1 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:06,040 For Victorian Britons, 2 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:09,320 George Bradshaw was a household name. 3 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:11,400 At a time when railways were new, 4 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:15,440 Bradshaw's guidebook inspired them to take to the tracks. 5 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:17,640 I'm using a Bradshaw's Guide 6 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:19,000 to understand how trains 7 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,000 transformed Britain. 8 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,840 Its landscape, its industry, 9 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,400 society and leisure time. 10 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:30,200 As I crisscross the country 150 years later, 11 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,520 it helps me to discover the Britain of today. 12 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:57,080 I'm concluding my journey around Southern England. 13 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:00,200 Today, sticking close to the River Thames, 14 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:05,000 I'll find out how the aquatic rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge 15 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:06,960 was institutionalised 16 00:01:06,960 --> 00:01:10,880 and how women who were satisfied with neither one of them, 17 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:14,160 by degrees gained their own university. 18 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,000 But I'm looking forward to beginning with all the fun of the fair. 19 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:25,000 Following my Bradshaw's guidebook, 20 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,880 I travelled through the county of Kent, 21 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:29,600 took a route south of London, 22 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:32,280 through the picturesque towns of Surrey, 23 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,080 and visited racetracks and royal residencies. 24 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,480 The final leg of my journey will take me along the river 25 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,200 to Henley-on-Thames. 26 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:47,600 Today, I take a ride in Egham, push the boundaries in Staines, 27 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,800 drink in the industrial past of Slough 28 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,080 and cross the finishing line in the home of rowing. 29 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,000 I attempt to pull my weight on the River Thames... 30 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,600 Push and relax. Hands away. 31 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:05,520 Sorry, I've lost it completely. 32 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:07,720 ..discover the radical implications 33 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:11,040 of one of the country's first universities for women... 34 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:12,840 I think it really was the starting point. 35 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:17,840 By having an education, by having a choice, they demanded other choices. 36 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:21,760 And let off some steam at a vintage funfair. 37 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:25,560 MICHAEL LAUGHS Oh, it's horrible! 38 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:29,600 Oh! Enough! Enough! 39 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:30,840 Stop! 40 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:41,560 Under each place name, 41 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:45,960 my Bradshaw's tends to give the date of the annual fair. 42 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,760 Originally, these were important gatherings for farmers 43 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:51,680 to trade with each other. 44 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,600 But over time, they became associated with amusements. 45 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:57,920 And those amusements were, of course, 46 00:02:57,920 --> 00:03:00,800 transformed by the coming of steam. 47 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,280 I'm travelling on the South Western line 48 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:09,800 that links London Waterloo to Reading. 49 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:11,760 And my first stop is Egham. 50 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,640 On the outskirts, I find a vintage travelling steam fair - 51 00:03:18,640 --> 00:03:23,440 custodian of rare and beautiful Victorian machines. 52 00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:35,080 I step back in time to Bradshaw's day and put my mettle to the test. 53 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:38,440 Oh! 54 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:47,160 'It looks as if my Herculean strength hasn't quite hit the mark.' 55 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:50,400 BELL DINGS 56 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,000 Well done to you, that's how it's done. 57 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:57,800 Steam engines had been developed for use in factories and railways. 58 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:00,080 And in time, Victorian entrepreneurs 59 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,880 harnessed the new technology for entertainment. 60 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:05,600 I'm meeting Joby Carter 61 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:09,160 whose father started the steam fair in the 1970s, 62 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:14,440 collecting and restoring these superb Victorian fairground rides. 63 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:18,400 Joby, this is a very fine kind of antique ride. 64 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:21,440 When does that date from? Circa 1895. 65 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:23,840 That's amazing. And powered? By steam. 66 00:04:23,840 --> 00:04:27,200 Before steam power, how would the rides be driven? 67 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:29,240 Predominately, rides were hand powered. 68 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:32,000 So, you had a hand crank in the middle of rides 69 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:33,560 and they had animals. 70 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:36,760 They may have had an animal in the centre pulling the ride round. 71 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:40,360 The dawn of the steam engine transformed the fairground industry 72 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:41,880 beyond all recognition. 