0:00:08 > 0:00:12Waterloo Bridge at sunset. It has some of the best views in London.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16MUSIC: "Waterloo Sunset" by The Kinks
0:00:18 > 0:00:22And today's Songs Of Praise is all about the things that happen
0:00:22 > 0:00:25after the sun's gone down, and I'll be staying up all night,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29meeting the people who work whilst most of us are fast asleep.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35There are the Street Angels watching over Bedford's clubbers,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38the chaplains helping truck drivers through the night.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41I'll also be travelling down the Thames to find out why
0:00:41 > 0:00:45the river has never been safer, and we'll have inspiring hymns
0:00:45 > 0:00:47and performances with a night-time theme.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Once night has fallen, most of us look forward
0:01:00 > 0:01:02to snuggling up in warm, cosy beds.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05But for many, the day is just beginning.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08In fact, it's reckoned that over four million of us
0:01:08 > 0:01:10work anti-social hours.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Leisure, health, transport, manufacturing -
0:01:13 > 0:01:17all depend on night-time workers to keep going.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Without night-time workers,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22a lot of these services would just grind to a halt.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27Now, our first hymn today on Songs Of Praise is usually
0:01:27 > 0:01:29sung at the end of the programme,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31but today it seems appropriate to have it at the beginning.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11The last shoppers have headed home
0:04:11 > 0:04:15and the streets are filling up with people looking for fun.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17The police will be working through the night to prevent crime
0:04:17 > 0:04:19and in many towns and cities,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Christian volunteers will be on the streets mingling with
0:04:22 > 0:04:26the clubbers, keeping an eye out for anybody who needs help.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29They are called Street Angels.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32I went to Bedford on a typical Saturday night to find out
0:04:32 > 0:04:37how a tragedy was the catalyst to forming the Bedford Street Angels.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Robert Gill was just 17 when he said goodnight to his parents
0:04:41 > 0:04:46and headed into Bedford town centre for a night out with friends.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49We weren't expecting him back until the next day.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52He was with people we trusted
0:04:52 > 0:04:55and they ended up going to a club in Bedford.
0:04:57 > 0:05:02In the club they got separated and Robert was sick without
0:05:02 > 0:05:07the support of a friend there and got asked to leave the club.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12And the people he was with waited outside, looking for him
0:05:12 > 0:05:14till three o'clock in the morning.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18But he'd been taken by three youths
0:05:18 > 0:05:22and we saw on CCTV eventually that they walked him through
0:05:22 > 0:05:28the town to the ATMs and they eventually went out of sight
0:05:28 > 0:05:30at one of the Bedford bridges
0:05:30 > 0:05:32and he was found in the river...
0:05:34 > 0:05:38- ..nearly a week...- Nearly a week later.- Nearly a week later.- Yes.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Your child dying is a worst-case scenario
0:05:41 > 0:05:44and then to know that actually, somebody else took their life...
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- Yeah.- Yeah.- That's beyond your worst nightmare.- Mm.- Yes.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51As Christians, we're told that we should forgive.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55Is it actually possible to do that in a situation like this?
0:05:55 > 0:05:59I just knew - we knew - that we had to forgive
0:05:59 > 0:06:03and we took that stand right from the start and somehow,
0:06:03 > 0:06:07God has given us the strength and the grace to stand by that.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10There is nothing that we could be angry about and do to them
0:06:10 > 0:06:15that would be worse than what they had done to themselves, in a sense.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21Has there been anything redeeming about this situation?
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Er, Street Angels starting in Bedford.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29There had already been people looking into whether
0:06:29 > 0:06:33something could be done in the town centre because there were problems.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37What had happened to Robert - that kind of galvanised things
0:06:37 > 0:06:41and fairly soon afterwards, the decision was made to
0:06:41 > 0:06:46go for Street Angels as an organisation and we were invited to
0:06:46 > 0:06:51become part of that and we were part of that from the very early stages.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55What we do specifically is to be out on the streets of Bedford
0:06:55 > 0:06:59on Saturday nights and we're there for people who have become
0:06:59 > 0:07:02vulnerable through drinking too much.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07We're there to support them and help them and help them to keep safe.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11Sometimes it's just as simple as somebody needing a drink of water.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14They become dehydrated through drinking too much.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Sometimes, the ladies have had too much of their high heels
0:07:18 > 0:07:20and can't manage on them any more,
0:07:20 > 0:07:24so we carry flip-flops around with us and we give those out to people.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Just, you know, we look out to keep people safe and to help them
0:07:29 > 0:07:30in whatever way we can.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07- So we're in the high street.- Yes. - I'm itching to sort of find out what you do.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08Where do you go? What do we do first?
