:00:26. > :00:40.Each autumn, the town of Ludlow holds its famous food festival -
:00:40. > :00:45.a showcase for the best in local and seasonal produce.
:00:45. > :00:49.And pressing apples for cider is as seasonal as it gets.
:00:49. > :00:52.Well, Ludlow is top when it comes to local food.
:00:52. > :00:55.It's a gourmet's idea of heaven and I'm going to be sampling
:00:55. > :00:58.some of the delights on offer here at the festival.
:00:58. > :01:02.who's putting the county's native breed back on the map.
:01:02. > :01:04.Come on, Ellie, put your back into it.
:01:04. > :01:09.And forget France, forget Spain and forget Italy,
:01:09. > :01:16.how local pigs are giving their continental cousins
:01:16. > :01:20.and doing their bit for conservation at the same time.
:01:20. > :01:22.Do you want me to get a twist on that for you? Yeah,
:01:22. > :01:26.I've got nothing in me! There we go.
:01:26. > :01:31.And while we're squeezing every last drop from these apples,
:01:31. > :01:46.as forests of foreign foliage and armies of aquatic intruders
:01:46. > :01:49.sweep through our landscape with increasing speed.
:01:49. > :01:52.What does this mean for our own plants and animals?
:01:52. > :01:59.And Adam's across the border in Wales,
:01:59. > :02:03.meeting this year's competitors for One Man And His Dog.
:02:03. > :02:06.Well, you know, I'm half Welsh, Arthur,
:02:06. > :02:29.and, if you're coming out on top, I'm all Welsh.
:02:29. > :02:31.From the top of the Clee Hills and beyond,
:02:31. > :02:44.Sandwiched between the Midlands and Wales,
:02:44. > :02:50.I'm heading to its small medieval market town of Ludlow.
:02:50. > :02:52.Now, its castle was built by the Normans
:02:52. > :02:55.to prevent the invaders from the Wild West.
:02:55. > :03:01.Today, things are a little more peaceful.
:03:01. > :03:03.The only invaders you'll find here are tourists
:03:03. > :03:12.And it's not just the setting that's the attraction.
:03:12. > :03:16.Back in 1995, Ludlow became one of the first places in Britain
:03:16. > :03:23.And it kick-started a foodie revolution.
:03:23. > :03:26.Since then, the town has come together to celebrate
:03:26. > :03:32.all things food and drink at its annual food festival.
:03:32. > :03:35.Local Michelin star chef Will Holland is a big fan
:03:35. > :03:38.of the festival and what it means to Ludlow.
:03:38. > :03:42.I mean, it's been a market town since medieval times.
:03:42. > :03:45.So I think that culture that people have got around here,
:03:45. > :03:48.of buying food properly, so supporting local businesses -
:03:48. > :03:50.going to your butcher's for your meat,
:03:50. > :03:52.your baker for your bread, etc. Yeah.
:03:52. > :03:54.And those values carry through to this day.
:03:54. > :03:56.It's incredible, isn't it, when you look?
:03:56. > :03:59.I mean, the first year of this food festival was, what, 500 people?
:03:59. > :04:03.Yeah. Now, last year - 20,000 people came here. Yeah.
:04:03. > :04:09.17, 18 years ago, this, you know, this was the first.
:04:09. > :04:13.There's no massive sponsorship that comes in from anyone.
:04:13. > :04:15.It's about Artisan, quality food and drink
:04:15. > :04:23.All this talk of food has got my taste buds going.
:04:23. > :04:29.So, we've got a beautiful array of cheese here. This is...
:04:29. > :04:32.Is this goat's cheese? Yeah. It's all goat's cheese. OK, good.
:04:32. > :04:37.I make all these cheeses with milk from our own herd of goats,
:04:37. > :04:51.Put it in there. So that's the Discovery apple juice.
:04:51. > :04:55.and you'll be able to tell that straightaway
:04:55. > :04:57.cos it's got a bit of a...a bit of a tangy taste to it.
:04:57. > :04:59.But that is freshly picked a week ago. Oh, wow, that is!
:04:59. > :05:01.That's almost got sherbet in it. It's almost...
:05:01. > :05:04.It's got a real tang to it, hasn't it? Yeah. Hang on, here we go.
:05:04. > :05:06.James and Richard are letting me loose
:05:06. > :05:08.making one of their signature cocktails.
:05:08. > :05:17.Keep going, keep going. I'm making enough for the whole crew.
:05:17. > :05:19.He's making two! Stop there, that's it.
:05:19. > :05:22.Pop, probably, five raspberries into the blender.
:05:22. > :05:25.Then just literally whack a sprig of mint.
:05:25. > :05:30.And then I'm going to put a few ice cubes in there. Right.
:05:30. > :05:38.Shoot that five times. That's two, now.
:05:38. > :05:46.Most important bit at the end, of course, is the rum.
:05:46. > :05:49.So pour it in, over the ice and the rum.
:05:49. > :05:56.Appearance is everything in cocktails. I've lost the straws.
:05:56. > :06:04.So that, Matt, is a local Apple Raspberry Mojito. Enjoy.
:06:04. > :06:06.I'm going to have a bit just to make sure...
:06:06. > :06:09.Seriously, I made that myself but that's perfect.
:06:09. > :06:13.I think you nailed it, Matt. I think you did. Thank you, Matt.
:06:13. > :06:15.While I'm getting a taste of all things British,
:06:15. > :06:19.Ellie's sampling something with a bit of a continental twist.
:06:19. > :06:22.When the festival first started, nearly 20 years ago,
:06:22. > :06:24.the last thing you'd have expected to find
:06:24. > :06:28.would have been hazelnut and champagne salami.
:06:28. > :06:31.But British charcuterie has undergone a bit of an explosion
:06:31. > :06:38.but this lot is neither French nor Italian nor Spanish.
:06:38. > :06:46.When Sally and Jeremy LaVelle bought this old barn a decade ago,
:06:46. > :06:53.After a series of happy coincidences,
:06:53. > :07:03.they've transformed it into the hub of a thriving charcuterie business.
:07:03. > :07:10.But Sally and Jeremy were complete novices. Come on, pigs.
:07:10. > :07:13.Looking hungry. How are you doing, Sally? I'm very well, thank you.
:07:13. > :07:17.So what was it that got you into farming?
:07:18. > :07:22.Well, when we moved here we acquired 11-odd acres of ground.
:07:22. > :07:25.And we bought a few animals to have a play around with.
:07:25. > :07:28.And really, it was the pigs that we enjoyed the most.
:07:28. > :07:31.But what really fascinated us was the whole,
:07:31. > :07:34.sort of, concept of them living in a field and really,
:07:34. > :07:37.as you can see here, they just destroy the field.
:07:37. > :07:39.Well, there's not much left, is there? No!
:07:39. > :07:44.Fed up with having her fields turned up,
:07:44. > :07:47.Sally found out that pigs do well in woods.
:07:47. > :07:51.Lucky for her, one of the best is right on her doorstep -
:07:51. > :07:55.There was a big plus, too, for the Forestry Commission,
:07:55. > :07:58.who were struggling to control the bracken.
:07:58. > :08:05.So you were approached about having pigs. What did you think?
:08:05. > :08:08.I thought it was quite a good idea because we have a commitment
:08:09. > :08:13.to revert the areas of conifer back to broadleaf.
:08:13. > :08:16.The problem that we tend to have is a lot of bracken.
