Meet Warrington’s “Magnificently Ordinary” Derek Vernon

TO the casual observer Derek Vernon is an ordinary guy – in fact so ordinary he won an award for being “Magnificently Ordinary” at the Liverpool International Film Festival.

And while he is not getting any younger his long held dream of being an actor continues to flourish.
After a lengthy career spanning a wide variety of activities on the stage, on the track, behind the scenes and writing, he has now had three scenes he has written, accepted into a new horror feature film in which he is also cast. It will also include two tracks by one of his inspirational heroes David Bowie!
He has also recently found out a soon to be released feature film he was cast in “The Reverend and Mrs Simpson,” which includes Isla Blair, who was cast in his favourite Christopher Lee Dracula film “Taste the blood of Dracula,” is set to premiere.
Meanwhile he will also continue writing his book about the Warrington bombing by a lone German bomber on September 14th 1940.

Derek said: “I am travelling in a very interesting direction of acting and writing. I still work for Warrington Borough Council on two nights a week with disabled children and do voluntary work with disabled adults at Warrington Mencap as well as litter picking!”
He also still finds time to do marshalling at road races and is also a Registered minister, doing two Weddings last year free of charge.
His latest horror film which he has wriiten is set after a famous French Baroness mysteriously disappears. Count Varney Von Glas, a local aristocrat of foreign means, comes under increasingly hostile scrutiny. But is it justified? Varney moves in many social circles after all and his contribution to the town has been favourably received for many years by all.
French detective Guillaume De Aubuchon arrives to assist the English police in the search for the Baroness. His dealings with the town and “its ways” and the distinct lack of progress from his English counterpart frustrates him and tempts him to abandon his instructions. But a shocking discovery keeps him at his post and finds him not just investigating the disappearance Baroness but many others.”
A dark Hammer House style horror- but not with the usual vampire traits and trinkets.
Derek has had a varied life and his many achievements include:
Sport
1976: Football : Represented Warrington schoolboys in Frankfurt where he played against German world cup winners Rudi Voller and Lipbarsi .
1979 – 1980 : Boxing: A couple of Bouts for Raven ABC.
1985 – 1988 : Athletics :
1985 : Broke the Warrington AC club record on Victoria park for 10,000 metres.
Won the Helsby Four villages half marathon.
1986 : won the Warrington X/C club race.
Represented Cheshire seniors in the National X/C Championship.
1988 : Won the Warrington Half Marathon
1995 : Ju – Jitsu. Brown Belt.

Weddings
2005 – 2008 A wedding chauffeur for over 50 Weddings.
2019 – Present Day
As a Registered Minister he has Married two couples in Buxton and Lancaster.

The Arts : Student
2012 : Started Acting classes at Merseyside academy of drama on hope street literally across the road from where Pete Postlethwaite started his career on stage …it was a beginners class on my 52 birthday.
2014 : Advanced through the ranks to Advanced Actor appearing in stage plays around Liverpool.
2018. Became a Spotlight Actor.

The Arts : Theatre
2013 & 2014 .Appeared as a Priest and a peasant in 28 “Evita” performances with Marti Pellow at the Liverpool Empire Theatre, Manchester Lowry and Palace Theatre.
2014 – 2018 Appeard in eight different operas at Liverpool Empire Theatre including Rigoletto, Madam Butterfly, Nabuccu and Aida.
2019:The Everton Play ” The grand old lady to the heart of Everton badge ” at the Epstein Theatre.

The Arts : Documentary
2015 The Documentary ” about my life story titled “Magnificently ordinary” won the Liverpool International Film Festival award.
2016: ” Magnificently ordinary” won the warrington long shot film Festival.

The Arts : TV
2016 : Hollyoaks. 1 episode as Doctor Rodgers.
2016 : Witche Hunt a century of murder. 1 episode as Pendle witche court clerk Thomas Potts .
2016: Magnificently ordinary screened on freeview TV.
2017: The six wives of Henry. VIII . 1 episode as Henry VIII Henchman .
2018 : Sidling blues . 20 minute film as Alfie Murphy screened on free view TV.

The Arts : Feature film
2018 : “Eleven ” which features Lucy Benjamin, Jo stone Fewings, Sean cronin and Cyrina Taylor of which he plays the character role of corporal Bill Saunders was screened on Sky TV and available on DVD in America.
2020 : soon to released feature film ” The Reverend and Mrs Simpson ” where he plays the character role of a children’s entertainer who is not quite as nice as he appears.

The Arts : Music
2018 Storyboard written and Produced the music video “Muhammad Ali Dream ” where he appears as Coach Angelo Dundee. Written and performed by Charlie Hale . The video features 18 boxing legends including Joe Calzaghe, Robin Reid,
Sky sports Johny Nelson, American heavyweight legends Larry Holme, Earnie Shavers and Tim Witherspoon.
The Arts : Guest speaker at the 2019 David Bowie Beckenham Festival with David Bowie best friend from Berlin Sarah Rheina Hine who is also now a very close friend.

The Arts: Marathons
Helped to organise the Warrington, Liverpool and Dublin half marathons and fired the starting pistol and driven the lead car.

The Arts: Writer
2015 Co Written multiple award winning Documentary” Magificently Ordinary.
2016 Storyboard writer of the music video ” Muhammad Ali Dream ”
2020 Co writer of the forthcoming feature film ” Varney ”
Presently writing a short film called ” Karma” to be filmed in Warrington ( 2 tracks supplied by former David Bowie musicians ) and also writing a book about the Warrington bombing in 1940 by a lone German bomber.
Listing his inspirations Derek added: “I have always been inspired by David Bowie and was fascinated in how he transformed himself into different characters and that’s exactly how I saw my life as I was constantly changing into new ventures. Warrington actor Pete Postlethwaite is the perfect role model for me and also up and coming Liverpool Actor Michael John Treinor who is presently breaking through big doors appearing regularly on Netflix is an actor who I really admire.
“I had always had a secret desire to become an actor and act on stage which later transformed into TV and Film and of late as a Writer. My writing has been inspired by Rock Salt who has written fantastic scripts which are now getting recognition in America, Liverpool writer Kenny O’Connell and London based writer Richard Dee Roberts, are also writers who I really admire.
“One lady who has really inspired me is Eva Schloss, step sister of Anne Frank who I met through my time working on ” Evita ” with the Jewish Theatre .
“We had coffee together where she informed me first hand of her friendship with Anne frank and family, Autswich and how Anne’s father Otto Frank eventually became her step father . Absolutely amazing!”