Episode 4 Cardigan Bay Coastal Lives

Cardigan Bay - the sweeping west coast of Wales...

This is just something else.

..home to the largest population of bottlenose dolphins in the UK...

It really is the New Zealand of the northern hemisphere.

..and the only place in Wales where you can buy a pier...

It's up for sale if anybody out there wants to buy the pier.

..and even a zoo.

Don't forget to wash your hands after you've played with the snakes.

Over spring and summer, we follow the rich and varied lives...

This is just not Elvis enough.

..of the locals who call this coast home.

Toilet lady from Ceredigion will do me.

Quite proud, really, that I'm going to start a business here again.

Why on earth would you want to live anywhere else?

This is their Cardigan Bay.

New Quay, and war is raging

between three rival dolphin-spotting companies.

Old hand Winston Evans and his son Jonathan

run the longest-established boat tours in town.

When the weather's nice, it's a lovely trip.

When it's not so nice, it's not so good!

Steve Hartley lures in the customers

with trips that include scientific research.

Competition can be quite intense sometimes,

but we all get along wonderfully.

I wouldn't hear a bad word said about them.

HE LAUGHS

And entering the fray with a brand-new shop is Brett Stones.

I wouldn't say I was the new kid on the block.

I would say that it's more like the feeling

of being the last dog at the bowl.

It's the start of another great Welsh summer.

This should be boom time for the three rival businesses.

I mean, the weather's been on and off like this all summer.

It's been a dreadful summer weather-wise.

The forecast is bad for the afternoon.

Even wily old Winston is feeling the pinch.

If it was sort of four or five weeks into the season,

it wouldn't be so bad to have a day off,

but this early, it's bad news.

Our biggest issue that gives us the problem is the wind.

Anything from the north, maybe 15, 16mph,

it's a show stopper and we can't do anything.

Every trip cancelled is money lost.

With our two boats, it's over 1,000, you know.

It's a lot of money. It's a lot of money to be losing.

Wherever possible, the boats have to go out, come rain or shine.

My father, I think, cos he sees the bills more than me,

he's more stressed when we can't run

cos he knows, from years and years and years,

how important it is to get those trips in when the bank holiday's on.

This is the last trip of the day and the wind's just picked up,

so hold on tight.

-PASSENGERS:

-Whoa!

-OK.

-HE CHUCKLES

Hold on, I'd better talk to my passengers.

-Are you OK at the back there?

-ALL:

-Yes.

-Yes?

-OK.

-It's fun!

Good. I think it's fun, too.

And again. OK.

Yeah, when they go quiet, you've got to worry.

If you're going into the weather,

it's nice and steady and it's not so quick.

If it's coming from the side, you're rolling,

so it's a faster movement and it tends to get people's stomach

and then finally they start vomiting over each other and...

-RADIO BEEPS

-Excuse me.

..it gets unpleasant quick.

But one day tripper who's never seasick is George Seagull.

What he wants is my lunch.

People think we make this up, right?

But this is the same bird every day, every trip for the last five years.

He's the best-fed seagull in Wales,

yet he's never full.

It's been a bit disappointing for the paying passengers,

I've got to be honest.

The weather's been... It's been rainy, windy.

No sign of the dolphins or the porpoise, I'm afraid.

But thanks for choosing to come on such a trip

-to publicise my business.

-HE CHUCKLES

I'll get another job next year.

In Aberporth are the James family.

Guys, do you want biscuits?

Local councillor Gethin has four young sons and is married to Jess.

-25 years now, is it?

-Yes, 25 years. Yeah.

HAMMER BANGS

CAR HORN BEEPS

They haven't seen what sign I'm putting up yet!

It's one month since Gethin stood in the general election for UKIP.

James Gethin, UKIP...

-..3,820...

-He came fourth, just ahead of Labour.

But with his political ambitions now on hold,

Gethin needs a new dream.

He's going to build a cafe in his grandmother's back garden,

which overlooks Aberporth beach.

I've been very privileged to live on top of this beach.

I think it's a perfect location to put a little cafe.

You know, this property was actually built as a business premises

in the late 1800s.

It's always been a business premises up until sort of the mid-'90s,

and, you know, it's about time there was a business back here.

Gethin has done a lot of the hard work himself,

laying a flat terrace at the back of Glanmordy.

But summer's coming and he has to race to get the cafe up and running.

I've ended up getting proper concrete contractors in to do this

because trying to get it done myself

was too much of a challenge, in a way.

