0:00:25 > 0:00:29The shimmering green countryside of Suffolk.
0:00:29 > 0:00:34Historic towns, sweeping dales and tranquil rivers.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Sitting on the banks of the River Deben, the Suffolk town
0:00:37 > 0:00:41of Woodbridge has been a centre for boat-building for hundreds of years.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44I'm going to spend the day in this boatyard,
0:00:44 > 0:00:45putting the finishing touches
0:00:45 > 0:00:47to a very special boat.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49There she is, the Nancy Blackett.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Now, she's been out of the water for a few months
0:00:51 > 0:00:54but, hopefully, by the end of the programme,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57we're going to get her looking shipshape and sailing again.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02The islands and remote spits of land along the Suffolk coast
0:01:02 > 0:01:05are home to some remarkable wildlife.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07I'm heading over to Havergate Island
0:01:07 > 0:01:09and I'm hoping that spring is in
0:01:09 > 0:01:13the air, because that's the best time of year to see boxing hares.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Apparently the island is home to quite a few of them,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20as well some increasingly rare birds, so, binoculars at the ready.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Tom's inland, finding out why British people
0:01:24 > 0:01:27aren't as green-fingered as they used to be.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29We're said to be a nation of gardeners,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32but these days there's a lack of professional knowledge
0:01:32 > 0:01:35and enthusiasm when it comes to plants.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38And we're now being warned that, without enough horticulturalists,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41we're in danger of losing some of the most beautiful features
0:01:41 > 0:01:44of our countryside, and that's what I will be investigating later.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Meanwhile, Adam's got a new helper.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52With me today on the farm is a special guest,
0:01:52 > 0:01:54it's JB from the boy band, JLS.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57He's keen to be a farmer. So, what do you reckon to being out here?
0:01:57 > 0:02:00- Freezing.- It is, isn't it!
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Glowing in the warmth of the sun,
0:02:12 > 0:02:17spring has finally taken over this flat, pastoral land.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Bordered by Cambridgeshire on the West,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Suffolk stretches across East Anglia,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26till its rivers run into the North Sea.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29These winding waterways are home to sailors,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33boats huddle in clusters, sheltered from the sea.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35When the sailing season gets under way,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39they will take to the water, in search of adventure.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43"There's a boat coming up the river now," said John.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45"Her sails are a lovely colour."
0:02:45 > 0:02:48"A little white cutter with red sails was coming in
0:02:48 > 0:02:50"towards the moored boats.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52"Someone was busy on her foredeck.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56"As they watched, they saw the tall, red main sail crumple
0:02:56 > 0:03:01"and fall in great folds on the top of the cabin."
0:03:01 > 0:03:04That passage was from We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06a book by Arthur Ransome.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13A hero of children's literature, most famed for Swallows and Amazons,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17Ransome loved sailing here in his home county of Suffolk.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21The boat with the red sails was very close to his heart.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Those sails are real, and today, on this river,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27they will be unfurling once more.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34At a yard in the town of Woodbridge, Mike Illingworth
0:03:34 > 0:03:37has been restoring that very boat, the Nancy Blackett.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40- Am I all right to come up? - You certainly are.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42So you're busy prepping, then,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45because she's going to be back in the water?
0:03:45 > 0:03:48We certainly are, it's an early start to the season this year,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51just the sails to finish putting on and then we're ready to go.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54And these are the iconic red sails that are talked about?
0:03:54 > 0:03:57They are indeed, as in the book, yes.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00It's a very interesting name, isn't it, the Nancy Blackett.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03How did Arthur come to call it that, how did he actually acquire it?
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Well, I'm sure everyone has heard of the Swallows and Amazons book,
0:04:06 > 0:04:11which was his first, most popular book, the well-read one.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15The principal character in the Swallows and Amazons book
0:04:15 > 0:04:17was Nancy Blackett,
0:04:17 > 0:04:22so he was able to purchase the boat with the proceeds of the book,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25so that's where the name comes from.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29We have got to be careful putting these up now,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32- otherwise we'll start sailing before we know it.- Oh, yes.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35And he uses a lot of the experiences that he has
0:04:35 > 0:04:39on-board of her in the book, We Didn't Mean To Go Sea.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44Yes, that's right, but in the book she's called The Goblin.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Arthur drew detailed illustrations of The Goblin,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50so when there was a problem sailing the boat,
0:04:50 > 0:04:51Mike referred back to Arthur's drawings
0:04:51 > 0:04:54to work out exactly what was wrong.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59The problem lay in the upper part of the mast was bending forward
0:04:59 > 0:05:01when the boat was sailing,
0:05:01 > 0:05:05so when you actually look closely at these drawings,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09you can see that there is an upper part to the running backstay.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Which is this here, this is the running backstay?
0:05:12 > 0:05:15This is it, we found that only one of these wires,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19the lower one, was in place, so we fitted the second one,
0:05:19 > 0:05:24which you see goes to the very top of the mast, and that cured the problem.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28So it was due to his accuracy of drawings
0:05:28 > 0:05:32that we were able to perfect the rigging problem.
0:05:32 > 0:05:33- Oh.- Yeah.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40The boat is now owned by the Nancy Blackett Trust -
0:05:40 > 0:05:44a team of big kids who treasure her like Ransome did.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48What is it about Arthur Ransome's work that does it for you?
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Well, a lot, actually, Matt.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56I think, basically, it's a sense of freedom for kids to do
0:05:56 > 0:05:59their own thing, explore,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01make their own mistakes, learn, grow,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04free from their parents and society.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06So how excited are you for this afternoon then,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09to get out and get her on the water again?
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Oh, it will be brilliant, it's a nice, good wind for sailing today,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15and we'll take you down the river a little bit
0:06:15 > 0:06:18and you can feel the pleasure of being on the boat,
0:06:18 > 0:06:23feel the helm and become a member of the Nancy Blackett Trust!
0:06:23 > 0:06:25That would be wonderful.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29You see, if I give you the badge, you can fit that on somewhere.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Look at that, Peter, thank you.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33- Stick it in there.- Yes, I will, I will pop that in there.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- There you go, look at that! - It's cool, isn't it?
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- Let's get going, shall we? - Proper sailor!
0:06:39 > 0:06:40Thank you, Peter!
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Now an official member, I'll be joining the crew later,
0:06:43 > 0:06:44when she's ready for launch.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Now, Britain may be known as a nation of gardeners,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50but when it comes to turning our green-fingered skills
0:06:50 > 0:06:53into a profession, we are sorely lacking,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55as Tom has been finding out.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Plants are fundamental for life on Earth.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07They provide us with food, clean air and furnish our rich
0:07:07 > 0:07:09and beautiful countryside.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12But it's not all rosy in the garden.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Our knowledge and understanding of the botanical world is stagnating.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20There's a skill shortage that threatens our countryside
0:07:20 > 0:07:22and our food supply.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28This is an issue specific to horticulture.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Recent research by the Royal Horticultural Society
0:07:31 > 0:07:33found that part of the problem
0:07:33 > 0:07:36is that many people don't know what it is.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Maybe that's because of the definition?
