0:00:02 > 0:00:05Want to know about British history? You'd better get your hands dirty.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Don't bury your head in a guidebook. Ask a brickie...
0:00:08 > 0:00:10a chippie...
0:00:10 > 0:00:12or a roofer.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Ever since I were a boy, I've had a passion for our past, so..
0:00:16 > 0:00:19I'm going to apprentice myself to the oldest masonry company
0:00:19 > 0:00:21in the country.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25Mastering their crafts and scraping away the secrets
0:00:25 > 0:00:27of Blighty's precious piles.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30From castles to cathedrals,
0:00:30 > 0:00:32music halls to mansions,
0:00:32 > 0:00:34palaces to public schools.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36These aren't just buildings.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40They're keys to opening up our past and bringing it back to life.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Today, I'm in Bradford, West Yorkshire,
0:01:05 > 0:01:09helping to restore this jewel of Bradford's architectural heritage -
0:01:09 > 0:01:11the spectacular Victorian City Hall.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17I'll be getting up close and personal with Britain's monarchs.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19There's about three or four kings.
0:01:19 > 0:01:24- The end of the sceptres have been deliberately shaped as willies.- No!
0:01:24 > 0:01:27'I discover why the city became so wealthy.'
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Look at that! It's like the gates of Mordor.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34'And I meet an angel who's lost her horn.'
0:01:34 > 0:01:36It's more like an episode of Casualty than Hairy Builder.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Bradford started life as a small market town.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49But it was the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century
0:01:49 > 0:01:51which put Bradford on the map.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55They had an abundance of coal
0:01:55 > 0:01:58to fuel the ever-increasing textile mills,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01and Bradford became the wool capital of the world.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03In short, it was loaded.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Bradford wanted to show the world just how rich it was,
0:02:11 > 0:02:16so it spent 100 grand building this impressive Gothic-style City Hall.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Built in 1873,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24City Hall is one of Britain's most distinctive Victorian buildings
0:02:24 > 0:02:27and it's still the home of the City Council.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Today, it's undergoing
0:02:31 > 0:02:35a massive £4 million, three-year restoration project.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39It's largely external work,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42focusing on its fantastic clock tower
0:02:42 > 0:02:46and the 35 statues gracing the facade of the upper level.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51- Hello, Mike. It's good to meet you. - Good to see you.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54'Before meeting the builders, Mike Cowlam from Bradford Council
0:02:54 > 0:02:57'is going to give me a history lesson.'
0:02:57 > 0:03:00I don't know any other building in Britain
0:03:00 > 0:03:02that has every member of the monarchy
0:03:02 > 0:03:04since the Norman conquest on it.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Absolutely right. We've got 35 of the monarchs,
0:03:07 > 0:03:11- running from the Norman conquest right through to Victoria.- God.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14And are they all accurate depictions of the particular monarchs?
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Yeah, they were all worked from paintings and drawings of the time,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21so they're all fairly accurate reflections
0:03:21 > 0:03:23of both what they were wearing
0:03:23 > 0:03:25and also their height as well and facial features.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Gosh. And he's had quite a lot of restoration, hasn't he?
0:03:28 > 0:03:29He has. Unfortunately,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32the weather hasn't been kind to him but it's a real pleasure to see him
0:03:32 > 0:03:35brought back to his former glory,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37because the point about this gentleman,
0:03:37 > 0:03:41which is Oliver Cromwell, is that he was never a monarch.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- So he was the Lord Protector of England.- Right.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46And so he's the only person out of the 35
0:03:46 > 0:03:48who is not actually a monarch.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51'After invading Ireland in the 17th century,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54'Mr Cromwell wasn't too popular with the Irish masons
0:03:54 > 0:03:56'employed to work on the regal statues.'
0:03:56 > 0:03:59You can imagine Bradford City Council back in 1870,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02debating whether to have him up here or not.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04I think it must have been very difficult.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07One thing we know from the record is that, when he was installed...
0:04:07 > 0:04:10- Yes.- ..the Irish workers were sent home for the day,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13and he was installed by the English workers,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15because it believed there was a plot for him
0:04:15 > 0:04:19to accidentally fall from the building and be smashed into bits.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21And what was the reason for these statues?
