0:00:02 > 0:00:05Childhood holidays - oh, the anticipation seemed endless!
0:00:05 > 0:00:09The holiday itself - well, it was over too quickly.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13So, in this series, I'm going to be reliving those wonderful times
0:00:13 > 0:00:15with some much-loved famous faces.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18This is a memory I will treasure.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Every day, I'll be arranging a few surprises
0:00:21 > 0:00:23to transport them back in time.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25I feel as though we're about to go over the edge.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Don't say that!
0:00:27 > 0:00:28We'll relive the fun...
0:00:28 > 0:00:31HE LAUGHS Whoa!
0:00:31 > 0:00:32Oh, no.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35..the games... THEY LAUGH
0:00:35 > 0:00:37..and the food of years gone by...
0:00:37 > 0:00:38Oh, I'm so excited.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Oh, the taste - the taste of your childhood.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43SHE LAUGHS
0:00:43 > 0:00:45..to find out how those holidays around the UK
0:00:45 > 0:00:49helped shape the people we know so well today.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Wah! Ha, ha, ha!
0:00:53 > 0:00:56So buckle up for Holiday Of My Lifetime.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58- Oh, yes! - Can you come on all my holidays?
0:00:58 > 0:01:00I'll come on them - yeah, of course I will.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05MUSIC: In The Mood by Glenn Miller
0:01:05 > 0:01:07On today's jaunt, I'm all dressed up
0:01:07 > 0:01:11and most definitely have a place to go.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Eee! I am excited.
0:01:13 > 0:01:19Ladies and gentlemen, today's guest is a trademark national treasure.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21HE CHUCKLES
0:01:22 > 0:01:28He was born in Grantham, in 1923.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Here he is on his holibobs with his mum and brother and sister.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Oh, what a bright spark!
0:01:35 > 0:01:39One of his first breaks came in 1954
0:01:39 > 0:01:42on the radio show Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45# Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh... #
0:01:45 > 0:01:48I used to love that show.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52He then went on to appear with comedian Arthur Haynes in the '60s.
0:01:52 > 0:01:53HE CHUCKLES
0:01:53 > 0:01:56He's been successful for so long, you could say
0:01:56 > 0:02:00he's the Sale Of The Century.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02We love him!
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Don't worry, you'll find out who it is really soon.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Just a minute!
0:02:08 > 0:02:09Time's up.
0:02:09 > 0:02:15I'd like to announce without hesitation, deviation or repetition,
0:02:15 > 0:02:20we're off to meet legendary broadcaster Nicholas Parsons -
0:02:20 > 0:02:24and I'm off to pick him up in this 1930 Wolseley,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28similar to the one that he would've gone off on his holidays in
0:02:28 > 0:02:30back in the day.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Oh, Nicholas Parsons. He's one of my heroes.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Oh, Nicholas!
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Nicholas Parsons grew up in the Lincolnshire town of Grantham.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52He lived with his brother, sister, mum Nell, a nurse,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55and dad, a doctor, Paul Parsons,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59who counted among his patients Margaret Thatcher's parents.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05After leaving school, Nicholas spent the next five years in Glasgow,
0:03:05 > 0:03:06training to be an engineer -
0:03:06 > 0:03:08but after World War II,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11he decided to become an actor instead,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14appearing in the West End, radio and movies.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18In the late '50s, he entered the world of TV comedy,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21then came the much-loved radio show Just A Minute,
0:03:21 > 0:03:25a show Nicholas has been presenting for the last 48 years.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Welcome to Just A Minute.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Add to that 12 years as the suave host of the Sale Of The Century
0:03:32 > 0:03:36and countless appearances on just about everything
0:03:36 > 0:03:39from Blankety Blank and Have I Got News For You
0:03:39 > 0:03:41to Doctor Who.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49Can you believe he's now 91 years old and still working?!
0:03:49 > 0:03:52So, if you ask me, he's well overdue for a holiday.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Gosh, what is he driving? An old Wolseley!
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Good Lord.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59- Nicholas.- Len!
0:03:59 > 0:04:02I feel I should go into my dance routine now!
0:04:03 > 0:04:05- How lovely to see you. - Lovely to see you.
0:04:05 > 0:04:06Gosh, you're looking well.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Well, I've been touring the country.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10I know you have. Wonderful.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13- Do you recognise this little beauty? - That's a Wolseley.- Yes.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15My father used to drive one of those
0:04:15 > 0:04:19and I think he used to...he towed the caravan down in one like that.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20- Really?- Yes.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Well, they are tough enough to drive just as a car
0:04:24 > 0:04:25but towing it must have been...
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Oh, yes, it was quite an art. It was quite an art.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33Now, let me ask you - what year are we holidaying?
0:04:33 > 0:04:351939.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Oh, so where are we off to today?
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Well, we're going to cross the ferry here at Sandbanks,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45along to a place called Greenlands, which was a camping site.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49It was run by an impoverished farmer and it was all...
0:04:49 > 0:04:53he gave it all over, there were tents and caravans and things there.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55It's called Studland. It's part of Studlands.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Studland, the village, is just a little way beyond.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Well, I'm looking forward to it.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Well, I'm looking forward to seeing it again.
0:05:02 > 0:05:03I haven't seen it since 1939.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08Well, it's 1939, I know it's the year war broke out, but...
0:05:08 > 0:05:12- I know.- But we're on holiday, so let's enjoy ourselves.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14- Right.- Here we go.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Cruising the highways and byways of Dorset,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26our first stop will be the town of Poole, on England's south coast.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31We'll catch the ferry to Sandbanks and then onto Studland,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35which sits on the Isle of Purbeck, though technically speaking,
0:05:35 > 0:05:38it's not really an island, it's a peninsula.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Oh, yes. Just a minute, here I come.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42No deviation from Lenny!
