from We Happy Few 506
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;”
Now I bet you’re smiling to yourself remembering little scenes and lines from Band of Brothers aren’t you. Ok, now let me change that slightly to “we happy few 506”. Now what are you thinking? Well, if you’re thinking about Matt Leitch (aka Floyd Talbert) and Leighton Hughes (aka Curraheesignings) you’d be right. I was lucky enough to grab an interview with Leighton recently.
Thank you for your time, Leighton.
You began WeHappyFew506 in 2021. Had the idea been rumbling around for a while before that?
Originally the idea thrown around was in 2019 about doing a in person live event in the UK. I had been to a live Q and A of a rugby player, Sam Warburton, and I reached out to the company who did that and asked whether doing one on Band of Brothers was ever an option. They said yes!! We had some calls to get things in motion.
I reached out to Tim Matthews about it and who would be interested from the `actor’s side, and there were quite a few. Soon after, I met Matt in person in Bastogne after interacting on social media for a few years and found that we had similar interests in sports and Alan Partridge, so I brought him into the live event conversation. Then one day he mentioned to me about a Band of Brothers podcast, this was just before Covid kicked off, and I said, “Podcast? who listens to them?!!” then low and behold it became a huge thing during the Pandemic.
It wasn’t until nearly a year later during a Currahee signing that something similar was raised again and after hearing Matt on a Podcast guesting and watching the Platoon 30th anniversary documentary that the idea of WeHappyFew506 really started to take shape.
What were your ambitions for WHF506?
Good question, a tough question. Mainly to grow and run tours all year round. We wanted to make affordable tours and do the podcasting on a full-time basis.
Podcasts: Do you have a favourite guest and why?
Oh, another tough one, Robin “3 Birminghams” Laing is a standout for me as well as Stephen McCole who played ‘Moose’ Heyliger. We just interviewed him recently, and I was constantly laughing listening to him, he’s a great storyteller.
Podcasts: Who would you be your ideal guest?
Ideal? For me, it would have to be Quentin Tarantino, I’m a huge fan of his work and his Podcast, his brain is incredible when it comes to movies.
Podcasts: if you could have any veteran on your podcast, is there one that you would have loved to talk to?
Robert Morgan, the man who flew the Memphis Belle. I would have loved to speak to one of the first men who completed 25 missions and how it was for him to go from combat to home. I’d also ask him about touring the country to raise money for war bonds. I’d be interested in learning about his transition from one way of life to another, whilst the war was still raging in the air over Europe.
Tours: The tours are becoming legendary for all who attend. How did this idea come around?
Thank you in calling them legendary! We are extremely proud in how well received they have become. We knew we had to do something, to keep the momentum going for WHF506 or it could potentially fade away in a moment.
Matt had the idea of a tour, initially a one-day tour in the Netherlands. Everyone had a blast, and it was incredible to know that people had flown thousands of miles to be part of that tour. We knew then that moving forward, it had to be longer. One day wasn’t enough time with such amazing people who were there to listen and learn of these incredible stories from our guides.
Tours: Is there somewhere that WHF506 has yet to go that you wish to do?
In Europe, we have almost done it all. We hope to do a “Masters of the Air” tour next year. But for me personally, one that I would love to do would be Peleliu, Henry Sledge is a great friend and would love to be there with him. I think for a WHF506 tour, it is a little beyond our capability to do that one, never say never though.
Currahee Signings: Leighton – how did you meet Matthew to form WHF506?
I met Matt in person in Bastogne after interacting on social media for a few years, as they say, the rest is history!
Currahee Signings: How did Currahee signings start?
The Pandemic certainly helped make the idea come around a little quicker. Personally, I’m a bit of a nerd in collecting signatures of actors from my favourite movies / tv shows and at the start of the pandemic, I saw a page pop up in doing private signings with the cast of the Goonies. Being a huge fan of the Goonies, I wanted the ultimate signed poster. I got it and now the proud owner of a poster signed by the 4 Goonies as well as the 2 girls and Josh Brolin.
This inspired me to do something similar but with Band of Brothers and working to get the ‘hard to get’ actors who don’t do much signing. I have a mutual friend with Joe May, who played Ed Shames in Band of Brothers, and thought he would be a great first signer. When he agreed, I set up the page, posted in various groups about it to advertise and it went from there really.
Currahee Signings: The work you put in for everyone’s requests is exemplary and I personally thank you for that. Is it a demanding role, pulling it all together?
It’s extremely demanding but it is also one of the most rewarding things I have done. I don’t do it for the money, I do it to help people create the ultimate Band of Brothers cast signed poster. For me that is where my rewards are, knowing I was part of that process in making it happen for them. I do have the odd awkward customer but that is very few and far between.
Currahee Signings: Is there anyone you’d love to secure for a signing but cannot?
It is Damian Lewis, I’ve not had a no from his people, but it’s been difficult in securing him because he has been focusing on his music, I would love to do a signing with him, but I am really happy with doing signings with other members of the cast at the moment and have quite a few lined up beyond who have currently advertised online
Any other info either of you would love to share (whatever you’re happy to share) would be amazing.
For me, it was really special having Scott Grimes reach out to me about doing a signing. More so, because I normally ask the actor and not the other way round, so to have one of my favourite actors from Band (and American Dad, the Orville and E.R) message me about doing one, I was blown away. To meet him in person, to drop the items off with him, and chat with him for about 30 minutes, it was truly mind blowing. Very special.
Thank you Leighton for all that you do for the signings for Band fans.