:08:16. > :08:19.It just swamps the natural regeneration and kills it off.
:08:19. > :08:22.So the pigs come in and they'll disturb the ground.
:08:22. > :08:25.It gets rid of all the root structure for the bracken.
:08:25. > :08:28.So it's a real win-win, isn't it? It is. It's really good for us
:08:28. > :08:32.And when the pigs do come rooting around, they don't take,
:08:32. > :08:35.then, that regeneration of trees that you were hoping for?
:08:35. > :08:40.is that you don't leave them on the site too long.
:08:40. > :08:52.Sally's husband Jeremy is moving another herd of pigs
:08:52. > :08:54.to an ancient woodland site in the forest
:08:55. > :09:11.They're pretty keen. They've got a lot to go and enjoy.
:09:11. > :09:16.Oh, yeah, they'll be keen to get out. That's fantastic.
:09:16. > :09:22.You don't see pigs in woodlands but yet seeing them,
:09:22. > :09:24.it looks very right, doesn't it? It is right.
:09:24. > :09:29.They have those long snouts for a reason. Yeah, yeah!
:09:29. > :09:32.What are the advantages, then, to rearing them in this environment?
:09:32. > :09:34.The pigs are a lot happier. Pigs are an intelligent animal
:09:34. > :09:36.and they're constantly having to do something out here -
:09:36. > :09:43.The carcasses - we get a really good, well-muscled carcass. Good dark meat.
:09:43. > :09:45.So these guys will hang out here in the forest
:09:45. > :09:47.for how long before they go off to be meat? 12 months old.
:09:47. > :09:50.That doesn't sound like a lot but actually that is, compared to...
:09:50. > :09:52.It is, compared to a commercial unit, yeah.
:09:52. > :10:00.gives them a good mature meat, good mature muscle
:10:00. > :10:09.These pigs are bred for charcuterie and that's it.
:10:09. > :10:12.When a year of snuffling around is up,
:10:12. > :10:17.That's the one thing that Sally and Jeremy don't do for themselves
:10:17. > :10:23.but all the hard work happens in here, in their converted stable.
:10:23. > :10:28.Wow. So the salamis get made here on site?
:10:28. > :10:31.Yeah, this is where they get made. Wow! Do you want a go?
:10:31. > :10:35.You need the salami skin which are... they are beef casings.
:10:35. > :10:38.Beef intestines? Yeah, they're beef intestines.
:10:38. > :10:42.Operate the machine with your knee and as it comes out,
:10:42. > :10:49.So what is it that makes your salamis different from, say,
:10:49. > :10:51.you know, an Italian salami? Something like that?
:10:51. > :10:56.As opposed to using different joints for the salami, we use the whole pig.
:10:56. > :11:00.All our herbs and spices come in whole
:11:00. > :11:03.and we grind them on the day of making. A-a-ah!
:11:03. > :11:06.Can you set up that one as a second, perhaps? Yeah, that's fine.
:11:06. > :11:07.Is that enough? That's quite a big salami.
:11:07. > :11:10.Yeah, if you take it off... Take that whole thing off...
:11:10. > :11:14.And how did you learn how to do this?
:11:14. > :11:16.Through a book. So just got a book out?
:11:16. > :11:25.Cos they can be quite snobby about...this is their food.
:11:25. > :11:29.We do sell a lot to Italians, Spanish and French.
:11:29. > :11:31.That's a ringing endorsement, isn't it? It is, yeah.
:11:31. > :11:34.OK, I'm, I think, probably there. That's it, you pull him off.
:11:34. > :11:37.It looks like a maggot, the way I've done it!
:11:37. > :11:57.So here they all are, ready to head off to the food festival.
:11:57. > :12:00.And while we're celebrating the best of British,
:12:00. > :12:02.in other places, our native flora and fauna
:12:02. > :12:05.are coming under increasing pressure from foreign invaders.
:12:06. > :12:09.But are non-native plants and animals really all that bad?
:12:09. > :12:16.Our coastline and countryside are under attack.
:12:16. > :12:23.foreign invaders are heading here in ever-increasing numbers.
:12:23. > :12:30.These intruders are plants and animals known as invasive species.
:12:30. > :12:39.so does the threat they pose to our home-grown flora and fauna.
:12:39. > :12:44.In fact, alien invasive species are claimed to be the second biggest
:12:44. > :12:47.cause of biodiversity loss in the world.
:12:47. > :12:51.And trying to get to grips with these unwanted guests is costing
:12:51. > :12:58.So, to discover their real impact and their cost to our economy
:12:58. > :13:06.I'm heading out to the front line in this fight against a foreign foe.
:13:06. > :13:11.On the surface, Rutland Water may not look like an obvious place to start.
:13:11. > :13:15.But as zoologist David Aldridge is about to show me,
:13:15. > :13:20.beneath the calm exterior of this reservoir, a war is being waged.
:13:20. > :13:23.So, this is the hidden menace revealed, is it, David?
:13:23. > :13:26.It is, yes. So, lining the bed of this reservoir
:13:26. > :13:32.And these species have been spreading in Britain over
:13:32. > :13:38.And they seem to be increasing in many places.
:13:38. > :13:41.A single individual can produce about a million
:13:41. > :13:46.You could have billions in a body of water like this? Absolutely.
:13:46. > :13:50.They are probably the dominant organism in this water body.
:13:50. > :13:54.This is a native swan mussel from a British river
:13:54. > :13:57.and what you can see here is that the zebra mussels have found it
:13:57. > :14:02.So, they've coated the entire exposed part of the shell,
:14:02. > :14:05.totally smothering the native mussels.
:14:05. > :14:07.And what we are finding in the UK is that where zebra mussels have
:14:07. > :14:11.established, the native mussels are declining very rapidly.
:14:11. > :14:15.These mussels made their way here on the hulls of ships from
:14:15. > :14:20.Central Europe. Their arrival has also had a real economic cost.
:14:20. > :14:24.Here, Anglia Water have built this £500,000 tank
:14:24. > :14:28.to sift the mussels out, after they started setting up home
:14:28. > :14:32.in their pipelines, slowly choking off the flow of water.
:14:32. > :14:34.This is our raw water pipeline coming in.
:14:34. > :14:37.It comes into this mussel trap, which is
:14:37. > :14:39.effectively just a big stilling tank.
:14:39. > :14:42.If you open that valve, you can have a look and see.
:14:42. > :14:45.I notice you stepping back a bit there!
:14:45. > :14:53.That really gives you a feeling of the number that are in there.
:14:53. > :15:02.If you were in any doubt of the scale of this problem,
:15:02. > :15:05.This is an overflow tank for the site
:15:05. > :15:10.And look how thick they are on the ground.
:15:10. > :15:14.I can't dig down to the bottom of this pile.
:15:14. > :15:18.And it's not just this patch here, it stretches across this tank,
:15:18. > :15:22.I don't know, like a beach, or a sort of party vegetated dune system.
:15:22. > :15:25.And every year, they have to take tonnes
:15:25. > :15:29.and tonnes of these shells away to make sure the water keeps flowing.
:15:29. > :15:35.Anglian Water alone spends around £500,000 a year tackling
:15:35. > :15:43.That might seem like a lot of money to control such a tiny little
:15:43. > :15:48.creature but that's nothing compared to the £1.7 billion
:15:48. > :15:53.we spend every year on combating alien species overall.
