Take a holiday to North Wales and a trip down to nostalgia as the On the Buses Database treats you to a look at where Holiday on the Buses was filmed in 1973.
I live in the area of North Wales where Holiday on the Buses was filmed. It's still thought of fondly. Nice to see it still loved by any number of viewers all these years later.
Hi there, I grew up watching the "On the buses" films and I have to commend you on the amount of hard work that has gone into the making of this series. I thoroughly enjoyed every episode, amazing to see the changes overtime - excellent work, well done.
This camp was only 2 years old at time of filming, opening in 1971 , on the site of a racecourse, hence the oval rd inside the camp was the actual racecourse. Things looked so much better in 73.
The 70s pictures really show a bygone era. Great video by the way. I was never a great fan of the series (a bit before my time) but I did watch the repeats now and again growing up in the 80s.
Fantastic, nostalgic and how we were.Nearly 50 yrs ago.It wouldn't air now people.Sad world.Get your boys making airfix and girls doing girly stuff.Love from N.Wales.
@@martinfreekie7659/videos According the the Urban Dictionary: Gam Gam "An older employee In your workplace. This individual tends to have a network of “side bitches”, short temper and gender dysphoria. Possess vast knowledge; however becomes easily confused due to early stages of dementia."
Another great video. We went there in 1971 and I was pushed off the helter skelter slide and was knocked out and taken to the first aid room. Good job Jack wasn't in there with the nurse, or I wouldn't have got treated lol.
Most interested to see this then and now comparison, having stayed at Pontins Prestatin a few years ago. I think its amazing how little it has changed in 50 years! Thanks for your hard work, and yes I love the film.
I love the On the Buses trilogy. My parents had a static caravan on Lyons Holiday Park in the 70's and then bought a static caravan on Robin Hood camp in the 80's. Not far from the Pontin's in the film. I have carried on this holiday tradition with my family and holiday every year in Rhyl / Towyn. Happy days :)
I lived in Prestatyn from 1964 till 1973 and I worked as a barman at the holiday camp during its first season open - the summer of 1971. Most days you'd have seen me behind that wrap-around bar. (Some very dubious recycling used to take place there I don't mind revealing, such as selling beer from the spills trays, pouring leftover beer into the mild barrels and leftover spirits into the Pimms bottles! All at the insistence of the management!) The resident comedian on the adjacent stage was Frank Carson ("It's the way I tell 'em"), I knew his routine as well as he did by the time I left. Finished my shift at midnight, when my wee brother started his as an overnight cleaner! I was also very familiar with the locations at Rhuddlan and on the St Asaph Road, as I used to go to St Asaph Grammar School from 1964 till 1969 & travel there by bus every school day! FYI, Rhuddlan is correctly pronounced "rith-lan" (th as in the) although commonly mispronounced "rud-lan" as in this video., while St Asaph is pronounced "azz-uff", not "ay-suff". Interestingly, each time the bus and bike are pictured travelling over Station Rd, Rhuddlan or on St Asaph Road, they are actually going in the wrong direction, away from Prestatyn and the camp at the start and then towards it at the end!
That was absolutely fantastic, thank you. I live in Flint, not far from those locations, and have travelled through/past them a thousand times. I also fly my small plane from a hangar very close to the holiday camp and often head straight for the camp (about 2 mins from take off), swooping down over the sea and past the camp, always remembering the film, fondly. Thank you again, Mike
Absolutely incredible how you find all these locations. This was probably my favourite of the three movies. I watched all 3 in a row and I liked each one a little bit more as they went along
Always been fan of H O B but definitely would like to go on Holliday to the park to see places first hand, enjoyed binge watching ur vids tonight, great job
Cheers that shot of bus going along the country road had bugged me for years. Plus you fill me in on some of the other locations . As I made a locations video a few years ago.
I grew up in Prestatyn and still live here.... I remember being able to go to the camp to watch the filming.... these were some of the biggest stars of television comedy of the age, it was all very exciting. The early 70s was the peak of tourism in North Wales and Prestatyn was always part of many comedy programs including The cuckoo waltz (the deck chair had P.U.D.C. on it - Prestatyn Urban District Council) and various sketches in Not the Nine O'clock News.
