:00:24. > :00:34.Good evening and welcome to Inside Out. Tonight, here is what is on
:00:34. > :00:34.
:00:34. > :00:39.the show. We follow the highs and lows of Life at the primary school
:00:39. > :00:45.where many of the children have parents serving overseas. Hello,
:00:45. > :00:52.Daddy. I have been having fun at school. Dear Daddy, how why you? I
:00:52. > :00:59.am fine. And the story of Britain's first black professional footballer.
:00:59. > :01:06.We trace his journey from Ghana to Yorkshire. He was the pioneer. We
:01:06. > :01:14.all start somewhere and we start with Arthur.
:01:14. > :01:19.This is especially primary school thought -- primary school. A third
:01:19. > :01:23.of the children have parents serving overseas. Many are in
:01:23. > :01:29.Afghanistan. Inside Out has been given exclusive access following
:01:29. > :01:37.the children and families are to the highs and lows of school term.
:01:37. > :01:44.This is RAF Leeming - the biggest royal air force base in the north.
:01:44. > :01:47.1800 servicemen and women, and their families, live and work here.
:01:47. > :01:50.It's home to the RAF Regiment, 90 signals unit, and the hawk jet.
:01:50. > :02:00.It's also home to RAF Leeming Community Primary - the school
:02:00. > :02:01.
:02:01. > :02:04.On the face of it, this school is just like any other state primary -
:02:04. > :02:07.funded by the LEA, and run accordingly. But here's the
:02:07. > :02:13.difference - 98% of children here are from forces families with one
:02:13. > :02:18.or both parents serving in the military. The evidence is
:02:18. > :02:28.everywhere. Outside each classroom, a list of names - children with
:02:28. > :02:28.
:02:28. > :02:34.parents serving overseas. The majority are in Afghanistan. This
:02:34. > :02:39.is one of the year three classes. There are quite a large number way.
:02:39. > :02:47.Some of the parents are in active theatres of war. Certainly. Their
:02:47. > :02:51.art focused in Afghanistan, that's the most common. -- There are
:02:51. > :02:57.people. Jess is four, and has just started
:02:57. > :03:02.reception class. I was worried if she'd fit into mainstream. Because
:03:02. > :03:09.her speech is quite delayed, she can't tell us where she's at. But I
:03:09. > :03:13.was completely wrong, She's blossoming. Jess' dad is going to
:03:13. > :03:23.Afghanistan in a few weeks' time. He'll be gone for four and a half
:03:23. > :03:26.
:03:26. > :03:30.months. Where is daddy's nose? What does the nose do? I think she
:03:30. > :03:34.senses something. I'm not sure she knows or understands I'm going away
:03:34. > :03:44.for a period of time. But she's certainly sensing more and acting
:03:44. > :03:49.
:03:49. > :03:57.differently to last when I went The proof is once I have gone, will
:03:57. > :04:01.she acted differently? Will she know I'm not here, will she come
:04:01. > :04:04.looking for me, come round to the side of the bed? She's good at
:04:04. > :04:10.signing for me. 9-year-old Leona's dad went to the
:04:10. > :04:14.Falklands in summer. He's there as part of the permanent UK military
:04:14. > :04:22.presence to defend the Islands. He might be home for Christmas. Miss
:04:22. > :04:27.everything really. I was upset but I kept it to myself, and that just
:04:27. > :04:37.made me more sad. There are other children in Leona's class with dads
:04:37. > :04:38.
:04:38. > :04:45.away. On the cupboard it says home- and-away. I look up to remind
:04:45. > :04:49.myself when I am doing my work. I usually come home and say, dad I've
:04:49. > :04:56.been doing this and I've been doing that and so I think if I just say
:04:56. > :04:58.it in my head, he'll hear it. My husband is a padre and he went
:04:59. > :05:03.to Afghanistan last year. It's being aware of children's emotions,
:05:03. > :05:08.reading them and reaching out a hand to them and saying, its awful.
:05:08. > :05:12.You have to walk that walk with them. If someone's having a wobble,
:05:12. > :05:14.you can rely on others to rally round and look after them. They
:05:14. > :05:24.really are a caring bunch, they look after each other incredibly
:05:24. > :05:28.
:05:28. > :05:32.well, and that's an amazing Many of the youngsters go through
:05:32. > :05:42.intense emotional periods. The school has put in place and network
:05:42. > :05:44.
