1
00:00:04,520 --> 00:00:09,560
For Edwardian Britons, a Bradshaw's
was an indispensable guide to

2
00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:11,440
a railway network at its peak.

3
00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:18,200
I'm using an early 20th century
edition to navigate a vibrant

4
00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:19,800
and optimistic Britain

5
00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,920
at the height of its power
and influence in the world.

6
00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:27,920
But a nation wrestling
with political,

7
00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,040
social and industrial unrest
at home.

8
00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:58,840
I'm nearing the end of my railway
adventure in the tracks

9
00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:00,800
of King Edward VII.

10
00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:08,080
My journey, which began in Cromer,

11
00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:11,120
will also end by the sea
on England's south coast.

12
00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:12,400
On this part,

13
00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:16,440
I'll learn the ropes in
Southampton, I'll horse around in

14
00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:21,120
the New Forest, I'll look at houses
built on sand in Bournemouth,

15
00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,960
and as I approach
Brownsea Island, I'll be prepared.

16
00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:37,680
My journey began on the Norfolk
coast and took me

17
00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,200
via Cambridgeshire to the capital.

18
00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:42,880
Travelling south,
I admired the Sussex countryside,

19
00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:44,680
en route to the coast.

20
00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:47,640
From there,
I turned west to explore Portsmouth

21
00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:49,560
and the Isle of Wight.

22
00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:52,400
I'm now continuing through Hampshire
and Dorset,

23
00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,080
towards my final stop,
reached from Poole.

24
00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,920
This leg starts at the Hampshire
village of Swanwick,

25
00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,280
near Southampton, stops
at Brockenhurst for the New Forest

26
00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,200
and Bournemouth for the seaside.

27
00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,520
My last call will be Poole,
from where a ferry will carry me

28
00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:10,240
to Brownsea Island.

29
00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:14,360
On my way... Explorers alert.

30
00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:17,600
..I promise to do my best
with the Scouts...

31
00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,520
Once a Scout, always a Scout.

32
00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:24,080
..find warhorses in the Hampshire
wilderness...

33
00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:26,880
Do you like to be brushed?
Look at that!

34
00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:29,480
Beautiful sheen to this coast!

35
00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:33,200
..and experience
the charms of a British institution,

36
00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,440
born in the Edwardian era.

37
00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,760
Do you always dress to
match your beach hut? Yes. Always.

38
00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:51,480
My first stop will be Swanwick,
seven miles east of Southampton.

39
00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,520
Today, it's known as a centre
for Air Traffic Control,

40
00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:57,360
but given its location,
it's long had links to the sea.

41
00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,280
My Bradshaw's carries
an advertisement for the

42
00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:07,560
American Line, Southampton to New
York service, calling at Cherbourg.

43
00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:11,800
Now, any seafarer would want to know
the difference between a bowline,

44
00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,440
a sheet bend and a clove hitch.

45
00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:18,920
I've often wondered how those
bound for a life on the ocean wave

46
00:03:18,920 --> 00:03:20,560
were sent forth on an even keel.

47
00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:42,440
At the time of my Bradshaw's, the
British Empire was at its zenith,

48
00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,040
sustained by a vast
fleet of commercial ships.

49
00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,400
There was huge
demand for skilled seamen.

50
00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,240
And to learn how Southampton met it,

51
00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:58,080
I've come to the Warsash Maritime
Academy, on the River Hamble.

52
00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,280
I'm meeting former cadet Roger Holt.

53
00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:13,960
Southampton becomes a very important
port for the merchant navy,

54
00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:16,920
as we now know it,
during the 19th century?

55
00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:20,240
Oh, absolutely. And really this
is when it all kicked off.

56
00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,160
The channels were dredged
to take the ever-larger ships.

57
00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:27,040
And, of course, passenger shipping
became immensely important,

58
00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,040
particularly transatlantic trade.

59
00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:31,640
It was really getting
a head of steam.

60
00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:35,520
How long have we recognised that
commercial shipping needs men

61
00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,960
and boys to be properly
trained for their job?

62
00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:42,640
As far as Southampton is concerned,
we can go back to 1909,

63
00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:46,040
when the Gilchrist School
of Navigation was established.

64
00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:49,360
In the early 20th century,

65
00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,040
sea schools were springing
up across the country.

