Swanwick to Brownsea Island Great British Railway Journeys


Swanwick to Brownsea Island

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For Edwardian Britons, a Bradshaw's was an indispensable guide to

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a railway network at its peak.

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I'm using an early 20th century edition to navigate a vibrant

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and optimistic Britain

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at the height of its power and influence in the world.

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But a nation wrestling with political,

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social and industrial unrest at home.

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I'm nearing the end of my railway adventure in the tracks

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of King Edward VII.

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My journey, which began in Cromer,

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will also end by the sea on England's south coast.

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On this part,

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I'll learn the ropes in Southampton, I'll horse around in

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the New Forest, I'll look at houses built on sand in Bournemouth,

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and as I approach Brownsea Island, I'll be prepared.

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My journey began on the Norfolk coast and took me

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via Cambridgeshire to the capital.

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Travelling south, I admired the Sussex countryside,

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en route to the coast.

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From there, I turned west to explore Portsmouth

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and the Isle of Wight.

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I'm now continuing through Hampshire and Dorset,

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towards my final stop, reached from Poole.

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This leg starts at the Hampshire village of Swanwick,

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near Southampton, stops at Brockenhurst for the New Forest

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and Bournemouth for the seaside.

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My last call will be Poole, from where a ferry will carry me

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to Brownsea Island.

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-On my way...

-Explorers alert.

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..I promise to do my best with the Scouts...

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Once a Scout, always a Scout.

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..find warhorses in the Hampshire wilderness...

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Do you like to be brushed? Look at that!

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Beautiful sheen to this coast!

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..and experience the charms of a British institution,

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born in the Edwardian era.

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-Do you always dress to match your beach hut?

-Yes. Always.

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My first stop will be Swanwick, seven miles east of Southampton.

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Today, it's known as a centre for Air Traffic Control,

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but given its location, it's long had links to the sea.

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My Bradshaw's carries an advertisement for the

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American Line, Southampton to New York service, calling at Cherbourg.

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Now, any seafarer would want to know the difference between a bowline,

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a sheet bend and a clove hitch.

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I've often wondered how those bound for a life on the ocean wave

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were sent forth on an even keel.

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At the time of my Bradshaw's, the British Empire was at its zenith,

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sustained by a vast fleet of commercial ships.

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There was huge demand for skilled seamen.

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And to learn how Southampton met it,

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I've come to the Warsash Maritime Academy, on the River Hamble.

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I'm meeting former cadet Roger Holt.

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Southampton becomes a very important port for the merchant navy,

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as we now know it, during the 19th century?

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Oh, absolutely. And really this is when it all kicked off.

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The channels were dredged to take the ever-larger ships.

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And, of course, passenger shipping became immensely important,

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particularly transatlantic trade.

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It was really getting a head of steam.

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How long have we recognised that commercial shipping needs men

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and boys to be properly trained for their job?

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As far as Southampton is concerned, we can go back to 1909,

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when the Gilchrist School of Navigation was established.

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In the early 20th century,

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sea schools were springing up across the country.

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And their graduates would soon face extraordinary perils.

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During the First World War, some 15,000 merchant seamen died,

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trying to keep the Empire supplied.

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Roger, it occurs to me that Navy is a military term,

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-yet we speak of a merchant navy.

-Of course.

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It goes back to the First World War, after the recognition of the

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service provided by the commercial service by King George V.

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And he established the term "merchant navy."

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From that time, at least, we've recognised that our survival

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in time of conflict depends on our commercial shipping.

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Yes, indeed.

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The Gilchrist School later evolved

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into the Warsash Maritime Academy, which moved to this site in 1946.

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-Were you here as a cadet yourself?

-Yes, I was.

-And what was it like?

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It was something that possibly today we would know as a boot camp.

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Essentially, this place was designed for leadership.

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We wore boots, we wore gaiters, we wore battledress.

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And we ran everywhere.

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-Good training?

-I thought it was fantastic.

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I think it was a very good grounding for a life at sea.

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Now, I imagine the regime is a bit different from in your day.

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-Is that right?

-Yes.

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The training has become much more academic, but there is still

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room for the knowledge of good seamanship practice.

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You still need to know your knots?

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You still need to know your knots, Michael,

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particularly on a dark night in a storm.

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These days, Warsash is part of Southampton Solent University.

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Alongside old school rope skills,

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today's cadets use hi-tech simulators to prepare for a

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life at sea, handling everything from super yachts to oil tankers.

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Danielle Blackburn and David Dale are current cadets.

