Saluting Dad's Army

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Living very close to the area around Thetford where most of the outside filming was done, I have become a great fan of Dads Army having met a lot of the cast over the years and will look forward to this new series. Thanks for reminding me Louise.
 
Thank you for the reminder Louise really looking forward to it. I liked the Victoria Wood Documentary a few years back which was repeated recently owing to the 50th Birthday celebrations hoping this will top what was an excellent programme about a great show.
 
My Mum and I went to Thetford a month ago and we went to the Dad's Army museum and we did a Dad's Army trail which showed us where they filmed some of the outside scenes. We also had dinner in the hotel where the cast stayed during filming.
 
Louise Lawrence said:
My Mum and I went to Thetford a month ago and we went to the Dad's Army museum and we did a Dad's Army trail which showed us where they filmed some of the outside scenes. We also had dinner in the hotel where the cast stayed during filming.
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They stayed mainly at the "The Bell" which I think does still take in guests and "The Anchor" which is now sadly demolished.
The Six Bells at Barwell in Suffolk was used in " Wake up Walmington," " Ring Dem Bells" and "All is Safely Gathered in".
 
happyjack said:
They stayed mainly at the "The Bell"
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Looking at the reviews of the Hotel on Trip Advisor I very much doubt they would stay there now . I can hear Arthur Lowe now complaining. If you put faith in the reviews then the place is old and tired and Greene King , who run it , do so with minimal levels of staff . Dad's Army is mentioned in reviews but no indication if there are mementos of their stay there .
 
I don't know why they would let the hotel get so old and tired. If I owned a hotel where famous people had once stayed, I would not let it get so run down.
 
Louise Lawrence said:
I don't know why they would let the hotel get so old and tired. If I owned a hotel where famous people had once stayed, I would not let it get so run down.
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I am afraid Louise that is Thetfords lack of marketing Dads Army. It`s not like Holmfirth where you can go into any shop and there will be something Summer Wine that you can purchase.
It goes to show how lotsw is one (sorry the) best comedy programme there has been. The show is so well marketed that anyone who goes any where near the area is not allowed to forget that it is Summer Wine Country.:42:
 
happyjack said:
The show is so well marketed that anyone who goes any where near the area is not allowed to forget that it is Summer Wine Country.:42:
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Except in Marsden. They ignore it completely despite all of the episodes that were filmed in and around the town. It's as though they wanted to dissociate themselves from it.
 
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That's true. When my Mum and I were in Holmfirth 2 weeks ago, we went to Marsden as well and we were trying to find where they filmed the See Ya Compo scene. We bought a map and we asked a man where it was but he said they filmed mostly in Holmfirth.
 
happyjack said:
The show is so well marketed that anyone who goes any where near the area is not allowed to forget that it is Summer Wine Country.:42:
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I vested my opinion on this some time ago. I feel that the local Council and Tourist Board do very little to remind people that it was filmed in the area . I actually mailed the Tourist Board several times , even sent some of Pete's dual photographs of then and now scenes [after Pete kindly agreed] , suggested further landmarks that are in and around Holmfirth which did not feature in the Tourist Information guide and would definitely improve the visitors appreciation of the area . I received responses and all seemed good but nothing happened which in my eyes just reinforced the fact that those responsible for promoting the area do not appreciate what the show did for the area and the sheer amount of revenue it generated for the area.

The Tourist Guide at the time basically had the Cafe and Nora's House /Museum and that was it , yet we all know there is so much more in Holmfirth and the immediate area all of which I happily outlined in my responses, sadly to no avail. The Council and Tourist Board are not solely to blame , I feel the BBC could have made some simple gestures which would have enhanced the visitors experience . A number of Pete's photos showed various cast members sat on benches in various locations yet the now scenes showed there was no bench there .

We know that the crew used to cart benches around the locations but after filming it would have been a lovely gesture that if in some of the key locations Pete photographed if the BBC had left a bench there [with agreement of the council and yes not the one Howard Built ] with a small plaque identifying it as a location used on LOTSW . How great would it be for any fan if you were sat on a bench once sat on by Peter Sallis or Frank Thornton during filming .

In the end despite sending a request for any updates the responses stopped it is a while since I visited Holmfirth but I imagine the guide you get for free in the Tourist Information Centre hasn't changed .
 
captain clutterbuck said:
... but I imagine the guide you get for free in the Tourist Information Centre hasn't changed .
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And the people who work in the library told at least one fan that the famous pack horse bridge on the Marsden Moor National Trust estate is on private land, so not accessible to the public.
 
Well, that's not true cos my Mum and I went on the famous pack horse bridge. We found a leaflet in a cabin which is in the car park near the Marsden train station and it didn't say anything about the pack horse bridge being on private land. It is hard to find though but worth it!
 
Louise Lawrence said:
Well, that's not true cos my Mum and I went on the famous pack horse bridge. We found a leaflet in a cabin which is in the car park near the Marsden train station and it didn't say anything about the pack horse bridge being on private land. It is hard to find though but worth it!
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The people in the Library must have been thinking of the much larger bridge over the artificial lake which leads to a quite impressive estate and which is emphatically private, gated, and even seems to have a gate house. If you search the Summer Wine Map (link at the end of the header above) for "Bridge", it's the first one retrieved.
 
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I believe this is the Bridge you are referring to it has appeared in previous threads last time it came up I posted this below . I apologise in advance Tony as it has a full photo in I will delete the post once people have seen






Hi captain,its a mansion more than a farm,the last time I looked it was for sale at 1.4 million with the grounds that included the bridge,on the sale poster one of the selling points is that it was used several times in Last Of The Summer Wine,theres no access at all to it,its on private land fenced off .

Bridge%20001_zpsubncgedf.jpg


bridge.jpg




You've seen what happens when you go by the book.
In future we go by my rules.Coopers rules.
 
Louise Lawrence said:
trying to find where they filmed the See Ya Compo scene
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Louise,

There is an old post from Pete on the "A Spot of Member's Photos " on page 4 of that thread where he posted a photo of the place sadly he seems to have missed of the place name but it shows the Hill area as it is now. There is a great post after the photo from Mike who has not sadly posted for a while but he was an extra and he alludes to being dressed in the White Forensic Suit lying on wet grass the whole day.
 
Thanks for this.
My Mum and I asked a shop owner where they filmed the See Ya Compo scene and we found it! I have looked at the photo from Mike and we must have been looking at the hill from high up because we didn't find that straight bit of road where Mike was taking the photo.
 
Hello Louise,

Just to be clear Pete took the photo , Mike was an Extra when they filmed the See Ya Compo episode .He was one of the people dressed in the white forensic suits who formed the letters on the Hillside .:)
 
Oh yeah. This is what happens when I send anything after midnight! :)
 
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