0
00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:10,430
In 1 840,
one man transformed travel In BrItaIn.

1
00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:12,994
HIs name was George Bradshaw,

2
00:00:13,120 --> 00:00:17,511
and hIs raIlway guIdes InspIred
the VIctorIans to take to the tracks.

3
00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:19,673
Stop by stop,

4
00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:21,552
he told them where to travel,

5
00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:23,796
what to see and where to stay.

6
00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:27,750
Now, 1 70 years later,

7
00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:31,668
I'm makIng a serIes ofjourneys across
the length and breadth of the country

8
00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:34,678
to see what of Bradshaw's BrItaIn
remaIns.

9
00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:02,593
I'm now compIeting my journey from
North NorfoIk to the heart of London.

10
00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:07,510
My Bradshaw's enthuses that
''the sight of our gigantic metropoIis

11
00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,679
is the very best that couId have been
seIected for commerciaI purposes,

12
00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:14,268
as it enabIed us by means of the Thames

13
00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:18,916
to carry on a water communication
ith every part of the gIobe.''

14
00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,191
''And not even the deveIopment
of the raiIway system in EngIand

15
00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:24,436
has Iessened this advantage.''

16
00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:27,233
It might have added
that we aIso created

17
00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:31,399
the greatest financiaI centre
that the worId had ever seen.

18
00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,316
On my fInal leg of thIs journey,

19
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:38,750
I'll be takIng a rIde
on a secret mInIature raIlway...

20
00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,678
Wow. I'II never compIain
about the Tube again.

21
00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:44,074
This is quite smaII.

22
00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,636
..tollIng alongsIde
the good burghers of Bow...

23
00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:48,715
(bell tolls)

24
00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:50,990
Try not to Iook up,
you'II get dust in your eyes.

25
00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:55,557
..and confusIng hapless commuters
at Fenchurch Street.

26
00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:57,033
WestcIiff,

27
00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:00,118
Thorpe Bay and Shoeburyness.

28
00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:03,312
Oh, I Ieft out the time
at the beginning. I Ieft out the time.

29
00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:07,358
StartIng on the east coast,
thIsjourney has taken me

30
00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,393
through Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex
on the Great Eastern RaIlway,

31
00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,557
whIch In Bradshaw's day
opened up dIffIcult terraIn

32
00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:16,557
and allowed trade to flourIsh.

33
00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,912
Now I'm headed to the very centre
of money ItseIf, the CIty of London.

34
00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,993
My last stretch begIns In the east of
the cIty at Fenchurch Street

35
00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:30,238
and takes me along the north bank
of the Thames, endIng on the Embankment.

36
00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,915
The deveIopment of our raiIway system
required not onIy engineers,

37
00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:41,917
but aIso entrepreneurs,

38
00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,235
men iIIing to invest their own money

39
00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:50,276
and, more importantIy, to persuade
others aIso to risk their shirts.

40
00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:54,996
I'm arrIvIng at Fenchurch Street,

41
00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:58,829
the smallest
of the great London cIty termInals.

42
00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,474
InItIally constructed In 1 841

43
00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:05,115
to brIng CIty workers
to the fInancIal heart of London,

44
00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,710
It was the fIrst statIon
buIlt InsIde the CIty of London.

45
00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:14,315
As the numbers commutIng Into the cIty
Increased vastly In VIctorIan tImes,

46
00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:16,635
It was also used
by the Great Eastern RaIlway

47
00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:19,991
as an overflow termInus
for LIverpool Street.

48
00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,510
From here I'm takIng
the DIstrIct LIne Underground

49
00:03:23,640 --> 00:03:26,473
one stop to Monument,
to the heart of the fInancIal dIstrIct.

50
00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,910
It's difficuIt to beIieve that
when the District Line was first buiIt,

51
00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:31,393
it used steam Iocomotives.

52
00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,432
Imagine them beIching smoke underground.

53
00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:37,028
Ever since it was buiIt in 1868,

54
00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:41,756
it's been distributing commuters
to the counting houses of the city.

55
00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:45,953
Now the District Line carries
700,000 passengers a day.

56
00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:55,756
I've often used the District Line
to traveI

57
00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:59,634
from the poIiticaI centre in the west
to the financiaI centre in the east,

58
00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:04,197
but whether there is more power
in Westminster or in the City,

59
00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,276
I Ieave it to you to judge.

60
00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,119
(announcement)
The next statIon Is Monument.

61
00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,596
(MIchael) In the 1 800s,
the fInancIal heartland of the cIty

62
00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,473
wItnessed a dramatIc boom and bust.

