'Video courtesy of North West Film Archive at Manchester Metropolitan University'.

A VETERAN film maker from Sale has relived the day he captured the visit of ‘The King’s Speech’ monarch to Altrincham.

Sandy Ricketts, now aged 90, filmed the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Altrincham on July 17 1946.

The Royal couple visited Churchill Machine Tool Company in Broadheath to meet senior staff waiting outside on a purpose-built platform.

The visit came seven years after George was helped by a speech therapist to overcome his stammer and make a keynote speech to the country - events that inspired the multi-Oscar winning film ‘The King’s Speech’.

Sandy captured the Altrincham visit from the top of his car which he had placed strategically in advance.

He hadn’t anticipated the crowds who surrounded it.

Widower Sandy said: “Once or twice they shook it and the camera wobbled.”

Another cameraman stood closer to the Royal couple but this was disastrous “My colleague was wearing a long-sleeved raincoat”, said Sandy. “Unfortunately, when he was holding the camera, the lens poked down his sleeve and half of his film was obliterated.”

Good editing helped Sandy to complete the film which is now held by North West Film Archive.

Sandy bought a hand turned Pathe 9.5m film camera when he was just 15. It cost 27s 6d. The projector was 30 bob (£1.50 today).

“It was a lot of money in those days,” he said.

After the war, he married a work colleague, Brenda, and they set up a Cinema Servicing Business, Cinephoto Equipment Ltd.

Later they started Cinephoto Film Productions which made 45 industrial films.

They retired in 1984 but Sandy continued filming for pleasure and in 2007 filmed the summer fair and Rose Queen ceremony at St. Martin’s church, Ashton-on-Mersey.