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Inside the Tower of London Season 8 Episode 6
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00:00There will be stories about murders!
00:03Over its thousand years of history,
00:06everyone who's anyone has passed through its gates.
00:09King Richard III.
00:11Catherine Howard.
00:12King Henry VIII.
00:13Declared.
00:14My darling Anne,
00:15I will love you for the rest of your life.
00:19Cheeky.
00:21And this year it's non-stop.
00:25With grand commemorations.
00:27Jumping Jiminy's.
00:29At the ancient fortress.
00:31Including a royal visit.
00:33I truly think that Her Majesty will be moved.
00:35We've got a ringside seat to see it all unfold.
00:38Oh my gosh.
00:39While its dedicated staff.
00:41High five!
00:42Yeah!
00:43Work to keep everything on track.
00:45You know this is the key for the toilet, don't you?
00:47No, I'm not feeding you anymore, no.
00:51In this episode,
00:52the Tower prepares to host Second World War veterans
00:55for a special anniversary.
00:57It would help if the wind just dives down a little bit.
01:00But, you know, they're a tall generation.
01:03Seeing the veterans front and centre,
01:05it was just really, really emotional.
01:07A new recruit takes on the ultimate test.
01:10Learning the beef eater tour.
01:12It was quite tough to drag a thousand years of history into my head.
01:15If you can't pass the test, you can't stay at the Tower of London.
01:19And, it's a big day for the new ravens,
01:22as they're allowed out of their cages for the first time.
01:25Are they going to take to the public?
01:26Are they going to take to the other ravens?
01:28Are they going to get lost?
01:29Are they, you know, there's so many questions.
01:31Welcome to the secret world of the Tower of London.
01:43It's mid-afternoon on the 6th of May.
01:46And, it's already been one of the most extraordinary days
01:49in modern Tower history.
01:51Beginning with a triumphant 62 gun salute
01:55to mark two years since the coronation of King Charles III.
01:59Followed by an historic visit by Her Majesty Queen Camilla.
02:05It was just amazing to see her today.
02:08And, later tonight, there's a special private event
02:11to mark the 80th anniversary of V-E Day,
02:14the end of the Second World War in Europe.
02:17As the conflict passes out of living memory,
02:20only a handful of veterans who served are still alive.
02:24It is absolutely about reflecting and remembering,
02:28but it's also a celebration to the wonderful men and women
02:32that gave their all for us.
02:36And nine of these veterans will be coming to the Tower
02:38for tonight's event.
02:42Keeping an eye on things from his office in the Waterloo block
02:45is Tower Governor Brigadier Andrew Jackson.
02:48It's more complex than many of the things we've done.
02:51There's lots of moving parts.
02:53There's a Royal Marines band playing the music.
02:56We've got Yeoman Warders and other members of the Tower community
02:59reading recollections from the Second World War.
03:01And then we're going to light up the poppy installation
03:04and the side of the White Tower.
03:06I think that bit will be particularly spectacular.
03:08For the next six months,
03:10these scarlet poppies will remain at the Tower
03:12as a symbol of remembrance.
03:14Alongside the veterans,
03:16top military brass will be attending
03:18from every branch of the armed forces.
03:21So the pressure's on to pull off a spectacular show.
03:25But with the fortress full of thousands of tourists during the day,
03:29there's been no chance for a rehearsal ahead of the real thing.
03:34Deputy Governor Anna Kimber is overseeing the military parade.
03:38Hi, Nev.
03:39Hi, Anna, are you all right?
03:40I'm all right, thank you.
03:41It will be performed by the band of the Royal Marines,
03:44and Anna's hoping to get some advice from a man on the inside.
03:48Yeoman Warder, Nev Dednam.
03:52As a former bandmaster of the Royal Marines,
03:54Yeah.
03:55I need to pick your brains.
03:56Okay, yeah, let's do it.
03:57What do you want to know?
03:58So they're starting down there.
03:59Yeah.
04:00And they'll march down here,
04:02but because of where the chairs are going to be,
04:04Yeah.
04:05I don't know how squashed they could be.
04:08The event will take place on the broad walk,
04:10but a stage and large seating section
04:12will leave just a narrow route for marching.
04:15They could squash.
04:16They'll normally be five across.
04:17They can certainly go down to three to get through that gap.
04:20So if it is tight with the chairs and the stage and whatever,
04:23they can do that.
04:24Well, that's great.
04:25That's this bit.
