'm going to meet him by the "invisible fence".
0:42:24 > 0:42:29- "Which invisible fence?" I hear you say! THAT invisible fence. Hear it? - QUIET BUZZING
0:42:29 > 0:42:33- Hello, Martin.- Hi, Julia.- So what is all this jiggery-pokery, then?
0:42:33 > 0:42:37Well, what you carried over that invisible fence there was a collar,
0:42:37 > 0:42:41and this collar is worn by our cows when they are grazing this area.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43The fence itself is a cable that's buried under the ground,
0:42:43 > 0:42:45only about four inches or so,
0:42:45 > 0:42:48and it emits a radio signal which is picked up by the collar.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51When the cows get close to that buried cable,
0:42:51 > 0:42:54they hear that noise which we heard as you walked over it.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56That tells them they're getting close to it.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59They know that if they get any closer,
0:42:59 > 0:43:01if they take another step, they'll get an electric shock.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03You can see where we've used it in trial areas,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06they have grazed it within about two metres of the line,
0:43:06 > 0:43:07without any problems at all.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11- The advantage, of course, is no fences for us to see.- No fences.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15Nobody knows it's there. It won't stop anybody walking anywhere.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18You can't touch, like you would a normal electric fence,
0:43:18 > 0:43:20and get a shock off it. It doesn't work like that at all.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22Shall we go and meet the ladies?
0:43:22 > 0:43:23Yes, they are this way, about 150 yards.
0:43:23 > 0:43:27A team of volunteers are busy clearing the undergrowth
0:43:27 > 0:43:31in a new area, ready for the main ground force team -
0:43:31 > 0:43:33British White cows, Greta and Verity.
0:43:36 > 0:43:41- Come on, girls.- Come on, on you go. Good girl. That's it, on you go.
0:43:41 > 0:43:42There you go, good girl.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47A momentous moment for you, Martin.
0:43:47 > 0:43:51Yes, the first time they've come in the summer for many years.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54They're enjoying themselves, aren't they, Martin? Have a look at this.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57Is that Verity or Greta who's messing around with the branch?
0:43:57 > 0:43:59That is Greta.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01This has been going on for centuries,
0:44:01 > 0:44:03this combination of grazing and pollarding.
0:44:03 > 0:44:07It's a very traditional way of managing pretty infertile soils.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11You can get a crop off trees by pollarding,
0:44:11 > 0:44:14and you can graze your animals underneath as well.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16And pollarding beech trees has an unusual effect,
0:44:16 > 0:44:19making them live a lot longer than they would naturally.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21How long would they live for naturally?
0:44:21 > 0:44:24- 200 to 250 years.- And by pollarding them?- About 500, 450.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26- You're more than doubling their lifespan?- Yes.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30It's not just the cows that need managing.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33Some of the other creatures here do, too.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36Apparently there are giant ants in this wood.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38I'll believe THAT when I see it.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46These are Formica rufa - wood ants to you and me -
0:44:46 > 0:44:49and they're three times the size of normal garden ants.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52They can be found at half a dozen locations in the UK,
0:44:52 > 0:44:54but here they're in huge numbers.
0:44:54 > 0:44:58Conservationist Dr Helen Reid has been keeping an eye on them
0:44:58 > 0:45:00for more than 20 years.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04OK, so we've got a big nest here at the base of this dead tree
0:45:04 > 0:45:09and they're building their nests like this where there's bits of dead wood,
0:45:09 > 0:45:11so they're building the nest over the dead wood
0:45:11 > 0:45:14- and on the edge of a clearing. - Just thousands and thousands...
0:45:14 > 0:45:16How many ants do you think are here, Helen?
