Emmedale - 24th November 2016

I was in Leeds again , just over a year ago to be in another episode of "Emmerdale". I really enjoy travelling up to Leeds to be involved in that programme. At the moment that is one of the regular bookings I get, along with "Midsomer Murders", but I have;t done "Midsomer" since 21st July 2016, or "Emmerdale" since 26th June 2017.

MIDSOMER MURDERS

On Tuesday 21st July , last week, I was in my third episode of Midsomer Murders.
My first date was on 28th May 2012, in an episode about a murder that took place during an eclipse of the sun starring Maureen Lipman.
My second was on 1st July 2014, last year, when I was in an episode about a magical trick in a church going wrong and a capsule crashing into and killing a female church organist.
My involvement last week was filmed in the setting of a meeting in a village hall, the details of which I am unable to mention yet, because the episode is not due to be screened until the summer of next year, but it is featuring Denis Lill and Cherie Lunghiamong others and has a very interesting storyline.

Recent song success - new comedy song available

Following the inclusion of my song " My Home Town " in the Kettering Gang Show, the fourth of my compositions to be performed in public. I am offering one of my comedy songs to any comedian who is looking for an original song to add to his/her repertoire.
" Happy Town of Steel " was recorded by me in 1971, " Born to be our King" was sung as a Christmas carol in 2000 and 2001 and " The Kettering March" was used during the 2001 Kettering Mayor's Procession through the town in 2001 also being performed at the McKinlay Theatre in 2002.
" Hay Fever" is a humorous song in the rock and roll style which I am offering to anyone who may be interested in performing /or recording it.

30 YEARS IN THE BACKGROUND

On 3rd April 2015 I will be celebrating having been a Supporting Artiste on Television and Films for 30 years. 3rd April 1985, " Margorie and Men " starring Patricia Routledge filmed at Cromer in North Norfolk.
Since that date I have been involved in 640 days of filming being offered work by 29 different agents.
Currently I am only working for one agent and my most recent involvement was earlier this month, in some scenes in the cafe on episodes of "Emmerdale ", which are due to be screened around the Easter period.
On 3rd April this year I will be officiating as a Toastmaster for a Renewal of Vows Ceremony followed by a Reception and the following day will be returning to the same Hotel in Northamptonshire officiating for a Wedding and the Wedding Reception, an excellent start to this year's Wedding season.

NEW SONG BEING PERFORMED

I attended the first performance of the Kettering and District Gang Show on Wednesday 27th November at the Lighthouse Theatre Kettering to hear one my songs, " My Home Town ", being sung in public for the first time.
This is my fourth composition to have been performed in public, previously having a school, then a church choir singing my christmas carol " Born to be a King " followed by my march " The Kettering March ", which was played during a public procession round the town on the way to my Civic Service when I was the Mayor of Kettering in 2001 and , for the second time. by the Salvation Army Brass Band in a concert in 2002.
 Originally " Happy Town of Steel ", which was my first to be recorded and released in 1971.

"CASUALTY" season 12 episode 23

My only previous guest appearance on Television can be found recorded on IMDb as Boxing M.C. and Referee on "Casualty" Series 12, episode 23, "Taking sides", which was recorded on 11th December 1997 and screened on 7th February 1998.
I was asked to give my dialogue in a "rougher voice" than my natural "rather sedate" tones, so I adopted a Glaswegian accent for the part.
I have now made the decision to put myself forward for any small roles that may arise and  hope that I may be given the opportunity to work more closely with some of the very talented Actors that are working on Film and Television programmes these days.

STEPPING INTO THE FOREGROUND

After 30 years as a "Background Artiste" Bobby Civil will be aiming to step into the foreground very shortly and attempt to obtain minor roles in Film and Television Productions.

