0:00:02 > 0:00:04Childhood holidays? We all love them, don't we?
0:00:04 > 0:00:07Fun in the sun, sand castles, swimming in the sea...
0:00:07 > 0:00:08Can't beat them.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14'So, in this series, I'm going to be reliving those wonderful times
0:00:14 > 0:00:16'with some much-loved famous faces.'
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Everyone a winner! HE CHUCKLES
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Come, on. Hook a duck.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22And some of the most surprising guests
0:00:22 > 0:00:25have the most fascinating holidays.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27- You could do a night here. - You could!- Yeah.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30However, I think that's long enough for me.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32THEY LAUGH
0:00:32 > 0:00:34'We will relive the fun...'
0:00:34 > 0:00:37TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS Oh, no, no!
0:00:37 > 0:00:39'..the games...' HE GRUNTS
0:00:39 > 0:00:42'..and the food of years gone by...'
0:00:42 > 0:00:45That is a little taste of childhood right there.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49'..to find out how those holidays around the UK help shape
0:00:49 > 0:00:52'the people we know so well today.'
0:00:52 > 0:00:55I'm giving you a standing ovation.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57'So, buckle up for Holiday Of My Lifetime.'
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Can you come on all my holidays?
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Oh-ho, yes, I'm so excited about today's guest.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13He's a man who puts us through our sporting paces every week
0:01:13 > 0:01:15and we don't even have to leave our sofa!
0:01:15 > 0:01:19How good is that? Oh!
0:01:19 > 0:01:24He was born in Crawley, in Sussex, in 1977.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Here he is as a cheeky young lad.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Oh, I bet he was some trouble for his mum.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32He started his career as a sports commentator
0:01:32 > 0:01:34and presenter on the wireless.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38You know, people say I've got a face for the radio. Liberty.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42And before long, he was fronting some of the biggest sporting
0:01:42 > 0:01:45events on the planet,
0:01:45 > 0:01:46like the Olympics.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Now, you don't get bigger than that.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54But on a Saturday, you'll find his FOCUS is on the beautiful game.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Yeah, football.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58You think it's all over?
0:01:58 > 0:01:59Well, it is now.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04Today's guest is coming straight from the Football Focus studios,
0:02:04 > 0:02:05Dan Walker.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Oh, Len and Dan.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13I'm on my way to pick him up in this fantastic Volkswagen camper van.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Oh, when he was a little boy, I bet he had some fun in the back of this.
0:02:17 > 0:02:18Ho-ho!
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Dan Walker grew up in Crawley, West Sussex,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31where he lived with his brother, two sisters,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33his mum, Mai, a college lecturer
0:02:33 > 0:02:37and his dad, Austin, a pastor of a church.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40After leaving school, young Dan went on
0:02:40 > 0:02:42to the University of Sheffield
0:02:42 > 0:02:45where he earned himself an MA in journalism.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46Oh, he's a clever boy.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50But really what kick-started his career was winning
0:02:50 > 0:02:53a competition for young sports commentators.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57That led to four years on the radio followed by a move into telly,
0:02:57 > 0:02:59which has seen him present everything
0:02:59 > 0:03:02from the Grand National to the Olympics
0:03:02 > 0:03:04and even the odd episode of Songs Of Praise.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09Today, this award-winning sports journalist is a married man,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12father of three, presenter of Football Focus
0:03:12 > 0:03:15and has a show on Radio 5 live.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Whoa, sounds to me like this young whippersnapper could really
0:03:19 > 0:03:20do with a holiday.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Oh, just wait until he sees my retro wheels.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26That my friends, is a Volkswagen bus.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28HE HONKS HORN
0:03:28 > 0:03:29Lenny!
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Where on earth did you find that?
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Does it bring back memories?
0:03:38 > 0:03:40I've never seen another one.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43This is...this is remarkable.
0:03:43 > 0:03:44In the right tone of yellow as well.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46'Well, we do aim to please.'
0:03:46 > 0:03:48- What do you think?- Magnificent.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52It brings back memories of the holiday, the family.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55It looks, in fairness, it looks pretty similar,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57although ours had brown corduroy seats.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59- That's the only difference. - So, where are we going?
0:03:59 > 0:04:02We are off to Aberdeen.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04- Aberdeen?- Yeah.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06I'll ask you about that later.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08- The year?- The year, Len, 1991.
0:04:08 > 0:04:131991 was when the film Thelma And Louise came out.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15This is our moment.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- Thelma, get in. Away we go. - Let's do it.- Lovely.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22LEN CHUCKLES
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Today, we are travelling in style
0:04:27 > 0:04:29as we head northeast to Aberdeen,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32a city renowned for its oil, it's seafood
0:04:32 > 0:04:35and its architectural splendour,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38which is why it is also called the Granite City.
0:04:38 > 0:04:39After taking in the city sights,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42we will be heading into the Grampian Mountains...
0:04:44 > 0:04:47'..in order to relive Dan's 1991 family holiday'
0:04:47 > 0:04:51when he was just 13 years old.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54We'll discover the architecture and the history that makes
0:04:54 > 0:04:55you proud to be Scottish,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57even if you are from somewhere else.
0:04:57 > 0:04:58Fills you with a bit of pride.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00- Gets you in there, doesn't it? - It does.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04'We'll indulge in a little five-star dining, alfresco.'
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- That's a good sausage. - It's a nice sausage.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10'We'll settle once and for all who's the real legend of football.'
0:05:10 > 0:05:14LEN CHEERS
0:05:14 > 0:05:17'And we'll even find out what Aberdeen
0:05:17 > 0:05:19'and Her Majesty the Queen have in common.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24'Oh, yes, this is a city that really is full of surprises.'
0:05:30 > 0:05:32'Every holiday begins with a journey,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35'but for the Walker family in 1991,
0:05:35 > 0:05:39'well, let's just say it was longer than most.'
0:05:39 > 0:05:41So, where were you coming from?
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Crawley. So, near Gatwick Airport.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46So...that's a journey.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48- It's an epic journey, Len.- Yeah.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49How long did it take?
0:05:49 > 0:05:53It took over 12 hours, cos my dad had this thing.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55He was very...very efficient.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57- Right.- So, he would only...
0:05:57 > 0:06:02- Let me check your speed limit.- I'm on 30.- He would only go 55mph, so...
0:06:02 > 0:06:04- What, the whole...- The whole way.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- You never went above 55? - Never went above. Fuel economy.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09It took virtually the whole day to get there.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12I bet the journey was almost as long as the holiday.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14THEY LAUGH
0:06:14 > 0:06:15It was a beast.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18So, I suppose you would've been sitting in the back there
0:06:18 > 0:06:21with your Walkman, listening to New Kids On The Block.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25YOU GOT IT BY NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK PLAYS
0:06:30 > 0:06:32So, why Aberdeen?
