0:00:02 > 0:00:05'Childhood holidays - ho-ho, the anticipation seemed endless.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08'The holiday itself? Well, it was over too quickly.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13'So, in this series, I'm going to be reliving those wonderful times
0:00:13 > 0:00:15'with some much-loved famous faces.'
0:00:15 > 0:00:17This is a memory I will treasure.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21'Every day, I'll be arranging a few surprises to transport them
0:00:21 > 0:00:23'back in time.'
0:00:23 > 0:00:25I feel as though we're about to go over the edge.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Don't say that.
0:00:27 > 0:00:28'We'll relive the fun...'
0:00:28 > 0:00:31THEY LAUGH Oh!
0:00:31 > 0:00:32Ah! No! No!
0:00:32 > 0:00:35'..the games... HE GROANS
0:00:35 > 0:00:37'..and the food of years gone by...'
0:00:37 > 0:00:40- Oh, I'm so excited!- Oh, the taste...
0:00:40 > 0:00:42the taste of your childhood. THEY LAUGH
0:00:42 > 0:00:46'..to find out how those holidays around the UK helped shape
0:00:46 > 0:00:49'the people we know so well today.'
0:00:51 > 0:00:53LEN YELLS
0:00:53 > 0:00:55'So buckle up for Holiday Of My Lifetime.'
0:00:55 > 0:00:56Oh, yes!
0:00:56 > 0:00:57Can you come on all my holidays?
0:00:57 > 0:00:59I'll come on them. Yeah, of course I will.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07Today, I'm on my way to meet a certain lady
0:01:07 > 0:01:12who we've all got to know and love over the years.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14She was born in Chatham, Kent,
0:01:14 > 0:01:17in 1955.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20She really is in the swinging '60s in this photo.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25Now, us older viewers might remember her getting her big break
0:01:25 > 0:01:29on Dr Who with Tom Baker...
0:01:29 > 0:01:30or presenting on Jigsaw.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35And children of the ages will definitely remember her
0:01:35 > 0:01:40sailing onto our screens in the BBC's flagship children's show.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Now, there's a clue.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48Fortunately, her daughter got a ten from Len last time I saw her.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53And her mum's been known to try her hand at a new skill as well.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56She's never far from our screens.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59You must know who I'm talking about.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01It's that icon of broadcasting.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Yes, it's Janet Ellis!
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Ho-ho!
0:02:06 > 0:02:11And I'm on my way to pick her up in this fabulous Ford Anglia,
0:02:11 > 0:02:16just like the car that was her dad's pride and joy all those years ago.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Len and Janet, off on an adventure.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Janet Ellis was born in Kent in 1955.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Her dad served in the Army and was stationed in Britain
0:02:27 > 0:02:31and Germany, which meant young Janet and her little sister, Sharon,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35spent much of their childhood moving between the two countries
0:02:35 > 0:02:36with Mum at their side.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39With an interest in acting since the age of just five,
0:02:39 > 0:02:40Janet eventually attended
0:02:40 > 0:02:43the Central School of Speech and Drama in London.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Her first TV break came in 1978
0:02:47 > 0:02:50when she appeared in Jackanory Playhouse
0:02:50 > 0:02:53and then children's puzzle show Jigsaw,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55where she stayed for four years.
0:02:55 > 0:03:00But it was in 1983 when she joined the presenting team of the TV
0:03:00 > 0:03:04institution of Blue Peter that shot her into the limelight.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09She stands out for her daredevil stunts, like RAF freefall jumps,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13especially when she returned to training after injuring her pelvis.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Oh, what a trouper!
0:03:15 > 0:03:20After four years, she departed Blue Peter and has become an author
0:03:20 > 0:03:23but is still a regular face on our TV screens.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Today, I'm taking her back to a memorable summer holiday
0:03:26 > 0:03:28of her youth.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31But first, to surprise her with the car of her childhood.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35- Janet.- Oh, my!
0:03:35 > 0:03:38- Do you recognise the car?- Oh, I do.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43- Oh, it's lovely to see you.- It's lovely to see you. And my chariot.
0:03:43 > 0:03:44It makes me feel a bit...
0:03:44 > 0:03:48My father had a Ford Anglia
0:03:48 > 0:03:50as his first new car.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54And he was an engineer, he was in the Royal Engineers then.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55And he didn't think it was a car
0:03:55 > 0:03:58unless you could take up the bonnet, take it all apart, put it
0:03:58 > 0:04:01back together again, and that's what he spent most weekends doing.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05And, oh, look, it's so beautiful! Was it nice to drive?
0:04:05 > 0:04:08- It's lovely to drive.- Was it? - So, where are we off to?
0:04:08 > 0:04:12- The New Forest. - Oh, I love the New Forest.- Do you?
0:04:12 > 0:04:16- And what's the year?- 1963.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19'63 was the year The Beatles number one.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22- Number one.- For 30 weeks.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24- Was it?- Yeah.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Well, yeah, it was the swinging '60s,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28but obviously, I was only eight.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29That was happening somewhere else.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Well, the album was Please Please Me, so...
0:04:32 > 0:04:33Please please me,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36- jump in the car...- Thank you. - ..and we'll take off.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Look at this.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40- Why don't they make cars like this any more?- I don't...
0:04:40 > 0:04:41Here you go.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Less than ten miles southeast of Salisbury and just outside
0:04:48 > 0:04:53of Southampton, the New Forest was originally a royal hunting preserve.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57Today, it is a thriving, working forest with fascinating wildlife.
0:04:57 > 0:05:03Covering 145 square miles, it's survived almost 1,000 years.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06'We're going back a fraction of that to 1963
0:05:06 > 0:05:08'to see some fabulous foals...'
0:05:08 > 0:05:12Oh, look, talking of New Forest ponies...
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Look!
0:05:14 > 0:05:15'..fumble over fromage...'
0:05:17 > 0:05:18Yeah, almost.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21'..and enjoy all the fun of the fair.'
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Farewell! Farewell, everyone!