0:10:08 > 0:10:11We'll go up the high street and see if there's anybody who
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- needs our help and just see what's happening in the town.- All right.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16- So lead the way and I'll follow you.- Yes.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21If somebody is in a state that they can't get a taxi home,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23we'll wait with them until they are able to get a taxi
0:10:23 > 0:10:27and just make sure they do get home safely.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30We have a very good working relationship with the police. They're brilliant.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34They'll call us if they see somebody who needs help and we'll go
0:10:34 > 0:10:37and be with them for as long as needed.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41There's been a couple of times when it's been a vulnerable person
0:10:41 > 0:10:45along the streets that we know Robert went along
0:10:45 > 0:10:49and we know that there's one, nothing can happen to you
0:10:49 > 0:10:51because we're out on the streets.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56So she's got somebody who is in distress?
0:10:56 > 0:11:01Yes, she's telling us that there's somebody down here that needs help.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04- The thing that we can do is mention it to CCTV.- Right.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07And they can observe.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Well, what we're seeing at the moment is typically
0:11:09 > 0:11:13what the Street Angels have to deal with on a Saturday evening.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16We were just sort of talking in the crowd with some of the revellers
0:11:16 > 0:11:17and a young lady came up to us
0:11:17 > 0:11:19and told us that we had to come down this lane
0:11:19 > 0:11:22because one of the guys in her group,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25he's actually had too much to drink.
0:11:25 > 0:11:26He's come out of the club
0:11:26 > 0:11:29and he's just passed out on the side of the street.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32We don't know quite how serious it is at the moment but it seems
0:11:32 > 0:11:34as if it's not really a great situation
0:11:34 > 0:11:36so we're just sort of standing back,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38letting the Street Angels do what they do best,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41and also, you know, praying that everything actually works out.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46They are probably the only people
0:11:46 > 0:11:48that will actually stop to help rather than...
0:11:48 > 0:11:51If public were just walking past, they'll just be,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54"It's just another drunk on the road." They'll just carry on walking
0:11:54 > 0:11:58- rather than actually stopping and being like, "Are you OK?"- Yeah.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- Exactly.- Which is what you need.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02Thankfully, he's fine now.
0:12:04 > 0:12:05I don't quite know what I expected
0:12:05 > 0:12:08when I came out on the streets with the Angels tonight.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13I certainly didn't expect it to be quite so active.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15They engage with people on so many levels.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19As we can see just over here, you know, even if it's just talking to people
0:12:19 > 0:12:22and making friends with them and for me, it's just a really
0:12:22 > 0:12:26beautiful way of seeing God's love literally in action.
0:12:29 > 0:12:36# Glory to thee my God this night
0:12:36 > 0:12:44# For all the blessings of the light
0:12:46 > 0:12:54# Keep me, O keep me, King of Kings
0:12:54 > 0:13:02# Beneath thine own almighty wings
0:13:09 > 0:13:16# Praise God from whom all blessings flow
0:13:16 > 0:13:23# Praise Him all creatures here below
0:13:23 > 0:13:30# Praise Him above angelic host
0:13:30 > 0:13:37# Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost
0:13:37 > 0:13:44# Praise God from whom all blessings flow
0:13:44 > 0:13:50# Praise Him all creatures here below
0:13:50 > 0:14:02# Praise Him above angelic host
0:14:09 > 0:14:17# Praise Him above angelic host
0:14:17 > 0:14:27# Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost
0:14:30 > 0:14:43# Amen. #
0:14:54 > 0:14:55Without ships and seafarers,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59Christianity would never have reached the shores of Britain.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05'And rivers like the Thames acted as highways as the word spread inland.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08'Today, the Thames is one of the world's busiest waterways
0:15:08 > 0:15:12'and shipping is managed by the Port of London Authority.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14'Kevin Gregory went to sea at the age of 16
0:15:14 > 0:15:18'and now he's the man responsible for making sure the river runs
0:15:18 > 0:15:21'safely and efficiently day and night.'