:15:53. > :15:56.From the grey squirrel and American crayfish,
:15:56. > :15:59.to mink driving water voles from our river banks
:15:59. > :16:03.and the small but scarily named killer shrimp, a whole host of
:16:03. > :16:09.animals and plants are playing their part in colonising our countryside.
:16:09. > :16:13.But of the 2,000 non-native species living amongst us,
:16:13. > :16:16.only a few hundred are actually harmful.
:16:16. > :16:19.'Of these, perhaps the most feared is the one
:16:19. > :16:25.'I'm about to come up against, the rapidly spreading Japanese knotweed.'
:16:25. > :16:33.Wow. The sign doesn't prepare you for the jungle in here!
:16:33. > :16:38.I don't know where to start - how long has this taken to grow?
:16:38. > :16:40.This has been here for over ten years
:16:40. > :16:43.but has recently been cut down four times and was cut down
:16:43. > :16:47.to absolutely nothing earlier on this season, so...
:16:47. > :16:50.So, earlier on this season, so it's grown this big within a year!
:16:50. > :16:53.Within a year, that's right. That's astonishing.
:16:53. > :16:56.Mortgages are being turned down because of this plant.
:16:57. > :17:01.Victorians brought knotweed to the UK as an ornamental pond plant.
:17:01. > :17:04.It even won gold medals for its appearance.
:17:04. > :17:10.where its ability to grow over a metre a month, letting nothing
:17:10. > :17:14.stand in its path, has made it invasive enemy number one.
:17:14. > :17:18.is drawn down into the plant underground?
:17:18. > :17:21.It's the root systems you're trying to kill on Japanese knotweed.
:17:21. > :17:24.is to think of it a little bit like an iceberg.
:17:24. > :17:26.What you see on the surface is the smallest part
:17:26. > :17:29.and beneath the ground is the huge rhizome network
:17:29. > :17:32.and that's what we are trying to kill.
:17:32. > :17:37.Japanese knotweed costs the British economy £165 million a year,
:17:37. > :17:42.at least 150 million of which comes from the construction industry,
:17:42. > :17:47.when sites have to be cleared and existing buildings are torn apart.
:17:47. > :17:49.When you see the power of Japanese knotweed,
:17:49. > :17:53.you get an idea why someone with it might be refused a mortgage.
:17:53. > :17:58.Look at this. This gatepost has been completely destroyed by it.
:17:58. > :18:03.And it is just one of 70 or so damaging, invasive species but, just
:18:03. > :18:09.recently, people have realised that some of them might have a good side.
:18:09. > :18:13.Some scientists are starting to extol the virtues of these invaders,
:18:13. > :18:17.saying they have to be balanced against the harm they cause.
:18:17. > :18:20.For example, rhododendrons have recently been found to provide
:18:20. > :18:29.the benefits of zebra mussels are slowly becoming clear.
:18:29. > :18:34.for an hour and already, the water is a lot clearer, isn't it?
:18:34. > :18:38.It is, and it really illustrates the power of zebra mussel filtration.
:18:38. > :18:42.Each one of these mussels has been processing water over this hour
:18:42. > :18:46.and the water has been cleared of suspended sediments and algae.
:18:46. > :18:49.That has potential to actually offer some benefits.
:18:49. > :18:52.We mustn't introduce them to places where they haven't invaded
:18:52. > :18:54.but in places where they have already established large
:18:54. > :18:57.populations, such as here, we could, for instance,
:18:57. > :19:00.work with the water industry to develop "curtains" of zebra mussels
:19:00. > :19:06.at intakes, so they have to spend less money treating useless algae.
:19:06. > :19:10.Benefits like this might not outweigh the costs of foreign invasive
:19:10. > :19:14.species but they show that our fear has to be tempered by taking
:19:14. > :19:20.That is something some say is not happening yet.
:19:20. > :19:25.In fact, there is a growing chorus proclaiming that our obsession
:19:25. > :19:31.with invaders from overseas is blinding us to a home-grown danger.
:19:31. > :19:43.I'll be revealing this enemy within and investigating its impact later.
:19:43. > :19:45.On the banks of the River Ouse in Yorkshire,
:19:45. > :19:50.one of our rarest native species is just about holding on.
:19:50. > :19:54.James went along in spring to find out why its last remaining
:19:54. > :20:03.The tansy beetle is right at the top of our most endangered species list.
:20:03. > :20:06.Appropriately in these parts, it's known as the Jewel of York.
:20:06. > :20:09.Once widespread in Britain, it is now confined to a few
:20:09. > :20:14.isolated colonies along just one small stretch of the River Ouse.
:20:14. > :20:18.It relies entirely on this little guy here for its survival.
:20:18. > :20:22.It's a plant called tansy, and it's from this which it gets its name.
:20:22. > :20:25.The problem is, right along this stretch of river,
:20:25. > :20:28.the plant is finding it really difficult to cling onto
:20:28. > :20:31.the banks and that is devastating news for the beetle.
:20:31. > :20:34.Unseasonal flooding has eroded the river banks,
:20:34. > :20:37.washing away tansy plants and, with it, both the adult beetles
:20:37. > :20:47.Last summer, the entire British tansy beetle population was halved.
:20:47. > :20:55.'TBAG, the Tansy Beetle Action Group, is trying to reverse
:20:55. > :20:59.'this dramatic decline by shoring up the beetle's habitat in the area.'
:20:59. > :21:04.You've got another willing volunteer/victim, Mark!
:21:04. > :21:06.What can I help you out with? You can help us with planting.
:21:06. > :21:09.This is one thing I can do, I'm not so good with the animal stuff.
:21:09. > :21:15.Flooding isn't the only problem facing the beetles' environment.
:21:15. > :21:19.The tansy plant is out-competed by invasive species and it is also
:21:20. > :21:22.a tasty meal for cattle, grazing along the river bank.
:21:22. > :21:27.a series of enclosures to keep them out.
:21:27. > :21:30.a chain of these things along the river.
:21:30. > :21:34.That's the idea, it's like a linear nature reserve, a corridor.
:21:34. > :21:37.The plants have to be 150m apart at the most, for them
:21:37. > :21:40.to have a chance of finding their way from one clump to another.
:21:40. > :21:42.They can't find the plants very easily if the plants are
:21:42. > :21:45.widely scattered, so we need lots of clumps of tansy all along the river.
:21:46. > :21:49.It's a very clever evolutionary strategy, this beetle -
:21:49. > :21:53.and domesticate humans to do gardening for you!
:21:53. > :21:56.Exactly, if you are shiny and bright then people care, don't they?
:21:56. > :22:00.If you are brown and boring, nobody cares.
:22:00. > :22:03.And there are two TBAG members who have taken
:22:03. > :22:09.the task of rescuing the tansy beetle one step further.
:22:09. > :22:13.Dr Geoff Oxford from the University of York and his wife, Roma,
:22:13. > :22:21.have been breeding the tansy beetles in their kitchen!
:22:22. > :22:29.Guys, I've never seen an endangered insect-breeding station before.
:22:29. > :22:31.But this is totally not what I expected.
:22:31. > :22:33.Talk me through what's going on here.
:22:33. > :22:38.OK, so, a bucket with tansy growing in it and, in the net,
:22:38. > :22:41.we have adult beetles. OK. And at this time of year,
:22:41. > :22:44.they are mating and laying bright yellow eggs.
:22:44. > :22:50.'Roma gives the larvae the best possible chance of survival.
