Spring Special Countryfile


Spring Special

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Springtime.

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An awakening.

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Fields and flowers burst into bloom...

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..and trees, newly-clothed in vibrant green,

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stretch from their winter slumber.

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Life returning from near...

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..and far.

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But amongst these familiar signs hides

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a more secret side to springtime.

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Often overlooked, but as stunning a spectacle as any other.

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'From our ocean shores...'

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Oh, look at that!

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We've got a jellyfish in here, too!

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..to our open plains.

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-How many are you lifting from these crates in an hour?

-11,000.

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From our highest peaks...

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to forests far below...

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..this is a time of discoveries and firsts.

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85, 85, 85 on the right.

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-Sold it!

-GAVEL BANGS

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The birth of a new season and its hidden wonders

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are sights to truly stir the soul.

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Spring flowers,

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woodlands carpeted with bluebells,

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tree blossom promising a fruitful summer and autumn.

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We welcome the colour these blooms bring into our lives

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as bleak winter fades.

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We also love to welcome them into our homes.

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With cut flowers, like these beautiful tulips, we can.

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A well-known song might suggest that these will have come from

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Holland but, in fact, they were grown right here in Lincolnshire.

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Growing tulips was a big deal in these parts

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in the first half of the 20th century.

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In the '40s and '50s, coachloads of sightseers would arrive in

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the flatlands around Spalding to take in the magnificent

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springtime spectacle of the tulip crop at its peak.

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There'd even be a Tulip Queen.

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By the mid-'70s, though, British tulip farming was in decline,

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unable to cope with the scale of the competition from Dutch growers

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just across the North Sea.

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Well, now British growers are making a comeback and,

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here at Poplar Farm Flowers, they're doing it in a big way.

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These vast glasshouses cover 10 acres and hold millions of

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individual tulip plants at varying stages of development.

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It's a dazzling patchwork of springtime colours.

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And these fields are on the move.

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Conveyor belts carry the flowers through the site before

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delivering them directly to the workers who select the final blooms.

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This is tulip production on an industrial scale but it's still

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a family business, with Andrew Ellis currently at the helm.

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In this particular glasshouse, it holds around six million tulips.

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So, in this cropping house, there's 500,000 tulips each side,

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easily today. Probably 700,000 when it's full.

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Who was it in your family that started this, then? And when?

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Well, we've been here... My father started here in 1960.

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He grew his first tulips back in the '50s.

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At that time, a lot of Dutch bulb exporters, salesmen,

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they used to come into the area, even on bicycles,

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Dutch bulb salesmen walked across the field with my dad,

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persuading him to buy 4,000 tulips,

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much to my grandmother's horror...

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-He had no experience!

-That's it.

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-What a risk.

-That's it.

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'At a time when the UK tulip industry was in decline,

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'Andrew's dad, Fred, managed to buck the trend,

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'growing the business over five decades.'

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In 1985, we grew 3.5 million tulips.

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Today, we do just over 70 million.

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'Modern tulip production is all about controlling the climate.

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'In these giant glasshouses, the plants can grow without being

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'subjected to the lottery of the British spring weather.

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'And it all starts with the bulb.

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'From here, the bulbs are stored in a dark, chilled warehouse.

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'This tricks them into thinking it's winter and time

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'to get to wriggle on producing a shoot.

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'When the shoots are about 10 centimetres long,

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'water is added before the bulbs begin their journey through

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'the glasshouses, where a giant wood-fired central heating system

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'creates the perfect growing conditions.

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'When they reach the end of the line,

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'the tulips are picked by skilled workers,

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'who operate at a furious pace,

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'under the watchful eye of supervisor Zigmas Andrijausk.'

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How many are you lifting from these crates in an hour?

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In an hour, it's 8,000-11,000.

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-8,000-11,000?

-Yes.

-In an hour?

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Sometimes per day, we're doing 250,000-300,000.

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Dear me!

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'In fact, for Mother's Day this year,

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'the team picked an incredible 1.2 million stems in just 24 hours.

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'Only stems between 32cm-35cm are selected.

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'It takes an expert eye and a delicate touch.

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'A steep learning curve for any new member of the team.'

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The speed at which they work is quite incredible.

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Are they OK?

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-Check those? Are they OK?

-No.

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That's no good. Oh, dear.

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-No?

-Yes.

-That's all right?

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Right, so half of my bunch was unacceptable. Sorry about that.

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Just turned round and my flowers have disappeared.

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'You really need to be on your toes here.'

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9,000-11,000 an hour is an incredible rate of picking.

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'I'm starting to get my eye in. Slowly.'

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Get my friend to double-check those.

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It's no good.

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Three. That's all right. Not so bad, that one.

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Just three that weren't acceptable.

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I think this is my job, actually.

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I'll just make sure they're all nice and neat on the conveyor belt.

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I think this is better for me.

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Well, this is just the first stage of getting these beautiful

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flowers into your homes.

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But to really help these tulips on their way,

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it takes some springtime super science.

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You can see all that a little bit later.

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Whilst I'm lending a hand with the spring harvest deep inland,

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Ellie is heading to the very edge of our landscape,

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witnessing a seasonal invasion that, for some, is a rather sore subject.

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Throughout the winter months,

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our oceans have been inhospitable places but the coming of

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warmer temperatures and longer days brings new life to our shores.

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The warm spring tides bring plenty of wildlife with them,

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all eager to feed on the feasts along our shores.

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But there's one spring visitor floating on the tides

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that fill generations of swimmers, paddlers and beachcombers

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with a sense of dread...

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..the jellyfish.

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In their masses, they gracefully glide through our seas.

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With their delicate bells and with every pulse,

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these vessels feed on the nectar of the ocean.

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Today, I'm on the hunt for this fascinating creature

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but I'm going to need a bit of help in finding them.

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Now, we've been scouring this stretch of coastline in hope

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of finding jellyfish, without any luck.

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But thanks to the medium of Twitter,

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a couple of hours ago one Countryfile viewer let us know

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that there were some here

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so we've arranged to meet our scientist, Peter.

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Hi, Peter, how are you doing? So, we get a closer look.

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Yes.

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This is kind of a sad event but also a great opportunity to be

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-able to see them close up.

-That's right.

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So, at this time of year,

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it's fairly normal for barrel jellyfish to be stranding.

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And can they strand in large numbers?

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Yeah, we get reports of hundreds,

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thousands of these things stranding in certain places.

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'Peter is leading a nationwide survey to investigate

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'mass strandings as he's keen to understand the movements

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'of these enigmatic creatures.'

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The barrel jellyfish for me

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is like the Arnold Schwarzenegger of jellyfish.

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It's a really thick sort of

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hard, rubbery jellyfish and it's also one of the strongest swimmers.

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And research has shown that they're not just passively drifting,

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they're actually actively swimming up and down the water column,

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searching for their prey.

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Absolutely fascinating but really nothing for humans to get

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too alarmed about because their sting isn't powerful enough

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-to really hurt us.

-All jellyfish sting but some stings

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are stronger than others, so it's always best to wear gloves.

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And when we ask people to take part in our survey,

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we always say, "Look but don't touch,"

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because you don't want to get stung

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by some species of jellyfish cos they can really spoil your day.

