‘It’s nice to meet people who enjoy simple things’ announced Gyles in a wry, slightly pitying manner as I sat excitably accepting all the complimentary refreshment benefits of a first class train ticket, a seat I hadn’t had to pay for myself.  And it’s true, I did find the whole thing terribly exciting, I was on a train in FIRST CLASS (did I mention that already) heading to my beloved East Midlands to have a tour around the Nottingham Theatre Royal with Gyles Brandreth and a Robin Hood impersonator (though disappointingly I found out he was playing a different character). The feature was used in the Telegraph to promote train travel with Cross Country Trains.
Gyles is very funny with a deadpan wit, constantly throwing knowing looks when anything vaguely ridiculous happens- there were many occasions where I had to control a burst of laughter just from catching his eye at the wrong moment. Yet he was kind with it, teasing but never making anyone look silly, even when fact checking the tour guide or dealing with the train conductor as we sat on the wrong train, anticipating an extra hour wait in Leicester, ‘Well at least we can sit and have a nice Costa Coffee o n the platform.
The shoot was quite busy one, lot’s to capture, but he’s so used to being in front of the camera he gave a stellar performance of his own.