:22:50. > :22:53.'She keeps them in separate pots and that's for a very good reason.'
:22:53. > :22:56.The tansy beetle eats tansy beetle eggs.
:22:56. > :23:01.It's a really annoying habit for a breeder.
:23:01. > :23:04.Also, it doesn't do great things for the beetles themselves.
:23:04. > :23:08.To protect their offspring from being eaten, tansy beetles
:23:08. > :23:11.have evolved to lay their eggs away from the tansy plant.
:23:11. > :23:16.how do they subsequently find the only thing they can eat?
:23:16. > :23:19.Well, in here, no problem. But in the wild,
:23:19. > :23:24.they've only got four days in which to find their proper food plant.
:23:24. > :23:26.And they can't... And then they die of starvation.
:23:26. > :23:29.But nothing's simple for this beetle.
:23:29. > :23:32.Although tansy is a highly scented plant,
:23:32. > :23:35.the tansy beetle can't detect it from any sort of distance.
:23:35. > :23:39.It only knows it is tansy when it steps on it.
:23:39. > :23:42.So, when they are wandering between tansy clumps,
:23:42. > :23:45.they don't know where they're going, they just wander at random.
:23:45. > :23:48.So, these won't fly away when this is opened?
:23:48. > :23:51.No, this is the curious thing about them, they have fully
:23:51. > :23:55.functional wings but they do not fly, they walk everywhere.
:23:55. > :23:58.And yet, in the Netherlands, it's been reported that they do fly.
:23:59. > :24:01.So, whether there is something strange about the flight muscles
:24:01. > :24:06.of British tansy beetles, I don't know. So, they can't fly. No.
:24:06. > :24:09.They can't sense any of the plants they want to eat at a distance. No.
:24:09. > :24:13.And they are cannibals, on top of that. Yeah.
:24:13. > :24:17.I'm beginning to see why this thing is becoming extinct!
:24:17. > :24:22.I mean, no-one would notice in terms of human economy
:24:22. > :24:27.if pandas disappeared. But we'd be really sad to see the end of them.
:24:27. > :24:31.And likewise with the tansy beetle, I want my grandchildren,
:24:31. > :24:35.my granddaughters, to be able to walk along the River Ouse
:24:35. > :24:39.and see tansy beetles in years to come, that's why we do it.
:24:39. > :24:44.Geoff and Roma's plan to reintroduce tansy beetles into the wild
:24:44. > :24:49.Last autumn, they released 29 homebred beetles into
:24:49. > :24:56.the centre of York, where they are on public view in the museum garden.
:24:56. > :24:59.Alison, you are the garden manager here, explain this to me.
:24:59. > :25:02.I was expecting wall-to-wall, monoculture tansy.
:25:02. > :25:04.But there is all sorts of stuff here. That's right.
:25:04. > :25:08.Well, these beds were specifically planted for the tansy beetles
:25:08. > :25:11.and what we're trying to do is recreate the sort of natural
:25:11. > :25:14.environment they would have on the banks of the River Ouse.
:25:14. > :25:17.Tansy is their main food plant in Britain but, on the Continent,
:25:17. > :25:19.they are found on all sorts of other plants.
:25:20. > :25:24.And it's actually really good to have a nice mix of species.
:25:24. > :25:27.creating the next generation, as well.
:25:27. > :25:30.There is definitely some beetle on beetle action going on there!
:25:30. > :25:35.This is what we've been waiting for. It's the fruition of the project,
:25:35. > :25:38.to establish a proper breeding colony here.
:25:38. > :25:53.So, to actually see them mating, it's fantastic.
:25:53. > :26:00.I had never even heard of the tansy beetle, with its crazy,
:26:00. > :26:05.iridescent colours and very weird evolutionary finickiness.
:26:05. > :26:09.But with the fantastic work of the TBAG project, hopefully,
:26:09. > :26:19.these little guys will be around for generations to come.
:26:19. > :26:22.I'm in Shropshire, where I've been trying some tasty
:26:22. > :26:26.delights on display at the Ludlow Food Festival.
:26:26. > :26:31.For nearly 20 years, this market town has been showcasing
:26:31. > :26:39.some of its finest local produce at its festival.
:26:39. > :26:42.On a 50-acre farm just outside of town,
:26:42. > :26:46.Pippa Geddes keeps a flock of England's oldest pedigree sheep.
:26:46. > :26:52.I'm going to be following some of her lamb from field to fork
:26:52. > :26:56.and I'll be serving it up at the festival.
:26:56. > :27:01.So, Pippa, these are your girls, then. They are. Well, some of them!
:27:01. > :27:03.Aren't they lovely? And how long have you kept Shropshires,
:27:03. > :27:07.and why Shropshires, of all the breeds that you could have chosen?
:27:07. > :27:09.Well, we've had this flock for 14 years now.
:27:09. > :27:12.We had seen the breed and thought, "That looks attractive," but
:27:12. > :27:16.since we've had them, they've proved to be really good commercial sheep.
:27:16. > :27:20.Very much a kind of dual-purpose breed as well, good for meat
:27:20. > :27:23.and very good for fleece as well. Yeah.
:27:23. > :27:28.40 years ago, though, the Shropshire sheep fell out of favour.
:27:28. > :27:35.they found themselves on the Rare Breed Survival Trust watchlist.
:27:35. > :27:38.But earlier this year, that all changed.
:27:38. > :27:41.The breed has increased dramatically in numbers, which is
:27:41. > :27:44.brilliant news, and we've now got about 4,000.
:27:44. > :27:47.But there is more to this breed than first meets the eye.
:27:48. > :27:50.As well as being good for wool and meat,
:27:50. > :27:53.they are also great for conservation too.
:27:53. > :27:59.So, that means that unlike other breeds,
:27:59. > :28:02.which would be tempted to nibble branches and, worse still,
:28:02. > :28:09.these sheep can be grazed in plantations of small trees.
:28:09. > :28:12.We are talking about sort of small Christmas trees
:28:12. > :28:19.And just like the pigs that Ellie saw earlier,
:28:19. > :28:21.the Shropshire sheep is proving a very green
:28:21. > :28:26.and cost-effective alternative at managing the undergrowth.
:28:26. > :28:31.'That's mating, if you are unfamiliar with shepherding terms.
:28:31. > :28:34.'So, there is work to do for one lucky boy.'
:28:34. > :28:39.My word! He's a big lad. Yes, he's quite a hunk, isn't he? Hello!
:28:39. > :28:42.So, who's this, then? This is Special Agent. Special Agent!
:28:42. > :28:46.'I'm helping Pippa to fit a piece of kit called a raddle.'
:28:46. > :28:52.Basically, as Special Agent jumps onto the back of the sheep,
:28:52. > :28:58.this little crayon at the front here rubs off onto their back end,
:28:58. > :29:05.Look at the size of this back end! That's the idea, isn't it?
:29:05. > :29:08.We're looking at, obviously, the length of his body,
:29:08. > :29:11.so you can get plenty of meat on there and then...
:29:11. > :29:17.Whoa, that's lovely. He's a belter!
:29:17. > :29:22.That's Special Agent all raddled up, so let's get him out in the field.
:29:22. > :29:26.I'll just hold him... Whoo-hoo! Hang on a second. Come here, mate.
:29:26. > :29:29.There you go. So, just slacken that off. There you go.
