Tom Hartley: The Dealmaker

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Opened in 1869, the Cemetery is a rare surviving example of a Victorian “Garden Cemetery”, and is one Belfast's true heritage gems. Film Producer and Director Kerry Rooney, of local production company Kaleidoscope, said the team had an "incredible time" as they worked to reveal “a treasure trove of stories that reveal the amazingly rich history of Belfast".

Sekret Machines Book 1: Chasing Shadows (1) [Paperback Sekret Machines Book 1: Chasing Shadows (1) [Paperback

The first time I read Shane’s scriptments, the colours, the characters, the world, Shane’s humour that a lot of us have seen throughout his work prior to this, was all there and that just jumped out straight away. Obviously there’s a lot of serious themes and the content at times is quite heavy but Shane’s very unique but familiar humour I was really drawn to first and foremost. Behind that is obviously this really rich history of the family itself, the Hartleys, but also the area, the Calder Valley and this particular part of West Yorkshire. It’s a real love letter to the area as well. It was during the workshopping process with the actors I realised there was also a story to tell leading up to Ben’s incredible book. A prequel that not only allowed us to understand ‘why’ the Cragg Vale Coiners did what they did, but maybe fall in love with them a smidge while they did it. It may have turned into one of the biggest crimes in British history, but it was pulled off by a bunch of destitute farmers and weavers doing what they had to to survive, and I think people will resonate with that.Tom said: “I think the driver thought I was going to mug him, but when I explained who I was, we talked, and he agreed to sell his car to me.” Condition: New. The inspirational story of Tom Hartley The Dealmaker. Tom s candid autobiography tells of a boy who left school at 11, selling his first car at 12, and his extraordinary journey to become a supercar dealer and multi-millionaire. The story is expertly tran. I really liked Bell House because behind it there’s a vista where we would all chill, and just being there was peaceful and beautiful.

Balmoral Cemetery: The History of Belfast, Written in Stone Balmoral Cemetery: The History of Belfast, Written in Stone

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Brand New! Sealed in publisher's shrinkwrap. Never opened! No signs of wear. HISTORIAN and former Belfast Lord Mayor Tom Hartley has presented a new documentary exploring the lesser known histories of the City Cemetery. This is always an incredibly tough category to choose who will win but it’s great to see it go to Tom.The main pathway around the original cemetery was laid out in the shape of a bell to represent Belfast. The cemetery is the final resting place of a variety of notable historical figures including Sir Edward Harland of Harland and Wolfe and boasts a number of unique architectural features such as the Central Steps and Victorian Fountain. I think audiences will enjoy seeing proper rural Yorkshire, I think they’re in for a treat in the fact that there’s not a large female presence in the book but I think the women do really take quite a lot of control in the scenes and I really enjoy that. The fact that they’ve included sex workers and these minorities or groups that might not get a lot of platforms in life, I think that’s really cool. Samuel Edward-Cook What an experience, I don’t even know how to describe it to be honest, Shane’s just a really incredible thinker. It’s quite magical to see the way that he thinks and how he really makes an idea come to life. The way that he works is so unusual, I like the fact that he works through improvisation. Before I came on to this project, I was studying at Uni and I worked a lot with improvisation so it was really interesting to leave Uni and come on to this project and be surrounded by such a talented thinker. It’s just breath-taking. Working with Shane is like swimming in the ocean, in the sense that it’s limitless. It’s so open and terrifying, because you’re given so much room to explore, to take a risk. That’s very rare and also Shane puts a lot of trust in you, he invites you to decide what your personal investment is and to decide what matters to your character and where do you want to go and that very generous invitation, it gives you a lot as a performer, and not just as a performer, but also as a person, so you ask yourself what matters to me and what am I wanting to explore here and what am I bringing to this and what is this other person bringing and what are we making together. I think that’s just a gift really. Adam Fogerty Ms Rooney added: "“There’s so much history stored up in the City Cemetery this film barely scratches the surface of everything there is to see and discover. I would invite everyone who is interested in history to watch the film and then go and explore the Cemetery for themselves.”

