The coach that is bringing joy to thousands of Neighbours fans up and down the nation. This Mercedes Tourismo of Your Coach Hire (YCH) based in Wokingham, believed to be BV71HZL, is seen outside the London Palladium, where the Neighbours Celebration Tour show played to sell out audiences for two nights. For Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson) and Annie Jones (Jane Harris) it was a return to the Palladium Stage, last appearing with other cast members for the 1988 Royal Variety Performance. The Queen Mother, in particular, was a big Neighbours fan, having episodes specially flown in from Australia. Joining Stefan and Jane on the tour are Alan Fletcher (Dr Kennedy), Jackie Woodburn (Susan Kennedy), Ryan Moloney (Toadie) and April Rose Pengilly (Chloe Brennan). The tour kicked off on March 1st in Belfast and has been playing to full houses at major venues in Manchester (two nights), Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Cardiff and Brighton with Southampton, Bath, Nottingham and another Palladium night still to come this week. Alan Fletcher will stay on until April 9th promoting his new album "The Point" playing in Sussex, Oxted, London, Selby, Settle, Newcastle, Worcester, Leamington Spa, Bury, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Leicester. So if you missed him at SHOWBUS5O there is plenty of opportunity. The show was originally planned as a one off to celebrate the show's 35th anniversary in 2020 - Covid intervened. With the show being cancelled in 2022, an expanded "Farewell Tour" was planned, but with Amazon Freevee giving the show a reprieve - just like a soap opera plot - the tour has been renamed the "Celebration Tour". Saturday 18th March is in fact the show's 38th anniversary. Thanks to regular contributor Paul McSherry for our Palladium pictures.
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