@@OntheBusesDatabase1 Indeed. I now live in Pennsylvania but still watch the old shows, I used to watch the reruns with my kids, in fact our miniature poodle is called Olive.
Fantastic stuff. Great work. I'd seen that the pool tiles were still the same on a Facebook group, but I didn't realise just how much still remained. It's also rather amazing that an old holiday camp still exists nowadays. Amazing with that house they used.
EXCELLENT. I subscribed. I LOVE this.....The time and effort you have taken to present this is truly appreciated. So much research has gone into this. Your videos take me right back to the 70s.
Things I mostly remember about On the buses Arthur: "You stupid great lump" Olive: "Oh Arrrfurrr" Blakey: I 'ate you Butler! Also, I seem to remember a broken toilet and warming up Fish & Chips by placing them under the bonnet of the bus close to the engine . . . Long time since I saw them though the old memory is fading !
I really like to see "then and now" pictures and videos so this is perfect. Thank you for putting it together. My mother was born in Colwyn Bay and I am proud to have Welsh blood. On The Buses remains a real favourite comedy of mine. I have them all on DVD. Great times.
thank you for this video.i live not far from prestatyn and its great to see pics of then and now.i went to pontins prestatyn in 2003 and swore that the tiles in the swimming pool were the same ones as in the film in 1973. an old workmate told me that he was present when they filmed the scene of the bus underwater on the beach ..he said that it was just the roof of a bus they used and it was only in a few foot of water and not a full bus in about 12 foot of water as i and probably many others believed
That scene the bus was real when we see it beached then they cut and drove the bus off the beach. Thereafter they used in the first shot of water lapping around the wheels was a plywood mock- up and the second shot with the bus almost submerged was no more than a matte painting on glass - a special effect used by Les Bowie who'd go on to win an oscar for effects in the first Superman film a few years later. The plywood mock-up toppled over and sailed out to sea and coastguards needed informed to let them know it could be in shipping lanes but should not be mistaken for a sunken ship. The plywood mock-up was washed back onto the coast near the holiday camp a few weeks later after the film crew had left. The studios weere contacted but had no interest in picking up the prop so it would be destroyed after a short spell in storage at Pontins Prestatyn Sands hokiday camp.
Still watch on the buses today, I remember it fondly as a kid, still the best comedy series and films ever made in my opinion, better than the absolute rubbish they put on today.
I never realised that it was filmed in and around Prestatyn. I've been there a few times as I lived on the Wirral. The bus has a Chester registration (FM) so could have been on loan from Crosville, a bus company based in Chester with a depot in New Ferry, Wirral. Thanks for the interesting video. Cheers!
This is an excellent video, thank you! I spent my youth in the 90's in Prestatyn and Rhyl. I love the place and it was great seeing what it was like in the 70's, and today.
@@mastercook62 Monday would see the cast receive a new script. Tuesday and Wednesday would see any location shooting being down. Thursday would be script run through and rehearsals and Friday would be filming the studio scenes. As for pay Reg would have earned around £150 an episode so for a 15 episode series that would be over £2000 which was good money in those days. Reg was the star of the show and highest earner. The test of the cast would have been less per episode.
@@OntheBusesDatabase1 Some great information, many thanks for your effort! I often wondered if all the cast got along ok or if there was one or two that could have been awkward?
@@mastercook62 they all got on just fine and friendships were formed for life. Reg wanted Doris for the part as mum and they were close. Anna and Michael formed a bond. Stephen had known Bob since late 1950s since their Joan Littlewood Workshop days and would be Bob's best man at his his wedding to Kim Benwell. And Bob remained in touch with Reg where they kept in touch over the phone for many years after On the Buses ended.
I lived across the road on Marine Rd East when it was being filmed and my mum and sister worked there at that time. I used to go after school and watch the filming in particular the scene where Butler was the entrance hut with a broken leg. I am in one of the scenes. Just a point of interest, in the Rhyl high street picture with the building society, the restaurant in front used to be the Odeon cinema.
