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 'em.
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 > 0:00:20Everyone a winner! Come on. Hook a duck.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22And some of the most surprising guests
0:00:22 > 0:00:25have the most fascinating holidays.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28THEY LAUGH
0:00:28 > 0:00:30- It's a tug-of-war!- Hey!
0:00:31 > 0:00:34'We'll relive the fun...' HORN TOOTS
0:00:34 > 0:00:35Ah! No! No!
0:00:35 > 0:00:37'..the games...' HE GROANS
0:00:37 > 0:00:40'..and the food of years gone by...'
0:00:40 > 0:00:43That is a little taste of childhood right there.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47'..to find out how those holidays around the UK helped shape
0:00:47 > 0:00:51'the people we know so well today.'
0:00:51 > 0:00:53I'm giving you a standing ovation.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56'So buckle up for Holiday Of My Lifetime.'
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Can you come on all my holidays?
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Today, I'm meeting a very familiar face
0:01:08 > 0:01:12who's not scared to cook up a political storm.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16She was born in Liverpool in 1946.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Aw! Look at that cheeky little face.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Oh, I do love a Scouser. I can do Scouse.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24SCOUSE ACCENT: Oh, hello.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29She studied at Oxford at the same time as this lovable rogue,
0:01:29 > 0:01:33and was voted an MP in 1983,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36becoming a minister under Margaret Thatcher.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Oh, can you imagine their meetings?
0:01:38 > 0:01:40HE CHUCKLES Scary.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44She resigned as health minister in 1988.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47It was all very eggy.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50And after politics, she made history,
0:01:50 > 0:01:55being the first Conservative to appear on Have I Got News For You.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01She survived the jungle and was a hotshot on Strictly too.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05I'm telling you, this girl never stops.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Have you got who it is yet? Of course you have.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12It's that feisty female of politics, and an author.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Oh, yes, it's Edwina Currie.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18OK, I'm running a little late,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21but I've been told I'm worth the wait.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25# Oh-ho! Edwina, have you seen her? #
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Raised in Liverpool,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Edwina Currie was born into an Orthodox Jewish family
0:02:34 > 0:02:36consisting of her younger brother Henry,
0:02:36 > 0:02:41her mum Pese and her dad Simon, who worked as a tailor.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Now, so far, Edwina's had three successful careers of her own.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50The first was in politics, which saw her fiercely campaign for everything
0:02:50 > 0:02:52from HIV to heart disease.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Her second was as an author,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57giving her a fair few bestsellers.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58Ooh, lovely.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01And let's not forget her TV and radio work.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04She's appeared on Cash In The Attic, Come Dine With Me,
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Mastermind, I'm A Celebrity... and, of course, good old Strictly.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Oh, she was fun on that.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12It's no wonder she needs a holiday,
0:03:12 > 0:03:17and today, we're going to relive the one she had when she was a nipper.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22And I'm on my way to meet her in this Vauxhall H-Type 4-10,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25just like the one her parents had all those years ago.
0:03:25 > 0:03:30So, despite the late arrival, I think Edwina's going to love it.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32HORN HONKS
0:03:33 > 0:03:36SHE LAUGHS
0:03:36 > 0:03:39- Oh, my God. - HE LAUGHS
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Edwina. SHE LAUGHS
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- That's my dad's car.- There you go.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48- My goodness!- It's a beauty. - Hello, Len.- Lovely.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50- How nice to see you again. - Good to see you.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52- Are you well?- I'm well. And you?
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- This is brilliant. - Yeah. Isn't it fabulous?
0:03:55 > 0:03:57It's in better nick than my dad's.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Well, the thing is, with this vehicle,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02let me tell you first of all, there are no seat belts.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Yeah, be brave.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06HE CHUCKLES 'But not to worry.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09'It doesn't go much over 20 anyway, Edwina.'
0:04:09 > 0:04:11So, what's the year?
0:04:11 > 0:04:14We're talking 1957,
0:04:14 > 0:04:18- and we're going to the seaside in Bournemouth.- Oh, perfect.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23So, that was the year that The Cavern Club opened.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26But you don't need a ticket to ride,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30so shall we start the magical mystery tour?
0:04:30 > 0:04:31- Ooh, yes, please.- Come on.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33- SHE GIGGLES - I love it.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37'Oh, yes. There's nothing quite like a seaside holiday.'
0:04:37 > 0:04:38There we go.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42HE LAUGHS
0:04:42 > 0:04:43'Next stop, Bournemouth.'
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Just over 100 miles from London,
0:04:48 > 0:04:52you'll find this gorgeous town on Britain's south coast.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Along with seven miles of beautiful, sandy beaches,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58it even has its own microclimate.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Ooh, fancy!
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Mind you, what really put this holiday destination on the map
0:05:04 > 0:05:07was the arrival of the railway in 1870.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Since then, the tourists have positively flocked here.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14These days, about 5 million of them every year.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18'But the year Edwina and I are en route to is 1957,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21'where we'll relive the seaside traditions
0:05:21 > 0:05:23'of a bygone era.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28'We'll enjoy everything from cornets to donkey rides.'
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Reggie, you naughty, naughty donkey.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34'We'll discover that I'm actually an able seaman.'
0:05:36 > 0:05:40- All the nice girls...- Love a sailor. - ..love a sailor.- Ooh!
0:05:40 > 0:05:42HE LAUGHS
0:05:42 > 0:05:43'We'll even try our hand
0:05:43 > 0:05:46'at putting together some traditional Jewish grub.'
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Whisk it. Go on. Give it some welly.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52I'm just building up.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54'And, of course, we'll get swept away
0:05:54 > 0:05:56'by the sheer romance of it all.'
0:05:56 > 0:06:00- It's gorgeous.- Oh, it is, truly. - It's still gorgeous.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08'Before any holiday truly begins, you must first set out on a journey,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11'and back in 1957,
0:06:11 > 0:06:15'Edwina's seaside holiday meant driving halfway across the country.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19'Blimey! Us Brits, we'll do anything for a bit of sunshine.'
0:06:19 > 0:06:23Now, was there any particular reason why it was Bournemouth?
0:06:23 > 0:06:28Bournemouth was the home of my mum's sister, Auntie Zina...
