0:00:02 > 0:00:04- Ordinary people... - Look at that.- Tsunami!
0:00:05 > 0:00:07..extraordinary stories.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10It was one of the most amazing days of my life.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14It just felt like being part of a moment in history.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Bonds forged amid triumphs...
0:00:16 > 0:00:18CHEERING
0:00:18 > 0:00:19..and tragedies.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23She came to help people, so to me, she is an angel,
0:00:23 > 0:00:24she is a great person.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26It would mean an awful lot to me
0:00:26 > 0:00:29to be able to say thank you to the fireman that saved me.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33They shared a past, then faced a future apart.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35I just hope I recognise them.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36Brought together by fate.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38It is going to be very emotional.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Separated by time.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44# Rap her to bank me canny lad! #
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Real Lives Reunited.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53In today's programme,
0:00:53 > 0:00:57for show-stopping celebrations, just add water!
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Thousands have turned out to witness the diamond jubilee pageant.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04A British triumph, despite the British weather.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08The rain could do nothing to dampen people's spirits
0:01:08 > 0:01:11and I think it brought out a certain kind of British grit.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14The heroes who took part return to the river.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I had two spinal consultants telling me that...
0:01:17 > 0:01:20I'm going to have to come to terms that I'd never walk again.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Plus, farewell to Number Ten.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Mrs Thatcher departed, close to tears.
0:01:25 > 0:01:31The moment the Iron Lady cracked and the photographer who caught it.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35Oh, I was thrilled, I was thrilled to bits. Crikey.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39You know, I was probably about a foot taller than I am now!
0:01:42 > 0:01:45# I was there to witness
0:01:45 > 0:01:46# Candice's inner business
0:01:46 > 0:01:48# She wants the boys to notice
0:01:48 > 0:01:51# Her rainbows and her ponies
0:01:51 > 0:01:54# She was educated but could not count to ten
0:01:54 > 0:01:57# How she got lots of different horses
0:01:57 > 0:01:58# By lots of different men
0:01:58 > 0:02:01# And I say liberate your...
0:02:01 > 0:02:03# Sons and daughters
0:02:03 > 0:02:05# The bush is high... #
0:02:05 > 0:02:06MUSIC FADES OUT
0:02:09 > 0:02:12When it came to thinking of an event to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15the organisers had a hard act to follow.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18CHEERING
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee back in 2002
0:02:21 > 0:02:25was a resounding success, winning global acclaim.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28A decade on, and one man suggested the answer,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31a magnificent river pageant,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33recalling the days of Georgian London.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37It always used to be this kind of grand arena for,
0:02:37 > 0:02:41for royal events with, er, coronations or engagements.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45I thought, now's the time to reinvigorate the river,
0:02:45 > 0:02:49to bring it alive again with royal pageantry.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54But the dream of a flotilla of boats parading past the Queen
0:02:54 > 0:02:55couldn't be realised
0:02:55 > 0:02:57without the help of the Port of London Authority
0:02:57 > 0:02:59and its director.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02I said to my Chief Executive, we've got two choices,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04we either kick this into touch
0:03:04 > 0:03:07and resist it with everything we've got,
0:03:07 > 0:03:09or we embrace it wholeheartedly.
0:03:09 > 0:03:14I said, my recommendation is that we embrace it wholeheartedly.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16David's recommendation was accepted,
0:03:16 > 0:03:19but it presented big challenges.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26There was good reason why there had been no pageants in recent times.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28The tempestuous Thames of today
0:03:28 > 0:03:31is very different to that of the 1700s.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33The Thames in the 18th century
0:03:33 > 0:03:36ran with about half the tidal speed that it does now.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41It had about half the tidal range, the rise and fall that it does now.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Seven metres twice a day, a huge body of water going out,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47a huge body of water coming in.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49That gave me a lot of sleepless nights,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52wondering how on earth we're going to deal with this.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55In an ideal world, the Thames would not be tidal,
0:03:55 > 0:03:56on this particular day.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59The only way the Thames is not tidal on this particular day
0:03:59 > 0:04:02is if the Thames barrier is closed.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05But the barrier could only be closed by an act of Parliament
0:04:05 > 0:04:07on certain occasions.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10And one of those occasions is its annual test.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Adrian persuaded the powers-that-be
0:04:14 > 0:04:16to perform it on the day of the pageant.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22One challenge overcome, but another awaiting.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Adrian wanted to create a truly spectacular vessel
0:04:25 > 0:04:27for the Queen on the day.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31So he enlisted top film set designer, Joseph Bennett.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34I was designing the central focal point
0:04:34 > 0:04:38of the biggest flotilla in the world ever, which has the royal family
0:04:38 > 0:04:41who are not often all together, in one particular place.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45So it was an extraordinary honour and a privilege to be doing that
0:04:45 > 0:04:48and also a great pressure, but everybody was behind it
0:04:48 > 0:04:49and excited by it.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57Joseph used 17th century royal barges for inspiration,
0:04:57 > 0:05:01his intricate design taking a year to complete.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Public interest in the pageant began to intensify.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Good news for the royals,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18but a headache for project director, Rosanna Machado.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23We were actually three times over subscribed with submissions,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26so we went through quite a rigorous process of choosing them,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30based on safety and also making sure we had a good variety of boats.
