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The 40th anniversary of cult TV series Dad's Army was celebrated with a weekend of themed events in Thetford - the Norfolk town where many of the wartime comedy's outdoor scenes were filmed.

Three of the programme's stars, Ian Lavender, who played Private Pike, Bill Pertwee, who starred as Warden Hodges, and Colin Bean, who played Private Sponge, were in the town over the last weekend in July, 2008.

The show's co-writer David Croft - who penned the hit series with Jim Perry - was also there to meet visitors to the festival.

Nine-year run

Although the first programme was aired on 31 July 1968, the series' gentle sense of humour has endured with its popularity showing no signs of waning.

The comic antics of the Walmington-on-Sea's Home Guard platoon ran on ´óÏó´«Ã½ ONE for 80 episodes until 1977.

Event organisers say around 5,000 people from across the country descended on Thetford for the 40th anniversary celebrations, organised by the Friends Of Thetford's Dad's Army Museum, which opened on Cage Lane at the end of last year.

One of the festival's most eye-catching events was a grand parade through the town.

Starting at 12.30pm, military vehicles, vintage bicycles, miniature steam engines and 1940s' dressed personnel paraded through Thetford. There was also a recreation of the series' Deadly Attachment episode.

Dad's Army heritage

Dad's Army walking tours have now been running in Thetford for four years, with local landmarks featured in the show pointed out along the way, but Stuart Wright of the Dad's Army Museum thinks more could be done to capitalise on the town's TV links.

"The trouble is with Thetford is it has never really made itself the tourist potential it should have done," said Mr Wright.

The Dad's Army platoon marched past here

"Dad's Army over the last four years has brought the tourists in and once they're here we can impart the rich heritage of the town and the pleasant riverside walks and we are getting repeat visitors as a result of that.

"It's a great legacy and also our idea of a statue to Captain Mainwaring, which we launched last December, made worldwide news and I've had people from Australia and America contact me to support the idea."

TV special

Thetford got a further glimpse of the spotlight during a one-hour ´óÏó´«Ã½ TV special, hosted by Jonathan Ross on 3 August, 2008.

The commemorative show featured a sequence filmed in the town by comedian Jon Culshaw.