All Hands to the Pump An Island Parish

Deep in the southern hemisphere,

15 degrees north of the Antarctic Circle,

the Falkland Islands are famous for rugged scenery, abundant wildlife,

and the tough, no-nonsense attitude of the islanders themselves.

The last few decades may have bought many changes

but, at heart, these islands still hold true to the old traditions

which date back to when they were first settled around 200 years ago.

On your marks, get set, go!

With Christmas behind them,

it's time for the annual sheep shearing competition

to decide who will represent the Falkland Islands

at the World Championships next year.

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

and that's just what you do all day.

With competitions,

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

all the time.

And Padre Al takes the trip of a lifetime.

It is that sense of speed and freedom,

and just movement in all three dimensions, it's just so thrilling.

It's early morning in Stanley and, while things look quiet

and peaceful, it is very much the calm before the storm.

Sibby Summers runs the gift shop down by the harbour.

PHONE RINGS

Hello, good morning?

Yes, no problem, dear. All right, you're welcome. Bye!

This is the morning for the big rush of the 2,500 tourists

who are going to visit our island today.

I do hope they have a nice day, I'm sure they will.

-Doubling the population.

-Yes, doubling the population.

-So, do you get quite excited on days like this?

-Absolutely, yes.

Well, it's our future. This is our living, you know.

If we don't get the tourists or the customers,

we won't make a living.

In the last 30 years,

two big changes have revolutionised the Falkland's economy.

The sale of offshore fishing licences,

which began in the late '80s, and now tourism,

which brings about £5 million a year into the island's coffers.

About 30,000 tourists come here every summer,

most of them day-trippers

who arrive on the huge cruise ships that put in at Stanley

after rounding Cape Horn, and en route to Brazil.

Waiting to give them a proper British welcome

is the island's own bobby on the beat, PC Darryl Harada.

You're not in trouble. That way.

Lately of Humberside Police.

How are you, all right? Not bad, thank you.

We don't get tourists in Hull.

It is a rarity when people are nice to us in Hull.

Is it a picture or a video?

I think it's a picture, isn't it?

-Thank you.

-You're welcome.

I spend the majority of my day getting my photo taken.

God knows what Facebook is like, or all the social media sites.

I'm probably all over it.

Excuse me, hi. Where is the Waterfront Cafe?

-See this white building here?

-Yes.

-That's the Waterfront Cafe.

-Thank you.

-Be careful on the road.

My main issue is, as you can see,

they just walk down the middle of the road.

Many Americans get told that there's no offence of kerb crawling here,

which is true,

so they think you can walk down the middle of the road all the time,

which is a problem.

I'm sure there's nowhere else in the world

that they just stroll up the middle of the road.

It's nice to think we live in a place

where you can walk down the middle of the road

and be quite sure no-one's going to run you over.

Kevin Kilmartin is a lawyer and sheep farmer at Bluff Cove,

about 20 miles west of Stanley.

At this time of year, he also operates as a tour guide.

How many people are coming in now?

I don't know, probably a couple of thousand people will come ashore.

Maybe more.

There are more of them than us.

There's the Falkland Island guys.

Over here, please!

Kevin and his fellow part-time tour operators

know that the number one attraction on the islands at this time of year

is the incredible wildlife.

The Falkland Islands are roughly the same distance

from the South Pole as the UK is from the North.

We share the same cool temperate climate

but the Falklands get a lot more wind.

Luckily, that does not bother the hundreds of thousands of birds

and sea mammals that cram themselves

into every nook and cranny of this rocky coastline,

making summertime in the Falklands one of the best

wildlife-spotting opportunities on the planet.

And at the top of every tourist's itinerary are the penguins.

Some are still a lot smaller than others.

-There's a really cute one.

-Yes.

At Bluff Cove, Kevin has a colony of gentoo penguins,

whose young are now almost four weeks old.

But the star of the show is eight-year-old Albert.

This is Albert.

You'd probably call him albino but he is actually leucistic.

