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Countryfile Season 37 Episode 31
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00:01What's that one?
00:02That's a horn.
00:03Oh, right.
00:04That's it.
00:06That's a really good horn sound.
00:08Yeah.
00:09Oh, we're on the move.
00:10We're on the move.
00:11I'm an engine driver.
00:30I've spent around half a lifetime telling stories from all over the UK countryside.
00:49Well, that's quite a climb.
00:53But now, in four special countryside programmes, I'm back on home turf.
00:59Framedicern.
01:00Framedicern.
01:01Don't you know that?
01:02No.
01:03Get yourself organised.
01:04Everybody says that to me.
01:05Framedicern.
01:06Exploring the traditions.
01:08You can taste the difference, can't you?
01:10The heritage.
01:11Oh, yeah.
01:12There we go.
01:13Whoa.
01:14Yay!
01:15The legacy and the characters that make me so proud that I was born here in Yorkshire.
01:26Would you like to drive?
01:27Really?
01:28Yeah.
01:29Boy, a dream come true.
01:30My journey will take me across North Yorkshire.
01:41And it starts here at Lee Mingbar Railway Station.
01:44Today, I'm hopping aboard the Wensleydale Railway, a heritage line that lay forgotten for decades until a group of dedicated enthusiasts brought it back to life again.
01:59This year marks the 200th anniversary of the modern railway.
02:06So, what better way to celebrate that than by taking a train?
02:11I've never been in a train cab before.
02:14I'll travel down the tracks.
02:16You know what, Nigel?
02:17I'm feeling quite confident.
02:19I'm feeling quite confident.
02:20And back in time to meet the dedicated people.
02:23Here we have the porter.
02:25The vicar waiting for his train.
02:27Morning.
02:28Preserving this restored railway.
02:30People do love to see steam trains, don't they?
02:32They do.
02:33There's nothing quite like a steam engine.
02:35But also take a trip back through the Countryfile archives.
02:39Oh, the years are rolling back.
02:42To explore some of the time-honoured ways.
02:46Fantastic.
02:47What a treat.
02:48We've travelled through the UK over the years.
02:51See you me, the power in those engines.
02:54Wow.
02:59I'll be hopping on board with one of the volunteer train drivers, Nigel Park.
03:05He's been involved in this railway, one way or another, for around 17 years.
03:10So you can't keep away then, Nigel?
03:12It appears not, doesn't it?
03:15And what's the story of this line?
03:17Well, the line from North Alton to here opened in the late 1840s
03:20and then further up the day a little later.
03:22The passenger service had ended in 1954,
03:25but freight continued in one form or another until the early 1990s.
03:29And at that point, the army took on the opportunity
03:32to transport some heavy machinery up to Redmire
03:36until such time as the Wednesdaydale Railway got hold of it.
03:39When was that?
03:40Well, the line reopened in 2003.
03:42And what was the purpose behind that then, setting up the Wednesdaydale Railway?
03:46Well, we wanted to see the line back to its heyday.
03:48We wanted it carrying passengers and members of the local community
03:52and serving the community in other ways as well.
03:54And so that's where all the hard work has gone.
03:56And it's been going from strength to strength since then, isn't it?
03:59Well, we've had our moments, but yes, it's nice to watch it steadily developing, yes.
04:05So shall we go for a train ride then?
04:07Would you like to drive?
04:08Really?
04:09Yeah.
04:10Boy, a dream come true.
04:12Yes, please.
04:13You're welcome.
04:15Just to reassure you, it's an empty train.
04:17Never been in a train cab before.
04:19This is my seat?
04:21That's your seat.
04:22Wow.
04:23Nigel has offered to give me the inside track on what it takes to drive this 1980s diesel engine.
04:30Nothing digital here, is there?
04:32Absolutely not.
04:33And I can't wait.
04:34And what do I do?
04:36How do I start it?
04:37Right.
04:38Well, the first thing is we need to start the engines.
04:40Yeah.
04:41So if you press the blue button.
04:42This one?
04:43Yeah.
04:44Engines start.
04:45That's the one.
04:46There we go.
04:47There you go.
04:48And then we just need to tell it to go forward.
04:50So that needs turning to forward.
04:51This here?
04:52Yes.
04:53Is there a gear stick?
04:54No.
04:55But you can't change it into an upper, higher gear?
04:59Well, it will do that for you.
05:00It's automatic.
05:01Oh, automatic.
05:02Fully automatic.
05:03Yeah.
05:04Right.
05:05Nigel's got ten years' experience driving these engines.
05:08That's the brake control.
05:09Yeah.
05:10And he's condensing what usually takes three years to learn.
05:13Emergency.
05:14Emergency.
05:15Which we're trying to avoid.
05:16We're trying to avoid.
05:17Right.
05:18Into a 20 minute masterclass just for me.
05:20And the other thing you need to do is put your foot on the pedal down there.
05:24Oh, yeah.
05:25Because that's the driver's safety device.
05:27If you take your foot off that, the train will stop.
05:29Because it thinks you've keeled over all.
05:30Oh, I see.
05:31So I keep my foot on that all the time.
05:32All the time.
05:33Yeah.
05:34Yeah.
05:35Okay.
05:36Well, it looks like you're ready.
05:37Let's go.
05:38Right.
05:39Okay.
05:40So if you move that lever to position three.
05:43Three.
05:44Once the revs drop like that, you can knock the brake to release.
05:47True.
05:48Which is towards you.
05:49There.
05:50Yeah.
05:51And where we go?
05:52Oh, we're on the move.
05:53We're on the move.
05:54Oh, I'm an engine driver.
06:01Driving trains might be a new adventure for me, but there's one mode of transport that
06:10once was very close to my heart.