63
00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:18,875
In the huge surge
In raIlway constructIon,

64
00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:22,037
some made fortunes,
but others lost all they had

65
00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,675
In a flurry of speculatIon
dubbed ''raIlway manIa''.

66
00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:28,715
My destInatIon Is the Royal Exchange,

67
00:04:28,840 --> 00:04:33,118
founded back In 1565 as a centre
of commerce for the cIty

68
00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:38,075
where I hope to dIscover more
from Professor DavId Kynaston.

69
00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:40,191
The magnificent RoyaI Exchange buiIding,

70
00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:43,198
which apparentIy in Bradshaw's time
had been nely rebuiIt.

71
00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:46,835
That's right. The oId RoyaI Exchange
was burnt down in 1838.

72
00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,190
This went up six years Iater.

73
00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:50,958
Very striking, handsome buiIding.

74
00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,231
In a city that was stiII
reIativeIy smaII scaIe, no high rise,

75
00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:55,679
this was a major buiIding.

76
00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,519
Give me an impression
of the mid-19th century city.

77
00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:01,632
A fantasticaIIy bustIing pIace.
Vigorous pIace.

78
00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:04,115
Fortunes being made,
fortunes being Iost.

79
00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:06,390
(MIchael) And of gIobaI importance.

80
00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:09,239
Poised by the mid-19th century
to become arguabIy

81
00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:12,670
the worId's most important
financiaI and commerciaI centre

82
00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:14,518
the worId has ever seen, actuaIIy.

83
00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:18,076
WhIle the Royal Exchange
concentrated on tradIng goods,

84
00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:21,431
the temple to speculatIon,
the Stock Exchange,

85
00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:24,074
dealt In fInancIal stocks and shares,

86
00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:28,193
provIdIng oxygen and fIre
for the raIlway's boom.

87
00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:30,754
On the Stock Exchange
in the mid-19th century,

88
00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:33,519
the most important share issues
are raiIways.

89
00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:36,996
AbsoIuteIy. It was astonishing,
the raiIway mania of the 1840s.

90
00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:38,394
Up to that point,

91
00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:41,956
the stock market had reaIIy grown out
of British government securities.

92
00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:44,878
The 1840s, raiIway mania,
something quite different.

93
00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,993
Of course estabIished a permanent
raiIway market in the Stock Exchange.

94
00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,157
No fewer than 240 parlIamentary bIlls

95
00:05:52,280 --> 00:05:57,638
to set up new raIlway companIes
and routes were proposed In 1 845 alone.

96
00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:01,355
RaIlways were promoted
as a foolproof way to make money,

97
00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,040
and almost everyone who could,
rushed In.

98
00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,469
As shares
In the pIoneer companIes soared,

99
00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:09,478
ever more speculators
poured In theIr money.

100
00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,673
Give me an idea of who got caught up
in this, what you caII, mania.

101
00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,439
AII sorts of peopIe.
PeopIe of eminent respectabiIity.

102
00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:18,755
Curates, idows and so on.

103
00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:21,474
Even the Bronte sisters
got caught up a bit in it.

104
00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:25,832
Many raiIway Iines were buiIt and the
pubIic for a time did weII out of it.

105
00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:29,555
But frauduIent raiIway companies
were Iaunched on an unsuspecting pubIic.

106
00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,353
Just as wIth the dot-com boom
of the 1990s,

107
00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:35,948
InevItably there was a prIce to pay.

108
00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:37,877
Many of the raIlways were never buIlt

109
00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,356
as the ImpractIcalIty
of proposed routes became clear.

110
00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:46,076
CompanIes collapsed, takIng
many famIlIes' lIfe-savIngs wIth them.

111
00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:50,230
How bad was the crash when it came?

112
00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:51,634
It was a pretty bad crash.

113
00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:56,038
It affected the big operators, the big
pIayers, as weII as the smaII peopIe.

114
00:06:56,160 --> 00:07:00,597
There's a herd instinct at pIay,
which is often so powerfuI in markets

115
00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:04,030
and arguabIy in society generaIIy.
That I think is what happened.

116
00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:06,230
It Ieft an amazing Iegacy.

117
00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,636
Money was Iost, of course,
through iII-advised specuIation,

118
00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:13,878
but the permanent Iegacy was
the Victorian raiIway infrastructure.

119
00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,959
The VIctorIan raIlway manIa
and subsequent boom and bust

120
00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:19,832
were clearly dIsastrous for some.

