0:00:06 > 0:00:10On the south coast of Britain lies a city within a city,
0:00:10 > 0:00:12that's hard at work 24 hours a day.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17The port of Southampton is the cruise capital of the UK
0:00:17 > 0:00:19and a gateway for a life at sea.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22It's tough here and then we send you on board and it gets tougher.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24A bit of a mad rush round.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26Passengers are going to start coming on.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30It's where showbiz glamour meets the grind of industry.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Going to move 700-odd tonnes of sewage
0:00:32 > 0:00:34because they can't get road transport.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36The smell's the killer.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Thousands of travellers pass through Southampton every day.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43It's quite busy down there, it's all hands to the pump.
0:00:43 > 0:00:44Oh!
0:00:44 > 0:00:47It's where water is a way of life.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50It's such crazy English fun.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52This is big boys' toys. This is for us old fellas!
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Passengers, ships and cargo.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Shaping the lives of people at one of the busiest ports in the world.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05This is Sea City.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13In this episode:
0:01:13 > 0:01:15That's us just picking up speed, getting under way now.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18The captain helping to keep the past alive.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20I do it because I love it
0:01:20 > 0:01:23and I love the people on board this lovely old ship.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25The old warehouse with a secret.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28It's essentially where we make the magic happen.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Is the tide turning for English cricket?
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Every time we lose the ball we think we might give them
0:01:33 > 0:01:3520 runs just to be kind.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46The port of Southampton works round the clock.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51It's an international centre for the maritime industry.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Cargo and ships come and go at any time of the day or night.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01The hundreds of people who keep the port running
0:02:01 > 0:02:03are often hidden from view.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07I normally run it hard over to hard over from up here.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Peter Roberts helps provide an essential service
0:02:11 > 0:02:13around Southampton water.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15He's Master of the Whitchallenger,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18a fuel tanker working the south coast.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20OK, I'll get it started and I'll give it the hard over
0:02:20 > 0:02:22and I'll phone you back again.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25'We've just left our berth in Empress Dock'
0:02:25 > 0:02:28and we're on our way round to berth 101.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31We've got fuel on board for the Balmoral.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33We are slowly making our way up there.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36We are the bunker men, the bunker barges.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Clearly, the ships don't go anywhere without fuel
0:02:39 > 0:02:41so I suggest that we are fairly important.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45I'll just give it a tickle astern.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Peter must carefully manoeuvre his tanker alongside the cruise ship.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54'Beneath our decks we've got approximately 2,000 tonnes
0:02:54 > 0:02:56'of heavy fuel oil.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00'The value of every tonne is around the £500 mark.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02So, there's about a million pounds' worth of fuel
0:03:02 > 0:03:05floating underneath there at this moment.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08With so much at stake, concentration is vital.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13'That was good. That went OK.'
0:03:15 > 0:03:18With the two ships lined up. an eight-inch hose must be gently
0:03:18 > 0:03:19lowered in.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24When it's securely connected to Balmoral's tanks and captain
0:03:24 > 0:03:29and crew are happy, the valves are opened and pumping begins.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Nearly half a million pounds' worth of fuel is pumped in.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Time for a tea break.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43There's only seven of us on here.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Clearly, we don't carry cooks and we don't carry stewards,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48therefore, that's all down to us.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Five o'clock on the dot, I kid you not.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55If you're five minutes late you never hear the end of it.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59Second engineer, Scotty, has got a deadline.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Usually he's in the engine room
0:04:01 > 0:04:03but today he's in charge of cooking dinner.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Home-made quiches.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08There's a spicy tuna one and a meat feast quiche.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13The crew live on board for four weeks at a time.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16They usually work only a few miles offshore
0:04:16 > 0:04:18and they're always on call.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21We always try to outdo each other, to be fair, I think,
0:04:21 > 0:04:22as a general rule.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25A little bit of competition goes into it, I think,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27cooking for each other.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30It's interesting. It leads to variety.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33We've got good cooks and bad cooks. I think I am amongst the latter.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35There's quite a lot of chillies in that.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Each crew member cooks once a week.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43Everyone has their sort of signature dishes and stuff.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46While Scotty gets on with the dinner,
0:04:46 > 0:04:50the crew set off for the next job, delivering fuel for ferries.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54Afternoon, sir, that's us going into Portsmouth now.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Captain Roberts first went to sea when he was 13
0:04:57 > 0:04:59and he's an old hand with the tanker.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03He retired a few years ago but wanted to come back to work.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06'It's something I was so familiar with and so comfortable with,
0:05:06 > 0:05:08'and it becomes a part of you
0:05:08 > 0:05:10'and when you haven't got it you miss it, I think.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12'It's wonderful to have another opportunity
0:05:12 > 0:05:15'to have another bite at the cherry.'
