0:00:02 > 0:00:04It's the most famous shopping street in the world,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07in the heart of Britain's capital city.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09A mile and a half long,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12with 30 million visitors each year.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14With some of the world's most famous shops...
0:00:14 > 0:00:16WHOOPING ..biggest stars...
0:00:16 > 0:00:17- Kate Moss! - CHEERING
0:00:17 > 0:00:19..and busiest stations.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Sorry, guys! Stand back for me.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25What does it take to keep it running 24 hours a day...
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Busiest street in the world, so it needs constant attention.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30- ..seven days a week? - Oi! Clear off!
0:00:30 > 0:00:33You're going to be arrested on suspicion of attempted theft.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Are you ready, London?
0:00:35 > 0:00:38A street that never sleeps.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41This sort of thing wouldn't happen anywhere else.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Oxford Street.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47- Coming up...- Back to the pavement!
0:00:47 > 0:00:49..anarchy in the bus queue.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50No getting on the bus!
0:00:50 > 0:00:52- SHOUTING - Get off the bus!
0:00:52 > 0:00:55A Tube strike brings chaos to Oxford Street.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57It's getting out of hand. More units, please.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02It's all change at John Lewis and with the press launch imminent,
0:01:02 > 0:01:04the nerves are kicking in. HE INHALES SHARPLY
0:01:04 > 0:01:05I'd sooner be in my workshop.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07I'm not very used to these sorts of things.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10- Where there's muck...- Someone's urinated in the corner there.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13- ..there's bronze. - Look at that, nice work.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16A specialist team buff up shop window frames.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19And ice, ice, baby -
0:01:19 > 0:01:23London's coolest bar gets a refit.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25It's more power and muscles than brain.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33To keep Oxford Street as one of the top places to shop in Europe,
0:01:33 > 0:01:37the retailers have invested in a team of these,
0:01:37 > 0:01:38welcome ambassadors.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41They act as walking information points for visitors
0:01:41 > 0:01:46and try and deal with anything that might disrupt a shopper's experience.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49- It's this way?- That turning there, that's Argyle Street.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53And tonight, ambassador Michael is expecting to be busy.
0:01:55 > 0:01:56There's a Tube strike on,
0:01:56 > 0:02:01bringing London's key transport network to a halt for 48 hours.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05With four stations along the length of Oxford Street
0:02:05 > 0:02:08carrying over half a million passengers a day between them,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11it's likely to have a big impact on the street.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14It's caused a lot of traffic for us.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16A lot of people are not being able to travel
0:02:16 > 0:02:18as easy as they usually are.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21It means hundreds of thousands of Oxford Street visitors
0:02:21 > 0:02:25and commuters are having to find alternative means of transport home.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30The major strain is expected to be taken by the buses.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34The bus companies are running 250 extra vehicles,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37but with the roads already busier than usual with cars,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40cabs and cyclists, it's not going to be easy.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Six, seven buses in a row that are completely packed out.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46I can't imagine what smells
0:02:46 > 0:02:49and experiences they're having in there at the moment.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Even the doors don't shut, look at that.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57And as he patrols, the scale of the problem becomes all too clear.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01This bus stop between two department stores serves two key bus routes,
0:03:01 > 0:03:05the numbers 25 and 55 to East London,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08which call at many locations normally served by the Tube.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Crowds here have been getting steadily worse
0:03:11 > 0:03:16since rush hour started and by 7pm, they're much larger than normal.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17People are trying to get on buses,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19but they're too busy for them to get on.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21People are waiting for half an hour, up to an hour,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23just to get on the bus that they want,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26- or they're being forced to walk. - After discussion with the police,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Michael agrees to help marshal the bus queues.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31The only way we can help is obviously...
0:03:31 > 0:03:35giving some people some reassurance of them getting home.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37It's the fact that...trying to make them understand
0:03:37 > 0:03:40that they don't need to get on now, there's another bus right behind.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42And things are not going smoothly.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45This bus was full to bursting at the previous stop
0:03:45 > 0:03:47and the police have been called to try and manage
0:03:47 > 0:03:51- people getting on and off. - Hold on, hold on. Oi!
0:03:51 > 0:03:52Stop pushing!
0:03:52 > 0:03:54CROWD SHOUT OUT
0:03:54 > 0:03:57What's that about? He tried to bump the queue.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Michael and the police have their work cut out.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Out!
0:04:01 > 0:04:02All move back.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05If you're this side of the tape, you should be at the back of the queue.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07One person goes past me at a time, right? One person at a time.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Slowly, slowly. Respect for people, mate.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12You're not standing here. Back to the queue.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Guys, if you push me again, I'm shutting the doors!
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Back to the queue.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18There's a steady stream of buses,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22but despite the police getting as many people on board as possible,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24they hardly make a dent in the crowd numbers.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28At 7.30pm, the police sergeant in charge
0:04:28 > 0:04:32asks Michael and his team to separate the queue into smaller ones
0:04:32 > 0:04:36for different bus routes to help ease the crowd congestion.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Even if you have to physically stop the buses
0:04:38 > 0:04:41- and tell them to stop here, stop there...- That's absolutely fine.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43If you're looking for the 25, please line up here on the back.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45You need to go to that side of the line.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47We're not going to let you guys on
0:04:47 > 0:04:48unless you're on this line, all right?
0:04:50 > 0:04:51But half an hour later,
0:04:51 > 0:04:55just as he's succeeded in separating the crowds into two queues,
0:04:55 > 0:04:59the police change their mind and ask him to put it back the way it was.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01We'll just have to make it one big queue.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03Michael has to inform the passengers
0:05:03 > 0:05:07they now need to go to the back of the other queue.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09They're not happy.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Those people were there, because that's where the bus starts.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14- You've asked us...- Madam...
