This week I will regale you with a pot pourri of news from the world of Elstree's showbiz hopefully to inform, entertain and amuse as outlined in my mission statement.

Great news to hear that next month veteran editor and local resident Terry Rawlings is to receive a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Editors' Organisation.

Terry has known me since I was a child, which shows how old he must be now, but he continues working to his usual superb high standard. You may not be familar with his name but think of films such as Chariots of Fire, Alien, Blade Runner and Goldeneye and you will have seen his work. Congratulations to Terry who started his career at Elstree.

What a positive shower of Z-list celebrities inhabiting the Big Brother house! There seems to be a couple of girls who appear to be sharing a brain cell, an MP who has probably lost himself some votes at the next election and a couple of men who prefer women's clothing on occasions.

Then there is a pop star' called Faggot or Maggot, apparently by choice, and a lady who has become a media star by sleeping with the England football coach.

Then who should appear but the aged but legendary Sir Jimmy Saville to grant wishes to the contestants. He wisely refused to sleep in the house. He made some flattering comments to Michael Barrymore in front of everyone else about how marvellous his television shows used to be. Michael did not exactly return the compliment by commenting as Jimmy left the house bring on the next loony!' It has been reported that Michael has been paid £150,000 to appear in the programme and hopes to rekindle his career but I suspect his audience has departed.

I thought Rula Lenska was very honest when she admitted: "I am here because I have not had much TV work in recent years and the public assume you are dead or retired if you are not on the box regularly."

Having visited the house myself, when it was not in use, I found it very claustrophobic and I applaud anyone willing to spend weeks inside it.

Sad to see veteran actress Shelley Winters has died after a full life in which she had well publicised affairs with a range of actors including Marlon Brando, Errol Flynn and Burt Lancaster.

Shelley came to Elstree in the early 1960s to co star in Lolita directed by Stanley Kubrick. She later recalled: "I was a big supporter of John F Kennedy who was running for election as President so I had it written into my contract that I could return to the States for his inauguration if he won."

Shelley enjoyed working at Elstree. "I just loved the English unions, they were very strict about stopping at 5pm whereas in Hollywood they would insist on working late into the evening if a scene needed to be completed," she said. "The problem is for actresses is that can be bad news as you never look your best after 12 or more hours under the lights!"

Shelley had mixed memories of her co-stars. "James Mason was an excellent actor but was a bit cold and aloof. Peter Sellers was in a world of his own which could be difficult."

Shelley went on to appear in well over 100 films and picked up two Oscars along the way. It was some career which lasted almost to the end.

I have been asked if there are any star graves nearby that film fans can visit. Well, what about calling on an Oscar winner to pay your respects. George Arliss was a distinguished Edwardian stage actor on both sides of the Atlantic, well known for his aristocratic bearing, and wearing a monocle. In the late 1920s he went to Hollywood to work for Warner Bros for US$10,000 a week which would be good money for anyone even today. He won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in Disraeli, thus I suppose becoming the first Englishman to do so in case that crops up in a pub quiz.

He even helped launch the career of Bette Davis, which she always acknowledged with gratitude. In the early 1930s he made several more popular movies but then suddenly fell out of fashion.

George visited Elstree and made a couple of pictures in London before wisely retiring at the age of 70.

He died 60 years ago and you can visit his overgrown grave in the Harrow Weald churchyard. I wonder if any readers even have heard of his name?