We live in UK’s ‘loneliest’ town – we go days without seeing people but it’s changed thanks to Hollywood blockbuster
RESIDENTS in a UK town with just 500 people say they go days without seeing people – but it’s changed forever thanks to a blockbuster.
The tiny village of Stoney Middleton was the best-kept secret in the Derbyshire Peak District until Tom Cruise filmed his latest thriller there.
Local farmer Daniel Hancock, who hasn’t been to the cinema for 25 years, told how the star used his land to film his biggest ever Mission Impossible stunt.
Daniel was stunned when film bosses turned up to ask him if they could drive a 70-ton train off a quarry on his land.
But he was delighted to help out mega-star Tom, 61, and his crew achieve the jaw-dropping set piece on his remote 180-acre hill farm.
He’s now looking forward to seeing the final cut in the movie but won’t be doing so at the cinema – and laughed at the idea of attending the premier in London.
Daniel, 54, who has lived on the farm in Derbyshire all his life, said: “Film premieres aren’t for the likes of us.
“And anyway, I’ve got this far in life without visiting London and I’m not about to start now.
“I’d quite like to see the film but my back gives me a bit of trouble so I don’t think I could sit for two hours at a cinema.
“And we don’t go out much, if there’s a celebration it’s just the local pub.
“We wouldn’t go to Sheffield or Chesterfield or those type of places.
“We work hard, 12-hour days every day so when that’s over you don’t feel like doing much.
“It will be nice to watch it on the telly, though.”
Movie bosses scoured the world for the perfect location for a runaway train plunging into a ravine as Tom Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt clings on for dear life.
They finally settled on the disused limestone quarry on Daniel’s farm near Stoney Middleton, Derbyshire.
Some have called the quiet town “lonely” in reviews after visiting.
PEAK PERFORMANCE
Visitors are full of praise for the little-known village – branding it a “gem”.
Tim said: “Visitors to the Peak District might be forgiven for paying little attention to Stoney Middleton.
“As they travel along the A623 they might glimpse a pub, a chip shop, a curry house at the foot of a rocky gorge and then it is gone.
“Climbers and cavers know it better, and there is much in the area to exercise their skills and satisfy their desires.
“If you do venture off the main road you will find a charming small Peak village – with an unusual church fronting a pretty little village square, a traditional bootmaker who helped shod Tommy in the First World War and some fine domestic architecture.”
Garry said: “Me and my friend stayed in Stoney Middleton on business, and what a treat to find this place. People who say different about this little gem need help.”
Karen said: “Love Stoney Middleton, and try to get as much as we can, now we will make sure we get more often.
“Can’t wait to go walking in the spring.”
CRUISE CONTROL
It came about after discussions between Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie at the start of filming for Mission Impossible 7: Dead Reckoning Part One.
McQuarrie has said: “I said to Tom, ‘What do you want to do?’
“He said, ‘I want to drive a motorcycle off of a cliff. What do you want to do?’ And I said, ‘I want to wreck a train.’
“I think the energy that went into developing it, designing that, building it, and then making a sequence that justified its existence was probably the biggest challenge of my entire life.”
Tom tweeted ahead of the movie’s UK launch yesterday: “This train sequence was tricky, but the outcome made it all worth it. I can’t wait for everyone to see it come to life!”
Beef and sheep farmer Daniel told how he was first approached by film crew.
He said: “One day this fella arrived on the farm and said he was from Paramount and at that point I had no idea what he meant.
“When he explained they wanted to drive a train off the edge of the quarry it took a bit of time to sink in. You don’t get that sort of request every day.
“This is a quiet place on the edge of the village. You can go for days without seeing anyone apart from another farmer.
“Then all of a sudden there was one of the biggest film stars in the world landing and a load of crew.
“The scale of the operation was amazing. They constructed the locomotive out of a lorry, a 2016 Scania a bit like the one I have on the farm.
Tom, considering he’s such a big star, was very pleasant and down to earth
Daniel Hancock
“Then they bought sections of track from a supplier and had them brought to the site and assembled within three days.
“Once things started to come together I ended up working for the crew.
“I took my telehandler down to the quarry and was helping to move things around, erect and move fences and generally help out on set.
“On the second day of filming I was driving to the location and met a buggy coming in the other direction, which stopped.
“Out jumped Tom Cruise and the director. We said hello and had a good chat.
“They’re both really nice guys and Tom, considering he’s such a big star, was very pleasant and down to earth.
“The stunt itself was spectacular. They shot the train down the track at 40mph using remote control and had a dummy driver at the wheel.
“They managed to land it exactly where they wanted it in a massive water-filled inflatable at the bottom of the quarry.
“It’s an experience me and my family will never forget and was a long way removed from normal life here.
“They left the place as they found it with all the walls that had to come down to gain access rebuilt, they were respectful of the environment.
“Things are back just as they were and you would never know they’d been here.”
The train action forms a centrepiece of the film with Cruise’s character grappling with the movie’s villain, played by Esai Morales, on top of the locomotive before it crashes off a broken bridge high above a ravine.