0:00:04 > 0:00:09For Edwardian Britons, a Bradshaw's was an indispensable guide to
0:00:09 > 0:00:11a railway network at its peak.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17I'm using an early 20th century edition to navigate a vibrant
0:00:17 > 0:00:19and optimistic Britain
0:00:19 > 0:00:22at the height of its power and influence in the world.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27But a nation wrestling with political,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30social and industrial unrest at home.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58I'm nearing the end of my railway adventure in the tracks
0:00:58 > 0:01:00of King Edward VII.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07My journey, which began in Cromer,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10will also end by the sea on England's south coast.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12On this part,
0:01:12 > 0:01:16I'll learn the ropes in Southampton, I'll horse around in
0:01:16 > 0:01:20the New Forest, I'll look at houses built on sand in Bournemouth,
0:01:20 > 0:01:24and as I approach Brownsea Island, I'll be prepared.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37My journey began on the Norfolk coast and took me
0:01:37 > 0:01:39via Cambridgeshire to the capital.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Travelling south, I admired the Sussex countryside,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44en route to the coast.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47From there, I turned west to explore Portsmouth
0:01:47 > 0:01:49and the Isle of Wight.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52I'm now continuing through Hampshire and Dorset,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55towards my final stop, reached from Poole.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58This leg starts at the Hampshire village of Swanwick,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01near Southampton, stops at Brockenhurst for the New Forest
0:02:01 > 0:02:04and Bournemouth for the seaside.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08My last call will be Poole, from where a ferry will carry me
0:02:08 > 0:02:10to Brownsea Island.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14- On my way...- Explorers alert.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17..I promise to do my best with the Scouts...
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Once a Scout, always a Scout.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23..find warhorses in the Hampshire wilderness...
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Do you like to be brushed? Look at that!
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Beautiful sheen to this coast!
0:02:29 > 0:02:32..and experience the charms of a British institution,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35born in the Edwardian era.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38- Do you always dress to match your beach hut?- Yes. Always.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51My first stop will be Swanwick, seven miles east of Southampton.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Today, it's known as a centre for Air Traffic Control,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57but given its location, it's long had links to the sea.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01My Bradshaw's carries an advertisement for the
0:03:01 > 0:03:07American Line, Southampton to New York service, calling at Cherbourg.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Now, any seafarer would want to know the difference between a bowline,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14a sheet bend and a clove hitch.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18I've often wondered how those bound for a life on the ocean wave
0:03:18 > 0:03:20were sent forth on an even keel.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42At the time of my Bradshaw's, the British Empire was at its zenith,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44sustained by a vast fleet of commercial ships.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51There was huge demand for skilled seamen.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53And to learn how Southampton met it,
0:03:53 > 0:03:57I've come to the Warsash Maritime Academy, on the River Hamble.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06I'm meeting former cadet Roger Holt.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13Southampton becomes a very important port for the merchant navy,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16as we now know it, during the 19th century?
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Oh, absolutely. And really this is when it all kicked off.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22The channels were dredged to take the ever-larger ships.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26And, of course, passenger shipping became immensely important,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28particularly transatlantic trade.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31It was really getting a head of steam.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35How long have we recognised that commercial shipping needs men
0:04:35 > 0:04:38and boys to be properly trained for their job?
0:04:38 > 0:04:42As far as Southampton is concerned, we can go back to 1909,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45when the Gilchrist School of Navigation was established.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49In the early 20th century,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52sea schools were springing up across the country.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56And their graduates would soon face extraordinary perils.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01During the First World War, some 15,000 merchant seamen died,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04trying to keep the Empire supplied.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Roger, it occurs to me that Navy is a military term,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11- yet we speak of a merchant navy. - Of course.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16It goes back to the First World War, after the recognition of the
0:05:16 > 0:05:21service provided by the commercial service by King George V.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26And he established the term "merchant navy."
