0:00:02 > 0:00:06Lying at latitude 51 degrees south, 8,000 miles from the UK,
0:00:06 > 0:00:11the Falkland Islands are famous for their sheep, their wildlife,
0:00:11 > 0:00:15and the tough no-nonsense character of the Islanders themselves.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19This tightknit community has a strong bond with the mother country
0:00:19 > 0:00:22but a unique identity all of its own.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27As Christmas approaches, it's high summer in the Falklands
0:00:27 > 0:00:30but for the first time, the Reverend Richard will be leaving his flock
0:00:30 > 0:00:34and journeying south to what the explorer Ernest Shackleton called
0:00:34 > 0:00:37"the gateway to the Antarctic."
0:00:37 > 0:00:41I'm just seeing a pod of fin whales blowing away in the distance,
0:00:41 > 0:00:43rather extraordinary.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46And the Islanders gather to celebrate
0:00:46 > 0:00:49a century-old Boxing Day tradition.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50CHEERING
0:01:26 > 0:01:28MUSIC: Daisy Bell
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Christmas time in the southern hemisphere means clear blue skies
0:01:32 > 0:01:36and long sunny days, but in the Falklands' capital, Stanley,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Islanders don't let the weather distract them
0:01:39 > 0:01:42from indulging in a very British seasonal ritual.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46- How much is it?- £5 for you, my dear.
0:01:46 > 0:01:47Oh, thank you.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50It wouldn't be Christmas without a panto.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54This year the local amateur dramatics society has teamed up
0:01:54 > 0:01:56with the ballet group to put on Cinderella.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01OK, everyone, this is your five-minute warning,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03your five-minute warning.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Today is the last performance and it's a packed house,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10including the Islands' governor, Nigel Haywood.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Pantomime is always the highlight of my Christmas here
0:02:13 > 0:02:15because you go there and you know that in some way
0:02:15 > 0:02:17people are going to try and make you look daft,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19which actually isn't that difficult, I guess,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22but that's all part of the fun of it, and I think the important thing
0:02:22 > 0:02:24is to enter into the spirit of it
0:02:24 > 0:02:28and just smile sweetly to whatever horrors they throw at you!
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Sure enough, the presence of the Governor
0:02:35 > 0:02:38hasn't gone unnoticed backstage.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40The Governor comes to watch on the last night
0:02:40 > 0:02:44and he usually gets roped into to do some silly dance or get sat on
0:02:44 > 0:02:47by somebody or something, so we've to get the Governor out, haven't we?
0:02:47 > 0:02:49By nature of his position,
0:02:49 > 0:02:55the Governor usually comes in for some more personal treatment.
0:02:55 > 0:02:56You'll help us, won't you?
0:02:56 > 0:02:58AUDIENCE: Yes!
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Eeny, meeny, miny, nilly,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03catch Prince Charlie by the w...
0:03:03 > 0:03:05LAUGHTER
0:03:06 > 0:03:10I reckon there's somebody here that's in need of a wash.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12I bet there's some filthy people out here.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14CHEERING
0:03:14 > 0:03:17APPLAUSE
0:03:19 > 0:03:22As the Queen's representative on the Islands,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25this time of year is particularly busy for the Governor.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28I think it's very important for the Governor to be going
0:03:28 > 0:03:30out around the Islands
0:03:30 > 0:03:33so there are lots of events going on which I will be at
0:03:33 > 0:03:37and so I'll want to make sure I am quite visible
0:03:37 > 0:03:38over the festive period.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Christmas is the time when Nigel gets to indulge one of
0:03:41 > 0:03:43his major passions - music.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46He's a member of the Islands' recorder group, which at this
0:03:46 > 0:03:50time of year is in big demand for concerts and carol singing.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54You have to be very careful with this.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59I made the very huge mistake of sucking instead of blowing,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01and, actually, there was a spider in it.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Memories of that still haunt me to this day!
