102-607: The Old Dean is a suburb of Camberley in Surrey , England . The area starts approximately 1 km NNE from the town centre. The estate is built on the Olddean or Old Dean Common falling within the district of Surrey Heath Borough Council. It is bordered to the north by Barossa Common ; to the east by Swinley Forest ; to the south by the A30 (London Road); and to the west by Diamond Ridge Woods. Properties in this area, built in
204-519: A chapelry of Ash . Later, the Staff College was established to the east of the academy, and a property speculator built the nearby Cambridge Hotel. During the 19th century, Camberley grew in size. This was given added impetus with the arrival of the branch-line railway and railway station in 1878 and a reputation for healthy air, due to the vast number of pine trees, which were said to be good for those suffering from pulmonary disorders . By
306-554: A camp for Charles de Gaulle 's Free French Army. The camp housed barracks and training grounds, initially consisting of tents, but by February 1941 had expanded to Nissen huts and a flag pole, and later a parade ground and other wooden structures. Charles de Gaulle, Leader of the Free French, was known to visit the camp and inspect his troops. In addition the UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill
408-426: A decline in footfall and increases in vacancies as shoppers in affluent areas move their spending online and towards leisure and experience activities as opposed to traditional retail. Major employers include Siemens , which moved its UK headquarters to the area in 2007. Burlington Group who moved into Watchmoor Park in 2009 and Sun Microsystems , until they were taken over by Oracle in 2010, whose UK headquarters
510-476: A doctor's surgery, three parks, a youth centre and three churches ( Church of England St Martin's, Roman Catholic St Peter's & St John's and Newfrontiers ' The Beacon Church). The Old Dean has four schools: The Old Dean is home to the Camberley Fire and Rescue Service . The station has the following equipment: two fire engines; a multi role vehicle; and an Unimog . The estate has been used as
612-660: A junior school again in 1994. The Royal Albert Orphan Asylum was founded in Camberley in 1864 and the first 100 children were admitted in December of that year. Originally a mixed institution, girls were not admitted after 1903. It was renamed the Royal Albert School in 1942 and its management was merged with that of the Royal Alexandra School in 1948. The following year, an Act of Parliament
714-461: A location for filming scenes in the fictional BBC drama Holby Blue . Shots were filmed around the Old Dean including high speed police chases. The only through route serving the area is the A30 . The Stagecoach Gold bus service 1 connects the Old Dean with Camberley Town Centre and Aldershot . Camberley railway station is centred 1.1 miles (1.8 km) south. The estate is also home to
816-554: A message from General de Gaulle. In June 2005 surviving members of the Free French Lorraine 342 Squadron visited Lorraine School and presented a plaque to the school, which can be found in its hall. After the Second World War finished, the camp was transformed into an internment camp , holding German Prisoners of War . The estate has a parade of convenience and service shops which are near its centre,
918-544: A powerful hour of stand-alone drama." McLean felt that the episode tackled the issue of domestic violence intelligently, and praised "sterling performances" by Macaninch, Lucker, Colley and Drew. The crossover episode in which Holby City 's Jac Naylor is interrogated by the HolbyBlue police officers attracted mixed reviews. Helen Rumbelow of The Times reviewed the episode favourably compared to season premiere episodes of House and Grey's Anatomy which aired on
1020-515: A purpose-built theatre was constructed, opening in May 1960. Much of the rest of the school was rebuilt during the 1970s and the new buildings were opened by Princess Margaret in 1979. The school relocated to Birmingham in 2004, with the aim of providing professional dance training outside of the southeast of England. The former school site in Camberley was redeveloped as Elmhurst Court. Holby Blue HolbyBlue (also known as Holby Blue )
1122-594: A slight rise in viewership to 3.6 million, The Bill lengthened its lead against HolbyBlue , attaining a 23% audience share, compared to HolbyBlue 's 16%. By episode eight, HolbyBlue had fallen to 3.2 million viewers. It maintained its 16% share, as opposed to The Bill 's increased audience share, to 26%. With its ninth episode, the series fell even further, to 2.9 million viewers, while its audience share again decreased, this time to 14%. Episodes ten and eleven were watched by 2.8 and 2.6 million viewers respectively, with viewership declining to 2.5 million by
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#17328013351611224-544: A strong links to the performing arts - Camberley Theatre was opened in 1966 and Elmhurst Ballet School was based in the town until 2004. Among the former residents are the Victorian composer, Arthur Sullivan , who attended Yorktown School as a child, the musician Rick Wakeman , who lived in Camberley during the 1980s, and the actress, Simone Ashley , who was born in the town in 1995. There are several works of public art in Camberley, including The Concrete Elephant , which
1326-499: A thoroughly passive bunch who don't so much solve crime as stand around and wait for crimes to be solved by way of coincidence and happenstance. And Jac's plot is so well signposted that you're left not anticipating its resolution but frustrated that it took so long. Mark Wright of The Stage was a frequent reviewer of HolbyBlue . He found the opening episode "boring", deeming it "a cliché-ridden disaster with some duff casting decisions and bizarrely clunky dialogue". Wright criticised
