0:00:28 > 0:00:31The uplands of Staffordshire.
0:00:31 > 0:00:37Open country dominated by stark, brooding ridges and vast moorlands.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42There's a rough beauty to it all,
0:00:42 > 0:00:45it's the sort of place you could easily lose yourself in.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48But just imagine you did get lost here.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52How in all this vastness would you ever find your way out?
0:00:54 > 0:00:55These guys just might know.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59But there are places from which there's no escape,
0:00:59 > 0:01:03mysterious pools and dank green gorges.
0:01:04 > 0:01:10Places of myth and magic, where Green Knights dwell and ghostly mermaids
0:01:10 > 0:01:12wait to snare the unwary,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15but what is the fact behind the fiction?
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Adam meets the young farmers taking the legwork out of milking time.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23There's 800 cows on this dairy farm in Dorset
0:01:23 > 0:01:25but they don't have to walk back to the farm buildings to be milked,
0:01:25 > 0:01:28because their dairy parlour is on wheels.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31And tonight's the night that the final 12 pictures
0:01:31 > 0:01:35in our photographic competition will be revealed.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39John will be joined by Bill Bailey and Charlotte Uhlenbroek.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44I thought this was a poster for an '80s metal band.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48Look at that. That could be a publicity shot for Motley Crue.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53They'll be choosing the photos for the 2015 Countryfile calendar,
0:01:53 > 0:01:57and then you'll have the chance to pick your favourites.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Now, we fight it out.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03I think they all say animal magic to me.
0:02:03 > 0:02:04Every single one.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15The Staffordshire Roaches.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18A landscape of millstone, grit and moor.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23Mystical, magical, where myths hang heavy in the air
0:02:23 > 0:02:26and legend courses through every stream.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33And if this land could talk, what stories it would tell.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39I'm going to take a walk around the Roaches, a rocky outcrop that
0:02:39 > 0:02:43dominates the skyline just a few miles from Stoke on Trent.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51Park ranger Sarah knows these stories better than most.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Sarah, the landscape changes really dramatically
0:02:54 > 0:02:56when you get down here off the moor, doesn't it?
0:02:56 > 0:02:57It does, it's such a diverse area,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00we're very lucky in this part of the Peak District.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03But what is it about this region that really lends itself
0:03:03 > 0:03:06to creating all of these myths and legends?
0:03:06 > 0:03:09I think when you're actually in the area you can feel the trees
0:03:09 > 0:03:12and the rocks talking to you, nearly.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15There's so much history and the stories are amazing.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Now, here we have Caster's Cottage.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23There isn't a lot of it left.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27- What's the story?- The story is, there used to be cannibals here.- Really?
0:03:27 > 0:03:30They lived here and then a traveller would come past here
0:03:30 > 0:03:33and couldn't actually make it to where he was going to that night,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36so he decided to actually stay here.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39He has got himself settled in and then all of a sudden,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42he hears one of the children say, "What big hands you've got,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44"what lovely pies they'll make."
0:03:44 > 0:03:48He was a little disturbed by this, so decided to make a run for it.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50They followed him with hounds.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53So he actually jumped into the brook to lose them.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57When it was safe, he went to the nearest town and reported it.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01The officers of the law then came back and found bones
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- and gold from many other travellers. - Do you think it's true?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Who's to know? It's in quite a lot of books, though.
0:04:06 > 0:04:11If it were, that beautiful old beech tree presumably would have seen
0:04:11 > 0:04:13- and heard the whole lot. - I think it probably did.
0:04:15 > 0:04:21If only trees could talk, they might tell us of brigands, outlaws.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26There is a place of all the places in this magical landscape
0:04:26 > 0:04:27that inspires true awe.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32A stunning gouge in the land where myths drip
0:04:32 > 0:04:34and chill air stops the heart.
0:04:35 > 0:04:36Easy to miss,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Lud's Church is well hidden deep in the Staffordshire woodland.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45This subterranean cavern is said to have been used by many,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48including Robin Hood and Bonnie Prince Charlie.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51The perfect hiding place.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55Wow, look at this sort of corridor, it's fabulous, isn't it?
0:04:55 > 0:04:58No wonder you kept this till the end!
0:04:58 > 0:05:00It does feel like another world.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03- Does it go down there?- Yes.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14HE LAUGHS Amazing!
0:05:22 > 0:05:26I mean, whoever called it Lud's Church really underestimated it.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29This is more of a stone cathedral.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39It's beautiful, isn't it? It has a microclimate all of its own.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42You can feel the temperature drop as you walk in.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44It's very cool in here now, isn't it?
0:05:47 > 0:05:51'Lud's Church has inspired many a legend,
0:05:51 > 0:05:55'among them the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58'One of the most famous of all medieval tales,
0:05:58 > 0:06:02'it tells of a barbaric challenge thrown down by the mysterious
0:06:02 > 0:06:06'Green Knight to Sir Gawain, King Arthur's courageous nephew.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09'One year and one day later,
0:06:09 > 0:06:14'the Green Knight demands his turn to exact revenge on Sir Gawain.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17'They meet one dank and dreary winter's day,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19'right here in Lud's Church.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22'The immortal Green Knight's home.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25'Many say he still lives here.'
0:06:32 > 0:06:37You get to the top, and look back, can you see him sleeping?
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- Oh, that face there, yeah. - Don't wake him up, though.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43- Let's tiptoe out of here before we do.- Let's!
0:06:45 > 0:06:49And so we let the Green Knight sleep in wait
0:06:49 > 0:06:53for some other unwary traveller to stir him from his slumber.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01This year you sent in over 30,000 entries for the Countryfile
0:07:01 > 0:07:03photographic competition
0:07:03 > 0:07:06and tonight we are going to reveal the 12 winning pictures
0:07:06 > 0:07:10that are going to make it into the Countryfile calendar for 2015,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14and asking you to help us pick the overall winner.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17But first, it's over to John, the chair of our judging panel,
0:07:17 > 0:07:18to get us started.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Our annual photographic competition is
0:07:23 > 0:07:26one of the highlights of the Countryfile year,
0:07:26 > 0:07:31revealing the extraordinary camera skills of you, our viewers.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35This year, our theme is animal magic.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39And whether they were on a farm or in the wild, we wanted your pictures
0:07:39 > 0:07:42of birds and bugs and beasts,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44like these beautiful fallow deer.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48And you didn't disappoint us -
0:07:48 > 0:07:52your cameras conjured up more than 32,000 entries.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Finding the 12 outstanding images that will fill
0:07:55 > 0:08:01the Countryfile calendar for 2015 is going to be a mammoth task.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04To get us started, we have come to Sheepdrove Organic Farm
0:08:04 > 0:08:09in Berkshire, where we have enlisted some uniquely qualified helpers.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13This top team of previous winners and finalists has the daunting job
0:08:13 > 0:08:18of checking every single entry and compiling a short list of 3,000.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25- There's rather a lot there, Geoff. - We'll get there.- Yeah.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Then making the final choice will be comedian Bill Bailey,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33zoologist Doctor Charlotte Uhlenbroek, and me.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36So, what are these eagle-eyed shortlisters
0:08:36 > 0:08:39looking for amongst these piles of pictures?
