Lucy Worsley's Fireworks for a Tudor Queen


Lucy Worsley's Fireworks for a Tudor Queen

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Fireworks.

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They've been enthralling us Brits for centuries.

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Ooh!

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But the use of fireworks for entertainment really got going

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during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

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By far the most spectacular of these displays

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took place at Kenilworth Castle in 1575.

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Onlookers described seeing thunderbolts and lightnings of fire

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that surged the waters and shook the earth.

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So, it was certainly a night to remember.

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In this programme, we're going to return to Kenilworth Castle in an

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ambitious attempt to recreate that display

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in all its Tudor glory.

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The fireworks were part of a three-week extravaganza,

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including bear-baiting and dancing and feasting,

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but the fireworks were the centrepiece.

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It was all designed for one very special member of the audience -

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Queen Elizabeth I.

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THEY SHOUT AND CHEER

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For Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester,

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the fireworks were his last throw of the dice

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in his attempt to win the Queen's hand in marriage.

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To pull off our re-creation of what his lavish display of love

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and affection might've looked like,

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I'll be scouring historical documents for clues.

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And I'm enlisting the help of artist and materials scientist

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Doctor Zoe Laughlin.

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-Oh, look at it go!

-Wow! We put too much!

-Yeah!

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Her job is to rebuild the Tudor fireworks that no longer exist,

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using 400-year-old techniques.

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-Ooh, a stiff Christmas cracker.

-It's a Christmas cracker from hell.

-Yeah.

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From the manufacturer of Elizabethan gunpowder from buckets of urine...

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It was incredibly valuable.

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..to the construction of a huge dragon that spits fire

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from every orifice...

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-He's got flames gushing out of his bottom!

-Yeah!

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..the display has the potential to be as dangerous

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as it is spectacular.

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It's made out of gunpowder, after all.

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I also want to look under the surface of the spectacle to discover

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why fireworks played such an important part in Tudor life.

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They wouldn't have been used to seeing lavish fireworks,

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so they would've caused a bit of wonder and awe and fear.

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We're trying to reconstruct an event that had the potential to change

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the history of England,

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with the help of scattered evidence

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and some very experimental science.

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If we get it wrong,

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our display will just be a smouldering hole in the ground.

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If we get it right, though,

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we'll have recreated one of the most magnificent nights

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in Tudor history,

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and a firework display fit for a queen.

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The firework display at Kenilworth Castle

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put on by Robert Dudley in 1575

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has gone down in history as one of the earliest

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and most impressive ever seen.

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Unfortunately, direct evidence for what the firework display looked

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like is a bit thin on the ground,

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but we aren't completely out of luck.

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This is what claims to be an eyewitness account

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by somebody who was there in the audience with Queen Elizabeth I.

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A friend of Robert Dudley's called Robert Laneham.

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"Lightnings of wildfire shoots at the thunderbolts

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"and it was all so terrifying and violent that the heavens thundered,

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"the waters surged and the earth shook."

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Sounds like we've set ourselves quite a challenge.

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But this isn't the only piece of evidence for the display,

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and we need to go searching for clues.

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To track down these scraps of evidence,

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Doctor Zoe Laughlin and I are going on an historical treasure hunt.

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We'll be grilling historians of science

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and experts in historical pyrotechnics.

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That is a wheel of fire. What the Italians called a girandole.

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Where we don't have the answers, we'll be relying on the expertise

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of Zoe, with her skills as both scientist and artist,

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to formulate experiments of her own, in our attempt

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to recreate a night to remember.

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-Whoa!

-Whoa!

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And what I also hope from this journey is something more -

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a chance to have a better understanding

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of the Elizabethan mind.

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I want to find out why fireworks

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were such a vital part of Tudor life,

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and why this particular display at Kenilworth

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was the pinnacle of power and pageantry in the Elizabethan era.

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To set Zoe on her way, I'm taking her to the British Library.

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Tucked away in its vaults, there's a very special book.

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Look at this!

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Now, what you've got there is the first edition of a book called

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Pyrotechnia, which is the first proper English book

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about how to make fireworks.

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"By John Babington, gunner and student."

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-He's a man who knows how to make things go bang.

-Yeah, yeah.

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Not only is Pyrotechnia packed with scientific detail,

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it contains something even more useful.

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Oh, what a treat.

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Every area has something sparking or fizzing.

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This is the earliest plan of a British firework display

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fit for a monarch,

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and historical records suggest it probably had the same attractions

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as the display put on for Elizabeth's visit to Kenilworth.

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-I like the wheels.

-Do you think these whizzed around like that?

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I do think... Yeah.

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In fact, this one's even got sparks coming out of it,

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implying that it's going round and round.

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This one's really important...

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The plan laid out in Pyrotechnia is full of fireworks forgotten

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in the mists of time.

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There are gerbs, which produced fountains of sparks,

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locket boxes that launch fireworks simultaneously

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and terrifying-looking horizontal spinning wheels.

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I love this. Look, there's a ginormous...

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-Look at the front.

-He's a whopper! He's massive!

-What a big boy.

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That's ginormous.

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So, here's the big question -

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do you think you can make something along these lines?

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Will it work? Will it be safe?

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Are we all going to die? Will it be spectacular? ZOE GIGGLES

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This is really exciting. This is a great starting point.

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This is something that we can use as a master plan.

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While Zoe's getting to grips with Babington's instructions,

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Laneham very usefully tells us how the display kicked off.

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He says that there was "a great peal of guns,

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"and lightening by firework."

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He says that "the noise and the flame could be heard

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"and seen 20 miles off."

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Sounds like we're going to need some cannons.

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As this is the only major element of our display that Zoe isn't planning

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to reconstruct from scratch,

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I want to source one for myself.

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It turns out that it's not that easy to get your hands on

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a working Elizabethan cannon.

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I'm hoping that these gentlemen might be able to help.

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A MAN SHOUTS INDISTINCTLY

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BLAST

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Surviving cannons, and even period replicas, are something of a rarity,

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as their antiquated design means they have a tendency to explode.

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HE SHOUTS AGAIN

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Let's hope experts in Tudor artillery,

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Nat Bond and Alex Compiani, have a solution.

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-Hello!

-Hello, there!

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Lots of guns you've got here.

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What we've actually got is a kind of timeline of guns, showing the

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evolution. This gun here is what's referred to as a gungeon gun.

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This is a copy of one that was recovered off the deck

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-of the Mary Rose.

-Ah! So that's 1540s.

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-It is.

-That's a bit early for me, is it?

-Well, this period

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is a transitional period where these guns are becoming

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obsolete, where the new corned powder is coming into use,

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and the corned powder burned much faster, with much more power.

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What happened if you put the new powder into the old gun?

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Chances are it would explode and kill you and your crew.

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Oh, dear!

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Moving on the line, though, you've got what is called a rabonet.

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These were just coming in in the Elizabethan period,

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so this is fairly new technology for the Elizabethan period, because it's

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-a cast iron barrel.

-Mm.

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The longer the barrel is, the more room there is for those gases to

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expand and the faster the ball flies.

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And would you be able to hear the sound of it 20 miles off,

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which is in the description of the entertainment at Kenilworth?

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You would. This one actually has quite a sharp crack to it.

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-Gunners refer to it as the voice of the gun.

-The voice?

-Yes.

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So, if you were 20 miles away,

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you could hear that it was your gun talking to you?

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-An experienced gunner who'd fired the gun a lot, yes.

-Oh!

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Did the guns have names?

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This one's called Jennifer.

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SHE LAUGHS

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I named it after my wife!

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What about this one, then?

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Big Red fires a large six pound cast-iron cannonball.

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You could just about touch the two-mile range with this gun.

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By the time you heard it, you'd already be hit.

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-Oh!

-If you want to impress people, this one.

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The big bazooka.

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-If I was hosting Elizabeth I...

-Mm.

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..I'd want to show off just how wealthy and how well-armed I was.

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-Is he more expensive than her?

-Oh, yes.

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This is the equivalent of having a gold-plated Aston Martin

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on your driveway.

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-Search the piece.

-Clear.

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Swab.

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So, if we're talking Tudor bling, there's really only one choice.

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Place the charge.

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And if you're going to invest in the Elizabethan equivalent

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of a gold-plated Aston Martin...

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HE SHOUTS A WARNING

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..you might as well give it a test drive.

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That at the end.

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Lift! FIRE!

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BANG

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It's OK, everybody jumps!

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SHE LAUGHS

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Brilliant! So, it's this cannon, Big Red,

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which is set to open our festivities.

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As a cannon, it's, of course, different to the other,

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more spectacular, fireworks we're hoping to reconstruct

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for our display, but it does have one vital element

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in common with them - gunpowder.

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Learning about the secrets of gunpowder

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is Zoe's first step on her quest

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to recreate our Tudor fireworks.

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According to some of the old text,

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lesson one in becoming a successful pyrotechnician

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is know your gunpowder.

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In its day, it was considered a bit of a dark art, but today

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I'm going to unravel some of the mysteries.

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Also, it's the same composition we use now.

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Nowadays, we think nothing of buying our own ready-made fireworks from

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the supermarket, but in Tudor times,

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owning a firework began with the process

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of sourcing and refining the ingredients,

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which could take years.

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-Wood and heat.

-And heat.

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And as a job, it was potentially lethal.

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With the help of chemist Andreas Tretiakov

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in the safe confines of the science lab, I'm going to explore

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the process, and make gunpowder to the Elizabethan recipe.

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So, I'm done on the gas.

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OK.

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Firstly, we're turning wood into charcoal

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in our home-made micro-kiln.

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That's what you can see burning orange now, are the gases coming out

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-of the can.

-Yes. Those gases are toxic, like carbon monoxide,

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-carbon dioxide and methane.

-Mm.

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-It's really going some now.

-Really going, yes.

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Restricting the oxygen as it burns produces almost

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pure carbon in the form of charcoal.

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Beautiful, pure nuggets of carbon.

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This is the first element in our recipe.

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Here's our charcoal.

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The most important ingredient in gunpowder was saltpetre,

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but we now know that as potassium nitrate.

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To the Tudors, saltpetre was really difficult to make,

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and required this ingredient - urine.

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It was incredibly valuable.

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They had to get whole households peeing into buckets

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and gathering the stuff up.

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Tudor gunpowder-makers combined the urine with soil and manure,

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and hoped for a bacterial reaction over 18 months,

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leading to an end product of saltpetre.

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Nowadays, we can take a short cut,

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mixing premade industrial chemicals.

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Right, so we're making an ice bath so that we can rapidly cool this,

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and help the potassium nitrate crystals form.

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-Oh!

-Oh... I can see something.

-I can see them! OK.

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Look at that.

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This is potassium nitrate that would have been produced

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from hundreds of people's urine.

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This is the Tudor saltpetre.

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Now we're refining raw sulphur.

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I can now see a thick tier

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of red sulphur

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trickling down the nozzle.

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-Look. It is rubbery!

-Yes.

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It's almost like something you'd find in the sea.

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Wow.

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With time, this plastic sulphur

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will solidify, and can be crushed into a fine powder.

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So, now, we have the three ingredients we need for gunpowder.

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The charcoal, the sulphur,

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the potassium nitrate.

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All that's left for us to do now is grind them into a fine powder.

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The magic comes from how these three ingredients

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all work together when mixed.

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The charcoal is the fuel.

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-Right, next up, potassium nitrate.

-Potassium nitrate.

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The potassium nitrate provides the oxygen for the fuel to burn.

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And finally the sulphur.

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The main role of sulphur is to be a catalyst,

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lowering the temperature needed to ignite the mix.

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-Is this the dangerous part?

-Potentially, yes.

-OK.

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Right, glasses on. Right.

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Mixing them will give us gunpowder,

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and that's when things get really dangerous.

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Right, 15% charcoal.

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A tiny spark could literally blow the whole lot up.

