An edition of the Tyne Tees Television rural affair programme Landmark presented by Eric Robson. In this edition a report on BBC Radio Cumbria's farming journalist Charlie Guest followed by a report and heated discussion about the ethics of the UK fur trade. The programme ends with a report on Northumberland Young Farmers who travelled to Blackpool by pump trolley. Title: Landmark The first report follows BBC Radio Cumbria, based in Carlisle, reporter Charlie Guest who's...

An edition of the Tyne Tees Television rural affair programme Landmark presented by Eric Robson. In this edition a report on BBC Radio Cumbria's farming journalist Charlie Guest followed by a report and heated discussion about the ethics of the UK fur trade. The programme ends with a report on Northumberland Young Farmers who travelled to Blackpool by pump trolley. Title: Landmark The first report follows BBC Radio Cumbria, based in Carlisle, reporter Charlie Guest who's 'Cumbria Farming' programme gives a window onto rural life in the county. Charlie is the only full-time farming journalist in local radio. As well as the programme the station also runs a 'Lamb Bank' in lambing season in which farmers with excess lambs can offer them to farmers who are looking for certain types of sheep. This phone in service started back in 1973 with Charlie's programme acting as a middleman. On average 4000 lambs are changed each year. The programme is also important for its auction mart report. This regular feature provides farmers with prices being offered from the different marts. However, the audience is changing as farming is changing through diversification and he is trying to change with it. Title: Landmark In the second part of the programme a look at the ethics of the fur trade. In the UK there are 55 mink and 6 Arctic fox farms. 2000 females can produce 9000 pelts at £14 per pelt. However, there are concerns with regards overcrowding and escaping Mink. Most of the pelt produced in the UK are exported to Greece and the Far East where they are made into garments which are the imported back to the UK. Inside a fashion boutique Eric Robson interviews Carol McKenna from LYNX the anti-fur group and Ann Murndell from the Fur Breeders' Association. Carol McKenna believes farming for fur is different from other farming as mink and fox are wild animals confined to tiny cages in a barren environment not suited for these active predators. She says that 85% of the general public believe wearing fur is unattractive. Ann Murndell (who is wearing a mink coat Carol says is made from between 40 and 60 mink) disagrees and says that due to breeding these animals are domesticated. The discussion is very heated. The programme ends with members of Northumberland Young Farmers who travelled to their annual conference in Blackpool by pump trolley. It took 19 of them two days to travel the distance which they did to raise money to buy a bed for the spinal unit at Hexham Hospital. At the conference they were awarded 'most ingenious charity wheeze'. Credit: Camera Chris Sutcliffe, Chris Hunt Credit: Sound Paul Gunn, John Stephenson Credit: Electrician Bill Hughes, Alan Fish Credit: Production Assistant Carole McKenzie Credit: Production Secretary Coreen Harvey Credit: Research Catherine Siddall, William Moult Credit: VT Editors Sally Fryer, Kevin Tait Credit: Executive Producer Chris Potter Credit: Director Simon Lawson Credit: Producer Charles Bowden Credit: Waterfront Productions for Tyne Tees Television © MCMLXXXIX