1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:05,040 Between the wars, a Bradshaw's was an essential guide 2 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:07,440 during the golden age of rail travel, 3 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:11,680 when glamorous locomotives travelled at world-record speed. 4 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,960 I'm using a 1930s edition to explore 5 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:18,080 a discernibly modern era of mass consumption. 6 00:00:18,080 --> 00:00:19,680 Bravo! 7 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:24,280 When Art Deco cinemas and dance halls entertained millions. 8 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:28,480 While industrial Britain was thrown into unemployment and poverty, 9 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:32,040 and storm clouds gathered across the Channel. 10 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:01,000 By 1936, Bradshaw's Guide was written mainly for the benefit 11 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:05,960 of tourists, and emphasises the beauty of southwest England, 12 00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:11,120 praising Cornwall's mighty granite cliffs and magnificent coastline. 13 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:14,200 They attracted Britain's social elite, 14 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:19,280 who arrived by train to paint and sculpt and write. 15 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,960 But this was - or had been - a mining area, 16 00:01:22,960 --> 00:01:26,280 and was hit hard by the Great Depression. 17 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:29,160 When I complete my journey, on Salisbury Plain, 18 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,840 I'll recall that unemployment came to an end only 19 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:37,120 when Britain required every man and woman to win the war. 20 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:51,240 I'm embarking on a journey through England's West Country. 21 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:54,600 I'll begin in Cornwall, in St Ives. 22 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:59,120 My route will take me to Plymouth, Totnes and Bath. 23 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:01,560 I shall end on Salisbury Plain. 24 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,040 My journey begins on Cornwall's north coast, 25 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,640 where I'll explore an artist's haven. 26 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,720 I'll follow the 1930s tourist trail to Hayle, 27 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:17,000 before turning east to Redruth, and the village of St Day. 28 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:22,880 On this trip, I investigate interwar railway facilities... 29 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:26,840 "Please do not use lavatory when train is at a station." 30 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:28,880 Better not use it, then! 31 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:30,600 ..enjoy Cornish generosity... 32 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:34,160 All the elderly, over 65, have a free tea in the marquee. 33 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,040 Whoopee! 34 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:38,960 ..and feel the heat of the potter's kiln. 35 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,240 Standing back. Yeah. 36 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:44,080 Whoa! Whoa. 37 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:46,400 That's pretty exciting. That's brilliant. 38 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:50,720 I'm on my way to St Ives, 39 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:55,160 which Bradshaw's tells me is well situated with a special lure, 40 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,840 and certainly because of its picturesque beach and seascape, 41 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:02,440 and in particular, thanks to its wonderful light, 42 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,680 it attracted painters from afar 43 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,320 with the same magnetism as the South of France. 44 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:14,480 I'm drawn to investigate its artist colony of the 1930s 45 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,680 by a local man who was born during the Crimean War. 46 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:28,160 With a view of the beautiful north Cornish coast, the approach 47 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:32,040 into St Ives station is amongst Britain's most scenic. 48 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,400 The railway arrived here in 1877, 49 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:44,680 making it possible to reach the once remote fishing village easily 50 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:46,080 for the first time. 51 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,240 Hello! Hi, how are you? Hello there. 52 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,000 Very well. Are you visitors to St Ives today? 53 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,520 We are indeed. We are indeed. Yeah. 54 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:00,560 What's the great attraction about St Ives? 55 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:02,040 The beaches are beautiful. 56 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:03,800 Pasties. 57 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:05,120 Cornish pasties. 58 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:06,760 Definitely the pasties. 59 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,480 Within five minutes of being here, we'd had a pasty. 60 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:11,080 It's supposedly famous for its light. 61 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:12,840 Is any of you a photographer or an artist? 62 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:14,840 Yes, it's got great light down here. 63 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,360 Do you draw, or...? I do, I do design, but... 64 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:18,960 ..it's fantastic. 65 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:22,040 That's why you've always got to wear sunglasses. 66 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,600 We've just seen the train come along the coastline there, into St Ives. 67 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,960 That, for a ten-minute train ride, is fantastic. So beautiful. 68 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:31,160 Yeah, it is. 69 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:32,520 You warm my heart. 