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Well, apart from celebrating the monarchy,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25part of the reason was education.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30So each of these statues has a feature about their particular reign
0:04:30 > 0:04:33which can be used to explain to people who the kings were
0:04:33 > 0:04:35and what they were particularly famous for.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38So the people of Bradford would know their monarchy,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41they'd know the dates and who came after who.
0:04:41 > 0:04:42That's right, absolutely.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Oh, it's brilliant!
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Probably one of the most recognisable monarchs.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Absolutely, Henry VIII.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52He's got a very proud paunch.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55It's like kind of a mental jog on who's who.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59- Who's this, Mike?- This is King John.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03- Yes.- The key thing about him, of course, is the Magna Carta.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Is that what he's clutching rather clumsily to him?
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Yes, the somewhat crumpled document.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11He didn't particularly relish the Magna Carta.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15You can see down here the seal that he used,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19because he couldn't read or write, so it was signed with a seal.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Do you know, this has been the most wonderful,
0:05:21 > 0:05:25vivid sort of guided tour through history, do you know what I mean?
0:05:25 > 0:05:27- I know.- It's really delightful in a really special way.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30A very unique way. I don't think we'll be able to do this
0:05:30 > 0:05:32- for another 100 years, will we? - Probably not.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35I'm hoping that these repairs will last at least another 100 years,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37because they're quite expensive.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Construction firm William Anelay's
0:05:40 > 0:05:42have a team of highly-skilled craftsmen
0:05:42 > 0:05:47working hard to bring this Grade I building back to its former glory.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- How do, Sam?- How are we doing, Dave, all right?
0:05:52 > 0:05:53- Yeah, champion.- See you.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Give me an overview of the site.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59What kind of work have you got on here?
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Well, it's all masonry repairs, predominantly.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03There are some roof repairs going on as well.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06We started off at the far end of the building and worked our way round
0:06:06 > 0:06:08and gradually worked from top to bottom.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Is that some new stonework on the chimneys?
0:06:10 > 0:06:13It is, yeah. The chimneys throughout have been stripped down,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15recorded each stone and then replaced what needs replacing
0:06:15 > 0:06:17and rebuilt them back to their former glory.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20You know, Sam, working on a building like this,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22it was built in the 1870s,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25have you found much evidence of prior restoration on the building?
0:06:25 > 0:06:27Predominantly, all the ornate stuff
0:06:27 > 0:06:29and the carving works and things that we've done,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32- this is the first time round.- Yeah. - So it's lasted well.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38This renovation project requires ten stonemasons
0:06:38 > 0:06:43and already they've used almost 50 tonnes of local sandstone.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50So far, the firm have restored ten 20-foot chimney stacks,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53all of the brickwork joints have been re-cemented
0:06:53 > 0:06:55and the gargoyles have been cleaned.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57But it's not all about restoration.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01Health and safety is just as important.
0:07:01 > 0:07:02If it's not replaced,
0:07:02 > 0:07:04it will fall off the building
0:07:04 > 0:07:08and potentially fall on to someone, which would be a disaster.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10So great care is taken in making sure
0:07:10 > 0:07:13any stone which is failing is replaced.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16We've got a term called belt and braces,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20which means to really make sure that the stone's not going anywhere.
0:07:24 > 0:07:25Matt's one of the masons
0:07:25 > 0:07:29who's helping to bring this terrific building back to life.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33How do, Matt? I'll tread carefully so I don't disturb you.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34I've got to admit, I think stonemason
0:07:34 > 0:07:37must be one of the most wonderful trades to have.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40You just get better at it as you get older as well, surely?
0:07:40 > 0:07:41Yeah, well,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44I've obviously progressed over the ten years I've been doing it.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48I'm still learning every day from blokes older than me.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53'Stonemasons complete a three-year apprenticeship to get to this level,
0:07:53 > 0:07:54'and they're a talented bunch.'
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Do you do most of the carving on site in the stonemasonry?
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Generally on this job we have done, yeah, sort of get it off the pallet,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03work it, stick it in the wall.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06'Matt's working on a decorative sphere for the cornicing
0:08:06 > 0:08:08'and, for the past four months,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11'he's been hammering away 25 metres off the ground.'
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Do you prefer working like this, Matt?
