Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
Only includes names with the selected topics
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
1-50 of 114
- He attended the Duke of Yorks Royal Military School in Dover, Kent from 1963 to 1970 where he achieved both academic and sporting success. He was academically very gifted and was also a gifted sportsman playing Rugby and a good athlete. He achieved good A level results and went to Bristol University.
- Music Artist
- Composer
- Actor
Jeff Beck was born in Surrey in 1944. He grew up in a suburban street in Carshalton. When he was about 10, he wanted to play the guitar. His mum, however, wanted him to play the piano because she didn't approve of the guitar. When he was in his late teens, he joined "The Tridents" on lead guitar. In 1965, he replaced Eric Clapton in The Yardbirds. He played with them until 1967 when he decided he'd had enough and wanted to go solo. In the same year, he released his first solo effort "Hi-Ho-Silver Lining", which was the only one of his tracks he ever sang on. In his backing group, he had Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, who later went on to form The Faces. Thoughout the rest of the 60s and 70s, he continued to record instrumental albums. In 1983, three former The Yardbirds, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, got together to do one-off charity concerts. In 1984, he contributed lead guitar on Mick Jagger's first solo album "She's the Boss". The same year, he released his next album "Flash", which was voted best instrumental album. In 1989, he released the album "Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop", which was also a big success. Throughout the 90s, Jeff Beck still toured around and, in 1998, played a sellout date in Mexico. In early 2001, he released yet another album "You had it Coming", which he toured to promote.- Mela White was born on 28 March 1931 in Woodford, Essex, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Bergerac (1981), Fog for a Killer (1962) and Blind Man's Bluff (1977). She was married to Ronald Lacey and Roger Brompton. She died on 24 December 2017 in Twickenham, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom.
- Donald Gee was born on 28 September 1937 in Stockport, Cheshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for 1990 (1977), The Forsyte Saga (1967) and Doctor Who (1963). He was married to Shirley Thieman. He died on 14 January 2022 in the United Kingdom.
- Script and Continuity Department
- Producer
- Writer
Muirinn Lane Kelly was a producer and writer, known for Mistresses (2008), Waterloo Road (2006) and Delicious (2016). She died on 5 November 2022 in London, United Kingdom.- Margaret Ashcroft was born on 16 February 1931 in Chelsea, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Main Chance (1969), The Brothers (1972) and Armchair Theatre (1956). She was married to Morris Perry. She died on 25 October 2016 in the United Kingdom.
- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Bob Goody was born on 16 April 1951 in Brighton, Sussex, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Lifeforce (1985), Flash Gordon (1980) and The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989). He was married to Gina Donovan. He died on 5 March 2023 in the United Kingdom.- Stewart Bevan was born 10th March 1948 and died aged 73 after a short illness 20th February 2022.
He featured in the long-running series Doctor Who, in 1973's The Green Death, remembered fondly by viewers as "the one with the giant maggots". The departure of popular companion Jo Grant (Katy Manning) called for someone special to lure her away from third Doctor, Jon Pertwee, and to this end the charismatic Welsh eco-warrior Professor Clifford Jones was conceived.
Michael Briant, the director, was having trouble casting this part but was reluctant to interview Bevan because he was Manning's fiance at the time. He finally relented and discovered that Bevan was exactly what he was looking for: handsome and with the requisite crusading zeal and lightness of touch.
Bevan's obvious rapport with Manning also helped to make her departure one of the series' most memorably tear-jerking. Bevan himself was an empathic anti-capitalist vegetarian, guitar player and writer of poetry - all of which contributed to making Jones a believable character.
Although he and Manning had split up in 1976 he reunited with her to play Cliff in a couple of short films used as trailers for the 2019 and 2020 Blu-ray releases of Pertwee's Doctor Who episodes and for a retrospective documentary, Keeping Up With the Joneses (2019).
Stewart was born in St Pancras, central London, to a canteen manager, Gwen (nee Snow), and truck driver, Ray Bevan, who became the personal driver to the celebrity hairdresser Raymond Bessone (aka Mr Teasy Weasy), while Gwen became his housekeeper.
