- 4 months ago
Countryfile - The Archers
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00And now it's time for Countryfile Meets the Archers, coming from Worcestershire.
00:30Oh, we're making Charlotte's dreams come true today. Welcome to the bull.
00:53Thank you very much. Cheers, my dears. Cheers.
00:55Now, for me, we are in the centre of the known fictional universe, the Bull at Ambridge.
01:02Yes, this is home to the Archers and Charlotte is a massive, massive fan.
01:06So on today's programme, we're in the place where fiction meets real life.
01:10So many stories are based on this landscape, this village and the characters who live here.
01:15This is a place where every day of farming life inspires extraordinary radio drama.
01:27Is this really Brookfield?
01:29We'd like to think so.
01:31I think we ought to get suited and booted.
01:34This is very Archers, this.
01:37Oh, fantastic!
01:39Oh, yes! I think I might be taking up cricket.
01:43Away from the airwaves, Dashiani is delving into one of the countryside's most divisive real-life storylines,
01:50the tensions over second homes.
01:52There is quite a lot of animosity about the visitors that come down,
01:56obviously because they are buying up houses.
01:58Well, I was just trying to work out of my own mind
02:11how we can keep the smallholding going as well as Brookfield.
02:14Giving Peggy a helping hand is one thing,
02:17working for Dan Archers another.
02:18Not to me, me old beauty.
02:20Don't say much if you can't give a neighbour a hand now and again.
02:23The Archers has been part of the fabric of our lives since the 1950s.
02:29I've been listening for about 30 years and I love it.
02:33I'm not alone.
02:34Millions of people tune in every day for agricultural escapism.
02:40The fictional village of Ambridge has been home to the Archers for nearly 75 years,
02:46inspired by the small village of Inkborough
02:49and the rolling countryside of Worcestershire.
02:51This area has shaped decades of radio drama.
02:57The Archers' creator, Godfrey Baisley, lived a few miles from Inkborough
03:02and sourced ideas for the show from the local area.
03:08Including this place, Rush Farm.
03:11This is thought to be the inspiration behind the Archers' family farm, Brookfield.
03:17Three generations of the Parsons' family live and work on this farm.
03:23That was very effective.
03:25Yes.
03:25A sheep stampede.
03:28Well, we'll drive them into the yard now.
03:30Uh-huh.
03:31Including Alice Parsons and her husband, Brendan.
03:34Well, that went according to plan, didn't it?
03:41It did.
03:42The best it's ever gone, I think.
03:43So, is this really Brookfield?
03:48Certainly, Godfrey Baisley came here.
03:51He was good friends with the Hillman family who were here before us.
03:56And where Brookfield is a dairy farm,
03:58one of the Hillman brothers was doing shorthorn dairy here.
04:02And they also had some traditional arable cropping as well.
04:06Nowadays, Rush Farm produces organic meat from grazing livestock.
04:11Would you like to do the honours with the magic wand?
04:14Sure.
04:15Brendan and Alice are giving their sheep a weigh-in
04:17to check on the growth of this year's lambs.
04:22We can see his previous weight was 32 kilos and the new weight is 37.
04:29He's nice and fat over the back.
04:31Yeah.
04:31He's got a lovely round bottom.
04:36Apart from the sheep, then, what else do you have on the farm?
04:40We have a suckler herd of traditional Hereford cattle.
04:43We also have a small flock of Shetland sheep as well,
04:46which we're producing for their wool.
04:48And still a family business, then, is it?
04:50Yes.
04:51Very much so.
04:52From my grandmother, Anne, who's our guiding light,
04:56to my younger cousin, who's helping us at the back.
04:58We all get involved, uncles, aunts, grandparents.
05:03Yeah.
05:03Proper family affair.
05:05Alice, how did you get involved with this?
05:07I came here as a volunteer, just for three months, supposedly.
05:11And then...
05:13Never left.
05:13Never really left.
05:15Then we both moved here.
05:16And we got married a year later, here on the farm, which was really lovely.
05:21That's so romantic.
05:23It's almost like something from The Archers.
05:27Well, milk, meat and flour are all going up in price.
05:31I wonder if the farmers are going to get anything out of that increase.
05:34Yeah, I don't know.
05:35They won't, I'm afraid.
05:36What it will do is make the public realise just what it costs to grow and produce this stuff.
05:43The longest-running radio drama in the world,
05:46The Archers has come a long way since its post-war origins.
05:50Now, at the helm of the programme is editor Jeremy Howe.
05:56Godfrey Baisley was a BBC producer in Birmingham,
05:59making agricultural programmes for the BBC Midlands.
06:02And he was aware that there was a quiet revolution going on in farming.
06:07This is in the late 1940s.
06:09You know, rationing was still kind of really kind of significant.
06:14There was...
06:15Mechanisation was beginning to happen.
06:17So things were changing in farming.
06:18And he felt as if he was sort of broadcasting to nothing.
06:23No-one was taking much notice.
06:25But he was very persistent, like really seriously persistent.
06:29And eventually, he got a three-month commission to trial the Archers.
06:34And the rest is history.
06:36I mean, we're now on something like episode 20,700.
06:40But not everyone has loved every episode.
06:45For some people, you've come too far away from the farming.
06:49I think the really important thing, Charlotte, is what you want is a story.
06:52There was a scene where Brian Aldridge and David Archer were sitting at the pub
06:56talking about inheritance tax.
06:58And Brian admitted to David,
07:01Do you know what? I haven't got a plan.
07:03And this is a man in his 80s.
07:04But the important thing there is it's not about issues.
07:07It's about stories.
07:08I think the trick that Godfrey Baisley played was a clever one.
07:12I think he got the commission on the back of saying it was about farming.
07:16Actually, what he wanted to do was tell a story of everyday country folk.
07:20So it's all about people.
07:23And farming is a really important part of the programme.
07:26But farming is the backdrop.
07:28And I think if you had a drama about farming,
07:31I think it would have lasted at least episode 12.
07:34If you have a drama about everyday country folk, you get 20,700.
07:4074 years later, it's still recorded in Birmingham
07:44and regularly attracts 5 million listeners a week.
07:47Today, Rush Farm has changed considerably since its Brookfield days.
07:54Now organic and community-owned,
07:56its transformation has been overseen by Brendan's grandmother, Anne,
08:00who took on the farm,
08:02not realising until later the link with the archers.
08:05Well, for a long time, we didn't really know, not for sure.
08:12And then we had a summer festival.
08:14Lots of people came.
08:16And some people came and introduced themselves to us.
08:20And they were actually from the farming family who'd lived here.
08:24And we were amazed that really and truly it was the archers' farm.
08:29And there was a brook and a wood
08:33and all the things that needed to be for it to be Brookfield.
08:39Even now, a matriarch,
08:42which is exactly what we have in the archers' family,
08:45and a family farm with lots of different generations
08:48all working together.
