60 Years in the East Midlands The Queen and I

Hello and welcome to a special East Midlands programme, celebrating 60

years of Queen Elizabeth II. We will be behind the scenes with the

people who make a royal visit happen. We will be hearing from

some of the Queen's younger subjects. It's the Queen's Jubilee,

isn't it? Yes. What does that mean? A disco. A disco? Yes, and a

photograph. Meeting the people who have their own memories of the

monarchy over the past 60 years. You walk in to see the Queen, you

bow, you have a conversation, she pins it on to you chest and then

you watch everybody else go through it! And our cameras are given

The Queen is about to arrive here in Nottingham on the latest leg of

her Jubilee tour. There is so much that goes on to make all this

possible. The whole Jubilee tour kicked off in Leicester and we sent

our cameras behind the scenes to find out exactly what goes on. It

was always going to be a big day for Leicester and the city was out

to impress with more than 10,000 Union flags and miles of bunting

ordered. This was, of course, the Queen's first stop on her Jubilee

tour. So it had to be special. But what really goes on behind the

scenes to make it all happen? And what do Leicester folk think of the

VIPs arriving in LE1? I was nine- years-old the last time I saw the

Queen. I came with my mum and I'm nearly 69 now, so we have both aged

a bit. Obviously, it's a once-in-a- lifetime thing. It is definitely an

honour. This will be my first time ever seeing the Queen and I didn't

sleep last night, I was so excited. But before the big day arrives,

there is plenty of preparation and it is not always glamorous.

Security sweeps are in full flow and this means hands down drains

and heads in sewers, searching for anything suspicious. Manhole covers

are then security sealed. It's a challenge for the people in charge.

My role is to co-ordinate the police response to the visit. It is

a big day and it's a real thrilling event for the city and everybody

involved. Obviously, it causes a lot of work for us but everyone is

really enthusiastic and working hard to make sure it all goes

smoothly on the day. And fingers crossed it will. But that of course

is down to weeks of pre-planning and the visit being carefully

choreographed. A team of civic leaders and the police are walking

the Queen's route, dealing with any potential problems. The station's

lift is causing them a bit of concern. The last thing we want is

the Prince there going... Waiting for the lift. Is there going to be

anybody inside, pressing the right button? The royal party will be

here for a matter of two or three minutes so from an outsider's point

of view, the short period of time they are here seems very

straightforward but the last thing we want is any hiccups on the day.

Over at De Montford University, the Queen's first stop, there is

another temperamental lift to deal with and the vice chancellor has a

quandary about the VIPs signing the visitors' book. Initially, we

thought of a Bic pen. Not really! A fountain pen? That's very elegant

but it might spill ink. A ball pen, not as elegant but more reliable. I

think we'll go for both. Just to be safe? Just to be safe. Always best

to be on the safe side. Her Majesty will be escorted up here with

myself. I am really excited about it. Nothing like this has ever

happened at De Montford. It's cool that she's starting off her tour at

DMU. It's good to be a student here and be able to say she came to my

university. It's nice. Meanwhile, at the cathedral, they are playing

kings and queens, rehearsing the big arrival. The bishop is getting

some top tips on meeting the monarch. There is a formula to

greet the Queen. I introduce you to the bishop. You obviously say "Your

Majesty" and after that, it's "Ma'am". You don't have to say

"Your Majesty" all the time. Simple as that? Very simple! We've got

about three minutes, according to the timetable, to get to the door.

I'm sure we will all be nervous on the day. It would be a surprise if

we weren't. 24 hours to go and all- around Leicestershire, some very

different types of rehearsals are well under way as performers

practise their routines for the Queen. We wrote to the Queen, to

the palace, explaining it was our anniversary as well, 60th

anniversary, and explained that we set the band up the year she was

crowned and our first engagement was the Coronation, so it all

fitted in very nicely. So, we are going to see the Queen tomorrow.

are probably going to be on TV and a lot of people are going to see us.