:29:30. > :29:35.Hello, girls! Playing hard to get. Oh, yes.
:29:35. > :29:39.Oh, she's interested, straightaway. Told you he was a hunk.
:29:39. > :29:44.It looks like... There we are and, yeah, there's the first red mark!
:29:44. > :29:48.You know, it is lovely to be here and to see a heritage breed
:29:48. > :29:52.that was meant to be in these fields, thriving again.
:29:52. > :29:55.Tell you what, he's not going to be in here long, is he?
:29:55. > :29:59.We'll be taking him out this afternoon, he's not hanging around!
:29:59. > :30:02.'So, you heard it here first, the Shropshire sheep has it all.
:30:03. > :30:06.'It's a great grazer, it's a woolly wonder...'
:30:06. > :30:12.'Well, that's what local butcher Ian Rae thinks.'
:30:12. > :30:15.That's the Shropshire lamb, Matt. Wow!
:30:15. > :30:22.In fact, he specialises in traditional and rare breed meats.
:30:22. > :30:25.We feel that you get a lot better flavour
:30:25. > :30:28.on pure, grass-fed, traditional breeds.
:30:28. > :30:30.I'm really excited about this, Ian, because I've spent
:30:30. > :30:33.so much time producing lamb but never really had the pleasure
:30:33. > :30:36.of talking to somebody like yourself, in cutting the carcass up.
:30:36. > :30:38.'I'm after something a little special
:30:38. > :30:42.How long have you been a butcher, Ian?
:30:42. > :30:48.Well, I'm 50 now and I started when I was 12 years old.
:30:48. > :30:52.'Under Ian's watchful eye, I'm preparing some chops.
:30:52. > :30:58.So, what is the technical term of the cut that we are creating here?
:30:58. > :31:02.We are creating a best end neck of lamb, French trimmed.
:31:02. > :31:04.Oh, French trimmed! Yeah. That's what...
:31:04. > :31:06.Is it all right to be French trimmed, with a British breed?
:31:06. > :31:09.I know, that's unfortunately the name of it.
:31:09. > :31:13.So, let's do the fancy bit then. Oh, it's fiddly!
:31:13. > :31:15.You've got to do it in just one cut, haven't you?
:31:15. > :31:17.Otherwise, you end up making a right mess. That's right.
:31:17. > :31:19.But believe me, Matt, for your first time,
:31:19. > :31:22.you're not doing a bad job at all there. Oh, yes!
:31:22. > :31:26.Typically, when you're eating them now,
:31:26. > :31:29.they are easy to cook, easy to present on a barbecue,
:31:29. > :31:32.or what have you, then when it's ready to eat, you've got the bone,
:31:32. > :31:35.you're not touching the meat, you get it straight in you. Perfect!
:31:35. > :31:41.Beef. Is it? It's got to be beef! It's got to be beef.
:31:41. > :31:47.'Something I'll be doing with military precision
:31:47. > :31:58.Earlier, we heard about the threat to our countryside from some
:31:58. > :32:06.But should we also be looking a little closer to home? Here's Tom.
:32:06. > :32:10.Protecting our countryside against destructive foreign plants
:32:10. > :32:15.Yet, there are those who want some of that money
:32:15. > :32:22.This place shows you the problem. Here in Cornwall,
:32:22. > :32:26.they have a team dedicated to getting rid of Japanese knotweed
:32:26. > :32:29.and, as you can see, it's dying back pretty well here.
:32:29. > :32:37.Well, we've got nettles, brambles and bracken.
:32:37. > :32:40.They make up the unholy trinity of domestic bullies
:32:40. > :32:45.and many people say they're just as harmful.
:32:45. > :32:52.botanist David Pearman's taking me on a coastal ramble, searching
:32:52. > :32:57.for a plant that's been driven out by the rise of these British bullies.
:32:57. > :33:00.What have we got here? Not just a comfy spot on a steep hill.
:33:00. > :33:04.This is wild thyme, one of our iconic plants.
:33:04. > :33:10.Here is bramble, bracken, gorse encroaching.
:33:10. > :33:15.It really is a small island of delicate, fragile thyme
:33:15. > :33:17.surrounded by these bullies encroaching on all sides.
:33:17. > :33:24.the whole hillside would have been little patches of thyme with
:33:24. > :33:27.longer grasses and perhaps the odd bit of gorse there too.
:33:27. > :33:31.And, in terms of other wildlife, what is the thyme important for?
:33:31. > :33:35.It was crucial for this iconic butterfly, the large blue.
:33:35. > :33:40.The last colony was seen just north of here in 1979.
:33:40. > :33:43.And you think the advancement of these kinds of plants is partly
:33:43. > :33:45.responsible for wiping it out? Undoubtedly.
:33:45. > :33:50.The extent to which domestic invasives have spread nationwide
:33:50. > :33:53.and their true impact has been widely ignored
:33:53. > :33:59.But one woman who's trying to untangle this thorny problem
:33:59. > :34:06.to map and analyse the British countryside.
:34:06. > :34:09.We've been finding that there's been a big increase in species
:34:09. > :34:16.and we found in those that they've doubled in the amount
:34:16. > :34:20.of cover in the plot in the past 20 years and also increased
:34:20. > :34:23.the number of plots we find them in, so it's been quite substantial.
:34:23. > :34:26.It seems like quite a steep rise. Why is this happening?
:34:26. > :34:29.It's probably related to the release of nitrogen
:34:29. > :34:31.into the environment which comes from fertilisers
:34:31. > :34:34.and also there's atmospheric deposition from power stations
:34:34. > :34:38.and also to do with management as well. Does it matter? Yes,
:34:38. > :34:41.because it means you're losing species
:34:41. > :34:43.underneath smaller flowering species.
:34:43. > :34:50.Lindsay has detected domestic thugs in over one third of areas,
:34:50. > :34:53.whereas non-native invasives are found
:34:53. > :35:01.What you don't see is much policy or joined-up thinking on how to
:35:01. > :35:09.And where are these, the detailed, ambitious policy documents?
:35:09. > :35:15.These are for foreign invasives. Where's the domestic equivalent?
:35:15. > :35:18.Many would say we simply don't need one.
:35:18. > :35:21.Though the voices calling for recognition of domestic invaders
:35:21. > :35:25.are growing, they're still in a minority,
:35:25. > :35:28.fighting the dominant view that non-native nasties
:35:28. > :35:32.like this Japanese knotweed, bagged up and being dumped deep underground,
:35:32. > :35:39.Do you think we have enough focus on tackling our domestic threat?
:35:39. > :35:42.If I am a fragile plant, I am probably more likely to be
:35:42. > :35:45.swamped by bracken or brambles than I am by an invader.
:35:45. > :35:52.stewardship schemes et cetera, to assist landowners
:35:52. > :35:58.but we don't have a specific remit for the management of those species.
:35:58. > :36:00.Do you think that's right, you don't have the remit?
:36:00. > :36:03.Or could it be something, the might of some of these statistics
:36:03. > :36:05.about the power of these domestic bullies,
:36:05. > :36:09.I think our priority always has to be the non-native species
:36:09. > :36:13.simply because they lack natural pests and enemies.
:36:13. > :36:17.Native bullies, as you call them, have co-evolved.
:36:17. > :36:20.We shouldn't be gardening the countryside,
:36:20. > :36:25.But is getting to grips with our home-grown invaders trying to
:36:25. > :36:29.tame the countryside or, as others would claim, simply protecting
:36:29. > :36:35.our more delicate plants and animals from enemies both near and far?
