Meet 015 - Oct 15th 2023 NE Gone But Not Forgotten Report

[Gene Hunt]

Post your stories about this Meet here.

[Steve Austin]

The Meet is Dead.  Long live the Meet.  It's gone, but not forgotten.  As I headed south this morning, my mind went over the preceeding 48 hours, I tried to rank it with the others I've attended but found it impossible as this was such a new and fantastic concept.  Just try explaining to someone what you did at the weekend - "Oh, I stood in a Vauxhall lot", see what I mean?

I left early on Saturday morning and headed North and was very swiftly parking up before heading out for breakfast.  I bumped into Carter and we then met up with Gene, Del, DE & Mr Steed for the first of a few scoops that were quaffed over the weekend.  In the evening we headed to Jesmond to the Black Horse as featured in "The Likely Lads" Christmas Special from 1974.  Unfortunately we were not able to get in due to a bereavement but the building itself remains largely unchanged although the surrounding area has and the car park as was is now an all girls school, just as well is wasn't when Bob & Terry frequented it.  Personally, I was very pleased to have been able to visit this site as I am a huge fan of this series and love any location associated with it.

After a bite to eat (which we had to fight for, not easy to get 15 hairy arsed lads a table at short notice) it was back to the digs in anticipation of the day proper.

Sunday dawned like they usually do on a meet day, to glorious sunshine.  After breakfast, we jumped into the cars and were off into the crisp North East air.  The first location was the bookies where Jack finds and knifes Albert, only it wasn't.  It was a car park on an industrial estate behind a bus stop.  With all the evidence at hand, Gene showed us screen shots showing reflections in windows and a quick 180 we saw the building which proved we were in the exact location, top work Gene.  This was a continuous theme throughout the day.  The addition of an ipad with overlaid period maps showed precisely the locations and we were always stood within a foot or two of where it was claimed we were.  Uncanny really.  This early sequence of locations showed where Jack left the Sunbeam at the north side of the Tyne, called into the cafe looking for Albert and the bookies.  Unusually, the locations were in sequence too.

Not far from here was the post office Jack mailed the obscene film (now a Greggs).

The morning continued to the aforementioned Vauxhall dealership which was the site of Jack's brother's house and where the hearse collected his coffin.  The ipad with the overlaid maps left no doubt that this was indeed the spot and not the location as described on other lesser web sites.  Further up the hill (now terraced and not as steep in the 70's) was the site of the Fat Ox from "The Likely Lads" film, another hallowed site for me and it felt so good to virtually stand in the lads' footsteps.  

Not far from here was the site where Jack visits Keith, now badly beaten up.  Like many if not all of the previous locations however, we didn't.  We stood on a small piece of waste ground where a street and row of houses used to be.  Replaced with inferior quality dwellings in my humble opinion.

From here, it was off to Whitley Bay and to a location that was (thankfully) more or less as it was in the 70s - The Beehive as used in "The Likely Lads" film.  We had been here on a previous meet but the joy was undiminished on revisiting.  A drink or two and a nosebag was welcome for all.

The driving part of the tour complete, it was back to Newcastle to continue on foot.  A few miles walking off the beer included the scrap yard where Frank's car was, the flats where Glenda lived and was told to get into the boot of the Sunbeam, the steep street where Bob & Terry's pregnant mums were in the title sequence of the film and the final vista was the opening scene of the film showing the Tyne and the power station in the background, the same one shown in the scene from where Frank's coffin was taken out.

What an end to another great meet but this one was one with a twist.  This was one for the film buffs and to celebrate the detective skills of one DCI Hunt.  For me, and I know for most of you, it's not just to see the location (anyone can do that) but to be there, to get a sense of what was (how else do you explain standing up an overgrown embankment) and this would not be possible without the time, effort, patience, dedication and skill of Gene.  I make no apologies if this sounds sycophantic, I have tried to find locations and it is f@cking hard, really hard so hats of to you Gene.  There are people who would just keep this information to themselves, thanks for sharing with us, it is very much appreciated and I hope you continue.

