4th April 2013 – Windsor Castle
I arrived at Windsor Castle at 5.30pm, through security and into the castle grounds. I followed fellow guests past the round tower and up to the state rooms. Leaving my coat, phone and camera in the cloak room as instructed, the two gentlemen stood chatting in from of me I recognised straight away, Billy Connolly and John Hurt. They paused momentarily, smiled, nodded and continued.
I was directed up to the grand Waterloo Chamber. Two large screens at either side of the room played a fine montage of the best of British films from the past 100 years. Produced by BAFTA it included 232 clips set to five pieces of classic British film music. There were also four displays exhibiting documents, photographs and other material relating to the Royal Family, from the early years of cinematography in 1890’s to the present day.
The room filled up fast with a broad range of people connected with the British film industry. It wasn’t long before I spotted other colleagues from Yorkshire including Jo Quinton Tulloch, the head of the National Media Museum, Sue Howard, Director of the Yorkshire Film Archive and Professor Andrew Higson Head of film and media at York University.
Just at that point Damien Lewis (Homeland) entered the room, paused, looked across, smiled and nodded. I smiled and nodded back with half a wave.
Before long we were all ushered into another room and after handing our invitation card to a member of the castle staff, names and job titles were read out and we were presented to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. I shook hands with both and said it was a pleasure to be here and had a very brief chat with the Duke about UNESCO.
Through into another huge room and time to meet and chat to some of the 300 fellow guests.
I spoke with Simon Beaufoy first, scriptwriter (Slumdog Millionnaire, 127 Hours) originally from Keighley who still has strong connections with Bradford and will be attending the Bradford International Film Festival next week. We arranged to meet up at the festival and talk more about the scriptwriting course that we are developing at City of Film.
I the caught Billy Connolly’s eye and we chatted about Glasgow been a UNESCO City of Music and also about his recent experience in the film The Quartet. He co starred with Sir Tom Courtney (Billy Liar), who is also a guest a Bradford Film Festival and will receive a lifetime achievement award. Billy Connelly had fond memories of Bradford, especially the curry at the Karachi. He said he loved the fact that you didn’t get a knife or spoon unless you asked for one, and were expected to eat in the traditional way with a chapatti.
Damien Lewis passed again and was being ushered to meet someone at the other end of the room.
Amanda Neville, Chief Executive of the British Film Institute then introduced me to Roger Morris, MD of Elstree Studios and I explained to him what it meant to have the UNESCO film status and how Bradford was attracting more film & TV production to the City as a result. Roger was really enthusiastic and invited me down to Elstree to see the studios and talk more about film production in UK. He was interested in the new international film school planned to open in Bradford in the Autumn at Bradford College. At this point we were interrupted by the announcement over a microphone introducing Sir Kenneth Brannah who gave a brief thank you speech before presenting the Queen with an honorary BAFTA.
I then turned and was warmly greeted by a huddle of actors including Paddy Considine, James Nesbitt and Olivia Colman (currently starring in the brilliant Broadchurch). We chatted about the Bradford connection as the week before I had met the writer of The Great Train robbery, Chris Chibnall on location in Bradford and he also wrote Broadchurch. The locations manager for Broadchurch (Joel Holmes) is also working on The Great Train robbery in Bradford and I have been advising him on various locations, including Bradford City Hall and the Victorian court room. It was then that the Duke of Edinburgh appeared out of nowhere and asked me what I did. I told him about City of Film and focused on the film literacy side of things. After chatting briefly with James Nesbitt about his role in The Hobbit the Duke said to keep up the good work and wondered off to the next group of people.
Working my way around the room I then spied Helena Bonham Carter and went to introduce myself. I was an extra in the Kings Speech so that was my ice-breaker and we both agreed that filming in Yorkshire that day was the coldest we’d ever been. I asked her if she’d ever been to Haworth and the home of the Brontes and she said no but it sounded wonderful. We spoke briefly about the film Bronte which is due to start production soon and the bicentenary of Charlotte Bronte coming up in 2016. I said that if her and Tim (Burton) would like a trip up sometime I would show them the sites. She’s every bit as weird as she is in films. I mean that in a nice way.
Other members of the Royal Family in attendance were the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Prince Michael of Kent, Princess Michael of Kent and Princess Beatrice.
If the British Film Industry were in any doubt about what Bradford UNESCO city of Film is all about, hopefully now they’re a little clearer.
David Wilson
Director -BradfordUNESCOCityof Film