I've ordered six loads, so, hopefully, that'll be enough.

There's a lot riding on the whole project

because the build is costing Gethin around £80,000.

It is a big risk because it is very seasonal here.

You know, that crucial sort of six, seven weeks of the summer holidays

is where 90% of the money is really made

and that's why it's critical, really,

that I get this open in some format or another

for this six-week holiday coming up now soon.

For Gethin's mother Verna,

a business back in Glanmordy re-establishes a family tradition.

There's four grandsons,

so, hopefully, one of them will be interested in it.

We're looking good. Slab done.

The main building over here will be where the cooking will go on

and then you'll have a row of what looks like beach huts here

and that'll be covered seating.

I've only got four to five weeks to get this up and operational, really,

from now, so there's a bit of a press on now, isn't there?

Aberystwyth - home to a fabulous crescent-shaped promenade

and about 9,000 students.

THEY CHEER

At the centre of the prom, the oldest pier in Wales,

celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

And some of its staff are as attached to the old pier

as its barnacles.

See, I spend my days picking up little bits of...

Manager Lee Price is all over everything.

I've been attached or associated to the pier...

..er, longer than I've known my wife.

See, that's a tough one, isn't it? That's a pressing one.

Pier or the wife? Erm...

You can't compare them.

One gives me pleasure, satisfaction, fun...

..and I live with the other one.

Another pier-mad fan is Louis Delahaye.

Look at that lovely little pigeon down there.

Coo! Coo! Coo!

Louis is the pier's long-standing DJ.

Greetings to you, Mr Manager of the Pier.

How are you today?

This was my venue when I first started in the pier.

I don't know when he started,

but he's still got the same bloody records.

I started when I was 17 years old

and I've been doing it for over 40 years now.

That's one thing of having a little bit of a, you know,

a bit of belly going on.

But recently, times have been tough for the pier

and it's been put into administration.

A rescue mechanism is in place...

..but in terms of operations, the pier remains unchanged.

It's business as usual.

When I heard that the pier was in trouble, I was quite concerned.

Not so much for my job,

but, you know, I actually feel for the pier.

It's part of me because I've worked here for a long time.

Natalia Davies is a third-year drama student...

This is where I clock in when I first come in to work.

..and another pier enthusiast.

But this morning, all's not well in the ice cream parlour.

To come in and see all this now on the floor...

It's going to be one of those days.

I'm a bit particular when things have got to be tidy.

I'm really particular about the glass and fingerprints and stuff.

I sound like I'm going crazy. I'm not crazy, I promise.

But today, Natalia has a big idea to put to her boss.

-Right.

-Fire away.

I'd like to do an event and I'm asking for your help, if that's OK.

-What sort of event?

-A charity event, like a big fundraiser.

-OK.

-For LATCH.

-And what is LATCH?

LATCH is the Welsh charity who raise money for children in Wales

-with cancer...

-OK.

-..and they try and give them hope

-just to show them it's not just a downward spiral.

-OK.

I was diagnosed with leukaemia when I was younger

and they've shown me that I can get the best out of my life, as well.

You haven't just got to be stuck in a hospital bed.

You can do things with your life if you've got this thing.

So I feel now I'm at the point

where I can give back to them and I want to give back to them

just to show my thanks and my appreciation

for what they've done for me and my family.

When I was four, I was diagnosed with leukaemia,

and LATCH helped me throughout the whole thing.

Their main part of the charity is just to show

that children can still have hope and they still have a life to live

even with...even with something like cancer.

And they've really shown me that I have got a life to live

and I've clearly proved that.

I've already got people who've said they're willing to help me.

Like other staff are willing to help me, work for free.

-Our staff offering to work for free?

-Yes.

-Unbelievable.

-I know.

-I want that in writing.

-OK.

SHE LAUGHS

-Pier Pressure nightclub...

-Yeah.

-..fully on board...

-Thanks.

..and we'll do everything we can to help you.

-Thank you very much.

-You're welcome. Anything else?

-I don't think so.

-Get back to work!

-I don't start until three, but all right.

Thanks.

I've never done anything like this before

and I think it's something I'm trying to prove to myself

and trying to prove to my family that I can do

and pushing everyone's thoughts of me and I'm proving them wrong.

I'm not this ditzy, dumb person. I've actually got some intelligence

and I can pull off something quite big.

So, now's my chance to try and do it.

