0:00:02 > 0:00:04Childhood holidays, we all love them, don't we?
0:00:04 > 0:00:05Fun in the sun, sandcastles,
0:00:05 > 0:00:07swimming in the sea,
0:00:07 > 0:00:08can't beat them!
0:00:09 > 0:00:11So, in this series, I'm going
0:00:11 > 0:00:14to be reliving those wonderful times
0:00:14 > 0:00:16with some much-loved famous faces.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Everyone a winner!
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Come 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 > 0:00:33- However, I think that's long enough for me.- Yeah!
0:00:33 > 0:00:35'We'll relive the fun...'
0:00:35 > 0:00:36TRAIN WHISTLES
0:00:36 > 0:00:37Oh, no! No, no!
0:00:37 > 0:00:39'..the games
0:00:39 > 0:00:41'and the food of years gone by.'
0:00:42 > 0:00:47- Oh, I'm so excited!- Oh, the taste, the taste of your childhood.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51To find out how those holidays around the UK helped shape
0:00:51 > 0:00:54the people we know so well today.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56I'm giving you a standing ovation.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00So buckle up for Holiday Of My Lifetime.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Can you come on all my holidays?
0:01:06 > 0:01:09I'm on my way to meet a man who's a bit like me -
0:01:09 > 0:01:14tall, powerful, strong, frightened of nothing.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16Oh-ho, yes,
0:01:16 > 0:01:18it's like looking in a mirror.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22He was born in Bagshot in 1973.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Look at him as a little boy.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26He loved a bit of adventure.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31He's best known as a presenter, especially on CBBC,
0:01:31 > 0:01:35and to start with he was really wild.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Now he's famous for hanging round the deadliest
0:01:39 > 0:01:40creatures on the planet.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46Well, you'd better watch out, son. Today you've got me!
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Of course he's popular with us adults too,
0:01:49 > 0:01:51with worldwide explorations,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54but it's not all caves, volcanoes and mountains.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57He can be a bit of a hoot too!
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Did you get that? Hoot-to-wit-to-woo.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06And you might know him through his moves on Strictly. I tell you,
0:02:06 > 0:02:08he really knew how to swing!
0:02:10 > 0:02:13All right, Jungle Jim, put your clothes on.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15He loves taking his clothes off.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Have you got it yet? Of course, you have.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Today's guest is Steve Backshall.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Oh, I hope he's left those creepy-crawlies behind.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Ooh, no. I don't like spiders!
0:02:33 > 0:02:38Adventurous Steve Backshall grew up in Bagshot,
0:02:38 > 0:02:39with his dad, Dave,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42mum, Patricia, and little sister, Jo.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47Even as a schoolboy he was drawn to two things - animals and adventure.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53By the time he was 21, Steve had backpacked around Asia, India
0:02:53 > 0:02:56and Africa. A successful career in writing then followed
0:02:56 > 0:03:00and at 28, he landed his first TV series.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03And the rest is natural history!
0:03:03 > 0:03:08He's also a marathon runner, a black belt in martial arts and an author.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12And I'm about to pick him up in the exact model of car that would
0:03:12 > 0:03:17have whisked him off on the childhood holiday of his lifetime.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19No way!
0:03:19 > 0:03:22HE LAUGHS
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Look at that!
0:03:29 > 0:03:31What a great colour!
0:03:33 > 0:03:35- Hello, Len. How are you?- Steve.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36I'm good.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Good to see you!
0:03:38 > 0:03:40- Good to see you. Look at you! - How are you?
0:03:40 > 0:03:42We're still identical, aren't we?
0:03:43 > 0:03:45Look!
0:03:45 > 0:03:48I cannot believe you managed to find one of these things still driving.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Yeah. Well, I know your one was grey but we couldn't get a grey one.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54This is the absolute car.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56I used to sleep in the back seat
0:03:56 > 0:03:58when we went on long journeys with my sister.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00My sister and I would just curl up in the back under a duvet.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Like a couple of squirrels.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04It seemed like the biggest double bed in the entire world.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- And there it is!- They're so comfortable. It's lovely.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09The Princess.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13I always bow toward the Princess.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16- Yes.- Yeah.- Yes.- We've got a regal beast, indeed.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18It is indeed, a regal beast.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23- So where are we off to?- Well, we're going to go wild in Dorset.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25What's that mean? Wild in Dor...?
0:04:25 > 0:04:27Well, a lot of my childhood holidays were
0:04:27 > 0:04:29camping in the New Forest,
0:04:29 > 0:04:31or going down to the south coast,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33and we're going to relive some of those memories.
0:04:33 > 0:04:34Oh, lovely. What's the year?
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Eh, 1982.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40The year Prince William was born.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41Please.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Well, your carriage awaits, Your Royal Highness...
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- Thank you very much.- ..jump into the Princess, and off we go.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50MUSIC: God Save The Queen
0:04:50 > 0:04:52I've got a bad feeling about creepy-crawlies.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54That's all I'm saying.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Steve's holiday would see him going wild in the Dorset district
0:05:01 > 0:05:03of Purbeck, tucked away in the
0:05:03 > 0:05:05southeastern corner of the county,
0:05:05 > 0:05:07just across the water
0:05:07 > 0:05:08from Poole Harbour.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Purbeck covers 60 square miles,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14and is home to Wareham,
0:05:14 > 0:05:15Corfe Castle
0:05:15 > 0:05:17and the coastal town of Swanage.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19With its mossy marshlands,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22commanding cliffs and pebbly beach,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24an adventure is never far away.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Perfect if you're nuts about nature.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36Today, I'll be taking Steve back to relive those halcyon days
0:05:36 > 0:05:38'of camping under canvas...'
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Oh, look!
0:05:40 > 0:05:41That'll do!
0:05:41 > 0:05:43'..paddling in rock pools...'
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- In the weeds...- You're slimy.
0:05:45 > 0:05:46..there's loads of cool stuff!
0:05:46 > 0:05:49'..as we discover whether this holiday laid
0:05:49 > 0:05:53'the foundations for a lifelong obsession with the outdoors.'
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Before any holiday truly begins, first,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06you must set out on the journey, and for nine-year-old Steve and
0:06:06 > 0:06:11his family, that meant hitting the road in style. 1980 style, that is.
0:06:13 > 0:06:14Sitting in here, does it,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16does it feel the same sort of size or
0:06:16 > 0:06:18- did you think it was massive?- No...
