Queen's River Pageant & Thatcher's Last Day Real Lives Reunited

-Ordinary people...

-Look at that.

-Tsunami!

..extraordinary stories.

It was one of the most amazing days of my life.

It just felt like being part of a moment in history.

Bonds forged amid triumphs...

CHEERING

..and tragedies.

She came to help people, so to me, she is an angel,

she is a great person.

It would mean an awful lot to me

to be able to say thank you to the fireman that saved me.

They shared a past, then faced a future apart.

I just hope I recognise them.

Brought together by fate.

It is going to be very emotional.

Separated by time.

# Rap her to bank me canny lad! #

Real Lives Reunited.

In today's programme,

for show-stopping celebrations, just add water!

Thousands have turned out to witness the diamond jubilee pageant.

A British triumph, despite the British weather.

The rain could do nothing to dampen people's spirits

and I think it brought out a certain kind of British grit.

The heroes who took part return to the river.

I had two spinal consultants telling me that...

I'm going to have to come to terms that I'd never walk again.

Plus, farewell to Number Ten.

Mrs Thatcher departed, close to tears.

The moment the Iron Lady cracked and the photographer who caught it.

Oh, I was thrilled, I was thrilled to bits. Crikey.

You know, I was probably about a foot taller than I am now!

# I was there to witness

# Candice's inner business

# She wants the boys to notice

# Her rainbows and her ponies

# She was educated but could not count to ten

# How she got lots of different horses

# By lots of different men

# And I say liberate your...

# Sons and daughters

# The bush is high... #

MUSIC FADES OUT

When it came to thinking of an event to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee,

the organisers had a hard act to follow.

CHEERING

Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee back in 2002

was a resounding success, winning global acclaim.

A decade on, and one man suggested the answer,

a magnificent river pageant,

recalling the days of Georgian London.

It always used to be this kind of grand arena for,

for royal events with, er, coronations or engagements.

I thought, now's the time to reinvigorate the river,

to bring it alive again with royal pageantry.

But the dream of a flotilla of boats parading past the Queen

couldn't be realised

without the help of the Port of London Authority

and its director.

I said to my Chief Executive, we've got two choices,

we either kick this into touch

and resist it with everything we've got,

or we embrace it wholeheartedly.

I said, my recommendation is that we embrace it wholeheartedly.

David's recommendation was accepted,

but it presented big challenges.

There was good reason why there had been no pageants in recent times.

The tempestuous Thames of today

is very different to that of the 1700s.

The Thames in the 18th century

ran with about half the tidal speed that it does now.

It had about half the tidal range, the rise and fall that it does now.

Seven metres twice a day, a huge body of water going out,

a huge body of water coming in.

That gave me a lot of sleepless nights,

wondering how on earth we're going to deal with this.

In an ideal world, the Thames would not be tidal,

on this particular day.

The only way the Thames is not tidal on this particular day

is if the Thames barrier is closed.

But the barrier could only be closed by an act of Parliament

on certain occasions.

And one of those occasions is its annual test.

Adrian persuaded the powers-that-be

to perform it on the day of the pageant.

One challenge overcome, but another awaiting.

Adrian wanted to create a truly spectacular vessel

for the Queen on the day.

So he enlisted top film set designer, Joseph Bennett.

I was designing the central focal point

of the biggest flotilla in the world ever, which has the royal family

who are not often all together, in one particular place.

So it was an extraordinary honour and a privilege to be doing that

and also a great pressure, but everybody was behind it

and excited by it.

Joseph used 17th century royal barges for inspiration,

his intricate design taking a year to complete.

Public interest in the pageant began to intensify.

Good news for the royals,

but a headache for project director, Rosanna Machado.

We were actually three times over subscribed with submissions,

so we went through quite a rigorous process of choosing them,

based on safety and also making sure we had a good variety of boats.

1,072 boats were chosen for the parade.

And when then big day arrived,

20,000 participants assembled on the river.

