Remembrance Countryfile


Remembrance

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BIRDSONG

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At this time of year,

when the leaves change their colours

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and cover the ground

in a carpet of brown,

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we'll also be turning our thoughts

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to the red of summer's poppies.

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It's a time for reflection

and remembrance.

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I'll be discovering how nature

became our medicine chest

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in times of conflict.

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This is one of

our most poisonous plants.

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John, I'd like to introduce you

to deadly nightshade.

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Ellie is getting into the swing

of it as she discovers how the

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so-called "Idle Women"

played an all-important role

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in the Second World War.

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There we go, we've got

some momentum, now.

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Tom reveals the devastating

effect of pubs,

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schools and post offices

disappearing from our villages.

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It just won't be the working, living

countryside that we know and love.

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And Adam is visiting a school where

farming is top of the timetable.

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For some children as well,

it's just an escape.

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They come here to be happier,

to feel calm

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and it helps their whole

school life.

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Across our landscape

meander 2,000 miles of canals.

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Today, these peaceful backwaters

are a haven for wildlife

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and the odd pleasure boat wending

its way through the countryside.

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75 years ago, these waterways played

a vital part in the Second

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World War, keeping desperately

needed supplies on the move.

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Taking a leading role on the home

front were an army of women

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who stepped up and volunteered

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to carry out this important

work on the canals.

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With the outbreak of war,

men were called up, leaving cargo

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boats unmanned and vital shipments

for the war effort undelivered.

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Until a boatwoman, Daphne March,

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suggested the government

recruit female crews.

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Today, Daphne's niece

Kathryn Dodington,

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a Canal and River Trust volunteer

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in Stoke Bruerne in

Northamptonshire,

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looks after one of the wartime

narrow boats.

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Why do you think

she suggested the whole idea?

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I think she was one of those

people that decided

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she could do something for the war

effort and she also saw it

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I think as a way that women could be

seen to be involved in everything.

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What was it about her character

that made her do it?

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She was a bit like my mum,

I suppose.

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She was just, "get on and do it",

and "life's an adventure,

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"grab it with both hands and...

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"go and do it!"

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And here you are,

on the narrow boats.

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Do you think that comes down

from her?

I'm sure it does, yes.

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And it's what my mother would have

called a wholesome occupation!

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Yes, it's very wholesome!

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These canals were the arteries

that kept the supplies

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flowing during the war

and yet the hard,

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dangerous work of these women

was all but forgotten.

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That was until poet Heather Wastie

and dramatist Kate Saffin

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stumbled upon their exploits

on the Grand Union Canal.

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How important were the inland

waterways through the war?

Very.

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They'd been

struggling for a long time,

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but during both the wars,

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they came into their own again,

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because a pair of boats could

carry 50 tonnes of cargo,

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which was a lot more than

a lorry could,

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and use a lot less fuel.

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Where did they come from?

Who WERE these women?

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Middle-class women.

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Some of them a bit bored, nothing to

do, or had very unadventurous jobs.

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I mean, my poem says secretaries,

hairdressers, artists,

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ballet dancers.

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You know, all kinds of women who,

for one reason or another,

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either wanted a sense of adventure,

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or wanted to escape from something.

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Yeah, there's something about that

kind of adventure which was

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something that women from these

sheltered backgrounds liked.

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These newcomers formed

crews of three

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and embarked on their mission.

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Training complete,

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the women were rewarded with

a coveted Inland Waterways badge.

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Ironically, the letters IW

saw them nicknamed Idle Women.

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They were working two boats,

so they had a motor boat like this,

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plus a butty, an unpowered boat

that they towed, with...

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Coming up from London, raw supplies

like steel, aluminium,

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timber - 50 tonnes of it.

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So if they were loading timber,

for example,

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they'd be down here,

in the hold, moving things around,

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making sure everything

was in the right place.

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So it is really exhausting work.

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Oh, yes!

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We reckon about 100

actually started.

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Very quickly that number dwindled...

Some barely lasted...

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Some lasted as little as

a few hours.

Oh, really?!

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Yes. There's an account of one

who stood in the cabin, which is

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ten foot by seven, and said,

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"Oh, where's the accommodation?"

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And on a sort of domestic front,

what was life like - cooking,

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eating, sleeping...?

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What did they have?

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They had a little stove in

the corner. Um, the beds...

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One was like this, one's like that.

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You might end up with your feet

under someone's head, or...

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And if they haven't washed...

then you really have to be

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quite forgiving and friendly then,

don't you?

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On this canal during wartime,

there was no room for gongoozlers -

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the traditional canal word

for onlookers.

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This was, and still is, hard graft.

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The women would have had to do

this by themselves.

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More than 150 of them,

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between London and Birmingham. Ooh!

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On a 20-hour day.

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I'm struggling with that!

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There we go, we've got some

momentum, now.

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Exhausting.

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Idle women? I don't think so.

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Well, it didn't stop.

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You worked from pretty much dawn

till dusk,

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because they had to make use

of all the time they could.

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So it was hard,

heavy work, in all weathers.

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And there were some fierce

winters during the war.

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And working in the industrial cities

targeted by German bombers,

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these brave women

feared for their lives, too.

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The docks were targets, yes.

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Although famously,

the Luftwaffe did use

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the Oxford Canal to find

their way into Coventry.

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They did use it as a road map,

because of the light, the moon

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on it. That's why lock beams are

black, with a little white tip.

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They were painted black

during the war.

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Despite all the hardship and danger,

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these so-called Idle Women, these

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volunteers, stayed at their posts,

dedicated to helping the war effort.

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I often wonder whether,

if I had done it, would I have been

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one of those who stuck it out,

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or would I have done a runner?

Yeah.

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These unsung heroes deserve

our respect and belated thanks

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for their part in Britain winning

the Second World War.

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The impact of both World Wars was

felt across the entire country.

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Here on our canals, in our cities

and the smallest hamlets.

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But as Tom's been finding out,

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the loss of a younger generation is

once again affecting rural life.

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World War I and its aftermath

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tore up the fabric of village life.

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Thousands of fathers, husbands, sons

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left home never to return.

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And through the grief, the worry

of how communities could rebuild

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and prosper.

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Today, villages across the country

are facing a similar worry.

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Though clearly not caused by

such a tragic loss,

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the threat to community life

is just as real.

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Once again, young people are leaving

our villages, but now, the

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social hubs that propped up village

life for years are disappearing too.

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Welcome to Bickington, Devon.

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Population 336.

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Shops, zero.

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Schools, zero.

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Pubs, zero.

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It's not quite an abandoned village,

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but it has become a dormitory,

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populated by retirees

and commuters, with no amenities.

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So that's Grandad there.

Mm-hm.

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That's great-grandad Bertie.

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Caroline Meek's family has lived

in the village for generations.

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Her ancestors helped build

much of this place

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and she still

lives on the same patch.

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Caroline is determined to raise her

daughter in their family home,

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but for 12-year-old Matilda,

there are no activities,

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no playground,

nowhere to meet her friends.

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Well, I'd like to see a bit more,

like a play park and maybe a shop,

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because then we could maybe

get sweets with my friends.

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With the closure of its vital

community spaces,

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Caroline feels the village is

fighting to save its very soul.

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Tell me about your family's

history in this area.

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We have been living in the village

since 1846.

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So many, many generations

of our family have lived here.

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Our great-great-uncle

built this pub, obviously

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he would have had a few drinks

in there as well, I should think!

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Makes me sad to see any pub

with boarded-up doors,

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but I gather this isn't the only

amenity that you've lost?

No,

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we used to have a functioning post

office, a garage, a police house,

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a school in the village hall.

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Many amenities have closed down

in recent years.

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As an individual and as a family,

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you have kind of roots

in the soil here.

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When you see it turning into a bit

of a dormitory village,

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what do you think about that?

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It's really sad.

Remembering it even in my childhood,

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many of these amenities

were still open.

