0:00:00 > 0:00:00In half an hour, EastEnders.
0:00:00 > 0:00:04But first, tonight's edition of Inside Out London.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06Hello, I'm Sean Fletcher, you're watching Inside Out London...
0:00:06 > 0:00:10Here's what's coming up on tonight's show.
0:00:10 > 0:00:19Could living in loud London be damaging your hearing?
0:00:19 > 0:00:21This is the Victoria line towards a stock well and it's absolutely
0:00:21 > 0:00:29deafening.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30Fighting to get fit.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34How the Marshall family took on our 'get active' challenge.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37We need to motivate each other to go outside and do sports.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38And a working windmill...
0:00:38 > 0:00:44In Brixton?
0:00:44 > 0:00:47It's really special to be in a building just like it was 200 years
0:00:47 > 0:00:51ago. The mechanics at incredible. It's incredible to see what we were
0:00:51 > 0:00:57able to achieve 200 years ago.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02London isn't exactly the quietest place on earth,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05and we all know it's so loud here sometimes that you can barely
0:01:05 > 0:01:09hear yourself think.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12But could some of the noise levels - in bars, or on the Tube,
0:01:12 > 0:01:14for example - be getting so high that they risk actually
0:01:14 > 0:01:16damaging our hearing?
0:01:16 > 0:01:26We sent Gareth Furby to investigate.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29With millions living here, it's not surprising London can be noisy.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32But is it getting too loud?
0:01:32 > 0:01:38We're going to have a go at finding out.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Meet Samantha - she's bothered about London's nightlife.
0:01:41 > 0:01:42Definitely in bars at night.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46How can anyone hear anything?
0:01:46 > 0:01:50And Ian wants to know about London's streets.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54In many areas traffic noise is becoming more and more prevalent.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57So we sent both of them on mission to measure the noise levels
0:01:57 > 0:01:58with sound meters.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01And I am on the underground trying to find
0:02:01 > 0:02:04out which tube line is the noisiest.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Samantha is a comedian.
0:02:08 > 0:02:09So my name is Samantha Baines.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14She often works in loud environments.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16And a few months ago she got some devastating news.
0:02:16 > 0:02:17I never thought
0:02:17 > 0:02:23at 30 years of age I would be told that I needed a hearing aid.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27I never thought I had been exposed to that level of noise.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31She wants to know if London bars and venues get so noisy they can
0:02:31 > 0:02:32damage hearing.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35We will be able to look at the average sound
0:02:35 > 0:02:36over the total duration.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39So she's meeting an expert.
0:02:39 > 0:02:44I am interested in whether there are potentially harmful sounds.
0:02:44 > 0:02:50Dr Joe Sollini works at the UCL Ear Institute
0:02:50 > 0:02:54and he lends Samatha a sound meter to take into the West End.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57So all you need to do is pick a sound source that you
0:02:57 > 0:03:00want to find out how loud it is and point it towards it.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03So it's as if my ear was receiving it.
0:03:03 > 0:03:03Good luck.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06In the next few hours I am going to go about a normal evening
0:03:06 > 0:03:10in London, so I am meeting a friend for dinner, we going to have some
0:03:10 > 0:03:12drinks, go to a couple of bars.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Ian has also been to the UCL lab to get the meter
0:03:15 > 0:03:24and now his mission is to measure some of London's busiest streets.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26We are on Euston Road and we are walking westwards
0:03:26 > 0:03:29toward Euston Station.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Well, the noise is relentless, it's like a kind of grey auditory
0:03:32 > 0:03:35fog which just covers everything.
0:03:35 > 0:03:41With Ian focused on his task it's time for me to go underground.
0:03:41 > 0:03:47And it doesn't take long to find something worth measuring.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50OK, so this is the Victoria Line heading towards Stockwell and it's
0:03:50 > 0:03:55absolutely deafening.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59And here we are on the Northern Line and once again it's really loud
0:03:59 > 0:04:02I mean I am having to shout, can you actually hear me?