0:06:28 > 0:06:30- Right.- ..and Uncle Sam, her husband.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34- And they had two little children...- Yeah.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37- ..but much younger than ours. - Yeah.- Mum was the older sister.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42And basically, we used it as a holiday home.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45I mean, in those days, there weren't any package holidays,
0:06:45 > 0:06:47- there weren't any cheap flights.- No.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51And my parents wouldn't have dreamed of doing anything like that anyway.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54- It had to be somewhere they felt... - Yeah.- ..safe and secure
0:06:54 > 0:06:57- with people that they knew...- Yeah. - ..with food that they understood...
0:06:57 > 0:07:00- Yeah.- ..cos they were kosher.- Yeah.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04And so this trip down to Bournemouth was the big event to me...
0:07:04 > 0:07:05- Yeah.- ..for the summer.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08So, coming from Liverpool in this car
0:07:08 > 0:07:11must have been some journey.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14- It was.- Yeah. - It took hours and hours.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16- This was before motorways.- Yeah.
0:07:16 > 0:07:22- And for us, to go from Liverpool to a seaside holiday...- Yeah.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25- ..was just magic.- Yeah.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29'Even better, they were staying with her favourite aunt,
0:07:29 > 0:07:33'Aunt Zina, a massive influence in young Edwina's life.'
0:07:34 > 0:07:38And Zina did well at school. She was very tough, quite ambitious.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41She ended up as a deputy headmistress.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45- Oh, right. - And...that was great.- Yeah.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48So, she was the clever one in the family,
0:07:48 > 0:07:52and used to make the effort to educate us.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54So, on my birthday every year,
0:07:54 > 0:07:58I would get a book from the Collins Classics series.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00- Yeah.- But what she was doing, Zina,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04was she was treating us as young adults.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06- Yeah.- Or adults in the making.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09'Clearly, the apple didn't fall far from the tree.
0:08:09 > 0:08:10'Speaking of which,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13'I think it's time we headed down memory lane.'
0:08:14 > 0:08:15Ooh, look. That's Watcombe Road.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18- Is this your road? - This was our road.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22'Oh, yes. We're driving past Auntie Zina's old house.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25'Mind you, these days, it's no longer in the family.'
0:08:25 > 0:08:28- Is this the one?- That's the one.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Oh, yes. It's a beautiful place, isn't it?
0:08:30 > 0:08:32And did you have your room?
0:08:32 > 0:08:35I would share with my little cousin Lisa.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39- Oh, right.- So, you'd have girls in one and boys in the other.- Right.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44Well, I know it's nice to see your Auntie Zina's home and so on,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48but, at the moment, I'm more excited and interested
0:08:48 > 0:08:51to see who sees the sea first.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54'And while we grab a bucket and spade,
0:08:54 > 0:08:58'here's what else was going on in the world back in 1957.'
0:09:03 > 0:09:07It was the year Britain reclaimed its superpower status
0:09:07 > 0:09:10by successfully testing its first hydrogen bomb.
0:09:11 > 0:09:17We also saw the very first winners of Harold Macmillan's Premium Bonds.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19It was drawn by ERNIE the robot,
0:09:19 > 0:09:23who went on to randomly generate the winning numbers
0:09:23 > 0:09:26for £15 billion worth of prizes.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31And sadly, Humphrey Bogart, star of Casablanca,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34The Maltese Falcon and 73 other films,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37passed away aged just 57.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42As for music, let's just say we were all shook up.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44# I'm in love
0:09:44 > 0:09:47# I'm all shook up Ooh-ooh-ooh
0:09:47 > 0:09:51# Ooh-ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah... #
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Oh, yes. This was Elvis Presley's first UK number one
0:09:55 > 0:09:58and it was a massive hit across the pond too,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01selling more than 2 million copies in the USA.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03# I'm in love
0:10:03 > 0:10:06# I'm all shook up Ooh-ooh-ooh... #
0:10:06 > 0:10:09'What a year, especially for a ten-year-old Edwina Currie,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13'who couldn't wait to build her first sand castle of the summer.'
0:10:13 > 0:10:16The final steps of that journey began here
0:10:16 > 0:10:18on Fisherman's Walk in Southbourne.
0:10:18 > 0:10:23Fisherman's Walk gardens were opened by the mayor of Bournemouth in 1913
0:10:23 > 0:10:27and they still retain some of the original features today.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Thanks to a local group, the Friends of the Fisherman's Walk,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32it's very much looked after,
0:10:32 > 0:10:37and a great spot for me and Edwina to start our day together.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Well, back in '57, you must have...
0:10:40 > 0:10:42The excitement must have been at fever pitch.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44- Oh, we'd have run. - Yeah.- We'd have run.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46We'd have run and my mum would have been saying,
0:10:46 > 0:10:48- "Careful! Careful! Careful!" - HE CHUCKLES
0:10:48 > 0:10:50- It's gorgeous.- Oh, it is, truly.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- It's still gorgeous.- Yeah. - Absolutely lovely.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56This must have been like paradise.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58- This is a little bit of paradise.- Yeah.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Absolutely. Look, there's the beach.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03That's what we've come for.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07And your Auntie Zina, I think, had a beach hut.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10They had a little beach hut which they rented out.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13- For us, that was the height of luxury.- Well, yes.
0:11:13 > 0:11:14Oh, my goodness.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Well, you could get changed down there,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19and you could get the sand out from between your toes.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Yeah, yeah. Well, it was a base, wasn't it?
0:11:22 > 0:11:26You could walk. You could paddle. If you dare, you could swim.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29I don't think we ever dared.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31I'll give you a choice now.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35We can either walk right down there about three quarters of a mile,
0:11:35 > 0:11:39and then turn a loop and go another three quarters of a mile
0:11:39 > 0:11:42to get down onto the beach, or we can go in that lift.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44- There's a lift, isn't there? - Shall we do it?
0:11:44 > 0:11:46- We'll do the lift.- Ooh, come on. SHE LAUGHS
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Let's link, as though we're strolling down the prom.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53- We ought to dance as we do this. - Well, we should.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Now, technically speaking, the Fisherman's Walk Lift,
0:11:56 > 0:12:01which has been going since 1935, is actually a light railway.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Font of all knowledge, me.
