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Title:
Open House with Gloria Hunniford
Date of transmission: Monday
27
November 2000
Channel: Channel 5
Charlotte's role in programme:
Featured Guest/Performer
Wednesday
morning saw my wife and I rising somewhat earlier than
usual... today was to be THE BIG Day... the day that we
would finally get to meet the girl with the "Voice of
an Angel". Everything had been planned down to the
last detail - or so I thought. Midmorning, I rang
Shirley's mother, to check that she would be at home
later, as we'd arranged the previous week. All I got was a
continual ringing... obviously, she had forgotten we were
coming down to London today. And "they" wonder
why there are so many mother-in-law jokes around!
Swift
regrouping... call Pearson Studios and check availability of
parking... We were (note the past tense) going to travel the
final part of the journey by London underground... now I had
to try and do the whole journey by car. This was not a task
I could look forward to, as it would be dark by the time we
arrived on the outskirts of the big city and I'd not been
into Central London for many a long year. Hammersmith, yes -
Oxford Road, yes - but NOT the city centre! This is when I
spoke with the first Angel.
At
just after eleven o'clock, I rang the studios and spoke to
Gabby, of the studio audience team, who said she would see
what could be done about parking locally and promised to
ring back soonest. Sure enough, only a few minutes passed
and the 'phone rang. Parking was not a problem - we could
leave the car right outside the studio entrance! This was
service with a capital "S". I thanked Gabby and
continued putting together the remaining items I hoped to
give to Charlotte that evening.
Shortly
before three o'clock the printer ran out of black ink. Since
I'd just been on the net to check the best route from the
RAC pages, this was a setback I could well do without.
Switching to colour, I tried again... No red ink, but at
least I could read the route and see roughly where I should
be heading. I had four and a quarter hours left to complete
a journey the route planner said should take three and a
half... Better to arrive early than not at all, eh?
We
set off at exactly three o'clock and made good time to our
first stopover point... an ever-welcome Little Chef. Coffee
for me and a hot drinking chocolate for Shirley. Then back
into the car and we were off again, heading along the M1
onto the M11 at junction 16 and soon after speeding along
the A11, at a steady and nicely legal 70mph. We passed
Huntingdon and Cambridge - which brought Hannah to mind -
and then we hit the dreaded traffic! Joining the A406 (the
London Outer Circle ring-road) we needed to switch on to the
A503 and then immediately on to the A10... Did we? Nope - we
(or rather I) missed the right fork onto the A503 and were
still stuck on the Outer Circle. Stress levels rising
nicely, I found a suitable place to leave and turning back
the way we had come, I pulled into a nearby MacDonalds' car
park (what else?) to check the best and quickest route into
the city centre. I asked the nearest person - who just
happened to be over six foot and dressed all in black (?)
but without his motorcycle at the time - the best way to the
Tottenham Court Road. He said to forget the A10 and hit the
A13 which just happened to be but a couple of miles further
back along the ring-road... Whew!
Found
it... Heading ever closer to the centre of London, the
traffic continued to increase - and - became slower and
slower... and s l o w e r. . .
Arriving
in the borough of Islington at a quarter to seven, I decided
that enough was enough! No-way could I get to the studios in
time for quarter past seven. Find a car parking place... The
first one I pulled into closed at ten o'clock... No good if
I couldn't get back until later than that... Reverse out and
find the next "P" sign... Ah! There's one, just
after a massive hoarding advertising the film, Gladiator! I
would never have believed it - but we could not have found a
more obvious place to leave the car in an unknown area...
Stephen Street, Islington is the site of the original
Petticoat Lane market! As we pulled into the parking area a
large gentleman ambled over from the shadows and asked if I
needed any help. "Yes," said I, "I
have to be at Pearson studios for a quarter past seven to
see Charlotte Church record for Open House." "Do
you intend parking here, then?" he asked. "I
hope to," said I. "Is it OK to do that?"
"For a small consideration!" said he. I
nodded my agreement and thanking him, explained I would have
to take a taxi to the studios as we were running rather late
and I had not driven in London for several years. I
mentioned in passing that I had a disabled wife with me...
"Ah!" he continued, "In that case -
no charge! Don't leave anything in sight though... put it
all in the boot and make sure you lock up securely."
Nice man - If you ever read this Brother - "Thank
you" - You were a blessing!
Before
leaving the car-park, I 'phoned Hannah to let her know we
might well be a little late, only to be told she and her
friend were having similar problems because of the traffic
congestion. The moral of all this? Don't ever arrive in
central London around seven o'clock in the evening if you
can possibly help it!
Walking
swiftly out to the main road, we waited in front of the
Marsh Building to hail the nearest taxi. We did not have
long to wait and I waived the package I was carrying to the
first taxi that came into sight. Thankfully, the driver
spotted us (as he would, woldn't he?) and we were on our way
again. "Can you make number 1, Stephen Street off
Tottenham Court Road for a quarter past seven?" I
asked. "I can do my best - but it will be tight at
this time of night." Another nice chap... he pulled
out all the stops and driving like a man possessed (without
giving us any frights, I might add), we arrived at the
studio entrance just before twenty past seven.
