Bridlington is to star as Walmington-on-Sea in a new film of Dad’s Army. STEPHEN LEWIS visited the east coast resort to find out what the locals think of the idea...

THERE'S a gale whipping along the seafront at Bridlington, lashing the waves which crash into the town's pier into a frenzy.

In calmer weather, with a sea fret obscuring the early morning sun, you could easily picture a platoon of doddery Home Guard standing here, gazing nervously out to sea for signs of an unlikely German invasion fleet looming out of the murk. Corporal Jones, naturally, would be rushing about shouting to anyone who would listen: 'Don't Panic! Don't Panic!'

There's no need to panic today, though. The weather is too wild and blustery even for invading Germans.

The tourist season at Bridlington is well and truly over: the funfair on the Esplanade deserted, the pier roped off.

There are still a few hardy figures strolling along the otherwise deserted seafront, however. And they're more than happy to discuss the seaside town's recent good news.

Bridlington, as you'll have heard by now, is one of the Yorkshire locations chosen to double as Walmington-on-Sea in a new big-budget film version of Dad's Army.

The film will be set in 1944 on the eve of the Allied invasion of France. Morale is low in Captain Mainwaring's Walmington-on-Sea unit of the Home Guard. Then they're given a new mission: to patrol the Dover army base...

The cast is stellar, with Toby Jones as Captain Mainwaring, Bill Nighy as Sergeant Wilson, Tom Courtenay as Corporal Jones, Michael Gambon as Private Godfrey, Danny Mays as the spivvish Private Walker, and Blake Harrison as Private Pike, Captain Mainwaring's 'stupid boy'.

There's even a role for Catherine Zeta Jones as glamorous journalist Rose Winters, who has come to write about the platoon's exploits.

Film crews are expected to be in the town for four days next month: and locals are delighted.

"It will be great," says carpenter David Grainger, one of those out braving the weather on the seafront. He then launches into one of his favourite lines from the TV series: "Don't tell him your name, Pike!"

He used to love watching the programme, Mr Grainger admits. "The guy who was always selling things... I liked him. And the Scottish chap: he was a character."

It's none of these that he's most eager to see in Bridlington, though. That honour goes to a character who didn't even appear in the TV series.

"I'm looking forward to seeing Catherine Zeta Jones," says Mr Grainger. "She'll need a place to stay – she can stay at our house."

The Onyatts are from York, but they stay at a caravan at nearby Flamborough Head regularly – and they're thrilled for the seaside town.

Dad's Army was one of the all-time classic British TV comedies, says Michael Onyatt, who is walking along the seafront with wife Carol and daughter Helen Willis. "So it's great for Yorkshire."

The family's only concern is whether a new film could possibly match the original. "I had a bit of a tummy lurch when I heard," says Helen. "It's a bit like trying to remake the Likely lads. I hope it works, I really do."

"But they've done really well as far as the cast goes," says Mr Onyatt. "And now they have chosen Bridlington... well, that's even better."

Bridlington does seem a good fit for Walmington-on-Sea. It has always been an unassuming sort of seaside town, for all its shiny arcades, its seaside funfair, and stretch of magnificent beach.

"Traditionally, Scarborough was where middle class people went," says Neil Watson, chairman of the Bridlington Chamber of Trade. "Bridlington was where people from West Yorkshire came."

Quite what that says about the people of West Yorkshire isn't clear. But in the Top 22 Café on The Promenade, the talk is all of Dad's Army – and the fact Bridlington could do with a bit of a pick-me-up.

"I heard from John at the station that they are going to do some filming here," says owner Linda Sadler. "I think Bridlington has the right character for it! Let's hope it brings more people in."

Samantha Potter, having lunch with her mum Margaret Hird, agrees. "There's nothing here," she says. "It needs something here to fetch people in. At the moment, they only come in the summer."

Over in The Promenades shopping centre, the Mayor of Bridlington, Cllr Shelagh Finlay, has been attending an official function dressed in full scarlet regalia – and she's bursting with pride.

"It will bring a bit of Hollywood glamour to Bridlington," she says. "Not that we need it. Bridlington has its own glamour. We've got the best sea-front on the East Coast."

There is no sign of the vicar, David Mather, at Holy Trinity Church, at the 'posh', northern end of The Promenade. But inside the church, there is a meeting of the Holy Trinity Youth Café Craft Group under way. Tracey Dickinson, the church's child protection officer and a member of the group, offers a warm smile.