0:06:18 > 0:06:23No, as a nine-year-old, this car was a tank. It was vast, it was huge.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27My sister and I used to curl up in duvets on the back seat
0:06:27 > 0:06:29and it was like a four-poster bed.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33So was it an early start, you know, going off down to Dorset?
0:06:33 > 0:06:34Oh, yes, always, always.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39Camping was always a to-do, so you had to get everything ready,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42you had to set up the tent, we used to drag a trailer
0:06:42 > 0:06:47tent behind the car, so it was a big enterprise, and yes, dawn starts.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51- So it's 1982.- Yes.- So you were like, how old were you? Like nine?
0:06:51 > 0:06:54I was nine, yes, nine years old.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58And that was the, that was the absolute best time of my childhood.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00I grew up on a small farm,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03a smallholding surrounded by animals, rescue animals.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07We had an asthmatic donkey and guard dog geese,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09a little duckling that would follow my mum around the house
0:07:09 > 0:07:12and sit in the sink while she was doing the washing-up.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15And then we'd come away to places like this, to the New Forest,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19and it was just this wonderland of potential, you know,
0:07:19 > 0:07:24things for me to explore and find out about. And it was bliss.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27So, it's not really a coincidence
0:07:27 > 0:07:29that you became who you became.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33- No, absolutely not.- Because you absolutely grew up, you know,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36as an adventurer, you know, yeah,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38- exploring the unknown.- Absolutely.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Whatever I was going to do, it was going to be
0:07:40 > 0:07:43something in the outdoors and to do with
0:07:43 > 0:07:45- wildlife, nature and adventure. - Yeah.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49I mean, that was in my blood from a very, very young age.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51So what did your parents do?
0:07:51 > 0:07:54So, Mum and Dad both worked for the airlines,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56which was great because it meant that we got to
0:07:56 > 0:07:59travel all over the world for free,
0:07:59 > 0:08:03fantastic, so we went to Africa and India and South America.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Even when we were babes-in-arms, they would take us
0:08:06 > 0:08:10on walking safaris in Zimbabwe and, you know, it was extraordinary.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13It was a great, I guess,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- experimental way to live our childhood.- Yeah.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20I've not been, obviously, as adventurous as you
0:08:20 > 0:08:22or adventurous at all.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25So I'm really going to look forward to our adventure.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28- We're going to change all that then...- Yes.- We're going to change
0:08:28 > 0:08:30all that. I am going to convert you to camping.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Oh, I hope you do.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Go off, the happy wanderer.
0:08:35 > 0:08:36Oh, yes.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39'So what else was happening in the year that Steve
0:08:39 > 0:08:41'and his family were Dorset-bound?'
0:08:45 > 0:08:49Back in 1982, Pope John Paul II became the first ever
0:08:49 > 0:08:52reigning leader of the Catholic Church
0:08:52 > 0:08:54to visit Great Britain.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57He made 16 addresses across nine cities,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00and over two million people turned out to see him.
0:09:00 > 0:09:06Also heading to our shores was the cruise liner the SS Canberra.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09She was on her way home carrying hundreds of victorious
0:09:09 > 0:09:13British soldiers who were returning to a hero's welcome
0:09:13 > 0:09:16after fighting in the Falkland War.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21And when it came to music, well,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23who could forget this foot-tapping number?
0:09:23 > 0:09:25MUSIC: Come On Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners
0:09:25 > 0:09:30Not only was this Dexy's Midnight Runners smash hit the bestselling UK
0:09:30 > 0:09:35single of the year, but it also went on to top the charts in no
0:09:35 > 0:09:39less than eight other countries, including the USA.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45Go on, Dexy! Come on, my son!
0:09:45 > 0:09:46Woohoo!
0:09:46 > 0:09:48# Come on, Eileen
0:09:48 > 0:09:50# I love...ba-teen... #
0:09:50 > 0:09:52LEN GROANS
0:09:54 > 0:09:59Back in 1982, most families that were holidaying in Dorset would be
0:09:59 > 0:10:01making a beeline for the beach,
0:10:01 > 0:10:03but not the Backshalls. Oh, no,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05they were heading for the outback.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10This is good. It is. Isn't it?
0:10:10 > 0:10:13- It is absolutely fantastic. - It is wild.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15This is the kind of wild that I spent my childhood in.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18- Yeah.- And, you know, wandering through the brambles, getting
0:10:18 > 0:10:22scratched up, covered in nettle stings, the smell of the bracken.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25That's what my entire young life was about.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Oh, yeah.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29I never got that, then. Oh, now look.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Oh, Steve!
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Isn't that sensational?
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Oh, it's fantastic!
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Right, oh, yes.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39So this must be Poole over here in the distance?
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Yeah, there it is, Poole, yeah.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45And this is the sort of, now, surely you wouldn't have,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49there's your sister, your mum and dad, you wouldn't have, you know,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52suddenly said, "Well, this is a lovely spot to camp in," you know?
0:10:52 > 0:10:54- Course we would. Course we would. - It wasn't a...
0:10:54 > 0:10:57This is exactly the kind of place we'd go camping.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00It wasn't formatted, you know, in a caravan camping site.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Not usually, cos you have to pay for those.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06- It's usually in the corner of a farmer's field somewhere...- Yeah.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09..or in the back of the trees. That's what,
0:11:09 > 0:11:10that's what the joy of camping is.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Oh, it's good.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Was your mum and dad quite comfortable with
0:11:14 > 0:11:15you, you know, saying,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19"Right, I'm going to go off and explore that path."
0:11:19 > 0:11:20I think they liked it better that way.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22At the beginning of the day, they would boot us
0:11:22 > 0:11:25out the front door, just let us run feral all day long
0:11:25 > 0:11:27until we got tired or hungry and came back knocking on the door
0:11:27 > 0:11:30- going, "Can I have my tea now, please?"- Right.
0:11:30 > 0:11:31And, yeah, that was what our childhood was.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34It was just going out and without any kind of
0:11:34 > 0:11:36agenda or schedule,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38just going and running feral.
0:11:38 > 0:11:39Look, there's so much of it. It's vast.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- Shall we have a little...?- I think we should, cos I think
0:11:42 > 0:11:44that there's a few things here that I can show you
0:11:44 > 0:11:46- that might surprise you.- Now, let me ask you something,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49- because you're used to long walks, which I'm not.- Yeah.
