4:3tv Meet 010 - Back On The Buses! Report Thread

[Gene Hunt]

Well, what a fantastic weekend we all had with the Back On The Buses Meet. It was absolutely brilliant for us all to be back together and I have to agree with what most have said, it felt like we had all never been apart even though it had been so long since the last Meet.

Saturday morning I was up at sparrows fart making sure I'd got all the printouts loaded into the car, and that I had plenty of beer vouchers ready. Then it was time to cane the M40 in what was horrible weather. A quick pit stop at the services and then if was directomundo to the hotel in South Mimms.

Thankfully we were able to check in nice and early so it was then just a 10 minute stroll down to the boozer. One by one, squad members started to appear in The White Hart and the atmosphere was great. A real tonic after so many months of covid misery. We had a great afternoon before returning to the hotel for a recharge. Then it was out for the evening meal in nearby Shenley. After the meal, we were able to make use of the beer garden until chucking out time, where everyone had a good old chat and catch up.

Sunday morning we were greeted with terrible weather to start off with. Even the 5 minute walk from the car park to Wetherspoons saw us get soaked but after breakfast, we headed back to the cars and already the weather was improving.

I got everyone together at this point for a minute silence in memory of our good friend John Croft. So many Meets over the years ran through my mind during this silence where I remembered sharing laughs with John, or walking down into Hammersmith for a quick breakfast before everyone else arrived. He was an unforgettable member of our team and we shall all miss him immensely. RIP old pal.

Bang on 9.30 we set off for the start of the Meet. By this point all the rain had disappeared and the temperature was beginning to rise. We had a very nice walk around Borehamwood, taking in a few select locations and all too soon, this section of the Meet was over. It was time to head to The Manor for our extended lunch break. No one can deny the The Manor is a remarkable venue. The building never disappoints, even if the service does a little. Soon we were off for the final leg of the tour, which saw us take in a Likely Lads location and an Auf Pet Series 1 location before we headed to our final port of call. The remarkable Grims Dyke Hotel in Harrow Weald. What a beautiful venue this is too and a worthy match for the earlier Manor.
Thankfully, we were all seated in the gardens under large canopies as the heavens once again opened. All too soon it was time to bid farewell to another Meet and a number of squad members who were heading home. The rest of us headed off to The Battle Axes pub for a meal, before rounding the day off back where we started in South Mimms at The White Hart. It was a great way to round off what was for us all, a very much needed break away from lockdowns. 

It really was one of the best Meets we've had in my opinion. Not just for the comeraderie, but for the locations and also the sense of this finally marking a start of a return to the good times for us all.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for having faith in us for getting the show back on the road, and also for conducting yourselves in a sensible way with social distancing and mask wearing etc. Thanks also to those who turned up no later than 9am as requested on Sunday morning.  I'd also like to thank a few of you for your generosity towards me during the weekend. John Steed gifted me and Bolly some Guinness and a bottle of vino. Del Boy, Dirty Epic & Brown Granada all presented me with a bottle of fine Scotch which you can be certain will be enjoyed (some of it already has!). Thanks also to a couple of you who brought me a pint during the weekend and especially Sam who treated me to my evening meal on Sunday. Cheers pal  Big thanks also to Stan who insisted on getting my breakfast on Monday morning. Finally a huge thank you to The Saint, who not only took on the task of booking us all in at The Manor on Saturday & Sunday, but also booking the Grims Dyke and Battle Axes on Sunday. As if that wasn't enough, The Saint was also kind enough to drive me and a few others around on Saturday in that majestic Bentley of his. What a motor that is! He also very kindly drove us around all day on Sunday too in his Mini. 

These Meets just go far to quickly. Everyone said the same on Sunday. Thankfully though, we won't have the usual 6 months wait until the next one in September/October. As soon as I can set the date you'll be the first to know. Let's just keep everything crossed that we can finally get to Manchester for the mega Life On Mars Meet.

Watch this space!

Thanks everyone.
Gene.

[Sam Tyler]

It has been an unusual week for me this week and it is only now that I've had the chance to really sit back and reflect on what a great day out we all had on Sunday.

I couldn't make the Saturday get-together so missed some of the frivolities but was up and out in readiness for a good chat over breakfast on Sunday. The journey in to Borehamwood was particularly bad with heavy rainstorms that didn't bode well for the day but thankfully it had eased down to a light shower when I arrived.

Finally meeting up with a good number of the squad again after 21 months absence was so welcome but with the instant banter it was as if those 21 months had melted away, it's good to be back! One traditional English breakfast with a good measure of p***-taking later and we were setup for the morning's walkabout.

Before Gene started the proceedings he held a minute's silence in memory of John Croft as a mark of respect for a long-term forum and squad member that will be greatly missed.

On to the morning walkabout and once again we were far from disappointed, apart from the bus garage doors now being parking bay no.17 in Tesco's car park there was a full line-up of locations from On The Buses that were still instantly recognisable all these years later. Locations such as those in Peter Pickard's post above do not appear to have majorly altered, all it needed was Pat Coombes to be there with her straggly spiders.

A further treat was the AWP locations that Gene threw into the mix which bought the inevitable exclamations of "Whay-aye b***ocks mun!" and the dulcet tones of the Joe Fagin impressions.

On then to The Manor for lunch and what a superb location for film and TV fans - and a very welcome couple of pints! A good spell together over lunch gave us a good opportunity for a chinwag and catch up. How lucky we were to get the entire terrace for the squad.

