It is good to hear the popular BBC television programme Pointless has relocated to Elstree Studios and will no doubt be the first of many programmes to use the revamped and modernised stages 8 and 9.

These were ironically originally built in the mid 1960s with television production in mind but union resistance meant they were used for film production for much of the time, including Hammer horrors, Star Wars and even Indiana Jones. However, I wonder if the television audiences attending will be aware of that history.

For shows such as Dancing On Ice and, I guess, possibly for Strictly Come Dancing, which is rumoured to be coming to the studio, audiences are held at the Maxwell Community Centre, which is ideally located and just the right size.

When the centre was being built 50 years ago the likes of Cliff Richard helped publicise the fundraising effort and in the 1960s many later-to-be-famous bands such as The Animals and even a young Elton John performed there.

Maxwell Park Community Centre also has a Star Wars connection. In 1982 I took actor Mark Hamill, better known as Luke Skywalker, to meet the youngsters there and he was very impressed by their interest in the films.

Then a few years ago Dermot O’Leary asked me if I would help with a television
documentary he was making about Star Wars fans and we shot a lot of the footage at the
centre with Dave “Darth Vader” Prowse.

For some reason Dermot dressed as Skywalker but without any trousers on, which no doubt impressed the lady viewers, and he is a nice kid.

The centre itself is used seven days a week by nearly 30 groups and often has three or four activities taking place at the same time, as they knew how to plan buildings in the 1960s.

I cannot believe Hertfordshire County Council is thinking of demolishing it but I hope the ever increasing disgust of residents will prompt a rethink.

I had the pleasure to introduce a special screening of the classic Borehamwood-made movie Village Of The Damned the other night at the marvellous campus theatre and cinema at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield.

The film was shot in the winter of 1959 at MGM and with a lot of exteriors at Letchmore Heath.
We were able to show a “then and now” featurette that demonstrated how little the
village has changed in 53 years, unlike Borehamwood, which has expanded considerably.

There were a number of young students in the audience and I wondered how they would take to a black and white movie virtually devoid of loud noises, chases and special effects. In fact, they sat silent and riveted throughout, proving that with a fast-paced, gripping story and good acting, you can still hold an audience.

The film was made for less than £100,000 and, even allowing for inflation, I still cannot
understand why if made today they would consider it low budget at, say, £10million.

For the students, I think it was a culture shock to see the inside of 1950s houses as shown in the film. Where was the 50-inch plasma screen, games console, the dishwisher, microwave and washing machine? Why were they washing up in the sink and listening to a vinyl record on a
player?

Then of course there was the doctor who liked to smoke while examining patients and the men tended to ask their wives to find something to do while they discussed serious matters.

To the students this was like looking at Victorian times but, as a child of the 1950s, it was all very familar to me.

In fact, I was born in Borehamwood and as I was a ten-month baby and to be delivered at home, our family doctor took my mum out in his Austin 7 car around the new, unmade up bumpy roads to help induce birth. When I eventually arrived they all had a cigarette.

Today we all lead far more complicated lives but whether we are happier for it, who knows?