0:00:24 > 0:00:26BIRDSONG
0:00:30 > 0:00:33At this time of year, when the leaves change their colours
0:00:33 > 0:00:36and cover the ground in a carpet of brown,
0:00:36 > 0:00:38we'll also be turning our thoughts
0:00:38 > 0:00:41to the red of summer's poppies.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43It's a time for reflection and remembrance.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49I'll be discovering how nature became our medicine chest
0:00:49 > 0:00:51in times of conflict.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53This is one of our most poisonous plants.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56John, I'd like to introduce you to deadly nightshade.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Ellie is getting into the swing of it as she discovers how the
0:00:59 > 0:01:02so-called "Idle Women" played an all-important role
0:01:02 > 0:01:04in the Second World War.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07There we go, we've got some momentum, now.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Tom reveals the devastating effect of pubs,
0:01:09 > 0:01:13schools and post offices disappearing from our villages.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17It just won't be the working, living countryside that we know and love.
0:01:17 > 0:01:22And Adam is visiting a school where farming is top of the timetable.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24For some children as well, it's just an escape.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26They come here to be happier, to feel calm
0:01:26 > 0:01:29and it helps their whole school life.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Across our landscape meander 2,000 miles of canals.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48Today, these peaceful backwaters are a haven for wildlife
0:01:48 > 0:01:51and the odd pleasure boat wending its way through the countryside.
0:01:55 > 0:01:5975 years ago, these waterways played a vital part in the Second
0:01:59 > 0:02:04World War, keeping desperately needed supplies on the move.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Taking a leading role on the home front were an army of women
0:02:08 > 0:02:09who stepped up and volunteered
0:02:09 > 0:02:12to carry out this important work on the canals.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19With the outbreak of war, men were called up, leaving cargo
0:02:19 > 0:02:23boats unmanned and vital shipments for the war effort undelivered.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Until a boatwoman, Daphne March,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30suggested the government recruit female crews.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Today, Daphne's niece Kathryn Dodington,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36a Canal and River Trust volunteer
0:02:36 > 0:02:38in Stoke Bruerne in Northamptonshire,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41looks after one of the wartime narrow boats.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43Why do you think she suggested the whole idea?
0:02:43 > 0:02:46I think she was one of those people that decided
0:02:46 > 0:02:50she could do something for the war effort and she also saw it
0:02:50 > 0:02:54I think as a way that women could be seen to be involved in everything.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58What was it about her character that made her do it?
0:02:58 > 0:03:00She was a bit like my mum, I suppose.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04She was just, "get on and do it", and "life's an adventure,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06"grab it with both hands and...
0:03:06 > 0:03:07"go and do it!"
0:03:07 > 0:03:09And here you are, on the narrow boats.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Do you think that comes down from her?I'm sure it does, yes.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15And it's what my mother would have called a wholesome occupation!
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Yes, it's very wholesome!
0:03:18 > 0:03:21These canals were the arteries that kept the supplies
0:03:21 > 0:03:24flowing during the war and yet the hard,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27dangerous work of these women was all but forgotten.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32That was until poet Heather Wastie and dramatist Kate Saffin
0:03:32 > 0:03:35stumbled upon their exploits on the Grand Union Canal.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53How important were the inland waterways through the war?Very.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55They'd been struggling for a long time,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57but during both the wars,
0:03:57 > 0:03:59they came into their own again,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02because a pair of boats could carry 50 tonnes of cargo,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04which was a lot more than a lorry could,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06and use a lot less fuel.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Where did they come from? Who WERE these women?
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Middle-class women.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16Some of them a bit bored, nothing to do, or had very unadventurous jobs.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19I mean, my poem says secretaries, hairdressers, artists,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21ballet dancers.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25You know, all kinds of women who, for one reason or another,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27either wanted a sense of adventure,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29or wanted to escape from something.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Yeah, there's something about that kind of adventure which was
0:04:32 > 0:04:35something that women from these sheltered backgrounds liked.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39These newcomers formed crews of three
0:04:39 > 0:04:41and embarked on their mission.
0:04:42 > 0:04:43Training complete,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46the women were rewarded with a coveted Inland Waterways badge.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52Ironically, the letters IW saw them nicknamed Idle Women.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57They were working two boats, so they had a motor boat like this,
0:04:57 > 0:05:02plus a butty, an unpowered boat that they towed, with...
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Coming up from London, raw supplies like steel, aluminium,
0:05:05 > 0:05:07timber - 50 tonnes of it.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09So if they were loading timber, for example,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11they'd be down here, in the hold, moving things around,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13making sure everything was in the right place.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15So it is really exhausting work.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Oh, yes!
0:05:17 > 0:05:21We reckon about 100 actually started.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Very quickly that number dwindled... Some barely lasted...
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Some lasted as little as a few hours.Oh, really?!
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Yes. There's an account of one who stood in the cabin, which is
0:05:29 > 0:05:31ten foot by seven, and said,
0:05:31 > 0:05:33"Oh, where's the accommodation?"
0:05:35 > 0:05:39And on a sort of domestic front, what was life like - cooking,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41eating, sleeping...?
0:05:41 > 0:05:42What did they have?
0:05:42 > 0:05:47They had a little stove in the corner. Um, the beds...
0:05:47 > 0:05:49One was like this, one's like that.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52You might end up with your feet under someone's head, or...
0:05:52 > 0:05:55And if they haven't washed... then you really have to be
0:05:55 > 0:05:57quite forgiving and friendly then, don't you?
0:06:04 > 0:06:09On this canal during wartime, there was no room for gongoozlers -
0:06:09 > 0:06:12the traditional canal word for onlookers.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15This was, and still is, hard graft.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22The women would have had to do this by themselves.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24More than 150 of them,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26between London and Birmingham. Ooh!
0:06:28 > 0:06:30On a 20-hour day.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31I'm struggling with that!
0:06:33 > 0:06:35There we go, we've got some momentum, now.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38Exhausting.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Idle women? I don't think so.
0:06:41 > 0:06:42Well, it didn't stop.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45You worked from pretty much dawn till dusk,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48because they had to make use of all the time they could.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52So it was hard, heavy work, in all weathers.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54And there were some fierce winters during the war.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59And working in the industrial cities targeted by German bombers,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02these brave women feared for their lives, too.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06The docks were targets, yes.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Although famously, the Luftwaffe did use
0:07:09 > 0:07:11the Oxford Canal to find their way into Coventry.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14They did use it as a road map, because of the light, the moon
0:07:14 > 0:07:17on it. That's why lock beams are black, with a little white tip.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19They were painted black during the war.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Despite all the hardship and danger,
0:07:22 > 0:07:24these so-called Idle Women, these
0:07:24 > 0:07:28volunteers, stayed at their posts, dedicated to helping the war effort.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33I often wonder whether, if I had done it, would I have been
0:07:33 > 0:07:35one of those who stuck it out,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38or would I have done a runner? Yeah.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44These unsung heroes deserve our respect and belated thanks
0:07:44 > 0:07:48for their part in Britain winning the Second World War.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55The impact of both World Wars was felt across the entire country.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59Here on our canals, in our cities and the smallest hamlets.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01But as Tom's been finding out,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04the loss of a younger generation is once again affecting rural life.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15World War I and its aftermath
0:08:15 > 0:08:18tore up the fabric of village life.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Thousands of fathers, husbands, sons
0:08:22 > 0:08:24left home never to return.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29And through the grief, the worry of how communities could rebuild
0:08:29 > 0:08:30and prosper.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36Today, villages across the country are facing a similar worry.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Though clearly not caused by such a tragic loss,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44the threat to community life is just as real.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49Once again, young people are leaving our villages, but now, the
0:08:49 > 0:08:53social hubs that propped up village life for years are disappearing too.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Welcome to Bickington, Devon.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Population 336.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Shops, zero.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Schools, zero.