Sunday evening ended with a few drinks (standard) and after some fond farewells, it was over.  

Thanks Gene as ever for engineering these meets, making them interesting and sharing your process on how you're able to find these places, top, top work  Thanks to our wheelman Peter Picard for his impeccable driving skills despite the backseat drivers    It was truly great to spend the weekend with you all, thanks to Del & DE for your company as we wound our ways through the past 50 or so years and thanks to all the squad for taking the time to chat and spend quality time with; Sam Tyler, The Saint, Carter, Vienna, Brown Granada, Carter, Windy Miller, DC Burtonshaw, Mickyosan and Tractor Boy Albert Riddle, special shout out to Mr Steed for getting The Beatles on the playlist in the Crown Posada, gear!  

I hope you all got home safe and sound and if you got half as much satisfaction as I did, I know you had a fantastic weekend.  Hope to see you all again soon 

[Del Boy]

Saturday
The 15th instalment has been and gone but this one certainly won't be forgotten! I dumped my motor at Gene's gaff this time and along with Dirty Epic and John Steed we headed up to the Toon a shade before 8am. 
I was pleased to see the weather men got the forecast spot on this time! The further north we headed the clearer the skies became and accompanied by a lovely dose of current bun, this was a most welcoming start to the meet weekender. We dropped Gene's squad car off at the section house and was schlepping along the Quayside in Newcastle by noon. A tasty pint of Guinness and some Jockeys Whips hit ground zero just as Sam Tyler, Saint, Steve Austin and Carter arrived to beef up the squad numbers. The pints and chat flowed all to easy throughout the afternoon as the squad increased to 14. A swift half or two in one of The Squads favourite boozers "The Crown Posada"(thankfully reopened since last time) was enjoyed before check in and a night out ensued.

Gene lined up the first location of the weekend in Jesmond, The Black Horse as seen in "The Likely Lads" Christmas Special. It looks a lovely pub still and it was a shame the it was closed. Every cloud though as its a perfect excuse to revisit in the future. 
Hard Rock Café managed to fit us in for some grub after which certain squad members exhausted The Bridge taverns stocks of single malt     Some things never change.

Sunday
We hopped into the motors and headed out to some cracking locations from Get Carter. After a short drive over to the south side we landed at the first location. This was the bookies where Jack catches Albert trying to escape, only it wasn't. Gene explained how we were on the spot where Caine was on the grab and proved it by pointing out the drain cover and more impressively got us to turn around and see the building in the reflection of the bookies shop window. Gene was fully armed with grabs and maps to help explain proceedings. A walk down the road to the south side of the Tyne and we were directly opposite the location where Jack left the White Sunbeam over on the north side. You could see the ramp and we were standing at what you can see in the back of the shot. 
A short drive away was the post office where Jack mailed the obscene film to the vice squad. Fortunately now a Greggs so a welcome chance to grab a coffee.



The next sequence of locations really showed off Gene's detective skills as there was far less to go on. He found the site of Jack's brother's house and where the hearse collected his coffin. On the same estate was the Fat Ox from "The Likely Lads" film. The one that featured Bob taking the dart board away. This area was a huge site on a big slope that had been cleared and historical maps and the remaining buildings were used to get these pinned down  Dare I say it the modern buildings that replaced what was there before left you wondering why they totalled several streets. 
The same can be said of the next location a half mile away or so. This one was Keith's digs where he lays injured after getting a kicking and Jack says the line "Get yourself a course in Karate". 

Back to the motors for a trip out to Whitley Bay and a favourite pub of mine, The Beehive. This was another location from The Likely Lads film, and the location for a nice lunch in the sun and yes you guessed it another couple of pints of Guinness   
The second half started by dropping the motors off at the digs and we continued on foot over to the south side to take in the scrap yard where Frank's car was, the flats where Glenda lived and another bonus likely lads location as seen in the opening credits of the film. The climb up to see Glenda's flat rewarded us with fantastic views over the Tyne looking at the city. The finishing Likely Lads location also showed the Tyne looking West towards the old power station. With this seen it was a wrap.

