0:00:02 > 0:00:05'Childhood holidays - oh, the anticipation seemed endless.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09'The holiday itself, well, it was over too quickly.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13'So, in this series, I'm going to be reliving those wonderful times
0:00:13 > 0:00:15'with some much-loved famous faces.'
0:00:15 > 0:00:17This is a memory I will treasure.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21'Every day, I'll be arranging a few surprises to transport them
0:00:21 > 0:00:23'back in time.'
0:00:23 > 0:00:27- I feel as though we're about to go over the edge.- Don't say that.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29'We'll relive the fun...'
0:00:29 > 0:00:31THEY LAUGH Oh!
0:00:31 > 0:00:32Ah! No! No!
0:00:32 > 0:00:35..the games...' HE GROANS
0:00:35 > 0:00:37'..and the food of years gone by...'
0:00:37 > 0:00:39I'm so excited.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42The taste...the taste of your childhood.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46'..to find out how those holidays around the UK helped shape
0:00:46 > 0:00:48'the people we know so well today.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53HE ROARS
0:00:53 > 0:00:56'So buckle up for Holiday Of My Lifetime.'
0:00:56 > 0:00:57Oh, yes.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00We're going to get the water-skis out in a moment.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07On today's journey through time,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09I'm picking up our mystery holiday-maker
0:01:09 > 0:01:11in truly nautical style
0:01:11 > 0:01:15by getting onboard a narrow boat! So splice the main-brace.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17It's anchors aweigh.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22The lady I'm sailing off to meet has been
0:01:22 > 0:01:26cruising down the river of stardom for over 35 years.
0:01:28 > 0:01:34She was born in Birmingham in 1958. Here she is as a toddler.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Look at that little grin.
0:01:37 > 0:01:43She started as an actress with modest roles, such as Quadrophenia.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Ho-ho! Rock on, Tommy!
0:01:47 > 0:01:51She's well known for her hair-raising performances.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00Oh, yes. She really hit the big time in the late '70s, early '80s.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02As a pop star!
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Still no idea?
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Well, I tell you what. I'm not going to tell you yet. It's a mystery.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Have you got it yet? Of course you have.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19It's multi-talented singer, actress, presenter, yes, it's Toyah Willcox.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24And I'm off to meet her in this vintage narrow boat.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Just like the one she would have stayed in with her family
0:02:27 > 0:02:29all those years ago.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Toyah! Toyah!
0:02:31 > 0:02:32Lenny's coming, my darling.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Toyah grew up in Birmingham with her older brother and sister.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Her dad, Beric, ran a joinery and construction business,
0:02:41 > 0:02:45while her mum, Barbara, looked after the family.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48She was filled with a spirit of adventure,
0:02:48 > 0:02:52even from a wee nipper, and loved the great outdoors.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56As a teenager, she was already standing out from the crowd.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00Toyah took herself off to drama school at 17
0:03:00 > 0:03:03and it was the first step to a career as a successful
0:03:03 > 0:03:06actress on stage and screen,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10a chart-topping pop star and a TV presenter.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Oh, not forgetting a turn at Teletubbies!
0:03:14 > 0:03:18A true hard-working star with serious success.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Ahoy there, Toyah!
0:03:23 > 0:03:25Len, how are you?
0:03:25 > 0:03:26Here I come.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Captain Pugwash here.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30My limousine arrives.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33- Toyah.- Hello!
0:03:33 > 0:03:35- Welcome.- What do you reckon?
0:03:35 > 0:03:39- I think it's fantastic. Beautiful, polished.- Look at it.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44- So where are we heading for? - Llangollen Canal. 1968.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46'68. I remember '68.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51That was the year that they circled the moon and came back.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55- And the following year, they stepped onto the moon.- That's incredible.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Let's go and circle Wales then.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Well, I tell you what, shall we step on board?
0:03:59 > 0:04:02- Yeah. I can't wait.- Let me take your bag.- Thank you.- Come on.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04I tell you what, I'll get on first...
0:04:06 > 0:04:09I'm not boasting, Len, but I'm used to this.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11- Are you?- There you go. - There you are.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Driver, can we get on with it please? We've got a lot to do.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18So anchors aweigh. Here we go.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25Toyah's holiday in 1968 centred around The Llangollen Canal -
0:04:25 > 0:04:28one of the most beautiful waterways in Britain.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Starting at Hurleston Junction,
0:04:30 > 0:04:35the canal branches off from the Shropshire Union Canal in England,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37crosses the border into Wales
0:04:37 > 0:04:41and travels through 44 miles of stunning scenery
0:04:41 > 0:04:44to reach the town of Llangollen itself.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49Visitors have admired this landscape since Victorian times,
0:04:49 > 0:04:54and today, over 15,000 boats make their way up and down
0:04:54 > 0:04:57the gentle waters every year.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00So let's batten down the hatches of the Golden Lark
0:05:00 > 0:05:04and set off with trusty skipper Darren at the tiller.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11'Today, I'm taking Toyah on a watery trip down memory lane
0:05:11 > 0:05:14'discovering the beginnings of her creative talents...'
0:05:14 > 0:05:18No, no, no. No peeking at my... Please, no.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22'..grabbing a sneaky snooze as we cruise...'
0:05:22 > 0:05:23Oh, Len.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Oh, Toyah.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29'..and getting her to earn keep by working the same locks and bridges
0:05:29 > 0:05:31'that she did as child...'
0:05:31 > 0:05:32Go on.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35'..to see how much this holiday helped shape her
0:05:35 > 0:05:37'into the personality we know today.'