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It's one thing seeing these creatures beached on land but

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I want to see them in their natural habitat so I'm continuing my hunt

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on the open sea with the help of an eagle-eyed crew.

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Yeah, there is a nice slick here going off to the left.

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At this time of year, the conditions are perfect for these jellyfish

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as they are drawn here on spring tides

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to feed on immense plankton blooms.

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These microscopic organisms spread right across our oceans.

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But can understanding plankton help me on my jellyfish hunt?

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Marine scientist Richard Kirby has captured incredibly detailed

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images of them. This looks like plankton art.

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It is almost abstract, isn't it?

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It is incredibly beautiful and as we zoom in,

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you can see all the detail of the different types.

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And this is your footage?

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This is footage I filmed the other day and I do this because

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they're beautiful, aren't they, and showing people is...

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something they wouldn't normally be able to see.

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It's absolutely gorgeous.

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It's amazing to think these microscopic organisms are

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no bigger than a hair's width.

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It is hard to overstate the importance of plankton.

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It is the beginning of all life in the oceans.

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It is, and right now spring is happening in the sea.

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The phytoplankton are kicking off.

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In fact, they're blooming.

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Just like spring in your garden, you find you have to cut the grass now -

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the phytoplankton are growing and that determines the abundance

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of everything else in the sea, it feeds the whole marine food chain.

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'Plankton is the key to finding our jellyfish and Richard's

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'research can tell us if this area is a good feeding ground.'

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Argh! Look at that! It is a soup of plankton.

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I can't see my fingers through the other side.

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We have a jellyfish in here, too.

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'OK, it's only a baby compass jellyfish but seeing how much

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'plankton there is, the signs are looking good to find the adults.

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'So I want to get onto the water for a closer look.

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'Local marine enthusiast Ben Spicer is my guide and knows where

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'the best places are to try to spot barrel jellyfish.'

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-Let's see if we can get some, that would be amazing.

-Yeah, cool.

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I'm feeling confident.

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-Just keep looking down.

-All right.

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There are so many different types of jellyfish,

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sometimes you can spot them a mile off and sometimes they will

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loom right up from underneath you.

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The other day I filmed some footage here and it was

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a very big barrel jellyfish just cruising along and the visibility

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was so clear - there is an abundance of them in the Port Isaac Bay area.

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The funny thing about it is we both know under there, there is

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so much life going on but the plankton means we can't see it

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and it's because of the plankton it's even there.

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With no luck in the kayaks, back on the boat the only jellyfish

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I've seen is the little stowaway we caught earlier.

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With the hours passing and time running out,

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my hopes of a close encounter with a big barrel jellyfish, like the

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ones we saw on the beach earlier, are rapidly running out.

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Yeah, just below us, just behind us now.

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Just as we're giving up hope,

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a massive barrel jellyfish appears right alongside us.

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Finally we're able to get a glimpse of this spectacular animal.

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It's a real thrill to see one out in the wild and it's not

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a thing of nightmares.

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It's truly captivating.

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But it's a fleeting encounter as it dives back down to the deep,

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disappearing through the thickness of the plankton.

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At last we have seen what we came for and before heading back

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to the shore, there is one last thing to do -

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set our little stowaway free.

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And now it's time to return it to the ocean.

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Gone!

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More spring life back in the sea.

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From spring life deep in our oceans to surprisingly seasonal treats

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found far inland, this is a time when hidden wonders abound,

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as John has been discovering.

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Nettles, wild bilberries,

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perhaps even a dandelion.

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Spring is one of the best times to go foraging. Across Britain's

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food scene, there is a growing trend towards unexpected wild ingredients

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added to menus, creating new ways to tantalise our taste buds.

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There are natural larders everywhere from local woods...

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..lanes,

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seashores,

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and of course hedgerows.

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I'm meeting Chris Colette who has turned foraging into

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a business. His team travel the length and breadth

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of the country searching for the very best

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in seasonal leaves, flowers and fruits on the orders of top chefs.

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For him, spring is a time when often overlooked wonders abound.

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This little plant here, John, is one of our chefs most favourite plants.

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What is it?

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This is called wood sorrel and if you try that, you will get the

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taste of Granny Smith apple peel.

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-Safe to eat?

-It is.

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Yeah, it definitely tastes like apple peel.

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Some nice bilberries here.

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It looks like a very good year for them by the amount of flowers.

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They are basically the wild equivalent to blueberries.

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What do you do to make sure that you're having

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no environmental impact when you're foraging because I'm sure

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a lot of people say, "Just leave things as they are."

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There's a misconception that foragers go and look for

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these weird and wonderful plants that are quite rare.

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It's not particularly true.

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We look for things that are massively abundant,

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stinging nettles, the beech leaf,

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things that have very little impact environmentally.

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-And have you got a customer today for any of this?

-We do indeed.

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We have been doing a project with The Wild Beer Company.

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They're making a beer from beach and linden leaves.

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The beech leaves taste nutty

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and the linden has a real citrus taste to it.

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So, foraging for a brewer not a chef. That sounds intriguing.

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And I'm joining Chris on his delivery to find out more.

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-I'll go ahead with this one.

-Thanks, John.

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Andrew Cooper and Brett Ellis co-founded this farmhouse brewery.

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They dream up and brew up some bizarre concoctions.

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In just four years,

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they've put together more than 100 really distinctive beers.

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Well, Andrew, Brett, hi. Extra supplies for you here.

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I would have never imagined anybody would put beech leaves and

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linden leaves into a beer.

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This is a celebration of spring and these new leaves are perfect

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for us to make a delicate herbal beer with.

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And Brett, does it taste like a traditional beer apart from

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-these leaves in it?

-I think it does.

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It has some of the core ingredients from every beer, so barley,

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wheat, so makes it quite available and approachable to most people.

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And Andrew, what is the strangest stuff you've ever put into a beer?

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Well, we're not afraid of trying different ingredients in beers,

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-we've even had lobsters in beer.

-Lobster?!

-Yeah.

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It sounds as though you're creating a very modern upmarket posh drink,

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but not a beer. You have to convince me.

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I'm a traditional beer drinker from Yorkshire.

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Well, the proof is in the pudding.

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We'll show you a couple of things first

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and maybe we'll pull out some surprises.

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So this is the start of a beer's life.

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With their wild ingredients, including a different beer for each

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season, Andrew and Brett are pushing back the boundaries of beer making.

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-I'm steaming up.

-Me too!

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And before I test their spring beer, they want to show me

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something you are more likely to see in a distillery.

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They call it their barrel library.

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-Goodness me! This is impressive, isn't it?

-There are 100,000 litres.

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Goodness me! And you would normally expect beer to be in metal casks.

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Yeah, we age all sorts of different things in different barrels here.

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So this is a red wine barrel and over there is

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a white wine barrel and a bourbon barrel and all those different

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liquids that were previously in the wood give character to the beers.

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This stage of the process is more like winemaking or distilling.

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And what about the spring beer?

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The spring beer isn't in here.

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We want to keep that nice and fresh and clean and

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so we just do that as quite a quick process in the brewery.

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-Shall we go and taste it?

-OK, lead on.

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Let's see if it's as good as you say.

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'The time has come for me to be introduced to spring's newest

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'offering - a beer flavoured with foraged leaves.