0:05:26 > 0:05:29From that time, at least, we've recognised that our survival
0:05:29 > 0:05:32in time of conflict depends on our commercial shipping.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Yes, indeed.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36The Gilchrist School later evolved
0:05:36 > 0:05:41into the Warsash Maritime Academy, which moved to this site in 1946.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45- Were you here as a cadet yourself? - Yes, I was.- And what was it like?
0:05:45 > 0:05:49It was something that possibly today we would know as a boot camp.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53Essentially, this place was designed for leadership.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57We wore boots, we wore gaiters, we wore battledress.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59And we ran everywhere.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02- Good training?- I thought it was fantastic.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06I think it was a very good grounding for a life at sea.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Now, I imagine the regime is a bit different from in your day.
0:06:09 > 0:06:10- Is that right?- Yes.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14The training has become much more academic, but there is still
0:06:14 > 0:06:17room for the knowledge of good seamanship practice.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19You still need to know your knots?
0:06:19 > 0:06:21You still need to know your knots, Michael,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23particularly on a dark night in a storm.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30These days, Warsash is part of Southampton Solent University.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Alongside old school rope skills,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40today's cadets use hi-tech simulators to prepare for a
0:06:40 > 0:06:44life at sea, handling everything from super yachts to oil tankers.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Danielle Blackburn and David Dale are current cadets.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Danielle, you're coming to the end of your course now, is that right?
0:06:52 > 0:06:53Yes, that's correct.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56I'm just coming to the end of the three years of the course.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59And to what extent is it a practical or an academic course?
0:06:59 > 0:07:01We do a lot of practical elements here at the college,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04alongside the academics, and then obviously, at sea,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06it's completely practical and hands-on.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08And now, I suppose, a lot of electronics and IT?
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Definitely, yeah.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Also matched up with the more traditional
0:07:12 > 0:07:14methods of navigation and safety.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Dave, has it been decided what you're going to be doing next?
0:07:16 > 0:07:18I'm with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20but I don't know which ship at the moment.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23And what will your future role be on one of those vessels?
0:07:23 > 0:07:25It'll be an Unlimited Officer of the Watch.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26As the Officer of the Watch, you are
0:07:26 > 0:07:29the Captain's representative at sea. You have control of the ship.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33- Ships of any size?- Yes. - After your three-year course here,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36do you feel ready for that enormous responsibility?
0:07:36 > 0:07:40There's an awful lot of training involved. I do feel prepared.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Picking up the train in Southampton, I'm heading west.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05I'm swapping the shore for the stunning wilderness
0:08:05 > 0:08:07of the New Forest.
0:08:15 > 0:08:21Today, this timeless landscape is an oasis of peace and tranquillity.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24But in the past, the forest has played its part in conflict.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Around the turn of the 20th century,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31the New Forest was frequently used for manoeuvres
0:08:31 > 0:08:35and made another important contribution to the military effort.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38I'm alighting at Brockenhurst,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41on the trail of some unsung Edwardian war heroes.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58New Forest resident James Young will introduce me to their descendants.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02- Hello, James.- Michael. - How lovely to see you.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04And so wonderful, isn't it, to see
0:09:04 > 0:09:07such a large number of New Forest ponies.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10- They're in good voice today. - At the moment, they're shading.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Very hot day. So it's part of their social behaviour that they
0:09:13 > 0:09:14shade in the heat of the day.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18They're all in groups, so they're calling, one to the other.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22There are around 5,000 of the famous New Forest ponies,
0:09:22 > 0:09:27roaming freely across the 220 square miles of the National Park.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30And what uses has man put them to?
