0:00:02 > 0:00:04Childhood holidays - we all love them, don't we?
0:00:04 > 0:00:07Fun in the sun, sand castles, swimming in the sea.
0:00:07 > 0:00:08Can't beat them!
0:00:09 > 0:00:11'So in this series, I'm going
0:00:11 > 0:00:14'to be reliving those wonderful times
0:00:14 > 0:00:16'with some much-loved famous faces.'
0:00:16 > 0:00:20Everyone a winner! Come on! Hook a duck!
0:00:20 > 0:00:23And some of the most surprising guests had the most
0:00:23 > 0:00:25fascinating holidays.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28- You could do a night here. - You could.- Yeah.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30However, I think that's long enough for me!
0:00:30 > 0:00:33THEY LAUGH
0:00:33 > 0:00:34'We'll relive the fun...'
0:00:34 > 0:00:36TRAIN HOOTS
0:00:36 > 0:00:37Oh! No! No!
0:00:37 > 0:00:38'..the games...'
0:00:38 > 0:00:39Aargh!
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 helped 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 > 0:00:58'So buckle up for Holiday Of My Lifetime.'
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Can you come on ALL my holidays?
0:01:03 > 0:01:07On today's journey through time, I'm picking up our mystery
0:01:07 > 0:01:12holiday-maker in a 1970s classic coupe. Ho-ho!
0:01:12 > 0:01:15They'd have stood out from the crowd in this one!
0:01:17 > 0:01:20I'm on my way to meet a man who, like me,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22is really good with his feet.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28He was born in Leicester in 1969.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Look at that cheeky grin!
0:01:31 > 0:01:32Ah, bless him!
0:01:32 > 0:01:35He started his professional football career for Norwich City
0:01:35 > 0:01:41before getting signed by Man U for a million quid.
0:01:42 > 0:01:47He went on to play on the hallowed turf of Wembley for England.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Come on! On me head, son! Go on! Get it in there!
0:01:50 > 0:01:52And after hanging up his boots,
0:01:52 > 0:01:57he turned his hand to TV on a well-known property show.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Come on! Do I have to HAMMER it home?
0:02:06 > 0:02:08You must have it by now, surely!
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Today's guest is former footballer-turned-TV
0:02:12 > 0:02:15presenter Dion Dublin. Oh!
0:02:15 > 0:02:18We're going to play football together. Well, I hope so.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20And I'm on my way to pick him up
0:02:20 > 0:02:25in this marvellous Morris Marina coupe, starting his holiday
0:02:25 > 0:02:29just like he and his family did all those years ago.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Dion, come on, son!
0:02:31 > 0:02:35Why don't we play a bit of football? Oh, yes! I've got talent, you know.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Dion was born and bred in Leicester.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43With three big brothers and an older sister,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45he was the baby of the family.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52His dad, Eddie, worked in hosiery and mum Rose was a nurse.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56He grew up in a house practically next door to Leicester City
0:02:56 > 0:02:57football ground.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Perhaps it's no surprise that he was kicking
0:03:00 > 0:03:02a football as soon as he could walk.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06From humble beginnings at fourth division Cambridge United,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10it wasn't long before the Premier League came calling.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Later, he swapped pitches for presenting, becoming
0:03:13 > 0:03:18a regular sports commentator and panellist on the telly.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21I'll be getting onside with Dion today after
0:03:21 > 0:03:25I've surprised him with his old family motor.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Shame about the Great British weather, though!
0:03:27 > 0:03:30HE LAUGHS
0:03:30 > 0:03:31That is brilliant!
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Oh, my word!
0:03:35 > 0:03:37HE LAUGHS
0:03:37 > 0:03:44- It's the same car!- Yes!- Oh, my gosh! - Good to see you.- How are you?
0:03:44 > 0:03:48- I'm well.- Very nice to see you. - So you recognise it?- My gosh!
0:03:48 > 0:03:49- Look at that!- Eh?
0:03:49 > 0:03:52- And we squeezed about four of us in the back of that!- No!- We did!