Raised in Southall, Middlesex, Stewart walked out of his school aged 15 after he was caned for standing up for a Sikh classmate. Working at Pierre Cardin's London fashion store he attended amateur dramatics classes and was emboldened when he won an award for playing Alec in Noël Coward's Still Life at a drama festival held at the Questors theatre in 1964, and so enrolled at the Corona theatre school.
On only his second day there he auditioned to play a schoolboy in the landmark Sidney Poitier film To Sir, With Love (1966) and in 1967 worked as a dancer with Jayne Mansfield when she toured the UK in cabaret. He was soon getting big-screen credits - including Lock Up Your Daughters! (1969), the horror films Burke & Hare and The Flesh and Blood Show (both 1972), Steptoe and Son Ride Again (1973), The Ghoul (1975), and the John Wayne vehicle Brannigan (1975).
After Doctor Who he appeared in many popular drama series - from Public Eye (1975) to Silent Witness (1997) via Shoestring (three episodes, all 1979), Blake's 7 (1980) and The House of Elliot (1994).
He had a stint in the soap opera Emmerdale (1977, then called Emmerdale Farm) as Ray Oswell, caught in a storm and seeking help with his pregnant wife, played by Virginia Moore. He and Virginia fell in love off-screen and they remained together for the rest of his life, settling in Suffolk.
He also featured in Douglas Camfield's all-star TV version of Ivanhoe (1982) and Noel's House Party (1993-94) - which required sharp improvisational skills in order to pull off elaborate pranks on unsuspecting victims. He was also a familiar face on TV adverts - in the 80s for Fairy Liquid and the 90s for Kellogg's Bran Flakes.
His theatre highlights were his West End debut in the first production of Conduct Unbecoming (Queen's theatre, 1969-70), taking the lead role when the play toured the UK in 1971, and touring with David Soul in Ira Levin's Deathtrap in 2002. His last film role came in the Jack Thorne-scripted The Scouting Book for Boys (2009).
He is survived by Virginia and their daughters, Coral Bevan and Wendy Bevan. His three sisters predeceased him. - Anne Orwin was an actress, known for Crime and Punishment (1979), Emmerdale Farm (1972) and Knight School (1997). She died on 8 October 2023 in the United Kingdom.
- Born in Liverpool, William moved to Oldham at the age of nine. His theatre work includes the part of Toby Belch in 'Twelfth Night' with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Valk in 'The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs', Snawley and Tompkins in 'Nicholas Nickleby' in productions in London and New York and the Club Secretaty in 'Comedians' with the legendary Jimmy Jewel at the Old Vic Theatre. Bill also starred in his own one-man show of Brendan Behan. On television, he played The Duke of Cleves in the series "The Wives of Henry VIII", Sergeant Petty in "The Case of the Frightened Lady" and Crookes in "Strangers". His television work also includes appearances in "Coronation Street", "The Dustbin Men", "Z Cars", "When the Boat Comes In", "Funnyman", "Softly, Softly", "Dempsey and Makepeace" and "Brookside". His film credits include "The Ploughmans Lunch", "Cicero", "Blood Beast Terror" and "The Witchfinder General".
