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Post by Gene Hunt on Oct 6, 2018 22:16:46 GMT
Well, after the most successful 43tv Meet to date - 70's London Revisited, it's time to share your memories of the day right here. Please include any photos you took to help give people an idea of what we got up to.
Gene.
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Post by Steve Austin on Oct 8, 2018 9:34:32 GMT
A bit different this meet, but nothing less than superb as always. Different because in many places it wasn't so much as looking at what was there, rather looking at what wasn't. Swathes of London as we know it from films such as Robbery & The Sweeney, even Minder, have been demolished and some of the buildings that remain are empty husks, landmarks forgotten and no longer used but remembered nonetheless by people such as ourselves who recall their days of glory, guided as ever by Gene. It's on meets like these that you appreciate the work behind the scenes that goes into putting these together, more so due to the fact that most of the chase scenes from Robbery were on roads that no longer exist but thanks to the maps provided, were once again traceable. A fantastic sunny day was most welcome after the dour and damp day that preceded it, we met as ever in Colet Gardens and I took the opportunity to visit Maureen Whittle's house but the money had been moved...again. A short walk to the tube station and we were off. I cannot believe the amount of locations used in this small district of London,; The Sweeney, Minder, Robbery all within yards of another. Seems like you couldn't walk down the street back then without a camera up your bugle. A short while later and it was time for some well earned refreshments before we were on the move again. Jack Regan's house soon upon us but alas, no key retrieval service today. Notting Hill was not always so fashionable and one of its most notorious residences has long since been demolished but it was still strange to see the spot where 10 Rillington Place once stood. Further evidence of redevelopment was just around the corner where again we took up the chase scene from Robbery. I have mentioned this before but it is fascinating to see how film is edited to give a seamless sequence of events when in reality the filming can take place over many different locations, sometimes miles apart. Similarly, "Julie's", "Myriad Antiques" from The Sweeney & "The Winchester" from Minder are all next door to each other, the pub near there must have been popular with the crew! As is usual with the meets, it was over all too soon and so the weary legs were glad to find a seat in the Brook Green back in Hammersmith for a very nice meal, a drink or two and a chat over the days events. I'm sure Gene is looking forward to a few days away from maps, local records and the internet but without your efforts these would simply not be as informative or rewarding. Anyone can look up the locations but you bring more than that to the meets and it is very much appreciated. I look forward to meeting up with the squad again, it's always very good humoured and relaxed, thanks to everyone for your company and once again thanks again Gene, see you on the next one
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Del Boy
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Post by Del Boy on Oct 8, 2018 10:08:58 GMT
Spot on with that appraisal Steven I loved looking at this part of London and this meet allowed all the nearby locations to be linked up in a walk around the district. It was a great way to take these locations in and appreciate how much has been filmed in a few square miles. I've got some good then and now to process later and will procure a full report.
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Cartman
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Post by Cartman on Oct 8, 2018 10:10:34 GMT
This sounds like it was a great weekend and hope you all had a good one. I think its that so much of the great locations from the 60s and 70s have been changed so much
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2018 10:51:48 GMT
Twas good to see ya all yesterday even though it was only a brief time! Glad I did that! Things can only get better ha! Hopefully next time..You’re a good bunch of mates on a brilliant forum! And I’d do anything for ya, as long as it doesn’t involve Bank jobs! Lol! Gonna at least mull over Robbery again later! and thanks Gene for the encouragement! Ya right! In other words, I need to stop being a fairy’
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The Saint
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Post by The Saint on Oct 8, 2018 11:25:05 GMT
Another amazing weekend and it was great to be back on the west London manor again! The pre-meet meet on Saturday with Gene and a few of the lads was most welcome, starting off in The Warrington as seen in The Sweeney episode Night Out and Minder episode The Beer Hunter, we then moved down to a few pubs in Hammersmith and rounded it off with a curry Then it was the main event on Sunday, back to the traditional meeting up venue of Colet Gardens followed by a short walk to Hammersmith tube and up to Latimer Road. Gene excelled himself (once again!) with the locations from Robbery, re-tracing the car chase scene, like Steve Austin has said so many of these locations no longer exist but were once traceable through Gene’s painstaking research, overlaying of old maps with new and expert commentary on the day. It really brought dead locations back to life - archaeology for film and TV fanatics! It was great to see some Steptoe, Sweeney and Minder locations and the location of 10 Rillington Place too! It is always nice to meet up with everyone, we are a great group and had lots of laughs throughout the day! Thanks to Steve Austin for binding Gene’s screen prints for everyone, a real souvenir of the day! Looking forward to meeting up with everyone in the spring, whatever we do it will be another day to remember! I will post some photos over the next day or two. Just one more thing to say for now…. …..thanks again Gene, it was an amazing meet! The Saint
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Post by Dirty Epic on Oct 8, 2018 11:44:15 GMT
Another brilliant, brilliant meet again and before I start and it’s always easy saying this massive thanks goes to Gene for putting this meet together, scouting some brilliant (and much changed) locations and just ensuring everything goes well and we have a brilliant weekend.
