Episode 7 Oxford Street Revealed

It's the most famous shopping street in the world,

in the heart of Britain's capital city.

A mile-and-a-half long, with 30 million visitors each year.

With some of the world's most famous shops...

CHEERING

-..biggest stars...

-Kate Moss!

..and busiest stations.

Sorry, guys. Stand back for me!

What does it take to keep it running 24 hours a day...

It's the busiest street in the world, so it needs constant attention.

-..seven days a week?

-Oi! Clear off!

SIRENS WAIL

You are being arrested on suspicion of attempted theft.

Are you ready, London?

A street that never sleeps.

This sort of thing wouldn't happen anywhere else.

Coming up:

an argument at a shop requires police intervention.

And there's a surprise in store.

Oh, mate, what's this?

It's Carry On Oxford Street, as Barbara Windsor gets a new suit.

Ooh! Come on.

Tonight, PC Sarah-Jane Morrison and PC Tom May are in plain clothes

and, with two colleagues, on patrol on Oxford Street.

They are part of the Orb Team

that works hard to ensure the street is safe and welcoming for visitors.

It's usually their job to spot pickpockets and bag thieves

and put a stop to any nefarious goings-on.

The clocks have gone back, it's dark,

and the street's already filling with Christmas shoppers.

Little do the officers know that, tonight,

Oxford Street has something very different in store for them.

It's getting a lot busier. The shoppers are staying out later.

So there's a lot more opportunity for people to commit street thefts.

It's not just thieves.

Christmas has seen an increase in illegal begging on the street.

It's usually dealt with by uniformed officers,

but dressed in plain clothes,

it's Tom and Sarah-Jane that are attracting their attention.

Hello. Wrong person, mate.

HE LAUGHS

-Yeah?

-You know you can't beg?

You've got more than one in there.

-Yeah?

-You know the drill, no begging on Oxford Street.

-SHE SPEAKS IN HER OWN LANGUAGE

-You can't do it.

-If I see it again this evening, I will arrest you, all right?

-OK, OK, promise.

Many of the beggars are known to police,

and this isn't the first time they've been moved on.

-Bye.

-Bye-bye.

-Bye-bye.

They'll beg and beg and beg when you're in plain clothes.

As soon as you get your warrant card out,

totally different attitude, and they're straight up

and they've got a bad attitude with you and they just walk off.

Tom and Sarah-Jane move on.

As always, looking for the suspicious behaviour

indicative of professional thieves.

Instead, they walk right into a disturbance outside a shop.

You understand what I'm saying?

As they arrived, store security were separating two men.

This man says he asked for directions to Bond Street

and was insulted by the other man.

He seems agitated.

Tom is struggling to make sense of the man's story.

-You asked him outside?

-Yes, outside, so he could talk.

-Right.

-So we can talk.

-Give my colleague your details...

-Yeah, yeah...

-..let me go and speak to my other colleagues

and find out what's going on, all right?

The other man is with his family.

He doesn't speak English,

but a passer-by has agreed to help translate.

OK, what's happened then?

The translator says

when the man also tried to beg for money from the children

he was asked to stop and then became threatening.

He thought that the guy was scaring the children?

Right.

As we thought, the other stories haven't quite matched up.

They're saying something very different

to what the chap in orange is saying.

Meanwhile, two other constables

have been checking the man's identification.

As a contractor in this area, he will know where Bond Street is.

It's like... It's a strange one, yeah.

Security backs up the family's version of events

and store CCTV shows the man behaving in a threatening manner.

You can see him approach the male

and he certainly appears to be aggressive,

getting into his personal space, hands on the hips,

gesturing out in front of him, pointing at him.

Security intervene, but can't calm him down.

Certainly very angry with the man in stripes, for no apparent reason.

The man exits, but doesn't leave. Instead, pacing outside the shop.

I'd certainly be nervous if I was there with my family.

The family has to be escorted out.

The security officer is in the middle,

trying to prevent the suspect from getting towards the family.

And any second now, I think myself and my colleagues

are going to walk in from the left.

Back on the street,

Tom thinks the man in orange's behaviour seems erratic,

and he doesn't believe the man would need to ask directions

to a station he should know well.

I can't smell anything.

I'll go and have a sniff!

Sarah-Jane has been speaking to the family

and now, satisfied that the man was harassing them,

Tom decides to arrest him under the Public Order Act.

Just pop your hands behind your back.

-Other arm.

-Just relax.

All right, stay there.

Come outside.

-Officer...

-It's all right...

