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 > 0:00:09Can't beat them.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13So in this series, I'm going to be reliving those wonderful
0:00:13 > 0:00:16times with some much-loved famous faces.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20Everyone a winner! Come 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 > 0:00:28- You could do a night here. - You could.- Yeah.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31However, I think that's long enough for me!
0:00:31 > 0:00:33THEY LAUGH
0:00:33 > 0:00:35We'll relive the fun...
0:00:35 > 0:00:36TRAIN WHISTLE TOOTS Oh! No! No!
0:00:36 > 0:00:38The games...
0:00:38 > 0:00:42and the food of years gone by.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45That is a little taste of childhood right there.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49To find out how those holidays around the UK helped shape
0:00:49 > 0:00:51the people we know so well today.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55I'm giving you a standing ovation.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58So, buckle up for Holiday Of My Lifetime.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Can you come on all my holidays?
0:01:02 > 0:01:07Today I am meeting someone who I watch on the television
0:01:07 > 0:01:08all the time.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Oh, yes.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13She's a lady who, like me,
0:01:13 > 0:01:17loves having a good old nosy around people's houses.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22She was born in London in 1971.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Oh, look at her angelic little face!
0:01:26 > 0:01:28An early TV appearance of hers
0:01:28 > 0:01:32was in the Chesney Hawkes video The One And Only.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35# I am the one and only
0:01:37 > 0:01:39# Nobody I'd rather be. #
0:01:39 > 0:01:43She must have had a lot of hairspray on that up-do!
0:01:43 > 0:01:48After entertaining the kiddiewinks children's TV,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51she became a firm fixture on morning television
0:01:51 > 0:01:56and has been going in and out of houses all over the UK with who?
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Martin Roberts.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Have I got a bid on today's guest?
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Going once, going twice. It's gone.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06It's Homes Under The Hammer's
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Lucy Alexander.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13And I'm on my way to pick her up in this beautiful Bentley,
0:02:13 > 0:02:15just like the one her dad would have driven
0:02:15 > 0:02:18when she was just a little girl in pigtails.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Oh, so posh!
0:02:21 > 0:02:22Ooh, here I come.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Look, here she is back then in the actual car.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Lucy was born in East Dulwich
0:02:29 > 0:02:31and grew up with her older sister Sally,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35mum, Kay, who worked in a children's nursery
0:02:35 > 0:02:39and dad, Fred, who had a driving school and sold cars on the side.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Lucy started singing and dancing from a very early age
0:02:42 > 0:02:48and adored performing so much, she set out for a career in theatre.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50But with an eye for a good buy
0:02:50 > 0:02:52combined with a winning personality,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56she became instead one of our favourite TV presenters,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59hosting Homes Under The Hammer for over a decade.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05This property could be an imaginative country retreat,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09so let's see what happens to it when it goes under the hammer.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12I'm hoping we're going to get on like a house on fire
0:03:12 > 0:03:15as we relive her holiday memories,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18starting with the classy car she came here in.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Oh, I love it!
0:03:21 > 0:03:22My goodness.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27I'm so excited to meet this man.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Whoa! Look, a silver Bentley!
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Len! Oh, my goodness!
0:03:33 > 0:03:35- I'm going to slide across.- Wow!
0:03:35 > 0:03:36Wow, can I have a kiss?
0:03:36 > 0:03:37- Course you can.- Hello, darling.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39I'm so excited.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41- Does this bring back memories? - Completely.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43- The mahogany dash. Look at it. - Look at it!
0:03:43 > 0:03:46- Wow! - HE LAUGHS
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Do you know, it seems smaller.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50It seemed so much bigger when I was a kid.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Well, I tell you what, it's not so much smaller when you drive it.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- It is massive!- How is it to drive? Beautiful.- It's beautiful.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58- Smooth.- Smooth, automatic.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Where are we off to?
0:04:00 > 0:04:03So, Herne Bay is where I spent a lot of my childhood holidays.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05- So did I.- Did you?- Yes!
0:04:05 > 0:04:08- And what's the year?- 1979.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Gloria Gaynor, I Will Survive.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- Oh! I know all the words. - Of course you would!
0:04:14 > 0:04:17- Shall we have a sing-along? - Now, no seat belts.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20- I can cope with that. That's all right.- But just sit in.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22- Just drive safely.- Herne Bay. Here we come!
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Whoohoo!
0:04:25 > 0:04:30For a bit of traditional seaside magic, you can't beat Herne Bay.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34It has been welcoming visitors with its lovely beaches
0:04:34 > 0:04:37and fresh air since the late 1700s.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43At the end of the Thames estuary, it's eight miles north
0:04:43 > 0:04:48of Canterbury and a few miles east of its posher neighbour, Whitstable.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53With two miles of splendid seafront, it's
0:04:53 > 0:04:58proud home to a pleasure pier, beach huts and a bandstand.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03As well as gardens, arcades and all the usual seaside favourites.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Today I'm taking Lucy back to relive these glorious days when
0:05:07 > 0:05:12she came here as a little girl down from London in a big fancy motor.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15She'll be showing me her skills on the wheels...
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Oh, no, don't keep showing off! No!
0:05:18 > 0:05:21..that she's a whizz in the kitchen...
0:05:21 > 0:05:22No, I'm not going to!
0:05:22 > 0:05:24- Catch it! - HE LAUGHS
0:05:24 > 0:05:26..and that the catwalks of Milan
0:05:26 > 0:05:29have nothing on the prom at Herne Bay.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Miss Peckham, everyone. APPLAUSE
0:05:32 > 0:05:36Today we'll discover how much the holiday here helped shape
0:05:36 > 0:05:39her into the star we know and love today.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42- Can we do it?- Come on! Down the prom we go.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Well, before any holiday begins, you have to get there first.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55For nine-year-old Lucy, leaving East Dulwich back in '79,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59it was all about keeping mucky fingers off Dad's posh car.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06My grandmother bought a bungalow, which was our holiday home,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09- and we used to come down for weekends, long weekends.- Perfect.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13And I remember coming down in this car, not every weekend,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16because this wasn't the car that my dad always had.
0:06:16 > 0:06:17We used to literally have this car
0:06:17 > 0:06:20and then the week later, my dad would have a different car
0:06:20 > 0:06:21and the doors would fly open.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23So we'd go from complete luxury
0:06:23 > 0:06:25to complete where we'd be holding on for dear life.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Cos he'd go, "Careful, Luce. That door opens sometimes."
