Shaun of the Dead

My day starts very early dealing with correspondence, updating the blog and grading images. I head in to the Old Town, Hull. The weather forecast for the day is awful, it’s snowing in North Yorkshire and there is a bitter east wind in Hull.

I’m running late, I get stuck behind a learner driver, I pull over and call John Jackson apologising. I get to the Lion and Key on the Old High Street. John stands across the road taking shelter from the wind with his girlfriend in a doorway. He looks remarkably like Simon Pegg.

He takes his coat off explaining that he has already spoken to the girls in the pub and they are fine about us doing the shoot here. He also mentions that he was stopped by security guards at St Stephen’s Shopping Centre for carrying a cricket bat. He chuckles and we start to set up the shot.

It’s early and cold it takes a few minutes for us both to warm up, me shooting and John getting into character.

I get the shot and rush to pass him back his coat it is bitterly cold and he is only wearing a white short sleeved cotton shirt.

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Later on  I meet  Adie the landlord of the St John’s pub and he says ‘we’d love to do Shaun of the Dead in the pub when you’ve got time’. I think to myself I know just the man.

Busy day tuesday…

The day started well with a meeting and great coffee with the irrepressible Freddie Garland. Plans are afoot to bring the Hullywood Icons to life in the autumn, then Thieving Harry’s near the Marina for a cuppa, chance meeting with the remarkable John Moss who runs C4DI and is on the board for City of Culture, chatting about all things 2017, the spirit of Hull, secularism in the middle east, cycling and the press coverage for the Made in Hull event. Message received from Hullywood Tweeter Emma Palmer about feature on the I website, talk  scheduled for 1-30.

Meet up with Darren Squires to talk about the ‘Iconoclast’ Cocktail for the opening event, we do Darren’s photo shoot, then on into town to see the blade, quick meeting at the BBC, then a quick dash to PC world interrupted by 2 phone interviews. The scheduled one for I website and the Withernsea Gazette polar opposites of the media spectrum in terms of outlook and audience. Give up on finding a little take around computer as I have to get back to Queens Gardens to photograph Richard Vergette a playwright and actor who I was at college with many moons ago.

Back to Beverley to babysit my 2 year old grandson Azrael for a couple of hours, chill out watching CBeebies, thankful that my phone has died hours ago. This is just a normal day in Hullywood.

Pictured below the ‘Iconclast’ cocktail created by Darren Squires for the Hullywood Exhibition Opening event on Febuary 17th at Hip Gallery book your tickets here:
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Captain America: The First Avenger

I get to the location. Mr Choos is being restored, the road ahead is deserted except for a lone dog walker, my phone rings. I’m behind you Moff says in a heavy Glaswegian accent, he flashes his headlights and I park next to him at St.Andrew’s Quay. He grabs his costume followed by his young daughter. We walk up to the old Lord Line building in Hull, this is shoot number 5 of a 12 shoot saturday.

Moff McEwan is a big friendly Scott who you wouldn’t mess with which is great news as there are a number of very dodgy individuals hanging around, Moff says don’t worry I’ve clocked them, I don’t, he’s  Hull’s Captain America.  Appearing at many charity events, you have to give something back to the community he says, I agree.

Lyla his daughter  hates shopping and helps him on with his costume, the zip up jacket is stiff, she fumbles but zips him in.

I take this picture.

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The Addams Family

I arrive a little early at Ye Olde Whyte Harte I am waiting for one of my favourite characters from film. Ona Kvedaravicius arrives, she is carrying roses, and looks stunning, she has to do her nails, we chat about the project, the character and her job. Her nail varnish dries, I relax this is shoot number 5 today and I’m catching up with myself.

We go to the plotting parlour,a group of drama students are working on their latest production. I explain what we are about to do and apologise for disturbing their meeting. Ona takes position the dress she has hand made for the shoot is stunning Morticia Addams is her favourite film character she represents freedom, individuality and permission to be an outsider.

I start to take photographs, my camera is going haywire the room is haunted and I am tired. I move furniture, Ona cuts the rose off from it’s stem, we laugh a lot, the students are bemused and then I get the shot.

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My favourite Morticia Addams quotes are:

‘Our credo: “Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc.” We gladly feast on those who would subdue us. Not just pretty words’.

and this one which is pure genius:

‘Don’t torture yourself, Gomez. That’s my job’.

 

Today is monday…

Well a busy old day lots of meetings about The Hullywood Icons the big news is about the Beverley projections a radio appearance on Beverley FM and a fortuitous meeting with Helen Watson and the vicars from Beverley Minster and St Mary’s. Tea and Christmas cake with project lamp man Tim Wall and his wife Jo and a remarkably productive trip  to Hornsea more about that later…

Two simultaneous projections one in Beverley Minster and one in St Mary’s:

Beverley 6pm-8pm Saturday 14th January inside Beverley Minster  and St Mary’s free admission.

Here is Les Drake’s footage of the Hull projections on Humber Street:

Forest Gump

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It’s before 9am early on saturday morning we’re at the Hull park run in East Hull the largest park run in the country. It’s just getting light. I’m in here to meet The Martindale family who have arranged to do a Forest Gump shoot with me.

Paul Martindale is in costume, he’s very tall and has a newly acquired Caveman wig and beard from Amazon. Sarah Martindale is wrangling Paul’s beard and putting the final touches to his Forest Gump character.

I shout to the group of runners warming up – ‘who wants to be in the picture’. Everyone gets in position, there are some hi vis jackets, we get them to the back of the group.

Some final adjustments to Paul’s caveman wig which has a life of it’s own and is having a diva moment, I get the final thumbs up from a relieved Sarah, shout to the runners to get ready and take this picture.

 

 

Some Like it Hot

It’s 4-30pm on the last day of the Made in Hull Event in Hull the launch for Hull 2017 – UK City of Culture , I’m running late something to do with a mix up over cemeteries with Jack the Pumpkin King,  and slow moving traffic this is Hullywood and life is frantic. I’m meeting Marty Hogg and her friend Jenny Lazenby who are recreating a scene from one of my favourite films ‘Some Like it Hot’ . They are women playing men playing women. I arrive on the station platform looking around franticly. Where are they? I’ve got to shoot Titanic next then Darth Maul and then Catwoman. It’s a 12 shoot day and I’m tired. I spot Marty sitting on hers case we head up to the far platform the light has gone and the battery in the flash (which I hate using is dead).

We make the photo interrupted by the station manager (god love her) who says Mr Budworth I know what your doing, I love your work I’m a big fan but you need to ask permission’ I smile explaining that I’m sorry and rushing and will ask for permission next time. She says no flash photography – I’m with her on that- she smiles and says carry on. We hug, I kiss her on the cheek and we get the shot.

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Trainspotting

The door opens to a flat in a state of great disrepair near Pearson Park, I am greeted by a smiling Sarah Jayne Curry who says I’ve been playing with coffee, her arms are stained brown with it, we go upstairs and make this picture …

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Trainspotting is a 1996 British black comedy drama film directed by Danny Boyle, and starring Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle and Kelly Macdonald in her acting debut. Based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh, the film was released in the United Kingdom on 23 February 1996.

The Academy Award nominated screenplay by John Hodge follows a group of heroin addicts in a late 1980s economically depressed area of Edinburgh and their passage through life. Beyond drug addiction, other themes in the film are exploration of the urban poverty and squalor in “culturally rich” Edinburgh.

The film has been ranked 10th by the British Film Institute (BFI) in its list of Top 100 British films of all time. In 2004 the film was voted the best Scottish film of all time in a general public poll.

With thanks to Barry Weldon for his digital edit on the final image.