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I kind of feel like this generation

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is letting the previous generations

down.

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It's not just here in Bickington

that the community is clinging on.

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Countryfile has been given

exclusive access to the

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National Housing Federation's

2017 report on rural life.

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The figures are worrying

and reveal that nationwide,

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rural services are quickly

disappearing.

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It's a high-stakes roll of the dice

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in the game that's playing with

the future of our villages.

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Across England, we've lost 52 rural

schools in the last five years.

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That's roughly one every five weeks.

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In the same period across the UK,

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we've lost 116 rural post offices -

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that's about two a month.

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And in just the last four years,

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we've lost 477 rural pubs

nationwide -

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that's an unbelievable

nine per week.

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So, why are our villages

losing this game?

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Monica Burns, from the

National Housing Federation,

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believes that the housing crisis

across the country is the problem.

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Why do you think it is we're seeing

this problem and the decline

of the life of our villages?

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Well, one of the major issues is

that young people

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and working age people and families

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are being forced out of villages

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because they can't afford

to live there. So with young people

and families moving out,

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what's happening is

services are closing down.

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What do you think is the keystone

problem underlying it?

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If you haven't got the houses,

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you're not even at the starting

point. We need houses

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in the community for people

to live in and then the services

come afterwards.

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And to what extent can the

community themselves help to

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turn around this problem?

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Communities can form

Community Land Trusts

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and Community Land Trusts sometimes

do the development independently,

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but often do the development with

the parish council

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and the housing association as well.

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The need for affordable housing

nationwide is well known

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and the government has made some

funding available to

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organisations like

Community Land Trusts

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and housing associations,

to encourage local developments,

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but there is still a long way to

go for our struggling villages.

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What could be the fate of villages

if we don't get this right?

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Well, villages are going to become

like museums.

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The school will be boarded up,

the playground will be silent,

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the pubs will be closed, there

will be no community facilities.

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It just won't be the working, living

countryside that we know and love.

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It's clear that villages

like Bickington need help,

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so could the building of

more affordable homes really

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deliver the lifeline they need?

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Well, I'll be seeing how this game

plays out later on.

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Ranscombe Farm - a beautiful

640-acre nature reserve,

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set within Kent Downs,

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an Area of Outstanding

Natural Beauty.

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With its ancient woodland

and chalk grasslands,

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it's been enjoyed for hundreds

of years by walkers coming here

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to see its wonderful variety

of wild plants.

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And I'm here to discover

how during both World Wars,

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plants like these helped to save

many thousands of lives.

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The German occupation of Europe

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meant vital shipments of drugs

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and medicines were thrown into chaos

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and Britain turned to our native

flora for their healing properties.

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Trevor Dines, a botanical

specialist at Plantlife,

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the wildflower conservation charity

which now manages Ranscombe Farm,

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has studied the use of plants

during wartime.

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All sorts of herbs were used.

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Some of them are really common,

things like nettles

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and burdock, even foxgloves.

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What were they used for?

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Foxglove was used for digitalin,

the drug digitalin,

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which helps regulate the heartbeat,

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so there were some real

proper chemical compounds

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that they were extracting

from these plants to use.

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If you were here in the summer,

John, these fields

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here would be absolutely red with

a wonderful display of poppies.

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There are five different poppies

that we have in Britain

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and at Ranscombe, we're really lucky

to have four of those species...

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Does that include the one

that we wear...?

It does indeed,

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the emblem that we're thinking

about today

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is very much the common poppy

that we see most widely.

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Today, sadly,

the much-loved red poppy,

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that very symbol of remembrance,

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now belongs to one of our

fastest-declining group of plants.

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Unfortunately, this isn't the time

of year to come looking for poppies,

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but you can sometimes find the seed

heads and in fact, look down there -

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there's one of these poppies

that I was talking about.

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Yeah. What kind is that one?

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This I think, from the size of the

seed pod, it looks like opium poppy.

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Yes, here we are.

Opium poppies,

you say?

This is opium poppy.

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When this is green and growing,

a few months ago,

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if you'd have cut that little

capsule there with a knife, it would

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bleed a little drop of white latex

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and that latex has nearly

15% morphine in it,

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so during the war, that need for

pain relief was absolutely

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enormous and opium poppy,

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the morphine coming from that,

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was used to provide that pain relief

on the war fields.

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National Herb Committees were set up

to respond to the staggering

0:16:190:16:22

quantity of medicine needed

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and it wasn't long before

wild plants like poppies became

0:16:240:16:28

nature's healing army - some

of them unexpectedly so...

0:16:280:16:31

John, I'd like to introduce you to

deadly nightshade.

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This is one of our most

poisonous plants

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and we've just got a few patches

here at Ranscombe.

How deadly is it?

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It's not a common plant and in fact,

we're lucky just to find these two

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or three berries on this plant and

this would be enough to kill you.

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Fascinatingly, and this is something

that not many people know, there's a

0:16:500:16:54

drug called atropine sulphate which

comes from this, and this was used

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in both wars in fact as an antidote

to nerve agent chemical gas attack.

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And during the wars,

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they must have needed an awful lot

of deadly nightshade?

0:17:040:17:08

Yes, in the First World War

they needed,

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or they set out a requirement for

50 tonnes of deadly nightshade.

Wow.

0:17:100:17:15

In the Second World War,

that went up to 200 tonnes,

0:17:150:17:18

so a huge amount of this drug

was needed.

0:17:180:17:20

It's still used today -

this is what's amazing -

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in Syria today, with those

chemical gas attacks there,

0:17:240:17:27

atropine is still being used

as an antidote.

0:17:270:17:29

And of course, Trevor,

this emphasises, doesn't it,

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that when you're out for a walk,

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you shouldn't go picking anything

that you don't understand.

0:17:330:17:36

That's right.

Leave alone.

That's the golden rule.

0:17:360:17:39

If you don't know, don't touch.

Leave it alone.

0:17:390:17:41

With so much demand for plants to

help treat the wounded during

0:17:460:17:49

the war, the Ministry of Health

published guides on what was needed.

0:17:490:17:54

And those not fighting

rallied together to forage...

0:17:550:17:58

..including the Scout movement.

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And today, the Seventh Gillingham

Cubs are here to hunt

0:18:050:18:08

for plants used during the war,

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and hopefully earn their Nature

badges.

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So this is foxglove.

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This is one of the plants that you

mustn't eat, but it's OK to pick.

0:18:190:18:22

If you rub it between your fingers

and then have a sniff...

0:18:260:18:29

They smell like...

Is it nice?

Yes.

0:18:290:18:31

It's got a weird name,

it's called black horehound.

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So, what can you see here that we

might be able to use?

Rosehips.

Yes.

0:18:360:18:40

These are rosehips.

0:18:400:18:42

Well, here come our foragers!

0:18:480:18:50

We've had a great time, haven't we?

ALL:

Yeah!

Now, look at this.

0:18:520:18:55

This is brilliant,

you've done a fantastic job, guys.

0:18:550:18:57

What we've got here

is like a wartime medical kit.

0:18:570:19:01

Well, I think in that case,

you deserve one of these, don't you?

0:19:010:19:04

A cub Nature badge.

0:19:040:19:07

There we are. Well done.

0:19:070:19:09

And later in the programme,

I'm going to be meeting a family

0:19:090:19:12

who are passionate about the power

of plants and I'm discovering

0:19:120:19:15

how some of those plants can help us

through the winter.

0:19:150:19:18

Now, who hasn't got a badge yet?

There we are.

0:19:180:19:20

GULLS CRY

0:19:280:19:31

From our wild woodlands

to our untamed seas,

0:19:320:19:36

nature's power is all around us.

0:19:360:19:38

For fishermen, spending time

out in the elements to bring home

0:19:430:19:47

a catch is all in a day's work.

