GB

Fit to Win 1993

Heat 1

Event Staged: Unknown
Venues: Two unknown venues
and Meridian Television Studios, Southampton

Transmission:
HTV West/ITV: Tuesday 6th April 1993, 6.30-7.00pm
Meridian/ITV: Tuesday 6th April 1993, 7.30-8.00pm

Teams: Swindon (HTV West) v. Unknown (Meridian)

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Swindon (HTV West) ● ●
Portsmouth (Meridian)

The Host Towns

Southampton, Hampshire

Southampton is a city and port with a population of around 255,000 inhabitants in the county of Hampshire. It is located 11 miles (17km) north of Cowes on the Isle of Wight, 15 miles (24km) north-west of Portsmouth, 25 miles (40km) north-east of Bournemouth and 34 miles (55km) south of Newbury. It lies at the northern-most point of Southampton Water - a drowned river valley (ria) formed at the end of the last Ice Age - at the confluence of the River Test and River Itchen, with the River Hamble joining to the south of the urban area. The city's name is sometimes abbreviated in writing to ‘Soton’, and a resident of Southampton is called a Sotonian.

Archaeological finds suggest that the area around Southampton has been inhabited since the Stone Age. Following the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD and the conquering of the local Britons in 70 AD, the fortress settlement of Clausentum was established. The site is believed to be located in Bitterne, which is now a suburb of Southampton. The Anglo-Saxons formed a new larger settlement across the River Itchen and centred on what is now the St. Mary’s area of the city. The settlement was known as Hamwic, which evolved into Hamtun and then Hampton. It is from this town that the county of Hampshire gets its name. Viking raids from 840 AD onwards contributed to the decline of Hamwic in the 9th century, and by the 10th century, a fortified settlement which became medieval Southampton, had been established.

Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, Southampton became the major port of transit between Winchester, the then capital of England, and Normandy. Southampton Castle was built in the 12th century and by the 13th century, Southampton had become a leading port, particularly involved in the import of French wine in exchange for English cloth and wool. In 1348, the Black Death reached England via merchant vessels calling at Southampton. The town was sacked in 1338 by French, Genoese and Monegasque ships under Charles Grimaldi, who used the plunder to help found the principality of Monaco.

On visiting Southampton in 1339, Edward III (1312-1377) ordered that walls be built to 'close the town'. The extensive rebuilding culminated in the completion of the western walls in 1380. Roughly half of the walls, 13 of the original towers, and six gates survive. In 1740, Southampton became a spa town and, despite the lack of a good quality beach, it had also become a popular site for sea bathing. Innovative buildings, specifically for this purpose, were built at West Quay, with baths that were filled and emptied by the flow of the tide.

Shipbuilding had been an important industry for the town since the Middle Ages and in 1835, the Southampton Docks company was formed. In October 1838, the foundation stone of the docks was laid and the first docks - Eastern Docks - opened in 1842. On 10th April 1912, the RMS Titanic sailed from Southampton on her maiden and final voyage. After colliding with an iceberg in the North Atlantic, she sank on the morning of the 15th April. Four in five of the crew were Sotonians, with about a third of those who perished in the tragedy hailing from the city. The Western Docks date from the 1930s, when the Southern Railway Company commissioned a major land reclamation programme. Most of the material used came from the dredging of Southampton Water, ensuring that the port could continue to handle large ships and due to the benefit of a double high tide (two high tide peaks), the movement of the ships is made easier. However, this tidal anomaly is not caused as popularly supposed by the presence of the Isle of Wight, but is a function of the shape and depth of the English Channel.

Southampton subsequently became the home port for the transatlantic passenger services operated by Cunard with their Blue Riband liner RMS Queen Mary and her running mate RMS Queen Elizabeth. On 11th November 2008, the Cunard liner RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 departed the city for the final time amid a spectacular fireworks display after a full day of celebrations. Cunard ships are regularly launched in the city: H.R.H. The Duchess of Cornwall named Queen Victoria in December 2007, H.M. Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) named Queen Elizabeth in the city during October 2011, and The Duchess of Cambridge performed the naming ceremony of Royal Princess on 13th June 2013. At certain times of the year, The Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria may all visit Southampton at the same time, in an event commonly called 'Arrival of the Three Queens'.

