49 Up

I'm going to work in Woolworths.

- When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut.

- When I get married, I'd like to have two children.

My heart's desire is to see my daddy.

I don't want to answer that.

- This is no ordinary outing to the zoo.

It's a very special occasion.

We've brought these children together

for the very first time.

They're like any other children except that they come

from startlingly different backgrounds.

Stop it at once!

- We've brought these children together

because we wanted a glimpse of England in the year 2000.

The shop steward and the executive of the year 2000

are now seven years old.

- In 1964, "World in Action" made "Seven Up!"

and we've been back to film these children

every seven years.

They are now 49.

Is it important to fight, yes.

- Tony was brought up in the East End of London.

Wanna be a jockey when I grow up.

Yeah, I wanna be a jockey when I grow up.

- At 14, he was already an apprentice

at Tommy Gosling's racing stable at Epsom.

At 15, he'd left school.

- This is a photo finish, when I rode at Newbury.

I'm the one with the white cap.

I was beaten a length and a half off third

and I had a photo finish.

Do you regret not making it?

Well I'd have given my right arm

at the time to become a jockey but now,

well, I wasn't good enough.

What will you do

if you don't make it as a jockey?

I don't know.

If I know I couldn't be one, I'd get out of the game.

Wouldn't bother.

- What do you think you would do then?

Learn on taxis.

At 21, he was on the knowledge

and by 28, he owned his own cab.

- It's surprising who you pick up, you see.

I once met Kojak, I picked him up.

And Warren Mitchell, Alf Garnett, you know.

Have you got a girlfriend?

No.

- Would you like to have a girlfriend?

No.

You understand four Fs?

Find 'em, feed 'em and forget 'em.

The other F, I'll let you use your own discriminish.

I mean, this one, I tried to do the three Fs

but I couldn't forget her.

I went to a discotheque.

He was in the pub earlier on,

and afterwards, we went to a discotheque

and Tony was standing there.

And I just, from there, I just,

that was it.

Couldn't get rid of him.

- We have our ups and downs, no more than anyone else.

I think you gotta work at a marriage.

I think all marriages go through stages.

You can't stand each other.

You go through, you know,

I think, oh, god, I hate him.

I wish he'd get out.

I do.

We've been to the edge of the cliff

and looked over a couple of times,

and we've always seemed to sort of go back,

and we've sort of stayed the course.

But I must say, I mean, it's not easy being married.

- By 42, Tony and Debbie had left the East End

and moved to Woodford in Essex.

We were gonna put a conservatory here

but if you look along here,

we put a patio in and the pond for the fish,

but the only thing I ever done

was I planted them three trees.

Well, since you was last here, Michael,

we had small trees, if you remember.

Now, they've sort of grown a bit.

So why are the trees singed?

We was burning some rubbish at the back

and set light to the tree, and there we all were,

sort of like throwing all buckets of water over it,

and sadly enough, it singed the tree.

- At 49, they've taken out a second mortgage

on the London house and sunk the money

in a holiday home in Spain.

I'm very pleased with the house.

I said the progress we made in the little space of time

that we've had to work here

and get it all sort of shipshape, I think is done, really,

to the testament of my wife Debbie.

As per usual.

Well, Debbie went to the furniture shop,

and she sort of picked all the furniture.

All what you see is all Debbie's choice of furniture

and her, really, sort of style.

The floor, we were led to believe

that we had a choice of tiling,

whether it's a light beige or light brown.

- That's the first I've heard that we had a choice

'cause I would have had plain.

- Well, I've just gone into the neighbours' house

and they've got all plain.

Well, there you go.

I never got told that. - And I asked him

and he said, "It was a choice that we had

"when we suggested to buy it."

So that was where the mistake was made.

Because you don't listen.

Say that again.

You don't listen.

Can't hear you.

- Tony and Debbie still work as London cabbies.

- We sold our cabs because we are gonna spend

more time out here.

So it's not really conducive to own a cab, is it?

No.

- Because the cab will be left out on the drive

or, you know, it's pointless,

so we just hired a cab independently now.

- I'm working harder now than I really ever have done

but I feel that it's for something.

Tell me, son,

why do you wanna be a cab driver for, mate?

All the holidays in Spain every year

but, son, it's hard work out there.

You're not reaching me yet.

Not getting to you.

No, you're not getting to me, all right?

Now be bigger.

Dominate me, all right?

Son...

- At 28, Tony was taking acting lessons.

Now, he supplements his income with occasional TV jobs.

Oi!

That's all I got on me.

- Mate, if I had a pound for every time I've heard that,

I'd be a rich man.

Get him!

A guy contacted me from my agency,

from my acting agency, and I got in touch with him.

And he writes plays

and he's been inspired by your up programmes,

which go all round the world, and he saw it.

And we got together and we wrote a biographical play

all about my life story.

We took one of these episodes over to New York

and done it on a play reading.

And I got up, playing the lead role

and it just blew the roof off.

And we're looking for someone to pick it up

and put it on stage.

- Would everybody please sit round now,

get on with their work?

I don't wanna see any backs to me.

Shouldn't be anybody turning round.

Tony, do you hear as well?

Get on with your work at the front.

Tony!

Don't turn round again.

- There's only one ambition, and, really, I want a baby son.

If I see my baby son, that will be my ambition fulfilled.

No one knows that.

Only you know.

- Debbie and Tony have three children.

Nicky.

Throw it in!

Jody and Perri.

Nicky's doing quite well.

He's still a French polisher.

It's an old-time profession, as you know.

And he's working for a firm,

and he's very happy in his work, isn't he?

- He's been brought up very respectful to people,

very well-mannered person,

He's a hard worker.

Jody, I mean, at this present time,

she's just relies on us a great deal

and she's been very scarred

with a relationship that she was in.

Her relationship with her first love of her own life

was very turbulent, but he's the father of her kid.

We're gonna make sure she gets through it.

And it's been quite a strain on Debbie and I

to see her in that sort of situation.

- I'm very proud of Perri as well.

She got in the post office, and that's what's she doing.

Postman Pel, that's our postman Pel.

She loves it.

She works hard.

She's up at four in the morning.

In the morning.