Geoff Buckingham, wrote and produced in 2022 ‘A Tram Stop In Hounslow’ to sell out audiences at the Steam Museum.
This is a wonderfully imaginative dramatisation of the events on those fateful days in October 1889, based on newspaper reports of the time,
This was the time when the Brentford Rowing Club committee decided to form a football club using the round ball, and they decided to call that club, “Brentford Football Club.”
What would they say if we could only talk to them now?
In a recent interview, Geoff said,” I had long been fascinated about the founding of our club, and the history of our town, and I decided it was about time a play was written about the events. I received some great encouragement from a number of Bees supporters, including Paul Briers, Keith McInnes, Dave Lane and Karen Reader. The more I studied the subject, the more I was fascinated by the stories behind the characters involved and the issues that they must have faced and what life must have been like for the people of Brentford at that time. I recognised the debt we owed to those public-spirited founders. It was they who decided that this working class town really needed a senior Association Football club.”
Geoff added, “I tried to convey what may have gone on during their committee meetings, although I did add a bit of Bees humour and football satire and a few surprises, including that it so nearly became a rugby club!! I was lucky enough to get a super group of actors, from the Riverside Players of Sunbury, and the backing of The London Museum of Water & Steam who provided our ‘set’. We performed a ‘radio’ style play to sell out audiences in March 2022 and all of this was within a goal kick away from the very spot, thr Oxford and Cambridge hotel, where the Club was founded. It was a very enjoyable and fulfilling way to raise funds for the Museum.”
Watch the play on Bees United YouTube A Tram Stop in Hounslow
The event was professionally filmed by Bob Simpson, and supporters can purchase a nicely presented souvenir dvd of the event directly from him at; bobsimpsonmaidenhead@btinternet.com ‘
Here is a previous article by Geoff we published back in 2022!
THE PLAY ABOUT THE BEES THAT GEOFF WROTE