This week, we're diving into the wonderful world of 1970s summer holidays - from the surprising success of sitcom film spinoffs to family holiday traditions and those magical school holiday TV schedules that kept us glued to our screens.
Remember when "On the Buses" topped the UK box office in 1971, beating The Godfather? The 70s were obsessed with turning popular sitcoms into films - Dad's Army, Are You Being Served, Porridge, and even the forgotten Spanish spinoff "Don't Drink the Water" starring Stephen Lewis as Blakey retired to the Costa del Sol.
While some families jetted off to Spain for package holidays in the blazing sunshine, many of us experienced the great British holiday tradition - packing the Singer Gazelle or Morris 1800 to bursting point with deck chairs, folding tables, swing ball sets, and enough provisions as if the rest of the country didn't have shops! From Northumberland to the Forest of Dean, these cottage holidays created lasting memories, even when the accommodation came with unwanted extras like dog hair or mice.
But the real tragedy? Staying in a cottage without television during school holidays meant missing those special BBC morning programmes. From Belle and Sebastian's gorgeous Alpine sequences to the endless repeats of The Flashing Blade, Casey Jones, and Tintin adventures, these cheap foreign imports became the soundtrack to our summer mornings.
I've delved into the BBC archives to check what was actually on during those magical summer weeks - from Noggin the Nog and Whirlybirds to the educational delights of David Attenborough's animal programmes. The reality matches our memories surprisingly well, proving that sometimes nostalgia gets it right.
Did your family pack everything including the kitchen sink for holidays? Do you remember swing ball battles in cottage gardens? Share your summer holiday memories with us!
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