VCT
Filming:
North
and South
Click on an image to enlarge
The award-winning Museum
of Rail Travel at Ingrow near Keighley has provided three of its
Victorian railway carriages for sequences in a major new four – part BBC TV
drama, which is scheduled for transmission in November 2004.
The museum,
owned by the volunteer – run Vintage Carriages Trust, has provided
carriages for two scenes in BBC TV’s adaptation of North and South, written by Elizabeth Gaskell.
Over time, however, Margaret
begins to settle in Milton, her social conscience awakens and she befriends some
of the local mill workers, learning about the poverty and workplace struggles
they are subjected to.
As events
conspire to throw Margaret Hale and John Thornton together, the two spirited
characters have to conquer prejudices of class and circumstance and overcome
their repressed physical attraction for one another.
Elizabeth
Gaskell’s first novel, Mary Barton, was
published in 1848 and won the praise of Charles Dickens.
Dickens invited her to contribute to his magazine, Household
Words, where her most popular work, Cranford,
appeared in 1853. Gaskell became a
friend of Charlotte Bronte. When
Charlotte died in 1855, her father, Patrick Bronte, asked Gaskell to write
Charlotte’s biography, which was published in 1857.
The
actors
The character of Margaret Hale is played by Daniela Denby – Ashe, who has appeared as Janey Harper in My Family, and Sarah Hills in East Enders.
John
Thornton is played by Richard Armitage who
has appeared in Cold Feet and Sparkhouse.
Other actors in other scenes
A strong
supporting cast includes Sinead Cusack as
Hannah Thornton, the proud mother of John Thornton; Lesley Manville as
Margaret’s mother, Maria Hale; Tim
Pigott – Smith as Margaret’s father Richard Hale;
Pauline Quirke as the Hale’s maid, Dixon ; and Brendan Coyle as union leader
Nicholas Higgins.
The Victorian carriages
Three
Victorian railway carriages were provided by
Vintage Carriages Trust for
the filming:
a Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway four-wheeled tri-composite built in 1876 which has previously been filmed for He Knew He Was Right; Sons and Lovers; Turner – the man who painted Britain ; The Way We Live Now; Timewatch; A History of British Art; The Secret Agent (1995 cinema version); Tomorrow’s World; The Feast of July; The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes; Resurrection
Great Northern Railway six-wheeled brake third class carriage no 589, built in 1888 which has previously appeared in Sons and Lovers; The Way We Live Now; Possession; Timewatch; The Woman In White; Jude; The Secret Agent (1995 cinema version); Tomorrow’s World; The Feast of July; The Secret Agent (1992 BBC TV version); A Testament of Youth; Raffles; The Railway Children (1970 EMI version); The Railway Children (1968 BBC TV version).
Great
Northern Railway lavatory
composite brake carriage no 2856,built in 1898 which has previously appeared in The Forsyte Saga; Hound of the Baskervilles; Turner – the Man who painted Britain; The Way We Live Now.
Filming took
place between Oakworth and Oxenhope on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway,
using Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway steam locomotive no. 957, built in
1887 which is owned by the
Bowers 957 Trust. Aerial shots using a helicopter were filmed for the opening sequence of
the first programme.
Interior shots were filmed for the last sequence of the last programme.
Filming took place inside the Great Northern Railway carriage no. 2856, which was disguised to resemble the
Metropolitan Railway “Chesham” carriages based on the Bluebell Railway in
Sussex.
Filming has
also taken place at Dalton Mills in Keighley as well as Edinburgh, Selkirk,
Helmshore, Burnley and London.
Jane Tranter, BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, says: “North and South explores the simmering, restrained passion between two very different people who fall in love in spite of themselves.
As with He
Knew He Was Right, and Daniel Deronda,
North and South demonstrates BBC Drama’s commitment to bringing
lesser – known works to a wider audience.
Paul
Holroyd of the Vintage Carriages Trust said:
“ We are delighted to be involved with this prestigious production.
Our carriages have been filmed at many locations throughout England and
we have been privileged to have played a small part in productions starring
well-known celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Lancashire,
Tara Fitzgerald, Saskia Reeves, Patricia Arquette, David Suchet, John Nettles
and Gerard Depardieu to name but a few.
However, it
really is wonderful to be working with the qualified volunteers of our
neighbours on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.
The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is an ideal location for filming
with its six stations, two tunnels, two level crossings, signalboxes and
contrasting landscape ranging from rural to urban.
There is no
doubt that filming brings numerous benefits not just to the Vintage Carriages
Trust and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, but film companies also buy
in products from local suppliers. Most
of the crew stayed at the Innkeepers Lodge in Keighley and guest houses in
Haworth.
Tourists also come to the local area to see the locations which they have seen on screen. “
Technical information:
Shooting date: Friday 23rd July 2004
Scenes: 1/01 4/74
Director:
Brian Percival Producer: Kate
Bartlett Director of Photography: Peter Greenhalgh
Line Producer: Di Barton Production Co-ordinator: Phil
Cole
Art Director: Bill Crutcher Art Dept Assistant: Charlie Lynam Script Supervisor: Janice Schumm
Costume Assistants: Sally Davis, Mark Lord
Makeup & Hair Designer: Ali Davies Makeup Artist :Susie Munachen
Grip: Keith Mead Rigger: Mark Jenkinson
Camera Operator: Steve Murray Focus Puller/Clapper Loader: Steve Warner
Locations used for the mill scenes