Behind the scenes

Behind the scenes

Hi everyone, I hope you are all well.

A bit of a grey day here in Kent – where has the summer gone?
This is the view from the car park here at Clarity Towers

So yesterday I promised you a bit of a look “behind the scenes at Hochanda”

When we arrive at the studios, we already know which set we are going to be in. We are normally in the cellar or the attic and this is the cellar all ready to be set up.

A lot of people who have visited Hochanda are surprised at how small the studio is. This is studio 1 which has 6 different sets – cellar, attic, craft room, lounge, kitchen and patio. Who is that I spy crafting in the craft room? It is the lovely Lou Withers.

Once we arrive it’s all systems go to the get the counter set up with the product and the finished art samples.

Here is the supremely talented Tina getting ready for the show, making sure she has everything she needs ready for the live show.

Lou decided to be nosey and see what we were doing so we asked one of the floor crew to take a pic.

Once everything is set up, there is time to chill in the green room (it doesn’t look very green does it?) The sofas are very comfortable, and I have often come across other guests “resting their eyes”…….

Then once the show is over, it is time to pack up and return the set to normal (I cheated and used the same pic as I forgot to take a before and after one)

If you read yesterdays blog, you will know that I stayed on at the studio to write the blog and to avoid the rush hour traffic. I left the studio and headed to the services to grab a quick bite to eat and a coffee before heading down the A1, A14, M11, M25. I am glad that I did.

Despite the fact that I do this journey a couple of times every month, I still put my sat nav on because it warns me in advance of any situations and traffic delays.

Are you like me and ignore what the sat nav says. Thinking that by the time you get to the incident, it will have cleared? Yeah, I thought so!

So last night on my way home despite the road signs and the sat nav telling me of delays, I chose to ignore them both – stupid me!

I crawled through the road works at Cambridge on the A14 and then just as I came on to the M11, a total standstill. Time to turn the engine off.

After what felt like hours (probably only about an hour) the traffic started to move and it was time to continue my journey. I found out later that someone had been taken ill and the emergency services had to close all lanes whilst they dealt with the situation.

Finally arrived home, safe and sound.

I hope you can join me again tomorrow.

With it being the weekend, I feel like being naughty!

Happy Crafting!

Paul xxx

31 thoughts on “Behind the scenes

  1. Interesting look behind the scenes at Hochanda. Thank-you for letting us in. Glad you got home safely, Fred is the opposite with the sat nav, as soon as it tells us of delays he is off into the countryside. I am usually tasked with getting the good old fashioned map out and finding us a route. Have a good weekend. xx

    1. That reminds me of when I was travelling with my Brother – sat nav wouldn’t help so he said “well there is only one thing for it … I will have to refer to the M.A.P device. The good old fashioned map has always been known as the M.A.P device ever since !!!

  2. What an eye opener to see behind the scenes at Hochanda! Thank you for that. Sorry you had a rotten journey home. You must be very patient doing that route so often. Maybe one day they’ll finish the work on the a14, but doesn’t look as if it’ll be any time soon. Looking forward to the retreat. Have a good restful weekend. X

  3. I was lucky enough to be invited to join my friend Carol Baker who won a day to see round the Hochanda studio. We had an amazing day, such a friendly place and we were treated like royalty.

  4. Nice to see where it all happens. Thanks for showing us. Glad you got home safely after all that delay.
    Just how naughty are you going to be this weekend? Will the naughty step be big enough for all of us? Can’t wait to see what you get up to.
    Have a good evening.
    🍒🍒🍒

  5. What a nightmare of a journey. I am just not used to all that traffic these days! Interesting to see behind the scenes at Hochanda and looking forward to what you might get up to tomorrow! Have a good weekend.

  6. Hi Paul, glad to see you doing your bit for nature, letting the weeds grow in your car park…!!! Thanks for the wee insight, good to see how it works at Hochanda, bit like a conveyor belt then! Hope everyone leaves their bit the way they find it, clean and tidy! I could do with a wee bit of naughty good, the week I’ve had! Anyone got an invisibility clock that I can throw over my house so no more problems come in?!!! We’re in for thunder storms tonight, already heavy raining, me no looking forward to that. Hope you have a lovely evening xx

  7. Thanks for the interesting tour Paul. I don’t Envy you the travelling up and down to Hochanda, but I am not a great road traveller and don’t do motorways.
    Hopefully you can have a relaxing weekend, after all your rushing around. Take care. Annette X

