ON THE BUSES FAN CLUB Event was held on SATURDAY 18th JUNE 2011
at FAIRWAY HALL
Elstree and Borehamwood
Thanks to the following special guest for attending
Ronnie Wolfe and Ronnie Chesney
OTB Creators and script writers.
Rose Wolfe and family & Pat Chesney
Stuart Allen Producer/Director
Lucy Allen Stunt Woman and actress.
Harrry Fielder 'Aitch' a man of many parts.
Those who helped make the event possible
CRAIG WALKER co organiser AND ROBERT HICKEY.
DEAN OF SULLIVAN BUSES FOR THE 2 BUSES & DRIVER STEVE.
CLIFF HARRIS film and image.
ANDREW LONGMAN for the excellent ON THE BUSES DISPLAY.
PROSCREEN for SCREEN PROJECTION AND SOUND.
CAROL AND MARIA Clippies,canteen girls and photography.
PAUL WELSH Film and Elstree Studio Historian
STEVE LILART for his excllent stall
MILLYS THE BAKERS.
BOB THE CARETAKER
Thanks also to Ash Jenny and Ben
PLUS OF COURSE YOU THE FANS FOR COMING ALONG!
Richard Gottfried Photos of Event
Andrew Longmans photos from the event CLICK HERE
Andrew's videos from the event
Our Buses for the event provided by Sullivan Buses
On the left Dean Sullivan owner of the bus company
On the right Craig Walker co -organiser
Thanks to Craig Walker (below) Co-Organiser of our events
Specially Invited Guests who attended the event
Ronnie Chesney
creator/writer
ON THE BUSES
Ronnie Wolfe
creator/writer
ON THE BUSES
Stuart Allen
producer/director
ON THE BUSES
Harry Fielder
extra/actor
ON THE BUSES
Noah's Ark Play Group (Chartiy) given donation of £66.40
With thanks to 'Aitch'
Lucy Allen
Stunt Women/actress
see below
THE KIDS OUTING by Lucy Allen
How exciting to finally be IN my Dads show instead of just watching it. It was 3 years since I'd been lucky enough to be in 'The Railway Children' directed by my Dads cousin Lionel Jeffries. That was at Ealing Studios on a set. Now I was going to be filming outside in a famous 'On the Buses' bus - great! I was very excited. However, I didn't expect to be so intimidated by the screaming hoard of stage school kids who were my fellow child extras for the day. I was on the lower deck at the back of the bus, squashed in with a gaggle of girls. One was so boastful about all the things she had done and people she knew (amazing for a 10 year old!) that she really got on my nerves. Suprising myself, I suddenly decided to do some name dropping too, I mentioned that my father was the Director, well that took the wind out of her sail - albeit briefly and then suddenly I was her new Best Friend!Blakey came in and that was our cue to go mad - how we screamed, jortled & sang lurid songs, mocking the poor man. It was great fun to be rude to a grown up - and paid to do it too! My first day filming on location and I loved it. Perhaps that's why I'm still doing it now - more than 30 years later - in my job as a Stunt Performer.
Special thanks must go to Harry Fielder 'Aitch'
for collecting money for this worthwhile charity (see below)
Some of the fans at the famous CEMETERY GATES
As the historian for elstree studios it is always a pleasure and great fun to welcome the on the buses fans to our town. I remember steve coming to me with the idea i think about 4 years ago and it has been a great success every year. i was sad that steve was retiring as the organiser but it is good to hear that craig and rob are going to keep the event on the road and there will be another visit next year.
such visits are great for our aims to encourage film and tv tourism and for our local economy. I know ray senior and ray junior alone managed to cause our local carvery inn to run out of beer on friday, saturday and sunday !! :) don't forget if you are on facebook to join the elstree film studios official page.
It was good to meet some of you at the event and it's always a bit sad to say goodbye to such nice people but until next year - ding dong !
Paul Wesh CBE seen below.
Photo by Caroline Walker
See Paul Welsh's artice about our event in the Borehamwood Times CLICK HERE ****
Stuart Allen explains why he stopped Producing / Directing
ON THE BUSES after 39 episodes
People sometimes ask me why I stopped producing and directing” On the Buses “after 39 episodes. My reasons seem rather topical at the moment so I thought you would like to give the fans the full story . At the end of the 1960’s London Weekends finances were getting into a perilous state. Despite the success of “On the Buses” which generated a great deal of advertising revenue, other programmes had not proved to be as popular, and audiences were deserting the channel. The result was a fall in its share value and Mr Rupert Murdock purchased a controlling interest. Mr Murdock arrived and set about imposing his will on the staff. All the producers and directors were summoned to be interviewed by him . When my turn came I presented myself to his office at the appointed time. I sat down on a chair in front of his large desk and just as my interview was about to begin the telephone rang. Mr Murdock picked up the phone and started a conversation with a chap called Bruce who I gathered was the Editor of a new newspaper he had just opened in Australia. First Mr Murdock congratulated Bruce on the edition but then said he had a few points to make. He then ,starting with the front page began his criticism, tearing the edition to shreds, while I sat there waiting for him to finish. The phone call went on for nearly half an hour. I began to feel rather angry as he didn’t once apologise from for his discourtesy for keeping me waiting. Eventually he put the phone turned to me and said in his broad Australian accent “I like that show yr doing On the Buses can you do 52 a year of those ?” I was flabbergasted and said “ Mr Murdock it may not look like on the screen but a great deal of work and preparation goes into making one of these shows and I certainly cannot do one a week !” His reply was “I’ll take advice about that” and I was dismissed I got up and walked to the door where I turned and looking him straight in the eye said “ Mr Murdock for the half an hour I have listening to you on the telephone to your editor in Melbourne Australia you obviously know a great deal about newspapers, but you have got a lot to learn about making successful television” and then I walked out slamming his door. Later in the day I told my friend the writer Vince Powell of my unhappiness, he in his turn must have mentioned it to Philip Jones, the controller of Comedy at Thames Television, who rang me and offered me a contract and I left LWT and went to Thames TV where I produced and directed another chart topping rating show “Love Thy Neighbour”. Mr Murdock’s reign at LWT was short lived .His presence rang alarm bells at the ITA , who expressed concern that a foreign national and the owner of British newspapers could own a television station. Mr Murdock was given an ultimatum he had to sell up or LWT would have its licence revoked The ITA won and Mr Murdock left in 1971
Stuart Allen
Below is Andrew Longman's ON THE BUSES collection
which made a for a great display on the day
