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00:03Hear that?
00:04Yeah.
00:04That's the wheel starting to float.
00:05So now we're floating.
00:07Not quite.
00:07Not quite.
00:08That was just it picking up.
00:10Woo!
00:11Big whale!
00:13Hold on tight.
00:48Look at that, Anita.
00:49St Michael's Mound.
00:50Barely looks real, doesn't it?
00:52It looks like it's been taken from the pages of a storybook, right out of a fairy tale.
00:57And yet here we are on the Cornish coast.
00:59And today we're heading to the island in the wake of Storm Goretti,
01:03one of the worst storms to hit Cornwall in decades.
01:06Yeah, it's stripped away more than two thirds of the trees on the island,
01:09leaving a lot of damage to repair.
01:12Yeah, and with Easter just round the corner,
01:14the race is on to get it repaired and restored in time for spring visitors.
01:19And there's our lift.
01:20We better run. Let's go! Catch it!
01:25The island of St Michael's Mount is around 500 metres off the Cornish coast in Mounts Bay.
01:33Only 33 people live on the island and we're joining that tight-knit community
01:38to see how they pull together can rain, shine or storm.
01:43This is your problem. And it's a big problem.
01:45So when the tree has been falling over the wind, the root mass has come and swept into the tunnel.
01:52It's a beast!
01:53It's big, yeah.
01:53It is huge!
01:55You know, she's very important.
01:56She is very important. She's very lovely.
02:00Oh, what's that? There. That was a chuff.
02:02I didn't see it, unfortunately.
02:04You're doubting me, aren't you? And I'm doubting myself now.
02:07And away from the island, Dashiani investigates a rise in youth homelessness in the countryside.
02:14I was very anxious that it wasn't going to be the only night I was spending here.
02:19I was unhappy, but it was a good place to rest.
02:34It's absolutely stunning, but you can see how exposed it is to the weather.
02:37Yeah, it's dramatic, but incredibly vulnerable.
02:40It looks both really bleak and really romantic.
02:45Yeah, and we're part of that story. Let's hope it's not bleak.
02:49Yeah.
02:53It's hard to imagine on a day like today, but at the start of the year, this peaceful island looked
02:59very different.
03:01Tonight at six, emergency alerts are sent to half a million people in the southwest of England as Storm Goretti
03:08hits.
03:10There has been a huge impact. Thousands of homes are without power.
03:15I have seen lights flying all over the place. I have seen boats being rocked.
03:20A rare red warning, meaning a danger to life, is still in place for another hour for much of Cornwall.
03:32On the 8th of January, mobile phones rang with a government alert, a warning of the inbound Storm Goretti heard
03:40by people throughout Cornwall, including the isolated islanders of St Michael's Mount.
03:46The last boats off St Michael's Mount departed early afternoon, leaving only a handful of brave residents knowing they'd be
03:55stuck here until the storm passed.
03:57Among those who stayed are some of the island's newer residents, senior gardener Jack Beasley, his fiancee Laura Wood, and
04:06their two year old son.
04:08When you move to a place like this, what preparation do you have to do or what training are you
04:16given just in case?
04:17I don't think anything really prepares you for what it is really like maybe in the winter as well.
04:22But we all receive training as island residents of basic fire training.
04:28We all kind of know where the storm boards are. All these windows get full wooden covers put on them,
04:34they're bolted to them.
04:35We know where the sandbags are and we kind of know where generator rooms are in case there's power cuts
04:41and things like that.
04:42So take me back to the day of the storm. What was it like in the build-up?
04:46It's not uncommon for us in the winter to sort of have to come home by three because that's going
04:52to be the last boat.
04:53I think when everyone on the mainland started to panic that's when we thought oh this is actually going to
05:01be something quite mega.
05:03We saw it was an amber warning and then it jumped up to a red warning and then everyone was
05:08kind of thinking right now we've got to really kind of batten down the hatches.
05:13It sounded like the windows were going to come in at one point didn't they?
05:17And actually we were very cool about it at first and our toddler was completely blissfully unaware having dinner and
05:22then we were like should we finish dinner in the other room?
05:25Because we were like it's actually, it was too intense in here.
05:28The lights were flickering when the wind was really picking up and then we had candles lit and then the
05:34lights went out.
05:35So you lost power?
05:36Yeah we lost power quite early on in the evening, yeah probably just towards seven o'clock.
05:41And you think you're going to be in silence with the candles but actually once all of the lights have
05:46gone all of the alarms are going off, all of the beepers are going off.
05:49So actually that all added to the intensity of it.
05:53People have braved the elements on St Michael's Mount for thousands of years and everyone living on the island expects
06:00some stormy weather.
06:02But the damage caused by Goretti could be a once in a lifetime event.
06:07Boatman Stephen Matthews is one of the island's longest standing residents.
06:11Had you ever experienced anything like it?
06:14Not to that extent the wind, it really, there was a warning of danger to life and it really was.
06:23You know, I'd never felt wind with that weight behind it.
06:28Once the power went off it was sort of evident that it was going to be off for a while.
06:34I thought well I'd better go and start the emergency generator.
06:38The generator runs key positions on the island.
06:42It also covers the community room and I kept an eye on the generator through the night.
06:48So you worked through the night Stephen?
06:50Yes, yeah.
06:52The generator was supplying power for 18 hours and most people gathered there in the morning for breakfast.
07:02So it was, yeah, a really good community sort of spirit with it.
07:06How long have you lived on the island?
07:09Er, 40, well I'd say 45 years.
07:12My family have been on the island for between 300 and 400 years.
07:17300 or 400 years, you are St Michael's Mount through and through.
07:20You are the true representative of this island.
07:23Oh well I...
07:24And in the 45 years that you've lived here, where does Storm Goretti fit in terms of extreme weather?
07:30It was powerful, certainly powerful.
07:33So many trees down and so much damage.
07:36Lots of the trees and things had grown up and they'd grown up over paths that formerly were used.
07:43And I have a, my grandfather was a postman on the island, to the island.
07:48And there's a photograph of him walking up one of the paths in the 1930s.
07:53And that path had been grown over and lots of the trees had grown up.
07:58And so it wasn't passable.
07:59But now it's exposed again.
08:02Lots changes.
08:03But somehow there is an essence, a core of the island that does remain the same.
08:11You know, all these trees that we'd been looking after.
08:14Yeah.
08:14Before we were kind of really careful about which branches we would like to take off to see the way
08:19they look.
08:19And it just changed from that to just clearing them.
08:24It's probably like a generational storm.
08:26I wouldn't like to think that we'd get too many of these coming around.
08:41After seven hours of ferocious gale force winds, Storm Goretti moved further east, leaving St Michael's Mount in its wake.
08:50One of the first people to take stock of the damage was head gardener and lifelong islander, Darren Little.
