0:00:02 > 0:00:05Pubs have been at the heart of Britain for hundreds of years.
0:00:05 > 0:00:06Cheers, mucker.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08- And city taverns.- And village inns.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Landlords have pulled pints for locals, travellers...
0:00:12 > 0:00:14And, well, the odd king or two.
0:00:14 > 0:00:15Meself included.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Try and have a drink now.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20LAUGHTER
0:00:20 > 0:00:23But with 30 pubs closing every week,
0:00:23 > 0:00:25our historic taverns need defending.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Step, step...
0:00:27 > 0:00:30We're heading out to discover amazing stories
0:00:30 > 0:00:32linked to the nation's watering holes.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36- Not far to go.- How far? - Oh, a couple of miles.- What?!
0:00:36 > 0:00:38From the Wars of the Roses...
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Shipbuilding on the Clyde!
0:00:40 > 0:00:44We've ditched our bikes so that we can sample an ale or two.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Get in!
0:00:46 > 0:00:47This is very good.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49THEY LAUGH
0:00:49 > 0:00:50So join us for...
0:00:50 > 0:00:54- BOTH:- The Hairy Bikers' Pubs That Built Britain.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Today, we're in Carlisle to check out a crackdown.
0:01:02 > 0:01:03A government crackdown.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Can you believe during the First World War
0:01:06 > 0:01:09the state ran every single pub in this city?
0:01:11 > 0:01:15And where better to find out more than down those very boozers?
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Dave, imagine a time when civil servants
0:01:21 > 0:01:23took over our very pubs.
0:01:26 > 0:01:27That doesn't seem right.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30And when you could only buy weak beer.
0:01:30 > 0:01:31That's rubbish!
0:01:31 > 0:01:35AND buying a round was illegal!
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Oh, I see where you're going now, Si.
0:01:37 > 0:01:38Honestly, sometimes you'd do anything
0:01:38 > 0:01:40to get out of buying your old mate a pint.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Seriously though, to tell this fascinating story,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52we're heading back to 1916,
0:01:52 > 0:01:54two years into the First World War.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59Front-line fighting was intense, but back on the home front,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02there was another enemy - the demon drink.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07So the government called time on boozy Brits
0:02:07 > 0:02:10and introduced an extreme pub management scheme
0:02:10 > 0:02:12in three areas crucial to the war effort.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16The biggest scheme was here, in Carlisle,
0:02:16 > 0:02:20and we're starting in a pub that found itself on the front line.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Do you know what, mucker?
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Apparently, there were so many pubs in Carlisle
0:02:26 > 0:02:28you could swing from door to door.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31And this one here, the Howard Arms, is an absolute cracker.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Check out these tiles. Royal Doulton, I believe.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Is it? I'll tell you what, it's definitely selling its wares,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38and it is a beautiful facade.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Look at this. "Lager, beer and stout. Wines, spirits and liqueurs."
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Well, it's definitely a pub, it sells beer, we are here.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46What are we waiting for?
0:02:48 > 0:02:50100 years ago, this fine hostelry
0:02:50 > 0:02:53became a magnet for workers and navvies pouring in
0:02:53 > 0:02:57from the munitions factory recently built at nearby Gretna Green.
0:02:58 > 0:03:03Historian Robert Duncan knows all about this boozy invasion
0:03:03 > 0:03:05from the biggest ammunition works in Britain.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Ah, Robert.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09- Hiya.- Hello, I'm Si. Nice to meet you.- Nice to meet you.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12- Hello, Robert. I'm Dave. Nice to meet you.- How you doing?
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Well, we believe that you're a mine of information, sir.
0:03:15 > 0:03:16Can you tell us what the pub was like
0:03:16 > 0:03:18when the munitions factory was up and running?