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Well done. There you are. It just shows you.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48Before a holiday normally begins, first you must set out on a journey.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53But for Toyah and her family in 1968, the journey WAS the holiday.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Cruising to Llangollen at the top speed of 4mph,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00it took days to travel the canals,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04all the time passing through beautiful woods and fields.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06This was a perfect playground
0:06:06 > 0:06:09for the adventurous Toyah and her brother.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14So how many of you would there have been on your holidays?
0:06:14 > 0:06:17There was Mum and Dad, my brother and myself.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21My sister, who is eight years old than me, never came on one of these.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23But my brother was five years older than me
0:06:23 > 0:06:26and we were both extreme tomboys.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29- Yeah.- We were uncontrollable. - So you were naughty?
0:06:29 > 0:06:33We were naughty, but we did such dangerous things.
0:06:33 > 0:06:34This was just idyllic.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39- Yeah.- So it's the most perfect family holiday.- Yeah.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41- And how old were you?- I was ten.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- And your brother?- He was 15.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47Was he a bully sort of boy or was he a loving brother?
0:06:47 > 0:06:49- LAUGHING:- Loving brother...
0:06:49 > 0:06:53He was a loving brother, but on the holiday we had in '68,
0:06:53 > 0:06:58we had a rough and tumble and I fell on a bread knife and stabbed myself.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01I still have the scar across there.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Then the following year,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07we did the same holiday and we discovered in a field a dead cow.
0:07:07 > 0:07:08And he threw me in it.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Threw you in the dead cow?
0:07:11 > 0:07:14- LAUGHING:- He was such a rotten brother.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15THEY LAUGH
0:07:15 > 0:07:18So, you know, where you lived in Birmingham,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20was it sort of in the built-up area?
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- Yeah, we were bang in the middle of Birmingham.- Yeah.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27This countryside was so extraordinarily different.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28- It was like chalk and cheese.- Yeah.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32You are in Birmingham, in the centre of everything. The industry.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35And suddenly, this is wonderful, isn't it?
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- This is mobile camping, isn't it?- Yes.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41I think what's lovely about it is you have to surrender to it.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43- No telly, nothing. - No telly, nothing.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54When Toyah was sailing happily down the canal in 1968,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57another sailor, yachtsman Alec Rose,
0:07:57 > 0:08:02had just completed a record-breaking solo trip around the world
0:08:02 > 0:08:04in 354 days.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07Across the pond,
0:08:07 > 0:08:12America was in mourning after the assassination of Martin Luther King.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17And with the conflict in Vietnam escalating,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21London saw the first anti-war protests -
0:08:21 > 0:08:2610,000 marched, culminating in a mounted police charge
0:08:26 > 0:08:29and over 200 arrested.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31And the soundtrack to all this?
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Well, we couldn't be in Wales without a bit of Tom Jones
0:08:34 > 0:08:39and his smash hit ballad. Hold on, now what was it called again?
0:08:39 > 0:08:45# My, my, my Delilah
0:08:47 > 0:08:54# Why, why, why, Delilah... #
0:08:54 > 0:08:57It was a top ten smash hit
0:08:57 > 0:09:01and one of the biggest-selling singles of 1968.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03My, my, my...
0:09:03 > 0:09:06# Forgive me, Delilah I just couldn't take any more... #
0:09:06 > 0:09:10My, my, my! They don't sing 'em like that any more.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13This is the start of Toyah's Holiday Of Her Lifetime.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15I tell you, I could get used to this.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24With so much to explore along the canals and all the freedom
0:09:24 > 0:09:30it offered, it must have been paradise for a young Toyah Willcox.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33- This is what's nice as well. - You meet people.- You meet people.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38Hello there. Beautifully steered, I've got to salute you.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Nice to see you.
0:09:41 > 0:09:42There you are.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47- See, this is what we did. We'd all sit up the back with Dad.- Yeah.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50And Dad would just let us all have a go.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- And it always lead to some kind of chaos.- Of course.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Because once you turn,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58it's a delayed reaction for the end to turn.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Right, so you'd give it a tweak this end
0:10:00 > 0:10:02and it takes a while for the other end to...
0:10:02 > 0:10:05- And then you'd go right across the...- Give over!- Yes.
0:10:10 > 0:10:16Built between 1795 and 1808, the canal was once a vital
0:10:16 > 0:10:21part of a wider industrial landscape that's difficult to imagine today.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25In the late 18th century, this area became very industrial.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29It was producing things such as coal and lime and bricks,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32and all these products had to be exported out, but there was no good
0:10:32 > 0:10:37way to export them out because the road system was awful at that time.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40So a plan came up to make a canal system that would link
0:10:40 > 0:10:43this area to the Shropshire Union Canal
0:10:43 > 0:10:44and link it to the Midlands.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48The heyday of the canal was short-lived,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52as 53 years later, the railway reached the area.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55It was no match for the speed of steam power,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57so the canal fell into decline.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Fortunately for us, the countryside-loving Victorians
0:11:01 > 0:11:05rediscovered the waterways as a visitor attraction,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07which kept the canal maintained.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11And later on, its calm waters proved very useful indeed.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15During World War II,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19it transported very dangerous chemicals along the canal,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23which would have been a smooth ride to hopefully stop them blowing up.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Blimey, I'm glad we're not on one of those boats!