0:04:02 > 0:04:03All the numbers are being recorded.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Back on the surface Samantha's enjoying her evening out, moving
0:04:05 > 0:04:12from bar to restaurant to bar.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17It's not a Friday or Saturday night, it's so loud in here.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19The sounds really reverberating, to be honest I am really shocked.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24I am having a lovely time and it's really loud.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26On the streets, Ian's route takes him from Euston Road,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29then along Oxford Street, and ends at Parliament Square,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32and he's passionate about sound recording, because he used to be
0:04:32 > 0:04:40a sound archivist at the British Library,
0:04:40 > 0:04:45on the shelves there's an old record that's worth listening to again.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Well, it's one of the oldest surviving recordings
0:04:47 > 0:04:50of street sounds in London.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53I would be quite interested just to make a comparison recording
0:04:53 > 0:05:00and then we can compare now with 1928.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02So how to they compare?
0:05:02 > 0:05:07It was back to the British Library to find out.
0:05:07 > 0:05:162017, and 1928.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Modern life in Leicester Square sounds a bit more full
0:05:18 > 0:05:21on that it does in 1928.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Back underground, I've already measured several lines.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28It's so noisy I've been advised by our UCL expert to
0:05:28 > 0:05:35wear ear defenders.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40And it's not just me taking precautions -
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Roberta frequently uses the Tube and always wears ear plugs.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46It's deafening, it's definitely not good for your hearing,
0:05:46 > 0:05:51you are losing your ability to hear, slowly.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Florian is also a Tube passenger, but with a specialist
0:05:54 > 0:05:58interest in acoustics, and he's started his own
0:05:58 > 0:06:04study asking if London is louder than Paris.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06I thought you know as an acoustician it would be a very
0:06:06 > 0:06:11interesting thing to look at.
0:06:11 > 0:06:20Over on the Metro, I decided to join him as he carried on with his study.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23In Paris, we have measured about 40 to 50 stations, I would say.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26There's far less clanging and banging, you can't the wheels
0:06:26 > 0:06:28banging against the rail, so it is definitely a more
0:06:28 > 0:06:36comfortable journey in terms of noise levels.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Florian still has more stations to measure, but Paris did
0:06:39 > 0:06:40seem quieter.
0:06:40 > 0:06:41While he continues his research,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44ours is almost coming to its end.
0:06:44 > 0:06:50Samantha has an appointment with Dr Sollini.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52He's done the number crunching on her night out.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54So what we can see here are the different sound
0:06:54 > 0:06:56levels that we measured.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59These two bars, bar two and three, they are at a loudness
0:06:59 > 0:07:01which is worrying and could potentially impact
0:07:01 > 0:07:05on people's hearing.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09The sound level got up to 112 decibels, and in an environment
0:07:09 > 0:07:12like that you wouldn't want to be there for more than a minute.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14For Samantha it means a rethink on how she spends
0:07:14 > 0:07:15her evenings in London.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18I have moderate hearing loss at the moment and if that gets worse
0:07:18 > 0:07:20I could deaf in one ear.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23I could be deaf in one ear.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26I want to be extra careful, you know, I am going to get
0:07:26 > 0:07:30myself some earplugs.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32But what about the streets, how noisy are they?
0:07:32 > 0:07:40It was time for Ian to get his results.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Which two streets have the loudest noise levels?
0:07:43 > 0:07:48Regent Street and Leicester Square.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50It is noisy but thankfully it's not damaging.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53That's equivalent to a loud vacuum clearer.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57I wouldn't really like to be in the same room as a vacuum cleaner
0:07:57 > 0:08:02being used all the time, every hour of the day,
0:08:02 > 0:08:07but yes, as a comparison I guess it holds true.
0:08:07 > 0:08:13As for me, after spending one week underground
0:08:13 > 0:08:17As for me, after spending one week underground
0:08:18 > 0:08:20measuring 10 lines in zone one and zone two,
0:08:20 > 0:08:26the data is complete.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29It takes Dr Sollini a few more days to process and then he has
0:08:29 > 0:08:30the verdict.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32So the Central Line has the loudest section out
0:08:32 > 0:08:35of all of the Tube lines, and it basically gets as loud
0:08:35 > 0:08:37as almost 110db, to put that into perspective
0:08:37 > 0:08:43that is approximately as loud as going to a gig or rock concert.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Also on average, the Victoria Line is the loudest
0:08:46 > 0:08:50followed by the Jubilee,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Northern and Central Lines, at or above 85 decibels,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55which if this was a work environment would be considered so loud that
0:08:55 > 0:09:02you would have to wear ear defenders.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06I think what these measurement show is that the Tube is sufficiently
0:09:06 > 0:09:07loud to warrant further investigation, it certainly shows
0:09:07 > 0:09:09that it can be loud enough to damage people's hearing.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11So what does Transport for London say?
