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00:01I'm on my travels again.
00:03Oh look, season's back!
00:05No!
00:06Enjoying all this wonderful country has to offer.
00:09Woo hoo hoo! It's absolutely gorgeous!
00:13And of course, I'm in my beloved camper van, named after one of my favourite people, Helen Mirren.
00:19That man looked very jealous of you, Helen!
00:22We're hunting for treasures.
00:24Now that's a set of keys.
00:25This is incredible!
00:27Finding new pastimes.
00:29Hello, I've got a call for you.
00:31One and two.
00:32Discovering unexpected local customs.
00:35Oh God, oh my!
00:37And making new pals along the way.
00:40Good morning, madam.
00:41Hiya!
00:42You having a grand day out, Rupert?
00:44Yes I am.
00:45We're taking in the sights.
00:47Ta-da!
00:48That's a castle.
00:50Nailed it.
00:51And the sounds.
00:53You can't hear anything.
00:55Loving every moment.
00:57This is a country filled with delights.
01:03Oh, that's lovely.
01:05Cheers.
01:07This is exactly the experience I want.
01:09So come along.
01:10On my grand day out.
01:13Come on.
01:14Yes!
01:15This time, I'm on a journey of discovery in glorious Cornwall.
01:26Isn't this absolutely beautiful?
01:29Trying new things.
01:31I don't really want to stop.
01:32And making new friends.
01:34Yeah.
01:35Uncovering the secrets of wartime Cornwall.
01:38Stories like this just, they really get me.
01:41Learning the story of its symbols.
01:43It's what our flag is all about.
01:45And hunting for signs of one of its most famous suns.
01:48This is of course Poldark country.
01:50Under the ground.
01:52Look at this.
01:53Sheesh.
01:54And on the water.
01:55One man!
01:56One man waves!
01:58Because Cornwall never ceases to amaze.
02:01What a brilliant thing.
02:12Right Helen.
02:13We're back in Cornwall again.
02:15One of our favourite places.
02:17Hootling round the little roads.
02:19They can be a teensy bit narrow sometimes.
02:22But what do we do Helen?
02:24We just breathe in.
02:26That's easy.
02:27Just breathe in.
02:28And then we breathe out.
02:30Because these Cornish skies are as wide as the roads are narrow.
02:35Round the chicane.
02:37This time Helen and I are on a special mission.
02:40Through the stunning landscape and rugged coastline.
02:43That inspired Winston Graham's classic Poldark series of novels.
02:47Places like Kynance Cove.
02:51Which starred in the most recent TV adaptation of the story of Ross Poldark.
02:55His life and somewhat stormy relationships.
02:59Stop wriggling!
03:01You're evil!
03:02You're infuriating!
03:04Love's young dream.
03:06But I think the landscape itself is dramatic enough for me.
03:10It's everything that I really love about Cornwall.
03:17You've got the gorgeous sea.
03:18You've got the blue skies.
03:19You've got incredible things all around.
03:22And I'm going to say something I don't normally say here.
03:24Which is that Helen can wait.
03:28Because sometimes in life you just have to take that time.
03:31When you find yourself somewhere like this.
03:34To just enjoy it.
03:36So I'm going to stand stoically.
03:39Because you know Poldark.
03:40I'm going to stand stoically here.
03:42Safely.
03:43Not that close to the edge.
03:45Definition of stoic coming up.
03:50Watch the arms.
03:51That's what it does at the arms.
03:54The resemblance is uncanny, right?
04:00On my grandy out, I'll get carried away in Hellston.
04:07Uncover the secrets of a beautiful beach at Port Curnal.
04:11Learn an ancient art near Liscard.
04:14And take to the water in Falmouth's historic harbour.
04:18Before getting under the surface of Cornwall at Giver.
04:30The thing about Cornwall is, it's a beautiful combination.
04:36Because you've got that rugged coastline.
04:38But also some beautifully charming little villages inland.
04:42I've spent a lot of time at the coast.
04:45So I want to just, I want to go in a bit.
04:48And see what there is to see around there.
04:51My first stop is the pretty historic market town of Hellston.
04:55Way down in the south west of Cornwall.
05:00And there's something that happens here once a year.
05:03That might honestly be one of the nicest things
05:05I've ever heard about in my entire life.
05:17I've had a tip to come here.
05:19To the garden of one of the town's lovely homes.
05:22For a sneak preview.
05:25Looks like there's an entire brass band approaching.
