0:00:03 > 0:00:08Dover. Starting off point for millions of holiday trips.
0:00:08 > 0:00:09But 30 years ago,
0:00:09 > 0:00:13what began as a routine ferry crossing ended in tragedy.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18On the evening of the 6th of March 1987,
0:00:18 > 0:00:21the Herald of Free Enterprise had just left
0:00:21 > 0:00:23the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27She was returning here to Dover, but within minutes of setting sail,
0:00:27 > 0:00:31the ship capsized, leading to a terrible loss of life.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38193 people died as a result of the disaster and on Songs Of Praise,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42I'll be meeting those whose lives were changed forever that day.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47My immediate feeling for me was, "Oh, God. This is the end.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49"I hope it's going to be quick."
0:00:51 > 0:00:55And I accompany one survivor to see the memorial to the victims here
0:00:55 > 0:00:58in Dover for the very first time.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01I'm glad I've done this and I'm sure my family are as well.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04I'm sure they're looking down on me right now.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08And to mark the beginning of Lent, Kate Bottley sees how one artist
0:01:08 > 0:01:12is helping a village to take a fresh look at the stations of the cross.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28So we're a few days into the season of Lent
0:01:28 > 0:01:31and if you've given something up or you're taking something on,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34our opening hymn should give you strength and encouragement.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38And it's led by Keith and Kristyn Getty.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Considering the Channel is one of the busiest shipping lanes
0:04:19 > 0:04:23in the world, it remains incredibly safe to cross it by ferry.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27But, 30 years ago, it was a typically cold March night,
0:04:27 > 0:04:32around 7 o'clock, when the Herald of Free Enterprise set sail for Dover.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35She was packed with crew, lorry drivers and families,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38many of whom were returning after a day trip in Belgium.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43Within minutes of leaving the port, water rushed onto the car deck -
0:04:43 > 0:04:45the bow doors had been left open.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48It took just 90 seconds for the ship to capsize.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55In the darkness and confusion of last night, many of the survivors
0:04:55 > 0:04:58found themselves separated from their loved ones.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01The windows were underwater,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04the water burst in and the ship was in darkness.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07The sea was already inside down below.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12Clive Bush was one of the 80 crew members aboard that day.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13It was about half an hour out,
0:05:13 > 0:05:19I was in the mess, having a meal, and she started to list.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22And within seconds, she'd completely gone over.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27Within a minute, all the lights went out, it was total darkness,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31and the water just gushed in at a horrendous rate of knots.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37My immediate feeling for me was, "Oh, God, you know, this is the end.
0:05:37 > 0:05:38"I hope it's going to be quick."
0:05:40 > 0:05:43The mess was just a nightmare floating chairs and debris,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46all sorts of things, and a rope was thrown across
0:05:46 > 0:05:49and then, obviously, passengers were pulled out.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53It was a horrendous experience and, immediately after,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57I had a lot of problems. I became very angry and very guilty.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59- Why do you say guilty?- I don't know if that's strange or not.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03But the crew members who had died so young, they should have been OK
0:06:03 > 0:06:06and it should have been me. I felt guilty for quite some time.
0:06:06 > 0:06:12- To a degree, it hasn't left me totally...- Even now?- ..even now.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20When Margaret de Rohan and her husband realised that their daughter
0:06:20 > 0:06:22and son-in-law were on board the ship,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24they knew they had to travel to Belgium.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29All the police advice was not to go.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32But I had this feeling in my heart
0:06:32 > 0:06:35that she was injured in some way,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37so she couldn't say who she was.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40My husband said, "We've come a long way
0:06:40 > 0:06:45"and I know you have 16 unidentified bodies in the morgue
0:06:45 > 0:06:47"so I'd like to see them now, please."
0:06:47 > 0:06:50So he went and he was gone a long time.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53And then he came back, he bent over and kissed me on the cheek
0:06:53 > 0:06:55and said...
0:06:55 > 0:06:58"Ali's there but Francis isn't."
0:07:00 > 0:07:03So then I said I wanted to go and see her,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05and I didn't really recognise her
0:07:05 > 0:07:08because it was like all her vivaciousness,
0:07:08 > 0:07:13all her light, everything that made her who she was, was gone.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20Francis' body was found later. They'd been married just 18 months.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24How difficult was it for you to cope with what had happened?
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Oh, it was... There's no words to describe how difficult it was.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30And all the other bereaved will feel the same way.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33But a lot of people would ask, you know,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36"Where was God at 7 o'clock in Zeebrugge that night?"
0:07:36 > 0:07:42Well, God was in those 400 or so who were saved.