When he hatched he was this strange colour.

The perceived wisdom with penguins

is that if they are slightly strange then the others ostracise them

and they don't have much of a life and eventually they die young.

In fact, Albert has had a mate every year,

and he's been fantastic.

It's nice to have him because he always goes back

to the same nesting site every year, and he's always with a mate.

We don't know if he's a male or a female, by the way.

But he's always there and he's always got two eggs to look after

and then two chicks.

He's a really great guy.

While Kevin's busy outside, his wife Hattie is standing by in the cafe

with her tea and home-made cakes at the ready.

Once the cruise ships start coming, it's very, very busy.

A lot of cake gets eaten, so it's keeping on top of all of that.

With 60 people clamouring at the door, and another 200 expected,

Hattie and her team are going to be working flat out all day.

The vast majority of tourists to the islands

only get to see Stanley and its immediate surroundings

but, away from the hustle and bustle of the summer season,

traditional Falklands life carries on much as it always has.

Before fishing and tourism,

there was only one real industry on these islands

and, today, Governor Nigel Haywood is off to the west

to take part in its flagship event.

Can I get you to stand on the scales for me?

Oh, dear, this is the worst bit.

-I've got lots of weight in my pockets.

-No bags, no?

-No.

Nigel and his son Chris are heading to the annual

Fox Bay ram and fleece show.

It's an important part of life on the Falkland Islands

because this was founded on sheep farming

and instinctively the islanders think of themselves as sheep farmers

even if only sort of 5% of the economy is in agriculture.

A plane has been put at the governor's disposal for the day.

If you want to walk around the front to Derek.

He'll get you in the front.

I don't really like flying at all, to be honest.

This at least has its compensations, of lots of scenery, lots to look at.

It takes your mind off the fact that you're basically in a cigar tube

a few hundred feet up in the air, being buffeted around by the wind.

Very positive view!

There are 33 sheep farmers on West Falkland

and most of them are here today,

along with their families and their best rams.

All spruced up and ready for the judging.

It is a beauty contest for sheep.

You can't beat it, can you?

Just what you need just after Christmas, poor sheep!

This is an agricultural show with a difference.

Everyone here is knowledgeable so, instead of a panel of judges,

it's the public who decide which rams are the best.

That's a very nice looking one.

Nice and solid standing.

Very clear.

No black spots or anything on it.

Nice dense coat, fine wool.

It's very good.

The votes are counted

and it is time for the governor to hand out the silverware.

Sheep number 24, with 109 points.

Take that?

No?

You can chew it!

It is very tasty.

Second prize, 75 pen, sheep number 32. 59 points.

Congratulations.

Handshake?

Excellent.

Events like these are very important in the life of this community.

The Falklands were founded on sheep farming

and sheep are still the only thing that really thrive

on these windswept pastures.

There are currently half a million of them on the islands,

which works out at about 167 per human inhabitant.

The largest farm is on the East Island at Goose Green.

The shearing shed here lays claim to being the biggest in the world

and can hold 5,000 animals at any one time.

Earning 70p per fleece, each highly skilled shearer

will take an average one minute to shear an animal,

so the good ones can make around £200 a day.

22-year-old Stefan Clark from East Falkland

started shearing when he was 17.

How many sheep can you go through in a whole year?

These guys will do 160,000.

In the north there are 100,000.

-What is your record?

-Down here, 401.

-401?

-Yeah.

-New Zealand is 501.

-In a day?

-Yeah.

What's the art of shearing?

Don't cut them.

And take all the wool off in one go.

Shearing gangs are made up of shearers and wool handlers,

known on the Falklands as rousies.

Their job is to prevent the pure white wool from being contaminated

because stained wool can only be dyed a darker colour

and so it's worth less.

It's a precision job

but they also need to be fast to keep pace with the shearers.

Back in the old days, the shearing sheds were men-only domains.

But now, it's a rite of passage for many Falkland Island girls.

Like 17-year-old Riba, who grew up on a farm on the West Island.