0:05:30 > 0:05:341,072 boats were chosen for the parade.
0:05:39 > 0:05:40And when then big day arrived,
0:05:40 > 0:05:4320,000 participants assembled on the river.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47The excitement was mounting.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50But, for David and Adrian, so were the nerves.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Would the Thames Barrier close on cue?
0:05:55 > 0:05:59There might've been any number of things that could have happened -
0:05:59 > 0:06:01mechanical failure or goodness knows what else.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04It was a kind of recipe for disaster, in a way.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09At 9:30am the button was pressed and fingers were crossed.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15HORN SOUNDS
0:06:15 > 0:06:18MUSIC: Symphony No 9: Ode to Joy by Beethoven
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Mission accomplished.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24- And it was go, go, go... - CANNONS FIRE
0:06:24 > 0:06:28..until the boats at the front reached the Queen's Barge
0:06:28 > 0:06:32and it was almost stop, stop, stop.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35The rowers' salute, which we thought would take two to three minutes,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37took considerably longer.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39We had the Royal Squadron bearing down.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43David had to act quickly to avoid a series
0:06:43 > 0:06:46of potentially dangerous collisions.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48At that point, some of my squadron commanders
0:06:48 > 0:06:52thought the next order from me would be the emergency stop.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54The whole thing would have been over.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57- We wouldn't have got them all going again.- Solution?
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Ask the Sea Cadets to pirouette in the river,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03buying some time for the rowers in front to move on.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10The cadets pulled off the tricky manoeuvre
0:07:10 > 0:07:12and from then on, the pageant progressed perfectly.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15# Hallelujah! # CANNON SOUNDS
0:07:17 > 0:07:20The seven-mile long flotilla wowed the world.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Rosanna's choice of participants
0:07:25 > 0:07:28epitomised the variety of her Majesty's domain...
0:07:31 > 0:07:36..and Joseph's Royal Barge was a triumph of design and authenticity.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45A million people lined the embankment
0:07:45 > 0:07:47and the Queen was in her element.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- What could possibly go wrong? - THUNDERCLAP
0:07:50 > 0:07:52# I want to know
0:07:52 > 0:07:55# Have you ever seen the rain... #
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Yes, you can always rely on the British weather
0:08:00 > 0:08:03and the British reaction.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06The rain could do nothing to dampen people's spirits and,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10you know, if anything, if you like, I think it brought out
0:08:10 > 0:08:16a certain kind of British grit, a bit of bulldog spirit.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18And that spirit won out.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23The biggest river pageant ever seen duly passed off without a hitch.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28It was an extraordinary event and being part of history
0:08:28 > 0:08:30is just exceptional.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32What an exceptional feeling.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Today the river's quieter and the weather much drier.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45But four of those who made the pageant possible
0:08:45 > 0:08:47are gathering on its banks again.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Hello!
0:08:52 > 0:08:57Joseph has left a blockbuster movie design meeting to make it today.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59And David's still in his Port of London uniform.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- Great to see you.- Nice to see you!
0:09:02 > 0:09:05It's the first time all four have met
0:09:05 > 0:09:08since their unforgettable day in 2012.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10What would you say would be your highlight?
0:09:10 > 0:09:13I think seeing all the rowboats coming out towards me.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16It just looked like a picture postcard. It just looked beautiful.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18- That Canaletto moment. - Yeah. I just thought,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21"Wow! I can't believe we've achieved it."
