Time Gentlemen Please
2/05/2008
Award-winning amateur film-makers Ian Craig and Paul Desmond have presented the Journalists' Charity with a cheque for £250.
The cash was raised through donations for copies of their award-winning film, Time Gentlemen Please, about the closure of the House of Commons Press Gallery Bar.
The 15-minute film tells the story of the Press Bar and the people who passed through its portals to enjoy the port and porter, the bitter and banter of one of the most exclusive bars in London.
Many of the memories and the legends of the Press Gallery are recalled in a song by Gallery veteran Rob Gibson, a former Chairman of the Journalists' Charity.
The film won silver in the 2008 British International Amateur Film Festival; and gold in the Essex film festival.
Ian Craig, Political Editor of the Manchester Evening News, said,
"The Press Gallery bar has been the scene of many dramatic moments over the years and it was sad to see it demolished as
part of the refurbishment of the Gallery. But Paul and I were pleased to be given permission by the Commons authorities to film the old bar before it went and to put on record the views of veteran journalists."
Paul Desmond, a City PR, said, " I was impressed by the deep affection so many of the journalists - especially the older ones - had for the bar. They clearly had spent many, many happy hours there with colleagues and former colleagues and felt that its closure marked the end of an era.
" Everyone spoke on and off-camera with great openness but sadly we were not able to include everyone's story in the film. At one stage there was a danger that we would end up with a film full of doom and gloom but happily we managed to film the veteran PA political writer Chris Moncrieff recalling some hilarious incidents, which helped to spice things up somewhat."
Chairman of the Journalists' Charity, Robert Warren, said, " The
Journalists' Charity has incurred a great deal of expense over the past few years because of the rebuilding of our state-of-the-art care home. We have had tremendous support from corporate donors - but we welcome every penny.
" Ian, Paul and Rob have shown that serious money can be raised from very simple ideas. We want to see this replicated all over the country. If you are having a retirement do, a leaving do, a Christmas party, have a collection or a raffle and donate the profits to the Charity. Put a swear box on the newsdesk. These sums mount up and help us provide some £300,000 a year for journalists and their dependants if they hit hard times."