0:08:13 > 0:08:14I do, yeah, when it's on site,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17cos I like being out in the elements as well myself.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- Yeah.- So, yeah, you get a bit more feel for the work
0:08:20 > 0:08:22and you can see where it's gone when you've done it,
0:08:22 > 0:08:24rather than just making it in a workshop.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29This team of stonemasons are taking local sandstone
0:08:29 > 0:08:32and carving replacement pieces on site,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34using the damaged stonework as a model.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Matt is working with a mallet and chisel,
0:08:38 > 0:08:42the same tools used 150 years ago when the City Hall was built.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46And that little bit of plastic
0:08:46 > 0:08:49is his template for getting the curvature of his sphere.
0:08:49 > 0:08:50And, I must say...
0:08:52 > 0:08:54- ..it's perfect, isn't it? - It's getting there.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56- You're good, aren't you? - Getting there.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Can I have a go, Matt? I'll be very careful, I promise.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- Finish her, if you want. - Well, I don't...
0:09:02 > 0:09:04No, I would never claim to be able to do that.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07I'll take off a bit of rough.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09You know, I remember back to my art school days
0:09:09 > 0:09:13and one of the tasks they used to get the Old Masters to do
0:09:13 > 0:09:14was to draw an egg.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18If you could draw it with perspective and correctly, freehand,
0:09:18 > 0:09:20then they could go on to something else. You can imagine,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23this is the equivalent of kind of carving an egg.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25We want round, not egg.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28I tell you what, mate, if I slip, you'll have the rings of Saturn,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30I don't know about an egg!
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Any tips, Matt? Am I doing all right?
0:09:32 > 0:09:34- You're doing fine! - Working on the principle
0:09:34 > 0:09:38I can always take a bit off, but I can't stick it back on again!
0:09:41 > 0:09:45I love it. I take great pride in the fact that, you know...
0:09:45 > 0:09:47in this country, we've still got people like Matt
0:09:47 > 0:09:49that can do these old skills.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Like, you look at the Canterbury Cathedral.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53There are still the skills in Britain
0:09:53 > 0:09:55to be able to do what you see,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58kind of hundreds of feet up in the air that somebody did maybe,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01you know, 700, 800 years ago.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09- Respect!- Thank you. - Thank you, Matt.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13'The craftsmanship on this building really is exquisite.
0:10:13 > 0:10:18'The Victorians spared no expense building this magnificent beast.'
0:10:18 > 0:10:21I mean, you know, civic building back in those days.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23I mean, all these great northern cities
0:10:23 > 0:10:26competed with each other to have the best, most grandiose.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28But Bradford must be up there with the top ones.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Yeah, I think it is. I think if you look at the architecture
0:10:31 > 0:10:34of Bradford itself, it just screams money from back in the day.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37There's a lot of architecture within Bradford that's very grand
0:10:37 > 0:10:41and very opulent, that was just showing off Bradford's wealth.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Bradford City Hall really is an example
0:10:44 > 0:10:47of the city's boom time during the 18th and 19th century.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52At the time when it was built, Bradford's population was rocketing.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56It was a successful and thriving city.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59But, unfortunately, that brought its own problems,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01with an increase in crime.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03To help deal with this rise of delinquents,
0:11:03 > 0:11:09within City Hall a police station, prison and court room were built.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13For 100 years, these cells were used to hold prisoners awaiting trial.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17There is no restoration going on here, as it's now a museum,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20and looks just as it did when it closed in 1974.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29However, for those not banged up in prison, things were looking good.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35This was the time of England's Industrial Revolution,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37and Bradford became a major player
0:11:37 > 0:11:39due to its lucrative textile and coal trade,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43spurred by the city's cutting-edge canal and locks system.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46When roads were just emerging,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49and pack horses were the only means of transport,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52these wonderful waterways played a vital role
0:11:52 > 0:11:54in Britain's industrial growth.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00- Hello, Liz! - Hi!- Hello, nice to see you!
0:12:00 > 0:12:02- How are you? - I'm very well, thank you.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05'Historian Liz McIvor is going to give me an insight
0:12:05 > 0:12:08'into the Leeds and Liverpool canal system,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11'and the extraordinary Bingley Five-Rise locks.'
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Well, it was the canals that was the lifeblood
0:12:13 > 0:12:16that gave Bradford its prosperity, wasn't it?
