Great British Railway Journeys (2010–…): Season 6, Episode 1 - Ayr to Stewarton - full transcript
[OPENING THEME]
For Victorian Britons George Bradshaw
was a household name.
At a time when railways were new...
Bradshaw's guidebook inspired them
to take to the tracks.
I'm using a Bradshaw's guide...
to understand how trains
transformed Britain.
Its landscape, its industry,
society and leisure time.
As I arias-cross the country
150 years later...
it helps me to discover
the Britain of today.
I'm beginning a journey across
Southern Scotland.
Exploring the people and pastimes that
make this country distinctive.
Long before my Bradshaw's guide...
this region had produced key creators
of the modern world.
The philosopher, David Hume
from Berwickshire.
The economist, Adam Smith
from Kirkcaldy.
The developer of the steam engine,
James Watt, from Greenock.
No wonder that the Industrial
Revolution took root here.
My journey this week will take me across
Scotland - from west to east.
Beginning at the Firth of Clyde...
I head through the Scottish
Lowlands to Glasgow.
Then north, to Stirling and Perth.
Close to Where the kings of
Scotland were crowned.
I'll travel on east to Fife...
and the famous university
town of St Andrews.
Finally heading south to Scotland's
capital, Where my journey ends.
On today's leg...
I'll hug the coast up to the north
Ayrshire town of Kilwinning...
before heading to the historic
harbour at Troon.
I'll then make tracks north
east to Kilmarnock.
Before ending my journey
in rural Stewarton.
On this first part I get to grips
with an ancient sport.
Good, and let go!
Learn now being overweight could
bring a heavy penalty.
The Way they worked out
the passengers...
was exactly the same way
as goods on it.
They were done by Weight.
So you Wanted to have quite
a small breakfast...
before you went clown
to the train.
Well...
And cap it all off with a
touch of tartan.
Try that one on for size.
You'll ne'er look so bonnie...
as in a "Bunnet Town" bonnet.
Bradshaw's tells me that about ten miles
out in the sea is Ailsa Craig.
A huge basalt rock - eleven hundred
feet high and two miles around.
I'm getting off the train at Ayr
to discover...
what use is made of the Craig in
this land of ice and granite.
The wild character of this
Scottish coastline...
shows much evidence of a landscape
shaped by glaciers and volcanoes.
And dominating the seascape,
this famous rock...
which is also the source of Scotland's
prized curling stones.
I'm lucky enough to be visiting the family-owned
factory that still makes them.
Bill Hunter is the manager.
Hello Bill!
- Good to see you.
- Good to see you, sir.
Bill, I've come in search of
Ailsa Craig granite.
Have I found it?
You've found it, and this is
one piece of it.
Ailsa Craig is, er... it's been...
been used now for over...
well over a hundred years.
And it's now proved to be the best
granite for making curling stones.
It's part of the volcano from Arran.
When the off-shoot came out
it cooled down so fast...
there was no chance for
quartz to grow.
So it's now classified as
a micro-granite.
That means it's a rock that is much
more densely packed...
containing crystals smaller
than grains of rice.
And it makes a difference to
the stone's resilience.
When the two hit off each other-
they don't shatter.
If you're working with other granites -
they're quartz rich.
So when two stones hit,
they will shatter.
This is the only company in the world that
actually uses Ailsa Craig granite.
Kays of Scotland was founded
back in 1851.
And every twelve years it harvests around
2,000 tons of granite.
The company supplies stones to fifty-five
countries around the World.
It doesn't look much like a curling
stone at the moment.
What do you do to it next?
Come into the factory and
we'll show you.
Thank you.
The process begins with a
stonecutting machine.
Which carves from the granite a
shape like a cheese wheel.
Then it's on to the grinder to
bring the stone closer...
to its finished weight of
forty-four pounds.
Finally it's off to the experienced
hands of the polisher...
who removes a further
ten pounds.
This expertise has been carefully passed
down the generations of the family.
The current owner is Jimmy Wylie.
Hello, Jimmy!
Hello, Michael.
That's a little bit smaller than the
curling stone I expected to see.
What is that?
Yes, this is the miniature giftware
that we do here.
This is exactly the same material from
Ailsa Craig as the large stones.
Beautiful!
And you're actually part
of the family.
Yes, "born and bred" as they say.
And, er, third generation of my
family in the business.
Um, my grandfather got
into the business...
er, well over a hundred
years ago.
And I think there are probably about
more than twelve or thirteen...
of the family at the
last count.
All involved over more than
a hundred years.
Extraordinary!
Do you ever do any curling yourself?
Yes.
Now that I'm an old man I decided
I'd better take it up again.
So yes, I've been curling
again in recent years.
And how's it going?
Er...
not as good as I would like!
Does it take its toll
on the joints?
Because I'm thinking of
having a go myself!
Yes, the modern Way of delivering...
the stone involves really
quite a bit of...
physical manoeuvering,
you might say.
And, er, maybe you should
have a little...
lubrication before you try.
[MICHAEL AND JIMMY LAUGH]
Well, ever the Willing guinea pig,
now's my chance to curl.
I feel very lucky to have a Scottish World
Champion, Sheila Swah, to teach me.
Hello.
Hi, Michael, nice to meet you.
Very good to see you.
When were the rules of
curling established?
The Royal Caledonian Curling Club...
which is the governing body
for curling in Scotland...
was constituted in 1838.
And they're generally known as the
"mother club of curling"...
and contributed to the major
rules in the game.
It's fundamentally a Scottish sport, then.
Yes.
The sport was originated in Scotland
back in the 15th century.