0:04:07 > 0:04:09THEY PLAY A FESTIVE TUNE
0:04:11 > 0:04:14I think it's quite important to be, as much as you can,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17part of the community and one of the things that I'm engaged in
0:04:17 > 0:04:20is the recorder group here and we've got quite a lot of concerts
0:04:20 > 0:04:23over Christmas in the Cathedral, in Government House,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27under the Whalebone Arch, so it's great fun to participate.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32On the other side of town from Government House
0:04:32 > 0:04:34is the large modern hospital,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37and today a group of volunteers, led by Nina Aldridge,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40have taken over the radiology department
0:04:40 > 0:04:43and are parcelling up some special deliveries
0:04:43 > 0:04:45for the children who live outside of Stanley,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48or Camp, as it is known here on the Falklands.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52- Port Howard will go to Fox Bay. - Oh, will it?- Yes.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56They get a present, they get a book
0:04:56 > 0:04:59and they get, um, a toothbrush
0:04:59 > 0:05:03and a piece of fruit.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05This is Madison's little pile here,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08so hopefully she will be along at Fox Bay.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11No elf has been airsick yet.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Madison Evans and her parents, Mike and Donna, are waiting to
0:05:20 > 0:05:24receive the plane at their farm at Spring Point on West Falkland.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37- Who is it?- I don't know, who do you think that is?
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Who is that? Who do think it is?
0:05:40 > 0:05:44- It's one of Santa's elves.- There is no Santa today, so he sent me.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49- Did you know that Santa had girl elves?- No.- No?
0:05:49 > 0:05:53- He is moving with the times. - Madison, yeah?
0:05:53 > 0:05:55- Yeah? There you go.- What do you say?
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- Merry Christmas. - Thank you.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02You're welcome. There's a little stamp for you as well.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03Wow, aren't you lucky?
0:06:06 > 0:06:09It's Christmas Eve and back in Stanley,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13Islanders have gathered as they do every year under the Whalebone Arch
0:06:13 > 0:06:15to listen to carols.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18As far as Falklands' landmarks go, the arch, made out of the jaw
0:06:18 > 0:06:22bones of two blue whales, is the iconic symbol of the Islands.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26It was given to the people of Stanley in 1933
0:06:26 > 0:06:29to celebrate 100 years of British rule.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31THEY PLAY: O Come, All Ye Faithful
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Christmas is almost here, but on the outskirts of Stanley,
0:06:47 > 0:06:51some Islanders are busy preparing for another equally important
0:06:51 > 0:06:53event in the Falklands' calendar.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59The Boxing Day races will be held in two days' time
0:06:59 > 0:07:02and it's all hands to the pumps to spruce up the old racecourse
0:07:02 > 0:07:04for this annual sporting jamboree.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13The race commentator is Patrick Watts.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Patrick first found himself thrust into the world's spotlight
0:07:16 > 0:07:20when he was held at gunpoint during the 1982 invasion
0:07:20 > 0:07:23when Argentine troops took over the radio station.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27He's been the voice of the races for the past 42 years.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29What's special about this meeting?
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Oh, it's just something to get people together and, you know,
0:07:33 > 0:07:34in the old days,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37friends would meet for the first time for a year and they'd always
0:07:37 > 0:07:41meet on the racecourse and, "Haven't seen you since last year,"
0:07:41 > 0:07:43and, you know, "It's great," and "How's your horses?"
0:07:43 > 0:07:44and all this sort of stuff,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48and now, maybe, it doesn't have that same attraction
0:07:48 > 0:07:50because, with roads in the Falklands,
0:07:50 > 0:07:51a lot of people go out of Stanley
0:07:51 > 0:07:54where everybody came to Stanley years ago for the race meeting.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58But now some people go out of town, but nevertheless you still have a
0:07:58 > 0:08:02good core of people who attend, and with the military here in the
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Falklands, we could have 500 people here on the first day,
0:08:05 > 0:08:06which is brilliant.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- Have you ever ridden, Patrick?- No.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12No, hopeless jockey, but I can tell a horse when I see one.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15There may not be as many horses bred on the Falklands
0:08:15 > 0:08:17as there were 50 years ago.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Quad bikes and 4x4s have taken over for farm work
0:08:20 > 0:08:23and basic transport, but horses
0:08:23 > 0:08:27and horsemanship run deep in the veins of the Falkland Islanders,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30and the Boxing Day races is their opportunity to
0:08:30 > 0:08:33show off their best animals and rekindle old rivalries.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Quarter markers to put the diamonds on.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Dashing Dancer is one of the fastest horses on the Islands,
0:08:39 > 0:08:43and last year won the blue-riband event at the Boxing Day races,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46the Governor's Cup, for his owner, Morris Davis.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49The competition's quite tough here.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52It is the luck of the draw, really, on the day.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Basically.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57You know, if you get a good start, or you might slip, that's it,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59it's all over.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Dashing Dancer's regular jockey is Arthur Turner,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05one of the most successful riders in recent years,
0:09:05 > 0:09:10but in terms of longevity, there's no-one to beat Ron Binnie.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15At 72, he's the oldest jockey on the Islands and this year will be
0:09:15 > 0:09:19his 50th appearance at the meeting where he'll be racing two horses -
0:09:19 > 0:09:23Southern Dancer and Tipperary - alongside his grandson Dwayne.