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I feel a bit nervous.

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It's really important that we're using a wooden stick for this,

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because we just do not want to generate anything

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that will ignite this mixture.

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It's very soft.

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Ooh.

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THEY CHUCKLE SOFTLY

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Let's give it a test.

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SHE LAUGHS NERVOUSLY

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Are you going to light one end and I'm going to light the other?

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That's a very good idea.

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OK.

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-OK.

-One, two, three.

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Yes!

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-Oh, look at it go!

-Ah!

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-Wow!

-Wow!

-Quite a lot of smoke.

-Wow!

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-And it's still burning.

-We made gunpowder!

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-We did it!

-Wow!

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What's incredible is I was expecting a bang,

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-but obviously it's not in a confined space.

-No.

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So it's not going to create a kind of classic firework bang,

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but that has got some oomph to it.

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SHE COUGHS

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Mission accomplished.

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Following an archaic recipe,

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we have created Elizabethan gunpowder.

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And quite a lot of smoke!

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So this is the first step on the road to recreating

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those Tudor fireworks, and we've proved it's possible.

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We've now created gunpowder,

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the power behind the first element in our display, the cannon.

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Together, these two elements played a vital role

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in the wars fought by Tudor England.

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From sea battles with the Spanish Armada

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to fighting in the Netherlands on behalf of the Protestants,

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the Elizabethan era was an age of conflict.

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And it was here, within the walls of the Tower of London,

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where you'd find the marriage of pyrotechnics and the art of war.

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There's really a lot at stake in this period.

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It's very, very tense.

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There would have been thousands of people around here,

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all trying to make this work to get these ships supplied,

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to get the army supplied and fight these battles.

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Makes you think of Bletchley Park in World War II or something.

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-Everybody working together.

-Exactly. It's a really crucial centre.

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It's like an arsenal and a Ministry of Defence all rolled into one.

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Who were these gunners, then?

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There were about 100 people who were referred to as gunners, and they

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were the people who learnt how to shoot this new technology,

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which is gunpowder,

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fireworks and cannon,

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and some of the first books on gunnery and fireworks

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appear at this time. This is a fire lance,

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a rocket attached to the end of a pike,

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and you fire it in the face of the enemy close-up,

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so it's really nasty.

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What's a ball of wildfire?

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Well, they would put metal balls filled with gunpowder

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and incendiary liquids into a crossbow and fire them at you.

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That's not something you want to be hit by.

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Do you think once they'd finished their serious business of inventing

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new weapons, the gunners thought,

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-"Right, let's have a bit of fun now"?

-Yes, exactly.

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So, they're not just going out and shooting and firing the cannon,

0:17:460:17:49

they're also creative artists.

0:17:490:17:51

They were interested in using fireworks for peaceful means,

0:17:510:17:54

for pageants and plays and festivals, from very early on.

0:17:540:17:58

This is quite a pattern throughout history, isn't it?

0:17:580:18:01

Like battlefields turning into jousting.

0:18:010:18:04

Something very serious and deadly becomes ritualised

0:18:040:18:08

and made into a sort of play version of itself later on.

0:18:080:18:11

Yes, that's right.

0:18:110:18:12

That's something that the gunners are really proud of.

0:18:120:18:15

So, one of them wrote a book where he included a self-portrait,

0:18:150:18:19

and there's a little motto at the top

0:18:190:18:22

and it says "Arte et Marte".

0:18:220:18:24

So, art and war, and the idea is that these are two sides

0:18:240:18:28

of what he does - the peaceful and the military.

0:18:280:18:31

So, it was at the Tower of London,

0:18:340:18:37

home to the endlessly inventive gunners,

0:18:370:18:39

where firework-making for entertainment really took off.

0:18:390:18:43

They had everything they needed to experiment and create their own new

0:18:430:18:48

and exciting pyrotechnics.

0:18:480:18:50

It's now up to Zoe to see if she can match them and come up with

0:18:500:18:55

some magic of her own.

0:18:550:18:56

But firework-making is a specialised and dangerous art,

0:18:590:19:03

so Zoe's going to need some expert help.

0:19:030:19:06

-Hello?

-Hello!

-Hi, are you Don?

-I am, indeed.

-Hi, I'm Zoe.

0:19:060:19:09

-Hello, Zoe. Nice to meet you.

-Hello, Zoe, I'm Mike.

-Mike, hello.

0:19:090:19:12

-And this is John.

-Hi, John. Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

0:19:120:19:15

I've heard you're the crack team that I should come to

0:19:150:19:18

if I want to get some bespoke fireworks made.

0:19:180:19:20

Don, Mike and John are artisans,

0:19:210:19:23

devoted to handcrafting pyrotechnics for modern-day events,

0:19:230:19:27

with a sense of adventure to take on any pyrotechnical challenge.

0:19:270:19:32

And so this is the kind of display that we're attempting to recreate.

0:19:320:19:36

There's obviously these fantastic rockets.

0:19:360:19:38

I love the fact that there's an absolutely giant beast of a rocket

0:19:380:19:41

-at the front.

-A huge one there, yeah.

-That's going to be taller

0:19:410:19:44

than me, probably. And then these kind of Catherine wheel type ones.

0:19:440:19:47

-Is that something we can have a go at?

-Yeah, we'll certainly have a go

0:19:470:19:50

at it. I mean, horizontal wheel,

0:19:500:19:52

we don't really use in displays that much any more.

0:19:520:19:55

It throws up tonnes of sparks. So, if you imagine,

0:19:550:19:57

you've got fireworks all around you, the last thing you want

0:19:570:20:00

is tonnes of sparks flying around your display site and setting fire

0:20:000:20:03

to everything else, so not ideal.

0:20:030:20:04

Creating a truly authentic display is going to expose us to the risk

0:20:040:20:09

that it could all go up in flames,

0:20:090:20:11

but our best hope is working with these experts,

0:20:110:20:14

who are willing to take on this challenge,

0:20:140:20:17

all in the name of history.

0:20:170:20:19

The display that Zoe and these chaps will be attempting to put together

0:20:210:20:25

was part of a three-week pageant said to have cost Robert Dudley,

0:20:250:20:29

Earl of Leicester, the modern equivalent of £24 million.

0:20:290:20:33

But who was this man who was willing to spend a fortune

0:20:360:20:39

in his attempt to woo his queen?

0:20:390:20:42

Well, he was her adviser, friend,

0:20:420:20:46

very possibly lover.

0:20:460:20:48

There were lots of rumours at court about this,

0:20:480:20:51

despite the fact that he was married.

0:20:510:20:53

This is what the Spanish ambassador had to say.

0:20:530:20:56

"Her Majesty visits him in his chamber day and night.

0:20:560:21:00

"People talk of this freely.

0:21:000:21:02

"They go so far as to say that his wife has a malady

0:21:020:21:05

"in one of her breasts,

0:21:050:21:07

"and that the Queen is only waiting for her to die

0:21:070:21:10

"so that she can marry Lord Robert."

0:21:100:21:12

Dudley's wife, Amy, did die.

0:21:130:21:15

She fell down some stairs in mysterious circumstances.

0:21:150:21:18

Some people said that Dudley was responsible.

0:21:180:21:22

But even once they were both free,

0:21:220:21:24

the Queen didn't take the final step of agreeing to marry him.

0:21:240:21:29

You can see the three weeks of festivities and fireworks

0:21:290:21:33

at Kenilworth Castle as a sort of last roll of the dice

0:21:330:21:36

for Dudley in this long-running game of trying to get

0:21:360:21:40

the Queen to marry him.

0:21:400:21:42

But why was it that Dudley put so much faith in fireworks

0:21:450:21:49

as a way to win the heart of his queen?

0:21:490:21:52

Well, he was living in the Golden Age of English history,

0:21:540:21:58

with a flowering of music, literature and theatre.

0:21:580:22:01

Perhaps I can get to the bottom of the emotional power of our display

0:22:040:22:09

from the greatest dramatist of this, or indeed of any other, era.

0:22:090:22:14

Farah, what can the Globe Theatre tell us about Tudor pyrotechnics?

0:22:140:22:19

Well, in Shakespeare's original Globe of 1599,

0:22:190:22:22

he would've staged plays, like Julius Caesar and Macbeth,

0:22:220:22:25

which actually had stage directions that call for fireworks.

0:22:250:22:28

Set off within this wooden thatched building?

0:22:280:22:32

Yes, and, miraculously, it didn't burn down, at least not until 1613.

0:22:320:22:36

They were that committed to fireworks

0:22:360:22:38

that they actually burned down their theatre and destroyed it?

0:22:380:22:40

Accidentally, yes.

0:22:400:22:43

I think the most famous scene with a storm is the opening of Macbeth,

0:22:430:22:47

isn't it? Act I, Scene I?

0:22:470:22:48

Yes. There's a stage direction there that calls for...

0:22:480:22:51

"Thunder and lightning."

0:22:510:22:53

"And then enter the witches."

0:22:530:22:55

So, how did they actually do that?

0:22:550:22:57

You can see there's a trap in the heavens there,

0:22:570:23:00

and there's a reference in the period to sort of stagehands

0:23:000:23:03

being up there lighting squibs so that it looks like you get flashes

0:23:030:23:07

of lightning coming out of the heavens.

0:23:070:23:09

Or they might have used swivels to create other kinds

0:23:090:23:12

-of storm or cosmic events.

-A swivel?

0:23:120:23:16

Well, there were manuals that instructed people how to make

0:23:160:23:19

fireworks in that time period.

0:23:190:23:21

So the example that I have here is The Mysteries Of Nature And Art

0:23:210:23:25

by John Bate, published in 1634.

0:23:250:23:27

But a lot of the techniques he talks about in here would have been around

0:23:270:23:31

for a long time. Medieval theatre

0:23:310:23:33

used a lot of these techniques, as well.

0:23:330:23:35

And a swivel is simply a rocket that sits on top of a rope

0:23:350:23:39

that's tied between - here it's showing two trees but, actually,

0:23:390:23:42

-it could be the two pillars on the stage.

-Oh, it could have

0:23:420:23:45

-zipped across here, then?

-Exactly.

-It travels along, does it?

0:23:450:23:48

Yes, once you light it, it just zings across,

0:23:480:23:50

and it looks like some kind of flying fire,

0:23:500:23:52

like a comet or some kind of lightning effect.

0:23:520:23:55

-So, if I were a Tudor person sitting out there...

-Mm.

0:23:550:23:58

..I live in a very quiet world, there are no cars or loud noises.

0:23:580:24:02

I live in quite a dark world,

0:24:020:24:04

-lit mainly by candlelight and firelight...

-Yes.

0:24:040:24:07

..and then I hear this amazing rolling, rumbling thunder,

0:24:070:24:10

I see a flash of lightning coming out of there, then I see possibly

0:24:100:24:14

-three witches coming up from the underworld.

-Yes, in a puff of smoke.

0:24:140:24:17

-It must've been terrific!

-It would've been, it would've been.

0:24:170:24:20

So, if members of the audience for our display at Kenilworth

0:24:200:24:25

had been to the theatre, seen a Shakespeare production,

0:24:250:24:28

they would already have this in their minds

0:24:280:24:31

that when you hear or see thunder and lightning or flashes of light,

0:24:310:24:35

it's a very powerful moment.

0:24:360:24:37

It's like the universe is moving in some way.

0:24:370:24:41

Absolutely. And Shakespeare knew this very well,

0:24:410:24:44

which is why it becomes part of the poetry of his plays as well.

0:24:440:24:48

And what's the significance in Shakespeare's plays

0:24:480:24:51

when something like that appears, a comet, a shooting star?

0:24:510:24:55

Well, often, it is about prophecy.

0:24:550:24:58

In that time period, they read the heavens or the cosmos as having

0:24:580:25:02

great meaning. And, so, God was trying to send them messages.

