Holiday on the Buses Starting: 14:10 on Sunday 4th July. Duration: 1 hour and 40 minutes Showing on UKTV Gold
Hello and Welcome to July Newsletter.
The filming with Reg Varney will take place this month, thanks to all who requested to attend. Those who are lucky enough to have been selected have been contacted. To the others sorry, but hopefully more of us can get together at Pontins Pwhelli later in the year. I will post details about the proposed Holiday On The Buses plaque event once everything has been arranged.
Now here is a copy of a letter received from Reg Varney’s daughter Jeanne that I thought we all should share.
Dear Steve,
I am writing to you on behalf of my father
He certainly appreciates the work you do on the fan club and it is lovely that so many people still remember him and have enjoyed his work.
In answer to your question, dad is certainly still playing the piano (and singing!) but he hasn’t done any paintings for some time now. He has a lovely little cat called Izzy, who he adores and who keeps him company since my mum sadly passed away about 18 months ago. I visit him every day and him loves chatting with friends and watching sport on the tele.
He sends regards to you and all the fans.
Best wishes, Jeanne
I am sure I speak for you all when we send our best wishes to Reg.
So Reg has a cat called Izzy, I wonder what ON THE BUSES producer Bryan Izzard makes of that, he happens to be known as Izzy?
Stephen Lewis is working on more episodes of Last of The Summer Wine in which he plays ‘Smiler’
Do you have a favorite episode or moment from ON THE BUSES then let me know here at the fan club and we may put together a page of these on the web site with your contributions. We have four postcards with ‘Smiler’ to give away so will draw names from those who sent in something for this section.
Keep your letters and emails coming in I do try to answer them all.
Issue 20 of the ON THE BUSES fanzine will be sent out next weekend
Until next time Ding ding
Hello and welcome to the June newsletter.
Granada TV is making a five-part series about the history of ITV since it began fifty years ago. One of the shows to be included is ON THE BUSES (hooray)
Reg Varney is not to well at the moment so he has suggested that he could meet the film crew and fans of the show in Exeter for a kind of question an answer session amongst other things. What I need to know is how many of you would like to come along. As there are a limited number of places and time is pressing please let me know as soon as possible, the date has yet to be set but it will be possible sometime in June after the 18th. There may even be a Loddeka double-decker making an appearance and a few other surprises during the filming day.
If you would like to come along and can make it to Exeter let me know now as I need to contact LWT ASAP, give your name and names of any one who will want to attend with you.
Just returned from Holiday in the USA and went around Universal Studios and what should be there but a Leyland double-decker, took photos and they will appear in the next edition of the fanzine.
I also traveled a lot on a bus service called I Ride these are trolley buses that run around Florida and the bus drivers were always calling out stops and places of interest and some were definitely comedians, maybe more about that at a later date.
Talk about a busmen’s holiday!
Granada Plus is showing more ON THE BUSES this month so check the web site for details.
Not yet heard back from the Wales Film Screen Commission about the plaque at pontins so there may be another newsletter later this month but keep checking the web site for news on the TV event,
As always until next time ding, ding
Regards
Steve
ON THE BUSES fanclub
Hello and welcome to another newsletter
It has been a busy month for the fan club and thanks again for all your emails. I do answer them all but sometimes the odd one slip through so if you do not get a reply please resend it.
Hope some of you watched Mutiny ON THE BUSES on 1st May 01.45 BBC
Glad to report Granada Plus is also showing more episodes this month, visit the TV PAGE to see which episodes dates and times etc.
I wonder why ON THE BUSES was never re-run on ITV considering how much it was and still is loved by the not only the British public but around the world.
However here is some good news, how about this as part of an email I received
Granada TV is making a five-part series about the history of ITV since it began fifty years ago. The series will follow the development of genres of programmes such as drama and light entertainment, and focusing on a number of the channel's most popular programmes (such as On the Buses!)
All I’ll say at present is I have had a chat with a couple of those nice people at Television Centre and to watch this space.