08:59Well Darren, I can see the work that's been going on.
09:01Yes, so much wood that you've got to clear.
09:03Yeah, so a lot of this has actually come down from the top of the castle where the tree surgeons
09:07are working up there.
09:08All the tree stumps are actually being taken out and taken off the island.
09:12And we're just getting to the end of the work now.
09:14We're into our seventh week, removing all the debris.
09:17Wow, I mean, how devastating was that?
09:18It looks pretty horrific.
09:21In total, we've lost about 119 trees.
09:24It's so much in a small space.
09:25It's about 70% of the trees on the islands.
09:27Where we're standing to here now, you wouldn't have been able to see in the castle, so it's really opened
09:31up the area.
09:32What about this one left standing? I mean, will that remain?
09:34Unfortunately, that one will have to go.
09:36The main trunk has twisted and has caused damage to the root plate as well.
09:40Is it sad for you? You live on the island, you've seen these trees.
09:43I guess you've seen them all your life, because they're older than you, of course.
09:45Used to climb them.
09:46Yeah, you used to climb them. I mean, you're chopping them down now because you have to.
09:49Yeah, well, that's it.
09:50I mean, you know, it's dealing with nature and the elements.
09:52It's part of horticulture.
09:53But trees, you wouldn't think that you would lose so many trees in one go.
09:56Will you be planting any more, then?
09:58We will be.
09:59I think we'll probably plant smaller trees that are sort of 25, 30 foot high,
10:03and probably underplant it with a lot more camellias and rhododendrons.
10:06Yeah, so sort of lower, stronger, more sturdy things.
10:10Yes, yeah.
10:10More than big, vulnerable trees.
10:12That's right.
10:13And see if we can push our boundaries and grow things on the northern side of the island
10:16that we've never done before.
10:23Among the stumps and upended roots, there are clues as to why these trees were so vulnerable
10:28when Storm Goretti hit.
10:31If you look at it, it's so shallow, isn't it?
10:34Is that because under there there's just no soil?
10:37It's literally rock.
10:39That's correct.
10:39It's rock.
10:40We call this Mother Mountain, which is the natural granite of the island.
10:43The roots can't really anchor themselves very deep into the soil,
10:47so they get caught around stones and into the granite and the trees will just blow over.
10:52This one's at Holmoke, so this one will hopefully regenerate again.
10:56A lot of the ones we've lost down there are pine trees and they won't take root again.
11:00Hopefully at some point we're going to sort of winch it up and we'll just leave it going.
11:06Just thinking about all this destruction and so many trees that have fallen down, this is a nice little positive
11:11story.
11:11This is a little positive one, yeah.
11:14When the landscape you call home changes, what happens next?
11:19We've been granted rare access to the Mount's usually closed spaces by the custodians of the island, the Aubyn family.
11:28For over 300 years, its destiny and ownership rested in the hands of the St. Aubyn family.
11:34Today, its master is Lord St. Levin, and the castle is his home.
11:42Felix and Alice Aubyn had only recently moved to the castle with their two young sons and dog, Songa,
11:48continuing that long tradition of family stewardship.
11:52Felix and Alice, you were only on the island as stewards for three months when the storm hit.
11:56What was that like?
11:58It was a shock.
11:59We spent quite a long time thinking about moving here and what it would be like
12:03and pretty quickly our landscape physically changed a lot.
12:08It was a lesson really in island life.
12:10Normally it's much smaller than that and it's tides and day-to-day inconveniences and this was monumental.
12:15So obviously Felix grew up here, but this is quite new to you.
12:18Did it feel like a bit of an initiation?
12:20It did.
12:21It was kind of like a baptism of fire.
12:23You suddenly have to live by the tides and you realise how you were kind of totally at the mercy
12:28of the wind and the rain and the sea.
12:30As custodians here looking after this place, has the storm changed your perspective and your plans?
12:35It's completely changed everything, yeah.
12:37I mean, take the gardeners for example.
12:39You know, they're spending half their week chopping up trees.
12:41Pretty much everything else has to be put on pause.
12:44But it's amazing the response that everyone on the island has had.
12:48And we're only six weeks on and a lot of it's cleared.
12:54It was helped a lot as well by the huge inflow of kindness and messages of help from people nearby
13:01and all over the world.
13:02You're so aware of the weight of history on this island.
13:06It's everywhere.
13:07It's so full of myths and legends and events throughout thousands and thousands of years that it's almost overwhelming.
13:13And so when something like Storm Goretti happens, that's sad because loads of people's memories are tied up in those
13:19trees.
13:20But the face of the mount changes and that's the passage of time.
13:24The mount changes, but the mount lives on in a different way.
13:27Do you feel a pressure to deliver to make sure it's still here?
13:30It's a huge responsibility, but I think if it's lasted 900 years, it'll survive us.
13:39Due to safety concerns, the last tree standing on the lower slopes has to be removed before the mount can
13:45once more reopen its doors to the public.
13:48It's very poignant because it is the end of quite a long running era.
13:53You know, 90 odd years these trees were here.
13:55And obviously it's so caught up in all our memories, childhood, things like that.
14:13There we go.
14:22What's the plan for the future?
14:24Because now it feels like it's a blank slate.
14:26It really does.
14:27I mean, one sort of glimmer that's coming through is all these new views that have opened up.
14:32Now the trees are gone and you can see parts of the island and the castle that you haven't been
14:37able to see for a really, really long time.
14:39And topography and the way the island works is now far more visible to people.
14:44So that will form part of our plans for sure.
14:50So out of the loss and devastation, I guess there's opportunity, you would say?
14:54I think so. I think there's great opportunity.
14:57And it's exciting to think what might come next.
15:00And we're going to have to do something really amazing to honour this very, very special place.
15:18Now rural homelessness has been described by some as a hidden crisis.
15:24With new figures showing a rise in the number of young people who face being homeless in the countryside in
15:30England.
15:30Dashiani investigates.
15:37Homelessness is something that I've experienced myself as a young person.
15:41I can still remember how stressful it was, how difficult it was to hold down a job, and how ashamed
15:48I felt at the time.
15:50But for me, like many others, my homelessness was never rough sleeping.
15:55It was far more hidden than that.
15:57I was placed in hostels and hotels away from public view.
16:04Charities say hidden homelessness for young people is even more invisible in the countryside, from sofa surfing to sleeping in
16:13cars or in the woods.
16:14And this is often under counted in statistics, meaning less support is offered.
16:23Ilfrakum, a small seaside town in rural North Devon, where the cost of housing is shaped by tourism.
16:29This year, private rents averaged £858 a month and have been rising faster than the average in the South West.
16:38Against this backdrop, Ethan, then 18, says he left a troubled family life to live independently in his hometown.