06:13Motorcycling.
06:15I can still remember the grin on my face back in 2012 when I got to relive a bit of
06:22my youth.
06:23Taking a nostalgic ride around the legendary Isle of Man TT course.
06:29A day that remains one of my absolute favorites.
06:33I was in my late teens when I first came here to watch the TT races.
06:37I came on my bike and this was it.
06:40My BSA Bantam 125.
06:42Not very fast, but I was tremendously proud of it.
06:45And that's my sister sitting on the back there.
06:47She didn't come with me.
06:48I came with a pal who had a much bigger bike and he had to keep stopping so I could catch
06:53up.
06:54And for old times sake, I want to get back on one.
06:57Well, I never thought I'd see one of these again.
07:00It's your lucky day, John.
07:03As you might expect, there's no shortage of bikes on the island and vintage bike collector
07:07Tony East has brought along a couple of classic Bantams from 1949 and 1953.
07:14You know, I don't think today's generation realise just how important Bantams were, Tony,
07:20to the likes of you and me.
07:21No, they're absolutely vital.
07:23Everybody used to get a work on them.
07:25All you could afford.
07:26Yes.
07:27Brilliant machine.
07:28Well, this green colour, weren't they?
07:30Mist green.
07:31And everybody wanted a Bantam.
07:32They did.
07:33Look, there's me on mine.
07:34Well, that's absolutely fantastic.
07:36Did you have one?
07:37Yes, I had one.
07:38Did you come to the Isle of Man to watch the races?
07:40Yeah, I used to come in the 60s.
07:42I'd go around the circuit, non-race days, of course, like everybody does.
07:46But the Bantam was a bit slow, going up the mountain.
07:49And there were some dodgy bits, weren't there?
07:51Always.
07:52I remember that bridge.
07:53You'd go to the Palaf Bridge, over 30 miles an hour over Palaf, particularly on these things,
07:57and you'd leave the ground.
07:59Years ago, they used to station a police sergeant there with his white helmet, with his stick,
08:04and if you went over too fast, whack on your backside, just to teach you a lesson.
08:09And there were some pretty flash bikes around, weren't there?
08:12Oh, yes.
08:13Not just the ones competing, but the spectators bringing theirs as well.
08:15Yeah, bringing over them.
08:16They looked down their noses a bit at us Bantam riders, didn't they?
08:18Oh, yeah, us Bantam riders, yes.
08:20They'd forgotten that they'd probably owned them in the past.
08:23And I think they stopped being made in the early 60s, didn't they?
08:26Yes.
08:27But the noise of the engine is something I'll always remember.
08:29Yes, you do.
08:30Any chance of going for a spin?
08:31Of course there is.
08:36Well, it's 50 years since our last rode a BSA Bantam, but they do say,
08:41you'll never forget how to ride a bike.
08:43Let's hope they're right.
08:47Woo-hoo!
08:48This is fantastic.
08:51Oh, the years are rolling back.
08:54This is instant transport to the days of my youth.
08:58Oh, the freedom that the Bantam gave us all in those days.
09:03We must be doing about 30 miles an hour now.
09:08This is the life, isn't it?
09:11Yes.
09:12This is really moving as far as the Bantam's concerned.
09:17Riding like the wind!
09:24Whoa, bending it over a little bit.
09:26Haven't done that for a while.
09:28I'd forgotten just what fun it is.
09:32What great fun it is.
09:33What great fun!
09:36And I'm not the only one who thinks so.
09:38For the last 105 years, these quiet island lanes have been overrun by leather-clad bikers,
09:45ready to take on the challenge of the TT course.
09:48Not for nothing has it been called one of the greatest motorcycle sporting events in the world.
09:53What I'd love to do is re-ride the 37 and 3 quarter mile course like I used to, all those years ago.
10:04I've only ever been rounded on a dear old Bantam, so maybe this time something a little bit more powerful.
10:14Something like this.
10:15A super trike.
10:16Now I can let somebody who really knows the course do the driving, and I can sit back and enjoy.
10:28As a passenger for once, I get to admire the views, and what views they are, whatever the weather.
10:35The course snakes through picturesque villages and stunning countryside,
10:39and up towards the summit of the island's only mountain, Sneafell.
10:43It's bends like this, known as the hairpin, that challenge the most experienced of riders.
11:01Well, exhilarating Andy, thank you very much indeed.
11:04My pleasure.
11:05It really makes you realise, doesn't it, just how demanding this course is.
11:09Yes, it's 37 and 3 quarter miles long, and it's very much man and machine against the course.
11:14And it seems to me to be much faster than it was in my day.
11:18Oh, certainly, there are certain things being done to the course all the time,
11:21that improve the speed and improve the safety of the course as well, which is the most important thing.
11:25So what's the top speed these days now?
11:27They're doing well over 200 miles an hour in certain places.
11:30Around here is roughly the fastest part of the course, going down and off the mountain.
11:33Well, onwards, Andy. Onwards.
11:34There's no doubt that on race days these twisting roads make for an intoxicating mix of thrills, danger and beauty.
11:49A combination that's unique to this island.
11:51For many years now, a train ride has been much more my style than a motorbike ride.
12:04And I'm sure my nerves would agree.
12:09That's it.
12:10Back on the Wensleydale Railway.
12:13OK, well, it looks like you're ready. Let's go.
12:14Right.
12:15I'm fulfilling a boyhood dream.
12:17It's all very smooth, isn't it?
12:19It is.
12:20Yeah.
12:26Nigel and I are now leaving Leaming Bar and heading to Scruton Station.
12:32Well, I never, ever dreamt I'd be doing this.
12:35So what's your background?
12:37I've been a railway enthusiast, I suppose.