A ferry port was built during the 1960s and beside luxury cruisers, Southampton was once the home to numerous ferry services to the continent, with destinations such as San Sebastian (Spain), Lisboa (Portugal) and Casablanca (Morocco). However, a number relocated to Portsmouth and by 1996, there were no longer any car ferries operating from Southampton with the exception of services to the Isle of Wight, which continues to this day.

Additional Information

Fit to Win was an Independent Television (ITV) programme which took the It's A Knockout format and gave it a little twist designed to promote healthy lifestyles and exercise. It was only seen in the two ITV regions that were involved in its production - Meridian, serving the South of England, and HTV West, serving the West of England - and as such it remained a mystery to most fans of It's A Knockout. Indeed, the people behind JSFnetUK only found that it had even existed some twenty years after its transmission!

Each week for ten weeks, a team from the HTV West region was pitted against another from the Meridian region. The series had a unique format for an It's A Knockout spin-off in that games were staged in the two venues, with each team using identical equipment and playing on home soil. Some team members were sent to the rival town, normally to operate props designed to make the game difficult for the home team. Some of these games were played in one town first, with the second town then having to beat their rivals' time, while others were held simultaneously and combined in the programme using split-screen techniques. In addition, a weekly Studio Challenge was held in the Meridian Television Studios in Northam, Southampton, and each week this was marked out of a possible 20pts by a specialist. The programme was hosted by Alison Holloway and all games - exterior and interior - were commentated on by Stuart Hall from the studio, with on location presentation by Steve Johnson and Sammy Mason. Also in the studio were a studio audience comprising supporters of the two teams and Dr Mark Porter, who was on hand to give health information and advice.

In addition to the games held at the venues and the weekly Studio Challenge task held in Southampton, teams were also awarded points based on the health initiatives and facilities of their respective towns. Information was gathered for this part of the programme by researchers and opinion pollsters. Points to be awarded in this part of the programme were decided by inputting the data into a computer.

The ten heats led to two regional semi finals, in which teams from the same region were pitted against each other (so that the final was guaranteed to have one representative from each region). Qualification for the semi finals was simple - the two highest scoring teams from each broadcast region would be selected.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the ITV Archives

GB

Fit to Win 1993

Heat 2

Event Staged: Unknown
Venues: Two unknown venues
and Meridian Television Studios, Southampton

Transmission:
HTV West/ITV: Tuesday 13th April 1993, 6.30-7.00pm
Meridian/ITV: Tuesday 13th April 1993, 7.30-8.00pm

Teams: Reading (Meridian) v Gloucester (HTV West)

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

Reading (Meridian) ● ●
Gloucester (HTV West)

Teams and result unknown

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the ITV Archives

GB

Fit to Win 1993

Heat 3

Event Staged: Unknown
Venues: Two unknown venues
and Meridian Television Studios, Southampton

Transmission:
HTV West/ITV: Tuesday 20th April 1993, 6.30-7.00pm
Meridian/ITV: Tuesday 20th April 1993, 7.30-8.00pm

Teams: Unknown

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Teams and result unknown

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the ITV Archives

GB

Fit to Win 1993

Heat 4

Event Staged: Unknown
Venues: Trowbridge and Horsham
and Meridian Television Studios, Southampton

Transmission:
Meridian/ITV: Sunday 25th April 1993, 5.45-6.15pm
HTV West/ITV: Tuesday 27th April 1993, 6.30-7.00pm

Teams: Trowbridge (HTV West) v. Horsham (Meridian)

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

1st
2nd

Trowbridge (HTV West) ●
Horsham (Meridian)

50
32

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the ITV Archives

GB

Fit to Win 1993

Heat 6

Event Staged: Unknown
Venues: Two unknown venues
and Meridian Television Studios, Southampton

Transmission:
Meridian/ITV: Sunday 9th May 1993, 5.45-6.15pm
HTV West/ITV: Tuesday 11th May 1993, 6.30-7.00pm

