Sink or Swim An Island Parish

Deep in the South Atlantic Ocean,

800 miles north of the Antarctic Circle,

the Falkland Islands are one of the most remote places on Earth.

The population of around 2,500 people,

mostly descended from pioneer sheep farmers,

are proud of their British links.

But they also have a strong sense of what it means

to be a Falkland Islander.

The reverend Richard Hines has been an important part of this community

for the past seven years.

And as retirement beckons,

he's savouring every last moment of his time here.

It's been a wonderful experience to live in the Falkland Islands.

There's something about the Falkland Islanders that I admire.

They're independent and resourceful, they've had to be.

It's winter in the Falklands,

and over 30 years after the war with Argentina, the islanders' sense

of gratitude towards those who came to their aid is as strong as ever.

Present arms!

When somebody takes your country away from you

and suddenly you get it back,

it is very difficult to describe the emotions of that actually happening.

And there's a vacancy at Stanley Hospital,

and local doctor Beccy Edwards is torn.

I always had the endgame plan

progressing to the chief medical officer role,

but it would mean quite a change to us.

At this time of year,

the waters surrounding the Falklands are icy cold.

Perfect for the many sea mammals who inhabit these shores.

Their layers of blubber and excellent circulatory systems

allow them to frolic in the waves and wallow in the shallows,

seemingly oblivious to the chill.

Human beings have the same core body temperature as seals and dolphins.

But without any of the adaptations to keep us warm,

plunging into these sub-Antarctic waters is definitely not advised.

But today, a bunch of foolhardy souls,

including the rector of the Falklands,

the reverend Richard Hines, are preparing to do just that.

Mid-winter in the South Atlantic, which means only one thing.

At 11 o'clock this morning,

at least 300, perhaps more people,

very few of them Falkland Islanders,

but visitors and mad people like me,

will take a quick dip in the South Atlantic Ocean

which today, I am reliably informed, is about four degrees.

I'm getting myself all geared up - psychologically and sartorially.

Got my T-shirt on, one for the occasion.

Woolly hat to cover me with.

No such thing as fashion police in the Falkland Islands,

you dress to keep warm.

My wellie boots because easier to slip on with socks

when you're freezing cold and you want to get warmth.

The secret is speed, layers, nerve.

One person who isn't tempted by this annual icy escapade

is Richard's wife, Jen.

Well, he's earning his Certificate of Lunacy

by going for the mid-winter swim.

And it is sheer lunacy -

to immerse your body in the South Atlantic in mid-winter,

you have to be crazy!

-I'm away.

-Bye, my love.

-Bye-bye. I hope to see you again.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Don't say that!

Course you will! Rotter!

Somebody told me to spread over my body vegetable fat.

They were quite serious -

they thought I should coat myself all over,

a bit like I was going to swim the Channel or something.

But Richard's not going into this alone.

Moral support is coming from Stanley vet

and experienced mid-winter swimmer Steve Pointing.

I don't think you can call it a mid-winter swim

if you just run into the water and then turn round and run out,

never having taken your feet off the bottom of the, you know,

off the ground.

So I like to say, I like to do half a dozen strokes of something

or another to say I've actually had a...actually swum.

Rather than just run into the sea and run out of the sea again.

I've never been swimming with Richard before, so I have no idea

whether he's a good swimmer or not.

But I'm sure he can manage half a dozen strokes and not drown.

If not, I'll stand beside him and make sure he can do it.

-Good morning, Richard.

-Good morning.

-How are you?

-I'm good.

-Good.

Are you a keen swimmer?

I wouldn't call myself a keen swimmer, but I can cope.

I can stay afloat.

Ooh, I don't like the look of all that spray.

-Bouncing up where we...

-STEVE LAUGHS

That means there's a bit of a swell on the ocean.

The mid-winter swim is taking place at Surf Bay,

the nearest beach to Stanley.

And there's always a good turnout of soldiers from the nearby

Mount Pleasant military base.

Do you know what temperature the water is?

No idea, it's going to be cold, though, pretty certain of that.

It's one of the top three community activities in the Falklands.

You know, middle of winter, we've only got six hours of daylight,

so go and do something obscure!

