Having seen an auction of Hotel Babylon props advertised in the local paper, a group of us went along on the viewing day to have a nose and see exactly what was on offer.
What we didn't realise is that Hotel Babylon, the hit BBC series based in a London 5-star hotel, is filmed in a warehouse only just up the road from where we live, and this is where the auction was being held, so we turned up expecting a typical auction room with random bits of furniture and props scattered about, but what we found was the whole entire set for the show!
Being quite a fan of Hotel Babylon, it was quite exciting to be met with the well-known revolving doors, the hotel lobby, the bar, the restaurant, the manager's office, the staff room, the corridors and bedrooms, being able to walk in like one of the many famous guests the programme has featured over the years.
Unfortunately, not knowing just what we'd find, I'd stupidly left my camera at home, but we did have a compact camera with us to grab a few snapshots, with my favourite shot being myself stood behind the Concierge Desk, where Dexter Fletcher's character Tony Casemore frequent resides.
However, although it was great to be able to walk around such a surreal set, in a way it ruined an illusion, as close-up everything is so fake and flimsy. The show really does give you the impression of a real life London hotel, but in reality, it is London skyline backdrops hanging outside the windows, lifts that only open and close and ice that is plastic!
Still, it goes to show how something false and not all that it seems can be made to look real for the camera, which is something I can bear in mind and learn from in benefit of my photography.
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