73 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:45,680 One - because they could transport the rides with heavy locomotives 74 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,000 and they could power the ride with centre engines, 75 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:49,600 like the one in the galloper 76 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:51,560 and the one on the steam yachts we have here. 77 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:55,440 Now, your steam yachts really are a very elegant piece of work. 78 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:56,720 Tell me about them. 79 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:59,240 Well, the steam yacht originally was designed 80 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:02,240 by William Cartwright in 1888. 81 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:04,400 And along came Frederick Savage, 82 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,320 who was a farm machinery manufacturer, 83 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:11,520 got into the fairground game and pilfered the idea, if you will, 84 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,440 changed a few things to get round the copyright. 85 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,800 And it was Savage's that built the most steam yachts. 86 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:23,080 Ours was built in 1921 and it was the original white-knuckle ride. 87 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:26,200 It was a real, real thrill ride. 88 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,720 And how rare is it to have this kind of example of a steam yacht? 89 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,720 It's incredibly rare and, without any shadow of a doubt, 90 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,120 it's the finest example left in the world. 91 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:41,320 With these daring new rides, came the great showman. 92 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:46,280 Tasked with luring thrill-seeking Victorians onto the amusements. 93 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:50,640 Roll up, roll up, roll up for the steam yachts! 94 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:55,000 You'll be mesmerised, you'll be hypnotised! 95 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,560 You'll be swung from side to side! 96 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:02,280 Are you brave enough to come on the steam yachts today? 97 00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:05,320 You'll be scared out of your wits! 98 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:08,280 Having talked the talk, 99 00:06:08,280 --> 00:06:12,280 it's now time for me to experience this white-knuckle ride. 100 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:18,040 So, the seats are marked yellow for cowards 101 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:21,360 and then brave and then very brave. 102 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:25,560 And no self-respecting Briton could sit anywhere 103 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,080 except the very brave seat. 104 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:29,440 Come on then. 105 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:33,760 Oh, my goodness. 106 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:37,080 Oh, no. Oh, no. 107 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:38,760 HE LAUGHS 108 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:41,720 Oh, this is horrible. No, no. 109 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:46,120 Oh, the swing is appalling and in a Victorian device, 110 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:48,440 you're only held in by your own arms. 111 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:52,480 Oh, oh, oh! 112 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:55,400 I'm going vertical! I can't believe... 113 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:57,600 Oh, enough! 114 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,760 Enough! Stop! 115 00:07:01,840 --> 00:07:04,120 Oh, thank goodness we're slowing down. 116 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:10,880 Those Victorians really knew how to scare you. 117 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:22,400 Glad to be back on solid ground, I remain in Egham 118 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:26,280 and I'm heading up the hill as I hope to learn a thing or two. 119 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:34,280 Fortunately for us, some Victorians who made a tremendous fortune 120 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:38,600 were interested in philanthropy and their own posterity. 121 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:44,200 And so it is that there is a corner of Surrey that is forever Holloway. 122 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:52,280 Royal Holloway is a spectacular university campus 123 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:54,920 now part of the University of London. 124 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:58,360 Its grand and traditional appearance perhaps belies 125 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:01,880 its radical pioneering origins. 126 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:08,200 Founded in 1886 by Thomas Holloway, a wealthy philanthropist. 127 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:11,280 It was one of Britain's first colleges for women. 128 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:17,400 The current principal is Professor Paul Layzell. 129 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:20,960 Paul, in order to found this extraordinary institution, 130 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:24,000 Thomas Holloway must have had a lot of money. Where did he make it? 131 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:26,200 Well, Thomas and Jane Holloway were very wealthy. 132 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:28,080 They produced pills and potions 133 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:31,920 that they claimed cured a variety of ailments. 134 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:34,440 But his secret to success was he was a brilliant marketeer, 135 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:36,480 he understood the power of advertising 136 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:38,600 and that's what sold the pills. 137 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:41,120 Do we think the pills were efficacious? 138 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:43,320 I'm told that they did you no harm. 139 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:45,600 I think they were a mild laxative. 140 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:48,640 What turned his mind towards philanthropy? 141 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,240 Well, the Holloways had no children and it was his wife, Jane, 142 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:54,680 who thought about creating a college for the education of women. 143 00:08:54,680 --> 00:08:58,680 How undersupplied were women at that time with higher education? 144 00:08:58,680 --> 00:09:00,480 There weren't many opportunities. 145 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:04,520 There was Bedford College which was founded in 1849 in Central London. 146 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,440 And you certainly couldn't get a degree until about 1900, 147 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:10,160 when both Bedford College and Royal Holloway College 148 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:11,720 joined the University of London. 