1428-467: A town alderman). Watchetts Drive takes its name from a former manor field (Watchetts is derived from woad scaet , meaning land where woad grows). Osnaburgh Parade is named after Osnaburgh , an estate in Fife held by Prince Frederick. Camberley is in the far west of Surrey, adjacent to the boundaries of Hampshire 's Hart district and Berkshire 's Bracknell Forest district. It lies directly between
1530-449: Is Neculai's informant after catching him leaving Neculai's warehouse, which leads to a hostage situation involving Kate and her children. John and Luke rescue Kate and the children; although they are shot in the process, they both survive. Newly appointed PC Lucy Slater is stabbed while out on duty. She recovers, and begins dating a drug dealer. Her former partner, PC Robert Clifton, learns of Lucy's boyfriend's criminal reputation and forces
1632-408: Is a late 1980s development anchored by rent free stores such as Sports Direct subsidiary House of Fraser . The High Street has a number of shops as well as bars and clubs, many of the latter being more recent additions. There are a number of secondary shopping streets including Park Street, Princess Way and parts of London Road, including the "Atrium" development. Camberley's town centre is suffering
1734-590: Is a town in northwest Surrey , England, around 29 miles (47 kilometres) south-west of central London . It is in the Borough of Surrey Heath and is close to the county boundaries with Hampshire and Berkshire . Known originally as "Cambridge Town", it was assigned its current name by the General Post Office in 1877. Until the start of the 19th century, the area was a sparsely populated area of infertile land known as Bagshot or Frimley Heath. Following
1836-401: Is having an affair. PC Neil Parker is offered a promotion, but he is dismayed upon learning it is political as opposed to merit-based. In series two, well-established Holby City character Jac Naylor is arrested on suspicion of the murder of Alan Clooney, a well-known sex offender who tried to rape her. She is later released when a mystery witness comes forward. Luke becomes a father for
1938-416: Is linked by bus to local destinations in west Surrey, northeast Hampshire and southeast Berkshire. Companies operating routes through the town include: Thames Valley Buses to Bracknell; Arriva Guildford & West Surrey to Guildford via Woking; Stagecoach South to Aldershot and Farnborough; and White Bus to Ascot and Staines . The M3 runs to the south of Camberley and is accessed via junction 4 at
2040-519: Is linked to Deepcut via the B3015. A £1.2M shared cycle and footpath between Blackwater station and Watchmoor was completed in 2017 and a new bike-parking facility opened in Princess Way in the town centre in 2021. In the same year, Surrey County Council consulted on a scheme to improve local cycling infrastructure, focused on a route between Camberley and Frimley. The first school to open in
2142-411: Is not interested in him, and nothing will develop between them. The BBC announced the creation of HolbyBlue on 27 April 2006. The newly-proposed drama was revealed to be a police spin-off from medical drama Holby City . It was also confirmed that Tony Jordan had been recruited to work on the scripts and consider "how storylines between the police station and the hospital could be intertwined for
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#17328013351612244-444: Is then employed as a receptionist at the police station, but later attacks Rachel after she is provoked. Kate tenders her resignation, but John manages to convince her to remain at the police station. The pair later reconcile. DS Luke French works with John to take down drugs baron Neculai Stenga. DCI Harry Hutchinson acts as Neculai's informant, but John is convinced that PC Billy Jackson is the informant. John later learns that Harry
2346-464: The A30 ) was known as a haunt of highwaymen , such as William Davies – also known as the Golden Farmer – and Claude Duval . The land remained largely undeveloped and uncultivated due to a sandy topsoil making it unsuitable for farming. In A tour thro' the whole island of Great Britain , written between 1724 and 1726, Daniel Defoe described the area as barren and sterile; "a mark of
2448-720: The British Red Cross . In 2023, the nearest ambulance station to Camberley is at Farnborough. In 2023, the nearest hospital is Frimley Park Hospital around 1.4 mi (2.3 km) from Camberley. There are three GP surgeries in the town, on Upper Gordon, Park and Frimley Roads. Camberley railway station is immediately south of the town centre and is managed by South Western Railway , which operates all services. Trains run to Ascot via Bagshot (extended to and from London Waterloo during peak periods) and to Aldershot via Frimley (a few trains continue to Guildford ). A 2017 infrastructure assessment commissioned by
2550-707: The County of London between 1894 and 1965 and were made homeless after World War II , expanded by the Camberley Urban District, with county assistance, to be used in part as a London overspill estate. Many of the roads on the estate reflect this, being named after the London boroughs which paid for the expansion (the others are named after places on the common). They are Carshalton Road, Esher Road, Kingston Road, Mitcham Road, Surbiton Road, Sutton Road, Wallington Road, and Wimbledon Road. When
2652-682: The TV Quick & TV Choice Awards ; actresses Zöe Lucker and Kacey Ainsworth for Best Actress, also at the TV Quick and Inside Soap Awards, and actor Jimmy Akingbola for Best Male Performance in TV at the Screen Nation Awards . In series one, DI John Keenan learns that his estranged wife, Kate Keenan, is dating a new man. John has sex with senior crown prosecutor Rachel Barker, but quickly regrets his decision to have sex with her. Kate