0:25:020:25:06

So, one of the messages of Robert Dudley's display to the Queen

0:25:060:25:09

could have been, "Our love is written in the stars."

0:25:090:25:12

Literally, yes!

0:25:120:25:14

Coming back to the Globe at night,

0:25:230:25:25

it's hard to appreciate what London must have been like

0:25:250:25:28

4.5 centuries ago,

0:25:280:25:31

to the people walking along the banks of the Thames after having

0:25:310:25:35

experienced one of Shakespeare's masterpieces.

0:25:350:25:37

It was a very different world,

0:25:410:25:44

compared to how it's all lit up today.

0:25:440:25:47

I think, in Tudor times,

0:25:480:25:49

we'd have to picture the sky being pitch-y black,

0:25:490:25:53

maybe just the moon picking out the rooftops,

0:25:530:25:57

maybe the occasional gleam of a candle in a window.

0:25:570:26:00

Which means that the pyrotechnics

0:26:000:26:02

that the original audience would have seen at the Globe

0:26:020:26:06

must have made a profound impression upon them.

0:26:060:26:09

And it's that impact that I hope to experience,

0:26:120:26:16

if we manage to light up the night sky over Kenilworth Castle.

0:26:160:26:21

If we can evoke these emotions of awe and wonder,

0:26:220:26:26

then we will have got to the heart and soul

0:26:260:26:29

of a genuine Tudor firework display.

0:26:290:26:33

It will all come down to how well we manage to recreate the fireworks

0:26:360:26:41

that have been lost to history.

0:26:410:26:42

And Zoe's getting down to work,

0:26:420:26:45

beginning with the most versatile of the fireworks in our plan,

0:26:450:26:49

the fountain, or the gerb, as it's known in the trade.

0:26:490:26:53

The gerb is the unsung hero of any Tudor display.

0:26:550:26:59

It produces a beautiful fountain of sparks,

0:26:590:27:02

and I'm determined that every step I take in building it

0:27:020:27:05

is as authentic as it can be.

0:27:050:27:08

In Babington's guide, the old firemaster offers us

0:27:080:27:11

a series of instructions on how to make the tools for the job.

0:27:110:27:14

Mike and I are making them out of wood,

0:27:160:27:18

according to our Tudor specifications.

0:27:180:27:21

So, what's the first step?

0:27:210:27:22

Right, so we need to turn it down into a cylinder shape.

0:27:220:27:25

Our gerb tool comprises two wooden cylinders.

0:27:260:27:30

One is used to create the shape of the firework's paper tube...

0:27:300:27:33

I've used a lathe lots of times but I've never made a firework on one.

0:27:330:27:36

This is exciting.

0:27:360:27:38

..the other cylinder has a spindle on it.

0:27:380:27:41

When the paper tube is packed with gunpowder,

0:27:410:27:44

the spindle leaves a small void

0:27:440:27:47

in which combustion takes place.

0:27:470:27:49

There we have it, our first gerb tool.

0:27:500:27:52

Excellent, that's absolutely perfect.

0:27:520:27:55

-That is a perfect nipple.

-Thanks very much!

0:27:550:27:58

Precision is everything.

0:27:580:28:01

These tools must fit together perfectly

0:28:010:28:03

if they're going to be used to make fireworks in Babington's style.

0:28:030:28:07

So, this is like the rammer?

0:28:070:28:09

Exactly, this is the drift that's going to compress all the powder

0:28:090:28:12

into that gerb tube, so that should match up.

0:28:120:28:15

So, does your thing fit in my slot?

0:28:150:28:16

I can't when you say that!

0:28:190:28:22

Armed with the right tools for the job,

0:28:220:28:24

we can now start to roll the paper casing

0:28:240:28:27

that will house the gunpowder in our first firework.

0:28:270:28:31

-No pressure.

-No pressure.

-No, I mean lots of pressure.

0:28:310:28:34

It's like baking meets...

0:28:350:28:38

some sort of cigarette-making process.

0:28:380:28:41

Actually, this is going...

0:28:410:28:43

-This is really good.

-This is going quite well!

0:28:430:28:45

Modern firework-making is a simpler process using wet paper,

0:28:450:28:49

which is more manageable.

0:28:490:28:51

But we're staying authentic to Babington's guide.

0:28:510:28:54

So dry rolling is the Tudor technique?

0:28:540:28:56

-Yeah, that's right.

-More difficult.

0:28:560:28:59

When you've dry rolled the tube, what we're going to do

0:29:000:29:02

-is we've got to crimp this tube.

-So, to make a kind of collar in it?

0:29:020:29:05

-Exactly, that's going to be our choke.

-In fact,

0:29:050:29:07

in Babington's guide,

0:29:070:29:08

there's this picture here of a tube with this collar.

0:29:080:29:11

-So, is that the choke?

-That's the choke, yeah.

-Right.

0:29:110:29:14

The choke helps the gerb produce its spectacular fountain effect.

0:29:140:29:19

So, in use, it'll be that way up.

0:29:200:29:23

You want a fountain of sparks coming out of the top?

0:29:230:29:25

Yes, very much so.

0:29:250:29:26

And this collar helps you produce, you know, a nice arc of sparks?

0:29:260:29:30

Yes. Think of a garden hose squirting water out.

0:29:300:29:33

If you've just got the hosepipe, the water just wells out,

0:29:330:29:36

but if you then restrict the end of that hose and tighten it,

0:29:360:29:38

it turns into a tight jet and goes harder and faster,

0:29:380:29:41

so that's exactly what that's doing.

0:29:410:29:43

We're going to get some string, and we've got to pull it

0:29:430:29:46

really tight around that cardboard,

0:29:460:29:48

and the only way to do this is body weight.

0:29:480:29:50

-That's what's happening here?

-That's exactly what's happening there.

0:29:500:29:53

People are using their body weight to pull on the string?

0:29:530:29:56

Right, if you want to...

0:29:560:29:58

Thank you. That goes onto one end.

0:29:580:30:00

I'm going to tie you onto a post so that you can pull against...

0:30:000:30:03

-He's stood there?

-So, he's got that higher,

0:30:030:30:06

and he's sitting into it.

0:30:060:30:08

-Keep going, keep going, that's it.

-There!

0:30:080:30:11

Oh, I'm making... It's like a really...

0:30:110:30:14

-stiff Christmas cracker.

-The Christmas cracker from hell.

-Yeah.

0:30:140:30:17

-Right.

-Yeah?

-And another bit there.

0:30:190:30:21

-And then you can pull out your...

-There we have it.

0:30:210:30:23

There's our choke hole.

0:30:230:30:25

All that's left now is to fill it with gunpowder.

0:30:250:30:28

-Funnel goes on top.

-Yep.

-Literally that much is plenty.

0:30:280:30:32

And, unfortunately, it's at this point you're going to

0:30:340:30:37

-have to walk away.

-Oh. This is the dangerous bit?

0:30:370:30:39

-This is the dangerous bit.

-Fair enough, OK!

0:30:390:30:41

Fireworks factory manager Don Mansfield is going to use

0:30:410:30:44

the cylinder from the gerb tool

0:30:440:30:46

to compress the powder into the tube,

0:30:460:30:48

which will make it burn evenly.

0:30:480:30:50

Can we watch?

0:30:500:30:51

The problem is, compressing the gunpowder with the mallet

0:30:510:30:54

introduces energy which could ignite it.

0:30:540:30:56

-And this is dangerous because...?

-It could explode.

0:30:560:30:59

After all, a firework is, essentially,

0:31:000:31:03

a bomb with a paper casing rather than a metal one.

0:31:030:31:06

As a pyrotechnician with years of experience,

0:31:130:31:16

Don knows that every strike of the mallet is potentially lethal.

0:31:160:31:20

-Right, so that's that full, you can come in now.

-Lovely.

0:31:220:31:26

Twist that and pull that off.

0:31:260:31:28

There we go.

0:31:280:31:29

-There's our gerb!

-Yep.

0:31:290:31:32

-Whoa.

-It's all ready for use.

0:31:320:31:33

Now is a milestone moment in our mission.

0:31:350:31:38

Our first firework, made to Tudor design.

0:31:380:31:42

-We're pretty close.

-We are. You'll be fine.

0:31:420:31:45

Will it work?

0:31:460:31:48

I'll just go here.

0:31:480:31:50

-How are you firing it?

-Just a normal battery.

0:31:510:31:53

Three, two, one, firing.

0:31:550:31:58

FIZZING

0:32:010:32:03

That's fantastic!

0:32:040:32:06

What a great colour. Really rich orange.

0:32:060:32:08

-I love it!

-It's very pretty, isn't it? The iron's lovely, it sparkles.

0:32:080:32:13

Our first firework! Yes!

0:32:130:32:15

-Well done.

-Oh, I'm really pleased.

0:32:150:32:17

-We're on our way.

-More to make.

-Yeah. Better get hammering.

0:32:170:32:20

So, we've successfully made a firework fountain,

0:32:270:32:30

or gerb, as Babington called it.

0:32:300:32:33

Next are the frightening-looking horizontal spinning wheels.

0:32:330:32:37

Now, Simon,

0:32:370:32:39

-Zoe is off making fireworks...

-Mm.

0:32:390:32:41

..but she's given me this page from Babington's book,

0:32:410:32:45

and she's set me the task of finding out a bit more

0:32:450:32:49

-what that one is there.

-Right. Well, that's a fantastic firework,

0:32:490:32:52

so that is a wheel of fire, what the Italians called a girandole.

0:32:520:32:56

And it's basically a cartwheel,

0:32:560:32:59

it's a big wheel that's got fireworks

0:32:590:33:01

put around the perimeter, and then you put it on to a pole,

0:33:010:33:04

and you either put it horizontally or vertically,

0:33:040:33:07

and then it spins around,

0:33:070:33:09

and it shoots out flames and sparks, and stars,

0:33:090:33:12

and it's really exciting to see.

0:33:120:33:14

It shoots out sparks into the crowd?

0:33:140:33:16

Well, yes, exactly. So, it's, quite close, you know,

0:33:160:33:18

you're quite close up to these fireworks, and, uh,

0:33:180:33:21

so it's a really impressive effect.

0:33:210:33:23

And then it could be quite dangerous.

0:33:230:33:25

Do you think that these English gunners writing about fireworks

0:33:250:33:29

perhaps read this Italian book?

0:33:290:33:31

They may well have done.

0:33:310:33:33

One of them refers to these wheels as girandole,

0:33:330:33:36

so they use the term that the Italians used,

0:33:360:33:38

and the Italians were famous then, as now, for their fireworks,

0:33:380:33:42

so it's quite possible the English gunners might have looked

0:33:420:33:45

to them as a model for how to do their practice.

0:33:450:33:49

And then they reproduced them in their displays.

0:33:490:33:51

But if you want to find out about it,

0:33:510:33:53

-you're going to need to go to Italy.

-Oh, do I need to go to Italy?

0:33:530:33:57

-What a shame!

-Well, someone's got to do it.

0:33:570:33:59

As per Simon's strict instructions,

0:34:070:34:10

I'm in Italy -

0:34:100:34:12

firework capital of Europe in the Middle Ages.

0:34:120:34:15

Now, this might not be your idea of the gently rolling

0:34:180:34:21

Tuscan countryside,

0:34:210:34:23

but there's a reason that you might very well build

0:34:230:34:25

a fireworks factory in the middle of a desolate plain,

0:34:250:34:28

with no other houses nearby.

0:34:280:34:31

There's a risk that it might blow up.

0:34:320:34:34

-Ah, buongiorno!

-Buongiorno.

0:34:430:34:46

You must be Paola!

0:34:460:34:48

-Paola.

-Oh, very lovely to meet you.

-Welcome, Lucy.

0:34:480:34:51

I've come here to just outside Pisa

0:34:510:34:54

to meet a small, family-run fireworks firm

0:34:540:34:57

that's been going for four generations.

