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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.
00:11Captain Howard.
00:12King Henry VIII.
00:13Declared.
00:14My darling Anne, I 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.
00:39Oh my gosh.
00:40While 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,
00:53the Tower prepares to host Second World War veterans for 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, it 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 as they're allowed out of their cages for the first time.
01:25Are they going to take to the public? Are they going to take to the other ravens?
01:28Are they going to get lost? Are 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 in modern Tower history.
01:52Beginning with a triumphant 62 gun salute to mark two years since the coronation of King Charles III.
02:02Followed by an historic visit by Her Majesty Queen Camilla.
02:06It was just amazing to see her today.
02:09And, later tonight, there's a special private event to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
02:15The end of the Second World War in Europe.
02:19As the conflict passes out of living memory, only a handful of veterans who served are still alive.
02:27It is absolutely about reflecting and remembering, but it's also a celebration to the wonderful men and women that gave their all for us.
02:36And, nine of these veterans will be coming to the Tower for tonight's event.
02:42Keeping an eye on things from this office in the Waterloo block is Tower Governor Brigadier Andrew Jackson.
02:49It's more complex than many of the things we've done.
02:52There's lots of moving parts. There's a Royal Marines band playing the music.
02:57We've got Yeoman Warders and other members of the Tower community reading recollections from the Second World War.
03:02And then we're going to light up the poppy installation and the side of the White Tower.
03:06I think that bit will be particularly spectacular.
03:09For the next six months, these scarlet poppies will remain at the Tower as a symbol of remembrance.
03:15Alongside the veterans, top military brass will be attending from every branch of the armed forces.
03:21So the pressure's on to pull off a spectacular show.
03:26But with the fortress full of thousands of tourists during the day, there's been no chance for a rehearsal ahead of the real thing.
03:34Deputy Governor Anna Kimber is overseeing the military parade.
03:39Hi Nev. Hi Anna, are you alright?
03:40I'm alright, thank you.
03:42It will be performed by the band of the Royal Marines.
03:45And Anna's hoping to get some advice from a man on the inside.
03:49Yeoman Warder Nev Dednam.
03:51As a former bandmaster of the Royal Marines.
03:54Yeah.
03:55I need to pick your brains.
03:56Okay, yeah, let's do it.
03:57Okay.
03:58So they're starting down there.
03:59Yeah.
04:00And they'll march, 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 can be.
04:08The event will take place on the broad walk, but a stage and large seating section will leave just a narrow route for marching.
04:15They could squash.
04:16They'll normally be five across.
04:18They 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, they can do that.
04:24That's great.
04:25That's this bit.
04:26Okay.
04:27Over and done with.
04:28Right.
04:29As well as showing off their world famous musicianship, the band of the Royal Marines will play a special role in 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 is 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?
04:54So I think we could maybe take the front rank of the band out, which is your drummers, your chord 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.
05:23Ah!
05:24As well as helping to guard the crown jewels, each of the fortress's 35 beef eaters must lead visitor groups as part of their duties.
05:33Follow me.
05:34I 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.
05:45Perfecting it is one of the trickiest hurdles in becoming a beef eater.
05:51Baz Grey recently became the 424th yeoman warder in the tower's history.
06:00I live on the top floor of the hospital block inside the tower.
06:04So my front room and bedroom windows look at the most iconic building in the UK, the White Tower.
06:10It's crazy.
06:11I've been a yeoman warder now for just over three months.
06:15One of the most difficult things in the first three months is definitely the knowledge.
06:18The public are constantly asking questions.
06:20And to be able to answer them confidently and without making stuff up was quite a challenge in the first few months.
06:28After joining the Royal Marines at 16, Baz spent 26 years in the force as a mountain leader and regimental sergeant major,
06:37before turning his hand to extreme cold weather expeditions, including 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, we did a tour of London for a whole week.
06:56And part of that was to come here.
06:58And I just found the evening absolutely fascinating.
07:00And I 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 Warders tour, known as the story.
