Shropshire cheers for Bafta-winning movie maker Paul
As production designer Paul Austerberry walked up to collect a prized Bafta at a glittering televised ceremony in London, the cheers were being echoed all the way back in Shropshire.
"The Baftas and the Oscars are equivalent to getting a gold medal in the Olympics," said the Rev Preb David Austerberry, Paul's uncle, who lives in Dovaston, near Oswestry.
"When we were watching it on Sunday night and it said 'the winner is Paul Austerberry' it was amazing."
Paul was responsible for the stunning "look" of the acclaimed movie The Shape of Water and won a Bafta for best production design. And more glory beckons, as he has been nominated for an Oscar.
Although Paul was born in Canada, he has strong family roots in Shropshire, and has made a point of making the journey to visit relatives in the county while passing through London on the way to film on location all over the world.
"Although he came to London for the Baftas at the Royal Albert Hall, he couldn't get here because he was in the middle of a film, otherwise he would have come to see my sister, Susan Jones in West Felton," said Mr Austerberry.
"His father Peter - my brother - was born during the war at the vicarage in Roseway, Harlescott, Shrewsbury. My father Sidney Austerberry was the vicar of Harlescott all through my childhood and later became Archdeacon of Salop. My mother was Jennie Austerberry who in the very early days of the Shropshire Star used to write a weekly column."
Peter, a physics teacher, emigrated to Canada in 1964 and Paul was born two or three years later, living in Toronto where he makes films.
"He took a degree in architecture, but at the end of that he decided he wanted to go into films and worked his way up to production designer, which means he is responsible for everything which is not the acting - all the backgrounds, scenery, locations, props and all sorts of things."
Mr Austerberry thinks Paul might have inherited his artistic talent from his mother, who is from the Philippines, and was a nurse but with a hobby of painting.
"When his grandparents were alive, whenever Paul travelled though London airport on the way to a location he would break his journey, and take a train to Shrewsbury to visit them. He knows this area quite well."
Paul's grandfather Sidney Austerberry had been vicar of Great Ness before retiring and living in Shrewsbury.
David himself was the rector of Kinnerley, Knockin, Melverley and Maesbury.
"I retired 18 years ago, I'm in my mid-80s now. I was also a Prebendary of Lichfield Cathedral, and kept the title on retirement."
The movie The Shape of Water is a whimsical romantic fantasy in which Paul's creative talent is spectacularly unleashed, with the creation of a water tank by the production crew, as well as underwater effects and illusions.
Mr Austerberry has not spoken to Paul directly after his Bafta success, and is looking forward to seeing the film.
"It's coming to Shrewsbury on March 2 and I'm going to the first showing at the Old Market Hall Cinema. I've heard that the film has moral undertones to it. It is called The Shape of Water, but water hasn't a shape, and takes its shape from the container it's in. There is an underlying theme, apparently, that God is like that and we want to make God into our own pattern."