0:34:570:35:00

And girandole, things that go round, are in their blood.

0:35:010:35:05

Now, I hear you've been researching the girandole firework?

0:35:070:35:11

-Si.

-For many years?

0:35:110:35:14

That's him!

0:35:260:35:28

No way! That's 17 children?

0:35:300:35:33

Three wives? He had three wives, he had 17 children!

0:35:330:35:37

He was a pyrotechnical man, in his work, in his life. PAOLA LAUGHS

0:35:390:35:43

He had the world's biggest mortar,

0:35:430:35:45

and this is his notebook of firework recipes.

0:35:450:35:48

-So, this is the recipe to make the fountain of the girandole?

-Si.

0:35:520:35:56

That's the light part?

0:35:560:35:58

They're jumped!

0:36:040:36:05

-You push it down?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

0:36:090:36:11

Let's go!

0:36:200:36:21

The girandola. Vecchia.

0:36:270:36:30

Firework from the '60s.

0:36:370:36:40

OK. And where does...? Are these the fireworks?

0:36:450:36:48

So they go?

0:36:480:36:49

I think we want many.

0:36:570:36:59

-Si.

-Multi, multi, multi!

-OK!

0:37:000:37:02

-OK?

-OK. What sort of shape is it supposed to make?

0:37:040:37:07

What's it supposed to look like?

0:37:070:37:09

A willow?

0:37:130:37:14

That's rather beautiful. It's supposed to look like

0:37:230:37:25

-a white weeping willow tree?

-White.

0:37:250:37:28

I can't wait to see you burning it up later on!

0:37:280:37:31

The anticipation, as Paola and her team use the skills

0:37:420:37:45

that have been in her family for four generations,

0:37:450:37:48

to resurrect a firework from history,

0:37:480:37:51

is really rather overwhelming.

0:37:510:37:54

How will this antique perform?

0:37:540:37:56

There's a reason you don't see so many of these girandole in displays

0:37:560:38:01

any more, because sparks literally fly.

0:38:010:38:04

They come whizzing out in this horizontal plane,

0:38:040:38:07

right into the spectators.

0:38:070:38:09

-So, when we press fire, we're going to run?

-Yes.

0:38:090:38:11

Are we ready?

0:38:110:38:13

-Shall we go?

-Yeah.

0:38:130:38:15

-BOTH:

-Three, two, one...

0:38:150:38:17

Fire!

0:38:170:38:19

IT SIZZLES

0:38:220:38:24

THEY CHEER

0:38:240:38:26

Seeing the girandola in action,

0:38:460:38:48

it's not quite such a mystery why you don't see them any more.

0:38:480:38:51

Any show with a girandola risks setting off everything else

0:38:530:38:57

with its huge arc of beautiful sparks.

0:38:570:39:00

So, in our display, we'll have to handle this rare firework

0:39:050:39:09

with extreme care.

0:39:090:39:10

The next star of our show is the rocket.

0:39:130:39:17

These were the flying favourites of the Tudor firework display.

0:39:170:39:23

-How are we doing, Mike? Are we all set up?

-Very good.

0:39:250:39:27

It's all set up and ready for you.

0:39:270:39:30

The rocket is essentially an upside-down gerb,

0:39:300:39:33

but with one slight difference.

0:39:330:39:35

It's made with a long channel running through the gunpowder.

0:39:350:39:39

This creates a greater combustible area inside the tube.

0:39:390:39:43

More powder burns more quickly,

0:39:440:39:46

generating thrust to drive the rocket upwards.

0:39:460:39:49

To make that channel, we need the help of a Tudor tool

0:39:510:39:54

with an extra long spindle.

0:39:540:39:56

So, we're just going to make a sort of pointy stick, aren't we?

0:39:560:39:59

A pointy stick, exactly right, out of brass, so it's non-sparking.

0:39:590:40:02

And that's the spindle?

0:40:020:40:05

That's the spindle, that's right.

0:40:050:40:07

So, we put the spindle in first and then pack the gunpowder

0:40:070:40:10

-in around it...

-That's it.

-And then take it out to leave that void?

0:40:100:40:14

Perfect, yeah.

0:40:140:40:16

-Yeah, that will do for the first cut.

-That's enough? OK.

-Yeah.

0:40:160:40:18

Here it comes.

0:40:190:40:21

Yes! Look at that, what a beauty!

0:40:210:40:24

Our perfect spindle, love it.

0:40:240:40:26

So now we have the spindle, the rest of the process

0:40:300:40:33

is identical to making a gerb.

0:40:330:40:34

Dry-rolling paper to fabricate a tube.

0:40:340:40:37

-Right.

-There we go.

-Ta-da, a tube!

0:40:390:40:41

And this is where our spindle comes in.

0:40:410:40:44

So this is what makes the difference between the rocket

0:40:440:40:46

-and the gerb?

-Yes.

-Terrific.

0:40:460:40:48

So, when we pack this in and take it out,

0:40:480:40:50

we'll leave a void that will increase the surface area inside,

0:40:500:40:54

and then create more gas.

0:40:540:40:56

-A perfect stick for you.

-Lovely.

0:41:010:41:03

Thank you.

0:41:030:41:05

-Nice.

-Terrific.

0:41:050:41:07

Right. How do we know if this is the right length?

0:41:070:41:08

Right, so there's a balance point, and the balance point is always

0:41:080:41:12

-where the exit of the motor is.

-OK.

0:41:120:41:13

So, if you put your finger on there, is it balanced?

0:41:130:41:16

-No.

-Not in the slightest. So, we need to chop some of the stick off.

0:41:160:41:20

Yeah, more, please. Without a perfectly balanced stick,

0:41:200:41:24

the rocket could careen out of control.

0:41:240:41:27

There we have it, a perfectly balanced rocket.

0:41:270:41:30

And, in theory, this should fly straight and true.

0:41:300:41:33

There's only one way to find out - testing in the field.

0:41:370:41:42

No, literally, a cow field.

0:41:420:41:44

We've set up our first Elizabethan rocket to put it through its paces.

0:41:450:41:50

Right, a firework we've made following Babington's

0:41:500:41:53

design and referencing other manuals of the day

0:41:530:41:57

is now primed and ready to go.

0:41:570:41:59

It's about 30 metres from us, that way.

0:41:590:42:01

Rockets with sticks are now considered too dangerous

0:42:030:42:05

for public displays in the UK,

0:42:050:42:07

so safety goggles and a 30-metre exclusion zone

0:42:070:42:10

are absolutely essential.

0:42:100:42:13

After all, we are making what is effectively an Elizabethan missile,

0:42:140:42:18

based on a 400-year-old instruction manual.

0:42:180:42:20

The honest truth is we don't know what's going to happen.

0:42:200:42:24

This is a test, and the only way we're going to find out

0:42:240:42:27

-is by setting it off.

-Great, so, I've armed it, it's ready to go...

0:42:270:42:30

-Yep.

-..all you have to do is press the button.

0:42:300:42:32

Right. Three, two, one...

0:42:320:42:36

-Whoa-ho-ho!

-Ooh!

0:42:370:42:39

Oh, my God!

0:42:390:42:40

-It...it...

-It blew up!

0:42:420:42:43

-It didn't lift much.

-Nothing went up!

0:42:430:42:46

It didn't even make it off the launchpad.

0:42:500:42:52

Luckily, we rigged multiple high-speed cameras

0:42:530:42:56

so we could figure out the science behind what went wrong.

0:42:560:42:59

-Oh!

-Oh!

-THEY LAUGH

0:43:030:43:05

-Very quick.

-Yeah.

0:43:050:43:07

This is a thousand frames a second,

0:43:070:43:09

and, within about a second, it was...

0:43:090:43:12

-Blown to smithereens.

-..dust.

-Yeah.

0:43:120:43:15

You can see, it ignites, and then it starts to lift,

0:43:150:43:17

-it's literally two inches off there. Boom.

-And it goes, yeah.

0:43:170:43:20

The pressure was just building up so much in that case.

0:43:200:43:24

We think the rocket blew up because the channel made by the spindle

0:43:280:43:32

was just too long. This means that too big a surface area

0:43:320:43:36

of gunpowder was exposed,

0:43:360:43:38

resulting in an excess of hot, expanding gases,

0:43:380:43:41

vainly attempting to escape through the tiny choke.

0:43:410:43:44

The rapidly expanding gases

0:43:470:43:49

simply blew the casing to pieces.

0:43:490:43:52

To counteract this, we need to make the channel shorter...

0:43:580:44:01

exposing a smaller surface area of gunpowder inside the rocket.

0:44:020:44:06

The last one was, let's face it, a bit of a disaster.

0:44:100:44:14

So, we've made some adjustments and, hopefully,

0:44:140:44:16

this one will hit the spot.

0:44:160:44:19

-Let's give it a go.

-Give it a go.

-Ready?

0:44:190:44:21

Three, two, one...

0:44:230:44:25

Ooh! Oh!

0:44:270:44:29

And it's still going!

0:44:290:44:31

-Wow.

-I think that was a big improvement.

0:44:310:44:34

With our design modifications,

0:44:370:44:39

we've achieved our goal and created a rocket

0:44:390:44:42

that flies straight and true.

0:44:420:44:44

Now, that's a confident takeoff.

0:44:450:44:47

That's a confident takeoff, that's a nice jet of gas coming out.

0:44:470:44:51

I think that's quite a good effort.

0:44:510:44:53

I think we've cracked it. We have a working rocket.

0:44:570:45:00

And very much in the spirit of the traditional Babington firework.

0:45:000:45:05

That is an entirely handmade Tudor-style rocket.

0:45:050:45:08

It's a spectacular achievement,

0:45:080:45:11

and it must have delighted and terrified

0:45:110:45:13

Dudley and his audience to see something flying so high

0:45:130:45:17

into the skies above.

0:45:170:45:20

What was the meaning of a rocket to the Tudor viewer?

0:45:200:45:24

Rockets are what they called artificial meteors.

0:45:240:45:28

These effects are considered to be portents,

0:45:280:45:31

they're considered to be signs sent by God.

0:45:310:45:34

I learnt about this from Shakespeare.

0:45:340:45:36

If you see a shooting star or a comet,

0:45:360:45:39

it means that something very profound is about to happen.

0:45:390:45:43

Exactly. Now, imagine taking that outside

0:45:430:45:46

and putting it into a display on a huge scale.

0:45:460:45:50

This is a combination of the theatre and the military,

0:45:500:45:53

so you go in the field, you have rockets,

0:45:530:45:56

you can send these things up, you know, high up into the air,

0:45:560:46:01

and that's going to have a really big effect on people.

0:46:010:46:03

So, I think that's something that Elizabeth might have appreciated

0:46:030:46:07

from her suitor.

0:46:070:46:08

Three! Two!

0:46:100:46:12

One...

0:46:120:46:13

The elements of our display are coming together.

0:46:140:46:17

We've built our first rocket,

0:46:170:46:19

we've found our cannon,

0:46:190:46:21

we've made the gerb

0:46:210:46:23

and tracked down the girandola.

0:46:230:46:25

THEY CHEER

0:46:250:46:27

Now, here, at the centre of Babington's plan,

0:46:280:46:31

are some rather ambitious-looking fireworks.

0:46:310:46:34

The name says it all.

0:46:340:46:36

It's a simple but effective idea.

0:46:360:46:38

You take a rocket, then fire a box of them all at the same time.

0:46:380:46:43

As with the girandola, details of how it works are scarce,

0:46:480:46:52

at least in the UK.

0:46:520:46:54

To find out, Zoe has travelled to the other side of the world,

0:46:550:46:59

to South Korea.

0:46:590:47:00

It's the only place where you can still find the Hwacha,

0:47:020:47:06

a multiple rocket launcher,

0:47:060:47:08

developed in the Far East over 600 years ago.

