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Film Set Britain

Antonia Quirke hears listeners' memories of the day that a film crew rolled into town or took over their street.

With Antonia Quirke.

The Film Programme gathers listeners' memories of the day that a film crew rolled into town or took over their street. Antonia Quirke hears from Mr Turner production designer Suzie Davies who transformed a land-locked house in Hertfordshire into the painter's Thames-side residence, by the simple expedient of digging up the garden and filling it with enough water to make it look like a river. And talks to the home's owner, Gloria Thompson, about what it was like to see your manicured lawn dug up.

Antonia also visits Lyme Regis, famously used in The French Lieutenant's Woman and Persuasion, and hears from a shop-keeper who kept the Victorian facade built by an art director twenty years after the crew had left the town. The final stop of the tour is Carnforth Station, the prime location of Brief Encounter, which welcomes thousands of visitors every year to their recreation of the famous refreshment room where Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard first met.

Available now

28 minutes

FILM SET BRITAIN

If you have rubbed shoulders with a movie star as an extra, or if your living room was transformed into a film set, or even if your front door has made a uncredited cameo in a British movie. No matter how fleeting the appearance, The Film Programme would like to hear from you if you’ve experienced 15 seconds of movie fame.  Contact us at TheFilmProgramme@bbc.co.uk

The French Lieutenant's Woman - Antonia doing her best Meryl Streep impression on the Cobb at Lyme Regis

The French Lieutenant's Woman - Antonia doing her best Meryl Streep impression on the Cobb at Lyme Regis

The French Lieutenant's Woman - Antonia feeding the fish in the Lyme Regis aquarium

The French Lieutenant's Woman - Antonia feeding the fish in the Lyme Regis aquarium

The French Lieutenant's Woman - Antonia doing her best Meryl Streep impression on the Cobb at Lyme Regis again

The French Lieutenant's Woman - Antonia doing her best Meryl Streep impression on the Cobb at Lyme Regis again

Mr Turner's front room

Mr Turner's front room

Mr Turner - Suzie, Gloria and Antonia in Mr Turner's home

Mr Turner - Suzie, Gloria and Antonia in Mr Turner's home

Brief Encounter - Antonia on Carnforth platform

Brief Encounter - Antonia on Carnforth platform

Brief Encounter - Antonia and Trevor Howard in Carnforth

Brief Encounter - Antonia and Trevor Howard in Carnforth

Brief Encounter - Antonia on Carnforth station

Brief Encounter - Antonia on Carnforth station

Brief Encounter - Antonia in Carnforth station tea room

Brief Encounter - Antonia in Carnforth station tea room

Brief Encounter - Antonia and John Adams in Carnforth

Brief Encounter - Antonia and John Adams in Carnforth

Broadcasts

  • Thu 28 May 2015 16:00
  • Sun 31 May 2015 23:00

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