THE INTERACTIVE FILM MAGAZINE
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Hollywood … Borehamwood
For almost 100 years, Elstree and Borehamwood have played a unique role as leading centres for film activity. A community-based project called First Impressions is helping residents and visitors to rediscover the rich film and television history created right here on their doorstep.
Bob Redman explains …
IN THE PICTURE: Two of the displays welcoming visitors to Elstree, above and below right, and Barbara Windsor and a guard of Star Wars stormtroopers at the launch of First Impressions, below left
Guests recently joined Star Wars characters to share vintage double-decker buses running between Elstree Studios and the local train station, where they were greeted by a brass band and such old Elstree stars as Barbara Windsor and Burt Kwouk. But why the celebration?
Since 1914 the various studios based in Elstree and Borehamwood just to the north of London have played host to hundreds of iconic stars and as well as the production of many hit movies and television shows.
Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The Dam Busters, 2001 : A Space Odyssey, Murder On The Orient Express, Where Eagles Dare, The Railway Children, The Saint, The Avengers, The Muppets, EastEnders … You know the names, you know the stars.
And they were all made at Elstree and Borehamwood. Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas ... they have all worked here. The list just keeps growing and recently added this year’s major Oscar-winner, The King’s Speech.
But to the casual observer there were few clues that iconic films have been made here for almost a century. A few local streets have been named after famous actors and commemorative plaques placed where they can scarcely be seen.
Then, over the past year train operator First Capital Connect (FCC) carried out a make-over of the very “tired” station forecourt, partly funded by Hertfordshire County Council.
To take advantage of this change the volunteers of Elstree Screen Heritage worked with FCC, Herts. CC as well as the local town council and Hertsmere Borough Council to create a project known as ‘First Impressions’.
With funding support from all of the partners in ‘First Impressions’, we have now put iconic images on display in the station booking hall, on street banners, on 20 very visible plaque panels which now form a film and TV heritage trail, and on artwork covering empty shop fronts.
Meanwhile a Hollywood-style walk of fame has been added at the forecourt of the train station. Stage One is complete!
Barbara Windsor made her first feature film in the town over 50 years ago, and for many years starred in EastEnders at the BBC Elstree Centre, so it made sense to us to invite her to lead the celebrations.
As she pointed out on her return to Elstree, "Some wonderful films and light entertainment programmes have come out of Elstree Studios over the past 85 years of which we can all be
proud. My only sadness is that they burnt down the Queen Vic on the giant George Lucas stage at the Studio exactly one year ago!”
Local residents and film buffs alike can now join her and enjoy new tributes to these studios and stars, from the town’s gateway at the train station, along Shenley Road to the gates of Elstree Studios.
We hope this will help people to re-discover what has made Elstree and Borehamwood such a special place.
But this is just the start. Paul Welsh, Chairman of Elstree Screen Heritage, promises: “A wall sculpture dedicated to the work of local film and TV craftsmen will soon appear at the new station forecourt. Further iconic images will be added
step by step to make a unique town centre environment which will be the envy of towns across the country.”
And to celebrate that uniqueness and bring new visitors to Elstree and Borehamwood, First Capital Connect has named one of its trains “Elstree Studios”.
Where else could that happen? Only in Britain’s Hollywood.
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Bob Redman is Chair of the First Impressions Project Board, Bob lives in Elstree and is a founder member of Elstree Screen Heritage, a voluntary group committed to recording, preserving and sharing the local film and TV heritage.
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