0:00:29 > 0:00:34Take one vast and endless landscape and a boundless canopy of sky,
0:00:34 > 0:00:38sprinkle with farms, small towns, green fields.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41The result - Lincolnshire.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Its very flatness made it important during wartime.
0:00:44 > 0:00:49Hundreds of airbases dotted this landscape and this runway
0:00:49 > 0:00:52once thundered to the sound of the most famous squadron of all.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59The winds that carried those wartime planes aloft also provided
0:00:59 > 0:01:02the power for a Lincolnshire's most celebrated buildings.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Windmills grinding the flour
0:01:05 > 0:01:08that made Lincolnshire the bread-basket of England.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12But what happens when these old beauties stop working?
0:01:12 > 0:01:14That's what I'll be finding out.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16John's here to launch this year's
0:01:16 > 0:01:21Countryfile photographic competition with its theme, animal magic.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23And he'll be joined by two brand-new judges.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27But can they capture some magic of their own?
0:01:27 > 0:01:33- Can you see anything in the birch trees?- A little bit, yes.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36The slight issue today is the heat.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38At that distance,
0:01:38 > 0:01:42there's a great sort of shimmering heat haze coming off.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44It starts to become like a mirage.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46And Adam is on the hunt for a new White Park bull.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51It's good to see a bull walking. See his action.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55See the way his legs move, make sure he is not too narrow.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11The flat white expanses of eastern England,
0:02:11 > 0:02:16where acre upon acre spreads out beneath an endless sky.
0:02:16 > 0:02:21This can only be Lincolnshire.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23It's a big county.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27The bit Ellie and I are exploring centres on Woodhall Spa.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34And I've got a date with a very special lady.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36This is Just Jane.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40She's one of just a few Lancasters still in existence.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Now, she's no longer certified to fly
0:02:42 > 0:02:45but that doesn't stop her coming out for the occasional taxi.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48I have to say, to be sat up here, perched in the navigator's
0:02:48 > 0:02:53position, you get a sense of the most terrifying excitement.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Lincolnshire and Lancasters are inextricably linked.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01The flat landscape of this county made it the perfect place to
0:03:01 > 0:03:05build airfields. Bases like this one at East Kirkby
0:03:05 > 0:03:07and nearby Woodhall Spa
0:03:07 > 0:03:10were just two that sprung up all over during World War II.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15And the Lancasters were the planes that made up the most
0:03:15 > 0:03:20elite squadron of them all, 617, the Dambusters.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27There can be few who have not heard that tale of bravery and ingenuity.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Of Barnes Wallis' bouncing bomb,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34of the destruction of the dams so vital to Germany's war effort.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Wing Commander John Bell flew on subsequent Dambuster missions.
0:03:40 > 0:03:46Now 91, John is one of the last of the squadron alive today.
0:03:46 > 0:03:47And all the more incredible
0:03:47 > 0:03:51since his job was the most dangerous of all of the Lancaster's crew.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54My position was in the front of the aeroplane.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58I was a bomb aimer and the whole of the front of the aeroplane
0:03:58 > 0:04:02that you see there was my office, including the turret, which
0:04:02 > 0:04:05was immediately above the bomb aimer's position,
0:04:05 > 0:04:06where I could stand up.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08- Now, you are obviously a big lad. - Yes.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12So it was a struggle to get in in the first place, I would imagine.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15I was curled up in there until the time came to use the bomb sight,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18when I got on my knees and looked through the bomb sight
0:04:18 > 0:04:19and through the front panel.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22And that is using that little window at the bottom that we can see?
0:04:22 > 0:04:26That's right. You just have to ignore the flak, which was the dangerous
0:04:26 > 0:04:31part of flying through. You can't just avoid anti-aircraft shells.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35He had to fly through and hope you'll not get hit.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38As far as D-Day is concerned, you were involved in a very
0:04:38 > 0:04:41- important kind of decoy mission, weren't you?- Yes, yes.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45That night, the night of 5th June 1944,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48we were involved in this precise navigation exercise,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50flying backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52nearer and nearer to the French coast
0:04:52 > 0:04:56dropping this "window" that produced a cloud
0:04:56 > 0:05:00of aluminium strip, which blanketed out their screens so...
0:05:00 > 0:05:04The hope was that they would think that something was happening
0:05:04 > 0:05:07behind it, perhaps the invasion fleet was coming behind this cloud.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11It just gave them something else to think about.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16- What is it like for you to come back to Bomber County?- It's great.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Especially with the Lancaster standing here
0:05:18 > 0:05:22and hearing the engines, it brings it all back.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25And when the one from the Battle of Britain Memorial flies over,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29you can hear it coming, and your heart goes, you know what it is.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33- Yeah.- And everybody says the same, it's that Lancaster feeling,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37- and when you are a Lancaster man, that's a lot.- Yeah.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44This is Woodhall Spa. It's where John flew his missions from.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48'Today, it's overgrown. Nature is returning.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51'The scars of war are fading.'
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Now, it's just skylarks you can hear overhead.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59But can you imagine what this place would have sounded like,
0:05:59 > 0:06:0170 summers ago?
0:06:02 > 0:06:07RUMBLE OF AIRCRAFT FLYING OVERHEAD
0:06:12 > 0:06:16BIG BAND MUSIC PLAYS
0:06:16 > 0:06:20'To get an idea of what Woodhall Spa was like in its wartime heyday,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22'John is taking me to the pub
0:06:22 > 0:06:25'that was central to life on the base here -
0:06:25 > 0:06:27'the legendary Blue Bell Inn.'
