Cult science fiction film Village of the Damned celebrates its 50th anniversary in Letchmore Heath

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Cult science fiction film Village of the Damned celebrates its 50th anniversary in Letchmore Heath
29th June 2010
by Suruchi Sharma
Borhamwood and Elstree Times

FANS of a cult science fiction film got to meet cast and crew on a set location tour at the weekend.

Village of the Damned, celebrating its 50th anniversary, was shot in the village of Letchmore Heath at locations such as The Three Horseshoes pub and Aldenham School.

The 1960 film is an adaptation of the novel The Midwich Cuckoos by English author John Wyndham and starred George Sanders and Barbara Shelley.

The location stood in for the fictional setting of Midwich, depicted as a quaint English village where one day its inhabitants fall unconscious for several hours in the middle of the day.

Nine months later every woman capable of child-bearing gives birth to a blond-haired child with unusual features.

The event was attended by actress Teri Scoble who played one of the “damned” children in the film and up to 40 fans were shown around the area by Borehamwood resident Robert Hickey, whose father Michael worked on the film.

Michael Hickey, one of the UK’s first sound technicians who worked with directors such as Stanley Kubrick and David Lean, died last year, aged 94.

Robert Hickey said: “My dad Michael worked on the film as sound camera operator and, had he been alive, he would have loved to have attended this event.”

The day began with a special appearance from actor Spencer Banks, who starred in the children’s science-fiction drama Timeslip made at ATV Studios, in Borehamwood, in the early Seventies.

Ms Scoble joined the tour at Letchmore Heath with camera grip Dennis Fraser and film historian and Borehamwood & Elstree Times columnist Paul Welsh.

Ms Scoble was presented with flowers and a certificate to mark the 50th anniversary of the film. She said: “Never did I think that 50 years on I would be coming back here.”

Mr Hickey added: “Teri was a wonderful guest and it was clear Letchmore Heath holds a very special place for her. All in all the day was a real success. I would also like to extend my thanks to Dean Sullivan at Sullivan buses.”

Mr Hickey organised a similar tour last year with Invisible Man star Deborah Watling when he took her on a surprise visit to a house she filmed at in Shenley and intends to do more location tours in the future.

To contact Mr Hickey to organi