-What did I do?

-Easy, right?

We'll just take you outside, all right? Chill out.

The man continues to protest,

and Tom is becoming more and more concerned by his behaviour.

Later, a search of the man might have turned up the reason

why he's acting so strangely.

That's nothing?

It's 10am, and just off Oxford Street, tailor Stephen Williams

is getting ready for another day's work,

making bespoke suits for the rich and famous.

All set for today, with my kit. I hope.

Stephen's clients have included David Beckham, Samuel L Jackson

and even Michael Portillo.

But one of his favourites and one of his regulars is due later today,

wanting a very special suit for a very important occasion.

He's using the salon at this restaurant

to measure up Barbara Windsor.

Barbara and I have been working together for about six years now.

She's so old-school, so respectful of what I do.

She's an absolute credit and a joy to work with.

Barbara is fronting this year's Poppy Day Appeal.

A major photo shoot has been organised for the launch

and she needs a new suit to stand out proud,

while being respectful to the cause.

She's left it very late to ask for one,

but Stephen would do anything for her.

My concern is going to get everything made quick as possible.

I've got ten days,

but we will make it happen.

Moments later, the Queen of the East End arrives up West

to discuss what she wants.

-I've got my ammunition!

-SHE GIGGLES

I'm only 4'10, I've got the little bosom...

But I am not easy to make for at all.

I'm here today now to get my new poppy suit.

-Hello!

-Hello, hello!

-It's that time again.

-It is, it is.

-Hello, sweetheart.

-Great to see you.

-Lovely to see you, my darling.

Welcome. So, what were you thinking of? What sort of style would you like to go for?

Well, I'm a lady of a certain age now,

I shouldn't be seen in trousers when there's royalty around.

-I'm going to definitely have a skirt.

-OK.

But I want it to be a little bit more patterned,

I wanted more red in it, I want more blue.

Barbara wants to look patriotic and Stephen has just the thing.

-How about going for something...

-SHE GASPS

..really striking, like this?

-It's very bold, isn't it?

-Yes.

-SHE CHUCKLES

Time to get the tape measure out.

This is all the secrets measurements.

It's all starting to feel a bit Carry On Camping.

"Ooh! Come on, do that!"

They still ask me to do it at the age of... I'm 78.

They ask me to do it.

It's all Carry On this and Carry On that, or, "Get out my pub!"

-STEPHEN CHUCKLES

-So there we go!

All done.

-I'll make it happen, don't you worry.

-Ten days!

-Ten days.

-Thank you so much, God bless.

-Bye!

When I meet all the Armed Forces, they're terrific.

They really are, it's great. It puts a smile on my face.

It'll be wonderful.

Barbara heads off.

Stephen will use the measurements to get the suit made

ready in time for the Poppy Day launch.

We normally require four weeks to make garment.

Um, but we've just got to make it happen.

She's a wonderful lady, and I will make it happen.

Ten days later, and it's the morning of the suit-fitting.

Can I track a parcel, please?

But only two hours before he's due to meet Barbara for her fitting,

Stephen's miles away at home,

still waiting for the suit to turn up.

Well, it's with the driver,

but I'm not going to get it for a few hours yet,

so I have to sit and wait.

It's all I can do.

-Right, that's it, OK.

-DOG YAPS

That's going to be DHL - so, quickly...

Hey!

Thank you very much, indeed. Thank you for bringing it so quickly.

He's now got to get the suit across town to his fitting with Barbara.

Let's go!

-Hi, how are you? Has Barbara arrived yet?

-No, not yet.

-Oh, fantastic.

-I'll go upstairs and get everything ready.

-Yes.

-Thank you.

And, not a moment too soon, Barbara arrives.

-Hello!

-Hello, darling!

It's the moment of truth.

Will the suit tickle her fancy?

-It's really, really... Oh, that's Beautiful.

-Scott?

-Yeah?

Quick, come and have a look at the jacket. It's absolutely amazing.

Scott is her manager and husband.

-Wow.

-Isn't that fantastic?

-Elegant.

Because there's all this shaking-hands and hugging...

Cuddle the soldiers, the sailors and all the rest of it.

-It's the only reason she goes.

-Oh, of course! Yes.

-THEY LAUGH

-I would!

-You look amazing. Delighted.

-Well done.

-Absolutely delighted.

-Well done, ten out of ten!

-Thank you.

And I think maybe a gold star.

Lovely!

My mum used to put me in certain little outfits.

She'd say, "That's proper, Babs. That's proper."

Well, I feel proper Barbara today.