0:07:43 > 0:07:49Because, when the Herald of Free Enterprise began to capsize,
0:07:49 > 0:07:54it landed on a man-made sandbank,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57and that's why it didn't completely go under.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59That was by the grace of God.
0:08:01 > 0:08:07A hymn that does help was one we had at Alison's funeral,
0:08:07 > 0:08:12which is Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind, Forgive Our Foolish Ways.
0:08:12 > 0:08:17I thought of the young man who didn't close the bow doors,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19who was getting all the blame,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23all the finger-pointing was going towards him.
0:08:23 > 0:08:29I wasn't letting him off the hook in any way but I did feel his pain.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32"And reclothe us in our rightful mind,"
0:08:32 > 0:08:35and I think that helped me a great deal too.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Lent is a time when Christians prepare for Easter
0:10:43 > 0:10:45and Jesus' death and resurrection.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49And one of the ways it's marked is through the stations of the cross
0:10:49 > 0:10:53which commemorate key events on the day of Christ's crucifixion.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56A village in Derbyshire has come up with
0:10:56 > 0:11:00a different way of using those images, as Kate Bottley found out.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07The residents in Eyam are taking part
0:11:07 > 0:11:11in a nationwide initiative called the One Friday Challenge,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14where imaginative projects find new ways of retelling
0:11:14 > 0:11:17the story of Christ's passion in public places.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Even the local schoolchildren are getting involved,
0:11:22 > 0:11:24as I'll be finding out later.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31But, first, I'm taking a tour of the village with Jenny Hawk,
0:11:31 > 0:11:33who's the water-colourist responsible
0:11:33 > 0:11:36for these stunning pieces of art.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38So, Jenny, tell me about this one.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Well, the theme was betrayal
0:11:40 > 0:11:43and the obvious time for betrayal is when Judas
0:11:43 > 0:11:45greets Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, but to me,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48when Jesus handed the piece of bread and Judas took it,
0:11:48 > 0:11:49that was the sign of betrayal.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52It's such an intimate gesture, isn't it?
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Reaching out a hand towards someone else and giving someone
0:11:54 > 0:11:58something but actually we know the pain that's in that picture,
0:11:58 > 0:12:00both for Jesus and Judas.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Yes, because Jesus knew what was coming.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Jenny's works of art hang at different points of interest
0:12:06 > 0:12:10all around the village, even at the bus stop.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Jenny, this one's really striking, isn't it?
0:12:13 > 0:12:15It's called Death, tell me about it.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20To me, Death is just about something brewing and it's the resurrection,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23so, when you think all hope is lost, it's not
0:12:23 > 0:12:25and that's what faith's all about.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33- So what's this one? - This one's Powerless.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36So the point at which Jesus got handcuffs on, and I wanted his hands
0:12:36 > 0:12:40to be coming out at the viewer to show that he was willing.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43He was the one with the power and yet he was giving it up completely.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Before I started this, I was in a dry place.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52I felt I was in the desert where I was disconnected,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55I wasn't feeling anything. And having been in the church,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57brought up in the church since the age of seven,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59you go through those periods and sometimes you wonder whether
0:12:59 > 0:13:02you're going to get out of them but this made me reconnect
0:13:02 > 0:13:05cos I had to do it. So, for me, it changed everything.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08- A sort of resurrection, really. - Yeah, yeah.- Yeah.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12A slow one, but definitely a resurrection.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16The image for Hope hangs on the gates of the local primary school,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19where Jenny is holding a workshop for these budding artists.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24You're going to hold it level, OK? And then you're going to hit it.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27- CHILDREN GASP - Isn't that cool?
0:13:30 > 0:13:33So you hold it there, that's it. There you go.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37I think you've got more on your face than you have on the paper.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40- SHE LAUGHS - Look, look, that way! Show them!
0:13:42 > 0:13:45The moving story behind the stations of the cross
0:13:45 > 0:13:49still resonates strongly and these youngsters are finding
0:13:49 > 0:13:52a way to retell that story in their own unique style.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55- Are you sure that's the right purple?- Yeah.
0:13:55 > 0:13:56It is the right purple!
0:13:56 > 0:14:00Cos that's like the purple cloak that Jesus wore,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04and that looks a bit like the crown of thorns, doesn't it?
0:14:04 > 0:14:08It's a happy painting. Why is Easter day a happy day?
0:14:08 > 0:14:11- Because he comes back to life.- Yeah!
0:14:11 > 0:14:14- That's right. Who? Who's "he"? - Jesus.- Yeah.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18I've even had a go myself, but...will the children approve?
0:14:18 > 0:14:21- What do you think? Do you like them? - ALL: Yeah!
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Aw! You're so kind. Who knows?