0:07:39 > 0:07:43In simple terms, it's the art, science, technology
0:07:43 > 0:07:48and business of intensive plant cultivation for human use.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51OK, maybe it's not that simple.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54It may be easier to think about it in terms of jobs,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57and there's quite a selection.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02From fruit, to flowers and salad growers.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07Tree surgeons, landscape gardeners, potato farmers,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09greens keepers on golf courses.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Turf specialists for football pitches,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17to plant scientists and academics.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22The industry currently employs about 300,000 people,
0:08:22 > 0:08:27and generates £9 billion for the British economy each year.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30But recently there's been a warning that it needs to attract
0:08:30 > 0:08:33thousands more skilled workers to keep it alive,
0:08:33 > 0:08:38and the RHS's latest findings suggest that's proving difficult.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41The roots of the issue run deep.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44People in the industry say that young people don't really know what
0:08:44 > 0:08:47horticulture is, or they think it's a job for low achievers.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Well, are they right? I've come to a school to find out.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54I'm in Angmering in West Sussex,
0:08:54 > 0:08:58to discover what our next generation of university entrants thinks.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Well, thanks for coming in, I am going to test you,
0:09:01 > 0:09:03I'll write a word up here
0:09:03 > 0:09:06and I want you to tell me what you think it means.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11OK - lady at the end, here.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15Is it the study of plants or something?
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Growing things in greenhouses, herbs?
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Gardening? I'm not quite sure.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23So would you want to do horticulture as a job?
0:09:23 > 0:09:24No.
0:09:24 > 0:09:25LAUGHTER Why not?
0:09:25 > 0:09:29I think if I saw that word, it wouldn't attract me, no.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33I don't think it's a modern career or a trendy career to pursue.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36It doesn't interest me at all.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39So, even when the students have a faint grasp of what horticulture is,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43they don't like it, it's seen as dirty, old-fashioned,
0:09:43 > 0:09:44certainly not glamorous.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46And it's this image problem
0:09:46 > 0:09:50which is really threatening to wipe out the industry.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53So what's going on here, Chris?
0:09:53 > 0:09:55OK, Tom, this is the potting, pot filling,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59this is where we fill the pots with the substrate, with the peat.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03This is where we basically do about 20,000, 25,000 pots a day
0:10:03 > 0:10:05on this particular product.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Chris Moncrieff is the production director of the largest
0:10:08 > 0:10:10fresh herb producer in the UK.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13They supply 16 million pots of living herbs
0:10:13 > 0:10:15to supermarkets each year.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20He's worried about finding the next generation of horticulturists
0:10:20 > 0:10:21It is quite difficult - it seems to be a career
0:10:21 > 0:10:25that doesn't seem to be on anybody's radar at the moment.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28The only perceptions people are building up are maybe of programmes
0:10:28 > 0:10:31on television that they're seeing, maybe gardening-type roles,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34not about horticulture, not about what we do here,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37which is the mass production and sophistication of products,
0:10:37 > 0:10:41that, you know, are worth £3.7 billion farm gate to this country.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44What we're seeing here is a very technical industry, with computers,
0:10:44 > 0:10:48with sophisticated IT, robotics, railway systems, movements.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50What is the danger for the industry
0:10:50 > 0:10:52if we don't have enough young people coming in?
0:10:52 > 0:10:55The danger is that we're going to have the same people within
0:10:55 > 0:10:58the industry, which leads to maybe a recycling of ideas, old ideas,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00we don't get new ideas.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03The second thing is we don't get that new blood coming through,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06picking it up, and maybe having a different view on things,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08which creates new NPD, new innovation, which is
0:11:08 > 0:11:11what Britain is all about at the moment, is trying to promote that,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15and start selling out of this country when you get those ideas.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19That picture is repeated right across the country.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Universities are dropping courses due to lack of demand
0:11:22 > 0:11:25and that's led to a nationwide shortage.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Tragically, we don't have any real degrees in botany
0:11:28 > 0:11:30- as a pure subject these days.- Not at all?
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Not at all, no.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34'To find out how this is hitting the industry,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38'the Royal Horticultural Society surveyed 200 businesses.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41'John David, Head of Science, is giving us
0:11:41 > 0:11:43'an exclusive preview of their findings.'
0:11:43 > 0:11:47They told us they had difficulty recruiting skilled people into
0:11:47 > 0:11:52their industry, into their business, and that 90% of people actually
0:11:52 > 0:11:56thought that it was not a skilled occupation to go into horticulture.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Hmm, and what did you make of that?
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Well, we were very surprised - we feel that there is such
0:12:01 > 0:12:05- a diversity of things to do in horticulture.- And who's to blame?
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Well, really it's in the schools.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12It is not that schools are to blame, but schools do not have any sort of
0:12:12 > 0:12:16sense that horticulture is something that people should be doing.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19We found that 70% of people had not been
0:12:19 > 0:12:22told about horticulture by their careers service,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25and most of them did feel that horticulture was just getting
0:12:25 > 0:12:29dirty in the fields, and it was for people who had failed academically.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32The RHS feels its findings are so significant
0:12:32 > 0:12:35that it's submitting them to the Government in the next few weeks,
0:12:35 > 0:12:39pushing them to take action for the sake of the industry.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42But it's not just the effect this shortage has on business
0:12:42 > 0:12:44that we should be worried about.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47We're now warned that without enough horticulturalists,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50we're in danger of losing some of the most beautiful
0:12:50 > 0:12:51features of our countryside.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54That's what I'll be investigating later.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04It's an early start for me,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08for a journey that begins in the tranquil Suffolk village of Orford.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13This is my launching point for a day of exploration
0:13:13 > 0:13:16on the only island along Suffolk's winding coast.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21It's famed for its wildlife,
0:13:21 > 0:13:26so I'm calling on the services of an expert guide, John Partridge.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28We're heading just a few miles downstream to a place John
0:13:28 > 0:13:34knows intimately but hasn't visited for a year - Havergate Island.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37- I've known it all my life, really. - Really?
0:13:37 > 0:13:41My father was the first warden out here,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45he was actually taken on full-time in about 1949.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49He was here for about 25 years, and I took over from him then
0:13:49 > 0:13:50and I did 30 years.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Fair amount of family history, so it's a special place for you, then?
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Oh, yes. Yeah.
0:13:55 > 0:13:56So how far away are we now?
0:13:56 > 0:14:00- We're just off Havergate Island now, it's just there.- Fantastic!
0:14:00 > 0:14:03John has now retired, and Kieren, our skipper,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05is the island's latest warden,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09looking after Havergate's wildlife and the occasional visitor.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15At two miles long, Havergate is covered with seven lagoons,
0:14:15 > 0:14:20salty waters, muddy banks - irresistible to birds.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24Back in 1947, a special visitor came.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27The avocet was extinct in the UK back then,
0:14:27 > 0:14:29until a handful came here to breed.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34The island was made one of the first RSPB reserves
0:14:34 > 0:14:36to protect this wading bird.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39The avocet became a symbol of success.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44In the early days, avocets used to come just during the summer months
0:14:44 > 0:14:46to breed and so on,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48and, very, very seldom did you see an avocet
0:14:48 > 0:14:50during the winter in those days.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53But now, of course, they overwinter here,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56as they do quite a lot in other places.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59What are the chances of me seeing an avocet, do you think?
