0:00:02 > 0:00:05'Childhood holidays - oh, the anticipation seemed endless.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09'The holiday itself? Well, it was over too quickly.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13'So, in this series, I'm going to be reliving those wonderful times
0:00:13 > 0:00:15'with some much-loved famous faces.'
0:00:15 > 0:00:18This is a memory I will treasure.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20'Every day, I'll be arranging a few surprises
0:00:20 > 0:00:23'to transport them back in time.'
0:00:23 > 0:00:25I feel as though we're about to go over the edge.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Well, don't say that.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31- 'We'll relive the fun...' BOTH:- Oh!
0:00:31 > 0:00:32No! No!
0:00:32 > 0:00:34'..the games...' HE GROANS
0:00:34 > 0:00:37'..and the food of years gone by...'
0:00:37 > 0:00:40That is a little taste of childhood, right there.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43'..to find out how those holidays around the UK
0:00:43 > 0:00:46'helped shape the people we know so well today.'
0:00:48 > 0:00:50Wah! Ha, ha-ha!
0:00:50 > 0:00:53'So, buckle up for Holiday Of My Lifetime.'
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Oh, yes. We're going to get the water-skis out in a moment.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58HE LAUGHS
0:01:02 > 0:01:03'On today's journey,
0:01:03 > 0:01:07'I'll be transporting my mystery holiday-maker
0:01:07 > 0:01:11'back in time in a 1980s Skoda 105.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13'They don't make 'em like this any more...'
0:01:13 > 0:01:15HE GRINDS GEARS Shut up!
0:01:15 > 0:01:17'..and maybe it's just as well.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20'So, who am I meeting today?
0:01:20 > 0:01:24'Well, let's just say I think she's going to be a model guest.'
0:01:24 > 0:01:30She was born in Mossley, Greater Manchester, back in 1970.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Here she is as a young whippersnapper.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Oh, bless!
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Her big break came in TV commercials
0:01:38 > 0:01:41where she became just as famous for her northern accent
0:01:41 > 0:01:44as for her beautiful looks.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46IN NORTHERN ACCENT: Aye, she's a reet good'un.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50She went on to spend four years on daytime TV
0:01:50 > 0:01:53with me old mate Des O'Connor.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55And most recently, she's been cooking up a storm
0:01:55 > 0:02:00with her chef buddy Gino D'Acampo.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Have you got it yet? I bet you have.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04By 'eck, she's gorgeous!
0:02:04 > 0:02:07It's northern girl Melanie Sykes.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09Whoo!
0:02:09 > 0:02:14And I'm on my way to meet her in this vintage Skoda,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17just like the car she would have gone on holiday with
0:02:17 > 0:02:19back in the day.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21HE CHUCKLES Melanie.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Oh, she's gorgeous.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26I'm pretty good-looking myself, you know.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Melanie Sykes, or Mel to her friends,
0:02:29 > 0:02:35grew up in the northwest of England with Mum, Dad and two sisters.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Soon, the bright lights of London were beckoning
0:02:37 > 0:02:41and after treading many a catwalk, her big break came
0:02:41 > 0:02:45when she was picked up to star in a TV commercial
0:02:45 > 0:02:46for Boddingtons Bitter.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Such was the success of that advert,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52that Mel landed a number of TV roles,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56including a four-year stint sitting alongside
0:02:56 > 0:02:59one of my old showbiz muckers, good old Des.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Let's just hope she isn't all chatted out, though,
0:03:02 > 0:03:06because I've got plenty to ask her about her childhood holiday.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09SHE LAUGHS
0:03:13 > 0:03:16- Oh, my God! - HE LAUGHS
0:03:18 > 0:03:20- Len!- Do you recognise it?
0:03:20 > 0:03:22I do!
0:03:22 > 0:03:25I'm so sorry it wasn't a sexier vehicle, though...
0:03:25 > 0:03:27- Well, there we are.- ..but that is it.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29And now I've seen it, I haven't seen it for a very long time,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32I think it's a cracking shape.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Now, where are we off to? That's what I want to know.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36We are going to Llandudno, in North Wales.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Oh. And what's the year?
0:03:38 > 0:03:401980.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44That was the year of the first-ever Children In Need.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- Was it?- 19... They raised £1 million.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50- So, shall we get in and get off? - Let's do it.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51- Come on.- Come on, then.
0:03:52 > 0:03:58Oh, my goodness me! Look at the state of it inside!
0:03:58 > 0:03:59- Right, OK.- Get in and be bold.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01- All right, thank you.- OK.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03SHE LAUGHS
0:04:04 > 0:04:08It's a beautiful car, Melanie, for a beautiful trip,
0:04:08 > 0:04:13as North Wales boasts over 200 miles of cracking coastline.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17And it was Conwy, Deganwy and Llandudno
0:04:17 > 0:04:21that kept Mel and her family entertained all those years ago.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26It's hardly surprising Llandudno is such a popular holiday destination.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29It's a quintessential seaside resort,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32complete with pier and promenade
0:04:32 > 0:04:34'and today, I'm taking Mel back
0:04:34 > 0:04:37'to relive those heady days of sunshine...'
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Oh, no! It's getting heavy, this rain! Oh, my God!
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Let's go in. Come on!
0:04:42 > 0:04:43'..and rain.'
0:04:43 > 0:04:46'We'll scream for ice cream...'
0:04:46 > 0:04:48That may be a little bit too much.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51'..and prom in the park...
0:04:51 > 0:04:55THEY PLAY A LIVELY TUNE
0:04:55 > 0:04:58'..as we discover the things that made Mel's childhood holiday
0:04:58 > 0:05:00'in Wales, so special.'
0:05:00 > 0:05:05THEY CONTINUE TO PLAY A LIVELY TUNE
0:05:05 > 0:05:07SINGS: Bah, ba-ba, ba!
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Before any holiday truly begins,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17you must first set out on the journey.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22Regular trips to North Wales saw Mel and her family travel by train
0:05:22 > 0:05:26or coach, but her most memorable holiday of all
0:05:26 > 0:05:29started in one of these and isn't she a beauty?
0:05:29 > 0:05:32A bright '80s beauty.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35- There you are, back in the day, 1980.- Yes.- So, what was you about...
