Gordon Brown visits ‘Happy Lands’ film set

Gordon Brown joined with Lochgelly and Cardenden councillor Mark Hood and Glenrothes MP Lindsay Roy on the set of the new Fife film HAPPY LANDS that is being made in Fife and traces miners families through the tumultuous events of the 192Os.

The story of ‘ The Happy Lands’ tracks the lives of the Brogan, Guthrie and Baxter families as they overcome the economic challenges brought about by the 1926 General Strike. The story is drawn from a rich collection of family stories contributed by the projects’ participants.

Already  320 Fifers have taken part in the project since its inception in September 2010. 150 attend sessions on a regular basis, with whole families taking-part. The youngest cast member is just 7 year old and the oldest is 93.

There is a cast of 150 actors, with a further group of extras been recruited from across the region. A regular group of 26 local community volunteers have helped to make the film sets, including 2 trainee placements with 3 trainees are working in the Costume Department, and 6 community members attending regular costume-making workshops.

A writing group was established during the development stages of the Project, with local historian Lillian King being consulted throughout the process. Emerging Kelty writer Ross Wilson has seen his original character of Wee Baxie translated to the local boxing gym.

BBC Scotland, Creative Scotland and The Robertson Trust are the main funders of the Project. Supporters in the trade union movement include Dave Moxham of the STUC, Bill Gilby, former UNISON Assistant Secretary, and Lord Tom Sawyer. The film is closely allied with entertainment unions, PACT and BECTU. Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for the creative industries, has supporter trainee placements that are being offered within all the key departments.

The project’s key partners are: The National Mining Museum Scotland; Fife Council Libraries and Museums; Adam Smith College; Volunteer Centre Fife; and The Job Centre.

Locations that have been filmed to date include Burntisland Parish Church; No 1. Goth Kelty;Kelty Boxing Gym Bo’ Ness and Kinneil Railway;Church of Scotland, Canmore Street, Dunfermline; Newton Grange, National Mining Museum of Scotland; and Lochore Meadows Country Park.

Said Mr Brown of his day visiting the film set : ‘It was a great day.  The filming I saw was of war hero Michael Brogan imprisoned on the charge of inciting a riot, tempers flaring at a Harry Lauder concert. In the scene, the first to be filmed at the Raws location, a group of children save the Brogan family’s belongings from bailiffs.

‘This is a great way of recreating for modern times Fifes history and I wish the project every success and will continue to work with them to take the history of Fife into every community’

Mr Hood, the local councilor for Lochgelly and Cardenden said ‘This is an exciting project that has really caught the imagination of local people. The idea that members of our community can take such an active part in telling the story of such an important part of our local history in this way is great. I wish  them every success with the rest of the project and look forward to seeing the finished film.