27/02/2017 Inside Out North East and Cumbria

In the next half an hour we're looking for clues.

A century on ? a cap badge and some remains -

can we put a name to Yorkshire's unknown soldier and find his family?

To get that starting point, to get that clue ? it helps us

narrow it down to who this individual might be ?

Outside of Europe - are farmers in the north happy

I will be milking these calves when we leave the EU -

we have to make sure there is a future for both of us.

We're looking into our hidden heritage.

Comedian Sir Lenny Henry explores Cumbria's unexpected Black roots.

This is reading historical materials with a view to making a film ?

and if it works it'll be fantastic - and Carlisle will be

I'm Chris Jackson and this is Inside Out.

We all know that scientific advances have found new ways of unlocking

unsolved cold cases but it seems those techniques aren't

just used by the police, they're also helping

Nearly a million soldiers were killed on the battlefields

Many grieving relatives were merely told their loved ones

As Phil Connell reports, the century-old heartache felt

by families of those who served in the Yorkshire Regiment

Fred Holmes is about to give a sample of his DNA,

a test that could explain what happened to his great uncle

John - a soldier killed in 1916 and one of the many who's bodies

I still feel very emotional about it in the quiet moments

because it was a very big thing, all these people climbing over

the trenches and going off to certain death.

To think a member of my family succumbed in that particular

battle, it was very, very overwhelming for me.

And what would it mean to the family to find him?

I know in my heart if I wanted to go and be close to him I could go

But it would be nice to see a gravestone in the war cemetery.

For similar reasons, Francis Storry is taking the same test.

Along with his wife, Susan, he wants to know about a relative

called Henry Parker ? another great uncle who never returned

When in the trenches, they say, up lads, come on,

And all the bullets and that were coming over, it must have

Thinking about it, what he would have thought,

what I think of him now, I think it's been absolutely

Francis and Fred's great uncles both served with the Yorkshire Regiment,

who recruited soldiers from Yorkshire and the north east.

In 1916, though, they were to lose their lives in one of the most

I think if you ask anybody to name a battle from the First World War,

they'd all say the Battle of the Somme.

The bloodiest battle in the history of the British Army.

And here we have medals awarded to some of the men who fought

there and in previous campaigns all here in our medal room

at the Green Howards Museum in Richmond, standing as testament

Four particular medals were awarded during the Somme campaign,

four Victoria crosses for individual acts of bravery.

So what would conditions have been like for these men?

Pretty much as you imagine, you've seen it so many times.

If food comes up and can get up, that's great.

Water's short, you're being sniped and shelled.

You know you've got to go over the top at some point in the future.

Many of those who died are remembered here in the war

But for 500,000 soldiers, including John and Henry,

there's no recognised grave as their bodies have

For one family, though, there is a glimmer of hope.

100 years on, there is news that one soldier may have been found.

Well, last year in a field in France human remains were discovered

of a First World War soldier and on him was a very,

very distinctive badge, which means that we know

which battalion of this regiment he served in.

So how unusual is it to find a body with that badge on it?

It's that clue that helps as narrow down the possibilities of who this

individual might be, it's a fantastic start.

So how is it that a find in a field in France has brought hope to these

Well, it's all down to a team of war detectives based at this army

They work for the Ministry of Defence and bit by bit they're

piecing together the story of this unknown soldier.

After 100 years, identifying the soldier won't be easy.

For the war detectives, though, the metal regimental badge

It's from the 5th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment,

the T is for territorial because the 5th Battalion

How much of a head start does something like this give you?

If you didn't have that insignia, you wouldn't be able

You have to be able to determine what the regiment is before you can

There were so many thousands of soldiers killed out

there there would be no way we would be able to identify them

As inquiries continue, it emerges the mystery soldier

could be related to one of 12 different families.

All of these documents say that the attack 5th Battalion

were tasked with set off from the trench

where they came from up to an attack on the enemy trench line,

It's exciting to get the information and you find information

in the diaries and you can actually trace the movements.

It's very emotive because as you take the case forward,

if you take it forward and then to the burial, you become acutely

aware of what these young men had to deal with and the enormity

Fragments of the soldiers bones have been brought to a Government

But what are the odds of the families DNA

And then we put that information together with all the other

information such as the artefacts, details and that's all linked legs

together to produce hopefully a formal identification.

As a scientist, do you get emotionally involved in this matter?

You realise that you might be able to identify a person that died 100

years ago. He cannot take away the emotional aspect from it. So, with

emotions running high, and extraordinary investigation is

nearing completion. Will any family receives the news that brings to an

end a very long wait? In Yarm, there's disappointment

for Fred - the soldier's In Driffield, though, there's

dramatic news for Francis Storry. Yes, yes. Oh, lovely. That's...

