greggerypeccary wrote on Jul 12^th, 2025 at 7:19pm:


The cinema in the movie was actually Palais Theatre, in St Kilda.

I've seen some great live acts there - most notably Jeff Beck.

Not sure why I'd never seen this movie 

7.2/10 on IMDb

The Titfield Thunderbolt is a 1953 British comedy film directed by Charles Crichton and starring Stanley Holloway, Naunton Wayne, George Relph and John Gregson. The screenplay concerns a group of villagers trying to keep their branch line operating after British Railways decided to close it. The film was written by T. E. B. Clarke and was inspired by the restoration of the narrow gauge Talyllyn Railway in Wales, the world's first heritage railway run by volunteers. "Titfield" is an amalgamation of the names Titsey and Limpsfield, two villages in Surrey near Clarke's home at Oxted.

Michael Truman was the producer. The film was produced by Ealing Studios and was the first of its comedies shot in Technicolor.

There was considerable inspiration from the book Railway Adventure by established railway book author L. T. C. Rolt, published in 1953. Rolt had acted as honorary manager for the volunteer enthusiasts running the Talyllyn Railway for the two years 1951–52. According to British rail enthusiast and film historian John Huntley's book Railways in the Cinema (published by Ian Allan in 1969), T. E. B. Clarke actually visited the Talyllyn Railway in 1951 and spent two days learning about the tribulations faced by its volunteers. A number of scenes in the film, such as the emergency resupply of water to the locomotive by buckets from an adjacent stream and passengers being asked to assist in pushing the carriages, were taken from incidents on the Talyllyn Railway recounted in Railway Adventure.

The film plots the villagers against the new British Railways company that seeks to close their branch line.  They take on the task of running the railway themselves.  They face the newly established bus company that seeks a monopoly.  The bus company seeks various ways to delay them and wreck their train but they overcome the difficulties and beat the railway inspector when he comes to inspect their railway.  It is a unique movie well worth watching.  A classic of British cinema. 9 out 10.

Brian Ross wrote on Jul 20^th, 2025 at 9:01pm:


A wonderful night's entertainment.



Sandy Stone, like Bbwiyawn Ross, was a character created to test the amount of boredom people can take.
They can, in both cases, take an awful lot.

Ridley Road is a British four-part television drama series which premiered on BBC One on 3 October 2021, about Jewish opposition to British Fascism in the 1960s. It was adapted by Sarah Solemani from Jo Bloom's 2014 novel of the same name. The series is directed by Lisa Mulcahy and the executive producer is Nicola Shindler.

It is the tale of how Group 62 infiltrates the neo-Fascist movement in the UK in the early 1960s.  Group 62 is a Jewish underground group who have decided to fight the Fascists.  They induce Vivian the niece of their leader to look for Jack, her boyfriend from Manchester.  She dyes her hair blonde and gets close to Colin Jordan who leads the Fascists.  She is induced by her uncle's comment, "anti-fascists do, they don't just say." She discovers documents that implicate Jordan in purchasing military equipment and training a para-military force.  She escapes and heads back to London on the train.  A mini-series worth watching.  Its puts Fascism on the back foot where it belongs.  The series ends with Vivian getting on a flight with Jack after going to the Police with her evidence.  Jordan is sentenced to a prison sentence.  A mini-series well worth watching.  9 out 10.