0:12:04 > 0:12:05There we are. Oh.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08- This was here then. - What...?- Yeah.- Did you use it?
0:12:08 > 0:12:10We wouldn't have used it to go down.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13- That would have been regarded as a waste of money.- Right.
0:12:13 > 0:12:18But we did use it for coming back up again, occasionally.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Here we go.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22Edwina, I...
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Edwina, I've got to be honest with you,
0:12:25 > 0:12:29I'm not a great lover of these sort of lifts.
0:12:29 > 0:12:30Right. What you do is you look at me.
0:12:30 > 0:12:31Would you hold my hand?
0:12:31 > 0:12:34- I'll hold your hand. - SHE LAUGHS
0:12:34 > 0:12:37- Oh, you're just like my hubby. - Ooh, here we go.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- Just look at me. You'll be fine. - HE LAUGHS
0:12:40 > 0:12:42- I'm here. - SHE LAUGHS
0:12:42 > 0:12:45'Mind you, I should survive the journey intact.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47'This lift is one of three in the area,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49'and together, they're responsible
0:12:49 > 0:12:53'for transporting more than 36 million people.'
0:12:54 > 0:12:57HE LAUGHS Oh!
0:12:57 > 0:13:01A day on the beach. You can't beat it.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04I tell you what, I could use an ice cream right now, couldn't you?
0:13:04 > 0:13:05Well, if you behave yourself...
0:13:05 > 0:13:08- Now, I can't promise. - Are you all right now? You're OK?
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Yes, I can... Thank you very much.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12If you behave yourself, I think you maybe...
0:13:12 > 0:13:15- I'll get you a cornet.- Yes, please.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17'With an outlook like this,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21'I'm tempted to do a chorus of I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23'but I think we can go one better.'
0:13:23 > 0:13:24There we go.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28BOTH: # Jammo, jammo 'Ncoppa, jammo ja
0:13:28 > 0:13:32# Jammo, jammo, 'ncoppa, jammo ja
0:13:32 > 0:13:37# Funiculi, funicula, funiculi, funicula... #
0:13:37 > 0:13:42FUNICULI, FUNICULA BY LUIGI DENZA PLAYS
0:13:42 > 0:13:44There's only one way to make this better -
0:13:44 > 0:13:47two ice creams, please, with an extra scoop.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51So, I don't think you can come down to the beach and not have a cornet.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54You have to enter into the total spirit of it.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56It would be unnatural.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58This is why it's been popular with people,
0:13:58 > 0:14:02- for millions and millions of people, for donkey's years.- Yeah.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Ever since the railway started bringing people to the seaside.
0:14:05 > 0:14:06Yeah, that's right.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10'Every year, around 750,000 ice creams
0:14:10 > 0:14:12'are bought on the seven miles of Bournemouth seafront.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16'As far as I'm concerned... Ho-ho! ..this one's just fine.'
0:14:16 > 0:14:19So, when you were down here on holiday,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21how often would you have come to the beach?
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Would it have been an everyday occurrence?
0:14:23 > 0:14:26- Every day if the weather was good. - Mm-hm.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30We'd almost certainly have one day when we'd go into the forest.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33- Oh, yeah.- Go and have a picnic there in New Forest.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36But this is the whole purpose of coming here.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41We'd be out there, bucket and spade, building sand castles.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45'And, of course, HQ was Auntie Zina's beach hut,
0:14:45 > 0:14:47'where they stored the deckchairs
0:14:47 > 0:14:49'and perhaps a cheeky sandwich for later.'
0:14:49 > 0:14:52It would be one like this. And it's a great thing to have.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55- You put the decking down...- Yeah.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58- ..open it up, you get a bit of shade.- Yeah.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01- And they're actually quite big. They're surprising.- Yeah.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03You've got several seats in there.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07'These days, a week's rental for one of these lovely beach huts
0:15:07 > 0:15:09'ranges from 80 to 180 quid.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12'You can hire them for a day.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15'But I wonder how much it'd cost for a month. Phew!'
0:15:22 > 0:15:26The wonders of this seaside icon don't end there.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Although the humble beach hut first appeared in the early 1900s,
0:15:30 > 0:15:35the real inspiration goes back even further to Georgian times
0:15:35 > 0:15:38and a contraption called the bathing machine,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41into which you'd step and pop on your bathing costume.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45That would be wheeled down to the shoreline.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48You'd step out and you'd take a dip in the sea.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52You would be helped by an assistant who was known as a dipper
0:15:52 > 0:15:55who would dip you into the sea for a few minutes at a time.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00By 1909, it had evolved into the beach hut we know today,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03and after an initial surge in popularity,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07they became known as holiday homes for the toiling classes.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10But come the 1930s, their image was revived
0:16:10 > 0:16:13after King George and Queen Mary spent the day
0:16:13 > 0:16:14at a beach hut in Sussex.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Suddenly... Hey, hey! ..everybody loved them.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21The real sort of big expansion of them was in the 1930s
0:16:21 > 0:16:23and then again in the 1950s.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28And given their huge popularity, especially after World War II,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30they were quite the money-spinner.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Back in 1957, if you'd have wanted
0:16:32 > 0:16:35to have hired this beach hut for a week,
0:16:35 > 0:16:40it would have cost you £3, whereas today, it's slightly more.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44Oh, yes. These days, the beach hut is more in demand than ever.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Though if you've got 20,000 quid or so to spare,
0:16:47 > 0:16:49you could buy a decent one of your own.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51In the last ten, 15 years,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54they've become popular again to a whole new generation
0:16:54 > 0:16:57and we've been building countless new huts
0:16:57 > 0:16:59in new styles and new colours ever since then.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05What else did you get up to on the beach?
0:17:05 > 0:17:09- Um, donkey rides. - Well, they're not allowed any more.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11- They're not allowed any more? - No.- Why not?
0:17:11 > 0:17:17Well, the council decided that they weren't for...
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Weren't to be. But, you see -
0:17:19 > 0:17:21and this is where the excitement arrives -
0:17:21 > 0:17:23I've pulled a few strings...
