Southampton's sea-going film star, the heritage steamship, Shieldhall is to make a major appearance in yet another movie.

Shieldhall, which has her home berth in the port, is now in great demand by television programme and film makers with the ship having appeared in documentaries, a South American soap opera and a production by former Play School presenter, Floella Benjamin.

Manned by her volunteer crew, Shieldhall left Southampton for Tilbury where she is to make a guest appearance in the film, Bright Young Things, produced and directed by the actor, Stephen Fry.

In the feature film, based on Evelyn Waugh's Vile Bodies set in the 1930s, Shieldhall takes the part of a steamer where the passengers are disembarking and proceeding through customs and immigration.

This is the first time in her 47 year history that Shieldhall has visited the east coast, and the Thames Estuary.

Normally, she is based in Southampton and runs excursions in the Solent area although every other year she visits Dordrecht in the Netherlands for Europe's largest steam festival.

For more information about Shieldhall log on to: www.ss-shieldhall.co.uk