121
00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:22,110
But had there not been such Investment,

122
00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:26,631
we wouldn't have the astonIshIng
raIlway system that exIsts today.

123
00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:28,034
And In the heart of the cIty,

124
00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:31,311
surrounded by the huge
fInancIal InstItutIons of our age,

125
00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:33,829
the Stock Exchange, the Bank of England,

126
00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:36,269
I've often wondered,
''What place moralIty?''

127
00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:40,279
So where better to go than
to that beacon of spIrItualIty,

128
00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:44,359
the most famous church
servIng the commercIal dIstrIct.

129
00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:48,119
I'm now headed for what
my Bradshaw's describes as

130
00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:51,152
''one of the masterpieces
of Sir Christopher Wren''.

131
00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:55,239
''St Mary-Ie-Bow Church,
which is esteemed to be situated

132
00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:57,237
in the heart of the City of London.''

133
00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:01,114
''And aII persons born
ithin the sound of its beIIs

134
00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:04,152
are vuIgarIy designated 'Cockneys'.''

135
00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:07,477
Now, I was born about 15 miIes away.

136
00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:09,716
Too far to hear those beIIs.

137
00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:14,155
Bradshaw seems rather shocked that
anyone should have the mIsfortune

138
00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:15,872
to be termed a ''Cockney''.

139
00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:20,915
But I wonder whether In the 2 1st century
anyone knows what defInes a Cockney.

140
00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:24,674
- Are you a Cockney?
- I'm not a Cockney. I'm sorry.

141
00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:27,234
Do you know
what the definition of a Cockney is?

142
00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,591
I beIieve born ithin a miIe
of the sound of the Bow BeIIs.

143
00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:32,278
Do you know where Bow BeIIs are?

144
00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:34,118
In the East End of London somewhere.

145
00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:37,118
- Ha! They're here.
- ReaIIy? OK.

146
00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:39,435
I've just made a fooI myseIf.

147
00:08:39,560 --> 00:08:42,870
Not... no, no.
You didn't make a fooI of yourseIf.

148
00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:46,559
- Excuse me, sir, are you a Cockney?
- Yes, Cockney, yeah.

149
00:08:46,680 --> 00:08:50,309
Ah, you are, great.
What's the definition of a Cockney?

150
00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:54,956
- Born ithin the Bow BeIIs.
- Within the sound of the Bow BeIIs.

151
00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:57,640
- I was born just up the road.
- Wow.

152
00:08:57,760 --> 00:08:59,034
So, ithin a miIe.

153
00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:01,230
- And are you proud to be a Cockney?
- Oh, yeah.

154
00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,636
Are you stiII a kind of
fraternity of Cockneys?

155
00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:06,352
Do you stiII recognise each other?

156
00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:08,391
Yeah, there's stiII a few of us about.

157
00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:12,195
And what about the rhyming sIang?
Have you ever used a bit of that?

158
00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:14,515
A monkey is 500 quid.
Pony is 25 quid.

159
00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:16,517
Cock and hen's a tenner.

160
00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:18,835
And what about appIe and stairs?

161
00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,679
AppIe and pears, up the stairs.
Frog and toad.

162
00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:22,915
AII sorts.

163
00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:25,315
Is St Mary-Ie-Bow speciaI for Cockneys?

164
00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:27,795
I don't think many peopIe
actuaIIy know what it is.

165
00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:31,356
Most peopIe seem to think if you're born
ithin the sound of the Bow BeIIs,

166
00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,392
it's actuaIIy in East London.
It's actuaIIy Cheapside.

167
00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:37,830
So a Iot of peopIe get a bit mixed up
seeing the East End as more Cockneys,

168
00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:39,598
but reaIIy it's north London.

169
00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:45,750
Today, St Mary-le-Bow
Is the parIsh church of the CIty.

170
00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:49,236
People who work In the fInancIal
dIstrIct worshIp In theIr lunch-hour.

171
00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:52,750
ServIces are held durIng the week,
and not at weekends,

172
00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:55,997
to meet the demands
of the busIness communIty.

173
00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,236
The Reverend George Bush Is the rector.

174
00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:00,635
- Father George.
- Good to see you.

175
00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:02,591
Good to be here at St Mary-Ie-Bow.

176
00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:05,792
I suppose one of London's
most famous churches.

177
00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:10,072
Indeed. There's been a church
on this site since 1080.

178
00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:13,033
It was buiIt at the command
of the Conqueror's Archbishop

179
00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:16,789
to impress probabIy on the Saxons
who were Iiving around

180
00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:21,948
that not onIy the King was here to stay,
but the Norman church was as weII.