05:28In this gorgeous garden.
05:31And they seem to be playing the world's catchiest tune.
05:34This is how I want to be greeted everywhere I arrive.
05:46Oh, they're doing lovely dancing.
05:50Oh, it's beautiful.
05:53Oh, here we go.
05:54Oh, brilliant.
05:55Woo!
05:56Wonderful.
05:57This is just a taste of the historic and ancient Flora Day.
06:12A spring festival that's been celebrated in Hellston since at least 1790.
06:18Every year for one day in May, the town band leads around 2,000 local people through the town, dancing up and down the streets to welcome spring.
06:31It's a vast community celebration and ranks at the very top of the Hellston calendar for many.
06:37Everybody would tell you it's better than Christmas.
06:40Really?
06:41Oh, yeah.
06:42Rachel has been dancing since she was seven years old.
06:45What's lovely about it is you're dancing as part of a group of people.
06:49So it's not about individual performance.
06:52And people will tell you if you're not very good.
06:55If you're not very good.
06:56You'd get heckled in the streets, couldn't you?
06:58Yeah.
06:59You're out of time.
07:01It's a really, really special day.
07:03I don't know any other day.
07:04I've never encountered a day like this in all my travels.
07:08There are several dances on Florida Day, starting at 7am and going on into the evening, each with their own dress code.
07:17The undoubted star of the show is the Midday Dance.
07:20And apparently being asked to lead that is a once in a lifetime privilege.
07:25So my husband and I led the Midday in 2019.
07:30I had the biggest smile on my face, but I was crying at the same time.
07:33Then I was telling my husband to take smaller steps to try and make it last longer.
07:37I said to the Reverend Danny, literally the best day of my life.
07:39I said it was better than my wedding day.
07:41And he said, I wouldn't let your husband hear you say that.
07:44I said, I could always get married again.
07:46I said, but I can't lead again, can I?
07:49Perhaps the most incredible thing about Florida Day, though, is not the sheer scale of it.
07:54But the fact that the route takes the bands and the dancers through the shops and the houses of the town.
08:00It's a lovely thing of, you may own a property, but it's still part of the community.
08:05For one day of the year, it's everyone's.
08:09Rachel, it is the most glorious thing.
08:13Lismore House has been at the heart of Florida Day since before living memory.
08:18Current owners Adam and Sarah play host in the most Hellstonian of ways.
08:24Sarah, Adam, you look fabulous.
08:27What is your role in all of this kind of floral dancing thing?
08:31It is customary for all of Halston to come through our house on Florida Day.
08:37How long ago did you buy the house?
08:38This is our fourth year.
08:39When you bought it, did you know, Sarah, that you had to do this?
08:42Well, we danced through this house and gardens before we ever knew we were going to buy it.
08:46Oh, that's nice.
08:47We took part in the dance for maybe over 30 years.
08:51Does that not feel lovely?
08:53It does.
08:54It's quite daunting sometimes.
08:55It's a great bond for Halston.
08:56I know it's not the actual day, but we're going to do a wee rehearsal, aren't we?
09:00No, no problem.
09:01OK.
09:03Can you imagine on the actual day, thousands of people going through their house?
09:08I hope they all remember to wipe their feet.
09:15Look at them all!
09:17Not that Adam and Sarah would mind one bit.
09:20Right into their house!
09:25You're the best, aren't you?
09:27And after the band, of course, it's the dancers.
09:36Shall we?
09:37Come on.
09:39I may not have anyone to dance with, but it's still brilliant.
09:44I just cannot resist.
09:47They just randomly start dancing.
09:49This is brilliant.
09:51This is one of these beautiful, gorgeous kind of traditions that make a place so special.
09:57I mean, we're literally walking through someone's house.
09:59Watch that rug.
10:00Watch that rug.
10:01Oh God, we're out.
10:02We're out.
10:03I think we've left it all in one piece.
10:05Hello!
10:06Thank you!
10:14I'm just doing my own dance.
10:23Thank you for letting me dance through your house.
10:25I'm more emotional again, eh?
10:26Thank you very much indeed.
10:27Thank you very much indeed for that.
10:28My darling.
10:29Yeah.
10:30What a brilliant thing.
10:32Amazing Cornwall, always coming up with surprises.
10:40If there's one thing you need on a grand day out, it's a little something for a keepsake.
10:44My favourite one is the fridge magnet.
10:48And then in the morning when I have my coffee or my cereal, I look at the front door of the fridge and the front door of the fridge.
