# Greaves Hall, a scene featuring.



## TJJ (Jun 5, 2007)

Hi Everyone,
Had the privelege for a good while now of reading and viewing with enthuasiasm your loving descriptions and photography of these wonderful places around us. I have definitely gained a lot and learned a lot.(no doubt you've all got people who think we waste our time on these places or just don't get it because they've never been!) I haven't had the chance to visit many of these sites because I've mainly been concentrating on one. Greaves Hall, Banks, West Lancashire.
I've been making a feature film for the past four and a half years. I posted a scene from it on youtube which was shot entirely inside Greaves Hall (apart from a few shots). The film isn't finished yet and this scene needs re-editing but it gives those who haven't had the pleasure a glimpse of the inside (some of which isn't there anymore). Hopefully I've captured some of the beauty; although the rest of the film uses the surrounding derelict landscape and buildings to tell my story (set in a derelict future, !!)
I have loads of photos which I will upload soon (3-400 hundred shots which will take a while to scan as they're plastered all over my sloped ceiling.
For those of you who have heard of Greaves Hall and for those of you who haven't;
Watch this, not for me lumbering around doing my best to act, but for Greaves Hall, which, I'm sure, as it has in the past, will succumb to strategically places fires from the hands of developers.
Anyway, there's a few photos here,
(it seemed like a good idea at the time)

http://www.myspace.com/greaveshall


(Sorry, you'll have to log in to see the photos, I can't get into my own profile anymore-forgot the email & password!!)

And this is the scene from the film, which is called Distant Shore. (It begins with an old photo and merges into the present.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ppohVV_afQ[/ame]

Here is the trailer for the film, 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA5TCshBClE[/ame]

All the best & try to visit what's left of this beaut before it's gone.

TJJ


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## Foxylady (Jun 5, 2007)

Oh, I like those...I like them a lot! 
Thanks for sharing the films, and the Hall looks like a rather interesting explore. Particularly liked the grass and wrought-iron thingy on the roof tiles and the clock swaying in the wind.

Cheers
Foxy


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## TJJ (Jan 28, 2008)

Hi Everyone. My film featuring Greaves Hall, (Banks, West Lancs) amongst other beautiful derelict places, is finished after five years (!) and showing at the Southport Arts Centre on Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th February. Tickets are £2.50- (to cover the cost of hire)
To those of you local or within a reachable distance; please come and support my film; even if it's just to check out Greaves Hall immortalised on screen or some of the other places featured. (Formby railway powerhouse, hunting lodge in Ormskirk)
Anyway, here's the link to the newest trailer; check it out!

www.myspace.com/distantshorethemovie

Hope some of you can make it.

P.S I've credited this website as regards researching locations for my film!

Tim Johnson


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## Foxylady (Jan 29, 2008)

Thanks Tim.
Not near enough to come and see it unfortunately but would like to wish you luck with the film showing. Hope it all goes well.

Cheers
Eileen


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## smileysal (Jan 30, 2008)

Cheers Tim, wishing you well and hope everything goes off great with the film showing. Like it a lot. Wish i lived nearer and i'd have gone to see it. 

Just thought, something like that idea would be a good one when ever there's any meets, after we'd been exploring and chatting about it later on, could watch stuff like this in the evening. 

cheers again,

 Sal


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## King Al (Jan 30, 2008)

Hope it goes well for you tim I am a bit far from you to attend i am affraid. Are you going to put it on line afterwards?


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## TJJ (Feb 19, 2008)

*Re: Distant Shore*

Thanks for the replies guys. The premiere went well and the film went down a treat. I'll be getting it shown as widespread as possible and will look into making it viewable online as soon as I've sorted out a few issues with the sound.
Some of the other locations featured are well worth a day out; I'll post some pics when I've scanned them in.

TJJ


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## holymole (Jun 13, 2008)

*Air raid sirens in Banks from Greaves Hall Hospital*

I lived in Banks in the 1970's and my mum was a nurse at Greaves Hall. The Sirens used to go off regularly (sounding like typical air-raid sirens) and she said it went off when a patient had escaped from the hospital. I Remember it vividly as it was a secure psychiatric hospital and the types of patients there were supposed to be, quote.. 'dangerous' - anyway, I can say my childhood was peppered with the sound of airraid sirens although i was born in the 70's............ chilling stuff though at the time


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## TJJ (Feb 16, 2011)

*Distant Shore Dvd- Out Now!*

I read through my last post on this thread- not far off 3 years ago!!

Distant Shore is finished and out on Dvd! (in limited places, mainly in Southport, as I haven't had it properly certificated)

Here's the original trailer...
[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYRjGL2Y-3M[/nomedia]

It features derelict places such as the (late, but not forgotten) Greaves Hall in Banks, the nearby Water Tower (and surrounding outbuildings), the amazing Powerhouse in Formby! (next to the railway line) and a perhaps lesser known former hunting lodge in Ormskirk, which has since been restored and featured on the Channel 4 programme "Restoration Man"! 
I know some of you will be familiar with these locations and if ever this film had an audience who will appreciate not just the locations, but the cinematography in Distant Shore, then it's you guys...

This is a film that has taken 8 years to reach Dvd! 

It also has a documentary- the making of the film- this looks into, amongst other things, the history of some of the locations used!

Sadly, Greaves Hall is no longer with us, but is preserved for all time in this post apocalyptic drama!

Locally, (to me) it is available at Parkinson's book store on Lord Street, Southport (down a narrow booked lined alleyway between Lakeland and Monsoon) - also at the pubs "The Houghton" and "The Fox and Goose".
It'll be available in a Liverpool shop/outlet soon.
Or simply message me to arrange getting hold of a copy!
They're £10 each. I've only had 100 done so I'm making these 'Limited Edition' with original production images and handwritten observations relating to the image.
Hope this is of interest to you! 
P.S Derelict places gets a mention in the credits! 

Tim Johnson


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## Foxylady (Feb 19, 2011)

Love the new trailer, Tim. All the very best for your film...hope you get it certificated and that it does well. Cheers for the update.


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## nelly (Feb 19, 2011)

The video say that they have been removed when I click on them


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## Foxylady (Feb 19, 2011)

nelly1967 said:


> The video say that they have been removed when I click on them


That's odd. The link still works for me.


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## TJJ (Feb 20, 2011)

*Trailers for Distant Shore*

This is the trailer I made for ITV website in December 2007
[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p48HTXjQWDE[/nomedia]


<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/p48HTXjQWDE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


And the trailer for the documentary which accompanies the film!
[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeL_Y6fIe0Q[/nomedia]


<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EeL_Y6fIe0Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


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