Barbara and Scott head off.

It's been a busy ten days, but Stephen is pleased.

My assistant is happy and I'm happy.

It was a busy day and she's been running around all day.

Later, it's launch day for the Appeal.

That photographers are out in force

and Barbara's got an announcement to make.

-BARBARA SPEAKS OVER TANNOY:

-'Mind the gap

'between the train and the platform.'

Eric Van Peterson is a jewellery designer.

-Hello!

-Hello.

I've got so much of your...lovely jewellery on me. Isn't it pretty?

Having started out over 30 years ago with a stall at Camden Market,

he now runs his own design business,

with a shop in Chelsea catering to the rich and famous.

His pieces don't come cheap.

We sell this gear for about £1,100.

But pricey isn't all he does.

For the last 15 years, he's worked in collaboration

with high-street chain Debenhams

on an annual mass-market collection at high-street prices.

But just how does a collection get from the drawing board

to the Oxford Street counter?

Today, Eric's taking the first step for his autumn-winter range.

He's got the Debenhams buyers coming to his shop

to discuss his ideas,

and he's desperately hoping they're going to like them.

It's my job, really, to keep showing new ideas and new things.

You're never quite sure what these buyers are going to like

and what they don't like.

Eric's collection is a big deal for the store, and it has to sell well.

And this year, as ever,

they'll be launching it in their Oxford Street flagship store.

Eric's already come up with a theme for the range.

It's all about the leaves, it's all about nature.

These are the things that our Debenhams customers

have responded to over the years.

Eric wants to base some of the new collection

on the high-end items he sells in his own shop.

Things that we already have in the shop

that are made in 18-carat gold,

I'm going to try to persuade Debenhams to do the same thing

in sterling silver.

We've got these, we've got turtles. We've even made this owl pendant.

You could keep some tablets in here,

you could keep a message in here, a reminder or whatever.

And it's kind of a fun idea. I hope Debenhams likes them.

Moments later, Delia and Richard from Debenhams hove in to view.

Eric wants to broaden the range

and there are just certain things that we know are cost-prohibitive.

We'll edit it, basically,

to get back to what we think is the real core.

Nice to see you.

Eric's first idea is for a cheaper version of a bird necklace.

-That's really beautiful.

-That's lovely.

-Beautiful.

-There's such detail in the feet.

-Mm-hm.

And I like the fact it's got stone in it as well.

It makes it very delicate, very pretty.

-I think that would be really great starting point for the collection.

-Yeah, really lovely.

Encouraged by the response to the bird,

Eric moves on to some of his riskier pieces.

We've never done anything quite like this at Debenhams,

birds and bees and butterflies and...

-Something a bit different, more special.

-Yeah. Why turtles?

I'm not sure about that one, I have to say.

I didn't think they're pretty enough.

Eric's turtles have been given the cold shoulder.

Will his owl fare any better?

It's a little bit conceptual.

Wow. It's quite chunky.

-At that scale, it would be just far too expensive.

-Yeah.

I just don't think that is completely right for us,

as it is, but I definitely think there's something in the owl.

Lovely to see you, Eric, as always.

Discussion over, Debenhams head off.

It's now up to Eric to turn his ideas into fully formed designs.

I'm going to develop the butterflies,

birds, bumblebees -

these are the things that they seem to be mostly enthusiastic about.

Later, the samples are back. But the problems are just beginning.

I'm not quite sure about this.

There's definitely something wrong here, without a doubt.

Back on Oxford Street, and Constables May and Morrison

have interrupted their undercover patrol

to deal with a disturbance outside a shop.

Come outside.

Easy, right? Just take you outside, all right?

Tom arrested this man after a family claimed he threatened them.

With the family safely inside with Sarah-Jane,

Tom needs to search the man.

It doesn't take long to find something.

What's this?

The man has two Viagra pills in his pocket.

But he also has something else.

That's nothing?

OK, I think I might need a separate bag for that one.

Meth?

Thought it might be.

It looks like methamphetamine,

a powerful illegal stimulant known as crystal meth.

OK, I'm going to place you under further arrest.

The reason, I have just found this little bag in your pocket

with a suspicious-looking substance in it.

I think it might be drugs.

If the bag does contain what the officers suspect,

it could provide an explanation for some of the man's actions tonight.

Erratic behaviour, aggressive,

so, it wouldn't surprise me

if this gentleman has taken some this evening.

Tom continues his search

and finds something else in the man's sock.

Oh, mate, what's this?

What's this for?