Great video. My father spotted when I was much younger that they filmed over the Rhuddlan bridge the wrong way. Going to the camp, they actually were travelling away from Prestatyn and when leaving the camp they’re heading towards. Useless bit of info there.
Great video Interesting to see now and then- I used to go swimming there as it was open to locals in the winter-the rear entrance to the main road through the camp went onto Bastion Gdns where I lived in the 70s but the rear gates across the road were kept locked; Later I moved to Rhuddlan-station road now has a roundabout sitting on top of where the station once was although even when I was there the railway was long closed along with the railway that used to run over the railway bridge you showed.
Thank you so much. I really appreciate all the work you put in to this. I have watched on the buses since it first started in the 70s. I am going to share this to my son Simon he loves "On The Buses" he will be chuffed to bits.
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Thanks I was working in Rhuddlan at the time, and stood at the bridge watching the suitcase in the river scene being filmed, nice memories.
Great memories.
I live in the area of North Wales where Holiday on the Buses was filmed. It's still thought of fondly. Nice to see it still loved by any number of viewers all these years later.
And me.stil go over the bridge in rhuddlan.
@@k8vnl Me too, Kevin! - And I sometimes peer into the water, to see if I can spot any suitcases! Mike
It's gone now
Great video.Everything looked so much better back then.They destroy so much stuff.Making canteens into storage rooms and taking away the boating lake.
Very good at finding exactly where they filmed !! Love everything "On the busses" Well done !
Hi there, I grew up watching the "On the buses" films and I have to commend you on the amount of hard work that has gone into the making of this series. I thoroughly enjoyed every episode, amazing to see the changes overtime - excellent work, well done.
One of my favourites it will still be shown in another 20 years brings a bit of laughter to people
Absolutely loved that film ! Well all the on the buses film's and series. Was only a very young child at the time but to this day still watch them !.❤
This camp was only 2 years old at time of filming, opening in 1971 , on the site of a racecourse, hence the oval rd inside the camp was the actual racecourse. Things looked so much better in 73.
The 70s pictures really show a bygone era. Great video by the way. I was never a great fan of the series (a bit before my time) but I did watch the repeats now and again growing up in the 80s.
That was brilliant Craig so brilliant I had to watch it again
Fantastic, nostalgic and how we were.Nearly 50 yrs ago.It wouldn't air now people.Sad world.Get your boys making airfix and girls doing girly stuff.Love from N.Wales.
It was aired on itv3 about 6 months ago. Several times. I recorded one of the showings and watched it for the first time.
It has aired recently? You sound a bit gam gam
What on earth is that supposed to mean?.
@@martinfreekie7659/videos According the the Urban Dictionary: Gam Gam
"An older employee In your workplace. This individual tends to have a network of “side bitches”, short temper and gender dysphoria. Possess vast knowledge; however becomes easily confused due to early stages of dementia."
Another great video. We went there in 1971 and I was pushed off the helter skelter slide and was knocked out and taken to the first aid room. Good job Jack wasn't in there with the nurse, or I wouldn't have got treated lol.
i love watching the films they made.
Most interested to see this then and now comparison, having stayed at Pontins Prestatin a few years ago. I think its amazing how little it has changed in 50 years! Thanks for your hard work, and yes I love the film.
I love the On the Buses trilogy. My parents had a static caravan on Lyons Holiday Park in the 70's and then bought a static caravan on Robin Hood camp in the 80's. Not far from the Pontin's in the film. I have carried on this holiday tradition with my family and holiday every year in Rhyl / Towyn. Happy days :)
Highly recommended. I really enjoyed my weekend with Craig and the surviving cast!
Why did TH-cam suggest this?? I watched it all through. Brilliant 😂
I lived in Prestatyn from 1964 till 1973 and I worked as a barman at the holiday camp during its first season open - the summer of 1971. Most days you'd have seen me behind that wrap-around bar. (Some very dubious recycling used to take place there I don't mind revealing, such as selling beer from the spills trays, pouring leftover beer into the mild barrels and leftover spirits into the Pimms bottles! All at the insistence of the management!)
The resident comedian on the adjacent stage was Frank Carson ("It's the way I tell 'em"), I knew his routine as well as he did by the time I left. Finished my shift at midnight, when my wee brother started his as an overnight cleaner!
