WHEN Ray Banyard found out that a group of fire service colleagues were about to dress up to appear in a film, he made sure he was on hand with his camera.

The year was 1983 and Ray was working in the control room at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

“My friend told me that some of the fire officers in Green Watch were going to appear in the film The Dresser,” he recalls. “They were getting dressed up as firemen in wartime kit.

“I was off-duty on the day they were filming so I went along and took a picture.”

The five men - from left to right: Mick Jackson, Stuart Burton, Donald Moore, Joe Greig and Donald Gibson - were wearing uniforms of the Second World War period, including waterproof trousers and tin helmets. “They all had to have 1940’s haircuts too,” says Ray. “The badge on the tunic is AFS - Auxillary Fire Service.”

The filming took place on Listerhills Road in the area where Listerhills Science Park now sits.

“Whether the film company got in touch with the fire service beforehand I don’t know, but I would imagine so,” says Ray. “The film company must have supplied the outfits.”

Sadly, one of the men in the photograph, Stuart Burton, died a few years ago.

The scene was filmed in derelict buildings that were in a poor state of repair.

“I was told that the film crew were going around Bradford looking for places ready for demolition, to replicate areas that had been bombed during the war. The film crew must have asked Bradford Council if they could leave them for filming,” says Ray.

“They set fire to the windowsills using a special material that gives off flames and they used a smoke generator. The fire officers were told not to spray water on to the flames but on the wall to the side, so they did not put out the fire.

“Out of sight there was a fire engine pumping the water to the scene. The brigade sent a proper pump which was on hand in case anything went wrong during filming.

“They were fine about me watching the proceedings so long as I kept quiet when they shouted “Action!” It was very interesting watching them and strange seeing my friends dressed in wartime fire kit.”

The film, which tells the story of an ageing actor’s personal assistant struggling to keep his employer’s life together, stars Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay.

“One of the main stars was there when I took the picture but I am not sure which one as I only saw the back of him. He was wearing a black coat and a trilby.” From the publicity material, that character is likely to have been Albert Finney.

Finney and Courtenay were both nominated for Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards, and Golden Globe Awards for their performances in the film, with Courtenay winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a in a tie with Robert Duvall for Tender Mercies.

Ray has not yet watched the film. “I know it’s been on TV a few times over the years but I just haven’t seen it - I would really like to see it so I’ll have to keep an eye out for it," he says.

This week The Alhambra has hosted a stage performance of The Dresser, starring Julian Clary and Matthew Kelly. The final performance is taking place this evening.

*bradford-theatres.co.uk/whats-on/the-dresser

*Are you in Ray's picture? Tell us what it was like that day. Email helen.mead@nqyne.co.uk