:00:02. > :00:10.Hello from Bristol where we are investigating what went wrong at
:00:10. > :00:12.the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum. Tonight, we uncover the
:00:12. > :00:18.controversial sale of artefacts loaned to the museum, and the
:00:18. > :00:20.struggle of some private owners to get them back. I contacted the
:00:20. > :00:24.museum, and asked could we have the painting back and unfortunately,
:00:24. > :00:31.they said no. We subsequently discovered it had been sold by
:00:31. > :00:35.Christies on behalf of the museum. We hear from the former museum
:00:35. > :00:37.researcher who helped set up some of the loans and donations. When
:00:37. > :00:41.you surrender objects from their historical context like this, you
:00:41. > :00:48.might as well just burn a pile of national documents. It is the same
:00:48. > :00:51.act of vandalism. Also tonight, we tell the remarkable story of one
:00:51. > :01:01.man's quest to become the first ever paraplegic motorcyclist to
:01:01. > :01:07.
:01:07. > :01:17.It doesn't always go to plan, does I'm Alastair McKee and this is
:01:17. > :01:19.
:01:20. > :01:24.It opened 10 years ago as the country's first major institution
:01:24. > :01:27.to tell the story of Britain's colonial past. Tonight, an Inside
:01:27. > :01:34.Out investigation explores just what went on at the former British
:01:34. > :01:40.Empire and Commonwealth Museum. We discover artefacts entrusted to the
:01:40. > :01:43.museum sold in mysterious circumstances. And we reveal what
:01:43. > :01:53.happens now to what's left of a collection so important to
:01:53. > :01:56.
:01:56. > :02:00.It was an award-winning Museum in Preston about the British Empire
:02:00. > :02:05.and the Commonwealth. Heralded as the first of its kind in the
:02:05. > :02:12.country. It is now closed amidst allegations that some of its
:02:12. > :02:18.treasures were sold. They didn't have a proper stock check and maybe
:02:18. > :02:25.somebody in the museum went off piste. More than 140 artifacts on
:02:25. > :02:31.loan here are still unaccounted for. We had betrayed our donors in this
:02:31. > :02:41.way and the people who had backed us don't -- financially.
:02:41. > :02:50.
:02:50. > :02:55.investigate what went on and what Boxed up and ready for their new
:02:55. > :03:04.home. These are up salvaged reminders of our imperial past.
:03:04. > :03:13.What are we looking at here? This is a Nigerian man's gown. This
:03:13. > :03:18.heavy embroidery all over the front with the local symbols. As well as
:03:18. > :03:23.the costumes and artefacts, there are thousands of photographs, a
:03:23. > :03:30.treasure trove of a past that shapes and divides Britain today.
:03:30. > :03:36.They capture colonial life from the every day to the downright bizarre.
:03:36. > :03:45.There's more than 400 hours of home movies from Englishman abroad,
:03:45. > :03:50.picnicking in Bombay in 1930 or market life in 1950s Ghana. The
:03:50. > :03:56.photos, films, the artefacts, all now in the care of the city council
:03:56. > :04:01.at a secret location. They were transferred from the British arm --
:04:01. > :04:07.British Empire and Commonwealth Museum. It closed in 2008. The
:04:07. > :04:11.museum director was dismissed. helped persuade people to give up
:04:11. > :04:16.valuable family connections to the museum and I was aghast that we had
:04:16. > :04:20.betrayed our donors in this way and also the people who had backed us
:04:20. > :04:26.financially and who had put their Netcom the line to support as
:04:26. > :04:30.politically. After seven years of hard work, but museum was opened by
:04:30. > :04:39.royalty in 2002 without a penny of public funding. Five years later,
:04:39. > :04:45.its showpiece was an exhibition on slavery. Strong minds bring a
:04:45. > :04:51.strong change. It was attended by Jesse Jackson. Our story begins
:04:51. > :04:57.with this painting of a 19th century trading ship, the Dunira.