12:39I've always been interested in railways and transport in general, I suppose.
12:43And how did you get involved with Wensleydale?
12:45I was asked by a friend of mine if I would do a little job for them, which I did, selling some advertising for the magazine.
12:53And then they got you onto the manual side?
12:55Yeah.
12:56I've been a director and a trustee on and off for quite some time now.
13:01And is it difficult to get volunteers to run it?
13:03It's getting harder.
13:05I think every volunteer organisation is finding it increasingly difficult.
13:08That's a challenge.
13:09We're quite lucky because you can probably see we've got a number of young people working with us.
13:13Yeah.
13:14Some are employed and some are volunteers.
13:15But that's really important and I think that's key to the survival of the railway for the future.
13:21And also, I suppose, useful to the community.
13:24Indeed.
13:25The trains are running again.
13:26Yeah, and it brings people in because, and obviously they spend money in the community.
13:30So now we've got a level crossing.
13:31Oh, yeah.
13:32So you need to blow the horn.
13:33Just push that little lever forwards and backwards.
13:35That'll do.
13:39And then the white light's flashing which tells us the crossing's working.
13:42Right.
13:43And the speed limit's ten miles an hour which we're doing.
13:45So we should be okay.
13:46So we cross the crossing.
13:49Yeah.
13:50And then we can apply a little bit more power and...
13:52Right.
13:53Up to three again.
13:54Up to three, just for a short while.
13:58You know what, Nigel?
13:59I'm feeling quite confident at these controls.
14:01They're nice to drive these, actually.
14:03Yeah.
14:04Once you get the feel, they're nice to drive.
14:07Yeah.
14:09As we approach Scruton Station, my train driving experience is sadly
14:14coming to the end of the line.
14:17So you can shut the power off.
14:19You want to just try the brake so you get the feel of it.
14:22Just push it into position one.
14:24There you go.
14:25Oh, yeah.
14:26It's slowing down nicely, isn't it?
14:27So if you take it off, it'll carry on rolling.
14:29Into the station.
14:30Into the platform.
14:31It's quite a long platform, so you've got plenty of length to stop.
14:34You can see that red thing on the track there.
14:36That's the stop sign.
14:37Yeah, that's right.
14:38Stop.
14:39So you can stop anywhere on this platform.
14:40So if you put the brake on, it will...
14:43That's it.
14:44It'll start to slow down.
14:45You can ease it off a little bit and it'll roll a bit further.
14:47Push that into position one.
14:50And there you go.
14:51It stopped.
14:52A bit sudden, that stopped.
14:53That's okay.
14:54Well, thank you very much.
14:55You're very welcome.
14:56That has been a wonderful experience.
14:59You did it very well.
15:00I've worked it down a long, long time to do that.
15:02I've only driven a couple of miles down the track, but it seems I've travelled much further
15:11back in time.
15:12Here we have the porter.
15:13Good morning, sir.
15:14Good morning, sir.
15:15The vicar waiting for his train.
15:17Good morning.
15:19This once derelict station is now a living museum where local volunteers bring history
15:25to life.
15:26Saving a railway like this takes real dedication.
15:31Over the years, country files met many communities that have come together to keep their heritage
15:36alive.
15:38Back in 2018, Matt visited Scottish borders to meet volunteers determined to keep more
15:45than a century of lifeboat history afloat.
15:53This coastline has a rugged beauty, but place names like Cleavers Rock give you a clue to
15:59its character.
16:00Exposed to the force of the North Sea, these waters can be treacherous.
16:13A lifeboat's been stationed at St Abbs since 1911.
16:16And in that time, more than 230 lives have been saved.
16:21It was decided that this small community would be better served by the lifeboat station at
16:27your mouth a couple of miles along the coast.
16:29And so the St Abbs lifeboat was withdrawn.
16:36But the St Abbs community refused to let their lifeboat service sink.
16:41I've come to meet the people who took on the mammoth task of running their own lifeboat.
16:47Alastair Crow knows this place better than most.
16:52Well, Alastair, you've been a fisherman all your work in life and a big part of the lifeboat
16:56crew here for, what, over 50 years?
16:59Yeah, over 50 years, yes.
17:01It doesn't feel like that, but that's what it is.
17:04Well, you'll know how far away Eyemouth is.
17:06I mean, it's only a couple of miles along the coast.
17:08So why was there a real need to have a lifeboat here and keep it here?
17:14Well, we have so many divers coming here.
17:16We have lots of canoes, guys working on the rocks, fishing, etc.
17:19And when somebody goes in the water, it doesn't take long to drown.
17:23And we are, at the moment, the quickest thing you're going to get, you know, help on the surface.
17:28The water clarity here is superb.
17:31The divers flock from all over Britain to come here and foreign divers as well.
17:34So it's well known, St Aves.
17:35It may be a tiny village, but everywhere in the world, if you mention diving, St Aves will
17:40crop up somewhere.
17:43People clearly believe there's a need for a lifeboat here.
17:47But how does such a small community go about taking on something so hugely important?
17:53Well, I'm joining some of them in the local cafe.
17:56Many are descendants of the original crew who launched the lifeboat more than 100 years ago.
18:01Here we go, team. Here we go.
18:06It's down to the newest member of the crew to bring in the food.
18:12There we go. We've got raisins, we've got cheese ones.
18:15It's remarkable to see so many of the families still here, with such strong connections to the sea.
18:21That's your grandfather.
18:24Look, you have to see the resemblance.
18:26You can see him when you smile like that, look.
18:28His grandfather was far more intelligent, though.
18:32Over a much appreciated tea cake, a scone and a cuppa, Ewan Gibson explains how they've kept their lifeboat service afloat.