0:05:42 > 0:05:45GEARS CRUNCH
0:05:45 > 0:05:46Oh, no, don't!
0:05:46 > 0:05:48I was all right until then.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Today, we're going to relive the happy days Nicholas spent
0:05:52 > 0:05:56with his family, way back in July 1939 -
0:05:56 > 0:06:00the last summer before Britain went to war.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05We'll experience five-star accommodation, 1939-style.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08- And you've even put the lavatory tent up beside it.- Ooh, yes!
0:06:08 > 0:06:11We'll make the most of the great outdoors
0:06:11 > 0:06:13from bike riding and cricket...
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Oh! Oh, if only I was nimble.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18..to frolics at the seaside.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Oh, what legs!
0:06:20 > 0:06:22- What legs indeed.- Look at those!
0:06:22 > 0:06:24And we'll enjoy a part of our coastline
0:06:24 > 0:06:27that makes you proud to be British.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Every holiday begins with a journey, and for the Parsons family,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40that would mean hitching up the caravan to the Wolseley Hornet
0:06:40 > 0:06:43and escaping the rat race. Oh, lovely!
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Though even without a caravan,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48I doubt I could ever reach its top speed of 63 miles an hour.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51So it's 1939.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53I suppose there wasn't a lot of traffic on the road.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55No, no. There wasn't.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59So there's you and your dad towing the caravan, coming down.
0:06:59 > 0:07:00I loved being with him,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03because he was a very busy general practitioner.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07And it was a lovely opportunity to be with him. We got on very well.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10And I went off and we towed the caravan.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13And my mother had a little Austin run-around
0:07:13 > 0:07:15and she came down a little later
0:07:15 > 0:07:18with my older brother and younger sister.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21So you were a two-car family even back then?
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Yes, but you see, cars were not always...
0:07:25 > 0:07:29- He needed one professionally anyway. - Yes.- ..as he was doing his rounds,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32visiting his patients and so, yes,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34it does seem a little bit, um...
0:07:34 > 0:07:39- extravagant or rich...- Yes. - ..to have two cars.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43But we had quite a modest lifestyle, actually.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47And so with Nicholas and his old dad forming the advance party,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50the first leg of their journey was getting the Wolseley,
0:07:50 > 0:07:55the caravan and themselves to Poole Harbour to catch the ferry.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Now this is real nostalgia for me.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59It hasn't changed very much.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03- Do you recall this?- Oh, yes. Coming down here slowly.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Well, Nicholas, I'm not saying I'm Stirling Moss,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08but I didn't do bad.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11There was only one crunch of the gears.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14- I think you did brilliantly. - And we're here.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17And now I've got us here in one piece,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20we can sit back and enjoy the ride.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Well, this is lovely. And what a lovely view.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Len, I can tell you, this is not only lovely
0:08:27 > 0:08:29but incredibly nostalgic.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31It takes me right back.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Nothing much has changed.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37We'd get out of the car, we'd stay here and look at it.
0:08:37 > 0:08:42I'd be terribly excited as a 15-year-old I was in '39,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46see the sea, knowing your holiday was about to begin.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49It's one of those holidays that the excitement mounts.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51- Oh, yes.- You know, because OK, you're in the car
0:08:51 > 0:08:54and you're on your way and you get down here,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56now you're getting on the ferry.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57- And you're on the way.- Yes.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01And then we'd have the thing, if we were all together,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04- saying, "First to see the sea, first to see the sea!"- Yeah!
0:09:06 > 0:09:08By the summer of 1939,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12the Sandbank ferry had only been running for about 13 years.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16In fact, at the very beginning, it was steam-driven
0:09:16 > 0:09:18and only carried 15 cars.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22Even so, in its first summer, it transported around 12,000 cars
0:09:22 > 0:09:25and 100,000 passengers.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31There couldn't have been many people towing caravans, I'm sure.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34- No, no.- That must have been a real rarity.
0:09:34 > 0:09:35I was told that my father
0:09:35 > 0:09:37was one of the first people to have a caravan.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- Really?- Yes. It was very unusual.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42- I suppose people went camping. - Oh, yes.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45- Which was a different kettle of fish.- Oh, yes.
0:09:45 > 0:09:46A lot of camping. A lot of tents.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- You see, they didn't have all this foreign travel.- No.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52- People didn't go abroad.- No.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55- And a lot of people just stayed at home.- Yeah.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Yeah, Windowsill Bay, we used to call it. Yeah.
0:09:59 > 0:10:00Oh, an oldie but a goodie -
0:10:00 > 0:10:03though it's not just my jokes that haven't changed in decades.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07This ferry ride has also stood the test of time.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10- This must be just how you would remember it.- Absolutely.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13- Absolutely.- Yeah.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Takes me right back to my youth.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18It is lovely, I must say.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22I've also been told, by my son, who knows a bit more than I do,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26that there was a nudist beach here at Sandbanks.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29- A nudist beach!- Yeah, and I wondered if we were going to visit it.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32I'm more than happy to take my clothes off with you,
0:10:32 > 0:10:33Nicholas, I promise you.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Yes, we could strut down on the sand, naked and proud.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Yeah.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43And while I give the wisdom of that statement a little more thought,
0:10:43 > 0:10:48here's what the world was like when Nicholas was just 15 years old.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Needless to say, 1939 was a dark year in British history
0:10:52 > 0:10:54and on September the 3rd,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced we were at war.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00'I have to tell you now
0:11:00 > 0:11:04'that no such undertaking has been received.
0:11:04 > 0:11:10'And that consequently, this country is at war with Germany.'
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Within days, Chamberlain created a War Cabinet
0:11:14 > 0:11:18that included Winston Churchill, national service for all men
0:11:18 > 0:11:24aged 18 to 41 was passed into law and a blackout was imposed.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Meanwhile, BBC television stopped broadcasting with immediate effect
0:11:28 > 0:11:31as it was feared that transmission signal
0:11:31 > 0:11:34could act as a beacon to enemy aircraft.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37But given the outbreak of war,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40us Brits were more in need of entertainment than ever.
