0:00:01 > 0:00:07Inside Out goes undercover at Britain's biggest supermarket.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10We reveal how the special offers aren't quite what they seem.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Every single bit of it.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26We investigate why 70 families on an estate
0:00:26 > 0:00:28are evicted from their homes.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30I've criticised them, we've said the business model
0:00:30 > 0:00:33they run is distasteful.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35It is a very hard position that the council has been put in,
0:00:35 > 0:00:39we are between a rock and a hard place.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44And the little grey tractor that started a farming revolution.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Revealing the stories that matter, closer to home.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49That's tonight's Inside Out.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Hello and welcome to Peterborough.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Now, when is a bargain not a bargain?
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Well, Jonathan Gibson has been investigating Tesco,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Britain's biggest supermarket, where some special offers aren't
0:01:10 > 0:01:14always that special after all.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Who's up for a good deal? I am.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22I'm a sucker for a special offer.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Most of us are, and Tesco knows it too.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27That's why the shelves at Britain's biggest supermarket
0:01:27 > 0:01:30are full of special offers.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Money off this, buy two for that, you get the drift.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37And we all take it for granted that the price we see on the shelf
0:01:37 > 0:01:40is the price we'll pay at the till, right?
0:01:40 > 0:01:43But what if things don't quite add up when you get home
0:01:43 > 0:01:46and unpack your shopping?
0:01:46 > 0:01:48I've just bought a few bits at Tesco, and I'm sure these
0:01:48 > 0:01:54products were on special offer, that's why I bought two of each.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59But according to my receipt, I've paid full price.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01And that's the point.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05I've paid 60% more than the deal on the shelf.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09That's ?3.30 in hard cash.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13At another Tesco store, I spot two for ?2 on ice cream.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16But at the till, it's the full price as well.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20So, what's going on?
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Ice cream, Martin?
0:02:23 > 0:02:24Martin works for Trading Standards.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28He says the law on pricing is simple.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31They must put a price on goods so you know
0:02:31 > 0:02:33what you're going to pay, and that price must be accurate,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35so you don't get charged more than you thought
0:02:35 > 0:02:38you were going to pay.
0:02:38 > 0:02:44Sounds simple enough, and with more than 3500 stores nationwide,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Tesco should be getting it right.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50But is it?
0:02:50 > 0:02:52That's what I want to find out, so armed with my phone
0:02:52 > 0:02:55and some secret cameras, I want to see how many offers
0:02:55 > 0:02:58on the shelves don't go through at the till.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00And here in Norwich, I'm finding problems.
0:03:07 > 0:03:08And when he gets a colleague to check...
0:03:13 > 0:03:15And that's the problem.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Multi-buy deals are being left on the shelves after the tills have
0:03:18 > 0:03:20been told they have ended, and this one ended
0:03:20 > 0:03:23almost three weeks ago.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26But there is much worse to come at another store in Norwich.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33This time, I show her colleague the offers and soon discover why
0:03:33 > 0:03:35they haven't gone through.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Just off camera, she points to a date.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47This offer ended more than six weeks ago.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49And we are not done yet.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55No worries.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58And as I travel around the region, things go from bad to worse.
0:03:58 > 0:03:59At this store in Cambridge...
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Every single bit.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17I've started making a list of how many offers are wrong
0:04:17 > 0:04:20in how many places.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22But is what is happening in the East of England also
0:04:22 > 0:04:25happening across the country?
0:04:25 > 0:04:30Because if it is, it's not just a problem for Tesco,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34it's a problem for Tesco customers.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37At this Tesco store in Liverpool, sauce marked ?1 on the shelf
0:04:40 > 0:04:45is almost double at the checkout.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Oh, is that right?
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Thanks very much.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58And at another store nearby, I'm left completely confused
0:04:58 > 0:05:00by the offers on the shelves and what I'm charged
0:05:00 > 0:05:01at the checkout.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05In fact, there's so much difference between the shelf price
0:05:05 > 0:05:07and the receipt price, I'm not even going to bother
0:05:07 > 0:05:10to go back and try to...