0:03:18 > 0:03:21It was certainly a busy place. There were a lot of workers
0:03:21 > 0:03:23that came to Carlisle to build the factory
0:03:23 > 0:03:25and were living in Carlisle at the time.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28After work on the evening shift, they'd pile into the pubs.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32The last train came into Carlisle five minutes before closing time.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35They'd run in, there'd be pints on the bar ready for them.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Whiskeys, chasers.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39They'd try and drink as much as possible in five minutes.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42So they'd make today's binge drinkers look like amateurs.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44So it was a bit of a case of lock up your daughters,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46the boys are back in town and they're thirsty.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50The boys would be back in town and they were definitely thirsty.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Up to 10,000 construction workers, or navvies, had been drafted in
0:03:54 > 0:03:56to build the factory and housing.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Thirsty lads with money in their pockets.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Obviously, they'd had a hard day at work, they wanted to relax,
0:04:03 > 0:04:07they were coming into a city which had not experienced
0:04:07 > 0:04:09kind of that social change before.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Do you know, I should imagine that excessive binge drinking
0:04:12 > 0:04:13and a munitions factory,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17it was a proper, you know, explosive recipe for disaster.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Yeah, I mean, it caused a lot of national headlines.
0:04:20 > 0:04:21There's people drunk on the streets,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24people urinating all over the place,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26the place stank of whiskey.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28They were really worried about the effect
0:04:28 > 0:04:30on munitions production during the war.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33So the government sent up people to look at what was happening here,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35and they were really, really shocked.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37I mean, you can see kind of one of these cartoons here.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41You have a worker punching a local ticket collector
0:04:41 > 0:04:43- at the station. - So it was like the Wild West, then.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45It was completely lawless to a point.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Proper frontier town experience.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Bust-ups and barroom brawls were all the rage,
0:04:50 > 0:04:55and we've found the drunkenness in Carlisle graph to prove it.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Look at that massive spike in 1916.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01No wonder the government stepped in.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03What did they actually do to stop this?
0:05:03 > 0:05:05The first thing they did was
0:05:05 > 0:05:09they closed 50 pubs in Carlisle straightaway.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11They nationalised the drinks industry
0:05:11 > 0:05:13- in Carlisle and the surrounding area.- Really?!
0:05:13 > 0:05:15So the government bought out all of the pubs,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17they bought anything to do with the booze trade.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20I mean, every product behind the bar was a national product.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22So all the beer was state-produced,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26all the rum, the whiskey, the gin because they wanted to control it.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Can you imagine, though, that the boozy pub landlord, all of a sudden,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31would start coming in with a bowler hat and a fold umbrella.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35"I am now a civil servant and a guardian of the peace."
0:05:35 > 0:05:39The experiment became known as the State Management Scheme.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42The government took over the pubs,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45fixed booze prices and stopped Sunday drinking,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47which apparently upset the Bishop of Carlisle
0:05:47 > 0:05:51who didn't like to pray with a parched throat.
0:05:51 > 0:05:52Amen to that.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56- So, did the look of the pubs change in those days?- It did.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57I mean, one of the things they did,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00they banned all advertising of drinks in Carlisle.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02You have reports of people walking past pubs
0:06:02 > 0:06:05and not realising they were actually pubs
0:06:05 > 0:06:07- because there was no identifiable advertising.- Right!
0:06:07 > 0:06:10So you have a picture here of the Howard Arms,
0:06:10 > 0:06:12and you'll see there's no advertising on the outside.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Oh, no, there's not. They've rendered it all.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- It's such a fine building.- Yeah.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21At the heart of State Management
0:06:21 > 0:06:24was a rethinking of the great British pub's role,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26swapping hard-core dens of drunkenness
0:06:26 > 0:06:29for social hubs of civilised drinking.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31# I'd like a double... #
0:06:31 > 0:06:34And how about a big hearty meal to soak up that pint?
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Now you're talking, Kingie.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Here to lift the pie lid on state-managed pub grub
0:06:40 > 0:06:44is food historian Seren Evans-Charrington,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47and she's come dressed for the occasion.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49So, Seren, what would have been on the menu
0:06:49 > 0:06:51in the state-owned pubs in Carlisle in those days?
