60 Years in the West Midlands The Queen and I

This year, the Queen is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee. And millions

of us have joined the party. This week she's been in the Midlands.

And yet again, the crowds have turned out in force. What is it

that inspires such devotion? Why does the Queen holds such a special

places so many people's hearts? To find out I'm going to be touring my

home turf, the West Midlands, visiting the places she's been. And

meeting the people whose lives she's touched. Quite honestly, it

was one of the best days of my life. I remember thinking by the time I

come back down this road late on, I will have met the Queen. And I'll

be having my own brush with royalty. I'll be finding out what this

enduring monarch means to you and When it comes to a initial research,

this is a pretty good place to start, the archives of the BBC in

Birmingham. There are local newsreels here dating back as far

as the 1970s. The Queen appears on them time and time again, making

dozens of visits to the region. There have been some huge changes

in the West Midlands during my lifetime and the Queen has

witnessed the Mall. She seems to like to pop in every now and again

and see that we are doing all right. She's shared in our Midlands story,

the highs, and sometimes, the lows. And it's the people and places from

these films, which I'm going to be visiting.

Our story begins 60 years ago, so what better way to get around on my

If ever a car epitomise the new Elizabethan age, it was a Morris

Minor. It referred -- it first rolled off the production lines in

the 1940s. By the time of the coronation, it was the car to be

seen in. The coronation was a time of celebration. But it might not

have felt like there was much else to be cheerful about in '50s

Britain. They were lean times. And there was

still plenty of work to do to rebuild our bomb-scarred cities.

The Midlands suffered particularly badly at the hands of the Germans.

It was the gradual rebuilding that brought the Queen Stuart to

Coventry. -- here to Coventry. An infamous German bombing raid in

1940 had devastated Coventry. Large parts of the city had been reduced

to rubble, including its gothic cathedral. The ruins of the

cathedral have been left standing as a permanent and painful reminder

of the suffering that Coventry endured. They say so much about the

city itself. When the Queen came here in 1956, it was to mark the

start of a fresh chapter, as work began on a new cathedral right next

door to the old. Six years later she was back for

its consecration, and local amateur filmmaker David Arnold was there.

It was a very big occasion, very big occasion. A new cathedral. And

I just wanted to come and take the record of it. We have the record.

It has been transposed onto one of these modern things. We have all

these wonderful people. This goes on for ages. So many people. And

then all of a sudden, she just pops up like that! It was really quite

difficult. Bear in mind this camera is a wind-up camera. It has no

batteries. The film's only lasted four minutes. I cannot remember

specifically what happened there but I was probably having to wind

it up. I bet you were sweating a little bit! It always seems to

happen at the most crucial points. By very glad I got her at all. She

was young, very attractive, bright yellow! She always stands out.

important you think it was that the Queen came to this event? Apart

from London, I think Coventry had the worst time during the war. And

I think the Queen was here to represent the country and this was

an opportunity to say, we are up and we are going, we are in

business. I think it was very important. The modern new cathedral

was Coventry looking to the future. And in this, the city wasn't alone.

Across the Midlands the gloom of the '50s was lifting, giving way to

a new optimism.. In Birmingham reconstruction was advancing at an

furious pace, as the city launched itself into a new era.

There were grand infrastructure projects. And buildings like the

rotunda change in the Birmingham skyline. -- changing. As for the

Queen, she shared in the adventure. She was here to open the Bullring,

Europe's largest shopping centre. So too the new inner ring road,

named the Queensway after her. And then the NEC. The opening of this

centre is the beginning of a new enterprise for the future

prosperity of our country. But what did she really make of Brum? As a

prominent city councillor, Freda Cocks met her many times, including

as Lord Mayor. She always enjoyed coming to Birmingham. The only

thing she did not like with the tall blocks of flats. She said,

don't forget, you're not only building buildings for the city,

you're building them for people. And that is what is so important.