0:12:16 > 0:12:20It was, and it is partly due to the fact that Bradford was based on coal
0:12:20 > 0:12:23and iron beds in the south part of what's now the city.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28And what basically prompted industrialists to build this canal.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30It's locks like the Bingley five, you know,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33it's how you get the canal over a hill.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35That's right. This is the steepest on the system.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37It's a 1 in 5 gradient.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39So it's really, it's an incredible feat of engineering.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Amazing engineering, isn't it?
0:12:41 > 0:12:45- What were the barges carrying? - Mainly, it was coal and limestone.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47- Yes.- Of course, there were other goods as well.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50There was wheat and later on, for sweet factories in York,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53there was chocolate and cocoa beans, things like that.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56But the majority of the trade came from coal.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Yes. I remember reading somewhere
0:12:58 > 0:13:00that there were 3,000 miles of navigable canals.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Yes, and of course, a branch canal
0:13:02 > 0:13:04off the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- led right into the city centre of Bradford.- Right!
0:13:07 > 0:13:11So really, you could get from this canal right to the city centre,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14which of course explains why we have the prosperity
0:13:14 > 0:13:17and that fabulous civic building that we're trying to restore!
0:13:17 > 0:13:19I think we've got a queue coming up there.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Shall we see if we can do this without causing chaos?
0:13:22 > 0:13:23We'll have a go.
0:13:27 > 0:13:28I'm a bit of a canal geek.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31This, for me, is real boating.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35I love the lock system, I love the waterways of Britain.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37It is the heart, it's the capillaries,
0:13:37 > 0:13:39the lifeblood of the UK! So there you go.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44'Now, there's a skill to this.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46'Lucky I've done this before, eh?'
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Right, so this bit, the first lock.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50The bridge is opened.
0:13:50 > 0:13:51The boat coming in.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53You open the locks like this.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56You use your back like this, as navvies have done for centuries,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58thus enabling the boats to come in.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Now, the boats will go moor up there.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03So what we do is, when the boats are in,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06our job is to shut the gates behind them.
0:14:06 > 0:14:07There's a logic to this.
0:14:11 > 0:14:12Sometimes, the gates...
0:14:14 > 0:14:16..can be heavy!
0:14:16 > 0:14:19It doesn't half give you an appetite for your bacon sarnie!
0:14:19 > 0:14:20You all right, Liz?
0:14:20 > 0:14:22OK, thanks!
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Wake you up in the morning!
0:14:26 > 0:14:29So what we do is, we put the handle in.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32Now there's sometimes a safety thingy.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Oh, it's off. Then we start winding this up.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39And there'll be all sorts of a kerfuffle going on down there,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42as the water comes out into the lower lock.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Look at that - it's like the gates of Mordor!
0:14:46 > 0:14:50'The Bingley Five-Rise locks opened in 1774,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52'and were built by John Longbottom,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55'first engineer of the Leeds and Liverpool canal company.
0:14:55 > 0:14:56'It's a staircase lock,
0:14:56 > 0:15:00'in which boats are lifted or lowered through five stages.'
0:15:00 > 0:15:03You could drop like 50 tonnes of boat and coal
0:15:03 > 0:15:08off the top of what is effectively a 12-storey building.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10That's really, really clever engineering!
0:15:11 > 0:15:15Come on, Liz! Got more muscles in me spit!
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- I can't go any more.- Such was the life of a bargee's wife!
0:15:18 > 0:15:22- Who's to say I wouldn't be the bargee?- Eh?
0:15:22 > 0:15:23Oh, not in those days!
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Oh, good grief! You're miles off suffrage yet.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31'In all fairness to Liz, this is tough work.
0:15:32 > 0:15:33'But, in the 18th century,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36'the Bingley Five-Rise was such a major feat of engineering
0:15:36 > 0:15:41'that over 30,000 people turned out to celebrate its opening.'
0:15:41 > 0:15:43One down, another four to go!
0:15:47 > 0:15:48It keeps you fit.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56Liz, obviously we're going downhill. We're using so much water as we go.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Where's all that water coming from?
0:15:58 > 0:16:00If you need water to go up and down a hill,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03you're going to need to supplement it with reservoirs,
0:16:03 > 0:16:04man-made reservoirs.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08And often on the tops of hills, you see what look like lakes.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09And they're not lakes,
0:16:09 > 0:16:13they have been dug out specifically to provide the canals with water.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15And it was especially important as well
0:16:15 > 0:16:17not to flood any farmers' lands.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19So you had to make sure that, when you come through,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22you set the lock properly at the right levels,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24because you need water to go somewhere
0:16:24 > 0:16:26when you get rid of it from an upper chamber.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28And the same is true for not running the lock dry.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36I feel quite a sense of achievement now, don't you?
