Now my favourite memory I think about the smugglers was the fact that I should be playing
a pirate on a pirate ship because I am the world's worst sailor. I turn pale green, I've
only got to see a boat and I'm feeling a bit ucky. Anyway we set off in our pirate ship
and the real skipper of the fishing boat, which was now disguised as a pirate ship,
said he knew a nice quiet bay where we could do all the shooting. So off we set and unfortunately
the water was not smooth, it was decidedly rough. I'd already got myself prostrate because
I know I'm safe. If I keep flat I'm okay on the boat. But the other people who were less
fortunate, Julia, the director, was being sick. The costume man, I thought he was going
to throw himself overboard, he was so violent. And so she said, look let's just give up all
this hope of shooting outside, let's go back to the harbour. Which we did. We could have
shot it on any fish pond in the United Kingdom really and truly. But even then, I mean I'm
so sensitive to that movement of the boat that even in the harbour I could just feel
that gentle sort of up and down motion of the ship. But I managed to control myself
and not spew all over my fellow artistes etc. Another little memory about the smugglers.
When we did the studio filming at Riverside Studios, but it wasn't refrigerated the studio
and I began to feel decidedly unwell sort of thing, you know, with the pressure of the
job and all the rest of it. So they called a doctor. When the doctor arrived and my fellow
artistes realised that she was a very attractive young lady, half the company decided I think
that they were feeling unwell. But anyway she got me down onto a couch and proceeded
to examine me and thought, oh dear yes you have got problems haven't you. Because she
saw these terrible sweat strains in my armpits. I had to tell her of course it was the make-up
department that had put them on, just to sort of give my character that real sort of unpleasant
atmosphere. So that was my memory of the Riverside Studios. Another little memory, which again
might seem trivial, was the fact that they smothered me in what looked like orange aid,
which meant I had to have an exceedingly close bath every night. And that rather got on my
wick rather, I didn't want to be smeared all over. But you will have seen no doubt the photograph
of my having my tattoo being put on by the lovely BBC make-up department. That was quite
enjoyable but not the washing. Just a little story about Derek Ware, who was responsible
for all the fight arranging etc etc. And he at one time used to do a lot of private investigation
into divorce cases etc. And he was commissioned by some wife to follow her husband, who she
suspected was having an affair. So Derek got on the job, followed this man, the man went
round the corner and Derek followed on sort of thing. Unfortunately the man was waiting
for him round the corner and smacked him in the chops.
Although smuggling was common in many coastal regions of England during the 17th to 19th
centuries, it was most widespread in Cornwall, especially in the small towns and villages
scattered along the south coast, where fishing and smuggling were the main activities. The
Rocket coastline in this area has hundreds of small inlets and secluded beaches, capable
of landing and if necessary storing contraband. The local workers' need to supplement their
poor incomes meant smuggling was inevitable. There was a constant demand for cheap goods,
especially tea, brandy, gin, rum, silks and tobacco. The tax levied on certain goods was
so great that at one point tea could be bought in Europe for one sixth of the price in Britain,
while French brandy was only one fifth of the price. Some sources say half a million
gallons of French brandy per year was smuggled into Cornwall. The smugglers called themselves
free traders and took a pride in their ability to outsmart the preventative or revenue men
employed to catch them. Initially smuggling took place fairly openly, with cargoes landed
on shore and transported inland by eager helpers. This was made possible by the involvement
of all sections of the community, from the local landowner to the poorest peasant. The
involvement of high ranking members of society would range from turning a blind eye to full
scale involvement. The phrase, the coast is clear, dates back to the days of smuggling,
when locals would signal to the approaching boats that there were no revenue men around
by walking a white pony along the cliff top or some other pre-defined signal. The revenue
men were under-resourced and could not patrol the huge expanse of coast. Often they were
so poorly paid that they either joined the smugglers or took bribes. However, from around
1800 the revenue men became more organised and proactive. The smugglers had to adopt
a more clandestine approach, dropping cargoes at sea or in sheltered coves to be picked
up later when the coast was clear. This period saw the increased use of tunnels and passages
dug out of the rocks, from which contraband was transferred to south coast towns such
as Loo, Palparo and Covarec. For all of the legends and stories, most smugglers were said
to have been more concerned with feeding their families than making fortunes. The risks,
however, were high. Smuggling activities led to a minimum penalty of transportation to
colonies such as Australia, though often the penalties were much more severe. Robert Lang,
a smuggler from very young, is recorded as being hung at the crossroads at St Mawes as
an example to others.
Having overcome the threat from Wotan and the war machines, the Doctor has returned
to the TARDIS in Fitzroy Square in London, after saying goodbye to his new friends Ben
and Polly. The Doctor sets the TARDIS controls to dematerialise just as Ben and Polly enter.