0:00:07 > 0:00:08On this week's Inside Out...
0:00:08 > 0:00:09Tonight, murdered in Australia.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Now her mum's campaigning to make it safer for backpackers.
0:00:12 > 0:00:19What I can do is to carry on trying to bring your
0:00:19 > 0:00:22kids like Mia home in one piece, having had the time of their life,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25which is what travel is all about.
0:00:25 > 0:00:35Skin fragile as a butterfly's wings.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39But Assya is determined to live her life to the full.
0:00:39 > 0:00:40I'm in pain, 24-7.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42I've had it all my life and it's never changed.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44You shouldn't be afraid to go out
0:00:44 > 0:00:45because of your condition.
0:00:45 > 0:00:46And the boat that survived almost unchanged
0:00:46 > 0:00:48for millennia.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50So here she is. I'll finish her off for you.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51Wow!
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Terry, she's beautiful.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Those are natural. She's a natural.
0:00:56 > 0:01:06I m Ayo Akinwolere and this is Inside Out West Midlands.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Hello, we're in Bewdley in Worcestershire, on the banks
0:01:21 > 0:01:25of the River Severn ? a river that's played a key part in the story
0:01:25 > 0:01:26of that ancient craft, the coracle.
0:01:26 > 0:01:27More on that later.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29First though, Australia's a magnet for young people
0:01:29 > 0:01:30in search of adventure.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33But one mum's campaigning to make conditions safer for backpackers
0:01:33 > 0:01:34after her daughter was murdered.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35It was at the Backpackers hostel
0:01:35 > 0:01:37where she was living that she was attacked.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41The attacker was a 29-year-old French national.
0:01:41 > 0:01:42Last year every parent's worst nightmare became
0:01:42 > 0:01:44Rosie Ayliffe's reality.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Her daughter Mia was murdered by a fellow backpacker.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49This was Mia just a few days ago on her way
0:01:49 > 0:01:49to work on a farm.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53The death happened in Australia.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Somewhere most consider a safe place to travel.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00If Mia walked into a room, she lit it up.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Mia was working long hours for little pay in
0:02:06 > 0:02:12the gruelling Aussie heat to get her second year's Visa.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15If you want to stay longer than a year on a working holiday
0:02:15 > 0:02:21visa in Australia then you need to do 88 days ? three months ?
0:02:21 > 0:02:24of work in agricultural or various other industries in remote regions.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27So how dangerous is it for young travellers to do this
0:02:27 > 0:02:37farm work in Australia?
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Like Mia - Rachel from Birmingham has also done it
0:02:50 > 0:02:51and says it was incredibly tough.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54They were in a working hostel like I was and I've seen
0:02:54 > 0:02:56for myself how pressurised it can be.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58She thinks the harsh conditions could have added
0:02:58 > 0:02:59to the killer's frame of mind.
0:02:59 > 0:03:00It would've been very hot
0:03:00 > 0:03:03where she was working outside all day and it's quite small space
0:03:03 > 0:03:06when you're living and working with people the same time.
0:03:06 > 0:03:07It can be quite a pressure pot.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10The murderer has now been jailed ? but Rachel thinks the fundamental
0:03:10 > 0:03:11problem behind Mia's death remains.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Sadly I've heard stories of sexual assault on some female backpackers,
0:03:14 > 0:03:16physical assault ? and I've met people who've been hit.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Obviously what happened to Mia could happen
0:03:18 > 0:03:21anywhere.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24But I think the conditions they would have been living in, the
0:03:24 > 0:03:26pressure that it puts on people, I think that could've been a
0:03:26 > 0:03:27contributing factor, definitely.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32Rosie wants to make a difference.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37She's heading to Australia to start a campaign for better
0:03:37 > 0:03:38working conditions.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40I have to do my best to do something, to stop
0:03:41 > 0:03:42what's happening here.
