It has been a sad few days with the death of two former special guests from the annual Elstree film evenings I used to organise and host from 1984 until 2008.

I first staged the event at Elstree Studios and then we expanded and moved it to the old Venue theatre in 1992 and stayed there until it closed in 1996. The BBC Elstree Centre then kindly let me host the event there until we decided to move it back to Elstree Studios for my final year in 2008.

I always looked forward to the event as it gave me an excuse to invite back to Borehamwood stars of the golden era of film and television production. More than 100 attended over the years, with a number returning on several occasions.

When I retired it was, I guess, a natural time for the event to cease because much of the support relied on contacts I had made over several decades and sadly we were losing the stars of that era with younger actors less interested in such nostalgic occasions.

Now we have lost two more with special effects expert Ray Harryhausen and veteran all-rounder Bryan Forbes, who were both special guests in the 1990s.

Ray was at his height during the 1950s and 1960s, probably reaching his peak with Jason And The Argonauts and the Elstree-made One Million Years BC for Hammer.

The latter starred Raquel Welch in a fetching bikini that made you wished you had also lived in the stone age, despite encounters with various dinosaurs.

Ray joked with me about Raquel and myself having similar names and whether we were
related, but I can quash any rumours that I am her love child.

Ray also spoke about the many months he spent at Elstree putting together the stop motion effects that today would be almost child’s play with computer technology.

It is also very sad to hear of the passing of Bryan Forbes, who was a skilled writer, director and actor and who enjoyed a lengthy career.

I first met Bryan when he was briefly in charge at Elstree Studios but he resigned, feeling let down by the EMI board who promised great support, but little materialised.

In a way, it was a poisoned chalice as Bryan was trying to keep a fully-manned, union-controlled studio and oversee a programme of films rapidly put into production at a time when the film business was in meltdown.

The chairman of EMI later told me he felt Bryan had an impossible task, especially as he had “enemies in the camp” who wanted him to fail.

With Bryan’s passing it means all the men who were in the top jobs at Elstree Studios between 1926 to 1993, when it closed for three years, have now gone. I feel lucky to have met those who were in charge from the 1960s onwards and have first-hand stories to recount if I ever write a book about the studio.

I had the pleasure to invite Bryan back to Elstree for the last time in 2008 for a plaque unveiling in his honour.

He was accompanied by his lovely wife Nanette Newman and the guest unveiler was Lord Dickie Attenborough, who is also now sadly very unwell in a retirement home.

After the unveiling I interviewed the two of them on stage and it was a delight to see two old friends bounce off each other with great memories. It was filmed by the town council but I have never seen the footage.

I was last in contact with Bryan last year and it was clear that he was in failing health. I will always remember Bryan as a real gentleman with a lovely sense of humour and someone who warmed up a room with his presence.

Sadly, more than 50 of the stars who attended those film evenings are now gone and I feel very privileged to have spent time with them and wish I had recorded more of their wonderful memories.

If you want to see photographs of some of those events, don’t forget my book Elstree
Confidential is now on sale in the Borehamwood Museum and online at the Elstree Screen Heritage website, raising much needed funds for both organisations.

A perfect treat, birthday present or early Christmas purchase as nearly half the year has already gone.