Would you let Cybermen smash up your windows?

How would you fancy spending a few days with Doctor Who, Catherine Tate or the cast and crew of Gavin and Stacey? Abbie Wightwick talks to people who’ve turned their homes into the unlikely stars of the small screen

WHEN he saw Cybermen smash through his grade one listed house, Rhodri Traherne’s heart missed a beat.

For the first time he wondered whether it had been sensible to rent his home in the Vale of Glamorgan to the makers of Doctor Who.

Standing beside his wife, Annabelle, he watched as Cybermen crashed through three 12ft by 4ft windows of the house that had been in his family for 200 years.

They left silver paint marks as they scuffed their way through doors meant for 19th century landed gentry and crowded cellar passageways.

Rhodri, who runs a property and farming businesses, is just one of a growing band of people renting their homes to film and TV companies.

With everything from big name productions to soaps and feature films being made in Wales, location scouts are increasingly on the look out for ordinary houses as well as the more unusual.

Gavin and Stacey and Pobol y Cwm are all filmed in South Wales terraces and suburbs; Vale of Glamorgan woodland was used for the BBC children’s drama Merlin, a lake in Pentyrch and Caerphilly Castle are used for Young Dracula and Torchwood is made in and around Cardiff.

So how do you get your property on screen, is it lucrative and what are the drawbacks?

Disruption varies. Some productions involve hundreds of crew, redecorating, furniture removal and having to relocate to a hotel.

Others may pay to interview people on your lawn.

For Rhodri Traherne, renting his historic family home has been a way to help pay the upkeep.

The house, set in land in the Vale of Glamorgan above Culverhouse Cross, has been used for ITV’s Trevor McDonald to do big interviews, S4C’s Teulu, BBC Wales’ Torchwood and, most dramatically, Doctor Who.

The day the Cybermen came was a long one, he recalls.

Action started at 8am when a specialist firm arrived to painstakingly remove the sash windows. Later a BBC team replaced them with balsa wood and sugar glass replicas. By 10pm all was dark and ready for the Cybermen.

Rhodri, his wife Annabelle and daughters Emma, 22, and Sophie, 20, watched as dark forces took over.

“We saw the Cybermen come crashing through the three windows at the back of the house,” Rhodri recalls.

“I thought after they came through that we had made a huge mistake. It was fairly devastating.

“One of the problems with Cybermen is that because they are so big they inevitably hit the door frames coming through and made silver paint marks on the doors.”

But he needn’t have fretted.

“The crew touched it all up and within a week you would never have known it had happened.”

Rhodri says he’s not proud, and hiring the house out is a way to help finance it.

“You are well paid for what you’re doing and for providing a facility. Either myself or my wife are here all the time.

“The Doctor Who crew were very careful and very good but obviously you know your own house and its bits and pieces and it’s important you’re there.

“It’s a family house, built in 1805. I’ve lived here since 1997 and my family has always lived in it. I’m not proud. We have to get income from all sorts of sources. Filming is a very good source of income.”

Rhodri signed up to the Screen Commission locations list several years ago and has never regretted it.

“All sorts of things have been filmed here.

“We’ve just had Torchwood. We’ve done everything from non-disruptive stuff to the very disruptive. During Doctor Who there were 200 people in the house at one point.

“We have said no to one or two things. Sometimes people aren’t prepared to put things back. All these companies have insurance and we have insurance as well. You have to.

“I have a huge admiration for people in TV. It’s a very skilled job and interesting to see how it works.”

A few miles away John and Tracey George’s home in Cyncoed was transformed into Catherine Tate’s house for Doctor Who.

John, director of, and solicitor for Asset Management Solutions in Cardiff, had never thought of putting his home on TV until a letter came through the door.

“When we had a letter saying our house met the criteria and could they use it we thought it was a hoax,” John says with a laugh.

“They filmed four or five times between October 2007 and February 2008 for between half a day to three days. We moved to a hotel when they came for three days.

“We didn’t feel nervous as we enjoyed it. You can’t do it for the money. You’ve got to want to do it.

“We met Catherine Tate and David Tennant. They were great, very friendly.

“All the neighbours and kids turned up when they were here. They signed autographs and let us take photos.”

The downside was that the production team removed the furniture in the front living room, took down the curtains and repainted the cream walls terracotta.

“When filming was over it was very odd seeing our house on TV. Friends texted to say they’d seen our kitchen on Doctor Who,” John remembers.

As filming ran from October to February the production team left some items behind, notably Catherine Tate’s kitchen table. John and Tracey’s children Olivia, seven and Ethan, nine, enjoyed inviting friends to eat tea off the celebrity item in breaks between filming.

Like Rhodri, John says he enjoyed seeing how TV programmes are made

How would you fancy spending a few days with Doctor Who, Catherine Tate or the cast and crew of Gavin and Stacey? Abbie Wightwick talks to people who’ve turned their homes into the unlikely stars of the small screen

“The team paid enormous attention to detail. The set dressers came and took photos so they could put it back all the same when they came back to film again.