0:05:35 > 0:05:37- I was ten.- Ten years old?
0:05:37 > 0:05:39I was ten years old, it would have been summer,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42so it would have been around my birthday cos my birthday's August.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45- Right.- So, always hot and sunny.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Isn't that a funny thing cos as a child for me, the same,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51it never seemed to rain during your school holidays.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55- No, it was endlessly long and hot. - Gorgeous.- Yeah.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57And how far...? Where did you live?
0:05:57 > 0:05:59We were in a place called Mossley,
0:05:59 > 0:06:00in fact, my family still live there,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03which is on the outskirts of Greater Manchester.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05- HE CRUNCHES GEARS - Oh, my God! Crunch!
0:06:05 > 0:06:08- We've done it now, we're all right. - This car is so noisy!
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Well, that's my driving more than the car, I think.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13So, how long was the journey for you?
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Oh, gosh. I actually don't know.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18And me and my sisters are a bit carsick as well,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21- so it wasn't always...- Oh, right. - ..the most pleasant of journeys.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23So, who was in the car? Your mum and dad...
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Yeah, Dad driving, me mum sitting where I am now
0:06:26 > 0:06:27and the three of us in the back.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Were you well-behaved or was it...?
0:06:29 > 0:06:32- I was an angel.- Of course, you were.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- Of course. But me and my sisters did bicker quite a bit.- Yeah.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37So, I'm sure we were constant buzzing in the back
0:06:37 > 0:06:39with various arguments going on.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41I'm sure Mum and Dad were going mad in the front.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45- But all in all, I think I was a very good girl.- Right.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47- You all suffered from a bit of car sickness?- Yeah.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51So... And the problem was even if you weren't feeling sick,
0:06:51 > 0:06:53- if somebody started to feel sick... - Yeah.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55..then you would and then we'd all be at it.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58So, we'd have to pull over and sort things out.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02- But I've outgrown it, you'll be pleased to hear!- Oh, that's good.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Well, it wouldn't matter in this.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Well, it's a big old well there, isn't it?
0:07:06 > 0:07:07SHE LAUGHS
0:07:09 > 0:07:12In 1980, when Mel was making for North Wales,
0:07:12 > 0:07:17the world was saying hello for the first time to Yes Minister,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21a new sitcom that took a satirical sideswipe
0:07:21 > 0:07:23at the peculiarities of politics.
0:07:23 > 0:07:28The hugely popular series followed the antics of cabinet minister
0:07:28 > 0:07:31The Rt Hon Jim Hacker,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35who was assisted, and often hindered, by his right-hand men,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Sir Humphrey Appleby and Bernard Woolley.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40And if that wasn't funny enough for you,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43in real life, our cousins from across the pond
0:07:43 > 0:07:46elected a Hollywood actor as their president.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50Together, we're going to do what has to be done.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52We're going to put America back to work again.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57Sadly, 1980 was also the year that the world said farewell
0:07:57 > 0:08:02to supreme songwriter and member of the fab four John Lennon.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06And while Mel was splashing about in the North Wales sea,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Martha And The Muffins were making waves of their own
0:08:09 > 0:08:11with top ten hit Echo Beach.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14# From nine to five I have to spend my time at work
0:08:14 > 0:08:17# My job is very boring, I'm an office clerk
0:08:17 > 0:08:20# The only thing that helps me pass the time away
0:08:20 > 0:08:23# Is knowing I'll be back at Echo Beach some day. #
0:08:25 > 0:08:27'Time to turn the music off now, though,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30'because we've just arrived at the first port of call
0:08:30 > 0:08:32'for Mel's holiday of her lifetime -
0:08:32 > 0:08:35'the picturesque seaside village of Deganwy.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40'And it's here that the family used to stay when visiting the area.'
0:08:40 > 0:08:42This is where we'd get the papers in the morning...
0:08:42 > 0:08:44- Oh, right.- ..along here.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- So, it was somewhere up here.- And a level crossing, do you recall that?
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Yes, I do. Oh, my gosh! I do, yeah.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53'We're not even out of the car yet
0:08:53 > 0:08:57'and those magic memories already flooding back.'
0:08:57 > 0:08:58Yes!
0:08:58 > 0:09:00And the sun's shining.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02- And the sun's come out.- This is exactly what it was like.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04This is it. This is it.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07This is where we...the beach, it's only a little beach
0:09:07 > 0:09:10- cos it's only the estuary...- Yeah. - ..where we'd hang out.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Yeah, these benches. I've sat on these benches many a time.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18It's so nice.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- It's so nice. - HE SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Yeah, this door...this door does not shut!
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Don't worry, we got here.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29- We did.- We made it.- Nice bit of parking, Len.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31You look like you've abandoned it.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36- Well, here it is.- Wow!
0:09:36 > 0:09:39- Innit lovely!- Is it how it was?- Yes.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42I mean, it's exactly as it was, really.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44- Yeah.- It's exactly...
0:09:44 > 0:09:47We didn't have bunting back then, it didn't look as glamorous as this
0:09:47 > 0:09:49but this is where...
0:09:49 > 0:09:53- Yeah.- ..I used to come year after year and we'd just spend hours...
0:09:53 > 0:09:56- What, just playing on the beach? - Frisbee, kite flying.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58- You see how windy it is...- Yeah. - ..good for kites.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01It's a shame we haven't got a kite today because I'll tell you what...
0:10:01 > 0:10:03- I know.- ..this is kite flying weather.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Yeah, it totally is. It totally is.
0:10:05 > 0:10:06It's fabulous.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09What was it called? Do you remember what it was called, the hotel?
0:10:09 > 0:10:12- I think it was called Heath House Hotel.- Oh, right.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Yeah. And I... Yeah, we used to go there yearly.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19- Well, unfortunately, it was pulled down in '96, I found out.- Oh, right.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22- Oh, '96, was it?- However...
0:10:22 > 0:10:23- Yes?- ..I've got...
0:10:23 > 0:10:26This is their leaflet.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31"Holidays with freedom. Heath House Family Hotel."
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Oh, my goodness me.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36"Your inspection invited."
0:10:36 > 0:10:39"Views of the river, sea, mountains..."