0:09:07 > 0:09:08Pubs, zero.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12It's not quite an abandoned village,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14but it has become a dormitory,
0:09:14 > 0:09:19populated by retirees and commuters, with no amenities.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21So that's Grandad there.Mm-hm.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23That's great-grandad Bertie.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Caroline Meek's family has lived in the village for generations.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Her ancestors helped build much of this place
0:09:31 > 0:09:35and she still lives on the same patch.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Caroline is determined to raise her daughter in their family home,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41but for 12-year-old Matilda, there are no activities,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45no playground, nowhere to meet her friends.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Well, I'd like to see a bit more, like a play park and maybe a shop,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52because then we could maybe get sweets with my friends.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55With the closure of its vital community spaces,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Caroline feels the village is fighting to save its very soul.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Tell me about your family's history in this area.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09We have been living in the village since 1846.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13So many, many generations of our family have lived here.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17Our great-great-uncle built this pub, obviously
0:10:17 > 0:10:20he would have had a few drinks in there as well, I should think!
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Makes me sad to see any pub with boarded-up doors,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26but I gather this isn't the only amenity that you've lost?No,
0:10:26 > 0:10:31we used to have a functioning post office, a garage, a police house,
0:10:31 > 0:10:33a school in the village hall.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Many amenities have closed down in recent years.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38As an individual and as a family,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40you have kind of roots in the soil here.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43When you see it turning into a bit of a dormitory village,
0:10:43 > 0:10:44what do you think about that?
0:10:44 > 0:10:48It's really sad. Remembering it even in my childhood,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50many of these amenities were still open.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52I kind of feel like this generation
0:10:52 > 0:10:55is letting the previous generations down.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00It's not just here in Bickington that the community is clinging on.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Countryfile has been given exclusive access to the
0:11:03 > 0:11:08National Housing Federation's 2017 report on rural life.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12The figures are worrying and reveal that nationwide,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15rural services are quickly disappearing.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18It's a high-stakes roll of the dice
0:11:18 > 0:11:21in the game that's playing with the future of our villages.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27Across England, we've lost 52 rural schools in the last five years.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29That's roughly one every five weeks.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32In the same period across the UK,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36we've lost 116 rural post offices -
0:11:36 > 0:11:38that's about two a month.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41And in just the last four years,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45we've lost 477 rural pubs nationwide -
0:11:45 > 0:11:48that's an unbelievable nine per week.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51So, why are our villages losing this game?
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Monica Burns, from the National Housing Federation,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02believes that the housing crisis across the country is the problem.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Why do you think it is we're seeing this problem and the decline of the life of our villages?
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Well, one of the major issues is that young people
0:12:12 > 0:12:14and working age people and families
0:12:14 > 0:12:16are being forced out of villages
0:12:16 > 0:12:19because they can't afford to live there. So with young people and families moving out,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22what's happening is services are closing down.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25What do you think is the keystone problem underlying it?
0:12:25 > 0:12:27If you haven't got the houses,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29you're not even at the starting point. We need houses
0:12:29 > 0:12:33in the community for people to live in and then the services come afterwards.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37And to what extent can the community themselves help to
0:12:37 > 0:12:39turn around this problem?
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Communities can form Community Land Trusts
0:12:41 > 0:12:45and Community Land Trusts sometimes do the development independently,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48but often do the development with the parish council
0:12:48 > 0:12:50and the housing association as well.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54The need for affordable housing nationwide is well known
0:12:54 > 0:12:57and the government has made some funding available to
0:12:57 > 0:13:00organisations like Community Land Trusts
0:13:00 > 0:13:03and housing associations, to encourage local developments,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07but there is still a long way to go for our struggling villages.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12What could be the fate of villages if we don't get this right?
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Well, villages are going to become like museums.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18The school will be boarded up, the playground will be silent,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21the pubs will be closed, there will be no community facilities.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24It just won't be the working, living countryside that we know and love.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30It's clear that villages like Bickington need help,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34so could the building of more affordable homes really
0:13:34 > 0:13:36deliver the lifeline they need?
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Well, I'll be seeing how this game plays out later on.
0:13:47 > 0:13:52Ranscombe Farm - a beautiful 640-acre nature reserve,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54set within Kent Downs,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02With its ancient woodland and chalk grasslands,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06it's been enjoyed for hundreds of years by walkers coming here
0:14:06 > 0:14:09to see its wonderful variety of wild plants.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14And I'm here to discover how during both World Wars,
0:14:14 > 0:14:18plants like these helped to save many thousands of lives.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21The German occupation of Europe
0:14:21 > 0:14:23meant vital shipments of drugs
0:14:23 > 0:14:25and medicines were thrown into chaos
0:14:25 > 0:14:29and Britain turned to our native flora for their healing properties.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Trevor Dines, a botanical specialist at Plantlife,
0:14:34 > 0:14:38the wildflower conservation charity which now manages Ranscombe Farm,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41has studied the use of plants during wartime.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45All sorts of herbs were used.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Some of them are really common, things like nettles
0:14:48 > 0:14:50and burdock, even foxgloves.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52What were they used for?
0:14:52 > 0:14:56Foxglove was used for digitalin, the drug digitalin,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58which helps regulate the heartbeat,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01so there were some real proper chemical compounds
0:15:01 > 0:15:04that they were extracting from these plants to use.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07If you were here in the summer, John, these fields
0:15:07 > 0:15:11here would be absolutely red with a wonderful display of poppies.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14There are five different poppies that we have in Britain
0:15:14 > 0:15:18and at Ranscombe, we're really lucky to have four of those species...
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Does that include the one that we wear...?It does indeed,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23the emblem that we're thinking about today
0:15:23 > 0:15:26is very much the common poppy that we see most widely.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Today, sadly, the much-loved red poppy,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32that very symbol of remembrance,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35now belongs to one of our fastest-declining group of plants.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Unfortunately, this isn't the time of year to come looking for poppies,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42but you can sometimes find the seed heads and in fact, look down there -
0:15:42 > 0:15:44there's one of these poppies that I was talking about.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Yeah. What kind is that one?
0:15:46 > 0:15:50This I think, from the size of the seed pod, it looks like opium poppy.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Yes, here we are.Opium poppies, you say?This is opium poppy.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56When this is green and growing, a few months ago,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59if you'd have cut that little capsule there with a knife, it would
0:15:59 > 0:16:01bleed a little drop of white latex
0:16:01 > 0:16:05and that latex has nearly 15% morphine in it,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09so during the war, that need for pain relief was absolutely
0:16:09 > 0:16:11enormous and opium poppy,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13the morphine coming from that,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17was used to provide that pain relief on the war fields.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22National Herb Committees were set up to respond to the staggering
0:16:22 > 0:16:24quantity of medicine needed
0:16:24 > 0:16:28and it wasn't long before wild plants like poppies became
0:16:28 > 0:16:31nature's healing army - some of them unexpectedly so...
0:16:35 > 0:16:38John, I'd like to introduce you to deadly nightshade.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40This is one of our most poisonous plants
0:16:40 > 0:16:44and we've just got a few patches here at Ranscombe.How deadly is it?