Your water? Really?

Stashed in your sock?

It looks empty. However...

He's saying it's water. It's not water.

He doesn't admit it,

but officers suspect the bottle may have contained GHB,

another illegal recreational drug.

Moments later, the man makes a not entirely unexpected admission.

I don't think he's hospital-worthy,

-he said he's taken some meth about an hour ago.

-So it is meth?

That's what he said. He's claimed it's meth.

Unbelievably, the man says he was on his way to work.

He's working nights,

so it's quite an interesting packed lunch he's got himself.

Despite the danger he could have caused

to his colleagues on a building site,

he seems mostly concerned

about missing out on the weekend he had planned.

-Boss, is this Friday night?

-Sorry?

It is Friday.

Huh? Oh, mate... We're far away from that at the moment.

Transport arrives, and Tom takes the man

back to Charing Cross Police Station to be interviewed.

The family agree to give a statement

but, because they don't speak English,

Sarah-Jane takes them to a different station

and they communicate through an interpreter.

He's explained that it's been a totally unprovoked attack

upon him and his family,

to the point where his daughter's shaken up by it.

The reason they're over here

is to get some medical treatment for his daughter, who's really sick.

And he thinks that it's really going to affect her.

It's looking like it's going to be a late night.

Sarah-Jane now has to walk back to Charing Cross Police Station

to catch up with Tom.

Before she gets there, she gets a call.

Oh, God.

He's going to hospital.

The arrested man has collapsed in custody.

By the time Sarah-Jane reaches the station,

paramedics have arrived

and Tom is outside with the ambulance.

He was fine. We were chatting outside custody

when he just slumped over on his chair,

we put him in the recovery position, called an ambulance

and he sort of deteriorated quite rapidly.

He started fitting,

he's been in and out of three or four fits on the floor.

He's now stable, and confessed to Tom what he'd taken.

He said he took...

He's had meth, methadone,

a bottle of GHB...

-Is that what that was?

-Yeah.

So he'd had a lot of that, vodka during the day,

-and about three double shots.

-That's quite a lot of drugs.

-Yeah.

So he crashed pretty hard.

A contractor, apparently on his way to work

despite having taken a cocktail of illegal and prescription drugs,

was not what the officers expected from tonight.

It's been an emotionally draining evening,

and Tom must now accompany the arrested man to hospital.

He's fortunate to have been in Tom's care,

and not out on the street when he collapsed.

We had a chat later on,

and the man has been going through some tough times,

you know, he says.

He's certainly had some issues.

He was a different man when we got to the hospital

and he'd come down off whatever it was he'd taken.

He was very apologetic about what had happened

and he thanked us for looking after him.

The man was later charged for a Public Order Offence.

No further action was taken over the drugs.

A different pair of tights...

Barbara Windsor has got a West End tailor to make her a bespoke suit

to wear when she fronts the Poppy Day Appeal.

-Ten out of ten!

-Thank you, Miss Windsor.

-And I think maybe a gold star.

-Oh, lovely!

The appeal is launching with a photo shoot on the Tube,

and Oxford Street celebrity photographer Andy Barnes

is one of just a handful of snappers to be invited to cover the event.

It's at a tube station, so you never know where they're going to take you

and what the restrictions are.

They've sort of said there's a few things we can do and we can't do, and it's one of these things

where you've always got to play a bit by the ear at the last minute.

Andy heads in.

And soon after, Barbara arrives, dressed to the nines.

-And just one more. Are you pleased with the outfit?

-I love it.

Looks good, looks good. Look? Look, look, look!

For the photo shoot, Barbara will drive a tube train

and make announcements on board.

This could be really good if we get some pictures on the Tube.

Straight ahead, Barbara. Fabulous.

It's been really, really, really good.

But I do it every year, don't I?

But this is different, because normally we get on the buses.

Totally different down here, you know what I mean?

Barbara's train arrives, and Andy's getting excited.

This could be... This could be really cool, this.

But there's an official Poppy Day camera crew in the driver's cab,

so Andy and the other photographer

will have to wait in the adjoining carriage.

For now, Andy can just sit back

and enjoy the experience of having Barbara Windsor driving his train.

-BARBARA OVER TANNOY:

-'..national rail services

'and for riverboat services from Blackfriars Pier.'

The passengers are beginning to notice something special's going on.

-Like

-BEEP

-it was!

-He didn't believe us, did he?

-He's not impressed!

The event might be tickling Andy pink,

but there's still work to do.

To get the best publicity for the campaign,

the shot he really wants is Barbara driving the train.