0:09:11 > 0:09:13We are confident that nobody out there is exposed
0:09:13 > 0:09:14to an unsafe noise level.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Of course, there are parts of the network that are noisier
0:09:17 > 0:09:20than others, but you would need to be exposed to that noise
0:09:20 > 0:09:22for a significant period of time for it to cause
0:09:22 > 0:09:23you any hearing damage.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26One of the things we are doing of course is look at things
0:09:26 > 0:09:29like quieter track fastenings, we grind the rails,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32we replace the rails, all of that is designed to give
0:09:32 > 0:09:39a smoother journey, but also a quieter journey.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42But after our research, UCL's Doctor's Sollini says some Tube
0:09:42 > 0:09:43passengers regularly hearing this could think about
0:09:43 > 0:09:46taking precautions.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49For people using the noisier lines regularly and for long journey's
0:09:49 > 0:09:52For people using the noisier lines regularly and for long journeys,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54then it certainly suggests that it would be worthwhile them
0:09:54 > 0:09:58using hearing protection.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Gareth Furby reporting there.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06And if you want to check out our online map of the 10 loudest
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Tube journeys in zones one and two, then just head to
0:10:08 > 0:10:11bbc.co.uk/insideout and click on London.
0:10:11 > 0:10:19Now then, still to come on tonight's show...
0:10:19 > 0:10:21The whole idea of the windmill loaf is that
0:10:21 > 0:10:24The whole idea of the windmill loaf is that when they got the windmill
0:10:24 > 0:10:29up and running again, they could use the flower picked up from the
0:10:29 > 0:10:34Windmill and we are making the Windmill loaf from the Brixton
0:10:34 > 0:10:35Windmill.
0:10:35 > 0:10:41When it comes to exercise, many of us nowadays lead pretty
0:10:41 > 0:10:43sedentary lifestyles, which can sometimes take a big
0:10:43 > 0:10:45toll on our physical and mental wellbeing.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47But getting more active doesn't have to be a hassle,
0:10:47 > 0:10:51it doesn't have to break the bank, and can change lives.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53We set one family from southwest London a four-week
0:10:53 > 0:10:57challenge to get moving with a little help from doctor
0:10:57 > 0:11:01and personal trainer Hazel Wallace.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Across the capital, millions of us are failing to move, and it's not
0:11:04 > 0:11:06only threatening our physical wellbeing, it's also
0:11:06 > 0:11:11costing our health and social services a small fortune.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16With children transfixed by screens,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20teenagers lost in their phones
0:11:20 > 0:11:22and adults with little time for fitness, or healthy eating,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26we are, as a nation, as unfit today as we have ever been before.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28And as a doctor, and personal trainer, combating this plague
0:11:28 > 0:11:33of inactivity has become a priority of mine.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36And today, I've come to meet a family who want to get more
0:11:36 > 0:11:38active, but simply don't know where to start.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Meet the Marshall family - nine-year-old Olly, 13-year-old
0:11:41 > 0:11:48Jorja and parents Fiona and Gary, who are both in their 40s.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50The thing that really limits me from getting active is being able
0:11:50 > 0:11:52to find the time to do it.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57I do spend a lot of time on my phone, and I would like to change
0:11:57 > 0:12:00that cause I do want to get active and I used to do a lot.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03It would be great for us all as a family to be active again,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06just to strengthen our relationship both as a family and for our mental
0:12:06 > 0:12:07and physical wellbeing.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10I think that we need to work as family to motivate each other
0:12:10 > 0:12:12to go outside and do these sports.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16Over the next four weeks, I'm going to help guide
0:12:16 > 0:12:19the Marshalls to living a more active, healthier life.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21But before we start, I've sent the family
0:12:21 > 0:12:24to the University of East London, where trainers Nick and Andy
0:12:24 > 0:12:32are going to find out just how fit they are.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35And whilst they do that, I want to talk to some
0:12:35 > 0:12:37of the experts here about how we might get started
0:12:37 > 0:12:42and some of the lesser know benefits, of staying active.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45I think just bringing in some sort of physical activity
0:12:45 > 0:12:47in your daily, general routine,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50even if it means just walking as opposed of driving.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Little things that can increase your physical activity
0:12:52 > 0:12:55levels are going to be a great way to improve your overall physical
0:12:55 > 0:12:56activity thought the day.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58I know I need to lose some weight, so yep.