:05:44. > :05:47.of support to help the children who are affected. This is the IT suite.
:05:47. > :05:50.This is the lunchtime Ebluey club - where children are encouraged to
:05:50. > :05:54.email parents deployed abroad. It's a 21st century version of the old
:05:54. > :06:01.serviceman's Bluey letter. Hello, Daddy. I have been having fun at
:06:01. > :06:09.school. On Friday we are going to a pantomime in Richmond. I am looking
:06:09. > :06:15.forward to it. Lots of love. It is fine writing. He sends you letters
:06:15. > :06:25.back. I already have two. One has a picture of a terrapin. Do you know
:06:25. > :06:26.
:06:26. > :06:36.when he comes back? March 8th. Yes. I am a bit sad. There is a help to
:06:36. > :06:42.
:06:42. > :06:48.write e-mails? You can tell him things you have been doing. Yes.
:06:48. > :06:51.Dear Daddy, how you? I had been riding horses.
:06:51. > :06:58.Morgan's dad is with the RAF regiment and he's in Afghanistan
:06:58. > :07:04.for 7 months. Does daddy like your e-mails? Yes. He said they were
:07:04. > :07:11.lovely. Can he singe your e-mails back? No, because the internet is
:07:11. > :07:21.rubbish. -- can he send you e- mails? There is no post. He is in
:07:21. > :07:24.
:07:24. > :07:30.the desert. Kiss, kiss, Haag, hug. The children tend not to understand
:07:30. > :07:37.why, my son is only three. Morgan comes to school and understands
:07:37. > :07:41.where he has gone. She has no idea where that is but a school help her
:07:41. > :07:47.understand. They are bizarre reaction from many children when
:07:47. > :07:52.the parent goes way it is yes, we can go to the club. Not all parents
:07:53. > :07:57.have enjoyed that. All I can think about his great but it is more than
:07:57. > :08:01.that. It is about getting the recognition so there are plenty of
:08:01. > :08:06.older children around. It's an opportunity to clock in and see how
:08:06. > :08:10.you are doing. Servicemen and women are being deployed now more than
:08:10. > :08:13.ever - not just to Afghanistan but to other places of active service
:08:13. > :08:19.around the world. So in the course of their career with the air force,
:08:19. > :08:23.they could leave their homes and families several times. It will
:08:23. > :08:26.only function correctly if it is assembled correctly.
:08:26. > :08:31.This is the latest Osprey body armour that 90 signals unit will
:08:31. > :08:37.take with them to Afghanistan. your blood group on there.
:08:37. > :08:43.For Jess's dad Craig, it will be his 4th tour in 10 years.
:08:43. > :08:46.casualty extraction... I'll be going out to Kandahar.
:08:46. > :08:52.We're well trained and well prepared and that helps with the
:08:52. > :09:02.mindset. We're going to do a good job, make a difference, and return
:09:02. > :09:03.
:09:03. > :09:08.in April knowing we've done a good A number of things jess will be
:09:08. > :09:15.doing for the first time. First carol concert. You won't be here.
:09:15. > :09:18.No, but will be heart. But there isn't the time of year you can go
:09:18. > :09:24.way and not miss something for the first time. This time round it will
:09:24. > :09:30.be the first Christmas play and probably start in, knowing how she
:09:30. > :09:35.is. I just have to look at the video and think fondly and do it
:09:35. > :09:41.that way. That is the life we have chosen to live. I have to make sure
:09:41. > :09:48.I'm there for the next one. Military life means moving around a
:09:48. > :09:58.lot. Personnel get posted every few years, so the population here is
:09:58. > :10:07.constantly changing this. The average time a child spends he is
:10:07. > :10:09.one year and seven months. Research suggests regular moves mean some
:10:09. > :10:12.children can start to disengage when they know they're leaving -
:10:12. > :10:15.from friendships, from learning, and behaviour can slip. But there
:10:15. > :10:17.are also positives. There are children here who've lived all over
:10:17. > :10:20.the world, and they bring those experiences into the classroom. And
:10:20. > :10:28.service children can be very good at making new friends, and
:10:28. > :10:31.welcoming new people. Often the leaving is the hardest part, so we
:10:31. > :10:33.put a lot of energy into that. Get them ready, think through their
:10:33. > :10:43.successes at school, round up friendships and hit the ground
:10:43. > :10:48.
