:00:11. > :00:13.Welcome to Inside Out, south-west. And tonight, the Spielberg diving
:00:13. > :00:20.Devon artist making waves in her wheelchair.
:00:20. > :00:25.I had had people say if you can do that, I can do anything. Also
:00:25. > :00:32.tonight, the pen of business trying to survive bad debt. I have got a
:00:32. > :00:35.family to feed and bills to pay so it means losing my job is a tough
:00:35. > :00:43.thing. Plan the Greatest Show on Earth but
:00:43. > :00:50.how to dress at the Olympics when Cornish pride is at stake. If they
:00:50. > :01:00.do not fit our need a or fit the Olympic image, we will make our own.
:01:00. > :01:08.
:01:08. > :01:16.I am Samantha Smith and this is Preparations for the Olympics
:01:16. > :01:22.gather pace, we have a remarkable story of Devon artist Sue Austin.
:01:22. > :01:28.She is to set out to perform under water while piloting her propeller-
:01:28. > :01:31.driven wheelchair. Plymouth University student Sue
:01:32. > :01:35.Austin lost the full use of her legs after a viral illness. Then
:01:35. > :01:38.she learnt to dive, and is now taking the plunge to create a
:01:39. > :01:44.unique performance. Sue is, almost certainly, the world's first
:01:44. > :01:54.disabled underwater acrobat. The idea came to her after a diving
:01:54. > :01:56.
:01:56. > :02:01.trip to Egypt. In 2005, I started diving and I realised that the
:02:01. > :02:06.association's with scuba gear allows you to enable your range of
:02:07. > :02:12.activity like a wheelchair but the association's four ski bigger are
:02:12. > :02:16.for adventure and adventure -- for ski but here. So I thought what
:02:16. > :02:19.would happen if you combined them. You can't get an underwater
:02:19. > :02:22.wheelchair off the shelf, so Sue's had to design one herself. Plastic
:02:22. > :02:28.hydrofoils give it lift and helps Sue "fly" it through the water,
:02:28. > :02:34.like a plane though the air. I've had such a clear idea about it for
:02:34. > :02:44.so long. Engineers said, You won't be able to do it, it won't work".
:02:44. > :02:50.But it has - as she proved on her first sea trial last year. Four
:02:50. > :02:54.years to get to this point, I think but now we have got a underwater
:02:54. > :02:57.wheelchair and we are about to have our first day of water tests,
:02:57. > :03:07.should be fun. I think you're absolutely mad!
:03:07. > :03:36.
:03:36. > :03:38.Back on dry land, they continue to modify the chair to improve its
:03:39. > :03:41.manoeuvrability. By autumn, it's time to test "Chair Mk II". Sue's
:03:42. > :03:50.been given use of the pool at Osprey Leisure Centre in Portland
:03:50. > :03:54.for her trials. This is the propeller unit which will drive the
:03:54. > :03:57.wheelchair through the water. The Diver Rob Hughes has been with Sue
:03:57. > :04:04.from the start, helping her build the chair. Now equipped with added
:04:04. > :04:07.thrust. Originally they were developed for American navy divers.
:04:07. > :04:10.This is the remote control which Sue will use and are strapped
:04:10. > :04:19.underneath the handle. She compares it with her lake and when she
:04:19. > :04:24.presses it, -- with her leg. We tried it with one thruster and
:04:24. > :04:29.settled on two because one was making it pull one way so the two
:04:29. > :04:34.thrusters make her go straight through the water and is able to
:04:34. > :04:39.make her pull a full turn and a backward roll so this is underwater
:04:39. > :04:43.ballet! We have thrust and movement in the water. Fabulous, a great
:04:43. > :04:46.experience. Armchair diving at its best!
:04:46. > :04:48.As part of the Cultural Olympiad, Sue's been commissioned to create a
:04:48. > :04:56.film of her performance. She's using a special 360-degree camera.
:04:56. > :05:00.But that's not without its challenges too. Number one is
:05:00. > :05:03.leaking. Oh, dear. When all the pictures are stitched
:05:03. > :05:06.together, the film will be shown in Weymouth in a dome like this one.