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'It's the taste test.'

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Well, the big moment.

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Are you going to win over a traditional beer drinker with

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-your spring beer?

-I hope so, John.

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-You're actually the first person to drink this.

-Am I really?

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So it's a special moment.

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-I hope that is an honour.

-Cheers.

-Let's see.

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Hm, it's certainly...

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It's not really, to me, a beery taste but it's more like

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a cocktail.

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This is certainly very different from the beer I'm used to drinking

0:20:070:20:10

but you might win me over. You do make a bitter as well, don't you?

0:20:100:20:13

-Of course.

-Here's to spring in a glass.

0:20:130:20:17

There's no landscape quite like the Lake District on

0:20:300:20:33

a bright and breezy spring day.

0:20:330:20:35

Wasdale brings together the towering presence of Scarfell,

0:20:380:20:42

England's highest mountain,

0:20:420:20:45

and Wast Water, England's deepest lake.

0:20:450:20:48

It is a rare treat to see them bathed in sunshine.

0:20:510:20:54

But for one National Trust worker,

0:20:560:20:59

this spring day is special for different reasons.

0:20:590:21:03

My name is Sarah Anderson.

0:21:030:21:04

I am an upland ranger in the Lake District -

0:21:040:21:07

the only female upland ranger working for the National Trust.

0:21:070:21:10

The work we're doing is part of a long-term project called

0:21:150:21:17

Fix The Fells which has the aim of restoring some of the most

0:21:170:21:20

popular and highly eroded footpaths in the Lake District.

0:21:200:21:23

I was one of the first volunteers on the project

0:21:260:21:28

when it began 10 years ago

0:21:280:21:29

and I have been a full-time member of staff for five years.

0:21:290:21:32

This is the exciting part, not just the helicopter ride up,

0:21:360:21:40

but this is my first time on Scarfell this year.

0:21:400:21:42

I love spring.

0:21:550:21:58

Having been confined to the valley bottoms all winter, it feels

0:21:580:22:01

like we come out of hibernation and back onto the high fells.

0:22:010:22:05

At this time of year, we're running around like squirrels...

0:22:050:22:08

..hoarding rock.

0:22:090:22:11

Once we've got all the rock, we use them to

0:22:110:22:15

fix the eroded paths, a helicopter comes along and takes them

0:22:150:22:19

over the mountains for us

0:22:190:22:20

so we don't have to move them quite so far.

0:22:200:22:22

And then we put them in the path to make it a nicer surface to walk on.

0:22:220:22:26

There are more than 70 bags of rocks in total.

0:22:300:22:33

They have just one day to airlift them all to

0:22:330:22:36

a spot higher up the mountain.

0:22:360:22:38

Spring is a great time of year.

0:23:020:23:04

Working on the fells, you can get four seasons in one day -

0:23:040:23:08

clear beautiful days like today

0:23:080:23:10

with the clouds rushing across the fell sides,

0:23:100:23:14

other days you might be barely able to see a hand in front of your face.

0:23:140:23:17

It keeps it interesting, definitely keeps it interesting.

0:23:180:23:22

With the bags loaded,

0:23:310:23:32

Sarah heads up the mountain to help guide the pilot in.

0:23:320:23:36

With no radio contact,

0:23:360:23:38

she uses a simple method to show him

0:23:380:23:40

exactly where she wants the delivery.

0:23:400:23:42

It is a bit like playing Splat The Rat!

0:23:420:23:45

It's a job that requires incredible skill, precision and a serious

0:23:540:23:59

helping of nerve in the buffeting and unpredictable mountain winds.

0:23:590:24:03

He nearly got the rat!

0:24:170:24:19

The footpath from Wasdale Head to Scarfell summit is one of

0:24:250:24:28

the busiest in the Lakes and the erosion from walkers and

0:24:280:24:32

winter rains here is severe.

0:24:320:24:34

The rocks brought up the mountain today will be used throughout

0:24:340:24:37

the spring and summer to help make it safer and wider.

0:24:370:24:41

Because this path gets over 100,000 people on it every year,

0:24:410:24:45

people are spreading out so we have this massive strip of erosion

0:24:450:24:49

here all the way down and around the other side as well.

0:24:490:24:54

So we are just stabilising this bit of path

0:24:540:24:57

so it doesn't get any worse, actually, erm...

0:24:570:25:00

..and then we'll gradually improve it so it's a much more sustainable

0:25:010:25:05

line for the amount of people it takes walking up here every year.

0:25:050:25:08

It costs £200 to repair a metre of footpath.

0:25:130:25:18

But if it makes it easier for people to enjoy views like this,

0:25:180:25:21

it's all worthwhile.

0:25:210:25:23

MATT BAKER: I'm in Lincolnshire

0:25:340:25:36

where springtime has been super-sized.

0:25:360:25:38

Tulips are grown here at Poplar Farm Flowers on an epic scale,

0:25:380:25:43

all to supply supermarkets with bunches of cut flowers just

0:25:430:25:47

as they're ready to bloom.

0:25:470:25:49

Earlier I saw how they're grown but bringing the scent of spring

0:25:490:25:52

into your living room is all about science.

0:25:520:25:55

Getting from this to this takes real precision

0:25:560:26:00

and cutting edge technology.

0:26:000:26:02

Cutting edge... Have a look.

0:26:040:26:06

Tomasz is in charge of the automated production line.

0:26:080:26:12

This state-of-the-art machine photographs, X-rays,

0:26:120:26:15

measures and gathers data on every single flower stem,

0:26:150:26:19

sorting the springtime blooms at lightning speed.

0:26:190:26:23

-This camera makes about four pictures in one second.

-Really?

0:26:230:26:29

-Is that how many flowers are coming through?

-Yes.

-Just gone over 82,000.

0:26:290:26:35

'This prototype is the only one of its kind in the world -

0:26:350:26:38

'it can even tell the colour of every tulip passing through

0:26:380:26:42

'it to create identical mixed bunches.

0:26:420:26:44

'But it can't do everything as pack house manager Nick Ellis explains.'

0:26:460:26:50

You might have all of this newfangled technical stuff,

0:26:500:26:54

-Nick, but you still need the human touch.

-You do, yes.

0:26:540:26:57

You still need people to check them to make sure there are

0:26:570:27:02

the correct count of stems and the colour mix is correct and Rika

0:27:020:27:05

is just stood there, checking.

0:27:050:27:07

She'll pop an extra stem in if the machine happens to drop one.

0:27:070:27:11

'The finishing touches are also done by hand.

0:27:120:27:15

'I'm getting some tulip-tying tips from Virginia who's trusting me

0:27:150:27:18

'to wrap things up.'

0:27:180:27:21

You can have a break now!

0:27:210:27:23

So, that one is going over there. No. Oh, no. I see.

0:27:230:27:28

-And then that one comes like this.

-Yes.

-So it is a V.

-Yeah.

0:27:280:27:33

Turn that over and a bit of tape on there.

0:27:340:27:37

I'm terrible at wrapping Christmas presents, to be honest with you.

0:27:380:27:42

-It's OK.

-I will keep going. I'll get the hang of it.