Fed and watered it was on to the afternoon's locations. One location that stood out to me was the bungalow in Coombe Road, Bushey from AWP where Wayne is filmed walking into the drive after being dropped off from the Austin Princess taxi. Aside from a slight change to the garage fascia and the bungalow windows we could have been back in 1983, everything else looked identical.

Next break stop was the Grim's Dyke for a refresher and a well-timed shelter from a cloud-burst and the point where Gene could put his feet up and relax in having a job well done. More conversations followed before a few made their way back home while the remainder of us went on to The Battle Axes for an evening meal.

What a day! After so long it was a real treat for the squad to get back together again, welcome a new squad member Candy Girl into the fray, and pass the time as good friends while getting a guided tour around some brilliant locations - what could be better?

Thanks go to all squad members for making the day what it is, I know I didn't get to pass the time with everyone but with the rapport that we have throughout the group means that no-one is ever left out. Thanks to The Saint for being our wheel-man for the day and to Charlie Croker for the lift back to the car park.

As ever though, biggest thanks got to Gene for being the master draughtsman for the meet, for the arrangements but above all for being a true, dependable mate. Cheers Guv!  

Sam.

[Three Litre]

Sounds like a great time was had by all!

Post a group pic or two!

[Stan]

Time to reflect that exactly one week ago we were all enjoying an absolutely marvelous meet.

Everything about this event was top notch - from start to finish.

Thanks again to everyone that was there.

And especially to Gene for bringing us all together - nice one Guv'

[Villain]

It sounds like this was yet another cracking meet superbly organised by the Guvnor - glad you all enjoyed it, hopefully I'll get to the next one.

Looking forward to seeing some more smudges from those who went  .

Villain   

[Dirty Epic]

I wanted as a few have said to have a bit of time to reflect on this meet and not really much else I can say to describe it except it was a bloody brilliant one again as usual.

I’m not going to be literal in the we did this/that over the weekend, but we did tie up some old and new locations from the general Elstree, Borehamwood and surrounds areas and as some of us have said this area is so rich in film and television history it could feature on some future meets too.

After 21 months of (enforced) exile it was back with the boys again and made my way to South Mimms with Gene, Del Boy and John Steed and after getting things sorted out with the Premier Inn it was off to our first watering hole The White Hart for a much anticipated and enjoyed pint as everyone started coming together. It was a bit of anticipation for me as most of us hadn’t seen each other for that 21 month period and naturally it was good to catch up with everyone and hear how we’ve all coped during that period. In essence for me that is what these meet’s are all about the friendships and shared interests we have – and from what I could see these have remained very strong in the face of something which has thrown a curveball at all of us these last 18 months or so.

It was in the main a On the Buses, Likely Lads and Auf Pet affair, however as said if we were to re-visit this area again in future there’s so much more we can do including things like The Saint, The Pro’s and Randall and Hopkirk which I’m sure will interest and be appreciated by all of us. A big word of thanks has to go out here to Gene for arranging all this and making these meets as successful and enjoyable as they are. With everything that’s happened it would have been pretty easy for this to have taken a back seat but the dedication and enthusiasm you show to make sure the work and are something we can look back on with enjoyment and pride is something I value and appreciate and again we’ve had a bloody great weekend many thanks to the hard work you put in mate.

I suppose quite a poignant moment on the meet was our minute of silence for a fallen friend John Croft. I had many a good meet and beyond with John who was a good friend and we’ll miss you. RIP John I’m sure you’ll be with us in spirit mate.

As usual these meets/weekends pass so quickly and after a great couple of days location spotting and having a pint and a bite in some of that area’s pubs and hotels like The Manor, White Horse, Grims Dyke and Battle Axes around comes Sunday evening/Monday morning and having to say our goodbyes again… it surely won’t be 21 months until we do it all again will it?

Massive thanks again to Gene for keeping the faith and getting this off the ground in the face of many bumps in the road over the last year/18 months. I know how gutting it’s been having to pull the plug on meet’s was last year but we’ve come back together refreshed and raring to go. Thanks again mate and yes it ticked all the boxes for me this one pal.

Thanks too to my wheels men Gene, The Saint and Charlie Croker for ferrying me around over the weekend too much appreciated.

Most importantly thanks everyone for coming back together and showing much enthusiasm and pride for the meets – past, present and future and again that’s the most important thing about it all catching up and having a jar, a laugh with some good mates over the weekend and looking forward to doing it all over again.

Here’s to next time everyone and where or what we do in the coming months or so I’m sure it will be a success and Gene has all the bases covered for another brilliant weekend we can all come away from feeling we’ve thoroughly enjoyed and can’t wait to get back together again for the next one.

[Lord Emsworth]

Well done Gene - you're a marvel

Delighted to learn it was, unsurprisingly, a blast

[Carter]

Well ……what a way to start properly coming out of lockdown !!!!   To spend time with mates you’ve not seen for ages and talk all things retro …..it don’t get much better than that !!!!

Thanks to Guv Hunt's usual high standard of prep ..it all went tickety boo !!
Thanks Guv for remembering John in what you’ve said and the minutes silence !!   I was lucky enough to have spent time with him and he loved bants…..just as I do !!     

Cheers to all the team for friendship and camaraderie………it’s what makes these meets great !!!    

I could have stayed and talked boll**ks with the lads for days !!!!!  

Really appreciate the hard work that goes into these ……..roll on the nxt !!!! 

and Double Boll**ks from me !!!! 

[Deleted]

Jul 11, 2021 8:00:33 GMT Three Litre said:

Sounds like a great time was had by all!

Post a group pic or two!

Sorry for the delay! Here are some pics

[Cartman]

Great pics CG, glad you all had a good meet, I'm on the next one