- Sound Department
- Editor
- Editorial Department
Terry Rawlings was born on 4 November 1933 in London, England, UK. He was an editor, known for Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982) and Chariots of Fire (1981). He was married to Louise Kirsop. He died on 23 April 2019 in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Actor
Tony Allen was an actor, known for Chariots of Fire (1981), Return to Oz (1985) and Inspector Morse (1987). He died on 31 March 2020 in the United Kingdom.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Charlotte Moore was born in 1966 in the United Kingdom. She was an actress, known for Alfie (2004), The Audience (2013) and Welcome II the Terrordome (1995). She died in June 2023 in the United Kingdom.- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
British cinematographer Brian Tufano began his career at the BBC, working with such directors as Stephen Frears and Alan Parker. In 1992 he was assigned to the series Mr. Wroe's Virgins (1993) and worked with director Danny Boyle. Boyle took him along on his feature debut, Shallow Grave (1994), and continued to work with Tufano on such films as Trainspotting (1996) and A Life Less Ordinary (1997). In 2001 Tufano won the BAFTA Award for Outstanding Contribution to Film and Television.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
British singer-songwriter. Hall founded ska-punk group The Specials in 1978; they scored two UK number 1 hits with 'The Special A.K.A. Live EP' and 'Ghost Town' and were pioneering (in British music) for featuring both black and white musicians. Hall left in 1981 to form Fun Boy Three and then Colour Field before embarking on a solo career. He was also a member of the 'Nearly God' collective, including Björk, Tricky, Neneh Cherry and others, who released a self-titled album in 1996.- Editor
- Editorial Department
- Sound Department
Antony Gibbs was born on 17 October 1925 in London, England, UK. He was an editor, known for Rollerball (1975), Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and A Bridge Too Far (1977). He was married to Sherrye Mossuto, Jocelyn Tawse and Heather Gibbs. He died on 26 February 2016 in the United Kingdom.- Producer
- Director
John Leach was born on 16 March 1957 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, UK. John was a producer and director, known for Sportsweek (1998), European Poker Tour (2005) and Showbiz Poker (2006). John was married to Janet Ellis. John died in July 2020 in the United Kingdom.- Margaret Anderson was born on 27 August 1925 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. She was an actress, known for BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950), The Barefoot Contessa (1954) and Dixon of Dock Green (1955). She was married to Guy Verney. She died on 6 June 2016 in the United Kingdom.
- Iggy Rose was a model and actress who was immortalized by Mick Rock at Syd Barrett's "The Madcap Laughs", his first solo album after Pink Floyd, released in 1969. She was known as Iggy the Eskimo back then as it was rumored she was part Inuit.
She was born Evelyn Laldawngliani Joyce on the 14th of December 1947 in Rawalpindi (Pakistan) to a British father, major Harry Charlton Joyce, an officer in the British army, and a Mizo woman, Chawngpuii (known as Angela in English).
Evelyn's parents had met at the end of the Second World War, when he was stationed in Mizoram - then, the the Lushai Hills (northeastern India, then still ruled by the British). Evelyn's middle name, Laldawngliani, means gift of the gods, in mizo, a language Iggy never spoke.
Evelyn had two younger siblings, Stephen Lalungmuana, who was born in Dhaka (Bangladesh) in January 1949; and Elizabeth, who was born in Worthing, Sussex, around 1959.
For decades there were political and military troubles in Mizoram, located in the North-Eastern part of India, bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh. Evelyn and family lived a luxurious and protected life in one of the British enclaves, politely ignoring that a civil war was raging around them. One day a mob invaded their house and burned it down.
The family flew to Aden, Yemen, another melting pot of colonial and religious problems. This was only a temporary solution as the family returned to England where they lived the upstairs life.
The Mizo branch had lost contact with the English family members in the sixties, when there had been a military conflict between India and Mizoram freedom fighters. In the aftermath of the conflict the Indian government censored all letters to and from Mizoram, and communication was lost between Chawngpuii and her family in north-east India.
For an unknown reason, Evelyn was nicknamed Iggy or Ig. After moving to England Iggy was briefly an art student. She lived in Brighton but she ranaway from home in 1961, when she was fourteen, discovering boys, girls, booze, and speed. Iggy danced through life, her pretty looks and free spirit mostly assured her some food and a place to stay.
She worked at Granny Takes a Trip, the "first psychedelic boutique in Groovy London of the 1960s", as a shop assistant, and was a regular at the Orchid Ballroom in Purley between 1963 and 1967. DJ Jeff Dexter, who regularly played at the Orchid, vividly remembers the beautiful girl who used to talk to him while he played his set. He first noticed her in 1963. He said: "Iggy was part of a group of very wonderful looking south London girls. She was very mysterious, she was unusual because she did not look like anyone else at the time."
Iggy spent a brief part of the 60s living in Croydon with Dexter. She said: "The Orchid Ballroom was the place to be, the atmosphere was fantastic. I loved going there, I loved to dance. Jeff wanted to turn me and two other lovely girls into the English version of the Supremes, but that never happened."