70 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:40,600 In the 1930s, St Ives became well known as a destination 71 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:43,720 on the Great Western Railways Holiday Line. 72 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:49,200 But while tourists came and went, art put St Ives on the map, 73 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:51,920 and drew creative spirits to the town. 74 00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:57,880 I'm meeting Sara Matson, a curator of the Tate Gallery. 75 00:04:59,920 --> 00:05:04,120 Sara, what's the artist scene in St Ives between the two World Wars? 76 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,520 Well, of course, St Ives was renowned as an artist community 77 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:09,840 since the late 1800s. 78 00:05:09,840 --> 00:05:14,440 And by the late '20s, a number of artists working in St Ives came 79 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:18,880 together and founded the St Ives Society of Artists. 80 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:23,480 But, of course, St Ives is also famed for its local artist 81 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:28,720 Alfred Wallis, who had begun working in the 1920s. 82 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:34,240 Now Wallis was a retired fisherman who had come to St Ives in the 1880s 83 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:36,280 and, after the death of his wife, 84 00:05:36,280 --> 00:05:38,960 he'd started painting in his '70s... Wow. 85 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,720 ..and a completely self-tutored artist. 86 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:44,640 How did he come to public attention? 87 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:49,640 Well, two progressive young artists from London came down - 88 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:51,920 Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood - 89 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,960 and as they were visiting St Ives on a day trip one day, they passed 90 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,720 the open door of Alfred Wallis' house, and discovered 91 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:03,160 that it was covered with these paintings of houses and ships. 92 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:07,120 Why do you think they were struck by the work of this untutored artist? 93 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,120 Well, at that time, following the First World War, 94 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:14,600 a number of artists were trying to redefine what painting should be. 95 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,760 And Nicholson and Wood were looking for what they said was a kind 96 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:21,720 of authentic vision, something that was not the Academy view 97 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:24,920 of the world, but something that came from a more poetic 98 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,480 and innocent response to the world. 99 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:33,160 This chance encounter with Wallis in 1928 100 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:37,640 led to his work being exhibited in London, to critical acclaim. 101 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:45,480 Many of his pictures are displayed today at the Tate St Ives gallery. 102 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:50,000 So we're looking at two paintings here by Alfred Wallis. 103 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:55,280 One archetypal ship painting, The Blue Ship, made in 1934, 104 00:06:55,280 --> 00:06:59,840 and a street scene of the houses just opposite his cottage, 105 00:06:59,840 --> 00:07:01,480 on Porthmeor Square. 106 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:03,600 It's called The Hold House, Porthmeor. 107 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,960 I've one thing to ask you - they're all kind of knocked about in the corners here. 108 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:08,880 What's he painting on? 109 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:10,120 Anything he could find. 110 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:11,800 I mean, quite often grocery boxes, 111 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:15,560 or bits of card and paper that he found around the house. 112 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:17,560 The paintings are highly naive. 113 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:19,400 I mean, you could say childlike. 114 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:22,160 I mean, things are at strange angles. 115 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,280 There's no sense of proportion. 116 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:26,000 What makes this art? 117 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,640 Well, what's really interesting about it, and what inspired 118 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:30,400 those modern artists at the time 119 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,000 was the fact that he invented his own language. 120 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:34,680 He was rewriting the rules. 121 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:38,320 Things that were important to him were made large in his paintings. 122 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:43,120 That's why you see here the mount is the same size as the lighthouse 123 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:44,960 on the other side of the bay. 124 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:48,440 As Nicholson once said, you know, these are real events. 125 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,040 These are born from experience, 126 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:55,040 rather than a kind of pictorial view of the world. 127 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:58,480 Does Wallis then end up influencing the established artists, 128 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:00,800 like Christopher Wood, Ben Nicholson? 129 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:03,840 Absolutely. Because he kind of underwrote, you know, 130 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,160 the simple view of the world that they were looking for. 131 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:08,440 Here you have, in a painting by Christopher Wood, 132 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:13,280 a view of Ben Nicholson and his wife Winifred, and their son Jake, 133 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:16,160 as a fishing family, acting out the scene of a fisherman 134 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:17,600 leaving for sea. 135 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,520 This is called The Fisherman's Farewell. 136 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:33,000 Following the discovery of Alfred Wallis and his work, 137 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:37,360 Nicholson and his wife, the sculptor Barbara Hepworth, moved to Cornwall 138 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:41,680 shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. 