0:19:470:19:50

My name is Andrew Lawrence,

0:19:500:19:52

I'm one of the Osborne family

0:19:520:19:54

and I work down here at Leigh-on-Sea

catching cockles

0:19:540:19:57

on board our fishing vessel

Mary Amelia.

0:19:570:20:00

It's not a job, it's a way of life.

0:20:030:20:05

On a summer's morning, as the sun

comes up...

0:20:050:20:08

there's no better place to be.

0:20:080:20:09

But we are not quite the same as

other fisheries, we don't actually

0:20:140:20:19

go right out to sea, we work

the sandbanks in the River Thames.

0:20:190:20:23

So we suck the cockles up

from the seabed.

0:20:240:20:27

The business has been going

since 1881.

0:20:270:20:30

I'm fifth-generation, so if you

mention Osborne, we're famous

0:20:300:20:34

for cockles, but we're also known

for our role in the Dunkirk...

0:20:340:20:40

Evacuation of Dunkirk.

0:20:400:20:42

My uncle, great uncle

and his cousin,

0:20:460:20:49

they were told they had to go to

a Royal Navy meeting.

0:20:490:20:53

Six cockle boats were being

commandeered for Operation Dynamo.

0:20:530:20:56

They were actually given the choice

0:20:560:20:58

whether to go with the boats

or hand them over to the Navy.

0:20:580:21:02

They weren't letting anyone take

their boats, so...they all agreed.

0:21:020:21:06

One goes, they all go.

0:21:060:21:08

My name is Alfred Smith.

0:21:120:21:14

I went into the Army

in September, 1939.

0:21:140:21:21

That was when war broke out

and I was 20.

0:21:220:21:25

May 26, 1940.

0:21:310:21:33

The beaches at Dunkirk.

0:21:330:21:35

In the face of a fierce

Nazi onslaught,

0:21:350:21:37

Belgium had collapsed and British

and French troops were

0:21:370:21:40

trapped in a pincer as German forces

advanced relentlessly.

0:21:400:21:44

I was on the beach 48 hours.

0:21:440:21:46

No food, no water,

0:21:470:21:50

nothing to drink or eat.

0:21:500:21:52

No shelter, nowhere to hide.

0:21:520:21:54

So you just sat on the beach and...

0:21:560:21:58

just hoped for the best.

0:21:580:22:00

In those days,

0:22:030:22:05

the boats were only designed for

the shallow waters of the Thames.

0:22:050:22:09

They certainly weren't designed to

do Channel crossings or to do

0:22:090:22:12

the job they were asked to do.

0:22:120:22:15

It was just open-decked boats,

0:22:160:22:19

so they would have been open to

everything -

0:22:190:22:21

the elements, the gunfire.

0:22:210:22:23

There was no hiding.

0:22:230:22:25

They didn't really know what they

was letting themselves in for

at the time.

0:22:250:22:29

Well, you did have that Dunkirk

spirit, you see.

0:22:330:22:36

"I'll make it", you know?

0:22:360:22:39

Although a lot of my friends were

getting killed around me,

0:22:390:22:42

um, but...

0:22:420:22:44

You just...

0:22:460:22:47

You know, sort of made up your mind

you were going to do it.

0:22:470:22:51

Their orders were to go into

the beach

0:22:520:22:54

and pick as many troops

as possible up.

0:22:540:22:57

They would then take them off to

the bigger ships to disembark them.

0:22:570:23:01

This went on for another ten hours.

0:23:010:23:03

Eventually,

0:23:040:23:06

saw this ship come in

0:23:060:23:09

and I waded out...

0:23:090:23:10

..up to my neck in water.

0:23:110:23:13

And it was a paddle steamer.

0:23:130:23:16

I was pulled on board the ship

0:23:160:23:19

and that was the last I remember,

0:23:190:23:21

I then passed out completely.

0:23:210:23:23

And you were just lucky, or I was,

0:23:240:23:27

that I got onto a boat

that didn't get hit.

0:23:270:23:29

They'd had the order that they

could go home,

0:23:350:23:37

but the Renown developed

engine trouble.

0:23:370:23:39

One of the other cockle boats,

the Letitia, she'd broken her

0:23:400:23:44

rudder, so she was already in tow

by a tug called the Ben & Lucy.

0:23:440:23:48

So Letitia threw them a line

0:23:480:23:52

and they hooked it over the bow

0:23:520:23:54

and proceeded home.

0:23:540:23:55

They had done a right turn

at Ramsgate and headed towards

0:23:560:24:00

the mouth of the river back home.

0:24:000:24:03

It was then that there was

a massive explosion.

0:24:040:24:06

The skipper of the Letitia at

the time obviously woke, startled.

0:24:080:24:13

All they could hear was all this

stuff raining down on the deck.

0:24:130:24:16

Pitch-black.

0:24:160:24:17

They shouted, nothing came back

0:24:170:24:19

and they pulled the tow line in and

0:24:190:24:22

the tow line was just as they'd

passed it to them

0:24:220:24:24

three hours previous.

0:24:240:24:26

On board at the time was

my nan's brother,

0:24:280:24:30

Leslie and his cousin

Frankie Osborne.

0:24:300:24:34

And Harry Noakes,

who was skipper at the time as well.

0:24:340:24:37

And all three of them were lost.

0:24:380:24:40

They were four and a half hours away

from Leigh,

0:24:400:24:43

from safety.

0:24:430:24:44

LAST POST

0:24:460:24:49

The steel tug that was in front

of them

0:24:490:24:52

had activated a magnetic mine.

0:24:520:24:55

As the Renown came over the top

of it, that's when it exploded.

0:24:550:24:58

And, telling the story now,

0:24:580:25:01

personally, it's...

it's heart-wrenching.

0:25:010:25:04

But it's part of the heritage

down here

0:25:050:25:08

for the family and the company.

0:25:080:25:10

It's something immensely

to be proud of.

0:25:120:25:15

We took about 1,500 to 2,000 troops

off the beaches and,

0:25:150:25:18

Vice-Admiral Ramsay,

0:25:180:25:20

who orchestrated the evacuation

of Dunkirk, commended the flotilla

0:25:200:25:23

of what they'd done and...

0:25:230:25:26

the sacrifice that ultimately...

0:25:260:25:29

..our family made, as well.

0:25:300:25:32

The fishermen at Leigh,

0:25:350:25:38

they were so brave.

0:25:380:25:40

Knowing that they were

0:25:400:25:42

going into danger...

0:25:420:25:43

But they still came

0:25:440:25:47

and done their best to pick you up.

0:25:470:25:49

No, I admire them, I think

they were wonderful.

0:25:490:25:52

LAST POST

0:25:520:25:55

Earlier, we heard how our villages

are declining as they lose

0:26:040:26:08

vital services and residents.

0:26:080:26:11

But could affordable housing

0:26:110:26:12

and a determination to work together

0:26:120:26:15

help turn these communities around?

0:26:150:26:18

Here's Tom again.

0:26:180:26:19

Our villages are losing

their schools,

0:26:220:26:25

post offices and pubs

faster than ever before.

0:26:250:26:28

With nothing to attract

young families,

0:26:280:26:31

they risk becoming little more

than dormitory towns,

0:26:310:26:33

where residents commute,

0:26:330:26:35

quietly age, or move elsewhere.

0:26:350:26:38

It's been suggested that building

affordable housing could help

0:26:380:26:41

reinvigorate

these declining villages.

0:26:410:26:44

But is that really sufficient to

turn things around?

0:26:440:26:47

It's up to councils to make sure

there is enough affordable housing

0:26:470:26:51

and the government has just pledged

£9 billion to help with that,

0:26:510:26:55

but, ultimately, it seems that local

communities need to drive these

0:26:550:26:59

projects for themselves and in some

places, they're doing just that.

0:26:590:27:04

In 1975, Toller Porcorum

here in West Dorset

0:27:070:27:10

lost its railway.