'I've seen bear suits, I've seen soldiers with their mankinis on.'

Uh, famously one year, there were a group of Gurkha soldiers down here.

They had very small little swimming trunks on -

I think about a dozen of them linked arms,

nothing more than just their little swim trunks on,

and they walked in together, marched slowly and they didn't flinch

when they hit the water, went straight in,

as you'd expect from Gurkhas.

At this time of year, the perils of the sea can't be ignored.

With temperatures hovering just above zero,

sailors falling overboard have died after being immersed

for only a few minutes.

So, the mid-winter swim is not to be taken lightly.

Stanley and East Falkland account for over 90% of the entire population

of the Falkland Islands, but there's a local saying that west is best.

And if it's the quiet life you're after, then this is the place to be -

mile upon mile of unspoilt mountain and moorland,

with only a few tiny settlements dotted around the coast.

Sheep farming still dominates the economy here.

HE WHISTLES

Critta Lee and his family run the island's largest farm at Port Howard.

Critta's wife Beccy Edwards has lived here most of her life.

Let's go and feed them.

Come on then, Jessica, Daniel. Who are you going to feed?

And their three children have grown up on the family farm.

She loves milk, that's her favourite thing.

As well as looking after their three kids

and helping out on the farm, Beccy has another important job.

-Is there water in there?

-Yep.

-Agh!

She's a doctor who works part of the year in Stanley and spends a lot

of time travelling to see patients in far-flung corners of the islands.

So Beccy's a frequent flyer on the government-operated air service,

whose ten-seater islander planes hop from isolated farm to settlement.

We're going to check your blood pressure today, aren't we?

OK, Oscar, that's up a little bit today, not terribly high,

but it is up a little bit today.

'You end up seeing quite a few people for various bits and bobs,

'they'll save up a few aches and pains and a few

'bits and pieces for when they see me.'

125 on 75.

-So, that's

-OK? Boringly normal.

-Oh! I'm such a boring person.

SHE LAUGHS

I think this has got to be one of the highlights

of working in the Falklands.

I mean, the coming out on the campus, it's lovely,

you get to see all sorts of people you haven't seen for a while.

-Well, that's all right. Good for another year?

-Yeah!

'But they're a pretty tough bunch out here, really.'

They're used to living in quite an isolated place

with no access to medical care,

so when they turn up, you do have to take them quite seriously.

If they're saying they've got an ache, it must be quite a bad pain.

I've cut myself on the shearer.

You might need some antibiotics for that.

-Can you move your hands all right?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, OK.

At the moment, family life comes first for Beccy.

We've got some nice spuds here, some little gold nuggets.

But there's a big change on the horizon.

Oh, I thought there were about three.

The Stanley hospital is looking for a new chief medical officer,

a position that would require her to live full-time in the capital.

Beccy is the first home-grown woman doctor on the Falklands.

She would also be the first islander to be appointed to the top job,

all of which makes it an opportunity that's very hard to turn down.

I always had the endgame plan as being, hopefully one day,

progressing to the chief medical officer role.

But I thought perhaps that might be another three or four years.

It's just all happened a bit sooner than I was anticipating.

But it would mean quite a change to us because, obviously,

I have to be in Stanley pretty much full-time,

whereas at the moment, I am working a lovely, flexible time.

The children would have to spend quite a lot more time in Stanley.

And likewise, I'd have to spend a lot of time in Stanley without them.

So, it would be not something to step into lightly.

So, hopefully we can still keep the balance right for them,

even if I'm in Stanley through the week and Critta and I

are just sort of catching up at weekends, you know.

OK, I admit that I can't eat it very quickly.

-Why can't you eat it very quickly?

-Because it's got turkey!

-JESSICA:

-It's not turkey, it's chicken!

SHE CLUCKS

This time of year in Stanley has a particular resonance.

The Falklands War was fought and won during the winter months.

In many ways, the conflict was a turning point for the islands.

Since then, new opportunities and investment

mean that the economy has boomed and the population has grown.

But no-one will ever forget the sacrifices made by the soldiers,

sailors and airmen who came halfway round the world

to fight for their freedom.

30 years on, there's a permanent military base on land

and the Royal Navy also maintains a constant presence at sea,

patrolling the waters around the islands, both to reassure and deter.