139 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:46,720 After the war, a group of younger artists gathered around them, 140 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:50,640 and together they became known as the St Ives School. 141 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:54,440 The town became a centre for modern and abstract art. 142 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:00,680 Are you visiting St Ives? We are. We are, yes. 143 00:09:00,680 --> 00:09:02,600 And how are you enjoying it? 144 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:04,600 We love it, we come back every year. Oh, I see. 145 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:06,560 A regular thing. Well, that's very interesting. 146 00:09:06,560 --> 00:09:08,400 Why would you come back to it, year after year? 147 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:09,600 What's the lure? 148 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:12,080 We've got two small children, so... 149 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:14,640 The beaches are close. 150 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:16,040 It's a nice place to be, isn't it? 151 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:18,840 When the sun's out, there's nowhere else better in the world. 152 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:21,560 Oh, hello! How are you enjoying your visit to St Ives? 153 00:09:21,560 --> 00:09:24,440 I'm actually from St Ives. Born and bred? Born and bred, yeah. 154 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:26,360 You see an awful lot of visitors to St Ives. 155 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:28,040 What's the attraction of the place? 156 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:29,400 The climate, the beaches, 157 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:31,960 the welcoming nature of what used to be the locals, 158 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:33,240 but there isn't many left. 159 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:36,480 And you're lucky, actually, you bumped into me! 160 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:43,040 Away from the seafront, there's evidence of another outsider 161 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:46,920 who made St Ives his home at the time of my guidebook. 162 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:53,040 In 1920, Bernard Leach opened a studio on the edge of the town. 163 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:57,680 Matt, hello. I'm Michael. 164 00:09:57,680 --> 00:09:59,960 Hello, Michael, welcome to The Leach Pottery. 165 00:09:59,960 --> 00:10:03,240 Matthew Tyas is curator of The Leach Pottery. 166 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:07,240 What can you tell me about Bernard Leach? 167 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:10,120 He's considered by many to be the founding father 168 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,040 of British studio pottery. 169 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:15,000 He was born in Hong Kong in 1887, 170 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:16,960 and then raised for several years 171 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,440 by his missionary grandparents in Japan. 172 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:21,600 He then came back to England for his education, 173 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:23,640 and wanted to go to art school, 174 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:26,360 which sort of defied his father's wishes - 175 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:28,840 wanting Bernard to go into banking. 176 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:34,360 Did his upbringing in Asia Pacific influence his art? 177 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:37,840 It had a massive impact. Bernard actually got into pottery 178 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:40,160 through going to a raku party in Japan. 179 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:43,120 Raku is a low-temperature form of firing, 180 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:45,080 where you can get very immediate effects. 181 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:48,080 So Leach was absolutely enthralled by finding this, 182 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:50,960 and that led him on to wanting to start to learn pottery. 183 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:57,000 Inspired by those novel firing and decorating techniques, 184 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:01,960 Leach dedicated himself to the study and practice of Eastern pottery. 185 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:06,560 The Japanese valued ceramic work highly, 186 00:11:06,560 --> 00:11:09,360 and Leach exhibited his pieces. 187 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:12,320 He began to work with Master Potter Shoji Hamada. 188 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:17,000 In 1920, the St Ives Guild of Handicrafts 189 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:22,920 invited Leach and Hamada to set up a pottery studio in St Ives. 190 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:24,840 He was making wares for tourists to decorate, 191 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:27,560 and then he was experimenting with stoneware pots too, 192 00:11:27,560 --> 00:11:31,880 in more of a sort of Chinese, Korean, Japanese fashion. 193 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:35,440 So, for example, we've got a stoneware pot from the early period. 194 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:37,240 So this one is by Bernard himself. 195 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:39,800 Would this have surprised people in Britain at the time? 196 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,000 Well, it's a fusion of styles, really. 197 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,520 So you've got a Chinese form. 198 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:47,480 There's this graffito effect here on slip. 199 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:50,400 And what's interesting, I feel, is that we're also talking 200 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:55,160 about a human object, and the idea that the potter is embodying the pot 201 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:58,680 with an essence of themselves, and the person who uses that pot 202 00:11:58,680 --> 00:12:01,160 is able to make a connection with another person. 203 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:03,400 So it's almost a spiritual object as well. 204 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:09,160 Leach's philosophy of design elevated British studio pottery 205 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:13,560 to an art form, and influenced generations of ceramic artists. 206 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:22,880 The studio in St Ives continues his work today. 207 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:26,160 Roelof Uys is the lead potter. 208 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:27,840 Hi, Roelof, I'm Michael. 209 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:29,160 Hello. 