There
were quite a few people milling around outside and I assumed
they were waiting for the Open House rehearsals to finish.
Not wanting to take any chances though, we went inside and
enquired of the desk staff as to whether the recording had
started. Breathing a sigh of relief, we were told it had not
and the people outside were indeed waiting to go in. As we
were talking, the first Angel of the night came out and
spotted us. Gabby (Gabrielle Gautier), for it was indeed
she, had guessed rightly who we were and having said our
hellos, she made us both most welcome. I told her that
Hannah and her friend would be arriving some time later and
again she said not to worry - they would be allowed in
whenever they arrived. Needing to freshen up a little, I
asked where the cloakrooms were and if we could avail
ourselves of them. Again, not a problem. I made it out first
and saw that Gabby was about to bring in the audience for
the night. The very instant Shirley reappeared, Gabby came
through the door from the lobby and asked that WE lead the
way into the studio! "Watch out for the cables,"
she said. Talk about priority treatment - made US feel like
personalities! Thank you, Gabby - you made it seem as if we
had known you for ages... superb treatment!
We
soon found our seats, reserved on the very front row to the
centre-left of the stage. Hannah had been allocated two
seats adjacent to the centre aisle and we were to be seated
next to her - - - nice. Sadly, Hannah had still not arrived
and Shirley and I were beginning to get a little anxious as
Steve, the Floor Manager, introduced himself and gave us our
"instructions". We were now part of the Production
Team and as such, had to follow his every little gesture.
"Keep an eye on me", said Steve One. "If
I raise my hands like this, get ready to give it all you've
got! If I wave like this, keep on clapping and shouting and
if I do this... GO CRAZY!!!" We all laughed as he
continued... "Over there is exit number one and here
number two and just behind there, exit number three. If I
should disappear out of that one - you better follow me -
because if there 's a fire or other emergency, I'll be the
first one out... OK?" We all nodded our agreement.
"Sometimes your view may be blocked by one of the
camera's... We can't help that, but you can follow what's
going on in these two monitors." He pointed them
out, hanging high up to each side of the studio floor. There
was also a mobile system on which to catch the action when
necessary. "OK. We'll be starting recording in a few
moments, so let me introduce you to another Steve..."
This was getting complicated! This Steve - I'll refer to him
as Steve Two - was the audience 'warmer-upper' and he was
good at his job, soon having us all in stitches. Bounding
around the audience, he enquired where we had all come from.
Most were from within London itself and it soon turned out
that we had travelled the furthest. Hannah arrived and we
greeted each other warmly; happy (well - Shirley and I were
- grin) to see her once again. Since the two girls
had arrived late, brought in by a still smiling Gabby, the
audience had been shuffled around to get them closer
together and nearer the front, so Hannah now had to sit to
our left - just behind camera 4. This was not one of the
best positions from which to see all of the action - but
then again, nor were our seats. Being at floor level,
whenever the camera stopped, or passed in front of us, our
view was somewhat obscured. But who cared? We were there!
Normally,
Open House is transmitted live. On this occasion, due I
suppose to Charlotte's busy schedule, the Monday feature was
being filmed (as it happened - to preserve the spontenaity)
on this particular Wednesday... We were to BE the Monday
audience! Funnily enough, it did NOT seem like a Monday at
all! I wonder why?
Time
passed rapidly by and it was not long before Steve One
called for silence as the 45 second countdown started...
Gloria took her place on-stage (The second Angel - believe
it or not - I'll tell you why later) and you could have cut
the silence with a very blunt knife...
5.
4. 3. 2. 1... The opening credits rolled and Charlotte
(Angel number three and the Angel WE had come to see)
appeared at the far side of the floor, ready to introduce
the show. Three (and I am SURE they were deliberate) fluffed
lines later and Steve One was happy... Cut to Gloria
Hunniford at centre stage right... The show had begun. (This
"intro" was not used in the final transmission,
however - nor was a later shot in which she wished everyone
a happy Christmas time!)
Read
all about what happened during the show as the links below
come live (one by one perhaps)...
I
recorded Open House with Gloria Hunniford onto VHS tape at
two-fifteen on Channel 5 this afternoon... The audience were
not shown, but viewers could certainly hear us - especially
when Charlotte appeared!!! I'll do my level best to capture
all the best shots and get them on-site for you to look at,
by Thursday evening (BST) at the latest... ntl and the
Internet willing! This is a BIG "mini-series" and
will take several hours to prepare! Hey - I gotta keep
watching Charlotte over and over again... Do I mind? Answer
that one for yourself - I'm not saying!!! I will say though
that Charlotte's main "slot" was over fifteen
minutes long and she talked a lot. She also appeared several
other times during the show! Reporting this little lot is
gonna take forever (though not if I can help it).
I'll
also say this - Charlotte is every bit as sweet in person as
she is portrayed on TV and in the Press...
This is one very special Angel... Not only 'just as sweet',
as I thought, but 'The Sweetest Angel' you could ever
hope to meet.
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