" STAY LUCKY " 1991

On 17th July 1991, I arrived at the YTV Television studios in Leeds to be in an episode of " Stay Lucky " starring Dennis Waterman and Jan Francis.
This was my first visit to the studios in Yorkshire and it was going to be another 2 years before I returned to those studios to be in my first episode of " Emmerdale " on 14th June 1993.
On 17th July 1991, I was taken, with the other Supporting Artistes to a Working Men's Club in the Leeds area, I seem to remember it was in Pudsey, to be in a scene watching a cabaret.
My second visit, to be in " Emmerdale ", was again not in the studio, but myself and the Supporting Artistes were taken to the village of Eshot, where the outside scenes of "Emmerdale " were filmed in those days.
during the filming of  " Stay Lucky ", I met up with Tony Peers who I had been the compere of a couple of Shows where I was performing at the Butlin's Ocean Hotel,Saltdean, near Brighton in the 1960's.
Tony was playing the role of the Compere in the scene that we were filming on that day in 1991.
I have now been to the Yorkshire TV studios on many occasions to film " Emmerdale " and " Heartbeat ", but for the " Heartbeat " episodes we were taken to various interior locations, rather than being in the studio.

" NICE TOWN " 1992

On 14th July 1992, I was in Harlow to be in an episode of "Nice Town ", a BBC TV mini series of 3 episodes.
" Nice Town " starred Paul McGann, Phil Davies, Brigit Forsyth, Gwyneth Strong, Judy Cornwall, Neil Dudgeon, and also Ray Winstone, who was only in one episode and that was the episode in which I took part in a scene with him and Phil Davies.
About ten of us were sat around a table in a murky room and a "joint" cigarette was passed around each of us.
 The series was about domestic violence in one of the " New Towns " built on the edge of London, and the character of Phil Davies was the violent husband to the character played by Brigit Forsyth.

"SHADOW OF THE NOOSE " 1988

On 12th July 1988, I travelled to Pebble Mill Studios to travel on a BBC coach to Stoke on Trent, to be in my first day of seven in "Shadow of the Noose".
The Edwardian court-room drama series, made by BBC and written by Richard Cooper, charted 8 true life cases by one of Britain's most successful and showman-like barristers, Edward Marshall-Hall.
I was in the first four episodes playing the part of the Court Bailiff and needed to travel to the BBC studios at Pebble Mill, Birmingham to get the BBC coach for crew and supporting artistes which took us to Burslem,
Stoke on Trent, where a replica of the Old Bailey had been constructed inside the Royal Theatre.
The main role was Jonathan Hyde who played the part of Edward Marshall-Hall and when we had all been to the make-up department, I was given side whiskers and a moustache, we began filming and the actors were so convincing in their characters that the atmosphere was such that I could imagine that we were really in the Old Bailey, all those years ago in Edwardian times - scary, but a great experience.
As I was needed for 7 consecutive days filming, I had booked into theatrical lodgings on the edge of Birmingham, to save me the 150 mile round trips and reduce the travel time caused by  the early morning starts and late finishes plus the minimal sleep time that would have been encountered.

GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

50 years ago today I was at St. Mary's Church, Weldon, Northants, getting married to Barbara.
We are delighted to be celebrating our Golden Wedding Anniversary today.
Originally 20 years after the D Day Landings and today 70 years since that day in 1944.

" INSPECTOR MORSE " 1998

On 26th May 1998, I was at the Black Country Museum in Dudley, Nr. Birmingham, to be in an episode of " Inspector Morse ". The episode was entitled " The Wench is Dead " and I was playing the role of a bargee.
The story was that Morse is taken seriously ill at a museum reception and is hospitalised.
Whilst there he takes an interest in a 140 year old case known as the Oxford Canal Murders.
The case involved the murder and rape of a young woman traveling by canal boat from Coventry to London.
The case resulted in two men being hanged and Morse believes there was a miscarriage of justice.
With Lewis away on an Inspector's course, Supt. Strange, who has counselled Morse to take an early retirement, assigns fast-track university graduate PC Adrian Kershaw to do some legwork for him.
Morse determines that a fraud took place and that the victim may have been someone else altogether.
The scene that I was involved with was a flash-back to 1858 when the crime was commited and was filmed on the canal section that runs through the Black Country Museum.
This was to be my second visit to that location for filming purposes, my first had been in 1987 for " Sophia and Constance " and my third was as recent as November 2013 for " WPC 56 ".