0:45:16 > 0:45:18Well, it's been estimated
0:45:18 > 0:45:20that the biggest nests might have a million ants in them,
0:45:20 > 0:45:22but I think most of them are rather less than that,
0:45:22 > 0:45:25probably up to half a million is more realistic.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27Look, they're everywhere! They are just... You look down
0:45:27 > 0:45:31and there isn't an inch of the ground that isn't moving.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35- It's incredible, isn't it?- Very efficient workers, aren't they?- Yes.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38They're spending a lot of time going up the trees,
0:45:38 > 0:45:40a lot of time on the ground. So early in the year,
0:45:40 > 0:45:44they're picking up nesting material to bring back to bolster the nests.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46Then they start feeding on aphids
0:45:46 > 0:45:48and honeydew from the aphids up in the trees.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52They're taking a sugar solution, and one nest like this might
0:45:52 > 0:45:56bring back 46kg of sugar in a season from the aphids.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59Now, they have this incredible defence mechanism
0:45:59 > 0:46:01which I've heard a bit about.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04There's some sort of acid that they spit out.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06That's right. What they do is they actually bite
0:46:06 > 0:46:10- and then they squirt acid from the abdomen.- Nice!
0:46:10 > 0:46:12Each ant may only spray a tiny amount of acid,
0:46:12 > 0:46:16but together they put up a formidable defence.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19That acid spraying led to a discovery 350 years ago.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22Scientist John Ray boiled up Formica rufa ants
0:46:22 > 0:46:25to produce what became known as formic acid.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29It's still produced, not from ants, but by chemical means,
0:46:29 > 0:46:33and is used as an antibacterial agent in animal food.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36We're going to try and experiment. To show the effects of the acid,
0:46:36 > 0:46:40'we're using Spanish garden bluebells, like litmus paper.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42'The acid should turn them pink.'
0:46:42 > 0:46:44It's just starting to go on the tips,
0:46:44 > 0:46:46you can see on the tips of the petals.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49- Yes, they're getting angry. - Little pink bits, little pink spots.
0:46:53 > 0:46:54Right.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58And I don't know whether you can see, but it's gone quite pinky up there.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01- Yes, it's pink at the end! - In comparison to that one.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04The ants are such top predators, they're eating other insects
0:47:04 > 0:47:06and even depriving birds of food.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11The rangers are well aware they could one day overrun the woodland.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16So, Helen, how are you going to manage them?
0:47:16 > 0:47:18The management we're doing on the trees,
0:47:18 > 0:47:20some of the things you've seen this morning,
0:47:20 > 0:47:23is really favouring the wood ants, because they like
0:47:23 > 0:47:26little sunny clearings around the trees and they like it when we leave
0:47:26 > 0:47:27dead wood on the ground,
0:47:27 > 0:47:30so there may be things we can do in our management
0:47:30 > 0:47:32to try to encourage the ants in certain areas
0:47:32 > 0:47:34- but discourage them in other areas. - Right.
0:47:34 > 0:47:38- Look at my foot.- You're having the full Burnham Beeches ant experience.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42That's what it's like when you pick the wrong picnic spot.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44- Exactly, yes.- I'm so itchy now.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52They're all over us. That's it. Now they're all over us.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59They're efficient, they're industrious, they're hard-working -
0:47:59 > 0:48:03everything I like in humans - but I don't want to take any home.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06Here's the weather for the week ahead. Get off!
0:49:50 > 0:49:57.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08We're in the Thames Valley.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11While Julia's been eye-to-eye with giant ants,
0:50:11 > 0:50:13I've been in Henley-on-Thames
0:50:13 > 0:50:17exploring the place that's produced some of our rowing greats.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23Well, you can't come to Henley without having a race,
0:50:23 > 0:50:25so I thought I would challenge Julia to one
0:50:25 > 0:50:27with the help of some of the finest young rowers
0:50:27 > 0:50:29here at Henley Rowing Club.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32Now, as I'm making a bit of a habit of talking to multiple
0:50:32 > 0:50:35Olympic gold medallists, I thought I'd meet up with another one.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39Pete Reed. He's a double Olympic champion,
0:50:39 > 0:50:42winning gold in the coxless fours in both Beijing and London.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46He's also had a few wins here at Henley Royal Regatta.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49- Nice to see you.- Nice to see you too. You're fresh out of training.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51I'm hoping you've heard about this race that I'm going to have
0:50:51 > 0:50:55- with Julia.- Exciting times. - Will you stick around and umpire?