0:09:21 > 0:09:23It changed the colour of the river, didn't it?
0:09:23 > 0:09:25It was a hairs on the back of the neck moment
0:09:25 > 0:09:27when everyone came through? How about you, Joseph?
0:09:27 > 0:09:30- The whole day was just great, wasn't it?- It's almost like a wedding,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33when the bride and the groom think everything's going to go wrong
0:09:33 > 0:09:36but what they fail to take into consideration is that all the guests
0:09:36 > 0:09:39- just want it to go well. - Exactly.- Anything could happen.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42- Everybody willed it. - Yeah, willed it to work.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49During the pageant, both Rosanna and David were stuck in control rooms,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52unable to experience the incredible noise and atmosphere.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58Today they're retracing the route followed by the 20,000 participants.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02The volume. Everyone shouting and cheering.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06You could see them on every balcony, on the rooftops.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09It was heartfelt. "Well done on 60 years and long may she reign."
0:10:09 > 0:10:11"Well done, Ma'am. Well done, Ma'am."
0:10:11 > 0:10:14The Diamond Jubilee Pageant had twice as many boats
0:10:14 > 0:10:17as the previous world record.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19CHAMPAGNE POPS
0:10:19 > 0:10:21THEY CHEER
0:10:21 > 0:10:25The pageant is the biggest event that London has ever delivered.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28I'm pretty certain we won't see its like again.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31So many people said it can't be done. Well, it could be done.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33And we did it.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Coming up - the heroes who defied the odds to take part.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45I've just proved two spinal consultants wrong.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49I want to show other people that they can do stuff as well.
0:10:57 > 0:11:04# Freedom, freedom, freedom
0:11:04 > 0:11:06# You've gotta give for what you take
0:11:07 > 0:11:13# Freedom, freedom, freedom
0:11:14 > 0:11:17# You've gotta give for what you take
0:11:17 > 0:11:20# I've got the power... #
0:11:20 > 0:11:23By 1990 Margaret Thatcher had been in Downing Street
0:11:23 > 0:11:26for 11 eventful years.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Where there is discord, may we bring harmony...
0:11:31 > 0:11:34On her watch, Britain had won a war overseas
0:11:34 > 0:11:38but undergone social and industrial strife at home.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41The lady's not for turning.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45She was one of Britain's most divisive Prime Ministers.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Some hated her. Others were devoted.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53And among the most devoted were her staff.
0:11:53 > 0:11:58Driver Denis Oliver served her loyally for 14 years.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00She was a remarkable person.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03I mean, you know, she could adapt herself to anybody.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06You know, she'd come down to my level, as you would say,
0:12:06 > 0:12:11you know, to talk, and she was good. She was a good conversationalist.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Denis and his boss got on famously well,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17even if she didn't understand his jokes.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20You'd get a load of questions back.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24You'd get quizzed. "Well, why did he do so and so..."
0:12:24 > 0:12:27After you'd explained it for a moment you might get a sort of,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31"Oh, I see. Oh, ha-ha. Yes, yes." You know, and that was it.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Barry Strevens also got to know the PM at close quarters.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37He was her bodyguard.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41My role was to look after her and to sort out the security
0:12:41 > 0:12:44and really to protect her all the way through from anything.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47From physical attacks, verbal attacks...
0:12:47 > 0:12:50It's not just the physical protection, it's everything.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54The two became so close, the Thatchers often invited
0:12:54 > 0:12:57the Strevens family to dinner at Chequers.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01She was always fussing around you, making sure you'd got enough to eat.
0:13:01 > 0:13:02Just like a mother.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06She had a soft side that many people didn't see but I certainly saw.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10But by November 1990,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13all the public could see was a Prime Minister under threat.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17The controversial poll tax had turned former supporters
0:13:17 > 0:13:21against her and Tory MPs feared for their seats.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24One former minister, Michael Heseltine,
0:13:24 > 0:13:28challenged her for the leadership. She won the vote,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32but not by a big enough margin to secure outright victory.
0:13:32 > 0:13:33Where's the microphone?
0:13:33 > 0:13:34It's here. This is the microphone.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36I'm very pleased that I got more
0:13:36 > 0:13:39than half the parliamentary party
0:13:39 > 0:13:41and disappointed that it's not quite
0:13:41 > 0:13:43enough to win on the first ballot.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46A second leadership vote was needed.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Amid rumours she faced defeat,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51newspapers sent their best photographers
0:13:51 > 0:13:53to wait in Downing Street.
