“Wow some great pics! I love the dragon head – no idea what that was about! If you’ve got some fireshow pics I would love to see those. I have odd memories of the H&S guidance breaking epic that was – flaming dragons and cities on fire!!

As a little ’un tagging on to the Summer Celebrations I have amazing memories of these crazy summers. Best of all, being a boy, was being driven around in the bus and playing with the hydraulic doors! This bus picture brings back memories of Peter Chaplin making withy lanterns, Kevin Murphy with the hurdy-gurdy, BBQ Dave (never did know his last name) and a host of others running what have to have been the best in community arts events. The darkroom on the bus was inspired and always led to some great tape-slide shows on the Bell and Howell, accompanied by live music performances and some amazing shadow puppet shows.

The Jubilee crew were grounded enough realise that a barn dance and BBQ was a great way of engaging with some really tough groups and they all understood that whatever the outcome from the event there was always something to celebrate. Dad loved the connections that were made during these events and really worked hard to bring this ethos in to everything he went on to do over the years. My thinking and my future work will continue to be shaped by these summers – thanks!”

– Ben Stanley

This image is from the Kids Film Co-op programme in 1983, taken at Brades Rise, Oldbury. Tony Stanley (pictured) could make 1001 things from cardboard. In his student days in London he shared a flat with Malcom Mclaren but that’s another story… You can find more about the Kids Film Co-op in the project section of the site. His son, Ben Stanley was about nine years old when he helped out on the Bus projects. Today he is Director of Trilby Multimedia, a fine organisation in their own right.