Pinewood
Another day, another tough visit for the Shadow Culture spokesman, this time to Pinewood, the home of British film. Or perhaps, more accurately, the central focus for the British Film industry (along with its sister sites at Shepperton and Teddington). It is an extraordinary place, typically british, with an eclectic mix of buildings spanning the nineteenth and twentieth centuries from the original manor house to the 007 stage, newly rebuilt. It has the best underwater studio in the world, and probably one of the best sound mixing ones as well. Eighteen of the top twenty grossing films had some part of their production at Pinewood. Although Pinewood is a private company, we need to do more to make it a more prominent symbol of our success, especially as global film making becomes more competitive. I suggested huge letters spelling out “pinewood”, visible from the M25, but I’m sure the local MP, Dominic Grieve, would kill me.