0:00:29 > 0:00:31Endless skies...
0:00:31 > 0:00:33vast empty beaches...
0:00:35 > 0:00:38..open moors and ancient towns.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Northumberland is famed for its dramatic beauty.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50It was also a favourite haunt of one of our best-loved artists, LS Lowry.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Better known for his urban scenes, filled with matchstick men.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57But today, I'll be taking a trip along the coastline
0:00:57 > 0:00:59that meant so much to him,
0:00:59 > 0:01:00and I'll be doing it in style.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07'Ellie discovers the best way to manage moorland...'
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Look at the length of the flame now behind us.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17'..Charlotte's finding out about an issue that's often hidden
0:01:17 > 0:01:19'behind closed doors...'
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Domestic violence can be a problem anywhere,
0:01:22 > 0:01:24but if you live in an isolated, rural area,
0:01:24 > 0:01:28finding the support you need to leave an abusive relationship
0:01:28 > 0:01:30can be tough.
0:01:30 > 0:01:31So, how do we help change that?
0:01:36 > 0:01:38- You've got the hang of that. - Yeah.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42'..and Adam's here with the second of this year's contenders for
0:01:42 > 0:01:44'Countryfile's farming hero.'
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Why do I do it? It's incredibly rewarding.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02The skies here go on for ever...
0:02:04 > 0:02:06..the beaches are a thing of wonder.
0:02:08 > 0:02:09Rocky headlands...
0:02:10 > 0:02:12..isolated islands...
0:02:12 > 0:02:14and picturesque seaside villages.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21I've loved the wild Northumberland coastline
0:02:21 > 0:02:24ever since I first came here more than 50 years ago.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27There's a saying that, "Once it gets you in its grip,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29"it never lets you go."
0:02:29 > 0:02:31And that was certainly true for one of
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Britain's favourite artists, LS Lowry.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39We don't normally associate Lowry with the sea.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43He's known for his scenes of the industrial north.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46But his love for the north-east coast shows a different side.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50I've come to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53a small town that he visited many times.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01This year marks the 40th anniversary of Lowry's death at the age of 88.
0:03:03 > 0:03:04This was his world -
0:03:04 > 0:03:07urban landscapes, factories,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10mill chimneys and smoke.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13And he had a very distinctive way of painting its people.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17People call them matchstick people.
0:03:17 > 0:03:18Maybe, I don't mind.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23If they like to call them matchstick figures, well, let them do it.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25They're probably quite right, but it doesn't concern me.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27They may be like matchsticks,
0:03:27 > 0:03:28they may be any way you like,
0:03:28 > 0:03:32but I just do them as I like to see them.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36I once met Lowry very briefly when I was a teenager and he was telling me
0:03:36 > 0:03:38and a group of other young people
0:03:38 > 0:03:40about what made him become an artist.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43He missed the train to work one day
0:03:43 > 0:03:45and he looked out over Salford and he
0:03:45 > 0:03:48saw the people scurrying around and he thought, "I must paint that."
0:03:56 > 0:03:58But Northumberland was also to have a profound effect.
0:03:58 > 0:04:03For Laurence Stephen Lowry, it was a place of escape, a place to reflect.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07'I'm meeting Simon and Veral Marshall who knew him well
0:04:07 > 0:04:12'and drove him around looking for places to paint.'
0:04:12 > 0:04:14So, how did you become friends with the great man?
0:04:14 > 0:04:19He came into the family gallery in Newcastle and, basically,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22stayed on and off for 16 years.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25What do you think attracted him to this coastline?
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Oh, I think he loved the bleakness, the wildness and the skies.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32And, I suppose, the contrast to Salford.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Well, yes, I suppose so, yes.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37I must have driven him thousands of miles, up and down the coast.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39- And you came here to Newbiggin? - Came here.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Newbiggin was a favourite
0:04:41 > 0:04:43and we spent many a happy time here.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47In fact, don't I recognise that church from one of his paintings?
0:04:47 > 0:04:51You do, indeed. He painted it, I think, on several occasions.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53It is a fantastic view.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55And, on your car journeys,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58what kind of car did you have to drive him around?
0:04:58 > 0:05:00We had a red Volvo 144.
0:05:01 > 0:05:02What, late 1960s?
0:05:02 > 0:05:06Yeah, late 1960s, fine old beast.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08I've got a little surprise for you.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09- Oh!- Come with me.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15How about this, then?
0:05:15 > 0:05:18- Wow!- What a wonderful surprise.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20Is that a dead ringer of yours?
0:05:20 > 0:05:22- Dead ringer.- It hasn't got the dent.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24What dent is that?
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Mr Lowry walked up to it and he was in a huff, anyway,
0:05:27 > 0:05:33and went, "Huh!" with his stick and we all shrieked, "Mr Lowry!"
0:05:33 > 0:05:37If it was still around today, that might add to its value.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40- Oh, definitely.- Should have got him to sign it.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42If only I'd known.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44- Shall we go for a spin then? - Yeah! Why not?
0:05:49 > 0:05:51You'll have to double-declutch, that's taking us back a bit.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54- Probably will have to.- That is going back a long time.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Maybe I should be letting you drive.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58No way, no way.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01'We're recreating one of the many sketching trips
0:06:01 > 0:06:03'they took together all those years ago.'
0:06:04 > 0:06:07I'm quite enjoying driving this old Volvo
0:06:07 > 0:06:12in what would have been your position all those years ago.
0:06:12 > 0:06:13You're in Mr Lowry's position.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16- How does it feel?- It makes me feel rather aged, in all honesty.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Yes, all I need is the trilby hat and I'm away.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28I tell you what, though, I'm missing the power steering.
0:06:28 > 0:06:29Things have changed.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33Not only in the art world, but in the motor world as well.
0:06:33 > 0:06:34Certainly have.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40With stunning views at every turn,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Lowry must have been spoiled for choice.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46But there's one place Simon brought the artist to
0:06:46 > 0:06:47again and again.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Well, everyone loves Bamburgh Castle.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Presumably Lowry was no exception.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56No exception at all, no.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59It's such an outstanding thing that
0:06:59 > 0:07:02he was incredibly fond of it.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05He sketched the castle from this very spot.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Yes, it is exactly the spot, I think.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12And what do you think he got from wandering along this coastline?
0:07:12 > 0:07:16I think he got a lot of inspiration because it is so different from
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Salford, Manchester, the stick people, cos, really,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21once he was doing the coastline...
0:07:21 > 0:07:23He stopped doing stick people, really.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25He started doing solitary figures.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27I don't think he'd be happy that,
0:07:27 > 0:07:29when you mention LS Lowry, people say,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31"Oh, matchsticks."