0:27:100:27:12

The school and sawmill quickly

followed, but when the pub

0:27:120:27:16

and post office closed, the

villagers decided enough was enough.

0:27:160:27:20

Local farmer Rorie Geddes was

instrumental in their efforts

0:27:210:27:25

to turn things around.

0:27:250:27:27

You've got some fine looking

properties here,

0:27:270:27:29

but tell me how they came to be.

0:27:290:27:31

It came out of a village plan

that we prepared in 2012.

0:27:310:27:34

We managed to form a Community Land

Trust and take the project forward.

0:27:340:27:38

The new housing project was driven

by the generosity of local

0:27:380:27:42

resident Vanora Hereward,

0:27:420:27:44

who, before her death in 2012,

0:27:440:27:46

kindly donated land

for the village to build on.

0:27:460:27:49

She has given that to the village

for us to build the affordable

0:27:500:27:53

homes on the condition that

a post office was built.

0:27:530:27:55

That is incredible dedication to

the idea.

It certainly is, yes.

0:27:550:27:59

So we've named the close

Hereward Close, after her.

0:27:590:28:02

This affordable housing has not only

helped local families on lower

0:28:040:28:08

incomes to stay in the village,

0:28:080:28:10

but it's also safeguarding

a vital asset in the post office.

0:28:100:28:14

Hello!

0:28:140:28:15

Tom, I'd like to introduce you

to Evelyn.

0:28:150:28:17

Hello, very nice to see you.

0:28:170:28:19

Before the new post office

was built, Evelyn Whitcombe

0:28:190:28:22

spent 15 years running the service

from a rundown house.

0:28:220:28:26

In the previous property

that I was in,

0:28:260:28:29

it really got quite dismal -

damp, wet, flooded.

0:28:290:28:33

And then we had lots of vermin

coming in.

0:28:330:28:36

And how does it feel for you now,

0:28:360:28:37

having experienced it back then,

to be in here?

Oh!

0:28:370:28:40

You just don't know!

Warm and dry!

It's lovely...

0:28:400:28:42

It's a nice, cosy, warm space!

0:28:420:28:45

The post office is a community hub,

but the story doesn't end there.

0:28:470:28:51

The housing development has also

enabled the trust to create another

0:28:510:28:54

vital service that will safeguard

the village's future.

0:28:540:28:58

Great to see the kids having fun,

making a mess, making

0:28:580:29:00

plenty of noise, but how does THIS

link with the houses we saw earlier?

0:29:000:29:04

We get a ground rent

from the housing association

0:29:040:29:06

and we decided to support

projects in the village

0:29:060:29:10

and the toddler group is one of

them.

It's so good, isn't it?

0:29:100:29:13

It creates this momentum of things

that you really want

0:29:130:29:16

and need in the village,

from the housing.

Well, it does,

0:29:160:29:19

because now you can see we've got

lots of children in the village.

0:29:190:29:21

Ten years ago, I think

there were two.

0:29:210:29:24

It's very important that young

people come to live here,

0:29:240:29:26

because they're the future

of the village.

0:29:260:29:28

It's good to see what

villages can achieve

0:29:310:29:33

when everyone works together.

0:29:330:29:35

Affordable housing certainly seems

to be part of the solution,

0:29:350:29:38

but a determined, proactive

community is also essential.

0:29:380:29:42

300 miles north, in the Yorkshire

Dales, while others are losing

0:29:450:29:49

essential services,

0:29:490:29:50

THEY are bringing them all home.

0:29:500:29:52

It started with the community

rescue of a closing dairy.

0:29:530:29:58

Then the police station,

0:29:580:30:00

the library,

0:30:000:30:02

an internet cafe,

0:30:020:30:04

the post office, a bus service...

0:30:040:30:06

Now they're thinking of

affordable homes

0:30:060:30:08

and even taking over

the petrol station.

0:30:080:30:11

Here in Hawes, the community has

taken control of its destiny

0:30:110:30:15

and is thriving, with local

councillor John Blackie...

0:30:150:30:18

Good morning, how are you both? OK?

0:30:180:30:20

..leading the charge for over

20 years to keep vital services

0:30:200:30:23

running from this community hub.

0:30:230:30:26

We're trying to take on everything

that a deeply rural community needs.

0:30:290:30:33

You really have got it all covered.

It's your own fiefdom...

0:30:330:30:36

This place should be called

Blackiestown!

No, no, no,

0:30:360:30:38

it's not Blackie's town, it's a town

0:30:380:30:41

that relies on its self-reliance

to go forward.

0:30:410:30:45

You mentioned the community bus,

any chance we could step aboard?

0:30:450:30:48

I would welcome you aboard.

You can show me around.

0:30:480:30:50

Have a little drive around.

0:30:500:30:52

The Upper Dales community

partnership took over this vital bus

0:30:540:30:57

service to the local train station

when it was threatened with closure.

0:30:570:31:01

When we started in May 2011,

0:31:010:31:04

we only had one volunteer driver,

0:31:040:31:06

that was me.

0:31:060:31:08

We're now carrying 60,000

passengers.

Wow.

0:31:080:31:12

The bus company makes a profit

that funds other vital,

0:31:120:31:16

but loss-making services,

like the post office.

0:31:160:31:19

A struggling local dairy was

the first asset to be taken over

0:31:190:31:23

by the community in 1992.

0:31:230:31:25

It now employs 224 staff

0:31:250:31:28

and has an annual turnover

0:31:280:31:30

of £27 million.

0:31:300:31:32

That was where it began,

0:31:330:31:34

but I'm about to see the community

partnership's latest project.

0:31:340:31:39

Here we are.

0:31:390:31:40

Welcome to the first community-run

filling station in England.

Amazing.

0:31:400:31:45

It's needed by local people,

local businesses

0:31:450:31:49

and it was under threat of being

prey to developers

0:31:490:31:52

and so when we knew there was

an opportunity to step in and take

0:31:520:31:56

it on, as the first community-led

petrol station, we took it.

0:31:560:32:01

So what would you say to

the villages we've seen

0:32:010:32:03

in the south-west

which are really struggling?

0:32:030:32:05

I would say to them,

follow our example.

0:32:050:32:08

Maybe we are a beacon, a pioneer,

0:32:080:32:11

but we're not doing rocket science

here.

0:32:110:32:14

We need people within that community

to lead from the front and

0:32:140:32:18

sometimes partners as large as your

county council -

0:32:180:32:22

backed us all the way.

0:32:220:32:24

But most of all, you need that

community spirit,

0:32:240:32:27

that never-say-die, because

0:32:270:32:28

the minute you start accepting

austerity with all its ravages,

0:32:280:32:33

I'm afraid your community

is on a downward spiral.

0:32:330:32:37

It's sad to see villages like

Bickington and their communities

0:32:380:32:42

struggle and fight, but in places

like Toller Porcorum and Hawes,

0:32:420:32:46

there's a real sense of hope

about what can be achieved

0:32:460:32:49

when a community bands together.

0:32:490:32:51

So, we've heard an inspiring example

of recovery and regeneration, but

0:32:520:32:57

it is really, really tough to escape

0:32:570:33:00

from that vicious circle

of decline -

0:33:000:33:03

the loss of shops, pubs and schools.

0:33:030:33:06

And winning that long fight back

requires energy,

0:33:060:33:11

creativity and passion.

0:33:110:33:13

Earlier in the programme,

0:33:190:33:21

we heard about the female volunteers

who took over the canal

0:33:210:33:25

shipments of vital supplies

during the Second World War.

0:33:250:33:28

The work is remembered here

0:33:310:33:32

at the Canal Museum in Stoke

Bruerne, Northamptonshire,

0:33:320:33:36

on the banks

of the Grand Union Canal.

0:33:360:33:39

Working on the canals during wartime

was not only dangerous,

0:33:420:33:45

but would have been filthy work

carrying coal

0:33:450:33:48

and other supplies back and forth

to London, but this re-creation

0:33:480:33:52

gives us a sense of what it might

have looked like.

