please empty your brain below
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I spent my first seven years living next door to Chase Farm Hospital and the final two of those going to Lavender Primary School and even I have never been to said cemetery. Despite being a fully paid up MHLB, I too have always found “On The Buses” to be tediously unfunny.
Phil | 26.06.21 - 7:23 a.m. | #
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The genuine bus garage scenes in On The Buses (most were studio based) were filmed at the old Eastern National bus garage in Lordship Lane by Redvers Road, sadly now long demolished. Many other scenes ‘on the road’ were shot in the Muswell Hill area. I didn’t know about the Cemetery Gates location so many thanks for that gem.
Roger French | Homepage | 26.06.21 - 7:41 a.m. | #
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You have inspired my music for the day, with The Smiths' album 'The Queen is Dead' ... I don't have to tell you why ;)
PJS | 26.06.21 - 7:41 a.m. | #
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I remember that bus garage. Originally City Coaches, I think. Normally full of green buses, typically lodekkas if I remember correctly. And green.
Malcolm of Kent | 26.06.21 - 7:44 a.m. | #
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The (only) memorable thing from OTB - Blake's catchphrase "I'll get you butler"
Deeply unfunny, and poor old Olive got some stick but eventually came good with stints on 'enders.
Rob Gullen | 26.06.21 - 7:53 a.m. | #
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I watched a lot of thé séries recently and I agree - it was not funny, and in fact often made me cringe.
In the colour episodes the buses were green, but red in the films. There were a lot of unexplained continuity errors like that (sets changing, uniforms, even actors changing).
Nick | 26.06.21 - 7:55 a.m. | #
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I've never watched an episode, but was vaguely aware when I lived in Wood Green that it had been filmed in the nearby bus garage. Though thanks to this post now know that it wasn't the bus garage that's still there on Green Lanes.
I have once been to the Mecca Bingo that was on the site of the other one, though.
martin | 26.06.21 - 8:07 a.m. | #
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Co-Op?, Co-op.
What about the Co-op @ 654-670 Hertford Road? (where the 121 turns off for Enfield Lock), or is that too big?
dg writes: It's now a Lidl.
Still Anon | 26.06.21 - 8:36 a.m. | #
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The garage in Lordship Lane belonged to Eastern National and its main job was to run the frequent 251 route between Wood Green and Southend. I don't remember the KSW era but there were certainly green FLF-type Lodekkas at the garage for many years.
I'm not aware of a garage on Green Lanes: the two Arriva garages in the area are on Wood Green High Road ("Wood Green") and on Regent's Avenue just off Green Lanes ("Palmers Green").
Ian | 26.06.21 - 9:13 a.m. | #
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@phil ... MHLB?
Liz | 26.06.21 - 9:14 a.m. | #
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Some things are important to an ex Bristol bus spotter.
The bus was not a Bristol / ECW (chassis / body) KSW.
As stated on the onthebusesfanclub.com site it was a "Bristol (of Bristol) FLF-type Lodekka fitted with 70-seat body built by Eastern Coachworks of Lowestoft. Those used in OTB were delivered to ENOC in 1967/68 and fitted with semi-automatic transmission and Gardner 6LX 10,225cc diesel engine. The Lodekka revolutionized bus design in the late 1950's by offering center aisles upstairs and down, but with an overall height of just 13ft 6ins, hence the name Lodekka. Many automatics were produced between 1954 and 1968, the ultimate being the semi-auto FLF, or flat floor, long wheel base Front entrance version."
Another unique feature, applicable to all Bristol / ECW productions was that, after assembly, the bare chassis were driven from Bristol to Lowestoft for the bodies to be erected. There was no cab so the drivers were exposed to all the elements on the way.
strawbrick | 26.06.21 - 9:14 a.m. | #
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I am not sure I would watch it now but at the time, it was very funny and you really felt for the character. Hard to imagine the dowdy but sex hungry Olive/Anna Karen is/was in reality such an interesting and attractive person.
Andrew | Homepage | 26.06.21 - 9:27 a.m. | #
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MWLB = Man Who Likes Buses
Of whom there are several today
(MHLB = Man Who Can’t Acronym)
Ambivalent | 26.06.21 - 9:30 a.m. | #
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I couldn't tell you what colour the bus was as we had a b&w TV and probably only remember the later couple of series, but the 7-8 year old me absolutely loved On the Buses - or at least the running comedy feud between Butler and Blakey. Always felt sorry for the way they were mean to poor Olive though.
Cornish Cockney | 26.06.21 - 9:40 a.m. | #
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I met Stephen Lewis once at the Reading Show in 1976 when he was there as a celebrity guest to mark the 75th anniversary of the town's buses. He was in character as Blakey the whole time including when I got his autograph (nowadays of course it would have been a selfie).
David | 26.06.21 - 9:42 a.m. | #
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We were not an ITV household either, but Crossroads was a must.... and, of course, On the Buses!
cau1khead | 26.06.21 - 10:19 a.m. | #
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It was possibly a bit mean to set that Lavender Hill Co-op trap for one of us to fall into...
Andrew S | 26.06.21 - 10:33 a.m. | #
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What a great post, drawing together odd strands that have nothing to do with each other into a pleasing ramble to pique my interest and prompting random memories.
We were regular dippers-in-only of ITV, though LWT's offering on Friday nights was a staple. My main weekday memory is enduring the last 5 minutes of Crossroads before watching what we came for, but I only recall the former. The highlight was the fancy credits crossing the screen in different directions and wondering how they did it - and knowing the interminable guff was actually over.
