I remain unconvinced that any truly great journey could end in Basildon, but thank you very much for bringing the possibility to my attention. Have a great week, Jon!

@MartinvonBargen

3 ай бұрын

You could always pop round to Beefy's house for a cuppa and a quick rave!

@popuptoaster

3 ай бұрын

Many a good night has been had in Bas Vegas. 🤔

@andrewdenby8239

3 ай бұрын

From one sh1thole to another...

@100tallpaul

3 ай бұрын

I work in Basildon and that's a far as it goes lol. It pays my mortgage so my road journey there every day does make Basildon good for at least something. Trying to think what else... 🤣

@Trebor74

3 ай бұрын

If you pop just down the road you can visit fobbing where the peasants revolt started. Also, you've got watt Tyler country park in pitsea where the peasants gathered.

JOHN - THAT GREEN RS MEXICO USED TO BE MINE!! My eyes nearly popped out of my head when i spotted it. 😃

@samholdsworth420

3 ай бұрын

Prove it

@stevekelly5166

3 ай бұрын

@@samholdsworth420Do one.

@samholdsworth420

3 ай бұрын

@@stevekelly5166 nou

@CycolacFan

3 ай бұрын

Was it stolen at some point…?

@MichaelFlatman

3 ай бұрын

link some photos of it here

I use this channel to take in 'Vitamin UK' - an essential compound for British people who live 'abroad', composed of subtle grumbling, irony and sarcasm. Thank you for your service 🙏

@Ashystar067

3 ай бұрын

I've been experiencing symptoms of a heavy Vitamin UK deficiency - chiefly homesickness and begrudged adjustment - so here I am. Nice term 💕 🇬🇧

@774Rob

3 ай бұрын

@@Ashystar067 Have a look at the politics channels, you'll soon be cured of your deficiency.

@Original50

3 ай бұрын

@@Ashystar067 It also helps to have a reliable source of cider and cheese & onion pasties... ☺

@eddiewillers1

3 ай бұрын

I don't always go to John for my dose of 'Vitamin UK' (Jago Hazzard seems to hit the spot much better), but when I do it's very interesting.

@godzillas6301

3 ай бұрын

Love the concept of a vitamin uk however living on the doorstep of nuneaton means unless its deep fried , placed into a paper bag and served to ford focus with a space saver fitted through a window its not going to be popular around here .

0:29 'Only Joking, he's not gonna turn up' .... Now look what you've done, I've blurted coffee across my keyboard again ...!

"The Harlow we all know and tolerate..." It's quips like these that keeps me coming back here.

That wooden church is the building equivalent of Trigger’s broom.

As a Southend resident, I’m very satisfied with the time of day you didn’t give it 😂

"It's said Harlow has some of the most extensive cycleways in the country - but I don't care". That made me LOL

@RedKnight-fn6jr

3 ай бұрын

Brilliant Statement - indeed, who cares about cycling???

@MikeAger

3 ай бұрын

What like this one?? wcc.crankfoot.xyz/facility-of-the-month/September2007.htm

@MikeAger

3 ай бұрын

Yes, that was Harlow!!

@a1white

Ай бұрын

@@RedKnight-fn6jrif you drive you should, it means they’re much less likely to be in front of you on the road

@RedKnight-fn6jr

Ай бұрын

@@a1white I'm mostly driving on motorways, so no cyclists to worry about! The more motorways, the better!

As a resident of Harlow I feel the the derogatory way that you spoke of my birth place and the people of the greater area of Essex to be truly spot on , keep up the good work,

@AutoShenanigans

3 ай бұрын

hehehe :D Stereotypes are fun, thanks for watching

The only man who can make the arse end of the UK truly interesting , that is a special talent indeed 😁👍

@pigeonpoo1823

3 ай бұрын

😂 can't wait til he goes to Millom

@AdrianDowthwaite

3 ай бұрын

Too right, it's strangle adicitive with Jon's sarcastic humour.

Ahhh, North Weald. Back in the day when I was a teenager, on very rainy night, my girlfriend and I were...enjoying the night air...so to speak, in the front of my MK1 transit van, which, handily, had a full width bench front seat, it also had sliding doors which leaked horribly. As we were engrossed in stuff, my girlfriend noticed a torch light reflecting in the wing mirror, we were parked off the road in a farm track. As the light got closer we gathered ourselves together, just in time for the lamp to shine in through the drivers door window. It was a very wet, very pissed off police constable. I slid my door open with a cheerful, "Evening constable", he shone his torch about the cab and at my girlfriend. He asked, in a very bored voice, "What are you two doing here?", I started to mumble a reply when he then said, "I know what you're doing here, but whyy...are you doing it here ?", I again mumbled a poor excuse about nice countryside and views.. He simply said, "Not in my patrol area, zip up your pants, and you, (referring to my girlfriend who by now had gone very red), straighten you clothes and both of you F~~k off" He splooshed his way back to his Panda car and drove off.