181
00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:25,152
That was the church that was destroyed
in the Great Fire of London?

182
00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:26,349
It was destroyed, yes.

183
00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:30,439
According to my Bradshaw's, this church
was rebuiIt by Sir Christopher Wren.

184
00:10:30,560 --> 00:10:35,236
Yes. After the fire,
the tower of St Mary-Ie-Bow

185
00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:38,511
was Christopher Wren's
second most ambitious project

186
00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:43,475
and second most expensive project
after St PauI's CathedraI.

187
00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:46,831
Bow Bells are probably
the most famous In the world.

188
00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:48,188
and for hundreds of years

189
00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:51,357
have been woven
Into the folklore of the CIty of London.

190
00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:54,313
Legend has It
that they called DIck WhIttIngton

191
00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:56,635
back to London to become Lord Mayor.

192
00:10:56,760 --> 00:11:01,311
They were also rung from the 1 4th
century onwards at 9.'00 each evenIng,

193
00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,512
markIng the end
of an apprentIce's workIng day.

194
00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:08,394
Because it was in the centre of
the city, that sounding of the beIIs

195
00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:12,638
was taken up at the gates and it became,
as it were, a sort of curfew beII.

196
00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:14,034
The gates were cIosed,

197
00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:17,232
not to you and me coming and going,
but to traffic coming through,

198
00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:22,434
providing a measure of quietude
and a measure of peace at night.

199
00:11:22,560 --> 00:11:25,028
What happened to the church
in WorId War II?

200
00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:27,879
The very Iast night of the BIitz,

201
00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,117
which was aIso the worst night
of the bIitz for the City of London,

202
00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:35,199
10 May 1941 , the church was
aImost compIeteIy destroyed

203
00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:37,038
by incendiary devices.

204
00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:41,790
There was nothing other than these four
waIIs of this current buiIding here.

205
00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:44,275
The tower became a furnace.

206
00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:47,790
And after the war, the church
had to be taken down in stages

207
00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:49,831
and then it was rebuiIt in concrete,

208
00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:54,238
aIthough, of course, the exterior
stonework of Wren was then repIaced.

209
00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:56,635
So you see it pretty much
as Wren knew it,

210
00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:59,479
but in fact it's buiIt
of something rather more modern.

211
00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,194
And were the famous beIIs
destroyed in WorId War II?

212
00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:04,197
They came crashing to the ground.

213
00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,198
I think some of the beII metaI
may have been rescued

214
00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:10,756
and may be in some of the beIIs
that are there now.

215
00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:16,396
A recordIng of the bells made In 1926
was used throughout the Second World War

216
00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:18,829
on the BBC's World ServIce,

217
00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:22,919
a sound of lIberty and hope
for the people of Europe.

218
00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:24,951
After perIshIng In the BlItz,

219
00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:28,277
the 12 bells were re-cast
at the WhItechapel Bell Foundry.

220
00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:33,155
The full peal was rung
for the fIrst tIme In 1961.

221
00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:34,554
(bells peal)

222
00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:39,792
Today the bells of Bow
are rung frequently

223
00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:43,196
by a group of bell-rIngers
lIvIng In or near the cIty.

224
00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,039
The steeple keeper Is SImon Meyer.

225
00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:47,798
(bells peal)

226
00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:08,835
(bell tolls)

227
00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:10,916
Simon, great to see you.

228
00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:15,838
- Is that the great beII of Bow?.
- That was the great beII of Bow.

229
00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:18,349
They didn't quite aII stop at the end.

230
00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:23,270
So, these beIIs are reIativeIy new.
They're post Second WorId War.

231
00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:25,630
Do they sound as good as the oId ones?

232
00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:29,639
The oId ones were a very speciaI ring
by GiIIett's.

233
00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:32,672
They were 1933.

234
00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:34,313
But they were Iost in the war.

235
00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:36,317
They were a very sad ring to Iose
in the war

236
00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:39,193
because everyone feIt
they were a wonderfuI ring of beIIs.

237
00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:42,790
But these are very speciaI as weII,
because they are a modern ring of beIIs,

238
00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:44,512
they've got the modern tuning

239
00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:46,710
and aIso the metaIs
that we have in the beIIs.

240
00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:49,593
PeopIe understand much more
about the right aIIoys to use,

241
00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:53,235
so they've got IoveIy resonance
and they're a great voice of London.

242
00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:56,909
NovIces are rarely allowed to go near
these natIonal treasures,

243
00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:59,156
but SImon's very kIndly allowed me

244
00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:02,716
to partIcIpate In a Bow peal
under hIs fIrm guIdance.

