Showing posts with label accident. Show all posts
Showing posts with label accident. Show all posts

Thursday, 12 March 2009

A cycle ride between the art, history and local services of Halesworth and Darsham.


This was written for the benefit of the High Tide Theatre Company



From: The Cut, New Cut, Halesworth, IP19 8BY
To: Haw Wood Farm, Darsham IP17 3QT


Distance: 5.4 miles, 9.18 km

Although the majority of this route is along a main road which HGVs travel between Ipswich and Norwich, the upside is that the road is smooth and wide with gentle climbs and descents. It should take a moderately fit person less than half an hour to travel by bicycle between the site of the High Tide festival at The Cut, Halesworth and the festival's campsite at Darsham.

On leaving the entrance to The Cut, head north (uphill) on New Cut and turn left at the A144/Norwich Rd, going downhill towards the roundabout.

But if your tyres need some air, turn right to Hammonds petrol station instead as this is the only local petrol station with a free air line.

Go straight ahead (second exit) over the roundabout onto Saxons Way. (The third exit Bridge Street leads to The Thoroughfare, a pedestrian shopping area.) A shopfront on Bridge Street belongs to the World Land Trust, an international conservation organisation that takes direct action to save rainforest and other wildlife habitats by buying it. The public library is almost opposite it.


On the roundabout on your left is Hooker House, once the home of the botanist Sir
Joseph Dalton Hooker which is now a dental surgery. Behind it the park on your left was given to the town by Lady Rugby, the grandmother of disgraced MP Jonathan Aitken who spent his childhood in Halesworth. This is the site of the annual ‘Gig in the Park’ every August.

The river running through the park was once navigable until embankments built downstream caused it to silt up and there was a busy quayside where grain from the many maltings in Halesworth (of which The Cut was one) was taken by boat to Southwold and from there by ship to London. At one time all of Halesworth's malt went exclusively to the Truman brewery in London's Brick Lane.

The car park on the right has a rank of bottle banks and beside them is Huggy's, a cycle shop and motor mechanic.

At the next roundabout continue on ahead. (The right turn is signed Angel Link and leads to The Thoroughfare and the town Marketplace.)

The road now sweeps in a curve to the right. Lansbury Road on the left is named after the founder of the Labour Party George Lansbury (see Mells). Archaeological evidence suggests the derelict land on the right was occupied in medieval times with lead-working, spinning, weaving and brewing carried out in several tenements. It is now the
contested site of a development for a Tesco supermarket.

At the next roundabout take the first left A144/London Rd. On the right is a Co-operative supermarket and a petrol station with a coin-operated pressure washer. Facing the roundabout is the Rifle Hall, originally built in 1792 as a theatre and was used from 1812 - 1844 by the theatre manager David Fisher. He owned an itinerant theatre group which travelled a circuit of theatres in East Anglia (including the Fisher Theatre in Bungay). It would take the company two years to complete the circuit travelling with their costumes, props and sets and publicising their plays as they went. They were highly successful with strong links with the London stage and the acting circle and the Rifle Hall once provided Halesworth what The Cut does today. The Rifle Hall has regretfully been neglected by Waveney District Council ever since they took it over in 1974 and its future looks uncertain.

Continue up the incline, mindful of the T-junction with the B1123 Chediston St causing traffic to stop or pull out in front of cyclists, passing Kerridges car dealership, and after that, turn left (heading south) at the A144/Bramfield Rd (at Highfield Residential Home). The road then sweeps downhill passing Blyth industrial estate. A cottage that once stood at the crossroads for Mells and Walpole was the birthplace of the founder of the Labour Party
George Lansbury. His grand-daughter is the actress Angela. The Mells road continues onto Wenhaston and this is a good route if you want a quiet back road to see the Wenhaston Doom. In the distance to the east along the valley you can also see the Holton Windmill.