0:03:42 > 0:03:43Perhaps retracing Mia's footsteps can
0:03:43 > 0:03:46put her own mind to rest as well.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49I don't know which way it's going to go but hopefully it
0:03:49 > 0:03:51will help me come to terms with her death.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54So just how bad are the conditions?
0:03:54 > 0:03:58Rosie's journey begins at a farm to find out.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02I think the crop we're passing is sugar cane.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07And when you see how tall it is and imagine Mia working
0:04:07 > 0:04:10in that field - it would be way over her head.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13And it's pretty hot out there.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16For Rachel, it isn't just the heat but the isolation.
0:04:16 > 0:04:23Some people I've met have been
0:04:23 > 0:04:30on cattle stations or dairy farms, that are literally hundreds
0:04:30 > 0:04:34of miles away from the nearest shop.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Even more in the desert - it can be extremely remote.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40If you're in a remote area like that it can be
0:04:40 > 0:04:41extremely hard to get out.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43and Charlotte right now.
0:04:54 > 0:05:00And the experiences just get worse.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Everybody have a story about the 88 days.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06About the working in the farm, a lot of stories.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Bad stories, yeah.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12I've seen incidences where people have been
0:05:12 > 0:05:14denied water, denied going to the toilet.
0:05:14 > 0:05:20We're speaking about people working
0:05:20 > 0:05:24in 40 degrees - some are 18, 19 years old.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26People collapse mentally. They just break down.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28It's almost like being in prison rather than in Australia.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31But most backpackers are only finding this out when it's too late.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33I don't think there's that much information
0:05:33 > 0:05:38regarding...working in Australia.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Any information you do get is from backpackers'
0:05:40 > 0:05:43experiences really.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47So this is what Rosie wants to focus on - raising awareness.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52It's been quite a journey.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56I've met several backpackers who've encountered quite harsh
0:05:56 > 0:06:03conditions in the field and who've had experiences,
0:06:03 > 0:06:09which, you know, I don't think people back home
0:06:09 > 0:06:12would be happy about. I've got to get the story out there.
0:06:12 > 0:06:18But is getting the story out there enough?
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Rachel thinks the Australian government need to do more.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23I do think that if the government wants backpackers to be doing this
0:06:23 > 0:06:27work to get their Visa, they do need to be regulating it a little bit
0:06:27 > 0:06:29more and keeping a better eye on things.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Rosie's turned to the media to get some action.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34What in particular did you find out about the farm work
0:06:34 > 0:06:36scheme and how young people are possibly being exploited by it?
0:06:36 > 0:06:38I started to hear stories
0:06:38 > 0:06:40about other young people who were involved in the same
0:06:40 > 0:06:42government programme that Mia was involved with.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45And frankly I was shocked.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47I was horrified by some of the stories.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50It's started to work.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54Anti-slavery campaigners in Australia are now on the case.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57If it's raining for two weeks, as it often does
0:06:57 > 0:07:01in tropical Queensland, there's no work.
0:07:01 > 0:07:06The backpackers are getting further into debt and that's when we see
0:07:06 > 0:07:09sick practices like seizure of passports, seizure of laptops
0:07:09 > 0:07:13and things like that in order to stop people from leaving.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17And things are beginning to change.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Three out of the six Australian states are planning to bring
0:07:20 > 0:07:23in regulations.
0:07:23 > 0:07:32But for Rosie, the hardest part is yet to come.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35That must be the hostel, because I can see hostellers.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39This is the hostel where Mia was murdered.
0:07:39 > 0:07:46The owner has agreed to let Rosie in - but we have to stay outside.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49I'm sitting in the cubicle where Mia died and apparently
0:07:49 > 0:07:52she fought for her life.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Even with chest injuries, even with a blow to the heart,
0:07:56 > 0:08:01Mia was still fighting for her life.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04For Rosie, all that's left are painful memories.
0:08:04 > 0:08:11Just the thought of my girl lying here dying
0:08:11 > 0:08:13in a toilet - it's just not easy.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15She's now heading back to Derbyshire.
0:08:15 > 0:08:21Did the journey bring any closure?