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- What did you say to us? - I'm just doing what I've been told.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20I didn't know what routes are going where. I've just been told...
0:05:20 > 0:05:24- 55 is there...- Yeah. - ..25 is here and 25 is there.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- Yeah...- So you guys don't know what you're doing,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28you don't know how you're helping us now,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31you shouldn't have told us what to do at the beginning.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36I do apologise. If I was in your situation, I'd be like that as well.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38All we're trying to do is help.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43With more commuters arriving every minute,
0:05:43 > 0:05:47the buses that do pull up simply can't cope.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49With the queues and jostling increasing,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51things threaten to get out of hand.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53What are you doing?
0:05:53 > 0:05:56No, you're not pushing in.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59He was right down there, he was right down there.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02We let the lady through, cos she's got a child.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03You told me you were with the lady.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05You lied to me.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07THEY REMONSTRATE ANGRILY
0:06:07 > 0:06:10- Don't touch me! Don't touch me! - There's children!
0:06:10 > 0:06:12It's getting out of hand. More units, please.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Later, bus crushes...
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Get back on the pavement!
0:06:16 > 0:06:18..and bike crashes...
0:06:18 > 0:06:20BRAKES SCREECH
0:06:20 > 0:06:21Are you OK?
0:06:21 > 0:06:23They don't actually look where they are going.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26..as things at the Tube strike go from bad to worse.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27No pushing, no shoving!
0:06:27 > 0:06:28Get back!
0:06:35 > 0:06:38There are four giant department stores on Oxford Street
0:06:38 > 0:06:42and each one invests millions in their displays and layouts
0:06:42 > 0:06:44to help them stand out from the crowd.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48It's early evening and John Lewis Oxford Street
0:06:48 > 0:06:49is about to play its part.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53It's ringing the changes in its homeware department.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Basically, this evening, what we're doing -
0:06:55 > 0:06:59all of this part of the department you can see from here is coming out
0:06:59 > 0:07:03and we're moving that over to where our rugs are situated at the moment.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05In place of the old displays,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08the store are working on a cutting-edge new design,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11the centrepiece of which will turn the third floor of the building
0:07:11 > 0:07:13into a house within the shop.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16It's very exciting. The plans look absolutely great,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20the whole concept is going to be brand-new with brand-new fixturing
0:07:20 > 0:07:23and, really, being the flagship branch, it is just what we need
0:07:23 > 0:07:27for our home assortment, so everyone, the team are really upbeat
0:07:27 > 0:07:30and looking forward to this all happening.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33The house within the store will be made up of four rooms,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36each one taken over by a different designer
0:07:36 > 0:07:39and kitted out with their goods.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41One of those rooms is busy taking shape,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44300 miles away in deepest Cornwall.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51John Lewis has asked furniture maker Tom Raffield
0:07:51 > 0:07:54to design one of the four new rooms.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58His brief from the store is to create his perfect space.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01We are going to be given one of the rooms in the house,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04so that's our room there, it's a rectangular room.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08He'll have to design a layout for it, make the exhibits
0:08:08 > 0:08:09and then fit them himself.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11His work will then be viewed
0:08:11 > 0:08:15and assessed by the notoriously hard-to-please homewares press.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17A good review is essential.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21It's a very open brief, so yeah, I'd better sort of read it all properly
0:08:21 > 0:08:24and get my head around it, cos at the moment, it's all quite vague.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28Tom's made his name reinventing an ancient form of woodwork
0:08:28 > 0:08:30at his workshop in Nanskerris.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35Tom steams wood to bend it to make furniture and furnishings.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37I got into steam bending years ago.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39I thought, "I've never worked with wood before,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41"I think I might just look at how they bend wood,"
0:08:41 > 0:08:43so I gave it a go and I was just blown away
0:08:43 > 0:08:45by what you could actually achieve.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47From that day on, I was completely addicted.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48Thank you!
0:08:48 > 0:08:52His technique involves subjecting planks of wood to hot steam.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Each plank is steamed for an hour.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Once out, it will begin to harden in just 60 seconds,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01so they need to shape it quickly.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03They can't afford any mistakes.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Oh! Oopsie.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08- Precious seconds.- Yeah.
0:09:08 > 0:09:09With the wood clamped into place,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12the team can begin bending it round the mould.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Too little pressure and the wood will cool before it's set into position.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Too much and the wood will snap.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23You really are pushing steam bending to its limits.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25You're twisting and bending the wood
0:09:25 > 0:09:28and it does make a really unusual sound.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31LOUD CREAKING
0:09:31 > 0:09:33I always think of it as torturing the wood,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35because I feel like that's what we're doing.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Not for the faint-hearted.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38I love it, though.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Unlike any other woodworking technique,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43you actually get adrenaline just flowing through your body
0:09:43 > 0:09:45as you're bending the wood.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47- Or anxiety!- Yeah!
0:09:49 > 0:09:53Tom's found inspiration for his John Lewis room close to home -
0:09:53 > 0:09:55a walk in his woods.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Being here makes me think that it would be so nice
0:09:59 > 0:10:02to take a bit of this woodland, and the workshop, but the woodland
0:10:02 > 0:10:05to the John Lewis room, because this is where it all started for me.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07It makes sense to try and capture some of this
0:10:07 > 0:10:09and bring it up with us.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Oh, hi, Sian, how are you doing?
0:10:12 > 0:10:15When do you need to see some sketches?