0:12:58 > 0:13:06This is the heaviest I've ever been, so not feeling great actually.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09There are huge psychological benefits when we look at exercise.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12So the first one is that we normally have a feel good effect.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Exercise relates to sleep, so we tend to sleep better.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Also expertise is related to mental health, so we know
0:13:16 > 0:13:18there is a relationship between exercise and depression,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21exercise and anxiety, and exercise and more serious mental
0:13:21 > 0:13:25health issues like schizophrenia and personality disorder.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Just a bit shocked, because I thought I was doing really
0:13:28 > 0:13:38well, then it came on very quickly, and I knew my limitations then.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46In four weeks' time, we'll return here, to find out
0:13:46 > 0:13:50if the Marshalls have been able to make any progress.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52But now it's time for the family to start their challenge.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55I've provided Fiona with some home workouts ideas and encouraged her
0:13:55 > 0:13:59to walk the last part of her commute.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03For both parents, it's important that they move throughout the day,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05with new researching suggesting that regardless of how much exercise
0:14:05 > 0:14:07you do, prolonged periods of inactivity can be detrimental
0:14:07 > 0:14:10to you health.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12For Jorja and Olly, I've asked them to moderate
0:14:12 > 0:14:14their screen times, and to work on improving their nutrition.
0:14:14 > 0:14:20It's OK to start slowly, and to try incorporate activities
0:14:20 > 0:14:21around your daily life.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25And as difficult as it may be, the consequences of not doing
0:14:26 > 0:14:35anything, can be tragic.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37n the front lines of the capital's inactivity epidemic,
0:14:37 > 0:14:39already stretched NHS staff deal with both life and death
0:14:39 > 0:14:40on a daily basis.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43We can attribute one in 10 cases of coronary heart
0:14:43 > 0:14:44disease to inactivity.
0:14:44 > 0:14:50So it's now become clear that this is really a priority for us
0:14:50 > 0:14:53as clinicians in the UK, also globally, to encourage
0:14:53 > 0:14:54physical activity, not only as a prevention measure,
0:14:54 > 0:15:00but also as a treatment package that we offer to our patients.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03In the UK, heart disease remains amongst the leading causes of death
0:15:03 > 0:15:05and in England and over 70% of people referred for
0:15:05 > 0:15:10cardiac rehabilitation were considered physical inactive.
0:15:10 > 0:15:17Of all the jobs that you wouldn't want to do,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20informing close family that the patient has passed away
0:15:20 > 0:15:22due to heart attack, and obviously that is part of my job
0:15:22 > 0:15:25and I have to do that, and it's always very
0:15:25 > 0:15:26upsetting, for every one.
0:15:26 > 0:15:32But it's also a wake-up call.
0:15:32 > 0:15:33For the Marshall family, heart disease is of grave
0:15:33 > 0:15:35importance.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Last year Fiona's mum underwent five heart bypasses
0:15:37 > 0:15:42whilst her grandfather died of a heart attack at only 40
0:15:42 > 0:15:46years of age.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49If the Marshalls are successful in their efforts to lead a more
0:15:49 > 0:15:52active life, they can hope to reduce their own risks of heart
0:15:52 > 0:15:55disease by as much as 35%.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59I've come back to the house to see how they're getting on.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Yeah, I've found quite a few easy wins, which were take
0:16:02 > 0:16:05the stairs to get to work, and I found a little running route
0:16:05 > 0:16:08around the streets here.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11I think for me, I think the more that I do,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13the more that I want to do.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17I'm really pleased with the initial progress the Marshals have
0:16:17 > 0:16:18made, but whist Fiona, Gary and Olly have embraced
0:16:18 > 0:16:20the challenge, I'm slightly concerned about Jorga.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22So guys I know you've been tracking your steps
0:16:22 > 0:16:24since we started this challenge.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28For children of all ages, building positive habits early
0:16:28 > 0:16:29on in life is crucial.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33When she was younger, Jorja, like her brother now,
0:16:33 > 0:16:38was very active, but, according to her mum,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41she is spending more and more time on her phone.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43So Jorja just looking at yours, it doesn't look like you've
0:16:43 > 0:16:46increased your activity that much, it looks about the same as last
0:16:46 > 0:16:49month, so I definitely think there is room for improvement,
0:16:49 > 0:16:50do you agree?"