2754-457: The "Old Dean", "Parkside", "St Michael's", "St Paul's", "Town" and "Watchetts" wards. The Brough of Surrey Heath is twinned with Sucy-en-Brie , France and with Bietigheim-Bissingen , Germany. The average level of accommodation in the region composed of detached houses was 28%, the average that was apartments was 22.6%. The remaining households not accounted for above were temporary/caravans and shared households. The proportion of households in
2856-571: The 1950s and 1960s, are mainly semi-detached and terraced, with a number of maisonettes on the northern edge of the estate. It was originally a council estate, however, under the Conservative government's right to buy scheme , a proportion of these properties are now in private ownership. Most of the estate was built in the 1950s on the Old Dean Common for residents of heavily bombed areas of Greater London that were in Surrey , not
2958-617: The A30 national route and M3 motorway (junction 4 exit). It is at the northern edge of the Blackwater Valley conurbation, 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Farnborough , 8 miles (13 km) south of Bracknell and 17 miles (27 km) east of Basingstoke . The town of Blackwater , 3 km (1.9 mi) to the west is identified by the Government Statistical Service (including its ONS office) as within
3060-543: The BBC announced that HolbyBlue would be re-commissioned for an extended second series, increasing from eight to twelve episodes − a 50% increase in the number of episodes. The second series was filmed in Surrey in late 2007 for transmission in early 2008. Jordan commented on the BBC's decision to continue the series, stating that the "vote of confidence" provided by the BBC was "a huge boost for both HolbyBlue and Red Planet Pictures". Co-executive producer Karen Wilson added that
3162-471: The BBC announced that, due to declining ratings, HolbyBlue would not be commissioned for a third series. The second series began with an audience of 5.6 million viewers, however ratings fell to 2.5 million viewers by the series finale. Claire Phillips, Red Planet Picture's drama executive, spoke out about the news of the axing, stating that " HolbyBlue set new standards for 8pm dramas, in terms of production values, storytelling and casting." Phillips added that
Old Dean - Misplaced Pages Continue
3264-404: The BBC to develop a new police procedural drama, Jordan explained that he was conflicted between emulating the former BBC police drama Dixon of Dock Green , using "a set of flawless characters roaming the streets dispensing justice and words of wisdom", or creating a more modern drama, developing characters who would "snort a line of coke , beat up the missus on the way out and shag each other in
3366-752: The Bagshot Heath Telecommunications Mast , a microwave relay tower constructed by the General Post Office in 1965 that formed part of the GPO's microwave network . The tower originally relayed communications along two routes between the BT Tower and Bristol , and the BT Tower and Rowridge . Over the years the tower has hosted various antenna types and configurations, such as horns , shrouded parabolics and sectors . Camberley Camberley / ˈ k æ m b ər l iː /
3468-471: The Basingstoke Canal company agreed that the water company could abstract up to 910,000 L (200,000 imp gal) per day from the canal, at a cost of 1 penny per 4,500 L (1,000 imp gal). In 2023, the drinking water supply for Camberley is provided by South East Water . Initially, wastewater from Camberley was disposed of in cesspits or discharged to local streams. In
3570-656: The British Army at the times when the two colleges were founded. The inns, the Duke of York and The Cambridge Hotel, were among the first buildings to be constructed in Yorktown and Camberley respectively. Several of the street names in Camberley and Yorktown are named for early local landowners, including Teckels Avenue (after John Teckel, builder of Teckels Castle), Stanhope Road (after the family of Griselda Stanhope, Teckel’s wife) and Sparvell Walk (after David Sparvell,
3672-747: The Camberley Built-up-Area but is in the Hart District of Hampshire and has its own town council (both take in Hawley ). Camberley primarily lies on the Bagshot Beds , deposited in the Eocene . This sandy layer contains seams of clay and areas of pebble gravel. Before the 19th century, the area now occupied by Camberley was referred to as Bagshot or Frimley Heath. An Iron Age fort, among many examples known as Caesar's Camp,
3774-569: The Camberley area, a National school , was established in 1818. Originally housed in a cottage close to the Royal Military College, one of its early pupils was the composer, Arthur Sullivan . In 1871, it moved to a site adjacent to the St Michael's Church vicarage. By 1872, there was a second school in Yorktown, which may have been a school for nonconformists , although its origins are uncertain. The first Cordwalles School
3876-525: The Main Square shopping centre. Park Street has been pedestrianised and landscaped as part of the development. Leisure facilities include a nine-screen cinema, a bowling alley , a health and fitness club, cafés and restaurants. Various elements of The Atrium was opened during 2008, with the final elements, the main cinema and bowling alley, opening in October and November 2008, respectively. In 2009,
3978-536: The audience by subverting expectation". Filming for HolbyBlue began at the end of January 2007. The Guardian reported that HolbyBlue would air on a Wednesday evening, with editor John Plunkett suggesting that the show could be used to solve the BBC's "long-running ratings black hole on Wednesday nights". However, it was also noted that if HolbyBlue aired on a Wednesday night, it would clash with ITV's long-running police drama, The Bill . In order to avoid disruption and clashes between HolbyBlue and The Bill ,
