scribblings
The Goth Detectives
The Secrets of Hemington House (part 1)
“Nice!” Russell couldn’t help but be impressed when he arrived at Hemington House. The doors of the car slammed shut as both he and Simon got out. “I could’ve guessed you would like it,” Simon replied, “it does match with your style quite a bit.”
They stood on the parking lot of the old mansion where the next day, they would be shooting the Buzzcocks Christmas special. On request of Simon Amstell, the special would be filmed on location instead of in the same old studio. To make it more Christmassy, the BBC had chosen a perfect location : a small Victorian mansion, built at the end of the nineteenth century, with a very typical Romantic era atmosphere over it.
But there wasn’t much time to admire Hemington House, as the crew wanted to do a set-rehearsal in a few hours. The show would have to be taped by ten that evening, so there was a tight schedule. Russell and Simon hurried to get inside, welcomed by the cameramen who were gathering at the door. They entered the hall, a large round room with high windows and black-and-white tiles on the floor. There was a marble stairway with beautifully ornamented wooden posts, that lead to a gallery and the second floor.
While Simon was talking to a young soundman, Russell heard a familiar voice coming from the gallery. He looked up and smiled.
“Oi! Russell! Come up ‘ere and I’ll stab yer eyes out!”
“Aaarh, I do not fear ye, you’re nought but a cockney geezer!” Russell waved his arms and Noel came running down the stairs, yelling “Saaaouth - London in the haaaouse !!!”
At the bottom of the stairs, Russell stood with his arms open and Noel landed in them. After a brief hug, they both looked at each other. Russell was wearing his trademark tight-jeans and pointy boots, but for a change his outfit was completed by a deep red, silk shirt instead of the regular black one. “You’re looking nice,” Noel stated, “I’m liking the whole silky shirt thing you’ve got going on.” “Yeah, I know, I did my best, but my hair just won’t stay in the right shape.” Russell kept fiddling with his locks. “Sometimes I can really hate my hair.”
Noel, perfect hairdo as always, combined with a slightly torn faded black t-shirt and black leather pants, hushed him quickly. “You’re just making it worse! You have to be nice to your hair. Have you tried asking politely?”
Russell grinned. “I’ve pleaded, I’ve prayed and I begged … but what’s going on with the leather down there ?” “Oh, do you like them?” Noel showed his legs and turned them around. “I found them in this little vintage shop, I thought they would look great with the boots.” The boots, dark green snakeskin-printed leather, did indeed look great with the tight black trousers. “I figured, on a regular jeans, they would be too much, you know, but like this, I feel I can really pull this off. Don’t you think so?”
With his head tilted aside, Russell watched Noels outfit sternly. Noel put his hands on his hips, striking a pose, waiting for the critical response. “You *can* pull off this look …” Russell concluded, “but something’s missing. I know! You need a hat!”
“A hat!” Noel lifted his finger. “That’s it!” He wanted to turn around, but stopped in his motion.
“One thing … I didn’t bring a hat.”
“In a way, I find that a rather comforting thought,” Russell smiled, “It would’ve been more disturbing if you *would* have brought a hat to a one-day-taping of a show… that you’re not even in.” Noel grinned and the two of them started walking further into the house, following the cables and the people running in and out.
“Why are you here?” Russell asked his mate. “I’m here with Dee, she’s in the Celebrity Line-up for tonight,” Noel explained, “She’s coming around later on, there was a meeting with someone from the record company this afternoon. But I thought it would be fun to come down here a bit earlier, have a little look around the house, catch up with you again.”
They came to the door of the Library, where the show was going to be filmed. The assistant-producer Annie came running towards them. “Russell, good that you arrived. You came with Simon, didn’t you ? Is he here too ?”
“Yes, I last saw him in the hallway, chatting up your cameramen.”
Annie was one of the few persons who could both smile and roll with her eyes at the same time. “I’ll go looking for him. The make-up girls are waiting, they need hours for his hair.”
“Have they tried asking politely…?” Russell wanted to advise her, but she was already running down to the hallway. “Shit, I didn’t ask when I had to be in make-up.”
