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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2020 12:33:27 GMT
This is a old vintage mobile cinema van. I spotted this at a previous classic car show I attended. Soon as I saw it I thought wow! that looks familiar and quickly realised it had to be the one featured in a 2010 BBC documentary series with Melvin Bragg’ entitled the ‘ Reel history of Britain’. It’s a 20 part series in which the vehicle is driven around to different locations in the Uk, and covers different topics of social history and where random people associated with the particular topic, board the bus for a nostalgic trip down memory lane. The history of this bus is amazing, and apparently it was I think, originally one of 7, and in the 60’s which was driven around the UK and used to show short educational films to employees of businesses. From memory I think, this is the only surviving bus left which apparently before it was restored was found preserved hidden in a barn! and believe it or not actually would have had a trailer. The owner is a lovely guy and at the car show, he showed old pathe’ news clips, projected on a screen, through his laptop, and gave a brief history of the bus. The series on the tele used a old 8mm projector. Out of the 20 tv episodes I definitely recommend the episode entitled ‘streets in the sky’ I was fortunate to record all these when they were transmitted. Excerpts of ‘streets in the sky’ can be seen on YouTube! I’m sure you’ll Like!
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Post by Gene Hunt on Apr 25, 2020 12:51:13 GMT
Great post GC and very interesting background info. Thanks for going the extra mile and posting the photos up for us all on here pal - 'cus we all know, 4:3tv is miles better than Facebook Gene
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2020 13:09:35 GMT
Thanks Gene! My head was smoking I never find the whole process easy even though I’ve posted images before! I followed Del’s book. A idiots guide to posting pics!... Yes absolutely love that bus wish I owned it myself! Tis very quirky inside and reminds me of a old odeon cinema, apparently I think the seats were actually older than the bus and are Art Deco’ and originally pulled from a actual old cinema! The next car show I go to I will definitely be looking out for the bus again..
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Three Litre
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Post by Three Litre on Apr 25, 2020 13:11:32 GMT
Great pics GC! What a fabulous bus!
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The Saint
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Post by The Saint on Apr 25, 2020 13:20:23 GMT
Great post GC and very interesting background info. Thanks for going the extra mile and posting the photos up for us all on here pal - 'cus we all know, 4:3tv is miles better than Facebook Gene That mobile cinema is great GC, I saw it on the TV programme you mentioned. Thanks for sharing the photos on here The Saint
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Post by D.C. Burtonshaw on Apr 25, 2020 17:34:50 GMT
Thank you for posting the pics up GC - Great photos too and yes it has a very interesting history! The trailer I believe was also recently rediscovered in a field and has since been bought for future restoration!
On a Facebook group, another poster, posted up a photo of one of the other cinema buses made at the same time and in the same batch as this one. The photo was taken about 1986 and believed to have been at a rock festival and owned by a traveller at the time and used it as a mobile caravan. However, he scrapped it 8 years though later despite offers to buy it.
Excellent too that this mobile cinema was saved and restored and that people are able to go in at shows and see films inside it!
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DI Alex Drake
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Post by DI Alex Drake on Apr 25, 2020 18:30:27 GMT
Very interesting! And not something I'd heard of before. Thank you for sharing!
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Post by Sam Tyler on Apr 25, 2020 21:02:49 GMT
Thanks for posting GC, it is a fantastic looking van. I do remember seeing the series with it and remembered that it was the last of its kind, such a shame that the other one was scrapped.
I've visit a good number of car shows and still haven't seen it yet, I'd love to have a good look inside particularly as I really appreciate the Art Deco styling.
Sam.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2020 21:53:21 GMT
Yeah think obviously the bus will just only go up in value! But I can’t think of anything more frustrating then to hear the other one got scrapped! Surely everything about that bus you would only have happening in the 1960s and no other era! That’s what made it the best decade. I could imagine the bus appearing in something like The avengers! I can’t understand why the BBC would of wanted to part with it, unless the original owner only loaned it out to the BBC, for the series, in the first place, dunno.. apparently it was bought in 2005 for £1,200 And cost £35000 to restore and then it was on eBay for sale again in 2015 for a 120 grand!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2020 22:10:50 GMT
Unbelievable innit to think at one time there were 7 of these!
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