John coach movie star Daniel

Then further on comes the name John Dell a master butcher from Palehouse Common.

Mr Dell, a 58-year-old grandfather, runs a butcher's shop in Peckham and it was there he was recruited to train Daniel Day-Lewis for his role as Bill the Butcher in the highly acclaimed film, a role which has earned the star a Bafta nomination as best actor.

One of Mr Dell's customers, a film producer, asked whether he would take on the task, and probably have a cameo role in the film himself, but while he liked the idea he turned it down initially because he would have had to close his one-man business.

But eventually he agreed when they offered to fit the filming in around his closing days, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. For several weeks he lived the life of a jet-setter, with a car being sent to his home to take him to the airport to be flown to Rome, where filming took place, collected by car and driven to a luxury hotel.

'I feel bemused by it all really,' said Mr Dell, who has three grown-up children and three grandchildren. 'I had a nice big limo and driver to take me everywhere, it was wonderful. There was no time for any sightseeing though, they certainly had their pound of flesh, filming started at 7am and went on until 7pm.

'I met Daniel and we hit it off immediately. I talked to Leonardo and I met Cameron Diaz briefly.'

A butcher's shop was built on the set and the film company also hired a butcher's shop in Rome where Mr Dell was able to help Daniel get a feel for the job. 'He picked it up quite rapidly, he loves sharpening the knife on a steel, he's a very clever man. One time we cut up a load of steaks and Daniel asked me if I was hungry and we ended up getting them cooked at a restaurant next door. I had two or three meals with him.'

Mr Dell sold a knife to Daniel for 2p 'You never give anybody a knife or scissors' and it is the one used in the film. 'He was really thrilled with that because he is a method actor and he was holding something that would have been around at the time shown by the film. It was a lovely bit of Sheffield steel.'

Mr Dell and his wife Linda went to the film's premiere at The Empire in Leicester Square. They slipped in quietly with a large group of other people because Mr Dell knew that Sky and the BBC wanted to interview him.

'I didn't want to be interviewed. I had just gone to watch the film. But they caught up with me later.'

Mr Dell treasures the photograph showing him with Daniel and the knife he sold him.