Tis the Season An Island Parish

Lying at latitude 51 degrees south, 8,000 miles from the UK,

the Falkland Islands are famous for their sheep, their wildlife,

and the tough no-nonsense character of the Islanders themselves.

This tightknit community has a strong bond with the mother country

but a unique identity all of its own.

As Christmas approaches, it's high summer in the Falklands

but for the first time, the Reverend Richard will be leaving his flock

and journeying south to what the explorer Ernest Shackleton called

"the gateway to the Antarctic."

I'm just seeing a pod of fin whales blowing away in the distance,

rather extraordinary.

And the Islanders gather to celebrate

a century-old Boxing Day tradition.

CHEERING

MUSIC: Daisy Bell

Christmas time in the southern hemisphere means clear blue skies

and long sunny days, but in the Falklands' capital, Stanley,

Islanders don't let the weather distract them

from indulging in a very British seasonal ritual.

-How much is it?

-£5 for you, my dear.

Oh, thank you.

It wouldn't be Christmas without a panto.

This year the local amateur dramatics society has teamed up

with the ballet group to put on Cinderella.

OK, everyone, this is your five-minute warning,

your five-minute warning.

Today is the last performance and it's a packed house,

including the Islands' governor, Nigel Haywood.

Pantomime is always the highlight of my Christmas here

because you go there and you know that in some way

people are going to try and make you look daft,

which actually isn't that difficult, I guess,

but that's all part of the fun of it, and I think the important thing

is to enter into the spirit of it

and just smile sweetly to whatever horrors they throw at you!

Sure enough, the presence of the Governor

hasn't gone unnoticed backstage.

The Governor comes to watch on the last night

and he usually gets roped into to do some silly dance or get sat on

by somebody or something, so we've to get the Governor out, haven't we?

By nature of his position,

the Governor usually comes in for some more personal treatment.

You'll help us, won't you?

AUDIENCE: Yes!

Eeny, meeny, miny, nilly,

catch Prince Charlie by the w...

LAUGHTER

I reckon there's somebody here that's in need of a wash.

I bet there's some filthy people out here.

CHEERING

APPLAUSE

As the Queen's representative on the Islands,

this time of year is particularly busy for the Governor.

I think it's very important for the Governor to be going

out around the Islands

so there are lots of events going on which I will be at

and so I'll want to make sure I am quite visible

over the festive period.

Christmas is the time when Nigel gets to indulge one of

his major passions - music.

He's a member of the Islands' recorder group, which at this

time of year is in big demand for concerts and carol singing.

You have to be very careful with this.

I made the very huge mistake of sucking instead of blowing,

and, actually, there was a spider in it.

Memories of that still haunt me to this day!

THEY PLAY A FESTIVE TUNE

I think it's quite important to be, as much as you can,

part of the community and one of the things that I'm engaged in

is the recorder group here and we've got quite a lot of concerts

over Christmas in the Cathedral, in Government House,

under the Whalebone Arch, so it's great fun to participate.

On the other side of town from Government House

is the large modern hospital,

and today a group of volunteers, led by Nina Aldridge,

have taken over the radiology department

and are parcelling up some special deliveries

for the children who live outside of Stanley,

or Camp, as it is known here on the Falklands.

-Port Howard will go to Fox Bay.

-Oh, will it?

-Yes.

They get a present, they get a book

and they get, um, a toothbrush

and a piece of fruit.

This is Madison's little pile here,

so hopefully she will be along at Fox Bay.

No elf has been airsick yet.

Madison Evans and her parents, Mike and Donna, are waiting to

receive the plane at their farm at Spring Point on West Falkland.

-Who is it?

-I don't know, who do you think that is?

Who is that? Who do think it is?

-It's one of Santa's elves.

-There is no Santa today, so he sent me.

-Did you know that Santa had girl elves?

-No.

-No?

-He is moving with the times.

-Madison, yeah?

-Yeah? There you go.

