A VISIT from Looking Backer Alan Wolsey really brightened up a grey Tuesday afternoon.

Alan provided us with a wonderful rendition of the theme tune to Caravan Time and shared some of his memories with us.

We were discussing the children's TV show last week and wondering when it was filmed on Weymouth beach.

Alan, of Weymouth, doesn't remember the exact year, but says: "I think I was about 11 when it was filmed in Weymouth. It must have been some time between 1959 and 1961 because that's when it was on the BBC.

"They put the caravan by the beach opposite Alexandra Gardens. I think it must have been there twice.

"I remember they had guests on there and one of them was a Muriel Young, a blond DJ, who I think was one of the first people ever to interview the Beatles. "She came down and did a guest spot. There was also Redvers Kyle, who did a double act in the early days of ITV.

"He was a very popular performer."

Alan said he enjoyed watching back on the BBC the performance he viewed live as a child.

He said: "There was Arthur Askey and another man, an actor who used to play a lute. The minstrel was Elton Hayes who was in the Robin Hood TV series.

"Elton Hayes used to sing the theme tune. I thin another guest there was Michael Holliday.

"Caravan Time was one of my favourite programmes. There wasn't much on in those days apart from Larry the Lamb, so we almost had to watch it!"

*WE'RE still rounding up a few film memories.

A movie which certainly wasn't an obscure little known film made in Dorset was Far From the Madding Crowd starring Julie Christie and Terence Stamp.

Alan Wolsey has provided us with some real gems from the filming of this Thomas Hardy novel, for which his dad Ray, a wholesale supplier with Drake and Son, supplied the fruit and vegetables for.

He said: "My dad first encountered Julie Christie in Austin's record shop in Weymouth (now Cash Generator). He called out 'hello Julie' and she said 'hello'.

"My dad had to take the fruit and vegetables to the church for them to film for the harvest festival scene.

"The only problem was, the church had radiators, which obviously wasn't in keeping with the time so they had to cover them up!"

Another memory from the movie comes from Terence Stamp paying a visit to the Steering Wheel nightclub in Maiden Visit.

Alan said: "Terence was in the queue waiting to go in and you had to pay seven and six.

"Terence Stamp waited his turn, then said: 'I'm Terence Stamp, the actor' and the man in the booth said: 'That's seven and six.'

"It just goes to show that it doesn't matter who you are in Dorset!"