Urban Grimshaw and the Shed Crew

Urban Grimshaw and the Shed Crew is a memoir written by English author Bernard Hare. The book provides an account of the challenges faced by Britain's dispossessed youth in inner-city wastelands.

Bernard Hare, born in East End Park, Leeds, in 1958, came from a background where his father worked as a coal miner, and his mother was employed at Lewis's. He pursued a career as a social worker in London after earning a BA in Applied Social Studies. However, his disillusionment with the system following the miners' strike of 1984/85 led him to drop out, and he worked intermittently as a mechanic, removal man, and community worker. It wasn't until the year 2000 that he began his writing journey.

The memoir, Urban Grimshaw and the Shed Crew, was published in 2005. The book achieved significant success, making it onto the bestseller list and being shortlisted for the prestigious Orwell Prize, which recognises works that make political writing accessible to the working class. Hare's memoir recounts his experiences with a group of feral runaway teenagers in 1990s Leeds.

Having been a social worker, Hare had first-hand knowledge of life in the underclass in 1990s Britain. However, his encounters with Lee, also known as Urban Grimshaw, a 12-year-old illiterate drug user, shocked him deeply.

"If it's one of the functions of art to take you places and show you things you wouldn't otherwise have access to, then Urban Grimshaw is a masterpiece." ^[1]

Film adaptation: I Am Urban

In 2012, an independent British drama feature film based on Bernard Hare's book was developed and produced by Circadian Pictures in association with Blenheim Films. The project's inception dates back to 2010 when the book came to the attention of filmmaker Candida Brady (Trashed). Although initial attempts to secure the rights were unsuccessful, Brady persisted and eventually succeeded in 2012. Subsequently, she and Bernard Hare worked on a screenplay with Tiffany Sharp commissioned to write the final draft. Peter Field was brought onboard as Director of Photography, with Melloney Roffe Line Producing. The film was produced by Matthew Mitchell for Circadian Pictures.

During the film's development, Brady, Hare and Lee Kirton, the real Urban Grimshaw, visited the places in Leeds where Lee had rough-slept from the age of 5. Despite these locations being perilous to access, they served as safe havens for Lee and his friends, protecting them from the potential dangers of 'nonces' or paedophiles.

The Shed Crew

The only respite from the violence the young individuals faced, much of which Hare had to leave out of his memoir due to its shocking nature, was found in the shed and later at Bernard Hare's place. Lee Kirton, or Urban, began his life in prison, where he was born. As of 2023, more than twenty-five years later, around 600 pregnant women are held in prisons in England and Wales, with some 100 babies born to women prisoners. Despite the existence of national and international legislation aimed at protecting their health and well-being, many of these women do not receive the care and support they are entitled to.

Candida Brady, the film's director, sought to shed light on this issue and she and producer Matthew Mitchell chose Action for Children as the film's partner charity because the charity's work in prisons with mother and baby units is considered ground-breaking.

Production and release

To maintain authenticity, production designer Chris Truelove aimed to use as many original locations as possible. The original shed where the runaways stayed was long gone, so he worked with Lee and Bernard to faithfully reproduce it in as much detail as possible. Casting director Michelle Smith considered hundreds of children, including casting former care home residents, in their search for the cast, most of whom were newcomers. Notably, Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things) auditioned for a different role but ended up being cast as Urban's brother, Frank. Ryan Ward from the series "Educating Yorkshire" was also part of the cast, as was Derry Girls' Jamie-Lee O'Donnell. Nadine Mulkerrin, best known for Hollyoaks plays Amber with Kathryn Drysdale as Madge. Richard Armitage took the role of Chop (Hare) and Anna Friel played the part of Greta (Urban's mum). Chop's chess playing partner Doc was played by Neil Morrissey, and Fraser Kelly made his screen debut as Urban.

Brady recalls that finding a dog to play Tyson proved to be a challenging task… having auditioned many trained but unsuitable dogs, she met Max, a rescue dog, while looking at a location.

Filming took place in Leeds in early 2014. An early version of the film was screened on November 7, 2015, at Chapel FM in Leeds, attended by Bernard Hare, Candida Brady, Richard Armitage, Fraser Kelly, and several members of the original Shed Crew, some of whom had worked on the production.

The final version, I Am Urban received its world premiere in London on 28th September 2023 which was followed by a theatrical release in selected cinemas around the UK. It was released on streaming platforms in the UK including Sky Store, Amazon, Apple TV, Googleplay and Microsoft Xbox on 5th February 2024.

Critical reception

Audience and critic reactions to I Am Urban were overwhelmingly positive. Viewers described it as a powerful and eye-opening film that sheds light on a social problem often overlooked. The film's gritty, sad, harrowing, and heart-warming portrayal resonated with many. The cast's performances have been highly praised.

Sir Tony Hawkhead, chief executive at Action for Children, said: 'Urban' provides an incredibly powerful and gritty social commentary on the true reality of Bernard Hare's experiences and that of a group of children in Leeds growing up through the nineties. Although the film is set over twenty years ago, its core theme of neglect and the desperate need for early action to avoid families spiraling into crisis is just as important today.'

Awards

The early cut of the film entered competition at the Newcastle Film Festival in 2018, where it won two awards: Best Actor for Richard Armitage and the People's Award for the Film.

Final cut, soundtrack and release

The final cut was done by Anuree De Silva for Circadian Pictures in 2022. It features an original score by Alan Snelling. It received its world premiere in London on 29th September 2023 followed by a theatrical release in selected cinemas throughout the UK. The UK Streaming release followed on platforms such as Sky Store, Amazon, Apple TV, Googleplay and Microsoft Xbox on 5th February 2024.

Lee Kirton

In June 2017, Lee Kirton, the real 'Urban,' lost his nearly life-long battle with addiction.

Editions

• Hardback 2005, Sceptre ISBN   0-340-83734-9
• Paperback 2006, Sceptre ISBN   0-340-83735-7

Notes

1. Laurence Phelan, book review in Independent on Sunday April 23, 2006 ^[ dead link ] retrieved July 3, 2006

External links

• National Literacy Trust UK author interview
• politicsphilosophyandsociety
• bernardhare