0:03:52 > 0:03:56- Yes, we did! Look at that! - So where are we going?
0:03:58 > 0:04:01I'd like you to take me to Great Yarmouth, please.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- We can do that.- Can we do that? - Yeah. What's the year?
0:04:04 > 0:04:1019...79. 1979.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13- The year Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister.- There you go.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- You know what the big hit was? - Go on, then.
0:04:15 > 0:04:16# YMCA! #
0:04:16 > 0:04:17Was it really?
0:04:17 > 0:04:19- Was it really?- Yes! - And you've still got the moves!
0:04:19 > 0:04:24- Well, I wouldn't go that far! - Oh, wow.- Look, your chariot awaits.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28- Let's do it.- Great Yarmouth is beckoning.- Look at this beauty!
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Oh, Great Yarmouth, famous for its golden sands.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40It's been a seaside resort since the 18th century.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47On the East Norfolk coast, 20 miles from Norwich,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51it's the gateway to the Norfolk Broads and the North Sea.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57There's 15 miles of beaches here, as well as six museums, two piers
0:04:57 > 0:05:02and countless arcades, rides and attractions lining the promenade.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Great Yarmouth has been a family favourite for generations
0:05:08 > 0:05:11and more than a million people come here every summer to
0:05:11 > 0:05:13enjoy its good old-fashioned charm.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22But before any holiday can begin, you have to get there first.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Whether by plane, train or automobile,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27the journey is a big part of the excitement.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34Austin Marina in orange. Outstanding!
0:05:34 > 0:05:40And for Dion, in 1979, it was the one time of the year when the whole
0:05:40 > 0:05:44family got together, all piling into Dad's car
0:05:44 > 0:05:49and setting off for a week of fun at the seaside. Ho-ho, what larks!
0:05:49 > 0:05:51- Dion, let's set the scene. - Go on, then.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55- How many of you were in this car? - Well, there's five...
0:05:55 > 0:05:58I've got three brothers and a sister, Mum and Dad.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00And we all used to try and cram in here, you know.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Just cram it all in and off you go.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05And that's all we could afford at the time.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07- Everybody did those holidays, didn't they?- Yeah.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11- And I suppose you were a bit of a cheeky lad?- Er...
0:06:11 > 0:06:15- Were you all squabbling and that... - Yes, yes!- ..or was it all sedate?
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Nah, none of that sedate rubbish.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20You get the odd jab in with your brother,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24just in case he kicked off, put your sister in the middle as the referee.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28We were, you know, four lads and your sister.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30- Sister used to get the brunt of it all the time.- Of course.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32- She'd get the blame for everything! - Yeah.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35And if there was any food to be had,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37you had to eat it very quickly otherwise it'd be gone.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- All gone.- Biscuits and stuff, crisps. Yeah.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44So your mum sorted out... You had a bit of a packed lunch sort of thing?
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Yeah. Mum sorted everything out. Mum was the boss.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50- Some sandwiches?- Yeah, sandwiches. - Bit of lemonade?- Yeah, exactly.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Oh, lemonade. I don't know about lemonade. We'd have squash.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56- Couldn't afford lemonade.- Oh, right. So where were you living?
0:06:56 > 0:06:58We were living in Leicester at the time, right by the football
0:06:58 > 0:07:00ground, Leicester City football ground.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02So were you a Leicester City supporter?
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Yeah, I used to go and watch Leicester City play.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06My sister, Carmen, used to take me down to Leicester.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- Three quid it was to get in.- Right, yeah.- £3 back in the day.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12- Bit different now.- Yeah, it is. - So how long was the journey?
0:07:12 > 0:07:13- Must have been a few hours. - Yeah, it was.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17From Leicester, it's about 2½ hours.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19So what made you come down to Great Yarmouth?
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Well, we used to come and see my eldest brother.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25He used to be down here. It was good to see him.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26That's why we went there,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29that's why we went there for so many years, actually.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33It was just such a nice place to go. They have summers down there.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Of course you did, unlike today.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Yes. Our summer is like a couple of days now?