0:10:15 > 0:10:16So probably, yeah, two days.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21This is a handmade product. I think perhaps we're such a small business,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23so I'm nervous, I suppose anxious
0:10:23 > 0:10:25whether it all comes together in time,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27cos time's going to be very tight.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Later, Cornwall comes to Oxford Street
0:10:30 > 0:10:32as Tom gets to grips with his new room.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36I think 14 hours in the workshop is easy compared to four hours of this.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39But how will it go down with the press?
0:10:39 > 0:10:41A bad review would be...
0:10:41 > 0:10:42Yeah, it would be awful.
0:10:49 > 0:10:54Nestled between Oxford Street and Regent Street is the Icebar,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58the only hostelry in London where the entire bar is made of ice.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00It's an establishment so cool,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02guests are given special clothing
0:11:02 > 0:11:05and have to leave after 40 minutes to avoid frostbite.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08But unlike wood or steel,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11regular wear and tear causes the ice to melt,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15so once a year, bar manager Matthieu Bourgogne redesigns
0:11:15 > 0:11:19and rebuilds the bar with fresh ice.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21And it's that time of year already.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24He's shutting the bar for a week to carry out the work,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27which must be completed in time for the grand reopening,
0:11:27 > 0:11:32to which he's already booked VIP guests.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Over 1,000 booked. That's a lot of people booked in,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36that's a lot of people disappointed if we were to be late
0:11:36 > 0:11:38and it's a lot of revenue lost.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40The pressure is on, there's no doubt about it.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45To get things started, at 7am Monday morning,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48a crew of Swedish ice engineers have turned up
0:11:48 > 0:11:50to begin dismantling the old bar.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54This part of the job is more...
0:11:55 > 0:11:57..power and muscles than brain.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Jens Ivarsson and his team know their ice.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04They built an 80-room hotel entirely from the stuff
0:12:04 > 0:12:08in their home town of Jukkasjarvi in northern Sweden
0:12:08 > 0:12:12and have since designed and built ice bars around the world.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15I will take out this old beauty
0:12:15 > 0:12:20and cut it down and let it return to Mother Earth, but in a melted way.
0:12:23 > 0:12:24Like butter.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27And I'm also incredibly strong(!)
0:12:29 > 0:12:32It's a job few people in the world can do.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34They are just a different breed.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36They work in here all day with chainsaws.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Moving blocks of ice, it's heavy, hard work.
0:12:39 > 0:12:4140 tonnes of ice out, 40 tonnes of ice in,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44and make it into a beautiful thing,
0:12:44 > 0:12:46a working bar that is also a work of art.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Once the ice is chopped into manageable blocks,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55it's loaded on to plastic crates and then on to waiting lorries.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00My muscle just deserted me.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02I don't know where it went!
0:13:03 > 0:13:07The Swedes are ice pros, but it's a local refrigerated truck firm
0:13:07 > 0:13:10that has the job of transporting the ice away.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12It's not their usual cargo
0:13:12 > 0:13:14and it's proving to be a challenge.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19What are you doing?!
0:13:23 > 0:13:27It's just too steep for the pump truck to go up with it on.
0:13:27 > 0:13:28Heads up!
0:13:28 > 0:13:31It's like being hit by a small car.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34If you get the tonne of ice over you, you will die.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37After six hours of chainsawing,
0:13:37 > 0:13:39the bar is an empty shell,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42but the tail lift technique is yet to be perfected.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46I said before you come off the end!
0:13:48 > 0:13:49It's on!
0:13:49 > 0:13:51HE GROANS
0:13:51 > 0:13:56Now we have about five days, more or less, to build a new one.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05The next morning, the team is back
0:14:05 > 0:14:09and waiting for a delivery of very special ice.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11That's my home village.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14548 people living there.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17This is the river that we use in here, building the ice.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21It has the perfect speed to create clear ice
0:14:21 > 0:14:23and also thick ice,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25so it's all about the speed of the water
0:14:25 > 0:14:28and Jukkasjarvi, we have the perfect speed for it.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32Jens reckons his ice is the best in the world,
0:14:32 > 0:14:33but it isn't here.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38The ice hasn't arrived yet, so, er...
0:14:38 > 0:14:42- we're wondering where it is. - No, it's not a good start at all.
0:14:44 > 0:14:45We go have breakfast.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Last year, the bar was frozen fruit-themed.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55This year is its tenth anniversary and the theme is rock and roll.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58The bar, for example, has all these studs.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00That's, for me, very rock icon.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Here in this corner you have the drum kit,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06where you have the good old Les Paul guitar in front of you.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Jens is proud of his town's top export.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10From the Torne River.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14It's definitely the most beautiful and best ice in the world.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Not everyone understands Torne River ice like Jens.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21The delivery has finally arrived an hour and a half late,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23but it's too cold.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27These guys, they don't know that we...
0:15:27 > 0:15:32They put the temperature down to minus 25, something...
0:15:33 > 0:15:35..cos they want to make sure that it's cold,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37and we do not want that.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42At that temperature, it's too fragile and could easily crack when carved.
0:15:42 > 0:15:43- Turn it off.- Yeah?
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Despite being late, even now, they can't start building.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51It's very cold, it's very fragile right now.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54We need to let it rest for a couple of hours.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57The ice from the Torne River...
0:15:58 > 0:16:00..can't get enough of it.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01After letting it rest
0:16:01 > 0:16:04at the more manageable minus five degrees at the bar,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07the team are finally ready to start building.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12Like a puzzle or building with Lego, you just build it up piece by piece.
0:16:14 > 0:16:15Over the next five days,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19the team work ten hours daily to get the bar together.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22By Friday morning, the team are back on track,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24but then, disaster strikes.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30The bar is basically a huge freezer and it's broken down.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Quite a significant leak coming from the ceiling,
0:16:32 > 0:16:34straight on to our brand-new ice.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Later, can the team stop the leak
0:16:36 > 0:16:40and build their bar in time for the grand reopening?