Tower blocks aside, the Queen was impressed by the city's

transformation. But she was no stranger to change herself. For

centuries, a royal visit meant the monarch cocooned inside a coach or

car. But this Queen had other ideas. The walkabout, often unplanned and

unscripted, but always to the delight of the crowds. And to her

ardent fans like Henley James. you within reach and you could

stretch your arm to her, she would shake at hand. Unfortunately, I was

too far back. I did not get to shake her hand. I do not think I

would have washed my hand for the rest of my life! This was the

reason why everybody talks about her. She is always in touch with

people. But along with the good times, there's also been the bad.

was on patrol with another officer and we got the call to search the

rotunda for a bomb. We went in with other officers, just about to get

in the lift added went off underneath us. In November 1974,

the IRA bombed two pubs in Birmingham, killing 21 people and

injuring many more. The emergency services faced horrendous scenes

and we're uniting some of those involved for the first time. Among

them, policewoman Margaret Adams and fireman Dave Pithie.

Those images must bring back an awful lot of memories. What is your

abiding memory of that night? basically. The thing that struck be

more than anything, and I made the point at the time, was the number

of young men who had been in the tavern, not rushing out, but

helping everybody else to come out. It was community spirit. Terry

Curley was in charge of a taxi firm which helped to ferry the wounded

to the hospital. It was a shocking night. It was a credit to all

concerned, how well it was dealt with. And recognition for their

actions went far beyond the city. When the Queen made an official

visit a few months later, meeting them was her top priority. There is

me! She seemed quite, almost, shiny when she talked. It certainly made

everyone feel proud. The whole taxi trade. It is not often they get

good publicity. Did you feel that helped to lift the mood of the

city? It did because it was an awful time afterwards, really,

particularly for Irish people living in Birmingham. It was a

wonderful time when she came. Everybody was excited about it.