But despite being promised access, the cabin door is still shut.

-BARBARA OVER TANNOY:

-'Embankment.'

Seven, eight, nine, ten, 11, 12, 13, 14 stops!

If we don't get something out of that, we're in the wrong job.

Yeah, definitely. Ah!

Moments later, the door opens.

You all right, Barbara?

Take a seat there a second?

There's a new photo op.

Oh, yes! Here you go. Big smile, Barbara.

But it's not the one Andy wants.

He tries turning on the charm to get access to the driver's cab.

-..a quick picture just of her in the cab?

-Er, probably not.

Because we can't hold the train up.

All I need is her just sat there, two seconds.

I'll see what we can do.

Oh, thank you. I really appreciate it,

because it's like... It'd be absolutely brilliant, that.

Things might be looking up,

but he's running out of stations before Barbara gets off.

I'm hoping that we'll get in there at the last minute.

-BARBARA OVER TANNOY:

-'Now, the next station is Aldgate.

'So mind the gap between the train and the platform!

'I've always wanted to say that! "Mind the Gap!"'

ANDY LAUGHS

Barbara's finished, but Andy hasn't got his photo.

One last chance.

Do you mind if I get one very quick picture of you

just sat in the seat, Barbara?

-No, the train can't be delayed, sorry. Sorry.

-No, don't worry.

It's absolutely fine.

It was a bit of a resounding "no" from everyone in the cab.

Andy's shoot's in danger of going up the Khyber.

But with Barbara carrying on regardless,

Andy spots the perfect picture.

Lovely. Show me the poppies, guys!

-CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS

-Lovely.

Absolutely brilliant, guys.

-That's the picture. That's the picture.

-The one?

That's the one.

Yeah!

We got the shot. Absolutely brilliant.

Two seamen puckering up to an English Rose

is just the shot to get the campaign maximum publicity.

Patience has really paid off. I'm so pleased.

I've got to go, I've got to get these out, sent out straightaway.

The photos are in the bag and the shoot is over.

Barbara got her suit,

Andy got his shots.

It's a classic Carry On-type picture, there, isn't it?

Barbara Windsor on the train.

And the appeal got its publicity.

Even if it has been a bit of a carry on getting there.

Jewellery designer Eric Van Peterson

is creating a high-street collection for Debenhams,

to be launched at their flagship Oxford Street store.

It's ten weeks since they visited his shop.

Since then, Eric's been to the store's head office

with refined designs, including a smaller owl...

You were not too keen on my giant owl.

This guy is much smaller.

..and a less intricate bird.

Let's do a bird.

Let's try to avoid those really delicate parts.

And now he's back at the head office

and the roles are about to be reversed.

Richard has taken Eric's designs and worked them up

into practical samples with Debenhams' usual manufacturers.

Eric's here to see them for the first time.

We start with the feather story, then, Eric.

So, we were really keen on the feather story.

-What do you think of that?

-It looks beautiful.

What we've also done is we've developed a hoop earring.

I love this group, guys.

Then, if we look at the animal story,

a little evolution of the bird.

So, we've removed the stone from the mouth.

The sterling silver being quite soft at the tip of the beak

meant it was breaking off quite easily.

The remodelled bird and other pieces are ready for production.

But what became of Eric's owl?

Now, I'm not quite sure about this.

You guys are the only anti-owl people I've ever met.

It's not that I'm anti-owl!

I just think here it's not been very successful.

I still think that's quite young. When you look at the...

It doesn't have the level of sophistication.

-There's definitely something wrong.

-Yeah.

There's definitely something wrong here, without a doubt.

The owl can't be saved.

But Eric, Richard and Delia are happy with the rest of the collection.

-From here, we will see it in Oxford Street.

-How long does that take?

-So, it will be in about 12 weeks' time.

-Fantastic.

And 12 weeks later, at the Oxford Street store,

Richard is waiting for Eric to see the finished collection

on sale for the first time.

It is always a bit daunting when the designers come down.

-Morning.

-Hey!

-I'm hoping you're going to like what you're going to see today.

-Me too.

-What do you think?

-It looks fabulous.

-It looks great, doesn't it?

-It looks really good.

Overall, Eric's happy that his designs have made it

from his drawing board to the Oxford Street counter -

albeit refined along the way.

Moments after launch - the most important thing.

The first sales prove customers like the look of them.

It's always exciting to see someone actually purchasing something

and, even after all this time,

you go through the same process.

But it's just as exciting now as it's always been.