REGULAR readers will remember a recent piece in which we remembered the filming of Far From the Madding Crowd in Weymouth, featuring a very amusing story about Terence Stamp AKA Sergeant Troy, trying to enter a Weymouth for free!

That article appears to have stoked Margaret Wellspring's memories of the filming, with her very kindly sending us this photo she took of the circus scene in the film, adapted from Thomas Hardy's novel.

Margaret said: "As a sixteen year old my friend Moorea and I rode our bikes from Osmington to Coombe Valley to see the circus scene from Far from the Madding Crowd being filmed and we waited all afternoon and saw Julie Christie walk from her caravan dressing room to the circus tent.

"Well, I was looking through some old photographs the other day and found a picture I took on that day of the circus tent and some the traps and buggies used in the film.

"I thought you might be interested in it. I don't know why I didn't get a picture of Julie Christie. Maybe she just took me by surprise or I was just too shy!"

*Thanks to Rod Harris for this very good close-up photo of film star John Mills making the movie Morning Departure.

The film was shot aboard the submarine, depot ship and around Portland Base and harbour.

The storyline saw a post-war submarine accidentally activate a Second World War acoustic mine and the subsequent efforts to rescue the crew before attempting to raise her.

The film was released in 1951, after the loss of over 60 men on HMS Truculent in January 1950 and the disappearance of HMS Affray and its crew.

It also starred Richard Attenborough.