Teams: Unknown

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Teams and result unknown

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the ITV Archives

GB

Fit to Win 1993

Heat 7

Event Staged: Unknown
Venues: Wells and Andover
and Meridian Television Studios, Southampton

Transmission:
Meridian/ITV: Sunday 16th May 1993, 5.45-6.15pm
HTV West/ITV: Tuesday 18th May 1993, 6.30-7.00pm

Teams: Wells (HTV West) v. Andover (Meridian)

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

1st
2nd

Wells (HTV West) ●
Andover (Meridian)

52
39

The Host Towns

Wells, Somerset

Wells is a cathedral city with a population of around 12,000 inhabitants in the county of Somerset. It is located on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, 17 miles (27km) south of Bristol, 18 miles (29km) north of Yeovil, 20 miles (32km) west of Warminster and 36 miles (58km) east of Minehead.

Although it originated around 704 AD, it has only been a cathedral city since 1205. It is the fourth-smallest city in the United Kingdom and the second-smallest in England (after the City of London). It is named from three wells dedicated to Saint Andrew, one in the market place, one within the grounds of the Bishop's Palace and the other in the grounds of the cathedral.

The city was a Roman settlement that became an important centre under the Anglo-Saxons when King Ine of Wessex founded a minster church in 704 AD. Two hundred years later in 909 AD, it became the seat of the newly-formed bishopric of Wells, but in 1090, the bishop's seat was removed to Bath. The move caused severe arguments between the canons of Wells and the monks of Bath until 1245, when the bishopric was renamed the Diocese of Bath and Wells, to be elected by both religious houses. In the first half of the 13th century, it came under the direction of Bishop Reginald and later Bishop Jocelin, a native of the city. After this, Wells became the principal seat of the diocese.

Wells was the final location of the Bloody Assizes on 23rd September 1685. In a makeshift court lasting only one day, over 500 men were tried and the majority sentenced to death.

Wells had been a centre for cloth making, however in the 16th and 17th centuries this diminished, but the city retained its important market focus. During the 19th century, Wells had the largest cheese market in the west of England.

The city is a popular tourist destination, due to its historical sites, its proximity to Bath, Stonehenge and Glastonbury and its closeness to the Somerset coast. Also nearby are Wookey Hole Caves, the Mendip Hills and the Somerset Levels. Somerset cheese, including the United Kingdom’s best-seller, Cheddar, is made locally.

The historic part of the city has been used for filming both documentaries and many period movies and television series including some with very large productions. Recent examples include filming for ITV's Broadchurch and the second series of the BBC's Poldark (2015). It also featured in the 2017 films Dunkirk and Another Mother's Son.

The city’s crowning glory is the Gothic Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, commonly known as Wells Cathedral. Built between 1175 and 1490, it replaced an earlier church built on the same site. It is moderately-sized among the medieval cathedrals of England, between those of massive proportion such as Lincoln and York and the smaller cathedrals in Oxford and Carlisle. With its broad west front and large central tower, it is the dominant feature of the city and a landmark in the Somerset countryside. It has been described as ‘unquestionably one of the most beautiful’ and 'the most poetic’ of English cathedrals.

During the English Civil War (1642-1651), at what became known as the ‘Siege of Wells’, the city found itself surrounded by Parliamentarian guns on the Bristol, Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet sides. The Royalists evacuated the city and Parliamentarian troops then used the cathedral to stable their horses and damaged much of the ornate sculpture by using it for firing practice.

During the Monmouth Rebellion (1685), the rebel army attacked the cathedral in an outburst against the established church and damaged the west front. Lead from the roof was used to make bullets, windows were broken, the organ smashed and horses stabled in the nave.

The cathedral clock is famous for its 24-hour astronomical dial and set of jousting knights that perform every quarter-hour. The cathedral has the heaviest ring of ten bells in the world. The tenor bell weighs just over 56cwt (2,844 kg).

