The Up Series

I'm going to work in Woolworth's.

When I grow up I want to be an astronaut.

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

My hearts desire is to see my Daddy

I don't want to answer that.

This is no ordinary outing at 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 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

we have been back to film these children every seven years

they are now forty-two.

Is it important to fight? Yes!

Tony was brought up in the East end of London.

I want to be a jockey when I grow up yeah.

At fourteen he was already an apprentice

at Tommy Gosling's racing stable in Epsom

at fifteen he left school.

This is a photo finish of when I rode at Newberry

I'm the one with the white cap

I was beaten a length and a half for third and had a photo finish

so I took it out the box and kept it as a souvenir

by twenty-eight he had given up on horse racing

my greatest fulfilment in life

when I rode at Kempton

in the same race as Lester Piggot

I was a naive, wet behind the ears apprentice

all my years from seven, all my ambition was fulfilled in one moment

and I eventually finished last

tailed off obviously but it didn't make any difference to me

just to be part of it to be with the man himself.

What will you do if you don't make it as a jockey?

Oh I don't know

if I knew I couldn't be one I'd get out of the game.

I wouldn't bother.

And what do you think you'd do then?

Learn Taxi's.

At twenty-one, he was on "The Knowledge"

and by twenty-eight he owned his own cab

we were on the way to Langlands and all I can hear is Alf Garnett.

"It's the Labour government and your lot up here..."

- Have you got a girlfriend? - No.

Would you like to have a girlfriend?

No.

Do you understand the four F's?

Find them, feed them and forget them

the other F, I'll let you use your own discrimination

but I mean, this one

I tried to do the three F's

but I couldn't forget her

I went to a discotheque

he was in the pub earlier on

and afterwards we went to a disco and Tony was standing there

and I just... from there that was it

couldn't get rid of him.

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

I think you've got to work at a marriage

I think all marriages go through stages

you can't stand each other.

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 go back

and we've stayed the course

but I must say it's not easy being married

and I don't know anyone who thinks it is

it's quite difficult.

In 1993 Tony and Debbie left the Eastend

and moved to Woodford in Essex.

Well with the help of my neighbour, I'm not really a D.I.Y type of guy

he painted all the back of the house and was going to put a conservatory here

but if you look along here

we've put a patio in and a pond for the fish.

Well when we bought it it was very old

this was two rooms

and we've knocked it completely out

refitted the kitchen put all new windows in

new flooring, literally everything really.

Well the fence we had a bit of luck there because the next door neighbour

they paid for it and they did all this end

so I done...

it came in my favour having a small bit done

so that was a blessing there

but the only thing I ever done was

I planted them three trees

and they seem to have grown in the last three or four years

it has cost us a lot of money to do it yeah

a lot of money

and now we're penniless!

Well I think we over spent about...

well a collossall amounts, thousands

my over heads to keep everything going here

is at this present time, astronomical.

Are you going to get out of this financial hole?

Yes without question because

it is a mill stone round my neck at this time

but it's nothing what two years won't achieve

through hard work and determination.

To help out Debbie works the day shift in the cab

while Tony does the night shift.

- Look son it's hard work out there. - Come on you're not reaching me yet.

Alright, now be bigger, dominate me.

At twenty-eight Tony was taking acting lessons.

Now he supplements his income with ocassional TV jobs.

Oi!

That's all I've got on me.

Mate if I had a pound for every time I heard that I'd be a rich man.

- You've got the fair haven't you? - Yeah just about.

Would everybody please sit round now, get on with their work

I don't want to see any backs to me

shouldn't be anybody turning round, Tony do you hear as well?

Get on with your work in front

Tony!

Don't turn round again

there's only one ambition really, I want a baby son

and if I see my baby son that'll be my ambition fulfilled

no one knows that, only you now

this is Hackney Marshes

the games that are being played are mostly these are pub teams

and I've been playing over here for nearly twenty-eight, thirty years.

- So you're a veteran? - You might call me that yes!

Who do you play with?

My Nicky

and I think it's quite admirable that his dad's in the same side as his son

Tony and Debbie have three children

the eldest, Nicky, works as a French Polisher

I wanted him to go on the Knowledge and become a cabbie

I bought him a bike but I'm quite proud of the way he's turned out

he's a very respectable kid

very respectful towards people

and most of all he's done it all on his own terms.

Perry, she is just started secondary school

and she's a character but she's quite academic minded

and hopefully she'll stay on.

Ref! Come ref!

Come on ref get a hold of him there!

We've only got another sixty minutes left.

Jody don't like school, she's just leaving school shortly.

I do feel that she's wasted a lot of years in her secondary school.

I'm not saying it's the school's fault, probably a lot of it's her fault

but we have tried with her and tried to push her into it

and I think she's a bit how Tony was

she's just not interested in school which I feel she'll regret later on

lovely mate!

I try to discipline them in various areas but

at the end of the day

it is quite hard and difficult

I'd like to stand up and suggest and lead with an iron fist but

I haven't got the heart to do it and that's the truth of the matter

and I have to do it

and then if anything goes wrong it's my fault

a girl said to me the other day

she said "aren't you small?"

So I said "but you're ugly, at least I can grow"

what can they say to that? They can't say nothing can they

and why did you fall in love with him?

I don't know

I don't know how you put up with me for so long

sometimes I don't know how I stand him

I've been in positions y'know and...

well it's hard to say in front of Debbie but it's true

it's tempting

you take the bait

I go on holiday once a year with the boys to Spain, Magaluf

and we have a golf holiday, all against Debbie's will

but it's true

and I get in situations out there that y'know

life is for living

and I come back.

"Oh I know what you've been doing out there!"

"You've been meeting all those birds!" and whatever

and

they look at you as if to say

"I know but I don't want to know"

that's how it is

I have often not gone through life with one hand tied behind my back

and my character happy go lucky nature

and being in positions that I do I find my self caught in trouble.

I'm not proud at all to say this but

situations arise that...

I have had regretful behaviour various times

but.

You got caught and that was it.

I'm not lying about the fact

you could always cover it up and suggest other things

but it's true and let it be true.

You caught him?

Yeah - What happened?

Well it was touch and go whether we carried on from it or not

we went through a very traumatic time

but then again let he who has never sinned cast the first stone

it just doesn't happen with a taxi driver living in Essex, it happens with MP's etcetc.

I'm not going to hide behind any trees and suggest I'm holier than thou

which no doubt I'm not, what I'm suggesting is