0:33:520:33:55

These cheerful paintings,

the traditional castles and roses,

0:33:550:33:59

that folk art that's unique

to our canal systems,

0:33:590:34:02

and inside, there's a mountain

of brass work.

0:34:020:34:05

I have no idea how they had the time

to keep it all polished.

0:34:050:34:08

Let's take a closer look in here.

0:34:080:34:09

It's very bijou in here

and this is a very high-end one.

0:34:110:34:15

The Idle Women would have been very

lucky to have inherited

0:34:150:34:18

one like this,

0:34:180:34:19

but even so, this would have been

for three women - not a lot

0:34:190:34:23

of space for eating, sleeping and

personal possessions and luxuries.

0:34:230:34:27

I don't know how they did it.

0:34:280:34:30

Now, industry and farming

has shaped our landscape

0:34:400:34:44

and put food on our tables.

0:34:440:34:46

Adam is visiting a school where

learning about farming is

0:34:460:34:49

helping vulnerable children

0:34:490:34:51

in need of extra support.

0:34:510:34:53

I feel very fortunate to be

a farmer.

0:34:580:35:00

I was born and brought up in the

countryside and have lived there

0:35:000:35:03

all my life, but many people don't

have that connection with the land.

0:35:030:35:06

And I feel that all children should

learn about farming

0:35:060:35:10

and where their food comes from

and surely

0:35:100:35:12

the best place to do that is

at school - like these lads.

0:35:120:35:15

That's exactly what's happening

0:35:170:35:19

at Hunters Hill Technology

College in Bromsgrove.

0:35:190:35:21

Hayley Simpkin teaches agriculture

to 120 children

0:35:220:35:26

between the ages of 11 and 16.

0:35:260:35:29

The pupils have all got some

degree of learning,

0:35:290:35:31

emotional or behavioural difficulty,

0:35:310:35:34

but working on the school's

purpose-built farm is helping

0:35:340:35:37

with their problems and teaching

them useful skills for the future.

0:35:370:35:40

Hi, Hayley.

Hi, Adam.

0:35:400:35:42

Good to see you.

Nice to meet you.

0:35:420:35:44

Isn't this just a lovely

environment to learn in,

0:35:440:35:46

out here with all the animals?

0:35:460:35:48

Absolutely, they love it,

don't they?

0:35:480:35:50

What is it that makes it

so special then, do you think?

0:35:500:35:52

All our boys are here because

they're either autistic, ADHD

0:35:520:35:55

or they've got social problems

and coming over here just gives them

0:35:550:35:57

a chance to relax and do something

a bit different and outside

0:35:570:36:00

and in the fresh air.

It's really good for them.

0:36:000:36:02

When it comes to farming and growing

and animals, you can

0:36:020:36:05

learn so many different things,

can't you?

0:36:050:36:07

Absolutely.

There's maths, science,

all sorts.

Definitely.

0:36:070:36:10

We do try and get... Quite a lot of

our staff here will bring kids

0:36:100:36:12

over for lessons and do a bit

of cross-curricular work.

0:36:120:36:15

We do a lot with the food

department as well,

0:36:150:36:18

so there's all sorts going on.

0:36:180:36:19

And what jobs are you doing here

today with the sheep?

0:36:190:36:21

We brought the sheep in for an MOT,

0:36:210:36:23

one or two of the little lambs

need their feet looking at.

0:36:230:36:25

Come on, I'll give you a hand.

OK, thank you.

0:36:250:36:28

There's a bit of cuddling

going on, here!

0:36:290:36:31

Yes, she looks quite relaxed,

doesn't she?

My word.

0:36:310:36:33

Go on, then, you sit up

0:36:330:36:35

and I'll have a little look

at that sheep with you.

0:36:350:36:37

Oh, this is a lovely little sheep.

0:36:390:36:40

She likes being cuddled, doesn't

she?

Yes.

What's her name?

Amira.

0:36:400:36:44

Amira. And how old is Amira?

0:36:440:36:47

Over a year old.

Is she?

Yep.

0:36:470:36:50

Do you know what breed it is?

A North Ronaldsay.

Very good.

0:36:500:36:53

And what have you got to do with

Amira today, then?

0:36:530:36:55

We're going to clip her nails

because they're a bit too long

for our liking.

0:36:550:36:58

Let's have a little look. Oh, yes -

they are quite long, aren't they?

0:36:580:37:01

So just a little trim down the edge

there would help, wouldn't it?

Yes.

0:37:010:37:04

So you have to be really careful

that you just clip off the toenail.

0:37:040:37:09

So just down the side...

0:37:090:37:10

There you go,

so that doesn't hurt her at all.

0:37:110:37:14

It's just taking off

that excess hoof.

0:37:140:37:16

And then on the other side...

0:37:160:37:18

And why do you think we cut

the toenails then, Jack?

0:37:210:37:23

So it doesn't grow too long and get

infected.

That's right, yeah.

0:37:230:37:26

If they get too much mud and dirt

in there, it can get sore, can't it?

0:37:260:37:30

Yes.

So if you pull her toes apart,

which are called clees -

0:37:300:37:33

they've got two toes - you can see

0:37:330:37:35

it's a little bit white

and sweaty inside.

0:37:350:37:37

It's a bit like athlete's foot in

people, it's a fungal infection.

0:37:370:37:40

If you smell it, it's really smelly,

so what we need to do is

0:37:400:37:44

put a little bit of antiseptic spray

on that so it doesn't get any worse.

0:37:440:37:47

Make sure you've got the nozzle

pointing in the right direction

0:37:470:37:50

so you don't spray Daniel,

but I'll put my hand behind it.

0:37:500:37:53

You can just spray the middle there,

good - that's it.

You've got it.

0:37:530:37:57

Oh.

0:37:570:37:58

He's got more my hand

than he's got on the sheep!

0:37:580:38:00

At least I'm not going to

get foot rot!

0:38:000:38:02

The children here don't mind hard

work or getting their hands dirty.

0:38:060:38:10

Teaching assistant Jazz O'Mahoney

is supporting two of them

0:38:100:38:13

that love being outside

working with the pigs.

0:38:130:38:15

Hi, guys.

Morning!

I was told

you were out with the pigs.

0:38:190:38:22

How you doing, boys,

all right?

Yeah.

0:38:220:38:24

What jobs have you got to do today,

then?

Muck the pigs out.

0:38:240:38:27

Mucking them out? Brilliant.

0:38:270:38:28

And how old are these ones, then?

0:38:280:38:30

Four weeks old.

0:38:300:38:31

They're lovely, aren't they?

0:38:310:38:33

So, do you prefer to be in the

classroom or outside?

Outside.

0:38:330:38:36

Outside.

Yeah? Do you like being

in the classroom?

No.

0:38:360:38:39

ADAM LAUGHS

0:38:390:38:41

When I'm older,

I want to be a farmer, so... Yeah.

0:38:410:38:45

It's a good way to start,

isn't it?

Yeah.

0:38:450:38:47

So before you came here,

did you ever see animals before?

0:38:470:38:49

No, I'd never seen a sheep,

0:38:490:38:52

a cow or a pig.

0:38:520:38:53

All I did see was a fish.

0:38:530:38:55

ADAM LAUGHS

0:38:550:38:57

They seem to really enjoy it,

don't they?

Yes.

0:38:570:38:59

I think a lot of children here

blossom from this

0:38:590:39:02

and most of them I think

will go on to help with animals

0:39:020:39:04

and farm work, so it will be nice

to see in the future.

0:39:040:39:08

Do you think we should be doing this

in more mainstream schools?

0:39:080:39:11

Definitely. I think every child

should have the opportunity to work

0:39:110:39:14

with animals and understand them.

0:39:140:39:16

Even if it's small animals -

chickens, anything -

0:39:160:39:18

just to interact with them.