0:11:28 > 0:11:32For Toyah and her family, their mode of transport was
0:11:32 > 0:11:35also their home for a week,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37but at just over 6ft wide,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39it can be a bit of a squeeze.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44Wow. I haven't been in one of these for about 43 years.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46LEN LAUGHS
0:11:46 > 0:11:50When I was on my holiday, this was a long bunk.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54And there were shelves there. And a dining room table.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56- And it was pretty basic.- Yeah.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- But it was good enough. - Good enough.- Yeah.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02- Yeah.- We had lots of fun. We could play card games.
0:12:02 > 0:12:03No telly, I suppose?
0:12:03 > 0:12:07- No. We didn't watch telly much back then.- No. No, of course you didn't.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11This was 1968. So telly was just at the weekends.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14- And the kitchen, there is the kitchen.- Yeah.
0:12:14 > 0:12:15This is a really good kitchen.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18- Back then, you'd have Calor gas. - Oh, yeah.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21And you could smell it. And the lighting was gas.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Right, so you got that smell of... Yeah.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26That kind of vapour in the air.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30You know, it's got a lovely feel to it, cruising down the river.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34- It's gentle and it's slow. - Stopping off at pubs.- Yeah!
0:12:34 > 0:12:37Let's have a look further along. Come on.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Ho-ho-ho! What have we got?
0:12:39 > 0:12:40Uh-oh.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44- LAUGHING:- Well, I actually remember the one we were on had a bunk there
0:12:44 > 0:12:46and a bunk there. I don't remember it having a double bed.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48But it might have done.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51I'm going to give it a go. You want to give it a go?
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Yeah.
0:12:53 > 0:12:54This... Wow!
0:12:54 > 0:12:57LAUGHING: I'm going to get down here.
0:12:57 > 0:12:58Oh, Len.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Oh, Toyah.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03- Who'd have thought? - Cruising down the river.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06- It's nice.- It's lovely. It's lovely, though, isn't it?
0:13:06 > 0:13:08- Take us to Venice.- Yes.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10LAUGHING: "Take us to Venice."
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Well, we're short on gondolas here,
0:13:16 > 0:13:21but the beauty of this canal still means thousands come to visit.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26And why not? It's gorgeous and so is the countryside all around.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30So here are Len's seven local attractions to enjoy today.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37With 323 square miles of countryside making up Denbighshire,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41the area has some stunning routes to drive through,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43including the Horseshoe Pass.
0:13:43 > 0:13:48This mountain road climbs to just over 1,350 feet
0:13:48 > 0:13:52with superb views across the whole of northeast Wales.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54Gorgeous!
0:13:54 > 0:13:58A drive down into the valley - and there's another trip -
0:13:58 > 0:14:01this time through memory lane at the Llangollen Motor Museum.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04It's a family-run museum and a working garage
0:14:04 > 0:14:09that restores vintage cars and even has its own private collection.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11Look at them beauties!
0:14:11 > 0:14:14The prized possessions are really the TR4
0:14:14 > 0:14:16you can just about see down there.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20And a couple of the motorbikes are 1916 dispatch riders motorcycles
0:14:20 > 0:14:22that both my father and I still ride.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27The old one are the best. And I tell you, I should know!
0:14:30 > 0:14:34For young Toyah, away from the confines of Birmingham,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37the canal offered freedom but also fun.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43On the boat when you were a child, how did you entertain yourself?
0:14:43 > 0:14:47- What did you get up to?- It was never a problem. We had board games.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52We had draughts. We had Monopoly. We played snap. We played poker.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54Were you artistic at all?
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Dad was. Dad loved the painting on the boats.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00- For instance, the doors on that boat there.- Yeah.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02He did all those flowers.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05He went through a phase where we had tea trays that were
0:15:05 > 0:15:08painted in the traditional flowers.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10- But my father loved it.- Yeah.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15Well, I tell you what, I've got something set up for you here
0:15:15 > 0:15:21where we could have a go at capturing that artistic...
0:15:21 > 0:15:24- Trays and things.- Oh, yeah? - Just over here.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28- Don't you fancy it?- I do. I really do.- Come on.- Fantastic.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31- We even had chairs like that on holiday.- Everyone did.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34THEY LAUGH Oh.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38- Wow! This is what my father used to paint.- See?
0:15:38 > 0:15:42LEN LAUGHS So, what are you going to paint?
0:15:42 > 0:15:44I'm going to just try the flowers,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47because it's the most simple thing you can do.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52- The little individual petals.- Yeah. - Scroll round and... How about you?
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Well...
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Are you going to do a landscape? Come off it.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59I might try and do this whole vista.
0:15:59 > 0:16:00You're kidding?!
0:16:00 > 0:16:02I really am.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04What did your mum do?
0:16:04 > 0:16:09- Mum went to drama school from the age of 12.- Right.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12She studied as a ballet dancer.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Mum was probably professional by the age of 14
0:16:15 > 0:16:20and was in a dance troupe and went around the country with Max Wall.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25And Dad fell in love with her when he saw her on stage
0:16:25 > 0:16:27at Weston-super-Mare Theatre.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29- How lovely!- I know.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33What impact do you think your mum and dad had on your career
0:16:33 > 0:16:37and, you know, making you into the person that you became?
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Oh, gosh.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- They maybe... - They thought I'd end up in prison.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46They really had no faith in me at all.
0:16:46 > 0:16:47Because I was so naughty.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52I was really bad at school and I was dyslexic. I didn't enjoy school.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56I always felt I wasn't contributing and couldn't contribute.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58I found it very frustrating.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00I was uncontrollable.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04So, to come here where all you've got to do is participate with
0:17:04 > 0:17:08the natural flow of the water and the countryside,
0:17:08 > 0:17:13it relieved me of being frustrated at school.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18And when I told them I was going to be an actress, they just laughed.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20They could not see it happening at all.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24And I got there by pure will.
