AT HOME WITH PETER CUSHING: GALLERY TWO : SOUNDS NATURAL BBC RADIO FOUR JANUARY 1972

PETER CUSHING AT HOME and on the beach. GALLERY Part TWO: Wednesday December 1st 1971. ON SEEING these rare and unpublished photographs for the first time, it maybe isn't obvious at first glance, who the man in the pics actually could be. A neat and trim moustache, the absence of a hair piece and several pounds of body weight along with clothing that wasn't the usual attire familiar to the thousands of cinema goers, who had watched him on the big screen and over the past three decades.1971, this year had been a year that changed Peter Cushing's life forever. The loss of his wife, #HelenCushing in #January after many years of fighting her illness, set Cushing on a path of work, that would have psychically and emotionally exhausted many others . .

THE GRIEF AND LOSS effected everything in Cushing's life, except as he saw, his one distraction away from the loneliness and pain. Work. These unpublished stills were taken in December 1971, as part of a #RadioTimes magazine feature, promoting a BBC radio programme Peter had recorded earlier on July 27th -29th July 1971 at his home in #Whitstable. The programme 'Nature Spectacular' focused on the wildlife and birds of which Peter was very familiar and loved around his beach front home. I am sure you have seen the many watercolour's and sketches that Peter produced over the years, here on PCASUK. He was a lover of all nature. Wildlife, birds, flowers, sea life . . .

THIS LOOK INTO Peter's home study, gives us a peep into the things that surrounded his day, the photo portrate of his late wife, the paperwork, the delicate bird figures he made and his desk. Just a few weeks before these photographs were taken, Cushing had began his journey, in 'keeping busy' in March until April, he returned in his first film just weeks after Helen passed, #Hammerfilms 'Twins of Evil'. September he filmed his award winning performance as Arthur Grimsdyke in Amicus films, '#TalesfromtheCrypt' at #Sheppertonstudios, work on Hammer's #DraculaAD1972' as Van Helsing with #ChristopherLee as the Count, kept him busy from September 27th until November 5th along with several radio appearances from September 30th until early November.

ABOVE: THE PHOTOGRAPHS in this feature were a series of snaps taken by a photographer from the BBC RADIO TIMES listings magazine, to provide a photo illustration to support and promote the above BBC RADIO programme. Sounds Natural was a weekly radio programme that interviewed guests and celebrities on their views and opinions on the subject of their choice, within the theme of countryside and nature in the UK. Cushing's programme centred on wildlife and countryside of his home in the seaside town of Whitstable in Kent. A town that had been home to he and his late wife, Helen since the late 1950's.

THE RADIO TIMES 1ST -7TH JANUARY 1971 : There was of course much to choose from to grace the pages of this weeks issue of the BBC listing magazine, 'Radio Times'. Ironically, characters that Peter Cushing himself was more than familiar with.... Dr Who and the ever popular Daleks were rolling the drums for the arrival of a new series of episodes were Jon Pertwee's tv Doctor Who would be taking on the fiends for another welcomed and entertaining and cliff hanger battle. Cushing had played a 'version' of the good Dr / Doctor in two full colour films during 1965 and 66, 'Dr Who and the Daleks' and 'Daleks Invasion of Earth 2150 AD'. Neither of which are really canon to the tv series...or are they? Decide for yourself : HERE! 
 

CUSHING brought the year to an end, with shooting Hammer films, 'Fear In The Night' with Ralph Bates and Judy Geeson .... hence the little moustache, of his character headmaster, Michael Carmichael. #PeterCushing was allergic to spirit gum that would hold on a false tash, so he grew his facial hair when roles required it! A busy time, indeed. - Marcus Brooks