did lift everybody's spirits. And quite honestly, it was one of the

best days of your life, in actual The 1970s was a turbulent decade in

other ways too, blighted by rising unemployment and growing political

and social tensions. Punk arrived. And by the time of the Silver

Jubilee in 1977, the Sex Pistols' anti-monarchy single God Save The

Queen was striking a chord with plenty of discontented youths. I

would like to see my -- say my memories are of street parties and

commemorative mugs, but the truth is I was a 15-year-old boy. My

memories were of music, football and a girl called Juliet. But it

turned out I was in the minority. Hard times didn't seem to have

dented the public's patriotic spirit, and the jubilee was

celebrated with gusto. We were in a celebratory mood. This was

something that you anticipated but never knew you would have seen in

your lifetime. And when it happened, it was marvellous. When the Queen

made a whirlwind tour of the midlands, thousands lined the

streets. And for one Rolls Royce mechanic in Wolverhampton, the day

But it was no joke. And was down to Fred to get the royal Rolls back on

the road. At the back of your mind, you were thinking, if you could not

do anything about it, you would look a right plant! When we

determine the problem and got the car to run, because the fuse had

blown on the few stumps, it started up and there was a raw and Hu Andy

Clapp and I thought great. And then it stopped again. It wasn't long

though before Fred had it fixed. And he was soon rewarded with a

letter from the palace. Your assistance meant the tour went

ahead. We are grateful. I shall treasure it. It will always be with

me. It is one of those never to be repeated opportunities. And it

could have been any one in the garage that when that day but I was

the only one that did not get a lunch! I was good to go. She'd

always vowed to be a servant of the people and the Silver Jubilee

celebrations suggested the Queen's common touch was working. And as

head of the Anglican Church too, she was finding ways to get closer

to her subjects. Every Easter she honours people who have served

their communities at the royal Maundy service. It used to always

to be held in London, but not any more. The Queen decided it would

make more sense for the service to visit different cathedrals in the

country, one rather than always taking place in London. This would

mean two things. The recipients would be able to be chosen from a

different part of the country, other people would come to benefit

from this honour. And secondly, more people from other parts of the

country would then be able to see the service and command see it as

members of the Kent -- congregation. The Royal Maundy service was first

held in the West Midlands in Tewkesbury in 1971, before Hereford

five years later. And in the '80s Worcester, Lichfield and Birmingham

all had the honour. But for Paul Leddington-Wright, one year in

particular stands out. It's his job to organise the event - a post

previously held by his father Peter. And in the '90s, the service came

to home soil. It in 1995, I was the organist and Director of Music at

Coventry Cathedral. That you happen to be my father's last year a

secretary. The Queen always decides whether the service goes. She is

trying to visit all the cathedrals in the country. But in 1995,

because it was my father's last year and also I was the organist at

the cathedral, the Queen did agree that it -- she would visit Coventry

in that year. It was a rather nice touch. By then much had changed in

the Midlands since the Queens early visits. Some of the dreams of the

post war years had turned sour, like at Birmingham's castle vale

estate. When she visited in 1998 it was to back a new regeneration

scheme. At this community radio station they're still talking about

It was a fantastic occasion, it was one that lifted local spirits,

because Castle Vale had come through a very difficult period.

They were spending a lot of money on regeneration of the area.

you manage to get her to come to the studio or do anything for you?

She could not come to the studio, but the Prince's Trust at God

Buckingham Palace to get the Queen to record a message that we would

have exclusive rights to broadcast, which is unprecedented even today.

I need to hear the message now. This is what she said. Today, I

have been able to see how in Castle Vale, the Prince's Trust has helped

encourage the talents and achievements of young people

through community and business projects, including this local

radio station. I wish all those involved in the work of the

Prince's Trust and pass or fail continuing success. Get you very

much. That's a take. Was that an little laugh? The Arroyo giggle. I

rather cheekily said, that is a take, to the Queen and she laughed.

That is wonderful. She was the most glamourous person we ever had to do

that. But then things got even more surreal ,thanks to one of the

stations' young staff members Andrew Hendricks. Also known as DJ

Sweetvibes. He had hands the letters are sculpted onto the back

of his head. When she saw it, at the press may have done. For a

radio station like us that was just trying to find its way, it was

fantastic. The radio station wasn't her only appointment that day.

There was also the opening of Birmingham's brand new children's

hospital - named after Princess Diana, who'd been killed in a car

crash the year before. Nick Plotnek remembers the occasion well. My son

Robert was quite ill at the time and he had had a problem with one

of his heart bales. The Queen came to open a hospital and everybody

was looking forward to it. After a long wait, there she was. She

appeared with Prince Philip in intensive care. My first impression

was how friendly she was. She is not very tall, but a great presence

and a great personality. Sadly Robert didn't survive his illness.

But a photograph of his meeting with the Queen remained at his

beside until he died. He had a lot of operations in his life and it

was too much for him. They're all here for as long as where air and

as one of the highlights in his life was to make the Queen.

emotional encounter no doubt. And as I head to Staffordshire, it's to

find out about another one. This time linked with the Queen's role

as head of the Armed Forces, which have recently become increasingly

involved in conflicts around the world. Those who've lost their

lives in these wars are honoured here at the Armed Forces memorial.

Until 2007, there was no dedicate memorial for those who had given

their lives in service of there country since the Second World War.

This was very upsetting for their families, so when this memorial was

completed, it was quite a milestone. One of those delighted by its

creation is Maureen Norton, whose brother Terence Griffin was killed

by an IRA bomb. This place is very important to you. Can you tell us

what happened to your brother? lost his life on the motorway Black

coach bomb on 4th February 1974 after spending his last weekend

with us because family. He brought his friend Tom. He caught the coach

from Manchester to Catterick and a bomb had been placed on the coach.

12 people lost their lives, two of them little boys. They where is he?

