0:00:02 > 0:00:054,000 miles south-west of the British Isles,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea,
0:00:08 > 0:00:10lies the island of Anguilla.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Colonised by English settlers in the 17th century,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16it was quickly abandoned because of its poor soil.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19So the African descendants, many of them former slaves,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22became landowners rather than plantation workers,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25fostering an independent spirit and close connection to the land
0:00:25 > 0:00:27that still flourishes.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30Today, just 3% of the population is white,
0:00:30 > 0:00:34and it's now one of the 14 British Overseas Territories
0:00:34 > 0:00:37with its own government, and the Queen as its Head of State.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38Fire!
0:00:38 > 0:00:40It's very similar to growing up in Cornwall.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Everybody looks out for each other.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44And it's just a really nice way of living.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47I mean, I've been here 23 years,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50and I still think I'm kind of British.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52With an average temperature of 80 degrees,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55British expats have been lured here by the beaches,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58low taxes and relaxed way of life.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02We have a tradition in Anguilla of going to take a sea bath.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04This is the epitome of paradise.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07You know, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!
0:01:09 > 0:01:12But this delicate island's future is precarious.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14With few natural resources,
0:01:14 > 0:01:18Anguillians have always had to be inventive to make ends meet,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21competing with larger nearby islands, like Antigua and St Kitts,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24for the tourist dollar.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Here, the threat of hurricanes is ever present,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30and in the eye of these storms is a rock -
0:01:30 > 0:01:32the Anglican minister Bishop Errol Brooks,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35who presides over the island's largest parish.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39As a people, we stand strong
0:01:39 > 0:01:41when things get rough.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44This paradise is extremely fragile.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50In the days to come...
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Contestant number one...
0:01:52 > 0:01:54..four island hopefuls battle
0:01:54 > 0:01:58for the prestigious ambassadorial role of Miss Anguilla.
0:01:58 > 0:01:59I am aiming to win.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03I am not aiming for first runner-up, or second runner-up, or...
0:02:03 > 0:02:05No place at all!
0:02:05 > 0:02:10Sue and Alan Ruan race against the clock to prepare a pop-up feast for
0:02:10 > 0:02:15a boatload of hungry holiday-makers and their demanding Dutch captain.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17John's a great character,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20but if the lunches are not on time,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23you won't see many smiles out here!
0:02:23 > 0:02:27And Bishop Brooks receives a lukewarm greeting from the birds
0:02:27 > 0:02:30on the remote and desolate island of Sombrero.
0:02:30 > 0:02:31I got a welcome!
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Somebody says good luck, so I'm looking forward to the good luck.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10- RADIO PRESENTER:- Anguilla time!
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Don't miss Miss Anguilla Pageant.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15We call it The Queen Show.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18See the ladies parade in evening wear and costumes
0:03:18 > 0:03:21as they glide across the stage.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24In the island's capital, The Valley,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28local schoolteacher Regine Niles is preparing notices for this year's
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Miss Anguilla Pageant.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Can I stick my poster on your window, please?
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Thank you!
0:03:37 > 0:03:38OK.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44One down. About...20 more to go!
0:03:44 > 0:03:47With a prestigious ambassadorial role at stake,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Regine knows the four judges have very strict criteria
0:03:51 > 0:03:53for crowning the island queen.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55They're looking for poise.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00They are looking for them to be very intellectual.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05Her main goal is to be an ambassador for Anguilla.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07So she has to be very well spoken.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09That's a big thing for us.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13She has to be well spoken, well versed in social issues,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16and internationally and regionally.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19So, we don't just want someone that has a pretty face.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21We want the total package.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24So we have brains and beauty,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27is what we're looking for on the night of the show.
0:04:27 > 0:04:28And she must be talented as well.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Pageant queens go on to represent the island internationally
0:04:34 > 0:04:36and are held in high regard.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39At the National Commercial Bank in The Valley,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41past winners are commemorated.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44There's Marisa, with that beautiful smile.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Miss Anguilla 1998 and 1999.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50- And she also won...- Miss Ecstasy... No, Miss Caribbean Tourism?