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Kevin, I love being on this boat at night.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25I mean, this feels really, like, romantic to me
0:15:25 > 0:15:28but there's a serious side to this, isn't there?
0:15:28 > 0:15:29Why have the boats on the river?
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Yeah, I mean the River Thames is much bigger than people think.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37It's an area of over 600 square miles of waterway and we're here to make
0:15:37 > 0:15:43sure that everyone's safe 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Millions of commuters and passengers a year use the river,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49even on an evening time such as this we've still got commuters
0:15:49 > 0:15:54going home, people coming out for receptions and parties on the river
0:15:54 > 0:15:57and we're here to keep them safe and secure wherever they want to go.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00But for the partygoers and people who are travelling
0:16:00 > 0:16:04surely around midnight or 1am, that will stop. What happens after that?
0:16:04 > 0:16:07It's natural to say that the parties stop and the commuters go home
0:16:07 > 0:16:09but the river is still very busy.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12People sometimes don't realise how reliant Londoners are
0:16:12 > 0:16:13on the River Thames.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Most of London's rubbish and garbage
0:16:16 > 0:16:19and waste leaves the city centre via river.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22All the boats need to be fuelled overnight and also most of London's
0:16:22 > 0:16:26imports come by the River Thames as well into the major docks
0:16:26 > 0:16:29in the estuary at Tilbury and in South Essex,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31so the river's busy 24 hours a day.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Now, there are certain hymns that are really associated with
0:16:34 > 0:16:38seafarers and the sea. Do you have a favourite?
0:16:38 > 0:16:42I think the hymn that most seafarers and their families relate to
0:16:42 > 0:16:45a lot is Eternal Father, Strong To Save and I think it's a real
0:16:45 > 0:16:49classic for seafarers and one which they and their families appreciate.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10So, Kevin, we're standing here on the Thames Barrier just
0:19:10 > 0:19:13outside your control room. What exactly is it that you do?
0:19:13 > 0:19:17Well, inside the control room is very similar to air traffic control
0:19:17 > 0:19:20but for ships. We're here to ensure that all the vessels
0:19:20 > 0:19:23navigating on the River Thames can navigate safely
0:19:23 > 0:19:26and efficiently to wherever they want to go.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29I think my faith is very important.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33Although subtle in its place at work, I think it does help
0:19:33 > 0:19:35in managing a large and diverse team
0:19:35 > 0:19:37'like we have in the port.'
0:19:37 > 0:19:39'It makes me very conscious of the personal stresses
0:19:39 > 0:19:43'and strains that shift work would bring, particularly when working
0:19:43 > 0:19:47'overnight and being separated from your friends and families.'
0:19:47 > 0:19:52Also working at key times of the year such as Christmas and Easter,
0:19:52 > 0:19:58or when, as happens, staff become ill, it really does help complement
0:19:58 > 0:20:02'the professional side of the job in my personal dealings with the team.'
0:22:50 > 0:22:53If you look around your room now, virtually everything you see
0:22:53 > 0:22:56will have probably at some point travelled through
0:22:56 > 0:22:58the night on the back of a lorry.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03But every trucker needs to take a break.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06And while the truckstop cafe can take care of the food,
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Glory Road wants to take care of truckers' spiritual nourishment.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14The ministry has a network of volunteers on call,
0:23:14 > 0:23:16day and night, whatever the need.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19They're OK with the driving, that's not a problem,
0:23:19 > 0:23:20but when they're alone,
0:23:20 > 0:23:24especially at night, you know, when there's no-one else around,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26the mind can take over and, you know,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29if they're suffering from depression or anything like that,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32'or they've got a problem at home, relationship problems,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35'that can really be bad for them and it's that time
0:23:35 > 0:23:39'when they need someone to be on the end of a phone for them
0:23:39 > 0:23:42'so they've got someone to call when no-one else is around.'
