A couple of years ago, the charity
'Help for Heroes' released a fundraising DVD containing clips from war films - titled 'Heroes: The Greatest War Movies Ever!', compiled from film industry archives. (All profits going to Help for Heroes.)
Nigel bought it, as anybody who knows him would expect - he supports the charity as a matter of course, and the fact that it's about war films didn't hurt. :o)
Anyway, we sat down to watch it one day, and in the introduction, given by Andy McNab, from the National Army Museum, he takes a red military tunic from a rail of uniforms, and puts it on. Obviously, you only see the back of the tunic, so that McNab's face isn't revealed (he's still in a form of hiding as a result of the 'sensitive' work he did in the SAS).
Nigel called out suddenly, and I thought something was wrong.... No - he was drawing my attention to the tunic, and to the others on the rail.
'What about them?' says I.
'Er, you made them,' says Nigel.
OOPS! After much convincing I realised that it was one of a number of 'generic Victorian' military tunics that I made for the NAM. Yikes! And somebody who's properly famous (if not under his real name) was wearing it. And it was on a DVD! Double yikes!!
I should add that it's not unusual for me to fail to recognise my own work when presented with it. Probably seems very odd to people when I invest such huge time into making each piece, that I don't remember every one - but there it is, I don't. I always assume it's somebody else's work - a psychologist would probably tell me there's some deep seated self confidence 'issue' or something!
What I find particularly interesting is that there are a number of other costumers and 'supplies companies' (for want of a better term), who have claimed to have made the tunic worn in the DVD.
My first reaction to that was annoyance, obviously, but on reflection I find it quite funny that there are people out there who find such things (claiming others' work as their own) to be necessary! (Oh, and in case anybody thinks I'm doing the same thing, I have the purchase orders filed away. ;o) )
Anyway, I don't have pictures of the scenes from the DVD (they're definitely there though), but here is a pictures of the tunic that McNab wore in the DVD.
The tunic's not historically accurate as such - the cut is correct - but the museum specifically requested that there be no rank markings or regimental details, because they didn't want to be seen to be singling out one regiment for inclusion, while leaving out all the rest.
And there were khaki drill versions too:
My work really does crop up in places I'd never expect it to!