0:16:50 > 0:16:54She is hardly alone - in an era of smartphones and tablets,
0:16:54 > 0:16:56research suggests that today's school children are the first
0:16:56 > 0:16:58generation since the Second World War who are less fit
0:16:58 > 0:17:02than their parents.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05In extreme cases, private clinics across the capital are treating
0:17:05 > 0:17:08young people for phone addiction.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10I think, for a minority of people, using your mobile phone,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12when you're a teenager, can become a real
0:17:12 > 0:17:16problem, a big problem.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19I think there is potential an addict in everyone,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and a mobile phone can possible makes it easier to
0:17:22 > 0:17:23get to that addict.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26In terms of staying active, this sort of addiction can increase
0:17:26 > 0:17:28the chance of prolonged sedentary behaviour, and forge unhealthy
0:17:28 > 0:17:30habits in young people.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32If I asked someone to sit still for 25 minutes,
0:17:33 > 0:17:37they would find it incredibly hard.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40If I gave someone a mobile phone and they got engrossed
0:17:40 > 0:17:42in talking to someone, doing whatever they do on a mobile
0:17:42 > 0:17:45phone, you might see them very still for a long period of time.
0:17:45 > 0:17:46They wouldn't notice it.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50So I suppose what I'm saying is, the less aware of yourself you are,
0:17:50 > 0:17:56the bigger the problem.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Despite the challenges, the Marshalls have continued
0:17:58 > 0:18:00to make positive change to their lives.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03In the final two weeks, I'm really pleased to see the family
0:18:03 > 0:18:06supporting each other to reach their fitness goals.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10They've also started to build in weekly family activities,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13a great way not only to stay active, but to help strengthen
0:18:13 > 0:18:14family relationships, a key goal of Fiona's
0:18:14 > 0:18:18from the start.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21With the four-week challenge over, we're back at the University
0:18:21 > 0:18:27of East London, to see if there have been any changes to
0:18:27 > 0:18:33the family's overall fitness.
0:18:33 > 0:18:40So regardless of the results that we get here today, I'm really
0:18:40 > 0:18:43pleased with what the family have achieved in the past four weeks,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46in particular Fiona.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48It just goes to show that the little changes that they've made
0:18:48 > 0:18:50to their lifestyles, has already shown improvement
0:18:50 > 0:18:51in their health and wellbeing.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Well, thanks a lot for coming back in, and doing the tests,
0:18:54 > 0:18:55I hope you've enjoyed it.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Fiona and Gary, you both went for further today,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00a good indication from the work that you've been doing that
0:19:00 > 0:19:01that's working well.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04It's great to see any changes in such a short amount of time,
0:19:04 > 0:19:06and I'm really proud of the whole family.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Do you think these habits that you've picked up
0:19:08 > 0:19:16in the last couple of weeks, you'll continue to use?
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Yes, I think we'll continue our good eating habits, and exercise more,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20and hopefully spending more time getting the four of
0:19:20 > 0:19:21us out of the house.
0:19:21 > 0:19:22Dr Hazel Wallace there.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25And you can find lots of fun, free and easy to use activities
0:19:25 > 0:19:28and resources to get you and your family more active
0:19:28 > 0:19:34at www.bbc.co.uk/supermovers.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Mention windmills and what probably springs to mind is a picturesque
0:19:41 > 0:19:44country scene from Holland or France.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48One of the last places you'd expect to stumble across one would be
0:19:48 > 0:19:49a crowded inner-city neighbourhood like Brixton.
0:19:49 > 0:19:59But as ever, the capital is full of surprises...