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Many have asked that question over the years,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37but we didn't really have much money for holidays. We never went abroad.
0:06:37 > 0:06:42- We either went camping or we swapped houses with somebody.- Oh, right.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44So, somebody went and lived in our house for a week
0:06:44 > 0:06:46- and we went and lived in their house for a week.- Yeah.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48We didn't even come in the summer.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51We came in January/February, so it was...
0:06:51 > 0:06:53- It was February?- Yeah.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55February 1991.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57'And around that time in Aberdeen,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00'you could usually expect a high of maybe ten degrees.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03'Add to that the 12 hours of driving
0:07:03 > 0:07:06'and you've got one very memorable journey.'
0:07:06 > 0:07:10- You embrace the dream. It was great and...- Embrace the dream.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13- HE LAUGHS - Of Aberdeen.- Of Aberdeen.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15But I remember... I do remember the excitement.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18I think we probably grabbed our duvets and, you know,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20first few hours, you snuggled up in the back.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24- Yeah.- I was excited. - Well, why wouldn't you be?
0:07:24 > 0:07:27- It was the year of the shell suit, though, Len.- Oh, was it?
0:07:27 > 0:07:30- Yeah, I wore a shell suit for the whole week.- Wow.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31I got it for Christmas.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33It had been the only thing I asked for that Christmas.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35- You wanted a shell suit? - Yeah.- Not a bum bag?
0:07:35 > 0:07:37I had a bum bag and a shell suit, yeah.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Oh, you... THEY LAUGH
0:07:40 > 0:07:42I wish it wasn't quite so unfashionable.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Well, we should start a small campaign between us.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47- You know, we're on different shows and things.- Yeah.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51- Bring back the bum bag. - The double B.- The double B.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- Bring back the double B. - THEY LAUGH
0:07:55 > 0:07:58While the fashions of the day have proved unforgettable,
0:07:58 > 0:08:03here's what else was going on in the world way back in 1991.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06It was the year astronaut Helen Sharman became
0:08:06 > 0:08:08the first Briton in space.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12Incidentally, she also worked as a chemist for Mars -
0:08:12 > 0:08:15the chocolate company, not the planet.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Meanwhile, British journalist John McCarthy,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Britain's longest held hostage in Lebanon, was set free
0:08:21 > 0:08:25after more than five years in captivity.
0:08:25 > 0:08:30And tragically, 1991 also saw the loss of one of music's most
0:08:30 > 0:08:35talented and outrageous performers, the legendary Freddie Mercury.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37- # Do the Bartman - Do the Bartman... #
0:08:37 > 0:08:40But that wasn't the only blow to the music industry,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44as one of the biggest selling singles of 1991 was
0:08:44 > 0:08:45Do The Bartman.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48# Will you stop that infernal racket?
0:08:48 > 0:08:49# Do the Bartman! #
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Oh, what a year.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55And of course, it was Dan's first ever visit to Scotland
0:08:55 > 0:08:58and now, I've brought him back to Aberdeen.
0:08:58 > 0:08:59I want to relive those precious moments.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Though, first, there's little surprise for him
0:09:02 > 0:09:04in the back of the camper van.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06- It's 1991.- What have you got?
0:09:06 > 0:09:07'Ha-ha!
0:09:07 > 0:09:12'It's only the best Dan Walker lookalike shell suit money can buy.'
0:09:12 > 0:09:13HE CHUCKLES
0:09:13 > 0:09:16I've got to tell you, that is virtually it.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18It was a little bit more...
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- fluorescent, but come on, Len.- Yeah.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23This is it.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Well, yours is a bit more Bruno Tonioli than mine.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- Oh, it's nice.- Oh, yeah.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Can you feel that smoothness as you pop it on?
0:09:30 > 0:09:33- Yeah, silky sensation, I call it.- Yeah.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Zip still works a treat. You go right...
0:09:35 > 0:09:38I used to wear mine right to the top. You rocking that or not?
0:09:38 > 0:09:41- Well, is that high enough for you? - You'll go right to the top.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44I don't want to... See, when you get old, you get this wattle.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- This wattle appears.- You don't want to... Don't damage...
0:09:47 > 0:09:50- I don't want to damage my wattle. - Don't damage your wattle.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52- I'll never get it off.- You'll have to have a neck brace on Strictly.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55'Well, anything's better than a shell suit
0:09:55 > 0:09:58'and, of course, its must-have accessory.'
0:09:58 > 0:09:59Wait.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Got to have it, ain't we? DAN CHUCKLES
0:10:06 > 0:10:10You got anything you want me to put in, Len? Got any coins, pens?
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- Food items?- I got an apple core.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17And two marbles, a toffee - only half-sucked...
0:10:17 > 0:10:21- Have you got a Walkman? - THEY LAUGH
0:10:21 > 0:10:23'And now we are both the height of fashion,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26'I think it's time we've got this double act on the road.'
0:10:28 > 0:10:31- I'm going to even do this for you. - Thank you, sir.- Hop in.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33- You in?- Beautiful.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35'Back in the day, Dan's dad would tell the family
0:10:35 > 0:10:39'all about the interesting buildings you could find around Aberdeen.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43'Today, it's yours truly doing the honours with a grand granite tour.'
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Did you know that in the 19th century,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Aberdeen was the world centre for granite?
0:10:51 > 0:10:52I didn't know that.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Well, I'm telling you now.
0:10:54 > 0:10:55'Not just a pretty face, you know?
0:10:55 > 0:10:59'And there's plenty more where that came from.'
0:10:59 > 0:11:05Half the granite in the whole of this city came from just one quarry.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08- That's a big quarry.- That is a big quarry, I'll tell you that.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12'And by the time the Rubislaw Quarry closed in 1971,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15'it had been mined for more than 300 years.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18'No wonder there's granite just about everywhere you look.'
0:11:18 > 0:11:23- On your right... - Yes, sir.- ..St Mary's Church,
0:11:23 > 0:11:28- also known as The Tartan Kirkie. - Why is that?
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Because of the patterning,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34the patternation... You see I've gone all schoolteacher-y.
0:11:34 > 0:11:35Is that a word?
0:11:35 > 0:11:38The patternation on the roof.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41I can see it. It's very...unusual, isn't it?
0:11:41 > 0:11:44- Yeah, it's very sort of tartan kirkie.- Right.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46- That's why they call it that.- Yeah.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51'St Mary's has also just celebrated her 150th birthday.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54'Though being made of granite, which doesn't weather,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57'the old girl doesn't look a day over 40.'
0:11:57 > 0:11:59- Dan, you will notice that on the right...- Yeah.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03..we have the Rosemount Viaduct tenements.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Build approximately in 1880
0:12:08 > 0:12:10and there they are.