At the 2 km mark, the road climbs again as you pass the
Halesworth Golf Club, crossing over the East Suffolk Railway, until it reaches a plateau. The trees at the right bend in the road have seen two fatal car accidents here in the last two years. A memorable road safety poster said "you see a lot of flowers in the country" and the remnants of wreaths were still there at the time of writing. To give a sense of distance if contemplating a side trip; to the east on the far horizon can be seen the Hinton Lodge water tower and next to it is Blythburgh Church, one of the finest churches in East Anglia.

The road then begins to descend towards the village of
Bramfield and with enough initial speed it is possible to coast to the centre of the village.

After the village sign, a short way up the first left turning is K W Clarkes, a quality butchers who produce local ham smoked on the premises as well as stocking locally sourced groceries.

After that turning, the North Manor Equestrian Centre stock the surrounding fields with horses and beyond that, The Bell, a 17th century pub, sells firewood and serves real ale but not food. It is one of the last places in the world where the traditional pub game ‘Ringing the Bull’ can be played.

Further on the
Bramfield Garage services and sells secondhand cars and motorcycles. Opposite the garage is the Queens Head, a long established award winning gastro-pub. Even though it is now only 5 kms since you left The Cut, you may want to slake your thirst from passing the half-way mark with a pint of locally brewed Adnams there. Nearby an overgrown dovecote made from a barrel raised on a post is a charming oddity.

At the village crossroads a choice of diversions awaits: The Walpole road to the right passes a crinkle-crankle wall and leads to the fine
St Andrews Church.

In the opposite direction; a short way down the Thorington road, a path following the ancient Dunwich road leads to circle of felled elm trees at TM 403 736 which often holds outdoor performances. The landowner is the managing director of a display pyrotechnics company who has evidently done extensive and sensitive natural landscaping.


The Thorington road also leads to Wenhaston and a ride to there and back to Holton and Halesworth via the Mells road is a pleasant circular route.

Continuing out of the village, an ancient defensive earthworks, the ‘Bramfield Castle’, becomes apparent on the left side. The road now divides two separate estates. On the right; the Georgian façade of Bramfield Hall can be glimpsed. This Tudor pile is the weekend home of the chairman of the Royal Opera House.

The road begins to climb again and here the surface has deteriorated in some places. A cast iron milestone is at TM 401 727 and near here a large colony of rooks makes an audible landmark that car drivers would miss.

Then on the right,
Brights Farm raises organic meat and is a special area of conservation. From the farm you can access twelve miles of grass walks passing a variety of different habitats including old meadows, ancient woods and ponds. Polocrosse is sometimes played in the fields too.

On reaching a flat plateau again, passing two WWII pillboxes marks the last kilometre. The vista is marred or enlivened depending on your mood by the sight of the A12 road and the whiff of a poultry farm.


At the junction with the A12, to reach Haw Wood Farm turn left towards the Little Chef restaurant and then turn right (signed for Hinton) and continue on, passing the turning for High Lodge golf course and shooting school, to reach Haw Wood Farm.

Otherwise, to continue onto Saxmundham, turn right at the A12 and continue on the cycle path towards the train station and petrol station which will become visible 2 km further south.

Darsham has all the basic essentials for a bicycle visitor including a
cycling centre and The Fox Inn is popular for Sunday lunches. A bicycle will ensure all its amenities are convenient as they are scattered over some distance.

Clustered around the train station 2 km further along the A12 from the A144 junction are two cafés, a Jet petrol station with a market, Monkey Drum; a shop selling multicultural musical instruments and fair-trade gifts, a paint and tile shop and a automotive tyre centre.

If you want to return to Halesworth by public transport, your choices are the train from Darsham which takes under ten minutes but only runs every two hours or the hourly 521 Anglian Bus which stops outside the station and The Fox Inn on which so far folding bikes have been tolerated.

