THE image of grumpy old men huddled round the fire could not be further from the truth.

Outside, a winter squall thrashes against the window of the small hall in Wellesley Road, Waltham-stow that is the theatre group Starlighters' home.

But the founding fathers of the amateur group, Don Munro and Anton Copley, seem oblivious as they sit round a small wooden table in front of the stage cutting out daisies.

The scene is at the heart of their ethos.

For each of the three or four productions they stage a year every blade of grass in the scenery to the grand costumes are hand crafted.

Upholding the traditions of theatre that go back to Shakespeare is important to them both.

Don, more exuberant in speech than you feel his body can deliver, explains how the pair met just after the war.

Both served in the RAF and Anton took part in the D-Day landings in Normandy.

"We are the last of the actor managers," says Don as he berates the decline of West End theatre, despite the huge budgets that are now pumped into it.

More than 55 years treading the boards have taught them the importance of fundamentals in good stage drama and the invaluable role amateur groups like theirs have in nurturing the next Laurence Oliviers.

Anton is critical of the current crop of up-and-coming talent that seems to have abandoned dearly held traditions.

"We had one group of students on a BTEC or BGC course, something like that, and we asked if they could paint. You would never believe it. They used just one colour for grass," says Anton who motions to the stage.

"I used five colours for that piece."

The stage is incredible. Up from the hues of green sprouts a massive red mushroom, and another and another.

A butterfly flutters above among red bluebells that hang from branches of trees whose canopy falls from the front of stage.

I expect Hansel and Gretel to skip through at any moment, but I am reminded more of Peter Pan as both Anton and Don pose for photographs with Kathy Wood and Margaret Sherman who are part of the 30-strong company.

They use smoke machines and lights and their stage is the only onr in the borough with flying lines that allow scenes to be changed between acts.

Their work is being recognised further afield.

A national magazine for the theatre industry recently featured a colour page spread on them and an artist from the Oxford Playhouse is visiting to view them at work.

As I leave them to their daisies, they remind me that all money raised goes to charity, £100 to Sense from their last production.

And for the umpteenth time since we met, they tell me their ages. Anton is 80 and Don 76.

The Starlighters will be performing their interpretation of a Shakespeare classic in A Starlight Dream on May 21 and 22 at 7.30pm at Foster Hall, Wellesley Road, Walthamstow.

Tickets are £5.50 or £4.50 concessions from 8923 2475.