HMS Clyde is an 81-metre offshore patrol vessel with a crew of 42.

She's been on duty in the Falkland Islands since 2007.

Lieutenant Commander Sarah Oakley is the ship's captain.

Pick up the 180 leg here, ma'am, and turn to port at the end of the leg

to pick up the nav track to Stanley.

What we're doing at the moment is we're getting ready to sail the ship

round to Stanley as support of Liberation Day,

cos it's Liberation Day on Saturday

and we're going there to take part in the parade.

And obviously act as a backdrop to all the events

that are going on in Stanley over the weekend.

So, my crew at the moment are running around,

flashing up the engines, checking all the equipment on board,

testing their radios, testing their guns,

making sure they're all working properly.

The time now is 1340 papa.

Good Afternoon, Clyde - this is the ops officer on the bridge.

Standby to carry out SOCs. Man overboard.

SIREN WAILS

We'll be at anchor in the bay in Stanley

so any of the local population can go out and see us.

We'll be there, it'll be very visual. And also we'll be able

to interact with the community - they'll see us in the parade.

It's a very friendly community, very welcoming,

clearly very supportive of the military in general

and the Royal Navy, and particularly HMS Clyde.

The islanders see HMS Clyde as their ship,

we are the Falkland Islands' patrol vessel.

Going at a speed of 12 knots, it will take about four hours

for the Clyde to travel the 45 nautical miles into Stanley.

She's due to arrive at dawn on June 14th,

which every Falkland islander knows as Liberation Day.

On that date in 1982, British forces retook Stanley,

ending three months of bloody conflict. And ever since,

it's been the day the whole community joins together

to remember and give thanks.

It's something that we like to do.

Clearly, we look very, very smart in our uniform.

Any excuse to get out our medals and parade around - we all like that.

Who can resist a sailor in uniform?

-That's what I say.

-SHE LAUGHS

Romeo 195...

At Surf Bay, the sun is shining

but that won't help the near freezing water temperature.

For Reverend Richard and his fellow mid-winter swimmers,

the time is nigh.

'How are you feeling, Steve?'

Um, not too bad. A little bit cold, but it could be worse.

It definitely could be worse.

It's an interesting thought, isn't it?

That in a couple of minutes' time,

there are going to be 300-plus people undergoing

sort of extreme trauma, physiological trauma.

-MEGAPHONE:

-One minute to go, prepare yourselves.

If you'd like to line up.

It doesn't seem like too much fun

when you're taking your gear off and getting ready to go in the water.

You think, "Why on earth am I doing this?"

But when it comes to the countdown and the screaming as you run

towards the water, yeah, you sort of feel like it's fun.

-ALL:

-Five, four, three, two, one!

HORN BLARES AND ALL SCREAM

It's hearing the shrieks of delight as people go in.

It's watching the people's faces, most people's mouths open.

I don't remember a lot after I hit the water.

HE LAUGHS

A few seconds later, and it's all over.

Mission accomplished, sort of.

I forgot to do my swimming strokes!

For some, it's so enjoyable, they don't want it to end.

But most, including the new governor, Colin Roberts,

are glad to be back on dry land.

Very refreshing, very Skegness, racing.

But I think it's time to put on some warmer clothes.

Do you know what? It wasn't too bad.

-MAN:

-'What about you, Steve?'

-It was...invigorating.

-HE LAUGHS WOMAN:

-'That's a good word!'

It was cold.

-It was cold.

-'It was cold.'

It was cold. We survived!

Don't forget to pick up your Certificates of Lunacy.

-There you go, well done.

-Thank you very much!

This is my Certificate of Lunacy,

for having swum today at latitude 54 degrees south

and longitude 57 degrees west.

"You submerged your body under the pounding waves

"of Surf Bay, Falkland Islands...

"..showing no fear of the hungry sea lions, inquisitive porpoises

"and the ever-present marauding penguins that do roam the coastline

"and threaten our brave bathers."

Signed by the governor.

All that's left now is to call home, where Jen is waiting by the phone.

Hi, just to let you know, I survived.

It was...

It was chilly, but it was OK. We did well.