10:57There's only one door in the fridge.
10:58Who's got a back door of the fridge, Calman?
11:00Have a think.
11:01I look at the door of the fridge and I just remember all the places I've been.
11:07And it's a lovely thing.
11:10I've come to the Lizard, the most southerly point of mainland Britain, in search of something very special.
11:18Hello.
11:19Hello.
11:20I'm Susan. What's your name?
11:21John.
11:22John. What a pleasure to meet you, John.
11:23It's a beautiful rock called Serpentine, also known as British marble.
11:30It's a volcanic rock.
11:32It was forced up from the centre of the earth millions of years ago.
11:36This part of Cornwall was once submerged under the ocean before being forced up out of the sea around 400 million years ago, bringing Serpentine with it.
11:48So are these all Serpentine here?
11:49These are all Serpentine.
11:50And do you find different colours in different parts of Cornwall?
11:54No. All this stone, it's all found within about four miles of the village.
11:59So it's a real Cornish thing.
12:01Oh gosh, yeah.
12:02It's a real beautiful part of Cornwall.
12:05Beautiful part of Cornwall.
12:07In fact, most of the rock that forms this part of Cornwall is Serpentine.
12:12John has been crafting polished pieces from the raw rock for over 60 years.
12:17And you do each one of these by hand.
12:20Yeah, and that's all one piece.
12:22That's all one piece.
12:23Oh, this is brilliant.
12:25So this is what the Serpentine looks like?
12:26That's right, yeah.
12:27And then when you turn it, polish it, it turns into that.
12:31Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, they made Serpentine famous.
12:35Mm-hm.
12:36They cruised into Penzance years ago on the Royal Yacht and they fell in love with it.
12:43Queen Victoria was very much a fashion setter.
12:46So it became really popular at that point?
12:48It certainly did.
12:49Wow.
12:50They loved Serpentine so much, it was included in the Great Exhibition of 1851, staged by Prince Albert to showcase Britain to the world.
13:03I think this is the one I'll have please.
13:04Thank you very much indeed.
13:05Yeah.
13:06What a lovely souvenir.
13:09Thank you, darling.
13:10Bye-bye.
13:11That's my souvenir in the bag, which is brilliant because I've still got so much more I want to do.
13:22Coming up, I get my message across vintage style.
13:26You got the message. If you read this, give me a wave.
13:29And discover the sounds of cold, dark country.
13:32It's like this stepped out of history.
13:34And it's a beautiful sound as well.
13:41I'm in stunning Cornwall, following in the footsteps of the romantic hero, Ross Poldark.
13:52Should we go fourth gear, Helen? I think we need to.
13:56And the scenery is every bit as gorgeous as the man himself.
14:01You're never too far away from water though in Cornwall, that's the thing.
14:05And there's always that, oh, excuse me, Helen. There you go.
14:08There you go.
14:09And there's always that beautiful moment.
14:10You know when you come over a hill and you get your first sight of the sea?
14:15It's always exciting.
14:17My next stop was chosen to star in the latest Poldark TV adaptation.
14:22It's the classically breathtaking beach at Porthcarno.
14:25Isn't this absolutely beautiful?
14:37But I'm not here just because it's absolutely gorgeous.
14:40I'm here because of what I'm doing just now.
14:43I'm communicating.
14:45Because starring in Poldark is not this little cove's only claim to fame.
14:51It's also as historically significant as it is pretty, all thanks to something quite remarkable beneath my feet.
14:58I'm trying to run up the beach towards you, Paul. Hi, Paul.
15:01Telegraph expert Paul knows all about its secrets.
15:05It's lovely to meet you. This is a beautiful place.
15:09But I'm here to find out more about communication because it's a really important spot, isn't it?
15:15It is. In 1870, a cable was brought by a ship.
15:18A huge gang of people pulled it up through the beach, put it in a trench, covered it over and connected it to the cable station up there.
15:25And ever since then, this has been a hub of communications between the UK and the entire rest of the world.
15:33The cable in question was the very first direct link between Britain and the furthest outposts of the Empire, allowing telegraph messages to be sent speeding around the world.
15:44It was like an early version of the internet and its arrival was world changing.
15:49And before that point, you'd have to send letters, wouldn't you?
15:52You would. It would take ages. So when the final connection was made in the line to India, the time it took to send a message there changed from six weeks to nine minutes.
16:03Wow.
16:05Even to this day, this location remains important as modern day internet cables also exit the sea here.