0:06:51 > 0:06:55I think it's really rustic, hearty food.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57You know, this is the idea. It's nothing too fancy.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00It's not gastro pub menu like we've got today.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04This is things like roasted marrow bones, tripe and onions,
0:07:04 > 0:07:05good, hearty food.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08- Beer blotters. - Yeah, that's exactly it.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10- Yeah, proper... - Things to mop up the alcohol.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14So was there any...was there any food served at all
0:07:14 > 0:07:16- before the state got involved in pubs?- Absolutely.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19What you were looking at before was, you know, your cold meat.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21So you'd always have a ham behind the bar,
0:07:21 > 0:07:23or, you know, something a bit cold
0:07:23 > 0:07:26served with a couple of slices of bread.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Just a little appetiser to help you keep on drinking.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Whereas when the state pubs come in,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34then what they want to do is mop up all the alcohol.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36So they want things like your hotpots come in
0:07:36 > 0:07:37and all of this sort of food.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42But strict wartime rationing meant getting creative with cuisine.
0:07:42 > 0:07:43So, what have we got?
0:07:43 > 0:07:48Well, here we have a traditional pub pie,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51which would've been typical of state pub food.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Now, you've got ox tongue in there, you've got ox liver,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56and you've got ox kidney in there,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58bacon fat in there and a ham end.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01So all the offal and leftovers.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03- Would you like to try a bit?- Yeah.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05- WHISPERS:- There we go.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07Mm, I like the crust.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10I mean, I can taste ox tongue. Is it all offal?
0:08:10 > 0:08:13I don't think it's offal. I think it's quite nice.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16And this is turnip bread.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Now then, in 1916, we had a wheat flour shortage,
0:08:20 > 0:08:22and so what they did was they replaced the wheat flour
0:08:22 > 0:08:26with ground-up dried turnip, and this is exactly what this is.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29- Are you feeling brave?- Oh, yeah. No, I'd like to taste that.- Yeah.
0:08:29 > 0:08:30I going to just cut...
0:08:30 > 0:08:34It's a little bit stodgy and it's a little bit heavy.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Are you feeling brave? Oh, they're going to share.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39- You're not feeling that brave. - SHE LAUGHS
0:08:39 > 0:08:41- Well, it smells of turnips.- Yeah.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43One of the things was, one of the complaints was
0:08:43 > 0:08:46about the turnip bread was that it gave people diarrhoea.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50And it was a little bit of a cleanse for the system.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52It's very rich, it's very wholesome,
0:08:52 > 0:08:56and I can absolutely see why they'd introduce this
0:08:56 > 0:08:58to blot up all of that alcohol.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01And it's cheap. It's cheap, it's cheerful and it's filling.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03- And that's the idea of it. - Yeah, it is.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05You could line the under seal of the Titanic with that.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07- Just a bit, yeah. - And with the gas from the bread,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09you'd probably be able to fuel it as well. Vroom!
0:09:09 > 0:09:11- Yeah, keep you warm.- It would.- Yeah.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Coal was in short supply, so, you know...
0:09:14 > 0:09:16THEY LAUGH
0:09:16 > 0:09:20So, Seren, do you think, then, that the state-owned pubs
0:09:20 > 0:09:22have left us a food legacy, then?
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Absolutely. I think the pub food, as we recognise it today,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28is definitely harping back to this period.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31We wouldn't be happy with just a bit of cold meat and a slice of bread.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35- No, we wouldn't.- We think of pub food as being hearty, wholesome.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37That is all where it originates from.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Can you imagine that all the posh folks in the Cotswolds
0:09:40 > 0:09:42who are sitting there in their gastro-pubs feeling smug...?