0:16:40 > 0:16:41Yeah, this is bad.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Hours after it started, the Tube strike is still causing chaos
0:16:54 > 0:16:57along the length of Oxford Street. CROWD SHOUT
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Welcome ambassador Michael is trying to deal with a fraught situation
0:17:01 > 0:17:04at a bus stop between two department stores.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06You guys don't know what you're doing.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08You shouldn't have told us what to do at the beginning.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Oxford Street is one of the only shopping streets in the country
0:17:11 > 0:17:14to have its own dedicated security team.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17And at the west end of the street,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Lewis and Ian from the team are on patrol.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Here observing anyone wandering into the road.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25There's scope for them to be hit by vehicles.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Just keeping a general eye on the public,
0:17:27 > 0:17:28make sure everyone's OK, really.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Lewis has barely started his day's work
0:17:31 > 0:17:34when the busier than usual roads begin to throw up issues
0:17:34 > 0:17:36for him to deal with too.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Yeah, received, we'll make our way up there, over.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40A little boy on holiday with his family
0:17:40 > 0:17:43has been hit and hurt by a cyclist.
0:17:43 > 0:17:44Hello, mate!
0:17:44 > 0:17:45Have you hurt your hand?
0:17:45 > 0:17:47- BOY WAILS - Your head?
0:17:49 > 0:17:51- Have you phoned for an ambulance? - Yes.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54OK. How long ago?
0:17:54 > 0:17:55- Do you speak...?- 30 minutes.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58- 30 minutes ago?- Yes.- Can you put this through as a 999 call?
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Say he's four years old, been hit by a cyclist,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02got a massive lump on his head, erm, pretty distressed.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04SIREN WAILS
0:18:04 > 0:18:06- Are you for the little lad?- Yeah.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10- These guys here will help you out. - BOY WAILS LOUDLY
0:18:10 > 0:18:11SIREN BLURTS
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Lewis is still dealing with the family when across the road...
0:18:14 > 0:18:16- BRAKES SCREECH, CRASHING - Are you all right, fella?
0:18:16 > 0:18:18..a bike's hit a bus.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20- Are you OK?- Are you all right?
0:18:20 > 0:18:21Yeah?
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Swerving to avoid a U-turning taxi,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28the cyclist has hit the side of a bus.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31The team help the man off the road.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Can you move your arm, yeah? Can you do that?
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Do you speak English? English?
0:18:36 > 0:18:37You don't speak English.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39UNCLEAR SPEECH
0:18:39 > 0:18:43I saw what happened, I saw exactly what you did.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46After establishing that the Ecuadorian cyclist
0:18:46 > 0:18:49isn't seriously injured, Lewis gets a translator on the phone
0:18:49 > 0:18:52so that the cyclist and the drivers of the bus and taxi
0:18:52 > 0:18:54can all swap details.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56HE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Well, it was quite shocking.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00They don't actually look where they are going.
0:19:00 > 0:19:01You know, that is the problem.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05I just came out to do a U-turn, and the bus was giving me way,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08and this cyclist tried to swerve me,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10hit me, and went into the bus.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12This is what happened when he hit the bus.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14He broke a piece of the bus.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18So, for this reason, I mean, I have to stop
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and take details of both the black cab driver
0:19:21 > 0:19:24and also the motor... What are they called? The cyclist.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25Yeah, I'm amazed he didn't end up
0:19:25 > 0:19:29underneath that bus, to be honest. Very lucky.
0:19:29 > 0:19:30Well, it shocks you, really,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34but that's working on Oxford Street, isn't it?
0:19:34 > 0:19:36There's a lot more people on the road,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38so there's extra buses in service.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41The more people on the road, the more likely that is to happen.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44The bus, taxi and cyclist are sent on their way,
0:19:44 > 0:19:49but back at the John Lewis queue, people aren't getting away so fast.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53It's now 8.30pm, and the arrival of each new bus brings with it
0:19:53 > 0:19:56more pushing and queue jumping.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58I can see you pushing. Don't push. Don't push.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00I've seen you push. Don't push.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02No, I'm here. Ask anybody.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Guys, stop pushing. Calm down.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05- One at a time! - I'm waiting this side.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07You're on the wrong side of the thing, sir.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10I'll wait where I want. That man was pushing me. What?
0:20:10 > 0:20:13I hate this. Abusing the people.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15- They are not criminals.- No.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17We pay for our transport. This is ridiculous.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Small babies at the front here. Do not push.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Aware of the crush, the police have sent specialist officers
0:20:25 > 0:20:30from the Safer Transport Police Team to deal with the flashpoint bus stop.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32We're getting there, slowly.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34Having come in for flak themselves,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Michael and his team decide they've done as much as they can.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39They leave it to the professionals.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41- Will you guys still be here? - Oh, no, you can go.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44- Is that all right?- Yeah. Yeah. Thank you very much.- Thanks, man. Cheers.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47I'm proud of what I done.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49If we didn't do what we did,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52this would have probably been a fight by now.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Police urge the crowd to behave calmly.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57When the bus arrives, which will be very soon, it only holds
0:20:57 > 0:20:59so many people, and there is one door.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02If you push, if you scream and you shout,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04you will not get on any quicker.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08By 9pm, several hundred people are still waiting to get on,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11many of whom have been queueing for over three hours.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Good humour is being stretched.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16We waited for two, three hours,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18and we haven't even got into the bus yet.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21How many buses are passing us?
0:21:21 > 0:21:22It's not fair.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26You can see we're here long. We need to get on this one.
0:21:26 > 0:21:27Very, very terrible.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30We have been waiting more than three hours now.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35For some people, it's all become too much.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37One at a time. Stop pushing.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39Please do not push!