:36:35. > :36:38.This place definitely proves that, left unchecked,
:36:38. > :36:42.some of our domestic bullies have the power to take over.
:36:42. > :36:44.It's not that we should take our eye off the ball
:36:44. > :36:47.when it comes to foreign invaders but for the sake of our most
:36:48. > :36:55.maybe we need to shift the balance a little.
:36:55. > :36:58.Now, I've got some very important news to tell you.
:36:58. > :37:03.I am delighted that we are about to be joined by another TV legend.
:37:03. > :37:06.Yes, in a couple of weeks' time, we will be welcoming
:37:06. > :37:10.the wonderful One Man And His Dog into the Countryfile fold.
:37:10. > :37:14.we will be meeting the very best sheepdog handlers
:37:14. > :37:16.from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales,
:37:16. > :37:20.who will be battling it out to become the champion of 2013.
:37:20. > :37:29.So we sent Adam to the very place where sheepdog trialling began.
:37:29. > :37:37.just under nine million sheep graze its fields and mountains.
:37:37. > :37:43.a challenge for even the most experienced of shepherds.
:37:43. > :37:48.in the picturesque Conwy Valley to meet two sheepdog handlers
:37:48. > :37:55.who'll be representing Wales in this year's One Man And His Dog.
:37:55. > :37:58.First up, competing in the singles round, Arthur Roberts.
:37:58. > :38:02.He farms 700 sheep in the village of Pentrefoelas.
:38:02. > :38:06.Arthur's an old hand at trialling and has won plenty of competitions.
:38:06. > :38:08.You could say he's a poacher turned gamekeeper.
:38:08. > :38:13.Back in 2011, he appeared on One Man And His Dog as a judge.
:38:13. > :38:17.Arthur's hanging his hopes on this dog, Chip, a five-year-old,
:38:17. > :38:25.who apparently likes to show the sheep who's boss.
:38:25. > :38:31.How good is he? He's good on a good day. He can be a bit rebellious.
:38:31. > :38:35.He's great working in the field over there
:38:35. > :38:38.but how far up the mountain could you work him from here?
:38:38. > :38:43.On a clear, calm day, you can send him to the top.
:38:43. > :38:48.That's incredible. That's 1.5 miles away. The best part of, yes.
:38:49. > :38:53.And now he's working in here, just close quarters,
:38:53. > :38:57.very different discipline. How do you teach him the difference?
:38:57. > :39:03.So let's put him through his paces. Shall we try something? Yeah, OK.
:39:03. > :39:10.HE WHISTLES THREE NOTES And that's a stop? Yeah.
:39:10. > :39:18.It's wonderful, he's speaking Welsh to the dog.
:39:18. > :39:23.He's got those going really nicely. Shall we bring the sheep up and see
:39:23. > :39:26.if you can shed one out like they do in a trial? Yes, we can give it a go.
:39:26. > :39:29.I'll watch you at your work. I'll stand back and let you do it. OK.
:39:29. > :39:35.So what Arthur has to do now is bring the sheep up close to him
:39:35. > :39:40.so he has to work those sheep away from the other ones.
:39:40. > :39:42.They want to stick together as a flock,
:39:42. > :39:47.so this is a huge amount of art and control through the shepherd
:39:47. > :39:50.and the dog working together in harmony.
:39:50. > :40:02.That was brilliant, Arthur. What's the art in getting a dog to do that?
:40:02. > :40:05.Because the sheep are desperate to be together, aren't they? Oh, yes, yes.
:40:05. > :40:09.Well, it boils down to their instincts, in a way.
:40:09. > :40:14.Naturally, they would herd sheep towards their boss,
:40:14. > :40:17.which would be the leader of the pack.
:40:17. > :40:19.It's harnessing that willing to kill.
:40:19. > :40:25.And in other words, that's the most important thing with sheepdogs.
:40:25. > :40:30.When it comes to the trialling, and you've done a lot over the years,
:40:30. > :40:39.Trying to be as calm as possible and a great element of luck.
:40:39. > :40:46.without some elements of fortune on your side.
:40:46. > :40:53.And is it as much about the person as it is the dog?
:40:53. > :41:00.the dog will tend to be a bit on the skittish side.
:41:00. > :41:06.And can they feel your nerves on the day? Very much so, yes, very much so.
:41:06. > :41:10.It's very transparent. Now, you've been trialling for how many years?
:41:10. > :41:17.You've got an awful lot of experience,
:41:17. > :41:20.so when it comes to this One Man And His Dog this year,
:41:20. > :41:23.you must fancy your chances a bit, don't you?
:41:23. > :41:28.It depends on the course and the type of sheep. And the competition?
:41:28. > :41:35.Everybody will be gunning out, I'm sure.
:41:35. > :41:36.Well, you know, I'm half Welsh, Arthur,
:41:36. > :41:51.And if you're coming out on top, I'm all Welsh.
:41:51. > :41:55.Joining Arthur to represent Wales is young handler Gwenllian Pyrs.
:41:55. > :42:00.she's our only female competitor in this year's competition.
:42:00. > :42:05.She's been trialling for two years and at the moment has a big dilemma.
:42:05. > :42:08.She's torn between using a six-year-old bitch
:42:08. > :42:19.This round clearly isn't One MAN And His Dog.
:42:19. > :42:22.Now then, Gwenllian, you're going to have to decide sooner or later.
:42:22. > :42:26.The trial's not long away, you know! I know. Go on, then, send them off.
:42:26. > :42:29.Way. LOW WHISTLE
:42:29. > :42:32.They're both keen, aren't they? Lie down! Lie down!
:42:32. > :42:36.So what's the dilemma over choosing between the dog and the bitch?
:42:36. > :42:40.The bitch usually comes in season in October,
:42:40. > :42:46.And in your mind, which is the best one? The bitch. Really?
:42:46. > :42:50.So if she comes into season, you'll have to bring the dog.
:42:50. > :42:53.Will that lower your chances, then? Hopefully not.
:42:53. > :43:03.She's got more power and she's faster as well. Is she? Yeah.
:43:03. > :43:05.And why do you like a dog with a bit of power?
:43:05. > :43:10.If the sheep are heavier, it's better to have a powerful dog.
:43:10. > :43:17.And if they're bit flighty, is she too strong? No, she's not bad.
:43:17. > :43:28.You can keep her under control? Sometimes, yeah.
:43:28. > :43:31.Gwenllian's one of ten children in the Pyrs family.
:43:31. > :43:34.They've all grown up with working dogs and trialling.
:43:34. > :43:41.took part in One Man And His Dog three years ago.
:43:41. > :43:52.So you were in One Man And His Dog in 2010? Yes. Which one was it?
:43:52. > :43:56.This one, Taran. And how did you get on? Not very well.
:43:56. > :44:00.She wasn't that fit at the time, so she didn't work as well as I hoped.
:44:00. > :44:05.but that's quite an achievement just to get into that. Yes, I guess.
:44:05. > :44:09.Yes, truly nerve-racking with all the cameras there.
:44:09. > :44:14.And have you got some advice for your sister? I'd say, be confident.
:44:14. > :44:17.Forget about the cameras and try your best.
:44:17. > :44:20.So, it shouldn't be One Man And His Dog, should it?
:44:20. > :44:23.It should be One Girl And Her Dog. Yeah! I don't know.