0:09:42 > 0:09:44It started in Carlisle.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Yeah, it starts with frugal economics.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Here in the very north. Well, let's drink to that.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52- BOTH:- Cheers.- Love your frock. - Yeah, nice frock.- Thank you.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Do you know what, mate? If the state took over the pubs,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02you would've thought they would've renamed it,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05- like, you know, The Cabinet Arms or something.- Indeed.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- Or something like The Prime Minister's Head.- Yeah.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Actually, that reminds me, Lloyd George once said
0:10:10 > 0:10:13that alcohol was inflicting more damage on the war effort
0:10:13 > 0:10:16than all the German submarines put together.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Well, I never.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21From sinking ships to sinking pints.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25There's more to Carlisle's pubs than inebriated navvies,
0:10:25 > 0:10:28and the proof is in the pub signs.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33So here's a couple of historical highlights.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36The Spinner's Arms reminds us that this city
0:10:36 > 0:10:38once had a booming textiles industry
0:10:38 > 0:10:42with 11 cotton mills and 1,200 looms.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44- That's cracking yarn. Spin me another.- OK.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Well, The Cranemakers celebrates
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Carlisle's world-famous Cowans Sheldon company.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Back in the day, they built the biggest cranes in the world.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Now that's pretty heavy metal.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59The Joiners Arms is also known as The Blue Lugs
0:10:59 > 0:11:02cos local joiners would pop in for a pint
0:11:02 > 0:11:04with chalk tucked behind their ears.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Better than the spuds behind yours, Kingie.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Back on our highly regulated, very civilised
0:11:14 > 0:11:16and state-sanctioned pub crawl,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20it's time to find out what life was like for the workers
0:11:20 > 0:11:23when they weren't propping up the bars.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Imagine, Si, if the government took over all the pubs tomorrow.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29- There would be a revolution. - There would. And you've got a point.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32I mean, you think about it, munitions factories and hangovers,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35it's an explosive combo, dude. Talking of which...
0:11:35 > 0:11:37You know, I fancy finding out a bit more about that.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41- And I'm going somewhere that's going to bowl me over.- Oh!
0:11:43 > 0:11:47We're leaving Carlisle behind and heading 17 miles north,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49over the border to Eastriggs.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Gentlemen. Hello, hello.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54While Dave's off playing with his bowls,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56I'm joining Dr Chris Brader for
0:11:56 > 0:11:59a fascinating glimpse into the working life
0:11:59 > 0:12:03at what was then the biggest munitions factory in the world.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05So, Chris, there's not much left today,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08but what was the munitions factory like in its day?
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Well, 100 years ago, this was a hive of activity.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15It was an incredible operation when you think the factory
0:12:15 > 0:12:17was actually nine miles in length.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19- What?!- Nine miles.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22So it stretched from where we are now, from Eastriggs,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25over to Gretna, then over the English border to Longtown.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31At its peak, it employed over 20,000 mostly female workers
0:12:31 > 0:12:34to build much-needed explosives for the front line.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39So, Chris, why was the site so huge?
0:12:39 > 0:12:42If you had a big explosion, the last thing you'd need would
0:12:42 > 0:12:44be a domino effect where the whole factory was taken out,
0:12:44 > 0:12:46so it was spaced out.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Right, right, right.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51The volatile ingredients were kept in separate units
0:12:51 > 0:12:53surrounded by blast-proof embankments.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57So what were they actually making here?
0:12:57 > 0:13:00- They were making an explosive called cordite.- Right.
0:13:00 > 0:13:01It was very, very volatile.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Cordite was a new gunpowder replacement
0:13:05 > 0:13:08used for firing bullets and shells.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Let me show you what it actually looks like.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Oh, wow. Fantastic.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16The women would hand mix explosive ingredients
0:13:16 > 0:13:18into a paste-like dough.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- You can see...- Oh, and there it is.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22- There's the dough. - That's the dough.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25It looks like wholemeal bread dough.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28You wouldn't want to eat that. It'd blow your bum off, wouldn't it?
0:13:28 > 0:13:29It would, it certainly would.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Joking aside, there was some serious side-effects
0:13:33 > 0:13:35for this young workforce.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38We do know, for example, that the girls,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41they had problems with their gums and their teeth,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45but I suspect as well that it wasn't good news for your internal organs.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47There was always the chance you would either be
0:13:47 > 0:13:50poisoned, injured or killed even.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52It was a dangerous occupation.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56And I'm noticing from the photographs here, Chris, it's women.