0:13:53 > 0:13:58Legendary Fleet Street snapper Ken Lennox was among them.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02A press officer came out and handed each of us a sheet of paper
0:14:02 > 0:14:05and it was a very short, terse message from Mrs Thatcher.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09It just said, "From the office of the Prime Minister -
0:14:09 > 0:14:13"I shall fight. I shall fight till I win. Margaret Thatcher."
0:14:13 > 0:14:15But as the night drew on,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18the prospects for the Prime Minister grew darker.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21A series of her closest allies told her
0:14:21 > 0:14:23she could no longer count on their support.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26By the following morning, her reign was over.
0:14:26 > 0:14:31Margaret Thatcher is resigning as leader of the Conservative Party
0:14:31 > 0:14:32and Prime Minister.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35She told her Cabinet, "It's a funny old world."
0:14:35 > 0:14:39I did say to her, "Why didn't you stay? Why didn't you fight?"
0:14:39 > 0:14:44And she said to me, "Barry, if your generals don't support you,
0:14:44 > 0:14:45"there's no point in going on."
0:14:47 > 0:14:50It was, without doubt, the end of an era.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Chauffeur Denis received a call from Number Ten.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01He was to drive Mrs Thatcher to Buckingham Palace
0:15:01 > 0:15:03for her final audience with the Queen.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06We all felt terribly sad.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08We said, "Oh, gosh! No!"
0:15:08 > 0:15:11You know, "Who will come in her place?" You know.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Ladies and gentlemen,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18we're leaving Downing Street for the last time
0:15:18 > 0:15:21after 11-and-a-half wonderful years.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24As Mrs Thatcher headed for the car,
0:15:24 > 0:15:29Ken spotted something none of his rival photographers had noticed.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Mrs Thatcher looked up at the girls in the press office window
0:15:33 > 0:15:36and saw them all weeping, and her shoulders come up with a jerk,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38and I thought, "My God, she's gone."
0:15:38 > 0:15:43I dropped off my ladder and I was just on my knees looking at her car
0:15:43 > 0:15:45and at the last minute,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48she leaned forward and looked straight out and I took one frame.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53One frame. One unforgettable image.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Within hours it would be seen around the world.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Oh, I was thrilled. I was...oh, I was thrilled to bits.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Crikey. You know, I was probably about a foot taller than I am now!
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Ever since that historic day, one thing has intrigued Ken -
0:16:15 > 0:16:20what happened inside the car after he took his famous photo?
0:16:20 > 0:16:24Two men know the answer. Two men who were both there.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Good god! Barry! How are you, mate? Lovely to see you.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32- Lovely to see you.- And you!
0:16:32 > 0:16:34- It's been some time, hasn't it? - It has indeed.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Today Denis the driver and Barry the bodyguard
0:16:37 > 0:16:39have met up in a Westminster pub.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42And Ken is joining them.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Goodness! Hello. Lovely to see you.
0:16:46 > 0:16:52- How are you? It's a long time. Super.- Yes, it is.- 24 years.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55- My God, yes. I know, 24 years. - And this proves it.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58- That was an amazing picture. - I thought so.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00It was. It was fantastic.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Fantastic and unique.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05Ken was the only news photographer to capture
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Mrs Thatcher inside the car that day.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Rivals like Tom Stoddart,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12who's joining today's reunion, missed out.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18They'd positioned themselves for Mrs Thatcher's speech,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21not for her departure a short distance down the road.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24As she walked down the path to get into the car
0:17:24 > 0:17:28I was working, but she just disappeared from my view.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Ken being here, dropping down off his ladder,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35he's looking right into the car and, bang, he caught the moment.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42- Helps to be 4'6! - THEY LAUGH
0:17:42 > 0:17:47When Ken's photo was on the front page it was reduced in size.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50The full image reveals a mysterious upside-down figure.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53That's the frame but, look...
0:17:53 > 0:17:56- Is that you? - I think that's me actually!
0:17:56 > 0:18:01- Reflected on the roof of the car. - Well, I'm amazed and delighted.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04- Am I going to be able to get a copy of it?- Yeah.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07His souvenir secured, Barry agrees to reveal
0:18:07 > 0:18:10what was said in the car after the photo was taken.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Time to retrace that final journey
0:18:14 > 0:18:16from Downing Street to Buckingham Palace.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Barry, when I saw her drive off, it was you there in the car
0:18:23 > 0:18:28with the Prime Minister, who I last saw in tears. What happened then?