0:05:10 > 0:05:14get what I'm owed returned.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Completely ridiculous!
0:05:16 > 0:05:22If there are just too many offers changing too frequently,
0:05:22 > 0:05:27so that store staff can't really be expected to understand them,
0:05:27 > 0:05:32comply with all the changes, then that is something that Tesco
0:05:32 > 0:05:36head office needs to think about.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38And there is plenty to think about at another store in Leeds.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Sorry, mate!
0:05:54 > 0:05:59This is what somebody should have done hours, days, weeks ago.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03That's a serious message, but is everyone taking it seriously?
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Oh, there's been lots today, has there?
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Oh, right. Crikey.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Oh, right.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24And as I head across the country, the same thing keeps happening,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26time and time again.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Yeah, yeah.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45So, what's going on?
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Oh, I see.
0:07:06 > 0:07:07Oh, I see.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12It doesn't seem a terribly difficult or perhaps that long a job,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15just to walk round the store, assuming everybody knows
0:07:15 > 0:07:18what day it is, you know, to go round and take off anything
0:07:19 > 0:07:22that has had its day.
0:07:22 > 0:07:23You'd think so, yeah.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Ah, maybe not, then.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34And it's not just shoppers left confused as old and new promotions
0:07:34 > 0:07:36end up side-by-side.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49The longer the offer has been wrong, the bigger the failure of diligence
0:07:49 > 0:07:53and the more worried I am, frankly.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58In that case, he's not going to like what's coming up next.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00At this store, the cashier checks the out of date label,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02but doesn't remove it.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05And when I return the next day, neither does someone else.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09So, a week later, I go back, and it's still on display.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13And when I return a month later, yup, still on the shelf.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16The fourth worker finally removes it.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19That is very bad.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22It's pretty basic that if one customer has shown something wrong,
0:08:22 > 0:08:28that it is then put right to stop other customers being misled.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32But at 33 of the 50 stores I went into, the till price was more
0:08:32 > 0:08:34than the shelf price.
0:08:34 > 0:08:40That's a whopping 66%.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43If Customer A has come back and complained and been refunded,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47that doesn't mean there weren't 20 other customers who didn't spot it
0:08:47 > 0:08:47and didn't complain.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49So, alarm bells would be ringing?
0:08:49 > 0:08:53Very much so, yes.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55There were obviously major problems with their control
0:08:55 > 0:08:57of the special offers, and it's the special offers
0:08:57 > 0:09:00that bring customers in, make people reach for more
0:09:00 > 0:09:03and perhaps spend a little bit more than they meant to
0:09:03 > 0:09:05when they came into the store.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08So, that is very, very worrying.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11But what does Tesco say?
0:09:11 > 0:09:13The company wouldn't provide anyone for interview,
0:09:13 > 0:09:14but after reviewing our evidence, told this programme...
0:09:33 > 0:09:34But that's just the start.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Following our investigation, Britain's biggest supermarket
0:09:37 > 0:09:41has said it will be double-checking the accuracy of every price
0:09:41 > 0:09:43in every store.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48That's more than 3500 stores across Britain.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Well, every little helps!
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Well, look, if there is something you feel we should be looking
0:09:56 > 0:09:58into here on the programme, you can get in touch
0:09:58 > 0:10:00with me on Twitter:
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Or you can send me an e-mail:
0:10:04 > 0:10:08You're watching Inside Out for the East of England, here on BBC One.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Later on, we are looking back at the life of the tractor that
0:10:11 > 0:10:13started a revolution.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15And it's still going strong.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Look around you - they were building a legacy.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21A legacy that's been exported all over the world.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Here on Inside Out, we've been following the fate of families
0:10:29 > 0:10:31on the St Michael's Gate estate here in Peterborough
0:10:31 > 0:10:34being asked to leave to make way for accommodation
0:10:34 > 0:10:36for homeless people.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40Jo Taylor has the story.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43This is the St Michael's Gate estate in Peterborough.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48Rob Reinaldo has lived here for more than three years with his family.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51But now, their home is unsafe.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53This hole is getting bigger and bigger
0:10:53 > 0:10:54for the last three months.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57When the shower is on, water drips through the ceiling,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00near the electrics, onto the floor.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03God knows how many times I've reported it to the new landlord.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06They promised me about three or four times that they would send
0:11:06 > 0:11:09someone down to fix it, but they never did.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13The estate has been taken over by a new landlord.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Rob reported the problem in July.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17It's now October.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19At the moment, it looks like it could collapse
0:11:19 > 0:11:21about any time, really.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Another resident, who doesn't want to reveal her identity,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28shows me her housing conditions.