0:11:40 > 0:11:45One of the biggest films that year was Goodbye Mr Chips,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49the story of a man who dedicated his entire life to teaching
0:11:49 > 0:11:51and nominated for seven Oscars.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55It also earned Robert Donat the award for best actor.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Meanwhile, the song that really captured our mood
0:11:57 > 0:12:02as our soldiers were been shipped out was We'll Meet Again,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05as sung by the incomparable Dame Vera Lynn.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09# We'll meet again
0:12:09 > 0:12:16# Don't know where don't know when... #
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Oh, yes! Go on, Vera.
0:12:19 > 0:12:26- BOTH:- # But I know we'll meet again some sunny day. #
0:12:26 > 0:12:29You know, we could have done a duet.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Part of the thrill of any holiday
0:12:31 > 0:12:34is the excitement of staying somewhere new.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37And while the Parsons family brought their accommodation with them,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40I'm going to take Nicholas back to the very spot
0:12:40 > 0:12:42they originally hitched the caravan.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- We're talking 76 years ago.- I know.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49But I'm going to say something now that's the first I've ever said -
0:12:49 > 0:12:51that was before I was born.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53THEY LAUGH
0:12:53 > 0:12:55I didn't realise I was so old!
0:12:55 > 0:12:57- I don't say that often.- No.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Today, Greenlands is owned by the National Trust,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07but in 1939, as the Parsons family camped out there,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09it was also a working farm.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13At the time, the busy place was run by John and Maria Guy.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Was there facilities there, you know, toilet blocks?
0:13:18 > 0:13:20No, you put up your own lavatory tent.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24- Oh, you had a separate tent. - Yes.- How marvellous.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27- And we had a bucket in there.- Right. - And we would do it,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30and my father and I would take the bucket
0:13:30 > 0:13:34and we would every so often go and empty it somewhere
0:13:34 > 0:13:38- where it was permissible to go and do it.- Do that, yeah.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43And my father, who liked writing humorous poems, wrote a poem.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46I remember it was called Clankety Clank With A Lavatory Pan,
0:13:46 > 0:13:48and along we go, he used to say.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52- Well, you know, I quite often write limericks.- Oh, really?
0:13:52 > 0:13:57I like to do it, yes, and I wrote a little limerick about yourself.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Oh, wonderful. Right.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03- Are we going to hear it now? - Yes. I'm going to recite it to you.
0:14:03 > 0:14:04Right, OK.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08"There was a young man from Grantham
0:14:08 > 0:14:13"Who was suave, young and handsome..."
0:14:13 > 0:14:14You're flattering me!
0:14:14 > 0:14:17"He'd have fish and chips While wiping his lips
0:14:17 > 0:14:20"He'd whistle the national anthem."
0:14:20 > 0:14:23- I think that's lovely.- It's you!
0:14:23 > 0:14:26- I don't know if I could recognise it or not but...- That's my own...!
0:14:26 > 0:14:30..but it's very flattering, very flattering.
0:14:30 > 0:14:31Yes, young, suave and handsome,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33I think, was pushing it a bit, but...
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Oh, don't take away from it!
0:14:35 > 0:14:37I like the compliment!
0:14:37 > 0:14:41Fair enough - though I think Nicholas will like my next surprise
0:14:41 > 0:14:45even more, because we haven't just found the spot his family
0:14:45 > 0:14:49camped in, we've gone the whole nine yards.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54Would that have been something like your caravan?
0:14:54 > 0:14:57- That is a 1939...- Yes. That's right.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59It's exactly what our caravan was like -
0:14:59 > 0:15:03- and you've even put the lavatory tent up beside it.- Oh, yes.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06For you, Nicholas, money is no object.
0:15:06 > 0:15:12This rather stylish 1933 Car Cruiser Type III is just like the one
0:15:12 > 0:15:15the Parsons family stayed in all those years ago.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- That is something we didn't have. - Yeah.
0:15:18 > 0:15:19We didn't have a gramophone.
0:15:19 > 0:15:20I wondered if you wanted us to go
0:15:20 > 0:15:22and just do a little number together.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Well, maybe we could do a Charleston or a rumba!
0:15:32 > 0:15:35And while there's not quite enough room inside for a dance number,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39you will find a generous lounge with dining table,
0:15:39 > 0:15:43the crockery within easy reach and a full kitchen.
0:15:43 > 0:15:44Perfection!
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Look at this.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54- The old sink. - Oh, yes. Little tiny sink.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56- Trying to do the washing up in that. - Yeah.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58And having to dry everything up as well.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02- And the cooker. I love...- Cooker. - I love this oven.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06My mother must have been amazing to have prepared a whole meal
0:16:06 > 0:16:09- on that little tiny cooker like that.- Yeah.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11And even more impressive,
0:16:11 > 0:16:15there's still enough room to offer sleeping arrangements for four.
0:16:15 > 0:16:16I tell you what, its magic.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20- So this is how...this is how it was? - Exactly as it was.
0:16:20 > 0:16:21You've been very clever,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24because you've obviously found exactly the same model.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Two beds either side here, and there's a double bunk at the back.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32You can pull it out and that's where my sister would sleep
0:16:32 > 0:16:34- and we'd put up another tent outside...- Yeah.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38..and which my brother and I slept on, on camp beds...
0:16:38 > 0:16:39- Perfect.- ..which we'd put up.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44As old as this is, it's quite civilised, isn't it?
0:16:44 > 0:16:46- Absolutely.- So once you were here,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48and you'd got yourselves in and erected the tent
0:16:48 > 0:16:50and this, that and the other,
0:16:50 > 0:16:52would you be off, you know, into the country?
