Call the Midwife star spotted in costume on West Wittering beach

An actress who stars in BBC's Call the Midwife was spotted in full costume on West Wittering Beach '“ sparking rumours it could be the location for a new series.
Jenny Agutter spotted on West Wittering beach. Picture: Sarah ReeveJenny Agutter spotted on West Wittering beach. Picture: Sarah Reeve
Jenny Agutter spotted on West Wittering beach. Picture: Sarah Reeve

Jenny Agutter – who has played the role of Sister Julienne since the first episode – was photographed on Friday afternoon by eagle-eyed reader Sarah Reeve.

Sarah said: “We had taken the dogs for a walk on the beach and at the far end there were loads of people with all sorts of equipment, but we were on the wrong side of the dunes to see what was going on, but on the return leg of our walk we were on the right side and having a 300mm lens on my camera was able to zoom in on what was happening, like using binoculars.

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“I was with a friend of mine and looking at the image on the camera we were like ‘oh it’s her from that midwife programme’ – both of us being of a certain age we took a while to remember Jenny’s name.

“It was lovely to see how much effort goes into a very short scene, there must have been around 40 crew and as far as we could see only two of the actresses, acting a short scene involving walking back from the beach with a small child – the doctor’s wife’s child I guess – with Jenny bringing up the rear carrying a blanket and a bucket and spade.

“I did feel for them though as it was cold on the beach and the wind was blowing a gale.”

After the picture was posted onto the Chichester Observer Facebook page, a number of readers speculated the return of the Mother House in Chichester which first appeared in series one.

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The picture showed Jenny Agutter standing on a sand dune on West Wittering beach with two people – possibly extras, according to readers.

Call the Midwife – a period drama which has ran for seven series since 2012 – is about a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

The seventh series concluded on January 21, 2018, but the BBC has already commissioned an eighth and ninth series with its production company Neal Street Productions which will be released before 2020.

In the picture, Jenny Agutter was spotted in her full midwifery costume alongside two other possible characters in the new series.

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Commenting on Facebook, Tanya Millicent Humphrey speculated the two other people as being Dr Turner’s wife on the right and ‘the new midwife’ on the left.

Joanne Brown wondered whether they may have been filming for a Christmas special.

The programme has received a number of awards since appearing on our screens in 2012, including Best Family Drama at the TV Choice Awards in 2017, Drama Programme of the Year at the TV and Radio Industries Club Awards in 2013 and was nominated for the Best Drama at the 2018 National Television Awards.

While neither the BBC or Neal Street Productions would confirm whether the picture related to filming for a new series, Chichester Observer Facebook readers were excited by the spot.

Christine King said: “Hopefully they’ll be back again then. May even see them in Chichester.”

Hannah Quinnell added: “Can’t wait for it to come back on screen again.”