0:11:28 > 0:11:29So, there's mould here...
0:11:29 > 0:11:32It makes all the clothes, you know, smell of mould.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33It's really unpleasant to breathe, isn't it?
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Yeah.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Her local doctor has told her her five-year-old son's
0:11:37 > 0:11:42asthma might be getting worse due to damp.
0:11:42 > 0:11:50We have all, like, respiratory infection, probably information.
0:11:50 > 0:11:51--
0:11:51 > 0:11:52-- inflammation.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55And what did the doctor say about the house?
0:11:55 > 0:11:56As soon as possible, we have to move out.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Both these people have told the new manager
0:11:58 > 0:12:01of the properties, Stef Philips, that there are faults
0:12:01 > 0:12:02in their homes that need fixing.
0:12:02 > 0:12:03But nothing has happened.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04It soon becomes clear why.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07More than 70 families living here have received letters
0:12:07 > 0:12:09from the new company, saying it wants them out.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12The entire estate is being cleared and they could be made homeless
0:12:12 > 0:12:17to make way for people who are already homeless.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21The estate has been offered to Peterborough City Council.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25We've got something like 170 families in hostels,
0:12:25 > 0:12:32bed and breakfast accommodation, and by using the properties
0:12:32 > 0:12:34at St Michael's Gate, we could save the council
0:12:34 > 0:12:36about ?2 million.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38And the problem for Peterborough City Council is that if it
0:12:38 > 0:12:40didn't do this deal, a council outside of Peterborough
0:12:40 > 0:12:44would have to house its homeless on the estate instead.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Meaning Peterborough City Council would have more homeless
0:12:46 > 0:12:49people on its doorstep, putting extra strain
0:12:49 > 0:12:51on its services.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53I mean, that's their business model.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56They buy properties that they couldn't economically rent
0:12:56 > 0:13:01to people, but if they invite a council in to use them
0:13:01 > 0:13:04for homeless, the money there is a lot more.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06That's where they make the money.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09And Peterborough City Council can also now claim a subsidy
0:13:09 > 0:13:14from the Government, which will help fund the scheme.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Jelena Stevic has lived on the estate for 20 years.
0:13:18 > 0:13:19I got all your stuff.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Oh, thank you.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25I've got rheumatoid arthritis, and as a woman with disabilities,
0:13:25 > 0:13:30to live in an area that I live in and to feel safe has been
0:13:30 > 0:13:32very important to me.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34With the support of the other families, she's taking
0:13:34 > 0:13:37on the council and the landlord to try to stop the deal.
0:13:37 > 0:13:42She has put together a petition asking the council to reconsider.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44We're supposed to be a model community, and you are ripping
0:13:44 > 0:13:46the heart out of it.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Why are you allowing something like this to happen to your people?
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Because we are still your people.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54And also, we are still tenants of Stef Philips,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57which they seem to have forgotten.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Meanwhile, it is becoming clear to tenants like Rob why
0:14:00 > 0:14:03their property isn't being fixed.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07I'm quite pleased to be moving out, because this, this problem,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10I don't think will ever get fixed anyway, because they will never
0:14:10 > 0:14:11send anyone to fix it.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14But the landlord has a legal obligation to ensure that houses
0:14:14 > 0:14:17are safe for tenants already living there.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20And the lack of help with these outstanding repairs has
0:14:20 > 0:14:22made the tenants feel like they are being
0:14:22 > 0:14:26treated with no respect.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28So, what's wrong with this window?