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Oh, yes. Yes.
0:16:54 > 0:16:55We brought our bikes with us
0:16:55 > 0:16:59and we used to cycle around here and we'd go exploring.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03My memory was, the weather was more consistently sunny in those days.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Whether that's my imagination or not, I don't know.
0:17:06 > 0:17:07I'm...I'm the same.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10I can never remember it raining on holiday.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12We had some wet days but...
0:17:12 > 0:17:15- there didn't seem to be as much rain as we get today.- No.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Well, my grandmother put it down to the Russians!
0:17:17 > 0:17:20THEY LAUGH
0:17:20 > 0:17:21Don't ask me why!
0:17:28 > 0:17:32Despite Studland being a relatively isolated area, back in the '30s
0:17:32 > 0:17:37the locals were definitely doing their bit for tourism.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Of course, the absolute draw was its sandy beaches.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Studland was a fairly small village
0:17:43 > 0:17:46and most of the people would work on the farm
0:17:46 > 0:17:50and also they were fishermen, and in the summer,
0:17:50 > 0:17:55the fishermen would do trips out in their boats for the tourists.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59And there was also one operator who had small rowing boats to hire out.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Mind you, the enterprise of the locals certainly didn't end there.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07They used to do boat trips from Poole and Bournemouth
0:18:07 > 0:18:10and there used to be a landing stage at Studland.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12And they would then come ashore
0:18:12 > 0:18:17and the local cabbies used to get there with their carriages
0:18:17 > 0:18:21and horses and then take people round the local area.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Meanwhile, your average holiday-maker
0:18:25 > 0:18:28arrived by train or bus and when they got here,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30they certainly needed somewhere to billet.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Quite a few of the ladies in the village used to do bed-and-breakfast
0:18:34 > 0:18:38and then people would then come for a week or a fortnight
0:18:38 > 0:18:43and stay with them, but it was basically for the beach holiday.
0:18:43 > 0:18:44One tourist in particular
0:18:44 > 0:18:47was so inspired by her visit to the area,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50she used many of its geographical features,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53and some of its residents, in her books.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Her name? Enid Blyton.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Her Famous Five book on Kirrin Island was actually
0:18:58 > 0:19:03based on Brownsea Island and also when she wrote the Noddy books,
0:19:03 > 0:19:08PC Plod was based on the Studland policeman at that time.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13No wonder Enid was inspired - you couldn't ask for a better backdrop.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17And I'm told there's only one way to take it all in - by bicycle.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21And that's just how Nicholas and his siblings did it in 1939.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23OK, have a go!
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Ho, ho! Thank you.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Come on, Nicholas. Don't be a sissy!
0:19:28 > 0:19:30# Bicycle, bicycle... #
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Do you want me to try and do that?
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Well, all right, then, Nicholas, seeing as it's you - we can walk!
0:19:38 > 0:19:42So, once you got down here and you'd settled into your caravan...
0:19:42 > 0:19:45- Yeah. We got the bikes out of the caravan.- Yeah.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47We couldn't wait to get on the bikes.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49- And off you go.- And off we'd go.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52We cycled all the way around Greenlands there, which you could.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54You know, we'd fall off occasionally,
0:19:54 > 0:19:58- cos it was pretty rough but it was all part of the fun.- Yeah.
0:19:58 > 0:19:59I must say, bikes have advanced,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02- when you think about what we used to ride.- Yeah.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05And, you know, they change gears now with the handle.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09- We didn't even have gears. - No, no - no gears.- No gears.- No.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Was there any other sort of pursuits that you got up to?
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Well, we used to put up the cricket stumps.
0:20:14 > 0:20:15- And have a little bit of cricket. - Yeah.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18- Most of the time, we went down to the beach.- Yeah.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21And jumped in the sand dunes and went swimming, of course, naturally.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23- Of course.- In the sea.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27And with his dad being a keen photographer,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30many of those special moments were captured forever.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34What's more, it was a skill he was proud to pass on.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36My father taught us how to take photographs.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39- I've still got the little box Brownie.- Box Brownie?- That I had.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43The same camera then. And I've still got some of the photographs I took.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46I've just thought of something - and it's such a lovely backdrop.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50- Mm-hm.- Would you mind if I took a selfie of the two of us?
0:20:50 > 0:20:52No, no. With our bikes?
0:20:52 > 0:20:56With our bikes, you know sporty couple of young lads!
0:20:56 > 0:21:00- I take it your dad's camera was nothing like this.- No, no.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02- And nothing...- And it's certainly not a box Brownie.
0:21:02 > 0:21:03And nothing else is like that,
0:21:03 > 0:21:05because I think selfies are awful, cos...
0:21:05 > 0:21:07You've got to get them well away.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10OK, so I'm not Lord Lichfield,
0:21:10 > 0:21:14but if at first you don't succeed... Well, you get the picture.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16How does that look? I like it.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19- It's a bit... Do you think...- Not bad!
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Inspired by Nicholas' summer holiday,
0:21:24 > 0:21:28I've hand-picked seven of the best tourist spots
0:21:28 > 0:21:29that you shouldn't miss.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Starting with the iconic Durdle Door,
0:21:34 > 0:21:38a natural limestone arch which - believe it not -
0:21:38 > 0:21:43is privately owned and forms a small part of the Lulworth Estate.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Though don't worry, the public are more than welcome to drop in.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50And then there's Corfe Castle.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54This stone wonder was built by William the Conqueror, and almost
0:21:54 > 0:21:58destroyed by the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Though if you want to see what it used to look like,
0:22:00 > 0:22:04well, you're in luck - they also have a model village.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08It's a 20th of the scale of the actual castle and village itself.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11It took two years to build, and opened to the public in 1966.
