I heard one story about the route that my informant, a pilot from the route, swore was true.
On one flight in the early days there was only one passenger, due to fly to New York from LHR. Eager to impress any passenger, the crew invited him onto the jump-seat. He flew from LGW/LHR waxing lyrical about the experience. At LHR he thanked all the crew effusively and asked for his baggage. This, alas, was on its way to Beirut.
Just to confirm, the flight crew were provided by BAH - I nearly applied for the SVN - and Bill Ashpole was BAH, about No 3 on the seniority list when I joined in 1975. Contrary to one previous claim the S61 was capable of a Cat 1, not CatIII, ILS to 200'/500 metres if my memory serves me.