Mrs. Bucket
 

Would like to travel from London to Coventry and on to Leamington Spa for pictures RE: Keeping Up Appearances. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

What suggestions are you looking for?

Presumably you've found out where this was filmed. You can train or drive the 100 miles.

So is it for - er - help in treating this unfortunate addiction?

I mean, really. Millions of visitors hit the area every year for Shakespeariana. Others pour in for a fix of thatched cottages or a glimpse of Miss Marple. Or for the triennal International Widget Assemblers Conference and Trade Show.

But you're going all that way to see - semi-detached houses? Which differ hardly one iota from the other 20 million.

Takes all sorts, no doubt.

But if you've a specific question, we're all here to help.

It's pronounced "boo-kay"

Why look at this surburban nightmare?

It's bouquet my dear.

I'm not totally sure what you are going to see when you get there (the houses where it's filmed?). I lived in Leamington Spa for two years when I was a student. If I see the program I tend to spot parts of the town that I recognise, mainly roads just off the main street running through the town.

By the way, I think trains run direct from London Marylebone to Leamington Spa if you want to avoid Coventry (I sure would!). But my real advice would be to head to Stratford, Warwick or even Kenilworth if you are in that immediate area.

If you are looking for Hyacinth's home, it will be found in the most exclusive postal code in town. If you are invited to coffee, you must dress properly but remove your shoes upon entering her home. And do mind the walls, as the wallpaper is very expensive. And if you're of a higher social standing, you could even be invited to a candlelight supper. ;-)

....and dine on handpainted perrywinkle Royal Doulton crockery.

I have to say, I didn't see anything in the program which didn't look like any other English town.

You got me curious so I looked here:

http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/kua/location.html

I wonder if we knocked on the door would Onslow be at home?

If you knocked on the door the glass pane would probably fall out, the dog that lives in the car would accost you and Onslow would be yelling out to 'Daze' for another bacon buttie.

If you plan to visit Daisy, bring lots of paperback romance novels! ((L))

Definitely go and see her sister Violet, the one with the Mercedes, a swimming pool and room for a pony!

I wonder what kind of hedges those are at Daisy and Onslow's house. They must be pretty sturdy to catch Hyacinth every time the dog comes at her!!

I really do miss seeing this show, was one of the highlights of the week. And POOR RICHARD. Particularily enjoyed the QE-2 sequence, watched it before my daughter and I did the QE-2, made it so much more enjoyable. However would imagine like one other mnentioned, that most small english towns would be typical of Hyacinths abode. I DO MISS THEM. halfpint.

The first time I saw this show I laughed so hard my sides hurt! It was the episode where Hyacinth was putting on her Civil War pageant. And I agree with halfpint. Poor Richard! Remember when he was offered early retirement and was begging his boss to keep working? And poor Elizabeth - everytime she went next door for coffee - a bundle of nerves!

Great show - one of the classics of British comedy.

You guys should live around New York city. Between Ch. 21 and Ch 13 we've been hanging out with Hyacinth 1 - 2 nites per week for years!!
(My husband has been asking if we can stop once we know ALL the dialogue.)

The first time I watched I was in bed watching TV. BBC America had back to back episodes. We had just gone from cable to satelite. My husband was already sleeping and became most annoyed when I woke him laughing out loud. I was trying to be quiet but couldn't stop myself. Most of the TV I watch now is on BBC America.

<i>&quot;It's pronounced &quot;boo-kay&quot;</i>

No, no... it's &quot;boo-KAAY&quot; :)

Hey, Guys! Rose is visiting me for the week-end!!!!!!!!

That must be some house, to have a room just for a pony. Usually they have to put up with a French stall.

Does bucket rhyme with bidet?

By the way, Onlsow's method to turn on the TV works on stubborn credit card readers, too. Might it work also on people who fully recline their seats in cattle class once the seat belt sign is off?

Do you think Sheridan and his friend Tarquin ever completed their sewing studies at University and moved to San Francisco? Hyacinth must be so proud.

When you are traveling from London, be sure to mind the pedestrians.