0:06:28 > 0:06:29- "What?!" You know.- Yeah.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31And who was in the car with you?
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Dad would be there driving, Mum would be sitting here,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37and I would be in the back with my sister Sally.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Was she older or younger?
0:06:39 > 0:06:40She was an older sister.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44- And invariably, we would be arguing. - That's what I was going to ask you.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46- Was there a bit of squabbling going on?- Oh, yeah, completely.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48And I remember sitting in the car and Dad said,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51"Right, kids, don't spill anything, don't drop anything.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53"I'm going to have to sell this car."
0:06:53 > 0:06:55And we had a box of chocolates in the back and he said,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58"You be careful with those chocolates!"
0:06:58 > 0:06:59And what happened?
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Sally wanted that one, I wanted that one,
0:07:01 > 0:07:02and the whole thing went up in the air.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06He went absolutely crazy and he leaned back like this, got the box
0:07:06 > 0:07:09of chocolates, unwound the window and just threw them out.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10Oh, God. Heartbreaker.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13We were crying. "Oh, my God, Dad! Our chocolates!"
0:07:13 > 0:07:15But, yeah, obviously we got the chocolate everywhere.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17All over the seats and he went mad.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Well, so he should.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Did you play any games on the journey?
0:07:22 > 0:07:24We used to play a really funny game
0:07:24 > 0:07:27because my dad was a car dealer, and he'd go, "Luce, what car's that?
0:07:27 > 0:07:30"What car's that?" And I'd have to play this game with him.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31- But I was the best one at it. - Was you?
0:07:31 > 0:07:33- I was really good. - Better than your dad?
0:07:33 > 0:07:36No, not better than my dad, but better than my sister and my mum.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Because I took quite an interest in cars, as well.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41- So, yeah. We used to play that game. - What's that car parked over there?
0:07:41 > 0:07:43- That grey one?- Is that a Seat?
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Is that a Seat?
0:07:46 > 0:07:48- No, it's a Skoda.- Oh, no!- Oh!
0:07:48 > 0:07:49- First one.- Boo!
0:07:49 > 0:07:52- Nissan.- Oh, well done. Bedford.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Yeah, well done.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Volkswagen. That's easy because it's got the great big VW on it.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59- Ford.- Ford. THEY LAUGH
0:07:59 > 0:08:01And so, that's a good game.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04I suppose, it wasn't that long a journey, really,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06from Dulwich down to Herne Bay.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- What is it, an hour and a half? - Yeah, about an hour and a half.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11It was just enough time to get all excited
0:08:11 > 0:08:14and we'd pack all the car up with all of our stuff.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16And then sometimes my dad used to tow a boat
0:08:16 > 0:08:19because he had a speedboat, as well.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23So he used to take the speedboat down and we would put all the bikes,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26prams, all bits and pieces, all in the boat
0:08:26 > 0:08:28and we'd tow that and we'd take that down.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31- God knows what we must have looked like on the motorway.- Right.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Just as Lucy was arriving at her gran's house in 1979,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39another lady was stepping over the threshold at Number Ten.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44Yes, Margaret Thatcher had just become our first female
0:08:44 > 0:08:45Prime Minister.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50Another pioneer was the Walkman, the world's first low-cost,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54portable stereo, which went on sale in Japan that July.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58And debuting on our television
0:08:58 > 0:09:01screens was the hit BBC series To The Manor Born,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05starring Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09Nearly 24 million tuned in for the final episode that year
0:09:09 > 0:09:11and the soundtrack to it all?
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Well, it was Gloria Gaynor's year
0:09:14 > 0:09:19and she belted out one of the best break-up ballads of all time.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21# Did you think I'd crumble?
0:09:21 > 0:09:23LEN: # Would I lay down and die?
0:09:23 > 0:09:25# Oh, no, not I
0:09:25 > 0:09:27# I will survive... #
0:09:27 > 0:09:30- Go on, Gloria. - # As long as I know how to love
0:09:30 > 0:09:31# I know I'll stay alive
0:09:31 > 0:09:32# I've got all my life to live... #
0:09:32 > 0:09:36This timeless disco classic remained Gloria's biggest hit.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40It reached number one in America and here in the UK,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44it was number one for four glorious weeks.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46# Go on, now, go
0:09:46 > 0:09:48# Walk out the door... #
0:09:48 > 0:09:51This is the start of Lucy's holiday of her lifetime.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54After being cooped up in the car, there was
0:09:54 > 0:09:58nothing like the fresh Herne Bay air.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Oh, it's bracing.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03It is bracing, and it smells of Herne Bay.
0:10:03 > 0:10:04- Of course it does.- Doesn't it?
0:10:04 > 0:10:07I know your dad threw the chocolates out of the window,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10but you did get to here and survive the journey, right?
0:10:10 > 0:10:12- Yeah, with no chocolates!- Yeah.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Is this how you remember it?
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Yeah, I can really remember it.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18This is a place called Hampton.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21It's just before you actually get into Herne Bay
0:10:21 > 0:10:24and, obviously, the pier used to go right the way along to there.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27- So that's the end of the pier? - That's the end of the pier.
0:10:27 > 0:10:28And all the little beach huts,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31they just line along the side of the coast.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33- It's fantastic, I must say.- Yeah.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38My grandmother's bungalow was over there on a place called Studd Hill.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41- And you could see the sea from her garden.- Right.- It was amazing.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43And then you and your sister,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45would you wander off down to the beach?
