It was good to see various Star Wars characters wandering around stage seven at Elstree Studios the other day.

The occasion was a charity calendar shoot involving some of the staff from Cardif Pinnacle in Borehamwood, led by Carl Warr.

The costumes and props were loaned by Elstree Props who are based at the studios. It is surprising how quickly grown men are reduced to children when they have the opportunity to be Darth Vader or have a light saber duel.

On the stage next door was Dame Judi Dench doing some retakes for a film shot at Elstree a few months ago and a couple of days earlier the lads of Take That had been in rehearsing for their new sell-out tour.

It is amazing to think it is now ten years since that group split up. I remember meeting them about 12 years ago when they were rehearsing for Top of the Pops at the BBC Elstree Centre. I recently told you about how Robbie Williams sent me up that day so I will refrain from repeating that anecdote.

However, I do remember another story from that occasion. After watching the rehearsals I drove out of the studios in my turbo-charged mini. I had the window down thinking I would impress all the young ladies gathered at the Clarendon Road entrance as they might think me to be a soap star or hunky rock star. Instead as I drove past the crowd all I heard was one young lady exclaim "ere, ain't that Mr Bean?"

Showbiz can be very cruel.

I do remember the police being worried about the few officers they had to control 300 screaming girls when Take That were due to leave andsuggested they might be driven out in a police van rather than their limos.

The band's management declined and so the lads were pursued along Shenley Road, Elstree Way, onto the A1 and into the Hertfordshire hinterland. They obviously still hold their appeal a decade or more later, although, unlike myself, all look a bit older now.

The town council is currently looking for former festival queens, and one of my tasks as entertainment's officer was to escort the winner each year on a tour of Elstree Studios, where one lucky girl met Harrison Ford and in another year Robin Askwith.

I hear some of you ask who is Robin Askwith?' Well, in the 1970s he was one of Elstree's most popular stars when he appeared in a series of Confessions of...' movies.

Today Robin lives near Malta but for several years, Borehamwood was his second home as the low budget films used Elstree Studios and many of the local roads as locations. In that sense they are worth viewing to see Borehamwood 30 years ago.

Robin recalls: "The part was based on a best-selling novel involving the sexual adventures of a naive young lad. The role was turned down by Nicky Henson, Dennis Waterman and Richard Beckinsale and then I was auditioned in 1973, although I had appeared in 16 films by then.

"I got the part and was paid £1,750 to star in Confessions of a Window Cleaner."

The film's shooting schedule was increased by two weeks when Columbia Pictures decided there should be three versions of each sex scene for various foreign markets.

The first version involved total nudity, in the second underclothes were worn and another in which the participants remained fully clothed.

His main co-star was Tony Booth, then best-known as the son-in-law in the 1960s TV series Till Death Us Do Part, but now known as the father- in-law of Tony Blair.

The first film proved quite a success and over the next few years three more, entitled Confessions of a Pop Performer, Confessions of a Driving Instructor and Confessions of a Holiday Camp were produced.

I remember taking the festival queen onto the set of one of the films to meet Robin but we all remained fully clothed.

They were due to make Confessions of a Plumber's Mate but this was cancelled.

Robin said: "They were still successful but the Columbia management in America changed and the new bosses were not interested in financing small budget British movies anymore."

In the late 1970s, I met Robin again when he was starring in Stand up Virgin Soldier, which despite its title was not a bad little film.

It also gave me the chance to interview Edward Woodward on set but thankfully I missed the day when they were shooting a scene in which Warren Alf Garnet' Mitchell appeared naked.

Robin's salary as the star had risen to £6,000 which was about what Charlie Chaplin was earning a week in 1914.

All of these films helped keep people employed and made a nice profit, so that cannot be bad.

Robin is now 56, so I guess if they make another it will have to be called Confessions of a Grandfather!