4080-497: The borough council notes that rail journey times to London from Camberley are slow ( c. 72 – c. 80 minutes) and that many local residents choose to drive to Brookwood , Farnborough (Main) and Sunningdale for faster, direct services. Blackwater railway station is immediately to the west of Yorktown and is managed by Great Western Railway , which operates all services. Trains run to Reading via Wokingham and to Gatwick Airport via Guildford. Camberley
4182-522: The building of The Royal Military College, which later became the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst , in 1812. A settlement known as "New Town" grew in the area around the college which in 1831 was renamed Yorktown, after Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany . At this time, the population was 702. In 1848, the first parish church of St. Michael, Yorktown was built by Henry Woodyer , in an area formerly part of Frimley , itself only
Old Dean - Misplaced Pages Continue
4284-406: The cast in a recurring capacity as drug baron Neculai Stenga and Mandy French, Luke French's wife. By the end of series one, Pigott-Smith and Topic both departed the show. Series two saw the introductions of Oliver Milburn as DCI Scott Vaughan and James Thornton as Constable Jake Loughton. Stephanie Langton took over from Julie Cox in series two to continue playing the role of Mandy. The series
4386-487: The civil parish who owned their home outright compares to the regional average of 35.1%. The proportion who owned their home with a loan compares to the regional average of 32.5%. The remaining percentage is made up of rented dwellings (plus a negligible percentage of households living rent-free). Camberley's town centre is host to The Square shopping centre (previously called The Mall), controversially purchased by Surrey Heath Borough Council for £110 million in 2016. This
4488-426: The company was "extremely proud" of the 20 hours of drama that were created, and concluded with Red Planet Pictures' focus turning to "developing shows which will live up to those high standards set out on HolbyBlue." The Observer 's Rachel Cooke reviewed the first episode negatively, criticising the acting and unoriginal characterisation. Cooke predicted that HolbyBlue would be a ratings success, but found
4590-492: The construction of the Royal Military College at Sandhurst in 1812, a small settlement grew up to the south and became known as Yorktown (also spelled York Town). A second British Army institute, the Staff College , opened to the east in 1862, and the nucleus of Cambridge Town was laid out at around the same time. The two settlements grew together over the following decades and are now contiguous. Much of
4692-471: The creation of HolbyBlue was deciding on a name for the programme. The BBC suggested that Jordan used the "Holby" brand, to "create a third arm of the successful Casualty and Holby City format". Jordan considered the use of the Holby brand, but questioned whether the series would be "held in disdain" by "soap snobs". Jordan decided to use the Holby brand after remembering the "joy" he took from "surprising
4794-431: The death of one of the gang members. Robert and Lucy visit the relatives of Connor in the aftermath of his death, where Robert is murdered by the victim's brother. John goes to visit his father in jail, which strains his relationship with Kate. It later transpires that John's father was imprisoned for abusing prostitutes. Neil develops feelings for Kelly and inadvertently reveals them to her. Kelly later tells Neil that she
4896-425: The decision to launch the show under the Holby moniker, opining that it is not a true brand as Casualty and Holby City both possess "distinct personalities". He noted that he loathes the former and loves the latter, but concluded that despite differing audience demographics, they are both hospital dramas and it does not follow that their audiences would also enjoy a police procedural. Despite his criticism, Wright
4998-531: The destruction of foxes and other wildlife. After debate and delay (plans having been discussed for over half a decade), in 2006, a 7-acre (2.8 ha) mixed-use development west of Park Street named The Atrium was built of residential, leisure and retail buildings with wide pedestrianised areas and 683 public parking spaces. Its 217 mid-rise apartments split into courtyards in the Barcelona style. Fourteen new retail units face directly onto Park Street, opposite
5100-433: The end of the century the population had reached 8,400. Since then, the town has absorbed the original settlement of Yorktown, which is now regarded as part of Camberley. The Southern Scott Scramble, the first known motorcycle scrambling event, took place on Camberley Heath on 29 March 1924. The event, won by A.B. Sparks, attracted a crowd in the thousands and is considered to be the first instance of what later developed in
5202-505: The end of the war. The site was used by Ballard School in the 1950s. Barossa Secondary School began teaching its first pupils in September 1963, although the official opening ceremony did not take place for another two years. The secondary modern school , on the Old Dean estate, was constructed on a site adjacent to the former Ballard School. Frimley and Camberley Grammar School opened in 1931 on Frimley Road. The school moved to
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#17328013351615304-522: The episode positively, calling it "fast and funny and punctuated with poignancy", and Jod Mitchell of The Daily Telegraph praised the intelligent writing and fast direction, writing that despite its familiarity, the series injected "pace and verve" into the BBC One schedule. The Guardian 's Gareth McLean observed that the opening episode contrasted the typical "cosiness" of Holby City and Casualty , and described HolbyBlue as "somewhere between