Local Bike Shops

Halesworth

Coopers (an ironmongers selling tools but no bike spares)
53-54 The Thoroughfare
01986 872 110

Huggy's Bike Shop

Unit 5
18 The Thoroughfare
Tel: 01986 873932

Darsham


Byways Bicycle
Priory Farm
Tel: 01728 668764

Mountain Bike Hire for Snape and Rendlesham forests (delivery and collection to your door with 24 hours notice).

Avocet Sports

07706 479965

http://www.eastcoastmountainbiking.co.uk/



Another map link: http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/gb/halesworth/959027424273

Services in Halesworth

Besides The Cut, services in Halesworth cluster around the Thoroughfare and The Marketplace, both a short walk from the New Cut. Halesworth has a wide range of shops including specialist butchers, a fishmonger, a delicatessen, a organic shop, several greengrocers, a toyshop, several giftshops, an ironmongers, several cafes, a picture framer, a teddy bear emporium, several banks and building societies, a travel agent, a sports shop, a Spar, two newsagents, three hairdressers, a gun shop, a wine merchant, a copy shop, a stationers, chemists and several takeaways. There is also a Co-operative supermarket and several petrol stations and car dealerships locally.

For bike related items there is Huggy's and Anglia Sports has some clothing and Coopers is hardware shop with good tool department but it doesn’t stock bike bits.

Barclays and Lloyds cashpoints are in the marketplace (beyond the Thoroughfare, opposite the Angel Hotel) and HSBC has one at the north end of The Thoroughfare opposite Focus Organics.





PART TWO TO COME: DARSHAM to SNAPE via SAXMUNDHAM

Sunday, 1 February 2009

The Day The Music Died: 50 years on

In October 1986 I was drivng across the USA and I found myself in Clear Lake, Iowa.

Because of the mythology around 'American Pie' I went to look for the 'Buddy Holly' crash site. Twenty years ago, before the world wide web, Clear Lake's claim to fame wasn't encouraged by the Chamber of Commerce and they denied knowing where the crash site was but they did send me over to the Surf Ballroom who sent me to the Mason City Globe-Gazette who put me in touch with the photographer
Elwin Musser who had taken this photo.

Now thousands of people visit Clear Lake in the midst of winter to remember Holly, Valens and the Big Bopper and a good number of them come from Britain. The British contingent have founded a tradition of having breakfast at the Chit Chat Cafe as part of the annual rituals. I'm glad the Chamber of Commerce has since come to their senses and welcomes visitors at a slow time for Iowa tourism.

Learning that I was a photographer from Britain, Elwin and his wife Elsie very kindly invited me to dinner. We talked late into the night about his photography, 3D cameras and life in newspapers and when I left Elwin gave me one of his last sets of prints. He still didn't tell me where the crash site was exactly but, with a twinkle in his eye, he hinted that by lining up the features in the photos with the map I could find the site to pay my respects. Now there is memorial and signs everywhere to the site but the silos and trees I found it by are the same


Elwin took the photo above (one of 16 plates) on a Speed Graphic at around 11 AM when the coroner arrived on the scene and he only spent a few minutes there. Only eight images have been published but the rest of them show little of public interest.
At the scene are: Jim Collison - reporter with Elwin's paper (far left), A Boyd Arnold, - Mason City Fire Chief, Eugene Anderson - FAA Investigator, Fred Buchetti - FAA Investigator, an unknown State Trooper, Ralph Smiley - Coroner (seen in other photos wearing a stetson and fur parka but out of frame here).

The body lying on the ground you might as well know is Ritchie Valens. The Big Bopper's foot is on the right edge of frame (he was thrown forward) and the pilot Roger Peterson is inside the wreckage. Buddy Holly lies just outside the bottom left of frame which I have cropped from the original.

The first point of impact is about 600 yards back where the plane bounced then the nose ploughed into the ground, flipping over as the cabin rolled the tail around itself like a ball of string and throwing the passengers out and coming to rest on the fence. Contrary to the millions of words recounting this event it was actually planted with beets at the time; Iowa and cornfields being a lazy writer's cliche.