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Look to your right, there is another service.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Another bus is full.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46It departs, and temperatures are reaching boiling point.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48CROWD SHOUTS
0:21:48 > 0:21:51- Back!- No pushing, no shoving. There's a bus to follow.- Get back!
0:21:51 > 0:21:54- Act like adults and get back. - Do not push.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58When the next bus arrives, people take matters into their own hands.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Guys, no getting on the bus...
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Get off the bus.
0:22:02 > 0:22:03No getting on the bus.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05You're all adults over here, start acting like adults!
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Don't start. Who says who gets on the bus? It's not you.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12You are disorganised. You don't know how to do your job.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15People are getting on the back of the bus. The bus is at the front.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17The entrance to the bus is at the front.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Guys, listen very carefully!
0:22:20 > 0:22:23This bus will not move unless you get back on the pavement.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25I will send them empty.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27In London, this is what a crush is like.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30I am tired and hungry and angry.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Them police are making noise, telling you, "Wait, wait, wait."
0:22:33 > 0:22:35What can I do, innit?
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Later, as day becomes night, the wait for a bus goes on,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and on, and on.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47If you're pushing again, you're not going to get on a bus today, sir.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58John Lewis Oxford Street has invested hundreds of thousands of pounds
0:22:58 > 0:23:00in a brand-new homewares department.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03They've ripped out the old fittings and are replacing them
0:23:03 > 0:23:05with an ambitious new design.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08They've asked four of their suppliers to each design a room
0:23:08 > 0:23:12to form a house within the store,
0:23:12 > 0:23:16and on a crisp Saturday morning, Cornish wood-bender Tom Raffield
0:23:16 > 0:23:18and his wife and business partner Dani
0:23:18 > 0:23:23arrive on Oxford Street to put the finishing touches to their room.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26We're really, really anxious to go and have a look at this room.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29We've put so much work into it and it's just...
0:23:29 > 0:23:32- I don't know how much they've done or what happened...- Yeah.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34..but I hope all of our stuff's got there all right.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Well, it's the culmination of probably, like,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38three or four weeks' solid work.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41- Yeah.- It's a real, kind of, step into the unknown for us.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44The shop's team have built the basic structure of Tom's design
0:23:44 > 0:23:49but he's now got two days to adapt and fit the rest of his plan.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53The hoarding separates the shopping public from
0:23:53 > 0:23:55the closely guarded new rooms.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56In two days' time,
0:23:56 > 0:24:01it'll be removed for the official launch of the new department.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04We could see our space from a million miles away,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07- because this is all the wood that we've sent up from Cornwall.- Yeah.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10- It's quite nice to see it's up on the walls already.- It looks good.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14This is probably the best-organised exhibit we've done for a long time,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17- I think, isn't it?- It's probably because we're not actually building
0:24:17 > 0:24:20it from the start. You've had people that have kindly done it for us,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22- but we've got to do quite a bit now, haven't we?- Yeah.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25- So we should get to work. - Get cracking.- Yeah, cool.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30They get busy with it.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33DRILL BUZZES
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Just very slightly to your right.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37That's it. That's it. You got it?
0:24:41 > 0:24:45The room and decorations are designed to show off Tom's lampshades,
0:24:45 > 0:24:49which are the main items he sells through John Lewis.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51While Tom's busy with his room,
0:24:51 > 0:24:56overseeing the rest of the project is head of design Diane Staplehurst.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58It's all about the attention to detail.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01It just shows that you care about it, I think,
0:25:01 > 0:25:06and I do like things quite, sort of, orderly and straight.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Do you think I've got OCD, Matt?
0:25:09 > 0:25:11- No.- I haven't, have I?
0:25:12 > 0:25:16She's coordinated the designs and designers of all four rooms.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20This is, to me, more of an art installation.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24It's a bit of a Tracey Emin, kind of, messy bed,
0:25:24 > 0:25:26but it's the messy coffee table.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30But the real test for Diane will be tomorrow, when the cream of Britain's
0:25:30 > 0:25:34homeware journalists get their first look at her new department.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36That's it, then, tonight.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39The team's gone home. I'm absolutely shattered.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41I have got to be back in the morning at 7am,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43so I'm going to call it a day now.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Right, let's go.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03And next morning, as the team gets ready for the press,
0:26:03 > 0:26:07final preparations are being made to the new features.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10All the glitches that we were panicking about yesterday
0:26:10 > 0:26:14are all sorted, and I'm working on adrenaline at the moment,
0:26:14 > 0:26:16but I think at 10.30, when everyone goes,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19I'm just going to collapse in a heap in a corner somewhere.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23Overseeing the press launch is PR manager Sian Jones.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27We've worked up until the wire in terms of creating the best
0:26:27 > 0:26:29environment possible for the press to arrive in,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32so it's just up to us now to really garner
0:26:32 > 0:26:35the coverage around what's been an incredible refurb.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39But with only ten minutes until the world's press arrive,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41the team hit a major sticking point.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Oh, why has that happened?
0:26:44 > 0:26:48A power shortage means the coffee machine can't heat up.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51A 10am press launch for homeware journalists without coffee
0:26:51 > 0:26:53is unthinkable.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56We would all love a coffee. Another 15 minutes.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59The press arriving will arrive at the top of the escalators,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02and then see the head, and have a real moment, and unfortunately,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06they've had to move the whole operation, because...no power.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07How long do you think?
0:27:07 > 0:27:10- Oh, maybe another 15 minutes. Ten minutes?- Oh, my word.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12- Yeah, yeah, yeah.- OK. Ah...
