49 Up

I'm going to work

in Woolworth's.

When I grow up, I want

to be an astronaut.

When I get married, I would

like to have two children.

My heart's desire is

to see my daddy.

I don't want to answer that.

(narrator) 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.

(screaming)

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.

(Michael Apted) 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.

Want to be a jockey

when I grow up.

Yeah, I want to 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.

(Michael) Do you

regret not making it?

I would have given my right arm

at the time to become a jockey,

but now...

Well, I wasn't good enough.

(Michael) What will you do if

you don't make it as a jockey?

I don't know.

If I knew 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 F's?

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 3 F's,

but I couldn't forget her.

I went to a discothque.

He was in the pub earlier on,

and afterwards we

went to a discothque.

And Tony was standing there,

and I just -

From there, I just - that was it.

(laughs)

Couldn't get rid of him.

(laughs)

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 going to 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.

(Michael) 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.

(Michael laughs)

(Tony) 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, you know, light brown.

That's the first I've heard

that we had a choice,

'cause I would have had plain.

I've just gone into the neighbours'

house, and they've got all plain.

Well, there you go.

I never got told that.

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. (laughs)

Tony and Debbie still

work as London cabbies.

We sold our cabs because we are

going to spend more time out here.

So it's not really conducive

to own a cab, is it?

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.

Son, why do you want to 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.

(Tony) 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 programs,

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, you know,

and it just blew the roof off.

And we're looking for someone to

pick it up and put it on stage.

(woman) 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

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, Jody and Perri.

Nicky's doing quite well.

He's still a French polisher.

It's an old-time profession,

as you know.

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 going to 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,

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