0:13:56 > 0:13:57That's right.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00That's a really significant proportion of the workforce.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04In its peak, Gretna employed round about 20,000 people,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07and around 60% of those were women.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10But not only women, but very young women as well.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13The majority were actually aged under 21 years of age.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20You had construction workers that were actually building
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- the infrastructure of the factory. - That's right.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26And then you have the girls that were actually making this paste.
0:14:26 > 0:14:27That's right.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31Now, two populaces brought in from around the country.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36That's, in itself, an explosive kind of recipe, isn't it?
0:14:36 > 0:14:38So where would they go? What would they do?
0:14:38 > 0:14:41This is literally the back of beyond,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44and you've got to attract workers to come here and work there.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47- So you've got to actually offer them pretty decent facilities.- Right.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49So what the government does is build
0:14:49 > 0:14:54two purpose-built townships of Gretna and Eastriggs.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58But, of course, there were no pubs. They were all in Carlisle.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01Like the navvies, many of the girls headed into town
0:15:01 > 0:15:03for a state-managed pub session.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06But the girls were better behaved than the navvies,
0:15:06 > 0:15:11and the government hoped they'd have an improving influence on the pubs.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15What we do know is that, yes, women did drink more during the war,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18but the drunkenness rates actually went down dramatically.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21And who could begrudge these grafting gals
0:15:21 > 0:15:24a well-earned lady's half for their hard work.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30But it wasn't all hard graft for the workers.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33The stage management scheme encouraged them to play, too.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37I'm at a former state-run bowling green in Eastriggs,
0:15:37 > 0:15:42And guess what? It's slap bang next to a former state-run pub.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45I'm meeting David Taylor to find out more.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49- Hello, David.- Hi. - Hello.- Nice to see you.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- This is glorious, isn't it? - Marvellous.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57What is the connection between state-managed pubs and bowling?
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Quite a lot of problems with the munitions work,
0:15:59 > 0:16:01with the binge drinking, etc,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04so the idea to restrict the drinking
0:16:04 > 0:16:07and get them out in the fresh air, etc.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10This meant building new state-managed pubs
0:16:10 > 0:16:12with bowling greens attached.
0:16:12 > 0:16:13Crafty, hey?
0:16:13 > 0:16:17- So bowling versus pints.- Yeah. - Hey!- Definitely.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Was it very popular in those days?
0:16:19 > 0:16:21It did become very popular.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26Once we got into the '30s, it was popular enough to have
0:16:26 > 0:16:30a proper bowls league for the State Management Scheme.
0:16:30 > 0:16:31- State Management Scheme.- Yeah.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Incredible, isn't it, that the state actually had a hand
0:16:34 > 0:16:37- in what's a really popular spot. - Yeah, yeah, it did.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41I mean, it made the game available to everybody as well, you know?
0:16:41 > 0:16:44I mean, anybody could just nip down to the local pub
0:16:44 > 0:16:46and try the game out.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49It's interesting, though, because, obviously, it was to try
0:16:49 > 0:16:51and get the workers away from the drink,
0:16:51 > 0:16:53but you have what you call wet teams, don't you?
0:16:53 > 0:16:55- That's right.- A Wet League. - It was called...
0:16:55 > 0:17:00- The State Management Scheme League was called the Wet League.- Right.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03The State Management Scheme was the only greens
0:17:03 > 0:17:06where you were able to get a drink.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09And playing today are some ex-Wet League gents
0:17:09 > 0:17:11who were bowled over by the beer.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15And what did you make of the State Management Scheme?
0:17:15 > 0:17:16Was it a good thing?
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Well, it was the best scheme that was ever invented, actually.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23Lasted some 57 years - it was great beer,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26it was reasonable prices, compared to today especially,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29and it was fabulous for all that was concerned.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31- It was very, very competitive. - Right.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35And as they say, on the green, the friendship went out the window
0:17:35 > 0:17:37and the will to win took over.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39I'm here, David. I've got my shoes, I've got my woods.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Can I join in, do you think, with these gents?