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Yeah, if you're lucky!
0:07:40 > 0:07:43I can't believe there were so many of you in this tiny car.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45I just can't believe it.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49- Can you see this sign here, Great Yarmouth?- Great Yarmouth.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52- Here we go.- We're in. - Come on, lad.- We're in.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54It was all...
0:07:54 > 0:07:55GEARS CRUNCH
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Oh, you sound like my mum's driving!
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Do you know what I'm going to do in a moment,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02- I'm going to pull over and let you have a go.- No, no, please, no.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04No, please.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09In the summer of 1979,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13everyone needed a holiday after a winter of discontent.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Months of industrial disputes and some terrible weather
0:08:17 > 0:08:20brought the country to a standstill.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24It was bad news for milk drinkers too, as the price of a pint went
0:08:24 > 0:08:27up to 15p.
0:08:27 > 0:08:28Scandalous!
0:08:28 > 0:08:32And a low turnout for the first referendum in Scotland meant
0:08:32 > 0:08:36the vote was defeated but certainly not forgotten.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40And the soundtrack to all of this, well, it wasn't the most
0:08:40 > 0:08:44cheerful of years but for the Bee Gees at least, '79 wasn't a...
0:08:44 > 0:08:46# Tragedy
0:08:46 > 0:08:48# When the feeling's gone and you can't go on
0:08:48 > 0:08:50# It's tragedy... #
0:08:50 > 0:08:53The legendary band of the Gibb brothers made their way up
0:08:53 > 0:08:58the charts, all the way to number one in the UK and America.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01This is the start of Dion's holiday of his lifetime.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03THEY LAUGH
0:09:03 > 0:09:06With beaches extending for miles along the coast
0:09:06 > 0:09:08from Great Yarmouth,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12one of the best stretches of sand is just down the road at Hemsby,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16which is where Dion and his family were based for their week away.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Hemsby beach.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23- These are the places where you went to get a brand-new...- Beachball.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25A beachball and a bucket and spade.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28- Because the sands here, as I remember...- Yes.- ..are lovely.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Beautiful, really well-kept.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35We've just arrived, the rain's stopped and it's lovely.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37It is.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42Now, because Dion's brother worked at a caravan park in Hemsby,
0:09:42 > 0:09:46all the family would stay there for a budget week's break.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49- Look, you're here.- Is this it?
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Newport Caravan Park.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54This is you!
0:09:54 > 0:09:56I didn't realise it was so close.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59- This is it.- Oh, my gosh.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01I'm chatting away there, thinking...
0:10:01 > 0:10:04This is a posh place and it's your place!
0:10:04 > 0:10:06It wasn't this posh before, mate!
0:10:06 > 0:10:10- Oh, my gosh.- Here you are. - Look at this.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13DION LAUGHS
0:10:13 > 0:10:17Part of the magic of any childhood holiday is
0:10:17 > 0:10:20the excitement of staying somewhere new.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25The sights, sounds and smells of those hotels, motels and campsites.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29For Dion, home for the week was here at the caravan park.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Static caravans were first introduced straight after
0:10:33 > 0:10:37the war, but they really became popular in the '60s.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39By the end of the decade,
0:10:39 > 0:10:43they were being mass-produced with sturdy aluminium panels
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and came as long as 28 feet.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49For the millions of travellers coming to Great Yarmouth in 1979,
0:10:49 > 0:10:53around two-thirds of the accommodation
0:10:53 > 0:10:57available was holiday camps, just like Dion's.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Ho-ho! What fun!
0:10:59 > 0:11:01So do you recognise any of this?
0:11:01 > 0:11:05In this area here, I know we were in this area here, on this patch
0:11:05 > 0:11:07- because it's, like, sectioned off, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10We were definitely in this section. I'm not quite sure where.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12It's a while ago now, I'm getting old now.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Well, I was hoping that it might all come back to you.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Yes, the place has come back to me.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19This is definitely the section. A big section here.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22I'll tell you what, why don't we have a look in one of the caravans?