16:13If you took one of those Victorian engineers and explained the internet to them, they would understand perfectly because it's exactly what they did.
16:21They've made a network of cables around the world under the sea. They had a very simple code to send the messages with. We've got exactly the same, but with technology that can work billions of times faster.
16:31This unassuming hut above the beach houses the largest collection of these cables and their termination boxes in the entire world.
16:39And it marks on them everywhere they came in the world from Gibraltar and from Bilbao.
16:49Telegraph was such an exciting way of communicating. I mean, literally it means far right. It was to send messages far away rather than writing letters.
17:00And you can almost sense the pulsing energy in here. This would have been such a hub of communications, important things, but also really domestic messages coming through.
17:11It is extraordinary in every single way.
17:21And as the threat of war darkened the skies of Europe in the 1930s, it quickly became clear that this little cove would play a crucial role in any coming conflict.
17:32So as well as defending the beach, they built these two tunnels into the cliff, linked them and moved everything in here. So it's basically in its own air raid shelter.
17:43It's incredible.
17:44With war raging, Porth Colonel became home to hundreds of telegraph operators and troops.
17:50Huge, isn't it?
17:53It is very, very big, yeah.
17:55There would have been people sitting, as far as the eye can see, because it's not just one message a day, is it?
18:00Oh, no.
18:01They're sending messages all over the place, aren't they?
18:03All over the place, all the time. They come in, they've got to be sent to the right places.
18:07But a vital part of the war operation.
18:09Absolutely, 100%.
18:12These machines were strung out across the world, relaying crucial wartime plans and orders to their final destinations.
18:1980 years on, the ones here at Porth Colonel still work.
18:26So Paul's just starting up the machine just now.
18:29It's incredible that it's still running.
18:32And looking at what he's doing just now, it's very hands-on.
18:37He said to me earlier on there was a bit of a knack.
18:40It's quite a workout, Paul, isn't it?
18:41It is.
18:42We've got a 92-year-old man who can make it work first time.
18:47There it goes.
18:48It's like something out of a science fiction film.
18:53Turning that, moving that, stretching that.
18:57Lots of beautiful sounds coming from it.
19:02Brilliant.
19:04It is amazing, Paul. I'm so excited.
19:06We've got this set up in one room, but in reality that is hundreds of miles away from this transmitter.
19:10Right.
19:11Can I try and send you a message using this technology that you'll pick up over there?
19:16We can try it out.
19:17Shall we try it?
19:18See if it goes, yeah.
19:19OK.
19:21I've always dreamed of receiving a telegram, never mind sending one.
19:27I've typed.
19:29If you can read this, give me a wave.
19:32And then we'll be able to tell whether or not he's actually read it or not.
19:36So, the message is here.
19:37It's in a loop.
19:38And if I flick this little switch here, it's going to be sent down to Paul over there.
19:42And you'll hear a difference over there.
19:45Here we go.
19:52Right.
19:53Let's see if he gets the message.
20:05He got the message.
20:06Isn't that amazing?
20:08Look at that.
20:10Who knew asking someone to give me a wave could be this exciting?
20:27Right, Helen.
20:28Third gear.
20:30The place is so beautiful, it's quite easy to get distracted.
20:34And there's nothing nicer on a grand day out than just having a wander and seeing where the road takes you.
20:41It's always exciting.
20:43Because there's the promise, isn't there?
20:45There's the promise of that holiday atmosphere.
20:48It's the anticipation of an absolutely lovely time.
20:51This road is taking Helen and me north-east, past the brooding Bodmin Moor, to the ridiculously pretty village of Alternan.
21:03Regarded as one of the loveliest inland villages in Cornwall, and made famous by the Daphne du Maurier novel, Jamaica Inn.
21:15But of course, I've got another book on the go.
21:20Cracking read.
21:21I've stopped off for a bit in the sunshine, just to finish off my pole dark.
21:25And I'm going to do what I always do.
21:28Go and have a wander.
21:29See what I can see.
21:32I'm sure a village as pretty as this must be full of surprises.
21:36Now, I've just spotted something.
21:40It's an old telephone box, but a few of these have been turned into libraries.
21:45It is!
21:46It is!
21:47It's one of those beautiful libraries where you can leave a book, have a look for a book.
21:55Anyone remember how heavy a phone box door was?
21:58Eh?
21:59Let's see what they've got.
22:00This is always the exciting bit.
22:01Oh!
