Life in Heartbeat village 30 years after the series first aired

Running 18 seasons with 372 episodes, the ITV show Heartbeat was loved by many. Based on the Constable series of novels written by Nicholas Rhea, the first episode of the popular show aired 30 years ago this month. It made an even bigger star of actor Nick Berry who had found fame on EastEnders.

Although the show stopped filming over a decade ago, if you were to visit the village of Goathland, the location extensively used as the setting for the hit ITV show, you would be none the wiser. The village within the North York Moors is populated with gift shops and remaining relics from those halcyon years of Heartbeat.

At its peak the TV show reached 13 million viewers nationwide on a Sunday evening. To celebrate the 30 year anniversary of the show Yorkshire Live went and visited Goathland to see what life is like now in the village, below is what they found out.

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When I last visited Goathland on a dreary March afternoon for a story about the village there was hardly a soul in sight and it cast some doubt over the locals’ claims that it became filled with visitors due to its Heartbeat links. There was no room for doubt on this occasion though, as the visitors piled into the car parks and lined the streets to spend time in the village, with many locals saying that the connection still creates huge interest.

The first of the 60s-based drama series episodes was aired 30 years ago this month which, is why we visited Goathland to speak to some of those locals about their fond memories of rubbing shoulders with the cast.

As it happened, Susan and Bryan Taylor, who have owned the Post Office in the village since 2000, were in the process of handing over the reins to Millie Westmoreland and her husband after announcing their retirement when we popped in. The couple have become local favourites and their love for the village and the TV series shines through.

“It was brilliant when they were here”, says Brian. “There was something new happening every day.”

The actors of the series would stay in Goathland while filming took place and everyone we spoke to painted a picture of a healthy kinship between the two parties. Brian said: “The thing with Heartbeat and the crew members was they always went out of their way to make sure that the village was cared for and everything was put back and there were no problems.”

The actors would also be accommodating for those that would visit during filming to try and catch a glimpse of them, with the likes of Geoffrey Hughes signing autographs and handing out ice creams to please the crowds. Barbara said: “Derek Fowlds used to keep coming back every year. He loved the crowds and loved people. This was his second home.”

Brian added: “Another good memory was we had Stephen Blakely and Joe McFadden sitting in our living room waiting to go and do a scene telling jokes and having a good laugh. They were great times.”

The series also regularly featured guest stars including Gary Barlow, Lulu and singer Alan Price, who played music for the locals every night at the pub during the two weeks he spent on set.

The memories weren’t all positive though, with the couple telling us that the cast were filming in the village when the shocking news came through that ITV would not be producing the show anymore in 2010. Barbara said: “It was announced on Radio 2 after being in the Daily Mail and the next thing I had a queue of Heartbeat actors and they all bought the paper and just couldn’t believe it. They were gutted. It was unexpected.”

Episodes of the series are still broadcast on ITV3 regularly and the couple still tune in and converse with customers about it every day. “It’s probably a bigger thing now than we think it is,” says Brian. “We watched the very first episode of the day which featured the post office. It’s incredible.”

The Post Office’s new owner Millie said she’s not a big watcher of the series but plans to get viewing ahead of the inevitable discussions about Nick and Kate Rowan and Claude Greengrass. The village also hosts Heartbeat themed events during the year that pull huge crowds that come to see the old cars used in the series.

Brian said: “We get some of the cast to come up and while there’s a lot of older people there’s some young’uns coming up for it as well. They love the old cars and the music. It’s just nostalgia and it’s a unique place. There’s so much going on for such a small area.”

One of the most instantly recognisable sites in the village is the site of Scripps’ Garage that was also advertised as a funeral home in the series. The site has been owned by Bob Wood for 49 years and was a working garage when he was approached by the show’s producers and asked if it could be used for filming.

Speaking to us outside the site that has since been turned into a gift shop, Bob said that he had plenty of fond memories and became particularly close to the crew due to the frequency that his site was used in the series; attending 18 parties at filming’s end. He said: “They approached us and asked if they could use it. It was already set up as a 60s garage so they had little to change. It was a set inside and out.

“It was just something that happened. They were all very nice people. It interrupted our work but they couldn’t help that.”

Asked on his thoughts that 30 years had elapsed, he said: “It’s passed very, very quickly. We enjoyed the time they were here but nothing lasts forever and as you can see we are still busy after all that time.”

He was tight lipped on sharing too many stories, saying what happened on Heartbeat stayed on Heartbeat, but adding: “There was lots of humour. The cast were always ready for having a bit of fun.”

Mr Wood emphasised though that the village was not special just for its association with Heartbeat and highlighted how it attracted scores of visitors before the TV show due to its wonderful walks and breathtaking scenery. “A lot of people come because it’s the North Yorkshire Moors and for the steam railway and because of the beauty of the area”, he said. “Heartbeat put money into the village and did a lot for it but it didn’t put it on the map. It was already there to start with.”

We also popped into another gift shop on the main strip where Heartbeat’s famous theme tune was ringing out while cashier Barbara Whitney served an ever growing queue of keen shoppers. Despite not living in the village while filming took place she said that she still chats about the show’s impact with people that come from far and wide, including the likes of Australia and various Scandinavian countries where the show was an international hit.

“We get asked if they’ll bring it back a lot”, she said.

Ruth Lightwind, who works in the kitchen of the adjacent café, had lived in the village long before the Heartbeat years and also praised the impact the “down to earth” cast and crew’s presence had on the village. She said: “It was educational as well because you got to see how things were filmed around the village and because you live here you know the roads back to front so you’d see them coming into the village via the church or Beck Hole. It didn’t really ring true for a while.”

The long term impact of Heartbeat can be felt fully nowadays with the lovely locals and the gorgeous location.