04:26Over and done with.
04:27Right.
04:29As well as showing off their world-famous musicianship,
04:32the band of the Royal Marines will play a special role
04:35in lighting the poppies at the end of the evening.
04:40So the band will be here.
04:42Everybody else will be there.
04:44Yeah.
04:45I think what would be really nice
04:46is members of the band can perhaps be on the battlements.
04:49Yeah.
04:50So you'd get them silhouetted.
04:51Yeah.
04:52And what would they be?
04:53Is that possible?
04:54Is that possible?
04:55Maybe take the front rank of the band out,
04:56which is your drummers, your core drums.
04:57Yeah.
04:58They'd maybe go up there.
04:59If four or five buglers could be up there doing it from the battlements.
05:02That's a great idea.
05:04Fingers crossed the Marines can keep up with the last minute changes.
05:10Around the fortress, it's business as usual.
05:13A piece of murder, torture, and executions!
05:20Behold the head of a traitor!
05:25As well as helping to guard the crown jewels,
05:27each of the fortress's 35 Beefeaters must lead visitor groups as part of their duties.
05:34Follow me. I know the way.
05:35The hour-long tour covers some of the more colourful highlights of the tower's thousand-year history.
05:42In that chapel, King Henry VI was murdered.
05:46Perfecting it is one of the trickiest hurdles in becoming a Beefeater.
05:54Baz Grey recently became the 424th Yeoman Warder in the tower's history.
06:01I live on the top floor of the hospital block inside the tower.
06:05So my front room and bedroom windows look at the most iconic building in the UK, the White Tower.
06:11It's crazy.
06:13I've been at Yeoman Warder now for just over three months.
06:16One of the most difficult things in the first three months is definitely the knowledge.
06:19The public are constantly asking questions.
06:21And to be able to answer them confidently and without making stuff up
06:26was quite a challenge in the first few months.
06:28After joining the Royal Marines at 16, Baz spent 26 years in the force
06:34as a mountain leader and regimental sergeant major,
06:38before turning his hand to extreme cold-weather expeditions,
06:42including a 730-mile solo trek to the South Pole.
06:46But nothing could quite prepare him for the uphill battle of joining the tower.
06:51When I came here as a regimental sergeant major in the Royal Marines,
06:53we did a tour of London for a whole week, and part of that was to come here.
06:58And I just found the evening absolutely fascinating.
07:00I couldn't ever really forget about it.
07:03I knew I wanted to come here at some point in my life.
07:06Baz is nearing the end of his probation period, during which you must learn the nearly 10,000-word script of the Yeoman Warder's tour, known as the story.
07:16And it's all in here, in this folder, of 26, 27 pages of A4.
07:24And I just tried to get through hopefully at least one, if not two, new paragraphs every day.
07:29So you've got to keep going over it and over it and over it, and just making it muscle memory.
07:34At the end of their probation, each beefeater is tested.
07:38They will need to perform the full story from memory, without any mistakes.
07:43They must pass, to be initiated into the Yeoman body.
07:48I'm nervous about it, because it's that big a deal.
07:51Everything rests on that.
07:53So I want it to be good, I want to get it right.
07:56Baz's test is in just a few days' time.
08:00So he's taking every opportunity to squeeze in some practice.
08:05We are now standing at Traitor's Gate, probably the most famous, or should I say the most infamous gate in the world.
08:12Due to the large amount of alleged traitors that entered the mighty fortress through those grim gates.
08:17Coming up, Barney feels the wrath of the Ravens when the vet pays a visit.
08:27I think they've got the hump with me.
08:29And the tower team prepare for a once-in-a-lifetime VE Day celebration.
08:36In the face of the British weather.
08:38It would help if the wind just dies down a little bit, would be very handy.
08:43But, you know, it could be worse.
08:46Crazy.
08:55Later this evening, the tower will be holding a special event to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the end of the Second World War in Europe.
09:03And as part of this, it will launch a magnificent poppy tribute.
09:09Poppy's a huge symbol of remembrance for the First World War, Second World War.
09:13It's been amazing to actually be a part of it.
09:17I've laid a couple of the poppies in there, and it's always good to remember and respect those that gave up that big sacrifice for us today.
09:25The fortress played an important role in World War II, housing troops and prisoners of war.
09:33And growing provisions in the moat, while German aerial bombardment caused significant damage across the site.
09:42Today, the tower is home to around 40 military veterans, including the iconic Beefeaters.
