GOING FOR A SWIFT
HALF IN THE QUEEN VIC
I got to do a few
episodes during this year
which was handy because I
only lived about twenty
minutes away from the
studio…
It was nice to see Big
Ron and some of the other
cast that I knew and they
would keep me up with the
latest gossip.
THE
FEAR…
I have to
go for an audition at a
production office in
Holloway Road North
London.
(It was close enough for
me to walk from the shop)
They told me they were
looking for a hit man for
one days work the next
day.
By the time I got back to
the shop they had phoned
to tell me I had the job
and to be at a location
at eight in the morning.
(Dress smart crook)
I used the same suit I
wore on the Norman Wisdom
show back in the 70s.
(We don’t throw
clothes away in the film
game we hope they will
come back into fashion,
I’ve still got that
suit somewhere and
it’s now 2003.)
Anyway I get the plot off
of the director and
I’m ready to do it.
"ACTION" shouts
the 1st A.D. and I knock
on the house door. A
small girl opens the door
and I brush her aside and
storm through the house..
We didn’t rehearse
with the girl as we
didn’t want to upset
her. (One take)
As I go through the house
looking for the victim
the small girl is taken
out of the house and sits
on the crew bus with her
real mother. (She thought
I was the rent man)
I see the
intended victim through
the kitchen window
sitting in the garden and
I pull my gun (which I
put in a big brown paper
bag) from under my jacket
and race to the garden..
"CUT"
Now the victim is moved
from the spot where I saw
him to the safety of the
house.
A piece of card is set
where he was and I’m
going to shoot at that.
(You never fire a gun,
even a blank gun directly
at a person)
We’re ready again
and it’s
"ACTION" I fire
twice while the gun is
still in the bag and bits
of paper fly off the bag.
(This was my idea) I turn
to go and a woman starts
screaming at me (We
didn’t rehearse this
bit) and she scares the
life out of me..
I have to give her a
hefty push out of my way
and I’m gone. Now
here’s a funny
thing. It seems I shot
the wrong man again.
Where’s the nearest
Specsavers???
VANITY
FAIR…BBCTV…
Off down to Sidmouth in
Devon for a week on my
own to work with Penny
Bloomfield doing public
liaison.
Filmed on the beach with
plenty of
‘’Excuse me
sir/madam’’
dialogue. (It worked)
SOUTH
OF THE BORDER…BBCTV…
Another couple of weeks
in South London doing the
same job and keeping my
eye on the crew.. Had the
help of Tommy
Little’s son Steve,
a South Londoner.
EASTENDERS…BBCTV…
Worked on a few episodes
either in the café, the
Queen Vic or on the
Square.
Met up with Mike Read
again and had long chats.
I’d worked with Mike
off and on since the 60s
but got to know him
better on EastEnders.
PARADISE
CLUB…
Cast Inc…Don
Henderson…Leslie
Grantham…
Nice to chat to Don again
after so many years..
INSPECTOR
MORSE…
Good to be on another
case with John Thaw…
LONDONS
BURNING…Director
Keith
Washington…LWT…
This is the first episode
I was involved in and
Keith casts me as the
landlord of the
firemen’s local
pub.. I knew a lot of the
cast and especially Alan
Talbot who played Jaffa.
I went on to play the
landlord for a few
seasons all down to
Keith.
THIS IS THE LAST
TIME I GO TO AN END OF
FILM PARTY ON MY
OWN………