0:09:24 > 0:09:29- Dwayne, are you amazed at how your grandad can ride at 72?- Yes.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31I would have given up by now if I was him!
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Who's beaten who in the last few years?
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Well, we try not to race against each other but...
0:09:37 > 0:09:39It's a waste of time, really.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42It has happened but I'm not too sure who's come where.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44The last one, I think I beat you
0:09:44 > 0:09:47because I cut you off at the start or something like that.
0:09:47 > 0:09:48THEY LAUGH
0:09:48 > 0:09:52- Accidentally, like. - Yeah, of course!
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Back at home, Ron's lounge doubles as an impressive trophy room.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Ron, you've got quite a collection here.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Yes, it's a few years of racing
0:10:03 > 0:10:08and a couple of... mainly all racing trophies.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10From '64 onwards.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13'63 onwards. That's a '63 trophy.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16I was just 21 in my first race.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19I would say my best chance is Southern Dancer,
0:10:19 > 0:10:21I'll get a few places in.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Hopefully he'll give me a first, he usually does.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29But of course he's getting a bit older but, uh...
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Like me.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35This year is the 100th time the races have been run since 1908.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40They missed a few during the wars and recently because of bad weather,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43but this year it's set fair and the competitors are converging
0:10:43 > 0:10:46on Stanley from all corners of the Islands
0:10:46 > 0:10:47to prepare for the big event.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55It's Christmas morning and the Islanders
0:10:55 > 0:10:59gather in the Cathedral for the traditional service of celebration
0:10:59 > 0:11:04which this year is being taken by Betty Turner, the lay preacher.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Good morning, and a very happy Christmas to you all,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11and welcome to this, our all age service on Christmas morning.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Betty is standing in for the rector of the Falkland Islands,
0:11:18 > 0:11:23the Reverend Richard Hines who, with his wife Jen,
0:11:23 > 0:11:28is 800 miles away, heading towards a distant outpost of his parish,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30the tiny island of South Georgia.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34We're on the northern part of the Scotia Sea.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38We left the South Atlantic and passed into the convergence zone,
0:11:38 > 0:11:42the weather has changed a bit, it's quite rough here today,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44but very bracing.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Rough seas and Jen don't really mix,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49but for once, she is coping well.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52I am astonished at how well I feel.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55I've had a little bit of muzzy headedness
0:11:55 > 0:11:58but when I think of how I was the last time I came down,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01all the time I was at sea I was horizontal on my bunk
0:12:01 > 0:12:03because I was so ill.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07I now have a patch behind the ear, I recommend them highly.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10The patch has held firm so I'm really, really pleased.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Richard's trip has actually been organised by a group
0:12:13 > 0:12:16of Norwegians who've asked him to join them
0:12:16 > 0:12:20as they make a pilgrimage to South Georgia where their ancestors were
0:12:20 > 0:12:24part of a thriving whaling community in the 19th and early 20th century.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34It's an emotional moment.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Many of those here today lost
0:12:36 > 0:12:39fathers and grandfathers in these dangerous waters.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45South Georgia was discovered by Captain Cook in 1775
0:12:45 > 0:12:49on his second voyage to explore Antarctica.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52It's been an official British territory since 1908,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56and legendary Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton is buried here.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00But it was the Norwegian whalers who built the small coastal
0:13:00 > 0:13:02settlement of Grytviken.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05They brought with them a prefabricated wooden church
0:13:05 > 0:13:07which has just being formally handed over
0:13:07 > 0:13:12to the South Georgian government and is now the most southerly place
0:13:12 > 0:13:15of worship in Richard's 6,000 square mile parish.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21A lot of painstaking work in here.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Beautiful.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Today is the centenary of the church's dedication
0:13:28 > 0:13:33and Richard will join the Norwegian ministers in giving thanks.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36We have been greeting one another this morning, saying happy Christmas.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39I had to do it in English rather than Norwegian and...
0:13:40 > 0:13:44..I feel quietly excited about the possibility of preaching this
0:13:44 > 0:13:48morning for a few minutes in this lovely church.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51I asked some friends on the ship if they would pray for me.