0:27:460:27:49

Reminds me of when I was a young lad

0:27:510:27:52

I used to go into the fish and chip shop

0:27:520:27:54

and I used to be mesmerised by the ladies who

0:27:540:27:56

could wrap fish and chips so quickly and hand it over to you.

0:27:560:28:00

Just reminds me of the same thing.

0:28:000:28:02

'And always one to give value for money...'

0:28:050:28:08

I got a doubler, did I get two?

0:28:080:28:11

Oh, well. Double wrap for your money on this one.

0:28:110:28:15

That's a special one, that.

0:28:150:28:16

It's hard to get your head around 70 million tulips are coming from

0:28:190:28:24

this place and these are going to be in the shops by tomorrow night.

0:28:240:28:27

The chances are if you have a mixed bunch like this,

0:28:270:28:29

in your house, it will have come from here and you never know,

0:28:290:28:32

I might have even wrapped it for you.

0:28:320:28:35

And I'm not the only one trying my hand at a new seasonal skill.

0:28:370:28:41

Adam is hoping to fulfil a long held ambition at this year's

0:28:410:28:45

spring lamb auctions but first there's

0:28:450:28:48

a few new arrivals to check on down at the farm.

0:28:480:28:51

-ADAM:

-After a long winter and months spent sheltering indoors, you would

0:28:540:28:58

imagine most of our animals would look forward to going outside.

0:28:580:29:02

But maybe not today.

0:29:020:29:04

RAIN POURS

0:29:040:29:06

Spring brings new life but it also often brings showers like this one,

0:29:060:29:11

a welcome sight for us farmers after a few very dry months.

0:29:110:29:15

Despite the rain, there are still jobs to be done.

0:29:160:29:19

Lambing meant a busy start to the season but now it is a good

0:29:190:29:22

time for me to take stock of how the new additions are getting on.

0:29:220:29:27

There's a young calf in our herd of Gloucester cattle who needs tagging.

0:29:270:29:30

So just hold this calf in a little mini cattle crush to hold him still

0:29:310:29:35

and then I've got to put two tags in his ears.

0:29:350:29:37

That's the cattle laws in this country,

0:29:370:29:39

they have to have two identification ear tags.

0:29:390:29:42

It's just like having your ears pierced. That's it, job done.

0:29:430:29:48

I can put him back with his mum now.

0:29:480:29:50

Here we go. There, that wasn't too bad, was it? Go on, then.

0:29:520:29:56

These are the lambs I turned out back in March

0:30:000:30:03

when they were only small.

0:30:030:30:04

They've grown on really well.

0:30:040:30:06

And today I'm putting them on to new pastures.

0:30:060:30:09

HE WHISTLES

0:30:090:30:11

Nowadays a lot of farmers choose to send their lambs directly to

0:30:130:30:17

the wholesaler's and that is what we do but it was traditionally

0:30:170:30:20

the markets where the profits were either made or lost.

0:30:200:30:23

This year marks the 200th anniversary of livestock

0:30:250:30:28

auction marts.

0:30:280:30:30

At one time, almost every major town in the country had its own

0:30:300:30:33

livestock market.

0:30:330:30:35

They were a great social occasion.

0:30:370:30:40

Lots of interesting characters and an opportunity for

0:30:400:30:43

neighbouring farmers to meet and check out each other's stock.

0:30:430:30:47

A combination of closures and amalgamations mean that over

0:30:470:30:50

the last 50 years the number of livestock marts

0:30:500:30:53

has declined from around 650 to only 152 today.

0:30:530:30:57

And while some sales have declined, spring lamb sales remain popular.

0:30:590:31:04

Up here in the Cotswolds we finished lambing

0:31:040:31:06

a few weeks ago but down in the south-west, where the weather

0:31:060:31:09

is milder, a lot of the flocks were lambing at Christmas time,

0:31:090:31:12

so their spring lamb is ready for the markets now, so I'm heading down

0:31:120:31:16

there to find out more and perhaps have a go at some auctioneering.

0:31:160:31:19

When demand is high from buyers all over the country,

0:31:210:31:24

the livestock market can still be

0:31:240:31:26

the best place to get a premium price.

0:31:260:31:29

Farmers like Dick Hartnell are taking that risk in the hope

0:31:300:31:33

of getting good returns.

0:31:330:31:34

Dick farms on the Blackdown Hills in Devon.

0:31:360:31:39

It's his sheep that I'll be trying my hand at selling today.

0:31:390:31:42

We start lambing just after Christmas.

0:31:430:31:46

In fact this year it was Boxing Day.

0:31:460:31:48

And normally, about 11 weeks old, we'll have

0:31:500:31:55

a few singles at 40-42 kilos that we sell which is ready for the

0:31:550:32:00

spring Easter market and of course everyone wants spring lambs

0:32:000:32:04

for Easter market and that's what we aim at.

0:32:040:32:07

I'll be auctioning Dick's lambs at Exeter Livestock Centre

0:32:190:32:22

where 1,200 lambs will be sold in just a couple of hours.

0:32:220:32:28

No pressure, then!

0:32:280:32:29

-Good morning, Dick.

-Morning.

-Nice and early.

0:32:300:32:32

Yeah, we have to try get up in the morning, haven't we?

0:32:320:32:35

-Shall I give you a hand to unload them?

-That would be very good.

0:32:350:32:38

So these are Suffolk crosses.

0:32:390:32:41

-Yeah, Suffolk on 'em.

-With black heads.

0:32:410:32:44

Very different to a lot of the white-headed lambs which are what,

0:32:440:32:47

-Dorsets...

-Dorsets, Charolais, Texels...

-Why'd you go for these?

0:32:470:32:51

I've tried the rest, I like these and it's good old

0:32:510:32:54

traditional British breed, isn't it?

0:32:540:32:57

It's very generous of you to let me auction for you.

0:32:570:32:59

That was brave, weren't we?

0:32:590:33:01

Very brave.

0:33:010:33:02

-Trade's up, everybody says it's going to be fantastic.

-Really?

-Yeah.

0:33:020:33:06

What sort of money are you hoping for these, then?

0:33:060:33:08

-They ought to be round the 88s to be honest with you.

-Should they?

0:33:080:33:11

-No commission today!

-So if I mess it up they might go for 50.

0:33:110:33:14

They'll go home at that.

0:33:140:33:15

-Right, let's get them in the pen, shall we?

-Yeah, righty-ho.

0:33:150:33:18

'I've always fancied trying my hand at auctioneering,

0:33:180:33:21

'but for Dick it's his livelihood,

0:33:210:33:22

'and it's my responsibility to get the price he needs for these lambs.'

0:33:220:33:26

Go on, little lambs.

0:33:260:33:28

'Before they're sold, they need to be registered,

0:33:280:33:30

'weighed and allocated a pen number.'

0:33:300:33:33

40.8.

0:33:340:33:35

It all seems a bit chaotic, but it's actually very organised.

0:33:350:33:38

They bring the lambs in, they go into the scales,

0:33:380:33:40

they count them in, they get an overall weight.

0:33:400:33:43

The mathematician over there works out how many kilos each lamb is.

0:33:430:33:46

They get a red cross on to show they're farm-assured,

0:33:460:33:48

which means they're kept to very high-quality standards,

0:33:480:33:51

and then into the pens for sales.

