On 1st November 1995, I was on my way to Birmingham to be in my second scene of " Brassed Off", the film that turned out to be very popular when it was released in 1996 around the same time as " The Full Monty ".
I had been chosen to be one of the Judges of the Brass Band Competition as it is being presented to the Conductor of the Grimley Colliery Brass Band.
On my way to the location at Birmingham Town Hall, where the scenes were being shot, I became stuck in a traffic jam on the M6 due to an accident. My call time on that morning was 8 am and at that time I was able to use my mobile phone to call my agent to inform her that I would arrive as soon as I was able. It was also a snowy morning which had made the journey longer than usual. I eventually arrived at the venue and was ushered immediately onto the stage to film the first part of the scene.
It turned out to be the scene where the conductor, Danny, played by Pete Postlethwaite, had discharged himself from hospital to enable himself to get to the Albert Hall in London, to be with his beloved Grimley Colliery Band who he has led through the various rounds of the competition to reach the Grand Final.
He arrives during the band's performance of the " William Tell Overture" where they are being conducted by a stand in conductor being played by Jim Carter( Mr Carson from " Downton Abbey ".
As Danny goes to receive the winner's cup from the Judge, played by Ronnie Stevens, he goes into a big speech about the importance of music and his disappointment of the Government's decision to close the coal mines in the Yorkshire area.
Pete Postlethwaite's performance was electric and he delivered the speech without a rehearsal to the audience, who were hearing it for the first time because the Director wanted to film the genuine expressions of the audience to the speech they were hearing.
There is a clip of " Danny's Speech" on Google via " Brassed Off, Danny's speech ", where I can be seen standing next to Ronnie Stevens to begin with, and then, in the long shot, I can be seen second judge from the left, behind the Championship Cup, which is sitting on a table on the stage.During the speech, I was standing right behind Pete and was very impressed with his great, and very believable performance of an impassioned Yorkshire Brass Band leader.
It was a tremendous privilege for me to have been in that scene at close hand and experience the atmosphere created by some excellent acting from a tremendously talented cast.
I said to one of the bandsmen, during one of our breaks from filming, who are your band really, and he replied Grimethorpe Colliery Brass Band, I told him that I came from Kettering and that in the 1950's I had followed our local Brass Band, The Munn & Felton's Brass Band, when they won the National Brass Band Championship, forty years earlier.
Saturday, 30 November 2013
" BRASSED OFF " 1995 - day one
On 30th November 1995, I was in Birmingham to be in a scene from " Brassed Off ", a 1996 British film written and directed by Mark Harman.
" Brassed Off " was set in the the fictional Grimley Colliery in the mid 1990's and really followed the real life situation that Grimethorpe Colliery faced at that time. It was about the trouble faced by a colliery brass band following the closure of their pit. It starred Pete Postlethwaite, Tara Fitzgerald, Ewen McGregor and Steven Tompkinson. Also in the strong cast was Jim Carter( Downton Abbey) Sue Johnson and Melanie Hill
( Bread).
The scene that I was in was supposed to be the Royal Albert Hall, but was in fact the Birmingham Town Hall, and I was in an audience listening to the National Brass Band Championships, with Grimley Colliery Band playing the William Tell Ovrture, being conducted by a bandsman played by Jim Carter. In the audience, close to the stage were Sue Johnson and Melanie Hill, and on stage, the colliery band included Steven Tompkinson and Ewen McGregor as bandsmen, with Pete Postlethwaite arriving during their performance.
Following the filming of that scene, three of us were asked to act as Competition Judges in another scene to be filmed the following day, and that has turned out to be one of my most enjoyable days filming ,being in the scene where Danny ( played by Pete Postlethwaite) gives a very emotional speech to the audience as I am standing behind him.
" Brassed Off " was set in the the fictional Grimley Colliery in the mid 1990's and really followed the real life situation that Grimethorpe Colliery faced at that time. It was about the trouble faced by a colliery brass band following the closure of their pit. It starred Pete Postlethwaite, Tara Fitzgerald, Ewen McGregor and Steven Tompkinson. Also in the strong cast was Jim Carter( Downton Abbey) Sue Johnson and Melanie Hill
( Bread).
The scene that I was in was supposed to be the Royal Albert Hall, but was in fact the Birmingham Town Hall, and I was in an audience listening to the National Brass Band Championships, with Grimley Colliery Band playing the William Tell Ovrture, being conducted by a bandsman played by Jim Carter. In the audience, close to the stage were Sue Johnson and Melanie Hill, and on stage, the colliery band included Steven Tompkinson and Ewen McGregor as bandsmen, with Pete Postlethwaite arriving during their performance.
Following the filming of that scene, three of us were asked to act as Competition Judges in another scene to be filmed the following day, and that has turned out to be one of my most enjoyable days filming ,being in the scene where Danny ( played by Pete Postlethwaite) gives a very emotional speech to the audience as I am standing behind him.
Thursday, 28 November 2013
" WAIL OF THE BANSHEE " 1991 - " CRUEL TRAIN " 1994
On 29th November 1991, I was in Nottingham to be in an episode of " Wail of the Banshee ", a seven part children's fantasy drama which was broadcast on CITV in 1992.
Three years later I was in Birmingham to be in a scene for " Cruel Train ", a TV Movie that was shown in 1995.
It was a sordid story of sexual passion, sexual crimes and murder, set among the staff of an English railway line in 1940-41.
The principal stars in that film included David Suchet, Saskia Reeves, Alec McCowan, Melanie Hill and Minnie Driver.
Three years later I was in Birmingham to be in a scene for " Cruel Train ", a TV Movie that was shown in 1995.