-What do you say?

-Merry Christmas.

-Thank you.

You're welcome. There's a little stamp for you as well.

Wow, aren't you lucky?

It's Christmas Eve and back in Stanley,

Islanders have gathered as they do every year under the Whalebone Arch

to listen to carols.

As far as Falklands' landmarks go, the arch, made out of the jaw

bones of two blue whales, is the iconic symbol of the Islands.

It was given to the people of Stanley in 1933

to celebrate 100 years of British rule.

THEY PLAY: O Come, All Ye Faithful

Christmas is almost here, but on the outskirts of Stanley,

some Islanders are busy preparing for another equally important

event in the Falklands' calendar.

The Boxing Day races will be held in two days' time

and it's all hands to the pumps to spruce up the old racecourse

for this annual sporting jamboree.

The race commentator is Patrick Watts.

Patrick first found himself thrust into the world's spotlight

when he was held at gunpoint during the 1982 invasion

when Argentine troops took over the radio station.

He's been the voice of the races for the past 42 years.

What's special about this meeting?

Oh, it's just something to get people together and, you know,

in the old days,

friends would meet for the first time for a year and they'd always

meet on the racecourse and, "Haven't seen you since last year,"

and, you know, "It's great," and "How's your horses?"

and all this sort of stuff,

and now, maybe, it doesn't have that same attraction

because, with roads in the Falklands,

a lot of people go out of Stanley

where everybody came to Stanley years ago for the race meeting.

But now some people go out of town, but nevertheless you still have a

good core of people who attend, and with the military here in the

Falklands, we could have 500 people here on the first day,

which is brilliant.

-Have you ever ridden, Patrick?

-No.

No, hopeless jockey, but I can tell a horse when I see one.

There may not be as many horses bred on the Falklands

as there were 50 years ago.

Quad bikes and 4x4s have taken over for farm work

and basic transport, but horses

and horsemanship run deep in the veins of the Falkland Islanders,

and the Boxing Day races is their opportunity to

show off their best animals and rekindle old rivalries.

Quarter markers to put the diamonds on.

Dashing Dancer is one of the fastest horses on the Islands,

and last year won the blue-riband event at the Boxing Day races,

the Governor's Cup, for his owner, Morris Davis.

The competition's quite tough here.

It is the luck of the draw, really, on the day.

Basically.

You know, if you get a good start, or you might slip, that's it,

it's all over.

Dashing Dancer's regular jockey is Arthur Turner,

one of the most successful riders in recent years,

but in terms of longevity, there's no-one to beat Ron Binnie.

At 72, he's the oldest jockey on the Islands and this year will be

his 50th appearance at the meeting where he'll be racing two horses -

Southern Dancer and Tipperary - alongside his grandson Dwayne.

-Dwayne, are you amazed at how your grandad can ride at 72?

-Yes.

I would have given up by now if I was him!

Who's beaten who in the last few years?

Well, we try not to race against each other but...

It's a waste of time, really.

It has happened but I'm not too sure who's come where.

The last one, I think I beat you

because I cut you off at the start or something like that.

THEY LAUGH

-Accidentally, like.

-Yeah, of course!

Back at home, Ron's lounge doubles as an impressive trophy room.

Ron, you've got quite a collection here.

Yes, it's a few years of racing

and a couple of... mainly all racing trophies.

From '64 onwards.

'63 onwards. That's a '63 trophy.

I was just 21 in my first race.

I would say my best chance is Southern Dancer,

I'll get a few places in.

Hopefully he'll give me a first, he usually does.

But of course he's getting a bit older but, uh...

Like me.

This year is the 100th time the races have been run since 1908.

They missed a few during the wars and recently because of bad weather,

but this year it's set fair and the competitors are converging

on Stanley from all corners of the Islands

to prepare for the big event.

It's Christmas morning and the Islanders

gather in the Cathedral for the traditional service of celebration

which this year is being taken by Betty Turner, the lay preacher.