0:14:59 > 0:15:01- Keep an eye out!- Yeah.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04At their peak, 120 pairs of avocets nested here.
0:15:04 > 0:15:10Today only 25 pairs come, and I'm not having much luck seeing any.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12What have you done since John's day, where have they all gone?
0:15:12 > 0:15:16Very good question, really, everyone asks me that!
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Avocets are actually doing fantastically well, nationally,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21there are over 1,000 breeding in the country now,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23that just keeps increasing.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25If you build a little scrape, if you will, or a saline lagoon,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28or anything, you'll almost certainly, within the first three years,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31get avocets that are tending to nest now,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33and that's just a testament to the previous conservation
0:15:33 > 0:15:37- of avocets in this country.- Yeah!
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Kieren and John are off to make lunch, while I explore the farming
0:15:42 > 0:15:46past of Havergate, because these lagoons haven't always been lagoons.
0:15:49 > 0:15:54500 years ago, these sea walls were built around Havergate Island,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58protecting it from the surrounding water.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02The enclosed fields were then farmed, first for crops,
0:16:02 > 0:16:03and later for cattle.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12In a small cottage on the island, farmers lived a simple life here
0:16:12 > 0:16:17until the 1920s, when the island became home to a gravel works.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21To power the extraction, the works installed a generator
0:16:21 > 0:16:25and housed it in an existing cottage on the island,
0:16:25 > 0:16:30and for years it chugged away and shook and heartily generated power,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33until it eventually rattled the whole house down.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Finally, the gravel works was abandoned, too.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44The island was left to the sea, and fields became lagoons,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46and birds followed.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53- All right there, birders?- Hello.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55This looks good, very inviting after that cold weather.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57You probably want warming up.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00I do want warming up, you're absolutely right, John.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02I think I've just seen a hare!
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Fantastic, yes, we do have...
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Yes, if you look, there's one sitting by the gorse now.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09God, you have got sharp eyes, John!
0:17:09 > 0:17:12And we're not the only ones in need of a bite.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18Look at that!
0:17:18 > 0:17:21A barn owl flying in the day.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23This place is alive with birds.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27It's on the hunt for rodents in the banks,
0:17:27 > 0:17:31but it's time to turn my attention to those hares.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34They lazily occupy this patch of gorse,
0:17:34 > 0:17:38and apparently the best way to see them is to take a quiet stroll.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40So, I'm going to take a small camera with me,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42while the crew film from afar.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45I would just approach them quietly, slowly,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47try and gain their confidence
0:17:47 > 0:17:49and then they will probably just go about their normal business.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52- OK, wish me luck!- Good luck.- Cheers!
0:17:55 > 0:17:58I step into the prickly realm of the Havergate hare.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Ow! Agh! That's really spiky!
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Where are they?
0:18:18 > 0:18:20I've seen two.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22I've seen two, and I'm going to be really, really careful.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Can you see that one there?
0:18:25 > 0:18:27And there's one just there.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Can you see it?
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Let's go really nice and close,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34they've got that distinctive black tip to the ear.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37This is ridiculous, I've never been this close to one before.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Look at that - I'm right next to it. Wow!
0:18:44 > 0:18:47You've got to forgive the awful camerawork. Oh!
0:18:47 > 0:18:49Bye-bye!
0:18:49 > 0:18:50Yes!
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Yes!
0:18:53 > 0:18:55I think what has happened here is that they were introduced
0:18:55 > 0:18:57to the island about 50 years ago,
0:18:57 > 0:19:01and because they control for foxes, what with the bird populations
0:19:01 > 0:19:04and the ground nesting that goes on here, they have become
0:19:04 > 0:19:07completely desensitised to having to be so nervous about foxes.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Let's see if I can film this one.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13He is so unfazed by me,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16I think we an take a chance with the film crew.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21He still doesn't seem to mind.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Look at that enormously long leg,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29it's just cleaning there at the moment -
0:19:29 > 0:19:32you can see why they can get up to about 45 miles an hour,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34with all that power behind them!
0:19:34 > 0:19:35What a beast!
0:19:37 > 0:19:40The handful of times I have seen hares before,
0:19:40 > 0:19:45it's always been their back end, tearing off towards the horizon.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Occasionally I have seen mountain hares
0:19:47 > 0:19:51sitting off in the distance when they've turned white,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53but this one's totally relaxed.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02And, with the light fading, my day here has drawn to an end.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Time to set sail and leave the island to its wild inhabitants.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Over in Kent, it's a cold day,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20but that doesn't stop Adam getting out and about, especially
0:20:20 > 0:20:24when he is meeting a wannabe farmer intent on realising his dream.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27It's not every day that a 26-year-old boy band singer
0:20:27 > 0:20:31wants to exchange his mic for a tractor.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Luckily, Adam is on hand to advise him on his new venture.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41'Raised in South London,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45'JB is in one of Britain's most popular boy bands, JLS.'
0:20:45 > 0:20:49# Everybody in love, gonna put your hands up
0:20:49 > 0:20:52# Everybody in love, gonna put your hands up
0:20:52 > 0:20:55# Everybody in love, gonna put your hands up... #
0:20:55 > 0:20:58'With his busy lifestyle, you'd think he's an unlikely candidate
0:20:58 > 0:21:00'to become a farmer, but you'd be wrong.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04'After buying a smallholding in Kent, he's ready to get his hands dirty.'
0:21:05 > 0:21:06- Hiya.- Hello, Adam.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Goodness me, I thought, you know, glitzy boy band,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15you'd have some flash car. You've got an old tractor!
0:21:15 > 0:21:20Yeah, I inherited it with the place, so it's come part and parcel.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- Do you love it? - Love it. It's a lot of fun.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27I don't drive it that much, and I don't plough fields yet.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30But I do love it. It's a lot of fun.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34- And have you got a farming background?- Not exactly.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38My dad has dabbled in farming, and we had a farm in Antigua,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40which is where I grew up.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42He's definitely excited by it and into it.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45What do the rest of the guys in the band think about you setting up
0:21:45 > 0:21:47- as a farmer?- I think they love it.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50I don't think I'm going to be getting them as volunteers
0:21:50 > 0:21:52down on the farm, but they're definitely supportive.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55- Great. Can we have a look round? - Definitely.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12- So how big is the farm then? - About ten acres.- Wonderful.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14And you've got these little paddocks all broken up.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17It's got great potential, hasn't it? Have you got any animals already?