0:17:25 > 0:17:29..and if you look over your shoulder, we have...
0:17:30 > 0:17:34- Donkeys!- Donkeys.- How lovely.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Now, the one condition from the council is
0:17:37 > 0:17:39if there was any whoopsies...
0:17:39 > 0:17:41That's what we do in the bucket.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Well, no, I've got a special pooper-scooper for you.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48You're in charge of that. And I've got bags that we can use.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Look, I have two big dogs and I live in the Peak District.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57'In that case, seaside hygiene couldn't be in safer hands.'
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Well, come on. Let's go down and meet these two little beauties.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06'Taking us on our donkey ride today, it's Ronnie and Reggie.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11'Meanwhile, Sarah and Lydia here will be keeping them in check.'
0:18:11 > 0:18:13They are absolutely super. How old are they?
0:18:13 > 0:18:15They're about six now.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18- They're brothers, these two are. - Mm-hm.- They're great.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21And they're at an animal sanctuary, is it?
0:18:21 > 0:18:24No, we're from a riding school just by Bournemouth Airport.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26- Oh, right.- Lovely.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28They're not very good to ride, though.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31No, well, that's good cos I have no intention of riding one.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35'Instead, the four of us are going for a stroll along the beach.'
0:18:35 > 0:18:40- So, have you ever been on a donkey? - Oh, gosh, yes.- Yeah?- Yeah, loved it.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43And, in fact, I loved it so much as a small child
0:18:43 > 0:18:47- that when I was eight, my parents said, "Right..."- Come on.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51"..you can have ballet lessons or riding lessons."
0:18:51 > 0:18:55And I said, "Riding lessons. It's got to be riding lessons."
0:18:55 > 0:18:57- Of course.- And I used to go to riding school...
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- Right.- ..on Saturday mornings.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04- Right out at Gateacre in Liverpool. - Fabulous.- I loved it.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06So, what about your education?
0:19:06 > 0:19:12- Did you manage to get to a grammar school?- Yes, I did.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Um, very lucky because the city of Liverpool,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18in those days, took education very seriously,
0:19:18 > 0:19:23and they had what would be now a city academy, Liverpool Institute.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25- Right.- Where...- Come on.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Paul McCartney and George Harrison went there.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32- Oh, was you there at around the same time?- I'm a little younger.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34- Oh, right.- Yes, is the answer.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36We were at school at the same time. We overlapped.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40And then, later on, we saw them, the Beatles,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42- in their black leather days... - Oh, yeah.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46..hanging about at The Cavern corners and nearby.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48John Lennon was at the School of Art,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50- which is next door.- Right.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53It was great. We were very lucky, you know.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58That was a tremendous generation to be part of.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01'And while, clearly, The Beatles went on to greater success,
0:20:01 > 0:20:03'so did Edwina.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06'She won a scholarship to Oxford University, no less,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08'where she eventually studied politics.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14'Which makes it even more of a shame she's been reduced to this.'
0:20:14 > 0:20:18Oh, we've had a double whoopsie. Incredible.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20- They were doing so well.- Right.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23And, to be honest, it made me... Hello. What...?
0:20:24 > 0:20:26You don't have dogs, do you?
0:20:26 > 0:20:31- I don't fancy doing that. - I have dogs.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Yeah, but they wouldn't do anything like that.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36They'd probably do just a quarter pounder.
0:20:36 > 0:20:37This is serious.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41'Though seeing as Edwina's such an expert in the field,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45'I might as well leave her to clean up after my donkey and all.'
0:20:45 > 0:20:48God, you didn't half spray it around.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Yeah, that was Ron. That was Ronnie.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54'What a liberty.'
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Oh, are you doing it? Oh, what a bit of luck.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00- You owe me. - Well, I bought you an ice cream.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02I don't know what you want out of life.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04SHE LAUGHS
0:21:04 > 0:21:06'And they say politics is a dirty business.'
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Wait a minute.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13God Almighty! There's about 3st of it there.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Reggie, you naughty, naughty donkey.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18- He's got an expression on his face that says...- I know.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20- He knows what he's done. - .."I've won."
0:21:20 > 0:21:22'So, while we say goodbye to the donkeys,
0:21:22 > 0:21:27'here's the first instalment of my seven top tips for Bournemouth.'
0:21:28 > 0:21:32On a busy weekend, approximately 100,000 visitors
0:21:32 > 0:21:36can flock to the beaches here, and if you're ever one of those,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39why not get your head out of the sand and see what's about,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43starting with a little something Edwina's Auntie Zina would love -
0:21:43 > 0:21:46the oldest beach hut in Britain?
0:21:46 > 0:21:53It's number 2359 and sits proudly right here on Bournemouth Beach.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Or how about a cheeky visit to the Oceanarium?
0:21:56 > 0:22:01Not only is it home to the world's first interactive dive cage,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04they've also recreated the waters of the world.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08There's everything from the Amazon to the Great Barrier Reef.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12We have otters, we have turtles, we have crocodiles,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16sharks, stingrays, clownfish, tropical fish.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19We have over 150 different aquatic species.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21But one of the most popular attractions
0:22:21 > 0:22:26has to be these little guys, the Humboldt penguins.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29They're native to the coastline and beaches of Peru.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31We have two pairs,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34so we're hoping that they continue to breed in the future
0:22:34 > 0:22:36and we'll soon have some baby penguin chicks.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Aw!
0:22:42 > 0:22:43Back in 1957,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47it was Edwina's Auntie Zina who did most of the cooking.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50But as she sadly passed away four years ago,
0:22:50 > 0:22:54I've lined up someone very special for Edwina to meet.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Oh, I know who lives here. I know who lives here.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02HE CHUCKLES
0:23:02 > 0:23:04SHE KNOCKS ON THE DOOR
0:23:05 > 0:23:09- Hey!- Hello!- Hello. - EDWINA LAUGHS
0:23:09 > 0:23:12'Oh, yes. I've asked Zina's daughter Lisa,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15'Edwina's cousin, to help us recreate
0:23:15 > 0:23:18'one of those old family recipes.'