18:40We'd set a target of raising half a million pounds, which is a huge amount of money.
18:43And three weeks into the fundraising campaign, we got a great cheque for £10,000 from Tonics through in Glasgow, the maker of the famous tea cakes.
18:53A lot of money. A lot of money, so we were delighted with that.
18:56Yeah.
18:57And we phoned up Tonics to say thank you very much, and in the course of a very short phone call, that £10,000 went to £260,000.
19:05Oh!
19:07So, yes, we were absolutely gobsmacked, just so grateful.
19:11So that puts the lifeboat back in St Tabs.
19:13Did that pay for the boat?
19:14It paid for the boat, it paid for the equipment.
19:16So within three weeks of the fundraising campaign, we knew we were back.
19:19We've had donations from all around the UK, we've even had some donations from abroad.
19:22It's absolutely been amazing, it really has.
19:27I've seen the cake and comradery side of things in the cafe, but when the boat hits the waves, it's strictly business.
19:36Oh, there's the rule!
19:39Tell you me, the power in those engines, Dave!
19:44It looks wow!
19:50This is one of the areas we work from.
19:53So you've got a lot of diving here that can be spread out from here, right the way up past St Habs Head.
19:58But this is the main area of the diving.
20:00Right.
20:01You've got a lot of people fishing off the rocks.
20:03So it's a very, very popular, popular area.
20:06Goodness me, I mean, it's some landscape.
20:08That's unbelievable, stunning.
20:10We're off to a particularly tricky part of the coastline, known as Skelly Hole.
20:14Oh man, look at this place!
20:21Should I check this depth gauge here? We've got 11 and a half metres.
20:27Seven metres from the time.
20:29Yeah, we're at ten and a half at the moment.
20:30Coastal recce complete, Dave announces they have one more exercise to perform, and my suspicions about getting wet are confirmed.
20:44We're going to do a man overboard now.
20:47Celebrity overboard.
20:49Why are you looking at me like that?
20:50So, Matt, if you'd like to get ready.
20:52I've got a volunteer.
20:53Of course, of course.
20:54A nice volunteer.
20:55The water's a nice five and a half degrees, so it should be refreshing, if anything.
21:01Are you ready then? Here we go.
21:03Eventually.
21:05Oh, it's pleasant!
21:07It's actually really pleasant!
21:08I may be in a dry suit, but watching the boat leave me in these freezing waters is a very unnerving experience.
21:25Well, that is me, completely on my own.
21:28And you get an enormous sense of space out here.
21:36And you feel very alone.
21:42Cold water shock is the biggest killer of people around our shores.
21:46It's even said, if you survive long enough to get hypothermia, you're doing well.
21:50And, oh my word, that feeling of seeing a rescue boat, seeing a crew that are literally going to save your life.
22:05Are you ready?
22:20Good one, good one.
22:28What a beautiful!
22:29Nicely done chased!
22:30Just like falling off a board.
22:31just like falling off a board faced with losing their lifeboat service this tiny community has
22:37forged one highly professional team you do actually sense the power of this piece of
22:44water you really do but oh my word you know although at times that was quite relaxing for
22:54me i was expecting it to happen and i was fully dressed for the occasion helmet dry suit gloves
22:59the lot i cannot imagine what it must be like to fall into a situation like that just treading water
23:05hoping that you're going to be rescued but knowing that this crew is here ready to go
23:11at a moment's notice it goes without saying they are a lifeline
23:15just like the people of st abs the community here in wensleydale know what it means to hold on to
23:33their heritage and it's thanks to passionate enthusiasts like keith and joan walker that
23:40it's still here for us to enjoy well i've just arrived here on a 1980s train and what era have
23:47i stepped into well it's the awardian era about 1910 that's the era we set this station in and
23:56obviously you're the station master of that era what would your name have been francis johnson and
24:02i lived in that little cottage just over there and what's your real name so i did oh my dear mary
24:07keith keith okay yes and who are you well i play the part of miss ada paulden who was the school
24:16teacher in the village in 1910 my real name is joan walker joan hello and the station looks very smart
24:25has it always been like this well when the line closed in 1954 to passenger traffic this station
24:32was left to become derelict even the platform disappeared british rail took the platform away
24:37as well it was an absolute eyesore since being reopened in 2014 scooton station has become a living
24:46museum but keith and joan aren't just playing dress up using census records they carefully researched
24:55the real people whose lives once revolved around this station now it's filled with carefully chosen
25:03objects from a bygone age all helping to transport people back in time
25:08goodness me it's a little aladdin's cave you've got in here isn't it well we have got a number of
25:16artifacts so that people can see what life was like in about 1910 lamps to light the rooms no electricity
25:27washing only a well going to have to collect the water for everything you need it was hard life
25:33what's that oh have a smell that's carbonic soap isn't it i remember that from a childhood
25:43doesn't it take you back in time yeah doesn't it it does and what about this oh chamber pot chamber
25:51pot or sometimes called a gazunda because it went under the bed it goes under the bed oh i love that
26:00and it's showing you what life was like yes not just on the railway but in general it was quite
26:07a different life it was a hard life yeah and playing the role of the school teacher i mean do you
26:11encourage school parties today to come here oh yes yes we take them back in time they always have a
26:18ride on the train and activities down here in the afternoon children love it and presumably children
26:25in those days uh got to go on the train as well if they attended sunday school could go on the sunday
26:32school outing and it might take them to the seaside saltburn or red car but they had to attend sunday
26:40school regularly otherwise they wouldn't be allowed to go so it did change everybody's lives this railway oh
26:48yes because you couldn't really go that far in the bicycle or that far in a horse and cart but the
26:54railway went right across country from east coast main line to the west coast main line it was really
27:02a new era for them was the railway thanks to the dedication of volunteers like joan and keith
27:09and the support of the wider community this station has truly been brought back to life
27:18restoring a station like this is no small task but last year charlotte rolled up her sleeves for an
27:25engineering job on a much bigger scale spanning 300 meters and with a depth of 1.6 meters this
