by Neil Baldwin
NEIL
The read-through was great. It was the first time I had heard the whole film. I found out afterwards that Patrick was watching me closely to see if I got upset with some bits, such as when my mum died, because they didn’t want me to be upset. That was very nice of him, but I was OK. Mum wouldn’t want me to be upset, and I know she’s watching me. Some of the others weren’t OK. There were some hankies out and the sound of sniffing in the room.
MALCOLM
I also watched a lot of the filming which was a fascinating and for me completely new experience. Filming was to a tight schedule and so it meant that everything had to operate like clockwork. Simon, the assistant director, made sure that the whole operation kept moving at as fast a pace as possible, always dependent on the number of times Julian, the director, wanted to reshoot a particular scene. I was greatly impressed with the professionalism, teamwork and kindness of the whole crew. Despite the pressure they were working under, nothing seemed to be too much trouble for them in looking after Neil or his visitors.
Neil sat in his chair supervising the proceedings, giving the thumbs-up to Toby Jones and the others after each take, and being kept fed and watered by the support crew.
Scenes were shot repeatedly, up to a dozen times in some cases, until Julian was quite satisfied with the output. Even then, the scene might have to be reshot while the cameras focused on a different actor or a different perspective.
One of the extras, who was also working as an extra on the daytime TV series Doctors, told me that on Doctors the second or third take usually had to do, because they didn’t have the time for multiple takes; but on this filming there would seemingly be as many takes as needed to get to the standard that Julian required.
I commented to Greg McHugh that it was strange to see somebody playing me, and he replied that it was strange for him because he had never played a character with the real-life person standing at the side watching him. He said that, if I didn’t like the way he was playing me, I should speak to Julian, because he has to play it the way the director instructs. But I was more than happy. My wife, Lesley, remarked to him that it had been very good married to him all these years.
There are things you never realise until you watch a film being made. For example, Marvellous includes a lot of scenes of people eating, usually Neil. Toby Jones clearly could not eat a dozen chocolate biscuits if a scene had to be shot twelve times. Therefore, at the end of each such scene, someone rushed on with a bucket and a tissue to allow Toby to disgorge the food from his mouth without his having swallowed it.
I loved the way that, once Toby was made up as Neil, he didn’t like to come out of character. On one occasion he was in a scene with a couple of extras that was being filmed when I arrived. Between takes, I gave a small wave of recognition. He beckoned to the two extras to come over and have a word with me and said in his Neil voice, ‘I’d like to introduce you to Malcolm Clarke. He’s the chairman of the Football Supporters’ Federation and a member of the FA Council; he’s a very good friend of mine.’
NEIL
I appeared myself in a few scenes. One day they were filming a scene with me and Toby and at the end of the take Julian said, ‘Neil, that was absolutely great, but, Toby, I’m afraid we will have to take it again.’ So I was a better actor than he was. I like telling people that story.
MALCOLM
I had not realised that there is such a job as a football choreographer, who is paid to instruct actors playing a football match on how to make it look realistic. It was interesting to see the recreation of the match refereed by Uriah Rennie, which Zara and I had watched at Keele all those years earlier, refereed in the film by Uriah himself. Uriah and I were able to advise on what had happened. The scene where Neil comes on to play for Stoke included a number of regular Stoke City supporters.
It was very interesting talking to some of the extras who formed the crowd in the recreation of the testimonial at Wrexham FC. I was surprised to discover that they didn’t really know much, if anything, of what the film was about. Apparently, this is normal for extras, who turn up to do particular scenes and often aren’t told. And, indeed, many didn’t appear to be bothered about what the film was about or where their particular scene fitted in.
The only scene I saw filmed that didn’t require multiple retakes was, paradoxically, the one for which you might have expected the most retakes: when Toby is required to head the ball for Neil’s ‘goal’ during the game. Toby stood on a stool, with the chief cameraman, David Odd, flat on his back underneath him to film it from below. Someone then threw the ball into the air and Toby had to jump off the stool and head it. Immediately before the first take Toby said, ‘This is where I make a complete fool of myself.’ And I’m sure most of us expected that this scene would require multiple retakes. In fact, on the first occasion the ball was lobbed in the air, Toby jumped from the stool and met it perfectly with his forehead. To our astonishment, Julian said that was fine, no need for any more takes.
On one occasion, prior to the filming of a scene involving ‘real’ Lou and the ‘film’ Lou, Lou said to Tony Curran, who was playing him, ‘Have you any advice on how to say my lines?’
Tony replied, ‘Lou, I’m playing you – you should be telling me how to say the lines!’
NEIL
They did the scene of my mum’s funeral in the same Christadelphian Church in Dimsdale Parade, Newcastle, where the real funeral was held eleven years earlier. Some of the extras who provided the congregation for that scene were members of the Christadelphian Church who had been at the real funeral, including Les Bailey, who took Mum’s funeral, and his wife Mary.
Malcolm was crying in the funeral scene but I told him there was no need to. I cried when Mum died but she wouldn’t want me to be still crying now. You just have to get on with life and make the most of it. In any case, I know she’s watching me.