0:17:41 > 0:17:43- Yeah, let's have a try.- Right.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46I think I could get used to this.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50The wind in my hair, the kiss of white pump on manicured green,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54a jar of State Management's finest ale to steady the aim.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Oh, look at that.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Turn it round. Look at that.
0:18:03 > 0:18:04Ho-ho!
0:18:07 > 0:18:08Go on, David. Your go.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10We'll see how it's done now.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15This is getting quite tense, actually.
0:18:15 > 0:18:16Oh!
0:18:16 > 0:18:19DAVE CHUCKLES
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Whoa!
0:18:22 > 0:18:24- I'll give you that one. - Yeah. One out of the archives.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27That's the one you want on the telly, isn't it?
0:18:27 > 0:18:28- Yeah, yeah.- Smashing.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Sadly, the Carlisle State Management greens have all gone.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39But the pubs are still packed with competitive pastimes.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41And competitive punters.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Time to meet some locals who love their local.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Meet Brian, Alan and Paddy,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56regulars at The Sportsman Inn in Carlisle city centre.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00It's only a small pub, but it's a really nice pub.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04- And also, it's the centre of the town, isn't it?- Yeah, yeah.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08So we can all coming from different parts of the city and meet up.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11The Sportsman, a former state-run pub,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14was one of the first to serve bar meals in the city.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17And it continues to serve up extras with its beer,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20like the Monday quiz night.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to The Sportsman quiz.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27And the local quiz kings, The Sportsman Bandits,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29aren't here just for the beer.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33- I don't think we'd meet up just to have drinks.- Oh, no, no.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35I mean, them days have gone.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40It's a good sideshow for us to meet up and take part.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Luckily enough, we are quite good at it.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46The pub quiz has been around since the '70s.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Now over a third of Britain's 60,000 boozers
0:19:50 > 0:19:52have a weekly competition.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55And The Bandits have taken it to the next level.
0:19:55 > 0:19:56There's a national quiz,
0:19:56 > 0:20:00and The Sportsman Bandits got to the quarterfinals, so...
0:20:00 > 0:20:01And they've done that twice.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04So...they're a really good team, obviously.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05Question five...
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Here, Dave, dude, that bloke's nicked your tash.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Impeccable taste, quizmaster!
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Which veteran TV presenter
0:20:15 > 0:20:20called his autobiography I Should Have Been at Work?
0:20:21 > 0:20:23That's easy. Dave Myers.
0:20:23 > 0:20:24Give over!
0:20:25 > 0:20:28It's Des Lynam, you wazzock.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30So the moment of truth.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Have The Bandits bagged the booty again?
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- Now, we have a big upset of the night.- Whey!
0:20:38 > 0:20:43- In second place, we have The Sportsman Bandits.- Hey!
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Recount! Recount!
0:20:48 > 0:20:51- So what do you think about that, then?- Oh, I'm away.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54LAUGHTER
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Bad luck, Bandits. Losers this time.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01But it's a win for landlords like Dave.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06Pub quizzes are a great way of keeping bums on bar stools.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Customers are the lifeblood of pubs.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Without customers, you know,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14that's why pubs shut, at the end of the day.
0:21:14 > 0:21:15Right, well, good luck.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18- Cheers.- Cheers.- Cheers. - THEY CHUCKLE
0:21:18 > 0:21:21- Good night. - Good night. And God bless.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Back on our Carlisle city centre pub crawl,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28World War I is finally over.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33While the government called time on other State Management Schemes,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Carlisle got an extended licence.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38It was going so well
0:21:38 > 0:21:41the government ordered a brand-new batch of pubs.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Our last stop is a pub that epitomised
0:21:45 > 0:21:48a new, classy era of state-sponsored drinking.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51This time it was all about the bricks and mortar.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55Oh, look at this, The Cumberland Inn.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57This is a nice pub, Dave.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Looks more like a gentleman's club than a pub.