0:05:15 > 0:05:18I may go North Channel if you haven't got the time gauge.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22You walk around on the decks and you may wonder why it's warm.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26We heat the oil so that it's pumpable, so that it's more liquid.
0:05:26 > 0:05:32If you have some syrup in the winter, it's difficult to get out of the tin.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35If you put it on the stove and warm it up, it's like water.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Oil is no different to that.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Of course, that's why you never see snow on these ships.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45BELL RINGS
0:05:45 > 0:05:50With the job done, the crew settle in for Scotty's gourmet meal.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53- Looks good! - Very nice, Scotty.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Can I have some of the balsamic dressing, please.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02We all gather around the table, have some food, talk and that.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04It's like the end of the day, really.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07So, it's quite a family sort of atmosphere.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Anybody going anywhere nice on holiday next leave?
0:06:10 > 0:06:14'People on board a ship are so dependent upon each other.
0:06:14 > 0:06:15'Once you've left the land,'
0:06:15 > 0:06:18there's no fire brigade to phone and no ambulance to phone.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20SHIP HORN BLASTS
0:06:21 > 0:06:24'As you sit here you hear the other sounds of the ship.'
0:06:26 > 0:06:28The lads down below listening to the television
0:06:28 > 0:06:33or somebody in the galley, or, you know, the noises around you.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35It's quite comforting.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Here we are on a beautiful August evening
0:07:00 > 0:07:02going out the Hamble River with the tide,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05and we are heading out to the Bramble Bank
0:07:05 > 0:07:06in the middle of the Solent.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Mark "Tommo" Thompson and fellow sailors
0:07:11 > 0:07:13from the Royal Southern Yacht Club
0:07:13 > 0:07:16are on their way to a rendezvous out at sea.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23In about 45 minutes there will be a beautiful sandbank appearing
0:07:23 > 0:07:27and once a year we come out here to play a wonderful game of cricket.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Philip Gauge is normally involved with yacht racing
0:07:31 > 0:07:34at the Royal Southern, but today he's umpiring
0:07:34 > 0:07:38the annual cricket match against the Island Sailing Club.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42The entertaining thing is finding where the pitch is going to be,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44whilst it's not there.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47We're just hoping that today the tide will be low enough
0:07:47 > 0:07:50for us to have a decent game.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Sorry, I'm looking around,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54we've got a bit of traffic to negotiate here.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58We quite often have cruise liners coming past.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02It's very important. We take it very seriously
0:08:02 > 0:08:05and do a bit of training during the winter months.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08I would describe it as quintessentially British sport at its best.
0:08:13 > 0:08:18Bramble Bank is bang in the middle of Solent shipping lanes.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Its usually submerged sandbar is a hazard for all sea-farers.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Even the old QE2 ran aground here on its homecoming voyage.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Here's the Bramble Bank in green.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33This is where it's going to dry, on the green bit there.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35You can see all the way down there,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38all the water that's now breaking on the bank.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41There are stories about the original cricket match
0:08:41 > 0:08:42on the Bramble Bank.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44One of the old stories goes back to the '50s
0:08:44 > 0:08:48when there was a prison on the middle of the Isle of Wight.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52They suddenly thought it would be nice to give the prisoners exercise.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54They thought what a good idea,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57get them out onto the Bramble Bank in the middle of the Solent.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59They're not going to go anywhere.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03We're in here, we're in here lads!
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Oh, we're off! We're off!
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Let's get on it.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12Another 20 minutes until we get to the bottom of low tide.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14We're not going to get an amazing area tonight
0:09:14 > 0:09:16but enough to play a game of cricket.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22We just need all our team and the opposition.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23Who's got the stumps?