0:11:49 > 0:11:50Is there...?
0:11:51 > 0:11:53- Give me a technique for walking. - Technique?
0:11:53 > 0:11:57Throw your leg forward, heel, toe, and just keep going, there you go.
0:11:59 > 0:12:00STEVE CHUCKLES
0:12:01 > 0:12:04You don't have to be an action hero like Steve to make
0:12:04 > 0:12:08the most of a day out in Dorset.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10So step right up, because here
0:12:10 > 0:12:12are the first of my seven
0:12:12 > 0:12:14superb things to do
0:12:14 > 0:12:16in this neck of the woods.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19In the heart of Wareham town centre
0:12:19 > 0:12:21is this marvellous museum,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23full of fascinating artefacts,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25both ancient and modern.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27As well as the agricultural,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29industrial and domestic implements
0:12:29 > 0:12:30on display,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32there's also an exhibit dedicated
0:12:32 > 0:12:34to the legendary Lawrence of Arabia,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36who often used to visit the area in
0:12:36 > 0:12:38the latter years of his life.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41If you love all creatures great
0:12:41 > 0:12:43and small, then a visit to the
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Margaret Green Animal Sanctuary in
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Church Knowle is an absolute must.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Now in its 50th year, this place is
0:12:50 > 0:12:52more than just a tourist attraction,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54it provides vital care for
0:12:54 > 0:12:56a menagerie of homeless,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58sick and injured animals.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00We rescue about 1,200 animals
0:13:00 > 0:13:02a year across our three sites,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04and that's a variety of species
0:13:04 > 0:13:06including cats, dogs and farm
0:13:06 > 0:13:07animals, and what we do is we work
0:13:07 > 0:13:09to find them loving, forever homes.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11If we have animals in that aren't
0:13:11 > 0:13:12suitable to go on for re-homing,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14or we can't find the right home
0:13:14 > 0:13:15for them, then they stay with us
0:13:15 > 0:13:17for the rest of their lives in this
0:13:17 > 0:13:18lovely environment.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20And when you've finished hanging out
0:13:20 > 0:13:21with the horses, you can
0:13:21 > 0:13:22even treat yourself
0:13:22 > 0:13:24in the on-site cafe.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Tea for me, please. Milk, no sugar.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28I'm sweet enough already!
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Back in the Dorset heathland,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36it's time to take a walk on the wild side,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39and I've arranged a trip to a nature reserve just like the one
0:13:39 > 0:13:43an eight-year-old Steve Backshall loved so much.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Have a look at this. You see these flowers?
0:13:47 > 0:13:49- Yeah.- These are spotted orchids.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52You look at them up close, they're incredibly beautiful, really,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54really delicate, fragile flowers
0:13:54 > 0:13:57and you could just wander past them, but once you've got your eye in,
0:13:57 > 0:13:59they're everywhere, they're dotted all around.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Look at that! Hey!
0:14:01 > 0:14:04I've learned something new already, and we've only just arrived.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06This man really knows his stuff,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09and I intend to take full advantage.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13During the course of this adventure, and that's what I'm calling it, it's
0:14:13 > 0:14:16no longer Holiday Of My Lifetime, this is The Adventure,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- that's it.- Yes.- I might ask you things.
0:14:19 > 0:14:20You feel free.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23And if I catch you out, you have to give me a shilling.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25- Fair enough.- On we go.- Fair enough.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Look, look now, just for instance, what are they?
0:14:28 > 0:14:29That's just grass.
0:14:31 > 0:14:32OK.
0:14:32 > 0:14:33I knew that!
0:14:33 > 0:14:37It's not just plants that Steve's an expert on, he's also got
0:14:37 > 0:14:40a passion for something that gives me the heebie-jeebies.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Oh, no!
0:14:42 > 0:14:44My favourite thing is probably reptiles,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47and there is nowhere better in the British Isles,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49than where we are standing right now, for reptiles.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52I don't want to know. What, lizards?
0:14:52 > 0:14:53- Lizards and...- Snakes.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55..snakes, yes.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59- Trust me.- Can we go back and have a look at the orchids?
0:14:59 > 0:15:01You're in good hands, Len, you're in good hands. Trust me.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Trust me, because I've got some very special things to show you here.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Uh-oh.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Now, Steve really is an expert on stuff like this,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12so please, for your own safety, don't go doing it yourself.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16This is a Wildlife Trust reserve. You have to have a licence
0:15:16 > 0:15:18to do what we're doing here.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Thing is, that corrugated iron warms up quicker than
0:15:20 > 0:15:24- everything around it, and so reptiles love it.- They love it.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26(Let's have a little look at what we've got.)
0:15:27 > 0:15:28- Hey!- Ooh!
0:15:30 > 0:15:31Ooh!
0:15:31 > 0:15:33- It's a long one!- Yes, success.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35And more than one as well.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Lots in fact! Look at all that!
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Oh, no, don't. Ooh!
0:15:40 > 0:15:44OK, Len, you are so, so lucky.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47- Well, you may think that. - Honestly, this is incredible!
0:15:47 > 0:15:49- Don't get too near.- No, seriously.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51- What is that?- This is...
0:15:51 > 0:15:53Which one?
0:15:53 > 0:15:54..our rarest snake.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56- That?- This.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59These are smooth snakes and this is pretty much the only
0:15:59 > 0:16:01place in the country you can find them.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Aren't they absolutely beautiful?
0:16:03 > 0:16:05No, well, yeah. Can I...? I'll touch it.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08- I tell you what, if you just put your hand...- Do they bite?
0:16:08 > 0:16:09They absolutely don't bite.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11If you hold your hand out
0:16:11 > 0:16:15- and just let it move naturally over your hand as it wants to go.- Ooh!
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Isn't that lovely?
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Yeah, it's not terrible, it's like a...
0:16:20 > 0:16:23They're called smooth snakes because their scales are so smooth,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25so they're not like a grass snake or
0:16:25 > 0:16:27an adder that has keeled scales.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- They don't, they're not sli... I always...- No!
0:16:32 > 0:16:34There you go. That's it, perfect.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37You're a natural, Len.