0:10:39 > 0:10:41- Golf course.- "..and golf course."
0:10:41 > 0:10:43- "Public footpath to beach, two minutes."- Yeah.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45"Nappy buckets." SHE LAUGHS
0:10:45 > 0:10:47What more could you want here?
0:10:47 > 0:10:49"Baby bath, nappy buckets."
0:10:49 > 0:10:54- It is a proper family-run hotel. - Yeah.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56'The hotel may be long gone,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58'but I've got plenty of other things lined up
0:10:58 > 0:11:02'that will remind Mel of her holiday of yesteryear.'
0:11:02 > 0:11:04- Shall we have a look along?- Yeah, come on.- Come on.- Let's go.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07- Here.- Oh, thanks, Len.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09THEY LAUGH
0:11:09 > 0:11:12'And first up is a visit to Conwy
0:11:12 > 0:11:14'to see the smallest house in Britain.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17'This tiny home was last lived in, in 1900
0:11:17 > 0:11:22'by a local fisherman who was...6'3"? No!'
0:11:22 > 0:11:24I recognise this.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Yeah, I've not been in it for a very long time.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30- The smallest house in Great Britain. - Yeah.
0:11:30 > 0:11:31- Want to go in?- Yeah.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Ho-ho!
0:11:34 > 0:11:36- Watch your head, Len.- Yeah.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Oh, this is co...
0:11:38 > 0:11:40- Cosy is the word.- Yeah.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Can you believe somebody actually lived here?
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Yeah. Well, you know, you've got almost everything.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48You've got the dining area here, the bed...
0:11:48 > 0:11:50- I don't think there's a toilet.- No.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53I think if you were putting out the fire, you could do it there.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56- Yeah. You've got the sea right outside.- You have, yeah.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- I suppose you could...- I'm sure it was bedpan central at that point.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Yeah, I think you're right.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03- Well, that obviously must be the bedroom.- Yeah.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- Do you want to go and look or shall I go?- Go on.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08- Shall I go and have a look?- Go and have a look.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Gosh, I was considerably smaller last time I came in here.
0:12:11 > 0:12:12Yeah, be careful.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14- Wow!- It must be tiny.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17It's so small. That little fire, as well.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- Can you believe how dangerous that probably was?- Yeah.
0:12:20 > 0:12:21Unbelievable.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28'I think this is what an estate agent might describe as bijou.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32'Still, this seems like the perfect time to enjoy some SMALL talk
0:12:32 > 0:12:35'about Melanie's childhood.'
0:12:35 > 0:12:38- What was your house like where you lived?- Erm...
0:12:38 > 0:12:41- Obviously, bigger than this. - Yes, it was bigger than this.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43It was sort of a newish build, new estate, really
0:12:43 > 0:12:46- and three-bedroomed...- Yeah.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49- ..semidetached house.- Yeah.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52And I shared...me and my sisters shared a room for years,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54- all of us in the same room.- Yeah.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56And how did your mum and dad meet?
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Well, my dad was working in a shoe shop.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02- He was mending shoes, he was a cobbler...- Yeah.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07- and my mum was selling the shoes. - Ah.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10- So, they met at the shoe shop. - Right, lovely.- Yeah.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13And then he just... Yeah, he fell in love with her,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17she's so exotic and gorgeous and they got married.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19- Lovely.- Yeah.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22- In the shoe shop.- In the shoe shop, yeah.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24I would say let's get up and have a dance,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27- but I don't think really we've got quite enough movement for that.- No.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30- Fascinating little place.- Yeah, it's great, isn't it?
0:13:30 > 0:13:31- Shall we get on?- Yeah, let's do it.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Come on, look... Yeah, we're off.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36- After you.- Thank you.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40'This place was certainly small, but it was perfectly formed.'
0:13:41 > 0:13:45And if you want to know about some of the other biggest attractions
0:13:45 > 0:13:47in the area, then you're in luck
0:13:47 > 0:13:52because I've picked seven of the best to tell you about.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Now, did you know that during World War II,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Llandudno played home to the Inland Revenue?
0:13:58 > 0:14:01No? Well, that's just one of the facts you can find out
0:14:01 > 0:14:03at the Home Front Experience.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06The man behind the museum is Adrian Hughes.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09I started collecting in the 1980s and throughout the '90s
0:14:09 > 0:14:13and then from '95 onwards, which was the 50th anniversary of VE Day,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17there was a huge amount of interest and it was then that I decided
0:14:17 > 0:14:19to try and do something with my collection.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23And in 1999, I bought this old fire station
0:14:23 > 0:14:25and opened to the public in 2000.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29You can see all sorts here, from gas masks to groceries.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Oh-ho! That takes me back.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35For many people, it's a nostalgic trip down memory lane,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38whereas for others, younger people, it's a history lesson.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43For something a bit more extreme, Llandudno Ski and Snowboard Centre
0:14:43 > 0:14:47is home to the longest toboggan run in Britain.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52That's 750m of pure exhilaration...or plain fear.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55It might appeal to a sporty-looking lass like Mel.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03'In fact, a little bird tells me that she was barmy about badminton,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06'so I've arranged a bit of a treat on the beach for her.'
0:15:06 > 0:15:09I've heard you're pretty sporty, is that true?
0:15:09 > 0:15:11- Are you a sporty sort of...? - I am, yeah.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14I'm getting sportier as I get older, work that out.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17- Are you competitive?- Very.
0:15:17 > 0:15:18- Yeah, so am I.- Yeah, I am.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21So, what I would like to do is have a badminton competition with you.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25- Oh, no.- And the loser buys the ice creams.
0:15:25 > 0:15:26- OK, fine, deal.- Yeah?
0:15:26 > 0:15:30- Yeah, deal.- The net is here.- Oh, my God.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32I need to change my shoes.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34- Now, look...- It's too windy to play badminton.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36You're getting all competitive already.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38You've got to have special shoes.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Well, I can't wear these on a beach.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47'So, after a quick change of footwear, we're good to go.'
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Are you ready for a thrashing?
0:15:49 > 0:15:53- Don't say that. I'm very good with the old shuttlecock.- Are you?
0:15:53 > 0:15:54- Here we go.- Come on, then.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Ooh! THEY LAUGH
0:15:59 > 0:16:00Whayy!