0:16:44 > 0:16:47It's not a common plant and in fact, we're lucky just to find these two
0:16:47 > 0:16:50or three berries on this plant and this would be enough to kill you.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Fascinatingly, and this is something that not many people know, there's a
0:16:54 > 0:16:59drug called atropine sulphate which comes from this, and this was used
0:16:59 > 0:17:03in both wars in fact as an antidote to nerve agent chemical gas attack.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04And during the wars,
0:17:04 > 0:17:08they must have needed an awful lot of deadly nightshade?
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Yes, in the First World War they needed,
0:17:10 > 0:17:15or they set out a requirement for 50 tonnes of deadly nightshade.Wow.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18In the Second World War, that went up to 200 tonnes,
0:17:18 > 0:17:20so a huge amount of this drug was needed.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24It's still used today - this is what's amazing -
0:17:24 > 0:17:27in Syria today, with those chemical gas attacks there,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29atropine is still being used as an antidote.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32And of course, Trevor, this emphasises, doesn't it,
0:17:32 > 0:17:33that when you're out for a walk,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36you shouldn't go picking anything that you don't understand.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39That's right.Leave alone. That's the golden rule.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41If you don't know, don't touch. Leave it alone.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49With so much demand for plants to help treat the wounded during
0:17:49 > 0:17:54the war, the Ministry of Health published guides on what was needed.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58And those not fighting rallied together to forage...
0:18:00 > 0:18:01..including the Scout movement.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08And today, the Seventh Gillingham Cubs are here to hunt
0:18:08 > 0:18:10for plants used during the war,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12and hopefully earn their Nature badges.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19So this is foxglove.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22This is one of the plants that you mustn't eat, but it's OK to pick.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29If you rub it between your fingers and then have a sniff...
0:18:29 > 0:18:31They smell like...Is it nice?Yes.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34It's got a weird name, it's called black horehound.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40So, what can you see here that we might be able to use?Rosehips.Yes.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42These are rosehips.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50Well, here come our foragers!
0:18:52 > 0:18:55We've had a great time, haven't we? ALL:Yeah!Now, look at this.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57This is brilliant, you've done a fantastic job, guys.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01What we've got here is like a wartime medical kit.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Well, I think in that case, you deserve one of these, don't you?
0:19:04 > 0:19:07A cub Nature badge.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09There we are. Well done.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12And later in the programme, I'm going to be meeting a family
0:19:12 > 0:19:15who are passionate about the power of plants and I'm discovering
0:19:15 > 0:19:18how some of those plants can help us through the winter.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Now, who hasn't got a badge yet? There we are.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31GULLS CRY
0:19:32 > 0:19:36From our wild woodlands to our untamed seas,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38nature's power is all around us.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47For fishermen, spending time out in the elements to bring home
0:19:47 > 0:19:50a catch is all in a day's work.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52My name is Andrew Lawrence,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54I'm one of the Osborne family
0:19:54 > 0:19:57and I work down here at Leigh-on-Sea catching cockles
0:19:57 > 0:20:00on board our fishing vessel Mary Amelia.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05It's not a job, it's a way of life.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08On a summer's morning, as the sun comes up...
0:20:08 > 0:20:09there's no better place to be.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19But we are not quite the same as other fisheries, we don't actually
0:20:19 > 0:20:23go right out to sea, we work the sandbanks in the River Thames.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27So we suck the cockles up from the seabed.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30The business has been going since 1881.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34I'm fifth-generation, so if you mention Osborne, we're famous
0:20:34 > 0:20:40for cockles, but we're also known for our role in the Dunkirk...
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Evacuation of Dunkirk.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49My uncle, great uncle and his cousin,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53they were told they had to go to a Royal Navy meeting.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Six cockle boats were being commandeered for Operation Dynamo.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58They were actually given the choice
0:20:58 > 0:21:02whether to go with the boats or hand them over to the Navy.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06They weren't letting anyone take their boats, so...they all agreed.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08One goes, they all go.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14My name is Alfred Smith.
0:21:14 > 0:21:21I went into the Army in September, 1939.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25That was when war broke out and I was 20.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33May 26, 1940.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35The beaches at Dunkirk.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37In the face of a fierce Nazi onslaught,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Belgium had collapsed and British and French troops were
0:21:40 > 0:21:44trapped in a pincer as German forces advanced relentlessly.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46I was on the beach 48 hours.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50No food, no water,
0:21:50 > 0:21:52nothing to drink or eat.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54No shelter, nowhere to hide.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58So you just sat on the beach and...
0:21:58 > 0:22:00just hoped for the best.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05In those days,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09the boats were only designed for the shallow waters of the Thames.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12They certainly weren't designed to do Channel crossings or to do
0:22:12 > 0:22:15the job they were asked to do.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19It was just open-decked boats,
0:22:19 > 0:22:21so they would have been open to everything -
0:22:21 > 0:22:23the elements, the gunfire.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25There was no hiding.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29They didn't really know what they was letting themselves in for at the time.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Well, you did have that Dunkirk spirit, you see.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39"I'll make it", you know?
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Although a lot of my friends were getting killed around me,
0:22:42 > 0:22:44um, but...
0:22:46 > 0:22:47You just...
0:22:47 > 0:22:51You know, sort of made up your mind you were going to do it.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Their orders were to go into the beach
0:22:54 > 0:22:57and pick as many troops as possible up.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01They would then take them off to the bigger ships to disembark them.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03This went on for another ten hours.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Eventually,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09saw this ship come in
0:23:09 > 0:23:10and I waded out...
0:23:11 > 0:23:13..up to my neck in water.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16And it was a paddle steamer.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19I was pulled on board the ship
0:23:19 > 0:23:21and that was the last I remember,
0:23:21 > 0:23:23I then passed out completely.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27And you were just lucky, or I was,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29that I got onto a boat that didn't get hit.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37They'd had the order that they could go home,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39but the Renown developed engine trouble.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44One of the other cockle boats, the Letitia, she'd broken her
0:23:44 > 0:23:48rudder, so she was already in tow by a tug called the Ben & Lucy.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52So Letitia threw them a line
0:23:52 > 0:23:54and they hooked it over the bow
0:23:54 > 0:23:55and proceeded home.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00They had done a right turn at Ramsgate and headed towards
0:24:00 > 0:24:03the mouth of the river back home.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06It was then that there was a massive explosion.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13The skipper of the Letitia at the time obviously woke, startled.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16All they could hear was all this stuff raining down on the deck.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17Pitch-black.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19They shouted, nothing came back
0:24:19 > 0:24:22and they pulled the tow line in and
0:24:22 > 0:24:24the tow line was just as they'd passed it to them
0:24:24 > 0:24:26three hours previous.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30On board at the time was my nan's brother,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34Leslie and his cousin Frankie Osborne.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37And Harry Noakes, who was skipper at the time as well.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40And all three of them were lost.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43They were four and a half hours away from Leigh,
0:24:43 > 0:24:44from safety.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49LAST POST
0:24:49 > 0:24:52The steel tug that was in front of them
0:24:52 > 0:24:55had activated a magnetic mine.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58As the Renown came over the top of it, that's when it exploded.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01And, telling the story now,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04personally, it's... it's heart-wrenching.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08But it's part of the heritage down here
0:25:08 > 0:25:10for the family and the company.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15It's something immensely to be proud of.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18We took about 1,500 to 2,000 troops off the beaches and,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Vice-Admiral Ramsay,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23who orchestrated the evacuation of Dunkirk, commended the flotilla
0:25:23 > 0:25:26of what they'd done and...
0:25:26 > 0:25:29the sacrifice that ultimately...
