TV locations for the Famous Five series

Discuss the television and film adaptations of Enid Blyton's stories.
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number 6
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

And we both survived the experience, Daisy! I think the last time I saw Dick Kirrin was way back in 2010, the year when Gary Russell, Marcus Harris, Julie Davis & Gail Renard entertained us with their recollections of the F5 series! How time has flown since then! :|
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Daisy »

Yes, that was the only EB Day that Dick attended. Time certainly flies, It's hard to realize it's 5 years since the last EB day in 2012.
'Tis loving and giving that makes life worth living.

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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Chrissie777 »

Daisy wrote:I have also been in the passenger seat of Dick Kirrin's car and found the sensation rather strange especially as I am a non-driver! So that's what the road looks like from a driver's point of view, is it? :)
I agree he is a very good driver.
8)
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Daisy wrote:Yes, that was the only EB Day that Dick attended. Time certainly flies, It's hard to realize it's 5 years since the last EB day in 2012.
Wow! Really? I didn't make the 2012 day due to work commitments, so that means the last one I attended was the 2010 event with Gary & co. I can remember one EBS day being cancelled for some reason. Was this 2011? :|
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Daisy »

Yes, there was no EB day in 2011.
'Tis loving and giving that makes life worth living.

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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

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Thanks, Daisy! It's shocking that over 7 years have passed since my last EBS day. It only seems like yesterday...then again, I could say the same regarding the 1978 F5 series! :cry:
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

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Just found these photo's on a disc. Although not good ones, they show a distant view of Gatewood House from the small woods at the bottom of the garden. They give you a sense of how big the garden is! Don't quote me, but I think Gary, Michele, Marcus & Jennifer played games in the woods during their stay at the house. Apologises if I've posted them before. :D

Image
Image
Last edited by number 6 on 13 Oct 2019, 20:16, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by timv »

For those members who would be coming down to the New Forest by train to look at the TV series locations this summer, the annual New Forest Tour bus is now operating, from 8 July to 10 September. The timetable is at: 'www.thenewforesttourinfo/timetable'.

The 'Green Route' is the one that visits Exbury, leaving Brockenhurst station at 1012, 1127, 1227, 1342, 1442 etc and arriving at Exbury at 1107, 1222, 1322, 1437 etc. This bus travels on an anti-clockwise route, ie first South from Brockenhurst to Lymington, then East to Beaulieu and Exbury, then NE to Hythe , then W via Dibden Heath to Beaulieu Road Station and Lyndhurst, then S again to Brockenhurst. The Exbury stop is at the E House Gardens, which is a short walk along the main road from Exbury village - there is a track opposite the Gardens car park entrance that goes through the fields to Gatewood cottage and the Blackwater common and bridge where 'Go Off In A Caravan' was filmed ( 10-15 mins walk) but you probably need a map for doing this. I usually do this walk once or twice each summer. As the bus crosses the heath Westwards from Ipley Crossroads and Ipley Bridge (W of Dibden) and goes uphill to Beaulieu Road Station, just before it gets to the station you can see the top part of Yew Tree Heath and Decoy Pond Farm ('Mystery Moor') to the right - or you can get off at the station and walk to them. The 'Blue Route' bus visits Burley village centre and Keyhaven for other FF sites.

The train link to Corfe and Swanage from the main line at Wareham is also now operating though infrequently ; trains leave Wareham at 1115 and 1315 for Corfe (about 20 minutes) and Swanage (another 30 m) and return from Swanage at 1426 and 1626 to W at 1510 and 1710. From what I saw of the line last week it is already very popular with steam train club outings!
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Thanks timv! Some great info for those not familiar with the New Forest F5 locations! I'll be visiting Decoy Pond farm on Monday 24th July. I'll be arriving at Beaulieu road station early morning (0808), then heading back down to Brockenhurst to visit Roydon Manor. My outing to Burley village & Castle hill is on Weds 26th July, Sowley Pond & Pylewell (Owls Dene gates) on Fri 28th July then, finally, St LEONARDS farm area on Tues 1st August.
I'm contracted to do a two week Nocturnal Wildlife study in Dorset in the evenings (obviously!!), but all daytime activities are fine. Anyone wishing to join me in the New Forest are welcome. However, these visits are weather permitting!