Absolutely, yes. And lighted. -- I'm delighted. The remains found are

confirmed as those of his uncle. Private Henry Parker,

23 years old. Match. We've got to give him a

sendoff, haven't we? After everything he's gone through, that's

what he needs, some are to be at peace. He deserves that if nothing

else. It's come to this. How does that make you feel? I'm really

proud. Private Henry Parker will be

buried in France with full A mystery solved through his

regimental badge - the long lost soldier at last reunited

with his family. As we head towards life outside

of the European Union, there is one group for whom the stakes

are incredibly high. Farmers here in the north rely

heavily on EU subsidies and a large proportion of our produce

is sold on the continent. As I've discovered, there is a huge

amount of uncertainty about what lies ahead -

but our farmers are ploughing I'm finding it hard to see people

bidding. It's really subtle. It is the slightest movement. Once you've

seen the first bit, it's the slightest went of an eye.

But there's been a perceptible nod towards a brave new world.

We are bidding farewell to the European Union.

Of any of us, these farmers have most to gain -

On average 60% of farm earnings come from EU subsidies

and it's estimated without them 90% of farms would collapse.

That would have a catastrophic effect on jobs. 45,000 people work

in agriculture. So far, all the Government has

promised is the subsidies will continue for a year

after we've left the EU. Everyone's panicking a bit,

what's going to happen, But if you thought that uncertainty

meant everyone here wanted to remain in the EU,

you couldn't be more wrong. Done nowt for us farmers,

I voted to come out. I thought we would be able

to run our own industry more rather than be ruled by Brussels

because we are certainly not on a level playing

field by any means. Do you not worry about subsidies

possibly disappearing? We shouldn't be

relying on subsidies. The products we sell are some

of the best meat in the world. We have no growth hormones

or banned substances. Talking to farmers today, most

of them appeared to want to leave. I don't think I've had one

who wants to stay in it - We produce the best

of lamb and beef. In the mart's kitchen they're happy

that Brexit is on the menu. I guess you get to hear

all the gossip in here? Has Brexit been part

of the conversation? My biggest thing is to get people

to buy British food. There's another threat -

the loss of free trade with Europe. Only two months ago,

a Parliamentary Committee warned that outside the single market,

Europe could impose an import tax And that matters at this mart

as much as anywhere. Almost half its lamb

ends up in Europe. The key thing is to get

a trade deal right. We have a market on our doorstep

of 500 million consumers. Something like four in every ten

lambs end up in that market from this region so we want

to make sure our products But we also want to make sure

we can take advantage of the new opportunities

in the rest of the world. So the farmers reckon as long

as the Europeans want to sell us their cheese and Champagne,

British lamb will end up If you can sell in the EU, we can

also sell outside of the EU. Are you not worried about potential

barriers? What if they say that we cannot do it really?

And the biggest reason for wanting out - red tape.

Many believe an independent Britain will bring an end to what they see

as costly and unnecessary bureaucracy.

Would you tell me which way you voted?

Well, to be independent so we're not at the beck and call of Brussels.

I don't like being dictated to by Brussels, do we?

Do you not fear you're going to be dictated to by Parliament?

Maybe, that's one thing I don't know.

But you're optimistic by the looks of you?

And that bullish mood extends further afield.

These animals here are all for beef or lamb.

But what about another sector hugely important to this region?

Paul Tompkins runs a dairy farm in North Yorkshire -

he's seen the price of milk plummet - and it's made life difficult.

It's been very tough for dairy farming over the last two years.

I've had to cut every cost out of the business I can.

We have had to ask staff not to come back in, which has

It's put on pressures, money worries on my wife

It takes me away from the kids - that work-life balance has been

weighted towards the animals, which of course brings pressures

I work 10-12 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The number of dairy farms in the north east has

halved in 15 years - with one going out of business

Paul's now receiving a little more for his milk than it

But Paul, a Remain daughter, is an optimist. It will bring drawbacks as

well as positives. In a sign that he's confident

about life once we leave the EU, Paul's increasing the number

of cattle he owns, I will be milking these cards and a

couple of years' time when we are outside the European Union. Our

future is a little uncertain at the moment but we need to make sure

there is a future for both of us. Back at Darlington Auction

Mart, sales are done - Everybody patted us on the back and

said they would see as next week. The Government insists it will get

the best possible deal for farmers. But there is still a degree of

uncertainty about what farming will look like after we leave the EU.