0:06:27 > 0:06:28You'll see on the ceiling,
0:06:28 > 0:06:35a lot of signatures of men who came in here in the 1940s and afterwards
0:06:35 > 0:06:39- and left their signatures. - Wow!- I left mine up here.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44The proprietor, Sean Taylor,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47is also an expert on the area's aviation history.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50They had three runways -
0:06:50 > 0:06:53a main runway, 6,000 feet long,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56and two auxiliary runways, 4,000 feet long.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59And it's designed so that aircraft
0:06:59 > 0:07:02basically take off and land into wind.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05So, you've got six choices if you had a change of wind direction.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08So, you were never more than 30 degrees out of a headwind.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Now, what is fascinating, when you look down with this
0:07:11 > 0:07:13bird's eye view, are these little patches on here.
0:07:13 > 0:07:14Just shed some light on this.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Every single one of these circles is a parking bay for the Lancaster,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20they are called dispersal pans.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23And they are built far enough apart from each other that,
0:07:23 > 0:07:26should one aircraft on one of these suffer a direct hit
0:07:26 > 0:07:29from a German bomb, or there is an accident and a bomb
0:07:29 > 0:07:34falls off and detonates, the blast should not reach the adjacent pans.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37I seem to remember, we were quite a long way
0:07:37 > 0:07:41from around the airfield, I think we were in one of these pans here.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44- The pub, then, that's about where... - Round about where you are, Matt.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46That's where the pub is.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49So, a drinking hole, always very close to an RAF station.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52In comparison, back in the day, what was the landlord like in here?
0:07:52 > 0:07:54I can't remember the landlord.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56They always served beer very, very quickly,
0:07:56 > 0:08:00because there was usually a throng of people, thirsty airmen,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03then the landlord would say, "Sorry, chaps, just run out of beer."
0:08:03 > 0:08:07- It would be sacrilegious of us to run out of beer nowadays.- Oh, yes.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08Although I would say, John,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11probably one of the most common questions that is asked
0:08:11 > 0:08:14when they come to the bar is, do you serve beer at wartime prices?
0:08:14 > 0:08:16THEY LAUGH
0:08:19 > 0:08:21'It may look somewhat forlorn now,
0:08:21 > 0:08:25'but Woodhall Spa is very far from being forgotten.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28'It may have had its heyday in the war,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31'but its story began way before that.'
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Now there is a new mission to breathe new life into this
0:08:34 > 0:08:39old base, and this former runway will be transformed.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41I'll be finding out how later.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51If Kent is the Garden of England, then Lincolnshire is its farm.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58But farming on this scale has a downside.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02The intensification of agriculture has corresponded with
0:09:02 > 0:09:04a decline in our wild flowers.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07In Lincolnshire, that has meant the loss of one species of wild
0:09:07 > 0:09:11flowering plant every two years since 1900.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14I'm looking for a man.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Careful where you tread here.
0:09:17 > 0:09:18But not just any man.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23The one I'm looking for is a few inches tall and a pale yellow.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28'Mark Schofield from Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust is helping me
0:09:28 > 0:09:30'track down this strange fellow.'
0:09:30 > 0:09:31And there's one, just here.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Here it is, the Man Orchid.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36And the reason why it's called Man Orchid is,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39you might see little man-like shapes, with a hood for a head.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42I like it! It's really clear, actually.
0:09:42 > 0:09:43And it's an endangered species,
0:09:43 > 0:09:48that means that it is declining in numbers and in its range as well.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52And we are actually here at just one of a handful of sites
0:09:52 > 0:09:56- that are at its northernmost range in the world.- Really?
0:09:56 > 0:09:59So, seeing one of these at all is incredibly special.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03- You should feel very privileged. - I do!- These are special spots.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05It's quite incredible that such a rare
0:10:05 > 0:10:09and delicate plant would set up home right next to a busy road.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12But verges like these are some of Lincolnshire's last surviving
0:10:12 > 0:10:16ancient grasslands, the best habitat for wild flowers.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Just here, you'll see just coming into flower,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23- is a lovely flower called Lady's Bedstraw.- Lady's Bedstraw?
0:10:23 > 0:10:25That should be on your list.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29And here is an edible plant, it's Salad Burnet,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31as the name suggests, it is quite edible,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34but if you crush those leaves and rub them between your hands,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37- that should smell like freshly sliced cucumber.- Absolutely does.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- Excellent.- It deserves a Pimm's, that one. That's fabulous.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42And just in here, we can see the leaves
0:10:42 > 0:10:45and the emerging flowers of Common Bird's Foot Trefoil,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48also called Lady's Fingers, because perhaps they look like
0:10:48 > 0:10:51nail varnished fingers, just while they're still in bud.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Haven't they got the most fantastic names, British wild flowers?
0:10:54 > 0:10:56They have.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00'These verges link together to form corridors for wild flora and fauna.
0:11:00 > 0:11:05'But Mark has got plans to add bigger spaces to this network.'
0:11:05 > 0:11:09Effectively, a lot of village greens or churchyards could be
0:11:09 > 0:11:11plugged into these biodiversity superhighways,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14supplied with the wild flowers we see here and everything that
0:11:14 > 0:11:17comes with them, including more butterflies and birdsong, too.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21'To do that, wild flower seeds are harvested
0:11:21 > 0:11:24'and either grown as seedlings for planting in chosen sites,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27'or sown directly where they will grow.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29'That is something I have been doing in my orchard.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32'So far, without much success!'
0:11:34 > 0:11:35So, what might I be doing wrong?
