Filming Vera in the Friendliest Port
Brenda Blethyn and surfer Jon Nolan. Image Jon Nolan.
Filming for ITV’s popular Vera series is currently taking place in Amble. TV crews have been filming around the harbour, quayside, Braid and Northside, and gathering a lot of interest from locals. Star Brenda Blethyn has been happy to pose for photographs in between takes.
Amble surfer Jon Nolan told The Ambler what it was like being part of the filming. ” It’s long winded with take after take, but it’s an experience and you get well fed, also refreshments on tap. Beats the office anyway!”
“They asked me if I could round up a group of local surfers to film at Northside, so I did,” he said.
The surfers filmed for two days for the episode, which The Ambler understands will be aired as episode 2 in series 9.
He enjoyed the whole experience, and was full of praise for Brenda. “She’s great. [We had a] bit chit chat here n there.”
Bystander Lorraine Kurti shared two photos of her daughters meeting Brenda and her co-star Kenny Doughty. “She was filming near the fish shack and saw the girls waved to them, then when she had finished filming she came over and asked if they had a nice day at school, and also commented on Elise being head girl with her badge on her cardigan,” said Lorraine.
While out for a dog walk, Claire Mather was delighted when Brenda came over to pat Cassie the Labradoodle and her friend’s Labrador Alfie. Claire told us: “She absolutely loves dogs, and loves labradoodles the most. She’s been up twice to see Cassie when she’s been on her walks.”
Filming is due to end in Amble on 27 June.
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- Brenda Blethyn and co-star Kenny Doughty with Nicole and Elise Kurti. Image Lorraine Kurti.
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- Brenda Blethyn with Eva and Elise Kurti. Image Lorraine Kurti
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- Brenda Blethyn meeting Claire Mather and dogs. Image Claire Mather
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- DS Aiden Healy and DCI Vera Stanhope. Image Judith Hardisty
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- Vera on the quayside. Image Judith Hardisty
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- Jon Nolan and Matthew Stanley paddleboarding. Image Andrew Mounsey
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- Beach party scene. Image Andrew Mounsey
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- Vera production trucks on Northside. Image Andrew Mounsey
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- Vera at Island View. Image Andrew Mounsey
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- Kenny Doughty in makeup. Image Andrew Mounsey
My wife and I are avid followers of Vera here in Australia and as a former resident of Amble (1938 – 1950) I will be very keen to see Series 9 with the Amble episode on screen, in the future.
John, I’m also a former Amble resident ( 1973 – 1980 ) I lived at 6 Island View, filming for Vera took place there in the summer. The Amble episode is called Cuckoo, will be shown here in the New Year. I love Vera too, but will not be watching this episode, after what happened to me and my house, too upsetting. It’s like something from Vera, they could not have picked a better location. It’s just surreal.