0:00:02 > 0:00:04Childhood holidays - we all love them, don't we?
0:00:04 > 0:00:07Fun in the sun, sand castles, swimming in the sea.
0:00:07 > 0:00:08Can't beat them!
0:00:09 > 0:00:11'So in this series, I'm going
0:00:11 > 0:00:14'to be reliving those wonderful times
0:00:14 > 0:00:16'with some much-loved famous faces.'
0:00:16 > 0:00:20Everyone a winner! Come on! Hook a duck!
0:00:20 > 0:00:23And some of the most surprising guests had the most
0:00:23 > 0:00:25fascinating holidays.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28- You could do a night here. - You could.- Yeah.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30However, I think that's long enough for me!
0:00:30 > 0:00:33THEY LAUGH
0:00:33 > 0:00:34'We'll relive the fun...'
0:00:34 > 0:00:36TRAIN HOOTS
0:00:36 > 0:00:37Oh! No! No!
0:00:37 > 0:00:38'..the games...'
0:00:38 > 0:00:39Aargh!
0:00:39 > 0:00:42'..and the food of years gone by...'
0:00:42 > 0:00:45That is a little taste of childhood right there.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49'..to find out how those holidays around the UK helped shape
0:00:49 > 0:00:52'the people we know so well today.'
0:00:52 > 0:00:55I'm giving you a standing ovation.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58'So buckle up for Holiday Of My Lifetime.'
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Can you come on ALL my holidays?
0:01:03 > 0:01:07On today's journey through time, I'm picking up our mystery
0:01:07 > 0:01:12holiday-maker in a 1970s classic coupe. Ho-ho!
0:01:12 > 0:01:15They'd have stood out from the crowd in this one!
0:01:17 > 0:01:20I'm on my way to meet a man who, like me,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22is really good with his feet.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28He was born in Leicester in 1969.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Look at that cheeky grin!
0:01:31 > 0:01:32Ah, bless him!
0:01:32 > 0:01:35He started his professional football career for Norwich City
0:01:35 > 0:01:41before getting signed by Man U for a million quid.
0:01:42 > 0:01:47He went on to play on the hallowed turf of Wembley for England.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Come on! On me head, son! Go on! Get it in there!
0:01:50 > 0:01:52And after hanging up his boots,
0:01:52 > 0:01:57he turned his hand to TV on a well-known property show.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Come on! Do I have to HAMMER it home?
0:02:06 > 0:02:08You must have it by now, surely!
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Today's guest is former footballer-turned-TV
0:02:12 > 0:02:15presenter Dion Dublin. Oh!
0:02:15 > 0:02:18We're going to play football together. Well, I hope so.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20And I'm on my way to pick him up
0:02:20 > 0:02:25in this marvellous Morris Marina coupe, starting his holiday
0:02:25 > 0:02:29just like he and his family did all those years ago.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Dion, come on, son!
0:02:31 > 0:02:35Why don't we play a bit of football? Oh, yes! I've got talent, you know.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Dion was born and bred in Leicester.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43With three big brothers and an older sister,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45he was the baby of the family.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52His dad, Eddie, worked in hosiery and mum Rose was a nurse.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56He grew up in a house practically next door to Leicester City
0:02:56 > 0:02:57football ground.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Perhaps it's no surprise that he was kicking
0:03:00 > 0:03:02a football as soon as he could walk.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06From humble beginnings at fourth division Cambridge United,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10it wasn't long before the Premier League came calling.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Later, he swapped pitches for presenting, becoming
0:03:13 > 0:03:18a regular sports commentator and panellist on the telly.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21I'll be getting onside with Dion today after
0:03:21 > 0:03:25I've surprised him with his old family motor.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Shame about the Great British weather, though!
0:03:27 > 0:03:30HE LAUGHS
0:03:30 > 0:03:31That is brilliant!
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Oh, my word!
0:03:35 > 0:03:37HE LAUGHS
0:03:37 > 0:03:44- It's the same car!- Yes!- Oh, my gosh! - Good to see you.- How are you?
0:03:44 > 0:03:48- I'm well.- Very nice to see you. - So you recognise it?- My gosh!
0:03:48 > 0:03:49- Look at that!- Eh?
0:03:49 > 0:03:52- And we squeezed about four of us in the back of that!- No!- We did!
0:03:52 > 0:03:56- Yes, we did! Look at that! - So where are we going?
0:03:58 > 0:04:01I'd like you to take me to Great Yarmouth, please.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- We can do that.- Can we do that? - Yeah. What's the year?
0:04:04 > 0:04:1019...79. 1979.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13- The year Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister.- There you go.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- You know what the big hit was? - Go on, then.
0:04:15 > 0:04:16# YMCA! #
0:04:16 > 0:04:17Was it really?
0:04:17 > 0:04:19- Was it really?- Yes! - And you've still got the moves!
0:04:19 > 0:04:24- Well, I wouldn't go that far! - Oh, wow.- Look, your chariot awaits.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28- Let's do it.- Great Yarmouth is beckoning.- Look at this beauty!
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Oh, Great Yarmouth, famous for its golden sands.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40It's been a seaside resort since the 18th century.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47On the East Norfolk coast, 20 miles from Norwich,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51it's the gateway to the Norfolk Broads and the North Sea.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57There's 15 miles of beaches here, as well as six museums, two piers
0:04:57 > 0:05:02and countless arcades, rides and attractions lining the promenade.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Great Yarmouth has been a family favourite for generations
0:05:08 > 0:05:11and more than a million people come here every summer to
0:05:11 > 0:05:13enjoy its good old-fashioned charm.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22'Today, I'm taking Dion back to relive those glorious family
0:05:22 > 0:05:25'trips here when he was a nipper,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28'sampling some fine local delicacies...'
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Ooh-hoo!
0:05:31 > 0:05:35'..feeling the need for speed and kicking about on the same
0:05:35 > 0:05:39'beach that inspired the budding football star,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41'and showing him how it's done..'