Below is the 2017 Beach Bus timetable. This runs from Lymington high st (Post Office) to Hythe. The bus drops off at Exbury gardens at 0934, an hour & half before the NF bus from Brockenhurst! It also drops off at Lepe Country park (Watch house in 'On Kirrin island again', & Lepe house..Red Towers residence in 'Fall into adventure), before heading to Bucklers hard car park. The latter is handy if you want to visit St LEONARDS farm area ( Finniston farm). It's only a 20 min walk from the car park! Black water house (Kirrin cottage) & Park farm (Get into a fix) are also nearby. However, these are private & need permission to visit! The hop on-hop off bus Day tickets are priced at £7.

https://thebeachbus.info/mobile/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Chrissie777 »

timv wrote:For those members who would be coming down to the New Forest by train to look at the TV series locations this summer, the annual New Forest Tour bus is now operating, from 8 July to 10 September. The timetable is at: 'www.thenewforesttourinfo/timetable'.
Hi Tim, I have a different question (at least I didn't notice that it already has been mentioned in the TV locations threat): where was "Five on a Secret Trail" filmed? Which place did they use as the common and was the ruined house built by the TV production company or was there already a ruined house/barn that they were able to use?
It's one of my favorite FF books.
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Onkel Quentin
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Onkel Quentin »

Here I have some nice photos of Roydon Manor. It was last year in November.

Image Image Image

Number 6, I hope you get good weather!!
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by timv »

Thanks for the information on your New Forest tour, Number 6 - I may be around some of these sites that week, and can walk to Pylewell and Sowley from my home; but it depends heavily on the weather (and the tide if I go along the seashore from Lymington to P) which days I do this. If anyone on the 'Green Route' wants to check out St Leonards, it can be reached on foot from either the Beach Bus when this calls at Bucklers Hard or from the 'Green Route' tour bus when this calls at Beaulieu village. From the latter, there is a footpath that heads off a cul-de-sac between the Montague Arms hotel in B village and the river bridge - on the right of the road as you walk from the bus stop through the village towards the bridge. This leads over fields and through woods (Keeping Copse) to Bucklers Hard village, which is about 40 minutes away. I advise taking a map to be on the safe side.
From Bucklers Hard, St Leonards is about 20 minutes walk - along the lane S from BH through a valley to a T-junction, then left there and across a small valley. The big barn is on the corner where the road bends to the right, the private road to Gatehouse and Needs Oar Point to the left.

Chrissie, unfortunately I did not see the TV version of 'Secret Trail' so I can't identify the original site from memory as I can with Blackwell Common; I will try to see it on the internet some time. But the original book by Enid seems to mix up some elements of Purbeck around Creech Hill, W of Corfe; the common which Enid invented is possibly influenced by either Norden Heath near the Blue Pool (which has a pond like the one the children bathe in) or Creech Heath.
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Chrissie777 »

timv wrote: Chrissie, unfortunately I did not see the TV version of 'Secret Trail' so I can't identify the original site from memory as I can with Blackwell Common; I will try to see it on the internet some time. But the original book by Enid seems to mix up some elements of Purbeck around Creech Hill, W of Corfe; the common which Enid invented is possibly influenced by either Norden Heath near the Blue Pool (which has a pond like the one the children bathe in) or Creech Heath.


Tim, thank you very much for the info, I printed it out and put it in my "Secret Trail" copy for a future Isle of Purbeck trip (hopefully at some point!).
I guess the underground passage scenes in the book are just added thanks to EB's imagination? Or is there an old underground passage on the Isle of Purbeck that you would know of?
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

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Onkel Quentin wrote:Here I have some nice photos of Roydon Manor. It was last year in November.

Image Image Image

Number 6, I hope you get good weather!!
Super photos, O.Q! Looks like the weather was good for your visit! I'm hoping the Sun shines every day I'm in the New Forest. 8)
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Chrissie777 wrote:
timv wrote:For those members who would be coming down to the New Forest by train to look at the TV series locations this summer, the annual New Forest Tour bus is now operating, from 8 July to 10 September. The timetable is at: 'www.thenewforesttourinfo/timetable'.
Hi Tim, I have a different question (at least I didn't notice that it already has been mentioned in the TV locations threat): where was "Five on a Secret Trail" filmed? Which place did they use as the common and was the ruined house built by the TV production company or was there already a ruined house/barn that they were able to use?
It's one of my favorite FF books.
The Ponds & the archaeology site used by the twins were filmed at Exbury. As for the common & ruined house, I can't remember. I did have notes on these locations, but they've been lost for some time now. I need to watch the 'trail ' episode again & see if something jog's my memory! In the meantime, maybe Gary Russell will remember where these places are located. :D
Last edited by number 6 on 14 Jul 2017, 17:03, edited 1 time in total.
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