0:10:45 > 0:10:48We'd just get changed, we'd run out down onto the beach.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51The brilliant thing, Len, is that we could do that on our own.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53- Nobody had to look after us.- No, yeah.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55And things we couldn't do in London, we could do here, which is
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- why we loved it so much.- Yeah.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59- But it wasn't this windy.- No.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02I don't remember it being this windy ever. It was always sunny.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Whether lovely jubbly or chilly willy, Herne Bay's shallow
0:11:10 > 0:11:15waters have been loved by visitors for centuries.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20It was the creation of a kilometre-long pier in 1832
0:11:20 > 0:11:23that really put the little town on the map.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Steam boats carrying Victorian passengers heading to the
0:11:28 > 0:11:32coast, for all the benefits of sea bathing and fresh air,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35could now stop off with ease at Herne Bay.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39The pier brought holiday-makers here in droves.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44In fact, in 1842, over 40,000 visitors arrived
0:11:44 > 0:11:48and even more came later after a report in 1883
0:11:48 > 0:11:50described Herne Bay
0:11:50 > 0:11:53as the healthiest watering place in England.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57The registrar general recorded
0:11:57 > 0:12:01twice that Herne Bay had the lowest death rate
0:12:01 > 0:12:04for seven infectious diseases,
0:12:04 > 0:12:09so, therefore, making us one of the healthiest places in England.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11I think we traded on that for a lot of years.
0:12:11 > 0:12:16To accommodate the influx, hotels sprung up and a promenade was built
0:12:16 > 0:12:21and much of the town's 19th-century charm is still retained today.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25But behind all this Victorian respectability
0:12:25 > 0:12:28hid a much shadier past.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Smuggling in Herne Bay was one of the staple industries
0:12:31 > 0:12:35in the late 18th-19th century and they would have
0:12:35 > 0:12:41been smuggling tea, tobacco, spirits, lots of spirits.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44And, in fact, at one time,
0:12:44 > 0:12:48they were smuggling so much gin into Herne Bay
0:12:48 > 0:12:50that it said that some of the villagers
0:12:50 > 0:12:52used it to wash their windows with.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54What a liberty!
0:12:57 > 0:13:01Just like the Victorians before them, young Lucy
0:13:01 > 0:13:04and her family came to Herne Bay to escape the city and enjoy
0:13:04 > 0:13:09the fabulous location of grandma's bungalow right on the seafront.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15This is incredible. I've not been here for so many years.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18The beautiful thing about this was that it was right...
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- Well, it IS right on the corner here.- Yeah.- Old corner plot.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22And you can see right across to the sea
0:13:22 > 0:13:26and you've got all this expanse of lovely greenery outside.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28And we used to park our boat.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Dad used to put his boat just along here and we would
0:13:31 > 0:13:33literally all run to the boat,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35get our bikes out and we'd bomb it off down the road.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37And look at this little thing here.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40We would tie our bikes up on that and pretend they were horses!
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Do you know, when I was a kid,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45I used to go everywhere on a horse.
0:13:45 > 0:13:46Did you?!
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Giddy-up!
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Off to school. "Come on! Let's get on." Whey-hey!
0:13:51 > 0:13:53THEY LAUGH
0:13:53 > 0:13:55But it's all the childhood memories of doing all
0:13:55 > 0:13:56the make-believe play.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Look, I want to show you over here, because there's loads of beaches
0:13:59 > 0:14:02and we used to sort of try and have our own little beach
0:14:02 > 0:14:05and if ever we saw anybody else on the beach
0:14:05 > 0:14:06we used to get quite cross.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08- We'd be like...- Liberty! "Oi!"
0:14:08 > 0:14:09- "Get off our beach!" - Let's have a look.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11There's so many lovely little beaches
0:14:11 > 0:14:14and we used to do roly-polies down here in the summer.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16- Course you would.- My sister and I, my cousin Fiona,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19we'd just bomb it down here and that was our beach there.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22- Right.- And my dad used to take his boat down there and off we'd go.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Fantastic. I tell you what, it's absolutely great.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30- And, of course, you can sit out here, if you wanted to.- Yeah.
0:14:30 > 0:14:31You could have a picnic.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33It'd be a perfect picnic
0:14:33 > 0:14:35cos you've only got to go in there to get a cup of tea.
0:14:39 > 0:14:44The seafront at Herne Bay still attracts visitors to the town today.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47And once you're here, you'll find a wealth of things to do
0:14:47 > 0:14:50and see, beyond the charming beaches.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54I've picked out my top seven local attractions to ensure
0:14:54 > 0:14:56a good time will be had by all.
0:14:58 > 0:14:59It looks peaceful now,
0:14:59 > 0:15:04but in 1942, the shore here was a dangerous place to be.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08It was just off the coast that Sir Barnes Wallis
0:15:08 > 0:15:11tested his famous bouncing bomb.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16His statue, along with many other fascinating and historic buildings,
0:15:16 > 0:15:22form a special cultural trail that visitors can follow around the town.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26But if history's not your thing and the beaches beckon,
0:15:26 > 0:15:30why not enjoy Herne Bay's health-giving breeze
0:15:30 > 0:15:33in an exhilarating way with some kite surfing?
0:15:33 > 0:15:35No, thanks.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Kite surfing is very accessible to everyone.
0:15:37 > 0:15:38Young children, all the way up to,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40we know a guy who's about 70 years old
0:15:40 > 0:15:42going out kite surfing.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44As long as you know how to be safe on the water
0:15:44 > 0:15:46and know the basic principles
0:15:46 > 0:15:47about the weather forecast
0:15:47 > 0:15:49and things, then you can make it
0:15:49 > 0:15:50a really safe, fun sport.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01As a little girl, Lucy was always on the go.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Whether on her bike or down on the prom enjoying the trampolines,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08but she also had another passion.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12I used to beg my mum and dad, "Can we go to the roller disco?"
0:16:12 > 0:16:14- Roller disco. - At the end of the pier there.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18We used a have... It was like a humongous community hall
0:16:18 > 0:16:20and they used to play this funky disco music
0:16:20 > 0:16:22and we'd all just skate around, and I loved it.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Was you any good?
0:16:24 > 0:16:25I think I was, actually.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29In fact, my mum bought me a pair of my own roller boots.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Shut up. I'm terrible. I cannot do it.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Well, we couldn't find her old boots
0:16:34 > 0:16:36so we just got her some new ones,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38and some for me, too!
0:16:38 > 0:16:39Oh, God help us!
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Don't start on me!
0:16:41 > 0:16:44That was seamless. Can I just say, that was seamless!
0:16:44 > 0:16:46What do you reckon? SHE LAUGHS
0:16:46 > 0:16:48- Feel the weight of them! - Oh, my goodness me.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51My God, what are they? A size 10?
0:16:51 > 0:16:53I haven't roller-skated for a million years.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56- I've not roller skated for ever. - Are we going to put them on?
0:16:56 > 0:16:57- Yeah.- Are we putting them on?