:04:57. > :05:02.It was sold in 2008 for more than �61,000. It belonged to the
:05:02. > :05:12.Caldicot family. We asked Lord Caldecott to the Clifton Arcade.
:05:12. > :05:12.
:05:12. > :05:18.His grandfather was MP for the area. We have a picture of it here.
:05:18. > :05:24.Reacquaint yourself with it. It is a magnificent picture. In the
:05:24. > :05:28.process of setting it up in our parents' estate, we discovered this
:05:28. > :05:33.picture had been lent to the British and Commonwealth Museum. I
:05:33. > :05:39.contacted them and asked if we could have the painting back.
:05:39. > :05:42.Unfortunately, they said, no, this painting was given to the museum
:05:42. > :05:49.and we have discovered it was sold by Christie's on behalf of the
:05:49. > :05:56.museum. I said it wasn't right because we have a document here
:05:56. > :06:01.showing that it was on loan. Who is to blame? The museum because they
:06:02. > :06:06.didn't have a proper stock check and maybe somebody in the museum
:06:06. > :06:12.went off piste rather than followed all the correct procedures.
:06:12. > :06:16.Government of Madeira bought the painting as the island is pictured
:06:16. > :06:22.in the background. They said they didn't know the connection to the
:06:22. > :06:28.museum all the family. The museum director was this man, Gareth
:06:28. > :06:35.Griffiths. Company accounts said he had done -- had undertaken
:06:35. > :06:45.unauthorised transactions. He was dismissed last year. No one was
:06:45. > :06:45.
:06:45. > :06:49.arrested or charged. The story doesn't held with the Dunira. It
:06:49. > :06:56.crosses the continents, he to Christchurch in New Zealand. The
:06:56. > :07:01.director of unapt Gallery at -- art gallery here took an interest in a
:07:01. > :07:06.statuette. I was asked by one of our curators to go and have a look
:07:06. > :07:11.at it with a view to purchasing a it. It had been drawn to his
:07:11. > :07:19.attention by another dealer in London. I was travelling on my way
:07:19. > :07:25.to Europe and was bare and he asked me to look at it. I did. It was a
:07:25. > :07:31.facsimile of the smaller image of the sculpture of John Robert Godley
:07:31. > :07:38.there were standing in Cathedral Square and to we had an earthquake.
:07:38. > :07:43.-- entail. This is the statuette. John Robert Godley founded
:07:43. > :07:50.Christchurch. We suspected that it was the Virgin of the sculpture
:07:50. > :07:55.that had been given by the people Christchurch to the Imperial Museum.
:07:55. > :08:00.-- it was the version. I have been looking into the statuette and it
:08:00. > :08:03.was part of their collection now was given to the museum by the
:08:03. > :08:09.Commonwealth Institute. Gareth Griffiths agreed he would get rid
:08:09. > :08:14.of any of it to raise money. This was as part of an accreditation
:08:14. > :08:19.scheme the museum withdrew from the three years later. The Metropolitan
:08:19. > :08:24.Police were called in on us. They investigated allegations that the
:08:24. > :08:28.statuette and other items were being sold by a London dealer.