0:33:510:33:53

Right, Dick, off we go.

0:33:530:33:54

How heavy are we, look?

0:33:540:33:56

THEY LAUGH

0:33:560:33:59

38 fours, 75 two, £70 bid.

0:33:590:34:02

£70 bid. 70 bid. A half. One. A half. Two.

0:34:020:34:04

A half?

0:34:040:34:06

The sale has started, and it's going very fast and furious.

0:34:060:34:09

The speed that he speaks,

0:34:090:34:11

catching up those bids and selling lambs at a good price.

0:34:110:34:14

Head auctioneer Russell Steer is taking time out

0:34:140:34:17

to give me some top tips before I auction Dick's lambs.

0:34:170:34:19

The market is a great social, isn't it?

0:34:210:34:23

Oh, it is, yeah. You know, a lot of farmers rely on it

0:34:230:34:25

to get out and about.

0:34:250:34:26

It could be the only outing they have that week.

0:34:260:34:29

And the buyers, who are buying for the abattoirs and the supermarkets,

0:34:290:34:33

they can be some tricksy characters, can't they?

0:34:330:34:35

They can indeed. You'll be fairly fortunate today, I think.

0:34:350:34:39

I told them last week you were coming,

0:34:390:34:41

so half of them aren't coming today.

0:34:410:34:43

And so, any tips? How do I get going?

0:34:440:34:46

Just go slow and steady, I think, to start with.

0:34:460:34:49

Don't try and be in a mad rush and make mistakes.

0:34:490:34:52

And how do you spot who's busy? Are they waving a flag?

0:34:520:34:55

Initially, yeah, I'm sure for you they'll make it fairly clear.

0:34:550:34:58

So wave a hand or something?

0:34:580:35:00

Yeah, they'll do something, or make it obvious, you know,

0:35:000:35:02

big head-nod or a big wink.

0:35:020:35:04

-Sure.

-But then, you know,

0:35:040:35:05

if you get going and you're travelling a fair distance

0:35:050:35:08

it might become more subtle to just a twitch of the finger, so...

0:35:080:35:11

Wiggle of the nose.

0:35:110:35:12

Wiggle of the nose or just a slight sort of smirk on the face, yeah.

0:35:120:35:15

Really? Goodness me.

0:35:150:35:16

Oh. Well, that's really settled me down nicely. Not!

0:35:160:35:20

I'm about to sell Dick's lambs

0:35:220:35:25

and the nerves are kicking in.

0:35:250:35:26

Ladies and gentlemen, we're very privileged

0:35:290:35:31

to have Adam Henson with us today.

0:35:310:35:33

So I'm going to hand over to him to sell Richard's two lambs.

0:35:330:35:36

If you do a good job, you can keep going, all right?

0:35:360:35:38

Now, you be gentle with me,

0:35:380:35:40

all your dealers and traders and butchers out there.

0:35:400:35:42

I know you're very good at maths, and I'm not.

0:35:420:35:44

Where are we going to start us?

0:35:440:35:46

85. 85. Got 85 here on the right? 85.

0:35:460:35:48

-Yeah.

-86.

0:35:490:35:50

'If they are bidding, they're really not making it obvious.'

0:35:500:35:53

86-half. 86-half. 86-half?

0:35:530:35:55

Go on, gentlemen, 86-half.

0:35:550:35:57

87? 87. 87-half?

0:35:570:35:59

Go on, sir, 87-half.

0:36:010:36:02

-88 here, he's a very lucky man. 88, we're giving these away.

-Yeah.

0:36:020:36:06

-I think that's it.

-There we go, sold here to the lovely gentleman.

0:36:060:36:09

-Jaspers.

-Jaspers, there we go, marvellous.

0:36:090:36:12

-Goodness me, Dick.

-Well done, mate.

-My heart's thumping.

0:36:120:36:14

It's so difficult, because it's just a little wink,

0:36:140:36:17

a little raise of the chin.

0:36:170:36:18

-You go to auctions, surely, you must buy them.

-Yeah, I do.

0:36:180:36:21

Normally give a little wink or a little nod

0:36:210:36:23

-and got it sorted out.

-So how did I do?

0:36:230:36:25

-All right.

-Yeah.

-It was very good, actually. I was quite impressed.

0:36:250:36:28

You ought to have had a white coat on.

0:36:280:36:30

That's all that was missing, a white coat.

0:36:300:36:32

Well, I'm pleased I didn't let you down, Dick. Good to see you.

0:36:320:36:36

-It was all right. Nice to see you again.

-I'll buy you a bacon butty.

0:36:360:36:39

Even better! Cheers.

0:36:390:36:40

BIRDSONG

0:36:510:36:54

It's early - very early.

0:36:540:36:56

It's cold, it's dark

0:36:560:36:58

and I'm in the middle of the woods in Cambridgeshire.

0:36:580:37:01

But if you can't hear it already,

0:37:010:37:03

it's the perfect time to hear one of the wonders of the season.

0:37:030:37:06

BIRDSONG

0:37:060:37:08

'Nightingales.

0:37:100:37:11

'These members of the thrush family may, at first glance,

0:37:110:37:14

'seem uninspiring.

0:37:140:37:16

'But they are one of nature's finest singers,

0:37:160:37:18

'with an intricate range of up to 250 riffs and calls.

0:37:180:37:22

'The best time to hear it is at night

0:37:220:37:24

'and in the very early hours.'

0:37:240:37:26

Good morning, Sam.

0:37:260:37:28

-Hey, Steve.

-How are you?

-Good to see you.

0:37:280:37:31

So, I'm meeting up

0:37:310:37:33

with Mercury Prize-nominated folk musician Sam Lee,

0:37:330:37:35

who's become obsessed with these ornithological performers.

0:37:350:37:39

Well, it's the perfect spot.

0:37:390:37:40

We've got the hedgerow here

0:37:400:37:42

with the dense shelter for the nightingales to live in.

0:37:420:37:45

They absolutely love it in here,

0:37:450:37:47

so they always provide a perfect concert for us right here.

0:37:470:37:50

CELLO PLAYS

0:37:520:37:55

There's a long tradition

0:37:550:37:56

of musicians duetting with these springtime visitors.

0:37:560:37:59

NIGHTINGALE CALLS

0:37:590:38:01

In fact, the first-ever BBC outside broadcast

0:38:010:38:03

featured renowned cellist Beatrice Harrison

0:38:030:38:06

playing in her garden in Surrey

0:38:060:38:08

accompanied by a nightingale that sat beside her.

0:38:080:38:11

More than 100 years on,

0:38:140:38:15

Sam is following in Beatrice's footsteps and, as day breaks,

0:38:150:38:19

it's time to see if he can pull off the ultimate springtime duet.

0:38:190:38:22

SAM WARBLES

0:38:220:38:25

(Any luck?)

0:38:340:38:36

(In short, no.)

0:38:360:38:38

'Fortunately for us, like the birds themselves,

0:38:380:38:40

'Sam has a large musical repertoire to call on, and he has another go.'

