:00:09. > :00:15.Way onto a new series of inside it north-west. This week we are in
:00:15. > :00:21.Cheshire where we will be finding out how the salt mines have become
:00:21. > :00:31.a precious winter asset. Well we are 200 metres beneath the Cheshire
:00:31. > :00:32.
:00:32. > :00:37.countryside. This machine turns this into road socks. Sprinter,
:00:37. > :00:45.champion cyclist, cricketer, the world's first black professional
:00:45. > :00:50.footballer - the remarkable story of Arthur Wharton. We all start
:00:50. > :00:54.somewhere and we start with him. Ricky Tomlinson and remembers his
:00:54. > :01:00.he wrote Jacqui Hamilton who many believed deserves to be ranked
:01:00. > :01:10.alongside Liverpool's comedy greats. I remember thinking one day maybe I
:01:10. > :01:18.
:01:18. > :01:23.will be that good! -- Jackie Hamilton.
:01:23. > :01:27.Here in Cheshire up is a place people visit for peace and quiet.
:01:27. > :01:32.What they may not realise is that this is an industrial landscape
:01:32. > :01:38.formed more than 200 years ago when salt mining caused widespread
:01:38. > :01:48.subsidence. The area still has one of the UK's largest stock
:01:48. > :01:53.
:01:53. > :01:57.repositories used mainly to keep Britain's a road say.
:01:57. > :01:59.They say swallows are the sign that spring's arrived. And for me, the
:01:59. > :02:02.first sign of winter is the sight of gritter lorries. When
:02:02. > :02:06.temperatures drop, the gritters hit our roads - spewing out millions of
:02:06. > :02:09.tonnes of road salt every year. And that means less black ice on our
:02:09. > :02:12.roads. But have you ever wondered just where all that salt for the
:02:12. > :02:16.gritters comes from? You might be surprised to learn that most of the
:02:16. > :02:19.UK's supply comes from a huge salt mine near Winsford. What's mined at
:02:19. > :02:21.Winsford began as ocean floor. The salt in the sea was left behind
:02:21. > :02:26.when the water evaporated during the Triassic period. That's about
:02:26. > :02:29.220 million years ago to you and me. Over the millennia, the salt got
:02:29. > :02:34.covered up and it lay hidden underground until the Romans came
:02:34. > :02:37.along and discovered Cheshire's salt deposits. And ever since, salt
:02:38. > :02:40.has been a mainstay of the areas' economy. The word "wich," is a
:02:41. > :02:50.Viking word for salt making, and that's reflected in the names of
:02:50. > :02:56.local towns like Northwich, Middlewich and Nantwich.
:02:56. > :03:01.Underneath the Cheshire Plain is a massive sold out that runs all the
:03:01. > :03:07.way across to Northern Ireland and across to the east coast as well.
:03:07. > :03:13.In the saviour, it is at its thickest. That is why there has
:03:13. > :03:18.historically been sought meaning in this area. The Salt Union mine at
:03:18. > :03:21.Winsford opened in 1844 and claims to be Britain's oldest working mine.
:03:21. > :03:25.But it's fair to say that methods of mining the salt have changed
:03:25. > :03:35.over the years. In the early days, miners drilled holes in the rock,
:03:35. > :03:37.
:03:37. > :03:43.loaded the holes with gunpowder and let the explosions do their thing.
:03:43. > :03:48.We run throughout the year building the stocks to sell in the winter.
:03:48. > :03:51.We work five days a week most of the year but in the winter we set
:03:51. > :03:54.that up to seven days a week. century salt mining is a much more
:03:54. > :03:58.mechanised activity. This machine is called the continuous miner. And
:03:58. > :04:02.it does what it says on the tin. Costing well over a million pounds,
:04:02. > :04:12.at full pelt it can work 24/7 and it's capable of carving out up to
:04:12. > :04:13.
:04:13. > :04:18.10,000 tonnes of salt every day of the year if necessary. It is an
:04:18. > :04:22.extremely old industry particularly in this area. We have done a lot of
:04:22. > :04:28.work to invest in new equipment and be very safe. We are probably one
:04:28. > :04:32.of the sea it is 9th in the country. You have also worked in coal mines?