0:05:24 > 0:05:28- Oh, Len, you are a knight in shining armour.- Exactly.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30LEN LAUGHS
0:05:33 > 0:05:37But before a holiday begins, you must set out on a journey.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41And for Janet, that meant spending hours in the Anglia.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45And it's not long before the memories come flooding back.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49So what is it like to be back in the old car?
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Well, I'm feeling a bit special, obviously,
0:05:51 > 0:05:52cos I'm in the front seat.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54This is where my mother would've sat.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56And I don't think,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59even when it was just me and my dad, him giving me a lift somewhere,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01I don't think I ever sat in the front with him.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04So who would've been in the car on your journey?
0:06:04 > 0:06:07It's my dad. My mum here.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Me there and my sister, Sharon, who's two years younger than me.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12- Oh, she's younger?- She's younger.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16And were you a well-behaved couple of little girls?
0:06:16 > 0:06:18- BOTH:- No.- No. In fact...
0:06:18 > 0:06:22Well, there were bits were lovely where we all used to sing.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26And that is a very happy memory, of us singing in the car
0:06:26 > 0:06:29and doing harmonies. Quite the Von Trapps.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Lots and lots of that.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Where had you come from? Was it a long journey?
0:06:33 > 0:06:35We came from Kent.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37And...
0:06:37 > 0:06:39I remember that thing of thinking,
0:06:39 > 0:06:43"Whatever happens on this holiday, the journey is great." And actually,
0:06:43 > 0:06:45I kind of think about that when I am going on holiday now.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48I always try and make the journey, as much as possible,
0:06:48 > 0:06:49part of the holiday.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51But this was a kind of real sense of freedom.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Look at it now, I mean, we are out in this open ground...
0:06:54 > 0:06:56- And it's wonderful. - ..and I'm talking about freedom.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57That is what it feels like.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00It feels like I've never been anywhere like this before.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02- You know, it's not fenced... It is exactly the same.- Yeah.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04It is exactly the same.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- And you never know what you're going to come across.- No.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12- There could be a deer.- Yeah. - Or ponies.- Oh, the ponies, yeah!
0:07:12 > 0:07:17- Talking of New Forest ponies... - Look!
0:07:17 > 0:07:20See, my fantasy was, when I first saw them roaming
0:07:20 > 0:07:25around like that, I thought you could kind of just take one home.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26- Take it home.- Yeah.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Back in 1963, when Janet was thinking of making off with
0:07:35 > 0:07:39a New Forest pony, Britain had just dealt with its coldest winter
0:07:39 > 0:07:44since 1740, with snow still on the ground until March.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48'Our rescue team has now reached one of the loneliest pubs in Dartmoor.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51'It is on the road from Moretonhampstead to Princetown
0:07:51 > 0:07:54'and snowploughs had a hard job cutting their way through.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58'After battling against enormous snowdrifts for half a mile,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01'the rescuers were glad of a warming drink.'
0:08:01 > 0:08:02But as the sun came out,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05dark clouds gathered for the conservative government
0:08:05 > 0:08:08as War Minister John Profumo's
0:08:08 > 0:08:11scandalous affair with Christine Keeler
0:08:11 > 0:08:13hit the headlines, leading to his resignation.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Oh, naughty-naughty, Johnny.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18It was another scandal for Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's
0:08:18 > 0:08:23government. And some months later, he too resigned. Oh, politicians!
0:08:23 > 0:08:25But they all may have found solace
0:08:25 > 0:08:28in a brand-new TV series called Dr Who.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Quick, get behind the sofa! Woohoo!
0:08:31 > 0:08:35And racing up the charts that year was Gerry and the Pacemakers
0:08:35 > 0:08:37with their summer hit...
0:08:37 > 0:08:38# I like it
0:08:38 > 0:08:40# I like it
0:08:40 > 0:08:42# I like the way you run
0:08:42 > 0:08:46# Your fingers through my hair
0:08:46 > 0:08:49# And I like the way you tickle my chin
0:08:49 > 0:08:52# And I like the way you let me come in
0:08:52 > 0:08:54# When your mother's not there... #
0:08:54 > 0:08:55Oh, yes.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57'But for eight-year-old Janet,
0:08:57 > 0:09:02'that summer was all about the family holiday to the New Forest.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05'And after the long journey, they'd finally arrived.'
0:09:08 > 0:09:11- Len, I was authentically stuck to the seat then.- Ah.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13That's brought a lot of it back.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19There's something to be said for air-conditioning.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22- But never mind. - SHE SIGHS
0:09:22 > 0:09:23Well...
0:09:23 > 0:09:26- Isn't this lovely?- It hasn't changed, because it can't, can it?
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- No, of course not. - It's amazing, isn't it?
0:09:28 > 0:09:32- There's all this open space and then suddenly a clump of trees.- Yeah.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35And I think it was designed, wasn't it? As a sort of hunting forest.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38- So they obviously cleared a lot and left these dense thickets.- Yeah.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40So it has such a distinctive look.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42- It's wonderful, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45When you arrived, what was the first thing you wanted to do?
0:09:45 > 0:09:48- Was it...?- Get on a pony. - Get on a pony, of course.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Even though I couldn't ride, I just thought,
0:09:50 > 0:09:55they're wandering around and they look really tame.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57- Because they are so sort of just... - Yeah.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59You think you can just walk up and jump on.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01- And my favourite book then was Black Beauty.- Right.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04I loved Black Beauty. And those ponies under the tree there just
0:10:04 > 0:10:06look like an illustration from Black Beauty to me.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09- Yeah.- So, yeah, it is like the pages of a book come to life.- Yeah.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12I wonder how many ponies there are wandering around. I've no idea.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Well, I can't furnish you with an answer.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18- However, I know someone who can. - You do?- I do.
0:10:18 > 0:10:19Take my arm.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22- And we'll walk this way. - OK. How nice.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- Right, now, I want you to meet someone...- Mm-hm.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29This is Jonathan.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- Jonathan, Janet.- Hi, Jonathan.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Janet just asked me
0:10:34 > 0:10:37how many ponies there were.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40And I said, "I know the chap." And it's you.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42- So...- Right.- How many are there?
0:10:42 > 0:10:47- At the moment, we have round about 5,000 ponies on the forest.- And why?