07:18And 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.
07:33At the end of their probation, each beefeater is tested.
07:37They will need to perform the full story from memory without any mistakes.
07:42They must pass, to be initiated into the Yeoman body.
07:47I'm nervous about it because it's that big a deal. Everything rests on that. So I want it to be good. I want to get it right.
07:56Baz's test is in just a few days' time. So 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.
08:18Coming up, Barney feels the wrath of the ravens when the vet pays a visit.
08:26I think they've got the hump with me.
08:28And the tower team prepare for a once-in-a-lifetime VE Day celebration.
08:33Left, right, left, right, left, right.
08:36In the face of the British weather.
08:38It would help if the wind just dives down a little bit would be very handy, but, you know, it could be worse.
08:46That's risky.
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.
09:04And as part of this, it will launch a magnificent poppy tribute.
09:08Poppy'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.
09:16I'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.
09:26The 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.
09:47Many 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. Grandad 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.
10:24Well, 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, and the job we were trained to do was listening to Germans talking.
10:43Pat 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.
11:10And if the message we heard was in Enigma code, we sent it immediately to Bletchley Park.
11:20Pat and her fellow Wrens played a crucial role in deciphering the German Enigma code, saving thousands of Allied forces from U-boat attacks, and helping to bring about the end of the Second World War in Europe.
11:33On the 8th of May 1945. It'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, and 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. They'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.
12:41Henry, after the eight King Henrys of England, some more notorious than others.
12:48And 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 felt only right that they have names, rather than grey and blue.
13:12It's almost impossible to determine a Raven's sex just by looking at them.
13:16So 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.
13:25They've been really well, they feed well.
13:27The vet, Ty, will have to pluck some feathers from the chicks to carry out the DNA testing.
13:33But Barney needs to catch them first.
13:38Oh no, come on then. 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.
13:46You used to trust me, didn't you? You used to trust me.
13:48Let's have a look at you then, sweet pea.
13:50All right.
13:51There you go mate.
13:52They don't take too kindly to being plucked.
13:53Oh, beautiful. Gorgeous.
13:54We're just going to come under here and find a few.
13:55Nice little feathers.
13:56We usually look at six or so that are good.
13:57There we go.
13:58That's what we want.
13:59I'm sorry mate. I'm sorry. You're going to go right off me, aren't you?
14:03One cranky raven down, one still to go.
14:04I know, I know. I know. Come on in. Come on in.
14:10And the aptly named Henry is throwing a right royal tantrum.
14:16I know. I know. I know. I know.
14:21I know. Come on in. Come on in.
14:24And the aptly named Henry is throwing a right royal tantrum.
14:28Yep. That's my finger. This one's a little bit more boisterous, isn't it?
14:32Okay. Let's get some little feathers.
14:35One more sweetheart. And then we're done. Perfect. That's beautiful.
14:40Feathers extracted. All done. Lovely.
14:44And Henry and Poe can return to their perches in peace.
14:49Yeah, we managed to get feathers, so it's just a few little feathers off each one.
14:52We make sure they've got another one.
14:55That's what's going to be extracted for the DNA.
14:58And then we can see if they're males or females.
15:01While Barney waits for the DNA results,
15:03he's just got the small matter of getting the birds back on side.
15:07I think they've got the hump with me because I've been handling them,
15:10so they're not happy with me.
15:11I might have put them off the outside. There you go. There you go.
15:14Yeah, they're still hungry. Andrews. Andrews. Andrews. Andrews. Andrews.
15:25Okay, ladies and gents, you need to start making your way towards the exit for me, please. Thank you.
15:29With just two hours until tonight's big event, the tower is closing a little earlier than usual.
15:35Good night.
15:37But 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.
15:53But with a Royal Marines marching band and a parade of World War II veterans on the programme,
15:58this isn't something that can be moved inside.
16:02Have a nice evening.
16:07The last of our guests have just left the tower. Over.
16:14Up on the broad walk, the troops have started to arrive.
