0:00:33 > 0:00:37These are the hills and valleys around Port Talbot in South Wales.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41Coal and steel have shaped this landscape but nature,
0:00:41 > 0:00:45once on the back foot, is making a return. This is the River Afan.
0:00:46 > 0:00:4940 years ago, it ran black as coal,
0:00:49 > 0:00:54but today it's a very different story, because life abounds
0:00:54 > 0:00:57and the evidence lies just beneath the surface.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Set back from the town is the magnificent Margam Park.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05Grand architecture, ornate gardens and acres and acres of parkland
0:01:05 > 0:01:08make this the most desirable residence around.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11The park is home to a very unusual creature
0:01:11 > 0:01:15and I'm told that it loves the cover of those magnificent rhododendrons.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18But, well, that could be a problem.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Tom's thinking twice about going for a swim.
0:01:21 > 0:01:27It's predicted that, by next summer, more than 40 of Britain's beaches
0:01:27 > 0:01:30could have to display signs like this.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34So, is our water quality really getting worse?
0:01:34 > 0:01:36I'll be investigating.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40And Adam's heading to a rather special event.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46In the 1930s, the YMCA started a scheme to get young men into farming.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49It was called British Boys For British Farms.
0:01:49 > 0:01:50And, today, some of those trainees
0:01:50 > 0:01:53from all across the country are being reunited
0:01:53 > 0:01:57and I'm going to find out what it was like for them all those years ago.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Glistening beaches and steep-sided valleys,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13brilliantly golden and green.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17But look again and you can see the clear hand of industry.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21This is South Wales. And this is unmistakably Port Talbot.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Heavy industry has shaped and scarred this landscape
0:02:27 > 0:02:29but all that is changing.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34Wildlife is returning and all around are gems to be discovered.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37We're going to be exploring the countryside around Port Talbot
0:02:37 > 0:02:39and the nearby Swansea Bay.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Industry put Port Talbot on the map
0:02:44 > 0:02:49and the power source behind it was the relentless River Afan.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52This water has fed local industry for centuries
0:02:52 > 0:02:54but it's paid a pretty hefty price.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58The river was polluted and the wildlife suffered.
0:02:58 > 0:02:59But that's all changing.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04'To tell the story of this river, I'm starting my journey
0:03:04 > 0:03:08'further upstream in an area once bustling with collieries.
0:03:08 > 0:03:09'Local fisherman John Phillips
0:03:09 > 0:03:13'remembers a darker time in the Afan's history.'
0:03:13 > 0:03:15So, you grew up around here, then, did you?
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Yes, I grew up in this valley, back in the '50s.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20- And I've been a part of the valley all my life.- Fantastic.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23What do you remember about the river, growing up?
0:03:23 > 0:03:25The river, when we used to come down when I was a young lad
0:03:25 > 0:03:28with my father, it would be running black with coal dust.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30And you'd hear the fish cough.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32- You would actually hear them coughing?- Well, not really.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35But they were so black with the dust in the water that that's all they
0:03:35 > 0:03:38could do. They wouldn't rise for a fly because the water was so dirty.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41So you really weren't catching very much in those days?
0:03:41 > 0:03:42Not many fish in those days.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Shortly after that, when the coal mines closed in the '60s,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47then we had iron water pollution from the closed mines.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50The river used to run orange and red
0:03:50 > 0:03:53and that really decimated the fish population within the valley.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- So you've seen all colours running down this river.- All colours.
0:03:56 > 0:03:57It's only since the '80s
0:03:57 > 0:04:00that we've really seen the water quality improve.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04'Heavy industry may have been good for jobs and the local economy
0:04:04 > 0:04:06'but they were a disaster for wildlife.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08'Polluted rivers meant nature retreated.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12'Now it's a different story.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15'The river runs clear again and there is one creature that signals
0:04:15 > 0:04:19'this transformation better than most.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20'The dipper.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24'Professor Steve Ormerod from Cardiff University
0:04:24 > 0:04:27'has just spotted some on his way to meet me.'
0:04:27 > 0:04:30- There is a bird on there.- Oh, yes, yes, I see.- There is a bird there.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33- Gotcha, gotcha.- Can you see, is it an adult or a slightly...?
0:04:33 > 0:04:35- It looks like an adult to me. - It's an adult bird.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38- It's got quite clear markings there. - That's correct.- That white breast.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42- That's right, like a kind of dinner jacket almost.- Yeah.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46So what's the story, historically, with these dippers on this river?
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Well, in the South Wales rivers in general,
0:04:49 > 0:04:54if you go back into the kind of '60s and '70s, something like 70%
0:04:54 > 0:04:58of the rivers of South Wales were really, seriously, grossly polluted.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01And were there any dippers here during that time?
0:05:01 > 0:05:05So, dippers pretty much from post-industrial phase onwards
0:05:05 > 0:05:07will have declined very substantially.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11One or two pockets may have held on but what's really
0:05:11 > 0:05:15encouraging now is these rivers have cleaned up and dippers really have
0:05:15 > 0:05:18started to come back onto them and they're actually now quite numerous.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20- It is wonderful to see them here, isn't it?- It is.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23I mean, if you think back to how these rivers were,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26to come out and see dippers along them, it's just fabulous.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28They're wonderful to see.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31'Dippers depend on underwater invertebrates that
0:05:31 > 0:05:34'live in the rivers. As the Afan has cleaned up,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37'these critical food sources have returned.'
0:05:37 > 0:05:42Lots of the real typical things that dippers feed on.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45We have some caddis larvae, cased caddis,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48stoneflies with the two tails and flattened mayflies here.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52'Cleaner rivers is good news
0:05:52 > 0:05:54'but Steve continues to find evidence of pollution
0:05:54 > 0:05:56'in dipper eggs.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59'So, while dipper numbers may be up,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02'they're still affected by the legacy of industry.'
0:06:03 > 0:06:05And they're not alone.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08But for some animals, it wasn't pollution that was the problem
0:06:08 > 0:06:09but structures like these.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15'Weirs. Built all along the River Afan, they help control
0:06:15 > 0:06:19'the flow of water that powered industries along its banks.'
0:06:19 > 0:06:22That was bad news for migratory fish because they couldn't get over them
0:06:22 > 0:06:26and, when your breeding ground is upstream, that's a problem.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29'So, fish passes were built
0:06:29 > 0:06:32'and, hey presto, the fish took to them big time.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36'Dave Charlesworth manages this stretch of river
0:06:36 > 0:06:37'for Natural Resources Wales
0:06:37 > 0:06:40'and I'm helping him reopen the pass after cleaning.'
0:06:42 > 0:06:45- After three, nice and gradually. - Oh, there we go.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50- Yeah.- That's not the lightest thing in the world, is it?- That's it.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Oh, there we go. That's a satisfying sensation.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54You can just put that down there now.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57So, Dave, then, this is a state-of-the-art fish pass,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00isn't it? What makes this so special?