0:50:55 > 0:50:58- Yeah, I'd love to.- Can you give me a few tips on technique?
0:50:58 > 0:50:59Let's see what we can do.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04- I recognise these.- These are the machines that we know and love.
0:51:04 > 0:51:07- Do you want to take a seat? - The pain-maker.
0:51:07 > 0:51:12We use these almost every day, I'd say. If you strap your feet in...
0:51:12 > 0:51:14Pick up the handle.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16You need to push your legs down first,
0:51:16 > 0:51:18so keeping your back straight and arms straight,
0:51:18 > 0:51:20then your back swings through
0:51:20 > 0:51:22and your arms bend up to your chest. Perfect.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25But on the way back, your arms come straight, your body comes over
0:51:25 > 0:51:27and then you start bending your legs.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30In fact, what you re doing there is actually very good.
0:51:30 > 0:51:34'So that's the basic technique pretty much sorted.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37'Julia and I will be sculling - that's rowing with two oars -
0:51:37 > 0:51:40'in a four-man boat. But first, Pete wants me
0:51:40 > 0:51:43'to get the feel of being on the water in a single scull.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46'I'm told that this is a lot tougher than it looks.'
0:51:48 > 0:51:52- They're built for speed, they're not built for stability.- Very wobbly.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54Incredibly wobbly. There's a lot to think about.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58Remember, this is going to be harder than it will be in the quad later.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02- When you race, it'll be a much more stable than this. Ready?- Ready.
0:52:02 > 0:52:03Let's push off.
0:52:03 > 0:52:07- OK, both oars on the water.- Hang on, hang on! So left over right?
0:52:07 > 0:52:09- Left over right. Both oars on the water.- Yeah.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12- How does that feel at the moment? - It feels all right.
0:52:12 > 0:52:13I can't look anywhere else.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16Lift your hands up so the oars are on the water,
0:52:16 > 0:52:18and maybe with one hand, your right hand now...
0:52:21 > 0:52:25- Something happened. I don't know what.- That's OK.- Was that a stroke?
0:52:25 > 0:52:26No. That wasn't a stroke.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31- So, flat on the right... - 'It's taking me a while,
0:52:31 > 0:52:33'but I'm slowly getting the hang of it.'
0:52:33 > 0:52:37Good. This is a crash course.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40It took me probably two years to learn how to do this properly,
0:52:40 > 0:52:46- and we've done it in about ten minutes.- Right. OK!
0:52:46 > 0:52:47At least that's something.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51Henley Rowing Club is a centre of excellence
0:52:51 > 0:52:52for Britain's young rowers.
0:52:52 > 0:52:55I'm going to be joining one of their top boys' teams
0:52:55 > 0:52:58and Julia will be with one of their best girls' teams.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01Now all we need is my partner in crime.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04- Here she comes.- Hello, Baker boy. - Better late than never.
0:53:04 > 0:53:05You did know about this race?
0:53:05 > 0:53:09- Yeah, yeah, yeah.- Really, honestly, Julia, I've been out there.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11- It's tricky. It's not as easy as you think.- Yeah, OK.
0:53:11 > 0:53:15It's going to be fine. When it comes to boating and our track record,
0:53:15 > 0:53:18- I think I've beaten you every time. - OK!- I'm feeling relaxed.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21- Well, listen, all I'll say is good luck!- Thank you.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24- You're going to need it. - She's not even dressed for the part.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29What Matt doesn't know is that I've got a cunning plan.
0:53:29 > 0:53:34- Girls, hello, hello!- Hello! - How are we?- Good!
0:53:34 > 0:53:38Now, I've been reliably informed that I've got a winning team here.
0:53:38 > 0:53:43- You have.- Is that right? - Yes!- Latest win?
0:53:43 > 0:53:46- Henley Royal.- Henley Royal! That's pretty good.
