Episode 4 Holiday of My Lifetime with Len Goodman

Childhood holidays? Oh, the anticipation seemed endless.

The holiday itself? Well, it was over too quickly.

So in this series, I'm going to be

reliving those wonderful times with some much-loved famous faces.

BOTH SCREAM

Every day, I'll be arranging a few surprises

to transport them back in time.

Oh, look! It's just as I remember! SHE LAUGHS

We'll relive the fun...

BOTH LAUGH

..the games...

Yes! We got 'em!

..and the food of years gone by...

-Yummy!

-Welcome to 1959!

-Total happiness.

-Yes, perfect.

..to find out how those holidays around the UK helped shape

the people we know so well today.

-Bruce Forsyth?

-Yes, marvellous, Len, you're still my favourite!

So buckle up for Holiday Of My Lifetime.

You know, Len, I'm quite enjoying being on me holidays with you.

On today's journey through time,

I'm picking up our mystery holiday-maker

in a fabulous '73 Mercedes E-Class Saloon.

They don't make 'em like this any more.

When I think of the guest I'm going to meet today,

I can't help but smile.

I'll tell you why, because he's always smiling.

Look at him here as a young pup.

He was born in Wandsworth, London, in 1957.

Look at that cute little face!

Want more clues?

Well, how's this for starters?

His first appearance on TV was as an actor

in that iconic programme Red Dwarf.

Get ready, get steady, his career really started cooking on gas

when he stared in a new food programme in 1994.

And that show became a hit around the world.

Over the decades, he's had his fingers in many pies

and he's won many awards, including TV Chef of the Year.

Yeah, you got it,

it's that super friendly chef,

the man with the biggest smile on TV, Ainsley Harriott.

LEN LAUGHS

And I'm going to be picking him up in a car his dad used to drive.

I tell you what, I can't wait to see his face.

Oh-ho, Ainsley, I'm on my way!

Len...he's always late, ain't he, eh?

It's now 11!

Ainsley grew up with his brother and sister

in Wandsworth, south-west London.

His mum, Peppy, was a nurse

and his dad, Chester, was a renowned pianist

who played jazz clubs up and down the country.

His parents split up when Ainsley was eight

and he stayed in the south with his mum and siblings.

Like his dad, he's no stranger to an audience.

He's had small roles on stage and screen,

including a 2010 tour of The Rocky Horror Show.

But of course, we know him for his kudos in the kitchen.

Ainsley has served up top-class tucker

at exclusive hotels like the London Hilton,

not to mention Lord's Cricket Ground,

and he's even cooked for royalty.

I want Ainsley to share some of his recipe for success with me today.

LEN WHISTLES AINSLEY LAUGHS

You always have such style, don't you, mate?

You really are just... Come here, let me give you a cuddle.

BOTH LAUGH

-Fantastic!

-Now, do you recognise the car?

Well, my dad had something very, very similar to this.

This really takes me back.

-This is just full of history for me, you know?

-Yeah.

-Well, where we going?

-We're going to Blackpool.

-What's the year?

-1974.

1974!

Len, I've got to say, it's a very, very special time.

-It's the one time that I saw my dad perform.

-Oh, really?

Yeah. So I want to go back there, back to the Winter Gardens.

-I've been hundreds of times, ballroom dancing.

-Have you really?

-Let's go, then.

-Come on!

LEN LAUGHS

-Blackpool!

-This is lovely!

-Look at it!

-Thank you.

Blackpool, the nation's favourite seaside town.

50 miles from Manchester in England's north-west

and sitting between two fabulous old resorts,

Morecambe and Lytham St Annes,

it's been attracting visitors since the 18th century.

Its seven-mile sandy beach is as much a draw now as it was then,

but there's much more to the town these days.

It has three fabulous Victorian piers,

a world-famous amusement park and, of course, the iconic Tower.

Blackpool has a worldwide reputation as the place for a good time

and over ten million people come every year.

Today, I'm taking Ainsley back to relive those glorious days

when he first took a train and headed north to see his dad,

enjoying the thrills and spills

of the nation's greatest seaside resort.

BOTH SCREAM

And I'll find out how Ainsley felt

watching his father perform to enraptured audiences.

'The cool man himself - Chester Harriott.'

And to see how much the holiday in Blackpool

helped shape him into the TV personality that we know today.

Before any holiday truly begins,

first, you must set out on a journey.