0:16:37 > 0:16:38- No, I'm not.- Yeah, you are.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41But I have, I thought I wouldn't even be able to do that.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43And I'm braver than I thought.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45So, and this,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47when you came here as a kid,
0:16:47 > 0:16:48this is what you'd be looking for.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52My entire life I've been completely obsessed with reptiles,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54and particularly with snakes. I'm not really sure
0:16:54 > 0:16:55what the fascination is,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58but it could be the same thing that, I guess,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01- puts the fear of God up some people. - Yeah.- I find them exciting.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04I think that they have that kind of thrill of the unknown and of the
0:17:04 > 0:17:06potentially dangerous,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08but at the same time, they're incredibly pretty.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10They are, they are.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12It's time to pop these little fellahs back, though.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14And remember,
0:17:14 > 0:17:16there are other kinds of animals living in the British
0:17:16 > 0:17:19countryside that could give you a nasty nip,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22so don't go trying this yourself, unless, like me,
0:17:22 > 0:17:26you've got your very own conservation specialist at hand.
0:17:26 > 0:17:27Fabulous.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Well, I've got to admit I didn't think I was going to enjoy that,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33but, boy, what a great experience!
0:17:33 > 0:17:37And amazingly, this area's suitability for wildlife was
0:17:37 > 0:17:41actually determined many millions of years ago.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53This area is unique because of its biodiversity.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56The large number of different habitats,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59which in turn are dependent
0:17:59 > 0:18:02on the underlying geology, the coastal
0:18:02 > 0:18:06limestone, the Kimmeridge shales,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09the sand and gravel beds round Poole Harbour,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12and the clay beds associated with them.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17And each of these habitats has its own associated flora and fauna,
0:18:17 > 0:18:21a lot of specialist species, some of which are quite rare.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24With all the rare species that are on offer in this area,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27it's no surprise that so many nature lovers
0:18:27 > 0:18:29head for these parts.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33I think the abundance of wildlife in the area does affect tourism.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35People come in to see the sights of
0:18:35 > 0:18:38nature conservation interest,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41the nature reserves and the preserved areas,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43and their range of species,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46and it does attract people who are interested in these things.
0:18:52 > 0:18:57Memories of childhood holidays are often defined by the accommodation,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59whether a B&B by the sea
0:18:59 > 0:19:01or caravan in the countryside.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03For Steve and his family,
0:19:03 > 0:19:04there was no such luxury.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07There was nothing they liked more than
0:19:07 > 0:19:10spending their nights under canvas.
0:19:12 > 0:19:13What were the tents like?
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Did you just have one tent that you all slept in
0:19:16 > 0:19:17or was there a couple of tents?
0:19:17 > 0:19:21No, no. The whole family would be together in one single tent.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23- Sleeping bags?- The way it should be. Yeah, of course.- Yeah.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26- And you were all in there?- Yeah.- Ah!
0:19:27 > 0:19:29As luck would have it, I just happened to have brought
0:19:29 > 0:19:32a tent along today. Now, I'll be honest with you.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36I was never in the Boy Scouts, so I'm going to let Steve
0:19:36 > 0:19:40take the lead and I'll just pitch in and help.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42CHUCKLING: Pitch, get it?
0:19:42 > 0:19:43Oh, never mind.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Now, this is complicated.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49- What they got?- What have we got?
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Erm, it looks like a tepee.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Oh, it's a belter. That's all right.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Is that the outside or is this waterproof bit here?
0:19:56 > 0:19:59No, no, that's the groundsheet so that would go on the ground.
0:19:59 > 0:20:00Oh, right.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02'Makes sense, I suppose.'
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Steve, when you got here, and you got this tent up,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09did you play games or anything?
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Oh, yeah, absolutely.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14So, as soon as the tent was up, the first thing we would do
0:20:14 > 0:20:18would probably be to run off or go off on our bikes and explore.
0:20:18 > 0:20:19And what about your dad?
0:20:19 > 0:20:22What was, did he have hobbies whilst he was here?
0:20:23 > 0:20:26My dad is brilliant at the outdoors,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28so all of this would really be his domain.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30This was his... I've run out of pegs.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Oh, there's some more over there.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Erm, particularly as soon as we started doing,
0:20:35 > 0:20:37doing dinner, the barbecue...
0:20:37 > 0:20:40- What, these pegs?- ..is like Dad's place.- These?
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Yeah, those would be great.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44So, you can't get near my dad if he's making a barbecue -
0:20:44 > 0:20:46that is his world, his domain,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48the bangers are his.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Where's the, is this the entrance?
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Yeah, so I think we just go in there.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55That'll do!
0:20:55 > 0:20:57Steve, that'll do us!
0:20:57 > 0:20:59That's not bad, is it?
0:20:59 > 0:21:00No, we've done it.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03An hour and a half you used to take. We've done it in minutes.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Well, yeah, I wouldn't try and sleep in it yet.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08We have, we have to peg these out next.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11So, if you peg those out, those will give it its shape.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22There you go. That's the doorway to our new home.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32I think that's pretty good, you know, Len.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35We've done that in about five minutes. Home sweet home.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37- Shall we venture in?- I think we should.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39With our new home pitched
0:21:39 > 0:21:41and looking pretty perfect to me,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44it's time for Steve and I to have an
0:21:44 > 0:21:46"intense" chat about how
0:21:46 > 0:21:49he got his big career break.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53So, you know, after University,
0:21:53 > 0:21:55you started writing the Rough Guides.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59- Yes.- All over the world.- Yeah, exactly.- Was it glamorous?- No.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02No, it was, it was pretty far from glamorous.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04I was essentially a backpacker,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07and I was going around and testing out hostels and places to eat, and
0:22:07 > 0:22:09writing about them and saying which ones you
0:22:09 > 0:22:11should go to and which ones you should avoid.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14And it was a great way of exploring and travelling,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18but I had an idea for something more dramatic.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22- Oh, right.- Yeah.- And is that when the television work came along?- Yes.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24What was the idea? Come on.
0:22:24 > 0:22:25So, what the idea was, essentially,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28that I was going to go off and film myself on expeditions,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30just taking the camera, and filming myself, turning it around,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32looking at myself like that.
0:22:32 > 0:22:33And I went away to Colombia
0:22:33 > 0:22:35for about a month or so, filmed myself in the jungle,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38catching snakes and spiders and scorpions,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41and it got bought by the National Geographic,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and they turned me into their adventurer in residence.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Oooh.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48It's a pretty grand-sounding title, isn't it?