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Well, you might be trying to plant the wrong
0:11:38 > 0:11:40flowers into the wrong places.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44So, when you see a wild flower growing in a certain location,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47try to read what its requirements might be.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50You can buy seed, but do make sure it is of local provenance.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52It would give you a better chance
0:11:52 > 0:11:54- of them surviving if they are from somewhere local?- Exactly.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57And you might be able to help yourself to the odd little pinch,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00not from nature reserves, because we want to protect those,
0:12:00 > 0:12:02but maybe from your local road verge, for example.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Following the rule of not all the seeds from any one plant
0:12:05 > 0:12:06and not seeds from every plant,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09but just literally a pinch can fill a seed tray.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13'Growing seedlings, rather than just planting seeds, gives the wild
0:12:13 > 0:12:18'flowers a head start when they're used to regenerate wild places.'
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Two years ago, this churchyard looked like this,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24very neat and tidy, but not many wild flowers growing,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28so, Mark persuaded them to mow less often, and now it looks like this.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34'This churchyard is pushing up more than just daisies.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37'Musk Mallow and Meadow Cranesbill have been planted here,
0:12:37 > 0:12:41'while other wild flowers, like Common Vetch, Hedge Woundwort
0:12:41 > 0:12:44'and Yellow Rattle, have self-seeded.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46'And while this part of the churchyard is not being mowed,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48'it still needs to be kept under control.'
0:12:51 > 0:12:54There is a cheaper and more carbon-friendly option than mowing,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57that also burns a few calories.
0:12:57 > 0:12:58Scything.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03'Traditional scything is undergoing a renaissance.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06'It's the perfect way to reduce the growth in sections
0:13:06 > 0:13:08'at different times of year,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12'which encourages the whole range of wild flowers to thrive.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15'Jonathan is going to show me how it's done.'
0:13:15 > 0:13:18This looks like hard work, Jonathan!
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Well, it does take a little bit of physical exertion, Ellie.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22But I'm sure once you get started,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24you will get into the swing of things.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26I feel like I'm just tearing the grass out.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30It's not as neat as a lawn mower would be, is it?
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Well, I'm not trying to do it like a lawn mower,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35- I'm trying to behave more like a grazing animal.- OK.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37So that I can just take the tops off.
0:13:37 > 0:13:38The flowers can regenerate themselves
0:13:38 > 0:13:41and they can continue growing throughout the season.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46'Managing green spaces like this means less fertiliser,
0:13:46 > 0:13:48'less mowing, less fuel.'
0:13:50 > 0:13:53And in this case, less means more.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56More wild flowers, more pollinating insects and more wildlife,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59and who can argue with that?
0:13:59 > 0:14:00Now, every year,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04the 12 best photos from our annual photographic competition feature in
0:14:04 > 0:14:09the Countryfile Calendar, which we sell in aid of Children in Need.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11This year, we have broken all records
0:14:11 > 0:14:15and I can reveal that phenomenal figure a little later on.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19First, here's John with details of this year's competition.
0:14:22 > 0:14:28Greenham Common in Berkshire, an extraordinary place to visit.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32For many years, it was a no-go area, a military base,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35home to an arsenal of nuclear weapons.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39It was also the site of the famous women's peace camp.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44But it's wonderful how things can turn around, and once again,
0:14:44 > 0:14:49Greenham Common has become a wilderness, a haven for life.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51So, what better place to launch this year's
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Countryfile Photographic Competition?
0:14:53 > 0:14:57The theme - we want you to get out into the countryside
0:14:57 > 0:15:00with your cameras and capture some animal magic.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05We've got two brand-new judges,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09who are no strangers to the animal world.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Comedian and bird lover Bill Bailey,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13recently seen in the jungles of Borneo.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16I am obviously being accepted
0:15:16 > 0:15:19as part-primate!
0:15:19 > 0:15:22And zoologist Charlotte Uhlenbroek,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25familiar to many through her work with primates.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Look at this one, he is just so magnificent!
0:15:29 > 0:15:33'Both may have seen animal magic in the jungle,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37but how will they get on in the wilds of Berkshire?'
0:15:37 > 0:15:40- Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you too.- Bill, you, too.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42- Welcome to the judging panel. - Thanks very much.- Thank you.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45- And what an intriguing place to be. - It is.- It's great, isn't it?
0:15:45 > 0:15:47It's fascinating.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Well, in a moment, I'm going to send you both off on a safari,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53to see what wildlife you can find here and photograph.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Bill, you are a very keen amateur photographer.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58What does animal magic mean to you?
0:15:58 > 0:16:00I guess it's capturing something
0:16:00 > 0:16:03of the character of the animal or the creature.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08I've actually brought along a few of my snaps here.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11This is a tarsier, each eye is bigger than its brain.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14THEY LAUGH
0:16:14 > 0:16:16I know people like that!
0:16:17 > 0:16:18Yes, er, this is...
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Well, this was just on the shoot, you know,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23so he's basically got his mate to film himself,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26- he pressed record and ran round the front very quickly.- Did a selfie.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30- That's it, this is the ultimate selfie.- It is, yeah!
0:16:30 > 0:16:31And Charlotte, I mean,
0:16:31 > 0:16:35I don't think you'd claim to be an expert photographer, would you?
0:16:35 > 0:16:39- But...- No, I wouldn't, I'm afraid my skills are pretty limited.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43I was asked to look through some of your previous years' calendars,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47to just show some of the pictures that I love.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52That is one which I think is just mesmerising.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53Technically, it's brilliant,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56but there is also movement and composition,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59I could have that on my wall and look at it again and again
0:16:59 > 0:17:02and again and never get bored of that picture.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Well, I don't think we are going to find anything exotic today
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- around here, but we'll hopefully find something interesting.- OK.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11- Let's see what we can find. - All right.- Best of luck, everybody.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13- Cheers.- Thanks.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19'Greenham Common is home to an array of birds, beasts and bugs.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22'It has even got its own herd of cows.
0:17:22 > 0:17:23'On a summer's day like this,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26'it's the perfect place to capture a bit of animal magic.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28'Or so you'd think.'
