Thursday 11 March 2010

HOLIDAY ON THE BUSES

film movieHOLIDAY ON THE BUSES was a 1973 movie made by Hammer Films at Elstree Studios, Borehamwood. It included location shots at Dyserth waterfall, the grounds of Gwrych Castle, Pontin’s camp in Prestatyn, Rhuddlan bridge, and Rhyl seafront including Foryd Bridge.

It was a spin-off of a TV series with the same bus crew, Reg Varney (as Stan the driver) and Bob Grant (as Jack the conductor), a double-act that seemed to me so profoundly unfunny as to make the Chuckle Brothers look like brilliant comedians.

The TV series and spin-offs (there were 3 films in all) were very popular. Stephen Lewis played Inspector ‘Blakey’ Blake, Doris Hare was Stan’s mum, Anna Karen was his sister Olive and Michael Robbins played the brother-in-law.

'Holiday On The Buses’ was written by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney and directed by Bryan Izzard.

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SAT 20th FEB 2016 UPDATE: While we are the subject of the 1970s this shot seems to capture the flavour. It’s an unused postcard of a miniature train by the beach in Prestatyn. I'm glad I found a place to put it:


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