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This project successfully funded on 11th March 2026, you can still support them with a donation.
The Battle of Melbourne Grove
Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom
Aim
To create a 60 minute documentary/ docudrama telling the story of Barry Nutall, a Hull resident, who took on Hull City Council regeneration.
- We are seeking crowdfunding support to create a professionally produced documentary/ docudrama titled 'The Battle of Melbourne Grove'.
(Photo credit - Hull Live / Hull Daily Mail)
Tagline
The early 80s, UK. A determined man sets up a military-style camp to protect his condemned house in a classic David-versus-Goliath battle.
Who are we?
My name is Andy Bourne, and I am the company director of Toxtech Productions. Toxtech Productions is a small independent film production office based in Liverpool, Merseyside.
We have experience in producing short films and delivering training, support and projects with people who are often excluded from mainstream education.
I hold an MA in Film and Television, and I recently directed the documentary 'Sticks and Stones' (a film about stigma), which was funded by public health. The film has received numerous awards and has been utilised to enhance the understanding of stigma-related harms.
I am also a native of Hull. An adolescent at the time of Barry Nuthall's extraordinary story, but with vivid memories of a time when the stories, events, political struggles, and music of that era shaped me into the adult I am today. Growing up in a city that mirrored many northern towns of the time, Thatcherism, the rise of the far right, social and financial disparity, and many challenges, which the modern UK can still identify with.
Synopsis - 'The Battle of Melbourne Grove'.
Kingston-upon-Hull in the early 80s was a city in flux. Rows of terraced houses were slated for demolition, their residents relocated to concrete estates on the outskirts of the town. Among the rubble stood one man who refused to leave.
Barry Nuthall, a fiercely proud Hull native, made his stand—not with weapons, but with humour and grit. Outside his home, he created a “military camp” complete with sandbags, barricades, and a makeshift flagpole. To the council, he was a troublemaker. To his neighbours, he was either a hero or a fool.
What started as an eccentric gesture soon evolved into something more. As eviction notices piled up and bulldozers loomed, Barry’s defiance drew attention. Locals came together, journalists took notice, and his camp became a symbol of resistance. But as the council held firm and police hovered, Barry had to confront the limits of his stand.
When the demolition finally came, Barry’s home was reduced to rubble. Yet, his protest—captured on now-lost film, reported by the Hull Daily Mail, and remembered by many—left its mark, proving that even the smallest acts of defiance can resonate far beyond their time.
Themes:
David vs. Goliath: An ordinary man challenging authority.
Identity & Belonging: A home is more than bricks—it's history, roots, and dignity.
Community & Resistance: How one person’s defiance can inspire others, even if it doesn’t “win.” Alongside this, a snapshot of a period in history, the music, people, places, fashions, and politics of the early 80s.
Myth, Absurdity & Courage: The Humour and Humanity in Protest. The Myth of a Man More Complex and More Troubled Than His Legend Suggests.
(Photo credit - Hull Live / Hull Daily Mail)
Historical Context:
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Kingston upon Hull — like many industrial cities in the north of England — underwent sweeping “urban renewal” schemes. Entire streets of Victorian terraced housing, long considered unfit for modern living, were marked for demolition. Residents were relocated to new council estates and tower blocks on the outskirts of the city.
(Photo credit - Hull Live / Hull Daily Mail)
These schemes were often controversial. For many working-class families, their terraced homes represented not only shelter but also a sense of identity, community, and heritage. Demolition broke up neighbourhoods, scattering long-standing networks of neighbours and friends. While the new housing promised modern amenities, it also brought alienation and dislocation.
It was against this backdrop that Barry Nuthall, a Hull resident, staged his remarkable protest. Faced with eviction, he built a “military-style camp” outside his condemned home, complete with barricades, sandbags, and a makeshift flag. His stand was part defiance, part performance — drawing local attention and media coverage.
Barry’s protest did not stop the demolition of his home. Yet it embodied the spirit of resistance, a working-class refusal to go quietly in the face of bureaucracy and power. His actions became symbolic of the small man’s fight against the system — an echo of countless untold stories from Britain’s social history.
'The Battle…' dramatises this true story, rooting it in historical fact while capturing the humour, humanity, and tragedy of one man’s last stand in Hull.
Why This Story Now:
Barry Nuthall’s defiance in late-1970s Hull is more than a footnote in local history —it’s a universal story about dignity, resistance, and community in the face of faceless authority.
In an era where ordinary people still struggle with housing, regeneration, and displacement, 'The Battle of Melbourne Road' resonates deeply today. It reminds us that a home is not just bricks, but identity, memory, and pride.
(Photo credit - Hull Live / Hull Daily Mail)
Funding reach:
Historically grounded in real events in Hull’s housing clearances. An opportunity to engage in memories of a period of great music, political and social discourse, but also easily identifiable themes for an audience who have no connection with a time long past.
Minimal locations include one terraced street, Barry’s camp, and a few interiors, with many of the city's historical areas still easily usable for convincing set design and representation of early 80s Hull.
A strong appeal to UK funding bodies (BFI, Film4, BBC Films) given its historical, working-class, and regionally focused subject matter, whilst tapping into the divisive politics of modern Britain.
Potential to engage Hull’s local history groups and archives for authenticity and support. We have already established connections with local journalists of the time, including those from the Hull Daily Mail, as well as living relatives. Additionally, groups and individuals from both regional and national creative communities have reached out and are willing to contribute to the development of this exciting project. For example, a local playwright from Hull, linked to us through an ex-Hull Daily Mail Journalist, who recently produced and performed a stage version 'based' on Barry's story.
(Photo credit - Hull Live / Hull Daily Mail)
Tone and Rhythm
The tone will strike a balance between social realism and humour. Barry is not a martyr — he is stubborn, witty, and sometimes ridiculous, aggressive and moody. The humour in his “military camp” offsets the tragedy, allowing audiences to laugh with him even as they anticipate his downfall. This mixture of laughter and sorrow is what gives the story its humanity.
Visual Style:
Gritty realism, a handheld camera, and yet a romantic, dreamlike narrative when presenting the 'myth'. Natural lighting. Muted 1970s/80s colour palette (browns, greys, reds).
Influences:
Ken Loach (*Kes*, *The Spirit of ’45*), Mike Leigh (*High Hopes*), Shane Meadows (*This Is England*).
Tone:
Poignant but not bleak, moments of humour, warmth, and eccentricity amidst the struggle, tragedy and resistance.
As part of our crowdfunding for 'The Battle of Melbourne Grove'
We will be providing a rewards tier for any financial contributors over £20, for example, limited edition crew t-shirts, premieres invites, and for larger donations, rewards such as executive producer credits and 'extras' opportunities in the final film. More news to follow.
Thank you for any support. We are very passionate and invested in this story, and we hope you can be, too.
All the best wishes.
Andy Bourne
Toxtech Productions
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made