5406-473: The estate was first constructed, the portion between the A30 and Upper College Ride, was littered with demolished concrete blockhouses and military installations, such as Nissen huts . An "ideal" playground for the dozens of children who moved there in the early 1950s. In the early 21st century more affordable housing was added. From October 1940 until May 1945, the Old Dean Common was considered Free French soil with French as its official language, serving as
5508-528: The excellent City Central and the appalling Merseybeat ". McLean later deemed Keenan "two-dimensional", but still found him to be an improvement on the series' female characters, who he felt were extremely under-written. In February 2008, McLean described HolbyBlue as "far from perfect", but went on to review the sixth episode of series two positively, commenting that the previously disappointing programme had finally improved, with "a compelling and tense episode that both pleases series regulars and delivers
5610-415: The first series of HolbyBlue was scheduled to air at 8pm on a Tuesday evening, replacing Holby City 's former timeslot, with Holby City moving to 8pm on a Thursday night instead. HolbyBlue was initially scheduled to commence airing on 1 May 2007, however it was later postponed by one week for unknown reasons. The first series of HolbyBlue ran from 8 May 2007 to 26 June 2007. On 21 June 2007,
5712-444: The first time with wife Mandy; she later dies unexpectedly after a roadside incident. Kate flirts with a man she finds at a police event, only to later learn she has been flirting with new boss, DCI Scott Vaughan. Robert is encouraged by Lucy to ask an ex-girlfriend of his to see their son. Robert's ex agrees to allowing him to see their son at the end of his shift. However, while Robert and Lucy are out on duty, gang violence results in
5814-576: The former Ballard School, adjacent to the then new Barossa Secondary School in 1967. The original site was then used as an annex for France until 1971. The buildings have since been used for Watchetts School, now South Camberley Primary and Nursery School. Kings International College was opened as France Hill Secondary School in 1947. For the first eleven years, it was based at Franz Hill House, which had been built c. 1840 . The school moved to its current location on Watchetts Avenue in 1959 and adopted its present name in 2001. Collingwood College
5916-458: The just resentment shew'd by Heaven upon the Englishmen's pride… horrid and frightful to look on, not only good for little, but good for nothing". A brick tower was built on top of The Knoll in the 1770s, by John Norris of Blackwater. It may have been used for communications but there is no firm evidence. The remains are now known as The Obelisk . The town as it now stands has its roots in
6018-674: The key to a successful police drama was its ability to reflect the society "in which it existed". Answers about what best reflected the society that people lived came from joint head of Kudos, Jane Featherstone. As a result of a conversation with Featherstone, Jordan created a drama in which his characters would be forced to deal with limited resources and bureaucracy stemming from the war on terror, whilst trying to combat domestic crime. Jordan decided to imitate two American police dramas: Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue , using "flawed characters, who still managed to be heroes", while also aiming to "accurately reflect society". The final element to
6120-474: The local fire authority is Surrey County Council and the statutory fire service is Surrey Fire and Rescue Service . An ambulance service is recorded in Camberley in 1898. Initially it operated with a horse-drawn vehicle, but the service was equipped with a motorised ambulance during the 1920s. Patients were charged a fee for using the service, which was affiliated to the St John Ambulance and
6222-496: The locker rooms". Jordan went on to research his new project by spending time with first serving officers, who "portrayed a world of endless, statistic-led red tape". After spending time with first serving officers, Jordan concluded that he was left with an image "not of a modern-day police force, fighting crime on the streets and keeping us all safe, but some kind of unwieldy, top-heavy administrative process, more concerned with public opinion than dispensing justice." Jordan felt that
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#17328013351616324-403: The mid-1880s a drainage system was installed, leading to a sewage farm at Yorktown. Following a report in 1902, which condemned the state of the town sewers, new pipework was installed and a new wastewater treatment works opened in Yorktown in 1907. In 2023, Camberley Sewage Treatment Works is operated by Thames Water . The postal service to Yorktown began in 1844 and the first postmaster
6426-569: The nearest police station to Camberley is at Aldershot, operated by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary . The nearest counter service run by Surrey Police is at the Woking Borough Council offices. Camberley Fire Brigade was founded in May 1889 and was initially equipped with a hand-operated Merryweather pump. In 1900, the brigade moved to The Avenue and relocated to the current station in London Road in 1967. In 2023,
6528-524: The opening episode of HolbyBlue "boring", with some "duff casting". Wright also criticised the decision to launch the show under the Holby moniker, opining that it is not a true brand as Casualty and Holby City both possess "distinct personalities". During its lifespan, HolbyBlue was nominated for six awards: Best Drama at the Inside Soap Awards in 2007 and 2008; Best New Drama Series at