:04:32. > :04:40.Coal mines tend to be deeper, hotter and dirtier and a completely
:04:41. > :04:48.different environment. The machine minds the opt out of the face and
:04:48. > :04:53.it goes through the machine on to a conveyor. That takes any impurities
:04:53. > :04:56.out. As soon as it comes out, if it is ready for the roads. The scale
:04:56. > :04:59.of the Winsford Salt mine is mind blowing. When you go underground,
:04:59. > :05:03.you enter one enormous dimly lit cavern. And for someone like me who
:05:03. > :05:10.can get lost just driving to work, how the miners don't get lost in
:05:10. > :05:17.the gloom is a mystery. It is five kilometres east to west and four
:05:17. > :05:27.kilometres north to south. Over 200 miles of tunnel world another round.
:05:27. > :05:27.
:05:27. > :05:31.My friends ask what I do and I say I'm a minor. If you ever wonder why
:05:31. > :05:37.a mind of this scale does not collapse, it is because of these
:05:37. > :05:44.pillars here which as strong as concrete. The rock we are mining
:05:44. > :05:49.through his very hard, some of the hardest stuff around. You spend the
:05:49. > :05:54.majority of your day underground? Get up in the dark and come to work
:05:54. > :05:57.in the dark. That is my job. Once the salt has been mined, it still
:05:57. > :06:05.has to be crushed into the tiny pieces that you see flying out of
:06:06. > :06:10.the back of the gritter lorries in winter. 200 metres beneath the
:06:11. > :06:16.Cheshire countryside, this machine is turning this into the salt on
:06:16. > :06:26.your roads. Where are we now? are at the crashing in screening
:06:26. > :06:29.plant. Everything has to come through here to get process. We put
:06:29. > :06:35.the rock salt through sieves liked this close-up everything below that
:06:35. > :06:38.size comes out ready to going to the lorry. Everything of our that
:06:38. > :06:45.stays in this part and goes through more pressure so we take it back
:06:45. > :06:49.here. This is a massive Platt. We put over a million tonnes a year
:06:49. > :06:54.through this plant. But how on earth did they manage to get such a
:06:54. > :07:02.massive machine deep in the heart of the mine? There is a lot of
:07:02. > :07:06.Engineering Design work that goes into it. It comes down as they set
:07:06. > :07:09.and rebuild it down here. One thing you can't help but notice when
:07:09. > :07:12.you're in the mine is the taste salt in the air. And with some
:07:12. > :07:18.health professionals warning about consuming too much salt in our food,
:07:18. > :07:22.I wondered if excess salt intake was a concern for workers? There is
:07:22. > :07:28.obviously sold within the environment. The body does need
:07:29. > :07:33.salt and it is one of the main things we need to stay alive. We
:07:33. > :07:36.see no health issues at all. well as mining salt, in recent
:07:36. > :07:42.years the mines' owners have developed a surprising new sideline
:07:42. > :07:47.that thrives 200 metres below the surface of Cheshire. Explain to me
:07:47. > :07:53.where we are now? We are in deep stall. This is the records
:07:53. > :08:02.management business that we run within the mind. We have created an
:08:02. > :08:11.environment which is ideally suited to long term paper storage. It is a
:08:11. > :08:15.very constant and cool environment. We have a national archive in here.
:08:15. > :08:21.These archives have already been scanned and can be viewed on their
:08:21. > :08:26.Web site. It is not just used for Mining sold then, it has another
:08:26. > :08:32.face to it? We are always looking for things we can do to the use the
:08:32. > :08:39.areas created by mining. Do you have any edgier how much you have
:08:39. > :08:43.in storage? This room can hold 100,000 boxes. We have over 1
:08:43. > :08:49.million boxes under ground. Do you know where everyone is?
:08:49. > :08:52.certainly do. It is done through a very detailed bar coding system.
:08:52. > :08:55.But while storing the national archives may prove to be the long
:08:55. > :09:03.term future for the business, for now there's plenty of salt down
:09:03. > :09:08.there which is still waiting to be mined. As long as the desserts are
:09:08. > :09:13.there, we on them and we on the reserves for the next 20 years. We
:09:13. > :09:23.can keep going. Until someone finds a cheaper way to make the roads
:09:23. > :09:24.