0:08:39 > 0:08:43The subject is animal magic so I am going to be looking for the magic.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Looking for something dynamic, something moving.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50Great light, a great subject in a great background.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Something that when you pick up is going to make you smile.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Well, with so many entries to go through, there's no time to lose.
0:08:57 > 0:08:58Working in pairs,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02our first team of skilful snappers is Cheryl Surrey and Jerome Murray.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Cheryl was a winner in 2009 with Snowy Squirrel,
0:09:06 > 0:09:11and When Feathers Fly made Jerome a finalist in last year's competition.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14This one, for me, absolutely stood out.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16The lighting is perfect, you feel like you could rub your hand
0:09:16 > 0:09:19over it and you could feel the texture of the ponies.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21That is probably my best photo so far.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26Team two is Rosy Burke, the judges' favourite in 2005 with
0:09:26 > 0:09:31Fun In The Waves, and Geoff Hill, a 2009 finalist with Say Cheese!
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Look at this. This is absolutely amazing. Wiggies.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37They are all looking at the photographer.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41- It is animal magic, this one. - I think this is a terrific shot.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44The colour of the gold of the owl and this marvellous
0:09:44 > 0:09:47green of the bark, there's even woodworm holes in the wood.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51Beautiful, beautiful shot for a month on your wall.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Those two know exactly what they're looking for
0:09:53 > 0:09:55and they've set their standards high.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Our third pair of sharp-eyed selectors are Jennifer Duncan
0:09:59 > 0:10:00and Andy Colbourne.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Huffing Puffin made Jennifer a winner in 2010
0:10:04 > 0:10:08and Andy was one of the chosen few last year with Feeding Frenzy.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11I came across this picture of a snake which I think is really excellent,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15it's technically a very good picture, it's really sharp,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18good depth of field and a different subject matter.
0:10:18 > 0:10:19- Snakes are not my thing.- No?
0:10:19 > 0:10:23But that is a stunning photograph, it's absolutely pin sharp,
0:10:23 > 0:10:24it really is beautiful.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28In our final team, 2011 finalist, Mark Blake,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31who impressed the judges with his Winter Weasel,
0:10:31 > 0:10:36and Jean Burwood, judges' favourite in 2012 with Rainbow's End.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41A picture's got to tell a story, but with this one it actually
0:10:41 > 0:10:44makes you want to be there, because look at that.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46That is absolutely stunning,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50it could actually go on a holiday brochure, to be fair.
0:10:50 > 0:10:55It's been a long day of sifting and scrutinising, but thanks to
0:10:55 > 0:10:57the hard work of our former finalists,
0:10:57 > 0:10:59we've got a short list of 3,000.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05And now it's over to Charlotte, Bill and me to find
0:11:05 > 0:11:08the 12 really outstanding photographs that will each have
0:11:08 > 0:11:12a page on the Countryfile calendar for 2015.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15And this is where we're going to choose our winners,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18in the stately surroundings of Petworth House in Sussex.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21So please join us later for the final judging.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26ELLIE: We are in Staffordshire
0:11:26 > 0:11:30and I'm on a very special farm run by a remarkable lady.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34This is a tale which has its origins in a unique brigade.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46They fought in the fields. Their weapons - ploughs and pitchforks.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49They were the unsung heroines of the Second World War.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53They were the Women's Land Army,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56and without their efforts we would have starved.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01They dug the fields and grew the food that kept us going
0:12:01 > 0:12:03during and after the war.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Now, at last, their efforts are being recognised.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09There's to be a statue to the Land Girls right here
0:12:09 > 0:12:11at the National Memorial Arboretum.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19A few weeks ago, I told the story of the beginnings of the movement
0:12:19 > 0:12:22and today I'm meeting a remarkable woman,
0:12:22 > 0:12:24one of the last surviving Land Girls.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Mary Wright is 84.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31She grew up in the Black Country in Walsall before signing up to join
0:12:31 > 0:12:35the Women's Land Army at just 17 years of age.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Mary, why did you decide to join the Land Army?
0:12:38 > 0:12:43Well, really when I left school I didn't know what I wanted to do.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46I saw this advert in the paper.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49And thought, "I think this is for me, yes."
0:12:49 > 0:12:54When I first went, I had no idea of doing anything.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58At my interview with the colonel, he asked me,
0:12:58 > 0:13:02can you milk, can you drive a tractor, can you do this,
0:13:02 > 0:13:07can you do that? And I kept saying, "No, no, sorry, no."
0:13:07 > 0:13:10And he said, "I'd like you to start on Saturday."
0:13:10 > 0:13:12That must have been a surprise!
0:13:12 > 0:13:15The colonel clearly saw something in Mary,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18and she threw herself wholeheartedly into the work.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21What can you remember were the hardest parts?
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Probably carrying the hay and straw on our backs.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29- That was probably the heaviest job. - What were your favourite bits?
0:13:29 > 0:13:34Looking after the animals. I have always loved animals. Always.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36- And you've carried on farming. - Yes. Yes.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Do you think you would've gone into farming
0:13:39 > 0:13:40if you hadn't been a Land Girl?
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Oh, no. I wouldn't...
0:13:42 > 0:13:43I...
0:13:43 > 0:13:47To be quite honest, I have no idea what else I would have done.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50But not only have you carried on farming,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53- you've got a very successful farm. - Yes, yes.
0:13:53 > 0:13:58I am very fortunate that my son and granddaughter
0:13:58 > 0:14:01and grandson are following in Granny's footsteps!
0:14:01 > 0:14:03I am sure they are very inspired by you.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Oh, yes. Well, I hope they are.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Mary's 23-year-old granddaughter Izzy takes care of
0:14:11 > 0:14:15the 500-strong herd of Jersey cows.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Was it your grandmother that inspired you to keep going with the farming?