Well it all began with some beers in The Warrington on the Saturday afternoon. Great catch up with Gene, Steed, Windy, Saint, Del and GC. None of the Tartan Army in there this time but still a nice boozer to catch up in before schlepping off to Hammersmith for a couple with the lads in The Salutation. Sadly stupid here had a gig to go to later that evening so I had to leave the lads before the Saturday night got into full swing but always enjoy that aspect of the catch up before the meet proper on the Sunday. Fully recommend it!
Sunday then and met up with the squad for brekkie at ‘Spoons in Hammersmith. A few more of our faces started drifting in Sam Tyler, Steve Austin, Brown Granada, Gerry B etc. and started building up the craic and banter for the day well. Met up with Cater, Peter Piccard and Saint in Colet Gardens before we went off to do the days locations and brilliant they were too. As mentioned by some of the lads I agree so interesting that so many of these Sweeney, Robbery, Steptoe, Quadrophenia and Minder locations got filmed so close together to each other in Shepherds Bush/Ladbroke Grove/Notting Hill and despite doing many-a Sweeney meet it was just so good to see some locations fairly nearby to the usual suspects that we’d not seen and done before. Another good thing about this aspect of the meet was it being a walking tour too allowing us to chat and bond more as a group than if we were driving to the locations. It was also to see how much the area has changed over the last 30 odd or less years and with Gene having so older O/S maps to hand entire roads have been remodelled and area’s become completely unrecognisable to what they were like when these film/TV programmes got filmed there.
With a few pit stops for some necessary refreshment I/we found what was perhaps the most interesting location and one not necessarily all to do with a film/TV location. It was the real 10 Rillington Place which you can only imagine was like around the time of Christie. Again a very changed area – albeit perhaps relatively recently, and brilliant work again to Gene for adding this one to the meet.
As always with these meets they pass all too quickly and soon enough we’re having a feed and a wet in The Brook Green Hotel – very nice it was too before rounding things off with a few jars and chat in The Queens Head. Goes without saying but you’re all a great bunch I enjoy catching up with (and ripping and getting ripped with too) LOL! Seriously we all bring something to the table to the forum and the meets and long may they continue and be as good as what we did over the weekend.
Big thanks to Sam, Del and Saint for their work with 4.3 but the biggest thanks and respect I have is for Gene for the hard graft he puts into not only the site but these meets and it’s always appreciated the leg work you do mate to ensure these things go off well, all bases are covered and we can look back at them with such a happy and fond regard too. Sure we haven’t seen nothing yet with your ideas and plans for I hope the next time too. Thanks again mate.
Think like all of us a bit zzz’s (especially being in work afterwards too…) after such a good weekend and sure we’ve got much more to say and look back on after another good one!
Cheers lads and all the best!
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Mickyosan
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Post by Mickyosan on Oct 8, 2018 13:18:26 GMT
Great write-ups so far and I'm looking forward to the smudges for that extra realism for those, such as myself, who were otherwise indisposed and couldn't make what was clearly another marvellous meet that all participants enjoyed.
We always joke about the weather gods on these meets and in the laws of probability, we're eventually due a soaking but once again, yesterday was brilliant. I was on site for twelve hours on both days and you couldn't have had two more different days if you'd tried. Like two seasons.
