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 > 0:00:10So, in this series, I'm going
0:00:10 > 0:00:14to be reliving those wonderful times with some much-loved famous faces.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17THEY SCREAM
0:00:17 > 0:00:21Every day, I'll be arranging a few surprises to transport them
0:00:21 > 0:00:22back in time.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26Oh, look! It's just as I remember!
0:00:28 > 0:00:29We'll relive the fun...
0:00:29 > 0:00:31THEY LAUGH
0:00:31 > 0:00:32..the games...
0:00:32 > 0:00:34- Yes!- We got them!
0:00:34 > 0:00:37..and the food of years gone by...
0:00:37 > 0:00:41- Yummy!- Welcome to 1959.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44- Total happiness.- Yes! Perfect.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48..to find out how those holidays around the UK helped shape
0:00:48 > 0:00:50the people we know so well today.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52- Bruce Forsyth! - IMITATING FORSYTH: "Marvellous,
0:00:52 > 0:00:54"Len, you're still my favourite."
0:00:54 > 0:00:57So buckle up for Holiday Of My Lifetime.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01You know, Len, I'm quite enjoying being on my holidays with you.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05All aboard Goodman Coach Tours.
0:01:05 > 0:01:11Sit back and take in the views as I'm on my way to pick up a very
0:01:11 > 0:01:14IMPRESSIONABLE mystery holiday-maker
0:01:14 > 0:01:17for today's trip down memory lane.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20My guest today is always keen
0:01:20 > 0:01:23to make a good IMPRESSION.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25He was born in Ormskirk, Lancashire,
0:01:25 > 0:01:27in 1968.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Here he is as a young whippersnapper.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Oi, keep your feet off the seats!
0:01:33 > 0:01:38You could say he had the perfect face for radio, which is
0:01:38 > 0:01:41just as well, because he was heard on the hospital airwaves.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45And people got a chance to hear his one true voice.
0:01:45 > 0:01:46Throughout his career,
0:01:46 > 0:01:51he has been the spitting image of some of the lates and greats.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53And by the time he'd reached his mid-30s,
0:01:53 > 0:01:59he'd established himself as one of Britain's finest entertainers.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01No smoking at the back!
0:02:01 > 0:02:04With a back catalogue of 350 voices,
0:02:04 > 0:02:09it is no wonder that he ended up with his own TV series in 2009.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14And guess what, his impression of George Bush is a dead ringer!
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Mind that greasy food, will you?
0:02:16 > 0:02:19And from what I've heard, it's not just mimicking
0:02:19 > 0:02:24celebrities that he loves, he enjoys gazing up at the stars, too.
0:02:24 > 0:02:25Have you twigged yet?
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Of course, it's Jon Culshaw!
0:02:29 > 0:02:32And we're going to be hopping on and off of this beautiful bus
0:02:32 > 0:02:38on the same journey that Jon took with his family all those years ago.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Oi, I've told you twice, no greasy food!
0:02:43 > 0:02:49A Lancashire lad, Jonathan Peter Culshaw was born in 1968 to
0:02:49 > 0:02:53dad Jim, who was a Royal Engineer during the Second World War,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56and mum Theresa, who worked in a local grocers.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00He has an older brother and an older sister.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Jon's entertainment career began
0:03:02 > 0:03:04on hospital radio in Ormskirk
0:03:04 > 0:03:07and went on to present for Viking FM in Hull.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12His big break came when he joined the impressions team on
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Spitting Image, where he provided voices for Frank Bruno,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Michael Portillo, Liam Gallagher,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Bill Clinton, John Major
0:03:21 > 0:03:22and many more.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26He is now regarded by many as Britain's best impressionist.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31And even the sky is not the limit for Jon, who is a big fan
0:03:31 > 0:03:34of astronomy and a presenter
0:03:34 > 0:03:37on the long-running series The Sky At Night.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41I'm on my way to South Queensferry, just outside of Edinburgh,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43to meet Jon.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Well, right now, it's 11:0... Seven!
0:03:46 > 0:03:50So that might be a good time for Len to show up. Who knows?
0:03:50 > 0:03:52It would be fortuitous if he did.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54Good grief!
0:03:56 > 0:03:57Hey, hey!
0:03:57 > 0:03:59- Chum, boy!- Well, well, well! - Welcome!
0:03:59 > 0:04:03How nice to see you. How nice to see you.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- And what a lovely spot to be meeting you.- Absolutely.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Right by the Forth Bridge.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13- First steel bridge ever built. - Yes. Yes, indeed.
0:04:13 > 0:04:14So, where are we going?
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Well, this holiday was called Gateway to the Highlands,
0:04:17 > 0:04:21and it took in Perth and Dunkeld and Moffat and Edinburgh, many places.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26- It was a wonderful trip, so much in five days.- And what year is it?- 1980.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28- Summer, 1980.- Oh!
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Jam were number one - Going Underground.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Well, I tell you, we're not going underground
0:04:32 > 0:04:35because you are on the Goodman Tours. So...
0:04:35 > 0:04:39- What do you think of this little beauty?- That is magnificent.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43- A W-registration coach from 1980. - Yes. This is it.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47- Your chariot awaits.- Yes.- Shall we get on board?- Oh, I would love to.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51- I would love to, look at this. - 1980.- Time travel.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58The coach tour we are taking today begins in South Queensberry,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00just northwest of Edinburgh.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03We will then make our way up to Crieff and then Perth
0:05:03 > 0:05:08before heading back down south, into the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13It is a 110-mile trip which takes in stunning countryside,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16sea views and a city skyline.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20It is a similar tour to the one Jon and his family took
0:05:20 > 0:05:21in 1980.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23And today, we'll relive those years
0:05:23 > 0:05:27when he was on the brink of becoming a teenager.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29We'll enjoy the sights...