:05:06. > :05:15.Dave Hotchkiss from Plymouth University is part of the team
:05:15. > :05:21.developing the venue. When this is played back, the audience in this
:05:21. > :05:25.dome structure, the 21 metre dam, the audience is in the same
:05:25. > :05:29.position where the camera was, the same position where Susan would be
:05:29. > :05:36.and it is like them being under water as well. With every dive,
:05:36. > :05:40.Sue's learning how much the chair can do. Because it is a much more
:05:40. > :05:44.acrobatic version of the chair, it is much harder to control so I have
:05:44. > :05:48.got the issue that the chair is always kicking up into a loop the
:05:48. > :05:54.loop which is brilliant for filming but it makes it very difficult to
:05:55. > :05:57.control and there just managed to collide with a rig earlier. The The
:05:58. > :06:00.film is just one part of Sue's performance. Here at the Fleet
:06:01. > :06:03.Lagoon just off Portland, she hopes to stage an underwater first -
:06:03. > :06:13.disappearing into the water and emerging triumphant on the other
:06:13. > :06:14.
:06:14. > :06:21.side. It is to create some kind of really dramatic, grand spectacle
:06:21. > :06:27.that had a really visceral response from people watching. By one of the
:06:27. > :06:31.elements of the performance was to release red dye and people can
:06:31. > :06:38.actually see something happening live as well as the film footage
:06:38. > :06:47.that we would have. The Fleet is shallow but Test stars have shown
:06:47. > :06:57.that conditions are not ideal. discovered a horrible thought thick
:06:57. > :06:58.
:06:58. > :07:05.area of mind and if you disturb it, you get a cloud of Mark. And strong
:07:05. > :07:08.tides to contend with. We had understood that we would have one
:07:09. > :07:16.hour for a performance but since we have been diving, we have not
:07:16. > :07:20.managed to find a time when the This is the first time Sue's
:07:20. > :07:24.launched herself into the Fleet from the shore in her chair.
:07:24. > :07:34.As Sue begins her descent... Her thrusters are in danger of getting
:07:34. > :07:46.
:07:46. > :07:55.Sue's not happy about going under. We're in the middle of the Channel.
:07:55. > :08:05.Within minutes, Sue, Rob and the other divers are being swept out of
:08:05. > :08:07.
:08:07. > :08:17.Sue decides to abandon the crossing... And get out of her
:08:17. > :08:31.
:08:31. > :08:38.This hasn't put you off? entirely. It does make me think we
:08:38. > :08:45.were an hour too late. It was bound to happen. I didn't feel unsafe.
:08:45. > :08:49.had safety measures in place. It was difficult. It was hard work.
:08:49. > :08:53.People said at the beginning, it is impossible. Wheelchair in the
:08:53. > :09:03.water? Crazy. But we have proved it can be done. We have done test
:09:03. > :09:03.
:09:03. > :09:07.before today. It is a new challenge and why not? If we cannot -- if we
:09:07. > :09:11.can put a man on the moon, why not put a woman under water? I take my
:09:11. > :09:14.hat off to her. But the strong tides in the Fleet
:09:14. > :09:18.mean Sue's aim of a grand event will have to be scaled down to
:09:18. > :09:21.something simpler. But Sue and her team have come up with a bold Plan
:09:21. > :09:31.B - she's going to perform in the Osprey Swimming Pool, and have an
:09:31. > :09:40.
:09:40. > :09:48.I woke up on New Year's Day saying I was going to be the first artist
:09:48. > :09:55.to drown in front of her audience, I am sure it won't happen! For Sue,
:09:55. > :10:01.a key part of her work is what others get out of it. People get so
:10:01. > :10:06.excited by it and in spite of working within limitations,
:10:06. > :10:09.physical exhaustion, mental exhaustion and so on, it is still
:10:09. > :10:18.possible if you have an absolute passion about something - to
:10:18. > :10:28.transcend all those issues. I have had people saying "if you can do
:10:28. > :10:42.
:10:42. > :10:49.that, I can do anything" - that is Plymouth is one of the country's
:10:49. > :10:59.bankruptcy blackspots and that is bad news not just for those going
:10:59. > :11:10.
:11:10. > :11:16.bust. It bankruptcy can start a The Joseph Louie has been running
:11:16. > :11:24.the Astor Hotel in Plymouth Hoe for a few years. The staff love it here.
