Speaking of Scarecrows…

I've had a busy start to the year, as work on my Worzel Gummidge book continues. Having made some significant headway, I'm now hoping to have the book out in June this year.

Over the last few weeks, I've been deep into work on cast and crew interviews. Recent interviewees include Mike Berry (Mr Peters), Barbara Windsor (Saucy Nancy), Bernard Cribbins (Jolly Jack Tar), Lewis Rudd (executive producer), David Pick (associate producer), Hazel Peiser (production designer), Ken Brinsley (cameraman), Christine Ruscoe (production designer), Denis King (composer), Arnold Gutbucket (scarecrow extra), Lucy Benjamin (Sue Peters, the Worzel Gummidge musical), Mike Finesilver (scarecrow dancer, the Worzel Gummidge musical), Mike Noble and Arthur Ranson (Look-In artists), Andrew Skilleter (book illustrator) and from Worzel Gummidge Down Under, Bruce Phillips (New Zealand Crowman), Jonathan Marks (Mickey Peacock), Danny Mulheron (Blighty Tater), Costa Botes (assistant director), Nick Dryden (production designer), Kirsten Shouler (production designer), Lynne Dunphy (costume designer), Jill Cormack (art director) and Lorae Parry (dialogue coach), with more in the pipeline.

I also had the pleasure of recently speaking with James Mitchell, who was instrumental in Worzel's resurrection after Southern Television's collapse. James is a very accomplished film producer who, in wry fashion, revealed the remarkable untold story behind the unproduced Irish Worzel Gummidge series, and just how close it came to making it on screen. It's an amazing tale of near-misses, wheeler-dealer entrepreneurism and shady ITV network politics that I think will make for fascinating reading.

To receive advance notification about the book's publication, please join the mailing list by emailing webmaster@worzel-gummidge.co.uk with "list" in the subject header.