0:05:41 > 0:05:43HE CHEERS
0:05:43 > 0:05:47'..discovering how the holiday here in Yarmouth helped shape him
0:05:47 > 0:05:52'into the top football and TV personality we know today.'
0:05:55 > 0:06:00But before any holiday can begin, you have to get there first.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Whether by plane, train or automobile,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06the journey is a big part of the excitement.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13Austin Marina in orange. Outstanding!
0:06:13 > 0:06:18And for Dion, in 1979, it was the one time of the year when the whole
0:06:18 > 0:06:22family got together, all piling into Dad's car
0:06:22 > 0:06:27and setting off for a week of fun at the seaside. Ho-ho, what larks!
0:06:27 > 0:06:29- Dion, let's set the scene. - Go on, then.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34- How many of you were in this car? - Well, there's five...
0:06:34 > 0:06:37I've got three brothers and a sister, Mum and Dad.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39And we all used to try and cram in here, you know.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Just cram it all in and off you go.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43And that's all we could afford at the time.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45- Everybody did those holidays, didn't they?- Yeah.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50- And I suppose you were a bit of a cheeky lad?- Er...
0:06:50 > 0:06:54- Were you all squabbling and that... - Yes, yes!- ..or was it all sedate?
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Nah, none of that sedate rubbish.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58You get the odd jab in with your brother,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02just in case he kicked off, put your sister in the middle as the referee.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06We were, you know, four lads and your sister.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08- Sister used to get the brunt of it all the time.- Of course.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10- She'd get the blame for everything! - Yeah.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13And if there was any food to be had,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15you had to eat it very quickly otherwise it'd be gone.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- All gone.- Biscuits and stuff, crisps. Yeah.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22So your mum sorted out... You had a bit of a packed lunch sort of thing?
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Yeah. Mum sorted everything out. Mum was the boss.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- Some sandwiches?- Yeah, sandwiches. - Bit of lemonade?- Yeah, exactly.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Oh, lemonade. I don't know about lemonade. We'd have squash.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- Couldn't afford lemonade.- Oh, right. So where were you living?
0:07:34 > 0:07:37We were living in Leicester at the time, right by the football
0:07:37 > 0:07:38ground, Leicester City football ground.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40So were you a Leicester City supporter?
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Yeah, I used to go and watch Leicester City play.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45My sister, Carmen, used to take me down to Leicester.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47- Three quid it was to get in.- Right, yeah.- £3 back in the day.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- Bit different now.- Yeah, it is. - So how long was the journey?
0:07:50 > 0:07:52- Must have been a few hours. - Yeah, it was.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55From Leicester, it's about 2½ hours.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58So what made you come down to Great Yarmouth?
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Well, we used to come and see my eldest brother.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03He used to be down here. It was good to see him.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05That's why we went there,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08that's why we went there for so many years, actually.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11It was just such a nice place to go. They have summers down there.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Of course you did, unlike today.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Yes. Our summer is like a couple of days now?
0:08:17 > 0:08:18Yeah, if you're lucky!
0:08:18 > 0:08:22I can't believe there were so many of you in this tiny car.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24I just can't believe it.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28- Can you see this sign here, Great Yarmouth?- Great Yarmouth.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31- Here we go.- We're in. - Come on, lad.- We're in.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32It was all...
0:08:32 > 0:08:34GEARS CRUNCH
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Oh, you sound like my mum's driving!
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Do you know what I'm going to do in a moment,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- I'm going to pull over and let you have a go.- No, no, please, no.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43No, please.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47In the summer of 1979,
0:08:47 > 0:08:52everyone needed a holiday after a winter of discontent.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Months of industrial disputes and some terrible weather
0:08:55 > 0:08:58brought the country to a standstill.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03It was bad news for milk drinkers too, as the price of a pint went
0:09:03 > 0:09:05up to 15p.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Scandalous!
0:09:07 > 0:09:11And a low turnout for the first referendum in Scotland meant
0:09:11 > 0:09:14the vote was defeated but certainly not forgotten.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18And the soundtrack to all of this, well, it wasn't the most
0:09:18 > 0:09:23cheerful of years but for the Bee Gees at least, '79 wasn't a...
0:09:23 > 0:09:24# Tragedy
0:09:24 > 0:09:26# When the feeling's gone and you can't go on
0:09:26 > 0:09:28# It's tragedy... #
0:09:28 > 0:09:32The legendary band of the Gibb brothers made their way up
0:09:32 > 0:09:37the charts, all the way to number one in the UK and America.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40This is the start of Dion's holiday of his lifetime.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42THEY LAUGH
0:09:42 > 0:09:44With beaches extending for miles along the coast
0:09:44 > 0:09:46from Great Yarmouth,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50one of the best stretches of sand is just down the road at Hemsby,
0:09:50 > 0:09:55which is where Dion and his family were based for their week away.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Hemsby beach.
0:09:57 > 0:10:02- These are the places where you went to get a brand-new...- Beachball.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04A beachball and a bucket and spade.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- Because the sands here, as I remember...- Yes.- ..are lovely.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Beautiful, really well-kept.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14We've just arrived, the rain's stopped and it's lovely.
0:10:14 > 0:10:15It is.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Quick! While the sun's out, let's get on the beach.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22The young Dion back in '79 would have been bursting with
0:10:22 > 0:10:24excitement by now.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26- So, here it is.- This is it?
0:10:26 > 0:10:28- Is it as you remember? - Exactly the same.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30We wouldn't be walking this slow,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33we would be sprinting as fast as we could to get to that beach.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35- You know what, Len, everybody's on the beach.- Yeah.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39People that you didn't know that are coming from Leicester are on the beach.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43- Really?- Honestly. This is just...
0:10:43 > 0:10:46- It's just as it was.- And did you go in? Did you go in the water?
0:10:46 > 0:10:48All the time. When you're a young lad...
0:10:48 > 0:10:51- You don't...- You don't feel the cold.- No!- Get your gear off...
0:10:51 > 0:10:53- Straight in.- Straight in.- Yeah.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Not ALL your gear, of course.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- No, no, you keep your cossie. - You keep your...