Whether by plane, train or automobile,

we've all experienced those hours of anticipation,

just waiting to get to the promised destination

you've been dreaming about all year.

And for Ainsley in 1974, it must have been especially exciting,

as he was on his way to see his dad at work,

performing on a Blackpool stage.

He took the three-hour train from London to Manchester,

where his dad met him in his fancy car.

So when you got off the train,

there was your dad to pick you up, was he?

Yeah, in one of these.

-And it was very posh in those days, Len.

-Of course it was.

You know, driving a Mercedes then was...

It really was a statement.

-Just all the lovely wood and panels and everything around.

-Yeah.

-It was really lovely.

-Did you stay in a hotel or in a guest house?

Oh, no, my dad rented a house for the duration of the summer season.

It was slightly out of town,

because if you were a performer and in the middle of town,

people would come and want your signature,

-which slowed you down even more.

-That's right.

A quick picture's all right,

but, you know, he was a big star at the time here in Blackpool.

Did you come up for a couple of weeks or a day or two?

No, couple of days.

People say to me, "Where did you go on holiday?"

We actually didn't have that many holidays,

-because that's when my dad worked.

-Yeah.

Most of our holidays were spent on the park,

-playing football or tennis with your mates.

-Yeah.

So it was very different, you know -

-to have a summer holiday was something quite special.

-Yeah.

So you came up for a couple days,

and I guess in the evenings, when your dad was performing,

-you were sitting there watching him, eh?

-Oh, yes.

He'd open up the floor, Len. He'd say, "What do you want to hear?"

And people would shout stuff out

and he'd just go straight into his repertoire.

-Isn't that a wonderful talent?

-I felt so proud, you know.

-Even now, it's...

-"That's my dad up there."

-That's my old man.

-Yeah.

Well, now, look, we're coming in now to Blackpool itself,

-Blackpool proper.

-Yeah.

You know, whenever I've visited Blackpool,

whether it's on a train or car,

-I was always looking out for the Tower.

-Yeah.

-You know, cos you know...

-Look at that.

-There is over there.

-There it is.

-Yeah.

Oh, wow!

It's getting really nostalgic now.

Blackpool. Here we are, then.

When Ainsley came to Blackpool in 1974,

the world was a very different place.

The nation was in turmoil, as miners went on strike

in protest at the government imposing a three-day working week

and then President of the United States, Richard Nixon,

was forced to resign after the famous Watergate scandal.

..whether or not their President's a crook.

Well, I'm not a crook.

MUSIC: Tiger Feet by Mud

And the soundtrack to all this was glam rock.

Mud with the unforgettable Tiger Feet.

# That's Right, that's right, that's right, that's right,

# I really love your tiger light

# That's neat, that's neat, that's neat, that's neat

# I really love your tiger feet

# I really love your tiger feet. #

It was the best selling single of the year

and sold over a million copies around the world.

This is the start of Ainsley's Holiday Of His Lifetime,

Blackpool's famous golden shores,

stretching from Fleetwood in the north

to Lytham St Annes in the south,

and overlooked by the historic Tower.

It's absolutely breathtaking and completely unmistakable.

Coming here for the first time at the age of 17,

Ainsley must have been bursting with excitement!

Oh, the sea air!

It just kind of hits you, that fresh air and...

One morning you're in south London

-and then you're here, Blackpool!

-I know.

One side, you've got the marvellous Blackpool Tower.

Up there, you've got the Big Dipper. You couldn't wait to get there.

-You almost quickened your step.

-You didn't know where to go first.

-BOTH LAUGH

-Cos that Blackpool Tower, I mean, that's iconic.

-Yeah.

-People really identify, Blackpool signified holiday.

-Yeah.

And when you came here, people really were on holiday -

the beach was packed, you got the bracing sea air.

-I just remember deckchairs, donkey rides.

-Yeah, of course.

-And I do remember lots of handkerchiefs.

-On the heads?

-Yeah.

-With little knots in the side.

-Yeah.

Well, you know what was funny?

People used to plop up on the beach in a deckchair,

-but very rarely would they take their shirts off.

-I know.

And they'd have their sandals on with lots of socks.

Yeah, that's right, in case they burnt. Oh, yeah.

-Love it!

-I love it. You're taking me back here, now.

You're taking me back.

Blackpool is world famous as an entertainment resort,

but it hasn't always been that way.

