Mission accomplished: How we tracked down Tom Cruise

It’s not every day you get a message from the boss which says: “If you fancy a trip to Pickering today, Tom Cruise is filming there and it’s all based at the train station. Do you want to go?”

Did I? The star of almost every film I watched during my teenage years? You bet I did!

I messaged a contact on North Yorkshire Moors Railway who said the site was closed and he was unable to help, so I headed for Pickering to look for myself.

I met up with photographer Richard Ponter in Pickering and together we walked to the station car park where numerous location vans were set up to look after the almost-300 crew who are involved in the filming.

We headed down a public footpath to a field, and met a few residents who had been looking out for the superstar. One said she had been to Levisham on Monday where filming had taken place.

We decided to head to Levisham to see what we could find there. In truth, we expected very little, but we chatted about how we hoped we might get even a glimpse. Richard is a massive Tom Cruise fan and a huge lover of his action movies. There was an undercurrent of boyish excitement that was both charming and infectious as we drove over.

As we turned off the A169, the tension in the car was tangible. Would he be there? Was he even filming today? Would security let us get anywhere near?

The approach to Levisham is only a couple of miles but it felt like 10. Then, as the station first came into view, the hairs on the backs of both our necks raised. Not only was there a small army of film crew based at the station, there, just in the distance, was a stylish black helicopter. Signs inform you that you are not allowed to park at Levisham Station and we left the car high above the tiny village and walked down to see what was going on. Security staff were tight-lipped and not particularly forthcoming. Eventually an equally unforthcoming publicity lady came to see us and informed us that she couldn’t give us any information.

We were joined by another media outlet, filming for the evening news, and as I listened to her chatting away, I noticed that both

Richard and the news cameraman had suddenly focused on a railway carriage far in the distance. “I’ve got him Lou, I’ve got him,” said Richard in a voice I can only describe as calm and professional with an undercurrent of adrenaline.

The filming was taking place around 500m from the road and, although I tried to zoom in with the camera on my mobile, I honestly couldn’t tell what I was getting!

Then a sea of bright orange coats started heading toward us. In the first group I noticed a gentleman jumping on and off the train lines who ,as he got closer, gave us a cheery wave.

It wasn’t until I watched the footage back that I realised it was Jeremy Renner – Hawkeye from the Avengers movies. My daughter has disowned me for not getting better pictures … and an autograph... and his phone number.

The thing is, when somebody with the incredible charisma and star quality of Tom Cruise is in town, he becomes the main focus of attention, almost to the exclusion of everyone else.

Richard’s camera never left the megastar as he photographed him walking up the track.

As they crossed the road when they reached the station, we were only so far from Mr Cruise as to say we were appropriately socially distanced.

In a very relaxed moment, the Hollywood icon paused to have a word with us. “It’s beautiful here, lovely to see you,” he said, before posing for Richard and even going so far as to make sure he got the shot.

“Did you get it?” he said, before disappearing into the makeshift film village for lunch.

It was a very brief encounter, appropriate when filming takes place at a railway station. Richard and I headed back up the (very steep) Levisham hill beaming. Buzzing and elated at what we had achieved.

After 26 years working as a photographer for The Scarborough News, Richard announced that this had been his best story chase day ever.

For me, the completion of a successful mission, one which proved to not be impossible, has created a memory which will stay with me for a lifetime.