Lights, camera and a share of the action?

Calls are being made to make Cumbernauld Scotland’s first film town.

Community activist Adam Smith has written to culture secretary MSP Fiona Hyslop requesting that she considers Cumbernauld for this honour.

He said: “Cumbernauld’s links with the film and television industry started in 1967 when the town was featured in the world’s first ever live satellite transmission, in a production called Our World which was broadcast to a global audience of 300 million.

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“Ever since then, Cumbernauld has continued to be featured on film: most notably in the 1981 cult classic Gregory’s Girl, with a clip from the movie shown recently in the televised opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games; through to the present day and The Crash, a recent BBC television production.”

He added: “Cumbernauld also has a lot to offer in its own right, from the mediaeval and Victorian elements of Cumbernauld Village, to the grade-A listed, William Adam designed Cumbernauld House, as well as wide open spaces and nature reserves, a professional football stadium and first class sports and leisure facilities, and the numerous residential, industrial, and commercial properties which have been constructed in the town over the last 60 years.”

Ms Hyslop said: “This is an interesting suggestion, and my ministerial colleagues and I will give it due consideration. Cumbernauld has a distinctive on-screen identity and is internationally-recognised as a filming location, following the global success of films such as Gregory’s Girl. Scotland has a reputation as a sought-after location for major productions, and has a lot to offer the film industry, from first-rate filming facilities to talent production crews. The Scottish Government has consistently championed Scotland as a location for international film and TV productions.”