“On one particularly busy day there were 50 crew and cast in the house and neighbours flocked to see what was happening. For a short period afterwards people still drove by to look at the house that Catherine Tate ‘lived in’, but no-one has ever knocked on the door and asked to look inside.”

Plenty of people have knocked on Glenda Kenyon’s door, however.

Glenda, 54, rents her three-bedroom £115,000 Edwardian terraced house overlooking Barry Docks as Stacey’s mum’s house in Gavin and Stacey.

Three years ago a letter came through her door from the makers of the then fledgling show, asking if they could use the house.

Glenda can’t read but dialled the phone number at the bottom of the page to ask what it was all about.

“They wanted my house because of the view over the bay,” she explains.

“Because I can’t read I was lucky there was a number to ring at the bottom. I rang and they told me about it and I said yes.”

Although Glenda has to move out for around nine days during filming she sees this as a bonus.

“I love it. It doesn’t cause me any disruption. To me it’s a holiday because they put me up in a hotel. Last time I went to a hotel near the airport. It was lovely.

“When I leave I make sure the house is clean. Ruth Jones (who plays Nessa in the hit comedy) is asthmatic and I have a dog, a mongrel called Rollie, so they bring in special cleaners to make sure there are no dog hairs around.”

Glenda is also happy to chat to people who come sightseeing and proudly shows them her £599 leather suite where the stars sit.

“People do come to see the house. Last year 57 people came,” she says.

“They started coming back three days after the Christmas special.

“Lots of people stand outside and take photos of the house, but it doesn’t bother me. I love it. I get scared of them sneaking up though so I ask if they want to come in. They never say no!

“All they want is some photos and they ask me questions.”

Grandmother Glenda says she is still paid the same as when she started, despite the show’s huge success, but does not want to divulge how much that is.

She is also a fan of the show and hopes to meet the stars one day.

“For me it’s really exciting and stops boredom and loneliness. “They keep saying I’ll meet the cast but it’s not happened. I would like to see them.”

Richard Morgan-Price and Huw Thomas often find themselves chatting to famous actors at their country house hotel near Barry.

As live-in owners of the Egerton Grey Country House Hotel, Porthkerry, they are around when filming takes place.

Christopher Lee and Lee Marvin have both filmed at the 17th century mansion rebuilt in the 19th century and transformed into a hotel in the 20th.

Pole-dancing scenes have been shot in the bedrooms and party political broadcasts made on the lawns.

The latest project is shooting the feature film Mr Nice starring Rhys Ifans as drug smuggler Howard Marks.

Rhys, 40, will star alongside Sean Penn, Chloe Sevigny, David Thewlis and former EastEnders actress Michelle Ryan, although Richard is coy about giving away too many details about the production.

Richard, who has worked at the hotel for 20 years, bought it with Huw in 2000 when it was already on location directors’ radar.

“I can’t remember what the first film made here was. It’s been happening for years,” he says.

“Christopher Lee made a film here 15 years ago and stayed here. Lee Marvin has also filmed here, although I can’t remember what.

“We’ve had television series like Belonging, Doctor Who and the Sarah Jane Adventures filmed here as well as documentaries and feature films.

“They did a pole-dancing scene in one of the bedrooms for the Belonging Christmas Special – but I didn’t watch,” he says with a laugh.

Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats have both used the hotel and grounds for party political broadcasts and interviews have been filmed there.

I’ve never marketed it as a location,” Richard explains.

“Our reputation has just spread by word of mouth. Location managers know about us and talk to each other.”

Richard believes the secret is that it is a hotel but not decorated as one. It is designed to look like a country house so if directors want a bedroom or sitting room there are plenty, but they can also film restaurant or bar scenes on site.

The hotel is set in seven acres of grounds with views of the sea. This offers film makers the chance to stay in one place for many shots.

“To be able to film all those things in one place makes it low, price wise,” explains Richard.

“Between eight and 10 films and programmes have been made here over the last eight years or so.

“We don’t get particularly well paid but it is adequate. It covers what we would have made if the hotel had been open.”

Richard and Huw always close the hotel during filming as disruption wouldn’t be fair on guests, they say. Each film or television programme involves at least two trucks plus a catering truck and around 40 people, Richard estimates.

“Guests have to be our first priority and we are a hotel first,” Richard says.

“Personally speaking, I’m not interested in celebrities. When they were filming Doctor Who I chatted to Catherine Tate without really knowing who she was.

“I’ve also met Bernard Cribbins and Phyllida Law (actress mother of Emma Thompson). They were lovely.

“You do get to chat to the actors because filming is very boring. There’s a lot of waiting around.

“I like doing it as there’s a bit of profile there. It’s not advertising but people get a reminder about you if they see you on screen. It doesn’t necessarily create business but it creates trust.”

Chris Board is rarely around for filming at the lodge he owns beside Canada Lake near Pentyrch outside Cardiff.

The lake is set in five acres of woodland.

Normally it is rented for leisure and fishing and there is a lodge with a kitchen, living room and office for barbecues and entertaining.