0:12:10 > 0:12:11'Aren't they gorgeous?
0:12:11 > 0:12:15'They are the tallest traditional tenements in the city,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17'but if you think that's impressive,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19'what about His Majesty's Theatre?'
0:12:19 > 0:12:23The largest theatre in the north-east of Scotland.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25All made of granite.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28I was going to guess that it was made of granite.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33'Everyone has been here from Noel Coward to Brian May.'
0:12:33 > 0:12:34Isn't that something special?
0:12:34 > 0:12:37I'm loving my lesson. My Len lesson.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Oh, look up in front of you now.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43- Marischal College.- Wow.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44Now home of the Council,
0:12:44 > 0:12:48it's the largest granite building in Aberdeen
0:12:48 > 0:12:51and the second-largest in the world.
0:12:51 > 0:12:52I'm going to throw one out there, Len.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56I think that's the nicest council building I've ever seen.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59I'm going to agree with you there.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03And out the front is a statue of Andrew Murray on a horse.
0:13:03 > 0:13:04- Robert the Bruce.- Oh, was it?
0:13:04 > 0:13:08I thought it might be Andy Murray. THEY CHUCKLE
0:13:08 > 0:13:10If he wins Wimbledon again, they might put him there.
0:13:10 > 0:13:11They might put him there.
0:13:11 > 0:13:16'And so, cue the music, please.' SCOTLAND THE BRAVE PLAYS
0:13:16 > 0:13:19'That's the end of my grand Goodman granite tour.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21'If you liked it, tell your friends,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23'if you didn't, keep quiet.'
0:13:23 > 0:13:27What is your opinion on the bagpipe? Are you a fan or not a fan?
0:13:27 > 0:13:29- It depends on the occasion.- Yeah.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31A friend of mine thinks it's the missing link
0:13:31 > 0:13:33between noise and music.
0:13:35 > 0:13:41There is, though... I'm not being daft here. There is a sort of...
0:13:42 > 0:13:44- ..strange beauty to it when it's played well.- There is.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48And I'll tell you what, even though I'm not Scottish,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50so for the Scots it must be even more so,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53it somehow fills you with a bit of pride.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56- It gets you in there, doesn't it?- It does. You know?
0:13:56 > 0:14:02HE HUMS SCOTLAND THE BRAVE
0:14:03 > 0:14:07THEY HUM SCOTLAND THE BRAVE
0:14:16 > 0:14:18'Now in between historic buildings,
0:14:18 > 0:14:23'one place Dan didn't get to visit in '91 was Pittodrie Stadium,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25'home of Aberdeen Football Club,
0:14:25 > 0:14:29'a team once managed by the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33'So, I think it's time my mate gets to live the dream.'
0:14:33 > 0:14:35As a little boy, did you...
0:14:35 > 0:14:39did you want to be a footballer or be in some sport?
0:14:39 > 0:14:40Anything to do with sport.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44I would have been a footballer, golfer, cricket...
0:14:44 > 0:14:47I was rubbish at swimming, even though, I'm, you know...
0:14:47 > 0:14:48Yeah, you are like Mark Foster.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Should be...should be straight in there...
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Never really got into swimming, but I would have loved to have
0:14:53 > 0:14:56been a professional footballer particularly, but anything, really.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59The next best thing if you can't play it professionally
0:14:59 > 0:15:01- is to talk about it, isn't it?- Yeah. - So, I feel I've done all right.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04- You've done...- I'm enjoying myself, that's what matters.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06- You've done better than all right, I must say.- Come on, Len.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10- Let's hug it out.- Come on. THEY CHUCKLE
0:15:10 > 0:15:12'He'll be more than hugging me in a minute
0:15:12 > 0:15:15'because we are not just here for a look-see. Oh, no.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19'I'm giving Dan the chance to play on the pitch.'
0:15:19 > 0:15:23- Come on.- I've heard a story about you and football clubs.- Yeah.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25'Blimey, sounds serious.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27'Best course of action, I always say,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30'admit nothing, deny everything.'
0:15:30 > 0:15:34Is it true, Len, that you had a trial at West Ham.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Yes. I'll tell you what happened.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39I phoned them up, I lied.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43I said I'd been living in Scotland with my family
0:15:43 > 0:15:46and I had been playing football for Queen of the South.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48I said I wondered if I could come along
0:15:48 > 0:15:51and, you know, maybe just have a kick about with the boys
0:15:51 > 0:15:52and see what you think.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Never dreaming they'd say OK.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57- And you did it?- And I went.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Of course, once they saw me, that was the end of it,
0:15:59 > 0:16:01but I did have a trial...
0:16:01 > 0:16:04- That's it. That counts.- ..for West Ham.- Back in the glory days.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08'Speaking of which, time for me and Dan to bend it like Beckham.'
0:16:08 > 0:16:12Well, we've got the boots, we've got the talent...
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Are you up for a penalty shoot out?
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Are you man enough to get out there?
0:16:17 > 0:16:19- Goodman...- Yeah?
0:16:19 > 0:16:20..I was born ready.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Well, now, let's get out there.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27'Ladies and gentlemen, not quite live,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31'from Aberdeen Pittodrie Stadium, it's Goodman versus Walker.'
0:16:31 > 0:16:36- BOTH:- Hick, hack, hock. Ooh! Hick, hack, hock.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38THEY CHUCKLE Hick, hack, hock.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40THEY CHEER
0:16:40 > 0:16:44'Right, we've got rising star Zach in goal. Best of three.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46- 'And may the best man win.' - Ready? Here we go.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50THEY LAUGH
0:16:50 > 0:16:52'For a big lad, he's good with his feet.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57You can't do that, first one.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04'Still, only one of us ever trialled for West Ham.'
0:17:04 > 0:17:05Come on, Len.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09- See, that's how you do it. - What are you talking about?
0:17:09 > 0:17:12That's how you do it - make it fun for Zach.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Oh, Zach boy, good save.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Come on, Len.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Oh!
0:17:22 > 0:17:26'With the score at one-nil, it's Walker's third attempt.'
0:17:26 > 0:17:28- I'm going to go for a snazzy one. - Snazzy.- Ready?
0:17:29 > 0:17:32- Two can be snazzy. You ready for this, Len?- Yeah, I'm waiting.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Come on. Let's have a bit of that.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37THEY CHUCKLE
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Worst penalty ever taken.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42'And so it is Goodman to take his final shot.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46'Think I'll try a little of my trademark fancy footwork
0:17:46 > 0:17:47'to confuse old Zach.'
0:17:47 > 0:17:50- I've got to score. - For a bit of sudden death, Zach.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55LEN CHEERS
0:17:56 > 0:17:58'I think it's all over.