It was a sordid story of sexual passion, sexual crimes and murder, set among the staff of an English railway line in 1940-41.
The principal stars in that film included David Suchet, Saskia Reeves, Alec McCowan, Melanie Hill and Minnie Driver.
Monday, 25 November 2013
" MRS. BROWN " 1996 - day 2 with Billy Connolly
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.
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.
Sunday, 24 November 2013
" MRS. BROWN " 1996 - Day 1 with Anthony Sher
On 24th November 1996, I arrived at Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire to be in " Mrs Brown " starring Judi Dench, Billy Connolly & Sir Anthony Sher.
On this first day I was in a scene in the ballroom playing the part of a court official where Prime Minister, Disraeli, played by Sir Anthony Sher, hands me his coat as he enters the Ballroom to exclaim " Ah, the greasy pole".
In another scene on that day I am playing the part of the same official and am in a downstairs scene with Gerard Butler( who went on to play the lead role of in the film version of "The Phantom of the Opera"), who
played the part of John Brown's brother Archie. The part of John Brown was played by Billy Connolly, Queen Victoria by Judi Dench and Disraeli by Anthony Sher.
The scenes were intended to look like we were at Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight, and the rooms at Luton Hoo were very similar to those at Osborne House.
It was a twelve hour day shoot and I had arrived for a 7 am call and was wrapped at 9 pm. - a 14 hour day.
I was only 50 miles from home and arrived back around 10.30pm - a 15 hour day.
This was before mobile phones were as popular as they are today, and during the time I was returning home, the production team had called my home and requested me back for more scenes the following morning.
At the time of filming, it was intended to be for television, being filmed by BBC Scotland, but was later issued as a major film and became a very successful hit.
Tomorrow I will be recalling my day in a scene filmed with Billy Connolly, which has been the only time I have met him.
On this first day I was in a scene in the ballroom playing the part of a court official where Prime Minister, Disraeli, played by Sir Anthony Sher, hands me his coat as he enters the Ballroom to exclaim " Ah, the greasy pole".
In another scene on that day I am playing the part of the same official and am in a downstairs scene with Gerard Butler( who went on to play the lead role of in the film version of "The Phantom of the Opera"), who
played the part of John Brown's brother Archie. The part of John Brown was played by Billy Connolly, Queen Victoria by Judi Dench and Disraeli by Anthony Sher.
The scenes were intended to look like we were at Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight, and the rooms at Luton Hoo were very similar to those at Osborne House.
It was a twelve hour day shoot and I had arrived for a 7 am call and was wrapped at 9 pm. - a 14 hour day.
I was only 50 miles from home and arrived back around 10.30pm - a 15 hour day.
This was before mobile phones were as popular as they are today, and during the time I was returning home, the production team had called my home and requested me back for more scenes the following morning.
At the time of filming, it was intended to be for television, being filmed by BBC Scotland, but was later issued as a major film and became a very successful hit.
Tomorrow I will be recalling my day in a scene filmed with Billy Connolly, which has been the only time I have met him.
Saturday, 23 November 2013
" DOCTORS " 2005
On 23rd November 2005, I was in Birmingham to take part in an episode of " Doctors".
" Doctors" Is a BBC drama series set in a busy Midlands practice following the turbulent lives and loves of the staff and patients.
The first episodes were filmed at Pebble Mill in 2000, but are now currently filmed elsewhere in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham.
The current series is Series 5 and the latest episode is episode 226. It is screened on BBC One on every week-day afternoon.
My first episode was on 6th April 2004, followed by my second on 28th January 2005, 28th November 2005 and my most recent episode was on 9th April 2008.
It is now 5 years since I was last involved on " Doctors".
" Doctors" Is a BBC drama series set in a busy Midlands practice following the turbulent lives and loves of the staff and patients.
The first episodes were filmed at Pebble Mill in 2000, but are now currently filmed elsewhere in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham.
The current series is Series 5 and the latest episode is episode 226. It is screened on BBC One on every week-day afternoon.
My first episode was on 6th April 2004, followed by my second on 28th January 2005, 28th November 2005 and my most recent episode was on 9th April 2008.
It is now 5 years since I was last involved on " Doctors".
Thursday, 21 November 2013
" EMMERDALE " 2011
On 22nd November 2011, I was at the YTV studios in Leeds for my 84th day of involvement in " Emmerdale". My first day had been on 14th June 1993 and I have been very pleased to have been involved in this programme for over 20 years.
Since November 2011, I have been to " Emmerdale " 5 times in 2012 and a further 5 visits this year.
My most recent visit this year was on 27th September when I was involved in a scene in the cafe with Tony Audenshaw, who plays the cafe owner Bob Hope.
As an aside, I was involved in the scene a few years ago when the cafe was refurbished and re-opened.
When I saw that it was re-named " Hope's Cafe", I suggested that it could have been called " The Cafe of Good Hope". Someone commented that if I had been on set earlier that year and suggested that name at that time, it might well have been called that as a pun on the Cape of Good Hope.
Since November 2011, I have been to " Emmerdale " 5 times in 2012 and a further 5 visits this year.
My most recent visit this year was on 27th September when I was involved in a scene in the cafe with Tony Audenshaw, who plays the cafe owner Bob Hope.
As an aside, I was involved in the scene a few years ago when the cafe was refurbished and re-opened.
When I saw that it was re-named " Hope's Cafe", I suggested that it could have been called " The Cafe of Good Hope". Someone commented that if I had been on set earlier that year and suggested that name at that time, it might well have been called that as a pun on the Cape of Good Hope.
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