0:10:57 > 0:10:58THEY LAUGH
0:10:58 > 0:11:01- You keep your cossie on. - You keep your cossie on.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Look how long it goes for. That's incredible.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06It goes as far as the eye can see in both directions.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09It is a most wonderful, wonderful beach.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14- We have these beaches all over Britain.- Yeah, of course we do.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Beautiful beaches like this, all over Britain.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19- And then, I suppose, you bump into a few other kids...- That's it.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21- And you're all having a laugh. - That's it.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Then you think, come on, get a couple...
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Either a pullover or something - football.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Jumpers for goalposts, there you go.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30You get a couple of these stones...
0:11:30 > 0:11:32- And you're off.- I'm in goal.- Yeah.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34- That's how it works, isn't it? - Of course it does!
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Oh, it's fantastic.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48In 1979, Great Yarmouth was a popular seaside town but it
0:11:48 > 0:11:53had been a bustling resort since the arrival of the railway in 1844.
0:11:53 > 0:11:58Victorian tourists came in their thousands, building two grand piers
0:11:58 > 0:12:04and a mile-long esplanade to enjoy the benefit of fresh, sea air.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09The town continued to grow into the 20th-century, becoming thronged
0:12:09 > 0:12:13every summer season with factory workers from the Midlands.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Theatres, arcades, hotels
0:12:15 > 0:12:19and holiday parks transformed the seafront.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23By the time Dion's family started coming here in the '70s,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Yarmouth was at its prime,
0:12:25 > 0:12:30enjoying mass tourism on a scale rarely seen since.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35Local fisherman-turned-potter Ernie Childs grew up on the quayside
0:12:35 > 0:12:38and he remembers the good times.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42In 1979, it was sort of a busy year, things were happening.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44It was a real moving-on town.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46The shows in the evenings,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48everyone was after the shows in the evenings
0:12:48 > 0:12:51and we had The Windmill,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54the Regent, the Regal.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59Visitors to Great Yarmouth were used to seeing proper big names.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03We had Engelbert Humperdinck, we had all the fancy groups,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06The Kinks, Morecambe and Wise, all them sort of people.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10They were all down here, you know. I think there was Blackpool and us.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Well, the rain's back but it's time to drive further down memory lane.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19I've got more surprises in store.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Even as an excited kid, starting out on his holiday,
0:13:23 > 0:13:27young Dion already had his heart set on one thing.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30So even at the age of ten, were you keen on football?
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Yeah, I played a lot of football.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34I played football when I was nine years old,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37is when I started to turn the corner and thought to myself,
0:13:37 > 0:13:39- "Hold on a minute, I might be all right here."- Yeah.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41And my brothers and my dad all pushing me, "Go on, son.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43"You'll be all right. Go on." There was a passion.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45I couldn't get away from it.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49It's lovely if you find something that you're really good at,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52and you want to do, at such an early age.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54I know, it is. I do.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58If it's something that doesn't feel like work, you know.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01I was lucky, my dad was a good footballer, my brothers were
0:14:01 > 0:14:04good footballers and I just followed in their footsteps.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08That's what's wonderful. I had a bit of the same sort of career.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12I started dancing as a hobby.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15- Did you really? - Yeah, it was only a hobby.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18I only went because there were girls there.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20DION LAUGHS
0:14:20 > 0:14:23And then I found that was my living for 50 years.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25- Wow!- It's a bit the same for you, I guess.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28It's something that you would have done anyway,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31you ended up having a profession.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34- That's right, absolutely spot-on. - How good is that?
0:14:34 > 0:14:36It's lucky. I think it's very lucky.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39You've got to have something in order to back it up.
0:14:39 > 0:14:44Now, because Dion's brother worked at a caravan park in Hemsby,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48all the family would stay there for a budget week's break.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51- Look, you're here.- Is this it?
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Newport Caravan Park.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56This is you!
0:14:56 > 0:14:58I didn't realise it was so close.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01- This is it.- Oh, my gosh.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03I'm chatting away there, thinking...
0:15:03 > 0:15:06This is a posh place and it's your place!
0:15:06 > 0:15:08It wasn't this posh before, mate!
0:15:08 > 0:15:12- Oh, my gosh.- Here you are. - Look at this.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15DION LAUGHS
0:15:15 > 0:15:19Part of the magic of any childhood holiday is
0:15:19 > 0:15:22the excitement of staying somewhere new.
0:15:22 > 0:15:27The sights, sounds and smells of those hotels, motels and campsites.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32For Dion, home for the week was here at the caravan park.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Static caravans were first introduced straight after
0:15:35 > 0:15:39the war, but they really became popular in the '60s.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41By the end of the decade,
0:15:41 > 0:15:45they were being mass-produced with sturdy aluminium panels
0:15:45 > 0:15:48and came as long as 28 feet.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52For the millions of travellers coming to Great Yarmouth in 1979,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55around two-thirds of the accommodation
0:15:55 > 0:15:59available was holiday camps, just like Dion's.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Ho-ho! What fun!
0:16:01 > 0:16:03So do you recognise any of this?
0:16:03 > 0:16:07In this area here, I know we were in this area here, on this patch
0:16:07 > 0:16:09- because it's, like, sectioned off, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12We were definitely in this section. I'm not quite sure where.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14It's a while ago now, I'm getting old now.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Well, I was hoping that it might all come back to you.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Yes, the place has come back to me.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21This is definitely the section. A big section here.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24I'll tell you what, why don't we have a look in one of the caravans?
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- Keep it local.- There might be a few people...I don't know.
0:16:29 > 0:16:30Is that you, Hilda?
0:16:30 > 0:16:34- We're all right. Oh!- This is different now.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36It's a bit different. It's got carpeting for one.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38This...
0:16:38 > 0:16:40You can stand up straight.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44- Yeah.- Is it a bit similar to how it was?
0:16:44 > 0:16:46It is, the layout's the same.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48There was a little bit more space in these kind of caravans
0:16:48 > 0:16:52but it does bring it back. It does bring it back.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54- As soon as you get up those few steps you think...- Hello.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56- Holiday, it's holiday.- Yeah.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58It comes straight to holiday again.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01I suppose you had to sort out who was sleeping where?