66
00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,440
And their graduates would soon
face extraordinary perils.

67
00:04:56,440 --> 00:05:01,720
During the First World War,
some 15,000 merchant seamen died,

68
00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,680
trying to keep the Empire supplied.

69
00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:08,920
Roger, it occurs to me
that Navy is a military term,

70
00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:12,280
yet we speak of a merchant navy.
Of course.

71
00:05:12,280 --> 00:05:16,960
It goes back to the First World War,
after the recognition of the

72
00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:21,760
service provided by the commercial
service by King George V.

73
00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:26,680
And he established the term
"merchant navy."

74
00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:30,040
From that time, at least,
we've recognised that our survival

75
00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:32,960
in time of conflict
depends on our commercial shipping.

76
00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:34,560
Yes, indeed.

77
00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:37,200
The Gilchrist School later evolved

78
00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:42,160
into the Warsash Maritime Academy,
which moved to this site in 1946.

79
00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:46,000
Were you here as a cadet yourself?
Yes, I was. And what was it like?

80
00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:50,240
It was something that possibly today
we would know as a boot camp.

81
00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:54,040
Essentially, this place was
designed for leadership.

82
00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,520
We wore boots, we wore gaiters,
we wore battledress.

83
00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:00,000
And we ran everywhere.

84
00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:03,040
Good training? I thought
it was fantastic.

85
00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:06,680
I think it was a very good
grounding for a life at sea.

86
00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,880
Now, I imagine the regime is a bit
different from in your day.

87
00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:11,040
Is that right? Yes.

88
00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:14,640
The training has become much more
academic, but there is still

89
00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:17,800
room for the knowledge of good
seamanship practice.

90
00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:19,400
You still need to know your knots?

91
00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:22,120
You still need to know your knots,
Michael,

92
00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:24,160
particularly on a dark
night in a storm.

93
00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:30,600
These days, Warsash is part
of Southampton Solent University.

94
00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:36,800
Alongside old school rope skills,

95
00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:41,160
today's cadets use hi-tech
simulators to prepare for a

96
00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:45,200
life at sea, handling everything
from super yachts to oil tankers.

97
00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:49,960
Danielle Blackburn
and David Dale are current cadets.

98
00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:53,000
Danielle, you're coming to the end
of your course now, is that right?

99
00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:54,240
Yes, that's correct.

100
00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:56,720
I'm just coming to the end
of the three years of the course.

101
00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:59,640
And to what extent is it a practical
or an academic course?

102
00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:01,960
We do a lot of practical elements
here at the college,

103
00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,600
alongside the academics,
and then obviously, at sea,

104
00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:06,480
it's completely practical
and hands-on.

105
00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:09,120
And now, I suppose,
a lot of electronics and IT?

106
00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:10,680
Definitely, yeah.

107
00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:12,720
Also matched up with the more
traditional

108
00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:14,760
methods of navigation and safety.

109
00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:17,200
Dave, has it been decided
what you're going to be doing next?

110
00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:19,040
I'm with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary,

111
00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:20,760
but I don't know which
ship at the moment.

112
00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:23,320
And what will your future role be on
one of those vessels?

113
00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:25,320
It'll be an Unlimited Officer
of the Watch.

114
00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:26,960
As the Officer of the Watch, you are

115
00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:30,080
the Captain's representative at sea.
You have control of the ship.

116
00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:34,040
Ships of any size? Yes.
After your three-year course here,

117
00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:36,680
do you feel ready for that
enormous responsibility?

118
00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:40,560
There's an awful lot of training
involved. I do feel prepared.

119
00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,840
Picking up the train in Southampton,
I'm heading west.

120
00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:05,920
I'm swapping the shore for
the stunning wilderness

121
00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:07,360
of the New Forest.

122
00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:21,600
Today, this timeless landscape is
an oasis of peace and tranquillity.

123
00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,960
But in the past, the forest has
played its part in conflict.

124
00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:28,400
Around the turn of the 20th century,

125
00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:31,960
the New Forest was frequently
used for manoeuvres

126
00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:35,400
and made another important
contribution to the military effort.

127
00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:38,440
I'm alighting at Brockenhurst,

128
00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:42,080
on the trail of some unsung
Edwardian war heroes.