27:35pioneering masterpiece of engineering soars above the river d carrying with it the langochland canal
27:42earning it the nickname the stream in the sky but this isn't just a monument
27:48to the industrial revolution to be admired from afar it's a true workhorse
27:55it opened in 1805 to transport coal lime and agricultural products from north wales to england
28:04today the langochland canal is one of the busiest stretches of canal in the uk with some
28:1015 000 boats and more than 200 000 people visiting every year those boats traverse the dramatic d valley
28:20on the ponca silta aqueduct not bad for something built more than 200 years ago it does of course
28:29require maintenance and that's easier said than done the aqueduct is currently closed ready to be drained
28:37for its first major inspection since 2004 colin lounge an engineer from the canal and river trust is
28:44responsible for inspecting every nook and cranny of this magnificent structure
28:49standing here you do appreciate just what an amazing thing it is i've been looking after this
28:56structure for about 14 years and it still amazes me every time i come here designed by engineers
29:04thomas telford and william jessop it took more than 500 people working for 10 years to build the
29:10aqueduct a staggering 750 tons of iron and 15 000 tons of stone were used in its construction the
29:19stone was quarried locally at caffern mower dressed by welsh stonemasons and if you look carefully at
29:25the joints you can see that there is lime mortar but with the addition of oxblood which allowed the
29:31mortar to flow more readily and make tighter better joints so they're actually mixed blood into the mortar
29:38yes oxblood wow it won't be getting a fresh lick of oxblood anytime soon but when parts of the
29:47aqueduct do need replacing colin and his team aim to use the original construction materials as much
29:53as they can i've got something to show you right it looks like a dumbbell replacement bolts that we've
30:01used in the past um there are 11 000 of those on the structure they're along each side bolting every
30:08one of these panels together so sort of like that yeah yeah in the next few weeks we'll be inspecting
30:14inside the structure where there are over 4 000 bolts that we need to see because we haven't
30:19de-watered the structure for 20 years and obviously to have a look at them you're going to have to get
30:24all the water out well as good custodians we need to go in there and just look at the state of the
30:31structure so what we're looking to do is look at the bolts that were replaced 20 years ago and measure
30:39how much that bolt has deteriorated and it won't be by much but that allow us to predict in the future
30:45when we need to replace those bolts emptying the aqueduct is a task for construction manager
30:53mark abraham and his team how do you go about then getting all the water out of the aqueduct so the
31:01team come across and put timber stock planks on either end i've noticed they go in a groove over
31:06there have you have to put that groove in to put the planks in no the grooves always been there we've
31:10not changed and we maintain the grooves and keep them clear but those were put in about 180 200 years
31:15ago the team put planks in they're then sealed with ash we tried cement sawdust oak everything but
31:22steam engine ash is the perfect solution hang on you get ash from a steam engine from a heritage
31:28railway yeah and put that what against them no the lads literally they'll scatter it along the planks
31:33like that like honestly and it will just suck it straight through and seal and that's it so actually
31:39you haven't brought any modern magic to this part you literally just put planks one end planks the other
31:45end cut off the flow that's it it's as simple as that so the only thing we've brought in we've actually
31:51got a pump which we brought in now so it pumps out the water it takes a week to fully drain the aqueduct
32:00but before then a daring mission needs to take place a mission to save the fish that call this canal home
32:07to get the job done ralph wilkinson and max stenning use an electric fishing operation
32:18so what on earth is that so this is an anode this is what we use to stun the fish so are you sort of
32:25electrocuting them then yes in a way yes um it just stuns the muscles and they just rise to the top and then
32:31we net them out and it doesn't hurt the fish then when you when you electrocute them not hurt at all
32:36it's just momentarily stunning them effectively their swim bladders are out of rotation that's
32:40what helps them keep upright and swimming and mobile and then they just say gradually come to the surface
32:46the bigger picture here fish are important to the wildlife the otters they need fish the birds the king
32:53fishers they all need this for their own food chain so it's really really important this job
32:57on the face of it it does seem a bit daft to get into water and then start putting electricity
33:06in it it does yeah so we wear rubber dry suits so we won't get any electrical shots or anything we
33:13just have to be careful walking through the water once they've been stunned the fish are scooped into
33:19buckets and safely released on a different part of the canal and while the views might be stunning
33:31at this height it's best not to think too hard about what's actually keeping you up in the air
33:39senior engineer ben fitchford is responsible for making sure the aqueduct is in good nick
33:45it is an amazing structure isn't it do you still look at it every day and be amazed oh it's it's
33:51it's completely unique coming into civil engineering you don't expect to be looking at a view like this
33:58every working day i wouldn't swap this for the world now i've become very fond of these railings
34:02because i'm holding on to them in a slightly nervous manner what actually were they designed for
34:07i'm assuming not nervous people that's the design to um keep the horses from falling over the side
34:12essentially um you know horses were the engines of the boats uh in the 1800s and they're a very
34:18valuable commodity to the canal companies that's more than 300 meters of railings to look after
34:26which adds up to a staggering seven and a quarter tons of iron a lot of these parts were actually
34:32forged in excess of 220 years ago we want to absolutely maintain as much of the original fabric
34:38as possible because if you if we start to take all of these all these handrail panels out and replace
34:42them with something that's been newly cast we're losing something we're never going to get back
34:46again we've we've absolutely got to refurbish things when they need it to keep everybody safe
34:50but we we want to do that while keeping as much of the good stuff as we absolutely can
34:58it's a continuation of the tireless work that's been done over the past 200 years