0:21:59 > 0:22:00Aye, that's just the point, Si.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03This pub was built under the State Management Scheme,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06and it was designed, shall we say, to appeal
0:22:06 > 0:22:08to a more broader clientele.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12Ah, you mean they were trying to push up our pubs. Ah-ha!
0:22:14 > 0:22:17One man, Harry Redfern, was tasked
0:22:17 > 0:22:19with redesigning the great British boozer.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Here to tell us about this talented chap
0:22:22 > 0:22:24is local architect Malcolm Wilson.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28- Malcolm.- Hello.- Very nice to meet you. How are you doing?- And you.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31- Hello, Malcolm. Nice to meet you.- Oh, smashing.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35- This is a splendid place, isn't it? - Ooh!- Whey!- Two beers. Smashing.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37- Hey, this has started well. - Good health.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40- Good health, mate. Good health. - Yeah, good health.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43So tell about Mr Harry Redfern.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44Harry Redfern was a great guy.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48He did all the...all the Model Inn pubs,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50all 15 of them here in Carlisle.
0:22:50 > 0:22:51Every one was different. Every one.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Particularly this one, The Cumberland,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56which was unique in its time.
0:22:56 > 0:22:57Demolished pubs, rebuilt new ones,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00built new model pubs out in the countryside.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02But each one was an absolute gem.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06As chief architect for the State Management Scheme,
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Redfern's aim wasn't just to build model pubs.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Oh, no, he wanted to encourage model punters too.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Redfern, when he did these pubs,
0:23:16 > 0:23:19he managed to alter the plan of the pubs,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22so they were much different layout to what they originally were.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Where the bar, as you can see, is now
0:23:24 > 0:23:27in the middle of the pub, which looked into all areas.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29So the manager of the pub and the people behind the bar
0:23:29 > 0:23:31could keep track on everybody in the area.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34- So kind of purpose-built. - Purpose-built pubs.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35And they self-monitored themselves.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38So you could see everything that was going on in each room,
0:23:38 > 0:23:40and each room was distinctively different.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43A little smoking room, a mixed-class room,
0:23:43 > 0:23:44a room for the women as well.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Now, that's quite expensive.
0:23:46 > 0:23:51Well, this building was the most expensive one he ever built.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54It was three times more expensive than any of the others
0:23:54 > 0:23:57because of its location in the city centre, the materials he used.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59You know, its beautiful roof light, fantastic bar,
0:23:59 > 0:24:01the oak, the floor, the tiles.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Everything cost a tremendous amount of money.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06So, where did Redfern get his inspiration from?
0:24:06 > 0:24:08He got his inspiration from his background.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10He was an Arts and Crafts architect.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12So he did these wonderful sort of
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Art and Crafts country houses down there.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15And he felt that maybe the country house
0:24:15 > 0:24:18was a nice sort of thing to bring up to the pub.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20So you felt you were going to a country manor house for a drink
0:24:20 > 0:24:23rather than just a shop or a really rough little place.
0:24:23 > 0:24:29Did the state-managed pubs work to curb the excesses of drinking?
0:24:29 > 0:24:32They did. Numbers dropped dramatically.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Because what happened is the pubs actually self-regulated themselves.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38- Right.- You came in here, and all your mates didn't really want you
0:24:38 > 0:24:42to have a dodgy time because it was a good environment.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46So the people who were here regulated their own behaviour,
0:24:46 > 0:24:47which was terrific.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51And because the women were here as well, they regulated the men.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53So punters policed themselves.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Punters policed themselves, which is the best way to have it.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58So what legacy did Harry Redfern leave us?
0:24:58 > 0:25:02Well, he left us the 15 Model Inns, which are gems of the time.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05I mean, they're all listed now. They're absolutely beautiful things.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08And the pub became respectable. And because it became respectable,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12it became a part of the village community, the town community,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15which is as important as shops and the church, the village green.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19And the village pub became central to the operation of a village again.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Most important. That was the legacy he left us.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24- Well, that is absolutely... - It's fascinating, isn't it?