I was also very familiar with the locations at Rhuddlan and on the St Asaph Road, as I used to go to St Asaph Grammar School from 1964 till 1969 & travel there by bus every school day!
FYI, Rhuddlan is correctly pronounced "rith-lan" (th as in the) although commonly mispronounced "rud-lan" as in this video., while St Asaph is pronounced "azz-uff", not "ay-suff".
Interestingly, each time the bus and bike are pictured travelling over Station Rd, Rhuddlan or on St Asaph Road, they are actually going in the wrong direction, away from Prestatyn and the camp at the start and then towards it at the end!
Thank you for sharing your story with us, a fascinating read. 😀
this is my favourite of the 3 movies i used to live in borehamwood :) and barnet :) i went on a 2 week holiday where it was filmed it was beautiful.
The sea is still there to this day! Great video enjoyed that.
lol There are still fish in it, but they *are* different fish.
That was absolutely fantastic, thank you. I live in Flint, not far from those locations, and have travelled through/past them a thousand times. I also fly my small plane from a hangar very close to the holiday camp and often head straight for the camp (about 2 mins from take off), swooping down over the sea and past the camp, always remembering the film, fondly. Thank you again, Mike
Absolutely incredible how you find all these locations. This was probably my favourite of the three movies. I watched all 3 in a row and I liked each one a little bit more as they went along
Thank you so much for doing this on youtube for all us that are not in the Uk , absolutely love On the Buses and thanks for all your great works.
It is a pleasure Elizabeth. I am glad you enjoyed it.
@@OntheBusesDatabase1 How cool is that ! Her name is Elizabeth Caravan !
@@Mike_Hughes 😁It's Canavan
@@wisteela Paul !!! - It was supposed to be a 'On The Buses / Carry on' type Play on words / Gag !
@@Mike_Hughes 👍
I love looking back at this sort of thing.thankyou well done.
RIP Pontins Prestatyn. A far cry on its closure from its heyday .
Absolutely wonderful video again Craig. Thank you so much for your hard work finding these locations.
Take care, Jeff
Always been fan of H O B but definitely would like to go on Holliday to the park to see places first hand, enjoyed binge watching ur vids tonight, great job
Great job Craig! Good to see most locations here are essentially the same.👍
Cheers that shot of bus going along the country road had bugged me for years. Plus you fill me in on some of the other locations . As I made a locations video a few years ago.
I wonder how many happy campers realise that this was used for HOTB. Great memories thanks you for your work.
I grew up in Prestatyn and still live here.... I remember being able to go to the camp to watch the filming.... these were some of the biggest stars of television comedy of the age, it was all very exciting. The early 70s was the peak of tourism in North Wales and Prestatyn was always part of many comedy programs including The cuckoo waltz (the deck chair had P.U.D.C. on it - Prestatyn Urban District Council) and various sketches in Not the Nine O'clock News.
The donkey scene was filmed on the backlot at Elstree Studios and not at the holiday camp.
Thanks so much for this. Have stayed at the site a few times. xx
Great vid, I love the now and then photos
a lot of effort went into this, well done!
Thanks Robb. A labour of love.
@@OntheBusesDatabase1 Indeed. I now live in Pennsylvania but still watch the old shows, I used to watch the reruns with my kids, in fact our miniature poodle is called Olive.
Fantastic stuff. Great work. I'd seen that the pool tiles were still the same on a Facebook group, but I didn't realise just how much still remained. It's also rather amazing that an old holiday camp still exists nowadays. Amazing with that house they used.
Glad you enjoyed it. Yes by looking at the floor tiling patterns you can work out exactly where Anna and Michael stood.
@@OntheBusesDatabase1 Is there actually a drain cover where the explosion happened?
@@wisteela yes there is.
@@OntheBusesDatabase1 Brilliant
EXCELLENT. I subscribed. I LOVE this.....The time and effort you have taken to present this is truly appreciated. So much research has gone into this. Your videos take me right back to the 70s.
Welcome aboard Mike. Watch out for my next On the Buses live Q and A.
@@OntheBusesDatabase1 Great. I can't wait to take part. Glad I subscribed.
