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Started: 7th Aug 1971 - No.31
Replacing:
Ended: 4th May 1974 - No.17
Replaced by:
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PART 2
“All at sea”
20/5/72 -
No.21 to 3/6/72 - No.23
It's the day of the
annual outing to Yarmouth. Stan and Jack sneak away from the rest,
intending to avoid Blakey's organised beach games, but are are stopped by
a lifeguard who warns them that the sands they've just come from will soon
be cut off and submerged by the high tide. Stan and Jack help rescue the
other crews, but all they can find of Blakey is his clipboard!
“Stars
in her eyes”
10/6/72 - No.24 to 17/6/72 - No.25
Olive has been offered
a part in a TV film. Hoping she might be able to keep the whole family in
luxury, Stan hires a Rolls Royce to drive her to the studio and writes a
letter of resignation to the Luxton Bus Company. But is Olive really about
to become a star?
“A
friend in need...”
24/6/72 - No.26 to 15/7/72 - No.29
Stan's chances of
winning the 'Driver of the Year' competition are scuppered when a
passenger intends to make a complaint about him. The only way to prevent
the complaint reaching Blakey's ears is for Jack to pose as the inspector
when the irate passenger arrives at the depot.
“A
'fete' worse than death”
22/7/72 - No.30 to 5/8/72 - No.32
Stan drives a party of
schoolgirls to a fete. When thieves steal the fete takings there appears
to be nothing that can be done - until one of the girls suggests they give
chase in Stan's bus.
“Disco
driver”
12/8/72 - No.33 to 26/8/72 - No.35
Takings are down, so
Stan comes up with the idea of converting the depot's museum-piece bus,
'Mabel', into a mobile discotheque. It attracts the local bikers, but then
a group of bovver boys board the bus looking for a fight.
“Bad day
for Blakey”
2/9/72 - No.36 to 16/9/72 - No.38
Stan sprains his ankle
at a time when the depot is short of drivers, so the superintendent sends
Blakey out as a driver, leaving Stan to watch the office. Returning from
his route, the Blakey writes off three buses when he tries to park between
two others, and is suspended.
“All you
can eat”
23/9/72 - No.39
to 7/10/72 - No.41
Blakey wants the his team to win the tug-of-war match against the North
Street depot, no matter what the cost. Stan is to be the 'anchor-man',
which means he'll have to weigh at least fourteen stone by the end of the
week.
“Historical
hysterics”
14/10/72 - No.42 to 11/11/72 - No.46
Removing a tree stump
in preparation for the 'Best Garden' competition, Stan finds what he
thinks is an unexploded bomb from WWII. It is shown to be an upended bath,
but something else has been revealed: an ancient sword. How is he going to
win the competition if his garden is turned into an archaeological dig
site?
“Who
wants to be a millionaire?...”
18/11/72 - No.47 to 2/12/72 - No.49
Stan and Jack have to drive a party of American millionaires round town,
so they decide to act like gentlemen in the hopes of getting an enormous
tip. But Stan gets fed up with their moaning, ends the tour and parks the
bus outside a fish and chip shop. Have the tourists really got something
to moan about now?
“Scrooged”
9/12/72 - No.50 to 23/12/72 - No.52
Stan arranges the depot Christmas party, but then Blakey cancels it...or
does he?
“Made to
be broken”
30/12/72 - No.1
Blakey's New Year's resolution is to be nice to Stan for the whole of
1973. To win a bet, Stan sets out to make the inspector break it
within twenty four hours.
“Diamonds aren't a cabbies best friend”
6/1/73 - No.2 to 27/1/73 - No.5
The Luxton Bus Company is looking into running day trips to Boulogne and
Stan is to be the driver for the trial. On arrival in France, customs
officers find a bad of uncut diamonds in Stan's cab, and he's arrested for
smuggling.
“I Spy”
3/2/73 - No.6 to 24/2/73 - No.9
Jack finds a Greek or Russian chocolate bar wrapper with
what appears to be a formula penned on the back, and thinks the two men
who left it must be spies. Blakey dismisses the idea, but later the men
return and kidnap Jack. The same men are waiting for Stan when he walks
home. His only chance is to try to give them the slip.
(note:
interview with Stephen Lewis in No.8)
“Seeing Double”
3/3/73 -
No.10 to 24/3/73 - No.13
Despite his pleas of innocence, Blakey is arrested for
committing a jewel robbery. But if Blakey is in prison, why does he appear
to be one of the passengers on Stan's bus?
(This is the last story to include Stan)
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