0:17:58 > 0:17:59'It is now. Oh, yes.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03'Dan Walker, thanks that last penalty, well, it's a draw.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06'I'll tell you what, I'm still buzzing.'
0:18:08 > 0:18:10If like young Dan, you are keen
0:18:10 > 0:18:13to experience Aberdeen's many attractions,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16then you are in luck as I've hand-picked SEVEN
0:18:16 > 0:18:20of the best, most of which are shell suit optional.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Starting with Fittie,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27a fascinating 19th-century fishing village
0:18:27 > 0:18:29with neoclassical aspirations.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34Oh, yes, despite being intended for fisherfolk,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38its design was laid out by influential architect John Brown.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42And then there's Doonies Farm,
0:18:42 > 0:18:43which has been here
0:18:43 > 0:18:45since the 1700s.
0:18:45 > 0:18:46Now, that is old.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49These days, its 134 acres operate
0:18:49 > 0:18:51as a conservation park
0:18:51 > 0:18:54and it is home to 16 breeds of rare
0:18:54 > 0:18:56and endangered animals.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58They are actually on what we call the watchlist.
0:18:58 > 0:18:59And the watchlist is made up
0:18:59 > 0:19:02by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust of the animals
0:19:02 > 0:19:04in Britain which are endangered and becoming extinct.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06So, we have about 11 breeds of sheep,
0:19:06 > 0:19:07we have two breeds of cattle.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08We have Eriskay Ponies,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11which are, actually, rarer than giant pandas.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14We have some Clydesdale horses and a variety of poultry,
0:19:14 > 0:19:16which is, you know, very colourful and very vibrant.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18And we also have three different types of pigs.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23What's more, they'll even let you help out at feeding time.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Oh, what larks.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Dan and I's next stop is a fishy one.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Back in '91, the family loved visiting Aberdeen Docks
0:19:31 > 0:19:33and maybe enjoying a kipper or two.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36These days, the harbour sees less seafood,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39but I found a place I know Dan will love.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42- Hello, Jim.- Nice to you. - This is Dan.- Lovely to meet you.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44- Nice to meet you, Dan. - Lovely to see you too.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48Now, I understand we might try to filet a fish.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50It's not as easy as it maybe seems.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- I'm ready, Jim.- We are. - Are you going to have a go, are you?
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Well, I think we'll... Are we both having a go?
0:19:55 > 0:19:59- I'd rather you had a go and I sort of commented.- Right. OK.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02'And what better venue than Granite City Fish,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05'a local company founded half a century ago
0:20:05 > 0:20:07'by Gina Fletcher and Cathy Adams,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11'two humble fish filleters who decided to take a gamble
0:20:11 > 0:20:13'and open their own business.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16'Today, it's Ed calling the shots.'
0:20:16 > 0:20:19They started Granite City Fish in 1965.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23It was very unusual, actually, for women to go into an industry
0:20:23 > 0:20:26that is very male-orientated as well.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30'Fortunately, the girls were a great success, though eventually,
0:20:30 > 0:20:34'it came time to hand over the reins to the next generation.'
0:20:34 > 0:20:36To be honest, I wasn't going to get involved,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40but round about 1982, 1983,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Aberdeen had its first oil slump
0:20:42 > 0:20:45and I got paid off from the oil industry
0:20:45 > 0:20:49and decided to give my mother a hand in the fish trade
0:20:49 > 0:20:53and 30-odd years later, I'm still in the business.
0:20:53 > 0:20:54'Isn't that lovely?
0:20:54 > 0:20:57'Though I wonder what Gina and Cathy would make of
0:20:57 > 0:20:59'Ed's newest recruit, Dan.'
0:20:59 > 0:21:02- Do you like a lobster?- I do like a lobster.- That's a beauty, isn't it?
0:21:02 > 0:21:05- That's a big old beauty, that, isn't it?- Yes, gorgeous.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07- I've got a lobster gag. Do you want my lobster gag?- Yeah, go on.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10So, two lobsters talking to each other... Can I pick this up, Jim?
0:21:10 > 0:21:12- Yeah.- Two lobsters talking to each other.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16One says, "You are all the same, you lot. You give it..."
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Oh, no!
0:21:18 > 0:21:21No, no, you cost them fortunes. Oh, no!
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Lobster down.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26- Lobster down. - You're never going to flog that.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Now it's a one-armed lobster. Oh, no.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30Special on one-armed lobster, Jim?
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Yeah, we will do it cheap.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Buy one, get one free.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37'I can't take him anywhere!'
0:21:37 > 0:21:39What kind of fish is this, Jim?
0:21:39 > 0:21:41- It's a plaice.- Oh, I love plaice.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- Do you like plaice?- I do. - What's your favourite fish?
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Plaice would be my top three fish. I do like skate.
0:21:46 > 0:21:51- Oh, wing of skate is my absolute... - Oh, come on!- Absolute...
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Now, Jim, is this locally caught?
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Yeah, these are from North Sea and from Peterhead.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00And we also do lemon sole.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03I prefer a lemon sole to a Dover sole.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Now, that's something you didn't know.
0:22:05 > 0:22:06- I've got lemon sole here.- Where?
0:22:07 > 0:22:10These ones are skinned,
0:22:10 > 0:22:12both sides,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16and I think they're actually going to Her Majesty, Madge.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19- To the Queen?- Yeah. - These are the Queen's fish?
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Indirectly, indirectly. We supply a customer and he is supplying her.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25- What... Is that...- That's the lemon sole with the skin on.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28- I feel we need to salute it. - So, that's...- The Queen's fish.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32- ..that's as it comes off the boat. - Straight off the boat.- Yeah.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37'So, we are definitely in the right PLAICE. Get it?
0:22:37 > 0:22:39'No need to CARP on...
0:22:39 > 0:22:44'Ha-ha. As Jim has a few tips for Dan to MULLET over.'
0:22:44 > 0:22:46There is a skill to that knife.
0:22:46 > 0:22:47Look, he just chucks it in
0:22:47 > 0:22:49- like that.- Have you seen the...
0:22:49 > 0:22:52What's the official term for this? Is it gizzards?
0:22:52 > 0:22:55- Offal.- DAN AND LEN:- Offal. - Fish offal.- It looks awful.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57THEY LAUGH
0:22:57 > 0:23:01'I'm on fire today, but we need to take this seriously.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05'After all, I don't want Dan to make up mis-HAKE.'
0:23:05 > 0:23:06- Knife like this and in there?- No!
0:23:06 > 0:23:08That way first. Up there.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10- You can't get it from here. - OK, right. In here.
0:23:10 > 0:23:11- Try and find the bone.- Find the
0:23:11 > 0:23:13- bone.- And slide it down like that.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15- Like that. This bit.- Yeah.- Oh.