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Yeah, I've got some chickens. I've got three chickens.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24They're already laying lovely eggs, so all good.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27- I'm thinking of getting a pig as well.- Brilliant.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31So I'll have that in a couple of weeks probably.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33It's just a case really of getting an idea
0:22:33 > 0:22:36of what type of animals I could have on the land,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38what would do really well.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42The choices are huge, but potential is massive, you know, that's great.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44- It's so exciting.- Very exciting.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47- Shall we go have a little look around the rest of it?- Absolutely.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01- So how big is the woodland, do you think?- Probably an acre and a bit.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03It's lovely open woodland, isn't it?
0:23:03 > 0:23:06You could quite easily get some pigs in here,
0:23:06 > 0:23:10and either let them have the whole thing or fence off an area for them.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Pigs are terrible at rooting up the ground, they cause a bit of a mess.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15But they'd love it in here.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18I have wild deer come in here from time to time,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22and that's one of the reasons why I wanted to look into deer farming,
0:23:22 > 0:23:26and seeing what I could do with it. I know they love a bit of woodland.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30I'm actually thinking as well of purchasing a place,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32maybe up in Scotland, with a bit more space
0:23:32 > 0:23:34and actually doing it properly.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47- So they've come to pick up your hay. - Yes, exactly!- I'll jump up here.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51- Chuck them to me.- No worries. Thank you, Adam.- There we go.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55You can do some working out for your dance routines, keep you fit.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57It makes a change, doesn't it?
0:24:00 > 0:24:04- A nice bit of extra income, selling some hay.- There we go.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08There we go, that's that loaded. Well, it's been great to look around.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11- You've got wonderful potential here. - Thank you.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13It would be lovely if you wanted to come up to the farm
0:24:13 > 0:24:14and have a look around at home,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17and you could see all the different animals I keep
0:24:17 > 0:24:19and see what you fancy getting hold of.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21- For sure, definitely, I would love to.- Wonderful.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26'Later in the programme...
0:24:27 > 0:24:31'..we'll be finding out if JB has any second thoughts
0:24:31 > 0:24:35'after experiencing a day in the life on my freezing Cotswold farm.'
0:24:36 > 0:24:38If it's going to be this cold,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41I don't know if I'm going to get on with it!
0:24:41 > 0:24:42'And I've arranged for him
0:24:42 > 0:24:46'to visit a very different type of farm that I know he'll like.'
0:24:46 > 0:24:48It looks like I've lost him to deer farming now.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52I'll have to work on one of the other boys from the band.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59I'm spending the day in a boat yard in the riverside town
0:24:59 > 0:25:01of Woodbridge in Suffolk.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Today's big project is to launch and sail the Nancy Blackett,
0:25:04 > 0:25:06a boat once owned by children's author
0:25:06 > 0:25:09and sailing enthusiast Arthur Ransome.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Well, the Nancy Blackett is not alone
0:25:15 > 0:25:17in being out of the water for repairs.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20I've come into this shed to meet a couple who've been preparing
0:25:20 > 0:25:24to set sail in their boat for the last 25 years.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29- Chris, Pat, is it nearly finished yet?- No!- It's not?
0:25:29 > 0:25:32- Pat, come on round. How are you? Are you all right?- Yes.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35OK, so, what is the story? Introduce me to your boat, what is she called?
0:25:35 > 0:25:41She's called Marjorie, she was built in 1924.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43'A cruising yacht built for leisure,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46'the Marjorie was last in the water in 1988.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49'She's undergoing a meticulous restoration,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52'so eventually she'll be in perfect condition.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54'It's a long-term labour of love.'
0:25:54 > 0:25:59How many years are you giving yourself to finish this, Pat?
0:25:59 > 0:26:02I mean, you know, you've been going 25
0:26:02 > 0:26:06and there's still quite a bit to do. Let's be honest, here.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08I think we have to have a few targets.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12What do the rest of your family and your friends make of the situation?
0:26:12 > 0:26:13I'm an idiot.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15THEY LAUGH
0:26:15 > 0:26:20- Yeah.- It's fun.- Yes. Well, it is, I enjoy it.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24'Well, I'm going to join in to help move things on a little.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27'So Chris and Pat have asked me to put the finishing touches
0:26:27 > 0:26:28'to a section of the hull.'
0:26:28 > 0:26:32- Whereabouts is this bit going?- It's a top plank right at the back end.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Shall we go have a look and see how it's shaping up?
0:26:35 > 0:26:39There's a bit more to take off at that end yet, but let's get an idea.
0:26:40 > 0:26:46- Along here? Oh, yes, I see.- Yes, there's a bit. That was all rotten.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52- There's a line at the end here. - There we go. Lovely.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54That is a nice piece, actually.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57There we go.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00One step closer to seeing the Marjorie back on the water,
0:27:00 > 0:27:01where she belongs.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Now, earlier we heard how a shortage of skilled workers
0:27:08 > 0:27:11has created a crisis in British horticulture.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13And, as Tom's been finding out,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17that crisis could now threaten the very fabric of our countryside.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24Horticulture is an industry that offers a world of opportunity.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27From salad growers to plant scientists,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29the possibilities seem endless.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35But, as I've been finding out, hardly anyone wants to do these jobs,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39and it's undermining every part of the industry.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Right now, the UK is facing a critical shortage
0:27:42 > 0:27:44of one particular type of horticulturalist,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46the plant pathologist.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Their job is to study the many threats facing our natural world
0:27:50 > 0:27:54and, without them, our countryside is much more vulnerable.
0:27:55 > 0:27:56So what's the problem?
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Well, in the past, there hasn't been enough funding for research jobs,
0:28:00 > 0:28:04and now there is a lack of training and skilled workers. The result?
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Hardly any new plant pathologists,
0:28:06 > 0:28:11leaving our countryside dangerously exposed to disease.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14In fact, there are even suggestions that ash dieback
0:28:14 > 0:28:17could and should have been picked up earlier
0:28:17 > 0:28:20if we'd had more plant pathologists working in the UK.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25'With only a few hundred of these pathologists nationwide,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28'research carried out at the Royal Horticultural Society
0:28:28 > 0:28:33'forms a vital part of our defence against plant disease.'
0:28:33 > 0:28:37It's almost like criminal investigation of plants,
0:28:37 > 0:28:39because you have to do detective work,
0:28:39 > 0:28:41you try to work out what the problem is,
0:28:41 > 0:28:44you identify it under the microscope,
0:28:44 > 0:28:45so, yeah, it's very exciting.
0:28:46 > 0:28:51'Here at RHS Wisley, Dr Liz Beal is one of only two pathologists
0:28:51 > 0:28:53'in the team working to protect our plants.'
0:28:53 > 0:28:56This is really the front line in the fight against disease.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59You've got all your members sending in suspicious things.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01That's right, it's really useful.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04We've got such a wide base of members
0:29:04 > 0:29:08and they find things in their garden and send it to us
0:29:08 > 0:29:10and we're first on the line to spot anything new
0:29:10 > 0:29:12that might come into the UK.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15'Ash dieback may be the one hitting the headlines,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18'but we've also let in diseases that affect juniper,
0:29:18 > 0:29:22'pine and even the most iconic of British trees.'
