1 00:00:04,560 --> 00:00:06,360 For Edwardian Britons, 2 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:09,200 a Bradshaw's was an indispensable guide 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,600 to a railway network at its peak. 4 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:18,480 I'm using an early 20th-century edition to navigate a vibrant and 5 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:19,880 optimistic Britain 6 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:23,000 at the height of its power and influence in the world. 7 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:27,880 But a nation wrestling with political, 8 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:31,000 social and industrial unrest at home. 9 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,520 My journey continues from South Wales 10 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:57,680 towards the west of England. 11 00:00:57,680 --> 00:00:59,840 Today, I want to look at three developments 12 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:03,880 before the First World War that were to transform society. 13 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:07,680 They are represented in history by three sets of siblings - 14 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:09,920 the Lumiere brothers in France, 15 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:12,160 the Wright brothers in the United States 16 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:15,400 and the Pankhurst sisters in the United Kingdom. 17 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:19,080 Cinema, aviation and votes for women. 18 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:33,320 I began in West Wales, 19 00:01:33,320 --> 00:01:36,960 skirting the coast to make my way through the industrial core 20 00:01:36,960 --> 00:01:40,640 of South Wales and the nation's capital. Heading east, 21 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,200 I'll cross the Severn Estuary into England, 22 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,280 to uncover pioneering Edwardian technology 23 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:48,720 which led Britons to take to the skies. 24 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:50,480 I'll continue my journey 25 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:53,000 through the heart of the West Country, 26 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:54,360 to finish in Cornwall. 27 00:01:55,840 --> 00:02:00,720 This leg of my travels begins in the Welsh city of Newport and continues 28 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,360 to the birthplace of British aviation at Filton, in England. 29 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,640 I'll uncover an enlightened place of refuge in Bath. 30 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,320 And take in a movie on the Bristol Channel. 31 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,560 On this journey, a cinematic experience hits a high note. 32 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:26,120 That's absolutely brilliant. 33 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:27,360 This is Mary. 34 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,280 I learn about the fight for female emancipation. 35 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:32,600 How do you feel about those women, those suffragettes? 36 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:37,440 They knew what they wanted and, in the end, they got it, didn't they? 37 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,080 And prepare for a smooth landing. 38 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:42,080 The toilets are no longer in use. 39 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:44,160 Cabin crew, resume your seats, please. 40 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:47,120 Oh! That is amazing. 41 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:56,440 Coal was big business in South Wales, 42 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,200 and there were fortunes to be made. 43 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:01,560 Cardiff docks were transformed, 44 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,320 Barry Port was created out of nothing, 45 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:06,640 and at my next stop, Newport, 46 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:10,720 entrepreneurs wanted to enter the hectic competition. 47 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:15,960 But on July the 10th, 1909, dock disaster, many workmen killed. 48 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:21,000 It seemed that the fortunes of the few could entail 49 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,600 the misfortunes of the many. 50 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:34,000 I am midway on my journey through Wales and England's West Country. 51 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:35,800 Newport was the first stop 52 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,120 on Isambard Kingdom Brunel's South Wales Railway 53 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:40,920 from Chepstow to Swansea, 54 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:43,720 which opened in 1850 and became key 55 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:46,960 to exploiting the region's coalfields. 56 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,360 In a strategic position, near the mouth of the River Usk, 57 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,840 Newport was built on a rich, 58 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:56,680 2,000-year history of international maritime trade. 59 00:03:57,840 --> 00:03:59,800 I am taking to the water to learn more... 60 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:05,000 ..with Rod Lewis from Associated British Ports. 61 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:11,080 Rod, what about the port of Newport today, what does it do? 62 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:13,040 We still do some coal, 63 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,560 we do a lot of steel, import and export, project cargoes - 64 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:20,480 for example, railway locomotives. Railway locomotives? Yeah, yeah. 65 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:24,640 The ports are well connected, so you can bring a locomotive in, 66 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:26,960 alongside the quay, and put it straight onto rail. 67 00:04:31,840 --> 00:04:35,600 Newport's first dock opened in 1842. 68 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:38,280 Today, the docks handle one and a half million tonnes 69 00:04:38,280 --> 00:04:40,280 of commodities every year 70 00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:45,240 and enclose a body of water that covers 125 acres. 71 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,120 The tide here is tremendous. 