[We started in Fordwich Church - Steve]
Michael Powell was born at Bekesbourne in 1905 and educated at King's School,
Canterbury.
With 'A Canterbury Tale' he realised an ambition to make a film in and about
the Canterbury countryside, and the people who travelled along the Pilgrims
Way on their way to Thomas Becket's shrine in Canterbury Cathedral.
'A Canterbury Tale' became known as Canterbury's very own film and remains
so to this day.
The film contains a wealth of images and messages - some obvious, others
less so - but to most of us who live in east Kent what appeals to us is
that the story was filmed in places we can still find today.
The film was unusual for its time because so much of it was filmed on location.
For most of the while we are in the great outdoors, occasionally cutting
to interior sequences which can easily mislead us into thinking we are in
actual buildings in Canterbury and its villages.
But I must warn you that that is not the case. Indoors we are almost always
in Denham Studios.
Most of the story is set in 'Chillingbourne,' a make-believe village near
Canterbury where the four main characters first meet.
'Chillingbourne' was inspired by Fordwich, Chilham and several other local
villages and is the fictitious town where we first encounter the villain
of the story, Thomas Colpeper, played by Eric Portman.
When this film was made in 1943 Portman was an established film star and
had already appeared in two Powell movies, '49th Parallel' and 'One of our
aircraft is missing'.
The three other stars were making their screen debuts -
Sheila Sim (now Lady Attenborough) as Land Army girl Alison Smith
Dennis Price as a British Army sergeant, Peter Gibbs
John Sweet, a real GI, as American Army Sergeant Bob Johnson.
Three boys from Fordwich - Len Smith, Jimmy Tamsitt and David Todd were
in the cast of principal characters, which means they were named in the
credits;
other boys from this village and others were in the battle scene;
and many other local people had small parts or appeared as extras.
No distance at all to our first location as we are already in it.
CHURCH
Featured in a scene that in the story took place 56 years ago today and
was filmed sometime in September 1943.
That morning Bob Johnson (played by John Sweet) had met Leslie and Terry
met two gang leaders (played by Len Smith and James Tamsitt) during their
battle at Chilham Mill.
He then went on to morning service and is seen entering this church as Frederick
Foote, who lived at Rectory Cottages, rang one of the church's four 17th
century bells.
Bell ringing ban lifted July 1943 but few bell ringing bands had reformed
by then. Not sure whether you hear this church's bell or a sound effect.
John Sweet arrived at Canterbury East 56 years ago today and went straight
to Chilmans Downs to start filming the scene on the hill with Dennis Price.
In the story that scene also took place on Sunday, August 29, 1943 and it
was filmed on Sunday, August 29, 1943.
[and we were gathered there on Sunday, August 29, 1999 - Steve]
A rare coincidence.
When we come back to church for tea will have more time to look round then
but meanwhile buy a guide book for £1.50.
Now into School Lane, past The Willows to High Street, turn left to top
of high street.
HIGH STREET
Here from the top of Fordwich High Street, Well Lane leads on to other locations
- Elbridge Farm (where Alison loads the dung cart and goes to the hop garden)
and Wickhambreaux, where Thomas Colpeper lived.
Lane leads also to Trenley Park Woods, a restricted area in the war because
of ammo depot and PoW camp
We're in Fordwich's Beverly Hills, home of the stars.
Primrose Cottage was the home of the Todd family.
Cyril and Winifred Todd were resident stewards at the Foresters' Hall in
Canterbury until soldiers of The Buffs Regiment were billeted there after
being evacuated from Dunkirk.
They then moved here. Cyril and Winifred had four sons, three of whom were
Brian, Tony and David.
Brian was an extra in the river battle;
Tony worked at the George and Dragon and often saw Michael Powell there
who stayed there while making the film.
Powell's wife Frankie also stayed there occasionally. They were married
on July 1, 1943, a few weeks before coming to Canterbury to film;
David Todd of course was the little 'Admiral' in the boat in the river battle
David Todd was fast asleep in his bed when Michael Powell decided to make
him the youngest member of the cast.
Now down high street to
BYWAY HOUSE
This was called By the Way and was the home of Daniel Brice, JP, of Fordwich
Farm, wartime Mayor Deputy of Fordwich, chairman of Bridge Blean RDC and
chairman of the Fordwich Trust
Powell's father Thomas and Daniel Brice were friends or at least close acquaintances
pre-WW1, both being hop farmers.