0:47:080:47:11

And it's remarkably similar

0:47:110:47:13

to the rocket boxes in our Tudor display.

0:47:130:47:16

For its time, it was an exceptionally advanced piece

0:47:160:47:20

of military weaponry,

0:47:200:47:21

firing up to 200 rocket-powered arrows simultaneously.

0:47:210:47:25

I've come to an explosives factory

0:47:300:47:32

in a remote western province.

0:47:320:47:34

Dr Chae?

0:47:340:47:37

..where I tracked down one of the best authorities

0:47:370:47:40

on ancient Korean rockets.

0:47:400:47:42

So, we're making a traditional rocket, is that the singijeon?

0:47:440:47:47

Singijeon.

0:47:470:47:49

-Singijeon?

-Yes.

0:47:490:47:50

It's been used since the 1400s? Wow.

0:47:580:48:02

And this is a weapon more than a firework.

0:48:020:48:04

-This is to fire at your enemies.

-Mm-hmm.

0:48:040:48:06

Look at these tools. These tools are amazing. Are they steel?

0:48:110:48:15

These are...

0:48:170:48:19

The spitting image of the tools

0:48:190:48:21

we've seen in Babington's manual.

0:48:210:48:23

Yet they're made of steel.

0:48:240:48:27

We are now thousands of miles from Britain,

0:48:270:48:29

and the same objects are being used,

0:48:290:48:31

albeit in a different material,

0:48:310:48:33

but the principle is the same.

0:48:330:48:35

These are the tools you need for making fireworks,

0:48:350:48:37

and they have been so for hundreds of years.

0:48:370:48:39

Ooh!

0:48:410:48:42

You're making me nervous!

0:48:490:48:51

OK, so, here comes the gunpowder.

0:48:510:48:53

Uh-huh, this is gunpowder.

0:48:530:48:54

This is when I stand back.

0:48:540:48:56

OK. That's good idea.

0:48:560:48:57

This is the dangerous part,

0:48:580:49:00

when they start filling the rocket with the gunpowder and compacting

0:49:000:49:03

it down. Now, they are using steel tools,

0:49:030:49:05

this is something we would never do in Britain because steel tools can

0:49:050:49:08

generate a spark and that spark can ignite the gunpowder.

0:49:080:49:12

But they have assured me it's safe because we are in 80% humidity

0:49:120:49:16

and that means the gunpowder is slightly damp and can't set on fire.

0:49:160:49:19

But...I'm still going to stand back.

0:49:190:49:21

Ooh!

0:49:240:49:25

God!

0:49:250:49:26

It's like an instinct, just to feel anxious at this moment.

0:49:290:49:31

That hammer just tapping that metal rod then,

0:49:350:49:38

that could set the whole thing alight

0:49:380:49:40

and we would have an explosion on our hands.

0:49:400:49:42

So it would have had a large arrowhead on the end,

0:49:500:49:53

but we're using smaller,

0:49:530:49:55

blunter tips for these arrows.

0:49:550:49:57

Imagine a snooker cue coming at you at 100mph.

0:49:570:50:01

That's... Yeah, deadly.

0:50:010:50:02

So, now we're using string to bind the engine,

0:50:030:50:07

the gunpowder-filled chamber, onto the arrow.

0:50:070:50:10

OK. Yeah.

0:50:110:50:13

Here we have it, our singijeon.

0:50:140:50:17

And these are going to fly out of our hwacha.

0:50:170:50:20

So this is where fireworks cross over to the battlefield.

0:50:210:50:23

Doctor Chae's team have one of just 20 working hwachas in existence.

0:50:290:50:33

So now we're privileged to see what the enemy would have faced four

0:50:330:50:38

centuries ago.

0:50:380:50:39

When the hwacha deploys, it's a fearsome sight.

0:50:470:50:50

I definitely want these in our display,

0:50:510:50:54

although I'm getting rather nervous.

0:50:540:50:56

If a stray spark finds its way into the rocket box,

0:50:560:51:00

our entire arsenal of Tudor fireworks could go up in flames.

0:51:000:51:05

Both Zoe and I know this is going to be a challenge,

0:51:110:51:15

but we aren't deterred.

0:51:150:51:17

Halfway through our quest,

0:51:170:51:18

there's still plenty to do to create a display fit for a queen.

0:51:180:51:23

To recreate the celebrations put on for Elizabeth I as faithfully as

0:51:240:51:28

possible, we need to do it at the castle

0:51:280:51:32

where it all happened in 1575.

0:51:320:51:35

It's time to base ourselves near Kenilworth Castle itself,

0:51:350:51:39

the grand backdrop to arguably the most high-profile marriage proposal

0:51:390:51:44

in history. It was gifted to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester,

0:51:440:51:48

by the object of his affections, Elizabeth I,

0:51:480:51:52

so it was fitting that he should choose it as a backdrop for his most

0:51:520:51:56

extravagant attempt to win her hand in marriage.

0:51:560:52:00

Remember that £24 million that Robert Dudley spent on his party?

0:52:000:52:05

Well, he didn't blow it all on the fireworks.

0:52:050:52:08

He spent the few years running up to the event transforming his castle.

0:52:080:52:14

He completely remodelled a four-storey tower

0:52:140:52:17

for the Queen to stay in

0:52:170:52:18

and he added this magnificent garden that's been lovingly recreated

0:52:180:52:24

to his original specifications.

0:52:240:52:26

During three weeks of celebrations,

0:52:290:52:31

Dudley laid on some truly elaborate entertainment to try and woo

0:52:310:52:35

Elizabeth - notably, bear-baiting, Tudor dancing and, of course,

0:52:350:52:41

the spectacular fireworks.

0:52:410:52:43

Reports are quite sketchy as to where exactly the pyrotechnics

0:52:430:52:47

took place, but it's highly likely that the Earl would have framed them

0:52:470:52:51

in the striking silhouette of Kenilworth.

0:52:510:52:54

It's here where we will watch our Tudor fireworks,

0:52:540:52:57

as Elizabeth may have viewed them herself over 400 years ago.

0:52:570:53:02

But first a chance to catch up with Zoe,

0:53:060:53:09

who I know has got big plans for our display.

0:53:090:53:13

Now, I've always been intrigued by the utterly gigantic rocket at

0:53:130:53:17

-the front here.

-I'm really up for having the big rocket

0:53:170:53:21

front and centre as the climax of our display.

0:53:210:53:24

I've done some rocket making...

0:53:240:53:26

-Have you now?

-Yeah.

0:53:260:53:28

And I have not made something this big.

0:53:280:53:30

You don't make rockets this big.

0:53:300:53:32

-Why not? Because it's dangerous?

-Because it's dangerous.

0:53:320:53:34

-Yeah.

-Oh, really? Perfect.

0:53:340:53:35

It is true that at a firework display in 1572,

0:53:350:53:39

a stray firework set fire to somebody's house, killed two people

0:53:390:53:43

and the village had to be compensated to the tune of

0:53:430:53:46

£25 by the Queen.

0:53:460:53:47

Well, that's what we face if this...

0:53:470:53:50

What, a bill of £25? THEY LAUGH

0:53:500:53:52

One of the unusual features of Tudor displays is that the set itself

0:53:520:53:56

would have been viewed as a work of art.

0:53:560:53:58

As you can see on the chequerboard floor, there's contrast there.

0:54:000:54:03

I'll go off and do a bit of research, then.

0:54:030:54:05

It needs to look good

0:54:050:54:07

by daylight, before it gets blown up, basically,

0:54:070:54:10

-so you can see what it is that's about to be destroyed.

-Yeah.

0:54:100:54:13

So what colours might Robert Dudley have painted his Tudor fireworks

0:54:150:54:18

set in order both to make a personal statement

0:54:180:54:22

and to impress Elizabeth I?

0:54:220:54:24

Searching for clues at Kenilworth is a challenge, as most of Dudley's

0:54:250:54:30

personal possessions have long been lost

0:54:300:54:32

and the castle was destroyed in 1649,

0:54:320:54:36

so I'm meeting an authority on Robert Dudley, Elizabeth Goldring,

0:54:360:54:42

on the trail of the few scraps of evidence about his life,

0:54:420:54:45

which could lead me to the solution.

0:54:450:54:47

So, Elizabeth, it's a tapestry.

0:54:500:54:53

What is it showing?

0:54:530:54:55

Well, in the centre is

0:54:550:54:57

Dudley's coat of arms

0:54:570:54:59

and it is surmounted by a muzzled

0:54:590:55:03

bear holding a ragged staff.

0:55:030:55:06

The colours of the tapestry are a little bit faded.

0:55:060:55:09

I'm interested in the colours.

0:55:090:55:10

-Can I see your...

-Yes.

-..sort of freshened-up version?

0:55:100:55:14

The dominant colours are blue, red and gold, or azure, gules and ore.

0:55:140:55:20

-Oh, OK, the language of heraldry.

-I believe so.

0:55:200:55:22

-I think so, yes.

-He's very well colour-coordinated, isn't he,

0:55:220:55:26

because he's got his blue Order of the Garter...

0:55:260:55:29

-Yes.

-..he's got his red and gold earl's cap...

-Yes.

0:55:290:55:31

..and then his family colours are the same.

0:55:310:55:33

-Yes, it's very striking.

-They're blue, they're red,

0:55:330:55:35

-they're gold.

-Very striking, isn't it?

0:55:350:55:37

If I were Robert Dudley putting on a fireworks display and I wanted to

0:55:370:55:40

paint my set, then I might do it in my own colours.

0:55:400:55:44

Might to be a good idea.

0:55:440:55:46

That's a pretty good steer.

0:55:460:55:48

But the Tudors loved a broad mix of bright colours,

0:55:480:55:51

so I wonder if there are any more clues hidden in these exhibits.

0:55:510:55:56

So here we've got some stained glass from the castle

0:55:570:56:01

-and this is an interesting colour. We haven't seen it this far...

-No.

0:56:010:56:07

..and it's not a standard Tudor colour, by any means, is it?

0:56:070:56:10

In Dudley's Circle, orange, as a colour,

0:56:100:56:12

was sort of code for William of Orange.

0:56:120:56:15

Dudley was absolutely obsessed with getting the Queen to send him to the

0:56:150:56:20

Netherlands as the head of an English expeditionary force to help

0:56:200:56:23

-out the Dutch.

-So he's saying, "I'm on your side, Dutch people.

0:56:230:56:27

"I'm a hot Protestant.

0:56:270:56:29

"Come on, Queenie, how about it?

0:56:290:56:30

"Send me over to help them."

0:56:300:56:32

From the few clues still in existence from Dudley's life,

0:56:330:56:37

we've managed to pinpoint

0:56:370:56:38

some of what would have been his favoured colours.

0:56:380:56:41

Our set will be made up of the colours

0:56:410:56:43

from the Earl's coat of arms -

0:56:430:56:45

blue...

0:56:450:56:47

gold...

0:56:470:56:48

and red.

0:56:480:56:49

And to show his political support for the Protestant Dutch against the

0:56:490:56:53

Catholic Spanish, we're adding a touch of orange.

0:56:530:56:56

As I told Lucy over tea,

0:57:040:57:06

one of the most exciting elements in the show,

0:57:060:57:08

which I'm really looking forward to testing, is Babington's big rocket.

0:57:080:57:12

Positioned at the front of our display, it's simply bonkers.

0:57:140:57:18

Judging from the scale, it's ten times the size of the normal rockets

0:57:190:57:23

and we've seen how unpredictable they can be.

0:57:230:57:25

Very few have been mad enough to make gunpowder rockets this size

0:57:290:57:33

for centuries.

0:57:330:57:35

Until now.

0:57:360:57:37

Babington never specified just how big a rocket could be,

0:57:390:57:43

so we're going to test his principles and just scale it up.