And the Queen will probably be there and she is one of the most

important people in the world. going to be nice to see her back in

Leicester, which is great for the community and the people of

Leicester because it's not very often we get to see royalty here.

am really excited but a bit nervous. So the day has finally arrived.

It's 8:00am and there's a flurry of last-minute preparations. The

public are finding their prime permissions to get that all-

important encounter. Security is tight and the media is making the

most of the Queen's visit. It's a huge day for Radio Leicester. Local

radio covers local things and it doesn't come much bigger than a

royal visit of this size. She will be coming through the main railway

station. This entrance or that entrance? We believe this entrance,

but we may be wrong. Fingers crossed. Fingers crossed, yes.

you warm enough? Getting there. No, it's worth it. As a cameraman, I am

not going to get very close. I was hoping to meet her as I have never

met her. So after months of planning, weeks of preparation and

hours of waiting for some, this is what it's all about for most of us.

A quick glimpse of the Royal Family and hopefully our Queen on her very

special day. The question is, was it worth it? Wonderful. Just like

the television. She's beautiful. You will probably only get that

opportunity once, to see them. you get a good view? Yes, very good.

Was it worth the wait? Very much worth the wait, yes. Were you

nervous? Frankly, yes. It was one of the shortest speeches I've ever

made in my whole life. It was also one of the most nerve-racking.

Amongst those yet to have a close encounter with the Queen are of

course her newest subjects. We are at the Robert Bakewell primary

school in Loughborough to find out what the Queen means to some of the

children here. It's the Queen's Jubilee, isn't it? Yes. What does

that mean? A disco. A disco? Yes, and a photograph. Disco and

photographs? Is the Queen going to a disco? I don't know. It's only

the Queen's disco jubilee. We are celebrating, the whole school, the

day she had her crown put on. does she live? In a palace.

lives in London in a palace. I said a palace. In a castle. In a castle.

Is it a big castle? That big. biggest one. She lives in a castle.

What's that like? It's big. they can watch TV. She's got a TV.

That's good isn't it? For the children to watch. It might be

sparkly and made out of gold. Well, it might have expensive things.

the money belongs to her. She's very beautiful. What does she do?

Maybe she watches Peppa Pig. watches Peppa Pig?! I have not met

her before. Would you like to? What would you say to her? Would you

like to come to the school and my I think it suits me! One thing we

take for granted now is our ability to fill any royal encounter. Here

in the East Midlands, we have an absolute treasure trove of archive.

It's all thanks to amateur film- makers, those jubilee party

planners and people who have caught our attention by meeting the Queen

When the Queen comes to town, the crowds gather. From the start of

her reign, there have been cameras there to document every event. But

many of the stories of royal encounters lie behind the lens and

were only telling a fraction of them. Few get the chance to meet

the Queen. But a 15-year-old from Nottinghamshire, who was working

down the pit, was invited to Buckingham Palace for a royal

audience almost 60 years ago. Because in 1952, Jack Bamford was a

well-known hero. He had risked his life to save his brothers from

their burning home. That's the George Cross. 60 years on, he is

still the youngest to get the George Cross, the highest civil

decoration. The civilian VC. Initially, you're not in the room

and they will call your name out. You walk in to see the Queen, you

bow, she has a conversation, she pins it on your chest or whatever

and then you go and sit with the rest of the audience and you can

It has certainly altered. Even though he only lives a few miles

away, this is the first time Jack has been back to his old family

home to see the window he threw his brothers from into his father's

arms. The window he fell from with terrible burns. According to what

they tell me, it was about 2:00am in the morning on a Sunday morning

and the fire was in the living room underneath that bedroom. I threw

Roy out first because I got him between my knees and I turned

around for Brian but he had got It's the first time I've been back

here. I am pleased I've come back. I am. It brings back a lot of

memories. They are not all pleasant memories. Events have often been

captured best for our memories by the amateurs. The only time the

Queen has made an official visit to Market Harborough, Peter Wilford

and three others from a camera club were the only ones there to film.

We were lucky really because we were told we were probably the

first amateur group to be given permission to film a royal visit by

having special camera positions authorised. As far as I know, this

is the only official visit the Queen has made to Market Harborough.