0:38:400:38:44

# Hark, oh, hark

0:38:440:38:47

# How the nightingale is singing

0:38:470:38:51

NIGHTINGALE CALLS

0:38:510:38:55

# And on yonder green bower

0:38:560:39:00

NIGHTINGALE CALLS

0:39:000:39:02

# The turtle doves are building

0:39:020:39:04

NIGHTINGALE CALLS

0:39:040:39:07

# The sun is just a-glimmering

0:39:070:39:11

# Arise

0:39:110:39:16

# My dear. #

0:39:160:39:18

I don't know if that was coincidence, luck,

0:39:210:39:24

or an actual response,

0:39:240:39:26

but every time you held your note or you took a breath,

0:39:260:39:30

the nightingale genuinely filled the gaps for you.

0:39:300:39:35

Yeah.

0:39:350:39:36

The early hours of spring

0:39:440:39:46

are the best time to hear nightingales in full trill,

0:39:460:39:48

as males try to attract a mate and protect their territory.

0:39:480:39:52

By the end of May, this ritual will be complete

0:39:520:39:54

and their song will disappear for another year.

0:39:540:39:57

It's a busy time for Mike Drew,

0:39:580:40:00

who works for Anglian Water on this site,

0:40:000:40:02

not as an aquatic but as an aviation expert.

0:40:020:40:05

The birds themselves, once you've netted them,

0:40:070:40:09

you're putting the trackers on them,

0:40:090:40:11

what do those trackers tell you?

0:40:110:40:13

They'll kind of track the path that that bird will take

0:40:130:40:16

through kind of France, into Spain,

0:40:160:40:18

and whereabouts, when it hits kind of North Africa,

0:40:180:40:21

which way around Africa it will go,

0:40:210:40:23

and kind of tracking them right the way down

0:40:230:40:26

to Senegal and the Gambia and Sierra Leone.

0:40:260:40:28

Fantastic, really. Amazing.

0:40:280:40:30

How important is this project?

0:40:300:40:33

-In the past 40 years, they've declined by about 90%.

-Wow.

0:40:330:40:36

It's really important that this project happens,

0:40:360:40:39

so we can try and find out why these birds are declining.

0:40:390:40:43

Alongside the tracking project,

0:40:430:40:45

careful management of the woodland by the local Wildlife Trust

0:40:450:40:48

is creating dense scrub and helping reverse the decline -

0:40:480:40:52

here, at least - in the nightingale population.

0:40:520:40:54

The nightingales are likely to quieten down soon,

0:40:580:41:00

so we've only got a limited time

0:41:000:41:02

to try to net a bird while they're still active.

0:41:020:41:04

Quite magical, really, aren't they?

0:41:060:41:07

'Mike's got special permission

0:41:070:41:09

'to use a recording of a male nightingale as a lure.'

0:41:090:41:12

-So this is the lure, is it?

-It is.

0:41:140:41:16

This is what we're going to try and attract this male down with.

0:41:160:41:19

And, hopefully, right into the net.

0:41:190:41:21

Yeah, the nightingale call will come out of the speaker

0:41:210:41:24

and it will make that bird think

0:41:240:41:26

that there's a rival male in his territory

0:41:260:41:28

and hopefully come and find it to see it off.

0:41:280:41:30

-So, play button?

-Yep, play button.

0:41:300:41:32

NIGHTINGALE RECORDING

0:41:320:41:35

Leave that to do its magic.

0:41:370:41:39

That's it, let's come back in a bit.

0:41:390:41:40

Let's go.

0:41:400:41:42

'All we can do now is wait.'

0:41:430:41:45

There he is, look. Just coming down on the bottom there.

0:41:490:41:53

I can't wait to get closer to him.

0:41:530:41:56

'And it's not long before I get my chance.

0:41:560:41:59

'Mike's lured himself a nightingale.

0:41:590:42:02

'Taking its measurements has got to happen gently and quickly

0:42:020:42:05

'so that he can be released again as soon as possible.'

0:42:050:42:08

We're going to now start to take various measurements of the bird,

0:42:080:42:12

and this is where I'd really like your help,

0:42:120:42:15

taking some of the bits for me.

0:42:150:42:17

Yeah, absolutely.

0:42:170:42:18

OK, right, so I am literally your wing man.

0:42:180:42:21

-You are indeed.

-Let's go.

0:42:210:42:23

'Mike's being helped by Dr Chris Hewson

0:42:230:42:25

'from the British Trust for Ornithology,

0:42:250:42:27

'who's here to monitor the safe tagging of the nightingales.'

0:42:270:42:31

So interesting.

0:42:310:42:32

'This little fella hasn't been tagged before,

0:42:320:42:34

'so it's probably a new arrival -

0:42:340:42:36

'exactly what Mike and Chris were hoping for.

0:42:360:42:40

'The bird's fitted with a lightweight geotag.'

0:42:400:42:43

You can see it's really quite delicate,

0:42:430:42:45

and they're really putting a lot of care and attention into the bird

0:42:450:42:48

as much as they are into the tracker.

0:42:480:42:51

'The whole process has taken just a few minutes.

0:42:510:42:53

'Some final checks and he's ready to fly again.'

0:42:530:42:56

And it's important, isn't it,

0:42:560:42:58

to make sure that you release him back where he was caught?

0:42:580:43:01

Yeah, absolutely. You need to release him back on his territory.

0:43:010:43:03

We've only had him off for a few minutes

0:43:030:43:05

but, nonetheless, it'll want to get back on the territory

0:43:050:43:08

and start defending it again.

0:43:080:43:09

So would I! Come on, then, let's go.

0:43:090:43:11

It's time for this young nightingale to get back to his song perch

0:43:170:43:21

and hit those high notes.

0:43:210:43:22

Now, for me, that is a spring sight that takes some beating.

0:43:290:43:33

Up at 2am, cold and dark,

0:43:330:43:36

but it's so been worth it.

0:43:360:43:38

Those nightingales, their songs, seeing them up in the trees -

0:43:380:43:42

it's been excellent.

0:43:420:43:43

From birdlife to blossom -

0:43:570:44:00

this is a season where the sights and sounds of our natural world

0:44:000:44:04

burst forth and awaken the senses.

0:44:040:44:07

I'm in Lincolnshire,

0:44:110:44:12

seeing how spring flowers are grown on a massive scale.

0:44:120:44:15

But not all are grown under glass, like the tulips.

0:44:170:44:19

These beautiful alliums are grown out in the field,

0:44:220:44:25

where they're at the mercy of our fickle British weather.

0:44:250:44:28

We've had a pretty typical spring day today,

0:44:290:44:32

a few showers earlier on, a bit of blue sky.

0:44:320:44:35

But, on the whole, it certainly hasn't been a typical spring.

0:44:350:44:39

A lack of rainfall is causing big problems

0:44:390:44:41

for people like horticulturalist Ian White.

0:44:410:44:44

I have to say, I mean, the ground that we are on here, Ian,

0:44:450:44:48

it's rock hard, isn't it?

0:44:480:44:49

It is cracking like concrete, yes.

0:44:490:44:52

So what kind of an experience

0:44:520:44:54

have you been having here throughout spring?

0:44:540:44:56

Well, it's been lacking in rainfall since autumn.

0:44:560:45:00

Right.

0:45:000:45:01

And last month in particular was 30% only

0:45:010:45:04

of what we would expect in April.

0:45:040:45:05

Right. And what kind of effect has that been having

0:45:050:45:08

on the crops that you've got outside?