0:14:28 > 0:14:32This lady cannot air her house properly, and the mould is growing.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37She can't open this window, and yet she asked for it to be
0:14:37 > 0:14:40fixed five months ago.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45The guy came, took a photo of the window, but he told us, OK,
0:14:45 > 0:14:50if you have to move out, just forget about the window.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52This isn't your problem now.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54You have to move out.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57So, essentially, they've said, we're not going to fix the window
0:14:57 > 0:15:00because you've got to leave?
0:15:00 > 0:15:05And we are paying rent regularly, we are still paying tenants.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08CHANTING: Homes for the people, not for profit!
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Homes for the people, not for profit!
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Jelena has submitted her petition to the council, but they signed
0:15:15 > 0:15:18the deal a day later.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22She is, however, given five minutes to say her piece.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26We've asked to be treated like human beings.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28We also ask the council never to undertake this kind
0:15:28 > 0:15:30of business proposition again.
0:15:30 > 0:15:36Peterborough City Council, hang your head in shame, all of you!
0:15:36 > 0:15:41So, how does Peterborough City Council justify its actions?
0:15:41 > 0:15:44I think this was a decision that we had to make as a council
0:15:44 > 0:15:46and as a Cabinet, because the impact was across the whole
0:15:47 > 0:15:49of Peterborough.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Is it true you signed the commercial contract the day
0:15:52 > 0:15:55after a petition was handed in?
0:15:55 > 0:15:57Um, I believe it is true.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Um, I was involved with signing the contract, I wasn't aware
0:16:00 > 0:16:04the petition had come in at that point, so they are two
0:16:04 > 0:16:06unrelated issues.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08We could not stop those families being evicted.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12But you can see, from residents' point of view, why it would make
0:16:12 > 0:16:13them suspicious and not trust you?
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Oh, totally.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17And even he has reservations about the way the landlord
0:16:17 > 0:16:21and its managing agents, Stef Philips, operate.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23How is your relationship with Stef Philips?
0:16:29 > 0:16:31That's a good question.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Um, professional.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35I've criticised them, we've said the business model
0:16:35 > 0:16:39they run is distasteful, we've said we think there
0:16:39 > 0:16:42is a common you know, it's a very hard position
0:16:42 > 0:16:45that the council has been put in, we are between
0:16:45 > 0:16:46a rock and a hard place.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48But do you feel they have held you to ransom?
0:16:51 > 0:16:54Certainly, between a rock and a hard place.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57So, what do the landlord and Stef Philips think
0:16:57 > 0:17:00of the outcry against them?
0:17:00 > 0:17:02I want to ask the bosses if they think the way their company
0:17:02 > 0:17:04operates is morally sound.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Remember, even Peterborough City Council, who has
0:17:06 > 0:17:08done the deal with them, thinks their business
0:17:08 > 0:17:12model is distasteful.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14But so far, no-one has been available to comment.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18And then, there's the unsafe living conditions.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Is the council aware of them?
0:17:20 > 0:17:23It has come to light that some of the properties that tenants
0:17:23 > 0:17:26are living in are not up to scratch, and issues have been raised,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28and they have been ignored.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Why would you house even more vulnerable people with landlords
0:17:31 > 0:17:34that behave like that?
0:17:34 > 0:17:37We know that Stef Philips have renovated all the properties.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40If there are specific issues, and I'm not sure if you are saying
0:17:40 > 0:17:42these are at St Michael's Gate...
0:17:42 > 0:17:43They are.
0:17:43 > 0:17:44Or at other properties.
0:17:44 > 0:17:45No, they are at St Michael's Gate.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49Well, if you can give me details, I would be very happy to look
0:17:49 > 0:17:51into that, and I think that's very regrettable.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54If we hear about anything that's a problem, we will step in.