0:08:21 > 0:08:26My conscious and unconscious minds have been searching
0:08:26 > 0:08:30for answers to what happened that night and now that I've had
0:08:30 > 0:08:33the police account and I can't do any better than that.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Back home, Rosie's set up a website to offer
0:08:36 > 0:08:42advice and support and it's making a difference to Shaun & Charlotte.
0:08:42 > 0:08:49You hear a lot of horror stories mainly.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51don't work on these kinds of farms.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53We've been warned.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Rosie's also getting Rachel to help out with the campaign when she heads
0:08:56 > 0:09:02back to Australia.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05You don't expect to get there and not come back.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08It's desperately sad what happened to Mia and that's why
0:09:09 > 0:09:10I really want to help Rosie
0:09:10 > 0:09:13and her campaign to make it safer for backpacker to go there.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15It's the end of a hard year for Rosie.
0:09:15 > 0:09:16Nothing will bring Mia back.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19But knowing that others will hopefully be safer gives Rosie
0:09:19 > 0:09:20a little more peace.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25Something Mia would have liked.
0:09:25 > 0:09:31What I can do is to carry on trying to bring kids like Mia home
0:09:31 > 0:09:33in one piece and also having had the time of their life,
0:09:33 > 0:09:39which is what travel is all about.
0:09:39 > 0:09:46And if you'd like to drop me a line about that film or about anything
0:09:46 > 0:09:49else in the programme or in fact in this series it's ayo@bbc.co.uk
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Later the boat that's integral of the history of the River Severn,
0:09:53 > 0:09:54though it's not always the most stable of craft.
0:09:57 > 0:10:02CHEERING AND WHOOPING
0:10:07 > 0:10:12Next, a young woman from Birmingham with a rare and challenging
0:10:12 > 0:10:16skin condition is refusing to let it limit the life she leads.
0:10:16 > 0:10:25Assya's in constant pain and even everyday tasks can be a challenge,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27but she's determined to be an inspiration to others
0:10:27 > 0:10:29with the condition.
0:10:29 > 0:10:35They land on you so perfectly, so subtly.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37And you just sit there wondering. Wow!
0:10:37 > 0:10:38Assya Shabir adores butterflies.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41She has a certain attachment to them.
0:10:41 > 0:10:46They just want to be loved and just want to be appreciated
0:10:46 > 0:10:48because butterflies are so beautiful - and so are we.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50She's fond of them because the two have
0:10:50 > 0:10:52something in common.
0:10:52 > 0:11:00Assya's skin is as delicate as a butterfly's wing.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02She and I clicked right the way from the beginning.
0:11:02 > 0:11:03We just sat and nattered
0:11:03 > 0:11:05about all sorts of other things apart from skin.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07Assya might be fragile on the outside but inside,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11she's made of tougher stuff.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16She's a very lovely person, she's very brave.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Assya often talks about how when she meets people,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22they often see the EB first and not her.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25And this year, just like the majestic butterfly,
0:11:25 > 0:11:34Assya feels like she's emerged from her own cocoon.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37EB, epidermolysis bullosa, is the name for a group
0:11:37 > 0:11:39of rare and incurable genetic conditions which cause the skin
0:11:39 > 0:11:41to break and blister with the tiniest of touches.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46In the UK, there are an estimated 5,000 people
0:11:46 > 0:11:48living with it, leaving sufferers like Assya
0:11:48 > 0:11:49wounded and sore from birth.
0:11:58 > 0:12:03I'm in pain 24/7. I've had it for all my life,
0:12:03 > 0:12:05it's never changed, sometimes it gets extremely painful.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07When my skins really bad, I need help.
0:12:07 > 0:12:08I'm literally like a baby.
0:12:08 > 0:12:09Help getting changed, help getting up...