08:50It's been most surprising and lovely.
08:55Really lovely.
08:56And are you, rather like Jill in the archers,
08:59are you quietly but definitely in charge?
09:03I'd like to think so.
09:09Living in the shadow of the archers,
09:12Anne could perhaps be forgiven for not being an avid listener.
09:16When did you stop listening?
09:18Where are you up to?
09:19Sometime in the 70s.
09:20I can catch you up from the 1990s
09:23if you've got about a day or two.
09:25Do you remember Nigel Pargetter?
09:27Yes, indeed.
09:27Well, he married Elizabeth Archer.
09:29Oh, right.
09:30And then they had two children, twins.
09:31Yes.
09:32The twins now, they're in it.
09:33They're in it quite a lot.
09:35So they've had to check it a lot.
09:47For those of you who can remember our old shop,
09:49you'll see we've come a long way since then.
09:52We'll be selling a whole range of fantastic goods,
09:54not just our own wonderful, fresh, organic produce,
09:58but also some new and exciting products
10:00that have never before been available in Anbridge.
10:06The archers is rooted around its farms,
10:09including Bridge Farm,
10:10whose produce is sold on site in its farm shop.
10:13It's a real hub for the community
10:15and the same goes for its real-life counterpart.
10:22Karen Phipps runs a local farm shop
10:24on land her family has farmed for over a century.
10:28With nine acres of orchards on site,
10:31she certainly knows a thing or two about growing her own.
10:33And rumour has it,
10:35the archers team keep a close eye on her shop.
10:41Worcestershire's quite well known for fruit production,
10:43isn't it, Karen?
10:43It is.
10:44It has been for years.
10:45My dad has picked these orchards for years.
10:48We used to take them to the canners in Evesham.
10:52And do you sell everything in the farm shop?
10:54Most of it.
10:55We do sell some to some people
10:57who've got roadside little shops and stuff.
11:00This one here is looking right back at me.
11:01Can I eat this one?
11:02Yeah.
11:03Look at that.
11:03Oh.
11:05Simple up.
11:08Oh, that's perfect.
11:09That is beautiful, isn't it?
11:11Look at that.
11:11That's a Victoria.
11:12How many different varieties of plums have you got here?
11:14We've got Victoria, Swan, Marjorie Seedlings and Damsons.
11:19That's a fantastic plum, honestly.
11:21That is.
11:26It's a big old building, this, isn't it?
11:28It is.
11:30Oh, look at this.
11:31It's loaded.
11:32Hey, this is a good one.
11:37So this used to be my dad's grain store.
11:39And then my dad wanted to do a farm shop
11:42to sell local produce.
11:44And so everything that we're seeing around us, then,
11:46is from 10, 15 miles away?
11:48Yeah, we try to, as much as possible,
11:49try and get as local as possible.
11:51Yeah.
11:51And it's this farm shop that influences the writers of The Archers.
11:56But it's fascinating, though, to look around.
11:58So when you're hearing people buying cauliflowers from The Archers,
12:01this is where they come.
12:02Which is amazing.
12:04And I feel very privileged on that, actually.
12:06I bet you do.
12:06Yeah.
12:07I mean, it is perfect, because what you do here
12:09hits all the tones, doesn't it, of The Archers?
12:12Yes, it does.
12:13All the locality and the produce and the farming
12:15and the rural community.
12:17You know, just supporting everybody as much as you can, really.
12:20Small growers, like, in their own back garden and stuff,
12:23they just bring it in and say,
12:25do you want to buy it?
12:25Wow, you've got that local.
12:27Yeah, yeah.
12:28If they've got it.
12:29It was cucumbers the other week.
12:30A man brought a whole load in,
12:32and so we bought them off him,
12:33because he had too many.
12:35Oh, that's fantastic.
12:36One local who ends up with too much produce at home
12:41is beekeeper Ian Geddon.
12:46What a beautiful garden you've got here, Ian.
12:49Oh, thank you very much, Matt.
12:50It's blooming, isn't it?
12:52I mean, look, you've got flowers everywhere.
12:54I'm seeing all the beekeeping stuff on here, then,
12:57so are we going to have a look in the house?
12:58I think we ought to get suited and booted,
12:59if you don't mind, Matt.
13:03This is very arch, is this?
13:06I love getting into all this kit.
13:08If you're going to help me, you need it.
13:10It makes me feel like a proper beekeeper.
13:14How long have you been into beekeeping, then?
13:17About 14 years.
13:19I started off originally with one hive,
13:21but it slowly got out of hand, I'm afraid.
13:23It's a hobby that's sort of blossomed.
13:25I now have eight.
13:27So off I went to Karen and said,
13:28look, I've got this surplus honey.
13:30Could you sell it?
13:31And they said, ooh, we'll sell as much as you can produce.
13:33Right there, you're good to go.
13:42We'll be very quiet and calm
13:44and not spook them too much.
13:47What was your initial aim when you started with bees?
13:50Well, it's a fascinating hobby, I always think,
13:53because, you know, it's not often you get to peek
13:56into the private lives of insects.
13:58No, for sure.
13:59Look at that.
14:00I mean, I love it.
14:01If we gently prize one of these out, Matt,
14:03can you see all the honey glistening in there?
14:06Yes, absolutely.
14:07They've put that in there in the last week.
14:09That was wonderful, Ian.
14:10Lovely to be providing the community
14:12with honey from the area where everybody lives.
14:17And, of course,
14:18it's only right to try some of the finished produce.
14:21Last year, I did about £500 of honey.
14:27This year, I think it'll be nearer to £300
14:28because of the weather, really.
14:30I mean, £500, so that's, what, about 225 kilos?
14:34Yeah, roughly about that, Matt.
14:35That's a lot, isn't it?
14:36It is off eight hives.
14:37It's quite a lot.
14:38It's surprising how much they will produce.
14:40I mean, it looks beautiful, but, I mean, obviously...
14:42Proof of the pudding is in the taste.
14:44This is the spring honey, which is quite light, Matt.
14:46Mm, that's delicious.
14:52Oh, yeah.
14:54Yes, that is very...
14:55Yeah, it is light.
14:57What have these bees taught you, would you say?
14:59Oh, they've taught me the value of patience, I guess.
15:03Yes, yeah.
15:03They've taught me how much honey varies
15:06and what a good product, you know,
15:08locally produced honey is, really.
15:10And it's just been very enjoyable, Matt.
15:12I bet.
15:16You know what they say, no bees, no people.
15:19Exactly.
15:20People just don't get that, do they?
15:22How important they are to us, to the whole planet.
15:26I was just looking at those links.
15:28They're beautiful, aren't they?
15:29They are lovely, yes.
15:30We buy those every week.
15:31Oh, every...
15:32So you're obviously a regular, then?
15:33I am.
