In this first episode in the series Country Calendar presented by John Noakes and dog Skip, John meeting beekeeper Mike Badger in the studio who as brought with him a beehive to show how a hive works. Next, farmer and long-distance walker Bill Cowley walks part of the Cleveland Way from Saltburn-by-the-Sea to Staithes learning about the industrial heritage of Skinningrove and Boulby and to speak with the lobster fishermen of Staithes. Back in the studio Meteorologist and Belmont weatherman...

In this first episode in the series Country Calendar presented by John Noakes and dog Skip, John meeting beekeeper Mike Badger in the studio who as brought with him a beehive to show how a hive works. Next, farmer and long-distance walker Bill Cowley walks part of the Cleveland Way from Saltburn-by-the-Sea to Staithes learning about the industrial heritage of Skinningrove and Boulby and to speak with the lobster fishermen of Staithes. Back in the studio Meteorologist and Belmont weatherman Michael Hunt along with naturalist Michael Clegg look forward to the winter weather and the forecast for birds. Next, in her first visit to the Nidderdale Show at Pateley Bridge, Marylyn Webb speaks with Geoffrey Farrand Chairman National Gun Dog Association to learn what makes a good gun dog. Finally, on her Balder dale farm, Hannah Hauxwell prepares for winter and discusses her water supply which comes from a spring near her home. Title: Yorkshire Television Colour Production Title: Country Calendar Presenter John Noakes opens the programme, alongside him on the studio sofa is his dog Skip. Title: John Noakes John introduces an item on Yorkshire beekeeper Mike Badger. Mike has brought a live beehive into the studio and John puts on a special beekeeper’s protective hat and veil and joins Mike who is kneeling next to the live hive. It has glass panels so you can observe the bees at work. However, being assured by Mike that everything is safe, John removes the hat. Mike explains that the hive is for display purposes only and is only a section from a standard hive. Mike shows the layout of the hive to John. The top section is where surplus honey can be harvested, the lower section is where bees store food for winter, below that a section is given over for breeding. Title: Mike Badger – Beekeeper Mike explains to John about honey production. The next section of the programme moves to Saltburn and walker and broadcaster Bill Cowley. A view from the promenade down to the sands at Saltburn shows Bill walking across the sands as part of the Cleveland Way. He describes his location and some of its history. The camera picks out the roofs and terraced streets of Skinningrove, south of Saltburn. He explains that only a few years earlier it was a flourishing mining and iron making town. However, it looks more down at heel now as Bill walks past part of a demolished street, he says the town is mostly derelict. A view from the cliff tops looks down at the sea at Skinningrove. Another view shows allotments and racing pigeons; some of the pastimes of the working man. Fishing takes place from the town but only part-timers are involved, but it has become more importance due the general decline in the town. Bill goes on to talk on camera about some local industrial archaeology. He shows an old brick from one of the old blast furnaces which he picks up from a pile of stones on the beach. The film moves on to Staithes further down the coats and general views show several small fishing boats tied to a post in the small harbour, and with the tide out, the boats are beached. Here is Bill says is a professional fishing village with full-time fishermen at work. Three crew members take a motorised coble out to sea. They follow another boat just ahead. Off camera Bill Cowley asks how many full-time fishermen work out of Staithes and the reply is twenty-two. He is also told that nine boats are in operation. On board one of the boats, we see Bill asking the captain about preferred fishing grounds. The captain says they can fish for salmon in a prescribed area owned by the Yorkshire water authority. The crew of another boat ‘Breadwinner’, haul in some lobster pots. Bill off camera talks of the poor lobster and salmon fishing in the area. On another boat the fishermen deploy drift nets to catch salmon. One fisherman says if they catch fifteen to twenty fish that would be a good day’s catch. Once the net is deployed the fishermen must wait for the catch. Bill asks further questions, and although he has been associated with for most of his life, the fisherman says he has only been making a living from it for the past six years. Bill then outlines the financial pressures on the fishermen. The film moves to a view of Bill standing on top of Boulby cliff. Old ironstone mines were made under Boulby cliff and it has varied geology in its structure. The path along Boulby cliff is another route section of the Cleveland Way. A man-made crater gives an indication of other industries associated with the cliff such as sandstone quarrying and extracting alum or potash. In the 17th and 18th century obtaining alum was in effect the area’s first chemical industry. Used mainly in the dyeing industry and employed hundreds of men along the coast. The film shows Bill walking along the majestic cliff as he describes it as one of the best stretches of the Cleveland Way. Back in the studio John Noakes introduces two guests, Michael Hunt a local weatherman and Michael Clegg curator of the Yorkshire Museum and a naturalist. They have a discussion on the poor summer weather and approaching winter. Title: Mike Hunt – Meteorologist Michael says the weather has been good for farmers but poorer for tourists. Title: Michael Clegg – Curator, Yorkshire Museum He thinks birds have been brought back from the arctic early, but the weather has given good crops all round including wild berries for birds. They talk at length about weather conditions and the effect on wildlife. John Noakes moves onto the next item where Marilyn Webb reports back from the Nidderdale show at Pateley Bridge. The film shows an area of the showground. She visits the dog show and talks to Geoffrey Farrand an expert on gun dogs. Title: Geoffrey Farrand – Chmn. National Gun Dog Assoc. Several dogs with their owners stand nearby. The owners come forward with their dogs as Geoffrey talks about the type of dog and their role in shooting events. Golden retrievers do as their name suggests, they retrieve shot game birds, as do the Labradors, an owner brings her dog forward. A springer spaniel is next, these dogs according to Geoffrey will search for game and retrieve the bird when shot. The cocker spaniel is next and is used, because of its smaller size, in terrain which other dogs find difficult, but searches and retrieves just the same. The English setter is used on moors and will search the moor to find game in a similar way to the pointer finds and points the way to the game. Next a German wire-haired pointer comes forward which will hunt, point and retrieve. The programme goes back to the studio and an item about Hannah Hauxwell who lives alone on isolated farm in Baldersdale. The film goes to her home to see how she prepares for the coming winter. The programme shows her checking her water supply, which is a spring and pond not far from the farmhouse. She explains that sometimes water can be a problem as there is no water in her house, so she relies on the spring. In winter she might experience frosts which freeze the water in the pond and then she must break the ice. In summer local conditions can impede water flow to the pond. Hannah fills a metal bucket with water and admits that it is an onerous task and the novelty of fetching water has long since worn off. The film goes back to the studio where John Noakes explains there will further visits to Hannah’s home in the coming weeks. Before the programme ends John asks Michael Clegg what we should look out for in the countryside. He suggests looking out for migrant birds including swans and geese. John closes the programme by outlining the following week’s programme. Credits: Country Calendar presented by John Noakes with Marylyn Webb, Michael Clegg Editorial Assistant Mark Meysey-Thompson Director David St. David-Smith Producer John Wilford Yorkshire Television Colour Production. © Trident Television Ltd MCMLXXX