72 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,720 It is, yeah. It is the second largest tidal range in the world. 73 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,200 But because the range is so great, 74 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:56,400 it actually affords us water for deep drafted vessels 75 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:58,440 to get this far up the estuary. 76 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:04,720 By 1914, Newport was shipping over 6 million tonnes of coal annually. 77 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:06,800 The city owed its success 78 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,240 to an extraordinary feat of engineering, 79 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:12,360 which became famous for both horror and heroism. 80 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:21,840 Historian Tom Dart is at the bow. 81 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,480 Tom, we have a great view here of this great lock. 82 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:30,120 I would imagine, even at the beginning of the 20th century, 83 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:32,720 this is still a site of mass labour. 84 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:36,360 There was very little mechanical help in those days. 85 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:39,320 All the digging, in fact, was done by hand. 86 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:42,640 Tell me about what happened on that dreadful day in 1909. 87 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,760 Well, the men were just working on the trench, 88 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:48,320 digging this lock here behind us. 89 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:52,680 And at about five o'clock in the afternoon, rumblings were heard 90 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:53,880 and movement was spotted. 91 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:55,920 Some men managed to scramble up, 92 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:59,000 but over 40 men were trapped 93 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:02,080 when the dock wall collapsed into the dock. 94 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:07,120 So, this massive timber collapses with men trapped underneath. 95 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:09,720 What could be done? Not a lot, actually, 96 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:11,760 because they were all big burly fellows, 97 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:15,240 and there wasn't enough space to get down there. So, 98 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:17,880 they decided that a small man was needed, 99 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:20,520 and a young lad called Tom Toya Lewis, 100 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:22,160 who was 17 at the time, 101 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,040 volunteered to go down, and he was lowered down 102 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:26,600 about 30ft on a rope, 103 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:28,840 down to a chap called Fred Bardill, 104 00:06:28,840 --> 00:06:30,680 who had been trapped by his arm, 105 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,000 and then the timbers started to move again, 106 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,160 and Tom Toya was hauled out. 107 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,600 Fortunately, Fred Bardill had been freed enough that he was able to be 108 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:43,680 pulled out. 39 men were killed in the end, 109 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:45,920 and some of them were drowned, 110 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:48,160 unfortunately, with the tide coming in. 111 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:52,360 And was Tom Toya Lewis recognised for his terrific bravery? 112 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:53,480 He was, yes. 113 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:55,680 He was awarded the Albert Medal, 114 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:59,520 which was the civilian equivalent of the Victoria Cross. 115 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:02,360 And he was taken to Buckingham Palace by his father 116 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,600 and he was given the medal. 117 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:09,880 Work continued on the lock and, in 1914, it opened 118 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:13,360 to allow ships to enter the dock directly from the Bristol Channel 119 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:14,840 for the first time. 120 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:18,840 A memorial to the victims of the disaster 121 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:21,760 stands in the nearby St Woolos cemetery, 122 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:26,920 where I am meeting David Fouweather, the 385th mayor of Newport. 123 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,640 Some of the names here on the plaque are not complete, why would that be? 124 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:33,680 They were guys from Bristol and other places that came to work 125 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:37,280 on the docks and, sadly, nobody knew who they were. 126 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:39,160 What do you know of Tom Toya Lewis? 127 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,160 Well, Tom Toya Lewis was my great-grandfather. Wow. 128 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:46,320 And I was actually born in his bed at 11 Henry Street in Newport. 129 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:49,960 So, this young lad from Newport is invited to Buckingham Palace to meet 130 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:51,600 the King and Queen, is that right? 131 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,600 Absolutely right. My nan tells me that, whilst he was there, 132 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:56,840 he didn't know how to use a knife and fork. 133 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:00,040 So, the King actually said to him, "Just use your fingers." 134 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:03,240 Not only did he have a medal, he also had a brooch, which I have. 135 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:07,320 Merit medal, presented by the Liverpool Weekly Post. 136 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:08,800 And there is his name, 137 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:10,440 Tom Lewis. 138 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:13,680 Isn't that lovely? It is. You'll look after that pretty carefully. 