MALCOLM
Les Bailey recalls:
We weren’t expecting to see the coffin in the church, which quite shocked us when we walked in, but, on thinking about it, we realised that, of course, it had to be there. The church members also found it odd to be asked by the director to put on particular facial expressions.
In fact, it was a bit surreal for all of us – like going to someone’s funeral twice. We were watching on a monitor in a side room. I was sitting next to Neil. When Toby began Neil’s oration, which was very similar to the oration he had given at the real funeral, I found it so moving that I could not hold it together. A member of the production crew discreetly stepped forward with some tissues to help me out and whispered in my ear, ‘She’s in a better place now.’ This was sensitive and thoughtful, intended to make me feel better; but, in fact, it made me think, this is ridiculous, there isn’t anyone in that coffin. Neil, who was sitting next to me, wasn’t crying and said in his characteristic, straightforward way, ‘What are you crying for? There’s no need to cry. It was eleven years ago. She’s up there watching us, and she’ll be very pleased. Will you get me a cup of tea?’ Back to reality.
At the end of the funeral scene, Julian’s direction required that the only guest still eating the buffet at the end of the funeral scene was me. My family say Julian did that after watching me scoff the catering on set, but I am convinced that it was just a coincidence.
Outside afterwards I told Toby about my tears and he said thank you and gave me a hug, which wasn’t the response I had expected. I suddenly realised that, if you tell an actor that he’s made you cry, it’s a big professional compliment.
While they were shooting the scene in the hospital corridor at the City General Hospital, in the middle of a take the real Neil unexpectedly appeared out of a side corridor in a wheelchair being pushed by a real member of the hospital staff right through the middle of the set. Neil just said calmly, ‘She’s taking me to see the hospital chapel.’ Apparently he was oblivious of the fact that he had just interrupted filming, and half the crew were shaking with laughter.
I took some of the lads that I teach down to watch some of the filming of Marvellous in the Iron Market in Newcastle. They all said, ‘Can’t we see the real Neil?’ And they said the best thing about the whole day was meeting the real Neil. He had that effect on them much more than Toby Jones or Katie the producer.
The filming saw Neil’s only known failure to get an invitation. He found out somehow that Toby Jones was getting married later in the year, and, naturally, he said, ‘Can I come to your wedding, Toby?’ Toby thought about it, then he said, quite nicely, ‘No, Neil, you can’t.’ Neil told me Toby was joking, but I felt fairly sure he wasn’t. The story got around the film crew, and I’m afraid they rather enjoyed embarrassing Toby with it. At the post-production party they started singing, to the tune of ‘Guantanamera’, ‘Come to your wed-ding, / He’s gonna come to your wedding…’
NEIL
It was a great night, that post-production party. It was in the Glebe pub in Stoke and all the actors were there, and they sang the song ‘Delilah’ from the film, and they gave me a book, which they’d all signed for me. It was a really great night.
I was invited to a small private showing of the film in advance of its premiere, along with Malcolm and Vic. I think Peter, Patrick and Katie were a little nervous about what we’d think, especially what I’d think. But we thought it was great. So did the TV critics, and so did the audiences at the two premieres, in London and Stoke-on-Trent.
These premieres were great. I appeared on stage and took questions. It was shown on BBC2 on 25 September 2014, and repeated on Christmas Day, and it’s won lots of awards.
I keep in touch with some of the actors too. Nick Gleaves, who played Rev. Mark, rings me up quite often and we have a good talk. Rev. Mark was a character Pete Bowker invented. He put most of the vicars in my life into one character.
Malcolm and I watched the TV broadcast of the film on 25 September at a showing organised by the Students’ Union in the ballroom of the union building. It seemed the most appropriate place. I’ve been at Keele and in the union all those years.
It was marvellous to watch Marvellous in the Students’ Union with a lot of students who I knew. Everybody thought it was great. The BBC did interviews with me and with and a number of students who have played for my football team and know me from Keele.
MALCOLM
At the end of the film, Neil was called upon to say a few words and answer some questions. He said to me, ‘Will you introduce me?’ Of course, but it wasn’t easy to sum up Neil’s fifty years at Keele and our friendship in a few minutes.
It was quite strange but entirely appropriate to be doing that in the Students’ Union ballroom, forty-six years after I had spoken in the same room against taking direct action and occupying the registry and had proposed Neil’s honorary union membership.
The BBC were filming for their Inside Out programme, which had an excellent feature on Neil. Earlier in the day I had been interviewed by them. Two senior Keele officials, Chris Stone, the press officer, and John Easom, the alumni manager, were there. I offered to ‘brand up’ (to use the marketing jargon) with the new Keele tie if one could be provided. Chris and John were very keen on this, but their efforts on their mobiles to get one brought to me didn’t succeed. They may not have had the clout to rustle up a tie at short notice, but, fortunately, we had someone with us who did.
NEIL
I saw someone I knew who works near the vice chancellor’s office walking by and said, ‘Louise, tell Sara that Malcolm wants a university tie.’ Sara is the vice chancellor’s assistant. A few minutes later, Sara turned up with the tie and Malcolm put it on.