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Miss Caribbean Tourism, yes.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Dr Linda Banks, who competed in the 1967 pageant show,
0:04:56 > 0:05:00now teaches at the local medical school, and her daughter, Funmike,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02was Miss Anguilla in 2011.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05You used to have me at all the shows anyway.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Yeah, well, you liked pageants, so I took you.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10For 26-year-old Funmike,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14becoming a pageant queen and ambassador for Anguilla
0:05:14 > 0:05:17was the culmination of many years of being in the spotlight.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Here you were in the Prince And Princess Show.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24You are really courageous at that age, seven years old,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26to decide that you would take on that show.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30And then, the next one, we needed someone to enter the Talented Teen.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32And you said, "I'll do it!"
0:05:32 > 0:05:34This is six years later.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Six years later...
0:05:36 > 0:05:37Miss Anguilla!
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Linda knows a thing or two about what it takes to win,
0:05:40 > 0:05:44having emceed the event and coached the entrants for many years.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47This year, I won't be a judge. I'll get to enjoy.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49It's always fun to sit back and enjoy.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51And there are four lovely contestants who I...
0:05:51 > 0:05:55I know all of them very well, so it'll be a toss-up who will win.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58And, for me, either one of them is quite capable
0:05:58 > 0:05:59of representing Anguilla.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03So, it will be wonderful to sit back and relax and enjoy the show,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06and be a judge still because, while you're sitting there,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08you're still picking your favourite, you know.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11But, you know, the judges' decision is final.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29At the Rodney MacArthur Rey Auditorium,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32the head of the Anglican diocese, Bishop Errol Brooks,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34has joined the governor and other dignitaries
0:06:34 > 0:06:38to celebrate the graduation of children from St Mary's Pre School.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42HE RECITES A PRAYER
0:06:49 > 0:06:50Amen.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52ALL: Amen.
0:06:55 > 0:06:56Oh, boy.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58I think that that's important for the children
0:06:58 > 0:07:00to see that they're loved.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03It's good to have these rites of passage.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07When they look back, they'll say, "Wow, I was so small!"
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Anguilla is just one of the 12 islands the bishop presides over
0:07:13 > 0:07:15in his role as Head Of The Anglican Diocese
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Of The North Eastern Caribbean And Aruba.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Despite his extensive travels across the Caribbean,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27there's an uninhabited local island that he's never visited,
0:07:27 > 0:07:31and where some ghosts from Anguilla's distant past still linger.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33In the 19th century,
0:07:33 > 0:07:37Sombrero Island was the home of a thriving phosphate business
0:07:37 > 0:07:40where many Anguillians worked as labourers.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42But, sadly, not all of them made it home.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44So the bishop wants to pay his respects
0:07:44 > 0:07:46to their final resting place,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and bless the site of their unconsecrated graves.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52I think that it's very important for us to remember people.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57Because they would have laid the foundation on which we now build.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01I think about those who would have walked before me.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Most of Anguilla's offshore islands
0:08:07 > 0:08:10have had their fair share of nautical history -
0:08:10 > 0:08:12full of pirates, smugglers and shipwrecks.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15But today they're a sanctuary for wildlife,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17especially nesting sea birds.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22And charged with their wellbeing and preservation
0:08:22 > 0:08:24is the Anguilla National Trust.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Based at its headquarters in the centre of the island
0:08:30 > 0:08:34is executive director Farah Mukhida.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37According to a United Kingdom government report,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41most of the UK's biodiversity is actually found in its overseas
0:08:41 > 0:08:42territories, including Anguilla.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46There are over 150 different species of birds,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50sea birds, and wetland birds, and terrestrial birds.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52- The least tern.- Mm-hmm.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55- There we go, here we go, that's what it looks like.- Nice.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Farah and her team hope that
0:08:57 > 0:09:00preserving Anguilla's position as a bird haven
0:09:00 > 0:09:03will make it stand out as a tourist destination
0:09:03 > 0:09:05in the busy Caribbean market.