I live myself very near the site of two plane crashes. On the 13th February 1974 a RAF English Electric Lightning's  engine caught fire and the pilot Fl Lt Terry Butcher ejected and instead of continuing to the North Sea as expected, the aircraft XR715 from RAF Wattisham smashed into the ground mere yards from my house at Watermill Farm, Wenhaston, the home of the late North Norfolk MP, John Hill


In August 1944 Joseph P. Kennedy Jr's craft exploded over Blythburgh so changing the course of history (had he lived there would have been no Dallas). There many other wartime crash sites and bits of plane turn up all the time when ploughing.


Elwin said he never thought there would be much interest in these photos. A plane crash in New York the same day pushed this story aside in the headlines except in the victim's home states. On 22 Aug 1954 a Braniff Douglas DC-3 crashed at Mason City in a thunderstorm and Musser's photos of that event went on the front pages nationwide. Musser had a book published of his work in 1994 and hundreds of his images are accessible through the Mason City Public Library.

Elwin recalls that fateful day in a video on the
Globe Gazette's website and hopefully from there you'll be able to look at the slideshow of his work too.

This photo is the copyright of the Mason City Globe Gazette. You can order your own uncropped copy from globegazette.com or link to it from there.

Saturday, 24 January 2009

Death on the A12 at Blythburgh


UPDATE 21/2/08 another fatal crash at Wangford.
UPDATE 14/2/09 yet another crash at Blythburgh. Thankfully not a fatality this time.

Another fatality at Blythburgh and the Henham turn-off for Southwold has been reported today. Visitors to Latitude watch out, this junction is a notorious blackspot.

When will it stop? My memory recalls about one serious accident at this junction per year but it is next to impossible to locate real figures. Perhaps there should be a national database to identify blackspots like the USA has.

I suspect there is one for the UK in some computer but the public can't access it without a lot of paperwork. It always takes an outcry to do something about it.

I recall in December 2002 going to a heated meeting in Saxmundham Town Hall (see below) when the civil engineering consultants Faber Maunsell (then Oscar Faber) were reviewing improvments to the A12 in the AONB that was attended by representatives of every parish council. Here lights at Darsham were demanded as well a bridge or pedestrian crossing at Yoxford and a host of other worthy measures. The report later concluded:

"Previous route condition studies along the corridor have concluded that there are a number of local accident clusters and local junction problems, but that these are not exceptionally severe in comparison with other parts of Suffolk."

These lights were finally erected in December 2008 after two people, both community-active pensioners, died in a road accident when crossing the A12 at Darsham two years before in December 2006.

Gerald and Henny McDonald were killed in a collision with a car when walking from the train platforms to the station's car park on the other side of the road at a level crossing. An inquest in July 2008 heard that having no lights made this crossing a dangerous place for pedestrians.


A cruel irony is the case of a grandmother, Vera Clark who was killed crossing the very road she campaigned for safety improvements on.

Residents of Blythburgh though have taken the matter into their own hands with a police backed
initative to cut speeding.

The Lowestoft Journal, an Archant newspaper, used to have a campaign to improve the A12 but lately the website has been a blank.

These are the 'A12 at Blythburgh' accident stories still available from the EADT website:


Concern for rising road deaths (with statistics)

Crash at Blythburgh after concert: Teenagers Claire Stoddart, 18, her sister Jennifer, 15, and their friend Carla Took, 18, plus Simon Bonner, 40, and Kim Abbott, 41, died after two cars crashed head on the A12 at Blythburgh in July 2006

After digging in my files, I found the following text files I'd saved from 2002


A12 IPSWICH TO LOWESTOFT ROUTE STUDY

Suffolk County Council (SCC) is working with consultants, Oscar Faber, to develop a route strategy for the improvement of the A12 corridor between Ipswich and Lowestoft. The project team are identifying problems and issues and exploring possible solutions.
Please print off and complete this questionare to give us your views about the A12 corridor. (dead link)


STUDY PURPOSE

The A12 between Ipswich and Lowestoft is an important route serving the eastern fringe of Suffolk. Since the 1 June 2001, responsibility for the operation and management of this section of the A12 lies with SCC. Oscar Faber was commissioned to develop an action plan for the A12, designed to meet the needs of local people, business and visitors. This project is being carried out in support of the aims of the Local Transport Plan. Principal objectives are to deliver solutions for:

* Greater use of sustainable travel options. * Improved environmental conditions. * Better travel safety. A key outcome of the work will be to prioritise resources so that the most cost effective solutions for improving the route are implemented.

