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Hedsor House and Quartet
Hedsor House first opened for events five years ago and since then we
have hosted over 250 weddings, numerous corporate events and a number
of major film productions including The Golden Compass, The Ship that Rocked, Sense and Sensibility, Little Dorritt, Brighton Rock
and of course Quartet.
What sets Quartet apart from all the rest is that apart from two
scenes, one in a swimming pool and the other in a restaurant, the
entire film is set at and shot at Hedsor.
It was a difficult contract to secure and to negotiate as our core
business is weddings, which are booked a year or more in advance and
Dustin Hoffman's scouts only approached us four months before filming
was due to start.
After much negotiation it was agreed filming would take place all week
and the crew would move out at weekends. Despite the obvious attraction
of the film contract we could not contemplate cancelling existing
bookings – can you imagine all those disappointed brides?
Thus in August 2011 one of the busiest four months in the House's
history dawned.
Living and working on a film set is a very surreal experience. We
needed to keep working to sell weddings and events and yet during the
week our dining room was a geriatrics sitting room, the main hall a
theatre, the Florence Suite a sanatorium, the bridal suite Maggie
Smith's bedroom, and in the midst of this a gazebo mysteriously
appeared on the lawn. Every weekend the house had to be transformed to
the theatre of dreams we had promised to dewy-eyed brides over a year
before.
Only two required a little extra bribing to be content that the
carpeted ballroom they had seen on first inspection now had a parquet
floor and the wallpaper in the main stairwell was no longer red but a
tasteful bronze. And we got to keep the Zoffany wallpaper.
The film crew moved in and out almost effortlessly as did the caterers,
make-up artists, the army of chauffeurs and the support team which
occupied every nook and cranny in the house including my sitting room!
Over the four months we had some laughs:
I remember showing a prospective bride around and when we went onto the
terrace we were confronted by Michael Gambon in an outrageous kaftan
and fez, smoking a cheroot and barking into a mobile phone.
I met Billy Connolly in the car park in full white tie and tails and
when I asked if he needed anything he responded 'a pint wouldn't go
amiss'.
When I saw Andrew Sachs weaving his way towards me carrying a tray it
looked as though Manuel had risen from the catacombs of Barcelona.
We saw a lot of Dustin Hoffman who was charming and entertaining. On
one occasion I found myself standing next to him in the gents when
apropos of nothing he said, 'There is something about the water in
Buckinghamshire that makes you want to pee all the time'. There's not
really a response to that so without really thinking I said, 'It's
because it's so good we don't like it to leave the county'. He wandered
off muttering something about 'mad Brits'.
Pauline Collins was a delight, always busy and always mothering
everyone. On one occasion I found myself in our own kitchen making a
cup of tea when she rushed in and blurted out, 'I'd do anything for a
cup of tea' – which she of course got.
Dame Maggie Smith was a more terrifying prospect. I had been told when
on set she remains in character and on one occasion I was showing round
a prospective client who was somewhat in awe of the proceedings, the
house and the cast. We ventured into Dame Maggie's green room to
consider its suitability for a focus group. Although I knocked clearly
she was not in the mood so we exited quickly having met the full force
of a put-down that would put the Dowager Duchess of Grantham to shame.
When the film came out we were delighted to attend the cast and crew
premiere of the film in Leicester Square and it was wonderful. The film
is funny, attractive, sensitive and above all a 90-minute advert for
Hedsor House directed by one of Hollywood's greatest actors – and he
paid us to be there. Life doesn't get better than that!
Eddie Hoare