T2 brings back big memories
A Burnside man who overcame addiction with the help of re cove r y g roup Calton Athletic has appeared in the new Trainspotting movie - 20 years after appearing in the first.
Davie Mains was one of the five-a-side football team seen taking on the main characters when the original movie came out in 1996.
At the time, Calton had helped Danny Boyle and the cast understand the world of drug addiction.
Two decades later, Danny made sure he didn’t forget their help and called on them to be extras in what is proving one of the most popular scenes of the sequel, T2.
Davie, 47, was joined by John Ferns, from Castlemilk, during filming. They can be seen when two of the main characters find themselves in a Glasgow orange club, and their names are even in the end credits.
Looking back, Davie, who had read the book when they were first contacted, said the film had a major impact on the club: “There’s still a couple of us left at the club. Myself and Colin Nelson are still there.
“The new one is 20 years on and you do reflect on your life. We are still alive and kicking and the film makers still have a strong association with the group.
“We are indebted to the help they have given us. They have always kept in touch to see how the group is going.
“When they first got involved they had been researching in Edinburgh, but no one was being honest about addiction.
“At our next meeting Danny and Ewan McGregor sat in with us. They listened to our experiences and found out it’s not just about you personally but the hardships it causes to your family and friends.
“The first was the best antidrugs message that has ever been made. It shows you the true picture. We wouldn’t have got involved in anything that glamorised it.”
Although the new film focuses less on drugs, Davie reckons it still packs a powerful message: “You see parallels with your own life. “There is a scene where Renton and Sick Boy are really giving each other their character about the things they done in their past.
“People have to face up and take responsibility for their actions.”
The scene Davie and John were in was filmed in Bellshill and is already proving to be a hit with fans.
While Davie was no stranger to the Trainspotting world, it was a first new experience for John, 49, who first went to Calton 14 years ago. And he reckons he got a great insight into the type of man director Danny Boyle is.
“Everyone was sweating, it was so hot,” he recalls. “Danny halted everything at one point. He walked across the dance floor and we were all waiting to see what he was doing. He keeps going and grabs a massive bag of ice and hauls it back to the air conditioner and said ‘there isn’t enough ice in this’.
“I thought it was brilliant. You shouldn’t ask someone to do something you wouldn’t do yourself. It’s definitely one of the iconic scenes.”
Calton Athletic was started in 1985 by David Bryce.
Go to www,caltonathletic recoverygroup.com for more information.