It's remarkable that this sport was born
when the Scots discovered...
the fun that could be had throwing
stones onto a frozen river.
And What's been your
role in this sport?
I'm development manager for the
Royal Caledonian Curling Club.
And I'm responsible for adults' disability
and competitions Within...
the Royal Caledonian Curling Club.
Her coaching has brought huge success
to the Scottish Junior Team.
But teaching me is one of her
tougher assignments!
So, this is the hack, it's a bit like a
starting block in athletics.
Your gripping foot will go on top of the
hack - with your toes up in a slope.
Your sliding foot will be parallel to and slightly
in front of your gripping foot.
From there, all you've got to do is...
bend at the knees, the
hips and the Waist.
So you hold on to the stabiliser
and the stone.
And you'll keep your back
nice and flat.
That is the ready position.
Steady, you will pull back your stone
and your sliding foot...
and then go - sliding, your stone moves
forwards, sliding foot in behind.
Curling resembles bowls.
But players slide a stone down a
forty-five-meter stretch of ice...
known as a “surfing sheet“.
Points go to teams that get more of
the stones closer to the centre...
of a target called "the House".
Okay, so bend at the knees,
hips and Waist.
Lift your bottom up a little bit.
Excellent.
That's ready, steady, pull back...
and... go!
Good, and let go!
[LAUGHTER]
That was very good for
a first attempt.
So Where does all the...
brushing come into it?
Okay, so sweeping does
three things.
It keeps the ice clean.
If a little bit of dirt gets
under the stone...
then it'll deviate from its
line quite sharply.
It makes it go further -
not faster.
And it also keeps it straighter.
Because curling stones will always go in a
curve rather than a straight line.
Sweep, Michael!
Hard, Michael! Hard! Hard!
Hard, hard, hard, hard!
WE'RE IN!
- Well swept!
- HOUSE!
Brilliant!
- Well done.
- Well done.
I've headed back to Ayr station to
take the main line north.
I love to see Scottish stations
so beautifully kept.
Louis Wall and his team
of green-fingered volunteers...
look after twenty-one of them.
Louis!
I must say this station looks
absolutely splendid.
Do people appreciate What
you're doing?
Ah, absolutely.
It cheers them up.
Stations used to always look glorious, but
I think We've improved on days past.
Have you won any awards
in the past?
Oh yes, last year we came up with the
national award for the ACoRPs award...
for the United Kingdom, and we came top
in that category of Best Floral Display.
Well done to you!
- Thank you very much. Bye bye, now.
- Bye bye.
[TRAIN WHISTLE]
My next stop is Kilwinning.
Which lies about twenty-five miles
south west of Glasgow.
From one traditional activity
to another.
I shall be getting off at Kilwinning...
because Bradshaw's tells me that ah
archery club is held here...
which was established in 1488.
And at Which... the "Popinjay" is held.
What is "Popinjay"?
I'm all a-quiver!
Kilwinning is an historic
Ayrshire town.
The settlement and its twelfth
century abbey...
are thought to be named
after Saint Winning.
Today the abbey is just a ruin.
But Bradshaw's is generally reliable
on places of interest.
It may look like a festival of umbrellas,
but it is in fact an archery competition...
with a long history.
I'm meeting Stewart Wilson - from the
Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers.
Hello!
- Hello, Michael, how are you?
- How are you doing, Stewart?
Excellent, apart from the rain!
[LAUGHTER]
Bradshaw's tells me that you've had
ah archery club here since 1488.
1483, in actual fact, is the
date we go for.
Um, its history been a bit
indistinct in that time.
And Bradshaw's talks about...
a "Popinjay". What's that?
A Popinjay is an English word, in actual fact,
for parrot - an old English word.
The Scots word for it is "Popingo".
And that's What we'll be doing today -
shooting at the "Popingo".
What is this handsome object here?
Um, this is the Ancient Society of
Kilwinning Archers' silver arrow.
The first medal that's on it is 1697 -
which is before the Act of Union.
And, er, the earliest part of the trophy
is this part along here.
This was donated by an archer
called David Muir.
A medal goes on for the archer
who hits the pigeon.
Or as we would say:
"Dings doon the do".
"Dings doon the do"?
- Indeed.
- Hmm.
Um, there's a few interesting
medals on here.
We've even had a politician
on here.
No!
Mr Stanford was a professor of Greek
and he stood for Parliament...
in Glasgow - but he didn't get elected.
Hmm, I know the feeling!
But he did stand the following year...
for Paisley - and he got
elected for that.
But he decided he didn't like it.
And Within the year he resigned.
I know that feeling too!
Back in the 15th century, every district
in Scotland...
had a review of its troops -
called a “wapenshaw”.
Where they would show their
weapons and their skill.
And the challenge for the archers was
a target on top of this tower.
Mind the head.
Right Michael, this is What we are
going to be shooting at.
This is the Popingo.
[MICHAEL LAUGHS]
What's it made of?
This is wood - and it's supposed
to represent a pigeon.
This will go on the end
of the pole.
We're going to push it out...
- Right.
- To our mark.
So it just fits - like so.
It's loose at the moment.
And we very carefully
now slide this out.
- So lift from here?
- Lift from there.
Gently.
And slide out now.
In days of old a live pigeon
was used.
We're more humane these days.
Keep it going... keep it going.
Right now, hold it there.
You can let go now.
Well, Stewart, I've done some weird
things in my time, but...
pushing a "Popingo" out on a pole from an
abbey tower rates right up there!
[STEWART LAUGHS]
Despite my evident sporting handicaps...
I'd be so happy to score a "birdie".
WHOA!
Oh, that was close.
That's What you've got to do.
And I expect you to get a bit closer
than that after I've taught you.
But that is absolutely
impossible, Stewart!
Has anybody hit the "Popingo"?
Well, it's been done.
Um, if you look at my bonnet,
you'll see there's three rosettes.
And the rosettes are given
for hitting the wings.
Returning from my training session,
it's time to focus on how...
the oldest archery competition
in the world is going.
[CHEERING]
Yes!
He's done it!
He's dinged doon the doo!
[CLAPPING AND CHEERING]
Well done!
That was fantastic!
You hit the "Popingo"!
Yes, it's absolutely spectacular.
How many years have you tried
to hit the "Popingo"?
Well, this is actually my first year!
No!
Absolutely! First year!
They're really nice because they tell
you "up a bit, up a bit"...
"down a bit", and "right, right"...
and I just let go.
And as it was going up, it was as if
it went into slow motion...
and I saw it hit, and it
was fantastic!
MY go!
Good luck.
[MICHAEL LAUGHS]
Ah, yes!
So, I have just one arrow to hit a target
a hundred and three feet up...
that looks the size of my thumb!
Here we go. Right, Michael.
Remember, you stand one foot on the
step, one foot on the gravel.
Bring the bow up into the vertical.
I'll give you some guidance
with my arrow.
Out more to the vertical.
Come on, out to there,
out to there.
That's better.
It's not the easiest of angles!
When ready.
Oh, that's a good shot.
[NOISE FROM THE CROWD]
Incoming!
[MICHAEL LAUGHS RAUCOUSLY]
That Wasn't as bad as
I thought.
That was close.
I feel good for that!
Thank you so much.
The first award today for "dinging down the doo"
goes to Johann Kangas.
[CHEERING AND CLAPPING]
Congratulations Johann.
How does it feel to
hold that?
Um, impressive!
I did hot, um, I did hot plan oh this when
I showed up this morning.
So I'm really, really grateful.
- Well done!
- Thank you.
I so thoroughly enjoyed being
a medieval archer...
that it's a pity not to celebrate
the "doo" with a dram.
But my bed for the night is
still three stops away.
At my next destination, Bradshaw promises
me salmon and rabbit.
As the goon who failed to "ding doon the
doo", I'm on my Way to Troon.
Troon is famous today for
its royal golf course.
But in the 19th century it was the town's
railway which caused waves.
I'll find out why in the morning.
I'm up early on a stunning morning to
meet local historian Bill Fitzpatrick...
at the site of the Kilmarnock and Troon
railway, which began here at the coast.
Hello.
Excellent to see you.
What an astonishing view!
Beautiful view.
Bill, I believe that the first railway line in
Scotland was hereabouts.
Yes.
The Duke of Portland had many
coalmines in Kilmarnock...
and he decided to build a port down here
to shift his coal - mainly to Ireland.
His original idea was a canal but he
then replaced it with a plateway.
Which would run wagons
pulled by horses on it.
These early rails were specifically
engineered to take a flat wheel.
The plateway rail is L-shaped to keep
the wagon Wheel on track.
And there were frequent places where one
vehicle could pull across to the other track...
to allow a faster horse to pass.
A horse could pull about
five tons in two hours...
from Kilmarnock down to here.
Which is about ten miles.
And What date was all this?
The Act was passed about 1808 - and
the railway was opened by 1812.
It's easy to forget how dependent the world was
oh horsepower before the coming of steam.
Horses were the universal mode of land transport -
from personal steed to omibuses.
This was strictly for coal
then, was it?
That was strictly for coal, but almost from the
beginning they seem to have carried passengers.
Now the railway company couldn't
carry passengers...
but it could license people and it could toll
people for carrying passengers.
And the Way they worked out the passengers
was exactly the same Way as goods oh it.
They were done by Weight.
MY goodness!
So you Wanted to have quite a small breakfast
before you Went down to the train.
Well, I've ho doubt that they had all
that thought out before they Went.
The railway also Went on to become the earliest
line in Scotland to use a steam locomotive.
And the towns of Troon and Kilmarnock benefited
significantly because of its development.
Is there any vestige of
the line left?
This end has gone and the
Kilmarnock end has gone.
But the bit between Barassie and Kilmarnock
is pretty well still there...
re-laid and worked as a proper railway.
So if I were to take a train over those tracks
I'd have a distinctly historic feeling.
Yes.
And that's exactly What I
intend to do.
Because this is the 21st century's big,
bold answer to hauling coal.
I'm embarking on this freight
train at Barassie station.
To travel along this historic route.
These days moving coal from
the port at Hunterston...
to West Burton power station in North Nottinghamshire
is a relatively stress-free business.
In order for the train to change direction from
the main line north to the branch line east...
this 3,300 horsepower locomotive
has to swap ends.
So We've brought the er, locomotive
all the Way down the train, uh...
so we can change ends.
Small impact coming up - BOOM!
Very neat!
Then it's all about pulling this huge weight
back up to cruising speed...
because it's important not to
hold up passenger traffic.
Soot, I noticed the locomotive, powerful
as it is, was quite slow...
to pick up. What kind of
weight are we hauling?
The train that We're hauling today is
upwards of 2,200 ton plus.
She's very heavy and obviously very
difficult to initially get moving.
It's a very powerful machine, but
because of the weight of the train...
it lets you know Where
the gradients are.
So, basically, part of our route knowledge is
knowing Where the gradients are and...
knowing how to use them
to our advantage.
Scot, were you aware this is the
oldest railway line in Scotland?
