RadarExpress News, the Road Safety Bill

Stuntman Ricky Ash

"What we need is to be able to drive at any speed in the early hours of the morning"

In this issue we put the Q+A questions to Riky Ash; Television and movie stuntman, stunt co-ordinator, actor and after dinner speaker extraordinaire.

Q. So what made you decide to become a stuntman?
A. I felt I had the right qualities to be a Stuntman. I am a very active guy. My Kung-Fu training progressed me into stunt work. Stuntmen are not as you would imagine them to be; we are very safety conscious and think each stunt out very thoroughly. And it certainly beats my old job of making furniture.

Q. What was your first stunt job?
A. It was on ‘Casualty’ for the BBC. I had to walk out on an 18 inch wide girder 80ft above the ground to apply graffiti.

Q. What was your first car ?
A. A Vauxhall Nova. I bought it because it was the only car I could get insurance for at the time. It was really economical but not the coolest car for an 80’s teenager to be seen in.

Q. What’s your daily drive and why did you choose it?
A. I currently own a Mercedes SLK. I chose it because I just think the hydro roof is such a cool idea and also for it’s reliability, I do a lot of miles throughout the year. Reliability is so important when your work depends on you getting around the country on time. I am currently looking for a Black Ferrari 360 Spider, but I’ll always have a Mercedes, for as long as they do manual gear boxes.

Q. What’s your opinion on the current motorway speed limit?
A. The motorway speed limit is a joke, it’s far too low for this day and age. It needs
to be raised but I could never see that happening with any government. What we need is to be able to drive at any speed in the early hours of the morning. I do a lot of driving in the early hours and when you’re on a very quiet motorway there is nothing dangerous about driving fast as long as you keep alert. Anyone who has had the pleasure of driving on a German Autobahn will understand more about driving at speed safely.

Q. You have 1,000 miles of open road, where would it be, who would you like in your passenger seat and what would you be driving?
A. Death Valley in a Lamborghini Diablo Roadster with Jimmy Carr. With my humour and Jimmy’s looks (and the car of course), we would have a great time pulling the local Death Valley talent. Would be cool blasting through Death Valley as fast as the Lambo could travel.

Q. What stunt are you most proud of?
A. It was for a movie called 'The Witches Daughter', an 80 foot cliff jump into the
sea off the east coast of Scotland. Not only did I have the height of the cliff to consider, I also had 12 feet of rocks to clear at the bottom. The stunt went very well and footage of this stunt can be seen on my web site.

Q. Who’s the nicest star you’ve met while working on a show or movie?
A. Must be either Norman Wisdom or Brian Murphy, both of whom I regularly double for on ‘Last Of The Summer Wine’. Both are really friendly and down to earth. I get on best with people who have a relaxed temperament.

Q. What bad driving habits upset you most about other motorists?
A. The worst habit I regularly see is people driving without holding the steering wheel with both hands. If they are unfortunate to have a crash they will have far less control and the ability to avoid accidents is greatly reduced. This poor driving style is far worse than speeding. As a Stuntman I have performed many car crashes and we appreciate the reasons behind correct driving posture, as in a serious accident it can save your life. If you don’t hold the wheel correctly, you are a bad driver.

Q. Where do cars figure in your list of life’s priorities?
A. Cars are a very high priority. I have always had a passion for cars and being a Stuntman has allowed me to afford some great cars throughout my career. Riky is a highly experienced stuntman/stunt co-ordinator with over 300 TV and film credits to his name, including Eastenders, The Bill, Sleepy Hollow, First Knight, Heartbeat, Casualty and Emmerdale. He holds the world record for greatest height range played by a stuntman, having doubled every height from 3' 6" to 6' 4". His specialities include car crashes, extreme heights, sword work, precision and high speed driving, powerboats, car knockdowns, fire work, stair falls, and knife fights... phew!

To find out more about Riky’s career, or to view showreels of some of his favourite stunts, please visit his official website www.fallingforyou.tv

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