'The poison pen letter saga that brought media attention to a quiet Yorkshire village'
Poison pen letters brought media attention to the quiet Yorkshire village of Shiptonthorpe. Two years later, a film is being made about the saga. Laura Reid reports.
It’s a quintessential East Yorkshire village. Quiet, with picturesque landscapes, traditional English architecture and a Grade I listed church, dating back to the 12th century.
Not perhaps the sort of place you’d expect to be making headlines over anonymous poison pen letters.
In 2024, a series of mysterious insulting letters received by a handful of Shiptonthorpe villagers attracted a flurry of media attention.
The letters were described by recipients at the time as “personal, obscene and targeted”, with some of the village’s 500 residents saying the two-year hateful letter saga had created “a living nightmare” and had left them upset, frightened and unable to know who they could trust.
Now, nearly two years later, the story of what unfolded in Shiptonthorpe is being told in a documentary film project, supported by Netflix.
Film-makers Amy Sargeant and Gabriela Cavanagh have received backing from the Netflix Documentary Talent Fund for their project ‘Shiptonthorpe’s Summer’. It will follow those involved in the staging of a community theatre production about the letters and the impact the words had on village life.
"I found out about the (poison pen letters) story when I was over in Canada,” remembers 30-year-old Amy, who lives in London. “The news reached as far as India and Australia – this tiny town went all over the world.
"Journalists and other people were talking about the story but the people in the village felt like they never really got the chance to share their side of it of what it was like to be in Shiptonthorpe during this crazy summer.
"Now the community theatre there is putting on a play to tell the story of that bizarre period through residents’ own words.”
“Our film will be following the creation of the play, from auditions to opening night,” Gabriela says. “Through the way we document the play and the creation of it, we’ll tell the story through their lens.”
London-based Amy and Gabriela were recently announced as one of five film-making teams who have been selected for the fourth year of the Netflix fund and a partnership with Sheffield DocFest.
They were chosen by a panel of industry expects including Raul Niño Zambrano, the Creative Director of Sheffield DocFest, Olaide Sadiq the BAFTA Winning director of Grenfell Uncovered and Kate Townsend of Original Documentaries, Netflix, who said the “inspiring and entertaining stories” heard on pitch day were “testament to the level of talent” across the country.
This year, applicants were challenged to respond to the prompt ‘on the theme of change’. Amy says: “Shiptonthorpe went from being a quiet village at the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds to suddenly being the centre of a lot of interest and a lot of news.
"For some people (that change) was quite exciting, for others it was quite disruptive. That’s what the documentary will explore as well, how it affected individual people in different ways.”
Like the other recipients, Amy and Gabriela will be supported by Netflix to produce a short documentary between eight and 12 minutes long with a budget of £30,000.
The films will be screened in Sheffield next summer, as well as being made available for people to watch in autumn next year via Netflix’s YouTube channel.
"The whole process so far has been amazing,” Gabriela notes. “We’re very excited that people are receptive to the story and interested as much as we are.”
The idea for a documentary about the Shiptonthorpe scandal has been growing for more than 18 months. Freelance film-maker and producer Amy, who has worked on productions for platforms including Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV, BBC and Channel 4, was in a cafe in Canada when a news alert pinged on her phone about the poison pen letters, immediately capturing her attention.
"I just thought it sounded like a really interesting story,” the 30-year-old says. “When I got back to the UK, I contacted some people from the village and went up there for the weekend to find out more about what was happening.”
She began visiting more regularly, getting to know those involved in the area’s community theatre. “I have a real affection for the village, the people there,” says Amy, who is also the founder of Gutsy Film Festival, championing filmmakers with hidden disabilities and chronic illnesses. “It’s a really nice community."
Amy brought Gabriela on board for the project, having worked with her before. The 33-year-old director, editor and cinematographer often explores performance and the creative process in her work so the project was a natural fit.
"We hope the film gives the people of Shiptonthorpe a chance to share their story in a way they feel hasn’t been done before and that feels representative of their experience,” Gabriela says.
“I hope it is also a love letter to village life,” Amy adds. “I grew up in a village very similar to Shiptonthorpe on the south coast so I understand and love that world.
"I’m fascinated by it and how there can be the sense of community and solidarity but also more quirky aspects of life like these letters being sent….This is a small town tale with big contemporary themes.”
The duo say the script for the play is currently being worked on by members of the local community. “We’ll then be spending lots of time in Shiptonthorpe documenting the process – auditions, rehearsals and opening night,” Gabriela says. “The next steps are to go film it, which is really exciting.”
- For details on the Netflix Documentary Talent Fund, visit www.netflixdocfund.co.uk