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Dad’s Army Street Party - 2002

An evening member’s only event to be held in Bressingham’s Dad’s Army Collection, and attended by members of the cast and other guests.

Invited guests (subject to availability) include Clive Dunn, Ian Lavender, Philp Madoc, Frank Williams, Pamela Cundell, Wendy Richard, John Bardon, Jimmy Perry, David Croft and DAAS President, Bill Pertwee..

Tables will be erected in the main display area and each table will host a special guest.

An illustrated review is shown below

Following the street party, on 12th May the Bressingham museum hosted a Dad’s Army themed day, open to the public.

Report by Walmington-on-Line’s roving reporter:

As you drive towards Thetford on the A11 the countryside becomes gradually more familiar. The neat hedgerows and deciduous trees of Essex give way to a more rugged landscape dominated by tall conifers and scrubby gorse - covered in yellow flowers at this time of year. The long straight stretch of road between Mildenhall and Thetford runs alongside an area of open ground thick with scrub and bordered by tall sparse trees. It would be no surprise to see seven slightly portly figures charging across the open ground with fixed-bayonets - this is undoubtedly Dad's Army country.

This was my third trip to Bressingham, but my first for the annual Dad's Army Appreciation Society (DAAS) conference. The two-hour drive from Hertfordshire to Norfolk is as much a journey back in time as it is in space. The Bressingham Steam museum is a corner of England that has not yet arrived in the twenty-first century. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Stopping briefly at a delightful farmhouse bed-and-breakfast in South Lopham for a cup of tea and a change of clothes, it's quick-march to Bressingham, a couple of miles away. The garden centre is closed but in the corner of the car park there is a small cluster of cars near the museum entrance.

I have never been to a street party before - born long after they ceased to be popular, I have childhood memories of the 1977 jubilee celebrations - but not street parties. The museum is quiet and deserted as I walk towards the venue. Crossing the narrow gauge railway line at the Nursery Station a large blue apparition looms into sight - Jones' van. Closer inspection proves it to be the one from the feature film.

The entrance to the Dad's Army exhibition is lit-up and the white haired, sprightly figure standing alone in a corner is most definitely Jimmy Perry. A little way away stands David Croft, chatting to people in DAAS shirts. Well I'm certainly in the right place.

At the door the DAAS official checking tickets turns out to be Maurice Tondelier - who runs the society’s video library. It also transpires I will be sharing a table with him. Also on table five will be Eric Longworth, Mr Town Clerk. Well that all sounds 'very nice'.
Passing into the exhibition area itself, the familiar Walmington-on- Sea street scene is decorated with bunting and balloons, under which are crowded ten or so round tables, already full. Now call me picky, but every picture of a street party I've seen has had long straight lines of tables - still it is more friendly this way.

The church hall is laid out with a large buffet - surely no rationing here - and a pair of TVs are showing the rarely seen 'Resisting the Aggressor Through the Ages' short - the sight of Arthur Lowe in a union jack waistcoat and top hat being a wonder to behold.

Finding my seat beneath the clock tower I settle down for the evening. A few minutes later a familiar face picks its way across the floor - Eric Longworth. He seems hardly to have changed - a little older perhaps, but you would never guess 25 years have passed since he last made an episode of Dad's Army. I discover to my delight that the soft Lancashire accent he used in the programme is genuine.

The opening announcements are rather unsettling - a sequence of accidents and misfortunes. Pamela Cundell has tripped and hurt her leg - but true to form has not let it keep her away. Wendy Richard has been laid low with 'flu and has had to cancel. Most disturbingly Jack Wheeler of the DAAS was travelling on the WAGN train which crashed at Potters Bar with such terrible effect. Maurice Tondelier tells me that Jack arrived at Bressingham four hours late, and rather shocked - but thankfully he was travelling in one of the front carriages and was not hurt. A terrible shock nonetheless.

Then the guests are introduced - faces familiar and unfamiliar. Bill Pertwee is in ebullient mood as usual, as is Pam Cundell. Frank Williams cuts an imposing figure while Eric Longworth is much taller than one imagined. Brenda Cowling is dressed beautifully and seems unchanged since she appeared as Mrs Lipton in 'You Rang m'Lord'. Jimmy Perry and David Croft are there as are two lesser known names: Harold Snoad, location finder and occasional director extraordinaire; also Charles Garland, a name unfamiliar to me but, we soon discover, the man responsible for the rather fine remastering of the Dad's Army tapes - I determine to find out whether they are intended for DVD release by the BBC.

The soup arrives and the friendly chat goes round. We are called by table to the buffet for the main course and whilst queuing I have the opportunity to chat with Eric Longworth. It transpires that he, Frank Williams and Philip Madoc made an unannounced visit to the Saturday night performance of 'A Tribute to Dad's Army' a fortnight ago. Fortunately their presence was not announced to the cast until after the curtain call. A blessing I'm sure - imagine trying to deliver the lines: "dressed from head to foot in fleshings", "I want mine crisp unt light brown" or "all this fuss about a lot of silly girls" in the presence of the original actors.

The meal proceeds and with coffee the microphone is once more pressed into service. For each of the cast present a set of clips from the programme is screened, and afterwards a few words are spoken - or in Bill Pertwee's case many!

The theme is consistent - here is a group of actors who are surprised and honoured to find themselves part (mostly in a small way) of something quite extraordinary: a simple sitcom that gained a huge following that has sustained it for 25 years since the last episode was made.

Jimmy Perry and David Croft also take the stage, to pay tribute to the many cast members sadly departed and to thank the society for their active and continuing support.

After these speeches and tributes the party begins to wind-up. It has been a pleasant and informal evening. The special guests were approachable and friendly and the company good. One could make criticisms: for many the TV screens were difficult to see, and the lighting was rather dim. I felt that perhaps the after-dinner proceedings were a little passive. Maybe a short Dad's Army trivia quiz in which each table formed a team would have made the conversation flow more easily.

However these were minor flaws in what was a thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile evening's entertainment. Great credit and thanks are due to all the DAAS 'officers' who put so much work into this year's event.

I returned to my B&B happy, and in the knowledge that more was to follow the next day with the Dad's Army day at the steam museum.
 

Last Updated 26 Feb, 2004