Sunday

Having spent the night in a B&B in Windsor, I took Gareth on a quick tour of the film locations around the area. 
We visited
1. The wine bar from Loving
2. The railway station from Loving
3. The Town Mortuary from Cabby
4. The location of part of the chase in Cabby
5. The railway station in Cabby
6. The location of the Cabby Cafe in Cabby
7. The roundabout where Charles Hawtrey learns to drive in Cabby
8. Another chase location from Cabby
9. The house where Terry Scott lives in a tree house at the end of Jungle
10. The house where Kenneth Williams picks up Yoko the Chimp from in Regardless
11. The location where Kenneth Williams tries to get in a cab with Yoko in Regardless (found this for the first time)
12. Harry H Corbett's house in Screaming (found this for the first time)

We then headed off to Maidenhead to the Town Hall (various hospitals) and Courts (Camping) which is still standing and looks like MFI are moving in and won't be demolished!  We then headed off to MVC to pick up a couple of the first Bond Movie Casino Royale as the second day had changed slightly because of a very special guest was in town and had agreed to attend the event! More later!

We got to Pinewood signed in and had lunch, which was served in the Gatsby Room rather than the ballroom.  We then had a real treat because the showing of Carry On Matron was cancelled and 'The Runaway Bus' starring Frankie Howerd and Margaret Rutherford was shown instead.  The reason for the change was that the 'special' guest was no other than the Director Val Guest who was over on a book signing. Val Guest is 93 but looks only in his 70's he took the panel chair after the film was shown and discussed his career talking about his early days with Will Hay, his days at Hammer, how Peter Rogers and Gerald Thomas had stolen the Carry On name from him (Val Guest made Carry On Admiral) and the making of the first Bond Movie Casino Royale (hence the trip to MVC to buy the DVD to get signed!).

Following on from the screening and guest panel, we made our way to the British Comedy Society Hall Of Fame and waited for the five plaques to be unveiled.  Yes - I said FIVE - originally there were only going to be four - Bernard Bresslaw, Peter Butterworth, Kenneth Connor and Terry Scott but a fifth and very special plaque was also going to be unveiled that day.  We stood around for about 30 minutes before the special guests were due to arrive and got chance to look at the other plaques previously unveiled.  The guests arrived and a stream of famous faces walked past to the podium. 

Guests who were at the unveiling included
    Bernard Bresslaws with and family
    Peter Butterworths wife, Janet Brown and family - Tyler Butterworth and his wife Janet Dibley (a very nice woman)
    Kenneth Connors Family
    Peter Rogers
    Val Guest
    Sir Donald Sinden
    Carry On Stars - Valerie Leon, Jackie Piper, Angela Grant, Peter Gilmore, Jack Douglas, Brenda Cowling, Frank Thornton, Alec Bregonzi, Shirley Eaton, Alan Hume
   Last Of The Summer Wine Stars - Juliet Kaplin (Pearl) and Sarah Thomas (Glenda)
    Plus others!

The plaque unveiling of the four Carry On Stars being honoured went will and we then went outside to stand by the main entrance of the studios where the fifth plaque was to be unveiled.  Sir Donald Sinden unveiled the fifth plaque and revealed that it was for Peter Rogers.

The rest of the afternoon was taken up by mingling with the stars, talking to them, getting things signed and generally being totally star struck!  I sat down and spoke to Brenda Cowling and Alec Bregonzi about their memories of the Carry On's,  Dads Army etc. etc. and found them both to be very approachable.  Talking to Janet Dibley (a very nice woman :-) )

The evening came and so we moved back into the Ballroom and sat and listened to speeches followed by a wonderful dinner.  During the speeches two very special guests arrived, firstly - to a standing ovation - Sir John Mills (need I say anymore!  you don't get much more famous than him!!!) and then to even greater cheers Sir Norman Wisdom who did a little trip on the stage as only he can!

After dinner the celebrity auction was held and I managed to purchase an actual prop belonging to Bernard Bresslaw together with his own commemorative Order of the Water Rats mug and some of his ties. (not going to say how much I paid but it took a little explaining to the wife later!!!)

We then headed off for more coffee - got some things signed by Sir Norman, chatted to Janet Dibley  (a very nice woman - did I already mention that?? <wink>), Jackie Piper (another very nice woman) and met up with some people from the Charity Action Research who I had put in contact with Peter Rogers for a charity event that Jack Douglas attended.

The close of the day was a most wonderful performance by David Benson of his 'Think No Evil Of Us... My Life With Kenneth Williams' which I sat next to Brenda Cowling and had a wonderful time!

So that was it really - a wonderful weekend - worth every penny