STUDY CORRIDOR

* The A12 between Ipswich - Lowestoft is part of the primary route network serving local and regional needs. * The section being studied runs in a generally south-north direction from the A14 at Seven Hills, near Ipswich to Lowestoft. * The A12 has been improved in a piecemeal manner over the past 40 years resulting in a variety of widths and alignment standards. * Traffic flows vary along the route. * The route bypasses several communities including east Ipswich, Martlesham, Woodbridge, Wickham Market, Ufford, Saxmundham and Wangford. * It passes through several other communities and serves significant amounts of ribbon development, that front the road, as well as providing numerous connections to adjacent small towns and villages. * First Eastern Counties bus company runs a limited stop service between Ipswich and Lowestoft and other village bus services use parts of the route * Anglia Railways operates the East Suffolk Rail Line that runs between Ipswich and Lowestoft; the line is mostly single track, has a maximum speed of 55mph and is slower in places due to locally operated level crossings.

CURRENT TRANSPORT SITUATION

* Approximately 26,000 vehicles per day are carried along the route in the south and 14,000 in the north. Generally it operates without major delays. * There were 403 accidents involving injury to road users during a five year period to September 2001 - of these injury accidents, 76 were serious; 9 were fatal. * At sites where there is a history of accidents, safety improvement schemes will be carried out. * There are no bypass improvements programmed for the A12 (between Ipswich & Lowestoft) but there is funding available to improve the route to make the road safer, more efficient and, improve the environment. * Approximately 500,000 single passenger journeys are made on the East Suffolk train line each year. * The Rural Bus Fund has funded an hourly service on the Ipswich to Leiston loop (Service 80 + 81).
In initial consultations people have already said: * Some traffic travels too fast along local roads * Driving along the A12 is dangerous * The A12 is an important access route for the area * It is hard to turn on/off at some junctions * Things should be done to preserve the rural nature of the area * There are places where it is unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists * It is an easy road to drive along * More bus services are needed. * More should be done to encourage train travel.


WE VALUE YOUR VIEWS!

The consultation process within the overall study seeks to understand, identify and prioritise the needs and preferences of local residents, businesses, users of the route and other stakeholders with an interest in the study area. This involves holding group discussions, interviews, conducting surveys and public exhibitions.

By completing the questionaire you will contribute to a project that affects your community and, you can enter a prize draw to win two first class return train tickets from any station on Anglia railways trains to London!

TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS SURVEY
* Please print out the questionnaire (dead link)


* Answer the questions * Place the completed questionnaire in an envelope and send to-MARKET RESEARCH
OSCAR FABER
FREEPOST ANG0079
ST ALBANS AL1 3BR

* Return by Friday 22nd March 2002 (or anytime until June according to the PR I phoned.)

MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO COMMENT

A series of public exhibitions will be held to display the results of the study and consultation. Representatives from Oscar Faber and the County Council will be present to answer questions and listen to ideas. A questionnaire will be available to complete. Following the exhibitions, the route plan will be developed.

Please come along with your friends, family or colleagues and tell us what you think. We look forward to seeing you there!