0:45:080:45:10

It makes them later,

0:45:100:45:12

slightly smaller and generally weaker.

0:45:120:45:16

Any pests and diseases are always more likely

0:45:160:45:18

when the plants are under stress.

0:45:180:45:20

And these are certainly under moisture stress now.

0:45:200:45:23

For flower-growers, a dry spring is proving to be of real concern.

0:45:230:45:26

And although we've had some wet weather recently,

0:45:260:45:29

we need a lot more to help our crops in the months ahead.

0:45:290:45:32

But the question is, where has all of this rain been

0:45:320:45:34

that we've desperately needed this spring?

0:45:340:45:37

The good news is, weather expert John Hammond is here to tell us.

0:45:370:45:39

Here we are again.

0:45:390:45:41

John, you have come up with some ingenious ways over the years

0:45:410:45:43

of explaining the jet stream.

0:45:430:45:45

-I sure have.

-This one takes the biscuit.

0:45:450:45:47

Well, my next trick, we're employing a front-loader,

0:45:470:45:50

a bowser, and a big, big blue hosepipe. And...

0:45:500:45:54

-It looks very impressive. Go on.

-..a peony.

0:45:540:45:57

The peony's quite important, actually, because the peony,

0:45:570:46:00

for the purposes of this exercise, represents the UK.

0:46:000:46:02

So, fire up the jet stream, would you, Matthew?

0:46:020:46:05

OK. Here comes the rain.

0:46:050:46:06

Yeah. Now, normally, the jet stream coming in from the west

0:46:060:46:09

kind of crosses the country in fairly regular patterns like this,

0:46:090:46:13

so we get doses of rain,

0:46:130:46:14

doses of dry weather,

0:46:140:46:16

nothing too extreme, nothing too prolonged.

0:46:160:46:18

-Good news for the farmers and the growers, OK?

-Yeah.

0:46:180:46:21

Occasionally something weird goes on in the atmospherics...

0:46:210:46:24

You know, even in the Pacific, the other side of the world,

0:46:240:46:26

which can deflect the jet stream for a longer period of time, like that.

0:46:260:46:31

Which means that the UK

0:46:310:46:33

is kind of out of the firing line of the jet stream

0:46:330:46:36

for a more prolonged spell of time -

0:46:360:46:38

we just stay dry for weeks, if not months.

0:46:380:46:41

And that's what happened through the spring,

0:46:410:46:43

of course, parts of the UK have had, well,

0:46:430:46:45

a third of their normal rainfall in the last few weeks.

0:46:450:46:48

For some areas, in April we didn't see a drop of rain.

0:46:480:46:51

So, have you got a hunch about what's going to be happening

0:46:510:46:53

over the next few months?

0:46:530:46:54

There are no clear indications for the next few months

0:46:540:46:57

but, hopefully, for the next few weeks, at least,

0:46:570:46:59

things will revert to something a bit more back to normal.

0:46:590:47:03

We've had a few showers today in actual fact, haven't we?

0:47:030:47:05

But, you know, we need a few more than the odd shower

0:47:050:47:08

to get things back to normal.

0:47:080:47:09

So, fingers crossed the jet stream will start to behave

0:47:090:47:12

a bit more like this in the weeks and months ahead.

0:47:120:47:15

Well, that peony's nicely watered now, John.

0:47:150:47:17

Yeah, we've got a few more thousand to do this afternoon, though, Matt.

0:47:170:47:20

Yeah, and while we do, let's hand to the BBC Weather Centre

0:47:200:47:23

and get the five-day forecast - see if there's any rain on the way.

0:47:230:47:26

I've been on land and sea

0:48:120:48:14

around the Cornish coast,

0:48:140:48:15

exploring the spring wildlife thriving in our waters.

0:48:150:48:19

And after a long day out at sea,

0:48:200:48:22

I've been invited for a spring supper.

0:48:220:48:25

How can I refuse?

0:48:250:48:26

I'm having my dinner cooked by Michelin-starred chef,

0:48:290:48:33

and MasterChef mentor, Paul Ainsworth.

0:48:330:48:36

For him, this time of year is truly special.

0:48:360:48:38

-All right, Johnny?

-All right, Paul?

0:48:390:48:41

There you go, mate. You got it?

0:48:410:48:43

Yes, look at that beauty. Thank you very much.

0:48:430:48:44

What I love about being in Padstow

0:48:440:48:46

is the food network that we've got going on.

0:48:460:48:48

To be able to go and meet the people,

0:48:480:48:52

see the produce,

0:48:520:48:53

to actually know where it's coming from,

0:48:530:48:56

is something that's incredible.

0:48:560:48:59

-You brought the weather with you.

-I always do.

0:48:590:49:01

-How are you? Are you OK?

-I'm well. Yeah. You?

0:49:010:49:03

-Good. Yes, very good, thank you.

-Great.

0:49:030:49:05

'Paul is taking me to gather the ingredients for his spring meal.

0:49:050:49:08

'Along the way, we'll meet the tightknit Cornish community

0:49:080:49:11

'who help make up his food network.'

0:49:110:49:14

-This is how we go shopping in Padstow.

-We always do this.

0:49:140:49:17

-Just like this.

-Great.

0:49:170:49:18

And so where are we going first?

0:49:180:49:19

We're going to go to St Enodoc asparagus first.

0:49:190:49:22

All right. Looking forward to it.

0:49:220:49:23

What a lush morning.

0:49:290:49:30

-It's beautiful, isn't it?

-It is amazing.

0:49:300:49:32

Nestled in amongst the sand dunes on the Cornish coast

0:49:330:49:37

is this asparagus farm

0:49:370:49:38

run by Jax Buse and Natalie Burch,

0:49:380:49:40

who've been growing here for more than 25 years.

0:49:400:49:43

So this one is ready?

0:49:450:49:46

Yeah, you can see that it's longer than a knife,

0:49:460:49:49

so, yeah, we would cut it down there very carefully

0:49:490:49:51

so that it doesn't damage anything else.

0:49:510:49:53

And these?

0:49:530:49:55

Yeah, this one we'll be able to pick tomorrow,

0:49:550:49:58

leaving that one for the day after,

0:49:580:50:00

because it will have grown possibly two inches in a day.

0:50:000:50:03

-In 24 hours?!

-Yeah!

-That's fast!

0:50:030:50:06

The asparagus here really is something special.

0:50:090:50:13

I guess a lot of people imagine that asparagus is more of an inland crop.

0:50:160:50:19

Well, it's not, because it loves the salt.

0:50:190:50:21

So, the salt comes across here in the winter,

0:50:210:50:24

deposits itself on all the soil

0:50:240:50:26

and then it grows up, tasting amazing,

0:50:260:50:28

because it's got the salt in it.

0:50:280:50:30

And field-to-fork for you will be really quick, won't it?

0:50:300:50:33

This is a phone call in the morning - how much can we have?

0:50:330:50:36

Yeah, you can have this - cut.

0:50:360:50:38

And literally over on the boat that we came across on

0:50:380:50:41

and to the restaurant.

0:50:410:50:42

Our journey continues and with the taste of salt air

0:50:450:50:47

and the sound of gulls overhead,

0:50:470:50:49

I can see why Paul loves this place.