0:57:430:57:46

We've got some great big cardboard tubes,

0:57:460:57:48

an old broom handle as the stick

0:57:480:57:50

and we're using more gunpowder than we have in any of our fireworks so

0:57:500:57:53

far, and we're going to see how it flies.

0:57:530:57:55

We're significantly further back than last time, aren't we?

0:58:010:58:04

A lot further back. So it'd be really dangerous if I pressed

0:58:040:58:06

the button right now, yeah?

0:58:060:58:07

-THEY LAUGH

-Don't do it!

0:58:070:58:10

All eyes on the rocket.

0:58:100:58:11

-OK.

-All good?

-Yeah.

0:58:150:58:17

Why are you standing behind me, then?

0:58:170:58:19

THEY CHUCKLE

0:58:190:58:22

Yeah, let's do it. OK.

0:58:220:58:24

Five...four...

0:58:270:58:30

three...two...

0:58:300:58:32

one...

0:58:320:58:33

ZOE GASPS

0:58:370:58:39

THEY CHUCKLE

0:58:410:58:43

Oh, jeez!

0:58:430:58:44

Look at that tube.

0:58:450:58:46

-The broomstick hasn't moved!

-THEY LAUGH

0:58:480:58:50

-The top came off.

-Shall we go and have a look?

0:58:500:58:53

-Yeah.

-I think it's clear.

-Let me turn this off.

0:58:530:58:55

Look at that fantastic cloud of smoke.

0:58:550:58:58

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Look at that.

0:58:580:59:01

It smells like November the 5th.

0:59:010:59:02

-It's blown the top clean off.

-Mm.

0:59:040:59:06

I think it's back to the drawing board if we want to make a big one.

0:59:060:59:08

Yeah.

0:59:080:59:10

Right. Workshop, here we come.

0:59:110:59:13

Scaling the rocket up meant we needed to add more gunpowder to help

0:59:150:59:19

it take off.

0:59:190:59:21

This is a careful balance of the thrust to weight ratio.

0:59:210:59:25

As the rocket gets bigger, you need more gunpowder.

0:59:250:59:29

But that increases the weight.

0:59:290:59:30

And with all that gas being produced at once,

0:59:310:59:34

it couldn't escape fast enough and...

0:59:340:59:37

Not only is the display just days away,

0:59:390:59:42

we've also invited a select audience of people who have helped us.

0:59:420:59:45

The last thing we want is a pyrotechnic disaster like this.

0:59:450:59:49

But I'm hopeful that, with a bit more experimentation,

0:59:500:59:54

we'll nail it in time.

0:59:540:59:55

It's some journey we've been on

0:59:591:00:00

and we've almost all the elements we need for our display.

1:00:001:00:04

We've sourced gerbs and girandole.

1:00:041:00:07

We've found the secret to flying rockets.

1:00:071:00:09

In Korea, Zoe tracked down a lethal version of the rocket box.

1:00:111:00:16

We've tested Babington's big rocket

1:00:161:00:18

and I've found a cannon from the correct period to set off the

1:00:181:00:22

celebrations with a bang.

1:00:221:00:23

But there's one last challenge I've got for Zoe.

1:00:261:00:29

I came across it in a proposal for the display,

1:00:291:00:32

written by an Italian pyrotechnician,

1:00:321:00:35

that describes something on a very different scale

1:00:351:00:38

to all other challenges.

1:00:381:00:41

Farah, this is a list of ideas for Robert Dudley.

1:00:411:00:45

So we think this was actually under his nose and he went through this.

1:00:451:00:49

And this catches my eye.

1:00:491:00:51

It looks like he was considering, in his display, having a dragon.

1:00:511:00:55

"A dragon as big as an ox which will fly twice or thrice as high as the

1:00:551:00:59

-"tower of St Paul's."

-Mm.

1:00:591:01:01

There's St Paul's. SHE LAUGHS

1:01:011:01:03

We're talking about the old St Paul's, but, nevertheless,

1:01:031:01:06

-that's pretty high...

-Pretty high.

-..for a dragon to fly.

1:01:061:01:08

-Yes.

-So I'm thinking this would be a great thing for us to include,

1:01:081:01:12

a flying dragon.

1:01:121:01:13

Have you got any Shakespearean

1:01:131:01:15

references that'll help us to plan it?

1:01:151:01:17

Yes, actually, there's a play by another playwright

1:01:171:01:20

named Robert Greene, which was written around 1594,

1:01:201:01:23

known as Friar Bacon And Friar Bungay.

1:01:231:01:26

And in it, the stage direction reads,

1:01:261:01:29

"Bungay utters his spell and a golden tree rises from the ground,

1:01:291:01:32

"with a dragon in its branches, spitting out fire."

1:01:321:01:35

So, hang on, this is crazy.

1:01:351:01:37

A golden tree arises from the ground in the theatre with a dragon in its

1:01:371:01:42

branches spitting out fire.

1:01:421:01:44

-Yes.

-And have you any idea how they would've put that together

1:01:441:01:48

-at the Globe?

-Well, a dragon spitting out fire

1:01:481:01:51

is another firework effect

1:01:511:01:53

which they might have used in the theatres of the time.

1:01:531:01:56

In John Bates' instruction manual, he actually gives you instructions,

1:01:561:02:00

how to make flying dragons.

1:02:001:02:02

-How to build a dragon.

-How to make a flying dragon.

1:02:021:02:04

-A flying dragon, even better.

-Yes.

1:02:041:02:06

Fantastic. Oh, and he's spitting out fire, isn't he?

1:02:061:02:08

He's spitting out fire. He's got fire coming out of his mouth

1:02:081:02:11

and out of his tail, and it's on a similar thing to a swivel.

1:02:111:02:15

And what's he made out of, then?

1:02:151:02:16

Zoe's going to need to know the details.

1:02:161:02:18

Well, he's made out of wood or whalebone.

1:02:181:02:21

-It says, "Thin whalebones..."

-Yes.

-"..covered with glass."

1:02:211:02:25

-With glass, yes.

-And painted over.

-And then painted,

1:02:251:02:27

so he would be quite spectacular and colourful.

1:02:271:02:29

-He would look like a lantern.

-Yes.

-Glowing.

-Yes.

1:02:291:02:32

-Wonderful.

-Oh, dear.

1:02:321:02:33

-Look at this.

-It says that he is, "Somewhat troublesome to compose."

1:02:331:02:37

THEY LAUGH

1:02:371:02:38

-Yeah, good luck with that.

-I'll take that as a challenge.

1:02:381:02:42

Yeah, there's this display and we've been looking at this one...

1:02:421:02:45

As I suspected, Zoe wasn't going to be put off.

1:02:451:02:50

My proposition is that we take this dragon and we incorporate it to then

1:02:501:02:55

make this kind of display,

1:02:551:02:57

where we have our dragon entering in down a zip wire.

1:02:571:03:01

And what happens if he catches fire and burns up?

1:03:011:03:03

-Is that a problem?

-I think that could be part of the drama of it.

1:03:031:03:07

You know, the dragon should be destroyed at the end.

1:03:071:03:10

I was only half joking with Lucy,

1:03:101:03:12

this is a unique challenge that combines sculpting skills with

1:03:121:03:16

pyrotechnics. But where can you find this unusual skill set?

1:03:161:03:20

The annual Bonfire Night celebrations in

1:03:251:03:28

Lewes, East Sussex, are undoubtedly the craziest in Britain.

1:03:281:03:31

Effigies are paraded through the town and burnt

1:03:331:03:35

in a broad celebration of political satire.

1:03:351:03:38

So I've asked members of the Lewes Borough Bonfire Society and artist

1:03:411:03:45

Bec Britain to add their know-how to the dragon's design.

1:03:451:03:50

We've taking a more practical approach than John Bates' whalebone

1:03:501:03:53

and glass that Lucy discovered at the Globe,

1:03:531:03:56

but I hope it's as effective.

1:03:561:03:58

-This is all willow.

-Lovely, smooth finish,

1:03:591:04:02

which is so good for sculpting.

1:04:021:04:04

Bec has constructed the skeleton by bending willow,

1:04:041:04:08

a technique that has been used for thousands of years.

1:04:081:04:11

And the team from Lewes Borough Bonfire Society are helping to apply

1:04:131:04:16

the skin. So these are sheets of paper impregnated with glue

1:04:161:04:20

and water, which makes them very malleable.

1:04:201:04:23

That's right. It's a wet strength tissue,

1:04:231:04:26

it's the kind of thing you'd find in an '80s perm,

1:04:261:04:28

because it can get wet and not fall apart.

1:04:281:04:31

The dragon is less controversial than the effigies or tableau that

1:04:331:04:37

they usually make.

1:04:371:04:38

Obviously, we want to wow the crowd,

1:04:381:04:41

very much like this dragon would've absolutely knocked them for six

1:04:411:04:44

in Tudor times, yeah. And the tableau is a bit of a black art.

1:04:441:04:48

It can represent anything.

1:04:481:04:50

Last year, Humpty Trumpty.

1:04:501:04:52

-Humpty Trumpty?

-Humpty Trumpty.

1:04:521:04:53

He was sitting on a wall.

1:04:531:04:55

-I can imagine who that was.

-HE LAUGHS

1:04:551:04:57

If you take the top two corners.

1:04:571:04:59

-That's it.

-Go up there?

1:05:001:05:02

-Yeah, try up there.

-Right.

-We're going to do a layer

1:05:021:05:05

of French enamel varnish, which is going to give it really

1:05:051:05:08

iridescent colour.

1:05:081:05:09

Once we've applied the skin,

1:05:111:05:13

a coat of paint in Dudley's colours will complete the look.

1:05:131:05:16

So this is the cage in which we're going to put a gerb or

1:05:171:05:20

maybe a fountain.

1:05:201:05:22

And then that leaves the fireworks to be inserted into the dragon's

1:05:221:05:26

various orifices.

1:05:261:05:27

I've always wanted to light a fart!

1:05:271:05:28

Now for the final touches.

1:05:331:05:35

We're going to sprinkle some stars on proceedings.

1:05:351:05:38

Stars were one of the features mentioned in the accounts

1:05:441:05:47

of the original Kenilworth display.

1:05:471:05:50

They describe an explosion of beautiful sparks that rained down

1:05:501:05:53

from the night sky after the rockets exploded.

1:05:531:05:57

So are these going to be stars?

1:05:571:05:58

Yes. We want these stars to be...

1:05:581:06:01

You don't want them to just disappear quickly,

1:06:011:06:03

you want them to sort of like flitter and come down,

1:06:031:06:06

so by making it burn a bit slower, that's how you'll start to do that.

1:06:061:06:09

-OK.

-It's like your aniseed ball in your mouth.

1:06:091:06:12

It slowly but surely disappears.

1:06:121:06:14

Tudor stars are made out of compressed pellets of gunpowder.

1:06:141:06:20

And you'll be pleased to hear this is a nice, safe technique,

1:06:201:06:23

because it is wet, this is something that you can have a go at.

1:06:231:06:26

What we're doing is we're ramming that compound into the tube.

1:06:261:06:29

It's a lovely thing, isn't it?

1:06:291:06:31

It's lovely, yes. Proper old-fashioned tooling.

1:06:311:06:33

Now, you can feel when it gets full,

1:06:341:06:36

then it's a couple more once it's full.

1:06:361:06:37

That's it. And then just rub it against your palm

1:06:371:06:39

and that flattens it.

1:06:391:06:41

You don't want to drop the stars excessively high...

1:06:411:06:43

-I see.

-..because they're still soft at this stage.

-Yeah. Still fragile.

1:06:431:06:46

-Yeah.

-There it is, my first star. That's a lovely thing.

1:06:461:06:51

Beautiful little pellets.

1:06:521:06:54

-How many do we need?

-Well, we need a lot

1:06:541:06:56

and that's why you then start to use tooling like this.

1:06:561:06:58

-OK.

-Which is where you now have six.

1:06:581:07:01

-There we go.