149 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:16,800 Thomas and Jane had been a devoted couple 150 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,200 and following her death in 1875, 151 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:23,200 he resolved to build the college for women in her memory. 152 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:26,080 Holloway employed the architect William Crossland 153 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:27,440 to design this building. 154 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:29,040 It's based on the Chateau de Chambord 155 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:30,320 in the Loire Valley. 156 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:33,800 There it's white limestone, here it's red Victorian brick. 157 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:35,960 I notice that there's a statue of Queen Victoria 158 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:38,880 in your first court and you're known as Royal Holloway. 159 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,400 So did the Queen attach herself to the college? 160 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:45,160 Yes, the Queen was invited to come for the opening in 1886, 161 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:48,120 she liked it so much she granted the use of the royal title, 162 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:51,040 which is quite unusual in higher education institutions. 163 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:54,360 In the late 19th century, 164 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:58,120 higher education for women was controversial. 165 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:01,040 Many saw it as fraught with danger. 166 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:04,080 Care was taken to guard against ill health, 167 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:07,400 brought on by "strong brainwork." 168 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:12,320 There was a strict timetable and rules to keep women respectable. 169 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:16,360 The first year's intake was just 28 students, 170 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:18,360 but numbers grew rapidly. 171 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,560 Facilities included a beautiful gilded chapel. 172 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:26,920 As well as an art gallery, filled with works 173 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:29,720 from the leading painters of the day. 174 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:33,160 I'm meeting its curator, Laura McCulloch. 175 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:35,760 So, how did it come about 176 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:38,040 that a university college had an art collection? 177 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:40,240 It was all down to Thomas Holloway, the founder. 178 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:43,040 And I think the idea was that he needed something 179 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:44,880 to lure people to the college. 180 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:46,600 So he thought having an art gallery 181 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:48,680 would mean they'd come and then, of course, 182 00:10:48,680 --> 00:10:50,680 once they're here, they couldn't help but see 183 00:10:50,680 --> 00:10:52,280 how amazing the college was. 184 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:54,120 So I'm sure it was advertising. 185 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:56,360 But he was a 19th-century man so, of course, 186 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:59,800 he would have understood the idea of art for education as well. 187 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:02,160 So, I think it's a kind of dual purpose. 188 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:05,840 This painting here with its range of female beauties, 189 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:07,480 what's that about? 190 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:09,480 Well, what you have are women 191 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:12,320 who have not had enough money for a dowry 192 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:14,640 and they're being sold off at auction, 193 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:17,560 a marriage auction in ancient Babylon. 194 00:11:17,560 --> 00:11:20,800 Really, I think the artist is trying to get his viewers 195 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:24,520 to compare ancient Babylon to Victorian Britain, saying, 196 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:26,320 "Have we really moved that far away?" 197 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:28,360 And I think the implied answer is, 198 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:32,160 "No, we are still not giving our women any choice. 199 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:35,000 "They must marry if they want to support themselves." 200 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,840 So, what role do you think Royal Holloway College plays 201 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:41,160 in changing the world that's been parodied in that painting? 202 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,440 I think it was one of the first stepping stones 203 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:44,880 for women to get freedom. 204 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:48,400 One of our students, Emily Wilding Davison, was a suffragette. 205 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:50,480 It allowed women to congregate together, 206 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:51,960 to talk about their status, 207 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:54,240 and I think it really was the starting point, 208 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:56,680 by having an education, by having a choice, 209 00:11:56,680 --> 00:11:58,560 they demanded other choices. 210 00:11:58,560 --> 00:12:00,920 And there's a painting that gladdens my heart - 211 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:02,880 a painting of a railway station. 212 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:05,160 It is. That's Paddington station. 213 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:07,200 And it was painted by William Powell Frith, 214 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:10,000 who really made his name with very large crowd scenes, 215 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,760 very complex scenes with lots of little narratives 216 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:16,440 but showing all the classes mixing together in these crowds. 217 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:18,160 And, really, it's a celebration 218 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:21,000 of the technology of Victorian Britain. 219 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:22,760 Over half the painting is dedicated 220 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:25,120 to the architecture of Paddington station. 221 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:28,160 Which, of course, you couldn't have without Victorian technology. 222 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:30,400 And then, the bottom half with the crowd scene - 223 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:33,800 now that's a celebration of Victorian society itself. 