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Danielle, you're coming to the end of your course now, is that right?

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Yes, that's correct.

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I'm just coming to the end of the three years of the course.

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And to what extent is it a practical or an academic course?

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We do a lot of practical elements here at the college,

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alongside the academics, and then obviously, at sea,

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it's completely practical and hands-on.

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And now, I suppose, a lot of electronics and IT?

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Definitely, yeah.

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Also matched up with the more traditional

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methods of navigation and safety.

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Dave, has it been decided what you're going to be doing next?

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I'm with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary,

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but I don't know which ship at the moment.

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And what will your future role be on one of those vessels?

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It'll be an Unlimited Officer of the Watch.

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As the Officer of the Watch, you are

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the Captain's representative at sea. You have control of the ship.

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-Ships of any size?

-Yes.

-After your three-year course here,

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do you feel ready for that enormous responsibility?

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There's an awful lot of training involved. I do feel prepared.

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Picking up the train in Southampton, I'm heading west.

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I'm swapping the shore for the stunning wilderness

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of the New Forest.

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Today, this timeless landscape is an oasis of peace and tranquillity.

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But in the past, the forest has played its part in conflict.

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Around the turn of the 20th century,

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the New Forest was frequently used for manoeuvres

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and made another important contribution to the military effort.

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I'm alighting at Brockenhurst,

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on the trail of some unsung Edwardian war heroes.

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New Forest resident James Young will introduce me to their descendants.

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-Hello, James.

-Michael.

-How lovely to see you.

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And so wonderful, isn't it, to see

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such a large number of New Forest ponies.

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-They're in good voice today.

-At the moment, they're shading.

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Very hot day. So it's part of their social behaviour that they

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shade in the heat of the day.

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They're all in groups, so they're calling, one to the other.

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There are around 5,000 of the famous New Forest ponies,

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roaming freely across the 220 square miles of the National Park.

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And what uses has man put them to?

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Well, traditionally, they were used for forestry,

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a big industry in the New Forest.

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They were also used in business, pulling the butcher's cart.

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A lot of tradespeople would use them.

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But at the turn of the 20th century,

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these beautiful animals became warhorses.

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New Forest ponies were among half a million horses used

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by the British military during the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902.

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And when the First World War broke out,

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ponies from the New Forest were called to serve again.

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-Did they prove their worth in wartime?

-Yes, they certainly did.

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I've read accounts of the end of a long hard day's march,

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the finer-blooded, better-bred, thoroughbreds were just tired

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and laid down, exhausted, whereas the sturdy,

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strong forest ponies, they were the first ones up for their nosebag

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and showed great toughness.

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Although the ponies are semi feral, they are all owned

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and looked after by local people, known as commoners.

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-How do you fit into it all?

-Well, I'm a commoner of the New Forest.

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There are about 500 of us, practising commoners.

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I'm proud that we have the oldest established herd in the forest.

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In the mid 19th century,

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my great-great-great-grandmother brought eight New Forest mares with

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her as a wedding dowry

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and our New Forest ponies today descend directly from those ponies.

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James also runs a stable and a riding school,

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where some of his wild animals have been broken in,

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to be ridden or shown.

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Horse lover King Edward VII would probably have approved of show

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pony Baccarat, named after his favourite card game.

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James, that is a beautiful animal, a fine example. Am I right?

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You are right, Michael.

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And we took her off the forest, as a foal, so she's forest-bred.

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And she's been shown successfully all her life

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and she's been champion at the breed show.

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-She's been the mare of a lifetime.

-Congratulations. And why?

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-What is it that is so brilliant? The colour is lovely, of course.

-Yeah.

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She has good limbs, short cannon bones.

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That's the bone between the knee and the fetlock, which is

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the next joint down.

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Stands full square, has great strength in her hind leg,

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which is the engine, if you like.

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Everything you want in a forest pony, she's got it.

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Do you like to be brushed? Yes!

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Yes!

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Look at that!

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Beautiful sheen to this coat!

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If you brush there, Michael,

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you should bring out the dapples in this rich mahogany colour.

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Here are the dapples. I'm seeing dapples here.

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Oh, beautiful horse! Are these ponies then self-funding?

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Do you make enough money from the riding school and from

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selling them to be riding ponies, then to support all the wild ponies?

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We are very fortunate, in that we're able to combine our hobby with our

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business in that we can use some of our ponies in our riding schools.

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For most commoners, that's not possible.

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We have this wonderful heritage

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and it's vital that we keep it for the future.

