0:00:02 > 0:00:05Childhood holidays... Oh, ho! The anticipation seemed endless.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08The holiday itself...well, it was over too quickly.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12So, in this series, I'm going to be reliving those wonderful times
0:00:12 > 0:00:14with some much-loved famous faces.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17THEY SCREAM
0:00:17 > 0:00:20Every day, I'll be arranging a few surprises
0:00:20 > 0:00:23to transport them back in time.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27Oh, look! Ha-ha! It's just as I remember! Ha-ha!
0:00:27 > 0:00:29We'll relive the fun...
0:00:29 > 0:00:30THEY LAUGH
0:00:30 > 0:00:32..the games...
0:00:32 > 0:00:34BOTH: Yes! We got him!
0:00:34 > 0:00:37..and the food of years gone by...
0:00:37 > 0:00:38Yum...my!
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Welcome to 1959.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44- Total happiness.- Yes. Perfect.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46..to find out how those holidays around the UK
0:00:46 > 0:00:50helped shape the people we know so well today.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51Bruce Forsyth.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54His mother said, "You're still my favourite."
0:00:54 > 0:00:57So, buckle up for Holiday Of My Lifetime.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00You know, Len, I'm quite enjoying being on my holidays with you.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04On today's journey through time,
0:01:04 > 0:01:06I'm picking up our mystery holiday-maker
0:01:06 > 0:01:09in a car he'll remember well from his trips away,
0:01:09 > 0:01:13a vintage Fiat 132.
0:01:13 > 0:01:14The guest I'm on my way to meet today,
0:01:14 > 0:01:17is in need of a well-deserved holiday.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20After all, he spends most of his time chasing crooks
0:01:20 > 0:01:23and cornering conmen.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26He was born in Wokingham, near Reading, in 1970.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Just look at that cute face!
0:01:30 > 0:01:33You wouldn't be able to pull the wool over those eyes.
0:01:34 > 0:01:39From a very early age you could say, he had a curious nature.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45And this would serve him well as a journalist in the BBC newsroom.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48In 1997, he got on his bike and became a bit of a watchdog,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51but by the looks of him, his bark is worse than his bite.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58He's a real consumer champion and a bit of a brainbox
0:01:58 > 0:02:02being crowned Celebrity Mastermind in 2004.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08Rogue traders fear him and the nation cheers him.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10You got it yet?
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Of course, you have. My guest today is a bit of all right.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15It's Matt Allwright! Hey-hey!
0:02:17 > 0:02:18Matt, here I come!
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Matt grew up in Reading with his piano teacher mum,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31his dad, who was engineer, and his older brother, John.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35Matt was your typical young boy, who was football crazy
0:02:35 > 0:02:38and longed for the summer holidays.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42After studying at university and a stint of teaching in Japan,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Matt went on to qualify in broadcast journalism
0:02:45 > 0:02:49and kicked off his TV career as a presenter
0:02:49 > 0:02:51and producer in BBC newsrooms.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57- Ha-ha! - CAR HORN HONKS
0:02:59 > 0:03:02- Hello, mate.- Matt. - Look at that!- Look at it!
0:03:02 > 0:03:04It's the original.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06- It's the original. Do you recognise it?- Well, yeah, yeah.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09We didn't have an automatic, but I'm not going to be picky.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Look at that, that is exactly...
0:03:11 > 0:03:13That is exactly the one.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16- How are you, mate?- Good to see you. - Good to see you.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17- Hey!- I love it!
0:03:17 > 0:03:22Do you know that was classed as a very big car back in about 1976?
0:03:22 > 0:03:25- Yeah.- This is executive. You got the sunroof and everything.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28- It's a posh, isn't it?- Very posh. - Well, nothing, but the best.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30- Thank you very much.- Now... - Very kind of you.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32..where are we going?
0:03:32 > 0:03:37Len, it's what I call the Teignmouth-Shaldon axis. OK?
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Two little towns either side of an estuary in Devon,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43and for me, it's almost holy ground.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45What year is it?
0:03:45 > 0:03:48- We're talking about 1977. - I remember it.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52That was the year Man U beat Liverpool to win the FA Cup.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- Oh, you see...- Proper football. 100,000 people.
0:03:55 > 0:03:56Yeah, I do remember that
0:03:56 > 0:03:59because I was just taking a really strong interest in football.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Liverpool was my team and it was the first time I can remember losing.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07We weren't really losing at that period, apart from that one game.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09- I'm sorry to bring that up. - Yeah, thanks for that.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11I was on a high at that point. THEY LAUGH
0:04:11 > 0:04:13- Now, listen, we've got a full day. - Excellent.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- We've got loads to do.- Excellent.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- Should we get in?- Are you driving? - I can...I can drive!- Good.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20- Do you trust me?- Yeah... Well, just a bit.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Come on, then! Ho-ho! Tally-ho!
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Teignmouth is a popular Devonshire seaside town
0:04:27 > 0:04:30on the north bank of the River Teign.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Across on the south bank, lies the sleepy village of Shaldon.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36You're just 14 miles south of Exeter
0:04:36 > 0:04:40and 20 minutes' drive from Torquay.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42South Devon is a family favourite
0:04:42 > 0:04:45with over one million visitors coming to stay here
0:04:45 > 0:04:48for some much needed R and R.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52Both Teignmouth and Shaldon have been a holiday hotspot
0:04:52 > 0:04:54since the 19th century.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Today, I'm taking Matt back to re-live those happy holidays
0:05:00 > 0:05:03he had here as a young boy...
0:05:03 > 0:05:04- Come on! In!- That's the one!
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Ha! No!
0:05:07 > 0:05:08BOTH: Yes!
0:05:08 > 0:05:10We've got him!
0:05:10 > 0:05:11..enjoying the sights,
0:05:11 > 0:05:16tastes and smells of his favourite childhood vacations...
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- It's all coming back. - It's coming back to you, isn't it?
0:05:19 > 0:05:20I remember that. Mm.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22That's a good cake.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24..and throw in a couple of curve balls
0:05:24 > 0:05:27at this cool, collected, consumer crusader.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- What am I doing in Wombley Stadium? - You've made it!