0:10:47 > 0:10:51We are very often asked that question. They all belong to people.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53They all belong to individual owners.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55We have around about 700 different owners.
0:10:55 > 0:10:56Some people own one or two,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58some people own quite large herds of them.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01And they keep them for all number of different reasons,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03mainly tradition, because people always kept
0:11:03 > 0:11:06ponies in the forest, going back hundreds and hundreds of years.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10- And what is your job?- My job, I am a New Forest agister.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12- Agister?- Agister.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15The word agist means to take in animals for payment.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Because of the people that own them,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20they pay a fee to put them out here, which I collect on behalf
0:11:20 > 0:11:22of the people I work for - the New Forest Verderers.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25They were created, if you like, to help
0:11:25 > 0:11:27manage the forest right back in medieval times.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29They appointed a number of local knights.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31These knights were also known as marksmen
0:11:31 > 0:11:34because they would mark the animals that were turned out to graze
0:11:34 > 0:11:36in the forest. Also known as agisters.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39So the whole thing goes right back to those early Norman times
0:11:39 > 0:11:41- when William the Conqueror created the New Forest.- Wow.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44- So you should be knighted, really. - Oh, I should be, really, yes.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48- From now on, Sir Jonathan. - Sir Jonathan of the New Forest.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51- Thank you very much indeed. - Fantastic.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Every individual animal carries its owner's brand.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57Each owner has a brand mark, and that signifies who owns that pony.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59That's very important for my job cos I need to know,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01from a welfare point of view, who owns what pony.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03I'm on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06with my other four colleagues, to help look after the animals
0:12:06 > 0:12:08while they are out grazing on the forest.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11As a little girl in '63,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Janet always wanted to pet them
0:12:14 > 0:12:15and feed them....
0:12:15 > 0:12:18- And take one home.- Take one home!
0:12:18 > 0:12:21- Right.- So do you get much of that sort of malarkey going on?
0:12:21 > 0:12:23Unfortunately, we do.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25And that is one of the big problems we have with all the number
0:12:25 > 0:12:27of visitors we get coming to the forest.
0:12:27 > 0:12:28I mean, it's lovely to come here,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31see the animals grazing in their natural sort of...
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Living their natural lives. But, please,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36we ask people not to feed them, not to pet them,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38not to get too close. They are semi-feral.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40There are basically wild.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Although they belong to people, they live a wild existence.
0:12:42 > 0:12:43So if people feed them,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45it attracts them to the roads, which is dangerous.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48It sort of instils in them behaviour where they might get
0:12:48 > 0:12:50quite demanding for that food, might bite or kick people.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53So we please ask people to admire them from a distance.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- It's been good, hasn't it? - Oh, it's great.- Interesting.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58On a day like this, have you got the best job in the world?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00- Absolutely, yeah. It's fantastic. - Course you have.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Well, thanks very much. It was lovely to talk to you.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05- Thank you very much indeed. - Thank you so much, Sir Jonathan.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07- Enjoy the rest of your day. - OK.- Thank you.- Bye-bye.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18I think the way people will pay for ponies to roam free here is
0:13:18 > 0:13:21fascinating. But it's not just ponies. Oh, no.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24You can release other animals into the forest,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26and it is known as commoning.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Suzie Moore knows more.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Commoning in the New Forest, it's like farming.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35What you have is properties and land that can be owned or rented have
0:13:35 > 0:13:37commoning rights attached to them.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40And that means you can then do certain things.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44So, for example, a commoner who has the right of pasture has the right
0:13:44 > 0:13:49to turn out ponies, cows and donkeys into the New Forest all year round.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53So it is like farming, but the animals are not contained.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56They're allowed out into the forest and can roam quite freely,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58and so are semi-wild.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01But there's more to these ponies than meets the eye,
0:14:01 > 0:14:05as they have a very important role in shaping the New Forest.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09The New Forest ponies, they are a particular breed.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11And they are very, very special.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14And they are known as architects of the forest
0:14:14 > 0:14:17because without the grazing that they do out there,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20the habitats within the forest would be very, very different.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22They'd be quite overgrown, quite scrubby.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Whereas, as they are now, they are really well-kept habitats.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33I'm taking Janet Ellis back to relive her childhood summer
0:14:33 > 0:14:37holiday to the New Forest in 1963.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Back then, the young Janet loved the funfair.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43So I am bringing her to this modern one,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45and it is sure to awaken some fond memories.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Ho-ho. Hey?
0:14:47 > 0:14:49This is a proper holiday -
0:14:49 > 0:14:52in a funfair, on a sunny day, with you.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54That's a proper holiday.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Well, I guess the funfair back in '63 wouldn't have been
0:14:57 > 0:14:58quite like this one.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01I don't know. But it would have felt as exciting.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04- BELL RINGS - There is a ride starting!
0:15:04 > 0:15:07No, it feels really exciting. And it feels happy and relaxed.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11- You know, when you were a little girl, were you quite brave?- No.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13SHE LAUGHS Would you go on anything?
0:15:13 > 0:15:16- I was really not. - I've been consistent.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19I was frightened of everything when I was eight,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23and so it went on till I'm 70. I don't like anything that goes fast.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26I don't like anything that goes up in the air too much.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29And I don't like anything that whirls around quickly.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32I tell you what, I wonder...
0:15:32 > 0:15:34I wonder if there is a tunnel of love.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37- WHIMSICALLY:- I hope so.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39LEN LAUGHS
0:15:39 > 0:15:44- Oh, now, something like that. That is a traditional ride.- Yes.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47- And that looks beautiful. - It does look beautiful.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49And I am prepared to go on it. Ho-ho-ho!
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- What do you want to go on, the horse?- Can I have that little one?
0:15:52 > 0:15:54- Can I? Go on, then, - you have the little one.- Yeah.
0:15:54 > 0:15:55And I'll have the big one.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59- This is a New Forest pony, you see, I recognise it.- Oh, yes.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02- A New Forest pony with ambitions. - I don't know if I can do...
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Trust me to get the one... SHE LAUGHS
0:16:05 > 0:16:07BELL RINGS Oh!