0:17:57 > 0:17:58It's four months later.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Rob is now in his new home.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04As you can see, there's no holes the ceiling in this one.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08It's a very comfortable place to live and I'm very happy.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11During the course of making this film, the council has now told us
0:18:11 > 0:18:14they have offered a new home to the lady in the damp house.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18They also issued an enforcement notice on her old property,
0:18:18 > 0:18:22forcing Stef Philips to carry out work on it.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25It is also in talks with the Local Government Association
0:18:25 > 0:18:32about making sure councils are not put in this situation in the future.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34As for Jelena, with a lot of her neighbours gone,
0:18:34 > 0:18:39the estate isn't the place she knew and loved.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42After all the fighting, she is considering moving on.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47I think, because of it changing so drastically, I don't even know
0:18:47 > 0:18:52if I would still feel comfortable, um, safe, secure
0:18:52 > 0:18:55in my home any more.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59With about 30 homeless families now moved into St Michael's Gate,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03the council has assured us that all properties new tenants
0:19:03 > 0:19:05occupy are safe.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08We still haven't heard from Stef Philips,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11but with its poor track record on repairs, it will now be up
0:19:11 > 0:19:14to the council to make sure Stef Philips maintain the estate properly
0:19:14 > 0:19:16in the future.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Peterborough, of course, is right in the heart of the Fens,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26the breadbasket of Britain, and the land around here has been
0:19:26 > 0:19:29farmed since time began.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32But 70 years ago, a little tractor came along that was about
0:19:32 > 0:19:34to change things for ever.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Here's David Gregory-Kumar.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Farming in East Anglia was transformed when tractors
0:19:43 > 0:19:48replaced horses, and 70 years ago, there was one little grey tractor
0:19:48 > 0:19:50that was leading the way.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54It had developed from the need to grow more food during the war.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57So simple to drive, it's easy even for an eight-year-old boy.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00And all the normal farm tools can be clipped on the back,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02without extra wheels.
0:20:02 > 0:20:07The Ferguson TE20 was so influential that its 70th birthday celebrations
0:20:07 > 0:20:11brought the place where it was first made to a standstill.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15It's all about wishing the little grey Fergie, the TE20,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18a very happy 70th birthday.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Because back in July 1946, she rolled off the production line
0:20:21 > 0:20:25for the first time at Banner Lane in Coventry and clearly
0:20:25 > 0:20:29revolutionised farming as we know it today.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32There are 70 tractors here, one for every year since the TE20
0:20:32 > 0:20:34went into production, and there are a lot
0:20:34 > 0:20:37of Fergie fans here, too.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39It's lovely to see them, it really is.
0:20:40 > 0:20:49Yeah, it brings memories back.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52In the mid '40s, 78% of all the tractors sold
0:20:52 > 0:20:57in Great Britain was Ferguson, 78%.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Everyone here today has a Ferguson story to tell,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03and they all start with the TE20.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06It is the tractor that Edmund Hillary took to the South Pole,
0:21:06 > 0:21:10it is a collectable, it's the star of its own TV show,
0:21:10 > 0:21:16and it even has its own theme park ride in Norway.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19This herd of old tractors is at what is claimed to be
0:21:19 > 0:21:23the world's largest monthly machinery sale, near Ely.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26It is proof that the old Fergusons are still in demand.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30And despite it being a long time since I was a small boy,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33I can tell you that most of the green dots are going to be
0:21:33 > 0:21:36John Deeres, the blues are going to be Ford and the huge
0:21:36 > 0:21:40number of red dots, well, they are Massey-Ferguson.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43We sell the Ferguson TE20s, which are sort of late '40s,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46'50s, in that area there, but principally, what we sell
0:21:46 > 0:21:49here would be sort of '60s to '80s.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51These tractors are the direct descendants
0:21:51 > 0:21:53of the little grey Fergie.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Just like it, they were built at Banner Lane, sold overseas,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59often to Ireland or Europe, and now they are back in this
0:21:59 > 0:22:01country, ready to be sold again.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05I hate to be rude, but they look really knackered, some of them!
0:22:05 > 0:22:06HE CHUCKLES
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Well, we call it ex-farm.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10But they can look a bit moth-eaten, but, you know, hopefully,
0:22:10 > 0:22:12mechanically they are good, sort of thing.