In the north of Cardigan Bay, on the Mawddach Estuary,

is Penmaenpool Bridge.

Hi. 70p, thank you.

And its beauty provoked a massive lifestyle change

for Barry and Susan Brightmore.

We're from Macclesfield, in Cheshire...

..which is a nice part of the world, as well.

-Right on the edge of the Peak District.

-Yeah.

So, we're used to lovely scenery and hills just along the way

and being able to look out and see beautiful scenery,

but this is just something else, we think.

-While here on holiday...

-70p, thank you.

..Barry and Susan heard the bridge was for sale

and decided to buy it there and then.

We sold the house and decided this is what we wanted to do,

buy a bridge.

All three children have grown up, all gone through university.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

And so we thought it's time to do something for ourselves

and something that we could both do together

and something a little bit different.

-You can't get any more different than owning a toll bridge.

-Yeah.

Not only did they get a bridge,

they also got a two-bedroomed cottage into the bargain.

Very short commute to work. Just nip across the road and you're there.

That's your office window.

So, we look out and then you can see this.

It's a beautiful dream, but the brutal reality

is they have to maintain the bridge themselves.

Good morning. 70p, please.

-Good morning. 70p, please.

-And two weeks into their adventure,

an extra pair of helping hands has arrived.

It's great having Patrick home. I've missed him.

But I'm his mum, so, yeah.

I think he'll get fed up quite soon,

but while he's looking for a job, we can keep him busy.

Time to start painting.

It's an absolute mammoth task.

Got an entire bridge to paint, every last little bit of wood.

With Patrick being here, it's a big help.

I'll work for only £20 an hour. It'll be OK.

If only! If only.

Good morning. 70p, please.

Thank you. Nice and slow on the bridge, please.

We have a 5mph speed limit on the bridge,

and it's impossible to enforce.

The lady's collecting the money at the end.

They just treat it like it's a race track.

There's another one.

The sleepers bounce and it loosens the nails

and what we're concerned about is with any loose nails

going through a tyre and somebody losing their tyre.

-70p, please. Thank you.

-Thank you. See you soon.

-See you, bye.

It's nice that we're now getting it painted

and it's beginning to look nice

because she was looking in poor condition before we came here

and we're getting there.

So, hopefully, by the end of August, we'll have her fully painted

and she'll look really nice and all ready for the winter.

I don't know why should she be a she. I'm not sure about that.

Boats are shes. This is a bridge, though, isn't it?

I think it could be a he.

I just keep referring to it as her.

My wife is not too happy about that,

but we agree to disagree at times like this.

Maybe we'll have to choose a name that could be either/or.

Maybe. We'll argue about that for a long time, I think,

-before it happens.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Back at Aberystwyth pier...

-Hello!

..and Natalia is hard at work planning her charity fundraiser.

People don't normally come through this entrance to go to the club,

but this is the way we're thinking -

well, I'm thinking I'm going to do it -

and I want to do, like, a follow the balloon type of thing.

Darkness.

Her first challenge is to turn this steamy student nightspot

into a child-friendly venue.

So, this is Pier Pressure.

This is the biggest nightclub in Aberystwyth.

This is my first time actually being in here and being able to stand

and actually put things...like, imagine where I want to put things.

I want a big bouncy castle there and then I think I'm going to have...

On her whirlwind mission,

Natalia has attracted gifts of balloons, doughnuts

and a variety of raffle prizes.

I want to fill the whole thing with balloons.

Oh, it's going to take so much work.

Natalia has to attract her audience.

She's planning to design flyers to drum up support,

and to make them more powerful, she's telling her own story.

It's really odd looking back to this report

and seeing how my school raised money for LATCH and things.

It's really weird looking at this and...

To be honest, I forgot that...

When I was first diagnosed, I forgot my cancer actually spread

into my liver and it enlarged my spleen,

and just reading it now, it's really odd to look back on.

It upsets me a little bit, I guess, looking back at this

because it's really bizarre thinking I've been through this.

I guess reading something like this makes me realise how lucky I am

to actually be alive and, yeah...

A month after the concrete was laid and Gethin has been hard at work.

The cafe and beach huts are up.

No carpenters today,

but, hopefully, everything will be in full swing here again by Monday

cos I need to be open within a fortnight.

It's just before the school holidays

and he can't afford to take a weekend off.

My dad's building a cafe and I'm going to eat loads of ice cream.

Probably about two every day.

And with no workers around, it's all hands on deck.

