Redcar's Day of Atonement

The summer of 2006 will long be remembered as a time when Redcar returned to the 1940's and turned into Hollywood by the Sea. It is anticipated that 12 minutes of stunning wartime action will be included when the blockbuster film 'Atonement' hits the screens next year following weeks of preparation and three hectic days of filming.
The Regent Cinema is planning to order a red carpet of a regional premier and the prospect of the movie's stars - Keira Knightly and James McAvoy - coming to town.
The scale of the set took everyone's breath away and the preparation work to turn Redcar into 1940s Dunkirk involved the removal of street lighting, street furniture, litter bins, road signs, and the Esplanades famous penguins. It is estimated that 70,000 visitors came to view the set.
There were 300 crew, 1000 extras, all recruited locally and earning £50 a day and 40 assorted vehicles, a bandstand, a carousel, and a massive boat.
Location manager Adam Richards was full of praise for the help and support from everyone, including Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, which ensured that filming was a positive experience.(Photos © Dennis Weller)

An Epic Read. You've seen the film set now read the book! On the hottest day of the summer of 1935, 13 year old Briony Tallis sees her sister Cecilia strip off her clothes and plunge into the fountain in the garden of their country house. Watching her is Robbie Turner, her childhood friend who, like Cecilia, has recently come down from Cambridge.
By the end of the day the lives of all three of them will have been changed forever. Robbie and Cecilia will have crossed a boundary they had not even imagined at its start and will have become the victims of the younger girl's imagination. Briony will have witnessed mysteries and committed a crime for which she will spend the rest of her life trying to atone.

Reserve a copy of Ian McKewan's 'Atonement' in the library or buy a copy from Amazon.