0:23:15 > 0:23:16- Keep your hands back.- Keep your hand
0:23:16 > 0:23:18back. Where's that bone gone?
0:23:18 > 0:23:20- Your knife is on the wrong side of it.- Jim, I've got it!
0:23:20 > 0:23:23- Is that right?- Yeah, well, you are getting there.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26- Now, lift this sucker up?- Yep, but be careful. Just watch your fingers.
0:23:26 > 0:23:27Get in there.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32It's not as easy as it looks, is it?
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Watch your fingers. I'm terrified.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35OK. Now, where were...
0:23:35 > 0:23:36Can I finish it for you?
0:23:36 > 0:23:38I can do this, Jim. Come on. Jim, come on.
0:23:38 > 0:23:39"I can do this."
0:23:39 > 0:23:40Talk me through it. Where do we go?
0:23:40 > 0:23:42- Down here now?- No, you need to go
0:23:42 > 0:23:43- in here.- In there.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44Just keep your hand...
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Get rid of that bit. Get rid of the flap.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Get rid of the flap for God's sake, man.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51- That's... Now, that's.- Yes!- Oh, yes.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54- Let's have a look. - The smallest filet you've ever seen.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57'Not quite of a standard to send to Her Majesty,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00'but I think young Dan has made the most
0:24:00 > 0:24:02'of the oppor-TUNA-ty.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04'I'm so sorry.'
0:24:04 > 0:24:05I'm slightly concerned.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07- The lobster's not going to the Queen, is it?- No.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10- No, not that one. - It's not going to salute either.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12You can't... Don't send her a one-armed lobster.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15One... THEY LAUGH
0:24:15 > 0:24:17No, we don't want that.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Well, I'll tell you what, Dan, I'm going to score it.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21It can't be a ten from Len.
0:24:21 > 0:24:22SEVEN!
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Yeah, it's about a SEVEN!
0:24:24 > 0:24:26You've got it.
0:24:26 > 0:24:27'But there is a consolation prize -
0:24:27 > 0:24:31'Jim's kindly sorted us out some smoked salmon.'
0:24:31 > 0:24:34- OK, Len?- Oh, look at that. - Look at that.- I'm only joking.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37- It's beautiful.- Get your...- Oh, that's lovely. Thank you very much.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39It's the same way our Arbroath smokies are done.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Oh, this is lovely. I like Jim, don't you?
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Jim is my favourite Scottish fish man.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48- Jim, thanks very much.- Cheers.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Time for a few more of my seven top tips
0:24:53 > 0:24:58and staying with the watery theme, how about the Maritime Museum,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02which celebrates the city's long relationship with the sea?
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Even the building, one of the oldest Aberdeen,
0:25:05 > 0:25:09boasts a history that dates back to 1593.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12But just wait until you get inside.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15The Maritime Museum has the country's biggest oil
0:25:15 > 0:25:17and gas exhibition.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19It touches on underwater technology.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22We have ROVs, we have a 3-D cinema
0:25:22 > 0:25:24about offshore life.
0:25:24 > 0:25:25We have a huge selection
0:25:25 > 0:25:27about Aberdeen shipbuilding history,
0:25:27 > 0:25:29including the clipper ships and the trawlers
0:25:29 > 0:25:33and how they were used in the First and Second World Wars.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35No wonder, then, it has won lots of awards,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39as has our next attraction, the Balmedie Beach,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42all 14 miles of it from the country part
0:25:42 > 0:25:45down to the mouth of the Don in Aberdeen.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47That's where I'm going next.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Welcome to the beach, Len. It's special, isn't it?
0:25:51 > 0:25:52Oh, did you come down here?
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Yeah, I'm not sure if it was exactly here,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56but we spent a bit of time doing the normal paddling.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00I can't remember the waves being quite so...boisterous
0:26:00 > 0:26:01as they were today.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03It was cold, it was February.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Oh, yeah, though you wouldn't have done a lot of it.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07There was none of this shiny thing in the sky, but...
0:26:07 > 0:26:09What a wonderful bay.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13And Aberdeen is just there. It's...it's incredible.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Golf course behind us, beach right there.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17- What more do you want, eh?- Nothing.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19- I'll tell you what. I'll tell you what you want.- What?
0:26:19 > 0:26:21- A nice bit of lunch. - Ooh, is it time?
0:26:21 > 0:26:24And I've got it ready for you. Come on.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Food's a big part of any holiday
0:26:27 > 0:26:30and on the Walker's road trip to Aberdeen,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34Mum's cold sausages in the back of the camper van
0:26:34 > 0:26:36were a very popular dish,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39and if there was tomato sauce, even better.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Blimey, it's not very easy, this.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Hold on. No! No!
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Give over. THEY LAUGH
0:26:49 > 0:26:51- Come on, son, I've got you. - I'm in.- He's in!
0:26:51 > 0:26:54THEY LAUGH
0:26:54 > 0:26:55Why the... No!
0:26:55 > 0:26:57THEY LAUGH
0:26:57 > 0:26:58Cor!
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Blimey O'Reilly. Oh!
0:27:01 > 0:27:03'Now that unpleasantness is out of the way,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06'I think it's finally time for lunch.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08'On today's menu, a little surf...'
0:27:08 > 0:27:11- You've cooked it beautifully(!) - Took me hours.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14'..and turf.'
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Oh, oh. Oh! LEN GRUNTS AND SHOUTS
0:27:17 > 0:27:20- Joy of joys.- He's only gone and pulled it out of the bag.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Oh, look at that.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25They are magnificently cooked as well.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30- That's good sausage. - It's a nice sausage.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Could do with a condiment, though.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38How did you get yourself started into sports journalism?
0:27:38 > 0:27:41I wrote a letter to Des Lynam when I was 11.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46- Really?- That said, "Dear, Des, I love your moustache.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48"How do I get your job?"
0:27:48 > 0:27:51He wrote back and said,
0:27:51 > 0:27:55"Lovely to hear from you. Do your GCSEs, do your A levels,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57"don't do a media degree.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00"Do something like English or history..." And I loved history.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03"..and then do a postgraduate course in broadcast journalism
0:28:03 > 0:28:06"and then get a job in local radio."
0:28:06 > 0:28:08- And bizarrely, that's exactly the... - Is that what you did?
0:28:08 > 0:28:11That's the path that I followed. I nearly became a teacher
0:28:11 > 0:28:12because I had always loved teaching.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15I wanted to be a teacher, teach PE and history,
0:28:15 > 0:28:17cos my teachers inspired me at school.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20But I went and had an interview to be a teacher
0:28:20 > 0:28:21and they turned me down.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23They said I was too immature to be a teacher.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28So, I thought, "Well, I'll give this broadcasting lark a go."