0:20:00 > 0:20:02If I say Brixton you probably think of vibrant streets,
0:20:02 > 0:20:09lively, hectic, noisy and full of life.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12But like everywhere in London it was once totally rural.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16It was mainly fields.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19I know it's hard to believe, but it even had a windmill
0:20:19 > 0:20:23that was built in 1816 and produced flour right up until 1934.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26And it's incredible to think that just over 200 years later that
0:20:26 > 0:20:36windmill is still here.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43The Ashby family who owned and operated the mill right
0:20:43 > 0:20:46throughout its working life were able to grow the wheat
0:20:46 > 0:20:47and everything locally.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50The mill carried on milling flour right up until 1934 when the last
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Ashby family milling member closed down the business because of
0:20:54 > 0:21:01the industrial production of bread was in full flow by then.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06After the Ashby family stopped making flour here Lambeth
0:21:06 > 0:21:11council took it over.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14They turned the surrounding area into a park but made sure
0:21:14 > 0:21:17the old windmill remained intact.
0:21:17 > 0:21:24But through vandalism and neglect, it
0:21:24 > 0:21:27had become a bit of a sad sight so much so that in 2002 English
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Heritage placed it on their buildings at risk register.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33That was until a few local residents got involved.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36People used to come to the park, it was used by drug users
0:21:36 > 0:21:39and prostitutes and it was really sad to see the state
0:21:39 > 0:21:48that the windmill had sunk to.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51So we formed a group called the Friends of Windmill Gardens
0:21:51 > 0:21:53to campaign for the restoration of the windmill.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55They worked hard to get the people of Brixton involved
0:21:55 > 0:21:57in trying to restore this beautiful old windmill.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00One local bakery was very keen to help and raised awareness
0:22:00 > 0:22:08by selling a windmill loaf.
0:22:08 > 0:22:15Brockwell Bake which is into heritage wheats into planting wheat,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19old forms of wheat and keeping them going, and he said to me, why don't
0:22:19 > 0:22:22you and me come up with a loaf and we can launch it
0:22:22 > 0:22:25at one of their festivals and we can donate money towards you know
0:22:25 > 0:22:26the windmill project with the loaf?
0:22:26 > 0:22:30So a certain amount per loaf goes towards the project?
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Exactly, yes, 50 pence per loaf.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39Every loaf we sell, every few months we send them a cheque for the money.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42The major funding they got was from lottery, you know, things
0:22:42 > 0:22:45like that but every little bit helps especially in the early days
0:22:45 > 0:22:48because they really didn't have much funding and it properly was a real
0:22:48 > 0:22:56community organisation.
0:22:56 > 0:22:57The people of Brixton pulled together and brought
0:22:58 > 0:22:59the old windmill back to life.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01The wheels are turning once more and they are
0:23:01 > 0:23:05milling flour here again.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08There's a floor above us where the grain comes down this
0:23:08 > 0:23:11shoot into this hopper and this hopper feeds into the vat
0:23:11 > 0:23:14and in this vat there are two large stones you got a bed stone
0:23:14 > 0:23:18at the bottom and a running stone at the top, and this mill is powered
0:23:18 > 0:23:20by electricity.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22The top stone rotates and grinds the the the wheat
0:23:22 > 0:23:26which comes out of a shoot here at the side.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29which comes out of a chute here at the side.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32So this is the flour that's coming from the millstones at the moment
0:23:32 > 0:23:35and what we do is check it between our fingers and thumbs
0:23:35 > 0:23:36to measure the consistency.
0:23:36 > 0:23:42It's quite coarse and varied at the moment.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45It is, yes, not yet fine enough for us to bag.
0:23:45 > 0:23:46This is where the phrase rule
0:23:46 > 0:23:47of thumb comes from.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49From millers checking the quality of the flour.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52So you'd want this a lot finer, you'd want the stones
0:23:52 > 0:23:53to be grinding this
0:23:53 > 0:23:55much more?
0:23:55 > 0:23:59So were going to have to lower the running stone.
0:23:59 > 0:24:08We're going to turn the tendering arm ever so slightly.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10Shall I have a go?
0:24:10 > 0:24:18Yes.
0:24:27 > 0:24:28It's obviously an old windmill.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30It feels like you're back in the days
0:24:30 > 0:24:35when it was built.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38It's really special to be in a building that's as much
0:24:38 > 0:24:39as it was 200 years ago.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41It uses these heavy iron mechanics.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42It's incredible to see
0:24:42 > 0:24:45what we were able to achieve 200 years ago.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Well, I grew up in the countryside overlooking a windmill for most
0:24:48 > 0:24:51of my childhood and when I moved into London Brixton about 10 years
0:24:51 > 0:24:55ago, I was amazed to walk around the corner and find this windmill
0:24:55 > 0:24:57here right in the heart of the city and they had a programme
0:24:57 > 0:25:03where you could learn and become a miller, so I signed up.