0:14:19 > 0:14:23Erm, Nanny is a very inspirational person to everybody
0:14:23 > 0:14:26and she began the business for us and gave me
0:14:26 > 0:14:30the opportunity to be able to come into the business as well.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34- Do you get lots of stories from your grandma?- Oh, hundreds.- Do you?
0:14:34 > 0:14:39- Any that are particularly memorable? - There's... I think...
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Well, she's never told us the funny stories,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44she's always told us how hard they worked!
0:14:44 > 0:14:45- About the hard graft!- Yeah.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Why do you think it is so important that the Land Girls are marked
0:14:50 > 0:14:51with this memorial?
0:14:51 > 0:14:54It's the work they did, isn't it?
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Why shouldn't they be remembered for what they did?
0:14:57 > 0:15:01They did as much as the Army did, really,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03and the men did, because if it wasn't for them,
0:15:03 > 0:15:07they kept the farms going, they kept the country fed.
0:15:07 > 0:15:08So they deserve it.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13And it's none other than Izzy who has been chosen
0:15:13 > 0:15:15as the model for the Land Girls statue.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20The design is based on the original poster and her friend Sarah is posing
0:15:20 > 0:15:24alongside her as a lumberjill, the women who worked in the Timber Corps.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31But at the foot of the statue, there is something you might not expect.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33A pesky little addition at that.
0:15:34 > 0:15:40One all too prominent feature of the Land Girls' lives - brown rats.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44There wasn't a grain store or hay loft or barn
0:15:44 > 0:15:46that wasn't plagued by them.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48And in the days before modern pest control,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52they were a serious threat to the nation's food stores.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55The Land Girls called them "Hitler's little helpers"
0:15:55 > 0:15:58because of all the damage they did.
0:15:58 > 0:16:03So around 1,000 girls were trained specifically to tackle the problem.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06And this memorial marks something of a truce.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12Sculptor Denise Dutton has been working on the statue for months.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17- Denise, how are you doing?- Hello. - This looks amazing. Is this Izzy?
0:16:17 > 0:16:21- Yes, it is.- Wow. I can see the family resemblance actually.
0:16:21 > 0:16:22Remarkable.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26- Is this life-sized then? - It's life and a quarter.
0:16:26 > 0:16:27So, bigger than life size.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30It gives them that image as something you are in awe of
0:16:30 > 0:16:33when they're slightly bigger than they ought to be.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Slightly bigger, yes, because they are going to be in an open area,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39they can be diminished in size when they are put up against a big sky.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42So they need that sort of grandeur when you're looking up at them.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44It's absolutely fabulous.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46I've been tasked with helping create the rat
0:16:46 > 0:16:48for the foot of the statue.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Even such a tiny section of the sculpture involves an incredible
0:16:53 > 0:16:57amount of work. From a clay model, we're creating a wax cast.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01So we're using the negative and we are creating a positive with the wax.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02That's right.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05- That's great. - I don't want to miss a bit.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Next, the wax rat gets dipped into ceramic to make a mould.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14All leading up to the most exciting moment for me - pouring the metal.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16But first, I need to get kitted out.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22In here is the mould, or the shell as it's called, of our rat
0:17:22 > 0:17:24and it's buried in this sandy-looking stuff called molochite,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28which is used to keep it steady and keep the heat in,
0:17:28 > 0:17:34and over here is the bronze, which is heated to 1,120 degrees.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37And the heat is burning me even from here. Whoa, look at that!
0:17:41 > 0:17:44'My job is to steady the bronze as it's poured.'
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Ready when you are.
0:17:46 > 0:17:47- I just keep steady, don't I?- Yes.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49'It's a delicate process.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53'And if it's not done quickly enough, the bronze will start to set.'
0:18:02 > 0:18:05That was amazing. I loved that.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07That was incredible.
0:18:07 > 0:18:08I'm sweating buckets here!
0:18:10 > 0:18:15'20 minutes later, the rat is cool enough to come out of its shell.'
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Oh, yeah, look at the detail! That is brilliant.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28'A once-over with the sandblaster to clean it up
0:18:28 > 0:18:31'and it's ready for the finishing touches.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34'Spraying an acid onto it to give it that rich colour.'
0:18:34 > 0:18:38- Just cover it all over?- Yep.- Nice. - OK.- What's next?
0:18:38 > 0:18:40And then we just rub it back a bit
0:18:40 > 0:18:44and you'll really see the bronze coming through, so just use that.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48- A little rough.- And just... You can be quite fierce with it.- Oh, yeah.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52- Pick out the real detail. - So now the bronze shines through.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56I never thought I'd see such beauty in a dead rat, but there it is.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02There we have it, the finished rat.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07I feel really quite proud to have been part of something that is
0:19:07 > 0:19:10going to be a permanent memorial to the Women's Land Army.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16The Women's Land Army sculpture, complete with Ratty,
0:19:16 > 0:19:20will be unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum in October.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30- JOHN:- The hour is upon us. The moment has arrived.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34It's time to find those 12 outstanding photographs
0:19:34 > 0:19:37that will grace the Countryfile calendar for 2015.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45Our team of past winners and finalists has whittled down
0:19:45 > 0:19:50the 32,000 entries you've sent in to a slightly less daunting 3,000.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53And now, it's time for the final judging.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57To do that, we've come here to the spectacular Petworth House estate
0:19:57 > 0:20:00in Sussex, to select what we hope is going to be
0:20:00 > 0:20:02an equally spectacular final dozen.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06And later we will be asking you to choose the overall winner,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09our calendar cover star.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Petworth's grounds were landscaped in the 18th century
0:20:12 > 0:20:13by Capability Brown.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Among the 700 acres of rolling parkland here,
0:20:17 > 0:20:21nearly 1,000 deer roam, as they have for hundreds of years.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26In this magnificent scene there's more than 100 fallow deer bucks
0:20:26 > 0:20:29gathered together on that hillside. Well, it fits in perfectly
0:20:29 > 0:20:34with our theme for the competition this year, which is animal magic.
0:20:36 > 0:20:37Joining me on the judging panel
0:20:37 > 0:20:41are comedian and keen bird-watcher Bill Bailey
0:20:41 > 0:20:45and zoologist and primate expert Dr Charlotte Uhlenbroek.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48'And in honour of their judging debut, we thought they should be
0:20:48 > 0:20:52'transported in a manner befitting this elegant estate.'
