“Delivering” the Call the Midwife Location Tour at The Historic Dockyard Chatham

What can you see on the Call the midwife official location tour?
The official location tour features several impressive buildings, cobbled lanes and river frontage which are used to portray the working docks of Poplar in London’s East End! It’s a unique behind the scenes tour for all Call the Midwife fans. As a guide, I show them different locations around site which were used for filming the hit BBC One series. With the help of picture books, we can re-create the stories from the early series through to the more up-to-date series. 

In 2018, a new exhibition was developed in conjunction with Neal Street Productions to enhance the experience.  What’s in the new exhibition?
The exhibition features two of the original sets from the first Nonnatus House.  It also features a series of props and costumes, all of which are authentic and have been used or worn by the cast - even down to a pair of long Johns’ which were worn by an extra are hanging up on the washing line! It’s always interesting watching people’s reactions to the props, especially the old-fashioned pram who many tell me they owned one similar! Occasionally I get asked to pose for a picture in the gallery which is usually with the bike!

All tours are led by one of our very own “Midwives” in full costume.  How does it feel to wear this iconic costume?
I love wearing the Midwife costume! It really makes you feel part of something special. When I’m getting ready for a tour, sometimes I can still feel a little nervous but the reaction you get from the public or groups when you first walk up to them wearing the uniform is brilliant and soon puts those nerves at ease. It can be tricky on windy days keeping your hat firmly on your head, I use a lot of hairspray and hair clips on those days!

What’s your favourite “behind the scenes” story?
There are many great stories which we share with the tours but here are some of my favourites…

• Staff have renamed one of the roads in the Dockyard as “chummys hill” after the scene where Chummy (Miranda Hart) lost control of her bicycle and crashed into PC Noakes.
• Ropes for the washing lines that stretch across the on-screen Poplar streets are made, of course, from the Dockyard’s Victorian Ropery.
• When the Christmas special is filmed, it is normally in summer and boiling hot! Laura Main and Stephen McGann (Shelagh and Patrick Turner) regularly appear on set in big winter coats with their swimwear worn underneath!

What’s the best reaction you’ve had from fans?
Some fans ask me “how many babies have you delivered today?” whilst others ask whether I was an extra on the show (sadly not, but here’s hoping one day!). I get lots of people who aren’t on the tour come up and have a chat with me as I’m walking around and after the tour when I’m changed back into my regular uniform for the Dockyard, people often can’t believe I’ve just been their Midwife guide!

Have you met the cast of the hit TV show?
We were delighted to meet a lot of the cast on the official launch of the tours last year. Stephen McGann was excited to see the reconstructed sets in the gallery and he took lots of pictures including a selfie with the tour guides! Jenny Agutter was excited to see the sets from the original Nonnatus House as she wondered where they had gone! It was a fantastic day with lots of memories to keep!