16:17And since they've been busy with their day jobs,
16:20there's been no chance to rehearse at the Royal Fortress until now.
16:25Hi, hi, Anna Kimber, good to see you.
16:27Thanks so much for doing the reading.
16:29It will make more sense when the veterans are here
16:32and you see what the youngsters are doing with the flowers.
16:34Thanks very much.
16:35All right, thank you.
16:38Deputy Governor Anna Kimber has arrived to carry out some last-minute checks.
16:43Amazing.
16:44Right, yes, thank you.
16:46That's about to blow on.
16:49Where are they marching on from? It's very close by.
16:53Yeah, so obviously you'll be here.
16:55And who's giving the word of command to step off, have you decided yet?
16:58Well, now there's a thing.
17:03I can give parade by the centre, quick march.
17:06Three, two, three beat drum rolls and we're gone.
17:09You would have run through that.
17:10Oh, yeah, yeah.
17:11There's just time for a quick run through to put the marines and cadets through their paces.
17:17Left, right, left, right, left, right.
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.
17:31Thankfully, the marines have managed to adapt to the narrow parade ground.
17:36Left, right, left, right, left, right, left.
17:41But with rehearsals still underway, the British weather takes a worrying turn.
17:46Everybody's put such a lot of effort into it.
17:49So it would help if the wind just dives down a little bit would be very handy.
17:54But, you know, it could be worse.
17:58All they can do now is cross their fingers and hope for the best.
18:02As 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,
18:13musters up around the corner.
18:15It's time for the Tower Governor, Andrew Jackson,
18:18to welcome tonight's guests of honour.
18:23We share this story to honour the great generation
18:26who fought for the freedoms we treasure.
18:30And so, ladies and gentlemen, if you're able,
18:33please stand to welcome our Second World War veterans.
18:37The nine World War II veterans are escorted onto the Broadwalk
18:46by cadets from each of the armed forces.
18:57Accompanied by the Royal Marines Marching Band,
19:00as their former bandmaster beef-eater Nev Dednam looks on.
19:15The great-nephew of a former chief yeoman warder
19:18starts the evening of readings of music
19:21by telling the story of the tower at war 80 years on.
19:25My great-uncle Arthur Henry Cook was a yeoman warder throughout the London Blitz.
19:32He wrote the tower rot of the impact of two bombs which fell near the White Tower,
19:38one within seven yards of it,
19:40for hardly a portion of it had escaped the fury of the night.
19:48Over 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.
20:06By the time the war came to an end,
20:08on the 8th of May 1945,
20:11over 380,000 British service members had lost their lives,
20:17and nearly 70,000 British civilians.
20:21It was after the First World War
20:23that the poppy first became associated with remembrance.
20:27These fragile flowers peeking through battle-scarred lands
20:31became a powerful symbol of resilience and hope for the future.
20:35As the Second World War begins to pass out of living memory,
20:40the simple act of remembering has never been more important.
20:48Then, stepping up,
20:50the nation's poet laureate, Simon Armitage,
20:53takes to the stage to read his specially written poem.
20:57We made them souls, the poppies,
21:00souls of those who we lost,
21:02and let it be said,
21:06those who we killed.
21:09Poppies, nursed in darkness,
21:12nourished by dirt,
21:14unearthing themselves in fallow fields and railway sidings,
21:19on roundabouts, verges and no-man's land.
21:22They nod, and they nag,
21:26reminding us not to forget.
21:38Seeing the veterans front and centre,
21:40it was just really, really emotional.
21:42For some, this will probably be the last big celebration
21:44that they will be here to see.
21:45And so we hope that we've done them proud.
21:48But the evening is not over yet.
21:50As the sun begins to set,
21:52the gathered crowds move around to the south side of the White Tower
21:55for the official launch of the Tower Remembers Poppy installation.
21:58Introduced by the Governor Andrew Jackson,
22:01with World War II veteran 101-year-old Pat Outram.
22:04At 3pm on the 8th of May 1945,
22:06Prime Minister Winston Churchill formally announced the peace in Europe.