The excitement was mounting.

But, for David and Adrian, so were the nerves.

Would the Thames Barrier close on cue?

There might've been any number of things that could have happened -

mechanical failure or goodness knows what else.

It was a kind of recipe for disaster, in a way.

At 9:30am the button was pressed and fingers were crossed.

HORN SOUNDS

MUSIC: Symphony No 9: Ode to Joy by Beethoven

Mission accomplished.

-And it was go, go, go...

-CANNONS FIRE

..until the boats at the front reached the Queen's Barge

and it was almost stop, stop, stop.

The rowers' salute, which we thought would take two to three minutes,

took considerably longer.

We had the Royal Squadron bearing down.

David had to act quickly to avoid a series

of potentially dangerous collisions.

At that point, some of my squadron commanders

thought the next order from me would be the emergency stop.

The whole thing would have been over.

-We wouldn't have got them all going again.

-Solution?

Ask the Sea Cadets to pirouette in the river,

buying some time for the rowers in front to move on.

The cadets pulled off the tricky manoeuvre

and from then on, the pageant progressed perfectly.

# Hallelujah! # CANNON SOUNDS

The seven-mile long flotilla wowed the world.

Rosanna's choice of participants

epitomised the variety of her Majesty's domain...

..and Joseph's Royal Barge was a triumph of design and authenticity.

A million people lined the embankment

and the Queen was in her element.

-What could possibly go wrong?

-THUNDERCLAP

# I want to know

# Have you ever seen the rain... #

Yes, you can always rely on the British weather

and the British reaction.

The rain could do nothing to dampen people's spirits and,

you know, if anything, if you like, I think it brought out

a certain kind of British grit, a bit of bulldog spirit.

And that spirit won out.

The biggest river pageant ever seen duly passed off without a hitch.

It was an extraordinary event and being part of history

is just exceptional.

What an exceptional feeling.

Today the river's quieter and the weather much drier.

But four of those who made the pageant possible

are gathering on its banks again.

Hello!

Joseph has left a blockbuster movie design meeting to make it today.

And David's still in his Port of London uniform.

-Great to see you.

-Nice to see you!

It's the first time all four have met

since their unforgettable day in 2012.

What would you say would be your highlight?

I think seeing all the rowboats coming out towards me.

It just looked like a picture postcard. It just looked beautiful.

-That Canaletto moment.

-Yeah. I just thought,

"Wow! I can't believe we've achieved it."

It changed the colour of the river, didn't it?

It was a hairs on the back of the neck moment

when everyone came through? How about you, Joseph?

-The whole day was just great, wasn't it?

-It's almost like a wedding,

when the bride and the groom think everything's going to go wrong

but what they fail to take into consideration is that all the guests

-just want it to go well.

-Exactly.

-Anything could happen.

-Everybody willed it.

-Yeah, willed it to work.

During the pageant, both Rosanna and David were stuck in control rooms,

unable to experience the incredible noise and atmosphere.

Today they're retracing the route followed by the 20,000 participants.

The volume. Everyone shouting and cheering.

You could see them on every balcony, on the rooftops.

It was heartfelt. "Well done on 60 years and long may she reign."

"Well done, Ma'am. Well done, Ma'am."

The Diamond Jubilee Pageant had twice as many boats

as the previous world record.

CHAMPAGNE POPS

THEY CHEER

The pageant is the biggest event that London has ever delivered.

I'm pretty certain we won't see its like again.

So many people said it can't be done. Well, it could be done.

And we did it.

Coming up - the heroes who defied the odds to take part.

I've just proved two spinal consultants wrong.

I want to show other people that they can do stuff as well.

# Freedom, freedom, freedom

# You've gotta give for what you take

# Freedom, freedom, freedom

# You've gotta give for what you take

# I've got the power... #

By 1990 Margaret Thatcher had been in Downing Street

for 11 eventful years.

Where there is discord, may we bring harmony...