129
00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:58,760
New Forest resident James Young will
introduce me to their descendants.

130
00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:02,520
Hello, James. Michael.
How lovely to see you.

131
00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:04,640
And so wonderful, isn't it, to see

132
00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:07,360
such a large
number of New Forest ponies.

133
00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:10,520
They're in good voice today.
At the moment, they're shading.

134
00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,760
Very hot day. So it's part of their
social behaviour that they

135
00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:15,400
shade in the heat of the day.

136
00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:19,040
They're all in groups, so they're
calling, one to the other.

137
00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:23,200
There are around 5,000 of the famous
New Forest ponies,

138
00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:27,800
roaming freely across the 220 square
miles of the National Park.

139
00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,240
And what uses has man put them to?

140
00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:34,080
Well, traditionally,
they were used for forestry,

141
00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:36,120
a big industry in the New Forest.

142
00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:39,000
They were also used in business,
pulling the butcher's cart.

143
00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:40,760
A lot of tradespeople
would use them.

144
00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:47,520
But at the turn of the 20th century,

145
00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:50,240
these beautiful animals became
warhorses.

146
00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:55,640
New Forest ponies were among half
a million horses used

147
00:09:55,640 --> 00:10:01,120
by the British military during the
Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902.

148
00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:03,640
And when the First World War
broke out,

149
00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:07,400
ponies from the New Forest
were called to serve again.

150
00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:10,760
Did they prove their worth in
wartime? Yes, they certainly did.

151
00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:13,840
I've read accounts of the end
of a long hard day's march,

152
00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:17,000
the finer-blooded, better-bred,
thoroughbreds were just tired

153
00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:20,640
and laid down, exhausted,
whereas the sturdy,

154
00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:24,240
strong forest ponies, they were
the first ones up for their nosebag

155
00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:25,960
and showed great toughness.

156
00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:30,920
Although the ponies are semi feral,
they are all owned

157
00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:34,280
and looked after by local people,
known as commoners.

158
00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:39,800
How do you fit into it all? Well,
I'm a commoner of the New Forest.

159
00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:43,800
There are about 500 of us,
practising commoners.

160
00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:48,800
I'm proud that we have the oldest
established herd in the forest.

161
00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:50,560
In the mid 19th century,

162
00:10:50,560 --> 00:10:54,320
my great-great-great-grandmother
brought eight New Forest mares with

163
00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:56,040
her as a wedding dowry

164
00:10:56,040 --> 00:11:00,440
and our New Forest ponies today
descend directly from those ponies.

165
00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,960
James also runs a stable
and a riding school,

166
00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:11,040
where some of his wild animals
have been broken in,

167
00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:13,040
to be ridden or shown.

168
00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:17,920
Horse lover King Edward VII would
probably have approved of show

169
00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:21,240
pony Baccarat,
named after his favourite card game.

170
00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:26,000
James, that is a beautiful animal,
a fine example. Am I right?

171
00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:27,440
You are right, Michael.

172
00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:30,680
And we took her off the forest,
as a foal, so she's forest-bred.

173
00:11:30,680 --> 00:11:33,760
And she's been shown
successfully all her life

174
00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,760
and she's been
champion at the breed show.

175
00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:41,200
She's been the mare of a lifetime.
Congratulations. And why?

176
00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,520
What is it that is so brilliant? The
colour is lovely, of course. Yeah.

177
00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:47,040
She has good limbs,
short cannon bones.

178
00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:49,800
That's the bone between the knee
and the fetlock, which is

179
00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:51,800
the next joint down.

180
00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:55,240
Stands full square,
has great strength in her hind leg,

181
00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:57,520
which is the engine, if you like.

182
00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:00,320
Everything you want in a forest
pony, she's got it.

183
00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:03,200
Do you like to be brushed? Yes!

184
00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:06,800
Yes!

185
00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:09,040
Look at that!

186
00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:12,320
Beautiful sheen to this coat!

187
00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:13,960
If you brush there, Michael,

188
00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:16,920
you should bring out the dapples
in this rich mahogany colour.

189
00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,280
Here are the dapples.
I'm seeing dapples here.

190
00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:23,920
Oh, beautiful horse!
Are these ponies then self-funding?