Good morning, and a very happy Christmas to you all,

and welcome to this, our all age service on Christmas morning.

Betty is standing in for the rector of the Falkland Islands,

the Reverend Richard Hines who, with his wife Jen,

is 800 miles away, heading towards a distant outpost of his parish,

the tiny island of South Georgia.

We're on the northern part of the Scotia Sea.

We left the South Atlantic and passed into the convergence zone,

the weather has changed a bit, it's quite rough here today,

but very bracing.

Rough seas and Jen don't really mix,

but for once, she is coping well.

I am astonished at how well I feel.

I've had a little bit of muzzy headedness

but when I think of how I was the last time I came down,

all the time I was at sea I was horizontal on my bunk

because I was so ill.

I now have a patch behind the ear, I recommend them highly.

The patch has held firm so I'm really, really pleased.

Richard's trip has actually been organised by a group

of Norwegians who've asked him to join them

as they make a pilgrimage to South Georgia where their ancestors were

part of a thriving whaling community in the 19th and early 20th century.

It's an emotional moment.

Many of those here today lost

fathers and grandfathers in these dangerous waters.

South Georgia was discovered by Captain Cook in 1775

on his second voyage to explore Antarctica.

It's been an official British territory since 1908,

and legendary Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton is buried here.

But it was the Norwegian whalers who built the small coastal

settlement of Grytviken.

They brought with them a prefabricated wooden church

which has just being formally handed over

to the South Georgian government and is now the most southerly place

of worship in Richard's 6,000 square mile parish.

A lot of painstaking work in here.

Beautiful.

Today is the centenary of the church's dedication

and Richard will join the Norwegian ministers in giving thanks.

We have been greeting one another this morning, saying happy Christmas.

I had to do it in English rather than Norwegian and...

..I feel quietly excited about the possibility of preaching this

morning for a few minutes in this lovely church.

I asked some friends on the ship if they would pray for me.

It's precisely 100 years since the small church was first used.

It's very important for those who've travelled all the way from Norway

and, actually, it is very important for me in particular,

representing the Falkland Islands, to be here today,

and this little church belongs in my parish

so it is a great privilege for me to come and be present here.

At the gateway to Antarctica there stands an enduring symbol of

Christian faith and presence.

I know that for all of you, as for me today,

this experience, to be here in Grytviken on Christmas Day,

to make this trip, for many a trip of a lifetime,

is something we will always remember.

-I enjoyed it so much.

-Thank you very much.

-Yes.

Thank you.

I'm very pleased, I'm delighted that everybody seems to have

enjoyed the service this morning.

And from a personal point of view to have had such a warm reception

because I saw the faces break open into smiling and laughing

and a little clap from somewhere, so that was very encouraging

so I am grateful to God for his help.

Richard's Christmas duties may be over

but back on the Falkland Islands,

Padre Al, the RAF chaplain to the Armed Forces

is still out and about and busy.

Like most of his fellow service men

and women, Padre Al will be spending Christmas away from his family.

His wife and his two children are back in the UK.

I spoke to her briefly this morning by e-mail.

She's on her way up to see her parents in Cheshire

so I know that she is going to have a good day and that's...

That's good to know. I will speak to my kids later on as well, hopefully.

Padre Al has a congregation of around 2,000 military

and civilian personnel who are stationed here.

The last few days have been spent trying to make sure that everyone

who wants to has the chance to attend a Christmas service.

We're on our way to HMS Richmond just now

and we are going to do a short Christmas service with

communion on the bridge, on-board Richmond.

They are due to leave in the next couple of days to head

back to the UK so this is a very special chance for me to...

Well, it is going to be my first service

I've ever led on a ship, never mind a ship of the Royal Navy.

Service number five of six this Christmas, just about to start.

-Good morning.

-Good morning, Padre.

-How are you? May I come on board?

As a military padre, Al is used to performing services

in all manner of unusual places

and comes prepared with everything he needs in his backpack.