22:02Bit of Agatha Christie, Val McDermott.
22:06So, I'm going to leave a book in there.
22:10Now, if I was to take one away, I'm just letting you know, I'd probably take away the Anne Cleaves.
22:15Because I'll have a bit of DC IV to stand home.
22:18That's who my cat's named after.
22:20Absolute little treasures, these.
22:23Absolute treasures.
22:27But that's not the only treat in store.
22:28Alternan is also home to the 15th century church of St. Nona, known as the Cathedral of the Moors.
22:41So, I've come into the cool of St. Nona's church, automatically speaking in slightly hushed tones.
22:48Because that's what you do, isn't it?
22:49But I'm here for a specific purpose, because I've heard that at the end of the pews, there are some incredible 16th century carvings.
23:02Apparently there's some that will particularly interest me.
23:09Goodness, each one of them's different.
23:13I think I've found it.
23:15So, here is the representation of a gentleman of some kind.
23:22This is, remember, from the 16th century.
23:25It looks to me like he's playing the bagpipes.
23:29Isn't it wonderful though?
23:32When you see these little glimpses into the past, in a little church I could easily have driven by, but instead stopped off to have a look at it.
23:45But these are very special Cornish bagpipes, and local man Merv is part of an incredible group working to bring these ancient pipes out of history and into the present day.
23:57Merv, it's lovely to meet you.
23:59I've just come from that lovely church and seen the remarkable carvings.
24:04Tell me about the one particularly with the pipes.
24:07You can actually see the finger holes and what he might have been playing.
24:11Are they the bagpipes that I would know about, or are they a different type of pipe?
24:14Bagpipes are all one big family.
24:16Right. Oh, I like that idea. Bagpipes are all one big family, absolutely.
24:21But this side of the bagpipe family has one key difference to the Scottish bagpipes I'm more familiar with.
24:29Basically, these have got a double chanter, so you're playing in harmony all the time.
24:34A double chanter. So this is the chanter.
24:36These are the two chanters.
24:37Two chanters there.
24:38You're always playing two notes all the time.
24:40Mm-hm.
24:41And you've got to try and make sure the two notes you play do like each other.
24:44Mm-hm.
24:45If they don't like each other, you've got an interesting sound.
24:48Since the late 17th century, Cornish bagpipes had been lost to the world, existing only in carvings like these.
24:55But then Merv and his fellow enthusiasts decided to bring the carvings to life, creating a replica set of pipes based on those in the church.
25:04Thirty-odd years ago, when we discovered these pipes, oh, we've got to have a set like that.
25:09We had a project to try and find interest to bagpipe maker in making some, and we did, and we had some made.
25:15So the pipes you've got just now are based on the carvings?
25:18They are based on the carvings, yes.
25:20It's a remarkable thing because you have taken that representation and made it a physical reality.
25:26Make it work, make it sound, yes.
25:27Yeah, make it sound.
25:28I like playing a variety of pipes, but these make me feel that I'm standing alongside the pipe in the bench and up there.
25:35They make me feel I've troubled through time and I'm back there playing along with them.
25:39That's incredible.
25:43And Merv is letting me hear what that might have sounded like.
25:51It's really interesting because it's just so slightly different from the bagpipes, but you can hear that kind of,
25:56genetics running through it. As Merv said, it's a big family of pipes.
26:02What makes it more special, I think, is knowing that Merv got the design for those pipes from the carvings up there from the 16th century.
26:10It's like it's stepped out of history.
26:13And it's a beautiful sound as well, absolutely gorgeous.
26:16Oh, beautiful. Well done, Merv. That was fantastic.
26:25Coming up, I take to the water.
26:28Yes! Woodman! Woodman waves!
26:32And become one with the Cornish land.
26:35I love it. It's like a dance.
26:36I'm on a grandie out in glorious Cornwall in my beloved camper van, Helen Mirren.
26:51This is, of course, Poldark country.
26:56All I know is it was a very handsome young man on the television.
27:02And I think it was on when I had an office job.
27:05And on the Monday morning, everyone would be talking about Poldark.
27:08Did you see Poldark? He's awful handsome, isn't he?
27:10And I'd go, yeah. Yeah, I feel like that kind of thing. Yeah.
27:15One iconic scene in the most recent TV series created its own water cooler moment.
27:21For some reason, Scything suddenly had a massive new fan base.
27:27I've come to the beautifully named Skygrove Farm near Liscard.