35:04to keep the aqueduct in operation and to make sure that the stream in the sky survives for centuries
35:10to come from the groundbreaking engineering of the 18th century to the living history of edwardian times
35:22back on the wednesdaydale railway here we go keith or should i say station master johnson has put me to work
35:34they're not that easy to handle these are they oh they're heavy
35:40so why are we hauling these old milk churns around keith the uh the farmers up the dales
35:49would have churns like these and they would be collected from the local station once they were full
35:55and brought down the line and would go to the creamery in north allerton and then from there
36:04to uh leeds and manchester and even to london i think it was known as the milk train wasn't it
36:10it was indeed yeah special trains running a certain time to collect the churns that's right
36:16how true it is or not i'm not quite sure that people in london could have wednesdaydale pure milk
36:22in time for lunch goodness me isn't that amazing have you been collected first thing in the morning
36:27and brought all the way down all the way to london that's right they have a label on the side to show
36:32which farm the milk churn belonged to and they would hope that they will get the same churn back
36:38again at the end of the day so really the railway was vital for providing a good income uh for
36:46wednesdaydale farmers absolutely yes it wasn't just milk of course there was uh animal feed and uh
36:52machinery for the farm and uh time was an important factor for milk especially of course all that came
36:59to an end didn't it and now the railway has a a different purpose yes people who want to come
37:05and find out about the history of the line it's the heritage side of the line which is particularly
37:11interesting while edwardian life is recreated here in wensleydale back on the isle of man a victorian era
37:19horse-drawn tram still rolls along the seafront in 2017 joe took his own trip back in time
37:30when you're in douglas there's only one way to travel about
37:34this is the oldest surviving horse-drawn tram service in the world wow look at this
37:40a relic of a time when working horses were as familiar a sight in our towns and cities as they
37:49were on our farms when this tram started running 141 years ago there were more than a million working
38:01horses in britain pulling plows hauling logs delivering milk and powering trams and omnibuses
38:08these tram horses are amongst the last still working thanks very much but the heart of the operation
38:16is just there through that arch a very rare sight indeed working stables were once a feature of
38:24back streets in many towns this is thought to be the last
38:32it's here the tram horses or trammers as they're known
38:35live sleep and even get fitted with new shoes
38:40mike krellin has held the reins here for 44 years
38:47all are you waiting for that thing absolutely ready yeah oh wow what a sight that is all these faces
38:57the trammers day begins at 8 a.m with a giant bowl of cereal
39:01this is uh barley it comes from a local brewery on the island on the island yes
39:08in the summer we'll go through about eight tonne of rolled oats during the season eight tons eight
39:13tons of oats yeah goodness me
39:19and what goes in must come out there's more than a ton of manure a week produced by the horses
39:25much to the benefit of the local allotments that's keith hello keith morning keith
39:33here's your brekkie
39:36hello douglas good morning
39:41douglas needs his hearty breakfast because he's taking me on a pre-season warm-up run along the prom
39:47beautiful isn't it
39:51but first he's got to get dressed for work that's a job for kira anderson
39:57pop it over his head okay there we go just hold that in place okay just watch your fingers yeah
40:07the harnesses used are just the same as they were in victorian times
40:10so you happy everything ready yeah he's ready to go to work fantastic let's walk him out
40:21along the promenade just a stone's throw from the stables the tram's very own fan club
40:27is spring cleaning ready for the tourist season it's a very popular thing we have followers from
40:33around the world some people will come for a ride on the historic tram or other people will like to
40:38take in and the clydesdales and the shire horses there and obviously just try and see as many as
40:44they can and tell me about your passion it's part of the island's social history and also its heritage
40:50and then it's something we would like to see for many more years to come along the seafront here
40:58time to make tracks and maybe even take the reins
41:01are you ready to go then come on boy good lad come on
41:13i love this people taking pictures it's a wonderful sight
41:16every lap you've opened down the prom there's always people wanting to take photographs and whatnot
41:22these now rare shires and clydesdales were born for this role
41:27i suppose it's good for them in a way because they're at risk or they're vulnerable breeds aren't
41:31they so it's great they can find work here and their true working bridge
41:38the gentle giants aren't phased at all by busy traffic
41:44do you ever get sick of this i mean so many years on do you still love it
41:48yes all right it changes there's something new all the time when you're going up and down
41:52and then you've got the young horse to train and things like that in a nice day it's a nice job yeah
42:00the trip along the prom is just over a mile and takes 20 minutes
42:05at the end of the line it's the horse that turns round not the tram come on douglas
42:14you've even got a bit of sunshine
42:18now we're speeding time for a driving lesson
42:22hold the reins like that in i come
42:25there we are so this is your break this is the break yeah just pull on to
42:29slow the time down this is fantastic what a treat
42:35so you chose douglas today because he knows what he's doing he knows what he's doing even when there's
42:38a novice behind him yeah yeah
42:51on a little royal train like this one you get wonderful views as you gently amble through the
43:00countryside no matter what the weather but what's it going to be like in the week ahead right across
43:05the uk let's find out with a country fire forecast
43:16hello there well we're going to start the week with a named storm the first one since
43:21january this of course is storm floris it's going to bring some unusually windy weather for this time
43:26of the year some damage disruption likely on monday particularly across central and northern scotland
43:32where we've got the strongest of the winds and an amber warning from the met office now why are
43:36we getting a storm there's a strong jet stream across the atlantic and this lump of cloud is just
43:41in the right part of the jet stream to develop into an area of low pressure which then goes on
43:46to deepen and that storm then tracks across northern parts of scotland which is why we've got the worst
