Actor, writer and director Christopher Byram Jury has spent a lifetime in front of and behind the camera.
Best known as teenage assistant Eric Catchpole in the BBC series Lovejoy, Chris has written for the likes of The Bill, Casualty and Holby City and spent a decade directing EastEnders.
Now semi-retired, Chris has a new cast of characters on a different kind of set: the abundant wildlife in the forests, fields and coast of West Dorset, which he has called home for nearly 30 years.
“I lived in London for 15 years and grew up in Warwickshire,” said Chris. “We chose Dorset because my wife Stella doesn’t like motorways.
“We bought a static caravan as a base in Burton Bradstock in 1998 and moved to West Bexington about three years ago. We have made some wonderful friends. I love it here; it really is one of the most amazing places to be.”
Chris’s connection with the natural world goes back decades.
Armed with his second-hand single lens reflex camera, he can be found deep in Dorset’s ‘extraordinary’ landscape, relishing the freedom a little more time can bring.
“This is a new adventure for me,” said Chris. “There is so much beauty here. You have the coast road to Beaminster and its valleys, which is extraordinary, the coasts are stunning and there is so much richness inland.
“I have always, oddly, sat in the woods in the dark. And now I am doing so with a camera.
“Observing the wildlife behaving naturally in these habitats is like entering another world.
“And it is remarkable that these animals are still doing what they have always done, most notably badgers, which are returning despite all our attempts to kill them off.
“The setts that were emptied during the cull are becoming re-occupied.”
Chris’s love for nature extends all the way back to boyhood. As a teenager he wanted to become a vet.
He said: “I soon realised it was never going to happen, given the need for science A Levels. I was at an all-boys grammar school in Kenilworth and at the age of around 14, I was invited to join a youth theatre group, where I was promised I would meet ‘a lot of girls.’
“So, along with two friends I went and indeed there were a lot of girls; in fact one of them was Stella, who would later become my wife.
“Unbeknown to us, on that night, auditions were being held for a modern adaptation of the Greek tragedy Antigone by Jean Anouilh. I auditioned and was given the part of the first guard.”
The comic character made an impression, and Chris soon discovered that acting might be more than a youthful experiment.
He laughed: “A news story in one of the papers wrote ‘a star is born’ about an ‘amazing kid’. I couldn’t believe they were writing about me. There was no mention of Antigone or Ismene.
“They were furious.”
Chris was starring in Rumblings at the Bush Theatre when he was spotted and invited by director Baz Taylor to interview.
“I was playing a part that actually was similar to the character of Eric Catchpole,” said Chris.
“I went in for the interview and didn’t hear anything for a few weeks. I forgot all about it because in this industry if you don’t hear within a couple of days, it’s usually all over, so I had moved on and got another job.
“Three weeks later I got a call inviting me in again. I walked into a room where Ian McShane, several writers, Baz and Allan McKeown were sitting around a table. It was a little daunting, but I had an interview and was offered the job the next day.
“I had just started a new job as an assistant director, but when I told my boss I had been offered the part for ten episodes on TV, he told me I had to take it.”
The rest is television history. The first series aired in 1986 and ran for ten episodes.
“The Lovejoy story is complicated, but when I received a call in 1989 to say Lovejoy was back on and would I like to play Eric again, of course I said yes.
“Not bad really for a plumber’s son from Coventry,” he laughed.
Chris Jury Lovejoy actor to EastEnders director
“Lovejoy was an extraordinary experience where I built many lifelong friendships. The show went on and on and on, but in 1994 it was time for me to move on. I was 38 years old and playing a teenager, which really was hilarious, but I had ambitions to direct.”
However, getting work as a director was taking longer than Chris had hoped.
“I was running out of money, so I wrote my way out of it and began writing TV scripts for shows such as The Bill and Casualty. Stella would jokingly ask ‘why did I leave Lovejoy again?’
“Eventually, in around 1998, I began directing EastEnders, where I stayed for about a decade. EastEnders was my alma mater.”
Photography is a creative and scientific pursuit, and one which combines Chris’s love of nature with his directing talent.
“The experience has taught me the importance of recognising the moment. I know the art of setting and framing a picture and instinctively know the shot, although my camera is heavy and this makes it difficult to react quickly when an animal suddenly appears. I miss loads of shots.
“Wildlife photography requires time and patience, and if you don’t come away with the shot, you have had a wonderful time in nature. A badger appearing at dusk can be reward enough.
“The challenge for me is to learn how to manipulate light. There are some amazing photographers who have mastered this skill.”
With Dorset’s wildlife there is no shortage of moments to be captured. And Chris will be waiting patiently for them.