@rogersimmons8788

3 ай бұрын

I doubt he used the word 'pants'.

@downundarob

3 ай бұрын

and as the total gentleman that you are you have not mentioned her name, well done..

@EdwardKane-pb5rj

3 ай бұрын

​@@downundarob at a guess Sharon? Maybe Tracy?

@Dan23_7

3 ай бұрын

So what was you doing ? 😂

@S.ASmith

3 ай бұрын

@@Dan23_7 His partner was a seamstress & he was showing her some of the repair work that he needed doing on his trousers. The constable, no doubt wearing old and crusty police uniform, was likely rather peeved off he was getting free tailoring and clothing advice from someone specialised in the field. Her clothing was about the place a bit as she was showing this fine gentleman the work she'd carried out on her clothes.

The original Ford EV looked wicked, sweet, awesome.

Auto Shenanigans, rapidly becoming the 21st century's version of Pevsner! Awesome.

I visited one of the Nuclear bunkers before it was decommissioned. 100% agree about small family cars rather than SUV as EV.

@stuartd9741

3 ай бұрын

So that means you were a secret agent perhaps 002 or something?🙂 .. Well If the bunker wasn't decommissioned when you visited it must have been active....?

@Dan23_7

3 ай бұрын

There’s one near Preston, at a place called Goosnargh.

@pigeonpoo1823

3 ай бұрын

​@@Dan23_7no way. I go past there quite often. Is it accessible to nosy little gits?😂 Looks like it's on the main road as well. Not quite as glamorous, but I live on an abandoned ww2 oil depot. It's a housing dev, not just me and my pikey mates

@sputumtube

3 ай бұрын

@@Dan23_7 There's another near me here in Cheshire called Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker (clearly signposted to maintain its secrecy). Not far from Nantwich. Twenty years it was £3.30 to visit. I went again about five years ago and it had increased to over £15. I laughed in their faces of course and walked away.

@Dan23_7

3 ай бұрын

@@pigeonpoo1823 Yes you can see through the fence. It’s on Whittingham lane.

"the stunning Harlow" 😂😂😂

@sixfootbear

3 ай бұрын

"My name is Garbo.The T is silent as is the T in Harlow." sigh...One of my favourite put down lines..Greta Garbo to Jean Harlow..

@eastcoast4233

3 ай бұрын

Tolerate lol

A vintage episode! Brilliantly sardonic and sarcastic today.

Hilarious! John has the sarcasm dial turned up to nuke in this video! With comments like, "the Harlow we know today and tolerate....", and "after the small disagreement of 1939 to 1945...." Wicked good video, John!

I didn’t expect to see my house on KZread today, but I did!

My husband tells me of a job interview that he had in Basildon about 30 years ago. Being a northerner and having all sort of negative ideas about Basildon and it's people, he wasn't too keen on going there. However, once there, he said he found the people some of the friendliest and nicest people he could want to meet. He still regrets not getting the job!

8:59 - I can tell you exactly why we miss Little Chef, John... it's because the Olympic Breakfasts were undeniably fucking awesome! I've lived in The Colonies for over 20 years, but I still lovingly recall hoeing into one of those proper full English extravaganzas... Man, I really miss Little Chef...❤...😂👍🇦🇺

I commuted from Stansted to Brentwood. Once leaving Chipping Ongar the bottom water hose detached from my car and I had to pull into the bunker entrance. The AA call centre didn’t believe me when I said I was located at the entrance of the Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker 😂. The on road mechanic did.

The best thing out of Basildon is Depeche Mode.

@Phuc_Yhou

3 ай бұрын

Terry Marsh 👊

@stuartd9741

3 ай бұрын

I was gonna say this! Beat me to it...😭

@david_harvey

3 ай бұрын

Err second best. Yahoo were better!

@liamdormon7822

3 ай бұрын

I think you'll find the best thing in Basildon is the way out.

@DavidHalfordsLane

3 ай бұрын

@@david_harveyWas that the band after Yazoo folded………..🤪

Thanks for covering home in such a sensitive and engaging way John....

