Tarot is back again this week in a new series of Ace of Wands. He is joined by two new characters, Chas and Mikki who are brother and sister. They work as a freelance journalist and photographer team with a studio over shops in a busy London street market.
The market is the setting for the first story. Thames Television used a real market for location filming, and rebuilt another identical one in the studio.
"We went to Watney Street market, which is in the East End, just off the Commercial Road," said producer John Russell. "It is really just a fruit and veg. market with lots of character. We added more stalls selling junk and antiques, old clothes and books."
In fact the hundreds of props Thames took down to the market could have been sold many times over. "People didn't realise that we were only filming," said Russell. "They thought we were in business and kept trying to buy old teapots and ornaments, and the fruit and veg!"
For one scene, the production team had set fire to a market stall. "Obviously, we couldn't do this in the market, so we found a piece of waste ground nearby where we could safely burn down the stall," explained Russell. Just as their fire started there happened to be a genuine fire in the market and a fire engine came racing down.
"It was pure coincidence but very good luck. We were able to film the fire engine, and when they had dealt with the real fire, the firemen very kindly came over and put out our flames."
Another coincidence concerned actor Michael Standing, who plays the leader of a street band that is always around the market.
"The part meant that Michael had to play the musical spoons," said Russell.
"It is something you don't expect many people to have heard of – let alone now how to do."
Fortunately Michael's father-in-law is an expert spoon player and had recently been demonstrating his musical talents to Michael's children.
"He was able to give Michael a few lessons and how he can play them very well."
There was one drawback to this stroke of luck. "The spoons used by Michael's father-in-law are old Army cook-house ones and very heavy. They could even be relics of World War One," said Russell. "Although they are marvellous for playing they are difficult to manouevre and Michael was very bruised for the first few days."
Spoons apart – watch out for one of the world's most amazing tricycles in Ace of Wands. The tricycle belongs to Mockers who is a religious eccentric.
The design department had a tricycle specially made for the programme. "It is a bit like one of the old-fashioned ice-cream tricycles," explained Russell. "Except that where the ice-cream selling part would be there is a pulpit instead. Mockers jumps off the tricycle, sits in the pulpit and gives sermons to the passing crowds."
The article was accompanied by a photograph of the buskers standing outside a hot-dog stall and captioned: Ace of Wands buskers Michael Standing, Stefan Kalipha and Neil Linden.