0:16:07 > 0:16:10LEN LAUGHS Oh, how exciting.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Ha-ha!
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Farewell!
0:16:15 > 0:16:21- Farewell, everyone.- Oh, Len, you are a knight in shining armour.- Exactly.
0:16:22 > 0:16:23Oh, love it!
0:16:23 > 0:16:25It's great, isn't it?
0:16:25 > 0:16:26Hello.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29- Hey-hey!- So pretty.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Ooh, love it!
0:16:32 > 0:16:35I'm holding the reins in the correct way, actually, I'll have you know.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36Oh, I've noticed. Yeah, you're good.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40I'm just hanging onto the pole. THEY LAUGH
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Oh, joy of joys!
0:16:43 > 0:16:45- One doesn't want it to end.- No.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50'The excitement of that has made me feel white daring,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54'so Janet has convinced me to take it up a gear. Oh-ho-ho!
0:16:54 > 0:16:56'I hope I'm going to regret this.'
0:16:56 > 0:16:59LEN YELLS AND LAUGHS
0:16:59 > 0:17:00Don't start.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06- This is the end of our funfairing. - Yeah, this is it.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08My centre of gravity has changed remarkably since I was eight.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11THEY LAUGH
0:17:11 > 0:17:13- Oh, no.- Oh, my!
0:17:13 > 0:17:15THEY YELL
0:17:17 > 0:17:19LEN LAUGHS Whoa!
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Whoa-ho-ho!
0:17:25 > 0:17:27- Len.- I don't know.- You are brave.
0:17:27 > 0:17:32- I'm brave!- You're brave. - I'm so brave.- You're so brave.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35- You survived the Cat-o-pillar. - I survived!
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Oh, eh!
0:17:39 > 0:17:41How great was that?
0:17:43 > 0:17:46'Oh, yes, the Bromley Braveheart strikes again.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48'But it's made me feel all queasy.'
0:17:50 > 0:17:52I only screamed about eight times.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Well, I find a seat to calm myself down...
0:17:59 > 0:18:00..here's seven of the best things
0:18:00 > 0:18:03to do in and around the fabulous New Forest.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13The Lepe Country Park has over a mile of beautiful coastline.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16You'll find breathtaking cliff-top views across the Solent
0:18:16 > 0:18:18towards the Isle of Wight.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21It's the perfect place for a tranquil stroll
0:18:21 > 0:18:25while watching the kayakers take to the water.
0:18:25 > 0:18:26Rather them than me!
0:18:26 > 0:18:29And if that makes you work up a thirst,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31head to the Ringwood Brewery tour.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34They've been brewing beer here since medieval times.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38A lot has changed since then, of course, but if you'd like to see
0:18:38 > 0:18:42how they do it now, Alex Harrison has all the gear for the beer.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Brewery tours are very popular at Ringwood Brewery.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46We've been running tours for about the last six years.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49We let our customers come into the brew bar,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52get a brief history of the brewery, walk around,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56see the actual brewery itself, and then have a chance to sample
0:18:56 > 0:18:59our entire range of beers in the bar afterwards.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02We've been making beer here in Ringwood since 1978.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04And Best Bitter and Fortyniner
0:19:04 > 0:19:06are still brewed to the exact same recipe.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09And you see all the beer here, fermenting away quite nicely.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12You get a really pungent aroma off it at the moment.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20After Janet and I's roller-coaster rocket down memory lane,
0:19:20 > 0:19:21we deserve a rest.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24And I want to find out about her passion for acting.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Well, I think I've got to have a sit-down.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30You know how to treat a girl, though, Len. Never let it be said.
0:19:30 > 0:19:31- That's what I am like.- Perfect.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34You can't beat a date with me. SHE CHUCKLES
0:19:34 > 0:19:35So when you were -
0:19:35 > 0:19:39you know, in '63 - a little girl, did you always, even from that age,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42want to, you know, go into the theatre?
0:19:42 > 0:19:45I wanted to be an actress from when I was about five.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47I think I didn't really know what the word meant.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49And everything in my life was about being on stage.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52I wanted to read in assembly, I wanted to be in every play,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54I wanted to learn poems.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56- I must have been a nightmare, actually.- Right.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58I wanted to go to drama school.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00I wanted to finish regular school
0:20:00 > 0:20:02and then go somewhere where it was like a degree, really.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04It was a three-year course.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06In my last year, you're doing all your plays for the benefit
0:20:06 > 0:20:08of agents and theatre companies.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12And it wasn't till three weeks to go that an agent took me on,
0:20:12 > 0:20:14a bit close to the wire.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17But I had my first professional job with my provisional equity card
0:20:17 > 0:20:19three weeks after leaving.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22- Oh, that's marvellous.- Yeah, that was amazing. It was great.
0:20:22 > 0:20:27- As a little girl, who did you admire as an actor or actress?- Easy.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Julie Andrews and Hayley Mills.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33The first film I ever saw was Pollyanna, and I just loved it.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36The Sound Of Music was my favourite film.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39- Really?- I think it still is. - Yeah.- Loved it.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Who did you like the most out of Julie Andrews or
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Christopher Plummer?
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Well, when I made my sister and me perform it,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49I took both those roles.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Do you know, once I had a burst pipe in my house.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56And I looked in the Yellow Pages for a plumber, and I phoned him up.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58And I said, "Are you a plumber?" He said, "Yes."
0:20:58 > 0:21:01- I said, "What's your name?" He said, "Christopher."- No.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03- He was Christopher the plumber. - Christopher the plumber.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06That was as near as I ever got to Christopher Plummer.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10I think I might look a bit like him, you know, in a bizarre way.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12You could be my Captain Von Trapp.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16You probably would like to say, "Shut your trap."
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Right. Well, look, there is more fun and frolics to be had.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21- I'm sure there are.- Shall we...?
0:21:21 > 0:21:23- You've done well with that. - I know, it's nice.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25- Shall we wander on?- Yeah. - Come on, then.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31For most people, holidays are about new sights and tastes.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36For eight-year-old Janet, that was one particular pudding.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40So now, what we want to do is
0:21:40 > 0:21:44try and replicate 1963
0:21:44 > 0:21:47- and the food that you would've had. - Really?- Yes.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Now, what would you have been eating back in '63?