15:34Local stuff, best eggs there are in town.
15:36Are you aware of the link of this place and the archers?
15:39Oh, I love the archers.
15:40Do you love the archers?
15:41And did you know that this is the farm shop
15:44that the production team take inspiration from?
15:47Well, there you go.
15:48Did you not know that?
15:48Oh, no, I didn't, but I listen to the archers every week.
15:52I do it Sunday, but you get an all-in-one go.
15:55That's a big day, then, if you've got the archers,
15:57the full omnibus, and then you've got Countryfile on Sunday night.
16:00I mean, how do you get everything done?
16:03Malcolm, you all right?
16:04Nice to see you.
16:05Karen was telling me that you've whiled away many hours
16:08listening to the archers on the road.
16:09Oh, who hasn't?
16:10And what is it about the archers that you like some of us?
16:13I think people just connect to it, really.
16:15It's just everyday life.
16:17And the ethos that the archers has,
16:19that kind of, you know, local community...
16:22Down to earth.
16:24Just that, really, isn't it?
16:24Yeah.
16:25Now, Britain's coast and countryside are in high demand,
16:37not just from tourists, but as places to live.
16:40That's led to issues over the number of second homes
16:43in rural communities,
16:44and whether demand for them is pricing local people
16:48out of the housing market.
16:49So what impact are new rules on second homes
16:52and increased council tax rates having in these areas?
16:56Daciani investigates.
16:58It's late summer on Cornwall's north coast,
17:01and I'm in Pulseth in the parish of St Minver,
17:04a resort which attracts thousands of visitors each year.
17:08But behind the buzz of beach life,
17:10there are tensions over who gets to call this place home.
17:14Here, well over a third of the 1,000-plus properties
17:17are second homes.
17:19It's the highest concentration in Cornwall.
17:22Whilst many may be occupied today,
17:25outside of holiday season,
17:26these places can sit empty for weeks, even months,
17:30whilst their owners live elsewhere.
17:33In recent years, frustrations over the issue of second homes
17:37have come to the surface,
17:39with protesters claiming they were pricing locals
17:42out of the housing market.
17:43The UK government says it recognises that too many second homes
17:48and holiday lets can be a problem,
17:51and in April gave councils in England powers
17:53to charge double council tax on second homes.
17:57Victoria Mead has lived in St Minver for over 30 years.
18:01She runs pottery classes from her gallery in nearby Wadebridge,
18:05and, to make ends meet, helps manage holiday lets.
18:09Like many here, she has to navigate the balance
18:12between tourism and affordable living.
18:15Victoria, you look like you've got a busy day ahead of you.
18:18Can I help with anything?
18:20No, I'm fine.
18:21I'm just about set up now.
18:23Your gallery relies on tourism.
18:26So how do you feel about holiday lets
18:27and second homes in the area?
18:29So it's quite complicated,
18:32but they've always been here,
18:33and I wouldn't have a business without them.
18:36How have you seen the atmosphere here change
18:39over the last 15 or so years?
18:41There is quite a lot of more animosity
18:43about the visitors that come down,
18:46obviously because they are buying up houses
18:48that would have originally been for the locals.
18:54It's a difficult issue.
18:55Second homes are good for business,
18:57but Victoria's only able to live locally
19:00thanks to a community land trust,
19:01an organisation that allowed her to build
19:04and then own her first home.
19:06She says the lack of affordable housing
19:08means fewer young families living locally.
19:11How do you feel that this lack of affordable housing
19:13is affecting young people and the wider community?
19:16We are in a significant ageing community
19:19and the youngsters are being sold out.
19:24So young families can't afford to live here,
19:27which then impacts on the children.
19:30I was a Cub Scout leader.
19:32I'm not anymore.
19:33There wasn't enough Cubs to run it.
19:37And what about the schools?
19:39So when my children were small,
19:42we didn't know whether or not
19:46they would get into the school.
19:49There were so many kids coming to St. Minbury,
19:52and now they are combining classes.
19:55It marks a rapid shift.
19:58Victoria's youngest has only just left school.
20:01Meanwhile, her eldest Ben works in construction
20:04and hopes to build an independent life in the area.
20:08Hey, Ben.
20:09Hey.
20:10What's it like trying to find somewhere
20:11to rent or buy here as a young person?
20:14Yeah, it's really tough.
20:15I've tried multiple times.
20:16Me and my mates find a place to rent.
20:18There's absolutely nowhere.
20:19I used to have a caravan, but when it was just too much.
20:23Do many of your friends still live in the area?
20:25Unfortunately not.
20:27Five or six of them have just moved up to Bath in Bristol
20:29for an easier place to stay,
20:32which is crazy,
20:33because they've been just as much, really.
20:35But it's just ever so slightly less than what you pay here.
20:40Cornwall has now introduced the double council tax on second homes,
20:44meaning those homeowners are facing annual bills
20:47as high as around £10,000,
20:50depending on the size of the property.
20:52And it seems many other councils are keen on the idea too.
20:57A Freedom of Information request from Countryfile
20:59to nearly 80 rural councils in England
21:02revealed that 55 of them are already charging,
21:05or planning to charge, double council tax
21:08on just over 90,000 second homes.
21:11It's too soon to know what impact that will have in England.
21:15While Scotland introduced similar measures a year earlier,
21:18I'm now on the road to Wales,
21:20where the government have moved much more quickly
21:22on changing the rules.
21:25Councils in Wales have been able to charge double council tax
21:28on second homes since 2017,
21:31and two years ago,
21:32they were able to increase that charge
21:34to four times the normal council tax bill.
21:37So where's that money going?
21:39Gwynedd, which has the most second homes in Wales,
21:42set the premium at two and a half times the standard rate.
21:46The council says more than £10 million
21:48has been invested in affordable housing,
21:51and it's funded a grant scheme
21:52to bring 112 empty properties
21:55back into use for local people.
21:57Here in Neven, a small coastal town,
21:59Owain at Merthen is one of the beneficiaries.
22:03Owain, hello.
22:04Hiya, nice to meet you.
22:05A £15,000 grant helped him renovate a three-bed terrace,
22:10which had been an empty second home.
22:13What a beautiful home.
22:15Yeah, it didn't look like this when I got the keys.
22:18I mean, take me back to that moment.
22:19What was that like?
22:20Excitement and also pride
22:22of being able to buy my first home
22:25in my local area, the area that I grew up in.
22:28And what's the history behind this house?
22:30What was going on with it before you got the keys?
22:32So it was a second home for a couple.
22:35I think they owned it for around 10 years,
22:38and then before that,
22:40there was an old lady that lived here.
22:43Outside, there's still plenty to do.
22:46So this is the garden here.
22:48There are a lot of second homes in the area.
22:50How do you think local people feel about it?
22:54Quite against it, I'd say.
22:56People aren't very fond of them,
22:58just because young people can't afford to buy houses in the area.