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Whereas, in actual fact,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36he encompassed much wider range than that.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40- But he would never be able to escape...- No, no.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42- ..being the creator of the matchstick men.- No, no.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46I think that he would have had a fit at the song.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Thank God he was dead by then.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53He would have wagged his stick and thumped something.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57# And he painted matchstalk men and matchstalk cats and dogs... #
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Later, our journey continues through more
0:08:01 > 0:08:04of the landscape that Lowry painted.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Now, we all know that accessing social services
0:08:09 > 0:08:11can be a lot harder in rural areas
0:08:11 > 0:08:13than in our towns and cities.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15And, as Charlotte's been finding out,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18that's a particular problem when it comes to issues
0:08:18 > 0:08:21that people don't like to talk about.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27The Archers. For more than six decades,
0:08:27 > 0:08:31the fictional village of Ambridge has filled our airwaves.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Last week, one particular storyline made the front pages
0:08:34 > 0:08:37and even prompted comments from Downing Street.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Over the past two and a half years,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43listeners have followed the development of this chilling plot.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46- RADIO:- 'I always knew there was something wrong with you.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48'Are you really so blind to yourself?
0:08:48 > 0:08:50'You're all over the place.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53'You just go on and on, blaming everyone but yourself!
0:08:53 > 0:08:55- 'Rob!- Don't you dare!'
0:08:55 > 0:08:56SCREAMING
0:08:59 > 0:09:03This is a story which has shocked and disturbed many listeners.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Every evening, we're witness to the slow unfolding
0:09:06 > 0:09:09of a controlling and coercive relationship
0:09:09 > 0:09:11between Helen, one of The Archers' main characters,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15and her relatively new husband Rob Titchener.
0:09:15 > 0:09:16- Run it?- Yeah, run it.- OK.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Sean O'Connor is the editor of the programme,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24while Timothy Watson is Rob and Louiza Patikis plays Helen.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Sean, why do this plot at all in The Archers?
0:09:30 > 0:09:34What we wanted to do was to find out more about Helen Archer,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37that was the beginning of the story.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40And she is one of the central figures
0:09:40 > 0:09:44in one of the central families and I wondered if you could do a story
0:09:44 > 0:09:46about a woman losing her sense of self
0:09:46 > 0:09:49and then maybe her journey to finding it again.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52One of the really noticeable things about this plot
0:09:52 > 0:09:54is that it's playing out over years...
0:09:55 > 0:09:58..which makes it much harder to listen to.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Why take so long?
0:10:01 > 0:10:04These stories take decades to happen and be resolved and we wanted
0:10:04 > 0:10:07to honour the women's stories that we'd heard about
0:10:07 > 0:10:09through our research.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13The audience has taken to social media in droves
0:10:13 > 0:10:17to express their upset over the escalating story.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21One listener has even helped to raise more than £100,000
0:10:21 > 0:10:24for the domestic abuse charity Refuge,
0:10:24 > 0:10:26his motivation being that for every fictional Helen,
0:10:26 > 0:10:28there are real ones.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34There has been a big public reaction to your storyline.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Have you been surprised by that?
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Particularly for you, Tim?
0:10:38 > 0:10:39The response, as a whole,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41the money that's being raised is extraordinary.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44The public response to the storyline, it hasn't surprised me,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47because it's awful.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51It's agony to listen to and you can see why the audience is
0:10:51 > 0:10:53finding it very difficult.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56But, you know, it's happening out there in the wider world.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04Our countryside can sometimes be depicted as a rural idyll,
0:11:04 > 0:11:09a place where things like domestic abuse just don't happen.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12But recent figures from around the country show that
0:11:12 > 0:11:16reported cases in rural areas are nearly as common
0:11:16 > 0:11:17as those in urban areas.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20And, in fact, there are very specific problems here
0:11:20 > 0:11:24in the countryside, which increase the dangers of abuse.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29MUSIC: This Woman's Work by Kate Bush
0:11:33 > 0:11:37There are thousands of real Helens across our countryside.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Sue, which isn't her real name, is one of them.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45Her voice has been recorded by an actor to protect her identity.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49I met him when I was a teenager.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52He was my best friend and I would have trusted him with my life.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58We had our first child and it was then things started to change,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01really quite quickly and quite considerably.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06Now, then, he became controlling, so what did he do?
0:12:06 > 0:12:09It started with petty arguments and disagreements
0:12:09 > 0:12:12and then one day, he hit me when I was holding the child.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17I was relinquishing control on all aspects of my life.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21I used to hope I just didn't wake up when I went to sleep.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24For Sue, living in a rural area compounded her isolation
0:12:24 > 0:12:27and her vulnerability.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30When you're out in the countryside, the more isolated you are,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33the more dangerous a situation can escalate into,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36because there's no-one to hear.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38I wasn't allowed to drive the car,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41I could afford maybe once a week to get a bus
0:12:41 > 0:12:44and there was only a few buses a day.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46That was the only time we'd go out of the village.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50So, really, my lifeline was the phone box.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53It's a disappearing thing, but at least it can't be checked, you know?
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Of what you're saying and what you're doing.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00It was a rare trip to town that finally gave her
0:13:00 > 0:13:02the chance of escape.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05My child had noticed a poster from Women's Aid
0:13:05 > 0:13:09and she said to me, "Mummy, that's you.
0:13:09 > 0:13:10"You need that number."
0:13:10 > 0:13:15- Your child said?- Yes, she thought I was going to die if I stayed
0:13:15 > 0:13:17and that frightened her the most.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21She wrote down the number and I phoned it a few weeks later.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24The lady at the other end was so kind and so understanding and,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26for the first time in years,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29I spoke and it was the first time I realised
0:13:29 > 0:13:32the actual situation I was in.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35What would have happened if you hadn't gone into town that time?
0:13:35 > 0:13:38I don't think it would have gone very well at all,
0:13:38 > 0:13:40because it was just getting increasingly violent
0:13:40 > 0:13:42and more out of control.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Sue's partner was eventually prosecuted
0:13:48 > 0:13:52and she is now safe and looking to the future with her family.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55But it was only by managing to escape the isolation
0:13:55 > 0:13:57that she finally got help.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Sue is far from alone.
0:14:01 > 0:14:02In the past year,
0:14:02 > 0:14:07more than 7% of women and 3% of men in rural areas
0:14:07 > 0:14:10have been the victims of domestic abuse.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14So, out here in the countryside, is there support to help them?
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Well, that's what I'll be finding out later.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Graceful and nimble.
0:14:26 > 0:14:27He cuts a dashing figure.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36But this magnificent animal isn't your usual writing companion.
0:14:37 > 0:14:38He's a heavy horse.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44And these mighty beasts are better known
0:14:44 > 0:14:47for their strength than their speed and agility.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Once the power behind our agriculture,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58the heavy horse worked in harmony with man for centuries,
0:14:58 > 0:14:59ploughing and shaping our land.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02Here in Northumberland,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06it was the Clydesdale which provided the horsepower.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10Equally as at home in the fields as the docks,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12powering plough and wagon alike.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18These days, the Clydesdale, like other native heavies,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20the Suffolk Punch and the Shire horse,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23are all named on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust's watchlist.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30But a small group of enthusiasts and breeders
0:15:30 > 0:15:34are trying hard to keep these workhorses and the heritage alive.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Among them, mother and daughter Vivian and Anna Cockburn,
0:15:41 > 0:15:43who run the Hay Farm Heavy Horse Centre.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47- Hello.- Hello, sweetheart.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50- Oh, little one.- Hello, darling. - Still big for a little one.- He is.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54I feel we don't really see Clydesdale horses any more.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56What is it about heavy horses that captures our imaginations,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00- do you think?- I think it's the connection from years gone by.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02A lot of people associate them with farming,
0:16:02 > 0:16:07but they were so dominant in the cities as well, with the baker,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09the grocer that used to deliver, the coal man.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12And it's just about within living memory for some.