210 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:31,280 Good to see you. What are you working on there? 211 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:32,720 Just making some mugs. 212 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:35,000 Are you using the same tools that Bernard Leach did? 213 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,160 Essentially. I mean, this wheel that I'm working on was designed by him 214 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:41,520 and then later improved by his son, David. 215 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:43,600 And it's used by potters all over the world. 216 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:48,280 I have, before, tried my hand at throwing clay onto a potter's wheel. 217 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:50,000 Without great success, I might say! 218 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,880 So I won't try that. Is there anything else I can help with today? 219 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:56,320 Yeah, I think it'd be fun if you decorated a pot with liquid wax. 220 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:59,440 Just make a pattern, using the wax resist technique, 221 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:03,000 and then we can apply another glaze over that. 222 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:04,400 Well, I'd love to. 223 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,440 So I can't think of a more appropriate decoration 224 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:09,280 as a Cornish engine house. 225 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:12,120 What's an engine house? Well, an engine house was built 226 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,120 to pump water out of the mines, 227 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:18,040 and those were, I believe, some of the first steam engines, 228 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:21,920 so power to start off the Industrial Revolution. 229 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:23,640 Can I have a go at that? Of course. 230 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:25,240 Would you mind holding yours there? 231 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:29,560 So that I can follow what you've done. 232 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:31,960 So I'm going to try and redo this chimney. 233 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:38,440 You can hear the silence of my concentration, can't you? 234 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:40,200 You're doing very well. 235 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:42,240 Have to give it a little pitched roof here. 236 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:47,240 Oh! Isn't that pretty? Excellent! Brilliant. 237 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:49,960 Leach's pottery was the first in Britain 238 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:52,000 to use a Japanese climbing kiln, 239 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:55,040 which could achieve much higher temperatures 240 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:57,280 than its British counterparts. 241 00:13:57,280 --> 00:14:00,720 But today, my artistic endeavour will be fired in the studio's 242 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:03,480 modern gas-fired equivalent. 243 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:06,680 OK, so we're going to load this in the kiln, now. 244 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:09,440 Just carefully, like that. 245 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:12,000 Make sure they don't touch each other. 246 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:16,400 So these will be fired, now, to a temperature of about 1,300 degrees 247 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:19,200 in a firing that lasts about 14 hours. 248 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:21,280 And this one is already going, is that right? 249 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:23,440 Yes, that should be at about 1,200 degrees, now. 250 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:26,120 Shall we take a look? 251 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,360 This will protect your eye from the heat and the glare. 252 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:31,960 If you want to remove this spile here. 253 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:33,920 Place - place the brick on the floor. 254 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:35,600 Standing back. Yeah. 255 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:39,880 Whoa! Whoa. That's pretty exciting. 256 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:41,120 That's brilliant. 257 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:43,360 You should be able to see the pots in there, glowing away. 258 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:45,040 Oh, yes. 259 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:47,640 I wouldn't want to be looking in there without these goggles on, 260 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:50,320 I must say. No, no, it's a very bright glare. 261 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:52,840 We've got about another hundred degrees to go. 262 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:54,760 In you pop. There we go. 263 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:56,440 And then the kiln will be shut down. 264 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:00,360 It will take about 24 hours to cool down, before we get the pots out. 265 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:01,920 That was exciting. 266 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,080 Smell of burning from the gloves. 267 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:09,400 And, so, when all that's happened, what will it look like? 268 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:11,240 Well, this will be the end result. 269 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:14,080 That is really charming. Fabulous, Roelof. 270 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:42,280 This morning, I'm back on the rails, hugging the Bay of St Ives. 271 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:56,160 Let's face it, some people are crazy about trains! 272 00:15:56,160 --> 00:16:00,480 The very sight of a locomotive makes them go weak at the knees. 273 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:04,200 And such people naturally take to the tracks to reach 274 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:06,720 their annual holiday destination. 275 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:09,600 But from the 1930s, some could go even further, 276 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:13,120 sacrificing the pleasures of a seaside boarding house, 277 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:16,240 with its fearsome landlady, 278 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:19,760 in order actually to lodge in a train compartment, 279 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:22,760 making them railway sleepers. 