0:00:02 > 0:00:05'Childhood holidays. Oh, the anticipation seemed endless.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08'The holiday itself - well, it was over too quickly.
0:00:08 > 0:00:09'So, in this series, I'm going
0:00:09 > 0:00:12'to be reliving those wonderful times
0:00:12 > 0:00:14'with some much-loved famous faces.'
0:00:14 > 0:00:15THEY SCREAM
0:00:17 > 0:00:20'Every day, I'll be arranging a few surprises
0:00:20 > 0:00:23'to transport them back in time.'
0:00:23 > 0:00:24Oh, look!
0:00:24 > 0:00:26SHE GIGGLES It's just as I remember!
0:00:27 > 0:00:29'We'll relive the fun...'
0:00:29 > 0:00:31LAUGHTER
0:00:31 > 0:00:32'..the games...'
0:00:32 > 0:00:34BOTH: Yes!
0:00:34 > 0:00:35We got them!
0:00:35 > 0:00:37'..and the food of years gone by...'
0:00:37 > 0:00:38Yum-my!
0:00:38 > 0:00:44- Welcome to 1959. - Total happiness.- Yes, perfect.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47'..to find out how those holidays around the UK
0:00:47 > 0:00:50'helped shape the people we know so well today.'
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Bruce Forsyth.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54AS BRUCIE: Yes, marvellous, Len. You're still my favourite.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57'So 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.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07'On today's trip down memory lane,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09'I'm heading to the south east of England,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12'where I'll be collecting our mystery holiday maker
0:01:12 > 0:01:15'in an original Volkswagen Beetle.'
0:01:15 > 0:01:20There we go. Oh-ho, we're off on a journey. It's an adventure.
0:01:20 > 0:01:21HE LAUGHS
0:01:21 > 0:01:23The person we're going to meet today
0:01:23 > 0:01:27has got one of the sharpest minds in the country.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29And here he is as a youngster.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34Oh, what a lovely, chubby chappie he was.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38He was born in Germany in 1948
0:01:38 > 0:01:43and moved to London when he was three years old.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Look at that cute, little face.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50He grew into a flamboyant man
0:01:50 > 0:01:53and absolutely multi-talented.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56He dazzled us as an author and a broadcaster,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00he showed off his dodgy taste in knitwear every morning.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Guessing today's guest could be a real...
0:02:03 > 0:02:05conundrum.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07And talk about a renaissance man!
0:02:07 > 0:02:12In the '90s, he was even elected an MP.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16But these days you'll probably know them for one show -
0:02:16 > 0:02:17The One Show.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20You must have it by now.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23There's only one person fits that description.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25It's good old Gyles Brandreth.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28And I'm picking him up in an exact replica of the car
0:02:28 > 0:02:32that he used to goon his first holidays in.
0:02:32 > 0:02:33I can't wait.
0:02:35 > 0:02:40Gyles is a one-of-a-kind brain-box on the telly-box.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42His mum, Alice, was a renowned teacher,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45specialising in helping children with dyslexia.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48His dad, Charles, was a legal officer with
0:02:48 > 0:02:50the Allied Commission in Germany.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52After moving to England as a toddler,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55he graduated from Oxford University
0:02:55 > 0:02:58and found success at everything he turned his hand to -
0:02:58 > 0:03:01writing, theatre and even politics.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04He married his wife, Michele,
0:03:04 > 0:03:09but didn't tell his parents for two years, the cheeky chappie!
0:03:09 > 0:03:14He's now living in London, a dad of three, and a grandad of seven.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19I'm hoping Gyles will share a bit of his wisdom with me today.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21I just hope I make it on time!
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Five for timekeeping.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33I'm so sorry I'm late.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36You are forgiven on this occasion.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39This car doesn't appear to have sat nav.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41It seems to have got everything else.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43- I recognise this car. - Do you recognise it?
0:03:43 > 0:03:45I genuinely recognise this car.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47This is an amazing treat.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51- This is an original Volkswagen Beetle.- Correct.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56And this is exactly the car that my parents had in the 1950s.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58And the reason I know it is
0:03:58 > 0:04:00is because of this bit at the back, here.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04This is where I travelled when I was a child on holiday.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06- Yes, there. Where you put the luggage.- Yeah.
0:04:06 > 0:04:11And I would stand there all the way from London to where we're going.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15If I wasn't standing there, I was sitting on my dad's knee.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- Literally, I drove with my dad. - Sitting on his lap.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22This could be the car, except it's in rather too good condition.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24- Isn't it marvellous?- It's wonderful.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29Now, tell me, where are we going to head for?
0:04:29 > 0:04:32We are going where I went with my parents on holiday.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34To Broadstairs in Kent.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36What year was it?
0:04:36 > 0:04:40The year we are going to go is the summer of 1955.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Ah, Broadstairs, I know it well.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Your typical British seaside town.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56It's in the south east of England
0:04:56 > 0:04:57on the Kent coast,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00in an area known as the Isle of Thanet.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05Nestled between those giant resorts, Margate and Ramsgate,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08little, old Broadstairs is truly a picture.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Less than two hours' drive from London
0:05:11 > 0:05:14and with a population of 25,000,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17it's home to seven unique sandy bays
0:05:17 > 0:05:21which have been enticing visitors for two centuries.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Legend has it that the name derives
0:05:23 > 0:05:28from the 11th century staircase carved into the chalk cliffs.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Gyles came here as a seven-year-old in 1955
0:05:31 > 0:05:35and today I'll be taking him back on a nostalgic journey through time,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37bringing him face-to-face
0:05:37 > 0:05:40with some of his fondest childhood holiday memories.
0:05:40 > 0:05:41That's the way to do it.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44And this is where I discovered Billy Bunter.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Oh, no, I say! Oh, I say, you chaps!