0:16:12 > 0:16:13I think it is, yes.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16And also you get the next generations, they'll come and say,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19"Oh, my grandad used to talk about so-and-so."
0:16:19 > 0:16:21And it's that as well.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Absolutely. And I see you also have old farm machinery here as well.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Yes. The actual centre is not just about the horses, it's about
0:16:27 > 0:16:31the actual history and everything that surrounds the horses,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33to keep that alive. And also to allow memories
0:16:33 > 0:16:35for older people as well.
0:16:35 > 0:16:40I've had 85-year-old men ploughing behind horses and saying it's things
0:16:40 > 0:16:42they never thought they would ever do again.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44And we've had little wee ones ploughing behind as well
0:16:44 > 0:16:46and it's lovely. It really is nice.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54The Clydesdale was first bred in the 18th century,
0:16:54 > 0:16:56but the rise of the petrol-powered tractor
0:16:56 > 0:16:59and the loss of millions of horses in the First World War
0:16:59 > 0:17:01pushed the breed to the edge of extinction.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07Today, there are fewer than 900 breeding mares left in the country.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11Well, hello. Who's this?
0:17:11 > 0:17:13- This is Teddy.- Teddy.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15- He's big!- Our six-year-old stallion.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19- Gosh.- And this year he will be going out to stand at stud.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23- And who's this?- This is Winston, Teddy's pal.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Put him in with Teddy and he adopted it.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27- Wow!- So the greatest of pals now.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Really good chums. And now that these heavy horses
0:17:29 > 0:17:32aren't used for work any more, what do you use them for?
0:17:32 > 0:17:34One of the big things that's starting, very slowly,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36to come out is the riding of them.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39And my daughter, she's ridden since she was four years old
0:17:39 > 0:17:41and she breaks all of ours that are up here
0:17:41 > 0:17:43and he's broken to ride as well.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46How fantastic. Well, Anna's out and about today so I'll go and have a
0:17:46 > 0:17:48- chat with her about that.- Right. OK, then.- I'll see you later.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50- All right.- Cheers.
0:17:50 > 0:17:51Good boy.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Anna's going to show me the long line technique
0:17:57 > 0:17:58for training these horses.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Hi, Anna, how's it going?
0:18:04 > 0:18:06- It's not bad, thanks. - It's good, isn't it?
0:18:06 > 0:18:07He's nice and calm.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09So a bit of long lining then today?
0:18:09 > 0:18:11- Yes.- What's the technique for? What does it teach him?
0:18:11 > 0:18:14It teaches him to go forward with you stood behind him.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Once he's comfortable doing all this,
0:18:17 > 0:18:19you put two more ropes on and two of us would go,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23so one of them would be pulling all the time, to show weight,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25while the other one's driving forward
0:18:25 > 0:18:28and then you can start introducing a sledge or a cart
0:18:28 > 0:18:30or a plough or something like that.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Oh, OK, fantastic.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34And what are the main features in the Clydesdale breed?
0:18:34 > 0:18:37- What are we looking for? - Lots of feather on his feet.
0:18:37 > 0:18:38That's very important.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Nice big feet. And also very close behind.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45That gives, like, a crossing over effect,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47but it also keeps him in the furrow.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49Excellent. Dainty work.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52How long might it take to train a horse like this using this method?
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Sometimes it can take a few weeks before they're used to it,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57sometimes it's a few months,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00but it just really depends on each individual horse.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Right. You can see here that sort of supermodel walk quite close up.
0:19:03 > 0:19:04- Yeah.- It's brilliant.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17And it's not just the handling skills they're preserving here,
0:19:17 > 0:19:21but also the traditions, something I'm going to learn more about
0:19:21 > 0:19:24as Anna now shows me how to dress a tail.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30The Clydesdales and also Shires as well, it's tradition.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32We just shave it up to here.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34And then this hair is usually long enough,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36so he can still waft the flies,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39but it stops it getting in amongst the chains and things like that that
0:19:39 > 0:19:41are going to be down around his feet.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43- So, it's kind of a safety thing, too?- Yeah.
0:19:43 > 0:19:44These first things we're going to put in,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46- these are just made out of raffia. - Oh, yeah.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48With just wire round them for support.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50And would they all have been done in the same way?
0:19:50 > 0:19:53This is traditional to Clydesdales more than anything else.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Yeah. We're just going to...
0:19:55 > 0:19:57put this in...
0:19:57 > 0:19:59and then fold it up.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02And you do this all the way up.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06And we just tie everything up with raffia,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08so you put a bit round the top like this.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10And what about the rest of the kit they wear,
0:20:10 > 0:20:12the brasses and headdresses and things like that?
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Yeah, you would put their manes up
0:20:14 > 0:20:17and then you put flight into their mane
0:20:17 > 0:20:21and then when it comes to harnessing and things, you do have the brasses.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26So that's the finishing touches in?
0:20:26 > 0:20:28- That's in.- Job done. That is neat.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31There's no chance of that getting caught up, is there?
0:20:31 > 0:20:34- No, probably not.- And that is certainly a very decorative tail.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38For centuries, horses like these have played a very special role
0:20:38 > 0:20:42in our lives, providing the muscle,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45both in the countryside and in our towns.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50Although the days of heavy horses as the powerhouses of agriculture
0:20:50 > 0:20:54are long gone, these mighty animals and their heritage
0:20:54 > 0:20:56are still alive and well.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Hello.
0:20:59 > 0:21:00Tired.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15We're continuing our journey through the Northumberland landscape,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18much-loved by the artist LS Lowry.
0:21:18 > 0:21:23He came here almost every year until his death in 1976.
0:21:23 > 0:21:24And, to mark the anniversary,
0:21:24 > 0:21:28I've taken to the road in a car just like the one Lowry travelled in,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31with Simon and Veral Marshall, two friends of his.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37Berwick-upon-Tweed had a special place in the artist's affections.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40He spent many holidays in England's most northerly town,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42painting the place and its people.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48When Lowry was here back in 1958,
0:21:48 > 0:21:52the banks of the River Tweed would have looked much different.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55They'd have been lined with hundreds of fishermen and their nets.
0:21:55 > 0:22:00He captured the scene in a simple, but beautiful line drawing.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Berwick-upon-Tweed was once the centre
0:22:02 > 0:22:04of a thriving fishing industry.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Small boats, called cobles,
0:22:06 > 0:22:11would put out nets to catch the wild salmon, but all that is now history.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Hardly anything remains.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Most of the fishing stations were closed in the 1980s,
0:22:21 > 0:22:25to conserve dwindling stocks of salmon.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Just like Lowry, Jim Walker used to holiday here and, with his camera,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33rather than paintbrushes, he witnessed the industry's final days.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38- Jim.- Oh!- Nice to meet you.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40- Pleased to meet you. - Well, where are we now then?