10:15 Loving the reference to the ST220 for obvious reasons 😁

@TheGhiaDriver

3 ай бұрын

I fear I've missed something here...

I have to admit, my first instinct was the Epping Ongar Railway sign.

7:37-8:12 The County Lunatic Asylum has always been housing. You just needed to be crazy to live there.

@90vanman

3 ай бұрын

One of its famous residents is russell brands mum, and occasionally he himself. Always thought that was very apt for both of them!!

Fun fact the vast majority of New Holland tractors are assembled in Basildon with New Holland veing a company that used to be run by Ford which is probably why the assembly plant is in a similar area to the Ford site.

@Superstar11313

3 ай бұрын

I was left thinking "What?! No tractor plant? Also think he drove right past the old Ford offices in Warley too - if you know, you know!

Soz Jon but Canvey never had an oil refinery it got stopped from being built on safety grounds. It did however havd somethjnv famous about the part built refinery, Fred Dibnar was hired by Safeway Supermarkets to blow up the chimney, which on his first attempt failed! Aso did you not notice the mire interesting road sign error in Ongar? Above secret nuclear bunker it says Industrail Estate instead of Industrial Estate! A bit like the Nicholas Valeting Centre between the A128 and Dunton junctions on the A127, where it reads Nicholas Valentine Centre!😂

Great British Road Journeys would be a interesting KZread playlist to put on repeat

That SECRET NUCLEAR BUNKER is one of my most favorite things ever.

He is a fact I was told years ago, no idea if it’s true. The bridge at the bottom of Ongar high street was built slightly wider to accommodate the crossing of communication cables for the secret nuclear bunker over the river.

Like Iggy Pop sang in The Passenger: I see the stars come out tonight Yeah they're bright in the Harlow sky

Description of Essex was spot on 😂

"He's not going to turn up." 🤣🤣

Ah Harlow New Town, of which Genesis reference in the song "Get Em Out By Friday". Also the road in the middle of the roundabout at Junction 7 of the M11, was for many years a Police / Council Weighbridge. For many years upon entering Harlow, you would be met with a green sign stating how Harlow was a Nuclear Free Zone... which was amusing when the Army's Nuclear convoy would park on that weighbridge over night ha ha ha ha.

There were 4 or 5 ‘Garys & Daves’ in our boozer, I recall … Gary the scar, Gazza, Gary the Gas & Black Gary … Dave chef, Dave the gardener, (Dave) Rosie & a golden retriever, called Dave.

Motorists should be the biggest proponents for proper, viable, segregated foot paths and cycle ways (along with affordable and usable public transport) - many, many people would love a viable alternative to car use, and if they had it, there would be less traffic on the roads, so people that do need to use cars and vans etc. would have a better time doing so... it's not really that complicated.

@Gordanovich02

3 ай бұрын

I'm all for well-designed and (crucially) well-maintained segregated footpaths and cycleways. But how much of our infrastructure could actually be said to fulfil those criteria? A bit of green paint and some blocks for you to trip over ain't it. NCN Route 75 runs past my house but bits of it are in abysmal condition these days, especially the section south of Blackridge railway station which is effectively abandoned.

@The_BenboBaggins

3 ай бұрын

@@Gordanovich02 that's my point though, paint isn't infrastructure! We need to do what people like the Dutch did, and completely redesign our roads! We can do it for round abouts and motorways, so we can do it for active travel and public transport. All that's required is some political will, and the discipline to spend tax money appropriately, rather than funnelling it in to their mates pockets through dodgy contracts etc...

@johnbuyers8095

3 ай бұрын

I think that if a cycleway has been provided, cyclists should be made to use them by law. Why should tax paying motorists have to share the road with doddering muppets on bikes if they have their own lanes?

@The_BenboBaggins

3 ай бұрын

@@johnbuyers8095 Absolutely not. The roads are for all users, plus the taxes associated with motoring don't even come close to covering the costs of road building and repairs - the majority of that is paid through council tax and general taxation that is born by everybody, whether they drive a car or not.

Congrats on the MOT pass for the Saab

I’m only five minutes into this exciting episode, and I get the distinct impression John might have been having a bit of a crappy day making this video.

Brilliant as usual. Looking forward to you coming to Yorkshire.

Hi Jon I love your Auto Shenanigans podcasts this latest series is fab. Thanks

Condolences for beginning in Harlow and ending in Basildon

A fair few "Secret Nuclear Bunkers" across the country, when I first saw your thumbnail I initially thought you were in the Cheshire/Nantwich area.