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Well, traditionally, they were used for forestry,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35a big industry in the New Forest.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38They were also used in business, pulling the butcher's cart.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40A lot of tradespeople would use them.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47But at the turn of the 20th century,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49these beautiful animals became warhorses.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55New Forest ponies were among half a million horses used
0:09:55 > 0:10:00by the British military during the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03And when the First World War broke out,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06ponies from the New Forest were called to serve again.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10- Did they prove their worth in wartime?- Yes, they certainly did.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13I've read accounts of the end of a long hard day's march,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16the finer-blooded, better-bred, thoroughbreds were just tired
0:10:16 > 0:10:20and laid down, exhausted, whereas the sturdy,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23strong forest ponies, they were the first ones up for their nosebag
0:10:23 > 0:10:25and showed great toughness.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Although the ponies are semi feral, they are all owned
0:10:30 > 0:10:33and looked after by local people, known as commoners.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39- How do you fit into it all?- Well, I'm a commoner of the New Forest.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43There are about 500 of us, practising commoners.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48I'm proud that we have the oldest established herd in the forest.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50In the mid 19th century,
0:10:50 > 0:10:54my great-great-great-grandmother brought eight New Forest mares with
0:10:54 > 0:10:55her as a wedding dowry
0:10:55 > 0:11:00and our New Forest ponies today descend directly from those ponies.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07James also runs a stable and a riding school,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10where some of his wild animals have been broken in,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12to be ridden or shown.
0:11:12 > 0:11:17Horse lover King Edward VII would probably have approved of show
0:11:17 > 0:11:20pony Baccarat, named after his favourite card game.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25James, that is a beautiful animal, a fine example. Am I right?
0:11:25 > 0:11:27You are right, Michael.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30And we took her off the forest, as a foal, so she's forest-bred.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33And she's been shown successfully all her life
0:11:33 > 0:11:36and she's been champion at the breed show.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40- She's been the mare of a lifetime. - Congratulations. And why?
0:11:40 > 0:11:44- What is it that is so brilliant? The colour is lovely, of course.- Yeah.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46She has good limbs, short cannon bones.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49That's the bone between the knee and the fetlock, which is
0:11:49 > 0:11:51the next joint down.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Stands full square, has great strength in her hind leg,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57which is the engine, if you like.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Everything you want in a forest pony, she's got it.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Do you like to be brushed? Yes!
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Yes!
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Look at that!
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Beautiful sheen to this coat!
0:12:12 > 0:12:13If you brush there, Michael,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16you should bring out the dapples in this rich mahogany colour.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Here are the dapples. I'm seeing dapples here.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23Oh, beautiful horse! Are these ponies then self-funding?
0:12:23 > 0:12:27Do you make enough money from the riding school and from
0:12:27 > 0:12:31selling them to be riding ponies, then to support all the wild ponies?
0:12:31 > 0:12:35We are very fortunate, in that we're able to combine our hobby with our
0:12:35 > 0:12:38business in that we can use some of our ponies in our riding schools.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40For most commoners, that's not possible.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42We have this wonderful heritage
0:12:42 > 0:12:45and it's vital that we keep it for the future.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59My next stop is 20 miles down the track.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02I'm following in the footsteps of Edwardian tourists who
0:13:02 > 0:13:05flocked by train to the booming resort of Bournemouth.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11According to a 1913 Bradshaw's Guide to British Bathing Spots,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14it can hardly be described in a short compass,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18owing to its extent, its diversity and its numerous attractions.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Bradshaw's says Bournemouth has many attractions,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24but it's a city set amongst pine trees.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Is this true today?
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Yes, there's still quite a few pine trees there.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31- And there's lots of attractions. - Do you live there?
0:13:31 > 0:13:33I've lived there for 15 years.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37- What's the way of life like there? - Quite relaxed.- Nice climate.- Yes.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40We seem to get better summers than other places.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Do you own or do you use a beach hut?
0:13:43 > 0:13:46I don't own one. I wish I did!
0:13:46 > 0:13:50- Why?- Um, they're rather expensive. - Ah!
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Especially at Mudeford Spit.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56I think they're the most expensive in the UK.
0:13:56 > 0:14:02- One sold recently for £270,000. - Quite amazing. Absolutely amazing.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06So if you had £270,000, would you rather have a garage in Chelsea,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09a beach hut in Bournemouth, or a very expensive car?
0:14:09 > 0:14:12- Most definitely a beach hut in Bournemouth.- Really?- Yes.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Bradshaw's writes of Bournemouth, "The cliffs are somewhat broken,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33"but this is their charm,
0:14:33 > 0:14:38"as the coast is penetrated by many picturesque chines."