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Well, talk about arriving in style!
0:20:56 > 0:21:00I know! I'd like to arrive like this at all times if you can arrange it.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03- I could definitely get used to that. - How was the journey?
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Wonderful! Wonderful. On a day like this as well, perfect.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09A bit of traffic on the A3, but, you know.
0:21:09 > 0:21:10There's no cup-holders either!
0:21:10 > 0:21:14- It's a lovely vehicle, isn't it, a Landau, I think.- It is a Landau.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16- Anyway, we have work to do. - Thank you.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19'And it's straight into Petworth's magnificent marble hall
0:21:19 > 0:21:21'to start judging.'
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Charlotte, what are you hoping is really going to catch your eye?
0:21:24 > 0:21:28More than anything, I love to see a bit of a photographer in there -
0:21:28 > 0:21:32I want bit of emotion, I want to see that they are telling a story.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36- We don't really want sort of standard pictures, do we?- No.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39It's got to be something which leaps out at you, or you see
0:21:39 > 0:21:43the animal in a different light perhaps, and there's something about
0:21:43 > 0:21:46the character of the animal which is brought out by the picture.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50'Well, with 3,000 to consider, we better get cracking.'
0:21:50 > 0:21:53I don't think we have meerkats in the British countryside, do we?
0:21:53 > 0:21:55- BILL LAUGHS - Er, no.
0:21:57 > 0:22:02- Look at that. A barn owl, that's one for you.- Oh, my barn owl!
0:22:06 > 0:22:09- There's foam and eyes.- Ah, yes!
0:22:09 > 0:22:12How about that? A sky full of linnets.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15That's great. Getting quite a lot of these.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Album cover sheep!
0:22:17 > 0:22:21That could be like a Pink Floyd album cover from sort of mid-'70s.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Magical pony time!
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Ah, yes!
0:22:31 > 0:22:33It's quite bizarre, isn't it?
0:22:33 > 0:22:37I'll see your backlit ears and I'll raise you.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39THEY LAUGH
0:22:39 > 0:22:43'After a few hours of judging, I think it's time for a tea break
0:22:43 > 0:22:46'and a chance for me to explore this amazing house.'
0:22:53 > 0:22:56There has been a house on this estate for 800 years
0:22:56 > 0:23:01but this immense structure was built at the end of the 1600s
0:23:01 > 0:23:05and it's still the family home of Lord and Lady Egremont.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Petworth House has the largest single collection of art
0:23:08 > 0:23:13in the care of the National Trust, some 300 paintings, 100 sculptures
0:23:13 > 0:23:17and countless historic pieces of furniture and precious objects.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20It's an artistic treasure trove.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23And not all the paintings are in frames.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28There are these huge murals on the walls of what is aptly called
0:23:28 > 0:23:29the grand staircase.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32But there are some very special paintings here
0:23:32 > 0:23:36by one of Britain's most famous and respected artists which were
0:23:36 > 0:23:40inspired by Petworth's landscape and the creatures that lived in it.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43And they're paintings which perfectly capture
0:23:43 > 0:23:45our theme of animal magic.
0:23:50 > 0:23:51Well!
0:23:51 > 0:23:55This is quite a room, isn't it, Andrew? Good to see you.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Hi, John. The room's called the Carved Room for obvious reasons.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01And it features some of the finest carvings by the great English
0:24:01 > 0:24:03woodcarver of the 17th century, Grinling Gibbons.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06That makes it very unusual, this room, doesn't it?
0:24:06 > 0:24:09And also the paintings here of the man who was
0:24:09 > 0:24:11inspired by the landscape.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Very much so. The great JMW Turner.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18This is one of two views of the park in the Carved Room.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20- There's the lake. - There's the lake.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24And on the far shore, the great hero of this room and of this house.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28- Just there?- Yes. We think this is probably George O'Brien Wyndham,
0:24:28 > 0:24:29the third Earl of Egremont.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33Who was a great patron of the English art in the early 19th century
0:24:33 > 0:24:37and a great patron of Turner's, but also a terrific lover of animals.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39The other one is down at the other end.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43This is the second view of the park which is a more general view,
0:24:43 > 0:24:45and of course includes the deer herd
0:24:45 > 0:24:47which we can still see in the park today.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51And the paintings are actually very low on the wall, aren't they?
0:24:51 > 0:24:52Yes, and that's for a reason.
0:24:52 > 0:24:57When the third earl redeveloped this room as a great dining room
0:24:57 > 0:25:00in the 1790s, for much of the time there was a very large
0:25:00 > 0:25:04dining table in here, so the idea was that the people sitting at the table
0:25:04 > 0:25:07- could get a perfect view of the Turners.- Right.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09So if you couldn't see the real view,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12- you could see Mr Turner's view. - That's right, yes, absolutely.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14- Not a bad deal. - Not a bad deal at all.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17So, have Bill and Charlotte managed to find any images
0:25:17 > 0:25:20that give Turner a run for his money?
0:25:20 > 0:25:23- Have I missed any works of art while I've been away?- Oh, yeah.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Some Impressionist cows. As if Monet had painted cows instead of lilies.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Which would look better on a wall?
0:25:29 > 0:25:32On a wall, you're right, the left-hand one.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35But in a coffee table book, I would definitely go for that one.
0:25:35 > 0:25:41I thought this was a poster for an '80s metal band. Look at that.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45That could be a publicity shot for Motley Crue.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- AMERICAN ACCENT:- We're just runnin' in the wind, man!
0:25:48 > 0:25:53See, this one looks like he's holding a flower like a microphone.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55- He's in a band as well, is he?- Yes!
0:25:55 > 0:25:57THEY LAUGH
0:25:57 > 0:26:00'Well, we're getting through them but we've still a long way
0:26:00 > 0:26:04'to go yet, so no more distractions. These need our full attention.'
0:26:04 > 0:26:09I like the toad. If it had a caption for that, it would just be, "What?!"
0:26:09 > 0:26:12"I'm a toad, all right, just deal with it."
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Join us later when we'll be fighting it out for our favourites
0:26:15 > 0:26:19'and then handing it over to you to pick the overall winner.'
0:26:24 > 0:26:26ELLIE: Normally, dairy cows have to walk
0:26:26 > 0:26:29to and from the milking shed twice a day.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33However, this week Adam is visiting a farm where their milking method
0:26:33 > 0:26:35is a little unconventional.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39But first, Adam is getting back to basics to remind us
0:26:39 > 0:26:40of the traditional way.