0:23:18 > 0:23:20Look at you. You're like identical twins.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22- Yeah.- All the cousins look very alike.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- We do.- We've got the same nose, same eyes.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28- Yeah.- Same smile. Same bossy personality.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Oh, it's good to see you. It really is.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33- Thank you very much indeed. - Come in.- Thank you.
0:23:33 > 0:23:34- Lead on.- Follow me.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Got a bit of a surprise for you in the kitchen.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39- You're going to get me cooking.- I am.
0:23:39 > 0:23:40Don't know if you can work out
0:23:40 > 0:23:42with what's on the table what you're going to make.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47- I can tell.- Come on, then. - That's lokshen pudding.- It is.
0:23:47 > 0:23:48I hope we've got a recipe.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50- I used to eat it, not make it.- You did.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Look, I printed it out specially for you.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55I've called it my Auntie Zina's lokshen pudding.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00'Just like Edwina's upbringing, this recipe is Orthodox
0:24:00 > 0:24:04'and was a firm favourite on her summer holiday in '57.'
0:24:05 > 0:24:07The rules are you can't mix milk and meat,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09so if you had a chicken dinner,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12then the dessert had to be something without milk.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14- Really?- Yeah. - No cream or anything like that.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15I never knew that.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18And that meant that they were quite imaginative
0:24:18 > 0:24:20- about how to do it. - Shall we have a go?
0:24:20 > 0:24:22'So, while Auntie Zina looks on,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25'the three of us are going to attempt her classic dessert.'
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Three whole... Yeah, not the shell.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30'And seeing as Edwina's got a history with eggs,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33'it's up to yours truly to do the whisking.'
0:24:33 > 0:24:37Oh, whisk it. Go on. Give it some welly.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40I'm just building up. SHE LAUGHS
0:24:41 > 0:24:44- That's a very ladylike whisk. - That is.
0:24:44 > 0:24:45No, now, look, I'm getting the rhythm now.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48See, I started off waltz time.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50- I've gone into a salsa now. - Oil next?
0:24:50 > 0:24:54- When you've got those whisked... - Yeah.- ..we can get the oil in.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57That'll turn into mayonnaise, won't it?
0:24:57 > 0:24:59I don't think he's whisking hard enough.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Oh, well, don't all pick on me. WOMEN LAUGH
0:25:02 > 0:25:05- The liberty! - Don't tip it on the table.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07I reckon you're worse than my mum.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11- Come here.- What?
0:25:11 > 0:25:13- Watch it. - I'm going to give it some welly.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17You're going to have someone's eye out in a minute with that. Look!
0:25:17 > 0:25:20'And once Edwina's finished criticising my technique,
0:25:20 > 0:25:26'it's just a case of adding a little flour and a fair bit of...'
0:25:26 > 0:25:28- # Cinnamon. # - Ooh, that's a lot, isn't it?
0:25:28 > 0:25:32'Followed by a generous handful of raisins.'
0:25:32 > 0:25:36- I love raisins.- Go on. Nick one. - I'm going to nick three.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39'Then, finally, we're ready for the grated apple,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42'and, of course, the star ingredient, lokshen...
0:25:42 > 0:25:45HE CHUCKLES '..fine egg noodles.'
0:25:45 > 0:25:47- Do you know what? I'm starving hungry.- Good.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49So, I'm going to enjoy this.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52I hope you're not so hungry that you can't wait an hour
0:25:52 > 0:25:54cos it's got to go in the oven for an hour.
0:25:54 > 0:25:55- No.- Is that OK?
0:25:55 > 0:25:57Look, let me put it in the oven and see if I can...
0:25:57 > 0:26:00- What, an hour? - ..tell it to bake quickly for you.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Let me take that for you. Let me just see.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Oh, look. What's that in my oven?
0:26:06 > 0:26:12Oh, no! Oh, naughty, naughty Lisa, who's a teaser, but a pleaser.
0:26:12 > 0:26:13Better wipe the table.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16'Because after all this rigorous whisking,
0:26:16 > 0:26:21'I, for one, can't wait to tuck in to a slice of 1957.'
0:26:21 > 0:26:22Come on, then. Come and sit out here...
0:26:22 > 0:26:25- Ooh, lovely.- ..in the sun. - HE CHUCKLES
0:26:25 > 0:26:26- Oh, brilliant.- Oh.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29DISH CLATTERS Ooh, careful.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31'Now, as I'm sure Auntie Zina would say herself,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34'the proof of any pudding is in the eating,
0:26:34 > 0:26:36'and this looks fantastic.'
0:26:36 > 0:26:38- Now, let me try this.- Come on.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40- Come on.- Have a go. - Oh, this is lovely.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Is it as you remember, Edwina?
0:26:42 > 0:26:45- The cinnamon is what matters. - Oh, it's lovely.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Cos you never got, in English cooking of the time,
0:26:47 > 0:26:49- you never got cinnamon. - No, that's right.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52You never got spices of any kind. It tasted very exotic.
0:26:52 > 0:26:53That's right. Exactly.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Did you have similar upbringings as children?
0:26:57 > 0:27:01I think we probably did. Traditional family values.
0:27:01 > 0:27:02It was all very much about that,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05- only I grew up in the south and Edwina grew up in the north.- Right.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10I suppose your first freedom was going to university, was it?
0:27:10 > 0:27:13- Was that your first taste of freedom?- Yes.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16There was a tremendous sense of pride in the achievements
0:27:16 > 0:27:18- of the younger members of the family...- Absolutely.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22..and of planning and hoping for the future.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24So, when I had a chance to go to university
0:27:24 > 0:27:26when it looked as if I was going to be able to do that,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28for my mum, I think it was a bit bittersweet
0:27:28 > 0:27:31because it could have been her, but it wasn't.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33On the other hand, she was very worried
0:27:33 > 0:27:37that if I went anywhere but Liverpool University,
0:27:37 > 0:27:42if I went away from home, I would never come back.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44- And, of course, she was right. - Really? Yeah.- She was right.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Lisa, what is it like to see Edwina on the TV
0:27:48 > 0:27:52- and go, "That's my cousin"? - Well, it's really special.
