ahhhh dream come true! So I went yesterday to one of the National Trust's tours around the house and studios and it was honestly one of the most surreal but amazing experiences I've ever had :D to have spent eight years watching this show and all summer watching this house and then to step inside it was...erm...odd to say the least. Really cool though!
On the tour we first went to the Bit On The Side studio which my God is TINY, I couldn't believe it :laugh: I knew it'd be small but it was just strange, definitely want to be an audience member next year though :amazed:
Then we headed for the camera runs which was probably one of the best bits of the afternoon to be honest, seeing the house from that perspective in contrast to actually being inside it gives you two totally different mindsets, looking in through the glass makes it really feel like a TV set and that you're just some voyeur looking in, and add that to the fact that Jack & Joe and Charlie were there to talk to people when they got into the house, seeing them through the mirrors knowing they couldn't see us made it feel like the show was still on or something, it must be so, so strange being a cameraman and watching the housemates every day.
After going round the house through the camera runs we entered the bedroom, and at this point I'm just like...wtf, it felt so strange being inside the place just two weeks ago I was watching people like Charlotte, Lauren and Carol, and then months ago the likes of Gina and Sallie. I don't really know how to describe it to be honest, it's a weird feeling because you feel like you know your way around and know about everything that's gone on in that room but yet being in it just seems so surreal
So then we went out into the garden which is amazing btw, the entire house looks so gorgeous in real life I was surprised, and I think I can understand how you could forget about the cameras because it just seems like a normal(ish) house. Again though just actually being there was weird. The tree house is awesome too btw <33 and the Safe House looked amazing (though whilst I was in there all I was thinking about was the Hazel/Daley night which just creeped me out) :p
Then we went into the main house and that really looks so good in real life as well, though it's really hot after a while because the studio lights just make it really stuffy. The twins and Charlie were in there and this just made the whole thing all the more weird cause I'm like in the house with people who I spent 10 weeks watching living in that house. Charlie is gorgeous in real life also, and Jack & Joe were like sat on the sofas chatting to everyone about stuff like Diary Room voices, eviction nights, what it was like when housemates left, what they're up to now etc etc and they're really friendly! :D
Each group of people on the tour got called to the Diary Room too cause we gave them our names before it started and I recognised the voice :love: then we got to go up for a brief chat and some pictures which was even more strange but so good. Once we'd finished in there we went into the task room which had a load of props in from this year and then we went on to the reality gallery (which is surprisingly small, on BOTS it looks much bigger) and there we could see the woman talking to people in the DR. And that was it, seriously such a great experience and the guides were lovely and the whole thing was relaxed and really well planned, so much better than I expected! :hugesmile:
Now for some pics (these were HQ but imgur is being a ****** so if I put the originals in this thread it'll stretch the page so bad, so these don't look the best quality)...