:08:28. > :08:31.Gareth Griffiths, the dealer said, had told him the museum was
:08:31. > :08:36.entitled to sell them that he wasn't to tell anyone where they
:08:36. > :08:39.came from because it would be politically embarrassing. Gareth
:08:39. > :08:45.Griffiths declined to be interviewed but the chairman of the
:08:45. > :08:52.museum trustees, former chairman of English Heritage, has agreed to
:08:52. > :08:56.talk to us. Gareth Griffiths said in 2011 that any objects were
:08:56. > :08:59.disclosed off with the knowledge and agreement of the trustees with
:08:59. > :09:03.the receipts are fully audited. What to make of that? That isn't
:09:03. > :09:10.the case. There was no authorisation atoll of any of the
:09:10. > :09:14.material that went to the London dealer. -- at all. These are items
:09:14. > :09:21.that went from a possession without the knowledge or the authority of
:09:21. > :09:25.the trustees and a large part of the time the trustees have been
:09:25. > :09:31.spending since the director was dismissed, have been trying to get
:09:31. > :09:37.to the bottom of those issues. report says the dealer took 150
:09:37. > :09:42.items and pay the museum �115,000. He has declined to comment but has
:09:42. > :09:46.returned some items including the Godley statuette. They concluded
:09:46. > :09:54.this was a civil matter. Any suggestion that he profited from
:09:54. > :09:58.the disposal would be rigorously defended. Given the met has said
:09:58. > :10:04.this is a it civil matter and no criminal charges were brought upon
:10:04. > :10:09.Gareth Griffiths, he is in a clear, isn't he? If I come back to the
:10:09. > :10:19.Dunira picture, he suspected where the proceeds from the sale went and
:10:19. > :10:24.
:10:24. > :10:29.that is an action which is Items are being traced and deals
:10:30. > :10:32.struck. This lintel believed to be part of the Commonwealth Institute
:10:33. > :10:38.collection ended up in private hands but it is expected to be
:10:38. > :10:46.returned soon to the people of New Zealand. It was a gift from New
:10:46. > :10:54.Zealand to the British at a certain stage. While we probably give
:10:54. > :11:04.William and Kate a coat of Coventry Bees days, we gave important gifts
:11:04. > :11:07.
:11:07. > :11:12.Sales began earlier than people have previously thought. The people
:11:12. > :11:17.who sponsored these statues were often from the former colonies like
:11:17. > :11:21.the Malaysian Government sponsored one from raffles. You have a window
:11:21. > :11:31.and the howl emerging colonies wanted to see themselves, how they
:11:31. > :11:32.
:11:32. > :11:34.wanted to see themselves in Britain. Gareth Griffiths told us financial
:11:34. > :11:39.pressures had increased over many years and questioned whether the
:11:39. > :11:42.museum Trust had met its responsibilities. He said the
:11:42. > :11:45.Trust's viability and fundraising had to be examined and claimed the
:11:45. > :11:50.Trust had ceased to provide a public benefit when the focus
:11:50. > :11:53.changed to running an event's venue. The trustees said they had provided
:11:53. > :11:57.an educational outreach programme. Do you think the trustees are
:11:57. > :12:00.blameless in all of this? I don't believe the trustees are to blame
:12:00. > :12:03.for having their eye off the ball because the role of trustees in a
:12:03. > :12:13.museum like this is to oversee strategy and broad policy and, in
:12:13. > :12:19.
:12:19. > :12:22.that sense, I think they have been both responsible and conscientious.
:12:22. > :12:25.The difficulty is that trustees are not generally speaking in the day-
:12:25. > :12:30.to-day management and operation of the enterprise for which they are
:12:30. > :12:33.trustees. And in our case we delegated to a responsible, paid
:12:33. > :12:43.director with some staff and all the indications were that this was
:12:43. > :12:53.
:12:53. > :12:58.a professional doing a professional We may never know exactly what was
:12:58. > :13:00.sold or disposed of legitimately. The museum trustees are aware of
:13:00. > :13:08.144 unaccounted for items from eight lenders, but wouldn't say
:13:08. > :13:11.what those items were. I was hoping the council would have more answers.
