The photo is probably representative as the photographer would never have been there on exercises etc.
The Vulcan is interesting as it has no nose probe but is in the 1964 camouflage when all Mk 2s, IIRC, had probes. That suggests a Scampton crew, maybe even the Blue Steel shed in the background.
The Scampton crews were in caravans by the Ops block. Waddington crews in purpose built (wartime) mess at Alpha dispersal. Coningsby used to use the east wing lower of the officers' mess and exit onto a public road (the Old Boston Road) through the crash gate and across the active - a green light meant proceed at speed, a red light meant proceed at speed but look left and right. Cottesmore, on the Vulcan wing used the lower west wing of the mess. This was the sportiest QRA as there were several tight bends before hitting the taxiway and the mile drive to the dispersals. I believe 10 and XV at Cottesmore also used the officers mess. On the disbandment of 10 Sqn, during the dining in night, they wrote XV IS BUMS in white paint on the QRA garage roof. They were told to paint it out; they did, with black paint. The roof is not black and was clearly visible 40 years later.
All crews had an individual Standard staff car. The sqn boss had one too before it was downgraded to a mini. As soon as a QRA exercise (EDOM) was called the crews would leg it for the aircraft. At the same time a standard 2-crew crew coach would scramble from MT and follow the QRA route to pick up crews from broken down or crashed cars.
Yes, we wore hats. We moved round the station while on QRA and the order of the day was hats, both in Ops and in Cars. As an aside we even flew with uniforms in case of diversion. But on QRA the hats would have enabled us to remain smart in a POW camp.
Notice the crews are not wearing their orange mae wests; this aircraft is obviously 'cocked' and life jackets, helments etc are on board.
Four minutes? Pure myth.
Crews were at 15 minutes. In tension they would have been brought to 5 minutes which was cockpit readiness, power on, engines off and could be held for around 5 hours before crew fatigue would become an issue.
The next stages was either start engines or 2 minutes. Start engines was just that. Two minutes was start engines and taxy to the take-off point. Blue Steel aircraft did not taxy. Aircraft could stand, engines running, for about 30 minutes but much longer could start to eat into fuel reserves.
On US SAC bases they went one further and we envied them. Throughout the base there were yellow beacon lamps on the lamp posts. The lights flashd and anyone not connected with the alert had to clear the road.