139 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:18,120 I do look after it. How do you feel about being Tom's great-grandson? 140 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:19,360 Oh, very proud indeed. 141 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:22,360 And for his great-grandson now to be the mayor of Newport, 142 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:24,440 as well, who would have thought? 143 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:25,960 Tom would never have believed that. 144 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:27,480 He would be very pleased. 145 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:29,280 And very proud. He would. 146 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:38,640 I am picking up my journey... 147 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:40,760 HE BLOWS WHISTLE 148 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:42,480 ..to head across the border into England. 149 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:52,760 A century ago, ideas had begun to fly not only westward, 150 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:55,480 but also eastward across the Atlantic, 151 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,160 from the United States to Europe. 152 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:01,600 The aeroplane was an American invention, 153 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,440 adopted and adapted in Bristol. 154 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:08,920 But who could know that aviation in the West Country would eventually go 155 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:09,920 with such a bang? 156 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,480 I am passing underneath the estuary on the River Severn, 157 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:22,320 through the four-mile Victorian tunnel that links 158 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:24,760 Monmouthshire with South Gloucestershire. 159 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:32,680 While above me, road vehicles travel across the water 160 00:09:32,680 --> 00:09:36,720 on the second Severn crossing built just over a hundred years later. 161 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:43,640 I'm alighting at Filton Abbey Wood, which serves Filton on the outskirts 162 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:44,840 of Bristol. 163 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:49,960 I understand that the roots of British aviation 164 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:51,280 are to be found here. 165 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:54,200 And I have arranged to meet author Andrew Appleton. 166 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:56,480 What a magnificent runway this must have been in its day. 167 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:57,760 It is fantastic, isn't it? 168 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:01,480 Yes. Now, what was the origin of aviation here in Bristol? 169 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:03,760 It started back in 1910, 170 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:06,840 there was a local businessman called Sir George White, 171 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,280 who was founder of a tramway company. 172 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:12,040 He was involved in lots of transport. 173 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:13,520 With the start of aviation 174 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:16,560 round about the turn of the century, he got quite interested in that. 175 00:10:16,560 --> 00:10:17,760 He could see the potential. 176 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,560 Sir George White took inspiration from the Wright Brothers, 177 00:10:22,560 --> 00:10:25,920 the two American inventors who achieved the first powered, 178 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:30,360 sustained and controlled aeroplane flight in 1903. 179 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:34,200 By 1910, White's company was manufacturing aircraft 180 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:35,800 on the Bristol Downs. 181 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:39,400 Why was Filton chosen as a site? 182 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:41,720 Well, there was a bus terminus at the top of Filton Hill, 183 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:43,800 and he thought that would be a good place to start. 184 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:46,440 He could take over the shed there, turn it into a factory. 185 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:49,480 What sort of aircraft did he build, or at least which ones successfully? 186 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:53,240 The first successful aircraft was the Boxkite, which flew in 1910. 187 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:55,800 It was actually the first mass-produced aircraft in Britain. 188 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,800 There was about 85 of them built altogether. 189 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:01,360 Made of wood, wire and cotton, 190 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:05,080 the Bristol Boxkite was exported throughout the world. 191 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:08,480 And as the skies darkened with the threat of war, 192 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:12,600 aviation was to evolve remarkably fast. 193 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:16,240 The British Government was quick to see the military potential, 194 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:19,360 and Filton would play a vital role. 195 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:22,160 What aircraft types might we know the names of? 196 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,400 Probably the most successful one was the Bristol Fighter which was built 197 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:27,680 in 1917. That was so successful, 198 00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:30,440 they built about 5,000 of them, I think. 199 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:32,200 Right up to 1929. 200 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,560 And then probably the next successful one was Concorde. 201 00:11:35,560 --> 00:11:37,600 So why don't we have Concorde today? 202 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:39,840 I think it was really down to the costs of it all, 203 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:43,160 justifying using that much fuel to fly across the Atlantic. 204 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:44,640 So it was all about economy. 205 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:51,040 Although aircraft no longer fly from here, 206 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:55,480 Filton is still at the forefront of aeronautical engineering. 