But one piece of equipment is more important than any other.

The iPod was bought in Baghdad in 2006 so it's well-travelled.

It's followed me through all of my tours of duty so far.

It has never let me down.

-The extension lead's in place.

-Is it over...

-Yes.

Do you want it over here?

Al is being assisted by Deputy Logistics Officer,

Lieutenant Meg Hall.

It's a real privilege to have somebody come on board

and do a proper service.

I've just taken on the role of church officer

and I haven't actually done a service yet but I am going to be

hopefully following the footsteps of Padre Nicoll here.

Welcome to our Christmas Day communion service,

a service of carols, readings and communion.

# O come, all ye faithful

# Joyful and triumphant

# O come ye O come ye to Bethlehem. #

We pray that you will encircle, in your love and care, those at home

celebrating Christmas in our family homes back in the UK.

We pray that the warmth of Christmas will be in hearts and homes.

And we pray for ourselves, far from home, missing loved ones,

that our memories may be precious.

Body of Christ, broken for you.

Padre Al turns to his trusty MP3 player for the rousing grand finale.

THEY LAUGH

Technology - always lets you down in the end.

It was going to be a choir singing Hark The Herald but...

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

-Great pleasure.

It did freeze just now as I tried to play the last exit song from our

service but... I'll let it off, it's quite an old iPod.

HORN MUSIC PLAYS

With Christmas Day behind them, it's time for the islanders to

turn their attention to the social occasion of the year.

Boxing Day in Stanley means only one thing - it's race day.

RACING COMMENTARY

Hundreds of islanders have gathered at the course,

ready to enjoy their annual post-Christmas blow out,

which, this year, is set to be extra-special

because it's the hundredth time that this meeting has taken place.

Everyone who's anyone is here, including, of course,

the governor, Nigel.

Everywhere you look, the islanders' passion for horses is on show.

From children's gymkhana events to the queue at the Tote.

Can I get two £5 bets on number one, please?

-40.

-Thank you very much.

From up in his commentary box,

Patrick Watts has a commanding view of the whole proceedings.

A lot of people spend a lot of money here betting on the Tote.

You know, it's not unnatural for people to put £50, £60,

-£80 or £100 on a horse in the race here...

-Fiver on five, please.

..and I know people who say they can't watch a race

unless they've actually got a bet on.

But not everyone is in a betting mood.

Clara Mackay is here with her friend Jean who's visiting

-from England.

-So you're not going to have a flutter today?

No, I'm not.

No, I'm not having a flutter today. I never win anything,

so there's no use me having a flutter.

How long have you been coming to the races?

Oh, well, I suppose I started when I was about 16

and I'm 90 and a half now,

so that's a good many years.

There wasn't always a nice place as a shelter either,

they were always miserable cold places. You would get round a corner

somewhere trying to keep warm but it didn't stop us coming to the races.

Behind the scenes, Duane Evans is gearing up

for his big ride of the day, the Governor's Cup.

He's riding ten-year-old Destiny, who was bred by his grandfather Ron.

There we are, boy, go and win.

Easier said than done, I reckon.

The Governor's Cup is the big race of the meeting

and Duane is up against stiff competition.

Between them, joint favourites Arthur Turner

and Timmy Bonner have won this race 16 times.

Grandad Ron is in the stands to cheer him on.

-I see him.

-Can't see him.

-I see him. It's Arthur.

It's Arthur and Duane, Duane's in third.

And on the line, oh, Arthur...

Got third!

Yeah, third...

A creditable third place and congratulations from the Governor.

Meanwhile, Ron's in the barn preparing his horse Tipperary

for the maiden plate, which is for horses that

haven't run in a race before.

-Oh, good.

-How are you feeling?

-Oh, good, yeah.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Yeah. Just look like you did in 1963.

RON LAUGHS

As they leave the barn, Tipperary's inexperience

and race-day nerves are starting to show...

