When a leaflet landed on our doorstep, I never imagined it would lead to a complete transformation of our home.
At first glance, it seemed like just another advertisement, but the message was intriguing—a production company was scouting for filming locations.
Would we be interested in offering our house?
Curious, I called the number on the leaflet and found myself speaking to Martin Walker, a location manager with an easy charm and a knack for persuasion.
Before I knew it, director Simon Bird, best known for The Inbetweeners and Friday Night Dinner, was touring our home, accompanied by an art director.
Suddenly, our ordinary terraced house in Islington was on the brink of stardom.
A House Fit for a Social Media Queen
Once we got the green light, the real transformation began.
Set designers swarmed in, armed with blueprints and creative visions.
Rooms were redecorated, sleek furniture replaced our familiar pieces, and the kitchen was stripped of clutter to embrace a minimalist aesthetic.
Even the front door got a trendy teal makeover.
But the most dramatic change?
My 24-year-old son’s bedroom, which had always been a shrine to his teenage years—blue walls, posters, and cherished memories—was reborn as a teenage girl’s paradise, drenched in pink, glitter, and an explosion of shoes and makeup.
This wasn’t a personal home renovation project; it was the meticulous work of a professional production team.
Our home was about to become the backdrop for Amandaland, a new BBC series starring Joanna Lumley and Lucy Punch, a spin-off of the hit show Motherland.
Trading Comfort for a Production Set
The decision to let a film crew take over wasn’t without its challenges.
We had to move out for the entire duration of the shoot—easier said than done.
While the production company offered to arrange alternative accommodation, we had a 14-year-old cat who wouldn’t take kindly to being uprooted.
Fortunately, a kind neighbor was going away and offered us their home, solving our biggest dilemma.
Packing up and relocating, even just across the street, turned out to be a logistical nightmare.
Suitcases, computers, boxes of essentials, and, of course, the cat’s many possessions—it was a mini-move in itself.
As we settled into our temporary home, the Amandaland crew descended upon ours, ready to transform it into the perfect setting for Amanda Hughes’ new life.
A Peek Behind the Scenes
As filming commenced, our quiet street was taken over.
Parking bays were suspended, and the area filled with production vans, lighting rigs, and an army of crew members.
Our house, normally a cozy family space, was now split into two fictional flats—Amanda’s stylish home upstairs and her neighbor Mal’s gardening business below.
Security guards were stationed outside 24/7, and from our vantage point across the street, we had a front-row seat to all the action.
Joanna Lumley and Lucy Punch braved the unpredictable British weather, often huddling under umbrellas between takes.
At one point, we even offered to light a fire in the basement to warm them up, but the sheer amount of equipment made that impossible.
Some neighbors weren’t thrilled about the disruption—strangers parking massive lorries in their usual spots can do that—but even the grumpiest among them softened when Joanna Lumley took the time to chat with locals.
The Unexpected Delay
Just as we were getting used to our temporary lifestyle, filming hit a snag.
Production was suddenly put on hold for a week, throwing our schedule into disarray.
We’d heard horror stories of film crews leaving homes in a disastrous state, but Martin reassured us with a confident, “This is the BBC, you know.”
True to his word, when we finally returned, our home was just as we had left it—except for the paint.
The crew kindly asked if we wanted to keep the hallway in “Amanda’s Elephants’ Breath” shade or the pink bedroom makeover. We politely declined.
Watching It All Come to Life
Seeing our home on screen in Amandaland has been a surreal experience.
Though it looks completely different, we can still spot little details—a familiar lamp here, an untouched shelf there.
The biggest thrill? Meeting Joanna Lumley and Lucy Punch, who were nothing like their on-screen personas and took the time to personally thank us for lending them our home.
So, what’s next? Well, the house is back to normal, the cat has reclaimed his territory, and we have an unforgettable story to tell.
Who knows—maybe one day, Hollywood will come knocking again.
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