0:17:28 > 0:17:33So, with your scope, can you see anything in those birch trees?
0:17:33 > 0:17:38A little bit, yes. Just a slight issue today is the heat.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40At that distance, there is
0:17:40 > 0:17:44a great sort of shimmering heat haze coming off.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49- It starts to become like a mirage. It's like a desert mirage!- It is.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Oh, wait a minute, there's a hotel! There's a casino!
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Wait a minute, it's people dancing round a pool!
0:17:56 > 0:17:58No, it's not, it's just a bloke walking his dog.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02Sadly, pictures of pets are not eligible for our competition,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04nor are zoo animals.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08Any images of British wildlife in captivity must be declared as such.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13The theme of animal magic is wide open to your own interpretations.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17But entries must feature either farm or wild animals,
0:18:17 > 0:18:19preferably in a rural setting.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Whatever you decide to photograph, please do it responsibly.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Follow the Countryside Code and take care not to disturb any animals,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32especially protected ones, or damage the environment.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Of course, you have to find them first,
0:18:34 > 0:18:39and frankly, our brand-new judges are starting to struggle.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41See, what would be great is if a bird,
0:18:41 > 0:18:47let's say a Dartford warbler, was just to land obligingly on
0:18:47 > 0:18:51the top of the gorse bush and just sort of, you know, parade around.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53- That would be nice.- Yeah. - That would be great.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55- It's not much to ask, is it? - That would be ideal.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57So, with no luck up on the heath,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Bill and Charlotte are going for a change of tack -
0:19:00 > 0:19:02the nearby woodland.
0:19:02 > 0:19:03With time running out,
0:19:03 > 0:19:07we've enlisted the help of wildlife expert John Hanratty,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10but even he is having a hard time coming up with the goods.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13So, at the moment, it's not a bad idea to look in shady places
0:19:13 > 0:19:17on the far side of trees, because it's so warm.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19I mean, the one thing I would say is,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21if you're going to photograph animals, it is worth
0:19:21 > 0:19:25finding out as much as you can about their behaviour beforehand.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29It gives you at least a kind of smaller search area,
0:19:29 > 0:19:34you know, what time of day, but still, there is never any guarantees.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40This area is apparently home to a rather unusual lizard,
0:19:40 > 0:19:45the slowworm, a limbless reptile, and Bill reckons he's just seen one.
0:19:45 > 0:19:51I just lifted up this bit of metal here and was a slowworm under here.
0:19:51 > 0:19:59But he's now gone, of course. He's slithered off. But he was a beauty.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01He was probably about this big.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03And... No, it was THIS big!
0:20:03 > 0:20:04HE LAUGHS
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Massive!
0:20:07 > 0:20:10It seems like they are out of luck
0:20:10 > 0:20:11and, then...
0:20:12 > 0:20:16- Bill, Charlotte...- What have you got?- Come and have a look.- Oh!
0:20:16 > 0:20:20- Oh, wow!- I've just caught... - Oh, wow, you've got a slowworm.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26- Beautiful.- The colour is just stunning, isn't it? Like, metallic.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28This one has lost the tip of its tail,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32which is very typical for slowworms. That is why their Latin name
0:20:32 > 0:20:35is Anguis fragilis. So, this will break off and,
0:20:35 > 0:20:40for a few seconds after, will thrash around, to distract predators,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43so that the slowworm can escape and the predator gets just the tail.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Then, the tail will partially regenerate.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50- Let's see if we can get a quick snap.- This could be a challenge.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53- Oh, yeah. He's off!- Slowworms, by name, but not by nature.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57Beautiful. I have a feeling this shot is going to have your boot in it!
0:20:57 > 0:20:59There you go.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Well, it took some time, but Bill and Charlotte
0:21:04 > 0:21:07have finally managed to find some animal magic.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10And now, it's your turn. From all your photographs
0:21:10 > 0:21:14of beasts and bugs and birds, the best 12 photographs selected by
0:21:14 > 0:21:18the judges will take pride of place in the Countryfile calendar
0:21:18 > 0:21:21for 2015 - one for each month.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27As always, we will have an overall winner, voted for by you,
0:21:27 > 0:21:29our viewers. Not only will their picture
0:21:29 > 0:21:33grace the cover of our calendar, they will also get to choose
0:21:33 > 0:21:37photographic equipment to the value of £1,000.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40And the person who takes the judges' favourite photo will also
0:21:40 > 0:21:44select equipment, to the value of £500.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48There are no prizes today, though.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50- How did you get on?- To be honest,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53not that well, John! A little disappointing.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56You did get some things, didn't you? Let's see what you did get.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59We did see a slowworm.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02That is slightly cheating, because it is in John's hand.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07So, if you happen to have a trained herpetologist to hold your snake
0:22:07 > 0:22:10for you, great! When he put it down on the ground,
0:22:10 > 0:22:14it was very, very quick. I have just got its tail.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19- Its head's already disappeared. It's hard work.- Yeah, it is, isn't it?
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Did you get any slowworm pictures, Bill?
0:22:22 > 0:22:25I did, actually. I have got a few here
0:22:25 > 0:22:28- with the macro lens. - Would you like to see that
0:22:28 > 0:22:31on your wall, in a calendar, for a month?
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Well, I would!
0:22:33 > 0:22:37If you want to get your picture onto Bill's wall and onto hundreds
0:22:37 > 0:22:40of thousands of others, you'll have to enter the competition.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43To do that, write your name, address and a daytime
0:22:43 > 0:22:46and evening phone number
0:22:46 > 0:22:50on the back of each photo, with a note of where it was taken.
0:22:50 > 0:22:58Then, send your entries to...