NickW | 26.06.21 - 10:58 a.m. | #
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Ronalds Wolfe and Chesney created and wrote most of 'On the buses' but as time went on and they found themselves a bit overwhelmed they took on two young eager beavers called Jonathan Lynn and George Layton. (Who also wrote chunks of the 'Doctor' series) Years later Mr Lynn went on to co-write 'Yes Minister' I expect he thinks of his 'OTB' days as honing his craft. You've got to start somewhere.
Milo | 26.06.21 - 11:15 a.m. | #
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I've updated the bit about what type of vehicle Stan's bus was, thanks.
(never trust what Wikipedia says)
diamond geezer | Homepage | 26.06.21 - 11:50 a.m. | #
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I believe the buses changed from green to red for the feature films so that the films could be more succesfully distributed overseas (!).It was thought that market's only experience of British buses was red London ones.
Jeremy Buck | 26.06.21 - 12:20 p.m. | #
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Reg Varney lived in Enfield and you passed his house on Clay Hill when you were travelling on the 456 bus route. He lived in one of the flats in 'The Firs', and was the local 'celebrity' - probably the reason he was asked to open the first cash machine at Barclays Bank in 1967.
Sara | 26.06.21 - 2:00 p.m. | #
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Liz & Ambivalent: Quite, never post when still half asleep!!!
Phil | 26.06.21 - 2:54 p.m. | #
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Reg Varney had training to drive the buses but did not drive them on the public highway.
timbo | 26.06.21 - 4:11 p.m. | #
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On The Buses Got Rerun at 6am On ITV3 In March-May
Matthew James | 26.06.21 - 4:23 p.m. | #
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I watched On The Buses but, young as I was, could never suspend my disbelief that two odd-looking middle-aged fellas were regularly "getting off with" a multitude of significantly younger "dolly birds". The only relatable character was grumpy Arthur.
"We weren't an ITV household.." I properly spluttered when I read that; why the heck would you be denied such a large proportion of the limited tv output? Was it a class thing? What's the modern equivalent, I wonder. I have a phone but it's not a smartphone, maybe.
Frank F | 26.06.21 - 6:13 p.m. | #
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I had friends who weren't allowed to watch ITV. I guess those households thought the advertising that paid for ITVs selection of programming dumbed down what was offered, and the BBC's education remit / license-fee approach made its programming superior. Just guessing though. My parents didn't care what we watched, they were only too pleased to own a TV!
Jayne | 26.06.21 - 7:24 p.m. | #
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I like On The Buses, and I only got to see the first series with Cicely Courtneidge playing mum a year or so ago.
I like the films too. I think I’ve still got the dvd box set in the loft.
Yes it’s non-pc but it was made in an era when things were a lot different and I still enjoy watching it every now and then, just for something different to watch.
I would’ve started watching it as a child on my grandparents’ old b&q telly I guess. My grandad didn’t see the point in wasting money on a colour tv and colour licence!
I worked at the now long-gone Freemasons Arms pub in Lordship Lane but that was in 1994 and the bus garage had already gone.
Rob Healy | Homepage | 26.06.21 - 8:28 p.m. | #
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We had the On The Buses board game when I was growing up. What you'd expect from a spin-off 70s TV board game really. Cheap and shoddy. Rubbish too.
Nice Enfield focus this last couple of days DG, much appreciated (grew up there, and an Enfield Town FC fan).
Haringey Patio Farmer | Homepage | 26.06.21 - 8:51 p.m. | #
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The BBC/ITV household was definitely a thing, including which listings magazine you bought. The class divide in miniature
Herned | 26.06.21 - 11:09 p.m. | #
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Absolutely, we didn't watch ITV either when I was a child. Except, strangely, for The Golden Shot, with Bob Monkhouse. Partly snobbery, partly habit, partly technical. ITV came along later and you needed a new aerial.
Sarah | 27.06.21 - 6:59 a.m. | #
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We used to have an LP of Reg Varney playing sing a long songs on the piano.. The only track I remember was (everybody knows you left me ) It’s the Talk of the Town.
cicely | 27.06.21 - 7:31 a.m. | #
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Semi-coincidentally as I had planned to be in the area yesterday, I walked past both the cemetery and the Coop yesterday!
Mikey C | 27.06.21 - 2:16 p.m. | #
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"...though thankfully not recently". Klaxon - ITV3 is showing an episode today Sunday at 1825.
Gordon | 27.06.21 - 2:45 p.m. | #
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That was a weak episode.
The best thing was that it started with a long scene outside the Cemetery Gates, so I can confirm they were definitely at Lavender Hill.
But they used the gates to the left of the cemetery office as the backdrop, which these days are locked, so I've updated my Flickr photo to show the correct side.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 27.06.21 - 6:57 p.m. | #
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Timely mention of the first ATM as it was fifty-five years ago on the day after: the 27thinst. No less.
dg writes: 54
JP minimus | 28.06.21 - 1:06 a.m. | #
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Here's a picture of a Bristol FS6G and Reg Varney outside Cemetery Gates.
Steve | 28.06.21 - 8:45 a.m. | #
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Stephen Lewis makes an appearance in, can you believe?, Tony Benn's diaries. They canvassed together in the 1983 general election.
Nigel | 28.06.21 - 10:32 a.m. | #
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We may have been one of Paula's Petals last customers at the shop. It was closing down on the day we paid them for the tributes for a family funeral! I was slightly concerned that nothing would turn up on the day but all was well. The cemetry itself is massive, having been extended relatively recently.
Phil | 28.06.21 - 10:49 a.m. | #
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