Sad news: RIP Reg Lancaster

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Dave Watterson
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Sad news: RIP Reg Lancaster

Post by Dave Watterson »

I heard today that Reg Lancaster has passed away.

He was a great photographer, a fine film maker, an inspiring club leader and a fine leader of IAC. He was born in Manchester in '35, and had been a film maker since 1970. He served on many juries at local, regional and national festivals in Britain, and was a regular jury member at the Festival Mondial du Courts Metrages in Huy, Belgium.

He was also one of the reasons UNICA is in my life.

When he lived and worked in Paris he formed connections. He also worked with Vladimir Murtin - the former Czech citizen living in the Netherlands - and Jan Schoonen a Dutchman making successful films like TANDEM and OLYMPIA. He first attended UNICA at Ste Nazaire in 1983. At that time Britain was not a member, and for years he and his wife Annabelle were the only Brits regularly attending UNICA, while campaigning back home for Britain to re-join the UNICA family.

He will be deeply missed.
Jill Lampert
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Re: Sad news: RIP Reg Lancaster

Post by Jill Lampert »

Thanks for making this announcement. Very sad news indeed. A lovely man.
Michael Slowe
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Re: Sad news: RIP Reg Lancaster

Post by Michael Slowe »

I would also like to pay tribute to Reg Lancaster. He was the very epitome of a "lovely man". Always with a greeting and a smile and whatever he said always made sense. Speaking personally, he encouraged my film making and always had something interesting to say. He certainly was a great credit to the IAC for whom he worked tirelessly.
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Dave Watterson
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Re: Sad news: RIP Reg Lancaster

Post by Dave Watterson »

One of my favourite memories is of projecting for a BIAFF judging panel when one of those "difficult" films was watched. Reg's first reaction was negative, but then he went into a monologue where he argued with himself and over a couple of minutes talked himself round into admiring the work and scoring it highly.
Ken Wilson
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Re: Sad news: RIP Reg Lancaster

Post by Ken Wilson »

Very sad news about Reg. We knew him from many IAC movie festivals and sat with him and Annabelle at several gala dinners as he told us many anecdotes from his past. One of my memorable moments with him was the year we had our comedy "Dropping Off" in the competition for "Movie xx" (whichever year it was) and he apologised that as a final round judge he had not found the film as funny as the audience at the festival clearly had. "Judging comedy first thing on a Sunday morning sat with just a couple of people is not all that easy and I am sorry I should have placed it higher" he said. That was a lovely thing for him to say. Another sad loss for the IAC.
tom hardwick
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Re: Sad news: RIP Reg Lancaster

Post by tom hardwick »

Yes, sad news indeed. He entrusted me to transfer some of his 8mm films to DVD some years ago, and his Needle in the Sky looked so good I used to take it on my club visits to show how good digitised film could look.
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TimStannard
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Re: Sad news: RIP Reg Lancaster

Post by TimStannard »

I didn't know Reg very well, but he always made me feel like we were old friends. As I posted elsewhere, I once locked him in Laleham Village Hall, when he was in the gents, believing everyone had left. It was only when Annabel couldn't get into the car that we noticed :D
Tim
Proud to be an amateur film maker - I do it for the love of it
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Willy
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Re: Sad news: RIP Reg Lancaster

Post by Willy »

Dorothy and Norman Speirs...Michael Shaw ... Now Reg Lancaster... Very sad... Reg was a very friendly man. He, too, deserves a monument in the IAC. I met him several times at BIAFF. At BIAFF 2007 in Royal Tunbridge Wells for instance. He played an important role I remember. The ceilings were very low, but the audience didn't have any problems to read the subtitles at the Winners Show. That was unique. The oganisers had a brilliant idea. It was one of the best BIAFFs ever. Also thanks to Reg Lancaster. One year later I presented Belgian films at the Oast Theatre in Tonbridge, a festival organised by SERIAC. Again Reg was there to do quite a lot of things. Some years before he had helped me to write the text for my Scottish film "Hebrides Overture", about the Isle of Staffa, the most beautiful island in the world. But we didn't only talk about making films at BIAFF. We had very nice chats about football and other pleasant things. About the Mat Busby Babes for instance. I think he was a Manchester United fan. Reg Lancaster will be greatly missed. My thoughts are with his wife Annabelle and his family. RIP Reg!