:10:49. > :10:57.Craig is about to leave for Kandahar. Within hours, the advance
:10:57. > :11:03.party for his squadron will be in Afghanistan. A lot of us have done
:11:03. > :11:09.this before. It is in a mine set. We are raring to go. The sooner we
:11:09. > :11:12.are out there, the sooner we are back. Craig will be leaving his
:11:12. > :11:16.family for 4 and a half months. You've got to be strong. If you're
:11:16. > :11:26.not strong, they can't do their job. It puts them in the wrong mindset.
:11:26. > :11:37.
:11:37. > :11:45.So you have to be strong. You can He is doing good, protecting people.
:11:45. > :11:50.You have to think positive. You cannot listen to this rubbish about
:11:50. > :12:00.they should not be out there doing this or that. That just degrades
:12:00. > :12:03.
:12:03. > :12:09.them. They'd put their lives on the line for everybody.
:12:09. > :12:13.The next morning Jess's name is added to the classroom list. And a
:12:14. > :12:20.few days later there are many more children with parents gone to
:12:20. > :12:25.Afghanistan. We have had a massive increase. We
:12:25. > :12:32.normally have around 10% but recently it is over a quarter were
:12:32. > :12:36.the parent away. That is right across the school. We have probably
:12:36. > :12:46.got the lot highest number weight over Christmas which has an impact
:12:46. > :12:48.
:12:48. > :12:53.on the families. It is December and the build-up to Christmas has begun.
:12:54. > :13:02.The children are busy practising for their carol concert for parents
:13:02. > :13:06.in a week's time. The children are as high as kites.
:13:06. > :13:14.They are looking forward to their performance. We will be bouncing
:13:14. > :13:18.around the classroom! Some of the children have already
:13:18. > :13:26.had their Christmas, in a poll for or November, before their families
:13:26. > :13:31.were deployed. Some children are feeling a little bit sad about that.
:13:31. > :13:38.It is OK for them to feel sad and it is normal to beat sad about
:13:38. > :13:42.somebody away. Would give them the opportunity to talk that through.
:13:42. > :13:50.Morgan's family is finding the run- up to Christmas tough, like many
:13:50. > :14:00.others. I got a letter from the Santa yesterday. I was singing
:14:00. > :14:11.
:14:11. > :14:16.Christmas carols. This is the first big one that he
:14:16. > :14:25.has been away from us. I know that he finds it difficult as well. We
:14:25. > :14:35.are a very close family. It is going to be hard. You just
:14:35. > :15:01.
:15:01. > :15:03.have to get on with it. You cannot While some dads are going away,
:15:03. > :15:11.Leona and her sister Kiah are expecting their dad to return from
:15:11. > :15:15.the Falklands this week. They're making a banner to welcome him home.
:15:15. > :15:24.The girls show me the wall that they have dedicated to their dead.
:15:24. > :15:34.It is the first thing you see when you come in to the house. -- their
:15:34. > :15:34.
:15:34. > :15:40.dad. He has gone all the way from the UK, he stopped there for one
:15:40. > :15:46.night in the Ascension Islands and then went to the Falklands. They
:15:46. > :15:56.dad has been away for four months. Are you looking forward to seeing
:15:56. > :16:01.him? I will just jump on him and give him a big cuddle.
:16:01. > :16:04.Afghanistan. Craig has been here now for five weeks. The squadron
:16:04. > :16:09.are providing and maintaining the communications for forces across
:16:09. > :16:17.the country. Things are very different from home.
:16:17. > :16:23.This is the standard accommodation that all personnel get in Kandahar.
:16:23. > :16:30.It is a standard set up within a room. I have these personal touches
:16:30. > :16:35.from my little girl. It is a bit of a moment from home which is nice.
:16:35. > :16:40.It is a busy life and the men relish the distraction of a meal.
:16:40. > :16:45.Craig sometimes gets the chance to catch up with news from home.
:16:45. > :16:52.are working seven days a week constantly. The days pass by
:16:52. > :16:59.quickly. It is a very different life out here. The day does not
:16:59. > :17:06.finish until late in the evening. So you get back and go to bed and
:17:06. > :17:11.get a good seven last of sleep if we can. Them rare back doing the
:17:11. > :17:15.same thing the following day. behind the wire the squadron has
:17:15. > :17:21.entered an increasingly tense affairs down with a string of
:17:21. > :17:28.insider attacks on troops. The most recent last week in Helmand by a
:17:28. > :17:33.member of the Afghan security forces. Amid all the Christmas
:17:33. > :17:38.build up at the school, it is business as usual.
