KEELEY MEETS KEELEY
(Thanks to Miss Marple)
“They wanted me to give someone a good kicking in Murphy’s Law but I turned it down!”
Welcome to the wonderful world of film extras, encountered when Bristol L5G KFM775 and its crew were recruited for the forthcoming new series of Miss Marple, set in 1949. Kevin Hill and Malcolm Keeley enjoyed two interesting, but very long, days in Oxfordshire. They were surprised to discover a rigid class system still survived in the film industry with extras (evidently the lowest form of filmland life) not allowed to eat until the crew had first turn at the food. They felt better upon discovering the crew ate in a decrepit ex-London Metrobus while the extras enjoyed a much classier ex-Nottingham Atlantean (one of the rare batch with normal Roe bodies not to Nottingham specification). Only later did they remember that they were really vehicle suppliers, which surely were a cut above extras – perhaps warranting their own bus to eat in (oh yes, of course, they brought one!)
The village had only just said goodbye to Midsomer Murders in which, no doubt, Chief Supt Barnaby again overlooks his wife usually being around when the murders are committed and is, in fact, a serial killer. Anyway, back to Miss Marple, Kevin and Malcolm were polished up to look like 1949 staff. Traffic along the main street of the Oxfordshire village was stopped only during the actual filming and it was astonishing to see it suddenly transform into demob suits and bicycles as the L5G went into action. Malcolm can remember such an England and both look forward to seeing the convincing and picturesque scenes on screen. A real treat was transporting, on one occasion, all the delighted extras back to base, the passengers looking very much as they must have done when KFM775 was new.
The pair did their best not to be starstruck but Malcolm was astonished to discover actress Keeley Hawes at ‘the bus stop’. He explained the embarrassment of having one’s surname transformed in his lifetime into a girl’s name. He was not entirely convinced by Keeley’s explanation that it meant a beautiful creature, having previously been assured it meant a Glasgow street thug (thus available to provide good kickings in Taggart?)
Subsequently KFM775 was called for further filming on another episode, with different fake destination ‘blinds’, this time crewed by Kevin and Phil Ireland, ensuring that the new Miss Marple is a series BaMMOT members will want to watch.
Malcolm Keeley
BaMMOT vehicles have been used in film and TV productions for several years. We recall that Dave Taylor and the Bedford SB appeared in the zoo vet series ‘One By One’ where they had a close encounter with rampaging chimpanzees. Meanwhile Malcolm Keeley gets to meet Keeley Hawes. Perhaps DT should demand a recount!
On the subject of old buses being employed as mobile mess rooms when filming on location, Brian Dicks recently discovered former Midland Red Daimler Fleetline UHA191H now belongs to Film & Television Transport Services Ltd. in Nottingham and apparently used for this purpose.
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