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My next stop is 20 miles down the track.

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I'm following in the footsteps of Edwardian tourists who

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flocked by train to the booming resort of Bournemouth.

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According to a 1913 Bradshaw's Guide to British Bathing Spots,

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it can hardly be described in a short compass,

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owing to its extent, its diversity and its numerous attractions.

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Bradshaw's says Bournemouth has many attractions,

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but it's a city set amongst pine trees.

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Is this true today?

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Yes, there's still quite a few pine trees there.

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-And there's lots of attractions.

-Do you live there?

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I've lived there for 15 years.

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-What's the way of life like there?

-Quite relaxed.

-Nice climate.

-Yes.

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We seem to get better summers than other places.

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Do you own or do you use a beach hut?

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I don't own one. I wish I did!

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-Why?

-Um, they're rather expensive.

-Ah!

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Especially at Mudeford Spit.

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I think they're the most expensive in the UK.

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-One sold recently for £270,000.

-Quite amazing. Absolutely amazing.

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So if you had £270,000, would you rather have a garage in Chelsea,

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a beach hut in Bournemouth, or a very expensive car?

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-Most definitely a beach hut in Bournemouth.

-Really?

-Yes.

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Bradshaw's writes of Bournemouth, "The cliffs are somewhat broken,

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"but this is their charm,

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"as the coast is penetrated by many picturesque chines."

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With evening drawing in, I'll save the seaside for tomorrow.

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I've set my sights on a hotel with a racy royal background.

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Mrs Lillie Langtry was an actress who scored some indifferent

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stage reviews, but after her Grecian good looks were

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painted by the portraitist John Everett Millais,

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she embarked on a successful career as the girlfriend of aristocrats.

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A woman of such beauty

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and generosity of spirit was bound to catch

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the attention of Bertie, later King Edward VII,

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and according to her, he made little secret of their affair.

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His biographer tells us that she built this Red House,

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now a hotel, so I may be laying my head where the King laid his.

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-Good evening.

-Good evening, sir. Welcome to Langtry Manor.

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Thank you so much. Is there still great interest in Lillie Langtry?

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Oh, absolutely. She really was quite a star of her day.

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Why? What sort of thing?

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Well, not only was she a Shakespearean actress,

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she was the Prince's mistress and, of course,

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she was on every journal cover, she was even on Pears' soap.

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She was the face of that product.

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-So everyone knew about her.

-And which room have you put me in?

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-Upstairs and up on your left.

-Thank you.

-Excellent.

-Thank you.

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Well, I've enjoyed the four-poster bed

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and the Red House is a fine piece of real estate.

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It must have cost a pretty penny in its day.

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Now, I'm going to go in search of something much smaller.

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One of the most striking things about Bournemouth is the long

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line of beach huts that edge the sand.

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Nearly 2,000 of them altogether.

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Author Karen Averby knows their history.

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-Karen.

-Hello.

-Hello, I'm Michael.

-Nice to meet you.

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Now, these beach huts, so multicoloured,

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so beautiful, what is their origin?

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They emerged towards the end of the 19th century into the 20th

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century and really came into their own in the Edwardian period.

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They're often seen as sort of the direct

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descendent of the bathing machine,

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and while that's true physically, they're both wooden

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constructions on the beach, they had very different functions.

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Bathing machines were invented in the 18th century.

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Inside, you could don your bathing costume,

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then be wheeled into the sea.

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The bathing machine had been all about protecting modesty

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and that changes in the Edwardian period, does it?

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It does, very much so.

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From the 1890s, we see a call for the end of segregated beaches.

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So you would have families coming to the beach, they wanted to

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enjoy it together, and so beach huts were perfect for that.

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-How did they eventually become so regimented?

-In the early days,

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people were setting up their own sort of constructions,

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quite raggedy, and Bournemouth became a borough

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right at the end of the Victorian period.

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And in 1900, it had more powers to regulate these kinds of activities.

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So the councils had very strict stipulations.

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So, Karen, it has its own plaque.

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The first municipal beach hut in the United Kingdom.

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Indeed, and we can see that it was designed by Frederick Dolamore,

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the Chief Assistant Borough Engineer

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of Bournemouth Council, and he was responsible for these designs,

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which were actually copied and used elsewhere as well.

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-So, Dolamore has gone down in history, has he?

-Dolamore has, yes.

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He was responsible for much of the regeneration of this

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part of the seafront in the Edwardian period.

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Ah, there we are. So, all the basic requirements.