0:28:28 > 0:28:32Applied to do a course, won a commentary competition
0:28:32 > 0:28:34and that was it. Got my first job in local radio.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36'Oh, what a happy ending.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39'Speaking of which, there's dessert too -
0:28:39 > 0:28:43'Jamaican ginger cake - just like Dan's mum used to make.
0:28:43 > 0:28:44'Well, not from scratch.'
0:28:44 > 0:28:46Can I smell it?
0:28:47 > 0:28:48Have a smell.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52Oh! You've hit the spot there. That's it.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56That is our...that was our holiday dessert. Special occasions only.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Would you have had it, as we say in the French, pain ordinaire?
0:28:59 > 0:29:01No, if you are...
0:29:01 > 0:29:04I suppose if you're out and about you might go evaporated milk
0:29:04 > 0:29:08if you're going crazy, but custard is the perfect...
0:29:08 > 0:29:09Oh, Len.
0:29:09 > 0:29:10Len!
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Get that yellow goodness on that bad boy.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15- You've got to do it properly. - Around the edges?
0:29:15 > 0:29:17- Around the edge like... - Yeah, yeah, I know.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20- Like the gingerbread is a moat... Is a castle.- In an island.- Yeah.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22And the custard is your moat.
0:29:23 > 0:29:24Yeah!
0:29:25 > 0:29:27- Close your eyes.- Yeah.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29And here we go.
0:29:32 > 0:29:33- Oh, yeah.- Oh, yeah.
0:29:35 > 0:29:36Oh, yeah.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39THEY LAUGH
0:29:40 > 0:29:43'But it wasn't just ginger cake that was a compulsory part
0:29:43 > 0:29:45'of a Walker family holiday.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49'Also high on the itinerary was a camper van ride
0:29:49 > 0:29:52'to the imposing Castle Fraser.'
0:29:52 > 0:29:56- Oh! Remember this, Len. - Do you, really?- The Great Hall.
0:29:56 > 0:29:57Yeah, and it is.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03'Dan's parents were adamant that their time in Aberdeen should
0:30:03 > 0:30:06'not only be fun, but educational.'
0:30:06 > 0:30:09Geography, history, my mum and dad would have it all planned out,
0:30:09 > 0:30:11so this would have been on the radar a long time ahead.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13I think we went to three castles in total.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15This is the one I remember the most, though.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19But as a child, were your parents strict regarding, you know,
0:30:19 > 0:30:21"Stop running around and..."?
0:30:21 > 0:30:23Or did you just take it in
0:30:23 > 0:30:25and listen to your dad telling you about things?
0:30:25 > 0:30:28Places like this, I would be off wandering,
0:30:28 > 0:30:30opening doors, you know, lifting things up.
0:30:30 > 0:30:31"No. No, Daniel. No, Daniel."
0:30:31 > 0:30:34A withering look from your mother. You know, one of them.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38If I came here, my mother, before we went in...
0:30:38 > 0:30:39Early warning.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41Or I'd get a whack around the...
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Not a hard one, but, "Lenny, don't you start in there."
0:30:46 > 0:30:50'Though for young inquisitive minds, there's plenty to explore.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53'This 16th-century castle has 32 rooms,
0:30:53 > 0:30:58'19 of which are open to the public, spread over five floors.'
0:30:58 > 0:31:01- Love a spiral staircase.- So do I.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04'It boasts everything from the Great Hall with family portraits
0:31:04 > 0:31:09'everywhere to its very own library filled with atmosphere.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13'You can even get an idea of what the ancient Fraser clan
0:31:13 > 0:31:14'liked to eat.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17'I'm guessing it probably wasn't cold sausages.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19'They even have their own chapel.'
0:31:20 > 0:31:22You know, if you notice,
0:31:22 > 0:31:25- even these very small rooms got a fire.- Yeah.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29You know, cos I guess, we're in the Grampians here. It's cold.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32- You got to wrap up warmly. - Snuggle up. Yeah.- At Christmas time.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34Of course, you have.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38'As impressive as Castle Fraser is, I would have had a word
0:31:38 > 0:31:39'with the builders.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43'Apparently, it took them more than 50 years to finish the place,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46'but there's no fault in the landscaping.
0:31:46 > 0:31:51'300 acres, pristine gardens and even swings for us kids.'
0:31:51 > 0:31:54- I've got to ask you one question. - Yes.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58How did you get from radio to TV?
0:31:58 > 0:32:01- That's a...- A good question.- You're full of good questions, aren't you?
0:32:01 > 0:32:04- Yes.- Cos I got told for a long time that they were very different
0:32:04 > 0:32:07and then...
0:32:07 > 0:32:09- I went for a job interview at ITV. - Right.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12I walked in there and thought, "Right, I'm fed up with all these
0:32:12 > 0:32:14"interviews where, you know, I say I'd like to do this
0:32:14 > 0:32:16"and they say, right, we'll get back to you."
0:32:16 > 0:32:19So, I just said, "Listen, give me a three-month contract.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23"If I'm rubbish, you can get rid of me after a week,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25"but if I'm any good, then...
0:32:25 > 0:32:28"give me a six-month contract or a 12-month contract."
0:32:28 > 0:32:30And I think she...
0:32:30 > 0:32:32The lady I was being interviewed by,
0:32:32 > 0:32:34I think she took to that and she went, "OK."
0:32:34 > 0:32:36So, they gave me a three-month contract,
0:32:36 > 0:32:39then they offered me a six-monther and then after six months,
0:32:39 > 0:32:42she left to go to the BBC and I went with her.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44Well, if I was you, I'd be pinching myself.
0:32:44 > 0:32:49You know, you do Wimbledon, you do Aintree, you do The Open - golf.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52Oh, yeah. I feel incredibly privileged
0:32:52 > 0:32:54and thankful to be doing it, really.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56I remember just before the World Cup in South Africa,
0:32:56 > 0:32:59I was sitting there and I was asked to interview Gary Lineker
0:32:59 > 0:33:00and Alan Shearer.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03- Right.- The little boy inside me thought,
0:33:03 > 0:33:05"That's Gary Lineker.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07"He scored 48 goals for England."
0:33:07 > 0:33:11And then the little boy inside me looked at Alan Shearer and thought,
0:33:11 > 0:33:13"That's Alan Shearer, that is." And he goes,
0:33:13 > 0:33:14"How long are we doing this for, Dan?"
0:33:14 > 0:33:17And the little kid in my head went, "He knows my name."
0:33:17 > 0:33:20- Yeah.- And sometimes there's still a bit of that about it
0:33:20 > 0:33:23because these are the people I grew up watching and really
0:33:23 > 0:33:26enjoyed watching and playing for their country and their club.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29And there I am sitting next to them, so, yeah.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31Right, come on. How high can you go? Ready?