0:23:00 > 0:23:04It is not open to professionals and, because we are looking for
0:23:04 > 0:23:06something original, your entries must not have won
0:23:06 > 0:23:11other national competitions. You can send in up to three photos.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13They must have been taken in the UK.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15And, remember, we want hard copies,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17not e-mailed or computer files.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21And, I'm sorry, but we cannot return any entries.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22The full terms and conditions
0:23:22 > 0:23:26are on our website and you will find details of the BBC's Code of Conduct
0:23:26 > 0:23:28for competitions there, as well.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35The competition closes at midnight on Friday 25th July, which means
0:23:35 > 0:23:38you have got just four weeks to send in your entries.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41So, don't waste any time. Head out into the countryside and find us
0:23:41 > 0:23:43some animal magic.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55I have been exploring Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire,
0:23:55 > 0:23:59where the famous Dambusters were based - just one of hundreds
0:23:59 > 0:24:03of airfields that once hummed with activity during World War II.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Once war was over, the base was wound up
0:24:07 > 0:24:10and has most recently been quarried,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13for sand and gravel. But long before those human activities,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16there was a different kind of life here.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20From Woodhall Station, I walked up to Tower-on-the-Moor,
0:24:20 > 0:24:24finding on my way, bell heather, heather and fruiting spikes
0:24:24 > 0:24:29of goldenrod. On the moor, I noticed quantities of the beautiful lichen,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32carpet on the ground, amongst the ling.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Devil's-bit Scabious was in flower here
0:24:34 > 0:24:40and beside the dry ditches, grew any amount of fern. Beautiful.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44A remarkable glimpse of what the airfield use to be like
0:24:44 > 0:24:47and how it is going to look again.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52This diary, written in 1890 by Edwardian naturalist
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Joseph Burtt Davy, is helping
0:24:55 > 0:24:59Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust in a new restoration project.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00It is a unique
0:25:00 > 0:25:03glimpse into the landscape of 124 years ago.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06To have all those species listed
0:25:06 > 0:25:08and the way he describes the habitats,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11to have that and say, "Right, let's grasp that.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14"Let's take that and put that back onto the site",
0:25:14 > 0:25:17which has had the airfield on it,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20it's had the quarry on it, what a fantastic opportunity.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24Already, there is a real mosaic of habitats beginning to return.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29As well as the dry heathland areas, there are wet, muddy parts
0:25:29 > 0:25:32and lakes and pools. Our first port of call
0:25:32 > 0:25:35is an old quarry pit, where, just like Ellie, earlier,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38I'm lucky to see a rare and exotic plant.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Look at that. That is absolutely beautiful, isn't it?
0:25:41 > 0:25:45It's a bee orchid and, slightly unusual here,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48in that it's more associated with alkaline soils and we think that,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51because they brought so much limestone in, for the runways,
0:25:51 > 0:25:55it's made the soil slightly different and the bee orchids really like it.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59- Now, the quarrying's stopped, there we are. Fantastic.- Yeah.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03And talking of life, as well, I mean, look at all the damselflies.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06They are just that beautiful... Aqua blue, aren't they?
0:26:07 > 0:26:10The place is buzzing with activity and traditional
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Lincoln red cattle are doing their bit to help,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15by grazing back the scrub.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19But some of the new arrivals are causing a bit of a headache.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24This is the piri piri burr,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28a massively-invasive plant that smothers everything beneath it.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31It is thought to have been brought here in the kit bags
0:26:31 > 0:26:34of New Zealand airmen, so Dave and his crack team of volunteers
0:26:34 > 0:26:37are busy ripping it out, across the site.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41To be honest, you have got 550 acres here, Dave. I mean, how widespread
0:26:41 > 0:26:44is this and is it going to work,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46if you are just picking it out with a pair of gloves?
0:26:46 > 0:26:47It is widespread.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51You can see here, the way it's invaded into the stonecrop.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54The important point is to get it now.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56As long as we can stop it seeding
0:26:56 > 0:26:58and stop the burrs spreading all over the place,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01we have got a fighting chance.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05The burrs are a not-so-welcome reminder of the past,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07but there is one part of the old airbase
0:27:07 > 0:27:09that will be taking centre stage.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14The runway, and by far the most eye-catching part of the wildlife
0:27:14 > 0:27:19restoration project, is to restore the edges that remain.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Not with concrete, but with heather.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27Once they have edged the runways with heather, the plan is to put
0:27:27 > 0:27:29a lasting memorial to the Dambusters,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32smack bang where the runways cross.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35But first, they have got to find that spot.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39We can line up the posts, get some ropes out, we can find the middle
0:27:39 > 0:27:42- of the runway.- Great. And we are doing it in a very technical way?
0:27:42 > 0:27:45Technical way - bits of rope, yes!
0:27:54 > 0:27:57- Yeah? We happy, lads?- Yeah. - Let me get this cone.
0:27:57 > 0:27:58Hang on. Put the cone in.
0:28:01 > 0:28:07'Bingo. X marks the very spot where the memorial to 617 Squadron,
0:28:07 > 0:28:09'the Dambusters, will go.'
0:28:09 > 0:28:10That's it!
0:28:10 > 0:28:14- Yes, well done.- There we are, team! Come on, lads, let's salute.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16We need to do something.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26Livestock farmers know that, to keep a breed strong,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28you need to bring in new blood.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33That is especially true for Adam's rare-breed cattle.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38These are the little White Parks. We have got two here that are
0:28:38 > 0:28:41about a fortnight old and one, over there,
0:28:41 > 0:28:45that is only a few days old. We have had White Parks on the farm
0:28:45 > 0:28:48for over 40 years. At one time, they were "critically rare",
0:28:48 > 0:28:52with the Rare Breed Survival Trust. They are now known as "endangered",
0:28:52 > 0:28:55which means there is between 750-1,000 cows in the country.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Lovely-looking animals.
