Angels – Michael Custance

A typical soap with a hard edge.  Produced by Julia Smith with story editor Tony Holland and who was story editor on the series ‘Couples’ that I made for Thames TV.  Earlier still  he was the writer when I directed ‘Magpie’. We got on very well so perhaps it was through Tony they called me.

‘Angels’ tackled issues such as contraception, alcoholism and promiscuity as part of the nurse’s lives.  ‘Angels’received criticism for its unglamorous depiction of the nursing profession. Indeed with its sometimes hard-hitting portrayal of young nurses facing up to the demands of the profession ‘Angels’ was grittily authentic.

To this end each actress taking a part was required to work on a real hospital ward to gain experience and thus contribute to the realism of the series.  Great to work on.  Many giggles, just like real nurses.

We had a week’s filming in Glasgow. A completely different world to London. On a pedestrian bridge over river Clyde we were filming two actors talking and walking towards camera when the cameraman suddenly doubled up laughing.  In the background between the two actors a large lady marched towards camera, stopped, saluted and lifted her sweater to flash two huge breasts.  The policeman with us said “Oh Alice dear, could you go and do it somewhere else the boys are trying make a film. OK?  She does that everywhere. What can we do?  Poor love is a bit bonkers and arresting her would solve nothing and she does no harm anyway.”

When we finished he smiled  “You look cold boys. I wee whisky would do you all good.” Indeed it had started snowing but as it was Sunday the Glasgow pubs were shut. “Follow me lads”.  We walked to the nearest pub and indeed it was shut. He just slid the iron grill gate back and opened the door.. “Come on lads”.  The place was packed full and heaving.   “Right, the first one is on me lads”.

At the end of another day we were taking a taxi back to our hotel.  The next day was a day off for the unit and we were debating what to do in Glasgow for the day when the taxi driver turned and said “Do you want to come salmon fishing with me?  I could collect you at say 09.30.  I go once week anyway so no charge.”   Off we went salmon fishing for the day in a beautiful little valley with rocks and a big stream. I caught nothing but the others did.  Fond memories of Glasgow.

 Michael Custance

 

Alexander Graham Bell 1965

Francesca Annis and Alex McCowen in Alexander Graham Bell. Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to costume supervisor Joyce Hawkins for sharing the photo. The photo is from a six part series about Alexander Graham Bell, recorded at the Gosta Green  studio in 1965, and transmitted weekly on BBC 1 from 28th February 1965, at 17.35. Here is the entry from the Radio Times, c/o the BBC Genome project:

Synopsis

A serial in six parts by LYON TODD adapted by ALISTAIR BELL
PART 2: A Note In Music
Costumes supervised by Joyce Hawkins
Make-up supervised by Gwen Arthy Designer, Michael Edwards
Script editor, Betty Willingale Producer. CAMPBELL LOGAN Directed by JULIA SMITH
From the Midlands

Contributors

Adapted By: Alistair Bell
Unknown: Joyce Hawkins
Unknown: Gwen Arthy
Designer: Michael Edwards
Editor: Betty Willingale
Producer: Campbell Logan
Directed By: Julia Smith
Alexander Graham Bell: Alec McCowen
Jeannie MacEwan: Jean Anderson
Dr Ferguson: Larry Cross
Professor Bell: John Phillips
Mrs Bell: Barbara Cavan
Matthews: Jameson Clark
Ballachey: Hal Galili
MacDonald: Bruce Boa
George Brown: Robert James
Sarah Fuller: Susan Crawford
Mr Sanders: Peter Carlisle
George Sanders: Michael Crockett
Mr Richards: George Woolley
Mrs Connor: Elizabeth Begley
Mr Hubbard: John Wooonutt
Mabel Hubbard: Francesca Annis

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‘Angels’ – Janice Rider


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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Specially shot interview with Janice Rider, about working as Costume Designer on the hospital soap, ‘Angels’. ‘Angels’ was a London production, hosted at BBC Pebble Mill. It ran from the mid 1970s until the early 1980s. Julia Smith, who went on to produce ‘Eastenders’, was the producer.

Pete Simpkin a producer and presenter from Radio WM remembers getting help from the ‘Angels’ cast: ‘When we relaunched Radio Birmingham two of the Angels’ actresses came with me to the old Moseley Maternity hospital to help publicise Radio WM’s first birth.’

Julian Hitchcock remembers ‘Angels’ well: ‘I worked on Angels from 1978 as a floor assistant and was very friendly with the cast and production team. I often wondered what became of them.  In 2001, I was working as a lawyer for Granada factual programmes in Manchester, when I heard that my old friend, Kathryn Apanowicz was presenting a programme downstairs on a regular basis. We meant to meet up, but I was appointed to a firm in Melbourne and it never happened, which was such a pity.’

Pebble Mill, Eastenders Special – Claire Hobbs


Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.

The photo is from a Special, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of ‘Eastenders’.  I think it went out in 1995 and was a Pebble Mill Special (they dropped the ‘at One’ bit when they moved it to midday!  That year we also did Specials with David Attenborough, to celebrate his 60th and his latest ‘Life’ series ‘Living Planet’, and with Vera Lynn for the 60th anniversary of WWII.  All produced by Helena Taylor and AP’d by me.

The photo features Pebble Millers (left to right) me, Anya Francis, Melissa Feather (behind Ethel), Nick Harris, Helena Taylor and also Julia Smith the creator of the show (behind Alan Titchmarsh’s left shoulder).

We also got the casts of Corrie, Home & Away and Neighbours to record tributes to them too!

Claire Hobbs

Drama director John Greening, added the following Eastenders cast information:

‘Having directed over 150 eps of the show I think you’ll find thats the legendary June Brown (Dot)behind Titchy…I think the woman on the far right near Bill Treacher is actress Louise Jameson who played Rosa Di Marco.Also there are Lucy Speed, Wendy Richard, Anna Wing, Gretchen Franklin and Tommy Eytle.’ I’m working on the others!