Jen's pleased, she's still got a husband.

This was Richard's third mid-winter swim, and sadly, it'll be his last.

What a marvellous idea, I'd forgotten about the fires.

He's only got a few weeks left on the islands before he retires

and he and Jen return to the UK to start a new chapter of their lives.

So moments like this are ones he'll treasure forever.

The kinds of things that I've found myself being involved in

through being the rector here on the islands...

..have been, you know, really, very enjoyable and quite unusual.

I guess I will miss them. I think I'll look back and just feel

very pleased indeed that I had the opportunity to do them

and that people were so welcoming and they were so much fun, really.

In Stanley, at the hospital, the new chief medical officer,

Beccy Edwards, is midway through her afternoon rounds.

-You all right then? Are you OK?

-Yes, a bit shaky.

Bit wibbly, wobbly. It's a family affair in here, isn't it?

It is, yes.

Beccy is one of only a handful of the hospital's 75 staff

who are genuine islanders.

The majority have come from overseas on two- to three-year contracts.

So, finding and keeping the right team

is one of her major challenges in the new job.

We've done all her hepatitis screens, haven't we?

I wonder if this is a result of her obstetric cholestasis, actually.

The problem is there's no university or even sixth form on the Falklands.

The government pays for those who want to pursue further education

to go back to the UK.

But then of course, there's no guarantee they'll decide

to return to the islands for their careers.

'It's challenging.'

There's an awful lot to it, there's an awful lot to do,

an awful lot needs to be done.

It's very difficult when we are short of staff.

'It is quite rare for someone from the Falklands to go away,

'do medicine and then come back, I think.

'First of all, there's not many that do medicine at all. And two,'

medicine's such a massive field that not everybody wants to come back

to the Falklands and work.

So, see? I'm doing this one.

But you would swap with Dr Dave, wouldn't you?

No, I can't do it cos I'm going to go on the 2nd.

So just all of August is going to be a one-in-three, which isn't ideal.

I'm in Stanley full-time at the moment

and trying to go home for weekends when I can

and the family are toing and froing between Stanley and Port Howard

at the moment, until we can get some proper

childcare arrangements sorted out.

But at the moment, I'm hardly seeing my husband and my kids!

But hopefully, that'll get better.

When the children are over in Stanley,

they stay with Beccy at her parents' house.

What would you like? Your favourite?

And tonight, Critta's here too,

so it's a rare moment for the whole family to be together.

Beccy is still at work. I guess something must have come up

cos normally if she's not that busy,

she'll ring. But we haven't heard from her,

so we're assuming she's...busy.

Generally, they're pretty good. They sort of...

They take it all in their stride about Port Howard to Stanley

and stuff like that, which obviously is...

You know, it's not an upheaval,

but it's all just a bit different for them.

Whee!

-Have you had a good day?

-Yes!

-What did you do at school?

It's lovely to come home to a noisy house.

It's horrid when you come back and no-one's here.

That's probably been the hardest thing about the job

altogether, actually,

is just being apart from Critta and the children.

"A grey shape lay on the beach." What does that say?

What is that? What is it?

'Because, I mean, Oliver's only little... Yeah, he's only three,

'so he's only a little chap.'

And they grow up so fast

that I don't want to miss too much.

'So, yeah, it's been tough being away from the family

'and home on West Falklands - that's the drag about it.'

I mean, I think you have to...

This is an opportunity that I've been given here.

I mean, whether or not it works out for the long term or not,

time will tell. But, yeah, you've got to give it your best shot.

I mean, it's something that's important to me, not just

that it's a good job and it's an interesting job and it's a wide

and varied job with all the different things that you do,

but also, you know, it's important to me

that I try and do the best I can in this role because all my family

are going to rely on the hospital in Stanley.

I'm not going to be going anywhere, moving anywhere else.

It's in my interest that we have a service

that's the best we can make it.

So, yeah, really trying hard to make it work and, hopefully,

it'll all come together.

"Don't get water in the blow hole," said a man. "Let the vets see it."

There they are, look. Oh, it's smiling again now, that dolphin.

Oh, its really smiling now.

"The rescue team took..."

All over the Falkland Islands, memorials and cemeteries

commemorate individual battles and lives lost during the 1982 war.

