From a film extra – to speaking at Shrewsbury School

It has been an unusual week as I have said already in my blog and today I move from being an extra on a TV production to speaking at Shrewsbury School.

It was a fascinating but long day being an extra for Sky 1’s new family comedy drama, Starlings, which is being shown in 2012.

We had to report to the Peak Edge Hotel, between Chesterfield and Matlock, at 6.30am and we didn’t finish on the set, which was in the middle of Ashover Fair, a real agricultural show with thousands of members of the public there, until 6.30pm.

I had never been an extra before but it was interesting to see the professionalism and work involved in producing a programme and being able to talk to the six actors and actresses, although there was a lot of waiting around for the 22 extras who were involved in various crowd scenes.

Produced by Steve Coogan and Peep Show’s Mat King it stars BAFTA® nominees Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey) and Lesley Sharp (Scott & Bailey, The Shadow Line, who is pictured below) in a working class comedy set in Matlock following the lives of the Starling family.

Granddad (Alan Williams, Luther, Rome) has recently moved in, following a rabble rousing incident at the old folks’ home. Rather than see him unhappy, his son Terry (Coyle) and wife Jan (Sharp), decide to put him up in their already crammed family home.

Making room for him is Charlie (Finn Atkins, EastEnders), their 16-year-old football crazy tomboy daughter; work–shy, reptile enthusiast, Gravy (John Dagleish, Beaver Falls, Larkrise to Candleford) and beautiful Bell (Rebecca Night, Larkrise to Candleford, This September) and her brand new baby, Zac, who arrives bang on time for the first episode.

Producer Steve Coogan commented: “We are very excited about this smart but accessible new television series which will make people laugh and cry in equal measure for all the right reasons.”

From Derbyshire it’s off to Shropshire tonight to speak about my books, Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury, and God’s Secret Listener in the Moser Library at Shrewsbury School (pictured below) to the Shropshire Society in London and the Freemen of the Borough of Shrewsbury.

The Shropshire Society, which has been going since 1899, exists to foster connections between the county and London and organizes functions for Salopians and friends of Shropshire in London and Shropshire. It aims to keep London Salopians in touch with the county and to give county based members the opportunity to experience London at its finest and by supporting county charities. It visits the Shrewsbury Flower Show every year.

The Freemen of the Borough of Shrewsbury is a tradition lasting more than 1,000 years. One of the last bastions of the old all-male establishment it moved into the 21^st century last September when it admitted ten women who were sworn in become Burgesses of the town at the Installation of Freemen ceremony, which took place at the Guildhall, in Shrewsbury.