The Beach

[denis rigg]

What a marvellous set of Diana/Emma on the beach pictures, Denis Many thanks for posting this lovely collection.
I agree, I think the Flash bikini-hipster power-blue costume was one of John Bates' finest designer outfits for Diana.
The hint of pink lace trouser suit, black stretch Lycra catsuit and her daring translucent Grecian gown are rather lovely too

Many thanks for your kind words, James.
When I collecting this beach collection, I noticed that outfit Flash was the most common image of Diana from this photo series than any other there. Hard to say, if the accent on the day of the photo session was really more done on it or simply these photos did better advertising and therefore became more famous. Hope we will see a lot of other beach shots in the future as I think there should be about a thousand of it.

Yes, John Bates did a great achievement for The Avengers as his costumes are impressive in the b/w and color images that is not as easy. I wonder if there's photo with Diana in Flash on horseback. I suspect they could do it.

Soon I will post a photo series "Diana in Flash: close-up".

[denis rigg]

All the shots have the beach and sea in the background making it impossible to identify the actual location by comparing to the shoreline background. Ideally I need to find a local Hants newspaper archive that gives the exact date and location where the photoshoot took place. I would have thought that having Patrick and Diana doing this would have made local news at the time.

Many thanks, Mike, for information about Dave Rogers who advised you that this was Lord Montagu's private beach in Hampshire. I wondered he explained to you why he thinks so. Interestingly.

Unfortunately, true, it impossible to identify the actual location by comparing to the shoreline background, and the views of the different resources for it diverge.
For example, GettyImages says that it is Camber Sands (as for photo series Diana and horse, which most likely was held on same day of main session).
Dave Rogers says for private beach of Montagu, like this does Marcus Hearn in book The Avengers: A Celebration (while he mentions that photo "Diana and the horse" was made on St. Mary's Bay, he points out that the photo below here



is from private Montagu beach).
Other some sources points to the St. Mary's Bay for whole beach photo session.

Personally, I doubt that this was done on the private Montagu beach, as I think it would have been made already known for public many years ago (including newspapers), like films from September 1966, by directed Roy Rossotti.

Moreover, Marcus Hearn points photo on beach above in section of book for color Emma Peel episodes, that says this was did by 1966 for new series. But it's clearly that Patrick dressed in a hat from the fourth season, so photo is from b/w Avengers era. Mirrors on beach were used in 1965 too.



Remains Camber Sands and St. Mary's Bay beach, as known candidates.
Well, there's a lot of unexplained mistakes on GettyImages, on moment best probability is St. Mary's Bay beach.

Hmm, I imagine it may be quite a surprise that if will discover ever that actually this is some place that we even unsuspected.

[denis rigg]

Hi Denis,
thanks for sharing the pictures. I actually didn't know a few of them .

Here is a link to a website with photos of Thorns Beach, Hampshire around 2008/9
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/757487

Oh, Chris, pity that I did not posted this before.
As the Avengers "advertising billboard" shows, there was a photo session with Diana on beach in 'Chemin' black and white striped fur coat too...



I would definitely like to see more photos with mirrors. And right now I imagine a photo where Patrick are wrapped in telephone wires, as photo joke.

[denis rigg]

Great shots and thanks for sharing. I wonder if Macnee was really "into" the first set of photos, the first 10 or so up above; his facial expressions are odd, and hardly attractive. He relaxed and seemed to enjoy the other photo sessions much more.

Hi Mona

You are right, it is clearly visible in some photos that Patrick looks "tired", as if these pictures were from approx. thirtieth and higher take of the same frame on set already in end of session. Nevertheless, for some reason, exactly this material was chosen for main advertising.
Hmm, all this says that it would be interesting to know the order of sequence this beach session in general.

[cyberrich]

Thanks for posting these. Some great unseen alternate shots here. I've never seen the ones with Diana posing on the wicker chair before. Time for Studio Canal to issue a new book I think! Rich.

[Ian Wegg]

Personally, I doubt that this was done on the private Montagu beach, as I think it would have been made already known for public many years ago...

I agree that it's unlikely to be the Beaulieu private beach. The Isle of Wight is barely 3 miles across the Solent, it should be clearly visible on the horizon.



~iw

[hatpeg]

There appears to be too many stones for it to be Camber Sands.
I've been there a few times it is almost pebble free.

My choice would still be St Mary's Bay.

If anyone is going to see Ray Austin this summer perhaps, they could ask him!

[denis rigg]

Today I researched the books, magazines and newspapers, and found several other photos from the beach. Also here I presents some photos that I posted above but in a more original version or better quality.

Beach, Part 3

[denis rigg]

Found one of the photos that was presented here earlier in a very cut variant.

[mariocki]

From the horse's mouth, 100% Camber Sands.