0:07:00 > 0:07:04- If you can imagine a sort of stairway for fish.- Right.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07So it's basically, you've got a set of stairs which allows
0:07:07 > 0:07:11the fish to come up to a resting pool and then,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15from the resting pool, they go up the next flight of steps to the top.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18'Dave's state-of-the-art fish pass has three channels
0:07:18 > 0:07:22'for the fish to use depending on the speed of the river.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26'But proof that it works comes via an even more hi-tech addition.'
0:07:26 > 0:07:30- Right, then.- OK. - What have you got to show me?
0:07:30 > 0:07:34So, in order to work out that the fish pass is actually working
0:07:34 > 0:07:37and passing fish, OK, what we've basically done is we've set up
0:07:37 > 0:07:41a series of two cameras at the top end of the pass.
0:07:41 > 0:07:42Salmon going upstream.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Look at the size of that salmon! My word!
0:07:45 > 0:07:49These are fish sort of, you know, 80-90cm.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53- We've also been getting juvenile smelts.- Ah.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55So, smelts are 2-3 years old, is that right?
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- And they've been in the river for a little while.- That's right, yeah.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00So they've spent 2-3 years in freshwater.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03- They really get chucked around in the water, don't they?- Yeah.
0:08:03 > 0:08:04Looks like it's in reverse.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Actually, what they're doing is swimming downstream
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- but they go tail-first.- Ah.- They sort of back their way down the river.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12'But the fish passes have some
0:08:12 > 0:08:15'rather more unexpected visitors.'
0:08:15 > 0:08:16What on earth's that?
0:08:18 > 0:08:21- Blink and you'd miss it! - Yeah, it's quick. It's quick.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23- But that's an otter going downstream.- Wow!
0:08:23 > 0:08:26We can sort of slow it down and when it's slowed down you can see
0:08:26 > 0:08:29- the tail and the sort of feet behind it.- Fabulous.
0:08:29 > 0:08:30It's really interesting.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33You know, and again, we're in such an urban environment,
0:08:33 > 0:08:37- you wouldn't imagine otters were present, but they are.- Great to see.
0:08:37 > 0:08:38- So many animals there.- It is.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43'Wildlife and industry, side-by-side.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47'There's still work to do but the signs so far are good.'
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Now, they may have cleaned up the River Afan
0:08:50 > 0:08:53but the same cannot be said for a significant number of our beaches,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55as Tom's been finding out.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02This summer, as the weather hots up, millions of us
0:09:02 > 0:09:05will opt for a stay-at-home holiday
0:09:05 > 0:09:08and enjoy a classic British "bucket and spade" break.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12And of course you can't come to the seaside without a little
0:09:12 > 0:09:13splash in the surf.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Though it is a bit parky for the full dip today.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20'But something might be about to ruin our seaside fun.
0:09:24 > 0:09:25'As of next year,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29'the EU are introducing strict new water quality standards.'
0:09:29 > 0:09:30Thanks very much.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34'And it's feared around 40 of the UK's bathing waters are
0:09:34 > 0:09:37'at risk of being re-classified as poor.'
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Here in Lancashire, on the north side of Lytham St Annes beach,
0:09:42 > 0:09:46they regularly meet current water quality requirements.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48'The beach to the south of the pier
0:09:48 > 0:09:52'does fail the current minimum standards, but as of next year,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55'both sides are likely to be reclassified as being poor.'
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Meaning it's not the beaches that have changed,
0:09:58 > 0:10:00it's the legislation.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02And holiday-makers could find themselves
0:10:02 > 0:10:04coming across signs like this,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07warning about poor bathing water quality,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10and advising them against taking to the waters.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16'Stuart Robertson started his beach hut business two years ago.'
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Yeah, I think that's pretty good.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20'He believes the EU rules don't just move the goal posts,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23'they'll also damage tourism.'
0:10:23 > 0:10:25You can see that there's plenty of people enjoying
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- the beach and water today. - Yeah, very popular destination.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31What impact do you think that tightening
0:10:31 > 0:10:34water quality regulations could have?
0:10:34 > 0:10:37I think it could only have a negative impact.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39We're so reliant on tourism here.
0:10:39 > 0:10:44We need the visitors to keep coming here and keep spending the money.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Anything that's working against that is a concern for everybody
0:10:47 > 0:10:48in the town.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Do you think it's fair that you might be getting these signs?
0:10:51 > 0:10:55I don't think it's fair because I've seen such improvements to
0:10:55 > 0:10:58both the beaches and the quality of water.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Going back 25-30 years,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03I recall seeing some unspeakable things in the water.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06And certainly, I've never seen it cleaner.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10It's perhaps no surprise the EU's changes
0:11:10 > 0:11:14are frustrating many people like Stuart in our coastal communities.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17In general terms, bathing water quality has improved
0:11:17 > 0:11:20dramatically around the UK coastline.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23From 81 failing beaches 20 years ago
0:11:23 > 0:11:27to just six failing beaches last year.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31But now some of our most loved seaside resorts risk failing
0:11:31 > 0:11:33to meet the new standards.
0:11:33 > 0:11:39Places like the Devon and Cornwall Riviera, some of North Wales,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42and parts of our east coast.
0:11:42 > 0:11:49Overall, just over 40 of the 623 designated bathing waters
0:11:49 > 0:11:51might not reach the new target.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57Under the EU's strict new rules, England's North West looks set
0:11:57 > 0:12:00to become the worst performing coastline.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03It's being predicted that almost half of the designated
0:12:03 > 0:12:08bathing waters here will have to advise against going in the sea.
0:12:08 > 0:12:14In England, the Environment Agency polices the EU's regulations.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Today Dan Bond is measuring the water quality at Southport.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21- If you put the probe into the water...- OK.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26- Any depth? OK, around 12 degrees. - Yes, quite cold today.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31- How's that looking?- That looks fine. It's very sedimented today.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34- But that's not a problem. - What's about to change,
0:12:34 > 0:12:38in terms of what you're looking for and the standards that are required?
0:12:38 > 0:12:40At the moment, under the current directives,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42it's a simple pass or fail system.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45We're moving to a new system which introduces four categories.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Are they just raising the bar on existing standards or are there
0:12:48 > 0:12:51- other changes as well? - Yeah, there are other changes.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54At the moment, we sample 20 times per season.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58In future, we're going to take the samples over a four-year period.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00So it provides a much better indication of the quality
0:13:00 > 0:13:02of that bigger range.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05What about the actual life forms you're testing for, if you like?
0:13:05 > 0:13:06Is that changing?
0:13:06 > 0:13:09It is quite similar but we will be testing for e-coli in the future.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Do you think it is fair that the regulations are toughening up?
0:13:12 > 0:13:15I think it allows people to make that informed decision.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17There will be a lot more information to the public so they
0:13:17 > 0:13:20can choose whether they come to these bathing waters or not.
0:13:22 > 0:13:23'These new regulations -
0:13:23 > 0:13:27'up to twice as strict as the current requirements -
0:13:27 > 0:13:30'are designed to protect all those enjoying the best
0:13:30 > 0:13:31'our seas have to offer.'