:17:38. > :17:43.Families are doing the same thing and I think it is easier in some
:17:43. > :17:53.ways for those children to see it as normal. Even though it is not
:17:53. > :17:56.
:17:56. > :18:03.normal for the rest of society. Paula and chess are getting ready
:18:03. > :18:11.for Christmas without Craig. comes in in the morning and looks
:18:11. > :18:19.to his side of the bed. She sleeps in my bed a lot. She just needs
:18:19. > :18:29.that extra bit of comfort. It is just her way of missing him.
:18:29. > :18:29.
:18:29. > :18:38.Come and speak to Daddy on the computer. Are you beautiful? Yes.
:18:38. > :18:43.When the internet allows they can speak directly to Craig.
:18:43. > :18:52.I have not felt like Christmas. You tried so hard not to think about
:18:52. > :19:01.what might happen out there. But you cannot help it.
:19:01. > :19:05.It is almost Christmas and time for the Nativity play.
:19:05. > :19:12.Many parents cannot be here to watch their children today because
:19:12. > :19:16.they are serving overseas. Jess is playing a snowflake. I will be
:19:16. > :19:26.sorry to leave this place and this school. That will happen, we will
:19:26. > :19:28.
:19:28. > :19:33.move on. And I do not think we will have the same understanding.
:19:33. > :19:37.Our school gets on with doing what it has to do as a school. A lot of
:19:37. > :19:43.other schools out there are doing a fantastic job with service families
:19:43. > :19:53.as well. It is a very rewarding place to be.
:19:53. > :20:03.It is the end of another term. Leona was my dad made it home for
:20:03. > :20:15.
:20:15. > :20:21.Christmas. Paula and jazz did get By rights Arthur Wharton should be
:20:21. > :20:26.a household name. He was a world- beating sprinter and the first
:20:26. > :20:34.black professional footballer in Britain. But it is only now that
:20:34. > :20:41.this true pioneer is getting the recognition he deserves.
:20:41. > :20:45.It begins in a little fishing port in West Africa in 1865. A boy is
:20:46. > :20:55.born. He became arguably the greatest sportsmen the North of
:20:56. > :20:59.
:20:59. > :21:02.England has ever seen. But you may not have heard of Arthur Wharton. I
:21:02. > :21:05.feel so proud of his achievements and delighted that at last, his
:21:05. > :21:11.story is able to be told. He was the pioneer! He has a place in
:21:11. > :21:14.history, we all start somewhere and we start with Arthur Wharton.
:21:14. > :21:16.This is what began the whole story, finding this in the box. I found it
:21:17. > :21:22.in this old box that belonged to my mother. It's a photo of Arthur
:21:22. > :21:26.Wharton, who she believed to be a distant relative. She didn't know
:21:26. > :21:30.it, but he had a remarkable story. Arthur Wharton was born in
:21:31. > :21:34.Jamestown, in the Gold Coast, now Ghana. His Scottish father was a
:21:34. > :21:42.Methodist preacher, his Ghanaian mother a tribal princess. Arthur
:21:42. > :21:52.left for Britain to train as a preacher himself. But his talents
:21:52. > :21:54.
:21:54. > :21:56.lay elsewhere. In the North East of England. He played football for
:21:56. > :22:03.Darlington, played bit of cricket here as well. He was a first class
:22:03. > :22:11.cricketer. But an even better goalkeeper. He was a showman! He'd
:22:11. > :22:12.swing on the crossbar and catch the ball between his knees. He played
:22:12. > :22:22.for Newcastle, he made an appearance for Middlesbrough,
:22:22. > :22:25.Sheffield. Rotherham, Stalybridge. But that's just the tip of the
:22:25. > :22:27.iceberg. He was the world's first 100 yard record holder, British
:22:27. > :22:37.Cycling champion, professional cricketer, and played both codes of
:22:37. > :22:43.
:22:43. > :22:48.rugby. It would be like Usain Bolt turning out for Manchester United.
:22:48. > :22:58.So why has nobody heard of him? He had a scandalous family secret
:22:58. > :22:58.