0:12:09 > 0:12:12But sometimes the reaction she gets from others can be just
0:12:12 > 0:12:13as painful as her skin.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17I get fed up, left, right and centre on a daily basis,
0:12:17 > 0:12:22no matter what happens, but I can tell by body language, and how
0:12:22 > 0:12:24someone speaks to me, how they actually feel.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Sometimes it does take me back.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30They would be nice to my face, but you can see from
0:12:30 > 0:12:32the way they are standing. I can read it.
0:12:32 > 0:12:40When I was younger, I used to put on a tough side, like a wall.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45So anything would come and it would just stick in my head.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48But over the years, she's tried to break down that wall
0:12:48 > 0:12:50to embrace life, and for good reason.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55When she was born, doctors predicted that Assya would live
0:12:55 > 0:12:59for only 24 hours
0:12:59 > 0:13:01but this year, she's reached a milestone birthday.
0:13:01 > 0:13:07It's her 30th and plans for a party are well under way.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12Today, Assya and her friend Husna are meeting with Birmingham
0:13:12 > 0:13:17designer Rima Tadmory, who's giving up her spare time
0:13:17 > 0:13:19to make Assya the bespoke gown of her dreams.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Assya and the condition and everything
0:13:23 > 0:13:26that she's gone through leading up now to her 30th birthday,
0:13:26 > 0:13:28I felt like I've always been waiting for something
0:13:28 > 0:13:31to happen in my life where an opportunity comes along
0:13:31 > 0:13:34and I'm able to give back to the community and I felt
0:13:34 > 0:13:37like this is something I have to grab with both hands and I have
0:13:37 > 0:13:40to run with it and I'm really excited actually to meet them both
0:13:40 > 0:13:43and I'm going to go do that now.
0:13:43 > 0:13:43If
0:13:43 > 0:13:46The idea to throw the party is all down to Husna.
0:13:46 > 0:13:53She just couldn't let such an important birthday pass unnoticed.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57She's just such a loving person and she's so bubbly
0:13:57 > 0:14:00and regardless of the challenges that she faces with EB,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02she's still such a joy to be around.
0:14:02 > 0:14:03She's always smiling, laughing and she's really just
0:14:03 > 0:14:08giving love out and I wanted to give that back to her.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12But, it's not all glamourous dress designing.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Trips to the hospital are part and parcel of Assya's life.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Hello, Squirt, how are you?
0:14:19 > 0:14:25But luckily Assya's got a great bond with the doctors and nurses
0:14:25 > 0:14:27who've been treating her for most of her life,
0:14:27 > 0:14:32and she's in safe hands.
0:14:32 > 0:14:38The skin clinic at Solihull Hospital is a centre of excellence for EB.
0:14:38 > 0:14:39if
0:14:39 > 0:14:41Sometimes you need to be more human and Dr Hegerty
0:14:41 > 0:14:43and the EB team around Solihull are absolutely amazing.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46We always have this banter which is amazing and they make
0:14:46 > 0:14:50you feel more relaxed.
0:14:50 > 0:14:51Interestingly, Assya's condition hasn't really
0:14:51 > 0:14:56changed over the years. She's grown in spite of it all.
0:14:56 > 0:14:56if
0:14:56 > 0:15:00A lot of the problem with EB apart from the blistering is pain and it
0:15:00 > 0:15:02suddenly hit me that they really do have a lot of baggage.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06And that's something Dr H, as Assya calls him, wanted to fix.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09He brought in psychologists to specifically help patients
0:15:09 > 0:15:16manage their pain and it's paid off.
0:15:16 > 0:15:17if
0:15:17 > 0:15:18She's changed psychologically, massively, and now
0:15:18 > 0:15:21I see a young lady who is biting the world back.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Assya's sessions with Dr Kate Martin have helped her
0:15:24 > 0:15:24if
0:15:24 > 0:15:27to open up and overcome a lot of issues.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31I would just get moody and nervous.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34I kind of go, like, I shut down.
0:15:34 > 0:15:34if
0:15:34 > 0:15:42But in the beginning, therapy wasn't easy.