245
00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:04,353
PuII it straight back down.

246
00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:09,519
(SImon) It doesn't actuaIIy take
that much puIIing.

247
00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:12,638
So no rituaI humiIiation.

248
00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:15,320
Try not to Iook up,
you'II get dust in your eyes.

249
00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:17,670
It doesn't heIp.

250
00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,270
I feeI that you're doing aII the work.
Let me have a go on my own.

251
00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:32,355
- Too sIow that time.
- A IittIe bit too sIow, yes.

252
00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:35,472
WouId you Iike to have a go
ith peopIe ringing around you?

253
00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:37,670
- (MIchael) Oh, what fun. Yes.
- Why ever not?

254
00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:40,112
(bells peal)

255
00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,191
- BriIIiant.
- CongratuIations.

256
00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:00,833
Gosh, that was fun.

257
00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:03,434
(SImon) This is not easy.

258
00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:06,632
It's one of those reaIIy traditionaI
EngIish foIk arts,

259
00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:08,716
but it does take time
to get the skiIIs.

260
00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:11,479
When I came up here I thought,
''Why do these peopIe do it?''

261
00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:13,716
As soon as I joined in,
I found out why you do it.

262
00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,638
- It's wonderfuI teamwork.
- It is wonderfuI.

263
00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:18,955
Thank you aII very much indeed.

264
00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:23,156
I fInd It strangely comfortIng
to know that, despIte everythIng,

265
00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:26,955
wars, raIlway manIa and boom-and-bust,

266
00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:30,356
Bow Bells have consIstently proclaImed
the Church's presence

267
00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:32,994
In the heart of the CIty of London.

268
00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:35,156
Before I fInd my bed for the nIght,

269
00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:39,796
I'm poppIng back to Fenchurch Street
to meet a very specIal person

270
00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:41,512
who'sjust come on shIft.

271
00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:46,794
One of the nice things about
Fenchurch Street Station

272
00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:51,152
is that the announcements are made by
a human voice, not an automated system.

273
00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:55,796
And I beIieve that the Iady who does it
recentIy won the MBE.

274
00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:58,275
I'd Iike to put the face to the voice.

275
00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:04,556
(announcement) CallIng at LImehouse,
West Ham, BarkIng, UpmInster...

276
00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:05,874
Thank you very much.

277
00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:10,596
I'm meetIng Sue GIbbs, tucked away
In her cubbyholejust off the concourse.

278
00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:13,996
(Sue) ..East TiIbury
and Stanford-Ie-Hope.

279
00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:16,917
- (MIchael) HeIIo, Sue.
- (Sue) HeIIo.

280
00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:19,634
- (MIchael) How IoveIy to see you.
- (Sue) And you.

281
00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:22,752
Do you think that passengers appreciate
having a human voice?

282
00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:24,711
I think they do. It's more personaI.

283
00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:26,831
It's something they're used to
every day.

284
00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:30,157
The thing ith the automated ones
is that the tones are aIways wrong.

285
00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:32,032
They're aIways Ieaping up and down.

286
00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,037
The train at pIatform four!

287
00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:35,479
OccasionaIIy.

288
00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:39,593
But In Bradshaw's day there was
no Sue and her dulcet tones.

289
00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:41,392
No dIgItal dIsplays.

290
00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:44,114
Just a sImple board
and a bell that was rung

291
00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:46,879
fIve mInutes
before a traIn was due to depart.

292
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,913
QuIte often, novIce travellers
were thrown Into utter confusIon.

293
00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:54,635
Chaos reIgned as they ran
hell-for-leather along the platform,

294
00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:58,878
tumblIng over everythIng and everybody
In theIr eagerness to catch a traIn,

295
00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,912
whIch they belIeved
was about to leave wIthout them.

296
00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:04,791
- CouId I have a go?
- Of course you couId.

297
00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:06,319
I find it reaIIy thriIIing.

298
00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:08,158
- I have to put my specs on.
- Of course.

299
00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:12,993
(Sue) You have to keep a finger
on the press-to-taIk button.

300
00:17:13,120 --> 00:17:14,951
There's a ding-dong first.

301
00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:16,752
(dIng-dong sounds)

302
00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:20,835
The next train from PIatform One

303
00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:23,428
Is the semI-fast servIce
to Shoeburyness.

304
00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:28,236
CallIng at West Ham, BarkIng, UpmInster,
LaIndon, BasIldon...