191
00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:27,960
Do you make enough money
from the riding school and from

192
00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:32,040
selling them to be riding ponies,
then to support all the wild ponies?

193
00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:35,880
We are very fortunate, in that we're
able to combine our hobby with our

194
00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:39,160
business in that we can use some
of our ponies in our riding schools.

195
00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:41,160
For most commoners,
that's not possible.

196
00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:43,200
We have this wonderful heritage

197
00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:45,320
and it's vital that we keep
it for the future.

198
00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:59,840
My next stop
is 20 miles down the track.

199
00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:03,120
I'm following in the footsteps
of Edwardian tourists who

200
00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,920
flocked by train to the booming
resort of Bournemouth.

201
00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:11,840
According to a 1913 Bradshaw's Guide
to British Bathing Spots,

202
00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:14,480
it can hardly be
described in a short compass,

203
00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:18,920
owing to its extent, its diversity
and its numerous attractions.

204
00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,240
Bradshaw's says Bournemouth
has many attractions,

205
00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:25,240
but it's a city set amongst
pine trees.

206
00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:26,880
Is this true today?

207
00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:29,520
Yes, there's still quite a few
pine trees there.

208
00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:31,760
And there's lots of attractions.
Do you live there?

209
00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:33,400
I've lived there for 15 years.

210
00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:37,920
What's the way of life like there?
Quite relaxed. Nice climate. Yes.

211
00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,880
We seem to get better summers
than other places.

212
00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:43,480
Do you own or do you use
a beach hut?

213
00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:46,680
I don't own one. I wish I did!

214
00:13:46,680 --> 00:13:51,040
Why? Um, they're rather expensive.
Ah!

215
00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:53,200
Especially at Mudeford Spit.

216
00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:56,720
I think they're the most
expensive in the UK.

217
00:13:56,720 --> 00:14:02,640
One sold recently for £270,000.
Quite amazing. Absolutely amazing.

218
00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:06,720
So if you had £270,000, would you
rather have a garage in Chelsea,

219
00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:10,000
a beach hut in Bournemouth,
or a very expensive car?

220
00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:12,840
Most definitely a beach
hut in Bournemouth. Really? Yes.

221
00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:32,080
Bradshaw's writes of Bournemouth,
"The cliffs are somewhat broken,

222
00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:34,160
"but this is their charm,

223
00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:38,400
"as the coast is penetrated
by many picturesque chines."

224
00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:42,840
With evening drawing in,
I'll save the seaside for tomorrow.

225
00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:46,880
I've set my sights on a hotel
with a racy royal background.

226
00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:53,600
Mrs Lillie Langtry was an actress
who scored some indifferent

227
00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:57,720
stage reviews, but after her
Grecian good looks were

228
00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:01,160
painted by the portraitist
John Everett Millais,

229
00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:06,000
she embarked on a successful career
as the girlfriend of aristocrats.

230
00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:07,440
A woman of such beauty

231
00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,080
and generosity of spirit
was bound to catch

232
00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,560
the attention of Bertie,
later King Edward VII,

233
00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:19,080
and according to her, he made
little secret of their affair.

234
00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:23,160
His biographer tells us that she
built this Red House,

235
00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:28,080
now a hotel, so I may be laying
my head where the King laid his.

236
00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:34,080
Good evening. Good evening, sir.
Welcome to Langtry Manor.

237
00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:37,920
Thank you so much. Is there still
great interest in Lillie Langtry?

238
00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:41,960
Oh, absolutely. She really was
quite a star of her day.

239
00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:43,200
Why? What sort of thing?

240
00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:45,600
Well, not only was
she a Shakespearean actress,

241
00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:48,720
she was the Prince's mistress
and, of course,

242
00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:52,400
she was on every journal cover,
she was even on Pears' soap.

243
00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:54,520
She was the face of that product.

244
00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:57,600
So everyone knew about her.
And which room have you put me in?

245
00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:00,640
Upstairs and up on your left.
Thank you. Excellent. Thank you.

246
00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,640
Well, I've enjoyed the four-poster
bed

247
00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:30,520
and the Red House is a fine
piece of real estate.

248
00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:32,520
It must have cost a pretty
penny in its day.

249
00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,480
Now, I'm going to go in search
of something much smaller.