0:09:05 > 0:09:06So, what is that?
0:09:06 > 0:09:09- That's a black-necked stoat. - OK, that's the black stoat, yeah.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Yeah, the black-necked stoat.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Sometimes they call it the tuxedo bird,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16because it looks like it's wearing a tuxedo.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20It's always dressed for an occasion, pretty much!
0:09:20 > 0:09:24With large numbers of bird species to be safeguarded,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27the National Trust's efforts need to be far-reaching.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Our work actually takes us right across the island,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32from the westernmost tip to the easternmost tip,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34and even beyond that to the offshore quays.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41Today, it's yet another early start for Jan Richardson and her team.
0:09:41 > 0:09:42ROOSTER CROWS
0:09:42 > 0:09:45This is my morning. I'm seriously not a morning person!
0:09:45 > 0:09:46SHE LAUGHS
0:09:46 > 0:09:51Like Bishop Brooks, they're also setting off on a two-hour journey
0:09:51 > 0:09:55from mainland Anguilla to Sombrero Island, to monitor one of the most
0:09:55 > 0:09:59important breeding colonies of sea birds in the Caribbean.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01As the site of Anguilla's only lighthouse,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04commemorated on numerous postage stamps,
0:10:04 > 0:10:08it holds a special place in the history of Jan's family.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12Way before I was born, this is in the 1980s or somewhere around there,
0:10:12 > 0:10:18my uncle, and my dad, actually, was one of those who used to work here,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20maintaining it and whatnot.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25Jan's uncle manned the lighthouse for 31 lonely years
0:10:25 > 0:10:26until it became automated,
0:10:26 > 0:10:28and eventually stopped working altogether.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32And, despite the Americans trying to lease the island in the 1960s
0:10:32 > 0:10:36to launch rockets into space, it remains uninhabited by humans.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39But it's a paradise for migrating sea birds.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43So there's a brown noddy.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Oh, another one, so another species, a brown noddy.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Just write that in.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Lying on the migration route between North and South America,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55it's the perfect sanctuary for seven distinct species.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Is that a masked booby?
0:10:57 > 0:10:58Oh, a masked booby, yeah.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03So that's another species of masked booby.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Ah, here we go.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Here's an example of a nest of two adults.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14They're arguing like husband and wife!
0:11:15 > 0:11:19There's no humans, there's no human interference at all.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Except for every now and then maybe a yacht or a boat might pass along.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25It's really secluded.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27There's just no threats out here.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Feasting on a small proportion of the bird eggs
0:11:30 > 0:11:33are three different types of lizard.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35It's a Sombrero black lizard.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39So these guys are only found here on Sombrero.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42So, if anything was to happen to this island,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44these guys would be gone forever.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Can you imagine a world without them?
0:11:47 > 0:11:49They are beautiful.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Absolutely beautiful.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57With some of these birds classified as protected,
0:11:57 > 0:12:01it's vital that Jan and her colleagues assess the island's colony sizes
0:12:01 > 0:12:05to maintain the island's status as an important bird area,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07as assigned by Birdlife International.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13One of Anguilla's nearer offshore islands, Prickly Pear,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16also provides sanctuary for another species
0:12:16 > 0:12:18seeking some peace and tranquillity -
0:12:18 > 0:12:22which has presented a business opportunity for expats Sue Ruan
0:12:22 > 0:12:24and her husband, Alan.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26How's it looking today?
0:12:26 > 0:12:27So, east...