16:47He took work at a hotel with accommodation included, but says losing the job left him sofa surfing.
16:55So when you lost your job, you also lost your accommodation?
16:59Yes.
17:00Where did you end up staying?
17:02I was either bouncing between people's sofas or I was rough sleeping, because I couldn't find anywhere else to go.
17:09What was it like for you having to sofa surf?
17:12It was very stressful.
17:13It was very stressful.
17:13I couldn't stay for like long, like I could do a night or two max.
17:17They don't want some person to stay on their sofa without any chance of them moving out soon.
17:25In winter, many of Ilfrakum's businesses closed for the season.
17:30Ethan says that at the time, that made finding another local job a lost cause, and that transport links to
17:37work outside the town were limited.
17:40Some people would say, if you can't find work here, it's for you to travel and move somewhere where there
17:46is work available.
17:48There's not reliable travel all the time. Buses get cancelled. There's no trains. Taxis are too expensive.
17:55This is where I've always lived. It's my home. It's what I'm used to.
17:58Everybody that I know does live here, and so I don't want to leave it.
18:01You went to the council for help. What did they say to you?
18:07They told me I didn't qualify for housing, emergency housing, that I'd be on a list, but that could take
18:13months.
18:13So they said they'd give me a food voucher, and they can offer a sleeping bag so I can sleep
18:18in the streets.
18:19But that was it.
18:20To avoid being seen by people who knew him, Ethan didn't sleep in a shop doorway or on a town
18:27bench.
18:27Instead, he found a secluded spot.
18:30It's just up here. OK.
18:32On the edge of his community.
18:37Can you remember what you were thinking the very first night you went to sleep here?
18:41I was very anxious that it wasn't going to be the only night that I was spending here.
18:46I was unhappy, but it was a good place to rest.
18:52What services are available in Ilfracombe to help you?
18:55The nearest actual help is in Barnstable, which is a 40-minute bus journey,
19:03or it's about four or five hours walking.
19:05I went to the library, so I could charge my phone and access the Wi-Fi.
19:10And also the council is in town there, so I could go there and ask for help.
19:15So you'd make that walk to Barnstable for the services, but come back here to sleep loss?
19:20Yes.
19:25Charities say young people facing homelessness in rural areas come up against significant challenges.
19:31Ella Nuttall is policy and research manager at the youth homelessness charity Centrepoint.
19:38In rural communities, we know that young people might struggle with things like
19:42lack of transport, lack of job opportunities, and a lack of support services.
19:47And these three things kind of interplay.
19:49So if a young person is trying to get secure employment, they might not be able to get transport to
19:55that job,
19:55or might not be able to afford transport to that job.
19:58And then if somebody is already facing homelessness, they might not be able to access the support services.
20:03They might be able to access in an urban space, meaning that they might be more likely to stay homeless.
20:09Official statistics show some improvements in youth homelessness in rural parts of Wales and Scotland.
20:16But new figures from Centrepoint, shared exclusively with Countryfile, indicate that in England it's been getting worse.
20:24They looked at councils officially classed as rural because 35% or more of their populations lived in rural areas.
20:33In 2024-25, around 16,000 young people aged 16 to 24 approached these rural councils saying they were homeless
20:43or at risk of homelessness.
20:44A 6% rise on the previous year.
20:49How much do these figures really tell us the true story of youth homelessness across the country?
20:55For me, that's the most concerning element. We know that official data doesn't capture everybody.
21:00Sadly, these figures, even though shocking, are likely an underestimate.
21:04But year on year, youth homelessness has been increasing, and we're reporting the same again this year.
21:09Do we know what's causing this increase?
21:11Family breakdown is the lead cause of youth homelessness and has been for many years now.
21:15Just over half of young people report that they're homeless because of family or friends being no longer willing or
21:22able to accommodate them.
21:25A homeless charity eventually helped Ethan secure one of the 30 places at the Amber Foundation in Mid-Devon, around
21:3430 miles from Ilshakum.
21:35While it provides vital residential support, for many young people, it can mean moving far from where they grew up.
21:44Josh is another resident here.
21:46He's from Redruth, a rural inland town in Cornwall, and says he became homeless at 19 after leaving supported housing.
21:54But with limited job opportunities, he soon found himself sofa surfing.
21:59I've had to sleep in places that I didn't want to quite a lot, like drug houses.
22:05Like, people literally just using right there in front of you, like smoking heroin and stuff like that.
22:10It was a warm place, but it was a horrible experience.
22:15What sort of work opportunities were there in Redruth?
22:19Not many at all. There isn't just a factory job that you can go and join.
22:23It's either the jobs you have to have qualifications for, or like your takeaways, but even then there's not many
22:29of them.
22:30And no one also wants to employ a homeless person really.
22:34Tell me a bit about the job when you did find a job.
22:36It was working in an Indian restaurant. I was cutting onions in the back room most of the time.
22:41It wasn't a bad job, but they paid £5 an hour and working, what, two, three hours in the evening
22:47on a Saturday.
22:49£15, £20. It wasn't helping at all. I couldn't invest it into a place at all.
22:56The council is meant to help people like you. What did they say when you went to them?
23:02Not a priority, as there was, and they were just like, you're going to have to sleep rough.
23:07And the lady just kept repeating, is that OK? Is that OK?
23:10Until she got an OK from me so she could end the phone.
23:13There was no care in it, she just needed to get her phone call done because it's her job.
23:18Josh spent three months rough sleeping under a tarpaulin in a park,
23:23before finally getting a referral here, 90 miles from his hometown of Redruth.
23:29Hearing these accounts of people calling services for help reminds me of my own experience
23:35and how hard it can be to navigate the system.
23:39It also appears young people are less likely to receive the assessments and support they are entitled to in rural
23:47areas.
23:49Centrepoint's figures revealed that across England, 67% of young people in urban areas are assessed by their councils when
23:58they seek help.
23:59These assessments are the critical next step to accessing accommodation and support if you're homeless.
24:06In rural areas, that assessment figure drops to just 57%.
24:13And in the South West, it falls even further to 40%.
24:18An alarming 27% difference compared to England's urban average.
24:24Here's Ella Nuttall again from Centrepoint.
24:28What do you make of the difference in assessment rates between rural spaces and urban areas?
24:35There's quite a shocking disparity between the assessment rates.
24:38The amount of young people that are being turned away from support is really concerning.
24:43We know that local authorities are under-resourced.
24:45We commissioned some research that showed there was a £325 million shortfall between what local authorities would need to deliver
24:54the support and what they had.
24:55And overall, these assessment rates are still particularly low across the country.
25:00Yes, and they're dropping.
25:02So this year we've seen an increase in the number of people reaching out for help, but a decrease in
25:06the number of people being assessed.