I was aware of the history involved in this
particular part of the line that we're travelling on.
Having initially been built to transport
coal from the coalfields around...
Kilmarnock up to Troon.
I imagine they were using horses...
- in those days?
- Absolutely. Yes, yes.
And, um, I think around 1812, Wasn't it?
It was 1812?
Yeah.
And, uh, I suppose you've
got to understand it...
because this is very much on
the level, isn't it?
Yes, it is pretty much, yeah.
Although we have got quite a gradient
as we go in to Kilmarnock station.
Pretty much... not noticeable
with a passenger train, but...
with the weight we're pulling today
it's... it's very noticeable.
I'm now returning to the comfort
of a passenger service...
as I head north, towards Glasgow.
[GUARDS WHISTLE]
A short journey north will
bring me to Stewarton.
Bradshaw's tell me that...
"Considerable manufactures of
woollen tartans, caps"...
"and scotch bonnets are
carried on here."
It might have added - balmorals,
glengarries and Tam o' shanters...
because it's a town of hats
to which I'm headed.
Stewarton, in rural northern Ayrshire...
doesn't seem an obvious place for
a Victorian manufacturing hub.
But, in the 1840s it was!
I'm meeting Keith Mackie -
the owner of "Robert Mackie"...
a company that manufactures
traditional Scottish bonnets.
So, I believe I'm not only in Stewarton
but in "Bonnet Toon".
Now, What's the history here?
Well, bonnet making in Stewarton can be
traced back four hundred years.
I can trace it back in my
family eleven generations.
What sort of products were you
producing traditionally?
By today's standards you would call them berets
if you like - rather coarse, hand-knitted berets.
And the customers for these
hats were who?
Everybody, this is Way before the
days of central heating.
You know, if you went outside
you wore a hat...
and that hat would have been
a very simple bonnet.
And tell me about the industry
in Victorian times.
This company was started by Robert Mackie
in 1845, and with the advent of...
very soon after that the railways come into
Stewarton and finer wools were available...
“from, ah, from Australia.
Ah, he invented the first knitting
machine for bonnets.
The steam-powered machines speeded
up the manufacturing process...
and improved the overall quality.
Allowing the company to make bonnets
for Scottish regiments.
Different regiments had different hats.
Some had glengarries, some
had balmorals.
And they had different dicing and
different pompoms too.
And different plumes to signify the hat.
They certainly confer on the wearer
a sense of pride.
The fabric comes off the
machine in a spiral.
And it's out into that shape.
Okay.
I don't want to be rude, but that doesn't
look like anything at all, really!
Ah well, it's then What
we called "linked"...
with an invisible seam.
It's very hard to see.
Beautiful!
If you smell that, you'll
smell the wool oil.
Yeah.
- And it feels quite rough.
- Mmm hmm.
So the next stage is Washing.
And then it's been What we
call "milled" or "felted".
And that's feeling a bit softer now.
It's getting nearer all the time.
I had no idea it was so elaborate!
And then...
the next stage is dyeing.
So it's dyed either black or indigo.
I have a feeling though, that it's
still not quite finished.
It's got a long Way to go.
I never knew there was so much to it!
But, just as with the curling stones,
the tradition of passing down...
the skills, is very much alive.
Keith wants me to meet bonnet
supervisor, Paula Wilson.
- Hello.
- Hello.
Good to see you, I'm Michael.
Good to meet you, Michael.
Have you been making hats
for very long?
Yes, I've been making hats
for thirty years.
- That's a long time!
- That IS a long time!
Your family as well - have
they been in it?
Well, my mum worked here as well.
She was here for twenty-five years.
And my dad worked here.
And at the moment my sister
and my niece work here.
It's a big business in Stewarton,
even today.
Yes, it is.
Even when the body of this glengarrie
is complete, there are still those...
Haul-important embellishments
to be added.
Teresa is making pompoms.
- Hello Teresa. What shall I do?
- Hello.
Well, if you could put your
finger in there, Michael.
- Put my finger in there, you're kidding!?
- Yes, it's all right.
Everything is fine.
Whoa!
That's right.
- Now What do I do?
- Pull it really tight.
Oh, it's shaping up quite nicely, isn't it?
Mmm hmm.
Do you want to give it a
wee bit of a trim'?
Bit of a trim, right, okay...
so, any little bit of...
- surplus stuff.
- Yes.
Just... take those off.
How's that looking?
It's looking lovely, Michael.
Thank you.
For me, one of the bonnets' most iconic
appearances is in this famous railway film.
[FILM: THE RAILWAY CHILDREN]
"They Won't see us!"
"It's all I've got!"
Jenny Agutter - sporting one of
the factory's finest.
Now I wonder whether I can carry it off!
Do you Want to try that one on?
Fits perfectly. How's that?
Very nice.
You suit that, Michael.
"You'll nair look so bonny as in
a bonnet toon bonnet."
[LAUGHTER]
A Martian visiting Scotland might be
surprised to see archers...
shooting arrows at a wooden bird or
curling players sweeping the ice...
before a slithering piece of granite.
With the advent of the railways, trains have
brought competitors and tourists...
to help to sustain these
splendid traditions.
You might think them peculiar,
but if so I'll ask you to keep your opinion
under your Tam o' shanter!
Next time I meet a sea-going beauty.
And she was the last of the Clyde-built excursion
paddle steamers to work on the Clyde.
Discover how a Victorian icon
nearly met his end!
[LION'S ROAR]
And rise to a bake-off challenge.
There's always a point when a dough
says to you that it's had enough.