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Everything you could possibly need for a day at the beach.

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You've got the fold-down table, some lovely cupboard space there.

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And the ubiquitous deckchair, of course.

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In the early days, there would have been an awning stretching out,

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so you could sit outside and just enjoy the view from here.

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I've never quite understood the appeal of this British

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seaside staple.

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But perhaps beach hut owners Monica Adams

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and Lyn McDonald can convert me.

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-Hello, ladies.

-Hello.

-I'm Michael.

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-Hi, I'm Lyn.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-Monica?

-Monica.

-Very good to see you, Monica.

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What a beautiful beach hut. You've really made it jolly, haven't you?

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-I just love it.

-How long have you had this one?

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-Since 2009.

-And were you on a waiting list?

-Yes. For eight years.

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Eight years?!

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So that is the demand for beach huts.

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Yeah, and you have to be a Bournemouth resident.

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-Do you?

-Yes.

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Now, have you heard of Majorca, Ibiza...? Have you heard of them?

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Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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Yeah, we've been there too.

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But this is just at the end of the road.

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But what about the weather?

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There must be days that you're inside with the door shut

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-and the rain pounding on the roof.

-But we're dry.

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We're in there and we can have our fish and chips

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and look out on a blustery day.

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It's lovely down here on days like that as well.

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Our 6ft by 6ft space, it's very important.

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Simple pleasures, isn't it? Bottle of prosecco, have afternoon tea.

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-Do you always dress to match your beach hut?

-Yes. Always.

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I'm waving goodbye to Bournemouth

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and taking a short hop along the coast in search of adventure.

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This is Robert Baden-Powell's Scouting for Boys.

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I remember dipping into it when I was a Boy Scout,

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with its exhortations to develop your moral fibre,

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create a healthy body and keep a clean mind.

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Published in 1908, it is an iconic product of the Edwardian age.

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It was an extraordinary bestseller, until the Second World War

0:21:150:21:19

exceeded only by the Bible in the English-speaking world.

0:21:190:21:23

I'll take this train to Poole and head to Brownsea Island,

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where it all began.

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-Hello.

-Welcome aboard.

-Thank you very much.

0:21:520:21:56

To reach the island, I'm taking one of the distinctive yellow ferries.

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For over 100 years, this service has carried

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passengers across the water, from Poole and Sandbanks.

0:22:040:22:08

Brownsea Island strikes me

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as being at just the right distance for a Boy Scout camp.

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Not so remote that you couldn't get back in an emergency, but this

0:22:180:22:22

ferry ride puts distance between you and your home and your parents.

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-Bye.

-Welcome to Brownsea Island.

-Thank you.

0:22:380:22:40

Brownsea Island now belongs to the National Trust

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and is still used by the Scouts.

0:22:460:22:48

I'm meeting Tim Kidd, who is the chief commissioner in the United

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Kingdom of a movement that today has over 400,000 young British members.

0:22:530:22:58

So, Tim, this very site, this open space, plays a

0:23:020:23:05

-really important part in the history of scouting?

-Yeah, absolutely.

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This is the place where the first experimental camp took place,

0:23:080:23:11

where Baden-Powell tried out his ideas of how

0:23:110:23:13

he could help young people to learn to work together.

0:23:130:23:16

-Who was Robert Baden-Powell?

-He was a military man.

0:23:160:23:19

And he ended up commanding forces in the Second Boer War.

0:23:190:23:22

He returned to the UK to find, I think to his surprise,

0:23:220:23:25

he was something of a celebrity.

0:23:250:23:27

Scouting is about survival and understanding nature.

0:23:270:23:30

Where did he pick up those skills?

0:23:300:23:32

So those were definitely through his military career.

0:23:320:23:34

The term "scouting" I think really started from the Americans,

0:23:340:23:37

who taught a lot of bush craft.

0:23:370:23:39

What Baden-Powell did is saw the potential in this

0:23:390:23:42

to make a programme for young people,

0:23:420:23:44

and not just about the outdoors, but also about self-reliance

0:23:440:23:47

and giving young people skills they could genuinely use in their lives.

0:23:470:23:51

Baden-Powell had already written one popular book,

0:23:520:23:56

a military training manual.

0:23:560:23:58

Now, he wanted to rework it for young people.

0:23:580:24:00

To try out his ideas, he organised a camp.

0:24:020:24:05

What sort of children came here? Were they middle class?

0:24:070:24:09

They were 20 young people from mixed backgrounds.