23:02I'm against it,
23:03and it's great to actually see the council
23:05trying to do something about it.
23:08This grant was a massive help to me.
23:09I couldn't have bought this home without their help.
23:15Just five minutes away in Morvan Nevin,
23:17there's a very different story.
23:20Second homeowner Tom Williams is selling up
23:22after more than 20 years
23:23because of the council tax premium.
23:26It was a tough decision.
23:28His family have Welsh roots,
23:29and Tom has been visiting the coastal village
23:31since the 60s.
23:32What a lovely family home.
23:35I wasn't expecting it to feel so lived in.
23:38Oh, well, we've had it a long time.
23:40It's our home.
23:41So lots of memories.
23:42Oh, lots and lots.
23:44Tom hoped to pass the home to his children,
23:46but knowing they'd be facing
23:48a £7,000 annual council tax bill,
23:51he put it on the market last April.
23:53We've had two viewings in 19 months.
23:57Does that come as a shock to you?
24:00In one way, yes, yes.
24:02Yeah, I thought we,
24:04because of the location of this house
24:06and what's attracted it to us,
24:09would be a selling point.
24:11Do you believe that these measures
24:12introduced are unfair?
24:14I think they've gone about it the wrong way.
24:17It's not going to solve the problem.
24:19It just becomes another source of revenue
24:22for local councils who are always needing money.
24:25There will be some people who will say
24:27we're desperate to get onto the property ladder
24:28and we simply can't
24:29because some people have bought up
24:32too many properties.
24:33Even if the second home properties
24:35came down in price,
24:37which I think is probably
24:38what they're trying to do,
24:41can people still afford them?
24:43But I suppose what some people would say
24:45is this allows first home owners
24:47to move on up the chain,
24:49which then frees up cheaper properties
24:51for first-time buyers
24:52to get onto the property ladder.
24:53That's a theory.
24:54My generation are living longer,
24:56so we're staying in properties longer.
25:01No one's building cheap properties.
25:04Councils have known this for decades.
25:08What have they done about it?
25:10Nothing.
25:10The latest figures show a 5% decline
25:15in sales of second homes
25:16and holiday lets in Gwynedd.
25:18But the Welsh government says
25:19it's too early to make claims
25:21about council tax premiums
25:23leading to a drop in house prices there.
25:26So, what do local councils
25:28hope they can achieve with these charges?
25:31Jake Berryman, leader of Powys Council,
25:33represents the Welsh Local Government Association.
25:35So, longer term,
25:38what we'd like to see
25:39is a greater balance
25:40so that the homeless families
25:44that we have locally,
25:45those on the housing register,
25:46have more options, more choices
25:48at a more affordable rate.
25:50What would you say
25:51to some second homeowners
25:52who feel that they have bought
25:53in communities,
25:55they contribute to the local economy,
25:56and now they feel
25:57that they're being penalised
25:59for doing so?
26:00Yeah, I think what they have to recognise
26:03is this isn't about them.
26:05This is about community.
26:07Having dark windows
26:08throughout the winter
26:09really isn't helping us long term
26:11in terms of shops and schools
26:13and actually cementing
26:15community cohesion.
26:18Do you have some sympathy
26:19for their financial position?
26:20I understand the impacts
26:22and the real distress,
26:24but let's be fair,
26:25it is really a 21st century problem
26:28to worry about your second home
26:30when I've got 3,000 people
26:32on the housing waiting list here
26:34that either don't have
26:36their first home of choice
26:37or don't have a home at all.
26:40One other rule
26:41that's been introduced
26:42right across Wales
26:43to help address the impact
26:44of large numbers
26:45of second homes
26:46and holiday lets
26:47is also proving controversial.
26:49It means holiday lets
26:50which aren't rented out
26:51often enough
26:52can be classed as second homes
26:54and may then have to pay
26:55the higher council tax bills
26:57rather than cheaper business rates.
26:59Now in England and Scotland
27:01your holiday home
27:02only needs to be let out
27:03for 70 days a year.
27:05But in Wales
27:06since April 2023
27:08the bar's been raised
27:09to 182 days
27:11or half the year.
27:15So how's that playing
27:16out on the ground?
27:17The Welsh Government
27:18says 60% of holiday lets
27:20in Wales
27:21are hitting that target
27:22meaning the rest
27:24may have to pay
27:25council tax instead.
27:27That's a big worry
27:28for Sally Evans.
27:30Like many other farmers
27:31she's diversified
27:32into holiday rentals.
27:34Sally, this is a great day
27:35to be hanging out washing.
27:37I know, perfect, isn't it?
27:3815 years ago
27:40she converted
27:40a run-down barn
27:42into three holiday lets
27:43on her family's
27:44third generation farm
27:45in Kairis, Flintshire.
27:47It's a busy morning
27:48while her husband
27:49Philip tends the cattle
27:50Sally handles the changeover.
27:53How often do you have
27:54to do all of this then?
27:55A lot
27:56with there being
27:57three of them
27:58the turnaround days
28:00we've changed them
28:01so that they're not
28:01all on the same day.
28:03I feel bad now
28:04come on
28:04let me help you
28:05let me help you
28:06up the towels.
28:08So you've
28:09been doing this
28:10for 15 years now
28:11Yes.
28:12Have you ever had to pay
28:13council tax
28:14on the cottages?
28:15Unfortunately
28:16yes
28:17yes
28:17when we
28:19first started
28:20in 2010
28:21one of the cottages
28:23didn't actually have
28:24enough bookings
28:25to allow it to be
28:26business rates
28:27which
28:28the Welsh government
28:29were subsidising
28:31at the time.
28:32It was a bit of a shock
28:33to start with
28:33and it was a worry.
28:36Now
28:36with the 182 days
28:38threshold
28:39Sally fears
28:40a hefty council tax bill
28:41if her three holiday lets
28:43fall short.
28:43she says
28:44they're already
28:45delaying
28:45some maintenance
28:46on the farm
28:47because of
28:47tight profit margins.
28:49How important
28:50are these cottages
28:51to the viability
28:52of the farm
28:53as a whole?
28:54Very important
28:54very
28:55one supports
28:56the other
28:57at certain times
28:59of the year
28:59there might be
29:01no money
29:03coming in
29:03from the farming
29:04but hopefully
29:05there is
29:06in the peak times
29:08from the holiday
29:08side of things.
29:09we're certainly
29:10not in an area
29:11here where
29:11we're busy
29:12all year round.
29:13What would you say
29:13to people
29:14who might think
29:15you can't afford
29:16to run these
29:16as holiday cottages
29:17just sell them?
29:19It's part of the farm
29:20we can't sell
29:21this area
29:21without selling
29:22all of it really
29:23and it's our life
29:25so
29:26my husband's future
29:28my son's future
29:30mine
29:32so
29:32it doesn't bear
29:34thinking about
29:34the thought
29:36of having
29:36to sell it.
