Best Night Ever

[Linda]

I'd like to say a huge thank you to Lee and everyone who was involved with organising Saturday night. It has made such an impression on me that I can't stop thinking about it.

Never have I been to an event where everyone was so friendly and welcoming.

But what topped it off was being sat all night next to a chap who'd worked on the production of the 2nd series. He was really happy to talk about the show, especially his time in Spain. He'd travelled with the crew from Plymouth to Santander and then drove all the way south to the Costa Del Sol with the production equipment. Whilst out there he made a short behind-the-scenes film (I think he said about 25 minutes long) which features footage of the cast and crew. It would be fabulous to see this type of extra footage. It's the sort of thing I love on DVDs.

What was brilliant later on in the evening was when he managed to go up and have a word with the top table. Each cast member present remembered him, as well as Roger Bamford who'd been his director and he hadn't seen for a few years. It seemed such a happy programme to work on and all the cast and crew seemed genuinely happy to see each other.

I asked him about locations and asked him if he knew where the Falklands was in Episode 1 of Series 2. It turns out that they just drove as far as possible into Derbyshire to find a suitable-looking location and found somewhere that was so off the beaten track that it would probably be impossible recollect or recall after all these years.

He also told me about the times in Nottingham on Friday's when the week's filming had finished and Gary Holton would ask if anyone was driving back to London for the weekend. He'd give Gary a lift back to Maida Vale each Friday and Gary would spend the whole journey fast asleep until they reached London. He described Gary as a really lovely chap and saw nothing of the side to him that was being reported in the newspapers at the time.

I could have stayed up all night at The Hilton as it really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and something that was also incredibly moving.

It was brilliant and I am so glad I went. Thank you.

[poxeymoxey]

Well Linda, seems you had a fantastic time and I think I would have felt the same had I been there. I bet it is something you will always remember and look back on with such affection.

[Auf Wiedersehen, Pet]

I'm sure everyone will agree with you on that if they were there.
It was great to meet you, even though I spent half the neet looking for a blonde haired lady....

[Tracy]

Loved it Linda, cheers Pet !

[AWP Corsa Tim]

Ah so you met Colin then Linda, damn nice chap.. i asked him about Ally Frasers house location and he said he knows others who may remember, and he was surprised by the fact that some fans knew of 'Colins well' at Thornely Manor, which relates to him falling through the ground and just hanging on by his elbows.. until other colleagues pulled him out.. He does recall Spain vividly and many other places memories as im sure you now know.. need to contact that man.. says he lives near the A1 somewhere.. Good bloke though..

[Linda]

Ah so you met Colin then Linda, damn nice chap.. i asked him about Ally Frasers house location and he said he knows others who may remember, and he was surprised by the fact that some fans knew of 'Colins well' at Thornely Manor, which relates to him falling through the ground and just hanging on by his elbows.. until other colleagues pulled him out.. He does recall Spain vividly and many other places memories as im sure you now know.. need to contact that man.. says he lives near the A1 somewhere.. Good bloke though..

Yes, that was one of the conversations I had with him - "Colin's Well". Blimey, that was really quite something. He was literally stopping himself from plunging by just using his elbows.

I could have sat all night talking to him. At about 1.00am he said he was heading off back home but he went up and got talking to the top table and when we left after 2.30am he was driving out of the side entrance to the hotel and pulled up for a quick chat. He was only just setting back off home, and I think he lives Grantham way.

I would dearly love to meet Colin again. He was absolutely bowled over by how enthusiastic everyone was about AWP, and there's lots more stories he could tell.

He told me that the Falklands were right into Derbyshire. They just carried on driving until they found the right spot. But he did say that with any production back then like AWP, the location shoots are always within range of the studios, unless there was a clear need for a specific geographical location (like going up to Newcastle). Colin did say that it might be worth speaking to Roger Bamford who may remember locations like the Falklands.

It was brilliant sitting next to Colin.

[Linda]

Well Linda, seems you had a fantastic time and I think I would have felt the same had I been there. I bet it is something you will always remember and look back on with such affection.

Poxeymoxey - so glad I took the plunge and bought a ticket. I'd have been kicking myself for not going.

[ruggedscot]

Aye the Falkands bit - thats was great, it would have been turners that were out there back then as the contractor doing the maintenance for the army - It was turners that I was with when over in Bosnia. Watching series one with the hut just fell into place with the way that life was like for those over working in the balkans... So very on the button so to speak.

[AWP Corsa Tim]

Glad to hear that the Moor lands were Derbyshire.. im going to try and get Colin to re-film the Barley Mow with me that i did, so its in HD and also to get everything correct from the previous video there.. as we all now know lots of different info since then..

[Linda]

That sounds a marvellous idea with Colin and Barley Mow, Tim.

[AWP Corsa Tim]

That sounds a marvellous idea with Colin and Barley Mow, Tim.

Will be good if i can do it like that..