The Renown Pictures and Talking Pictures TV Film Festival, Monmouth: another triumph!

Another Talking Pictures TV Film Festival comes to an end and it was another absolute triumph for Sarah Cronin. The event took place at the stunningly beautiful Savoy Theatre in Monmouth, a truly spectacular venue.

The weekend began with the wonderful Lola Lamour who treated the audience to many songs throughout the weekend. Lola is not just a lovely person but it also a magnificent singer and performer. She is loved by the TPTV audience and the events would not be complete without her. Lola is extraordinarily talented and gifted and is also a great contributor to the “Intermission” magazine. An inspirational lady.

Introductions then came from Sarah Cronin who puts an incredible amount of work into these events. She really is extraordinary; she is not only the founder of the channel, along with Noel Cronin, but she also creates the brilliant magazine, “Intermission” and is responsible for putting on several TPTV events each year. Her dedication to the channel is the viewers is something very special.

Again, the guest line up was superb. Noel Cronin and Mike Read brought The Footage Detectives to the stage and showed why they are so popular with the Talking Pictures viewers. They are so warm and natural and interact brilliantly with the audience. There really is the feeling that this is a family coming together.

Andre Vincent talked about comedy history with a focus on Welsh radio comedy. Andre is always fascinating and has an astounding knowledge of comedy and theatre history. I loved listening to him talk about the brilliant Gladys Morgan, someone I knew very little about before this event. Andre has a huge amount of passion for what he does and his knowledge is extraordinary. He is a pleasure to listen to and his enthusiasm is infectious.

Another event highlight was Mel Byron who does a huge amount of work to help make these events a success. She is a brilliant comedian and is also the host of the fabulous TPTV podcast – check it out if you haven’t already! Mel also works on the “Intermission” magazine and wrote an excellent article for the first edition. Again, check out the magazine if you haven’t already subscribed. It really is excellent. Mel talked about her love of old films and how they have influenced ger life from a young age. Mel has a natural warmth that is captivating. If you haven’t seen the films she talks about, you will certainly want to see them after listening to her speak. She’s fabulous.

Jimmy Cricket brought his comedy routine to the event and was hugely popular. He is a wonderful comic and has a natural rapport with the audience. He really was a delight to listen to and had the auditorium in stitches.

Caroline Munro and Madeline Smith were superb hosts and extremely entertaining; two fabulous ladies who, again, exude warmth and have a strong connection with the event audience and the TPTV viewers. They are hugely popular and it is easy to see why. Both Caroline and Madeline have such fondness and love for these events and have a strong bond with the attendees.

Dame Maureen Lipman was another wonderful guest and spoke brilliantly about her career, enthralling the audience. Again, another incredibly interesting and engaging guest. A further highlight was Tony Christie who delighted everyone by singing a range of his hit songs, including (of course) “Avenues and Alleyways” and “Is This the way to Amarillo?” Tony was magnificent and his interview with Mike Read was a real treat.

A special mention has to go to the Llantrisant Male Choir who were massively popular with the audience. We were treated to “Can’t Keep My Eyes Off You”, “Bring Him Home” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” amongst others. They were truly superb and had the audience enraptured. They really were incredible.

For anyone who is thinking about attending one of these events, I would say absolutely go for it. Sarah Cronin is an incredible woman and never fails to put on an amazing event. The Renown Film Festivals are not just about the guest interviews. It is a warm, welcoming event which is as much about meeting new friends and talking to like-minded people. It really does feel as though you are part of something special; the Talking Pictures TV family. Thank you, Sarah and Noel for creating something so very special.