0:17:01 > 0:17:04As long as Mum and Dad got their space, they were happy.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- Fight it out for yourselves.- Right.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Because some of my mates were nearby,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11- you'd do little sleepovers and stuff.- Oh, did you?
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Mum and dad might have a night on their own
0:17:13 > 0:17:16and we would be all out and the boys would come in here.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18This is, honestly...
0:17:18 > 0:17:20I must say, let's have a look along.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22It's a proper sink, look.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24- Yeah.- A proper sink.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26- Proper gas stove.- Microwave.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29- Microwave?- Well...- Not in '79.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Not in '79, Len.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34It's very different now, though.
0:17:34 > 0:17:35Oh! Oh, hello.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37- Three beds.- Three beds in there.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41It used to have bedrooms then, but this might not have been here.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45- It's all sectioned off now. - It was open-plan.- Yeah.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48- Oh...- It's gone round.- Yes! - It's gone round full circle.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51You didn't spend that much time in bed, anyway.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53As soon as you went to bed, you wanted to get up.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Of course you did.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57And not forgetting my dad snoring, by the way.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59- That was terrible.- Right.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Great Yarmouth's Golden Mile was a paradise for family fun.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11No wonder Dion couldn't wait to get out of his caravan.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13With so many things to do,
0:18:13 > 0:18:18I've picked out seven attractions I think you'll like.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25There were 22 model villages around the UK and the one on the seafront
0:18:25 > 0:18:30here has been loved by the kiddies and grown-ups since 1961.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37The teeny-tiny town of Merrivale is set in more than an acre
0:18:37 > 0:18:41of gardens. And afterwards, have a go in the Old Penny Arcade.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44I'll tell you what, I've had some larks in some of these.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51British piers have been a traditional
0:18:51 > 0:18:55part of the seaside landscape since Victorian times.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59They're a real testament to the engineering skills of those
0:18:59 > 0:19:01early entrepreneurs.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05At either end of the promenade in Yarmouth are the Wellington
0:19:05 > 0:19:08and the Britannia piers.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11And they thrill visitors to this very day.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14The Britannia even has a busy theatre,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17entertaining the crowds every season.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20The pier itself was built in 1857
0:19:20 > 0:19:23and then it was damaged quite badly by bad storms.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28The pier we're standing on today was built around the early 1900s.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Oh, yes, there's plenty of life in the old pier yet!
0:19:36 > 0:19:40Well, I know Dion's quite the sportsman but I reckon I can
0:19:40 > 0:19:44take him at one of his favourite childhood holiday arcade games.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48Watch out, Dublin, I've got a mean right arm.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- Oh, this is it.- This is the one. This is the one.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55- Now, this is what you played with your brother, right?- This is it.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58This is a bit of air hockey, pal.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01- Wow!- Do you want to have a go? - It's a bit smart. I'd love a...
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Do you fancy a game, do you?
0:20:03 > 0:20:05- I'm very dextrous.- Do you fancy a game? Are you sure?
0:20:05 > 0:20:07- Come on.- If you're sure.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11- The best-of-three.- Go on, then. Come on, Leonard.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13What have you got in your locker, kid?
0:20:13 > 0:20:15That's not bad.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Keep it flat on the surface.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18Oh!
0:20:18 > 0:20:20- Come to me.- No!
0:20:23 > 0:20:25That's a beauty.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28- If I get one...- Oh!
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Lucky. What a lucky man.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37- Yes!- That's why...
0:20:37 > 0:20:40That's why I was number one.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Go!
0:20:42 > 0:20:44- Oh, no!- It was an own goal.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46- It was an own goal. - Right, next one, next one.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48This is the one. Here we go.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53- Oh!- And he does.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55He takes the win.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Oh. Shut up.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03I thought it was going to be a whitewash. 3-2, I'll take it.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04Great fun.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07I'm down, Dion, but not defeated.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Let me try and even the score on sand.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Come on, let's hit the beach.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Now, I've heard that Dion scored
0:21:14 > 0:21:17more than 100 goals during his Premiership career.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20'45 of them with his loaf.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25'That puts him into the UK's top three scorers of all time
0:21:25 > 0:21:26'with headed goals.'
0:21:26 > 0:21:28- Get it, Len.- Hey-hey!
0:21:28 > 0:21:31That's not bad, that, you know. That's not bad at all.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34- That's a new record. - There you are.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36Were you scouted as a kid?
0:21:36 > 0:21:40Did someone see you playing in a little, local game
0:21:40 > 0:21:43and they said, "Oi, we could do with you"?
0:21:43 > 0:21:46I was sort of eight, nine years old. All my mates were saying to me,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49"Listen, come down the youth club Friday night,
0:21:49 > 0:21:51"game of table tennis, game of table football."
0:21:51 > 0:21:54I said, "I can't, I've got to play football in the morning."
0:21:54 > 0:21:56"Rubbish. I better not go."
0:21:56 > 0:21:58I went on Saturday, scored, and Leicester seen me play.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02- It was just...- You could have gone to that...- Could have gone.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05And then you would have been a bit cream crackered the next morning
0:22:05 > 0:22:07and nothing would have happened.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10No, that's what it is all about. Choosing the right things.
0:22:10 > 0:22:11How long were you at Leicester for?
0:22:11 > 0:22:15I was at Leicester from the age of 9 to the age of 15.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19I did a year's work and then I had trials all over the country.
0:22:19 > 0:22:25My dad, he wrote one letter, photocopied it 92 times
0:22:25 > 0:22:29- and sent it to every professional football club.- Right.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33I got about ten replies, I got about three trials. It's incredible, Len.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Right, I'll tell you what,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38- I'll find some stones for goalposts up here, you do it up there.- OK.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41- Yeah?- All right, you go left post, I'll go right post.- OK.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43OK, here we go.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45And were you, you know...
0:22:45 > 0:22:49I imagine you must have been very competitive, even at that age?
