A Tribute to Douglas Simmonds
DOUGLAS SIMMONDS 1958 - 2011
Dave Anderson as asked me to put together a small tribute to a man we all knew and loved as Doughnut from Double Deckers, this man of course was Douglas
Simmonds.
I first got to know Doug about 2 1/2 years ago as a result of Facebook. I spent many evenings talking to Doug about Double Deckers, our childhoods, our adult lives and about issues affecting our private lives often into the early hours.
In June 2010 I was attending a fans Gathering of the 70s comedy "On The Buses". I managed to persuade Doug to attend and indeed he did. The Hammer Film versions and DD were both filmed in the Borehamwood area.
When Doug arrived he was mobbed by fans for autographs and pictures. He spent then spent ages talking to myself and Rob Hickey, a man who knows loads about many programmes filmed in the area including On The Buses and The Double Deckers.
We took Doug to a school in the area where one of the Double Deckers episodes was filmed and we spent sometime talking about DD. Doug actually claimed he didn't act, he just played himself.
Before leaving Doug gave me some Double Deckers memorabilia including a Song Sheet of the Theme Music and a Christmas Card from the show.
Following the meeting we stayed friends and on the 15th March the great... gentle man passed away at the young age of 52.
I cant say I knew him well but what I can say is I will treasure our meeting and our private conversations on
Facebook forever.
RIP Doug, sadly missed but remembered fondly by all his family, friends and Double Deckers Fans.
Gary Crossley
Doug first contacted me in 1995 when he introduced himself and expressed interest in the DD website I had started.
He sent me a box of photos he received from producer Roy Simpson to share with DD fans. He told me about some
special moments on the set of the DD including a surprise birthday party for him on the day they were filming the episode,
"Happy Haunting". As an adult he was very surprised by how many people still recognized him. I had a standing invitation to visit
him if I was ever in the London area. I would call Doug on his birthday but since I lived in the US I never had the honor of meeting him in person.
I am grateful for having had the opportunity of speaking with Doug on many occasions, hearing about what he was doing,
his hobbies and collections, and even receiving Christmas cards from him.
I still miss him.
Dave Anderson
If you have memories you would like to share about Doug,
please send to me at doubledeckers1@gmail.com and we will add to this page.
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