280 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:29,720 By 1938, all industrial workers were entitled to at least 281 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:32,040 a week's paid holiday. 282 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:35,640 Eager to exploit this new market, the Great Western Railway promoted 283 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:40,360 the Cornish Riviera as an ideal holiday destination, 284 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:44,120 and offered travellers novel ways to enjoy the region. 285 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:49,080 St Erth, changing for Hayle. 286 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:04,800 This part of my journey brings me onto the Cornish main line, 287 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:07,240 which has carried tourists through the county 288 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:09,000 since the mid 19th century. 289 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:17,960 I'm alighting at the seaside town of Hayle, 290 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:19,840 on the edge of St Ives Bay. 291 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,360 But today I won't stray far from the station... 292 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:33,640 ..where I'm meeting holiday-maker Ben Patrick - and Harvey. 293 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:37,240 Hello, Ben. Hello, Michael. Nice to meet you. 294 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:39,360 Great to see you. And you. 295 00:17:39,360 --> 00:17:41,360 So, Ben, right next to Hayle station, 296 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:45,240 Harvey turns out to be a beautiful chocolate-and-cream coach. 297 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:49,560 When did this business of actually staying in carriages start off? 298 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:53,680 Well, the LNER started it off in 1933. 299 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:58,960 And then in 1934, the Great Western Railway cottoned on to the idea 300 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:03,640 that this could be a niche market, and they thought they would convert 301 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:05,520 coaches to holiday homes. 302 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:13,120 By 1935, the Great Western Railway offered 38 camping coaches 303 00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:16,280 for hire in the West Country. 304 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:18,600 The carriages were placed in rural locations 305 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:21,800 to attract travellers who enjoyed the newly popular 306 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,400 countryside pursuits such as rambling. 307 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:29,480 How would you describe these holidays back in the '30s? 308 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:31,720 Were they more like being in a caravan park, 309 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:34,520 or were they more like being in a little exclusive cottage? 310 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:35,840 It was very exclusive. 311 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:38,880 You wouldn't be sharing with anyone, but you'd still have the features 312 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:42,320 of the main line being right next to you. 313 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:46,400 The Great Western Railway promised novel and comfortable accommodation, 314 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:48,520 and at £3 a week for a six-bed berth - 315 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:50,640 roughly the average weekly wage - 316 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:55,160 camping coaches were affordable for working-class holiday-makers. 317 00:18:57,800 --> 00:18:59,840 NEWSREEL: This is life in a camping coach. 318 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:02,400 Specially fitted up for domestic occupation, 319 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:03,960 it's roomy and bright inside, 320 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:06,320 with everything laid on for Mother's comfort. 321 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:10,080 For hundreds of families, the camping coach is just the ticket 322 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:11,320 for a first-class holiday. 323 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:17,200 The popularity of such holidays fell rapidly during the 1960s, 324 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:20,760 but in recent years, refurbished carriages like Harvey 325 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:24,480 have made a comeback among rail enthusiasts. 326 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:25,640 Oh, my! 327 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:27,600 So the first thing I see is a radiator, 328 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:30,080 which I don't expect. Yes. Yes, modern day. 329 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:32,360 Nice and comfortable. Oh! 330 00:19:32,360 --> 00:19:35,200 Yeah. That's all original, in there. Is it? 331 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:37,720 "Don't flush the toilet" sign above the toilet. 332 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:40,080 "Please do not use lavatory when train is at a station. 333 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:41,840 "Press lever to flush." 334 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:44,640 We'd better not use it, then. 335 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:45,720 Here we go. 336 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:48,160 And into the dining area. 337 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:50,080 Where we're not alone! 338 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:52,120 Hello! Well, hello. I'm Michael. 339 00:19:52,120 --> 00:19:54,240 Hello, everybody. Hello. 340 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:56,360 Oh, this is cosy. 341 00:19:56,360 --> 00:19:58,600 Ben is employed as a driver 342 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:01,840 on the nearby Lappa Valley Steam Railway, 343 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:05,560 and his passion for trains extends beyond his work. 344 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,600 He's brought his family on holiday to this camping coach. 345 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:13,560 Melissa, I don't know how you put up with all these steam buffs. 346 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:16,000 Do you have to be a steam buff to stay in a place like this? 347 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:17,840 No, you don't have to. 348 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:19,440 I wasn't a steam lover, 349 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,200 but now I am, being in a relationship with Ben. 350 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:24,000 And what's it like sleeping here? 351 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,760 I mean, obviously, it's cute, it's quaint, it's unusual. 