It'll take him a few years to get the money back, won't it?

But, eventually, it will earn money over time.

-One either side.

-OK, I'll get this side.

-It's not exploiting child labour.

-Yes, it is.

-Be very careful, guys.

-OK. Where do we take it?

-Down to the bottom.

-OK.

-OK, this is the heavier side.

-Yeah, told you.

The all-Wales coastal path runs directly in front of the cafe,

a fact that Gethin hopes will bring him plenty of customers.

After all, it was the path that originally led his wife Jess

to Glanmordy when she was 12.

I remember walking across here when I was...

not long after we'd moved here, and I was walking over to Mwnt

with my sister and we stopped here, years ago, and I said,

"God, wouldn't it be fab to live here?"

And my dream's come true, really.

Gethin and Jess hope that this will be a family business.

-Here's the receipt, so keep that safe.

-OK.

I could see my kids working here in future, you know.

It's going to be lovely.

We can work together, a family unit working together

to provide an income for our little family.

It's obviously very exciting. You know, it's...

You know, my family have been associated with this property

since 1910.

I'm quite proud, really, that I'm going to start a business here again

and that's why, when we've named the place,

we're calling it Cwtch Glanmordy.

Hopefully, we'll have a successful business here again

that might be here for 80 years-odd. We'll see.

After seven weeks of planning, it's D-Day for Natalia.

The day is finally here, which I'm a bit nervous about

and my stomach's going around a little bit.

I was up until about 11 o'clock last night just trying to decorate it.

Hopefully, no balloons pop cos I'll cry.

SHE LAUGHS

The whole pier is on board for Natalia's event

and she's allowed to take what she likes

from the brasserie and the bar.

Shall I take the chalkboards in? They can draw on the chalkboard.

Ah! Don't trap your fingers. That doesn't work.

I need my keys. Where are they?

And Natalia's masterstroke, a donated bouncy castle,

transforms the room.

To her great relief, Pier Pressure nightclub

has its child-friendly makeover.

Ooh!

The flyers have worked and the guests come pouring in.

It may not be the usual rowdy clubbing crowd...

..but Louis is on hand to get them revved up.

Let's see if we can make them dance a little bit, you know.

That's my job. Oh, it's a lovely day.

Shame I've got to go in the dark now, isn't it?

Oh, lovely balloons. We'll put a bit of, you know...

What's that song that goes...

# I like to move it I like to move it, move it. #

We'll do a bit of that in a minute when I find it.

Hello, everybody. Hope you're having a lovely afternoon.

Welcome to the charity LATCH disco.

Come on, you've got to guess what this is.

It's a nice, happy dance song. Let's see you do it.

# I like to move it, move it

# I like to move it, move it... #

Come on, you've got to wave your hands in the air.

# I like to move it, move it... #

Things are going really well so far.

The bouncy castle is proving to be a really big hit

and so are the doughnuts.

The hair braiding, I want to go see how that's doing.

I think I can see some being done now.

But, yeah, things are going well and I'm excited.

Don't worry, I'll do it next, all right? No worries. Bye.

The Only Way Is Up. This is Yazz.

# The only way is up, baby... #

If I can pull off this event, it's proving that I can do something

and I am actually worth something

and I'm not just that stupid little ditzy girl.

And finally giving back to the charity

what I've been meaning to give back for a long time.

It's been a great day.

Natalia's raised £1,000 and the pier has a new generation of admirers.

Late August and finally, the sun is shining.

Time to make money for the three rival dolphin warriors of New Quay.

Four-hour trip. Departing now for the four-hour trip.

White-ticket holders, make your way to the boat.

Hi, guys. Who's here for the half 12 trip?

A day like today, it means an awful lot.

One day like this is the equivalent of two or three weeks in May.

All the boat trip companies today, everybody's flat out.

Full boats left, right and centre.

Hello. New Quay Boat Trips. How can I help?

Tonight, we're full up, I'm afraid.

When the weather's great like this, you've got to crack on

and just get on with it, work hard and get out how you can, really.

It's a battle to get bums on seats,

and with Jonathan having the biggest boat,

his rivals are a bit green.

I'm sure they could have packed a few more on there, you know.

If they'd got some goose fat and a big shoehorn,

they could have squeezed a few more on.

But the good news is the dolphins are in town.

-CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS

-It's peak season, isn't it?

And we've got absolutely glorious weather.

-CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS

-And we've got the dolphins.

The furthest one out has got the baby.

