One of the most eagerly-awaited films of the year hits the big screen tonight with the opening of new Batman movie The Dark Knight.

The blockbuster, starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine and the late Heath Ledger, features numerous scenes shot in Bedfordshire, at locations including Cardington Hangars and Mentmore Towers.

And Bedfordians who had roles in the film have talked to the Times & Citizen about the experience.

Mandy Pickering worked as a security officer on the set at Cardington, looking after a large stock of American bank notes which were used in a scene which has figured heavily in trailers.

She said: "I have never experienced anything like it in my life, it was overwhelming.

"I was working for a security company at the time, and when a job came up in Cardington I volunteered straight away as I knew the new Batman film was being shot around there.

"On my last day I was standing next to the Batmobile, and everyone was teasing me to get in it. It really was impressive looking."

Miss Pickering, who lives in Cotton End, worked on the film at Cardington from October 17-22, and understands that she missed being on set with Batman himself, Christian Bale, by one day.

But she was on set with actor Heath Ledger, who was filming one of his last roles as the Joker before his unexpected death in January.

She said: "I do like Batman, but I was a big, bag fan of Heath Ledger. Yet when I saw him I didn't recognise him.

"He looked so different. There was all that make-up, he looked so skinny, and in that Joker outfit I just thought: 'What a transformation.'

"It was all pretty strict on set. I wanted to go up to Heath and get his autograph but we had all been told not to do anything like that.

"There was one point when he literally walked right in front of me. I wanted to stop him and talk to him, but I would have looked like an idiot. Of course, I kick myself for not doing so now."

Craig Baldwin, from Dunstable, had been booked to work as an extra at Cardington, but instead worked as a member of a SWAT team for scenes shot at Battersea Power Station. He said: "We had all the black combat outfits on, with police shirts, rifles and bulletproof vests.

"It was a night shoot, from 11pm-4am, and there was a really good atmosphere. Everyone knew it was Batman, they knew it was a big thing, and you could see there was a lot of money on set from how things were done.

"We were just told we were storming the building to get Batman. We weren't told why we were doing it – so I will have to wait until I see the film to understand."

Craig, a 37-year-old who works in IT, also worked on previous instalment Batman Begins as a journalist during a courtroom scene shot at Cardington Hangars.

He has also been in big-budget features such as V Is For Vendetta and Band Of Brothers. And ironically he was an extra in the Ricky Gervais sitcom Extras, where he shared a scene with Ricky, Keith Chegwin and Shaun Williamson, aka 'Barry off EastEnders'.



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