29:40The Welsh
29:41government
29:41told Countryfile
29:42local councils
29:43already have
29:44discretion
29:44when it comes
29:45to the 182
29:46day threshold
29:47and how they
29:48apply it
29:48to barns
29:49and outbuildings
29:50converted
29:50to holiday lets
29:51and that they're
29:52currently consulting
29:53on some other
29:54small modifications
29:55to the rules.
29:57They said
29:57we believe
29:58that everybody
29:59should have access
29:59to a decent
30:00affordable home
30:01to buy
30:02or to rent
30:03in their own
30:03communities
30:04so they can
30:05live and work
30:06locally.
30:07We are taking
30:07radical action
30:08using the
30:09planning,
30:09property and
30:10taxation systems
30:11to achieve this
30:12as part of
30:13a joined up
30:13package of
30:14solutions
30:14to a complex
30:15set of issues.
30:17The question
30:18now is whether
30:19over time
30:20these measures
30:20will have
30:21the desired
30:22impact
30:22for rural
30:23communities.
30:24Problem's grown
30:25massively over
30:25the last 20
30:26years.
30:27It's still
30:28growing
30:29and it's
30:30about time
30:31that the local
30:31council step in
30:32and try and do
30:33something about it.
30:34I think
30:35second homeowners
30:36are easily
30:37identified,
30:39easily pilloried.
30:41What's the expression?
30:42Low-hanging fruit?
30:43Yeah.
30:44Yeah.
30:44Let's go for
30:46these people.
30:46The aim of the archers
31:04is to stay true
31:05to agricultural life
31:07and in order
31:07to do this
31:08a dedicated
31:09production team
31:10visit farms
31:11across the UK
31:12to breathe
31:13real farming
31:14experiences
31:14into the characters
31:15of Ambridge.
31:23Sybil Rusko
31:24works behind
31:25the scenes
31:26as a farming
31:26and rural
31:27affairs consultant.
31:30My job
31:31means that
31:32I basically
31:33try and hunt
31:33out all the
31:35farming and
31:36countryside stories
31:37that are the
31:38backdrop
31:39to the drama
31:40on the archers.
31:43Today we're on
31:44the Shropshire Welsh
31:45border
31:46and I'm going
31:46to visit
31:47Hannah Edwards
31:48at her hill farm
31:49which is just
31:50between Shrewsbury
31:51and Welshpool.
31:52She's a dairy farmer
31:53and Hannah
31:55is a young farmer
31:56who's been
31:57really generous
31:58sharing her
32:00challenges
32:00and the things
32:02that are happening
32:03to her
32:03and her farm
32:04at the moment.
32:06And today
32:06Sybil's
32:07hoping to get
32:08more ideas
32:08for future
32:09storylines.
32:11So how have you
32:12been since I
32:13saw you last
32:14winter?
32:15Yeah I finally
32:16feel like I'm
32:16getting somewhere
32:17now.
32:18My heifers
32:18are starting
32:18to come through
32:19which were
32:20first born
32:21when I took
32:22over.
32:23So how many
32:24have you got
32:24in the field
32:25now?
32:25How many are
32:26milking?
32:26There's 75
32:27milking at the
32:28moment.
32:29But look at
32:29this grass.
32:31Yeah welcome
32:31to the hilltop
32:32desert.
32:33This was actually
32:34a silage field
32:35so I managed
32:35to get one
32:37and you
32:38wouldn't call
32:39the second
32:39cut a cut
32:40really.
32:41There was
32:41nothing on
32:42the banks.
32:43So with so
32:44little grass
32:44you're having
32:45to bulk out
32:46the feed
32:46at milking
32:46are you?
32:47Yeah they
32:48just come out
32:48here to look
32:49at the soil
32:49and admire
32:50the view.
32:52The quality
32:52of the milk
32:53actually dropped
32:54when it was
32:55really hot.
32:56I saw a
32:57reduction in
32:57protein and
32:58butterfat.
33:00What does
33:00this lack of
33:01grass do to
33:02the condition
33:02of the cows?
33:04So obviously
33:04I've had to
33:05delve into
33:06the winter
33:07forage stocks
33:08which were
33:09considerably less
33:10compared to
33:12previous years.
33:13What are you
33:13paying yourself
33:14nowadays?
33:15So the first
33:15two years
33:16I was paying
33:17myself 41
33:18pence per
33:19hour.
33:1941 pence?
33:21But I've
33:22given myself
33:23a wage rise
33:24so £1 an
33:26hour at the
33:26moment.
33:27Why do you
33:27do it?
33:27Um just
33:30because I
33:30love it
33:31really.
33:33We'll see
33:34it might get
33:34easier as
33:35time goes
33:35on.
33:36I'm only
33:36this is only
33:37my third
33:37year in
33:38business.
33:38Early
33:39days.
33:40Yeah.
33:40Early
33:41days.
33:41Rome wasn't
33:42built in a
33:42day was it?
33:43Nor was a
33:44fine dairy
33:45herd that
33:46pays more
33:47than pound
33:48an hour.
33:48Yeah.
33:48Hannah this
33:59silage clump
34:00is looking a
34:01little bit
34:01low.
34:02I suppose
34:02you've been
34:03eating into
34:04this already
34:04your cattle
34:05yeah?
34:06Yeah they've
34:06been fed all
34:07summer because
34:08not much grass
34:09has grown really.
34:10How much
34:10short are you
34:11now of silage
34:12would you say
34:13for the winter?
34:13About 200
34:14tonne.
34:15So have you
34:16got to buy
34:16that in now?
34:17Try to but
34:19everyone's trying
34:20to buy it so
34:21it's hard to
34:22find it.
34:23How much of a
34:23worry is that
34:24then?
34:25Well all
34:26through the
34:27summer I've
34:27been saying
34:28nature sorts
34:28itself out in
34:29the end.
34:31But yeah now
34:32I'm starting to
34:33worry a bit to
34:33be honest.
34:34It's going to
34:34be a very
34:35expensive winter
34:36for a lot of
34:37farmers.
34:39It's really
34:40useful for me
34:41to be able to
34:41spend some time
34:42with Hannah to
34:43ask the questions
34:45that really drill
34:45down into the
34:46finances and
34:47of the farm
34:47because of
34:48course that's
34:49going to affect
34:49all our farms
34:50in Ambridge over
34:52the winter.
34:53This question of
34:54a lovely hot
34:55summer we've had
34:56that we've all
34:57been enjoying
34:57but for farmers
34:58it is going to
34:59put real pressure
35:00on what they've
35:01got to feed
35:03their animals
35:04on this winter
35:04so it's really
35:06really useful
35:07to me.
35:12Go on then.
35:13Up.
