Filming for Countryfile – a day on set | Shropshire Wildlife Trust

You’d be surprised at how many requests we receive from Countryfile for story ideas. Well, given that it has to fill an hour of air time every week, perhaps not. This time it was for the Offa’s Dyke Path special and we have several nature reserves close by. They went with small-but-spectacular Sweeney Fen, cutting wildflower-rich grassland to strew on a neighbouring farmer’s field.

Countryfile filming is always exciting – will it be your favourite presenter? Oh yes, who doesn’t like Matt Baker? C’mon, he was a Blue Peter presenter.

Countryfile at Sweeney Fen — Ian and Steph - Treflach Farm

He arrived super early as he’d been commentating on Olympic gymnastics from Salford, but working on Tokyo time. It was a glorious summer day for filming.

Matt and the crew (cameraman/director, 2nd cameraman/drone operator, sound man and Charlie the young researcher/runner) were already filming the yurt belonging to Ian and Steph the farmers.

We were up next and our task was scything part of Sweeney Fen. There are hundreds, thousands of orchids here. Beautiful marsh helleborines and my very favourite fragrant orchids. Their heady scent fills the fen on a still, sunny day.

Sweeney Fen COuntryfile — Quentin Shaw (SWT Volunteer), Steph and Ian (Treflach Farm) and Steve Marsh (SWT Volunteer)

Countryfile Sweeney Fen — Quentin Shaw with Matt Baker

Scythe dance

Scything is an art and our scythe-meister was Quentin Shaw, retired GP and regular volunteer at Earls Hill. Accompanying Quentin was fellow scything volunteer Steve Marsh.

Steve is also the Trust’s Honorary Treasurer so we needed to ensure he retained all his fingers for counting. Quentin and Steve set up the scythes, which are low-tech but sophisticated bits of kit, and proceeded to teach Matt the scythe dance.

As a Strictly veteran, Matt quickly took to the series of dance steps that help you scythe safely and efficiently and his technique soon rivalled Quentin’s.

The seed heads of the flowers and grasses fell to the line of (not-so-grim) reapers.

Scything completed, the cut material was humped over the gate to Ian and Steph’s field and spread to enrich the floral diversity of the sward.

Lunch beckoned. The crew had told us that they all have a “paltry lunch allowance of £6” (“good” I thought “I don’t need my TV licence squandered on swanky nosh-ups”). Matt opted for a cheese and pickle sandwich from the local shop.

Pies, pasties and pudding

However, sitting in the shade of the barn, Ian’s mum Betty staggered in with plates of pies, pasties, sausage rolls and cakes all produced in the farm bakery www.treflachfarm.co.uk .

Betty even brought a plate of drop scones, a Proustian leap back to my own childhood. If you’ve never had hot drop scones with butter – do it now! Strangely, Matt abandoned his cheese and pickle in favour of several of these tasty treats – he’s a growing boy you know. Naturally, I just had a light salad…

We had ample time to graze and digest this banquet as we had to wait for Ellie Harrison to turn up so she and Matt could film the closing sequence of the show “next week we’re off to the Manifold Valley in the Peak District…” etc and my day was done.

Matt, Ellie and the crew were off as they still had stories to shoot elsewhere. The two days of filming allowed for each episode of Countryfile is a punishing schedule for the presenters and crews.

Hurry up and wait

Filming for TV is an odd experience, although I’ve done it enough not to be phased by it any more. Expect to stand around for long periods then urgently do your piece. Expect to have to remember and repeat what you just said again and again, especially these days as a drone shot is a must have.

The one thing that has always impressed me is the presenters. People like Matt Baker are genuinely big stars. But they are always so friendly and good sports, willing to pose for photos, endorse your pet projects and even sign a scythe.