1 00:00:09,607 --> 00:00:13,964 I'm with the RoyaI Air Force Search and Rescue team based on AngIesey. 2 00:00:14,047 --> 00:00:16,481 These guys patroI the coast around the Irish Sea, 3 00:00:16,567 --> 00:00:19,445 and this time we're expIoring their patch. 4 00:00:21,127 --> 00:00:23,687 On my journey from Anglesey to Blackpool, 5 00:00:23,767 --> 00:00:26,235 I'm joined by some familiar faces. 6 00:00:26,607 --> 00:00:29,679 Nick Crane is seeking out the story of a tiny harbour 7 00:00:29,767 --> 00:00:33,123 that played a big part in making a mountain of money. 8 00:00:36,207 --> 00:00:39,722 Hermione Cockburn discovers how postcards from the past 9 00:00:39,967 --> 00:00:43,801 reveal a vital message for the future of our seaside. 10 00:00:45,087 --> 00:00:48,318 Miranda Krestovnikoff is on a sand-dune safari 11 00:00:48,647 --> 00:00:51,400 in search of creatures, great and small. 12 00:00:53,527 --> 00:00:55,882 Mark Horton's hunting for the remains of what was 13 00:00:55,967 --> 00:00:59,801 once the world's biggest private dock. 14 00:01:01,327 --> 00:01:05,445 And I explore a shipwreck that's disappearing before my eyes. 15 00:01:08,567 --> 00:01:10,285 This is Coast. 16 00:01:35,087 --> 00:01:37,647 Dublin was our last port of call. 17 00:01:37,727 --> 00:01:40,161 Now I've hopped across the Irish Sea. 18 00:01:40,247 --> 00:01:44,081 Starting at Valley, on Anglesey, I'm making my way to Blackpool. 19 00:01:45,207 --> 00:01:47,767 That's RAF VaIIey down there. 20 00:01:47,847 --> 00:01:50,759 If the runway was any Ionger, it'd be in the sea. 21 00:01:52,567 --> 00:01:55,604 From up here, you can see why this is a great location 22 00:01:55,687 --> 00:01:59,965 for the headquarters of the Royal Air Force Search and Rescue service. 23 00:02:00,847 --> 00:02:02,599 I'm going to hitch a ride with them later, 24 00:02:02,807 --> 00:02:06,880 to relive one of their most hair-raising rescues. 25 00:02:08,167 --> 00:02:10,237 The RAF Search and Rescue helicopters 26 00:02:10,327 --> 00:02:13,160 don't have the sky above Anglesey to themselves. 27 00:02:17,167 --> 00:02:20,523 These runways see more than 100 sorties a day. 28 00:02:22,767 --> 00:02:26,123 None of the 60 hot jets based at Valley ever sees combat, 29 00:02:26,207 --> 00:02:29,085 but they couldn't be more vital to the RAF. 30 00:02:32,487 --> 00:02:35,957 This pIace is known by some as the piIot factory. 31 00:02:36,047 --> 00:02:37,446 It's where the creme de Ia creme 32 00:02:37,527 --> 00:02:41,315 of RoyaI Air Force recruits come to Iearn how to handIe fast jets. 33 00:02:44,807 --> 00:02:49,164 Only one in 40 hopefuls makes it to RAF Valley for pilot training, 34 00:02:49,727 --> 00:02:53,766 then it takes four years of hard graft to master their craft. 35 00:02:59,047 --> 00:03:04,644 To find out why the coast is the ideaI spot for training piIots, I'm joining the ranks. 36 00:03:04,727 --> 00:03:07,116 Yes! I'm going up. 37 00:03:07,207 --> 00:03:11,200 I've been fitted with my fIight suit and I'm feeIing nervous. 38 00:03:17,807 --> 00:03:19,684 Armed with some fireproof gloves, 39 00:03:19,767 --> 00:03:23,316 a life vest and a huge sense of trepidation, 40 00:03:23,407 --> 00:03:27,923 I'm about to put my life in the hands of my pilot, Squadron Leader Ed Thomas. 41 00:03:28,007 --> 00:03:31,522 So Ed, why is RAF VaIIey right out here, 42 00:03:31,607 --> 00:03:33,677 on the edge of everything, on the coast? 43 00:03:33,767 --> 00:03:36,600 WeII, beIieve it or not, Iooking at the weather today, 44 00:03:36,687 --> 00:03:39,520 the weather here is actuaIIy very good for a Iot of the year. 45 00:03:39,607 --> 00:03:43,520 So, with the westerIy airfIow, we get a Iot of cIear speIIs, you see. 46 00:03:46,487 --> 00:03:49,718 Weather permitting, I'm hoping to get a sneak preview of my journey 47 00:03:49,807 --> 00:03:51,957 from a whole new perspective. 48 00:03:55,327 --> 00:03:57,795 And at quite a pace. 49 00:03:59,127 --> 00:04:01,561 We're expecting to travel from Anglesey to Blackpool 50 00:04:01,647 --> 00:04:04,400 at speeds touching 600 miles per hour. 51 00:04:04,687 --> 00:04:06,484 OLIVER: Here we go. THOMAS: Here we go indeed. 52 00:04:06,567 --> 00:04:09,001 THOMAS: It'II get noisy now, 'cause we'II wind the engine up. 53 00:04:09,087 --> 00:04:10,520 OLIVER: Okay. 54 00:04:13,047 --> 00:04:14,116 Wow! 55 00:04:15,567 --> 00:04:17,239 Oh, yes! 56 00:04:21,167 --> 00:04:22,282 THOMAS: There we go. 57 00:04:22,367 --> 00:04:26,724 OLIVER: Oh, Iook! There's the sea. THOMAS: Yes, it's a good sea today. 58 00:04:26,927 --> 00:04:30,158 THOMAS: This is where you'II feeI the first sensation of G. 59 00:04:30,247 --> 00:04:34,479 OLIVER: Wow, yes, I'm definiteIy feeIing G. 60 00:04:34,727 --> 00:04:37,924 The camera in my hands suddenIy feeIs Iike about 20 kg. 61 00:04:38,007 --> 00:04:39,235 THOMAS: That's right. 62 00:04:39,327 --> 00:04:42,797 OLIVER: Low level flying is one of the RAF's most important tactics, 63 00:04:43,047 --> 00:04:47,040 so where better to learn how low you can go than over the sea. 64 00:04:49,647 --> 00:04:51,319 OLIVER: How high are we fIying at the moment? 65 00:04:51,407 --> 00:04:53,363 THOMAS: I reckon we're about 600 feet or so. 66 00:04:53,447 --> 00:04:56,359 OLIVER: It feeIs a Iot Iower when the sea's coming towards you. 67 00:04:56,447 --> 00:04:57,436 (BOTH LAUGHING) 68 00:04:57,527 --> 00:05:00,166 We're just fIying over the tip of Puffin IsIand, 69 00:05:00,247 --> 00:05:03,876 which I'II try and show you now. That's Puffin IsIand. 70 00:05:03,967 --> 00:05:06,640 And we're going past it so quickIy I hardIy get the chance 71 00:05:06,727 --> 00:05:08,399 to show it to you. 72 00:05:09,367 --> 00:05:11,244 With Llandudno and Rhyl coming up, 73 00:05:11,327 --> 00:05:14,444 it's a reminder that this coast has some great resorts, 74 00:05:14,527 --> 00:05:17,644 classic seaside towns we'll be exploring later. 75 00:05:18,607 --> 00:05:20,518 Say heIIo to LIandudno. 76 00:05:23,847 --> 00:05:25,917 (CHATTERING ON RADIO) 77 00:05:27,087 --> 00:05:30,318 MAN: (ON RADIO) Be advised, a wind farm ahead of you by about 4 miles. 78 00:05:31,407 --> 00:05:32,886 Oh, that's fantastic. 79 00:05:32,967 --> 00:05:36,437 THOMAS: Yeah, getting about here is a bit of a job, I think. 80 00:05:36,527 --> 00:05:40,759 That's amazing. I used to watch these pIanes aII the time 81 00:05:40,847 --> 00:05:42,917 and think that the guys in them had the best jobs in the worId. 82 00:05:43,007 --> 00:05:44,076 THOMAS: Yes. 83 00:05:44,167 --> 00:05:47,045 OLIVER: You do have the best job in the worId. 84 00:05:48,047 --> 00:05:53,838 For me, this is extraordinary, like watching my entire route in fast forward. 85 00:05:54,887 --> 00:05:59,642 But for the pilots, it's just part of the daily routine that turns raw recruits 86 00:06:00,047 --> 00:06:01,878 into frontline flyers. 87 00:06:04,247 --> 00:06:07,205 THOMAS: Here's sunny BIackpooI, not so sunny today. 88 00:06:07,447 --> 00:06:08,800 OLIVER: No. 89 00:06:09,287 --> 00:06:14,805 The weather down below isn't so great, but there's one place the sun always shines. 90 00:06:16,127 --> 00:06:18,322 THOMAS: There we are, as promised, on top of the cIouds. 91 00:06:18,407 --> 00:06:21,922 OLIVER: Wow, it's funny being reminded that even on the cIoudiest day 92 00:06:22,007 --> 00:06:25,204 -up here it's aIways the same bIue. -THOMAS: Yeah. 93 00:06:25,927 --> 00:06:30,796 Not even a day trip, Anglesey to Blackpool and back in just under half an hour. 94 00:06:31,127 --> 00:06:34,244 Still, what do you expect from a flying visit? 95 00:06:39,447 --> 00:06:41,165 OLIVER: That's briIIiant. THOMAS: There we are. 96 00:06:41,247 --> 00:06:43,442 Let's take a closer look now. 97 00:06:49,567 --> 00:06:53,321 Valley is one of the busiest RAF stations in the UK, 98 00:06:53,407 --> 00:06:58,561 but its location right next to the sea also makes it an enviable place to work. 99 00:07:02,327 --> 00:07:05,160 Just north of RAF Valley is Holyhead. 100 00:07:08,767 --> 00:07:13,636 Holyhead sits on its own little island, a sort of giant stepping stone 101 00:07:14,007 --> 00:07:16,919 for the two million visitors who hop on and off the ferry 102 00:07:17,007 --> 00:07:18,918 to Ireland every year. 103 00:07:26,767 --> 00:07:31,522 The Irish Sea is notorious for its strong and rapidly changing tidal currents. 104 00:07:33,567 --> 00:07:36,843 Tucked away is the port of Amlwch, 105 00:07:36,927 --> 00:07:41,523 where Nick Crane is in search of a safe haven that made the locals a mint. 106 00:07:46,127 --> 00:07:49,961 CRANE: This inlet may be tiny, but it's played a very big part 107 00:07:50,127 --> 00:07:51,799 in the local economy. 108 00:07:51,887 --> 00:07:54,276 In 17 48, a Welsh map-maker 109 00:07:54,367 --> 00:07:58,076 described the port of Amlwch as ''an insignificant harbour 110 00:07:58,167 --> 00:08:00,317 ''that is not worth mapping. '' 111 00:08:00,647 --> 00:08:02,285 But bareIy 20 years Iater, 112 00:08:02,367 --> 00:08:06,997 that ''insignificant harbour'' became the most important port in WaIes. 