0:13:32 > 0:13:34There, there, there!
0:13:34 > 0:13:36'For some in the water-sports fraternity,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40'the changes have been a long time coming.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42'Dom Ferris from Surfers Against Sewage says
0:13:42 > 0:13:46'that all too often they are catching more than just waves.'
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Why do we need tighter regulations?
0:13:48 > 0:13:53The old bathing water standards that have been superseded this year
0:13:53 > 0:13:56were set in 1976. They were woefully inadequate.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59At a beach that meets the minimum standard, you would
0:13:59 > 0:14:03still have a one-in-seven chance of contracting gastroenteritis.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06'Yes, you heard that right -
0:14:06 > 0:14:10'the current minimum water quality standard is so low
0:14:10 > 0:14:14'the World Health Organisation claims taking a seaside dip
0:14:14 > 0:14:18'could give bathers a one-in-seven chance of getting a stomach bug.
0:14:18 > 0:14:19'And you can see why.'
0:14:19 > 0:14:22I just took a 100m walk along the tide line
0:14:22 > 0:14:25and straight away I found what we call sewage-related debris.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Beach users often think that these are lollypop sticks.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30What they actually are is cotton bud sticks.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34These have been put down someone's toilet, they've gone into the sewage
0:14:34 > 0:14:36system, they're always a good sign that raw sewage has been
0:14:36 > 0:14:38discharging nearby.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41What about the medical evidence that it's actually making people ill?
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Again, every single surfer, kayaker, swimmer or sailor
0:14:45 > 0:14:48will have been sick from the sea at some point in their life.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51- Just going to enjoy a bit more of a paddle.- Yeah.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56With no published medical figures, it's hard to know
0:14:56 > 0:14:59the number of people who are actually becoming ill
0:14:59 > 0:15:02as a result of dirty bathing water.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05What's likely to be clearer is the impact that
0:15:05 > 0:15:10downgrading around 40 of our beaches could have on tourism.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13So, what's being done to clean them up?
0:15:13 > 0:15:14I'll be finding out later.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23On a narrow stretch of coastal plain,
0:15:23 > 0:15:27set between the mountains and the sea, is Margam Park -
0:15:27 > 0:15:31a magnificent country estate just a few miles from Port Talbot.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37It was built by the man who gave the town its name -
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41He established the local ironworks and docks
0:15:41 > 0:15:43and made a fortune in the process.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47The place he used to live is pretty grand,
0:15:47 > 0:15:51with its imposing architecture and graceful parklands.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55But behind all of this splendour there's a battle going on.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57And it's down to these.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01Rhododendrons.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05A staple feature of elegant country house gardens -
0:16:05 > 0:16:09and right now Margam Park's are at their most spectacular.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14But the rhododendron is taking over. And that means war.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Estate manager Mike Wynne has been on the front line
0:16:21 > 0:16:22for the last three years.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27The problem basically is that they're so unfriendly to our native wildlife.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31They've got such a dense leaf canopy that nothing can really thrive
0:16:31 > 0:16:35or grow underneath them. That means there's no plants.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39No plants means there's no insects for the birds to feed on.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42I guess another problem is the fact that they're quite prolific,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45- aren't they? They've just spread. - Really, really prolific, yeah.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50A large bush like this will probably throw out perhaps
0:16:50 > 0:16:52a million seeds every year.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56I mean, you do see many places like this, with gardens, beautiful
0:16:56 > 0:16:59gardens, that rhododendrons are such a big part of their design.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Sure. We're not intending to decimate the garden by taking out all
0:17:03 > 0:17:04the rhododendrons.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07We're focusing really on the Rhododendron ponticum.
0:17:07 > 0:17:08Some of which is in the garden.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11But the vast majority is in the wider parkland.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14We find that when we do carry out the work
0:17:14 > 0:17:17and inform people what we're doing and why we're doing it,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21people do appreciate the necessity for us to tackle this menace.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Thinning out the rhododendrons is one thing.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31But there's another even more pressing reason
0:17:31 > 0:17:33for hacking them back.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Chris Jones is from Natural Resources Wales.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Rhododendron is a host for a disease called Phytophthora ramorum.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Most people will have heard of it as potato blight.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47It's a fungus-like disease that causes death
0:17:47 > 0:17:49of the branches on rhododendron.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52And in forestry terms,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54the disease has moved from rhododendron,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58back in the mid-2000s, onto larch trees.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Is it just larch that's affected?
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Phytophthora ramorum itself
0:18:03 > 0:18:06has infected over 23 different species in Wales,
0:18:06 > 0:18:10including things like sweet chestnut, beech, oak.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12How widespread is it?
0:18:12 > 0:18:14It's very widespread.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18There's over 4,000 hectares of stands infected by this disease.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Straight over there, there's a stand of larch
0:18:21 > 0:18:25- with a lot of brown tops in, you can see the brown tops over there.- Yes.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28That stand of larch is heavily infected with Phytophthora ramorum.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Right. When it takes hold, how long does it take to kill the tree?
0:18:32 > 0:18:35We first saw it in late spring there, and identified it.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38But by the end of the summer the trees were dying.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42So, getting a very rapid kill of the trees.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44In a matter of six months or so.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52The disease is believed to have entered Britain
0:18:52 > 0:18:55on imported nursery shrubs, and was first spotted in Margam
0:18:55 > 0:18:57on a rhododendron in 2012.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59They chopped down the infected plant
0:18:59 > 0:19:02and sprayed its roots with herbicide -
0:19:02 > 0:19:05that arrested the problem, but they're not taking any chances.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Putting some protective kit on for this bit.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12OK. Right, lads. Zipped up.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Let's get cracking.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17'Heading up the task force is father and son team
0:19:17 > 0:19:18'Jan and Christian Bernsend.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28'They drill holes in the rhododendron's thick branches
0:19:28 > 0:19:32'and inject weed killer directly into the plant's vascular system.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35'Within two years, the shrub has died off.'
0:19:35 > 0:19:39How long have you been doing this, and how successful has it been?
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Sometimes you have to come back and revisit.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46But it's been quite successful. We've been doing it 18 months or so.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51850 acres of Margam Park. And there's just the two of us.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54- Wow!- So it's going to be a long battle.- Yeah.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57- But a nice bit of father and son time.- Yes.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59THEY LAUGH
0:20:05 > 0:20:08The park's long-term goal is to eradicate
0:20:08 > 0:20:12all its Rhododendron ponticum - it's a drastic measure
0:20:12 > 0:20:15but it should help stop the disease returning.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16A simple solution?
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Well, not really, because there's some very special
0:20:19 > 0:20:24residents of the estate who rely on these plants for their habitat.