On her watch, Britain had won a war overseas

but undergone social and industrial strife at home.

The lady's not for turning.

She was one of Britain's most divisive Prime Ministers.

Some hated her. Others were devoted.

And among the most devoted were her staff.

Driver Denis Oliver served her loyally for 14 years.

She was a remarkable person.

I mean, you know, she could adapt herself to anybody.

You know, she'd come down to my level, as you would say,

you know, to talk, and she was good. She was a good conversationalist.

Denis and his boss got on famously well,

even if she didn't understand his jokes.

You'd get a load of questions back.

You'd get quizzed. "Well, why did he do so and so..."

After you'd explained it for a moment you might get a sort of,

"Oh, I see. Oh, ha-ha. Yes, yes." You know, and that was it.

Barry Strevens also got to know the PM at close quarters.

He was her bodyguard.

My role was to look after her and to sort out the security

and really to protect her all the way through from anything.

From physical attacks, verbal attacks...

It's not just the physical protection, it's everything.

The two became so close, the Thatchers often invited

the Strevens family to dinner at Chequers.

She was always fussing around you, making sure you'd got enough to eat.

Just like a mother.

She had a soft side that many people didn't see but I certainly saw.

But by November 1990,

all the public could see was a Prime Minister under threat.

The controversial poll tax had turned former supporters

against her and Tory MPs feared for their seats.

One former minister, Michael Heseltine,

challenged her for the leadership. She won the vote,

but not by a big enough margin to secure outright victory.

Where's the microphone?

It's here. This is the microphone.

I'm very pleased that I got more

than half the parliamentary party

and disappointed that it's not quite

enough to win on the first ballot.

A second leadership vote was needed.

Amid rumours she faced defeat,

newspapers sent their best photographers

to wait in Downing Street.

Legendary Fleet Street snapper Ken Lennox was among them.

A press officer came out and handed each of us a sheet of paper

and it was a very short, terse message from Mrs Thatcher.

It just said, "From the office of the Prime Minister -

"I shall fight. I shall fight till I win. Margaret Thatcher."

But as the night drew on,

the prospects for the Prime Minister grew darker.

A series of her closest allies told her

she could no longer count on their support.

By the following morning, her reign was over.

Margaret Thatcher is resigning as leader of the Conservative Party

and Prime Minister.

She told her Cabinet, "It's a funny old world."

I did say to her, "Why didn't you stay? Why didn't you fight?"

And she said to me, "Barry, if your generals don't support you,

"there's no point in going on."

It was, without doubt, the end of an era.

Chauffeur Denis received a call from Number Ten.

He was to drive Mrs Thatcher to Buckingham Palace

for her final audience with the Queen.

We all felt terribly sad.

We said, "Oh, gosh! No!"

You know, "Who will come in her place?" You know.

Ladies and gentlemen,

we're leaving Downing Street for the last time

after 11-and-a-half wonderful years.

As Mrs Thatcher headed for the car,

Ken spotted something none of his rival photographers had noticed.

Mrs Thatcher looked up at the girls in the press office window

and saw them all weeping, and her shoulders come up with a jerk,

and I thought, "My God, she's gone."

I dropped off my ladder and I was just on my knees looking at her car

and at the last minute,

she leaned forward and looked straight out and I took one frame.

One frame. One unforgettable image.

Within hours it would be seen around the world.

Oh, I was thrilled. I was...oh, I was thrilled to bits.

Crikey. You know, I was probably about a foot taller than I am now!

Ever since that historic day, one thing has intrigued Ken -

what happened inside the car after he took his famous photo?

Two men know the answer. Two men who were both there.

Good god! Barry! How are you, mate? Lovely to see you.

-Lovely to see you.

-And you!

-It's been some time, hasn't it?

-It has indeed.

Today Denis the driver and Barry the bodyguard

have met up in a Westminster pub.

And Ken is joining them.

Goodness! Hello. Lovely to see you.