0:22:12 > 0:22:1570 years ago, the first TE20 rolled off the banner Lane
0:22:15 > 0:22:20production line in Coventry, the brainchild of Harry Ferguson.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23This rare footage shows him actually on the production line
0:22:23 > 0:22:25in the Coventry factory.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30Before the TE20, tractors were big, lumbering things with a good chance
0:22:30 > 0:22:33of injuring or even killing the farmers driving them.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37Ferguson films from the time explained the problem.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39They replaced the horse with the tractor, hitched up
0:22:39 > 0:22:42the new plough and dragged it along behind.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Little did they guess what snags they would run into.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Pretty lethal snags, it turns out.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Any obstruction in the ground, or even just a patch of heavier
0:22:51 > 0:22:56soil, causes the front end of the tractor to rear up.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59So, designers added more weight to keep the front down,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01but that caused the rear wheels to slip.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04So, to stop that, the designers added bigger wheels.
0:23:04 > 0:23:09And so, the rot set in.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Harry Ferguson solved all this by adding this simple strut,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15a brilliant idea that redirected the same forces that made the front
0:23:15 > 0:23:17rear up, so instead, everything stayed firmly
0:23:17 > 0:23:20on the ground.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23The end result was a tractor that was smaller and lighter
0:23:23 > 0:23:26than any other tractor being made by other companies at the time.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30But it could do just as much, if not more.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32And of course, the big advantage for the driver was,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36the TE20 was not going to rear up like an angry horse and try
0:23:36 > 0:23:41and kill you all the time.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45The TE20 is just so much fun to drive, and this beautiful
0:23:45 > 0:23:50collection of lovingly restored Fergies lives just outside Rugby.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Show us the all-important bit. Yes, the all-important bit.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55The three-point linkage.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58One, two, three.
0:23:58 > 0:24:06Today, modern still use exactly the same idea,
0:24:06 > 0:24:06-- modern
0:24:06 > 0:24:07-- modern tractors.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10but that linkage is just the pinnacle of a mountain
0:24:10 > 0:24:12of amazing engineering packed into every little grey Fergie.
0:24:12 > 0:24:13Oh, it is lovely!
0:24:13 > 0:24:15But I'm just a Johnny-come-lately Fergie fan, compared to Peter.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18He remembers them from his school days.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22When I was at school, in Coventry, we used to see the tractors
0:24:22 > 0:24:27going past the school, between Banner Lane factory
0:24:27 > 0:24:31and the railway goods yard,
0:24:31 > 0:24:33which is where they were exported all over the world.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36And he's been a Fergie fan ever since.
0:24:36 > 0:24:41In fact, you'll find Fergie fans and surprising bits
0:24:41 > 0:24:46of Fergie history all over the Warwickshire countryside.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Like the nine-year-old boy who saved the little grey Fergie
0:24:49 > 0:24:52from industrial espionage.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54I'll tell you a story where I'm lucky to be alive...
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Experimental TE20s were tried out in secret on farms
0:24:58 > 0:25:04all over Warwickshire, and one Fergie with a new engine
0:25:04 > 0:25:06ended up on this farm near Leamington Spa,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08but the farmer was pretty pally with the local Ford tractor
0:25:08 > 0:25:11dealer and late one night, invited him over to check
0:25:11 > 0:25:13out the competition, much to the shock of the youngest
0:25:13 > 0:25:16member of the family.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Well, I felt terrible about it, because I had heard him say
0:25:19 > 0:25:23to the Fergie people, "That tractor will be safe,
0:25:23 > 0:25:25nobody will see it, don't worry about it."
0:25:25 > 0:25:30And then, as soon as they've gone, he has a load of his Ford friends
0:25:30 > 0:25:33down here and they're going to go and get it out and have
0:25:33 > 0:25:35a bit of a drive on it.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38So, nine-year-old Derek nicked the keys to the secret Fergie
0:25:38 > 0:25:40and legged it.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44I ran for all I was worth to that wood.