When her mixed-race appearance was exoticised in the London of the 1960s, she gave the name "Eskimo" to an NME photographer as a joke, although she always said she was "from the Himalayas".
In the 1960s, she met The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, The Yardbirds, Rod Stewart... She recalled: "I met so many people in the 60s - ... I was a free spirit."
In the Swinging 1960s she was an iconic model.
In 1967 she became involved with film director Anthony Stern, who took many pictures of the model and also made a film of her called "Iggy the Eskimo Girl". Stern said: "Iggy was my muse. I met her at a Hendrix gig at the Speakeasy. She was a lovely inspiration and free spirit. I never knew her real name. We used to hang out together, occasionally dropping acid, staying up all night, going for walks at dawn in Battersea Park. She entirely captures the spirit of the Sixties, living for the moment, completely carefree."
The most iconic images of her appear on Syd Barrett's solo album The Madcap Laughs, where she poses naked in the background, and were took by Mick Rock on the spring of 1969.
Iggy and artist Jenny Spires, ex-girlfriend and lifelong friend of Syd Barrett, met in the summer of 1966, and they met again at Biba's in the spring of 1967. From then, they went clubbing in many occasions, and Iggy invited Jenny to a Dusty Springfield après-event. Jenny returned the favor and introduced her to Syd Barrett in January or February 1969.
Photographer Mick Rock recalls: "Syd was still in his underpants when he opened the door. He'd totally forgotten about the session and fell about laughing. Iggy the Eskimo was naked in the kitchen making coffee. She didn't mind either. They both laughed a lot and it was a magical session."
She stayed for a couple of weeks at Wetherby Mansions and she visited Barrett over the period of a few months.
The legend was that Iggy vanished all of a sudden after she broke with Barrett, but she just wasn't traceable on the Floydian radar any more. In those days it was enough to move a couple of blocks where she frequented other, equally alternative and underground, circles. There were painters, musicians, actors, movie directors... She moved to Brighton soon after and left London in the 1970s.
In 1976 she acted in the experimental film "Central Bazaar" by the provocative avant-garde legend Stephen Dwoski, who gathered together a group of strangers and filmed them as they explored their fantasies over a period of five days. The ceremonial gowns and make-up here not only evoke the eroticism of European horror movies but also highlight the film's interplay between performance and intimacy.
In the mid-seventies psychedelic tomfoolery was over and Iggy had to look for a job. She worked on a horse-farm for a while and met her future husband Andrew there. According to the painter Duggie Fields, Barrett's old flatmate, she got married in 1978 to a rich guy from Chelsea and led a "decent" life after that. They relocated to a small village in the Horsham district of West Sussex, where she worked in a local supermarket.
In 2002, Mick Rock's coffee-table book Psychedelic Renegades featured more shots of Syd and Iggy posing outside the Earls Court mansion block, alongside Barrett's abandoned Pontiac. Rock's photos found their way onto most Pink Floyd fan-sites, where Iggy had acquired cult status.
While researching for his Pink Floyd biography (2007's Pigs Might Fly: The Inside Story Of Pink Floyd) author Mark Blake quizzed everyone about Iggy's whereabouts.
In September 2008, the Croydon Guardian appealed for information about the model and, more than a year later, they managed to track her down. She inspired artist Anthony Stern, who filmed her dancing in Battersea Park and also took striking photographs of her on a houseboat in Chelsea. They were released at the City Wakes festival - a tribute to Syd Barrett - in October 2008, in Cambridge, in the short documentary "Iggy The Eskimo Girl".
In March 2010, MOJO 196's cover story on Syd Barrett's The Madcap Laughs pondered the whereabouts of 'Iggy The Eskimo', the naked girl on the LP sleeve. It came as a shock to the object of Syd obsessives' fascination; who contacted MOJO after reading the magazine. She was interviewed for Mojo and she learned there was some kind of Iggy fandom on the world wide web.
Iggy passed away aged 69 on December 13th 2017 at the United Kingdom, she was survived by her husband Andrew. Her funeral took place on the 27th of December 2017 at Worthing Crematorium, West Sussex, South East England.