To the vicar - stay away from the ladies! And if you see a man wearing a dress up in a tree say hello to Bruce.
Or as Onslow would say &quot; Oh, NICE!!&quot;

Could someone fix me up with the Major. Hyacinth doesn't want his advances.
Myriam, can I borrow Violet's drag clothes for the meeting?

Daisy &quot;Do you remember when you tore my dress off?&quot;

Onslow &quot;It must have been on fire.&quot;

One of my favorites and no matter how many times I see one episode or another, and know perfectly well what' going to happen I still have to laugh. I guess I'm either demented, or it's a terribly funny series!

Some friends wanted to buy a Royal Doulton cup and saucer with the handpainted perrywinkles for another friend, because she was so fond of the program. They contacted Royal Doulton and were told the pattern was made specifically for Keeping Up Appearances and was not available for sale.

It is well known that virtually every successful British play written in the last 100 years involved &quot;class struggle&quot; to some extent and apparently this carried over into the so-called &quot;British comedy&quot; offerings as well.

I guess that's why they aren't trying to live it down.

I saw the woman who played Hyacinth recently on TV and they were showing how the show stemmed from a TV sketch she used to do of a snobby lady. Each show her chair and suroundings would get grander as well as her topics of speech. It was hilarious to see this. IN real life she is an absolute Lady and she said she hammed it up because she detests snobbery.

It should be noted that Patricia Routledege (Mrs Bucket) is a fantastic actress and has appeard in countless stage and screen plays. Mrs Bucket was not the defining moment of her career in any way shape or form!

No, indeed. If you didn't already know, she not only sings very well (you'd have to, to be able to sing as badly as Hyacinth) and starred in Carousel for the National, she has also done some brilliant Alan Bennett monologues which would move anyone to tears. And her description on a chat show of how she creates a character was one of the most absorbing and persuausive I've ever heard (and the audience felt the same way too). Definitely worth the honours she has been given.

Oh, and P_M, Onslow and Daisy have a privet hedge, like thousands of other people in the UK: but now you mention it, I'm surprised to see that it's usually quite well-trimmed. Must be the neighbours.

Carousel was absolutely fantastic!

I remember seeing Patricia Routledge most recently in The Importance Of Being Earnest - a superb Lady Bracknell - this production was originally based in Chichester, but such was its critcal acclaim that it moved to London.

In fact Patricia R won a Tony award in the late 60s-early 70s for her work in a short-lived Broadway musical called
&quot;Darling of the Day.&quot; The cast album is out of print, occasionally a new copy shows up on ebay. The show was based on an old Arnold Bennett novel called &quot;Buried Alive.&quot;
Pretty good trivia, no?

Ah, now Arnold Bennett is overdue for a revival....

Patricia Routeledge is a wonderful actress. Remember her recent stint as that dowdy but determined detective Hetty Wainthrop ? And she handles the physical demands of the Hyacinth role superbly - falling off boats, climbing walls, (bwahahahah !) The gentleman that plays Onslow is also in lots of BBC stuff.

I liked seeing her in the detective show as it was the complete opposite of Hyacinth. More granny than Grand. I have seen her singing some time ago on TV as well as dancing...both surprised and impressed me. She seems vey warm in any interview I have seen her in. Someone who would be fun to have a drink with!

the boy that was Hetty's sidekick is in one of the Harry potter films.

As SiobhanP notes Hetty is the exact opposite of Hyacinth. She is a superb actress. I hope she does more stage work in London. A couple of years ago I got to see Judi Dench and Maggie Smith in a play. The script wasn't that good but they both were excellent.

It has always been my fantasy to have Hyacinth appear on an episode of ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS. Hyacinth would come to London to visit Sheridan, who would live next door to Patsy's bedsit above ODD BINS. Imagine Hyacinth inviting Patsy over for coffee!!!!!!!!!!

&quot;Oi, don't you have any Stoli, babe?&quot;

Cheers.

I laughed out loud when I read that last post - that would be too perfect!

Thin it would be perfect!

I just read an interview with Jennifer Saunders. It was great as she said the only time Patsy ate on the show (I think it was a single crisp) they had to film it for hours as they cracked up laughing.