Countryfile Summer Diaries

As summer season gets underway, many of us head to the coast to cool off - but the unpredictability of the cold water combined with strong currents can prove fatal. Keeley investigates what we should do if we get caught in a rip current; Jules finds out why our seagulls are heading into town for an urban free lunch, and - from a top-secret location - Margherita reports on a summer crop that's being grown for pain relief. Paul Martin will be breathing new life into his Victorian smallholding in Wiltshire. His Summer diary starts with his fruit trees.

Today, Jules finds out how changing our shower gel could help save our seas and protect our marine wildlife. Keeley reports on the summer battle between fruit farmer and Mother Nature. The arrival of elderflower is a sure sign summer is here. Margherita joins the pickers bringing in this years harvest. And in Wiltshire, Paul Martin provides top tips on combating pests on his allotment.

From a secret location, Margherita is on the trail of an exclusive and rather elusive food that's worth its weight in gold. Jules (pictured) is finding out whether eating ice cream at this time of the year could actually be good for your health. Nearly half the population in the UK has low levels of Vitamin D so Keeley asks could a drop of sunshine be the answer. And rookie smallholder Paul Martin will be providing tips on how to create charcoal for your summer barbeque.

We'll be finding out if it's possible to farm lobster to safeguard wild stocks. How climbers are helping to protect a rare upland bird. Why our wildflower meadows are in danger of becoming ‘McMeadows' and what we can all do to stop this new phenomenon. And there'll be tips on how to keep quails from fledgling smallholder Paul Martin.

As we look forward to autumn, Keeley joins the pea squad to bring in our most popular vegetable, Margherita finds out why a bunch of women are putting the bloom back in to Britain, while Paul cracks how to cash in on keeping quails.

In this episode, John enjoys the splendour of Osborne House, Queen Victoria and Albert's seaside palace on the Isle of Wight. Meanwhile, Keeley meets the team searching for natural solutions to problematic invasive plant species, Joe Crowley investigates what dry summers mean for wildlife, rivers and water supplies, and Greg McKenzie participates in one of the more unusual events put on by the country's heritage sites to keep people visiting. Paul discovers how to create a perfect garden hideaway, and the programme provides top picks for coastal walks.

In this edition, Margherita finds out why hayfever is on the rise and what can be done to alleviate symptoms. Keeley discovers how wildlife crime is having a devastating effect on fledgling birds of prey, while Jules tries out the very latest in comfortable camping, and Paul demonstrates how to grow fruit and veg, even in the smallest of spaces. Including tips on some of Countryfile's favourite places to spot birds this season.

In this programme, Keeley finds out how the RNLI's latest campaign could save lives. Jules is in the Cotswolds discovering how men's sheds are being used to help tackle rural loneliness. In Cornwall, Margherita joins a pioneering project that is reintroducing beavers for the first time in centuries to help tackle flooding. Paul discovers what kind of bird has taken up residence in his owl box, and what he can do to encourage them to come back, and there is a guide to some of the favourite beaches that Countryfile has visited across the UK.

In this edition, Margherita heads to St Michael's Mount, one of Britain's smallest islands, to learn what rising seas and coastal erosion could mean for its residents and for some of the country's favourite holiday destinations. Keeley delves into some of the clearest and wildlife-filled waters in Britain along a new 100-mile snorkelling trail on the west coast of Scotland. Roy Taylor discovers how a landscape laid waste by coal mining has become a wonderful wildlife sanctuary, while Paul reveals what people need to know about adopting their own brood of feathered friends.

In this programme, Margherita discovers how a secret wartime mission behind enemy lines brought garlic to the Isle of Wight. Keeley learns how a group of dedicated volunteers came to the dramatic rescue of a stranded sunburnt dolphin. Jules tries his hand at being a thatcher's apprentice for the day and discovers that many heritage crafts are desperate for new recruits. Paul discovers how people in cities can keep bees, and there is a guide to some of Countryfile's favourite country shows.