0:12:27 > 0:12:31- It looks like it's windy. - Fairly windy day, yeah.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Weather permitting, for almost 20 years,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Sue and Alan have motored out to the uninhabited island
0:12:36 > 0:12:39just six miles to the north of the mainland
0:12:39 > 0:12:42to run a pop-up restaurant for visiting tourists.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Prickly Pear is on the map, but it's just a tiny dot.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47A dot, yeah.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Even Anguilla itself is a tiny dot on the map.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Today is looking pretty nice.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55The sun should be good all day.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58The only thing is the guests might just get a little bit wet today
0:12:58 > 0:13:03because it's slightly windy, so the seas will be a little bit choppy.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07After 20 years of working for the NHS in Slough,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Alan's mum return to Anguilla and rented Prickly Pear
0:13:10 > 0:13:12from the government to start the business.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16It wasn't long before Alan left the UK to join her.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18My mother started the restaurant 30 years ago.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23And I've been here for the last 23.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27He then met Sue when she was visiting as a holiday-maker
0:13:27 > 0:13:31from Devon, and now they run the enterprise together.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33We're under a little bit of pressure today
0:13:33 > 0:13:37because we have a lot of people coming today - at least 80 people.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40The majority of them are from Saint Martin.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43And in particular a big group are coming on a catamaran,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45where the captain is quite surly.
0:13:45 > 0:13:46He's Dutch.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49And lunch will have to go out by 12:15 today,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51otherwise we're in trouble.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54He has a schedule to keep, which means we're under pressure,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56so we've got to get moving today.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58I'm the one that will remain calm.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Sue gets frustrated and everything else.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04And she panics the night before
0:14:04 > 0:14:06and she'll get up at four o'clock in the morning,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08and loses sleep and everything.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Whereas I just...
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Wake up and...
0:14:12 > 0:14:14What's the worst that could happen?
0:14:16 > 0:14:18As a national conservation site,
0:14:18 > 0:14:22there are strict rules to preserve Anguilla's offshore quays.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25So, every week, Sue and Alan have to transport not just the food,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28but also everything required to cook and prepare it
0:14:28 > 0:14:30every time they set up shop.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33We're definitely on a desert island out here.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35We have to make our own electricity.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39We have to carry our own water, even the bathrooms,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42we use sea water to pump through.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45So, we live off-grid, basically, out here.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Coming across was pretty rough today, it was a bit choppy.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50So we're running a little bit behind schedule
0:14:50 > 0:14:52because of the time in coming over.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58It's not long before the exacting Dutch sea captain John Beeks arrives
0:14:58 > 0:15:00with a catamaran full of peckish passengers.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04John is a great character.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07But if the lunches are not on time,
0:15:07 > 0:15:11I will probably get a pretty stern talk at some point during the day.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14So I will try and avoid John slightly.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18I'm just checking the watch, you're the one late today.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21- No. No, we were ready in five minutes.- Right, there we go.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26With the food still being prepared,
0:15:26 > 0:15:30a passing tropical squall drives the starving sightseers off the beach
0:15:30 > 0:15:32and into the restaurant.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36We've just got a quick rain squall, so everybody's coming up.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Hopefully they're not going to be looking for lunch just yet,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41because it's not quite ready!
0:15:46 > 0:15:49You're locked in here to the voice of choice, 95.5 FM.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51It's now 19 minutes before 11 o'clock,
0:15:51 > 0:15:56and I have here in the studios with me four beautiful ladies.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59And these ladies here are all contestants
0:15:59 > 0:16:01in the Miss Anguilla 2016 Pageant.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04I want to say a pleasant good morning to you, ladies.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05ALL: Good morning.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09With the annual ladies' pageant taking place in just a few days,
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Radio Anguilla DJ Kenval Richardson is introducing the hopefuls
0:16:13 > 0:16:16to island listeners for the first time.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18How are your preparations coming along?
0:16:18 > 0:16:20My preparations, Kenval, are coming along so good.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22I am pretty much ready.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26I wake up at, like, four, and from then, it's just pretty much going, going, going.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29But what can possibly happen at four o'clock in the morning?