0:22:13 > 0:22:14And even more impressive,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18it was the brainchild of a local businessman - Eddie Holland.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30No holiday is complete without a few treats from the kitchen,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33and so I want to cook Nicholas something
0:22:33 > 0:22:35just like his mum used to make.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38So what we've got here - mince.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42- Ooh.- So that's going to be popped into the pan.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Now we're cooking!
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Now believe it or not, back in the day, the campers here
0:22:47 > 0:22:52actually had their food, newspapers, and other provisions delivered.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53Oh, very posh!
0:22:53 > 0:22:59A man used to come in a van and sell stuff from the van.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03- Oh, right.- We used to get the morning paper and my brother
0:23:03 > 0:23:06- and I were great cricket enthusiasts.- Right.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09And we wanted to see what the cricket scores were.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11And my mother, who was a great disciplinarian,
0:23:11 > 0:23:16wouldn't let us look at the cricket scores until we'd done our chores.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18And we all had certain chores to do.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22I tell you what. I'm not doing a bad job here, Nicholas.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- No.- Mince a la Goodman.
0:23:28 > 0:23:29Oh, yes.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31It smells all right.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33THEY LAUGH
0:23:33 > 0:23:36I'm not saying it looks all right or tastes all right.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Cos I'm no Fanny Cradock, as you can see.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41No, no. You don't look a bit like her, either.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44I knew Fanny very well. She was a real character.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46- Yeah, oh, yes.- Fanny and Johnnie.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Yes.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Who I'm sure would be very impressed with my potatoes.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55I think there's no end to your talents, Len.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00Do you know, and I keep discovering new ones as I get older!
0:24:00 > 0:24:02- Yeah.- Such as?
0:24:02 > 0:24:04I didn't realise until I was maybe 70,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07that I could go to the toilet so often.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09THEY LAUGH
0:24:12 > 0:24:14As for the verdict on my culinary skills...
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Oh!
0:24:16 > 0:24:18It's 1939.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20- Fanny Cradock.- Thank you.
0:24:20 > 0:24:21Eat your heart out!
0:24:26 > 0:24:28And speaking of show business legends -
0:24:28 > 0:24:31inside and out of the sun - I want to know what happened
0:24:31 > 0:24:34when Nicholas first said those immortal words...
0:24:34 > 0:24:36"I want to be an actor."
0:24:36 > 0:24:38My parents were horrified!
0:24:38 > 0:24:41They said, "That's not a proper job!"
0:24:41 > 0:24:43And my mother was horrified,
0:24:43 > 0:24:45because she thought everybody in the entertainment industry -
0:24:45 > 0:24:47or the theatre, she called it -
0:24:47 > 0:24:49was either debauched or depraved
0:24:49 > 0:24:51or degenerate or alcoholic, or something.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53I remember saying to her once - I said,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57"Mother," I said, "you admire people like Laurence Olivier
0:24:57 > 0:25:03"and Leslie Howard and Sybil Thorndike and Peggy Ashcroft."
0:25:03 > 0:25:07I said, "Do you think they're all like those people you describe?"
0:25:07 > 0:25:09And she said, "No.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13"But isn't it a pity they have to work with those sorts of people?"
0:25:13 > 0:25:16So, naturally, he spent the next five years in Glasgow,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18working in the shipyards. Blimey!
0:25:18 > 0:25:21I didn't understand what they were talking about, to begin with.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Learning a new career in a new country cannot have been easy,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28but I can't wait to find out how he left the docks for the stage.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35But before that, there are a few more of my top tips -
0:25:35 > 0:25:39starting with an exploration of your artistic side,
0:25:39 > 0:25:43with a visit to the famous Purbeck stone,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46here at the Burngate Stone Carving Centre.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Purbeck stone is unique to this area.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52It's about 136 million years old.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56Um...it's hard material.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58The beauty of it, it will take a polish
0:25:58 > 0:26:01and you can see all the shells that were laid down in the mud
0:26:01 > 0:26:07when dinosaurs roamed this whole area as a sub-tropical lagoon.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11And if you're looking for a little inspiration,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13well, the surrounding landscape
0:26:13 > 0:26:17has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19A bit like myself.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Though you can also enjoy those views
0:26:21 > 0:26:23from your very own steam engine.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26In fact, here at the Swanage Railway,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29they'll even let you drive the thing.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32This stretch of railway is also used by local commuters
0:26:32 > 0:26:37and takes 40,000 cars off the road each year. Mind the Gap!
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Now, as for the story at hand,
0:26:41 > 0:26:46the last we heard the young Nicholas had been shipped off to Glasgow.
0:26:46 > 0:26:47Though, strangely enough,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50it actually helped his acting ambitions.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Glasgow is a city that has a great feeling for theatre,
0:26:53 > 0:26:55for music, for the arts.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57And there were a little concert parties I joined,
0:26:57 > 0:26:59amateur concert parties used to go around
0:26:59 > 0:27:02and entertain the troops on the anti-aircraft sites.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05And I'd do my impersonations and my comedy stand-up
0:27:05 > 0:27:08and I got very valuable raw experience.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Nicholas's big break came in the form of Carroll Levis,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17impresario, radio personality and talent scout.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19I went along and asked for an audition.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22It was pretty tough because my parents were still saying,
0:27:22 > 0:27:26"Don't get any idea of getting into that awful profession."
0:27:26 > 0:27:31But I asked for the audition, and though I stammered my way through it
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Caroll saw, and gave me my first professional job.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36And this was the beginning.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Indeed, it was, because the next thing you know,
0:27:39 > 0:27:43young Nicholas was taking part in Carroll Levis' new radio show
0:27:43 > 0:27:45called The Happy-Go-Lucky Hour.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48The only catch - it was live!