0:14:38 > 0:14:42With evening drawing in, I'll save the seaside for tomorrow.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46I've set my sights on a hotel with a racy royal background.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53Mrs Lillie Langtry was an actress who scored some indifferent
0:14:53 > 0:14:57stage reviews, but after her Grecian good looks were
0:14:57 > 0:15:00painted by the portraitist John Everett Millais,
0:15:00 > 0:15:05she embarked on a successful career as the girlfriend of aristocrats.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07A woman of such beauty
0:15:07 > 0:15:09and generosity of spirit was bound to catch
0:15:09 > 0:15:13the attention of Bertie, later King Edward VII,
0:15:13 > 0:15:18and according to her, he made little secret of their affair.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22His biographer tells us that she built this Red House,
0:15:22 > 0:15:27now a hotel, so I may be laying my head where the King laid his.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33- Good evening.- Good evening, sir. Welcome to Langtry Manor.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Thank you so much. Is there still great interest in Lillie Langtry?
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Oh, absolutely. She really was quite a star of her day.
0:15:41 > 0:15:42Why? What sort of thing?
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Well, not only was she a Shakespearean actress,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48she was the Prince's mistress and, of course,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52she was on every journal cover, she was even on Pears' soap.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54She was the face of that product.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57- So everyone knew about her. - And which room have you put me in?
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- Upstairs and up on your left. - Thank you.- Excellent.- Thank you.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Well, I've enjoyed the four-poster bed
0:16:27 > 0:16:30and the Red House is a fine piece of real estate.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32It must have cost a pretty penny in its day.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Now, I'm going to go in search of something much smaller.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46One of the most striking things about Bournemouth is the long
0:16:46 > 0:16:49line of beach huts that edge the sand.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Nearly 2,000 of them altogether.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Author Karen Averby knows their history.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05- Karen.- Hello.- Hello, I'm Michael. - Nice to meet you.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Now, these beach huts, so multicoloured,
0:17:08 > 0:17:09so beautiful, what is their origin?
0:17:09 > 0:17:13They emerged towards the end of the 19th century into the 20th
0:17:13 > 0:17:16century and really came into their own in the Edwardian period.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18They're often seen as sort of the direct
0:17:18 > 0:17:20descendent of the bathing machine,
0:17:20 > 0:17:22and while that's true physically, they're both wooden
0:17:22 > 0:17:25constructions on the beach, they had very different functions.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Bathing machines were invented in the 18th century.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Inside, you could don your bathing costume,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36then be wheeled into the sea.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42The bathing machine had been all about protecting modesty
0:17:42 > 0:17:45and that changes in the Edwardian period, does it?
0:17:45 > 0:17:46It does, very much so.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50From the 1890s, we see a call for the end of segregated beaches.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53So you would have families coming to the beach, they wanted to
0:17:53 > 0:17:57enjoy it together, and so beach huts were perfect for that.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00- How did they eventually become so regimented?- In the early days,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03people were setting up their own sort of constructions,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05quite raggedy, and Bournemouth became a borough
0:18:05 > 0:18:07right at the end of the Victorian period.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12And in 1900, it had more powers to regulate these kinds of activities.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15So the councils had very strict stipulations.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21So, Karen, it has its own plaque.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24The first municipal beach hut in the United Kingdom.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Indeed, and we can see that it was designed by Frederick Dolamore,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29the Chief Assistant Borough Engineer
0:18:29 > 0:18:32of Bournemouth Council, and he was responsible for these designs,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34which were actually copied and used elsewhere as well.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38- So, Dolamore has gone down in history, has he?- Dolamore has, yes.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40He was responsible for much of the regeneration of this
0:18:40 > 0:18:42part of the seafront in the Edwardian period.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47Ah, there we are. So, all the basic requirements.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49Everything you could possibly need for a day at the beach.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53You've got the fold-down table, some lovely cupboard space there.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55And the ubiquitous deckchair, of course.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58In the early days, there would have been an awning stretching out,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01so you could sit outside and just enjoy the view from here.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05I've never quite understood the appeal of this British
0:19:05 > 0:19:07seaside staple.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10But perhaps beach hut owners Monica Adams
0:19:10 > 0:19:12and Lyn McDonald can convert me.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15- Hello, ladies.- Hello.- I'm Michael.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18- Hi, I'm Lyn.- Hi.- Hi.- Monica?- Monica. - Very good to see you, Monica.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25What a beautiful beach hut. You've really made it jolly, haven't you?