25:09The body representing councils across the South West told Countryfile they work tirelessly to prevent and relieve homelessness
25:17and operate in accordance with statutory guidance and legislation to ensure all households affected by homelessness receive appropriate assessments.
25:27They also emphasised that sleeping bags are not provided in place of temporary accommodation.
25:36Last December, the UK government published its national plan to end homelessness in England.
25:42It wants to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring,
25:46and promises £2 billion in grant funding over three years to prevent and address homelessness and rough sleeping.
25:54A commitment to build 1.5 million new homes and abolishing no-fault evictions through the Renters' Rights Act.
26:04Nick Connolly is the founder and CEO of Every Youth, a national charity for young people experiencing homelessness.
26:13He says there were some encouraging signs in the plan.
26:17We think there are some really strong elements to it, such as paying for rent deposits so young people can
26:22move into private tenancies, which will obviously make a big difference.
26:26We are particularly interested in a programme called Upstream, and that's when you move into schools and you try to
26:33talk to young people.
26:34And it's a preventative service, but to date it's only really been delivered in urban areas.
26:40We think that should be extended, and with particular focus on rural areas where it's much harder to help young
26:47people when it all goes wrong.
26:48There are only two mentions of the word rural in that plan. How concerning is that?
26:54Well, we're very concerned, because we think young people in rural areas get forgotten about all the time,
26:59and the vast majority of policies focus on those areas where it's easiest to support young people at big towns
27:05and cities.
27:06We think there should be recognition that it is harder for young people in rural areas, that they have to
27:12travel further,
27:13that that travel costs a lot more money, that there are fewer homes that they could move into feasibly,
27:19that there are fewer jobs that they could get.
27:23The UK government told us,
27:25We know that rural areas face specific challenges with homelessness, which is why we're taking action to give people the
27:32housing stability they deserve.
27:35And they added,
27:36We're investing a record £3.6 billion in homelessness and rough sleeping services,
27:42so that local leaders who know their areas best can give people the right support.
27:47For now though, organisations like the Amber Foundation say they're often operating at full capacity.
27:55While its rural setting can offer a safe space for those recovering from substance addiction,
28:01it also brings challenges.
28:04Janan Jahn is a team leader.
28:06As a charity, we have to fundraise £280,000 to £300,000 a year to just be able to actually
28:16operate.
28:16And it's really hard to recruit donors from around here when you're so far out from all of the major
28:23towns and cities.
28:24How does a setting like this affect young people's ability to move on from the service?
28:30So, locating appropriate work for them might be two hours away.
28:35Accessing appropriate housing for them as well, like often their only option really is to move to a bigger town
28:41or a city,
28:41which is a really daunting thing.
28:44You know, you're isolating yourself from your friends, from your family, from your support network,
28:50from the service you've been at for a year.
28:53Despite the difficulties, the Amber Foundation has stories that show what's possible.
28:59Josh hopes to find work this year and eventually train as a support worker.
29:04And Ethan is back in part-time work, saving to restart his life in Barnstaple.
29:09But he says the path out of homelessness for young people can still be uncertain.
29:15There needs to be more out there to help people.
29:19I always thought I'd have that support at work,
29:23the place to stay, food and water whenever I needed it.
29:27I never expected it to end up here.
29:30And you can get information and support for some of the issues raised in this film
29:35at bbc.co.uk forward slash action line.
29:49In the wake of January's Storm Goretti, the gardening team at St Michael's Mount
29:54have been working hard to remove 119 trees felled by the hurricane force winds.
30:02But on a tidal island like St Michael's Mount, recovery is not only about structural repair,
30:08it's also about what's happened to the wildlife here too.
30:13And in order to work out what's changed, you need to know what you started with.
30:17To get a snapshot of life on St Michael's Mount, you come to Change House,
30:22the island's command centre, where tide times, comms and emergencies are managed in one room.
30:29But tucked among the charts and radios, there's another kind of record being kept here.
30:35Change House coordinator Vicky Mead has been quietly keeping a handwritten record
30:39of every species spotted on or from the island.
30:43Vicky, lovely to meet you. Hello.
30:45So I hear you're the oracle of all things when it comes to wildlife.
30:49Ah, well, I'm not sure about that, but I definitely set up the Wildlife Journal
30:52about two and a half years ago.
30:54So that's the journal there. It is. Why did you start it? Why did you set it up?
30:59Well, I started it because we have no record of nature on the mount
31:05and because I wanted to get the staff and residents more involved in looking for wildlife.
31:11Was there something that happened that made you think, oh, I need to note that down?
31:14Yeah, definitely. Back in September 2023, we had a massive influx of thousands of quite unusual Mediterranean jellyfish.
31:24And I went, this needs to be recorded. And then I realised we had no record.
31:29So that's how it started. Can I have a look?
31:31Absolutely. Yes. Starts in 2023. September 2023. That was your first entry.
31:36And they're the jellyfish. And I'm just looking at the second entry.
31:40Two chuffs, Jack Beasley. So he's someone who's helped you out.
31:43He's one of our gardeners, so he's often spotting things and very good.
31:47I mean, a chuff, that's quite special, isn't it, to see a chuff here?
31:50Absolutely. We didn't have chuffs in Cornwall for a long time,
31:53but they got reintroduced about 20 years ago.
31:56And yes, they've been coming to the island for a couple of years.
31:59We hope they nest there in the future, but not a present.
32:02So what's the plan today, then?
32:04So the plan today is to go out onto the island and see what wildlife we can spot,
32:09see if the storms had any effect on some of the things that we see.
32:13And hopefully we can see a chuff.
32:14Yes, well, that would be good.
32:16Shall we get going? Yes. Brilliant.
32:26So you see quite a few things in the harbour normally?
32:28Yes, definitely. We have quite a lot of seabirds and oyster catches are the ones we get a lot.
32:35I mean, I can see over there, they look like cormorants.
32:38You can kind of tell the way they sort of stand like this drawing out their wings.
32:42Yeah, we have them a lot. There's always some on the end of the pier.
32:45Can I look in the journal? Can we see what you might normally see here in the harbour?
32:48Of course. At different times of year.
32:50So what have we got in here?
32:53I mean, you've got guillemot here.
32:55And that's in the harbour, swimming in the harbour.
32:56It's March 2024.
32:59I mean, it's basically two years ago.
33:02I mean, guillemots are really rare, aren't they?
33:03They are quite rare around here, definitely.
33:06And it sat there for nearly two days.
33:08Really?
33:08I did report it to the local British Divers Marine Life Association.
33:15And there had been a storm previously, but it was just really taking some time out after the storm, they
33:20told me.
33:20And it was swimming in the harbour and sitting on slipway.
33:23You must have been quite chuffed to see that.