250
00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:46,800
One of the most striking
things about Bournemouth is the long

251
00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:50,000
line of beach huts that
edge the sand.

252
00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:51,680
Nearly 2,000 of them altogether.

253
00:16:57,320 --> 00:16:59,680
Author Karen Averby
knows their history.

254
00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,440
Karen. Hello. Hello, I'm Michael.
Nice to meet you.

255
00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:08,480
Now, these beach huts,
so multicoloured,

256
00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:10,320
so beautiful, what is their origin?

257
00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:13,600
They emerged towards the end
of the 19th century into the 20th

258
00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:16,800
century and really came into their
own in the Edwardian period.

259
00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:18,640
They're often
seen as sort of the direct

260
00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:20,400
descendent of the bathing machine,

261
00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:22,840
and while that's true physically,
they're both wooden

262
00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:26,040
constructions on the beach,
they had very different functions.

263
00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:32,480
Bathing machines were
invented in the 18th century.

264
00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:35,120
Inside,
you could don your bathing costume,

265
00:17:35,120 --> 00:17:36,720
then be wheeled into the sea.

266
00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:43,040
The bathing machine had been
all about protecting modesty

267
00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:45,640
and that changes in the Edwardian
period, does it?

268
00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:46,880
It does, very much so.

269
00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:51,040
From the 1890s, we see a call
for the end of segregated beaches.

270
00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:54,000
So you would have families
coming to the beach, they wanted to

271
00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:57,440
enjoy it together, and
so beach huts were perfect for that.

272
00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:00,520
How did they eventually become
so regimented? In the early days,

273
00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:03,320
people were setting up their own
sort of constructions,

274
00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:05,800
quite raggedy,
and Bournemouth became a borough

275
00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:08,200
right at the end
of the Victorian period.

276
00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:12,480
And in 1900, it had more powers to
regulate these kinds of activities.

277
00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:15,960
So the councils had very strict
stipulations.

278
00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:21,640
So, Karen, it has its own plaque.

279
00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:25,080
The first municipal beach
hut in the United Kingdom.

280
00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:28,160
Indeed, and we can see that it was
designed by Frederick Dolamore,

281
00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:30,160
the Chief Assistant
Borough Engineer

282
00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:33,000
of Bournemouth Council, and he was
responsible for these designs,

283
00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:35,240
which were actually copied
and used elsewhere as well.

284
00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:38,480
So, Dolamore has gone down in
history, has he? Dolamore has, yes.

285
00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:40,840
He was responsible for much of
the regeneration of this

286
00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:43,120
part of the seafront
in the Edwardian period.

287
00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:47,640
Ah, there we are. So,
all the basic requirements.

288
00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:50,240
Everything you could possibly
need for a day at the beach.

289
00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:53,400
You've got the fold-down table,
some lovely cupboard space there.

290
00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:55,520
And the ubiquitous deckchair,
of course.

291
00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:58,880
In the early days, there would have
been an awning stretching out,

292
00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:01,680
so you could sit outside
and just enjoy the view from here.

293
00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:06,160
I've never quite understood
the appeal of this British

294
00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:07,960
seaside staple.

295
00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:10,600
But perhaps beach hut
owners Monica Adams

296
00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:13,120
and Lyn McDonald can convert me.

297
00:19:13,120 --> 00:19:15,840
Hello, ladies. Hello. I'm Michael.

298
00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:19,080
Hi, I'm Lyn. Hi. Hi. Monica? Monica.
Very good to see you, Monica.

299
00:19:21,360 --> 00:19:25,400
What a beautiful beach hut. You've
really made it jolly, haven't you?

300
00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:28,480
I just love it.
How long have you had this one?

301
00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:32,480
Since 2009. And were you on a
waiting list? Yes. For eight years.

302
00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:34,480
Eight years?!

303
00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:36,800
So that is the demand
for beach huts.

304
00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:39,040
Yeah, and you have to be
a Bournemouth resident.

305
00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:40,240
Do you? Yes.

306
00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:44,480
Now, have you heard of Majorca,
Ibiza...? Have you heard of them?

307
00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:45,920
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

308
00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:47,600
Yeah, we've been there too.

309
00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:49,760
But this is
just at the end of the road.

310
00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:51,240
But what about the weather?