In the early 18th century, Blackpool was a small coastal hamlet

with a population less than 1,000.

But the expansion of Britain's railways

and the opening of a new road in 1781,

brought visitors in search of the fresh sea air.

And they kept on coming.

In the 19th century, the Victorians built the three grand piers

that sweep into the sea from the promenade.

The Tower soon followed.

And in 1896, Alderman William George Bean

founded a new attraction - the Pleasure Beach.

The early rides brought visitors in their thousands

and the amusement park continued to grow throughout the 20th century.

FAIRGROUND MUSIC

Today, it's the most popular tourist attraction in the country.

Spanning over 40 acres, it's home to over 40 different rides,

including ten roller coasters,

the oldest of which is The Big Dipper.

And when Ainsley came to Blackpool in 1974,

he couldn't wait to ride it.

I remember being genuinely excited. You did in those days.

-Of course you did.

-As a kid, you'd go to the funfair

and it was like, "Argh!"

Now, look, I've got to be honest, I am a brave person.

Now, I don't know if you are. You up for having one go on it?

-Just the one.

-One lap.

-Just the one.

You just want to see my dinner, don't ya?

-BOTH LAUGH

-Come on, let's do it!

When the Big Dipper was built in 1923,

the country had never seen anything like it.

Thrill-seekers reached speeds of 40mph,

and the main 50ft drop was the biggest of its kind in Europe.

Now, does this take you back to when you came as a kid?

Oh, absolutely. It was the great ride, yeah.

I remember coming on this one, I used to love that mouse one.

-Oh, the wild mouse or whatever.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-I used to love that, too.

-Yeah.

-"Do not stand up." We can't move!

-We can't!

We're wedged in like sardines!

-BOTH LAUGH

-I can't even breathe out!

BOTH LAUGH

It's been lovely to have met you.

Yeah. I think we'll have a high-five there.

-BOTH LAUGH

-Good luck!

-Oh.

-Oh.

Let's just admire the view.

-It's very nice.

-This will be...

-I don't want to look down. Just calm. This is nice.

-Yeah.

I think it's all building up to this little bit now.

-I'm not looking.

-What little bit?

-No!

-BOTH SCREAM

BOTH LAUGH

When Ainsley was here in 1974,

the Big Dipper was the biggest and the best.

Nowadays, it's all about the Big One,

which, at over 200ft,

stands taller than everything apart from the Tower.

But there's no chance of getting me on that -

it's three times as high as this!

I'm not doing that again! You can have another go.

I feel like a teenager.

BOTH LAUGH

The way you were screaming.

-I need a Valium.

-BOTH LAUGH

Release us!

Ainsley, I don't have to worry about yours, but how's my hair?

BOTH LAUGH

Oh! What are you like?!

-How brave?

-That was fantastic!

-Thanks for that. Wonderful memories. Beautiful.

-Oh!

OK, now let's go on that really big one now. Come on, we're warmed up.

APPLAUSE

And the chefs today are Ainsley Harriott and Brian Turner!

In 1994, Ainsley was catapulted into the public's consciousness

when he first appeared on the hit BBC TV show Ready Steady Cook.

Can you smell hair burning, Fern?

I went to get the pepper and I nearly lost... Look! Singed!

He started out as a guest chef,

on hand to turn £5-worth of ingredients into a delicious meal,

but in the year 2000, he took over as the host of the show himself.

Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to Ready Steady Cook.

Great food coming your way courtesy of our chefs.

The programme came to an end after 16 years in 2010,

but it's still what Ainsley is best known for today.

OK, you've got one-and-a-half minutes to go.

Blackpool has the highest concentration

of roller coasters and fairground rides in the UK.

So its reputation as a noisy seaside town is well earned.

But there's much more to discover

and I've picked out ten attractions to ensure a good time.

Blackpool's iconic Grade-1 listed tower

has been standing proud since 1894.

The 69-second lift ride travels 315ft to the top,

with views as far as North Wales and the Lake District on a clear day.

The Tower underwent a £20 million refurbishment,

reopening in 2011, and now boasts a Skywalk attraction

with glass five centimetres thick,

giving visitors a floor-to-ceiling panorama.

From great heights to small sights -

the Blackpool Model Village is built to perfection.

Established in 1972, this award-winning attraction

is to be found in two and a half acres,

making it the biggest little village in Lancashire.

