Hi there,

I work for a television production company in London called Carbon Media, we are making a TV series which require a routemaster at the following locations across UK - brighton, london, manchester, liverpool, edinburgh and glasgow or altervatively one bus for 2 weeks which we can drive to all these locations but I understand the routemasters have a low maximum speed.

We do not have dates yet but will more than likely be end june / beginning july, for a coupe of days at each location.

We need to be able to decorate the bus (with blinds, stickers on outside etc) as much as possible and ideally we'd like to be able to take out some seats on the top deck (which we will of course put back and properly) to make way for a small stage.

My number is 0207 324 0725.

Thanks,

Amy Dallmeyer

Contact Graham Meadows at Routemaster Buses Ltd 07932163025 www.routemasterbuses.co.uk


Andy

My bus number (if any): RM2059, RML2515, RCL2243, NGT RCN701, RF48, RF392, RF462, RF556, RML2354

My bus number (if any): RML2271 (owner)

Sorry I can't loan you my RML2271 but it has Historic vehicle Tax only and I wouldn't be too keen on the seats being removed either.

My bus number (if any): RML2271 (owner)

For Glasgow, Edinburgh area contact Kevin Culbert of Scottish Travel at 01475 781957 or www.scottish-travel.net where you wil see pictures of what's available.

My bus number (if any): RML 891,RML2358,RML 2432 &RML 2697

Putting back the seats replaced by the stage would be the very least of your problems.

This is a film company whose only interest is making their film, and caring about what state your bus may finish up in is the last thought on their minds.

Are you so greedy that the very lucrative wedding-bus and coperate hire business isn't enough for you?


Claire

My bus number (if any): 2330 etc.

Claire,

I feel your comment is really inappropriate, are you jealous???

Business is business and in order to keep buses on the road wheels need to turn..

No one asked you to offer your bus, you havent and thats your perogotive but dont condemn those whos livlyhoods depend on earning money, nothing to do with greed.

Andy

My bus number (if any): RM2059, RML2515, RCL2243, NGT RCN701, RF48, RF392, RF462, RF556, RML2354

We in the past have hired out both buses and trucks for filming.
We do not do it at all anymore.
In every instance, the vehicles have been returned damaged, tampered with or missing bits.
Whilst the rates are good, the damage and ill use far exceeded the return.

Anyone hiring out a vehicle like an RM or RT where certain parts are hard to replace or is in a pristine condition should be fully aware that film crews, sparks, props and all else are very prone to recklessness with such vehicles.
Gaffer tape, grips, dull down sprays, burn marks, not to mention poor driving, tree damage and the high risk of failed stunts or accidental damage are very common if not normal.

One RM even had a cutting wheel put to its dome to facilitate a camera rig.
Needless to say the owner was compensated but all too often the damage ends up being irreversible and ends up costing more than the income.

Also while promises are always made,reimbursement it is like getting blood from a stone. Things being put back are never done with care or properly.

Proof of this is evident with RM70 which bears all the scars of film hire and RM408 which was so badly damaged on hires it had to be sold abroad.

A superior conditioned Leyland RM ( I recall) was destroyed for 'The Young Ones' despite being sold on a premise of further use. Had that been known a less than perfect vehicle would have been offered.

Three RTs were destroyed in the 'Mummy' films 2 of which were very good examples.

Not to mention what happened to 3 concours Ford Anglias destroyed for the Harry Potter films.

Although some of these were purchased outright, the owners were assured that 'nothing' would happen to the vehicles.

Sadly, too many Production people do not care. Just getting their job done is their only interest.
So beware of the pretty little fluffies that flirt their way to a favoured hire, it won't be the same afterwards.

if you do hire, be very firm about what they can and cannot do and get it in writing beforehand. Read the contract very carefully and set your own terms in writing and witnessed.

It all sounds good but in practice we lost money on the 30 or 40 odd hires we did. With the trucks, at least the corporate logo got exposure in a few cases.

It all depends on what they want the bus for, not all filming work requires or results in damage to vehicles. We take seats out regularly for various jobs including installing stages on the top deck for music, its not a problem even on RTs. I am sure there have been some bad experiences but that surely is for the owners to consider in setting their prices and conditions of hire etc.
We have just used RT 1400 masquerading as a pre-war RT for a film set in London and filmed in Vichy, we got vinyl blinds made for the bus for Route 9 and applied LT transfers and white paint as appropriate to look like war time. All we had to do was drive by a few times. The worst thing that happened was the forced haircut given to the driver whose 70s curly locks did not look right in a 1941 setting and he now looks very smart!!

My bus number (if any): RTL 960 RMC 1458 RM 1585 and several RTs

We at Scottish Travel are very particular of what our buses are hired out for, if we don't like what is happening , they don't go. Also on the subject of being greedy, that is what our RMLs were purchased for, not to sit up the back of the depot as ornaments or for people just to drop in for the quick photograph.We are very busy with our 4 RMLs into mid 2011, and long may it continue.I might add that no one outside this company gets driving our vehicles as they are well looked after and we don't want any Tom, Dick or Harry driving ours.