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Oh, well, this is a fishing shiel.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Shiel, really, is just like a shelter,
0:22:48 > 0:22:49used for the salmon fishermen.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51And here's a picture you took.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53- Yes.- Some time ago now, by the look of it.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56- That's right.- So, these places were dotted right along the coast then,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59- were they?- Yes. When the salmon industry was at its peak,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03there were more than 300 lining the banks of the Tweed.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Here's a picture of yours.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08There's the town of Berwick in the background.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Looking out the window of this shiel.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Yep. And the fishermen are working there.
0:23:12 > 0:23:13That's the sea. That's correct.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16And it happened at night-time as well, did it, the fishing?
0:23:16 > 0:23:19Well, they were taking their life in their hands, in a way.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21But that particular night...
0:23:22 > 0:23:28..a seal got into the nets, took a huge chunk out of one of the salmon,
0:23:28 > 0:23:32so it was useless for commercial purposes.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35So the skipper, he took a big knife out
0:23:35 > 0:23:39and put it into pieces and we all got a piece.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41And I thought I'd really been accepted by them,
0:23:41 > 0:23:45because I'd been haunting them over the three years,
0:23:45 > 0:23:47taking pictures at all times.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52So I thought I really had been accepted by that time.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54And this is a very evocative picture you've taken
0:23:54 > 0:23:58of the, sort of, twilight of the industry, isn't it?
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Yes, towards the very end.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03It shows them, they've finished with the salmon fishing
0:24:03 > 0:24:05for the year.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07That was '87.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09- Almost like a funeral. - Yes, it is.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12I felt, at the time, it was like a funeral procession.
0:24:12 > 0:24:18And they thought they would be taking the boat out the next year,
0:24:18 > 0:24:19but, in fact, no.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23They were all closed down with an exception of one or two.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27So, they were closed down to protect the salmon, really?
0:24:27 > 0:24:28Yes, that's correct.
0:24:32 > 0:24:3630 years on and net fishing is still tightly controlled,
0:24:36 > 0:24:40but some here are determined to see it lives on.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44Leading a special heritage project is Michael Hindhaugh.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46It seeks to revive traditional skills
0:24:46 > 0:24:49and make sure the last fishing station keeps working.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Just how important is it to you, Michael,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54to keep this tradition going?
0:24:54 > 0:24:57John, the town itself has had salmon fishing and,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00particularly salmon fishing on this part of the river,
0:25:00 > 0:25:01for probably 900 years.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03It's well documented.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05And for a demise to take place through my generation,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07I felt that that was wrong.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11I felt the town needed to continue to have salmon fishing
0:25:11 > 0:25:13within the heart of the town.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16And have you started it again as a kind of commercial proposition?
0:25:16 > 0:25:20As a commercial entity, it probably doesn't stack up,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23but what we are hoping to do is let people come and try it.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Get into the heritage and the traditional way of fishing.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28And you've got to interest the younger people in this.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31- Yeah.- And I see you've got some of the young generation helping.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Yeah. They are picking up the skills, the terminology,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36off the older chaps who have worked on the river a long time
0:25:36 > 0:25:39and, hopefully, that will stand it in good stead going forward.
0:25:47 > 0:25:48How hard work is it?
0:25:48 > 0:25:49It is hard work when you are
0:25:49 > 0:25:51up at six in the morning laying the nets on
0:25:51 > 0:25:55and it's pouring with rain, but it's not too bad, to be honest.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59And it must be very satisfying, is it, when you get a good catch?
0:25:59 > 0:26:01They are the best days, when you get...
0:26:01 > 0:26:03You've had two or three shots in the morning
0:26:03 > 0:26:04and you've caught only one or two salmon.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07And then you pull in a shot with 20 salmon
0:26:07 > 0:26:09and it's a great feeling. It's amazing.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12We are the only ones that are allowed to catch them on the river,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15so that's a big pressure to keep the tradition alive, really.
0:26:15 > 0:26:16Do you think you'll do it?
0:26:16 > 0:26:19I think we can manage it.
0:26:19 > 0:26:20- Right, see you.- Cheers.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Hand-in-hand with these old fishing methods go the ancient
0:26:26 > 0:26:27skills of the boatbuilder.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32The coble is the traditional wooden craft of the north-east,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34used along the Tweed for centuries.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37There is no great demand for them these days.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41And one of the last coble builders is Ian Simpson.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Hello, Ian.
0:26:43 > 0:26:44- Hello.- Hello, John.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47- Can I stop you a moment? - How you doing?- Good to see you.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49- Pleased to meet you, yes. - Almost finished this one now?
0:26:49 > 0:26:50Nearly done now, yes.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53And how long does it take you to build a coble like this?
0:26:53 > 0:26:54Two, two-and-a-half weeks.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56If I am left alone, I'll get it done in that time.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59This is not for net fishing, is it?
0:26:59 > 0:27:00No, this is an angling boat.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02There are wider boats, slightly longer.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04The stern is bigger, obviously,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06to put a net on, and it's got a little bit
0:27:06 > 0:27:07more sweep on the front end.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09This is, I think, quite beautiful.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Oh, it's a nice shape. Better than a net boat, yeah.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15- Definitely.- And is it a family tradition, building these cobles?
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Yes. Grandfather, father, me.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20So you just watched your father doing it, did you?
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Yes. He did all the boards,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26planing and all that and all I did was rivet them,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29tidy up the mess while he was planing them
0:27:29 > 0:27:32and, when he stopped making them, I just did it.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34- What about the future, then? - We'll see what happens.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37I've got grandchildren, so if they want to carry on, we'll see.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Do you think they might be interested?
0:27:39 > 0:27:40- Oh, I think so, yeah, yeah. - Right, OK.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44That's the way it's always been,
0:27:44 > 0:27:48traditional skills handed down from generation to generation.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50The golden years of the Tweed's
0:27:50 > 0:27:52salmon netting industry are long gone,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55but, thanks to the people I've been meeting,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57more than just memories will survive.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07Domestic abuse can happen anywhere, but for those in remote, rural areas
0:28:07 > 0:28:11the problems faced by both the victim and those trying to help
0:28:11 > 0:28:12can be very different.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Here's Charlotte again.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21This year, listeners of The Archers have been shocked by the unfolding
0:28:21 > 0:28:24violent relationship between Rob and Helen Titchener.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29'Because you are nothing without me, Helen.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31- 'Nothing!- Why are you doing this?
0:28:31 > 0:28:34'No-one will even be that surprised!'
0:28:34 > 0:28:36But what's out there to help the real Helens
0:28:36 > 0:28:39in rural communities who are in danger?