0:26:41 > 0:26:42There's a good girl.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45This is one of my lovely Gloucester cows
0:26:45 > 0:26:47and they're famous for milk production.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50For making single and double Gloucester cheese.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52And of course to produce milk, as a mammal,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55they have to give birth, so she calved just a few days ago
0:26:55 > 0:26:58and now I'll see if I can show you how to hand-milk her.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05So, a cow has got four teats, four quarters in her udder.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07And imagine that's her teat and this is the udder.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10To hand-milk her, you have to use your thumb
0:27:10 > 0:27:13and your forefinger to trap the milk so it doesn't go back up into
0:27:13 > 0:27:18the udder, and then down and the milk comes out the other end of the teat.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Of course, it wasn't very long ago when cows were milked like this,
0:27:22 > 0:27:26by hand, up and down the country on the farms in cow stalls,
0:27:26 > 0:27:30with people sitting on stools pouring the milk into churns.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Really hard work.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35You'd have forearms like Popeye, I'd imagine!
0:27:37 > 0:27:40We've milked cows by hand for centuries.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46But in the early 20th century, during the era of industrialisation,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49machines were developed to take over from the hand
0:27:49 > 0:27:51and change the industry for ever.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02So today, a typical dairy farm has, at its centre,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05the milking parlour, it's in a fixed location.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07But I'm on my way to meet up with
0:28:07 > 0:28:11two young, very entrepreneurial farmers who do it very differently.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21- Morning, gents. I'm Adam. - I'm Neil.- Hi, Neil.- Hi, I'm Tom.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24- Hi, Tom. Good to see you. - Welcome to the farm.- Thank you.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Goodness me, is that where you milk the cows down there, is it?
0:28:27 > 0:28:29Yep, that's our two milking parlours
0:28:29 > 0:28:33out in a field, the cows are kindly walking in for milking.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35- How many have you got out here? - We've got 800 cows here.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38I've never seen anything like it, extraordinary!
0:28:41 > 0:28:45Neil Grigg and Tom Foot had a dream to get into dairy farming.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49So two years ago, they rented this 900-acre farm in the heart of Dorset.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53Incredibly, they now have a herd of more than 700 dairy cows
0:28:53 > 0:28:56and they have a rather unusual way of milking them.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00They built a mobile parlour that they take to the cows in the field.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04So you've got all the cows in and this is your mobile parlour -
0:29:04 > 0:29:07it's extraordinary. Neil, where's all the power come from?
0:29:07 > 0:29:10We've got a generator in the shipping container
0:29:10 > 0:29:12which is where we get the electricity from.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15In there we've got the vacuum pumps. We've got the hot water tank,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18basically everything you'd find in a normal dairy, except it's on wheels.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22- And you are about to start up?- We are.- Let's go have a closer look.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27Goodness me, Tom, this is the first time
0:29:27 > 0:29:29I've ever stepped into a parlour and stood on grass.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31- Yes, it's pretty unusual, isn't it? - Incredible.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37This is pretty unusual, milking cows in the middle of a field?
0:29:37 > 0:29:39Yeah, it certainly is.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42I guess we got the farm, got the number of cows, and thought,
0:29:42 > 0:29:44"Right, we need a milking parlour capable of doing this."
0:29:46 > 0:29:48I copied a friends milking parlour which was static,
0:29:48 > 0:29:52and then put wheels on it.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56So, you literally just built all the elements together just like a...
0:29:56 > 0:29:58Yep, we got some 5mm plates, 20mm bit of pipe,
0:30:00 > 0:30:0660mm pipe, 50mm box and it's simple to me, it's my language.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09The first unit cost us £70,000 to build, the second...
0:30:09 > 0:30:11By the time we've done it once,
0:30:11 > 0:30:13we're able to do it a lot cheaper, £20,000 cheaper.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16And what about working out here in all the elements,
0:30:16 > 0:30:18does that bother you?
0:30:18 > 0:30:19It is actually relatively pleasant.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23We wear sun cream when it's hot, and waterproofs when it's wet,
0:30:23 > 0:30:25and thermals when it's cold.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30And the cows are outdoors anyway, so it's no difference to them.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32They're bred to live outside all year round.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35- How often are you milking? - We are only milking once a day.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38Most people are on twice a day, if not three times.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42All our milk goes for cheese. If you milk once a day you get more
0:30:42 > 0:30:46butterfat and protein in your milk, more like a Jersey cow.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50- That's good for cheese production. - And what about output, then?
0:30:50 > 0:30:54We're doing about 2,700 litres a cow, per year.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58But we get a high milk price for that 2,700 litres.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02- A big indoor wholesaler will produce 10-14,000?- Yes.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06- Tiny in comparison. - It is, it's hard to compare it,
0:31:06 > 0:31:09there's no right or wrong way to do the job.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11But this is the way we're doing it.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18While Tom carries on milking, I've gone to the top of the field
0:31:18 > 0:31:23with Neil to get a clear idea of how the system works.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25We move the parlour every day, so if you can see down here,
0:31:25 > 0:31:27that's where we milked yesterday.
0:31:27 > 0:31:28And yesterday afternoon
0:31:28 > 0:31:32we moved the parlours into the site that it is situated now.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36The cows would have grazed this paddock yesterday for 24 hours,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39and now they're going into the next paddock where they'll stay today,
0:31:39 > 0:31:41and then the parlour will be moved,
0:31:41 > 0:31:43- and they'll move again tomorrow. - Why?
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Cos we're mad.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50No, I guess we had a wonderful opportunity here three years ago
0:31:50 > 0:31:52where we were able to take the tenancy for what was
0:31:52 > 0:31:54an arable farm.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57I guess it was a short-term tenancy, an initial five years.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00We thought, "How can we milk cows on this farm?",
0:32:00 > 0:32:04and that's when we stared thinking about how we can do it differently,
0:32:04 > 0:32:08but without investing huge amounts of money into concrete and sheds.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12Which, in the short term, wouldn't make any sense at all.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14And if the tenancy does come to an end after five years,
0:32:14 > 0:32:16you can just pack it up and go.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18Exactly, drive it all out the yard.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22It seems like it's a really great system. What are the disadvantages?