0:33:31 > 0:33:33Well, I've had a lot of cake.
0:33:35 > 0:33:36Too many sausages.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45Time now for the final instalment of my seven top tips
0:33:45 > 0:33:48for the Granite City, starting with Duthie Park,
0:33:48 > 0:33:51kindly donated to the city in 1880
0:33:51 > 0:33:54by one Ms Elizabeth Duthie.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57Today, the Winter Gardens inside the park are one of the largest
0:33:57 > 0:34:02indoor gardens in Europe with rare and exotic plants
0:34:02 > 0:34:04from around the globe. Oh, gorgeous.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07And then there's Aberdeen's Science Centre,
0:34:07 > 0:34:11which prides itself on taking cutting-edge technology
0:34:11 > 0:34:13and making it both interactive
0:34:13 > 0:34:16and accessible to anyone and everyone,
0:34:16 > 0:34:19even oldies like yours truly.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22But top of the heap, as far as I'm concerned,
0:34:22 > 0:34:25is trying a local delicacy
0:34:25 > 0:34:27called a buttery or a rowie,
0:34:27 > 0:34:31which tastes bit like a bread roll and a croissant had a baby.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33It tends to be that in the country we call them butteries
0:34:33 > 0:34:36and in the city they call them rowies.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38They were produced initially
0:34:38 > 0:34:40to supply the fishing fleets
0:34:40 > 0:34:42going out of Aberdeen
0:34:42 > 0:34:44because the fairly high fat content,
0:34:44 > 0:34:48the fairly high salt content at the time,
0:34:48 > 0:34:50and so they had a long shelf life.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Which meant even after weeks at sea,
0:34:53 > 0:34:56you could still enjoy your daily bread.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59Now these days, they are wee bit healthier,
0:34:59 > 0:35:00but just as popular.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05This bakery alone sells 100,000 of them a week.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08A buttery a day, I'm sure... may keep the doctor away,
0:35:08 > 0:35:10but it's certainly good for you.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18As for Dan and the rest of the Walker clan,
0:35:18 > 0:35:22back in '91, after their educational needs were met,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24it was time for a little exercise.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28So off they went into the mountains
0:35:28 > 0:35:34to climb the 1,699ft to the top of Mither Tap.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Mind you, last time Dan was here, he had a spot of bother.
0:35:38 > 0:35:39Up until this point in my life,
0:35:39 > 0:35:41I remember that I loved heights,
0:35:41 > 0:35:44loved climbing stuff and it was at the top of this mountain
0:35:44 > 0:35:48that I had a serious attack of the jitters.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Cos there's one sort of gentle slope and one steep slope
0:35:51 > 0:35:54and I would, you know, 13-year-old kid, I'll do the steep thing
0:35:54 > 0:35:56and I remember getting quite near the top
0:35:56 > 0:35:59and I had a bit of vertigo, panic attack type thing.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02I just gripped on for dear life, "Dad, Dad!"
0:36:02 > 0:36:04And Papa Walker had to come and rescue me.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07- Really? What, you just couldn't move?- Couldn't move.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10Really weird. I never had anything like it before. Ever!
0:36:10 > 0:36:11And then this is where...
0:36:11 > 0:36:14I remember my brother taking the mickey out of me mercilessly
0:36:14 > 0:36:17for being a big wimp, but I genuinely...I just stuck there
0:36:17 > 0:36:20for what felt like ages and could not move.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22Yeah, things like that I don't understand, really,
0:36:22 > 0:36:26cos, you know, I'm fearless.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29- I've always thought that about you. - Yeah, I'm fearless. You ready?- Yeah.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31- Onwards.- Let's do it.- Come on.
0:36:31 > 0:36:36AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH PLAYS
0:36:40 > 0:36:45'A few good strides in and I think young Dan looks steady as a rock,
0:36:45 > 0:36:48'so now might be the time to ask him about the show
0:36:48 > 0:36:52'that really made him a household name - Football Focus.'
0:36:52 > 0:36:54How did that come along?
0:36:54 > 0:36:55Um...
0:36:55 > 0:36:57Do you want the short story or the long story?
0:36:57 > 0:37:00Well, you know, we're climbing a mountain, so I'll leave it to you.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04- I was at... Covering the golf at Turnberry.- Right.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08And...I got a phone call when I was on the golf course,
0:37:08 > 0:37:10but you are not allowed phones on the golf course.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12I had to keep it sneakily hidden.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14It was the head of football at the BBC
0:37:14 > 0:37:16and I didn't ring him back till about six hours later
0:37:16 > 0:37:19and he said, "Where have you been?" I said, "I'm sorry, I've been on...
0:37:19 > 0:37:21"I can't take a phone call at the golf."
0:37:21 > 0:37:24And he said, "I need to talk to you because we are making
0:37:24 > 0:37:26"a few changes and I'd like you to present Football Focus."
0:37:26 > 0:37:28- So, I tried to be all sort of... - Yeah, yeah.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30You know that point in your life
0:37:30 > 0:37:32when you've been offered something good and you think...
0:37:32 > 0:37:35- IN DEEP VOICE:- "Yes, I will take it." But I actually made a noise
0:37:35 > 0:37:37a bit like a high-pitched schoolgirl
0:37:37 > 0:37:39and I went, "Yes, please. Woohoo!"
0:37:39 > 0:37:41So... You know, I had watched the programme growing up
0:37:41 > 0:37:45and to be given the chance to actually present it was amazing.
0:37:45 > 0:37:46Fantastic.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50'Believe it or not, Dan has been on the show now for six years
0:37:50 > 0:37:52'and while there has been many a highlight,
0:37:52 > 0:37:54'one of his favourite episodes is this one.'
0:37:54 > 0:37:57- This is Mario Balotelli. Hello. - Hello.- Nice to see you.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59- Nice to see you.- This is Noel Gallagher.- All right, mate?
0:37:59 > 0:38:02- This is your footballing hero. - It is, indeed.
0:38:02 > 0:38:03It took me six months to plan it.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08Mario Balotelli did no TV interviews in the UK.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Refused to do any, point blank,
0:38:10 > 0:38:11but I knew that he was a big fan of Oasis,
0:38:11 > 0:38:13so foolishly, I said,
0:38:13 > 0:38:17"Mario, if we got Noel Gallagher to interview you, would you do it?"