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Yeah, always wanting to win. I also wanted to score the most goals.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55I always wanted to take the throw-ins. I was like Billy Whizz.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57You know, I wanted to do everything.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59- You wanted to do the lot. - I wanted to do the lot.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03But that's just the nature of a sportsman, I suppose.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06- It ain't a very long pitch, is it? - No, no, it's...
0:23:06 > 0:23:07I'm going down a bit.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Two there.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14I'll tell you what, it's not bad, that, Len.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16We'll have another goal 20 yards, 30 yards away.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19The kids would be bouncing about. The ball would go miles.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Nobody cared.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Did you continue to play, even if it went in the sea,
0:23:23 > 0:23:27- or was that a throw-in? - No, just carry on. Kick it.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Pushing each other. It was just genius.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33- It was on this beach.- Yeah. - It was right on this beach.
0:23:33 > 0:23:34I'll tell you what we'll do.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37We'll have a three-kick penalty shoot-out.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39- Go on, then.- OK.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Give us your best kick. Give us your best.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44Here we go.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46- Oh!- Good save, sir.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48'Go on, son.'
0:23:48 > 0:23:50- I tried to get it through the legs.- Safe hands.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Argh!
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Go on!
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Oh, thank you.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01It's all in the footwork!
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Oh!
0:24:03 > 0:24:07'Oh, keep up, Dublin.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10'Well, nine-year-old Dion could never have dreamt that the
0:24:10 > 0:24:14'beaches of Yarmouth would lead to the pitches of the Premier League.'
0:24:17 > 0:24:20So, listen, you started off at Norwich and Cambridge.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Yes, that's right.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Then, of course, came the £1 million transfer...
0:24:26 > 0:24:27- Yeah.- To Man U.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31The fact that it's £1 million must make you think,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34"I've got to really perform here," you know.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36- Yeah, a bit of pressure.- Yeah.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39For somebody to go from the fourth to the first division was huge,
0:24:39 > 0:24:41and Sir Alex Ferguson got in touch with John Beck,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44the manager, and said, "Listen, £1 million for Dion Dublin."
0:24:44 > 0:24:47I think Cambridge United were like that. "Come on!
0:24:47 > 0:24:50- "We've had enough of him anyway!" - Yeah.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53And then, of course, the worst possible thing.
0:24:53 > 0:24:54- I know.- You break your leg.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Yes, I scored on my debut for Man United,
0:24:57 > 0:24:59away at Southampton on a Monday night.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Then I played my home debut for Man United at Old Trafford
0:25:02 > 0:25:05and I was thinking, "Here we go, 50,000 people.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07"I've got the Man United shirt on."
0:25:07 > 0:25:09I break my leg. Out for eight months.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12- Then they sign, you might have heard of him...- Cantona.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Yeah, you might have heard of him, Len.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Then as soon as he signed,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19- Man United went from strength to strength.- Yeah.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22That, to be fair, mate, makes me the catalyst for Man United's success.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26- Yeah.- I break my leg, they get Cantona.- Yeah!
0:25:26 > 0:25:30- Looking back on it, you wouldn't change it?- No, I wouldn't change it.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33You know, it was a bad break, eight months out
0:25:33 > 0:25:36but getting a chance to play for Man United!
0:25:36 > 0:25:40- Under Sir Alex, the best in the world, no chance.- Yeah.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Good lad.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Now, while Great Yarmouth has been a top holiday
0:25:46 > 0:25:51destination for years, it also has a fascinating maritime heritage.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56Its port was once the largest herring port in the world with
0:25:56 > 0:26:00boats hauling in more than 350 million herring
0:26:00 > 0:26:02a season in the early 20th century.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07Which leads me on to the next of my top days out in the area.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12The Potteries on the quayside is an old smokehouse where
0:26:12 > 0:26:15they used to make kippers with the millions of herrings
0:26:15 > 0:26:18arriving off the boats every morning.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23Open to tourists today as a museum and working art studio,
0:26:23 > 0:26:28it was built 350 years ago, almost entirely from timbers
0:26:28 > 0:26:32taken from shipwrecks after a devastating storm.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35After sailing ships came steamboats.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40Now a floating museum, visitors can step on board the Lydia Eva,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44the last steam drifter built here in 1930.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46The hull was made in King's Lynn.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49It was the last ship actually built in King's Lynn.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54The engine is the original one which was built across here,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56and that is still operational.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00The fish come here, locally out in the North Sea,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02usually on a one-day turnaround.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06They went out and they hoped to be at the fishing grounds about dusk,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09when the fish started to rise from the bed,
0:27:09 > 0:27:14and they laid out nets in a straight line because they were drifting.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18They would put out a net something in the region of two miles long.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29No holiday experience is complete without sampling the local food.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Holiday-makers back when Dion was in Great Yarmouth
0:27:32 > 0:27:35would've had a chance to visit the market in town
0:27:35 > 0:27:39to get the freshest fish for their fish and chips
0:27:39 > 0:27:41and maybe a cheeky jellied eel.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Oh, tasty.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48My family have been working at this market since 1946,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51which is 69 years.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53My grandad used to get the jellied eels, my dad used to go
0:27:53 > 0:27:58and fish them from the local river and they would prepare them
0:27:58 > 0:27:59and sell them up here.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01It was a lot busier.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04I remember my parents would stand up here till 12 o'clock at night
0:28:04 > 0:28:07because there was a lot of theatres open
0:28:07 > 0:28:09and when the theatres turned out,
0:28:09 > 0:28:13they would come to the market again for the chips, peas and seafood.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18There's been a market here selling fish since the 1200s.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21Now, cockles, winkles and whelks might not be everybody's
0:28:21 > 0:28:26fancy any more, but some classics never go out of fashion.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28- So, now, tell me...- Yeah, go on.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32..what was the sort of food you'd be eating back then, '79?
0:28:32 > 0:28:36It was all sausages and chips and...
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Did like me mushy peas. I liked mushy peas.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41Little bit of a nip of mint sauce.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43Bit of a strange delicacy, but, yeah...
