0:00:03 > 0:00:05We're right in the middle of Scotland today,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08in the lovely cathedral town of Dunblane.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15And in this week's programme,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18a unique school for the children of the military.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22How a cathedral helps you to pray.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Hymns and songs from the Dunblane congregation,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27and two very different choirs.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Look north, and we're in the Highlands.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41Look south, and it's the industrial belt.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43This is the crossroads of Scotland.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Dunblane's at a crossroads in another sense, too.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51All around it are the enduring symbols of both
0:00:51 > 0:00:54the earthly power struggles and the quiet journey of the soul
0:00:54 > 0:00:58that have played themselves out in so much of Scottish history.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Take this rather grand monument, for instance.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06It's celebrating the battles of the fighter William Wallace
0:01:06 > 0:01:10against the English, of course, in the late 13th century.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13The Battle of Bannockburn in 1314
0:01:13 > 0:01:16was provoked by a siege of Stirling Castle,
0:01:16 > 0:01:21which was the focal point of conflict between the Scots and the English for many years.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26But at the same time, a small community was growing up
0:01:26 > 0:01:28around the ancient religious settlement at Dunblane.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33Dunblane Cathedral itself dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries.
0:01:33 > 0:01:40From here, people have been looking out on the world and praising God for almost 1,000 years.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10The cathedral is named after Saint Blane, who was born on the Isle of Bute.
0:04:10 > 0:04:17There's still clear evidence of an early settlement around the church on Bute which bears his name.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21The stones in the cathedral all tell a story.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25These arches and pillars are testament
0:04:25 > 0:04:30to the 300 years of exposure to the elements when the nave had no roof.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34There are many stories told and memories honoured here,
0:04:34 > 0:04:39not least the pupils and teacher killed in the town's primary school in 1996,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43marked by this simple standing stone.
0:04:43 > 0:04:49And a century ago, when the cathedral was having a new set of windows made,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51the news that all lives had been lost
0:04:51 > 0:04:57in Captain Scott's Antarctic expedition was commemorated in stained glass.
0:04:57 > 0:05:04So this cathedral has long been a place of searching for meaning and for God in difficult times.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Queen Victoria School in Dunblane is the UK's only boarding school
0:07:36 > 0:07:39for children from services families.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45Built in memory of those who were killed in the Boer War,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48it was paid for by soldiers at the time, each giving a day's pay.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53The great thing that we provide for our families
0:07:53 > 0:07:56is stability and continuity of education for their children.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Because if our families weren't sending their children to us,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01their children would be moving around with them.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04My parents move around every two years,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07so I keep on having to make new friends.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10One, two!
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Everyone comes from the same family, everyone's military organised,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16so everyone knows what everyone's like. You're all in the same boat.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19It can be difficult at times.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22There's been situations where pupils' parents have been
0:08:22 > 0:08:24involved in something out there,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27and the school just all pulls together as one.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32'It's really quite amazing to see how much everybody
0:08:32 > 0:08:34'is just there for each other.'
0:08:34 > 0:08:37It doesn't matter whether your dad's, like, really far away,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40or whether you just haven't seen him in a little while
0:08:40 > 0:08:43and he's just come back. You've all experienced the same sort of thing.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46It's the old story. If you've walked a mile in the person's shoes,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48it just makes it much more easy to be empathic,
0:08:48 > 0:08:50and that's what our children are with each other,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53and that's a great strength of our pupils.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Well done, James.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06I think the opportunities you get,
0:09:06 > 0:09:10such as the Combined Cadet Force and the Duke of Edinburgh,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14and the pipe band and dancing are amazing opportunities for people.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16It's unbelievable.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22All our children come from a family where at least one member of the family is serving,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24so they all know what it's like.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27We have a peer support system in each of the boarding houses
0:09:27 > 0:09:33where the senior pupils in houses take up more of a kind of brotherly role or sisterly role.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Everybody's working closely with each other,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39so the seniors will put the junior year groups to bed.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42So in that sense it's more like the older sister
0:09:42 > 0:09:45and the younger brother role model.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50The younger pupils are aware of who to talk to, and our doors are always open.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53They can just come, have a chat with us, we'll talk about a few things.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57We're just here to, you know, put a little comfort into their hearts.
