Shane Meadows (born 26 December 1972) is an English director, screenwriter and actor, known for his work in independent film, most notably the cult film This Is England (2006) and its three sequels (2010–2015). Meadows' other films include Small Time (1996), Twenty Four Seven (1997), A Room for Romeo Brass (1999), Once Upon a Time in the Midlands (2002), Dead Man's Shoes (2004), Somers Town (2006), Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee (2009), and The Stone Roses: Made of Stone (2013). Early life Meadows was born on 26 December 1972 in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. In 1982, his father Arty, a lorry driver, discovered the body of Susan Maxwell, a child murder victim of Robert Black, and was initially a suspect in the murder case, which led to Meadows being bullied at school. Meadows moved to Nottingham when he was 20. Career Meadows enrolled on a Performing Arts course at Burton College, where he first met friend and future collaborator Paddy Considine. Amongst other things, they formed the band She Talks to Angels (inspired by a Black Crowes song of the same name), with Meadows as vocalist and Considine as drummer. Lead guitarist in She Talks To Angels was Nick Hemming, who was also a member of the Telescopes and now fronts the Leisure Society. The majority of Meadows' films have been set in the Midlands area. While they recall the kitchen sink realism of filmmakers such as Mike Leigh and Alan Clarke, their use of autobiographical material and popular music soundtracks were influenced by Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets, the film which Meadows has credited with inspiring him to become a filmmaker: "It was obviously about people Scorsese understood and had grown up with. It was the first time that I thought, 'Maybe you don't have to make a film about a genre, maybe you can make a film about your own life.' " Much of the content of his films is semi-autobiographical and based on his experiences in Uttoxeter. Twenty Four Seven was inspired by his youth, both at a boxing club, and also playing in a local football club. Despite some huge losses, the club's coach never lost faith in them. A Room for Romeo Brass was also inspired by his youth. After Paul Fraser — his best friend, neighbour and future writing partner – had a bad accident and was bound to his bed for two years, Meadows instead hung around