22:10And crowds of us went to the palace.
22:12It's just wonderful to be able to celebrate.
22:16And the people who are in the palace
22:18and the people who are in the palace are in the palace.
22:20And the crowd's move around to the south side of the White Tower
22:22for the official launch of the Tower Remembers Poppy installation.
22:25Introduced by the Governor Andrew Jackson,
22:28with World War II veteran 101-year-old Pat Outram.
22:31At 3pm on the 8th of May 1945,
22:32it was wonderful to be able to celebrate.
22:35After years of blackout,
22:38where not even the tiniest beam could escape the smallest crack,
22:42the Tower of London joined the city and the country
22:47in 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,
23:16are lit up in scarlet, as a remarkable VE Day commemoration draws to a close.
23:22A huge mix of emotions.
23:28I was really, really worried about the veterans. It was so cold.
23:33But, you know, they're a whole generation.
23:35And today was really about doing them proud, to be honest.
23:40So, I think we did that.
23:44It has just been immense.
23:46It'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,
23:59we've done something really special.
24:01Coming up, the Raven Master receives some interesting results.
24:12I was hoping it was a male and a female.
24:13However, these things are sent to try us.
24:15And test day approaches for a new beefy, sir.
24:19So, let's warn it again.
24:21I just can't get two lines strung together.
24:23I'm nervous about it because everything rests on that.
24:25It's 7.30 a.m.
24:39And the tower is an oasis of calm.
24:44Beef eater recruit Baz Grey is taking the opportunity to practice the words of the tower tour
24:51that attracts hundreds of visitors a day to the fortress.
24:56And he's roped in some help from fellow yeoman warder Barry Stringer.
25:01Okay, mate? Yeah, there you go.
25:03Every new recruit must pass a test on what's called the story
25:08in order to become a beef eater at the Tower of London.
25:11It's a relatively modern requirement.
25:13When the yeoman warders were first stationed at the tower in the 1500s,
25:17their duties included guarding high-status prisoners.
25:21But by the mid-1800s, that had all changed.
25:24No longer an active prison or royal palace, the tower welcomed crowds of paying visitors
25:31to marvel at the treasures inside, with 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, so we'll do the whole thing.
25:46Baz's test is tomorrow morning.
25:49We're looking for the tempo, we're looking for you telling that story.
25:52Got it.
25:53So go from, and now for a story with a happy ending.
25:57And now for a story with a happy ending.
26:02The tour covers nearly ten centuries of tower history.
26:06In the year 1715...
26:11I'll start that again.
26:13..it takes an hour to perform.
26:15I have just said farewell to my husband, who is to die in the morning.
26:21Lady Nifstel made her way steadily out of the tower.
26:24No, so slowly made her way out of the tower.
26:29New recruits must learn it precisely.
26:32It's only when you're a bit more experienced, then you can put it in your own words.
26:37We just need to just make that flow.
26:39Let's run it again.
26:41He's got to put all six blocks together.
26:43So that's quite daunting, I think.
26:45For 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.
26:53She then awards...
26:55I just can't get two lines strung together.
26:58And then you've sort of got to walk away, calm down, come back and go again.
27:03Once he was disguised, Lord Nifstel walked out of the tower of London.
27:08And as the saying goes, they all lived happily ever after.
27:12That's much better.
27:14The 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, but learning tower history is a very different challenge.
27:39You know, it's so daunting, but the sort of the prize at the end, it 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.
27:58But right now, it's time for the day's work to begin.
28:01The visitors are at the gates.
28:03Coming in.
28:04Welcome to the tower.
28:05If you want to go into the dual house, folks, come this way.
28:08Torture?
28:09Torture.
28:10Yeah, 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 to help out with some of the tower regulars.
28:22No, I'm not feeding you anymore.
28:24No.
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 and know that I've got nuts in my pocket.
28:40This 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, but in the pecking order of the Royal Fortress, only one creature reigns supreme.