@ehsnils

3 ай бұрын

The real trick is to make some of them actually contain a really secret area because who would believe that it would be right under the nose of a tourist attraction?

@JohnSmithShields

3 ай бұрын

The secret is to get the real bunker, you really turn right.

@A_p_T53040

3 ай бұрын

Went to one at Withernsea near hull, the entrance looks exactly the same.

Riding that route on a 1949 RT is one of my life pleasures.

@PopeLando

2 ай бұрын

BTW that's an old bus, not some kind of classic motorbike, if people didn't know.

Thank you John. I enjoyed the program. And learned a lot. Please do more like this. -a loyal viewer in America

4:45 Fun fact I like to call the Epping and Ongar railway the Brazzers railway instead because some sort of pornographical film was filmed in Ongar station a few years ago. No idea what the plot or premise is but it's a funny little factoid.

'Get rid of those SUV's.' Wise words. Wise words indeed!

"The stunning Harlow..." As said by nobody, ever. You're the first, Jon. Revel in that thought for a femtosecond or two. Most prople go through Harlow on the way to somewhere nicer. 🤔 😆😆😆 My Paternal grandparents lived in Chipping Ongar, as did Hattie Jacques off of off've the 'Carry On' movies. The only thing I can think Basildon is famous for, is being the place from where Depeche Mode came from.

Love these, the highlight of my week

Worlds first Mini Roundabout is located between three pubs near Benfleet station

Most good road journeys begin by exiting Basildon. Although if the other end is going to be Harlow, I don't envy the choices you had to make!

I enjoy touring the UK on my motorbike. Like others I have spotted Secret Nuclear Bunker signs in several different locations and always wondered; Had Russia rained nuclear weapons down on the UK and all the senior military personnel , politicians and civil servants survived the onslaught safe in their secret nuclear bunkers. Just who exactly were they expecting to govern once they emerged? Loving the series... even Harlow and Basildon.

I always lolz at the “small disagreement of 1939-1945”.

Basildon's claim to fame is the hometown of band Depeche Mode 😊❤

The best TV programme not on TV. In Jon’s immortal words “wicked, sweet, awesome”. 👏👏👍😀 Now I have the urge to visit the Secret Nuclear Bunker 🤫

9:56 Based John, too bloody right, we don't need big SUVs we need smaller and more practical cars.

Kelvedon Hatch is my favourite place in the world! Fascinating place!

Best intro yet, made me snort tea through my nose. Keep up the good work.

Actually, Basildon was inhabited before the new town, though it may not have been called that. The whole area or Laindon/Basildon/Pitsea consisted of what we now call 'Plotlands' - farmland sold off in little plots after the 1st world war for people to build their own houses on. The plots were mostly bought by working class Londoners as there was a housing shortage in East London. The houses ranged from shacks and old railway carriages up to pretty standard bungalows. The roads weren't paved and there wasn't much in the way of drainage or sewarage.... The middle classes utterly hated the idea of working class people doing things for themselves! The plots were almost all bought up and redeveloped into Basildon New Town in the 60s. There are one or two odd houses from that area left on the fringes - you actually passed the Plotlands trail near Dunton, which is an area of plotlands that is preserved with one remaining bungalow as a museum. I find it the spookiest place I've ever visited!!!

Greetings from the new town of Redditch. Or 'Ditch' as we residents lovingly refer to it.

North Weald was a legendary Battle of Britain fighter station , just thought you ought to know. One Ford you didn’t mention was the Capri : surely the car of choice for archetypal Essex Man . Loved the jazz piano music.

@CycolacFan

3 ай бұрын

Majority of Capris were built in Germany I believe…?

I still think old churches are fascinating. I'm not religious at all but I love the history and the architecture.

Similar story I read about old roundabouts on the A12 through London. These were build slightly oval to force traffic to slow down as they entered and a straighter exit to enable a faster exit. Again the design was taken directly from the continent which resulted in faster entry and slower exit. They realised this error when there were more accidents than on circular roundabouts. 🤔

liking this new series, as as for little chef it was the breakfasts or the tea cakes when on a journey or hung over. that's what i miss anyway. it was friendly signage and colour scheme. it was like losing a friend with them all closed, also far superior to the unhappy vomiter chain.

Am aiming for an anorak award here: Canvey no longer has an oil refinery but has an oil storage depot.

2:29 “and i don’t care” this is one of the quips that made me a subscriber as soon as i saw a short randomly some time ago 😂😂😂

@AutoShenanigans

2 ай бұрын

Nice one, thanks for watching!