6630-524: The pair to separate. DS Luke French and his wife, Mandy French, fail their second attempt at IVF . Luke and Mandy argue over Luke's divided priorities between her and his terminally ill mother. Luke agrees to put his terminally ill mother in a care home, but is later heartbroken when she dies following a fall. PC Kelly Cooper struggles with her financial difficulties and considers stealing money she finds while out on duty. Inspector Jenny Black ends her marriage with her husband, Alex Black, when she learns he
6732-406: The programme." Three production companies were involved in the development of HolbyBlue : BBC, Kudos and Red Planet Pictures. The Guardian picked up on the BBC's reverse tactic of creating a police procedural spin-off drama from a medical drama, compared to ITV , which "spawned a hospital spin-off", The Royal , from original police procedural drama, Heartbeat . Upon being approached by
6834-432: The re-commissioning was "brilliant news", while then Controller of BBC Drama Production, John Yorke said "BBC One is the perfect home for well-written, stylish and popular drama and we are proud to once again have HolbyBlue as a key pre-watershed drama in our schedule for next year." The second series of HolbyBlue was rescheduled for 8pm on a Thursday night, and ran from 20 March 2008 to 5 June 2008. On 6 August 2008,
6936-493: The same evening. Rumbleow praised HolbyBlue 's superior pacing, writing that while it had "clumsy, absurd and predictable" moments, and seemed "amateurish, unsophisticated and old-fashioned" compared to the US dramas, it was still good, with "moments of light and dark in the right place, the characters perfectly introduced and just the right amount of intrigue seeded." In contrast, The Guardian 's Sam Wollaston stated that he
7038-493: The same newspaper also commented on the unoriginality of the characterisation, but praised the "high energy level" and casting. He found it "watchable enough", and suggested that it would prove strong competition to The Bill . Andre Pettie of The Daily Telegraph disliked the pacing, observing that the script moved so fast it was hard to judge the quality of the series, concluding that it was overall unsatisfactory. In contrast, The Guardian 's Nancy Banks-Smith reviewed
7140-414: The series would be "held in disdain" by "soap snobs", but made the ultimate decision to name the drama HolbyBlue after remembering the "joy" he took from "surprising the audience by subverting expectation". HolbyBlue received mixed reception. Rachel Cooke from The Observer criticised the show's unoriginal characterisation, while The Times ' Andrew Billen stated that the most that could be said for
7242-470: The series' lack of originality inexcusable given that the BBC is funded by the television licence fee . The Times ' Andrew Billen commented that John Keenan was "such a cliché that his new deputy Luke French told him that he was a cliché while admitting that, as a graduate recruit, he was a cliché himself". Billen added that the most that could be said for the show was that it had a healthy pace, and occasionally well-written dialogue. David Chater from
7344-406: The settlement was originally named for Prince George, Duke of Cambridge , who laid the foundation stone of the Staff College in December 1859. Similarly, Yorktown (sometimes spelled York Town), to the west of Camberley, was named for Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany , who authorised the construction of the Royal Military College in December 1802. The dukes were commanders-in-chief of
7446-451: The show was that it had a healthy pace, and occasionally well-written dialogue. On the contrary, David Chater from the same newspaper praised the show's "high energy level" and casting. Chater also suggested the show would serve to be strong competition for ITV 's police drama The Bill . Jod Mitchell of The Daily Telegraph expressed that the series injected "pace and verve" into the BBC One schedule. Mark Wright from The Stage branded
7548-595: The southwestern corner of the town. The stretch of the motorway through the Borough of Surrey Heath was upgraded to a smart motorway in 2017. The other major roads in the town are the A30, which runs roughly parallel to the motorway between Hounslow and Basingstoke, and the A331 Blackwater Valley relief road. Yorktown and east Camberley are linked to Frimley by the B3411 and A325 respectively. Old Dean
7650-662: The sport of motocross . During the Second World War , the Old Dean common was used as an instruction camp of the Free French Forces . The Kremer prize was conceived in the Cambridge Hotel in Camberley in 1959 after Henry Kremer toured a Microcell factory. The defunct Barossa Golf Club, on Barossa Common, was founded in 1893 and continued until the Second World War. The Old Dean housing estate
7752-511: The time of the series' cancellation. The table below shows the two series' average number of viewers. HolbyBlue was nominated for six awards during its lifespan, of which it failed to win any. The series was nominated under the category 'Best Drama' twice at the Inside Soap Awards in 2007 and 2008. Actresses Kacey Ainsworth and Zöe Lucker were both nominated for 'Best Actress' at the TV Quick & TV Choice Awards in 2007, while
7854-545: The town centre dates from the late 20th and early 21st centuries, including The Atrium, a retail, entertainment and residential complex, opened in 2008. Transport links through the area began to improve with the opening of the London- Basingstoke turnpike in 1728, now the A30 London Road. The Basingstoke Canal , which runs to the south of Camberley, was completed in 1794 and the wharf at Frimley
