Behind the scenes of Latest TV with Tim Ridgway
A tour of the Pavilion
Hey! Look! It’s a mini Taj Mahal! If I had a penny for every time somebody said that after strolling by Brighton’s Royal Pavilion I reckon I could buy the place. What was a former farm building was converted and altered more times than Trigger’s broom as the Prince Regent spent oodles of money turning it into the world’s finest holiday home.
And now, thanks to Queen Victoria not liking people peeking into her back garden, it belongs to us, the public of Brighton and Hove.
But have you ever wondered what it takes to keep the 200-year-old building so good?
Well, we have, here at Latest TV. And it was for that reason that we decided to take a trip behind the scenes and speak to those who work night and day to keep the pavilion so ruddy marvellous.
Our guide was Janet Brough, paintings conservator at the Royal Pavilion and Museums team. Knowledgable, witty and straight to the point, she was the perfect tour guide as myself and top cameraman William were taken around the various bit of the palace which very few people get to see.
It all started off as we arrived when we were ushered into the tradesman’s entrance at the side of the pavilion. Normally reserved for staff and security guards, there we were squeezed into a tight corridor as a continual procession of people passed us on their way to work.
It was like they were heading into the Tardis – a never-ending space continuum with a capacity Google would dream of. After a few minutes it was our turn to join them. I’m glad we did.
For those of you who have not had the pleasure of taking a trip around the place, it is mesmerising. From the wonderful intricate wallpaper designs to shimmering chandeliers, every corner in the pavilion holds a bounty of treasures for the eye to behold.
My colleague William was particularly excited by the hanging lights in the music room. With Janet’s encouragement he decided to lie down on the job as apparently the best shot was from directly below the fixture. Well, that’s what he told me…
But as Janet showed us, it’s not easy keeping a 200-year-old building looking spick and span. Tapestries need repairing, objects cleaning and paintings touched up – and that’s without worrying about what state the internal walls are in. As Janet showed us, some are crumbling away as time takes its toll.
But, with a bucket of plaster, a lot of patience and a bit more lying down on the job, the gaps can be filled after a few months. When the painted wallpaper is replaced the ordinary punter is unaware there was ever a problem.
Fed up of people being floored in my presence, I took myself off to speak to some of the volunteers who love the pavilion so much they spend two Wednesdays a month cleaning the gold-plated silver.
The only problem was the stuff they use to polish smells worse than George IV’s dirty breeches. Ever the polite gentleman, I tried to hide my disgust behind a squint and a smile – don’t tell now readers, but I reckon I might have got away with it…
We’ll have a lot more on all of these stories when Latest TV launches on freeview channel 8 this summer. And don’t forget, you can get your local telly fix by checking our latest videos on www.thelatest.tv.
From superheroes to sand castles, we’ve got all bases covered.
Until next time…
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