John Craven and the team present the best summer stories. Keeley Donovan reports from the beach in sunny Scarborough as she discovers how people need to be more sun savvy. Top dermatologist Dr Walayat Hussain explains how people can stay safe in a heatwave. Paul Martin is in Surrey with actor and animal rights champion Jenny Seagrove. Horse-mad since she was a youngster, Jenny has turned her passion into a mission to rescue abandoned horses. At her sanctuary in Surrey, they are given a new lease in life helping sick and vulnerable children. Margherita Taylor is on the banks of the River Thames. The the river was once known as the Big Stink, with stretches declared biologically dead, but there has been a remarkable fightback, and Margherita discovers some surprises as she finds out what creatures are making their homes in the cleaner waters. Jules Hudson's Labrador Teddy is dressed to take on the heatwave as he and his master discover how to keep pets safe in hot weather.

Jules Hudson is in the Lake District to discover how recycled nappies and other soft plastics could be the answer to fixing the growing number of potholes in the crumbling road network. It is reckoned it would take £12 billion to get the roads into shape, but cheap and durable plastics could come to the rescue of cash-strapped councils. Steve Brown learns how the pollinating ability of his favourite creature, the bumblebee, is at risk from a certain type of pesticide. In Bristol's Botanic Garden, Steve meets bee expert Mario Vallejo-Marin from the University of Stirling to discover more. Margherita Taylor is in Croyde in Devon to discover how important tourism is to the village. But what is the best way to protect the very beauty tourists come for in the first place? James Wong is in Liverpool to learn about a rooftop revolution where the ancient growing method of aquaponics could help to feed a burgeoning urban population.

As figures reveal that 2,000 dogs are being stolen in the UK each year, Keeley Donovan speaks to pet detective Colin Butcher to discover what can be done to keep them safe. Paul Martin is in London at the Lordship Rec. He meets Clasford Stirling to hear how the Rec has blossomed and is creating an exciting blueprint for others to follow. The north Devon village of Croyde - like so many other coastal villages all over the UK - is determined to crack down on plastics, and a shocking discovery in a cove graphically illustrates why villagers are enlisting the help of holidaymakers as they descend on the beach in their thousands. Margherita Taylor reports on Croyde campaigners doing their bit to go plastic-free. On the Sussex Downs, Jules Hudson finds out how light pollution is wrecking prospects of romance for glow-worms. He is with scientist Craig Perl on a night-time safari, hoping to spot one of them glowing as they should.

Steve Brown is in Warwickshire investigating how the summer heatwave has crippled crops and affected what ends up on dinner plates. At Evesham market, Steve finds out if shoppers would be prepared to follow the example of the French and pay five times more for home-grown produce. Paul Martin is at Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire for the spooky summer sight of bats emerging from the rooftop gargoyles. These flying mammals are in trouble as numbers have toppled, so what do you do if they decide to take up residence in your lofts? Like countless other coastal villages around the UK, Croyde in north Devon is facing a property crisis as over half the village is made up of holiday homes. Margherita Taylor meets a young family who would love to live in the seaside resort but who are being priced out of the market by rocketing house prices. Keeley Donovan visits the eco-village of Hockerton outside Nottingham to search for a cure for stress.

John Craven spends his last day of the series enjoying the breathtaking north Cornwall coast, while Jules Hudson is at home in Herefordshire discovering why a good dose of country air might not be all that it's cracked up to be. Two thirds of people in the UK are living with illegal levels of air pollution. Expert Mark Sutton from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology reveals the best and worst places to live in the countryside. He also shows Jules how to identify lichen which can act as an early warning system. Margherita Taylor is in Northumberland at Hadrian's Wall, one of the latest national monuments to be besieged by illegal metal detectorists known as nighthawkers. Paul Martin is in the Brecon Beacons helping on a mission to save Britain's most endangered mammal, the water vole. Paul discovers how the voles' fortunes are being revived as he helps with a release back into the wild at Cosmeston Lakes in south Wales.