33:25Yeah, we definitely were. I think we've seen them a couple of times.
33:28That's all in the time I've been doing the journal.
33:34The Nature Journal has become a real community effort, with island boatman Stephen among its most enthusiastic contributors.
33:41So why do you get involved with the journal?
33:43Lots of people on the island are interested in wildlife, and some people are very knowledgeable.
33:49And between us, we can usually make an identification and get an entry in the book.
33:55Is he one of the knowledgeable ones?
33:57He's pretty good at identifying things, yeah.
33:59It was a bit rough and ready sort of thing.
34:02So tell me, what's your favourite sighting?
34:04I think the most memorable one was one summer evening, it was fine weather, high tide.
34:11And a basking shark swam in the harbour.
34:14This harbour here?
34:15This harbour here.
34:16And so it swam right in around, following the shape of the harbour.
34:21And we were able to stand on the wharf over there and look down on it, maybe four feet away.
34:27Wow.
34:28And then it was gone.
34:29I do think, did that really happen?
34:31Have you written it in there?
34:32Oh, no.
34:33That was several years ago.
34:34I have a bit at the back of the journal where I might note that down.
34:37Something retrospective.
34:38Yes.
34:39And a rough day.
34:40Got to get a basking shark in there.
34:41Absolutely.
34:42Proof needed or something.
34:43Have you found that having the journal has made you notice wildlife more because you're looking out for it because
34:48you want to tell Vicky?
34:49Yes.
34:50There's certainly an element of that.
34:52It's definitely making us all more knowledgeable, isn't it?
34:56Right.
34:56We'll leave you to it and we'll get on and see if we can find some more birds.
34:59Wonderful to meet you.
35:00Good to meet you Steve.
35:01Thank you very much.
35:02Bye now.
35:02Okay.
35:02See you later.
35:03The rocky shores around the Mount are clearly rich in intertidal life, but higher up the storm has torn woodland
35:11habitats wide open.
35:12A single mature tree can support hundreds of species.
35:16So when one falls, it's not just timber that's lost, but an entire micro ecosystem.
35:23You can see the devastation from the storm. I mean, this would have all been covered in woodland, would it?
35:27Yeah, it used to be mainly trees. Absolutely. Yes.
35:31And now it's just, I mean, it's just so open. What sort of effect does that have on the wildlife
35:36and the birds in particular?
35:38Well, we're not sure. I think it will become apparent in the future, but it'll probably affect our greenfinch and
35:45goldfinch population
35:46because they used to hide in the canopies, but the canopies obviously got blown down.
35:51So people were spotting them on the ground.
35:52Really?
35:53Yeah.
35:53And the firecrest, which I think it's Britain's smallest bird, is now being spotted.
35:58We never used to see them because they used to be high on the canopies in the trees, but now
36:03they're on the ground, unfortunately.
36:04Oh, so you actually...
36:05The canopies are on the ground.
36:06So you actually get to see them more here now?
36:07Yes, people are reporting them to me.
36:09Yeah.
36:10Yeah.
36:10And so they're all in your journal.
36:12More people are telling me about them. So our latest entry...
36:17That's firecrest.
36:18Firecrest.
36:18So that's only...
36:19Back in February, yes.
36:22Yeah.
36:22And I suppose the worry is though, will you see the next year and the year after?
36:27I think time will tell.
36:28So we had woodland here. We've now got a different habitat. Are there any birds that will benefit from that?
36:34Well, the chuff bird might benefit. They quite like grassland and it's a lot more open, so they might enjoy
36:40it.
36:41If they're not here, where would they be normally?
36:43They might be up at the castle or they might be out on the western cliffs.
36:46Can we go and see?
36:47Yes.
36:48Okay, let's go.
36:50More uphill.
36:51Yes.
36:52It's uphill on this island.
36:53Always uphill.
36:53Yeah.
36:55Did you hear that?
36:57Yeah, I did hear something really sort of high-pitched.
36:59Or something.
37:00Shall we get the app out and try and identify it?
37:02Yeah.
37:02I mean, can you recognise it or...?
37:04I'm not sure.
37:05Okay, let's get the app out. Hopefully he'll sing again.
37:11Oh, it's the lesser spotted chainsaw.
37:20It says it's a Eurasian wren.
37:22A wren?
37:23We have quite a lot of wrens.
37:24Really?
37:24Yes.
37:25So that's one for the journal.
37:26Absolutely, yes.
37:27Right, let's go to the cliffs.
37:28Yes.
37:30Chuffs disappeared from Cornwall in the 20th century, driven out by habitat loss and persecution.
37:36They only began returning in the early 2000s.
37:39Oh, what was that?
37:40There.
37:40That was a...
37:42That was a chuff.
37:45Was that a chuff or a blackbird?
37:47I don't know.
37:48Now Cornwall holds most of England's breeding chuffs.
37:52But after the storm, has the mount lost them again?
37:57Well, I really thought I saw a chuff then on the way up.
38:00I mean, it had a reddish beak.
38:02Did you see it?
38:03Did you actually see it?
38:04I didn't see it, unfortunately.
38:06You're doubting me, aren't you?
38:07And I'm doubting myself now.
38:08Well, this is what they look like with the red legs and the red beak.
38:12They're obviously really important to the area.
38:14Absolutely.
38:15They're on the family coat of arms and they're also the Cornish national bird.
38:19Oh, so they're really important.
38:21They're really special.
38:21They are, absolutely, yes.
38:22Have you seen any recently since the storm?
38:25The last sighting was after the storm a couple of weeks ago.
38:29They were around for a few days, but I haven't seen them since.
38:33I think the noise of all the workmen and machinery might be putting you off.
38:38They're quite shy.
38:39And this is the sort of area that we would see them, is it?
38:42Yes.
38:43They like to feed on the lawns out there.
38:46Right.
38:46And they often spend some time on the cliffs all around the castle, really.
38:50I really did think I'd seen one, but clearly it's a blackbird.
38:53We're sort of settled about, aren't we?
38:54I think so.
38:56Okay.
38:56But we did see a wren.
38:57We definitely did.
38:58Can I put it in here?
38:59Yes.
39:00I'd be pleased if you did.
39:01Let's go and find a sheltered spot and I'll write it in.
39:04Brilliant.
39:22St. Michael's Mount is a mere 500 metres from the mainland, but it can feel like a world away, especially
39:29when it comes to getting on and off the island.
39:35So you can reach the island via the causeway, but only when the tide is out for a few hours
39:41a day and some days not at all like today.
39:44So boats are a lifeline for the residents of St. Michael's Mount and one above all others, the St. Michael.
39:54This is the only craft that can run here throughout the winter, and having made the crossing already, I know
40:01it's no ordinary boat.
40:04This custom designed amphibious vehicle is truly one of a kind.