7956-465: The town's households were named by Experian as having the highest carbon footprint in the UK, estimated at 28.05 tonnes per household per year (compared to 18.36 tonnes for the lowest, South Shields). Camberley is in the parliamentary constituency of Surrey Heath and was represented at Westminster from May 2005 to July 2024 by Conservative Michael Gove . After stepping down in the 2024 election Gove
8058-645: The twelfth most-watched programme on the channel for the week of its broadcast. However, the following episode saw a decline in the ratings for HolbyBlue after it clashed with ITV's police drama The Bill , with The Bill recording 5.4 million viewers and a 23% audience share, compared to HolbyBlue 's 4.1 million viewers and 18% audience share. Episode three was watched by 3.8 million viewers, attaining an 18% audience share, again beaten in its timeslot by The Bill . Episodes four and five were watched by 3.5 and 3.4 million viewers respectively; both episodes were again beaten by The Bill , and while episode six saw
8160-399: The weekly rankings. Despite a 23% decrease in audience share, it continued to lead in its timeslot. By episode five, viewership had declined to 4.10 million and a 21% audience share, but the show remained the most-watched at 8pm. The same was true of episode six, watched by 4 million viewers with a 20% audience share. Viewership for episodes four to six fell below the channel's top thirty in
8262-402: The weekly rankings. The final two episodes of series one experienced an increase in viewership, to 4.13 and 4.36 million respectively, ranking HolbyBlue twenty-sixth then twenty-fourth in the channel ratings for the weeks of broadcast. The first episode of the second series attracted the highest all-time rating of HolbyBlue , with 5.62 million viewers watching the episode, making the episode
8364-686: The works began to supply the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. In 1904, a short branch line was laid from the South Eastern Railway south of Blackwater station, enabling the coal required to be supplied by train. The works came under the control of the Southern Gas Board in 1949 and closed in 1969. The electricity supply to the area was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1909. Unlike most towns in Surrey, Camberley did not have its own power station and instead, electricity
8466-798: Was a British police procedural drama series that ran for two series from 2007 to 2008. The show revolves around the daily lives of a number of police officers working at Holby South police station. The cast for series one included Jimmy Akingbola as PC Neil Parker, Joe Jacobs as PC William "Billy" Jackson, David Sterne as Sergeant Edward 'Mac' McFadden, Cal Macaninch as DI John Keenan , James Hillier as Sergeant Christian Young, Kacey Ainsworth as Inspector Jenny Black, Richard Harrington as DS Luke French, Zöe Lucker as Kate Keenan, Chloe Howman as PC Kelly Cooper, Kieran O'Brien as PC Robert Clifton, Tim Pigott-Smith as DCI Harry Hutchinson, Sara Powell as Rachel Barker and Elaine Glover as PC Lucy Slater. Velibor Topić and Julie Cox joined
8568-579: Was also known to have visited the camp on multiple occasions. The connection to the Free French is maintained in the name of one of its primary schools: Lorraine takes its name from the Cross of Lorraine , from the French Region, the School's badge features the Free French insignia. When the school opened under the tutelage of Mr MacKean, the then French Ambassador attended the opening ceremony and read
8670-477: Was announced on 27 April 2006, and was created by Tony Jordan as a spin-off from the established medical drama Holby City . The show premiered on 8 May 2007. HolbyBlue ran for two series and was cancelled by the BBC on 6 August 2008, after ratings fell from an initial 5.64 million viewers to a low of 2.5 million viewers. Tony Jordan and Karen Wilson served as the show's executive producers , while Claire Phillips
8772-554: Was appointed in 1890. The telephone service to Camberley commenced in April 1897. The first police station was opened in 1892 on the corner of Portesbury Road and the High Street. In 1910, the local force had a total of eight officers. In 1971, the station moved to the east, but remained on Portesbury Road. The 1971 station closed in 2011. The building was demolished in 2016 for the construction of new houses and flats. In 2023,
8874-517: Was built in the 1950s on the "Old Dean Common" for residents of heavily bombed Surrey-area's homeless after the Second World War. Many of the roads on that half of the Old Dean are named after areas of London, with the others named after places on the common. In 1969 there was an outbreak of rabies when a dog, just released from a six month quarantine after returning from Germany, attacked two people on Camberley Common. The scare resulted in restriction orders for dogs and large-scale shoots to carry out
8976-421: Was formed in 1971 from the merger of Camberley Grammar School, Barossa Secondary School and Bagshot Secondary School. It became a self-governing Technology College in September 1994 and gained Foundation status in September 1999. The current Cordwalles School was founded in 1962 and was officially opened on 5 March 1963. Initially a primary and infants school, it became a middle school in 1971, before reverting to
9078-530: Was founded as the Mortimer School of Dancing in 1923. It adopted its current name in 1947, taken from Elmhurst House in Camberley, where it was based. During the Second World War, Sadlers Wells and Rambert Schools were evacuated to Elmhurst and the pupils of all three schools performed to entertain soldiers billeted locally and to raise money for the war effort. After the end of the war, pupil numbers began to expand (from 60 in 1933 to 240 in 1947) and