0:28:57 > 0:29:05My White Parks are thriving, but all the bulls in the herd are now
0:29:05 > 0:29:09related to these young cows, so I've got to introduce another bloodline
0:29:09 > 0:29:10and expand the gene pool.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16My plan is to buy another bull at auction. Whilst I'm there,
0:29:16 > 0:29:18I'm hoping to sell this lovely young bull, Merritt.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24When he was born on the farm, he would have been one of about
0:29:24 > 0:29:2812 White Park calves - half of them female, that we have retained
0:29:28 > 0:29:31and kept in the herd, to breed, in the future.
0:29:31 > 0:29:32And, then, half of them male.
0:29:32 > 0:29:37And the other male calves would have been castrated and go for beef
0:29:37 > 0:29:39and we keep the very best ones, to sell as bulls.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43And he would have been one of the ones that stood out as a calf.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46He has grown on well now and he will, hopefully, go to
0:29:46 > 0:29:49another pedigree herd and go for breeding
0:29:49 > 0:29:51and make reasonable money.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55especially if I get you looking all smart, eh?
0:29:58 > 0:29:591,000, I'll say.
0:29:59 > 0:30:021,000. A regular breeding cow.
0:30:02 > 0:30:041,000, I'll say.
0:30:04 > 0:30:05Keep coming.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09Take 20.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15There's a White Park sale here, but also a commercial cattle sale,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17and all the animals will have a pen number,
0:30:17 > 0:30:20so I've just got to take him down the alleyway now and find its pen.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23Here's a steady fella.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28White Park auctions are few and far between.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32But this one's on the doorstep in Worcester, too good to miss.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35Steady. Steady. Steady. Steady, now.
0:30:39 > 0:30:44All the cattle have a lot number in the catalogue. He's number 25.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46So just got to sticker on his backside there
0:30:46 > 0:30:49so when he's in the sale ring people know which bull it is.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54Hopefully he'll make a good price.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Any money I make will go towards a new bull,
0:30:57 > 0:30:59and there's some good ones here to choose from.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06It's good to see a bull walking, see his action.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09See the way his legs move, make sure he's not too narrow.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16With good quality bulls like these, choosing one is going to be tricky.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19We're mulling over whether this bull might do us, number 23.
0:31:19 > 0:31:20He's called Gladiator.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23Shouldn't affect him, but I like his name.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29I have a fair idea of what to look for in a White Park bull,
0:31:29 > 0:31:33but it doesn't hurt to get a second or even third opinion.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35My livestock manager Mike has a really good eye
0:31:35 > 0:31:37when it comes to cattle.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39And Lawrence Alderson from the White Park Cattle Society
0:31:39 > 0:31:42is a bloodline expert.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46Lawrence, you're expecting White Park bulls for the society
0:31:46 > 0:31:47all over the country.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50And you know all about the genetics of the breed as well.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52Yes. Which is important
0:31:52 > 0:31:55because if you're going to get better you've got to breed better,
0:31:55 > 0:31:57and selection of bulls, the herd size,
0:31:57 > 0:31:59very important part of that whole exercise.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02So you know what we've been using over recent years,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05- would any of these bulls suit us? - Yes.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09In fact, the bloodlines here will fit in with your historic breeding
0:32:09 > 0:32:11very well, all three of them.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13Well, let's have a look at the other end.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19They're nice, aren't they?
0:32:19 > 0:32:22Yeah, they look nice. All lined up, easy to compare as well.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26This has certainly got a lot more beef about it, hasn't it?
0:32:26 > 0:32:28He's a lot more rounded, isn't he?
0:32:28 > 0:32:32And this bit here, the depth and the top of the tail down to the V here,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35I mean, he's a little bit narrower possibly than
0:32:35 > 0:32:37the other one over here.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41It's quite a bit of depth here. Nice.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43If you notice, this one stands squarely,
0:32:43 > 0:32:47- his feet are in four corners.- Yes. - That's always good.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51- Goodness me. Decisions, decisions. - Be a hard one.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55Must admit, I agree with Mike and like the one on the right, number 26.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59But number 22 in the middle with the red halter is first in the ring.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01I'm tempted.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05Lot 22. The first of the bulls, ladies and gentlemen.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10At 14, I'm bid. I'm bid at 20. 14. 20. 14. 15.
0:33:10 > 0:33:1414. 18 14. 18. 1,500 bid. 20?
0:33:14 > 0:33:1715. 20. At 1,600 bid.
0:33:17 > 0:33:1916. 18, sir?
0:33:19 > 0:33:201,700 bid.
0:33:21 > 0:33:241,800 bid. At 18. 50 bid.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27You're out? Top of the left as well all done then.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29At 1,850.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31Adam Henson - 1,850.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34Yay, we got one.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38£1,850 - that's not bad for a quality animal.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42Still, I'm looking to get some of that back by selling my bull.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44Lovely breeder's bull there for you.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46Lot number 25.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50By the homebred sire. Go on. 900 bid.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52At 9.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54At 20 if you want to go on.
0:33:54 > 0:33:55At 920.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58920 bid. At 920 bid.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00The last call.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02All done at 920?
0:34:03 > 0:34:05No, we can't go with that.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08That's a bit below the belt for a good stud bull like that.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11No sale. He didn't make the reserve.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14And next up is the bull we really wanted - number 26.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16The one on the right, remember.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19The reason I bought the first bull is I reckon this one
0:34:19 > 0:34:22will go for more than I was willing to pay.