43:51of the weather across northern parts of the uk now overnight tonight we're going to find not only the
43:56wind starting to pick up in northern ireland and scotland but some rain beginning to push in here
44:01that'll cross over the irish sea later in the night minimum temperatures will be 12 to 15 degrees
44:07so a wet start in northern ireland but the rain shouldn't last long tomorrow heavier rain though
44:12will last longer in scotland that rain then pushes into england and wales pause things at 10 o'clock
44:18because this is when the amber wind warning from the met office starts runs to 10 o'clock in the
44:23evening widely gusts of 50 to 70 miles an hour maybe as high as 80 or 90 miles an hour around coast and
44:30hills the strongest of the winds in western scotland late morning early afternoon and then the core of
44:34stronger winds transfer into eastern scotland towards the end of the day but it will be windy elsewhere
44:39there are yellow wind warnings for southern scotland northern ireland northern england and
44:43north wales and it could be pretty blowy further south as well as that rain transfers through but
44:48it's horizontal rain that we've got returning across northern scotland with those really strong winds
44:54those are the temperatures but the main story is the strength of the wind and it stays very windy
44:58across northeastern scotland tomorrow evening and then the storm that tracks its way over towards
45:04scandinavia it leaves us with a run of westerly winds for tuesday and a mixture of sunshine and
45:10showers most of the showers across northern parts of the uk particularly in scotland further south it's
45:15going to be dry with some sunshine still quite blustery winds on tuesday just not going to be as windy as
45:22on monday with that still moving away and we've got temperatures of 17 to 22 celsius and then we can take
45:29a bit of a breather because by the time we get to wednesday we've got higher pressure trying to return
45:35to the uk it's going to be sitting across southern areas still got some blustery winds across scotland
45:40and maybe one or two early showers but the winds will ease for many places wednesday is going to be
45:44a dry day with some sunshine before it clouds over later on in northern ireland but with the sunshine
45:50and lighter winds temperatures are going to be higher pretty much across the border it'll feel warmer
45:56in the sunshine but thursday and friday we'll see not just one but two areas of low pressure again
46:02crossing northern parts of scotland these are not storms they're just normal lows and they will keep
46:07things very unsettled across northern parts of the uk there is a weather front to sweep through on
46:12thursday little or no rain in the south more showers following into scotland and northern ireland
46:17after that rain moves through temperatures could reach 20 in scotland and northern ireland but the mid-20s
46:23in the sunshine in the southeast and we keep the very unsettled weather going across northern areas
46:28some showers or some longer spells of rain and blustery winds too here it's cooler wetter and
46:34windier further south we're missing out on most of that here it's going to be drier less windy
46:39and warmer in the sunshine as well but before then of course we've got storm floris
46:43i'm on the wensleydale railway a heritage line saved by volunteers that's the era we set this station
46:59in about 1910 and powered by passion so you can't keep away then nigel it feels not doesn't it
47:06trains changed how we travel through the countryside but when it comes to working the land itself
47:16it was tractors that led the way matt found out more back in 2015
47:25whether it's upland lowland arable or dairy at the heart of every farm
47:30is the tractor today there are more than 200 tractor manufacturers
47:36but few if any have had such an impact as my farming hero
47:42harry ferguson
47:45often described as a genius ferguson was a remarkable man whose talents knew no bounds
47:50whether he was designing racing cars being the first britain to build and fly his own airplane
47:56or revolutionizing farming with his ferguson system harry's brilliance lay in simple efficient
48:02designs that worked and stood the test of time well i've come to the drinkwaters family farm in the
48:07cotswold to meet two brothers who were self-confessed fergie fanatics and i'm going to find one of them
48:14in here andy are you there ah tinkering away how are you nice to see you pleased to meet you man
48:20do you know this is some place every bit of available space there's either a tractor or an
48:25implement parked in it when did this and why did this all start uh well we we were brought up on
48:31these ferguson tractors and tractors like this and that's what dad had when we were kids uh we've
48:36just grown up with them and of course you've got your brother to blame uh for part of this collection
48:40as well so what is he passionate about well he's uh really passionate about the implements he's been
48:46trying to collect all of the ferguson implements well looking at the collection it was this tractor
48:52here wasn't it the front that was the real game changer yes it was the little gray fergie the t20
48:59had just revolutionized farming no one had brought out a piece of machinery which was as simple to
49:04control as a draft animal this however has now been made a practical possibility by the ferguson tractor
49:10operated with the ferguson system the little gray fergie hit the fields in 1946 launching modern tractor
49:18technology that has never been bettered and is still being used today oh this is the life
49:27what a beautiful beautiful tractor for the first time tractors became part of the implements as opposed
49:34to just dragging them this was harry's genius all right what is the ferguson system
49:40the ferguson system gives you a 3.1 minute method of attaching or detaching implements how about that
49:48it was ferguson's three-point linkage that truly revolutionized farming and meant that his little
49:53gray tractor could do a whole wealth of jobs on and off the farm instead of carrying heavy pieces of
49:59wood to the saw you can take the saw into the forest if necessary i can't imagine what it must have felt
50:07like for those very first farmers who left the horse at the stable and then suddenly got one of
50:15these and started swapping all of the implements and suddenly their life just changed harry's design
50:23was a phenomenal success by 1951 he controlled a staggering 65 of the worldwide tractor market
50:31the factory in coventry was producing more than 300 te20s every day harry's right-hand man and driver
50:38at the time was peter war peter's traveled from his home on the isle of white to visit the drinkwater
50:44brothers incredible collection in gloucestershire first time i ever drove him the secondary came