0:13:54 > 0:14:00It's precisely 100 years since the small church was first used.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03It's very important for those who've travelled all the way from Norway
0:14:03 > 0:14:06and, actually, it is very important for me in particular,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09representing the Falkland Islands, to be here today,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11and this little church belongs in my parish
0:14:11 > 0:14:15so it is a great privilege for me to come and be present here.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18At the gateway to Antarctica there stands an enduring symbol of
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Christian faith and presence.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27I know that for all of you, as for me today,
0:14:27 > 0:14:32this experience, to be here in Grytviken on Christmas Day,
0:14:32 > 0:14:39to make this trip, for many a trip of a lifetime,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42is something we will always remember.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49- I enjoyed it so much. - Thank you very much.- Yes.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Thank you.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58I'm very pleased, I'm delighted that everybody seems to have
0:14:58 > 0:15:00enjoyed the service this morning.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04And from a personal point of view to have had such a warm reception
0:15:04 > 0:15:09because I saw the faces break open into smiling and laughing
0:15:09 > 0:15:12and a little clap from somewhere, so that was very encouraging
0:15:12 > 0:15:14so I am grateful to God for his help.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Richard's Christmas duties may be over
0:15:21 > 0:15:23but back on the Falkland Islands,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Padre Al, the RAF chaplain to the Armed Forces
0:15:26 > 0:15:28is still out and about and busy.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Like most of his fellow service men
0:15:30 > 0:15:34and women, Padre Al will be spending Christmas away from his family.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38His wife and his two children are back in the UK.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41I spoke to her briefly this morning by e-mail.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45She's on her way up to see her parents in Cheshire
0:15:45 > 0:15:48so I know that she is going to have a good day and that's...
0:15:51 > 0:15:56That's good to know. I will speak to my kids later on as well, hopefully.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Padre Al has a congregation of around 2,000 military
0:15:59 > 0:16:03and civilian personnel who are stationed here.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06The last few days have been spent trying to make sure that everyone
0:16:06 > 0:16:10who wants to has the chance to attend a Christmas service.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13We're on our way to HMS Richmond just now
0:16:13 > 0:16:17and we are going to do a short Christmas service with
0:16:17 > 0:16:21communion on the bridge, on-board Richmond.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25They are due to leave in the next couple of days to head
0:16:25 > 0:16:31back to the UK so this is a very special chance for me to...
0:16:31 > 0:16:35Well, it is going to be my first service
0:16:35 > 0:16:38I've ever led on a ship, never mind a ship of the Royal Navy.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46Service number five of six this Christmas, just about to start.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54- Good morning.- Good morning, Padre. - How are you? May I come on board?
0:16:54 > 0:16:57As a military padre, Al is used to performing services
0:16:57 > 0:17:00in all manner of unusual places
0:17:00 > 0:17:03and comes prepared with everything he needs in his backpack.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07But one piece of equipment is more important than any other.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12The iPod was bought in Baghdad in 2006 so it's well-travelled.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16It's followed me through all of my tours of duty so far.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20It has never let me down.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24- The extension lead's in place. - Is it over...- Yes.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Do you want it over here?
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Al is being assisted by Deputy Logistics Officer,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Lieutenant Meg Hall.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34It's a real privilege to have somebody come on board
0:17:34 > 0:17:36and do a proper service.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38I've just taken on the role of church officer
0:17:38 > 0:17:43and I haven't actually done a service yet but I am going to be
0:17:43 > 0:17:47hopefully following the footsteps of Padre Nicoll here.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Welcome to our Christmas Day communion service,
0:17:51 > 0:17:55a service of carols, readings and communion.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02# O come, all ye faithful
0:18:02 > 0:18:06# Joyful and triumphant
0:18:06 > 0:18:14# O come ye O come ye to Bethlehem. #
0:18:16 > 0:18:20We pray that you will encircle, in your love and care, those at home
0:18:20 > 0:18:26celebrating Christmas in our family homes back in the UK.
0:18:27 > 0:18:34We pray that the warmth of Christmas will be in hearts and homes.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39And we pray for ourselves, far from home, missing loved ones,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41that our memories may be precious.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Body of Christ, broken for you.
0:18:48 > 0:18:54Padre Al turns to his trusty MP3 player for the rousing grand finale.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02THEY LAUGH
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Technology - always lets you down in the end.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16It was going to be a choir singing Hark The Herald but...