From what I remember, it wasn't a particularly warm day. There was no

sunshine. No broadcast companies there at all. If they had been

there, they would probably have been filming in black-and-white and

of course we were filming in colour, so that was a great advantage. I

think the Cini Society, which is now renamed Market Harborough Movie

Makers, has really got a treasure of a film here to put in the

Roll on 10 years to 1977, the Silver Jubilee. Red white and blue

everywhere and like here Loughborough, families, friends and

neighbours came together to hold parties. What amateur film-maker

George Arme and wife, Mavis, captured on film is now part of the

nation's social history. We asked all the neighbours if they were

interested in this party and we had all these requests and they wanted

to come and we set it all up. We made all the flags ourselves. The

actual flags. I used to work in the hosiery trade and we could get

fabric. Those look like they've been made as well, those costumes.

They made their own. It was really interesting. What was the best

memory for you that day? It was everybody getting together and

enjoying themselves and celebrating the Queen. That is what it was all

about. There you are in your 1977 outfit, Mavis. Yes. It's a moment

in time which you can never recreate. We probably won't see

There are two more pieces of footage we have uncovered. The

first is Jack Bamford in Nottingham General Hospital after the fire.

Footage he didn't know existed. You've not seen this then, Jack?

"Dear Jack. Whilst you are having your photograph taken this

afternoon, the committee of this hospital, where you are a patient,

has talked about you and the George Cross which has been awarded to

you". Where did you get this one from? The fire occurred in October.

John helped his father to rescue three other children and his

mother,then returned to save six- year-old Brian and four-year-old

Roy. Good Lord! Look at that. got Brian and then threw Roy out of

the window. That's our Roy there look. Meanwhile, he ran back across

the road because he was frightened. It's upsetting, really. It is,

isn't it? He said, "Are they all out?" and Dad said, "Yes" and then

he passed out. John received extensive burns. He has already

undergone two skin grafting operations. If it hadn't have been

for Jack, I would not have been here. I've got family and children

and grandchildren and I've got what I've got and I wouldn't have had

any of it if it wasn't for Jack. But it was lovely to see my Mam.

And there is film too of Jack at Buckingham Palace the day he met

the Queen to receive his George Cross. We had suits. I was still

having hospital treatment and they allowed him to go down to

Buckingham Palace with me. wasn't for him, I would have been

If it were me who had the George Cross, I wouldn't be walking about

with it on my chest but I would let people know. Never ever profited

from it. Never. Some of the others used to call him a fool for not

doing it. It's never been my way. What a brave man, and to think he

met her right at the beginning of her reign. Let's come up to date

and have a look at some brand new So what have you got here? I've got

Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace and the Royal barge. "I love

the Queen, from Liam". He'll have to send this to her, won't he? Are

you going to send that to her? Queen. These are her dogs. These

are her dogs, of course, yes. old. How old do you think she is?

60. I think 86 or 87. It's got to be 60 because it is her 60th year

Well, the Queen has certainly attracted the crowds in Nottingham.

What an audience, what a reception. What must it be like to be greeted

like this? We have been following one very special lady at a busy

time in her life and she has given our cameras and insight that has

probably never been seen before. Okay, if you hadn't already guessed,

this isn't actually Her Majesty, but Patricia Ford who lives in a

village not far from Ashby is one of the best lookalikes in the

business and she has fooled more than a few, even appearing in a

So, in this busy jubilee year, what's it like being Queen Pat and

how did it all begin? That is my full regalia. I play tennis at

Ashby-de-la-Zouch and people standing on my right hand side felt

I looked like the Queen and started commenting on it. You get invited

to do a lot of presenting 100th birthday telegrams, or 60th wedding

telegrams or something like that to unsuspecting clients. Or going to

schools and talking to children. Have you opened any supermarkets?