27:31Home to the current British Scything champion, no less.
27:35Kevin is going to teach me the ropes, with our tops firmly on.
27:40Thank goodness.
27:44Kevin, I want to hear about something you know a lot about, which is Scything.
27:49The idea of wielding a large stick with a blade on the end of it.
27:52It's quite terrifying. I'm quite a clumsy person.
27:55Actually, there's a complete range of blade sizes.
27:58And there's a blade for every condition.
28:00It's a very versatile tool, so much better for the environment.
28:03You can be selective. You can see the wildlife in front of you.
28:08It's amazingly fast.
28:10And it's just this wonderful physical experience.
28:12It's almost like our bodies were made to do it.
28:15You know, this beautiful flowing motion.
28:18Well, when you've got the British champion as your tutor, it'd be rude not to have a go.
28:23So, Susan, we need to select one for you.
28:26I know that a number two, people who are five foot four and five foot ten.
28:31OK.
28:32OK. A number one is below.
28:34Yep.
28:35We'll go with a number one.
28:36Yeah. I mean, it has to guess. Let's go with a number one, shall we?
28:39OK.
28:41To be honest, it still feels pretty long, but hopefully I'll be fine after a quick lesson from the champ.
28:46OK.
28:48So.
28:49Let's give it a go.
28:50Stay a little bit square onto it.
28:51Like that?
28:52Right foot forward a little bit.
28:53Right foot forward a little bit.
28:54And you're pushing down with your right hand and pull that left hand around behind the buttock.
28:58OK. No problem at all.
28:59Just a little step forward as you cut. That's it. Very good.
29:06I love it. It's like a dance.
29:08That looks great.
29:09It's like an open-air dance in the sunshine while communing with nature and connecting with the past, the present, and the future.
29:19And never let yourself get tired.
29:21Mm-hmm.
29:22You stop, you listen to the birds, and then you just hone up your blade.
29:27You take a few deep breaths.
29:32Your blade will be a little bit sharper.
29:34You will be a little bit more recovered.
29:36Mm-hmm.
29:37And in the zone.
29:38And then you go again.
29:39Well done.
29:40And breathe out with the stroke.
29:41Breathe out.
29:42And get that nice rhythm going.
29:43OK.
29:44Where it's no more effort than walking.
29:45OK.
29:46No more effort than walking.
29:47OK.
29:52It's quite an incredible experience, actually.
29:55As Kevin says, it's all about kind of connecting.
30:00I can feel this.
30:02I can smell that.
30:03I can hear that.
30:05And it's that wonderful all-round feeling of being present in the moment.
30:12It's quite a revelation, to be honest with you.
30:14I don't really want to stop.
30:16Never thought I'd say that.
30:21And don't believe everything you see on the telly.
30:23You really can do it with your top on.
30:25Do you know something everyone always says in places like Cornwall?
30:36I don't know how bus drivers do it round here.
30:39That's all I ever say.
30:40You know when you're driving along and you meet a massive bus or a lorry and you go,
30:44I don't know how they do it.
30:45I don't know how they do it.
30:46And to be honest, I don't know how they do it.
30:49I really don't.
30:52But my little Helen takes these roads in her stride.
30:55We're heading south to the historic town of Falmouth.
31:01Its harbour is the third deepest in the world,
31:04and for 150 years was Great Britain's only official postal link to the rest of the world.
31:10From 1688 to 1820, this was the Royal Mail Packet Station,
31:16so all overseas letters and parcels passed through here.
31:23On a day like today in Falmouth Harbour, looking so beautiful,
31:26I mean, it would be remiss of me, you know, not to go on it, eh?
31:29I mean, there's always time to mess around in a boat, isn't there?
31:33So we're off for a wee poodle around the harbour now, on a very special boat,
31:45so it's very exciting.
31:48Falmouth has long been a key part of Cornwall's fishing industry,
31:51and the Sea Queen is a classic wooden Cornish fishing boat.
31:54She's what's known as a Mevaghizi Tosher.
31:59Built in 1924, she spent her working life within 12 nautical years
32:03a couple miles of Falmouth.
32:05One of the last of her kind, she fell into disrepair
32:07before being lovingly restored.
32:12She seems as good as new, though maybe not everyone is a fan.
32:17It's an old boat, and it doesn't steer very well.
32:21It's an old boat that doesn't steer very well.
32:23I mean, that's the kind of conversation you want at the start of any trip.
32:29Ha, ha, ha, ha!