0:53:46 > 0:53:51So the tactic is, I can't basically get in the way. I can't row.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54I've never rowed in a boat like this before,
0:53:54 > 0:53:57so where's the safest place for me to sit out of the way
0:53:57 > 0:53:58- and you do all the work?- Coxing.
0:53:58 > 0:54:02- Do I need to keep time or anything? - No, just shout at us.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04I was made for this! Brilliant!
0:54:04 > 0:54:06I understand you had a win.
0:54:06 > 0:54:10Yeah, we had a national win that made us
0:54:10 > 0:54:15- the fastest crew for our age group in the UK in the cox squad.- Wow.
0:54:15 > 0:54:19- So this is a good boat for me to be in, then?- Yeah!- Super.
0:54:19 > 0:54:21Well, I'm going to jump in at the back.
0:54:21 > 0:54:22You're going to set the pace
0:54:22 > 0:54:24- and I'm going to try and follow it. - Of course.
0:54:24 > 0:54:29Hang on a sec. Just need to get my tea. There we go. Right.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31All set.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38- 'I might have guessed. She's not rowing.- Never said I would!
0:54:38 > 0:54:41'It's a head-to-head race over 250 metres downstream.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44'Henley Rowing Club marks the finish line. Pete Reed will umpire.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46'I'll sit there with my tea.'
0:54:46 > 0:54:50- Are you ready, boys?- Yes!
0:54:50 > 0:54:53Attention! Go!
0:54:53 > 0:54:58Go, go, go! Jenny, Alice, Pippa, Molly!
0:55:00 > 0:55:03That's it. Good start. Good strokes.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06I can't keep up with this! I'm out of time already!
0:55:06 > 0:55:09- Keep it going!- The girls look strong. Oh, my goodness.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11They're leaving the boys behind a little bit.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15- Don't spill my tea!- Oh, my goodness me. It's impossible to keep up!
0:55:15 > 0:55:22- That's it!- I can't actually work out when to put my blades in.- Go, girls!
0:55:22 > 0:55:27- Good strokes, good strokes!- 'Yes! I think I'm actually rowing in time.'
0:55:27 > 0:55:30The boys are coming back. Oh, my goodness. Go on, Matt!
0:55:30 > 0:55:34- Alice!- It's going to be hard, but he's doing a great job.
0:55:34 > 0:55:40- Well done, girls.- Push hard! - Go on, Matt!- Feel it! Keep going!
0:55:42 > 0:55:43'And just when I thought I'd got it...'
0:55:43 > 0:55:46- We're doing well! We're in the lead, keep going!- Stopped rowing.
0:55:46 > 0:55:48Goodness me!
0:55:48 > 0:55:50It's a lot harder than it looks, I promise.
0:55:50 > 0:55:54We make it look easy on TV, and the girls are making it look easy here.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58It's a clean race. It's easy for the umpire.
0:55:58 > 0:55:59Just coming up to the finish line.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07And wind down. Well done, girls!
0:56:09 > 0:56:12Wind down, Matt, wind down, boys.
0:56:12 > 0:56:16- That is absolutely unbelievable. - Didn't even feel that!
0:56:16 > 0:56:21- Half the time it was forwards and backwards.- It looked great.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23Well done. Well done to one and all.
0:56:23 > 0:56:27Pete, I think I need to give you the Great Britain T-shirt back.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29OK, I'll have that back.
0:56:35 > 0:56:39Oh, Baker boy, commiserations. That was hard work, wasn't it?
0:56:39 > 0:56:41- How are your arms? - My arms are all right. Rock solid.
0:56:41 > 0:56:45- But have you finished your tea, more to the point?- I didn't spill a drop.
0:56:45 > 0:56:46That's it from the Thames Valley.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48We've definitely seen it at its very best.
0:56:48 > 0:56:49Next week we're on the Humber,
0:56:49 > 0:56:52and I'm going to be going on operations with the MoD.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54There'll be another case of the girls beating the boys,
0:56:54 > 0:56:57but this time in the race to being our future farmers.
0:56:57 > 0:56:58Hope you can join us then.
0:57:13 > 0:57:15Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd