Rugd1022

Right, that's it, I'm moving to Milan and growing a moustache... https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=alfa+romeo+alfetta&&view=detail&mid=F4787C6D3F4F42446226F4787C6D3F4F42446226&&FORM=VRDGAR How's this for Italian elegance - the 1969 Lancia Flaminia Marica by Ghia, I don't know how many were built but what a lovely looking thing it is... Ciao!

Grainy large logo period at Ranlagh Bridge, 1984... 50 003 with 47 066 nine years earlier in 1974, forty three years ago... (!)

Early shot of 402 at Old Oak, stabled outside the Factory...

Indeed he did, it was a technique started by factory test drivers Bob Wallace and Valentino Balboni, sometimes they'd perched themselves on the wide sill and still be able to reach the pedals, I watched someone do it at a car show several years ago, it's quite a feat.

Photo c/o Alex McCallum, the young secondman in the doorway, with his driver Jim Moodie at Ayr depot... Photo c/o Russell Maiden, a young spotter with D1000 'Western Enterprise' outside Swindon Works in 1962... Marlene Dietrich on the tube in June 1973, she was appearing at Wimbledon Theatre at the time...

Thanks DH - just read your earlier post.... I wonder why the AGIP dragon has six legs...? Yet this version only has three...! When was the last time a forecourt attendant checked your tyre pressures for you...? Another recent find via pinterest, a nice selection of tin somewhere in Italy c.1969 / 70... How's this for an oddity - an unusual looking AGIP mobile refuelling vehicle on an Alpine Rally somewhere... the Alfa Sprint Zagato would be worth a pretty penny or two now but it would be just as nice to see the fuelling truck at a show today...

All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix, a clear case of a cover version outdoing the Bob Dylan original

Rather partial to period paraphenalia like the Multipla brochure, I found these images on pinterest yesterday... AGIP is I suppose Italy's version of Shell or BP... Bonus Maserati Sebring...

I've just remembered, during one of my frequent trawls of old car stuff on youtube I found a video of one of the 'Luftgekelte' (air cooled) meetimgs in sunny California, I'm sure there was a silver 356 Notchback in it. The variety of cars in this fifteen minute clip was staggering, no two Porkers of the same type seemed to be alike. The looks of the Alfa Giulia Berlina are quite something, I think they look fantastic in the flesh, on my last visit to the Alfa dealer in Nuneaton there was a metallic brown one in the service department's car park, it looked rather special, and very different to the brand new Giulia QF sat next to it. Who remembers the olive green Carabinieri Giulia being taking a swim in the river in Turin in 'the Italian Job'...?

Bearing in mind that many period vehicles for film and TV work are found via owner's clubs it's no surprise that those they're offered are in good nick. There are private companies who hire stuff out too, some of their vehicles do tend to get bashed about a bit and some are quite awful close up, for example the white Series 1 XJ6 used in 'The Bank Job' a few years ago was sold on pretty quickly and had white paint directly on top of the rusty sills!

Yes it is, here's one for sale and a rare RHD one to boot... https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C983675

How Do You Sleep? - John Lennon

It's a Porsche 356 Coupe, as far as I know the design of the bolt on wheels is partly down to the large hub / drum assembly on these cars.

It can't be a three Rob, D843 was never maroon

There would be no reason to leave anything stabled at Banbury really, as the loco, stock and crew would all need to be back at Old Oak.

^^^ Beautiful! Some more Continental nostalgia, photographer unknown alas but what lovely images, all taken in 1970... Innsbruck... Mont Saint Michel... Guess where... Tyrol... Stockholm... I've just ordered another Italian crime flic from Amazon, not an older one this time but a more recent one made in 2010, it's set in the '70s and based on a true story of a kidnapping plot, of which there were many in Italy at the time, anyway the production team went to town on sourcing a large number of the right cars which must have taken some doing with lots of 'everyday' stuff amongst the executive BMWs etc...

Morning all, Grey, damp and decidedly dismal hereabouts this morning, but I am being thoroughly entertained by the thirteen beautiful Magpies currently dancing around on the lawn, all in search of delicious grubs no doubt, they really are lovely creatures to look at. There are also two very handsome looking Crows joining in, bless 'em.

Another dash of Continental municipal chic, an Alfa Romeo 430 of 1942 vintage coachbuilt by Ambrosino…

Say Hello, Wave Goodbye - Soft Cell

A newly arrived DMU creates some interest amongst the local spotters at Reading General, photo c/o Darren Ford...

400 arrived at Bath Road for train crew and fitter training in October '72 with 401 and 402 following soon after, probably in January / February of '73. 402 was Old Oak's crew training loco. 50 027 was the first one to reach Penzance in early '74, just after it was renumbered from 427 when it was used as the crew training loco at Long Rock.

First proper licence in my posession yes, I was expecting it to come to my address, I thought the company would keep it with my records, route cards etc. Another potential nightmare if ever I lose it on my travels, as well as this and my outdated duty pass I've got a swipe card to gain access / egress at DIRFT 2 (it's like Fort Knox with CCTV everywhere). I lost my PTS and company fuel card a few weeks ago thinking I'd left them on a loco down in London, found it at the bottom of my bag when I got home though (phew!).

No, definitely shot in July, August and September of '70, the director Mike Hodges was given Ted Lewis's novel 'Jacks Return Home' in March that year and signed up for the film two weeks later, the film was based on the book. The film took about forty days to shoot during those three months over the Summer, about four or five days of which were spent shooting the Wallsend scenes. (Steve Chobnal's excellent book on the making of the film has the actual shooting dates for each scene, taken from the production 'call sheets' ).

As I mentioned earlier Russ yes we do, but I'm still waiting for my updated one to arrive, despite several phone calls up the food chain. Low and behold though, my shiny new 'Train Driving Licence' arrived in the post this morning, complete with a grainy image of my boat race looking alarmingly like a long forgotten member of the Kray's gang. I'm sure I tried to smile a bit in the photo booth...!

More great stuff, thanks for sharing Dave... J6782 of the High Level Bridge walkway is very 'Get Carter', even ten years after the film was shot (Summer of 1970)