:09:25. > :09:34.safer in winter, there will always be need for these cuts.
:09:35. > :09:45.
:09:45. > :09:50.Coming up - the best Scouse comic He was a pioneer and the British
:09:50. > :09:55.sporting hero who plied his trade not far from here playing in goal
:09:56. > :10:00.for teams like Preston North End and Stockport County. Arthur
:10:01. > :10:10.Wharton's story is largely forgotten. He was Britain's first
:10:11. > :10:29.
:10:29. > :10:33.black professional footballer and held the record for the 100 yards -.
:10:33. > :10:35.It starts in a little fishing port in West Africa in 1865. A boy is
:10:35. > :10:38.born. He became arguably the greatest sportsman Northern England
:10:38. > :10:42.has ever seen. But you've probably never heard of him. I feel so proud
:10:42. > :10:45.of his achievements and delighted that at last, his story is able to
:10:45. > :10:50.be told. He was the pioneer! He has a place in history, we all start
:10:50. > :10:55.somewhere and we start with Arthur Wharton. This was what began the
:10:55. > :10:59.whole story. This is Arthur, this is what began the whole story,
:10:59. > :11:02.finding this in the box. I found it in this old box that belonged to my
:11:02. > :11:05.mother. It's a photo of Arthur Wharton, who Sheila Leeson believed
:11:05. > :11:08.to be a distant relative. She didn't know it but he had a
:11:08. > :11:11.remarkable story. Arthur Wharton was born in Jamestown, in the Gold
:11:11. > :11:13.Coast - now Ghana. His Scottish father was a Methodist preacher,
:11:13. > :11:17.his Ghanaian mother a tribal princess. Arthur left for Britain
:11:17. > :11:27.to train as a preacher himself. But he found his true calling in the
:11:27. > :11:31.
:11:31. > :11:34.He played football for Darlington, played a bit of cricket here as
:11:34. > :11:37.well. He was a first class cricketer. But an even better
:11:37. > :11:43.goalkeeper. He was a showman! He'd swing on the crossbar and catch the
:11:43. > :11:48.ball between his knees. He played for Newcastle, he made an
:11:48. > :11:51.appearance for Middlesbrough, Rotherham, Stalybridge. He was
:11:52. > :11:55.playing so well Preston North End signed him - they were the
:11:55. > :12:00.Manchester United of their day, the Barcelona of their day. But that's
:12:00. > :12:02.just the tip of the iceberg. He was the world's first 100 yard record
:12:02. > :12:12.holder, British Cycling champion, professional cricketer, and played
:12:12. > :12:16.
:12:16. > :12:19.Italy looked at his sporting achievements in the context of
:12:19. > :12:26.today, if it you looked at his sporting achievements and the
:12:26. > :12:30.context of today, -- if you look at the sporting achievement and the
:12:30. > :12:36.context of today, he would be the Usain Bolt of his day. His memory
:12:36. > :12:41.had a secret kept hidden in the some box. Arthur was married to the
:12:41. > :12:51.sister of Sheila's grandmother. His personal belongings. Magor to a
:12:51. > :12:52.
:12:52. > :12:59.close link. He committed -- his personal belongings point to a
:12:59. > :13:05.close link. He committed adultery. Arthur Wharton was actually the
:13:05. > :13:09.grandfather she never knew. Sheila is heading from her home in
:13:09. > :13:19.Yorkshire to Ghana. It is the last chance she will ever get to trace
:13:19. > :13:26.
