the media lunch club was established in 1994, by producer Martin Cahill, as a non-profit making, and politically neutral, networking society and has grown to become the film, tv and media industry's premiere café du commerce.
Monthly lunches are held in London's West End (and a Brighton away-day lunch during the summer), with an invited guest speaker. Some of our previous speakers include:
Producers: Tim Bevan, Stephen Evans, Rebecca O'Brien, Nick Manzi, Richard Holmes, Jeremy Thomas, Duncan Kenworthy, Michael Kuhn, Nik Powell, Marc Samuelson, Richard Holmes, Michael Deeley, Simon Channing-Williams, Simon Oakes (Hammer films), Paul Brett, Anne Beresford and Jeremy Bolt.
Directors: Sir Alan Parker, Dame Beeban Kidron, Stuart Baird, Waris Hussein, Roy Ward Baker, Vic Armstrong, Robert Young, Jack Cardiff, Ronnie Neame, Lewis Gilbert, John Glen, Guy Hamilton and Ray Harryhausen and John Irvin.
Executives: Daniel Battsek (former Film4 and Miramax), Duncan Reid (Ingenious), Greg Dyke (TV), Ian Hutchinson (Silver Reel), Lord Michael Grade, Amanda Nevill (BFI), Stewart Till (former UK Film Council Chairman), Lenny Crooks (formerly of New Cinema Fund, UK Film Council), David Thompson (formerly BBC Films), Steve Christian (Pinewood Films), Peter Bennett-Jones (Tiger Aspect), Dave Bishop (Protagonist), John Woodward (former CEO, UK Film Council), Jane Lighting (former CEO Channel 5), Simon George (Ealing Studios Productions), Lorraine Heggesey (ITV/BBC), Dr Kim Howells MP & Shaun Woodward MP (former Film Ministers), Sara Geater (all 3 media) and Robert Duval, David Cooke & David Austin (directors of BBFC), Mia Bays (BFI), Anna Higgs (Facebook) and Elliot Grove (Raindance).
Sales agents: Hilary Davis (Bankside), Mike Goodridge (Protagonist), Martin Myers (Miracle Communications), Andrew Loveday (Carnaby), Maura Ford (7 & 7), Alex Hamilton (former E One, now Pathe), David Grumbach (Juliette Films, Luxembourg), Michael Ryan (formerly J&M, now independent).
Actors: Sir Roger Moore, Britt Ekland, Honor Blackman, Judy Cornwell, Jenny Hanley, Sally Geeson, Virginia McKenna, Ray Brooks, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Bruce Montagu, Brian Capron, Victor Spinetti, Richard Kiel, Madeline Smith and Dame Virginia McKenna.
Writers: Dick Clement, Sir Ronald Harwood, Rob Sprackling, Jimmy Perry, Brian Clemens, Raymond Allen, Jimmy Sangster, Allan Scott, Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran and Dominic Minghella.
And others including: lyricist Don Black CBE, broadcasters Tony Blackburn OBE and Dame Joan Bakewell, director of photography Phil Méheux BSC, Ossie Morris OBE and composer David Arnold. …. to name but a few!
The media lunch club also hosts occasional evening networking events, from 2009 additional and occasional 'Briefing Lunches', (to focus on a more specialised subject in an intimate board-room setting) and during the Coronavirus pandemic switched to online podcasts, with guests in discussion with committee member and broadcaster Olly Smith.
Membership is inexpensive and open to all in the media business.
On April 19th 2013 Sir Alan Parker joined us for our 200th lunch, and cut the special birthday cake!
Born and raised in Yorkshire, aged 16 Jonathan was inspired by his English teacher to become an actor, and joined the National Youth Theatre where fellow actor Kenneth MacDonald (It Aint ‘Alf Hot Mum and Only Fools and Horses regular) directed him in a show after which Jonathan received a bursary to attend The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School to train as an actor.
Following forty weeks working in rep theatre, Jonathan made his TV debut in 1980 and soon after secured a reoccurring part in TV comedy series The Hello Goodbye Man written by David Nobbs, and starring with Ian Lavender. Though it was short lived, it freed Jonathan to audition for a summer season and tour of a Last Of The Summer Wine theatre adaptation, after which he was offered the opportunity to play the role of Crusher Milburn in the popular BBC TV series (on which the stage show was based) for eight years.
He also appeared in the prequel series, First of the Summer Wine.
After leaving LOTSW, Jonathan appeared in numerous popular British TV series including Emmerdale, Casualty, The Bill, Heartbeat, Silent Witness, Daziel and Pascoe, and The Governor, among others, before making his mark in film with National Treasure: Book of Secrets, but then most notably as Ogilvey in the blockbuster movies Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End with Johnny Depp, introducing Jonathan to global audiences, and showcasing his ability to take on cinematic characters while retaining the charm and presence that made him popular in British television - though first class air travel, chauffeur driven stretch limos and hotel suites were quite a contrast the BBC facilities where he had to wait three series to be awarded a dressing room with a sink!
In recent years Jonathan has taken a break from acting to be his wife’s principle care giver, though we’re delighted he is able to join us in Brighton to tell some of his really fun tales of travelling from Holmfirth to Hollywood.