0:05:35 > 0:05:40Before any holiday truly begins, first you must set out on a journey.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43We all remember that eager anticipation
0:05:43 > 0:05:48of the magical moments that lie in wait at our dream destination.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53And for Matt, in 1977, his fun-filled family road trip to Devon
0:05:53 > 0:05:57began with setting off in the early hours.
0:05:57 > 0:05:58- So, there you are.- Yeah.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01- I assume your dad's driving. - Dad's driving.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04- Mum?- Mum's in this seat here.- Yeah.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Me and my brother in the back.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10My brother, John, is three years older than me,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13so he'd be ten while I was seven.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17And there was a bit...a bit of a thing that used to go on
0:06:17 > 0:06:21between my dad and my uncle Morris.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24And what they used to do is they used...
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Every year, they used to try and beat each other
0:06:27 > 0:06:30from where we lived in Reading down to Shaldon
0:06:30 > 0:06:32to the hotel where we were staying.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- Right.- So, every year it got a little bit earlier
0:06:35 > 0:06:40until the point where we were woken up in the middle of the night
0:06:40 > 0:06:43with our jamas on and our dressing gowns,
0:06:43 > 0:06:47then they'd stick us on the back-seat and we drive through the night
0:06:47 > 0:06:49to get there for breakfast in the morning
0:06:49 > 0:06:53before uncle Morris and auntie Kate. And that was crucial.
0:06:53 > 0:06:54So, not only was it a holiday,
0:06:54 > 0:06:58it was a bit of a...sort of a... LeMond's, sort of, TT racing
0:06:58 > 0:07:00- sort of thing.- It was. It was.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Gentlemen, start your engines. It was a bit like that.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Did you have any games to play? Was there games involved?
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- Do you know the I Spy books? - Oh, yeah!
0:07:09 > 0:07:11- Of course, I was in the I Spy Tribe. - Was there an I Spy Tribe?
0:07:11 > 0:07:13- There was an I Spy Tribe! - Well, that was what...
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Yeah, my mum sent off for it. So, you had an I Spy?
0:07:16 > 0:07:17So, we had I Spy books
0:07:17 > 0:07:20and they would be of different sorts, as I remember, anyway,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23and some would be spotting particular types of car
0:07:23 > 0:07:27and then you'd be spotting birds or a particular type of tree.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31- And you know, you got points for each one that you spotted.- Yeah.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34But the most important game of all for the journey was...
0:07:34 > 0:07:37- Come on, you are building up to this and I'm excited.- This is the one.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40- The most important game of all! - This is the one.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42This is bigger than racing uncle Morris.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44- Bigger than I Spy.- Yeah.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46The biggest game was
0:07:46 > 0:07:47I can see the sea.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Oh, waiting to see the sea.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51- So, the first person that could see the sea...- Yes!
0:07:51 > 0:07:53And my mum used to build us up,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55literally from the moment we left the drive.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Who's going to be the first person to see the sea?
0:07:57 > 0:07:59- Yeah.- And you come over the crest of this hill...
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Yeah, you'll be looking, looking. You're nearly there.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03- And we look out and...- Ah!
0:08:03 > 0:08:06We didn't realise we'd still be in Swindon or something,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08but we'd still be...
0:08:08 > 0:08:11"I, sort of, can see it, just over the top of that hill.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14- "It's just there." - 'OK, Matt, game on!'
0:08:14 > 0:08:17I think I might've just seen something through there as well.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19- Oh, don't say you saw the sea before me.- I think...
0:08:19 > 0:08:21No, no, you didn't shout it out, so it doesn't count.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24- I didn't shout it out, so I haven't won.- No, no... Anyone could say that.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26"Oh, I saw it three..."
0:08:26 > 0:08:29There's a sunroof. I could poke my head out through it.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34- See, I'm driving, I'm at a disad...- No, you keep your eyes...
0:08:34 > 0:08:35HE SHOUTS: I can see the sea!
0:08:35 > 0:08:37- Oh, eh!- I can see the sea! - Look at it!
0:08:37 > 0:08:42You can see the sea, Matt, but I definitely saw it first.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44What I'd like to be on this journey
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- is I'm going to be your big brother, John.- OK.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51- Right?- Right.- So, I want you to treat me like that.
0:08:51 > 0:08:52Like your brother.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56And I want to join in everything that you and John would have done.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59- All right. That's good. - So, it's going to be good, isn't it?
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Do you know what? That's going to be lovely.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04- My brother now lives overseas. He lives in the States.- Oh, really?
0:09:04 > 0:09:08- So, I don't get to see him as often as I'd like.- Right.- And it...
0:09:08 > 0:09:12It's one of those things we always dial back to these holidays.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14And it's... That would be very...
0:09:14 > 0:09:16The first thing I've got to do, though...
0:09:16 > 0:09:19- Oh, stick your finger in my ear. Ha-ha!- Yeah, that's it!
0:09:19 > 0:09:21You're properly initiated. I've done that.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25Back in 1977, Matt's folks would have paid
0:09:25 > 0:09:29the equivalent of 18p per litre to fill up their car
0:09:29 > 0:09:33and a pint milk would have cost around 11p.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37'77 was also the year of the Queen's Silver Jubilee.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41An estimated 500 million people tuned in to watch it
0:09:41 > 0:09:46and thousands of street parties were held all over the country.
0:09:46 > 0:09:511977 also saw Star Wars premiere in the UK.
0:09:51 > 0:09:59During its first seven days, it took a record-breaking £117,690,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03beating previous record holder Jaws.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07And in 1977, the world mourned the death
0:10:07 > 0:10:12of the legendary Elvis Presley, who passed away in Graceland.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16The King was just 42 and left behind millions of heartbroken fans.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19It's just so...
0:10:19 > 0:10:23It's just unreal right now. I just can't believe it. I'm just numb.
0:10:23 > 0:10:24I'm in a daze.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28A little less conversation and a little more action
0:10:28 > 0:10:33is what's required now, so to begin Matt's holiday of his lifetime,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37I'm taking him back to where it all began - Shaldon.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39- Right there is the Ness.- OK.- OK?
0:10:39 > 0:10:42So, that... What you've got there is a huge chunk of sandstone,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46which used to house smugglers. There's a tunnel in there.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Shaldon village's down there.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Across the way is the bustling and evil metropolis of Teignmouth.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54- Yes.- Where we used to occasionally go.
0:10:54 > 0:10:55So, you've got this nice thing
0:10:55 > 0:10:58where you've got nice, sweet little Shaldon here
0:10:58 > 0:11:01and big, strange and threatening Teignmouth there.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04- When you're four years old...- Ooh! - Yeah, bad things could happen there.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07- We're on holy ground. - We're on holy ground right now.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Poor old Teignmouth.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Isn't it funny how a child's view of the world can be?
0:11:12 > 0:11:15- The car journey is over.- Yes. - You're here.- Right.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Are you still in your pyjamas?
0:11:17 > 0:11:20I'm still in pyjamas and ladybird dressing gown
0:11:20 > 0:11:22with a rope around the middle. That...
0:11:22 > 0:11:26As soon as we get to the hotel, then we go in,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28change very quickly into our swimming trunks.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30As soon as we're in our swimming trunks, we're on the beach.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33- That's it!- No messing. You and John.- Like that.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Me and John on the beach straightaway.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38- So, you're straight into the water, no messing about.- Yes.
0:11:38 > 0:11:39Bucket and spade?
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- Bucket and spade would be essential. - Of course it would.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45As you can see, what we have is this beautiful, pink sand here,
0:11:45 > 0:11:50- and it's perfect for making pink sand castles on the beach.- Yeah.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52And that's what we used to do. We just used to make...
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Inevitably, there'd be a crowd of kids some of whom we know,
0:11:55 > 0:11:56some of whom would be new friends.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59And we'd just be straight in the water and mucking about with them.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Oh, it's fantastic, I've got to say.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Why didn't my mum and dad bring me here?
0:12:04 > 0:12:07We had to go all the way down to blooming St Ives
0:12:07 > 0:12:09about another 300 miles.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12- Shaldon's for the chosen few.- It is.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Obviously, we weren't...
0:12:15 > 0:12:16We weren't in the game.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Tourism has been big business for Shaldon and Teignmouth
0:12:25 > 0:12:27since Victorian times.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Local historian Viv Wilson is so in love
0:12:30 > 0:12:35with this part of the country that she's written 13 books about it.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40The town had a different beat in the early '70s.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43The beat that came with lots of people coming
0:12:43 > 0:12:45and staying for a week or a fortnight
0:12:45 > 0:12:47and really getting involved with the simple pleasures
0:12:47 > 0:12:49that Teignmouth offered then.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52The beaches were still so crowded that every family,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55you know, was crushed in next to another family.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59And the whole thing about holiday making at that time
0:12:59 > 0:13:03was that it was a simple holidays-at-home idea.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Teignmouth's seafront, for example, had enough room
0:13:06 > 0:13:11to accommodate 2,000 people from one end of the seafront to the other.
0:13:11 > 0:13:132,000 holiday beds.
0:13:13 > 0:13:14It's quite different to now
0:13:14 > 0:13:18because the town has become more visited by day people.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20You know, they come, have a meal, walk about,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22go to a show, perhaps, and then go away.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24So, it's a completely different atmosphere
0:13:24 > 0:13:28to the days of the big holiday groups coming down and staying
0:13:28 > 0:13:30as they were in those times.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37Over seven million day visitors come to South Devon every year,
0:13:37 > 0:13:42but for Matt, back in the '70s, his visit would last a whole week.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45He stayed at the Bairnscroft Hotel,
0:13:45 > 0:13:49which, although still standing, has not been a hotel for some years now.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54- Eh-ah!- This is that.- This is it.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55So, this is it, right?
0:13:55 > 0:13:58At the front there, where you see those two pillars,
0:13:58 > 0:14:02that used to have a wrought iron sign going over the top
0:14:02 > 0:14:04that said Bairnscroft Hotel.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Basically, this was the centre of Shaldon
0:14:07 > 0:14:10because it was full of families all, you know...
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Most of them either half or full-board.
0:14:12 > 0:14:13So, everyone was back for lunch
0:14:13 > 0:14:15and then everyone was back for tea and dinner.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18- And it was... That was it. - And it's a lovely spot, isn't it?
0:14:18 > 0:14:22It's lovely cos you're looking out... You couldn't get better!
0:14:22 > 0:14:24- You've got everything you need right here.- Right.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27- So, you go straight across the road... Mind the road!- Mind...
0:14:27 > 0:14:28BOTH: Mind the road.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Go straight over the road and then you're straight
0:14:31 > 0:14:35onto this lovely beach, which is just powdery, fine sand.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37The great thing about this place, it was so geared for kids.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41You had a massive playroom out in the back, which had like trampolines
0:14:41 > 0:14:44and, you know, little carts you could cycle around and that sort of thing.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48In the evenings, after you'd been on the beach all day,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50about five o'clock, in the dining room,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52they laid out this huge high tea.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56There was like mini rolls and jelly and ice cream.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58It's where I first discovered peanut butter.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02And all this food was just... It was just as much as you wanted.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Well, sadly, Bairnscroft is no longer a hotel,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08but I've got some good news for you.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13It's now a retirement home and you're getting on a bit.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16- Maybe you could... - There's a couple for sale, actually.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20If I put a deposit down now, I might be able to afford it by it's...
0:15:20 > 0:15:21When it's time to retire.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27The waters around Shaldon and Teignmouth are perfect
0:15:27 > 0:15:28for a spot of fishing,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31which is something that a seven-year-old Matt loved to do.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Along with his father and brother, John,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37they would hire a boat from a well-known local fisherman
0:15:37 > 0:15:40called Snowy Hook and head out to sea.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Sadly, Snowy's boats no longer run,
0:15:43 > 0:15:45but I've arranged a special vessel
0:15:45 > 0:15:50so Matt can relive those magic moments.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53- So, old Snowy Hook, when you used to come as a kid...- Yeah.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56How... Was he a proper sort of seaman-looking bloke?
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Oh, listen, he was...
0:15:58 > 0:16:01They based the look on him.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04He had the little woollen hat on the back of his head.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09He had National Health glasses. He had snow white hair, I remember.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13And he always seemed to have, like, a fish-hook in his mouth
0:16:13 > 0:16:15or something that was going on. He was mending nets.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19He was the archetype fisherman. That was it. That was it.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21So, it was the full deal.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Matt tells me mackerel was the usual haul,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27so we're going to give it a go today and see what we can catch.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31So, this has got to go over the back.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Look, it's got caught on my foot, now.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35- I've already caught something already.- What have you done?
0:16:35 > 0:16:38- Oh, now I've got to go... Get it off me.- There we are.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41- Down goes the weight. - Down goes the weight.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Just keep your hand on the line like that.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45And you'll know when you've got one.
0:16:45 > 0:16:51# Oh, little, pretty mackerel Bite on my line
0:16:51 > 0:16:56# I've been waiting quite a while And now I think it's time
0:16:56 > 0:17:00# I'd like to pull you up And bash you on the head
0:17:00 > 0:17:04# And then have some fish and chips Once you're dead. #
0:17:04 > 0:17:06HE LAUGHS
0:17:06 > 0:17:08- That is...- That's a mackerel song. - It's quite disturbing.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11I bet Snowy would have known just where to go.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14He used to point the boat in the direction,
0:17:14 > 0:17:16and you'd be out there for five minutes
0:17:16 > 0:17:19and you'd definitely have one. You definitely have one at least.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22While Matt loved catching fish when he was younger,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24these days it's crooks that he catches
0:17:24 > 0:17:27on the consumer show Watchdog.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30So, what's it like to be part of a sting?
0:17:30 > 0:17:31You know, you set it all up.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Well, actually, Len, funnily enough, it's very much like fishing.
0:17:35 > 0:17:42You lay your wires down, you put your bait out there and then you wait.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44- For the bite.- You wait for the bite.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46It is exciting, you know? And it can go right or wrong.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49You don't know, and that's quite exciting in itself.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52And what about the disguises? Do you like dressing up? Who...
0:17:52 > 0:17:55There's a bit of a sort of...failed wannabe actor, I think, in me.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58And we spent ages coming up with those characters.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01And again, sometimes they worked and sometimes they didn't.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04- When they worked, it was really good fun.- Yeah.- It was brilliant.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06I hated the old bloke one that we did
0:18:06 > 0:18:09cos he was like about 80 years old
0:18:09 > 0:18:12and it took five hours to get all the prostatic make-up on,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15but we got one fantastic sting out of that, made it all worth it.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17- Yeah.- Stitched this guy up
0:18:17 > 0:18:21who was trying to sell products to older people
0:18:21 > 0:18:24and he was claiming that he was, you know, a church-going,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Bible-loving guy, you know?
0:18:27 > 0:18:29And that they were all in it for the good of the people
0:18:29 > 0:18:31they were selling to. And they weren't.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Behind his hand, he was laughing at them and taking advantage.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37And so, you know, that's when it's worth it.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40I've got...I've got...
0:18:40 > 0:18:41BOTH: Two!
0:18:41 > 0:18:43THEY CHEER
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Now, you've got to kill them! Oh, no.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47THEY CHEER
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Oh, my God! I've got your line as well. That's yours.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53- We've got one each.- Huh? - We've got one each.
0:18:53 > 0:18:54Yeah.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56I'm not touching that!
0:18:56 > 0:18:58- You've got to hold it. - No, I can't hold it.- It's your fish.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00- Take responsibility for your f...- No!
0:19:00 > 0:19:04- Take responsibility for your fish! - No, no! Oh, no... I'm not.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- Touch it!- No, I'm jumping off.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Neither of us fancy fish for our tea,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12so it's back into the sea for these little guys.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Matt might be used to catching slippery little blighters,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18but clearly, I'm not,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20although I have been up to something fishy,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24and I have a surprise in store on the shore.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Snowy Hook, sadly, passed away a number of years ago,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30but I've tracked down his daughter, Allie,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34who still lives and works locally, and she's come along to meet Matt.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41- This is Allie.- Hello, Allie. - Hello. How lovely to meet you.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- Allie is Snowy Hook's daughter. - No!- Yes, I am.
0:19:44 > 0:19:45Oh, my goodness.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49It's so amazing that you remember my dad when you're little boy.
0:19:49 > 0:19:50Do you know, we don't just remember him,
0:19:50 > 0:19:54he was an absolute essential part of our holiday. And it was...
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Every time we came down, it would be, "Stop at Snowy's,"
0:19:57 > 0:19:59which is just down there on the beach...
0:19:59 > 0:20:00Yeah, yeah. Just down by the...
0:20:00 > 0:20:02..and we'd go and do what we've just done.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05You think about that hotel that was full of kids for all those years,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08and all of them would've known them and all of them, like me,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11have just got a little bit of a fragment of Snowy stuck away...
0:20:11 > 0:20:14No, that's so lovely. I mean, Dad didn't know.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16He didn't realise that he had this effect on people's lives.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18He just thought, "Well, this is what I do for a living.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20"I hire out boats."
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Then of course, you know, growing up here as children,
0:20:23 > 0:20:24I thought this was my dad's beach.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27And I used to look at all the holiday-maker children I think,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29"Excuse me! Get off my dad's beach."
0:20:29 > 0:20:32You know, it... It was cos we were here for a week
0:20:32 > 0:20:34or two weeks, if we were lucky,
0:20:34 > 0:20:36and he was here the whole time.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38We're all so happy with that.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41My daughter's here and my granddaughter and, you know,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44- she was very close to her grandad. Very close.- I bet.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47She loved him. We all did.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Yeah, we miss him dreadfully because he was such a huge character.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53- He was enormous fun. - And, Allie, I've got to tell you,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55I think you've made Matt's day.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57- Oh, thank you so much. - It's really lovely meeting you.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00- Thank you so much.- Thank you so much for remembering my dad.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03That really means a lot to all his family.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Your...your family and your dad
0:21:05 > 0:21:08is part of our family story and mythology
0:21:08 > 0:21:10and, you know, that's...that's...
0:21:10 > 0:21:13- that's really lovely. It's lovely to share that.- Thank you.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15Oh, what a lovely moment there for Matt.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18While Snowy and his beach hut are no longer around,
0:21:18 > 0:21:23there's still plenty to see and do within just a few miles of Shaldon.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Time for my Ten from Len.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31Less than 15 minutes down the road is the Babbacombe Cliff Railway.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Built in 1926, it shuttles 100,000 holiday-makers
0:21:35 > 0:21:39to and from Oddicombe Beach every year.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43With spectacular views of Lyme Bay and Portland Bill,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47John Keats described it as one of the best views in the world.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50The two carriages act as counter weights
0:21:50 > 0:21:54and travel 240 feet up and down the cliff.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56The House Of Marbles is a working glass
0:21:56 > 0:21:59and games factory set in a historic pottery.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03For many years, an unusual range of games, toys,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06puzzles and, of course, marbles have been made here.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10Home to some of the rarest marbles on the planet, there's also
0:22:10 > 0:22:15the world's largest marble run and a giant floating marble.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20The town of Teignmouth's population of around 15,000 increases
0:22:20 > 0:22:24massively during the summer as tourists flock here.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29Strolling along the promenade, you can take in the impressive Georgian
0:22:29 > 0:22:32and Victorian architecture and visit the Grand Pier,
0:22:32 > 0:22:37complete with amusement arcade. Oh, love it!
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Although Matt and his family spent most of their time in Shaldon,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44every holiday, they'd venture across the water to Teignmouth
0:22:44 > 0:22:48so that the boys could go on the pier to play the arcade machines.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51All year round I would be looking forward to getting in here
0:22:51 > 0:22:56with a big bag of 2p coins, with my brother, and spending them in here.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58That was the focus of our holiday.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01- What, even in nice weather? - Doesn't matter. Don't care.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03I just want to get in there, have a
0:23:03 > 0:23:06play on the games that we did last year but didn't quite win.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09My mum wouldn't have let me. She'd have let me go in if it was raining.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11When we ran out of money, that was it, it was all over.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14- That was the deal.- Right.- That was the deal.- Let's get in there.
0:23:14 > 0:23:15Let's have a go.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Penny-in-the-slot machines became big business in the late
0:23:20 > 0:23:2519th century, but there's even a crude version of one that dates
0:23:25 > 0:23:27back to early as 200BC.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30The rise of Victorian seaside holidays
0:23:30 > 0:23:34and the invention of pleasure piers brought with them the penny arcades.
0:23:34 > 0:23:39And for Matt, there was always one machine that he made a bee-line for.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47- Quite a lot has changed. But this is the one.- The tuck shop?
0:23:47 > 0:23:48The tuck shop.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52The tuck shop game is the one.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Right. You're wondering what to do, aren't you?
0:23:55 > 0:23:57- Yeah.- It's very simple.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01What you do is, you get a ball that comes down here.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03No flippers, nothing else.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08It bounces and changes the lights through red, amber, green.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11And if you land on green, if it finishes on green,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13- you get a tube of sweets.- Ah!
0:24:13 > 0:24:17- We've got a bag of 2p coins. - These are 10p a go.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- So we're going to struggle a bit with that.- Inflation.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22- Inflation. - It used to be 2p but, you know,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25I don't think that would work anymore, financially.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31- Here we are. Let's give this one a go.- You put it in.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Here comes the ball. Go for it. You've got to end up on green.
0:24:36 > 0:24:37Come on!
0:24:38 > 0:24:40THEY GROAN
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Another one.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44- It's on green, on green. - Stay on green!
0:24:44 > 0:24:45- Don't. No!- No!
0:24:45 > 0:24:48I think you're due it, you're good. But John was better.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- Let's have a joint pull.- OK.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Go.
0:24:54 > 0:24:55This will be the one.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57- Come on.- Come on!- Back on green.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00This is turning into the most expensive
0:25:00 > 0:25:03packet of sweets I think we've ever had.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07- Come on!- Green! Green!- That's the on!
0:25:07 > 0:25:08Ah! No! THEY CHEER
0:25:08 > 0:25:09We got them!
0:25:12 > 0:25:15- Oh!- There we go. Yeah, nice.- Nice.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18- That only cost us about three and a half quid.- We were robbed.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23Now Matt has been a TV presenter and consumer champion for 18 years
0:25:23 > 0:25:27and I'm interested in what made him decide that was the career for him.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29How did you get into journalism?
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Right, so, I'd always wanted to be in advertising.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36And then I suppose something changed.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39I saw that actually adverts didn't give you the whole story.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42They were misleading you sometimes.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Then suddenly I flipped to the other side and said,
0:25:44 > 0:25:48"Actually, I'd like to tell the true story behind some of the products."
0:25:48 > 0:25:51So, just to undercut that a little bit.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53And say to people, "Don't believe everything.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56- "Don't believe everything you're sold."- Yeah.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58I hate the thought of people being taken for a ride.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01I just don't like it. People should be allowed to have a
0:26:01 > 0:26:03fair crack of the whip and make their own decisions.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05- And make their own mistakes.- Yeah.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08You should have clear information. And you shouldn't be lied to.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12- And then you can do what you want with it.- Yeah.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16And I think that's a really sort of fundamental idea.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19How did you first get into television?
0:26:19 > 0:26:20What was your first job?
0:26:20 > 0:26:25The first job I had in telly, I worked down in Southampton,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27for BBC down there.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30I was working as a sort of producer/reporter.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34Then my mum had a problem with her tumble dryer.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37And it sounded to me like a story.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39She kept going on about it and I said,
0:26:39 > 0:26:43"If you don't stop going on about it, I'll call Watchdog."
0:26:43 > 0:26:44And she didn't. So I did.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48And they said, "Well, that sounds like a story to us as well."