0:16:00 > 0:16:03A bit quick that, wasn't it? I don't know my own strength.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Oh, wind got it.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09- I've got another one, leave that. - Did you see that little move then?
0:16:09 > 0:16:10What did you want to be when you grew up?
0:16:10 > 0:16:12What was your ambition when you were a kid?
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Did you have something you really wanted to do?
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Do you know what I really wanted to do?
0:16:16 > 0:16:18I wanted to be a professional ice skater
0:16:18 > 0:16:22and I only went on skates about two years ago for the first time.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25So, I used to glide round the living room as if I was on skates.
0:16:25 > 0:16:26Here we go.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Oh, no!
0:16:29 > 0:16:30Here, let me get this.
0:16:31 > 0:16:32Go on, then. You have a serve.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Oh, God. Right, you'd better serve.
0:16:37 > 0:16:38Oii.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41'It's been 35 years since Mel played badminton
0:16:41 > 0:16:43'on her childhood holiday in Wales.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48'Plenty has changed since then, but some things remain the same.'
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Oh, no! It's getting heavy, this rain. Oh, my God!
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Let's go in, come on.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Typical, rain has stopped play.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01So, let's find out more about the area's incredible history
0:17:01 > 0:17:03as we wait for the clouds to pass.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Whatever the weather, the charm of this small town
0:17:13 > 0:17:16has always pulled in the punters.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19And never more so than in the reign of Queen Victoria,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22when each summer swarms of holiday-makers
0:17:22 > 0:17:23would descend on the area.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29People were coming from Lancashire and even Yorkshire
0:17:29 > 0:17:30for a holiday in Llandudno.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34You would have a town would close down all the mills for a week
0:17:34 > 0:17:36and everybody would go on holiday.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Well, a lot of people went to Blackpool,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41but a lot came to Llandudno.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43And with improvements to public transport,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46the visitors just kept on coming.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49The railways came in 1858
0:17:49 > 0:17:53and quite rapidly they had to expand the railway station
0:17:53 > 0:17:56and put in lots of sidings
0:17:56 > 0:17:59because the amount of traffic was coming in.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02People were pouring into Llandudno by train
0:18:02 > 0:18:07and so it had to be expanded dramatically to cope with that.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10And it was big business, it really was big business.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Today in Llandudno, hey-hey, the sun's back out.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Hey, this is gorgeous, it really is.
0:18:21 > 0:18:22A great view, isn't it?
0:18:22 > 0:18:25- Oh, look at that view.- Unbelievable.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Now, I'll tell you what we haven't had, a selfie.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30- Oh, are we having a selfie?- Yeah.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32- I'm very technical, as you can imagine.- OK.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36- Look at you go.- Now I'm going to... - You're so with it, Len.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38- Now, take your glasses...- OK. - Come on.- All right, yeah.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40You're supposed to be a model.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43- Wait a minute, let me...- That's it. - Oh.- Oh, that's a winner.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47Now, look, watch the boyish grin just come in.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49THEY LAUGH
0:18:49 > 0:18:53- That's nice, you need to send me that.- I will send it to you.- Yeah.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Now, could you give me a few tips?
0:18:55 > 0:18:59I want you to imagine that you are the cameraman.
0:18:59 > 0:19:00Right.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05So, should I go for the sort of side on butch look?
0:19:05 > 0:19:07OK, yeah, that's good. I'm liking that.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11SHE LAUGHS That's Bruce's one,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13you can't nick Bruce's!
0:19:15 > 0:19:17- Oh, God. Flipping 'eck.- No?
0:19:17 > 0:19:19You don't like it?
0:19:21 > 0:19:23SHE LAUGHS
0:19:23 > 0:19:25I don't like that one.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28- OK, go.- Moody.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Moody.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Yeah, I like it, but you're all about the smile,
0:19:33 > 0:19:34so you've got to do... That's it!
0:19:34 > 0:19:36- I've just got to go with it, haven't I?- You've got to go
0:19:36 > 0:19:39- with what you've got.- Yeah.- And it's good, believe me.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Come on, we've got more to do.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47No holiday experience is complete without sampling the local tucker
0:19:47 > 0:19:51and when a young Melanie Sykes visited Llandudno back in 1980,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54she scoffed ice cream.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57So, to tantalise those taste buds once again,
0:19:57 > 0:20:01I've arranged for her to sample some of the finest flavours in town.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04I bet there are a few more on the menu today
0:20:04 > 0:20:07than there were 35 years ago.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09How many flavours do you have?
0:20:09 > 0:20:13Over 24 at a time, but in the 18 months since we've been open,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16we've done, like, 175, 200 maybe.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18What's your favourite flavour?
0:20:18 > 0:20:21I like just classic chocolate, to be honest,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24but I do like a bit of choc and mint, as well.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27I like vanilla, plain and simple,
0:20:27 > 0:20:32but what I do like with it is a few hundreds and thousands.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34- Oh, yeah. I like that.- Do you know what I mean?- I like that.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38- And then that red stuff.- Raspberry ripple.- A bit of raspberry ripple.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40- So, a classic ice cream?- Yes.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43'It doesn't matter what yours truly likes, though,
0:20:43 > 0:20:48'because today's special is going to be lemon meringue flavour for Mel.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50'She and I are going to learn how to prepare it
0:20:50 > 0:20:55'under the watchful eye of ice cream entrepreneur Dave Page.'
0:20:55 > 0:20:58OK. So, you just pull the handle to the left, slide it up
0:20:58 > 0:21:00- and slide it back round. There you go.- Oh, right.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Slide it back round. There you go.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04Now, remember, you're in control,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07so when you think you've got enough just slide it down.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09- I'll slide it down.- That's enough.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11- Oh, yeah. There you go.- Steady. - It went a bit bonkers there.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13OK, it's not the worst start, to be fair.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17- A handful of meringue pieces in there for me.- I'm taking notes.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Perfect. A good old squeeze of the lemon ripple.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24'I feel like I'm on an episode of The Generation Game here.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26'I hope you're watching, Brucey.'
0:21:26 > 0:21:28- Do you know what?- I...- You have done this before, haven't you?
