AWARD & MIKE

In 2010 the unabashedly Brutalist car park was demolished. Its severe beauty had served as a pivotal location in Mike’s film ‘Get Carter’. His National Service in the Royal Navy had introduced him to the absolute poverty and desperation of fishing ports in ’50s Britain and it was in one of them that he chose to set his film.  A 25 year battle ensued when fans of the film tried to stop the car park being demolished. They lost; it’s now a Tesco. The demolition coincided with the 40 year anniversary of the release of ‘Get Carter’. The anniversary was marked with an award given to Mike by The Royal Television Society. Mike’s films have won many awards abroad but never any in his own country, he’d always wondered how he’d react. Mike was so choked he couldn’t thank anyone. The award was a pedestal of glass crafted in Sunderland, mounted on this was a piece of concrete from the Gateshead car park.

10 Jun 2012