0:27:16 > 0:27:1715 minutes.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21They're still heating up, apparently.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26- Oh, imagine throwing that together, yeah.- Coffee.
0:27:26 > 0:27:31Upstairs, the designers are giving their displays the final once-over.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Supermarket Sarah's made her name designing unique walls to hang
0:27:35 > 0:27:37the items she sells.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39It's looking good.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42The spoons and another few things fell off, but they're all back on.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46I don't, yeah... I hope I don't come across as a nutter.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49Tom, too, has a few final touches.
0:27:49 > 0:27:50Yeah, they're all looking good.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Some of these ones here need tightening.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55I'm nervous, I suppose, cos I don't know who's going to come,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57and what their response will be
0:27:57 > 0:27:59cos it's very different to everything out there.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03I think I'd probably sooner be in my workshop.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06I'm not very used to these sorts of things but I reckon,
0:28:06 > 0:28:08a bit of coffee, I'll be fine.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12Which is lucky, because a huge team effort on the coffee machine
0:28:12 > 0:28:14means the lattes are finally flowing.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18With that, and the exhibition in full swing,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21Sian can get ready for the toughest challenge of the lot.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23- Hi, Isobel.- Yes! I'm alive!
0:28:23 > 0:28:25- Ta-da! Ta-da!- Hello.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27Isobel McKenzie-Price,
0:28:27 > 0:28:31editorial director of Ideal Home magazine, is in the store.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35Her magazine is a key publication for the store's target market,
0:28:35 > 0:28:40and they're desperate for their new department to get a good review.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43So, Isobel is notoriously hard to impress,
0:28:43 > 0:28:44but she always seems to be
0:28:44 > 0:28:48impressed in that we are always conscious that everything new,
0:28:48 > 0:28:52everything that we're doing, needs to get her approval,
0:28:52 > 0:28:54'and then hopefully the public's.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57'A bad review would be... Yeah, it would be awful.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59'We're doing this just to get positive reviews,'
0:28:59 > 0:29:03so it would be... Yeah, it would be fairly horrible to get a bad review.
0:29:03 > 0:29:08So, here are our creative spaces.
0:29:08 > 0:29:09Tom, this is Isobel.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12OK, so, the brief really was to create your perfect space,
0:29:12 > 0:29:14- wasn't it, Tom?- Yeah, that's right.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18No, it was brilliant, actually, cos we were given an open brief,
0:29:18 > 0:29:20and we just wanted to, really,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23not show how the lights could look in a really nice setting,
0:29:23 > 0:29:25but just bring a piece of where they're made,
0:29:25 > 0:29:26and who they're made by,
0:29:26 > 0:29:31and sort of what inspires the creations, to John Lewis.
0:29:31 > 0:29:36But is it enough to impress the hardest woman in homeware?
0:29:36 > 0:29:38I'm amazed you could do this in the middle of Oxford Street...
0:29:38 > 0:29:40- I know, so am I. Yeah.- ..so well.
0:29:40 > 0:29:41It's fantastic.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44'I think she's been wowed, actually,'
0:29:44 > 0:29:45which I'm delighted by.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48I fell in love with Tom Raffield's Log cabin. I just...
0:29:48 > 0:29:51It was like walking into his workshop, and to be able to
0:29:51 > 0:29:55do that into a tiny, sort of, 12 foot square space is amazing,
0:29:55 > 0:29:58and I thought that was so amazingly effective.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02It's been a long journey from Cornwall to the premier
0:30:02 > 0:30:03shopping street in Europe,
0:30:03 > 0:30:06and for Tom, it's been quite an eye-opener.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09Quite an overwhelming morning, really,
0:30:09 > 0:30:11but I'm really glad that I've done it.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15I think 14 hours in the workshop is easy compared to four hours of this.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18And John Lewis can cut the red ribbon to successfully open
0:30:18 > 0:30:21their new homeware department. CHEERING
0:30:30 > 0:30:34Oxford Street has been London's shopping heart for centuries.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36It's been rebuilt over and over,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38and amongst the brand-new glass and steel,
0:30:38 > 0:30:42many of the brick and stone buildings have bronze-style shop fronts,
0:30:42 > 0:30:46dating from the early 20th century,
0:30:46 > 0:30:50but keeping these Art Deco frames up to scratch doesn't come cheap.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53They require monthly maintenance to keep them looking their best,
0:30:53 > 0:30:56showcasing the products on display inside.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59- Morning.- Morning.- All right?
0:30:59 > 0:31:03It's work that needs specialist bronze restorers...
0:31:03 > 0:31:04like Laurence.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08If I don't get a cup of tea, there'll be a war.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12This morning, he and his team are on their way to Oxford Street.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15Traffic's a nightmare already.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19It's just gone 7am and he's already late.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23It's just a dog-eat-dog... everybody.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26I'm already getting a bit edgy with...
0:31:26 > 0:31:28Yeah, time is just marching on.
0:31:29 > 0:31:34He's leading four vans and 14 of his staff into central London
0:31:34 > 0:31:36from their base south of the river.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39They've all been up since before 5am.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41The logistics of just getting here is like a day's work
0:31:41 > 0:31:42before you even start.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45The stress levels are just unbelievable.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Laurence needs so many bodies in vans
0:31:48 > 0:31:51because he and his team have a big job ahead of them.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55They look after H&M's three bronze-fronted Oxford Street stores,
0:31:55 > 0:31:59and they've only got an hour to get them restored and ready.
0:31:59 > 0:32:00Stuck in traffic again.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03Look at this. What are they doing here?
0:32:03 > 0:32:07The team need to get in and out again before the shops open,
0:32:07 > 0:32:10but despite Laurence's meticulous planning,
0:32:10 > 0:32:13one of the vans is no longer behind him.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15This is the scenic route round,
0:32:15 > 0:32:18otherwise known as me taking the wrong turning twice.
