21st ( -22nd) February 1959

(Leicester) Illustrated Chronicle
Oh Boy! Special

Route : at least reporting code M777 (outward)

    Notes :
(1) Newpaper organised special for 300 passengers to attend transmission of the Oh Boy! TV programme at the A.B.C. Television TV theatre (Hackney Empire). Tour participants were to see a pre-show 'warm up' as well as a chance after the show to meet the stars participating in the show. Bus transfer was included from St Pancras to the TV theatre as well as after the show, to the West End (from where passengers then made their own way back to St Pancras for the train home). The cast for the TV show on this day were advertised to be; Marty Wilde, Sallas Boys, Vernons Girls, Lord Rockingham's XI, Cherry Wainer, Neville Taylor and his Cutters, Rickie Henderson, Don Lang, Mike Preston, Jerry Dorsey and 'Cuddly' Dudley Heslop.
(2) Route & loco confirmation required - 44843 photographed on the train leaving Leicester on the outward leg, displaying reporting code M777 - were the loco and reporting code used throughout, on both legs? While the pre-tour advertising and also the TV Programme itself was 'Oh Boy!' (with exclamation mark), the headboard on this tour was clearly missing the exclamation mark i.e. 'Oh Boy Special'.

Source : John Stevenson

Timings (Advertised Only)
(from John Stevenson)

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