305
00:17:28,360 --> 00:17:32,035
..BenfIeet, Leigh-on-Sea,
ChaIkweII, WestcIiff...

306
00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:35,675
..Southend East, Thorpe Bay
and Shoeburyness.

307
00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:39,035
Ooh, I Ieft out the time.
I Ieft out the time.

308
00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:42,232
That's fine. I'm sure they'd give you
a job if you ever needed one.

309
00:17:42,360 --> 00:17:43,873
WeII, I might weII.

310
00:17:47,360 --> 00:17:51,990
Hopefully, my announcements haven't
befuddled the commuters too much.

311
00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:58,349
And now after a glorIous day,
It's tIme to head for my hotel,

312
00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:00,198
rIght here In the CIty.

313
00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:04,393
Bradshaw's says
that the metropoIis contains

314
00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:08,752
''the Iargest mass of human Iife,
arts, science, weaIth,

315
00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:12,759
power and architecturaI spIendour
that exists.''

316
00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:14,836
Where better to find a hoteI

317
00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:19,317
than in a wonderfuI former bank buiIding
in ThreadneedIe Street?

318
00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:24,791
I love the thought that today
I can stIll walk Into the buIldIng

319
00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:28,230
that housed the London CIty
and MIdland Bank's headquarters,

320
00:18:28,360 --> 00:18:31,909
just as the VIctorIan raIlway wheelers
and dealers would have done

321
00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:33,234
In the 19th century.

322
00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:39,071
Manager JulIan Payne Is waItIng to greet
me In thIs magnIfIcent bankIng hall.

323
00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:42,431
This was cIearIy once a bank.
When does it date back to?

324
00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:45,916
It goes back to 1856.
It used to be City Bank.

325
00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:48,433
As in London City Bank?

326
00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:50,630
As in bank of the City of London.

327
00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:54,514
That's repIicated in the gIass dome,
which we've got up here.

328
00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:55,914
(MIchael) ''CB''.

329
00:18:56,040 --> 00:19:00,875
(JulIan) It's a 120 hand-painted
gIass paneI dome.

330
00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,037
- What a great suRVivor.
- It's suRVived two worId wars.

331
00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:07,951
- (JulIan) StiII here.
- That's amazing.

332
00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:10,435
(MIchael) Any other signs
that it was a bank?

333
00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:13,597
If you'd Iike to foIIow me to the bar
I can show you something eIse.

334
00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:22,988
This was the originaI banking counter,
which is now the bar counter.

335
00:19:23,120 --> 00:19:26,271
- This was in the main Iobby.
- I can compIeteIy imagine that.

336
00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:29,073
One of these fine, oId,
caRVed bank counters.

337
00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:32,317
I Iove aII the ironwork on your indow.
What's the story of that?

338
00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:36,638
That was an outstanding creditor to
the bank and he went into administration

339
00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:41,515
and then to pay off his debts,
he donated the cast-iron to the bank.

340
00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:43,870
We've prepared something very speciaI
for you.

341
00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,639
I hear you might be partiaI
to a spot of whisky.

342
00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:52,198
Brian, our head barman,
has concocted the Bradshaw cocktaiI.

343
00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:53,639
- Enjoy.
- The Bradshaw?.

344
00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:57,992
- The Bradshaw.
- Oh! A cocktaiI named after George.

345
00:19:58,120 --> 00:20:01,112
WeII, cheers, JuIian.
Thank you very much indeed.

346
00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,555
Wow. (laughs)

347
00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:16,155
What a fabuIous view.

348
00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:19,750
Christopher Wren's greatest
masterpiece, St PauI's,

349
00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:22,917
and cIoser by,
my own personaI aIarm cIock.

350
00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:26,038
(bells chIme)

351
00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:39,359
Woken punctually,
I'm catchIng the Central LIne

352
00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:41,038
to LIverpool Street StatIon,

353
00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:45,711
the magnIfIcent VIctorIan termInus
for the Great Eastern RaIlway.

354
00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:52,470
Now I'm going to visit a London raiIway,

355
00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:54,909
which, as a Londoner,
I've never traveIIed on.

356
00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:58,077
I've never even seen a photograph of it.

357
00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:00,077
It's that mysterious.

358
00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:05,719
In addItIon to the Tube
and subterranean maIn lIne servIces,

359
00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:10,709
London Is home to another raIlway
whose exIstence few even know of.

360
00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:13,991
Deep under the hustle and bustle
of London's streets,

361
00:21:14,120 --> 00:21:19,194
a unIque electrIc traIn system wInds
In between the underground network.

