TV locations for the Famous Five series

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

Post by Helenbee »

Is Lepe house open to go in and look around number 6?
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number 6
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

I'm afraid not, Helenbee. Sadly, Lepe house is a private residence. :cry:
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

A different view of Gatewood Bridge, nr Exbury. In the forefront of the photo is where Nobby is washing the Elephant in the stream in Five go off in a caravan. The hedge on the left running top to bottom in the background of the photo, is where Jennifer can be seen running down the slope to the small stream to collect a bucket of water in Five go off to camp...just before she encounters 'her Volcano'! The smoke from the 'Volcano' rose from the bushes on the right (near the road). :D


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Last edited by number 6 on 15 Oct 2019, 09:18, edited 3 times in total.
Chcklst
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Chcklst »

The image of the gang walking off into the horizon in the end credits really resonated with me as a youngster. Does anyone know where this spot with the two trees is, and whether it has changed much in the intervening years?
Last edited by Chcklst on 22 Jan 2017, 12:33, edited 1 time in total.
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

A great photo, Number 6! I love the scene with Nobby and the elephant. Five Go Off in a Caravan is one of my favourite episodes.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

I'm not 100% sure where this location is, Chcklist. I thought it was somewhere very close to the heathland around Exbury, but I've never looked into it in much detail. What hampers the search for this location most, is the growth of trees, etc, over the decades. I did have a feeling once that it was near Lyndhurst, but the location was disproved by Mark Checkley, who was filming a F5 documentary in the area with Gary Russell & Marcus Harris a few years back. I've not heard whether the documentary was finished or released! I'll contact Mark to find out more.
I'll have a good look round when I'm next in the New Forest, which will be in the Summer. :D

Thanks, Anita. Yes, Five go off in a caravan is also one of my fav episodes as well. Watching the 1978 F5 series as a kid, I never imagined that I'd end up visiting the filming locations one day! Back then, I didn't have a clue where they were. They seemed so distant & unreachable! :D
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Chcklst »

Many thanks for looking into that, Number 6. I'll be flying over from Australia early Dec. and hopefully will have a couple of days roadtripping through S/SW England. Will probably be on the lookout for Doctor Who/HHGTTG locations as well! :)
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Gary Russell »

Yeah we've enver been able to work out exactly where that closing shot was filmed. I mean I'd know it if I saw it, it was somewhere close to where we filmed Mystery Moor (those early photos of the four of us leaning on a sandy bank was shot close by while making Mystery Moor) but the exact road is lost to my memory. Marc C and I discussed it at length when we did his doco but because I don't have enough S1 paperwork, I can't come close to IDing the area. It's *not* very near Exbury, that I can confirm. The whole Saturday shoot for the titles is (unusually) completely skewed in my memory. I think Jennifer was first up - no idea where the horse bit was done but her close up (on Production manager Dickie Bamber's shoulders and *not* a horse) was done on the Camp/Caravan area. Michelle on bher bike was I think near where we did the roadsign scenes in Hike. Marcus swinging on the rope over a lake was Exbury I'm pretty sure - probably near the hideous "lake" ** seen in Secret Trail. Then we did the closing shot and then finally after lunch we did me falling in the water at the Hike lake.

The shot of s greeting Timmy at Blackwater was, if I recall, *not* shot that day but during Secret Trail or maybe Billycock Hill. The godawful sweater I'm wearing was specific to the ep we shot at the time. I imagine I annoyed someone a lot and as punishmernt they made me wear it for that sequence. I hahted it. I hated most of my S1 clothes. I liked the white and chocolate tee shirt. And had a nice lime green one once. Or maybe that was S2.

** = it wasn't a lake at all. It was a blooming goldfish pond at Exbury. With slime, only a few inches deep and sharp stones that cut our feet to ribbons. Hateful, hateful pond. Worst location and unhappiest filming day aross all two years. Actually, thinking about it, Secret Trail was probably the unhappiest entire shoot across the two years, certainly from my PoV. But I don't recall any of us enjoying it.
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Thanks for your great post, Gary! Very interesting indeed. The end credit shot is gonna be hard to pin down, but I'll give it a bash when I'm down in the New Forest in Summer. I was always lead to believe that Michelle's opening scene was done at the Gatewood bridge area, where the circus was sited in the caravan episode! The foliage has grown tremendously since that shot, but it's still very similar in appearance...especially as you walk up the slight slope & view it straight on at the plateau. Then again, I suppose you'd have to visit the area to confirm it. :D

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Last edited by number 6 on 13 Oct 2019, 21:17, edited 2 times in total.
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Gary Russell
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Gary Russell »

That seems more likley than my memory of it being by the Hike signpost. And would have saved time! Still not sure where Jennier on the actual horse was done though. I'm assuming back at the Mystery Moor stables. Which may then explain the closing shot being done near that location. Curses for not having the S1 paperwork!
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Not to worry, Gary! I'll have a snoop round in the Summer & try to find those elusive locations! It's a pity you can't vaguely recall where the Mystery Moor stables might be, then at least I'd have something to go on. :D
It must be so frustrating for you not having the complete paperwork for S1 & having to rely on your memory. After all, it's nearly 40 years ago since the series was filmed! :cry:
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

A photo of the Circus camp site at Gatewood bridge area used in Five go off in a caravan. The little black shape to the far left of the photo, is my Border Collie...who snook into shot for a cameo appearance!! :D

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Last edited by number 6 on 13 Oct 2019, 21:13, edited 1 time in total.
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Thanks, Number 6. It's lovely to see your Border Collie there, looking like the 1970s Timmy!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by number 6 »

Thanks, Anita, but I think you need a magnifying glass to see my Collie in that photo!! :lol: I'll post a proper photo of him. He's a lovely looking chap! :D
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Re: TV locations for the Famous Five series

Post by Chcklst »

Many thanks for those memories Gary Russell. And Number 6, I look forward to hearing of your summer adventures. I hope you have success in narrowing down the location of the end titles. However, if it's lost to time then I'll make a bee line for Blackwater House or one of the coves.
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