0:17:24 > 0:17:25It is very civilised.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27LAUGHING: I like it!
0:17:27 > 0:17:31I've never done it and I've never thought of it, but I like it. I do.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35I think if I do any more to this, it will spoil it. Because I do feel...
0:17:36 > 0:17:38I didn't realise that I had this talent,
0:17:38 > 0:17:43and it's amazing how certain things come to you late in life.
0:17:43 > 0:17:44Show us.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47I look up at it, and I must say...
0:17:49 > 0:17:51- It's good.- It's good, isn't it?
0:17:51 > 0:17:53It's better than my horror.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55- No, no, no.- That's a horror.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58No. It... Why did you paint an omelette?
0:17:58 > 0:18:00THEY LAUGH
0:18:00 > 0:18:02It's a Spanish omelette.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04I see. Yeah.
0:18:04 > 0:18:09- I think mine's the best. - I do too. I agree with you.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12- In fact...- No. No. We'll keep those.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Back on the boat, and gliding peacefully through the trees,
0:18:16 > 0:18:21it's easy to forget that we're never far from a town or village.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24And the one that Toyah enjoyed stopping off at the most
0:18:24 > 0:18:26was Llangollen itself.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35The town is called Llangollen
0:18:35 > 0:18:38and it's called after a sixth-century saint
0:18:38 > 0:18:39called St Collen,
0:18:39 > 0:18:43who settled in this area and built a small church.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47And with the prefix of Llan, meaning a small enclosure,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50where he built his church. So Llangollen.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52From there, a village grew.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55And once a stone bridge had been built across the River Dee,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57then trade flourished.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00It's a thriving centre for independent shops,
0:19:00 > 0:19:03a restored Victorian railway
0:19:03 > 0:19:07and even an international music festival.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09It don't get better than that.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Has it changed much since 1968?
0:19:14 > 0:19:15No, it's not changed at all.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17- I'm recognising all of it.- Yeah?
0:19:17 > 0:19:21- Did you get a bit of pocket money? - Two and six.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23- Half a crown.- Half a crown. Yeah.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25- Look.- And that went a long way.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27There is a lot of lovely antique shops, I must say.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29I know, I think that's partly why we came,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31because my father was an antique dealer.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34- And he'd heard about it. - Right.- Yeah.
0:19:34 > 0:19:35So he'd come round and see
0:19:35 > 0:19:38if he could pick up a few nice little snippets.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40We were always looking for that Ming vase.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Yeah, well, of course we all are. This looks good.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46- Let's have a look in here. - Yes, please.- Nook.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48- Look at that.- It's great.- Lovely!
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Toyah's dad took up carpentry after he retired.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58He made spinning wheels and wooden furniture
0:19:58 > 0:20:01and he sold some of it off to antique shops.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Now this is interesting.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06This is what my dad would've made.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- They're three-legged. - This could've been my dad.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13I know it isn't cos he never made anything that thick.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16- Yeah.- Oh, God, is it one of his?
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Wouldn't that be great if it was?!
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Do you know, it might be one of my brother's.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Did he do it as well?
0:20:24 > 0:20:25Blimey!
0:20:25 > 0:20:27It's very hard to say. That's beautiful...
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Where did he do it? In the back shed?
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Yeah, we had a workshop at the house. Yeah.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Walking around the quaint streets of Llangollen as a ten year old,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Toyah could never have imagined that it wouldn't be
0:20:40 > 0:20:44long before she would be treading the boards of the West End.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Now, I've got to ask you something.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50- There you are, you're in Birmingham, right?- Yeah.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53How did you go from Birmingham to the National Theatre?
0:20:53 > 0:20:56- It's unbelievable. - How did that happen?
0:20:56 > 0:21:01I got spotted by a director. He saw me. He cast me. And...
0:21:01 > 0:21:02- Off you went.- Off I went.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05And you'd never had really...
0:21:05 > 0:21:10I'd done one year at Birmingham Old Rep drama school.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12And I never looked back.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14And I'll tell you something else, listen,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17I'm quite jealous of most people, but I must say...
0:21:17 > 0:21:23- You were in a film with Katharine Hepburn.- Made here.
0:21:23 > 0:21:29- Not in Llangollen? - No, but Betws y Coed.- Oh, yeah?- Yes.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32What was she like? Cos she seemed such a character.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37She was unbelievable, because when I met her first time,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40I wore my wig from the National Theatre production.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43- Because at that time, I had bright red hair.- Right.
0:21:43 > 0:21:44And my agent said to me,
0:21:44 > 0:21:48"Please look normal, you are going to meet Katharine Hepburn.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50"You're being seen for Bessie Wattie
0:21:50 > 0:21:52"in Emlyn Williams' The Corn Is Green."
0:21:52 > 0:21:58Welsh play. So, I went along, met Katharine Hepburn and George Cukor.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02They loved me. They said yes. I got the job.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Went back the next day without the wig on and Katharine just went,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08"Oh, George, isn't that beautiful?!
0:22:08 > 0:22:11"I wish I could have done that when I was her age."
0:22:11 > 0:22:14- And that was it. We... - And was she charming?
0:22:14 > 0:22:17She was just wonderful. They were both wonderful.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19You know what I think I'd like to do now?
0:22:19 > 0:22:22I've enjoyed this little stretch on the land.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25- But I'd like to sit down, maybe a cup of tea.- Yes.
