In this blog post, I use the words of Simon Shaw (Assistant Chief Constable for North Wales), Marcus Fair (Founder of Eternal Media), and Peter Norrey (BAFTA-winning Filmmaker) tell the story of the premiere of Flipped It! and its aftermath.
‘Marcus made the film, and as I had invested so much into it in terms of my reputation, I rented a cinema in Colwyn Bay for a premiere and invited senior police officers and members of our various partnerships from around North Wales. I bought mementoes for all those involved in the film’s production, so that we could have an award ceremony immediately after the premiere. But I still hadn’t seen the film. I was very, very nervous. The day before the premiere I was finally able to see the film. I was blown away by it, but I still had concerns about what others would make of it.
On the morning of the premiere, the film was still not in a format that was needed to play it on the big screen of a cinema. The process of reformatting it took many hours, and it was only a couple of hours before the premiere was due to start that the film was finally ready to be shown. Over two hundred people attended including the BBC, along with The Daily Post and other local media. I was very nervous as the film was played, but then overjoyed with the amazing reception that it received. That afternoon in the cinema felt a real defining moment in my career.
After the premiere, I met Peter Norrey and along with Marcus we went for a meal. We decided then and there that our situation was too good from which to walk away. So the idea of Eternal Media was formed that evening. We applied to the Area Planning Board for a small grant which enabled us to buy cameras and a computer. Eternal Media was open for business!’ Simon
‘Simon organised for the film, Flipped It!, to be premiered in Colwyn Bay Theatre in November 2015 and invited various dignitaries to the showing. Prince Charles sent a letter wishing us good luck. Simon got increasingly worried in the last run-up to the opening night, as he hadn’t seen a frame of the film. I remember one occasion just before the opening when he pulled up outside my NACRO flat, which was in that bad part of town, in his unmarked Audi police car. He wound down his window and passed me an envelope which contained some paperwork. It must have looked like some sort of dodgy deal going on between the Assistant Chief Constable and a former heroin addict!
I finally got to check the film in a cinema the day before the screening! At the event, the local great and good were mixed in with people in addiction and those in early and long-term recovery, along with people working in the field. Coppers and addicts sat together on the front row, munching away on their popcorn. The 50-minute film started and it wasn’t long before people were standing and cheering when someone was being interviewed. Every now and again there was a standing ovation. People were laughing and crying throughout.
At the end of the film, the place erupted. The cast and crew got a curtain call. Simon started to dish out glass awards to all those involved in the film. Simon, Peter and I looked at each on stage and said, ‘This can’t end here, this is too good. This can’t stop.’ All concerned with the film then went out for dinner. It’s crazy thinking thinking about it now, but from that prickly beginning we had reached a situation where coppers and addicts were inviting each other to their weddings and family christenings.’ Marcus
‘Marcus told me that he wanted to create a charity, as giving back to the field was an important part of his recovery. At that time, I really wanted to do something outside of my normal professional work life and also give back to society. I was very happy to agree to helping Marcus set up a charity.’ Peter
‘After the premiere, I met Peter Norrey and along with Marcus we went for a meal. We decided then and there that our situation was too good from which to walk away. So the idea of Eternal Media was formed that evening. We applied to the Area Planning Board for a small grant which enabled us to buy cameras and a computer. Eternal Media was open for business!
I retired in 2016 after 30 years service in the police force, as planned. You might think that I was glad to get away from the job, but I actually loved what I had been doing. I just felt that I needed to leave at the age of 53 so that I had time to go and do something different. When I look back, there are many projects and initiatives that I was involved in that I am proud of, particularly the work I did as part of the regional partnerships. However, there are two things that I did in my police career that I am most proud of and which I believe made a positive difference.
North Wales Police used to do road shows where the Chief Constable, and one of the other members of the Chief Officer team, gave presentations to a room full of staff. There were about 50 of these presentations every couple of years, which reached a total of about 3,500 members of the police force. I managed to get on the road show agenda Brief Intervention training for helping people with alcohol-related problems.
Academic studies had demonstrated the impact Brief Interventions have on reducing alcohol consumption in those that drink at harmful levels. All 3,500 members of North Wales police not only received such a Brief Intervention, but were also trained on how to deliver it. This meant that the Intervention not only had the potential to reduce alcohol consumption in those members of staff who had a drinking problem, but could also impact positively on others with a drinking problem, including their family members and friends. I don’t know how many people were helped by this training, but I am certain that its benefits reached far beyond the classroom, and maybe some of those benefits endured for many years.
The second thing that I am most proud about in relation to my police work is to have helped develop, and participate in the achievements of, Eternal Media. I’ve always believed in the power of community, and that is what Eternal Media is all about. Essentially, Marcus, Jill, Luke and their team of volunteers create a community for the duration of a project, where people provide mutual support to each other, and from that comes wider benefits in wellbeing.’ Simon