A life time fan and Prisonerologist of the 1960's series 'the Prisoner', a leading authority on the subject, a short story writer, and now Prisoner novelist.
Friday, 15 April 2011
Inverlair Lodge
This is not written by me, but it's an article from the Prisoner based magazine In The Village of 1996.
What is remarkable is that just two weeks after The Prisoner had been been formally green-lit, a book was published, written about the British SOE in WW2. It includes this passage:
ISRB maintained some workshops in the remotest Scottish highlands, at Inverlair; and to this ‘cooler’ refractory or unsuitable agents were sent, till the other agents they had known were out of harm’s way and it was safe to return them to the general man-power pool.
MRD Foot’s book was the sort of book that normally could have passed unnoticed, but a controversy had been raging in Britain since 1958, when rumours surfaced that had implied that the SOE had wasted many Allied lives in France through sheer incompetence. To counter these rumours the British government of the day had commissioned an Official History to be compiled from otherwise secret files within the Ministry of Defence. The eight-year research project was published on April 28, 1966. It became a best-seller. http://numbersixwasinnocent.blogspot.com/2010/04/mcgoohan-in-his-own-words-it-is-another.html
Steven Ricks may have spoken HIS truth, but it was not THE truth.
Hello Moor Larkin, I found your comment most interesting. I was but eleven years of age in 1966, and such a book would not have interested me at the time. Indeed I had not heard of MRD Foot's book, I shall look it up, as well going to the link you left me. Not only that but I'll re-read the Steven Rick artlce on Inverlair Lodge again, it's been some time since I last did. Best regards David BCNU
Hello Moor Larkin, A very happy easter to you. I hope you are enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend.
I thought you would enjoy the posted article. It was far easier to post that than to write about Inverlair Lodge myself, as I know very little about the place, save from what I have read in articles such as that one, and of course through the fictional novel 'The cooler' by George Markstein.
I once knew Steven Ricks, I say once knew because I haven't heard from him in over ten years. He did a great deal of work interviewing members of the cast and production crew who worked on 'the Prisoner,' and if it were not for him, much of the information we have about the backgound to the series would have been lost, and never known. For it was Ricks who discovered the film footage of the original 'Rover.' I have to admit that some of his filming, and interview techniques are questionable. But I still congratulate him for the time and effort he took during his work, and presenting it all on a seris of videos. Mind you, Steven Ricks did go that extra mile when it was not at all necessary, like the hiring of a helicopter to take that photograph of Inverlair Lodge. Another friend of mine, David Healey also paid a visit to Inverlair Lodge back in the 1990's. He got the same photograph of Inverlair Lodge.......but taken from the top of a hill!
What is remarkable is that just two weeks after The Prisoner had been been formally green-lit, a book was published, written about the British SOE in WW2. It includes this passage:
ReplyDeleteISRB maintained some workshops in the remotest Scottish highlands, at Inverlair; and to this ‘cooler’ refractory or unsuitable agents were sent, till the other agents they had known were out of harm’s way and it was safe to return them to the general man-power pool.
MRD Foot’s book was the sort of book that normally could have passed unnoticed, but a controversy had been raging in Britain since 1958, when rumours surfaced that had implied that the SOE had wasted many Allied lives in France through sheer incompetence. To counter these rumours the British government of the day had commissioned an Official History to be compiled from otherwise secret files within the Ministry of Defence. The eight-year research project was published on April 28, 1966. It became a best-seller.
http://numbersixwasinnocent.blogspot.com/2010/04/mcgoohan-in-his-own-words-it-is-another.html
Steven Ricks may have spoken HIS truth, but it was not THE truth.
The truth is out there.
Hello Moor Larkin,
ReplyDeleteI found your comment most interesting. I was but eleven years of age in 1966, and such a book would not have interested me at the time. Indeed I had not heard of MRD Foot's book, I shall look it up, as well going to the link you left me. Not only that but I'll re-read the Steven Rick artlce on Inverlair Lodge again, it's been some time since I last did.
Best regards
David
BCNU
He hired a helicopter!! More money than sense evidently. Scottsh red herrings are irresistible I suppose.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the download though. Fascinating to see the how the construction of the myths and legends about this show happened.
Hello Moor Larkin,
ReplyDeleteA very happy easter to you. I hope you are enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend.
I thought you would enjoy the posted article. It was far easier to post that than to write about Inverlair Lodge myself, as I know very little about the place, save from what I have read in articles such as that one, and of course through the fictional novel 'The cooler' by George Markstein.
I once knew Steven Ricks, I say once knew because I haven't heard from him in over ten years. He did a great deal of work interviewing members of the cast and production crew who worked on 'the Prisoner,' and if it were not for him, much of the information we have about the backgound to the series would have been lost, and never known. For it was Ricks who discovered the film footage of the original 'Rover.' I have to admit that some of his filming, and interview techniques are questionable. But I still congratulate him for the time and effort he took during his work, and presenting it all on a seris of videos. Mind you, Steven Ricks did go that extra mile when it was not at all necessary, like the hiring of a helicopter to take that photograph of Inverlair Lodge.
Another friend of mine, David Healey also paid a visit to Inverlair Lodge back in the 1990's. He got the same photograph of Inverlair Lodge.......but taken from the top of a hill!
Regards
David
BCNU
Cheers
ReplyDeleteI once rented the Keepers Cottage on this estate (2000-2003) and had no idea of this past. Richard never confided in me at all. Amazing stuff though.
ReplyDeleteI hope everyone is well at the Lodge.
Regards,
Fred Mason
Hello Fred,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. Yes Inverlair Lodge has a fascinating past. And as far as I am aware, everyone at the lodge is well.
Very kind regards
David
BCNU