Photographer creates unique images of Shrewsbury streets used for A Christmas Carol film
Keen photographer and film enthusiast Joe Worrall has combined his two interests to provide a fascinating glimpse into the locations for the 1980s version of A Christmas Carol.
Joe and his family spent a morning wandering round Shrewsbury, where the film was shot, taking photos of stills from the film to the various locations.
The result is a double time travel from the Victorian town portrayed in the film, to the Shrewsbury of today.
The 33-year-old from Harlescott, a tattooist from Heart and Arrow in the town, said it was something he had always wanted to do.
"I am a big film fan and make short films myself," he said.
"I had a couple of hours free with my sons and thought it would a good change to wander round Shrewsbury and find the various locations."
With eight-year-old Vincent and six-year-old Victor and armed with the images of the film, they headed for St Chad's Church to find Scrooge's grave. From they they took in various sites including English Walls, Fish Street, the Bear Steps. the Square and outside St Mary's Shopping Parade, joined by wife Casi for the second half of the tour.
"It was a bit tricky lining the images up and taking the photos at the same time but I got the hang of it," he said.
"The boys were fascinated once they saw how my idea worked. They insisted on being the legs for the shot in The Square. They love that film anyway and can now picture where it was shot.
"My mum remembers the filming and my nan's ex-partner was an extra in it."
Joe said he loved visiting film locations often combining his hobby with family holidays.
His photos have attracted lots of attention on social media with about 1,300 likes in the first day.
The filming of A Christmas Carol in Shrewsbury in 1984 would have won Charles Dicken's approval.
Shrewsbury was one of the author's favourite towns and Dickens gave the first ever public reading of the book in the Music Hall in the town.
The 1984 film starred George C Scott, Frank Finlay, Susannah York and Edward Woodward, while local schoolboy Anthony Walters played Tiny Tim.
More than 450 people from the town were used as extras during the filming including Martin Wood, Shrewsbury's town crier, who was Edward Woodward's stand-in as the ghost of Christmas present.
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