:11:24. > :11:31.The because it is just a small hotel, we know each other and we
:11:31. > :11:36.call Joseph our and Daddy! We all clicked together and Joseph is nice
:11:36. > :11:46.to work for. He has got an interesting character. It is fun to
:11:46. > :11:49.
:11:49. > :11:53.All is not well at the Astor. The business is in trouble and the
:11:53. > :12:02.staff are facing redundancy and Joseph could end up losing his
:12:02. > :12:11.hotel. I cannot think about it. It is just around the corner. It could
:12:11. > :12:15.be any moment. Last year, Inside Out revealed how debt owed to
:12:15. > :12:20.Joseph of �160,000 had brought the business to its knees. I am close
:12:20. > :12:24.to make or break. The bank is on my back and four months I have been
:12:24. > :12:30.trying to save the business. followed baliffs as they tried to
:12:30. > :12:40.recover the debt owed by a former Plymouth Argyle footballer. Hello.
:12:40. > :12:42.
:12:42. > :12:46.We are looking for Paul Chapman? is not here. They left empty-handed.
:12:46. > :12:53.The business has gone. Everything is gone. The house is on the market.
:12:53. > :12:58.The car belongs to the lady inside. A later, Paul Chapman was declared
:12:58. > :13:05.bankrupt. Unable to get back his money, Joseph has left owning more
:13:05. > :13:09.than �100,000 to creditors of his own. Beautiful, sunny Plymouth.
:13:09. > :13:15.is December and Joseph is off to see his accountant to find out just
:13:15. > :13:23.how bad things are. When you are behind, every time the VAT is late,
:13:23. > :13:33.be put a surcharge on it. I have paid at least �60,000 more VAT on
:13:33. > :13:34.
:13:34. > :13:36.surcharges. Back at the hotel, it is business as usual. There is no
:13:36. > :13:46.shortage of the Kings and when Joseph returns it is with a rescue
:13:46. > :13:52.plan. If the Bank agrees to support us for the first couple of months
:13:52. > :13:58.in January and New Year, up to may perhaps, then we have bookings and
:13:58. > :14:03.we should be OK. However, his optimism is short-lived and the
:14:03. > :14:10.bank refuses to increase his overdraft. It was declined. There
:14:10. > :14:16.is no overdraft. They will not come in and close the hotel, but they
:14:16. > :14:26.will not lend me any more money. One option is for Joseph to clear
:14:26. > :14:26.
:14:26. > :14:30.his debts by selling up. Today, he showing round a value were. I am
:14:30. > :14:40.beginning to come to terms with the fact that I may have to walk away.
:14:40. > :14:45.
:14:45. > :14:52.It is not that easy. It is a worrying prospect for his staff.
:14:52. > :14:57.have all been it pitching in, cutting our Arras to help our side
:14:57. > :15:05.of the financial thing. Back we have got family to feed, bills to
:15:05. > :15:11.pay, so losing my job would be hard. The Joseph is sure that if he could
:15:11. > :15:15.struggle on until summer he could pull through. One adviser agrees.
:15:15. > :15:19.Based on historic performance and current bookings, there is a
:15:19. > :15:25.prospect of a reasonable profit in this company if given protection
:15:25. > :15:28.from its unsecured creditors. Hamish suggests that the hotel
:15:28. > :15:35.enters a company phonic the -- voluntary arrangement. It will
:15:35. > :15:41.clear debts and avoid going under. It will provide a better return for
:15:41. > :15:46.his unsecured creditors, which normally end up with no money.
:15:46. > :15:53.Bank endorses the new plan. They listen to me and trusted me and
:15:53. > :15:58.believed me. I would like to thank them. They gave me three years
:15:58. > :16:05.initially and now they are giving me five years and I am so pleased
:16:05. > :16:13.that it will save the hotel. also shares the good news with his
:16:14. > :16:17.staff. How would like to thank you all for sticking with me and
:16:17. > :16:24.supporting me. Some of you have gone out of your way and I
:16:24. > :16:34.appreciated. They are not out of the woods yet. There is in meeting
:16:34. > :16:35.
