cliff

my dear old mum would have been 64 this week, so i think its fitting that on her birthday week, Sir Cliff Richard came to town for an unveiling of a plaque in his honour, he's joined here by Sir Tim Rice. "Cliff's still my favorite" is something she would say quite often, especially while watching top of the pops. I have to say i have a bit of a soft spot for him to, as i like small speakers, and i like tall speakers to !


Ciff first came to the wood back in 1959 for the film serious charge playing the character curly thompson, but it's for The Young Ones in '61 and summer holiday in'63, that cliff really came to town !


For The Young Ones a large town was built on the back lot of the studios that stayed for 15 years and was used on... well, ill tell you later - wouldnt want to spoil it. The choreography in both movies was by Herbert Ross - footloose anyone ? Happy birthday mum !

1965-1967

Nupondi & Queen kari
While Loana may have been the most famous cave girl to visit the town, she wouldn't be the last. Just up the road in 1963 on the Bond stages at Pinewood studios in Buckinghamshire, Zora the catfighting gypsy girl was strutting her stuff on the set of From Russia with Love



Zora was played by the excellent Martine Beswick, the first woman to appear in 3 Bond movies, firstly in the opening credits of Dr No and then going on to play Paula Caplan in Thunderball. In '66 she was Nupondi, and would fight it out with Loana in maybe prehistoric man's first cat fight !



This famous fight may have been filmed in Borehamwood, as although most of principal shooting was on location in Spain the sets where built in borehamwood, and this scene looks to me like its on a set.

Martine returned to the 'wood in 1967 for Hammer Films Prehistoric Women (Slave Girls), this time in the staring role as Queen kari


I haven't seen this film (yet) but it looks excellent and i cant wait to see it. I'll be writing a lot more on Martine as she is for sure a legend of elstree studios and Borehamwood! If you want to see more pictures and read a little bit more about her ( and cave girls for that matter ) check out the excellent blog
cave girls in fur bikinis


ending on a little bit of trivia - she came to town again in '65 for a small role in " such men are dangerous " and episode of Dangerman which was shot at MGM.

4000BC

even folks from the mesolithic period where stopping by to maybe chop some "wood".
back in 1984 my Aunt Ruby was having a tree stump removed from her back garden in delamere road when she came across this strange looking object ...



...Ruby took rather a shine to the thing and decided to put it on top of her fire place. Some time later while watching a tv show she noticed some similarities with the topic of discussion, further investigation revealed it to be a mesolithic axe, datable from 8500bc - 4000bc
Its now on proud display at Verulamium Museum in St. Albans.
Id like to thank the museum for sending me these great pictures !

one million years BC, circa 1966

Caveman Tumak is banished from his savage tribe... and ends up in the wood along with Loana, Ahot and Nupondi.

Hammer Films where located in Borehamwood for many years, and One million Years BC became their biggest hit, the movie created the iconic image of Raquel Welch in her furry bikini. I prefer this rather fancy crucifixion shot!


Was Loana crucified in borehamwood ?