0:27:52 > 0:27:53You know, it's lovely.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56And I have to say that when we watched her
0:27:56 > 0:27:58on I'm A Celebrity... recently,
0:27:58 > 0:28:00it's not a programme that I normally watch,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02but, of course, I had to watch it and root for Edwina.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06And all my children kept phoning me, "Mum, Edwina's on the television.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09"It's like watching Bubby." That's what they called my mother.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11As we both get older, we're both turning into
0:28:11 > 0:28:14a combination of both of our mothers.
0:28:14 > 0:28:15And my mum would have been...
0:28:15 > 0:28:18- She actually, I think, initially... - She would have been cheering.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20..had she watched it, she would have been a bit horrified.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22"What? Edwina's doing that awful programme?"
0:28:22 > 0:28:25But then she would have watched it religiously
0:28:25 > 0:28:26and would have been rooting for you.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29You had a go with those horrible challenges you did.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32She would have been so proud, you know?
0:28:32 > 0:28:34- This is delicious. - Is that all right?- Isn't that nice?
0:28:34 > 0:28:37- You can have a copy of the recipe as well to take home.- Thank you.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39I will take it home and I will make it for hubby
0:28:39 > 0:28:41- and he'll be thrilled to bits. - Yeah.- Yeah.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43But I tell you what, you've made family size.
0:28:43 > 0:28:44That's cos you've got a big family.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47And actually, that, in the recipe that I gave you,
0:28:47 > 0:28:49- is half the quantity, so it does... - EDWINA LAUGHS
0:28:49 > 0:28:52- Really?- I don't do small.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56'So, while we have a second, and possibly a third helping,
0:28:56 > 0:28:58'here are a few more of my seven top tips.'
0:29:03 > 0:29:07For all you adrenaline junkies out there, try Surf Steps,
0:29:07 > 0:29:10a surfing school whose instructors reckon they can teach
0:29:10 > 0:29:13even people of my vintage to be absolute pros.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17Or how about Hengistbury Head,
0:29:17 > 0:29:21a breathtaking nature reserve which overlooks the English Channel
0:29:21 > 0:29:25and boasts 65 million years of history,
0:29:25 > 0:29:27including this fun fact?
0:29:27 > 0:29:2912,000 years ago, at the retreat
0:29:29 > 0:29:31of the last ice age,
0:29:31 > 0:29:33there was still a land bridge
0:29:33 > 0:29:34between here and France,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37and that's when our records show that people first started
0:29:37 > 0:29:40coming across to the Head from the continent to hunt deer.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44Oh, yes, the Celts, the Romans, the French,
0:29:44 > 0:29:46they've all been to Hengistbury.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48And here at the visitors centre,
0:29:48 > 0:29:52you can see some of the artefacts that they left behind.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54Lovely.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56There's loads to do here,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59whether that's bird ringing or astronomy courses.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02We've got wildlife demonstration gardens and bird cams.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05We've got cafes, we've got an outdoor water sports centre
0:30:05 > 0:30:09or you can just take in the peace and tranquillity of the site
0:30:09 > 0:30:11or enjoy our fantastic beaches.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18As for Edwina and my good self,
0:30:18 > 0:30:22we're off to relive another highlight of her 1957 holiday -
0:30:22 > 0:30:25a visit to the Tuckton Tea Gardens,
0:30:25 > 0:30:28a beautiful setting next to the River Stour.
0:30:28 > 0:30:33Apparently, the local cafe sells 14 different flavours of ice cream.
0:30:33 > 0:30:34It sounds right up my street.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38'However, we're not here to eat, but to take a spin around the lake.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41'Hey-hey! And guess who's the captain.'
0:30:41 > 0:30:42Adventure...
0:30:43 > 0:30:45- ..is what we're after today. - But you know what?
0:30:45 > 0:30:49- All the nice girls...- Love a sailor. - ..love a sailor.- Ooh.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51Onward.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54Oh, look out. HE LAUGHS
0:30:54 > 0:30:58Ho-ho, me hearties. THEY LAUGH
0:31:03 > 0:31:07'Now, when Edwina first came here, it was with her dear old mum,
0:31:07 > 0:31:09'and on that occasion, they rode the ferry.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12'But I say this former Right Honourable lady
0:31:12 > 0:31:15'deserves to travel in style.'
0:31:16 > 0:31:20What was your first step on the ladder to politics?
0:31:21 > 0:31:23Once I got to university
0:31:23 > 0:31:28and I was meeting lots of people whose daddies were politicians
0:31:28 > 0:31:30or whose grandfather had been an MP
0:31:30 > 0:31:33and I looked at some of them and I thought, "Do you know what?
0:31:33 > 0:31:37"I'm just as smart as you are. If you could do it, I could do it."
0:31:37 > 0:31:42I didn't realise how challenging that ambition was going to be
0:31:42 > 0:31:45because when I actually entered Parliament in '83,
0:31:45 > 0:31:49- there were only 23 women in the entire House of Commons.- Really?
0:31:49 > 0:31:52- It's now getting on for 200.- Yeah.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56So, it was quite an ask then, and discrimination was normal.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58Was Margaret Thatcher then the prime minister?
0:31:58 > 0:32:00Margaret was the prime minister.
0:32:00 > 0:32:05So, there were ten Labour women, 13 Tory women,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08- but one of them was ours, and that was Margaret.- Lovely.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10And what was it like, you know,
0:32:10 > 0:32:15being in the Cabinet and having her to contend with?
0:32:15 > 0:32:17- I was never in the Cabinet. - Oh, were you not?
0:32:17 > 0:32:21That was one of the problems - that in all her 11 years in office,
0:32:21 > 0:32:24she never promoted any women
0:32:24 > 0:32:26- from the House of Commons into the Cabinet.- Right.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29I think Margaret felt that she'd made it,
0:32:29 > 0:32:32and one of the ways that she felt she'd made it
0:32:32 > 0:32:34- was by wowing the blokes.- Yeah.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36And if there was another woman there,
0:32:36 > 0:32:38that she would have competition.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40Well, it was a load of rubbish. That's not how she made it.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42- She made it through sheer force of character...- Yeah.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44..personality and conviction.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46'While she didn't make the Cabinet,
0:32:46 > 0:32:49'Edwina was appointed junior health minister,
0:32:49 > 0:32:53'and it's in this role she helped revolutionise women's health,
0:32:53 > 0:32:58'creating programmes that have literally saved lives.'