:13:26. > :13:31.This is where Arthur's father preached. In his later life, I
:13:31. > :13:39.think he forgot about his religion. Because of his illicit love affair,
:13:39. > :13:45.he lost his family, and then, his celebrity status. He ended up as a
:13:45. > :13:50.miner in Doncaster, living in poverty. He had gone from being
:13:50. > :13:57.somebody well known in the country to practically being a nobody, and
:13:57. > :14:05.he was buried in an unknown grave. An undignified end to a champion --
:14:05. > :14:09.for a champion whose life had started so promisingly. Shaun
:14:09. > :14:15.Campbell's mission is to get recognition for Arthur Wharton,
:14:15. > :14:19.first through a statue. I just wondered how many statues or money
:14:19. > :14:26.men's were out there for a black footballers. -- money immense. It
:14:26. > :14:31.took me two and a half months to find one. These small bronze
:14:31. > :14:36.replicas have been bought by football's most powerful
:14:36. > :14:40.organisations. We have won at the home of FIFA in Zurich and one in
:14:40. > :14:47.the presence lounge, and when we go back to England, we have won at
:14:47. > :14:52.UEFA. The timing of the campaign could not be better. There are wars
:14:52. > :14:56.being raged -- waged against racism in football in England right now.
:14:56. > :15:02.Somebody like Arthur Wharton could be the icon and the symbol for
:15:02. > :15:07.overcoming racism. The Arthur was loved by many across the North, he
:15:07. > :15:12.had to fight his own battles. they reported on matches, they
:15:12. > :15:18.would refer to him as the darkie or say that he had features like a
:15:18. > :15:22.monkey. In 1886, the people of the northeast of England called for
:15:23. > :15:32.Arthur to play for England. He was denied the opportunity because of
:15:32. > :15:36.the colour of his skin. Being a black player and playing in the
:15:36. > :15:42.1800s, that is mine boggling. I never knew anything about Arthur
:15:42. > :15:46.Wharton until six or seven years ago. That is a crying shame. You
:15:47. > :15:55.speak to Andy Cole and they all know about him. We are doing our
:15:55. > :15:59.little bit to get his name up there. They are doing exactly that him
:15:59. > :16:03.Ghana as well. It is the birthday of Arthur Wharton, and any place
:16:03. > :16:11.where he was born, there is a football tournament held in his
:16:11. > :16:14.honour. This is a deprived community. A gentleman such as
:16:14. > :16:18.community. A gentleman such as Arthur brings hope that despite
:16:18. > :16:24.body adversity and the obstacles, one could make it through and reach
:16:24. > :16:29.to the top. -- despite all of the adversity. Arthur Wharton has
:16:29. > :16:33.finally come home, and in a sense, so has his granddaughter. She has
:16:33. > :16:40.one last surprise. A local journalist has tracked down an
:16:40. > :16:46.entire family she let never knew she had. -- an entire family she
:16:46. > :16:56.never knew she had. He is your family, an entire sample. My work
:16:56. > :16:57.
:16:58. > :17:03.here is done. I wondered if I had a grandfather and I asked my mother
:17:03. > :17:09.but she never answered me. I am very proud to be a member of your
:17:09. > :17:19.family. I just feel so full. It is very emotional to be here with you
:17:19. > :17:21.
:17:21. > :17:26.all. Thank you. We are very happy. This is the first time I have heard
:17:27. > :17:31.of any bite people chasing their black ancestors. She has come home
:17:31. > :17:36.to look for us. -- any white people. For a ball is known as a beautiful
:17:36. > :17:41.game and it unites people. -- football. We are all united. People
:17:41. > :17:47.from all over the world have come together all because of one man and
:17:47. > :17:51.his journey. It is 50 years since comedienne Jackie Hamilton first
:17:51. > :17:54.took to the stage to make them laugh in Liverpool, but I am
:17:54. > :18:01.guessing that most of you have never heard of him. Another funny
:18:01. > :18:05.man from Liverpool pinks it is time you did. Ricky Tomlinson, star of
:18:05. > :18:13.the award-winning sitcom The Royle Family, pink that Jackie belongs
:18:13. > :18:17.right next to the all-time greatest comedians. -- thinks that Jackie.