0:05:29 > 0:05:33To be greeted by this - mountains and golden eagles - it was magic.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35..the sounds...
0:05:36 > 0:05:38If I was an alien race,
0:05:38 > 0:05:42I'm not sure I'd invade the Earth like this, in sort of straight lines.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45..and traditions of this memorable family holiday.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Jon!
0:05:47 > 0:05:51- You are a natural. - A natural disaster.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55Along the way, we will be joined on our journey by some extra special
0:05:55 > 0:05:56celebrity guests.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57Bruce Forsyth!
0:05:57 > 0:06:00IMITATING FORSYTH: "Yes, marvellous, Len, you're still my favourite."
0:06:00 > 0:06:03And we'll see how those days spent gliding towards
0:06:03 > 0:06:07the Gateway of the Highlands became a rite of passage.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10This is quite emotional to think back, actually.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20Before any holiday truly begins, first you must set out on a journey.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Whether by plane, train or automobile,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26we have all experienced those hours of anticipation,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29just waiting to get to the promised destination
0:06:29 > 0:06:32you've been dreaming of all year.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37It must have been especially exciting for Jon,
0:06:37 > 0:06:41as this was the first real family holiday that he can remember.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46So, Jon, how old were you in 1980?
0:06:46 > 0:06:49I had just turned 12 in August of 1980, yes.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51- Was it... The whole family came? - Yes, pretty much.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55It was me and my mum and dad and my brother, Jim,
0:06:55 > 0:06:57and his girlfriend at the time, Liz,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00- who is now his wife of about 35 years.- Right.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02And it was wonderful, it really was.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07In those days, our family didn't tend to go on holiday as such.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10I think we invented the word the staycation.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14But one year, I think, my mum just had an idea, she said,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16"Why don't we go on holiday, Jimmy?" And he said, "All right, then."
0:07:16 > 0:07:19And they heard about this coach holiday -
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Gateway to the Highlands.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23And we travelled across to this very place.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26- Here we go, look, across the bridge. - Beautiful.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Just the scenery was absolutely gorgeous.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31And then seeing sites such as the bridges here.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34I had never seen a bridge of this scale before.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38- You were all on an adventure. - Yes, exactly. It's just like today.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39That we are reliving.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44Five million of us in the UK still take coach tours each year.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48But back in 1980, they were even more popular
0:07:48 > 0:07:51and considered a mainstream family holiday.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53So for one day only,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57Andrew is in the driving seat for our Goodman's Tour.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Can you describe the scene and the people on the bus?
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Yes, I can remember them very, very vividly.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07The driver was a wonderful chap called Eric.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09And I can remember his sort of...
0:08:09 > 0:08:12IMITATING ERIC: '..faint Liverpool accent, like that.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14'He had a smile in his voice, you know.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16'It came over well on the speakers.'
0:08:16 > 0:08:21"We will be heading towards the Tame Bridge quite soon, the Forth Bridge
0:08:21 > 0:08:22"we will also see."
0:08:22 > 0:08:25And I can also remember he used to sort of call
0:08:25 > 0:08:28the register of all the passengers to make sure everyone was on board.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32And he used to say, "Mr and Mrs Tudor." "Here!"
0:08:32 > 0:08:34"Mr and Mrs Kirkus."
0:08:34 > 0:08:36'He'd just have this lovely sort of tone of voice.'
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Sort of a dilated John Bishop and somewhere near Alan Bennett.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45- Yeah.- And he drove the bus great, just like our driver today.- Andrew.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48- Andrew, the driver.- Yes, doing a steadfast, brilliant job.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Sterling work he is doing.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Mike Reid was also bus driver doing coach tours all over
0:08:54 > 0:08:58Scotland in the 1980s. It was big business back then.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03And for Mike and his colleagues, it was a case of work hard, play hard.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06In the '80s, people came from all over the United Kingdom, right
0:09:06 > 0:09:08from the South of England, they would come up by train.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10You met them at the railway station.
0:09:10 > 0:09:11And then you would have them
0:09:11 > 0:09:13for a whole week.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16And you would show them really beautiful parts of Scotland.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20And they just appreciated getting on a coach and travelling round,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22enjoying the scenery and not having to worry.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24When you've got 45 people,
0:09:24 > 0:09:26the idea is to keep everybody happy.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28You always had to stop in a lay-by
0:09:28 > 0:09:30so they could take pictures of the loch.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32If you've seen one loch, you've seen them all,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34but visitors to Scotland think this is great.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36And this is what they come to see.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Everything is organised for them and they don't have to worry.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41They get back to the hotel at night, they can sit and relax,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44have a wee drink and look forward to the next day.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49When Jon caught his coach in 1980, it was the start of a new
0:09:49 > 0:09:55era of opportunity - big hair, great clothes and leg warmers.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Margaret Thatcher had settled into Number 10,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00having been there for a year, and across the pond,
0:10:00 > 0:10:06film actor Ronald Reagan was taking on the biggest role of his career.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Sadly, in December of that year,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11John Lennon was shot dead outside his New York home.
0:10:11 > 0:10:17But the biggest mystery that summer was who shot oil baron JR Ewing.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Millions of Dallas fans tuned in to find out.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24The secret of whodunnit is contained in video tape,
0:10:24 > 0:10:28brought into Heathrow Airport by an American security guard.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30It will be kept at a secret location overnight
0:10:30 > 0:10:33and won't be given to the BBC until tomorrow morning.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37And everyone's favourite fair-haired lass, Blondie,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39was riding high with three number ones.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43# O-o-o-h
0:10:43 > 0:10:48# Oh, your hair is beautiful
0:10:48 > 0:10:54# Oh, tonight
0:10:54 > 0:10:55# Atomic. #
0:10:59 > 0:11:03An hour north of Edinburgh, into rural Perthshire,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07we get our first glimpse of the kind of scenery Jon should remember well.