0:16:57 > 0:16:59- I'm going to have a go. - Get out of here.
0:16:59 > 0:17:00- Are you really?- Probably not.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Am I going to get to roller-skate with THE Len Goodman?
0:17:02 > 0:17:04- No, you're not.- I am.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- We're going to have to go up and down here.- Can you stand in them?
0:17:09 > 0:17:11Can you really?
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Hold on! You did a twirl!
0:17:15 > 0:17:16Oh, don't.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18'Now, slap on the hand, Goodman.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21'In all the excitement, we've forgotten our helmets.'
0:17:21 > 0:17:22No, don't!
0:17:22 > 0:17:24THEY LAUGH
0:17:24 > 0:17:26'We will wear them next time.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29'Well, if there is a next time.'
0:17:29 > 0:17:31- That's my height.- That's it, on you get.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Oh! How do you possibly do it?
0:17:34 > 0:17:35Woo!
0:17:35 > 0:17:37What was the sort of tunes they...
0:17:37 > 0:17:38- Whoa!- What was, '79?
0:17:38 > 0:17:40What about...
0:17:42 > 0:17:43Village People?
0:17:43 > 0:17:44- Yes, YMCA.- YMCA. Shall we do it?
0:17:44 > 0:17:46BOTH: # YMCA
0:17:46 > 0:17:48HE HUMS
0:17:48 > 0:17:50# YMCA. #
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Look at them going! Look at my feet.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Look. It's sort of air skating.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Whoa! Don't touch me.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58# YMCA. #
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Woo-woo! SHE LAUGHS
0:18:01 > 0:18:04It's obvious you're a bit of a mover. No, you are!
0:18:04 > 0:18:07What did you want to do as a kid? What did you want to be?
0:18:07 > 0:18:11- Weirdly, so, I don't know if you remember, Lena Zavaroni?- I do.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- Hughie Green on Opportunity Knocks. - Yes, I do.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16- I thought, "That's what I want to do."- Yeah.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19And after that, I just said to my mum, "I want to be on the TV."
0:18:19 > 0:18:22So I used to do TV commercials as a kid.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Lots of TV ads and that's what I used to do.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28- What adverts did you do? Who for? - Fairy soap.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30I had to say, "Ready for parade, Brown Owl.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32"And look how much Fairy's left."
0:18:32 > 0:18:34That was my first TV ad.
0:18:34 > 0:18:35Ready for parade, Brown Owl.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38And look how much Fairy's left!
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Well, that does seem to show that Fairy's better value
0:18:40 > 0:18:41because it lasts longer.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Pure, mild Fairy - the longer-lasting soap.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48I did some fast food burger chain adverts where I was the friendly...
0:18:48 > 0:18:51I was always the girl next door, the girl behind the counter.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54- Friendly.- The serving person. - Friendly face.- Yeah!
0:18:54 > 0:18:56- Right, I tell you what I'm going to do now.- Go on.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59I'm going to sit here because I want to see
0:18:59 > 0:19:02if you can skate effortlessly down that slight slope.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04- What, you're going to sit there? - And watch you.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06- And I'll mark it out of ten.- Really?
0:19:06 > 0:19:07I'll mark it out of ten.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10- So I've got an out-of-ten to get down the slopes.- Yes.
0:19:10 > 0:19:11What if I fall over?
0:19:11 > 0:19:14- Well, your score will reflect your performance.- Oh, my goodness!
0:19:14 > 0:19:16OK, are you ready?
0:19:16 > 0:19:18I might... Oh!
0:19:18 > 0:19:20OK, let me get this in my head.
0:19:20 > 0:19:21One, two.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23One... Ooh!
0:19:23 > 0:19:26And she goes...around.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29That is a ten from Len!
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Wahey! APPLAUSE
0:19:31 > 0:19:33- Well done.- Whoo!
0:19:33 > 0:19:35She's good. Honestly!
0:19:35 > 0:19:39You don't realise, it's very, very dangerous on these.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45No holiday experience is complete without sampling the local food.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49But not being a fan of fish when she was a kid,
0:19:49 > 0:19:54the young Lucy turned her nose up at the traditional seafood fare
0:19:54 > 0:19:57and preferred something different - very different.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00What do you remember about this place?
0:20:00 > 0:20:02I remember coming here with all my family and my cousins
0:20:02 > 0:20:04and we would have the biggest ice cream
0:20:04 > 0:20:06that my mum and dad would let us have.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Obviously, I went for the Knickerbocker Glory. It was massive.
0:20:09 > 0:20:10Why wouldn't you?
0:20:10 > 0:20:13And we'd just drink loads of fizzy drinks and we'd just...
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Yeah, it would be part of our summer holiday to come here.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19We've got something in common.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22You and I like faggots.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24I know! That...
0:20:24 > 0:20:26That's so random that you actually like faggots.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28- Yes, I do. - The only reason I had faggots,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30on a Friday night only, I hasten to add,
0:20:30 > 0:20:34was because I didn't like fish as a kid - the bones in fish -
0:20:34 > 0:20:37so I would always have faggots in gravy.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41- Faggots and chips.- And I loved it! - Right.- I haven't had them for years.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Well, we've been given full permission to go backstage...
0:20:44 > 0:20:45Backstage! Da da-da!
0:20:45 > 0:20:47- And do a bit of...- Da-da
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Do a bit of faggot cooking. Heh heh! Here we go, through the door.
0:20:51 > 0:20:52Oh, yes!
0:20:52 > 0:20:57'Moulded into balls and traditionally made from pigs heart,
0:20:57 > 0:21:02'liver and fatty belly meat, faggots aren't to everyone's taste.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05'Of course, you can throw in a bit of sausage meat, stuffing
0:21:05 > 0:21:08'and seasoning for extra scrumptiousness.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10'Oh, yes! Yum, yum, pig's bum!'
0:21:10 > 0:21:13- So, let's make... No, you have to put it in first.- Stick it in there.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- Does that feel nice?- No! - Oh, that feels a bit funny.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19- Put your hand in that, that would feel even... Oh!- Ugh!
0:21:19 > 0:21:24- Put a bit of... No more.- Is that too much?- No, one more. That will do.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28- Not much of that. Now, this, paprika or whatever.- Turmeric. What is it?
