“CLOSE TO HOME” HAS WEDDING, BIRTHDAY

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34132, 20 April 1976, Page 4

“CLOSE TO HOME” HAS WEDDING, BIRTHDAY

Location filming for the one-hundredth episode of “Close to Home”, the programme featuring Pip Osborne’s wedding to John Standish, was an exercise combining three elements — a grand effort in logistics, a grander effort in public relations, and a magnificent and unerring faith in good luck. This episode will be screened this evening. Film was shot at two locations on consecutive days. Wilton Bush House, in Wellington, was used for the reception and a church in Eastbourne was used for the actual church service. Organisations for shifting the team from Avalon to the

two locations involved several considerations. There were about 120 cast members to move, including extras. They had to be gathered up, issued with schedules, told what time they had to be on the set, dressed, made up, and then efficiently transported so that they could be at the location on time. With the cast was the camera crew, the sound crew, lighting, electricians, wardrobe, makeup staff, and the direction team all to be organised and ready when filming was to begin. A total of about 160 people, together with equipment was moved by buses, vans, trucks and cars to the two locations. Setting up Wilton Bush

House ready for filming started early in the morning with the electricians, lighting and camera crews moving in. There was furniture to be moved, tables to be set up, caterers to be organised and shots to be rehearsed and marked out. Windows had to be covered with a gel paper to limit the light, then artificial lighting had to be worked out to meet the cameramen’s requirements. Bedrooms were set aside and designated as dressing rooms, make up facilities were organised, power supplies were modified and arrangements had to be made for parking all the vehicles carrying the cast.