0:20:24 > 0:20:25And I'll be meeting them later.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Hidden away in a narrow gorge, just up the road from Margam Park,
0:20:44 > 0:20:48is the site of one of the most picturesque waterfalls in Wales -
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Aberdulais Falls.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53But, as Shauna's been finding out,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56they also have a fascinating industrial history.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01The crystal clear waters of the River Dulais tumble over
0:21:01 > 0:21:06sheer sandstone rocks, producing a spectacular natural display
0:21:06 > 0:21:10that inspired artists such as Turner and Ruskin.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14But these falls can also claim an industrial heritage
0:21:14 > 0:21:16that dates back to the Elizabethan era.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20There have been water wheels on this site for centuries, harnessing
0:21:20 > 0:21:25the power of the river for copper smelting, iron working and textiles -
0:21:25 > 0:21:30placing Aberdulais at the very heart of Wales' Industrial Revolution.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Claudine Gerrard is the National Trust archaeologist
0:21:33 > 0:21:35who looks after this site.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40The most recent and...in the remains of the industry you can see today
0:21:40 > 0:21:43are from the tin plating works.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46People would have been bringing in raw materials that were then
0:21:46 > 0:21:50tin plated on site here. This site then, at that point,
0:21:50 > 0:21:52was part of a much wider network of industry,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55where you're getting coal coming in from up the valley,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59tin itself coming in from Cornwall, in particular.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01So it's a hugely important industry.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Massively connected to the landscape around it.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14When the Welsh tin industry collapsed in the 1890s,
0:22:14 > 0:22:19the works were abandoned - the last working water wheel disappeared,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22and nature reclaimed the site.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26But the future of the Aberdulais Falls does not lie in its past.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31In the 1990s, a new wheel was built in the nearby Port Talbot steelworks.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34And the mighty waters of the Dulais were harnessed again.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40Though these days it's not heavy industry that use their power.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Paul Southall is the Trust's Environmental Advisor.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48When the wheel's turning it's generating electricity.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51And instead of leaving the site,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54that power's utilised for the buildings here first.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56So, the visitor centre...
0:22:56 > 0:22:59The visitor centre, the tearoom, the exhibition rooms.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02So you're completely self-sufficient in terms of energy?
0:23:02 > 0:23:05When the wheel is operating, we're completely self-sufficient.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08When the visitors go home of an evening,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11that's when we export the surplus power to the National Grid.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14That income then goes back to conservation work,
0:23:14 > 0:23:18- rather than simply paying the bills. - How much power can you generate?
0:23:18 > 0:23:20About 20 domestic homes' worth.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23What's so special about this site?
0:23:23 > 0:23:26I find the engineering side of things, personally,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29more interesting than a big castle on a hill.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37At 16 tonnes, the immense water wheel that generates
0:23:37 > 0:23:41some of this green energy is the biggest electricity-producing wheel
0:23:41 > 0:23:43anywhere in Europe.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47It's been switched off for maintenance the last six months.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50But today, the mighty wheel will turn again.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55And the man who's getting her ready is Paul Beckett.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59- Hi, Paul.- Hi there. - Hard at it, I see.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02- Yes, yes.- She's really something, isn't she?
0:24:02 > 0:24:05- She is, yeah.- What do you have to do to keep her in good condition?
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Weekly checks. I was greasing the bearings.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11The other thing we do is check the oil in the gearbox.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14It runs on a dipstick, just like your car engine.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18- OK.- So we pull it out and check it. We need some in there.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22- So it's low on oil today.- That's it. So if we put that jug in.- All of it?
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Yep, it'll take all of that today.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27As soon as we do this, we can get this up and running.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29- Are you confident it's going to work? - It will work.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31- SHE LAUGHS - It will work. Believe you me.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34- You sure?- Yes.- How does it work once we go to switch it on?
0:24:34 > 0:24:36What we do, we'll go inside,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39- and it's as simple as flicking the switch.- Let's do it.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46All you need do is flick that bottom right-hand switch to start up.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48OK. Right. Here goes.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59- Wow, look!- Yes.- There she goes. - Here it goes.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Then we'll have to wait for the water.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15How does it feel to see it running again?
0:25:15 > 0:25:16Very exciting. Very exciting.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20'So once again there is water power in the Aberdulais Valley.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24'A working monument. Testament to a site so influential
0:25:24 > 0:25:27'in the industrial history of this nation.'
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Now, earlier we heard how new water quality regulations could impact
0:25:38 > 0:25:41on British beaches next summer - with more than 40 of them
0:25:41 > 0:25:43at risk of being classified as poor.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47So, what's stopping them making the grade? Here's Tom.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54The beaches of the English North West -
0:25:54 > 0:25:57a little more bracing than their southern cousins,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59but an important source of tourism nonetheless.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03From next year, though, this stretch of coastline will be hit hardest
0:26:03 > 0:26:09by stricter European water standards, with more than half predicted to be
0:26:09 > 0:26:11branded as unsuitable for bathing.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15So what's still muddying the waters?
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Traditionally the finger of blame has pointed at pipes like these,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24and the water companies that use them to pump raw, untreated sewage
0:26:24 > 0:26:29mixed with storm water straight into rivers and the sea.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33This is a combined sewage overflow pipe, or CSO.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37In periods of heavy rain, when the normal system can't cope,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41what we flush down our toilet floats out to sea just up there.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45There are about 30,000 of these around the UK.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49Some of them in some sea-front hotspots. Like here.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Just beside Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56'So what is being done to stem the flow of sewage into the sea?
0:26:59 > 0:27:02'This vast underground complex has recently been
0:27:02 > 0:27:05'constructed 15 miles inland at Preston.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12'Its purpose - to reduce the need of spilling raw sewage
0:27:12 > 0:27:14'into our rivers and the sea.'
0:27:18 > 0:27:20We've descended a long way to get to here.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22What's behind that wall there?
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Directly behind the wall in front of us we're
0:27:25 > 0:27:28potentially storing sewage in wet conditions.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Which can go as high as 30 metres up.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Right, so this basically is acting like a big storage,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36so when you get those flash flood moments, it doesn't all wash out.
0:27:36 > 0:27:37- That's right.- Amazing.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40I feel like I've walked onto the set of the new Star Wars or something.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43In the belly of the Death Star. It's extraordinary.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47'It comes with a price tag to rival a Hollywood blockbuster too -
0:27:47 > 0:27:49'£160 million.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53'But United Utilities say it's money well spent.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56'Despite the winter's extreme weather, this facility has yet to
0:27:56 > 0:28:00'spill any sewage from its seven related CSO pipes.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04'Maybe it's not just villains who have underground lairs.'
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Do you think water companies are unfairly blamed for this problem?
0:28:07 > 0:28:1020 years ago, it was true that we were discharging crude sewage.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13We were allowed to, in line with European legislation.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Now that's changed. We're now one part of the jigsaw
0:28:15 > 0:28:19and we're absolutely committed to working together with people.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22'At one time, the water companies may have tried to
0:28:22 > 0:28:26'push their problems out to sea, but now the Environment Agency
0:28:26 > 0:28:30'believes that here in the North West just 30% of pollution
0:28:30 > 0:28:33'is linked to sewage from the waste water network.'