0:25:44 > 0:25:45And I was laying in the ditch.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49I could see my father ranting and raving about in the yard.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53And I think if he had found me, I'd have had the biggest
0:25:53 > 0:25:56shaking I'd ever had!
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Saved from the prying eyes of rivals, the little grey Fergie
0:25:59 > 0:26:02went from strength to strength, and the TE20 was followed
0:26:02 > 0:26:05by new models, built in the same factory,
0:26:05 > 0:26:09safeguarding thousands of jobs.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13Then in 2002, the old Ferguson factory was closed down.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16But many of the tractors it produced are still in use today
0:26:16 > 0:26:21and they are sought after from right around the world.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Back at the auction in Ely, many of the buyers have
0:26:24 > 0:26:26come from the Sudan.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Hamza has bought more than 150 Ferguson tractors here.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32Why do people like them?
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Because they use it for really long, long, long time, so you can work,
0:26:36 > 0:26:41like, 24 hours in one go.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43That's true, apparently.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47In the Sudan, tractors do 24-hour shifts.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49One sleeps while the other drives and then they swap over,
0:26:49 > 0:26:56and the Massey-Ferguson just keeps going.
0:26:56 > 0:26:57--
0:26:57 > 0:26:58-- tractor drivers do.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01They are reliable, and if you see the guys here, it is very old,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05but still fine if you take it there, refurbish it, and if you see the job
0:27:05 > 0:27:08they do, I don't think the person who made them would believe it.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13So, the reason buyers come from all around the globe to this
0:27:13 > 0:27:15auction in Ely can be traced back to the little grey tractor
0:27:15 > 0:27:20that started it all.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23There's no doubt that the closure of the factory in Banner Lane
0:27:23 > 0:27:27was a terrible day for motoring in Coventry.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31But the people who worked there were not just building tractors.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Look around you - they were building a legacy.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38A legacy that has been exported all over the world.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41The fact these Coventry built tractors are still working,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44and working hard, well, it is a tribute to the craftsmanship
0:27:44 > 0:27:47and the engineering that went into them.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50No wonder they inspire so much passion.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53And you can trace everything right back to the little grey Fergie.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Isn't it amazing to think that some of those tractors
0:27:59 > 0:28:02are still going strong in places like Africa and beyond?
0:28:02 > 0:28:06Well, Inside Out isn't on next week, we are back in two weeks' time,
0:28:06 > 0:28:08when we hear from Adriano Guedes, the man who was evicted
0:28:08 > 0:28:12from hospital after a two-year stay.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17It's my fight, it's my life, it's my business, right?
0:28:17 > 0:28:20And the authorities are here to serve the population,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23not to oppress them.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25But in the meantime, you can get in touch
0:28:25 > 0:28:27with me on Twitter...
0:28:27 > 0:28:31Or you can e-mail...
0:28:31 > 0:28:32But that's it from Peterborough.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34I'll see you soon, bye-bye.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Also on the next Inside Out, I join Northamptonshire Police
0:28:39 > 0:28:44as they double the number of officers targeting paedophiles.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47And how this amazing discovery at Great Ryburgh left Gary Boyce
0:28:47 > 0:28:50seriously out of pocket.
0:28:50 > 0:28:55That's Inside Out in two weeks' time, 7:30, here on BBC One.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13Hello, I'm Alex Bushill with your 90 second update.
0:29:13 > 0:29:14Drug abuse, violence and faulty alarms.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16Just some of the major security failings
0:29:16 > 0:29:19a BBC investigation has uncovered at a Northumberland prison.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22Stay tuned for Panorama after Eastenders.
0:29:22 > 0:29:23Work pays, right?
0:29:23 > 0:29:27Well, new research shows pensioner households are, on average,
0:29:27 > 0:29:30?20 a week better off than those of working age.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32They say more older people are homeowners
0:29:32 > 0:29:34with generous private pensions.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Almost 200,000 people living near America's tallest dam
0:29:37 > 0:29:39have been told to flee.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41Engineers are working to stop part of the Oroville
0:29:41 > 0:29:43in California collapsing.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45Heavy rain damaged it.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47It seems plastic's not so fantastic.