0:24:090:24:12

Some were the children of friends of his,

0:24:120:24:14

-others were from the local area.

-Was it a success?

-Brilliantly so.

0:24:140:24:18

The following year, 1908,

0:24:180:24:21

Scouting for Boys was published in six instalments.

0:24:210:24:24

It was an immediate hit.

0:24:240:24:26

The book is a colossal bestseller.

0:24:280:24:30

-Did the movement grow at the same rate?

-Absolutely the case.

0:24:300:24:33

In the UK, we've been growing every year for the last 12 years.

0:24:330:24:36

-We've grown year-on-year.

-And one other question.

0:24:360:24:38

What has happened to the woggle?

0:24:380:24:40

Well, the woggle is still very much around.

0:24:400:24:42

If I wear my uniform, then I wear my necker with a woggle.

0:24:420:24:45

But when I'm wearing my T-shirt, my iScout stuff, I wear it in

0:24:450:24:50

a more relaxed way. This is called a friendship knot.

0:24:500:24:53

Scouting is of course no longer just for boys.

0:24:530:24:56

And this mixed group of Scouts has been set

0:24:560:24:59

the task of improvising a shelter, using natural materials.

0:24:590:25:04

Greetings, happy campers!

0:25:040:25:06

Hello!

0:25:060:25:08

-Where does this fit in?

-Just there.

-Just there.

0:25:080:25:11

There we go.

0:25:130:25:15

Ready for the ferns.

0:25:160:25:18

Ah, so, is this fun?

0:25:230:25:24

-Yes.

-This is very enjoyable.

-Why is it very enjoyable?

0:25:240:25:29

-It's just the whole sort of Scout atmosphere.

-Yeah.

0:25:290:25:33

You know, the sort of being together and out and about in the wilderness.

0:25:330:25:36

This is what scouting's all about and especially being

0:25:360:25:39

here on Brownsea Island, where it all started. It's especially nice.

0:25:390:25:42

And would you be willing to spend the night in a bivouac

0:25:420:25:44

-like that, do you think?

-Give it a go.

0:25:440:25:46

Yeah? How long have you been involved in scouting?

0:25:460:25:48

-About two years.

-Two years.

0:25:480:25:49

What do you tend to do when you have your meetings?

0:25:490:25:51

We learn about different life skills, like map reading

0:25:510:25:54

and basic cooking.

0:25:540:25:56

-How is your cooking coming on?

-All right.

0:25:560:25:58

And what about the washing up? That's pretty tedious, isn't it?

0:25:580:26:00

-Yeah, but I enjoy it, so...

-You enjoy the washing up?

0:26:000:26:03

-Mm-hm.

-You ARE going to be a good Scout!

0:26:030:26:06

Ceremonies have been important to Scouts, ever

0:26:060:26:09

since Baden-Powell's day.

0:26:090:26:11

Unfurling, or breaking,

0:26:110:26:13

the Union flag is intended to remind them of duty to Queen and country.

0:26:130:26:17

Explorers alert!

0:26:180:26:20

-Michael, would you like to break the flag?

-Oh, thank you.

0:26:200:26:24

And a necker with a friendship knot. Once a Scout, always a Scout.

0:26:240:26:28

Thank you very much.

0:26:280:26:30

In 1901, they changed the guard at Buckingham Palace and

0:27:050:27:08

King Edward VII was fundamentally different from Queen Victoria.

0:27:080:27:13

He would hardly have been Baden-Powell's model

0:27:130:27:16

of a clean mind in a healthy body, but new technology brought

0:27:160:27:20

about deeper change, as electric trains and motor cars

0:27:200:27:24

and aeroplanes gradually pushed aside the age of steam.

0:27:240:27:29

Mechanisation brought its dangers, as well as progress.

0:27:290:27:33

And many of the young men who were the first Boy Scouts would

0:27:330:27:37

apply their skills in leadership and survival on the Western Front.

0:27:370:27:42

Next time, I burn rubber in the hot seat... Wow! This is exciting!

0:27:490:27:54

-What speed are we doing?

-About 70.

0:27:540:27:56

..follow in the footsteps of the great Welsh bard...

0:27:590:28:02

So, I suppose Dylan Thomas came here, did he?

0:28:020:28:05

I don't think there's a pub in Swansea that he didn't go to.

0:28:050:28:07

..and uncover a spiritual renaissance.

0:28:070:28:11

"I stir up a few friends who turn back to Jesus.

0:28:110:28:14

"But he will need thousands of friends in Wales."

0:28:140:28:17

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