0:34:22 > 0:34:27All done at 2,400? Not today, David, nope.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Well, I thought he'd sell for a lot of money,
0:34:30 > 0:34:33but he didn't even make his reserve.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35I've got a cunning plan to buy this bull.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37See if you can follow this.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43Well, I bought a bull, but he wasn't the one I wanted.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45The one I wanted I thought was going to go for too much money
0:34:45 > 0:34:47and he was last in the ring,
0:34:47 > 0:34:50but he actually didn't make his reserve, so he didn't sell.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52- You were the underbidder?- Yes.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57- And I paid 1,850, so your previous bid was 1,800?- Yes.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59David, I have a bit of plan.
0:34:59 > 0:35:04- You didn't sell this one, how much did you want for him?- 2,500.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08How about if you drop the price a bit on him, and I give you 2,000,
0:35:08 > 0:35:13and Keith pays 1,800 for that one, then you've sold two bulls.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15I get the one I really liked and Keith gets a bull too.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17Yeah, good business.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20Thank you very much. Cheers, Keith.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23We'll put it all through your auctioneer, so it's all above board.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26Everyone's happy. There we go. Good business.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34To recap, I've just sold the bull I first bought
0:35:34 > 0:35:37and I got the one I really wanted at a knockdown price.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41Negotiating a sale after an auction is fine
0:35:41 > 0:35:44provided we put the sale through the auctioneers.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50This is our new White Park bull that we bought
0:35:50 > 0:35:52after a bit of swapping around.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55And I think he was the best bull that was in the market today.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59Really pleased with him. He's got great conformation, lovely colour.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01He's up on his feet. Smart animal.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03And he's got a beautiful temperament as well,
0:36:03 > 0:36:06which is really important to us on the farm.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09There's a good boy. In you go. Have a lovely new home.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14All in all, not a bad day's work.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23Lincolnshire is our second biggest county
0:36:23 > 0:36:26and much of the land is given over to agriculture.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32Here they grow everything from potatoes to sugar beat,
0:36:32 > 0:36:35but most all they grow cereals.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Wheat especially.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Lincolnshire really is the country's bread basket with these vast
0:36:40 > 0:36:44expanses of land where the wind can blow uninterrupted for
0:36:44 > 0:36:48miles and miles, and that makes it perfect for these -
0:36:48 > 0:36:52windmills, essential if bread's your business.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56Lincolnshire was once full of them.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00Even today, there are more windmills in this county than in any other.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04But none quite like this. This is Heckington Windmill
0:37:04 > 0:37:07and what makes it special is that is has eight sails.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10And there were only seven eight-sailed windmills ever built
0:37:10 > 0:37:14and this one is the last one standing.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16Four was the norm.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19Five sails is the optimum number.
0:37:19 > 0:37:24This windmill at Sibsey has six, not in the same showing-off league as
0:37:24 > 0:37:28Heckington, but a fully-functioning, working windmill nonetheless.
0:37:28 > 0:37:33And nothing's changed. The processes are just as they were centuries ago.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36In fact, a miller from the 16th century could walk in here
0:37:36 > 0:37:38and feel right at home.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44It was hazardous work though, cramped spaces,
0:37:44 > 0:37:48the air thick with flour dust and you needed to be pretty strong.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52Back in the old days, a sack of grain weighed about 18st.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54That's twice my weight.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58Today, they are a mere 4st.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00That's too much for me. I'm going to leave that one to you, Ian.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Over to you.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07'Then there's the simple task
0:38:07 > 0:38:09'of getting it all the way to the top of the mill.'
0:38:11 > 0:38:14Up here on the fifth floor, I can pull this rope,
0:38:14 > 0:38:18which engages a wheel and the bag comes up.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21That's it. So now... Oh, keep coming.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25That goes down, put that back up.
0:38:25 > 0:38:26Got a little platform there.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30You just pour it straight into here.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35There it goes.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39The grain then comes down here
0:38:39 > 0:38:40into this
0:38:40 > 0:38:45and then it's fed into these two millstones at just the right speed,
0:38:45 > 0:38:49the speed of which is determined by the sails outside,
0:38:49 > 0:38:51and there it's ground into flour.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55'Today there's just enough wind to drive the sails,
0:38:55 > 0:38:57'but not enough to turn the millstones.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01'But when there is, the wheat completes its journey.'
0:39:01 > 0:39:05Back down to the second floor where the flour is all bagged up.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09It's lovely being in here, isn't it, and listening the sails turn.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11It's a living building and people come up and say,
0:39:11 > 0:39:13"What did it used to do?"
0:39:13 > 0:39:16My answer is it still produces flour,
0:39:16 > 0:39:21it still works and it works exactly as it did when it was built in 1877.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23Fantastic.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27The last miller who worked this prior to its going out of action
0:39:27 > 0:39:29was a guy called Tommy Ward.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31The guy loved the mill, he lived for it.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34It's even on his gravestone.
0:39:34 > 0:39:35Do you still get a sense of him?
0:39:35 > 0:39:37When you're locked in the mill working on it,
0:39:37 > 0:39:39we've heard people come up the stairs
0:39:39 > 0:39:42when it's physically impossible for them to get in.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44We get a whiff of the old-fashioned tobacco.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49'The appeal of windmills really is timeless.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54'But just a few miles from Sibsey's six-sailed beauty,
0:39:54 > 0:39:57'time and the years have taken their toll.'
0:39:57 > 0:40:01Heckington's eight sails are rotten, so they've called in the heavy mob.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04I'm going to be helping out in just a moment,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07but first here's the Countryfile weather forecast for the week ahead.
0:41:50 > 0:41:57.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14'We're in Lincolnshire, a county famous for its windmills.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19'To harness the power of the wind, they need to have sails
0:42:19 > 0:42:22'and Heckington Windmill's famous eight sails
0:42:22 > 0:42:24'are no longer up to the job.'