After her passing, Iggy's fan-site "The Holy Church of Iggy The Inuit" (link below) found her Mizo connection, and since then renamed their site to "The Holy Church of Iggy the Mizo". It wasn't until 2021, thanks to social media, that both sides of the family, the Mizo and the British, got in contact again. - Jackie Skarvellis was born on 26 December 1942 in Cardiff, South Wales, UK. She was an actress, known for The Punk (1993), Cyberon (2000) and Sky Bandits (1986). She died on 26 October 2016 in the United Kingdom.
- Casting Director
- Casting Department
Maggie Lunn was born on 26 January 1961 in Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK. She was a casting director, known for Notes on a Scandal (2006), Cranford (2007) and Broken (2012). She was married to Paul Jesson. She died on 19 February 2017 in the United Kingdom.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Del Palmer was born on 3 November 1952 in Greenwich, London, England. He was an actor, known for Kate Bush: Experiment IV (1986), Kate Bush Live at Hammersmith Odeon (1981) and Queens of British Pop (2009). He died on 5 January 2024 in the United Kingdom.- Shaun Davis was born on 15 April 1966. He was an actor, known for The Fifth Element (1997). He died on 1 December 2023 in the United Kingdom.
- Reg Cranfield was born in 1902 in North Wales, Wales, United Kingdom. He was an actor, known for The Informer (1966), Melissa (1974) and Them (1972). He died in 1983 in Lancashire, North West England, England, United Kingdom.
- Geoff Lomas died in September 2023 in the United Kingdom.
- Sound Department
John Aldred was born in August 1921 in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England, UK. He is known for The Italian Job (1969), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) and Anne of the Thousand Days (1969). He died on 15 December 2020 in Worthing, West Sussex, United Kingdom.- Actor
- Composer
- Writer
Roger Charlery was born on 21 February 1963 in Birmingham, United Kingdom. He was an actor and composer, known for Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Weird Science (1985). He died on 26 March 2019 in Birmingham, United Kingdom.- Dennis Poore was born on 19 August 1916 in Paddington, London, England, UK. He was married to Peta Coast. He died on 12 February 1987 in Kensington, Londres, England, United Kingdom.
- Alan Conway was an English impersonator and former travel agent, best known for appearing in public as film director Stanley Kubrick in the 1990's. When knowledge of the scam reached Kubrick himself, he was apparently fascinated by the idea of having an alter ego. Alan Conway kept up the wining and dining till he was unmasked in a Vanity Fair article and went on to admit his deception on TV, in a series called "The Lying Game".
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Pierre Picton was born on 26 June 1934 in the United Kingdom. He was an actor, known for Gabrielle and the Doodleman (1984), The Little and Large Show (1978) and 3-2-1 (1978). He died on 10 November 2016 in the United Kingdom.- Art Department
- Additional Crew
Born Christos Achilléos, Chris was born in Famagusta, Cyprus. Chris was a cover artist of the covers of many Target novelisations during the 1970s. For the earlier publications, he provided both front cover art and comic book-style back cover vignettes. He also produced a limited edition print commemorating The Five Doctors, and, for SFX magazine, a poster commemorating the premiere airing of Rose. He also contributed at least one cover to Doctor Who Magazine. His 1987 art book Sirens includes many of his Target book cover art. Chris also designed the cover for the re-release of Battlefield. For over the past 40 years, Chris has created some of the best loved fantasy and glamour art and is acknowledged as one of the top fantasy artists in the world.- John Colum Crichton-Stuart, 7th Marquess of Bute (born 26 April 1958 in Rothesay, Isle of Bute), styled Earl of Dumfries before 1993 and from this courtesy title usually known as Johnny Dumfries, is a Scottish peer and a former racing driver, most notably winning the 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans. He does not use his title and prefers to be known solely as John Bute. The family home is Mount Stuart House on the Isle of Bute. He attended Ampleforth College, as had his father and most male members of the Crichton-Stuart family, but did not finish the normal six years of study. As Marquess of Bute, he is clan chief of the Stuarts of Bute.