:13:11. > :13:14.They've been looking through the material for months, but they've
:13:14. > :13:23.nothing to compare to, as the whole collection hadn't been audited
:13:23. > :13:25.before. A whole mass of stuff came together once that museum was
:13:25. > :13:28.established a lot of different institutions and a lot of different
:13:28. > :13:31.people gave it and loaned it different artefacts and the work of
:13:31. > :13:41.bringing it together, auditing it, archiving it I think was an on-
:13:41. > :13:44.going piece of work for them. much might be missing? The audit of
:13:44. > :13:48.the objects is complete. All the loans, items that are on loan, have
:13:48. > :13:56.gone back to their owners because we have a policy not to take on the
:13:56. > :13:59.loans, the material within the archive, there is no list for. So,
:13:59. > :14:04.as far as we're concerned, the material that we've received is the
:14:04. > :14:07.collection. The council and the museum trustees
:14:07. > :14:11.are pleased the collection will remain in Bristol and that much of
:14:11. > :14:14.it will go on display alongside the city's other treasures. We had our
:14:14. > :14:17.wonderful Royal visit with the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh and we
:14:17. > :14:20.were able to show film from the Commonwealth, their visits to
:14:20. > :14:30.different parts of the world, which was fantastic, and also images from
:14:30. > :14:33.the collection we used to play back to them moments of their life.
:14:33. > :14:36.As we develop the City Museum and Art Gallery which, you know, is
:14:36. > :14:39.truly a treasure trove and also a universal museum offer, we will be
:14:39. > :14:49.able to redisplay the collections using our own world collections to
:14:49. > :14:49.
:14:49. > :14:53.tell people about the world in The painting, the Godley statuette,
:14:53. > :14:58.the Maori pare - just three pieces in the puzzle of what went missing
:14:59. > :15:01.from this Aladdin's cave of treasures. Each item, from
:15:01. > :15:08.coloniser or colonised, tells a different story about a time when
:15:08. > :15:13.the sun never set on British soil. Some stories which may now be lost
:15:13. > :15:19.forever. The former Commonwealth Institute, which gifted thousands
:15:19. > :15:22.of items, told us it was shocked by what had happened in Bristol. The
:15:22. > :15:28.museum wanted to be the first in this country to address our
:15:28. > :15:31.colonial past. In the end it helped dismantle an integral part of it.
:15:31. > :15:37.When you sunder objects from their historical context like this, you
:15:37. > :15:43.might as well just burn a pile of national documents. It is the same
:15:43. > :15:46.act of vandalism. After this summer's extraordinary Paralympic
:15:46. > :15:53.Games, it's hard to imagine there are still some sports out there
:15:53. > :15:56.that can't accommodate disabled people. Tonight we follow a man,
:15:56. > :16:06.himself a Paralympian, and his struggle to take part in an able-
:16:06. > :16:09.
:16:09. > :16:13.It's race weekend at Snetterton circuit and determined to join
:16:13. > :16:19.these riders out on the race track is a man who lost the use of his
:16:19. > :16:22.legs on a motorcycle. For the last two years, Inside Out West cameras
:16:22. > :16:32.have followed Talan Skeels-Piggins on his quest to become the first
:16:32. > :16:32.
:16:32. > :16:36.ever paraplegic motorcyclist to take part in an able-bodied race.
:16:36. > :16:46.It's not just me that wants to race. There are lots of other wheelchair
:16:46. > :16:52.users who used to ride bikes. They want to get back to riding and
:16:52. > :17:02.racing. But even for a competent rider like Talan, just getting to
:17:02. > :17:11.
:17:11. > :17:14.the start line will be a long and At Castle Combe near Chippenham
:17:14. > :17:20.bikers of all abilities are about to experience what it's like to
:17:20. > :17:23.ride a real-life racing circuit. Among them is Talan. For him, the
:17:23. > :17:28.typical challenges that come with high-speed riding are only half the
:17:28. > :17:35.story. A motorcycle accident in 2003 shattered his back and severed
:17:35. > :17:39.his spinal cord leaving him paralysed from the chest down.
:17:39. > :17:44.Since then, Talan has enjoyed success in a number of sports. As a
:17:44. > :17:54.skier he took part in the 2010 winter Paralympics. But motorcycle
:17:54. > :17:56.
