The ON THE BUSES FAN CLUB Event was held
on SATURDAY 18th JUNE 2011
at FAIRWAY HALL
Elstree and Borehamwood
Thanks to all the fans who attended the
ON
THE BUSES fan-club event 2011.
If you have posted your photos on the web let me know and I will add a link
to this page.
email the links to busesfanclub@aol.com
Richard Gottfried Photos of Event
Andrew Longmans photos from the event CLICK HERE
Andrew's videos from the event
For images of our past events see the new photo album page
Our Buses for the event provided by Sullivan Buses
On the left Dean Sullivan owner of the bus company
On the right Craig Walker co -organiser
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Thanks to Craig Walker (below) Co-Organiser
of our events
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Specially Invited Guests who attended the event
Ronnie Chesney
creator/writer
ON THE BUSES
Ronnie Wolfe
creator/writer
ON THE BUSES Stuart Allen
producer/director
ON THE BUSES Harry Fielder
extra/actor
ON THE BUSES
Noah's Ark Play Group (Chartiy) given
donation of £66.40
With thanks to 'Aitch' 
Lucy Allen
Stunt Women/actress
see below
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THE KIDS OUTING
by Lucy Allen
How exciting to finally be IN my Dads show instead of just watching it. It was 3 years since I'd been lucky enough
to be in 'The Railway Children' directed by my Dads cousin Lionel Jeffries. That was at Ealing Studios
on a set. Now I was going to be filming outside in a famous 'On the Buses' bus - great! I was very excited. However, I didn't expect
to be so intimidated by the screaming hoard of stage school kids who were my fellow child extras for the day. I was on the
lower deck at the back of the bus, squashed in with a gaggle of girls. One was so boastful about all the things she had done
and people she knew (amazing for a 10 year old!) that she really got on my nerves. Suprising myself, I suddenly decided
to do some name dropping too, I mentioned that my father was the Director, well that took the wind out of her sail - albeit
briefly and then suddenly I was her new Best Friend!Blakey came in and that was our cue to go mad - how we screamed, jortled & sang lurid
songs, mocking the poor man. It was great fun to be rude to a grown up - and paid to do it too! My first day filming on location and I loved it.
Perhaps that's why I'm still doing it now - more than 30 years later - in my job as a Stunt Performer.
Special thanks must go to Harry Fielder 'Aitch'
for collecting money for
this worthwhile charity (see below)
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Some of the fans at the famous CEMETERY GATES 
As the historian for elstree studios it is always a pleasure and
great fun to welcome the on the buses fans to our town. I remember steve coming to me with the idea i think about 4 years
ago and it has been a great success every year. i was sad that steve was retiring as the organiser but it is good to hear
that craig and rob are going to keep the event on the road and there will be another visit next year.
such visits are
great for our aims to encourage film and tv tourism and for our local economy. I know ray senior and ray junior alone managed
to cause our local carvery inn to run out of beer on friday, saturday and sunday !! :) don't forget if you are on
facebook to join the elstree film studios official page.
It was good to meet some of you at the event and it's always
a bit sad to say goodbye to such nice people but until next year - ding dong ! Paul Wesh CBE seen below.
Photo by Caroline Walker
See Paul Welsh's artice about our event in the Borehamwood Times CLICK HERE ****
Stuart Allen explains why he stopped
Producing / Directing
ON THE BUSES after 39 episodes
People sometimes ask me why I stopped producing and directing” On the Buses “after 39 episodes.
My reasons seem rather topical at the moment so I thought you would like to give the fans the full story . At the end of the
1960’s London Weekends finances were getting into a perilous state. Despite the success of “On the Buses”
which generated a great deal of advertising revenue, other programmes had not proved to be as popular, and audiences
were deserting the channel. The result was a fall in its share value and Mr Rupert Murdock purchased a controlling interest.
Mr Murdock arrived and set about imposing his will on the staff. All the producers and directors were summoned to be interviewed
by him . When my turn came I presented myself to his office at the appointed time. I sat down on a chair in front of his large
desk and just as my interview was about to begin the telephone rang. Mr Murdock picked up the phone and started a conversation
with a chap called Bruce who I gathered was the Editor of a new newspaper he had just opened in Australia. First Mr
Murdock congratulated Bruce on the edition but then said he had a few points to make. He then ,starting with the front
page began his criticism, tearing the edition to shreds, while I sat there waiting for him to finish. The phone call
went on for nearly half an hour. I began the feel rather angry as he didn’t once apologise from for his discourtesy
for keeping me waiting. Eventually he put the phone turned to me and said in his broad Australian accent “I like that
show yr doing On the Buses can you do 52 a year of those ?” I was flabbergasted and said “ Mr Murdock it
may not look like on the screen but a great deal of work and preparation goes into making one of these shows and I certainly
cannot do one a week !” His reply was “I’ll take advice about that” and I was dismissed I got
up and walked to the door where I turned and looking him straight in the eye said “ Mr Murdock for the half an
hour I have listening to you on the telephone to your editor in Melbourne Australia you obviously know a great deal about
newspapers, but you have got a lot to learn about making successful television” and then I walked out slamming
his door. Later in the day I told my friend the writer Vince Powell of my unhappiness, he in his turned must have mentioned
it to Philip Jones, the controller of Comedy at Thames Television, who rang me and offered me a contract and I left
LWT and went to Thames TV where I produced and directed another chart topping rating show “Love Thy Neighbour”.
Mr Murdock’s reign at LWT was short lived .His presence rang alarm bells at the ITA , who expressed concern that a foreign
national and the owner of British newspapers could own a television station. Mr Murdock was given an ultimatum he had to sell
up or LWT would have its licence revoked The ITA won and Mr Murdock left in 1971
Stuart Allen
Below is Andrew Longman's ON
THE BUSES collection
which made a for a great display on the day
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