32:33We're fine.
32:37And Skipper Paul clearly knows these waters well.
32:42Something about pickling around the harbour like this
32:44is you see all the different types of boats.
32:46There's a lot of boats.
32:47There's navy boats.
32:48There's pleasure boats.
32:49There's kayakers in here.
32:50There's still fishing boats.
32:51And it really gives you a sense of the hub that it is.
32:55And it's a wonderful thing.
32:58This pretty harbour has witnessed many historic homecomings
33:02from Charles Darwin in 1836
33:04after his five-year expedition on the HMS Beagle
33:08to Dame Helen MacArthur's record-breaking circumnavigation of the globe in 2005.
33:14Whenever I sail through a harbour, though, I think maybe I should get a boat.
33:19This is the problem with boats.
33:21Then I think, no, Susan, what would you do with a boat?
33:25Ha, ha!
33:27Then you start thinking, what would I name my boat?
33:30Retribution!
33:32Ha, something like that.
33:33Like something like, oh, you know, revenge.
33:37So when I sailed into the harbour, everyone would go,
33:39who's that?
33:40And then it'd just be me going, hello!
33:44Speaking of which...
33:46Hello!
33:47Yes!
33:49What man!
33:50What man waved!
33:53At the heart of Falmouth Harbour is the National Maritime Museum Cornwall,
33:57which celebrates ground-breaking small boats.
34:01Cowlman-sized craft, if you will.
34:05But I'm here to meet the dedicated team
34:07who returned the Sea Queen to her former glory.
34:12This is the bit that we're putting in right now.
34:14OK.
34:16Led by boat collection manager Bob,
34:18these volunteers have got an incredibly special new project on their hands.
34:23They're building an exact replica of a top-secret Second World War surf boat,
34:28codenamed SN2.
34:29This surf boat was towed over in the dead of night by motor gun boats
34:34and then rowed ashore with supplies, arms, explosives for the French resistance.
34:39The SN2 was designed specifically for daring missions across the channel to Nazi-occupied France.
34:46It had a strong, shallow hull to cope with the brutal surf on the beaches and was built for speed.
34:52There's a bow at both ends, so there'd be no turning the boat around on the beach as you would with a normal tender.
35:00Ah!
35:01You'd unload it and just simply turn the rowers around and you'd be ready.
35:04And just go back out.
35:05It's quite a simple design, in a way, but it's specific for the purpose.
35:09Get on, get back off again.
35:10Exactly.
35:11SN2 boats played a key role in saving lives and ultimately winning the war.
35:18And it's fitting that the replica is being made in Cornwall.
35:22It was designed by a local boat designer and skippered by another local chap on Christmas Day in 1943.
35:30He made two trips to take off up to about 30 people.
35:34Downed Allied air crews, Polish agents, secret agents.
35:38Why have I never heard of this before?
35:39It was such a secret organisation.
35:41You know, the records have been classified for 80 years.
35:44So you've just been able to fit.
35:45I see.
35:46Yeah.
35:48The people who might have been involved in these missions would never have told a single soul that they were doing it.
35:53That's right, yeah.
35:55But by doing this, you're able to kind of bring the stories to light.
36:00That's what we're hoping to do.
36:01Yeah.
36:02We know the name of the chap that skippered this boat.
36:04And we do know the names of the crew that were on it as well.
36:07Amazing.
36:08When we build our replica, we hope to include those names on the timber that we put into this boat.
36:14Just don't honestly, Bob.
36:15Honestly, stories like this just, they really get me.
36:20It's a sobering tale of valour and ingenuity.
36:23And this incredible project is a fitting tribute.
36:26But for me, there's just one thing left to do.
36:31Come here.
36:32Yeah.
36:33Thank you so much.
36:34Love you.
36:35Thank you, darling.
36:43Coming up, I get a first-hand experience of Cornwall below the surface.
36:47Look at this.
36:49My goodness.
36:50And see a place where time has stood still.
36:53Everything you see was as it would have been left on its very last day.
36:56In the 1980s.
36:57In the 1980s.
36:58I'm having a smashing time on my grand day out in Poldark country, also known as Cornwall.
37:15And what a scorcher it's been.
37:18Been very lucky with the weather in Cornwall.
37:21I know you don't need my fashion tips, but I'm wearing the perfect outfit for a day out.
37:28Shorts.
37:29I get really hot legs.
37:32Top half fine.
37:33Bottom half boiling.