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Well, she was still really in tears.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33She was very sad and it was very quiet.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35As Denis would tell you,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37it's the quietest I've ever known the car to be.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Denis was just holding her hand and he just said,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43"There, there, dear. There, there."
0:18:43 > 0:18:47And just before we were getting into Buckingham Palace,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Denis said, "Steady the bus, dear. Steady the bus."
0:18:50 > 0:18:53The old military expression from Waterloo.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Prepare yourself for action.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58He was telling her to prepare herself for action.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Absolutely, yeah.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Try and get herself ready to meet the Queen, which she did.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07The sort of tears stopped, her face sort of changed.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09She had a job to do, she was getting ready for it.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13And within minutes of that exchange,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16the Queen accepted Mrs Thatcher's resignation.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19You felt you were part of history.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22I've still got that feeling now.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26It's been hugely, hugely interesting and a bit of fun
0:19:26 > 0:19:29'and quite nostalgic.'
0:19:29 > 0:19:32'We are all now part of history and I've had a great day.'
0:19:46 > 0:19:48The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Pageant.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Over 1,000 boats,
0:19:50 > 0:19:5320,000 participants.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Each with their own story, their own reason for being there.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01They included former soldier Mark Harding.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Two years earlier he was serving in Afghanistan
0:20:05 > 0:20:07when his patrol was ambushed.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10A bullet through his neck left him close to death.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13I couldn't figure out why I couldn't move.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17One of my team mates said, "H, I think you've been shot."
0:20:19 > 0:20:22At that point I looked down at my left-hand side at my body armour.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26At that point it was all covered in blood.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30The bullet passed through Mark's spinal cord, paralysing him.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33He was evacuated home to Britain.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36I had two spinal consultants tell me that I was going to have to
0:20:36 > 0:20:38come to terms I'd never walk again.
0:20:38 > 0:20:43For a soldier, to have your physical abilities taken away from you,
0:20:43 > 0:20:45it's very demoralising.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49You're trapped in a body that doesn't work.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52And that put me on a little downward spiral.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Mark's best friend visited him in hospital
0:20:58 > 0:21:00and told him it was time to fight back.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06That sort of set me on a one man mission
0:21:06 > 0:21:08to get myself back on, back on my legs.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Cos you could say, like, Afghan was my war,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13now my injury was my war.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16I've never laid down for anything
0:21:16 > 0:21:18and I wasn't going to lie down for an injury.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Over the next two years Mark astounded the medics,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33day by day, step by step.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Give us a wave, Mark.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44# But I set fire to the rain
0:21:44 > 0:21:49# Watched it pour as I touched your face
0:21:49 > 0:21:52# Well, it burned while I cried
0:21:52 > 0:21:54# Cos I heard it screaming... #
0:21:54 > 0:21:57In early 2012, Mark finally walked out of hospital.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02Having defied medical opinion, he was ready for his next challenge.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06I've just proved two spinal consultants wrong.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10I want to show other people they can do stuff as well.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13I got into sport, I got into kayaking.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Once you're in the boat it doesn't matter if you're able bodied
0:22:16 > 0:22:19or disabled, you're all on a level playing field.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Mark excelled and within months he was selected
0:22:21 > 0:22:23for the national kayak squad.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27And when the River Pageant organisers
0:22:27 > 0:22:31heard about his remarkable story, they not only invited him
0:22:31 > 0:22:35to take part, they placed him near the front of the flotilla.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39On the day, it was... it was just phenomenal.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41I knew it was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime event.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46The pageant is well and truly under way now.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Mark wasn't the only participant with a remarkable story to tell.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Geoff Holt, also paralysed at a young age,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02was on the Thames that day, too.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06In 2011 he'd set up the charity Wet Wheels
0:23:06 > 0:23:10to give disabled children the thrill of being on a powerboat.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14And at the pageant the youngsters on his vessel
0:23:14 > 0:23:17got one of the best views of the day.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21We went under Tower Bridge and there was the Royal Barge
0:23:21 > 0:23:24and someone shouted out, "There she is, there's the Queen!"