-OK.

1:07:011:07:02

-That'll do.

-That was seven.

1:07:051:07:06

Rub your hand across and then pop it out into the thing.

1:07:061:07:09

-Look at that. Bingo bongo.

-That's nice. That is nice.

1:07:121:07:14

There you are, you see. What you're doing now is you're pumping stars.

1:07:141:07:18

These pellets will be put into the top of the rocket.

1:07:211:07:24

When the rocket is burnt out,

1:07:241:07:25

the pellets will catch light and fall freely,

1:07:251:07:28

giving a stream effect in the sky.

1:07:281:07:30

-There we go.

-Right, ready to make it fly.

1:07:311:07:34

-Put a stick on it.

-Put a stick on it and then it's good to go.

1:07:341:07:37

There we have it. A rocket with a payload of stars.

1:07:371:07:40

I can't wait for it to get dark and we can test it.

1:07:401:07:42

I'm really looking forward to seeing these stars at night.

1:07:451:07:47

Now, I'm not sure how bright they're going to be.

1:07:471:07:50

So it's all connected up with a fuse

1:07:501:07:51

-and then we need to connect it up to the firing system.

-Right.

1:07:511:07:54

-You wire that in and I'll scuttle back.

-Perfect.

1:07:541:07:57

Right, so I've armed it, it's all ready.

1:07:591:08:01

-Are you...?

-Am I going to do the honours?

1:08:011:08:03

You're good to go.

1:08:031:08:04

Right. Three, two, one...

1:08:041:08:06

Ooh.

1:08:101:08:11

-BOTH:

-Oh.

1:08:121:08:13

Oh!

1:08:141:08:15

-We have a firework!

-We do have a firework.

-That's fantastic!

1:08:151:08:19

Oh, I'm really pleased.

1:08:191:08:20

-Good.

-Those stars trailed all the way down to the ground.

1:08:201:08:23

-Nearly, yeah.

-Well, that would definitely set fire

1:08:231:08:25

-to someone's house.

-Well, I hope not, no.

-No, I'm happy with that.

1:08:251:08:28

-Good, good.

-Well done.

1:08:281:08:30

The beautiful golden trails made by the slow-burning pellets will be an

1:08:311:08:35

extra flourish for our firework extravaganza -

1:08:351:08:39

should everything go to plan.

1:08:391:08:41

During the festivities,

1:08:441:08:45

the guests were also fed with the most lavish creations

1:08:451:08:49

16th-century chefs had to offer,

1:08:491:08:52

and it will be no different for the special guests we've invited.

1:08:521:08:56

But what would've been the equivalent of a Michelin-starred

1:08:561:08:59

menu in 1575?

1:08:591:09:01

You don't get the impression that Robert Dudley was worried about

1:09:031:09:06

going over the top when it came to the food for his party.

1:09:061:09:11

It was prepared here, in the kitchens.

1:09:111:09:13

I'm standing in what was a huge cauldron for boiling things.

1:09:131:09:17

Here's a bread oven.

1:09:171:09:19

And during the course of the 19 days,

1:09:191:09:21

some of the dishes that came out of here included swan, stag,

1:09:211:09:26

seagull and peacock.

1:09:261:09:29

One meal consisted of 300 different sugary dishes designed to appeal to

1:09:291:09:35

the Queen's notoriously sweet tooth.

1:09:351:09:37

I don't think we'll be laying on seagull or swan for our guests,

1:09:401:09:44

but Tudor sweets deserve further investigation.

1:09:441:09:47

With the help of confectionery expert Andy Baxendale,

1:09:471:09:51

I'm going to find out what kind would've graced

1:09:511:09:53

the Kenilworth banquet tables.

1:09:531:09:56

Andy, what is this fabulous construction

1:09:561:09:58

that you've brought with you?

1:09:581:10:00

This is a representation of the original keep of Kenilworth Castle

1:10:001:10:03

made out of sugar-paste icing.

1:10:031:10:06

Sugar-paste icing.

1:10:061:10:07

And you've got the colour of the stone right and everything.

1:10:071:10:10

The red is from cochineal, which is made from beetles.

1:10:101:10:13

-Beetles, mmm, tasty.

-The black is from ash.

1:10:131:10:17

-From a fireplace?

-Anything burnt, yes.

1:10:171:10:19

What else have they got on the table that's made out of sugar?

1:10:191:10:21

Is this Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester's symbol?

1:10:211:10:25

Yes, that's the bear with the ragged staff.

1:10:251:10:27

This blue colour would have been azurite in Tudor times,

1:10:271:10:30

which is a copper mineral and quite poisonous, so...

1:10:301:10:34

-Poisonous.

-..you wouldn't really want to...

1:10:341:10:35

Do you think there were Tudor people who died of blue poisoning?

1:10:351:10:39

They probably didn't eat enough.

1:10:391:10:40

Oh, cos it was so expensive.

1:10:401:10:41

-You couldn't afford to poison yourself.

-No.

1:10:411:10:44

There's a trick going on here, isn't there?

1:10:441:10:46

Well, all sugar paste. All edible.

1:10:461:10:48

I'd expect to see sweetmeats all piled up here.

1:10:481:10:50

Yes, very much so. Some sort of confits, maybe.

1:10:501:10:52

Some seeds coated in sugar.

1:10:521:10:54

Elizabeth I's favourite.

1:10:541:10:55

-I think so.

-And then once I've eaten all of my comforts...

1:10:551:10:59

-BOTH:

-Eat the plate.

-SHE LAUGHS

1:10:591:11:01

It tastes... Well, it tastes of sugar, but it also tastes a bit

1:11:051:11:07

of wallpaper paste.

1:11:071:11:08

-Oh, dear.

-THEY CHUCKLE

1:11:081:11:12

So, we now have the feast to go with the fireworks

1:11:121:11:15

at our Kenilworth display.

1:11:151:11:18

July 1575 was the date in Queen Elizabeth's diary

1:11:181:11:22

and she was probably quite looking forward to it.

1:11:221:11:26

Only a few years earlier,

1:11:261:11:27

she began promoting the idea of fireworks

1:11:271:11:30

in order to celebrate herself.

1:11:301:11:33

Elizabeth is creating a new holiday, Accession Day, November the 17th,

1:11:331:11:37

the date that she ascended the throne,

1:11:371:11:40

and people celebrate that

1:11:401:11:42

and it's a way to get people to celebrate the monarchy.

1:11:421:11:45

And in the course of her reign,

1:11:451:11:46

people start to celebrate that with fireworks.

1:11:461:11:49

And that's pretty interesting because that predates

1:11:491:11:52

the more famous public holiday fireworks of Bonfire Night,

1:11:521:11:55

which happened in the 17th century.

1:11:551:11:57

But this kind of thing is already starting to take off

1:11:571:12:00

-in Elizabeth's reign.

-She also did a very cunning thing,

1:12:001:12:03

she would do it at the expense of her subjects,

1:12:031:12:07

so she would set off on a progress,

1:12:071:12:09

then she would get her richest nobleman to put her up,

1:12:091:12:12

stage a magnificent feast for her - this is all at their own expense -

1:12:121:12:16

and to put on sort of competitive forms of entertainment for her,

1:12:161:12:20

outdoing each other to put on the best show for the Queen,

1:12:201:12:23

and she didn't have to pay.

1:12:231:12:25

Exactly, so it's another way for her to get around the country and be

1:12:251:12:28

seen by her subjects

1:12:281:12:29

and one might even see the nobles at this time competing with one another

1:12:291:12:33

to outdo themselves in the feasts and the entertainments that they

1:12:331:12:37

were putting on for Elizabeth. And fireworks are part of that,

1:12:371:12:40

so show a great fireworks display and you can impress Her Majesty.

1:12:401:12:44

Robert Dudley's pageant and firework display is part of this tradition,

1:12:471:12:52

but his is unique.

1:12:521:12:54

It was designed to be the biggest and the best

1:12:541:12:57

and it had by far the most at stake -

1:12:571:12:59

the hand of the Queen of England.

1:12:591:13:02

Now the day we've been working towards has finally arrived.

1:13:051:13:09

After weeks of testing and tinkering,

1:13:091:13:11

Zoe and the team can finally start putting things together

1:13:111:13:14

in the grounds of Kenilworth Castle.

1:13:141:13:16

These ones are going to take some knocking in, Don.

1:13:161:13:19

Everything rests on tonight's show.

1:13:191:13:22

We've done all we can to prepare ourselves, but is it enough?

1:13:221:13:26

As Robert Dudley may have given a preview to Queen Elizabeth

1:13:281:13:31

four centuries ago

1:13:311:13:32

to show the efforts that had gone into the preparations...

1:13:321:13:35

Here it comes.

1:13:351:13:37

..I'm going to give Lucy a sneak preview of the set of our display.

1:13:371:13:41

Oh, look at that!

1:13:411:13:44

What a beauty. He looks magnificent.

1:13:441:13:47

-Now, this is where we're going to put fireworks.

-Fireworks!

1:13:471:13:50

-LUCY LAUGHS

-Fireworks in the eyes.

1:13:501:13:52

-One in the mouth as well and then...

-And out of the backside too.

1:13:521:13:55

Yes. Come and have a look at this. There's a special hatch.

1:13:551:13:57

The hatch! SHE LAUGHS

1:13:571:13:59

-That's so sweet.

-You've got to be able to put your hand in to fuse

1:13:591:14:02

the firework and...

1:14:021:14:04

-It's going to be interesting to see whether it survives...

-Flames?

-Yes.

1:14:041:14:07

-Terrible end for the dragon.

-Oh, it's such a shame to burn him,

1:14:071:14:10

-he's so beautiful.

-I know.

-Let's take a little tour.

1:14:101:14:12

Just like Robert Dudley would have done, I think, on the morning

1:14:121:14:15

-of the show, you know.

-Well, we've not quite finished.

1:14:151:14:18

-Getting there, getting there.

-But there are some real highlights.

1:14:181:14:20

-So, this will be illuminated.

-Is that gunpowder?

-It is.

1:14:201:14:24

And they'll all... You know, the flame will go around and ignite

1:14:241:14:26

-each one of these.

-It will be a flaming ER.

1:14:261:14:29

-Exactly.

-And what's this one?

1:14:291:14:30

This is the rocket box.

1:14:301:14:31

-The rocket box!

-Akin to the Korean hwacha.

1:14:311:14:34

Oh, I like the colours as well.

1:14:341:14:35

We've got the blue and yellow chequerboard

1:14:351:14:38

-from his coat of arms...

-Yep.

1:14:381:14:40

..and little bits of orange...

1:14:401:14:43

-Exactly.

-..with its political message.

1:14:431:14:45

-I'm also excited about this.

-Oh.

1:14:451:14:46

-I know what that one is.

-Yeah!

1:14:461:14:47

That's the girandole.

1:14:471:14:49

The horizontal Catherine wheel.

1:14:491:14:50

Loaded with gerbs that are going to, you know, help it spin round.

1:14:501:14:53

And here comes the big boy.

1:14:531:14:55

This is our attempt at the massive rocket for the finale.

1:14:551:14:59

Do you know that this is going to work successfully?

1:14:591:15:01

Not...well...

1:15:011:15:03

No, I don't! I don't.

1:15:031:15:05

Well, I really hope that this is going to work

1:15:051:15:08

and that the whole display is a success.

1:15:081:15:10

-Then I'll marry you.

-Thank you.

1:15:101:15:12

It's now time to arm the fireworks.

1:15:151:15:18

Once they're fused, they're ready to fire from a central control.

1:15:181:15:22

Remote ignition is a safety precaution

1:15:231:15:25

they wouldn't have had in Elizabethan times.

1:15:251:15:28

In the Tudor period, there'd be some chap standing with

1:15:281:15:30

a torch or a red-hot poker, and as soon as he put it in there,

1:15:301:15:33

that's it, he's covered in sparks and so he's got to try and light

1:15:331:15:36

-all of them.