(Colpeper was a hop farmer and JP)
Powell had childhood memories of Fordwich and the Brice family and Daniel
probably gave him access to the buildings.
In 1908 Michael went to one of Phyllis Brice's parties at By the Way. When
he met her parents, Daniel and Edith, at the premiere of A Canterbury Tale
he signed their programme and wrote 'With love and memory of a certain party
when I was 3½.'
The programme is now in the possession of Daniel and Edith Brice's grandson,
Tony Lawton.
Powell's memories of Fordwich indicate was one of his main inspirations
when he conceived Chillingbourne.
He had Bob Johnson express surprise on arriving at Chillingbourne that what
he thought was a whistle stop was a town.
The acting stationmaster (Charles Hawtrey) retorted that it had been a municipal
borough since 1085.
Fordwich too was a borough in 1085, the year when the Domesday Book was
compiled.
Down street to Browns Cottages
BROWN'S COTTAGES
We are still in Beverly Hills, Fordwich, because here lived the two other
local stars, Len Smith and Jimmy Tamsitt.
Len lived at No. 4. He was 9 years old when cast to play Leslie and lived
with mother, Carrie, and sister Myrtle.
His next door but one neighbours at No 6 were Jimmy, who played Terry, and
Charlie Tamsitt and their father, James.
Their mother, Dora, was been killed on November 18, 1941, when a parachute
mine exploded above Sturry.
Charlie also appeared in the battle scene at Chilham Mill.
Now retrace our steps to Fordwich Farm
Pause to look back towards the Manor House whose entrance when the soldiers
arrive for Colpeper's lecture at the Colpeper Institute and at the end of
the film when more soldiers, this time with their girlfriends, go to a lecture
to be given by the now repentant Colpeper.
FORDWICH FARM
Daniel Brice's farm,
Here the haywagon for Len's scene with John Sweet was loaded.
Bill White was offered 10s 6d a day to appear in the film but it was a time
of year when we were busy on the farm and 1 didn't like the idea of having
a day here and a day there. I was filmed in the farm yard, loading the hay
wagon, but they cut that bit out. I helped Len get on top of the wagon.
We had to walk ahead of the wagon, to make sure the way was clear, and turn
round beside the George and Dragon. The two horses pulling the wagon were
led by old Jack Cannon. They were our horses - one of them was called Turps
- but I think the wagon belonged to Mr Denne, who had the farm before Mr
Brice.'
Through yard to footpath to George and Dragon
HAND OF GLORY
Came this way to George and Dragon because from here was filmed a view of
the pub when its exterior became the Hand of Glory.
Saw the hay cart outside. You see the cart in the street and Leslie (Len)
standing on the hay supposedly pointing to Bob Johnson in a window,
Len actually points to an upstairs window of the general stores on the
opposite side of the street.
Leslie's mother was played by Mary Line, one of three sisters who ran the
George and Dragon at the time Michael Powell stayed there.
The sisters' parents, Fred and Elizabeth Bailey, took on the tenancy some
years before the war, moving to Fordwich from the Seven Stars Hotel in
Orange Street, Canterbury, because the cathedral bells were driving
Elizabeth to distraction!
When Fred Bailey died in 1940, having outlived Elizabeth by several years,
three of his six daughters - Dolly and Barbara, who were unmarried, and
Mary - took over the hotel.
Mary, her husband Richard, and baby son John (is he here?) moved back to
Fordwich from their home in Herne Bay, and while Richard was busy running
his building business and serving in Fordwich Home Guard and as a part-time
firefighter in Sturry, Mary helped her sisters look after their customers.
Michael Powell wrote in his autobiography: 'I had a room over the bar where
I could hear all the chat ... Bert Woodcock, my driver, came for me every
morning at about eight o'clock in an enormous hired car, and I would go
to wherever the call sheet directed me. It was a hermit's life ...'
Bert worked for Skam's taxis in Canterbury and was on duty almost daily
driving the cars to the locations and as Michael Powell's personal driver.
His daughter Janet is here and I'll ask her to show you the badge that Bert
always wore at that time.
The car park was the football field seen during the closing credits.
Now to corner of King Street and High Street and the Manor House
CORNER
Manor House was originally Manners House, after family who lived there.
Here the crew set up a platform from which they filmed the view of Chillingbourne
High Street that you see a few moments before Sgt Johnson gets out of bed.