:22:59. > :23:03.hidden in this box. Also in the box was Arthur's sisters Wilhelmina and
:23:03. > :23:13.Clara. This is my mother. This is Arthur's father, Reverend Henry
:23:13. > :23:24.
:23:24. > :23:29.Wharton. Arthur Wharton was actually Sheila's grandfather.
:23:29. > :23:34.the box of photographs was the Bible. I found these versus
:23:34. > :23:40.underlined. He is trying to tell me that he committed adultery. He has
:23:40. > :23:46.been with my grandmother and she had three children. It made Sheila
:23:46. > :23:51.realised why the grand mother was banished from the family. After was
:23:51. > :23:55.actually the grandfather she never knew.
:23:55. > :24:05.She let is heading to Guiana. The last chance she will get to trace
:24:05. > :24:05.
:24:05. > :24:15.her family roots. It feels fantastic. I never thought
:24:15. > :24:17.
:24:17. > :24:26.I would be here. It says the Reverend Henry Wharton.
:24:26. > :24:31.This is where Arthur's father preached. I think in his later life,
:24:31. > :24:37.Arthur forgot about his religion. Because of his illicit love affair,
:24:37. > :24:41.Augher lost his family and then his celebrity status. He ended up as a
:24:41. > :24:47.miner near Doncaster, living in poverty. He had gone from being
:24:47. > :24:54.somebody well known and celebrated in the country, to practically
:24:54. > :24:59.being and nobody. And he was buried in an unknown grave. An undignified
:24:59. > :25:03.end for a champion whose life had started so promisingly. Sean
:25:03. > :25:08.Campbell's mission is to get recognition for Arthur Wharton,
:25:08. > :25:12.first through the statue. I just wondered how many monuments to
:25:12. > :25:18.other black British achievers were out there. And there to be honest
:25:18. > :25:24.it took me months to find one. will unveil eventually a 17 ft high
:25:24. > :25:29.statue. Until then, these small bronze replicas have been bought by
:25:29. > :25:34.some of the most powerful organisations in football. We have
:25:34. > :25:41.one in Wembley Stadium, in Zurich, and then when we go back to England,
:25:41. > :25:46.at UEFA. The timing of the campaign could not be better.
:25:46. > :25:49.War is being waged against racism in football. And someone like
:25:49. > :25:55.Arthur Wharton can be the Ardcarne and the symbol for overcoming
:25:55. > :26:04.racism. Though Arthur was loved by many across the North, he had to
:26:04. > :26:13.fight his own battle. When they reported on matches, they would say
:26:13. > :26:17.he had Monkey type features. Being a black player at that time is just
:26:17. > :26:24.mind-boggling. I never knew anything about him until six or
:26:24. > :26:31.seven years ago. Now you speak to Andy Cole, Rio Ferdinand, they all
:26:31. > :26:38.know about him. So we're doing our bit to get his name out there.
:26:38. > :26:43.They don't exactly that out in Guiana as well. In the place where
:26:43. > :26:49.he was born, a football tournament is being held in his honour. Arthur
:26:49. > :26:54.Wharton has finally come home. And in a sense so has his granddaughter.
:26:54. > :26:59.Sheila has got one last surprise. A local journalist has tracked down
:27:00. > :27:09.not just one or two relatives but an entire family that she love
:27:10. > :27:10.
:27:10. > :27:16.never knew she had. Here is your family. My work is done.
:27:16. > :27:26.I realised as the child, I always said to my mother, have I got a
:27:26. > :27:36.grandfather? And she never answered me. I am very proud to be a member
:27:36. > :27:36.
:27:36. > :27:44.of your family. It is very emotional to be here with you.
:27:44. > :27:49.Thank you. We're very happy. This is the first time I heard of any
:27:49. > :27:55.white people tracing their black ancestors. She has come home to
:27:55. > :28:01.look for us. Football is known as the beautiful game and look at what
:28:01. > :28:04.is happening here today, we're all United, people from all over the
:28:04. > :28:12.world coming together because of one man and his journey.
:28:12. > :28:17.It is the culmination of my life. It is the greatest day of my life.
:28:17. > :28:26.I think my mother would say, I'm sorry I did not turn you but I'm
:28:26. > :28:34.pleased that you have found them. She would be saying, well done.
:28:34. > :28:42.That is all fortnight. If you have missed anything you can catch it on