And, er... I believe that was about
two minutes ago!
[LAUGHTER]
[END THEME]
For Victorian Britons George Bradshaw
was a household name.
At a time when railways were new...
Bradshaw's guidebook inspired them
to take to the tracks.
I'm using a Bradshaw's guide...
to understand how trains
transformed Britain.
Its landscape, its industry,
society and leisure time.
As I arias-cross the country
150 years later...
it helps me to discover
the Britain of today.
I'm beginning a journey across
Southern Scotland.
Exploring the people and pastimes that
make this country distinctive.
Long before my Bradshaw's guide...
this region had produced key creators
of the modern world.
The philosopher, David Hume
from Berwickshire.
The economist, Adam Smith
from Kirkcaldy.
The developer of the steam engine,
James Watt, from Greenock.
No wonder that the Industrial
Revolution took root here.
My journey this week will take me across
Scotland - from west to east.
Beginning at the Firth of Clyde...
I head through the Scottish
Lowlands to Glasgow.
Then north, to Stirling and Perth.
Close to Where the kings of
Scotland were crowned.
I'll travel on east to Fife...
and the famous university
town of St Andrews.
Finally heading south to Scotland's
capital, Where my journey ends.
On today's leg...
I'll hug the coast up to the north
Ayrshire town of Kilwinning...
before heading to the historic
harbour at Troon.
I'll then make tracks north
east to Kilmarnock.
Before ending my journey
in rural Stewarton.
On this first part I get to grips
with an ancient sport.
Good, and let go!
Learn now being overweight could
bring a heavy penalty.
The Way they worked out
the passengers...
was exactly the same way
as goods on it.
They were done by Weight.
So you Wanted to have quite
a small breakfast...
before you went clown
to the train.
Well...
And cap it all off with a
touch of tartan.
Try that one on for size.
You'll ne'er look so bonnie...
as in a "Bunnet Town" bonnet.
Bradshaw's tells me that about ten miles
out in the sea is Ailsa Craig.
A huge basalt rock - eleven hundred
feet high and two miles around.
I'm getting off the train at Ayr
to discover...
what use is made of the Craig in
this land of ice and granite.
The wild character of this
Scottish coastline...
shows much evidence of a landscape
shaped by glaciers and volcanoes.
And dominating the seascape,
this famous rock...
which is also the source of Scotland's
prized curling stones.
I'm lucky enough to be visiting the family-owned
factory that still makes them.
Bill Hunter is the manager.
Hello Bill!
- Good to see you.
- Good to see you, sir.
Bill, I've come in search of
Ailsa Craig granite.
Have I found it?
You've found it, and this is
one piece of it.
Ailsa Craig is, er... it's been...
been used now for over...
well over a hundred years.
And it's now proved to be the best
granite for making curling stones.
It's part of the volcano from Arran.
When the off-shoot came out
it cooled down so fast...
there was no chance for
quartz to grow.
So it's now classified as
a micro-granite.
That means it's a rock that is much
more densely packed...
containing crystals smaller
than grains of rice.
And it makes a difference to
the stone's resilience.
When the two hit off each other-
they don't shatter.
If you're working with other granites -
they're quartz rich.
So when two stones hit,
they will shatter.
This is the only company in the world that
actually uses Ailsa Craig granite.
Kays of Scotland was founded
back in 1851.
And every twelve years it harvests around
2,000 tons of granite.
The company supplies stones to fifty-five
countries around the World.
It doesn't look much like a curling
stone at the moment.
What do you do to it next?
Come into the factory and
we'll show you.
Thank you.
The process begins with a
stonecutting machine.
Which carves from the granite a
shape like a cheese wheel.
Then it's on to the grinder to
bring the stone closer...
to its finished weight of
forty-four pounds.
Finally it's off to the experienced
hands of the polisher...
who removes a further
ten pounds.
This expertise has been carefully passed
down the generations of the family.
The current owner is Jimmy Wylie.
Hello, Jimmy!
Hello, Michael.
That's a little bit smaller than the
curling stone I expected to see.
What is that?
Yes, this is the miniature giftware
that we do here.
This is exactly the same material from
Ailsa Craig as the large stones.
Beautiful!
And you're actually part
of the family.
Yes, "born and bred" as they say.
And, er, third generation of my
family in the business.
Um, my grandfather got
into the business...
er, well over a hundred
years ago.
And I think there are probably about
more than twelve or thirteen...
of the family at the
last count.
All involved over more than
a hundred years.
Extraordinary!
Do you ever do any curling yourself?
Yes.
Now that I'm an old man I decided
I'd better take it up again.
So yes, I've been curling
again in recent years.
And how's it going?
Er...
not as good as I would like!
Does it take its toll
on the joints?
Because I'm thinking of
having a go myself!
Yes, the modern Way of delivering...
the stone involves really
quite a bit of...
physical manoeuvering,
you might say.
And, er, maybe you should
have a little...
lubrication before you try.
[MICHAEL AND JIMMY LAUGH]
Well, ever the Willing guinea pig,
now's my chance to curl.
I feel very lucky to have a Scottish World
Champion, Sheila Swah, to teach me.
Hello.
Hi, Michael, nice to meet you.
Very good to see you.
When were the rules of
curling established?
The Royal Caledonian Curling Club...
which is the governing body
for curling in Scotland...
was constituted in 1838.
And they're generally known as the
"mother club of curling"...
and contributed to the major
rules in the game.
It's fundamentally a Scottish sport, then.
Yes.
The sport was originated in Scotland
back in the 15th century.
It's remarkable that this sport was born
when the Scots discovered...
the fun that could be had throwing
stones onto a frozen river.
