Photographer Cecil Hepworth built the original Walton-on-Thames studios in 1899, but it wasn’t until 1926 that they fell into the hands of brummie industrialist Archibald Nettlefold. Yorkshire comedian Walter Forde was a big draw in screwy films such as Would You Believe It! and You’d Be Surprised!, as did John Bentley for his Paul Temple and “the Toff” films (distributed by – but of course! – Butchers). A later move in TV production brought forth the Richard Greene Robin Hood series, utilising an innovative “shrubbery on wheels” set construction method to enable an episode to be banged out in just over four working days. Despite this, the ’50s weren’t kind to Nettlefold, and the studios were pulled down in ’61.