I'm glad Gene went to the effort of sourcing these great locations and then documenting how he found them for us. It was great to see what has become of these areas in this most iconic of 70s British films. Also must say, nice to see true blue Albert Riddle after many years. Good to see you back in the ranks Albie

My thanks go to :
Top wheel man Peter Picard 
Dirty epic and Steve Austin for in car banter and also drinks at the beehive. Cheers lads. 

Saint for getting some chips in, cheers pal. 
And finally thanks to Gene for driving me up to the Toon and drawing up a very enjoyable, interesting meet. 

See you on 016,  Bonjour 

[John Steed]

What a fantastic weekend!
Myself, Del Boy and Dirty Epic set off early on Saturday morning with Gene Hunt piloting the squad car. After a breakfast stop on the way we arrived in the Toon about midday and dumped the car and headed straight for the Quayside for some liquid refreshment. We were joined by several other squad members and headed for The Crown posada and the afternoon flew by!
After checking in at the hotel and a short rest break we headed out for the evening. A meal at The Hard Rock Cafe and a couple of drinks at The Bridge made for a top evening!

Sunday morning was an early start for breakfast before jumping in the motors to check out the locations. Gene's detective work was absolutely unbelievable and he is without doubt "The Best In The Business" He explained each location in detail and showed us documented evidence to show exactly how he confirmed these locations as some are totally unrecognisable now. It was great to see the then pictures at the now locations!
Our lunch break was a most welcome return to The Beehive and the Sunday Roast was one of the very best that I have EVER had!
A very enjoyable afternoon tour on foot saw more of Gene's detective work unveiled and the locations certainly did not disappoint.
After a short rest at the hotel the squad headed out for some food and a couple or three beers (or possibly more) to round off yet another fantastic meet.

Massive thanks to Gene Hunt for all of the hard work and planning in putting the meet together; it really is very much appreciated
Thanks also Gene for driving myself, Del Boy, and Dirty Epic to and from Newcastle.
Thanks also to D.C. Burtonshaw for driving myself and Brown Granada around on Sunday and thank you both for the banter/chat in the car.

Finally, thanks to everyone who attended and collectively made it the unbelievably fabulous weekend that it was.
Cheers Guys 


Steed

[D.C. Burtonshaw]

Right then! Well where do I start and say what's not been said already??! The Guv has once again done us proud with another fabulous 4:3TV forum meet which as ever I've enjoyed immensely!

After the sorting out about picking up the Puma hire car the Saturday morning, I set off finally and arrived at the Quayside by 3:50 PM with a fuss free journey. I managed to make it into the Crown Posada for a swift cider just as a few early birds from the group were making their way back to the hotel but it was OK as a few were staying a bit longer so I had some good company! Soon after if was time to go back to the digs for a wash and brush up and we hit the local town. As a starter, The Guv had a surprise location for us which turned out to be the Black Horse pub in Jesmond where Bob and Terry in the Christmas Special of Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads had a drink or two in! We had hoped to drop in for a pint but sadly it was closed for personal reasons, for the staff. However I do hope it soon reopens again. We made our way to the main town again with a few drinks and a bit of grub at the Hard Rock Cafe and a jolly old night and a bit of catching up was made as per usual! Always good!

Then Sunday morning arrived; As soon as my watch read a bit past 7, it was time to get ready for morning parade at the reception and on to the "mess hall" for breakfast.

Then off we set off for the first location; The betting shop where Jack needs to er.... see Albie, except it isn't there now....... Amazing to think that we were standing on a grassy bank in front of some business units and their car park, where there was once a filming location, but as we were to discover, this was the theme for the main meet! This included the actual spot where Albie met his end. Amazing to think how different the area looks now but we knew it was the right one as thanks to Gene's painstaking research the building across the street at the time is still there as it's reflected in the betting shops windows seen in the film......

