In this edition of County Calendar presented by John Noakes and his dog Skip John meets Anne Cox, a goat farmer from the Grantham area who would like to see goats’ milk on sale in shops. Next to the Chatsworth County Fair with Marylyn Webb who speaks with Sandy Mackenzie, Secretary of the Coursing Supports Club about a breed of dog known as Lurchers. Back in the studio Michael Clegg reports on a study he understood on gypsies and the positive impact they have on roadside conservation. Next,...

In this edition of County Calendar presented by John Noakes and his dog Skip John meets Anne Cox, a goat farmer from the Grantham area who would like to see goats’ milk on sale in shops. Next to the Chatsworth County Fair with Marylyn Webb who speaks with Sandy Mackenzie, Secretary of the Coursing Supports Club about a breed of dog known as Lurchers. Back in the studio Michael Clegg reports on a study he understood on gypsies and the positive impact they have on roadside conservation. Next, to Newton Dale in North Yorkshire and a family of eight who have made their lives there and the parents who are traditional besom broom makers. Finally, another humous verse from Christopher Curtis on wildfowling. Titles: Yorkshire Television Production Country Calendar John Noakes In the studio, on the set he calls the snug, John sits in a large armchair with his dog Skip and introduces the programme and outlines the highlights. He holds up a wooden broom and explains that there will be an item on how the broom was made, later in the programme when they visit a family living near the railway line at Pickering, in North Yorkshire. There will also be contributions from humourist Christopher Curtis and naturalist Michael Clegg. Marylyn Webb will also be reporting from the Chatsworth House country fair in Derbyshire. John introduces Anne Cox a goat farmer from Grantham along with some of her charges. They talk about the different breeds that are with her in the studio and lists some other breeds. Title: Anne Cox – Goat Farmer She explains how goats are raised on the farm and she describes the milk they produce and that they provide good meat. On a table nearby is a range of other goat’s milk produce including cheese. Michael Clegg tries the cheese, while John tries some of the meat. Anne points out yoghurt and other cheeses that can be made from goats milk and are on display. John introduces an item on the Chatsworth country show in Derbyshire and Marylyn Webb’s report on the breed of dog known as a lurcher. General views follow of crowds at the show with several dogs being walked by their owners. Marylyn speaks to Sandy Mackenzie and asks him to define the lurcher breed. Title: Sandy Mackenzie – Secretary, Coursing Supporters Club Originally a cross breed between a greyhound and a sheepdog. The firm lurcher with their owners as they walk around an arena. Sandy outlines the maim attributes he would want to see in a prime example of a lurcher, which mainly the ability to catch a rabbit or hare for eating. More views follow of owners parading their dogs around a special arena. At an obstacle course lurchers are put through their paces, leaping over fences of different heights. Back in the studio John introduces an item about gypsies. Michael Clegg observed that gypsies often own dogs, and he has recently been studying gypsy encampments. Photographs show a traditional gypsy caravan and trailer parked on a grass verge next to a road. Michael gives a brief history of travelling people. Another photograph shows two caravans parked next to a road. Michael says it’s a good place to find the inkcap fungi. Michael was interested in the effect of gypsy encampments on a verge’s ecology. Michael shows photographs of the verge after grazing by horses. Manure from the horses has enriched the soil. The scorched area from fires he says was soon colonised by weeds. The first fungi to recolonise the area were toadstools. In the studio Michael picks up a find from the encampment; a horse bit which was left behind. John introduces the item about the broomstick he mentioned at the beginning of the programme. The programme visits Bert Edin and his wife Theresa and their six children who live just north of Pickering near to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The film shows two of the children Brian and Sarah making their way down a steep forested hillside in Newtondale. The film shows the family, eight of them, standing near their home not far from the railway line. A portrait view of Bert and Theresa Edin is accompanied by John Noakes description of them as besom brush makers, getting the raw materials from their craft from the woods around them. A view of heather moor shows Bert gathering heather plants. He then works among young trees on a hillside cutting down lengths of new growth for handles. He carries the wood across the hillside back to the house. A view from the railway line shows it stretching into the distance. Brian and Sarah cross the railway line and walk up a wooded hill to get the school bus. Bert takes a circular length of wood out of a bath of water and starts hammering one end of it. In the background an old London, Midland and Scottish steam engine goes past, pulling a train of carriages. Bert strips wood off from the full length of the piece of wood he’s been hammering. Theresa gets on the train at Pickering with a box of family groceries. Bert continues his work back at home, splitting the wood down into strips. Bert explains that his father taught him how to make the brooms. On the train Theresa talks of the benefits of living out in the country. Bert starts work on the heather he’s gathered, binding it together with the wooden strips he’s made. Brian and Sarah return home from school. Theresa talks of training Brian into besom making as she says he’s interested in the craft. Brian and Sarah play on a swing made from rope and an old tyre, the swing moves out over a pond or a pool in a river. Back at the house, Bert trims the brush of the besom and attaches a handle. A steam engine blows its whistle as the train passes by the station. A view from one of the carriages shows the train pulling up at the station just near the house. Another view follows look down on Newtondale. Theresa gets off the train and Bert helps carry the provisions to the house; the train carries on its journey. Sarah greets one of two white horses in a nearby while Brian tries his hand at fishing. Sarah leaves the horses to graze. Other members of the family arrive home after a day at work. After a cross country trek John rides a motor bike alongside the line before turning towards home. Sisters Marion and Valerie, both hairdressers in Pickering arrive home by train; a diesel service stops by the station house. During winter months the railway doesn’t operate, and it takes them half an hour to walk to Pickering. One of the sons starts a petrol generator to provide electricity for the house. Other modern conveniences, according to John Noakes commentary, is the provision of a water pump which supersedes the onerous task of collecting water from the nearby beck. The girls and their mother wash dishes at a kitchen sink. One of the girls operates the water pump for her mother as they talk. All eight of the family gather round the table for their evening meal. The film uses the traditional song ‘Buy Broom Besoms’ as background at this point, and at intervals throughout the film. A steam train goes past the farmhouse at speed. The programme goes back to the studio and John introduces Christopher Curtis, who gives a reading of one of his humorous verses. Dressed in a nightcap and pyjamas he recites an item about having to get up early to go wildfowling. Illustrations by John Tickner accompany the recitation. John Noakes ends the programme and talks about topics on next week’s programme. Credits: Country Calendar presented by John Noakes with Marylyn Webb, Michael Clegg, Christopher Curtis Editorial Assistant Mark Meysey-Thompson Director Charles Flynn Producer John Wilford © YTV Ltd 1982 Yorkshire Television production