0:25:30 > 0:25:32..our family made, as well.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38The fishermen at Leigh,
0:25:38 > 0:25:40they were so brave.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Knowing that they were
0:25:42 > 0:25:43going into danger...
0:25:44 > 0:25:47But they still came
0:25:47 > 0:25:49and done their best to pick you up.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52No, I admire them, I think they were wonderful.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55LAST POST
0:26:04 > 0:26:08Earlier, we heard how our villages are declining as they lose
0:26:08 > 0:26:11vital services and residents.
0:26:11 > 0:26:12But could affordable housing
0:26:12 > 0:26:15and a determination to work together
0:26:15 > 0:26:18help turn these communities around?
0:26:18 > 0:26:19Here's Tom again.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Our villages are losing their schools,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28post offices and pubs faster than ever before.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31With nothing to attract young families,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33they risk becoming little more than dormitory towns,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35where residents commute,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38quietly age, or move elsewhere.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41It's been suggested that building affordable housing could help
0:26:41 > 0:26:44reinvigorate these declining villages.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47But is that really sufficient to turn things around?
0:26:47 > 0:26:51It's up to councils to make sure there is enough affordable housing
0:26:51 > 0:26:55and the government has just pledged £9 billion to help with that,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59but, ultimately, it seems that local communities need to drive these
0:26:59 > 0:27:04projects for themselves and in some places, they're doing just that.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10In 1975, Toller Porcorum here in West Dorset
0:27:10 > 0:27:12lost its railway.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16The school and sawmill quickly followed, but when the pub
0:27:16 > 0:27:20and post office closed, the villagers decided enough was enough.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Local farmer Rorie Geddes was instrumental in their efforts
0:27:25 > 0:27:27to turn things around.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29You've got some fine looking properties here,
0:27:29 > 0:27:31but tell me how they came to be.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34It came out of a village plan that we prepared in 2012.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38We managed to form a Community Land Trust and take the project forward.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42The new housing project was driven by the generosity of local
0:27:42 > 0:27:44resident Vanora Hereward,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46who, before her death in 2012,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49kindly donated land for the village to build on.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53She has given that to the village for us to build the affordable
0:27:53 > 0:27:55homes on the condition that a post office was built.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59That is incredible dedication to the idea.It certainly is, yes.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02So we've named the close Hereward Close, after her.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08This affordable housing has not only helped local families on lower
0:28:08 > 0:28:10incomes to stay in the village,
0:28:10 > 0:28:14but it's also safeguarding a vital asset in the post office.
0:28:14 > 0:28:15Hello!
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Tom, I'd like to introduce you to Evelyn.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Hello, very nice to see you.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Before the new post office was built, Evelyn Whitcombe
0:28:22 > 0:28:26spent 15 years running the service from a rundown house.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29In the previous property that I was in,
0:28:29 > 0:28:33it really got quite dismal - damp, wet, flooded.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36And then we had lots of vermin coming in.
0:28:36 > 0:28:37And how does it feel for you now,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40having experienced it back then, to be in here?Oh!
0:28:40 > 0:28:42You just don't know!Warm and dry! It's lovely...
0:28:42 > 0:28:45It's a nice, cosy, warm space!
0:28:47 > 0:28:51The post office is a community hub, but the story doesn't end there.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54The housing development has also enabled the trust to create another
0:28:54 > 0:28:58vital service that will safeguard the village's future.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00Great to see the kids having fun, making a mess, making
0:29:00 > 0:29:04plenty of noise, but how does THIS link with the houses we saw earlier?
0:29:04 > 0:29:06We get a ground rent from the housing association
0:29:06 > 0:29:10and we decided to support projects in the village
0:29:10 > 0:29:13and the toddler group is one of them.It's so good, isn't it?
0:29:13 > 0:29:16It creates this momentum of things that you really want
0:29:16 > 0:29:19and need in the village, from the housing.Well, it does,
0:29:19 > 0:29:21because now you can see we've got lots of children in the village.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24Ten years ago, I think there were two.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26It's very important that young people come to live here,
0:29:26 > 0:29:28because they're the future of the village.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33It's good to see what villages can achieve
0:29:33 > 0:29:35when everyone works together.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38Affordable housing certainly seems to be part of the solution,
0:29:38 > 0:29:42but a determined, proactive community is also essential.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49300 miles north, in the Yorkshire Dales, while others are losing
0:29:49 > 0:29:50essential services,
0:29:50 > 0:29:52THEY are bringing them all home.
0:29:53 > 0:29:58It started with the community rescue of a closing dairy.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00Then the police station,
0:30:00 > 0:30:02the library,
0:30:02 > 0:30:04an internet cafe,
0:30:04 > 0:30:06the post office, a bus service...
0:30:06 > 0:30:08Now they're thinking of affordable homes
0:30:08 > 0:30:11and even taking over the petrol station.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15Here in Hawes, the community has taken control of its destiny
0:30:15 > 0:30:18and is thriving, with local councillor John Blackie...
0:30:18 > 0:30:20Good morning, how are you both? OK?
0:30:20 > 0:30:23..leading the charge for over 20 years to keep vital services
0:30:23 > 0:30:26running from this community hub.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33We're trying to take on everything that a deeply rural community needs.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36You really have got it all covered. It's your own fiefdom...
0:30:36 > 0:30:38This place should be called Blackiestown!No, no, no,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41it's not Blackie's town, it's a town
0:30:41 > 0:30:45that relies on its self-reliance to go forward.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48You mentioned the community bus, any chance we could step aboard?
0:30:48 > 0:30:50I would welcome you aboard. You can show me around.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52Have a little drive around.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57The Upper Dales community partnership took over this vital bus
0:30:57 > 0:31:01service to the local train station when it was threatened with closure.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04When we started in May 2011,
0:31:04 > 0:31:06we only had one volunteer driver,
0:31:06 > 0:31:08that was me.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12We're now carrying 60,000 passengers.Wow.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16The bus company makes a profit that funds other vital,
0:31:16 > 0:31:19but loss-making services, like the post office.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23A struggling local dairy was the first asset to be taken over
0:31:23 > 0:31:25by the community in 1992.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28It now employs 224 staff
0:31:28 > 0:31:30and has an annual turnover
0:31:30 > 0:31:32of £27 million.
0:31:33 > 0:31:34That was where it began,
0:31:34 > 0:31:39but I'm about to see the community partnership's latest project.
0:31:39 > 0:31:40Here we are.
0:31:40 > 0:31:45Welcome to the first community-run filling station in England.Amazing.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49It's needed by local people, local businesses
0:31:49 > 0:31:52and it was under threat of being prey to developers
0:31:52 > 0:31:56and so when we knew there was an opportunity to step in and take
0:31:56 > 0:32:01it on, as the first community-led petrol station, we took it.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03So what would you say to the villages we've seen
0:32:03 > 0:32:05in the south-west which are really struggling?
0:32:05 > 0:32:08I would say to them, follow our example.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Maybe we are a beacon, a pioneer,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14but we're not doing rocket science here.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18We need people within that community to lead from the front and
0:32:18 > 0:32:22sometimes partners as large as your county council -
0:32:22 > 0:32:24backed us all the way.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27But most of all, you need that community spirit,
0:32:27 > 0:32:28that never-say-die, because
0:32:28 > 0:32:33the minute you start accepting austerity with all its ravages,
0:32:33 > 0:32:37I'm afraid your community is on a downward spiral.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42It's sad to see villages like Bickington and their communities
0:32:42 > 0:32:46struggle and fight, but in places like Toller Porcorum and Hawes,
0:32:46 > 0:32:49there's a real sense of hope about what can be achieved
0:32:49 > 0:32:51when a community bands together.