:16:35. > :16:41.on the second, an official meeting, with our creditors. That is a make
:16:41. > :16:46.or break point. Just have's CBA can only proceed with the agreement of
:16:46. > :16:56.his creditors. His staff are trying to stay upbeat. I do not like to
:16:56. > :17:01.give up. I know he won't. I am sure that we will get back on form very
:17:01. > :17:10.soon. It is touch and go and I hope everything goes fine. We have to be
:17:10. > :17:17.positive. It is the day of reckoning. Creditors turned up to
:17:17. > :17:22.vote on the rescue plan. If they do not back yet, Joseph will lose his
:17:22. > :17:28.hotel to and more than 20 staff will lose their jobs. As they get
:17:28. > :17:38.on with the daily routine, Joseph presents his plan to his creditors.
:17:38. > :17:38.
:17:38. > :17:44.Finally, they give the thumbs-up. The it was not easy. I have no
:17:44. > :17:52.doubt that it would happen. They have been very supportive. It is
:17:52. > :17:57.nice to be trusted. I am hoping that lessons will be learned from
:17:57. > :18:02.it. I do not want to see all these empty hotels and restaurants in the
:18:02. > :18:07.City, times are hard and we all have problems and if I can do it,
:18:07. > :18:12.so can everyone else. At last, Joseph can look forward. Bookings
:18:12. > :18:16.are good for the summer and he has five years to clear his debts. His
:18:16. > :18:26.creditors may have to be patient, but Joseph says he is determined
:18:26. > :18:28.
:18:28. > :18:32.not to turn his back on them. And next tonight, the story of the
:18:32. > :18:37.young Dorset designer for a chance to go for Korea ago. Her work for
:18:37. > :18:44.the Olympics could be seen by a huge global audience. Success is by
:18:44. > :18:48.no means so on up. Sarah Dicks puts the finishing touches on the most
:18:48. > :18:52.challenging task of her life, making costumes that show of the
:18:52. > :18:57.best of the South West when the Olympics are right this summer.
:18:57. > :19:07.could not believe I had it. I am a new designer and it is a fantastic
:19:07. > :19:10.
:19:10. > :19:14.opportunity. I am daunted by it all. Sarah's work will take centre stage
:19:14. > :19:20.at Weymouth's Opening Ceremony. Some of those taking part need
:19:20. > :19:24.convincing her costumes will match the occasion. We will produce a
:19:24. > :19:31.world-class piece of theatre. If the costumes either are not
:19:31. > :19:36.brilliant, or do not quite fit our needs, we will make our own.
:19:36. > :19:42.will never happen again. It is the biggest thing I will probably ever
:19:42. > :19:47.do. It is extremely scary. I have to pinch myself quite often to
:19:47. > :19:51.believe I am doing such an incredible event. Success could
:19:51. > :20:01.make Sarah's career. Will her designs make the cut or will they
:20:01. > :20:05.
:20:05. > :20:10.fall apart at the scenes? Ticket is January. Work on the costumes is
:20:10. > :20:20.under way. Sarah and her team of students helping her are doing
:20:20. > :20:30.
:20:30. > :20:35.preliminary fittings. The costumes need to be ready by March, but
:20:35. > :20:39.first they have to be approved by the different directors of all
:20:39. > :20:43.seven or of the counties involved in the show. A tough task RECs and
:20:43. > :20:52.designer, but Sarah only graduated last summer. The it is in the back
:20:52. > :20:58.of my mind that it was to break, but when we had the first meeting,
:20:58. > :21:07.there was the shock of how much work it was. Hopefully I am doing a
:21:07. > :21:13.good job so far. Sarah's early work has caught the eye of one of the
:21:13. > :21:20.project's leaders, a Bristol-based theatre director Billy Alwen.
:21:20. > :21:29.can spot the costumes from Sarah's designs. It is great to see them in
:21:29. > :21:32.scale. It is very exciting, bringing it to life. It is not an
:21:32. > :21:40.elite who has the final say. Back comes down to the seven local
:21:40. > :21:49.directors. Without their approval, Sarah's project is going nowhere.
