Movies, Money And Margaret Thatcher - When The PM Summoned The British Film Industry

Remembering the Downing Street summit that sought to resurrect the nation's cinema.

It's one of those nights everyone remembers - that summer's evening when Noel Gallagher, Kevin Spacey, Eddie Izzard and Ross Kemp rocked up at Number 10 for drinks and nibbles with Tony and Cherie. The zenith/nadir of Cool Britannia, the 1997 Downing Street love-in is right up there with Geri Halliwell's Union Jack dress as far as '90s naffness is concerned.

Seven years earlier, a group of people both greater and gooder than the Blairs' party guests made a similar pilgrimage to Noel, Kev, Ed and Rebekah Wade's then-better half. At least, the location was the same. The reasons for Lords Richard Attenborough and David Puttnam coming to Number 10 were rather different, however.

Yes, on June 15th 1990, the Oscar-winning producer-director of Gandhi and the Academy Award-winning producer of Chariots Of Fire came to Downing Street at the invitation of Margaret Thatcher; the movie-makers and the Prime Minister having been encouraged to catch-up by Lord Palumbo and/or Lord McCalpine - as with so many aspects of the summit, the details are hazy and largely dependent upon whomever you happen to be talking to.