I've always regarded 'Carry on at your Convenience' as one of the best in the series. Aside from being full to the brim with lavatorial humour it's also an interesting insight into what life was like back then as far as Unions and workers rights went. Brilliantly filmed at the Royal Doulton factory, a time when the British Potteries were thriving.As for the humour, it contains laugh after laugh, I think the latter part of the film is funnier, when they go on the works outing, the gang look like their having a marvellous time, and as viewers so do we. Kenneth Williams genuinely does steal the film with his W.C. Boggs, and it's the fortune telling scene with Sid and Joan that is the laugh out loud moment. His facial gestures and comical laughs are awesome, what a loss to comedy he was.Great to have all the cast there, it really did make a difference when the entire gang were available, missing of course was Barbara Windsor, but Jackie Piper is lovely as Myrtle.A box office failure, times were different back then, begs the question do Politics and comedy work? Years later the answer is definitely yes!!! It's one of the funniest, 9/10

There's trouble brewing at Wm.C. Boggs' lavatory factory, where work-to-rule union rep Vic Spanner (Kenneth Cope) seizes every opportunity to bring out the workers on strike (especially if the local football team is playing at home): unless foreman Sid Plummer (Sidney James) can keep production going, the factory may have to close for good.Times have changed a lot since the 1970s, the decade that saw Britain plagued by industrial action, and Carry On At Your Convenience's once topical 'union workers versus management' storyline now seems very dated. Even so, this film still delivers plenty of laughs thanks to spirited turns from most of the series' regulars (Babs Windsor is the only notable performer missing), lots of quality innuendo, and a script that wisely moves the action away from the shop floor, first to the Plummer home, where Hattie Jacques' budgie proves a winner at the gee-gees, and then to Brighton seafront for the factory's annual drunken day out.The team is on cracking form here, Sid James guffawing for all he's worth while patting lovely Joan Sims on the bum whenever possible, Kenneth Williams putting in a fun turn as factory owner Mr. Boggs, the unwilling subject of his secretary's amorous advances, and big lunk Bernard Bresslaw copping off with a busty blonde in Brighton. Best of all, as far as I am concerned, is the presence of top Carry On crumpet Jackie Piper as pretty tea girl Myrtle, who sports tiny blue hot-pants for the trip to the coast and briefly strips to her bra and knickers after marrying the boss's lucky son Lewis (Richard O'Callaghan).

'At Your Convienience' is unique in the annals of 'Carry On' history in that it has a political message. Writer Talbot Rothwell had a blinkered view of the British trade union movement, and this is reflected in his script which depicted union officials either as corrupt or stupid. It is set in a toilet factory owned by 'W.C. Boggs' ( Kenneth Williams ). The works foreman is 'Sid Plummer' ( Sid James, of course ), chief toilet designer is 'Charles Coote' ( Charles Hawtrey, in one of his last 'Carry On' roles ), and Boggs has a doting secretary in 'Miss Withering' ( Patsy Rowlands ). Shop steward 'Vic Spanner' ( Kenneth Cope ) brings the work force out when he finds that tea is not allowed to be drunk outside the canteen. The rule book quoting Spanner is like 'Fred Kite' of 'I'm All Right Jack', except that he is younger and has a domineering mother ( Renee Houston ) instead of a nagging wife. Vic is also unhappy because the lovely Myrtle Plummer ( the scrumptious Jacki Piper ), whom he has his eye on, is dating the boss' son 'Lewis' ( Richard O'Callaghan, making the best of a bad role ). Matters come to a head at the workers' annual outing in Brighton...'Convienience' was given short shrift by the public, not making its costs back until 1976! To add insult to injury, the film version of 'On The Buses' thumped it at the box office. Its been said that the blatant right wing content was chiefly to blame. When the Boulting Brothers made 'Jack', they at least made an attempt at balance by depicting the management as greedy buggers. Rothwell made no such effort. Some of the performers - such as O'Callaghan - were distinctly uncomfortable at this.On the plus side, the Brighton day out is a welcome change of pace after the union bashing nonsense, and Sid's impersonation of a gypsy fortune teller hilarious! Hattie Jacques is delightful as Sid's slovenly wife 'Beattie', who sits talking to a parrot all day ( there is a sub-plot about Joey accurately predicting the winners of horse races ). A touching scene occurs as Sid and Chloe Moore ( Joan Sims ) return home after the trip. She would love to ask him in for coffee, but is worried the neighbours might gossip. It is one of the best scenes in any 'Carry On', ending with Sid rasping: "Bloody neighbours!". The series got back on track that year with 'Carry On Matron', and continued for another seven years.Funniest moment - spotting Myrtle climbing into Mr.Lew's sports car, Vic says to his friend 'Bernie Hulke' ( Bernard Bresslaw ): "Follow that car!". Bernie races off on his motorbike, so fast he tears Vic's trousers off, leaving him standing in the middle of the street in his underpants! Finally, I want to comment on Mark Austin - you know, the award-winning I.T.V. anchorman ( shouldn't there be a 'W' in front of that last word? ) - and his outrageous claim in today's 'Sunday Mirror' that 'in the post-war period, the early Seventies to the early Eighties became the barometer for economic hardship, with three million unemployed.". Surely the '30's were far worse, Mark? Unemployment peaked at one and a half million in 1978. It hit three million in 1982. The myth that Margaret Thatcher made Britain great again is exactly that. Before we begin to worry about 'going back to the Seventies', we should first panic at the even more alarming prospect of being taken back to the Eighties.

Well the team have done it again haven't they! What ever possessed them to make a comedy film based around lavatories i'll never know but who cares? Carry On at your Convienience is packed full of fantastically funny gags, there's the usual cast all together causing mischief down in Brighton on the annual works outing: Sid James as foreman Sid Plummer, Hattie Jacques his wife Beattie Plummer, Kenneth Williams as W.C. Boggs, owner of the factory, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw Charles Hawtreyetc. They are joined by newcomers to the series: Richard O Callaghan, who plays Bogg's Son Mr Lewis, Jacki Piper who played Sid and Hattie's daughter Myrtle and of course leader of the strikes at W.C. Boggs & Sons, Kenneth Cope who plays Vic Spanner, they are supported by wonderful comedy actors such as: Renee Houston, Margaret Nolan etc.A wonderful carry On, ready for the next one, hopefully it will be just as funny so CARRY ON!*