Sorry that I am late to express my feelings. I had big problems with my computer. Each time when I tried to reply on a forum-message all the English texts changed into Dutch, my mother-tongue. Very strange, isn't it? Moreover my computer said: "You have specified an incorrect username". But Dave Watterson helped me to solve the problem. And knowing it was Christmas. Many thanks, Dave.
Willy Van der Linden
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Willy
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Re: Sad news: RIP Reg Lancaster

Post by Willy »

What a terrible year...! Reg Lancaster and now on Christmas Day Jean McRonald. Such a kind lady! Ken and Jean McRonald were always together. They were a fantastic couple. We often met them at BIAFF. They always belonged to the Scottish contingent. My wife Vera and I met them at Glamis Castle about two years ago. We had a nice chat over a cup of tea with a piece of cake. A picture was taken of us. Jean and Ken were wearing their kilts for the occasion A short time after our visit Ken told me that Jean suffered from a lung disease. My thoughts are with him, the children and grandchildren.
Willy Van der Linden
Michael Slowe
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Re: Sad news: RIP Reg Lancaster

Post by Michael Slowe »

Willy, you could have left your computer post in Dutch, we all can understand that you know because we are not out of Europe for another day!
Happy New Year to you dear boy, may you and your film making flourish.
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Willy
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Re: Sad news: RIP Reg Lancaster

Post by Willy »

Yes, I already felt excluded, Michael. I was very disappointed. (joking of course). But I was happy to be helped by Dave, a real Scotsman and Europhile.

I still can't miss my favourite BBC-programmes. This morning I watched the Andrew Marr show. The BBC-reporter said to Boris something like: "You are an Englishman and you are speaking to a Scotsman!...". That was the end of the programme. Boris looked a bit perplexed and didn't have the time to reply. Very funny man sometimes, and he is naughty, isn't he? I mean Andrew Marr.

The IAC is still international. It is European "pur sang". That's what I hope. We are friends, aren't we? However, if I would like to cross the Channel in the future I will have to buy a blue travel passport, made in France. That's what I have heard. Actually that's not a problem. At Dover the Customs Officer will ask me with a welcoming smile: "What are you going to do in my country, Sir?" I remember it was like that half a century ago. As I already had an English looking moustache I was often picked out to have my luggage checked.

Oh dear, my friends life has changed... And now that frightening pandemic!
I wish you all a Happy covid-free New Year. Also in Belgium we are fighting against it.
Willy Van der Linden
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Dave Watterson
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Re: Sad news: RIP Reg Lancaster

Post by Dave Watterson »

IAC received this message from Annabelle Lancaster:

I’m really sorry that people are unable to attend Reg’s funeral in person but you can follow it on line if you so wish. The funeral notice below, supplied by the funeral director, gives a number of details and instructions.

Please do take care of yourselves and stay safe.

I send you my very Best Wishes for 2021.

Annabelle.

==============

Watch Reg's funeral online on Wednesday 13 January 2021 at 3pm (British time) by following these instructions:

1) click on this link to open it https://www.obitus.com/

2) when the site opens, click on "Proceed to log in"

3) Your username > Maki6341

4) Your password > 703816

5) Service viewing time > 2:55pm - 4:05pm
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Willy
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Re: Sad news: RIP Reg Lancaster

Post by Willy »

Many thanks for having given us the opportunity to attend Reg Lancaster's funeral ceremony. Now I know why he was a Manchester United fan. I once had a chat with him about the Mat Busby Babes. Reg was born in Manchester in 1935. He was an Englishman, but he also had some Scottish roots I could understand and he lived in France for some time. Is that right? That's why we could listen to the song "Maintenant c'est la Rose..." by Gilbert Bécaud. Indeed, he was a fantastic professional photographer and he worked for the Daily Express. After the service I googled a bit. I found some magnificent pictures taken by him and also a photo of Reg himself when he was young. The ceremony ended with "Singing in the Rain". Yes, we will always remember the good-humoured smiling Reg Lancaster. Many thanks again, Dave.
Willy Van der Linden
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