113 00:08:08,047 --> 00:08:10,686 Coming in Iike this, I'm aIready beginning to see evidence 114 00:08:10,767 --> 00:08:13,600 of that goIden age more than 250 years ago. 115 00:08:13,927 --> 00:08:17,681 Just Iook at the effort that went into buiIding these waIIs. 116 00:08:27,367 --> 00:08:30,165 Dotted all around are relics of early industry, 117 00:08:30,247 --> 00:08:33,478 proof that this site was once a hive of activity. 118 00:08:33,567 --> 00:08:36,957 So what went on here and what happened to it all? 119 00:08:42,367 --> 00:08:46,246 This abandoned road originaIIy ran aII the way from the hiIIside above me 120 00:08:46,327 --> 00:08:49,478 to the port down there and it's known IocaIIy 121 00:08:49,567 --> 00:08:51,285 as the Copper Road. 122 00:08:52,287 --> 00:08:55,324 The name is the first clue to what's going on. 123 00:08:56,567 --> 00:08:59,604 Anglesey is incredibly rich in copper ore. 124 00:09:00,287 --> 00:09:04,246 In 1768, a particularly rich vein of copper was unearthed 125 00:09:04,327 --> 00:09:08,798 here on Parys Mountain and the earth began to move. 126 00:09:09,527 --> 00:09:12,439 Local geologist David Jenkins is going to show me 127 00:09:12,527 --> 00:09:16,566 the dramatic impact that discovery had on the landscape. 128 00:09:18,967 --> 00:09:23,085 Wow, that is incredibIe. Just Iook at the coIours, the scaIe of it. 129 00:09:24,687 --> 00:09:30,159 It Iooks Iike the kind of hoIe that a meteorite wouId make after it smashed into the Earth. 130 00:09:32,567 --> 00:09:35,400 JENKINS: And yet, essentiaIIy it was done by hand. 131 00:09:35,487 --> 00:09:40,720 At one point, there were about 1500 miners working down here, excavating this hoIe, 132 00:09:41,327 --> 00:09:44,603 bIasting with bIack powder, so it must have been an incredibIe pIace. 133 00:09:45,607 --> 00:09:47,598 CRANE: Very spectacuIar. 134 00:09:48,287 --> 00:09:53,315 But turning this potential mountain of money into hard cash meant arduous, 135 00:09:53,487 --> 00:09:55,876 back-breaking work for thousands. 136 00:09:58,567 --> 00:10:01,479 JENKINS: This is a fragment of what was caIIed a cobbing fIoor. 137 00:10:01,567 --> 00:10:06,721 This was a yard where the ore was deIivered to women working in sheds. 138 00:10:06,807 --> 00:10:09,879 And they wouId break up the ore into smaII pieces. 139 00:10:09,967 --> 00:10:14,518 And the ones with ore in they wouId keep and it'd go for roasting and smeIting. 140 00:10:14,607 --> 00:10:17,997 And the waste rock, that wouId be thrown down and... 141 00:10:18,087 --> 00:10:21,921 CRANE: So, aII this rubbish round here was buiIt up on a Ioad of rubbish? 142 00:10:23,167 --> 00:10:28,036 CRANE: It's not very pIeasant work, is it? JENKINS: TweIve hours and they got 10p. 143 00:10:28,207 --> 00:10:30,846 That was their reward for hard Iabour. 144 00:10:32,567 --> 00:10:35,320 I'm getting nowhere here at aII... Oh, wait, what's that? 145 00:10:35,407 --> 00:10:37,602 JENKINS: Oh, yes, that's a... 146 00:10:37,807 --> 00:10:40,116 CRANE: It's Iike goId, isn't it? It Iooks very simiIar to goId. 147 00:10:40,207 --> 00:10:44,439 JENKINS: SIightIy greenier. Oh, you might have got your 10p for this. 148 00:10:45,647 --> 00:10:49,401 CRANE: The workers scraped out a fortune for the mine's owners. 149 00:10:50,567 --> 00:10:55,482 To cash in they had to transport thousands of tonnes of copper ore off the island. 150 00:10:57,567 --> 00:10:59,876 So, some 240 years ago, 151 00:10:59,967 --> 00:11:03,801 the tiny nearby port of Amlwch was transformed. 152 00:11:05,167 --> 00:11:10,605 That mamoth enterprise has been researched by local historian Bryan Hope. 153 00:11:12,207 --> 00:11:16,644 The smeIter was up at the top there, and the wind, as it's bIowing today, 154 00:11:17,087 --> 00:11:19,965 biIIowing smoke out to sea, and there were compIaints 155 00:11:20,047 --> 00:11:22,515 that the entrance to the harbour couIdn't be found 156 00:11:22,607 --> 00:11:25,075 -because of that. -Pretty toxic smoke, I guess, wasn't it? 157 00:11:25,167 --> 00:11:27,283 WeII, it'd make you cough. 158 00:11:27,367 --> 00:11:30,803 But the sounds... WeII, you can imagine aII the sounds on board ships, 159 00:11:30,887 --> 00:11:33,276 and there wouId have been the sounds of corking hammers, 160 00:11:33,367 --> 00:11:35,722 wouId have been a very noisy, smoky pIace. 161 00:11:35,807 --> 00:11:39,641 How extraordinary! I mean, you're portraying a vision of heII, 162 00:11:40,687 --> 00:11:43,155 smoke and fIames and toxic stench. 163 00:11:43,247 --> 00:11:47,479 -It sounds absoIuteIy horrendous. -WeII, it was, there's no question about that. 164 00:11:47,567 --> 00:11:49,444 CRANE: Where were the ships saiIing to when they Ieft here 165 00:11:49,527 --> 00:11:51,882 -Ioaded with copper ore? -MainIy to Swansea. 166 00:11:51,967 --> 00:11:56,518 To the Crown smeIters there, after aII Swansea was CopperopoIis. 167 00:11:57,887 --> 00:12:02,642 The copper from this area dominated the world's markets in the 1780's. 168 00:12:03,007 --> 00:12:08,639 It was used to copper bottom boats, mint coins and fashion ornaments. 169 00:12:09,367 --> 00:12:14,760 Global comerce springing from a tiny port in this narrow, rocky chasm. 170 00:12:17,847 --> 00:12:22,602 -Twenty-seven vesseIs at any one time. -Twenty-seven wedged in here? 171 00:12:23,327 --> 00:12:25,921 There wouIdn't have been room for any water. 172 00:12:26,007 --> 00:12:27,520 (LAUGHING) HardIy. 173 00:12:28,647 --> 00:12:33,641 CRANE: But time was running out. The remaining copper was harder to reach. 174 00:12:34,247 --> 00:12:37,922 By the late 1800's, after nearly 100 years, 175 00:12:38,007 --> 00:12:40,885 the Amlwch copper rush came to an end. 176 00:12:43,927 --> 00:12:46,885 But maybe the story of Parys Mountain isn't over, 177 00:12:46,967 --> 00:12:49,003 perhaps it's just on hoId. 178 00:12:50,127 --> 00:12:55,565 The amazing colours of the landscape indicate that it's still rich in minerals. 179 00:12:56,007 --> 00:13:01,639 There's copper, lead and zinc, and even a sprinkling of gold and silver. 180 00:13:05,287 --> 00:13:08,757 There may be a time when demand for the precious metaIs buried 181 00:13:08,847 --> 00:13:12,760 behind the coast of AngIesey make it economic for miners to return 182 00:13:12,847 --> 00:13:14,565 to Parys Mountain. 183 00:13:31,287 --> 00:13:35,121 OLIVER: Just off the eastern tip of Anglesey is Puffin Island. 184 00:13:37,767 --> 00:13:42,283 The name comes from the vast numbers of the birds that used to breed here. 185 00:13:43,607 --> 00:13:45,086 Back in the 19th century, 186 00:13:45,167 --> 00:13:49,524 some considered puffins a delicacy and they were pickled for export. 187 00:13:49,607 --> 00:13:52,565 Now there's just a handful of breeding pairs left. 188 00:13:54,927 --> 00:13:57,964 Crossing the Menai Straits, we leave Anglesey behind 189 00:13:58,047 --> 00:14:02,199 and approach the mainland of North Wales, and it's not long 190 00:14:02,287 --> 00:14:07,202 before you come across another example of the Welsh passion for digging big holes. 191 00:14:11,287 --> 00:14:13,642 Here it's granite they're after. 192 00:14:20,527 --> 00:14:22,757 But it's the limestone bulk of the Great Orme 193 00:14:22,847 --> 00:14:26,396 that hides the first seaside jewel of this coast, Llandudno. 194 00:14:28,927 --> 00:14:31,441 It boasts the longest pier in Wales. 195 00:14:31,807 --> 00:14:36,244 At about half a mile, it's a fair stretch of the legs. 196 00:14:38,287 --> 00:14:40,881 But for the Victorians who arrived here by steamship, 197 00:14:40,967 --> 00:14:43,481 it was the launch pad for adventure. 198 00:14:45,207 --> 00:14:46,356 A hundred years ago, 199 00:14:46,447 --> 00:14:49,996 ships wouId dock at the end of the pier and visitors wouId fIood aIong 200 00:14:50,087 --> 00:14:54,000 this wooden waIkway heading for the wonderIand of LIandudno. 201 00:14:57,887 --> 00:15:00,560 Llandudno was built with tourism in mind. 202 00:15:00,647 --> 00:15:02,638 The town quickly became popular, 203 00:15:02,727 --> 00:15:05,241 especially with visitors from the industrial Midlands, 204 00:15:05,447 --> 00:15:08,564 who flocked here for stunning views and sea air. 205 00:15:11,367 --> 00:15:15,042 To set it apart from the competition, a resort needs something special. 206 00:15:15,127 --> 00:15:18,517 For Llandudno, that's an unlikely connection with one of the most famous 207 00:15:18,607 --> 00:15:21,758 children's stories ever, AIice in WonderIand. 208 00:15:21,847 --> 00:15:26,125 As you wonder around LIandudno, AIice and her IittIe wonderIand friends 209 00:15:26,207 --> 00:15:27,799 keep popping up. 210 00:15:30,567 --> 00:15:33,240 The town's supposed link to AIice in WonderIand author 211 00:15:33,327 --> 00:15:37,161 Lewis Carroll was carved out in stone in the 1930's. 212 00:15:38,847 --> 00:15:42,726 To be honest, the Alice in Wonderland memoriaI has seen better days, 213 00:15:42,807 --> 00:15:44,877 but you can stiII read the words on the pIaque. 