09:48Many have their own connection to the conflict.
09:50My grandad, Gwyn, was a Welsh Fusilier, and he actually met my grandma, Vera, while she was working in the ammunition depot.
09:59My grandma and grandad, Florence and Gordon, both were part of World War II. Both have medals of their service.
10:07Grandad was in the Royal Engineers. My grandma, she was a nurse.
10:11At her home in Chiswick, one of the veterans who served in the Second World War, and who will be playing a special role in tonight's event, is 101-year-old Pat Outram.
10:23Well, that's me in my Wren uniform. I joined the Wrens as a special duties linguist, because I knew German from talking a lot with our Austrian cook.
10:36And the job we were trained to do was listening to Germans talking.
10:45Pat was one of 400 Wrens conscripted into the top secret special duty service as a linguist, tasked with listening to radio signals from German U-boats day and night to try and decipher enemy plans.
10:58This map shows our listening stations. I was stationed on the Yorkshire coast, where we could pick up the German naval ships going in and out of the Baltic.
11:11And if the message we heard was in Enigma code, we sent it immediately to Bletchley Park.
11:21Pat and her fellow Wrens played a crucial role in deciphering the German Enigma code.
11:25saving thousands of Allied forces from U-boat attacks, and helping to bring about the end of the Second World War in Europe, on the 8th of May 1945.
11:37It's a day that Pat will never forget.
11:40Oh, it was a quite amazing day. We wanted to go to Buckingham Palace and celebrate there.
11:48The King did come out, and we all cheered and carried on, and I would not have wanted to miss it.
12:02Back at the fortress, the afternoon crowds are taking in the historic sights.
12:13And the ever popular Ravens, including the two chicks who joined just a few weeks ago.
12:20They've settled in really well. I couldn't have wished for it to go any better.
12:23They've taken to the public, because everyone knows about the new arrivals, and they're just as inquisitive.
12:29Raven master Barney Chandler has been caring for the chicks, and watched them grow to their adult size.
12:35Now they've joined the others in the enclosure, Barney and his team have picked names for them.
12:40Henry, after the eight King Henrys of England, some more notorious than others.
12:47And Poe, in honour of the Edgar Allan Poe poem, The Raven.
12:53But all of this could be a bit premature, as there's one crucial detail Barney doesn't know.
13:00Even though we have their names, we still don't have their sexes.
13:05It has been a bit of a gamble naming them so early, but we feel only right that they have names,
13:09rather than grey and blue.
13:12It's almost impossible to determine a Raven's sex just by looking at them.
13:17So Barney has called in a team of vets from London Zoo to do a DNA test and get some answers.
13:23How have they been doing, Barney? They look great, they look beautiful.
13:26They've been really well, they feed well.
13:28The vet, Ty, will have to pluck some feathers from the chicks to carry out the DNA testing.
13:34But Barney needs to catch them first.
13:35Oh no, come on then, come on, let's go, come on, let's go, come on, let's go, let's go.
13:42And Henry and Poe are having none of it.
13:45Okay.
13:46Oh, you used to trust me, didn't you? You used to trust me.
13:48Let's have a look at you then, sweet pea.
13:50Oh, they're bitey, they're bitey. All right.
13:56There you go mate.
13:57They don't take too kindly to being plucked.
14:00Oh, beautiful, gorgeous.
14:02We're just going to come under here and find a few nice little feathers.
14:06We usually look at six or so that are good.
14:09There we go.
14:11That's what we want.
14:13I'm sorry mate, I'm sorry, you're going to get right off me, aren't you?
14:17One cranky raven down, one still to go.
14:21I know, I know.
14:23I know.
14:25Come on then, come on then.
14:27And the aptly named Henry is throwing a right royal tantrum.
14:31Yep, that's my finger.
14:35This one's a little bit more boisterous, isn't it?
14:37Okay, let's get some little feathers.
14:40One more, sweetheart.
14:42And then we're done.
14:43Perfect, that's beautiful.
14:45Feathers extracted.
14:46All done.
14:48Lovely.
14:49And Henry and Poe can return to their perches in peace.
14:53Yeah, we managed to get feathers, so it's just a few little feathers off each one.
14:56We make sure they've got a nice sort of, a bit of pulp, which is that, that's what's going to be extracted for the DNA.
15:02And then we can see if they're males or females.
15:06While Barney waits for the DNA results, he's just got the small matter of getting the birds back on side.