0:28:43 > 0:28:45Mint...? Mushy peas and mint sauce?
0:28:45 > 0:28:47- Little bit of mint sauce and mix it up there.- Never!
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Yeah, that's what we used to have back in the day.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53Some people say mushy peas descend from one of Britain's
0:28:53 > 0:28:56oldest meals - pease pottage.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Either way, every town has its own take on the dish,
0:28:59 > 0:29:02and 1979 Great Yarmouth was no different.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06To take Dion back in time, I've brought him to Gary's pie
0:29:06 > 0:29:11and pea stall, and we're going to serve up his beloved Norfolk-style mushy peas.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14Mint sauce an' all! Well, I'll give anything a try once.
0:29:14 > 0:29:15Oh, here we are!
0:29:15 > 0:29:17This is it. Tradesman's entrance.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20- Lovely to see you, Len, old friend. - Lovely to see you.- And you, Dion.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23- Hello, pal. You OK? - Lovely to see you.- Right, now...
0:29:23 > 0:29:27- Peas.- Yes.- Where do they come from?
0:29:27 > 0:29:29These are the ones what are grown in Lincolnshire.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32They're a special variety, what we do for mushy peas.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34- They're called beluga.- Are they?
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Yeah. They're about the best peas you can get for mushy peas.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41This is where they're cooked, all freshly cooked.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Look at how many you've got in there!
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Without further ado, come on... Stop teasing us, Gaz. Come on!
0:29:47 > 0:29:49Come on, we'll go for it.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52- What we got, what we got?- Here you are, you try these, me old son.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57- Look at that.- Get yourself a spoon. - Cheers, pal.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59There's some mint, there, look, if you need it.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02I'll be banging in the mint sauce in two secs. When Len gets his.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05- Just try it without mint first. - That's nice.- There you are, Len.
0:30:05 > 0:30:10- Try it without mint first.- I'll try it without the mint and I'll...- OK?
0:30:10 > 0:30:12You've got to eat them all up, you know...
0:30:12 > 0:30:15- Oh! They're unbelievable. - They are lovely.- They are.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18Because they've got...
0:30:18 > 0:30:20- They are lovely.- Do you know what I think?- Go on.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23I don't think you could improve on this, mint sauce or not.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26- But I'm going to see. - Got to give it a go.- Yeah!
0:30:26 > 0:30:27You'll know the difference, then.
0:30:27 > 0:30:28Here we go.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32I'm going to get a little bit of the old mint...
0:30:32 > 0:30:34and put it there.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37Don't be shy with the mint sauce. Get yourself involved.
0:30:37 > 0:30:38Go on, Len, go for it.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41Yeah, I'm giving myself an ample proportion. There.
0:30:43 > 0:30:44Here we go...
0:30:48 > 0:30:52There you go. You try first. Then...
0:30:57 > 0:30:59It's a nice little collaboration.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01- It is.- It's a nice little collaboration.- It is.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03It's one of those lovely little...
0:31:03 > 0:31:06- You know, yeah, like Mills & Boon, or...- There you go.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08- Go on.- Taking me back, this is. - Oh, go on, Dion!
0:31:11 > 0:31:14- Hoo-hoo!- Eh?!
0:31:16 > 0:31:17You know what?
0:31:17 > 0:31:20I can't fault you. Can't fault you. It's got to be a ten, Gaz.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23Got to be a ten. That's unbelievable.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25I'm nine years old again.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28- Yeah!- 60 years on, we must be doing something right.
0:31:28 > 0:31:29So, what do you give it out of ten?
0:31:29 > 0:31:32- Let me give it one more go and I'll tell you.- Go on, then.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34Just a mark out of ten.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39- It's a ten from Len. - It's a ten from Len, Gaz!
0:31:39 > 0:31:42Oh, yes! Oh-ho-ho, yes!
0:31:42 > 0:31:43There you are!
0:31:43 > 0:31:46'OK, we're refuelled and ready to go,
0:31:46 > 0:31:50'and with the score at 1-1 after our games on the beach
0:31:50 > 0:31:54'and in the arcade, I think it's time for another match.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57'Now, let's see how Dion takes corners here.'
0:31:57 > 0:31:58Oh, hello.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00'Oh, yes, this is serious business.'
0:32:00 > 0:32:03Body armour! I tell you what...
0:32:03 > 0:32:04You look serious.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06'Time to kit up, Dion.'
0:32:07 > 0:32:10Where's the ball? Where's the ball?!
0:32:10 > 0:32:12'No, it's not football!
0:32:12 > 0:32:17'And we're not getting in the showers either! Leave it out!'
0:32:21 > 0:32:22Now we dance!
0:32:24 > 0:32:25'On me 'ead, son!
0:32:25 > 0:32:28'Two lookers like me and you, we've got to protect our noggins.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32'Prepare for a high-speed showdown.'
0:32:32 > 0:32:34Heh-heh-heh-heh!
0:32:34 > 0:32:36'It's Segway racing.'
0:32:36 > 0:32:39Never been on one of these. How does it work?
0:32:39 > 0:32:42- You get on... - Yeah, if you like, step on.- Whoa!
0:32:42 > 0:32:44- Oi, I know you did that! - What, what, what?
0:32:44 > 0:32:47'Of course, these weren't here back in Dion's day but,
0:32:47 > 0:32:51'after a quick talk, he's mastered the basics.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56'Not too much, I hope. We're under starters orders.'
0:32:56 > 0:33:02Now, this is a rolling start. So as we get to that start, we're off.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04Go on, then.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Three, two, one...
0:33:06 > 0:33:09Woohoo! Ha-ha!
0:33:09 > 0:33:12Come on, Len. I'll give you the inside track.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14'Hold on a minute, he's leaving me in the dirt!'
0:33:14 > 0:33:15Here I come.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18- I'm sort of getting the gist of it a bit now.- Here we go.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Whoa!
0:33:23 > 0:33:25'I've got this whippersnapper in me sights.
0:33:25 > 0:33:26'I tell you what, he's going down!'