Public Exhibitions:
21st March 12pm - 9pm Saxmundham Market Hall

22nd March 12pm - 9pm Woodbridge Shire Hall
23rd March 12pm - 9pm Kessingland Community Centre

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information about this study, please contact:
Dawn Korosso

OSCAR FABER
Malborough House, Upper Malborough Road,St. Albans, Hertfordshire AL13 UTT
020 8784 5544

A meeting was held on 2nd December 2002 at Saxmundham Town Hall to present the results of the A12 Route Management Study by consultants to Suffolk County Council. It had a vigourous debate and a near unanimous vote that the attendees wanted the A12 made a dual carriageway from Ipswich to Yarmouth, a promise that was made by Westminster in the 1990's to be carried out by 2005, but not recommended by the study.

Rory Poole of consultants Oscar Faber presented the draft findings of the study commissioned by David Chenery for the SCC. 34,000 people were contacted in total, 33,000 leaflets distributed and 2,167 postal questionnaires were received and there were 143 workshop attendees.

Safety was the key concern above other operational characteristics. The KSI (killed or seriously injured) accident per journey/mile ratio is up 26% in last 5 years. Speed limits were key issue raised by public.

The Farnham section was cited as most in need of improvement.

Many improvements proposed such as crossings for pedestrians and bicycles (at Darsham).

Many users wanted improvements in East Suffolk rail line.

Blyth Valley highlights of the A12 RMS Implementation Plan:

Year 1 2002-03 Improve accident monitoring, Implement speed limit review, Improve bus stops. Implement traffic signal junction in Wrentham.
Year 2 2003-04 Improve accident monitoring, Implement pedestrian improvements in villages, Improved train interchange at Woodbridge and Darsham.

Year 3 2004-05 Improve accident monitoring, Implement spurs from National Cycle Route and other cycle route extensions. Saxmundham rail station improvements, Implement improved lay-bys as passing places and provide facilities for drivers. There is a shortage of rest stops and fuel and refreshment places, especially for HGVs.

Year 4-8 2005-11 Improve accident monitoring, Junction and link improvement:A12/A1095 Southwold junctionToby's Walk junction, New safe passing places

Proposed speed limits:

Yoxford and Darsham: extend 30 mph zone and 40 mph buffer zones.

Blythburgh: new 30 mph limit with 40 mph buffer zones

Expected additional journey time after all speed changes implemented between Seven Hills and Bloodmoor is approximately another 5 minutes to theoretical 39 - actual 45 minutes journey times.

Consultant's recommendation is no progression on bypass schemes and no dualling schemes, as both unlikely to pass public enquiry within the NATA guidelines.

The strategy would be taken to the meeting of the SCC executive committee on December 19th. Copies of the study should be with all relevant councils by now.

Joan Girling chaired a lively Q&A session:

Speaker from Stratford wanted to know why the report did not recommend a bypass in Stratford St Andrew in the Farnham section. There was much approval from all present that this was a dangerous and difficult spot and bypass efforts have been underway for a long time. Joan Girling responded with that the number of journeys did not justify a bypass and the road can't be improved or straightened without compulsory purchase. A 30 mph limit will be implemented.

Speaker from Melton asked about black spot warning signs and made a request for a speed triggered warning sign there. A representative from Southwold complained that the road signs were often badly placed and a proliferation was an information overload. Rory Poole responded that harmonisation of the driver information was part of the plan.

Wenhaston representative wanted to know if a wished for deceleration lane turning from the A12 was recommended. Rory Poole said it was not in the plan.

There was a long debate over the merits of speed cameras citing one at Snape turnoff. Speakers from Aldeburgh and Leiston said the drivers southbound were accelerating because of the dual carriageway and then decelerating again because of the speed camera at the return to single lane. It was a hazard because the length of dual section doesn't do enough to release traffic built up behind a slow moving vehicle, drivers get frustrated so the dual section should be increased. Joan Girling's response was drivers should not get frustrated but allow more time for journeys.

A Southwold representative said there were not enough lay-bys for slow tractors and trailers to pull over. Rory Poole said more lay-bys are in year 3 and 4 of plan. Some doubt was expressed that agricultural vehicles would use them.