0:21:28 > 0:21:32No, but when I do anything that I'm excited, I flatulate,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35- so be very careful.- I'm right behind you, so please don't.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38- I was going to say...- Well, that's me done.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42- Lovely.- May I hold that up to the camera?
0:21:42 > 0:21:44It's a feastive fest.
0:21:44 > 0:21:45Look at it here.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47- Brilliant, Len, well done.- Thank you.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Thank you very much for that, that was great.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51'He's right, you know. Let's see if Mel is as cool as I am
0:21:51 > 0:21:53'when it comes to whipping up her batch.'
0:21:53 > 0:21:56- You're going to miss the pot. - I'm not, I'm not, I'm not.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58- That's all right.- It'll be enough.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Brilliant.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02'Well, it's not bad, I suppose.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05'But it's not as luscious-looking as mine.'
0:22:05 > 0:22:08- OK.- Maybe a little bit too much.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10'Oh, Mel! What are you doing, girl?'
0:22:11 > 0:22:14- I'm making a mess.- Quick as we can now.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18- What an absolute mess. - SHE LAUGHS
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Right. Oh, my days.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22That's it, lovely, wonderful.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24All right, all right, not too much.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Artistically place three half-meringues in there...
0:22:26 > 0:22:29- MOUTHS: It's not good. - ..anywhere you choose.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34- Ta-da!- Perfect. Excellent. - Look at that beauty.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Now, wait a minute, we'll have a comparison.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42'I think it's clear to see who's the winner here. Sorry, Mel.'
0:22:42 > 0:22:44I'm not being funny, cos it's not in my nature,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46but just take a butchers.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50Mel's. Look, Eh?
0:22:50 > 0:22:51Now, come across.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Look at the artistic way I've placed those.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Look, the crumble's just a hint.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00This really, looks like a building site.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Mine...Taj Mahal.
0:23:03 > 0:23:04Enough said.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09'But the proof of the lemon meringue ice cream
0:23:09 > 0:23:11'is surely in the eating.'
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Oh, this is nice.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Isn't this nice? I must say...
0:23:18 > 0:23:21- Oh, I'm dripping.- I love it here, Llandudno.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23- Yeah.- Llandudno, fabulous.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25It's nice, isn't it?
0:23:25 > 0:23:27- Is this the one you made, yeah?- This is me.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30- And you want to...- Which is your one, green spoon?- Hm-hm.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39I'm not getting any lemon in yours.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Has it got too much meringue?
0:23:42 > 0:23:44- Over-meringued.- Over-meringued.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46You've really gone to town on the meringue.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50- Yeah, but you know, you've got to have that crunch.- Yeah, well...
0:23:50 > 0:23:52I've got a bit of crunch and lemon.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54You have, I suppose.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59This reminds me a bit of that advert you did.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03- Oh, yeah, for the bitter?- Yeah.- I know.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06- I was in the ice cream van, wasn't I?- Yeah.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10- And I said to the guy, "Do you want a flake in that, love?"- Yeah.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12HE IMITATES MEL'S ACCENT: Do you want a flake in that, love?
0:24:12 > 0:24:15And do you know the amount of times people say that to me?
0:24:15 > 0:24:17I swear to God, it must be about four or five times a day
0:24:17 > 0:24:18and it's a long time ago now.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22- I think it's 15 years ago that advert come out.- Really?- Yeah.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24When was it you realised
0:24:24 > 0:24:27that you were well-known on the telly and so on?
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Well, I'd done the advert and it had come out,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33the first advert, which wasn't the ice cream one, but...
0:24:33 > 0:24:36And within the space of a week,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39- people were shouting me in the street and stuff.- Yeah.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41It was really weird cos it was very high profile.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45- I knew it before I did it that it would make a bit of a splash.- Yeah.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49But I didn't know it was going to change my career completely
0:24:49 > 0:24:52and make me known, I had no idea.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55I thought, "Oh, I'll get more modelling work after this,"
0:24:55 > 0:24:58and instead I just got more TV work. It was an extraordinary time
0:24:58 > 0:25:01and a bit strange, but it was nice, you know.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03- It was a total career change, really.- It was
0:25:03 > 0:25:06and I wasn't even looking for one, but I was at an age where
0:25:06 > 0:25:08- I could have done with it.- Yeah.- I mean, I was about 26
0:25:08 > 0:25:11and as a model, I suppose that's considered old.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14They'd started telling me to lie about my age. Can you imagine?
0:25:14 > 0:25:17- I was 26.- Really?- Yeah. "Lie about your height, lie about your age."
0:25:17 > 0:25:20And I was like, "This is nonsense," you know.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24The adverts came out and a lot of TV producers started to ask
0:25:24 > 0:25:27to meet me and I started doing screen tests for things
0:25:27 > 0:25:28and I kept getting everything.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31And I just kept going and going and it eclipsed my modelling career
0:25:31 > 0:25:34and that's been it for the past I don't know how many years.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38What was weird is for my whole modelling career everybody was,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41you know, and if I went in for a commercial,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44- my accent was going against me, always.- Yeah.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46And then I, obviously, end up with a product
0:25:46 > 0:25:49that was a northern product and that was it.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52It was the first time I was allowed to speak on a commercial
0:25:52 > 0:25:54- instead of just looking nice.- Yeah.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56- And then it just all went...- Whoosh and away it went.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Whoosh and away it went.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00- That was delicious.- It was so good, yeah.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03- Here we go, up the mountain.- All right, let's go.- Oh-ho!
0:26:07 > 0:26:09While we head for the hills,
0:26:09 > 0:26:14here's my next top tips guaranteed to make any trip to North Wales
0:26:14 > 0:26:17SUMMIT to write home about.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23One way to experience the fabulous headland known as the Great Orme
0:26:23 > 0:26:28is on a vintage bus, complete with a live commentary.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31The scenic tour runs all year round,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33but whenever you choose to go,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36there are stunning views in all directions -
0:26:36 > 0:26:38from the flora and fauna in the summertime
0:26:38 > 0:26:42to the crashing of the waves on a stormy winter's day.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Oi! Tickets, please.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49No seaside resort is complete without a decent playhouse
0:26:49 > 0:26:54and standing proudly on the seafront is the Llandudno theatre.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58It only opened its doors for the first time in 2007,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02but the area has always had a rich history of theatre.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05This site was originally the Victoria theatre,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09the Victoria Palace, which was built in 1894.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12So, in those days, it was proper kind of seaside holidays,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15so good family fun in the theatre,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18lots of variety and that kind of thing.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22The new auditorium that stands where the Victoria once was
0:27:22 > 0:27:26is capable of accommodating the best shows around.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29The biggest show, the biggest event in our calendar
0:27:29 > 0:27:31is the annual pantomime.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33So, that's with us for three weeks
0:27:33 > 0:27:37and brings in almost 40,000 people to the area.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Oh, yes, it does!
