- 5 weeks ago
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00:00This is the new toy, then, is it?
00:01Yeah, this is the headset, which will transport you into a world of squirrels.
00:07Oh, I'm definitely in the woods.
00:10Oh, gosh.
00:30At this time of year, it can be tempting to hibernate away and stay as warm and cosy as possible.
00:48But who would want to miss out on a day like this?
00:51Welcome to Northumberland, a stone's throw away from home for me.
00:55It's a county that has got the lot.
00:57Wide-open spaces, dramatic hills and woodland walks.
01:01Perfect place for a New Year reset.
01:07Much of this large county is open moorland and countryside
01:11and home to the 100,000 hectares of the Northumberland National Park.
01:18Where better to embrace the cold, feel invigorated
01:21and find calm and community in the countryside.
01:25Oh, look!
01:26That's happening now!
01:27That's happening now.
01:28Oh, look!
01:29Amazing!
01:31Margarita!
01:32Drop in!
01:33You're trotting now!
01:34Well done!
01:35I bet your heart starts pumping as you're getting closer and closer to the expectation of what you're going to find.
01:43I have to say, sterling effort, everyone.
01:45Honestly, fantastic.
01:47Also, Tom will be investigating calls for new access rights to our rivers and lakes.
01:53Why should the swimmers be discriminated against?
01:56There is room in the river for everybody.
02:00While Adam heads to Stirlingshire and gets to grips with the winter sport of curling.
02:07Well, that was a really atrocious start.
02:09A lot of people fall on their face.
02:11I like how you tell him that now after he's done his first slide.
02:14For me, there's nothing quite like a bracing winter walk.
02:32And in a forest like this one, you can be treated to some magical wildlife moments.
02:37Because here in Northumberland, you're in with a chance of having one of the rarest wildlife encounters in England.
02:46The red squirrel is the UK's only native squirrel.
02:51Whilst there are strongholds in Scotland and Ireland,
02:54there are only a handful of places in England and Wales where they're clinging on to survival.
02:58And Northumberland is one of them.
03:02The project Red Squirrels Northern England is dedicated to protecting the species.
03:08Today, Project Officer Abbey McQueen and Ranger Gary Jefferson are searching for signs of reds.
03:14With a little help from Bruno, the dog.
03:17So, we're on the lookout for red squirrels today.
03:21What are the best ways of increasing our chances of actually seeing them?
03:24Basically, just quietly wandering through the woodland.
03:27This time of year, they're probably up in the canopy, feeding on pine cones.
03:31And what are they sensitive to?
03:33Smells, sounds, they've got really great hearing.
03:36So, if you're walking through the woods, it's always helpful to kind of be as quiet as possible, basically.
03:40And it's also much easier to see them with less leaves on the trees and things.
03:43Well, I've been spotting a few lately down the bottom of this woodland here.
03:48I'm going to have a wonder down there.
03:49It's a wonder, yeah.
03:49I'm going to find one.
03:50Come on, Bruno.
03:51Show us the way, mate.
03:54It's well known that the greys have decimated the red squirrel population.
03:59But why are they so dominant, Abbey?
04:01Well, there's a couple of main ways that they do impact reds.
04:05The first one being they'll out-compete them for food resources.
04:08So, greys are actually able to eat seeds before they've ripened.
04:13Reds can't because they contain something called tannins.
04:15But the big problem is the squirrelpox virus.
04:18So, grey squirrels are asymptomatic.
04:21They don't get poorly.
04:22But they'll pass that over to red squirrels.
04:25And they will die, unfortunately, within two weeks as soon as they've got the virus.
04:29And, I mean, when you look down south, I mean, there's hardly any red squirrels at all.
04:33So, why is it so good up here?
04:35We've got mainly large conifer blocks such as Kielder, Harwood Forest.
04:40And it's a bit of a sanctuary for the red squirrels because they eat the smaller seeds from the cones
04:45where the greys are after bigger food such as beech masts, acorns, which you get from hardwood trees, you know.
04:53What are you looking out for when you're spotting them?
04:56Red squirrels are a lot smaller.
04:57Maybe it's about half the size.
04:59Usually they're red, but they can be quite grey as well.
05:02So, a good indicator is if they've got ear tufts.
05:04Grey squirrels, obviously, are a lot bigger.
05:06They'll have, like, a white halo around the outside of their tail.
05:09So, it'll be, like, two-tone almost.
05:12Red squirrels' tails will be all one colour.
05:15Have you seen them round these parts, Gary?
05:20Yeah, I was observing squirrels round here a couple of days ago.
05:23If we look hard enough, there'll be one or two cones scattered around.
05:27Oh, you found one, Bruno, look, you're sniffing around.
05:30You can see where they've been sort of stripping away.
05:33Yeah, so they'll actually rip the spines off the pine cone.
05:37If it was a mouse or something smaller, they would generally nibble quite neatly.
05:40So, that's a good way to tell it was a squirrel.
05:42You can't tell if it was red or grey,
05:43but it gives you an idea of the squirrels around, you know.
05:52So, where are they in their life cycle at the moment?
05:55So, in January is when they'll begin their mating chases.
05:59So, yeah, you might see two red squirrels running through the woodlands.
06:02Right.
06:02And then they'll have their first litter of kits around March time.
06:05Even with four pairs of eyes and a thermal cam, we've not spotted anything yet, except Bruno.
06:13But with a population here in Northumberland, I am not giving up hope of seeing a red yet.
06:18I'm on my way to meet an ex-police officer who, in his retirement,
06:23is using his surveillance skills to protect the elusive creatures.
06:27Ian Glendening runs the local Corkutdale Red Squirrel Volunteer Group.
06:35For 13 years, his project has been dedicated to conserving the reds.
06:41Ian set up a network of cameras to show the hidden lives of this endangered species.
06:46What are you busy with here, then?
06:50Well, this is going to be where I'm going to put a camera up.
06:54OK.
06:55That tree behind you there is where I'm going to put that feeder.
06:58This feeder here, do you need a hand with that?
06:59I do, yes.
07:01Keep going, that's perfect, that's great.
07:03How many of these cameras and feeders have you got set up in the area?
07:07In the whole area that we monitor, we've got in the region of 40.
07:11And as far as the footage is concerned, then, that you're getting, where is it being viewed?