Thanks mate, really enjoying reliving the journeys of my youth, from the comfort of my settee. Best wishes, Rob

Just wanna say that my temper has been an issue for me recently, and your reaction at the end, though not overt, helped remind me that there's also nothing wrong with being frustrated by things, so thank you

For anyone interested in architecture story behind the "new towns" like Harlow, Welyn, Letchworth etc I highly recommend the book "Concretopia"!

I remember the huge array of aerials near North Weald. It's also home to the rather obvious airfield, still in use, and the Epping Ongar Railway, a heritage railway between, you'll never guess where. Warley hospital was known as the nut house when I was a kid and at school any stupid kids were said to have escaped from there.

@antonycharnock2993

3 ай бұрын

There was a similar mental hospital in Sheffield called Middlewood which has also been converted to housing. When I was driving my mum nuts as a kid she would say you'll send me to Middlewood.

@noggintube

3 ай бұрын

Yeah I was surprised the airfield wasn't mentioned. The little memorial museum is a good visit and it played a big part in WWII. Saw the final flight of the Vulcan bomber there when it did it's country wide final trip.

@ukar69

3 ай бұрын

@@noggintubeI was there for the Vulcan as well. I remember the airshows back in the day. Flew out of there a few times as well.

John,your sarcasm is top tier!

Just love the flat sarcasm. The very British way of explaining why things are so crap. You remind me of Jack Dee.

You never disappoint this old guy in Virginia in the States. Good job!

LOL Perfect out-take in the outro. Cold wet and miserable as I watch, in keeping with the filming conditions. You never get this realism from Hollywood.

I'm enjoying the new series, Many thanks.😀

@AutoShenanigans

3 ай бұрын

Thanks a lot mate, appreciate that!

Brilliant start with about half a dozen put downs of Essex stereotypes ending in Harlow ‘stupid choice because it’s Harlow’. Excellent

Totally agree with your view on the likes of big SUV type cars doing 0-60 in 2 seconds as being totally and completely pointless. Funny how nearly any car and road enthusiast feels the same way lol

@sixfootbear

3 ай бұрын

That little Citroen plastic machine would be ideal if only it wasn't a Citroen..

@stuartd9741

3 ай бұрын

​hay let's not knock Citroen. They introduced front wheel drive a loooong way back. And also they built the DS very stylish. let's also not forget the superb hydraulic suspension.. Obviously couldn't care less about the modern stuff...pos...

@pigeonpoo1823

3 ай бұрын

I like the Dacia Spring. 900kg EV. I'd tax cars based on weight. Then we could have small fun EVs that could genuinely claim to be helping with sustainability!

Little Chef: We miss the pancakes!

@johnf5817

3 ай бұрын

The Olympic Breakfast was always the highlight of the last day of a caravanning holiday, preferably at the start of the journey home.

Basildon is/was the home of Gilbarco - maker of petrol pumps. (interesting company to work for). Talking of interesting, the Secret Nuclear Bunker looks virtually identical (above ground anyway) to the one in Fife (which is miles from anywhere of note).

@david_harvey

3 ай бұрын

Was. They just repair them now. The old factory was flattened and is now a retail park

@Exparcelman

3 ай бұрын

The farm bungalows that guard the bunkers were built to a standard design.

Thanks

@AutoShenanigans

2 ай бұрын

Thanks a lot :) Really appreciate that

Stopping to look at what ever the hell I want to look at!

....I don't care......... can't be bothered......... sums Harlow up really 😂

I do not the age of your book but the A414 between Harlow and Chelmsford had a completely different route from today. “The original A414 road bypassed Harlow to the north, travelling through High Wych on what is now an unclassified road, and travelling through Sawbridgeworth to meet what is now the A1060 at Hatfield Heath, which it followed through to Chelmsford. In Chelmsford itself, the road numbers have been subject to change several times over the last three or four decades, with the A12, A130 and A414 having been rerouted many times over that period.”

I remember studying Harlow in primary school Geography when we were learning about maps. I think that kicked off my interest in maps.

Exactly 4 months ago, I was staying at the hotel behind the Starbucks just off Southend Arterial Road(A127)!