0:21:28 > 0:21:30I don't know what it is.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34- It doesn't say, but it's something special. Look...- OK.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36- Give it a smidge around. - What about these?
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Oh, that's like a bit of stuffing, isn't it?
0:21:38 > 0:21:39Go on, put the whole bag in.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42No fear! I'll give you a little bit more.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47- How much?- Go on, a bit more. Because I think that's what gives it the...
0:21:47 > 0:21:50- Binds it.- Binds it all together and...
0:21:50 > 0:21:54- It can't be more than that, surely!- Here we go.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56- Oh, it smells nice. - They were in balls.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59- Yeah, they're balls. They're like meatballs.- Balls of fun.- Balls of...
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Great balls of fun!
0:22:01 > 0:22:04- Don't! It's not a pizza! - Go on, let's have a juggle.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06- No, I'm not! I've only got... - Catch, catch!
0:22:06 > 0:22:07- No, I'm not going to.- Catch it!
0:22:07 > 0:22:10LEN LAUGHS
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Look, there's one. There we go. Small balls.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Small balls coming up! Yeah, let's make them quite small.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19- We have to put them... - In the deep fat fryer?- Follow me.
0:22:19 > 0:22:25So, it's over to chef Hussan. Right, this is the moment of truth.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28- Now, in the basket? - In the basket.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31- Now, which one is your ball of choice?- Mine is that one.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Do you want to put a couple more in for safety?
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Yes, let's do it because if they do fall apart,
0:22:35 > 0:22:36some of the others might not.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39- Four is enough. - That's enough, isn't it? Yeah?
0:22:39 > 0:22:40- Yeah.- Ready? - Go on, put it in.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42- Yeah, go on. - Fingers crossed.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Oh, ho-ho!
0:22:46 > 0:22:48A few more minutes in the fryer and Hussan has them plated up
0:22:48 > 0:22:50with some chips.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52Oh, lovely!
0:22:52 > 0:22:56- What do you call them? - Faggots!- Oh, look out!- Oh, look!
0:22:56 > 0:22:59- Oh, you've got four!- And my little tomato ketchup.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01- That looks great.- Look out!
0:23:01 > 0:23:03- Thank you so much. - Thank you so much.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05I'm just going to try a chip.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07- Forget those, let's get straight into the faggots.- OK.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10- Come on!- Ready? - Yep.- This is the big test.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16I like that. Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the in.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19- I tell you what...- Good, eh?
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Jamie Oliver couldn't have done these better.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24As a nine-year-old taking into her faggots,
0:23:24 > 0:23:29Lucy already had big dreams. You went off to stage school.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33- I thought you were never going to ask.- Yes.- I did actually, yes.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36- What was that like?- Fantastic.
0:23:36 > 0:23:37My mum and dad were a little bit,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39"Shall we send her? Shall we not send her?"
0:23:39 > 0:23:43And I left a note next to my bed begging them, please, send me off.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44I did all the things I wanted to do.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49Singing, dancing, tap, ballet, jazz, everything all under one roof.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52- Not so much maths and English. - No, no.- But who cares?
0:23:52 > 0:23:56- Yeah, very, very happy time in my life.- What was your favourite?
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Was it the dancing, the singing, the acting? What was your favourite?
0:23:59 > 0:24:01I loved drama, so I loved acting.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04- I didn't ever think I'd end up being a presenter, which is weird.- No.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07But I loved jazz dance and tap dance. Can we just do something?
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Can we have the faggot challenge?
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Can you get a whole faggot in your mouth?
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Come on, the faggot challenge! I want a whole faggot in your mouth.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17- Yeah, well... - Ready? Three, two, one, go!
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Oh! Oh, ho-ho! Ooh!
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Yeah, I've eaten it. Gone!
0:24:31 > 0:24:32- No!- Gone!
0:24:35 > 0:24:36LEN MUMBLES
0:24:36 > 0:24:40I think we need some water. He can't swallow it.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43Talk among yourselves.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49- It's half-past five now. - Don't start!- I've got to go home.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53I've got two kids to feed. Can we stop?
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Well, I might take two of these home. Put them in my pocket.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Now, because faggots were originally made from offal and offcuts,
0:25:04 > 0:25:09they were top of the menu during the rationing years of World War II.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12It was a time when Herne Bay looked very different.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Its gently shelving beaches were thought to be
0:25:16 > 0:25:19a danger for invading German tanks.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23And the long pier was immediately cut in two,
0:25:23 > 0:25:25to stop it being used by enemy boats.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29The old end of the pier is still visible today, out at sea.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Where I'm sitting now was, in fact,
0:25:33 > 0:25:38the first use of steel pipe scaffolding as we now know it.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41It was designed as defence against attack.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45So the whole of the seafront was virtually walkable,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48but you really couldn't get on the beach unless you were young,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51as I was, and my friends who could wriggle under the bottom of it
0:25:51 > 0:25:53and get down into the sea.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57After the war, of course, all of this was stripped away.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00The pier was not rebuilt
0:26:00 > 0:26:02because steel was only allowed for places
0:26:02 > 0:26:04like factories and major works.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08£100 was the limit you could spend on any one
0:26:08 > 0:26:10property for its maintenance.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Well, one building that thankfully survived the war
0:26:16 > 0:26:20was the beautiful Victorian theatre, King's Hall.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21LEN LAUGHS
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- The King's Hall!- I used to run dances here.- Did you?- Yeah!
0:26:26 > 0:26:27So you used to come here,
0:26:27 > 0:26:31and I used to come here as a kid and I used to dance here.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33- Look at it!- Oh, I love it!
0:26:34 > 0:26:38- Isn't it...?- Oh, I love the big space.- Ain't it great?
0:26:38 > 0:26:42It has not changed. It even smells the same!
0:26:42 > 0:26:46And the wallpaper, exactly the same as what I remember!
0:26:46 > 0:26:48- Red carpet. It's the '70s! - It's amazing!
0:26:48 > 0:26:51And that stage seemed so much bigger.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54Well, it is quite...you know, it is quite big.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56I used to be up there compereing,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59and we used to run disco competitions here.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02- Yeah?- Yeah. Fantastic. And what about you?
0:27:02 > 0:27:05I was probably in one of those disco competitions you were compereing.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07You never know, you could have been!
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Well, I tell you what, let's go up on the stage, shall we?