0:22:48 > 0:22:51You know, you're almost like doing selfies, but...
0:22:51 > 0:22:52- with a camera.- Exactly.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54That's exactly it, yeah.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55So, I was going around and I would,
0:22:55 > 0:22:57I would catch a snake in that hand
0:22:57 > 0:23:00and be filming myself with the camera turned around like that,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02talking about it, and it was, you know,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05the ultimate one-man band,
0:23:05 > 0:23:07but it seemed to work.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09I spent five years doing that before I came to the BBC.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Fantastic.
0:23:11 > 0:23:16What a guy Steve Backshall is. Always hungry for the next challenge
0:23:16 > 0:23:19and speaking of hungry, I'm getting more than
0:23:19 > 0:23:20a tad peckish myself.
0:23:25 > 0:23:26For most people, what you eat
0:23:26 > 0:23:29when you're away is always a big part of
0:23:29 > 0:23:31any holiday experience.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35And for Steve and his family, that means cooking outdoors,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38so I've got a real treat in store.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41OK, so it might not look much at the moment,
0:23:41 > 0:23:45but with Steve's cooking capabilities and this campfire,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49I'm confident we'll soon have a meal fit for a king.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51- There we go.- Let me get the sausages.
0:23:53 > 0:23:54Oh, look at that!
0:23:55 > 0:23:57- They're all going on, I suppose. - They are, yes.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00I'm going to cut them and prick them first.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03The great British banger.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Now, you've travelled all over the world,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08sampled every type of food.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11What's the worst thing you've had, you know, and thought,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13"Well, I'll give it a go"?
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Erm, well, I mean, I just spend a lot of time eating freeze dried
0:24:17 > 0:24:20food and boil-in-the-bag food when you're on expeditions,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23but every once in a while, you will live with a tribe, and you
0:24:23 > 0:24:26kind of have to eat what they're having as a matter of courtesy,
0:24:26 > 0:24:31and I've had all sorts. I've had rat and bat and cat.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Probably the worst I've had was...
0:24:33 > 0:24:36I drank a pint of blood that
0:24:36 > 0:24:38had just come out of a bull.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42This was a tribal ritual in Indonesia
0:24:42 > 0:24:45and it was still kind of warm and salty
0:24:45 > 0:24:47and it was absolutely horrible
0:24:47 > 0:24:50but, because you're being polite, you have no choice.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53You have to treat it like it's a glass of finest champagne.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56- Delicious. - Yes, exactly. Yeah.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Oh, look, they're turning... Oh-ho!
0:24:58 > 0:25:01- Oh, joy of joys. Turn them over, Steve.- I shall.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04How did the children's television come along?
0:25:04 > 0:25:06I came to the BBC and started
0:25:06 > 0:25:07working on The Really Wild Show.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09I spent a few years there and it was great fun.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12I really enjoyed myself, but then, that came to an end,
0:25:12 > 0:25:13and I was sort of thinking
0:25:13 > 0:25:15there still had to be
0:25:15 > 0:25:17a wildlife programme for kids on the BBC.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20It was, it was essential. It was something that we had to do.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23And I came up with this idea called Venom Hunter,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26where I was going to go out and I was going to find
0:25:26 > 0:25:27all of these incredible venomous
0:25:27 > 0:25:29and poisonous creatures around the world,
0:25:29 > 0:25:31and I sold it to CBBC and that was
0:25:31 > 0:25:33- what became Deadly.- Yeah.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37And Deadly has been the biggest thing in the last, probably,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40seven years of my life, and seeing the effect that it's
0:25:40 > 0:25:42- had on kids and on families is incredible.- Yeah.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45You know, I've gone and done live days with Deadly
0:25:45 > 0:25:48where 14,000 people will turn up in a day
0:25:48 > 0:25:50to hear me talk about animals.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53- Amazing.- I know! And seeing the excitement
0:25:53 > 0:25:55and the enthusiasm from young people
0:25:55 > 0:25:56for the wild world,
0:25:56 > 0:25:57it's brilliant.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01And I'll tell you what else is looking brilliant - those bangers.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Come on, chef, time to serve them up.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06There is no finer moment than...
0:26:06 > 0:26:07No. Are you ready?
0:26:07 > 0:26:11- ..something you've cooked yourself over your own fire.- No.
0:26:11 > 0:26:12- All the best.- Chin-chin.
0:26:15 > 0:26:16Mmm.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Oh, lovely.
0:26:18 > 0:26:19LEN CHUCKLES
0:26:19 > 0:26:20Oh, Steven!
0:26:20 > 0:26:22LEN LAUGHS
0:26:26 > 0:26:28I might have to have two.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Now, after you've had your sausage, you know, round,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34with your mum and dad, what would you have had?
0:26:34 > 0:26:36What would you have had as a pudding?
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Pudding was always
0:26:38 > 0:26:40butterscotch Angel Delight.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Well, it's funny you should say that, Steve,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46because guess what else I've got in my cooler bag today?
0:26:47 > 0:26:49No way!
0:26:49 > 0:26:53- You are not serious.- This is for me.
0:26:53 > 0:26:54Wow! I, that...
0:26:54 > 0:26:58- You've got a jam roly-poly. - Unbelieve...
0:26:58 > 0:27:00I haven't eaten this in 30 years.
0:27:01 > 0:27:02There we go.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Aw.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Sweet, sugary goodness.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13How can I have been without that for three decades?
0:27:14 > 0:27:16It's nice, isn't it?
0:27:16 > 0:27:19That is a little taste of childhood right there.
0:27:19 > 0:27:20Isn't that gorgeous?
0:27:20 > 0:27:22It is, that's my boyhood in a bowl.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26My boyhood in a bowl!
0:27:30 > 0:27:33And whilst Steve and I polish off our pudding,
0:27:33 > 0:27:37here are more of my seven dazzling things to do in Dorset.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44You can take your own trip down memory lane
0:27:44 > 0:27:45and watch a great film,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48here at the art-deco Rex cinema
0:27:48 > 0:27:51in the nearby town of Wareham.