0:22:25 > 0:22:26- Come on.- Good.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32I tell you what. I was a bit nervous about meeting Toyah,
0:22:32 > 0:22:34you know, with the coloured hair.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36And I thought, "She's going to be a bit punky."
0:22:36 > 0:22:39But what a lovely lady. It's been great.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Oh! Come on.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45# On with the war paint... #
0:22:45 > 0:22:49As well as starting an exciting acting career on stage and film,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Toyah had also started singing with her very own band.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56# Lay-oh Lay-oh Lay-oh
0:22:56 > 0:22:58# Layay man tey sa-ra-rai... #
0:22:58 > 0:23:00How did the music career kick off?
0:23:00 > 0:23:01It wasn't sudden.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04When I moved to London to join the National Theatre,
0:23:04 > 0:23:08there were musicians in the theatre. And I was desperate to sing.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10And I wanted to write as well.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13And we just got together, a team of us,
0:23:13 > 0:23:18and started to play in pubs when I wasn't on stage at the National.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21And within about a year, two years,
0:23:21 > 0:23:26I had 2,000 people turning up to see me play in a pub.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31And at that point, record companies go, "We need to sign this girl."
0:23:31 > 0:23:34It was such an exciting time in my life.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37With It's A Mystery, which was my first hit single...
0:23:37 > 0:23:39I was going to ask you about that.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41..I'd already made three albums.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43# It's a mystery
0:23:43 > 0:23:46# Oh, it's a mystery
0:23:46 > 0:23:47# I'm still... #
0:23:47 > 0:23:50And it was through the music business you met your husband.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Yes. Well, my husband - Robert Fripp - is a guitarist.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58And I met my husband at a charity luncheon
0:23:58 > 0:24:02when Princess Michael of Kent wanted her picture taken with both of us.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Neither of us had met and she pulled us both together.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08- And that was the first time we met.- Right.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11So it was the princess who introduced you to each other?
0:24:11 > 0:24:15- Oh, yeah.- Yeah. Uh-oh. Now, don't look, because this is going to...
0:24:15 > 0:24:16No, you're looking!
0:24:16 > 0:24:17I think there is a lock.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- I'm not sure it's... - It's a bridge.- It's a bridge.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23- We just have to lift it. - We just have to lift the bridge.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26'Yep, it's a bridge and we'll have to get on dry land for this.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30'It's also going to need a bit of elbow grease.'
0:24:30 > 0:24:35- I'm going to guess that you put that in there.- Yeah.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37- Am I right?- That's correct.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Now, to go up, you go that way.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42- You've got to put your back into it. - Have a go, Toyah.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45The gentleman in you, I can see.
0:24:45 > 0:24:46You all right?
0:24:46 > 0:24:49As soon as you are getting a bit cream crackered,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52I'll step in and give it a few turns myself.
0:24:52 > 0:24:53All right?
0:24:55 > 0:24:56- Go on.- Would you like a go?
0:24:56 > 0:24:59- I'll have a quick go. - There you go.- I'm here.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- OK, you'll take over if...- Yeah.
0:25:04 > 0:25:05OK.
0:25:07 > 0:25:08- PANTING:- Oh, God...
0:25:08 > 0:25:10HE LAUGHS
0:25:10 > 0:25:12- I don't believe it. - Go on. It's good for you.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14There you are.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18- Oh.- Look at that, one arm.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Look, eh? People think I'm old.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Oh, yes.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Look what I'm doing, everyone.
0:25:25 > 0:25:26I think that's it.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30- Yeah.- It's sort of stuck. Hello.- Oh.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34TOYAH GASPS
0:25:34 > 0:25:36- Oh, my goodness!- Not much...- Wooo!
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Not much clearance, is there?
0:25:39 > 0:25:43- That's smooth.- I salute you.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Well done. There you are. Just shows you.
0:25:48 > 0:25:49Nicely executed, Darren.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53After all this fresh air and graft,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55I'm getting a bit Hank Marvin.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57It must be time for lunch.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07No holiday experience is complete without sampling the local food.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Those new tastes that are so different to home
0:26:11 > 0:26:13transform our palettes forever.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17When Toyah was on holiday, she would have been too busy
0:26:17 > 0:26:19to have a sit-down lunch inside.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24So nothing suited the family more than a picnic outside.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30- Well, I tell you what, I'm getting starving now.- And me.
0:26:30 > 0:26:31What's this?
0:26:31 > 0:26:33This is it. This is our picnic.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36This is what we used to have!
0:26:36 > 0:26:37Of course, that's what we wanted.
0:26:37 > 0:26:43We always had boiled eggs, corned beef, salad cream and white bread.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Perfect. This is going to be our lunch.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49And I think you should take on the role of the egg boiler.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53OK, so basically, I'm the galley slave?
0:26:53 > 0:26:54You are the galley slave.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57- And I'm going to do the packing of the hamper.- OK.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59- How's that?- This is good. This is good.- This is good, isn't it?
0:26:59 > 0:27:01- Yeah.- So...
0:27:01 > 0:27:03How many eggs would you like for your sandwiches?
0:27:03 > 0:27:06- One.- One. OK. One each.- One each.
0:27:09 > 0:27:10Oh, look.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Ooh, that's nice.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14- Oh!- Eh?
0:27:14 > 0:27:17- That's lovely!- Isn't that gorgeous?
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Are you in touch with your feminine side?
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Yeah, well, you know, I'm a ballroom dancer, darling.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25THEY LAUGH
0:27:25 > 0:27:27These are going to be done now. Beautifully.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30I'll just put them in there.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32'So the picnic's ready,
0:27:32 > 0:27:36'but maybe there's one crucial ingredient missing.'