0:39:180:39:20

For some children as well,

it's just an escape.

0:39:200:39:22

They come here to be happier,

to feel calm,

0:39:220:39:24

and it helps their whole

school life.

0:39:240:39:26

And then they're more prepared

to go back into classroom.

0:39:260:39:28

Absolutely brilliant.

0:39:280:39:30

Right - come on, then -

let's get these pigs mucked out.

0:39:300:39:32

You're very good with them,

aren't you?

0:39:400:39:42

Go on, piggy. Go on.

0:39:420:39:43

Oh, look - they're excited,

being outside!

0:39:440:39:46

How you getting on there, boys?

0:39:500:39:52

Is it a bit smelly?

Yes!

0:39:520:39:54

Breathe through your mouth,

then you won't smell it so much.

0:39:560:39:59

So what can you use the pig

muck for?

Fertiliser.

0:39:590:40:02

That's very clever, yeah.

0:40:020:40:03

It is quite whiffy!

Keep up the good work!

0:40:030:40:05

I need to get out.

I need to get out!

0:40:090:40:11

It's great to see young

lads like this getting

0:40:160:40:18

an understanding of farming

and food production.

0:40:180:40:21

But there's still about a fifth

of our children nationally that

0:40:210:40:24

don't know where bacon comes from.

0:40:240:40:26

Good skills!

0:40:260:40:27

Elsewhere, another group are having

a lesson on chickens.

0:40:270:40:31

Beautiful.

0:40:310:40:32

So we'll do some chicken questions.

So what is a female chicken called?

0:40:320:40:35

A hen.

Very good.

0:40:350:40:37

And a male chicken?

A cockerel.

0:40:370:40:40

And a baby chicken?

Chick.

0:40:400:40:41

Fantastic.

0:40:410:40:43

So you see this bit on the side

of her head here?

0:40:430:40:45

Can you see what colour that is?

A whitey blue.

0:40:450:40:48

A whitey blue colour, so that tells

me she's going to lay a white egg.

0:40:480:40:51

If she'd got red earlobes,

she'd lay a brown egg.

Is that true?

0:40:510:40:54

Mm, yeah.

0:40:540:40:55

You learn something every day, don't

you? Every day is a school day!

0:40:550:40:58

I never knew that.

0:40:580:41:00

A lot of chickens can't fly

0:41:000:41:02

because they're so heavy,

0:41:020:41:04

but these ones can fly.

0:41:040:41:05

They're quite good at flying,

aren't they? Can you see its wings?

0:41:050:41:08

How big its wings are.

0:41:080:41:09

Shall we do some wing clipping?

0:41:090:41:11

OK, so who wants to hold the chicken

while we clip it? Come on, then.

0:41:110:41:14

What's your name?

Isaiah.

OK, Isaiah.

0:41:140:41:16

Poke your hand out like that.

0:41:160:41:18

Get the feet in.

Sit her on your hand,

0:41:180:41:20

hand over the top... That's it.

0:41:200:41:22

Can you see these long feathers

here, that look like fingers?

Yeah.

0:41:220:41:26

So these are called

the flight feathers

0:41:260:41:28

and these are the ones that let them

actually fly.

0:41:280:41:30

So you see these little

feathers here?

0:41:300:41:32

I'm going to use those as a guide

0:41:320:41:33

and then cut across...

0:41:330:41:36

and just take the ends of

those feathers off.

0:41:360:41:38

They will go everywhere,

but don't worry.

0:41:380:41:40

And that will mean that they can't

get enough of a flap on to

0:41:410:41:44

actually fly away. So I'm only going

to do one side, as well.

0:41:440:41:47

Why do you think I don't do both

sides? Why do you think, Damien?

0:41:470:41:50

Because when she tries to flap off,

she'll turn.

0:41:500:41:53

It does, it makes them

a little bit wonky

0:41:530:41:55

so they can't get enough

lift to get up.

0:41:550:41:57

So, who's going to do the next one?

Me!

OK, shall we catch another one

out?

OK, so there we go...

0:41:570:42:01

Clipping the wings like this is

a common farming practice

0:42:010:42:04

and doesn't hurt the chickens.

0:42:040:42:06

The feathers will grow back in time.

0:42:060:42:08

Keep going, keep going.

Keep going until I say stop.

0:42:080:42:11

Last couple...

0:42:110:42:13

Looking after the animals is just

one part of the pupils' education.

0:42:140:42:18

Understanding the whole process

from farm to fork is paramount...

0:42:180:42:22

so, at the end of the day,

0:42:220:42:24

the children get a chance to cook

the produce raised on the farm.

0:42:240:42:27

You can use both hands...

0:42:270:42:28

So do you know what animal makes

a pork burger?

Pig.

0:42:300:42:33

Pigs, very good.

0:42:330:42:35

See, lots of children wouldn't know

that. It's great that

0:42:350:42:37

you've learned that on the farm.

0:42:370:42:38

That's all part of the process,

isn't it?

Absolutely. It brings

0:42:380:42:41

meaning to what they're doing over

at the farm - they look after them

when they're alive

0:42:410:42:44

and then we learn what we do with

them afterwards.

0:42:440:42:46

And then when it comes to taking

the animals to slaughter, to eat,

0:42:460:42:49

does that bother you?

Yes.

No.

0:42:490:42:52

Do you mind that a little bit, then?

Yes.

What don't you like about it?

0:42:520:42:55

About them being slaughtered.

That's hard, isn't it?

Yes, it is.

I feel sad when I take them off,

0:42:550:42:59

but we do know from the start that

some of our animals are for breeding

0:42:590:43:02

and some of them are for meat,

so you're told from the beginning,

0:43:020:43:05

aren't you, what's going to happen

with those animals.

0:43:050:43:07

Ultimately, selling the meat

pays the food bills.

0:43:070:43:09

And if your choice is to eat meat,

then it's good that you know where

0:43:090:43:12

it comes from, but you don't have to

eat it if you don't want to.

0:43:120:43:16

Well, well done - congratulations,

guys. Good luck in the future.

0:43:160:43:19

I reckon we might make some chefs

out of you yet.

0:43:190:43:22

We saw earlier how during the two

World Wars, our native plants

0:43:300:43:34

provided essential medicines

for wounded soldiers.

0:43:340:43:38

Today, flora and fauna

are still being used,

0:43:380:43:41

but in a different battle.

0:43:410:43:43

And here in Kent, Ranscombe Farm

covers 640 acres

0:43:430:43:48

and it's brimming with

healing plants.

0:43:480:43:51

It's like a giant natural

dispensary at your fingertips.

0:43:510:43:56

Coming from a line of doctors

and surgeons, Scotland's longest

0:43:590:44:03

practising medical herbalist

Brian Lamb believes there's a tree

0:44:030:44:07

that could in the future help to

save the lives of millions.

0:44:070:44:11

And this is it - the sweet chestnut.

0:44:130:44:15

Why is that?

0:44:150:44:17

Well, because the leaf

0:44:170:44:19

may hold a new entry into combating

0:44:190:44:23

bacterial infections.

0:44:230:44:25

And how's that?

0:44:250:44:26

Well, a bacteria colonises

0:44:260:44:29

and the bacteria speak to each other

0:44:290:44:32

rather like on a battlefield,

where communication is central.

0:44:320:44:36

When shall we expand?

How many of us are there?

0:44:360:44:39

And an extract of the sweet chestnut

leaf disarms this communication.

0:44:390:44:45

So an extract from this leaf could

actually do wonders?

0:44:450:44:49

Yes, and this was research carried

out in 2015 in America, showing

0:44:490:44:55

that this leaf will combat the most

virulent form of MRSA, even.

0:44:550:45:01

Of course, there's a lot of

0:45:010:45:02

concern now, isn't there,

0:45:020:45:04

about the potential for failure

of antibiotics.

