Episode 3 Real Lives Reunited

The kindness of strangers in the face of disaster.

-It just goes to prove that life is so sweet...

-Yep.

..When someone helps you out.

-You must've had a guardian angel.

-Oh, I've got one or two.

They shaped history together, but lost touch.

I just don't know what to say. After all these years.

And unsung heroes meet those they saved.

If someone needs help, you help them.

You saved my daughter's life.

We can never thank them enough for what they did.

We went through all that, then just lost each other.

Brought together by fate, separated by life...

Real Lives Reunited.

Today, ten lads who became part of royal history

in 1953 are brought back together after 60 years apart.

We were a team.

I'd love to see some of them.

I often wondered whether I ought to try and make contact,

but I never have. One of life's regrets.

And a survivor meets the stranger who pulled her from the deadly

cold North Sea when the Herald Of Free Enterprise capsized.

If he hadn't been there, I wouldn't be alive today.

When you see someone in trouble, you go help them.

And that's what I did on that night.

In the early 1950s,

the shadow of the Second World War hung over Britain.

Meat, sugar and cheese were still rationed,

and swathes of Blitz damage marked the cities.

But as the nation began to rebuild itself,

people started to look forward to a successful and prosperous future.

And in 1953,

a small group of young lads from all over the country found themselves

at the centre of an event that would define modern Great Britain.

I was a minor celebrity for quite a while.

It was one of the highlights of my life.

I didn't reflect on the historical side of it until afterwards.

Then I realised, yeah, you've done something pretty remarkable.

Following the death of her father in 1952,

preparations for Elizabeth II's coronation were soon under way.

On the 2nd June 1953, the world would witness one of the most epic

events in modern history.

And that required precision planning.

From building 26 miles of spectator stands along the processional

route, to preparing Westminster Abbey for over 8,000

dignitaries, no detail was too small.

As a gift to the new monarch,

it was decided a 400-strong choir would provide the service music.

Among them would be 32 of the most talented choirboys in the country.

A nationwide search was launched to find the best young

voices in Britain.

And from all over the country, lads aged between 11

and 15 were hand-picked for the honour of singing for the Queen.

I did feel the weight of responsibility resting on me.

I realised that if I mucked this up,

it could be the most embarrassing incident of my life.

It was something that very few people in the past have had

the opportunity to do.

It was three weeks off school,

when everybody else was still stuck at school.

You couldn't beat it with a big stick.

It was a dream come true. I mean, the support I got was fantastic.

We had a letter

saying that everyone in the south of Scotland would

feel part of it because I was there to represent them.

As the country was gripped by coronation fever,

the 32 selected choirboys found themselves facing four weeks

of intensive rehearsals in a mansion just outside London.

To arrive at Addington Palace... I mean, it took your breath away.

We felt like country bumpkins really, from down in Kent.

This was a vast, big place that we could play and run in. Enjoy.

For many, this was the first time they'd ever left home.

It wasn't as it is today.

People didn't move away much from their towns.

So, when you were talking to someone from Scotland,

it was like the other side of the world, really.

I don't think I found it difficult to make friends.

I think there might have been the odd pillow fight at night.

I think we were pretty well-behaved.

The choirboys spent long and exhausting days rehearsing.

Constantly repeating the hymns and anthems for the coronation.

And as the weeks passed, the 32 boys started to form close bonds.

I remember their nicknames.

Bodger was one of them. He came from Armagh.

Edmund Officer is another name I remember.

-He's from Belfast, isn't he?

-Belfast, yeah.

As a teenager, Edmund Officer would sing at St Anne's Cathedral

in Belfast. Now 75, he's returned to meet two other coronation choirboys.

But after 60 years, faces are hard to recognise.

I was a member of this choir many years ago.

-You're Edmund Officer.

-That's correct.

Nice to see you again.

Roger Dormer from St Patrick's Cathedral.

-Sam.

-Sam!

-St Patrick's Cathedral.

THEY LAUGH

-Did we call you Bodger or something like that?

-That's right.

Roger the Dodger.

