Birthday Greetings

Well we've made it; Nottingham Daily Photo is now eight years old. Over 2700 stories from my life since 2006. The places that I've visited, both alone and with Gail, the people I've met and things I've captured with the various cameras that I've owned since then.

And what better way to celebrate this birthday than with a well known film and TV actress and local girl Vicky McClure.

Vicky is well known for being in Shane Meadows' This Is England, and last year she appeared in the highly rated TV drama Broadchurch. The BBC have just finished showing her latest series Line of Duty.

I met her in the Fred Perry shop on Bridalsmithgate, where she was doing a bit of DJ'ing, before going to the Broadway Cinema, where they were showing her latest movie called Svengali.

Lights, Camera, Action

A fab night tonight at the local film club that Gail and I go to on a Monday night. It was extra special this week, as film director Shane Meadows paid a visit to discuss a number of his short films that he was going to show us, including his first ever one made in 1993 and some that have never been screened before. He also did a question and answer session about his work and gave a bit of an insight into the film making business.

As an added unexpected surprise, the actress Vicky McClure also came to visit. Vicky has appeared in Shane's This is England series of films and TV series. They are about to start work on the latest instalment. She was recently in the crime drama Broadchurch, which starred David Tennant.

It was a great evening, helped along by Roya's wonderful buffet. All vegetarian food and very delicious. Of course I had my camera with me to capture the event, which had been organised by my pal Matt, who runs the Beestonian magazine. Here's a shot of Shane, Vicky and film journalist Ali Catteral, who had made the journey up from London to introduce and interview Shane, and to also get his DVD box set autographed.

Monday Night At The Movies

Something new started in Beeston last night. A film club situated in a small vegetarian restaurant called Cafe Roya.

It is the brainchild of a local go-getter and journalist called Matt, who produces a local magazine called The Beestonian. You may have seen him appear on a few of my blogs in the past, with his involvement in Oxjam. There he is below, saying a few welcome words to the small, lucky audience.

We saw four films in all; three shorts, including one starring a very young Noel Fielding (Sweet; 2000). The main feature was one by local film maker Shane Meadows called Le Donk and Scor-zay-zee, which he made in 2009.

The basic story concerns a roadie who also looks after an up and coming rapper, the Scor-zay-zee on the title and how they manage to do an opening slot at an Arctic Monkeys gig in Manchester. It was an amusing film, done fly on the wall style, so you sometimes get to see Shane with his camera.

In many ways it was better than being sat in a multi-plex. More intimate and personal. And the popcorn was a lot cheaper too.

The aim was to make some money for Oxfam, so after the show, people duly popped their coins and notes into the collecting tim.

We've not eaten there yet, but looking on the small, but exciting menu, I don't think it will be too long before we do. I hope there will be another show very shortly, as Matt is intending it to be a regular event. In fact he's started asking for suggestions through his Facebook page.