We then popped over to where the small cafe was where Jack was looking for Albie, totally different again now but I believe a listed old church in the background still confirms where that was filmed. We then took a walk over to where Jack parked Glenda's Sunbeam Alpine at the Tyne and before clashing with Eric, Con and Peter on the boat. 

Then it was time to drive over to The Post Office where Jack mails the Porn film to the Met Vice Squad then makes a telephone call. Place is now a Greggs takeaway shop so that worked out well for a quick snack and a Coffee mid morning. At least the buildings structure is still there but with an extension.

After that it was on to the area where Jack's brothers house was, where the hearse collects his coffin. So where was this I hear you say? Only on a completely redeveloped piece of land where a Vauxhall car dealer stands!! The dealer staff must have wondered if they hit the jack pot that weekend but of course we weren't there for buying motors! What was incredible here was the unbelievable redevelopment that had taken place going by Gene's information; He was able to show us via tablet with scans of the black and white vintage aerial views and obtaining old historic maps where rows upon rows of the old local workers terraced houses were, and where this was filmed; Very little left to prove that it was the original location but Gene had it confirmed!

Then it was time to go to the "funeral" that Terry Collier told his boss at Extralite he needed the time off for; a part of him had died...  I could see what Terry meant in a way with the demolition of the streets he and Bob once pounded as boys; So just enough time to drink the last keg before the old Fat Ox is flattened for good. Well back to 2023, the real building was an old house and never a pub at the time but nevertheless we were standing in the area where those sequences where filmed and again you wouldn't think it was the same place, with a totally different housing estate circa 1980 built there now. Thankfully nobody fell into an empty hole like Bob!

Meanwhile, back to following Jack's quest for the truth; After he made off from Con and Peter trying to bring him back to London, we were at the location where Jack parked the Cortina to remove a sheet it had picked up off the bonnet, and then went to see Keith who was in a right state. The house he lived in was once again no longer there and I can't help thinking that the original row of houses seemed much more solidly built and surely could have been updated for modern usage.

Eventually it was time for lunch and a pleasant drive to The Bee Hive Inn at Whitley Bay for a break and a decent bit of lunch and some lubrication! A nice beef sarnie with chips went down well and the weather had perked up for the time of the year with myself not even needing a coat for a little while. A nice picturesque area out in the sticks and featured in The Likely Lads film.

With the driving done and back to dropping off the cars at our respective car parks, it was time for the afternoon leg of the tour and a chance to burn off the lunchtime gained energy;

After a bit of a walk over the river, we arrived at the spot where the original scrapyard was, where Jack's brothers old Austin A55 Cambridge car was languishing; We even got the angle right for the bridge in the background, some of the skyline is still recognisable but much has changed as the scrapyard has now gone of course. Then with a bit more hiking we arrived at another location which I often wondered what it was like now; The block of flats where Glenda lived and she and Jack escaped to after the car park scenes, and then Jack sees the dodgy film and that soon changes his mindset..........

The entire block we see in the background is gone completely; Strange as it seemed very modern at the time and hadn't been built long apparently. We were in the right place though as the other block to the left of the viewers screen is still there albeit reclad. Also we stood in the exact spot where the Alpine was parked as Jack stuck Glenda in the boot. Now all overgrown with foliage.

Next it was the street where the opening titles of The Likely Lads film, set during WW2 and filmed in black and white were and Bob and Terry's mums met; Totally different again! With an unrecgonisable housing estate built about the 1980's there now!

Last but not least it was a final almost panoramic view of the city from a grass bank we stood at, which was the first frame you see in The aforementioned WHTTLL film;

And it was over.... The day just flew by which I think was due to the great time we had. And the interary ran smoothly too which helped no end!

So thank you to each and every one of the forum members who attended, to make such a meet so interesting and great fun;

There was a rest at the hotel next after I nursed my footsores (ruddy boots but sturdy though!) then it was for a cracking meal at Wagamamas before 2 more watering holes where we could get together for more natters and banter and drinkies!