0:27:41 > 0:27:45The Great Orme Tramway is Britain's only cable-hauled
0:27:45 > 0:27:47public road transportation system
0:27:47 > 0:27:51and it's been delighting visitors to Llandudno
0:27:51 > 0:27:53since it opened back in 1902.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56Now, it's time for me and Mel to hop onboard.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59- Look at it.- Isn't it beautiful. - There you are.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04- After you.- Thank you.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Here we go. So, did you used to go on this as a child?
0:28:07 > 0:28:09Yeah, I've been on this as a child.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11- I've also been on with my children, as well.- Yeah?
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Yeah, it's really nice up there.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16The views are amazing and it's just a nice way to go up.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18- I can't wait.- Yeah, you'll enjoy it.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20And what's lovely it's still as it was.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22- Yeah, it's really old. - You know, it's not...
0:28:22 > 0:28:26I don't know how old it is, but, you know, it's just beautiful.
0:28:26 > 0:28:27It's old.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29It's older than me and that's old.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33- Flipping ancient.- Ancient, it is.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37- Ooh!- Here we go, here we go.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41I'm going to have to keep remembering to look behind as well
0:28:41 > 0:28:44cos you'll see all sorts of lovely things from out the back window.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47- It's good, isn't it?- I'll wait till we get up a bit.- Yeah.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Would you all be coming on the tram?
0:28:51 > 0:28:55Yeah, we'd all come on the tram - my mum, my dad and my sisters.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59- And again, depending on the holiday, whoever we had with us.- Yeah.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01And we were always dead envious of the people that lived
0:29:01 > 0:29:03- in these lovely houses...- God, yes.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05..because when it's your holiday place,
0:29:05 > 0:29:07- you always want to live there, don't you?- Yeah, yeah.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10I mean, I think my parents had dreams of moving to Wales -
0:29:10 > 0:29:11it never happened.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14But you do, you think, "All these lucky people that live here."
0:29:14 > 0:29:17- But look at that beauty there. - It's fantastic.
0:29:17 > 0:29:22So, yeah, we'd probably come on this every time we came here, yeah.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25- Well, why wouldn't you?- Yeah, it's gorgeous.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27Yeah, I wouldn't mind doing two or three trips today,
0:29:27 > 0:29:29reel it up and down.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Yeah, it is lovely.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35'The tram car takes you on an awe-inspiring journey
0:29:35 > 0:29:38'up the Great Orme Country Park and Nature Reserve.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41'If the destination is half as good as the journey,
0:29:41 > 0:29:44'we're in for a real treat.'
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Oh, look, there's one coming down the other side.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Hey! Hey, come on!
0:29:49 > 0:29:51OTHER TRAM RIDERS CHEER Come on! Hey! Cheer up!
0:29:51 > 0:29:55Cheer up a bit! LEN AND MEL LAUGH
0:29:55 > 0:29:57TRAM HORN SOUNDS Whay-hey!
0:29:59 > 0:30:02Well, you see, they're miserable cos they're coming down.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04- We've got all the thrill of the view.- Exactly and getting up there.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08- Yeah.- Yeah.- God, it absolutely rockets along, doesn't it(?)
0:30:08 > 0:30:13'But what it lacks in speed, it more than makes up for with the views.'
0:30:13 > 0:30:15Isn't that amazing?
0:30:15 > 0:30:18You know, I had that as a screensaver on my phone
0:30:18 > 0:30:20- for a long time.- Really?
0:30:20 > 0:30:23Cos for me, it's just one of the most beautiful coastlines
0:30:23 > 0:30:27- I've ever seen.- It's like a perfect bay.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30- It's like a...- It's a crescent.- It is, like a sickle.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33This is lovely. It is, really.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36'To get to the top of the Great Orme,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39'you need to swap trams halfway up.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43'So, it's all change for Mel and I and it looks like they've laid on
0:30:43 > 0:30:45'an extra special carriage for us.'
0:30:46 > 0:30:49- Here we are.- Oh, look out.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51Oh, look at the number.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54It's number SEVEN. MEL LAUGHS
0:30:54 > 0:30:56- Oh, good.- I love that. - Oh, that'll be all right.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00That's Brilliant.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04- Here we go.- Oh, my God. - Now, we get a nice breeze.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08THEY LAUGH
0:31:09 > 0:31:11- Oh, come on.- Oh, gosh!
0:31:11 > 0:31:14'I didn't realise the seven stood for gale-force seven.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18'I just hope we're going to be blown away by the views from the top
0:31:18 > 0:31:19'and not the wind.'
0:31:19 > 0:31:23- Let's get down a bit.- Yeah, this is mad, isn't it?
0:31:25 > 0:31:28- Oh, that's better.- It is, actually.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31I can honestly say I never even sat on the floor when I was a child
0:31:31 > 0:31:34- in this.- You don't get much of the view, but...
0:31:34 > 0:31:36- Oh, God.- Oh, my God.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39- I've never known it to be this windy.- No.
0:31:39 > 0:31:40But honestly, the view is good.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45- I think it's started to rain, as well.- Oh, that'll be nice(!)
0:31:46 > 0:31:49- But look back now down there. - Gorgeous, isn't it?- Gorgeous.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51- Yeah.- Isn't it?- Yeah, lovely...
0:31:53 > 0:31:54..but I need a hairbrush.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58Well. what a lark.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01- Well, I'll tell you what. - Oh, my God!
0:32:01 > 0:32:05- It was exciting.- Do you feel alive? That's the main thing! Whoa!
0:32:05 > 0:32:06Oh, yeah.
