Rev Roy had us all giggling in the aisle

My partner Jackie and I appeared as extras in the BBC’s 2009 series all the Small things, starring Sarah Lancashire.

She was a consummate pro and all the cast were wonderful. One fond memory was of roy Barraclough, who played the reverend Barticle in the funeral episode. Filming was in a church on a very cold day. One of the lady extras was shivering, so roy handed her some heat sticks out of his pocket, with a cheery: ‘ere chuck, these might help!’

While waiting for filming to start, he sat on the edge of the mocked-up catafalque, which collapsed, unceremoniously dumping him on his back with his legs in the air — hilarious! When filming restarted, roy was standing in the aisle waiting for the hearse to arrive. as part of the plot, the deceased’s mates hijack it at the church doors.

On this cue, roy had to rush through the doors and down some steps looking distressed, followed by confused members of the congregation, led by me. after a few takes, roy stumbled on the steps. When filming stopped, I joked that he had tripped up on his surplice. His instant and camp reply, hand on hip, was: ‘I wish!’ a great response from a very funny man.

Mike Basnett, Walsall, W. Mids.