0:27:48 > 0:27:53What was rather delightful is that they found a theatre in Bangor,
0:27:53 > 0:27:58in North Wales, a disused cinema and they decided to take that,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01I suppose on the premise that if Bangor is there,
0:28:01 > 0:28:02Germany is down there
0:28:02 > 0:28:06and they are not going to overfly whole of England to bomb Bangor.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08- Yeah.- But the trouble is they don't overlook the fact
0:28:08 > 0:28:11that the people they engaged had to get on trains,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14which were bombed occasionally, to get to Bangor.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Some people didn't arrive.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19And during the war, all of the signposts,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21everywhere in the country were taken down.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23All of the station signs were taken down,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26all the signs on fronts of buses
0:28:26 > 0:28:28on the premise that if the Germans ever landed
0:28:28 > 0:28:31they wouldn't know where they were,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34the trouble is no-one else in the country had a clue where they were!
0:28:34 > 0:28:35They had no clue either!
0:28:35 > 0:28:37You'd say to somebody on a platform,
0:28:37 > 0:28:39because the train had stopped at a station,
0:28:39 > 0:28:41"Excuse me, excuse me, can you help me?"
0:28:41 > 0:28:45"Where are we? What is this place?" And he'd disappear
0:28:45 > 0:28:48because he's seen all the other signs up,
0:28:48 > 0:28:52- "Careless talk costs lives." - Yes.- You remember that?- Yeah.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Fortunately, Nicholas made the broadcast
0:28:55 > 0:28:57and so began his career in show business -
0:28:57 > 0:29:01something his parents eventually warmed to.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05Enough chat for now, time to walk off my amazing spuds.
0:29:05 > 0:29:06Forget the train,
0:29:06 > 0:29:10we can enjoy everything this area has to offer on foot.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13- So we're going to go up this little grassy bank.- Mm-hm.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16And I thought we could have a game of cricket,
0:29:16 > 0:29:19because I know that's one of your great loves.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22Oh, yes. Yes, I'm a great cricket enthusiast.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26And it turns out he's still a pretty decent player as well!
0:29:26 > 0:29:28MUSIC: Soul Limbo by Booker T & The MGs
0:29:28 > 0:29:30Whoa!
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Though back in 1939 Britain was enjoying what would be
0:29:34 > 0:29:37the last cricket season for seven years.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39In fact, soon after war was declared
0:29:39 > 0:29:41to be even modified the Oval cricket ground
0:29:41 > 0:29:43and used it as a prisoner of war camp.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47Meanwhile, Lords was preparing for a similar fate -
0:29:47 > 0:29:49but the government had a change of heart
0:29:49 > 0:29:53and instead used it to stage charity games to help the war effort.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56- Whoa!- If only I was nimble!
0:29:57 > 0:30:00And while cricket occupied much of his time growing up,
0:30:00 > 0:30:04it turns out our Mr Parsons has gone on to try
0:30:04 > 0:30:07just about every other sport under the sun.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09I played rugger to a very high standard when I was younger.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13And squash, I played a lot of squash. And waterskiing.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15I adored my waterskiing.
0:30:15 > 0:30:16Did you...? You had your own boat?
0:30:16 > 0:30:20I did, for a time, when we had a house in Menorca, yeah.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23And I taught my children, and other people to ski.
0:30:23 > 0:30:24I took up golf.
0:30:25 > 0:30:26Blimey!
0:30:26 > 0:30:30In other words, Nicholas likes to embrace his competitive spirit.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33Oh!
0:30:33 > 0:30:35I think that was a six, wasn't it?
0:30:35 > 0:30:38That is a six, and I'm going to take my hat off to you.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40Congratulations.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42HE LAUGHS
0:30:43 > 0:30:47Back in the family caravan I hear that was especially true
0:30:47 > 0:30:51when it came to his favourite board game.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54I thought we could have a little game.
0:30:56 > 0:30:57Of draughts.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59All the things we used to play as a child.
0:31:01 > 0:31:07- Draughts, snakes and ladders, dominoes.- Ludo.- Ludo
0:31:07 > 0:31:08Let's get them out.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10Adding to the nostalgia,
0:31:10 > 0:31:13we are playing on an original set from the 1930s.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17- Then I take that.- You take that.
0:31:19 > 0:31:20And then I take that.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22Correct.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25Can I ask you, while we're playing,
0:31:25 > 0:31:27in the hope that it puts you off a bit,
0:31:27 > 0:31:31when did you get your real first television break?
0:31:31 > 0:31:35The most important professional spell in my life was obviously
0:31:35 > 0:31:36with Arthur Haynes.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40And yet, it started very modestly, it wasn't very successful
0:31:40 > 0:31:42and slowly it built into a huge success
0:31:42 > 0:31:45and was a top comedy show on ITV.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48And so you could say that was my big break, really.
0:31:48 > 0:31:49It lasted for ten years, mind.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54- And that's when you became a household name?- That's exactly.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56So I was known then, from that show.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01After a decade of playing straight man to Arthur Haynes,
0:32:01 > 0:32:04their partnership came to an end in 1966.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07Soon after, Nicholas embarked on a three-year stint
0:32:07 > 0:32:11with another legendary comedian, Mr Benny Hill.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14He was also asked to host a regional show
0:32:14 > 0:32:18that would go on to become something of a legend itself.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Now what about Sale Of The Century? How did that come along?
0:32:21 > 0:32:24I'm a great one for doing different things.
0:32:25 > 0:32:30The press at the time, you know, they were very anti-quiz shows.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34They used to condemn them, and if you were the one fronting it,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37- you were the one they had a go at. - Yeah.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40And so I got to the most terrible press from that -
0:32:40 > 0:32:44they used to say, "Spitting out the questions at the contestants."
0:32:44 > 0:32:47Well, I used to go and chat to them beforehand to get to know them.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49If towards the end I put the pressure on them,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52I said, "Know that I'm actually working for you."
0:32:52 > 0:32:55Because, look at it logically - the more questions I can get in
0:32:55 > 0:32:57in the time available, win or lose,
0:32:57 > 0:32:59the more money you're likely to make.
