On the Buses Traditional Geocache
WimbledonIan: Hiding place has been taken away, so I'm archiving this one.
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This cache is near the main bus station in Wimbledon, and is the first in a series of caches that pay homage to the dying species that is the British Sitcom.
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Who ever thought that buses could be a source of comedy? You wouldn't get away with this today, but On the Buses, written by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney, was hugely popular in the early 70's.
It was first commissioned by the then Head of Comedy for LWT, Frank Muir, and aired on British TV from 1969-1973. A total of 74 episodes, and 3 spin-off films were made.
The action centred around driver Stan Butler (Reg Varney - surely a better comedy character name if ever I heard one!) and his conductor Jack (Bob Grant), and was typical of 1970's sitcoms. Vulgarity and corny jokes were the standard fare. The plot usually revolved around the twosomes attempts to woo the mini skirted female employees who worked as 'Clippies' (Bus Conductresses) for the same company. Bain of their life was the humourless Inspector Blake (Stephen Lewis), who tried in vain to catch the chirpy pair up to no good so he could dismiss them. Blakey's catchphrase "I 'ate you, Butler" was quickly adopted by the viewing public.
Amazingly, the first cinema release (of the same name) was the highest earning British film in 1971, surpassing the James Bond film 'Diamonds are Forever'.
I challenge you to find any humour at the Wimbledon bus station, but good luck finding the cache. You are looking for a 35mm film cannister containing a log book.
Watch out for the bus drivers that park up near the cache site. The buses may hinder the GPS signal, and stealth will be required in this busy location.
The cache has been replaced, and is now about 15m from the original location.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Pna lbh frr nalguvat 'ebhaq' urer?