A great 8 days in Canterbury
By: Steve Crook
Monday 11th:
Monday morning found me out on the Sandwich road out of Canterbury (that's not the road where you buy sandwiches but the road from Canterbury to Sandwich) to start my visits to some of the surrounding villages and countryside. That was the general pattern for the rest of the week. Exploring Canterbury and the surrounding countryside during the day and then up to the University to watch some great films during the evening. I have already been to quite a few of the villages, but I hadn't been to some of them for a few years. There are photos of them in my 1999 visit and during the various ACT Location Walks we've done in recent years.
Today was more an initial exploratory visit to check a few places I'd been to before and to find a few locations I'd not seen before.
I had a brief look around Fordwich and Wickhambreux, checked out the Howlett's Farm House where Michael was born (although there is a query if the plaque is on the right house - but it's certainly close to it). Found out where the Hoath Farm where Michael grew up is located and drove on down to Wingham.
Then, that evening, Billy Childish introduced The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. A very nice young man :)
He gave a very good personal introduction to it, saying what it was that he
liked about it that made it his favourite film (of all films, not just his
favourite P&P film). He said that it was mainly that, despite its length, it
managed to keep his interest all the way through. That there was always
plenty going on in it - and it had a lot of moustaches in it (he wears a
fine 'tache himself). As he went into some detail about it he had to mention
a few scenes in particular, and not wanting to give too much away, he asked
how many hadn't ever seen it. Quite a few hands went up amongst the
audience of about 150 people. I had chatted with Billy a bit beforehand and
shown him the A.L. Kenndy book which he hadn't seen.
The film itself was the old print that starts with the notice that it's a
BFI restoration - and that notice is itself very badly scratched. That
always raises a good laugh but luckily the rest of the film is in much
better condition.
Lot of laughter all the way through - in he right places. Everyone was
completely silent for Anton's speeches, especially the one in the alien's
interview where even the traffic outside goes quiet. Large round of applause
at the end.
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