0:26:48 > 0:26:50They called me in to report on the story.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Then I just hung on to the desk.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55But they very quickly worked out that I was no good as a producer.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57So that wasn't going to work.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00And so they said, "We'd better stick him in front of the camera
0:27:00 > 0:27:03"and let him do stuff there." And that seemed to work a bit better.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05It certainly did,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09as Matt has helped expose hundreds of dodgy dealers all over Britain.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13- Blimey. That's seen some action. - Yeah, they're not in...
0:27:13 > 0:27:16I wouldn't say they'd pass their MOT this year.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20- No. Not pristine.- But, you see, because I was a Liverpool fan,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23- always, only one choice. It could only be the red one.- Yeah.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26- That was it.- Where would you be?
0:27:26 > 0:27:27Would you be in the front or the back?
0:27:27 > 0:27:30- Always in the front.- Yeah. Brother John in the back?
0:27:30 > 0:27:32- No, he'd be alongside, up the front. - Oh, the two of you?
0:27:32 > 0:27:35The beauty of this, you see, you've got four steering wheels.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38The ladybird people have cleverly recognised that everyone wants
0:27:38 > 0:27:42- to drive.- Yeah.- So why would you... - Why would you limit it to one?
0:27:42 > 0:27:44It's not actually going to affect the way it goes.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47You're just going round and round. Give everyone a steering wheel.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50- That's what you want to do. - That wouldn't be a bad idea in cars.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Give people the illusion that they're driving.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54You could have two steering wheels, and then
0:27:54 > 0:27:58when my wife starts moaning at me, I can say, "Go on, you take over."
0:27:58 > 0:28:00She's got her own wheel. Just gets cracking.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04- Possibly some safety implications with that, but...- Possibly.
0:28:04 > 0:28:09- Fabulous.- But that's it. Look. It's still there. It's still there.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11- Teignmouth Pier is still here.- Yes.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15Some of those games are still there, back from 1976.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17It hasn't changed.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Now, if hanging out at the amusements doesn't appeal,
0:28:22 > 0:28:26don't worry, as there are plenty of other places to go to.
0:28:26 > 0:28:32Devon has many beaches, from large spacious sands to quieter coves.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35And if it's tranquillity you're after,
0:28:35 > 0:28:38then Watcombe Beach is well worth it.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Surrounded by cliffs and wooded hillsides,
0:28:41 > 0:28:44it's the perfect place to relax.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Over-indulging is often a holiday side effect
0:28:48 > 0:28:51so some exercise might be called for.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55You can test out your balance and try a yoga class with a twist -
0:28:55 > 0:28:57it's not for the water phobic though,
0:28:57 > 0:29:01as it's yoga while paddle boarding on the River Teign.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04For those looking to keep dry but still want to work off
0:29:04 > 0:29:09the holiday excesses, then a walk could be the perfect tonic.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13Poet John Keats spent many weeks in Teignmouth in 1818,
0:29:13 > 0:29:15and you can walk past the house
0:29:15 > 0:29:18where he lived, on Northumberland Place.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20During his particularly wet stay,
0:29:20 > 0:29:24Keats described the weather in a letter as "splashy, rainy,
0:29:24 > 0:29:28"misty, snowy, foggy, haily, floody and muddy."
0:29:28 > 0:29:30A typical bank holiday weekend, then.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35Now, one place Matt looked forward to going to every year
0:29:35 > 0:29:38was a five-mile drive down the coast.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41- So, there's you and John in the back.- Yep.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45- Were you well behaved? - There was a lot of singing.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47# We're off, we're off
0:29:47 > 0:29:49BOTH: # We're off in a motor car
0:29:49 > 0:29:53# 50 cops are chasing us and we don't know where we are. #
0:29:53 > 0:29:55That was it. And that would be the first verse,
0:29:55 > 0:29:59which was repeated basically until you were sick of it.
0:29:59 > 0:30:00The only thing was...
0:30:00 > 0:30:03Being very young,
0:30:03 > 0:30:07I wasn't aware of the fact that people called police cops.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09Oh, right.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12And I had this picture in my head of being chased by cups and saucers.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16- Oh, so the cop became a cup. - Yeah, "50 cups is after us."
0:30:16 > 0:30:19# 50 cups is after us and we don't know where we are... #
0:30:19 > 0:30:21I couldn't understand it at first.
0:30:21 > 0:30:26I can sense Matt's excitement brewing and it's all because
0:30:26 > 0:30:29we're going to The Babbacombe Model Village in Torquay,
0:30:29 > 0:30:34which was always a huge highlight of Matt's family holiday.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36I love model villages.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39This is not A model village, this is THE model village.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Every other model village was based on the excitement that this
0:30:42 > 0:30:44brings out.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46Because it's not just a model village, it's funny.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49- They've made it funny.- I don't care. I want to get in there.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51Let's check it out.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55Fire station. Railway. Olympic Stadium! Shut up!
0:30:55 > 0:30:59Wombley Football Stadium. Not Wembley. BOTH: Wombley.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01- That is the one to look for. That's the best bit.- Oh!
0:31:03 > 0:31:08Since opening in 1963, the model village has become Torquay's
0:31:08 > 0:31:11most popular and visited tourist attraction.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15Just 15 minutes' drive from the hotel in Shaldon, Matt looked
0:31:15 > 0:31:17forward to coming here every year.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20- Just look at it.- Look at it! - It's so cool.- It's massive.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22- Look over there.- The bu...
0:31:22 > 0:31:25- Oh, look at the burning building! - How does that work?
0:31:25 > 0:31:29'Representing British life and culture over the last five decades,
0:31:29 > 0:31:33'it appeals to all ages - even old geezers like me!'
0:31:34 > 0:31:39- It's the world in miniature.- Yeah. You're absolutely right.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42- That's why it's called a model village.- That's what it is.
0:31:42 > 0:31:43I've got it now!
0:31:43 > 0:31:48- It's fantastico!- Listen, this is the thing...- Look, helicopter!
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Look, with the thing going round.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53Oh, I could live here.
0:31:53 > 0:31:58For you, seven years old, this must have been a fantastic place.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01- This is the thing, right. We did it every year.- Yeah.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04- And yet, it didn't get old.- Yeah. - You still looked forward to it.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07Now you think, well, you might come here once and think,
0:32:07 > 0:32:09"Well, we've done that. We don't want to go back."