35:13What's happening
35:16here is Hannah
35:17has got 70 cows
35:19to milk so she
35:20has to look
35:21after their
35:21udders first
35:22with a wife
35:22then the teats
35:24go on
35:24the milk
35:25gets flowing
35:26and then as soon
35:27as the cow's
35:29given her milk
35:30the teats
35:31fall off
35:31and away they
35:32go.
35:33Milking 70 cows
35:35is a big job
35:37and it's really
35:37great for me
35:38to be in the
35:39milking parlour.
35:41It's a long time
35:42since I've done
35:43that.
35:44I feel quite proud
35:45of myself.
35:47How long does it
35:48take you to milk
35:4970 cows?
35:51From start to finish
35:52it's just two
35:52hours.
35:53And how's your
35:54milk price at the
35:54minute?
35:5543 pence at the
35:56moment.
35:57It's okay.
35:58What was the
35:59highest you got?
36:00I got up to
36:0148 pence in
36:02January so that's
36:03good.
36:03So with all that
36:04trouble with
36:05winter porridge
36:07you could do with
36:08a much higher price
36:09couldn't you than
36:0943?
36:10Yeah.
36:11Do you think
36:11you'll get it?
36:12Do you think
36:12there'll be movement?
36:13Maybe it just
36:14depends if there's
36:16a shortage of milk
36:17I suppose but the
36:18way things are
36:19going I think some
36:19farmers will be
36:20forced to pack up.
36:22This has been such
36:26a useful day for
36:27me for storylines
36:28for the archers
36:29and I'm absolutely
36:30certain that a lot
36:32of what I've heard
36:33today and
36:34rediscovered will
36:35appear in some of
36:36our storylines.
36:37I won't say too
36:38much about which
36:39ones but if you
36:41listen out to the
36:42archers I'm sure
36:43you'll spot them.
36:52well it's the perfect
36:57day for mulling around
36:58the fictional village
36:59of Ambridge catching
37:00up on some fictional
37:01gossip but the
37:02question is what real
37:03drama will the weather
37:05throw at us this week?
37:06Let's find out with a
37:07country file five day
37:08forecast.
37:09Hi there good
37:16evening there's been a
37:17lot of heavy rain for
37:18many parts of the UK so
37:19far this month in fact
37:21the most recent
37:22Environment Agency
37:23report just for England
37:24states that in the first
37:25nine days of the month
37:27we see nearly half of the
37:28average monthly rainfall
37:30the same amount as in the
37:31whole of August.
37:32Still some regions in
37:33drought though particularly
37:34across northern England
37:36and parts of the
37:37Midlands there is more
37:38wet weather though as we
37:40head through the rest of
37:41the week it's still
37:42looking very unsettled a
37:43very strong jet stream
37:44we'll run the pressure
37:45chart through for the
37:45week so that strong jet
37:47stream propelling all of
37:48these areas of low
37:49pressure our way.
37:51However towards the end
37:52of the week the jet
37:53stream starts to buckle
37:55and that's when we lose
37:56confidence in the
37:57forecast so do keep
37:59checking the forecast
38:00you can do that on the
38:01BBC weather app because
38:02there's some debate
38:03between all of the
38:04different weather models.
38:05We do know that tonight
38:06and Monday are going to
38:08be really very windy
38:09indeed there's a Met
38:10Office weather warning
38:11in force for England
38:11and Wales for strong
38:13winds coastal gales
38:14large waves and all of
38:15this could lead to some
38:17disruption there'll be a
38:17lot of heavy rain too
38:18we've seen some flooding
38:20over the last couple of
38:21hours I'll say across
38:21parts of Carmarthenshire
38:22still some more showers
38:23packing in overnight
38:24the wrap around across
38:26northern Scotland
38:26some more heavy rain
38:27here gusts of wind in
38:29land of up to 45 to 50
38:30miles an hour stronger
38:32than that towards exposed
38:33coasts and hills but is
38:35a mild night to come
38:36a lot milder than it
38:37was last night certainly
38:38when temperatures for
38:39many dropped back to
38:40mid single figures and
38:42then tomorrow it's just
38:42more of the same it
38:43stays very windy indeed
38:45across England and
38:45Wales here's some sunny
38:47spells but also some
38:48heavy showers some of
38:49them thundery cloud and
38:51longer spells of rain
38:52further north across
38:53parts of Scotland at
38:54northern England and
38:55northern Ireland here
38:56are the wind gusts so
38:57still gusts of wind out
38:58towards parts of western
38:59Wales up to 60 to 70
39:01miles an hour
39:01potentially temperatures
39:02you won't notice them
39:04too much it's all about
39:05the strength of the
39:05winds and of course more
39:06heavy rain but on
39:09on Monday night that
39:10area of low pressure
39:11pulls out into the
39:12North Sea the isobars
39:13open and the winds are
39:15going to lighten
39:15considerably still rather
39:16blustery towards Irish
39:17seacoast though throughout
39:19the day on Tuesday
39:19still a few more showers
39:21around but generally dry
39:22across many parts of
39:23England and Wales
39:24few showers in the mix
39:25and turning drier too
39:26across the far north
39:27but another area of low
39:29pressure is approaching
39:31from the southwest and
39:32here it is now some of
39:33our weather models are
39:35bringing this low a
39:36little further north so
39:37that will change the
39:38position of the heaviest
39:39of the rain and perhaps
39:40the strongest of the
39:41winds but most of the
39:42rain is going to be
39:42falling overnight on
39:44Tuesday into Wednesday
39:45so on Wednesday it will
39:46begin to clear away
39:47towards the east there
39:48a few showers following
39:49on behind for the north
39:50and the west but the
39:51sun could come out and
39:52if it does this will
39:53help to lift the
39:54temperatures back up into
39:56the low 20s in
39:57celsius once again
39:58and into Thursday
40:00it's a rather messy
40:01looking picture
40:02rain clearing away
40:03from the far north
40:03of Scotland
40:04it's all about this
40:04trailing front across
40:06the central swathe of
40:07the UK
40:08again temperatures in
40:09the far southeast
40:09could peak in the
40:11low 20s in celsius
40:12elsewhere the mid to
40:13the high teens
40:14and that trailing front
40:15is still with us
40:16as we head through
40:17Friday again bringing
40:18more rain across parts
40:19of north Wales
40:20into northern England
40:22perhaps showers across
40:23the far north of
40:24Scotland
40:24a lot of dry weather
40:25towards the south
40:26and the north of
40:28the UK too
40:29here are the
40:30temperatures
40:30so if we just
40:32take a look at
40:32the outlook for
40:34some areas as we
40:35head through the
40:36rest of the week
40:36you can see that
40:37things may well
40:38settle down
40:39weather-wise at
40:40least in Ambridge
40:41by the time
40:42get to the weekend
40:43bye for now
40:56we've been on a
40:58journey of fact and
40:59fiction as we've been
41:00exploring some of the
41:01locations that have
41:02inspired storylines for
41:04the long-running radio
41:05soap the archers
41:06we were amazed that
41:09really and truly it was
41:10the archers farm
41:11but before we jump into
41:14another world of real
41:15life and drama
41:16John and Pudsey are
41:18here to let you know
41:19how you can support
41:20BBC Children in Need
41:21let's get ready to ramble
41:26the countryfire ramble for
41:28BBC Children in Need
41:302025 will be on your
41:32screens on the 5th of
41:33October
41:34and get your paws on one
41:37of these a BBC Children in