214 00:15:44,967 --> 00:15:48,721 ''On this very shore, during happy rambIes with IittIe AIice LiddeII, 215 00:15:48,807 --> 00:15:53,437 ''Lewis CarroII was inspired to write that Iiterary treasure, Alice in Wonderland, 216 00:15:53,527 --> 00:15:56,360 ''which has charmed chiIdren for generations.'' 217 00:15:56,447 --> 00:15:59,325 Now, that's IoveIy, but is it true? 218 00:16:01,487 --> 00:16:05,002 Just a rabbit's hop away is the only piece of hard evidence, 219 00:16:05,087 --> 00:16:08,762 the derelict house that was once the holiday home of Alice Liddell, 220 00:16:08,847 --> 00:16:12,283 the inspiration for Carroll's fictional character, Alice. 221 00:16:12,647 --> 00:16:14,922 Local historian John Lawson-Reay 222 00:16:15,007 --> 00:16:18,636 is determined to show just how deep this rabbit hole goes. 223 00:16:19,767 --> 00:16:22,042 It's a fairIy sorry-Iooking buiIding now. 224 00:16:22,127 --> 00:16:26,166 SadIy negIected and aItered, but not beyond repair. 225 00:16:26,247 --> 00:16:29,956 And do we know, for exampIe, what room wouId have been IittIe AIice's? 226 00:16:30,047 --> 00:16:32,720 Yes, we do, actuaIIy, and it wouId be round the side, at the back. 227 00:16:32,807 --> 00:16:35,844 -Away from the wind, you might say. -Now what age is this house? 228 00:16:35,927 --> 00:16:37,201 1862. 229 00:16:37,287 --> 00:16:39,437 That's the date of Alice in Wonderland, isn't it? 230 00:16:39,527 --> 00:16:41,483 -AbsoIuteIy. -So, how couId AIice's hoIidays 231 00:16:41,567 --> 00:16:43,444 in that house have inspired that book? 232 00:16:43,527 --> 00:16:48,726 WeII, we beIieve it is the Iater story of Through the Looking Glass. 233 00:16:48,807 --> 00:16:50,320 The next book, in effect. 234 00:16:50,407 --> 00:16:54,400 Yes, the second book, which was just as significant as the first. 235 00:16:55,447 --> 00:16:58,325 Armed with a copy of AIice Through the Looking GIass, 236 00:16:58,407 --> 00:17:01,399 I'm going to see how John's theory stacks up. 237 00:17:01,607 --> 00:17:04,963 The first clue is out in the bay almost opposite the house, 238 00:17:05,047 --> 00:17:10,041 two rocks known for generations as the Walrus and the Carpenter. 239 00:17:11,647 --> 00:17:13,763 Granted, it's a bit tenuous, 240 00:17:13,847 --> 00:17:18,637 but look behind Alice's house, and it gets curiouser and curiouser. 241 00:17:19,527 --> 00:17:22,405 There's a path leading to the top of the Great Orme. 242 00:17:22,487 --> 00:17:27,038 Could this be the same zigzag path that Alice describes in the book? 243 00:17:29,087 --> 00:17:33,239 ALICE: If I could get to the top of that hill, and here's a path that leads straight to it, 244 00:17:33,327 --> 00:17:36,285 at least. No, it doesn't do that, 245 00:17:36,367 --> 00:17:39,962 but I suppose it will at last, but how curiously it twists. 246 00:17:40,047 --> 00:17:42,720 It's more like a corkscrew than a path. 247 00:17:45,887 --> 00:17:49,197 We've cIimbed the zigzag path. Where are we? 248 00:17:49,887 --> 00:17:52,526 We're on the top of the hiII, as AIice describes, 249 00:17:52,607 --> 00:17:55,917 and she Iooks down and she sees a giant chessboard, 250 00:17:56,007 --> 00:18:00,125 -and it's here in the book. -Now, that is a chessboard, 251 00:18:00,207 --> 00:18:03,040 I'II grant you that, but I can see a cricket pitch, 252 00:18:03,127 --> 00:18:04,765 I can see a bowIing green and a basketbaII court. 253 00:18:04,847 --> 00:18:06,758 I cannot see a chessboard. 254 00:18:06,847 --> 00:18:10,237 In the time when she was here, aII of this was undeveIoped. 255 00:18:10,327 --> 00:18:16,038 The Iand was earmarked out with roads and streams Iaid out in a chessboard design. 256 00:18:16,127 --> 00:18:20,200 It was designed that way because they auctioned off pIots of Iand. 257 00:18:21,167 --> 00:18:23,920 Who'd have thought you'd come through the Iooking gIass and end up in LIandudno? 258 00:18:24,007 --> 00:18:26,805 WeII, anything can happen in WonderIand. 259 00:18:26,927 --> 00:18:30,283 I'm feeIing generous. I might Iet you have that one. 260 00:18:30,847 --> 00:18:33,964 We'll probably never know if Llandudno really was the inspiration 261 00:18:34,047 --> 00:18:38,325 for AIice Through the Looking GIass, but perhaps that's not important. 262 00:18:38,607 --> 00:18:42,043 What does matter is that it keeps the visitors coming. 263 00:18:43,207 --> 00:18:47,325 Llandudno's one of the most popular seaside resorts in Wales, 264 00:18:47,407 --> 00:18:51,286 but, all along this coast, rivals eye its crown. 265 00:18:52,047 --> 00:18:55,642 Competition amongst seaside towns has always been fierce. 266 00:18:57,287 --> 00:19:01,200 Less than 20 miles from Llandudno is Rhyl. 267 00:19:01,287 --> 00:19:04,165 A hundred years ago, this was the number one destination 268 00:19:04,247 --> 00:19:06,317 in this part of the world. 269 00:19:09,607 --> 00:19:13,885 Hermione Cockburn is on a mission to revisit Rhyl's glory years. 270 00:19:15,367 --> 00:19:19,201 If resort towns take your fancy, then you're spoiIt for choice. 271 00:19:19,287 --> 00:19:25,078 There are more than 150 around our coast. But as their fortunes ebb and fIow, 272 00:19:25,167 --> 00:19:28,842 what does it take for a town to keep its head above water? 273 00:19:30,607 --> 00:19:34,885 To discover the secret of success, we need to revisit the golden age, 274 00:19:34,967 --> 00:19:38,243 when seaside towns were in their Victorian infancy. 275 00:19:41,087 --> 00:19:45,638 That was also around the time people first started using picture postcards. 276 00:19:49,927 --> 00:19:54,045 This one of the sands at RhyI from 1913, 277 00:19:54,127 --> 00:19:57,836 it says, ''Dear sister, just a reminder from RhyI 278 00:19:57,927 --> 00:20:00,600 ''we are having a good time and IoveIy weather. 279 00:20:00,687 --> 00:20:05,238 ''I trust your decision, if made, is for the best. 280 00:20:05,407 --> 00:20:07,477 ''Love EEG.'' 281 00:20:07,567 --> 00:20:12,516 What I Iove about these cards is that aII of them have been written here in RhyI, 282 00:20:13,047 --> 00:20:17,325 perhaps not far from where I'm sitting, aImost 100 years ago, 283 00:20:17,487 --> 00:20:22,038 but here we are now, getting a IittIe insight into their thoughts 284 00:20:22,127 --> 00:20:26,166 and their memories, immortaIised on these simpIe bits of card. 285 00:20:26,847 --> 00:20:29,281 The messages from the past are charming, 286 00:20:29,367 --> 00:20:33,963 but it's the pictures on the flip side that are the real clue to how Rhyl thrived 287 00:20:34,047 --> 00:20:36,322 in those heady Victorian times. 288 00:20:36,607 --> 00:20:39,963 Just look at all the people crowded on the promenade. 289 00:20:43,247 --> 00:20:48,162 Harry Thomas has amassed hundreds of these postcards, so who better to give me 290 00:20:48,247 --> 00:20:52,957 an insight into the unique attractions that used to draw holidaymakers to Rhyl? 291 00:20:53,087 --> 00:20:56,523 PeopIe in those earIy years they'd enjoyed a day on the beach, 292 00:20:56,607 --> 00:20:59,838 they'd had an ice cream, possibIy a donkey ride, 293 00:21:00,007 --> 00:21:04,797 and they'd Iove waIking aIong the prom to see the waves Iapping beneath them, 294 00:21:06,247 --> 00:21:10,286 or sit down on a IoveIy, hot summer's day and read a book. 295 00:21:10,687 --> 00:21:14,441 At the end of the pier, visitors of the day couId see the worId-famous swimmers 296 00:21:14,527 --> 00:21:17,360 and divers diving off the end of the pier. 297 00:21:17,767 --> 00:21:20,361 And, of course, we had the RhyI stateIy dome, 298 00:21:20,447 --> 00:21:24,201 which is the PaviIion Theatre, weII, that's where the sky tower is today. 299 00:21:24,287 --> 00:21:28,599 It was known as the stateIy dome of RhyI and, at night, they'd get dressed up 300 00:21:28,687 --> 00:21:32,885 and go to the PaviIion to see the acts of stage and screen of the day. 301 00:21:33,047 --> 00:21:37,165 Like the pier, that was demoIished in 1973, unfortunateIy. 302 00:21:37,247 --> 00:21:40,717 The grandeur in these postcards is just something eIse, isn't it? 303 00:21:40,807 --> 00:21:43,605 WeII, this is what I Iove about oId picture postcards. 304 00:21:43,687 --> 00:21:45,882 They give us a window in which we can view the past 305 00:21:45,967 --> 00:21:48,435 and show us a worId Iost forever. 306 00:21:50,367 --> 00:21:55,441 COCKBURN: What these postcards show me is the scale of what's been lost here in Rhyl. 307 00:22:00,967 --> 00:22:03,925 To understand why our seaside view has changed, 308 00:22:04,007 --> 00:22:07,158 I'm meeting resort expert, Professor John Walton. 309 00:22:08,967 --> 00:22:11,561 There was competition from a Iot of new ways of hoIidaymaking 310 00:22:11,647 --> 00:22:16,243 within and beyond Britain, as peopIe moved from the raiIway 311 00:22:16,327 --> 00:22:20,320 to their cars, and that broke oId hoIiday traveI habits. 312 00:22:20,407 --> 00:22:25,356 And what about Iosing its iconic buiIdings, Iike the pier and the paviIion? 313 00:22:25,447 --> 00:22:29,201 I mean, do you think RhyI now suffers from a Iack of identity? 