To Ms's name is the third one down from the top. His name is just

below his friend's name. Who would have thought when he stepped on

that coach, that we would end up here looking at his name? If they

had not been a rail strike that day, he would not have been on that

coach. Five years ago the Queen was here to witness the Armed Forces

memorial's official dedication. And Maureen got to meet her. It was a

really lovely experience and she came over very warmly. I felt as

though she had empathy for what me and my family had gone through. It

might have been because she had lost Lord Mountbatten. The Queen's

cousin had also been killed by the IRA a few years after Maureen's

brother. And her presence at the dedication ceremony struck a chord

with the public. Her presence make the event nationally credible and

important. It cannot be underestimated. Up until then, it

had been open on a low-key basis. Instantly, the visitor numbers went

up to over 300,000. There are many sides to the Queens's role in

public life. From head of the church and the Armed Forces to

patron of the arts. And that's what's brought me here to the

picturesque Warwickshire town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Otherwise

known as the home of Shakespeare. He cannot visit Stratford without

coming here, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, which has recently had a

makeover. The shiny new auditorium has been designed to bring

audiences closer than ever to the action. When its royal patron

officially opened it last year, it was a big day for all the staff.

But behind the scenes there was one guy who I reckon had the toughest

job of all. Head chef Nick Furnell is used to cooking for the great

and good, but finding out the Queen was coming for lunch was enough to

rattle even him. Utter horror to start with the Camorra then a real

sense of pride in privilege. You're doing something important and it

has to be right. Food fit for the Queen has got to be pretty special.

But the good bit is that Nick's agreed to make it again - for me.

Dorset sole with salmon mousse, with spring cabbage and a

hollandaise sauce. Once you got over the initial shock, and you had

to choose a menu, how do you research something like that?

took some trials, which are sent to their palace and you get the back.

Did they reject anything? We sent across four dishes and that is a

dish they chose in the end. When you did hers, how many did you do

to get the best one? We did format. We had the Duke as well, so we had

another couple. The Duke must always get the second best one?

should imagine so. That looks fantastic. I am looking for a tip.

A bit of everything together. is really, really good. Did she

finished it? She ate the majority of it. As soon as she stops eating,

everyone else stops. I don't think I would do that. I am certainly not

stopping now. That really is fantastic. Did she leave a tip?

Know. My journey is nearly at an end. But I have one last vital

engagement on my royal tour. And it's the most important one of the

lot - an appointment with the Queen herself. As part of her Jubilee

tour, she's coming to RAF Cosford in Shropshire, where a crowd of

around 35,000 people is gathering to greet her. And I'm joining them.

Throughout this programme, we had been meeting people who have had

brushes with the Queen, unique experiences they will never forget,

but for most of the public, this is the closest they will get, standing

in a crowd, waving one of these. Ahead of the Queen's arrival,

excitement is building. What do you hope to get out of today? I want my

boys to see the Queen. I have bought 12 pink roses and hopefully

they will be able to give them to her. We have come to see the event,

it is a special occasion. You wanted to see the Queen. Would you

take a wave or a smile? Anything, just being here. Many of the people

we have next have sent that the Queen it seems to have a special

connection with people. People are looking for a smile on a wave or or

the most special of all, the She's expected to arrive any second. And

soon the royal helicopter is spotted on the horizon. The

helicopter is finally here. People are very excited by this. Until you

see it,, you cannot believe it. But if there were any lingering doubts,

the sight of the royal cavalcade swiftly puts them to rest. I've

been given a privileged spot with the press so I can get a closer

look. Even so, on first pass I barely get a glimpse. But after a

quick look around the museum here, the Queen emerges on foot. And I

have a real chance to soak up the atmosphere - and it's magical. I

did not think I would be at all excited, I was worried it would be

a damp squib. But I find myself clapping as she went past. I do not

know where that came from. To see someone you have seen so many times,

to see them in the flesh, it is really strange. And it's not just

me she's made an impression on. is fabulous. She spent a lot of

time talking to my daughter. She's radiant. Just an amazing person and

we were all thrilled to see her. The royal visit is over. But it's