Happy Valley superfans clamour to spend hundreds of pounds on a five-day tour of hit BBC drama’s filming locations after show’s success
Happy Valley fans have been queuing up to book onto a Yorkshire touring holiday following the success of the BBC drama, a travel agency has said.
Viewers are paying £339 per person to be given a tour of the show’s filming locations around Calderdale after series three came to an end.
Since it launched last week, travel agency Tates Travel has had 50 bookings already.
Lisa Halliday, a partner at the business, said: ‘We’ve done loads of themed tours in the past. But as soon as Happy Valley finished we were getting calls from fans asking us if we’d do the same for them.
‘We had a look at it and came up with a route that will take in all the key filming locations. It’s gone mad. We’ve had 50 bookings in six days.
Filming locations: Happy Valley fans have been queuing up to book onto a Yorkshire touring holiday following the success of the BBC drama, a travel agency has said
‘People want to see where their favourite shows were filmed – you don’t get much bigger than Happy Valley,’ she added to The Sun.
The tour visits Tommy Lee Royce’s (James Norton) stomping ground from Hebden Bridge to day trips to Halifax and Haworth as well as a journey on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.
It finishes at the old post office which was transformed into the police station where Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) worked.
Hebden Bridge councillor Sarah Courtney, who lives near the house used as Catherine Cawood’s home, said the area has seen an influx of fans visiting of late.
‘People who live here are quite positive about it, it’s fun to watch and recognise the places. We welcome the tourism,’ she told the BBC.
‘But we do have issues with parking [in Hebden Bridge], we are a narrow valley with a single road going through it. We really encourage people to come by public transport.’
Fans were left in shock as Tommy set himself on fire after an epic showdown with Sgt Cawood during the final ever episode, which saw 7.5million viewers tune in.
After he escaped court and broke into Catherine’s house, Tommy lay in wait until the officer returned home.
Gripping: Viewers are paying £339 per person to be giving a tour of the show’s filming locations around Calderdale after series three came to an end
Plenty to do: The tour visits Hebden Bridge and day trips to Halifax and Haworth (pictured Les Leedham of Something Sweet in Hebden Bridge)
The villain attempted to end his own life after telling Catherine (Sarah Lancashire) that he forgave her for keeping the news he had a son from him.
The two characters had a tense confrontation as they came face-to-face for the final time, with Tommy realising he’d reached the end of the road when he’d come to the conclusion his son Ryan was happier living with her.
As things came to a head, the escaped convict realised he had nowhere left to turn and set himself alight – before Catherine rushed to put out the flames with a blanket.
The final scene then panned to Catherine at her late daughter Becky’s grave receiving a text saying Tommy had died in hospital.
Putting Yorkshire on the map: Locals in the West Yorkshire market town that provides the setting for Happy Valley spoke of a ‘cloud of despair’ when the hit series came to an end