0:32:58 > 0:33:01We had very little on prevention,
0:33:01 > 0:33:03and I knew that we could do preventive programmes
0:33:03 > 0:33:06for breast cancer, for cervical cancer.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08We pushed hard to get those.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11Persuaded Margaret Thatcher on the basis that,
0:33:11 > 0:33:13for breast cancer, for example, if you did screening,
0:33:13 > 0:33:16it would be women of working age and we could get them back to work
0:33:16 > 0:33:18and they'd be paying their income tax
0:33:18 > 0:33:20and looking after their families.
0:33:20 > 0:33:21And I must just briefly ask you
0:33:21 > 0:33:25because there was the big brouhaha with the eggs.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27HE CHUCKLES 'And that's putting it mildly.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29'When Edwina publicly stated
0:33:29 > 0:33:31'Britain's eggs were carrying salmonella,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34'well, everyone went bonkers.'
0:33:34 > 0:33:38- OVER TV:- 'Just 14 words during a casual television interview
0:33:38 > 0:33:42'hit egg sales hard and cost Edwina Currie her job.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44'Millions of eggs had to be destroyed
0:33:44 > 0:33:48'and flocks of hens culled as consumers turned away.'
0:33:48 > 0:33:49Well, we had a lot of sick people.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52We had 500 confirmed cases a week
0:33:52 > 0:33:56of people with serious food poisoning, which is not funny.
0:33:56 > 0:34:01- No.- And what the public didn't know was confirmed afterwards -
0:34:01 > 0:34:02we had a death a week.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06We had over 60 people dead that year.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08And I was under pressure just to cover it all up.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11The scientists in the public health laboratories
0:34:11 > 0:34:14were saying to me, "It's coming from eggs."
0:34:14 > 0:34:17"Something has happened amongst the hens
0:34:17 > 0:34:20"and what we've got now is a particularly unpleasant form
0:34:20 > 0:34:24- "of food poisoning, and it's lethal."- Right.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26So, what will you do? I always turn to audiences.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29"What would you have done? Would you have shut up?"
0:34:29 > 0:34:31- The thing was...- "Would you have said there was no problem
0:34:31 > 0:34:33"or would you stand up and say we've got a problem?"
0:34:33 > 0:34:34You're damned whatever.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37You're damned if you do and you're damned if you do,
0:34:37 > 0:34:40so I think it was a very brave call.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44- So, I was content. I went off and did other things.- Yeah.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46- I wrote books.- Yeah.
0:34:46 > 0:34:47Well, one thing's for sure -
0:34:47 > 0:34:51you haven't let the grass grow under your feet in any way.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55'Speaking of which, it's time for us to move on as well to our next stop,
0:34:55 > 0:34:57'the Pier Approach.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00'It's the gateway to those gorgeous beaches,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03'and recently, the old girl's had a bit of work done
0:35:03 > 0:35:05'to the tune of £4 million.'
0:35:06 > 0:35:10Well, Edwina, does this area bring back any memories?
0:35:12 > 0:35:15It's smartened up. It's amazing.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17Absolutely fabulous.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21Well, I was thinking more of around here.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23- This area.- What was this?
0:35:23 > 0:35:26- A swimming pool or something? - The swimming pool.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31Officially opened in 1937,
0:35:31 > 0:35:33the Pier Approach Swimming Baths
0:35:33 > 0:35:36was much-loved by locals and tourists alike.
0:35:36 > 0:35:42In fact, it was a star attraction for almost 50 years.
0:35:42 > 0:35:43They filled in the swimming pool
0:35:43 > 0:35:45- and then they built a cinema...- Yeah.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48..on the site, and now that's gone as well.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50And now it's just an open area.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53- You used to come down to the pool, did you?- We did.- Yeah.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56- It was safe.- Yeah.- You know, you couldn't really swim in the sea.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58You'd worry about being washed away and whatever.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02Well, I've got a gentleman I want you to meet just over here.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06- Edwina, this is Andrew.- Hello. - Pleased to meet you, Edwina.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08- Nice to see you again. - Good to meet you.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12Now, Andrew, you know all about this,
0:36:12 > 0:36:15- the pool that was. - That's right.- What happened?
0:36:15 > 0:36:20- Well, on this site used to stand the Pier Approach Baths...- Yeah.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24- ..which had fantastic swimming galas and shows.- Yeah.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27And we had this line of fantastic, gorgeous girls
0:36:27 > 0:36:28called the Aquabelles,
0:36:28 > 0:36:32and they would put on all sorts of performances, comedy dives,
0:36:32 > 0:36:34music acts and singing.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36It was fabulous entertainment.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39Their inspiration may have been American movie star
0:36:39 > 0:36:42and former swimming champ Esther Williams,
0:36:42 > 0:36:44whose films throughout the '50s
0:36:44 > 0:36:47always included elaborate scenes of synchronised swimming.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51And here in Britain, we would love to see something of that ilk
0:36:51 > 0:36:53every time we went to the baths.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56But while the Pier Approach Baths are no longer,
0:36:56 > 0:37:00there's still plenty to do in the area today.
0:37:03 > 0:37:04And some of them are listed
0:37:04 > 0:37:08in the final instalment of my seven top tips.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10Apparently, Bournemouth experiences
0:37:10 > 0:37:15an average 7.7 hours of sunshine a day during the summer,
0:37:15 > 0:37:19but if you're worried about sunburn, you could always head indoors.
0:37:19 > 0:37:24At number three, it's the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum,
0:37:24 > 0:37:27a clifftop mansion overlooking the sea.
0:37:27 > 0:37:32It was originally a birthday gift from one Sir Merton Russell-Cotes,
0:37:32 > 0:37:36the former mayor of Bournemouth, to his wife Annie.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Blimey, that's generous, innit?
0:37:38 > 0:37:43Or how about painting your own pottery at The Clay Studio?