0:27:38 > 0:27:40What's that?
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Oh. Oh, my goodness.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46Oh, my goodness. It's a pork pie!
0:27:46 > 0:27:51- And this is how we refrigerated. - In a bucket?- Yeah, of cold water.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Kept the milk fresh. It's a pork pie!
0:27:55 > 0:27:58- I like a pork pie.- Fantastic!
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Everything you could want. And look.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06So, on these holidays, how important was food?
0:28:06 > 0:28:09So important. The whole social aspect of it.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13And the fact that we all ate together. We never ate apart.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18- Yeah.- We'd stop arguing and...- You all muck in, don't you?- All muck in.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22- Would you like some cucumber? - Yeah. Cucumber, please.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25See, that's your trouble. You keep wanting to get at it.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27TOYAH GIGGLES
0:28:27 > 0:28:29Shall we save the pork pie for later?
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- Or shall we have a piece now?- Now.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Well...
0:28:34 > 0:28:35That's it.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41- That big knife from the... - 'scuse fingers.- Yeah, I know.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44That's good for me.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48- This is fun.- It's better than fun. There you are.
0:28:48 > 0:28:49Mm.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51Yum, yum, pig's bum. That's what we used to say.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54Now, there's a photograph of you...
0:28:55 > 0:28:57..in a pram, as a little girl.
0:28:57 > 0:29:02- Yeah.- With...who is that you're with and what's going on there?
0:29:02 > 0:29:06In that photo, that's my mother, my brother, myself.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10They kept me in a pram for quite a long time
0:29:10 > 0:29:14because I was born with a twisted spine.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16And my legs were curved inwards.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19- Oh.- So I couldn't walk properly.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22And my mother was very, very embarrassed by it.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26Being a dancer, she wasn't happy that this had happened.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29And I remember, the prams got bigger.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32And they kept me in the pram till I was about three.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36- Blimey! - And I'd had physio every day.
0:29:36 > 0:29:41- Luckily, teens into the 20s, I had a pretty normal life.- Yeah.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44But my mother hid all the photos of me as a baby
0:29:44 > 0:29:47because she couldn't look at the pictures of my legs.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51- And with physio... - It all straightened out. Yeah.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53Oh, marvellous. Talking of fabulous...
0:29:53 > 0:29:55This is pretty fabulous.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59It's perfect. Michelin-starred picnic.
0:29:59 > 0:30:00It's peaceful today,
0:30:00 > 0:30:05but the canal would have been even more serene when it was first built.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09Before steam power, engines came with four legs
0:30:09 > 0:30:11and pulled the boats along the tow path.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Which brings me to the next of my top seven.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19For the last 131 years,
0:30:19 > 0:30:23visitors to Llangollen Wharf have been offered boat trips
0:30:23 > 0:30:28up and down the canal powered in the old, traditional way.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32They were founded by a man by the name of Captain Jones.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34Captain Jones was a sea captain.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37He worked for the White Star Line,
0:30:37 > 0:30:38based in Liverpool.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41And with his pension, he bought two lifeboats,
0:30:41 > 0:30:45brought them down here, founded the horse-drawn boats of Llangollen.
0:30:47 > 0:30:48Away from the canal,
0:30:48 > 0:30:52and you'll come across a country house called Plas Newydd.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56It was home to two notorious ladies in the early 18th century
0:30:56 > 0:31:01who caused a scandal by eloping together and daring to live here
0:31:01 > 0:31:04independent, without husbands.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11We've saved the best till last on this trip,
0:31:11 > 0:31:15as the next section of canal is just breathtaking.
0:31:15 > 0:31:23At a dizzy height of 127ft and holding 1.5 million litres of water,
0:31:23 > 0:31:27this is the largest aqueduct in Britain.
0:31:27 > 0:31:32The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was actually built between 1795
0:31:32 > 0:31:36and 1805 by a very famous engineer called Thomas Telford
0:31:36 > 0:31:39and his fellow engineer William Jessop.
0:31:39 > 0:31:40The aqueduct, when it was built,
0:31:40 > 0:31:43was actually the highest waterway in the world.
0:31:43 > 0:31:44Wonderful!
0:31:44 > 0:31:48Sir Walter Scott nicknamed it "the stream in the sky."
0:31:50 > 0:31:54Once the Education Act had been passed in the late 19th century,
0:31:54 > 0:31:56it meant all children had to attend school.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58And they had to cross the aqueduct.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00But if they were going to school in the morning
0:32:00 > 0:32:03and there was an actual barge coming along with a horse pulling it,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06there wouldn't be room for them to walk along the tow path.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08So actually, they used to climb over onto the outside
0:32:08 > 0:32:11and just walk...pull themselves along the railings.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13Really dangerous.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15Don't go getting any ideas, kids!
0:32:15 > 0:32:19Crossing this bridge on a boat is terrifying enough.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22Look how narrow it is.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24It won't fit in, I don't... Will it?
0:32:26 > 0:32:29If someone couldn't steer, they must buffer from side to side.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32- Yeah, they just bang... But there's no railings on one side.- Yeah.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35- Why wouldn't you have railings? - Here we go.
0:32:35 > 0:32:36There is no railings.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40Now, listen, you've done a lot of this barge work.
0:32:40 > 0:32:41Why don't you take over?
0:32:42 > 0:32:45- Take over the controls. - Are you going to stay nearby?
0:32:45 > 0:32:47I'll stay right by.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50Because this is the one place I really don't want an accident.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53I don't think you can go much wrong. Keep it steady.