Things I mostly remember about On the buses
Arthur: "You stupid great lump"
Olive: "Oh Arrrfurrr"
Blakey: I 'ate you Butler!
Also, I seem to remember a broken toilet and warming up Fish & Chips by placing them under the bonnet of the bus close to the engine . . . Long time since I saw them though the old memory is fading !
Great work. Brightened up my day.
Fab.Well done.
This film has been very valuable for supplying me with information about certain areas at time of filming..thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it Vic.
I really like to see "then and now" pictures and videos so this is perfect. Thank you for putting it together. My mother was born in Colwyn Bay and I am proud to have Welsh blood. On The Buses remains a real favourite comedy of mine. I have them all on DVD. Great times.
I am glad you enjoyed it Jay.
Lovely put together video, amazing to see how plants and trees have grown , I hate you Butler,
Fantastic stuff..and much appreciated. Thank you!
Love the film,sadly this site and pontins camber sands in kent have now gone.great video.thankyou
Craig this is absolutely 💯. The phenomenonal amount of work and research to find these locations for Holiday On The Buses .Thank you
Clive
Thank you Clive.
great work
That was great. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it!
thank you for this video.i live not far from prestatyn and its great to see pics of then and now.i went to pontins prestatyn in 2003 and swore that the tiles in the swimming pool were the same ones as in the film in 1973. an old workmate told me that he was present when they filmed the scene of the bus underwater on the beach ..he said that it was just the roof of a bus they used and it was only in a few foot of water and not a full bus in about 12 foot of water as i and probably many others believed
That scene the bus was real when we see it beached then they cut and drove the bus off the beach. Thereafter they used in the first shot of water lapping around the wheels was a plywood mock- up and the second shot with the bus almost submerged was no more than a matte painting on glass - a special effect used by Les Bowie who'd go on to win an oscar for effects in the first Superman film a few years later. The plywood mock-up toppled over and sailed out to sea and coastguards needed informed to let them know it could be in shipping lanes but should not be mistaken for a sunken ship. The plywood mock-up was washed back onto the coast near the holiday camp a few weeks later after the film crew had left. The studios weere contacted but had no interest in picking up the prop so it would be destroyed after a short spell in storage at Pontins Prestatyn Sands hokiday camp.
Yes the bus itself XMF 229 went back into service with Crossville and survived until 1982.
SIMPLY SUPERB GREAT WORK,TRULY WONDERFUL.
What a fantastically well put together video. A lot of hard work I’m sure. Much appreciated, thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it! All seven series and three films are covered in the same way and lots more live locations visits with more on the way.
Absolutely fantastic I pass the bridge and holiday camp often on the bus
Still watch on the buses today, I remember it fondly as a kid, still the best comedy series and films ever made in my opinion, better than the absolute rubbish they put on today.
Agree but Fawlty Towers does edge it
I worked in the factory where the PONTIN's green Bristol Lodekka bus was built.
Fantastic thank you very very much loved on the buses the 70s was a wonderful time great TV great films...
Glad you enjoyed it Tony.
I never realised that it was filmed in and around Prestatyn. I've been there a few times as I lived on the Wirral. The bus has a Chester registration (FM) so could have been on loan from Crosville, a bus company based in Chester with a depot in New Ferry, Wirral. Thanks for the interesting video. Cheers!
Yes the bus was hited from Crosville Motor Servicesq.
This is an excellent video, thank you!
I spent my youth in the 90's in Prestatyn and Rhyl. I love the place and it was great seeing what it was like in the 70's, and today.
This was absolutely fascinating for a fan like me.
I am glad you enjoyed it.
Fantastic work carried out, much appreciated, Happy days to say the least!
Thanks. I am glad you enjoyed it. Hoping to post up an omnibus edition video soon containing even more lications that I photographed a year ago.
@On the Buses Database I would love to know the hours spent filming and wages in them days for an episode?
@@mastercook62 Monday would see the cast receive a new script. Tuesday and Wednesday would see any location shooting being down. Thursday would be script run through and rehearsals and Friday would be filming the studio scenes. As for pay Reg would have earned around £150 an episode so for a 15 episode series that would be over £2000 which was good money in those days. Reg was the star of the show and highest earner. The test of the cast would have been less per episode.
