I did the Emmerdale Village Tour with my mum and did not want to leave thanks to so many fond memories
After being an Emmerdale fan for nearly 28 years, I finally visited the TV set attraction with my mam and loved every minute of it.
Entering the Emmerdale village in my green SUV was like a dream come true, as I imagined being the driver of the Land Rover in the opening credits of the 55-year-old soap that always been a part of my life. From seeing Rhona and Paddy's vet surgery, to Brenda's café and of course, The Woolpack, everything was in place just like it is on TV and it was amazing to walk around the whole village and seeing it up close.
My tour guide Sarah Morgan-Paul, who was amazing, funny and very knowledgeable has been a guide on this set for just over a year. She was very friendly and it was great to hear about her previous experiences as she has been doing other guide roles for 30 years on and off for Euro Disney, Leeds United's Elland Road stadium and Coronation Street.
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Like myself and others around the world, Sarah said that she had grown up with the soaps and it all started by watching with family members.
She said: "I grew up watching Emmerdale and other Coronation Street, as it was one of the only thing on at the time since there weren't many TV channels. I was instantly attached to the storylines and characters - especially the strong female leads such as Betty Lynch."
Filled with facts and gossip about the cast, we learned that Lisa Riley has not passed her driving test, so any filming in a car is done with a stunt driver wearing a leopard coat and wig and cast members actually drink on set since the ale is donated by Black Sheep. One more thing Sarah pointed out was the mistake of the word 'confectionery' in David's shop sign - which is always covered by flowers on TV.
When asked about how she remembers the hundreds of facts she retells every weekend, Sarah said that she 'finds the most interesting facts and memorises them' as that is what keeps visitors interested throughout the tour.
"It also helps to have some visual guides," she adds. "I love being a tour guide as it is one of the nicest jobs of all, as you are showing people what they want to see.
"I am a great believer in giving everyone great memories, so I always try and make it interesting as it is something they will remember forever.
"The tour is great for everyone and recent figures said that 65 per cent of tickets are bought for birthday's, anniversaries and proposals.
"People come from all over the world to see the set as far as Canada and Australia/ New Zeeland."
As we walked around the village, Sarah talked animatedly about Emmerdale's history of how it was originally called Emmerdale Farm when it started in 1972 and how it was only scheduled for 13 weeks due to uncertainty if it was going to be a hit.
Additionally, it was interesting to hear how the set had to be moved from Arncliffe to a 'private location' in Harewood Estate to stop fans running on set and how it took 100 builders 20 weeks to build the whole set. She explained how the houses are covered in yoghurt and manure to look old but also to get the moss to thrive off it.
One fact that had shocked me was that the 3,000 acres of land has only one gardener - whose sole purpose is to keep it in tact and in the right season when filming- we thought it would take a 'village of people' to keep it in the beautiful state it is in.
Asking what visitors say is the best part of the tour, Sarah's answer was a little sinister. She said: "Everyone says the graveyard is the best thing on the tour, as it lets them go back in history and remember all the cast members/ characters who died.
"The location actually features headstones from an East End London grave site, which was being demolished and was donated to Emmerdale. Some visitors go on Ancestry and come on the tour to find their relatives head stones!"
Towards the end of the tour, we got to meet a cast member in the village hall and despite our best efforts in persuading Sarah to tell us who it was, we had to wait like everyone else - but it was worth it.
Every weekend, a cast member meets fans and our star was Michelle Hardwick, who plays vet Vanessa Woodfield. After apologising to everyone that she was not Cain Dingle - who is a requested star on the tour, her smile nor her positivity waived as she stood for pictures with her fans. It was surreal meeting her, as she was very down to earth and took time to learn about the visitors in brief chats.
Sadly it was the end of our tour, so we headed back to the canteen, as you can't get a drink at The Woolpack, but we could not leave without a few gifts to remember our time on set. I bought an Emmerdale mug to enjoy a drink in when I watch the soap along with a souvenir guide about the history of the show.
Overall, it was a great experience and something that I will never forget. I did not want to leave but now I look forward to watching every episode to point out to family and friends where I was and that I met Vanessa. I will have to try my look in coming back to the set when Jeff Hordley is the mystery star who guests will meet.
It was surreal to see it all in front of me and I was glad that I had my mam for company, as we could remember in fondness how my nan, who introduced me to all the soaps when she babysat me, was one of the shows biggest fans and would have loved to have been on the tour as well.
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