:17:56. > :18:00.racing will be his biggest Before riding again, a number of
:18:00. > :18:06.major obstacles have had to be overcome. Simple stuff, like
:18:06. > :18:10.changing gear is usually done with a foot-pedal. I can't use the bike
:18:10. > :18:14.as an able-bodied rider because I can't move my legs. I've had to
:18:14. > :18:17.adapt it with what they call a gear-shifter. Now a switch on the
:18:17. > :18:20.handle-bars activates a piston which pushes the gear pedal.
:18:20. > :18:25.Unfortunately, it's a modification that isn't officially allowed in
:18:25. > :18:33.motorcycle racing. Once he's into his leathers, he's heaved onto the
:18:33. > :18:40.bike. His feet are tucked into stirrups and his knees attached to
:18:40. > :18:43.Velcro straps. Now, I'm pretty much balanced on the bike though I've
:18:43. > :18:53.got no stomach muscles with the leathers and the straps I'm pretty
:18:53. > :19:01.
:19:01. > :19:04.Out on the track at Castle Combe, Talan's lack of mobility disappears.
:19:04. > :19:14.In order to be given a race licence Talan has got to prove that he's
:19:14. > :19:17.
:19:17. > :19:19.both fast enough and safe enough to Despite Talan's speed on the bike,
:19:19. > :19:27.one racing regulation he still struggles to meet is staying
:19:27. > :19:29.upright when the bike comes to a halt. So, he's enlisted the help of
:19:29. > :19:39.an engineering student at Bath University to build some
:19:39. > :19:40.
:19:40. > :19:50.retractable stabilizers. Today he's testing them out for the first time.
:19:50. > :19:51.
:19:51. > :19:55.Bit nervous. Just the starting and the stopping. I've been so used to
:19:55. > :20:05.have someone behind me to guide me. If it all goes wrong this time,
:20:05. > :20:13.
:20:13. > :20:16.I'll fall over on to my side. At the moment when I need to come to a
:20:16. > :20:19.stop they just get on to the grass because that is a softer landing.
:20:19. > :20:27.With the stabilizers engaged, it's the moment of truth. The stand is
:20:27. > :20:35.removed. As soon as he releases the clutch, the bike moves off and the
:20:35. > :20:45.stabilizers lift. It's worked. Coming to a halt again, the
:20:45. > :20:53.
:20:53. > :20:58.stabilizers do just what they're That's quite scary. You have to be
:20:58. > :21:02.sure that have come up before you start leaving -- leaning over. I'd
:21:02. > :21:09.better give it another go! This time Talan lifts the stabilizers,
:21:09. > :21:18.but has failed to put the bike in gear. He's OK, but it's a startling
:21:18. > :21:28.reminder of just how vulnerable he is when things go wrong. It doesn't
:21:28. > :21:29.
:21:29. > :21:39.always go to plan, does it? I've found a way of not doing it. I
:21:39. > :21:41.
:21:41. > :21:45.A week later, a little bruised but full of confidence, Talan has come
:21:45. > :21:48.to Darley Moor race track in Derbyshire. Today he must convince
:21:48. > :21:57.the Auto-Cycle Union, or ACU, to grant him a race licence ahead of
:21:57. > :22:00.his first competition in just two months' time. If everything goes
:22:00. > :22:05.according to plan, then it'll be 4th September and Castle Combe will
:22:05. > :22:11.be the first race. First the various modifications to Talan's
:22:11. > :22:21.bike are checked by the ACU's technical director. Once he's happy,
:22:21. > :22:21.
:22:21. > :22:31.Talan is examined out on the track by an ACU riding coach. It was
:22:31. > :22:33.
:22:33. > :22:39.better than I was expecting. He picked the line up very quickly. I
:22:39. > :22:45.have seen riders at club level slower than that. I am really
:22:45. > :22:48.priest. -- I'm impressed and pleased with how it went then.
:22:48. > :22:52.Talan has impressed the judges. It's all looking good for his first
:22:52. > :23:02.race. I think you are going to be in business. I can't believe it.
:23:02. > :23:02.