0:32:22 > 0:32:25Actually, the logistics of the operation.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28There's nothing simpler than going into a milking parlour
0:32:28 > 0:32:30and pressing the "On" button and carry on milking,
0:32:30 > 0:32:33but from our point of view, we have to move the parlours every day,
0:32:33 > 0:32:35we have to manage that every day,
0:32:35 > 0:32:37and it takes a lot to make it all happen
0:32:37 > 0:32:40before you press the button and start milking.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43It's very simple-sounding, but it's actually quite complicated.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51The milking has finished now,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54and Tom and Neil are breaking down the whole parlour,
0:32:54 > 0:32:58lifting it on the hydraulic legs, getting it on the tractors,
0:32:58 > 0:33:00ready to be moved up to the next field
0:33:00 > 0:33:03where these cows will be milked tomorrow.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06And this is the tanker with all the fresh milk in it,
0:33:06 > 0:33:08it will go up the road and meet a bulk tanker lorry
0:33:08 > 0:33:10that will take it to the parlour.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16Tom, Neil and their team have got this down to a fine art.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19It only takes about an hour to de-rig, move,
0:33:19 > 0:33:21and set up the dairy for the next day.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28It's a remarkable, low-cost, totally mobile system.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46It's remarkable that milking's now finished down there,
0:33:46 > 0:33:48and the whole parlour's on the move.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51Yeah, that's right, and the milk is heading to the factory,
0:33:51 > 0:33:53which is just two miles over there.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56So the milking tomorrow will happen here?
0:33:56 > 0:33:57It will, that's right.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00We'll just get the second parlour in place and put all the stands down,
0:34:00 > 0:34:04and plug all the pipes in, and we'll be ready to go, like this morning.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06So, if you could live it all again, Tom,
0:34:06 > 0:34:08would you invest in a permanent site?
0:34:08 > 0:34:11Or are you happy with what you've got?
0:34:11 > 0:34:13It's been a question I've been reluctant to answer.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16I think, now, two and a half years in, we've really got it right.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19There's a few finishing touches, but I can't see why we would
0:34:19 > 0:34:23invest in a permanent site on this property, from now on.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25How about you, Neil?
0:34:25 > 0:34:27Well, I know it's a question of "never say never",
0:34:27 > 0:34:29but if we had a significant amount to capital to invest,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32I certainly think we'd invest in livestock rather than concrete.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35- Put it into cows.- Definitely, they are going to generate income,
0:34:35 > 0:34:36where concrete's not.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39- It's been fascinating to meet you. Thank you so much.- Cheers.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48We're at the magnificent Petworth House in West Sussex for the
0:34:48 > 0:34:51final judging of our Countryfile Photographic Competition.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55And, after much deliberation and debate,
0:34:55 > 0:35:01we've managed to whittle down the remaining 3,000 photos to about 100.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08Now comes the hardest part as we try to agree on our final 12.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12So, Bill, what you going to sacrifice?
0:35:12 > 0:35:15I'm going to find it very hard to let go of my '80s horses.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20I do think, with black and white
0:35:20 > 0:35:25they have to be very simple, bold, light and shade.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29I think that's really appealing, and to have got that moment,
0:35:29 > 0:35:32to have captured that moment when it popped its head through...
0:35:32 > 0:35:34Yes.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38That is absolutely quality, isn't it? In every way.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41There's hardly any duff photos here at all.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43All are of a very high standard.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46We've got to make some tough decisions, because these photos
0:35:46 > 0:35:48will be the stars of our calendar,
0:35:48 > 0:35:51which we sell in aid of BBC Children In Need.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54The current calendar sold 300,000 copies,
0:35:54 > 0:35:57raising more than £1.4 million.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59So we've got a lot to live up to.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02Now, we fight it out.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06I'm going to put this one in first, my butterfly.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10Anyone else got a nice butterfly?
0:36:10 > 0:36:15I'll see your butterfly, and I'll raise it... I love this.
0:36:15 > 0:36:20I'm slightly concerned whether it's absolutely pin-sharp enough.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24Unfortunately, I don't think that is
0:36:24 > 0:36:26the right-shape photograph for the calendar.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33I like... But I don't know what they are.
0:36:33 > 0:36:39This, I think, as a winter shot is stunning, it's got movement,
0:36:39 > 0:36:41it's simple.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44This is another wintry one, which I like -
0:36:44 > 0:36:47they're both white photographs, but I love that rabbit.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50- Are you rejecting mine, then?- No, I'm going to hold those up in a minute.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52Oh, dear.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Well, our task is over when we've selected the final 12.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58Then it's your job to vote for the overall winner,
0:36:58 > 0:37:01who will receive £1,000 worth of photographic equipment,
0:37:01 > 0:37:05and their winning image will feature on the front of the calendar.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Now, for us, it's the moment of truth.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13That's a flipping calendar shot, isn't it, if ever there was one?
0:37:13 > 0:37:17- Obviously, I like mine best. - It's difficult.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20I mean, I love mine, because of the colours and the composition of it.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27- Well, I think I might go for yours, Charlotte.- The hare?- Yes.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32It's a very happy photo.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36- You couldn't not look at that and smile, could you?- Good.
0:37:36 > 0:37:37In.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40If you see that and think, "what on earth is that?"
0:37:40 > 0:37:43it would certainly be a talking point.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46- It would, wouldn't it?- I'll concede. That can go through.- OK.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49- This is beautiful, just in its composition, isn't it?- Yes.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52- Yes, it is.- He's cute.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56- Shall we go for this one?- Yes, you edge it on the cute there, so...
0:37:56 > 0:37:59- Happy with that?- Yep.- Good.- OK. - So that's it, then.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01We've got our final 12.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05- Congratulations.- Thank you. - How have you enjoyed it?
0:38:05 > 0:38:08- First-time judges. - Well, really hard.
0:38:08 > 0:38:14The standard is so good and the diversity is fantastic.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16It had to be animal magic,
0:38:16 > 0:38:18and we've got some pretty magical photographs there.
0:38:18 > 0:38:23- I think they all say "animal magic" to me.- Yep.- Every single one.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27I'm just sad that my magical pony didn't make it in.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30- HE SINGS:- # Magical pony! Magical pony!
