A DIRECTOR from Cricklade turned a high street butchers into a film set to bring his father’s past to life

Phil Peel shot parts of his feature debut Going to Ground in James Family Butcher, where his dad used to buy meat – and was amazed to see the original butcher still worked there.

Mr Peel, 70, based the main character of the film on his RAF veteran father who lived in the town for 50 years, He said: “When looking for locations for some of the scenes, I immediately thought of my memories of Cricklade.

“I popped into the shop to ask if I could film there and was amazed to find that Harry James was still part of the shop. He told me he could remember my father as a customer.

“Harry’s place has a wonderful atmosphere and although having moved with the times, has maintained a sense of stability and history.”

This week marks the 61st anniversary of the shop opening. The rest of the film follows RAF bomber crews during the Second World War.

Mr Peel added: “I read a letter from my father after he was released from POW camp by the Russian army about his horror at the barbaric treatment of people, especially women. I wanted to incorporate that feeling into my film.

"He wrote it was “utterly repellent. All the ideals for which I was personally fighting meant nothing to them.”

“I wanted to acknowledge the extraordinary bravery of RAF bomber crews who were more likely to be killed than in any other units during the war. More dangerous than going over the trench in the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

“The main character, Guy, is totally based on my father. Ex RAF, chopping wood, chainsaw, crosswords, collecting sticks, obsessive attention to manners etc. but very kindly. He was still just as active in his 90s, right up to a fortnight before he died a few years back.

“When I was young, we lived in the country by the first sharp bend in the road in ten miles. Consequently from time to time, we had to cope with accidents.

“Usually, it was my mum and dad who tended to all sorts of people, who’d broken down, run out of petrol or got lost. The building of the bypass made things much safer.

The feature film is providing 20-year-old Cricklade resident Connor Baskerville with his first opportunity to work on a movie.