224 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:35,840 And it's quite a useful document, isn't it, 225 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:38,160 to tell us about what railway travel looked like 226 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:40,240 at the end of the 19th century? Absolutely. 227 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:46,200 Royal Holloway is today recognised as one of the leading 228 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:48,680 research universities in the country. 229 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:53,120 It has around 8,500 students. 230 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:57,400 And since 1945, has generously admitted men. 231 00:13:00,560 --> 00:13:04,640 Thomas Holloway might today be considered a bit of a quack 232 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:07,920 and might be remembered as rather a rogue. 233 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:10,080 But his fortune built a college 234 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:12,680 that changed women's place in society 235 00:13:12,680 --> 00:13:16,200 and an art collection that provides a social commentary 236 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:18,440 on late 19th-century Britain. 237 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:22,480 And that has earned him a position of honour in British history. 238 00:13:31,680 --> 00:13:35,640 From Egham, I'm travelling just one station along the main line 239 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:37,200 for my overnight stop. 240 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:42,520 I'm going to spend my evening in Staines, 241 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:44,680 drawn by this reference in Bradshaw's 242 00:13:44,680 --> 00:13:48,160 to the city boundary stone on which is inscribed, 243 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:51,600 "'God preserve the city of London AD 1280.' 244 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,440 "It marks the limit of the Lord Mayor's jurisdiction 245 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:56,040 "over the River Thames. 246 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:59,000 "When the civic authorities make their tour of inspection, 247 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:03,960 "they disembark here and wine is placed for them on the stone." 248 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:07,360 And that seems like a ritual that's worth re-enacting. 249 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:15,040 To pay off debts incurred fighting the Third Crusade, in 1197, 250 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:19,600 King Richard I sold the rights and revenues of the Lower Thames 251 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:21,920 to the Corporation of the City of London. 252 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:25,120 Staines stood at the title limit of the river 253 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:28,520 so it was an obvious place to mark the boundary. 254 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:30,720 Between the 12th and the 19th century, 255 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:33,160 the City of London could charge tolls 256 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:34,760 and levy taxes on fishing 257 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:37,960 along great stretches of the River Thames. 258 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,800 And they would visit each of their boundary stones 259 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:43,280 on three-day tours of inspection. 260 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:47,440 When the authorities lost that right in 1857, 261 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:52,080 they return from their last inspection symbolically by train 262 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:55,920 back to the City of London to drown their sorrows. 263 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,360 'It's the start of my second day. 264 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:15,600 I'm rejoining the railway at Staines and heading to Slough. 265 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:19,600 But I need to change at Windsor and Eton Riverside. 266 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:26,080 Windsor and Eton have two stations. 267 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:28,920 One by the riverside, one called Central. 268 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:30,840 You can walk between the two. 269 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:33,880 But the existence of two stations which are not joined together 270 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:37,920 is testimony to the railway mania of the Victorian age 271 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:41,200 when lines were constructed higgledy-piggledy. 272 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:47,320 In the shadow of the 11th-century Windsor Castle 273 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:51,000 and a stone's throw from Eton College, established in 1440, 274 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,360 I'm taking the riverside path 275 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:56,720 for my seven-minute walk between the stations 276 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:58,960 as I leave the South Western network 277 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:01,560 to join the trains of the Great Western. 278 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,080 It's still early, misty morning. 279 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,320 Luckily, I slept well last night. 280 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:15,120 There are some people who believe 281 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:17,680 that they rely for a good nocturnal rest 282 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:21,440 on a product made at my next stop, Slough. 283 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:24,760 Slough is known as home 284 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:28,320 to one of the largest industrial trading estates in Europe. 285 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:31,640 Just 20 miles west of London, 286 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:34,760 the town was bisected by the old Great West Road 287 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:36,480 and the Great Western Railway - 288 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:40,760 factors which attracted businesses from the mid-19th century. 289 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:47,760 In 1840, Slough was the closest station to Windsor Castle 290 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:51,760 and so was built bigger and grander than others along the line. 291 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:58,200 I'm to visit another local landmark built with trains in mind - 292 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:00,680 the original British Horlicks factory 293 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:04,000 which still produces the drink today. 294 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:05,520 To find out about its history, 295 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:08,640 I'm meeting the company's archivist, Jill Moretto. 