A film exploring modern-day war veteran struggles, shot in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Hull, will premiere in September.
Hamster is a short independent film by Newark-based director Scott Driver and the inspiration for the story came after a discussion with veteran John Lee. The film looks at the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, the trauma of war and the long road to recovery.
The film, from production company 4AM Pictures in partnership with charity PTSD Resolution, explores British Army soldier Lewis’ return from service in Afghanistan and his struggle to reintegrate into civilian society.
Filming took place in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Hull.
The film follow the story of British Army solider Lewis, who struggles to reintegrate into civilian society after his return from service.
Lewis finds himself consumed by his PTSD and, just before he reaches the point of no return, he attends a therapy session where he opens up about his feelings for the first time.
The producers, cinematographer and directors are all local to the East Midlands and include students from the University of Lincoln. The film will also be entered into a number of awards in the coming months.
The team began filming Hamster in 2021.
Hamster features Luke Boydon Jones, Gráinne Kelly, Tinashe Darikwa, Becki Lloyd, Fredericka Charles, Richard Bobb-Semple and Steve Watson. An IndieGogo fundraising page helped to fund the project, with filming beginning in 2021.
Director and writer Scott Driver said: “We are honoured to have produced this film project that is dedicated to veterans and shines light on some of the issues they routinely face, including the not uncommon mental health struggles they have to overcome.
“The crew worked tirelessly to put the film together. In 2020, when Johno Lee expressed a desire to be involved in the project, we enjoyed receiving his guidance for the script and his help in producing the film.”
The film is directed by Newark-based Scott Driver, and the producers, cinematographers and directors are all local to the East Midlands, including students from the University of Lincoln.
Luke Boydon Jones, who plays lead character Lewis in the film, said: “We hope that Hamster portrays the very real challenges that soldiers face upon their returns home from war and hopefully this helps build awareness of how difficult realigning yourself back into society can be for those who have served.”
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The final in the latest series of road closures for works on the A1, as part of the Grantham Southern Relief Road project, has been temporarily postponed
A weekend northbound A1 closure was due to be in place between 8pm on Friday, May 20 and 6am on Monday, May 23.
However, Lincolnshire County Council said the closure has been temporarily postponed and once new dates have been confirmed they will be shared.
Works on phase three began in April this year, with the council anticipating that winter 2023 will be the completion date for the relief road.
This will be with the view to reduce congestion and carbon emissions, and provide opportunities for growth in the local economy.
The £102 million Grantham Southern Relief Road project has been led by Lincolnshire County Council, supported by South Kesteven District Council, Highways England, Greater Lincolnshire LEP, Network Rail, Homes England, the Department for Transport and local business contributions.
Safety improvements have been carried out at corner where numerous accidents have occurred in East Keal.
The council is looking into what else can be done to prevent motorists from coming off the road at Hall Corner, while police are looking into the possibility of fitting a speed camera.
A cement lorry recently overturned on the corner in February.
Lincolnshire County Council has found a slight dip in the road where Blacksmith Lane meets the A16 could be the reason why heavy vehicles travelling at excessive speed are tipping over.
It is considering whether to smooth out and realign the road, but says it is concious of the impact that closing the A16 would have on traffic and local businesses.
Several safety improvement measures have already been put in place, including ‘slow’ markings, enhanced bend warning signs and improved chevrons.
Problems have been found with the road surface on the corner. | Photo: Google Street View
Lincolnshire Police are assessing whether a speed camera on the corner would be beneficial, and will be taking speed readings in the coming weeks.
Larger barriers and longer safety fencing have been proposed by the public. However, the county council says that in order for it to be big enough to withstand the impact of overturned vehicles, the cost can’t be justified.
Either the local parish council or the country council could also explore whether to fund a reactive speed sign on the location.
Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “We are very thankful to the residents and members of the parish council who have given us their ideas and support in what can be done at Hall Corner. Local knowledge and personal feedback are cornerstones of what we do in terms of delivering the best solutions in the most informed way.
“There has already been much done at this bend to try and mitigate the issues faced and we now have more planned for this particular area that will go on to encourage all road users to drive accordingly in line with the road and conditions.
“I would like to thank everyone involved so far for their input. We will all work together to get the best resolution we can for Hall Corner.”
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