0:50:490:50:52

Next on the menu - seaweed.

0:50:530:50:55

Not for a side dish, but as a seasoning

0:50:550:50:57

to make the asparagus really take on the flavours of the Cornish coast.

0:50:570:51:01

You want the nice moist stuff.

0:51:010:51:03

You see where the sun's been on it for a bit,

0:51:030:51:04

but we just want that lovely taste of the ocean.

0:51:040:51:06

-Will that do?

-That is amazing.

0:51:060:51:08

-Right.

-Brilliant. I'm intrigued.

0:51:080:51:11

'Another ingredient ticked off our list,

0:51:110:51:13

'but I'm a bit confused by our next stop.'

0:51:130:51:17

Paul, I'm sure you mentioned seafood was the main event,

0:51:170:51:19

but we've pitched up to a dairy farm.

0:51:190:51:21

We have, but this dairy farm is a very special dairy farm.

0:51:230:51:26

It's got a wonderful story to it.

0:51:260:51:27

Tim Marshall's family has been running this dairy farm here

0:51:300:51:34

for generations.

0:51:340:51:35

But he's taken his farming in a different direction -

0:51:350:51:39

oysters.

0:51:390:51:41

My brother and myself were farming together.

0:51:410:51:43

It was obvious we weren't going to make a living

0:51:430:51:46

for two families out of that.

0:51:460:51:47

I was always keen on fishing and fancied a fish farm of some sort,

0:51:470:51:50

and a friend put us on to this way of growing oysters,

0:51:500:51:53

and that's the beginning of the story, basically.

0:51:530:51:55

30 years later it seems to be doing all right.

0:51:550:51:57

-30 years later, yes, yes.

-That's fantastic.

0:51:570:51:59

Is spring a good time for harvesting oysters?

0:51:590:52:01

Yep, spring is a good time.

0:52:010:52:02

Through the winter they lie dormant,

0:52:020:52:04

but during the spring there's a lot more food in the water,

0:52:040:52:06

they're starting to get themselves ready for spawning

0:52:060:52:09

later in the summer

0:52:090:52:10

and they're just beefing themselves up

0:52:100:52:12

and they're in perfect condition at the moment.

0:52:120:52:14

'These spring oysters might be in their prime,

0:52:140:52:16

'but my track record with oysters on Countryfile isn't great.'

0:52:160:52:20

Oh, that hasn't improved for me!

0:52:230:52:26

Paul's got a lot of work to do to win me round.

0:52:270:52:30

-I feel your pain.

-That's amazing. Don't... It's amazing.

0:52:330:52:36

I feel good. I feel zingy.

0:52:360:52:38

You're going to convert me today with these, aren't you?

0:52:380:52:40

-I'm definitely going to convert you.

-All right, that's a challenge.

0:52:400:52:43

That's the final ingredient ticked off our shopping list.

0:52:440:52:48

-We did it.

-You got everything?

-We've got everything.

0:52:480:52:50

'Paul's organised a great spot for our spring cook-up,

0:52:520:52:55

'and I can't wait to get started.'

0:52:550:52:57

This is a feast for the eyes already.

0:52:570:52:59

Let's cook a spring menu.

0:52:590:53:01

-Let's put you to work.

-OK.

0:53:010:53:03

First up, your favourite!

0:53:050:53:07

-Oysters.

-Oysters.

-Goody!

0:53:070:53:09

We're going to now panade them.

0:53:090:53:11

It goes crunchy and crispy really quickly.

0:53:110:53:13

Next, we'll move on to the asparagus.

0:53:160:53:17

-Spread them out like that.

-So they all get a bit of seaweed?

0:53:180:53:21

Yeah, so they all get a bit of seaweed.

0:53:210:53:23

Then we're going to serve

0:53:230:53:24

-with our wonderful mayonnaise that we've made.

-Fantastic.

0:53:240:53:27

OK.

0:53:270:53:29

They do look great, even for a non-oyster lover like me.

0:53:290:53:32

A non-oyster lover.

0:53:320:53:33

And there you have St Enodoc asparagus,

0:53:330:53:36

roasted and steamed over seaweed.

0:53:360:53:39

Porthilly oysters, crisped,

0:53:390:53:40

beautiful Cornish charcuterie.

0:53:400:53:42

And what's gorgeous is

0:53:420:53:43

this wild-garlic mayonnaise complements both.

0:53:430:53:46

-It's a spring feast!

-Yeah.

0:53:460:53:47

From the land, from the sea, to the table -

0:53:470:53:50

in the same day, within a few hours.

0:53:500:53:52

-Same day.

-It's certainly fresh.

0:53:520:53:54

We've got to dig in.

0:53:540:53:55

'Crumbed and deep-fried, will Paul be able to convert me

0:53:550:53:58

'and make me an oyster-lover?'

0:53:580:54:00

-Be honest, though.

-Of course, of course.

0:54:000:54:02

-OK, you ready?

-Yeah.

-Here we go.

0:54:020:54:03

Mmm.

0:54:030:54:05

I can tell already.

0:54:090:54:10

-You like it, don't you?

-It's so different.

0:54:100:54:12

-It's amazing, isn't it?

-It's like really, really posh scampi.

0:54:120:54:15

-Yeah, yeah.

-You can actually bite it.

0:54:150:54:17

You can bite it, it's comforting. Try it with the asparagus as well.

0:54:170:54:20

-That is really good.

-So, converted?

0:54:200:54:21

-Yeah, this is the only way I'm going to have them.

-I told you. Yes!

0:54:210:54:25

Your way.

0:54:250:54:27

That is delicious. Really, really good. Right, asparagus, too.

0:54:270:54:30

'After all their hard work,

0:54:310:54:33

'it seems only right that Jax and Natalie from the asparagus farm

0:54:330:54:36

'are here to join us for this feast.'

0:54:360:54:38

Without you...

0:54:380:54:40

Yeah, it's amazing. There we are. Natalie.

0:54:400:54:43

-Thank you.

-That's unbelievable.

0:54:430:54:46

-Amazing.

-Well, what better way to see in this springtime

0:54:460:54:49

than with seasonal food,

0:54:490:54:51

beautiful scenery

0:54:510:54:53

and good company?

0:54:530:54:54

And if you want to carry on the springtime celebrations

0:54:540:54:57

in the week ahead, you can,

0:54:570:54:58

with the Countryfile Spring Diaries.

0:54:580:55:01

I don't know about you, but keeping fit can be hard work.

0:55:040:55:07

Really good actually!

0:55:070:55:09

There is a nest in there. How exciting!

0:55:090:55:12

-Are you in my slipstream?

-I think I am.

0:55:120:55:15

-The Cornish way, always a winner for you?

-Yes, it definitely is.

0:55:150:55:18

That is uniquely delicious.

0:55:180:55:20

What do you bring to the team?

0:55:200:55:22

I'm a good tea-maker!

0:55:220:55:23

Now, that is important!

0:55:230:55:25

And now for the big moment.

0:55:250:55:28

Whoa!

0:55:280:55:30

That's every morning this week on BBC One.

0:55:310:55:34

Hope you can join us. Bye for now.

0:55:370:55:39

Right, I've got a spring feast to finish.

0:55:390:55:41

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