How to spot a Hollywood star on your way to work - if you live in Yorkshire
At the beginning of the year, you could spot Samuel L Jackson on the streets of Halifax. Nothing surprising there, as he was filming. And he was not the only actor seen. Here, Piece Hall was used as an important filming location for Secret Invasion, Jackson’s new Marvel TV series. So, locals are already used to the town becoming famous.
The retired mill town seems to be proving itself as the Hollywood of the north or otherwise called the Haliwood. Moreover, the entire Calderdale district that contains Hebden Bridge, Brighouse, Elland, Sowerby Bridge, and Ripponden has become a filming set. Because besides the Secret Invasion, there are other compelling productions filmed here recently: for instance, Shane Meadows’ highly anticipated first-period drama, Gallows Pole - Shane Meadows' period drama based on Benjamin Myers’ novel. This has put West Yorkshire on the map for sure.
What is more, Channel 4 has announced that it will be relocating to Leeds. Which brings more optimism for the area's future in the film industry. Unfortunately, the lockdown pushed shows to rethink their locations and find cheaper keys. So did Marvel discover the perks of this place? Plus, people have been very receptive and happy about the filming here, just because they get to be extras on a Hollywood production site. Calderdale was indeed under pressure, knowing the precedent set by North Yorkshire, where a few bits of the newest Mission: Impossible were filmed. Seeing Tom Cruise puts some pressure, and also the neighboring town Bradford is home to Emily Bronte. However, Calderdale has permanently presented a various yet unique palette of places: beautiful uplands sewed together, rich valleys carved by bubbling streams, stone terraces, and mills of pristine industrial villages. If you used to watch BBC, you might have seen the places in some of their productions.
At the same time, this region also became famous because of the well-known TV writer Sally Wainwright. Her biggest series, Last Tango in Halifax stars Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid; the Happy Valley crime series stars Sarah Lancashire. But maybe the most influential show especially for American viewers was filmed in Calderdale: it's the BBC drama Gentleman Jack, with Suranne Jones in the role of a queer businesswoman and LGBTQ+ idol Anne Lister. Yes, it is here that you can see Anne's home, Shibden Hall, hidden away in the vegetation. Today, it is a museum, but it was used for a large part of the filming. And if you visit it, you can see the rooms, getting a real taste of how it was in a scene. The truth is, this manor has become a pilgrimage for queer couples and lesbians, as the museums' manager - Richard Macfarlane - states for the Guardian. Just after the third episode, people started to come and visit the manor, raising the bar for tourism in the area.
Which, of course, brought more money into the town's economy. And there's also been a peak in demand for local companies and talent like hairdressers, restaurants, or more cafes to be opened. And they are happy to supply more services for the production site. However, not everyone is happy about the stars and celebrity hype around the town, and some small businesses complain about closing down during filming. Well, you can't have it all - although Calderdale seems to have it, since locals are generally happy about it.