Farmers believe they have a future after Brexit. That is because they

have a belief in the quality of British projects. -- British

produce. Don't forget we love

to hear your thoughts on all the stories we cover -

you can contact me If I were to say Cumbria

was a pioneer of multicultural integration long before it was even

thought of, you might think But comedian Sir Lenny Henry

knows it's no joke. The first Black policeman

was born in Carlisle Historical novelist Philippa Gregory

has been championing the life of John Kent and it's inspired

Sir Lenny to bring his story History can throw up remarkable

stories and in all my years this I'm at Robert Ferguson Primary

School in Cumbria at the start These kids don't know it yet

but they're going to learn about an amazing person who made

history here nearly 200 years ago. The first Black police officer

was from Carlisle and he joined Carlisle Police Force

on the 17th Aug 1837. So what links a classroom

of kids and John Kent? John Kent was this country's

first Black policeman, striding the streets

in a swallow-tailed coat and a stout top hat and carrying an oaken

staff, striking terror And now he's inspired

the interest of one This is my first day

of official research. I'm trying to figure out

how to be a historian. A lot has changed in nearly

200 years and, rather than fear John Kent,

the kids love the story. He must have been very brave

to be the first ever one because if there were loads of White

ones and he was just the only one it He was the first ever Black person

to be a policeman in the UK. John Kent's role today isn't

to keep law and order That racism is a very bad thing

and you should not be mean to people just because of the colour

of their skin. We don't have a great diversity

in Cumbria but I think it is important for kids to learn

to cherish diversity and difference and to be curious about people

from other cultures. I think it was fantastic,

the way they received it and the way they connected themselves

with his story. Now, at this stage I'm going to have

to declare an interest. I'm fascinated by the history

of the slave trade in England 11 years ago, we made a programme

that explored his roots. John was the son of a slave,

Thomas Kent, who was brought into Whitehaven and freed

in this country. And settled, married

an English woman... Back then I revealed

to the Bulman family they're So I imagine that's

a bit of a surprise? I could not see how anyone could

treat another human being like that. I find racism completely disgusting

and always have done. Maybe explains why,

because I have Black blood My reaction was surprise,

being a White farmer, to find I had a Black

slave in the ancestry, all the feedback I've had

in the past years has been positive, everyone saying what

a wonderful story. So I have had a relative

who was a policeman. That's more interesting

than slavery. I was quite surprised

that he was a policeman because we're a family of farmers

so it seemed strange there was someone who was not

a farmer in the family. Now you've grown up and had time

to think about John Kent, Apparently he was quite well-loved

and respected by the community, so I'm quite pleased

that he was the first Black policeman but he was respected

as well for the job that he did. Anyone searching for clues

about John Kent will come So when I received a message last

year from Sir Lenny Henry wanting to know more about our hero,

I suggested we meet here. I've enlisted the help

of Susan Dench, an expert We are interested in how someone

like Kent interacted with the local community and we know that it says

he was used as a bogey man, if you don't behave yourself

Black Kent will come and get you, but in what other ways

did he interact with He seems to have been a fairly

well-respected person. I'm fascinated by that

and I want to know more. Lenny wants to write a TV drama

with John Kent at the centre of it and has asked me to help him out

with the research. I've never seen anything

like this before. It's the stories that count

but what is great about the raw history is the detail

because if you are writing, I would imageine you feel the same,

it is the detail, it is the smell and if you can get a whiff

of that, a flavour of that, John Kent's records are a treasure

trove for Lenny's script. I'm totally out of my comfort zone,

the things I have written are usually jokes but this

is another thing altogether. This is reading historical materials

with a view to creating a film and if it works

it is going to be fantastic. And Carlisle is going to be right

in the centre of it all. Lenny tells me script development

is going well and he's looking And he isn't the only one creating

some drama around the ex-bobby. These mechanical puppets will tour

the county this year helping to bring this extraordinary

story to life. The uniform and this

fantastic stove-pipe hat. Yeah, and the hat is

concealing something, I wanted to show that they did such

long shifts and they didn't have breaks and they'd have to walk

through the night. If you haven't got an official

break, you need to carry And you speak of him

with real affection. He went on as the son

to first the work as I think people noticed him

because he was working hard Eventually here he is -

Britain's first Black policeman and I think that is lovely

and an unexpected story Back in the classroom Aftab's

talk is coming to an end All right, and what is

the poster going to be like? Say not to be racism

to people because they're And what did you think

of the story of John Kent? I think that it is amazing

that he was born in Carlisle. John Kent was dismissed from

the Police in 1844 for drunkenness, He died aged 86 and is buried

here at Carlisle cemetery This is a standard metal

detector and it's designed to pick up where the actual

grave number is. The grave has been

forgotten until today. Most graves have a metal number

marking the end of the plot. And that means, with the cemetery

records, Mike can work out where our policeman

was laid to rest. The graves are at four-foot centres

so im going to just do a simple measurement one,

two, three, four, and marks the centre point of grave 150,

the grave of the late Mr John Kent. And for such a strong

and elegant character in life, So, John Kent, the country's first

Black policeman, who now rightfully is being celebrated

in his home city. I hope the interest in his

story continues to grow. He's no longer just living

in the history books, now he's living in the minds

of Cumbria's brightest And you can see that John Kent

mechanical puppet as part of a wider exhibition about Carlisle's Black

history in the city's Next week, thousands of people

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