15:12I think they've got the hump with me because I've been handling them, so they're not happy with me.
15:17I might have put them off the outside.
15:19There you go, there you go.
15:20Yeah, they're still hungry.
15:22Andrew, Andrew, Andrew.
15:23OK, ladies and gents, you need to start making your way towards the exit for me, please.
15:29With just two hours until tonight's big event, the tower is closing a little earlier than usual.
15:36Good night.
15:38But there's an ominous weather warning threatening the ceremony, which is taking place outdoors.
15:42The wind has started to pick up now, and we do have reports that there are going to be blustery winds.
15:48And unfortunately, on the broad walk, it is like a wind tunnel up there.
15:52But with a Royal Marines marching band and a parade of World War II veterans on the programme, this isn't something that can be moved inside.
16:02Have a nice evening.
16:03The last of our guests have just left the tower. Over.
16:14Up on the broad walk, the troops have started to arrive.
16:18And since they've been busy with their day jobs, there's been no chance to rehearse at the Royal Fortress until now.
16:24Hi, hi, Anna Kimba, I can see you. Thanks so much for doing the reading.
16:29It will make more sense when the veterans are here and you see what the youngsters are doing with the flowers.
16:34Thanks very much.
16:35All right, thank you.
16:36This conflict tested the Tower of London and the nation's...
16:39Deputy Governor Anna Kimba has arrived to carry out some last-minute checks.
16:43Oh, amazing. Right, yes, thank you.
16:47That's about to blow off.
16:50Where are they marching on from? Very close by.
16:53Yeah, so, obviously, you'll be here.
16:56And who's giving the word of command to step off? Have you decided yet?
16:59Well, now there's a thing.
17:03I can give parade by the centre, quick march.
17:07Three, two, three big drum rolls and we're gone.
17:10He would have run through that.
17:13There's just time for a quick run-through to put the Marines and Cadets through their paces.
17:18Death, bite, death, bite, death, bite.
17:21One, two, three.
17:23Wow.
17:24That makes it real.
17:25Just as the wind's getting up.
17:27I have a lot of my mates back here tonight, kicking off right on cue.
17:30That's pretty good for me.
17:32Thankfully, the Marines have managed to adapt to the narrow parade ground.
17:35Left, right, left, right, left, right, left.
17:40But with rehearsals still underway, the British weather takes a worrying turn.
17:46Everybody's put such a lot of effort into it, so it would help if the wind just dives down a little bit would be very handy.
17:53But, you know, it could be worse.
17:56All they can do now is cross their fingers and hope for the best, as the first of tonight's 300 VIP guests begin to arrive.
18:07They're ushered to their seats, while the band, now in their ceremonial finery, musters up around the corner.
18:15It's time for the Tower Governor, Andrew Jackson, to welcome tonight's guests of honour.
18:20We share this story to honour the great generation who fought for the freedoms we treasure.
18:29And so, ladies and gentlemen, if you're able, please stand to welcome our Second World War veterans.
18:41The nine World War II veterans are escorted onto the broad work by cadets from each of the armed forces.
18:48Accompanied by the Royal Marines marching band, as their former bandmaster beef eater, Nev Dednam, looks on.
19:05The great nephew of a former chief yeoman warder starts the evening of readings and music by telling the story of the Tower at War 80 years on.
19:24My great uncle Arthur Henry Cook was a yeoman warder throughout the London Blitz.
19:33He wrote the tower rot of the impact of two bombs which fell near the White Tower, one within seven yards of it.
19:41For hardly a portion of it had escaped the fury of the night.
19:45Over 40,000 lives were lost during the eighth month period known as the Blitz.
19:52Over 28,000 of them in London alone.
19:55The community of yeoman warders also lost one of their own.
20:00Yeoman warder Samuel Reeves.
20:02By the time the war came to an end, on the 8th of May 1945, over 380,000 British service members had lost their lives and nearly 70,000 British civilians.
20:20It was after the First World War that the poppy first became associated with remembrance.
20:27These fragile flowers peeking through battle-scarred lands became a powerful symbol of resilience and hope for the future.
20:36As the Second World War begins to pass out of living memory, the simple act of remembering has never been more important.
20:44Then stepping up, the nation's poet laureate, Simon Armitage, takes to the stage to read his specially written poem.
20:57We made them souls, the poppies, souls of those who we lost, and let it be said, those who we killed.