0:11:22 > 0:11:25- Keep it local.- There might be a few people...I don't know.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28Is that you, Hilda?
0:11:28 > 0:11:32- We're all right. Oh!- This is different now.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34It's a bit different. It's got carpeting for one.
0:11:34 > 0:11:35This...
0:11:35 > 0:11:38You can stand up straight.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42- Yeah.- Is it a bit similar to how it was?
0:11:42 > 0:11:44It is, the layout's the same.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46There was a little bit more space in these kind of caravans
0:11:46 > 0:11:50but it does bring it back. It does bring it back.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52- As soon as you get up those few steps you think...- Hello.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54- Holiday, it's holiday.- Yeah.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56It comes straight to holiday again.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59I suppose you had to sort out who was sleeping where?
0:11:59 > 0:12:02As long as Mum and Dad got their space, they were happy.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05- Fight it out for yourselves.- Right.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Because some of my mates were nearby,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09- you'd do little sleepovers and stuff.- Oh, did you?
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Mum and Dad might have a night on their own
0:12:11 > 0:12:14and we would be all out and the boys would come in here.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16This is, honestly...
0:12:16 > 0:12:18I must say, let's have a look along.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20It's a proper sink, look.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22- Yeah.- A proper sink.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24- Proper gas stove.- Microwave.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27- Microwave?- Well...- Not in '79.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Not in '79, Len.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32It's very different now, though.
0:12:32 > 0:12:33Oh! Oh, hello.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35- Three beds.- Three beds in there.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39It used to have bedrooms then, but this might not have been here.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43- It's all sectioned off now. - It was open-plan.- Yeah.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46- Oh...- It's gone round.- Yes! - It's gone round full circle.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49You didn't spend that much time in bed, anyway.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51As soon as you went to bed, you wanted to get up.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Of course you did.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55And not forgetting my dad snoring, by the way.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57- That was terrible.- Right.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Come on, let's hit the beach.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Now, I've heard that Dion scored
0:13:04 > 0:13:07more than 100 goals during his Premiership career.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10'45 of them with his loaf.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15'That puts him into the UK's top three scorers of all time
0:13:15 > 0:13:16'with headed goals.'
0:13:16 > 0:13:18- Get it, Len.- Hey-hey!
0:13:18 > 0:13:21That's not bad, that, you know. That's not bad at all.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23- That's a new record. - There you are.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Were you scouted as a kid?
0:13:26 > 0:13:30Did someone see you playing in a little, local game
0:13:30 > 0:13:33and they said, "Oi, we could do with you"?
0:13:33 > 0:13:36I was sort of eight, nine years old. All my mates were saying to me,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39"Listen, come down the youth club Friday night,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41"game of table tennis, game of table football."
0:13:41 > 0:13:44I said, "I can't, I've got to play football in the morning."
0:13:44 > 0:13:45"Rubbish. I better not go."
0:13:45 > 0:13:48I went on Saturday, scored, and Leicester seen me play.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52- It was just...- You could have gone to that...- Could have gone.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55And then you would have been a bit cream crackered the next morning
0:13:55 > 0:13:57and nothing would have happened.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59No, that's what it is all about. Choosing the right things.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01How long were you at Leicester for?
0:14:01 > 0:14:05I was at Leicester from the age of 9 to the age of 15.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09I did a year's work and then I had trials all over the country.
0:14:09 > 0:14:15My dad, he wrote one letter, photocopied it 92 times
0:14:15 > 0:14:19- and sent it to every professional football club.- Right.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23I got about ten replies, I got about three trials. It's incredible, Len.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Right, I'll tell you what,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28- I'll find some stones for goalposts up here, you do it up there.- OK.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31- Yeah?- All right, you go left post, I'll go right post.- OK.
0:14:31 > 0:14:32OK, here we go.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34And were you, you know...
0:14:34 > 0:14:39I imagine you must have been very competitive, even at that age?