0:28:33 > 0:28:35When you see epic structures like this,
0:28:35 > 0:28:38with their great slabs of concrete and steel,
0:28:38 > 0:28:42it's clear that the water companies are making some effort to improve
0:28:42 > 0:28:43the sea water around Britain.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45In fact, it's thought that overall
0:28:45 > 0:28:49water companies have spent about £1 billion on the problem
0:28:49 > 0:28:50in the last five years.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53So, what is it that's still threatening
0:28:53 > 0:28:55the cleanliness of our beaches?
0:28:57 > 0:29:00The Environment Agency believe much of the big work to tackle pollution
0:29:00 > 0:29:04is already being done, but leaves a myriad of
0:29:04 > 0:29:09smaller problems that need addressing - the run-off from farmers' fields,
0:29:09 > 0:29:13badly connected household drainage, even animal and bird faeces
0:29:13 > 0:29:16can have a noticeable impact on water quality.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22So how can we deal with these remaining pollutants?
0:29:22 > 0:29:24I think there's a whole range of things we can do.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28Not pouring fats into the sink, which block up the sewer system.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Also things like taking dog mess off the beach when they walk their dogs.
0:29:31 > 0:29:36How difficult will it be for beaches here or up there at Lytham
0:29:36 > 0:29:38- to meet the new standards? - It's going to be really challenging.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40But what we do know,
0:29:40 > 0:29:42there's a hell of a lot of work going on in the next five years.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Hopefully they'll make the standards in, say, five years' time.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49- Then they'll be able to proclaim that they've got a clean beach.- Yes.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52If you're planning your summer getaway,
0:29:52 > 0:29:56it's worth remembering that it's not water quality that's getting lower,
0:29:56 > 0:29:58it's the standards that are getting higher.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02The waters around Britain are great fun.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05Whether you're in them, or above them, as I hope to remain.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09And there's little doubt they have got quite a bit cleaner
0:30:09 > 0:30:11in recent decades.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15And with investment driven by further regulation,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17and more information for the public,
0:30:17 > 0:30:23there's no reason for these beaches not to remain as attractive as ever.
0:30:23 > 0:30:24Way-hey!
0:30:34 > 0:30:37Farmers have always played a vital role in our countryside.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40And these days there are plenty of schemes encouraging
0:30:40 > 0:30:44young people into agriculture. But that's not a new idea,
0:30:44 > 0:30:47as Adam has been finding out as he digs up
0:30:47 > 0:30:49some little-known farming history.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55Between the First and Second World Wars, the world
0:30:55 > 0:30:57was plunged into a great depression.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00Money was tight, jobs were scarce,
0:31:00 > 0:31:03and poverty and poor welfare were commonplace.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05Especially in towns and cities.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08The future looked very bleak for thousands of young people.
0:31:10 > 0:31:11That's until the oldest
0:31:11 > 0:31:15and biggest youth charity in the world came up with a plan.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17It was a scheme called British Boys For British Farms.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19It was run by the YMCA.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25The YMCA saw the desperate plight of many young men.
0:31:25 > 0:31:30No employment, poor prospects, no chance to improve their lives.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33But they saw also that farming was suffering for lack of enough
0:31:33 > 0:31:35skilled workers.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38The solution - bring the two together.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40The scheme was born in 1932.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46Boys from towns and cities all over the UK were referred by
0:31:46 > 0:31:50career advisors, teachers, the courts or even children's homes.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53Some came from less wealthy backgrounds,
0:31:53 > 0:31:55or had few qualifications.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58So they didn't have the option to go to agricultural college.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00But they all had one thing in common -
0:32:00 > 0:32:02they were going to train as farmers.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09This was a brand-new start for a lot of these boys.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12They were all aged between 14 and 17 years old.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16Some of them had never spent a single night away from home.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21Their training would begin at one of the 14 YMCA training centres
0:32:21 > 0:32:23dotted around the countryside.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27And some of those centres were housed in pretty impressive places.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29Like here at North Cadbury Court, near Yeovil.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36One whole wing became dormitories.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42The stable block became the kitchen and canteen.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45And surrounding farms would become a training ground for these
0:32:45 > 0:32:46farmers of the future.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50This stately pile is soon to host a very special event.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54First I want to find out more about what life was like for the trainees.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00The new boys would arrive with just a few belongings on their back.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03And then they'd be shown around by the warden.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06- David, hello.- Hello. - Lovely to see you.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09- Welcome. - So you were a warden here?- Yes.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12For two years, and then the instructor after that.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14What was that like?
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Great. We had a great time. A challenging one.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19Long day, but great fun.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22- What was it like for the new boys? - I suppose a bit of a culture shock.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26Straight out of Bristol, or Plymouth, or London, or wherever.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Totally different. First time away from home for some of them.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31They got to know each other and made friends pretty quickly.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34Most of them. But one or two were homesick, and frankly,
0:33:34 > 0:33:37one or two mums were more of a problem than the lads.
0:33:37 > 0:33:38THEY LAUGH
0:33:38 > 0:33:41- Missing their young boys. - Missing their youngsters, yes.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45When they came here, the first week they spent in the hostel here,
0:33:45 > 0:33:48doing the housework, basically.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50That's when we really got to know them.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53Being a bunch of teenage lads out of the cities,
0:33:53 > 0:33:55were they a bit of a handful?
0:33:55 > 0:33:58Sometimes. Sometimes. But good fun. Good fun.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04The lads were up and at it bright and early,
0:34:04 > 0:34:06doing chores long before breakfast.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08The original buildings used for the kitchen
0:34:08 > 0:34:10and canteen are still standing.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13But it's been a while since breakfast was served in here.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Even the little boys' room is still standing.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24This is the old outside loo. There's a sit-down toilet in there.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29What looks like an old urinal in there that the boys would have used.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32Look, someone's made it their home.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34There's a little bird's nest up there.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40The British Boys For British Farms scheme couldn't have happened
0:34:40 > 0:34:43without the support of local farmers.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Or indeed without the generosity of the people who owned
0:34:45 > 0:34:47North Cadbury Court.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Archie Montgomery was five
0:34:49 > 0:34:53when his grandmother gave up part of their home to the scheme.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57How did it come about, then, this British Boys For British Farms
0:34:57 > 0:34:59that were in your family home?
0:34:59 > 0:35:04My grandparents lived alone in the big house that you've seen.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08And they thought, this is a waste, we're only living in a third of it.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12So got in touch with the YMCA and liked the idea of the scheme.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14- Do you remember it as a child?- I do.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17I remember there would be about 30 boys at any one time.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20Dormitories up in the top of the house.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22And they'd be wandering around during the day, coming
0:35:22 > 0:35:26- to and from their farms. Yeah. - Pretty hard work for them as boys.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29Well, it was, because they didn't have the sort of skills that
0:35:29 > 0:35:31you'd have as a young man growing up on a farm.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33They'd come out of inner city areas.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36Possibly the first time that they'd been away from home.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38And so they had to start at the bottom.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40And no doubt got all the dirty jobs on the farm.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Life for a trainee could be tough.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47But it was a way of gaining practical skills, and
0:35:47 > 0:35:51getting themselves on a career path that might ensure a brighter future.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00One of those boys whose life was changed by the scheme
0:36:00 > 0:36:01is John Robbins.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10- Do you want to stop her there, John.- Yeah, I will.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13ENGINE STOPS
0:36:13 > 0:36:15My word! Looks like you were having a lot of fun there.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17Oh, it's fantastic.