40:09And at the helm today is Josh Sedgman, head boatman and harbour master.
40:15Hello, Josh.
40:16Hello.
40:17How are you?
40:17I'm great.
40:18How are you?
40:18How's your morning been?
40:19Yeah, all right, thank you.
40:20Busy?
40:21Busy, busy.
40:21Plenty of contractors coming over to and fro.
40:24Tidy enough, actually, from all the recent storm damage.
40:27Yeah, absolutely.
40:28So what happened that night?
40:29Talk me through what your experience of that was like.
40:31My experience of Storm Gretti was whilst I was ordering fish and chips at the Fistral Hotel in Newquay, I
40:37could see it was getting quite windy.
40:39But, no, I was getting...
40:40You weren't here?
40:42No, no, I was...
40:43You were having a holiday?
40:44I was having a couple of days away with the other half.
40:46We were enjoying a little spa day, a day or two away.
40:50So you were sitting in a sauna?
40:51Yeah, I was sitting in a sauna whilst the boys and girls here were suffering.
40:55But, yeah, no, we've seen the messages coming through.
40:58We could tell it was, you know, power cuts and stuff.
41:00Obviously, it was fairly intense.
41:02And then a few pictures as soon as daylight came the next day, seeing all the trees down and stuff.
41:07And it was really sad.
41:09And the guys were stranded over here and they had to work really hard to make access just to get
41:15up to the castle to make sure that was safe.
41:17You know, we were all mucking together.
41:18You know, Darren, obviously, in the woods, they were suffering.
41:22So a lot of the team here didn't matter.
41:24The department you worked for was irrelevant.
41:26You know, everyone chipped in and did their bit and help.
41:28Shall we do it?
41:29Shall we set off?
41:30Yeah, let's go.
41:34All right, here we go.
41:38It's so counter-intuitive.
41:40Just driving on that dry land when it strains the water.
41:43Yeah, yeah, yeah.
41:44This is not what you're supposed to do.
41:48Propellers in gear.
41:49And we're in.
41:50There you are.
41:50Propellers in.
41:52Pull that one into the middle.
41:53That's it.
41:57And we're off.
41:58We're floating.
42:02What's top speed?
42:03Top speed?
42:05It does about five and a half knots on the water and about 11 knots on land.
42:11She didn't build for speed.
42:12No.
42:13This is it.
42:14This is warp speed.
42:15Yeah, this is it.
42:15This is it.
42:16Lightning speed.
42:17And how many times a day do you cross?
42:20If a tide's in all day, we can do sort of 15, 15, 20 trips a day.
42:25It's very pleasant.
42:28And now we're just chugging along.
42:30Now it's just turned and it's gone from a road vehicle into a boat and off we go.
42:35Yeah, that's it.
42:36You want to go?
42:37Yeah.
42:37If I kept pushing it that way, where would we go?
42:39So just a little bit that way.
42:41Are we even moving?
42:43A little bit more.
42:44See that?
42:44Too much.
42:45Push it over that way.
42:46That's it.
42:47Almost a straight line.
42:49Challenge, Josh.
42:51Right.
42:51If you don't mind.
42:52I will let you take over.
42:55Definitely.
42:56And when's rush hour?
42:59What, with traffic or people?
43:00People.
43:01When is a rush hour for you?
43:03Eight o'clock in the morning and half past four in the afternoon.
43:05They're the two busy trips, really.
43:07Yeah.
43:07There's a few of us on the island who drive the boat.
43:09We're full-time boatmen.
43:11Yeah.
43:11Between us guys and the boatmen department, we keep the service going.
43:16That's our job.
43:16That's what we do.
43:20These trips are short, taking only five minutes.
43:23But they're crucial for the islanders.
43:26Well done, Josh.
43:27Perfect.
43:27Smooth.
43:28And no sooner have we arrived back on the mainland,
43:31it's time to embark on the return trip.
43:34Right.
43:34So, at the minute, we're a road vehicle.
43:36Correct.
43:37Yeah.
43:37So, talk me through what's going to happen.
43:39So, we're going to leave, take a handbrake off,
43:41put the wheels in the drive.
43:42Yeah.
43:43And then we'll go away.
43:44And we've got to...
43:44This is our gear stick here, this button here.
43:46So, once we get onto the flat ground, we'll push that in,
43:48and that will bring us up to top speed.
43:50And then we'll just seamlessly glide and become a boat.
43:54Is it fun?
43:55Yeah.
43:56Yeah.
43:56I mean, it's very...
43:57You know, you're definitely fully aware,
43:59there aren't many of us in the country doing this right now.
44:01Yeah, absolutely.
44:01So, it's quite unique.
44:03Off we go.
44:13Hear that?
44:14Yeah.
44:14That's the wheel starting.
44:15So, now we're floating.
44:16Not quite.
44:17Not quite.
44:18That was just it picking up.
44:20Woo!
44:21Big whale!
44:23Hold on tight.
44:26What happens if you can't, for whatever reason, get across?
44:31So, we do the best we can to look at the weather ahead
44:34and give the residents and staff as much notice as we can.
44:37If we can't run this due to weather conditions,
44:39then hopefully you've got what you need at home
44:41or your neighbour's got it.
44:42Yeah.
44:43Hunkered down.
44:44Pretty much, yeah.
44:46What a view to come into.
44:48Such a unique place.
44:50Yeah, it's a lovely office window.
44:51It really is, isn't it?
44:52A few less trees in it at the moment.
44:54Yeah.
44:55Yeah.
45:01So, we're back on the...
45:02Yeah, back on the wheels.
45:03Yeah.
45:04So, when we get to the bottom of this slope,
45:05we'll press this little button in.
45:07Can I do it?
45:07Yeah.
45:08Let me tell you when.
45:12Right, go on then, press it in.
45:14That's it.
45:14Perfect.
45:15Here we go.
45:15Lovely.
45:17Successful mission.
45:18Yes.
45:18Yes.
45:19That is a success.
45:21The St Michael has a few more crossings to make today,
45:25but a break in the schedule gives Josh enough time to start some weekly checks.
45:31First things we'll do is check all the lights are working and we'll check that the tyre pressures are all
45:36correct as well.
45:38It's a beast.
45:39It's big, yeah.
45:40It is huge.
45:41It's so unique.
45:43I don't know.
45:44You can't help but smile.
45:45So, we've got to go around and check all four tyres, make sure they're all up to pressure.
45:50Yeah, that one's good.
45:51Yeah.
45:52So, we go around and check all four and if they're all good, then we'll put a tick there.
45:54All right, great.
45:55We've got to make sure this is up and running because this is what brings everybody to work and ensures
45:59that all the work can happen in time.
46:00Yeah.
46:00So, you know, she's very important.
46:02She is very important.