296 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:12,600 Jill, how does this product start life? 297 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:15,480 In the early 1870s, James and William Horlick 298 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:17,760 emigrated to Chicago in the United States 299 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:19,840 and went into business together. 300 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:22,560 James had done his apprenticeship in a chemist in London 301 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:24,040 working with infant foods 302 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,640 and the two brothers decided that this would be the product 303 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:29,400 that they would make themselves and market. 304 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:32,680 So, what was the market opportunity for this new infant food? 305 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:34,280 In the Victorian times, 306 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:36,480 milk could sometimes take a long time to get 307 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:39,480 from the farms into the city, then out to the people who needed it. 308 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:40,840 By the time it got there, 309 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:43,480 it could cause illnesses or it might even cause death. 310 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:45,760 So by putting the milk in the product itself, 311 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:47,200 then you just needed to add water. 312 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:49,640 It was a sterile... It was much safer for the child. 313 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:51,360 This is a Horlicks feeder. 314 00:17:51,360 --> 00:17:53,480 This is the predecessor to a baby bottle. 315 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:56,320 So, before plastics. So, it was stoppered at the one end. 316 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:58,880 You'd put your powder in, your water and mix it all up. 317 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:01,240 Then, the baby would have the teat on the end. 318 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:06,040 In 1883, the Horlick brothers had obtained a United States patent 319 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:08,360 for their dehydrated milk product 320 00:18:08,360 --> 00:18:11,840 and were exporting it to their homeland as a baby food 321 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:13,560 and later an energy drink. 322 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:18,000 Demand was such that they started production in the United Kingdom. 323 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:21,360 Buying land from Eton College in 1906, 324 00:18:21,360 --> 00:18:24,160 to build a factory alongside the railway line. 325 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:27,360 This is a card sleeve, probably 1920s. 326 00:18:27,360 --> 00:18:29,000 You can see on the front we have, 327 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,360 "For infants, invalids, the aged and travellers." 328 00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:35,880 "Infants, invalids, the aged..." I understand that. "Travellers"? 329 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:38,400 It was used by explorers, so, Roald Amundsen 330 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:41,720 and Admiral Byrd took it on their polar expeditions 331 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:43,280 to sustain themselves. 332 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:44,880 It could replace a meal. 333 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:48,200 During one of their expeditions in the 1930s, 334 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:51,920 they named a major mountain range after their sponsor 335 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:56,480 and to this day they are the Horlick Mountains in Antarctica. 336 00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:59,280 So, I think of this product being advertised 337 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:02,160 as being very good for sleep. 338 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:04,080 So how did it change? 339 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,200 As milk became more available, it got pasteurisation, 340 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:10,360 the need to have this infant food for children wasn't as big. 341 00:19:10,360 --> 00:19:13,040 They changed their marketing to keep their product going, 342 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:14,720 so they marketed it as a sleep aid. 343 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:17,440 And this is the drink itself. Yes. 344 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:19,520 I think I may be a novice to this. 345 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:20,720 So, it's warm. 346 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:25,000 Ooh, very wheaty, isn't it? 347 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:27,720 Yes. And quite thick. And quite thick. 348 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:30,000 And... 349 00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:41,880 Now revived, I'm off to see how modern production is managed 350 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:44,520 in a facility that's over 100 years old. 351 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:49,120 The site director of the factory is Steve Smith. 352 00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:52,320 Steve, a powerful, almost heady smell 353 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:54,520 which is very distinctive of the product. 354 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:56,040 What makes it smell like that? 355 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:58,240 So, you're right at the front end of the process, 356 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:00,080 Michael, here at Slough. 357 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:02,920 And that's where we mash the product together 358 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:05,520 with the malted barley and the wheat flour. 359 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:08,960 And that, with hot water, that provides us with that smell. 360 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:12,000 But I'm quite pleased that you've got, excuse me, 361 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:15,160 what appear like some quite antique pieces of machinery here. 362 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:17,160 This is one of our evaporators. 363 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:19,720 This equipment itself is 1929. 364 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:22,320 That said, if we remove the stuff, the equipment, 365 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:24,760 we actually change the flavour of the product 366 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:27,480 and therefore lose some of its traditional flavour. 367 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:31,880 This factory produces up to 14,000 tonnes a year 368 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:33,440 for domestic consumption 369 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:37,960 and to supply growing markets in Malaysia and Africa. 