Dad’s Army marches into Bridlington
as Hull looks forward to 2017
By Judith Baker
As the remake of the 1970s sit com Dad’s Army hits the big screen (see it from February 5th 2016) eagle-eyed cinema goers may spot that the fictional Walmington on Sea is now the Yorkshire seaside town of Bridlington.
Bridlington in East Yorkshire was where Captain Mainwaring and his friends could be seen in action filming the remake last year with cries of ‘Don’t panic, Permission to speak and ‘they don’t like it up em’… Cast members Bill Nighy, Tony Jones and Sir Michael Gambon joined more than 300 extras to create a stirring St Georges day parade among other memorable scenes. The Visit Hull & East Yorkshire tourist board has plans to run a trail around the main sights featured in the film later this spring. But in the meantime visitors can meander round this unspoilt seaside gem on their own, soaking up the gardens, tasty fish and chips and finishing off with a show at renowned The Spa, Bridlington.
The setting of the film in this pretty spot nicely directs public attention to East Yorkshire in the run up to Hull’s big moment next year as City of Culture 2017.
Often overshadowed by more glamorous Yorkshire cities like historic York and lively Leeds, Hull will get its year in the spot light and visitors may find there is more to Hull than meets the eye.
Hull – its proper name is Kingston upon Hull – is defined by the Humber Bridge which spans the river, and is always a glorious site even on a grim Yorkshire day. The bridge once held the world record as the longest single span suspension bridge. More than 100,000 vehicles use the bridge each week now. Despite the area’s industrial image, a walk along the river itself is surprisingly rural with parks and woodland and a good supply of cosy pubs to stop off in.
Back in the centre, despite heavy bombing in the last war and the more recent scars of recession and decline, Hull has an interesting mix of architecture. Don’t miss Holy Trinity Church, and at the heart of the Historic Old Town and at the edge of Trinity Square there is the Hands on History museum which was once Hull Grammar School, school of William Wilberforce, Hull’s most famous son. Wilberforce, an MP for Hull and Yorkshire, was responsible for leading the fight that led to the abolition of slavery. You can also see the font where he was baptized at the Holy Trinity Church
www.visithullandeastyorkshire.com
Dad’s Army is in cinemas from 5th February