0:09:58 > 0:10:04The children know they can get access to e-mail facilities and telephone facilities
0:10:04 > 0:10:08so that if dad's phoning from Afghanistan and it's going to be at 8:15 on Friday morning
0:10:08 > 0:10:13cos that's his slot, we make sure that the child can be in the office to take that phone call,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16because that's essentially so important for them
0:10:16 > 0:10:18to know that they can talk to dad, and that dad's OK.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23When you leave, if you came in primary seven
0:10:23 > 0:10:25you would have been with the same people for seven years,
0:10:25 > 0:10:28so you know them pretty, pretty well.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32- And you make friends really easily, cos you're always... - You're all in the same situation.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34..Like, around people.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38The bonds that you make with people are really...
0:10:38 > 0:10:40I don't think you get that at a normal school,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43because you're here all the time with people, and it really is a home from home.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45It's sort of like a sleepover every night,
0:10:45 > 0:10:47cos you're with your friends a lot.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49The friends you meet here are your friends for life.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52It's basically a family for your time here.
0:10:58 > 0:11:06# I will sing with the spirit
0:11:06 > 0:11:12# I will sing with the spirit
0:11:12 > 0:11:16# Hallelujah, hallelujah
0:11:16 > 0:11:19# Hallelujah, hallelujah
0:11:19 > 0:11:26# Hallelujah, hallelujah Hallelujah
0:11:26 > 0:11:33# I will sing with the spirit
0:11:33 > 0:11:40# I will sing with the spirit
0:11:40 > 0:11:43# Hallelujah, hallelujah
0:11:43 > 0:11:46# Hallelujah, hallelujah
0:11:46 > 0:11:50# Hallelujah, hallelujah
0:11:50 > 0:11:56# Hallelujah, hallelujah
0:12:03 > 0:12:09# And I will sing with the understanding also
0:12:09 > 0:12:13# Hallelujah, hallelujah
0:12:13 > 0:12:19# And I will sing with the understanding also
0:12:19 > 0:12:24# Hallelujah, hallelujah
0:12:24 > 0:12:29# And I will sing with the understanding also
0:12:29 > 0:12:32# Hallelujah, hallelujah
0:12:32 > 0:12:37# Hallelujah
0:12:46 > 0:12:52- # I will sing with the spirit - Sing hallelujah
0:12:52 > 0:12:58- # Sing with the spirit - Hallelujah with the spirit
0:12:58 > 0:13:02# Hallelujah, hallelujah
0:13:02 > 0:13:05# Hallelujah, hallelujah
0:13:05 > 0:13:09# Hallelujah, hallelujah
0:13:09 > 0:13:15# Hallelujah, hallelujah
0:13:17 > 0:13:21# Hallelujah
0:13:21 > 0:13:29# Hallelujah. #
0:13:39 > 0:13:4316 years ago, Andrew and Rebecca Wright adopted their twin sons,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46David and Billy.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48They wanted a service to mark the event,
0:13:48 > 0:13:53but they also wanted it to reflect the day-to-day life of their new family.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57They asked cathedral member Ruth Burgess to write a service for them.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00After the boys were adopted, they decided they wanted to have
0:14:00 > 0:14:03a service of thanksgiving in the church for that,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07and we tried to leave gaps in it
0:14:07 > 0:14:10so that the boys' interests could come into it.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14So I remember writing one prayer that was about steam engines,
0:14:14 > 0:14:16because I knew the whole family was into steam engines,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19but I also suggested one of the things we might be thankful for
0:14:19 > 0:14:22was Smarties, cos of the "S" and the alliteration,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24and what they came back with was stones
0:14:24 > 0:14:26because that's what they liked collecting,
0:14:26 > 0:14:31so we had a prayer thanking God for stones and for steam engines.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35'So what about the thousands of visitors to Dunblane Cathedral?
0:14:35 > 0:14:40'They may want to pray, perhaps for the first time. How do they start?'
0:14:40 > 0:14:44It says here, "Put your hands on the communion table."
0:14:44 > 0:14:51Yes, because for some people praying is good if it has something physical to do with it,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54so putting your hands down, for some people helps them to think.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58For some people closing your eyes helps, for some people doing something helps when you pray.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04These were cards that were there for visitors to use who came into the cathedral
0:15:04 > 0:15:08that looked at specific things within the cathedral
0:15:08 > 0:15:11and then suggested prayers, Bible readings.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Because not everybody who comes into the cathedral
0:15:14 > 0:15:17is going to come in from a Christian background,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20so sometimes the language of prayer isn't appropriate
0:15:20 > 0:15:23so we wanted to put in things that we felt most people could share in.
0:15:23 > 0:15:28'Another card is inspired by Captain Scott's Antarctic expedition.'
