In a warehouse on a corner of an industrial estate on the outskirts of Bristol, the next instalment of the adventures of an absent-minded inventor and his rather more intelligent dog is slowly - very slowly - taking shape. Friendly teams of animators work with quiet intensity in the gloom of the basement. Upstairs, it is as though the artists Jake and Dinos Chapman have turned their attention to some of Britain's best-loved animated characters, with decapitated versions of Gromit and plasticine limbs scattered liberally around, and sketches and prototypes for new projects lining the walls.

For Wallace and Gromit's creator, Preston Lad  Nick Park, production on their latest adventure is reaching its busiest point. The 30-minute A Matter of Loaf and Death - in which both Wallace and Gromit find romance - will form the centrepiece of BBC1's Christmas schedule, as well as marking a return to television for Aardman Animations after a successful excursion into feature films.

But while Chicken Run and The Curse of the Were-Rabbit were both big box office successes, grossing (£88m)  in the cinema alone, the marriage between Aardman and Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks was a rocky one - and was followed by a painful split.

"After doing two features back to back, Chicken Run and Were-Rabbit, they were such enormous processes to go through taking years and years, I just wanted to get back to doing something I could be more in control of again," Park says. "Because it's primarily for the BBC, I'm not getting constant notes about how it's going to work in middle America, or how some kid doesn't understand what some northern phrase is."

Towards the end, the relationship with DreamWorks became "a sort of a battle", he admits. Chicken Run, Aardman's first feature film, was "exciting" and a huge learning curve. But, faced with Park's determination to preserve the integrity of the characters he created while still a struggling film student - he came to Aardman in 1985 after its founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton spotted his talent - Hollywood executives wielding focus group studies and test screening results were always going to come off second best.

"They really wanted us to do a Wallace and Gromit film but at the same time they also had half a mind on how they could make it work in the States. That was always the question," Park says. "It was a great experience and I feel very proud of the end result. But we had to dig our heels in an awful lot. I don't mind that, it was just the effort that goes into that is a stress in itself."

Aardman fought hard to retain the rights to the characters, which left DreamWorks feeling uncomfortable about losing control of an area almost as important to the bottom line as the box office take. "They found it difficult working with characters they didn't own," says Park. "They were trying to respect that at the same time as trying to completely dictate to us. There was a sense of tension."

After the Hollywood dream turned sour, reaching its nadir with the disappointing non-Park CGI film Flushed Away, both sides walked away and Aardman signed a new contract with Sony Pictures. Park concurs that, after the animation boom of the mid-1990s with clever family films that could appeal equally to kids and adults - Toy Story, Shrek, Finding Nemo and so on - there was a feeling that Hollywood had fallen out of love with animation. But he thinks Aardman's new relationship with Sony will blossom.

The studio has three non-Park films about to be green-lit - Pirates (directed by Lord), The Cat Burglars (overseen by the co-director of The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Steve Box) and Arthur Christmas. And, while DreamWorks was pushing the studio more towards CGI, Sony is happy for it to combine computer techniques with Park's beloved claymation.

He still recalls the moment when he alighted upon it as his medium of choice. "I suddenly saw what a magical effect it had. Everybody knows what a lump of clay is and seeing it come to life is quite a magical thing. You can see the material and see it moving and suddenly gaining a character somehow," he says.

Park says it is unlikely there will ever be another Wallace and Gromit movie, but more television specials remain a possibility. He adds he also has an idea for another feature but is concentrating on A Matter of Loaf and Death for the time being. "All of our stuff has taken time to grow on people. It started small and had this long, slow, organic growth. You can't knock stuff out quick if it's going to be good."

Park's features have a tendency towards comic over-expression, presumably a side-effect of years of showing animators how he wants a character's eyes or face to move. And, while polite to a fault, he's not at ease talking about himself, and it's not hard to guess that he would rather be downstairs in the dark of the studio with his characters than talking about them. Or, indeed, nose deep in a freshly delivered copy of the Beano.

In between his Wallace and Gromit duties, Park has guest-edited the 70th anniversary issue of the comic, published later this month. As he hunches over the edition in his cluttered corner office, it is an achievement that appears to mean as much to him as the Oscars haphazardly displayed around his office - in what appears to be the ultimate accolade, he even features in the concluding frame of the Fred's Bed strip.