07:15On our phones, by a simple app.
07:19OK.
07:20And anybody can see it from anywhere in the world.
07:23Can we have a look at any? Have you got some to...
07:24Certainly can.
07:26So this is the cameras that we have.
07:29Oh, look! That's happening now!
07:31That's happening now.
07:32Oh, look!
07:34There it is.
07:36Oh, that was amazing.
07:39Oh, it's just running off.
07:41What is the grand plan with this project?
07:43The plan is to have volunteers from anywhere monitoring the cameras and recording the data
07:51on a daily basis.
07:53And it also means we can bring people into active conservation efforts who would otherwise
08:00not be able to.
08:01People who are maybe housebound or unable to access the countryside for whatever reason.
08:06We can include them in this.
08:08Amazing what you've started, Ian.
08:09Yeah!
08:10You've got to move with the times.
08:12I haven't been fortunate enough to see them in the flesh, but this is a close second.
08:17Yeah, yeah, it's good.
08:21But this encounter is not over yet.
08:24Ian has one more high-tech trick, squirreled away, that he believes will bring the great outdoors
08:30inside.
08:31This is the new toy, then, is it?
08:33Yeah, this is the headset, which will transport you into a world of squirrels.
08:39Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
08:41So if you put that on, it'll adjust it.
08:44Oh, oh, I'm definitely in the woods.
08:47Oh, gosh.
08:49Oh, my goodness me, that is incredible.
08:52And you can actually follow them all the way around you.
08:55Yeah.
08:55Up down.
08:56Up the tree, up the trees, up the trees, look.
09:00You almost feel like you need to back off, don't you?
09:02Yeah, yeah.
09:02So you don't want to spook it.
09:03It's right up close to you.
09:07Oh, the whiskers!
09:09You know which one I'm looking at, don't you?
09:11Yeah, I do.
09:12This is my kind of VR.
09:15How is this made available, Ian?
09:16Well, at the moment, it's in a sort of experimental stage.
09:21However, we have applied for funding to various places.
09:25And if we can get some funding, we'll roll it out and make it freely available to anybody.
09:31Because this is what it's about, isn't it?
09:32It's, weirdly, it's having experiences like this that connects you to this world.
09:37And for those people that aren't able to get out and about into the wilds of Northumberland,
09:42then you take it to them.
09:44This is really impressive stuff that you're doing.
09:46What a wonderful way to start the year.
09:48Thank you so much.
09:49In the east of this breathtakingly beautiful county, volunteers are helping make sure the countryside is open for all to enjoy.
10:09At Morpeth's Riding for the Disabled Association, or RDA, getting out on horseback is more than just a day out in the saddle.
10:20Here, volunteers, riders, and a very special team of horses love to get out in nature, boosting confidence and well-being all year round.
10:31So you've got greening kits, wheelbarrows.
10:37Let's go.
10:38You all right?
10:39Yes.
10:40Brilliant.
10:41Disabled children and adults come here to ride, with volunteers there to support the sessions and care for these beautiful animals.
10:49I think this is Thomas.
10:55Hi, Thomas.
10:56Hello.
10:57Wow, he loves you, doesn't he?
11:01Pauline, how long have you been involved?
11:03I've been involved with Riding for the Disabled for over 30 years.
11:07Oh, my goodness, Pauline, that's incredible.
11:09So did you have a passion for horses before?
11:11How did you get involved?
11:13Well, I didn't learn to ride until I was 25.
11:15And from the moment I sat on a horse, that was it, because they do take you away from everything, really.
11:23I'm getting the sense that the volunteers almost get as much out of it as the participants.
11:28We do, because I just cut off when I'm here.
11:31I leave my phone in the car, and I find it just relaxes me.
11:35Little things aren't important.
11:37To volunteer for any organisation for 30 years is incredible.
11:41What is it that makes it so special?
11:43What do you get from it?
11:44My sort of weakly bit of horsey love.
11:48And also to see what it does for everybody who rides with RDA.
11:52There was one rider that we used to have who couldn't walk.
11:55He was born with cerebral palsy, but he had the most fantastic balance when he was on a horse.
12:01He could ride a better rider than I probably ever would have been.
12:06So that sense of accomplishment that people are getting.
12:09We always say it's not what you can't do, it's what you can do.
12:14Heading out for a ride now is Derek, a long-time member rider here who brings boundless enthusiasm to every session.
12:23Which horse are you on today, do you know?
12:26Blue Bell.
12:28I do stop.
12:31Yeah.
12:32I try and do everything.
12:36For Derek, these rides aren't just a fun hobby.
12:39These moments mean freedom.
12:42And Knox, get set, go!
12:45Whoa!
12:47Whoa!
12:48I'm enjoying this!
12:50Whoa!
12:52Whoa!
12:53Whoa!
12:54Whoa!
12:55One, two, three.
12:58Walk on, please.
13:00OK.
13:01Giving him all the support he needs out there is Robert, his care worker.
13:08Robert, how's he doing today?
13:09I think he's doing fabulous.
13:10He's having a great time.
13:11He's really focused when he's on the horse.
13:13He is, yeah.
13:14And I think that's what RDA's taught him, how to concentrate.
13:18And it's like a light switch, he focuses and it makes him feel a part of the community.
13:23He's made some great friends here over the years.
13:26Margarita!
13:27Hi!
13:28Trotting!
13:29You're trotting now?
13:30Doing really well, buddy.
13:31From the look on Derek's face, he loves being out in the open, out in nature, out connected with the animals and his surroundings.
13:38Definitely.
13:39I mean, horse riding's particularly great for his hand-eye coordination and his core strength.
13:44So yeah, I think it's a massive benefit to do outdoor activities.
13:47Doing a good trot!
13:48Doing really well.
13:49Keep it up, sonna.
13:50Having fun!
13:51You are, bud.
13:52And the riding's not just become a hobby, he's competing now as well?
13:57Yes, so recently Derek took part in the regional championship where he come first place in dressage.
14:04And then that enabled him to...
14:06I'm doing good!
14:07You're doing good!
14:08Yeah, doing fab, Derek.
14:10So that enabled him to then go to the national championships in Hartbury.
14:15And what does that mean to him, to compete on a national level?
14:18He took great pride in it.
14:20He's got the pictures in his room and things.
