31/01/2014 The One Show

Next up in the Den, it is Chris and Alex. Hello, dragons, thank you for

having us. I am out. We are not asking for money, we want you to

come on The One Show. I think you are very brave, but I am out. We

will give you some chocolate cake. Sorry, I am out. It is really good

chocolate cake. I am going to make you an offer. That was almost

amusing! Welcome to The One Show with Alex Jones. And Chris Evans.

Thank goodness one of the dragons saw the potential in us. Please

welcome Peter Jones. There is your bribe. That is my favourite. I can

slice it for you. Dragons Den is back. Is it true you make your mind

up almost instantaneously more about the person than the product? Yes,

definitely, it is for me about the person when they come in. The

character is really important, like Levi roots. You have to invest with

them and then you have to work with them, so you have got to like them.

What happens if someone had a brilliant idea, but you do not like

them? I would probably still invest. You were not keen on those people

with the blanket for the baby. Have you got that? More on that later.

But first, a story about the oldest holiday theme park which closed

down. However it is about to reopen in 2015. The locals were allowed

back in for a priceless day of nostalgia.

Margate is often called Britain's original seaside resort. Its history

goes further back than Blackpool. No smell ever smells like Margate.

Margate fish and chips, salt and vinegar and Dreamland. You could

smell it from the beach and you could not wait to get in in the

evening. Dreamland itself is the oldest, surviving an amusement park

in the United Kingdom. It did not become Dreamland until 1920, but it

has a huge history and a huge importance. As much as anything it

was all the colours. Everything was painted so brightly, so it was all

the sort of things that would attract you. It had a number of

heydays. Its most popular years of work in the 1950s when Dreamland was

packed and they had seven or eight or 9 million visitors a year. The

fact is Dreamland has been closed since 2006, so they have not been

able to go onto it for seven years. Three, two, one. We are going to

open the gates and let people unto Dreamland. There are no rights, it

is a derelict site, and they can understand the challenge we have

over the next 18 months. This used to be the place where everybody

came. We have got the site and we can use it again to bring it back. I

spent so much time down here, just being here, if you like, that my

family called me Dreamland lives. It makes me think of being little and

feeling a bit sick with excitement because today was going to be the

day that we go to Dreamland. My grandad worked here in the early

1950s. He painted the scenic Railway. When I was little, every

day we came, he reminded me he painted the scenic Railway and he

was really proud of that. The scenic Railway is the most important roller

coasters in the United Kingdom, it is the oldest roller-coaster. It is

different from modern day ones, which would have wheels under the

track. Instead of that there is a break man who sits on a stool at the

back of the train, so literally your life is in his hands. There would be

a brake lever where I would sit and that broke the speed of the train.

If you sat at the back, you would get that kick. Because it is quite

old it is not going to be that fun people think, but it really is. In

Dreamland I saw the who, the small faces, the animals, the Hollies,

Juno Washington, every group that was in the charts in the 60s. In

1969 on New Year's Eve I met my wife in Dreamland. She was wearing red

shoes and she was dancing with all her friends and they used to put

their handbags on the dance floor and dance around their handbags. We

were married two years later and we are still married 42 years on. We

used to come back to Dreamland as much as we possibly could because

that is where we met. It was sad to see it close, but today we have

walked around and seeing the places we used to see 40 years ago. It is a

cliche, but it is the heartbeat of Margate. Everybody wants to see

Dreamland open. We want to bring back the old vintage British. It

worked before, so it can work again. As we heard Dreamland is going to

reopen permanently and will be transformed back to its former glory

with the help of designer Wayne Hemmingway. It is a lovely project.

What is your vision? One is that the world's first amusement park has an

historic ride with the scenic Railway. But we are buying things

from other parts of Britain, from Blackpool and Southport. But there

is going to be a lot more. Elvis Costello played there and we want to

bring it back as a place where you can dance and where families can go

and there is no entrance to get into the park. You will be able to

picnic. We want Roger Daltrey to be there and we want Elvis Costello to

be there. It will be an event space where you could bring your classic

car. Deal done. We could have a food fair. We know how difficult it is to

run a theme park and the money behind this is less than the annual

combined budget of Blackpool and Thorpe Park in terms of their

marketing budget. So we have got to do other things. It is amazing what

you can do when you have got the public behind you. This is almost

being funded by Margate as a community. When you have got that

groundswell of excitement from a town that want it to happen, it is

such an amazing project to work on. And it is part of an all-round

Renaissance of Margate itself. Margate is very excited at the

moment. It has had problems over the past couple of decades, but it is

close to London, the high-speed train goes down to Ashford and that

has brought the travel time down by half an hour. The land value is very

low, so a lot of creative people are moving out of London and setting up

businesses and home there. I am not old enough to remember Brighton when

it first got going, but people keep telling me this is a small version

of Brighton. It has got that excitement and that energy. I go

down there every couple of weeks and something new has open and a young

creative person has thought, I am going to have a go. We would

definitely go for a day out. But the question is, if Wayne walked into

Dragons Den and he pitched Margate to you, would you be in? I would be

in. I think it is wonderful and it is amazing. And you have not spent a

fortune on it. We have not got a fortune to spend on it and without

the community and the lottery, and the council, it would not be

happening. But people can things happen. Especially with the passion

we can seek boozing proud of you. Dragons Den is back on BBC Two and

the Dragons are not agreeing on what makes worthwhile investment.

Will you have a look? We have got some packages. Interest from a major

retailer, the icing on the cake for Kelly Hoppen. But does Peter Jones

share her enthusiasm? Are we being serious. This is a carry bag for a

baby and you are pitching this is a business that is worth half ?1

million? You have put a handle on a blanket. It is a lifting aid. You

can do the same with a blanket and you can lift the baby up. That is

not saved. That is not safe anyway. You get into a routine and you will

forget you have got a baby in there and it will be like a handbag. You

were not keen. It was literally a handle on a blanket and he wanted to

have ?1 million. I was born on a day, but it was not yesterday. He is

getting lots of people must come in with baby centric ideas. Is it true?

It is true, but he was particularly interesting, and I thought they were

winding me up, but he literally had sewn on these handles onto a

blanket. But I was a bit embarrassed afterwards, because when I looked at

it it was very well crafted and it was a very good product. Is this

Dragon guilt? It is guilt, I did feel a bit tired. And there is a

fabulous line-up this year? Piers Linney is an entrepreneur from the

Midlands and we have got the beautiful and lovely Kelly Hoppen.

And we have still got Deborah and Duncan. Does the dynamic change when

the new Dragons come in? Yes, it does. Piers Linney has been trying

to find his feet. Next year is going to be tough because he will know

what it is about and we will have to compete a lot harder. Kelly is

coming from a completely different perspective, which is refreshing,

because we needed a change. She is clearly a designer and that is what

she is good at and she has got a creative brain. Sometimes she will

get it and we will miss it. But I still miss Theo. But what about

Kelly? She is very enthusiastic and she does not step back and she is

not that kind of entrepreneur. But she is a bit easier to sell to. But

I think she will harden up and she is a sharp lady and she knows what

she is doing. What about the ?1 million at somebody asks for last

week? That is embarrassing. 20% of the company. Would you ever say yes

to ?1 million? We have literally ten minutes to make a decision and that

is like a roulette wheel, so probably not. That is a step too

far. What is the most successful business you have invested in? In

the first series I invested in Wonderland Magazine and that is

still going today, I invested ?175,000, which was a lot of money.

And I invested in Levi roots for ?25,000 and six years later we have

got a business worth 30 million. But he did a lot of the work for you

because he was such a big character? Absolutely. He goes out, he is the

character, we run the business, and it works. Levi is a breath of fresh

air and he is such a talent as well. Could he be a drag on for a series?

Yes, I would love him too, because he is sharp, he is a clever guy. We

have got plans to do a restaurant chain with him. Good on him, he has

done well. Dragons Den returns on Sunday at nine o'clock. The transfer

window comes to a close tonight in the football world. But tomorrow it

is all about the rugby. Tomorrow sees the start of the six

Nations and it will be six in ten weeks where each nation will go to

battle. But what about the wives and girlfriends who have to shed those

emotions? The highs of victory and the despair of defeat? I have come

to meet some of them to find out what that is like. There are many

things the partners have to do to help players before and after the

game. I do not think I have an hour in the day to cook them a meal. They

have their own meals. It is embarrassing when you go out for

dinner because they have had already two meals. If he was home, he would

eat a big bowl of pasta beforehand. Tuna, pasta and sweetcorn with

mayonnaise and sour cream, which sounds revolting! We got together

when we were students. But was where it came from. Are there any

superstitions that they carry on at home? Robbie does not tend to do

much washing in our household, but he does wash his kit. The night

before, he will wash his kit, hang it out, dry it, leave my stuff on

the side. I kept putting his scrum hats in the washing machine and they

would shrink. I have never seen a large man so angry at having to wear

a small hat to work. Where do you watch the games? We normally spend

our Saturdays together. Loads of the girls will get together and watch

with the family. What is the feeling like for you if you are watching on

TV and you think it was a bad performance? If things did not go

well, you know they will be gutted. It is a huge honour to play for

their country. All they want to do is win. So I work out how to

empathise with him and talk things through if he wants to, or

completely change subjects. Give them space, let them process what

has happened in the game. Maybe a few hours later, try and make a cup

of tea. It must be scary sometimes to watch. I have a rule in my own

head to count to ten, and who he was still down after ten seconds, I

would know it was bad. I have just had to get used to it and pick up

the pieces if he did get injured and just be there for him until he was

fit again. Sometimes you come to the game just to make sure they walk off

again at the end of it. It is extremely frightening to see someone

you love get battered and bashed and may become off injured. Are there

any other superstitions he has carried on with? No, they are very

rare. Good luck to all the ladies and the home nations playing this

weekend. Peter, you are a big rugby fan?

Massive. He is massive! I was a shirt sponsor of wasps for about

three years. But how good is he at playing the game? You will have

three attempt in our rugby simulator. If you do it, you will be

able to wear the England shirt for the rest of the show. If you don't

do so well, I am afraid it is the French shirt for the remainder of

the game. I know you have a pal who used to be in the game and still

hangs around whenever they let him near, Will Carling, so we thought we

would bring him in to give you some tips. How are you? Will, what do you

know about ticking? Not a lot. I asked Nick Evans, who knows a lot.

Keep your head down, like golf. Swing right through it, a bit like

golf. And be relaxed. Think of the millions watching you. We dedicate

this to your son, who is also called Will. He is talented, though. Off

you go. Take your mark. Best of the three, Peter. I am sure that will

make all the difference! That was a bit rubbish. Was that a

technical term? I think you pulled it. You were a bit tense. Relax.

This could be an omen for tomorrow. Will, I think you will agree, he has

got the length. Yes, he has. This is your big one. Now he is going to hit

it. Don't think about your kids and their friends, watching you. Just

relax. Oh, no. Will, show us. Former England captain, Will Carling. As

long as I don't have to wear a French shirt. No pressure. What

happened to there? All right. Now, I know you might not be able to tell,

but I have been to the gym recently. I look like the bloke in the last

film. Long before Charles Atlas, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sly

Stallone, this was the man who was famed the world over for flexing his

muscles. His name was Eugene. He was one of

the first stars to be immortalised on film.

That was in 1894 by Thomas Edison, who invented an early movie camera

as well as the first practical light bulb. Despite all the fame and

glory, he died a forgotten man, buried in a grave which was unmarked

for more than 80 years. His great-grandson, Chris Davies, has

been researching this pioneer of physical fitness for many years.