-Incredibly dangerous work.

1:15:361:15:38

Yeah, but it would be young children doing it anyhow

1:15:381:15:40

and there was plenty of them, so that's fine.

1:15:401:15:42

Although it's sunny now,

1:15:451:15:47

rain could quickly ruin fireworks made to Tudor specifications,

1:15:471:15:51

so we're taking no chances and covering them up as we fuse them.

1:15:511:15:55

And according to Don, the weather isn't the only thing that could

1:15:581:16:01

scupper a Tudor display.

1:16:011:16:02

So this is one of the rocket boxes.

1:16:041:16:05

-That's coming along nicely.

-It holds all the small rockets.

1:16:051:16:09

But you can see the risk that's within these displays.

1:16:091:16:11

One single spark landing from something else,

1:16:111:16:13

landing on one of this,

1:16:131:16:14

and it'll light the whole lot.

1:16:141:16:16

It could be an eight-minute display or an eight-second display,

1:16:161:16:19

depending which way the wind blows the sparks.

1:16:191:16:21

SHE LAUGHS

1:16:211:16:23

Factory-made fireworks modified to Tudor specifications

1:16:231:16:28

will supplement our prototypes,

1:16:281:16:29

helping to recreate the sheer spectacle

1:16:291:16:32

and scale of Dudley's display.

1:16:321:16:34

The modifications we've made, how you feeling?

1:16:351:16:37

I can promise you you'll be getting a big bang

1:16:371:16:39

at some point this evening...

1:16:391:16:41

whether it's up there or down here. But trust me,

1:16:411:16:44

it will be a spectacular finale come what may.

1:16:441:16:46

Oh, Don, it's not the answer I want.

1:16:461:16:48

It will be fine, Zoe.

1:16:481:16:49

-That's not the answer I wanted.

-It will be fine.

1:16:491:16:51

Everything is set for the start of the evening's entertainment.

1:16:551:16:58

The guests have arrived in the spirit of the occasion,

1:16:581:17:02

including some friends who have helped us along the way.

1:17:021:17:05

The set is complete, resplendent in Dudley's colours,

1:17:061:17:10

and the pyrotechnics are primed

1:17:101:17:12

for the start of a Tudor fireworks spectacular.

1:17:121:17:16

What could possibly go wrong?

1:17:171:17:19

THUNDER CLAPS

1:17:191:17:21

Less than an hour before our start time, a torrential rainstorm hits.

1:17:251:17:31

It's a problem that even Queen Elizabeth I wouldn't have

1:17:311:17:34

been able to prevent.

1:17:341:17:35

Our Tudor fireworks display could genuinely be turned

1:17:371:17:40

into a damp squib.

1:17:401:17:41

The last thing we want to happen has happened

1:17:421:17:45

and we have rain and quite severe wind.

1:17:451:17:48

We have soggy Tudors but, most importantly,

1:17:481:17:51

I'm worried about our fireworks,

1:17:511:17:53

so, really, it's critical that that gunpowder stay dry.

1:17:531:17:56

This is a Tudor recipe -

1:17:571:17:58

it's not as stable as the modern stuff.

1:17:581:18:00

Any moisture and it's game over,

1:18:001:18:02

that stuff won't work.

1:18:021:18:03

TUDOR DANCE MUSIC PLAYS

1:18:161:18:18

Eventually, there's a ray of hope.

1:18:181:18:21

The rain finally stops

1:18:211:18:24

and our Tudor guests get their chance to show us their moves.

1:18:241:18:27

Their spirits have not been dampened.

1:18:291:18:32

Let's hope our fireworks haven't either.

1:18:321:18:36

Whey!

1:18:361:18:37

There's no turning back now.

1:18:481:18:51

As night falls, the set is finally complete.

1:18:511:18:54

From Babington's original design, we've handmade the rockets,

1:18:581:19:02

the gerbs, the girandole,

1:19:021:19:04

and we've faithfully brought the dragon to life.

1:19:041:19:07

We've even made his big rocket.

1:19:071:19:09

They're all primed and ready to fire...

1:19:121:19:15

after the arrival of one final illustrious guest.

1:19:151:19:18

-Ladies and gentlemen, your Queen.

-TRUMPETS PLAY

1:19:181:19:21

Thank you, my good people.

1:19:221:19:24

-How's your view?

-It's acceptable, thank you.

1:19:281:19:31

I think maybe for the display you might enjoy standing

1:19:311:19:34

right at the front with me.

1:19:341:19:35

Is it...is it perfectly safe?

1:19:351:19:37

-Yeah, it's perfectly safe.

-All right, then.

1:19:371:19:40

This is the moment of truth.

1:19:441:19:47

These fireworks aren't just unpredictable,

1:19:471:19:50

they could be filled with damp gunpowder after all that rain.

1:19:501:19:54

-I'm nervous.

-Now that one has gone to the trouble of dressing up,

1:19:541:19:59

one really does hope this works.

1:19:591:20:02

OK, we'd like to fire the cannon. Cannons fire.

1:20:021:20:05

And...fire!

1:20:061:20:08

And so it begins.

1:20:121:20:14

OK, we're firing gerbs either side of the set.

1:20:151:20:19

-Oh, oh, oh!

-Here we go!

-Yeah!

1:20:221:20:23

These are the gerbs. These are the first fireworks that I made.

1:20:241:20:28

So far, so good.

1:20:281:20:30

The gerbs have produced beautiful fountains of light,

1:20:301:20:33

setting the stage for an emotional roller-coaster for Dudley's

1:20:331:20:38

esteemed audience.

1:20:381:20:39

What a fantastic start.

1:20:431:20:45

Falling stars.

1:20:451:20:47

To an Elizabethan,

1:20:471:20:48

rockets and stars would've brought to mind comets and portents of great

1:20:481:20:52

events. And even to me, with my 21st century mind,

1:20:521:20:58

they are incredibly touching.

1:20:581:20:59

-Oh, fizgigs!

-Oh!

-Yeah!

1:21:011:21:04

We've added a surprise element, fizgigs,

1:21:041:21:06

rockets without the stability of sticks,

1:21:061:21:09

firing much closer to the ground than a modern display.

1:21:091:21:12

-It looks like they're fighting each other.

-Yeah!

1:21:141:21:17

-They're sort of psychopath fireworks, aren't they?

-They are.

1:21:201:21:24

More rockets.

1:21:241:21:26

Or as Shakespeare would have it,

1:21:261:21:27

artificial meteors representing signs from God.

1:21:271:21:31

Whoa!

1:21:311:21:34

And if Dudley wanted to create impact,

1:21:341:21:36

what better than the star of our show?

1:21:361:21:39

-Dragon!

-Hey, the Dragon!

1:21:431:21:45

-Go, Dragon!

-THEY CHEER

1:21:481:21:49

The Dragon is a show stopper in more ways than one.

1:21:491:21:53

We always feared a rogue spark could ignite the rocket box.

1:21:561:21:59

Oh, my God! OK, the Dragon has kicked up so much smoke...

1:22:021:22:05

Well, come on, Dragon, make it to the castle!

1:22:111:22:13

He is, he is, he's still going! He's still going.

1:22:131:22:16

Come on, Dragon!

1:22:161:22:17

Oh...

1:22:241:22:26

Oh!

1:22:261:22:27

THEY CHEER

1:22:271:22:30

That was really exciting because the Dragon set off a rocket box!

1:22:311:22:35

THEY LAUGH Yes! It did, didn't it?

1:22:351:22:38

And now the personal touch.

1:22:381:22:41

Just in case anyone had forgotten

1:22:411:22:43

who this was all designed for...

1:22:431:22:45

-Oh, no, the ER!

-It's the ER.

1:22:451:22:47

-Erm, that's me, you know.

-Yeah.

1:22:471:22:50

That's my personal firework, thank you very much.

1:22:501:22:52

-Way!

-Ooh. Here we go.

-Oh!

1:22:571:22:59

Girandole!

1:22:591:23:01

Witnessing these weeping willows of sparks must have made a profound

1:23:011:23:06

impression on Elizabeth I.

1:23:061:23:08

-Oh.

-Way! Oh, they're going again!

1:23:101:23:13

-Oh!

-Just a little surprise up my sleeve.

1:23:131:23:15

LUCY LAUGHS

1:23:151:23:18

A crescendo of fizgigs and rockets builds to the finale of the show,

1:23:191:23:24

the most unpredictable firework of them all,

1:23:241:23:27

the one I know is worrying Zoe.

1:23:271:23:30

And then the finale rockets right in the middle.

1:23:301:23:32

Here comes the big rocket!

1:23:331:23:34

Oh, my...!

1:23:391:23:40

SHE LAUGHS

1:23:431:23:45

Oh!

1:23:451:23:47

Sights like this must have been otherworldly.

1:23:471:23:50

I can really feel the mix of terror and wonder this spectacle would have

1:23:521:23:56

created in the crowd.

1:23:561:23:58

-What do you think?

-Hey!

1:23:591:24:01

-What do you think?

-The dragon wasn't entirely as planned, was he?

1:24:011:24:04

He had set off all the other fireworks on his way, hadn't he?

1:24:041:24:07

Yeah! There was some fantastic cross-ignition,

1:24:071:24:09

when the Dragon set off the fire box.

1:24:091:24:11

I did fear that maybe the entire display might go up,

1:24:181:24:21

but it created a huge amount of smoke, I loved the smoke!

1:24:211:24:24

And I think that things going a tiny bit wrong is very Tudor,

1:24:241:24:27

-that would have happened to them.

-Yeah, yeah.

1:24:271:24:28

Shall we go down there and just set fire to them?

1:24:281:24:31

-I know!

-THEY LAUGH

1:24:311:24:33

And what about the big rocket at the end?

1:24:371:24:39

Because we had designed it to go up and explode simultaneously,

1:24:391:24:42

so it didn't do a big explosion in the sky,

1:24:421:24:45

but happened right there, front and centre, at the end of the display.

1:24:451:24:48

Oh!

1:24:511:24:52

-I'm pleased that worked.

-That was the highlight.

-Yeah.

1:24:521:24:55

Apart from the dragon, we like the dragon too! Ha!

1:24:551:24:58

By all accounts,

1:24:581:24:59

the display was magnificent and captured the imaginations

1:24:591:25:03

of the watching guests.

1:25:031:25:05

But did it succeed in Dudley's real purpose,

1:25:051:25:09

which was getting the Queen to marry him?

1:25:091:25:12

Well, no, it didn't.

1:25:121:25:13

Elizabeth kept her nickname, the Virgin Queen,

1:25:141:25:18

and Dudley had to look elsewhere.

1:25:181:25:21

But we won't let that dampen the fact that we did manage to recreate

1:25:221:25:26

a truly memorable Tudor firework spectacular.

1:25:261:25:31

THEY CHEER

1:25:311:25:33

Maybe Robert Dudley's firework display didn't have quite the effect

1:25:391:25:43

that he'd hoped,

1:25:431:25:44

but I think that our recreation of it was brilliant as a way

1:25:441:25:48

inside Tudor people's minds.

1:25:481:25:51

They had a different attitude to health and safety, that's clear,

1:25:521:25:55

but more importantly, for them,

1:25:551:25:58

fireworks weren't just entertainment.

1:25:581:26:00

When they lit up the black Tudor sky,

1:26:021:26:06

they saw propaganda and storytelling,

1:26:061:26:09

they elevated spectacle into the realm of the gods.

1:26:091:26:13

We still follow in Tudor footsteps by having fireworks at big live

1:26:131:26:19

events today, and perhaps ours are more spectacular,

1:26:191:26:23

but I think that they lack dragons and comets and portents.

1:26:231:26:29

I think that Tudor fireworks perhaps had more soul.

1:26:291:26:33

Whoa!

1:26:551:26:58

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