Prismatic Reflection

Many Happy Returns

21 Years In The Village

  We've reached 1998 and the last instalment in this series, and the last ‘Prisoner’ convention that Morag and I were involved with, but possibly our busiest. The re-enactments were the nightcap scene from ‘The Chimes of Big Ben,’ directing Nadia to the Green Dome - again from ‘The Chimes of Big Ben,’ although this re-enactment was rained off, along with all the Village Touring Theatre on the Sunday, as it rained on and off for all that day. The human chess match did go ahead, although this was the last time Morag and I was involved, the fencing scene from ‘The Schizoid Man,’ and the boxing scene from the same episode, which were performed indoors due to rain. Plus organising the crowd for the election parade, although not on the Sunday, as Sunday rain stopped all outdoor re-enactments. The election parade performed, although by this time I was busy filming interior scenes for ‘Village Day,’ and was actually filming scenes for the film the day before on the Saturday, between performing in re-enactments! Anyway the convention organiser wasn't too happy with me when I said I hadn't time to organise the election parade on the Sunday, as told him I was busy filming, filming which ran into all of the following week, during which time this Convention organiser gave me the cold shoulder. Well that was his problem, not mine, and certainly no loss to me!

   1998 was not our last Convention, although the next ‘Prisoner’ Convention at Portmeirion would not be until 2001, after trouble between Six of One and Portmeirion over some broken statues. But we never became involved with the 2001 convention, which proved to be our last. But as I look back there is one phrase which conventioneers used at the end of every Prisoner convention to describe it "The best convention ever." How the bloody hell could any convention be "the best ever" when there was the following years convention to come? I hated that phrase, and thought those who used it as being rather daft! As for the re-enactments of the Village Touring theatre, well I found them all to be dull and lifeless, all taking place sat in seats around tables. Dull, boring and no animation whatsoever! And people have said that we were missed not being involved with the convention that year, and the years after. But there were those who thought they could step into mine and Morag's shoes, but they couldn't come up to the high standard which we had set over the years.

   Next time I'll tell you about how Morag and I became involved in appearing in the filming with Carmel Morris, for her Prisoner based video Another Number during the 2001 ‘Prisoner’ convention.

Next time ‘Another Number.’

Be seeing you