0:27:10 > 0:27:14- They won't care.- No-one's looking. - No.- Quick! Come on, come on!
0:27:14 > 0:27:17You know what? I've never been shy to go on a stage!
0:27:19 > 0:27:20- Da-da!- Da-da!
0:27:24 > 0:27:28I can't do the dance that you can do! I can tap dance.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31- Oh, I can't tap dance. - Forget it, then.- Go, on, give us...
0:27:33 > 0:27:35It used to be a bit better in its day.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38- Well, you haven't got the sho... You know.- No, the shoes aren't on.- No.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43I can remember my friend, actually, taking part in Miss Herne Bay.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46And we came here in this very hall to watch her,
0:27:46 > 0:27:47- and she actually won it!- Really?
0:27:47 > 0:27:51Yes! So I was down there, I was very young. I was about 10 or 11.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53I remember sitting with my mum and dad,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56and she literally got crowned Miss Herne Bay on this very stage.
0:27:56 > 0:27:57- Fantastic.- Yes.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01I remember sitting, thinking, "Oh, I'd like to do that one day!"
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Yeah? So, did you ever perform on this stage?
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Do you know, funnily enough, I did actually get to perform
0:28:06 > 0:28:09on this stage because later on, throughout my life,
0:28:09 > 0:28:11my parents ended up moving down here
0:28:11 > 0:28:14and I went to a little local dancing school down here
0:28:14 > 0:28:17and we did a big show called Cockles for the BBC.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20- And it was televised. It was a series with Joan Sims.- Oh, yeah.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23And they needed four dancers.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Four of us local girls from our school got the part.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28We had to do little dancing and singing.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30- Oh, right, and there you were performing.- Yeah.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33And then I've gone on to actually, you know, do this as a career...
0:28:33 > 0:28:36- Yeah.- ..which, at the time, I didn't know I was really going to do that.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40Well, I must say, you know, I remember this place, and coming
0:28:40 > 0:28:45back is just as great an experience for me, as probably it is for you.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49It's just lovely to come back, see these old places and reminisce.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51It's so exciting, and I'd never have done anything like this
0:28:51 > 0:28:53if it wasn't for you, Len.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55- Come on, give us a cuddle! - I love you!
0:28:55 > 0:28:56- I'm getting a bit emosh!- No!
0:28:56 > 0:28:59- I am.- Let's go have a look around there, come on.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09The King's Hall isn't the only iconic building down here.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11Standing out on the skyline,
0:29:11 > 0:29:15the Reculver Towers make an imposing landmark.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18The twin 12th-century towers of this ruined church
0:29:18 > 0:29:21stand amid the remains of a Roman fort
0:29:21 > 0:29:24dating back to the third century.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Another ancient site is the woodland that makes up the Blean,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37an area of over 11 square miles
0:29:37 > 0:29:39of forest rich in wildlife,
0:29:39 > 0:29:44that has been shaped by local woodsmen for over 1,000 years.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48And it's still managed today, with traditional methods.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55Another traditional past time in a beach resort like this, and one
0:29:55 > 0:29:59that Lucy's family loved back on their 1979 holiday,
0:29:59 > 0:30:01was bingo.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03Popular since the '60s,
0:30:03 > 0:30:08more than 3 million people still wait for legs 11 today!
0:30:08 > 0:30:09WOLF WHISTLE
0:30:09 > 0:30:11- Did you used to play bingo?- Yes!
0:30:11 > 0:30:14- Come on, of course we used to play bingo!- Of course you did!
0:30:14 > 0:30:16I LOVED playing bingo, I wasn't very good at it.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18Was you ever lucky?
0:30:18 > 0:30:21Do you know what, I can remember coming home with this big,
0:30:21 > 0:30:25oversized, fluffy, massive pink teddy bear, and my mum used to keep
0:30:25 > 0:30:27putting it in the loft and I'd want it back down again!
0:30:27 > 0:30:31So I think I did win, once, but I could never concentrate enough.
0:30:31 > 0:30:36The thing is, nowadays, it's not just on the pier and a fluffy teddy.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38- It's like big bucks! - Serious business.
0:30:38 > 0:30:39So shall we have a go?
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Hundreds of thousands of pounds, apparently, you can win now.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45- Shall we have a go? - Shall we try our luck?- Come on.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49Right, eyes down and dabbers at the ready!
0:30:49 > 0:30:51- Your first number... - Right, concentrate! Shhh!
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Four and seven, 47.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55Four and six, 46.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59- Four and one, 41.- Oh, I can't see!
0:31:01 > 0:31:02On its own, the number seven.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06- Yes!- Eight and two, 82.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Slow down a bit(!)
0:31:08 > 0:31:10Seven and four, 74.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14- One and two, number 12. We have a claim, number 12.- Never!
0:31:15 > 0:31:17What? A whole line?
0:31:17 > 0:31:19Oh, my God, it's quite stressful!
0:31:21 > 0:31:24I can't do any more, I've got a headache. Oh, my God!
0:31:24 > 0:31:26- I've had it.- Let's go.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29Looks like we may have to pass on the cash prizes this time(!)
0:31:31 > 0:31:35- That is, that's quite hard work. - Hard work? I've got a headache.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38- You were rotten at it.- I'm rubbish, you know what, I can't focus.
0:31:38 > 0:31:39That's my problem.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42Well, I thought I would be a bit slow, but it's so quick.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46After singing, dancing and acting,
0:31:46 > 0:31:50Lucy moved from the theatre to presenting children's TV.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54But while we have a cheeky sit-down, I want to know how
0:31:54 > 0:31:56she ended up moving into property.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00So, have you always been a bit savvy when it comes to money?
0:32:00 > 0:32:02Um... I do try.
0:32:02 > 0:32:03I'm not so great with the numbers,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06but I know what will make money and what will do well.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08When did you buy your first property?
0:32:08 > 0:32:10- You were quite young, weren't you?- Yes.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12I was very young when I bought my first property.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15I was about 17 or 18.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17I bought a little flat in Clapham,
0:32:17 > 0:32:20and I was quite entrepreneurial even at that age,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23because my mum and dad used to buy property and invest,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25so I wanted my own place to live in, so, yeah.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Saved all my pennies from a couple of TV commercials
0:32:28 > 0:32:31I'd done as a kid, and yeah, bought my own flat.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34And then it went from there. Did you live in that?