0:32:08 > 0:32:13'We may be windswept, but it's worth it, the views are breathtaking.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16'In fact, they say that on a clear day you can see as far
0:32:16 > 0:32:20'as the Isle of Man, Blackpool and the Lake District.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23'There's no wonder Victorian families used to flock up here
0:32:23 > 0:32:26'to watch the spectacular sunset.'
0:32:34 > 0:32:37Everywhere you turn in this part of the world,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40you can feel a little piece of history coming to life
0:32:40 > 0:32:43and that's certainly the case at Conwy Castle.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50It was built at the end of the 13th century by Edward I
0:32:50 > 0:32:53during his conquest of North Wales.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58It is really quite unique. It's built on a natural rock
0:32:58 > 0:33:02and so it...stands out there, really.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05It took six years to build, but when you look at it,
0:33:05 > 0:33:07the sheer scale of it,
0:33:07 > 0:33:11you would think that they were expecting a vast foreign army
0:33:11 > 0:33:14to come here, you know, like the Armada or something like that,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17but there was no threat of that, at all.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20What is quite unique about it as it is now,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23is that it's very, very much unspoilt.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26I suppose because it was in a little tricky place
0:33:26 > 0:33:28for anybody to spoil it, really.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32I mean, I know all of the rest of the castles in North Wales
0:33:32 > 0:33:35and Conwy is just far and away ahead of everything.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42Back in Llandudno, Mel and I have taken a walk
0:33:42 > 0:33:46along the prom, prom, prom and arrived at one of the town's
0:33:46 > 0:33:48most famous landmarks.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52At 700m in length, this is the longest pier in Wales
0:33:52 > 0:33:55and the fifth longest in Great Britain.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58It's also the perfect place to find out a bit more
0:33:58 > 0:34:01about Mel's marvellous career.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03So, coming here as a girl, ten years old,
0:34:03 > 0:34:07did you ever think in your wildest dreams your life would turn out
0:34:07 > 0:34:11- as it did?- Oh, gosh, nothing like how it's turned out.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13I mean, I just didn't think for a second I'd end up being on telly
0:34:13 > 0:34:16- and things like that, you know? I was quite shy.- Yeah.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22- Yeah, I wasn't the most outgoing girl.- Yeah.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27I was, yeah, just quieter, I think. I mean, I'm a chatterbox now.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30My family might say different, but what I remember of myself,
0:34:30 > 0:34:34I used to just do a lot of reading and I was just thoughtful.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37I certainly wasn't a jazz hands-type person.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39So, yeah, I suppose when I think of myself then,
0:34:39 > 0:34:42I just can't believe what I've ended up doing, really.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44- And what about the jungle?- I know.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46- In the last three of the jungle. - I know.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49- What made you go for that?- Well, I mean,
0:34:49 > 0:34:51they've been asking me for years and years.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54But I don't know, last year, I just thought, "I'm ready to do this.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58"I'm ready for a challenge." I was feeling good and strong
0:34:58 > 0:35:02and I went for it and I honestly thoroughly enjoyed it. It was good.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05See, I couldn't do it cos I can't stand any sort of
0:35:05 > 0:35:09- creepy crawlies or...- Yeah, but I'm scared of...I'm scared of everything
0:35:09 > 0:35:11and everybody says I couldn't do it. I'm telling you,
0:35:11 > 0:35:12if I can do it, you could do it.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14Cos the whole thing is mind over matter, really.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17- Cos nothing's going to kill you out there...- No, that's true.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19..so you've got nothing to worry about.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22But I'm quite logical and pragmatic about these things,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24- so I suppose that's why I did well. - Yeah.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28Do you think coming here and being with your mum and dad and...
0:35:28 > 0:35:31do you think that helped to make you who you became?
0:35:31 > 0:35:33Well, I definitely think...
0:35:33 > 0:35:38I'm definitely a product of my mum and dad in terms of my work ethic,
0:35:38 > 0:35:42how I feel about life, how I appreciate everything.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46I mean, I told you, we are a working-class family,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49my mum and dad worked so hard to get us that one holiday a year
0:35:49 > 0:35:54and I feel like I have all of that sense of, you know,
0:35:54 > 0:35:56those ethics in my life and...
0:35:56 > 0:35:58I'll just show you some pictures, actually.
0:35:58 > 0:36:04This is me with my mum and my sisters right here, actually.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07- You can see it's the same railings. Look.- Yeah.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09So, obviously, that's my mum.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11That's Wendy, Wendy Sykes.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13- Look how glamorous and fabulous she is.- Oh, yes.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15I can see where it all came from.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17- No, I can. Look at her...- I know, she's amazing.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21- ..artfully leaning.- Look at her. - look at her.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23That's my older sister, Samantha, there's me in the middle
0:36:23 > 0:36:25and my little sister, Stacey,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28- right here on the pier.- On the pier.
0:36:28 > 0:36:29Lovely.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33Talking of lovely, I think it's lovely on this pier
0:36:33 > 0:36:36- with the sunshine... Isn't it? Isn't it gorgeous?- Yeah.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40I know you could say it's a tad breezy, but it's just lovely.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42- Yeah, I'm glad you like it.- I do.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46- And I think what we should do is have a little stroll along...- Yeah.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48..and come to somewhere else that we like the look of
0:36:48 > 0:36:52- and have another little sit-down. - All right.- Come on then. Hey-hey!
0:36:55 > 0:36:57And while we take a stroll,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00I'll walk you through the final instalment of my seven sites
0:37:00 > 0:37:03to see in this part of North Wales.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06If you want to kick off your flip-flops
0:37:06 > 0:37:08and feel the sand between your toes,
0:37:08 > 0:37:12then take a trip to Llandudno's West Shore Beach.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15It's the perfect place to enjoy a picnic.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17Oh, yum, yum, pig's bum!