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Help comes in various different forms,
0:28:42 > 0:28:47from refuges to outreach services, and from various different places.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51Local authorities fund specialist services run by charities.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54And there's also support from places like housing associations.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56But they are pretty much all based
0:28:56 > 0:28:59in towns or cities and a long way from the countryside.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06Dickie James is the chief executive of Staffordshire Women's Aid.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10Four years ago, she took part in an EU-funded project
0:29:10 > 0:29:14because of concerns rural domestic abuse was being overlooked.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18- Hi, Dickie.- Hi, Charlotte.
0:29:18 > 0:29:19Thanks for picking me up.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23From the research, Dickie found specific problems affecting rural areas for
0:29:23 > 0:29:26both the victims and those that are there to help.
0:29:26 > 0:29:31You know, sometimes we may have to travel 20 miles
0:29:31 > 0:29:34to be able to meet someone within
0:29:34 > 0:29:36their own community,
0:29:36 > 0:29:40and sometimes it's very tough for them to reach us,
0:29:40 > 0:29:42because local transport is an issue,
0:29:42 > 0:29:46they may be being observed about how much petrol they are using,
0:29:46 > 0:29:48that kind of thing,
0:29:48 > 0:29:55so, very often we need to find places where people feel safe.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02Just meeting up with victims can be difficult in small communities,
0:30:02 > 0:30:06and places like supermarkets and cafes provide much-needed anonymity.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12There is likely to be more stigma around it.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14I think there is possibly less likelihood
0:30:14 > 0:30:17of people really understanding the issue.
0:30:17 > 0:30:22I do remember an elderly parish councillor coming to me and
0:30:22 > 0:30:26saying, "Thank God I know that you are there now.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29"I've been visiting a woman on a farm nearby
0:30:29 > 0:30:31"and I've known all along that
0:30:31 > 0:30:35"this has been going on, but I haven't known who to go to to help."
0:30:35 > 0:30:38Obviously, at the moment, it's a time of austerity, things are tight.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41What effect has that had on what you can offer?
0:30:41 > 0:30:43Yes, I mean, over the past five years,
0:30:43 > 0:30:48we've experienced a 20% cut in our core funding.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50I think, perhaps, where we are struggling,
0:30:50 > 0:30:52is having the resources to
0:30:52 > 0:30:55come out to the communities and let them know where we are.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59We mustn't forget that two women are killed in the UK each week by
0:30:59 > 0:31:03domestic abuse, and the cost to the public purse
0:31:03 > 0:31:06of injury and harm is huge.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10- That's very sobering, isn't it, that thought?- Yeah, yeah.
0:31:11 > 0:31:16It's not just in Staffordshire that charities are facing problems.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18The charity Refuge has experienced cuts
0:31:18 > 0:31:21to 80% of its services in the past five years
0:31:21 > 0:31:25and Women's Aid's 2015 survey, released last month,
0:31:25 > 0:31:29found that almost half the local branches that responded were working
0:31:29 > 0:31:31without dedicated funding.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33So, around the country, what's happening
0:31:33 > 0:31:36to improve things in the countryside?
0:31:36 > 0:31:38Well, Scotland and Northern Ireland
0:31:38 > 0:31:40both have strategies on domestic abuse.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42But, when it comes to rural areas,
0:31:42 > 0:31:44it's Wales which is leading the way.
0:31:47 > 0:31:48In January this year,
0:31:48 > 0:31:51the Welsh Assembly made it compulsory for local authorities
0:31:51 > 0:31:56to improve protection and support for those facing domestic abuse.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58It specifically recognised
0:31:58 > 0:32:00the problems faced by women in rural areas.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04Because of the act, 35,000 people
0:32:04 > 0:32:08will be trained to recognise the signs of domestic abuse.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11That's people like GPs or midwives,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14people who are visible in rural communities.
0:32:14 > 0:32:15And local authorities will
0:32:15 > 0:32:18be monitored and have to report on their progress.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23As for England, well, in March,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25the government launched its latest strategy
0:32:25 > 0:32:28for ending violence against women and girls,
0:32:28 > 0:32:31but what does this mean for those in rural areas?
0:32:31 > 0:32:35Karen Bradley is the Home Office minister responsible.
0:32:36 > 0:32:41In rural areas, there are particular problems for people who are on the
0:32:41 > 0:32:42receiving end of this.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44And, yet, in the strategy, which is 59 pages long,
0:32:44 > 0:32:47there's no mention of rural, no mention of the countryside.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49Aren't you missing something here?
0:32:49 > 0:32:52Well, I disagree. I don't think it's a case of missing things.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54We are putting together, for example,
0:32:54 > 0:32:55a national statement of expectations,
0:32:55 > 0:32:59which will say to rural counties, to rural areas,
0:32:59 > 0:33:01these are the things that we expect from you
0:33:01 > 0:33:03to help you find domestic abuse.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06So what we've done is, we've doubled the amount of funding.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08Going up from 40 million in the last Parliament
0:33:08 > 0:33:09to 80 million this Parliament.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Across the UK, there seems to be understanding
0:33:17 > 0:33:21that more should be done to help those in abusive relationships.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25Now, in isolated, rural areas, that's not easy, but it can be done.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29It has to be, because it can be a matter of life or death.
0:33:32 > 0:33:37Just speaking to someone who understands is paramount.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39That was everything to us.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42It changed the course of our lives, permanently.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46For details of organisations
0:33:46 > 0:33:50which offer advice and support about domestic abuse, go online.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Or call the BBC Action Line to hear recorded information.
0:34:01 > 0:34:02Lines are open 24 hours a day
0:34:02 > 0:34:05and calls are free from landlines and mobiles.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15When we asked you to tell us about your farming heroes,
0:34:15 > 0:34:19people who've gone out of their way to try and make the countryside a
0:34:19 > 0:34:22better place, hundreds of you got in touch,
0:34:22 > 0:34:24so Adam's been going through the nominations.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35Countryfile's Farming Heroes
0:34:35 > 0:34:38is a way of paying tribute to those people
0:34:38 > 0:34:41who do that little bit extra to help their farming community.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46You overwhelmed us with your stories of farming heroes,
0:34:46 > 0:34:50so Countryfile appointed two judges to draw up a shortlist.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53Charlotte Smith, a familiar Countryfile face
0:34:53 > 0:34:55and a presenter on Radio 4's
0:34:55 > 0:34:56Farming Today programme.
0:34:58 > 0:34:59And me, Adam Henson,
0:34:59 > 0:35:01arable and livestock producer
0:35:01 > 0:35:02and Countryfile's roving farmer.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08We had a difficult task of sorting through the nominations and choosing
0:35:08 > 0:35:10three finalists to visit.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12Last week we met the first,
0:35:12 > 0:35:15the 1,600-strong Cumbria Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs,
0:35:15 > 0:35:19who helped in the country and city during December's floods.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22This week, we are looking at an individual.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25Someone who has really put herself out to help others.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30Our second finalist set up a care plan for teenagers after surviving a
0:35:30 > 0:35:32life-changing illness.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34She is Julia Evans from Herefordshire.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38We had quite a few care farms nominated.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42Yeah, farming is increasingly being seen as a way of helping people,
0:35:42 > 0:35:44from people with learning difficulties
0:35:44 > 0:35:47or mental health problems to ex-offenders.