0:29:23 > 0:29:26Oak trees - a very prominent tree on our landscape -
0:29:26 > 0:29:29if there are diseases coming in that affect oak,
0:29:29 > 0:29:31it could potentially wipe out oaks.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33If you compare it to Dutch elm disease,
0:29:33 > 0:29:36I mean, there aren't many elm trees left now in the UK.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38We could have a similar problem.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44Most diseases come into the UK from abroad.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46The international trade in plants and trees
0:29:46 > 0:29:51accounts for 90% of all plant pests introduced to Britain.
0:29:51 > 0:29:52And with the RHS warning
0:29:52 > 0:29:55that research in plant pathology is close to collapse,
0:29:55 > 0:29:59it's becoming increasingly difficult to defend ourselves.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02But as we're struggling to stop imported plants
0:30:02 > 0:30:05bringing in disease, maybe it's time for a change of tack.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07Maybe we should grow all of our own.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13Sadly, even if our climate allowed it, we can't do that either,
0:30:13 > 0:30:18because, as we already know, we haven't got enough skilled workers.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21The bottom line is, we simply need more horticulturalists,
0:30:21 > 0:30:25and to achieve that, we must get more young people interested.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32'The students I met earlier were pretty unimpressed
0:30:32 > 0:30:34'with the idea of a job in horticulture.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37'So what will they make of Chris Moncrieff's herb farm?'
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Welcome. What we're going to do today is use a parasitic wasp.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42This is going to hunt out the insects
0:30:42 > 0:30:44that we don't want on the crop.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46In this case, it's aphids, greenfly.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49This parasitic wasp lays its egg inside the greenfly.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51The egg hatches out inside the greenfly,
0:30:51 > 0:30:55eats it from the inside and out comes a brand-new parasitic wasp.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57So it's really sustainable. It's fantastic.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59What do you think? Cool or gross?
0:30:59 > 0:31:02- Gross!- A bit of both!- A bit of both.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08One for you, Lewis. One for you. Shall we pick a row?
0:31:13 > 0:31:16I think it's amazing using a sustainable method like wasps
0:31:16 > 0:31:21to get rid of pests on the plants rather than using chemicals.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25'So has this visit changed any of the students' minds?'
0:31:25 > 0:31:27I think I'm more interested in it now.
0:31:27 > 0:31:32This morning, I thought it was for old people, sort of thing. Boring.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35I thought it would just be...
0:31:35 > 0:31:37Smaller and, you know,
0:31:37 > 0:31:42much more "stick one seed in a pot and carry on."
0:31:42 > 0:31:45I didn't realise all the technology here is just for the plants.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47- Yeah.- It's mind-blowing.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55Being in this high-tech greenhouse has certainly shattered
0:31:55 > 0:31:58a few negative stereotypes for these students,
0:31:58 > 0:32:01and some of them, at least, are pretty keen to know more.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04But this is just a handful, a drop in the ocean.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07How do we get that message out nationally?
0:32:07 > 0:32:09'As far as the RHS is concerned,
0:32:09 > 0:32:13'the whole industry now needs some official support.'
0:32:13 > 0:32:14What's the answer?
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Well, I would think a much more joined-up approach
0:32:17 > 0:32:21across horticulture in talking to government is really vital.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23We need to get the government to understand
0:32:23 > 0:32:26the significance of horticulture to an economy.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28If they want to grow their economy,
0:32:28 > 0:32:31I think horticulture can actually do that.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34We know we have the jobs out there to bring people in,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37we know we can improve our productivity in this country,
0:32:37 > 0:32:41and I think what we need from government is a change of language.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45We need them to actually articulate, alongside the industry,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48how important horticulture is for this country.
0:32:50 > 0:32:55Top of the RHS wish list is putting horticulture back into education.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00Encouraging young people to be interested in horticulture
0:33:00 > 0:33:02is in all our interests.
0:33:02 > 0:33:07Plants are critical to our landscape and, in the end, to our lives.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Whether we want healthy businesses, sustainable food production
0:33:10 > 0:33:14or just to protect our countryside, one thing's for sure -
0:33:14 > 0:33:18we need to plug the horticultural skills gap, and plug it fast.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22- ELLIE:- 'Earlier in the programme,
0:33:22 > 0:33:26'Adam got a sneak preview around a pop star's farm.'
0:33:26 > 0:33:28I've got three chickens. They're laying lovely eggs.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31I'm thinking of getting a pig as well.
0:33:31 > 0:33:37'JB is part of boy band JLS, but has dreams of becoming a farmer.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41'So, now, he's paying a visit to Adam's farm,
0:33:41 > 0:33:43'to find out what it's all about.'
0:33:55 > 0:33:58- Hi, JB, good to see you.- Adam, how you?- All right, really good.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00Now, I've got a 1,600 acre tenanted farm here.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04I've got a couple of thousand animals to look at, so lots to choose from.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06- But first of all, I've got something I want to show you.- OK, cool.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13Here we are. Now, I know you like your tractors. Look at that one.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15Wicked! Love that.
0:34:15 > 0:34:16ADAM CHUCKLES
0:34:16 > 0:34:18So yours is a sort of baby version.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20This is the daddy of the tractor world.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22That's what I need if I'm going to get 1,600 acres.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Well, we're not going to go around the farm in that.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28- We've got this buggy over here. We'll jump in, shall we?- OK, cool.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42'JB owns ten acres of potential farmland
0:34:42 > 0:34:46'and is open-minded about which animals he could rear on them.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50'I reckon I've got some cute newcomers that could win him over.'
0:34:50 > 0:34:51Right, we've got some pigs up here
0:34:51 > 0:34:54but then we'll go see some cattle, so you might need a stick.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56- Cool.- Over here.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01So, we've got some pigs in here. These are Gloucestershire Old Spots.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03Leave the gate for a minute.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06Although she's not very spotty, we've got the piglets in the pen here.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10I'll just chase them out.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17PIGLETS SQUEAL
0:35:17 > 0:35:21- Piglets quite often squeal when you pick them up.- Yeah.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24They're really lovely animals.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28- So do you know the gestation period of the pig, mating to birth?- Yes.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30Three months, three weeks, three days, isn't it?
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Brilliant, you've been doing your research.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37I don't need to teach you about this farming lark! Let me put him down.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40So what do you think about rearing animals to eat?
0:35:40 > 0:35:41Are you happy with that?
0:35:41 > 0:35:44Yeah, I think the most important thing is you've got
0:35:44 > 0:35:48the authenticity, people know where they're getting their meat from.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51- Particularly with all the, you know, controversy in the press.- Exactly.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54They're great, aren't they? We'll let them go back inside, they're chilly.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57Yeah, they're all huddling together.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06'I've got some cattle that need moving,
0:36:06 > 0:36:09'and I'm keen to introduce JB to them.'
0:36:09 > 0:36:12OK, so what are these then, Adam?
0:36:12 > 0:36:15These are Highland cattle that traditionally come from Scotland.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19Really lovely, hardy animals that live up in the hills.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23Quite a small breed, but very tough. Real survivors.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25We've got to move them to a field down there,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28so if you want to get round them, make yourself look big,
0:36:28 > 0:36:31wave your stick a bit, it's an extension to your arm.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33And move them down.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37That's it, go on. Are you comfortable with that?