My bus number (if any): RML 891,RML2358,RML 2432 &RML 2697

Yes far better to send your own driver or do it yourself, but be prepared for some marathon hanging around..bored.

We did both.
I'm not against doing this, it is better for a vehicle in semi retirement to earn a bit of it's keep.
But it is also prudent to beware of the pitfalls and do as much as possible to prevent this by being absolutely sure in writing what they will do with it and so on

Here`s an example of one of many filming experiences I had whilst on LT.

Opening captions showing Londoners getting to work were needed for breakfast television when first trialled in London. Someone decided that the bus sequence would be given to Mortlake so that RM 1563 could be used along with Neil T and myself. December 21st 1981 and with the least daylight available we were required to be at St.John`s Wood at 9am. The taxi sequence had to be filmed first involving, of all things, a mock collision. So a car with front end damage and a taxi with rear end damage were pushed together. The `impact` noise was to be added later but for visual effect a `burst rad` with lots of steam was considered to be a good idea. This was done by boiling a kettle - the contents would then be thrown over the cold surfaces. As boiling water isn`t supposed to rush out of a kettle, the best efforts of the crew member involved only achieved scalding of his hand and a delay whilst a bucket was found instead.

Hot food and drinks from the catering truck were much appreciated in the cold as it was 2pm before we were called only to find that we were needed in Maida Vale!
At the chosen location we unloaded the dolly stop that we`d repainted the night before and left in the boiler house to dry. The director took one look at it and said that it looked unusually clean. Orders were given for it to be sprayed with liquid dirt for greater realism! I was concerned about likely damage from some overhanging branches. This was resolved with a ladder and saw. Several branches came off a tree in a private garden. Minutes later the director said he didn`t like this location so we all moved down the road leaving a pile of branches on the pavement!

The plot for the bus involved me driving at speed past a queue at a bus stop then reversing back to collect them. There was a convenient block to drive around in the expectation of this involving several `takes`. At the first attempt the queue had their backs to the approaching bus and thus didn`t react properly to it. Next time round they were facing the right way but surged forward obstructing the view of the director. Then there were problems with rapidly fading light and again with the queue breaking line and blocking the directors view. I was told to go faster and it was all going very wrong. By about the eighth take it was raining and freezing on the cold ground. I came belting up to the stop and as I braked the wheels locked. To get a better view Mr Director had put his chair right by the kerb edge. As the front wheel bumped the kerb the wheel trim caught the chair leg and tipped him out of it. Nearly a disaster. It frightened all of us - me especially. So no more high speed approaches and at the next take it all went ok. But now it was 4.30pm and dusk. The tube sequence still needed to be shot and would now have to be done on a Bakerloo Line train in the rush hour involving a `city gent` with bowler hat giving up his seat to a young `punk` girl. We left them to it and headed to the warmth of Westbourne Park canteen.
And the result of these farcical hours with the film crew? Three seconds on screen! Unbelievable.

Great story Neil. Thats probably why the licence fee costs so much and why small production companies have flourished in the intervening years.
I well remember "The Young Ones" episode Jack mentions. As a teenager I watched in stunned silence as the RM topples over the "CLIFF!" and is destroyed in the quarry. That was during the time when Buses magazine would list the latest scrapping casualties every month, long sad lists month after month. Mid eighties, and I never thought I would ever own one. Lets not forget that at that time, no-one really wanted the RMs and numbers were plentifull. Now they are not, most, and I include my own, are treated as something of a pampered family pet which are treated with reverence. Unfortunately most non enthusiasts do not share that reverence and they are "just an old bus". Filming uses a wealth of paraphernalia which gets carted, bumped and lugged around, aluminium chests, lighting rigs, tripods etc etc. Probably not a good idea to invite that lot aboard if you consider your bus "concours", but for a working bus which might reasonably expect scratches knocks, dents etc, then maybe it's for you. Don't be blinded by "the fee", "plus all expenses", "refreshements provided" and so on. We almost used 531 along with many other North West RMs a while back at Granada Studios in Manchester. The date was all set, time off work arranged, then nothing. Then a change of date at the last minute. Then changes of times. Then a change of plan to involve using "other vehicles" as well as the buses which would now be "in the background". (The original plan was to illustrate how much weight a group of fatties had lost by comparing them to Routemasters). We told them to stick it and stop messing us around.

As well as the filming casualties mentioned, what about the 2 RMs and a Bristol FLF destroyed filming "Jumper", RM destroyed for "Hollyoaks", RML destoyed for "Top Gear" DVD, 3 RMs destroyed for the "Carling Black Label" ad ("I bet he EATs Carling Black Label"), RM semi destroyed filming "28 days later", 4 RTs ruined to make the Harry Potter triple deckers, etc etc. But to balance that out, you could achieve your moment of fame, like the following nice adverts- 118 118, Tic Tacs, Nokia,(featuring a pretty lady pole dancing around the platform pole, which was banned!), the flu virus, Marks and Spencers, and so on. There needs to be a supply of suitable vehicles to ensure that our icons remain on film and TV, but at what cost to the vehicles and owners pockets?

My bus number (if any): RM531