Harrow and District Caledonian Society

Future viewing

The film discussion group meets in the winter months and will now take a break until Autumn 2025.

(Discussions take place on zoom and films are viewed in advance either on DVD or online)

Links to films proposed for future discussion can be found on our messageboard/discussion board, and additional suggestions (of films with a Scottish link) are welcomed

Films viewed and discussed by the group

2025

March - Falling for Figaro

Falling for Figaro, starring Joanna Lumley alongside Danielle Macdonald and Hugh Skinner, tells the story of a young very successful fund manager Millie who decides to leave her unfulfilling job in London to chase her lifelong dream of becoming an opera singer. Moving to the Scottish highlands to begin her journey under fearsome singing teacher and former opera diva (Lumley) she competes against another opera student (Skinner) in the Singer of Reknown contest

Feb - Quartet

This 2012 film is set in a retirement home for musicians (filmed at Hedsor House, Bucks) with three of a former quartet of singers residing there. Amid plans for a fundraising concert the fourth member of the quartet joins the home - who is also an ex-spouse of one of them. The film stars Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins, Billy Connolly and also Michael Gambon, Sheridan Smith, Andrew Sachs, and is directed by Dustin Hoffman. Other residents of the retirement home are played by retired musicians.

Jan - The Admirable Crichton

J.M.Barrie's 1902 stage play was released as a film in 1957, starring Kenneth More. Lord Loam viewed all as equal (and encouraged his daughters to serve tea to the staff), but the butler Crichton held more traditional views on the social pecking order. When the household was shipwrecked and had to fend for themselves however he found himself needing to take charge as a new hierarchy emerged . . .

2024

Nov - Four Weddings and a Funeral

It is 30 years since this box office hit was released. We have a personal connection to some of the performers at wedding #3 which takes place in Scotland (Craigievar Ceilidh Band and Janet Cook's Highland Dancers)

Oct - The Last Bus

Tom (Timothy Spall), after the death of his wife at their long-time home of John o' Groats, makes the long journey back by bus to Lands End where they first met, with many encounters along the way.

Mar - Miss Potter also Enid

Two films depicting two (who may be thought of as quintessentially English) children's writers, each with their own Scottish connection, Beatrix whose childhood stays in Perthshire provided the observation of animals that led to her famous creations such as Peter Rabbit, and Enid Blyton, whose first husband was a Scot and who found an easier rapport with her characters and their admirers than within her own family.

Feb - Whisky Galore (2016)

An update of the 1940s film depicting a fictionalised account of the occasion that a ship foundered off the coast of a Hebridean island (heretofore a "dry" island) losing its cargo of many cases of whisky, which ended up being "rescued" by the islanders, starring Gregor Fisher, Eddie Izzard, Kevin Guthrie, among others.

Jan - Edie

Edith Moore, when her daughter broaches the fact that maybe she should move into a care home, decides to make a long postponed trip to Scotland to climb Suilven, starring Sheila Hancock as Edie

2023

Mar - Mrs Brown

Following our viewing of the story of Queen Victoria and her indian servant we now look at the story of Queen Victoria and her late husband's ghillie John Brown

Feb - Victoria and Abdul

Queen Victoria learning about Urdu and Indian culture from her servant Abdul

Jan - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

unorthodox teacher in a 1930s Edinburgh school

2022

Nov - Effie Gray

Effie Gray and her relationship with artists Ruskin and Millais

Oct - Finding Neverland

J.M.Barrie's meeting and ongoing relationship with the family that inspired Peter Pan

Mar - Limbo

Telling the story of a Syrian refugee placed on a Hebridean island who carries his grandfather's oud (musical instrument) with him at all times - poignant storytelling

2021

April - Castles in the Sky

Set in the 1930s telling the story of the race against time to develop radar protection for Britain as the threat of war loomed - parallels to the current scientific endeavours to deveop vaccine protection

Mar - Sunshine on Leith

Film vehicle for the songs of The Proclaimers telling the story of two young soldiers as they picked up their lives in Edinburgh after a tour of duty in Afghanistan (featured very brief cameo from the Proclaimers)

Feb - Stone of Destiny

2008 Film set in 1950s telling the story of the audacious removal of the stone of destiny from Westminster Abbey to return it to Scotland