We're basically together for the whole season,

which I think is about five months.

-So it is quite intense working together?

-Yeah.

We all get quite close.

A Falkland Island fleece weighs on average a kilo more

than a typical British one.

They also have very fine fibres, which means they're top quality

and can fetch 12 times as much on the market.

Sammy is a wool grader.

It's her job to evaluate each fleece to see how much it's worth.

What makes a good fleece?

The colour certainly helps.

That's nice and white,

so obviously they don't have to clean it as much.

You can see the crimp there, so you want it nice and together,

and sort of pencil-sized staples.

This one is a slightly shorter one

but you want to pull it out and it doesn't want to break.

Otherwise, when they comb it, it has a break in it and it's not as good.

You can feel... I would rather have that against my skin

than I would something that is a bit hairy.

In a few days' time, Sammy, Riba and Stefan,

along with others from the Goose Green gang, will be going to Stanley

to compete in the annual shearing and wool handling competition.

The winners will be heading to Ireland next year

to represent the Falklands at the World Shearing Championships.

Are you a bit nervous about the competition coming up?

Oh, yes, you get the odd set of butterflies.

If you win, what happens?

Probably a lot of, "Yeah!"

I'd cry, probably.

I'd cry.

I mean, there is certainly the serious side of it as well

but it is also quite fun.

It's got a nice atmosphere there.

Yes, I say to the girls, some of them didn't want to compete,

and I said they'll feel left out on the day because nearly everybody is.

Don't worry about how you do, just go in and enjoy it.

You do all get quite excited and hyped up.

For me, yeah, you don't want to miss out on that.

Back in Stanley, and the tourists are still coming.

The shop has been busy since the first boat arrived at 10am.

Thank you, dear.

Very, very busy.

Steady all day.

It has been a good day, yes.

I just want to know the difference...

20 miles away at Bluff Cove

and the Sea Cabbage Cafe is overrun with hungry visitors.

No trip to the Falkland Islands is complete without a slap-up tea.

Hattie Kilmartin has spent the day serving up home-baked cakes

and biscuits galore.

Thank you very much.

-Oh, do you want some more?

-Could we have one more piece?

-Of course.

Tea, coffee or hot chocolate, sir?

A white coffee would be magnificent.

It has been well tucked into, as you can see.

We've got orange cake, lemon drizzle cake, which is very popular.

A coffee cake.

These are the scones with jam

and then we've got gingerbread

and date and walnut loaf,

chocolate cake.

We do make a punch that we call Penguin Punch,

and we do sometimes tell our tourists

that we have used freshly squeezed penguin to make the punch.

Luckily, none of them do believe us. But it is good!

I came for six months. I'd been cooking in Outer Mongolia

and it's now 17 years later, so it's been a long six months.

But like so many Falkland Islanders,

or first generation of Falkland Islanders,

we come for a short time and then never leave,

fall in love with the place.

I'll try one of those and a bit of your lemon cake, please.

-OK.

-Mum?

-So you've got to do this all over again tomorrow?

-Yes.

At any rate, we'll all be zombies by then.

SHE GROANS

Days like this are crucial to Hattie and Kevin.

Setting up the cafe was a big venture for them

and the money they make over the summer months

makes a real difference to their annual income.

Hattie has the ideas and the vision and I...

-And Kevin does all the work.

-I do what I'm told.

I just delicate... Delicate? That's not even the word.

I'm dedicated, you're delegating.

The British Forces base at Mount Pleasant,

25 miles south of Stanley,

was built in 1986 and is home to a shifting population

of between 1,000 and 2,000 servicemen and women.

This ever-changing community, who are stationed out here

for up to eight months, are served by one chaplain,

Padre Al Nichol of the RAF

whose own four-month detachment is coming to an end.

# ..and our eternal home. #

Padre Al wears a British military uniform

but, as an ordained minister, he doesn't bear arms.

'In the armed forces,

'you're recognised not just by the Christians,

'but by all personnel as someone they can come to.