I am still awaiting more information from the Wales Screen Commission with further details about the plaque that will be mounted at Prestatyn Holiday Centre commemorating the making of the movie Holiday ON THE BUSES.
If any more of you are interested in coming along let me know (a date has yet to be confirmed.)
Here is something I did not know until today Michael Robbins (Arthur was the voice in some of the PG Tips chimps TV commercials.
Mr. Shifter the piano removal man (with Michael Robbins and Kenneth Connor), and The Old Bailey (with Kenneth Williams and Michael Robbins) are two. Another one was The Brooke Bond secret agent series (with Michael Jayston and Pat Coombs who of course was in Mutiny ON THE BUSES)
Did you know that the Mr. Shifter add was shown on TV over 1,900 times and the PG Tips ads have been appearing on TV for over 30 years.
"Dad, do you know the piano’s on my foot?"
"You hum it son, I’ll play it"
Wouldn’t it have been fun if they had done one with the chimps dressed as Bus Driver and Conductor?
I was playing my full size ON THE BUSES fruit machine again the other day it is good fun especially with hearing the voices of all the cast, if you go to the seaside this summer see if you can spot one and spend a couple of quid playing it and you’ll see what I mean. Try and get three buses on the win line and let the fun commence.
Well that is about it for this newsletter so as always thanks for being onboard and until next time Ding ding.
APRIL
Here is some good news for ON THE BUSES fans. The Wales Screen Commission is planning to place a plaque at the Pontins Prestatyn site commemorating the fact Holiday ON THE BUSES was filmed there. Pontins have agreed to this and it may be located on the reception building or security lodge at the entrances
I am in talks with the Wales Screen Commission about the commemorative plaque as they going to invite some of the stars to attend and it may be an excuse to have an ON THE BUSES day. Planning is in early stages but it will be some time later this year.
If you think you may be interested in attending let me know.
I was in Dyserth Waterfall shop the other day, this is where they stop on the mystery tour in Holiday ON THE BUSES and Olive comes out eating candy floss. Mrs. Ward says they still get visitors coming to see the shop and falls asking about ON THE BUSES. If the event can be organized it is hoped to hire an open top bus and visit the shop and travel over the bridge where Arthur and Olive lost the luggage. It still looks the same.
How about this from THE STAGE March 25, 2004
A case of mistaken identity
On The Buses star Stephen Lewis might be thinking about changing his famous catchphrase to "I 'ate you, 'airy" after a little slip by Equity president - theever affable Harry Landis - at the Club for Acts and Actors.
Lands popped into the Covent Garden haunt for a jar and, after about ten minutes, announced to whomsoever was listening that "sadly, On the Buses star Stephen Lewis has committed suicide". Although shocked, the assembled ensemble thought that Landis has muddled Lewis up with Bob Grant, who tragically did commit suicide recently. But no, Landis was adamant that this was the second On the Buses star to exit stage left in (he past few months. Word got out to various obit writers on daily papers and reams were written about Lewis being "a hugely gifted comedy actor and writer" (as one for The Times was due to read), plus the news-desks of the tabloids were getting suitably excited about a mucky story. Eventually, a call was made to Spotlight, a rep-resentative of which rang Lewis, only to discover he: was at home having a cup of tea and reading the newspaper, very much alive and not amused to be interrupted at his breakfast table.
Glad to report that Stephen Lewis will be making more episodes of Last Of The Summer Wine this summer in which he of course plays Smiler.
Congratulations to the Winner of the last competition, Sarah Hesketh from Blackpool. A free copy of the magazine and prize is on it's way.
This months issue of the fanzine has another cartoon strip from ON THE BUSES, the letters pages return, Olive in a bikini, more pictures and articles plus….well order your copy now to find out. Only £3.00
ON THE BUSES IS BACK ON GRANDA PLUS THIS MONTH, check the web site for details. Well that's all for now until next month Ding, ding
MARCH NEWSLETTER
Hello and welcome to another ON THE BUSES newsletter,
ON THE BUSES THE MOVIE
Saturday 6th March at 16.50 on Channel 4.