:44:24. > :44:26.There's more girls in it now than there used to be.
:44:26. > :44:28.Yeah. And do you think girls are better than the boys?
:44:28. > :44:31.Have you got a better temperament? I don't know.
:44:31. > :44:35.We'll have to see on the day, won't we?
:44:35. > :44:45.How do you fancy your chances in the competition?
:44:45. > :44:51.but with the bitch I'm more confident.
:44:52. > :44:56.So you might come away with a trophy? Hopefully, yes!
:44:56. > :45:10.Helen will be catching up with last year's winner of the singles
:45:10. > :45:13.and the young handler hoping to make his mark.
:45:13. > :45:17.Which of the four nations will be the ultimate winner of
:45:17. > :45:30.Find out on Countryfile on 27th October.
:45:30. > :45:34.ELLIE: We're at the famous Ludlow Food Festival in Shropshire,
:45:34. > :45:43.a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.
:45:43. > :45:48.but there's one very special local fruit that I'm
:45:48. > :45:52.heading out into the country to find.
:45:52. > :45:58.It's not exactly what I'd call a prune and, actually, it's a damson.
:45:58. > :46:02.It used to be grown on a huge scale round these parts but since then
:46:02. > :46:06.it's fallen out of favour, so the trees are few and far between
:46:06. > :46:09.but there is one woman on a mission to preserve it,
:46:09. > :46:15.Catherine Moran really loves Shropshire prunes.
:46:16. > :46:18.She's determined to bring them back from the brink.
:46:18. > :46:24.Her garden was once an orchard filled with trees.
:46:24. > :46:31.They were put into the hedges and not only to act as a windbreak
:46:31. > :46:33.but also, apparently, to feed the animals.
:46:33. > :46:36.Oh, right! Which one am I looking at here?
:46:36. > :46:40.It's quite interesting. Here we've got two related fruits.
:46:40. > :46:47.You've no doubt heard of sloe gin and all the rest, so that's a sloe.
:46:47. > :46:51.And next door here, we've got a damson, the Shropshire prune variety.
:46:51. > :46:55.Same colour, just different size and shape.
:46:55. > :46:59.Basically, the sloe crossed with a cherry plum
:46:59. > :47:03.and gave rise down the line to the damson. So are they native, then?
:47:03. > :47:07.No, they're not actually a native tree.
:47:07. > :47:10.The damson gets its name from Damascus,
:47:10. > :47:15.but the way they came to the UK, apparently,
:47:15. > :47:19.is that they were brought in about 2,000 years ago by the Romans.
:47:19. > :47:21.OK. So why did they fall out of favour then?
:47:21. > :47:25.It's quite an obscure fruit in a way, people don't know what they are
:47:25. > :47:28.and don't know necessarily what to do with them.
:47:28. > :47:32.Are these ready? They are pretty much ready, yeah. Can I try one?
:47:32. > :47:36.Absolutely. Have a go at that. What is it that you love about these?
:47:36. > :47:39.Ultimately, it's to do with the flavour.
:47:39. > :47:42.I think they've got an absolutely spectacular flavour.
:47:42. > :47:46.They've got a lovely sweetness, that plummy sweetness,
:47:46. > :47:49.but also quite a nice sharpness. Yeah, it's a punch, isn't it?
:47:49. > :47:56.The plum with an attitude, I always say. I like that!
:47:56. > :47:58.Wow, and this is what it turns into.
:47:58. > :48:01.This is a little damson collection here for you to try.
:48:01. > :48:02.What sort of things can you make out of it?
:48:03. > :48:06.Well, this is a damson syrup, which is great for desserts.
:48:06. > :48:10.This is a classic damson jam and this is damson vinegar
:48:10. > :48:16.and a damson wine but really it's damson liqueur. What's that?
:48:16. > :48:19.This is damson cheese, which is not a cheese at all
:48:19. > :48:23.but a fruit paste. You can have it with dairy cheese,
:48:23. > :48:27.like here, or you could have it with cold meats, very gamey meats,
:48:27. > :48:39.and it just lifts the other food that you're adding it to.
:48:39. > :48:42.One man who's doing his bit to put the Shropshire prune
:48:42. > :48:46.back in the culinary spotlight is local chef David Jarman.
:48:46. > :48:56.He's got a very contemporary take on this forgotten favourite.
:48:56. > :48:58.So how did you even come across them?
:48:58. > :49:00.Catherine got in touch with me and she was like,
:49:00. > :49:03."Do you want to showcase the damson for the festival?"
:49:03. > :49:05.I've never heard of the Shropshire prune before.
:49:05. > :49:09.Sounds like a nice little challenge. We'll give it a go.
:49:09. > :49:15.but I hope we've got enough done for it. Absolutely.
:49:15. > :49:19.'These little ravioli parcels are made from Shropshire prune syrup
:49:19. > :49:24.This is a damson puree. How fabulous!
:49:24. > :49:26.'They'll feature at the festival later,
:49:26. > :49:33.'as long as I can keep a steady hand.'
:49:33. > :49:36.Right then, David, let's see what's going on at the festival.
:49:36. > :49:42.Wow, it's busy! It's really busy. It's picking up.
:49:42. > :49:45.It's even busier than usual inside the big marquee
:49:45. > :49:48.because the weather's taken a turn for the worst.
:49:48. > :49:50.Let's see what's in store for the rest of us
:49:50. > :50:00.in the coming week with the Countryfile weather forecast.
:50:00. > :50:34.Over the south-west, it has been cloudy and murky. Many areas enjoy
:50:34. > :50:37.the beautiful sunshine. This is the satellite picture from around 1pm. I
:50:37. > :50:41.will tell you straightaway what is heading our way this week, it will
:50:41. > :50:43.be breezy. Not gale force but breezy. Fairly mild, I will explain
:50:43. > :50:47.be breezy. Not gale force but why as well. They will be rain at
:50:47. > :50:51.times. Let's get the forecast for the here and now Festival. Not an
:50:51. > :50:53.awful lot happening through the night. It would be fairly cloudy for
:50:53. > :50:58.most of us. A few spots of rain night. It would be fairly cloudy for
:50:58. > :51:05.across the south and no frost tonight. 14 in Plymouth. This is the
:51:05. > :51:09.scene for Monday. A big area of low pressure is sitting and not doing an
:51:09. > :51:13.awful lot. I pressure towards Scandinavia. Just as a reminder,
:51:13. > :51:19.this is how the winds flow around a low pressure, the opposite direction
:51:19. > :51:22.to a high. The egg gets sucked in between. The air coming from the
:51:22. > :51:27.south means it will be relatively mild, actually quite muddy. This is
:51:27. > :51:33.the rush hour for Monday morning. It is cloudy, drizzly, dreary and it is
:51:33. > :51:36.still around 16 degrees. We get frosts sometimes this time of the
:51:36. > :51:40.year so that is why it is relatively mild, the air coming from the South.