21:07Poppies, nursed in darkness, nourished by dirt, unearthing themselves in fallow fields and railway sidings, on roundabouts, verges and no man's land.
21:24They nod and they nag, reminding us not to forget.
21:29Seeing the veterans front and centre, it was just really, really emotional.
21:49For some, this will probably be the last big celebration that they will be here to see, and so we hope that we've done them proud.
21:55But the evening is not over yet.
22:00As the sun begins to set, the gathered crowds move around to the south side of the White Tower,
22:07for the official launch of the Tower Remembers Poppy installation.
22:11Introduced by the Governor, Andrew Jackson, with World War II veteran, 101-year-old Pat Outram.
22:18At 3pm on the 8th of May 1945, Prime Minister Winston Churchill formally announced the peace in Europe.
22:28And crowds of us went to the palace. It's just wonderful to be able to celebrate.
22:33Celebrate.
22:35After years of blackout, where not even the tiniest beam could escape the smallest crack.
22:42The Tower of London joined the city and the country in a moment of triumph, reflection and hope for a peaceful future.
22:53To once again, light up the night sky.
22:56As the Tower's 30,000 cascading ceramic poppies, as well as the iconic White Tower itself, are lit up in scarlet, as a remarkable VE Day commemoration draws to a close.
23:22Huge mix of emotions. I was really, really worried about the veterans. It was so cold. But, you know, they're a whole generation.
23:36And today was really about doing them proud, to be honest. So, I think, I think we did that.
23:42It has just been immense. It's been such an amazing evening to be part of, really enjoyable.
23:49This is the moment when the memories of one generation must be passed to the new generation.
23:56And if we succeeded in doing that through the medium of the poppies, we've done something really special.
24:01Coming up, the Raven Master receives some interesting results.
24:11I was hoping it was a male and a female. However, these things are sent to try us.
24:14And test day approaches for a new B-feetor.
24:18So, let's warn it again.
24:20I just can't get two lines strung together.
24:22I'm nervous about it because everything rests on that.
24:25It's 7.30 a.m. and the Tower is an oasis of calm.
24:41Beef-eater recruit, Baz Grey, is taking the opportunity to practise the words of the Tower Tour,
24:50that attracts hundreds of visitors a day to the fortress.
24:55And he's roped in some help from fellow Yeoman warder, Barry Stringer.
25:00OK, mate? Yeah, here we go.
25:02Every new recruit must pass a test on what's called the story in order to become a beef-eater at the Tower of London.
25:10It's a relatively modern requirement.
25:12When the Yeoman warders were first stationed at the Tower in the 1500s,
25:16their duties included guarding high-status prisoners.
25:20But by the mid-1800s, that had all changed.
25:24No longer an active prison or royal palace,
25:27the Tower welcomed crowds of paying visitors to marvel at the treasures inside,
25:33with the beef-eaters as their tour guides.
25:36These days, the tours are an essential part of their job.
25:40This is the last time, hopefully.
25:43Yep.
25:44So we'll do the whole thing.
25:46Baz's test is tomorrow morning.
25:48We're looking for the tempo.
25:50We're looking for you telling that story.
25:52Got it.
25:53So go from...
25:54And now for a story with a happy ending.
25:57And now for a story with a happy ending.
26:01The tour covers nearly ten centuries of Tower history.
26:06In the year 1715...
26:10Start that again.
26:12..it takes an hour to perform.
26:14I have just said farewell to my husband, who is to die in the morning.
26:20Lady Nifstale made her way steadily out of the tower.
26:25No, so...
26:26So slowly made her way out of the tower.
26:28Yep.
26:29New recruits must learn it precisely.
26:33It's only when you're a bit more experienced,
26:35then you can put it in your own words.
26:37We just need to just make that flow.
26:39Let's run it again.
26:40And we've got to put all six blocks together.
26:43So that's quite daunting, I think.
26:44For any of us, you can start to flounder a bit.
26:46She then emerged and fell at the feet of the yeoman on duty.
26:51Is it Yeoman Warder then?
26:52Yeoman Warder on duty.
26:53Yeah.
26:54She then awards...
26:55I just can't get two lines strung together.
26:57And then you've sort of got to walk away, calm down,
27:00come back and go again.
27:03Once he was disguised, Lord Nifstale walked out of the Tower of London.
27:08And as the saying goes, they all lived happily ever after.
27:12That's much better.
27:13That's much better.
27:14The public will love that.
27:15There's a couple of parts of the story that I do stumble on more than others.