" VELVET GOLDMINE " 1997 - Glamrock film

On 21st April 1997, I was at the Bray studios in Berkshire to be in a scene in " Velvet Goldmine ".
a film which was released in 1998 and starred Ewan McGregor, Christian Bale, Eddie Izzard and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
I was in a scene with Ewan McGregor and Eddie Izzard and I was playing the part of a member of a Welsh Choir.
The story was - 1971: Glamrock explodes all over the world and challenges the seriousness with the flower power generation by means of glitter and brutal music. Brian Slade, a young rock star, inspires numerous teenage boys and girls to paint their nails and explore their own sexuality. In the end  Slade destroys himself, unable to escape the role he has created for himself, he plots his own murder. When his fans discover that his murder is a fake, his star falls and he is forgotten about.
1984: Arthur, a journalist working for a New York newspaper, gets assigned the story about the fake murder of Brian Slade. When Arthur was young and grew up in Manchester he was more than a fan of Slade. Reluctantly he accepts the assignment and starts to investigate what happened to his old Glamrock hero.

"BARBARA " 2000

On 13th April 2000, I was in the village of Ashlockton, 12 miles east of Nottingham for a scene from the TV series " Barbara " starring Gwen Taylor in the tile role.
" Barbara " was a British sitcom and a pilot had been broadcast in 1995,three series were then televised between 1999 and 2003. It was made by Central Television and filmed at their Lenton Lane studios in Nottingham in front of  live studio audience.
The majority of the location scenes were filmed in various suburbs of Nottingham with additional scenes filmed in nearby Derbyshire.
I was in a scene from an episode in series two which involve Barbara , played by Gwen Taylor descending in a parachute into an open grave in a graveyard.
I was playing the part of one of the mourners and the coffin was already in the open grave waiting to be filld in with earth, when Barbara accidentally parachutes into it.The name on the coffin was Les, and during the rehearsals somebody asked if Les had  a surname. I said it was short for Lesurus and he might come back to life. The crew were very quiet but Gwen Taylor started laughing and said that it was quite funny, then everyone else started to laugh. - I was not in  any future episodes.

" VANITY FAIR " 1998 and previously 1987

On 9th April 1998, I arrived at St. Paul's Walden Bury, Near Hitchin, Hertfordshire, for my third day at this location for an episode of  " Vanity Fair ".
St. Paul's Walden Bury is famous for being the birthplace and childhood home of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother , her family , the Bowes Lyons still live there as they have since 1725.
My first and second days had been at the same location over the previous two days and I was to be involved in a further 3 days of filming " Vanity Fair " on 13th May in Islington, North London, 27th May at Gloucester Docks, a night shoot and my 6th day in Alcester, Warwickshire.
This 1998 version was a TV mini series and starred Natasha Little as Becky Sharpe, Frances Grey as Amelia Sedley, Philip Glenister as William Dobbin, Nathaniel Parker as Rawdon Crawley and Michele Dotrice as Mrs. Smedley.
I had also been in three days of filming around the grounds of Norwich Cathedral for the 1987 version of
 " Vanity Fair ", a 16 episode series of 30 minutes each.
This earlier version had starred Eve Matheson as Becky, Rebecca Saire as Amelia, Simon Dormandy as William, Jack Klaff as Rawdon and a superb performance by Freddie Jones as Sir Pitt Crawley.
I still vividly recall Freddie acting in a scene that I was in which involved him opening the door of his house and having a confrontation with another character. It was a brilliant shakespearian performance from him and I still think about that scene in Norwich every time I appear in scenes with him when I am working in " Emmerdale ", where Freddie is currently playing the part of Sandy, the father of Ashley the former vicar.

" NICE WORK " 1989 - BBC TV mini-series

On 5th April 1989, I arrived at a factory site in Great Bridge, Birmingham to be in my first scenes of a BBC Television series called " Nice Work ". My call time on this first day was 8.30 pm and e filmed through the night until 6.15am the next morning.
The following day I arrived for a call time of 1.45am and the scene was completed by 3.15 am.
This scene that took two nights to film involved me as one of 5 company directors in a board meeting.
I had been made up to Walk -on One and was in a smoke filled boardroom with Warren Clarke, Hadyn Gwynne and John Forgeham and others.
The First Assistant Director was William Hartley, and whenever I have met him since he still recalls that smoke filled room scene.
My third day was from 7.45 am to 3.15 pm and was still continuity for this first scene, and my fourth day was from 8 am until 6.45pm  at which point the scene was completed.
On my fifth, and final day , I was filmed in a dream sequence with nymphs, which was shot on the campus of Birmingham University in Edgbaston. The call time was 8 am. and we were wrapped at 7pm having completed 5 very enjoyable days and learning a lot about certain parts of acting from some of the main cast.