0:15:42 > 0:15:52Assya was originally very avoidant of therapy
0:15:55 > 0:15:57in the same way as coming to her medical appointments
0:15:57 > 0:15:58 but that is
0:15:58 > 0:15:59because of her difficulties with trust.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02The way that our body heals itself is intricately
0:16:02 > 0:16:03affected by our mood, how we're feeling.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07I realised stress is a big thing with EB.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11When I'm stressed, when I'm upset, when I'm feeling worried or even
0:16:11 > 0:16:14exhaustion makes the skin worse, but the worst thing is stress.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17When I start keeping things inside, my skin erupts like a volcano,
0:16:17 > 0:16:21literally, and I learnt with Kate that I shouldn't
0:16:21 > 0:16:22if
0:16:22 > 0:16:28be keeping stuff in.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Going to her has made my skin so much better.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33But it's not just Kate and the team who have been a source
0:16:33 > 0:16:36of support for Assya.
0:16:36 > 0:16:36if
0:16:36 > 0:16:45She's also found inspiration from fellow EB sufferers.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50RADIO CHATTER
0:16:50 > 0:16:55that means that there is severe rotation in its form.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58I got to meet Sam when I was 16/17, after I'd just left school.
0:16:58 > 0:17:07She taught me to live, not give up because of her condition.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12Samantha Hall didn't let EB hold her back.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15she became a storm chaser, travelling across America.
0:17:15 > 0:17:16I'm lucky enough to have found something
0:17:16 > 0:17:19that I deeply, deeply enjoy.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22I probably will have to stop at some point,
0:17:22 > 0:17:27definitely because, you know, if it gets
0:17:27 > 0:17:30to a point where I am needing a
0:17:30 > 0:17:32lot more care, it's going to be rough.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36So that's why it's like, make the most of now, you know?
0:17:36 > 0:17:38I don't want to think about that!
0:17:38 > 0:17:41SHE LAUGHS
0:17:42 > 0:17:44Sadly, Sam died last year
0:17:44 > 0:17:50but Assya feels more empowered by her than ever.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54So much so, that she's decided to step wildly out of her comfort
0:17:54 > 0:17:56zone and just like the butterflies she admires,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Assya too wants to take flight.
0:18:01 > 0:18:02Right into that skydive.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04You're not scared.
0:18:04 > 0:18:12Not yet.
0:18:12 > 0:18:19You wouldn't know it but Assya's afraid of heights.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22But she's overcome it to motivate others like her and raise money
0:18:22 > 0:18:23for charity at the same time.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Something her mum is proud of.
0:18:26 > 0:18:35It is very difficult to say no to her.
0:18:35 > 0:18:43When she strung up, I'm very up with her.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46I'm very happy because she's achieved what she wants to do.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48With her feet firmly back on ground,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52it's time to celebrate what has been a massive year in Assya's life
0:18:52 > 0:18:52If
0:18:52 > 0:18:56with a makeover and the unveiling of THAT dress.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59This dress has made me feel like $1 million, or maybe more.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Because it's just priceless.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04I'm just so happy that everyone's come and made time
0:19:04 > 0:19:07to see me and stuff. It means the world.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11It's clearly a very special moment for Assya,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13and with the party in full swing, let's leave her to enjoy her moment.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25We've come along to Bewdley Museum to take a look
0:19:25 > 0:19:27at these little beauties. They are called coracles.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29They're quick and cheap to make and light to carry.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31For our final film, film Mary-Ann Ochota has travelled
0:19:31 > 0:19:33upstream along the River Severn to Ironbridge to discover how
0:19:33 > 0:19:37these simple boats helped save lives in times of crisis.