0:32:09 > 0:32:12- We did it every single year. - I would have done it every day.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15And I looked forward to the burning house, Wombley Stadium,
0:32:15 > 0:32:17the weather centre and these things
0:32:17 > 0:32:21just as much every year, cos it was part of the routine.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23- Was it just you or did your mum like it?- No.
0:32:23 > 0:32:28My mum says if she could take one moment of our childhood
0:32:28 > 0:32:32and put it in a bottle, it would this place, me and my brother,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35and we've got a picture of it, standing on that bridge down there.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38We've got a photo of the two of us down there.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40And that is the moment she would bottle and keep.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44Didn't you, as a kid, you know, want to jump over this bit of fence
0:32:44 > 0:32:48and go down, kneel down and play with them all?
0:32:48 > 0:32:52Not really. No. I did want to go into Wombley Stadium.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55I did want to play with those. Cos I used to play Subbuteo a lot.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58- Oh, yeah.- And so it just looked like a game of Subbuteo.
0:32:58 > 0:33:03- But the rest of it, I was happy just the way it was.- I...I...
0:33:03 > 0:33:06Two things would have happened if I'd have come here.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09- First of all, I'd have been trying to get into the place.- Yeah.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12And when my mum said, "All right, it's time to go now,"
0:33:12 > 0:33:13I'd have cried.
0:33:13 > 0:33:14You were a bad lad.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17What you're describing, that is a poorly behaved child.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19Me? Never!
0:33:19 > 0:33:23Now I know Matt is dying to take a look at his old favourite,
0:33:23 > 0:33:27Wombley Stadium, but what he doesn't realise is that there's a very
0:33:27 > 0:33:30special surprise waiting for him.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33- They've not got rid of the streaker, I'm glad to see that.- Yeah.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37You see that, it's part of the crucial appeal of the whole place.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40- Yeah.- Yeah. He's still funny.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43And still allowed full-frontal nudity in miniature.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45Who's that chap there?
0:33:46 > 0:33:51Who is that chap with a motorbike standing by the side of the pitch?
0:33:51 > 0:33:54What am I doing in Wombley Stadium?!
0:33:54 > 0:33:57- You've made it. - I've made it into Wombley!- Ah!
0:33:57 > 0:34:00- I was waiting...- That is mad! Have they made that?
0:34:00 > 0:34:05They've made a model of you and placed it in Wombley Stadium.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08You have arrived.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10I can't believe that.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13All I want now is to put the streaker on the back of my bike.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16Then we'll be perfect. It'll be absolutely spot-on.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19And never one to miss out on the action...
0:34:19 > 0:34:22- So you're there as well?! - Seven!- Seven!
0:34:22 > 0:34:24THEY LAUGH
0:34:24 > 0:34:25We've made it.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28We're there during the World Cup and everything.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31- People of Babbacombe... - We've arrived.- We've made it.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33Oh!
0:34:33 > 0:34:37- Let's do a selfie. - LAUGHING: A selfie by Wombley.
0:34:40 > 0:34:45Nice. I tell you what, even if I get my hand in the pavement
0:34:45 > 0:34:48- at Hollywood Boulevard, it will never get...- More than that.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51It won't get more important than that.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58No holiday experience is complete without
0:34:58 > 0:35:00stuffing your face with food.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05The memories of those tastes, smells and textures stay with us forever.
0:35:05 > 0:35:10For Matt, it was all about high tea at the Bairnscroft Hotel.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14Sadly, as it's now retirement apartments, Matt can no longer
0:35:14 > 0:35:20go to high tea, so instead, I'm going to bring high tea to him.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23There is a problem here. For you.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26- Right.- Because obviously, when I was at high tea, I was a kid.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29- Yeah.- But you, at that time, would have been an adult.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32- Right.- And high tea is not for adults. It's only for kids.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36- You eat later in the restaurant. - Oh, right.- With a glass of wine.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39This is just for the kids.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42But I'm your brother John. Wasn't he invited?
0:35:42 > 0:35:45- If you are my brother John, then yes. - I said that from the off.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48You did say that. You're playing the role of my brother John.
0:35:48 > 0:35:53- In which case...- I can enjoy the high tea.- You can have whatever you want.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55- You don't start with the sandwich. - What do you start with?
0:35:55 > 0:35:57You start with the cake. Obviously.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00The cake's first, and then you work your way through to the sandwich.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02I'm going to offer you a cake.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05- OK.- And may I tell you a little bit about that cake?- Go on.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11That cake was baked by a lady called Anita.
0:36:11 > 0:36:18- Right.- Who was in charge of your hotel until 1980.
0:36:18 > 0:36:19Oh!
0:36:19 > 0:36:25And she has produced that cake to the same recipe that she
0:36:25 > 0:36:28would have used in 1977.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32This is an original Bairnscroft high tea cake.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34From 1977.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41- It's all coming back. - It's coming back to you, innit?
0:36:41 > 0:36:43I remember that.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45That's a good cake.
0:36:45 > 0:36:46It's only when your mum says,
0:36:46 > 0:36:50"Have a sandwich as well" that you reluctantly have a sandwich.
0:36:50 > 0:36:51That's the point of high tea,
0:36:51 > 0:36:55you have whatever you want and you're in control.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57That was the beauty of the Bairnscroft.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01- It was all about the kids. - Would it be every kid in the hotel?
0:37:01 > 0:37:02All of them?
0:37:02 > 0:37:06Yeah, we were feral. We were like rats.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11I'm not surprised with the amount of sugar in this little lot.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13But it doesn't half taste good.
0:37:15 > 0:37:20- You've got all your major food groups there. Eclair.- Yeah.- Bourbon.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23- Fairy cake.- Tunnocks.
0:37:23 > 0:37:24Jam tart.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27Basically there's nothing that you'd call healthy here at all.
0:37:27 > 0:37:32- No.- Was this daily?- Daily. 5.00 every day. One week of the year.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35That hotel, how did it ever close down?