0:32:34 > 0:32:36I lived in it, I sold it, I then bought two,
0:32:36 > 0:32:39I then got married and invested with my husband,
0:32:39 > 0:32:41and then I got the property bug,
0:32:41 > 0:32:44hence I've ended up doing the show I now do,
0:32:44 > 0:32:46which is all about property!
0:32:46 > 0:32:50- It's the perfect show, then, if you love it.- I know. I love it.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54I wish I'd have got some properties. I could've been a tycoon!
0:32:54 > 0:32:56- You were too busy dancing around the world.- I was.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59- I was - I was too busy dancing. - But Len, it's never too late.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Get in there, save your money.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03If you can buy something, now is a good time.
0:33:04 > 0:33:09- There's an estate agents up here. Come on.- There's always a good time!
0:33:11 > 0:33:16Another seaside ritual that was popular in Herne Bay for decades
0:33:16 > 0:33:19was the local beauty contest, but not just here -
0:33:19 > 0:33:25in those days, no holiday resort was complete without their own pageant.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27The fun and excitement
0:33:27 > 0:33:31and the glamour of these parades were all part of seaside magic.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36Now, you told me earlier on
0:33:36 > 0:33:40that your friend went in for the Miss Herne Bay pageant.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44- Yes!- And you were sitting there cheering her on. What was her name?
0:33:44 > 0:33:48- Debbie.- "Go on, Debbie!" - She was amazing.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51What I thought we could do is replicate, right,
0:33:51 > 0:33:55but we'll call it the Holiday Of My Lifetime Beauty Pageant.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59- Am I going to be the beauty queen? - No, no. Me! Me first!
0:33:59 > 0:34:01Oh, you're going to have the sash and the crown?
0:34:01 > 0:34:04I'm going to go for it. You've got to...
0:34:04 > 0:34:06You know... Obviously, you know a bit about properties
0:34:06 > 0:34:11and I want you to imagine that I am a property. This is our walkway.
0:34:11 > 0:34:17- I'll sashay down, you can look me over.- But you're a property.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20- Well, I'm a beauty... - A beautiful property, or...
0:34:20 > 0:34:23Cos I'm only used to talking about run-down...
0:34:23 > 0:34:25You might be a bit of a scruffy, damp, mouldy...
0:34:25 > 0:34:29No, sometimes, though, you go in and it's a bit of a shocker.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31"Well, I didn't expect this!
0:34:31 > 0:34:34"Bit of a rough exterior, but once you get in there,
0:34:34 > 0:34:36"how beautifully formed.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38"A wealth of oak and beams!"
0:34:38 > 0:34:40- And you just give me the onceover. - Yeah.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42- Shall we do it?- Yeah. Let's do it!
0:34:42 > 0:34:44OK, so I've got some sashes.
0:34:44 > 0:34:49- I'm contestant ten, you're number sev-en, and we'll go from there.- OK.
0:34:49 > 0:34:55Everybody give a warm welcome to the lovely Len today, representing Kent.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00From Dartford, here he is, ladies and gentlemen, Len Goodman.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03And what a beauty. Can this man sashay?
0:35:03 > 0:35:04Oh, yes, he can, and Len,
0:35:04 > 0:35:09your interior certainly matches your exterior, let me just tell you.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12- How lovely to meet you today, Len.- Thank you.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14That was an amazing walk down the catwalk.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16Have you always wanted to do something like this?
0:35:16 > 0:35:19I've always been interested in beauty pageants.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22Well, I think, ladies and gentlemen, we have a sure-fire winner here.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25Give it up, please, for Len from Kent!
0:35:25 > 0:35:29And the crowd go wild! Let's see what they think of Lucy.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33Oh, here is a rare beauty.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37Representing South London, it's the pick of Peckham.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41Oh, yes, never dull in Dulwich.
0:35:41 > 0:35:42Gorgeous.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45Oh! Oh!
0:35:45 > 0:35:47Miss Peckham.
0:35:48 > 0:35:54- Did you like that?- I did. I loved that sliding. I must say, beautiful.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58- You've got such a beautiful rhythm in your walk.- I know.
0:35:58 > 0:36:04Well, it's lovely to see you. Thank you so much, Miss Peckham, everyone.
0:36:04 > 0:36:09OK. Yes, Miss Peckham, thank you. Off... Yes... Thank you, darling.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Off you go.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13Claudia Schiffer's got nothing on us!
0:36:15 > 0:36:17LEN LAUGHS
0:36:18 > 0:36:22From one beauty to another, if this home was ever under the hammer,
0:36:22 > 0:36:24it might be a bit outside my price range.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29Just up the road from Herne Bay is Whitstable Castle.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32It dates back to the late 18th century,
0:36:32 > 0:36:36and was once the home of Charles and Elizabeth Pearson,
0:36:36 > 0:36:40who lived in this splendour with their large brood. Oh!
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Could just put my deckchair there.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Another beautiful building that can't be missed if you're
0:36:46 > 0:36:51visiting this part of Kent is the stunning cathedral at Canterbury.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55It's one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures
0:36:55 > 0:36:58in England, and dates back to the sixth century.
0:36:58 > 0:37:03Over the years, archbishops here have had a bit of a rocky ride,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06starting with the most notorious, Thomas Becket.
0:37:06 > 0:37:07He was killed here
0:37:07 > 0:37:12by four knights on the orders of Henry II in December 1170.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15An archbishop murdered in his own cathedral.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17In fact, five archbishops of Canterbury have been murdered,
0:37:17 > 0:37:20so it's actually quite a dangerous job.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Well, there was more skulduggery afoot in the inns
0:37:23 > 0:37:27along the coastline, when smuggling was rife around Herne Bay.
0:37:29 > 0:37:34The Ship Inn dates back to 1385, and these ancient walls
0:37:34 > 0:37:38could tell many a tale of plots that were hatched here.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42In 1881, it was even the scene of a battle between smugglers
0:37:42 > 0:37:45and custom men.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Ah-har, Jim, my lad!
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Well, there was another old pub that
0:37:51 > 0:37:55Lucy and her family loved to come to right down on the shore.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58- Do you remember this place? - Do I remember this place?!