207 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:59,520 I am making my way to Airbus' landing gear test facility 208 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:01,360 to meet Phil Simms. 209 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:05,680 Phil, these things are enormous. 210 00:12:05,680 --> 00:12:07,880 This is the undercarriage of one aircraft. 211 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:10,920 This is the Airbus A380 aircraft. 212 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:14,760 We've got the entire landing gear system here. 213 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:18,040 There are 22 wheels in all. 214 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:21,600 It has all reached an extraordinary level of sophistication, hasn't it? 215 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:26,240 We're carrying 500, maybe up to 800 passengers on an Airbus A380. 216 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:30,320 You need the very latest technology, in terms of materials 217 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:34,080 and in terms of the analysis of this sort of equipment to know it's safe, 218 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:36,200 and we have to make sure that we've tested it. 219 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:40,560 When I pull that lever, there's 25 tonnes of rubber, metal, 220 00:12:40,560 --> 00:12:44,200 steel and all sorts of other things go up safely, 221 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:46,000 as we hope it will on the aircraft itself. 222 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:48,200 I want to pull that lever. Great. 223 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:54,440 I am about to move 25 tonnes of landing gear. 224 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:56,600 The A380 is airborne. 225 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:58,320 I am in the captain's seat. 226 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:00,480 Undercarriage up. 227 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:08,400 Wow, and it all kicks into motion. 228 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:09,400 Oh! 229 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:15,320 That is amazing. Bits and pieces going up all over the place. 230 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:20,600 Just one push on the lever, and the whole lot retracts. 231 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,560 Undercarriage doors are going into place right now. 232 00:13:23,560 --> 00:13:26,000 That was so good, I think we might bring them down again! 233 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:27,920 The toilets are no longer in use. 234 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:30,360 Cabin crew, resume your seats, please. 235 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:33,520 The lever goes down, the undercarriage doors open. 236 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:37,240 Wheels appearing over there. 237 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:38,800 Enormous wheels! 238 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:42,000 Wow. They are quite intimidating. 239 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:43,640 We are ready to land. 240 00:13:45,680 --> 00:13:47,400 How many times do you have to test that? 241 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:50,600 Well, we typically test it about 5,000-6,000 times 242 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:52,280 before an aircraft goes into service. 243 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:54,840 I'm willing to do about 50 for you, would that be all right? 244 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:56,280 That would absolutely fine. 245 00:13:57,560 --> 00:14:01,320 To celebrate the story of Bristol's aerospace history, 246 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:05,240 work is underway to create an aviation museum. 247 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:09,360 Of course, the most iconic passenger plane takes centre stage. 248 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:14,880 I used to travel on the Concorde a bit, 249 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:16,680 but I have never felt so intimate 250 00:14:16,680 --> 00:14:19,440 with this magnificent piece of machinery. 251 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:22,240 I'd do day trips to Washington DC, 252 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:27,000 arriving there by 11am, coming back in the evening subsonically. 253 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:28,240 I felt so proud, 254 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:32,120 because supersonic passenger travel was the preserve of the French 255 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:36,080 and the British, not the Americans, not the Russians. 256 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:39,400 And now that we can no longer use it across the Atlantic, 257 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:44,320 it must be the only example of human beings having slowed down 258 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:45,840 in their history. 259 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:02,520 I'll spend the night in Bristol. 260 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:05,480 And it occurs to me that the city has, for centuries, 261 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:07,440 thrived on transport. 262 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,480 First, there were the ships, with their many cargoes, 263 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:13,120 including excellent Bristol sherry. 264 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,760 Then, the trains, with the building of the Great Western Railway, 265 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:19,200 by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. 266 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:22,080 And in the 20th century - aircraft, 267 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,720 from the Boxkite to the Concorde, 268 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:28,760 and everything was shipshape and Bristol fashion. 269 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:50,120 I rejoin the railway to make the 11-minute journey 270 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:52,880 from Bristol Temple Meads to Bath Spa. 271 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:56,000 During the course of the 19th century, 272 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:59,800 Britain moved gradually from allowing only a small minority 273 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:01,240 of people to vote 274 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:05,440 towards what politicians called universal suffrage. 275 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:08,760 But still, half the population was disqualified, 276 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:13,440 not by wealth or by character or by intellect, but by gender. 