29:02The Tower of Ravens.
29:04After a visit from London Zoo to find out the sex of the two new chicks,
29:09Henry and Poe, Raven 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 before we had a male and a female, we had two females.
29:25The careful balance of the Tower's colony is 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.
29:39But with Henry and Poe revealed as sisters, it's now five girls to three boys.
29:45I'm used to being surrounded by women.
29:47I have one son and four daughters, so I know how it works.
29:52Until the chicks are let out of their cage in a few days' time, there's no telling how the older birds will take to them.
29:59But for now, they need to be officially introduced to the public, even if the names may no longer be quite the perfect fit.
30:10We have a Henry and a Poe.
30:12We have two ladies.
30:13We've sort of manipulated Henry to Henrietta as well, although the sign still strictly sticks to Henry.
30:18The final step is for us basically to show their names off to the public by hanging their new signs, their brand new signs, on the front of their enclosures for all to sleep.
30:31Obviously the military and me, everything's got to be ticketing boo, everything's got to be squared off and in straight lines.
30:36It looks okay.
30:39Great, job done.
30:42The chicks' final initiation will be meeting the other ravens.
30:47Everything so far has gone according to plan and 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.
30:57Are 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.
31:03As Henry and Poe get acquainted with the public, every corner of the 12-acre tower complex is filling up with eager crowds.
31:16And they have a treat in store for them.
31:18Today is May the 8th, the official National Day of Remembrance to mark Victory Day, the end of the Second World War in Europe.
31:26Chief Yeoman Warder Rob Fuller is preparing for a special event taking place in just a few minutes.
31:32Clear this area, please.
31:36Very shortly, we'll be having a small little parade around here.
31:40Could I ask that you keep this area free?
31:42Well, it's a national two-minute silence to 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, to make sure that we orchestrate it in a fashion that's befitting the occasion.
32:05The two-minute silence at the Royal Fortress will 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?
32:28Right, guys, here we go. Put your badge on. Put your badge on.
32:32Victory in Europe Day.
32:34As the clock nears 12, more and more beefeaters arrive to join the guard.
32:39Guys, I'll show you round here. Nice and tight together, yeah?
32:43Can we have the vertically challenged in the middle?
32:46Along with the escort from the King's Gurkhas Regiment and the tower governor and deputy governor.
32:53Come on, buddy. Shut!
32:55As the clock strikes, the swelling crowds gather for the two-minute silence.
33:10And just three miles across London in Westminster Abbey, King Charles and the royal family stand guard over the tomb of the unknown warrior.
33:20And all across the nation, crowds gather to pay their respects.
33:38Yeoman buddy, turning right, dismiss!
33:45There'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?
34:03So 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 beefeaters, and I got more than I bargained for.
34:14I'm proud to be an eight-year-old on VE Day.
34:21It was just wonderful.
34:23And how lovely that we had Victory there, who was born all those years ago on VE Day.
34:29And it's a timely reminder for all of us, and I'm glad we got to share that with the rest of the public here today and the nation.
34:37Coming up, Henry and Poe are let loose on the fortress.
34:44This is the Raven Master. Be aware that our two newbies are now out on the ground.
34:49And Baz takes his test to become a tower beefeater.
34:53I want to nail it 100%. Whether I do or not, well, we'll find out.
34:58It's one hour until the tower opens.
35:10In his flat in the old hospital block, former Marine Baz Grey is preparing for the final challenge on his journey to 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.
35:35Only the tower governor is present at the final test, which will take place this morning.
35:40All candidates must pass in order to become an official yeoman warder at the Tower of London.
35:46For me, this is the most important part of training.
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.
36:00If 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.
36:10It's a clean uniform today.
36:12I want to nail it 100%, whether I do or not.
36:15Well, we'll find out.
36:21As Baz's test with the governor gets underway, the Tower gates swing open.
36:27It looks like it's going to be a busy one.
36:29Are you giving information about the pre-tour?
36:31Yes.
