Hello everyone and thank you for your company once again. Alas I had a minor fall at home so this time I am going to use my time machine rather than limping along down Memory Lane.

Well here we are back 60 years to look at what was happening at Elstree Studios in 1957. The facility was very busy albeit with only five stages in those days. It was able to serve 18 films, a television series and three television pilot shows. The latter means when even today a network or producer tries out a concept and sees whether the viewing figures warrant a whole series. Today the costs of going ahead with a series is mind boggling and thus we end up with with such rubbish television as everyone wants a safe bet with the same old formula and the same old names.

Back in 1957 Elstree Studios launched its latest film starring its contract favourite Richard Todd. It was called The Yangtze Incident and revolved around a British frigate called HMS Amethyst and its attempts to escape from the Chinese communists in 1949. In 1996 I arranged a plaque unveiling honouring Richard. There were a number of his old fellow stars present. One of them was Bernard Cribbins, who I introduced to his 'captain' as Bernard, and who was in the film but below decks in the engine room. Bernard thanked me afterwards, recalling that although they had both been in the same film they never met as their scenes were shot separately.

The actual HMS Amethyst was brought out of storage for the film but as its engines no longer worked it could only be used for static shots and was scrapped shortly afterwards. For the moving scenes her sister ship HMS Magpie was supplied by the Royal Navy. That ship had been commanded by Prince Philip in it's post war years. Sadly it was also consigned to the scrap heap a couple of years later.

The studio was playing host to such stars as Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and William Holden, not to mention making such classic films as Ice Cold In Alex. In those days Elstree Studios, via its parent company, actually produced films as well as renting its facilities to other producers. That sadly stopped decades ago and today is basically, albeit very successful, a space to be hired. The same applies to other British studios.

Interestingly this year marks the 60th aniversary of the first television series to be shot at Elstree Studios. I have never seen it but they shot 38 episodes of a detective series called The New Adventures Of Martin Kane which had previously been filmed in America. I guess it was filmed rather than videoed and I assume it may one day appear on a DVD presentation as nostalgia never dies.

We must not also forget that Borehamwood was a hive of activity back then as the MGM British Studios were in production along with the newly opened Danzigers Studio in Elstree and the National Studio that survives today as the BBC Elstree Centre.

It was the closest thing we ever had to Hollywood in Europe and Borehamwood was built up around film studios from 1914. We must do more to celebrate that unique heritage.

Anyway all this talk of the past reminds me it is my time to put on some old black and white entertainment. Should I watch some old Edgar Lustgarten crime thrillers from the 1950s or perhaps Sergeant Cork, the television series shot at ATV in Borehamwood in the early 1960s? Until we journey together again next week down Memory Lane, take care of yourself and try not to fall as we don't bounce so well once past 60!