37:35And when you get sweaty legs, it's absolutely awful.
37:38There's no coming back from sweaty legs.
37:40You can take a jumper off, you cannot take, and I know this, you cannot take your trousers off.
37:47You can.
37:49I know that.
37:54For hundreds of years, tin mining was a huge part of Cornwall, providing much of the UK's tin.
38:00Even Poldark himself had a tin mine.
38:02I'm heading to the last surviving example of a complete 20th century Cornish tin mine here at Giver, to experience life underground for myself.
38:14So I've come into one of the underground mines.
38:26Look at this.
38:28My goodness.
38:29OK.
38:31Sheesh.
38:33Visitors like me can explore some of the 80 miles of tunnels that extend over 2,000 feet down under the land, and a kilometre out under the sea.
38:42So I'm 4 foot 10, 11, and I am having to duck down in here in order to get through these tunnels.
38:54They say it's difficult to date it, but they think it's about 200 years old.
38:59They would have been working in here by candlelight probably.
39:02Hand tools.
39:03The miners spent hours underground digging out the black ore, or load, that would eventually yield the silver white metal for which Cornwall was famed.
39:15For goodness sakes, it's quite wet, it's quite damp down here.
39:23At its height, the Cornish mining industry employed over 30,000 people above and below the ground.
39:30Men and boys, women and girls.
39:32People like Steve, who worked as a miner right here at Giver.
39:36Steve, it's lovely to meet you.
39:38Yeah.
39:39How long were you a miner for?
39:41Well, I started in the late 70s, early 80s, and the mine closed in 86.
39:46Just coming up for my 18th birthday when I started.
39:48So I was one of the youngest miners.
39:50Being a young man in that environment where there's a lot of noise, a lot of machinery, explosions underground.
39:56How did you feel about it as a job?
39:57The camaraderie underground was second to none. There's always a bit of ribbon and a bit of laughing, but that makes the day a lot easier.
40:05The job is hard enough, isn't it? It's quite common to be working with fathers and their sons.
40:10And not only that, you're encouraged to join the social club. You get to meet the miners' wives. It's a family. You become a family.
40:18When the price of tin collapsed in the 1980s, mines like Giver were forced to close.
40:23But it lives on as a memorial to a lost industry and a lost way of life, including the workers' locker room known as the dry.
40:33Everything you see was more or less as it would have been working at that time, and how it was left on its very last day.
40:40In the 1980s?
40:41In the 1980s.
40:43And for me, that is probably the most emotionally packed place.
40:48When I get a five minutes to myself, sometimes I go sit on the dry on my own.
40:52Really?
40:53Because it just brings back all the memories. I can still hear the voices of those miners. I can still hear the laughing and the joking.
40:59You knew that you was now about to get soaking wet, covered in oil, mud and dirt.
41:04But you're still laughing.
41:05But everybody would go off laughing.
41:07And the sadness of the day when this mine closed, and the arguments and how bitter they felt.
41:12Tell me, because you've been here, you've lived here, what is tin and Cornwall to you? I mean, are they completely together?
41:21Well, it's based on what our flag is all about.
41:24Yeah.
41:25The white part of the flag resembles the tin. The black represents the load that that tin comes from.
41:30Wow.
41:36It's been an incredible visit to an incredible place. And I want to pay my own tribute to the miners of Cornwall.
41:42So, I've got a new sticker for the back of Helen, because I like to collect them on my travels. And I've got one here, which is the Cornish flag.
41:52And actually, I've been to Cornwall before, but this is the first visit where I think it's really got into my brain how important tin is to this area.
42:00So, it's going to go in pride of place.
42:02Ah, this is always the frightening bit, isn't it? Don't get any bubbles in it.
42:10There we go. Cornish flag in pride of place.
42:15My glorious, surprising grandee-out just goes to show, no matter how well you think you know a place, there's always more to discover.
42:24Cornwall, you've got a fan for life.
42:30Next time, I'm on a quest through stunning Somerset. It's a land of ancient history.
42:37You've kept the place gorgeous for me.
42:39Beauty.
42:40Cheers.
42:41Cheers.
42:42Fun.
42:43I'm going to get let go on my first day as a volunteer.
42:45And a whole heap of surprises.
42:47Oh, Tim, this is my childhood.
42:50Sparks fly.
42:51Oh, gosh.
42:52Hi, I'm just in here.
42:54And that makes it perfect for a grand day out.
43:02So, this is our republic for yesterday.
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