46:03She's very lovely.
46:04Right, tyre number three.
46:05Okay, tyre number three.
46:06Yeah, that one's good.
46:07Very good.
46:08I don't know why she's making me smile.
46:10I don't want St Michael to get a complex, but there is something quite toy-like about her.
46:15It's a little bit over, but good enough.
46:16That's fine.
46:17Can we give it a tick?
46:17You can give it a tick.
46:19All right, check tyre pressure.
46:21How old is the boat?
46:21She was built in 2002.
46:23We're in the process of having a new one built.
46:26Hopefully, three to four years, that will be it then for this one.
46:29Ah, so something brand new?
46:31Yeah, bespoke build.
46:32One of a kind for the island.
46:34Two tweaks that we can take away from what we've learnt from this boat.
46:37Basically, we need to keep that reliability there.
46:38So, having a new vessel will ensure we stay reliable.
46:41So, this will be retired.
46:43You're going to get a state-of-the-art new vehicle.
46:45Is that a bittersweet moment?
46:46Yeah, it's going to be sad.
46:47It's going to be sad.
46:48You know, it's a real iconic vehicle and people love seeing it drive up the beach.
46:53So, it's going to be a real shame.
46:55The hardest part, we've got to find someone to sell it to.
46:56I mean, I could get through some traffic jams in this.
46:59Yeah, she is registered to go on the road.
47:01Is she?
47:01Yeah.
47:02All right.
47:02Well, let's see.
47:03You never know.
47:03You might have a buyer on your hands.
47:11Well, it's been overcast and a little moody.
47:15But thankfully, no storm today.
47:17But what's it looking like for the week ahead?
47:18Here's the country fall forecast.
47:27Hello there.
47:28Fickle is another good word that we use to describe the weather at this time of the year.
47:32Because the weather changes so much.
47:35And there'll be more changes as we move into April.
47:37Probably had the wettest weather though for a little while.
47:40This weather front has been taking cloud and rain southwards.
47:43Followed by some sunshine and some showers.
47:46This is the radar picture over the past few hours.
47:48This rain has been turning lighter as it's moved southwards.
47:50But the showers continue to be heavy across Scotland.
47:53More of those overnight.
47:54Maybe with some hail and thunder and a bit of winteriness over the mountains as well.
47:58Some of those showers will move further south down towards the North Midlands.
48:02But further south still the cloud and rain will clear away this evening.
48:06We'll have clear skies.
48:07But enough of a breeze to keep temperatures above freezing on the whole.
48:10Although a touch of frost is possible for central and eastern parts of Scotland.
48:15But it is going to be turning a bit drier for the early part of the week.
48:19And temperatures should be getting a bit higher eventually as well.
48:22We've got a mixture of sunny spells and some showers around on Monday.
48:26Not as many showers mind you.
48:27The odd one for a while in Northern Ireland.
48:29A few for northern England.
48:30Perhaps eastern England.
48:31Most of the showers in Scotland.
48:33Although those will become confined more to northern parts of the country.
48:36Liker to be dry.
48:37Wales, Midlands, much of southern England.
48:39Even here though we will see cloud building a bit through the day.
48:42The winds won't be as strong.
48:43But temperatures similar to today around 10 to 12 degrees.
48:46There is a weather front waiting in the wings.
48:48That will push its way eastwards.
48:50Heading into Tuesday bringing a little drizzle.
48:52And then we're in between two weather fronts.
48:54It's what we call a warm sector area.
48:56That brings with it some warmer air.
48:58More humid air.
48:59More muggy air.
49:00It may well mean that Tuesday starts a bit damp and dreary in a few places.
49:04Some drizzle to clear away from the southeast and across East Anglia.
49:08The cloud is still going to be with us for much of the day.
49:10We'll get a few breaks in the cloud.
49:12That could give one or two light showers.
49:13But also where we get the sunshine coming through it will feel particularly warm.
49:17Temperatures could reach 15, 16, even 17 degrees in the afternoon.
49:22This area of high pressure is trying to build towards the UK drying things off.
49:26But then it's going to get pushed away by the second weather front that's moving in for the northwest.
49:31That's going to bring with it some rain into Scotland and Northern Ireland on Wednesday.
49:35England and Wales light winds should be dry.
49:38Some mist and fog patches in the morning to lift.
49:40And then there'll be a bit of sunshine at times.
49:42And temperatures still reaching a healthy 14 or 15 for England and Wales.
49:46But north of that band of wetter weather it's turning a bit colder here.
49:51And later on in the week this is where we start to see the weather looking a little more unsettled.
49:55And the temperatures will be turning a bit lower as well.
49:58Quite a messy day though on Thursday.
50:00That means a lot of cloud, a bit of rain and drizzle here and there.
50:03Moving down across England and Wales.
50:05And a couple of weak weather fronts arriving into Scotland and Northern Ireland.
50:10We've got temperatures 9 to still perhaps 14 degrees with some brighter weather in the southeast.
50:14But a few weather fronts, weak weather fronts on the scene on Thursday.
50:18And then out in the Atlantic there's a stronger jet stream developing.
50:21Powered by the temperature contrasts in North America.
50:24And that's going to pick up this area of low pressure.
50:26Possibly deepening it as well.
50:28That's going to be heading to northern parts of the UK.
50:30So in Northern Ireland we get wetter and eventually windier.
50:33That may push its way into Scotland.
50:35England and Wales looking generally dry.
50:37The breeze picking up.
50:38But there may be a bit of brightness.
50:39But for Good Friday we've got temperatures 7 to 12 degrees.
50:43That's a little below average for this time of the year.
50:46And we're going to keep those sort of temperatures as we move into the Easter weekend.
50:49But there could be some further areas of low pressure to bring some rain at times.
51:02We're on the ancient tidal island of St Michael's Mount.
51:06As the tight-knit community here pull together in the wake of Storm Goretti.
51:12I've seen that for the residents of the island the St Michael is a lifeline.
51:18But within the Mount's granite slopes is another vital supply route.
51:22One that Storm Goretti has put at risk.
51:25While the destruction above ground is immediately apparent.
51:29There's also storm damage beneath my feet in a hidden tunnel that most visitors never get to see.
51:38Carved by Cornish miners in the 1880s.
51:41This tunnel has carried generations of heavy supplies from the harbour to the castle 60 metres above.
51:47Goods for the island's world famous legendary castle must be hauled by pulley up the towering slopes of solid rock.
51:56These days the tram tunnel serves as a hidden artery for the Mount.
52:02And one man who fully understands its importance is project consultant Gary Early.
52:08He's dedicated his career to keeping the Mount moving.
52:12Gary.
52:13Sean.
52:14Good to see you.
52:15See you emerging out of a tunnel like a miner.
52:18Yes.