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Oh, you have no idea!
0:16:31 > 0:16:34I want the people, the public to understand
0:16:34 > 0:16:39how hard we are really working to put on a good show.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42One of the favourites to win this year's title is 25-year-old
0:16:42 > 0:16:46marketing graduate and entertainer, Natalie Richardson.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49I have local gigs during the week and on the weekends.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51I'm always on the stage.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54I can sing, I can talk, I like talking.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58All of the girls are very well rounded, all of us.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01I definitely know that the competition is there,
0:17:01 > 0:17:06and we all have to bring 110% on the night of the show.
0:17:06 > 0:17:11Natalie's biggest rival is 24-year-old Carencia Rouse,
0:17:11 > 0:17:15who will study at university in the UK later this year.
0:17:15 > 0:17:16After the Miss Anguilla pageant,
0:17:16 > 0:17:20I have just a few days left before I head to the University Of Oxford
0:17:20 > 0:17:23in the United Kingdom to pursue a Master of Science
0:17:23 > 0:17:26in nature, society and environmental governance.
0:17:26 > 0:17:32These ladies, they will be ambassadors, "icons" for young ladies here in Anguilla.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35They'll strive, the young ladies, will strive to be like them and,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38you know, follow in their footsteps.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42I am so focused on preparing for the show that I can't think about
0:17:42 > 0:17:43relaxing and having fun.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45That's going to come after.
0:17:45 > 0:17:46Yes. August 5th!
0:17:46 > 0:17:47THEY LAUGH
0:17:54 > 0:17:56And this one over on...
0:17:57 > 0:18:0034 miles away on Sombrero Island,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Jan Richardson and her team from the National Trust are at the end of
0:18:03 > 0:18:07their monitoring trip, and tallying up the numbers of nesting sea birds -
0:18:07 > 0:18:12essential preservation work to prevent any development or leasing of the island.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17So, I've got 101 for brown noddies, 232 for brown boobies.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20I've got 146 altogether then for bridled terns.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24So, 300, plus the 232 that I have.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27So, roughly, we've got over 500.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Upon the coming onto the island,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31we could already see that the numbers looked good.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33But now to have some concrete evidence
0:18:33 > 0:18:35that they are actually really good,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37it brings your heart some sort of joy, you know?
0:18:37 > 0:18:40That this island will continue to be a bird sanctuary.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Named by the Spanish because its shape resembles a hat,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Sombrero has a volcanic base capped with limestone,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51which rises up to 40 feet above sea-level,
0:18:51 > 0:18:55and its forbidding cliffs are only scalable in calm weather.
0:18:55 > 0:18:56Here we are.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Climbing the island's only ladder,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Bishop Brooks has come to pay his respects to the men
0:19:01 > 0:19:05who lost their lives mining Anguilla's most valuable commodity
0:19:05 > 0:19:07in the 19th century.
0:19:09 > 0:19:10I got a welcome.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15One of the birds decided to defecate on my head.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Somebody says good luck, so I'm looking forward to the good luck.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24The droppings from the sea birds over thousands of years on Sombrero
0:19:24 > 0:19:27have played a direct role in the island's industrious past.
0:19:27 > 0:19:28Hello, birdie.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31There's a bird standing here.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Webbed feet. Yeah!
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Bird guano contains very high levels of phosphate,
0:19:38 > 0:19:40and in the mid-19th century,
0:19:40 > 0:19:44phosphate was more valuable in weight than gold.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Obviously, there were buildings here as well.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49But they're now demolished.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52You can see the...relics.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58Intrepid British pioneers set up the first phosphate mine.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00But, despite the mineral's value,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02the vast distance between the island and Great Britain
0:20:02 > 0:20:04made it unworkable.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06So, in the mid-19th century,
0:20:06 > 0:20:10an American company leased Sombrero's mines from the Crown,
0:20:10 > 0:20:15supplying the booming US cotton industry with 3,000 tonnes annually
0:20:15 > 0:20:18of the finest fertiliser in the world.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21At its height, as many as 120 West Indian men,
0:20:21 > 0:20:23including many Anguillians,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26lived and worked on this desolate outpost.
