Colditz: Christopher Neame and the Time Machine

Edward took receipt of a cheese, cracker and olive selection on a silver platter with a very nice and very expensive bottle of Chianti. ‘Now,’ he said, loudly enough for his friend in the bathroom to hear him. ‘Tell me why exactly you’re obsessed with this so-called time machine and why in God’s holy name you think it could possibly work.’

It’s 1972 and Edward Hardwicke anticipates the usual routine of filming on location—hanging around on set, double-checking his lines, laborious rehearsals and finally shooting.

But his new best friend has other ideas.

Nestled deep within the heart of Scotland, the pulse of Stirling Castle beats with a steady rhythm of history, of mysticism and infinite possibility, or so a certain lieutenant from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regiment had come to believe.

For over fifty years the edifice has bided its time, waiting for the right candidate to enter its walls and discover its most unusual treasure. The only man who has the empathy, the desire and the willingness to take a colossal leap of faith in order to create an unbreakable bond of history, to continue an unfinished labour of love and to unite the servicemen who sacrificed all for time immemorial.

As Christopher Neame becomes increasingly preoccupied with the compelling journal of Lieutenant John Macleod he determines to honour the man’s name and fervent ambition by exploring the world of the paranormal and transcending all known laws of science.

Chris sets his sights on a journey to experience Colditz beyond the realms of books, scripts, TV programmes and movies and his stalwart companion Edward is about to be dragged into a mire of intrigue, living history and commitment to experiencing the life of the legends that came before him with danger a mere breath away at every turn.

The fifth instalment in the Colditz series of books based on the original TV series unites past, present and future in a tribute to the heroes of 20th century military history as two renegade BBC actors throw caution to the wind going off script in an untried, untested, mind-blowing experiment.

Reckless it might well be—but it’s going to be a hell of a ride.

Will Christopher realise his dream of traversing time and space and, more importantly, if he does, will he and Edward ever return to Stirling Castle in time to complete the filming of Colditz Series One?