Speaker from Woodbridge asked for a footbridge but David Chenery said it had been studied before and site didn't have enough room and too many mains services would need to be re-routed. A level interchange was best option. David Chenery went on to say that Spring 2003 will see rollout of five more speed cameras on A12.

A speaker from Martlesham said A12/A14 Gt Bealings was of concern, recent traffic improvements actually caused new problems and tailbacks and queue jumping was a hazard. Rory Poole said the footprint of the roundabout would be improved and more consulting with police.

Speaker from Lowestoft asked for improvement in A12 capacity (ie dualling) as essential to Lowestoft economic regeneration. Joan Girling said other economic regeneration schemes are underway to improve Lowestoft and as the A12 was now detrunked, Lowestoft should look west for communications improvements and not south.

Speaker from Yoxford asked for pedestrian crossing on A12 and Rory Poole said this was top of the list in year 2.

Speaker from Leiston said the study's findings are that the roads are clearly inadequate and nothing is delivered in the plan to remedy the undercapacity. SCC is hiding behind NATA assessments to do nothing. Joan Girling gave a passionate rebuttal saying so many other road schemes need priority and NATA requires consideration of many more factors than before.

Speaker from Martlesham asked what could be done with local employers, ie BT to improve road use. David Chenery said that SCC had been talking to BT for years to adopt a green travel plan without progress.

A question of the methodology of the risk assessment was put by a HSA engineer and satisfactorily explained by David Chenery.

An opinion was put forward that the study was more a plan to control costs than improve roads. Speaker from Blything Ward said that the plan did not do enough for the people of Lowestoft and the Blyth Valley and that improved road capacity was vital to the economy of the area or the area would starve. Joan Girling said a dual carriageway would not happen in her lifetime. Joan Girling was reminded of prior Govt promises for the A12. Joan Girling said not everyone wanted a dual carriageway. A show of hands was proposed and I estimate 80% were in favour. Joan Girling said it was about 50% so it was proposed that opponents raise their hands but the meeting was adjourned at 8.10 instead.

















Monday, 28 July 2008

An Open Letter to the DGA

It worries me that in my experience, both in the USA and UK, whenever there is filming in a public place, the film technicians may be required by the producers to harass any photographers that turn up uninvited.

I am a photojournalist who has often been assigned by legitimate news organizations to cover motion picture filming. Sometimes I was not invited and sometimes, judging from people’s actions, my presence was unwanted and I was actively harassed and even assaulted.

Putting up screens and holding umbrellas to shield the stars from photographers is not harassment but shining xenon flashlights or laser pointers into photographer's eyes, especially when they are looking down a lens, is assault.

Why should a film crew have to do this? Some crews I have encountered even enjoyed it and saw it as a sport. It concerns me that just because someone has got a permit to film in the street, that doesn't mean they have the right to prevent people from going about their lawful business or that the motion picture and television industry is exempt from scrutiny.


I have asked many times but I never got an answer from the DGA or FilmLondon on what rights - if any - a film permit gives a production. All I can find out tells me it doesn't give them any rights except that it complies with the bye-laws that you can't film on public property without one.

I certainly support crews filming in the street and will happily wait a few minutes when I encounter them if they're holding traffic for a shot as many of my friends and family work in the film industry (as I did for 25 years) and they have got to eat too.

But sometimes there is a mistaken belief that this enables the production to legally block the sidewalks, shut down noises and tell people what they can and cannot do. There's a industry joke about this that goes; "don't worry, we have cinematic immunity".

I have written letters to production managers and the DGA many times suggesting a code of conduct for film crews regarding the photography of their activity in public places. None have ever been answered. Even though I haven't covered a film set for about five years, it still concerns me that someday somebody is going to be hurt.

As a responsible journalist I understand that a production has to proceed without hindrance and, with 25 years experience within the film industry, I believe I know how to behave on a set. Whenever I have been at a set I have always made my presence known and given my name when asked (although there is no compelling reason to do so) and I have tried to come to an arrangement on to where it is safe to observe the production. This arrangement is usually then reneged on by the production deliberately placing lights, gryflons, vehicles or people for no purpose but to block the view. That comes with the territory.