Firstly it goes without saying, that a huge amount of thanks go to Gene for all the organisation, interary planning, the route and of course the location finding and research that is carried out for our privileged group; much appreciated mate and you do us proud as always! And for printing the souvenir booklet I was pleased to receive on the morning of the departure after a final great breakfast at a local old school retro cafe and the final goodbyes to the Guv and a few members (and a few final goodbyes to other members the previous evening)! My bed at home was most welcome after the long drive back.

I also would like to thank Steed and Brown Granada for your company and chat in the car, (and thanks for the drinks over the weekend BG and Peter Picard) and to all the other drivers for the chauffering too, and for all the other members not yet mentioned before namely: Sam Tyler, The Saint, Carter, Vienna, Windy Miller, Mickyosan, Dirty Epic, Delboy, Peter Picard, Steve Austin and of course, it was great to see again Albert Riddle after many years who joined us on the day. (I think I've got everyone!) Thanks for making the journey up on and contributing to another one of these enjoyable and interesting breaks away!

See you all again soon and roll on next Spring!

[Windy Miller]

A huge thanks to DCI Gene Hunt for organising another fantastic 4:3tv Meet. Gene’s amazing detective work in tracking down locations where not a shred of evidence still exists today was quite astounding, and must have involved many hours comparing and scaling old maps and old photos with screen shots and background landmarks. Your hard work is very much appreciated.

The weekend started for me in Crewe where I met Vienna for breakfast. Charles Bronson was also meant to be joining us, but unfortunately due to illness, he had to give the weekend a miss. So Vienna and I travelled to Newcastle by car and met up with the squad in The Quayside, then moved to the beautiful, Grade II listed Crown Posada, with its real ales and turntable record player basting out “A Hard Days Night” - truly a howff to savour.

An evening-time walk to The Black Horse ended in disappointment as the pub had had to close that day unexpectedly, so a walk back into town for dinner in the Hard Rock Cafe, and then a couple of night caps in The Bridge Hotel ended the Saturday shenanigans.

Sunday started with a nice breakfast in a cafe a few metres up from the hotel, then it was into the cars for Gene’s tour of long lost Get Carter and Likely Lads locations. We stopped for lunch at the outstandingly fabulous Bee Hive Inn where a delicious roast beef Sunday Lunch was enjoyed. Then back to Newcastle for a walking tour round Gateshead where Gene again showed off his incredible detective skills in uncovering more desecrated locations.

After a quick rest at the hotel, it was back out for more food, then more beers, and then even more beers and music to round off another brilliant weekend.

Thanks again to Gene for organising a superb Meet. I really feel privileged to be part of this whole experience.
Thanks also to Vienna for the brilliant navigation work - getting us to where we needed to be without delays
And thanks to everyone on the squad for making the weekend fly by with much humour, banter, silly anecdotes, jokes and general repartee / bonhomie

🙏  🙏  🙏

[Vienna]

Gone, but certainly not forgotten! I won't forget this great weekend we all had in the Toon, organised by the location finding legend that is Gene Hunt. It was slightly different from the norm, but this magical mystery tour was just as enjoyable as all the other meets I have been fortunate to be a part of. 

On the Saturday morning I made the short journey to Crewe by train and met up with wheels man Windy Miller. He very kindly offered me a lift as he was planning to drive to the meet. We arrived in the north-east in good time and in improving weather. It wasn't too long before we met up with the rest of the squad for a few bevvies and a bit of banter in The Quayside, Newcastle. We also visited the rather cramped but very nice Crown Posada. We then checked into the hotel and in the evening visited a location from the Likely Lads (The Black Horse pub) before a meal and a couple more jars. 