0:21:50 > 0:21:53- Well, I don't think it was that adventurous, Len.- Right.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55I think prawn cocktail and that sort of thing
0:21:55 > 0:21:57was as far as we went on the exotic states.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00- What about puddings? - Oh, you mean my fantasy pudding?
0:22:00 > 0:22:03- You mean baked Alaska?- Cuddle me.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10The baked Alaska is a yummy-scrummy ice cream dessert
0:22:10 > 0:22:13surrounded by a hot meringue coating.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17It was a firm favourite on fancy dining tables in the '60s,
0:22:17 > 0:22:18including Janet's.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23'I've got a place set up in this pub to see if we can make one every bit
0:22:23 > 0:22:25'as good, starting with the meringue.'
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Right, here we go, baked Alaska.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Baked Alaska! You can't do this without breaking eggs,
0:22:30 > 0:22:31like something else.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Now, was your mum much of a cook?
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Well, she was a good plain cook
0:22:38 > 0:22:40because you could tell what
0:22:40 > 0:22:42day of the week it was by what my mum cooked.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45So we would always have a roast, then we would always have the mince,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48then we would always have sausages. My dad was a brilliant cook.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51- Really?- He loved cooking. He was really good, yeah.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55This is the hard work.
0:22:55 > 0:23:01After your dad finished his Army career, what did he get up to then?
0:23:01 > 0:23:03By then, my dad was working for a model agent.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Because he'd always loved making things and he wanted to go into
0:23:06 > 0:23:08something that was akin to that when he left.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12So he was doing bits and pieces of set design and that kind of stuff.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16And I was doing Dr Who and I got talking to the visual effects man,
0:23:16 > 0:23:19and I said, "Oh, my dad loves doing all this stuff."
0:23:19 > 0:23:22And he said, "Well, they've got a job coming up here."
0:23:22 > 0:23:24- Oh, really?- So that is how he came to apply, yeah.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28So he applied for the job and got onto the visual effects team
0:23:28 > 0:23:32- in the BBC and stayed there till he retired.- Yeah.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Let's have a look at your... Why is yours all fluffy and white and...
0:23:36 > 0:23:39- Cos I'm knackered! - Well, look, I think it's
0:23:39 > 0:23:42cos you got a small bowl and I've got this great big jumbo thing.
0:23:42 > 0:23:43I've had enough of that.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47'In true Blue Peter style,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50'here's an ice cream base that's been prepared earlier.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53'But we need to add the important finishing touch.'
0:23:53 > 0:23:56So what is the next process? We've got the lovely...
0:23:56 > 0:23:57Well, basically,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00you pipe the meringue mixture around the ice cream.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04- Around the edge?- Yeah. Well, all around it, cover it completely.
0:24:04 > 0:24:05Absolutely completely.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08And then all around the sides as well.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10And then you put in the oven -
0:24:10 > 0:24:13we'll probably use a blowtorch here -
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- until the whole thing... - Do I do all that middle?- Yeah.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18- You can make it as thick as you like.- Oh, I love it.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Cos the surprise is when you're eating it,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23you've got the meringue-y, hot, fluffy outside
0:24:23 > 0:24:26and then the ice cream all chilled in the middle.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28- How's that?- I think it's ready.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30It is rather beautiful, actually, isn't it?
0:24:30 > 0:24:33'Now for that crispy finish.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36'This takes me back to my days as a welder.'
0:24:36 > 0:24:39- Stand back.- I'm standing. - This is very dangerous.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41SHE LAUGHS
0:24:45 > 0:24:48- Whoa!- Look at that. - Look at that.- Ho-ho!
0:24:48 > 0:24:49Cooking with gas.
0:24:51 > 0:24:52Beautiful.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56'Yeah, gorgeous(!)
0:24:56 > 0:24:57'While we tidy that up...'
0:25:00 > 0:25:03..here is my next instalment of my seven top tips
0:25:03 > 0:25:05for visiting this area.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09The New Forest Centre is packed with displays and history
0:25:09 > 0:25:11all about this fascinating forest.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Step back to the 1930s through a re-creation of commoner
0:25:14 > 0:25:18Harry Burt's traditional cob cottage and find out how the
0:25:18 > 0:25:22New Forest was turned into a military camp during World War II.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25If you make your way here by train,
0:25:25 > 0:25:27you may pass a few signal boxes on the way.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31But there are few remaining like the Romsey signal box,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34which now operates as a museum.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Dick Hewett is on track with the facts.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Romsey signal box is being saved as a preserved box.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42It used to work on the line side.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44The Friends of Romsey Signal Box is a team of volunteers.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47And we maintain and develop the site and open it to visitors
0:25:47 > 0:25:48whenever we can.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Enthusiasts can come in and they can operate the signal box
0:25:51 > 0:25:53just as it would have been operating in the old days.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57They can pull a lever and see the signal operating, just as here.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00And you'll see the signal going up there, outside.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03For enthusiasts, they can come and they can operate the signal box
0:26:03 > 0:26:04as it did authentically,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07just as it would have been operating in the old days.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15I'm taking Janet back to the summer of '63.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17But before we enjoy dessert,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21I've another surprise in store to bring back some tasty memories.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23So are you ready for your baked Alaska?
0:26:23 > 0:26:25I couldn't be more ready for baked Alaska.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Well, hold on to your knickers,
0:26:27 > 0:26:32because before that, we've got another one of your specialities.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34- Oh, my goodness, what? - Ronnie! Ronnie, please!
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Prawn...
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Prawn cocktail.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45- And it's a whopper. - It is a whopper, look at...
0:26:45 > 0:26:46- BOTH:- Thank you so much.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50- Oh, my goodness.- Look at this, it is like a knickerbocker glory.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51- It is.- Isn't it?
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Mm! LEN CHUCKLES
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Nothing wrong with that.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58So, how did you get your first acting job?
0:26:58 > 0:27:02- I know you did Dr Who.- Hm.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04- Was that your first venture? - No. Actually,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07my first thing was Jackanory Playhouse.