0:25:03 > 0:25:11OK, we can take it over to weigh it.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14We're going to stir up the flour
0:25:14 > 0:25:18to make sure any bran is mixed in then we put in a scoop and we
0:25:18 > 0:25:19keep going until the bag is full.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Would you like to have a go?
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Yes, I'd love to.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27So you're often busy down here working.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30How much flour do you produce?
0:25:30 > 0:25:35At the moment, we're producing about a 100 kilograms a month,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38so every time we mill, we're producing between 40 to 50
0:25:38 > 0:25:41500g bags of flour and they're being taken up by about six
0:25:41 > 0:25:44different bakeries and pizzerias in Brixton.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47One of the shops they are supplying is the Old Post Office
0:25:47 > 0:25:49bakery who helped them get where they are today,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52and this means that the windmill can now help produce its very
0:25:52 > 0:25:57own windmill loaf.
0:25:57 > 0:26:03The whole idea of the windmill loaf was that once they got the mill up
0:26:03 > 0:26:06and running again we would use the flour that they were milling
0:26:06 > 0:26:08there in the windmill loaf, originally because they weren't
0:26:08 > 0:26:12producing enough for us we had to use other flour,
0:26:12 > 0:26:18but in the last few months it's got to the really exciting stage
0:26:18 > 0:26:21where they are actually getting to the point where they can mill
0:26:21 > 0:26:24enough for us so for instance, last week I picked up 25 kilos
0:26:24 > 0:26:26of flour from the windmill and we are actually making
0:26:26 > 0:26:28the windmill loaf from flour that has been milled
0:26:28 > 0:26:29in the Brixton windmill.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31So circulating it round like that.
0:26:31 > 0:26:32It's sticking to my hands.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37Yeah, annoying, isn't it?
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Get in there or I tell you what, what you can do is one at a time,
0:26:41 > 0:26:46you can do it like this.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59It feels like the circle's come round and we've really got
0:26:59 > 0:27:01to the point we wanted to with it.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04And the whole circle in terms of 200 years of the history
0:27:04 > 0:27:07of the windmill, it's doing what it was meant to do.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10It's doing what it was meant to do and sited right in quite
0:27:10 > 0:27:13a poor bit of Brixton, right in the middle of an estate,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16and they get the kids to come in and actually teach them
0:27:16 > 0:27:18about stuff that they really wouldn't know, otherwise they go
0:27:18 > 0:27:20into local schools, they plant wheat, they mill it.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23There's an amazing opportunity for local people to learn about food
0:27:23 > 0:27:24production.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27There are a number of small growers locally in Lambeth
0:27:27 > 0:27:30who are growing wheat that is then being bought here to be milled
0:27:30 > 0:27:32and it's a wonderful way of recreating how windmills
0:27:32 > 0:27:36traditionally operate.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41Well, this is exciting, isn't it?
0:27:41 > 0:27:44This loaf of bread, this wonderful windmill and its millers, are proof
0:27:44 > 0:27:46that history doesn't have to be a distant memory, but something
0:27:46 > 0:27:51we can all still enjoy on our very own doorstep.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57And I can confirm that that bread was just as tasty as it looked!
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Well, that's about all for tonight's Inside Out.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Before we go though, let's have a quick look at what's
0:28:02 > 0:28:04coming up on next week's show.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06We go undercover to expose the rogue beauticians offering illegal
0:28:07 > 0:28:12teeth-whitening treatments.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17It's disgusting. It's putting a patient's life at risk, doing dental
0:28:17 > 0:28:19procedures outside of the dental surgery.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23Disfigured in battle - how cosmetic surgeons,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27more used to tummy tucks and botox are helping our soldiers.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31The movement is fantastic. Before, I struggled to move it a tiny bit but
0:28:31 > 0:28:35now I have full movement in it and
0:28:35 > 0:28:43And would you be brave enough to eat this?
0:28:43 > 0:28:44And that's it for this week's Inside Out.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Tonight's programme will be available on the iPlayer -
0:28:47 > 0:28:48just head to our website bbc.co.uk/insideout
0:28:48 > 0:28:50and click on London.
0:28:50 > 0:28:51Thanks very much for watching.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55I'll see you again soon.