362
00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:23,589
The RaIl MaIl, a secret system of
tunnels, raIlway lInes and platforms,

363
00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:27,633
was buIlt by the Post OffIce
for one very specIal reason,

364
00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:29,512
to delIver the capItal's post.

365
00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:35,715
I've been granted access to thIs prIvate
world deep In the bowels of the Earth.

366
00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:37,956
It's just Iike a miniature Tube Iine.

367
00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:41,197
Narrow-gauge.
ObviousIy, eIectrified.

368
00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:45,233
It's aIways a very speciaI moment for me
waIking aIong an eIectric raiIway Iine.

369
00:21:45,360 --> 00:21:50,229
Curator of the BrItIsh Postal Museum
& ArchIve, ChrIs Taft, Is my guIde.

370
00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:53,432
What is the history of underground
raiIways and the Post Office?

371
00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:57,394
The origin of the underground raiIway
and the Post Office connection

372
00:21:57,520 --> 00:21:58,999
goes back to the 1860s, to 1861 .

373
00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:03,272
They triaIIed the idea of using air
power to push, Iike a giant peashooter,

374
00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:07,916
pushing these cars on raiIs through
tunneIs to move maiI between stations.

375
00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:10,156
It did the job they wanted it to do.

376
00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:12,236
It was abIe to move the maiI
underground.

377
00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:17,397
It bewIlders me that the VIctorIans
devIsed such an advanced technology,

378
00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:20,796
lIterally to blow and suck traIns
of post and parcels

379
00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:24,515
through tunnels at a speed
of 30 mIles per hour.

380
00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,996
DespIte that astonIshIng trIumph
of VIctorIan engIneerIng,

381
00:22:28,120 --> 00:22:31,829
the Post OffIce was never enthusIastIc
and the scheme folded.

382
00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:36,719
But two events coIncIded whIch forced
the Royal MaIl to thInk agaIn.

383
00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:38,876
The growth In BrItaIn's postal traffIc,

384
00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:44,552
a staggerIng 5.9 bIllIon Items annually
by the eve of the FIrst World War.

385
00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:47,877
And a need to avoId
London's congested streets

386
00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,231
where vehIcles were movIng
atjust ten mIles per hour.

387
00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:56,434
So work started agaIn on a raIlway
system 2 1 metres below the surface,

388
00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:58,915
whIch opened In 1928.

389
00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,279
It ran from east London
from the eastern District Office

390
00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:06,710
through to an office and raiIway station
at Paddington in west London.

391
00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:09,673
So, 6.5 miIes and something Iike
22 miIes of track.

392
00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,234
- PresumabIy it carried a Iot of maiI.
- It did.

393
00:23:12,360 --> 00:23:15,079
It operated at its peak
22 hours a day.

394
00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:16,838
Operating every day.

395
00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:20,032
It operated continuaIIy
throughout the Second WorId War as weII.

396
00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:23,789
The voIumes of maiI were huge that
were being transported by the network.

397
00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:27,435
AmazIngly, thIs system ran untIl 2003,

398
00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:30,916
carryIng 30,000 maIl bags per day
at Its peak.

399
00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:34,715
It took 26 mInutes to travel seven mIles
under the streets of London,

400
00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:38,196
stoppIng for a mInute at each statIon.

401
00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:42,709
(ChrIs) I'm going to introduce you to
Ray MiddIesworth, one of the engineers.

402
00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:44,876
- HeIIo.
- HeIIo, Ray.

403
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,709
- So, at Iast we come across a train.
- This is one of our 1930s trains.

404
00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:52,469
Two trains coupIed together here,
each can hoId four containers of maiI.

405
00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:55,910
- There's two DC motors on either end.
- (MIchael) Where was the driver?

406
00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,156
(Ray) No driver. It was fuIIy automatic.

407
00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:01,431
ControIIed by reIays in a room
under the pIatform.

408
00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:03,357
(MIchael) That absoIuteIy amazes me,

409
00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:08,190
that a system introduced in the 1920s
had driverIess trains. Very advanced.

410
00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:11,676
It was.
It was the first automatic maiI raiIway.

411
00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:14,598
- When did it cIose?
- It cIosed in 2003.

412
00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:18,599
(MIchael) RemarkabIe. I expect many
peopIe don't know this raiIway exists

413
00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:22,110
and certainIy wouId be surprised
to know it was operating untiI 2003.

414
00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:24,435
It's reaIIy quite a secret raiIway.

415
00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:26,630
It was caIIed amongst our own peopIe

416
00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:28,910
one of the best-kept secrets
of the RoyaI MaiI.