:18:17. > :18:25.If we can get a bargain of the bottle blowers and store stoppers
:18:25. > :18:31.club, the world is your oyster! I married a girl from X -- Manchester
:18:31. > :18:36.because I wanted to share the Scouse gene. I everyone thinks
:18:36. > :18:40.Liverpool is full of comedians, but not all of them go on stage. The
:18:40. > :18:45.funniest man I had ever seen, who did not make the big time, was a
:18:46. > :18:54.wonderful, wonderful man. I want you to meet and greet the one and
:18:54. > :18:58.only, Liverpools own Jackie Hamilton! I was waiting for a cap
:18:58. > :19:02.and an automobile came around the corner very slowly and stopped by
:19:03. > :19:11.the bus-stop. I jumped in and it started off again. There was no
:19:11. > :19:17.driver! I got out at the Princess and there was a guy standing on the
:19:18. > :19:23.other side. I asked him if he was waiting for a lift. I said there is
:19:23. > :19:32.a ghost driving that taxi. He told me I must be joking. He said that
:19:32. > :19:36.he pushed it all the way! He was a 24 hour comic. Watching him on
:19:36. > :19:42.stage, I remember as a kid thinking that maybe one day I could be that
:19:42. > :19:47.good. As soon as he came on stage, what came out of his mouth, you
:19:47. > :19:51.knew they were going to laugh at Jackie. It is 50 years since Jackie
:19:51. > :19:56.Hamilton first stood on stage and told a joke, and it is 10 years
:19:56. > :20:05.since he passed away. He established a reputation as the,'s
:20:05. > :20:14.comic, the best in the business. Up -- as the comics,. But Jackie never
:20:14. > :20:20.made the big time. He said it was 35 a bar and asked why where the
:20:20. > :20:26.woman wanted it. She said at that bloody price they would put it in
:20:26. > :20:30.the display cabinet or stop Jackie Hamilton -- Cabinet. Jackie
:20:30. > :20:36.Hamilton may not be the most famous comedian to come out of Liverpool,
:20:36. > :20:44.but he was such a legend in this city that a play was a Briton about
:20:44. > :20:49.him. -- that a play was written about him. Or audiences know when
:20:49. > :20:54.you don't mean it. That is why I go onstage with a pint in my hand,
:20:54. > :21:02.because they know that I like a drink, and then when I come off,
:21:02. > :21:06.they can feel part of it. They say sometimes that comics say funny
:21:06. > :21:14.things and comedians say things funny. He is a material was funny
:21:14. > :21:20.but he was a funny man. Turkey had a tough upbringing -- Jackie had a
:21:20. > :21:29.tough upbringing. That is him on the right, with his father and
:21:29. > :21:38.younger brother Joey. My mother was always in hospital. Whenever we
:21:38. > :21:43.were down, he always seemed to pull us up. He had that way about him.
:21:43. > :21:47.Jack Dee and his wife had five children -- Jackie and his wife had
:21:47. > :21:57.five children, he sometimes thought it was strange to have a comedian
:21:57. > :21:58.
:21:58. > :22:02.or a father. He was just my dad and he was just funny. I used to ask
:22:02. > :22:07.him what he did and he would say he was a fireman or a cowboy and that
:22:08. > :22:12.he was in the Marines. I never knew what he did. When Jackie left
:22:12. > :22:17.school, he drifted from job to job, working on building sites, and
:22:17. > :22:23.later on, at the docks. I never talk about the dogs because I used
:22:23. > :22:28.to work at the docks myself, working. It's became obvious that
:22:28. > :22:37.he should be on the -- it as soon became obvious that he should be on
:22:37. > :22:43.the stage. He was part of a trio. There were no prizes for her
:22:43. > :22:50.guessing which one of Jackie is a bright -- supplied, but the then
:22:50. > :22:59.dropped him when he missed a gate. He liked a beverage. Every day was
:22:59. > :23:03.Christmas. I never seen him nervous. He never let me on. The thing with
:23:03. > :23:12.a Jackie was that he mixed with everybody. He mixed with the people
:23:13. > :23:17.that it matters. You have not got a cigarette, I left mine in my shoe!
:23:17. > :23:21.His solo career went from strength to strength on his home patch, and
:23:21. > :23:31.when the BBC made a programme about the arts in Liverpool in 1973, they
:23:31. > :23:33.