352 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:28,640 But is it actually comfortable to stay here? 353 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:29,920 It is very comfortable. 354 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:31,320 You've got beds, which are comfy, 355 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:34,280 and these seats turn into beds as well. 356 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:35,880 What does Elliot like about it? 357 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:37,680 Does he get very excited when a train is coming? 358 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:40,720 Yes, definitely. He goes, "Quick, train's coming!" 359 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,000 He wants to be looking for the trains. 360 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,720 The carriage at Hayle 361 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:48,760 comes with its very own train-spotter's look-out. 362 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:51,040 This is really cute. 363 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:53,240 Yeah, you get the view of the viaduct, 364 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:55,760 which is the one that you've just come over. Yeah, yeah. 365 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:57,160 And over the station. 366 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:04,600 It's so exciting, Ben! It's great, isn't it? 367 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:06,920 It's going to Penzance now. 368 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:08,280 That is nice. 369 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:26,600 I'm travelling east, away from the glamour of the seaside. 370 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:36,400 Unemployment in the 1930s caused widespread poverty and misery. 371 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:39,760 Holiday-makers in Cornwall would probably not have paid much 372 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:42,800 attention to local social conditions, 373 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:48,880 which were made worse by poor infrastructure and services in that part of England that 374 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:53,640 "juts out like a huge boot into the Atlantic", in Bradshaw's words. 375 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:57,080 In Redruth, I hope to discover that, for many, 376 00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:00,680 the best hope was, just as in the Victorian era, 377 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:05,040 philanthropy from those who've done well for themselves. 378 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:23,280 Copper and tin mining brought wealth and employment to Cornwall 379 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:26,320 in the 18th and 19th centuries. 380 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:29,360 At its peak, copper mining provided jobs for around 381 00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:32,200 a third of the county's male workforce. 382 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:37,280 But by the 1930s, the industry had all but disappeared. 383 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:41,000 This bronze is a tribute to the achievement 384 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:42,720 of Redruth miners. 385 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,000 He carries his pick in his right hand. 386 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,440 The tin that he's won from the earth is carried 387 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:50,440 unnaturally behind him 388 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:53,520 because the tin passed into history, 389 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:57,440 and the prosperity was lost to Cornwall. 390 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:02,120 When cheap deposits of tin and copper were discovered 391 00:23:02,120 --> 00:23:04,640 in the Americas and Southeast Asia, 392 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:06,440 Cornish mines closed 393 00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:08,160 and many miners emigrated. 394 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,080 St Day, two miles outside Redruth, 395 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:15,360 was one of the villages to suffer at the time of my guidebook, 396 00:23:15,360 --> 00:23:18,320 but received help from a philanthropist 397 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:20,200 called WJ Mills. 398 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,200 Lizzie Wilson is his descendant. 399 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,120 My great-grandfather, William John Mills, was born here 400 00:23:27,120 --> 00:23:29,160 and left in his early 20s, 401 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:31,920 went up to Tiverton, where he built a dairy factory 402 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:35,640 and became one of the leading dairies in the West Country. 403 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:37,640 So he made a great deal of money, 404 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:40,240 and when he learned about the plight in St Day, 405 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:42,640 he decided to do something to help. 406 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:45,600 So he bought these 28 houses 407 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:47,680 and he reconditioned them 408 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:51,280 and offered them to the poor, rent-free. 409 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:53,240 After the First World War, 410 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:56,040 the government promised homes fit for heroes, 411 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,520 acknowledging the nation's responsibility 412 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:00,720 to supply decent housing. 413 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:02,960 But in areas like rural Cornwall, 414 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,360 it fell to charitable people such as William John Mills 415 00:24:06,360 --> 00:24:08,800 to provide an alternative to the slums. 416 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:11,720 The houses are maintained to this day 417 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,520 by the WJ Mills Cottages Trust. 418 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:16,640 It's called Mills Street. 419 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:18,880 That must not be a coincidence, I suppose. 420 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:22,080 Well, it was called Simmons Street when he bought it. 421 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:25,160 And then, three years later, on Feast Day in 1933, 422 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:28,320 the street was renamed Mills Street in his honour. 