- John Surtees was born on 11 February 1934 in Tatsfield, Surrey, England, United Kingdom. He was an actor, known for After Hours (1958), The Fast Lady (1962) and 1 (2013). He was married to Jane Sparrow and Patricia Burke. He died on 10 March 2017 in Tooting, London, England, United Kingdom.
- Christopher Robert was born on 1 November 1953 in the United Kingdom. He was an actor, known for Tea-Break (2012) and The Last British Execution (2013). He died on 9 October 1963 in the United Kingdom.
- Visual Effects
- Actor
Ira Keeler was born on 22 July 1940. He was an actor, known for Jurassic Park (1993), Men in Black (1997) and Innerspace (1987). He died on 15 April 2021 in the United Kingdom.- Editor
- Cinematographer
- Editorial Department
Misha was born in 1943 of central European parents (both artists) who emigrated to UK in 1939. His father was Jewish, from Bohemia and his mother was from Brandenburg, Germany. In common with many families in 20th century Europe, Misha's family had resolved racial tension in a bond of love. However, this racial tension was politically exploited in the prevailing climate of prejudice in the 1930s to 40s. In the UK, being Jewish was questionable, while being German was almost unforgivable.
Misha lived with his family in Mumbles on the Gower and would recall remembering the night sky illuminated as Swansea was under siege. However, his strongest memory of that time was a sense of safety and security within his loving family.
As soon as the war ended Misha's parents purchased a run-down house in the London suburb of Hampstead. They also changed their name from Neuschul (literally New-Schule or school) to Norland, although Misha protested and wept over the change. His parents were busy as never before, renovating the house but young Misha was unnerved by the changes and by the ubiquitous evidence of war - the bomb sites. Misha began to have recurrent nightmares of a volcano erupting, lava flowing and having to run for his life.
Misha could recall the excitement of his first day at school. Specifically, he wanted to see Sulphur, as he had heard that it was associated with volcanic eruptions. In 1948 an afternoon siesta was a rule, but it was a rule Misha resisted. Escaping the classroom during lunch break, he would sprint across the playing fields and sneak into the chemistry labs. It was there that he had the good fortune to meet an un- harassed teacher, who, rather than shooing him back to the kindergarten, lifted a large reagent jar from a high shelf. Uncorking it, she withdrew a chunky fragment of yellow stuff and placed it in an excited Misha's hands. "Is that all?!" he exclaimed. In young Misha's mind the lump should have been as hot as flowing lava but, much to his disappointment, it wasn't. This unfortunate incident set the scene for a couple of turbulent years in which Misha got into a lot of trouble a lot - so much so, in fact, that he was asked to leave.
Misha said that the nipping of this tender bud of enthusiasm reconfirmed an ancestral stamp, a mark of the Jewish refugee: from then on he changed schools at regular, two-yearly intervals, during which time he rejoined this school. At 14 years of age he was struggling to find his way academically. He was searching for inspiration, which he found in the study of biology as well as in the theatre. Although he was not particularly skilled at remembering his lines, he delighted in the thrill of declaiming the few he did manage to commit to memory. He went on to write an end of term production in which he played an alchemist while his best friend dressed up as a nobleman, his sponsor. Unfortunately, this production turned out to be something of a fiasco, in which the alchemist's vessel burst into unruly flame and smoked out the audience.
The second direction was reportage photography, an abiding love of listening to music and writing poetry. He put his feelings into verse and participated in a North London group who gave poetry recitals set to jazz. He interviewed for drama school and gained a place at the London School of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), but his nerve failed him before the first term began, so he didn't attend. The third direction was science. He believed that God was also to be found in the equation but, not having a natural aptitude for maths, he found Him more readily in nature. And so, following the trail of the largest manifesting in the smallest in bio-chemistry, he spent almost a year as a laboratory assistant at the Medical Research Council's establishment annexed to Hammersmith Hospital. Misha greatly enjoyed the detective work and the spirit of discovery amongst scientists who, free from financial constraints, could pursue 'pure' empirical enquiry. During this time he attempted to interest them in researching psychotropic substances, but the director of the team for whom he worked was dubious about finding approval amongst his peers. Nonetheless, Misha was astonished and gratified that his proposals were properly considered and his voice was being listened to. It was a relief to him to be away from the school environment, where he had been treated as a nuisance at best and as a menace at worst.
