Comments on: Trivia

By: Drew Byrne

Drew Byrne — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:39:54 +0000

Benny Hill also lived in a flat in Queens Gate, South Kensington, which is a nice residence if one can afford it. It has a blue plaque… I passed it by with curiosity.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:48:13 +0000

Thanks. Really interesting and helpful. I was pretty certain she said there was an air strip. I just couldn’t think where

By: tteditor

tteditor — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:28:44 +0000

Hi Bob, Royal Parks have dug out some information and photos for you - pic1, pic2 The airscript was set away from the camp buildings, along where the children's playground can now be found:

By: Clive Bishop.

Clive Bishop. — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 18:04:58 +0000

The actress Christine Norden and her husband lived in Teddington. She died in Isleworth, aged 63, from pneumonia following heart bypass surgery. Her widower was George Heselden, a retired mathematician who used to work for the Ministry of Defence. Actress June Mitchell (1933–2009) was Norden’s sister. Following her death, part of the planet Venus was named after her in 1988, as a tribute to her reputation of Britain’s first postwar sex symbol.

By: TT

TT — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 01:32:53 +0000

Norman Newell’s neighbour in Anlaby Road was Russell Waters, a big star in 30s/40s films. His daughter was a floor manager at Thames, and his son John Waters is a big star in Australian film and TV. Lucy Alexander, presenter of Homes under the Hammer is also a resident. Bending the rules slightly, Rob Brydon lives between Tedders and Strawberry Hill.

By: tteditor

tteditor — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 16:20:30 +0000

Yes Benny lived in Teddington, a short walk down the road from the studios where the show was filmed. This is sadly where he died as well. In his single "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)", Ernie had a rival "Two-tonne Ted from Teddington" who drove the bakers van!

By: Ron

Ron — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:44:19 +0000

Thank you for this information. I am a very big fan of Benny Hill and I have been very curious about where he shot many of his outdoor skits. This has been helpful. Do you know of any websites that might have pictures of the sites or even backstage shots? Did Benny live in Teddington? You say “we” in your response. I take it you worked on the show?
Anyway, thank you again and please let me know where I can find pictures of anything to do with the show.

By: TT

TT — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 22:35:47 +0000

For years the traditional place where we filmed hours of Benny locations was the grounds of Normansfield, which was a location manager’s dream. Not only did it have a beautiful period theatre, but the grounds had a new, completely different place round every corner. In production, your aim is many shots from the same area, particularly if it’s a short distance from the studios! If you look through location footage from Thames shows from the 70s/80s, all areas around Teddington/Twickenham/Richmond, etc. are frequently featured. We did move Benny filming to Thorpe Park later on, but I never really found out why- perhaps they offered us a good deal, or Benny wanted a change. His show was beginning to sell all over the world, so maybe we indulged him.

By: Clive Bishop

Clive Bishop — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 15:12:03 +0000

Some of Benny Hill skits were filmed in Thorpe Park,an amusement park just west of London. On the highway,the M3,this park is in view to the north of the highway about 20 miles from Teddington.

By: Ron

Ron — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 12:47:10 +0000

I live in Pennsylvania in the USA and I love watching Benny Hill. I often wonder where he filmed his outdoor skits. Were they filmed in Teddington? thanks!