0:27:07 > 0:27:08- Do you remember that?- Jackanory.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13It was a series where they made little films, fairy stories.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16And it was the first job I had out of leaving Central.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19And then my father was played by Frank Thornton.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22And the wizard of the story was played by Leonard Sachs,
0:27:22 > 0:27:26- you know, from the good old days. - Yeah.- And it was absolutely lovely.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Please, give me something different,
0:27:29 > 0:27:33something exciting, dangerous even.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37I want something to happen to me that's never, never happened before.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42'I played the very important part of a princess who was changed,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45'for most of the play, into a pot plant.
0:27:45 > 0:27:46'Oh, that's nice.'
0:27:46 > 0:27:48- Mm...- Oh!
0:27:48 > 0:27:51- Oh, thank you.- Oh.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56- May I just cut it?- Do, yeah. - Oh, it is...- Forensically.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00- Yes, I am like, yeah, in the path lab.- Yeah.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03I wish I hadn't done this now.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Oh, it's got a biscuity base, this one.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09- I wanted to sort of reveal it. Oh.- You have, look at that.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14- Look at that.- And then, of course, you got into presenting with Jigsaw.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Jigsaw, strictly speaking, I would have said I was still acting.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Because although I did occasional bits to camera, to me,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23it was still an acting job. But it was because of that that
0:28:23 > 0:28:25somebody said to me, "Why don't you think about presenting?"
0:28:25 > 0:28:27Which of course, initially, I thought,
0:28:27 > 0:28:29- "But I am headed for the stage!" - Yeah.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32But it was enough of a little lure that when somebody said,
0:28:32 > 0:28:33"Why don't you audition for Blue Peter?"
0:28:33 > 0:28:36- For a start, any job you audition for, you want to get.- Yeah.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38And I thought, if you're going to do presenting,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41- that's starting quite high. - Yes, of course it is.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46Well, you know, it must be the most iconic children's television
0:28:46 > 0:28:50- programme of all time.- Yeah. Well, it stayed pretty consistent.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52It is a lovely, lovely programme to do.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56And I was really lucky that I became great friends with every single
0:28:56 > 0:28:59one of the presenters I worked with, and we are all still in touch now.
0:28:59 > 0:29:04So, yeah. Pretty spoiled, actually, doing that job. Pretty spoiled.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08- Well, I think we are pretty spoiled, having a prawn cocktail...- Yeah.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10..followed by baked Alaska.
0:29:10 > 0:29:16One of Janet's most vivid memories of 1963 was watching the cows
0:29:16 > 0:29:18being milked at a nearby farm.
0:29:18 > 0:29:23Now, we all know most farms don't milk cows by hand these days,
0:29:23 > 0:29:27but we're going to see a farm where they make cheese with
0:29:27 > 0:29:31milk from their own herd of cows, including the lovely Daisy here.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34Whoa, steady on, Daisy. Go up.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38The aroma is delicious, but how easy is it to make?
0:29:38 > 0:29:40Master cheeseman James is showing us
0:29:40 > 0:29:44how it's done in our very natty cheesemakers' gear.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47- James.- Yeah.- This is Janet. - Hello, Janet, how do you do?
0:29:47 > 0:29:49What exactly have we got here?
0:29:49 > 0:29:51So, we've got here curds and whey.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54That's your curds. This is what will be cheese.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57It is not going to be cheese right now because if you eat that...
0:29:57 > 0:29:59You can try a little bit if you like.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03- If you eat that, it doesn't taste a lot like cheese.- No.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06- The flavour comes from the maturing process.- Quite creamy.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10- So these are our moulds here.- Right.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12These are cheesecloths.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14And in these, we've got tiny little holes.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18That is going to allow the whey to drain out naturally.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21- If we didn't have them, we would have a big mess.- Right.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23- We wouldn't have very good cheese. - We don't want that.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27So we are going to scoop down into the curd. Just try and bring it up.
0:30:27 > 0:30:28It is going to be a bit wet.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31- We're going to take it over and we're going to pour it in.- OK.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33Let's have a go, come on.
0:30:33 > 0:30:34You come up here.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37- A little like The Generation Game, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40- Although we know what we're going to pull out.- Yeah. It's heavy.
0:30:40 > 0:30:45It's really heavy! Of course it's heavy, it's full of curd.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48- Oh, yes, heavy. - They are heavy, aren't they?
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Do you give it a good shake first before you...?
0:30:50 > 0:30:51You can give it a shake if you like.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54- You are not too bothered about that? - No, it's all right.
0:30:54 > 0:30:55But we do want to pop it in.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59- OK.- I'm going to bung mine in here.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01- Woo!- Oh!
0:31:01 > 0:31:05- It is actually hard physical labour, this, isn't it?- It is, yeah.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10I can't help the funny faces. I can't help it.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12Cos it's so gooey and dodgy, I like to sort of...
0:31:12 > 0:31:14Oooh...
0:31:15 > 0:31:16It's great!
0:31:16 > 0:31:21I could do this. I couldn't do it for long, but I could do it.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24I'm a natural at this cheesemaking.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26Once I get home, I'm going to buy a cow,
0:31:26 > 0:31:28stick it in my back garden.
0:31:28 > 0:31:33Watch out at the supermarket for Len's Cornish Delight.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38Oh, yes!
0:31:38 > 0:31:42# Oh, I get so pleased
0:31:42 > 0:31:46# When I'm making cheese
0:31:46 > 0:31:49# I get the curd and the whey... #
0:31:50 > 0:31:53'When the tubs are full, the next part of the process is to
0:31:53 > 0:31:58'pull the cheesecloth in preparation for the old lift and flip.'
0:31:58 > 0:32:01Now, I am usually a fan of that on the dance floor,
0:32:01 > 0:32:03but this move isn't easy.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05OK, so we're going to turn it over
0:32:05 > 0:32:09and we're just going to support our hand, literally like that.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13- Oh.- It is a little bit heavy, but you should be all right.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15- And you're going to let gravity take your hand down.- Eh...