0:19:25 > 0:19:28- I just love it. - How long have you had this one?
0:19:28 > 0:19:32- Since 2009.- And were you on a waiting list?- Yes. For eight years.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Eight years?!
0:19:34 > 0:19:36So that is the demand for beach huts.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Yeah, and you have to be a Bournemouth resident.
0:19:38 > 0:19:39- Do you?- Yes.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44Now, have you heard of Majorca, Ibiza...? Have you heard of them?
0:19:44 > 0:19:45Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Yeah, we've been there too.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49But this is just at the end of the road.
0:19:49 > 0:19:50But what about the weather?
0:19:50 > 0:19:53There must be days that you're inside with the door shut
0:19:53 > 0:19:56- and the rain pounding on the roof. - But we're dry.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58We're in there and we can have our fish and chips
0:19:58 > 0:20:00and look out on a blustery day.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03It's lovely down here on days like that as well.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Our 6ft by 6ft space, it's very important.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12Simple pleasures, isn't it? Bottle of prosecco, have afternoon tea.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16- Do you always dress to match your beach hut?- Yes. Always.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39I'm waving goodbye to Bournemouth
0:20:39 > 0:20:43and taking a short hop along the coast in search of adventure.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00This is Robert Baden-Powell's Scouting for Boys.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03I remember dipping into it when I was a Boy Scout,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06with its exhortations to develop your moral fibre,
0:21:06 > 0:21:10create a healthy body and keep a clean mind.
0:21:10 > 0:21:15Published in 1908, it is an iconic product of the Edwardian age.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19It was an extraordinary bestseller, until the Second World War
0:21:19 > 0:21:23exceeded only by the Bible in the English-speaking world.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27I'll take this train to Poole and head to Brownsea Island,
0:21:27 > 0:21:28where it all began.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56- Hello.- Welcome aboard. - Thank you very much.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00To reach the island, I'm taking one of the distinctive yellow ferries.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04For over 100 years, this service has carried
0:22:04 > 0:22:08passengers across the water, from Poole and Sandbanks.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Brownsea Island strikes me
0:22:14 > 0:22:18as being at just the right distance for a Boy Scout camp.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Not so remote that you couldn't get back in an emergency, but this
0:22:22 > 0:22:27ferry ride puts distance between you and your home and your parents.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40- Bye.- Welcome to Brownsea Island. - Thank you.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Brownsea Island now belongs to the National Trust
0:22:46 > 0:22:48and is still used by the Scouts.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53I'm meeting Tim Kidd, who is the chief commissioner in the United
0:22:53 > 0:22:58Kingdom of a movement that today has over 400,000 young British members.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05So, Tim, this very site, this open space, plays a
0:23:05 > 0:23:08- really important part in the history of scouting?- Yeah, absolutely.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11This is the place where the first experimental camp took place,
0:23:11 > 0:23:13where Baden-Powell tried out his ideas of how
0:23:13 > 0:23:16he could help young people to learn to work together.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19- Who was Robert Baden-Powell? - He was a military man.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22And he ended up commanding forces in the Second Boer War.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25He returned to the UK to find, I think to his surprise,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27he was something of a celebrity.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Scouting is about survival and understanding nature.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Where did he pick up those skills?
0:23:32 > 0:23:34So those were definitely through his military career.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37The term "scouting" I think really started from the Americans,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39who taught a lot of bush craft.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42What Baden-Powell did is saw the potential in this
0:23:42 > 0:23:44to make a programme for young people,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and not just about the outdoors, but also about self-reliance
0:23:47 > 0:23:51and giving young people skills they could genuinely use in their lives.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Baden-Powell had already written one popular book,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58a military training manual.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Now, he wanted to rework it for young people.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05To try out his ideas, he organised a camp.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09What sort of children came here? Were they middle class?