41:39Need bobble hat
41:40perfect colour match for
41:42you isn't it I think
41:43there you are Pudsey
41:44to get yours find all the
41:47details on the countryfire
41:48website I think we might
41:50have to try and get you a
41:51bigger one Pudsey
41:52by rambling together we'll
41:57help children across the
41:58UK live their best lives
42:00children like Ellie
42:04Ellie lives in Staffordshire
42:08with her mum Teresa
42:10I loves to take part in
42:13anything from cycling
42:14swimming
42:15I actually recently did
42:18paddle boarding on the
42:21lake I think I'm alright
42:23I only fell in once or
42:25twice
42:25she's as mad as a box of
42:27frogs she's got an
42:28absolute heart of gold and
42:29she puts everybody else
42:30before herself she's very
42:31determined she's determined
42:33to overcome everything that
42:34life throws at her and
42:35tries always to make it a
42:37positive
42:37Ellie was born with
42:41achondroplasia now age 13
42:44she doesn't let anything hold
42:46her back
42:47achondroplasia is a form of
42:50dwarfism where you are you
42:52have significantly shorter
42:54arms and legs but you still
42:56have the same length of body
42:59Ellie has unfortunately
43:02inherited some complications
43:04like anybody else with dwarfism
43:06the ears the nose the throat
43:09affected respiratory can be
43:10affected
43:11I have a lot of pain and
43:13discomfort in my legs and my
43:15elbows and my elbows are
43:17actually dislocated permanently
43:19most days I'm in pain
43:21achondroplasia is the most
43:24common form of dwarfism
43:26occurring in about one in every
43:2825,000 births
43:31it's a condition which can also
43:33lead to mobility issues
43:34physically we struggle to get out
43:39far distances but we like to go
43:41places we like to sit and
43:43people watch we reflect on the
43:45week and reset for the week
43:47ahead these dark days and these
43:49good days and there's every day
43:51in between
43:51living with dwarfism in a world
43:56for average height is quite hard
43:58because obviously we are
44:00significantly shorter than
44:01others so obviously counters and
44:05sinks are a lot higher and you
44:08can't reach you know you can't talk
44:10to people you have to look up
44:11it's just it's not fair and it's
44:14not nice
44:14when I leave the house I can get
44:21laughed at stared at taking photos
44:24I've talked about videos and just
44:27treated up like I'm dressed in a
44:29clown outfit it's like we're aliens
44:31they've came down from space it
44:33makes you feel quite isolated
44:34there has been times where Ellie
44:38hasn't wanted to leave the house
44:39because it's easier to stay at home
44:41in a safe space than to go and be
44:43subject to that every day
44:45it makes you just want to kind of
44:48hide yourself and want to change
44:49yourself but obviously you can't
44:51change yourself
44:52you try and just throw your hands up
44:54and say at the end of the day we are
44:56all the same
44:56it's like I think of it as a M&M
45:00on the outside you're all different
45:02colours and different but on the inside
45:04you're still the same no matter what
45:06while navigating the realities of
45:09living with dwarfism Ellie has also had
45:12to face the challenges of living with a
45:14seriously ill parent
45:16when Ellie was three Charlie my husband
45:21Ellie's dad had a massive life-changing
45:22stroke that left him unable to talk
45:26walk, walk, eat, need round-the-clock care
45:29there's been several times where we've
45:31had phone calls this could be it
45:33so Ellie's kind of lost a bit more of a
45:36dad each time
45:37during her dad's illness Ellie started
45:40spending time with a nearby family and
45:42their two dogs Ollie and Maisie who were
45:46by her side when her dad tragically
45:48passed away last Christmas
45:50this is Maisie and this is Ollie
45:56Maisie's crazy and running around and
46:03Ollie's just sitting chill
46:04when I found out my dad passed and the
46:09dogs were there they gave me the
46:10reassurance and they was with me and
46:13they just make me feel at home and
46:15take all the worries away
46:17throughout her life and especially
46:20during this difficult time Ellie has
46:22been helped by a very special
46:24organization little people UK is a
46:27charity supported by BBC children in
46:29need offering friendship and support to
46:32the dwarfism community little people UK
46:35is like a place where like the weight
46:39gets lifted off your shoulders you can
46:40smile you can laugh and it makes your
46:43cheeks hurt because you're smiling so much
46:45ever since LP UK
46:49like going out is alright and yet it's
46:51still hard but LP UK have helped that
46:54and now looking out the future is
46:56brighter because I have a group chat
46:58which is with people from LP UK and we
47:01talk about when we go out how it feels
47:03and what we feel and most of the time
47:05they go oh wow that's happened to me as
47:07well and it makes you feel like okay
47:09that's fine that's normal it's okay to
47:11feel like this it's obviously not okay to
47:13have to go through it but it's okay to
47:15have this feeling and they've helped you
47:17like love your body and be more
47:19confident and not to be ashamed of it
47:21thanks in part to BBC children in need
47:25funding little people UK are able to
47:27offer events and resources for children
47:30with dwarfism helping them feel included
47:33within the community little people UK
47:37every year do something called the
47:39positive the unique award and Ellie
47:41actually won it and it was presented to
47:43her by Warwick Davies at the time Ellie got
47:46overwhelmed and went under the table so
47:48Ellie was under the table and so was
47:50Warwick presenting the trophy under the
47:52table and it's something that will stay
47:54with us forever but I remember feeling
47:56quite like oh wow what what's this and
47:58like quite have I really won this and
48:01feeling proud because obviously but
48:03there's a lot of like negatives with
48:04dwarfism and then when you get that
48:06positive for dwarfism it makes you feel
48:08better in yourself and it makes you go
48:10like wow I cut like me no way but like
48:13really
48:14I was emotional mess so actually seeing it
48:19to get this award kind of hit home that
48:21I have got an amazing child and she's
48:23inspirational he inspires me to see
48:26Ellie at these events she's a different
48:28child completely she gets so much out of
48:31it she buzzes at the fact that she's the
48:34same as everybody else the people I met
48:37LP UK are incredible they're definitely
48:41friends for a lifetime it's just a place
48:43where you make loads of memories that will
48:45last forever
48:51projects like little people UK can help
48:55change the lives of young people like
48:58Ellie and this is where you can help
49:01you can donate any amount of money online
49:04to BBC children in need by scanning the
49:08QR code on your screen right now or head
49:11to bbc.co.uk forward slash country farm
49:14or to donate 5 10 20 30 or 40 pounds text the
49:22word 5 10 20 30 or 40 to 70705
49:29text will cost your donation amount plus
49:33your standard network message charge and
49:36a hundred percent of your donation will
49:39go to BBC children in need you must be
49:4216 or over and please ask the bill payers
49:45permission for full terms and more
49:48information go to bbc.co.uk
49:504 slash country farm
49:52archers country might be rooted in
50:07Worcestershire but it's shaped by rural
50:10life from beyond its borders including
50:13neighboring Gloucestershire
50:14here in the Cotswold town of Chipping
50:20Camden the residents have a passion in
50:23common with the residents of Ambridge
50:25cricket in fact the cricket club here
50:28has been used for research for the
50:30archers over the years
50:31you know summer's really here when
50:35you're sitting on the boundary watching
50:37the cricket match in a dramatic comeback
50:41worthy of an archers plotline the
50:43Chipping Camden cricket club has gone
50:45from the doldrums to a strong second
50:48innings with help from the local
50:50community the butcher the builder and
50:53the sandwich maker 10 years ago the
50:56Chipping Camden cricket club was
50:58suffering from dwindling participation and
51:01tired facilities but the community rallied
51:04together to rejuvenate the club a process
51:07kick-started with the founding of a new
51:09juniors team and the building of a new
51:12pavilion ground manager Ian Harrison was
51:15one of many local people spearheading this
51:18ambitious project hi Ian oh yeah you all right I had no idea your pavilion was
51:24going to be quite so palatial it's quite nice it's really quite nice so how did you go from a
51:31club not doing very well to this a lot of hard work a lot of volunteers and a long
51:39journey but we're getting there who built this then we did we sold a little
51:46parcel of the ground off the deal was the developers were going to put the
51:50pavilion up for us and then I stuck my hand up in the middle of a committee
51:54meeting and said nah we can do that ourselves the whole ethos as a committee
52:00when we decided to take it on ourselves and build it ourselves was we're going to
52:05build it as locally as we can using everybody that we know so we use the
52:10local independent builders merchants we built it within the skill set of the
52:16committee why were you so determined to keep cricket going here it matters
52:21doesn't it in the community to have something to focus on I have never played
52:25cricket in my life why not try now I can think of so many reasons so many
52:30reasons okay see you later
52:35one of the clubs players is local butcher Dave Moore who's been involved with the
52:40cricket club for 13 years and has witnessed its revival hi okay and for
52:49him it's a real family affair currently I am the second team captain my son
52:55currently plays in the first team my daughter is part of the club she looks
52:59after the clubhouse my wife was the treasurer so you are really involved in
53:03this cricket yeah they're pretty pretty involved what about the actual cricket
53:07how good are you we have our moments because obviously some of the research
53:11for the cricket club in Ambridge yeah is is based on on your club and and the
53:16cricket club in Ambridge I mean they've had a terrible season that that is not
53:20based on you no we're not doing too badly the firsts are actually quite good
53:25seconds so not so good but we're a bit older we're there for the social side of
53:31things despite village clubs facing difficulties across England and Wales
53:37cricket on the whole is regaining popularity this trend is driven by an
53:43upsurge of junior women's and mixed teams which is reflected in an arches
53:49storyline actually I've been playing cricket cricket well training they call
53:57it now so you've joined a women's team no this is the Ambridge team they're
54:03taking women now so here I am already to try cricket wearing a shirt from my
54:11favorite fictional team sponsored by completely fictional company I opted for
54:17softball and so ditched the helmet and thankfully there is a willing volunteer
54:22on hand to coach me one of Chipping Camden's star players Joanna Postens
54:27hello hello so I have all the gear and no idea come and have a go so have you
54:35ever played never never ever it's a fantastic game very easy really yeah just
54:41watch the ball and you'll be fine okay I'll be playing for the England ladies
54:45next year yeah don't hold your breath shall I just do you a demo yeah go on
54:50so you stand do you want to come this side okay I was always taught you have to
54:55sort of stand as if you're sitting on the loo okay okay and it's a great thing to
55:01remember because you don't want to be you're rigid but you want a bit of
55:05flexibility so you're not sort of bending no you're not bending yeah actually that
55:08is a really useful tip yeah and you just want to feel relaxed but your bat is
55:13facing downwards and then literally you can lift it yeah and then you just
55:19follow through so I've always thought of it as a pendulum like a grandfather
55:23clock it's up and down up and down Katie's a fantastic bowler and just have a swing and
55:33have a go okay
55:36you are a natural Charlotte it's made my year
55:44brilliant oh I really like that have you really never picked up about it I'm
55:51not sure how it would be if Katie actually bowled properly though would
55:54you like to have one go with her okay Katie do one proper one Katie and let's
55:59see if I've got any chance at all fantastic there you go yeah I think I
56:07might be taking up cricket oh I'm out thank you that was great thank you so
56:16much that was brilliant really good really good you've got a budding new
56:20cricketer for I know I think we need you and for players like Joanna and Katie the
56:26fun doesn't stop at the end of the innings so in the archers one of the
56:33things that that comes through is the importance of the cricket team for a
56:36place to meet a place to chat a place I mean all the things that actually aren't
56:40cricket totally totally you know they're about 50 60 volunteers and and it's part
56:45of part of being a member here yeah absolutely nobody escapes yes you could
56:51just come down and play but actually you'd be missing out on so much more it's
56:55being part of that team it's being part of a club it's what it's I think it's
56:59what makes Chipping Camden what it is it is it is a team effort everybody pulls
57:03their way and that's that's why it works
57:07well consider me bowled over I am officially a cricket convert
57:14Charlotte you look like a pro you look like a pro look at you and it's really fun
57:24do you want to have a go uh yeah you can bowl okay because I can't ready he's trying to psych me out it's not working well it might be working oh good excellent
57:41I really enjoyed that it's really fun isn't it honestly you've got real talent there
57:46oh I don't think I'd go that far but I really enjoyed it village cricket is the
57:49way forward has this episode been everything that you hoped it would be as
57:52an archers fan honestly has been but it doesn't end here though does it it does not
57:56because tonight on BBC Radio 4 you will hear the archers and a familiar voice are
58:01you in the cricket team I'm not in the cricket team but I am in the archers tonight yes
58:07to hear my archers debut head to BBC sounds and search for the archers
58:18did it did it did it come on I'll do one more before we do okay
58:21expanding horizons and mucking about rob and rylan their new series passage to india starts tonight
58:32at nine on BBC two another duo who muck about quite a bit stacy and joe press red to watch their new
58:39adventures on iPlayer now
58:51and I'll see you next time
Be the first to comment