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Now, I bet you didn't know that Llandudno is home
0:37:21 > 0:37:25to one of the most outstanding archaeological discoveries
0:37:25 > 0:37:29of recent times. That's right, the Great Orme Copper Mines
0:37:29 > 0:37:32date back over 4,000 years.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36The mine was only actually rediscovered back in 1987.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39So, it was mined very extensively in the Bronze Age
0:37:39 > 0:37:42and then again in the 18th and 19th centuries.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44And you get to see some of the Bronze Age tunnels,
0:37:44 > 0:37:47you get to see some of the Bronze Age caverns
0:37:47 > 0:37:49and you just get, you know, a little bit of an idea
0:37:49 > 0:37:51for what life must have been like for people working here
0:37:51 > 0:37:52thousands of years ago.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Top of the pile today is Conwy Valley Maze,
0:37:57 > 0:37:59covering around two acres of land,
0:37:59 > 0:38:02it's the largest garden maze in the world.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05No wonder it's known locally as "The Big One."
0:38:05 > 0:38:08And if that's not A-MAZE-ING enough for you,
0:38:08 > 0:38:11you can also go for a lovely woodland walk.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13Smashing!
0:38:16 > 0:38:19'Now, I really want to finish Mel's day off with a fanfare
0:38:19 > 0:38:23'and I think the next treat should hit all the right notes.'
0:38:23 > 0:38:26- I love a brass band.- I love a brass band.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28And the Llandudno Brass Band
0:38:28 > 0:38:32are going to put on a special performance just for you.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34- Oh, wow! - BAND STARTS TO PLAY
0:38:45 > 0:38:47'Now, I don't want to blow my own trumpet,
0:38:47 > 0:38:50'but it looks like Mel is really enjoying this
0:38:50 > 0:38:53'and that's not just because it reminds her of her childhood trips
0:38:53 > 0:38:54'to Wales.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58'Brass means much more to her than that.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00'Not only did her dad play the euphonium,
0:39:00 > 0:39:02'he was also an accomplished conductor.
0:39:02 > 0:39:07'In fact, he even taught our Mel to play the baritone horn.'
0:39:13 > 0:39:15THEY BOTH CHEER
0:39:15 > 0:39:17- Well done!- Oh, well done!
0:39:17 > 0:39:19Thank you so much.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21So, how long has the band been formed?
0:39:21 > 0:39:24- It's over 100 years old the band. - Really?- Yes.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26And you've been... At the start?!
0:39:26 > 0:39:28Most of it! Most of it!
0:39:28 > 0:39:31LAUGHTER It's fabulous.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33So, brass bands are massively important in my life.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36I love the sound of them, they make me want to cry and it's just...
0:39:36 > 0:39:40- Thank you.- 'Who knew she had so much music in her bones?
0:39:40 > 0:39:42'But will she be able to join in today?
0:39:42 > 0:39:45'Band leader John has brought along an extra horn.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47'I just hope he doesn't come to regret it.'
0:39:47 > 0:39:49I can't do it! Can't do it! Can't do it!
0:39:49 > 0:39:52Well, shall we just try?
0:39:52 > 0:39:53Yeah, go on, have a bash.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56I should maybe go in my section.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58Yes, go on.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01Any time you hit a bum note, look at the lady next door and go...
0:40:01 > 0:40:03LAUGHTER "What's going on here?"
0:40:03 > 0:40:06- OK, go on, then, let's try.- Ready? - Yeah.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08One, two... BAND STARTS TO PLAY
0:40:30 > 0:40:33'I tell you what, for someone who has just been surprised
0:40:33 > 0:40:36'with the horn, Mel is doing a cracking job.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40'I'm sure her dad would be as proud as punch, too.'
0:40:40 > 0:40:43BAND CONTINUES
0:40:46 > 0:40:49SINGS: Bah, ba-ba, ba!
0:40:49 > 0:40:52- Oi!- Yeah, that'll do it!- Hey, come on over there.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56How about... Go on, standing ovation, get up!
0:40:58 > 0:41:02'That was the perfect end to a perfect day.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06'It's been an absolute delight spending time with Melanie Sykes
0:41:06 > 0:41:08'in North Wales.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11'We've banded around some childhood memories...'
0:41:11 > 0:41:13- Oh, wind got it!- I've got another one, leave that one.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15Did you see that little move then?
0:41:15 > 0:41:18'..and mixed it up with the best of them
0:41:18 > 0:41:20'to get a real flavour of the area...'
0:41:20 > 0:41:21I'm making a mess.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24What an absolute mess!
0:41:24 > 0:41:27'..and of course, we've been blown away by the beautiful scenery.'
0:41:27 > 0:41:29Isn't that amazing?
0:41:33 > 0:41:35Well, I tell you what, Mel.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39I have never holidayed in North Wales or Wales,
0:41:39 > 0:41:42- but I must say this is fantastic. - Isn't it beautiful?
0:41:42 > 0:41:45- I'm glad you like it.- I really do.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48You know, it's just so picturesque.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52Isn't it? And peaceful, it's nice, isn't it? It's got nice energy.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55- Yeah. It's the place to come for a family holiday...- Yeah.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57- It's absolutely lovely.- Yeah, good.
0:41:57 > 0:42:02Now, we never finish this show without... We give a little gift...
0:42:02 > 0:42:04- Oh, yeah?- ..to our guests.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07- Oh, that's nice. I didn't know that. - Oh, yes.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10Now, don't get overexcited.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14First of all, we have a Holiday Of My Lifetime scrapbook...
0:42:14 > 0:42:18- Oh!- ..with all the photographs and things of, you know,
0:42:18 > 0:42:21- our little stay together...- Oh, wow!
0:42:21 > 0:42:24- ..pictures and so on.- That's so nice.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26'For the lovely Mel, a picture book
0:42:26 > 0:42:28'of memories of our time together
0:42:28 > 0:42:31'in fabulous North Wales.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33'And I've got one final surprise
0:42:33 > 0:42:35'that will hopefully help her remember
0:42:35 > 0:42:38'the holiday for many more years to come.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42'A framed picture of Llandudno back in the day
0:42:42 > 0:42:46'and the vintage advert for the hotel where she used to stay
0:42:46 > 0:42:48'all those years ago.'
0:42:48 > 0:42:51That's so fantastic.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53That's so lovely. Thank you.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56That is so going up at my home. Thank you so much.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58It's been a pleasure.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00'So, goodbye from North Wales,
0:43:00 > 0:43:04'the perfect place for the British summer holiday
0:43:04 > 0:43:08'and somewhere that will forever be close to Mel's heart.'