0:36:37 > 0:36:40- Yeah, I think so.- That's it, just sort of wave your stick a little bit.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43That's it, you've got the better of that one. That's great.
0:36:43 > 0:36:48- See?- You're a natural cow wrangler now.
0:36:48 > 0:36:49ADAM LAUGHS
0:36:49 > 0:36:51- You ever herded cows before?- No.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55- It's all happening for the first time here.- There you go.- Go on, then.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58Go on, cows! Go on, then. Go on, then!
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Hup! Go on, then! Hup!
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Do you ever use dogs to herd them, or just sheep?
0:37:02 > 0:37:06Well, we use dogs with the sheep mainly, but sometimes with cattle.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Do you think where I am I'd be able to have cows,
0:37:08 > 0:37:11- or would I need a larger plot? - No, you've got enough room.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14You wouldn't be able to have very many. They say one cow to the acre.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17The thing with cattle, being large animals,
0:37:17 > 0:37:19you need a big handling system to handle them in.
0:37:19 > 0:37:20So you could try a few.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24It might be worth getting a few steers, castrated males,
0:37:24 > 0:37:25and see how you go.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27OK, maybe I'll start with some small ones,
0:37:27 > 0:37:29cos if it's going to be this cold,
0:37:29 > 0:37:31I don't know if I'm going to get on with it!
0:37:31 > 0:37:35'Pop stars aren't the only ones who suffer in the cold.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39'Some of my sheep are also struggling in these conditions.'
0:37:43 > 0:37:46This is a young ewe, she's never given birth before.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48She's had triplets, but sadly one died.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50She's got these two tiny little lambs,
0:37:50 > 0:37:52so we'll take her into an individual pen,
0:37:52 > 0:37:56and put the lambs under a lamp to warm them up.
0:37:56 > 0:37:57OK, right.
0:37:59 > 0:38:00Where are we going to go?
0:38:01 > 0:38:03You pop them under the lamp.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07Because they're so little, they need the lamp to warm them up.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10If I tip her up, we'll give it some milk now.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16You twist their necks like that and sit them down. All right.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19- And then you just put your legs either side...- Yeah.
0:38:19 > 0:38:24..and then the lamb lies down next to her.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27You can always flick that foot up so it's out of the way.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31Then you just get his head, and if I put the teat in its mouth,
0:38:31 > 0:38:35and if you just push from behind its head to hold it into position.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37It's sucking now.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41That colostrum, the first milk, is like a magic medicine, really.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45They need that to get all the antibodies they require
0:38:45 > 0:38:48and for sustenance.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50'The second lamb is too weak even to suckle,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53'so we need to put a tube directly into its stomach.'
0:38:56 > 0:38:59You can just have a little listen, make sure it's not in his lungs.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05So you can hear it gurgling, if you listen. I'll give him a bit more.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09- Oh, yeah.- So that's into his stomach. And then you just tip it in.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12Just sort of half-fill the tube.
0:39:16 > 0:39:17That's great.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21And that'll just run down into his stomach now
0:39:21 > 0:39:25and then, in a few hours, he should be up on his feet.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27Skipping about, hopefully.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37'JB's only got three chickens on his farm,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40'so I'm going to help him build on that.'
0:39:40 > 0:39:45So we've got speckles, white Sussex, some blues.
0:39:45 > 0:39:46Why don't you have one of each?
0:39:46 > 0:39:49These golden ones are nice, these dark ones.
0:39:51 > 0:39:52Oh, no! We've lost the other one now.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55That's it, brilliant. Well done.
0:39:56 > 0:39:57We'll put those in together.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03Brilliant. Look at this, I like it that you're leaving the farm
0:40:03 > 0:40:04with some animals, JB.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07You're doubling your farming enterprise
0:40:07 > 0:40:08from your three hens to six.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11I know, thanks to you. Thank you, Adam.
0:40:11 > 0:40:12Excellent.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15'Chickens sorted, but they're small fry.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19'What JB really has his heart set on is deer farming.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22'Luckily, I know a man nearby who does just that.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29'Richard Ward rears deer on a nearby Cotswold farm.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34'He's been producing venison for the table for 17 years.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38'And he's got one unusually tame stag that he's keen to show us.'
0:40:38 > 0:40:41- Great to see you.- And you.- This is JB.- Hello, JB, nice to meet you.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43He's really interested in deer farming.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45Thank you so much for showing us around.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48I thought they were all a bit wild, what's going on?
0:40:48 > 0:40:49Well, generally speaking they are,
0:40:49 > 0:40:52but this one actually was an orphaned stag
0:40:52 > 0:40:56that we reared by hand and, because he was handled from birth,
0:40:56 > 0:41:00he thinks it's perfectly natural to come up and talk to us.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02Which is lovely.
0:41:02 > 0:41:03So what do you use him for now then?
0:41:03 > 0:41:07He is one of the three breeding stags which we use in the herd.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10But the only really friendly one, I might add.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13And have you cut his antlers off?
0:41:13 > 0:41:15Well, as you can see,
0:41:15 > 0:41:19yes, his antlers are just about to start growing this year.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22These are the antlers - one of the antlers -
0:41:22 > 0:41:23which we removed from him last September,
0:41:23 > 0:41:27so they go from now, early spring, up to September
0:41:27 > 0:41:29and that's how fast they grow.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32This would look good on the front of your car, wouldn't it?
0:41:32 > 0:41:35I just need the other side, I need the pair.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38- Shall we go and have a look at the hinds?- Absolutely. Sure.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50OK, so I think that's probably close enough
0:41:50 > 0:41:53before they disappear across the other side of the hill.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57- They're just stunning animals, aren't they?- They are majestic, aren't they?
0:41:57 > 0:42:00How much maintenance does it take to farm deer?
0:42:00 > 0:42:04Well, very little indeed. Certainly with regard to lambing,
0:42:04 > 0:42:07you'd never get close enough to a deer when it's calving.
0:42:07 > 0:42:08So you could do with an easier life,
0:42:08 > 0:42:11an easier type of livestock to look after.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Definitely, and that's one of the reasons I suppose why
0:42:13 > 0:42:17I was interested in deer farming, because obviously I'm quite busy
0:42:17 > 0:42:22and generally speaking, you know, I'd want to be hands-on,
0:42:22 > 0:42:26you know, be around and actually be able to understand them more.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29It's a very easy, gentle form of livestock farming.
0:42:29 > 0:42:35So you've seen pigs, sheep, cows and now deer. Where does your heart lie?
0:42:35 > 0:42:38I've got some big decisions to make, but I do think...
0:42:38 > 0:42:43just looking at the deer, I think my passions definitely lie with them.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45- Sorry, Adam. - They are stunning, aren't they?
0:42:45 > 0:42:48To be fair, Adam's given me some good chickens!