0:32:52 > 0:32:57So, we've heard an inspiring example of recovery and regeneration, but
0:32:57 > 0:33:00it is really, really tough to escape
0:33:00 > 0:33:03from that vicious circle of decline -
0:33:03 > 0:33:06the loss of shops, pubs and schools.
0:33:06 > 0:33:11And winning that long fight back requires energy,
0:33:11 > 0:33:13creativity and passion.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Earlier in the programme,
0:33:21 > 0:33:25we heard about the female volunteers who took over the canal
0:33:25 > 0:33:28shipments of vital supplies during the Second World War.
0:33:31 > 0:33:32The work is remembered here
0:33:32 > 0:33:36at the Canal Museum in Stoke Bruerne, Northamptonshire,
0:33:36 > 0:33:39on the banks of the Grand Union Canal.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45Working on the canals during wartime was not only dangerous,
0:33:45 > 0:33:48but would have been filthy work carrying coal
0:33:48 > 0:33:52and other supplies back and forth to London, but this re-creation
0:33:52 > 0:33:55gives us a sense of what it might have looked like.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59These cheerful paintings, the traditional castles and roses,
0:33:59 > 0:34:02that folk art that's unique to our canal systems,
0:34:02 > 0:34:05and inside, there's a mountain of brass work.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08I have no idea how they had the time to keep it all polished.
0:34:08 > 0:34:09Let's take a closer look in here.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15It's very bijou in here and this is a very high-end one.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18The Idle Women would have been very lucky to have inherited
0:34:18 > 0:34:19one like this,
0:34:19 > 0:34:23but even so, this would have been for three women - not a lot
0:34:23 > 0:34:27of space for eating, sleeping and personal possessions and luxuries.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30I don't know how they did it.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44Now, industry and farming has shaped our landscape
0:34:44 > 0:34:46and put food on our tables.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Adam is visiting a school where learning about farming is
0:34:49 > 0:34:51helping vulnerable children
0:34:51 > 0:34:53in need of extra support.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00I feel very fortunate to be a farmer.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03I was born and brought up in the countryside and have lived there
0:35:03 > 0:35:06all my life, but many people don't have that connection with the land.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10And I feel that all children should learn about farming
0:35:10 > 0:35:12and where their food comes from and surely
0:35:12 > 0:35:15the best place to do that is at school - like these lads.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19That's exactly what's happening
0:35:19 > 0:35:21at Hunters Hill Technology College in Bromsgrove.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26Hayley Simpkin teaches agriculture to 120 children
0:35:26 > 0:35:29between the ages of 11 and 16.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31The pupils have all got some degree of learning,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34emotional or behavioural difficulty,
0:35:34 > 0:35:37but working on the school's purpose-built farm is helping
0:35:37 > 0:35:40with their problems and teaching them useful skills for the future.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42Hi, Hayley.Hi, Adam.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Good to see you.Nice to meet you.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Isn't this just a lovely environment to learn in,
0:35:46 > 0:35:48out here with all the animals?
0:35:48 > 0:35:50Absolutely, they love it, don't they?
0:35:50 > 0:35:52What is it that makes it so special then, do you think?
0:35:52 > 0:35:55All our boys are here because they're either autistic, ADHD
0:35:55 > 0:35:57or they've got social problems and coming over here just gives them
0:35:57 > 0:36:00a chance to relax and do something a bit different and outside
0:36:00 > 0:36:02and in the fresh air. It's really good for them.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05When it comes to farming and growing and animals, you can
0:36:05 > 0:36:07learn so many different things, can't you?
0:36:07 > 0:36:10Absolutely.There's maths, science, all sorts.Definitely.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12We do try and get... Quite a lot of our staff here will bring kids
0:36:12 > 0:36:15over for lessons and do a bit of cross-curricular work.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18We do a lot with the food department as well,
0:36:18 > 0:36:19so there's all sorts going on.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21And what jobs are you doing here today with the sheep?
0:36:21 > 0:36:23We brought the sheep in for an MOT,
0:36:23 > 0:36:25one or two of the little lambs need their feet looking at.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Come on, I'll give you a hand. OK, thank you.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31There's a bit of cuddling going on, here!
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Yes, she looks quite relaxed, doesn't she?My word.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35Go on, then, you sit up
0:36:35 > 0:36:37and I'll have a little look at that sheep with you.
0:36:39 > 0:36:40Oh, this is a lovely little sheep.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44She likes being cuddled, doesn't she?Yes.What's her name?Amira.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47Amira. And how old is Amira?
0:36:47 > 0:36:50Over a year old.Is she?Yep.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53Do you know what breed it is? A North Ronaldsay.Very good.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55And what have you got to do with Amira today, then?
0:36:55 > 0:36:58We're going to clip her nails because they're a bit too long for our liking.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01Let's have a little look. Oh, yes - they are quite long, aren't they?
0:37:01 > 0:37:04So just a little trim down the edge there would help, wouldn't it?Yes.
0:37:04 > 0:37:09So you have to be really careful that you just clip off the toenail.
0:37:09 > 0:37:10So just down the side...
0:37:11 > 0:37:14There you go, so that doesn't hurt her at all.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16It's just taking off that excess hoof.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18And then on the other side...
0:37:21 > 0:37:23And why do you think we cut the toenails then, Jack?
0:37:23 > 0:37:26So it doesn't grow too long and get infected.That's right, yeah.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30If they get too much mud and dirt in there, it can get sore, can't it?
0:37:30 > 0:37:33Yes.So if you pull her toes apart, which are called clees -
0:37:33 > 0:37:35they've got two toes - you can see
0:37:35 > 0:37:37it's a little bit white and sweaty inside.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40It's a bit like athlete's foot in people, it's a fungal infection.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44If you smell it, it's really smelly, so what we need to do is
0:37:44 > 0:37:47put a little bit of antiseptic spray on that so it doesn't get any worse.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50Make sure you've got the nozzle pointing in the right direction
0:37:50 > 0:37:53so you don't spray Daniel, but I'll put my hand behind it.
0:37:53 > 0:37:57You can just spray the middle there, good - that's it.You've got it.
0:37:57 > 0:37:58Oh.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00He's got more my hand than he's got on the sheep!
0:38:00 > 0:38:02At least I'm not going to get foot rot!
0:38:06 > 0:38:10The children here don't mind hard work or getting their hands dirty.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Teaching assistant Jazz O'Mahoney is supporting two of them
0:38:13 > 0:38:15that love being outside working with the pigs.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22Hi, guys.Morning!I was told you were out with the pigs.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24How you doing, boys, all right?Yeah.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27What jobs have you got to do today, then?Muck the pigs out.
0:38:27 > 0:38:28Mucking them out? Brilliant.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30And how old are these ones, then?
0:38:30 > 0:38:31Four weeks old.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33They're lovely, aren't they?
0:38:33 > 0:38:36So, do you prefer to be in the classroom or outside?Outside.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39Outside.Yeah? Do you like being in the classroom?No.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41ADAM LAUGHS
0:38:41 > 0:38:45When I'm older, I want to be a farmer, so... Yeah.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47It's a good way to start, isn't it?Yeah.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49So before you came here, did you ever see animals before?
0:38:49 > 0:38:52No, I'd never seen a sheep,
0:38:52 > 0:38:53a cow or a pig.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55All I did see was a fish.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57ADAM LAUGHS
0:38:57 > 0:38:59They seem to really enjoy it, don't they?Yes.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02I think a lot of children here blossom from this
0:39:02 > 0:39:04and most of them I think will go on to help with animals
0:39:04 > 0:39:08and farm work, so it will be nice to see in the future.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11Do you think we should be doing this in more mainstream schools?