0:32:59 > 0:33:04- Yeah.- And, er, it worked. I never realised how successful it was.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08At one time we had 21 million viewers.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11I just took it as a nice job I had.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14In fact, I'll show you how naive I was,
0:33:14 > 0:33:16I used to write all the questions to begin with.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19And I didn't realise they actually employed somebody to do that.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21I didn't get any money for it!
0:33:21 > 0:33:26And of all the programmes, radio and television, that you've done,
0:33:26 > 0:33:28which one gave you the most enjoyment?
0:33:28 > 0:33:30Or which one are you proudest of, would you say?
0:33:30 > 0:33:33I mean, I enjoy whatever I'm doing.
0:33:33 > 0:33:34I just love working.
0:33:34 > 0:33:39I was so frustrated and so thwarted in getting into the profession,
0:33:39 > 0:33:42that now, as long as somebody once before a job,
0:33:42 > 0:33:44I'm so flattered and delighted.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48I enjoy every job I do. I feel it's a bonus.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52- What I'm going to do, Nicholas, I'm going to move that there.- Mm-hm.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56And then I'm going to go there. Take that.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59And then I'm going to say, how many of mine have you got?
0:34:01 > 0:34:02Three each.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06And I've got three. Could we call it a gentlemanly draw?
0:34:06 > 0:34:09- No, I want to beat you! - Oh, you want to carry on?
0:34:12 > 0:34:17Time for my final instalment of my seven treasures of Dorset's coast.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21We're kicking off with the 2012 Pier of the Year, yes,
0:34:21 > 0:34:23it's the Swanage Pier,
0:34:23 > 0:34:28which was built by the Victorians primarily to ship stone.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32These days it's all about fishing, scuba diving and sailing.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37Number two is the blue pool at Furzebrook,
0:34:37 > 0:34:41a former 17th-century chalk pit, which today constantly
0:34:41 > 0:34:45changes colour because of its particles of fine clay -
0:34:45 > 0:34:49but, pop into the tearoom and you'll also need the Wareham Bears.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52We've got just shy of 200 bears here at the blue pool,
0:34:52 > 0:34:54living at the blue pool.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56Working at the blue pool.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00They were collected, named and giving a personal story
0:35:00 > 0:35:03by the eccentric author Mary Hildesley,
0:35:03 > 0:35:05who made them her life's work.
0:35:05 > 0:35:11George Wellham, he's head of the house. He's busy away in his office.
0:35:11 > 0:35:16And next door, beavering away, we've got Elizabeth Wellham, his wife,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19who makes all the clothes for all of the bears.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21You've got Miss Pizzicata,
0:35:21 > 0:35:25who goes all over the world playing music - they tell us, badly!
0:35:25 > 0:35:28And she keeps her Christmas cards up all year long.
0:35:28 > 0:35:33In the kitchen, madly working, you've got Hava Hug.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36She's married to Hava Hand who works all day long in the stables.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40Through into this room we've got Miss Peanut
0:35:40 > 0:35:44who's a retired matron of Malaysian birds.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48And once you've made your way through that collection,
0:35:48 > 0:35:52which might take a while, it's time to visit my top of the list.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55The Durlston Country Park.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59One of the most impressive nature reserves in the country,
0:35:59 > 0:36:05it boasts more than 250 species of bird and 500 types of wild flowers.
0:36:05 > 0:36:10It also has breathtaking views from its very own castle.
0:36:10 > 0:36:11Now, it has to be said,
0:36:11 > 0:36:16the crowning glory of this region is Studland's beaches.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19In fact, there's a four mile stretch of them.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21And I'm guessing it really hasn't changed that much
0:36:21 > 0:36:25since Nicholas was playing on the sand dunes as a nipper.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29- But it's so gorgeous, isn't it? - It is absolutely gorgeous.
0:36:29 > 0:36:30It is beautiful.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32But what is so wonderful, it's not spoiled,
0:36:32 > 0:36:37- as so many places have become, and crowded beyond all recognition.- No.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Do you know, I'm going to say something now
0:36:40 > 0:36:42- that's going to shock you.- Why?
0:36:42 > 0:36:46It's not only going to shock you, it's going to shock a lot of people.
0:36:46 > 0:36:47This is what I'm going to do.
0:36:47 > 0:36:48Paddle.
0:36:48 > 0:36:49You don't have to.
0:36:51 > 0:36:52I've got to.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54I can't help it.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Excuse me for a moment.
0:36:56 > 0:36:57Oh, what legs!
0:36:57 > 0:37:00- What legs, indeed.- Look at those!
0:37:00 > 0:37:03Now, Len, I always knew you were a dancer,
0:37:03 > 0:37:07but I didn't know you had such shapely legs.
0:37:07 > 0:37:08And look at the muscles, as well.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Can you notice that I've played a lot of golf
0:37:11 > 0:37:14while I was in America with short socks on?
0:37:14 > 0:37:15NICHOLAS LAUGHS
0:37:15 > 0:37:17Because... Right.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21I've got to say this now, you've got the most elegant feet.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25So many people, especially dancers, their toes get misshapen.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27Yours are very shapely.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29- Well...- And very even.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32I'm going to put that, when I do my memoirs, that's going in.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35And, by the way, so am I!
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Oh, what a wonderful sight!
0:37:39 > 0:37:42Oh, Len, this is a memory I will treasure.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46Len Goodman having a paddle.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48- Oh!- Oh, yes!
0:37:48 > 0:37:50Obviously, it's not warm.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54But it's very refreshing, I feel so free,
0:37:54 > 0:37:56I'm going to take all my clothes off...
0:37:56 > 0:37:58MUSIC: The Stripper
0:37:58 > 0:37:59Oh, Len!
0:38:00 > 0:38:03..and dive in. I know, I don't care!
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Oh gosh!