“Don’t panic, you look great, there’s not much work left on you. Phil and Bill haven’t come in yet, that’s a whole other story,” Noel laughed, “Preparing Bill Bailey for a tv-screen, now there’s a real challenge.” “Poor girls … ” “Poor girls indeed…”
The Secrets of Hemington House (part 1)
“Nice!” Russell couldn’t help but be impressed when he arrived at Hemington House. The doors of the car slammed shut as both he and Simon got out. “I could’ve guessed you would like it,” Simon replied, “it does match with your style quite a bit.”
They stood on the parking lot of the old mansion where the next day, they would be shooting the Buzzcocks Christmas special. On request of Simon Amstell, the special would be filmed on location instead of in the same old studio. To make it more Christmassy, the BBC had chosen a perfect location : a small Victorian mansion, built at the end of the nineteenth century, with a very typical Romantic era atmosphere over it.
But there wasn’t much time to admire Hemington House, as the crew wanted to do a set-rehearsal in a few hours. The show would have to be taped by ten that evening, so there was a tight schedule. Russell and Simon hurried to get inside, welcomed by the cameramen who were gathering at the door. They entered the hall, a large round room with high windows and black-and-white tiles on the floor. There was a marble stairway with beautifully ornamented wooden posts, that lead to a gallery and the second floor.
While Simon was talking to a young soundman, Russell heard a familiar voice coming from the gallery. He looked up and smiled.
“Oi! Russell! Come up ‘ere and I’ll stab yer eyes out!”
“Aaarh, I do not fear ye, you’re nought but a cockney geezer!” Russell waved his arms and Noel came running down the stairs, yelling “Saaaouth - London in the haaaouse !!!”
At the bottom of the stairs, Russell stood with his arms open and Noel landed in them. After a brief hug, they both looked at each other. Russell was wearing his trademark tight-jeans and pointy boots, but for a change his outfit was completed by a deep red, silk shirt instead of the regular black one. “You’re looking nice,” Noel stated, “I’m liking the whole silky shirt thing you’ve got going on.” “Yeah, I know, I did my best, but my hair just won’t stay in the right shape.” Russell kept fiddling with his locks. “Sometimes I can really hate my hair.”
Noel, perfect hairdo as always, combined with a slightly torn faded black t-shirt and black leather pants, hushed him quickly. “You’re just making it worse! You have to be nice to your hair. Have you tried asking politely?”
Russell grinned. “I’ve pleaded, I’ve prayed and I begged … but what’s going on with the leather down there ?” “Oh, do you like them?” Noel showed his legs and turned them around. “I found them in this little vintage shop, I thought they would look great with the boots.” The boots, dark green snakeskin-printed leather, did indeed look great with the tight black trousers. “I figured, on a regular jeans, they would be too much, you know, but like this, I feel I can really pull this off. Don’t you think so?”
With his head tilted aside, Russell watched Noels outfit sternly. Noel put his hands on his hips, striking a pose, waiting for the critical response. “You *can* pull off this look …” Russell concluded, “but something’s missing. I know! You need a hat!”
“A hat!” Noel lifted his finger. “That’s it!” He wanted to turn around, but stopped in his motion.
“One thing … I didn’t bring a hat.”
“In a way, I find that a rather comforting thought,” Russell smiled, “It would’ve been more disturbing if you *would* have brought a hat to a one-day-taping of a show… that you’re not even in.” Noel grinned and the two of them started walking further into the house, following the cables and the people running in and out.
“Why are you here?” Russell asked his mate. “I’m here with Dee, she’s in the Celebrity Line-up for tonight,” Noel explained, “She’s coming around later on, there was a meeting with someone from the record company this afternoon. But I thought it would be fun to come down here a bit earlier, have a little look around the house, catch up with you again.”
They came to the door of the Library, where the show was going to be filmed. The assistant-producer Annie came running towards them. “Russell, good that you arrived. You came with Simon, didn’t you ? Is he here too ?”
“Yes, I last saw him in the hallway, chatting up your cameramen.”
Annie was one of the few persons who could both smile and roll with her eyes at the same time. “I’ll go looking for him. The make-up girls are waiting, they need hours for his hair.”
“Have they tried asking politely…?” Russell wanted to advise her, but she was already running down to the hallway. “Shit, I didn’t ask when I had to be in make-up.”
“Don’t panic, you look great, there’s not much work left on you. Phil and Bill haven’t come in yet, that’s a whole other story,” Noel laughed, “Preparing Bill Bailey for a tv-screen, now there’s a real challenge.” “Poor girls … ” “Poor girls indeed…”