0:39:11 > 0:39:14Definitely. I think every child should have the opportunity to work
0:39:14 > 0:39:16with animals and understand them.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Even if it's small animals - chickens, anything -
0:39:18 > 0:39:20just to interact with them.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22For some children as well, it's just an escape.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24They come here to be happier, to feel calm,
0:39:24 > 0:39:26and it helps their whole school life.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28And then they're more prepared to go back into classroom.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30Absolutely brilliant.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32Right - come on, then - let's get these pigs mucked out.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42You're very good with them, aren't you?
0:39:42 > 0:39:43Go on, piggy. Go on.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Oh, look - they're excited, being outside!
0:39:50 > 0:39:52How you getting on there, boys?
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Is it a bit smelly?Yes!
0:39:56 > 0:39:59Breathe through your mouth, then you won't smell it so much.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02So what can you use the pig muck for?Fertiliser.
0:40:02 > 0:40:03That's very clever, yeah.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05It is quite whiffy! Keep up the good work!
0:40:09 > 0:40:11I need to get out. I need to get out!
0:40:16 > 0:40:18It's great to see young lads like this getting
0:40:18 > 0:40:21an understanding of farming and food production.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24But there's still about a fifth of our children nationally that
0:40:24 > 0:40:26don't know where bacon comes from.
0:40:26 > 0:40:27Good skills!
0:40:27 > 0:40:31Elsewhere, another group are having a lesson on chickens.
0:40:31 > 0:40:32Beautiful.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35So we'll do some chicken questions. So what is a female chicken called?
0:40:35 > 0:40:37A hen.Very good.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40And a male chicken?A cockerel.
0:40:40 > 0:40:41And a baby chicken?Chick.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43Fantastic.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45So you see this bit on the side of her head here?
0:40:45 > 0:40:48Can you see what colour that is? A whitey blue.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51A whitey blue colour, so that tells me she's going to lay a white egg.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54If she'd got red earlobes, she'd lay a brown egg.Is that true?
0:40:54 > 0:40:55Mm, yeah.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58You learn something every day, don't you? Every day is a school day!
0:40:58 > 0:41:00I never knew that.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02A lot of chickens can't fly
0:41:02 > 0:41:04because they're so heavy,
0:41:04 > 0:41:05but these ones can fly.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08They're quite good at flying, aren't they? Can you see its wings?
0:41:08 > 0:41:09How big its wings are.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11Shall we do some wing clipping?
0:41:11 > 0:41:14OK, so who wants to hold the chicken while we clip it? Come on, then.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16What's your name?Isaiah. OK, Isaiah.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18Poke your hand out like that.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20Get the feet in. Sit her on your hand,
0:41:20 > 0:41:22hand over the top... That's it.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26Can you see these long feathers here, that look like fingers?Yeah.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28So these are called the flight feathers
0:41:28 > 0:41:30and these are the ones that let them actually fly.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32So you see these little feathers here?
0:41:32 > 0:41:33I'm going to use those as a guide
0:41:33 > 0:41:36and then cut across...
0:41:36 > 0:41:38and just take the ends of those feathers off.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40They will go everywhere, but don't worry.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44And that will mean that they can't get enough of a flap on to
0:41:44 > 0:41:47actually fly away. So I'm only going to do one side, as well.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50Why do you think I don't do both sides? Why do you think, Damien?
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Because when she tries to flap off, she'll turn.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55It does, it makes them a little bit wonky
0:41:55 > 0:41:57so they can't get enough lift to get up.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01So, who's going to do the next one? Me!OK, shall we catch another one out?OK, so there we go...
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Clipping the wings like this is a common farming practice
0:42:04 > 0:42:06and doesn't hurt the chickens.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08The feathers will grow back in time.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Keep going, keep going. Keep going until I say stop.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Last couple...
0:42:14 > 0:42:18Looking after the animals is just one part of the pupils' education.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22Understanding the whole process from farm to fork is paramount...
0:42:22 > 0:42:24so, at the end of the day,
0:42:24 > 0:42:27the children get a chance to cook the produce raised on the farm.
0:42:27 > 0:42:28You can use both hands...
0:42:30 > 0:42:33So do you know what animal makes a pork burger?Pig.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Pigs, very good.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37See, lots of children wouldn't know that. It's great that
0:42:37 > 0:42:38you've learned that on the farm.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41That's all part of the process, isn't it?Absolutely. It brings
0:42:41 > 0:42:44meaning to what they're doing over at the farm - they look after them when they're alive
0:42:44 > 0:42:46and then we learn what we do with them afterwards.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49And then when it comes to taking the animals to slaughter, to eat,
0:42:49 > 0:42:52does that bother you? Yes.No.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55Do you mind that a little bit, then? Yes.What don't you like about it?
0:42:55 > 0:42:59About them being slaughtered. That's hard, isn't it?Yes, it is. I feel sad when I take them off,
0:42:59 > 0:43:02but we do know from the start that some of our animals are for breeding
0:43:02 > 0:43:05and some of them are for meat, so you're told from the beginning,
0:43:05 > 0:43:07aren't you, what's going to happen with those animals.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09Ultimately, selling the meat pays the food bills.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12And if your choice is to eat meat, then it's good that you know where
0:43:12 > 0:43:16it comes from, but you don't have to eat it if you don't want to.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19Well, well done - congratulations, guys. Good luck in the future.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22I reckon we might make some chefs out of you yet.
0:43:30 > 0:43:34We saw earlier how during the two World Wars, our native plants
0:43:34 > 0:43:38provided essential medicines for wounded soldiers.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41Today, flora and fauna are still being used,
0:43:41 > 0:43:43but in a different battle.
0:43:43 > 0:43:48And here in Kent, Ranscombe Farm covers 640 acres
0:43:48 > 0:43:51and it's brimming with healing plants.
0:43:51 > 0:43:56It's like a giant natural dispensary at your fingertips.
0:43:59 > 0:44:03Coming from a line of doctors and surgeons, Scotland's longest
0:44:03 > 0:44:07practising medical herbalist Brian Lamb believes there's a tree
0:44:07 > 0:44:11that could in the future help to save the lives of millions.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15And this is it - the sweet chestnut.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17Why is that?
0:44:17 > 0:44:19Well, because the leaf
0:44:19 > 0:44:23may hold a new entry into combating
0:44:23 > 0:44:25bacterial infections.
0:44:25 > 0:44:26And how's that?
0:44:26 > 0:44:29Well, a bacteria colonises
0:44:29 > 0:44:32and the bacteria speak to each other
0:44:32 > 0:44:36rather like on a battlefield, where communication is central.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39When shall we expand? How many of us are there?
0:44:39 > 0:44:45And an extract of the sweet chestnut leaf disarms this communication.
0:44:45 > 0:44:49So an extract from this leaf could actually do wonders?
0:44:49 > 0:44:55Yes, and this was research carried out in 2015 in America, showing
0:44:55 > 0:45:01that this leaf will combat the most virulent form of MRSA, even.
0:45:01 > 0:45:02Of course, there's a lot of
0:45:02 > 0:45:04concern now, isn't there,
0:45:04 > 0:45:07about the potential for failure of antibiotics.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11Well, we are facing a antibiotics winter...
0:45:13 > 0:45:19..when antibiotic resistance will be so great that common surgery
0:45:19 > 0:45:24like hip replacements and Caesarean section may be more problematic.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28We must seek new ways of disarming bacteria.