0:32:15 > 0:32:18- And you're going to take it out. Got it?- Ah! Yes...
0:32:18 > 0:32:20Now put that down the right way.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23- Yes.- And we're just going to slowly go in.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Try to leave the cloth covered.
0:32:26 > 0:32:27That didn't go to plan.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30'I don't seem to be getting the hang of it.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33'Janet, on the other hand, has the flipping move down to a T.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35'She makes it look so easy!
0:32:35 > 0:32:37'Right, I am determined to get it this time.'
0:32:39 > 0:32:42- Yes, yes, yes! - That's it. Hold on to it.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44- Yes, yes.- And slide her in.
0:32:47 > 0:32:48Yeah, almost.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51- Harsh.- That's better.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57'OK, so I need to work on my technique.'
0:32:58 > 0:33:02But in the meantime, here's the last of my seven things to do
0:33:02 > 0:33:04in and around the New Forest.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10Dating back to the 13th century, King John's house was once
0:33:10 > 0:33:13the main building of a large medieval complex.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16It's now a museum of Victorian and Edwardian life.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20Check out the graffiti cut into the medieval plaster
0:33:20 > 0:33:24and this amazing rare floor made with animal bone.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26Oh, I don't like it.
0:33:26 > 0:33:31The idyllic Eyeworth Pond was created in 1871 to provide
0:33:31 > 0:33:35water for the nearby Schultze Gunpowder Company.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38Little of their factory remains except the pond itself,
0:33:38 > 0:33:42which contains 6 million gallons of H2O.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46It's now a thriving wildlife habitat and a perfect picnic spot.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49At one, the forest was the ancestral home
0:33:49 > 0:33:50to the late Lord Montagu,
0:33:50 > 0:33:55who spent his life building a collection of 250 classic cars
0:33:55 > 0:33:58and motorbikes and created the National Motor Museum.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00Petrol heads, you're going to love it.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03The Motor Museum started in 1952
0:34:03 > 0:34:05when Lord Montagu opened his home,
0:34:05 > 0:34:06Palace House, to visitors.
0:34:06 > 0:34:11And it began with just five cars put on display in the front hall
0:34:11 > 0:34:14in homage to his father, John, who was an early motoring pioneer.
0:34:14 > 0:34:19But in 1972, this wonderful purpose-built building was put up
0:34:19 > 0:34:21and the whole collection was moved in here.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26Among all the beautiful cars on display, I have to say,
0:34:26 > 0:34:30my personal favourite is probably the American 1935 Auburn.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33It was believed to have been driven by Marlene Dietrich in one
0:34:33 > 0:34:38of her films, and it really is a very glamorous lady's car.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41The collection numbers about 280 vehicles,
0:34:41 > 0:34:43and that is cars and motorcycles.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46And what we're trying to do here is tell the story of motoring
0:34:46 > 0:34:49on the roads of Britain from the very early days of motoring,
0:34:49 > 0:34:51the 1880s,
0:34:51 > 0:34:55right up to the present day, with examples from all the decades.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01The way Janet took to cheesemaking,
0:35:01 > 0:35:06it was no wonder she was asked to do all sorts on Blue Peter,
0:35:06 > 0:35:09but I want to know what was the worst challenge,
0:35:09 > 0:35:11with a bit of cheese, of course.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13Now, in your four years on Blue Peter,
0:35:13 > 0:35:15was there anything that they said,
0:35:15 > 0:35:18"You know what, we'd like you to do...whatever,"
0:35:18 > 0:35:19and you said, "I'm sorry"?
0:35:19 > 0:35:22There is a lot I should've said that about, but actually,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24I carried on. And that's why people remember those films,
0:35:24 > 0:35:26cos I was so obviously petrified.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30There was only one, but to get to the location, you had to abseil,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33and I just could not bear the idea of abseiling,
0:35:33 > 0:35:35particularly as it wasn't even the film.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38It was just to get to the location you had to abseil.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41And I said, "I really don't feel comfortable doing that."
0:35:41 > 0:35:43But I did take over a film from somebody, too.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47Simon Groom was supposed to be doing a film about what happens
0:35:47 > 0:35:50if a cable car breaks down, and he just couldn't cope with it.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53- So I went and did that one.- Oh, right.- So we swapped about a bit.
0:35:53 > 0:35:54Yeah.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58I discovered how they'd cope in the unlikely event of an emergency.
0:35:58 > 0:35:59If there ever is a breakdown,
0:35:59 > 0:36:03this hair-raising ride is the only way to reach stranded passengers.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07- You also got to travel all over the world.- Yeah.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10Not holidays, of course, expeditions.
0:36:10 > 0:36:11But, yeah, we did.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14The first one of those I did was just after I joined the programme.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16Went off to Sri Lanka for four weeks.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20I'd never been anywhere like that before in my life, with palm trees
0:36:20 > 0:36:22at that angle down white sand and exploring a whole country.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24It was just a treat.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27At least we thought we were bathing the elephants,
0:36:27 > 0:36:28but we got just as wet ourselves.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34That day with the elephants was a highlight of an exciting
0:36:34 > 0:36:36expedition to a beautiful island.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40Is there anything that stands out that was either difficult or
0:36:40 > 0:36:42fun or whatever?
0:36:42 > 0:36:46Well, the obvious difficult things were things like the parachuting,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49because, you know, I did high altitude stuff - 25,000 feet.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54For three and a half years, Janet underwent intensive RAF training
0:36:54 > 0:36:56to learn how to freefall jump.
0:36:56 > 0:37:01After breaking her pelvis on jump 23, she still persevered.
0:37:01 > 0:37:02What a star!
0:37:02 > 0:37:0734 small leaps in total were all in preparation for the big one.
0:37:07 > 0:37:12In just 90 seconds, she became the first British civilian female
0:37:12 > 0:37:15to freefall jump 25,000 feet,
0:37:15 > 0:37:18creating a new world record.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Strangely, I didn't feel as scared as I have done on other jumps.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23As we waited to go down the exit ramp,
0:37:23 > 0:37:27this was the moment I had waited three and a half years for.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30The green light meant go, and we went for it.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38We jumped 17,000ft above the cloud tops,
0:37:38 > 0:37:40nearly four miles above the ground.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45All that training, all that work was worth it for a minute and a half
0:37:45 > 0:37:46of unforgettable freefall.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54- It always appears to be so much fun.- Yep.
