Lights, Camera, Action! TV crews descend on The Birchcliffe Centre

Little did I realise that working for ALDC would see us at the centre of the filming of a new TV series.  This week, a film crew have moved in to some of the empty office space in the converted chapel that ALDC share with other organisations such as Pennine Heritage, the White Ribbon Campaign and the mysteriously named ‘Project X’ (I have no idea what it is, but I think I would rather maintain the mystery than find out the mundane reality).

OK, so a new comedy for BBC3 may not exactly be Hollywood (more Callywood – the corny nickname given to the Calder Valley due to the number of things that are apparently filmed around here), but it is interesting and has already created a lot more life and activity around the building and the town itself and they only started it today.

The series is called The Gemma Factor and it is about a girl from a small town who dreams of being famous, and there was a pilot on BBC3 last year.  The cast isn’t exactly top names, although Gwyneth Powell who once played Mrs McCluskey in Grange Hill is in it (now I am showing my age) as is Claire King who was once Kim Tate in Emmerdale.   There were rumours of Johnny Vegas, but it seems that wasn’t true.  However, I suppose if it takes off as some BBC3 comedies do then even some of the more obscure names could end up becoming famous.

Hebden Bridge also seems to be a popular place for northern TV actors to live.  The town is also the home of various members of the cast of Emmerdale and in fact, I saw the man who plays Eric Pollard on my train home last week.