314 00:22:29,287 --> 00:22:32,404 Yes, what seems to have happened is that in the '50s and '60s 315 00:22:32,487 --> 00:22:36,162 nobody was quite prepared to risk investing in new stuff, 316 00:22:36,247 --> 00:22:38,317 when they didn't quite know what peopIe wanted. 317 00:22:38,407 --> 00:22:41,240 And by the time they'd reaIised that things were changing, 318 00:22:41,327 --> 00:22:45,286 it was a bit too Iate to rescue the oId attractions, and so they... 319 00:22:45,367 --> 00:22:49,645 Um, the pier couIdn't be sustained and other buiIdings were Iost, 320 00:22:49,727 --> 00:22:52,525 and they were distinctive buiIdings that made you know 321 00:22:52,607 --> 00:22:54,757 that you were in RhyI and not somewhere eIse. 322 00:22:54,847 --> 00:22:57,964 Do you think there's hope for RhyI? CouId it recapture its gIory days? 323 00:22:58,047 --> 00:23:01,926 Yes, I think the British seaside reaIIy is about to come back into its own, 324 00:23:02,007 --> 00:23:03,565 and RhyI shouId be part of that. 325 00:23:05,447 --> 00:23:10,396 The sense of loss in Rhyl is a story that's repeated all around our coast, 326 00:23:10,487 --> 00:23:15,766 as landmarks of the heyday of our seaside have slowly vanished from the landscape. 327 00:23:39,607 --> 00:23:44,522 OLIVER: Crossing the Dee Estuary, we leave Wales behind for England. 328 00:23:46,007 --> 00:23:49,158 Some surprising things wash up on this coast. 329 00:23:53,167 --> 00:23:56,716 Halfway along the River Dee, on the banks of the Wirral peninsula, 330 00:23:56,807 --> 00:24:00,720 there's an entire village marooned, Parkgate. 331 00:24:01,807 --> 00:24:05,243 Once a sea port, now it has no boats and no water. 332 00:24:06,727 --> 00:24:10,083 Two hundred years ago, if I'd been waIking aIong this edge, 333 00:24:10,167 --> 00:24:13,603 the water wouId have been Iapping up 25 feet beIow me. 334 00:24:13,927 --> 00:24:17,237 This was one of the busiest ports of the Northwest. 335 00:24:17,447 --> 00:24:19,677 Now the water's gone. 336 00:24:19,767 --> 00:24:22,645 This is a seaside viIIage without any sea. 337 00:24:27,127 --> 00:24:31,996 Parkgate was just one of a series of ports built further and further downstream 338 00:24:32,087 --> 00:24:35,079 as the River Dee silted up over the centuries. 339 00:24:36,247 --> 00:24:42,163 Eventually Nature got her way and Parkgate was also left high and dry. 340 00:24:45,367 --> 00:24:49,997 As we follow the Wirral northwards, the coast looks out onto Liverpool Bay, 341 00:24:50,087 --> 00:24:54,763 where the great ships that served the port of Liverpool dominate the scenery. 342 00:24:57,287 --> 00:24:58,845 At the mouth of the Mersey, 343 00:24:58,927 --> 00:25:03,159 New Brighton is home to one of the most crowded little shipping lanes 344 00:25:03,607 --> 00:25:05,484 anywhere in the world. 345 00:25:13,367 --> 00:25:18,077 My name's Don Morris and I'm the chairman of the New Brighton ModeI Boat CIub. 346 00:25:20,527 --> 00:25:22,165 MORRIS: As boating Iakes go, 347 00:25:22,247 --> 00:25:25,922 this Iake behind me does present its chaIIenges. 348 00:25:26,007 --> 00:25:30,523 Being on the coast, as it is, when the tide comes in and it's windy, 349 00:25:30,607 --> 00:25:33,485 we get increased water in the Iake as it comes over the waII. 350 00:25:33,687 --> 00:25:36,759 When it's a nice day down here, it reaIIy is nice to saiI. 351 00:25:36,847 --> 00:25:39,645 When it's a bad day, weII, you don't saiI. 352 00:25:47,567 --> 00:25:49,398 You buiId your boats in the winter. 353 00:25:49,487 --> 00:25:51,717 You bring them down to the Iake in the summer to wreck them, 354 00:25:51,807 --> 00:25:54,958 so that you've got something to refit the foIIowing winter. 355 00:25:55,047 --> 00:25:59,438 We did have a big shipyard on the Mersey, so you couId see the boats being buiIt there, 356 00:25:59,527 --> 00:26:02,041 and a number of the boats that the Iads saiI on the Iake 357 00:26:02,127 --> 00:26:05,403 are repIicas of what's been buiIt down in Laird's. 358 00:26:12,367 --> 00:26:15,120 The most satisfying thing is to sit her on the water 359 00:26:15,207 --> 00:26:19,439 and watch it do what you intended it to do when you started to buiId it. 360 00:26:19,527 --> 00:26:24,681 Having said that, we've aII had our disasters where a boat has sat on the water 361 00:26:24,767 --> 00:26:26,564 and immediateIy roIIed over. 362 00:26:26,647 --> 00:26:31,084 It's one of the things about boat buiIding, but the main thing is just 363 00:26:31,167 --> 00:26:34,716 getting down here and enjoying the boat that you've buiIt, 364 00:26:34,807 --> 00:26:38,277 and peopIe of a Iike mind doing the same kind of thing. 365 00:26:45,047 --> 00:26:47,003 Turning the corner from New Brighton, 366 00:26:47,087 --> 00:26:50,443 we meet the coastal conurbations of the river Mersey. 367 00:26:50,527 --> 00:26:53,519 Tucked just inland is Birkenhead Park. 368 00:26:54,527 --> 00:26:58,566 Opened in 1847, it was the world's first municipal park 369 00:26:59,047 --> 00:27:02,483 and inspired the design of Central Park in New York. 370 00:27:04,487 --> 00:27:07,240 Work and play goes hand in hand here. 371 00:27:07,327 --> 00:27:11,923 Industry has shaped the comunities and landscape on this stretch of coast. 372 00:27:12,767 --> 00:27:17,363 One such port exists thanks to a revolution in the way we wash our clothes. 373 00:27:23,407 --> 00:27:27,844 HORTON: At the end of the 19th century, close to the river Mersey, 374 00:27:27,927 --> 00:27:31,317 the foundations of a great business empire were laid. 375 00:27:32,007 --> 00:27:36,478 This is the viIIage that soap buiIt. This is Port SunIight. 376 00:27:39,287 --> 00:27:42,723 Port Sunlight was founded over 100 years ago 377 00:27:42,847 --> 00:27:45,998 by William Hesketh Lever and his brother. 378 00:27:46,087 --> 00:27:51,320 The workers housed here manufactured Sunlight soap for washing clothes. 379 00:27:52,007 --> 00:27:56,637 Making laundry soap that was hard, yet gentle on the hands, 380 00:27:56,727 --> 00:28:00,845 meant pioneering a new process using palm oil. 381 00:28:01,247 --> 00:28:07,880 Bringing sunlight into grimy Victorian lives was one of the grand claims of the product. 382 00:28:09,967 --> 00:28:14,836 I have an advert here for SunIight Soap, dated 1931, 383 00:28:14,967 --> 00:28:20,917 extoIIing its many virtues, incIuding Iess Iabour, greater comfort. 384 00:28:24,127 --> 00:28:28,518 To see just how Sunlight Soap's new formula cleaned up, 385 00:28:28,607 --> 00:28:30,404 we're going to make our own version 386 00:28:30,487 --> 00:28:33,877 with the help of chemists from the Open University. 387 00:28:33,967 --> 00:28:37,960 The first of our two ingredients is caustic soda. 388 00:28:38,047 --> 00:28:41,278 That'll make the oil-based soap dissolve in water. 389 00:28:41,607 --> 00:28:46,078 The palm oil's job is to dissolve the grease and grime. 390 00:28:46,287 --> 00:28:51,759 We put the paIm oiI into a bowI and we put it into a water heater 391 00:28:51,847 --> 00:28:54,680 and it's heated up to 90 degrees centigrade. 392 00:28:54,767 --> 00:29:00,319 And then we add caustic soda, and you're trying to make a consistency 393 00:29:00,407 --> 00:29:03,877 a bit Iike when you're making jam, so it soIidifies properIy. 394 00:29:04,807 --> 00:29:07,082 From about a pint of palm oil, 395 00:29:07,167 --> 00:29:10,796 we've only managed to make six small tablets of soap. 396 00:29:11,447 --> 00:29:17,238 So to mass-produce it, Levers had to import millions of barrels of palm oil. 397 00:29:18,087 --> 00:29:23,400 And they came up with a bold solution, build their own private port. 398 00:29:24,967 --> 00:29:31,361 In this map of 1899, the banks of the Mersey are simpIy shown as mud, 399 00:29:32,287 --> 00:29:39,363 but by 1936 that mud has been transformed into a great port. 400 00:29:40,647 --> 00:29:45,596 And Iooking round the site today, aII that remains of it is the occasionaI cIue 401 00:29:45,687 --> 00:29:50,442 such as these crane tracks and, over there, the odd boIIard. 402 00:29:51,767 --> 00:29:56,397 To really see the port of Port Sunlight in its former glory, 403 00:29:56,487 --> 00:29:58,637 you need the bigger picture. 404 00:29:58,887 --> 00:30:01,196 MAN ON RADIO: Runway 270 clear for takeoff. 405 00:30:02,127 --> 00:30:06,439 From here you can begin to see the sheer scale of the operation. 406 00:30:06,527 --> 00:30:09,644 All around I can see the green of Port Sunlight, 407 00:30:10,007 --> 00:30:14,046 the individual houses all laid out in a rather organised fashion. 408 00:30:14,687 --> 00:30:18,726 The whole thing is this extraordinary little village, little oasis. 409 00:30:19,727 --> 00:30:24,926 Look, down there is the factory of Unilever, the place that the Lever brothers founded. 