0:36:17 > 0:36:18THEY LAUGH
0:36:18 > 0:36:21It just brings back so many memories.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23It's 49 years ago I was on this farm.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26I was 17. It brings back so many good memories.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28Do you and this old girl go back a way then?
0:36:28 > 0:36:30Oh, yeah. 49 years. I was on this farm for a year.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33A place in the British Boys For British Farms.
0:36:33 > 0:36:34- Driving the same tractor?- Yeah.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Yeah, absolutely. It was fairly new then.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39I was trusted to drive it for a short while.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43In the second six months I was on the farm, not the first six months.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47- It's too early.- What was it like coming on your first placement?
0:36:47 > 0:36:50Extraordinary. I was like a duck out of water, really.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53My days basically consisted of getting up very early for me,
0:36:53 > 0:36:55cleaning out the parlour,
0:36:55 > 0:36:59scrubbing the old floor with the old besom broom until the floors shone.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01And they made sure it was like that.
0:37:01 > 0:37:06- Any stories of mishaps or mistakes over the years?- Yes.
0:37:06 > 0:37:11Um, I remember once...walking along what I thought was a flat farmyard.
0:37:11 > 0:37:16I hadn't been in that yard much so I wasn't aware of the contours,
0:37:16 > 0:37:17let's say.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20And I walked across and thought I was walking on flat ground.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22In fact, there was a dip in the concrete
0:37:22 > 0:37:24and I ended up up to my waist in slurry.
0:37:24 > 0:37:25THEY LAUGH
0:37:25 > 0:37:29The farmer couldn't help laughing. I didn't laugh. But he did.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31That was amusing. I laughed afterwards.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34It seems like they were lovely days, really.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37They were. Very hard work.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40But it set me off on a 25-year career in farming,
0:37:40 > 0:37:44managing dairy herds and so on. It was a good life.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48- Wonderful. I'll leave you to carry on playing.- Thanks very much!
0:37:48 > 0:37:49ENGINE STARTS
0:37:51 > 0:37:55It's wonderful to see that old tractors like that are still around.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58And lovely that a lot of the old boys are too.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04Thousands of boys like John came through the scheme.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08They found work.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11Farming benefitted.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14And the scheme made them friends for life.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21After a hard day's work on the farm, it was back to the training centre,
0:38:21 > 0:38:23cleaning all your kit, and then scrubbing up for dinner
0:38:23 > 0:38:25with all the other boys,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28before swapping stories about your day on the farm.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32'I'm scrubbing up for dinner too.'
0:38:32 > 0:38:34It's a very special event.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38The first ever national reunion of British Boys For British Farms
0:38:38 > 0:38:42held at North Cadbury Court. Right, that's me ready.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44# I've gone in for farming
0:38:44 > 0:38:46# I like the life
0:38:46 > 0:38:49# Mixed up with sows and rams... #
0:38:49 > 0:38:54Today's reunion has brought together some of the original boys.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57They've come from all over the globe to be here.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Like Vic Davis from Canada.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04Were the first few days here daunting, scary?
0:39:04 > 0:39:06Yes, I suppose they were in some ways.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08But more exciting than scary.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11It was the start of entering a new world.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15A different world. And at 15 you were game for anything.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17Nothing really bothers you.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20You're not looking at where it's going, it's just the moment.
0:39:21 > 0:39:26In over three and a half decades, nearly 25,000 boys came through
0:39:26 > 0:39:30the British Boys For British Farms scheme.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32By the mid-'60s, it was finished.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35And all but forgotten.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38But this gathering today is a testament to its success.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44What's it like catching up with everybody and seeing the old place?
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Fabulous. Absolutely fantastic.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49It's just so nice to see everyone come here today.
0:39:49 > 0:39:50Absolutely fabulous.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53# Oh, it's grand to be a farmer's boy... #
0:39:56 > 0:39:59As a farmer, it's been fascinating meeting the men who
0:39:59 > 0:40:03came on the farming YMCA scheme as boys.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06And at this wonderful reunion they've been sharing very fond memories.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10And it just shows that farming doesn't just shape the landscape,
0:40:10 > 0:40:11it shapes lives.
0:40:21 > 0:40:26'This week we're exploring the coast and countryside around Port Talbot.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30'I've headed to the western edge of Swansea Bay, where I'm hooking up
0:40:30 > 0:40:32'with a bunch of enthusiasts
0:40:32 > 0:40:34'getting a new perspective on this coastline.'
0:40:34 > 0:40:38They call them paddle boarders, stand-up paddle boarders.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42And if you haven't heard of the sport yet, you soon will.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46'Swansea Bay has seen an explosion of interest in this water sport,
0:40:46 > 0:40:48'making it one of the UK's hotspots.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51'All you need to take part is a paddle and a big board.'
0:40:51 > 0:40:55And that chap there, Chris Griffiths, is the man.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00He reckons he can get me paddling in no time. Even right out there,
0:41:00 > 0:41:02enjoying the coastline.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04I am not so sure.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07'I've had a few thrills and spills on boards in the past,
0:41:07 > 0:41:10'so I know it's not easy.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12'But Chris is a national paddle boarding champion.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15'And according to him, anyone can do it.'
0:41:15 > 0:41:18You can be ten years old, you can be 80.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21We have 80-year-olds in our village who still do it.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24You don't need an ocean, you don't need waves.
0:41:24 > 0:41:25You just need a body of water
0:41:25 > 0:41:28and enough room to have a little bit of a paddle.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30You're making me feel a bit more confident now.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33Yeah, it is. It's a nice, easy, gentle sport.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36We'll just do it on terra firma to start with.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39- Then we'll get you in the water. - Let's get started. So this one then.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47Bend your knees slightly. Widen your feet a little bit.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50- Like that?- Paddle. - Either side?- Into the water, yep.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53- With the top hand. A bit of pushing.- Yeah.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57With the bottom hand, a bit of pulling at the same time.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59OK. This feels fabulously easy.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01THEY LAUGH
0:42:02 > 0:42:04- Let's add some water.- All right!
0:42:07 > 0:42:10Up, and look towards the horizon.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12- OK, OK, OK.- And push and pull.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15I'm not feeling at all steady. OK, bend those knees.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17Go on! You're doing great.
0:42:17 > 0:42:18Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20I've got legs of lead.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25'And before too long they're really feeling the strain.'
0:42:25 > 0:42:27Paddle, paddle.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Oh! Oh!
0:42:29 > 0:42:31HE LAUGHS
0:42:31 > 0:42:33You were doing pretty good on that one then.