What happened in the last newsletter competition, only one correct answer? In the Christmas comp I got loads of entries, was it to hard?
The answer was
Mum used green stamps instead of money to buy her fun wig.
The winner was Neil Rhodes from Derby
So here is the easiest comp I can think of
In which fictional Town was ON THE BUSES set.
The winner drawn at the end of March will win laminated A4 size picture of Stan and Jack
Well, I caused a bit of a stir with some of you by saying anyone can write good comedy, in the last news letter. What I should have said was any talented writer would be able to write good comedy. Good comedy should involve what were not allowed to call working classes (political correctness gone mad again)
Steptoe and Son, Fools and Horses, Rising Damp, Porridge, etc. about normal people dreaming of a better life 'This time next year we'll be millionaires" and using god actors playing it straight not comedians trying to act. Or do you think otherwise?
If you have any comments on anything else you would like to see on the web site
Please e-mail busesfanclub@aol.com
Some of you want new ON THE BUSES stories about Stan and Jack, well Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney get the e-mail so who knows, or maybe with their permission I'll have a go at writing one for the web site myself.
Don't forget if you want to buy videos or DVD's of ON THE BUSES just visit the web site to find the cheapest prices around. Click below
http://members.lycos.co.uk/busesfanclub/
The next edition of the fanzine will be out end of March. We now have the Granddaughter of Michael Robbins (Arthur) in contact with us and have sent some items to her, welcome onboard.
Finally this from Dan.
I just wanted to inform you all about out campaign to save an old SMT bus depot within Edinburgh and turn it into a Transport Museum.
View the site at
http://www.danmclean.co.uk/new_street_photos1.htm
You can join out group at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/save_new_street/
Until next time
Ding ding
ON THE BUSES fan club
FEB NEWSLETTER
Hello from The Depot,
Hope you all had a good festive time.
I watched Best Pair of Legs in the Business again over the hols, it stars Reg Varney as a Compere come drag artist spending the twilight of his show biz career working in a Holiday Caravan Park.
It is touching, funny and tinged with sadness, about an Entertainer who cannot accept it is time to step down from the spotlight. It also shows what a fine actor Reg is and if you get a chance you should watch it. (I will keep checking to see if it is going to be shown on TV again and let you know via the e-mail news letter.) Also watched Holiday ON THE BUSES and it struck me how good the incidental music was to the film, well I thought so anyway
If you get chance watch a programme called Revolver, it is on BBC 1 at 11.15pm on a Tuesday. You may just see Anna Karen and Stephen Lewis in it. It is a comedy sketch show and has a great line up of stars who are well known for playing comedy roles. The comedy isn't brilliant and I do think it is a waste of a lot of talented people. It really isn't hard to write good comedy you just need the right formula, but maybe the show will get better in time. (Well that's me getting on my soap box again),
I was hoping to see Anna Karen in pantomime at Rhyl but unfortunately her husband was ill so she did not appear. (Get well soon Terry.)
Please keep your letters and e-mail coming in as the letters page will return in the next edition, I will also be posting more letters on the web site.
The web site has had a few more updates so click on the link at the end when you have finished reading this months newsletter.
Last times COMPETITION WINNERS
Patricia Widley from London won our newsletter competition and the fan club mag prize was won by Jon Mcewan from Swadlincote, Derbyshire.
The answers were 1: mum's first name is mable. 2: the ship was called the skylark.
2: stan and jack also worked as life guards/pool attendants. 4: the nurse is played by kate williams (also stared in love thy neighbour). 5: jack offers stan fish and chips to eat when he feels sea sick. 6: bert's t-shirt said "if you like me smile"
This months comp for a prize is in the episode 'Mums Last Fling' Mum got herself a fun wig but she didn't use money to buy it so how did she get it?
Well that's it until next time as always Ding, ding