0:35:47 > 0:35:48But this one really stood out,
0:35:48 > 0:35:50because it was one woman's determination
0:35:50 > 0:35:53to really put something back into society.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55And help the next generation.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03While I take a look around, Charlotte is meeting up with Julia.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08Julia's been farming here since the 1980s,
0:36:08 > 0:36:12but foot and mouth and TB devastated her beef herd.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16And then came news that would change the very reason Julia farms.
0:36:17 > 0:36:212007, I'd just started lambing and I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23With not a very good prognosis.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26How did you cope with that?
0:36:26 > 0:36:28Not very well, frankly.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33Not very well, because I was really fit and active
0:36:33 > 0:36:36and I just found a very small lump in my left breast,
0:36:36 > 0:36:38which was really bad news.
0:36:38 > 0:36:43I was given a prognosis that I only had a 50% chance of surviving
0:36:43 > 0:36:47beyond five years and I thought, what, really, do I want to do?
0:36:47 > 0:36:51I want to keep farming, but I don't want to do it by myself any more.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54I've been interested in this sort of care farming.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56I'd been thinking about it and I thought, right,
0:36:56 > 0:36:57if I've only got five years,
0:36:57 > 0:36:59I'm going to do it. I'm going to make it happen.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03Surviving cancer prompted Julia
0:37:03 > 0:37:06to use her passion for farming to help others.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Nine years after her diagnosis,
0:37:08 > 0:37:12Longlands now hosts up to 40 teenagers a week,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15referred by schools because of behavioural problems,
0:37:15 > 0:37:17and often on the brink of being excluded.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Aston Perkins works in a local stable
0:37:24 > 0:37:26and volunteers here once a week.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30But she first came to Longlands as a difficult 13-year-old.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33A lot of people haven't got the patience for kids.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36I don't think I'd have the patience for 13-year-old me.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38What were you like as a person then?
0:37:38 > 0:37:41I was just disrespectful. Really rude to people, yeah.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43Did not get on very well with authority,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45that was definitely a big thing for me, I think.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49- Yeah.- Mm.- And how did this change you, then?
0:37:49 > 0:37:52It taught me a lot, it taught me animal care skills and, you know,
0:37:52 > 0:37:54just taught me respect and confidence.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56I think I was quite insecure as well.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58So, yeah, it really helped me.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01And was Julia inspirational?
0:38:01 > 0:38:03Yeah, definitely. What she'd been through just made me realise,
0:38:03 > 0:38:05if she can get through it, then so can I, really.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09There's no excuse for me to be what I am being like.
0:38:09 > 0:38:10And if you hadn't come here,
0:38:10 > 0:38:13what do you think might have happened to you?
0:38:13 > 0:38:16I couldn't say. I don't think I'd have gone to college.
0:38:16 > 0:38:17I don't think I'd have got a job.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20I don't know where I would have been, to be honest.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22I really don't. It changed me as a person completely.
0:38:22 > 0:38:23I owe Julia a lot.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Yeah. She's a wonderful woman, isn't she?
0:38:26 > 0:38:28What is it that makes Julia so special, do you think?
0:38:28 > 0:38:30She's just so kind and understanding.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33I think she sees the good in people, that's really what it is.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37Mainstream state schools are not for everyone.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41And what a shame to fail before you've kind of even got going.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43Everyone has potential, don't they?
0:38:43 > 0:38:45Yeah, they all have potential.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51Someone else who believes that is part-time teacher Paul Lack,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54one of the people who nominated Julia for our award.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56Four metres by seven.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58How many square metres is it?
0:38:58 > 0:39:00He uses farm related exercises
0:39:00 > 0:39:04to help the students learn the basics of maths.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06- Hello, Paul.- Hello.- Good to see you.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09We are looking for someone who goes above and beyond.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12Do you think Julia fits that? Is that why you nominated her?
0:39:12 > 0:39:15Well, somebody said the farm runs on her personality.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18And that's absolutely true.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22She is the person who the teenagers all relate to.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24I think of her as a teenager-whisperer.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27Have you handled a piglet before? They are cute, aren't they?
0:39:28 > 0:39:31Some of them, you know, come in all sorts of problems
0:39:31 > 0:39:34and they start new. They start afresh here.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37And she can get them doing really practical...
0:39:37 > 0:39:40They want real things, they want to work,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43and they've got that and it's a real farm.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45But they are also, there is so much mentoring
0:39:45 > 0:39:47and listening and coaching going on.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51She helps them to sort of really get themselves together again.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55They need lots of water now. Hi, girls.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59Good lad.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03It may be a charity, but Longlands is also a commercial farm,
0:40:03 > 0:40:06so there's plenty of opportunity to get hands-on.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12And here's more proof that it works.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15Ryan Houghton, a dab hand with a chainsaw.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19Hi, Ryan. Well, you've got the hang of that.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21- Yes.- Can I give you a hand? What are you up to?
0:40:21 > 0:40:25Just dragging the big stuff into a pile.
0:40:25 > 0:40:26Go on, then. I'll grab this bit.
0:40:26 > 0:40:31'Not so long ago, he was struggling in school, with no real future.'
0:40:31 > 0:40:33What was it like when you first came to the care farm?
0:40:33 > 0:40:35What were you like as a person?
0:40:35 > 0:40:38Really shy, and didn't know what to do.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41'Two years at Longlands has changed his life
0:40:41 > 0:40:45'and now Julia has taken him on as a forestry apprentice.'
0:40:45 > 0:40:47Do you feel like a different person?
0:40:47 > 0:40:48Yeah, massively.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52I've lost weight and I feel good in myself from doing it.
0:40:52 > 0:40:57And every morning when I wake up I feel good about myself,
0:40:57 > 0:40:59that I'm doing something.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03And, yeah, I just get the buzz in the morning.
0:41:03 > 0:41:04I want to go to work.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06Great, good for you. Yeah.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09And do you think that Julia has played an important part in that?
0:41:09 > 0:41:13Yeah, massively. If it weren't for Julia, I wouldn't be here.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15So you've got a lot to thank her for, I suppose?
0:41:15 > 0:41:16Yeah. She's an amazing woman.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18Well, good for you. It's amazing that she
0:41:18 > 0:41:20provided you with that opportunity.
0:41:20 > 0:41:21- Yeah.- Brilliant that you've taken it,
0:41:21 > 0:41:25you've grabbed the bull by the horns, haven't you?
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Yeah. Well, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
0:41:28 > 0:41:34and I took it and I proved to myself and Julia that I'm worth taking on.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37- Come on then. We better get this shifted. Get some work done.- Yeah.
0:41:38 > 0:41:39What about in the bad weather?
0:41:39 > 0:41:43I still love it. Last summer, when we had that bad weather,
0:41:43 > 0:41:48I was out getting soaked and I still worked.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53You wouldn't have done that before, you don't think?
0:41:53 > 0:41:54No. I'd have went back home!