0:38:05 > 0:38:07I'm going in!
0:38:07 > 0:38:08Head first.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12Wait... No, I'd better not, you're right. I don't want...
0:38:12 > 0:38:13THEY LAUGH
0:38:13 > 0:38:16I don't want to scare the natives!
0:38:16 > 0:38:19Fortunately, I haven't scared Nicholas, either,
0:38:19 > 0:38:21and this walk along the beach
0:38:21 > 0:38:24has transported him back to the summer of '39,
0:38:24 > 0:38:27playing on the beach, picnics with his mum
0:38:27 > 0:38:29and quality time with his dad.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31Certainly, those journeys with my dear dad
0:38:31 > 0:38:35- was a great bonding experience. - Yeah.- And I remember them vividly.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40- Yes.- I mean, it must have taken three or four hours to get here,
0:38:40 > 0:38:43- because you couldn't go very fast in a caravan.- No.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45And yet it didn't seem very long.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47And they were no motorways, of course.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49Oh, no, they hadn't even been dreamed of.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51But there wasn't much traffic
0:38:51 > 0:38:54so you could keep moving at a gentle speed all the time.
0:38:54 > 0:39:00But I am really delighted and surprised, it hasn't altered much.
0:39:00 > 0:39:01No.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05What is lovely, is when you do this Holiday Of A Lifetime,
0:39:05 > 0:39:08and you come to a certain spot and you get the reaction
0:39:08 > 0:39:11that I got from you when we came onto this beach,
0:39:11 > 0:39:16- because here we are, and we're back in 1939...- 1939.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19..and you're running around with your brother and sister.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22- And it's a wonderful day, it's a perfect day.- Perfect day.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24How lucky we've been.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27- Yeah. - And Len Goodman went way paddle.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29I went for a paddle in your honour.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31- And there you are. - Displaying his elegant feet.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33Well, I wouldn't go that far!
0:39:36 > 0:39:40I'm thrilled Nicholas has enjoyed a holiday - and my shapely pins -
0:39:40 > 0:39:43But there's one more thing we have to do,
0:39:43 > 0:39:44eating ice cream by the beach.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Oi! Where's my flake?
0:39:46 > 0:39:51What do you think is the secret to your longevity in show business?
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Well...
0:39:53 > 0:39:57I don't know. And if I did know, I'd be happy to pass it on.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00But I'm a great believer that the more you use your brain,
0:40:00 > 0:40:06your memory, the younger you remain.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Which is why, even after 48 years,
0:40:09 > 0:40:13Nicolas still loves hosting Just A Minute.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Well, aren't I lucky? I've got a job that I enjoy.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19- And it helps to keep me young. - That is lovely.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22I remember listening to one not long ago.
0:40:22 > 0:40:28I think, God, that would be a hard subject for me, Eiffel Tower.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30Do you want to try?
0:40:30 > 0:40:31Go on, then.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34Well, you think of a subject, make it a bit easier for you.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38I'm going to talk about holidaying with Nicholas Parsons.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41THEY CHUCKLE
0:40:41 > 0:40:45- Well, Len, you have 60 seconds, as usual.- Yes.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47And your time starts now.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51One of the joys about going on holiday with Nicholas Parsons
0:40:51 > 0:40:55is the various activities that you pursue.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59- Driving...- Hesitation, but carry on.
0:40:59 > 0:41:04Driving along in a 1932 little car, Wolseley Hornet,
0:41:04 > 0:41:06along the highways and byways.
0:41:06 > 0:41:12Beautiful. Then pulling up in front of the most gorgeous caravan.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16With the lovely ha.. haw...hawning and the tables, and the chairs.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18I think we'd call that hesitation.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20Oh! It's tough. But he's fair.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24- I think you did very well. - Not bad, considering.
0:41:24 > 0:41:25First go.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28It is a marvellous, marvellous programme,
0:41:28 > 0:41:30and the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32It's gone on for 48 years.
0:41:32 > 0:41:37- Absolutely.- You know, things that don't work don't last 48 years.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40We've done over 900 shows, and I haven't missed a single one.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43- It's amazing, isn't it? - That is amazing, yes.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48They say never meet your heroes, but meeting one of mine
0:41:48 > 0:41:53has been a total pleasure, as has reliving his holiday of a lifetime.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57Oh, yes, Nicholas and I have enjoyed the unbridled luxury
0:41:57 > 0:42:03that only a 1933 Car Cruiser, Type III, can offer.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06- And you've even put the lavatory tent up beside it.- Oh, yes.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09We've gone head-to-head on the sports field.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13- Oh!- Oh, if only I was nimble.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15We've survived fried mince a la Goodman...
0:42:15 > 0:42:17It smells all right.
0:42:18 > 0:42:23..and enjoyed the very definition of a great British summer holiday.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29Well, once again, may I say it's been a lovely, lovely day.
0:42:29 > 0:42:30- It really has.- It's been wonderful.
0:42:30 > 0:42:35The sun shines on the righteous and it's been absolutely beautiful.
0:42:35 > 0:42:36As a little thank you to you
0:42:36 > 0:42:40is a little scrapbook of Holiday Of My Lifetime.
0:42:40 > 0:42:45Yes, in keeping with that time-honoured Parsons family
0:42:45 > 0:42:47tradition, our holiday has been
0:42:47 > 0:42:49captured for posterity -
0:42:49 > 0:42:51and I've got one last surprise
0:42:51 > 0:42:52for Nicholas -
0:42:52 > 0:42:53a little something
0:42:53 > 0:42:56to encourage his competitive streak.
0:42:56 > 0:43:02- This is a 1930s draughts set. - 1930s. I will treasure that.
0:43:02 > 0:43:04What a joy.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06So, it's bye-bye from Studland
0:43:06 > 0:43:09and time for me and Nicholas to get the ferry home.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11Cheerio!