Appearing in 'Cider with Rosie' by Laurie Lee back in 1971

We were driving home when the car radio came on - by itself, which was rather surprising.  I thought it was a traffic alert but the BBC was playing Carly Simon singing You're so vain, bet you think this song is about you. My husband changed the channel to listen to the 8 O'clock News but I changed it back as I rather like singing along to, I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee, clouds in my coffee. 

When the song ended I found we were listening to the Mark Forrest Evening Show. He was talking about Laurie Lee, the British author and poet born in Gloucestershire 100 years ago. I couldn't believe what I was hearing: it was not exactly about me but described a scene I'd been involved in forty-three years ago.

Sophie Neville, aged 10, outside Slad Village School in 1971

A chap called Dave had rung in from Milton Keynes to say that he had been in the BBC play 'Cider with Rose' directed by Claude Whatham back in 1971, when Rosemary Leach played Mrs Lee. It was filmed on location at Slad, the village where Laurie Lee grew up near Stroud in the Cotswolds. Although his character was not given a name he played a big boy at the village school who was slapped around the face by his teacher. He didn't mind because the director slipped him 50p 'Danger Money' after each take, but she drew blood. Later he was seen in the school playground being given an offer he couldn't refuse by a buxom girl who took him behind the bike sheds.

When we reached home, a few minutes later, I rushed inside and rang up the BBC.

'I was there, in that classroom!' I explained. 'I played the little girl called Eileen Brown who was sitting at the desk next to Laurie Lee.' The producer checked the International Movie Data Base, rang me back and put me on the air.

The Mark Forrest Evening Show

'I gather you were in Cider with Rosie with Dave,' Mark Forrest said. 'Were you in scene when he was slapped?'

'Yes! I was in the playground scene too!'

Sophie Neville in 'Cider with Rosie'

I explained that I had been cast in the part of Eileen Brown because I could play the piano. Later in the story Laurie Lee played his violin at the parochial village tea. I accompanied him, tripping over the complicated cords.

The author Laurie Lee, who was around at the time, explained that he quite fell for Eileen as they walked off stage. 'She was the first girl I fell in love with.'

Eileen Brown with Laurie Lee

'What song did you play?' Mark asked.

'It was Oh, Danny Boy, the tune that always made Mrs Lee cry.'

I told him that Dave had been terribly brave because the small lady who had the role of the teacher really slapped him very hard. 'In the book, as well as in the BBC play, the boy simply picked the teacher up, put her on the window sill and walked out.' Claude Whatham who was directing the drama didn't tell us children what was going to happen. We were genuinely shocked. It was quite violent.

In Slad with director Claude Whatham

What made this all the more poignant was that we were sitting in the real school that Laurie Lee went to as a child. It was a true story. I read the book again recently. The boy Dave played walked off and never to returned to school again.

Sten Grendon with Claude Whatham and Peter Chandler and Philip Hawkes, the two other boys who played Laurie Lee in 1971

Claude Whatham ended up receiving a BAFTA nomination for Cider with Rosie, which was widely regarded as an avant garde, ground-breaking drama. Two years later he cast Sten Grendon, who played Little Laurie Lee, as Roger Walker in the Theatre Projects/EMI movie 'Swallows & Amazons'. He chose me to play Titty, his elder sister. The film score was composed by Wilfred Josephs who also wrote the theme music for Cider with Rosie (1971), which you can listen to here:

Wilfred Joseph's music for 'Cider with Rosie'

The actors John Frankly-Robbins and Mike Pratt also appeared in both dramas. I later worked with Rosemary Leach and met up with the set designer Michael Howells who had a small part as one of Laurie Lee's elder brothers.

The version that Dave and I appeared in was special in that Laurie Lee was in it, as himself - right at the end.

Why our car radio came on when it did, I do not know but listening to Dave speak about Claude Whatham was extraordinary, a piece of my own history. It seemed apt that we had just returned from The Chalke Valley History Festival. I am hoping to give a talk there next year on growing up in the 1920s and 1930s - which is exactly what Laurie Lee did.

You can read more about Claude Whatham and 'Cider with Rosie' (1971) in 'The Making of Swallows & Amazons' please click here and find a free sample of the first chapters.