0:19:16 > 0:19:19- Thank you very much.- Thank you very much.- Great pleasure.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24It did freeze just now as I tried to play the last exit song from our
0:19:24 > 0:19:28service but... I'll let it off, it's quite an old iPod.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32HORN MUSIC PLAYS
0:19:32 > 0:19:35With Christmas Day behind them, it's time for the islanders to
0:19:35 > 0:19:39turn their attention to the social occasion of the year.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Boxing Day in Stanley means only one thing - it's race day.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47RACING COMMENTARY
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Hundreds of islanders have gathered at the course,
0:19:50 > 0:19:54ready to enjoy their annual post-Christmas blow out,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57which, this year, is set to be extra-special
0:19:57 > 0:20:00because it's the hundredth time that this meeting has taken place.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Everyone who's anyone is here, including, of course,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05the governor, Nigel.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11Everywhere you look, the islanders' passion for horses is on show.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15From children's gymkhana events to the queue at the Tote.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Can I get two £5 bets on number one, please?
0:20:18 > 0:20:21- 40.- Thank you very much.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23From up in his commentary box,
0:20:23 > 0:20:27Patrick Watts has a commanding view of the whole proceedings.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30A lot of people spend a lot of money here betting on the Tote.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33You know, it's not unnatural for people to put £50, £60,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37- £80 or £100 on a horse in the race here...- Fiver on five, please.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40..and I know people who say they can't watch a race
0:20:40 > 0:20:43unless they've actually got a bet on.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46But not everyone is in a betting mood.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Clara Mackay is here with her friend Jean who's visiting
0:20:49 > 0:20:53- from England.- So you're not going to have a flutter today?
0:20:53 > 0:20:54No, I'm not.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57No, I'm not having a flutter today. I never win anything,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00so there's no use me having a flutter.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03How long have you been coming to the races?
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Oh, well, I suppose I started when I was about 16
0:21:07 > 0:21:10and I'm 90 and a half now,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12so that's a good many years.
0:21:13 > 0:21:18There wasn't always a nice place as a shelter either,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21they were always miserable cold places. You would get round a corner
0:21:21 > 0:21:26somewhere trying to keep warm but it didn't stop us coming to the races.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Behind the scenes, Duane Evans is gearing up
0:21:33 > 0:21:36for his big ride of the day, the Governor's Cup.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40He's riding ten-year-old Destiny, who was bred by his grandfather Ron.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42There we are, boy, go and win.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Easier said than done, I reckon.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49The Governor's Cup is the big race of the meeting
0:21:49 > 0:21:52and Duane is up against stiff competition.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Between them, joint favourites Arthur Turner
0:21:55 > 0:21:59and Timmy Bonner have won this race 16 times.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Grandad Ron is in the stands to cheer him on.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06- I see him.- Can't see him. - I see him. It's Arthur.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09It's Arthur and Duane, Duane's in third.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16And on the line, oh, Arthur...
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Got third!
0:22:23 > 0:22:25Yeah, third...
0:22:25 > 0:22:29A creditable third place and congratulations from the Governor.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Meanwhile, Ron's in the barn preparing his horse Tipperary
0:22:32 > 0:22:35for the maiden plate, which is for horses that
0:22:35 > 0:22:37haven't run in a race before.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39- Oh, good.- How are you feeling? - Oh, good, yeah.- Yeah?
0:22:41 > 0:22:44- Yeah.- Yeah. Just look like you did in 1963.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46RON LAUGHS
0:22:49 > 0:22:52As they leave the barn, Tipperary's inexperience
0:22:52 > 0:22:55and race-day nerves are starting to show...
0:22:55 > 0:22:58MUSIC: It's A Long Way To Tipperary by Jack Judge
0:22:58 > 0:22:59..and Ron ends up on the ground.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08Luckily, Duane's on hand to help his grandad retrieve his horse,
0:23:08 > 0:23:12but Tipperary never recovers and ends up coming in last.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18I've never seen Ron Binnie have to pick himself
0:23:18 > 0:23:21up off the racecourse before but he did today
0:23:21 > 0:23:24and he's gallantly here in the line-up for us
0:23:24 > 0:23:25and a special mention
0:23:25 > 0:23:31because Ron rode at the 50th anniversary away back in 1963
0:23:31 > 0:23:35and 50 years later, as we saw today, he's still in the saddle.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Ron may not have marked his 50th Boxing Day races with a win
0:23:39 > 0:23:43but he is being honoured as one of the all-time champion jockeys
0:23:43 > 0:23:44of the Falkland Islands.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48A fantastic achievement for an outstanding jockey
0:23:48 > 0:23:50and sportsman, Ron Binnie.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52APPLAUSE
0:23:58 > 0:24:00But today isn't just about the horses.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04One of the other big attractions is the all-ages mile running race
0:24:04 > 0:24:08and this year, the Governor and two of his sons are taking part.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Shame I haven't got my braces on, it would be like
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Chariots Of Fire, wouldn't it, really?