:23:33. > :23:39.knew exactly where to go. Mr Jackie Hamilton! My wife this morning said
:23:39. > :23:43.to me this morning that it is nice now. You think you would get out
:23:43. > :23:53.there and turn the garden over. I told her to get hold of the other
:23:53. > :23:57.end. The producer that they became a lifelong friend. He has now
:23:57. > :24:00.written the play that was inspired by Jackie. A night featured program,
:24:00. > :24:05.there were parts about the camellia -- him that feature programme,
:24:05. > :24:08.there were part about the community, but the guy he was telling us what
:24:08. > :24:12.it was really like to be in Liverpool and tell it in a
:24:12. > :24:19.wonderfully humorous but also really perceptive way was Jackie
:24:19. > :24:25.Hamilton. I got stopped by a copper who asked me who I thought I was. I
:24:25. > :24:33.told him, the Luton Girls' Choir. He was a funny man who never met
:24:33. > :24:38.the big time. He did not want to be shooting their or doing -- shooting
:24:38. > :24:41.there. He wanted to do what he wanted to do. I do not think he
:24:41. > :24:45.would have liked the big time because he would have lost a lot of
:24:45. > :24:50.mates and he would not have handled the big time. I do not think he
:24:50. > :24:59.would have been happy with the big time. Two men who knew him as well
:25:00. > :25:06.as and when are these to a veteran comics. He could have stormed them.
:25:06. > :25:11.He just would not conform to discipline. That was not Jackie.
:25:11. > :25:16.All he wanted to do was make people laugh. What a joke that he tell
:25:16. > :25:26.that made people laugh? He was talking about this woman at the
:25:26. > :25:36.chippy. She has got a goldfish bowl and a goldfish and she -- and a man
:25:36. > :25:44.
:25:44. > :25:50.asked her if she did fishcakes and When he was on a recently -- when
:25:50. > :25:58.the play was arm recently, the audience included Jackie's children.
:25:58. > :26:05.I am a little bit anxious. It feels like I am going to see my dad again.
:26:05. > :26:09.Very nervous because we do not know what to expect. I hope I do not
:26:09. > :26:13.come out crying my eyes out. I am looking forward to it, to be honest
:26:13. > :26:18.with you. It is more of a celebration than anything anxious
:26:18. > :26:23.or nerves. I am going to watch it and enjoy it. They still have a
:26:23. > :26:27.sense of humour though. They don't lose that witty thing about them,
:26:27. > :26:30.like the names they give one another. There is one fella who
:26:30. > :26:40.used to go down to his grandmother's and they called him
:26:40. > :26:42.
:26:42. > :26:47.Little Red Riding Hood. And my favourite, the one about the man
:26:47. > :26:53.who was always saying these could fit the kids or the wife. The show
:26:53. > :26:57.has got the verdict from the family. When I first seen him coming out, I
:26:57. > :27:03.thought it was my brother come back to life. It was a fitting tribute
:27:03. > :27:07.to him because he was full of laughter. When he was in the
:27:07. > :27:13.dressing room in the show, he was very lonely, thinking of things
:27:13. > :27:18.himself. But I really enjoyed it. 10 years after his death, Jackie's
:27:18. > :27:23.reputation is as strong as ever. We will certainly never forget him he
:27:23. > :27:27.was a great comedian who had the love of his own local people.
:27:27. > :27:33.some ways, I think that is sometimes called surely more
:27:33. > :27:43.important, to be known within her own city and to become a statesman
:27:43. > :27:43.
:27:43. > :27:47.of your city. For Jackie is probably having a good laugh
:27:47. > :27:54.because he is more popular now than when he was alive, but it is no
:27:54. > :28:04.more than he deserves. He was a wonderful comic. Only a docker
:28:04. > :28:09.would go on a world cruise. I turned around to the steward, he --
:28:09. > :28:19.and asked where the tour that were. The steward said that they were a
:28:19. > :28:22.
:28:22. > :28:26.How great to see Jackie still leaving people laughing. That is
:28:26. > :28:32.all for me here in Northwich. If you have missed any of the
:28:32. > :28:42.programme, you can catch it on the BBC iPlayer. I will be back next
:28:42. > :28:45.Monday on BBC One. Goodbye. Next week, we ask, is it time to