It is likely that location directors spotted it while fishing or entertaining there, says Chris, who also got a letter through his door.

CBBC’S Young Dracula, S4C’s Pobol y Cwm and Teulu have all filmed there.

Chris says it was “a business opportunity waiting to happen” and he jumped at the chance when asked.

“Location scouts found us. The lodge is a stone building that we rent out for functions like weddings and there is a lake. So it’s all there,”

Most recently it was used to film Sky One’s new production of award- winning children’s novel, Skellig.

In the film Tim Roth, who plays the film’s title role, discovers heaven is a place on earth. Trainspotting actress, Kelly MacDonald, and Life on Mars star John Simm, also appear in the modern-day fairytale which was screened recently.

Chris is pleased his lake was used for the film but is more interested in fees than kudos.

“I know it’s a film about a fallen angel, but I keep out of the way when they’re filming. To be honest, I do it for the money. I’m not a celebrity watcher and Sky paid better than the others.”

Paul Davies, freelance locations manager with various series including Belonging on his portfolio, says Wales has become a locations Mecca.

“When you have a script you have guidelines to what area you are in,” he said.

“On Belonging, it used to be that you couldn’t go further than 10 miles (from Cardiff) but we have shot everywhere in South Wales and do go elsewhere.”

Paul knocks on doors and sends out letters, but never initially says how much it pays.

“We negotiate with people later,” he explains. “Mentioning money can start rumours and it does happen that neighbours get jealous. We have to be very careful.”

Letters are sent out about five weeks before filming leaving scant time for error.

Once someone has said yes to filming there are agreement papers and contracts to be signed and neighbours to consult with.

“The choice is all down to paint colours or how much work has to be done on the property before we can start filming,” Paul explains.

“We have to tell all the neighbours and ask about things like deliveries they might be expecting on days we’re filming in their street.

“I’d say 90% of the time people are happy, and you have a location agreement. If someone wanted to pull out they could, but it’s never happened to me.

“Filming creates excitement and buzz. It breaks the ice and people are usually happy with what’s happening.”

Gareth Skelding, locations manager for Doctor Who, looks for places he can park fleets of trucks, generators and as many as 70 vehicles at one time. That might mean terraced houses near schools where they can park or large houses with extensive grounds.

“Doctor Who is a very big series and you have to bear in mind that you have a large crew, trucks and generators,” he explains.

“We have to be aware of neighbours and not blocking roads.

“We’re not looking for interesting features we just need space, not lots of little rooms. It’s easier to make things look smaller than bigger.”

Once he has found the property he wants he writes to nearby residents giving them the chance to object if they think filming will adversely affect them.

“It’s a nightmare five weeks of preparation before filming starts, but that’s not that long really,” he says.

Planning applications must be put in to councils if they need to close roads and if Cardiff is meant to look like London they have to walk around finding places that look similar.

“I will drive around to find places and also have a database of locations.

“I’ll identify an area we want – and you can tell a lot from people’s curtains and gardens. Then we’ll write to them.

“I do sometimes knock on people’s doors and they’re usually receptive. I wish people would ask for my BBC ID before I offer it though!

“People should always ask for identification before letting people in.

“We can always find terraced houses, it’s things like barn conversions that are harder.”

Again, he has never had anyone pull out on an agreement to film and says that’s all down to ensuring excellent communication from the start.

“A good location manager will paint the full picture for them about what to expect,” he advises.

“Very often we get a positive reception. We do get neighbours who don’t want to be involved. We can be there at 5am and people aren’t favourable to being woken up. It’s all about planning and communicating well.”

Before filming starts the property has to be insured and indemnified and a contract and agreement documents have to be signed and in place.

“Pulling out half way through is unheard of. I don’t want to think about it!” Gareth says with a shudder.

“We have to take complete care of the houses and leave them in better condition than we find them.

“We do paint rooms and things like that. And people have to know that if we want to turn houses into spaceships we will and we’ll throw stunt men through windows.”

The series has used steelworks and industrial buildings as well as houses and there is no set rate of pay for locations.

Doctor Who, as a big and disruptive project, would pay more than regular programmes, but people shouldn’t expect life-changing fortunes, he cautions.

“You need to be fair to people as you are intruding on them. It wouldn’t be thousands but it would be hundreds a day. It can be £300 a day in places in the Valleys,” reveals Gareth, who is also responsible for security, health and safety on set.

At present he is searching for alien planet-like locations and a spaceship for the next series of Doctor Who.

“We’ll find them somewhere,” he says optimistically.

“I don’t know where at the moment but we will find them....”

Wales Online have an interesting (and long) article about filming Doctor Who in Cardiff.

When he saw Cybermen smash through his grade one listed house, Rhodri Trahernes heart missed a beat.

For the first time he wondered whether it had been sensible to rent his home in the Vale of Glamorgan to the makers of Doctor Who.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/showbiz-and-lifestyle/television-in-wales/2009/05/09/would-you-let-cybermen-smash-up-your-windows-91466-23569497/3/
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