14:23Yes, all the staff are very proud of Derek.
14:25He's amazing.
14:26He's doing really well.
14:32That was fantastic!
14:33Well done!
14:34Well done!
14:35Well done!
14:36Well done, Bluebell!
14:38My best friend you are!
14:42Well done!
14:44Now it's my turn in the saddle, riding Derek's favourite horse, Bluebell.
14:51Perfect!
14:52I'm heading out for a ride with Andrea Foote, who sees the life-changing bond between rider and
14:58horse every day.
14:59RDA help both young and old with physical or learning disabilities, sensory differences, long-term health conditions and neurodiversity.
15:11How many centres are like this across the country?
15:14We're just shy of 450 now, which equates to something like 39,000 participants.
15:24Andrea, what's so special about this as a charity?
15:27I think it's what it does for the riders.
15:31It does that for the volunteers and it's just a little bit of community between us all.
15:41I mean, some of the riders I take down to Hartbury, which is the home of the Paralympics, and we do the championships down there.
15:48And what it does for them to get a rosette, like Derek, it's huge.
15:53And seeing the parents is just amazing.
15:56And they give you a cuddle and they thank you.
15:58I don't like it when they make me cry.
16:00Admittedly, I don't like that bit of it.
16:02But they're crying because their child has succeeded.
16:06I would love to say it's obviously us, but it's not, it's the horses.
16:09They get on a horse and they feel enabled, happy, calm, without a doubt.
16:18I've definitely seen that today. There's been a lot of joy, a lot of joy.
16:31While we're in the most northerly national park in England, Adam's visiting a farm just outside Edinburgh
16:38to meet an Olympic star in the making.
16:43Life on the farm toughens you up without you even realising it.
16:47Early starts, mucking out, heavy lifting.
16:50And winter up here in Scotland sharpens all of that.
16:53January is about getting the job done, about routine, however you're feeling and whatever the weather.
17:00And that kind of conditioning is exactly what an elite athlete needs.
17:05And today, I'm meeting one who proves it.
17:09In a few weeks' time, Sophie Sinclair will be swapping her wellies for sliders,
17:13as she takes to the ice for her first Winter Olympics with Team GB's curling squad.
17:22And I'm here on her family's farm to see how her upbringing has forged the strength and steel driving her push for gold.
17:28Good boy. I know. You like it.
17:33Hi, Sophie. Hi.
17:35Who have you got here?
17:36This is Harris.
17:37And that one?
17:38Heather.
17:39Harris is a bit of a greedy one.
17:41Yeah, he is very greedy.
17:43He's lovely.
17:44In its early days, curling was played on frozen locks and ponds.
17:52Even now, when the weather's right, people still play outside in some places.
17:57There are no locks on the family's 100-acre farm, only fields for livestock and rows of soft fruit and vegetables.
18:05But growing up here did mean plenty of outbuildings to put to good use.
18:09I mean, one of the big exercises we do in the gym is called the Farmer Carries.
18:14And it's basically you carry two weights in each hand, a very good core building strength.
18:18It's all farming-related in some way, isn't it?
18:20And that work ethic, I know, as a kid I was never allowed to sit around much.
18:23Oh, yeah.
18:24No, we were never allowed to.
18:25I can even remember as a teenager being, like, at weekends,
18:28who was still getting up at 7am to go and make the most of the day, definitely.
18:34In her journey to chase Olympic dreams,
18:37Sophie has drawn on the resilience and hard work she's learned from every member of the family.
18:43From her mum, Kirsteen, to her gran, Anne, known as Mrs S.
18:48And is this your job in the business now, the jam maker?
18:50Or are you just quality control, making sure Kirsteen's doing a good job?
18:54Still here every morning though, aren't you? You're up helping out.
19:00Come on, girls.
19:01The family work ethic clearly runs through the generations.
19:06Come on, come on, come on.
19:08As Sophie's brother, George, and her dad, John, have also helped shape the mindset she now carries onto the ice.
19:17Sophie told me you'd be out with a sheep.
19:20Now, George, I sold you some dorsets years ago, didn't I?
19:22Yes, yes, as you can see, they're coming over to say hi.
19:25Look at that, they might recognise me.
19:27How many sheep have you got now?
19:28About 200. They produce enough lamb for the shop and cafe.
19:31They're gorgeous, aren't they? So does your sister help with the lambing and stuff?
19:34Yes, not as much as maybe she would have before she was as competitive, but she does try and obviously come and help.
19:40When you were kids, did you and your sister get involved in the farm?
19:42Yeah, so we'd compete against each other and have completed the task the quickest.
19:46So it was good fun.
19:47And as competitive brother and sister, who was the winner?
19:50Of course, myself.
19:52Although I wouldn't like to play her in a game of curling anymore, I think I would get beat.
19:56And the whole family curls, don't you?
19:59Yeah, different level to Sophie, but we're very, very much sociable curlers.
20:03It's quite common in the agricultural community, really.
20:05Yeah, a lot of farmers do it, don't they, up in Scotland?
20:07Yeah, it fits in with the winter time.
20:08At Scotland's National Curling Academy in Stirling, Sophie and Team GB turn that graft into world-class performance.
20:20Light's good. Close.
20:24Sophie's Olympic teammates are Rebecca Morrison.
20:27Yep, hide.
20:29Sophie Jackson, who's also from a farming family.
20:32And Jennifer Dodds, the only one with prior games experience.
20:36And reigning Olympic champion.
20:40That is so beautiful.
20:42Congratulations.
20:43No, thank you.
20:44Incredible.
20:45Sophie and the team are determined to build on that golden legacy.
20:49But before they sweep their way to more success, she's helping me brush up on my curling knowledge.
20:55So you've handed me this and this, but I don't know what they're for.
20:58So do you want to take me through a paces, Sophie?
21:00Yeah, don't worry, we'll explain it all.
21:02So this is your hack, where you push off.
21:04And then what's that called? The lane?
21:07We call it a sheet.
21:09And the line, that's where you have to let go of your curling stone, isn't it?
21:12Has that got a name?
21:13It's called the hog line.
21:14Hog line?
21:15Don't ask me why it's called the hog line.
21:16Yeah.
21:17Why is it called the hog line?
21:19Good question.
21:21So you know why it's called a hog line?