0:42:35 > 0:42:36'My balance is shot.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39'Even sitting's become a challenge.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43'Time for a break, I think.'
0:42:43 > 0:42:46I think my legs have turned a little bit lead-like.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49- It is your legs that get the shakes. - Yeah, yeah.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52- But, no, you did brilliantly. Well done.- I loved it.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54Some say that stand-up paddle boarding
0:42:54 > 0:42:58had its beginning 7,000 miles from here, in sunny Hawaii.
0:42:58 > 0:43:03But Wales can lay claim too. And this lady has got the evidence.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07'Her name's Kimberley Littlemore.'
0:43:07 > 0:43:10- How are you doing?- Very good. Bit wet.- It is a bit wet.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14- Am I right in thinking your dad was an innovator in the sport?- He was.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17He was one of those guys who, in the '50s, was really, you know,
0:43:17 > 0:43:20if he wanted to do something or was thinking about doing something,
0:43:20 > 0:43:21he'd just go and build it.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24- What's your dad's name? - His name's Clive Jenkins.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26He's still alive and still doing it.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28- Yeah, he's just on holiday. - He's just on holiday.- Yeah.
0:43:28 > 0:43:32- You've got some pictures in your coat.- Let's have a look at those.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35He's ripped! Look at those muscles. That's incredible.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38He really was one of the first doing this, if not the first.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41- He was the first down here. - Fantastic.- Very proud of my dad.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44So you should be. And that he's still doing it.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48'After giving the old legs a rest, I'm heading out with
0:43:48 > 0:43:52'a few of the locals who are following in Clive's footsteps.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54'Including Mi and Bethan Richardson.
0:43:54 > 0:43:58'I'll be joining them for a paddle along this stretch of coastline.'
0:43:58 > 0:44:00- Hello, how are you doing? - Hi there, very well.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02- All right?- Yes, thank you. - So where are we heading off?
0:44:02 > 0:44:04- We're here at the moment, at Caswell.- Got it.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08- We're going to go around Whiteshell Point here.- So that way?
0:44:08 > 0:44:11Out that way. Round past the point here. Onto Langland Bay.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15- It should be about 1½km.- That's quite a journey there, isn't it?
0:44:15 > 0:44:19It is. And this bit's a bit bubbly here. A little choppy at Whiteshell.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21Is it? This is my first time doing it.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24- Excellent. Good challenge. - It really is.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27'And to help me, I've managed to get my hands on a larger
0:44:27 > 0:44:29'and more stable board.'
0:44:29 > 0:44:32- I see the choppy stretch you were talking about.- Uh-huh.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34SHE GROANS This little bit here can be.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37'But with the new board I've found my sea legs at last.'
0:44:37 > 0:44:40You don't look as though you're in any danger of falling in.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42This is a lovely board, I must say.
0:44:42 > 0:44:47'And what a beautiful way to see this stunning coastline.'
0:44:54 > 0:44:57'As we round the headland into Langland Bay,
0:44:57 > 0:45:00'we're joined by some of the local boarders.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03'Including a paddle pooch.'
0:45:03 > 0:45:06- Tell me about the dog. Who's this?- This is Siro.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09How long has Siro been coming out?
0:45:09 > 0:45:10About six years.
0:45:10 > 0:45:14I just got on the board one day while he was playing around on
0:45:14 > 0:45:17the beach, and he ran out on the water and jumped on the board.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20- And so, from then on... he loves it.- Does he?
0:45:20 > 0:45:23He doesn't swim, just stays on the board with you?
0:45:23 > 0:45:26It depends. If he sees a stick floating past,
0:45:26 > 0:45:29he'll jump off and get the stick, then jump back on the board.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32'Eyes peeled for driftwood, Siro.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34'Time to head towards the shore.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37'And I've got to say, I've really taken to this.'
0:45:37 > 0:45:40I get to do a few sports every now and again on Countryfile.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43And I'll try it for a day, be utterly rubbish
0:45:43 > 0:45:45and vow never to do it again. But this...
0:45:45 > 0:45:47even I could do.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49And it seems that so many people can do it.
0:45:51 > 0:45:53It's really, really good fun.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55SHE LAUGHS
0:45:57 > 0:46:00'And it's opened up a new door to adventure
0:46:00 > 0:46:02'around our beautiful coastline.'
0:46:04 > 0:46:08I found this to be a great way to see those out-of-the-way,
0:46:08 > 0:46:11secret places that are hidden from view.
0:46:11 > 0:46:12But what about you?
0:46:12 > 0:46:15What are the secret places that you can tell us about?
0:46:17 > 0:46:20Secret Britain is back and we want you to e-mail us
0:46:20 > 0:46:25with your suggestions of those untold stories that are special to you
0:46:25 > 0:46:26for a completely new series.
0:46:30 > 0:46:34We know that you know Britain's countryside better than anyone else.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39We want to hear about those secret places
0:46:39 > 0:46:43and wonderful wildlife spectacles few people get to witness.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48Over the summer, Ellie and I will be exploring
0:46:48 > 0:46:52some of the secret places and people of Britain that you tell us about.
0:46:52 > 0:46:54So this is your chance to share those locations
0:46:54 > 0:46:57that are special to you with us all.
0:46:57 > 0:47:03We're looking for a lost treasure, revealed only at low tide...
0:47:03 > 0:47:05a wildlife spectacle...
0:47:05 > 0:47:07a neglected country craft...
0:47:09 > 0:47:12..or simply one of our best-known landmarks with an unknown story.
0:47:14 > 0:47:18It's the personal connection of you and your family
0:47:18 > 0:47:21to the secret places and people of Britain that we're seeking.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23So share your ideas with us.
0:47:25 > 0:47:31Please e-mail your thoughts, with photos too if you can, to...
0:47:33 > 0:47:36You'll find all the information you need on the Countryfile website.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52We've been exploring the area around Port Talbot in South Wales.
0:47:52 > 0:47:56A once heavily industrialised region where nature
0:47:56 > 0:47:59and wildlife have been making a remarkable comeback.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02But all is not well in the garden here at Margam Park.
0:48:02 > 0:48:07We've been waging a war against these spectacular rhododendrons.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09Unfortunately...it has to be done.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12They carry a deadly disease,
0:48:12 > 0:48:16capable of wiping out many of our native trees and plants,
0:48:16 > 0:48:17so they've got to go.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22Which spells bad news for some VIP residents that
0:48:22 > 0:48:25rely on the seclusion that these dense thickets provide.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27And I'm talking about that lot.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33'It's said that deer have roamed these slopes since Roman times,
0:48:33 > 0:48:37'and the park is upholding that tradition with its herds
0:48:37 > 0:48:39'of red and fallow deer.'
0:48:39 > 0:48:44But Margam is also home to a far more rare and unusual breed.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47One that's a real conservation success story.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50The Pere David.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54When John was here just over a year ago in the depths of winter,
0:48:54 > 0:48:58he helped feed them up for the breeding season ahead.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00Now I've come back to see how the herd are faring.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03And I've got a special treat in store.
