I finally got to drive Yorkshire’s tiny boats.

The video explores Peasholm Park in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, a British seaside resort. The park is known for its summer attractions, including a bandstand, pedalos, rowing boats, a putting green, and notably, its Naval Warfare show. The presenter recounts visiting the park as a child and being fascinated by the miniature sea battle, which featured scale-model ships, pyrotechnics, and even model planes on wires dropping bombs. Old footage from 1996 provided by John illustrates the spectacle, showing explosions, smoke, and a grand fireworks finale. A surprising fact about the Naval Warfare show is that the ships are not remote-controlled. To understand how this has worked for nearly a century, the presenter met with Noah, one of the park staff, and went behind the scenes into the boatyard. Three of the boats are operated by a winch system, pulled on cables from the boatyard. However, five of the boats are manned by a single crew member each, hidden inside, lying down to pilot the ship and set off pyrotechnics. The show began in 1927, initially with pedal-powered boats. It only ceased during the Second World War and the COVID-19 pandemic. After the war, the unmaintained fleet was replaced, and motors were introduced. These motors are now powered by at least four car batteries. The process of setting up for the show is elaborate. The first job of the day is to lay out the winch cables, which are pulled back into the boatyard after each show. Brandon and Richard demonstrate this process, taking a cable reel out onto a rowing boat and pulling it across the water. Three cables are laid out in a specific order, from the boat shed, around a pivot point on the shoreline, and then to each boat's starting point. The cables are at different depths to prevent rubbing and damage over the course of the season. The pivot system allows the three winch-controlled boats to move in different directions, even though they only travel in a straight line between their starting point and the pivot. The chaos of the other boats distracts the audience from this simple movement. Noah, who handles the special behind-the-scenes effects, operates the pulleys and a switchboard for the front effects, including setting off bombs on the three winch-controlled boats. The switchboard, labeled for various effects, is an old piece of equipment, possibly from the 1930s, and uses old engines that have since been replaced by mobility scooter engines in the boats. These boats still drag long, waterproof firing cables behind them, as there is no radio control. The British Pride, a tanker model, is primarily used to be blown up in the show. The presenter examines the firing cables and pyrotechnics on its deck. Some effects are designed to create large splashes, simulating near misses. To create the dramatic listing effect seen in the old footage, a massive concrete barrel is hidden inside the boat. During the show, when an explosion occurs, the barrel is released, causing the boat to tilt dramatically in the water. Unlike what one might assume, the show is not run by volunteers but by park staff, who are council employees. Training new staff is an ongoing process. Crew members must get used to being inside the boats, which can feel like being in a coffin on water. While most boats allow crew to sit up, the HMS Ark Royal, the aircraft carrier, requires the pilot to lie almost completely flat, making it a challenging boat to operate despite having fewer tasks during the show. The presenter then gets to try piloting one of the boats. He describes the throttle, similar to a motorbike, and the foot-controlled steering. He is initially cautious but eventually opens up the throttle, experiencing the surprising speed and responsiveness of the small vessel. The experience is deeply personal and exciting for him, given his childhood memories of the show. Next, he tries piloting the HMS Ark Royal. Getting into this boat is more difficult, and he must lie almost flat. Visibility is limited to tiny portholes, requiring the pilot to navigate by memory and mental mapping of the lake. He is nervous, especially with tourists watching, and nearly collides with a pedalo. He also has an unexpected encounter with a moth inside the confined space, leading to a startled reaction. The staff later reveal that frogs have also been found in the boats, and setting off effects can cause insects to fly into the crew's faces. Finally, the presenter participates in the pre-show setup, rigging explosions and effects. He is allowed to prep one firework – a large boom used as a bird scarer and a cue for the narrator. He cautiously places the "75mm white crackling" explosive into a tube and, under supervision, flips the switch to detonate it, marking the start of the show's warm-up. The video concludes with the show itself, featuring cheering crowds, explosions, and the narrator's engagement with the audience.