21:23Because when they first did this on a lake and they were using stones, a pig ran across and left its little trotters marks in the ice and that gave them the hog line.
21:33Right.
21:34Is that true?
21:35No.
21:39The truth is that the term's original meaning has been lost in the mists of time.
21:44Ultimately, the best way to understand curling is to give it a try.
21:48We're going to slide forward with that slidey foot.
21:51Just like that.
21:53Easy.
21:54Amazing.
21:55I don't know why, but no, I feel really quite nervous.
22:00So, ready?
22:01Ready.
22:02Lift the hips, steady pull back.
22:04Good.
22:05And then push.
22:06And then push.
22:09There we go.
22:10And then let go.
22:11Yeah.
22:12Look at that.
22:14Well, that was a really atrocious start.
22:16A lot of people fall on their face.
22:19I like how you tell them that now after he's done his first slide.
22:25Putting the curling stone down the sheet is one thing, but another very important part is the brushing.
22:30Sweeping actually just heats up the surface.
22:33It makes the stone either run straighter or, depending on the angles you use, you can also make the stone curl more and it can help it travel further.
22:41Oh, it's quite tiring.
22:45And it's important to never use the sweeper to stop the stone.
22:52I reckon I'd be really good at this.
22:55If only it was that easy.
22:56Do you think growing up on the farm gave you a bit of a team mentality?
23:03Yeah, definitely.
23:04I think you chip in where you can and especially with the way the business is here now.
23:09Farming is super up and down.
23:11There's lots of highs and lows and it's the same in sport.
23:14While the rest of us are easing into January, Sophie is flat out showing us how life growing up on the farm has set her up for the biggest stage of all, the Olympics.
23:29So much to think about, isn't there?
23:31Yeah.
23:32All your balance, the speed you push off, the direction, the curl, letting it go, the pig running across the hog line.
23:38You know, that's all this stuff.
23:41What to think about, yeah.
23:44Well, to actually be here and have a little bit of coaching just puts in a whole new light.
23:49Yeah.
23:51Well, best of luck in the Olympics and try and bring home that gold.
23:54Will do, yeah. Thank you.
24:08You definitely don't have to be a world class athlete to enjoy the great outdoors.
24:16Another way of getting out and enjoying the benefits of the countryside and to give back is to volunteer.
24:22Heppel Whitefield is a wild and rugged 4,000 acre site in Northumberland, a private estate within the National Park.
24:38It's been sympathetically managed through the years.
24:41It's a place where Curlew, Red Grouse and Lapwing live side by side with Exmo ponies and Longhorn cattle.
24:49Richard Thompson is the on-site ecologist who's helping oversee a wilding project aided by a team of local volunteers.
24:59Thanks very much, guys, for coming out today. I know it's not the warmest day, but hopefully we're going to be getting active and warming up.
25:08One pair wants to start with the cutters at the very top and sort of work your way down.
25:12And the other pair wants to start maybe about halfway down that bigger post there.
25:21The estate here for a long time was a more traditional farm.
25:25So lots of smaller fields segregated by old fence lines.
25:29Since 2020, we've been doing a slightly more wild approach.
25:32So we've got herds of cattle and ponies and some pigs that are moving across the landscape a bit more free will.
25:38And that involves taking out a lot of the old fence lines.
25:41So that's what these guys are doing today.
25:44They sort of create a big diversity within the landscape.
25:47They're also really important seed vectors.
25:49So whether it's getting the seeds caught in their fur or whether they're actually eating things and then pooping them out later,
25:54that means they can move around a lot more well and transport those seeds across the landscape a lot more easily if there's no more fences.
26:01We're really, really thankful for our volunteers coming out in all sorts of weather.
26:04I think a lot of people get mental health benefits out of it being outdoors.
26:08They can come here and they kind of just focus on dismantling a fence for three or four hours and they just don't think about anything else.
26:13And they just really enjoy that.
26:16Phil Burns is a retired academic who's been volunteering here for almost a year.
26:22It does make you feel young.
26:24If I was at home, I'd just be falling asleep in my armchair.
26:27But just getting out here is just fantastic exercise and fantastic keeping the mind active.
26:34We heard about this place, which just blew our minds because this is just a piece of landscape.
26:39It's full of potential and lots of interesting species that can be brought back here and would thrive here as it gradually becomes wilder and wilder.
26:47I worked all my life in a lab or an office and never had the chance to work outside with my hands doing hard physical work.
27:00And that just gives you such a buzz, really does, especially when you can see the end results of your work.
27:04While this team opens access for livestock to create a wilder landscape here, another group are busy elsewhere on the Hepal Whitefield estate.
27:14Their focus is the juniper trees.
27:17In decline across the UK, juniper is now so scarce that it may disappear entirely from lowland England without help.
27:26Lekshmi Vijay and Lies Bell are from a youth-led nature recovery organisation called Young Wilders.
27:33Me and Lekshmi are wild stewards. We are doing a project to help bring up the juniper trees because we just love juniper trees so much.
27:43And they're important for many different kinds of nature.
27:48There's only three native species in Britain of conifers and one of them is juniper.
27:53It's important to grow junipers because they are very structurally strong plants to have in semi-natural habitats, especially in the uplands.
28:05I think I'm just going on the basis of colour right now.
28:08Yeah, the darker blue ones are the ripe ones.
28:12And you have the green ones that are unripe.
28:14We are picking some juniper berries so that we can process them and extract the seeds and grow them into saplings that we'll eventually plant out with these lovely juniper trees.
28:27Juniper struggles to seed itself.
28:30The saplings tend to struggle with overgrazing from rabbits as well as sheep.
28:35So we're just giving them a helping hand, growing them until they are self-sustaining and hardy enough to be alone in the outdoors.
28:46I love a bit of fresh air on a nice crisp winter day.
28:50Last time when we were out here, it was snowing and it was freezing.
28:54Our toes were frozen, our fingers were frozen, but we definitely love being outside more than being inside.
29:01Honestly, if I could just sleep here, I would.
29:05This sapling here is about four years old.
29:16It's been living in our plant nursery for that time, getting big and strong.
29:21It provides shelter, food and micro habitat for quite a harsh environment.
29:29There's a higher chance of establishment, so we're really happy to have had this out there
29:33hoping to do more of these plantings as well.