0:15:28 > 0:15:31On the card that's connected with this window, we encourage people
0:15:31 > 0:15:35to think about their best journey, and to think about their worst journey,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38and maybe to walk around the cathedral while they're doing that.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Although no journey they think of could possibly have been as bad as that one, eh?
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Hopefully not, no.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46And maybe... I think the other thing on the card we encourage people to think about
0:15:46 > 0:15:50is to think about or to pray for someone who's having a difficult journey.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Sometimes I think about something and then I have to let it
0:15:54 > 0:15:57wander round my brain for a couple of days before it actually goes down onto paper.
0:15:57 > 0:16:02But certainly, seeing God in nature and in creation and in other people
0:16:02 > 0:16:05is part of who I am and what I believe,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09and I also believe that the stuff that we use in churches should reflect
0:16:09 > 0:16:12the concerns of the people in the pews as well as the people in the pulpit.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29# Be still for the presence of the Lord
0:16:29 > 0:16:33# The holy one is here
0:16:35 > 0:16:46# Come bow before him now with reverence and fear
0:16:46 > 0:16:52# In him no sin is found
0:16:52 > 0:16:57# We stand on holy ground
0:16:57 > 0:17:02# Be still for the presence of the Lord
0:17:02 > 0:17:07# The holy one is here
0:17:08 > 0:17:13# Be still for the glory of the Lord
0:17:13 > 0:17:20- # Glory, shining, be still - Is shining all around
0:17:20 > 0:17:24# He burns with holy fire
0:17:24 > 0:17:31# With splendour he is crowned
0:17:31 > 0:17:36# How awesome is the sight
0:17:36 > 0:17:42- # Our radiant king of light - King of light
0:17:42 > 0:17:46# Be still for the glory of the Lord
0:17:46 > 0:17:52# Is shining all around
0:17:53 > 0:17:58# Be still for the power of the Lord
0:17:58 > 0:18:04- # Is moving in this place - Be still
0:18:04 > 0:18:09# He comes to cleanse and heal
0:18:09 > 0:18:14- # To minister his grace - Minister his grace
0:18:16 > 0:18:21# No work too hard for him
0:18:21 > 0:18:26- # In faith receive from him - Receive from him
0:18:26 > 0:18:31# Be still for the power of the Lord
0:18:31 > 0:18:35# Is moving in this place
0:18:38 > 0:18:43# How awesome is the sight
0:18:43 > 0:18:48# Our radiant king of light
0:18:48 > 0:18:54# Be still for the presence of the Lord
0:18:54 > 0:19:03# The holy one is here. #
0:19:07 > 0:19:11Stirling University was founded in 1967.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Seven years later, Nick Price came to teach.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19I spent 26 very happy years here working my way up from lecturer
0:19:19 > 0:19:22eventually to being a professor of biochemistry.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26As a place to grow up, as a place to have a family,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30as a place to live, and indeed a place to go running around here,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34it was just a wonderful place. I had very happy times here.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39Now, in 2004 your family suffered a terrible tragedy.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43You lost your middle daughter, Rebekah.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45It was January the 14th in 2004.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48I came back to get a phone call, the kind of phone call
0:19:48 > 0:19:51that's every parent's worst nightmare,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54because we got the news that our daughter, Rebekah,
0:19:54 > 0:19:59had been knocked off her bike on her way to work.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04And after a week of keeping a vigil, she died.
0:20:06 > 0:20:13And I think that as a family it just knocked us sideways.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18But each day the post would bring more and more letters and cards,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21not just ones saying how sorry people were,
0:20:21 > 0:20:25but people really telling stories about how Rebekah
0:20:25 > 0:20:28had meant so much to them, how Rebekah had led them to faith,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32how Rebekah had a faith they envied,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36and I think it just bowled us over.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39For her funeral service,
0:20:39 > 0:20:44we decided that we'd use this as a picture for a front cover.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48It was just after she'd received her DPhil in Oxford in biochemistry,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51and it shows really a great sense of fun.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57Well, I think the overall message that came across from the funeral,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01the memorial service, that we really wanted to convey was that
0:21:01 > 0:21:05there was no way in which you could use the word waste,
0:21:05 > 0:21:10that she had actually achieved so much, and still continues to achieve
0:21:10 > 0:21:13through the effect she's had on other people.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18God has a plan for all of us.
