Here is the content of the interview I conducted with
Geoffrey Hughes by mail.
(Me) Do you wish more episodes would be made?
(Geoffrey) The set is dismantled and stored at the BBC Television Center at Shepherds Bush in London. So in theory we could do some more, and personally I'd be very happy to.
(Me) Were there many instances of uncontrollable laughter during taping?
(Geoffrey) There were indeed many instances of uncontrollable laughter during the filming. Judy Cornwell is a dreadful corpser, that is the theatrical name for someone who giggles a lot on set, so much so that many of our bedroom outtakes have ended up on outtake programmes.
(Me) Do you really drink Boddingtons beer?
(Geoffrey) Because of the advertising rules in UK the beer Onslow drank changed from week to week. I'm a real ale fan myself and it was nice to see on a recent trip to Ohio that there are a lot of micro breweries making really good beer.
(Me) How many Fulton Hogan hats do you own?
(Geoffrey) I've now only got two Fulton Hogan hats. One is the original and a spare.
(Me) What was it like working with Patricia Routledge?
(Geoffrey) Working with Patricia was fine, she's an excellent actress and played the part of Hyacinth brilliantly.
(Me) Was the dancing at the end of the QE11 episode spontaneous or scripted?
(Geoffrey) The dancing at the end of the QEl I was scripted. However it was one of the most difficult shots to do. It was a long shot starting with Onslow and Hyacinth extremely wary of each other and ending in a grand kneesup. I'm pleased to say we got it in one take and it looked great.
(Me) What are the tattoos on your arms?
(Geoffrey) The tattoos are of course transfers. The one on the forearm is a bikers motif which says Live to Ride, and the other says Mum and Dad. They take a couple of days to scrub off
(Me) Can we expect to see you in any TV shows or movies in the near future?
(Geoffrey) I'm busy working on a new television series in the UK called The Royle Family. It starts going out on BBC 2 in April.
(Me) How long did it take to do each episode?
(Geoffrey) We filmed all the location scenes in one block and then went into studio and recorded one episode a week dropping the filming in for each episode.
(Me) Do you know a 'Hyacinth' in real life?
(Geoffrey) The joy of working with good writers is that the character leaps off the page. I do however know a few Onslows, just as I know a few Hyacinths.
(Me) How did you first come involved with the show?
(Geoffrey) I first became involved with the show when the Producer, Harold Snoad, who I knew but hadn't worked with, asked me to read the pilot with a view to playing Onslow. At that stage Onslow only had four lines but as they were all tags to gags I decided to do it.
(Me) Had you worked with any members of the cast before?
(Geoffrey) I had not worked with Roy Clarke and had only worked with one member of the cast before, Shirley Stellfox, the original Rose. I did know everyone else's work. I think part of the success of the show was that we all had a great respect for each other's work.
(Me) Which was your favourite episode?
(Geoffrey) I don't think any one episode stands out, I enjoyed them all. I have to say however that the episode on the Queen Elizabeth II was great fun to do as we filmed while the ship was doing a cruise of the northern capitals.
(Me) How do you feel about the reception of the show abroad?
(Geoffrey) I am obviously delighted at the response of the show and of the Onslow character.
(Me) Has anything funny happened to you as a result of your character?
(Geoffrey) One memory related to the show was when I was asked to talk to the Women's Luncheon Club of Brisbane. I arrived at the Hilton Hotel in Brisbane to be confronted by 300 Hyacinth Buckets. Not only looking like Hyacinth, but tailcing like her It was quite a daunting experience. I must say they were all absolutely charming and didn't seem to mind having lunch with Onslow.
(Me) Were there any incidents during filming which stick in your mind?
(Geoffrey) The only dangerous thing that happened during filming was an occasion when Onslow's car caught fire. We had been filming the car driving back and forth down a country road. We then set up some shots inside the car to do a dialogue scene We were just about to start when we smelt burning. The next thing we knew the engine compartment of the car was in flames. We all bailed out and the fire was quickly put out. It's a situation that real Onslow's must have to cope with all the time.