0:20:26 > 0:20:32It calls for real determination and fortitude to stick with it.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Some of them actually...flipped.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39They had a mental breakdown and...
0:20:39 > 0:20:43had to be...taken back to the mainland.
0:20:43 > 0:20:49This was tough work, digging through all this hard rock.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Chiselling away every day.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55I can see from the caverns
0:20:55 > 0:20:58that they went down quite a way.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02For 40 years, the American mining company made a fortune
0:21:02 > 0:21:04digging to depths of 30 feet,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07and even diving underwater with chipping tools
0:21:07 > 0:21:10to break loose the last bits of fossilised guano.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14By 1890, there was nothing left, and the mines were abandoned.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17But not everyone made it off the island alive,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20and those graves left behind here have never been blessed.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Yeah, I see a Williams here.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27The relative of some late Davies from Park College, London.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Some company he belonged to.
0:21:32 > 0:21:341876. Yeah, 1876.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38Let us pray.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41We know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43should be destroyed,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46we have a dwelling not made with hands eternal in the heavens.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Rest eternal, grant unto these, your servants,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53and let light perpetual shine upon them.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58rest in peace.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Amen.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04These must have been explorers.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Looking for...
0:22:07 > 0:22:08booty.
0:22:08 > 0:22:14I do salute them, because it really speaks to the will to succeed,
0:22:14 > 0:22:16with all the odds.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20You know, defying those odds in order to succeed.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Back on Prickly Pear, the squall has passed
0:22:31 > 0:22:34and Sue and her team are racing to prepare lunch on time
0:22:34 > 0:22:38for Captain John's 80 ravenous day-trippers.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Not a moment too soon, the food is plated up.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43BELL RINGS
0:22:43 > 0:22:47OK, ladies and gentlemen. It's lunchtime.
0:22:47 > 0:22:48Come and get it!
0:22:48 > 0:22:52I've just checked my watch and we're bang on time today,
0:22:52 > 0:22:54so John will be happy.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57Sorry, can I hand that one to you?
0:22:57 > 0:22:59OK, are you having fish or meat?
0:22:59 > 0:23:00- Fish for you?- Yeah.
0:23:00 > 0:23:0120 years ago,
0:23:01 > 0:23:05Sue was one of these passing tourists being served by Alan.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09He actually offered lunch and out came lobster.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12- Yes.- Correct?
0:23:12 > 0:23:13I made her a lobster lunch, yes.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17And I looked at my friend I was on vacation with and I said,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20"That is going to be the father of my children."
0:23:20 > 0:23:23And then I've been paying ever since for that free lunch
0:23:23 > 0:23:27because now I have to feed Alan, two children, a dog,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30and I don't know how many guests coming to Prickly Pear.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33So it was never a free lunch!
0:23:33 > 0:23:35- It was a good lunch. - It was a good lunch, yes.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Now I have to cook it myself!
0:23:38 > 0:23:42It's amazing to think that they can feed this many people
0:23:42 > 0:23:45and not dry out the fish.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48- It was excellent.- Very good. - Really good.- Excellent.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50- Yeah, the food was amazing. - It was good.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52So, it's good that everything was on time today.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56- I'm really glad everything went out fast for you.- Yeah.- Well done.
0:23:56 > 0:23:57We try and work with you!
0:23:57 > 0:23:59THEY LAUGH
0:24:00 > 0:24:01Cheers, John.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Cheers.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Contestant number one...
0:24:13 > 0:24:16At Landsome Bowl Cultural Centre in The Valley,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19hundreds of people have gathered to watch this year's four hopefuls
0:24:19 > 0:24:23battle for the coveted title of Miss Anguilla.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25And contestant number four,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29Miss Glow, Miss Carencia Rouse!
