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Wednesday 14 October 2009

Coffee with Billy Ivory


On my way home today I went to the Broadway Cinema for a coffee and who should I bump into but the acclaimed Nottingham screen writer William (Billy) Ivory. Billy used to be a near neighbour of mine when I lived on Henry Road West Bridgford in the early 1990s and at the time he was writing the popular TV drama, Common as Muck. I recall him telling me about the stresses of re-writes at the time. Today, I was sitting in the foyer, avoiding the school run on the bus home and I spotted him coming in the front entrance. I said 'hello' and shook his hand and he was kind enough to stop for ten minutes for a chat and even remembered some little writing project I was involved with at a period when I had graduated as a Performance Arts student nearly twenty years ago. Whilst chatting he told me about a film that is post production and he mentions this in this recent short video filmed by Nottingham University when he was given an honoury degree. I really like his natural approach to writing and if I hadn't have decided to pop in for a coffee I would have missed this opportunity. Phil xxx

http://wirksworthii.nottingham.ac.uk/Podcasts/files/rmg/public/grads/wi.mp4

4 comments:

Karenjane said...

How wonderful. I remember him playing a character called Divine in the brilliant TV adaptation of a couple of Jon Harvey's Resnick books many years ago. (I finished reading one of the books last night, & still imagine William Ivory as the character). He's very talented, & sounds very friendly too.

Phil Lowe said...

yes Karen, talented and very friendly and down to earth sort of chap.

Janette said...

I seem to think he was also in Corrie, back when I used to watch it

strangelybrown said...

I have been a fan of William Ivory"s work since he did Common as muck. I thought Faith, about the miners strike, was brilliant.
I come from a similar working background as "Billy" and would love to meet him. I confess I do have an ulterior motive in that I am a passionate wanna-be writer, myself and would love to receive some tips from the great man. himself.