0:33:28 > 0:33:30I do like these.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32- Come on!- Come on, son!- Come on!
0:33:33 > 0:33:35Oh, yes, now, now we're on it!
0:33:35 > 0:33:38- We're on the straight, we're on the straight.- I can see the finish.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41We're on the straight, we're on the straight! Come on, come on, son!
0:33:41 > 0:33:46I tell you what, I'm better at it than I ever dreamt. It's a tie!
0:33:46 > 0:33:49Oh, no! Come on!
0:33:49 > 0:33:51- Ohhh!- Photo finish!
0:33:53 > 0:33:55I tell you...
0:33:55 > 0:33:57- Did you see me, lady? - They are brilliant.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00- I was wonderful, wasn't I? - Well done, sir.- Love it!
0:34:00 > 0:34:02- Team photo.- Yeah!
0:34:05 > 0:34:08Whoa-ho! All this winning makes thirsty work,
0:34:08 > 0:34:13so it's back to the caravan park clubhouse, where Dion and his family
0:34:13 > 0:34:17would have headed for a spot of entertainment at the end of the day.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20It's big, ain't it? It is big.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23- It was bigger when you were younger. - Oh, of course!
0:34:23 > 0:34:25Talking of that, were you allowed to come in here?
0:34:25 > 0:34:28There were certain areas that you were allowed to come in.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30See, there's a big sign up there
0:34:30 > 0:34:33- that says no under-18s in here... - In this bit.- Not allowed.
0:34:33 > 0:34:38But, in there, you could get yourself a Coke and some crisps.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41You'd probably be sat on the dance floor, Len, you know,
0:34:41 > 0:34:45- legs crossed, watching a magician or something.- Yeah. Yeah, the cabaret.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47Because there'd be a show on.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50Dion loved all the entertainment and music here when he was a boy,
0:34:50 > 0:34:54but I think he's still fond of a tune or two now.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57Going to bring up something now, because I'm very observant
0:34:57 > 0:35:01and I've noticed a couple of times in the car and even now
0:35:01 > 0:35:04and again at this bar, you've got a bit of a...
0:35:05 > 0:35:09- ..a percussive sort of vibe going.- A tendency to tap all the time.- Yeah!
0:35:09 > 0:35:14Just always tapping. Always doing little bits and bobs. Doorframes...
0:35:14 > 0:35:16Sending my mum crazy when she says, "Empty the bins."
0:35:16 > 0:35:19I empty the bin and I'm playing it when I come back in the house.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22- Yeah, yeah.- So that's just been my passion for years, Len. Always.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26- And then, of course, you invented... - Yeah!- Tell me about...
0:35:26 > 0:35:29- Remind me what it's... - It's called The Dube.
0:35:29 > 0:35:30How did you get the name "Dube"?
0:35:30 > 0:35:34- Well, it's in the shape of a cube... - Oh, right.- ..and Dublin.
0:35:34 > 0:35:39I made it, invented it nine years ago, and I thought it sounded OK.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41It's just been a passion of mine for years and years.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43While I've been playing the game of football,
0:35:43 > 0:35:46my musical passions have sort of been lying stagnant.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49- Now I'm retired, I'm an old man, I can try the other stuff.- Yeah.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51Give us a little...
0:35:51 > 0:35:54- Yeah...- Come on!
0:35:54 > 0:35:57HE TAPS A SAMBA BEAT
0:35:57 > 0:35:58Ohhhh!
0:35:58 > 0:36:01- A little bit of samba there for you. A bit of samba there for you.- Yeah.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04- And I was gyrating! I truly...- I could see the movement!
0:36:04 > 0:36:08Yeah, I was absolutely gyrating. My buttocks were clenched.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11- That's enough information. - OK, I'm just telling you.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15Yeah, moving on swiftly...
0:36:17 > 0:36:21If you travel inland from the port of Great Yarmouth, you'll find
0:36:21 > 0:36:25the huge network of rivers and lakes that make up the Norfolk Broads.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29The Broads were originally peat diggings.
0:36:30 > 0:36:37They were dug out in medieval times and, over the years,
0:36:37 > 0:36:39they've obviously filled with water.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43The Broads cover an area of approximately 303 square kilometres.
0:36:43 > 0:36:48Out of that, 125 miles of the waterway is navigable by boat.
0:36:50 > 0:36:56And we have within it nine national nature reserves
0:36:56 > 0:37:00and 28 Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04There's more wildlife to be found at Thrigby Hall,
0:37:04 > 0:37:08where you can get up close and personal with Asian tigers,
0:37:08 > 0:37:12monkeys and other exotic animals in the landscaped grounds
0:37:12 > 0:37:14of the 250-year-old garden.
0:37:16 > 0:37:23And finally, a Norfolk man and a national hero, Horatio Nelson,
0:37:23 > 0:37:28who sailed victoriously into Yarmouth Harbour many times.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31He's commemorated in the town museum.
0:37:35 > 0:37:40Well, Nelson famously lost his arm, but our Dion very nearly
0:37:40 > 0:37:43lost his head during his own legendary career.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46- Now, I've got to ask you this. - Go on, then.
0:37:46 > 0:37:51- I know you broke your leg...- Yes. - ..but you also broke your neck.
0:37:51 > 0:37:57Yeah, I did. In '99, playing for football for Villa, I crushed C5
0:37:57 > 0:37:58in the front of my neck.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02- So I've got a big plate in my neck now.- How did that happen?
0:38:02 > 0:38:05I collided with a Sheffield Wednesday player
0:38:05 > 0:38:08and just crushed C5.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11I've got bolts in 4, two bolts in 6
0:38:11 > 0:38:13and a plate that holds it all up now.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16- So, it's still in there. It's made of titanium.- Right.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19- So, I don't beep... - When you go through the...?
0:38:19 > 0:38:21I don't beep at the airport, so I'm all right with that.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23I wondered why you kept nodding your head a bit funny!
0:38:23 > 0:38:27- Yeah, exactly. Nodding to people, saying hello to people.- "Hello!"