50:49i'd only been working about six weeks and i was only 18 driving a bentley i was very nervous and he i
50:55think you could see i was shaking anyway he leant over patting me on the shoulder he said peter keep
51:00your side of the white line and you'll be all right and what's what's it like for you here peter to
51:06be surrounded well it's sort of bringing back lots of memories of mr ferguson which was which is good
51:12i'm one of the many thousands who farm the ferguson way it isn't just a case of being sold a tractor
51:19and then leaving it at that it's the kind of service we get afterwards that's important to us chaps
51:25how did he in his mind try and convince farmers that this was the bit of kit to get but he did
51:32lots of demonstrations and things like that he'd go to the farmer and demonstrate them i think that's
51:36basically how he got the message over and often competing against other tractors and other forms of
51:42cultivation one of harry's competitions was called cultivating the square it was designed to show how
51:49the little gray fergie could work in the tightest of spaces an area too small even for a horse to work
51:55so in the spirit of mr ferguson watched on by andy's brother pete and our umpire peter andy and i are
52:01gonna give it a go three oh hang on three two one oh gosh that was quick he's in there already
52:16tortoise and the hair he's making his first run he's a bit closer to the person oh he's done his second
52:23row already right andrew's got the post down right there was such a tight square this matt seems
52:32he's got the hang of it now doesn't he
52:39i like the way he's got his tongue out if you notice
52:42very good man do you think we did him proud very proud indeed he'd be pleased he'd be pleased
52:55yeah well i have thoroughly enjoyed myself today honestly it's been brilliant just spending time
53:00with you guys you know you're so passionate about the man and i can absolutely understand why
53:06good you know he is without question i'm sure you'll all agree he is a farming hero isn't he
53:10absolutely
53:14just as harry's little gray fergie transformed farming
53:19train travel opened up the countryside for everyone and for well over a hundred years
53:25it was steam that made it all possible for the past seven years matt jervis has been one of the
53:32volunteers keeping that spirit alive here on the wensleydale railway with his special passion for steam
53:40especially this 1949 tank engine
53:45well matt how's it doing hello john i mean this is the first steam engine i've seen here really
53:50everything's diesel isn't it it's the only steam engine on the wensleydale railway hopefully
53:54when we've got it all in one piece again it'll be the first permanent resident steam engine for the
53:59wensleydale has it got a name it has yes it's uh it's called richard the third i bought it from a
54:04railway down in leicestershire the battlefield line at market bosworth the king died that's right yeah
54:10bosworth field a connection there and uh quite appropriately me bringing it back up into yorkshire
54:16yorkshire has reclaimed richard the third so it won't be going back again and how long is it going to
54:21take you to restore richard the third then it doesn't look like it but we're about two thirds of the way
54:26through it's taken five years so far to get to this point i mean there is one big thing missing
54:33i can't help notice that i mean where is the tank oh that's uh yes yes there's a few bits still to bolt
54:41on it yes the boiler is on a wagon down the uh down the line but uh we've got all the bits and a few
54:46spares as well so and the wheels the wheels the wheels are just in the shed waiting for uh waiting
54:51for me to invent the eighth day of the week to jack it up and put them back under again and you're
54:56doing a bit of painting i see i am yes yeah just uh it's not the uh the final final paint but it's a
55:02little bit of weather protection and i'm just going to get the right shade of of uh of red for the buffer
55:08beam can i have a double you can yeah help yourself so you say that your ultimate aim is to have it running
55:17on the railway here and to open it up again for steam is that right that's right yes yeah it'd be
55:23it'd be lovely to have a steam presence back on the line we wouldn't want to run steam every day of
55:29the week but you know high days and holidays just as they used to do that would be uh that would be
55:33fantastic and what attracts you to steam engines then well it's all my dad's fault really um my dad
55:40bought a steam engine from barry scrapyard in wales uh there were about 200 saved in the 60s and 70s
55:47and uh and my dad bought one in 1979 and i turned up in 1981 and i was doomed from the start really
55:54i got my hands dirty with my dad it was great way to steamers and your blood then i suppose it is yes
55:59yeah yeah there's nothing quite like a steam engine i spend an awful lot of time working on a cold lump
56:07of metal but we put a fire in it and it comes to life and it breathes and and i think everybody connects
56:13with that little children on the end of the platform or struck by uh by a steam engine going
56:18past it it never really leaves you and and when do you think this might be running it's my hope that
56:24we can have steam back on the wensley dale for easter 2027 wow i'd better get them with a bit of
56:29painting absolutely yes yeah yeah i feel as though i've made a little contribution absolutely absolutely
56:34every little helps
56:43the wensley dale line could have become just part of railway history but thanks to its team of volunteers
56:50their skills and their passion it's very much part of the present and the future of this dale
56:57well just before i go harvest is well underway now and next thursday your bbc local radio station
57:09will be introducing you to the people who get your food from farm to fork farm watch 2025
57:16is a 24-hour broadcasting marathon and it'll follow the twists and turns in the day of a life of farming
57:24for more information search farm watch on bbc sounds and iplayer and listen to your bbc local radio station
57:38next week i'll meet the people using heritage grains to bridge tradition with innovation and they're
57:45driven of course by true yorkshire grit well that's the devil in windmilling it's always a battle against
57:51the rain and the weather this is called a spirit thief spirit thief i like that and that's thanks
57:57to nasa thanks to nasa if you lift that that's it you'll start oh there we go what a wonderful sound
58:09mmm gorgeous what a wonderful smell this is delicious it's wonderful
58:14so until then bye bye
58:24the road trip of a lifetime where nothing's quite what it seems press red for gripping new adventure
58:29destination x on iplayer coming up to ensure the future of life parents must thrive david attenborough
58:36here with brand new parenthood next
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