However, Misha was shocked and dismayed at the methods used by most of the other scientists in the name of cancer research and he remained glad that the team he was working with had no part in it.
The sub-basement of the research building, a tower block of some 30 stories, was dedicated to irradiation. It boasted a massive X-ray unit, a small cyclotron particle accelerator, a Van De Graaf high voltage source, radio-active Cobalt and other means of producing rays and sub-atomic particles. The top story of the building housed a zoo. Here ill-fated creatures such as albino rats and mice, rabbits, monkeys and pigs awaited a macabre fate. The approach to cancer research at that time was to induce growths in an animal using carcinogens. At various stages of cancerous infiltration the animals were taken to the sub-basement and subjected to one or another type of ray or accelerated particle. The object being to ascertain which mode of 'treatment' would be 'effective'.
This level of debasement of the sanctity of life by those very scientists whose enquiry was to uncover its secrets, horrified and disillusioned Misha. Also, there was an issue of a major impediment to the fatty acid metabolism research that his group were beset by: the issue of in vitro experiments being different from those conducted in vivo. The age-old and knotty problem is that what occurs in test-tube experiments in vitro, is likely not to be replicable in the living organism. Or, put another way, even a collection of all the parts in vitro (were it possible to do this) would not make up the living in vivo whole.
After gaining 6 'A' level GCE's in various subjects and after almost a year as a laboratory assistant and more than another year of foreign travel, it was time for Misha to settle down. He decided that it was also a time for a major career turn-around. So, he chose film making, working up through film editing in documentaries, to script writing, cinematography, TV commercials, feature film editing and directing. Then, after a stint in Hollywood, he got married and had a son. Returning to London, he fell back into the rut of his bread-and-butter work: the financial security afforded by directing TV commercials. But he became disillusioned and he grew to hate prostituting his art, as he saw it.
Misha began to search for 'higher truths' - and his search led him to homeopathy.
Misha always felt that he owed a debt of deepest gratitude to his beloved teacher, John Damonte. John entered Misha's life in 1970 when he prayed for direction. Misha said that John gave freely and generously of his heart and from the font of his wisdom. Misha found his anchor in the philosophy of healing and homeopathy and his love of psychology and the hermetic wisdom teachings was reawakened. John put the teachings of the classical Greek philosophers into a modern context of healing. His knowledge embraced astrology, theosophy, Jung and the teachings of the four elements, as well as the chakra system of the orient and its connection with the endocrine system in our bodies. These teachings help to integrate our understanding of spirit, mind, emotions and body.
In 1975 Misha's homeopathic practice took off and he became the barefoot homeopath of the North London hippy community. He gained much experience in the treatment of children's epidemic diseases and acute prescribing. He saw homeopathy bring about miraculous cures and also long-term healing in chronic cases and learnt that an acute is often best treated (in that the patient does not relapse) by a constitutional remedy. Homeopathic philosophy was revealed to Misha by practical experience. People with serious conditions would often undertake long journeys to consult him and, because of this, follow-ups were infrequent. Misha learnt that the similimum, over time, can provide the impulse which can change the direction of peoples' lives, setting their sails into the wind of self-forgetting (for what is more selfish than being taken over by one's own suffering) and thus they become able to receive and give more love and express more creativity in their lives.
In 1978 alongside other students of the older homeopaths (such as Thomas Maughan) Misha co- founded The Society of Homeopaths, dedicated to practice according to Hahnemannian precepts; education; information dissemination and creating and maintaining a register. Misha was the first editor of the new Society's journal, 'The Homeopath'.
Misha began formal teaching at the College of Homeopathy in 1979, although he had been running fortnightly study groups from his home for some years prior to this.
Misha remarried in 1980. His beloved Brigitte was his soul mate and friend. Their four sons, together with his first born from his first marriage completed Misha's family.