0:24:13 > 0:24:17First prize is £100, yeah. £50 the second prize, I think.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20You know, we quite often run in races together.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Sadly they're all a bit faster than me these days but...
0:24:24 > 0:24:26At least over short distances.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Ready, go!
0:24:29 > 0:24:33The Governor's wife, Louise, is here cheering on her team.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41I nearly got taken out by two soldiers who were
0:24:41 > 0:24:43fighting each other all round the course
0:24:43 > 0:24:48and I got a foot in my thigh, there, which was quite entertaining.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52It was an unusual injury in a running race.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Do you approve of this family contest?
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Yes. Keeps them all active, wears them all out.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04The hundredth Stanley Sports has passed off without a hitch
0:25:04 > 0:25:09and 900 miles away in the South Atlantic Ocean,
0:25:09 > 0:25:10Richard and Jen have started
0:25:10 > 0:25:12the long journey home from South Georgia.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Just seeing a pod of fin whales about a mile ahead.
0:25:21 > 0:25:27The Scotia Sea today has just become almost like glass, it's very,
0:25:27 > 0:25:29very calm, with just a swell.
0:25:29 > 0:25:34And someone called out to say a pod of fin whales and there they are,
0:25:34 > 0:25:35blowing away in the distance.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39I can see four, five blows now with spray coming up.
0:25:41 > 0:25:42Rather extraordinary.
0:25:52 > 0:25:53On the way back,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55they put in at Deception Island,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57just north of the Antarctic Peninsula -
0:25:57 > 0:26:02the site of an old whaling station that was abandoned in 1931 after
0:26:02 > 0:26:06the price of whale oil collapsed in the Great Depression.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09A community of Norwegians and Argentines lived and worked
0:26:09 > 0:26:14here, there was even a small cemetery where 35 men lie buried.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19But most of that has gone, hidden beneath a volcanic eruption in 1969.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23We've spent the morning walking on all the dust
0:26:23 > 0:26:26and the debris that got thrown out of the volcano.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28It's quite an extraordinary place
0:26:28 > 0:26:31and, as we stand by these buildings here,
0:26:31 > 0:26:35we're reminded that, once upon a time, men worked here
0:26:35 > 0:26:38and there were many Norwegians and some British people.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41There are certainly places on the Falkland Islands,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43when you visit some of the settlements,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45where they were much bigger,
0:26:45 > 0:26:49where a lot of work used to take place 30, 40, 50 years ago
0:26:49 > 0:26:54and those places are abandoned largely, now, at the moment and...
0:26:56 > 0:26:59..I've sometimes thought of the Falkland Islands community
0:26:59 > 0:27:02as being a little bit fragile - it depends on certain things
0:27:02 > 0:27:05like fishing and tourism.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10These things can change suddenly and when you're in a place like this
0:27:10 > 0:27:14and you see how quickly things change, it makes you stop
0:27:14 > 0:27:19and wonder how any communities survive for a long time.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Certainly the fragility of life is...
0:27:23 > 0:27:26..is something that you begin to ponder in a place like this.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28In other day, the boat will bring them
0:27:28 > 0:27:33to Tierra del Fuego in the far south of Argentina but Richard
0:27:33 > 0:27:37and Jen have then got an 11-hour bus ride across the border to Chile
0:27:37 > 0:27:40before finally getting on a flight back to the Falklands on Saturday.
0:27:40 > 0:27:45And I look forward to being in church the next day. Back to work.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Lovely to see everyone again and see how the New Year
0:27:48 > 0:27:49and Christmas was for them.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52- Yeah.- Bore them with my pictures.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58- Next time...- Get set, go!
0:27:58 > 0:28:01..it's shearing season, and the islanders compete to find out
0:28:01 > 0:28:05who will represent the Falklands at the World Championships...
0:28:05 > 0:28:08In the shed, you've just got to shear to a certain standard
0:28:08 > 0:28:10and that's just what you do all day.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12When in the competitions,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15you've got to shear to a better standard than everybody else.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17All the time.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23..and the tourists are here looking forward to a wildlife bonanza.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27- And there's one islander they all want to meet.- This is Albert.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30When he hatched, he was this strange colour.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Well, in fact, Albert has had a mate every year.
0:28:33 > 0:28:34He's been a fantastic guy.