0:27:51 > 0:27:52Originally built as a banqueting
0:27:52 > 0:27:54hall in the 1880s,
0:27:54 > 0:27:58films have been shown on this site since 1920.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00We try to retain the old cinema
0:28:00 > 0:28:02feel of the place,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04so we don't do much in the way
0:28:04 > 0:28:05of renovations very much.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Our last major renovation was
0:28:07 > 0:28:10the early 1950s when this ceiling
0:28:10 > 0:28:12was installed and the decor that
0:28:12 > 0:28:14you see around you was
0:28:14 > 0:28:16established, and we've tried to keep
0:28:16 > 0:28:17it like that ever since.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19The surroundings may be olde-worlde,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21but you can still catch all the
0:28:21 > 0:28:23latest Hollywood blockbusters here,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25as well as silver screen classics.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27Oi! Pass the popcorn.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Lulworth Castle was built in the
0:28:30 > 0:28:33early 17th century by the third
0:28:33 > 0:28:35Lord Bindon, Thomas Howard.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Back then it was used to entertain
0:28:37 > 0:28:39upper-class and royal hunting
0:28:39 > 0:28:42parties, but since 1998, it's opened
0:28:42 > 0:28:44its doors to commoners like us.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46The exterior of the castle has
0:28:46 > 0:28:48barely changed over the years,
0:28:48 > 0:28:50but the inside was gutted
0:28:50 > 0:28:52by a devastating fire in 1929.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54It's been renovated, though,
0:28:54 > 0:28:56and stepping inside still transports
0:28:56 > 0:28:58you back to the days of old.
0:28:58 > 0:28:59It's open until five
0:28:59 > 0:29:01during the summer months,
0:29:01 > 0:29:03but if you want to stay any later,
0:29:03 > 0:29:05have a quiet word with this chap.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Apparently, he does a night shift.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10LEN LAUGHS
0:29:12 > 0:29:14Back in the early 1980s,
0:29:14 > 0:29:18Steve Backshall's childhood holidays were all about the great outdoors,
0:29:18 > 0:29:21whether that meant pitching a tent amongst
0:29:21 > 0:29:24the trees or searching for snakes, but right now,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27I want to see if he's sporty as well as adventurous.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31- Steve, I want you to meet Robin. - Hello, there.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35Now I gather you have done archery, you were an archer,
0:29:35 > 0:29:38- or this is something...?- Once, no, once. In Bhutan, in the Himalayas.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41It's their, it's their national sport and they fire arrows,
0:29:41 > 0:29:43and I tried it, literally one arrow,
0:29:43 > 0:29:45which went about five metres
0:29:45 > 0:29:49and planted endways down into the ground. So, no, I'm not an archer.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52But I think if we've learnt anything about Steve today,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55it's that he's not the type to shy away from a challenge.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58Keep your fingers under there and pull
0:29:58 > 0:30:01and bring it up to your cheekbone and look down the point and line
0:30:01 > 0:30:05the point up with the centre of the bow and let go.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07And that's not bad going.
0:30:07 > 0:30:08Not bad for the first try.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11- Let me go round here. Let me, I want to watch...- Are you sure, Len?
0:30:11 > 0:30:13- Yes, I want to watch you... - That could be dangerous.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16- I want to see your... - OK, here we go.- ..bow ability.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25- Exactly the same place.- I think a bit of breeze got up.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28- You are going to have a go at this, aren't you?- Of course I am.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Pull it right back up to your cheekbone...
0:30:31 > 0:30:34ALL: Ohhh!
0:30:34 > 0:30:36That's not right. My third arrow!
0:30:36 > 0:30:40- I think that is very, very commendable.- Thank you very much.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43- And I'm giving you a nine.- A nine? - You're getting a nine.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45You certainly never gave me that on Strictly.
0:30:45 > 0:30:46ROBIN LAUGHS
0:30:46 > 0:30:50Right, it's time for the young guns to step aside.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53I'm about to show Steve how this is done.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Forget Robin of Sherwood, this is Len of Dartford.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04- RECORD SCRATCHES - Oh, my life!
0:31:04 > 0:31:06It's gone into the next county!
0:31:08 > 0:31:10There's a mole there with a sore head.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12Len, you're stronger than you thought!
0:31:12 > 0:31:14You practically sent it into orbit!
0:31:14 > 0:31:17'Obviously, that was a practice shot.
0:31:17 > 0:31:18'Now for the real thing.'
0:31:22 > 0:31:25THEY CHEER
0:31:25 > 0:31:28'It really was me!'
0:31:28 > 0:31:29Look at that beauty!
0:31:30 > 0:31:32- Look right there!- Thank...
0:31:32 > 0:31:34It's a ten for Len!
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- How about that?- Ohhh! Oh, no!
0:31:47 > 0:31:49When it comes to beaches,
0:31:49 > 0:31:52Dorset has got some of the finest in the country.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54But they're not just pleasing to the eye.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58Many of them have great geological significance too.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01Over the decades, erm,
0:32:01 > 0:32:03the landscape and the natural
0:32:03 > 0:32:05environment of Dorset has been
0:32:05 > 0:32:06protected more and more,
0:32:06 > 0:32:08and for example, the,
0:32:08 > 0:32:12almost the whole of the coast is now a World Heritage Site.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15This is on account of the amazing geology that you can
0:32:15 > 0:32:17see in the coast.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20Geologists have known about this for decades and, of course,
0:32:20 > 0:32:22holiday makers have been coming here as well,
0:32:22 > 0:32:26but it was a recognition of the amazing importance of this
0:32:26 > 0:32:28coast that it was designated a World Heritage Site.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33And it's not just natural history that this area is famed for.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37There's been a fair amount of crime and skulduggery too.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40The coast is ideal for smugglers
0:32:40 > 0:32:43because there are lots of sea caves,
0:32:43 > 0:32:45secluded beaches, and all sorts
0:32:45 > 0:32:48of places to hide contraband,
0:32:48 > 0:32:51drink and all sorts of luxury products.
0:32:51 > 0:32:56With such a history of intrigue and adventure, it's hardly surprising to
0:32:56 > 0:32:59learn that a young Steve Backshall
0:32:59 > 0:33:01liked nothing more than the beach.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04And all these years later he's taken me
0:33:04 > 0:33:07back to one of his favourite childhood coves.
0:33:07 > 0:33:08I can just picture it now -
0:33:08 > 0:33:12ice cream, deckchairs, and maybe even a stick of rock.
0:33:12 > 0:33:13Oh, I can't wait.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17Steve, when you said I'd love to go down to the sea
0:33:17 > 0:33:20and go on the beach, I thought, "Oh, lovely."