0:21:18 > 0:21:23I think it's a bit like a ship or a boat
0:21:23 > 0:21:26that suddenly encounters a storm and is blown off course.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28And you're left thinking,
0:21:28 > 0:21:33"Well, do I just go further and further off course?"
0:21:33 > 0:21:37Or do you feel that there's something pulling you back onto the right course?
0:21:37 > 0:21:42And I felt that, rather than, as I say, drifting further and further off course,
0:21:42 > 0:21:46being angry or destructive about it, you know,
0:21:46 > 0:21:53I like to see the way that you can get back onto course and can orient your life in a different way.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56And the way that, in fact, you went on to orientate your life
0:21:56 > 0:21:59was to become a lay reader in the church.
0:21:59 > 0:22:05I've met ministers, actually, in the church who have suffered a similar tragedy
0:22:05 > 0:22:09and have lost their faith, and yet in your case it seems to have been
0:22:09 > 0:22:11almost affirmed in quite a dramatic way.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14I think what it's taught me, really,
0:22:14 > 0:22:19is that providence isn't something that you can put coins into a slot machine
0:22:19 > 0:22:23and get something out, but you see with the benefit of hindsight,
0:22:23 > 0:22:30looking back, you see that God was caring for us perhaps in other ways.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37In the shadow of Stirling Castle, one of the country's
0:24:37 > 0:24:42more difficult housing schemes is being transformed.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46In the middle of it is the Salvation Army, providing, as ever, practical support.
0:24:47 > 0:24:52We have drug workers here, we have alcohol workers,
0:24:52 > 0:24:57we work with a doctor who comes in and uses the premises,
0:24:57 > 0:25:02we have a podiatrist, and we also have a dentist on hand,
0:25:02 > 0:25:07because often with our clients, when they're getting off drugs they've got problems with their teeth.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10If they can get their teeth sorted, it makes a big difference,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13gives them a right good boost to their morale and confidence.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16One of the more controversial services you offer here
0:25:16 > 0:25:18is the needle exchange for drug addicts.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Now, what's the thinking behind providing that facility?
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Well, the needle exchange came about because at that time
0:25:26 > 0:25:31a lot of people were reusing old needles or other people's needles,
0:25:31 > 0:25:35and we came to the decision that to preserve life
0:25:35 > 0:25:41and to stop cross-infection with HIV and hepatitis,
0:25:41 > 0:25:46it would be better if we could engage with a service who provided clean needles.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48So when somebody comes in to receive their needles,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52the drug worker will try and talk them into using other methods
0:25:52 > 0:25:59that doesn't include injecting, but the needles are there to pass on if they're continuing to inject,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01to keep them safe to a certain degree.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06I think as Christians we've got to give a helping hand in a very practical way.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10And we see that as a practical way of helping people stay alive
0:26:10 > 0:26:14until they are at the right place in life to change.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19What experiences from your own past do you find most useful?
0:26:19 > 0:26:25I was a heavy drinker myself, and I can often draw on that.
0:26:25 > 0:26:31And also, being amongst drinkers, knowing how to handle them, as well.
0:26:31 > 0:26:37Because often it's the first approach to somebody can make the difference.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41If you speak to them the wrong way you can inflare a situation,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44where, if you go about it maybe a jokey way,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47you can get your point over without causing them
0:26:47 > 0:26:50to turn violent or go off on one.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Some of them are just looking for guidance.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58They like boundaries, they like to know where they can't cross the line,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01so they sometimes need that, and they respect that.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Why do you do what you do?
0:27:04 > 0:27:09It's our calling as Christians to help those who are less fortunate,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11those who are struggling in life.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15And who are we to judge why they're there or how they got there?
0:27:15 > 0:27:19We're just there to try and help them turn the corner
0:27:19 > 0:27:23and improve their lives from where they are.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47Bless us, God, with saints to tell us stories...
0:29:47 > 0:29:50..with angels to surprise us...
0:29:50 > 0:29:52..with friends along the way.
0:29:52 > 0:29:57Bless us, God, with strength and joy and courage...
0:29:57 > 0:30:02..all the length and breadth of our nights and days.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06BELLS CHIME
0:33:18 > 0:33:20And so it's goodbye from Dunblane.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24Next week, Aled stops off at St Pancras station in London,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27one of the busiest train stations in the land.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30He meets two chaps who spend most days just talking to people,
0:33:30 > 0:33:32someone who wouldn't work anywhere else,
0:33:32 > 0:33:34and someone who actually lives there.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37And, of course, great hymns for the journey ahead.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd