An edition of the Tyne Tees Television rural affair programme Landmark presented by Eric Robson. The first report is an interview with Magnus Magnusson along the beach at Marsden Rock on the history and work of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in this their centenary year. The second report looks at the management of upland moorland and heather and the how Red grouse shooting is important for the continuation of this work and the protection of other bird species. The final report...

An edition of the Tyne Tees Television rural affair programme Landmark presented by Eric Robson. The first report is an interview with Magnus Magnusson along the beach at Marsden Rock on the history and work of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in this their centenary year. The second report looks at the management of upland moorland and heather and the how Red grouse shooting is important for the continuation of this work and the protection of other bird species. The final report looks at the work of Shotley Bridge water definer Edwin Taylor. Title: Landmark In the first item Eric Robson interviews 'Mastermind' presenter and President of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Magnus Magnusson while walking along the beach near Marsden Rock at South Shields. Ornithology or bird watching in the fastest growing hobby in the UK with half-a-million users. It is the RSPB's centenary year and Magnus talks about the history of the society as well as the work it does today being the biggest specialist pressure group in Europe. He talks about the Avocet and Osprey being important symbols for the society. He talks about the dangers facing birds today through loss of habitat as well as the importance of the society's education programme. At Marsden Rock there is a specialist centre that teaches local children about the seabirds who nest in the area. He as talks about education overseas where there is as much danger from people as there once was in the UK. He concludes by saying that the RSPB is not just a pressure group, but a group of people with a love and enjoyment of the environment. Loss of habitat forms part of the next item in this edition. The controlled burn of upland heather and moorland is important in maintaining the habitat for the Red grouse. The money generated from shooting the grouse during the 'glorious twelfth' pays towards the upkeep of moors and protects other birds such as the Black grouse and Merlin. However, due to a change in government subsidies a quarter of moorland has been lost with the over intensive farming of sheep and the planting of conifer trees. Interview with Sir Anthony Milbank, Chairman of the Moorland Association who says that it is in the interest of the land manager to maintain the habitat and that shooting is the only form of active land use that can safeguard the heather. The North Yorkshire Moors National Parks, for example, half its land management budget comes from shooting rights. Interview Tim Cleeves from the RSPB who says that moorland is a tough place to live for both farmers and birds. However, through the management of this land where grouse are in effect 'farmed' other species are protected. However, larger areas are still needed, and the RSPB are working with the Moorland Association to help influence government policy away from more intense sheep farming to a more environmentally sensitive one. Title: Landmark In the second part of the programme Eric Robson meets Edwin Taylor of Mosswood Farm near Shotley Bridge in South Northumberland. For the past 40 years Edwin has been perfecting the use of his whale-bone water diviner. He started after seeing a Canadian use a metal wire diviner on the farm. He has a wide range of users from farmers, landowners as well as the Forestry Commission and The National Trust. He's even worked for two golf courses. With proposal for the privatisation of the water industry he believe there will be a need for his services from people looking to find their own cheaper water supply. He shows Eric how his uses his rod and from what it shows how to calculate the amount or depth of said water source. Anyone can do it, but he still believes it's magic. Eric has a go at divining, but it doesn't work. The report concludes with Edwin saying that today people are more accepting of his talents, but science still can't measure it. Title: Hoi Polloi Film and Video Credit: Camera Chris Sutcliffe Credit: Sound Paul Gunn Credit: Electrician Bill Hughes Credit: Production Secretary Coreen Harvey Credit: Production Assistant Pauline Grant, Caroline McKenzie Credit: Research Crispin Sadler, Catherine Siddall Credit: VT Editors Sally Fryer, Peter Telford Credit: Executive Producer Chris Potter Credit: Director Simon Lawson Credit: Producer Charles Bowden End Credit: Waterfront Productions for Tyne Tees Television © MCMLXXXIX