-How are you? It's a long time. Super.

-Yes, it is.

-24 years.

-My God, yes. I know, 24 years.

-And this proves it.

-That was an amazing picture.

-I thought so.

It was. It was fantastic.

Fantastic and unique.

Ken was the only news photographer to capture

Mrs Thatcher inside the car that day.

Rivals like Tom Stoddart,

who's joining today's reunion, missed out.

They'd positioned themselves for Mrs Thatcher's speech,

not for her departure a short distance down the road.

As she walked down the path to get into the car

I was working, but she just disappeared from my view.

Ken being here, dropping down off his ladder,

he's looking right into the car and, bang, he caught the moment.

-Helps to be 4'6!

-THEY LAUGH

When Ken's photo was on the front page it was reduced in size.

The full image reveals a mysterious upside-down figure.

That's the frame but, look...

-Is that you?

-I think that's me actually!

-Reflected on the roof of the car.

-Well, I'm amazed and delighted.

-Am I going to be able to get a copy of it?

-Yeah.

His souvenir secured, Barry agrees to reveal

what was said in the car after the photo was taken.

Time to retrace that final journey

from Downing Street to Buckingham Palace.

Barry, when I saw her drive off, it was you there in the car

with the Prime Minister, who I last saw in tears. What happened then?

Well, she was still really in tears.

She was very sad and it was very quiet.

As Denis would tell you,

it's the quietest I've ever known the car to be.

Denis was just holding her hand and he just said,

"There, there, dear. There, there."

And just before we were getting into Buckingham Palace,

Denis said, "Steady the bus, dear. Steady the bus."

The old military expression from Waterloo.

Prepare yourself for action.

He was telling her to prepare herself for action.

Absolutely, yeah.

Try and get herself ready to meet the Queen, which she did.

The sort of tears stopped, her face sort of changed.

She had a job to do, she was getting ready for it.

And within minutes of that exchange,

the Queen accepted Mrs Thatcher's resignation.

You felt you were part of history.

I've still got that feeling now.

It's been hugely, hugely interesting and a bit of fun

'and quite nostalgic.'

'We are all now part of history and I've had a great day.'

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Pageant.

Over 1,000 boats,

20,000 participants.

Each with their own story, their own reason for being there.

They included former soldier Mark Harding.

Two years earlier he was serving in Afghanistan

when his patrol was ambushed.

A bullet through his neck left him close to death.

I couldn't figure out why I couldn't move.

One of my team mates said, "H, I think you've been shot."

At that point I looked down at my left-hand side at my body armour.

At that point it was all covered in blood.

The bullet passed through Mark's spinal cord, paralysing him.

He was evacuated home to Britain.

I had two spinal consultants tell me that I was going to have to

come to terms I'd never walk again.

For a soldier, to have your physical abilities taken away from you,

it's very demoralising.

You're trapped in a body that doesn't work.

And that put me on a little downward spiral.

Mark's best friend visited him in hospital

and told him it was time to fight back.

That sort of set me on a one man mission

to get myself back on, back on my legs.

Cos you could say, like, Afghan was my war,

now my injury was my war.

I've never laid down for anything

and I wasn't going to lie down for an injury.

Over the next two years Mark astounded the medics,

day by day, step by step.

Give us a wave, Mark.

# But I set fire to the rain

# Watched it pour as I touched your face

# Well, it burned while I cried

# Cos I heard it screaming... #

In early 2012, Mark finally walked out of hospital.

Having defied medical opinion, he was ready for his next challenge.

I've just proved two spinal consultants wrong.

I want to show other people they can do stuff as well.

I got into sport, I got into kayaking.

Once you're in the boat it doesn't matter if you're able bodied

or disabled, you're all on a level playing field.

Mark excelled and within months he was selected

for the national kayak squad.

And when the River Pageant organisers

heard about his remarkable story, they not only invited him

to take part, they placed him near the front of the flotilla.

On the day, it was... it was just phenomenal.

