Grasshopper Island News

As our time on Corsica was coming to an end, we thought it might be nice to re-visit some of the people and places that we had been so fortunate to encounter. The sun was bright in the sky – a welcome sight after some rainy days prior. This particular day had an added significance. It was Uli's birthday – and what better way to celebrate than a hike in the hills. But of course – this hike would have a purpose. We wanted to descend from Monticello and explore the small back roads, to see if we might find our final location – the Little House . To get to Monticello, we first took our favourite mode of transport “ U Trinicellu” – the little train – as far as L'Ille Rousse . On arrival it was fun to retrace our steps along the pier, once again passing the spot where Lupus and Mr. Button disembarked. The site of our very first discovery! From there we strolled along Promenade de la Marinella , an elevated walkway which takes visitors directly to the wonderful beach. It was 10a...

Our next location search took us to Place Pascal Pauli . This is a wonderfully open town square, with a beautiful church, and many cafés and restaurants. Local people played pétanque beneath the shade of the venerable platane trees. A handful of tourists looked on while they enjoyed a coffee, a beer or some ice cream. So it was with great enthusiasm, stemming from our success at the pier, that we scanned the establishments along the southern edge of the square for an ice cream parlour. To our surprise there on the corner close to where we stood was La Glacier. As a reminder - the reason for this interest in finding an ice cream seller was to attempt to identify both the person in the photo and the exact location. Once again without any hesitation Uli made a direct path to the doorway of La Glacier and engaged the gentleman standing there in conversation. “Excuse me sir, I’m sorry but I do not speak French”, in what I would find to be a recurring mantra throughout our expedition! The ...

The pier at  L'Île-Rousse in April 2024 © Grasshopperisland.net So where to start on our quest for filming locations? Luckily some years ago Uli had asked the author of Grasshopper Island - Joy Whitby - if she recalled where the filming had taken place all those years ago. Joy explained how the island of Corsica came to be selected. Frank Muir was a friend of hers and had suggested Corsica as the ideal location. Its sunny climate and the happy fact that he owned a holiday home there was instrumental in bringing the Grasshopper Island production to Corsica. Frank Muir would play the part of rival grasshopper expert Dr. Hopper and the cast and crew would stay in rented accommodation in the locality. Joy was able to recall that Franks home was in a village high above the idyllic French seaside town of L'Île-Rousse. Although she could not recall the exact name of the village, she did remember that the beach scenes took place close to L'Île-Rousse. The s...

Here is a wonderful sketch that was made by a young man who happens to be the son of Frank Muir. Frank Muir played the part rival grasshopper expert Dr. Hopper in the final episodes of the series. The sketch was created on location in Corsica in 1970 and is a detailed study of the "Little House" within which the boys created their home. We are told that the house was a real building which existed near Monticello and possibly still exists to this day! We are delighted to receive a picture of this wonderful artwork which was sent to us by Lucy, a dedicated Grasshopper Island fan and granddaughter of Joy Whitby. The young artist signed it "PJ Muir" and can only have been a teenager himself when he completed this wonderful sketch. The original sketch was gifted to Joy and her family after the production. We are delighted to include it on our blog! We feel very privileged indeed! If you are the artist or know anything else about this wonderful little building - we would ...