410 00:30:25,487 --> 00:30:28,365 But I wonder where the original harbour is. 411 00:30:29,367 --> 00:30:31,927 And I can just see it, I think, down here. 412 00:30:32,007 --> 00:30:34,999 It's all gone now, it's a huge landfill site, 413 00:30:35,287 --> 00:30:40,042 but with the trained eye of the archaeologist, you can begin to see what's going on. 414 00:30:40,127 --> 00:30:44,245 Look, the dock entrance just survives. The lock gates are now gone. 415 00:30:44,567 --> 00:30:48,924 But actually, from the air, you can just see the remains of the square shape 416 00:30:49,007 --> 00:30:51,396 of the original Bromborough dock. 417 00:30:54,407 --> 00:30:57,604 HORTON: The Mersey was Lever's gateway to the world 418 00:30:57,767 --> 00:31:01,555 and the old port was the focal point of the business. 419 00:31:03,287 --> 00:31:09,203 Local historian Glynn Parry knows what was coming and going through Port Sunlight. 420 00:31:10,087 --> 00:31:12,362 So GIynn, this is the actuaI entrance to the dock. 421 00:31:12,447 --> 00:31:17,441 It is. It was the Iargest privateIy owned dock in the worId when it was first opened, 422 00:31:17,527 --> 00:31:22,885 with quays on both sides, vesseIs coming in, coming out 24 hours a day, non-stop. 423 00:31:23,047 --> 00:31:26,005 Dockers coming over from LiverpooI even to work in the dock here. 424 00:31:26,087 --> 00:31:27,918 HORTON: PresumabIy Iarge ships came in? 425 00:31:28,007 --> 00:31:30,885 PARRY: Ocean-going ships came in, from the PhiIippines, from Indonesia, 426 00:31:30,967 --> 00:31:34,755 bringing coconut oiI from West Africa, paIm oiI. 427 00:31:34,847 --> 00:31:36,963 -That's the reaI stuff. -That's the reaI stuff. 428 00:31:37,047 --> 00:31:41,040 HORTON: By the 1930s, Lever's had become a global business 429 00:31:41,127 --> 00:31:44,642 by importing raw materials from distant shores. 430 00:31:44,847 --> 00:31:48,999 In West Africa, money really did grow on trees. 431 00:31:49,367 --> 00:31:53,997 Palm kernels were harvested by hand and processed by foot, 432 00:31:54,207 --> 00:31:57,244 releasing the palm oil for Sunlight Soap. 433 00:31:57,327 --> 00:32:00,876 Its exotic, pure ingredients were part of the brand. 434 00:32:01,167 --> 00:32:06,525 Advertising promised to brighten up the lives of hard-pressed housewives. 435 00:32:07,127 --> 00:32:09,357 PARRY: He was seIIing cIeanIiness and purity. 436 00:32:09,447 --> 00:32:12,086 Look at the name of the pIace where it was manufactured, SunIight. 437 00:32:12,167 --> 00:32:14,283 CIeanIiness, bright Iight, we've got the sun today. 438 00:32:14,367 --> 00:32:16,358 -Just Iike today. -Yeah, wonderfuI. 439 00:32:16,447 --> 00:32:20,884 HORTON: The sales pitch promised not only purity, but performance. 440 00:32:21,167 --> 00:32:25,797 So, is palm-oil soap better than its animal-fat predecessor? 441 00:32:26,207 --> 00:32:28,880 So, these are the two exampIes of soap. 442 00:32:29,207 --> 00:32:33,359 That's right. We've got the animaI-fat soap and the paIm-oiI soap. 443 00:32:34,407 --> 00:32:38,605 Oh, God, that's a rather rancidy smeII. That's a Iot more fragrant. 444 00:32:38,687 --> 00:32:41,645 Now the criticaI question is, ''Which works better?'' 445 00:32:41,727 --> 00:32:43,365 WeII, we're going to try that. 446 00:32:43,447 --> 00:32:45,836 We're going to try with the T-shirt 447 00:32:45,927 --> 00:32:51,081 with the jam stain, a butter stain and ordinary dirt. 448 00:32:51,167 --> 00:32:53,681 -So, have you got yours over there? -I've got mine here, yes. 449 00:32:53,767 --> 00:32:56,918 And Iook, we've got an oId-fashioned washer board. 450 00:32:57,007 --> 00:32:59,475 Fantastic. WeII, I'm going to give you the animaI-fat one 451 00:32:59,567 --> 00:33:02,639 -'cause I want to win this competition. -Oh, thank you. 452 00:33:13,367 --> 00:33:15,039 -Right. -Right. 453 00:33:17,047 --> 00:33:22,246 Look, I'm compIeteIy white and you're covered in dirt, jam and butter. 454 00:33:22,527 --> 00:33:26,361 -I think that paIm oiI washes whiter. -We've definiteIy proved it. 455 00:33:30,327 --> 00:33:34,923 HORTON: The old port's become landfill, but the soap business is still here. 456 00:33:35,647 --> 00:33:39,196 Port Sunlight is now a research centre for Unilever, 457 00:33:39,287 --> 00:33:44,600 the industrial giant that started with a vision of selling sunlight. 458 00:33:50,607 --> 00:33:53,917 OLIVER: The river Mersey is the lifeblood of this corner of England 459 00:33:54,007 --> 00:33:58,717 and lends its name to the conurbation that has grown up around it, Merseyside. 460 00:34:00,167 --> 00:34:02,078 Its heart is Liverpool. 461 00:34:11,127 --> 00:34:13,004 For almost 300 years, 462 00:34:14,967 --> 00:34:19,040 Liverpool has been connected to the entire world through trade and shipping. 463 00:34:23,807 --> 00:34:26,037 Where once they berthed ships, 464 00:34:26,927 --> 00:34:31,205 now the docks are home to brash new business and leisure developments. 465 00:34:40,287 --> 00:34:43,404 But 40 years ago, it was a very different story. 466 00:34:50,847 --> 00:34:54,078 BROADCASTER: Through the dock gates, thousands of dock workers are arriving. 467 00:34:54,167 --> 00:34:58,319 In port, there are nearly 90 ships waiting to be loaded or unloaded. 468 00:34:59,127 --> 00:35:02,802 Every day, 15 or 20 ships arrive with cargoes we need. 469 00:35:03,527 --> 00:35:06,564 Every day, 15 or 20 other ships sail, 470 00:35:06,647 --> 00:35:09,798 taking away the things other countries need from us. 471 00:35:11,047 --> 00:35:16,121 This is one of Britain's doorways to and from the rest of the world. 472 00:35:19,207 --> 00:35:22,483 OLIVER: Those same quays are mostly deserted today. 473 00:35:22,767 --> 00:35:25,645 But it's not just the ships that have gone. 474 00:35:28,407 --> 00:35:32,195 Being a docker was a way of life for people like Mike Cullen. 475 00:35:32,847 --> 00:35:37,875 For 30 years he came down to the waterfront, a workplace that's now a ruin. 476 00:35:40,167 --> 00:35:43,045 This pIace Iooks as if it was abandoned 100 years ago. 477 00:35:43,127 --> 00:35:44,640 WeII, it is desoIation, but it's not... 478 00:35:44,727 --> 00:35:46,877 This was a working dock up to a few years ago, 479 00:35:46,967 --> 00:35:48,525 though you wouIdn't think so. 480 00:35:48,607 --> 00:35:51,440 It Iooks Iike a Iot more than 20 years has passed here. 481 00:35:51,887 --> 00:35:55,516 CULLEN: Anything that's Ieft soon gets overrun, doesn't it? 482 00:35:55,607 --> 00:35:58,724 It's sad when you've Iived in LiverpooI aII your Iife 483 00:35:58,807 --> 00:36:02,720 and you've seen what these docks used to be and what they are now. 484 00:36:02,807 --> 00:36:05,640 OLIVER: Some key landmarks have been saved. 485 00:36:07,887 --> 00:36:10,924 But what's lost completely is the way of life. 486 00:36:11,287 --> 00:36:15,724 In the early 1960s, Colin Jones visited Liverpool docks for the Observer 487 00:36:16,167 --> 00:36:18,806 to capture the dockers' working lives. 488 00:36:20,567 --> 00:36:22,523 OLIVER: When did you take these photographs? 489 00:36:22,607 --> 00:36:25,599 JONES: In the winter of 1963 I came up here. 490 00:36:25,687 --> 00:36:28,884 Because if you showed me this and asked me when I thought it had been taken, 491 00:36:28,967 --> 00:36:32,846 -I wouId say the 1930's or even earIier. -Yeah, it's amazing, isn't it? 492 00:36:32,927 --> 00:36:37,955 We were doing a thing on the recession, which in '62-61 was terribIe here, 493 00:36:38,047 --> 00:36:40,083 you know unempIoyment, and, uh, 494 00:36:40,167 --> 00:36:43,079 the recession was beginning to bite, even though it... 495 00:36:43,167 --> 00:36:44,759 What age is this guy when you took the picture? 496 00:36:44,847 --> 00:36:49,284 WeII, it's difficuIt to say, but I think he must be between 30 and 34. 497 00:36:49,367 --> 00:36:52,200 -They aIways Iooked much oIder. -He Iooks over 50. 498 00:36:52,327 --> 00:36:54,158 Yeah, yeah. It's sad. 499 00:36:54,247 --> 00:36:56,886 He died not Iong after the pictures were taken. 500 00:36:56,967 --> 00:36:58,446 OLIVER: And this one again, I mean, 501 00:36:58,527 --> 00:37:01,041 you know, it Iooks Iike a photograph taken from the Depression 502 00:37:01,127 --> 00:37:03,561 -in the 1920s or something. -Yeah, yeah. 503 00:37:03,727 --> 00:37:06,560 But when you were here, this pIace was busy and there were thousands of men 504 00:37:06,647 --> 00:37:08,797 and to Iook at it now, it's dead. 505 00:37:08,887 --> 00:37:12,197 It's Iike, as if the atomic bomb has happened, you know? 506 00:37:12,287 --> 00:37:17,202 There's just a few crazy things Ieft Iike the cIock and these amazing buiIdings. 507 00:37:19,367 --> 00:37:23,758 Colin's photographs bring home the gritty reality of the dockers' world. 508 00:37:24,287 --> 00:37:27,324 Mike still remembers his first day on the job. 509 00:37:29,287 --> 00:37:32,120 WeII, it was the first day. It was a bit of a cuIture shock. 510 00:37:32,207 --> 00:37:36,917 You hadn't seen a day's pay. You had to turn up at a pIace caIIed a pen to get hired. 511 00:37:37,007 --> 00:37:38,725 When you got a tap on the shouIder, they gave you a book 512 00:37:38,807 --> 00:37:40,081 -and you were hired for the day. -Uh-huh. 513 00:37:40,167 --> 00:37:43,603 You got a day's pay. If you didn't get a tap on the shouIder, you didn't get hired. 