0:25:24 > 0:25:26I think, you know, at some stage in our life,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29a Harry Redfern pub crawl is called for.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30Well, Mr Myers...
0:25:30 > 0:25:34I'll shake on that. Definitely. I think we should.
0:25:34 > 0:25:35Well, there are 15 pubs, remember,
0:25:35 > 0:25:37so that means a pint of beer in each pub.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40- Oh, we can take it slow.- A half. - MALCOLM CHUCKLES
0:25:40 > 0:25:42- Just a half.- Yeah.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46Never mind taking it slow, may as well start now.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Joining us for a sip down memory lane,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52some local lads who remember the state-regulated beer.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Mm, state-brewed beer(!)
0:25:55 > 0:25:57It doesn't sound promising, does it, Kingie?
0:25:57 > 0:26:01We've got a memory lane here, gents, of memorabilia.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05These are original Carlisle State Management Scheme tankards.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Get in.
0:26:07 > 0:26:08Old beer mats.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11So, gentlemen, do you remember the state-brewed beer
0:26:11 > 0:26:12and what was it like?
0:26:12 > 0:26:14It was beautiful.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18My first pint in 1958 was nine pence.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20- Right.- In old money.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Was it quite a light beer?
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Wasn't REALLY strong, you know, but it was strong enough.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Once you had two or three pints, you knew...
0:26:27 > 0:26:30- You started to get your knees to wobble.- Yeah, that's right.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33In fact, the beer's popularity has inspired local brewers
0:26:33 > 0:26:36to remake it, including Mark Johnson.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40And he's brought along a barrel with its own pump.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41What does it taste like?
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Well, hopefully it tastes something like
0:26:43 > 0:26:45a representation of the original beer.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49The recipe itself, I've got copies of Bill Monk's old brew sheets,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52- who was the head brewer at the State Management Brewery.- Right.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55And we pretty much copy that on a scaled-down version.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Well, why don't we try the beer, the new recipe,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01in the old tankards as a bit of a homage to the new era?
0:27:01 > 0:27:04- In this wonderful pub. - Why not?- Come on.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09- Wouldn't it be great if you had a table like this at home?- I have.
0:27:09 > 0:27:10- I have.- So have you.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16- There you go.- There you go, mate. What happened there?- I don't know.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18It's just a slight of the hand, dude, slight of hand.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22- Enjoy.- Cheers.- Hey, that's nice.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25- Nice colour, isn't it? Look at that. - ALL:- Cheers.- Cheers, fellas.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Cheers to the Carlisle State Brewery Scheme.
0:27:28 > 0:27:29And to your brewery.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Thank you very much. Thank you.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36- Yum, yum!- That is really good.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40It's what you would call a proper session beer. It's not too strong.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44- That's what it's designed for, yeah. - It's got flavour.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46- Oh, hey, that goes on. - That is really good-flavoured beer.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48That is good beer.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50I've got to say, I think the government did a good job.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53And whichever brewers they were employing,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55- the brewers did a fine job as well. - They did.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57So I must say, Mr King, that's the first time I've ever
0:27:57 > 0:28:00heard you utter those words, "The government's done a good job."
0:28:00 > 0:28:04I know. I know. I don't say it very often, though, dude.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07- The government.- The government. - Cheers.- Well done.- Cheers.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Well, it's been a blast.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Whoa!
0:28:12 > 0:28:13Well, let's drink to that.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16You know, I've learnt so much, I reckon we could give
0:28:16 > 0:28:19those pub quiz kings, The Bandits, a run for their money.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20- Cheers, lads.- Cheers.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22- Carlisle.- Carlisle.- Carlisle.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27All right, Kingie, pub fact coming up.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Do you know the origins of that phrase to mind your Ps and Qs?
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Er, no, I don't. No.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35Well, rowdy customers like you, any trouble,
0:28:35 > 0:28:38the barman would shout out, "Mind your pints and quarts!"
0:28:38 > 0:28:42- Cos if you didn't, he'd take them off you.- Well, I never.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44- Cheers, mucker.- Cheers.