0:42:00 > 0:42:03Why do I do it? It's incredibly rewarding.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Really rewarding.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07I'm very proud of a lot of our youngsters,
0:42:07 > 0:42:08you know, what they achieve.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11And when you hear the stories of how they struggle in school,
0:42:11 > 0:42:15a real sense of... Very proud, yeah, very proud of them.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23And it's not all about work.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25Social skills are developed too.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Every day, students and staff gather to eat a lunch
0:42:28 > 0:42:30cooked from fresh farm produce.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35Julia, is this quite important, this all sitting down together?
0:42:35 > 0:42:37- Is this part of it? - Oh, yeah, definitely.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40Mm, sitting down together, yep.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42Talking about how the morning has gone.
0:42:42 > 0:42:43- A bit of banter.- Yeah.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45- A bit of fun.- Great. - Yes, important.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48It certainly has a family feel to it, doesn't it,
0:42:48 > 0:42:50- sitting down together?- Yeah.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52- That's the idea.- Mm.
0:42:52 > 0:42:53It's been inspirational.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56- Really inspirational.- Yeah. - Yeah.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09Well, what a lovely lady.
0:43:09 > 0:43:10That was amazing, wasn't it?
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Just...as I said, inspirational.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16And it's so much about Julia herself.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19It's about her personality and her absolute determination
0:43:19 > 0:43:21for kids who are having a rough time
0:43:21 > 0:43:24and who, I think, to an extent, people have given up on.
0:43:24 > 0:43:28And she will not. She will take them and she will give them this.
0:43:28 > 0:43:29- Yeah.- And a chance.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32I mean, talk about going above and beyond. It's amazing.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35It's one of those things, isn't it? Ask a busy person.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45Remote and craggy hills.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49Velvety moors and gentle valleys.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53Northumberland is a county of striking splendour.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57Here, within the national park,
0:43:57 > 0:44:02its landscape is not only breathtaking but also precious,
0:44:02 > 0:44:06because it provides some rare and protected habitats.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14The Simonside Hills are a special area of conservation,
0:44:14 > 0:44:19noted for their dwarf shrub heath and for their blanket bog.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24These are delicate environments.
0:44:24 > 0:44:25And they are vulnerable.
0:44:28 > 0:44:33So, seeing burnt heather like this instinctively feels destructive.
0:44:33 > 0:44:38But, it's argued, it could be the very thing that helps protect it.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46I'm meeting Andrew Miller,
0:44:46 > 0:44:49the head of conservation for Northumberland National Park,
0:44:49 > 0:44:50to find out more.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56So, why burn in order to create this?
0:44:56 > 0:44:59Well, what we've got, as you can see,
0:44:59 > 0:45:01you've got really old heather here. That if you leave it,
0:45:01 > 0:45:04naturally will turn into woodland. So what we want to do is
0:45:04 > 0:45:06we want to burn off that old heather
0:45:06 > 0:45:09and encourage this nice, new, young heather to come through.
0:45:09 > 0:45:13And so it's kept in this state purely by this rotational burning
0:45:13 > 0:45:16that's been going on for generations.
0:45:16 > 0:45:20So how much is burning for grazing, for sheep,
0:45:20 > 0:45:21and how much is it for wildlife?
0:45:21 > 0:45:23What's the main beneficiary?
0:45:23 > 0:45:25Well, the great thing, it's for all of those things.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27It's really good for the farmer, for the sheep.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29It's good for bird species like curlew
0:45:29 > 0:45:32and also our smallest falcon, the merlin.
0:45:32 > 0:45:33Beautiful little bird.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36But why not leave it to return to woodland,
0:45:36 > 0:45:39which is a very beneficial environment for wildlife?
0:45:39 > 0:45:42Woodland can grow anywhere, really. And certainly in the lowlands,
0:45:42 > 0:45:45whereas this is designated internationally as being important.
0:45:45 > 0:45:50For instance, we've got 20% of all the spider species in the UK
0:45:50 > 0:45:52are actually only in heather moorland.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54If we lost heather moorland, we'd lose all of them.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57So there's challenges here, because you've got to manage
0:45:57 > 0:45:59burning on the heathland, but then you've got bog right there.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03Exactly. Sitting side by side and requiring different management.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06- Shall we take a look at the bog? - Let's have a look at it, yeah.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11Tiptoe through the dry bit.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14'These bogs have formed over thousands of years.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18'The deep peat is favoured by rare plants, like bog rosemary.'
0:46:18 > 0:46:20In places, it's really deep.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23- If we just sort of push that in there...- Wow!
0:46:23 > 0:46:26- See, that just goes right through. - That is incredibly deep.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28And some of this is sphagnum, isn't it,
0:46:28 > 0:46:30- which holds a lot of water, like a sponge?- Yeah, absolutely.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33- Yeah.- So just grab a little bit of that.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35Yeah. Absolutely full of water.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38If we drain this, or if we burn the surface,
0:46:38 > 0:46:41it starts to dry out the peat and then we will get that heather
0:46:41 > 0:46:44that we saw there before, encroaching onto this habitat.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48- Yeah.- And that would actually destroy the bog area.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56Heather burning is strictly regulated and only permitted
0:46:56 > 0:46:59outside the breeding season for ground-nesting birds.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06But sometimes wildfires occur that can threaten wildlife,
0:47:06 > 0:47:09livestock and rare habitat,
0:47:09 > 0:47:12so the fire service joined forces with the national park
0:47:12 > 0:47:15to set up the Collaborative Burn Project.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21The project fights fire with fire.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24Heather is burned under controlled conditions.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27This creates breaks in the vegetation,
0:47:27 > 0:47:30vital for stopping wildfire in its tracks.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33This land belongs to a local sheep farmer,
0:47:33 > 0:47:36but it's also where the fire service train for moorland fires.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40And, as you can see, they are just getting ready for a controlled burn.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45Right, OK, what we are going to do now, we will just run through...
0:47:45 > 0:47:47Billy Davison is wildfire support trainer
0:47:47 > 0:47:49and today's burn supervisor.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54Billy, before you even start the fire,
0:47:54 > 0:47:56what do you need to do when you are planning it?
0:47:56 > 0:47:58Well, when we plan it, we need to see
0:47:58 > 0:48:00what size of block we'd need to burn out.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02Things like the weather forecast.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06Very much dependent on wind direction, wind strength.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09- Right.- So, if it's far too windy, we wouldn't be doing it.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11We also look at the depth of the heather,
0:48:11 > 0:48:14which would then create a certain length of flame.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17That flame could be anything up to three or four metres.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20What are these guys doing here, then?
0:48:20 > 0:48:23They are basically putting in the start of a control line.
0:48:23 > 0:48:28It's roughly about 30cm wide and they have taken all the fuel out,
0:48:28 > 0:48:30down to the mineral earth itself.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33It doesn't seem very wide. Is that the boundary of the fire, then?
0:48:33 > 0:48:36Just basically a starting point. What we need to do next
0:48:36 > 0:48:39is strengthen it, so we need to make it wider.
0:48:39 > 0:48:41We make it wider by using fire.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46It's pretty dramatic-looking, considering it's not the main gig!
