DEBLOG FROM LONDON: THE RETURN

Ahhhhh, back to the big smoke to complete the final episode (actually episode 2 - but who's counting?) and this time I'm staying off Portobello Road, not an area I've ever visited before. So with scenes from Notting Hill flashing before my eyes and wondering if I'll bump into Hugh Grant, I travel south with trepidation. (Partly because I'm wondering if Hugh will be carrying orange juice and partly because the world got slightly madder in London last Friday).

With Alex & Bella filming all day - including the high tec green screen scene (?), Manny and I set out to explore the market stalls of Portobello Road. No sooner had we shut and locked our hotel room than the heavens opened (must be because it's Wimbledon) and we got soaked. And I mean soaked, to the skin, drenched, drowned rat - WET - so instead of enjoying a little antiquity hunt we spent the afternoon playing brolly roulette. I swear, when I become famous and go on Room 101 - umbrellas will be my first choice, umbrellas and people who selfishly carry them in a bustling street with no regard for anyone else's eyeballs. Standing at 5'9", I am reasonably tall - so why don't (mainly) women carrying brollies lift their deadly weapons up and over the heads of unsuspecting innocents on the street during a downpour? It's ridiculously lethal; I was nearly decapitated several times. As well as walking in fear of my eyes, I also tripped over some nutters' leg mid brolly dodge and was only saved from total embarrassment by Manny's strong arm. Take my advice, oh people of Portobello Road, sod The Bluewater Shopping Centre Bureaucrats - buy a hood!

Ok, rant over and now back to my job.

A very straightforward scene this week - short and grape based. Yes, you've guessed it - another bar for Avril. This one though, less swanky and more "Rock & Roll", hence the rocky outfit I'm wearing that was a happy accident (look, I have no clothes left that haven't featured in this film). We were met at the location by The Barman Formally Known As Prince, who didn't know, didn't care and reluctantly had to make calls to allow us entry.



Having had no previous contact with this week's crew I just breezed in and did what I do. It was fun, I enjoyed it but I did miss the sense of team I've felt before in the project.
For me, this weekend, filming was over before I'd even learnt anyone's name. However, this was quickly rectified at the Cobra Curry that night, as I was sat with Naomi, Erik and Eleni and had a brilliant time. Having got to know them I
wished I'd had more to do in this episode.





Bella - having a cop's breakfast before grape shooting.






So that's it, filming over for me, many cries of "it's a wrap - let's eat" later, I'm off to Milan whilst I wait for Louis to green light my next project: Avril Travel's The World On Emma's Cash With Jamie....


....strange Louis hasn't answered my location request yet....






Deblog From.... by Deborah Bouchard
Location Photos by Manny Elias.