‘Secret’ love story could be turned into full-length film

Gordon and Gilbert's love story has been turned into an eight-minute "short", called The Letter Men, that has been shown at film festivals in the UK and USA.

The Letter Men gives a taste of the relationship between the two men, one of whom was stationed at the Park Hall Army Barracks near Oswestry.

Mark Hignett bought the letters from eBay for £1,000 after hunting for war memorabilia from Oswestry for the town's museum.

He had not realised the wonderful love story that was entwined within the letters until he studied them more closely.

The letters are from Gordon Bowsher, writing to his lover Gilbert Bradley who was fighting as a soldier in the Second World War.

There are more than 300 letters from Gordon, written between 1939 and 1944.

Homosexuality was illegal in Britain until 1967, and the couple talk about keeping their relationship secret as well as travelling to California together after the war.

After the letters were the subject of an exhibition at the museum, Mr Hignett was approached by film director Andrew Valentine.

"At the same time I was also contacted by actors Matthew Postlewaite and also by Garett Clayton," he said.

The two actors went on to play Gordon and Gilbert in the Letter Men.

Mr Hignett said: "It had its world wide premiere at the Tribeca Festival in New York and was also screened at OutFest Film Festival in Los Angeles and the Paris Film Festival. It's scheduled to be at Cannes next year."

Mr Hignett said it was wonderful to see the effect the letters were having.

"I was approached by two men from Virginia who, rather than exchange vows, they asked if they could exchanged sentiments written by Gordon, in the letters," he said.

"There is interest in a full film. However, I have to finish the book I am writing first based on the letters."

This week the letters were featured in the BBC1 series Antiques Road Trip when one of the presenters crossed the England border on a Welsh road trip to visit the museum.