Friday, November 30, 2007

'The Blue Lamp' revisions!

Jon,

Sorry to be a pest, but I was disappointed to see that, despite a whole wealth of new info on 'The Blue Lamp' locations, my info from months ago has still not been collated!

......Yes, it's always a pity that so many other tasks occupy my time, for example, my "real" jobs necessary to fund the site at a cost of some € 15 000 a year; it is wonderful that so many other people have also kindly written in with reams and reams of fascinating information containing hundreds of photographs; and it is a shame that I am about a year behind with my "charity" work on ReelStreets.
.......To this end I am putting out blogs and emails asking for letters of support to add to my applications to the Arts Council, The UK Film Council, and other Lottery Funders to enable me to pay for more help so that my subscribers won't feel ignored or unwanted. The alternative would be to shut down the side that is open to individuals to contribute to our greater knowlege and understanding of these wonderful old films, and only put my photos and my films on line, thereby not annoying anyone but myself, but of course excluding the life blood of the site.

........This site is very important, from a social/historical standpoint, and it provides a unique reference to all our lives, reflected in film. The work that has been done in order to run the site is considerable, and is on-going, but the cost, both in terms of cash and time, are a burden that I am finding increasingly difficult to bear.

..........I do thank you Roger for your contributions, and of course from your point of view, these are understandably the most important contributions that can possibly be made, but, with a couple of hundred films on site, and emails arriving on a daily basis, not just with new information on the films currently on site, but with requests and requirements to provide copies of films, film information, biographies, story lines etc etc etc, there isn't the time nor the resources to do everything. But all of it is fascinating, and all of it is time/money consuming, hence my backlog.

........to close the site is unthinkable, once one has a tiger by the tail..................... But funding or sponsorship is now becoming increasing necessary in order to protect the work already done, and to ensure that the site continues in the future.

........I'll get one of my helpers to blog this letter and my reply

........thanks, sorry and best wishes
.........John



In particular:

Page 9, bp. 085 The 'Triplex' bridge....

The camera is in Scrubs Lane (maybe half-mile south of Harrow Road, and by St Mary's Cemetery) and is looking west into Hythe Road, NW10. Hythe Rd was, and still is, nothing but an industrial estate that is a cul-de-sac. The bridge carries a railway line. The last time I was there (ten years!), the bridge STILL had the 'Triplex Glass' logo in place.

This is a slightly illogical twist in the police' chase, and some way from the bulk of the action; if the villains had really gone into Hythe Rd, then 'Plod' would have had them for sure.....it's a dead-end.