0:32:53 > 0:32:54Does it take much steering?
0:32:54 > 0:32:56Keep it nice and steady. Oh.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59At the moment, I feel as though we are about to go over the edge.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Don't say that.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03Is that possible?
0:33:03 > 0:33:05- No.- OK.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08Look at the views, though.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12I'd love to look, but I'm too scared and I'm looking forward.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16- Just pull it a little to me. - Uh-oh.- Left a bit.- Uh-oh!
0:33:16 > 0:33:17It's fantastic.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22- Oh, it's gorgeous. - It's quietly terrifying.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24THEY LAUGH
0:33:24 > 0:33:26- It's so lovely.- Wow. Look at that!
0:33:26 > 0:33:27It's so gorgeous!
0:33:31 > 0:33:34I tell you what, I'm going to put my hat on while we go across.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38- Cos, you know, I'm nautical. - Excuse me, I'm the captain.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40Oh, you're the captain!
0:33:40 > 0:33:41Thank you.
0:33:42 > 0:33:43Yay.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46- How's that? - Yeah, I like the little tip.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48You've got a jaunty angle.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51- We are going to be tap dancing back. - Yeah.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55LEN LAUGHS
0:33:55 > 0:33:57This is fantastic.
0:33:57 > 0:34:02And I tell you what, would you mind, everyone, clapping this lady,
0:34:02 > 0:34:04who has steered us across?
0:34:04 > 0:34:06- Toyah. Please give her a clap. - Thank you.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09THEY APPLAUD Fantastic.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11You're all safe now.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13Here you are.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17- We've done it. - Wow, that was really exciting.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22Well, that was incredible.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25We couldn't possibly top that, so it's bye-bye boat
0:34:25 > 0:34:29and hello to a place that's very special to Toyah.
0:34:33 > 0:34:34Does this bring back memories?
0:34:34 > 0:34:38This was, for me, the best part of my holiday.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42We discovered Ellesmere lakes.
0:34:42 > 0:34:4515 miles from Llangollen is Ellesmere.
0:34:45 > 0:34:50A lovely natural mere just on the outskirts of Ellesmere town itself.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54People have been boating and swimming here for years,
0:34:54 > 0:34:57just like Toyah back in 1968.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02My mother brought me here and it was a really hot day.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06We were in our swimming costumes and we went in.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09And it was glorious. But the water was freezing.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12But what a beautiful place to discover as a child.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14It is beautiful, I must say.
0:35:16 > 0:35:22- Now, I tell you what my plan is, is that we have a paddle.- No way.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26No way! Even shallow is cold.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Is it really?
0:35:29 > 0:35:30Oh, blimey, yeah!
0:35:30 > 0:35:33- Go on, you can do it. I'll watch. - No. No, I can't.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37I remember when I went in as a ten year old, it was freezing.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40But it's just so exciting, because it's so different to the canal.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42Did you go properly in and swim?
0:35:42 > 0:35:46- I think we went up to about there and we were like this.- Yeah.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48And we kind of came back.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51It is. It's lovely, though, I must say.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54Do you know, I've thought about this so many times ever since
0:35:54 > 0:35:57because it was so special.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01Look, what I'm saying to you now is, this is your last chance.
0:36:01 > 0:36:02Do you want to paddle?
0:36:04 > 0:36:05No.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07OK, right. We'll get off then.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Oh, I was so up for it too.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14Well, if we're not going to dip our toes in,
0:36:14 > 0:36:18we can check out the final of my seven tourist hot spots.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23On the hills near Llangollen
0:36:23 > 0:36:25is Valle Crucis,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28an abbey dating back to 1201.
0:36:29 > 0:36:30Whilst most of it fell
0:36:30 > 0:36:33into disrepair in the 16th century,
0:36:33 > 0:36:35the ruins are definitely worth a visit.
0:36:38 > 0:36:39Down in the valley,
0:36:39 > 0:36:41there are dozens of bridges that
0:36:41 > 0:36:43span the River Dee,
0:36:43 > 0:36:45including the Chain Bridge.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Originally built in 1817
0:36:47 > 0:36:49and suspended from what's claimed
0:36:49 > 0:36:52to be a network of handmade chains,
0:36:52 > 0:36:55it's a feat of engineering.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57It linked visitors from the hotel to
0:36:57 > 0:37:00the railway just like it does today.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02And at the station in Llangollen,
0:37:02 > 0:37:05you'll find my number one.
0:37:05 > 0:37:06The beautifully-preserved
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Victorian steam railway,
0:37:08 > 0:37:12which runs for ten marvellous miles.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15Woohoo. All aboard. Woo-woo!
0:37:17 > 0:37:20There's been a steam railway here since the early 1860s.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24It's lasted just over 100 years, till the 1960s,
0:37:24 > 0:37:27when it was closed under the Beeching cuts.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29There are many preserved steam railways in Wales
0:37:29 > 0:37:31due to its industrial heritage.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34But this is the longest standing gauge one.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36That sounds just the ticket!
0:37:39 > 0:37:43It would seem that you were destined for a life in show business.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45But had that not come along,
0:37:45 > 0:37:47what do you think you would have done?
0:37:47 > 0:37:51I was useless at school. I was never academic.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53It was as if it was the only thing I could do.
0:37:53 > 0:37:57Because I had a lot of willpower and a lot of kind of pizzazz.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59And I used it.
0:37:59 > 0:38:04But I suppose if, physically, I couldn't have done the things
0:38:04 > 0:38:08- I've done, I would have sculpted or been a painter.- Really?
