Warcamp talesare soughtfor newfilm
Garry adds alligators to his impressive collection
Stories about a World War Two camp near Braco are set for the silver screen.
Mousehole Films is making a documentary about Cultybraggan, or Camp 21 as the German POW Camp was also known, when it was home to thousands of German and Italian POWs during the Second World War.
The camp, between Braco and Comrie, was first used as a prisoner of war (PoW) camp during the war, and then became an army training area.
“We are keen to talk to anyone who was either a POW, or guard, or local resident, with interesting stories about life at Cultybraggan”, said director and producer Adrian Bean.
“Many POWs worked in the community during the war, on farms or in houses, and built up relationships with local families. Some POWs even married local girls and settled in Scotland and we’d love to hear their stories.”
If you have a story to tell about Cultybraggan, or know someone who might, or want to know more about the proposed film, you can contact the film’s producers, Adrian Bean at adebean@ live.co.uk or 07831 448208, or Caroline Strong on carolinestrong@live.co.uk / 07917 813110. Or visit www. mouseholefilms.co.uk
An Alva man has built up a massive collection of exotic reptiles.
Garry Murphy owns more than 100 snakes, and is now adding crocodiles and alligators to his assortment of rare animals.
He recently acquired his first caimans — a species of alligator which can grow over six foot in length — having become the first man in Clackmananshire to gain a licence to keep dangerous animals.
“I have been collecting reptiles for a good 25 years, since I first got a king snake,” Garry told the Observer.
“So many people ask me how I got into it and I don’t know really. It went from having a snake when I was a kid to now doing quite a lot of breeding.”
In the future, Garry hopes to be able to breed alligators, with the construction worker having adapted an enclosure at his purpose-built reptile house at his home in Caroline Crescent.
Inspectors undertook rigorous safety checks before granting the licence to Garry, 41, with the process taking almost a year.
He said: “I have done all of the building work myself. I have built a really nice outhouse and have now extended it for the alligators. They are very slow growing, and can take up to six years to mature.”
Other species that Garry keeps include black and white tegu — large lizards which hail from South America — and some pythons which are over 10 foot.
He has only ever suffered minor bites, but describes his new crocs as ‘nippy’. “Keeping reptiles is something different,” he said. “Some of them that I have are very large and others are small, there’s a real variation.”
Anyone looking to arrange a visit or handling session can email Garry on gmc75@outlook.com or visit the Snake House Facebook page.
Garry also has some snake hatchlings available for sale but to experienced handlers only.