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Maybe next year I'll have one of my paintings up in the village. Yeah?
0:14:26 > 0:14:28ALL: Yeah.
0:14:32 > 0:14:40# When I survey the wondrous cross
0:14:42 > 0:14:49# On which the prince of glory died
0:14:51 > 0:14:58# My richest gain I count but loss
0:14:59 > 0:15:07# And pour contempt on all my pride
0:15:09 > 0:15:17# Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
0:15:18 > 0:15:26# Save in the death of Christ my God
0:15:27 > 0:15:34# All the vain things that charm me most
0:15:35 > 0:15:43# I sacrifice them to his blood
0:15:45 > 0:15:52# Were the whole realm of nature mine
0:15:54 > 0:16:01# That were a present far too small
0:16:03 > 0:16:11# Love so amazing, so divine
0:16:12 > 0:16:20# Demands my soul, my life, my all. #
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Great to see so many young people playing the harp there,
0:16:29 > 0:16:30I hope they keep it up.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Now, if you're a member of a small church, you'll know just how
0:16:33 > 0:16:36difficult it is to find good musicians, especially women.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Well, Josie d'Arby has been up in the Midlands to meet
0:16:39 > 0:16:41a group who are doing something about that.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45It can be a common sight.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Orchestras and other professional groups dominated by men.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Well, the group I've come to see today
0:16:52 > 0:16:54have at least three things in common.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58They're all Christian, they're all musicians and they're all female.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02This is a jam session for amateur female musicians
0:17:02 > 0:17:06run by professional saxophonist Millicent Stephenson.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10The jam session is a time for us a to work together.
0:17:10 > 0:17:11SHE PLAYS
0:17:11 > 0:17:15That's it, yeah. And then it... You like that one, don't you?
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Hey, now we're going to rock that sax.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21I really encourage the women, try something out,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23try doing it this way, try doing it that way.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27The idea for the sessions came about two years ago.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33While Millicent had found personal success as a solo performer,
0:17:33 > 0:17:37she couldn't ignore the absence of other female musicians.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39It really arrested me.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42I spoke to male musicians as well
0:17:42 > 0:17:45and I thought maybe God was telling me to do something about it.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47What was the reason that there's a shortage of females,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50- what's the reason for that?- I think there's a variety of reasons.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Sometimes women are less confident.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Some of them started in music when they were younger
0:17:57 > 0:18:00and maybe they dropped off music.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03That struck a chord with keyboard player Marjorie who had
0:18:03 > 0:18:06struggled with having the confidence to play in her church band.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Over time, I think my confidence
0:18:09 > 0:18:11really had dipped quite a bit
0:18:11 > 0:18:13with, as it were, the trappings of life.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16You get caught up with other things.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18And meeting other women, musicians,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21wasn't competitive to say, "You're better than me,"
0:18:21 > 0:18:25or, "I'm better than you," and it really did actually help me.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30The jam sessions aren't about musical excellence but fellowship
0:18:30 > 0:18:34with like-minded people and finding your own unique voice.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38In the past, I did a session on, "Should We Play It Like A Man?"
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Because this idea is, you know,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43do we hit those drums like a man or do we put a female touch on it?
0:18:44 > 0:18:47How to do your practice better and more efficiently,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49cos some of them are mums so you've got
0:18:49 > 0:18:51a million and one things to do but you've got to find time to practise.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55- We're great at multi-tasking. - Yeah! We are, we are.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58We've all got individual commitments, family and so on,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00so sometimes it's nice just to come out of that zone
0:19:00 > 0:19:02with people who understand where we're coming from.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Building your confidence and your experience as a musician.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08And a safe environment to play in.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11It's quite a male-dominated industry.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14It was just nice to sort of bring our women together,
0:19:14 > 0:19:16just to empower each other.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23When I play now, I feel stronger,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26I feel that I can bless others through my skill,
0:19:26 > 0:19:32that I'm still developing and that's a wonderful place to be.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37You know, sometimes God works in a small way.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40You know, I think we've got the gift of music and if we've got
0:19:40 > 0:19:44that talent, got that ability, you may not be on a large stage,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46you might just be in your own church,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48but wherever you are, use it.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Yeah!
0:19:50 > 0:19:52THEY APPLAUD
0:22:33 > 0:22:36This is St Mary's in Dover, a very important church for the friends
0:22:36 > 0:22:40and family of those who passed away in the Zeebrugge ferry disaster.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Inside, there's an area dedicated to the memory of those who died.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47In a moment, I'm going to be meeting Gillian Lashbrooke, who survived
0:22:47 > 0:22:51the disaster but lost both of her parents in the tragedy.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Gillian Lashbrooke was just 16 years old
0:24:58 > 0:25:02when she went on a day trip from Dover to Zeebrugge
0:25:02 > 0:25:06with her mother, stepfather, uncle and two stepbrothers.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- This is the first time for you... - Mm.- ..back here in Dover.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12How do you feel, looking out there?