THEY LAUGH

Oh, it's good to see you.

I knew right away. Edmund Officer. Couldn't be anyone else.

I was a bit of a tearaway.

Of the older ones, he was the one that kept me in check.

THEY LAUGH

I'm still singing, Eddie. What about you?

-I sing now in the choir.

-I'm singing in St Mark's in Lisburn.

-Sam's given it up.

-That was long ago.

-Where did you sing?

In the pubs.

THEY LAUGH

A lot of Elvis numbers. Neil Diamond.

I was always asked to get up,

but I think they're catching on now not to bother.

HE LAUGHS

-It's great to see you again.

-You too.

After 60 years, Eddie, Roger and Sam's memories of their part

in the coronation choir are as strong as the day they were there.

But what if they went back to where it all happened?

Later, at Addington Palace, ten of the choirboys who made

history are reunited with their old friends.

-You never see any of these guys?

-No.

-No.

-No?

I'm happy to say...you don't look too bad.

THEY LAUGH

'A British car ferry capsizes tonight off a Belgian... '

'It had happened without warning.'

'Everyone was screaming.'

'People crashed sideways and downwards.'

'And it took less than a minute.'

An eyewitness said there was panic and confusion on the scene.

March 1987, the horror of Britain's worst ever peace-time

shipping disaster.

When you see someone in trouble, you go help them.

And no moaning about it. And you help as much as you can.

And that's what I did on that night.

193 people lost their lives. Others were saved by complete strangers.

How do you thank somebody that saved your life?

If he hadn't been there, I wouldn't be alive today.

Sonia Harwood had been treated to a day-trip to Belgium

by her husband of eight years, Mick.

Yes, it was my birthday. 6th March.

He always used to take me over to Zeebrugge.

I'd had a good day out.

Like the rest of the passengers returning from Belgium

on the Herald of Free Enterprise, Sonia

and Mick were settling in for the journey home across the Channel.

My husband went over to the bar and got a pint of beer.

We sat down, it was all nice and warm, because it was freezing out.

It was a really cold night.

After a week on the road, 32-year-old truck driver

Larry O'Brien was eager to get back to his family.

Not a care in the world.

Looking forward to taking my three-week break.

Looking forward to getting home.

Over 400 passengers were preparing to relax

ahead of the four-and-a-half hour crossing.

The lights flickered.

No-one thought anything about it.

You know, they just carried on as normal.

But when the ferry set sail, its bow doors had been left open.

As it picked up speed, waves flooded the car deck.

The ship's fate was sealed.

The boat started going up.

I said, "Well, this isn't normal."

This was an unmerciful heave.

Just went left, right...and over.

When the emergency lights came on,

you could see the water gushing in at the bottom.

Then all the lights went out completely.

And that's when everyone was panicking.

PEOPLE SCREAMING

The worst part for me was the screaming and shouting and roaring.

I saw Mick. All the tables and chairs were hitting him.

He went down. He just disappeared.

And I felt myself going up and up and up.

You know. I thought, oh, I've had it. I thought I was going to die.

After that, things just went quiet.

Just dead quiet.

Within just 90 seconds, the ship had capsized.

As floors became walls and staircases impossible to climb,

terrified passengers were trapped,

completely disoriented by the upturned ship.

The only way out was up. I used an old fire rail to get myself out,

up the portal window.

I sat on the side of the ship and said, "Oh, thank God."

But others were still trapped in the hull of the sinking ship.

53-year-old Sonia was fighting for her life.

I started going under the water.

I thought, I've had it.

Although he was safe, Larry could hear others needed help.

I said, there's no point sitting here doing nothing.

And I went back in to get people out.

Then Larry spotted a woman in the water.

All of a sudden, I was shocked with this hand coming down

and pulling me out.

You pulled out anything you got. It was a hand, a head, hair...

I mean, people wanted to live. The will to live is a great thing.

So they didn't mind. Just pull them out.

He said, "Don't worry. I'm going to get you out."

Larry pulled Sonia out of sinking vessel

and onto the side of the ferry.

It felt like an eternity before tugs came

and we started helping people down onto these small boats.

I eventually got her out and she asked me

would I go back to have a look for her husband.

I did go back in and her husband was there all right

but he had passed away. He was dead.

As Sonia was being pulled to safety, she got one last glimpse of Mick.

With the helicopter lights, I saw my husband.

He had... he had his head in the water,

they couldn't get him out.

And then I looked back for Larry.

I didn't realise he'd gone back to look for some more people.

You know. So he just disappeared.

I owe my life to him, really.

If it happened tomorrow morning, would I do the same?

I can't tell you. Don't know. But on the night... Human instinct.

When you see someone in trouble, you go help them.

26 years later, I want to see Larry and give him

a big hug for saving my life.

Later, Sonia meets the man who pulled her from the deathly

cold North Sea.

Without you, I wouldn't be here now.

-It just goes to prove life is so sweet...

-Yep.

-..when someone helps you.

-Come here.

As a country, we pull together, not only at times of disaster,

but also during days of national celebration.

After months of planning, one of the biggest days of the 20th century

was just weeks away.

In May 1953, London prepared for millions of spectators to line

the streets, while the entire nation readied

itself for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

But one group of lads had reserved front-row seats for the service.

32 choirboys, aged between 11 and 15, had been

hand-picked from across the country for their note-perfect voices.

Sent to Addington Palace, just outside London,

they were locked into four weeks of intense training and rehearsal.

'Tomorrow in the Abbey, they will join nearly 400 other choristers.'

BOYS SING

You just didn't wander down to breakfast.

You just didn't wander into lunch or into a rehearsal.

We had a strict routine.

The training went on every day.

For an average of five, six hours each day.

It was hard work.

We went over it and over it and over it.

HE LAUGHS

You were a team and no one member of the team should be

out of place or sing a bit too loud.

It was a fantastic feeling,

something like a football team.

They're all playing for each other.

This was to be the event of the century

and everybody wanted to be part of it.

Millions gathered in front of grainy black-and-white televisions

to watch history being made.

But the choir boys were at the centre of events.

We funnelled through all the various crowds,

as VIPs.

"They're in the Abbey, come through, let them through."

And, of course, all the time, the excitement was building.

And you knowing that, "I mustn't make a mistake,

"I've got to come in at the right moment."

And all the time, the heart's pounding.

Their time had come. Weeks of training, hours of rehearsals.

This was the boys' moment.

Being actually able to see the Queen, the future Queen,

was quite overwhelming

for a little boy from Scotland, you know?

That was the point at which the music that we had been

training for began.

MUSIC: "Zadok the Priest" by Handel

And, when the great moment came,

I was found wanting for a few seconds, because, as the organ

started to play and the Queen had arrived,

I got a lump in my throat. I'm doing it now.

And I couldn't really sing the first couple of notes.

But, after that, I was fine.

# Zadok the Priest... #

That was the first time that we had really performed that music,

all 500 in the choir.

And the noise was tremendous.

It's awesome to be in a choir of that size.

The sound was absolutely incredible. Yeah.

I remember the Queen having been crowned

and walking down beautifully into a new reign.

She never put a foot wrong.

Brilliant. The new Elizabethan era.

Four weeks earlier, the young lads didn't know each other,

yet they pulled together for a performance of a lifetime.

But, just hours after playing their moment in history,

the choir was disbanded and the boys lost touch.

Next day, it was down to the station

at King's Cross and back home,

having left a fantastic experience behind.

It was a sad day,

because we'd grown very close.

I'd love to see some of them

and often wondered whether I ought to try and make contact,

but I never have.

One of life's regrets.

After 60 years apart, today, they're reunited.

In 1953, Dennis Whitehead represented Southern Scotland.

David Bainbridge for London.

-Hello!

-David Bainbridge!

All the way from Canterbury, Nick Swain.

Nick Swain.

David Reeve travelled from Norfolk.

I had wondered where you'd got to.

LAUGHTER

Back after 60 years, from Hampshire, Graham Neal.

-Have you ever seen any of these guys...

-No.

-No?

-No.

Well, I have to say, you don't look too bad.

LAUGHTER

Ken Yates made it from Chesterfield.

These people are impostors.

I don't recognise any of them.

Essex boy Clive Plumb,

and, from Northern Ireland, Eddie, Roger and Sam.

You're the one that always stood out for me.

And a real good-looking fella, then.

So, what happened?

LAUGHTER

Later, time to reminisce.

What did you do with that hair, David?

I grew through it.

LAUGHTER

The emotion of catching up with long lost friends can be

overwhelming, but, to be reunited with the stranger who

saved your life is an experience few of us will ever encounter.

In March 1987,

the world watched in shock as news bulletins reported

Britain's worst civilian loss of life at sea since the Titanic.

The water burst in and the ship was in darkness

and it was just a matter of seconds as the ferry lurched onto her side.

193 people lost their lives that night.

My daughter and her boyfriend, I just don't know where they are.

I just don't know where they are.

The crew member responsible for shutting the bow doors

of the ship was asleep.

As the ferry set sail,

sea water surged in the open doors,

flooding the car deck, causing the ship to capsize in 90 seconds,

less than a mile from its dock.

The 11 British divers now working on the ferry

face a near-impossible task.

They say they've already seen three bodies and now they're having

to decide which areas of the ferry to start cutting into.

They're hoping to find air pockets and possibly survivors.

But, as one diver put it to me,

"If anyone has lived this long, it would be a miracle."

Triona Holden has vivid memories of being the only journalist who

managed to report from beside the capsized ferry.

We got onto one of the search and rescue vessels

with the divers.

We went out to the side of the hull.

We had to be quiet on board,

because we were listening for anybody knocking who was still alive,

trapped inside, perhaps, an airlock.

Covering wars, I've seen lots of bodies, but, in a way,

it's almost more haunting to see the suggestion of a human life.

All around the boat was the detritus of people's lives.

I saw people's clothes,

children's toys,

handbags, passports.

It was appalling to see.

Survivor Sonia Harwood lost her husband Mick.

She lived only because trucker Larry O'Brien hauled her to safety.

How do you thank somebody that saved your life?

You can't do any more than that, can you?

Sonia was taken to safety from the ferry by a tug boat,

before being rushed to hospital in Bruges,

where she remained unconscious and on a ventilator for two weeks.

Larry returned to Ireland.

'We've a lot to talk about.'

20 years has passed since I met her last.

'Just can't thank him enough, really.

'I owe my life to Larry.'

And, if he hadn't have been there,

I wouldn't have been alive today.

-Sonia.

-All this time!

-How are you?

-Fine, thanks.

-Excellent.

-Nice to see you.

-Yeah, and you.

-You're well?

-Yeah, fine.

-Would you like to sit down?

-Getting up to all sorts of mischief now.

-Very good!

-Yeah.

-Very good.

-Especially at my age.

I thought I'd finished with all that, but I've just started.

I've something to show you here, Sonia.

I put it on the iPad. The Herald of Free Enterprise.

My God. Where do you reckon we were sitting?

You were up about here on that height up on the top of the ship.

You soon got me out of that.

-When I heard you shouting at me.

-Oh, you did?

-Oh, yeah.

-I was having a go at you?

-Oh, yeah.

-"A woman out of me own heart! I've got to get her up!"

SHE LAUGHS

-This is my husband.

-Yeah.

And he said, "I'll die with a pint in my hand." And he did.

You'll like this one.

That's what I do now.

Go fishing. I love to fish.

That's me in America, swimming with the dolphins.

-You love the water now?

-Yeah, I can't keep out.

You haven't wasted any of your life.

No, I live for every day.

Every day to the full. I never used to do half the things I do now.

Actually, I was wasting my life, really.

Funny, after an accident like that, your life changes.

Thank you very much.

After these 26 years,

saving my life.

No bother. Come here.

No bother. Well done.

Without you, I wouldn't be here now.

It just goes to prove,

life is so sweet when someone helps you.

I was really looking forward to seeing you.