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Yeah, always wanting to win. I also wanted to score the most goals.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45I always wanted to take the throw-ins. I was like Billy Whizz.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47You know, I wanted to do everything.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49- You wanted to do the lot. - I wanted to do the lot.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52But that's just the nature of a sportsman, I suppose.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56- It ain't a very long pitch, is it? - No, no, it's...
0:14:56 > 0:14:57I'm going down a bit.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Two there.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03I'll tell you what, it's not bad, that, Len.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06We'll have another goal 20 yards, 30 yards away.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09The kids would be bouncing about. The ball would go miles.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Nobody cared.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Did you continue to play, even if it went in the sea,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17- or was that a throw-in? - No, just carry on. Kick it.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Pushing each other. It was just genius.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22- It was on this beach.- Yeah. - It was right on this beach.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24I'll tell you what we'll do.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27We'll have a three-kick penalty shoot-out.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29- Go on, then.- OK.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Give us your best kick. Give us your best.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Here we go.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36- Oh!- Good save, sir.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38'Go on, son.'
0:15:38 > 0:15:40- I tried to get it through the legs.- Safe hands.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Argh!
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Go on!
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Oh, thank you.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51It's all in the footwork!
0:15:51 > 0:15:53Oh!
0:15:53 > 0:15:56'Oh, keep up, Dublin.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00'Well, nine-year-old Dion could never have dreamt that the
0:16:00 > 0:16:04'beaches of Yarmouth would lead to the pitches of the Premier League.'
0:16:07 > 0:16:10So, listen, you started off at Norwich and Cambridge.
0:16:10 > 0:16:11Yes, that's right.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16Then, of course, came the £1 million transfer...
0:16:16 > 0:16:17- Yeah.- To Man U.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21The fact that it's £1 million must make you think,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24"I've got to really perform here," you know.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26- Yeah, a bit of pressure.- Yeah.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28For somebody to go from the fourth to the first division was huge,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31and Sir Alex Ferguson got in touch with John Beck,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34the manager, and said, "Listen, £1 million for Dion Dublin."
0:16:34 > 0:16:37I think Cambridge United were like that. "Come on!
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- "We've had enough of him anyway!" - Yeah.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42And then, of course, the worst possible thing.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44- I know.- You break your leg.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Yes, I scored on my debut for Man United,
0:16:47 > 0:16:49away at Southampton on a Monday night.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Then I played my home debut for Man United at Old Trafford
0:16:52 > 0:16:55and I was thinking, "Here we go, 50,000 people.
0:16:55 > 0:16:56"I've got the Man United shirt on."
0:16:56 > 0:16:59I break my leg. Out for eight months.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- Then they sign, you might have heard of him...- Cantona.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Yeah, you might have heard of him, Len.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Then as soon as he signed,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08- Man United went from strength to strength.- Yeah.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12That, to be fair, mate, makes me the catalyst for Man United's success.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16- Yeah.- I break my leg, they get Cantona.- Yeah!
0:17:19 > 0:17:24No holiday experience is complete without sampling the local food.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28There's been a market here selling fish since the 1200s.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32Now, cockles, winkles and whelks might not be everybody's
0:17:32 > 0:17:36fancy any more, but some classics never go out of fashion.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38- So, now, tell me...- Yeah, go on.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42..what was the sort of food you'd be eating back then, '79?
0:17:42 > 0:17:46It was all sausages and chips and...
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Did like me mushy peas. I liked mushy peas.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Little bit of a nip of mint sauce.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Bit of a strange delicacy, but, yeah...
0:17:54 > 0:17:55Mint...? Mushy peas and mint sauce?
0:17:55 > 0:17:58- Little bit of mint sauce and mix it up there.- Never!
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Yeah, that's what we used to have back in the day.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Some people say mushy peas descend from one of Britain's
0:18:04 > 0:18:06oldest meals - pease pottage.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Either way, every town has its own take on the dish,
0:18:09 > 0:18:13and 1979 Great Yarmouth was no different.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16To take Dion back in time, I've brought him to Gary's pie
0:18:16 > 0:18:22and pea stall, and we're going to serve up his beloved Norfolk-style mushy peas.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Mint sauce an' all! Well, I'll give anything a try once.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Oh, here we are!