277 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:17,720 The Wiltshire Times of 1908 reports 278 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:22,760 a meeting at Eagle House in Bath Eastern where a suffragette, 279 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:27,280 Miss Annie Kenney, spoke of her prison experiences. 280 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:30,040 What had once been a voice in the wilderness, 281 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:31,920 calling for votes for women, 282 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:35,880 became, during the Edwardian period, a deafening clamour. 283 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:59,600 Founded around its hot springs, from Georgian times, 284 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:03,200 Bath was a resort for the well-heeled and fashionable. 285 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:11,120 It's famed for its Neo-classical Palladian architecture. 286 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:20,720 I'm heading to a fine Victorian building to find out 287 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:24,160 how the city played a part in the suffragette movement, 288 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,440 with professor of modern British history June Hammond. 289 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:28,720 Very good to see you. 290 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:30,440 How nice to meet you. 291 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:31,640 And a very nice place. 292 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:33,720 It's lovely, isn't it? Why did you suggest it? 293 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:35,520 Well, I thought it would be a good idea, 294 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:38,040 because it used to be the old police station, 295 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:41,440 and of course it was a place that suffragettes could be brought 296 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:44,440 when they had done something to break the law. 297 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:47,480 What were the prison experiences of the women? 298 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:49,520 Well, they usually had a pretty difficult time, 299 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:50,880 and I think partly because 300 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:53,080 they wanted the status of political prisoners, 301 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:55,040 and they were not being given that status. 302 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:57,360 And so, by 1909, 303 00:17:57,360 --> 00:18:01,120 many of them went on hunger strike, and that was when they would be 304 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:05,240 forcibly fed. How did the Liberal government react to this terrible 305 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:08,240 embarrassment? Well, they were worried about them becoming martyrs, 306 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:13,320 and so they brought in legislation which ensured that if you got very 307 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:15,760 weak, you would be brought out of prison, 308 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:19,080 and then you would go back into prison when you had recovered. 309 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:21,840 And so they called this The Cat And Mouse Act. 310 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,600 I am interested in this press cutting. 311 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,480 "By the kind invitation of Colonel and Mrs Blathwayt, 312 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:29,160 "and Miss Blathwayt, 313 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:33,240 "a number of guests assembled in the beautiful garden at Eagle House, 314 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:36,080 "Bath Eastern." Tell me about the Blathwayts. 315 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:38,840 Well, the Blathwayts were a local family 316 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:42,480 who were all supportive of the militant suffrage movement, 317 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:44,040 the most well-known one being 318 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:47,040 the Pankhurst-led Women's Social and Political Union. 319 00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:52,080 Between 1909 and 1912, the Blathwayt family offered their 320 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:55,920 home, Eagle House, as a refuge for around 60 women 321 00:18:55,920 --> 00:19:00,840 who had been put in jail. Among them were suffragette Annie Kenney, 322 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:04,280 a friend of sisters Christabel and Sylvia Pankhurst. 323 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:06,440 Does Eagle House still exist? 324 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,120 Yes, it is still there, and it is still very recognisable 325 00:19:09,120 --> 00:19:11,040 with the eagle on the top. 326 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:17,440 Women over 30 first voted in Britain in 1918, 327 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:19,120 but it wasn't until 1928 328 00:19:19,120 --> 00:19:23,800 that all women enjoyed equal voting rights with men. 329 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:28,200 I've made a four-mile trip to Eagle House, outside the city, 330 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,800 to hear some reminiscences from Frieda Roberts. 331 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:34,560 Now, what is your connection with Eagle House? 332 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:39,640 Well, of course, I was born in the servants' quarter, 333 00:19:39,640 --> 00:19:43,680 and we rented it from the Blathwayts. 334 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:46,320 Which members of the Blathwayt family do you remember? 335 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:47,760 Mary and William. 336 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:49,760 Do you have an impression of Mary Blathwayt? 337 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,280 Yes, I do. Very kind, 338 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:55,040 almost timid lady. 339 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:57,040 Tell me about this photograph here. 340 00:19:57,040 --> 00:19:59,800 This is Mary. Mary Blathwayt. Yeah. 341 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:02,160 And this is Annie. 342 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:05,000 Kenney? Yes. And what are they doing? 