Well, my long suffering readers, it has been an odd week for me on a personal level. 

When an NHS doctor phones you up within 24 hours of a blood test it is not normal.

We had a nice chat but I have no desire to be the award-winning healthiest corpse in the morgue, so I have still bought a new pair of shoes. 

By contrast, the lovely young people of the new Sky Studios in Borehamwood gave me the red carpet treatment when they invited me to visit. I have been retired 14 years so how wonderful it is to be remembered. 

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The first film to shoot at the new complex stars is, alas, somebody I don’t know. But that is great, and the rebirth of Borehamwood as the Hollywood Of England is something I never expected to see. 

The new studio is going to embrace giving young people a chance, as does our local Elstree Screen Academy via school link.

It is up to them to explain, but I love the idea of training up youngsters to fill the skills gap.

I have never known a better time for young talented people to have a chance in our industry.

However I must stress we live in a strange world - and just because you want to be somebody you usually have to earn your stripes with effort, although others can make a fortune for what escapes me.

Years ago a USA television channel approached me to contribute to a documentary on Simon Cowell.

I tend to say yes out of boredom so they filmed me at Elstree Studios. I recounted the story that my old friend, a lovely old school film producer, including of The Saint, Robert Baker, sacked him from being a runner on a TV series at Elstree called The Return Of The Saint.

Luckily for Simon, his dad got him a job at EMI’s records division and the rest is history.

In 2006 when I was still in charge I organised two plaque unveilings at Elstree Studios.

One was for the lovely Sir Roger Moore, but the other was for Simon with the help of Pete Waterman.

When you allow yourself to be interviewed on TV they make you sign a contract allowing them to use what they wish.

On this occasion, my input involved an edit saying Simon was the lowest form of human life on the set.

Thankfully Simon and myself, when I hosted his plaque unveiling at Elstree Studios, found it funny as we know the game.

I really hope that EastEnders, being shot at the BBC Elstree Centre, can start to gain more viewers.

It must be awful when even something called Love Island gets higher ratings, and perhaps three million viewers is a dream when once 26 million was possible. 

To me that means the BBC is run by children without skill and who have never had a proper job in showbiz.

Titles and silly pay do not mean you are any good. As an old fossil, to me you have to earn your stripes.

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