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Hello, hello! Good evening. Well done, team.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36John Hounslow is captain of the Island team.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39We're going to have to have a word with the groundsman
0:09:39 > 0:09:41about the state he keeps the pitch in.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44The Royal Southern team have recruited a star player,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47legendary yachtsman, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49It's going to be a fairly short game this year
0:09:49 > 0:09:53because the tide hasn't gone out as far as we hoped.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54It's a bit dry over there.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57We should probably start playing. What are your thoughts?
0:09:57 > 0:09:59- I think that's right. - Excellent, excellent.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05The Island Sailing Club are having the privilege of batting first.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07You need two batsmen.
0:10:09 > 0:10:10Lovely bowling!
0:10:15 > 0:10:18They've got 25. Supposedly.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Every time we lose the ball, we think we might give them
0:10:23 > 0:10:2520 runs just to be kind.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27The umpires never know what the score is.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37We've got the sand here and then you've got the water over there.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40It's so deep and all the ships can come past.
0:10:40 > 0:10:41It's absolutely fabulous.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Absolutely wonderful. Best thing in the world.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Once a year you must be here and watch it.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49It's about time you went home!
0:10:50 > 0:10:53The Island Sailing Club finish their innings.
0:10:53 > 0:10:54Over!
0:10:54 > 0:10:57But there's no time for tea in these conditions.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59The Island Sailing Club are all out for 60.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02You can see from that first innings it's a tricky pitch tonight.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04There's a bit of moisture around.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06The Royal Southern take to the crease.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Oh! Lovely six!
0:11:09 > 0:11:11He threw the bat as well!
0:11:11 > 0:11:14You've got to hold on to your bat, team. Got to hold on to your bat.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- 31 now. 31.- 31.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19I think we're winning.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Our batsmen are doing a rather good job.
0:11:22 > 0:11:23SHOUTS AND CHEERS
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Let's hope Sir Robin is as good with a bat as he is with a tiller.
0:11:29 > 0:11:30Another six.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32The Royal Southern has now just...
0:11:33 > 0:11:36..batted and had another six, another four.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43It's such crazy English fun.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Most of the time we're pulling yachts and boats off here
0:11:46 > 0:11:47when they go aground.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50It makes a change not to be doing anything.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52The only time cricket is good!
0:11:53 > 0:11:58- I want a nine.- Seven and, erm, and a five probably.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02With the pitch disappearing, the pressure's on for Tommo
0:12:02 > 0:12:05and his team from the Royal Southern.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09This is great. This is really good. The players are really pulling together today.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11The tide's coming back in quite fast.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13We're nearly there.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15We've nearly scored enough runs, just need, probably,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18a couple of sixes in the last over and we'll be there.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20Tense, but exciting.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23One more bowl.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28CHEERS
0:12:30 > 0:12:34So, a glorious win for the Royal Southern Yacht Club,
0:12:34 > 0:12:38thanks to some spirited batting and creative score keeping.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41The Royal Southern scored 316.
0:12:42 > 0:12:43Declared.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48What a great evening again here on the Brambles.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Beautiful boats, beautiful scenery, the sun is setting in the west.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53The tide's coming back in again
0:12:53 > 0:12:56and everyone's had just a glorious, glorious evening of cricket.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00We now need to evacuate as rapidly as we can
0:13:00 > 0:13:03because the tide's going to come in fairly quickly.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08Let's go!
0:13:14 > 0:13:17While the sides head back to the pavilion,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20elsewhere, teamwork of another kind is under way.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Further along Southampton Water is the most efficient
0:13:31 > 0:13:32container terminal in Europe.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36It handles nearly two million boxes a year
0:13:36 > 0:13:39and there are big plans for its future.
0:13:39 > 0:13:44The port's spending £150 million on expanding capacity.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Right, get the dumper and we can get the steel moved next to piles.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Gareth Gregory is the site manager.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53The enlarged quay will handle the new generation
0:13:53 > 0:13:55of giant container ships.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58This is what it's all for.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00It's a massively busy site now.
0:14:00 > 0:14:05Think I've got about 150/160 people on and it's going to get busier.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11The team are driving piles deep into the seabed for the new quay wall.
0:14:11 > 0:14:1636 metres long, from what you can see there down. It's 36 metres.
0:14:16 > 0:14:17Each weighing 40 tonnes.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20It takes quite a big hammer to knock them in!