"I think it's brilliant," she says, of the news the town is to become Walmington-on-Sea. Bridlington is up-and-coming – with a new shopping centre, and a new leisure centre being built on the seafront, she says. "But let's hope this really gets us on the map. We need to be."

If any part of Bridlington is to be put on the map as a result of the film, however, it won't be the seafront.

The talk is that most of the filming will actually take place in Bridlington's historic Old Town, a good mile or so from the sea.

The High Street is a quaint, winding street of old Georgian houses, art galleries and antiques shops. It seems a world away from the brash, cheery seafront.

Clive Ibson runs a butcher, Crosiers, that would be a shoe-in for Corporal Jones' butchers shop in Walmington-on-Sea.

Clive himself is far too hale and hearty to be any kind of a stand-in for Corporal Jones. But he reckons his assistant, Martin Cockerill, might just fit the bill.

Martin protests. "I don't know about that," he says. "I'm more of a Walker."

His shopfront will feature as a backdrop in the film, Clive says – although, oddly, not necessarily as a butcher. "They've asked me if they can change some of it."

As to the fact that filming will be taking place here... "It's great news. It's got to be a good thing. A lot of people who visit Bridlington don't ever get to see the Old Town."

On the opposite side of the street is the Georgian Rooms, a tea shop on the ground floor with a lovely antiques shop above.

Antiques Road Trip filmed here a couple of weeks ago, says owner Andy Davison. And while the interior of the shop won't feature, the exterior certainly will.

"We can't wait," he says. "They are due to be here for about five days. The street will be kept open, so it will be as unobtrusive as possible...but it's going to be a real buzz."

And more than that, says the Chamber of Trade's Neil Watson.

There will be real financial benefits for the town, too. "In the short term, just having a film crew here will bring in revenue," he says.

"And then, if the film is successful, people will come to see where it was made."

In other words, Dad's Army could put not just Bridlington but Bridlington's lovely, historic Old Town on the map.

You'd better get your visit in quick, before all the day trippers get there...


Classic Dad's Army lines

"Don't panic! Don't Panic!" - Corporal Jones

"We're doomed!" - Private Frazer

"Don't tell him, Pike!" - Captain Mainwaring urges Private Pike not to reveal his name to a captured German U-boat captain

"Do you think that's wise, sir?" - often repeated warning from Sergeant Wilson to Capt Mainwaring

"Sir. I wouldn't want to roam the countryside ravishing maidens." - Private Godfrey

"Mum won't like it, Uncle Arthur." - Private Pike to his 'uncle', Sgt Wilson

"Ruddy hooligans!" - Air raid warden Hodges, any time Mainwaring's platoon have suffered another mishap


The new cast

Captain George Mainwaring - Toby Jones (originally played by Arthur Lowe)

Sergeant Arthur Wilson - Bill Nighy (originally played by John le Mesurier)

Corporal Jack 'Don't Panic!' Jones - Tom Courtenay (originally played by Clive Dunn)

Private James 'We're doomed!' Frazer - Bill paterson (originally played by John Laurie)

Pte Godfrey - Michael Gambon (originally played by Arnold Ridley)

Pte Frank Pike - Blake Harrison (originally played by Ian Lavender)

Pte Joe Walker - Danny Mays (originally played by James Beck)

Rose Winters - Catherine Zeta Jones


Other Yorkshire locations used in film and TV

Bridlington isn't the only Yorkshire location likely to be used in filming Dad's Army. Pickering, Filey, Whitby and Flamborough Head – possibly standing in as the white cliffs of Dover – are also rumoured to have been investigated by location scouts.

Universal Pictures announced earlier this month only that "shooting commences in October, entirely on location in Yorkshire."

Screen Yorkshire, which has invested in the film and helped secure Yorkshire as the location, has had a great track record in recent years in attracting big film and TV productions to the county.


Other productions shot in Yorkshire recently include:

- Christmas feature film Get Santa, scenes filmed at Harewood House

- Death Comes to Pemberley, filmed partly at St Williams College in York, Castle Howard, and the Ryedale Folk Museum

- The Thirteenth Tale, a spooky Gothic chiller starring Olivia Coleman, filmed partly at Duncombe Park near Helmsley

- Peaky Blinders, scenes shot at at Newby Hall near Ripon.

- Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - statues filmed earlier this year 'coming alive' at York Minster

- Bill, a new comedy film about Shakespeare’s ‘lost years’, filmed in York city centre and at York Minster and Selby Abbey