0:38:17 > 0:38:19And he said, "Yes." So, then I had to try and get Noel Gallagher.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22Got hold of him, he was on a world tour.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25He planned his trip around coming back to Manchester,
0:38:25 > 0:38:26got the two together in a room
0:38:26 > 0:38:29and it was brilliant 15 minutes of television.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Do you know anything about the history of all the bands that
0:38:32 > 0:38:34- have ever come from Manchester?- No.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36- Joy Division?- No.- The Smiths?- No.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38- Stone Roses?- No.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41- Oasis.- Yes. - HE LAUGHS
0:38:41 > 0:38:43It was one of the most-watched Football Focuses
0:38:43 > 0:38:45we've had in a long time, actually, yeah.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47- What, more than when I was on it? - Uh...just slightly.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51I mean, a tiny bit. I think you were definitely top five...thousand.
0:38:51 > 0:38:545,000... THEY LAUGH
0:38:54 > 0:38:58'Cheeky monkey. Still, at least Dan's conquered his fear of heights.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00'No panic attacks on my watch.
0:39:00 > 0:39:05'Mind you, there is one piece of bad news about our daring ascent.'
0:39:05 > 0:39:09I think I'm getting a touch of vertigo. Let me hang onto you.
0:39:09 > 0:39:10Have you had enough?
0:39:13 > 0:39:16We've come quite a way. Must be at least half...
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Yeah, come on. Let's go back.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22- Yeah.- You're a wimp. - A wimp. I am a wimp.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25That's what my wife is always telling me.
0:39:25 > 0:39:26'And while that's the second time
0:39:26 > 0:39:29'Dan's struggled to reach the top of Mither Tap,
0:39:29 > 0:39:33'I can at least say those words that make any disappointment
0:39:33 > 0:39:36'or crisis seem just a little bit better.'
0:39:36 > 0:39:37Cup of tea?
0:39:37 > 0:39:40Len, the perfect finish.
0:39:40 > 0:39:41It's been great.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44- Here we go.- Can you come on all my holidays?
0:39:44 > 0:39:46I'll come on... Yeah, of course, I will.
0:39:46 > 0:39:51So, you know, I know that sport is a huge part of, you know,
0:39:51 > 0:39:54your career and so on, but I think Christianity is as well.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56Definitely, yeah.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58My faith has always been really important to me.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00It informs who I am, the decisions that I make,
0:40:00 > 0:40:02- it's what makes me tick, really. - Yeah.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06'What's more, Dan's even managed to combine the personal
0:40:06 > 0:40:10'with the professional, presenting some episodes of Songs Of Praise.'
0:40:10 > 0:40:14- I like a good singsong.- Yeah, so do I. What's your favourite?
0:40:14 > 0:40:17- Favourite hymn?- Yeah. - I do like Abide With Me.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19Oh, yeah. And the Welsh sing that great.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21Oh, yeah. Exactly. I like Rock Of Ages.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24- I like the old classics.- See, I'm an Onward, Christian Soldier.
0:40:24 > 0:40:25- Are you?- Oh, yeah. I like...
0:40:25 > 0:40:27- Marching on to war.- Marching on.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29I like a bit of a belter.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32'Don't worry, I'm not one to sing again.'
0:40:32 > 0:40:35What about the future? What would you like to get involved with?
0:40:35 > 0:40:37- Match Of The Day? - Match Of The Day...
0:40:37 > 0:40:40Well, you know, Gary Lineker and I are very similar.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43Between us, we've scored 48 goals for our country.
0:40:43 > 0:40:44THEY LAUGH That's funny.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47I think he's a brilliant presenter, Gary.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49And if he is ever wanting to move aside,
0:40:49 > 0:40:51I'll happily put my hand up and say,
0:40:51 > 0:40:53"Can I step into your significant slippers?"
0:40:53 > 0:40:55But he's going to be there for a long time.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58I'm happy to do it when he goes on holiday.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00'And our holiday is almost at an end.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04'I'm glad it's reminded Dan of the shared family moments
0:41:04 > 0:41:07'that shaped the man he grew up to be.'
0:41:07 > 0:41:10My love of sort of history and sport is all wrapped up
0:41:10 > 0:41:12in these sort of family holidays together
0:41:12 > 0:41:15and I do think these are a major part of forming
0:41:15 > 0:41:17who you become in later life.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20So, I'm very glad that I came to Aberdeen in 1991
0:41:20 > 0:41:23and I'm very happy to have come back with The Goodman.
0:41:23 > 0:41:24Hey!
0:41:24 > 0:41:29'Oh, yes. This has been the holiday of both of our lifetimes.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31'I've had a ball getting to know my shell suit brother.'
0:41:31 > 0:41:33- Oh, it's nice.- Oh, yeah.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36- Can you feel that smoothness as you pop it on?- Yeah.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39'We've enjoyed architecture, history and fine cuisine.'
0:41:39 > 0:41:41- Oh, yeah.- Oh, yeah.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45'We've even scaled mountains like Bear Grylls.'
0:41:45 > 0:41:48I think I'm getting a touch of vertigo.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50'And what's more, we've explored a city
0:41:50 > 0:41:54'I had no idea is an absolute bobby-dazzler.'
0:41:54 > 0:41:56It's truly been fabulous
0:41:56 > 0:42:02and my main concern is that you will remember the day.
0:42:02 > 0:42:07- Cos I will.- Oh, OK.- So, with that in mind...- Oh, the memories.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11- This is a book of memories.- Oh...
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Len's on the front and everything.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15'Oh, yes,
0:42:15 > 0:42:16'and inside,
0:42:16 > 0:42:18'every one of our special moments
0:42:18 > 0:42:20'here in the Granite City
0:42:20 > 0:42:22'has been captured,
0:42:22 > 0:42:23'even the sausages.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25'But I'm not finished yet.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27'I've got one last surprise for young Dan.'
0:42:27 > 0:42:30Do you remember the number plate of that Volkswagen
0:42:30 > 0:42:33that you came up to Aberdeen in?
0:42:33 > 0:42:36I do. VPL14OY.
0:42:36 > 0:42:37- Never!- Well, you can't forget...
0:42:37 > 0:42:40I remember finding it hilarious because VPL,
0:42:40 > 0:42:42visible panty line, as a 13-year-old,
0:42:42 > 0:42:44I thought that was the funniest joke ever.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Well, with that in mind, we've got another gift.
0:42:47 > 0:42:48You never stop.
0:42:48 > 0:42:49We never stop.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54Has it got the...? Look at that.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57The number plate and everything.
0:42:57 > 0:42:58I'm going to take that home and show the kids.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00I think they will love that. I can tell them all
0:43:00 > 0:43:03about my second holiday to Aberdeen and how much I have enjoyed it.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05- Thank you so much. - No, it's been great.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07- Thank you.- It's been fun. - A pleasure.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10'So, as Dan and I load up the real camper van and head home,
0:43:10 > 0:43:12'all that's left to say from Aberdeen is
0:43:12 > 0:43:15'och, aye, the noo, or bye-bye, the noo.'