0:37:43 > 0:37:47After all, there's nothing quite like discovering your inner artist.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51But top of my list has to be the most inventive scenic tour
0:37:51 > 0:37:55I've ever come across, the Zip Wire on Bournemouth Pier,
0:37:55 > 0:37:58which puts you about 60 feet above the sea
0:37:58 > 0:38:02and sends you hurtling towards the shore.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05You're travelling up to 30mph with a good backwind,
0:38:05 > 0:38:08and so it's quite an adrenaline rush and it's really exciting.
0:38:08 > 0:38:09We've even adapted the lanyards
0:38:09 > 0:38:11from your traditional zip
0:38:11 > 0:38:12where you go down straight.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14These lanyards, you can spin around
0:38:14 > 0:38:17so it gives that extra little bit more fun,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20excitement, adrenaline, and it's a great ride.
0:38:26 > 0:38:31'As for me and Edwina, well, let's just say we're more than happy
0:38:31 > 0:38:33'to keep both feet on the ground.'
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Well, Edwina, you know, you've been on TV,
0:38:36 > 0:38:40you've been in radio, you've presented programmes,
0:38:40 > 0:38:42written books.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46What is your favourite? What are you most proud of?
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Ooh, I don't know. Having a family, in the end.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52- Having a family.- Yeah? - Having daughters.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56In fact, hubby and I, between us - cos I'm Mrs Jones in real life -
0:38:56 > 0:39:00we have got six children,
0:39:00 > 0:39:02nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren now.
0:39:02 > 0:39:03Yeah.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Proud going backwards as well in the sense that, you know,
0:39:06 > 0:39:09my grandparents arrived in the UK with nothing -
0:39:09 > 0:39:12absolutely nothing - and they made a good life.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15And it wasn't financially, materially very strong,
0:39:15 > 0:39:19but it gave us all the values.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21- I thought the world of my grandad.- Yeah?
0:39:21 > 0:39:24And I'm told I look like him and I walk like him
0:39:24 > 0:39:28- and I think like him, and that's wonderful.- Yeah, yeah.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32'And I'm guessing the old boy, much like his granddaughter,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35'wasn't afraid to speak his mind.'
0:39:35 > 0:39:36You know, it would appear, Edwina,
0:39:36 > 0:39:40that you love being involved in things.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43You know, you're on Twitter and Facebook and stuff.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47Well, I enjoy an argument, I enjoy a fight.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50If I'm in the right mood and I go on Twitter
0:39:50 > 0:39:52and somebody's talking complete rubbish,
0:39:52 > 0:39:54you can say so immediately.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56And, of course, what they don't realise is,
0:39:56 > 0:40:00you and I, we have in our heads little proverbs, little sayings,
0:40:00 > 0:40:03little bits of information that the next generation don't have,
0:40:03 > 0:40:05so it makes us sound terribly wise.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09I think the entire retired population of the United Kingdom
0:40:09 > 0:40:10- ought to be on Twitter.- Yeah.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14- It would disseminate information and knowledge and wisdom...- Yeah.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17- ..in a great way. It's wonderful.- Yeah.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21And what about the future? Have you got anything in the pipeline or..?
0:40:22 > 0:40:25Well, I'm heading towards my 70th birthday.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28- You've done this already. - I've just pipped to you.- Right.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32- Is it OK? Do you change afterwards? - I've enjoyed it very much, yeah.
0:40:33 > 0:40:38And all the things that I thought an adult male should be able to do,
0:40:38 > 0:40:42like putting up shelves and things, I was never good at.
0:40:42 > 0:40:48Now I'm 70, oh, you give me a screw and I'll work magic.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52Shelves, bookcases, anything you want, yeah.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54I tell you one of the nicer things about being a little bit older
0:40:54 > 0:40:56is you have a lot more choice,
0:40:56 > 0:41:01- and when people ask you to do things, you can say no.- Yeah.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05I've no desire to go commuting into town any more.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08I have no desire to have to work a 90-hour week
0:41:08 > 0:41:10like I used to when I was an MP.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13I have no desire to be forced to earn a living any more.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15It's wonderful being retired
0:41:15 > 0:41:19- cos it means I get to be here... - Yes.- ..with you.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22'Edwina, the feeling's definitely mutual
0:41:22 > 0:41:23'because for my money,
0:41:23 > 0:41:27'nothing beats a good, old-fashioned seaside holiday.'
0:41:27 > 0:41:30BOTH: # Jammo, 'ncoppa, jammo ja
0:41:30 > 0:41:32# Jammo, jammo... #
0:41:32 > 0:41:36'Even if it did mean cleaning up after Ronnie and Reggie here.'
0:41:36 > 0:41:38Reggie, you naughty, naughty donkey.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42'And we even delved into Auntie Zina's recipe book
0:41:42 > 0:41:45'for a warm slice of 1957.'
0:41:45 > 0:41:49- Come here.- What? Watch it. - You've got to give it some welly.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51You're going to have someone's eye out in a minute with that.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56'What a holiday it's been beside the seaside, beside the sea.'
0:41:59 > 0:42:02I'm hoping you're going to remember today,
0:42:02 > 0:42:03and to help you along...
0:42:05 > 0:42:09..I have a little scrapbook of photographs and things...
0:42:09 > 0:42:12- Oh, wonderful.- ..to remind you of our time here.- Thank you.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16Every one of our precious moments
0:42:16 > 0:42:19captured for posterity.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21But I'm not finished yet. Oh, no.
0:42:21 > 0:42:22I've got something else
0:42:22 > 0:42:24I'm hoping will make a splash.
0:42:27 > 0:42:28And I've got this.
0:42:28 > 0:42:33Not '57, but it's '59, which is pretty close.
0:42:33 > 0:42:34Yeah, I think we were here then.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37Oh, that's super. That's the Aquashow.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40Oh, that's absolutely lovely. Look at that. That's lovely.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43- Thank you very, very much.- Well, it's been... Let me put that down.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47And I've got to just say thank you very much.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49- Thank you.- It's been lovely. - It's been good fun.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52- Thank you very much indeed. - Good fun.- Yeah.- Yeah, good fun.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55And so, as we take one last walk along the pier,
0:42:55 > 0:42:57it's tatty bye from Bournemouth,
0:42:57 > 0:43:02a resort that will always hold a special place in Edwina's heart.