52:18What's it used for?
52:19It's got the fire mains going through there, the mains electric going up to the castle, the oil supply to
52:25the castle, data, telephone.
52:28And if you lost that, if the tunnel was destroyed in some way, what would that mean for the people
52:32living in the castle?
52:33They wouldn't be able to live up there really, they would have to shut the castle for a while while
52:37we get it reconnected.
52:40Yeah.
52:40And what impact has the storm had on the tunnel?
52:44When the storm went through it's toppled lots of the trees down and the roots then have swept into the
52:50tunnel unfortunately.
52:51The main thing has been this, the tram which is the directly express.
52:56Directly express, that's an interesting name. Why directly?
52:59It's a Cornish term of directly, we'll get there eventually.
53:02We'll get there directly.
53:04Directly.
53:05When you come down on holiday we're all very laid back, it's all very directly.
53:10So, basically the storm stopped this working?
53:12Yes, this has stopped working at the moment, yes.
53:14How are all the groceries getting up to the hill?
53:16I think they're being taken up by hand.
53:18We've got to sort this out quickly.
53:19We've got to sort this out very quickly.
53:21Right, into the tunnel.
53:22Into the tunnel and have a look.
53:26For over a century the tunnel has been maintained by generations of people like Gary.
53:35So, what's this? I can see some names on the wall.
53:38These relics are what people have signed when they've been working in the tunnels.
53:43So, Carlin, which is the people who used to look after the tram tunnels and the tram itself.
53:49And this would have been the building company, past employees who worked in the tunnel.
53:54M.R. Gamble.
53:55Yes, that's Michael Gamble and Ernie Martin, I work with them.
53:58So, how long have you been working here for?
54:0037 years now.
54:0137 years, so in the 80s you were here?
54:03Yeah, so in the late 80s.
54:04880s, wow.
54:05So, where's your name here?
54:07Due to my father giving me advice, he always recommended not for me to sign anything.
54:11Oh, why's that?
54:13Well, just in case you make a mess of it, I suppose.
54:15Someone could come and find you.
54:17Yeah, they'd say, what a mess you made of that.
54:19Just watch these here.
54:21Fix them, please.
54:23Oh, I can see now.
54:25This is your problem.
54:26And it's a big problem.
54:27So, the trees literally bash through the top of the tunnel.
54:31Absolutely, yeah.
54:31The roots have actually crashed in, so when the tree has been falling with the wind,
54:36the root mass has come and swept into the tunnel.
54:38Yeah.
54:39So, what is the plan?
54:40Hopefully we'll be able to lift out.
54:41Are you confident about this?
54:43I'll let you know later.
54:44You're smiling, we're laughing.
54:47But seriously, if this goes wrong, it could collapse.
54:50I think I'm not too worried about it collapsing too much, the actual tunnel.
54:54I'm just really more worried about all these services that it can affect.
54:57Yeah.
54:57If I hit the oil line or hit the electrics, that is a different matter.
55:00And that's the thinking behind having the bit of wood there to protect it?
55:03Yeah, so the bit of ply going up is just to protect it.
55:05It's not actually to stop anything.
55:07It's stopping that brushing effect when we pull it out.
55:09You know, if a root, a rare root, will snag up and pull something,
55:14it will just hit that ply and debate off, I'm hoping.
55:19Above ground, the tree's been cut back to its stump, ready for what should be a delicate operation.
55:27But when a five-ton root ball is blocking your main artery, the scalpel needed is the size of a
55:34digger.
55:34For safety, we've evacuated the tunnel, leaving just the camera behind.
55:40So this is the moment of truth?
55:42This is the moment of truth for the stump.
55:44So they've put the cuts in the tree.
55:47Yeah.
55:47So I'm hoping the chain now will go into the tree and embed itself into that tree with the cuts.
55:52And you pull it up, straight up?
55:54Yeah, so we'll be pulling up, if we can, and tracking back at the same time.
55:58Are you feeling confident?
56:01That doesn't sound very confident to me.
56:04We'll see in a minute, won't we?
56:05Oh, gosh.
56:07There we go.
56:10There we go.
56:12You can see the chain now biting into that grip.
56:14Yeah.
56:15You can hear the ply, all the stuff in on the ply.
56:17So there's a lot of rubble falling down there.
56:19The rubble's falling down, you can hear it.
56:20Yeah.
56:22And as you can see, the pipe work coming through is the other pipe.
56:30There's the top of the tram tunnel there.
56:34So we were just there a few moments ago?
56:35We were just there a few moments ago.
56:40And there it goes.
56:42So he's got another 18 inches, and we're there.
56:48There we are.
56:50So I think I can say that's a success.
56:53And there we can see it.
56:55Yeah, it's right in there.
56:56So there's our existing feed there for our fire mains.
57:01Yeah.
57:01And then there's the ply which you've seen, and all the debris has gone through.
57:05Yeah.
57:05And then this is the brick.
57:06So I'm standing on the wall now as we speak, and the other wall is over there.
57:10Hopefully soon the people who live up there, Felix and Alice, they'll be getting their groceries by the directly express
57:17rather than having to carry it up the hill.
57:18I hope so.
57:19Yeah.
57:19They'll get them directly.
57:20Directly.
57:33Sean, we get around the country, but this place is utterly extraordinary.
57:37So unique, and what a community.
57:39Yeah, and they've got their work cut out, but it's all in hand as we can see behind us.
57:43So sadly that is the end of our time here on the island.
57:46Do join Matt and Margarita next week who are in Hampshire's Avon Valley.
57:50Matt, if you pull that towards me very slightly, and I'm going to try and...
57:54There we go.
57:55Crank it up.
57:55Crank it up.
57:56Right.
57:57Oh, it's coming through now.
57:58There she goes.
58:01Today we've got a lovely sunny day.
58:03Everything's coming alive.
58:05Latwing are calling.
58:06It's a really optimistic time of the year.
58:08Just stunning.
58:11It's like fishing for sound.
58:16Next we want to go up the loo.
58:19That's next week on BBC One.
58:22See you, Josh.
58:23See you, Josh.
58:24Bye, Josh.
58:24Wait, isn't that the last trip back to the mainland?
58:26Yeah.
58:27Yeah, that is actually it.
58:28Josh.
58:29Josh.
58:29Josh.
58:31Josh.
58:32When's low tide?
58:35Tomorrow.
58:42Ronan Keating's coming home to explore Ireland's west coast.
58:46Watch now his wild Atlantic on iPlayer.
58:49This and everything across the BBC is made possible because we're funded by you.
58:56Over on BBC Two now.
58:57This farming life.
58:58That's old.
59:01Having first.
59:01That mountain to NBC.
59:07That's a complete ´ powiedz growth.開心.
59:07continued... To be
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