Yes, I opened the hundredth 99p Store, I seem to remember! This is

from a very posh dress shop that used to do mother of the bride. Now,

they wouldn't manage to sell anything like that to a normal

person! Nevertheless, it's expensive stuff. It is expensive

stuff. It's about �800 for an outfit like this. It's a compliment

that people really think you are the Queen and not just you dressed

up. So yes, I take it as a complement if they behave to me

like they would the Queen. Patricia has got a very busy day ahead.

She's opening a new retirement home at Burton-on-Trent and her arrival

is being kept top secret. The residents are not aware that you

are on the premises? No. I've come through this side entrance with a

coat over my outfit and without a hat on, so they are unaware of what

is going to happen. It's going to be a surprise. I hope they will go,

"Ah!" And don't just go, "Who is I didn't know whether it was her or

not. It was pretty good. Mind you, we've all got a doppelganger,

haven't we? I'm breaking this to you now, but that wasn't actually

the Queen. I thought it wasn't. you think Patricia is convincing?

Yes. I'll give her that. But we knew it wasn't the Queen. This is

one of hundreds of events Patricia has attended as her alter ego and

this jubilee year has been her busiest ever. So what are Pat's

thoughts on the Queen and after years and years of mimicking the

monarch, has she ever had an encounter with the lady herself?

She's a saint. She's always been a saint. To have made that speech

that she was going to dedicate herself to the country for the rest

of her life. Have you met any of the royals? I met Princess Anne

some years ago. Did she say, you look like my mother? No. I've not

ever met the Queen, no. I would So from Queen Pat to the real Queen

up there on the balcony. We're here amongst the crowds but not

everything the BBC has done over the Jubilee has been met with

universal approval. There was criticism of the boats on the

Thames pageant. However, we were there filming one very special

journey. The crowds cheered, the rain fell and the Royal barge

weaved its way along the Thames. 1,000 boats from all over Britain

arrived in London to celebrate the Jubilee. In the middle of it all,

St George, a little ship from Leicestershire and its owners, Eric

and Maggie. This is their journey from Kegworth to the capital.

a wonderful trip and I'm delighted to present you with a flag. Thank

you. If I can get it up the right way! It will take him a while to

get through Nottingham, let alone around the coast and into the

Thames. But I'm sure he'll do it. It's an extremely big day. We are

all very proud of Eric and the boat going to London. It's wonderful.

Because of the depth and the size of this craft, it will not go

through the narrow canals and that means I have to go down the River

Soar, the River Trent, through Nottingham, Newark, go through

Lincoln, we go down the east coast and then into the Thames. We've got

some real tricky bits coming up as well, actually. Yes. You might want

to mind your head. As you can guess, Eric and I are in our 70s and this

is not likely to happen again, is it? So just to be part of such a

wonderful celebration. Big boats and narrow waterways mean

navigation is tricky and road bridges are an obstacle and a

hazard. That hit the back of my head there! The alternator has

stopped working. For some reason. We want to get that fixed. I fell

over. I fell over the mast when it was lying on the deck. It was quite

a big fall actually. Despite the engine problems and an injured

shipmate, Eric remains upbeat and surprisingly on schedule. When you

are boating, you don't expect things to go wrong, but it teaches

you to think on your feet, I suppose. Lincoln is the next

obstacle. Watch your head this time. Yes, I shall. The medieval bridge

running under the city is testing Eric's talent and getting St George

through is a squeeze. We did it! Hooray! At sea, Eric gets lucky

with the weather and it's only when he enters an Essex estuary that

things get rough. If you think about it, when this is over and

you're having a nice hot shower and a pint of beer, you think, what a

fabulous day! I hope! ��WHITE We are cruising past the London

landmarks which means you have arrived on the Thames. What a

relief. It's been quite a journey coming down. Otherwise, okay. I

think it's the roughest water that this boat has ever been in during

the time that I've owned it. I just feel quite emotional. I don't know.

I have shed a few tears actually because I'm overwhelmed by it all.

I'm delighted for Eric. It is something he never dreamed of. It

is wonderful. To sail past the Queen on her own boat and to think

we were representing Leicestershire. We are cold and wet but very happy.

And you can see more on the Leicestershire little ships when