0:48:46 > 0:48:48Yep. It's all nice and controlled.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53'So now, with the control line in place,
0:48:53 > 0:48:55'we are ready for the main event.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00'And with a mixture of diesel and petrol in the drip torch,
0:49:00 > 0:49:01'we're away.'
0:49:01 > 0:49:05- She's just dabbing down there. - Dabbing down.- On that tall heather.
0:49:07 > 0:49:09'Now, it's my turn.'
0:49:09 > 0:49:11Gosh! Oh, my goodness!
0:49:11 > 0:49:14I'm not sure I can cope with this responsibility. Right...
0:49:14 > 0:49:16So just dropping it in, like that?
0:49:16 > 0:49:19- Yep.- Oh, my goodness. It goes so fast, doesn't it?- Yep.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24Intuitively, as a naturalist, this just feels so wrong,
0:49:24 > 0:49:25setting the countryside ablaze.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28But knowing that it is
0:49:28 > 0:49:32all part of the training that stops wildfires,
0:49:32 > 0:49:34it has got a very important purpose.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40Look at the length of the flame now behind us.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42So let's say this was a wildfire.
0:49:42 > 0:49:43You guys will have got ahead of it.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45Yep. We predict where it is going to go
0:49:45 > 0:49:47and put in these control lines,
0:49:47 > 0:49:50so when the wildfire reaches it, it just extinguishes it.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53And you'd be ready for any spots that jumped over it?
0:49:53 > 0:49:55- Yes.- Cor, it's too hot to be close from there, isn't it?
0:49:55 > 0:49:58- Yep.- I'm losing my eyebrows, I'm sure of it.
0:49:58 > 0:49:59Yowzer!
0:49:59 > 0:50:03'The project has brought together farmers, landowners
0:50:03 > 0:50:04'and conservation bodies
0:50:04 > 0:50:08'into one of the country's first designated fire groups.
0:50:08 > 0:50:12'Rob Stacey is from the county's fire and rescue service.'
0:50:12 > 0:50:14- Rob. How did that go? - Hi, that was a good burn.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16- Yeah?- Really pleased with that.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18In our minds, we don't really associate Northumberland
0:50:18 > 0:50:21with wildfires. We think of California, places like that.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23So why is this wildfire group here?
0:50:23 > 0:50:25We don't get wildfires on the same scale
0:50:25 > 0:50:27as they do in the likes of California,
0:50:27 > 0:50:29but we do get them and we do get them regularly.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31If we do get dry weather we can get a spate of them.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33And that's the real issue for us.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35Yeah. And it's not just you professional firefighters.
0:50:35 > 0:50:38There's other people being trained. What's involved in that training?
0:50:38 > 0:50:41Yeah. Basically, we work together, sharing knowledge,
0:50:41 > 0:50:42skills and experience
0:50:42 > 0:50:45and that is helping us to put out these fires more effectively.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47And the training goes both ways.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49You guys sharing your knowledge, but also local landowners
0:50:49 > 0:50:52giving their local knowledge back to you, right?
0:50:52 > 0:50:54Definitely. It's a two-way process.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56We've actually modified some of our equipment
0:50:56 > 0:50:58to use some of the equipment the landowners use,
0:50:58 > 0:51:00because it's more effective and efficient
0:51:00 > 0:51:01for this type of firefighting.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03Excellent. I feel responsible for that one,
0:51:03 > 0:51:06so I'm going to go and give them a hand putting it out.
0:51:06 > 0:51:07- No problem.- Cheers, Rob.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18We've had just the right weather conditions for our work for the day,
0:51:18 > 0:51:21but will you get the weather you need this week?
0:51:21 > 0:51:24Time to find out with the Countryfile five-day forecast.
0:53:10 > 0:53:14Northumberland is a county famed for its rugged beauty.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16Its wide skies and vast beaches
0:53:16 > 0:53:20have been an inspiration to artists down the ages.
0:53:20 > 0:53:24None more so than one of our best-loved - LS Lowry.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28I've been travelling through Lowry's Northumberland
0:53:28 > 0:53:32with some old friends of his - Simon and Veral Marshall.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37One of his favourite holiday spots was Berwick-upon-Tweed,
0:53:37 > 0:53:40where he produced around 30 paintings and drawings.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44What was it, do you think, about Berwick
0:53:44 > 0:53:48that made him come back here again and again?
0:53:48 > 0:53:53I suspect familiarity and, you know, there are some amazing views.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56I think he probably found the people were friendly.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58I think it suited him.
0:53:58 > 0:54:03That pier, with the lighthouse on the end, is...it's Lowry.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06You know, it's almost tailor-made for Lowry, isn't it?
0:54:08 > 0:54:14And there's one final surprise - something precious and poignant.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18You are the first person for 40 years
0:54:18 > 0:54:22to see these drawings he gave me when I was driving him around.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24- Nobody's ever seen these before? - No.- Wow.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26This is a Lowry drawing?
0:54:26 > 0:54:29That one of a ship and... LSL is his initials.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32"LSL" signed down at the bottom there.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34And then, rather fun, some yachts through some railings.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37- Oh, yeah.- Which is nice.- And, again, a tanker in the background.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40- Yeah.- Oh, yeah. - He was very fond of the odd tanker.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43- He liked his tankers, didn't he, Lowry? Yes.- Yeah.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45That is a memento of Lowry, isn't it?
0:54:45 > 0:54:47- It is.- It's fantastic, yeah.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49And, I think, Veral, you were one of the last people
0:54:49 > 0:54:52- to speak to him, weren't you? - I think I was.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55The phone rang and he said, "Oh, I'm coming to see you next Tuesday.
0:54:55 > 0:54:56"I'll be there for coffee."
0:54:56 > 0:54:59And we said, "Oh, great. Looking forward to it."
0:54:59 > 0:55:04But the next day we heard that he'd had his fall at home
0:55:04 > 0:55:07and, really, he never recovered properly from that.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10- But what a legacy left behind. - Oh, absolutely!
0:55:10 > 0:55:14- Including your own first person bit of it.- Including these. Oh, yes.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16- Definitely. A wonderful legacy. - Well, for everybody,
0:55:16 > 0:55:21because his works are enjoyed all over England
0:55:21 > 0:55:23and all over the world as well.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30No wish to change.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34I like to paint the figures as I see them
0:55:34 > 0:55:36and the landscape as I see it
0:55:36 > 0:55:38and will keep on painting,
0:55:38 > 0:55:40I suppose, just as I am doing now.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55- John?- Ellie!- You've chosen the perfect spot to end the programme.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58- Yeah.- How's this?- You've enjoyed your time in Northumberland?
0:55:58 > 0:56:01I love it. It's one of my favourite places in the country.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04- Me, too. You can understand why Lowry loved it so much.- Absolutely.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06But sadly, that's all we've got time for from Northumberland.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09Next week, we will be in Dumfries and Galloway,
0:56:09 > 0:56:12talking tea, dark skies, and, of course, Galloway cattle.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15- So I hope you can join us then. Until then, bye-bye.- Bye.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18- Fantastic, isn't it?- Cracker, isn't it?- Lovely, lovely view.