"I've been a fan of it all my life. My dream was to draw for the Beano," he enthuses. "When I was 10 years old I started drawing cartoon strips with the Beano in mind. I lived in that world. You own a comic, it's yours and adults don't understand it. You could pile them up under the bed and if you were off school ill, you'd go through them all."

And with that, Park is off into a halting reverie about growing up in 1960s Preston, "where everything looked like it was still from the 1950s". About spending the whole of Christmas Day in 1971 sitting in a box reading his new Beano album, hurtling down side streets on homemade go-karts or "trolleys", dreaming up Wallace-style inventions with his brothers, and spending hours in the heat of his parent's loft working on his animations with his mother's home movie camera.

It was Dennis the Menace, The Bash Street Kids and Lord Snooty that inspired him to pick up a pen, as he lovingly copied out their adventures. And there are clear parallels between the world inhabited by Wallace and Gromit - warmly nostalgic and located somewhere between the 1940s and the present, yet somehow timeless - and that contained between the covers of his beloved Beano.

"It's a bit like the way Ealing comedies have influenced our work here. The surburbness of it and the Britishness of it," he muses. "There's a certain quirkiness. The way Dandy set a cowboy in a strange northern town. There's a slightly bizarre incongruity to it. The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was a Universal horror movie set in the north of England."

Aardman's Bristol base does indeed feel a long way from the bright lights of Hollywood, or even the gossip and bustle of the London media world. As Park itches to disappear downstairs, back on to the production floor, it's easy to imagine that the distance between his parent's loft and Aardman HQ is not so great. "It's what I love. As I get on and films take four years to complete, I tend to have a hankering for very short projects so you can move on to the next idea. It's the ideas I'm interested in. What comes out of your head."

The company was for a time the poster child for the British film industry, with Park's grin and comedy bow ties lighting up several otherwise dull Oscar nights. But it has also had its disappointments in its 36-year history, which takes in Morph, Creature Comforts, Shaun the Sheep and a slew of advertising work.

There was the fire that destroyed decades worth of drawings, and several points where intermittent work caused cashflow problems, or large-scale projects were started only to founder. But with another new commission for a CBeebies Shaun the Sheep spin-off (called Timmy) also in the bag, and its relationship with Hollywood clearer, Aardman seems set fair.

"We never know how long it's going to last. We keep going through darker times and then Shaun the Sheep will take off or something else will turn up," Park says - although he is less optimistic about British animation as a whole, which he fears "seems to be at a low ebb".

Park is back to eyeing the Beano on the desk between us with a mixture of pride and incredulity. "There is nothing like it. It's a one-off quirky thing that has come out of a certain culture. There's a lot of quirkiness, creativity and imagination." He is talking about the comic but he could, of course, be describing himself.

  Now you may think the tittle of this artical a bit stange --A POSTCARD from ROCHDALE  well I would to as you wouldn't expect to  be able to feel like you had been on holiday in the heart of Lancashire but let me explain . In an effort to spend some time together, as I as you know work nights and the wife works in retail we only really spend time together on a Sunday . We both have traveled extensively around our fair county and have been to most places so nothing really suprices us UNTIL NOW .

Last Sunday while trying to deside where to go the wife said what around Rochdale way ---Nowt much I thought so I looked on the Internet and found HOLLINGSWORTH LAKE VISITORS CENTER . So off we went over OWD BETTS  ( the A681 ) to Rochdale then hit the HALIFAX Rd and after about 2 miles turning right up SMITHYGATE and end up at our destination .

What hit me was a strange feeling as here is a LAKE which was a hive of activity looking so tranquil it wouldn't have been out of place in the lakes  Looking up you could see the busy M62 overhead with cars ,Wagons etc  going to and fro between the ROSE counties . A fantastic walk around the lake was followed by the best chips I had tasted from a chippy that wouldn't look out of place on the Prom at BLACKPOOL --Then a as the rain began to fall we took refuge in a pub called THE BEECH situated on the edge of the lake ,choosing to sit outside under a large parasol ---I honestly felt so relaxed and calm in the surroundings I could have been on holiday ---But HANG ON THIS IS ROCHDALE . I would certainly recommend you seek out this fantastic corner of our PALATINE county you will be as amazed  as me... We then took off and headed to YORKSHIRE over to Halifax for more sights and headed back over the tops  though to  HEBDEN BRIDGE  then TODMORDEN ---Burnley and back home to OSWALDTWISTLE ----A fantastic day with great suprizes   ---Only wish I had taken the CAMERA ---But then again I WILL BE BACK to see if I was DREAMING . 