0:32:20 > 0:32:25Christian ought to know the way - he's been coming here for 20 years.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Laurence has even more experience.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30In his 30 years on the job,
0:32:30 > 0:32:33he's developed a particular view of Oxford Street.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35Den of iniquity at night.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37God knows what I'm going to find this morning.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40Sometimes we have to knock people out of the doorways,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43wake them up and shoo them off, God love them.
0:32:43 > 0:32:48Laurence arrives and parks up around the corner from Oxford Street.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52He'll take H&M's flagship store on Oxford Circus.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55When Christian and his assistant finally catch up,
0:32:55 > 0:32:58they'll look after another store at the far end of the street.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01The trouble we have is people urinating and defecating
0:33:01 > 0:33:05in the entrances, so can't wear enough gloves.
0:33:07 > 0:33:08The reason Laurence is
0:33:08 > 0:33:11so particularly concerned with the habits of Oxford Street's
0:33:11 > 0:33:15night-time inhabitants is the damage it does to his shop fronts.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17Someone's urinated in the corner there.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21Bronze will tarnish and turn green without regular maintenance,
0:33:21 > 0:33:24and urine greatly accelerates the effect.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26Look at that.
0:33:26 > 0:33:27Nice work.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29The damage done in one night
0:33:29 > 0:33:32can be equivalent to months of normal weathering.
0:33:32 > 0:33:33Yeah.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36All four corners need cleaning.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39Meanwhile, Laurence has decided that, as the most experienced
0:33:39 > 0:33:42member of the team, he'll take on the worst of the damage.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44They set up the scaffolding.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47With all the window frames and doors to do, there's a lot of work.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50What we've got to do is we've got to strip the bronze back to
0:33:50 > 0:33:53its base metal and re-chemically patinate it to match it in.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55We've got to try and blend those corners in now.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00The tarnished surface of the doorframe is removed,
0:34:00 > 0:34:02revealing the raw metal beneath.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07Laurence's skill lies in colouring it to match the rest,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10and then sealing the surface to prevent further damage.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12This is brown bronze toning powder.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14I can't quite tell you what's in it because it's a secret,
0:34:14 > 0:34:17a trade secret, and you wouldn't ask Colonel Sanders
0:34:17 > 0:34:20for his secret ingredients, would you?
0:34:20 > 0:34:25Laurence's recipe is a family secret, handed down from his father.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28So we've got a bit on here, so, a bit over the top...
0:34:28 > 0:34:30Christian and his assistant have finally arrived
0:34:30 > 0:34:32at the store at the west end of the street.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35Luckily, there's not so much damage at this shop,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38and most of it just needs a polish and wax.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40We've only got 45 minutes, so we'd better crack on.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46To keep bronze clean and shiny takes a lot of elbow grease.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50This statue at Marble Arch shows that if you don't treat bronze,
0:34:50 > 0:34:52it will naturally turn green.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56Laurence's secret mixture isn't only colouring -
0:34:56 > 0:34:58it's also a barrier against further damage.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01This might not look the same colour now,
0:35:01 > 0:35:05but as long as I keep burnishing it and burnishing it evenly,
0:35:05 > 0:35:08it's eventually going to take. Whoo!
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Just leave that a minute and it'll get a little bit darker.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15Miraculously, the metal slowly changes colour.
0:35:15 > 0:35:20It looks good. You wouldn't even know it's been repaired. Spot on.
0:35:20 > 0:35:21Great blending-in job,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24if I say so myself.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26One down, six to go.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30OK. It's nearly half-eight. We're roughly halfway.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34We'd better get a move on if we want to get this finished in time.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37With only half an hour to go before doors open,
0:35:37 > 0:35:40both teams step up their efforts.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42No time to spare at all. Not a moment.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48Despite starting late, Christian and his assistant
0:35:48 > 0:35:50have finished their bit already.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56Chop chop!
0:35:56 > 0:35:58But Laurence is running behind.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01The time he's spent on the front doors of the store
0:36:01 > 0:36:04means he's still working when the shop is about to open.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Can you give us a hand up the top corner?
0:36:07 > 0:36:08Come on, let's go.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10Let's go, man.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13If you're part of a team, you can rely on them to help you
0:36:13 > 0:36:17when you need a hand. You help them when they need it.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20Laurence puts the finishing touches.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23And as Christian arrives to help,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26it's a dash to get their kit out of the way.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28We're just trying to clear up,
0:36:28 > 0:36:31get all the stuff out of the way as quickly as we can,
0:36:31 > 0:36:32cos we want to be gone.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34They've cut it pretty fine.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Could you move this scaffolding? The store's opened.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Yeah, the store's open now. Laurence has got the raging hump
0:36:40 > 0:36:43because we're not quite finished. We're all hands on deck,
0:36:43 > 0:36:45putting all the stuff away.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48The last of the scaffolding is cleared away,
0:36:48 > 0:36:51and the team can head out of Oxford Street.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54Yeah. The manager was getting a bit beside himself.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56It's all gone now, anyway. We're off.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59It's been a whirlwind morning,
0:36:59 > 0:37:02but Laurence is happy. The shop front is back to its best,
0:37:02 > 0:37:04and the team can head on their way.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08In a month's time, they'll be back to buff it up once again.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18It's Saturday morning at the Icebar,
0:37:18 > 0:37:20and the build is in full swing.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Jens and his team have been delayed by a series of leaks,
0:37:23 > 0:37:27and there's a lot of time to make up before the bar opens later today.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30It was a long day last night
0:37:30 > 0:37:32and early morning, this morning.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34Yeah, we will open on time.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37I know, because we have no choice.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41The leaking has continued and, at the moment,
0:37:41 > 0:37:43it's eating away at the ice.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46The drip tray is full of water again so I don't know what the deal is.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49- There has to be a blockage somewhere.- It's not good at all
0:37:49 > 0:37:53that it drips, because the water that drips is a little warm as well.