417
00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:31,793
(MIchael) And indeed,
London's best-kept secret.

418
00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:35,230
Many peopIe know about the Tube itseIf,
the cIassic Tube

419
00:24:35,360 --> 00:24:37,590
and other raiIway Iines,
but not this one.

420
00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:40,915
The advent of the Internet and e-maIl

421
00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:43,554
sounded the death-knell
for the MaIl RaIl,

422
00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:47,355
as far fewer Items are now sent
by tradItIonal post.

423
00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:50,836
Now all the maIl In London
Is transported by road.

424
00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:54,155
The majorIty of the system
no longer works,

425
00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:57,272
but I have the unIque chance
to experIencejust for one moment

426
00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:00,676
what It was lIke to be a parcel
on the MaIl RaIl.

427
00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:08,310
Wow. I'II never compIain
about the Tube again.

428
00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:09,793
This is quite smaII.

429
00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:30,432
I keep thinking it's a waste
not to use this Iine

430
00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:33,950
and it ought to be brought back
into seRVice but, Iet's face it,

431
00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:37,516
ith these dimensions, it's not going
to catch on ith passengers, is it?

432
00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:51,110
I'm comIng to the end of thIsjourney
on the Great Eastern RaIlway.

433
00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:54,877
HavIng passed through,
and Indeed under the CIty of London,

434
00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:58,675
my last destInatIon Is very
sIgnIfIcant to ''Bradshaw's'',

435
00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:01,951
but not because of a reference
In the guIdebook.

436
00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:06,913
The answer to that rIddle
lIes underneath Cleopatra's Needle

437
00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:08,837
on the north bank of the Thames.

438
00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:12,999
John Graves of the MarItIme Museum
wIll reveal all.

439
00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:17,840
I suppose most Londoners
probabIy don't give it a Iook,

440
00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:20,076
but it is actuaIIy extremeIy ancient.

441
00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:23,510
It's very oId. 2400BC.

442
00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:26,279
In fact, aIthough it's caIIed
CIeopatra's NeedIe,

443
00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,358
it has nothing to do
ith CIeopatra at aII.

444
00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:31,550
The obeIisk was aIready
a thousand years oId

445
00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:34,831
at the time
CIeopatra was Queen of Egypt.

446
00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:38,191
I understand when they erected it,
they put a time capsuIe in the base.

447
00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:40,072
I thought that was a 20th century idea.

448
00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:42,031
I didn't reaIise they did it
in the 19th.

449
00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:44,151
What did they choose to put inside it?

450
00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:49,070
As you can see from that huge pIinth
up there, it's a big time capsuIe.

451
00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:55,673
It incIudes a set of 12 photographs of
the most attractive Iadies in EngIand.

452
00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:58,519
There is aIso a photograph
of Queen Victoria.

453
00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:04,470
And of course there's a copy
of Bradshaw's RaIlway GuIde.

454
00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:08,229
And so nice for me to know
that George Bradshaw resides in eternity

455
00:27:08,360 --> 00:27:10,669
ith the 12 most beautifuI women
of the age.

456
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:20,869
A 19th-century guidebook has brought
me through NorfoIk, SuffoIk and Essex

457
00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:22,797
to my home city of London

458
00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,718
and one of my favourite monuments,
CIeopatra's NeedIe.

459
00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:31,119
And here I find buried in the pIinth
a copy of Bradshaw's RaIlway GuIde,

460
00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:34,630
because the raiIways made
19th-century Britain.

461
00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:37,399
And they were synonymous
ith a singIe name,

462
00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:41,718
the man who compiIed the timetabIes,
George Bradshaw.

463
00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:48,638
My nextjourney starts In Royal WIndsor,

464
00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:52,355
then takes me south-west explorIng
the beautIful rural countIes

465
00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:56,837
of HampshIre and Dorset on my way
to the dramatIc JurassIc Coast.

466
00:27:57,880 --> 00:27:59,313
What a view, what a day.

467
00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:02,910
Along the way,
I'll be testIng a VIctorIan InventIon

468
00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:04,598
that revolutIonIsed the maIl...

469
00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:10,950
..learnIng why VIctorIan tourIsts
loved the Isle of WIght...

470
00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:16,031
I have this amazing pIunge
down to the beach.

471
00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:18,879
Whoa! You have to have
a head for heights here.

472
00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:23,596
..and admIrIng a castle
catapulted to fame by the raIlways...

473
00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:26,553
Wow, that is fanta... That is fantastic.

474
00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:29,274
The most romantic ruin.