27:21It's just repetition, repetition, repetition, and eventually you get there.
27:26If Baz passes the test tomorrow, he will be sent straight out for his first public tour.
27:33He might have trekked solo to the South Pole,
27:36but learning Tower history is a very different challenge.
27:40You know, it's so daunting, but the sort of the prize at the end,
27:45it changes the whole job.
27:47When you can do the tours, because it's the best part of the job,
27:50but you'll be fine.
27:51Well...
27:52You're going to nail it.
27:53We're going to find out soon enough, aren't we?
27:54We're going to find out.
27:55But right now, it's time for the day's work to begin.
28:01The visitors are at the gates.
28:03Come on in.
28:04Welcome to the tower.
28:05Do you want to go into the dual house, folks?
28:06Come this way.
28:07Torture?
28:08Torture.
28:09Yeah, so, see that round tower?
28:11The torch is in there.
28:12Inquisitive guests are only half of it.
28:15A few of the Beefeaters have also taken on informal duties
28:19to help out with some of the tower regulars.
28:22No, I'm not feeding you anymore, no.
28:25The squirrels.
28:26Look, you're so naughty.
28:28I'm busy.
28:29And they've become very familiar.
28:31Unfortunately, yeah, it's usually when I'm doing tours.
28:34If I'm at Traitor's Gate, he'll jump on my leg
28:38and know that I've got nuts in my pockets.
28:41This one's Squidgy, and the other one's called Scruffy.
28:45So, yeah, so we've got two squirrels here at the Tower of London.
28:49Little characters they are, yeah.
28:51That's it now, they're all gone.
28:53AJ might have a soft spot for Squidgy and Scruffy,
28:57but in the pecking order of the Royal Fortress,
29:00only one creature reigns supreme, the Tower Ravens.
29:04After a visit from London Zoo to find out the sex
29:08of the two new chicks, Henry and Poe,
29:11Raven Master Barney has received an update.
29:14We've had some news today.
29:16Good news.
29:17We finally know what the ravens are.
29:20Contrary to what we initially thought
29:22before we had a male and a female, we have two females.
29:25The careful balance of the Tower's colony
29:28is made up of an equal number of male and female ravens,
29:32all with their own loyalties.
29:34I was hoping it was a male and a female.
29:36However, these things are sent to try us.
29:38But with Henry and Poe revealed as sisters,
29:42it's now five girls to three boys.
29:45I'm used to being surrounded by women.
29:47I have one son and four daughters,
29:49so I know how it works.
29:52Until the chicks are let out of their cage in a few days' time,
29:56there's no telling how the older birds will take to them.
29:59But for now, they need to be officially introduced to the public,
30:04even if the names may no longer be quite the perfect fit.
30:09We have a Henry and a Poe.
30:11We have two ladies.
30:12We've sort of manipulated Henry to Henrietta as well,
30:15although the sign still strictly sticks to Henry.
30:18The final step is for us, basically,
30:20to show their names off to the public
30:22by hanging their new signs, their brand-new signs,
30:24on the front of their enclosures for all to see.
30:31Obviously, the military in me,
30:32everything's got to be ticketing-boo,
30:34everything's got to be squared off and in straight lines.
30:37It looks OK.
30:39Great, job done.
30:42The chicks' final initiation will be meeting the other ravens.
30:47Everything so far has gone according to plan,
30:50and they've been really good.
30:52Totally unpredictable.
30:53We don't know what's going to happen.
30:54It's taking one day at a time.
30:56Are they going to take to the public?
30:58Are they going to take to the other ravens?
31:00Are they going to get lost?
31:02You know, there's so many questions.
31:05As Henry and Poe get acquainted with the public,
31:08every corner of the 12-acre tower complex
31:11is filling up with eager crowds.
31:17And they have a treat in store for them.
31:19Today is May the 8th, the official National Day of Remembrance,
31:23to mark Victory Day, the end of the Second World War in Europe.
31:27Chief Yeoman Warder Rob Fuller is preparing for a special event
31:31taking place in just a few minutes.
31:33Clear this area, please.
31:35Very shortly, we'll be having a small little parade around here.
31:39Can I ask that you keep this area free?
31:45Well, it's a national two-minute silence
31:48to remember all those who gave their lives during the Second World War.
31:54And it's kind of important to us today, especially with the poppies here,
31:58to make sure that we orchestrate it in a fashion that's befitting the occasion.