One inch is equal to one foot, which means

if they were to build Blackpool Tower,

it would have to stand 43ft high.

No trip to Blackpool is complete

without a good old-fashioned stick of rock.

These sugary sticky sweets were sold at fairgrounds

in the 19th century,

but back then, it wasn't lettered or as flamboyantly coloured,

like the seaside rock we know and love today.

Craftsmen of candy cooking are known as sugar boilers,

and local manufacturers give demonstrations to the public

all year round.

Ainsley came to Blackpool in 1974,

when his dad was a big star on the local entertainment circuit.

He played in the vast Winter Gardens complex,

which houses a ballroom, theatre and music hall.

It's played host to the biggest names in music and entertainment

for over a century, and in the '70s, Chester Harriott owned the stage.

Local historian Barry Band knows the story of this place inside out.

In the late '40s, some shows expanded.

There were superstar concerts.

Names like Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland,

Frankie Laine, Nat King Cole.

In 1953, when Frank Sinatra made his second visit to the Opera House,

the main supporting act was Chester Harriott

and his name appears on several programmes in the 1950s,

supporting big international acts.

Now I'm bringing Ainsley back to the Winter Gardens

to relive the moment when he saw his dad on stage

for the very first time.

Well, the Winter Gardens.

This hasn't changed much, but this is such a wonderful building,

-it really is.

-So where was the Planet Room?

I'm going to show you now, because it's now called the Arena.

But that was the Planet Room,

where your dad used to perform nightly.

-Yeah, yeah.

-And you went to see him...

-Seasonally.

-And for the season.

-I know.

In the summer of 1974, Ainsley's dad was the principal performer

in this room, playing to packed crowds night after night.

This was Chester Harriott's empire.

-Oh, it echoes.

-Yeah.

-Haunting.

-Get a little tingle standing here.

-Yeah.

-This is unbelievable.

I'd never seen my dad perform before. This was his job.

-Suddenly, to see him there...

-Yeah. Must have been so proud.

I tell you what, it's making me feel a bit emotional now,

because, you know, I lost him last year

and to think that I saw Dad up on here...

He came out here and he commanded the room and people...

HE CHEERS

Chester Harriott suddenly was on stage.

He had all the gold rings, all the chains.

He just looked the business.

Standing there, "Hello, ladies and gentlemen."

-And the hands would go up and down.

-Giving it all that.

-And a little one over the top.

-I know, exactly.

HE IMITATES A PIANO

People sometimes say to me, "How come you're like this?

-"How come you've got all this flair and everything?"

-And the old...

Exactly. That was me dad.

And my mum was always a bit of a Nina Simone girl,

with her big bum in the kitchen, shaking it,

cooking and stuff like that.

And then me dad - the combination,

I've got the shake and the...you know.

-Yeah.

-Everyone says putting salt was like my dad playing the keys.

Ainsley's dad Chester was born in Jamaica

and came to the UK at the age of 17.

He studied music at Trinity College,

before embarking in a lifetime on stage

and he met and performed with thousands over a 40-year career.

In the 1970s,

Renee Devereaux was a singer working at the Winter Gardens.

She performed during the evenings and matinees, earning £20 a show.

-Hello, Renee.

-Nice to see you, darling. Nice to see you.

She remembers Chester all too well.

-You used to like my dad, didn't you?

-I thought he was wonderful.

-Marvellous.

-Oh, dear.

-I saw him...

The first time I saw him, I was only a teenager,

and then I ended up working with him.

Renee would join Chester on the stage

during his flamboyant shows,

playing to a full house night after night.

I remember all the tables being here,

people sat down and Dad was up on stage.

And of course it was absolutely packed, thriving.

Really packed to the hilt. Not an empty seat, really.

-They all wanted to see him, didn't they?

-Oh, yes, yes. Brilliant.

Well, the proof of the pudding is the fact

that he was here for ten years and if it didn't work,

-he'd have done one season and been gone.

-And off, yeah.

I can imagine it. I know I wasn't privy to it,

but I can imagine the tables round, the place is packed,

people are coming back from the bar, getting drinks,

there's your dad up there.

-He shone on the stage. He was good. He was marvellous.

-Just wonderful.

Plenty of charisma.

I've been saying to Len about opening up the room, saying,

"What do you want to hear?"

And literally, people would just throw a song back at him

and he'd just play it and sometimes songs that I'd never heard of before,

but he just had that in his locker and he would just come out with it.