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Well, especially as we didn't break the locks, so...
0:16:39 > 0:16:42No, we didn't break our locks. We didn't damage a boat.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46We have transported, the pair of us, possibly 50 tonnes of boat.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49At the equivalent of a 12-storey building, from top to bottom.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51I think we've earned a cup of tea!
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- Yeah, I think so too. - You need a laundry as well.- Cheers.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57It's incredible to learn how clever engineering
0:16:57 > 0:16:59played such a role in Bradford's wealth,
0:16:59 > 0:17:03enabling them to afford a building as opulent as City Hall.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Standing for almost 150 years,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10it's no wonder that most of its grand statues
0:17:10 > 0:17:12have taken a bit of a beating.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17- Boo! How do, Adam.- Hello. - Are you all right?
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Yeah, I'm all right, how are you?
0:17:19 > 0:17:21This is just the most wonderful experience.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Isn't it amazing to think that we can get up like this,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27up so close to the sculptures and the public just rarely see them,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29- they just glance up? - Yeah. Definitely.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32This is you work you're doing today, repairing these pieces?
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Yeah, this is a pendentive canopy.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38If the stone was to be done from new,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40it would probably take about seven months.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Good grief! Do you worry it's a different colour?
0:17:43 > 0:17:45No, cos it will weather.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49Give it a year, and it'll be blended right in.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52You won't notice, especially from the ground.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55'And it seems lads' humour hasn't changed much
0:17:55 > 0:17:56'since the Victorian days.'
0:17:56 > 0:17:59You know, I've heard about the mason's mark -
0:17:59 > 0:18:02the masons put their own little mark on, in perpetuity.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04A bit of history left.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Do you find anything else peculiar up here?
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Yeah, on this building there's about three or four kings that,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12they're holding sceptres.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16- Yes.- And the end of the sceptres
0:18:16 > 0:18:20- have been deliberately shaped as willies.- No!
0:18:20 > 0:18:22I don't understand...
0:18:22 > 0:18:25I have a theory that someone's not been paid correctly,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28so before they've sent the carving to site,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30which has obviously taken months,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33they've just put a finishing touch on there.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36So they thought, "I'm not having this," and put a willy in there!
0:18:36 > 0:18:39- So the willy's been there for 100 and odd years!- Yeah, yeah.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Good grief! Do you know,
0:18:41 > 0:18:46that's the sort of thing that my mate, Si King, would do.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50There's all sorts of members of the anatomy that are carved into things,
0:18:50 > 0:18:54and various hand gestures and things like that that you'll see.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58'It's tradition that each stonemason has his own mark,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00'which he carves into his work.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02'Historically, it was a manager's way
0:19:02 > 0:19:05'of knowing what job the tradesman had done.'
0:19:05 > 0:19:07It can be as complicated as you want.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12I suppose if you've done loads of stones, you don't want to be...
0:19:12 > 0:19:15- ML.- All right, ML! I'm doing a Dave.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18D. But I'm in trouble going around corners.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23There you are!
0:19:23 > 0:19:26See, it's like a smiley face, a robot with a crooked smile.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28I do that on every piece of masonry that I chip.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33'There's intricate work to complete on these former beauties.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36'And I hear there's a real artist on site.'
0:19:36 > 0:19:39- Oh, wow.- This extremely talented man
0:19:39 > 0:19:40is Jan, our on-site carver.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43- Hello, Jan!- Hello!
0:19:43 > 0:19:45And he's replacing the face
0:19:45 > 0:19:47of King Stephen, here.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51Yeah, because it's quite badly degraded down there on the chin.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Yeah, I mean, it's only a matter of time before that falls off.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57You know, when you think about builders and building sites
0:19:57 > 0:19:58and scaffold.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01I mean, this is an artist's studio in the sky.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Yeah, it's a craft.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07We're replacing everything as close as possible
0:20:07 > 0:20:08to what was originally here.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12Is that what this structure is that's around the head?
0:20:12 > 0:20:13Yeah, this is a pointing machine.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15This is to gauge depth.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19- Right.- So, if you look at all those marks on his face...