What was so special about him 's he realised at a young age that he did

have an athletic physique. He may have been a small man by today's

standards, but he realised that to hard work and developing his own

body, he could sell himself. Born in East Prussia in 1867, a young Eugene

excelled at gymnastics. In his teens, he ran away to join the

circus. He toured Europe with them and met a renowned strongman who

helped him develop his soon-to-be famous physique. Attila had his own

systems, and Eugene was able to develop his own ideas. And he soon

changed his name. It was Friedrich Muller? He was of Polish Jewish

extraction and did not want to give away his true name, because in those

days, there was such anti-Semitism that you would get nowhere. So he

was a great master of inventing himself. In 1889, a reinvented and

newly chiselled Eugene travelled to London, where he took on and beat

two prominent strongmen called Cyclops and Samson. This feet thrust

him into the limelight and he toured the country for four years. Not

content with his success at home, he toured America and teamed up with a

Broadway impresario who helped him become subject of a motion picture.

His fame would reach new heights the world over. He was a very rich man

and due to the success of his American tour, he was able to live

in a very grand style. On his return to London, he cashed in on his

popularity, promoting his unique brand of fitness, endorsing gym

equipment. I have come to the theatre where Sandow would have

promoted his work. He used this Rand, the extraordinary recognition

factor as we would call it today, by opening a gym. Then he built a whole

chain of these and patented a range of different devices designed to

help you with the exercise programme. For example, the

dumbbells. This one is a spring-loaded dumbbell that you have

to squeeze to bring interaction. Sandow believed that it's his system

was introduced across the country, the well-being of the nation's minds

and bodies would benefit considerably. He had thousands of

adherents who followed his programme by mail order. And he came along and

said, we are not go to talk about the decline of a generation, we are

going to talk about regeneration and strength. His fame and influence

enabled him to stage the first major body-building competition at the

royal Albert Hall in 1901. And his wadi was cast by the Natural History

Museum is an example of the perfect form -- his body. I am taking a

replica of the statue to a London gym, to see how he measures up to

the body-builders today. Have you heard of Eugen Sandow? He was a

significant icon. It is amazing to think how far it has come since

those days. Sandow died in 1925 a forgotten man, poor from his failed

as Ms ventures and shunned by his wife and children, due to his

philandering ways. A sad eyes for a man once admired the world over.

Eugen tempt two was not only the father of the building, he was the

father of a worldwide industry now worth billions of pounds. Not bad

for a young man who, seeking adventure, run away to join the

circus. Fantastic! We have been joined

mightily by Peter and his French rugby shirt but also the Royal

Artillery Band, who have just played their regimental march. This is

Captain Craig Hallatt. Welcome to the programme. I have never seen

such a tall man in a fridge rugby shirt . Tell us the story of what is

going on with your band in the next couple of weeks. We are

restructuring, like the rest of the army. The Royal Artillery Band will

move to Wiltshire. So you have changed your location. The band is

going to carry on, but you are doing your separate ways. Yes, all the

members of the band will be going to one of 22 bands across the country.

Lance Bob Adair Pierce, you came back from Afghanistan recently to

find your band disbanded, so to speak. What are you going to do

now, musically? I have been posted to the Army Air Corps band. I am

going in as a vocalist to be part of the new contemporary rock group.

What were you doing in Afghanistan? 18 of us went out there twice in the

last six months to provide user can support and morale for the troops on

the ground while they are away from their loved ones. Captain, the band

will play a couple more dates? They will. Next weekend, we say farewell

to the Woolwich with a concert on Saturday. On Sunday, we have a

parade. Our final swansong will be a trip to India in February. Thank you

for a good turnout. Get along and watch the band. That is it for

tonight. Thank you to Peter Jones, in his French jersey. Wales!

Dragons' Den is on BBC Two at nine o'clock, straight after Top Gear.

Enjoy the rugby and have a happy Chinese new year. Playing is out now

with Post Horn Gallop is the Royal Artillery Band and orchestra.

Goodbye!