TRAVEL writer Michael Palin drew hundreds of people to the opening of a photographic and video studio.

More than 400 industry insiders, friends and photographic enthusiasts joined the former Monty Python star to officially unveil Studio Dog House, above the Ealing Park Tavern, in South Ealing Road on Saturday.

The studio is a collaborative project between five friends from Brentford who all have backgrounds in filming and photography, and is available for anybody to hire out.

Peter Meakin, of Clifden Road, has been a cameraman on several of Michael Palin’s famous documentaries, along with his father, Nigel, who is Mr Palin’s main cameraman.

Peter joined friends Steve McCann, Judy Rees, Pete Symons and Daniel Gardiner to set up the studio which is primarily for video, photographic and live broadcasting, but can also be used as a conference space to connect people around the world.

After spending eight weeks gutting the area above the pub and transforming it into west London’s only small studio space, the team have already been inundated with bookings.

Peter said: "It was a great turnout, there were people from the BBC, and loads of others who we all know from being in the industry. Before the opening we’d already had loads of bookings. We just thought the area didn’t have any smaller studio spaces so this was a perfect solution.

"My dad and I have worked quite a lot with Michael Palin so we asked him to come down to officially open it, which he was very happy to do. We decided to call it Dog House because if you look at the building from the side, there’s a little window that looks like Snoopy’s dog house. I also thought I’d be in the dog house because people didn’t see me for two months while we were putting it all together!"

Studio Dog House is available for anybody to hire. It is situated above the Ealing Park Tavern, 222 South Ealing Road. Call 07723 687 639 for more information.