0:42:48 > 0:42:53As soon as they start laying, it will... I'll be changing my mind.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55It looks like I've lost him to deer farming now.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59I'll have to work on one of the other boys from the band. Oritse is next.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03- He's going to be a sheep farmer before he knows it.- OK.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05'And we'll hopefully be catching up with JB to see
0:43:05 > 0:43:08'if his farming dream comes to fruition.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11'Next week, I'll be exploring the effect the wintry start to spring
0:43:11 > 0:43:13'has had on lambing.'
0:43:21 > 0:43:23- ELLIE:- 'While Matt's been having an adventure
0:43:23 > 0:43:26'on Suffolk's historic coast, I've been inland,
0:43:26 > 0:43:29'exploring the county's picturesque beauty.'
0:43:35 > 0:43:38Some people would say no-one has managed to capture this scenery
0:43:38 > 0:43:42so well as the 18th-century painter Thomas Gainsborough,
0:43:42 > 0:43:46one of Britain's best-loved landscape artists.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53Known for his romantic depictions of well-fed cattle,
0:43:53 > 0:43:56majestic pools and glorious skies,
0:43:56 > 0:44:00each painting reveals his infectious love for the Suffolk landscape.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06Thomas Gainsborough grew up here, in the market town of Sudbury,
0:44:06 > 0:44:09surrounded by all this glorious open countryside.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11You can imagine him here as a schoolboy,
0:44:11 > 0:44:14playing in the stream, roaming the fields
0:44:14 > 0:44:17and climbing the trees, but always with his sketchbook at the ready.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24'Mark Bills is the director of the Gainsborough House Museum
0:44:24 > 0:44:26'and Art Gallery here in Sudbury.'
0:44:26 > 0:44:29So, here we are in the lovely Suffolk countryside,
0:44:29 > 0:44:32and this is where he would have roamed around as a boy, would he?
0:44:32 > 0:44:35Actually, one of the things he used to do is play truant,
0:44:35 > 0:44:37or spend his summer drawing.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39He loved the landscape so much,
0:44:39 > 0:44:42he seemed to know every little nook and cranny around.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44There's something you see in his paintings,
0:44:44 > 0:44:46not only when he was living in Sudbury,
0:44:46 > 0:44:48but you see later on the things that recur,
0:44:48 > 0:44:50the things that remained in his memory.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53So he was a bad student, but a very good artist as a result.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55That's right!
0:44:55 > 0:44:58There was an obituary in The Gentleman's Magazine
0:44:58 > 0:45:02after Gainsborough died in 1788, and it said that "nature was his teacher
0:45:02 > 0:45:05"and the woods around Sudbury were his academy."
0:45:08 > 0:45:11But it's a tricky task trying to pinpoint exactly where many
0:45:11 > 0:45:14of Gainsborough's landscapes were set, because many of his paintings
0:45:14 > 0:45:18were partly based on reality, and partly from his imagination.
0:45:19 > 0:45:20Hi, Barry.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24'Barry has devoted his retirement to trying to root them out.
0:45:24 > 0:45:26'On this farm, he's convinced he's located
0:45:26 > 0:45:31'the spot of one of Gainsborough's major landscape paintings.'
0:45:31 > 0:45:34Shall we try and marry your photo up with what we see before us?
0:45:34 > 0:45:36There we are, look.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39- There's the church with the spire. - Right... Oh, yeah.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42And in front of it, just a few feet in front,
0:45:42 > 0:45:46there is the house as it was in Gainsborough's time.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49And the trees around the church.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51This is quite a big hill, though, and I can't see that.
0:45:51 > 0:45:55He's exaggerated it a bit. It's a typical thing he did.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58You've got a much better eye than I have,
0:45:58 > 0:46:01because apart from the church, I can't see many similarities!
0:46:01 > 0:46:04See, we've come here in the winter.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07- Yes.- And this is full summer.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10Before you knew it, Gainsborough had been here before.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14'I'm not sure if I'm as convinced as Barry,
0:46:14 > 0:46:17'but I can certainly see how this charming countryside
0:46:17 > 0:46:19'fuelled Gainsborough's imagination.'
0:46:22 > 0:46:23Sadly for Gainsborough,
0:46:23 > 0:46:26he sold very few landscape paintings during his lifetime.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29In fact, the whole landscape genre was rather looked down upon
0:46:29 > 0:46:32in artistic circles. On the other hand,
0:46:32 > 0:46:35portrait painting was held in much higher esteem
0:46:35 > 0:46:37and it was a lot more lucrative,
0:46:37 > 0:46:41particularly if you could paint the aristocracy.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43Gainsborough went on to leave Suffolk
0:46:43 > 0:46:46and achieved great renown as a portrait painter.
0:46:46 > 0:46:47But in his heart,
0:46:47 > 0:46:50he hated the drudgery of what he called "face painting".
0:46:52 > 0:46:55I know this looks like a school project,
0:46:55 > 0:46:57but, according to Sir Joshua Reynolds,
0:46:57 > 0:46:59this was the sort of thing that Gainsborough did.
0:46:59 > 0:47:01When he left Suffolk,
0:47:01 > 0:47:02he missed his native county so much
0:47:02 > 0:47:05that he would recreate countryside scenes
0:47:05 > 0:47:06a bit like this in his studio.
0:47:06 > 0:47:10So I've got broccoli for a tree, a mirror for a pond
0:47:10 > 0:47:14and the source of the light right there.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16So wherever he was in the country,
0:47:16 > 0:47:18he could paint the landscape he loved so much.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26Another ingenious way Gainsborough indulged his love for landscape
0:47:26 > 0:47:30was by setting his portraits on rural backdrops.
0:47:30 > 0:47:34Mr And Mrs Andrews is one of his most famous examples.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37It's in this very spot up ahead that Gainsborough managed to unite
0:47:37 > 0:47:42his love of the landscape with his expertise as a portrait painter.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45Mr And Mrs Andrews was one of his early masterpieces,
0:47:45 > 0:47:48and with this team of budding young artists,
0:47:48 > 0:47:52we're going to recreate our very own Countryfile version today.
0:47:52 > 0:47:56'My version of Mr Andrews is Gainsborough enthusiast Nick Winch.'
0:47:56 > 0:47:58- Still got some feeling in your toes?- A little!
0:47:58 > 0:48:02This is my position, isn't it? What a lovely dog.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04OK, we've got to shed our modern gear, you know.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06Take your gloves off, take your coat off.
0:48:06 > 0:48:11Ooooh! Need I remind you that this painting was created in the summer
0:48:11 > 0:48:14and there's a fair covering of snow on the ground?
0:48:14 > 0:48:16I'm not getting rid of these, my hand warmers.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19Hee-hee-hee-hee! Right. Ready?
0:48:19 > 0:48:21Come on, then. We're ready.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28Pick up your pastels and start drawing.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31'Emma Roodhouse is a curator at the Colchester Art Museum,
0:48:31 > 0:48:34'and she's here to teach me and my team of aspiring artists
0:48:34 > 0:48:36'all about the painting.'