Meticulous planning as always by Gene which everyone appreciates the amount of effort that goes into every one and agreed with the previous comments that the walking itineraries are excellent for conversation starters and mingling, besides the health benefits! Great stuff.
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Post by D.C. Burtonshaw on Oct 8, 2018 17:10:28 GMT
Evening all! What can I say but another absolute blast of a 43 TV forum meet and great to meet up with the familiar faces for the craic! Thanks in due first to Gene the guv for the meticulous planning that goes into the meets along with the research done - I wouldn't have even thought to look for original obsolete maps of the London area but we're so glad you did which helped us to get a better perspective of the locations at the time these productions were filmed.
After the Sweeney locations from Nightmare and the Bramley Arms area which was also used in Minder and Quadrophenia, it was onto a couple more Minder locations then we started on the locations for the excellent Robbery!
It was quite incredible how much has been totally changed beyond all recognition and without Gene's research we wouldn't have known where these scenes from the car chases would have been filmed. Quite impossible to do that sort of thing now of course. It was wondered also whether the streets were already closed and earmarked for demolition shortly after the film was made so that would have made things easier for filming a high speed car chase in some parts and a few cars were dotted about randomly to make the area look "lived in".
It seems that some streets no longer exist and have been pedestrianized since and certain houses have been newly built, or extended blending in some of the old recognisable from the film, into the new.
After a watering hole stop at Notting Hill, (or 2 pubs!) which was most welcome, it was on to Jacks old flat in Sweeney 2 where the Key retrieval service was carried out and after Jack moved out, Bodie moved in, and realised one day his phone had more plastic in it than when he left in the morning.
Then it was time to see a few yards up the road, the church where Harold and Zita got married in the Steptoe and Son film. Well cared for it is too. Then more streets from Robbery and Steptoe and Son - again so much has simply gone although a few small distinctive landmarks remain which are pretty distinctive.
Not to mention the surprise bonus location of Christie's old house area of what was Rillington Place - quite eerie thinking what happened in the area but interesting nonetheless of how the area has changed since.
Soon it was over in what seemed like a flash so it was back to Hammersmith for some top nosh and service in the Brook Green Hotel before rounding off the evening with a couple of jars in The Queens Head, with GC joining us and after some more banter, it was time to for some of us to head home while others retired to their digs for one last night. Dark when I left the house in the morning and dark when I got back, so thanks to all who made it and who I saw and to the Guv for the organising!
Roll on next Spring!
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Vienna
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Post by Vienna on Oct 8, 2018 20:53:24 GMT
I must admit that I really enjoyed this fantastic weekend organised by the absolutely amazing Gene Hunt. It's always difficult to say which meet is my favourite but this one is right up there with the best from the recent past. I arrived late in London as I went to a Q&A event in Birmingham that involved actress Madeline Smith (The Vampire Lovers, Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell etc) earlier in the day. However, after checking in and receiving a warm welcome at the Brook Green Hotel, it was time to meet up with some of the lads for a few drinks at the Andover Arms and Swan in Hammersmith - I even managed to get a round in for once! Meeting up again and this time with the rest of the squad on a pleasant Sunday morning at Colet Gardens, it was time to get on the tube and head over to Latimer Road for the start of the meet. Some great locations were featured from Minder, The Sweeney and the first Steptoe film but many were from the 1967 film Robbery. Gene has done some brilliant research into these car chase locations and making use of some old OS maps that are online showed us that some streets and houses have completely disappeared, partly to make way for the elevated sections of the nearby A40 in the late 60s and early 70s. After a decent lunch break we headed for some more locations in the afternoon. The Rillington Place location was perhaps the most interesting; the area has completely changed since the film about the terrible events that took place here in the 1950s was made in 1970. After finishing at some Steptoe film locations it was then time to head back to Hammersmith and a meal at the Brook Green Hotel, followed by a few jars to finish at the Queen's Head nearby. Sadly, it was then all over! But a big thanks to everyone who attended, and especially to Gene for his fabulous location work and effort into making sure the meet ran smoothly. I think the walkabout worked really well and there was some great banter during the day. Roll on the next one in late March/early April... Vi
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