The city’s market square was featured heavily in the 2007 British comedy Hot Fuzz starring Nick Frost and Simon Pegg. Director Edgar Wright chose Wells as the setting for the film as it had been his home since 1985 after moving there at age 11, citing that “despite its quaintness and history, the town had never received any of the recognition in the media of being England’s smallest city, and I wanted to put it on the map.”

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the ITV Archives

GB

Fit to Win 1993

Heat 8

Event Staged: Unknown
Venues: Chippenham and Market Square, Salisbury
and Meridian Television Studios, Southampton

Transmission:
Meridian/ITV: Sunday 23rd May 1993, 5.45-6.15pm
HTV West/ITV: Tuesday 25th May 1993, 6.30-7.00pm

Theme: The Battle of the Sexes

Teams: Chippenham (HTV West) v. Salisbury (Meridian)

Games: Bringing Home the Shopping (at both venues), The Three Legged Relay (at both venues), The Climbing Wall (at both venues simultaneously), Wasbees and Pollen (at both venues simultaneously), Karate Moves (Studio Challenge),
Other Points Scoring Criteria: Town Health Check.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

Salisbury (Meridian) ●
Chippenham (HTV West)

48
44

The Venue

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the ITV Archives

GB

Fit to Win 1993

Heat 9

Event Staged: Unknown
Venues: Frome and Isle of Wight
and Meridian Television Studios, Southampton

Transmission:
Meridian/ITV: Sunday 30th May 1993, 5.45-6.15pm
HTV West/ITV: Tuesday 1st June 1993, 6.30-7.00pm

Teams: Frome (HTV West) v. Isle of Wight (Meridian)

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Frome (HTV West) ● ●
Isle of Wight (Meridian)

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the ITV Archives

GB

Fit to Win 1993

Heat 10

Event Staged: Unknown
Venues: Bath and Bournemouth
and Meridian Television Studios, Southampton

Transmission:
Meridian/ITV: Sunday 6th June 1993, 5.45-6.15pm
HTV West/ITV: Tuesday 8th June 1993, 6.30-7.00pm

Teams: Bath (HTV West) v. Bournemouth (Meridian)

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Bournemouth (Meridian) ● ●
Bath (HTV West)

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the ITV Archives

GB

Fit to Win 1993

Semi Final 1: HTV

Event Staged: Unknown
Venues: Unknown
and Meridian Television Studios, Southampton

Transmission:
Meridian/ITV: Sunday 13th June 1993, 5.15-5.45pm
HTV West/ITV: Tuesday 15th June 1993, 6.30-7.00pm

Teams: Frome (HTV West) v. Swindon (HTV West)

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Frome (HTV West) ● ●
Swindon (HTV West)

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the ITV Archives

GB

Fit to Win 1993

Semi Final 2: Meridian

Event Staged: Unknown
Venues: The Longleat Estate, Wiltshire,
and Meridian Television Studios, Southampton

Transmission:
Meridian/ITV: Sunday 20th June 1993, 5.45-6.15pm
HTV West/ITV: Tuesday 22nd June 1993, 6.30-7.00pm

Teams: Bournemouth (Meridian) v. Reading (Meridian)

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Reading (Meridian) ● ●
Bournemouth (Meridian)

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the ITV Archives

GB

Fit to Win 1993

Final

Event Staged: Unknown
Venue: Meridian Television Studios, Southampton

Transmission:
Meridian/ITV: Sunday 27th June 1993, 5.45-6.15pm
HTV West/ITV: Tuesday 29th June 1993, 6.30-7.00pm

Teams: Frome (HTV West) v. Reading (Meridian)

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Frome (HTV West)
Reading (Meridian)

Additional Information

After twelve weeks on the road, this "grand" final was disappointingly contested entirely indoors at the television studios in Southampton.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the ITV Archives

Unassigned teams that competed in Fit to Win Heats 1993
(and scores achieved)

HTV Teams:
Weston-super-Mare (52) (1st)
Taunton (33)
Gloucester (29) (2nd)

Meridian Teams:
Reading (55) (1st)
Folkestone (54) (1st)
Eastbourne (45)
Portsmouth (30)