0:24:09 > 0:24:12They were 20 young people from mixed backgrounds.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Some were the children of friends of his,
0:24:14 > 0:24:18- others were from the local area. - Was it a success?- Brilliantly so.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21The following year, 1908,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Scouting for Boys was published in six instalments.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26It was an immediate hit.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30The book is a colossal bestseller.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33- Did the movement grow at the same rate?- Absolutely the case.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36In the UK, we've been growing every year for the last 12 years.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38- We've grown year-on-year. - And one other question.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40What has happened to the woggle?
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Well, the woggle is still very much around.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45If I wear my uniform, then I wear my necker with a woggle.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50But when I'm wearing my T-shirt, my iScout stuff, I wear it in
0:24:50 > 0:24:53a more relaxed way. This is called a friendship knot.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Scouting is of course no longer just for boys.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59And this mixed group of Scouts has been set
0:24:59 > 0:25:04the task of improvising a shelter, using natural materials.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Greetings, happy campers!
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Hello!
0:25:08 > 0:25:11- Where does this fit in? - Just there.- Just there.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15There we go.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Ready for the ferns.
0:25:23 > 0:25:24Ah, so, is this fun?
0:25:24 > 0:25:29- Yes.- This is very enjoyable. - Why is it very enjoyable?
0:25:29 > 0:25:33- It's just the whole sort of Scout atmosphere.- Yeah.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36You know, the sort of being together and out and about in the wilderness.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39This is what scouting's all about and especially being
0:25:39 > 0:25:42here on Brownsea Island, where it all started. It's especially nice.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44And would you be willing to spend the night in a bivouac
0:25:44 > 0:25:46- like that, do you think? - Give it a go.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Yeah? How long have you been involved in scouting?
0:25:48 > 0:25:49- About two years.- Two years.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51What do you tend to do when you have your meetings?
0:25:51 > 0:25:54We learn about different life skills, like map reading
0:25:54 > 0:25:56and basic cooking.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58- How is your cooking coming on? - All right.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00And what about the washing up? That's pretty tedious, isn't it?
0:26:00 > 0:26:03- Yeah, but I enjoy it, so... - You enjoy the washing up?
0:26:03 > 0:26:06- Mm-hm. - You ARE going to be a good Scout!
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Ceremonies have been important to Scouts, ever
0:26:09 > 0:26:11since Baden-Powell's day.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Unfurling, or breaking,
0:26:13 > 0:26:17the Union flag is intended to remind them of duty to Queen and country.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Explorers alert!
0:26:20 > 0:26:24- Michael, would you like to break the flag?- Oh, thank you.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28And a necker with a friendship knot. Once a Scout, always a Scout.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Thank you very much.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08In 1901, they changed the guard at Buckingham Palace and
0:27:08 > 0:27:13King Edward VII was fundamentally different from Queen Victoria.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16He would hardly have been Baden-Powell's model
0:27:16 > 0:27:20of a clean mind in a healthy body, but new technology brought
0:27:20 > 0:27:24about deeper change, as electric trains and motor cars
0:27:24 > 0:27:29and aeroplanes gradually pushed aside the age of steam.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Mechanisation brought its dangers, as well as progress.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37And many of the young men who were the first Boy Scouts would
0:27:37 > 0:27:42apply their skills in leadership and survival on the Western Front.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54Next time, I burn rubber in the hot seat... Wow! This is exciting!
0:27:54 > 0:27:56- What speed are we doing?- About 70.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02..follow in the footsteps of the great Welsh bard...
0:28:02 > 0:28:05So, I suppose Dylan Thomas came here, did he?
0:28:05 > 0:28:07I don't think there's a pub in Swansea that he didn't go to.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11..and uncover a spiritual renaissance.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14"I stir up a few friends who turn back to Jesus.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17"But he will need thousands of friends in Wales."