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


Anthony Howell with Shirley

I went over and talked to Anthony Howell, who was standing around in costume, waiting. One picture I did not get and wish I had was of Anthony looking up at the sky because he had narrowly missed being dive-bombed by a seagull. There were seagulls around squawking constantly, and a crew member told me that later, when they are filming in the studio, they have to add seagull sounds so it will be consistent.

Anthony was very nice when I asked to take a picture, and asked me where I was from. When I said Canada, he smiled and asked if I’d come all this way just for this. I sort of said “well, um ..” and someone on the crew said “You should have just said yes.”

Anthony said he had worked in Toronto (where I am from) - that he had been there several years ago in a play.


Julian Ovenden made up with 'injuries'.

At this point the director called a break. Everyone went up the hill a bit to another refreshment table, and when I heard them singing “Happy Birthday” I followed and took pics of Honeysuckle Weeks getting a cake and a big bouquet of flowers.

So we came back after the break and they started setting up for another scene. I sat down next to the house owner again (didn’t get her name = she said they didn't shoot the interieors in the house, just the outside and shots looking out the door). At some point I put my hand in my pocket and felt something odd. I took it out. It was a roll of unused film. I was puzzled, then horrified. The film should have been in the camera, not my pocket. I opened the camera and it was empty, and everything I had taken pictures of was gone.


Honeysuckle Weeks saying 'ah' for the lip-stick man.

The only excuse I can offer for this moment of monumental stupidity is that it was when I was about to change the film that heard Honeysuckle Week’s voice behind me, and it seems to have sent logical thought straight out of my head.

I went back to Anthony Howell and explained why I wanted to retake the pic and he was nice and let me. I couldn't retake Honeysuckle Weeks because she had left after the break, but I knew they would be filming the next day, and I was planning to stay over.


Honeysuckle Weeks and Julian Ovenden between filming.

They shot another scene with Andrew going in the front door, and then with Milner knocking at the door. In the show you'll see Andrew coming down the street with a newspaper in his hand, passing a cop, and going up the front steps.

At that point Julian Ovenden and Anthony Howell left, but they continued shooting a scene with an actor who looked very familiar, but I wasn't sure why. I took his picture anyway, but didn't want to ask him who he played. I think it may have been the actor who played the intelligence chief in The White Feather, but I guess I'll find out later. (It was Nicholas Farrell as James Collier in "The Funk Hole".)

They just shot him knocking at the door, and then the director called "that's a wrap", and they all started packing up for the day.

They really do yell that, and "action" and "cut". I have in the past done a little work as a movie extra, so it wasn't my first time on a movie set, but I'd never been able to watch the actors from that close up before.





Continue on...