For the Laurie Lee official centenary website, please click here

For 'Cider with Rosie' (1971) on VHS please click here
To order the DVD please click here

To read about the real Rosie, as profiled in Cotswold Life magazine please click here

To listen to the Thursday Mark Forrest Evening Show - slide the cursor to 02:12:20  please click here
I start speaking about Swallows & Amazons at 02:14:20
Dave is on before the News at 01:53:00

Mum's More Medical Moments in Movies

For someone who is never ever ill, and hates even the idea of hospital, it is rather surprising to digest the fact that Mum loves playing a patient.

Daphne Neville with Roy Dotrice

She doesn't seem to mind what she looks like on the screen. Here she is playing Louise, an A&E patient in 'Casualty', the long-running hospital drama made by BBC TV.

Playing a patient called Louise in 'Casualty'

The call now is for old ladies in need of comfort. This was a short WWII mystery movie called Lost Hearts shot on location near Malvern in Worcestershire in 2011.

Katrina Norbury and Daphne Neville in 'Lost Hearts'

She absolutely adored being in 'Doctors' for BBC TV - you can tell from this photo.

Daphne Neville and Tony Adams in 'Doctors'

Things were once different. She always enjoyed being a medic, although appearing as Nurse Fisher in the film 'Diagnosis Murder'  with Christopher Lee did not do much for her career in that area.

Daphne Neville as Nurse Fisher in 'Diagnois Murder'

I am sure she did something terrible to the poor man in the wheel chair. He didn't look very well at all.

Playing a mid-wife for BBC TV back in 1994

There even was a time when she played a doctor. That was alarming.She played Dr Machin in the ATV soap opera Crossroads. So many people though she was a real doctor she could hardly go to the supermarket.

Playing Dr Hilary Machin in 'Crossroads'

For a more comprehensive credit list please click here

Mum on Television

It can be rather a shock. There we are, innocently watching television and Mum appears - with George Cole. 

In 'Minder' with George Cole 

Then my friends ring to ask if it was true. 

'Is she working as a receptionist now?'

'Not, exactly. She was just playing the part of a receptionist on 'London's Burning'.'

or 

'We saw your mother in tears, terribly upset!'

'Oh, dear, have they been repeating 'Prime Suspect'?'

'Yes! That's what is was. Helen Mirren was the detective.'

It was a bit confusing when Mum appeared as a Magistrate when she was one in real life. 

Chariman of the bench in 'Close Relations' for BBC TV

She was rather shocked to see herself with a Mrs Thatcher hair-do but I told her that it would probably lead to another part. Instead she ended up wearing this curly wig. Theatrical wigs tend to be terribly itchy.

Playing the Headmistress in 'House of Elliott' for BBC
with Louise Lombard and Stella Gonet

She loves climbing into a costume but would rather wear a hat.

On location with Gregor Fisher filming 'Rab C.Nesbitt'

With Roderick Smith in 'Dangerfield'

Filming 'To The Manor Born' one chilly day

And to give her her due, she gets to meet interesting people in interesting places. She readily admits that appearing on television is her hobby as well being her job. She loves it. We just have to be stoic viewers.

Playing Laura's Mum in 'Secret Smile' for Granada
with David Tennant

To see more about Daphne Neville's work in film and television please click here.

The Otters are in Hampshire

Our tame otters Belinda and Rudi were at the Romsey Show at Broadlands in Hampshire on Saturday 14th September when they were interviewed on BBC Radio Berkshire.

Last weekend, on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd September, they are appearing at the Royal County of Berkshire Country Show 2013 near Newbury where entertainment for all ages is promised.

For more information about the otters's engagements please click here.

Mum, Dad and their tame otters

My parents have kept tame otters since about 1980.

Over the years they have collected quite a few stories about them.

They are very inquisitive,

love eggs

and playing in the hay.

but most of all, they love being loved.

They appeared on CBBC TV in 'Wild' one Saturday morning recently
and will be at the Royal Welsh Show all this week 

These beautiful photographs were taken recently for a feature in the Sunday Telegraph

Please click here for the article published on 21st July 2013