0:14:20 > 0:14:26This work is essential for winning and keeping business at the port.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28Nearly everybody you speak to in Southampton,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31somebody knows somebody who works on this port.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35If they didn't get this, it would be devastating for Southampton.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40It's quite challenging, especially when you've got these deadlines.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42You're just hoping everything is going like clockwork
0:14:42 > 0:14:45but things don't go like clockwork, do they?
0:14:45 > 0:14:48But everybody pulls together and we get around it.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50We've got seven on site and those four can go back
0:14:50 > 0:14:52and we'll just keep the three.
0:14:54 > 0:14:59Up to now there have been 12 gantry cranes for discharging cargo.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02But coming into the port is the Palembang,
0:15:02 > 0:15:04bringing in four giant new ones built in Ireland.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09The cranes are delivered in pieces for assembly at the port.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13The project is such a tight schedule.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16This ship is a couple of weeks later than what it should be.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Straightaway, we're up against it even more.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22There's not a week that goes by that they won't be critical.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Mark James is one of the project managers
0:15:26 > 0:15:29and has been involved since day one.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32The biggest problem we've got on this project is that we're having
0:15:32 > 0:15:34to interact with other businesses.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38We're having to operate within the scrap steel.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41The gate entrance is particularly narrow.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49The first section of crane is slowly wheeled along the quayside.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52I don't think there's probably enough cotton wool around to wrap them in.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55It's interesting seeing them from the pieces of steel
0:15:55 > 0:15:58that they first were fabricated from to the final stages.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05Getting the main beam around some tight corners needs precision driving.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Probably only got 18 inches or two feet to play with,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12whole clearance, as it sweeps around so it's a challenge.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18This is the port's biggest engineering project for decades.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Once the enormous cranes are fully assembled,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25they'll be 130 metres high
0:16:27 > 0:16:29and capable of lifting 80 tonnes at a go.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34It's lovely when you see a nice bit of kit sat on the quayside,
0:16:34 > 0:16:35all brand spanking new.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Don't really want to use it, to be honest.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58While the port is busy looking to the future,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01others are keeping one eye on the past.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Below decks, a flame is burning for times gone by.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14In the shadow of one of Southampton's modern cruise liners
0:17:14 > 0:17:17is a venerable old lady of the sea.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18SHIP HORN BLASTS
0:17:18 > 0:17:21The SS Shieldhall is steaming up, ready to take tourists
0:17:21 > 0:17:26out for a day on the Solent, and a familiar face is on the bridge.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Singled up to forward spring, Rob.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32When he's not doing his day job on a fuel tanker,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Captain Peter Roberts is in charge of this vintage steamship.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Go on, heave! Heave!
0:17:44 > 0:17:47'It is the most enjoyable busman's holiday.'
0:17:47 > 0:17:48That's it. Well done.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52You enjoyed that, didn't you? I can tell by the smile on your face.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54'I do it because I love it'
0:17:54 > 0:17:57and I love the people on board this lovely old ship.
0:17:57 > 0:17:58RADIO CHATTER
0:17:58 > 0:18:02Good morning, sir. That's just us picking up speed
0:18:02 > 0:18:04and getting under way now from 48.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Which side do you want us to pass?
0:18:06 > 0:18:10The Shieldhall was built in 1955 to carry sewage,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13although its design dates back a century.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Saved from the scrap yard, this elderly ship comes complete
0:18:17 > 0:18:21with a mature crew of volunteers, who bring a wealth of experience.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23This is big boys' toys, really.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25This is for us old fellas!
0:18:27 > 0:18:31'When you retire, you don't really miss the job or anything,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34'but you do miss the company and like-minded people.'
0:18:34 > 0:18:37If you stay at home all the time, all you get is decorating jobs.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43'There are those of us on here who well remember'
0:18:43 > 0:18:46this type of ship in commercial service.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51The chap driving this engine
0:18:51 > 0:18:55he used to be a stoker on the royal yacht, the Britannia.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59You get all sorts down here.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06I have occasionally described it as an allotment on water.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08You know, it's something we can do.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11One of the things about retirement is, that is it.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Your professional life comes to an end.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17It's a life change, so something like this is very satisfying.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Full ahead.