0:49:04 > 0:49:05Native to China,
0:49:05 > 0:49:09they were named after the French Jesuit Missionary who first
0:49:09 > 0:49:12brought them to the attention of the Western world in the 1860s.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16The breed became extinct in its homeland more than 100 years ago,
0:49:16 > 0:49:20and today the species only survives in captivity.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24Dr Dan Forman is a mammal specialist at Swansea University.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27They're very unusual looking deer.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30Very cow-like, isn't it, when you look at it?
0:49:30 > 0:49:33The Chinese word for this particular animal means "none of the four".
0:49:33 > 0:49:35Which basically means that they thought this animal had
0:49:35 > 0:49:37traits of various different animals.
0:49:37 > 0:49:39It had the neck of a camel, the tail of a donkey,
0:49:39 > 0:49:42the hooves of a cow, and the antlers of a deer.
0:49:42 > 0:49:45They have a very different cycle as far as their year is concerned,
0:49:45 > 0:49:48when you compare it to the likes of the red deer or the fallow.
0:49:48 > 0:49:49It's a very different animal.
0:49:49 > 0:49:51It comes from a very different background
0:49:51 > 0:49:53and a very different evolution in some senses.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57They'll lose their horns and antlers towards the end of the winter.
0:49:57 > 0:49:58They'll drop off,
0:49:58 > 0:50:01and they'll start to have calves coming out about April-time.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03And they'll start to enter the rut about now, basically.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06It's going to be a very busy time for them now.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08Interestingly, you're calling it a calf as opposed to a fawn.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10I call it a calf.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13A calf is probably the more technical term for this particular species.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15Fawn and calf are interchangeable within deer.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18But we tend to refer to them as calves.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23'And just recently the herd at Margam has grown,
0:50:23 > 0:50:24'with some new arrivals.'
0:50:24 > 0:50:28The calves spend the first few weeks of their lives in seclusion,
0:50:28 > 0:50:32with their mums, tucked underneath the rhododendron thickets up there.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35And it's around this time that they start to emerge to join the herd.
0:50:35 > 0:50:38And as it's such a glorious day we thought we'd take a bit of a drive
0:50:38 > 0:50:41and see if we can spot some popping out for a bit of sunshine.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44So, Mike, do you think we're going to be in luck here?
0:50:44 > 0:50:46I think so. Jonathan, one of our team, had seen some this morning.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48So I think we stand every chance.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04- Oh, gosh. - Here we go.- My word! Wow!
0:51:04 > 0:51:08Beautiful. Is there a youngster in amongst this lot?
0:51:08 > 0:51:09- There's a couple there.- Oh!
0:51:13 > 0:51:16You can see, look, the colouring on the back there.
0:51:16 > 0:51:18They've got their tiny little spots.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21Yeah, and they are a little bit lighter than the adults.
0:51:21 > 0:51:22This, I guess,
0:51:22 > 0:51:25is the first time that maybe Dad has seen his offspring.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28- Could well be. It could well be. - He's a fine chap, isn't he?
0:51:28 > 0:51:30- He is, yeah. - Wonderful pair of antlers.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33Have you noticed how he's decorated his antlers
0:51:33 > 0:51:34with vegetation and bracken?
0:51:34 > 0:51:38- It makes him look a lot more impressive to the females.- Yeah.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41I can't believe for their first experience of space
0:51:41 > 0:51:44that their mothers have brought them to this muddy hole.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47Yeah, yeah. But this is exactly the sort of place that they love.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50They love to wallow in wet, swampy ground.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52They're remarkable in the sense that
0:51:52 > 0:51:55they create some of their own wallows in the park as well.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58They just lie down in the slightly wet patch and roll over.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02- And it gets bigger and bigger. - It goes on from there.- Yeah.
0:52:02 > 0:52:04So, what will be the situation when
0:52:04 > 0:52:06all this surrounding rhododendron goes?
0:52:06 > 0:52:08That's a good question.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10It's something that we do need to bear in mind.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13We need to provide cover for the deer to be able to hide away.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17We have been replanting small plantations with native species.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19What species have you been putting in there then?
0:52:19 > 0:52:22- There's one here on our right. - This is one here?
0:52:22 > 0:52:25It's protected so that they cannot get in and strip the bark,
0:52:25 > 0:52:28- which is crucial at this age. - That's right.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31We maintain the deer fence at this height, until the trees
0:52:31 > 0:52:34are mature enough that we can let the deer in there safely.
0:52:34 > 0:52:39As you can see, there's all sorts here - ash, oak, a very wide variety.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41DEER GRUNTS
0:52:41 > 0:52:42Dad's busy grunting over there, saying,
0:52:42 > 0:52:45thanks for coming but goodbye. I think it's time to leave.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48- Yeah. I think you're right.- Let's go. It was nice to meet you all.
0:52:48 > 0:52:49We'll leave you to your muddy hole.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59'Their rhododendron nursery may be for the chop,
0:52:59 > 0:53:02'but these calves will go on to raise their young
0:53:02 > 0:53:04'in less sinister shrubs.'
0:53:04 > 0:53:07- Did you see them then? - I did.- You did!- Four of them.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11- I'm jealous.- Up to their knees in mud.- Were they amazing?- Yes, great.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13Let me take you to this brilliant view.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17- Oh, wow!- It's beautiful, isn't it? - That's unbelievable.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19- Look at the rhodies. That's amazing. - I know.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21I was paddle boarding right out there, you know.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24Everybody's talking about your paddle boarding in South Wales.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27I'm hooked. I'm going to buy one, I'm telling you.
0:53:27 > 0:53:28No, it is a sport.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32These pair of deer have had these little calves, not fawns, calves.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35As a mum, where would you take your little one for its first
0:53:35 > 0:53:37experience of this parkland?
0:53:37 > 0:53:39Somewhere out in the open. Somewhere to feed.
0:53:39 > 0:53:43- Not that big, muddy puddle? - Definitely not the bog, no.- No.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45They were all in there, up to their knees.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47- Unbelievable.- Fabulous.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49Anyway, talking of new life,
0:53:49 > 0:53:52you may remember a month ago I visited Slimbridge
0:53:52 > 0:53:54to hear about the reintroduction of cranes into the wild.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00'This wild crane hatched just a few weeks ago.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03'Staff at Slimbridge were hoping it would become the first to be
0:54:03 > 0:54:07'reared successfully in the South West of Britain for 400 years.
0:54:07 > 0:54:12'But the latest news is that this little chick has gone missing.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14'And he hasn't been seen for days.'
0:54:15 > 0:54:18Fingers crossed for that chick, let's hope it's all right.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20Just wish them all the very best.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23That is it from Port Talbot. Next week we're going to be in Yorkshire,
0:54:23 > 0:54:26seeing how the county is gearing up for the Tour de France.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29And I'm going to be taking to the skies for a bird's-eye view
0:54:29 > 0:54:31of a unique Tour-themed arts trail.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33- See you then.- Bye.- See you.