0:45:28 > 0:45:33And possibly, sweet chestnut leaf might be a new way of looking at it.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38It's incredible to think that the humble sweet chestnut may
0:45:38 > 0:45:41provide such a huge medical breakthrough.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45Brian's passion for plant medicine has been passed down to
0:45:45 > 0:45:49his daughters Naomi and Sophie, who specialise in herbal remedies.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51What have we got here?
0:45:51 > 0:45:54We've got this wonderful winter warming hot toddy for you...
0:45:54 > 0:45:57which is very protective over the winter months.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00What's in this toddy?So you've got star anise...
0:46:00 > 0:46:02It's a very well known anti-viral.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06It's star anise that goes into making the famous drug Tamiflu.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10And we have cinnamon in there which is for viruses, inflammation,
0:46:10 > 0:46:14we've also got Juniper which is a decongestant.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16Very nice taste, as well! It's sweet.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19Not only does it do you good, it tastes good.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22Where have you got all these things from, Naomi?
0:46:22 > 0:46:25Well, wonderfully, nature provides at just the right time,
0:46:25 > 0:46:28so in autumn we have the wonderful rosehips and elderberry to
0:46:28 > 0:46:30provide you with anti-viral benefits throughout winter,
0:46:30 > 0:46:34but some are from our own kitchen cupboards, so there's amazing
0:46:34 > 0:46:39medicinal cabinets within one's home to protect one's health over winter.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41And what's in this pan here, then?
0:46:41 > 0:46:44Well, we've got some rosehips which are really, really highly
0:46:44 > 0:46:46nutritionally dense and they're especially well known
0:46:46 > 0:46:48for their very high vitamin C content.
0:46:48 > 0:46:53At least 20 times as much as oranges and for that reason,
0:46:53 > 0:46:56they were given to children during the war to protect them
0:46:56 > 0:47:01from developing scurvy as the citrus fruit supplies were being disrupted.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05Cos I can remember as a little boy having rosehip syrup, you know?
0:47:05 > 0:47:08Yes, most people can.We all had it as children in those days.
0:47:08 > 0:47:09Absolutely.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11And what have we got in the hamper, then?
0:47:11 > 0:47:15Well, we've made this especially for you, John, cos we know you're out on location in the cold a lot -
0:47:15 > 0:47:17we thought this'd see you through the winter months.Wow, thank you!
0:47:17 > 0:47:21So we have some thyme syrup, which is an amazing lung decongestant,
0:47:21 > 0:47:24we've got garlic and chilli to see you through the winter to
0:47:24 > 0:47:26boost the immune system.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29Rosehip syrup and we have the lovely anti-viral drink in there.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31That should keep me going! It should do!
0:47:37 > 0:47:40Well, we've had a lovely autumn day here in Kent,
0:47:40 > 0:47:42but with winter just around the corner,
0:47:42 > 0:47:45will I be needing any of my herbal kit in the week ahead?
0:47:45 > 0:47:47Let's find out with the Countryfile forecast.
0:47:57 > 0:48:04Hello. It was a glorious autumn day across much of the country today,
0:48:04 > 0:48:09perfect conditions in fact for Remembrance Sunday, but we had cold
0:48:09 > 0:48:13air blowing down from the north, gusty particularly in the north and
0:48:13 > 0:48:19east. Quite a few showers and with those showers and a cold beer,
0:48:19 > 0:48:25wintry in nature here in the hills of Argyll. But then no showers, dry
0:48:25 > 0:48:33like this, down in Morecambe lake in Dorset. The cold skies at night,
0:48:33 > 0:48:40those temperatures will tumble away as we see that blue hue developing.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44They will fizzle away elsewhere, the south-west by the end of the night.
0:48:44 > 0:48:49The towns and city values are there, around freezing, but of course in
0:48:49 > 0:48:56the countryside a widespread frost will develop. -2 down to minus five
0:48:56 > 0:49:00Celsius. In the far north-west of the country we have this, another
0:49:00 > 0:49:03system bringing in some cloud, strengthening winds and essential
0:49:03 > 0:49:08outbreaks of rain as well. This high pressure with the cold arctic winds
0:49:08 > 0:49:12will be slowly moving away so we will start tomorrow on a cold frosty
0:49:12 > 0:49:18zero, certainly for England and Wales. Skies turn cloudier for most
0:49:18 > 0:49:21but for Scotland and Northern Ireland it turns wet and windy and
0:49:21 > 0:49:24you will even see some snow over the high ground of Scotland and perhaps
0:49:24 > 0:49:28down to lower levels for a time across central and eastern areas
0:49:28 > 0:49:31before at all times back to rain by the end of the day is that milder
0:49:31 > 0:49:35air moves in. The weather system continues to move south and east
0:49:35 > 0:49:38through the course of Monday night, and then it could be quite chilly to
0:49:38 > 0:49:44start with across the south-east before the clothes and wind arrives.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47You will see the blue colours pushed off into the North Sea as the
0:49:47 > 0:49:51yellows and oranges arrived off the Atlantic. A little blue colours you
0:49:51 > 0:49:55will notice across the far north of Scotland. A little brightness, quite
0:49:55 > 0:49:59chilly, single figure values, but elsewhere a cloudy day on Tuesday,
0:49:59 > 0:50:05much milder, 10-12 degrees, and there will be some drizzle and hill
0:50:05 > 0:50:10fog across western hills. Then in this north-east corner, bright, the
0:50:10 > 0:50:14best of the sunshine also further south. Mild temperatures again. But
0:50:14 > 0:50:20a lot of cloud and outbreaks of rain as well. Into Thursday, something a
0:50:20 > 0:50:24bit more potent expected to push into the north of the UK, bringing
0:50:24 > 0:50:28gales are even severe gales for a time across Scotland, particularly
0:50:28 > 0:50:32in the north. Some heavy rains as well persistent across western
0:50:32 > 0:50:40hills, but elsewhere maybe some brightness in the south and east and
0:50:40 > 0:50:43it could potentially be the mildest day of the week with highs of 13, 14
0:50:43 > 0:50:45degrees. On Thursday night that front sinks south and eastwards from
0:50:45 > 0:50:48the north and then we open the floodgates to the north-west. On
0:50:48 > 0:50:51Friday it looks like the cold air making a return again. Across
0:50:51 > 0:50:55Northern Ireland and Scotland that will eventually wind out as we head
0:50:55 > 0:50:58towards the weekend. This is I think the picture for Friday, cloud and
0:50:58 > 0:51:03rain across the south and east that should clear way, brightening sky is
0:51:03 > 0:51:08behind it. Where it is sunniest, it will be cold as, single value
0:51:08 > 0:51:15temperatures here. The week is quite a mixture, starting on a cold and
0:51:15 > 0:51:21frosty note, then mild foremost, but then on it looks it will
0:51:33 > 0:51:37Today, we remember the veterans of battle and the fallen.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43John's been learning about plants that saved lives in wartime...
0:51:43 > 0:51:46and I've been hearing about the women who volunteered
0:51:46 > 0:51:49on the canals during the Second World War.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53Our symbol of remembrance is of course the red poppy,
0:51:53 > 0:51:58but the countryside has other roles to play at this time of year.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01Here on the edge of the Salisbury Plains,
0:52:01 > 0:52:05surrounded by the garrison towns of the British Army... In fact,
0:52:05 > 0:52:08you can even hear tanks rumbling away over there.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11..is a place of sanctuary, treatment
0:52:11 > 0:52:14and healing for the survivors of war.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20Tedworth House in Wiltshire is a remarkable recovery centre
0:52:20 > 0:52:24run by Help For Heroes for service men and women with physical
0:52:24 > 0:52:27and psychological conditions.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30We first visited here three years ago, but the support
0:52:30 > 0:52:33Tedworth offers is for life
0:52:33 > 0:52:35and there's always something new to see.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41There are lots of different therapies on offer here,
0:52:41 > 0:52:45but few can beat the healing powers of the great outdoors.