0:37:54 > 0:37:55You know, we had a good time,
0:37:55 > 0:37:58but we were always conscious that there was a child watching.
0:37:58 > 0:37:59That comes across.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02- Shall we leave?- Yeah.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05- We're cheesemakers. - We're cheesemakers.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07- You've got the hat. - I've got the hat to prove it.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19One of the most iconic buildings in the New Forest is Romsey Abbey,
0:38:19 > 0:38:23which was built in the 10th century, 907 to be exact.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27Abbey fact fan Phoebe Merrick has her own story to tell.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29Romsey Abbey, which was one of
0:38:29 > 0:38:32the great houses of Benedictine nuns
0:38:32 > 0:38:34in medieval England, was founded
0:38:34 > 0:38:37by the granddaughter of Alfred the Great.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41And later the daughter of King John was sent to school here.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Most of the building that you can see now was
0:38:44 > 0:38:48built in the 1120s to 1140s.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51It is at least the third church on the site.
0:38:51 > 0:38:56And then 100 years later, the western end was extended
0:38:56 > 0:38:59and the main part of the building raised higher.
0:38:59 > 0:39:04Romsey was the first place where the Army established a purpose-built
0:39:04 > 0:39:10training school for horses after the outbreak of the First World War.
0:39:10 > 0:39:15During the war, they had over 120,000 horses through Romsey
0:39:15 > 0:39:17which were trained for war service.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25We are staying at this amazing abbey for a bit longer because,
0:39:25 > 0:39:30back in 1963, this place was an important part of Janet's holiday.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32Wow.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35- Isn't this fantastic?- Isn't it?
0:39:35 > 0:39:37It's really special, isn't it?
0:39:37 > 0:39:41It is so... What's lovely, it's peaceful.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45- Well, it is one of the first places I came to like this.- Yeah?
0:39:45 > 0:39:49And it set up a lifelong fascination
0:39:49 > 0:39:52with church architecture and iconography.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54And everything about it,
0:39:54 > 0:39:56the ambition of building something like this.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59And when you think how long ago it was built, you know,
0:39:59 > 0:40:02- hundreds and hundreds of years ago...- Yeah.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05You know, how did they do it?
0:40:05 > 0:40:07It still has power, doesn't it?
0:40:07 > 0:40:10- It's wonderful.- It made a deep impression on me.- Yeah.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14- Even that young.- Yeah. - It was just so very peaceful.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16Especially when you are a little girl this big,
0:40:16 > 0:40:18- it's even more massive.- Yeah.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22- So you would have come here with your family.- Yes.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24I have a very clear memory of that.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27I think my mother, in particular, felt then the same the way that I
0:40:27 > 0:40:30do now, that it was just something that would make an impression on me.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34That huge vaulted ceiling and the columns
0:40:34 > 0:40:37and the attention to detail, it's just really special.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40And I'm sure after a day of whatever else we've been doing -
0:40:40 > 0:40:42funfairs, running about, ice creams - to just come in here
0:40:42 > 0:40:46and have to be a little bit quiet, no bad thing.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48The only thing missing is singing.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50I'd love to hear some singing in here, but...
0:40:50 > 0:40:53- Well, I can do Onward, Christian Soldiers.- OK.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56- If you...- Yeah, I'd like that.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58- I'll do it sort of quietly.- OK.
0:40:58 > 0:41:03# Onward, Christian soldiers
0:41:03 > 0:41:07# Marching as to war
0:41:07 > 0:41:09# With the... #
0:41:09 > 0:41:12See, as soon as I start singing, a crowd starts coming in.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14Have you noticed that? SHE LAUGHS
0:41:14 > 0:41:16- That's what...- It's the hat.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19It's the hat on the floor with the pennies in it. That's what does it.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22- That attracts them.- That attracts them.- Well, this is lovely.- Yeah.
0:41:22 > 0:41:23Well, I'm glad you like it too.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27Oh, no, I like it. More than like it, I think it is fantastic.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29Well, let's... Look,
0:41:29 > 0:41:32let's get out before they ask us for the collection.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35- Yeah, exactly. - LEN LAUGHS
0:41:36 > 0:41:39'It's been a real treat to spend the day with Janet
0:41:39 > 0:41:43'and relive her family holiday to the New Forest.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45'It's been a day of cheesemaking...'
0:41:45 > 0:41:47# Oh
0:41:47 > 0:41:49# I get so pleased
0:41:49 > 0:41:52# When I am making cheese. #
0:41:52 > 0:41:54'..flame-throwing...'
0:41:54 > 0:41:55Cooking with gas.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59'..and coasting down memory lane.'
0:41:59 > 0:42:02Oh, no! THEY YELL
0:42:07 > 0:42:11I've got to say, I've had a marvellous day. I really have.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13- Me too.- It's been good.- Yeah. I feel really...
0:42:13 > 0:42:16like you do at the end of the best holidays - tired but happy.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20And just to remind you of your little holiday,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23- this is a little scrapbook... - Thank you!- ..of memories.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27Oh, thank you so much.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31For Janet, a scrapbook of memories
0:42:31 > 0:42:34of our adventure today.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36Now, back in 1963,
0:42:36 > 0:42:38she always wanted to steal one
0:42:38 > 0:42:39of the New Forest ponies.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41She can't have that, but I hope
0:42:41 > 0:42:44she loves this little gift.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48Oh, my gosh. How beautiful.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51Seriously, it's like you've seen my mantelpiece
0:42:51 > 0:42:53and you know this is missing.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56- Yes.- That is so lovely. - THEY LAUGH
0:42:56 > 0:43:01- It's been lovely. - It's been a super, super day.
0:43:01 > 0:43:07It's goodbye from the enchanting New Forest and the summer of 1963,
0:43:07 > 0:43:11A place in time that will forever hold a special place
0:43:11 > 0:43:12in Janet's heart.