Jarrow timber yard set to feature in Ken Loach movie

Timber yard MH Southern and staff, from left ,Graham Bird, Michael Anderson, Chris Lagan and Bryan Horn.

Ken Loach set up shop at MH Southern, in Jarrow, when making his film I, Daniel Blake.

Several workers at the Church Bank site were drafted in to fill out the background, while some were even given speaking parts.

Now, they’ll be seen on the big screen at the world-famous Cannes Film Festival, in France, in May.

Michael Anderson, production manager at MH Southern, said: “It was back in October when they came here to film.

“One of Ken Loach’s henchmen had come earlier and said they were looking for locations and needed a timber yard to shoot at, then Ken himself came along at a later date to make sure it was suitable.

“They filmed one scene here, where the main character comes to visit his friend, who works at a timber yard.

“They got some of the lads involved and some of them even had speaking parts, but whether or not they make it into the final cut is another story.

“They’re all very excited though after finding out it’s going to be shown at Cannes.

“This is actually the second time the yard has been in a film, a Catherine Cookson story was filmed here a while ago.”

Loach, 79, famous for films like Kes and Cathy Come Home, chose Newcastle as the backdrop for his latest release.