0:52:45 > 0:52:49In fact, one of the most popular is the simple pleasures of gardening.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57The weekly gardening club, run by Lucy Thorpe,
0:52:57 > 0:53:01with her Springer spaniel Izzy, offers a haven to some
0:53:01 > 0:53:05and sows the seeds of a gardening career for others -
0:53:05 > 0:53:08like Major Cornelia Oosthuizen.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10She had to give up her ten-year Army career
0:53:10 > 0:53:12with a nervous system disorder.
0:53:12 > 0:53:17Cornelia was a star turn at this year's Invictus Games,
0:53:17 > 0:53:19winning bronze in wheelchair tennis
0:53:19 > 0:53:21and a gold medal in the golf.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25So this is a bit of a change, isn't it, from the podium,
0:53:25 > 0:53:28receiving gold, to pottering around the hero's garden?Yes!
0:53:28 > 0:53:30No, in the best possible way.
0:53:30 > 0:53:34What is it for you, do you think, about nature, that's so healing?
0:53:35 > 0:53:36Um...
0:53:36 > 0:53:40I think when it comes to nature, it's that sort of cycle
0:53:40 > 0:53:42and life and new growth.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44It's just really therapeutic
0:53:44 > 0:53:48and helps you to focus on something that's much more constructive than
0:53:48 > 0:53:50dwelling on some of the challenges
0:53:50 > 0:53:52that you face on a daily basis.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56The beauty of a place like Tedworth House and what Help For Heroes
0:53:56 > 0:54:00set up is that you're surrounded by people who have often got
0:54:00 > 0:54:02very similar struggles and, of course,
0:54:02 > 0:54:04in classic military style,
0:54:04 > 0:54:06we incorporate a bit of black humour
0:54:06 > 0:54:10and banter to get through it and it makes a massive, massive difference.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13So are you more of a veg garden, or flower garden?
0:54:13 > 0:54:15These leeks are looking good. I'm guessing veg.
0:54:15 > 0:54:19I'm trying not to murder vegetables inadvertently!
0:54:19 > 0:54:21I've got more success this year... That's good.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23Ah!
0:54:23 > 0:54:25She's apparently a vegetarian today!
0:54:28 > 0:54:31These leeks look ready for the pot. Yep, I think so.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34Give them a good wash and chop them up.Very nice.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39What's not eaten by Izzy goes into the garden's kitchen.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44Working and eating together is all part of the healing process.
0:54:48 > 0:54:52At Tedworth House, there's inspiration at every turn.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58I'm heading away from nature being tamed in the gardens
0:54:58 > 0:55:03and into the wild woods to meet one of Tedworth's success stories.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07Three years ago, Jules Hudson met Michael Day,
0:55:07 > 0:55:12an ex-infantry sniper embarking on a forestry course here in the woods.
0:55:13 > 0:55:16I was involved in an explosion with a grenade.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18Damaged my back quite badly.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21Were you suffering from post-traumatic stress?Yes.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23I wasn't sleeping, I wasn't, um...
0:55:24 > 0:55:27..wasn't coping very well with the fact that I wasn't going to
0:55:27 > 0:55:31be able to do my job any more and that was...
0:55:31 > 0:55:32one of my biggest demons.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38Tedworth encourages its visitors to return
0:55:38 > 0:55:42whenever they feel the need and three years on, Michael Day,
0:55:42 > 0:55:45better known as Doris, still seeks out the tranquillity here.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51Hello! Is it Michael, or can I call you Doris?
0:55:51 > 0:55:53Call me what you like - Doris! Doris, is that OK?!
0:55:53 > 0:55:55Yes.Fabulous. This looks amazing.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58But I understand also that THIS was built by your fair hand?Yes.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02Me and a group of other veterans over the last couple of years, yes.
0:56:02 > 0:56:03Show me around!OK.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08Tedworth has taught Doris woodworking skills which enabled
0:56:08 > 0:56:11him and his colleagues to complete the Iron Age roundhouse project.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18How has this place helped you? My own injuries are...
0:56:19 > 0:56:22..something we can't see.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24And that's kind of been understood by Help For Heroes.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28Where sometimes people close to you don't understand.
0:56:28 > 0:56:32I don't have to explain myself when I'm here, I don't have to...
0:56:32 > 0:56:37put a face on or be someone that I'm not, I can be myself.
0:56:37 > 0:56:41So I think the road to recovery has actually always led to
0:56:41 > 0:56:45or at least through Tedworth House and I'm grateful for that.
0:56:45 > 0:56:49What's life been like for you since this place was completed?
0:56:49 > 0:56:52Well, since it was finished, I've been in a bit of a void each month,
0:56:52 > 0:56:54because obviously I've not had to come up.
0:56:54 > 0:56:58But it's inspired me to go and find some work to do with woodlands,
0:56:58 > 0:57:02which is quite difficult to find at the best of times.Yeah.Um...
0:57:02 > 0:57:05But I'm training to become a utility surveyor.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07So walking the lines, power lines,
0:57:07 > 0:57:11and ensuring that there's a correct distance between the power
0:57:11 > 0:57:14lines and the trees or foliage that's growing around them.
0:57:14 > 0:57:15Right.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18Um, it's just walking, and I like walking,
0:57:18 > 0:57:20and it's on my own.
0:57:20 > 0:57:24And so your knowledge of being in the woods has helped get you a job.
0:57:24 > 0:57:29Um, I was a sniper, so I loved the woods and I love the foliage, so...
0:57:29 > 0:57:31Yeah, I think there was always going to be something for me
0:57:31 > 0:57:34at the end of it to work in the woodlands, but I didn't ever think
0:57:34 > 0:57:38I would be carving pillars on a roundhouse that I'd helped build!
0:57:38 > 0:57:42There you go! Not just a woodsman, but an artist within.Well, maybe.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45I've seen some of this work, I think it's amazing! It's incredible.
0:57:49 > 0:57:51And the good work continues.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54The latest batch of recruits is being taught
0:57:54 > 0:57:56woodcraft by Dave Turner.
0:57:56 > 0:57:59And, so, for a few hours each week,
0:57:59 > 0:58:01they get to leave their troubles behind.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05The benefits of this fresh air life are indisputable.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07And while there may be no cure for some,
0:58:07 > 0:58:10Tedworth offers a place of sanctuary
0:58:10 > 0:58:12and a return to the camaraderie
0:58:12 > 0:58:17these brave men and women enjoyed in the service of their country.
0:58:22 > 0:58:24Oh, it's good! Really good.
0:58:24 > 0:58:25It's not bad.Yeah, I like it.
0:58:25 > 0:58:28Well, that's all we've got time for this week.
0:58:28 > 0:58:30Next week, we'll be in Hertfordshire,
0:58:30 > 0:58:32where we'll be up to our knees in the River Lee.
0:58:33 > 0:58:35And Sean will be helping with
0:58:35 > 0:58:38a wildlife building project fit for a king.
0:58:39 > 0:58:41We'll see you then. Bye-bye!
0:58:41 > 0:58:43It's good, Dave!Mm.It's good.