Sir Lindsay in Yorkshire!
Last Friday (17th May) saw Sir Lindsay Hoyle fulfil his promise to cross to the other side of the Pennines and visit Emmerdale ahead of the programme’s 10 000th episode being broadcast on Wednesday night (22nd May).
Back at a 2022 reception at Speaker’s House celebrating over 100 years of continuing drama from the north between Coronation Street and Emmerdale, Sir Lindsay was gifted a pair of ‘Emmerdale’ wellingtons and an invite to use them when he visited the village.
A huge supporter of regional television production, Mr Speaker has previously marked the importance of Coronation Street and Emmerdale noting they have been mentioned more than 320 times during Parliamentary debates and “are an important part of the fabric of British society and the economic contribution they bring to the North”.
Whilst on site Sir Lindsay donned the ‘wellies’ gifted to him at the 2022 reception and met cast and crew at the main studios, before heading into the beautiful Yorkshire countryside to visit the programme’s purpose built ‘Village’ set.
Mr Speaker said: “Incredibly, Emmerdale has been on our screens for more than half a century - shining a light on the lived experience of others; entertaining viewers with its hard-hitting storylines, while also making a major economic contribution to the North”
“It has been an honour to help the cast celebrate the 10,000th episode of this enduring Yorkshire-based soap, with a visit to the Woolpack. As a Lancastrian, I am hugely impressed by the talent and warmth of our friends on ‘the other side’ of the Pennines.”
MD of Continuing Drama, John Whiston, said: “Showing balance between the Northern soaps, Mr Speaker is following up his visit to Coronation Street with a visit to the other side - Emmerdale. We are all honoured to welcome him in The Dales. And we have assured his team that no floods, fires, bus crashes, plane crashes or lightning strikes will hit the Village while he is there - unusually for a Friday.”
So, after a celebratory ‘10 000th episode’ visit to the Dales and a meet and greet with the people who make the show, the question is, did one of the most famous Lancastrians of his time get caught on film in Yorkshire?