:23:02. > :23:08.It's fantastic. I have had a great time out and the track. They have
:23:08. > :23:12.given me the green light, I can't wait to go ahead. Back at home,
:23:12. > :23:17.with his first race now just a week away, Talan has received the all-
:23:17. > :23:21.important letter from the ACU. But it's not the news he's expecting.
:23:21. > :23:24.They have decided not to approve my application for a race licence in
:23:24. > :23:34.competition where the race is a mass start, which is exactly what I
:23:34. > :23:36.
:23:36. > :23:39.want to do, compete against other motorcyclists. It seems that even
:23:39. > :23:49.though the ACU is happy with his general riding, some of its members
:23:49. > :23:52.
:23:52. > :23:59.simply regard Talan as too much of a risk. I had my hand shaken until
:23:59. > :24:02.me I was in business. It is a massive setback. Talan's impasse
:24:02. > :24:12.with the ACU rolls on for another two years, but he never stops
:24:12. > :24:14.
:24:14. > :24:18.campaigning, determined that his It's Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk.
:24:18. > :24:24.With the backing of a major racing club, Talan has at last managed to
:24:24. > :24:30.convince the ACU to let him race. It has been a very emotional time
:24:30. > :24:33.for me. To be so close and then to just have everything taken away and
:24:33. > :24:37.then to just keep on having to fight the cause, at times you think
:24:37. > :24:44.this might be too much, it's just never going to happen and you look
:24:44. > :24:47.to give up. But I suppose I'm not the sort of person who likes to
:24:48. > :24:54.take things lying down. Down below us, Talan Skeels Piggins,
:24:54. > :24:56.remember, parpalysed from the chest down. As the bikes line up, Talan,
:24:56. > :25:06.at the ACU's insistence, is starting from the pit lane,
:25:06. > :25:11.
:25:11. > :25:21.Crossing the start line, Talan becomes the first ever paraplegic
:25:21. > :25:24.
:25:24. > :25:34.person to take part in an able- After two laps Talan has already
:25:34. > :25:50.
:25:50. > :26:00.overtaken two other bikes. And it At the chequered flag, Talan
:26:00. > :26:10.finishes in a credible 21st place out 29 starters. In the pit-lane
:26:10. > :26:39.
:26:39. > :26:44.he's given a hero's welcome. He's Slightly emotional coming around, I
:26:44. > :26:54.must admit! A I was that? absolutely incredible. Thank you
:26:54. > :26:55.
:26:55. > :27:05.very much. Unbelievable, to be involved in a real race, it was the
:27:05. > :27:06.
:27:06. > :27:11.most fantastic feeling to be out there. Hopefully, it will show that
:27:11. > :27:17.there will be so many opportunities for people to go out there and do
:27:17. > :27:27.what they want to do. The obstacles come down and when the to the hard
:27:27. > :27:34.
:27:34. > :27:38.work makes it so worthwhile. Just Well, that's just about it for this
:27:38. > :27:41.week, but before we go, here's a look at the stories coming up on
:27:41. > :27:45.next week's programme: With two new nuclear power stations planned for
:27:45. > :27:48.the West of England and the closure of the ageing Hinkely B powerplant
:27:48. > :27:58.now delayed by seven years, we ask what thought has been given to an
:27:58. > :27:59.
:27:59. > :28:02.evacuation plan in the event of a accident.
:28:02. > :28:08.There was a huge reluctance in the industry to get into any kind of
:28:08. > :28:11.discussion on the shoe shoe. You can't have an evacuation plan that
:28:11. > :28:15.is going to work in this people know what they're supposed to do.
:28:15. > :28:23.Also, 22 years on from the murder of Joanna Parrish in France, still
:28:23. > :28:26.Take a flight from Filton Airfield as it enters its last week as an
:28:26. > :28:30.operational runway. We ask why it has to close and whether the city's
:28:30. > :28:33.aerospace industry can survive without it. That's all next week.
:28:33. > :28:36.In the meantime, if you would like to keep in touch with what we are