:51:40. > :51:45.Scotland is doing a little bit better, particularly the Western
:51:45. > :51:53.Isles. The cloud will break up a little bit. For a lot of us,
:51:53. > :51:56.particularly across these Western in southwestern areas, including Wales
:51:56. > :52:03.and also to an extent Northern Ireland, it would be cloudy with
:52:03. > :52:06.spots of rain. There will be some sunshine but it would be on the
:52:06. > :52:08.breezy side. The same pressure pattern is around on Tuesday so the
:52:08. > :52:13.breezy side. The same pressure low here, the high over there. We
:52:13. > :52:16.salvaged in between. In between also the weather fronts and they are
:52:16. > :52:20.being tracked by that southeasterly wind. The basic message is that the
:52:20. > :52:25.closer you are to the low-pressure, the closer you are to its weather
:52:25. > :52:28.fronts, the more cloudy it will be under the better chance of getting
:52:28. > :52:32.some rain. As we head towards the middle and the latter part of the
:52:32. > :52:36.week, that area of low pressure starts to creep in a little bit,
:52:37. > :52:40.into our neighbourhood. That means that the weather fronts will start
:52:40. > :52:44.to creep in as well. We are talking about more persistent rain across
:52:44. > :52:49.Northern Ireland, western portions of the UK. Eventually, the rain will
:52:49. > :52:53.reach eastern parts. The air is given from the south so even getting
:52:53. > :52:57.up to around 1920 degrees. Towards Thursday and Friday, that low
:52:57. > :53:03.pressure meet -- move towards the North. There will be a little baby
:53:03. > :53:10.low here. That area of low pressure comes our way. The green indicates
:53:10. > :53:12.some pretty heavy rain. It looks as though Thursday, potentially across
:53:13. > :53:17.this part of the world, isn't looking too great. It could be wet,
:53:17. > :53:19.windy, pretty unpleasant. That is the rain for Thursday. On Friday,
:53:19. > :53:23.there will be a bit of a change on the rain for Thursday. On Friday,
:53:24. > :53:25.the way. Goodbye to the rain. It moves to the north and we start to
:53:25. > :53:29.see these brighter conditions coming moves to the north and we start to
:53:29. > :53:41.in of the Atlantic. October is around the corner
:53:41. > :53:44.We're in Shropshire celebrating all things food and drink
:53:44. > :53:49.A good place to be, given that it's British Food Fortnight,
:53:49. > :53:52.and I've been sampling some of the local wares.
:53:52. > :53:54.Wow, that is! That's almost got sherbet in it.
:53:54. > :53:56.It's got a real tang to it, hasn't it?
:53:56. > :54:00.While Ellie's been harvesting one of the country's rarest fruits,
:54:00. > :54:05.a damson, also known as the Shropshire prune...
:54:05. > :54:12.from the county's native breed of sheep.
:54:12. > :54:14.The weather's taken a turn for the worse, so it's going to be
:54:14. > :54:18.a bit of a battle to get my chops cooked in these conditions.
:54:18. > :54:23.Andy, how you doing? Hi, Matt. Good to see you.
:54:23. > :54:25.You all right? Yeah, good, thank you.
:54:25. > :54:28.I have here a bag full of lamb chops and I need a spare pan. Brilliant.
:54:28. > :54:31.You've come to the right place, Matt. Absolutely, no problem at all.
:54:31. > :54:33.Before we get onto them, let's have a look at this
:54:33. > :54:36.because, talking of a pan, that is an absolute beauty.
:54:36. > :54:39.Yeah, it is. What's the story behind this?
:54:39. > :54:42.This is Alexis Benoist Soyer's stove, designed by the great man himself
:54:42. > :54:49.in response to malnutrition and disease of the Crimean War.
:54:49. > :54:54.Alexis Soyer was the celebrity chef of his day and much more.
:54:54. > :54:58.During the Crimean War, nearly a million died on all sides.
:54:58. > :55:02.Disease was rampant and many perished,
:55:02. > :55:05.not from their wounds but from malnutrition.
:55:05. > :55:10.Food rations were poor and cholera was rife.
:55:10. > :55:17.He took soldiers from the battalion and trained them
:55:17. > :55:22.that was the foundation of the military chef of today.
:55:22. > :55:25.Did he come up with recipes? Oh, yes, certainly, recipes,
:55:25. > :55:28.how to cook for 5,000 soldiers, absolutely extraordinary.
:55:28. > :55:31.And then when you think of the lives he must have saved.
:55:31. > :55:34.After his death, the Morning Chronicle said he saved as many lives
:55:34. > :55:37.through his kitchens as Florence Nightingale did through her wards.
:55:37. > :55:43.Alexis Soyer died in 1858 but, such was the success of his stove,
:55:43. > :55:49.it remained in use by the British Army for more than 100 years.
:55:49. > :55:51.Although I'm not sure the stove will be much use
:55:51. > :55:57.Let's see what we can do with these, then, Andy. OK, Matt.
:55:57. > :56:03.Let me show you them first. Cast your expertise over them. Beautiful.
:56:03. > :56:08.Look at that. This is Shropshire lamb, this. Yeah.
:56:08. > :56:10.I think salt and pepper, bit of oil, on a griddle
:56:10. > :56:14.with maybe some sort of chutney or something would be ideal.
:56:14. > :56:17.Let's do it. This reminds me of home at the moment.
:56:17. > :56:20.We're having a lot of work done and my wife is cooking on one of these.
:56:20. > :56:22.The first thing to do is put a bit of oil in here, not in the pan.
:56:22. > :56:24.We don't oil the pan, we oil the meat.
:56:24. > :56:31.Because it'll just burn and catch fire and smoke everywhere.
:56:31. > :56:35.Just a bit of seasoning, bit of salt and a bit of pepper
:56:35. > :56:44.Listen to that! The key to this is not to move it around the pan.
:56:44. > :56:49.As a chef in the army, you must have cooked all over the world.
:56:49. > :56:54.Yeah, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Cyprus and Northern Ireland.
:56:54. > :57:05.From a chef's perspective, what you make of this meat?
:57:05. > :57:10.It's got marbling through the meat, it's not too much fat on the outside.
:57:10. > :57:14.It's absolutely a perfect chop, it really is.
:57:14. > :57:17.I can just follow my nose to this place! Isn't it smelling lovely?
:57:17. > :57:19.This is Andy. Hello! Ellie, nice to meet you.
:57:19. > :57:25.Damson cheese, not real cheese. This is a traditional name.
:57:25. > :57:29.It's actually a kind of chutney. That is perfect complement to this.
:57:29. > :57:31.Let's pop one of them down there, shall we?
:57:31. > :57:38.All very local, this, just a few food miles.
:57:38. > :57:42.I followed that meat field to fork, quite literally.
:57:42. > :57:45.That's some good food provenance right there. Exactly.
:57:45. > :57:50.I'm going to get back to this lovely cheese.
:57:50. > :57:54.I think you should smear it on. Exactly.
:57:54. > :57:58.It's been a good day of tasting, hasn't it? I'm full! Honestly, I am.
:57:58. > :58:04.I'm absolutely full and I've been so looking forward to this moment.
:58:04. > :58:14.Anyway. I am full now. Are you full?
:58:14. > :58:16.I am up to here? Have you had enough to drink?
:58:16. > :58:18.You've definitely had enough to eat. I have.
:58:18. > :58:21.Well, we'll say goodbye. That is it for this week.
:58:21. > :58:23.Next week, we're going to be over the border in Abergavenny
:58:23. > :58:26.and I'll be looking at how the old coalfields
:58:26. > :58:30.And, Julia, well, you want to see what Julia's got in store.
:58:30. > :58:32.Let's just say she's got her hands full. Has she, indeed?
:58:32. > :58:34.And we'll also be revealing this year's
:58:34. > :58:38.Countryfile Photographic Competition overall winner.