0:38:30 > 0:38:34# Where will you take me on your magical journey? #
0:38:36 > 0:38:43So, from more than 32,000 photos sent in, here is the final 12.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48In a moment I'll give you the phone numbers to vote for your favourite.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Calls cost 10p from a BT landline, other operators may vary,
0:38:51 > 0:38:53and calls from a mobile will be higher.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56But don't vote yet as your call won't be registered.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00You can also vote online, on our website.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03You'll have to create a BBC web ID, and then you can choose your
0:39:03 > 0:39:07favourite picture by clicking on "Vote now",
0:39:07 > 0:39:09and that way of voting is completely free.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15So here are those final dozen, with the all-important numbers.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17The lines will close at midnight on September 7th,
0:41:17 > 0:41:21and the online vote closes at the same time.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24Please don't call after that date as your vote won't be counted,
0:41:24 > 0:41:26and you may be charged.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30We'll show all the photos, with the details of how to vote,
0:41:30 > 0:41:31again at the end of the programme.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34And we'll be revealing the overall winner,
0:41:34 > 0:41:37together with the judges' favourite, on Countryfile in October.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40All that remains for me to do now
0:41:40 > 0:41:44is to say a really big thank you to everybody who sent in their photos.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46We just couldn't do it without you.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52The Peak District in Staffordshire.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56Perennially popular with walkers, climbers,
0:41:56 > 0:42:00and hikers who descend on the area to soak up its natural beauty.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03This is stunning.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07It's hard to imagine that this could be scene of a tragedy
0:42:07 > 0:42:11that still echoes 50 years on.
0:42:12 > 0:42:18Saturday March 14th, 1964, dawned bright and crisp.
0:42:18 > 0:42:25Around 240 scouts were taking part in a gruelling test of endurance,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28a 50-mile hike through some of the toughest terrain,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31and then the weather closed in.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37Bob Rogerson was a 22-year-old Rover Scout
0:42:37 > 0:42:40who took part in the walk that day.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44The rain was absolutely pelting down, and just horrible,
0:42:44 > 0:42:46and you could look over
0:42:46 > 0:42:52and in the mist you could see odd groups of other walkers.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56And I often wonder, to this day, if some of those walkers
0:42:56 > 0:43:00had took the wrong route and eventually ended up in trouble.
0:43:00 > 0:43:05You just think, and hope, you're going to survive.
0:43:05 > 0:43:11As soon as we got to the checkpoint, we decided we could call it a day.
0:43:11 > 0:43:12We'd had enough.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15So that's what we did.
0:43:15 > 0:43:20It was... Well, it was terrible...terrible.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23The walk was supposed to take less than 24 hours,
0:43:23 > 0:43:27but on Saturday night several scouts were still missing.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30And as the rain turned to snow, the search had to be abandoned.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35The following day a massive search got under way
0:43:35 > 0:43:39with more than 500 volunteers scouring the moor.
0:43:39 > 0:43:43Tragically, that afternoon, the rescuers found a body -
0:43:43 > 0:43:47and there were still two more scouts missing.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51Robin Knott was one of the volunteers
0:43:51 > 0:43:54who set out on Monday morning.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57We all turned up on Monday, got time off work,
0:43:57 > 0:44:01and we searched in two foot of snow up the Alport Valley.
0:44:01 > 0:44:05Just before four o'clock in the afternoon the guy in charge
0:44:05 > 0:44:07decided that was enough,
0:44:07 > 0:44:09and everybody should return to the road and go home.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12The group I was in decided that we were
0:44:12 > 0:44:13so far up the valley
0:44:13 > 0:44:17we would go round the next corner and have a look.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20And we found another body.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24Three days after the scouts first set out,
0:44:24 > 0:44:27the chances of finding anybody else alive were fading.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30Very shortly on Tuesday morning a report came through
0:44:30 > 0:44:33that the last body had been found,
0:44:33 > 0:44:37and, obviously, he was recovered and everybody stood down.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41- Goodness.- End of the job.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43But there was some small comfort.
0:44:43 > 0:44:47Against all odds, several scouts were found alive.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51It was these events, 50 years ago, that led to the formation
0:44:51 > 0:44:54of the Peak District Mountain Rescue Organisation.
0:44:54 > 0:45:01Robin was among the first to sign up, and is still involved today.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05In those early days they received around 30 call-outs a year.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07Today they get around 300.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10And the equipment has come a long way, too.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16As well as having all that kit, the team have got an amazing
0:45:16 > 0:45:19mobile office which allows them to cover a wide area.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22- Hi, Carney, How you doing? - Yeah, great. How are you?
0:45:22 > 0:45:24Good, thanks. So what goes on in here, then?
0:45:24 > 0:45:26This is our mobile command centre.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29Primarily we use it for searches, so we can use it to deploy people
0:45:29 > 0:45:33and then we come back and set up control.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37Taking a missing person's last known location as a starting point,
0:45:37 > 0:45:39the team calculate a search radius.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42You think, "Where might they have gone?"
0:45:42 > 0:45:45And that's where members in the team know about the region,
0:45:45 > 0:45:48and certain areas that are more likely for someone to go to.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51So, as well as all of this hi tech kit you have,
0:45:51 > 0:45:53one of the most important things is local knowledge.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55Yes. Absolutely.
0:45:55 > 0:45:57'But how good is their local knowledge?
0:45:57 > 0:46:01'We'll be finding out when Jules plays our damsel in distress.'
0:46:09 > 0:46:15We're in Staffordshire, a landscape of myth and magic, mountain and moor.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18Beautiful, but challenging, too.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21I'm with the Peak District Mountain Rescue Organisation, 50 years old this year.
0:46:24 > 0:46:29These guys have got all the toys. GPS, satnav, the lot.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32But there's one thing they reckon is more important than all of it
0:46:32 > 0:46:35put together - local knowledge.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38Understanding their patch and the lie of the land.
0:46:38 > 0:46:42But how good is their knowledge? Jules, it's over to you.
0:46:46 > 0:46:48Hi. I need you to put this on.
0:46:48 > 0:46:53Jules has unwittingly agreed to be missing out on the moor.
0:46:53 > 0:46:57- If you can just stick that on.- This is Ben, our producer, by the way. Full of surprises.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00So I'm going to guide you for a bit of a walk that you won't know.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03- You'll be lost, OK? - I'm lost right now.
0:47:03 > 0:47:07With Jules and his crew en route to a mystery location,
0:47:07 > 0:47:11I get down to business with mountain rescue guide Carney.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15Normally, we get help from people like dog walkers or someone
0:47:15 > 0:47:18that's seen them, so we start with the last known point.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20So, where were they last?