0:25:12 > 0:25:14It's quite eerie, to be fair.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17And brings back a lot of memories. Not very pleasant ones.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Tell us a little bit about the events of that day.
0:25:20 > 0:25:21I was going with my family.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24We were all looking forward to our day to Belgium.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26It cost a pound to get there,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29and it was one of those little cheap days out.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34I passed my mother and she said, "I'll see you in a minute."
0:25:34 > 0:25:37And, unfortunately, I never saw her again after that.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Take me through what happened, then.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43I went outside onto the front of the ship and I could see the boat
0:25:43 > 0:25:46was going down into the water, but I couldn't quite believe it.
0:25:46 > 0:25:47It was just very surreal.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Unfortunately, I got thrown and I was knocked unconscious,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55and that happened two times.
0:25:55 > 0:25:56So I came back round...
0:25:58 > 0:26:00And at that point, I decided to jump into the sea,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04otherwise I might have drowned, actually, on the ship.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06I said a prayer, I spoke to my mother,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08hoping I wasn't speaking to her.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11That's when I saw a fisher boat,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15and that's when they came over and pulled me up onto the boat.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Gillian spent the night alone in hospital,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22but the next day was reunited with her two brothers,
0:26:22 > 0:26:23who had also survived.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28And a lady from the Red Cross came over with a clipboard in her hand,
0:26:28 > 0:26:32and she just read down the list and she pointed to our names,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34and she looked up at us and said,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37"Oh, you do know your parents are dead, don't you?"
0:26:37 > 0:26:40God, you must have been so heartbroken to be told that way.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Oh, it was. That was the life-changing moment.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48I kind of lost my faith for a couple of years. I couldn't forgive.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51I couldn't understand why God hadn't intervened.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56I was so close to my mum. It just tore my life apart afterwards.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59So what's brought you back to faith?
0:26:59 > 0:27:03Well, the wound's healed, the scars remain,
0:27:03 > 0:27:08but I needed faith to bandage all the grief I was suffering.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Do you find yourself asking, you know,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13"Why did I survive and my mum didn't?"
0:27:13 > 0:27:16I thought maybe other things were meant for me.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18To have a nice family.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21I was meant to have the children that I have now.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24You know there's a memorial here for those who lost their life...
0:27:24 > 0:27:27- Yes.- ..in the Zeebrugge disaster. It's just round the corner.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29- I know you've never seen it.- No.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Would you like to go and have a look?
0:27:31 > 0:27:35- Definitely would, I'd love to. - Come on, let's go now.- Thank you.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37SLOW PIANO MUSIC
0:27:41 > 0:27:44So this is the... This is the memorial itself.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46And your mum's name is going to be there, isn't it?
0:27:46 > 0:27:48There it is, there.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52It's nice to see that she's been remembered.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54- Brings it to life again, doesn't it? - It does, doesn't it?
0:27:54 > 0:27:56It must do for you.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59It's good to remember so you never forget.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03- And the window behind.- It's not nice to see that picture of the ferry.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07It certainly isn't. But it's really nice of them to do this.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09In remembrance.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Yeah, very taken with that. It's lovely.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16- How will you remember your mum? - As being a very happy, jolly person.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Everybody loved her. She was very popular.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21She was nice. She was a good mum.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23She was a lovely lady.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33- I'm glad you've come.- So am I.
0:28:33 > 0:28:34I'm glad I did this.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37It takes some courage as well, I think, doesn't it?
0:28:37 > 0:28:38It certainly does, yeah.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40Sometimes you just want to forget and move on,
0:28:40 > 0:28:45but I'm glad I've done this. And I'm sure my family are, as well.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47I'm sure they're looking down on me right now.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49I'm glad that I've done this.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56# Now may the peace of the Lord
0:28:58 > 0:28:59# Be with you
0:29:00 > 0:29:02# Be with you
0:29:04 > 0:29:07# Now may the peace of the Lord
0:29:08 > 0:29:10# Be with you
0:29:11 > 0:29:13# Be with you
0:29:16 > 0:29:22# Now and always... #
0:31:25 > 0:31:28The 30th anniversary memorial service for those who died
0:31:28 > 0:31:32in the Zeebrugge disaster will be held here tomorrow,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35and we hope it offers comfort to those involved.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38We're going to end with a hymn of hope and reassurance.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40Until next time, bye-bye.