29:36With the light fading, it's a job well done for all the Heppel Wilds volunteers.
29:43Hope you guys all enjoyed it. A good bit of exercise on a cold winter's day.
29:47Now one of the hardest decisions to make at this time of year is where to hang the Countryfile calendar sold in aid of BBC children in need.
30:07I think I found the perfect spot. Anyway, if you haven't got yours yet, here's John with all the details.
30:13It costs £11.99, which includes UK delivery.
30:21You can go to our website, bbc.co.uk forward slash Countryfile, where you'll find a link to the online order page.
30:29Or, you can call 0330-333-4564 to place your order by phone.
30:39Standard geographic charges will apply to both landlines and mobiles.
30:45The phone line will be available from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.
30:54If you prefer to order by post, then send your name, address, and a cheque to BBC Countryfile calendar,
31:03PO Box 25, Melton Mowbray, LE 13 1ZG, and please make your cheques payable to BBC Countryfile calendar.
31:14A minimum of £5.50 from the sale of each calendar will be donated to BBC Children in Need.
31:21And if you haven't picked one of these up yet, well, they are on sale until January 31st.
31:31And I'm delighted to announce that so far the 2026 Countryfile calendar has raised for BBC Children in Need an incredible £1,776,082.
31:46So, from all of us, to everyone who's bought one of our calendars and helped us raise that amount, a very, very big thank you.
31:55Now, the new year is a time for taking on new challenges, and we've seen activities like wild swimming and paddle boarding increase in popularity in recent years.
32:09Yet, campaigners say only a fraction of our rivers and lakes are actually legally open to the public.
32:15But is all that set to change? Tom investigates.
32:2625 years ago, the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, better known as the Crow Act, was passed,
32:31leading to greater public access to mountains, moors and common land in England and Wales.
32:37It was a landmark moment for anyone who enjoys their outdoor adventures on solid ground.
32:43But for those who love getting into the wild and out onto the water, there was a problem.
32:52The Act didn't extend the right of access to inland rivers, lakes or waterways.
32:59As a result, planning where to go for a swim or a paddle could get you into murky legal waters.
33:06Unlike Scotland, which provides a right to responsible access to waterways,
33:13in England and Wales, if you're in or on the water of a river, lake or reservoir,
33:18without permission from the landowner, it can constitute the civil offence of trespass.
33:25The Government has just announced its revised environmental improvement plan for England,
33:30and one of its focuses will be on increasing access to the countryside,
33:35including our hotly contested waterways.
33:39An organisation that has long campaigned for this is Paddle UK,
33:43the national governing body for paddle sports, with 75,000 members.
33:50Ben Seal is from the group.
33:53It's very good to catch up with you out here.
33:54What a beautiful place to meet. Not bad, is it?
33:56Paddling, swimming have all exploded within the last few years,
34:01and we want people to have the certainty and the knowledge to know
34:04that when they go on the river, on their doorstep,
34:07that they're not going to face any challenge.
34:09What challenges have you encountered?
34:11It can be anything from a sign on the bank telling you you're not welcome,
34:15that you're trespassing, to people shouting at you from the bank, or worse.
34:19Can it be quite hostile?
34:21It can be sometimes, especially when things get thrown at you,
34:23and that's uncomfortable to experience.
34:24How restricted is the access, in your view?
34:28Well, what we say is that just less than 4% of rivers in England
34:32have what's called a statutory right of navigation,
34:34meaning you've got a clear right to be there and to paddle or swim or row or sail.
34:39Isn't that a bit of an exaggerated figure, in a way?
34:43Because, you know, that doesn't include canals,
34:45whereas we're on canals and a lot of those have access.
34:47There's a lot of places where you can get out of the water.
34:49Yeah, I mean, that's a fair point, but the principle is that a tiny percentage of our rivers have a public right,
34:56and they're not evenly spread.
34:58There are whole parks, whole regions, where there are no rights to use our waterways.
35:01In the past, the government has favoured managing access to rivers through voluntary access agreements.
35:11Typically made between paddlers, landowners and anglers,
35:14these agreements set out conditions such as which stretches of water could be used and when.
35:19But as part of the new environmental improvement plan,
35:24the government will look at the feasibility of increasing access to rivers.
35:28Why do you need a right of access rather than, you know, making deals along the way,
35:36voluntary agreements and things like that?
35:38Well, for the same reason why it's important we have public rights of way to walk on,
35:42or to ride a horse on.
35:43We need that clarity in law to enable us to use those waterways so we don't get challenged
35:49and we don't get accused of trespass.
35:51Access agreed on a local basis.
35:53That has its challenges.
35:55If you have to negotiate on a piece by piece basis, river by river,
35:59land owning by land owning, that has massive challenges and it's completely unworkable.
36:03Does that literally be a free for all?
36:04You can go anywhere you like, you can float anywhere?
36:07You have to start from the principle of access being available everywhere,
36:11but of course there are sensitive places, there are places that we need to protect
36:15and actually that can be done on a local basis, making sure people paddle responsibly.
36:22That doesn't cut much ice with the fishing community though.
36:26Operating under a licensing system, access to rivers is far more established for anglers
36:31who can buy fishing rights from landowners.
36:33Jamie Cook is from the Angling Trust, which represents over 300,000 anglers.
36:41It disputes the 4% figure used by Paddle UK and says just over 25% of our inland waterways are already accessible.
36:49The idea that 365 day access unilaterally on every piece of water across the country is the right thing,
36:59the precautionary thing to protect the ecosystem and the environment,
37:02I just don't think that's supported in science or nature.
37:05When you look at the characteristics of a river like this,
37:08it simply can't sustain for spawning species, for fish, for bird life, 365 day access.
37:13Are you just trying to protect a kind of privileged position that anglers have got?
37:19They've always had this sort of power in rivers and you just want to hang on to it.
37:23I don't think we've got a power at all, we haven't got any hierarchy over any other user.
37:27The difference we've got is for many years anglers have worked with local communities,
37:33local landowners, councils to negotiate voluntary access agreements,
37:38we pay a licence fee, so what we've never done is gone and unilaterally said
37:41we have a right to be able to use this water.
37:45We've worked at a community basis to work collaboratively.
37:48And what we've offered to other stakeholders is the fact that we've done it over a hundred years
37:54proves that the model works and we'd be happy to work with you where appropriate
37:58on voluntary access agreements that are fair and equitable to allow access to waters.
38:03What would you say to anglers or paddlers who are watching this show
38:06when they come and meet each other and maybe there's an opportunity for conflict?
38:09I don't think there's any need for conflict.
38:12I think a lot of the time when the two come into conflict
38:16on a face-to-face basis it's because of lack of understanding.
38:19And a lot of times where angling clubs have got access agreements they've had for many years
38:25and it's flagged very politely to paddlers, often they just simply don't know.
38:29So when it's raised to them of this is non-navigable
38:32or there isn't an access agreement here, people simply turn round.
38:35Canoists aren't the only group wanting better access to water.
38:38Fueled by pool closures during the pandemic, wild swimming has become a flourishing activity in the UK.
38:48But it's not just access that's the issue here.
38:52There are fewer than 500 officially designating bathing sites in England
38:58which are monitored for cleanliness by the Environment Agency.
39:03And most of these are along the coast where tidal waters already grant a public right of access.
39:09Only 14 are rivers and in recent figures just two met the minimum standards.
39:14So if you aren't lucky enough to live by the sea or have a private lake like this nearby, your options for wild swimming can be a bit limited.
39:24Tricia McCosker is a member of the Blue Tits, a worldwide cold water swimming community.
39:34How important are public swimming spots to you?
39:38This is beautiful but it's a paid for lake so there are a lot of people that wouldn't be able to use this
39:43because financially and also because of the travel.
39:49So I think public swimming places are really, really important.
39:54And you personally, why have you got into it? What do you love about it?
39:57I retired three and a half years ago and it's just good for mind, body, soul, spirit.
40:04I've made a lot of swim buddies since I started with wild swimming and it's a joy, it's just a pure joy.
40:16One of the group's favourite spots, aptly named the Old Bathing Place in Stratford-upon-Avon,
40:21has been popular since at least the 1920s.
40:26But earlier this year a sign was put up banning public swimming, citing the dangers posed to swimmers from motor vessels.
40:35We were very angry, all of us, to arrive one day in May to find the sign had been erected out of the blue.
40:43Did it stop you? No, it didn't. We continued to swim here. I was swimming here yesterday.
40:47Does that mean you're breaking the law?
40:49On the sign it says it's against the law and if anybody sees anybody breaking that, then to phone the police and call 999.
40:56But we are going to continue to swim here.
40:58The Avon Navigation Trust told Countryfile they'd installed the signs after working with the landowner, Stratford District Council,
41:07and following some very worrying near-miss incidents between swimmers and motorised vessels.
41:11But the council then told us their own signs do not say no swimming and only advise that swimming is entirely at individual's own risk.
41:23Boats do come down here and there could be a risk to people like you, is it not sensible to maybe say no swimming here?
41:31Why should the swimmers be discriminated against? There is room in the river for everybody. People just need to be aware of each other's use of the river.
41:41Countryfile has spoken to a number of groups who report similar restrictions to bathing spots that have previously been uncontested.
41:52They're calling for a legal right to swim.
41:55Imogen Radford is from the Outdoor Swimming Society, which represents over 200,000 members in the UK and internationally.
42:07At the moment, the situation with legislation is very muddled and unclear.
42:12People don't understand it. The general impression is given that it's not permitted to swim or to go to places by the river.
42:20And that's why we need a really clear right to swim.
42:23A clear and very understandable approach that said you have the right to access the water, and of course you've got to behave responsibly while you're there and keep yourself safe, but you have that clear right.
42:36Then people would not feel driven away from it.
42:42So how do the landowners and farmers along our rivers feel about the idea of 365 days a year access to these waters?
42:51Andrew Gillette is from the Country Land and Business Association, which represents thousands of rural landowners.
42:58So what do you think about the right to roam on water, right to float?
43:03There's a number of issues with the rights, and it's all about balance.
43:09So firstly, the environmental side. It's a really fragile ecosystem.
43:13Take for instance flagship species, kingfishers, otters and water voles, they really don't do well with disturbance.
43:19And aside from environment?
43:22Well, there's the economic impact, the impact that we have on the diversified businesses all up and down the river.
43:27Those include holiday lets, ecotourism, and a lot of our members provide paddle services.
43:34All of that would be undermined by these new proposals.
43:36Instead, the CLA is suggesting that the government could use the existing environmental land management schemes in England to reward farmers who open up land next to rivers to the public.
43:48There would be a payment, a small payment on an annual basis for the landowner.
43:54I expect government would want it fixed for a five to ten year period, and that would allow new kayaking or paddling on that area of river that previously didn't have it.
44:05But the benefit and the balance there is that farmers and landowners can put that forward but without having the impact of sensitive sites or sensitive economic sites being impacted adversely.
44:19The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs told us their new environmental improvement plan aims to ensure universal access to green or blue spaces in England within a 15 minute walk of people's homes.
44:32There will be a consultation on measures to strengthen the public's legal right to access, including exploring the feasibility of increased access to unregulated waters.
44:47And the Welsh Government said it is also in favour of improving access to waterways, but this needs to be done with careful consideration of all users as well as landowners.
44:57What we don't want to do is create barriers that prevent people accessing nature and enjoying the outdoors.
45:05I want everybody to have access to this place who wants it.
45:10And I want families to be able to come back again and enjoy it without that hanging over them that, oh maybe I shouldn't be doing this.
45:17Well, I'm wrapped up nice and cosy for today, but what's the weather bringing us in the week ahead?
45:34Here's your Countryfile forecast.
45:35Hello there. We've all had to wrap up well over the last week or more because we've had Arctic air over the UK, but that got swept away today.
45:52We've seen milder air coming in from the west and in Northern Ireland temperatures reach 12 degrees today.
45:58And in Northern Ireland, that's made it the warmest day here since the 17th of December.
46:04Now we started the day with some snow in Scotland and Northern England.
46:07It quickly turned to rain and this cloud has been coming in, bringing in the milder air, but bringing in some wet and windy conditions.
46:14It's pretty wet and windy this evening. We'll be turning particularly windy in the northwest of Scotland for a while overnight.
46:22We will see some clearer spells later and a few showers and it's going to be a lot milder tonight.
46:27Tonight should be the first frost free night of the year.
46:31And the week ahead is going to be a good deal milder than it's been for quite some time.
46:36That's going to limit the frost and any snow.
46:39We're more likely to have some rain from time to time.
46:42And we've got some wet and windy weather to start with on Monday in the far north of Scotland.
46:46There could be a bit of sunshine around elsewhere to start with, but I think the cloud will tend to increase.
46:51And in the afternoon, we're more likely to blow some rain across from the west.
46:55Blustery winds, but the mild air will have arrived across the eastern side of the UK.
47:00So widely those temperatures on Monday are going to be in double figures.
47:04With the mild air though, we're going to find some spells of rain.
47:07Another area of low pressure heading in for Tuesday.
47:10This one coming up from the southwest.
47:12Already a wet start in southwestern areas on Tuesday.
47:15The cloud will build.
47:16It's going to turn into a wet day for many places.
47:19But across the mountains of Scotland, there may well be a bit of snow.
47:22It's a bit colder in Scotland.
47:24Whereas further south, we've still got those temperatures on Tuesday into double figures.
47:29All that wet weather on Tuesday will then push away during the first part of the night.
47:34And before this next weather system arrives from the Atlantic, we've got something a little bit colder heading into Wednesday.
47:41But it should be a lot drier on Wednesday as well.
47:44Many places will have a dry day on Wednesday with some sunshine, particularly across the eastern side of the UK.
47:50Could cloud over a bit in the west.
47:52And later on, we've got some rain pushing in towards Northern Ireland.
47:56But a chilly start.
47:57The temperatures are going to be close to freezing, I think, on Wednesday morning.
48:00So it points to a chillier day on the whole.
48:04And then we've got that rain in Northern Ireland on that weather front sweeping eastwards overnight.
48:09It should have cleared away by Thursday morning.
48:12And following on from that, there'll be some spells of sunshine.
48:15There'll be a few showers, mind you, particularly in the west, some heavy ones in Western Scotland.
48:19And then later on in the day, the cloud thickens in the far south of England.
48:23And we start to see some rain returning here.
48:26But temperatures on Thursday, pretty good for the time of year.
48:29We're looking at 7 to 10 Celsius.
48:32Now, the details are going to change as we head towards the end of the week.
48:36Heading into Friday, we're dominated more by low pressure.
48:39Again, pushing up from the south.
48:41We're going to find some rain heading its way northwards into Scotland.
48:44Where again, we could see some snow over the mountains.
48:47Further south, the rain clears.
48:49We get a bit of sunshine.
48:50But these showers could be heavy and blustery.
48:53But we end the week with these sort of temperatures.
48:55And those numbers are close to average, really, for this time of the year.
48:59It is going to be a much milder week ahead.
49:02But there is the risk of some flooding over the week ahead.
49:05Mainly in Scotland, the result of snow melt and some rain at times.
49:10As we embrace the new year, we've been enjoying winter in Northumberland.
49:27Oh, look! That's happening now!
49:29That's happening now!
49:30Oh, look! Amazing!
49:32The sheer variety of landscape here, coupled with its remoteness, makes it a stunning place to be.
49:39But as with any adventure over rugged terrain, you have to be careful.
49:45Well, January may well feel like a very inspirational month.
49:53The perfect time to get out on an adventure.
49:56But the weather here in the heights of Northumberland has a mind of its own.
50:00And it can change in an instant.
50:021962 marked the start of the big freeze, one of the coldest winters on record.
50:10Two shepherds working in the Northumbrian hills were caught in a fierce snowstorm.
50:16After being missing for two days, their bodies were eventually discovered.
50:21Their tragic story moved local volunteers to take action.
50:25And they created what is known today as the Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team.
50:31And it celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.
50:36Staffed by volunteers 24 hours a day, they're headed by Jamie Patterson.
50:42Jamie, how's it going mate?
50:44You alright?
50:45You alright?
50:46Nice to see you.
50:47Yeah, really good.
50:48Really good.
50:49So Jamie, obviously you're all volunteers here, but what do you do then as a day job?
50:53I am a paramedic by trade.
50:56And I currently work as a winch paramedic for the Coast Guard, on the Coast Guard helicopter.
51:00Do you? Really?
51:01Yeah.
51:02So when you're not rescuing people, you're rescuing people.
51:03Rescuing people.
51:04Oh my word.
51:05Yeah, yeah.
51:06Gosh, so what is it about the world of rescue then that you wanted to dedicate your life to?
51:10My mum's a nurse, so I was always aware of that kind of side of stuff when I was growing up.
51:15And then I got into the outdoors and I kind of just combined the two and here I am.
51:20Right.
51:21Gosh.
51:22And so how does the mountain rescue side of things fit in with your day job then?
51:25How does it work?
51:26I manage alright.
51:27I'm quite good at segregating my time between the two.
51:29And sometimes we'll get called to jobs with the team as well.
51:32So it all kind of meshes together quite nicely really.
51:35How many roughly are involved?
51:36So we've got about 50 members at the minute.
51:38That's operational members who go out on the hill and do all the rescues and stuff.
51:42And then we've got a group of support members as well.
51:45But I'll tell you what, I mean it's such an unforgiving place isn't it?
51:48The heights of Northumberland here.
51:50When you think of how different it is or can be.
51:52I mean here we are, obviously winter time, but when the snow comes around here it can be incredibly deep.
51:57We can get quite big drifts and the air roads and stuff will get blocked up and drifted.
52:03So during the beach in the east I did a 24 hour stint and we went up to Carter Bar which is a big air road that goes over into Scotland.
52:09And there was I think eight or nine cars stuck in drifts there.
52:12And I think there was about 15 or 18 people in those cars who were trapped and we needed to extricate them.
52:22Get them to a safe place and then kind of wait it out until the road could be cleared and recover their vehicles.
52:27Incredible organisation isn't it?
52:28Yeah it's brilliant and it's such a fantastic thing to be a part of as well.
52:32I've grown up in the team and all through my life the team has been there for me and it's a wonderful thing to be part of.
52:42Today Jamie and his crew of mountain rescue volunteers will do one of their monthly training sessions.
52:49OK guys we're going to give you a briefing now.
52:52A pretend casualty is hiding in the area and to make it even more challenging for the team this exercise is being done at dusk.