0:45:040:45:07

Well, we are facing

a antibiotics winter...

0:45:070:45:11

..when antibiotic resistance will

be so great that common surgery

0:45:130:45:19

like hip replacements and Caesarean

section may be more problematic.

0:45:190:45:24

We must seek new ways

of disarming bacteria.

0:45:250:45:28

And possibly, sweet chestnut leaf

might be a new way of looking at it.

0:45:280:45:33

It's incredible to think that

the humble sweet chestnut may

0:45:350:45:38

provide such a huge medical

breakthrough.

0:45:380:45:41

Brian's passion for plant medicine

has been passed down to

0:45:420:45:45

his daughters Naomi and Sophie,

who specialise in herbal remedies.

0:45:450:45:49

What have we got here?

0:45:490:45:51

We've got this wonderful winter

warming hot toddy for you...

0:45:510:45:54

which is very protective over

the winter months.

0:45:540:45:57

What's in this toddy?

So you've got

star anise...

0:45:570:46:00

It's a very well known anti-viral.

0:46:000:46:02

It's star anise that goes into

making the famous drug Tamiflu.

0:46:020:46:06

And we have cinnamon in there

which is for viruses, inflammation,

0:46:060:46:10

we've also got Juniper which is

a decongestant.

0:46:100:46:14

Very nice taste, as well!

It's sweet.

0:46:140:46:16

Not only does it do you good,

it tastes good.

0:46:160:46:19

Where have you got all these

things from, Naomi?

0:46:200:46:22

Well, wonderfully, nature

provides at just the right time,

0:46:220:46:25

so in autumn we have the wonderful

rosehips and elderberry to

0:46:250:46:28

provide you with anti-viral

benefits throughout winter,

0:46:280:46:30

but some are from our own kitchen

cupboards, so there's amazing

0:46:300:46:34

medicinal cabinets within one's home

to protect one's health over winter.

0:46:340:46:39

And what's in this pan here, then?

0:46:390:46:41

Well, we've got some rosehips

which are really, really highly

0:46:410:46:44

nutritionally dense and they're

especially well known

0:46:440:46:46

for their very high

vitamin C content.

0:46:460:46:48

At least 20 times as much as

oranges and for that reason,

0:46:480:46:53

they were given to children

during the war to protect them

0:46:530:46:56

from developing scurvy as the citrus

fruit supplies were being disrupted.

0:46:560:47:01

Cos I can remember as a little boy

having rosehip syrup, you know?

0:47:010:47:05

Yes, most people can.

We all had

it as children in those days.

0:47:050:47:08

Absolutely.

0:47:080:47:09

And what have we got

in the hamper, then?

0:47:090:47:11

Well, we've made this especially for

you, John, cos we know you're out

on location in the cold a lot -

0:47:110:47:15

we thought this'd see you through

the winter months.

Wow, thank you!

0:47:150:47:17

So we have some thyme syrup, which

is an amazing lung decongestant,

0:47:170:47:21

we've got garlic and chilli

to see you through the winter to

0:47:210:47:24

boost the immune system.

0:47:240:47:26

Rosehip syrup and we have the lovely

anti-viral drink in there.

0:47:260:47:29

That should keep me going!

It should do!

0:47:290:47:31

Well, we've had a lovely

autumn day here in Kent,

0:47:370:47:40

but with winter

just around the corner,

0:47:400:47:42

will I be needing any of my herbal

kit in the week ahead?

0:47:420:47:45

Let's find out with

the Countryfile forecast.

0:47:450:47:47

Hello. It was a glorious autumn day

across much of the country today,

0:47:570:48:04

perfect conditions in fact for

Remembrance Sunday, but we had cold

0:48:040:48:09

air blowing down from the north,

gusty particularly in the north and

0:48:090:48:13

east. Quite a few showers and with

those showers and a cold beer,

0:48:130:48:19

wintry in nature here in the hills

of Argyll. But then no showers, dry

0:48:190:48:25

like this, down in Morecambe lake in

Dorset. The cold skies at night,

0:48:250:48:33

those temperatures will tumble away

as we see that blue hue developing.

0:48:330:48:40

They will fizzle away elsewhere, the

south-west by the end of the night.

0:48:400:48:44

The towns and city values are there,

around freezing, but of course in

0:48:440:48:49

the countryside a widespread frost

will develop. -2 down to minus five

0:48:490:48:56

Celsius. In the far north-west of

the country we have this, another

0:48:560:49:00

system bringing in some cloud,

strengthening winds and essential

0:49:000:49:03

outbreaks of rain as well. This high

pressure with the cold arctic winds

0:49:030:49:08

will be slowly moving away so we

will start tomorrow on a cold frosty

0:49:080:49:12

zero, certainly for England and

Wales. Skies turn cloudier for most

0:49:120:49:18

but for Scotland and Northern

Ireland it turns wet and windy and

0:49:180:49:21

you will even see some snow over the

high ground of Scotland and perhaps

0:49:210:49:24

down to lower levels for a time

across central and eastern areas

0:49:240:49:28

before at all times back to rain by

the end of the day is that milder

0:49:280:49:31

air moves in. The weather system

continues to move south and east

0:49:310:49:35

through the course of Monday night,

and then it could be quite chilly to

0:49:350:49:38

start with across the south-east

before the clothes and wind arrives.

0:49:380:49:44

You will see the blue colours pushed

off into the North Sea as the

0:49:440:49:47

yellows and oranges arrived off the

Atlantic. A little blue colours you

0:49:470:49:51

will notice across the far north of

Scotland. A little brightness, quite

0:49:510:49:55

chilly, single figure values, but

elsewhere a cloudy day on Tuesday,

0:49:550:49:59

much milder, 10-12 degrees, and

there will be some drizzle and hill

0:49:590:50:05

fog across western hills. Then in

this north-east corner, bright, the

0:50:050:50:10

best of the sunshine also further

south. Mild temperatures again. But

0:50:100:50:14

a lot of cloud and outbreaks of rain

as well. Into Thursday, something a

0:50:140:50:20

bit more potent expected to push

into the north of the UK, bringing

0:50:200:50:24

gales are even severe gales for a

time across Scotland, particularly

0:50:240:50:28

in the north. Some heavy rains as

well persistent across western

0:50:280:50:32

hills, but elsewhere maybe some

brightness in the south and east and

0:50:320:50:40

it could potentially be the mildest

day of the week with highs of 13, 14

0:50:400:50:43

degrees. On Thursday night that

front sinks south and eastwards from

0:50:430:50:45

the north and then we open the

floodgates to the north-west. On

0:50:450:50:48

Friday it looks like the cold air

making a return again. Across

0:50:480:50:51

Northern Ireland and Scotland that

will eventually wind out as we head

0:50:510:50:55

towards the weekend. This is I think

the picture for Friday, cloud and

0:50:550:50:58

rain across the south and east that

should clear way, brightening sky is

0:50:580:51:03

behind it. Where it is sunniest, it

will be cold as, single value

0:51:030:51:08

temperatures here. The week is quite

a mixture, starting on a cold and

0:51:080:51:15

frosty note, then mild foremost, but

then on it looks it will

0:51:150:51:21

Today, we remember the veterans

of battle and the fallen.

0:51:330:51:37

John's been learning about plants

that saved lives in wartime...

0:51:390:51:43

and I've been hearing about

the women who volunteered

0:51:430:51:46

on the canals

during the Second World War.

0:51:460:51:49

Our symbol of remembrance

is of course the red poppy,

0:51:500:51:53

but the countryside has other roles

to play at this time of year.

0:51:530:51:58

Here on the edge

of the Salisbury Plains,

0:51:590:52:01

surrounded by the garrison towns

of the British Army... In fact,

0:52:010:52:05

you can even hear tanks rumbling

away over there.

0:52:050:52:08

..is a place of sanctuary, treatment

0:52:080:52:11

and healing for the survivors

of war.