0:20:19 > 0:20:21- The blue dots?- The blue dots.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24What he's done is, he's replicated that exactly
0:20:24 > 0:20:25on to that stone there.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28So, King Stephen. I mean, not only will he have a new face,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32it will be the same face as he had when he was built?
0:20:32 > 0:20:34Yes, yes, it will be.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36That's wonderful. The attention to detail's incredible.
0:20:38 > 0:20:43'Jan has been a mason for 30 years, and is a trained master sculptor.'
0:20:43 > 0:20:45So, Jan, how long would it take you to do?
0:20:48 > 0:20:50It is about one month.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52- Gosh!- He's a man who's worth following around.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54- He's a very good teacher as well, so...- Yeah?
0:20:54 > 0:20:56..I try and stay close to him when I'm on site.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58- You learned a lot?- Yeah, a lot.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02The lavish craftsmanship of City Hall
0:21:02 > 0:21:07illustrates just how successful Bradford was in the 19th century.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10But its thriving industry needed a workforce.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Attracted by Bradford's prosperity in the 1800s,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17German and Irish immigrants flocked to the city,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20finding work in the numerous textile mills.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24Bradford's a city which has been built on waves of migration
0:21:24 > 0:21:26over the decades, actually.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29So the mills that you see in Bradford,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32those were German emigres coming to this country,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34building woollen textile mills.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42The 1950s and '60s saw a second wave of immigrant workers -
0:21:42 > 0:21:44this time, from India and Pakistan -
0:21:44 > 0:21:47and they, too, were attracted by the work opportunities
0:21:47 > 0:21:49in the textile factories.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54As the immigrants came and settled,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57they actually brought their food and culture with them.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04It wasn't long before the Asian migrants opened their own cafes,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07serving up traditional food and sweets.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10And the Sweet Centre was Bradford's first.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Set up in 1964 by two brothers from Kashmir,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18they created a home away from home, serving authentic curry.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23Today, there are over 200 restaurants, and each year,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25City Hall supports the Bradford Curry Festival.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28It's their biggest event,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30and Bradford's been voted the UK's curry capital
0:22:30 > 0:22:32for the fifth year running.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Back at City Hall, another key job for the builders is not just
0:22:41 > 0:22:46complicated masonry work, but also giving this place a good old wash.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Over the years, it's absorbed all sorts of dirt -
0:22:52 > 0:22:56traffic pollutants, acid rain, and even bird droppings -
0:22:56 > 0:22:58and it's in desperate need of a good clean.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01This is where I come in handy!
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Do you want a building that's full of 200 years
0:23:05 > 0:23:06of northern grime and grit?
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Look at that! Green, dirt, sooty!
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Yuck! You need Scrub It Off Dave!
0:23:15 > 0:23:18The City Hall bell tower stands 67 metres off the ground
0:23:18 > 0:23:21and Joe's been given the job to give it a scrub.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23How do, Joe? What are you up to?
0:23:23 > 0:23:26We're just doing a test sample clean on the tower.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28That's going to be beautiful. It's funny, though,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31I can't get over the size and scale of this building.
0:23:31 > 0:23:32It is, well, it's proper Gothic, isn't it?
0:23:32 > 0:23:35- Very, yeah.- How do you go about giving it a shampoo?
0:23:35 > 0:23:36It's just a case of starting at the top
0:23:36 > 0:23:38and working your way down, really.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41In the words of Cher, if you can turn back time
0:23:41 > 0:23:43and I can find a place,
0:23:43 > 0:23:45we've got a chance of getting it clean, Joe!
0:23:45 > 0:23:47- Would you like a go? - I'd love a shot!
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Better stand back. I'll blow me wig off!
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Whoa!
0:23:52 > 0:23:54There's a sense of vertigo, actually.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Now, I'm not too close, cos I don't want to damage the stonework.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Just work it left to right. Nice, smooth.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05'Pollution has weakened the stone.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07'So it's unbelievably fragile,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10'which is why Joe is using boiling hot water to wash it.'
0:24:10 > 0:24:12That is incredible.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Actually, this is quite satisfying, isn't it?
0:24:16 > 0:24:19You do get instant gratification. You can see what you've done.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23'It will take Joe three weeks to clean just the tower.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27'I daren't even ask how long for the whole of the building!'