0:37:53 > 0:37:57If it continues, then it will kind of dig a hole in the ice.
0:37:57 > 0:37:58Yeah, this is bad.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03They will be able to patch up the repair
0:38:03 > 0:38:05but the only problem is,
0:38:05 > 0:38:07we need to be convinced this is repaired for good.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10The bar has to last a year.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14All the ice team's work will be wasted if their design melts away.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19Mathieu has called a plumber, but he doesn't have long to fix the problem.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22There's water on both sides.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27I can stick my finger down there. There's no ice there, yeah.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31- It's got to be a blockage.- It's got to be a blockage down the line.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35Despite the leak, the team continue around the plumber,
0:38:35 > 0:38:36fixing what damage they can.
0:38:36 > 0:38:41Due to the leak, it broke off.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44They can use tap water as glue to mend breakages.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47It's instant glue.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49New tip. As good as new.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52I've got a feeling the trace heating round the pipe,
0:38:52 > 0:38:56that keeps the pipe from freezing up, it's not working.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00Eventually, the plumber discovers what the source of the problem is.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07A flick of the switch and the pipe heating comes back to life.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10The coolant system unblocks and the leaks stops.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13It was quite a simple fix once we discovered what the problem was.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16It'll all be opening on time, hopefully.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18On my side of things anyway.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21Inside, Jens can make the final repair
0:39:21 > 0:39:25to the ice immediately below the leak.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27I will make the final cut...
0:39:27 > 0:39:28for the last time.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32And with that, the bar is ready,
0:39:32 > 0:39:34just in the nick of time.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38The Icehotel crew have built probably the best Icebar
0:39:38 > 0:39:42- we've had in ten years. - I can't believe it, really.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44THEY CHEER
0:39:46 > 0:39:49Fantastic. Happy ten years.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57Hours later, the Icebar can show off Jens's new design
0:39:57 > 0:40:01and all his team's hard work to the new season's first guests.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08Really cold. I don't know how they do it
0:40:08 > 0:40:12but they must love living in thermal underwear, is all I can say!
0:40:12 > 0:40:14I'm glad to be outside, cos it's a lot warmer,
0:40:14 > 0:40:16even though I'm from t'north.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18But it were a good laugh. I'd recommend it to anyone.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20Rock scene - amazing.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24- Never been in anything like this before.- Brr-rr-rr!
0:40:24 > 0:40:26- Icebar all the way.- Love the place.
0:40:26 > 0:40:31And so, the coolest bar in London, literally, can open for business.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41On a side street by John Lewis,
0:40:41 > 0:40:45thousands of frustrated commuters have been queueing from early evening
0:40:45 > 0:40:49to try and get their buses home in the face of a major Tube strike.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52We're waiting for two, three hours
0:40:52 > 0:40:54and we haven't even got into the bus yet.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56How many buses passing us?
0:40:56 > 0:40:57It's not fair.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01A thin blue line of police and Oxford Street welcome ambassadors
0:41:01 > 0:41:04have been trying to marshal the queues,
0:41:04 > 0:41:06but it's not gone well.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10SHOUTING
0:41:11 > 0:41:14You're all adults here! No getting on to the bus!
0:41:14 > 0:41:17As darkness falls,
0:41:17 > 0:41:19by 9.30pm,
0:41:19 > 0:41:21a workable system seems to have emerged.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25Oh, thank you! Goodbye!
0:41:28 > 0:41:31But some people are still trying to jump the queues.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35Get him out the bus. Get him off the bus.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Get the driver to open the back door. He's pushed in.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40Come off the bus, please. Come off the bus.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Sir, you have only been here for 15 minutes.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46You've pushed in the queue approximately four times
0:41:46 > 0:41:49when I very kindly asked you...
0:41:49 > 0:41:51Shall we move out the way, sir?
0:41:51 > 0:41:54If you push in again, you're not going to get on a bus today, sir.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56It's been a very long day.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58A long day.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01The police here have done well to keep a lid on things,
0:42:01 > 0:42:04but only a few hundred metres up Oxford Street,
0:42:04 > 0:42:06they were nearly overwhelmed by the angry crowd.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09We waited here for two hours for the bus.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11We got as far as Tottenham Court Road
0:42:11 > 0:42:14and a man pulled open the doors with his hands
0:42:14 > 0:42:15and 40 people jumped on.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17So the police had to drag us all off
0:42:17 > 0:42:19and now we're back here again.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22It's my mum's 50th today and we're supposed to be going out for dinner,
0:42:22 > 0:42:24but it's all gone out of control now.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29If I don't get on, I'll go mad now.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35The police keep going, helping dozens more passengers get their buses,
0:42:35 > 0:42:40and finally, just after midnight, the queues begin to die down.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43It's been a really long day. Long day.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Tempers flaring. Not ours!
0:42:46 > 0:42:49But I think we've done as best as we can, really.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53There are still some people queueing but we can't stay here for ever
0:42:53 > 0:42:56or all night. I'm dying to use the loo, I'm hungry,
0:42:56 > 0:42:59I haven't had any dinner, so I'm going to go have dinner,
0:42:59 > 0:43:02try and make my way home on two or three night buses myself,
0:43:02 > 0:43:06hopefully not crowded. So that's the end of it, really.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08They head off. Thankfully, by the morning,
0:43:08 > 0:43:11the Tubes will be running again.