please empty your brain below
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The suspended part of the bridge at Teddington Lock moves as people walk along it. As a child I would stand at centre of the bridge and wait for groups of people to walk past and so I could feel the bridge swaying.
John | 24.04.22 - 7:53 a.m. | #
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One of my early TV memories is Hughie Green reading out the address at the end of Opportunity Knocks.
miker | 24.04.22 - 7:56 a.m. | #
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This site has a photo showing a plain Eric Morecambe plaque, in the text it says that Tommy Cooper & Benny Hill were stolen just before the studios were demolished and the current Morecambe & Wise plaque had replaced the solo one.
I would relocate them to Alexander Palace or Crystal Palace - areas with different types of TV heritage.
Still Anon | 24.04.22 - 8:08 a.m. | #
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A one-bed apartment at Teddington Riverside starts at £610,000... that's so depressing, although unsurprising. As for the plaques, the only names I didn't recognise were Jimmy Jewel, Harry Worth and John Sullivan. So maybe I'm almost the certain age, or not quite the certain age, or perhaps an uncertain age. I'll go with the latter.
Jayne | 24.04.22 - 8:22 a.m. | #
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John Sullivan was the writer and creator of Only Fools and Horses, as well as Citizen Smith and Just Good Friends.
Putters | 24.04.22 - 8:39 a.m. | #
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Is there any significance to the different colours of the plaques?
Andrew | 24.04.22 - 8:56 a.m. | #
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The fact that Thames TV lost its contract, probably leading to the closure of Teddington Studios, was at the time attributed to Death on the Rock.
Andrew | 24.04.22 - 9:33 a.m. | #
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When the footbridge was part of my commute for a couple of years I was paying attention enough to know it links Richmond to Richmond, but not enough to discover that this walkway was accessible to the public, and that it featured all of these plaques and an information board.
James | 24.04.22 - 9:43 a.m. | #
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During the initial demolition work at the studios four of the original (then blue) plaques were stolen - Benny Hill, Sid James, Irene Handl and Tommy Cooper.
Chris | 24.04.22 - 9:43 a.m. | #
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What a classic line up! Absolute childhood heroes - every one of them.
I always make a point of seeing Tony Hancock's headstone when visiting Cranford Park - it's in the adjacent St Dunstan's churchyard.
Must remember to make a detour on the Thames Path when I walk that stretch.
Cornish Cockney | 24.04.22 - 9:47 a.m. | #
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The plaques are all blue, the last two rather lighter than the first ten.
Apologies for Photoshopping them into a single image.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 24.04.22 - 9:50 a.m. | #
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Jimmy Jewel was one half of the comedy duo Jewell and (Ben) Warriss. They were cousins. I remember them dimly post-war as a not staggeringly funny radio turn
Bruce Perkins | 24.04.22 - 10:23 a.m. | #
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The footbridge is actually two bridges, the suspension bridge shown in the photo which take you to an island on the Thames. Then from the island there is another solid bridge to mainland. I always considered the bridge as linking Teddington to Ham.
John | 24.04.22 - 10:51 a.m. | #
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I guess Pinewood saw the pound signs from redeveloping the site, but there's been quite a turnaround in demand for film and TV studios around London, with a number being built or planned in recent years.
Mikey C | 24.04.22 - 11:39 a.m. | #
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Oooh... I visited the building at a time when I worked with (but not at) the publishing house Haymarket which was based there.
I knew it was a famous studio, but I just only realized now the comedy connection. Shame it's all gone.
Anyways, at least I have been there!
Greg S | 24.04.22 - 12:00 p.m. | #
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I once spent an evening there watching The Icicle Works in concert. It was around '88 and they were at the height of their powers. The recording was for a late night show on Thames TV called 'Meltdown' and I think the Glasgow band Danny Wilson were the support act. My friend and I joined the small but devoted queue for our show in Studio 2 while another much longer line snaked all around the building comprising mostly of elderly ladies. With headscarves and raincoats and snacks these ladies were there for their weekly fix of Des O'Conner Tonight. I still have the VHS recording somewhere of my only TV appearance as an excited rock fan. Sadly the band split soon after.
Johnny C | 24.04.22 - 12:28 p.m. | #
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In 1964 a pop group named"The Beatles" came to Teddington Studios by boat. The local council closed of most of the suspension bridge for safety reasons as thousands of fans came to the area. I remember it well.
There is a youtube video of the visit here wait for the titles to end to see the bridge and studios.
John | 24.04.22 - 1:52 p.m. | #
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Like Miker, it was Opportunity Knocks that put Teddington Lock on my radar. Viewers' votes (remember, it's your votes that count!) were sent in by postcard to Thames television, Teddington Lock, Middlesex.
There are actually three separate locks at Teddington, to accommodate different sized craft, and iirc Teddington Skiff Lock is the smallest lock (in use) on the British inland waterways system.
Sarah | Homepage | 24.04.22 - 1:53 p.m. | #
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I remember going on a works do to be part of the studio audience for Goodnight Sweetheart.
Cramped little site.
Pinewood group have since big bucks on expanding Pinewood and Shepperton. And are about to go yet another phase of expansion.
Rational Plan. | 24.04.22 - 2:53 p.m. | #
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The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames has the distinction of being the only London Borough to straddle the River Thames.
Tones | 24.04.22 - 5:07 p.m. | #
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Not to be confused with the Riverside Studios downstream in Hammersmith, which I see was largely abandoned by the BBC in 1970 now mainly an arts centre and redeveloped since 2014 with 165 flats on top but still making television programmes in Studio 1.
Rich G | Homepage | 24.04.22 - 7:33 p.m. | #
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It's always an added treat to discover my daily dose of dg includes one of my pics :)
stevekeiretsu | Homepage | 24.04.22 - 10:41 p.m. | #
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Jimmy Jewell was the answer to a jackpot question at the Black Lion pub in Surbiton about 6 weeks ago. The person didn't get it. I would have got it and "I must get a little hand for this watch" ;-)
As for Harry Worth. Stephen Fry had an anecdote from the actor Anthony Hopkins who once understudied for Laurence Olivier. Irritatingly, Olivier watched him during rehearsals and summoned him. “Just a word of advice, Tony,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to imitate.” Hopkins was about to reply furiously to this arrogance before Olivier added: “Take my performance . . . pure Harry Worth.”
Marmaduke Jinks | 24.04.22 - 11:35 p.m. | #
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I didn't know "Opportunity Knocks" was a real show before seeing these comments. My fault as a foreigner who only knows Benny Hill. (Poor Benny. It's a few days after the 30th anniversary of his passing, also in Teddington. RIP)
Patrickov | 25.04.22 - 6:10 a.m. | #
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I worked at Teddington Studios in 2006 and I'm not surprised they closed down fairly shortly after. Very little going on there at that time. The place had an air of long-faded glory; everything seemed dated.
Former runner | 25.04.22 - 10:02 a.m. | #
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