You see a herd of cows approaching from Fordwich Farmyard which we visited
earlier
Brian Todd remembers seeing the Hand of Glory sign suspended from the platform
to create the illusion that the view is from the inn's window.
This is what Brian told me and the film units first days in Fordwich:
'Lenny casually took a Cox's Orange Pippin apple from his pocket and began
enjoying it. Believe me he had quite a munch. It was glorious! Apple juice,
spats and peel and bits miniature would fly, teeth would glisten, eyes squint.
One of the film crew noticed and was absolutely bowled over. Then, Michael
Powell was told. We were in like Flynn!
Soon we found ourselves outside Mr Boys' sweet shop, opposite the George
and Dragon, walking beside a haycart - Charlie, me, Mrs Line and Dolly and
Barbara Bailey. Mrs Line was our first 'nanny' during the film.'
When you see Leslie and Bob (John Sweet) having their conversation at the
open window of the Hand of Glory you see a photographic background consisting
of picture of the Manor House alongside a picture of Dick Lucy's butchers
shop in Wingham.
You'll remember that John Sweet looks out of his bedroom window and waves
to a shopkeeper - Dick Lucy. This shot was filmed from a window of the Red
Lion, the second pub to become the Hand of Glory.
However when the three boys come to the Hand of Glory on the Sunday afternoon
with Mr Holmes' account book they were filmed from the platform here and
you have a clear and real view of the Manor House in the background.
The house behind us is Watergate House.
The Manor House was the inspiration for the Colpeper Institute although
all you see of the actual building is its exterior.
The Manor House was the home of artists Alfred Palmer and his wife Mary
(née Croom) and Francesca, their daughter.
Francesca played the cello and became a recitalist and music teacher after
the war.
The family moved to Swanage in 1940 and the Manor House was requisitioned
by the Army.
Leonard Smith, Charles and James Tamsitt and their pals called it 'Dracula's
House' and always crossed to the opposite side of the road when passing
by!
Francesa Palmer: 'At the beginning of the 1900s the Baileys of the George
and Dragon used the Manor House as an annexe, and that is how it was when
my father bought it in 1910.
As his studio, he used what later became my music room, but it had direct
sunlight so he turned the stables, which had north light, into his studio.
The model for the lecture hall was a first floor room - at one time a music
room - in the Manor House.
The house has been restored recently after a fire and the windows on the
first floor blocked up.
TOWN HALL
You may think that you see the Town Hall in and after the chase sequence
at the beginning of the film, but the real Town Hall never appears in the
film.
Its exterior and Court Room were recreated at Denham Studios.
The vestibule seen early in the sequence, and the adjoining passages which
the policemen search, are completely fictitious: the front door to Fordwich
Town Hall opens directly on to the stairs leading up to the Court Room;
on the ground floor there are a tiny jail, the jailer's quarters and a storeroom.
At the head of the stairs, Sgt Bassett ducks under a beam inscribed 'Love
and honour the truth.' In real life the court's pleading bar, where prisoners
stood while on trial, is at the head of the stairs. It does not obstruct
anyone entering the room, nor bear an inscription - though the motto 'Love
and honour the truth' is prominent under King Charles II's Coat of Arms,
displayed on the ceiling above the panelled rear wall.
The panels are rectangular, whereas those in the film are square. The Coat
of Arms are reproduced in the set, as are the Tudor Rose and Cinque Port
Arms (the town having been a 'limb' of the cinque port of Sandwich) displayed
alongside it.
We also see copies of the Court Room's Elizabethan table (Colpeper's desk);
the jurors' bench and chief magistrate's seat (in which Bob sat for a moment
while talking to Colpeper); and the south window (whose blackout curtains
Colpeper adjusted when warned by Brooks that he is showing a light')'
As in the film, the court's ducking-stool hangs from the roof's tie-beam.
The stool was used to punish scolds and women suspected of sorcery, and
was an ideal 'prop' to help Michael Powell create a sinister atmosphere
with suggestions of witchcraft.
This cupboard is actually a tiny room and was the jury's 'retiring room'
until 1886.
The badges on the Army greatcoat that Alison finds in the cupboard are those
of 'KT 3,1 the 3rd Canterbury Battalion, Kent Home Guard.
In 1943 the Fordwich platoon was on duty every night in Trenleypark Wood,
patrolling a vast ammunition dump that was being built up in preparation
for D-Day. There was a German PoW camp on the edge of the wood.
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