311
00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:53,560
There must be days that
you're inside with the door shut

312
00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:56,520
and the rain pounding on the roof.
But we're dry.

313
00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:58,680
We're in there
and we can have our fish and chips

314
00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:01,160
and look out on a blustery day.

315
00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:03,840
It's lovely down here on days
like that as well.

316
00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,640
Our 6ft by 6ft space,
it's very important.

317
00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:13,040
Simple pleasures, isn't it? Bottle
of prosecco, have afternoon tea.

318
00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:16,800
Do you always dress to
match your beach hut? Yes. Always.

319
00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:40,160
I'm waving goodbye to Bournemouth

320
00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:44,000
and taking a short hop along the
coast in search of adventure.

321
00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,560
This is Robert Baden-Powell's
Scouting for Boys.

322
00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,520
I remember dipping into it
when I was a Boy Scout,

323
00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:07,160
with its exhortations to
develop your moral fibre,

324
00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:10,880
create a healthy body
and keep a clean mind.

325
00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:15,720
Published in 1908, it is an iconic
product of the Edwardian age.

326
00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:19,960
It was an extraordinary bestseller,
until the Second World War

327
00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:24,040
exceeded only by the Bible
in the English-speaking world.

328
00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:27,640
I'll take this train to Poole
and head to Brownsea Island,

329
00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:28,840
where it all began.

330
00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:56,840
Hello. Welcome aboard.
Thank you very much.

331
00:21:56,840 --> 00:22:00,360
To reach the island, I'm taking one
of the distinctive yellow ferries.

332
00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:04,880
For over 100 years,
this service has carried

333
00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:08,360
passengers across the water,
from Poole and Sandbanks.

334
00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:14,600
Brownsea Island strikes me

335
00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:18,680
as being at just the right
distance for a Boy Scout camp.

336
00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:23,160
Not so remote that you couldn't get
back in an emergency, but this

337
00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:27,880
ferry ride puts distance between you
and your home and your parents.

338
00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:41,160
Bye. Welcome to Brownsea Island.
Thank you.

339
00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:46,640
Brownsea Island now
belongs to the National Trust

340
00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:48,920
and is still used by the Scouts.

341
00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:54,200
I'm meeting Tim Kidd, who is
the chief commissioner in the United

342
00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:59,120
Kingdom of a movement that today has
over 400,000 young British members.

343
00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:06,200
So, Tim, this very site,
this open space, plays a

344
00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:09,080
really important part in the history
of scouting? Yeah, absolutely.

345
00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:12,080
This is the place where the first
experimental camp took place,

346
00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:14,280
where Baden-Powell tried
out his ideas of how

347
00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:16,600
he could help young people
to learn to work together.

348
00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,440
Who was Robert Baden-Powell?
He was a military man.

349
00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:23,080
And he ended up commanding
forces in the Second Boer War.

350
00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:26,120
He returned to the
UK to find, I think to his surprise,

351
00:23:26,120 --> 00:23:27,640
he was something of a celebrity.

352
00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:31,000
Scouting is about survival
and understanding nature.

353
00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:32,440
Where did he pick up those skills?

354
00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:35,040
So those were definitely
through his military career.

355
00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:38,080
The term "scouting" I think
really started from the Americans,

356
00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:39,840
who taught a lot of bush craft.

357
00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:42,960
What Baden-Powell did is saw
the potential in this

358
00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:45,000
to make a programme for young
people,

359
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,280
and not just about the outdoors,
but also about self-reliance

360
00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:51,840
and giving young people skills they
could genuinely use in their lives.

361
00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:56,480
Baden-Powell had already
written one popular book,

362
00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:58,840
a military training manual.

363
00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:01,040
Now, he wanted to rework
it for young people.

364
00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:05,400
To try out his ideas,
he organised a camp.

365
00:24:07,360 --> 00:24:10,160
What sort of children came here?
Were they middle class?

366
00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:13,000
They were 20 young
people from mixed backgrounds.

367
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,240
Some were the children
of friends of his,

368
00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:18,880
others were from the local area.
Was it a success? Brilliantly so.

369
00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:21,440
The following year, 1908,

370
00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:25,120
Scouting for Boys was
published in six instalments.