0:24:29 > 0:24:30Behind the beaming smiles,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33contestant number two, Natalie Richardson,
0:24:33 > 0:24:35isn't pulling her punches.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37I am aiming to win.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41I am not aiming for first runner-up, or second runner-up, or...
0:24:41 > 0:24:42No place at all!
0:24:42 > 0:24:45So, aiming to win, I have to be confident.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49The audience, the Anguillian people look for a representative.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53They want the best person to represent Anguilla.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56So you have a lot of pressure on you.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02The first category tonight is the introductory speech.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07Ladies and gentlemen, let us reflect on our paradise, Anguilla.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10The introductory speech, I feel most confident with.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14That's your first segment, you have to wow the audience and the judges
0:25:14 > 0:25:15from the time you step out.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18So I believe that's my most...
0:25:18 > 0:25:21That's my... That's my best area for right now.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23We are paradise.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Our people, are the sum total.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35Under the glare of the spotlight, nerves start to creep in.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38A country is the sum total of its people.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40I am a voice in the midst, a...
0:25:40 > 0:25:42SHE STUTTERS
0:25:42 > 0:25:45It's a disappointing start for Natalie.
0:25:45 > 0:25:46And to pile on the pressure,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49the other contestants deliver flawless speeches.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Oh, Anguilla,
0:25:51 > 0:25:52Miss Carencia Rouse.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56The teacher, Mother Nature, goddess of life.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58CHEERING
0:25:58 > 0:26:01The four rivals pull out all the stops
0:26:01 > 0:26:04in no less than six different costume changes,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07including carnival and evening wear.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Previous competitions were spread over two nights,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13so tonight is a marathon of entertainment for all involved,
0:26:13 > 0:26:17including pageant organiser Regine Niles.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19We got off to a late start.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22However, the show flowed right along.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Usually we do it in two parts.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Tonight we did all of the parts in one night.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30So I think we made good time for having done
0:26:30 > 0:26:33the whole two shows in one night.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35After an epic seven hours,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39the time has finally come to announce the results.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Your first runner-up is...
0:26:42 > 0:26:45contestant...
0:26:45 > 0:26:47number two,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Miss Natalie Richardson,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53with 662 points!
0:26:53 > 0:26:56With assured performances from all the hopefuls,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Natalie will have to content herself with a very respectable
0:26:59 > 0:27:01second-place finish.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Ladies and gentlemen,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07with 694 points,
0:27:07 > 0:27:12she is your Miss Anguilla 2016,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Miss Carencia Rouse!
0:27:15 > 0:27:17CHEERING
0:27:17 > 0:27:21The annual accolade goes to Oxford scholarship winner Carencia Rouse.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27I had to do a lot of hard work, but I knew I wanted it.
0:27:27 > 0:27:28And when I want something,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31there is no way I'm going to give it anything less than my best.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35I worked so hard for this
0:27:35 > 0:27:37and I'm just glad to see all my dreams come true.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44In the days to come...
0:27:45 > 0:27:48..it's carnival time on Anguilla.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Carnival is all about stealing other people's men!
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Make sure that your costume is ready, you know.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59At least my costume is ready.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Best friends Sue and Trudy prepare their finest glad rags
0:28:02 > 0:28:04for the big parade.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07- There you go, my dear. - Oh, my God, it's fantastic!
0:28:09 > 0:28:12The island's barbecue king makes his own charcoal
0:28:12 > 0:28:15using nature's very best ingredients.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19Coal, to me, is what really creates
0:28:19 > 0:28:22that fantastic barbecue.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27And Bishop Brooks reminds his flock about the real purpose of carnival.
0:28:27 > 0:28:32No nation of power has any right to enslave anybody.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34We will do our part
0:28:34 > 0:28:38to make sure that it doesn't take root in our region again.