The morning of the main event on Sunday was sunny but rather chilly. After brekkie at a nearby café with Windy and Mr John Steed, everybody met up outside the hotel and we soon headed into the motors to depart for the first of several surprise locations from Get Carter and The Likely Lads film: the scene where Jack finds and stabs Albert to death from GC. It would have been virtually impossible for the rest of us to find this, but Gene is so experienced at this and is able to track down anything - no matter how few clues are left to go on! Nearby, we viewed the location across the river where Jack leaves the Sunbeam, although the place itself is unfortunately not accessible. We also saw where the bookies was and the post office where Jack sends the film package to the Scotland Yard vice squad. Later during the morning we arrived at a car dealership, where the funeral scene at Jack's brother's house on the hillside took place. Just up the bank from here was the site of The Fat Ox. (Likely Lads) Gene showed us the 'proper locations' through map overlays on his iPad and how the area has changed so much in this part of Tyneside since the 1970s.

After a nice lunch break at The Beehive in Whitley Bay (from the Likely Lads) we headed back towards Newcastle and a walking tour of locations across the Tyne in Gateshead. These included the scrap yard and where Glenda's flat once stood from Get Carter, and the opening scenes from The Likely Lads film. It was soon back to the hotel and then out for a boozier night in Newcastle than the previous evening!   

I would especially like to thank Windy for driving me to and from the meet, and for driving me around the morning locations. I did my bit thanks to the delM8 sat-nav app! Thanks also to every member who attended the weekend meet and made it such a great get-together. Of course, special thanks is always reserved for Gene. His amazing dedication and research that he puts into finding these locations, along with organising the meets is simply superb! 

Hopefully another fab one on the way in 2024! 

Cheers

Vi

[Mickyosan]

Time always flies and the meet was nearly a week ago already.

The ability for all of us to now take copious amounts of quality photos provides the ability to reflect at leisure on all the details, sometimes seeing additional items we’d missed on the day.

Tremendous thanks as always to Gene for the meticulous planning, draughtsmanship and background commentary for all the locations when we were on the plot, including some Likely Lads locations thrown in for good measure.  The research, knowledge and effort that he puts in really is second to none and always appreciated.

Some of the places we visited were particularly obscure and brought to life through the use of stills and time-slider digital mapping on Gene’s iPad.

Tractor Boy Albert Riddle was great company, including talk on Tyneside, east and south London and Suffolk. We worked out we’d probably crossed paths on some of the former Sweeney meets in the 2010s.

On account of my unintended Sunday morning layover, I maximised my seventies exposure right through to Monday afternoon, by walking up the long stairs to the High Level Bridge and then heading out on the Metro to unearth the Greggs former post office at Pelaw.

Then it was back to the station and onto Hebburn for encounters with the sites of the Ken Hailes Turf Accountants, followed by the Ellison Street cafe about five minutes away where the large church still stands as an unmistakable locational marker. And finally the view of the Tyne to see the location of the former Wallsend - Hebburn ferry.

In spite of Get Carter being shot an incredible fifty-three years ago, it was another great weekend with great company in a great city where we all temporarily transported ourselves back to that time and place.

[Del Boy]

Good to see you had the time to pop along to the first pair of locations Mick 
 The betting shop with the hall in the background was an inspired bit of detective work. 

[The Saint]

Another welcome visit to Newcastle for the squad, most of the the usual faces plus a blast from from the past with Albert Riddle joining us on the Sunday.

Great to meet up with most of the squad on Saturday afternoon for a relaxing catch up at the Weatherspoon on the Tyne followed by drinks at the Crown Posada, then a meal at the Hard Rock Cafe.

The main event arrived on Sunday morning and on to the location tour, as ever expertly planned by Gene, his detective skills excelled once again - especially as the locations were now unrecognisable 50 odd years later! I think my favourite location of the morning was the betting shop location from Get Carter.

The lunchtime break at The Beehive was very welcome.

The afternoon walking tour was very interesting, my favourite being the Get Carter scrap yard location by the bridge.

Thanks Gene for another superb weekend, your expert research and planning brings it all together like clockwork 

Thanks also go to Carter for being our driver on the Sunday and to Sam for your great company travelling to and from Newcastle.

And thanks to everyone else for making the weekend one to remember!

Looking forward to the next 4:3tv meet…

The Saint