BBC crew filming hit drama drove away our café customers and even brought their own catering van – we’re furious | The Sun
A BBC film crew has been blasted by local café owners who say they have driven away their customers – and even brought their own catering van.
The second season of the Bafta-winning crime drama Sherwood is currently being shot in Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, but many locals and traders are seething at the disruption being caused.
Julie Robertson, boss of the popular Seaview Cafe and Beach Shop, hailed by regulars as the friendliest eatery in town, reckons she has lost thousands due to the closure of the local car park.
She says the BBC initially promised to compensate her for the loss of three peak trading days after announcing they were sealing off the entire 400 bay car park from Tuesday to Thursday this week.
But she says they broke their promise, saying they could not afford the bill.
So they told her they would only be using half the car park and she could stay open.
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But Julie says that when the production crew arrived – along with their own catering van – they occupied three quarters of the spaces.
She also claimed that more customers were turned away by the marshals providing the on-set security.
The last day of filming also ruined Thursday, usually one of the busiest days of the season before tourists started packing up on Friday to go home.
She said: “We are up on our own here and survive on trade from the car park. It had already been advertised that the car park was going to be closed.
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“So people coming for day trips read that the car park was shut so they headed into town. I am cancelling my TV licence.
“It is what it is. There is nothing we can do. We just need to try scrape back the business we have lost.
“The schools break up today but the weather is not looking good for next week.
“One customer told me the security would not let him up. A couple of other customers say they were abrupt with them.
'OWN CATERING WAGON'
“I would have made them feel welcome. But they had their own catering wagon.
"The only people who came in were some of the drivers who came in to pick up the trailers when they had finished filming.
“They had an ice cream while they were waiting. One guy had a cappuccino three times.
“But the rest of the crew just had the teas and coffees from the BBC catering van.
“I am not a fan of the series. I have not seen a single episode.”
Also effected was the Snack Shack Cafe, on the beach below the car park, which relies heavily on the footfall coming down from the parking bays to the beach.
Robert Baldwin, 48, who has run the business for 14 years, fears many visitors stayed away because of the advance publicity about the car park being closed.
He says businesses were not told what was happening until too late.
Robert added: “We did not even know they were filming until the vans turned up in the morning.
“We had no warning or anything. So we were wondering why it was very, very quiet.
"Even though it was raining on the first day we expect a few dog-walkers but there was nothing.
“We had all the beach huts out on Thursday. But there was no one at all coming down to the beach. It was not anything like it should be.
“It was so quiet. Thursdays are normally busy and with the weather being good it should have been a busy day.
SENT STAFF HOME EARLY
“But we ended up sending the staff home early at 2pm because we just did not get the dinner time rush we would normally have had.
“They backed out giving Julie any compensation so I know I won’t get anything.
“I’ve lost hundreds of pounds and a think the whole business has been handled very poorly.
“The council have got their money. So it looks like they have looked after themselves rather than the businesses and tenants they are supposed to be looking after.
“You close the biggest car park in Mablethorpe and obviously there will be nowhere for people to park and that effects the whole town.”
One couple, who live in the resort, hired a beach chalet while work was being carried out on their house, paid to use the car park on Thursday but then could not find a space.
I’ve lost hundreds of pounds and a think the whole business has been handled very poorly
Ray Picker, 77, and wife Tina 75, wanted to park near the sands because their dog is sick and cannot walk very far.
Mr Picker said: “We paid £2 but then found there was only three aisles anyone could use. The BBC had got the rest.
“What I did not like was there was no notice when you pulled into the car park. I could not find a space having paid, and had to pay £4 to park somewhere else.”
Following the departure of the BBC, Julia said: “The closed sign was still outside the car park the following morning so I had to take it down myself.”
A spokesperson for the Sherwood production team said: "It’s important to us to work closely with the local community and businesses in order to keep any disruption to a minimum.
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"Local businesses were made aware of plans several weeks ahead of filming and we remain in constant dialogue with the council, to ensure that we follow their filming regulations, and with local businesses.
"We would like to thank everyone in the community for their assistance and for making us feel so welcome."
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