0:37:35 > 0:37:40In the 1970s, you've got to remember, for the other 51 weeks
0:37:40 > 0:37:43- of the year, you'd just basically be eating fish fingers and beans.- Yeah.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46- And that was it. - Yeah.- This wasn't a big deal.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50- You wouldn't get anything like this for the rest of the year.- No, never.
0:37:50 > 0:37:51God, it's good!
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Over eight million people visit Devon every year,
0:37:55 > 0:37:57and it's easy to see why.
0:37:57 > 0:38:02Templer Way is an 18-mile walk that traces the historic tramlines
0:38:02 > 0:38:06and canal routes that transported granite from the quarries
0:38:06 > 0:38:08on Dartmoor to the docks at Teignmouth.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13Nearly 200 years old, the tramway has long since disappeared,
0:38:13 > 0:38:15but there's still plenty to see
0:38:15 > 0:38:20with open moorland, woodland, river valleys and old quays.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24Devon has always been known for its stunning coast and countryside,
0:38:24 > 0:38:29but the area is becoming as famous for its fresh food, too.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Tucked away behind the fisherman's sheds on Back Beach
0:38:32 > 0:38:37in Teignmouth is a unique shellfish takeaway called The Blue Hut.
0:38:37 > 0:38:42It's hardly changed since it was established in 1936 and its seafood
0:38:42 > 0:38:47is still caught by local fishermen - all served up with great views.
0:38:48 > 0:38:53Voted Devon's Top Beauty Spot, Becky Falls was also
0:38:53 > 0:38:58chosen as one of the WWF's Amazing Family Days' Out.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02Set within a spectacular ancient valley, visitors can take
0:39:02 > 0:39:06in the stunning woodland, waterfall walks and animal attractions.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12Ness Cove lies between the magnificent red cliffs
0:39:12 > 0:39:15of the Ness Headland, at the mouth of the Teign Estuary.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19The beach is known to have been used by smugglers in the past
0:39:19 > 0:39:23and many believe the access tunnel was built by them,
0:39:23 > 0:39:27although another rumour is that it was created by the owners
0:39:27 > 0:39:32of nearby Ness House so they could access a private beach.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39In what way do you think your holidays coming here helped
0:39:39 > 0:39:42to shape you to become who you are now?
0:39:42 > 0:39:44Do you know what? My holidays here were just a...
0:39:45 > 0:39:47Just like my childhood, to be honest.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50They were a distillation of my childhood.
0:39:50 > 0:39:55Which was almost without exception very, very happy.
0:39:55 > 0:40:00I was very, very happy. My mum and dad are, were just terrific.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02They're great.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04And we'd come here and you would just feel,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07as I was all of the time, I'd feel totally safe.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10And totally happy. Surrounded by lovely people who looked...
0:40:10 > 0:40:14And do you know what? There's a lot of people that don't get that
0:40:14 > 0:40:17when they're growing up. And it gives you a sense of security,
0:40:17 > 0:40:21a great foundation that you can start with. And I just was lucky.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24You're keen on seeing people get value for money.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Do you think this place is value for money?
0:40:26 > 0:40:29I don't know how much my dad paid for it. I know it was a lot of money.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31Considering what he was earning.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35But at the same time, what you took away from it, the memories
0:40:35 > 0:40:38and the pictures and the experiences that we had, you can tell
0:40:38 > 0:40:40how much I love that stuff.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44And how much it still...I've got it not just in detail,
0:40:44 > 0:40:47but it's in Technicolor those years that we spent here.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50And it's as vivid now for me
0:40:50 > 0:40:52as things that happened a couple of weeks ago.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54- You can't put a price on that. - No.- Really.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00What a great guy and what a top time we've had...
0:41:00 > 0:41:01I've got two!
0:41:01 > 0:41:03THEY LAUGH AND SHOUT
0:41:03 > 0:41:06..remembering the happy holidays Matt had here as a kid...
0:41:06 > 0:41:09All year round, I would be looking forward to getting in here
0:41:09 > 0:41:14with a big bag of 2p coins, with my brother, and spending them in here.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18..and reliving some of those special moments.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20- Just look at it. - Look at it!- It's so cool!
0:41:20 > 0:41:23- It's massive.- Look over there. - Look at the burning building!
0:41:23 > 0:41:24How does that work?
0:41:24 > 0:41:31- One of the most beautiful things about life is great memories.- Yeah.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35And I want you to have great memories about today.
0:41:35 > 0:41:41So this is a little scrapbook of memories of our day together.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Thank you so much. You've given me so much.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49We have indeed, and this is a special scrapbook of memories
0:41:49 > 0:41:51from our delightful time in Devon.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54But the surprises don't end there...
0:41:54 > 0:41:58This is from the late '60s, into the '70s.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01And it would have been the one they used
0:42:01 > 0:42:05here in Teignmouth during the period you were here.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07Look at that! HE GASPS
0:42:07 > 0:42:11- The Bairnscoft - full page. - That's the one.
0:42:11 > 0:42:12Look at that.
0:42:12 > 0:42:18- There is one other...- What?!- I know. This is a show that gives and gives.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23They did it on a plinth for you.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25Yes.
0:42:25 > 0:42:30However, they are now doing another one, exactly the same,
0:42:30 > 0:42:34- that will go into the ground. - Not in Wombley?!
0:42:34 > 0:42:36Not IN Wombley?
0:42:36 > 0:42:39In Wombley it is going. Wombley Stadium.
0:42:39 > 0:42:44- This will be there.- Do you know, with the exception of my children,
0:42:44 > 0:42:46this is the best thing I've ever been handed.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48Babbacombe model me.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51- Yeah.- Look at that.
0:42:51 > 0:42:52See what I'm saying?
0:42:52 > 0:42:55- It's almost... You can't tell the difference.- No, no, no.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57Virtually the same.
0:42:57 > 0:43:01So it's with a heavy heart that we say goodbye Shaldon and Teignmouth
0:43:01 > 0:43:06and the wonderful holiday memories of Consumer Crusader,
0:43:06 > 0:43:09the Marvellous Matt Allwright.