Two babies. Two babies.

So, we're very privileged to see mums and calves that close to us.

The two calves... Wow! Little fella!

The calf's folded in half in the womb

and when they're born, they straighten out.

And what you see on them for the next 12, 18 months

are these vertical lines, the folds where they were folded in the womb.

Yeah, that's a newborn.

To protect the Cardigan Bay dolphins,

all boats operate to a strict code of conduct.

If you see the dolphins, you stop, watch and move on.

Maximum stay with the dolphins is ten minutes.

We can't all just start veering off chasing the dolphins willy-nilly,

and we do all stick to that.

It's in all of our interests that we don't upset the dolphins

or move them away, so the code of conduct was established

for that purpose.

But when it comes to spotting dolphins,

Steve has an added bonus on board

in the form of science officer from New Quay's Marine Wildlife Centre,

Sarah Perry.

Sarah holds a licence to disturb,

and the licence is to disturb to do photo ID.

Really to identify what animals are coming into New Quay Bay

in particular cos it's such a hotspot area for them.

Sarah has also been listening in on the dolphin population.

Studies have shown that there's different dialects

between different populations.

So, the Welsh population speak slightly differently.

And while she's doing photo ID under licence,

it means that Steve's boat can stay longer

and get closer to the dolphins than the opposition.

Emerald five. Emerald five. Analoid, analoid on six.

With Jonathan heading his way,

Steve radios through to give his position.

-RADIO:

-'Yeah, go ahead, mate.'

Yeah, just to let you know we're down there now.

We're doing photo ID under licence, and again, as you know,

under the protocols, we're not meant to do it

in front of passenger boats.

The fact we're doing photo ID under licence could be misinterpreted

and it could undermine the code of conduct.

When Sarah has invoked her licence,

she can't take photos with other pleasure boats around.

'OK, I'm only doing eight knots.'

-HE LAUGHS

-I know you can only do eight knots,

but just to let you know in plenty of time.

With everyone wanting to see dolphins,

the pressure is mounting.

'So, what you're saying is

'you can't give me a direction for the dolphins.'

They're all around the boat, all around the boat. I just said.

But with Cardigan's dolphins putting on a good show,

calm is soon restored out on the water.

Six boats running out of New Quay at the moment

and we've all got customers,

so inter-boat company relations will be good as a result.

We're not all worried about our bank balances.

Wildlife-wise, this is world-class,

this little bit of coast that we've got.

Other than the sea birds, as well, we've got peregrines, choughs,

kites, buzzards...

When you go out of New Quay and you just look around,

you do just think, "How lucky am I?"

I could never imagine living anywhere else ever.

It's the end of the school holidays and time for Gethin's cafe to...

..finally open.

Today's the first day of trading

and I told you it'd be ready by the summer.

It happens to be the last day of summer, but we're open.

See you, Gareth. Thank you very much for coming.

It's a lovely day and Aberporth's finest are out in force.

Gethin, without further ado...

-There you go.

-..I declare this beach cafe open.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

-Zombie snow cone.

-Business is already brisk...

OK, that's a Zombie.

..hopefully, a taste of things to come.

Great turnout. I couldn't wish for a better day.

The sun shone for us. Fantastic.

And Gethin's mum Verna is happy, too.

I'm feeling proud today, very proud of them.

They've done a good job.

And there's a special gift for the third woman in Gethin's life, Doris,

the grandmother whose garden made it all possible.

-Hello, Mam?

-Yes.

-I brought you an ice cream.

Oh, there's a good boy. Have you had a good morning?

-Very good, yeah.

-Gorgeous.

I wish your grandpa would be here to see you.

Yes. It's come good.

-Business in Glanmordy again.

-Yes.

-That's nice, isn't it?

Oh, if Grandpa were to come back now, oh, and see this...

-It means a lot. It means a lot.

-It means a lot.

He may not have won the election, but he's conquered his cafe.

The future looks bright for Gethin and Jess.

I keep thinking to myself, "What have we got ourselves into?"

But I'm so chuffed. Really chuffed. Couldn't be happier, honestly.

I'm really pleased for Gethin. It's turned out so well.

Really pleased for Gethin.

Thank you.

This is his dream and this is what he wanted and he's got it now.

Here on in, Geth, you're tied to the kitchen sink.

SHE CHUCKLES

If we keep going like this for 12 months of the year,

it'll be all right, won't it? We'll see how it goes.

Thank you for coming down. It's nice to see you.