514 00:37:43,687 --> 00:37:47,646 When you got your book stamped, they put ''AP'' on your book, so attendance proven. 515 00:37:47,727 --> 00:37:49,558 -Uh-huh. -So you'd get a IeveI of payment for that. 516 00:37:49,647 --> 00:37:52,719 When you taIk about turning up and maybe getting work and maybe not, 517 00:37:52,807 --> 00:37:56,356 was it a case of who you were, whether your face fitted, 518 00:37:56,447 --> 00:37:57,675 who your dad was... 519 00:37:57,767 --> 00:38:00,201 There were bosses there who had their favourites. 520 00:38:00,287 --> 00:38:01,720 If you were one of his favourites, then you got 521 00:38:01,807 --> 00:38:03,240 the tap on the shouIder and you got a job. 522 00:38:03,327 --> 00:38:06,922 And so the guys bringing up famiIies in that kind of circumstance... 523 00:38:07,007 --> 00:38:10,636 It wasn't too bad for Iads who were singIe or Iads Iike myseIf who'd just got married 524 00:38:10,727 --> 00:38:14,925 and had no chiIdren, but anyone trying to bring up a famiIy on it, 525 00:38:15,007 --> 00:38:17,760 it was a horrendous way of, uh, working. 526 00:38:18,727 --> 00:38:22,959 OLIVER: Loading and unloading ships by hand was arduous and dangerous. 527 00:38:23,047 --> 00:38:27,006 It was all done under the careful supervision of the stevedores. 528 00:38:27,367 --> 00:38:31,042 CULLEN: It was his job to stow the cargo in such a way that 529 00:38:31,127 --> 00:38:34,119 it was going to be safe when it went to sea and that none of the cargo moved. 530 00:38:34,207 --> 00:38:36,437 So was the work of a stevedore more of an art, more of a skiII? 531 00:38:36,527 --> 00:38:38,040 It was a skiII, yeah. 532 00:38:38,127 --> 00:38:41,437 He got Iike a shiIIing an hour extra for being a stevedore. 533 00:38:43,727 --> 00:38:47,436 OLIVER: The skills of the dockers and stevedores put them in a position of power, 534 00:38:47,527 --> 00:38:51,440 controlling the imports and exports that kept the country moving. 535 00:38:51,527 --> 00:38:55,236 It was a power that their unions weren't afraid to exploit. 536 00:38:55,687 --> 00:38:58,724 But the shipping companies had an ace up their sleeve, 537 00:38:58,807 --> 00:39:03,039 a trump card which would consign the dockers' way of life to history. 538 00:39:03,807 --> 00:39:06,321 And the end came packaged Iike this. 539 00:39:07,967 --> 00:39:11,642 The simple metal box that changed the world, the container. 540 00:39:14,967 --> 00:39:18,164 Once container ships entered shipping lanes around the globe, 541 00:39:18,247 --> 00:39:21,398 the lives of the dockers would never be the same. 542 00:39:23,607 --> 00:39:25,245 As the old ways vanished, 543 00:39:25,327 --> 00:39:29,320 the new docks built to embrace container-ship technology thrived. 544 00:39:30,887 --> 00:39:35,005 With containers and other cargo, the Port of Liverpool is now busier than ever, 545 00:39:35,087 --> 00:39:37,681 but with a fraction of the workforce. 546 00:39:38,647 --> 00:39:42,322 The future of Liverpool as a port and a city looks assured. 547 00:39:42,887 --> 00:39:46,402 But that success was built on the backs of its dockers. 548 00:39:57,327 --> 00:39:59,238 Once beyond the mouth of the Mersey, 549 00:39:59,327 --> 00:40:02,319 we leave its urban and industrial landscape behind 550 00:40:02,407 --> 00:40:06,480 as the coastline transforms into an ocean of sand. 551 00:40:10,887 --> 00:40:14,675 Sefton has the largest expanse of open dunes in England. 552 00:40:17,327 --> 00:40:20,399 But they provide more than just a stunning backdrop. 553 00:40:20,487 --> 00:40:24,400 Look closely and you'll find a world that's teeming with life. 554 00:40:28,127 --> 00:40:31,961 Miranda Krestovnikoff is setting out in search of resourceful creatures 555 00:40:32,047 --> 00:40:35,357 that must struggle to survive the twice-daily tides. 556 00:40:37,327 --> 00:40:40,956 We are off on a sand safari, and for the creatures that we're hoping 557 00:40:41,047 --> 00:40:43,925 to track down, we've got Ioads of speciaIised equipment. 558 00:40:44,007 --> 00:40:48,205 We've got uItra-sensitive microphones and cIose-up cameras so we're going to see 559 00:40:48,287 --> 00:40:51,438 and hear the coast Iike we've never done before. 560 00:40:53,407 --> 00:40:58,162 If you're a tiny beach creature, the tide hits you like a giant tsunami. 561 00:40:58,407 --> 00:41:00,477 Time to head for the hills. 562 00:41:03,687 --> 00:41:07,805 These tiny sand hoppers can leap up to 20 times their body height. 563 00:41:08,127 --> 00:41:11,358 Handy when they're trying to escape from hungry predators. 564 00:41:11,447 --> 00:41:14,120 Soundman Chris thinks his buried microphone 565 00:41:14,207 --> 00:41:16,846 has picked up the hoppers under a log. 566 00:41:17,807 --> 00:41:21,959 That's absoIuteIy fantastic. There's Iots of scurrying and scratching around. 567 00:41:22,047 --> 00:41:24,197 It's a whoIe hive of activity going on down there. 568 00:41:24,287 --> 00:41:28,360 We're hearing them through the sands, so it's the vibrations that we're picking up. 569 00:41:28,447 --> 00:41:30,483 KRESTOVNIKOFF: And to get even cIoser to them, 570 00:41:30,607 --> 00:41:33,758 you've got a very hi-tech... It's great, isn't it? 571 00:41:33,847 --> 00:41:36,566 CHRIS: These are personaI microphones Iike the ones we're wearing, 572 00:41:36,647 --> 00:41:41,277 but the idea is if you get them reaIIy cIose, we can hear their perspective 573 00:41:41,367 --> 00:41:45,121 without any background sea sounds or any of this wind noise. 574 00:41:46,567 --> 00:41:49,400 KRESTOVNIKOFF: Oh, there they are, Ieaping aII over the pIace. Fantastic. 575 00:41:49,487 --> 00:41:51,682 CHRIS: Snap, crackIe and pop. 576 00:41:51,967 --> 00:41:54,561 It's a different sound from under the seaweed. 577 00:41:54,647 --> 00:41:57,241 That sort of fIick as they spring into the air. 578 00:41:57,327 --> 00:42:00,000 KRESTOVNIKOFF: ExceIIent. Oh, what fun. 579 00:42:02,007 --> 00:42:07,001 Sand hoppers are miniature crustaceans, relatives of lobsters, crabs and shrimps, 580 00:42:07,087 --> 00:42:11,000 which makes them a good source of protein for larger predators. 581 00:42:11,167 --> 00:42:15,206 The sand hoppers survive on natural beach rubbish like dead seaweed 582 00:42:15,287 --> 00:42:19,360 left high and dry in the strand line after the tide has retreated. 583 00:42:21,487 --> 00:42:25,560 Moving up from the strand Iine, it isn't far before you get to the dune system here 584 00:42:25,647 --> 00:42:27,126 and it's vast. 585 00:42:31,607 --> 00:42:36,203 Westerlies whip across the Irish Sea, building a mighty dune system, 586 00:42:36,287 --> 00:42:38,437 grain by painstaking grain. 587 00:42:43,287 --> 00:42:47,838 We're off to explore this windblown landscape in search of the bigger beasts 588 00:42:47,927 --> 00:42:50,077 which roam this sea of sand. 589 00:42:52,207 --> 00:42:54,721 If the sand forms the building blocks of the dunes, 590 00:42:54,807 --> 00:42:58,436 then the cement binding them together is the marram grass. 591 00:42:58,527 --> 00:43:02,759 This carpet of marram grass stretches its roots over 30 feet deep 592 00:43:02,847 --> 00:43:04,803 to seek out fresh water. 593 00:43:09,407 --> 00:43:13,844 Paul Rooney is my guide to the exotic creatures that inhabit these dunes. 594 00:43:14,727 --> 00:43:16,683 We've gone from bare sand on the beach, 595 00:43:16,767 --> 00:43:19,679 through the mobiIe dunes dominated by marram grass. 596 00:43:19,767 --> 00:43:23,043 Now the marram grass has done its job and other pIants and animaIs 597 00:43:23,127 --> 00:43:24,355 are starting to come in now. 598 00:43:24,447 --> 00:43:28,759 We're starting to see things Iike sand Iizards, the predatory speciaIist. 599 00:43:28,847 --> 00:43:30,485 -They're rare, aren't they? -They're very rare 600 00:43:30,567 --> 00:43:35,641 and the Merseyside, Sefton coast dunes are the most northerIy naturaI outpost 601 00:43:35,727 --> 00:43:37,126 of sand Iizards up here. 602 00:43:37,207 --> 00:43:41,883 We've aIso got things Iike the dune tiger beetIe, which Ioves the bare sand 603 00:43:42,007 --> 00:43:45,124 and wiII fIit around and Iook for smaIIer prey. 604 00:43:46,687 --> 00:43:49,155 KRESTOVNIKOFF: With fearsome predators patrolling the dunes, 605 00:43:49,247 --> 00:43:53,843 it's no wonder the little sand hoppers keep their heads down during the day. 606 00:43:59,127 --> 00:44:04,042 But eventually even they have to come out to eat under the cover of darkness. 607 00:44:04,207 --> 00:44:06,243 Where are the sand hoppers now? They're not going to be... 608 00:44:06,327 --> 00:44:07,521 Oh, hang on, they are, aren't they? 609 00:44:07,607 --> 00:44:11,600 -We're just surrounded by them. -We are, it's absoIuteIy teeming. 610 00:44:11,927 --> 00:44:15,158 -WeII, at night-time they... -I don't want to step anywhere. 