343 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:09,600 When they visited the house, they were asked to plant a tree. 344 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:12,840 And so, for each of the women who came here, perhaps from prison, 345 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:14,120 a tree was planted, was it? 346 00:20:14,120 --> 00:20:15,600 Yes. Each one. 347 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:17,360 Have any of those trees survived, do you know? 348 00:20:17,360 --> 00:20:19,640 Well, apparently there's one. 349 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:21,960 Just one. It would be 100 years old by now. 350 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:24,920 It will. How do you feel about those women? 351 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:28,800 Those suffragettes? Well, I think they went through an awful lot. 352 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:31,720 You know, people should remember that, I think. 353 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:36,400 They knew what they wanted and, in the end, they got it, didn't they? 354 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,560 Well, we've only got a cup of tea, 355 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:42,240 but I think we should drink a toast to women's suffrage. 356 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:43,200 Yes. 357 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:56,760 I'm heading back to Bristol Temple Meads 358 00:20:56,760 --> 00:20:59,880 to change trains for my last destination. 359 00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:03,560 The Edwardian period brought with it anxieties, 360 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:07,560 industrial strife, rebellious stirrings in Ireland, 361 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:12,240 violence perpetrated by and inflicted upon suffragettes. 362 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:15,600 Luckily, this was the first age of escapism, 363 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:19,960 for the golden era of Empire ushered in the silver screen. 364 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:33,680 Hello. Hello, sir. Stopping service to Plymouth, going to Yatton. 365 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:36,400 9.55, Plymouth, sir. Platform 12. Platform 12. 366 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:38,640 Down the stairs, diagonally across. Thank you. 367 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:54,720 I'm en route to Yatton, 368 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:58,120 but my end point is the Somerset town of Clevedon, 369 00:21:58,120 --> 00:22:00,800 which travellers following my 1907 timetable 370 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:02,560 could have reached directly 371 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:04,600 with at least ten trains running per day. 372 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:12,800 Clevedon became a popular seaside resort in the Victorian era. 373 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:15,120 But I have come here to see how Edwardians 374 00:22:15,120 --> 00:22:17,640 added a thoroughly modern attraction. 375 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:22,560 Susannah Shaw is an expert on the history 376 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:24,720 of the town's community cinema. 377 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:29,600 Susannah, this is a marvellously preserved cinema - 378 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:31,600 how long is its history? 379 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:35,760 It goes back to 1912, that is when the first cinema opened, 380 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:40,000 built by Victor Cox, a stonemason, who had a good eye for business. 381 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:43,480 Has this cinema been opened continuously since 1912? 382 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:46,200 Apart from Christmas Day and Boxing Day, it's run continuously, 383 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:49,480 even with the rebuilding that went on in the 1920s. 384 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:51,920 Tell me about its inauguration in 1912. 385 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:54,840 Well, it was due to open on the 15th of April, 386 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:59,320 but there was a technical hitch and it was delayed for a few days, 387 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:03,600 and in that period, we heard news about the sinking of the Titanic. 388 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:06,360 So, the first film that was shown here, 389 00:23:06,360 --> 00:23:08,760 it was a fundraiser for the families 390 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:10,880 and the survivors of the Titanic. 391 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:12,920 An extraordinary piece of history. 392 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:16,720 What we know as moving film, moving footage, when does that originate? 393 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:19,560 The first public viewing would have been with the Lumiere brothers' 394 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:21,800 first film in 1895. 395 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:23,480 In France. In France, yeah. 396 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:26,320 Were there are already movie stars in the Edwardian era? 397 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:28,760 Yes. Obviously, someone like Mary Pickford, 398 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:30,600 who was America's sweetheart. 399 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:32,840 She and her husband, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, 400 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:35,840 teamed up with Charlie Chaplin to create United Artists. 401 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:42,000 Cinema emerged as a popular entertainment 402 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:43,760 and an important source of 403 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:46,840 information in the Edwardian era. 404 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:51,720 Moving pictures of Queen Victoria's funeral and Edward VII's coronation, 405 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:56,200 with their pomp and circumstance, found an enthusiastic audience. 406 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,240 The world of cinema is highly addictive, 407 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:04,400 and for those who've got the bug, 408 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:08,160 there is nowhere more exciting than the projection room. 409 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:10,800 Two projectors, because in the old days, 410 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:14,200 the projectionist showed one reel on one projector - 411 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:16,280 that lasted about 20 minutes - 412 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:18,240 then the other projector would kick in. 413 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:21,120 Meanwhile, the projectionist is preparing the next reel, 414 00:24:21,120 --> 00:24:23,840 so that the whole film is shown seamlessly. 