0:33:20 > 0:33:22But typical!
0:33:22 > 0:33:25No, it can't just be on a nice sandy beach
0:33:25 > 0:33:26and we have a little game of rounders.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29No, we've got to come here...
0:33:29 > 0:33:30But this is lovely.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33Well, it is lovely, but it's, like, icky.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35This is what I think of when I think of the beach. It's, it's this.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39It's wandering around, as the tide goes out, and everything's covered
0:33:39 > 0:33:42in weed and there's loads of animals hiding in amongst it all,
0:33:42 > 0:33:45and crabs and blennies and gobies and octopus.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48It's, it's fantastic fun. You've got to trust me on this.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50You know it's slimy?
0:33:50 > 0:33:51It is slimy. It's slimy...
0:33:51 > 0:33:54- That's slimy.- ..and it's slick, and it's not easy to move around.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57But this is an absolute joy.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Well, I'm going to stand here because I've got, like, a dry patch.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03- All right, you stay...- You're not going to walk in all that oik?
0:34:03 > 0:34:06- This isn't oik!- Oh, no, Steve, no, Steve. You'll disappear!
0:34:06 > 0:34:08Look! Look! I've got a crab.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12Admittedly, it's a dead one, but that's a little edible crab.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14- You know the crabs that you get for supper?- Yeah.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16That's a youngster of that.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18- There's your starter.- It is, it is.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20See, in amongst all this lot,
0:34:20 > 0:34:22seriously, in the weeds,
0:34:22 > 0:34:25there's loads of cool stuff.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27Steve, when you were nine years old,
0:34:27 > 0:34:29would you still have done this?
0:34:29 > 0:34:30You know, barefoot,
0:34:30 > 0:34:33roll your trousers up and in you go?
0:34:34 > 0:34:37Yeah, I never wore shoes when I was nine years old.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39That bit hasn't really changed that much.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42Catching crabs was just like my absolute
0:34:42 > 0:34:44best way of spending the day when I was a kid.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48Is it true that you were once nearly swallowed by a humpback whale?
0:34:48 > 0:34:51Yes, that is absolutely true.
0:34:51 > 0:34:56I was in my kayak and 15 humpback whales came raging up to the
0:34:56 > 0:34:59surface, scoffing down mouthfuls of herring,
0:34:59 > 0:35:00and very, very nearly swallowed me.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05I was a foot away from all of the whales.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08Oh, amazing. That Steve Backshall, I promise you,
0:35:08 > 0:35:10is my hero.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13When I was at school, it was my mate Malcolm Withall,
0:35:13 > 0:35:16cos he could yodel, but I've got to say now -
0:35:16 > 0:35:19Steve is a hero.
0:35:19 > 0:35:20Look what he does!
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Walking in all this slime and stuff,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27campfires, erecting tents...
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Is there nothing the man can't do?
0:35:29 > 0:35:31Well, yes, there is.
0:35:31 > 0:35:32Ballroom dance.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36Don't tell him!
0:35:39 > 0:35:41Here are a few things you
0:35:41 > 0:35:43can tell everybody about, though.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45My final three things to do
0:35:45 > 0:35:47when you're down in Dorset.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51If you really want to go wild,
0:35:51 > 0:35:53then swing by the world-famous
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Monkey World in Wareham.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57Here you can see over 250 primates
0:35:57 > 0:35:59that have been rescued
0:35:59 > 0:36:01from all over the world and re-homed
0:36:01 > 0:36:03here in the Dorset countryside.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05As well as marvelling at the antics
0:36:05 > 0:36:07of these cheeky little chappies,
0:36:07 > 0:36:08you can also enjoy
0:36:08 > 0:36:10the fact that your visit is
0:36:10 > 0:36:12ensuring their ongoing safety
0:36:12 > 0:36:13and rehabilitation.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15Just a 15-minute stroll
0:36:15 > 0:36:16from the picturesque village of
0:36:16 > 0:36:19West Lulworth is quite possibly one
0:36:19 > 0:36:21of the best beauty spots in Dorset.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23Stair Hole is
0:36:23 > 0:36:25a picture-postcard cove,
0:36:25 > 0:36:27made from a visible folded
0:36:27 > 0:36:28limestone strata.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30By standing on the top of the cliff,
0:36:30 > 0:36:32you can see all sorts of natural
0:36:32 > 0:36:35rock configurations including
0:36:35 > 0:36:37blowholes, arches,
0:36:37 > 0:36:38stacks and stumps.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40Personally, I'm happy just to
0:36:40 > 0:36:42sit back and take in
0:36:42 > 0:36:43those glorious views.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45Glorious!
0:36:46 > 0:36:47It's time to roll out the
0:36:47 > 0:36:50big guns now as I reveal my
0:36:50 > 0:36:51number one thing to do
0:36:51 > 0:36:54if you're having a day out in Dorset.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Originally established to teach
0:36:56 > 0:36:57British soldiers all about
0:36:57 > 0:37:00armoured warfare, The Tank Museum in Bovington
0:37:00 > 0:37:02is now open to the public.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05What we try and do here
0:37:05 > 0:37:07at The Tank Museum is tell
0:37:07 > 0:37:09a story of armoured warfare,
0:37:09 > 0:37:10the invention of the tank,
0:37:10 > 0:37:11why it was put together
0:37:11 > 0:37:13in the First World War,
0:37:13 > 0:37:15and how that's developed through time
0:37:15 > 0:37:17and how it's been an object that's had such an
0:37:17 > 0:37:20influence on 20th-century history.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22There are 300 vehicles on display
0:37:22 > 0:37:24at the museum from all four
0:37:24 > 0:37:26corners of the globe.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28The collection here is, undoubtedly,
0:37:28 > 0:37:29the best in the world.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31It's not necessarily the biggest,
0:37:31 > 0:37:33but we've got the most important.
