From Paul Tritton,
Tel 01622 741198
‘A CANTERBURY TALE’ 60th anniversary
walk
A guided walk to locations where key
scenes for Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s A Canterbury Tale were
filmed in 1943 will set off from Chilham railway station at 12.15 pm on Sunday
August 31.
The walk will be led by Paul Tritton, author of
A Canterbury Tale – Memories of a Classic Wartime Movie and Steve Crook,
founder of the Powell & Pressburger Appreciation Society.
The main destination will be the hill
overlooking Chilham where on the last Sunday in August 1943, Eric Portman, who
played Thomas Colpeper, JP, and Sheila Sim (now Lady Attenborough), as Women’s
Land Army girl Alison Smith, enacted their memorable ‘scene in the long grass.’
This was also the day on which American GI John
Sweet, cast as Sgt Bob Johnson, US Army, joined the cast.
To help
recreate the atmosphere of the film, the walk will start after the arrival at
Chilham of the midday trains from Canterbury and Ashford. Chilham was one of
the inspirations for A Canterbury Tale’s ‘Chillingbourne’ and Michael Powell’s
story begins with the arrival at ‘Chillingbourne Station’ of a train carrying
three of the film’s main characters – ‘Alison,’ ‘Bob’ and Sgt Peter Gibbs’(
played by Dennis Price).
The walk’s route will also take in locations at
Chilham Mill (where the ‘ battle on the river ‘ was fought) and Chilham
village, and visit St Mary’s Parish Church and The Pilgrims’ Way. Some of the walkers will re-enact scenes filmed at the
locations.
Surviving members of the cast and crew have been
invited to the event.
There
is no charge for attending this event, nor is it necessary to book. A
collection will be taken in aid of Kent Kids Miles of Smiles’ Footprints
Holiday Respite Home, Canterbury.
For more details see www.powell-pressburger.org or
contact Paul Tritton at paul.tritton@btinternet.com (telephone
01622 741198).
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