0:05:46 > 0:05:47- That music...- Right.- ..he would play,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51and I would be dancing crazily all over the stage.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55And we'll see just how much Broadstairs influenced him
0:05:55 > 0:05:57to become the man we know and love.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Everything that I've ever done in my life had its roots
0:06:00 > 0:06:02here in those summer holidays in Broadstairs.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06And today isn't special for Gyles alone.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09My parents used to bring me to Broadstairs, too,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12so it's an adventure for both of us.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21Before any holiday truly begins, first you must set out on a journey.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Whether by plane, train or automobile,
0:06:23 > 0:06:28we've all experienced those hours of anticipation, just waiting to
0:06:28 > 0:06:33get to the promised destination you've been dreaming of all year.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35For those travelling by car in 1955,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39the trips could be long, not to mention hot!
0:06:39 > 0:06:42So kids had to keep themselves entertained somehow.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44No DVD players in Gyles's day!
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Would you say you were a well-behaved passenger?
0:06:51 > 0:06:54- We played games.- Lovely.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56All the way from West London.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58And what I remember best... Do you know the game "Donkey"?
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Basically, what you've got to do is not finish the word.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03So I'll begin a word. D.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08- P.- No, no, no. There's no D-word that begins with D-P.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10- Oh, I see.- It's a spelling game.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12- Oh, I understand. OK. - We'll start again.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14- Start again. Go on.- D.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17R.
0:07:17 > 0:07:18I.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24You could win this and force me to enter the word. D-R-I.
0:07:24 > 0:07:25- B. B.- B?- Yes, B.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Oh, I like it. B - I know what you're thinking of.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30- B.- L.- I.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34N.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36G.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38- Dribbling.- Yes.- Already.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40We haven't started the day and I'm already dribbling.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42That means that I've lost.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48We used to do a similar game called "Sevens" and you mustn't say seven.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52- Oh, very good. - Or 17, or multiples of seven.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54What do you say instead?
0:07:54 > 0:07:56- HE HONKS - ..or any noise you like.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58OK, good. Do it?
0:07:58 > 0:07:59- Yeah.- BOTH: One.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- You go.- One.- Two.- Three. - Four.- Five.- Six.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03GYLES HONKS
0:08:03 > 0:08:04- Eight.- Nine.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06- 10.- 11.- 12.- 13.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07LEN HONKS
0:08:07 > 0:08:09- 15.- 16.- 17.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11- Oh!- Aargh!
0:08:11 > 0:08:14'Oh, yes, we certainly knew how to have fun in those days!
0:08:14 > 0:08:16'Anything to while away the hours.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19'For Gyles, the 80-mile journey from West London
0:08:19 > 0:08:21'would seem to take all day,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24'but Broadstairs was worth the wait.'
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Oh, look. We're here in Broadstairs.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28We're actually arriving in Broadstairs.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31This is perhaps too exciting for us. And I know this hill so well.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33- And down there's the Pavilion On The Sands.- Yes.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35- And there's the Albion. - We occasionally came here for tea
0:08:35 > 0:08:38but this was really quite grand. This was the posh place.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40- This is the posh place.- Yeah.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42We've only just arrived
0:08:42 > 0:08:44and it's already bringing back memories for Gyles.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54He came here in 1955 as a seven-year-old
0:08:54 > 0:08:57and the world was a very different place back then.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02Winston Churchill was still the Prime Minister, God bless him.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06He resigned that year due to ill health at the grand old age of 80.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Rock 'n' roll was just about to break into the mainstream.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Bill Haley And The Comets had meteoric success with
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Rock Around The Clock - an absolute classic.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18MUSIC: Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley And The Comets
0:09:22 > 0:09:23Not only that,
0:09:23 > 0:09:28but 1955 was the year that Scrabble was launched in the UK.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31It'll come as no surprise to hear that wordsmith Gyles
0:09:31 > 0:09:34is a big fan of the board game.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36But did you know he used to be
0:09:36 > 0:09:40president of the Association of British Scrabble Players?
0:09:40 > 0:09:42There's no end to this man's talent!
0:09:44 > 0:09:46To begin our day in Broadstairs,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50I've brought Gyles to the focal point of all holidays here,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52then as now.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55- Viking Bay.- Let's have a look.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Oh. It's unbeatable, isn't it?
0:09:58 > 0:10:01This is where Gyles' holiday of his lifetime begins -
0:10:01 > 0:10:04a golden, horseshoe-shaped stretch of sand,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07with a promenade and a small harbour.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10It's barely changed in 60 years.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17Gyles, why is Broadstairs so special for you?
0:10:17 > 0:10:19It's not just special for me.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21It was special for my whole family.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24And the reason for that is
0:10:24 > 0:10:28that my dad used to come here to this very bay for his holidays
0:10:28 > 0:10:30and he came as a boy for his holidays
0:10:30 > 0:10:34because his dad had come for his holidays in the Victorian times.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37So it was a Brandreth family tradition -
0:10:37 > 0:10:39the summer comes, we're going to Broadstairs.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43And was it a two-week, you know, nip down and have a week here,
0:10:43 > 0:10:44or was it...?
0:10:44 > 0:10:47It was two weeks for my dad. It was the whole summer for me and my mum.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50We would spend six weeks here and...
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Staying at a guesthouse somewhere over there.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55And we'd walk all the way down, all the way along there, past...
0:10:55 > 0:10:58and then we'd come under this York Gate down onto this beach and
0:10:58 > 0:11:02then my mother would ensconce herself on the beach for the entire day.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04She'd sit there for the whole day. And I would then...
0:11:04 > 0:11:07That would be my basic... You know, I'd keep coming back to her.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09But you could wander about freely.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14And I promise you, age six, I could go away for a couple of hours.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Broadstairs has always prided itself on providing wholesome
0:11:18 > 0:11:22family entertainment to distinguish itself from other resorts.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Holiday-makers came in their thousands,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26and I was one of them.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29- Did you come to this beach as well?- All the time.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33And I'm sure that our paths must have crossed.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Broadstairs has relied on the tourist trade
0:11:36 > 0:11:38since the Victorian era.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Today, holiday-makers bring more than £230 million
0:11:41 > 0:11:45into the Isle of Thanet every year.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50'Back in 1955, the dozen or so souvenir shops did a roaring trade.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53'A bucket and spade would set you back a shilling -
0:11:53 > 0:11:54'a week's pocket money.'
0:11:56 > 0:12:00What do you think? Hello, sailor.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02You look a little bit Germanic, actually.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07You wanted a bit more jaunty. That's a bit more...
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Do you know, there's a film with Cary Grant, looks very...
0:12:10 > 0:12:14- There you are.- ..can I say, very like you?- Shall we take the beach?
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- I think so.- Here we go. - A couple of swells.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19THEY LAUGH
0:12:19 > 0:12:21'Don't worry, I'll pay for them later.'
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Broadstairs has existed for almost 1,000 years
0:12:31 > 0:12:34but it's gone through a few changes in that time.
0:12:34 > 0:12:39In the 18th century, the coastal bays were used by smugglers
0:12:39 > 0:12:41to hide their ill-gotten goods.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46But by the mid-19th century, wealthy tourists had started to arrive
0:12:46 > 0:12:48in search of the fresh sea air.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Tourism started to thrive and the town began to grow.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56In its heyday, up to 5,000 sun-seekers
0:12:56 > 0:13:00would cram onto this beach at the height of the summer.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Gyles would spend the whole day playing here,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05while his mum, Alice, kept her eye on him
0:13:05 > 0:13:08from the safety of a deckchair.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Ralph Hoult is a local historian
0:13:10 > 0:13:15and what he doesn't know about Broadstairs isn't worth knowing.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Back in the 1700s, when Broadstairs was a little fishing village,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21it was known as Bradstow, which is the Anglo-Saxon
0:13:21 > 0:13:23and it meant "broad place".
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Around about 1800, they changed the name to Broadstairs
0:13:26 > 0:13:28and with the arrival of the railway
0:13:28 > 0:13:31it brought thousands and thousands of visitors in Victorian times.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34The great attraction was the sea water because, in those days,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37they thought the sea water was a wonderful cure for any
0:13:37 > 0:13:39ailments that you might get.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Probably the most famous visitor ever to come to Broadstairs
0:13:42 > 0:13:44has got to be Charles Dickens.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47In 1847, he actually had a famous visitor
0:13:47 > 0:13:49and that was Hans Christian Andersen.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51They were great friends and they actually met up here.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Two of the greatest European writers
0:13:54 > 0:13:57holidaying together right here in Broadstairs -
0:13:57 > 0:13:58who'd have thought it?
0:13:58 > 0:14:01It was the Victorians that made Broadstairs
0:14:01 > 0:14:04the holiday destination that it is today,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07and the locals haven't forgotten it.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10- BELL RINGS - Welcome to beautiful Broadstairs
0:14:10 > 0:14:13where the sun always shines!
0:14:15 > 0:14:18I've roped in the local Charles Dickens Fellowship
0:14:18 > 0:14:19to help me show Gyles
0:14:19 > 0:14:23what the town would have looked like in their day.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24Well, almost!
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Well, I know this isn't exactly the '50s...
0:14:29 > 0:14:31This is the 1850s!
0:14:31 > 0:14:33This is your grandfather's...
0:14:33 > 0:14:36This would be my great-grandfather, I think.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39- He'd have looked more like this gentleman here.- Peter.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43'Peter Shaw is the Chairman of the local Dickens Fellowship
0:14:43 > 0:14:47'and, as well as being an expert on our great 19th century author,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50'he has another very special connection.'
0:14:50 > 0:14:53I have the privilege of living in Dickens House Museum.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56He was wined and dined in there by a lady called Mary Pearson Strong,
0:14:56 > 0:15:00who became the model of Betsey Trotwood in David Copperfield.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03And did he write one of his famous novels here in Broadstairs?
0:15:03 > 0:15:06He wrote quite a few parts of various novels but the one
0:15:06 > 0:15:10that's closely associated with Broadstairs is David Copperfield.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Why did he come to Broadstairs so often?
0:15:14 > 0:15:18Well, because he felt that Broadstairs offered him the solitude
0:15:18 > 0:15:22that he needed to recharge his batteries and write the books.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24He called it "Our English Watering-Place"
0:15:24 > 0:15:26and wrote a small booklet about it
0:15:26 > 0:15:29because he so enjoyed the tranquillity here.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Words and literature have played a huge part in Gyles's life.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37That's why I've brought him here to find out if that passion all
0:15:37 > 0:15:42stems from the time he spent in this tiny town on the Kent coast.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45When I was a little boy, I think I already wanted to be a writer.
0:15:45 > 0:15:46And my father loved Dickens.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51He would read from Dickens to us so all of this was very alive
0:15:51 > 0:15:54and I felt, walking the streets of Broadstairs,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58I'm walking in the footsteps of the greatest English novelist,
0:15:58 > 0:15:59who's world-famous.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02And, even as a little boy, that felt good to me.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07I mean, in our grandfathers' day, Dickens was hugely famous.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09- Indeed he was.- So when he arrived in the Broadstairs,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11people know Mr Dickens is in town.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14That's right and that's one of the reasons why he stopped coming
0:16:14 > 0:16:16in 1851, because he was so famous and popular
0:16:16 > 0:16:21that he was never left alone on his holidays so he decided to go afar.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24It's rather like travelling round Broadstairs with Len Goodman.
0:16:24 > 0:16:25- Absolutely.- Can I tell you that?
0:16:25 > 0:16:29I mean, you know, I thought I'd come for a quiet day at the seaside,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31reminiscing about Broadstairs,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33and it's Strictly this, Strictly that,
0:16:33 > 0:16:35"Oh, Mr Goodman" this, "Oh, Mr Goodman" that.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Why do you think they're still hanging around?
0:16:37 > 0:16:40And they've come dressed in the kind of kit he really likes, you know.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44- Yes.- Absolutely.- I think they look fantastic. They really do.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47'This is what the Victorians would have been wearing
0:16:47 > 0:16:50'as they enjoyed their summer holidays on the beach.'
0:16:50 > 0:16:52You can touch me if you want.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53- Ooh! - THEY LAUGH
0:16:55 > 0:16:59ALL: # Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside
0:16:59 > 0:17:03# Oh, I do like to be beside the sea
0:17:03 > 0:17:07# Oh, I do like to stroll along the prom, prom, prom
0:17:07 > 0:17:11# Where the brass bands play Tiddly-om-pom-pom. #
0:17:11 > 0:17:13CHEERING
0:17:13 > 0:17:14Well done!
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Broadstairs has been attracting visitors since the 1800s
0:17:19 > 0:17:21and not much has changed since then.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26There's plenty to discover here and I've picked out ten attractions
0:17:26 > 0:17:29to ensure a good time for any holiday-maker.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35This part of Britain is renowned for its wonderful white cliffs,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38and Botany Bay is one of the best examples.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42These spectacular chalk towers dominate the view
0:17:42 > 0:17:46and have been eroded over 100 million years.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50To mark Broadstairs' connections to Charles Dickens,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54the town continues to remember the man and his works.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56There's a week-long celebration every June
0:17:56 > 0:17:59that's been running since 1937.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03The local Dickens Fellowship throw garden parties,
0:18:03 > 0:18:07literature recitals and theatre productions.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15The Viking Coastal Trail is a cycle route spanning 32 miles,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19taking in some of Kent's most spectacular scenery.
0:18:19 > 0:18:25Legend has it that the Vikings first landed in Britain 449 AD,
0:18:25 > 0:18:31and the route takes in a replica of a Viking boat at nearby Pegwell Bay.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Part of the magic of any childhood holiday
0:18:41 > 0:18:44is the excitement of staying somewhere new -
0:18:44 > 0:18:49the sights, sounds and smells of those hotels, motels and campsites.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55In 1955 Broadstairs, there were nearly 200 guest houses,
0:18:55 > 0:18:59boarding houses and hotels, spreading back from the bay.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Families would rent a room for as long as they could afford,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04sometimes for the whole summer.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07They could expect to pay around six or seven guineas
0:19:07 > 0:19:09for a standard room for a week.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12That's about £150 in today's money.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15And, of course, that would include
0:19:15 > 0:19:17both a breakfast and an evening meal -
0:19:17 > 0:19:19an absolute bargain.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Nowadays, it would set you back about £500.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25It usually fell upon the landlady to do the cooking and the cleaning,
0:19:25 > 0:19:30bringing in that much-needed cash during the holiday season.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33And this is the kind of place where Gyles would have stayed.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36I hope it brings back some wonderful memories.
0:19:37 > 0:19:38Well, here we are.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Now, what do you think? Is this the sort of place?
0:19:42 > 0:19:45I think this is exactly right.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47When I was quite small,
0:19:47 > 0:19:51I shared a room with my mum, or even with both my parents,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53and they would be in the big bed
0:19:53 > 0:19:57- and there'd be a little sort of divan in the corner for me.- Right.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59This, I suspect, is the bathroom.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01- En... Yes.- En suite.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04We didn't have en suite in our day, we had "tout de suite" -
0:20:04 > 0:20:06a chamber pot. In the bedside cabinet.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09- No wandering around the corridor... - Out there?- ..in your pyjamas.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Oh, no. Just a little chamber pot if you needed to use it.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18In 1955, it was rare to have a bathroom that you weren't
0:20:18 > 0:20:20sharing with other holiday-makers.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23And hot and cold running water was a major selling point
0:20:23 > 0:20:24for these guest houses.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30What I remember most, what this room is suddenly bringing back to me,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33is lying in bed, reading.
0:20:33 > 0:20:34Reading is good, isn't it?
0:20:34 > 0:20:37And I think I discovered that staying in guesthouses like this
0:20:37 > 0:20:41when I was a little boy. Just curled up all cosy.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44I was allowed three comics a week when I was on holiday.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47The Dandy, the Beano and the Beezer.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51And this is where I discovered Billy Bunter. Wonderful.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54The exploits of Frank Richards' antihero were popular with
0:20:54 > 0:20:57young boys for the first half of the 20th century.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Starting in print in comic strips, novels
0:21:00 > 0:21:03and then a BBC television show,
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Bunter wasn't usually what you'd expect of a lead character.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09If you please, sir, it wasn't me.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11- What? What was not you, Bunter? - That cake, sir.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13Stout, greedy and untruthful,
0:21:13 > 0:21:18often coming under rebuke from the headmaster of Greyfriars School.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Bunter, you are a greedy and untruthful boy.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24As boys in 1955, we loved it.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Oh, no, I say! Oh, I say, you chaps!
0:21:28 > 0:21:29Oh, I mean, it was more, sir,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32the wind that came and blew them out of the window, sir.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Bunter! Bunter, what are you up to now?
0:21:34 > 0:21:38- Oh, it was only a little cake, Sir. Oh! Oh!- Go and see Matron!
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Hee-hee-hee-hee!
0:21:40 > 0:21:45And Bunter had a very important connection with Broadstairs.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47So I loved Billy Bunter because I saw him on television every week
0:21:47 > 0:21:50and then I discovered that Frank Richards,
0:21:50 > 0:21:55the man who created Billy Bunter, actually lived in Broadstairs.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58And I persuaded my mum for us to find out where he lived -
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Rose Lawn, Kingsgate on the edge of Broadstairs -
0:22:01 > 0:22:04and we went in search of Frank Richards.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06- Stalking.- We stalked him.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09I didn't shake his hand but I saw him in his garden.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12I mean, it was like a modern child,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15a Harry Potter fan seeing JK Rowling in the flesh.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17- And there she is.- And there she is.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20And there was the man, Frank Richards, who'd created my...
0:22:20 > 0:22:22Oh, crikey! I say, you chaps!
0:22:22 > 0:22:25I mean, I used to... In fact, I think one of the reasons...
0:22:25 > 0:22:28I've often wondered why we never stayed in the same guesthouse
0:22:28 > 0:22:30two years running and I think it was probably
0:22:30 > 0:22:32because of my Billy Bunter impressions.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36- I say, you chaps! Oh! Oh, no! Oh! Oh! - Bunter! Put that cake down!- Oh!
0:22:40 > 0:22:44No holiday experience is complete without sampling the local food.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49The memories of those tastes, smells and textures stay with us for ever.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52In a 1955 Broadstairs guest house,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55meals would be taken in the dining room,
0:22:55 > 0:22:58which was up and running from the crack of dawn.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01What would you have had for your breakfast?
0:23:01 > 0:23:04We always had what is now called a full English.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08- But I took that completely for granted.- Yes, of course.- There was...
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- There was no croissants. - What's a croissant when it's at home?
0:23:11 > 0:23:14- I mean, we... Such a thing was not heard of.- Yes.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19- For me, breakfast would have been a fried egg...- Of course.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22- ..some bacon...- Lovely. - ..a bit of fried bread.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Ah, now, may I slip in the sausage?
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Oh, you may slip in the sausage.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Now you mention it, I think a sausage was part of the diet.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Once breakfast was finished,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38families would head out in search of adventure,
0:23:38 > 0:23:42but they'd all be back at six o'clock prompt for their dinner.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46I enjoyed evening meals but I was clearly quite a restless child
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- and I think I was a little bit precocious.- Yeah.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53And I remember one of the guesthouses where we stayed,
0:23:53 > 0:23:57the people who ran the guesthouse, two bachelors,
0:23:57 > 0:24:02they very sweetly invited me to help wait a table. And they...
0:24:02 > 0:24:04- What, silver service? - Silver service. Can I show you?
0:24:04 > 0:24:06- I can still... - I'd love to. Can you do it?
0:24:06 > 0:24:09I have not attempted to do it in nearly 60 years.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11I wish I had a napkin.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Today, Gyles is serving the typical fare
0:24:13 > 0:24:18he would have enjoyed as a boy - boiled meat, potatoes, and two veg.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21So, basically, the main thing was courtesy.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23And you always looked and you smiled
0:24:23 > 0:24:25but you never looked as if you were hoping for a tip.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26He said, "The moment they think
0:24:26 > 0:24:28- "you're looking for a tip, you won't get one."- Right.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31And, of course, I knew you had to serve from the left.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34You collect the plates from the right, you serve from the left
0:24:34 > 0:24:38- and you say, "Mr Goodman, some carrots?"- Yes, please.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41And create a picture on the plate.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43- Cabbage, yes. - A little bit of cabbage.- Yes.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46There we are. How's that? Is that a picture?
0:24:46 > 0:24:48That's truly a picture. Thank you.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51And the trick was to be ingratiating but not too ingratiating.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54I did find that a bit difficult, as you can imagine.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57- Just one slice of beef, thank you.- Just one slice.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59- No gravy for you, sir? - No, I like it dry, thank you.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02I think I was paid half a crown a week. Two and sixpence a week.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04And then I would go to the side of the room
0:25:04 > 0:25:07and I would stand like this,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09waiting and not listening.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12You've got to make it clear you're not listening. But since there
0:25:12 > 0:25:15- was always silence in the room, it didn't make much difference.- Yes.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17And then, of course, you know, if I was wanting another potato,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20- would you be over?- I'd be over. I'd anticipate your every want.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24Another potato, sir? Oh, yes. Thank you so much.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29In 1955, Broadstairs had established a reputation
0:25:29 > 0:25:33as a place to go in search of rest and relaxation,
0:25:33 > 0:25:37and thousands of holiday-makers flocked to the beaches.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41Sylvia Blogg arrived in town as a teacher all those years ago,
0:25:41 > 0:25:42and has stayed ever since.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Broadstairs was tranquil.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Much quieter than a lot
0:25:51 > 0:25:54of the surrounding seaside resorts.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56There was nothing brash about it.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01It hasn't changed a great deal.
0:26:01 > 0:26:07It's kept its character, more so than a lot of holiday resorts.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11A lot of people come because they like the quiet atmosphere.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20The relative calm of Broadstairs,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24compared with its brash neighbours Margate and Ramsgate,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27made it the perfect destination for families.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30There was so much to do for a little boy like Gyles,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33and one thing in particular caught his eye.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Punch and Judy is perhaps the best known
0:26:36 > 0:26:39of all traditional seaside entertainment.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41The first recorded performance took place
0:26:41 > 0:26:44in London's Covent Garden in 1662.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47The shows were originally intended for adults
0:26:47 > 0:26:52but the Victorians changed all that in the 19th century,
0:26:52 > 0:26:54moving it out of the taverns and halls
0:26:54 > 0:26:58and onto the beaches at places like Broadstairs.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00This is Smokey The Clown.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04In 1955, he had the job of running Viking Bay's
0:27:04 > 0:27:06very own Punch and Judy show.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07THEY CHEER
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Hold him still!
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Mums would give Smokey a shilling then boys and girls would sit and
0:27:13 > 0:27:17watch for half an hour, enraptured by the antics of Mr Punch.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Hello, Smokey. I've come to say goodbye.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22- Cheerio. Bye-bye.- Ta-ra.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23See you again next year.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28He's someone both Gyles and I remember all too well.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Well, as a special treat, I know you're a big fan of Punch and Judy,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39and we've set up a special showing.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41It's a beautiful theatre, isn't it?
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Perfect. Let's have a little look.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45Ah.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48- Hello!- Hello! Hello!
0:27:48 > 0:27:50PUNCH GIBBERS
0:27:50 > 0:27:53I love Punch and Judy. There's something very - even though it's
0:27:53 > 0:27:56- actually a European tradition - something very British about it.- Yes.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58- Did you enjoy it?- No. I was scared.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01- Cos it's quite vicious, isn't it?- It's violent.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04- He's actually got a stick and he's going around beating her.- Yeah.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08'Punch and Judy acts like this one date back over 300 years
0:28:08 > 0:28:11'and they've left a lasting impression
0:28:11 > 0:28:13'on British comedy to this day.'
0:28:13 > 0:28:15This is the origin of slapstick.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18That is a slapstick. It's a slat...
0:28:18 > 0:28:21Two slats, and it makes the noise of a slap. Listen.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23SLAP
0:28:23 > 0:28:27- it's introducing sex and violence to four-year-olds.- Yeah.
0:28:27 > 0:28:28Whoa-ho-ho!
0:28:28 > 0:28:30- I'm sorry, they didn't have this.- No!
0:28:30 > 0:28:33- I'm sorry, they did not have this in 1955!- No.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36- There was no kissing. - No, there was bashing.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39THEY SING GIBBERISH
0:28:39 > 0:28:41We were quite happy with quite simple pleasures.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43Do you know who I am?
0:28:43 > 0:28:44Are you Simon Cowell?
0:28:44 > 0:28:46No, I'm not Simon Cowell.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48LAUGHTER
0:28:48 > 0:28:52'A Punch and Judy performer is known as a Punchman or a professor
0:28:52 > 0:28:55'or, in this case, Ben Hasker.'
0:28:55 > 0:28:58- Oh!- Oh!- Oh!- Oh!
0:28:58 > 0:29:00Would you like a shake of the hand? There you go.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03We'd love to shake the hand. That's the way to do it.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07- SQUEAKY:- That's the way to do it. - That's a wonderful puppet. Isn't it
0:29:07 > 0:29:10strange the way they actually modelled the look on Bruce Forsyth?
0:29:10 > 0:29:13It's a funny idea given it was actually done in the 17th century.
0:29:13 > 0:29:14I suppose he was around then.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18- And have you got a swazzle in your mouth?- It is a swazzle, yeah. Yeah.
0:29:18 > 0:29:19The famous secret.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21A swazzle is a tiny metal gadget
0:29:21 > 0:29:24that's hidden in the roof of Ben's mouth
0:29:24 > 0:29:26and works a bit like a whistle.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30Punch and Judy professors like Ben are notoriously protective
0:29:30 > 0:29:34of the device that gives their star his distinctive sound.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37- Have you ever swallowed one? - A few times, yes.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41And I always say that if it gets stuck you'll end up talking
0:29:41 > 0:29:43with a squeaky voice for ever. Yeah.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Either that or you don't really want to use it after it comes out.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50Well, no, a Punch and Judy man gave me one to use once and he said,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53"It's one of my favourites." He'd swallowed it several times.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56He said, "At least I know where it's been."
0:29:56 > 0:30:00The main reason for the use behind the swazzle was because
0:30:00 > 0:30:03the Punch and Judy man would just have to stand there shouting all day
0:30:03 > 0:30:07so because your swazzle projects so well, it saves your throat.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10For the Mr Punch voice you have the swazzle
0:30:10 > 0:30:12but for the other characters you don't.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15How do you manage to shift the swazzle?
0:30:15 > 0:30:18It'll just sit on top of the tongue in the roof of my mouth
0:30:18 > 0:30:20so when I need to use it for Mr Punch it's just
0:30:20 > 0:30:23a case of pushing my tongue up into my mouth like this...
0:30:23 > 0:30:24So, off you go, Mr Punch.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28- SQUEAKY:- # Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside. #
0:30:28 > 0:30:29- NORMAL:- And then I can talk.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31And that works very well cos a lot of the children say to me,
0:30:31 > 0:30:34"How do you do the other voices apart from Mr Punch's?" And I say,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37- "Well, it's just me putting on a stupid voice."- Oh, well.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39Mr Punch, it's been a pleasure.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41Do you know, this is turning into one of the great days of my life?
0:30:41 > 0:30:43I mean this. To actually come
0:30:43 > 0:30:44face-to-face with a traditional Mr Punch.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47- That's the way to do it. Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51Visitors to Broadstairs
0:30:51 > 0:30:54can still enjoy an old-fashioned Punch and Judy show today.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56But away from Viking Bay
0:30:56 > 0:30:59there are plenty of other activities to savour.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05In 1940, this part of Kent played a major role in defending
0:31:05 > 0:31:08the nation at the Battle Of Britain.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12RAF Manston is just five miles from Broadstairs
0:31:12 > 0:31:16and it's from here that some of our heroic pilots took to the skies.
0:31:16 > 0:31:21Now it's home to a wonderful museum which celebrates the men, women
0:31:21 > 0:31:25and planes that kept the enemy at bay and Great Britain safe.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30Just two miles from the centre of town lies beautiful Kingsgate Bay,
0:31:30 > 0:31:35home to a 150-metre beach and some wonderful sea caves.
0:31:35 > 0:31:3918th century smugglers used the caves to hide their spoils.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42But the only people who use the beaches nowadays
0:31:42 > 0:31:44are clever holiday-makers!
0:31:47 > 0:31:50Broadstairs is home to an historic ice cream parlour.
0:31:51 > 0:31:56When Morelli's first opened on Victoria Parade in 1932,
0:31:56 > 0:32:00it was the first of its kind to serve over 20 different flavours.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10One place that played a central role in Gyles' holiday was
0:32:10 > 0:32:13the magical Pavilion On The Sands.
0:32:13 > 0:32:14Opened in 1933,
0:32:14 > 0:32:19the Pavilion became the focus of live entertainment in the resort
0:32:19 > 0:32:25and, in the 1950s, Cecil Barker and his orchestra were the headline act.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29Cecil was a grand celebrity in a local setting -
0:32:29 > 0:32:34a violinist that thrilled audiences with his virtuoso performances.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38A flamboyant entertainer, he and his orchestra would perform
0:32:38 > 0:32:42requests from a repertoire of over 500 songs.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45He never achieved fame on a global stage
0:32:45 > 0:32:48but here in Broadstairs he was a superstar.
0:32:48 > 0:32:53'In 1955, Gyles and his mum would come to watch Cecil play.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57'Now I've brought him back to see if this is the place that inspired him
0:32:57 > 0:33:00'to become the performer we all know and love.'
0:33:03 > 0:33:07Well, Gyles, does this evoke any memories?
0:33:09 > 0:33:13This is at the heart of my childhood.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16There was a small stage over there where Cecil Barker
0:33:16 > 0:33:20and his trio performed tea music during the day
0:33:20 > 0:33:22and in the evenings there were shows.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24And this was his empire.
0:33:24 > 0:33:25I can see him now.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28He used to wear a carnation,
0:33:28 > 0:33:32but not on this side, as you or I would,
0:33:32 > 0:33:35but on this side because he played the fiddle
0:33:35 > 0:33:37and he didn't want to crush the flower. I remember that vividly.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41And sometimes, as a tribute to him, all these years later,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44if I'm wearing a flower, I wear it on this lapel.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47Well, I've got a little surprise for you.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49Mack, press play.
0:33:49 > 0:33:55'Now, in this next piece, we shall hear the violin of Cecil Barker.'
0:33:55 > 0:33:57UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS
0:34:17 > 0:34:19- Isn't that wonderful? - Isn't that lovely?
0:34:19 > 0:34:23- It's his own band and he conducted, and from the fiddle.- Yes.
0:34:23 > 0:34:24- Which you don't often see.- No.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27I'd never seen it before and I haven't seen it since.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31Cecil Barker was the star of my childhood
0:34:31 > 0:34:34and you have now heard why. Don't you agree there was something...
0:34:34 > 0:34:37- Oh, there was.- ..magical? There was an energy and excitement.- Yes.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41- He would come down, right down to you.- Oh, yes. A showman.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43He could play the crowd.
0:34:43 > 0:34:44And I would sit here with my mum,
0:34:44 > 0:34:47three nights a week we came throughout the summer.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49And we came carnival night, novelty night, children's night.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52And I always took part, obviously, in children's night.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54Children were invited up from the audience.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56That...that music, he would play,
0:34:56 > 0:34:59and I would be dancing crazily all over the stage,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02aged six, seven, eight.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04And by the end of the season, Cecil Barker knew me quite well.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07It's a wonder he didn't give you a fee. Yeah.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09I think he'd have given probably a fee to go away.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11I think I must have been an absolute pain.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15It was my introduction to live entertainment.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18But what is lovely with that music, the energy.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21It's full of energy and verve.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25I'm so glad we got an opportunity to look at this place.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS
0:35:30 > 0:35:35'Clearly the Pavilion On The Sands was a magical place in 1955.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38'It played host to thousands of guests every summer,'
0:35:38 > 0:35:40leaving fond memories for those
0:35:40 > 0:35:43who were lucky enough to see it in all its glory.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46And Gyles wasn't the only one to find inspiration
0:35:46 > 0:35:48between its four walls.
0:35:48 > 0:35:53Malcolm McMillan was lucky enough to play with the great Cecil Barker.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59Well, I came to Broadstairs when I was about seven years old.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01I used to listen to the music
0:36:01 > 0:36:05that wafted from this pavilion onto the beach, because it used to carry.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07I heard Cecil Barker playing his music
0:36:07 > 0:36:12and I eventually wanted to do the same myself and a job came up here.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14I was halfway through my last year at college
0:36:14 > 0:36:17and I thought, "I'm going to apply for that."
0:36:17 > 0:36:18And I got it.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20I had the chance of playing along with him.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24Seven evenings a week and five afternoons.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28It's a great, fun job to do and I couldn't believe my luck.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31I was the youngest by 30 years.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34I had my 21st birthday party on this stage here.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39And Cecil presented me with a card and a cake and we had a...
0:36:39 > 0:36:42a nice afternoon. It was great fun and a great privilege.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48There's so much to see and do in Broadstairs and the Isle of Thanet.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52Three million people come every year to enjoy an area
0:36:52 > 0:36:55that has treats and surprises around every corner.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01The bandstand in Victoria Gardens was built in 1952
0:37:01 > 0:37:05and plays hosts to musical and theatrical performances.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09Overlooking Viking Bay, it has the best view in Broadstairs.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13The renowned engineer Thomas Crampton
0:37:13 > 0:37:15was born here in Broadstairs
0:37:15 > 0:37:18and the local Crampton Museum is dedicated to his life's work.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22In 1851, he installed the underground telegraph cable
0:37:22 > 0:37:24between England and France,
0:37:24 > 0:37:28allowing long-distance transmitting and receiving of messages.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31It was the first of its kind in the world.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33He also played a major role in Britain's railways.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35A local legend.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40Broadstairs hosts a fabulous annual folk festival every August.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43Over 500 acts descend on the town
0:37:43 > 0:37:46for a week-long celebration of music and poetry.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50But it's not all about folk, with performances of a wide range
0:37:50 > 0:37:56of genres including blues, reggae and even techno.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59Now for my personal favourite Broadstairs attraction -
0:37:59 > 0:38:01the Palace Cinema.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04A veritable hidden treasure, this 50-year-old
0:38:04 > 0:38:08picture house has been restored to its former glory by owner
0:38:08 > 0:38:12Colin Jay, complete with a traditional cinema organ.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16Colin regularly treats crowds to the music of films gone by.
0:38:16 > 0:38:17Oh, magic.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23'Gyles Brandreth has had a most varied and prolific career.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25'A modern day Renaissance man.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29'We've seen how Broadstairs played a role in influencing Charles Dickens,
0:38:29 > 0:38:33'but I want to know just how much it inspired Gyles
0:38:33 > 0:38:36'to become the personality we know so well.'
0:38:36 > 0:38:39Did the experiences like the Pavilion give you
0:38:39 > 0:38:42the drive to become an entertainer?
0:38:42 > 0:38:44I think, to be honest,
0:38:44 > 0:38:47everything that I've ever done in my life probably began or
0:38:47 > 0:38:51had its roots here in those summer holidays in Broadstairs.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55I mean, I've spent my life as a sort of entertainer, as a writer
0:38:55 > 0:39:00and as a politician, and all those things, in a way, began here.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03I mean, I loved Cecil Barker, the Pavilion On The Sands,
0:39:03 > 0:39:05I also went to the Bohemia Theatre here in Broadstairs,
0:39:05 > 0:39:09and dressed up to take part in the fancy dress parade
0:39:09 > 0:39:12over at the bandstand over there. You know?
0:39:12 > 0:39:14- And do you remember my woolly jumpers?- Of course I do, yeah.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16From Countdown.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Well, clearly, I've obviously liked dressing up over the years.
0:39:19 > 0:39:24So, yes, my love of show business, entertainment, began here.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28What, actually, made you want to become a politician?
0:39:28 > 0:39:31I think, to be serious, it had always been an ambition of mine.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33My wife said to me,
0:39:33 > 0:39:35"You can't go into politics until our children are teenagers
0:39:35 > 0:39:39"because politics and family life don't mix." So eventually I
0:39:39 > 0:39:44became an MP in 1992 and I was an MP until the people spoke.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46I went into it with the best intentions.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48I wanted to make the world better place.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52We haven't really touched on another string to your bow.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55Your writing.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58My love of writing adverts began here, reading Billy Bunter,
0:39:58 > 0:40:00reading, more seriously, Dickens.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02And then eventually I became a writer.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05And I've written novels. I'm now writing murder mysteries.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08I've actually written one murder mystery partly set in Broadstairs.
0:40:08 > 0:40:13So, whatever the theme is, I can tie it into Broadstairs.
0:40:13 > 0:40:14It's my kind of place.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18The book I've just finished is about genuine happiness
0:40:18 > 0:40:20and coming back here today has reminded me that happiness,
0:40:20 > 0:40:24it's actually just feeling that all's right with the world.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26- Things are as they should be.- Yeah.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29And, in Broadstairs, things are always as they should be.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33You know, one of my feelings about happiness,
0:40:33 > 0:40:38it's sometimes something you realise in retrospect.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41The next day, you say, "Oh, that was such a great day."
0:40:41 > 0:40:45And I think it's so important that you are aware that you're happy
0:40:45 > 0:40:46while you are happy.
0:40:46 > 0:40:51What's pleased me is that I thought maybe it was just nostalgia,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54that I remembered through rose-tinted spectacles
0:40:54 > 0:40:56that it was as good as it was
0:40:56 > 0:41:00and, coming back here, I realise I did have a happy childhood.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04- This is a magical, little place. - It is, isn't it?
0:41:04 > 0:41:06And, you know, we've been beside the seaside
0:41:06 > 0:41:10- and thank goodness we haven't got our feet wet.- Perfect.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12- That's the way to do it! - Yes, that's the way to do it!
0:41:14 > 0:41:17It's been great reminiscing with Gyles
0:41:17 > 0:41:18about his favourite childhood holiday...
0:41:18 > 0:41:20Argh!
0:41:21 > 0:41:25..reliving the sights and the sounds of those wonderful days gone by.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Viking Bay. It's unbeatable, isn't it?
0:41:28 > 0:41:31- That's the way to do it. - That's the way to do it.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Oh, no, I say! Oh, I say, you chaps!
0:41:33 > 0:41:35It's clear to see that, for Gyles,
0:41:35 > 0:41:40Broadstairs carries a very special resonance 60 years later.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Cecil Barker was the star of my childhood
0:41:43 > 0:41:45and you have now heard why.
0:41:46 > 0:41:53Well, Giles, as a little memento of your time spent here in Broadstairs,
0:41:53 > 0:41:57I would like to give you your Holiday Of My Lifetime scrapbook.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01A picture book of memories
0:42:01 > 0:42:05from Gyles's time spent right here in Broadstairs.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08And, bearing in mind how fondly he remembers the great
0:42:08 > 0:42:12Cecil Barker, I've got an extra special surprise for him, too.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15- What year are we in?- 1955.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19And here is an original programme
0:42:19 > 0:42:22from 1955
0:42:22 > 0:42:25- of Cecil Barker.- Oh!
0:42:25 > 0:42:28- Is this for me?- That is for you.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Oh! Oh, how lovely.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32This is really, really lovely.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35This really is very special indeed.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38- And I was here.- You were there. Yeah.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40Look at it! There is the great man.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43Oh, this is wonderful. I'm thrilled with this.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Thank you very much. What a...
0:42:45 > 0:42:47This is a very, very special present.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49I shall treasure this.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51I shall really treasure this.
0:42:51 > 0:42:52How wonderful.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56May I just say it's been a real pleasure to have met you
0:42:56 > 0:42:58and to have had this little trip with you?
0:42:58 > 0:43:01- Well, it's been more than a trip down memory lane.- Yes.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03It's been a very special day for me.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08So, farewell to Broadstairs, a small town with a mighty presence.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11Bringing Gyles back on the holiday of his lifetime has been
0:43:11 > 0:43:14a very special day for both of us.