0:11:09 > 0:11:10Jon, thank you.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Oh, love it!
0:11:13 > 0:11:15THEY INHALE
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Already! The first thing you notice is...
0:11:17 > 0:11:19HE INHALES ..just that air.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21You've been cooped up on the coach for four or five hours,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24you get out... Oh, it must've been a thrill.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Yes, to be greeted by this... Just like these, Christmas trees.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Great mountains like the ones behind us here
0:11:29 > 0:11:31for as far as the eye could see.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Sometimes with golden eagles flying across the top of them.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38Mountains and golden eagles, it was magic.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Magic it is.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43And then Eric would be, "OK..." How did he say it?
0:11:43 > 0:11:46You know, he did sort of say that. He said, "OK!" And he used to lean...
0:11:46 > 0:11:48I can picture him by the side of the coach door,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51and he used to stand like that.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53"Hey, hey, hey!
0:11:53 > 0:11:56"OK, folks, all aboard now."
0:11:56 > 0:11:59That's what he would do, proudly by his bus every time.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01IMITATING LEN: 'In fact, I am going to say, Len,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04'I thought that was a marvellous Eric impression. Your line was right.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06'The way you leaned against the door. The laugh was spot on.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08'It's a ten from Len.'
0:12:08 > 0:12:10- Ho-ho-ho!- 'Spot on.'- Thank you.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Jon has always loved making an impression...
0:12:14 > 0:12:18Or 350, which is the number of characters
0:12:18 > 0:12:20he is thought to have in his repertoire.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25In 1998, he was even referred to in Prime Minister's Question Time
0:12:25 > 0:12:27when, during a radio show,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Jon called the Downing Street switchboard pretending to be
0:12:31 > 0:12:34William Hague, the then-leader of the opposition,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37and was put through to one Tony Blair.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- Good morning, Downing Street. - Hello there, it's William Hague.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43- I just wondered if Tony was around. - Hold on a moment.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46- Hello?- Hello, Tony?- Yeah.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48- Hello there, it is William Hague. - Yeah.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Just thought I'd, you now, phone up for a chat, say hello,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53see how you're getting on, that sort of thing.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57- BLAIR LAUGHS - That is quite a good imitation.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00For many years, he used his impressions to prank
0:13:00 > 0:13:03all and sundry on the Chris Moyles' Radio 1 show.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07But he is still probably best known for his role on Dead Ringers,
0:13:07 > 0:13:11that ran on BBC television and is still on Radio 4.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17So, what age were you when you first started doing impressions?
0:13:17 > 0:13:20I think I would have been, at the very beginning,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23about five or six or seven.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Just copying what I heard on TV.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28I used to do sort of cartoon characters such as Woody Woodpecker,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30to my parents' delight(!)
0:13:30 > 0:13:33- Also a big fan of Mike Yarwood. - Oh, yes.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35For me, Mike Yarwood, he's the guv'nor.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38He was the first big-time TV impressionist.
0:13:38 > 0:13:39He got 20-odd million viewers,
0:13:39 > 0:13:43and I think he set the tone for everybody else.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45I think it is Mike Yarwood who is most revered,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48- anybody would tell you that. - The doyen.- Oh, completely.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53Well, it is my job to set the tone for today's trip back in time.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57And the next stop on our hopefully magical
0:13:57 > 0:14:01and certainly mysterious tour is the town of Crieff.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05Lying on the southern edge of the Scottish Highlands, it has been a
0:14:05 > 0:14:08holiday resort since Victorian times
0:14:08 > 0:14:11and has a population of almost 6,000.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15I'm taking Jon to the world-renowned Caithness Glass Factory
0:14:15 > 0:14:20and Visitor Centre, one of the stops on his 1980 coach tour.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24- So, do you recognise the place? - I do, yes.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27The glass gift shop. I tried not to knock anything over and break it.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29I knew that there was some glass-blowing going on, though
0:14:29 > 0:14:32I didn't get to see it too much at the time, but I could hear it,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34and the heat was there.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Skilled craftsmen and women have been creating glass work here
0:14:38 > 0:14:43since 1961. And today, factory manager Scott Sinclair
0:14:43 > 0:14:47is going to help take Jon on a trip down memory lane.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50But this time, he is not just watching.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52He is going to create a paperweight.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Off you go, Jonny boy!
0:14:55 > 0:14:58And that's just to be for added protection there for your hands.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00- Just so you'll be careful.- OK.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Materials used to create the paperweight are heated
0:15:03 > 0:15:07in a furnace to over 1,300 degrees.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12Molten glass is gathered on the end of a metal rod, known as an iron.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16The distinct colours are added using a variety of techniques.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Grab a hold. Grab a hold.
0:15:18 > 0:15:19There is your first colour.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Now you are going to re-fire, and then we'll go there again.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24And there's your other colour.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26- All the texture's wonderful. - So that's where...
0:15:26 > 0:15:28That's actually crushed glass.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31And then what we'll do is we'll bring them out.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33And then we'll just keep that turning,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36keep that turning. I've got a certain heat.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38That's me now just starting to put a twist in it.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41- See how the glass is twisting over? - Yeah, it's amazing.- Perfect.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46The glass must be kept at a certain heat to keep it soft
0:15:46 > 0:15:48and to continue building on the design.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50- Get that in the other hand.- Yep.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Now hand here. That's it.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58- Now come down just a little bit. That's it. See that?- Yep.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01That's it, just keep... Come back to yourself.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06- And it's like the sun coming out, it's that hot.- Yeah.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10While the piece is hot, any colours appear red or orange.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15It is only when the glass is cooled that the real colours appear.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Different tools are used to create a variety of effects.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22- It is sort of like treacle toffee. - Yeah.- It really is.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26You've got to do another couple there. That's it.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29That's all right, but come on, get over here, let me have a go.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- You need to put the finesse on, Len.- Yes!