'Might not be for issues of faith. It might be personal issues.

'Family issues, especially.

'Detached as we are from our home lives.'

Al became a chaplain in 2000 and since then

he's been in Afghanistan, Iraq and Italy.

It's very hard to be away from my kids.

I suppose, on a fourth tour of duty, you kind of get used to it.

But you never fully get used to being away for that period of time.

Even just four months is... It's quite a long journey.

Tell us about your red squirrel. What's that?

HE LAUGHS

That was a little joke sent down by my wife.

It's to do with my ginger hair.

She thought maybe we were brothers or something, I don't know.

But I love red squirrels, actually.

There's a few of them up in Scotland near where my parents live.

There's a colony of red squirrels, which of course have a hard time.

They're minority squirrels, just like us ginger chaps.

-So, yeah.

-Do you get a lot of abuse for being ginger?

-From the army here?

-A little bit of banter, but, you know.

I give as good as I get.

Before Padre Al returns to the UK,

he's been invited to take part in something rather special.

He's heading off to join up with some visiting officers.

They're going to get the chance to experience a low-level flight

over the islands.

They'll be travelling in that great workhorse

of the RAF's air transport fleet, the iconic four-engine Hercules.

An aircraft that's carried troops and equipment

for the British Forces in combat situations all over the world.

If we have an emergency, you'll hear a series of alarm bells.

On hearing them, stay on the flight deck but strap yourselves in.

I'll tell you exactly what to do. If we go down in the water -

obviously a lot of water round here -

only the escape hatch here above the ladder is to be used, OK?

It's quite a privileged job, I think.

You get to go flying with the pilots...

'Your takeoff clearance has been obtained.

'Let's have the takeoff checks, please.'

I didn't fly until I was about 14, 15 in the air training corps.

And...when I did fly for the first time, I was just smitten. I loved it.

It's that sense of speed and freedom and, you know,

just movement in all three dimensions.

It just fascinates me that we can make large objects

weighing several tonnes fly so fast through the air.

It's just so thrilling.

I think days like this will remind me how beautiful it is down here.

The UK is such a long way away.

But one of the things the distance does

is it makes everyone come together

in a way that you just don't get back at home.

I've never felt so sad to be leaving a place where I've been detached to.

It's a lovely community.

Just been wonderful. So welcoming.

Home away from home in so many ways but very happy to be going home.

Looking forward to seeing my kids again and seeing my wife.

Hopefully meeting me off the air bridge when I get home.

35 miles away on the other side of Stanley,

it's crunch time for the cream of the Falkland Islands'

young wool handlers and shearers.

Right then, we're seconds away from starting.

So who will be champion shearer of Falklands?

A couple of girls and boys who will be sent away to represent

their country in Ireland, southern Ireland next year, so...

Without further ado, get on your marks!

Get set! Go!

CHEERING

Fighting for a place at the World Championships in Ireland

is Goose Green gang member Stefan.

Stefan's only been shearing for five years

and this is the first year he's really been in the running.

His uncle Yann is the favourite to win,

so Stefan needs to come second to earn his place on the team.

Each shearer has five sheep.

They have to be quick

but they're also being judged on their skill under pressure.

The wool must come off in the first cut

and the smallest speck of blood will count against them.

Stefan now, boy on the right...

Yeah, I want to try and get in the top two.

But...have to wait and see if I can.

Got to try to beat my uncle first.

I'm probably not quite as fast as they are.

So I just need to try and be a bit cleaner. A few less second cuts.

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

And that's just what you do all day.

In the competitions,

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

All the time.

APPLAUSE

Brilliant stuff. Absolutely brilliant.

-Ooh!

-Knackered?

-Yeah. HE LAUGHS

The next event is the wool handling.

Taking part in the first heat is Vicky Lee, Sammy's cousin,

who went with her to the World Championships last year.

As a team, they came third behind Australia and New Zealand

and they're desperate to get the chance

to represent the Falklands again.