0:19:25 > 0:19:26HORN
0:19:26 > 0:19:30We're all passionate about keeping this in the eyes of the public
0:19:30 > 0:19:33so that they have the opportunity to see what it used to be like
0:19:33 > 0:19:35for us when we were young.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39But it's not all about nostalgia.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Peter and his crew are keen to pass on their skills
0:19:42 > 0:19:44to the next generation.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Head across to the red buoy, please.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50'We've got a real cross-section of people from very old
0:19:50 > 0:19:53'to very young, and long may it be that.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55'We are encouraging young people.'
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Let's be honest, where can a young person come on board a ship
0:19:58 > 0:20:02and get the undivided attention of half a dozen Master Mariners,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04half a dozen chief engineers?
0:20:06 > 0:20:08It's a good grounding.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12I absolutely love ships.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14They're just really fascinating.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17If we didn't have boats, we couldn't sail across the sea.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20I liked the engine room.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22I think it's really cool how it works.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24I hope I can be a captain of a big ship.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Off you go. Two, pull. HORN
0:20:31 > 0:20:34My first trip to sea was on trawlers from Hull when I was 13 years old.
0:20:34 > 0:20:39I'm 68 now, still doing what I did back then,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42and enjoying it just as much.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45It's as much a part of me as breathing is.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57The Shieldhall's days as a sewage shifter have long gone.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01But all that sludge still has to go somewhere!
0:21:01 > 0:21:03And someone has to carry it.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Another unsung hero working around the port
0:21:08 > 0:21:10is in charge of a rather delicate operation
0:21:10 > 0:21:13that is essential for modern life.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Basically going to move 700-odd tonnes of sewage
0:21:16 > 0:21:18because they can't get road transport.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21We'll go up, wait for it to be loaded,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24then take it all the way back out where they'll process it into pellets
0:21:24 > 0:21:26and use it as fertiliser.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29I don't think anyone wants to do it!
0:21:29 > 0:21:31No, no-one wants to do it.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34It's just if you can deal with the smell or not.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40Chase Wyeth is a skipper for the family tug company.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Today, he's going to transfer a barge full of human waste
0:21:44 > 0:21:48between two storage tanks. He's on the way to collect the load.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50It's not the most glamorous of jobs,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54but you know, it's different. Never two days the same.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Chase didn't start out with this career in mind.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59I didn't plan on coming here.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02I was supposed to go off to college and do something else,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05and my dad was like, "You have to come to work with me for a few weeks,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07"earn some money and that,"
0:22:07 > 0:22:10and I never looked back. I found out I absolutely loved it.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Today, Chase has got a tough task on his hands.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22He needs to navigate a tidal river with low bridges and tight turns
0:22:22 > 0:22:24to pick up his sewage.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26It's like a chess game.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28You're constantly thinking, you know,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30the next corner I'm going to be going that way,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33and then on the next corner I need to go the opposite way.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36So I need to make sure the momentum of the barge is taking me round
0:22:36 > 0:22:39ready to counteract it for the next one.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Easy, Ted.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Picking up sludge from the depot by barge
0:22:44 > 0:22:47saved over 30 road tanker trips a day.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Quarter, Stan.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51It's a unique smell. It's a one-off.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54You'll never smell anything like it in your life.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01Connecting up to the sewage pump isn't easy with a high tide.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04And you don't want the hose to slip off mid-flow!
0:23:05 > 0:23:09I've never actually seen it go, but I've heard it does.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11And when it goes, it just...
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Chase sets off to deliver his load eight miles away
0:23:18 > 0:23:21on the opposite side of the port. The fully laden barge
0:23:21 > 0:23:23weighs over 1,000 tonnes.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28For me to stop this, if I wanted to stop it before the bridge
0:23:28 > 0:23:29I'd have stopped way back there.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31I can't stop the momentum now.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35So this is why all my angles have to be exactly right,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38um, I can't afford to have anything in my way.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43One bridge down, but there's a low railway bridge ahead.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46If a train is going over that bridge,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48it pushes it down an inch.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51And that could be the inch we need. It may not look it,
0:23:51 > 0:23:55it's a solid iron bridge, but when that train is hurtling through it,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57it really does bounce.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Am I looking all right?