0:19:39 > 0:19:46This is Ironbridge, birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48That's the famous bridge, the first bridge in the world
0:19:48 > 0:19:52to be built entirely of cast iron.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55It was built in the late 1700s when this place was rich in the raw
0:19:55 > 0:19:59materials for industry. Coal, iron ore and of course water.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02At the same time as technology that would power an industrial revolution
0:20:02 > 0:20:03was being developed here,
0:20:03 > 0:20:12the primitive coracle was to prove a lifeline.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15For one thing, you could use it to cross the river without paying
0:20:15 > 0:20:17the expensive toll on the fancy new bridge.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Talk to anyone around here about coracles and before long
0:20:19 > 0:20:25they'll mention the Rogers family.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28To say they were the heart of the Ironbridge coracle community
0:20:28 > 0:20:30over the past few centuries is somewhat of an understatement.
0:20:30 > 0:20:31We been making coracles my ancestors for 300 years.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37As well as making them, they would use their coracles
0:20:37 > 0:20:39to help in times of crisis, rescuing people and animals
0:20:39 > 0:20:45from floods, or even retrieving dead bodies from the river.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Tommy Rogers, his son Harry and his son Eustace must have built
0:20:49 > 0:20:56hundreds of coracles from the 1800s right up to 2003 when Eustace died.
0:20:56 > 0:21:01Their workshop - built by Harry in the 1920s.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04It still bears his mark: Harry Rogers Coracle Man.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05Come on in and have a look.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Jude Pilgrim from the Ironbridge Coracle Society
0:21:07 > 0:21:10is going to show me round.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12Mind the floor, it's not too safe.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Wow, look at this.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18Since Eustace's death in 2003, with no one in the family to pass
0:21:18 > 0:21:20the business onto, the shed has stood empty.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24How fantastic!
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Much as it was when they were building
0:21:26 > 0:21:28coracles on here.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30There were more tools, but it's basically the same
0:21:30 > 0:21:31shed.
0:21:31 > 0:21:37They used to leave little messages on the walls.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Severn frozen over, Jan 20th, 1940.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43So presumably no coracling that month.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47But Eustace knew how to keep himself busy.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52Eustace used to make these model coracles and he used to be
0:21:52 > 0:21:54so pleased with himself if he could sell them
0:21:54 > 0:21:55to tourists for £5.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Made his day.
0:21:58 > 0:21:59a
0:21:59 > 0:22:02But the family wasn't always on the right side of the law.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Here's Eustace, in 1972.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Oh, bit of poaching.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09It was a main industry here at one time.
0:22:10 > 0:22:17Tell us about it.
0:22:17 > 0:22:22There was about 15 of these poachers living like large off the land.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24With names like Hellfire Jack and Gunnar Bodin, these sound
0:22:24 > 0:22:27like outlaws from the Wild West, not the West Midlands but for many,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30during the 19th and early 20th centuries, times were hard.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35Unemployment, cholera and tougher fishing regulations
0:22:35 > 0:22:39meant it was a simple choice: poach or starve.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42The penalties were severe but it was the coracle men,
0:22:42 > 0:22:44with Eustace's grandfather Tommy amongst their number,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47who were at the heart of the poaching scene.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49They played hell with the policemen on occasion
0:22:49 > 0:22:53but it hasn't always been one-sided.
0:22:53 > 0:23:01The poachers got some scars to show many a time.
0:23:01 > 0:23:02if
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Matter of fact one got drownded one time.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08You can imagine them floating down the river.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Picking up a few rabbits from the snares.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14And maybe a few pheasants.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17So they weren't just stealing fish but the fruit of the land?
0:23:17 > 0:23:18They certainly were.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21and that was what made the coracle so useful for them.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24because they could escape and nobody could follow them.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26But they weren't just doing it for themselves,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28but for all the families in the area.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32And the distribution point was the barber's.
0:23:32 > 0:23:38So the men would go in for a short back and sides and he would say
0:23:38 > 0:23:38if
0:23:38 > 0:23:48"Something for the weekend?"
0:23:48 > 0:23:48if
0:23:48 > 0:23:51And they would walk out with a rabbit or pheasant for the weekend.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54We can still meet people today who say I wouldn't be alive
0:23:54 > 0:23:57if the coracle men hadn't put food on our table.