:21:49. > :21:55.200 miles away in Penzance, one of them is in full flow. Back in the
:21:55. > :21:59.mists of mythic time, but the world have explored... Will Coleman has a
:21:59. > :22:06.clear idea of how he once Cornwall to be represented at Weymouth's
:22:06. > :22:14.event. We have been uncovering stories and characters and they
:22:14. > :22:18.will form the core of the peace that we take to Weymouth. What I do
:22:18. > :22:22.not want to happen is that at Weymouth there is some phenomenon
:22:22. > :22:27.that occurs, purporting to represent Cornwall, but actually
:22:27. > :22:31.has no connection with the place, the people, the Culture, the
:22:31. > :22:36.identity and yet another token representation of Cornwall but we
:22:36. > :22:43.do not understand or buy into. He is not mincing his words when it
:22:43. > :22:47.comes to Sarah's design. If the costumes do not meet our needs, and
:22:47. > :22:55.I hope they do and are brilliant, but if they are not brilliant work
:22:55. > :23:00.do not quite fit our needs, we will make our own. Today, Sarah is in
:23:00. > :23:06.Exeter presenting her initial ideas to the League directors from all of
:23:06. > :23:11.the seven counties. The overall World that we're thinking of
:23:11. > :23:16.creating is set in the Edwardian period. The amount of people but I
:23:16. > :23:20.am working with, I feel really privileged to spend time with them.
:23:20. > :23:30.The best thing about it is that they have treated me as an equal
:23:30. > :23:35.
:23:35. > :23:45.right, rather than a student. That is fantastic. With the presentation
:23:45. > :23:50.
:23:50. > :24:00.over, Sarah shows the drawings to Will for the first time. Things do
:24:00. > :24:04.
:24:04. > :24:08.not quite go to Plan. I thought that the ideas were finished, but
:24:08. > :24:18.we have had different feedback and realised it is not quite what we
:24:18. > :24:25.
:24:25. > :24:32.thought it would be. With much to think about, Sarah and her team of
:24:32. > :24:35.students are in Bristol for another key test of the designs. Acrobats
:24:35. > :24:41.will play a major part in the Weymouth ceremony and they will
:24:41. > :24:46.expect the costumes to be stylish and also practical. We were
:24:46. > :24:52.discussing the designs to make sure there were no issues, that they
:24:52. > :25:02.would interfere or with what equipment they are using to fly. It
:25:02. > :25:12.
:25:12. > :25:22.has to be safe. The at the costumes will have to withstand hours of
:25:22. > :25:24.
:25:24. > :25:31.rigorous movement. It must not tear. It is good news for Sarah. The
:25:31. > :25:40.scenes hold. It should not hinder me in any way. I have up to a cot -
:25:40. > :25:45.- confidence. The acrobats are happy. Sarah knows it will be even
:25:45. > :25:50.tougher to please the other performers. It is always at the
:25:51. > :25:55.back of your mind if you trip up, this will not be very good for me
:25:55. > :26:03.or the event. You have to hold your nerve and hope that everything will
:26:03. > :26:08.work out. It is late February and the moment of truth for Sarah.
:26:08. > :26:15.Having done the changes Will requested, she is in Cornwall to
:26:15. > :26:19.show in the finished product. worried about how he will react,
:26:19. > :26:26.because he is probably one of the artists I spend the least amount of
:26:26. > :26:32.time with. It is always a worry because you do not know how they
:26:32. > :26:42.will react. Will will decide if he wants to use the creations or make
:26:42. > :26:48.
:26:48. > :26:58.his own. The we have all the costumes for you. The trousers here.
:26:58. > :26:59.
:26:59. > :27:09.The jacket. Are you implying there is not enough there? You know that
:27:09. > :27:18.
:27:18. > :27:24.Becky is here? Bheki! I like in the black and gold and vertical stripes.
:27:24. > :27:32.The early signs are good, but Will has some suggestions. Unfortunately,
:27:32. > :27:38.it looks a bit dated. It is a bit like a china at Shepherd S. It
:27:39. > :27:43.should be much shorter. I am pleased with what I saw today. I
:27:43. > :27:53.know they are not finished and we need more tweaks. What we have seen
:27:53. > :27:58.
:27:58. > :28:02.hangs together well, has a good feel and I am happy. If a fantastic.
:28:02. > :28:08.Costumes are really good. We will look forward to wearing them in
:28:08. > :28:12.Weymouth. Having convinced her toughest critic, Sarah heads off to
:28:12. > :28:22.show her work to the other directors. When it comes to July,
:28:22. > :28:22.
:28:22. > :28:26.it will be everywhere. It is really exciting. I love this job. With