370 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:40,680 And where else is the product popular today? 371 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:42,520 So, in India. 372 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:45,320 38 million households drink the product 373 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:50,560 where, I guess, 190 cups of Horlicks every second are consumed every day. 374 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:53,080 And why is that such a strong market, do you think? 375 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:56,160 I think it's about helping support the malnutrition agenda. 376 00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:59,480 So, really, the way the product's being used in India today 377 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:01,560 is not dissimilar for the way it was used 378 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:03,920 in the United Kingdom a century and a half ago? 379 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:04,960 Absolutely right. 380 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,840 I'm heading back to Slough station for the last leg of my journey 381 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:17,960 which takes me along the mainline westwards to Twyford station. 382 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:24,400 This will be my interchange for the branch line 383 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,760 to my final destination of Henley-on-Thames. 384 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:31,680 Hello, are you the station master of this... Hello. Yeah. 385 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:34,000 ..of this lovely station? Yes. Welcome to Twyford. 386 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,320 Thank you very much indeed. 387 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:37,880 So, you're changing over now, 388 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:40,600 you're going back to being called the Great Western Railway? 389 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:41,720 We are, yes, yes. 390 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:43,600 How does that feel to you? It's quite... 391 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:46,080 It's good, it's good. I remember the Great Western, yeah. 392 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:47,520 What are your memories of it? 393 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:50,320 Oh, well, I started on the railway in '62 394 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:52,880 and it was still very much Great Western in name 395 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:54,840 although it was British Rail then, of course, 396 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:57,920 but all the staff were Great Western staff. 397 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,920 So you've been on the railway since 1962? Yes. 398 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:03,520 And how much longer would you have to go, do you think, 399 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:04,960 working on the railways? 400 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:08,120 I retire at the end of this month. No. Yes. 401 00:22:08,120 --> 00:22:09,920 My goodness, you'll miss the railway. 402 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:11,680 Yes, after 53 years, 403 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:13,760 but we've all got to go sometime. 404 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:26,560 I'm now on the little shuttle train to Henley. 405 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:28,040 Bradshaw's tells me that it's 406 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:31,400 "delightfully situated on a sloping bank of the Thames 407 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:34,680 "over which there's a handsome bridge of five arches 408 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:38,880 "connecting the counties of Oxford and Berkshire." 409 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:42,680 The straight stretch of the river in the early 19th century 410 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:46,920 attracted the eligible blades of Oxford and Cambridge 411 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,960 to compete in boats, with no messing. 412 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:54,760 40 miles from Central London 413 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:57,480 and beyond the last of the capital's suburbs, 414 00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:00,760 the River Thames winds through more rural surroundings 415 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:02,880 to reach Henley-on-Thames. 416 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:07,920 Located in Oxfordshire, 417 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:11,040 it's a pretty and affluent market town. 418 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,680 The river has always been key to its fortunes. 419 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:25,480 I'm going to the River and Rowing Museum to lap up 420 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:29,360 some of its watery history with curator, Eloise Chapman. 421 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:33,560 Hello, Eloise. Hello, Michael. 422 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:36,560 This is a beautiful but, I must say, very heavy looking boat. 423 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:38,160 What's the history of this? 424 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:40,200 So, this was the boat that won 425 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:44,040 the first ever Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race, won by Oxford in 1829. 426 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:46,520 And that race was actually rode at Henley-on-Thames 427 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:47,800 rather than in London. 428 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:50,520 It was started by two students, 429 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:52,960 one went to Cambridge, one went to Oxford. 430 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:55,720 And they met one summer holiday and waged a bet against each other 431 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:57,840 as to who could win a race on the Thames. 432 00:23:57,840 --> 00:23:59,240 Why did they choose Henley? 433 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:02,320 They chose Henley because we have a very straight stretch of river here. 434 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:05,080 There's a lot of boat builders in the area. A lot of people came to 435 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:07,520 the area just to have fun on the river at the weekends. 436 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:10,200 So, it seemed like the ideal place, I imagine, for them. 437 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:11,360 And then at some point, 438 00:24:11,360 --> 00:24:13,760 the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race moves away to London. 439 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:16,240 There was only one race held in Henley-on-Thames. 440 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:17,800 And they went to London after that. 441 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:19,920 I think because it had proved such a popular race 442 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:21,960 and they wanted to be somewhere where, you know, 443 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:24,400 there was a bigger arena for the competition. 