0:52:110:52:14

Tedworth House in Wiltshire is

a remarkable recovery centre

0:52:170:52:20

run by Help For Heroes for service

men and women with physical

0:52:200:52:24

and psychological conditions.

0:52:240:52:27

We first visited here three years

ago, but the support

0:52:270:52:30

Tedworth offers is for life

0:52:300:52:33

and there's always something new

to see.

0:52:330:52:35

There are lots of different

therapies on offer here,

0:52:380:52:41

but few can beat the healing

powers of the great outdoors.

0:52:410:52:45

In fact, one of the most popular is

the simple pleasures of gardening.

0:52:450:52:49

The weekly gardening club,

run by Lucy Thorpe,

0:52:540:52:57

with her Springer spaniel Izzy,

offers a haven to some

0:52:570:53:01

and sows the seeds of a gardening

career for others -

0:53:010:53:05

like Major Cornelia Oosthuizen.

0:53:050:53:08

She had to give up her ten-year

Army career

0:53:080:53:10

with a nervous system disorder.

0:53:100:53:12

Cornelia was a star turn at this

year's Invictus Games,

0:53:120:53:17

winning bronze in wheelchair tennis

0:53:170:53:19

and a gold medal in the golf.

0:53:190:53:21

So this is a bit of a change,

isn't it, from the podium,

0:53:230:53:25

receiving gold, to pottering

around the hero's garden?

Yes!

0:53:250:53:28

No, in the best possible way.

0:53:280:53:30

What is it for you, do you think,

about nature, that's so healing?

0:53:300:53:34

Um...

0:53:350:53:36

I think when it comes to nature,

it's that sort of cycle

0:53:360:53:40

and life and new growth.

0:53:400:53:42

It's just really therapeutic

0:53:420:53:44

and helps you to focus on something

that's much more constructive than

0:53:440:53:48

dwelling on some of the challenges

0:53:480:53:50

that you face on a daily basis.

0:53:500:53:52

The beauty of a place like Tedworth

House and what Help For Heroes

0:53:530:53:56

set up is that you're surrounded

by people who have often got

0:53:560:54:00

very similar struggles

and, of course,

0:54:000:54:02

in classic military style,

0:54:020:54:04

we incorporate a bit of black humour

0:54:040:54:06

and banter to get through it and it

makes a massive, massive difference.

0:54:060:54:10

So are you more of a veg garden,

or flower garden?

0:54:100:54:13

These leeks are looking good.

I'm guessing veg.

0:54:130:54:15

I'm trying not to murder

vegetables inadvertently!

0:54:150:54:19

I've got more success this year...

That's good.

0:54:190:54:21

Ah!

0:54:210:54:23

She's apparently a vegetarian today!

0:54:230:54:25

These leeks look ready for the pot.

Yep, I think so.

0:54:280:54:31

Give them a good wash

and chop them up.

Very nice.

0:54:310:54:34

What's not eaten by Izzy goes into

the garden's kitchen.

0:54:350:54:39

Working and eating together is

all part of the healing process.

0:54:410:54:44

At Tedworth House,

there's inspiration at every turn.

0:54:480:54:52

I'm heading away from nature

being tamed in the gardens

0:54:540:54:58

and into the wild woods to meet

one of Tedworth's success stories.

0:54:580:55:03

Three years ago,

Jules Hudson met Michael Day,

0:55:040:55:07

an ex-infantry sniper embarking on

a forestry course here in the woods.

0:55:070:55:12

I was involved in an explosion

with a grenade.

0:55:130:55:16

Damaged my back quite badly.

0:55:160:55:18

Were you suffering from

post-traumatic stress?

Yes.

0:55:180:55:21

I wasn't sleeping, I wasn't, um...

0:55:210:55:23

..wasn't coping very well with

the fact that I wasn't going to

0:55:240:55:27

be able to do my job any more

and that was...

0:55:270:55:31

one of my biggest demons.

0:55:310:55:32

Tedworth encourages

its visitors to return

0:55:350:55:38

whenever they feel the need

and three years on, Michael Day,

0:55:380:55:42

better known as Doris, still seeks

out the tranquillity here.

0:55:420:55:45

Hello! Is it Michael,

or can I call you Doris?

0:55:480:55:51

Call me what you like - Doris!

Doris, is that OK?!

0:55:510:55:53

Yes.

Fabulous. This looks amazing.

0:55:530:55:55

But I understand also that THIS

was built by your fair hand?

Yes.

0:55:550:55:58

Me and a group of other veterans

over the last couple of years, yes.

0:55:580:56:02

Show me around!

OK.

0:56:020:56:03

Tedworth has taught Doris

woodworking skills which enabled

0:56:040:56:08

him and his colleagues to complete

the Iron Age roundhouse project.

0:56:080:56:11

How has this place helped you?

My own injuries are...

0:56:150:56:18

..something we can't see.

0:56:190:56:22

And that's kind of been

understood by Help For Heroes.

0:56:220:56:24

Where sometimes people close

to you don't understand.

0:56:250:56:28

I don't have to explain myself

when I'm here, I don't have to...

0:56:280:56:32

put a face on or be someone

that I'm not, I can be myself.

0:56:320:56:37

So I think the road to recovery

has actually always led to

0:56:370:56:41

or at least through Tedworth House

and I'm grateful for that.

0:56:410:56:45

What's life been like for you

since this place was completed?

0:56:450:56:49

Well, since it was finished, I've

been in a bit of a void each month,

0:56:490:56:52

because obviously I've not had

to come up.

0:56:520:56:54

But it's inspired me to go and find

some work to do with woodlands,

0:56:540:56:58

which is quite difficult to find

at the best of times.

Yeah.

Um...

0:56:580:57:02

But I'm training to become

a utility surveyor.

0:57:020:57:05

So walking the lines, power lines,

0:57:050:57:07

and ensuring that there's a correct

distance between the power

0:57:070:57:11

lines and the trees or foliage

that's growing around them.

0:57:110:57:14

Right.

0:57:140:57:15

Um, it's just walking,

and I like walking,

0:57:150:57:18

and it's on my own.

0:57:180:57:20

And so your knowledge of being in

the woods has helped get you a job.

0:57:200:57:24

Um, I was a sniper, so I loved the

woods and I love the foliage, so...

0:57:240:57:29

Yeah, I think there was always

going to be something for me

0:57:290:57:31

at the end of it to work in the

woodlands, but I didn't ever think

0:57:310:57:34

I would be carving pillars on

a roundhouse that I'd helped build!

0:57:340:57:38

There you go! Not just a woodsman,

but an artist within.

Well, maybe.

0:57:380:57:42

I've seen some of this work, I think

it's amazing! It's incredible.

0:57:420:57:45

And the good work continues.

0:57:490:57:51

The latest batch of recruits is

being taught

0:57:510:57:54

woodcraft by Dave Turner.

0:57:540:57:56

And, so, for a few hours each week,

0:57:560:57:59

they get to leave

their troubles behind.

0:57:590:58:01

The benefits of this fresh air

life are indisputable.

0:58:020:58:05

And while there may be no cure

for some,

0:58:050:58:07

Tedworth offers a place of sanctuary

0:58:070:58:10

and a return to the camaraderie

0:58:100:58:12

these brave men and women enjoyed

in the service of their country.

0:58:120:58:17

Oh, it's good! Really good.

0:58:220:58:24

It's not bad.

Yeah, I like it.

0:58:240:58:25

Well, that's all we've got time for

this week.

0:58:250:58:28

Next week,

we'll be in Hertfordshire,

0:58:280:58:30

where we'll be up to our knees

in the River Lee.

0:58:300:58:32

And Sean will be helping with

0:58:330:58:35

a wildlife building project

fit for a king.

0:58:350:58:38

We'll see you then. Bye-bye!

0:58:390:58:41

It's good, Dave!

Mm.

It's good.

0:58:410:58:43

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