I'm hoping for both of us.

We're first cousins and we're the same age.

We've grown-up together, so...

It's a nice little trip away together.

Now that we've been away to New Zealand, it's...

It's nervous and you want to do it.

After that experience, you get hooked on competing.

The wool handlers are judged on everything from how they throw

the fleece to how clean they keep the shearing board and the table.

It can work any weight.

That's the best thing about having competitions like this.

You don't know what's going to happen on the day.

Sweep of the floor, hand in the air for Vicky Lee.

Here we go. Well done.

Finally, it's Sammy's turn.

Sammy. You've got a good feeling?

You and Victoria competed across in New Zealand.

How are you feeling tonight? Try and get there again?

Oh, just try my best. That's the way you do it, isn't it?

OK. You get out there and try your best.

-Sammy, ladies and gentlemen.

-CHEERING

I'd like to go to Ireland this time.

I didn't want to go last time when I went to New Zealand

but actually loved it, so...

I'd really like to have a crack at Ireland.

Just... Wait and see what happens, I guess.

The standard's higher this year.

There's a lot more younger ones that are going to have a crack at it.

Wool is rolled. Has she cleared the table? Hand in the air!

Sammy. Sammy!

That's what you call sport, ladies and gentlemen.

Oh, yeah. My hands are shaking.

Yeah, it felt quite good, but that doesn't always mean...

I didn't think the last one did and I qualified first, so...

You just never know. It's luck of the draw.

It's been a closely-fought contest.

But at the end, only the judges know who's done well enough to qualify.

The governor has come to hand out the prizes.

I especially like the invites to events where I'm told

I don't need to say anything,

just a few words of encouragement to people.

And then get put on stage with Toot.

LAUGHTER

Thank you very much. Excellent.

He's paying out of his own pocket.

The flights for the shearers, the wool handlers,

who're going to Ireland.

CHEERING

Is that right?

Some of that's right. I'm not sure about my own pocket though.

Well, I can only read what's on the paper.

We're sending this year...

with 52.40, Vicky Lee!

Second place in the wool handling goes to Vicky.

Well done, Vick. I think you were second last year as well.

But you're still there and you put a great performance in for us.

-Don't cry, for God's sake!

-LAUGHTER

You've just pissed around with a bit of wool.

With a score of 46.40,

once again will be representing with Vicky, it's Sammy Lee!

The winner for the second year running is Sammy,

which means the two cousins are off to the World Championships.

'Give Dad a kiss.'

-Proud of yourself?

-Er, yeah.

-Well, you should be. Well done.

CHEERING

How did that turn out?

Better than I expected, anyway!

Yeah, couldn't have been better, could it?

Can't get any better. We're going to Ireland next year.

-In May.

-Yeah. Very good.

So, the last trophy. Champion Falkland shearer.

And our first shearer will be...

-Stefan...

-CHEERING DROWNS SPEECH

Well done.

First of all, before we think about going away,

what's it like to win that?

Cos there's a lot of good names on there.

Great shearers of the Falklands. You must be proud.

Yeah, I guess. LAUGHTER

I was lucky to make the final and then lucky to win, really.

Yeah. No, I didn't think I'd be anywhere near, to be fair.

So I'm very, very surprised.

Going to the championships

is a great opportunity for these young islanders.

As they head north, they'll stop off in other sheep shearing countries

to take part in local competitions

and hone their skills, so by the time they get to Ireland

in six months' time, they'll be ready to take on the world.

I want a photograph with you fellas.

-Come and see me afterwards, all right?

-Yeah.

Next time, the Reverend Richard is back from South Georgia

and takes part in a very special event

honouring the fallen of the 1982 conflict.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.

-ALL:

-We will remember them.

As you stand and look at the monuments,

you'll see the very water where the Sir Tristram

and the Galahad were at anchor and where they were hit

by the planes with the bombs and too many people lost their lives.

And the governor goes fishing.

But they're just not biting.

This is genuinely interesting. I really have no idea where they are.