415 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:27,840 And this is just such a beautiful and exciting place. 416 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:35,960 John Neal has been a projectionist here for over 20 years. 417 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:38,000 Hello, John. 418 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,840 Hello, Michael. I find you in the very modern projection room, 419 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:43,200 but in the earliest days, 1912, 420 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:45,320 what would it have been like in the projection room? 421 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:47,000 Well, it would have been very hot. 422 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:48,800 They would have been using carbon arcs - 423 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:53,240 carbon arcs are carbon electrodes that come together to make a spark. 424 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:55,280 It produces an intense amount of light, 425 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:57,520 but an intense amount of heat. 426 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:00,320 And there would have been a lot of panic to get 427 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:03,080 one reel laced up, in frame, 428 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:05,640 in rack before the next one runs out. 429 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:10,520 Was it dangerous, then? It was a dangerous activity because there was 430 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:12,960 flame and there was nitrate film stock, 431 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:16,760 but these were operations that could be managed safely, 432 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:18,040 and they managed. 433 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:21,080 You had to be wiping the sweat from your brow, I imagine. Absolutely. 434 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:28,800 Until the arrival of the talkies, 435 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:33,480 silent movies depended on live musical accompaniment, 436 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:37,520 today in the hands of Bernie Brown, one of the cinema's organists. 437 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,440 Sorry to interrupt you, Bernie. 438 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:49,280 When did they start to use organs in cinemas? 439 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:54,200 In the Edwardian period? Yes, from around about 1907 onwards, 440 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:57,360 you'd find small church organs being used in cinemas. 441 00:25:57,360 --> 00:25:59,040 That looks like a church organ there, 442 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:00,480 but all of these bits and pieces, 443 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:03,560 what are they for? Well, they're all designed to accompany silent films, 444 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:05,160 so you have loads of different effects. 445 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:07,040 You'll have sort of a fire gong... 446 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:08,080 A klaxon horn... 447 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:11,920 A car horn... You didn't give me a train. 448 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:13,560 HE LAUGHS I can do a train. 449 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:21,160 So yes, you can do a train. 450 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:23,880 That's absolutely brilliant. Is there any chance of seeing some 451 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:26,760 footage on your lovely silver screen today? Yes, of course there is. 452 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:28,720 We've got a silent film rigged up for you to see. 453 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:30,400 I hope you'll be playing to accompany it. 454 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:32,000 I will indeed. I'll take a seat. 455 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:33,520 Thank you. Thank you. 456 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:36,480 ORGAN MUSIC PLAYS 457 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:55,320 "There was once a man who caught a train... 458 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:57,160 TRAIN WHISTLES, BELL DINGS 459 00:26:57,160 --> 00:26:59,680 HE LAUGHS 460 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,200 TRAIN CHUGS 461 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:11,000 "The end." 462 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:14,240 UPLIFTING MUSIC 463 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:15,400 What a happy ending. 464 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:27,640 An Edwardian watching an air show could have no idea 465 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:31,160 that, in coming years, planes would obliterate cities 466 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:34,800 and fly us from London to New York in three hours. 467 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:37,160 At the time of my Bradshaw's, 468 00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:41,920 suffragettes were widely regarded as misguided fanatics. 469 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:46,040 Only the most vivid imaginations could conceive of talking pictures, 470 00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:49,960 with their potential to inform and entertain. 471 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:52,720 Today, we think we know everything, 472 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:55,640 but we understand the future no better 473 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:57,880 than our Edwardian ancestors. 474 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:08,640 Next time, I discover how Edwardian gardens came into bloom. 475 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:10,280 They're old-fashioned roses, 476 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:12,520 the scent's really powerful in the old roses. 477 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:14,320 Yes, wonderful fragrance. 478 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:16,160 Learn how the new bells peeled... 479 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:20,200 ..to herald the incoming monarch. 480 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:21,200 Isn't that lovely? 481 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:25,280 And I'm led a merry dance in the name of fertility.