0:42:26 > 0:42:28So they're taking them down.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31'Jim Bailey from the Heckington Windmill Trust
0:42:31 > 0:42:33'is overseeing the work.'
0:42:33 > 0:42:34It's a big day today, then?
0:42:34 > 0:42:37It's a huge day for us, absolutely huge day today.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40The old sails are coming down and new sails will then follow up
0:42:40 > 0:42:41hopefully within the month.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43Four years ago, our sails were condemned.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46What do you mean "condemned"? What's up with them?
0:42:46 > 0:42:47They're rotten.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49Of course, they're made of wood, they're 30 years old -
0:42:49 > 0:42:51we leave them outside, they rot.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53OK, so they could fall off, even?
0:42:53 > 0:42:56I'd hope not. Not today, no. That would be a bad thing to do today.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59This is the first time that eight sails are being replaced
0:42:59 > 0:43:01and eight new sails have been replaced
0:43:01 > 0:43:03for the last 150 years.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05- OK, well, you've got a busy few weeks ahead of you.- We have.
0:43:05 > 0:43:06OK, good luck with it.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11'The new sails are ready to go,
0:43:11 > 0:43:13'but the supporting structure will need renovating
0:43:13 > 0:43:15'before they can be put up
0:43:15 > 0:43:18'and, of course, the old sails will have to come down.'
0:43:21 > 0:43:23Oh, wow.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26I'm high above the ground, getting a bird's-eye view.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28This must have been what the millwright
0:43:28 > 0:43:31who put these sails up in the first place must have seen.
0:43:32 > 0:43:33And what a view!
0:43:35 > 0:43:38'Now I'm being joined by "that old millwright's"
0:43:38 > 0:43:40'21st century counterpart, Neil Medcalf.'
0:43:41 > 0:43:43That is quite an arrival, Neil.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46- Hiya, there. How are you doing?- Good, you?
0:43:46 > 0:43:47- Yeah, not bad.- Fantastic.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49So this is quite a momentous day, then, really?
0:43:49 > 0:43:53It is, yeah. Start of taking eight sails off, yeah.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55Is there anything I can be doing to help out?
0:43:55 > 0:43:59Yeah, if you could take the sail bolt out for us, can you, please?
0:43:59 > 0:44:01- I've got a special spanner here for you.- All right.
0:44:01 > 0:44:02There you go.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04- Don't drop that. - There you go, don't drop it.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07That is a serious nut and bolt there.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12- Now...- Pull it up to me.- That's it.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15What is it about this mill that allows it to have eight sails?
0:44:15 > 0:44:16That's unusual, isn't it?
0:44:16 > 0:44:18It is, yeah. It's a Lincolnshire thing.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20Because they've got this cast-iron cross...
0:44:20 > 0:44:22Is that just beneath us here?
0:44:22 > 0:44:24- No, the black thing that you're... - Oh, this thing?
0:44:24 > 0:44:25That's cast iron, that is.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27What I'm gripping on to for dear life,
0:44:27 > 0:44:28this is the Lincolnshire cross?
0:44:28 > 0:44:30Yeah, that's what the sails are bolted to.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33It allows you to have as many sails as you like.
0:44:33 > 0:44:37To start with it was just four sails, and then for some reason,
0:44:37 > 0:44:39somebody decided they wanted an eight-sail one.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42It was like the Ferrari of their day, I suppose.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46- So this is proper showboating? - It is, really, yeah.
0:44:46 > 0:44:47Here you go, that's yours.
0:44:47 > 0:44:49And I'll have the nut when you're finished with it.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51That's really rusty. Eurgh.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55- Lovely, and the washer. Thank you.- Very good.- OK.
0:44:55 > 0:44:56And as a millwright,
0:44:56 > 0:44:59it seems like quite a specialist job for 2014.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01Do you get much work?
0:45:01 > 0:45:03Oh, we could work seven days a week if we wanted to, really, yeah.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05There's quite a lot of mills about
0:45:05 > 0:45:07and not many millwrights doing it, that's the thing.
0:45:07 > 0:45:08So how does today's work differ
0:45:08 > 0:45:11from how they would have historically replaced the sails?
0:45:11 > 0:45:15Well, it's obviously a lot easier. We've got cherry pickers and cranes.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20Steve's stepped in now cos we're doing some serious work.
0:45:20 > 0:45:21OK.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25What will happen to all these old pieces of kit?
0:45:25 > 0:45:28- Is that going to get used again? - This all goes back on, yeah.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30- Right, well, the sail's just hanging there now.- Is it?
0:45:30 > 0:45:31Yeah, the crane's got it.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34We need to get out of the way so that it can come down?
0:45:34 > 0:45:36When you're ready, yeah. I'll move out the way as well.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39This is the moment. I'm going to duck down, just in case.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52This is the moment she gets taken away.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01'Seven sails later, the job's almost done.'
0:46:03 > 0:46:06There we go - there's the final sail making its way down now.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09It's going to look absolutely magnificent when it's finished,
0:46:09 > 0:46:11and I can tell you something else that's pretty impressive -
0:46:11 > 0:46:15I can now reveal for the first time anywhere tonight the grand total
0:46:15 > 0:46:18raised by the Countryfile calendar for Children in Need
0:46:18 > 0:46:20and that total is...
0:46:27 > 0:46:29..which deserves an enormous thank you
0:46:29 > 0:46:31to everybody who bought the calendar.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33Well, that's it from Lincolnshire this week.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36Next week, the programme will be in the Peak District
0:46:36 > 0:46:39where John will be on the set of the BBC drama The Village
0:46:39 > 0:46:42and Helen will be exploring the area's connection
0:46:42 > 0:46:43with the British Raj.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45Hope you can join us then. Bye-bye.