Wow that took me back, the entrance to Warley hospital no less where I did my nurse (and alcoholism) training late 80's

Stunningly high level of content as always

Ah the A12 between Chelmsford and Ingatestone, 40 years ago as a young lad I always wondered why did this road open up to a 3 lane 2 mile highway before closing down again. My dad used to really put his foot down, it was a local spot to see just how fast your car can go. Now I know the reason why, has to be some prep for the anticipated M12 ! And to this day that stretch of road promises greater things, never achieved, before you slow down on the Ingatestone bypass never to return to such giddy heights before the M25 !

Living in Harlow for the past 10 years, you soon realize that the local council love cycle lanes and spend a small fortune on them, thing is, they are barely ever used but that does not stop them building more of them. Also, Kelvendon Hatch bunker was going to be used by Thatcher to hide away had the coal miners strike got worse.

@AnotherPointOfView944

3 ай бұрын

I lived in Harlow for 2.5 years: 2.5 years in dank greyness, and finally escaped. You: 10 years? How have you managed to not gnaw your own foot off?

@B3tanTyronne

3 ай бұрын

@@AnotherPointOfView944 For most of it I was working nights so thankfully never got to experience the utterly grey skyline....now I work during the day and the bleak,dirty greyness might have something to do with my increasing booze intake.

As a south Essex man originally, this is all great stuff. Cheers John, looking forward to the rest of the series. Oh yeah and at school we used to use the word "Warley" (mental hospital) as an insult - as in "Don't be an idiot, you effin Warley!"

Great to see you put South Essex on the map!!

4:47 That particular “Secret Nuclear Bunker” was, I gather, a control centre that has a nice little detached cottage on the top, & you access the bunker from inside said cottage which was actually the guard house but at the time you’d never have known. It is, I believe, kind of a museum.

@noggintube

3 ай бұрын

There's a tunnel entrance that goes to a canteen/gift shop area. It's a very quirky place and a good visit. Been a few times now over the years as live pretty close

Kelvedon Hatch is fascinating and disturbing in one go. Apparently, the central line underground to Ongar station closed when the bunker closed as it was the emergency route that civil servants and ministers would have taken so to lead the nation during any nuclear attack. I stand to be corrected if anyone knows better.

@paulketchupwitheverything767

3 ай бұрын

There might have been post-nuclear social breakdown as a result of engineering work, industrial action or leaves on the line.

@noggintube

3 ай бұрын

Probably coincidence as the central line is still a fair distance from the bunker - far enough you'd have to drive and then seeing as you're in the car anyway may as well carry on to a better station as that section of track is only single track which means long waits between trains.

I remember when I was a kid (probably about 1985) that that Little Chef at the A127/A128 junction was the site of one of the first Travelodges. At that time they were all located next to Little Chefs and, if I remember rightly, they opened just five in the first batch including that one at the Halfway House junction.

I'm sure that bunker turned up in one of these haunted programmes and produced the goods. There's quite a lot of secret bunkers. Costorphine Hill in Edinburgh was turned into quite a big one- I'd like to know more about that, as it may have been for government and/or officials but presumably the rest of us evaporated. Extensive cycle lanes are OK but they've got to work and be measured in terms of getting around places with a lot of traffic and people- big busy places.

I remember my days back in Nahm. Dagenham that is. I served my apprenticeship at Fords. Dunton was the equivalent to Ford's as the SAS is to the army.

There’s probably more, but there’s another “Secret” Bunker just outside of St. Andrews in Fife. A secret bunker with a sign pointing to it was a story for Colonel Clott for the Dandy Annual recently, which the artist thought he invented, until I told him that they do actually exist. I think I might’ve ruined his day saying that, but the comic strip was still hilarious. Yes, Dandy annuals still exist, so does Beano. Buy one, it’ll cheer you up.

I once did a 4 day Lan party at the secret Nuclear bunker, went with a friend and our PC's, this would be early/mid 2000, my friend cracked after 2 days of sleep deprevation and being sustained only by energy drinks and went home, while I made it the whole distance I have no real memory of anything that occurred after late day 2, I know we crashed a Counter Strike server and there was a pretty large nerf gun fight, I think I may of got lost and have a vague memory of only finding the bunks on day 3, beyond that it's a blur of caffeine and simulated violence... awesome weekend 😂

When they were little I took my nieces to the secret nuclear bunker at Hack Green in Cheshire. I didn’t tell them where we were going, I said it was a secret. The eldest got it when she saw the first road sign. “Where we’re going is a secret. A secret nuclear bunker.” The Hack Green bunker is cunningly disguised as a windowless concrete bunker with a large rotating radar dish next to it. The plan must have been to make it look so much like a bunker that it couldn’t possibly be one.

Missed opportunity not popping into Epping