32:04The two-minute silence at the Royal Fortress
32:07will be one of many taking place all over the country at midday.
32:12Rob has gathered a small guard of Yeoman Warders and tower staff to take part.
32:17We'll all be paraded in front of these wonderful poppies.
32:20And as the parade ground clock chimes 12, you'll hear a few bing-bongs before.
32:26That's our two-minute silence, OK?
32:29Right, guys, here we go. Put your badge on. Put your badge on.
32:33Victory in Europe Day.
32:35As the clock nears 12, more and more beef-eaters arrive to join the guard.
32:40Guys, I'll shoot around here. Nice and tight together, yeah?
32:44Can we have the vertically challenged in the middle?
32:46Along with the escort from the King's Gurkhas Regiment
32:51and the Tower Governor and Deputy Governor.
32:54Come on, buddy. Shut!
32:57As the clock strikes,
33:02the swelling crowds gather for the two-minute silence.
33:06And just three miles across London in Westminster Abbey,
33:13King Charles and the royal family stand guard over the tomb of the unknown warrior.
33:19And all across the nation, crowds gather to pay their respects.
33:23The young man body, turning right. Dismiss!
33:41There's an unexpected surprise from a member of the public.
33:49Right, folks. Bit of impromptu.
33:53This lovely lady was actually born on VE Day.
33:58How fantastic is that?
33:59So the lady's name is Victory.
34:05She's come all the way from Australia.
34:08I wanted to have a photo taken with one of the beef-eaters,
34:12and I got more than I bargained for.
34:17Proud to be an eight-year-old on VE Day.
34:21It was just wonderful.
34:23And how lovely that we had Victory there,
34:26who was born all those years ago on VE Day.
34:30And it's a timely reminder for all of us,
34:33and I'm glad we got to share that with the rest of the public here today and the nation.
34:40Coming up, Henry and Poe are let loose on the fortress.
34:44This is the Raven Master.
34:46Be aware that our two newbies are now out on the ground.
34:50And Baz takes his test to become a tower beef-eater.
34:54I want to nail it 100%.
34:56Whether I do or not, well, we'll find out.
35:07It's one hour until the tower opens.
35:10In his flat in the old hospital block,
35:13former Marine Baz Grey is preparing for the final challenge on his journey
35:18to becoming a yeoman warder.
35:20He's being tested on The Story, an hour-long tour of the Royal Palace.
35:25So the governor of the Tower of London is going to stand in front of me with my story,
35:31and I'm going to deliver a tour as if, you know, there's 100 people in front of me.
35:34Only the tower governor is present at the final test, which will take place this morning.
35:38All candidates must pass in order to become an official yeoman warder at the Tower of London.
35:45For me, this is the most important part of draining.
35:49Being in a position now to be allocated my house and to be able to get my family down here,
35:54for them to become part of this journey.
35:56It's your whole future in this career in the Tower of London.
35:59If Baz passes, he won't have long to wait until his first tour with a crowd.
36:07You know, my brasses are polished, my shoes are polished, it's a clean uniform today.
36:12I want to nail it 100%. Whether I do or not, well, we'll find out.
36:22As Baz's test with the governor gets underway, the Tower gates swing open.
36:28It looks like it's going to be a busy one.
36:30Which might make Raven Master Barney Chandler's morning a little trickier.
36:41Big day today, very big day for myself and the Raven team and our two newbies, Henry and Poe.
36:47We're going to let them out for the first time today, out properly.
36:50Which, as you can imagine, does offer up one or two potential problems.
36:54And there is a chance they could go wandering off somewhere.
36:55We don't know how they're going to react and work with the other Ravens.
37:01And we don't know how they're going to be with the public.
37:04OK, so those are my three major concerns.
37:07Henry and Poe are now residents of the Tower of London.
37:11And they'll have to get used to thousands of people sharing their home every day.
37:16Morning, chaps.
37:18Oh, sorry, it's ladies now, innit?
37:20You ready for this?
37:22No answer.
37:23They're probably as nervous as I am.
37:25We're going to let them out with the others.
37:26I'm going to start off with the end cages first.
37:28And then I'll work down and I will let these two out last.
37:32So, ideally, they'll stay in this area.
37:35However, I suspect that that won't be the case.
37:41Ready, boys? Here we go.
37:44Good lads.
37:46That's Jubilee. He's the old hand. He's our oldest boy.
37:48Now we've got Poppy and Chaos. Go on, girl.
