BBC TV tomorrow

[marcus]

I hope this is not TOO Off Topic for this forum:

50 years ago today the first 007 film, Dr No, was realsed, and so was the first Beatles single Love Me Do. Reading about this led me to a link saying that new footage has been found of making the Beatles film Magical Mystery Tour, and tomorrow BBC Arena is showing a programme all about the film. After Arena they are showing Magical Mystery Tour for the first time in over 33 years. Some say it is complete rubbish, some say it is an avant-garde masterpiece. I do not know what it is like as I have never seen it.

I believe some of it was filmed in Knole Park, Kent using an old pair of kettle drums which I have played. It also has Ivor Cutler in it. I also assume that it might have nice shots of the old coach they used (Bedford Duple? Vega Major?) and possibly nice road shots showing other vehicles of the time, so I will certainly stop work and watch it all.

I also hope the "Classic Vehicle Interest" might also keep this thread reasonably within Topic, and be of interest to others here.

[Big Al]

Memory suggests it was a Bedford Plaxton Chinese six but that might be wishful thinking as I love them. I remember there was great disappointment over the film, which was self indulgent. But then why should it not be? My sister was dreadfully disappointed as she was the Beatle generation. The problem really was that they had several successful films, loads of hits and anything they did was meant to be fantastic. Well something has to give in the end. It will probably be more interesting to watch with the benefit of hindsight as we know more about what the inner dynamics were at the time.
Moving on from that they had even the sense to end well with the last live session on the roof of a building creating a huge hoo ha till the police stopped them. That is the way to bow out as a band.

[Big Al]

Apparently it is a Bedford VAL Panorama, so I was wrong.

[marcus]

The Arena documentary about it is at 9.45 pm tonight, followed immediately by the film which has been extensively restored. I will certainly watch with interest, and I think the "hindsight" and nostalgia factors might improve it. Their previous films had proper narratives (of a sort) but this really was just a loosely planned "fly on the wall" film, as was Easy Rider which was shown recently on BBC. Sadly Easy Rider is embarrassingly awful, perhaps this film is little better, but certainly worth a look, for vehicular interest at least!

[marcus]

Well the coach had a Bedford badge on the front and a Plaxtons badge on the side. I always assumed it was a Vega Mega Luxury Coach as I had a superb Corgi model of one. It was about the best present I ever had, big, detailed, Pushmatic Steering AND FOUR STEERING FRONT WHEELS!!! It was almost like something out of Thunderbirds! I think my confusion might stem from the fact that Corgi released it as a Vega Major, then the film and album came out so they tried to cash in on it by using the same model but painting/decaling it up to resemble the Magical Mystery Tour Coach.

I expected to get bored and nod off, but I actually enjoyed the film even though it is a bit odd.

As always I kept an eye on the background for old vehicles. Lots of Minis, a very handsome Austin Sheerline limousine, a few Austin A30s and at the start of the coach trip a rear view of a Bond estate.