On 25th November 1996 I had returned to Luton Hoo, a former stately home near Luton, to be in another scene of " Mrs. Brown ". After the first day, I had been chosen to play a butler in a downstairs scene with Billy Connolly who was playing the lead role of John Brown to Judi Dench's Queen Victoria.
Luton Hoo had been chosen for the filming because the rooms resembled those of Osbourne House on the Isle of Wight.
It was the scene where John Brown enters the dining room and sits in the seat normally occupied by Queen Victoria. I am sitting directly opposite to him from his position at the head of the table.
He is told he cannot sit in that seat because it is usually occupied by " Her Majesty the Queen". " That's a Tautology" is his reply " It's either Her Majesty, or The Queen" he retorts.
A maid comes to my side and is sent out of the room to seek information and then re-enters the room and whispers something in my ear. Then John Brown looks across to me and says " Am I the only one that's eating?" and I give him a very serious look then reluctantly pick up my soup spoon.
Following the filming of that scene, I was talking to Billy and commented that I had seen him the day before but that he was not in any of the scenes. He replied " It was my Birthday yesterday, I do not work on my Birthday".
Happy 70th Birthday, yesterday, Billy.
He was a very interesting man to talk to and continues to be a very good actor.
Yesterday, I was back at Luton Hoo for an Installation Dinner for the London Guild of Toastmasters,where I was appointed Junior Vice- President, 17 years after those happy two days filming of " Mrs. Brown " in 1996.
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