Shirley's Visit to Hastings - Location Filming, Series 2, August 2003


Jeremy Silberston and Anthony Howell on the steps of Number 31.
Note the box Anthony Howell is standing on to put the door opener and the visitor on the same level.

There weren't many people standing around watching - just some neighbours and later some kids. I went and sat beside a lady with a dog. Turns out she was the owner of the Foyle house. When I asked what it was like to have all these people tramping trough her house, she said they could be there as long as they liked "More money for me." Later I asked her if they paid well, and she just smiled and said "very well". She also said she rents out to students, so she’s used to having other people in the house.


Jeremy Silberston and Nicholas Farrell on the steps of Number 31.

At one point, when they were filming a scene, the dog (a black and white collie named Flo) barked, so if you hear a dog bark on screen, you'll know what it was. Julian Ovenden and Anthony Howell came out of the house, and I went and asked Julian Ovenden for a picture. He was a bit stand-offish, and just said “a pleasure” when I thanked him. (But then he seemed to be surrounded most of time by young make-up girls fussing over him.)


Anthony Howell - tea-break.

The first scene they filmed was on the front steps. They put a wooden box on the top step, so that whoever is knocking at the door looks from the inside as though they are standing on the same level as the house, even though, in reality, they would be standing one step down.


Director - Jeremy Silberston


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