0:24:07 > 0:24:10With the last tricky bridge out of the way,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Chase reaches open water
0:24:12 > 0:24:15and heads across to the waste treatment centre.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18If you go now and sit and have your lunch,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21you'll have this whiff and you're like, "Don't fancy dinner now."
0:24:21 > 0:24:25It lingers. It does linger with you all day.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27The smell's a killer. Absolutely killer.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Once the barge is dropped off for processing,
0:24:31 > 0:24:36the sludge is pumped out and will be turned into fertiliser.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Chase sets off for his next job.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Or maybe even a shower.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Southampton is the cruise capital of the UK.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52It's a booming business, and a big earner for the port and the city.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Over a million passengers pass through every year.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00And when the cruise gets under way,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03the entertainment on board takes centre stage.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07# He's a pinball wizard There's got to be a twist
0:25:07 > 0:25:12# Pinball wizard's got such a supple wrist... #
0:25:12 > 0:25:17When the curtain rises, passengers expect West End standards.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23But the road to glitz and glamour starts in an unlikely place.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27A warehouse tucked away on an industrial estate.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32The first thing we're about is entertainment
0:25:32 > 0:25:34and the shows we present on the ships
0:25:34 > 0:25:38are very much light-hearted, happy affairs.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42It's all-singing, all-dancing, bright productions,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45and that's the essence of what Headliners is about.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51Stevie B is the creative director for Headliners,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54the theatre company on board P&O cruise ships.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56It's essentially where we make the magic happen.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00They'll learn all the choreography, they'll learn all the vocals,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02there'll be acting lessons -
0:26:02 > 0:26:05everything that goes into putting that show up on board.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Each ship may have several different shows on any given cruise,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12and the on-board cast must learn them all in just eight weeks.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16At the last count there were 83 productions
0:26:16 > 0:26:19spread across P&O's fleet of seven ships.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22It's a revolving door for young performers.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26It's day one of our open auditions for dancers today.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29We recruit 100-odd dancers a year,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31so they're always quite busy affairs for us.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Couple of hundred people today outside
0:26:33 > 0:26:36that we're sort of ploughing our way through at the moment.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39We're going to teach you a routine very shortly
0:26:39 > 0:26:40and then break you down into some groups
0:26:40 > 0:26:42and make cuts ready for recall this afternoon.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45It is a little bit like a production line.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49We have to get these casts in very, very quickly and turn them round
0:26:49 > 0:26:51with a huge amount of material, as well.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54The challenge is to keep those shows as fresh as possible.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Lovely - swap over for us, guys, thank you.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00They're the focal point to the cast on board the ships
0:27:00 > 0:27:02from the passenger experience
0:27:02 > 0:27:04so they need to be nice, friendly, bright people.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07They'll be asked everything, not only about the shows,
0:27:07 > 0:27:08but "Where do I go to eat?"
0:27:08 > 0:27:12or if they're ashore, "Where's the local chemist?" or something.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Where they might go wrong with their feet, we can work on that.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17What we can't, we can't make them nice people.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22OK, thank you.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27It's tough competition. Barely one in ten auditioning today
0:27:27 > 0:27:29will make it on to a cruise ship.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Those that do can look forward to six months at sea
0:27:33 > 0:27:35as part of a tight-knit company.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40You do get that sort of closeness with the cast,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42and it's very sad - we sort of joke that we wave goodbye
0:27:42 > 0:27:45with a tear in our eye as the cast leave, you know,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49and roll the next cast in. But you do get very close with them.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51# I had visions of many... #
0:27:51 > 0:27:53To sometimes sit there, turn round,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55and see everybody stand up with a standing ovation,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58it's a wonderful feeling. The buzz lasts a long time.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00But your drive and your desire, you know,
0:28:00 > 0:28:04for them to do well on stage overtakes everything else.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07You sit there a little bit like a proud mother
0:28:07 > 0:28:10at the back of the room, just willing them on.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14APPLAUSE AND CHEERING
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Next time on Sea City:
0:28:19 > 0:28:24in a special episode, we follow a cast of new academy recruits
0:28:24 > 0:28:28from rehearsals on land to showtime at sea.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32It took me completely by surprise. It's such a hard process.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36What I need from you now is that extra, extra push.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38There are buckets they can use to throw up in.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40# Yeah! #