0:16:35 > 0:16:37It is back into the furnace to make sure that glass is soft enough
0:16:37 > 0:16:39for me to shape it.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44- Fascinating, this!- Yeah.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Hey, hey, hey!
0:16:46 > 0:16:49I think this is your natural vocation, Len.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Once I'm kicked off Strictly, I'm coming up here.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Right in there. Now squeeze. Nice and gentle.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57That's it, that's it.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59- I don't want it to snap off. - No, it won't.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Trust me, it won't snap.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03OK, that will do you there.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05What we'll do is we'll put that back in.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07And then work your way up to the top.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10- I love it! I love it!- That's it.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12That's the colour there.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Oh, you gorgeous little orb.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18- Do the bottom again.- Wee! - That's it.- Oh, yes.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Look at that little beauty.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24- Oh, Jon, between us, we have created...- A masterpiece.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28- It's beautiful. - ..a true work of art.
0:17:28 > 0:17:29It really is.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Now the paperweight goes into the kiln, where the decreasing
0:17:33 > 0:17:36temperature is carefully controlled until the following morning.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Hopefully, you are happy with your piece when it is finished.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41We will be. Post it back to us.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- Yes.- Scott, been a pleasure.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Thank you very much.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49I'm chuffed that I've been able to help Jon make
0:17:49 > 0:17:53the paperweight he never got the chance to make in 1980.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Besides glass-making, there are loads of other things to see
0:17:59 > 0:18:02and do on the coach route we are taking today.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04So here is my Ten From Len,
0:18:04 > 0:18:08starting with places to visit on the way to the Crieff area.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12Callander is a popular tourist stop to and from the Highlands.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Situated on the River Teith,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19the town serves as the eastern gateway to the Loch Lomond
0:18:19 > 0:18:21and the Trossachs National Park.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Telly addicts might recognise Callander as the fictional
0:18:25 > 0:18:30setting of Tannochbrae from the 1960s BBC TV series
0:18:30 > 0:18:31Dr Finlay's Casebook.
0:18:33 > 0:18:34Dr Finlay here.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Further along the River Teith is Doune Castle,
0:18:39 > 0:18:44which featured in the comedy film Monty Python And The Holy Grail.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Dating back to the 14th century, the castle has a striking
0:18:48 > 0:18:54100-foot-high gatehouse, which includes the splendid Lord's Hall.
0:18:54 > 0:18:5790 years old and still going strong,
0:18:57 > 0:19:02Gleneagles is a five-star luxury spa and golf resort,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06so tea-time has two different meanings here -
0:19:06 > 0:19:08they serve afternoon tea in the bar
0:19:08 > 0:19:12or you can put the tee in the ground and have a game of golf.
0:19:15 > 0:19:21No holiday experience is complete without sampling the local food.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25These new tastes and textures, so different to home,
0:19:25 > 0:19:30transform our palette forever - except in Jon's case.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34The food on the 1980s coach tour would have been exactly
0:19:34 > 0:19:36the same as home -
0:19:36 > 0:19:40still made by Mum, but in a totally different setting.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44I don't know about you, Jon, but I am getting a bit Hank Marvin here.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46And we happen to have here...
0:19:47 > 0:19:49I'm not saying it is up to your mum's standard,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53but we have got a nice packed lunch.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Maybe the sort of thing you might've had.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Well, let's have a look at what we've got. Now, here we go.
0:20:00 > 0:20:05We've got traditional crisps with the salt inside.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07- Yes, perfect.- We've got them.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Jaffa cakes.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Oh, this looks exotic.
0:20:12 > 0:20:13Oh, the malt loaf.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15- Malt loaf.- In clingfilm.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17- It has to be in clingfilm. - Yes, of course.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19I don't know what is inside these.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24I would say it is either sort of meat paste or it might be Dairylea,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28- something like that.- Well, take one.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31- Ha-ha.- Uh-oh, I think it is the cheese.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33It is a cheese bread.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37- Oh, yeah.- Oh, yes.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39That takes me back.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41A wonderful mobile picnic.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Yeah. Oh, look out.
0:20:44 > 0:20:45- Oh, yes.- The salt.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53Oh, yeah. I suppose there'd have been a bottle of pop.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Yeah, a bottle of pop or maybe a tin of cola.
0:20:56 > 0:21:02I remember a 1970s, '80s brand was in a pale blue and red tin,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04and it was called Strike Cola.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10- Well, that's them seen to.- Yeah.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13- Forgive my dreadful manners. - I was starving hungry,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15but it's surprising - a sandwich and a bag of crisps...
0:21:15 > 0:21:17- Perfect.- ..does the trick.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19- It really does.- Yep.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24I can understand why Jon loves this place.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28In fact, 2.5 million tourists visit the Highlands every year.
0:21:28 > 0:21:34And the Scottish tourist industry is the second biggest sector after oil.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37The Highlands hold a particular fascination which
0:21:37 > 0:21:39goes back as far as the 18th century.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46What attracted people to the Highlands was the idea that it
0:21:46 > 0:21:50was the wilderness. It was untamed landscape.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52This wasn't an entirely true account.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56But what also attracted people in the 18th century was the idea
0:21:56 > 0:22:01of the noble savage, the idea that people in the Highlands lived very
0:22:01 > 0:22:04honestly, away from the immorality of the towns and cities
0:22:04 > 0:22:07of the later 18th and early 19th century.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11I think what also helped the Highlands from the 1840s was,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14of course, the railways, which were laid out around Scotland
0:22:14 > 0:22:15and across Britain.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18And so it was much quicker to get into the Highlands by the end
0:22:18 > 0:22:20of the 19th century than it was at the beginning.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23And this heralded a change in the type of visitor that
0:22:23 > 0:22:24came to the Highlands -
0:22:24 > 0:22:29whereas before, the male, moneyed and leisured variety of upper-class
0:22:29 > 0:22:32came to the Highlands, now there were more families and women.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34And right up to the present day,
0:22:34 > 0:22:38where even film-makers find the Highlands attractive,
0:22:38 > 0:22:40which brought a new generation of families and children
0:22:40 > 0:22:44and encouraged more people to return to Scotland than ever.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Despite the beautiful scenery and a cast of characters,
0:22:47 > 0:22:51including Eric the bus driver, I can't help wondering how Jon
0:22:51 > 0:22:54would have managed to keep himself entertained.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59So, Jon, there you are, 12-year-old cheeky little boy, there is
0:22:59 > 0:23:03no Walkmans and all the technology that you get today.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05What would you get up to?