MALCOLM
Uriah Rennie told me:
I was very pleased to appear in Marvellous as myself. It’s not always the good and the great who should have their life catalogued. That’s why this film is so important.
I’m a patron of Disability Sport England and teenage cancer charities. People who are connected with those organisations have come up to me and said how inspirational they found the story as portrayed in the film to be. They’ve said to me, ‘It must have been one of the best things that you’ve been involved in.’
I was at a Bury-versus-Exeter City game, when Steve Perryman, who was a famous player for Spurs, came up to me and had a chat about the film. He told me that he had told the club’s apprentice footballers, ‘You must watch it, because it has so much to tell you about determination, achieving your goals and an attitude to life.’ He’s thinking about inviting Neil down to give a pre-season talk on motivation and positivity.
CHAPTER TEN
NEIL BALDWIN, CELEBRITY
NEIL
After the London premiere of Marvellous came the Stoke one. Everyone was there: councillors, people from Keele, Stoke City, Lou Macari, Malcolm and his family. It was a great night, and I was very happy to see so many people there. I enjoyed going onto the stage to say a few words. It was introduced by the northern director of the BBC, and hosted by Perry Spillar of Radio Stoke. Perry is a very good friend of mine. I knew his father many years ago, when he was a curate in Clayton, Newcastle-under-Lyme. I know he was nervous but he did very well.
MALCOLM
Neil’s right. Perry Spillar was nervous:
I came up to North Staffordshire about six years ago, initially to Signal Radio, and about two years ago I joined Radio Stoke. About three years ago I was in the pantomime, playing the Emperor. Neil is a big fan of pantomime, and we met outside the theatre door.
It was then that I realised he was the same person that I’d seen as a teenager in Stratford all those years ago.
Although I’d never lived here until six years ago, and was born after my parents had moved away from the area, Neil provides a connection to my parents’ time here.
The Stoke premiere was a quite important gig for me because there were important people from the BBC there. Neil, on the other hand, was completely unfazed by it. He even took the mike from me at one point and almost took the event over. He’s no respecter of rank and treats everyone the same, even though he’s a ‘collector’ of the great and the good. The bunfight after the premiere was very animated and very positive. It has had a good effect on the area.
The producer thinks we’ve had him on Radio Stoke about ten times in connection with the film. Neil’s something unique. It’s about attitudes to people with learning difficulties and how we should never write people off. Neil plays to his strengths. The Radio Stoke listeners love him. Our audience profile tends to be people from their mid-forties onwards. They’ve all heard of him. And he means a great deal to Stoke.
NEIL
At the party afterwards I sang a solo of ‘How Great Thou Art’. I was also invited to go onto the pitch before the next Stoke City home game against Newcastle United.
MALCOLM
That was followed by a much bigger but marvellous fuss at the following home game against Swansea, which Stoke City designated a ‘Marvellous matchday’. The match programme featured Neil and the film, and there was clown face-painting for the kids. In a nice gesture by the club, the full choir from the film were invited as guests and came onto the pitch at half-time, along with Neil himself, resplendent in his tuxedo, who was interviewed.
We were there with Neil, writer Peter Bowker, Greg McHugh, who played me, and Toby DeCann. The man in the tuxedo held the show.
There was a magical moment in our box when Peter was talking about Gordon Banks. Neil asked the staff member looking after us to ‘go and get Gordon. Peter would like to meet him.’ Peter didn’t take this seriously but the look on his face when, ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door and in walked arguably the world’s greatest ever goalkeeper, was priceless. Neil introduced them to each other.
NEIL
Of course, I have known Gordon very well ever since the 1970s. He’s a very good friend of mine. And I’m delighted that we
were both given the Freedom of the City on the same day. It was 16 October 2014 when two councillors proposed it, Andrew Munday and Paul Breeze, who sadly didn’t live to see it bestowed on me. I went to his funeral. He was a good man.
MALCOLM
After the Swansea game, Nicolle Begovi´c, the wife of the Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovi´c, tweeted that she wanted to meet Nello. Kath Shawcross, the wife of the Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross, tweeted back that he could be found outside the ticket office after each game. After the next game she came out with her husband to live her dream and meet Neil. They then offered Neil a lift home, but there was a hitch.
NEIL
Malcolm had set off to the car park to fetch his car up to the ground to give me a lift, and my bag was in his boot, so I couldn’t accept Asmir and Nicolle’s offer, which was a shame for her.
MALCOLM
Some Banksy-type graffiti appeared overnight on the wall of a newsagent’s shop in the middle of Stoke. It depicted the Queen ‘knighting’ with a sword the kneeling figure of a yellow chicken, with the caption ‘Arise Sir Nello’. This followed the starting of a ‘Give Nello a knighthood’ Facebook page.
NEIL
Since the film came out, I have been very busy. I opened a painting shop in the Potteries Shopping Centre. I was asked to switch on four sets of Christmas lights: in Meir, Stoke town centre, Bentilee and of course the Christmas tree outside the Students’ Union at Keele, which I switch on every year.