611 00:44:15,247 --> 00:44:18,637 The aduIts come out. They come out of the burrows, which are higher up the beach, 612 00:44:18,727 --> 00:44:23,721 and they're now moving out, grazing across the beach Iooking to fiII themseIves up. 613 00:44:24,647 --> 00:44:26,319 KRESTOVNIKOFF: Unfortunately for sand hoppers, 614 00:44:26,407 --> 00:44:28,841 they aren't the only ones out on the prowl. 615 00:44:28,927 --> 00:44:33,239 Natterjack toads hunt sand hoppers and we're hunting the natterjacks. 616 00:44:33,367 --> 00:44:34,800 There's something moving. 617 00:44:34,887 --> 00:44:36,445 -Is that one over there? -Ah, here we go. 618 00:44:36,527 --> 00:44:38,324 -There's one. -Fantastic. 619 00:44:38,407 --> 00:44:40,716 You have to pick it up because I'm not Iicensed to. 620 00:44:40,807 --> 00:44:42,525 This is it. Here we go, a natterjack. 621 00:44:42,607 --> 00:44:45,565 -Magic. Very beautifuI. -Yeah. 622 00:44:45,647 --> 00:44:47,763 KRESTOVNIKOFF: Natterjacks are a protected species, 623 00:44:47,847 --> 00:44:51,157 but Paul's licensed to handle them, so we can get really close. 624 00:44:51,247 --> 00:44:53,920 -It's a IoveIy stripe down the back. -Yes, beautifuI animaIs. 625 00:44:54,007 --> 00:44:55,679 It's caIIed the running toad. 626 00:44:55,767 --> 00:44:58,235 And this is one of the big differences between this and the common toads, 627 00:44:58,327 --> 00:45:00,795 these animaIs are reaIIy visuaI. They'II spot their prey 628 00:45:00,887 --> 00:45:02,718 and they'II race across the sand for them. 629 00:45:02,807 --> 00:45:04,684 I mean, just Iook at the way it was running across the sand. 630 00:45:04,767 --> 00:45:07,918 Yeah, he's quite a fast runner, whereas a common toad wiII just sort of sit there 631 00:45:08,007 --> 00:45:10,919 and wait for its dinner to come to it. And he's off! 632 00:45:11,007 --> 00:45:13,362 He's off, he's off. Yeah, yeah. 633 00:45:13,447 --> 00:45:17,201 -They're running toads. -They're running toads. There he is. 634 00:45:18,287 --> 00:45:21,882 KRESTOVNIKOFF: Left to their own devices, toads, with their excellent night vision 635 00:45:21,967 --> 00:45:26,199 and super fast tongues, hoover up the sand hoppers in their hundreds. 636 00:45:26,327 --> 00:45:30,878 But with millions of them still left on the beach, that's a drop in the ocean. 637 00:45:40,007 --> 00:45:43,966 OLIVER: Southport is the home of Britain's oldest pleasure pier. 638 00:45:44,367 --> 00:45:49,760 But this 140-year-old edifice has recently had a seven-million-pound facelift. 639 00:45:51,407 --> 00:45:54,922 The new pavilion perched at the end may look space age, 640 00:45:55,087 --> 00:45:58,966 but take a step inside and you're transported back in time. 641 00:46:00,007 --> 00:46:01,360 (LAUGHING) 642 00:46:02,367 --> 00:46:05,996 This is one penny arcade that really lives up to its name. 643 00:46:06,207 --> 00:46:09,199 The slots here will only accept old pennies 644 00:46:09,367 --> 00:46:12,040 and all the amusement machines are the real thing, 645 00:46:12,127 --> 00:46:14,402 some dating back to the 1930s. 646 00:46:15,047 --> 00:46:16,878 I Iove these machines. 647 00:46:17,247 --> 00:46:21,365 But at the same time, there's aIways a feeIing of meIanchoIy about arcades Iike this, 648 00:46:21,447 --> 00:46:23,722 because it was the kind of pIace you ended up in when it was raining 649 00:46:23,807 --> 00:46:25,843 and you couIdn't go on the beach. 650 00:46:25,927 --> 00:46:29,158 But to be quite honest, I remember, on day trips to seaside resorts, 651 00:46:29,247 --> 00:46:32,444 I was just as happy to get in here and get some money from my dad 652 00:46:32,527 --> 00:46:35,758 to pIay these machines as I was to do anything eIse. 653 00:46:35,847 --> 00:46:39,317 And I'm not Ieaving here without that IittIe bIack car. 654 00:46:48,327 --> 00:46:49,646 Yes! 655 00:46:55,687 --> 00:46:58,804 Crossing the Ribble Estuary, we reach the Fylde Coast 656 00:46:58,887 --> 00:47:01,879 and the restrained charms of Lytham St Anne's. 657 00:47:02,087 --> 00:47:07,081 No preparation for what's in store as we head for its noisy neighbour to the north. 658 00:47:09,127 --> 00:47:12,676 Blackpool is Britain's most visited seaside destination. 659 00:47:15,567 --> 00:47:19,480 How has this resort succeeded where others have gone under? 660 00:47:34,887 --> 00:47:38,243 The fIashing Iights and the in-your-face razzmatazz 661 00:47:38,527 --> 00:47:40,563 might not be everyone's cup of tea, 662 00:47:40,647 --> 00:47:44,526 but, to many, this is the Las Vegas of the north. 663 00:47:50,167 --> 00:47:53,318 COCKBURN: In the cold light of the morning after, 664 00:47:54,127 --> 00:47:57,005 the glamour fades, but the resort rolls on. 665 00:48:03,007 --> 00:48:07,876 What I want to know is how Blackpool has always continued to pull in the punters. 666 00:48:09,327 --> 00:48:13,445 Tourism expert Professor John Walton is on hand to help me out. 667 00:48:16,087 --> 00:48:20,285 Now, John, here we are in BIackpooI, and what strikes me first of aII 668 00:48:20,367 --> 00:48:24,155 is that it seems to have retained aII its major attractions. 669 00:48:24,247 --> 00:48:29,480 -To me, the view is IargeIy unchanged. -Yes, you've got the tower dominating. 670 00:48:29,567 --> 00:48:33,116 To the right, of course, the big difference is the gigantic wheeI. 671 00:48:33,207 --> 00:48:35,402 It came down in 1929. 672 00:48:35,487 --> 00:48:39,116 It was actuaIIy put up in 1896, just two years after the tower. 673 00:48:39,207 --> 00:48:44,281 The idea was brought over from the Chicago InternationaI Exposition of 1893. 674 00:48:44,527 --> 00:48:47,997 They tried it out in London and BIackpooI had to have it, 675 00:48:48,087 --> 00:48:51,284 because BIackpooI had to have everything that was new. 676 00:48:51,367 --> 00:48:54,916 What do you think the key innovations that BIackpooI Iatched onto 677 00:48:55,007 --> 00:48:56,565 have been throughout its history? 678 00:48:56,647 --> 00:49:01,323 BIackpooI was aIways very keen on being first with things or earIy with things, 679 00:49:01,407 --> 00:49:05,366 so it had probabIy the worId's first pubIic tramway system 680 00:49:05,447 --> 00:49:06,926 running aIong the seafront. 681 00:49:07,007 --> 00:49:10,636 And, of course, BIackpooI was very earIy in having eIectric Iighting. 682 00:49:10,727 --> 00:49:14,436 So, BIackpooI was very proud of being in the vanguard of new deveIopments, 683 00:49:14,567 --> 00:49:17,445 and, of course, its town motto is ''Progress.'' 684 00:49:18,367 --> 00:49:21,518 COCKBURN: Blackpool has always imported ideas from around the world 685 00:49:21,607 --> 00:49:23,359 to attract visitors. 686 00:49:23,447 --> 00:49:27,565 The saying ''Las Vegas of the north'' has more than a ring of truth. 687 00:49:28,407 --> 00:49:32,958 The American infIuence runs especiaIIy deep here at the PIeasure Beach. 688 00:49:35,967 --> 00:49:40,199 Blackpool's made a virtue of its past by preserving its heritage. 689 00:49:40,607 --> 00:49:43,167 Scattered amongst the state-of-the-art thrill rides 690 00:49:43,247 --> 00:49:47,638 are attractions that hark back to the park's origins over a century ago. 691 00:49:49,047 --> 00:49:51,845 And this is one of the oldest in Europe. 692 00:49:52,367 --> 00:49:57,157 And it's just one of many innovative attractions imported here from America. 693 00:49:58,367 --> 00:49:59,800 (EXCLAIMS) 694 00:50:03,007 --> 00:50:06,238 The inspiration came from a visit to Coney Island in New York 695 00:50:06,327 --> 00:50:09,205 by William George Bean in the 1890s. 696 00:50:11,847 --> 00:50:15,886 Bean returned to Blackpool to build an American-style amusement park. 697 00:50:17,527 --> 00:50:21,236 The big idea.; make adults feel like children again. 698 00:50:22,327 --> 00:50:26,684 It's a philosophy that's still paying dividends for William Bean's great-granddaughter, 699 00:50:26,767 --> 00:50:28,485 Amanda Thompson. 700 00:50:28,567 --> 00:50:33,083 What I want to reaIIy know is the whoIe story of your great-grandfather. 701 00:50:33,167 --> 00:50:37,206 WeII, originaIIy, many, many moons ago, his father was a river piIot on the Thames, 702 00:50:37,287 --> 00:50:40,882 and he was from London, and he went off to expIore, went off to New York, 703 00:50:40,967 --> 00:50:44,846 went off to Coney IsIand, saw what they were doing there, 704 00:50:44,927 --> 00:50:49,842 and was very excited about the prospects of bringing something that was started 705 00:50:49,927 --> 00:50:51,758 and created in America back to EngIand. 706 00:50:51,847 --> 00:50:55,362 And so he brought back the Hotchkiss bicycIe raiIway. 707 00:50:55,447 --> 00:50:57,881 And it was quite exciting, reaIIy, for him, I guess, 708 00:50:57,967 --> 00:51:00,561 because when he brought it back he had no pIace to put it, 709 00:51:00,647 --> 00:51:02,797 and eventuaIIy he decided upon BIackpooI. 710 00:51:02,887 --> 00:51:07,324 So, BIackpooI was chosen as the spot to basicaIIy start the pIeasure beach. 711 00:51:07,407 --> 00:51:11,320 The fortunes of BIackpooI, as a resort, were reaIIy down to him in many ways. 712 00:51:11,407 --> 00:51:15,605 A Londoner, a good oId Londoner brought BIackpooI aIive. 