0:48:37 > 0:48:41- Hi, Emma.- Hi! - So here's the real deal.- Yeah.- Wow.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43Tell me a bit about this picture,
0:48:43 > 0:48:46what's going to be our motivation for Mr and Mrs Andrews?
0:48:46 > 0:48:48Well, you were recently married, actually.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51It was an arranged marriage, unfortunately it's not a love match.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57She would only have been 16 when the marriage was arranged,
0:48:57 > 0:48:59so she's not that old in the painting.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01Lots more leaves on the trees back then.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03Well, back in the summer, rather.
0:49:03 > 0:49:07And he's showing himself as kind of a modern farmer,
0:49:07 > 0:49:10because you've got enclosed land here with the sheep in the back
0:49:10 > 0:49:15and also these ridges, which show they've been cut with machinery
0:49:15 > 0:49:18rather than ploughed, so it was him as a modern man as well.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21I see, so a commentary on the changing times of agriculture.
0:49:21 > 0:49:25Definitely. Gainsborough was very interested in that.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27Well, I've got to do some sitting for these children.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29Lovely, good to talk to you.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32Back to our positions, then, Nick. Here we go.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34'I think the dog is relishing his chance at stardom,
0:49:34 > 0:49:38'but it's far too cold for me.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41'Time to see how my team of artists are getting on.'
0:49:43 > 0:49:47- You look like the youngest one here, how old are you?- Six.- Six!
0:49:47 > 0:49:51- What's your name?- Lucy.- Lucy, can I have a look at your drawing?
0:49:51 > 0:49:56- That amazing! So that's me, is it? And who's this?- The dog.
0:49:56 > 0:49:58The lovely doggie!
0:49:58 > 0:50:00Lots of lovely big skies.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03- Do you think you want to be an artist one day?- Probably.- Yeah?
0:50:03 > 0:50:06That's really good. Lots of trees and things, you fitted it all in.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08'It looks like, hundreds of years on,
0:50:08 > 0:50:13'Suffolk is still producing talented artists.
0:50:13 > 0:50:14'But, luckily,
0:50:14 > 0:50:16'they don't have a habit of playing truant
0:50:16 > 0:50:18'like Thomas Gainsborough did.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23'If you fancy yourself as a bit of an artist and want to get out
0:50:23 > 0:50:25'and about with your brushes in the week ahead,
0:50:25 > 0:50:27'here is the Countryfile weather forecast.'
0:52:50 > 0:52:57.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09- MATT:- 'This week, we're in Suffolk,
0:53:09 > 0:53:14'and while Ellie has been getting up close to some wild hares,
0:53:14 > 0:53:16'I've spent the day by the River Deben.
0:53:17 > 0:53:20'This boat yard has been preparing to launch a vessel that captured
0:53:20 > 0:53:23'the childlike imagination of her owner.'
0:53:28 > 0:53:32Arthur Ransome is a hero of children's adventure writing.
0:53:32 > 0:53:37Most famous for his first book in 1929, Swallows And Amazons,
0:53:37 > 0:53:39a sailor since his youth,
0:53:39 > 0:53:41for Ransome, boats were an obsession.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46It was this boat, Nancy Blackett - isn't she a beauty? -
0:53:46 > 0:53:48that was his pride and joy.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51She was bought with the profits from Swallows And Amazons,
0:53:51 > 0:53:52named after the lead character,
0:53:52 > 0:53:55and was the inspiration for another of his books,
0:53:55 > 0:53:57We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00And, let me tell you, it's a big day for Nancy, isn't it?
0:54:00 > 0:54:04'The refurbished red mainsail is ready for hoisting.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06'The fresh paint is dry.
0:54:06 > 0:54:10'We're about to launch Nancy for her maiden voyage of 2013.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13'Alongside me is skipper, member of the Nancy Blackett Trust
0:54:13 > 0:54:15'and big kid Bryan Bonser.'
0:54:15 > 0:54:18Obviously, so many people come to get the experience that I'm
0:54:18 > 0:54:23about to have here, and, you know, I guess you must never tire of it.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26I never tire of sailing Nancy. A lovely boat.
0:54:26 > 0:54:30A lot of the members of the trust step into a dream when
0:54:30 > 0:54:34they step aboard Nancy because she's the boat Arthur Ransome wrote about.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37And people find that very nice and very attractive.
0:54:37 > 0:54:41- And do you feel that yourself, when you're in charge?- Yes.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44Well, it's quite a moment and we've got quite a gathering here.
0:54:44 > 0:54:48I think everybody is delighted to see that she's back in the water!
0:54:48 > 0:54:50CHEERING
0:54:51 > 0:54:56- There she goes. Is it time to go sailing, Bryan?- It is. We're off.
0:54:56 > 0:55:02'Nancy here was the inspiration for a fictional boat called The Goblin,
0:55:02 > 0:55:06'in which a group of kids accidentally sail to Holland.'
0:55:06 > 0:55:10- Permission to come aboard? - Yes, come aboard, Matt.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14- There is a lot of rope around us. - There is a lot of rope.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17- Which bits do what? - There's seven bits.- OK.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21"There were more ropes in The Goblin
0:55:21 > 0:55:24"than in any little boat he had ever sailed."
0:55:24 > 0:55:27This is the main chute, and that controls the blocks.
0:55:27 > 0:55:31- And then we've ropes for the backstays.- Yeah.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34And then we've a sheet for the staysail...
0:55:34 > 0:55:38"But after spending half the morning pulling, making fast,
0:55:38 > 0:55:43"casting off and making fast again, John, very happy, was beginning
0:55:43 > 0:55:47"to hope that he might not be quite useless as a crew."
0:55:47 > 0:55:49The best thing to do is you just give me a piece of rope
0:55:49 > 0:55:51and say, "Pull that."
0:55:51 > 0:55:53THEY LAUGH
0:56:12 > 0:56:16"The mainsail, fold on fold, was lifting off the cabin top."
0:56:23 > 0:56:26With the motor switched off, we're sailing.
0:56:29 > 0:56:34- Come and take her, Matt. You have the helm.- I have the helm.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36Just pull it towards you.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39'But the cold easterly wind
0:56:39 > 0:56:41'is putting my sailing skills to the test.'
0:56:41 > 0:56:43We've got a depth gauge on the front
0:56:43 > 0:56:46and it was beeping quite frantically.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51We're going this way, are we? Are we out of the worst of it now?
0:56:51 > 0:56:53Yes, we're going beautifully.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56We got into a very shallow section there.
0:56:57 > 0:57:01We're in sync, me and Nancy, we're in sync!
0:57:01 > 0:57:03I think you are, actually, yeah!
0:57:12 > 0:57:15Well, that's all we've got time for from on board the glorious
0:57:15 > 0:57:18Nancy Blackett and from the Suffolk coast.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20Next week, we'll be in Calderdale in West Yorkshire,
0:57:20 > 0:57:23where I'll be sampling something of a foodie revival
0:57:23 > 0:57:27and Ellie will be on a springtime saunter through Bronte land.
0:57:27 > 0:57:28Hope you can join us then.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd