0:00:02 > 0:00:04Childhood holidays? We all love them, don't we?
0:00:04 > 0:00:07Fun in the sun, sandcastles, swimming in the sea...
0:00:07 > 0:00:08Can't beat them.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14'So, in this series, I'm going to be reliving those wonderful times
0:00:14 > 0:00:16'with some much-loved famous faces.'
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Everyone a winner! HE CHUCKLES
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Come, on. Hook a duck.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22And some of the most surprising guests
0:00:22 > 0:00:25have the most fascinating holidays.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27- You could do a night here. - You could!- Yeah.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30However, I think that's long enough for me.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32THEY LAUGH
0:00:32 > 0:00:34'We will relive the fun...'
0:00:34 > 0:00:37TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS Oh, no, no!
0:00:37 > 0:00:39'..the games...' HE GRUNTS
0:00:39 > 0:00:42'..and the food of years gone by...'
0:00:42 > 0:00:45That is a little taste of childhood right there.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49'..to find out how those holidays around the UK help shape
0:00:49 > 0:00:52'the people we know so well today.'
0:00:52 > 0:00:55I'm giving you a standing ovation.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57'So, buckle up for Holiday Of My Lifetime.'
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Can you come on all my holidays?
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Oh-ho, yes, I'm so excited about today's guest.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13He's a man who puts us through our sporting paces every week
0:01:13 > 0:01:15and we don't even have to leave our sofa!
0:01:15 > 0:01:19How good is that? Oh!
0:01:19 > 0:01:24He was born in Crawley, in Sussex, in 1977.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Here he is as a cheeky young lad.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Oh, I bet he was some trouble for his mum.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32He started his career as a sports commentator
0:01:32 > 0:01:34and presenter on the wireless.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38You know, people say I've got a face for the radio. Liberty.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42And before long, he was fronting some of the biggest sporting
0:01:42 > 0:01:45events on the planet,
0:01:45 > 0:01:46like the Olympics.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Now, you don't get bigger than that.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54But on a Saturday, you'll find his FOCUS is on the beautiful game.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Yeah, football.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58You think it's all over?
0:01:58 > 0:01:59Well, it is now.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04Today's guest is coming straight from the Football Focus studios,
0:02:04 > 0:02:05Dan Walker.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Oh, Len and Dan.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13I'm on my way to pick him up in this fantastic Volkswagen camper van.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Oh, when he was a little boy, I bet he had some fun in the back of this.
0:02:17 > 0:02:18Ho-ho!
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Dan Walker grew up in Crawley, West Sussex,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31where he lived with his brother, two sisters,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33his mum, Mai, a college lecturer
0:02:33 > 0:02:37and his dad, Austin, a pastor of a church.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40After leaving school, young Dan went on
0:02:40 > 0:02:42to the University of Sheffield
0:02:42 > 0:02:45where he earned himself an MA in journalism.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46Oh, he's a clever boy.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50But really what kick-started his career was winning
0:02:50 > 0:02:53a competition for young sports commentators.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57That led to four years on the radio followed by a move into telly,
0:02:57 > 0:02:59which has seen him present everything
0:02:59 > 0:03:02from the Grand National to the Olympics
0:03:02 > 0:03:04and even the odd episode of Songs Of Praise.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09Today, this award-winning sports journalist is a married man,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12father of three, presenter of Football Focus
0:03:12 > 0:03:15and has a show on Radio 5 live.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Whoa, sounds to me like this young whippersnapper could really
0:03:19 > 0:03:20do with a holiday.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Oh, just wait until he sees my retro wheels.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26That, my friends, is a Volkswagen bus.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28HE HONKS HORN
0:03:28 > 0:03:29Lenny!
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Where on earth did you find that?
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Does it bring back memories?
0:03:38 > 0:03:40I've never seen another one.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43This is...this is remarkable.
0:03:43 > 0:03:44In the right tone of yellow as well.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46'Well, we do aim to please.'
0:03:46 > 0:03:48- What do you think?- Magnificent.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52It brings back memories of the holiday, the family.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55It looks, in fairness, it looks pretty similar,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57although ours had brown corduroy seats.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59- That's the only difference. - So, where are we going?
0:03:59 > 0:04:02We are off to Aberdeen.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04- Aberdeen?- Yeah.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06I'll ask you about that later.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08- The year?- The year, Len, 1991.
0:04:08 > 0:04:131991 was when the film Thelma And Louise came out.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15This is our moment.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- Thelma, get in. Away we go. - Let's do it.- Lovely.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22LEN CHUCKLES
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Today, we are travelling in style
0:04:27 > 0:04:29as we head northeast to Aberdeen,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32a city renowned for its oil, its seafood
0:04:32 > 0:04:35and its architectural splendour,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38which is why it is also called the Granite City.
0:04:38 > 0:04:39After taking in the city sights,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42we will be heading into the Grampian Mountains...
0:04:44 > 0:04:47'..in order to relive Dan's 1991 family holiday'
0:04:47 > 0:04:51when he was just 13 years old.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57So, where were you coming from?
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Crawley. So, near Gatwick Airport.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02So...that's a journey.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04- It's an epic journey, Len.- Yeah.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06How long did it take?
0:05:06 > 0:05:10It took over 12 hours, cos my dad had this thing.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12He was very...very efficient.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13- Right.- So, he would only...
0:05:13 > 0:05:19- Let me check your speed limit.- I'm on 30.- He would only go 55mph, so...
0:05:19 > 0:05:20- What, the whole...- The whole way.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24- You never went above 55? - Never went above. Fuel economy.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26It took virtually the whole day to get there.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28I bet the journey was almost as long as the holiday.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30THEY LAUGH
0:05:30 > 0:05:32It was a beast.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34So, I suppose you would've been sitting in the back there
0:05:34 > 0:05:38with your Walkman, listening to New Kids On The Block.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42MUSIC: You Got It by New Kids On The Block
0:05:47 > 0:05:49So, why Aberdeen?
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Many have asked that question over the years,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54but we didn't really have much money for holidays. We never went abroad.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58- We either went camping or we swapped houses with somebody.- Oh, right.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01So, somebody went and lived in our house for a week
0:06:01 > 0:06:03- and we went and lived in their house for a week.- Yeah.
0:06:03 > 0:06:04We didn't even come in the summer.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08We came in January/February, so it was...
0:06:08 > 0:06:10- It was February?- Yeah.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12February 1991.
0:06:12 > 0:06:13'And around that time in Aberdeen,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17'you could usually expect a high of maybe ten degrees.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20'Add to that the 12 hours of driving
0:06:20 > 0:06:23'and you've got one very memorable journey.'
0:06:23 > 0:06:27- You embrace the dream. It was great and...- Embrace the dream.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29- HE LAUGHS - Of Aberdeen.- Of Aberdeen.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31But I remember... I do remember the excitement.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34I think we probably grabbed our duvets and, you know,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37first few hours, you snuggled up in the back.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- Yeah.- I was excited. - Well, why wouldn't you be?
0:06:40 > 0:06:43- It was the year of the shell suit, though, Len.- Oh, was it?
0:06:43 > 0:06:46- Yeah, I wore a shell suit for the whole week.- Wow.
0:06:46 > 0:06:47I got it for Christmas.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50It had been the only thing I asked for that Christmas.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52- You wanted a shell suit? - Yeah.- Not a bum bag?
0:06:52 > 0:06:54I had a bum bag and a shell suit, yeah.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Oh, you... THEY LAUGH
0:06:56 > 0:06:58I wish it wasn't quite so unfashionable.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Well, we should start a small campaign between us.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04- You know, we're on different shows and things.- Yeah.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- Bring back the bum bag. - The double B.- The double B.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- Bring back the double B. - THEY LAUGH
0:07:12 > 0:07:15While the fashions of the day have proved unforgettable,
0:07:15 > 0:07:20here's what else was going on in the world way back in 1991.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23It was the year astronaut Helen Sharman became
0:07:23 > 0:07:25the first Briton in space.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Incidentally, she also worked as a chemist for Mars -
0:07:28 > 0:07:31the chocolate company, not the planet.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Meanwhile, British journalist John McCarthy,
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Britain's longest held hostage in Lebanon, was set free
0:07:38 > 0:07:41after more than five years in captivity.
0:07:41 > 0:07:47And tragically, 1991 also saw the loss of one of music's most
0:07:47 > 0:07:51talented and outrageous performers, the legendary Freddie Mercury.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- # Do the Bartman - Do the Bartman... #
0:07:54 > 0:07:57But that wasn't the only blow to the music industry,
0:07:57 > 0:08:01as one of the biggest selling singles of 1991 was
0:08:01 > 0:08:02Do The Bartman.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04# Will you stop that infernal racket?
0:08:04 > 0:08:06# Do the Bartman! #
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Oh, what a year.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11And of course, it was Dan's first ever visit to Scotland
0:08:11 > 0:08:14and now, I've brought him back to Aberdeen.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16I want to relive those precious moments.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Though, first, there's little surprise for him
0:08:19 > 0:08:20in the back of the camper van.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23- It's 1991.- What have you got?
0:08:23 > 0:08:24'Ha-ha!
0:08:24 > 0:08:28'It's only the best Dan Walker lookalike shell suit money can buy.'
0:08:28 > 0:08:30HE CHUCKLES
0:08:30 > 0:08:33I've got to tell you, that is virtually it.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35It was a little bit more...
0:08:35 > 0:08:38- fluorescent, but come on, Len.- Yeah.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39This is it.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Well, yours is a bit more Bruno Tonioli than mine.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44- Oh, it's nice.- Oh, yeah.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Can you feel that smoothness as you pop it on?
0:08:47 > 0:08:49- Yeah, silky sensation, I call it.- Yeah.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Zip still works a treat. You go right...
0:08:52 > 0:08:55I used to wear mine right to the top. You rocking that or not?
0:08:55 > 0:08:58- Well, is that high enough for you? - You'll go right to the top.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01I don't want to... See, when you get old, you get this wattle.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03- This wattle appears.- You don't want to... Don't damage...
0:09:03 > 0:09:06- I don't want to damage my wattle. - Don't damage your wattle.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09- I'll never get it off.- You'll have to have a neck brace on Strictly.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11'Well, anything's better than a shell suit
0:09:11 > 0:09:14'and, of course, its must-have accessory.'
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Wait.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Got to have it, ain't we? DAN CHUCKLES
0:09:23 > 0:09:26You got anything you want me to put in, Len? Got any coins, pens?
0:09:28 > 0:09:30- Food items?- I got an apple core.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34And two marbles, a toffee - only half-sucked...
0:09:34 > 0:09:38- Have you got a Walkman? - THEY LAUGH
0:09:38 > 0:09:40'And now we are both the height of fashion,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43'I think it's time we've got this double act on the road.'
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- I'm going to even do this for you. - Thank you, sir.- Hop in.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49- You in?- Beautiful.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52'Back in the day, Dan's dad would tell the family
0:09:52 > 0:09:56'all about the interesting buildings you could find around Aberdeen.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00'Today, it's yours truly doing the honours with a grand granite tour.'
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Did you know that in the 19th century,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06Aberdeen was the world centre for granite?
0:10:07 > 0:10:08I didn't know that.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Well, I'm telling you now.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12'Not just a pretty face, you know?
0:10:12 > 0:10:16'And there's plenty more where that came from.'
0:10:16 > 0:10:22Half the granite in the whole of this city came from just one quarry.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25- That's a big quarry.- That is a big quarry, I'll tell you that.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29'And by the time the Rubislaw Quarry closed in 1971,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32'it had been mined for more than 300 years.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35'No wonder there's granite just about everywhere you look.'
0:10:35 > 0:10:40- On your right... - Yes, sir.- ..St Mary's Church,
0:10:40 > 0:10:45- also known as The Tartan Kirkie. - Why is that?
0:10:45 > 0:10:47Because of the patterning,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50the patternation... You see I've gone all schoolteacher-y.
0:10:50 > 0:10:51Is that a word?
0:10:51 > 0:10:55The patternation on the roof.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58I can see it. It's very...unusual, isn't it?
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- Yeah, it's very sort of tartan kirkie.- Right.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03- That's why they call it that.- Yeah.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08'St Mary's has also just celebrated her 150th birthday.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10'Though being made of granite, which doesn't weather,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14'the old girl doesn't look a day over 40.'
0:11:14 > 0:11:16- Dan, you will notice that on the right...- Yeah.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20..we have the Rosemount Viaduct tenements.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Built approximately in 1880
0:11:25 > 0:11:27and there they are.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28'Aren't they gorgeous?
0:11:28 > 0:11:31'They are the tallest traditional tenements in the city,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34'but if you think that's impressive,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36'what about His Majesty's Theatre?'
0:11:36 > 0:11:40The largest theatre in the north-east of Scotland.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42All made of granite.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45I was going to guess that it was made of granite.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49'Everyone has been here from Noel Coward to Brian May.'
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Isn't that something special?
0:11:51 > 0:11:53I'm loving my lesson. My Len lesson.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Oh, look up in front of you now.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- Marischal College.- Wow.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Now home of the Council,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04it's the largest granite building in Aberdeen
0:12:04 > 0:12:07and the second-largest in the world.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09I'm going to throw one out there, Len.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13I think that's the nicest council building I've ever seen.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15I'm going to agree with you there.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20And out the front is a statue of Andrew Murray on a horse.
0:12:20 > 0:12:21- Robert the Bruce.- Oh, was it?
0:12:21 > 0:12:24I thought it might be Andy Murray. THEY CHUCKLE
0:12:24 > 0:12:27If he wins Wimbledon again, they might put him there.
0:12:27 > 0:12:28They might put him there.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32'And so, cue the music, please.' SCOTLAND THE BRAVE PLAYS
0:12:32 > 0:12:35'That's the end of my grand Goodman granite tour.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38'If you liked it, tell your friends,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40'if you didn't, keep quiet.'
0:12:40 > 0:12:44What is your opinion on the bagpipe? Are you a fan or not a fan?
0:12:44 > 0:12:46- It depends on the occasion.- Yeah.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48A friend of mine thinks it's the missing link
0:12:48 > 0:12:50between noise and music.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57There is, though... I'm not being daft here. There is a sort of...
0:12:58 > 0:13:01- ..strange beauty to it when it's played well.- There is.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04And I'll tell you what, even though I'm not Scottish,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07so for the Scots it must be even more so,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10it somehow fills you with a bit of pride.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13- It gets you in there, doesn't it?- It does. You know?
0:13:13 > 0:13:18HE HUMS SCOTLAND THE BRAVE
0:13:20 > 0:13:24THEY HUM SCOTLAND THE BRAVE
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Dan and I's next stop is a fishy one.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Back in '91, the family loved visiting Aberdeen Docks
0:13:39 > 0:13:41and maybe enjoying a kipper or two.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43These days, the harbour sees less seafood,
0:13:43 > 0:13:47but I found a place I know Dan will love.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49- Hello, Jim.- Nice to you. - This is Dan.- Lovely to meet you.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51- Nice to meet you, Dan. - Lovely to see you too.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56Now, I understand we might try to fillet a fish.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58It's not as easy as it maybe seems.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01- I'm ready, Jim.- We are. - Are you going to have a go, are you?
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Well, I think we'll... Are we both having a go?
0:14:03 > 0:14:06- I'd rather you had a go and I sort of commented.- Right. OK.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09'And what better venue than Granite City Fish,
0:14:09 > 0:14:13'a local company founded half a century ago
0:14:13 > 0:14:15'by Gina Fletcher and Cathy Adams,
0:14:15 > 0:14:19'two humble fish filleters who decided to take a gamble
0:14:19 > 0:14:21'and open their own business.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24'Today, it's Ed calling the shots.'
0:14:24 > 0:14:27They started Granite City Fish in 1965.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31It was very unusual, actually, for women to go into an industry
0:14:31 > 0:14:34that is very male-orientated as well.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37'Fortunately, the girls were a great success, though eventually,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41'it came time to hand over the reins to the next generation.'
0:14:41 > 0:14:43To be honest, I wasn't going to get involved,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47but round about 1982, 1983,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Aberdeen had its first oil slump
0:14:50 > 0:14:53and I got paid off from the oil industry
0:14:53 > 0:14:57and decided to give my mother a hand in the fish trade
0:14:57 > 0:15:01and 30-odd years later, I'm still in the business.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02'Isn't that lovely?
0:15:02 > 0:15:05'Though I wonder what Gina and Cathy would make of
0:15:05 > 0:15:07'Ed's newest recruit, Dan.'
0:15:07 > 0:15:10- Do you like a lobster?- I do like a lobster.- That's a beauty, isn't it?
0:15:10 > 0:15:12- That's a big old beauty, that, isn't it?- Yes, gorgeous.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- I've got a lobster gag. Do you want my lobster gag?- Yeah, go on.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18So, two lobsters talking to each other... Can I pick this up, Jim?
0:15:18 > 0:15:20- Yeah.- Two lobsters talking to each other.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23One says, "You are all the same, you lot. You give it..."
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Oh, no!
0:15:25 > 0:15:29No, no, you cost them fortunes. Oh, no!
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Lobster down.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33- Lobster down. - You're never going to flog that.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Now it's a one-armed lobster. Oh, no.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Special on one-armed lobster, Jim?
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Yeah, we will do it cheap.
0:15:40 > 0:15:41Buy one, get one free.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45'I can't take him anywhere!'
0:15:45 > 0:15:47What kind of fish is this, Jim?
0:15:47 > 0:15:49- It's a plaice.- Oh, I love plaice.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51- Do you like plaice?- I do. - What's your favourite fish?
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Plaice would be my top three fish. I do like skate.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58- Oh, wing of skate is my absolute... - Oh, come on!- Absolute...
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Now, Jim, is this locally caught?
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Yeah, these are from North Sea and from Peterhead.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07And we also do lemon sole.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10I prefer a lemon sole to a Dover sole.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Now, that's something you didn't know.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14- I've got lemon sole here.- Where?
0:16:15 > 0:16:18These ones are skinned,
0:16:18 > 0:16:19both sides,
0:16:19 > 0:16:24and I think they're actually going to Her Majesty, Madge.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26- To the Queen?- Yeah. - These are the Queen's fish?
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Indirectly, indirectly. We supply a customer and he is supplying her.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33- What... Is that...- That's the lemon sole with the skin on.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36- I feel we need to salute it. - So, that's...- The Queen's fish.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39- ..that's as it comes off the boat. - Straight off the boat.- Yeah.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45'So, we are definitely in the right PLAICE. Get it?
0:16:45 > 0:16:47'No need to CARP on...
0:16:47 > 0:16:51'Ha-ha. As Jim has a few tips for Dan to MULLET over.'
0:16:51 > 0:16:53There is a skill to that knife.
0:16:53 > 0:16:54Look, he just chucks it in
0:16:54 > 0:16:57- like that.- Have you seen the...
0:16:57 > 0:16:59What's the official term for this? Is it gizzards?
0:16:59 > 0:17:03- Offal.- DAN AND LEN:- Offal. - Fish offal.- It looks awful.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04THEY LAUGH
0:17:04 > 0:17:08'I'm on fire today, but we need to take this seriously.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12'After all, I don't want Dan to make a mis-HAKE.'
0:17:12 > 0:17:14- Knife like this and in there?- No!
0:17:14 > 0:17:15That way first. Up there.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18- You can't get it from here. - OK, right. In here.
0:17:18 > 0:17:19- Try and find the bone.- Find the
0:17:19 > 0:17:21- bone.- And slide it down like that.
0:17:21 > 0:17:22- Like that. This bit.- Yeah.- Oh.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24- Keep your hands back.- Keep your hand
0:17:24 > 0:17:26back. Where's that bone gone?
0:17:26 > 0:17:28- Your knife is on the wrong side of it.- Jim, I've got it!
0:17:28 > 0:17:30- Is that right?- Yeah, well, you are getting there.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34- Now, lift this sucker up?- Yep, but be careful. Just watch your fingers.
0:17:34 > 0:17:35Get in there.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40It's not as easy as it looks, is it?
0:17:40 > 0:17:41Watch your fingers. I'm terrified.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43OK. Now, where were...
0:17:43 > 0:17:44Can I finish it for you?
0:17:44 > 0:17:45I can do this, Jim. Come on. Jim, come on.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47"I can do this."
0:17:47 > 0:17:48Talk me through it. Where do we go?
0:17:48 > 0:17:49- Down here now?- No, you need to go
0:17:49 > 0:17:51- in here.- In there.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:17:51 > 0:17:52Just keep your hand...
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Get rid of that bit. Get rid of the flap.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Get rid of the flap for God's sake, man.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58- That's... Now, that's.- Yes!- Oh, yes.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02- Let's have a look. - The smallest filet you've ever seen.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05'Not quite of a standard to send to Her Majesty,
0:18:05 > 0:18:07'but I think young Dan has made the most
0:18:07 > 0:18:10'of the oppor-TUNA-ty.
0:18:10 > 0:18:11'I'm so sorry.'
0:18:11 > 0:18:13I'm slightly concerned.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15- The lobster's not going to the Queen, is it?- No.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18- No, not that one. - It's not going to salute either.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20You can't... Don't send her a one-armed lobster.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23One... THEY LAUGH
0:18:23 > 0:18:24No, we don't want that.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Well, I'll tell you what, Dan, I'm going to score it.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29It can't be a ten from Len.
0:18:29 > 0:18:30SEVEN!
0:18:30 > 0:18:31Yeah, it's about a SEVEN!
0:18:31 > 0:18:33You've got it.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35'But there is a consolation prize -
0:18:35 > 0:18:38'Jim's kindly sorted us out some smoked salmon.'
0:18:38 > 0:18:42- OK, Len?- Oh, look at that. - Look at that.- I'm only joking.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45- It's beautiful.- Get your...- Oh, that's lovely. Thank you very much.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47It's the same way our Arbroath smokies are done.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Oh, this is lovely. I like Jim, don't you?
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Jim is my favourite Scottish fish man.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55- Jim, thanks very much.- Cheers.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58As for our next stop, the Balmedie Beach,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01all 14 miles of it, from the country park
0:19:01 > 0:19:04down to the mouth of the Don in Aberdeen.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Welcome to the beach, Len. It's special, isn't it?
0:19:07 > 0:19:08Oh, did you come down here?
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Yeah, I'm not sure if it was exactly here,
0:19:10 > 0:19:12but we spent a bit of time doing the normal paddling.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16I can't remember the waves being quite so...boisterous
0:19:16 > 0:19:17as they were today.
0:19:17 > 0:19:18It was cold, it was February.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Oh, yeah, though you wouldn't have done a lot of it.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23There was none of this shiny thing in the sky, but...
0:19:23 > 0:19:24What a wonderful bay.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29And Aberdeen is just there. It's...it's incredible.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Golf course behind us, beach right there.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33- What more do you want, eh?- Nothing.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35- I'll tell you what. I'll tell you what you want.- What?
0:19:35 > 0:19:37- A nice bit of lunch. - Ooh, is it time?
0:19:37 > 0:19:39And I've got it ready for you. Come on.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43Food's a big part of any holiday
0:19:43 > 0:19:46and on the Walkers' road trip to Aberdeen,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Mum's cold sausages in the back of the camper van
0:19:49 > 0:19:52were a very popular dish,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55and if there was tomato sauce, even better.
0:19:56 > 0:19:57Blimey, it's not very easy, this.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Hold on. No! No!
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Give over. THEY LAUGH
0:20:05 > 0:20:07- Come on, son, I've got you. - I'm in.- He's in!
0:20:07 > 0:20:09THEY LAUGH
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Why the... No!
0:20:11 > 0:20:13THEY LAUGH
0:20:13 > 0:20:14Cor!
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Blimey O'Reilly. Oh!
0:20:17 > 0:20:19'Now that unpleasantness is out of the way,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21'I think it's finally time for lunch.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24'On today's menu, a little surf...'
0:20:24 > 0:20:27- You've cooked it beautifully(!) - Took me hours.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29'..and turf.'
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Oh, oh. Oh! LEN GRUNTS AND SHOUTS
0:20:32 > 0:20:35- Joy of joys.- He's only gone and pulled it out of the bag.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38Oh, look at that.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40They are magnificently cooked as well.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46- That's good sausage. - It's a nice sausage.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Could do with a condiment, though.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53How did you get yourself started into sports journalism?
0:20:53 > 0:20:57I wrote a letter to Des Lynam when I was 11.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02- Really?- That said, "Dear, Des, I love your moustache.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04"How do I get your job?"
0:21:04 > 0:21:07He wrote back and said,
0:21:07 > 0:21:11"Lovely to hear from you. Do your GCSEs, do your A-levels,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13"don't do a media degree.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15"Do something like English or history..." And I loved history.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19"..and then do a postgraduate course in broadcast journalism
0:21:19 > 0:21:21"and then get a job in local radio."
0:21:21 > 0:21:24- And bizarrely, that's exactly the... - Is that what you did?
0:21:24 > 0:21:26That's the path that I followed. I nearly became a teacher
0:21:26 > 0:21:28because I had always loved teaching.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30I wanted to be a teacher, teach PE and history,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33cos my teachers inspired me at school.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36But I went and had an interview to be a teacher
0:21:36 > 0:21:37and they turned me down.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39They said I was too immature to be a teacher.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44So, I thought, "Well, I'll give this broadcasting lark a go."
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Applied to do a course, won a commentary competition
0:21:47 > 0:21:50and that was it. Got my first job in local radio.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52'Oh, what a happy ending.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55'Speaking of which, there's dessert too -
0:21:55 > 0:21:59'Jamaican ginger cake - just like Dan's mum used to make.
0:21:59 > 0:22:00'Well, not from scratch.'
0:22:00 > 0:22:01Can I smell it?
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Have a smell.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Oh! You've hit the spot there. That's it.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11That is our...that was our holiday dessert. Special occasions only.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Would you have had it, as we say in the French, pain ordinaire?
0:22:15 > 0:22:17No, if you are...
0:22:17 > 0:22:20I suppose if you're out and about you might go evaporated milk
0:22:20 > 0:22:24if you're going crazy, but custard is the perfect...
0:22:24 > 0:22:25Oh, Len.
0:22:25 > 0:22:26Len!
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Get that yellow goodness on that bad boy.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31- You've got to do it properly. - Around the edges?
0:22:31 > 0:22:33- Around the edge like... - Yeah, yeah, I know.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36- Like the gingerbread is a moat... Is a castle.- In an island.- Yeah.
0:22:36 > 0:22:37And the custard is your moat.
0:22:39 > 0:22:40Yeah!
0:22:41 > 0:22:43- Close your eyes.- Yeah.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45And here we go.
0:22:48 > 0:22:49- Oh, yeah.- Oh, yeah.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52Oh, yeah.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54THEY LAUGH
0:22:56 > 0:22:59'But it wasn't just ginger cake that was a compulsory part
0:22:59 > 0:23:01'of a Walker family holiday.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05'Also high on the itinerary was a camper van ride
0:23:05 > 0:23:08'to the imposing Castle Fraser.'
0:23:08 > 0:23:12- Oh! Remember this, Len. - Do you, really?- The Great Hall.
0:23:12 > 0:23:13Yeah, and it is.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18'Dan's parents were adamant that their time in Aberdeen should
0:23:18 > 0:23:21'not only be fun, but educational.'
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Geography, history, my mum and dad would have it all planned out,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27so this would have been on the radar a long time ahead.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29I think we went to three castles in total.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31This is the one I remember the most, though.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35But as a child, were your parents strict regarding, you know,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37"Stop running around and..."?
0:23:37 > 0:23:38Or did you just take it in
0:23:38 > 0:23:41and listen to your dad telling you about things?
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Places like this, I would be off wandering,
0:23:43 > 0:23:45opening doors, you know, lifting things up.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47"No. No, Daniel. No, Daniel."
0:23:47 > 0:23:50A withering look from your mother. You know, one of them.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54If I came here, my mother, before we went in...
0:23:54 > 0:23:55Early warning.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56Or I'd get a whack around the...
0:23:56 > 0:24:00Not a hard one, but, "Lenny, don't you start in there."
0:24:02 > 0:24:05'Though for young inquisitive minds, there's plenty to explore.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09'This 16th-century castle has 32 rooms,
0:24:09 > 0:24:14'19 of which are open to the public, spread over five floors.'
0:24:14 > 0:24:16- Love a spiral staircase.- So do I.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20'It boasts everything from the Great Hall with family portraits
0:24:20 > 0:24:24'everywhere to its very own library filled with atmosphere.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28'You can even get an idea of what the ancient Fraser clan
0:24:28 > 0:24:30'liked to eat.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33'I'm guessing it probably wasn't cold sausages.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35'They even have their own chapel.'
0:24:36 > 0:24:37You know, if you notice,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40- even these very small rooms got a fire.- Yeah.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45You know, cos I guess, we're in the Grampians here. It's cold.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48- You got to wrap up warmly. - Snuggle up. Yeah.- At Christmas time.
0:24:48 > 0:24:49Of course, you have.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53'As impressive as Castle Fraser is, I would have had a word
0:24:53 > 0:24:55'with the builders.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59'Apparently, it took them more than 50 years to finish the place,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01'but there's no fault in the landscaping.
0:25:01 > 0:25:07'300 acres, pristine gardens and even swings for us kids.'
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- I've got to ask you one question. - Yes.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13How did you get from radio to TV?
0:25:13 > 0:25:17- That's a...- A good question.- You're full of good questions, aren't you?
0:25:17 > 0:25:20- Yes.- Cos I got told for a long time that they were very different
0:25:20 > 0:25:22and then...
0:25:22 > 0:25:25- I went for a job interview at ITV. - Right.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28I walked in there and thought, "Right, I'm fed up with all these
0:25:28 > 0:25:30"interviews where, you know, I say I'd like to do this
0:25:30 > 0:25:32"and they say, right, we'll get back to you."
0:25:32 > 0:25:35So, I just said, "Listen, give me a three-month contract.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38"If I'm rubbish, you can get rid of me after a week,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41"but if I'm any good, then...
0:25:41 > 0:25:44"give me a six-month contract or a 12-month contract."
0:25:44 > 0:25:45And I think she...
0:25:45 > 0:25:48The lady I was being interviewed by,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50I think she took to that and she went, "OK."
0:25:50 > 0:25:52So, they gave me a three-month contract,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55then they offered me a six-monther and then after six months,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58she left to go to the BBC and I went with her.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Well, if I was you, I'd be pinching myself.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05You know, you do Wimbledon, you do Aintree, you do The Open - golf.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Oh, yeah. I feel incredibly privileged
0:26:08 > 0:26:09and thankful to be doing it, really.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12I remember just before the World Cup in South Africa,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15I was sitting there and I was asked to interview Gary Lineker
0:26:15 > 0:26:16and Alan Shearer.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19- Right.- The little boy inside me thought,
0:26:19 > 0:26:20"That's Gary Lineker.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22"He scored 48 goals for England."
0:26:22 > 0:26:26And then the little boy inside me looked at Alan Shearer and thought,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28"That's Alan Shearer, that is." And he goes,
0:26:28 > 0:26:30"How long are we doing this for, Dan?"
0:26:30 > 0:26:33And the little kid in my head went, "He knows my name."
0:26:33 > 0:26:36- Yeah.- And sometimes there's still a bit of that about it
0:26:36 > 0:26:39because these are the people I grew up watching and really
0:26:39 > 0:26:42enjoyed watching and playing for their country and their club.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45And there I am sitting next to them, so, yeah.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Right, come on. How high can you go? Ready?
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Well, I've had a lot of cake.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55'Oh, yes. This has been the holiday of both of our lifetimes.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57It's truly been fabulous
0:26:57 > 0:27:02and my main concern is that you will remember the day.
0:27:02 > 0:27:07- Cos I will.- Oh, OK.- So, with that in mind...- Oh, the memories.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11- This is a book of memories.- Oh...
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Len's on the front and everything.
0:27:14 > 0:27:15'Oh, yes,
0:27:15 > 0:27:16'and inside,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19'every one of our special moments
0:27:19 > 0:27:21'here in the Granite City
0:27:21 > 0:27:22'has been captured,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24'even the sausages.
0:27:24 > 0:27:25'But I'm not finished yet.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28'I've got one last surprise for young Dan.'
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Do you remember the number plate of that Volkswagen
0:27:31 > 0:27:33that you came up to Aberdeen in?
0:27:33 > 0:27:36I do. VPL14OY.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38- Never!- Well, you can't forget...
0:27:38 > 0:27:40I remember finding it hilarious because VPL,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43visible panty line, as a 13-year-old,
0:27:43 > 0:27:45I thought that was the funniest joke ever.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Well, with that in mind, we've got another gift.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49You never stop.
0:27:49 > 0:27:50We never stop.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Has it got the...? Look at that.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57The number plate and everything.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59I'm going to take that home and show the kids.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01I think they will love that. I can tell them all
0:28:01 > 0:28:04about my second holiday to Aberdeen and how much I have enjoyed it.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06- Thank you so much. - No, it's been great.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08- Thank you.- It's been fun. - A pleasure.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11'So, as Dan and I load up the real camper van and head home,
0:28:11 > 0:28:13'all that's left to say from Aberdeen is
0:28:13 > 0:28:16'och, aye, the noo, or bye-bye, the noo.'