423 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:32,040 And there's a plaque up there which is dedicated to that. 424 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:37,480 The St Day Feast has its origins in the medieval period. 425 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:42,840 But in the 1930s, the festivities became associated with WJ Mills. 426 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:49,920 In 1933, 400 residents gathered to acknowledge his contribution, 427 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,880 unveiling a bust of him on the new playing field 428 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:55,280 that he had purchased for the community. 429 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:57,000 Feast Day happens every year. 430 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,240 It's Feast Day today. The bunting is up. 431 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:02,520 My great-grandfather gave some money to a benevolent fund, 432 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:05,800 which also, on Feast Day, gives all the children between five and 15 - 433 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:10,000 in those days, it was a shilling, a bottle of pop and a saffron bun - 434 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:14,560 and all the elderly over 65 have a free tea in the marquee. 435 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:16,040 Whoopee! 436 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:19,240 Does it only apply to local people? Not, it doesn't. 437 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:23,680 The benevolent fund still hands out these gifts today. 438 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:28,640 In search of my pensioner's perk, I'm joining the celebrations. 439 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:32,240 BAND PLAYS 440 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:37,960 Continuing the tradition begun in the '30s, 441 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:40,320 the residents process through the village, 442 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:44,440 Before a fete takes place on the St Day playing field. 443 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:52,920 Stanley, what's your first memory of Feast Day? 444 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:57,080 Yeah. 1934, I had my first saffron bun, 445 00:25:57,080 --> 00:25:59,240 and one new shilling. 446 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:01,360 1934 is quite a long time ago. Yeah. 447 00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:03,480 Have you come back each year? 448 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:06,480 I missed last year because I wasn't well, 449 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:08,800 but I said I'd try to come back this year. 450 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:11,400 You don't qualify for the silver shilling any more! 451 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:12,880 No, no, no. 452 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:14,560 I'm gone 90. 453 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:16,000 Ah. Yes! 454 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:17,840 So I don't qualify. 455 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:20,120 I think you ought to get a gold sovereign for that. 456 00:26:20,120 --> 00:26:22,120 Oh, thank you. Thank you very much. 457 00:26:22,120 --> 00:26:23,640 Thank you very much! All the best. 458 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:28,560 Sue, what on earth is this? 459 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:31,560 It's a Cornish saffron bun. 460 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:35,320 I thought it might be. Yes, you can see the saffron when you... 461 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:37,800 Yeah, it's good and yellow, isn't it? Yes. 462 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:39,160 Mm. 463 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:40,800 Where do you live, Sue? 464 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:42,920 I live in Mills Street. Oh! 465 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:44,280 Tell me about Mills Street. 466 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:46,240 I've lived there for 11 years. 467 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:47,680 Very nice place to live. 468 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:49,840 You're well looked after by the trust. 469 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:53,040 When I first heard about WJ Mills giving out saffron buns, 470 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:54,880 it sounded fairly generous to me. 471 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:57,480 But that was before I knew... How big the bun was! 472 00:26:57,480 --> 00:26:58,960 ..how big the bun was! 473 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:01,040 I know! 474 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:13,680 This was once one of the richest mining districts in the world, 475 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:17,280 but the discovery of vast mineral deposits in the Americas 476 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:21,360 put it out of business, and thousands of miners emigrated. 477 00:27:21,360 --> 00:27:25,400 The poverty of these parts which moved William John Mills 478 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:30,000 was a far cry from that beachy Cornwall visited by society 479 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:32,000 artists and writers. 480 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:34,560 But the two worlds came together 481 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:37,760 when the lowly mariner-turned-painter 482 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:41,240 Alfred Wallis was briefly born aloft 483 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:44,360 on a wave of metropolitan admiration. 484 00:27:44,360 --> 00:27:46,680 Although he died a pauper. 485 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:50,200 One thing that hasn't changed is that the Cornish Riviera 486 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:54,680 is still favoured by the smart and artistic sets. 487 00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:02,680 Next time, I wrestle with an ancient sport... 488 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:06,440 That was fairly easily done, wasn't it? 489 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:09,240 ..take flight back to the 1930s... 490 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:13,240 Are you telling me they took people on aerobatic trips? 491 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:14,720 Absolutely, yes! 492 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:16,840 Rolls, loops, all sorts of things, 493 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:19,080 often without the passengers strapped in. 494 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:21,520 ..and prepare to catch a wave... 495 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:24,720 Is this the most elegant pose I've ever been in? 496 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:26,840 ..but end up all at sea.