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Tony Francis introduces the programme on location. The first item looks at the decline of the Vale of Evesham as an agricultural area. Traditionally much of the fruit and vegetable picking has been done by season workers from the nearby big cities. Tony looks at the Worldwide Employment Agency which has an office on Soho Road in Handsworth, Birmingham. The firm provides Asian workers to the Vale of Evesham and is a reputable company but there are similar ones that are known to exploit their workers. Tony talks to Ana and Sonny Singh who run the firm and to Gareth Skinner who is a crop consultant who predicts that more of the small farmers will go bust leading to fewer but larger farms. Shots of a coach leaving Birmingham carrying Asian seasonal workers bound for the Vale of Evesham. B/w stills of earlier seasonal workers. Views of a closed potato works that even had its own railway line. Much of the vegetable growing has been taken over by Lincolnshire and the Fens. Views of pickers at Eastwick Growers and brief interview with the boss (who was reluctant to be filmed) who praises the Asian workforce.
The next report from Wendy Leavesley is about the problems caused by bats roosting at All Saints church at Mattersey in Nottinghamshire. Brief shots of bats flying around the roof inside the church and library shots of bats. She talks to the church warden Lyndis Rowley who is unhappy about the mess caused by the bats and vox pops with members of the congregation who also want the bats removed (they are protected so cannot be driven out).
The next item is about a water lagoon at Kimble Head Farm next to the River Pang on the Oxfordshire and Berkshire border. The blue lagoon is an artesian well that feeds the river. Mark Sixsmith explains how it works and farmer James Emm talks about what it is like to have an aquifer on his land.
Returning to the Vale of Evesham Tony next looks at the production of asparagus. Tony talks to market gardener John Stedman and auctioneer David Watts about the crop which remains sought after but is under increasing competition from foreign grown versions. Views of hand picking and Tony tries it raw. Chef Sonya Kidney learns about asparagus from John Steadman and buys a box at Limebridge Stores. Tony then meets David Caswell who makes asparagus knives for picking the crop at his forge at Badsey in Worcestershire (F. Caswell and Sons).
Sonia Kidney then goes to the vegetable auction rooms at Offenham in Worcestershire (the last of their kind) where people are bidding on lots of asparagus. She then returns to her restaurant the Marsh Goose at Moreton-in-Marsh where she shows how to prepare and cook it.
The final brief item is about the decline in river swimming. Laura Martin reports on a recent wild swim in the river Windrush in Gloucestershire. The Environment Agency is now advising people not to swim in Britain’s rivers.
Camera: Alun Knott; Steve Trinder; Glen Armstrong; Ian O'Donoghue
Sound: Jeff White; Michael O'Flynn; Brian Green
VT Editors: Justin Eely; Peter Mason
Dubbing: Robin Ward
Research: Holly Tatham
Reporters: Wendy Leavesley; Laura Martin
Location Directors: Tony Francis; John Dickinson
Series Producer: Tony Francis
Production number CEN/00938/0028