444 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:28,480 The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race has become a sporting highlight 445 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:31,600 since that first occurrence in 1829. 446 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:38,200 And as of 2015, Cambridge has won 81 races and Oxford 79. 447 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:40,480 The town lost the varsity race 448 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:45,040 but invented its own prestigious rowing event - the Henley Regatta. 449 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:47,400 The regatta got going in 1839. 450 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:49,640 And to begin with, it was really a social event, 451 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:51,160 a way of bringing people to the town 452 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:53,240 and making some money for the town as well. 453 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:54,800 And then about 20 years later, 454 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:57,640 with the coming of the railway, it became a much bigger social event 455 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,920 because people could come in from London and all the surrounding area. 456 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:05,000 Crews race a course of just over a mile. 457 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:09,000 And since 1851, when Prince Albert became patron, 458 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:12,960 it's been known as the Henley Royal Regatta. 459 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,160 They must've needed a lot of muscle 460 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:17,360 and expended a lot of sweat rowing that boat. 461 00:25:17,360 --> 00:25:21,080 Oh, yeah, I mean, a huge amount. And they're not easy boats to row. 462 00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:27,880 And to find out what it takes to be an oarsman, 463 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:32,360 I'm heading to the Henley Rowing Club to try my hand. 464 00:25:32,360 --> 00:25:35,920 Under the tuition of rowing coach Stan Admiraal. 465 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:43,560 Stan. Hello there, Michael. 466 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:45,480 Good to see you. Good to see you. 467 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:47,400 Reporting for my training. Perfect. 468 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:50,640 Let me just introduce you to the basics of rowing 469 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:54,160 and let me teach you in a quick and brief way how we do that. 470 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:57,120 Just enough that I don't drown. Yeah. Perfect, no problem. 471 00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:00,360 So, we grab the handle 472 00:26:00,360 --> 00:26:05,000 and we just push on our legs and we stretch out. 473 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:08,560 It's what I call position one. 474 00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:11,840 Then move the hands away first, all the way. 475 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:13,200 Good. Position two. 476 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,440 Then we reach forwards, but we keep the knees flat. 477 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:18,840 Call that position three. 478 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:21,120 Perfect. And then slide forwards. 479 00:26:22,360 --> 00:26:24,320 We're going to take on the next stroke 480 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:26,400 so I'm going to push on my legs again. 481 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:28,600 Going to open up. Perfect. 482 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:40,520 'It's one thing to learn the technique on a rowing machine. 483 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:43,240 'Time to put it to the test on the river.' 484 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:44,440 Where shall I sit? 485 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:46,880 You can have a seat here in the middle of the boat. Ah-ha. 486 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:49,520 And you're going behind? Then I'll sit behind. 487 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:53,680 'I'm enlisting in a rowing eight for my first rowing experience.' 488 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:57,000 So, if we all sit backwards and backstrokes - 489 00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:59,160 so that's position number one. 490 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:01,440 Go. Push on the legs. 491 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:03,160 Hands away. 492 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:06,040 Push on the legs. Hands away. 493 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:08,360 Good. Push. Legs. 494 00:27:08,360 --> 00:27:10,920 Michael, try to push on your legs. 495 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:12,520 Sorry, I've lost it completely. 496 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:15,160 I've got to get the rhythm back. 497 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:17,800 Arms straight. Push on the legs. Up. 498 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:18,960 Better. 499 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,640 So, Michael, keep thinking about those legs. 500 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:24,880 Really push your seat backwards and keep your arms straight. 501 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:26,120 Going straight. 502 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:33,400 'I don't think my old university will be head-hunting me.' 503 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:34,920 Whoa. 504 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:38,760 'But it's been an oar-some experience.' 505 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:41,280 Keep it loose. Push on the legs. 506 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:43,080 In, out. 507 00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:50,360 Since I embarked on my rail journey in Kent, 508 00:27:50,360 --> 00:27:52,480 I've dynamited a quarry, 509 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:56,200 been flung about in a steam-powered fairground ride, 510 00:27:56,200 --> 00:28:00,640 fought a duel, driven a Bentley and rode on the River Thames. 511 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:04,040 Along the way, I discovered that the pace of change 512 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:06,280 in Victorian social attitudes 513 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:09,840 matched the progress in science and industry. 514 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:15,080 In our own digital age too, we fundamentally changed our views 515 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:20,360 on the equality between the genders, races and sexualities. 516 00:28:20,360 --> 00:28:23,320 The continuing development of our outlooks 517 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:27,600 is as unstoppable as our technological inventiveness.