This Saturday evening drama series from BBC1 revolved around happenings at The Flying Swan, a hotel picturesquely situated on the River Thames and renowned for its efficient staff, headed by the widowed Mollie Manning (Margaret Lockwood).
Other regular characters included Prue, the receptionist (Wendy Hall); Fred Potter the bar steward (Tom Watson); his girlfriend Maisie, the barmaid and wine waitress (Nerys Hughes) who was constantly agitating for a June wedding; the Scottish general factotum Jessie McDonald (Molly Urquhart); and Mrs Manning’s daughter, Carol (Margaret Lockwood’s daughter, Julia), an air hostess with Peregrine Air Lines who was able to come home between flights as the hotel was quite near London Airport.
The programme was based on a previous BBC series, The Royalty (1957 -1958), in which Margaret Lockwood played the manageress of a larger London hotel. Daughter Julia was also in that series, as was Molly Urquhart.
The theme music was by Ron Grainer.
Mollie Manning
Margaret Lockwood Carol Manning
Julia Lockwood Jessie McDonald
Molly Urquhart Dwight Cooper
Hugh McDermott Prue
Wendy Hall Rosalind
Gillian Royale George
John Boyd-Brent Fred Potter
Tom Watson Maisie
Nerys Hughes Charlie Manders
Garry Marsh Piers Franklin
Norman Mitchell
Episodes
Lady in Waiting | Trial Run | Double Trouble | Love and Marriage | Angel Space | The Spanish Couple | The Streets | The Tyrant | An Ideal Guest | Company Property | The Knock-Out | A Question of Time | The Cupboard | In Quarantine | The Boardroom | The Gold Rosette | A Chapter of Accidents | The Age of Consent | Stage Fever | Relative Proof | Group Mania | Shock Tactics | The Waiting Time | Open Day | The Diamond Pendant | The Contract
Other regular characters included Prue, the receptionist (Wendy Hall); Fred Potter the bar steward (Tom Watson); his girlfriend Maisie, the barmaid and wine waitress (Nerys Hughes) who was constantly agitating for a June wedding; the Scottish general factotum Jessie McDonald (Molly Urquhart); and Mrs Manning’s daughter, Carol (Margaret Lockwood’s daughter, Julia), an air hostess with Peregrine Air Lines who was able to come home between flights as the hotel was quite near London Airport.
Mollie Manning