53:00Mark is a bit of kit for you mate.
53:03Oh don't be left out now.
53:04Quite let you miss out.
53:05That's great.
53:08Heading my search party is Nanette Edwards, professional architect by day and volunteer deputy team leader when on call.
53:17After you.
53:20So when we're searching we're not just walking, we're expecting to maybe find somebody's collapsed on the side.
53:27And it's always very good to stop, turn around and look behind you because that's a different way of looking.
53:34So you might spot something looking that way that you don't see looking forward.
53:38For example this heather here we can't see much at all.
53:41So actually that's why we need people either side.
53:44Yeah.
53:45Because even just down there you wouldn't necessarily see somebody lying down.
53:48Nothing up there no?
53:49No.
53:50We just keep going do we?
53:51In a line.
53:52Yeah we keep on searching.
53:53It's still quite light.
53:54We can see around.
53:55Even on a practice drill like this, the approach in darkness means this is a race against time.
54:09Okay we're going to head off to our next search area.
54:12Yeah cool.
54:14Be careful.
54:15And as the team search dog is yet to pick up ascent, a change of tack is needed.
54:21Drone pilot Carl Hamilton is waiting in the wings.
54:25Carl are you ready for take off?
54:26Hi Matt, we're just about good to go.
54:28You're all set, excellent.
54:29It's a big drone isn't it?
54:33It's big enough yeah.
54:35It has a thermal imaging camera which is obviously absolutely excellent.
54:40And we're going to choose white hot so the background will largely be dark and anything that has a heat signature will appear white.
54:49Northumberland's known for its pristine dark skies, the best in the UK for stargazing.
54:54But this is a rescue mission and this remote rural environment is nearly pitch black.
55:00With my eyes adjusting to the light, I can only make out the rough shape of the terrain in the distance and it's vast.
55:07So I'm just going to pan around now and see if I can see anything.
55:13I don't know if you can see there Matt, we can see a little white spot just appeared.
55:17Oh there, in the middle.
55:18I can zoom in on that.
55:20That is something that we'd obviously be interested in.
55:23And we've got a laser rangefinder on here as well.
55:26So if I click on that, it will give me a distance to the target so we can quite easily, quickly direct people in.
55:31Wow.
55:32So I mean this technology's revolutionised.
55:34Absolutely.
55:35Hasn't it?
55:36Curly control, Curly drone, we have an exercise casualty.
55:39Find a ten-figure grid reference to follow.
55:41Over.
55:42Curly drone, Curly control, ready for a ten-figure grid reference.
55:46Over.
55:47With the casualty's location discovered, the next challenge is to bring them to safety.
55:53Head into the darkness.
55:55Yeah, absolutely.
55:57So with thanks to the drone then, we know that the casualty's about 200 metres up ahead?
56:02Yes, that's correct and we've got a grid reference for him.
56:05Yeah.
56:06But actually we can see him flashing a light as well.
56:09I bet your heart starts pumping as you're getting closer and closer.
56:13That kind of, I don't know, I guess the expectation of what you're going to find.
56:17Oh, absolutely.
56:18I mean there's a huge relief that we've got this far and that we've found him, especially when it's so cold or the weather's bad.
56:25There he is.
56:26Yeah, that's fantastic.
56:28There he is.
56:29All right.
56:30Aaron, need to go in?
56:31Yep.
56:32The drill isn't over.
56:34The team now needs to check for any injuries.
56:37Hello there, my name's Aaron, I'm just a mountain rescue.
56:41Can I just ask your name?
56:43Nigel.
56:44Nigel.
56:45Okay.
56:46Meanwhile, the other team's setting up the stretcher.
56:49Yes.
56:50Ready, brace, lift.
57:00Now we're just going to put a single rope on map, just what we call back rope, the stretcher, just to give it some protection.
57:07So am I grabbing both of these handles?
57:09Yes, you're going to do that face forward and we'll give you instructions on when to lift, so just wait.
57:15Is anybody not ready?
57:18I'm on my command.
57:19Ready, brace, lift.
57:20And forward.
57:21Okay.
57:22That's over a tussock.
57:23Yeah.
57:24I think he's tussock just here.
57:25Follow the path.
57:26Nearly there.
57:27Here's the vehicle.
57:2820 metres.
57:29Fantastic.
57:30Going straight on.
57:31Yeah.
57:32Much clearer now.
57:33Stop.
57:34Prepare to lower.
57:35Lower.
57:36Brilliant.
57:37Great job.
57:38And that's it.
57:39Well done, everyone.
57:40Well, I have to say sterling effort, everyone.
57:41Honestly, fantastic.
57:42Those folk that started this 60 years ago would be incredibly proud.
57:44of what you're doing here today.
57:45So huge congratulations for keeping it going.
57:53Well, that has been an action-packed and very fun thing.
57:57And that's it.
57:58Well done, everyone.
57:59I'm very happy.
58:00Well, I have to say sterling effort, everyone.
58:02Honestly, fantastic.
58:03Those folk that started this 60 years ago would be incredibly proud of what you're doing
58:09here today.
58:10So huge congratulations for keeping it going.
58:14Well, that has been an action-packed and very full day in beautiful Northumberland.
58:25But that's all we've got time for for this week.
58:27Next week, Adam and Charlotte will be exploring on and around the X estuary.
58:32Hope you can join them then.
58:33Bye-bye.
58:34Renovating a crumbling pile, banjo and raw and the dog grandpa.
58:43Grand Island Hotel, breast red for iPlayer.
58:46And with by-sized gems of advice for the new year, from knees to napping.
58:50What's up, docs?
58:51Listen on sounds.
59:02Good night, guys.
59:03Thanks, everyone.
59:04Thanks, everyone.
59:05You guys are prettyל kids.
59:06I'm not serious.
59:07I'm not a big part, man.
59:08Thanks.
59:09Let's get started.
59:10We're welcome.
59:11See you.
59:12Go, go, go.
59:14Go, go, go, go.
59:15Go, go.
59:16Go, go.
59:17Go, go.
59:19Go, go.
59:20Go, go.
59:22Go, go.
59:23Go, go.
59:24Go, go.
59:25Go, go.
59:27Go, go, go.
59:28Go, go.
59:30Go, go.
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