0:23:05 > 0:23:07I'd want to just get a drawing pad
0:23:07 > 0:23:10and either a Bik or some felt tips and just draw it.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Just express it. Bring it to life again, you know?
0:23:14 > 0:23:17- I have got some good news for you. - Oh, OK.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Because just down here,
0:23:19 > 0:23:23- I have...- Oh, look at this... - ..a pad.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26- And don't get overexcited here. - Oh, no.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29- Oh, look at this.- Look.- You see?
0:23:29 > 0:23:33- This was the iPad of the early '80s. - Yeah.- This was all you needed.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36And I think I probably would have wanted to
0:23:36 > 0:23:38draw the mountains first
0:23:38 > 0:23:40cos they were quite easy to do.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50And then I'd sort of stick a UFO in it. You know?
0:23:50 > 0:23:51Put a flying saucer in there.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54There'd probably be a TARDIS down here
0:23:54 > 0:23:56and perhaps a triceratops over there.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58This is how they'd mount up, you know?
0:23:58 > 0:24:00This is just how I would occupy my mind.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04The thing is, one of your great loves is astronomy.
0:24:04 > 0:24:10Yes, astronomy has always been a lifelong fascination.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12And it started by watching
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Patrick Moore on The Sky At Night, who sort of
0:24:14 > 0:24:17IMITATING MOORE: '..captured the fascination absolutely wonderfully.'
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Well, you know they say you should never meet your heroes,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23but it must have been fantastic for you.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Endless passion, he really did have.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30And he made the subject infectious to hear.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33He really did bring astronomy to the masses
0:24:33 > 0:24:36for the first time, really, on television.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38We have been hearing a great deal about the inner planets,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41but what about those remote members of the sun's family -
0:24:41 > 0:24:43Uranus, Neptune and Pluto?
0:24:43 > 0:24:49And in 2007, Jon thought all his comets had come at once.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Oh, I could remember the call vividly.
0:24:52 > 0:24:57It was back in 2007, when The Sky At Night was 50 years old.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Because the first episode was never recorded in those days.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02It was just live and that was it, it was gone.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04So they had to recreate the first episode.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09So I played the young Patrick Moore from 1957, saying...
0:25:09 > 0:25:10Good evening.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Now, what I want to do in these talks is tell you about some
0:25:13 > 0:25:16of the interesting things you can see in the night sky each month.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Jon still continues to present on the show,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22asking the kind of questions viewers might have.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24He might not be an expert,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28but he has come a long way from his 12-year-old self.
0:25:28 > 0:25:35When you was 12 or a teenager, did you have a telescope or binoculars?
0:25:35 > 0:25:38James, my older brother, he had sent off for a telescope.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42And one day, seeing this wonderful orange disk
0:25:42 > 0:25:47through the telescope, I thought, "This is it, I've found Mars!"
0:25:47 > 0:25:50And I was looking at it, fascinated.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52And I went to show my brother and he said,
0:25:52 > 0:25:53"It's just the dining room curtains."
0:25:53 > 0:25:56- You know, "You pointed it at the orange curtains."- Oh, no!
0:25:56 > 0:26:01Well, onwards and upwards, as our next city is the city of Perth,
0:26:01 > 0:26:07which sits on the banks of the River Tay, Scotland's longest river.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10In the Wars of Independence, Perth was heavily fortified
0:26:10 > 0:26:13and held by the English.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17Robert the Bruce captured it in January, 1313,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21after swimming across the moat and climbing the wall.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26Today, we are entering the city in a more conventional way.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29- So, we are in Perth.- Yes, we are. - Where you stopped on the coach trip.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32- We certainly did. - Do you recognise it?
0:26:32 > 0:26:34I sure do, yes, the Salutation Hotel.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37I remember those characters very vividly.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40- And this is where we stayed for three nights.- Oh, really?- Yeah.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42The first hotel I'd ever stayed in, really.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Life on the road in 1980 meant Jon
0:26:45 > 0:26:48and his family got to experience a variety of hotels,
0:26:48 > 0:26:52so I'm keen to know what was special about this one.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55- So, was this your favourite hotel you stayed in on the trip?- It was.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58It was a lovely place. I remember first arriving, it was night-time,
0:26:58 > 0:27:00all the lights were on, it looked exciting.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03I had never stayed in a hotel before and it was just wonderful.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06And it was better than the one we stayed in subsequently,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09a little later. But it is great to see this place again.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14- Still going strong, since 1699.- Yes.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18I didn't know at the time that it was the oldest hotel in the area.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Let's go in, see if it is the same as it was then.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24"Welcoming guests since 1699."
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Some hotels are welcoming guests FOR 16.99.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Yes. I wonder if Bruce was here for the opening.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34The hotel wasn't just a place to sleep,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37but somewhere to be entertained, too.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40- Do you remember this room? - I do, yes.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42I do remember seeing this on a Saturday night,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45and there was a ceilidh going on, proper Scottish dancing.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48You'd have loved it. You'd have certainly given them a ten.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Or a seven at least. And it was really exciting.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53My parents had this big smile on their face.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55They didn't get in and join in with the dancing,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57but they loved watching it.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59- And you didn't? Did you join in?- No, I didn't.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02I suppose the place was quite crowded, was it?
0:28:02 > 0:28:04- And hot and people are dancing. - Yeah, exactly.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07It was a Saturday night, so this event would have been perhaps
0:28:07 > 0:28:08the biggest event in that week,
0:28:08 > 0:28:10the thing that everything was leading up to.
0:28:10 > 0:28:11Hey, hey!
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Dashing White Sergeants, Strip The Willow,
0:28:13 > 0:28:15The Eightsome Reel...
0:28:15 > 0:28:18No, not the latest Mills and Boons,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21but some of the most popular ceilidh dances.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25A ceilidh is a traditional social gathering, which usually
0:28:25 > 0:28:28involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31So have you ever done any Scottish dancing?
0:28:31 > 0:28:32No, I certainly haven't.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34I think I probably would look a bit like John Cleese
0:28:34 > 0:28:37doing his Ministry Of Silly Walks if I tried it.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39Well, I can't say I'm an expert,
0:28:39 > 0:28:42- but there is one dance that I do know.- Yes.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45And it would suit us, I'm sure,
0:28:45 > 0:28:48- because you are slightly shorter than me.- Right.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50And if you'd be prepared to be the lady,
0:28:50 > 0:28:54- I will go into... - GRAVE VOICE: 'Charming, thank you.'
0:28:54 > 0:28:57I will go into the Gay Gordons.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01I'm going to hold this hand and put this one over your shoulder here.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03- Yes.- Give it to me.- All right, yes.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06- OK. So we start walking.- Yes.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08Any foot you like. Then we turn.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11And we continue to walk. Continue to walk, dear boy.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14- And then we turn back again. - Yes, I see.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Then the you turn under my arm like this.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20Right round, right round. And I grab you.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22- Yes.- Now we're going to do like a little bit of polka.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25So you start with your right foot and you go... Dumty-dum.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28Dumty-dum, dumty-dum,
0:29:28 > 0:29:32dumty-dum... Under the...under the arm!
0:29:32 > 0:29:35And start again.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38LEN HUMS
0:29:40 > 0:29:43Now we start again.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46LEN HUMS
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Under the arm.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51Gallop. Gallop a bit.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53Gallop a bit. Gallop a bit.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56Gallop a bit. Under you go. Jon!
0:29:57 > 0:29:59You are a natural.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02I'm going to get straight on the phone to Strictly Come Dancing.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05I'm going to say, "You've got to get Jon on there,
0:30:05 > 0:30:07"he has got the moves."
0:30:07 > 0:30:10- I am a natural. - You are.- A natural disaster.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12I wouldn't go that far.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16It's not just their dancing that will leave you entertained in this
0:30:16 > 0:30:18part of the world.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21Scotland's oldest public library,
0:30:21 > 0:30:25in Innerpeffray, has been lending books since 1680.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29Imagine the fine now if you had lost one of those!
0:30:29 > 0:30:33In its tranquil, rural setting on the River Earn, travel
0:30:33 > 0:30:38back in time and lose yourself in the stories of the region.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41And from Scotland's oldest lending library, to the
0:30:41 > 0:30:44country oldest working distillery -
0:30:44 > 0:30:46Glenturret Distillery in Crieff.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50The Grouse whisky brand was created in 1896.
0:30:50 > 0:30:56And due to popularity, it was renamed The Famous Grouse in 1905.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00There are over 50 whiskies available to sample.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03But it doesn't have to be a purely liquid lunch,
0:31:03 > 0:31:06as there is a cafe, too. Woo-hoo!
0:31:06 > 0:31:11Ten minutes' drive north of Perth is Scone Palace, where
0:31:11 > 0:31:15Macbeth, Robert the Bruce and Charles II were once crowned.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19You can wander down the long gallery where Charles II strode
0:31:19 > 0:31:23to his coronation in 1661.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27During the Jacobite rebellion, James Stewart, The Old Pretender,
0:31:27 > 0:31:29spent three weeks here.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33And his son, Bonnie Prince Charlie, visited in 1745.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38235 years later,
0:31:38 > 0:31:42Jonathan Peter Culshaw was wandering down the corridors
0:31:42 > 0:31:44of the Salutation Hotel in Perth,
0:31:44 > 0:31:48where he was about to attack a rebel force of his own.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Jon...
0:31:50 > 0:31:53- Do recognise the bar here? - Yes, I do.- Had you come in it?
0:31:53 > 0:31:58- I certainly did, yes.- So, look, here is a couple of 10ps.- Look at that.
0:31:58 > 0:32:03- Genuine 10ps from 1980.- Yeah. - Surprising how much bigger they were.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07- And heavier. Proper money.- So what would you have done with them?
0:32:07 > 0:32:11In 1980, I would probably have looked for the Space Invaders machine.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15- Really?- I would've had a look for that.- Well, just have a look there.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17Oh!
0:32:17 > 0:32:21- Fantastic. In 1980, we were used to the TV game.- Ping-pong thing.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24Yes, yes. And similar things.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28But to see a proper chunky arcade game like that, that was fantastic.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30It was really the craze that kind of kicked off at that time.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32Come on, let's have a go.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34Oh, look at this.
0:32:34 > 0:32:35Look at this.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37- Now then...- Come on.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Now, you should be an expert.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41I haven't done this for a long, long time.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45There was a time when wee was Scottish for small
0:32:45 > 0:32:50and Xbox lived on the top shelf of a video store and a Game Boy...
0:32:50 > 0:32:53Well, I think we better stop right there.
0:32:53 > 0:32:59In 1980, arcade games were becoming an increasingly vibrant industry.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01You haven't lost it, go on.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04- We used to hit the button like that, fast.- Yeah, come on, fast.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07They say to shoot the ones at the end first,
0:33:07 > 0:33:10cos then it takes longer for them to work their way down.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14Look out for him! Oh, yes, good. Now, that was good.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16If I was an alien race,
0:33:16 > 0:33:20I'm not sure I'd invade the earth like this, in sort of straight lines.
0:33:20 > 0:33:25- Look out! Look out! Look out! - Big trouble!- Mummy! Go on.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28- IMITATING OBI-WAN: 'The force will be with us always.'- Get in.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30Ah! Oh!
0:33:30 > 0:33:32I got had.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35- This is fun. - It is big, it is life-size.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39- Gear sticks, buttons that you can hammer.- Yeah, everything a kid wants.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42- Yeah, exactly. - And all for two bob.- Yeah, exactly.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44I am parched after all that exercise.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48And while Jon was officially too young for a drink in 1980,
0:33:48 > 0:33:51I'm pretty sure I'm on safe ground today.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54- So, a shandy?- A shandy. - Half a shandy?- Half a shandy.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57- Two halves of shandy, please, young man.- No problem.- Thank you.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00So, I suppose you felt like a real man standing at the bar
0:34:00 > 0:34:03- with your dad. - It was quite a significant moment.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05It was a step forward in life, you know,
0:34:05 > 0:34:07to have a drink with your dad like that.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09- And did your brother? - I think he was there as well.
0:34:09 > 0:34:14- Cos he was 15 years older, so he must have been 20-odd.- He was.
0:34:14 > 0:34:19And I think he was looking with some pride that I had taken this step up.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22- Oh! - BOTH: Cheers.
0:34:22 > 0:34:27- Get one for yourself as well. - Cheers.- Cheers. Cheers to you.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34For Jon, this holiday wasn't only a rite of passage,
0:34:34 > 0:34:37but a chance to spend precious time with his parents.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42What was your relationship like with your mum on the holiday?
0:34:42 > 0:34:44It was lovely. She was enjoying it.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47She just smiled at everything, took in all the adventures,
0:34:47 > 0:34:49and she'd say things like, "Oh, they've done...
0:34:49 > 0:34:53"It's very well-organised. Very well organised, isn't it, Jim?"
0:34:53 > 0:34:55"Yes, it is, very well."
0:34:55 > 0:34:59She was a very warm...
0:34:59 > 0:35:01She had a wonderful sense of humour,
0:35:01 > 0:35:03made all the more endearing by the fact
0:35:03 > 0:35:05that she didn't realise she had it.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08Very much loved. And...
0:35:08 > 0:35:11This is quite emotional to think back, actually.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15And, of course, sadly, your mother passed away.
0:35:15 > 0:35:20And that's when you became involved with the wonderful
0:35:20 > 0:35:25- work that the Marie Curie Organisation do.- Yes, that's right.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28That was a charity... She always admired their work.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32She knew people who'd, you know, suffered with cancer
0:35:32 > 0:35:34and it had claimed them, you know.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37And the last few, you know, months of her life,
0:35:37 > 0:35:41it turned out to be what got her as well when she was 84.
0:35:41 > 0:35:46Yes, it's nice to come here and remember a time when I was 12
0:35:46 > 0:35:48and she was really happy.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51There was something about me being the youngest,
0:35:51 > 0:35:53where she did look out for me a little bit like that.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56It was always, "Now, Jonathan, have you got your hanky?
0:35:56 > 0:35:59"Fasten your neck hole up. Put your scarf on. Keep warm.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02"Where is your jacket?" It was all these sorts of things.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06She was still talking to me like that when I was 41.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08It was something that she never lost.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Well, my mum is 97 and she is still talking to me like that.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15- So, here is to our mums.- Here is to them. God bless.- God bless them.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23The last leg of our Goodman Tour takes us to Edinburgh.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26It is the second most visited city in the UK, after London,
0:36:26 > 0:36:28and it is easy to see why.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34The Royal Yacht Britannia was a floating home to the royal family
0:36:34 > 0:36:38for over 40 years, sailing over one million miles around the world.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41Now berthed in Leith, you can
0:36:41 > 0:36:44follow in the steps of royalty by visiting the bridge,
0:36:44 > 0:36:47the state apartments, crews' quarters and engine room.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51All the clocks on Britannia were stopped at 15:01,
0:36:51 > 0:36:55the time the Queen was piped ashore for the final time.
0:36:56 > 0:37:01Feeling adventurous? Why not treat yourself to a tailor-made kilt?
0:37:01 > 0:37:03Head to the Royal Mile and watch
0:37:03 > 0:37:07and learn at the Edinburgh Old Town Weaving Company.
0:37:07 > 0:37:12Here the mill's noisy working looms produce the stock in trade.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15Peruse the Tartan guide, check out your clan history
0:37:15 > 0:37:18and then buy the garb.
0:37:18 > 0:37:23Talking about what lies beneath, The Real Mary King's Close is
0:37:23 > 0:37:27a warren of underground streets, shrouded in myths and mysteries.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31In the 1600s, these streets were open to the skies
0:37:31 > 0:37:33and bustling with traders selling their wares.
0:37:33 > 0:37:38Today, costumed tour guides will help you explore this
0:37:38 > 0:37:41underground side, revealing the fact from the fiction.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46And finally, who is the king of the castle? Simple!
0:37:46 > 0:37:50Edinburgh Castle, where you can visit the Great Hall,
0:37:50 > 0:37:52The National War Museum
0:37:52 > 0:37:57and the One o'clock Gun that sounds over Edinburgh every day.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01Built in the 1200s, the Castle has sheltered many Scottish monarchs,
0:38:01 > 0:38:04including Queen Margaret and Mary Queen of Scots,
0:38:04 > 0:38:08who gave birth to James VI here in 1566.
0:38:12 > 0:38:17Back to the present day and Goodman Coach Tours his back on the road.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19So I'd better take the register.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21I wouldn't want to leave anyone behind.
0:38:21 > 0:38:26Well, just going to check if everybody is on board.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28- Jon Culshaw?- Here.
0:38:28 > 0:38:29Ed Miliband?
0:38:29 > 0:38:32IMITATION: 'I'm here, travelling up and down the country,
0:38:32 > 0:38:35'listening to what voters have got to say.'
0:38:35 > 0:38:36John Bishop?
0:38:36 > 0:38:42'Yes, sir, I am sat here, at the back of this bus.
0:38:42 > 0:38:43'I never done nothin'!'
0:38:43 > 0:38:45Bruce Forsyth?
0:38:45 > 0:38:48'Yes, marvellous, Len. You are so my favourite.'
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Professor Brian Cox?
0:38:50 > 0:38:54'Here. I'm travelling slower than the speed of light.'
0:38:54 > 0:38:59- Obi-Wan Kenobi, are you on? - 'Present, master Len.'
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Right. We are all on, then. We are heading on.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06From Perth, it is a one-hour drive to the capital.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10Edinburgh attracts almost four million visitors a year.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14And as it is the home of the world's largest arts festival,
0:39:14 > 0:39:16it's no wonder Jon felt at home.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20We have come to Princess Street Gardens in the centre,
0:39:20 > 0:39:22and I want to find out how Jon
0:39:22 > 0:39:25got into the entertainment business in the first place.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30So I understand you worked on hospital radio.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33- How did you get into that? - I did quite by chance.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35Radio Ormskirk General.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38And I just used to volunteer on there on a Sunday.
0:39:38 > 0:39:44And it was a really good way of just practising talking between records
0:39:44 > 0:39:48and having a rapport with the listeners, the patients, you know?
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Gradually, gradually, gradually,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53I ended up with a show on Red Rose Radio.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57You could, you know, use the facilities, if you asked very nicely,
0:39:57 > 0:39:59to edit together tapes of impressions.
0:39:59 > 0:40:04- And eventually, I got accepted by Spitting Image.- That's right.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06That was your first TV.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09The thing about doing impersonations, it's not just
0:40:09 > 0:40:13the voice, you somehow manage to get into the character as well.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16That must be a palaver.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18Yes, you never know what you are going to notice first.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21It might be, you now, a Simon Cole hand gesture.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23It might be a sort of Boris Johnson kind of hunched over
0:40:23 > 0:40:25sense of nonsense.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28- What would be your dream TV job? - I know exactly what this is.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31And I hope by the time I am in my mid-50s,
0:40:31 > 0:40:33it would be a lovely thought
0:40:33 > 0:40:37to consider that I was playing the part of Dr Who.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40- I'd love to do that. - You would be good.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43- I think it is the kind of life I would like.- Yeah.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46- Just to step into the TARDIS and go anywhere.- Time traveller.- Yeah.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50- We did today - 1980. - That's right. Yeah.
0:40:50 > 0:40:51- You've got a flavour of it.- Yeah.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55We are looking back on your holiday, when you were 12 years old.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59Do you think that shaped your character or how you became?
0:40:59 > 0:41:03- Did the boy become a man because of that?- I think it did.
0:41:03 > 0:41:08It did shape many things. I think observing the characters on the bus
0:41:08 > 0:41:10and the funny way that they talked...
0:41:10 > 0:41:12IMITATING: 'Like Mr and Mrs Kirkus,
0:41:12 > 0:41:15'she sounded rather like a cross between, I don't know,
0:41:15 > 0:41:17'Beryl Reid and Barbara Cartland.'
0:41:20 > 0:41:23I've had a marvellous time with Jon,
0:41:23 > 0:41:26learning about his family and the colourful characters
0:41:26 > 0:41:31he met on his coach trip that made such a wonderful impression.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33From the glass-making...
0:41:33 > 0:41:34I love it!
0:41:34 > 0:41:38Oh, you gorgeous little orb!
0:41:39 > 0:41:41I think this is your natural vocation, Len.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43..to the mickey taking...
0:41:43 > 0:41:47Hey, hey, hey! OK, folks, all aboard now.
0:41:47 > 0:41:48'Your line was right.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50'The way you leaned against the door. The laugh was spot on.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53- 'It's a ten from Len.'- Oh!
0:41:53 > 0:41:54Whoa!
0:41:54 > 0:41:56..and the hip shaking...
0:41:56 > 0:41:58LEN HUMS
0:41:58 > 0:42:01..it has all been great fun.
0:42:01 > 0:42:06Well, I tell you what, Jon, I've had a fabulous day. I really have.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08And it has been great sharing that time with you.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Thanks, Len, it has been wonderful to hear that as well.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13And who would have thought that, that day back in 1980,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16when we got dropped off at McCall Station, who'd have thought all
0:42:16 > 0:42:19these years later, we'd be reliving it as we have been?
0:42:19 > 0:42:21Well, the excitement hasn't finished, because this is a
0:42:21 > 0:42:28little scrapbook of memories of the 1980s and your holiday in Scotland.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Oh, that's wonderful. Thank you, Len.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34Memories of Jon's time spent in Scotland has brought
0:42:34 > 0:42:37that wonderful time with his family flooding back.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39And I have also got a paperweight
0:42:39 > 0:42:43just like the one we made ourselves.
0:42:43 > 0:42:48It is as near as I could get to the one that you made.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50- Gosh, look at that. - As a little keepsake.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Well, thank you, Len, that is wonderful.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55- I shall treasure that and everything else.- What a lovely day.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57A wonderful day. There it is, like a rising sun
0:42:57 > 0:43:00- alongside the wheel like that. - Perfect.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07Goodman's Gateway to the Highland's Coach Tour has now
0:43:07 > 0:43:12reached its final destination, but it has been a journey that brought
0:43:12 > 0:43:16memories back of Jon's family, which he'll treasure forever.