0:18:26 > 0:18:27This is it. Tradesman's entrance.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30- Lovely to see you, Len, old friend. - Lovely to see you.- And you, Dion.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33- Hello, pal. You OK? - Lovely to see you.- Right, now...
0:18:33 > 0:18:37- Peas.- Yes.- Where do they come from?
0:18:37 > 0:18:39These are the ones what are grown in Lincolnshire.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43They're a special variety, what we do for mushy peas.
0:18:43 > 0:18:44- They're called beluga.- Are they?
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Yeah. They're about the best peas you can get for mushy peas.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51This is where they're cooked, all freshly cooked.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Look at how many you've got in there!
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Without further ado, come on... Stop teasing us, Gaz. Come on!
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Come on, we'll go for it.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02- What we got, what we got?- Here you are, you try these, me old son.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- Look at that.- Get yourself a spoon. - Cheers, pal.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09There's some mint, there, look, if you need it.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12I'll be banging in the mint sauce in two secs. When Len gets his.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15- Just try it without mint first. - That's nice.- There you are, Len.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20- Try it without mint first.- I'll try it without the mint and I'll...- OK?
0:19:20 > 0:19:22You've got to eat them all up, you know...
0:19:22 > 0:19:26- Oh! They're unbelievable. - They are lovely.- They are.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Because they've got...
0:19:28 > 0:19:30- They are lovely.- Do you know what I think?- Go on.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33I don't think you could improve on this, mint sauce or not.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36- But I'm going to see. - Got to give it a go.- Yeah!
0:19:36 > 0:19:37You'll know the difference, then.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Here we go.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42I'm going to get a little bit of the old mint...
0:19:42 > 0:19:44and put it there.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Don't be shy with the mint sauce. Get yourself involved.
0:19:47 > 0:19:48Go on, Len, go for it.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Yeah, I'm giving myself an ample proportion. There.
0:19:53 > 0:19:54Here we go...
0:19:58 > 0:20:02There you go. You try first. Then...
0:20:08 > 0:20:09It's a nice little collaboration.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11- It is.- It's a nice little collaboration.- It is.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13It's one of those lovely little...
0:20:13 > 0:20:16- You know, yeah, like Mills & Boon, or...- There you go.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19- Go on.- Taking me back, this is. - Oh, go on, Dion!
0:20:22 > 0:20:24- Hoo-hoo!- Eh?!
0:20:26 > 0:20:28You know what?
0:20:28 > 0:20:30I can't fault you. Can't fault you. It's got to be a ten, Gaz.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Got to be a ten. That's unbelievable.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35I'm nine years old again.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38- Yeah!- 60 years on, we must be doing something right.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40So, what do you give it out of ten?
0:20:40 > 0:20:42- Let me give it one more go and I'll tell you.- Go on, then.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Just a mark out of ten.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50- It's a ten from Len. - It's a ten from Len, Gaz!
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Oh, yes! Oh-ho-ho, yes!
0:20:52 > 0:20:54There you are!
0:20:55 > 0:20:57After our games on the beach,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00I think it's time for another match.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03'Now, let's see how Dion takes corners here.'
0:21:03 > 0:21:04Oh, hello.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06'Oh, yes, this is serious business.'
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Body armour! I tell you what...
0:21:09 > 0:21:10You look serious.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12'Time to kit up, Dion.'
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Where's the ball? Where's the ball?!
0:21:16 > 0:21:18'No, it's not football!
0:21:18 > 0:21:23'And we're not getting in the showers either! Leave it out!'
0:21:27 > 0:21:28Now we dance!
0:21:30 > 0:21:31'On me 'ead, son!
0:21:31 > 0:21:34'Two lookers like me and you, we've got to protect our noggins.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38'Prepare for a high-speed showdown.'
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Heh-heh-heh-heh!
0:21:40 > 0:21:42'It's Segway racing.'