36:32And we're through the archway by the bell tower.
36:35Okay.
36:36This one's at 10.
36:37Which might make Raven Master Barney Chandler's morning a little trickier.
36:41Big day today.
36:42Very big day for myself and the Raven team and our two newbies, Henry and Poe.
36:46We're going to let them out for the first time today, out properly.
36:49Which, as you can imagine, does offer up one or two potential problems.
36:53And there is a chance they could go wandering off somewhere.
36:56We 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.
37:03Okay, so those are my three major concerns.
37:07Henry and Poe are now residents of the Tower of London.
37:10And they'll have to get used to thousands of people sharing their home every day.
37:16Morning, chaps.
37:17Oops, sorry.
37:18It's ladies now, isn't it?
37:19You ready for this?
37:21No answer.
37:22They're probably as nervous as I am.
37:24We'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.
37:31So ideally, they'll stay in this area.
37:34However, I suspect that that won't be the case.
37:41Ready boys?
37:42Here we go.
37:44Good lads.
37:45That's Jubilee.
37:46He's the old hand.
37:47He's our oldest boy.
37:48Now we've got Poppy and Chaos.
37:50Go on, girl.
37:52There she goes.
37:53And 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.
38:08And straight away they're looking around the corner.
38:10Hey.
38:11Don't want you here.
38:13There you go.
38:14What you got?
38:15Bit of wood.
38:16Barney ushers them back behind the enclosure to the safety of the south lawn, where the other
38:25ravens are busy patrolling their territory.
38:27If we look up there now, we can see Poe has walked up to Poppy and Chaos.
38:32And 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.
38:58Watch the cat chasing one of the ravens there.
39:02Now I'm going to chase the cat.
39:04Nixie, what are you doing, mate?
39:07Do one.
39:08Come on, do one.
39:09Go.
39:10Go.
39:11Nixie likes to practice creeping up on them.
39:13I get this feeling, though, if she ever managed to get one, she'd come off second best.
39:19Now the chicks just have to get through the rest of the day without getting into any trouble.
39:25Our two newbies, Henry and Poe, are now out on the ground.
39:29If they're going anywhere they shouldn't be, can you please let myself or any member of the ravens team know?
39:34It'll be a long day, but fingers crossed.
39:38So far, so good.
39:43Someone else inside the fortress who's been keeping their fingers crossed is trainee beefeater Baz Grey.
39:49His final test, a secret exam, reciting the tower tour for Governor Andrew Jackson, has just finished.
39:58The 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, but has it been enough?
40:10And I'm really pleased to say that he passed it with flying colours.
40:17Yeah, fantastic news this morning, and it's just a huge way off, a massive relief.
40:23And he has the reward of doing the first tour of the day today.
40:27Have a good one.
40:28Appreciate that. See you later, guys.
40:29Yeah, very excited. Hopefully these lot are as well.
40:34OK, ladies and gentlemen, are we ready?
40:37Please come around, keep coming round, 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.
40:49I will point out some historic buildings and tell you stories about people who have literally changed the world.
40:58Yeoman warder Barry Stringer has come down to watch his colleague Baz's premiere.
41:04The numerable traitors passed under this archway, where they were met by the Yeoman jailer and an escort of Yeoman warders
41:12to await whatever fate had in store for them.
41:14As 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.
41:26All 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.
41:36So, 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!
41:54So, it's a fantastic honour to have this particular audience to be part of my journey.
42:00You have been wonderful. Thank you so much for your attention and time.
42:10There he is, there's another head.
42:13Wee! We got him all.
42:15And some of the Yeoman body have come by to celebrate Baz's towering achievements.
42:19Amazing!
42:20And that's one of the biggest tours I've seen in six years here.
42:25Thank you!
42:26I couldn't have gotten 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.
42:34With his first public tour complete, Baz now officially becomes part of the Yeoman body and tower history.
42:46As he and his colleagues usher the royal fortress into the next chapter of its remarkable story.
42:54To be continued...
42:55To be continued...
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