I was upset, you know, seeing someone that saved my life...

Otherwise, I would have drowned that night,

because I'd have gone to sleep, and that would have been it.

Oh, look, someone was thinking about you.

-Sent me back in to pull you out. Wasn't it?

-Yeah!

The disaster sparked a redesign of roll-on roll-off ferries

and the introduction of safer operating practices

for passenger ships.

But, for Sonia, these lessons carried a terrible cost.

The families of the 193 who died can remember their loved ones

at St Mary's Church in Dover,

where a memorial marks the tragedy.

The 79-year-old lives life to the full,

but her late husband Mick is never far from her thoughts.

Never be forgotten.

You're always in my heart.

I'll never forget you.

That's what it's all about.

'It's been great to meet Sonia again after all the years.

'She's a fabulous lady and I wish her every success

'and every happiness in the future.'

'I can't thank him enough,

'because I've got a different outlook on life now.

'He's taught me to live it to the full

'and really enjoy every day.'

June 2nd 1953 will be for ever remembered as the day

Queen Elizabeth II was crowned.

Over 20 million watched the pomp and pageantry

and heard 32 lads sing their hearts out to mark the occasion.

The day after the coronation, their job done,

the boys were put on trains and this unique group lost touch.

But, almost 60 years to the day,

they've been reunited.

I hadn't been thinking about it for quite a long time,

but this has brought it all back.

It's quite exciting to be here,

meeting all these people whom I had known so long ago.

Having been apart for so long,

there's a lot to catch up on.

LAUGHTER

-Oh, there we go.

-Oh, wow.

-That hair.

-Was it Brylcreem?

-Yeah.

What did you do with that hair, David?

I grew through it.

LAUGHTER

The old friends each have different memories of the big day.

Before the Queen arrived,

and everybody was in place,

this little old lady went whizzing down the carpet with a Hoover

to make sure everything was absolutely spotless.

All the way down and all the way back again.

That caused a few titters, you know?

I managed to see all of this, straining forward,

but anybody behind the second row

wouldn't see anything.

Well, I drew the lucky straw, then, cos I had a great view.

We could see Charles and Anne. Do you remember?

The Queen Mother was looking after them.

Clement Attlee was just below us.

I think that's afterwards.

-We were troughing in the buffet, weren't we?

-Just a bit.

In the cloisters.

That's amazing.

We were sharing the beginning of a new reign

and, when the Queen had been crowned

and was walking down underneath,

I had a very good view. I felt proud.

Today, the former choirboys have an opportunity to relive

their 1953 performance.

In front of an audience of family and friends and with support from

the Royal School of Church Music's new generation,

members of the Queen's Coronation Choir will sing together

an anthem they performed on Coronation Day 60 years ago.

My thoughts for Coronation Day

was the camaraderie that

I felt being in the middle of a choir

that was the creme de la creme.

You'll never get it again.

At least, I don't think so.

I think we were the best.

MUSIC: "Zadok the Priest" by Handel

# Zadok the Priest

# And Nathan the Prophet

# Anointed

# Solomon King

# And all the people rejoic'd... #

'I hadn't prepared to choke up

'when the whole choir got together.

'That was quite extraordinary.'

And something, if I live another 60 years, I'll cherish.

Another day I won't forget.

As good as the first, 60 years ago.

It was brilliant to sing with those guys there, you know?

It even felt like we were back in the Abbey,

because of the resonance of the sound, you know?

A bit special.

A bit special. To have these chaps from 60 years ago

meeting up in this place was really marvellous.

It really was.

I've heard about this coronation for so many years and to hear it

sung today with him being a part of it,

all I can say is it's a thrill.

A wonderful day for me, as well as him. It's amazing.

There you go, you see?

I've got a fan!

THEY LAUGH

# Allelujah. #

APPLAUSE

Next time, survivors of the only British plane ever to be

hijacked brought together again.

The feelings inside that you were going to die.

And the villagers who survived an underground explosion

reunited with the heroes who saved them.

The medical people was brilliant

and I long to thank them.