With increasing frequency though people have also deliberately shone xenon flashlights into my camera whenever it was put up to my eye. Doing this can cause permanent damage to the retina and have done the same with laser pointers which is assault.

I don't need to wonder how the police and security would react if this was done by me to the cinematographer. I hate to think of where these sort of actions towards the media could escalate to.

Understandably the 'paparazzi' are generally unwelcome but it could lead to a tragedy if the attitude within the film industry prevails that they are fair game for assault.

I can appreciate a crew’s concern for public safety and the privacy of the cast and by always making my presence known and working openly I cannot pose a security or privacy threat and, as when filming is in a public place, I cannot accept that any form of direct hindrance is justified. Such actions only create incentives for the media to stay undercover and infiltrate film sets instead, if only for personal safety.

Perhaps it would be appropriate for the film and television industry to remind cast and crews that there are responsible journalists covering film sets and even if uninvited, they do not need permission to work if filming occurs in a public place. We live in a free society and the entertainment industry should be given the same scrutiny by the media as any other economic activity. If only there had been a couple of paps hiding in the bushes on the Twiglight Zone set, then the truth would have been told and the guilty punished.

Over the years I have heard an amazing array of ill-informed reasons presented by assistant directors, location PA’s, security guards and peace officers as to why I cannot photograph a film set, mostly based on erroneous interpretations of copyright and privacy laws. It would be useful to all concerned if industry bodies made greater efforts to clarify the situation but, in the meantime, they must ask their personnel to desist from direct interference.

I asked blogger Michael Taylor, a Hollywood 'Juicer' (what we call in the UK a 'Sparks') for his thought about this (I've redacted details of a particular incident we discussed). He said:

As you know, a film crew can develop a protective feeling about its stars -- I've seen this happen, and felt it myself more than once. While the film is in production, an "us and them" mindset develops, where the crew and actors are "us", and the outside world is "them." As the physical side of the group, the grips (in particular), and juicers can feel an obligation to confront any perceived threats or intrusions. Usually the cops take care of all that, but sometimes a "bogey" manages to get inside the comfort zone, and that's when a crew can get hostile. That someone would pull such a potentially dangerous stunt on you comes as no real surprise.

I can understand why the crew might be rude to any outsider who comes on set with a camera. The assumption would be that your real purpose was to get photos or some insider dirt to sell to a tabloid -- and to the base reptilian brain, that means "threat." You can bet there was no general announcement of your presence and purpose -- maybe a note on the call sheet, at most -- which means most of the crew had no idea who you were or why you were there. In the absence of such information to the contrary, they probably assumed you were just another guy with a camera, looking for something to sell.

Dangerous/lethal events happen on big budget films but in my experience, it's usually the low budget films trying to make miracles happen with pennies that push the envelope into the danger zone. While the remake of "Village of the Damned" (John Carpenter) was being filmed in my now-home town, the local newspaper editor (a weekly) went to the set to take some pictures and ended up in a tussle with a cop that landed him in jail. Supposedly he had permission to visit the set, but a misunderstanding arose, and things went all wrong.

The thing is, a film crew already has to put up with all kinds of publicity shoots from small crews who visit the set demanding power, time, and sometimes equipment -- all of which simply adds to the burden involved with making the film itself. I did a post about this resentment ("Promo Land", or something like that) -- and having seen it from both sides, understand it to be a natural, if unproductive, reaction within the group dynamic. I'm sure you weren't demanding anything of this crew, but your presence alone -- and outsider coming on set -- might have been enough to piss people off. Add in their natural distaste for the paparazzi, and I guess what happens is what happened.
That doesn't make it right, but such are the realities of the biz. Still, I've never heard of the crew "being employed" to harass a legitimate visitor to the set. Usually we just ignore them. It sounds to me like you have reason to complain.