I knew it was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime event.

The pageant is well and truly under way now.

Mark wasn't the only participant with a remarkable story to tell.

Geoff Holt, also paralysed at a young age,

was on the Thames that day, too.

In 2011 he'd set up the charity Wet Wheels

to give disabled children the thrill of being on a powerboat.

And at the pageant the youngsters on his vessel

got one of the best views of the day.

We went under Tower Bridge and there was the Royal Barge

and someone shouted out, "There she is, there's the Queen!"

And we looked up and as we went past,

and Her Majesty was there with Prince Philip and they waved.

Several other boats on the river

were crewed by breast cancer survivors.

They included Louisa Balderson,

who'd joined Paddlers For Life in 2007.

I stepped into a dragon boat and I paddled

and what that helped to do for me was to regain a rhythm in my life.

I was with other people who had had similar experiences that I'd had.

We didn't talk about it. We paddled.

I was able to come to terms with what had happened,

having received a cancer diagnosis.

To step into the boat on the river and take part in that pageant,

for many of the paddlers, it was quite an emotional moment.

It was beyond their wildest dreams.

And it was also a dream come true for another participant.

Glasgow lifeboatman George Parsonage was there as a guest of honour,

chosen because he'd saved more than 1,000 lives in his 50-year career.

You don't actually know how many people you rescue.

You don't go marking it down all the time

and you couldn't put a notch in your oar for every rescue.

You wouldn't have any oars.

There were countless people there for the Jubilee celebrations

but for George, there was a special connection with the Royals.

It was a wonderful feeling to be...

..near them, and for them to be part of us.

They were with us in spirit. They wanted to be there.

And we wanted to be there with them.

We were all just part of the team, if that makes sense.

Today those four special pageant participants

are set to meet for the first time.

What we all have in common is that moment in history.

And what we're doing today, if you like,

is sharing or writing the next chapter.

We're sharing our stories but we're writing the next chapter,

the next page of that momentous occasion.

More than two years on, the memories of the day are still fresh.

It was such a significant, momentous occasion.

Certainly the biggest number of boats I've ever seen on the water.

There probably was more boats there than there was at Dunkirk, you know.

It was just a stunning thing to be part of.

It's something ingrained into your brain forever

and it's a personal thing that nobody will ever take away from you.

Could you hear individual comments from the audience as you sailed by?

Yes. Yes. We could. Cos our boat has...our boat is 30ft long

and it has a 20ft Wet Wheels on the side.

Groups of complete strangers would start chanting,

"Wet Wheels, Wet Wheels..."

Geoff's boat had a cabin so when the heavens opened,

his passengers were able to find shelter.

The others weren't so lucky!

-The three of you were all in open boats.

-Yes.

-Oh, my goodness.

-So, you really did endure the weather.

-Soaked to the skin.

The weather made us feel at home.

We thought it was done especially for the Scots coming down, you know?

Also soaked to the skin, the Royal College of Music choir,

whose show-must-go-on attitude

captivated ten million TV viewers at home.

How wet they were, I thought, really, really reflected,

for those of us that didn't have any protection or coverage,

it really reflected how wet it was.

One of those singers was Josephine Goddard.

Despite the deluge, she still had the day of her life.

So good, in fact, that today she's agreed to an encore

as the group take a nostalgic trip down the river.

-Oh, wow! Hello! Great to see you!

-Lovely to see you too.

-I'm Louisa.

-Lovely to meet you. I'm Josephine.

-Oop! Back on the sea again.

-Sea legs!

As well as raining on the day, it was blowing a gale,

so the rowers could hardly hear Josephine sing.

Time to put that right.

# Land of hope and glory

# Mother of the free... #

The event, the celebration today, is fundamentally about people.

How can it not touch your heart? It has to. That's what's magical.

# God, who made thee mighty

# Make thee mightier yet. #

THEY CLAP

-Wow! I've got a lump in my throat!

-Yeah.