'I visited the Casualty set and one major aspect stood out'

When an invite to the Casualty set dropped into my inbox recently I couldn't say no. The award winning long running medical drama has been a favourite part of the BBC schedules for almost four decades. Cast have come and go but the fan's love for the show endures.

Although set in Bristol it has been filmed in Wales in the BBC's Roath Lock studios since 2011 but the transition was seamless. Unlike many dramas it's longevity means it has a permanent set and it is surprisingly authentic. You could really believe you are walking into an NHS hospital. The only thing that gives it away is the high celiings to accomodate studio lighting and the crew and the camera's lurking in the background as they film scenes. Everything from the signage, to the flyers to the posters are all exactly what you would find in a real hospital thanks to the medical consultants who ensure everything is up to date. This only serves to help the actor and the viewer truly believe in the world of Holby City ED. We discovered a few more surprising things you might not have realised about the set.

Dylan Keogh's (William Beck) image on this poster encouraging the fictional staff to recycle. " data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Fran Winston" data-licensor-name="Fran Winston" /> the actors who play the paramedics all require a C1 driving licence as they will be behind the wheel at some point. In the UK this allows you to drive vehicles between 3,500kg and 7,500kg. " data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Fran Winston" data-licensor-name="Fran Winston" />

Babies frequently feature in the show but obviously they can't have real babies on set for hours at a time so they use protehtic tots they affectionately refer to as "jelly babies". There are all stored in palstic containers in the prosthetics room and for filing purposes they have been named after the cast just like this "baby Milo" named after Milo Clarke who plays Teddy Gowan.

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