0:47:20 > 0:47:22We are looking at fitness,
0:47:22 > 0:47:25and how fast someone can get overtime, weather conditions.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27Those are our distance parameters, initially.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32This is really disconcerting.
0:47:32 > 0:47:34After a brisk 15-minute walk to a remote spot,
0:47:34 > 0:47:39Jules removes his blindfold and is left to call for help.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41- Here we go, it's calling. - It's calling.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43PHONE RINGS
0:47:43 > 0:47:45Hello, you're through to Mountain Rescue, how can I help?
0:47:45 > 0:47:48Hello, it's Jules from Countryfile, who am I speaking to?
0:47:48 > 0:47:50- Hi, Jules, it's Neil. - Hello, Neil.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53I'm going to pass you over to Ellie, she's going to ask you questions,
0:47:53 > 0:47:56we'll try and narrow down where you are, and get to you real soon.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59That's very good, Neil. No, it's Ellie.
0:47:59 > 0:48:01You sound far too jolly for a man in trouble.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03Right then, what can you see?
0:48:03 > 0:48:06I've got something of a sort of table top mountain,
0:48:06 > 0:48:09a bit like Sugar Loaf Mountain, near Abergavenny, five miles or
0:48:09 > 0:48:12- so away from me.- Right.
0:48:12 > 0:48:17Been brought up from Lud's Church, and it was about a 15-minute walk.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20Any landmarks, any sort of major obvious signs?
0:48:20 > 0:48:22You've got your Sugar Loaf there.
0:48:22 > 0:48:28To my right, eastward, I've got a rounded hill,
0:48:28 > 0:48:31and the whole lot feeds down into a river valley, and it is very wooded.
0:48:31 > 0:48:35All right, well, Jules, you just relax there, don't get stressed out.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38- All right, see you soon, I hope. Cheers, Ellie, bye.- Bye!
0:48:39 > 0:48:41Jules Hudson, far too much fun.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44- There you go.- Right. It's going off.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47It's going off, so we've lost signal, really. That's the idea.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49So that's it, I'm stuck,
0:48:49 > 0:48:51I've got no way of communicating with the outside world, so...
0:48:51 > 0:48:54I think the best thing I can do for the moment is get somewhere
0:48:54 > 0:48:58where I'm a little more visible, Ben. What do you think?
0:48:58 > 0:49:01We're a bit hidden here, if we go up there at least Ellie's got
0:49:01 > 0:49:05half a chance of spotting me up there. What do you think?
0:49:05 > 0:49:08- OK.- Try that, team? Come on.- OK.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12Going on the information which Jules has given,
0:49:12 > 0:49:16the team focus their search right down to within half a square mile,
0:49:16 > 0:49:18and set off.
0:49:18 > 0:49:20Where are we headed to then, Carney?
0:49:20 > 0:49:22- The last known location is Lud's Church.- Right.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24We think he's gone up to high ground.
0:49:24 > 0:49:26So we're going to head up to
0:49:26 > 0:49:30a sort of vantage point on the ridge which will enable us
0:49:30 > 0:49:32to walk along and be able to see down both sides of the ridge.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34It is beautiful up here, though.
0:49:34 > 0:49:38Even when the weather does catch you out as it has just done.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42We're only a mile or so away from Jules,
0:49:42 > 0:49:44and we couldn't have better conditions.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47But the weather in the Peak District is notorious
0:49:47 > 0:49:50and can turn in a moment.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54I can only begin to imagine how hard it must be to find a missing person
0:49:54 > 0:49:56in heavy fog and driving rain.
0:49:56 > 0:50:00That's where these guys come into their own.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03So I think that's what Jules was talking about, his table top.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06- We'll start shouting for him up here.- Oh, really?
0:50:06 > 0:50:08He might be able to hear us.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13Time is getting on - in about three hours or so it will be dark.
0:50:13 > 0:50:17I really don't want to be stuck up here when that happens,
0:50:17 > 0:50:20so fingers crossed they're on their way.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24When there is no GPS and no mobile phone signal,
0:50:24 > 0:50:28the team has to rely on finding people by sight and sound.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31They split up to conduct a line search.
0:50:31 > 0:50:36So we're calling his name now so as we're getting closer to where
0:50:36 > 0:50:39we think he might be, out of the mist you'll hear a "Hello".
0:50:39 > 0:50:43- They do shout back? Yeah, yes. - They find the energy?
0:50:45 > 0:50:47Hello!
0:50:47 > 0:50:50- There he is.- Hey!- You made it!
0:50:51 > 0:50:54- Well done.- Are you glad to see us? - I'm very glad to see you.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56I bet you are.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00And my slightly sketchy reference points obviously worked.
0:51:00 > 0:51:05- Oh, go on, then. Even warmer now. - How are you feeling?- I'm OK.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08- How long you been here, mate? - About 45-50 minutes.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11Feeling warm, feeling good? I'm all right, a bit damp.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13- Not too hungry?- I'm always hungry.
0:51:13 > 0:51:14Lucky for you these chaps
0:51:14 > 0:51:17and chapesses have got rucksacks full of chocolate...
0:51:17 > 0:51:20- Brilliant.- ..Which we shall enjoy. - Well, guys, it's a real pleasure.
0:51:20 > 0:51:22- Thank you very much for coming to find me.- Yes.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24It was a pleasure to spend the day with you, amazing.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26And I think that's it from us on the moors.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29Next week, Matt Baker will be in the West Midlands exploring
0:51:29 > 0:51:31one of the counties' greatest gardens.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33And I'll be discovering the history
0:51:33 > 0:51:35of the people who lived in rock houses.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37We'll see you then, bye-bye.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39- Right, chocolate.- Where's the pub?
0:51:39 > 0:51:41Different priorities.
0:51:41 > 0:51:43But before we go,
0:51:43 > 0:51:46here's John with a reminder of how to vote for your favourite
0:51:46 > 0:51:49from the 12 finalists in this year's Countryfile Photographic Competition.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54If Sunlit Sheep is your favourite, call...
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0:53:54 > 0:53:58Other operators may vary, and calls from a mobile will be higher.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00You can also vote for free on our website...
0:54:04 > 0:54:08The website also contains a full list of the photos and their phone
0:54:08 > 0:54:11numbers together with the terms and conditions for the competition.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15The lines are open until midnight next Sunday,
0:54:15 > 0:54:207th September, and the online vote closes at the same time.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23Please don't call after that date as your vote won't be counted
0:54:23 > 0:54:25and you may be charged.