In view of the fact that the première takes place on 30 June, I thought the
time was right for this:-& no, I didn't even get a ticket!!! I am available
for weddings, bar mitzvahs etc.etc.
Barry
Nb silverscreen
My My, "Mamma Mia" Miraculously Materialises in Maida Vale!
Innocently steering my boat through Browning's Pool @ Little Venice towards
Maida Hill tunnel, I was hailed from the towpath by a harassed-looking female,
who was clutching a clip board, a là Denis Norden, to her bosom.
"Excuse me," she said, "I'm looking for a barge!"
"Well," I said, "If you call it a narrowboat, we can be friends," was my
rejoinder. I thought she was seeking a specific boat but it turned out that
she, Ali James, was the location manager for the film of the stage musical,
"Mamma Mia" & she needed a 'barge passing serenely by' as background for a
scene featuring one of the film's stars. Could I possibly help her out next
Friday 24 August? I knew I had an H.N.A. trip on that day but told Ali that,
if I could get someone else to do it, then I'd be only too pleased to. With my
reply she then took some shots of "Caie Two" on her camera phone[the producer
had stipulated that the boat must be dark in colour] to send to the producer,
currently filming other scenes in Greece. Furnished with my mobile phone number
& name she promised to get in touch if the producer liked what she saw. It was
thumbs up because Ali contacted me a few days' later to ask me to be @ Little
Venice by noon on the 24th ready to shoot! I still was in a
state of disbelief, how often is one in the right place @ the right time?
So, things had to be set up. I'd cleared it with H.N.A. for
another steerer to 'do' the trip. After completing the "London Ring" that I was
currently on, I contacted the "West London Motor Cruising Club" with whom I
used to belong, to arrange for the temporary mooring of my boat. Situated on
the Paddington Arm, W.L.M.C.C. is the oldest club on the canals [1938] &, @
only two cruising hours distance from Little Venice. It would be far more
convenient for the 24th than Coppermill. Trevor Gillam, W.L.M.C.C.s commodore,
agreed to Caie Two's lodging, so,the scene was set [pun intended.]
Friday dawned relatively bright compared to the previous few days & I was on
the move by 08:50, arriving in Browning's Pool by 11:00, tying up under the
Horse Bridge. I wandered over to Maida Avenue & found Nick Oliver, Ali's
assistant for the day. There followed a dizzy spell of introductions to various
personnel that are part & parcel of a film crew. I forgot most names almost
immediately but then my phone rang. It was the BW patrol officer wanting to
know 'what my boat was doing in the pool?' I explained that it was taking part
in filming & would soon be moved from its present position, he was happy with
that--especially as a donation had been made by the film company to smooth any
troubled waters caused by the filming schedule. I started to
wander around the location taking pictures & was suddenly accosted by a
stranger who asked if 'I was the barge-captain?' He claimed to have
'recognised me from the picture in the office.' His name was Chris & he was
the assistant producer. He explained just where & when he would be needing the
boat. All I could think of was "How is there a picture of me in the office?" It
turned out that, in my initial conversation with Ali I had mentioned my
story-telling for H.N.A. & she had duly looked it up on the Internet & pinned
my picture from the website on the office wall so people could recognise me on
the day, as indeed Chris had just done!
Shortly, Colin Firth [Mr Darcy] arrived to 'do his bit' & filming began.
Colin walked down the garden path to his Rolls-Royce, two dogs accompanied him
& leapt into the car, his chauffeur placed his cases in the boot & his
housekeeper kept up a non-stop chatter as he settled into the car. Meanwhile,
yours truly drifted serenely through the shot in the background. Having a
radio on the hatch helped me to comply with the director's wishes as my boat
passed by the house on Maida Avenue, where, incidentally, Bill Nighy, the
actor, lives. Parked on Blomfield Road was a telescopic camera
crane that enabled my boat to be seen by the camera on the end of the jib which
was situated over the middle of the waterway & pointing at me, steering the
boat towards it, a couple of extras on the roof for added effect. Within ten
feet of the 'mark' the camera swivelled round to focus on Colin doing his bit
on the garden path of the house opposite. It took maybe twenty seconds
to accomplish before the director told me over the radio to 'back up for
another go.' This was achieved without too much trouble, the steerer of a
boat belonging to the "London Waterbus Company" moaning about my boat being in
the way & getting on to BW about it, only to get a flea in her ear as she was
told, no doubt, of the generous donation to BW as I previously mentioned.
Starting once more from the Warwick Avenue Bridge I decided after
the shot to continue up to the tunnel & go through because there were now two
boats behind me, turning round @ Lisson Wide & back to the pool. I had to
laugh as I heard the director informing everyone with a radio that "The
action-barge will be back in fifteen!"
Nearing the filming point I called up Chris on the radio to
ask him if he wanted to try for a shot coming the other way--he did! So, for a
third time, the boat was committed to celluloid [or whatever the 2007
equivalent is!] & I poodled to a stop alongside Rembrandt Gardens in the pool.
Over the radio I heard Chris say that the boat was no longer required as they
had all the shots they needed. Ali phoned me to say she was on her way over
with a release form & some generous expenses. After that I was free to walk
back over the road & watch the remainder of the filming &
marvel about how much preparation is needed for location works. There had to
be over sixty parking places suspended to enable the various vehicles to plot
up around the location. Colin Firth kindly allowed me to get a picture of me &
him, taken by a minion, just to remind me of the occasion. A writer who lives
in the house being used for filming has the germ of an idea for a book & she
asked me if I'd mind possibly helping out with some background material---watch
this space!!
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