I appreciate that with this column now circulated in other newspapers and new readers moving into the area all the time, I should perhaps say something about my own history.

I was born in Borehamwood and therefore grew up in a town where many residents worked at the various studios. My late dad helped create sound effects for films such as Thunderball and many others at the old Gate Recording Theatre behind Elstree Studios. I grew up with a weekend treat of burning edited strips of 35mm film in an old oil can and watching my mother complain when another item vanished from our house to create a sound effect. I remember she was most annoyed when a cabbage went missing so my dad could drive a wooden stake into it to recreate the demise of Dracula in some horror film.

I first ventured through the gates of Elstree Studios in 1960 to get the autograph of an old Hollywood actor who I was told was really famous. He just seemed a tired old man to me but his name was Gary Cooper.

In the early 1970s I started interviewing various stars for articles in various publications and 39 years ago started this column. They were great years as I could visit film sets and speak to stars I had grown up watching in the cinema. By the 1980s I was organising special reunions and events at the Studio. That enabled me to bring old stars back to Elstree for the last time such as John Mills, Richard Todd, Anna Neagle, Trevor Howard and a host of others.

In 1988 I was asked to chair the campaign to save Elstree Studios, albeit without realising it would take eight years. I loved the challenge and we had great support from both the public and the famous. I think I only clashed once on a television programme with Michael Winner, who declared the studio was just tin sheds off the A1 and not worth saving. However, afterwards he sent a £200 cheque towards campaign funds, which is more than many famous names did.

We won in 1996 when Hertsmere Borough Council bought the Studio at a knock down price to settle the issue with a sinking Brent Walker out of court. Those years are worthy of a chapter in a book one day while those of us who know the true story are still here to tell it.

I was awarded an MBE for services rendered and went to Buckingham Palace for the investiture by Prince Charles. During our brief chat I invited him to visit the Studio and two years later he did so to open the two massive new sound stages.

In the meantime I was appointed chairman of the partnership company to help oversee the relaunch and rebuild of the semi derelict, half destroyed studio we had inherited. Those were exciting years. Again, a chapter for some future book, although I doubt I will ever write it. However, it would include such names as Stanley Kubrick, Tom Cruise, Ken Branagh and Dodi Al Fayed to mention a few.

by 2000 the Council decided , due to a change in political leadership, that my services were no longer required and since then I have acted, in a voluntary capacity, as Elstree Studios historian and chair of a volunteer group called Elstree Screen Heritage. I also take a great interest in the other studios that were based in Borehamwood and it is always a joy to meet veterans and listen to their memories. Outside of Los Angeles, nowhere in the world can match the film and television heritage of Elstree and Borehamwood and I will go to my grave grateful that I had a small role in that story. However, I am going nowhere yet so please join me next week in our weekly ramble down memory lane.