The " Nice Work ", was a 4 episode BBC Television mini-series based on a novel written by David Lodge and starred Hadyn Gwynne as Dr. Robyn Penrose who is a lecturer in English at Rummidge University. Vic Wilson, played by Warren Clarke, is the Managing Director of Pringles, an engineering firm in Rummidge.
They meet when Robyn is told by her Head of Department to " shadow " Vic as part of Industry Year.
They are initially hostile to each other but gradually come to understand each other's point of view.

The series was repeated on BBC about a year later, and because I had been " made up " to Walk on One,
I received extra repeat fees for my role in the series. A very worthwhile and rewarding 5 days/nights in Birmingham 25 years ago.

" MARJORIE AND MEN " 1985 - Now completed 29 years on TV

On 3rd April 1985, I arrived on location at the Cafe de Paris in Cromer,North Norfolk, for my first ever appearance in a Television series.
" Marjorie and Men " was a 30 minute comedy series of six, 30 minute episodes starring Patricia Routledge and Patricia Hayes as mother and daughter with 6 different male guest stars as the "men " in each episode.
I was in episode 4, " Taking the Waters " which co-starred Mark Kingston as Mr. Beresford.
It was a 215 mile round trip and my call time was 7.30am. The wrap time was 5 pm.
My agent was Carl Adams of Anglian Agency, based near Yarmouth, and this day was my first of only 4 dates for that agent.
Since this day in 1985, I have now worked for 27 Agents plus direct work from the BBC and YTV companies, a total of 635 days either on location or in the studio.

" HOLBY CITY " 2003

On 1st April 2003, I was at the BBC TV studios in Borehamwood to be in my 6th episode of
 " Holby City ", a British medical drama TV series screened weekly on BBC One.
" Holby City" is about life on the wards of  Holby City Hospital , following the highs and lows of the staff and patients.
 " Holby City" was first screened on 12th January 1999, my first episode had been recorded on 2nd February 1999 and my most recent episode was filmed on 4th April 2003, which was my second day on the episode that I attended on this day in 2003.
It has now been 11 years since I was last at those studios when I was playing the part of a hospital patient on one of the wards. The Director asked the actress playing one of the nurses to re-act to some action as she passed " the old man in the bed ". At that time I was 61 years old and was not happy with his comment.
I have never been back to Borehamwood since that date.

" DANGERFIELD " 1997

On 31st March 1997, I was in  Warwick to be in my 6th episode of " Dangerfield " starring Nigel Le Vaillant in a series about the life and times of a small town family practitioner and police surgeon.
There were 6 seasons of 50 minute episodes from 1995 until 1999. The series also included Nigel Havers and Jane Gurnett.
My first episode had been filmed on 4th May 1994 and my 9th and final episode was filmed on 25th June 1998.
My most prominent appearance was in an episode with Nigel Havers, where he was playing the part of  a Member of Parliament and I was one of his security men.

" EMMERDALE " Over 14 years, this is Emmerdale week

On Wednesday 26th March, I was in the YTV studios in Leeds for my  98th day in an episode of
 " Emmerdale ".
Since my first episode on " Emmerdale " on 14th June 1993, I have been involved in the filming of scenes 7 times on this particular week of the year.
26th March 2012, 26th March 2014, 27th March 2009, 28th March 2000, 29th March 2001 and 30th March 2009.
Over those 21 years, I have always travelled via the A14 to the M1 and up to Leeds, a return journey of  276 miles. After my visit last week, on 20th March, I mentioned to some friends who live near Sheffield that  I would be driving up to Leeds again on Wednesday 26th March for a continuity scene from the previous week.
My friends suggested that I drove via the A43 to the A1 and up to Pontefract then across the M62 to Leeds.
I had left home at 4.15 am and arrived at the studios at 6.50 am. - a much shorter journey in time due partly to the journey being 10 miles less and the previous weeks journey being hampered by 50 miles of road subject to 50 mph variable speed restrictions.
I will be driving via the A43 and A1 route every time from now on.