And What's been your
role in this sport?
I'm development manager for the
Royal Caledonian Curling Club.
And I'm responsible for adults' disability
and competitions Within...
the Royal Caledonian Curling Club.
Her coaching has brought huge success
to the Scottish Junior Team.
But teaching me is one of her
tougher assignments!
So, this is the hack, it's a bit like a
starting block in athletics.
Your gripping foot will go on top of the
hack - with your toes up in a slope.
Your sliding foot will be parallel to and slightly
in front of your gripping foot.
From there, all you've got to do is...
bend at the knees, the
hips and the Waist.
So you hold on to the stabiliser
and the stone.
And you'll keep your back
nice and flat.
That is the ready position.
Steady, you will pull back your stone
and your sliding foot...
and then go - sliding, your stone moves
forwards, sliding foot in behind.
Curling resembles bowls.
But players slide a stone down a
forty-five-meter stretch of ice...
known as a “surfing sheet“.
Points go to teams that get more of
the stones closer to the centre...
of a target called "the House".
Okay, so bend at the knees,
hips and Waist.
Lift your bottom up a little bit.
Excellent.
That's ready, steady, pull back...
and... go!
Good, and let go!
[LAUGHTER]
That was very good for
a first attempt.
So Where does all the...
brushing come into it?
Okay, so sweeping does
three things.
It keeps the ice clean.
If a little bit of dirt gets
under the stone...
then it'll deviate from its
line quite sharply.
It makes it go further -
not faster.
And it also keeps it straighter.
Because curling stones will always go in a
curve rather than a straight line.
Sweep, Michael!
Hard, Michael! Hard! Hard!
Hard, hard, hard, hard!
WE'RE IN!
- Well swept!
- HOUSE!
Brilliant!
- Well done.
- Well done.
I've headed back to Ayr station to
take the main line north.
I love to see Scottish stations
so beautifully kept.
Louis Wall and his team
of green-fingered volunteers...
look after twenty-one of them.
Louis!
I must say this station looks
absolutely splendid.
Do people appreciate What
you're doing?
Ah, absolutely.
It cheers them up.
Stations used to always look glorious, but
I think We've improved on days past.
Have you won any awards
in the past?
Oh yes, last year we came up with the
national award for the ACoRPs award...
for the United Kingdom, and we came top
in that category of Best Floral Display.
Well done to you!
- Thank you very much. Bye bye, now.
- Bye bye.
[TRAIN WHISTLE]
My next stop is Kilwinning.
Which lies about twenty-five miles
south west of Glasgow.
From one traditional activity
to another.
I shall be getting off at Kilwinning...
because Bradshaw's tells me that ah
archery club is held here...
which was established in 1488.
And at Which... the "Popinjay" is held.
What is "Popinjay"?
I'm all a-quiver!
Kilwinning is an historic
Ayrshire town.
The settlement and its twelfth
century abbey...
are thought to be named
after Saint Winning.
Today the abbey is just a ruin.
But Bradshaw's is generally reliable
on places of interest.
It may look like a festival of umbrellas,
but it is in fact an archery competition...
with a long history.
I'm meeting Stewart Wilson - from the
Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers.
Hello!
- Hello, Michael, how are you?
- How are you doing, Stewart?
Excellent, apart from the rain!
[LAUGHTER]
Bradshaw's tells me that you've had
ah archery club here since 1488.
1483, in actual fact, is the
date we go for.
Um, its history been a bit
indistinct in that time.
And Bradshaw's talks about...
a "Popinjay". What's that?
A Popinjay is an English word, in actual fact,
for parrot - an old English word.
The Scots word for it is "Popingo".
And that's What we'll be doing today -
shooting at the "Popingo".
What is this handsome object here?
Um, this is the Ancient Society of
Kilwinning Archers' silver arrow.
The first medal that's on it is 1697 -
which is before the Act of Union.
And, er, the earliest part of the trophy
is this part along here.
This was donated by an archer
called David Muir.
A medal goes on for the archer
who hits the pigeon.
Or as we would say:
"Dings doon the do".
"Dings doon the do"?
- Indeed.
- Hmm.
Um, there's a few interesting
medals on here.
We've even had a politician
on here.
No!
Mr Stanford was a professor of Greek
and he stood for Parliament...
in Glasgow - but he didn't get elected.
Hmm, I know the feeling!
But he did stand the following year...
for Paisley - and he got
elected for that.
But he decided he didn't like it.
And Within the year he resigned.
I know that feeling too!
Back in the 15th century, every district
in Scotland...
had a review of its troops -
called a “wapenshaw”.
Where they would show their
weapons and their skill.
And the challenge for the archers was
a target on top of this tower.
Mind the head.
Right Michael, this is What we are
going to be shooting at.
This is the Popingo.
[MICHAEL LAUGHS]
What's it made of?
This is wood - and it's supposed
to represent a pigeon.
This will go on the end
of the pole.
We're going to push it out...
- Right.
- To our mark.
So it just fits - like so.
It's loose at the moment.
And we very carefully
now slide this out.
- So lift from here?
- Lift from there.
Gently.
And slide out now.
In days of old a live pigeon
was used.
We're more humane these days.
Keep it going... keep it going.
Right now, hold it there.
You can let go now.
Well, Stewart, I've done some weird
things in my time, but...
pushing a "Popingo" out on a pole from an
abbey tower rates right up there!
[STEWART LAUGHS]
Despite my evident sporting handicaps...
I'd be so happy to score a "birdie".
WHOA!
Oh, that was close.