0:23:57 > 0:23:58Since Eustace died, Terry Kenny's been Ironbridge's
0:23:59 > 0:24:03premier coracle maker.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08He's going to help me make my very own traditional Ironbridge coracle.
0:24:08 > 0:24:08a 5th
0:24:08 > 0:24:10And that is particularly handy, because I'm going
0:24:10 > 0:24:12to be needing one.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Turns out Ironbridge hosts an annual coracle regatta
0:24:15 > 0:24:22and I'm going to be taking part!
0:24:22 > 0:24:25To get me started Terry's already made the gunnel, the circular rim,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28and put the seat post in but there's still plenty for me to do.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31First job is to make the frame using ash laths.
0:24:31 > 0:24:32Reasonably gentle.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Not quite so critical as the centre.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37That's about right, yes.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41The whole frames takes 25 laths.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46I work on a basis of 30 because you're going to break a few
0:24:46 > 0:24:50You do a lot of this by eye.
0:24:50 > 0:24:56And to do that you have to make a special coracle maker's stance.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Which is thus.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Whilst I might have perfected the stance
0:25:01 > 0:25:04I'm not sure about my handiwork.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08It's a bit rubbish isn't it?
0:25:08 > 0:25:10I'd been expecting to using traditional woodworking methods.
0:25:10 > 0:25:16Genuine medieval power drill that.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Well I think you can certainly see what it's meant to be.
0:25:19 > 0:25:29Time to fit the cover.
0:25:30 > 0:25:31It won't be made with an animal hide.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34We're using a modern fabric ? but you can
0:25:34 > 0:25:35use anything really.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38People down here at Ironbridge apparently used
0:25:38 > 0:25:43to use old bed sheets.
0:25:43 > 0:25:51as long as you have a platform for the tar, that is all you need.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56So actually using whatever you've got to hand
0:25:56 > 0:25:58IS the traditional way, even if it's quite a modern material.
0:25:58 > 0:25:59Yes that's right.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Excellent teacher .
0:26:01 > 0:26:05I'd be prepared to go in this.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Once it's tarred of course.
0:26:07 > 0:26:08I'll take that!
0:26:08 > 0:26:11All that's left now is to paint the wood and tar the cover
0:26:11 > 0:26:13to make it waterproof.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15And THAT's how you make an Ironbridge coracle.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18This is the Ironbridge coracle regatta.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21People have come from far and wide for a day of paddling and racing
0:26:21 > 0:26:26and I get to see my very own coracle for the first time.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30Wow!
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Terry, she's beautiful.
0:26:33 > 0:26:40Thank you.
0:26:40 > 0:26:53You even put my Anna Jones on it. Look at that! -- my initials on it.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57This is all very nice, but it's time to get serious.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58I've been entered into some of the races
0:26:58 > 0:27:01and because I've done a bit of coracling before,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04I'm in the intermediate category.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07It's really hard work!
0:27:07 > 0:27:12And it doesn't help when you get stuck under a tree.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17I didn't win any of my races,
0:27:17 > 0:27:24but I didn't go overboard either.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27It's time for the experts to show us how it's done.
0:27:27 > 0:27:33And I have the honour of starting them.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39Ready, steady...
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Who'd've have thought a coracle could go so quickly?
0:27:42 > 0:27:45But then again, the coracle is full of surprises.
0:27:45 > 0:27:51These simple boats have proven themselves dependable,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54versatile and fun for centuries.
0:27:54 > 0:28:00I reckon they'll be around for another few centuries still.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Good effort.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06And you can see more about the coracle in
0:28:06 > 0:28:12Britain Afloat ? a BBC 2 series.
0:28:12 > 0:28:20We will see you next week at the same time. Have a good one. Goodbye.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Next week, Stoke-on-Trent is known the world over as the potteries, but
0:28:23 > 0:28:27the ceramics industry has been in decline for decades. Now there's a
0:28:27 > 0:28:30growing confidence around ceramics led by a new generation and
0:28:30 > 0:28:32cutting-edge designs.