0:37:33 > 0:37:34We've got the very first tank ever,
0:37:34 > 0:37:36we've got the best collection of
0:37:36 > 0:37:38First World War tanks anywhere
0:37:38 > 0:37:39in the world, the most remaining.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41We've also got probably the most
0:37:41 > 0:37:42famous tank in the world, now,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45our Tiger 131 and that's a tank that
0:37:45 > 0:37:46over time we've restored,
0:37:46 > 0:37:48we've done a lot of work on,
0:37:48 > 0:37:50and that we run for the public
0:37:50 > 0:37:51as well, at special events.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55So they can come along and see what British and Allied tank crewmen
0:37:55 > 0:37:58were up against in World War II.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01Now, THAT is one high-calibre attraction.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Our day out in Dorset is almost done,
0:38:06 > 0:38:08but before our adventure ends,
0:38:08 > 0:38:10I want to know exactly what spurs
0:38:10 > 0:38:14Steve on to lead such an exciting life.
0:38:18 > 0:38:19Lovely.
0:38:20 > 0:38:21Aw.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24You know, you start walking in pebbles...
0:38:24 > 0:38:27Well, not for you, trained athlete,
0:38:27 > 0:38:28but it is for me.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Is there something in you that makes you, you know,
0:38:31 > 0:38:34search out new challenges, new things?
0:38:34 > 0:38:35Yeah, there is.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37That's why I did Strictly, really. It was because
0:38:37 > 0:38:39it was something that was very, very
0:38:39 > 0:38:41different from anything that I'd done before and something
0:38:41 > 0:38:44that I knew I would find really, really hard.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47I mean, I have a limited amount of excitement for things that
0:38:47 > 0:38:48I know I can do easily.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50I want to challenge myself,
0:38:50 > 0:38:52and learning to dance with a bunch
0:38:52 > 0:38:54of people who were tangibly better than I was
0:38:54 > 0:38:56was a real challenge.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00Yeah, but having said that, you did absolutely go for it, didn't you?
0:39:00 > 0:39:02You know, there was no, sort of,
0:39:02 > 0:39:04half-heartedness about the way you...
0:39:04 > 0:39:05You know, you really
0:39:05 > 0:39:08put yourself into it lock, stock and barrel.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10Well, you know, that's something I got from my mum.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13My mum's maxim for life is that if a job's worth doing,
0:39:13 > 0:39:14it's worth doing well,
0:39:14 > 0:39:17and you do everything 100%.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19There's no point doing things by halves.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22So, you know, I knew I wasn't going to be great,
0:39:22 > 0:39:23but I was never going to do it
0:39:23 > 0:39:26- by half-measures, I was always going to give it my all.- Yeah.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30And do you think coming down here with your mum and dad,
0:39:30 > 0:39:33you know, going off and camping,
0:39:33 > 0:39:35and coming, looking for crabs,
0:39:35 > 0:39:39do you think that sort of holiday, back then as a child,
0:39:39 > 0:39:41shaped who you became?
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Yeah, definitely. I mean, this is very much what I still do now.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47If I have free time, I come down to the coast
0:39:47 > 0:39:50and I go wandering around looking for crabs and climbing rocks.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53And, you know, I've managed to make a whole life
0:39:53 > 0:39:56out of the things that I loved doing when I was small
0:39:56 > 0:39:59- and, you know, not everyone gets that privilege in life.- No.
0:39:59 > 0:40:04I can be a five-year-old boy every single day of my adult life.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06- And how many people get to say that?- None.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10- Yeah.- I mean, to come down here today
0:40:10 > 0:40:13with you and rediscover all this stuff with fresh eyes,
0:40:13 > 0:40:17- it lets me remember quite how lucky I am.- Yeah.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20Are there any challenges that you haven't done that you think,
0:40:20 > 0:40:23"That's on my bucket list of things I want to do."?
0:40:23 > 0:40:25There's loads. More than anything, I suppose,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28I'd love to have a family.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31You know, I've got a girlfriend that I live with now and I'd love
0:40:31 > 0:40:33to be able to get married and have kids,
0:40:33 > 0:40:36and do all of that sort of stuff.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39On the challenge front, there are so many mountains
0:40:39 > 0:40:41that are out there still to be climbed.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44Could be anything, could be a massive waterfall, could be
0:40:44 > 0:40:47a vast cavern, it could be an animal no-one has ever seen before.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51There's an excitement to that I would just love to be able to
0:40:51 > 0:40:53- bottle and sell because it would be priceless.- Yeah.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57You know what? You've inspired me. Know what I'll do as soon as this is over?
0:40:57 > 0:41:00I'll climb up that cliff. I'm not mucking about. I'll go straight up it.
0:41:00 > 0:41:01I've got the ropes in the car.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03I really have.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06Well, maybe we'll play French cricket instead.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12What a day we've had!
0:41:12 > 0:41:13We arrived in style and
0:41:13 > 0:41:15put our best foot forward.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19Throw your leg forward, heel, toe, and just keep going. There you go.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25Exploring the wildest side of what Dorset has to offer.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27What are they?
0:41:27 > 0:41:28That's just grass.
0:41:30 > 0:41:31OK.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36Steve showed me the fine art of setting up camp.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38There you go. That's the doorway to our new home.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41But I certainly taught him a thing or two
0:41:41 > 0:41:43when it came to using a bow and arrow.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47THEY CHEER
0:41:48 > 0:41:50Look at that!
0:41:50 > 0:41:53- Thank...- It's a ten for Len!- Yes!
0:41:56 > 0:41:58The fun's not over yet, because I've got
0:41:58 > 0:42:00a very special gift for Steve.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02I want a copy of this.
0:42:02 > 0:42:03Right. OK.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Because this is a scrapbook
0:42:05 > 0:42:08of memories from our day together.
0:42:08 > 0:42:09Aw, that's fantastic, Len.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11That will have pride of place in my house.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17Hopefully, these photos
0:42:17 > 0:42:18will remind Steve of
0:42:18 > 0:42:20our day out in Dorset
0:42:20 > 0:42:22for many year to come.
0:42:22 > 0:42:23I love it.
0:42:23 > 0:42:24I absolutely love it!
0:42:24 > 0:42:26Thank you so, so much.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29- For me, you are Mr Natural History. - Right.- Right.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31You are, and you're fascinating,
0:42:31 > 0:42:34and when I grow up, I want to be just like you.
0:42:37 > 0:42:38Great day.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43So, it's farewell from the wilds of Dorset,
0:42:43 > 0:42:46a land of woodland walks, rolling heaths
0:42:46 > 0:42:48and rugged rock faces.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53It's no wonder it was the ideal playground for a young
0:42:53 > 0:42:55Steve Backshall when he was growing up,
0:42:55 > 0:42:59and home to those all-important holidays of his lifetime.