713 00:51:18,367 --> 00:51:21,359 COCKBURN: William George Bean's innovation and showmanship 714 00:51:21,447 --> 00:51:26,760 created a pleasure park that's continued to entice people in over the years. 715 00:51:28,247 --> 00:51:32,035 Blackpool's not been imune to the decline of our seaside resorts, 716 00:51:32,127 --> 00:51:35,164 but it still has 70,000 holiday beds. 717 00:51:37,047 --> 00:51:40,323 So what does make this town tower above the others? 718 00:51:41,527 --> 00:51:45,156 Part of it is that BIackpooI has a very, very strong brand, 719 00:51:45,247 --> 00:51:50,116 a very strong historic identity, as the worId's first working-cIass seaside resort. 720 00:51:50,207 --> 00:51:52,801 And that's something that's given it a unique heritage. 721 00:51:52,887 --> 00:51:57,165 So, what do you think the future for the British seaside-resort town is? 722 00:51:57,247 --> 00:52:01,081 The worst thing you can do is throw everything out, get rid of your oId visitors, 723 00:52:01,167 --> 00:52:02,964 try and start again from scratch. 724 00:52:03,047 --> 00:52:06,357 What you need to do is actuaIIy work with what you've got 725 00:52:06,447 --> 00:52:08,642 and make the very best of it. 726 00:52:15,687 --> 00:52:18,281 COCKBURN: Maybe there are lessons to learn from the early pioneers 727 00:52:18,367 --> 00:52:20,323 of towns like Blackpool, 728 00:52:20,567 --> 00:52:23,604 who gambled on innovation to bring in business. 729 00:52:24,527 --> 00:52:29,043 Nearly 100 years ago, Blackpool found a novel way of extending its season 730 00:52:29,127 --> 00:52:30,845 by a whole two months, 731 00:52:30,927 --> 00:52:35,125 and that brainwave still lights up the northwest coast every year. 732 00:52:41,967 --> 00:52:45,084 The illuminations stretch for almost six miles. 733 00:52:53,807 --> 00:52:58,517 If other resorts can find their own inimitable way of drawing in the crowds, 734 00:52:58,807 --> 00:53:01,879 then maybe the future of our seaside towns is bright. 735 00:53:11,687 --> 00:53:14,838 OLIVER: Two miles north of Blackpool, the coastline recently acquired 736 00:53:14,927 --> 00:53:19,159 a new tourist attraction, but this one definitely wasn't planned. 737 00:53:19,687 --> 00:53:22,838 NEWSREADER: Off the coast of Blackpool, a near disaster. 738 00:53:22,967 --> 00:53:27,245 A freak wave left this ferry from Northern Ireland on the beach. 739 00:53:30,487 --> 00:53:33,843 OLIVER: When the Riverdance ferry got into trouble in the Irish Sea, 740 00:53:33,927 --> 00:53:36,521 a huge rescue operation was launched, 741 00:53:37,847 --> 00:53:40,361 coordinated by the local coastguard, 742 00:53:41,647 --> 00:53:45,959 which is when the search and rescue team from RAF Valley was scrambled. 743 00:53:50,287 --> 00:53:54,803 This footage was recorded in pitch darkness by the team's night-vision cameras 744 00:53:54,887 --> 00:53:57,799 and shows the horrendous conditions they faced. 745 00:54:00,367 --> 00:54:01,720 They've flown back to the scene 746 00:54:01,807 --> 00:54:05,402 to talk me through one of their most spectacular rescues. 747 00:54:06,247 --> 00:54:09,523 Flight Lieutenant Giles Radcliffe was the co-pilot. 748 00:54:10,847 --> 00:54:13,441 So talk me through what happened on the night that 749 00:54:13,527 --> 00:54:15,597 the people on the Riverdance had to be rescued. 750 00:54:15,687 --> 00:54:19,680 We were called out about half past eight and it took us about 20 minutes to get here. 751 00:54:19,767 --> 00:54:22,964 And then we, uh, we found the Riverdance, the ferry. 752 00:54:23,047 --> 00:54:26,756 MAN ON RADIO: Got a significant list to the port... 753 00:54:26,847 --> 00:54:28,963 Oh, yeah, that's a bit of a list. 754 00:54:29,047 --> 00:54:30,560 RADCLIFFE: It was in quite a predicament really. 755 00:54:30,647 --> 00:54:33,161 It was leaning about 60 degrees to port. 756 00:54:33,247 --> 00:54:36,603 Both its engines had stopped and the captain wanted people taken off. 757 00:54:36,687 --> 00:54:38,200 And what was the weather? 758 00:54:38,287 --> 00:54:42,075 The wind was, uh, gusting up to about 70 knots, and the sea state... 759 00:54:42,167 --> 00:54:45,682 The waves were the size of houses really, about 20 foot. 760 00:54:45,767 --> 00:54:48,565 It was definitely the worst conditions I've flown in since I've been in Valley. 761 00:54:48,647 --> 00:54:52,435 And so what were you actually required to do in terms of getting people off? 762 00:54:52,527 --> 00:54:55,803 RADCLIFFE: We ended up coming up with a plan whereby people were 763 00:54:55,887 --> 00:54:58,799 lowered out from the wheelhouse onto the low side of the vessel, 764 00:54:58,887 --> 00:55:00,718 and we were able to winch them up from there. 765 00:55:00,807 --> 00:55:02,718 The boat was moving around quite a lot. 766 00:55:02,807 --> 00:55:05,605 We had to remain close to the boat, close to the masts, 767 00:55:05,687 --> 00:55:08,838 so there was the potential to come into contact with the boat, 768 00:55:08,927 --> 00:55:11,964 and that wouldn't be very nice. It was certainly a pretty bad night. 769 00:55:12,047 --> 00:55:15,596 Uh, it could have been worse, but, uh, thankfully it wasn't. 770 00:55:18,087 --> 00:55:22,160 OLIVER: After it washed ashore, the ship became a local celebrity. 771 00:55:26,567 --> 00:55:30,526 By the time you watch this programme, this scene wiII be gone forever. 772 00:55:30,607 --> 00:55:33,280 But for me it's a fantastic opportunity 773 00:55:33,367 --> 00:55:39,237 to find out just how you go about moving over 3,000 tonnes of ferry off of a beach. 774 00:55:45,487 --> 00:55:48,877 Overseeing the gargantuan task of removing this maritime relic 775 00:55:48,967 --> 00:55:52,801 from Blackpool's beach, is salvage expert Donald McDonald. 776 00:55:55,327 --> 00:55:59,639 When you're confronted with this, how do you even start 777 00:56:00,047 --> 00:56:02,083 to work out how you're going to get rid of it? 778 00:56:02,167 --> 00:56:05,284 In the earIy stages, we don't anticipate this. 779 00:56:05,407 --> 00:56:08,479 The earIy stages were a case of getting the vesseI re-fIoated 780 00:56:08,567 --> 00:56:12,355 and taking her back to sea, and despite aII of our efforts, she remained there. 781 00:56:12,447 --> 00:56:15,166 LatterIy, at the end of March, we had a very severe storm, 782 00:56:15,247 --> 00:56:17,283 which finished any saIvage operation. 783 00:56:17,367 --> 00:56:20,040 OLIVER: So what's happening now is Iike the Iast resort, reaIIy. 784 00:56:20,127 --> 00:56:22,482 MCDONALD: This is a Iast resort, because in the United Kingdom 785 00:56:22,567 --> 00:56:24,205 we don't cut up ships on beaches. 786 00:56:24,287 --> 00:56:27,324 OLIVER: And, of course, you've got the tide to deaI with. 787 00:56:27,407 --> 00:56:30,285 MCDONALD: At this moment in time, we've got a spring tide, so we've got a bit of time 788 00:56:30,367 --> 00:56:33,518 to work on it, up to about five and a haIf hours per tide. 789 00:56:33,607 --> 00:56:35,996 Next week, we might not get near the ship. 790 00:56:36,087 --> 00:56:39,443 OLIVER: There is something that affects you, isn't there, seeing a big ship Iike this 791 00:56:39,527 --> 00:56:43,236 Iying on its side? It kind of gets you in your stomach somehow, doesn't it? 792 00:56:43,327 --> 00:56:48,481 A ship shouId be upright, fIoating, not Iying on its side being cut into smaII pieces. 793 00:56:48,607 --> 00:56:51,405 As a merchant seaman, I couId sympathise with a ship. 794 00:56:51,487 --> 00:56:54,718 However, we'II do our best, we'II give her a tidy end. 795 00:57:02,847 --> 00:57:07,318 OLIVER: Today, there's barely a scrap of the Riverdance left at its last port of call 796 00:57:07,407 --> 00:57:09,204 on Blackpool's beach. 797 00:57:10,047 --> 00:57:13,596 Shifting fortunes have marked every step of this journey. 798 00:57:16,447 --> 00:57:19,359 From the abandoned copper mines of Anglesey 799 00:57:20,687 --> 00:57:23,565 to the vanished Victorian grandeur of Rhyl 800 00:57:23,647 --> 00:57:26,081 and the fresh new face of Liverpool, 801 00:57:26,167 --> 00:57:28,761 the people of this coast are nothing if not resilient. 802 00:57:28,847 --> 00:57:31,998 They know how to earn and they know how to spend. 803 00:57:32,927 --> 00:57:36,840 BIackpooI, of course, was where a Iot of that hard-earned cash was spent 804 00:57:36,927 --> 00:57:40,317 by peopIe taking a break from tough, industrious Iives. 805 00:57:40,407 --> 00:57:44,116 On this coast, work and pIay have aIways Iived side by side. 806 00:57:47,047 --> 00:57:51,006 Next time, we're island-hopping up Scotland's west coast. 807 00:57:51,767 --> 00:57:53,962 I'm in search of sea eagles, 808 00:57:55,527 --> 00:57:57,518 Alice sets sail for Skye 809 00:57:58,207 --> 00:58:00,767 and Nick's measuring the coastline. 810 00:58:00,927 --> 00:58:03,885 NICK: I'm concentrating. 34, 35... 811 00:58:04,407 --> 00:58:07,763 OLIVER: Join us as we venture into the vast Atlantic, 812 00:58:08,167 --> 00:58:10,397 heading for the Faroe Islands.