Was it more relaxed

[maltrab]

I noticed at the start of Mending Stuarts Leg, the publics interaction with filming seemed relaxed, not taking a lot of notice of the trio walking along the streets and I am pretty sure they were not all background artist.

I also noticed that later on when Compo spots Nora walking down the alleyway and she starts hitting him, there is a young lady walking up, who is not sure what to make of this and stops for a few seconds before disappearing of to the left

Have you noticed any examples of this

 

[wstol]

I too noticed in Mending Stuart's Leg, the real public seemed to be about, getting on with their business, while the filming went on.
Would never have happened as the series progressed.
HOWEVER, have a look at the beginning of the 1973 Steptoe and Son Christmas Special - which is clearly filmed in central London.
The public are all lined up, looking at Harry H Corbett and the horse and cart.
Some hasty filming there, trying to cut out some of gazing public, as best as they can.

 

[theatrically_inclined]

I noticed at the start of Mending Stuarts Leg, the publics interaction with filming seemed relaxed, not taking a lot of notice of the trio walking along the streets and I am pretty sure they were not all background artist.

It is an early series and the public might not yet be very aware of the show. The shot of the Trio walking is done on a very long lens, so the camera would be well away from the action. Although they are talking to each other, what we hear has almost certainly been dubbed on after. So, no need for the sound recordist, and the camera probably started rolling as soon as they started to cross the road. There was probably only the director with the cameraman. The remainder of the crew could be well out of sight.

 

[mashibinbin]

Early on the public simply would just ignored things by and large. The public were needed in later years for crowd events such as Stop that Castle! and the like but no one stands out more than the highly enthuastic extra brought in to cheer on Edie's homecoming in Last Post and Pigeon - one of the many unamed but referenced Pegdens by Glenda.

 

[Pearl]

Greenfingers too, people just walking about doing their daily routine and ignoring the loonies with a camera

 

[imitation700mb]

There was a policeman near the road crossing in Stuart's leg, when the trio and Sid were carrying the ladder to the cafe. I wonder if he might have been a real policeman, there for crowd or traffic control?