oh, Bucket!: Pronounced B-O-U-Q-U-E-T

Over the years a lot of locations were used - in Warwick, Northampton, Leamington Spa, even Benson. Indeed I'm not sure there was much done in Coventry apart from a couple of the house exteriors.

Doesn't seem silly to me ! and thought you might find this link helpful? http://findthatlocation.com/Television-Show/Keeping-Up-Appearances

hope it helps!
Sally

thank you for the responses all! judging by the posts, i may have to end up hiring a rental car.....very worried about that one though

See some British driving tips at http://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/driving-in-great-britain-and-ireland.

Jonathan, what are you confused about regarding the Oyster card?

Talisman Square in Kenilworth has been quite extensively renovated a couple of years ago. I don't know if you would recognise it.

There are a couple of buses from the centre of Coventry to Binley Woods although I don't know how close they get to the location. Binley Woods is an eastern suburb of Coventry, just west of the A46.

Mitchell Close, Onslow's house exterior, is easily accessible by bus.

Coventry is mostly an absolute toilet - it was absolutely flattened during WWII and the rebuilding inspired the famous British pop song "Ghost Town" by the Specials, have a look on Youtube. However, the ruins of the destroyed medieval cathedral and the new modern cathedral next door are well worth looking at. Also worth visiting if you have any interest in the subject is the Coventry Transport Museum - Coventry was a centre of the British car industry for much of the 20th century though not any more.

Jonathan,

I'm also a big fan of the show and wish they had made more episodes. It hasn't been aired in this area in awhile and I miss being able to see even the re-runs. I suspect there's not really a lot to see of the filming sites, but I'm sure just seeing them first-hand will be good. I think my favourite part of all the episodes is the phone booth scene in THIS episode which is at the 9M:30S mark, followed closely by "The Major" tripping on his seat belt and doing a header in THIS episode at the 26M mark.

Given your reticence towards a rental car, one method you might consider would be to travel from London to Coventry by train which should be fairly quick (I didn't check). Once in Coventry you could either.....

• use local Buses, Taxi or other public transportation.
• rent a car for the day which would probably help with getting to those sites that aren't well covered by public transit. Since your driving will be more limited, you may find that easier to manage (although in city traffic it could be challenging).
• try and find a local car hire service that would take you around to the various sites (have a list prepared with locations and addresses).

At the end of the day, return to London by train. With careful planning, it should be possible.

Jonathan, couldn't you perhaps ride one of Violet's ponies? Let's leave Bruce out of this one...Or perhaps Richard could drive you around. I'm quite sure he'd be ecstatic to get out of the house show you around.

RIP Rose, Dah-dee, and Onslow :-(

(And Mrs Councillor Nugent, if I'm not mistaken...)

I hope you can work this out! Go for all of us who cannot ;-) Please post on this thread when you return if you are able to see some sights!

Just one question, Jonathan - has this trip always been on your Bucket List?

And if Sheridan calls...don't send him any money! ;)

Now Rachel, you KNOW those needlework classes are expensive! Or perhaps Tarquin needs new silk pajamas...Jonathan, you'll just have to cut back on your waterside supper riparian entertainments if Sheridan needs money.

(Don't listen to Rachel - she's probably friends with Onslow or Rose...I'm quite certain she uses used electricity...)

As far as I'm aware,the show was originally supposed to be set on Northumberland Road in Leamington Spa, but it was too expensive, so they did a lot of filming around Newbold Comyn (a suburb of Leamington).

I grew up in and around Leamington, and maybe I'm being, uh, unfair on Coventry, but its... horrible.

Have fun but be sure to take care and mind the pedestrians on the pavement!

Jonathan,

A few further thoughts.....

Perhaps you could arrange for your wife to record a few key phrases to play while you're driving, such as "mind the pedestrian / cyclist Richard". She could also sit in the back seat with a cane like Mrs. Fortescue and give you a sound thump every so often.

(Hope you don't mind a bit of humour added to this thread). Not making fun of your questions, but anything concerning "the Bucket woman" elicits a bit of jocularity.

...and please take Richard out for a beer...or six.

[My iPad wallpaper is a freeze frame from the episode where Onslow takes Richard out for beer and pool - Richard has pushed up his sleeves, has a cigarette dangling from his mouth, and a cue stick in hand...and apparently a few under his belt......and Hyacinth volunteers to help clean the church... ;-) ]

Hi Everyone and thanks for your replies. I have to post this: my favorite episode is the Riparian Entertainments. I think one of the best lines are:

Hyacinth: ...because I have to issue invitations to my waterside supper with riparian entertainments.
Richard: oh you mean a riverside pick-nick?
Hyacinth: No!, I do not mean a riverside picknick, Richard. I mean: a waterside supper with riparian entertainments!

I believe that episode was filmed near Oxford if I am not mistaken....

At anyrate: I think we are changing where we are staying in London, found a hotel called Holiday Inn Express Swiss Cottage that has very good reviews and is outside the congestion zone [which was another concern of mine], so we may just end up renting a car for a day and go up to the West Midlands area....plus we would like to see Stonehenge as well, so I figured we can include that as well....

So I just thought of something, and let me know if anyone has done this before:

We are thinking of extending our tour from one week to two weeks, and visiting more of either the UK or France. Has anyone done this before: renting a car on the continent and taken it to the UK.

MY thought is: yes it is on the other side of the road, but at least, the drivers part is on something we are more familiar with...one less thing to worry about.

Thanks!

Jonathan,

We expect a full trip report when you return! I'm so excited about your trip I nearly dropped the Royal Doulton with the hand-painted periwinkles.

Here are the filming locations given on the website IMDB. These may help in your search for familiar places.
117 Heather Rd, Binley Woods, Coventry, Warwickshire, England, UK
(Hyacinth's House)

3 Michell Close, Stoke Aldermoor, Coventry, West Midlands, England, UK
(Daisy & Onslow's house) Note that another address is given, below, on Google Maps by another article about the show.

Weston Favell Shopping Centre, Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, UK
(For what episode or purpose, it doesn't say.)

Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, UK
(episode: Funfair)

Honington Hall, Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, England, UK

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, UK

Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, UK

In one show, the Buckets visit a hotel in Kenilworth, The Chesford Grange Hotel. (I'm thinking this may be the episode in which they test-drive a Rolls Royce, and Hyacinth directs Richard to drive to a fancy hotel where "all the best people" are having afternoon tea.)

From Google Maps, Onslow and Daisy's house at 12 Michell Close, Coventry, England:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.395698,-1.478173,3a,75y,84.84h,85t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sTJL5Bg1Q3t3m4d9enbxktg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

From Google Maps, Bucket House:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.392418,-1.415176,3a,75y,10.34h,87.77t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swCoIG_7BA38pdDzSlsHPQw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

My favorite Episode: Sea Fever. Hyacinth takes a cruise on the QE2. But then, to her horror, she discovers that Onslow and Daisy are also on board the ship.