@@OntheBusesDatabase1 Some great information, many thanks for your effort! I often wondered if all the cast got along ok or if there was one or two that could have been awkward?
@@mastercook62 they all got on just fine and friendships were formed for life. Reg wanted Doris for the part as mum and they were close. Anna and Michael formed a bond. Stephen had known Bob since late 1950s since their Joan Littlewood Workshop days and would be Bob's best man at his his wedding to Kim Benwell. And Bob remained in touch with Reg where they kept in touch over the phone for many years after On the Buses ended.
Hi Craig looking forward to this one. Perfect after a long day on the 86 's lol 😂
Thanks covering one my all time favourite films. Great video
very well made watched it twice,
I loked all on thebusses films i have got all on d v d and warch them more on tv and keep them as a keep sake😊
What a cracking upload, thanks. 😊
Glad you enjoyed it.
Im going to have to grin and bear it and stay there now because I'm a fan of the show
Great. Thank you.
Really interesting video which I enjoyed watching tyvm for putting it together👍😎
I lived across the road on Marine Rd East when it was being filmed and my mum and sister worked there at that time. I used to go after school and watch the filming in particular the scene where Butler was the entrance hut with a broken leg. I am in one of the scenes. Just a point of interest, in the Rhyl high street picture with the building society, the restaurant in front used to be the Odeon cinema.
Excellent, so much detail, Thankyou.
Great video. My father spotted when I was much younger that they filmed over the Rhuddlan bridge the wrong way. Going to the camp, they actually were travelling away from Prestatyn and when leaving the camp they’re heading towards. Useless bit of info there.
Very informative
I am glad you enjoyed it jimmy.
Looking forward to the video Craig.👍
Love this pal, we never get sick of watching the film so this we a real treat,,
That brought back some memories. Thanks.
Love it mate, been watching these all week
Glad you like them!
Love these films, thank you so much for the video. Its nice to know that some things have stood the test of time
Such a fascinating video. I really enjoyed this, thank you for your hard work
Very well researched, thank you.
Hi Craig just watched again Great stuff thanks
So much time and effort to do this video really enjoyed it thank you
Thanks - really enjoyed that! Just watched this film again recently, and was wondering how this place looked now. Thanks for all your research!
Glad you enjoyed it Steve.
Great work, thanks...love On the Buses!!!
thank you loved the plants and to see them now great video loved on the buses always thought it was filmed at butlins bognor regis
I am glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you so much for making this really informative video i really appreciate it
This is brilliant. Thanks for going to all this trouble and time
Absolutely brilliant job in matching up these places, thanks for your hard work.
Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed it.
Fascinating..thnx for this
Well done great stuff.
Thanks for doing this very interesting
Wow! Good job done here, fascinating to see the changes
Glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for posting a great video.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Love videos like this . Well done Mr Walker , you certainly know your subject
Thanks John. Try out the rest of the videos covering all seven series and the other two spin-off films.
Great video Interesting to see now and then- I used to go swimming there as it was open to locals in the winter-the rear entrance to the main road through the camp went onto Bastion Gdns where I lived in the 70s but the rear gates across the road were kept locked; Later I moved to Rhuddlan-station road now has a roundabout sitting on top of where the station once was although even when I was there the railway was long closed along with the railway that used to run over the railway bridge you showed.
Thank you so much. I really appreciate all the work you put in to this. I have watched on the buses since it first started in the 70s. I am going to share this to my son Simon he loves "On The Buses" he will be chuffed to bits.
Glad you enjoyed the video. There are lots more on all three films and all seven series.
Very enjoyable great work fiind exact locations enjoyed watching
Thanks 👍 it is a pleasure.
Brill video loved it
Excellent, you've really done your reasearch, loved this Mr Colombo 😎😎
Thanks! 😃
These are so interesting!
What a brilliant video, you must have taken ages to make this, First Class I really enjoyed it as Ian sure many people will Thanks
Good watch 👍🏼
Very well researched video , excellent 👍
Thanks a lot 😊