This entry was placed in the VISITORS BOOK

Jemmy Hanson - 2008-07-31 10:30:32 This site, being titled Lancashire ’Re-United’, would have one believe that it covers the ’OLD’ Lancashire, the Lancashire as once was. But, it doesn’t.
It is a fact that Liverpool was part of Lancashire, but this fact is covered up like a bad smell. St.Helens, Widnes and Warrington were once Lancashire towns, but they are also left out.
Wigan, on the other hand, is no longer in Lancashire, but is included as if it was.
If Liverpool, Manchester, St.Helens, Wigan etc., are no longer in Lancashire, on the same principal neither is Blackpool, so why is it listed in ’Lancashire towns’?
If the site is going to be called Lancashire ’Re-United’, all ex-Lancashire should be included.

Well Jemmy 

Thanks for taking the time to post this BUT its a pity you didn't take the time to take a longer look at the site we  have members from throughout the PALATINE COUNTY and Re-Unite member with places through the REAL county I have continually asked for members from the South Lancashire area for help with photos and informatin etc but to no avale   I run this site all by MYSELF traveling HUNDREDS  OF MILES EACH YEAR ---which is increasingly expensive with the cost of petrol in the UK  ---PLUS WORK NIGHT SHIFTS ---I will over the next few weeks when I have 2 weeks off work be visiting and taking photos of LIVERPOOL,WARRINGTON & the ST HELENS AREA    

During the Summer I have attended the charity events at Oswaldtwistle Mills featuring a host of entertainers from around the North West . It has been my pleasure to meet many of the artists who are members of this site  one of them is Dominic Collins from Manchester . Dominic is a Post Man by day but has for a few years now has been working hard to crack the Lancashire circuit  at Ossy Mills Dom told me a bit about himself and his  latest big break--- So Ladies and Gents ,Boys & Girls---Dominic Collins  A STAR ON THE UP
 

Dominic Collins  was brought up in East Manchester (Ancoats) and this proved to be the inspiration for quite a lot of Dominic’s  earlier songs writing about his childhood and upbringing in East Manchester and things he done as  a kid .

He  started doing this by accident as he  was learning to play the acoustic guitar some 5-6- years ago when I turned up very nervous to play at an acoustic open mike night he  only wanted to play some Beatles / Eagles songs but the man  who was running the night would not let him  play as It was a songwriters night and you had to write your own,stuff  he  was bitterly disappointed .

So he   went home and wrote a song about him called "You can't write covers on acoustic nights" and he  very quickly knocked out 2 more so he  had 3 songs ready for the month after  he also wrote some comedy introductions just to invite people into his new found world of songwriting, He  knew on the very 1st night by listening to the other 8 performers that what he  had set out to do was something different and that was all that mattered to him was  people were asking for CDs on the very 1st night so Dominic  knew he was on to something so he  started looking round for other open mike nights and the song ideas started to flow and within 6 months Dom  had recorded his  1st CD called"Canadian geese over Ancoats Skies"

Dominic  also noticed that he  was getting a small following as the songs kept on coming as demand grew and he  found that because he was writing comedy people wanted a new CD ASAP so he  set his stall out to try and produce a new CD every 12 months and to date 4 years down the line this has been the case with his  next one No5 being recorded as I write this.  Dominic  got a break when Comedian and new BULLSEYE presenter Dave Spikey saw me play and described me on Granada TVs Chasing the dream as "A breath of fresh Air"

He then went on to invite him  to play  at The Manchester Opera House with him on his 1 man show, he  then got a support gig for John Cooper Clarke at The Lowery Theater in Salford, . Around 6 months ago Dominic  decided it was time to take what he does to another level and instead of going out as a singer songwriter who tells a few jokes he  went out as a comedian who sings a few songs this re-invention has turned out to be the best move  he has  ever made, he  started to going out to club-land and cutting his teeth as comedian in this very tough world but he always knew that his songs were funny and that would set him apart from the rest.