0:38:08 > 0:38:12Even though my pathetic painting today would not give
0:38:12 > 0:38:16an inkling of any of my talents, but I do love the idea of sculpting.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Yeah.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21Well, Toyah's certainly carved out a fine career
0:38:21 > 0:38:23and she's worked with all the greats, you know.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25The Teletubbies, what was that like?
0:38:25 > 0:38:27It was five minutes of my life
0:38:27 > 0:38:31and probably the most famous thing I've ever done.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34I literally went into the studio, did two lines.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38I did, "Over the hills and far away, Teletubbies come out to play."
0:38:38 > 0:38:41And then, "The sun is setting in the sky, Teletubbies say goodbye."
0:38:41 > 0:38:43I mean, it took five minutes.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47- And yet, that was an international success.- Yes.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50- Pretty crazy, isn't it?- Just crazy.
0:38:50 > 0:38:55Throughout her showbiz life, there's been some definite highlights.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58I remember I was invited to be the main artist on
0:38:58 > 0:39:02The Old Grey Whistle Test live. Christmas Eve.
0:39:02 > 0:39:07And that was the big TV concert of the year. Always shown on BBC TWO.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11- And it had 12 million viewers that night.- Fantastic.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Can you imagine that, 12 million?
0:39:13 > 0:39:15- Incredible.- Incredible.- Incredible.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18# On with the war paint
0:39:18 > 0:39:21# It's just another day
0:39:21 > 0:39:24# Lay-oh Lay-oh Lay-oh... #
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Do you not think that that growing up
0:39:26 > 0:39:28and your childhood with your parents,
0:39:28 > 0:39:32coming here and so on, helped to give you that
0:39:32 > 0:39:35sort of adventurous spirit and determination?
0:39:35 > 0:39:37Absolutely. And I've never lost that sense of adventure.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41I think life is not about reaching 50 and then going,
0:39:41 > 0:39:43"Right, I'm going to slow down."
0:39:43 > 0:39:46It's actually about, "What can I do next? What can I do now?"
0:39:46 > 0:39:49Yeah. So, you know, you've done most things.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53Is there anything you haven't done that you'd really like to do?
0:39:53 > 0:39:57I have absolutely no sense of success. I just don't experience it.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00For me, you do something, you let it go. Move on.
0:40:00 > 0:40:05Do something, let it go. And I would like to do something where I feel,
0:40:05 > 0:40:07"Yes, I will be remembered for that."
0:40:07 > 0:40:09Cos I don't think I've done it yet.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12# We dance
0:40:12 > 0:40:13# We sing
0:40:13 > 0:40:15# You touch
0:40:15 > 0:40:20# We burst into flames... #
0:40:23 > 0:40:28Well, I think our Toyah has a million things to be proud of.
0:40:28 > 0:40:34Her career so far has seen her act in over 40 plays and 15 films.
0:40:35 > 0:40:40She's clocked up over a dozen hit singles and 20 albums,
0:40:40 > 0:40:44as well as writing books and telly presenting too.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47That's not a bad achievement.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51I've loved reliving Toyah's personal holiday memories.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56She's proved herself to be worthy skipper...
0:40:57 > 0:40:59..a true food connoisseur...
0:40:59 > 0:41:02It's a pork pie!
0:41:02 > 0:41:04'She's stronger than she looks...'
0:41:04 > 0:41:07You're all right. Go on.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09'And after spending the day with Toyah,
0:41:09 > 0:41:13'it's easy to see just how much this holiday meant to her.'
0:41:14 > 0:41:15Hasn't it been great?
0:41:15 > 0:41:18It's just been delightful. Thank you so much.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22And just so that you can retain the memories,
0:41:22 > 0:41:24we've got a little scrapbook.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27- Holiday Of My Lifetime with Len Goodman.- Thank you.
0:41:29 > 0:41:30A picture book of memories
0:41:30 > 0:41:32from Toyah's time on
0:41:32 > 0:41:34Llangollen Canal.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37And I've also got a couple more
0:41:37 > 0:41:39special little pressies.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44I've got something else here for you.
0:41:45 > 0:41:50This is the official guide. One and three shillings and sixpence.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53And it's from the time that you were here.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55Oh! My goodness!
0:41:56 > 0:41:57Oh, how wonderful!
0:41:57 > 0:42:01And, do you know what, I've decided to come back.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04I'm going to bring my husband and we will use this.
0:42:04 > 0:42:05There you are.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08- Isn't it great?! - Yeah. Isn't it great?- Oh, I love it!
0:42:08 > 0:42:12- It even smells like an old book. - Smells. Well, that might be me.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15TOYAH LAUGHS And there. Wait a minute.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18So here... I'll get it out for you.
0:42:19 > 0:42:24- I haven't got a clue what this is going to be.- Wait. Wait.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Look what it is. The Toyah Willcox.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31That is just brilliant!
0:42:31 > 0:42:35- Thank you so much.- Isn't it lovely?
0:42:35 > 0:42:38- I think that is fantastic. - It's great.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42One day I'll own a bath big enough to share.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46Have this kind of floating round the bath while I read my newspaper.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50Gorgeous. Yeah. Just be careful where you moor it.
0:42:50 > 0:42:55TOYAH GIGGLES OK. So there you are.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59- It's been great!- Thank you, that's brilliant. That's so kind of you.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01- No.- Fabulous day.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03So it's farewell, or as we say round here,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06hwyl fawr to lovely Llangollen.
0:43:06 > 0:43:11For Toyah, this place will always hold so many special memories.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15And I've tried with the Welsh pronunciations, I really have.