37:52There she goes.
37:54And now our two newbies.
37:56You ready, ladies?
37:57Should we do this?
37:59Here we go.
38:00Henry, she's the larger, or Henrietta, as we should say now.
38:04And then Poe tends to follow Henry.
38:07Okay. And straight away they're looking around the corner.
38:12Hey.
38:13Don't want you here.
38:14Here you go.
38:16What you got?
38:18Bit of wood.
38:19Barney ushers them back behind the enclosure to the safety of the south lawn,
38:24where the other ravens are busy patrolling their territory.
38:28If we look up there now, we can see Poe has walked up to Poppy and Chaos.
38:33And they're just testing the ground.
38:35The tower colony can be a tough crowd to crack.
38:39She's probably telling the two youngsters, I'm the boss.
38:43Keep your distance.
38:44Henry's just gone up to Edgar, so that's a good sign, gone right up to him.
38:49So it's all a case of walking around introducing themselves at the minute.
38:54But Henry and Poe have more than the other ravens to worry about.
38:59Watch the cat chasing one of the ravens there.
39:03Now I'm going to chase the cat.
39:05Nixie, what are you doing, mate?
39:07Do one.
39:08Come on, do one.
39:09Go, go.
39:11Nixie likes to practise creeping up on them.
39:13I get this feeling, though, if she ever managed to get one,
39:16she'd come off second best.
39:18Now the chicks just have to get through the rest of the day
39:22without getting into any trouble.
39:24Our two newbies, Henry and Poe, are now out on the ground.
39:29If they're going anywhere they shouldn't be,
39:31can you please let myself or any member of the raven team know?
39:33It'll be a long day, but fingers crossed.
39:37So far, so good.
39:38Someone else inside the fortress who's been keeping their fingers crossed
39:47is trainee beefeater Baz Grey.
39:50His final test, a secret exam, reciting the tower tour for Governor Andrew Jackson,
39:56has just finished.
39:57The story test is a really big moment.
40:01If you can't pass the test, you can't stay at the Tower of London.
40:05Baz has spent months trying to learn the tour by heart.
40:09But has it been enough?
40:10And I'm really pleased to say that he passed it with flying colours.
40:18Yeah, fantastic news this morning.
40:20And it's just a huge weight off, a massive relief.
40:23And he has the reward of doing the first tour of the day today.
40:27Have a good one.
40:28Thank you, appreciate that.
40:30See you later, guys.
40:31Yeah, very excited.
40:32Hopefully these lot are as well.
40:34OK, ladies and gentlemen, are we ready?
40:37Please come around, keep coming around, guys.
40:40And it looks like it's going to be a big one.
40:43Good morning.
40:45So, welcome to His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, the Tower of London.
40:51I will point out some historic buildings and tell you stories about people
40:55who have literally changed the world.
40:57Yeoman warder Barry Stringer has come down to watch his colleague Baz's premiere.
41:04The innumerable traitors passed under this archway, where they were met by the Yeoman jailer
41:09and an escort of Yeoman warders to await whatever fate had in store for them.
41:15As he takes his rapt audience through a thousand years of remarkable history.
41:20Behind me is William the Conqueror's Norman Keep, known as the White Tower.
41:25All the while keeping everyone entertained with that familiar beef-eater charm.
41:31The basement had a far more sinister use as a dungeon and torture chamber.
41:41So, to become a Yeoman warder, we have to learn this thing called the Yeoman warder tour.
41:47I don't know if you've ever seen it.
41:49And then you get a test.
41:51I had that test this morning!
41:55So, it's a fantastic honour to have this particular audience to be part of my journey.
42:02You have been wonderful. Thank you so much for your attention and time.
42:12There he is, there's another head.
42:14And some of the Yeoman body have come by to celebrate Baz's towering achievements.
42:19Amazing!
42:20It was just fun!
42:22And that's one of the biggest tours I've seen in six years of it.
42:25Thank you!
42:26I couldn't have gone any better, I don't think. It was fantastic.
42:29And I really enjoyed it. It was absolutely superb.
42:32So, what a thrill and an honour.
42:33With his first public tour complete, Baz now officially becomes part of the Yeoman body and tower history.
42:45As he and his colleagues usher the royal fortress into the next chapter of its remarkable story.
42:54The End
42:55The End
42:56The End
42:57The End
42:58The End
42:59The End
43:05The End
43:06The End
43:09The End
43:12The End
43:20You
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