371
00:24:25,120 --> 00:24:26,840
It was an immediate hit.

372
00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:30,520
The book is a colossal bestseller.

373
00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,560
Did the movement grow at the same
rate? Absolutely the case.

374
00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:36,320
In the UK, we've been growing every
year for the last 12 years.

375
00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:39,080
We've grown year-on-year.
And one other question.

376
00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:40,560
What has happened to the woggle?

377
00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:43,040
Well, the woggle is
still very much around.

378
00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:46,360
If I wear my uniform,
then I wear my necker with a woggle.

379
00:24:46,360 --> 00:24:50,600
But when I'm wearing my T-shirt,
my iScout stuff, I wear it in

380
00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:53,600
a more relaxed way.
This is called a friendship knot.

381
00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:57,320
Scouting is of course no
longer just for boys.

382
00:24:57,320 --> 00:24:59,840
And this mixed
group of Scouts has been set

383
00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:04,360
the task of improvising a shelter,
using natural materials.

384
00:25:04,360 --> 00:25:06,840
Greetings, happy campers!

385
00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:08,920
Hello!

386
00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:11,680
Where does this fit in?
Just there. Just there.

387
00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:15,360
There we go.

388
00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:18,440
Ready for the ferns.

389
00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:24,760
Ah, so, is this fun?

390
00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:29,400
Yes. This is very enjoyable.
Why is it very enjoyable?

391
00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:33,480
It's just the whole sort of Scout
atmosphere. Yeah.

392
00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:36,760
You know, the sort of being together
and out and about in the wilderness.

393
00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:39,360
This is what scouting's all about
and especially being

394
00:25:39,360 --> 00:25:42,600
here on Brownsea Island, where it
all started. It's especially nice.

395
00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:45,040
And would you be willing to spend
the night in a bivouac

396
00:25:45,040 --> 00:25:46,680
like that, do you think?
Give it a go.

397
00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:48,680
Yeah? How long have
you been involved in scouting?

398
00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:49,960
About two years. Two years.

399
00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:52,280
What do you tend to do
when you have your meetings?

400
00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:55,240
We learn about different
life skills, like map reading

401
00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:56,520
and basic cooking.

402
00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:58,480
How is your cooking coming on?
All right.

403
00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:01,280
And what about the washing up?
That's pretty tedious, isn't it?

404
00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:03,920
Yeah, but I enjoy it, so...
You enjoy the washing up?

405
00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:06,960
Mm-hm.
You ARE going to be a good Scout!

406
00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:09,640
Ceremonies have been important
to Scouts, ever

407
00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:11,840
since Baden-Powell's day.

408
00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:13,680
Unfurling, or breaking,

409
00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:17,880
the Union flag is intended to remind
them of duty to Queen and country.

410
00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:21,000
Explorers alert!

411
00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:24,560
Michael, would you like to break
the flag? Oh, thank you.

412
00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:28,440
And a necker with a friendship knot.
Once a Scout, always a Scout.

413
00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:30,320
Thank you very much.

414
00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:09,320
In 1901, they changed
the guard at Buckingham Palace and

415
00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:13,600
King Edward VII was fundamentally
different from Queen Victoria.

416
00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:16,480
He would hardly have been
Baden-Powell's model

417
00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:20,720
of a clean mind in a healthy
body, but new technology brought

418
00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:25,000
about deeper change,
as electric trains and motor cars

419
00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:29,840
and aeroplanes gradually pushed
aside the age of steam.

420
00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:33,920
Mechanisation brought its dangers,
as well as progress.

421
00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:37,600
And many of the young men who were
the first Boy Scouts would

422
00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:43,040
apply their skills in leadership
and survival on the Western Front.

423
00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:54,800
Next time, I burn rubber in the
hot seat... Wow! This is exciting!

424
00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:56,520
What speed are we doing? About 70.

425
00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:03,200
..follow in the footsteps
of the great Welsh bard...

426
00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:05,560
So, I suppose Dylan Thomas
came here, did he?

427
00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:08,280
I don't think there's a pub
in Swansea that he didn't go to.

428
00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:11,520
..and uncover a spiritual
renaissance.

429
00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:14,600
"I stir up a few friends who turn
back to Jesus.

430
00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,960
"But he will need
thousands of friends in Wales."