In 1981 Misha and his family moved to Devonshire and founded The School of Homeopathy. David Mundy began teaching in 1982 and Janet Snowdon began in 1984. Murray Feldman was a frequent teacher while Jeremy Sherr, Joanna Daly and David Curtin also contributed.
In 1984 Misha established himself at Yondercott House where the family and the School lived side by side. In 2005 his eldest son Mani Norland became involved in the School and joined the School Core team in 2006. Then in 2009 the School was moved to larger premises at Hawkwood College, near Stroud in the Cotswolds, where it is still based. Misha was proud that the current faculty including his son and many former students who cooperate in creating and maintaining the friendly atmosphere and the educational ethos of the School as well as its cutting-edge culture of discovery and invention. Misha continued to teach at Hawkwood into his 70's.
In 2017 Misha stepped down from teaching on the School of Homeopathy attendance course, but continued to be involved with many School projects. Working on articles, books, provings and movie lectures and delivery of 'Moments with Misha' a discussions group just for School of Homeopathy students, conducted via Zoom. He also maintained contacts with educators across the world through a regular teaching group.
In 2019 Misha was proud to see another of his son's Luke Norland join the School teaching faculty and then in 2020 the School Core team.
In 2021 Misha and his eldest son Mani embarked on an ambitions filming project setting up a studio in his home and filming new movie lectures to accompany every module of the attendance and home study programme.
In Nov 2021 Misha passed away peaceful at night in his sleep. .- Graham Whitehead was born on 15 April 1922 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom. He died on 15 January 1981 in Lower Basildon, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom.
- Hiram Maxim was born on 5 February 1840 in Sangerville, Maine, United States. He died on 24 November 1916 in Streatham, London, United Kingdom.
- Writer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Richard Preddy was born on 3 September 1966 in Farnborough, Kent, England, United Kingdom. He was a writer and actor, known for Harry Enfield and Chums (1994), Gates (2012) and Tracey Ullman: A Class Act (1993). He died on 7 July 2020 in Canterbury, Kent, England, United Kingdom.- Alan Rollinson was born on 15 May 1943 in Walsall, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom. He died on 2 June 2019 in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom.
- Kathleen Helme was an actress, known for Madame Bovary (1975), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and Emmerdale Farm (1972). She died on 30 December 2019 in the United Kingdom.
- Actress
- Writer
Denise Robertson was born on 9 June 1932 in Sunderland, Co Durham, England, UK. She was an actress and writer, known for Property Rites (1984), The Young Doctors (1976) and Beyond Expectations (1998). She was married to Bryan Thubron, John (Jack) Tomlin and Alexander (Alex) Inkster Robertson. She died on 31 March 2016 in Royal Marsden Hospital, Brompton and Belmont, London, England, United Kingdom.- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Actor
Remington Chase was a producer and actor, known for The November Man (2014), End of Watch (2012) and Broken City (2013). He died on 31 July 2023 in the United Kingdom.- Brian Shallcross died on 8 August 2009 in the United Kingdom.
- Actor
- Producer
Alan Breck was an actor and producer, known for Me Before You (2016), Lili (2016) and Gone to Ground. He died on 26 January 2022 in United Kingdom of Great Britain.- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Peter Morley was born on 26 June 1924 in Berlin, Germany. He was a producer and director, known for Kitty: Return to Auschwitz (1979), Twenty Five Years (1977) and Lord Mountbatten: A Man for the Century (1968). He was married to Tillet, Jane. He died on 23 June 2016 in the United Kingdom.- Mike Hailwood was born on 2 April 1940 in Great Milton, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom. He was married to Pauline. He died on 23 March 1981 in Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom.
- Keith Greene was born on 5 January 1938 in Leytonstone, London, England, United Kingdom. He was married to Fiona. He died on 8 March 2021 in Totland Bay, Isle of Wight, England, United Kingdom.
- Gerry Ashmore was born on 25 July 1936 in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom. He was married to Yvonne . He died on 25 August 2021 in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom.
- Philip Eden was born on 14 July 1951 in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, UK. He died on 3 January 2018 in the United Kingdom.