The Blue Beach Cemetery at San Carlos on East Falkland

is where 14 British soldiers were buried.

This is where troops first came ashore to begin the main assault

to retake the islands.

San Carlos Water became known

as Bomb Alley because of the constant fire

they came under from low-flying enemy jets.

This cemetery near Darwin is dedicated

to the many Argentine soldiers who died in the conflict.

And a few miles further south at Goose Green

is the memorial to the men of 2 Para,

who fell during the fierce fighting here.

Many of these monuments are looked after by islanders

living nearby who take it upon themselves to maintain them

and mark each individual anniversary.

But every year on June 14th, the islanders unite to remember

Liberation Day and give thanks for victory.

Steaming into Stanley Harbour, ready to play her part

in the day's events is HMS Clyde,

under the command of ship's captain Sarah Oakley.

232, 242.

And...284.

Apart from the ship being anchored in the bay, 15 sailors

parading through the town, it will be a very visual spectacle.

Sailors always look very smart in their Number 1 uniforms,

so I'm hoping they'll catch the eye of all the people in Stanley.

MUSIC: Rule Britannia by Thomas Arne

As she navigates these waters, seeing and being seen by islanders

and potential enemies alike, the Clyde is a very visible declaration

of the islands' sovereignty.

For the 42 men and women who serve on her,

there are different uniforms for different duties.

An important ceremony like today's calls for Number 1 dress,

which dates back to the 18th century,

the golden age of the Royal Navy when Britannia really did rule the waves.

Obviously, you've got the jacket, or as we call it, a jumper,

which has our own badges, medals. And you've got the blue collar,

which is famous around the world.

Three stripes signify the three battles of Nelson.

And basically, it used to keep the tar-tied ponytails

off the uniform back in Nelson's times.

Just preparing my uniform for the parade.

The final bit is putting my medals on because I like to keep them safe.

Just put them on the uniform at the last minute.

The ship's captain is going ashore with a troop of sailors

and two officers,

leaving her ship in the capable hands of her second in command.

She's just a permanent reassurance around the islands that,

you know, for as long as we wish to remain British, we will be British.

COMMANDS SHOUTED

The Liberation Day parade starts at the eastern end of the sea front.

As the senior service, the sailors of the Royal Navy lead the march.

And they're followed by troops from the Army and Air Force,

as well as a detachment from the Falkland Islands Defence Force.

Today is a public holiday, so islanders, young and old,

have gathered at the 1982 war memorial in full view

of HMS Clyde anchored out in the bay.

The Clyde is a very special ship for the Falkland Islands.

It's a job of reassurance. It's here to show that the British Government,

the Royal Navy is around and about.

And it goes around the islands and it's a very popular ship -

people love to see it.

Parade!

Royal salute!

Present arms!

Good morning and welcome to you all

on this, the 32nd anniversary

of the 1982 liberation.

And we offer our prayers together

and make our solemn act of remembrance.

'There's something very profound and very tragic about warfare.

'I think we remember it as a very sobering recollection of what

'human life is all about.'

The depths to which we sink sometimes in conflict,

the heroism and the kind of self-sacrifice

that it draws out of people.

It's a reminder ultimately, I think, about

what it is to be human.

At the going down of the sun

and in the morning,

we will remember them.

-ALL:

-We will remember them.

Well, the HMS Clyde is a sign of freedom for people

in the Falkland Islands and definitely for me, personally.

To be liberated so quickly was just unbelievable.

And you cannot describe how it's...

When somebody takes your country away from you

and suddenly you get it back, it is very difficult to describe

the emotions of that actually happening.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERS

Absolutely fabulous, it's been really successful.

I mean, you can see by the whole community being here,

it's an incredibly important part of their lives.

The fact that we've been able to take part in the parade

and show ourselves in our uniform and they can look across the bay

and see the ship there.

They know that we really are here patrolling

the Falkland Islands waters.

Next time, swimming lessons for George, the king penguin.

Well, he's still a reluctant swimmer!

And Reverend Richard prepares to say his final farewell to the Falklands.

I think I've come to the point of accepting that this is

a sight that I shall not see for much longer.