MUSIC: It's A Long Way To Tipperary by Jack Judge

..and Ron ends up on the ground.

Luckily, Duane's on hand to help his grandad retrieve his horse,

but Tipperary never recovers and ends up coming in last.

I've never seen Ron Binnie have to pick himself

up off the racecourse before but he did today

and he's gallantly here in the line-up for us

and a special mention

because Ron rode at the 50th anniversary away back in 1963

and 50 years later, as we saw today, he's still in the saddle.

Ron may not have marked his 50th Boxing Day races with a win

but he is being honoured as one of the all-time champion jockeys

of the Falkland Islands.

A fantastic achievement for an outstanding jockey

and sportsman, Ron Binnie.

APPLAUSE

But today isn't just about the horses.

One of the other big attractions is the all-ages mile running race

and this year, the Governor and two of his sons are taking part.

Shame I haven't got my braces on, it would be like

Chariots Of Fire, wouldn't it, really?

First prize is £100, yeah. £50 the second prize, I think.

You know, we quite often run in races together.

Sadly they're all a bit faster than me these days but...

At least over short distances.

Ready, go!

The Governor's wife, Louise, is here cheering on her team.

I nearly got taken out by two soldiers who were

fighting each other all round the course

and I got a foot in my thigh, there, which was quite entertaining.

It was an unusual injury in a running race.

Do you approve of this family contest?

Yes. Keeps them all active, wears them all out.

The hundredth Stanley Sports has passed off without a hitch

and 900 miles away in the South Atlantic Ocean,

Richard and Jen have started

the long journey home from South Georgia.

CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS

Just seeing a pod of fin whales about a mile ahead.

The Scotia Sea today has just become almost like glass, it's very,

very calm, with just a swell.

And someone called out to say a pod of fin whales and there they are,

blowing away in the distance.

I can see four, five blows now with spray coming up.

Rather extraordinary.

On the way back,

they put in at Deception Island,

just north of the Antarctic Peninsula -

the site of an old whaling station that was abandoned in 1931 after

the price of whale oil collapsed in the Great Depression.

A community of Norwegians and Argentines lived and worked

here, there was even a small cemetery where 35 men lie buried.

But most of that has gone, hidden beneath a volcanic eruption in 1969.

We've spent the morning walking on all the dust

and the debris that got thrown out of the volcano.

It's quite an extraordinary place

and, as we stand by these buildings here,

we're reminded that, once upon a time, men worked here

and there were many Norwegians and some British people.

There are certainly places on the Falkland Islands,

when you visit some of the settlements,

where they were much bigger,

where a lot of work used to take place 30, 40, 50 years ago

and those places are abandoned largely, now, at the moment and...

..I've sometimes thought of the Falkland Islands community

as being a little bit fragile - it depends on certain things

like fishing and tourism.

These things can change suddenly and when you're in a place like this

and you see how quickly things change, it makes you stop

and wonder how any communities survive for a long time.

Certainly the fragility of life is...

..is something that you begin to ponder in a place like this.

In other day, the boat will bring them

to Tierra del Fuego in the far south of Argentina but Richard

and Jen have then got an 11-hour bus ride across the border to Chile

before finally getting on a flight back to the Falklands on Saturday.

And I look forward to being in church the next day. Back to work.

Lovely to see everyone again and see how the New Year

and Christmas was for them.

-Yeah.

-Bore them with my pictures.

-Next time...

-Get set, go!

..it's shearing season, and the islanders compete to find out

who will represent the Falklands at the World Championships...

In the shed, you've just got to shear to a certain standard

and that's just what you do all day.

When in the competitions,

you've got to shear to a better standard than everybody else.

All the time.

..and the tourists are here looking forward to a wildlife bonanza.

-And there's one islander they all want to meet.

-This is Albert.

When he hatched, he was this strange colour.

Well, in fact, Albert has had a mate every year.

He's been a fantastic guy.