The Mystery of (The Making Of) Edwin Drood

As many people in the UK may have seen, the BBC aired a 2-part made-for-TV movie this week, entitled The Mystery Of Edwin Drood.  This was the last book that ol' Chuck Dickens ever got around to writing, although he couldn't be bothered to finish it (I kid!  I  kid!  He had a stroke and died.)

Anyway, the BBC decided to film the 2-part mini-series in Rochester, as that's where the book was set, and I happened to stumble upon several days of the filming around town.  Although they shot most of the dramatisation in the Cathedral, they also used lots of other locations around town, including Prior's Gate (what you see in the shot above).  The only problem with Prior's Gate?  Well, it doesn't actually have a gate.  Technically, It should be renamed "Prior's Oversized Outdoor Granite Doorway", but I suppose that's another matter.

Anyway, the lack of a gate at Prior's Gate seemed to have posed quite a problem for the BBC team, as it would have rendered a pub and some electric street lamps (as well as cars, motorcycles, me, etc...) visible in the background of many of its shots.  So what to do?  Why, build a plywood gate top, drop some black sheeting, and tie some bushes to a table, of course!  And the effect was magical:



If you look closely you can probably see me wandering around in the background taking photos.