That's What you've got to do.
And I expect you to get a bit closer
than that after I've taught you.
But that is absolutely
impossible, Stewart!
Has anybody hit the "Popingo"?
Well, it's been done.
Um, if you look at my bonnet,
you'll see there's three rosettes.
And the rosettes are given
for hitting the wings.
Returning from my training session,
it's time to focus on how...
the oldest archery competition
in the world is going.
[CHEERING]
Yes!
He's done it!
He's dinged doon the doo!
[CLAPPING AND CHEERING]
Well done!
That was fantastic!
You hit the "Popingo"!
Yes, it's absolutely spectacular.
How many years have you tried
to hit the "Popingo"?
Well, this is actually my first year!
No!
Absolutely! First year!
They're really nice because they tell
you "up a bit, up a bit"...
"down a bit", and "right, right"...
and I just let go.
And as it was going up, it was as if
it went into slow motion...
and I saw it hit, and it
was fantastic!
MY go!
Good luck.
[MICHAEL LAUGHS]
Ah, yes!
So, I have just one arrow to hit a target
a hundred and three feet up...
that looks the size of my thumb!
Here we go. Right, Michael.
Remember, you stand one foot on the
step, one foot on the gravel.
Bring the bow up into the vertical.
I'll give you some guidance
with my arrow.
Out more to the vertical.
Come on, out to there,
out to there.
That's better.
It's not the easiest of angles!
When ready.
Oh, that's a good shot.
[NOISE FROM THE CROWD]
Incoming!
[MICHAEL LAUGHS RAUCOUSLY]
That Wasn't as bad as
I thought.
That was close.
I feel good for that!
Thank you so much.
The first award today for "dinging down the doo"
goes to Johann Kangas.
[CHEERING AND CLAPPING]
Congratulations Johann.
How does it feel to
hold that?
Um, impressive!
I did hot, um, I did hot plan oh this when
I showed up this morning.
So I'm really, really grateful.
- Well done!
- Thank you.
I so thoroughly enjoyed being
a medieval archer...
that it's a pity not to celebrate
the "doo" with a dram.
But my bed for the night is
still three stops away.
At my next destination, Bradshaw promises
me salmon and rabbit.
As the goon who failed to "ding doon the
doo", I'm on my Way to Troon.
Troon is famous today for
its royal golf course.
But in the 19th century it was the town's
railway which caused waves.
I'll find out why in the morning.
I'm up early on a stunning morning to
meet local historian Bill Fitzpatrick...
at the site of the Kilmarnock and Troon
railway, which began here at the coast.
Hello.
Excellent to see you.
What an astonishing view!
Beautiful view.
Bill, I believe that the first railway line in
Scotland was hereabouts.
Yes.
The Duke of Portland had many
coalmines in Kilmarnock...
and he decided to build a port down here
to shift his coal - mainly to Ireland.
His original idea was a canal but he
then replaced it with a plateway.
Which would run wagons
pulled by horses on it.
These early rails were specifically
engineered to take a flat wheel.
The plateway rail is L-shaped to keep
the wagon Wheel on track.
And there were frequent places where one
vehicle could pull across to the other track...
to allow a faster horse to pass.
A horse could pull about
five tons in two hours...
from Kilmarnock down to here.
Which is about ten miles.
And What date was all this?
The Act was passed about 1808 - and
the railway was opened by 1812.
It's easy to forget how dependent the world was
oh horsepower before the coming of steam.
Horses were the universal mode of land transport -
from personal steed to omibuses.
This was strictly for coal
then, was it?
That was strictly for coal, but almost from the
beginning they seem to have carried passengers.
Now the railway company couldn't
carry passengers...
but it could license people and it could toll
people for carrying passengers.
And the Way they worked out the passengers
was exactly the same Way as goods oh it.
They were done by Weight.
MY goodness!
So you Wanted to have quite a small breakfast
before you Went down to the train.
Well, I've ho doubt that they had all
that thought out before they Went.
The railway also Went on to become the earliest
line in Scotland to use a steam locomotive.
And the towns of Troon and Kilmarnock benefited
significantly because of its development.
Is there any vestige of
the line left?
This end has gone and the
Kilmarnock end has gone.
But the bit between Barassie and Kilmarnock
is pretty well still there...
re-laid and worked as a proper railway.
So if I were to take a train over those tracks
I'd have a distinctly historic feeling.
Yes.
And that's exactly What I
intend to do.
Because this is the 21st century's big,
bold answer to hauling coal.
I'm embarking on this freight
train at Barassie station.
To travel along this historic route.
These days moving coal from
the port at Hunterston...
to West Burton power station in North Nottinghamshire
is a relatively stress-free business.
In order for the train to change direction from
the main line north to the branch line east...
this 3,300 horsepower locomotive
has to swap ends.
So We've brought the er, locomotive
all the Way down the train, uh...
so we can change ends.
Small impact coming up - BOOM!
Very neat!
Then it's all about pulling this huge weight
back up to cruising speed...
because it's important not to
hold up passenger traffic.
Soot, I noticed the locomotive, powerful
as it is, was quite slow...
to pick up. What kind of
weight are we hauling?
The train that We're hauling today is
upwards of 2,200 ton plus.
She's very heavy and obviously very
difficult to initially get moving.
It's a very powerful machine, but
because of the weight of the train...
it lets you know Where
the gradients are.
So, basically, part of our route knowledge is
knowing Where the gradients are and...
knowing how to use them
to our advantage.
Scot, were you aware this is the
oldest railway line in Scotland?
I was aware of the history involved in this
particular part of the line that we're travelling on.