0:38:29 > 0:38:30In a life of two halves,
0:38:30 > 0:38:35Dion's started his second career now as a TV personality.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40He's a regular sports commentator and recently started presenting
0:38:40 > 0:38:43the BBC property series Homes Under The Hammer.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46When I was a player, Len, I put a lot of my money into houses.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Oh, so you've got a bit of background in property?
0:38:49 > 0:38:52Yeah, yeah, I put a lot of my money into houses and did OK,
0:38:52 > 0:38:55sold at the right time, rented. Had a few in Spain.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57So, yeah, I've got a little bit of knowledge.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00I'm no expert, don't get me wrong, but it's just...
0:39:00 > 0:39:02It's learning a new trade. It's learning what you do.
0:39:02 > 0:39:03And I think it's...
0:39:03 > 0:39:07There's longevity in it, so, thanks to them for giving me a chance.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Yeah, I'm a big fan of the show, I can tell you.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12- Are you still a fan now I'm on it? - Oh, yes, indeed!
0:39:12 > 0:39:15- You haven't switched off, no? - No, no, no. I really like it.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20Have you got any sort of ambitions or things that, you know, "I'd like
0:39:20 > 0:39:21"to have a dabble at that,"
0:39:21 > 0:39:24or do you want to just see how things pan out?
0:39:24 > 0:39:25Yeah, I love my music.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28I love my music, I love my percussion, I love my rhythms.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31I wouldn't mind playing a few live gigs.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34Playing percussion with some of the big boys.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36I've got to know, you know, a lot of big names in the musical world
0:39:36 > 0:39:38and stuff, so that would be nice.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41- I played with Ocean Colour Scene once, on stage.- Really?- Yeah.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Played with Ocean Colour Scene on stage at the UEA.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47That was incredible. Toploader, as well, at a festival.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50Yeah, I've never heard of any of them, if I'm honest.
0:39:50 > 0:39:55- Never you mind!- Don't matter. I'm sure they're big bands! Yeah.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58Do you think, you know, your experiences here
0:39:58 > 0:40:01and playing football with your mates and your mum and dad,
0:40:01 > 0:40:06do you think that in any way sort of helped to form your future?
0:40:06 > 0:40:10Yeah, I do, I do, Len. It's about your personality.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14If I can come here and play on the beach with my mates at 19 years old,
0:40:14 > 0:40:15then you get to...
0:40:15 > 0:40:18You do that for six or seven years and then you get to...
0:40:18 > 0:40:21somebody says about signing pro forms.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24"Pro forms? What, me being a professional?"
0:40:24 > 0:40:25It grounds you.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Honestly, Len, doing these kind of things, coming to Yarmouth,
0:40:28 > 0:40:31it was the making of me as a person.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34And the way I was brought up by my parents and stuff.
0:40:34 > 0:40:35So, yeah, it does...
0:40:35 > 0:40:37It's great to come back, mate, so thank you for that.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42'It's been wonderful to come back with Dion and relive
0:40:42 > 0:40:48'his personal memories of family holidays here in Great Yarmouth.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51'Learning you mustn't judge food until you've tried it.'
0:40:51 > 0:40:54- It's a ten from Len. - It's a ten from Len!
0:40:54 > 0:40:56Oh, yes! Oh-ho-ho, yes!
0:40:56 > 0:40:59- 'We certainly had a ball.'- Ohh!
0:40:59 > 0:41:03Ohhhh, ho-ho-ho! Ha!
0:41:03 > 0:41:04Ohh!
0:41:04 > 0:41:07'And he's been the perfect partner.'
0:41:10 > 0:41:11'After spending the day with Dion,
0:41:11 > 0:41:16'it's easy to see just how much Great Yarmouth means to him.'
0:41:16 > 0:41:17It's a tie! Photo!
0:41:19 > 0:41:23Well, Dion, look, obviously I'm hoping you'll remember this day.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25- Oh, gosh, yeah.- And I want...
0:41:25 > 0:41:29Occasionally, in 20 years' time, you'll be going through
0:41:29 > 0:41:31and you'll think, "Oh, what's this?"
0:41:31 > 0:41:33And what it is...
0:41:33 > 0:41:35what it is...
0:41:35 > 0:41:36There you are.
0:41:36 > 0:41:41A Holiday Of My Lifetime scrapbook full of all the photographs
0:41:41 > 0:41:42and things that we've done.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48A picture book of memories from our fabulous time here together.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52But I've also got another souvenir for him.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55- So, that's for you. - Thank you very much, sir.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57Now, I've got to be honest...
0:41:57 > 0:42:00- You are very competitive. - Oh, yes.- I'm very competitive.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03- I am very competitive. - I've noticed, I've noticed.
0:42:03 > 0:42:09- And when I think about, you know, the football...- Yeah, yeah.
0:42:09 > 0:42:15..the air hockey, the Segway things, I've got to say, I think...
0:42:16 > 0:42:20- ..you are the winner overall. I'm going to give it to you.- Awww!
0:42:20 > 0:42:21Thank you very much.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25Now, I know you've got cup-winner's medals and this and that,
0:42:25 > 0:42:29but I think this will go somewhere.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32You're going to get the official
0:42:32 > 0:42:35Holiday Of My Lifetime trophy, Dion Dublin.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37It's engraved. Look at that beauty!
0:42:37 > 0:42:41- Thank you very much, sir. Thank you very much.- We had a great day. - That is amazing.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43It's been great.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45And, you know...
0:42:45 > 0:42:47to the millions of people out there who voted for me,
0:42:47 > 0:42:50I'd just like to say thank you very much to Len
0:42:50 > 0:42:53for putting me through a bit of nostalgia.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55Len, we all love you. We all love you, Len.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58Thank you very much, mate.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00This is going to go right next to the Premier League trophy.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02Yeah, go on!
0:43:02 > 0:43:04Look at that!
0:43:04 > 0:43:07'So it's goodbye to Great Yarmouth, a great seaside town.'
0:43:07 > 0:43:11For Dion, the beaches here will always be home
0:43:11 > 0:43:14to some very special memories.