And of course the women would come up, they'd be crying,

they wouldn't let him go.

-They'd squeeze him like this, "Oh, Chester."

-Kisses, kisses.

-Can you imagine that?

-He developed a very big following.

Did he really? All right, then. I'll believe you.

-Better not talk about...

-Better not talk...!

In the '70s, Blackpool's entertainment industry

was at its peak.

Tourism was the town's main source of income,

and the reputation for fun-filled evenings

brought visitors in their droves.

As a result, the industry was a major employer,

as the venues put on bigger and more extravagant shows.

The star turns needed support in the form of session musicians,

and of course dancers.

Local girl Sandy Griffiths worked the stages of Blackpool

in the '70s, and remembers those days vividly.

I worked in the Stardust Gardens, that was in the Winter Gardens.

There was about...22 girls,

there was a lot of girls, gorgeous costumes.

We used to dance on these pasarelas and there were speciality acts

and we used to have great audiences.

Oh, it's always been the entertainment capital of the North,

we've had such a variety of shows here.

Something that suits everybody.

Great stars came to Blackpool, even the up-and-coming stars

made it here and then they went on to be bigger stars.

Blackpool was buzzing. It was a place where...

Everybody loves to feel the atmosphere of Blackpool, as they do today.

Chester Harriott left an indelible mark on Blackpool

in his ten-season stay here.

Ann Lightbown is a local archivist,

and has some very special memorabilia from that time.

Look, that is absolutely bang-on there. You can see...

-Because the stage is at the top there now, isn't it?

-Yes.

But it used to be on the side. Wow. Just look at that.

And this with all the people.

And all of them seats were taken.

Well, there, you can see it's absolutely jam-packed.

-Is that my father there on stage? I don't know.

-Let me have a look.

-You can't tell, can you?

-I've got a good feeling...

-Cos there's two pianists here.

-Yeah.

And I've got a good feeling that this one facing us

could well be your dad.

The one thing I have got here...

-Top of the bill.

-Look at that!

-A Smile, A Song, A Piano.

-I know.

-Now, this is really interesting - he married her.

-Did he really?

-Well, it's all there.

-He married The Magical Claudine.

I now have a half-sister called Donna.

The Magical Claudine.

She's going to be so thrilled to see that. Look at that.

-You can see the ring on here.

-Yeah.

And look, all the lovely gold and stuff like that.

They called him the Black Liberace there, he was very striking.

Look at this. Oh, Dad.

Well, I've got one last little surprise for you.

-Oh, yeah?

-Well, it's not as...

-it's not as big a surprise, but I think you will like it.

-OK.

All right, then. What's this going to be this time?

Let's just imagine there's your dad up on the old bandstand there

and this is what would have happened.

-RECORDING:

-It is the cool man himself, Chester Harriott.

-APPLAUSE

-Thank you very much.

PIANO INTRO

Remember this, girls?

# Give me your smile

# The love light in your eyes... #

-I love it.

-It's great, isn't it?

# Give me your smile

# The love light in your eyes

# My world for ever The sunshine of your smile. #

Oh, fantastic.

# Give me your smile... #

-Eh? Isn't it lovely?

-You made me smile, Len.

-That is lovely.

-Now...

-That is so, so nice.

-It's lovely, eh?

# Oh, yeah! #

APPLAUSE

With 16 theatres and over 50 music venues,

Blackpool's reputation for live entertainment is unparalleled,

but there's much more to this tremendous town

than the bright lights.

Away from all the razzle-dazzle of the promenade

is the Grade-II listed and award-winning Stanley Park.

Built in 1926, the park boasts 250 acres of wonderful gardens,

enchanting lakes and some magnificent architecture,

influenced by the Art Deco movement.

The multimillion-pound regeneration of Blackpool's seafront

has reinvigorated the town's historic attractions.

In 2011, the 20,000 square foot Comedy Carpet was unveiled

in front of the Tower

and features lines from more than 1,000 comedians

and comedy writers,

a fantastic homage to those who have made the nation laugh.

The North Pier was opened in 1863.

A fishing jetty was added in 1866 and extended three years later,

bringing the pier's length to nearly 1,500ft.

Fantastic vistas of Blackpool unfold with a walk to the end,

and the Sun Lounge offers a perfect view

of the sun setting over the sea.

No holiday experience is complete without sampling the local food -

those new tastes and textures, so different to home,

transform our palate for ever.

When Ainsley came to Blackpool in 1974,

there could be only one thing at the top of the menu -

a traditional seaside fish and chips.

And his dad used to take him to his favourite place.

This is the famous fish and chip shop.

Now do you think this could have been the one that your dad

-used to bring you to?

-It could have been.

You know, I don't think it was as flashy as this outside.

Well, let's go in and see what's...

-and see what's cooking!

-What are you like? What are you like?

-It's one a minute.

-Oh, lovely.

Come on. Look.

-Now this could have been the place.

-So your mum did a bit of cooking?

Oh, she did more than a bit of cooking,

because showbiz friends would come round, so she wanted to show off.

And that's where I developed my skill from, because she put

everything on it and decorate it a little bit and cut the...

-Remember the tomatoes, you cut into a crown.

-Oh, yeah.

And you'd open them, put a little bit of an olive or something

-on top of it.

-Bit of parsley.

Yeah, a bit of parsley. Do you know? Just little simple things.

And it kind of gave us a joy,

gave us a bit of appreciation of cooking.

Well, now, talking of cooking,

I would imagine that you must be a dab hand at the old fish and chips.

-Oh, I don't mind.

-You...

-Oh, yeah.

Kim? Kim? Could Ainsley give it a go?

Are you going to have a go at it?

I think I am going to have a go at it, Kim, that would be lovely.

-Do you mind?

-No, not at all.

On today's menu, fresh plaice,

caught this morning in nearby Fleetwood.

-You don't flour it here, do you, girls?

-No.

-Just straight into the old batter.

-Yeah.

There it is, straight in there.

That's it. Make sure it's well covered there.

Then straight in there.

-That's it.

-I guess one of the tricks must be the lovely hot fat.

Yeah, you've got to get the temperature right.

You want it hot enough so it actually creates a crisp,

because the idea of frying, it creates a barrier around it.

Even like chips, it doesn't soak up the oil, you don't want to suck up

-the oil.

-No.

-You just want to put it in there, nice, crispy batter,

bang, it goes in that oil there and you're going to give that

four or five minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.

But this is a bit of plaice, four or five minutes and that'll be out.

Fabulous.

Fish and chips is the classic seaside snack.

There are more than 10,000 different chippies in the UK,

selling almost 400 million portions a year.

That's about six each.

So after Ainsley's done here,

I'll only be allowed another five all year!

How did you get into cooking?

You've left school, you'd look at you, you'd think,

"Well, he's going to be a welder."

Or a boxer! Yeah!

I had this love, I had this passion, my mum was always cooking,

my sister's gone into it, my brother was the main cook at home

and so we all just felt comfortable in the kitchen.

And that's why I always say to people,

"Don't force your kids out of the kitchen.

"I know it's hot water and hot fat and everything,

"and it's a bit dangerous, sharp knives. Encourage them."

Now, I'm going to speak to Kim before we finish.

I want to know what she's going to give it out of ten.

Well, I know she's going to tell me it's curled.

Kim, come forward, please.

-Kim...

-Now have a look at what he's done there. What do you reckon?

Mark it out of ten.

It's unravelling now, Kim, come back in five minutes and tell me.

-Seven.

-Seven!

THEY CHEER

Well, the taste might get a ten from Len, who knows?

I know. Well, we're about to find out there.

-With chips or without chips, sir?

-A few chips.

-There we are.

A few officer's pips.

I think that's adequate for me.

-How about that? Is that enough?

-More than enough.

-Yeah?

'Fresh fish and chips made by my old mucker Ainsley -

'there's nothing better.'

Give it a bit of...

I'm telling you what, this is superb!

Absolutely gorgeous.

-It's great.

-Did you hear that, darling? It's great!

I've got a job here, so I'll keep this on. Look, "Trainee."

I'm all yours.

-Bye!

-Bye!

-Take care. Bye!

-Bye-bye! Thanks for the fish and chips.

Oh, you cooked that up beautiful. I know it was curly, but I loved it.

AINSLEY LAUGHS

Blackpool is world famous for its 500ft Tower,

but back in the 1860s

the main attraction wasn't on land, but over the water.

Blackpool's three piers

were the first major manmade tourist attraction,

and they brought visitors in the hundreds of thousands,

helping cement the town's reputation

as a first-class holiday destination.

But each pier had to carve out a reputation for itself,

attracting a different type of customer,

as Blackpool's brainbox Barry Band explains.

Blackpool's always had big ideas.

For example, by having three piers, two were obviously not enough.

The first one, the North Pier, opened in 1863.

But it wasn't an entertainment venue -

it was a place for people to walk over the ocean.

The Central Pier quickly became known as the People's Pier.

Would you believe that public dancing on the pier would happen

at seven o'clock in the morning?

What a novelty, eh?!

Dancing at seven o'clock in the morning.

The South Pier had a wonderful orchestra

and two lovely halls on that pier.

It became a place that people went to

for classical and quaint entertainment.

The individual reputations of the piers remain intact today,

and many of the delights on offer haven't changed much

since Ainsley visited all those years ago.

I've got to get a stick of rock. I'll treat you.

I don't know why, I always go for the pink ones. That's pineapple.

I'm going to have a stripy one.

One of them, a big one, and a thin one.

You've got to go on the pier if you come to Blackpool.

Well, I haven't done this for 30-odd years.

The Central Pier has always been the liveliest of the three

and it's here you'll find classic fairground rides.

THEY WHOOP

I'm coming to get you.

Where are you?!

Dodgems have been going for nearly 100 years.

The first ones were built in America in 1919,

and Blackpool brought them to the UK two years later.

Don't worry, though, they're a lot safer these days,

no matter how bad Ainsley's driving is!

-That Len Goodman.

-I'm 70 years old, you know?

There's so much to see and do in brilliant Blackpool,

but it's not all about thrills and spills.

The town has a thriving arts scene to discover,

and the Grundy Art Gallery has been at the heart of it since 1911 -

cutting-edge work by Gilbert and George, Martin Creed

and other provocateurs of recent British art

are just as likely to be found here as the more traditional works.

It's art for everyone and it's free to all.

Blackpool Circus first opened to the public in 1894

and has never missed a season.

Positioned at the base of Blackpool Tower,

the circus is considered to be the best in the country

and features acts from all around the world.

The seafront is famous for the fantastic illuminations

that run from August to November.

Over one million bulbs are used to deliver this spectacular sight,

which has grown from its humble beginnings in 1879,

when just eight lamps were used.

Over 3.5 million visitors

flock to enjoy the illuminations every year.

And there's only one place that can be at the top of my Ten From Len.

Think sequins and sparkle, think glitz and glamour -

yes, it's the Tower Ballroom.

It opened back in 1894,

when dancing was forbidden on a Sunday!

But over 120 years, the rules have been relaxed a little.

The Ballroom has over 120ft of wooden floor,

so there's plenty of room to trip the light fantastic.

And with each magnificent chandelier containing over 80 bulbs,

you can always remain in the spotlight

as the 1935 Wurlitzer brings music to your ears.

Ainsley Harriott has had a wonderful career -

as a chef in exclusive London restaurants

and as a popular television personality.

But I want to know how Ainsley's time here in Blackpool

helped transform that wide-eyed 17-year-old

into the nation's favourite TV chef.

Prior to making it, if you like,

there must be a lot of hard work - working in kitchens, grumpy chefs.

Grumpy chefs, not much money, you know? Started on £15 a week.

My mates were earning double bubble, 30-odd quid a week and...yeah,

it was, it was tough, it was hard.

The reward was when someone turned round and said,

-"Fantastic food, chef."

-Yeah, that...

-I mean, it's like you.

Even if you're making beans on toast for your missus and you put it down

-and she says, "Oh, I really enjoyed that."

-And it makes you feel good.

It makes you feel good.

Ainsley's hard graft as a young chef paid off -

he went on to cook in some of the nation's most prestigious kitchens,

including London's Dorchester Hotel.

But his first big break on the small screen came in 1993.

He wasn't cooking up a storm in the kitchen, though -

he on spaceship three million years in the future,

playing a character called the Chief GELF.

Now, as I understand it,

-the first time you were on TV was as actor on Red Dwarf.

-Oh, wow.

That is fantastic, isn't it?

I loved doing Red Dwarf, because the great thing about it, Len,

is that when you arrive on a programme that is established,

all the actors are established, they know their part so well,

you just fit in, and again, it was great,

it was one of those sci-fi programmes that...

I still get stuff now and I still get invited to the sci-fi conventions.

-Oh, do you?

-Yeah!

-Oh, lovely.

They want to see me as the Chief GELF.

-Course they do!

-Yeah.

Once Ainsley had tasted the glamour of TV, he wanted more.

I think we all go through a period in our life,

when you're in your 20s, when you're juggling,

you don't quite know where you're going to land,

what you're going to be doing.

Food was always a passion, I'd always had that in me,

and then the opportunity, Len, to be able to do it on TV,

to share all the skills that I've trained to do -

I went to Westminster Catering College and all that -

-to share it with people in a fun way.

-Yeah.

You know, add a little bit of Percy Pepper and Susie Salt,

this was what, you know, propelled me into their life.

People say, "Ains, why are you all a bit...?"

That was my dad. That's what I grew up with.

-Even though he wasn't there, it's in the genes.

-Yeah.

You can't replace that, you know? If it's there, it's there.

Did your dad get an opportunity to see you make it?

-Get on TV? Ready Steady Cook?

-He certainly did.

-Say, "That's my boy."

-He certainly did

and he came onto Ready Steady Cook with Brian Turner's dad.

Both of them have gone now, God bless their souls.

But it kind of re-sparked it for him.

He's my boy.

'People would suddenly be in contact with him,'

saying, "Is that your boy, Chester?"

Do you know? It kind of really...

kind of gave him a little bit of a buzz. And he loved that.

Even when he went into a shop,

I'd go up there and we'd go into a supermarket to get a box of tissues.

It would take us two bleeding hours to walk around!

"Oh, yes, hello!" He'd raise his voice.

-I'd be there.

-"Do you know my son?"

-Yeah!

My dad says, "Embrace everything in life."

So I embraced entertainment, I embraced cooking,

-a bit of acting work - weren't very good at it, it doesn't matter.

-No.

When you work with the pros, they make you feel good, you know?

-They just heighten your ability. Loved it.

-Yeah.

So, leaving that aside,

I want to now talk about your experience coming to Blackpool.

-Did it bring back all those memories of...

-I think it was...

-..a teenager?

-Yeah, it was nostalgic.

You've made me kind of reconnect with my dad

and how wonderful he was as a performer.

Going back to the Winter Gardens and just looking...

Especially at that ceiling, that original ceiling

and looking down and thinking, "You know what,

"my dad performed here, he filled this room.

"He made people feel really special."

He gave them something that, you know,

they carried through their lives and there's that lovely...

There's that lovely saying that, you know,

people forget what you did, people forget what you said,

but people never forget the way you made them feel.

-Yeah.

-You know? And I think my dad made them feel really special.

When they left his show, you know...

Yeah, there might have been one or two songs you might be humming

or there might have been a funny gesture that he might have said,

but they went away feeling good,

they went away thinking, "I want to come back some more."

It's been a privilege to relive such personal family memories

with Ainsley here in Blackpool.

HE LAUGHS

His driving may not be up to much...

..and he may not be as brave as he looks...

THEY SCREAM

Shut up!

..but it's clear how much he cherishes the memories

of watching his father perform on stage for the very first time.

# Give me your smile

# The love light in your eyes... #

-Isn't it lovely?

-You've made me smile, Len. That's lovely, mate.

After spending the day with Ainsley,

it's easy to see just how much Blackpool means to him.

Listen, it's been such a joy and I want you to remember this

and so I've got a little keepsake for you.

This is Holiday Of My Lifetime,

a little scrapbook of different things that we've done

during the course of the day.

Oh, thank you very much. Thank you. That's lovely.

A picture book of memories

from Ainsley's time in Blackpool.

And keeping in mind how much this place

harbours memories of his dad,

I've got an extra-special surprise for him.

This is your dad's contract from Harold Fielding Ltd,

from August 1965.

Oh, this is just brilliant.

"Two concerts at the Opera House, Blackpool, on Sunday..."

Oh, that's just great. That is great.

That is fantastic, you know?

He's gone now.

This means so much. This is just brilliant.

-This proves that he was on the top of his game.

-Yeah.

-Oh, thank you, man.

Thank you so much.

Let me tell you, I've had so much fun.

-Thank you, Len, thank you. Eh?

-Eh?

Thank you. I'm happy.

Thank you, Blackpool!

THEY CHUCKLE

So, farewell to the queen of all our seaside towns.

For Ainsley Harriott,

Blackpool will always be the home of some very special memories.