0:23:24 > 0:23:29And we looked up and as we went past,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32and Her Majesty was there with Prince Philip and they waved.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Several other boats on the river
0:23:38 > 0:23:41were crewed by breast cancer survivors.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43They included Louisa Balderson,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46who'd joined Paddlers For Life in 2007.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50I stepped into a dragon boat and I paddled
0:23:50 > 0:23:57and what that helped to do for me was to regain a rhythm in my life.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02I was with other people who had had similar experiences that I'd had.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05We didn't talk about it. We paddled.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11I was able to come to terms with what had happened,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14having received a cancer diagnosis.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20To step into the boat on the river and take part in that pageant,
0:24:20 > 0:24:25for many of the paddlers, it was quite an emotional moment.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27It was beyond their wildest dreams.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34And it was also a dream come true for another participant.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38Glasgow lifeboatman George Parsonage was there as a guest of honour,
0:24:38 > 0:24:43chosen because he'd saved more than 1,000 lives in his 50-year career.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46You don't actually know how many people you rescue.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49You don't go marking it down all the time
0:24:49 > 0:24:52and you couldn't put a notch in your oar for every rescue.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54You wouldn't have any oars.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59There were countless people there for the Jubilee celebrations
0:24:59 > 0:25:03but for George, there was a special connection with the Royals.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05It was a wonderful feeling to be...
0:25:07 > 0:25:10..near them, and for them to be part of us.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13They were with us in spirit. They wanted to be there.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15And we wanted to be there with them.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19We were all just part of the team, if that makes sense.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Today those four special pageant participants
0:25:30 > 0:25:33are set to meet for the first time.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37What we all have in common is that moment in history.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39And what we're doing today, if you like,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42is sharing or writing the next chapter.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46We're sharing our stories but we're writing the next chapter,
0:25:46 > 0:25:48the next page of that momentous occasion.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54More than two years on, the memories of the day are still fresh.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59It was such a significant, momentous occasion.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Certainly the biggest number of boats I've ever seen on the water.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06There probably was more boats there than there was at Dunkirk, you know.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09It was just a stunning thing to be part of.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12It's something ingrained into your brain forever
0:26:12 > 0:26:15and it's a personal thing that nobody will ever take away from you.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19Could you hear individual comments from the audience as you sailed by?
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Yes. Yes. We could. Cos our boat has...our boat is 30ft long
0:26:22 > 0:26:26and it has a 20ft Wet Wheels on the side.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Groups of complete strangers would start chanting,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32"Wet Wheels, Wet Wheels..."
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Geoff's boat had a cabin so when the heavens opened,
0:26:36 > 0:26:38his passengers were able to find shelter.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40The others weren't so lucky!
0:26:40 > 0:26:46- The three of you were all in open boats.- Yes.- Oh, my goodness.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50- So, you really did endure the weather.- Soaked to the skin.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53The weather made us feel at home.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57We thought it was done especially for the Scots coming down, you know?
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Also soaked to the skin, the Royal College of Music choir,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04whose show-must-go-on attitude
0:27:04 > 0:27:07captivated ten million TV viewers at home.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10How wet they were, I thought, really, really reflected,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13for those of us that didn't have any protection or coverage,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16it really reflected how wet it was.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20One of those singers was Josephine Goddard.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Despite the deluge, she still had the day of her life.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28So good, in fact, that today she's agreed to an encore
0:27:28 > 0:27:31as the group take a nostalgic trip down the river.
0:27:32 > 0:27:37- Oh, wow! Hello! Great to see you! - Lovely to see you too.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42- I'm Louisa.- Lovely to meet you. I'm Josephine.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45- Oop! Back on the sea again. - Sea legs!
0:27:45 > 0:27:48As well as raining on the day, it was blowing a gale,
0:27:48 > 0:27:52so the rowers could hardly hear Josephine sing.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Time to put that right.
0:27:54 > 0:28:01# Land of hope and glory
0:28:01 > 0:28:04# Mother of the free... #
0:28:06 > 0:28:11The event, the celebration today, is fundamentally about people.
0:28:11 > 0:28:17How can it not touch your heart? It has to. That's what's magical.
0:28:17 > 0:28:23# God, who made thee mighty
0:28:23 > 0:28:31# Make thee mightier yet. #
0:28:31 > 0:28:32THEY CLAP
0:28:32 > 0:28:36- Wow! I've got a lump in my throat! - Yeah.