0:37:58 > 0:38:00We used to sit outside here with a lemonade and a straw
0:38:00 > 0:38:03and a bag of crisps, on that wall.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05- I love it.- Really? Shall we go in?
0:38:05 > 0:38:07- Yes!- Come on!- Come on!
0:38:07 > 0:38:13The perfect place to have a final chinwag with Lucy about her career.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16How did Homes Under The Hammer come along?
0:38:16 > 0:38:19It was really weird because I knew the executive producer
0:38:19 > 0:38:21who was thinking about putting the show together,
0:38:21 > 0:38:25and she knew that I loved property, so we did a little small series.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29I'd just had a baby, and she said, "Well, what do you think?"
0:38:29 > 0:38:32And I said, "Yeah, let's give it a go," and here I am,
0:38:32 > 0:38:3513 years later, still doing the same programme
0:38:35 > 0:38:39- and still loving it as much.- How many episodes must you have done?
0:38:39 > 0:38:40Hundreds and hundreds.
0:38:40 > 0:38:4413 years' worth, and it's still on every single day of the week.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46What is it about Homes Under The Hammer?
0:38:46 > 0:38:49OK, for me, personally, I love the properties,
0:38:49 > 0:38:52but I love meeting the people, just like I've met you today.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56I love hearing the stories, and I love seeing what the people do
0:38:56 > 0:38:58to the properties and then the end result,
0:38:58 > 0:39:02and the journey that you go on with them, with them and the property.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04So that is the thing that's kept me
0:39:04 > 0:39:06signing those contracts all those years.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09Well, this is the front reception room
0:39:09 > 0:39:11and the wonderful proportions continue.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13You've even got your own chandelier to get you started!
0:39:13 > 0:39:16But putting my developer's head on, I think it's a shame
0:39:16 > 0:39:20the original windows have been replaced with UPVC.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Have you ever walked into a place and you've thought, "No! This is...
0:39:24 > 0:39:26"They must have been off their trolleys.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29- "It's an absolute... you know...disaster!"- Yes!
0:39:29 > 0:39:34Yes, yes, like...like, almost every week.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36The places I go in, you wouldn't believe.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38Well, you would believe if you see it.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41There are no floors, there are rats, there are spiders,
0:39:41 > 0:39:45there are no roofs, you can't even put the kit down and your bag down.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48- My feet stick to the carpet, and they stink.- Yeah.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52- You know, it's not a glamorous job doing a Homes Under The Hammer first look.- No. I can imagine.
0:39:52 > 0:39:57But you have to see beyond that, and sometimes the way they turn these places around,
0:39:57 > 0:39:59it's incredible, and I still get inspired.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03I still watch it and go, "Oh, my God! I'm so glad I do this!"
0:40:03 > 0:40:05Because it's inspirational.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09I still myself watch it, love it, I've got the property bug and after
0:40:09 > 0:40:12all these years, I'm still investing and wanting to buy at auction.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15Do you know, that comes across. Have you got any burning desires...
0:40:15 > 0:40:18There's something else you'd really love to do?
0:40:18 > 0:40:22I'd love to present a morning magazine show or something.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25- Like a chat show? - Like a chat show or...you know,
0:40:25 > 0:40:27co-hosting it with somebody bubbly and chatty, like yourself.
0:40:27 > 0:40:32- A bit like Des and Mel.- Yeah. Like a Good Morning, Lucy And Len!- Yeah.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35- Lucy and Len.- Lucy and Len with a couple of coffee cups.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39- It'd have to be Len and Lucy, I'm afraid.- Oh, really? Oh, right, OK!
0:40:39 > 0:40:41Hey-hey, I'm looking forward to that.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45Lucy's got exciting things ahead, I'm sure,
0:40:45 > 0:40:49but there's no doubt her past here still means so much to her.
0:40:49 > 0:40:54So, coming down here to Herne Bay with your mum and dad,
0:40:54 > 0:40:56seeing your nan and so on,
0:40:56 > 0:41:00do you think that has helped to shape you into who you are?
0:41:00 > 0:41:02Definitely it's helped shape who I am,
0:41:02 > 0:41:04I think because it grounds me,
0:41:04 > 0:41:08I still come down here now with my own family, and I've got really
0:41:08 > 0:41:11happy memories, and I'm very lucky because I had an amazing childhood,
0:41:11 > 0:41:15- and it all stems from coming here as a little girl.- Right.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19- And it's been amazing. - It's been great.- I've loved it.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23- Thank you.- No - thank you!- Let's have another clonky clonky cheers.
0:41:23 > 0:41:24Cheers.
0:41:26 > 0:41:33It's been wonderful spending the day with Lucy, reliving her family holidays down here at Herne Bay.
0:41:33 > 0:41:37We've dined together, strolled along the prom,
0:41:37 > 0:41:40tripped the light fantastic.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44It's been all singing and dancing, and some of it on wheels.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Coming to Herne Bay with Lucy,
0:41:46 > 0:41:52it's easy to see just how much a childhood holiday here meant to her.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Well, Lucy, let me tell you, I will never forget today,
0:41:56 > 0:42:00because it has been great. I've done things I never thought I'd ever do.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04- I know!- And I want to make sure you never forget it,
0:42:04 > 0:42:08so because of that, there's a little scrapbook
0:42:08 > 0:42:09of memories
0:42:09 > 0:42:12- from the Holiday Of My Lifetime. - That is a good photo of you.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16- Look at me, saluting! - Look at you! That is amazing.
0:42:16 > 0:42:21I'm really.... That's so lovely. I'm honoured. Thank you, my darling.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26And to remember one of her most favourite spots,
0:42:26 > 0:42:29I've got another souvenir for her.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31Now, for your new home that you're building,
0:42:31 > 0:42:37we thought what could be nicer than... Oh, my God!
0:42:37 > 0:42:41Oh! That...is fantastic!
0:42:41 > 0:42:46- I love it. I'd like it myself! - That is amazing!
0:42:46 > 0:42:48What a beautiful photo.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51- Thank you. Can I have a hug? - Of course you can.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55Well, it's the end of our lovely day together,
0:42:55 > 0:42:59and it's goodbye to the beaches of Herne Bay.
0:42:59 > 0:43:00For Lucy Alexander,
0:43:00 > 0:43:05this town will always be the home of some very special memories.