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Never been on one of these. How does it work?
0:21:45 > 0:21:48- You get on... - Yeah, if you like, step on.- Whoa!
0:21:48 > 0:21:50- Oi, I know you did that! - What, what, what?
0:21:50 > 0:21:53'Of course, these weren't here back in Dion's day but,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57'after a quick talk, he's mastered the basics.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02'Not too much, I hope. We're under starter's orders.'
0:22:02 > 0:22:08Now, this is a rolling start. So as we get to that start, we're off.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Go on, then.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Three, two, one...
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Woohoo! Ha-ha!
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Come on, Len. I'll give you the inside track.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20'Hold on a minute, he's leaving me in the dirt!'
0:22:20 > 0:22:21Here I come.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24- I'm sort of getting the gist of it a bit now.- Here we go.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Whoa!
0:22:29 > 0:22:31'I've got this whippersnapper in me sights.
0:22:31 > 0:22:32'I tell you what, he's going down!'
0:22:34 > 0:22:36I do like these.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38- Come on!- Come on, son!- Come on!
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Oh, yes, now, now we're on it!
0:22:41 > 0:22:44- We're on the straight, we're on the straight.- I can see the finish.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47We're on the straight, we're on the straight! Come on, come on, son!
0:22:47 > 0:22:52I tell you what, I'm better at it than I ever dreamt. It's a tie!
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Oh, no! Come on!
0:22:55 > 0:22:57- Ohhh!- Photo finish!
0:22:59 > 0:23:01I tell you...
0:23:01 > 0:23:03- Did you see me, lady? - They are brilliant.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06- I was wonderful, wasn't I? - Well done, sir.- Love it!
0:23:06 > 0:23:08- Team photo.- Yeah!
0:23:10 > 0:23:15Well, Nelson famously lost his arm, but our Dion very nearly
0:23:15 > 0:23:19lost his head during his own legendary career.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21- Now, I've got to ask you this. - Go on, then.
0:23:21 > 0:23:26- I know you broke your leg...- Yes. - ..but you also broke your neck.
0:23:26 > 0:23:32Yeah, I did. In '99, playing for football for Villa, I crushed C5
0:23:32 > 0:23:34in the front of my neck.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37- So I've got a big plate in my neck now.- How did that happen?
0:23:37 > 0:23:41I collided with a Sheffield Wednesday player
0:23:41 > 0:23:43and just crushed C5.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46I've got bolts in 4, two bolts in 6
0:23:46 > 0:23:48and a plate that holds it all up now.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51- So, it's still in there. It's made of titanium.- Right.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54- So, I don't beep... - When you go through the...?
0:23:54 > 0:23:56I don't beep at the airport, so I'm all right with that.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59I wondered why you kept nodding your head a bit funny!
0:23:59 > 0:24:02- Yeah, exactly. Nodding to people, saying hello to people.- "Hello!"
0:24:04 > 0:24:05In a life of two halves,
0:24:05 > 0:24:10Dion's started his second career now as a TV personality.
0:24:10 > 0:24:15He's a regular sports commentator and recently started presenting
0:24:15 > 0:24:18the BBC property series Homes Under The Hammer.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21When I was a player, Len, I put a lot of my money into houses.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Oh, so you've got a bit of background in property?
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Yeah, yeah, I put a lot of my money into houses and did OK,
0:24:27 > 0:24:31sold at the right time, rented. Had a few in Spain.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33So, yeah, I've got a little bit of knowledge.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35I'm no expert, don't get me wrong, but it's just...
0:24:35 > 0:24:37It's learning a new trade. It's learning what you do.
0:24:37 > 0:24:38And I think it's...
0:24:38 > 0:24:42There's longevity in it, so, thanks to them for giving me a chance.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Yeah, I'm a big fan of the show, I can tell you.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47- Are you still a fan now I'm on it? - Oh, yes, indeed!
