Cartman
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Post by Cartman on Jul 9, 2021 20:06:09 GMT
Mine was on the M66 North of Bury, one night in December 77, about a month after passing my test. It was a good intro as that section was, and still is, fairly quiet.
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Sparky
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Post by Sparky on Jul 12, 2021 17:54:15 GMT
Mine was on the M66 North of Bury, one night in December 77, about a month after passing my test. It was a good intro as that section was, and still is, fairly quiet. That's how I learned the one way system in Birmingham City Centre / Spag Junction - negotiating it at night when working down that way. Aston Expressway and all the city centre roads/underpasses were virtually empty - and there were less irate Brummies on the road if you got in the wrong lane.
It was handy doing that, as when I did need to drive round it during the day - I kind of knew where to go.
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Nightfly
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Post by Nightfly on Jul 12, 2021 18:42:08 GMT
That's how I learned the one way system in Birmingham City Centre / Spag Junction - negotiating it at night when working down that way. In the 80s, the wife had a baptism of fire with motorway driving having to cover the entire M62 and M6 down to Birmingham as a service engineer. In a short space of time she had Spag Juntion sussed in addition to the identity of all the unmarked Police cars on that stretch. They even used a battered boy racer Capri to catch people out...not that she had to worry as she never exceeded the speed limit, of course My own introduction to motorways was the more sedate M65 and M55 to Blackpool. I was still very nervous on my first trip, had no problems on the motorways but managed to drive into a ditch a few miles away from home on a road I was familiar with once I left the motorway.
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Sparky
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Post by Sparky on Jul 15, 2021 15:44:29 GMT
Quite a trip down memory lane - the days when we had a "Beat Bobby" as a familiar face who'd know the area inside and out and who the reprobates were.
Quite like the scene around 10min in with the CID detective. Think he went to the same School as Mr Regan and Mr Hunt.
Is that Alan Lake getting smashed in that scene?
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Nightfly
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Post by Nightfly on Jul 15, 2021 16:56:58 GMT
A fantastic time capsule. Thanks for sharing. I wonder how long the offensive against phone box vandalism went on for ? Is that Alan Lake getting smashed in that scene?
Certainly is. Alan Lake with a drink in his hand. Who'd have thought it, eh ?
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Sparky
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Post by Sparky on Jul 15, 2021 17:06:09 GMT
A fantastic time capsule. Thanks for sharing. I wonder how long the offensive against phone box vandalism went on for ? Is that Alan Lake getting smashed in that scene?
Certainly is. Alan Lake with a drink in his hand. Who'd have thought it, eh ? I've only just realised how close that scene with Alan Lake is to his work a year or so later in The Sweeney - "Ringer"
Some of the lines with the villain "You come in 'ere without a warrant" are text book Sweeney.
Not sure about the young detectives choice of chat-up lines in the Record shop though.... Great advert for the Police!
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Post by Dirty Epic on Jul 15, 2021 19:48:38 GMT
Great stuff, Alan Lake's similar here to his Merrick/Sweeney role and one he had in Target a few years later, thanks for sharing.
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Jul 15, 2021 20:52:00 GMT
Yes, very reminiscent of the iron scene in 'Ringer' the bit with Alan Lake & John Bennett.
Also spotted Mrs.Yeatman ( Olive Mercer ) from 'Dad's Army'
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Nightfly
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Post by Nightfly on Jul 15, 2021 21:31:29 GMT
I've only just realised how close that scene with Alan Lake is to his work a year or so later in The Sweeney - "Ringer"
Some of the lines with the villain "You come in 'ere without a warrant" are text book Sweeney.
Not sure about the young detectives choice of chat-up lines in the Record shop though.... Great advert for the Police!
Or the somewhat sexist comment about the older beat copper raising his eyebrows at a WPC driving I can now understand a bit more about the struggle women recruits had back then and this was a recruitment film after all. It's a great piece of work, though I fully expected the lines "It's a fair cop, guv" and "watch out sarge, he's got a shooter" to appear at some point. Also, did you notice most of the dialogue was dubbed apart from the scenes with Alan Lake and his mate? As for Alan Lake's reputation. In the audio commentary for Slade In Flame, Noddy Holder tells a tale of Alan, under the influence of the odd shandy, picking a fight with the manager of the theatre they were filming at and getting the sack. His wife Diana Doors returned the next morning with him and begged for a second chance. He would be as good as gold now that she had "had words with him". True to her word, he was mild as a lamb for the rest of the shoot.
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Sparky
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Post by Sparky on Jul 16, 2021 6:01:30 GMT
I've only just realised how close that scene with Alan Lake is to his work a year or so later in The Sweeney - "Ringer"
Some of the lines with the villain "You come in 'ere without a warrant" are text book Sweeney.
Not sure about the young detectives choice of chat-up lines in the Record shop though.... Great advert for the Police!
His wife Diana Doors returned the next morning with him and begged for a second chance. He would be as good as gold now that she had "had words with him". True to her word, he was mild as a lamb for the rest of the shoot. I know a couple of people who have worked on jobs with Diana Doors and they all say the same - she had everyone in fits of laughter and could smooth over any situation. She had her work cut out married to Mr Lake"
Bless 'em both.
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