Ridley and I first met on a commercial for a furniture cleaner called Sparkle whose claim to fame was that it cleaned glass, leather, plastic, wood, laminates and Formica. As it cleaned just about everything in the house, our simple thought was we'll hire the QE2. It's a floating house and it's a bit more dramatic than a semi in Wimbledon.
Plain sailing, however, it was not. "Shortly out of Southampton we ran into this huge storm. Force-nine gale. 'Terribly sorry,' says the captain. 'Having a bit of a chop here, so we are having to take the stabilisers in because we have to make speed towards Boston.' Everyone was sick, including the client, who was very conspicuously sick, so at least he was confined to his cabin and not making himself a nuisance. So we were just about to set up when a guy comes up and says, 'Oh didn't they tell you?' - one of the most ominous phrases in the English language. 'What?' 'You can't shoot during the day. You will have to shoot at night, otherwise it will interfere with the passengers' enjoyment.'
The boat was pitching like a cork, there's wasn't a single passenger to be seen. They were all throwing their socks up below deck. And that's how it went on for four days. Ridley was wonderful. He's very north-country and he said in this rich accent, 'Well, if that's what we have to do, that what we have to do.'
I remember one wonderful moment, with him squinting through the glass that was being Sparkled like mad, saying: 'What's that?' 'That's vomit, guv.' 'Lose the vomit.' My admiration for him knew no bounds and he did a wonderful job."