Nowadays everyone gets to feel a little like a friend to the famous through the magic of Twitter or Facebook, although it seems to me more akin to 'licensed stalking'. However, back in my childhood touching the hem of the great and the good was far more personal. Back then it was about writing fan mail and hoping for a reply. Or clutching an autograph book while waiting hopefully in opportune places. Or though chance meetings in obscure locations.
Before marrying my dad my mother was lucky enough to have brushed shoulders with several famous people. Firstly as a teenager when she danced in Summer Season in Weymouth and again when she later worked at the BBC. There she was part of the production team of, among other shows, 'This Is Your Life'. I always remember two photographs of my mum which sat with pride in my grandparent's house. One was of her in a chorus line of dancing girls with Benny Hill in the middle and another was of just her and Eamonn Andrews standing together in a corridor at the BBC Television Centre. Although she moved on from there to raise a family Mum still knew people who worked at "The Beeb". One day, thanks to one of these friends, we all got to take a trip around the Television Centre.
I think her friend was an assistant producer at the time and would later on go on to work on 'Only Fools and Horses. Just then she was working on a small comedy ironically called 'Mr Big', staring Peter Jones, Prunella Scales and Ian Lavender. On the day we went there they were rehearsing the show prior to shooting in front of an audience. We first got to see briefing inside 'The Booth' where the production team worked and then sat in the studio itself while the cast ran a couple of scenes.
I remember thinking how small the whole place appeared to be. In front of us was the set which the actors were working on; the regular 'home' set which was used for every episode. To the left of that a second set waited ready for a later scene. Stacks of lights and monitors hung from the ceiling obscuring most of the action. I don't remember the dialogue but we basically watched them pretend to cook some beans on their small stove for about twenty minutes while the cameramen slid backwards and forwards in their own little ballet. Unfortunately as they were working we didn't get to meet these particular stars before continuing with the tour.
We walked round the circular corridors of the inner part of the building looking at the statue of Helios in the central courtyard and taking in Mum's old office. We also had a drink in the infamous BBC canteen before sticking our heads into another studio. Here they were rehearsing that badly conceived yet amazingly popular 'Black and White Minstrel Show'. It seems impossible to believe that such a programme ever made it to mainstream TV but that was the seventies I suppose. I'm just glade that things have improved since then. Being a rehearsal there was no make-up so it was just the 'White and Whiter Minstrel Show'. Still doesn't excuse it but at least makes for a better memory. With or without make-up they meant nothing to me so we moved on again.
Just as we we finishing the day, and having yet to actually meet anyone face-to-famous, I saw someone I truly idolised. If I tell you I was seven years old at the time you may understand my wonder when there in front of me stood - Derek Griffiths! He was strolling down the corridor towards us, as cool as anything, top to tail in denim. I know that to children of the seventies there are certain names which even when spoke softly to oneself will evoke the warmest of feelings. Names such as Chloe Ashcroft, Johnny Ball or Fred Harris. Floella Benjamin, Carol Chell or Stuart McGugan. These are names from the two big roles of honour; 'Play School' and 'Play Away'. And of them all Derek Griffiths was my hero as he clearly was the joker in the pack.
To my joy he stopped and chatted to the family, gave me his autograph, joked with us and also called over and introduced Toni Arthur who happened to be passing by (there you go - another warm, fuzzy name). After what seemed to me to be hours of banter he said goodbye and went off to work. I left the TV Centre feeling like I was stepping off Mount Olympus having shaken hands with a god...
Altogether now...
"It really doesn’t matter if it’s raining or it’s fine, just as long as you’ve got time
To P-L-A-Y play-away-way, play-away-a-play, play-away-way, a-play-away, play-away..."
(Many years later I was to have another brush with a icon from the 'Play Away' hall of fame, but I'll save that for another day...)
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