WATCH: New documentary reveals the hidden history of Belfast

Dubbing himself ‘The Dealmaker’ which is also the title of his book, Tom tells his story of life growing up with a traditional Romany family in Glasgow, to making his first million by the age of 17. Instantly Shane’s sense of humour draws you to him as a person, and instantly puts you all at ease. From there you’ve got this amazing level playing field that you’re all on, Shane’s very much on the level of the actors and he’s part of this with you and he’s really driving you forward. Obviously he’s an incredible visionary and he’ll see something very small in a scene and he’ll come in and make the smallest suggestion which will then grow and grow and you go off and play with it. It’s an amazing experience for an actor to have that creative playing field and it’s quite rare. Soraya Jane Nabipour Working with Shane as an adult now, I think it’s totally different in the sense that you can’t get away with the things that you got away with as a kid, it just doesn’t work like that. When I told my Dad that I was doing this, one of the first things he said to me was ‘make sure you go and make Shane know you’re not just that little kid anymore, that you’ve grown in to a respectable man (ish) – I’m a new parent, I’m married now – and I’d like to think that I take the craft quite seriously now, so I just wanted to show Shane and people who are watching the show as well, that I’m willing to put work in to things and hopefully Shane seems happy with everything I’m doing. So yeah it has been different working with Shane as a man as opposed to being a kid. Stevie BinnsBut new Type Approval Import regulations, which meant only official franchised dealers could import and register cars in the UK, pretty much killed Tom’s business off. “I basically went from hero to zero overnight because I had spotted a gap in the market, but I became too successful and was brought down by the establishment,” he said. Working with Shane, I’ve come to really learn that he’s probably one of the most humble people I’ve ever met in my life. Even though when you watch his work, you’re like wow this is Shane Meadows, but when you meet him and work with him, he’s so humble in terms of he’s like a friend, the way he speaks to you, he’s welcomed me as a non-professional who’s come from the open casting, and he’s treated me exactly the same as everybody else on the job. Thomas Turgoose Similar to what Stevie says about connecting to the story, it’s the community having to really pull together and do something to get themselves out of a situation. It’s just a great story, and the bending the law bit, I’ve always been a bit on the edge of the rule book, so for me, I like the slightly rogue side of it as well. Anthony Welsh

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He tells how he later had his fingers burned when he was caught illegally driving after buying a Rolls-Royce in Aberdeen and taking it to Glasgow to meet customers - aged just 14. When I first read the beginning of the scriptments, I felt very blessed and very grateful, to go from doing nothing like this before to this, it’s a big step. And the story is so important to now. Everyone has gone through really difficult times in their life and not had much at one point, especially with Covid as well, which is out of everybody’s control, and the financial impact that has happened through that, this story is important to now and what people will do to survive. If you have to feed your kids, you’ll do anything to keep them alive, more than yourself, and that desperation bit of the story, how desperate the community are, it’s very relevant to now. I think audiences will find familiarities in the story and some comfort in that. It shows the teamwork, the bond and the love that everybody has for each other really pushes them to do what they need to do. It’s not out of a bad place, it’s not like they want to do it just to be greedy, they need to do it to survive, so I think there’s definitely some common ground for every person to relate to that. Starstudded customers include Rod Stewart, Elton John and golfing ace Rory McIlroy. He has even sold a Ferrari once belonging to Hollywood move star Nicholas Cage. Every day was a highlight. Working on this job was a bit of a religious experience, you have to give yourself to it and the flow of it, and I’ve liked that. You didn’t know what was going to happen each day, in terms of how we made it, because it was improv, so for me there were always little magic moments that you couldn’t predict or foresee in the scriptments, and you just go that’s magic, that’s the alchemy that is beautiful. So I enjoyed seeing those things pop up. Someone might do something or it might be a feeling, or it might be coming in to a space where the art department had just smashed it. I really enjoyed observing every day, the bits of magic the crew the team, the actors created. Olivia Pentelow Presented Tom Hartley, whose book ‘Written in Stone’ is the authoritative text on the City Cemetery, the documentary takes visitors on a virtual walking tour of the Cemetery, stopping off at notable graves and locations along the way.

Ben Myers

Shane Meadows, writer and director, on his vision: I really wanted to delve into the history of this story and the circumstances that lead to an entire West Yorkshire community risking their lives to put food in their children’s bellies. Set in the moorland hills of 18th Century Yorkshire, England, is a country divided. As the aristocracy are building the first cotton mills and factories, the common people are starving. David Hartley (Michael Socha) has been away from his family’s remote moor-top dwelling for seven years. On his journey home to Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire, David gets lost in the moors. He’s dragging a mysterious looking bag of tools with him and on his last legs. I think I connected to the story itself. So when we found out what the project was and where it was based (I live 20 mins from here), the passion and determination of this group of people hasn’t left Yorkshire in my family and other people’s families who are from here, and many moons have passed since the time of the coiners, but that’s not changed and that is very much what Yorkshire people are. Bending the law slightly, not so much anymore, but the determination to do the best they can with what they’ve got, is absolutely what drew me to it. Dave Perkins These days his base boasts two showrooms, one with a glass ceiling offering a 3D experience, as well as a helicopter pad to fly in his high-profile clients. The fascinating life of Tom Hartley, 59, has been laid bare in his first autobiography detailing his astonishing rise to the top to become one of the world’s most successful luxury car dealers.