  8. Glad you were safe and sound, delays are frustrating but safety comes first. I was lucky enough to have a day at Hochanda (the old studios) and it does ‘play with your head’ a little when you see the actual size of the sets…as they do look much bigger on the telly! Still interesting to see the set up as it is today.
    Look forward to seeing what mischief you get up to while Barb and family are away. Xx

  9. When I go on any journey more that 10 miles, I have my satnav on to avoid serious traffic problems and if Jane says I need to change my route, I do as she says. The only route I cannot find a suitable alternative to is the one down to Kent. I have tried several other ways but still cannot find anything better. I prefer to drive cross country, but the powers that be seem to have wiped out any cross country route down to Kent. Thank you for the little tour of Hochanda. A fascinating place. Hope you can get some rest over the weekend. xxx Maggie

  10. I’m always arguing with my Nora the Navigator SatNav but she never listens! Thanks for the Hochanda tour- I’m always amazed at how organised everyone is!

  11. That was interesting to hear about. We drove to Cornwall today and were lucky with the traffic on what is supposed to be busiest weekend of year! Only here till Monday to see our friend and, as usual, it’s wet! Look forward to you being naughty! X

  12. Thanks for showing us behind the scenes, interesting to see where it all happens, pleased you got home safely – that’s always important – but yes traffic can be frustrating.
    Shows were brilliant and yes I’ve ordered ☺️
    Happy weekend xx

  13. Evening g Paul,
    Thank you for the tour. It is interesting to see a bit of how it works. What I would really like to know is why Charlie Hopkins was dressed as the White Rabbit when he emerged from Hochanda yesterday lunch time.
    Love
    Roz.xxx

  14. Hi Paul I was lucky me Katie got to go On a day at hochanda couple months ago we crafted for couple hours with beautiful Leonie then a wonderful lunch then the tour I agree studios are very small you would think so when watching on Tv. Have a good weekend. Joy

  15. Hi Paul

    Poor you getting stuck in all that traffic. My friend ignored her sat nav once, she ended up being stuck in stationary traffic for three hours!! She will never do that again!!
    Nice to see the set up at Hochanda. I never would have thought that was in the basement.
    Love & hugs
    Xxxx

  16. That’s an eye opener Paul I expected the sets to be so much bigger. They look a lot bigger on the tv. Thanks for giving us the insights. Ordered Tina’s Christmas plates this morning from Clarity, can’t wait to have a play. Naughty Paul what you up to this time. What is it they say ‘while the cats away the mice will play’. Sorry you had a long delay we had delays coming back from Coventry at Evesham tonight but it was rush hour so to be expected.xx

  17. Thanks for showing us around the Hochanda Studios. They always say the TV makes things look bigger but its amazing how much they have in quite a small area no wonder you can sometimes hear noises from the other side of the studio.
    Traffic jams because of road works are a nuisance especially when they go on for months but when its an accident you just hope everyone is ok & be thankful that it is not you. I bet you listen to your satnav next time though !!
    Looking forward to seeing what you have lined up for us over the weekend, after all you have been good for 2 days!!

  18. Better luck next time. At least you were safe from being hit by a speeding lunatic. Hope you get a restful weekend to recover. Very interesting to hear about the studios.

  19. Oh no sorry you had a traffic nightmare on your way home. Thank you for the behind the scenes glimpse always good to know how the TV shows are made. Xx

  20. Evening bloggy friends, raining heavily here at the moment and I can hear distant rumbles! Not getting to sleep any time soon. Xx

  21. It is great to have an insight into what happens and what it looks like, so thank you for that Paul. I hope your next journey home is better than the last, sitting for an hour with the engine turned off must be so frustrating! x

  22. Hi Paul,
    What a nightmare of a journey home, I do hope the poor person who was taken ill was ok. Thanks for the insight into the studios, didn’t realise how small they were. Glad you got home safely ( eventually!) and looking forward to seeing how naughty you are going to be!. X

  23. Hi Paul, sorry to hear that you had such a bad journey home. And thanks for the insight into the Hochanda studios, very interesting. Take care all. Bx

  24. Great blog Paul. Loved the “behind the scene’s”, I am always really fascinated to see how it all works. So sorry you got stuffed in the traffic. Glad you got home safely in the end x

  25. I do love a little peep behind the scenes once in a while. I always think the presenters and demonstrators do so well to concentrate and attend to the task when they have people talking in their ear, cameras moving around, things selling out, having to adapt what you have planned, and yet you never go into panic mode – well not on the surface anyway!

  26. Oh poor Paul, I always get caught on that route so sympathise. Thanks for the interesting insight into Hochanda studio.

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