He started playing showcases for entertainment agencies all over the North West and beyond and take it from me it's not always been a bed of roses. He  received a call a few months ago at 3-00pm from an agency in Blackpool who he  had done an audition for some months previous they asked him to come to Blackpool that night for 7-00pm and after being up since 04-30am doing his proper job as a Manchester Postman he really didn’t want to go but he did and it turned out to be the best move he  have made so far, After his 20 min set he had a quick introduction to HRH Entertainments in Blackpool and there owner who is a gent  called Tony Jo a comedian and ex Grumbleweed.

Tony loved what Dominic did   and has said it's the freshest thing to hit Blackpool in 10 years Dom  has now signed up with HRH and has just been offered a summer season for 2009 at the top 3 Choice Hotels in Blackpool The Viking The Cliffs The Claremont every Tuesday & Wednesday from May - Nov 2009,it seems a long way from getting turned away from the 1st acoustic night but now at the age of 52 he now  has a whole new career in front of him  and a summer to look forward to in 2009.

So if your are in Blackpool  try and catch up with Dom under his  comedy name of “Dominic Dry”

Dom will also be appearing 30th NOVEMBER  with FRANK CARSON , MICK MILLER ,and others at the BURNLEY MECHANICS --Watch out for  another great MEMBERS ONLY  competition to WIN TICKETS TO THE SHOW -----

 Why not take  look at Dominic's own  website and maybe get yourself a CD --and as Dom says -----I promise that all proceeds from my CDs will go straight into the wife's purse .

I received an e-mail from our member SHEEN (Ex LANCASTER  LASS )  as she had posted an appeal for help in tracing her roots on the guest book and asking if that was the correct place .....Well Sheen and anyone else if you would like things like this putting on the site I am only to glad to help . As usual please send anything you would like to put on LRU to me at the sites e-mail address lancashirereunited@fsmail.net

Here is what SHEENA WROTE

LOOKING FOR MY ROOTS!
Hi, - My name is Sheena and I was born in 1948 in Lancaster Infirmary. At the time my father, William Donald MacKay, was the Head Gardener on Lord & Lady Peel’s Hyning Estate where we lived. My family left Lancashire when I was about 2 years old and moved to Melksham in Wiltshire.
I am researching our Family Tree and unfortunately I have little knowledge of this time in my life. I know that I was baptized at St. Oswald Church, Worton although I have no idea of who my godparents were!
Some friends who live in Bolton recently visited Worton and said that the village and church are beautiful, also the people they met were very friendly.
I would be very pleased to hear from anyone who has any information about the church or the Hyning Estate which we now understand is a monastery.
We found LRU and joined when researching the Hyning Estate and thoroughly enjoy the contents.
Our intention is to visit and find more about my roots sometime.

Many thanks - Sheen. 

  A short while ago I muted having a LANCASHIRE FUN section on the site with cartoons by our resident professional artist & cartoonist WALLACE TRICKETT .

These should be cartoons based on real events about  yourselves our a friend or family member  which are  humorous and have a story behind them  which we could use on Lancashire Re-United ( keep them clean though ) .

This is the sort of thing I mean . I told Wallace some time ago about a little story about the day my dad a bus driver in Barrow was setting of from the Ramsden Sq Stop in Barrow to Ulverston via the coastal route when he heard a loud cracking sound .and  suddenly the front end of the bus slumped forward .

The front axle of the bus had fallen off ,now what made matters worse was just at the same time the manager of Barrow Corporation Transport a Mr Derek Gwynn was just passing by ---I would loved to have seen the look on his face ..

I have framed  a print of this cartoon and sent it to my Dad which had me thinking maybe YOU would like to have a cartoon done of a humorous moment effecting you or someone you know that the person recalls then you could send them a print directly from LRU and WALLACE WITH  THE  FEE PAID TO WALLACE ------who has done so much for this site and ME  personally to show our thanks and you would be sending a  UNIQUE GIFT to a friend or loved one at Xmas or on a Birthday ,Anniversary  -fathers day or Mothers day 

Contact me  through the  Contact LRU tab on the main menu with the story and I will pass it on to Wallace and then you could make someones day as  I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MY DADS FACE WHEN HE RECALLS THIS--again and again and again ---

 ( To see the cartoon at FULL SIZE -- PLACE YOUR CURSOR ARROW OVER THE CARTOON THEN--- -RIGHT CLICK  your mouse and then CLICK--VEIW IMAGE