0:24:47 > 0:24:50- You haven't switched off, no? - No, no, no. I really like it.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55Have you got any sort of ambitions or things that, you know, "I'd like
0:24:55 > 0:24:56"to have a dabble at that,"
0:24:56 > 0:24:59or do you want to just see how things pan out?
0:24:59 > 0:25:00Yeah, I love my music.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03I love my music, I love my percussion, I love my rhythms.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06I wouldn't mind playing a few live gigs.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Playing percussion with some of the big boys.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11I've got to know, you know, a lot of big names in the musical world
0:25:11 > 0:25:13and stuff, so that would be nice.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16- I played with Ocean Colour Scene once, on stage.- Really?- Yeah.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Played with Ocean Colour Scene on stage at the UEA.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22That was incredible. Toploader, as well, at a festival.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Yeah, I've never heard of any of them, if I'm honest.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30- Never you mind!- Don't matter. I'm sure they're big bands! Yeah.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Do you think, you know, your experiences here
0:25:33 > 0:25:36and playing football with your mates and your mum and dad,
0:25:36 > 0:25:41do you think that in any way sort of helped to form your future?
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Yeah, I do, I do, Len. It's about your personality.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49If I can come here and play on the beach with my mates at 19 years old,
0:25:49 > 0:25:50then you get to...
0:25:50 > 0:25:53You do that for six or seven years and then you get to...
0:25:53 > 0:25:56somebody says about signing pro forms.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59"Pro forms? What, me being a professional?"
0:25:59 > 0:26:00It grounds you.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Honestly, Len, doing these kind of things, coming to Yarmouth,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06it was the making of me as a person.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09And the way I was brought up by my parents and stuff.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10So, yeah, it does...
0:26:10 > 0:26:12It's great to come back, mate, so thank you for that.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14'Spending the day with Dion,
0:26:14 > 0:26:19'it's easy to see just how much Great Yarmouth means to him.'
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Well, Dion, look, obviously I'm hoping you'll remember this day.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28- Oh, gosh, yeah.- And I want...
0:26:28 > 0:26:32Occasionally, in 20 years' time, you'll be going through
0:26:32 > 0:26:33and you'll think, "Oh, what's this?"
0:26:33 > 0:26:36And what it is...
0:26:36 > 0:26:38what it is...
0:26:38 > 0:26:39There you are.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43A Holiday Of My Lifetime scrapbook full of all the photographs
0:26:43 > 0:26:45and things that we've done.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51A picture book of memories from our fabulous time here together.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54But I've also got another souvenir for him.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58- So, that's for you. - Thank you very much, sir.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Now, I've got to be honest...
0:27:00 > 0:27:03- You are very competitive. - Oh, yes.- I'm very competitive.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06- I am very competitive. - I've noticed, I've noticed.
0:27:06 > 0:27:12- And when I think about, you know, the football...- Yeah, yeah.
0:27:12 > 0:27:18..the air hockey, the Segway things, I've got to say, I think...
0:27:19 > 0:27:23- ..you are the winner overall. I'm going to give it to you.- Awww!
0:27:23 > 0:27:24Thank you very much.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28Now, I know you've got cup-winner's medals and this and that,
0:27:28 > 0:27:32but I think this will go somewhere.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34You're going to get the official
0:27:34 > 0:27:38Holiday Of My Lifetime trophy, Dion Dublin.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40It's engraved. Look at that beauty!
0:27:40 > 0:27:44- Thank you very much, sir. Thank you very much.- We had a great day. - That is amazing.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46It's been great.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48And, you know...
0:27:48 > 0:27:50to the millions of people out there who voted for me,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53I'd just like to say thank you very much to Len
0:27:53 > 0:27:55for putting me through a bit of nostalgia.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Len, we all love you. We all love you, Len.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00Thank you very much, mate.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03This is going to go right next to the Premier League trophy.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Yeah, go on!
0:28:05 > 0:28:06Look at that!
0:28:06 > 0:28:10'So it's goodbye to Great Yarmouth, a great seaside town.'
0:28:10 > 0:28:14For Dion, the beaches here will always be home
0:28:14 > 0:28:16to some very special memories.