So, yes, back in Cuffley again, I understand you've been back to the time barrier previously?

(Sp) Well yes, quite a few years ago, bored, wet Sunday afternoon, had to occupy the kids, so I got the map out and thought I think I’ll have a spin over to Cuffley and see if I can find it, and it wasn’t too difficult, within about 20 minutes of coming into Cuffley village itself the recollections of the road that led onto the farm came back and it was all there, it was exactly the same and it was really quite fascinating, quite eerie to walk across that field again. Of course the kids wondered what on earth I was doing (laughter). Why are we standing in the middle of this field, daddy. I tried to explain and gave up after a while.

And you’ve not been, been back once before, Cheryl, when we dragged you back screaming along to look at the place again.

(Ch) Yes. If I’d had to find it on my own I’d have still been looking. I was quite amazed at how so much of it still exists. Very familiar to me.

We’ll have another look later. So I think what we’ll do is crack straight on with the first episode.

<0:16> Now this was of course quite unusual to introduce a children’s drama series with a science lesson which the interesting part of this is, in fact, what Peter Fairley is talking about obviously has no bearing on what actually happens in the series (laughter). Of course Peter Fairley was known as the Apollo man, the ITN correspondent.

<00:52> (Main music starts)

The iconic part of the sequence. As a child this fascinated me, and then I found out what it was was a light bulb on the end of a piece swung around. Kind of stole the magic a little bit.

<1:19> Here we are in the ministry field.

<1:23> That’s Sally Templer.

I believe she was quite a bit older than she actually looked.

(Ch) Well, yes, I think she was about 25?

She was in her mid twenties. In fact I believe she was considered for the part of Liz in the original casting version. But she didn’t have the pigtails you see. Pigtails are everything. Miranda will vouch for that.

(Ch) Miranda’s are about the same, exactly the same length as well, aren’t they?

<2:13> That very iconic sound, do you have any idea how it was generated? (Sp) No.

John Garrie. (Sp) Yes.

Didn’t he get effectively bemused by the whole thing?

(Sp) Yes, he used to pull our legs unmercifully. He used to come up to me in particular and say are they actually paying you for this?

(Sp) I’d say yes. He’d say how some people have the nerve to take the money. (laughter)

<3:04> The famous concrete posts which kind of almost accidentally became a symbol of Timeslip, really that and the kid with the glasses and the girl with the pigtails.

Of course by today’s standards this opening sequence is interminably long.

<3:24> There she goes.

Yes, I remember watching it back some time ago wanting to sort of put my boot up her backside to get through the time barrier a bit quicker.

<3:46> If you actually look closely when you see the special effect the split screen of the time barrier you can see that the background is actually slightly different where they split the screen.

<3:56> These are all luxury houses now as you will see later when we go over there. They’ve had to keep the actual camp and all the old building have been enclosed in the new buildings. They are extremely expensive now.

I believe the place was a chicken farm?

(Sp) Yes they were battery hens.

<4:45> The legendary Denis Quilly.

Happy memories of working with Denis?

(Sp) Very much, yes.

(Ch) Yes, absolutely yes, he was a lovely, lovely man.

Of course, we have him in spirit with us today over the fire place.

<5:42> Another familiar face about to spring out.

<5:58> Of course Denis was made up to look quite a bit older than he actually was. His hair was grey, as part of the story line. He plays a much younger version of himself later on.

<7:31> Mr Charisma (laughter).

Of course wearing spectacles, they just had plain glass in them.

(Sp) Yes, yes the first day of rehearsal John Cooper the producer said at lunchtime we’re off to the opticians. Yes, why? We need to get you some glasses, we need to make you look like a student. Which was a huge vote of confidence. They were plain glass, it was about 18 years before I needed real ones.

<8:11> Derek Fairfield of course. We speculated over the years whether Derek actually ever had any hair. Because no matter how far back you go back Derek always seemed to be bald. Which helped really because it means he changed very little over the years.

<8:39> Do you remember if this was filmed early on in preceedings, particularly?

(Sp) I think we did the first episode pretty much in order for the studio stuff.

(Ch) This was also the stuff that we did at audition, wasn’t it? A bit of the script?

(Sp) I don’t remember, I think mine was reading when we went through the barrier for the first time.

(Ch) Yes I think you were right, actually.

<9:40> I think the first batch of episodes were actually directed by John Cooper.

(Sp) Yes that’s right.

The producer on the series.

He started the ball rolling really.

<10:24> The famous skirting board.

A predominance for sliding doors and things, quite a few hidden panels and things.

<10:57> How many takes did you have to do for that Cheryl? (Ch) I can’t remember (laughter).

<11:47> I wonder if that was a reference to Bruce Stewart, quite well known for his musicals.

<12:12> I think this set up was very impressive, it does give the impression of being outdoors. I don’t know if it’s because it's in black and white. The backdrop looks a bit theatrical.

<13:34> (Commercial Break Time)

That was the great thing about Bruce, that he managed to pack in a cliff hanger every 15 minutes.

<13:51> Very brief commercial break.

(Ch) This is the audition piece…

<13:59> How is this done then, obviously this was a night shoot, is it the same location?

(Sp)Yes, yes, that’s right. They redressed the fence with proper chain fencing some of them, the posts, were prop ones that were brought in to support it.

(Sp) It was quite chilly too if I remember.

(Ch) Yes, I was going to say, that’s what I remember most about it. It was freezing.

(Sp) Although it was May, May, late in May, it was actually quite common.

(Sp) I love this piece.

<14:50> I believe you told me the other night on the phone that it is 37 years almost to the week.

Yes. Last Friday, the 11th of May.

A nice piece of acting from you Cheryl because you of course had to alternate between completely different takes, different times of the day.

<15:21> Now, there are quite a few familiar faces in amongst this lot. Of course there’s Sandor Eles at the front there, Paul Humpoletz the guy with the beard and Hilary Minster (called out), thank you, who of course went on to play a German with a slightly different cut later on in Allo Allo.

(Ch) Yes, He used to play Germans quite often, actually.

<16:00> John Alkin who became reasonably famous later on as being one of Jack Reagan’s side kicks in the Sweeney.

(Sp) Indeed, (Ch) Yes.

From what we gather from our research John Alkin became a boat builder, yes apparently and married Kenny Everett’s widow, which is a fascinating concept in itself - in more ways than one (laughter).

<16:44> Very atmospheric that high shot, nice shot through the banisters.

<17:08> When we began researching to do the web site Andy and I referred to Frank as poor Frank, throughout the entire series things happen to him and he looks continually bewildered and put upon.

<17:20> Jean has the first of her headaches.

<18:23> That’s a very loaded comment, makes the story enigmatic.

<18:58> A not entirely convincing cockney accent.

<20:59> I understand you don’t speak German! (laughter).

<22:58> Did they give you any script for that Cheryl or was it all improvised? (Ch) There was an awful lot of crying.

<23:51> (End music)

It was actually a small role for Kenneth Watson because he was quite a well known character (SP) Yes, yes and I think it was in the next episode they shoot him.

'A colour production' which of course seems rather inappropriate with the loss of the tapes.

So what memories do you have sitting and watching that back?

(Sp) Well it’s quite sketchy actually, I kind of remember the earlier sequence in the pub court yard. And some recollections of rehearsing the showdown with commander Traynor at the radar station. I think we had a fit of the giggles on more than one occasion.

(Ch) Yes, when we were hiding from the Germans they were literally standing above us.

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