9180-547: Was founded in Elliot Place, Greenwich , in 1805 and one of its early pupils was the future prime minister, Benjamin Disraeli . In 1875, it moved to Cordwalls Farm, Maidenhead , from which it acquired its name. The school merged with Kingswood School, Camberley, which had been established on part of the former Collinwood Estate in 1910. In 1939, the school was evacuated to Market Drayton, but did not return to Camberley at
9282-458: Was installed in 1964 on the London Road, having been commissioned for the Lord Mayor's Show of the previous year. Into Our First World , a sculpture by Ken Ford , is on display outside the borough council offices on Knoll Road. Camberley was assigned its current name on 15 January 1877 by the General Post Office . Previously, the settlement had been known as "Cambridge Town" and the change
9384-722: Was located just across the Hampshire border in Minley next to the M3 motorway at junction 4a. Krispy Kreme UK are based in Albany Park, an industrial estate just outside Camberley in nearby Frimley. The York Town and Blackwater Gas Company was formed in 1859 and opened its gasworks at Yorktown in November 1862. Street lighting in Camberley was initially provided by oil lamps, but gas lamps were installed from 1900. In around 1903,
9486-579: Was made to prevent letters and parcels being misdirected to Cambridge in the East of England . The new name is a portmanteau of "Cam" (the name of a local stream), "Amber Hill" (an area of high ground identified in a survey of 1607 by the cartographer, John Norden ) and "—ley" (a suffix found in local toponyms, such as Frimley and Yateley , derived from the Old English lee meaning "shelter" or lea meaning "pasture" or "meadow"). As Cambridge Town,
9588-481: Was passed to formally amalgamate the two institutions, creating The Royal Alexandra and Albert School . Pupils from both schools were transferred in stages from their original sites to new accommodation at Gatton Park between 1848 and 1954. The former school buildings in Camberley were damaged by fire in 1987 and were demolished in 1994. The grounds were split in two by the construction of the M3. Elmhurst Ballet School
9690-548: Was pleased when the programme was recommissioned for a second series, hoping that an increased number of episodes would allow the production team to fix issues with HolbyBlue and further develop its format. Following the programme's cancellation, Wright gave HolbyBlue a mixed review. He described the first series as "disastrous", writing that it was largely unoriginal and impeded by the Holby brand, but deemed series two "a great improvement, with some excellent and quite engrossing character drama". The first episode of HolbyBlue
9792-410: Was purchased on the wholesale market and was distributed locally. The gas and electricity companies merged in 1927. The Frimley and Farnborough District Water Company was formed in 1893 and began to supply Camberley four years later. Water was extracted from the chalk aquifer and was piped to a filtration plant at Frimley Green, before being pumped to a service reservoir on Frith Hill. In 1893,
9894-582: Was replaced by Al Pinkerton of the Liberal Democrats Surrey County Council, headquartered in Reigate , is elected every four years. Camberley is represented by three councillors - one for each of the "Camberley East", "Camberley West" and "Heatherside and Parkside" divisions. Elections to Surrey Heath take place every four years. Three councillors represent "Heatherside" ward and two councillors are elected to each of
9996-429: Was still unconvinced by HolbyBlue , deeming it inferior to The Bill . McLean was also unimpressed, writing, Should the appearance of Holby City 's spiky Jac in HolbyBlue , on suspicion of attempted murder, be greeted with interest or indifference? Certainly, the dull cop show needs all the help it can get as, entering its second series, none of the problems of the first have been worked out. The police are still
10098-442: Was the producer . Jordan spent time with first serving officers and believed that the key to a successful police drama was its ability to reflect a society "in which it existed". Jordan made the decision to emulate two American police dramas: Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue . The BBC suggested that Jordan used the "Holby" brand to "create a third arm of the successful Casualty and Holby City format". Jordan questioned whether
10200-524: Was to the north of this area alongside the Roman road The Devil's Highway. The Intenarium Curiosum , published in 1724, describes a collection of Roman pottery around the area, and a further collection was discovered at Frimley Green in the late 20th century. In the Middle Ages , the area was part of Windsor Forest . In the 17th century, the area along the turnpike road through Bagshot Heath (now
10302-602: Was used to supply building materials for the Royal Military College. Blackwater station , on the Reading to Guildford line , opened to the west of Yorktown in 1849 and Camberley station , on the Ascot to Aldershot line , followed in 1878. In the second half of the 20th century, improvements to the road network in the area included the construction of the M3 motorway and the Blackwater Valley relief road. The area has
10404-479: Was watched by an audience of 5.46 million viewers on BBC One , making it the fifteenth most-watched programme on the channel for the week of its broadcast. The second episode saw a fall in the ratings by 300,000 viewers, to 5.16 million viewers, making it the seventeenth most-watched programme on the channel for the week of its broadcast. The episode received a 26% audience share for its timeslot. The following episode dropped to 4.42 million viewers and twenty-fifth in
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