0:24:37 > 0:24:39At the very top of City Hall,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42and taking pride of place just beneath the clock tower,
0:24:42 > 0:24:46stands a glorious five-foot angel made of sandstone.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48And she's in need of a bit of TLC.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56During the restoration of City Hall's magnificent angel statue,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59a specialist decided that something was missing.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Anyway, a person at the council went through the archives
0:25:02 > 0:25:04and found out something was missing, indeed.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08It should have had a horn, a bit like a trumpet.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Now, Bradford City Council want to give the angel back her horn.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14So a template has been made in wood,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18and local conservator Pam Keeton has the job of making a shiny new horn.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21We're going to use a technique called oil gilding today.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27Gold's going to be used because it's a beautiful, soft, malleable metal.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31It's not going to change colour, corrode, tarnish in any way,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33so it doesn't need to be varnished.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37Once the gold's hard and dry, it's going to stay bright for centuries.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Now the horn's finished, set and dried,
0:25:41 > 0:25:45I get the honour of help putting it back in place with the angel,
0:25:45 > 0:25:46where it belongs.
0:25:49 > 0:25:50This is very high.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59This is very exciting, if little bit scary, really!
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Because we are very high up, Jamie.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04- Yeah.- Anyway, I've got the horn.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08- And I've got the glue.- Excellent. Shall we?- Let's do it!
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Right. This is very, very precious. It's been made, it's been gilded.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14I'll take this. I'm just desperate not to...
0:26:14 > 0:26:15Not to break it.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Look at that, it's beautiful!
0:26:17 > 0:26:21This horn will sound over Bradford the next 150 years.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Hopefully, yeah. Shall we try this, then?
0:26:23 > 0:26:24- Oh, fingers crossed.- Get it in here.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28It's more like an episode of Casualty than Hairy Builder!
0:26:28 > 0:26:30- It's like a small operation.- It is.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36There we go, that's probably enough in there.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38- That's why the tape's there.- Yeah.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40And then... quickly before it goes off.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42- Over to you, Maestro.- Thank you.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52And of course, the resin will grip onto the threads.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54- That's it.- Yeah.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55You know, there's not many people
0:26:55 > 0:26:57who get the privilege of standing here,
0:26:57 > 0:26:59up so close and personal,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02in what is quite a momentous occasion.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05I'm going to look up and say, "I was there!"
0:27:05 > 0:27:06"What do you mean, you were up there?"
0:27:06 > 0:27:10"Yeah, I was! I helped give the angel its horn back."
0:27:13 > 0:27:14Bit on your chin, love.
0:27:16 > 0:27:17Beautiful.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20What do you think she'd say to us if she could speak?
0:27:20 > 0:27:22She doesn't speak. I've been up here ages,
0:27:22 > 0:27:23and I've not heard her say a word.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24I'd be very worried if I heard her!
0:27:24 > 0:27:28You'd mess yourself, wouldn't you, if you were up here on your own.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32This beautiful angel sits proudly in front of the bell tower.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Its 13 bells ring every 15 minutes,
0:27:35 > 0:27:37and can be programmed by computer
0:27:37 > 0:27:40to play pretty much any song you fancy.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44And I put in my request to send me on my way.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48The kings and queens have had a face-lift!
0:27:48 > 0:27:49The tower's had a scrub!
0:27:49 > 0:27:51The angel's got her horn back!
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Now it's time to sound the bells of Bradford.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00BELLS PLAY "BRING ME SUNSHINE"
0:28:06 > 0:28:08'Next time, I'll be at Lambeth Palace,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11'discovering the human side of our greatest kings and queens.'
0:28:11 > 0:28:12Richard III's put his own birthday.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15Who hasn't done that on the calendar at home,
0:28:15 > 0:28:17just to remind the others when's my birthday!
0:28:17 > 0:28:19'Indulging in some Thames-side time travel.'
0:28:19 > 0:28:21I always quite liked this little item.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24This is like the top of a sceptre, but this was found near to here.
0:28:24 > 0:28:25It's got some age to it, hasn't it?
0:28:25 > 0:28:28'And preparing for a very special topping-out ceremony.'
0:28:28 > 0:28:30It's going to look brilliant, isn't it?
0:28:30 > 0:28:32It really is the icing on the cake.