Having initially been built to transport
coal from the coalfields around...
Kilmarnock up to Troon.
I imagine they were using horses...
- in those days?
- Absolutely. Yes, yes.
And, um, I think around 1812, Wasn't it?
It was 1812?
Yeah.
And, uh, I suppose you've
got to understand it...
because this is very much on
the level, isn't it?
Yes, it is pretty much, yeah.
Although we have got quite a gradient
as we go in to Kilmarnock station.
Pretty much... not noticeable
with a passenger train, but...
with the weight we're pulling today
it's... it's very noticeable.
I'm now returning to the comfort
of a passenger service...
as I head north, towards Glasgow.
[GUARDS WHISTLE]
A short journey north will
bring me to Stewarton.
Bradshaw's tell me that...
"Considerable manufactures of
woollen tartans, caps"...
"and scotch bonnets are
carried on here."
It might have added - balmorals,
glengarries and Tam o' shanters...
because it's a town of hats
to which I'm headed.
Stewarton, in rural northern Ayrshire...
doesn't seem an obvious place for
a Victorian manufacturing hub.
But, in the 1840s it was!
I'm meeting Keith Mackie -
the owner of "Robert Mackie"...
a company that manufactures
traditional Scottish bonnets.
So, I believe I'm not only in Stewarton
but in "Bonnet Toon".
Now, What's the history here?
Well, bonnet making in Stewarton can be
traced back four hundred years.
I can trace it back in my
family eleven generations.
What sort of products were you
producing traditionally?
By today's standards you would call them berets
if you like - rather coarse, hand-knitted berets.
And the customers for these
hats were who?
Everybody, this is Way before the
days of central heating.
You know, if you went outside
you wore a hat...
and that hat would have been
a very simple bonnet.
And tell me about the industry
in Victorian times.
This company was started by Robert Mackie
in 1845, and with the advent of...
very soon after that the railways come into
Stewarton and finer wools were available...
“from, ah, from Australia.
Ah, he invented the first knitting
machine for bonnets.
The steam-powered machines speeded
up the manufacturing process...
and improved the overall quality.
Allowing the company to make bonnets
for Scottish regiments.
Different regiments had different hats.
Some had glengarries, some
had balmorals.
And they had different dicing and
different pompoms too.
And different plumes to signify the hat.
They certainly confer on the wearer
a sense of pride.
The fabric comes off the
machine in a spiral.
And it's out into that shape.
Okay.
I don't want to be rude, but that doesn't
look like anything at all, really!
Ah well, it's then What
we called "linked"...
with an invisible seam.
It's very hard to see.
Beautiful!
If you smell that, you'll
smell the wool oil.
Yeah.
- And it feels quite rough.
- Mmm hmm.
So the next stage is Washing.
And then it's been What we
call "milled" or "felted".
And that's feeling a bit softer now.
It's getting nearer all the time.
I had no idea it was so elaborate!
And then...
the next stage is dyeing.
So it's dyed either black or indigo.
I have a feeling though, that it's
still not quite finished.
It's got a long Way to go.
I never knew there was so much to it!
But, just as with the curling stones,
the tradition of passing down...
the skills, is very much alive.
Keith wants me to meet bonnet
supervisor, Paula Wilson.
- Hello.
- Hello.
Good to see you, I'm Michael.
Good to meet you, Michael.
Have you been making hats
for very long?
Yes, I've been making hats
for thirty years.
- That's a long time!
- That IS a long time!
Your family as well - have
they been in it?
Well, my mum worked here as well.
She was here for twenty-five years.
And my dad worked here.
And at the moment my sister
and my niece work here.
It's a big business in Stewarton,
even today.
Yes, it is.
Even when the body of this glengarrie
is complete, there are still those...
Haul-important embellishments
to be added.
Teresa is making pompoms.
- Hello Teresa. What shall I do?
- Hello.
Well, if you could put your
finger in there, Michael.
- Put my finger in there, you're kidding!?
- Yes, it's all right.
Everything is fine.
Whoa!
That's right.
- Now What do I do?
- Pull it really tight.
Oh, it's shaping up quite nicely, isn't it?
Mmm hmm.
Do you want to give it a
wee bit of a trim'?
Bit of a trim, right, okay...
so, any little bit of...
- surplus stuff.
- Yes.
Just... take those off.
How's that looking?
It's looking lovely, Michael.
Thank you.
For me, one of the bonnets' most iconic
appearances is in this famous railway film.
[FILM: THE RAILWAY CHILDREN]
"They Won't see us!"
"It's all I've got!"
Jenny Agutter - sporting one of
the factory's finest.
Now I wonder whether I can carry it off!
Do you Want to try that one on?
Fits perfectly. How's that?
Very nice.
You suit that, Michael.
"You'll nair look so bonny as in
a bonnet toon bonnet."
[LAUGHTER]
A Martian visiting Scotland might be
surprised to see archers...
shooting arrows at a wooden bird or
curling players sweeping the ice...
before a slithering piece of granite.
With the advent of the railways, trains have
brought competitors and tourists...
to help to sustain these
splendid traditions.
You might think them peculiar,
but if so I'll ask you to keep your opinion
under your Tam o' shanter!
Next time I meet a sea-going beauty.
And she was the last of the Clyde-built excursion
paddle steamers to work on the Clyde.
Discover how a Victorian icon
nearly met his end!
[LION'S ROAR]
And rise to a bake-off challenge.
There's always a point when a dough
says to you that it's had enough.
And, er... I believe that was about
two minutes ago!
[LAUGHTER]
[END THEME]