As work experience goes, it had to be up there with the best.

Beauty and perfoming arts students from Kirklees College got to work with star actors on a new BBC TV drama.

The students got the chance to meet and work with stars Michael Palin, Mark Addy and Julia Sawahla whilst on the set of Remember Me.

Some of the scenes from the new drama were filmed at the college’s former Huddersfield centre at New North Road.

The building was transformed into various scenes for the production, including a hospital, police station and care home. An attic was also built inside the old theatre at Highfields.

Will Green, who is studying level 3 BTEC performing arts, had the chance to work with the location team and assistant directors, while level 3 beauty students Nichola Newsome, Helena Willans and Kirsty Power got to work in the make-up department.

Will, who lives in Barnsley and is a former pupil of Silcoates School in Wakefield, was delighted to work with Palin as he is a huge Monty Python fan.

“I would love to be a comedy writer and actor like Michael Palin so when I was offered the chance to work with him I thought it would be an amazing opportunity,” said Will.

“He was incredibly down to earth and had a lot of time to talk to people. He gave me a lot of advice and tips about how he started out.”

Kirklees College beauty students Nichola Newsome (left) and Kirsty Power who got to work with film stars in Huddersfield
Kirklees College beauty students Nichola Newsome (left) and Kirsty Power who got to work with film stars in Huddersfield

Beauty students Nichola, from Liversedge, and Kirsty, from Crosland Moor, Huddersfield, also found their time working with the make-up artists invaluable.

“It was a fantastic experience,” said Nichola. “Everyone tried to involve me in what was going on so I really felt part of it.”

“I now know what is expected of the job even though I’m not sure it’s something I would want to do as a career just yet,” said Kirsty.

“But it was an amazing opportunity and I would love to do it again.”

Remember Me is a haunting three-part mystery written by Gwyneth Hughes, made by Mammoth Screen for BBC One, which tells the story of frail pensioner Tom Parfitt (Palin) who witnesses a violent death on the day he moves into residential care.

Addy plays police detective Rob Fairholme. The drama, which is expected to be aired on BBC One in the autumn, also stars Julia Sawahla (Absolutely Fabulous); Jodie Comer (My Mad Fat Diary) and Mina Anwar (The Thin Blue Line).

As well as at the college, filming was also done in Meltham, Slaithwaite, Scarborough and at the North Light Film Studio in Armitage Bridge, Huddersfield.

Studio owner Mark Brooke and manager Ben Sweet put forward the college as a filming location. They hope to bring more productions to Huddersfield in the future.

Ben said: “We are trying to sell Huddersfield as a place to film and great versatile locations like Kirklees College make our job a lot easier.

Both Michael Palin and Mark Addy very much enjoyed their time working at the college. Michael Palin in particular said he would miss Huddersfield and the people because it had been such a great experience.

“Huddersfield has a proud film heritage and we hope to carry that on into the future. We want to help boost the local economy and really put the town on the map.”

Click here to take you back to more Huddersfield news.

Want to read, watch and hear more? You can download the FREE Examiner Apple App here, the FREE Examiner Android App here or you can view the paper as an e-edition on your Apple, Android or Kindle device by clicking here

To follow us on Twitter click here