Yorkshire's Bridlington sees tourism revenues rise with release of Dad's Army film

DON’T panic! Although the best part of 50 years has passed since Dad’s Army first hit our screens, it’s still one of our best-loved comedies.

So sceptical fans of the show were delighted when the recent film proved to be amiable fun that didn’t shame the classic we all love.

And just as delighted were tourist bosses in Bridlington.

The Yorkshire coastal town doubled as Walmington-on-Sea as Mainwaring, Wilson, Jones and Frazer fell in one more time.

Within 24 hours of the first stills being released there was a 70% jump in bookings in Bridlington.

So, like many others, we’ve come along to check out the reality behind the fiction.

The Royal Oak Inn is in fact the welcoming Black Lion.

And we find the shop that got a screen makeover as The Marigold Tea Room.

The spa that became Mainwaring’s bank and the drill hall is actually East Riding Theatre in Beverly.

It’s easy to see from the general look of Bridlington how the filmmakers wouldn’t have had too much trouble recreating the bygone age as it has a timeless appeal.

We read that one producer called Yorkshire the Hollywood of England.

And the Dad’s Army filmmakers are far from the only ones to find that it’s far from grim up North and beat a path to this gorgeous part of North Yorkshire.

An hour or so up the coast is Goathland, famous the world over as the location of Hogsmeade Station in the first Harry Potter film.

A bit of movie magic created the fictional surroundings of Hogwarts but we find the station and platform magically familiar.

Actually, part of the familiarity comes from that Goathland has been a small screen star, too.

For 15 years and more it was fictional Aidensfield in Heartbeat and ITV drama crews made it their base for the best part of every year.

It’s our base too for our mini-movie exploration. And what a pretty one it is.

It’s hard to think of a more picture-perfect little village with sheep wandering through the green in the centre and the shops still bearing the Aidensfield signs.

Our accommodation is pretty special too. It’s a lovely little cottage called Wheeldale, a mere five-minute walk from the lovely local, the Goathland Hotel – or should that be the Aidensfield Arms?

Cosy, comfortable and well-equipped, it was the perfect home-from-home.

Nice to come home to for a bite at the end of a day’s exploration, but then that pub grub was pretty darn tempting.

Like the Harry Potter film bosses the Dad’s Army crew enlisted the North Yorks Moors Railway for their film, and getting on one of the steam trains down at the station was the perfect way to see the area.

It’s just £27 for a ticket that lets you hop on and off all day or you’ll find it included in the cracking value York Pass should you find you have a bit of time to explore the splendid old city.

Enjoy a train trip back in time on the line that runs from the market town of Pickering up to coastal Whitby.

That has seen its share of big and small screen appearances over the years but it’s nearby Scarborough where some of Mainwaring and co’s adventures were filmed.

We can certainly see why. We spent a lovely day walking from the quieter North Bay with its colourful beach chalets to the amusement arcade-packed South Bay and there was a something-for-all charm.

Back in Goathland at the end of each day’s exploration we found a sleepy pace of life that was the perfect antidote to the stresses of the real world.

So quiet and relaxed that it was definitely more of a case of lights, camera and INACTION. Our perfect movie ending.

Facts

Wheeldale, Goathland near Whitby (Property ref: CC231134) Sleeps four in two bedrooms. £738 for seven nights arriving July 23, £398 for seven nights arriving October 8 2016. cottages.com
North Yorkshire Moors Railway nymr.co.uk
York Pass info: visityork.org
Tourist info: yorkshire.com

Pickering is the perfect base to explore Yorkshire England’s largest county