0:23:44 > 0:23:48An awful lot of ex-servicemen come into the driving industry
0:23:48 > 0:23:52and just recently we've been helping, over the last three and a half years,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55a Royal Marine called Karl. He phoned up
0:23:55 > 0:23:59and he said, "Look, I'm not interested in all the God stuff
0:23:59 > 0:24:02"but can you help me? I'm in a mess." I said, "Of course I can."
0:24:02 > 0:24:04And for the last three and a half years I've been helping him
0:24:04 > 0:24:08get over the effects of PTSD, you know, from the first Gulf War
0:24:08 > 0:24:12and Afghanistan and things like that.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14The main problem was
0:24:14 > 0:24:16the death of two of my mates,
0:24:16 > 0:24:20that I witnessed, that was the major problem.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27But because of that one incident, I was very aggressive.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32The aggression just built up inside me.
0:24:34 > 0:24:35I wouldn't talk.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38If anyone looked at me the wrong way,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41I wasn't a nice person to be around.
0:24:42 > 0:24:48And that led to family not wanting me around,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51friends - losing a lot of friends,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54couldn't hold a relationship,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56it was a lonely time.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00You know, Chris being an ex-truck driver,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03he knew what we were going through.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08So I came to a point in my life where I thought,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11- it is time - I- did something to change.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17I am 46 now and it has taken me a long time to realise
0:25:17 > 0:25:20you cannot say nothing. You have got to talk.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25It's the only way you will unload
0:25:25 > 0:25:28what you've built up over the years.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32'And with his help, Chris, and Debbie, my wife,'
0:25:32 > 0:25:38which I never thought would happen but it did, I like myself now.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Before, I didn't.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46And that is what we'd like to do for more people like him.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49We want them to know that we won't judge them.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52We don't have a right to judge them.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56We are here to love them as Christ loved them unconditionally.
0:26:02 > 0:26:09# Love fear not, though sad thy dreaming
0:26:09 > 0:26:16# All through the night
0:26:16 > 0:26:23# Though o'ercast bright stars are gleaming
0:26:23 > 0:26:30# All through the night
0:26:30 > 0:26:38# Joy will come to thee at morning
0:26:38 > 0:26:46# Life with sunny hopes adorning
0:26:46 > 0:26:54# Though sad dreams may give dark warning
0:26:54 > 0:27:02# All through the night
0:27:17 > 0:27:24# Angels watching close around thee
0:27:24 > 0:27:31# All through the night
0:27:31 > 0:27:38# In thy slumbers close surround thee
0:27:38 > 0:27:46# All through the night
0:27:46 > 0:27:53# They will of all fear disarm thee
0:27:53 > 0:28:01# No forebodings should alarm thee
0:28:01 > 0:28:10# They will let no peril harm thee
0:28:11 > 0:28:20# All through the night. #
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Heavenly Father, bless those who work nights,
0:28:48 > 0:28:52and help us to feel your love guiding us through the darkness.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01Grant us the strength to protect the vulnerable
0:29:01 > 0:29:05and through your love to forgive those who cause us harm.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12We thank you that you accept us where we are
0:29:12 > 0:29:14but you don't leave us there.
0:29:14 > 0:29:19Weeping may endure for a night, but your joy comes in the morning.
0:29:20 > 0:29:21Amen.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24It's nearly 4 o'clock in the morning
0:31:24 > 0:31:27and the streets are beginning to quieten down.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29Soon, the sun will be rising and many of us will be
0:31:29 > 0:31:31getting up ready to face a brand-new day.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31Now for exciting news of our next gospel choir competition.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33After the phenomenal success last year,
0:33:33 > 0:33:36we're going to do it all over again.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39If you'd like your gospel choir to be seen and heard,
0:33:39 > 0:33:41then go to our website where you will find all the details you need.
0:33:41 > 0:33:46You never know, it could be your choir lifting the trophy.