Hectic and buzzing it certainly is at the Village Hall as filming for the children's sit-com, “The Football Fantastics”, got properly underway this week. The car park is full of vehicles of all shapes and sizes, the costume van arrived at the weekend, the individual changing rooms are marked up with the actors'/characters' names and the generators are very quietly doing their work. A marquee on the north side of the village hall has been erected.

However, all has not gone according to plan as far as car parking arrangements are concerned and some adjustments have, unavoidably, been necessary.

Anyone driving past the car park last weekend could not have failed to spot two high trailer units parked immediately behind the bowling green. It was, however, very soon realised that these would appear on camera so would have to be moved. This has now happened and these units are on the other side of the car park originally allocated for villagers and users of the playing fields.

The production company, Strike, filming on behalf of the BBC, was very quick to offer two options. One was simply to change the allocated spaces for the village to behind the bowling green and the other, in return for a substantial payment to bowls and croquet, was for Strike to have exclusive use of the car park from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays to Fridays.

Phil Goodier, chair of the Village Hall Committee said “In consultation with the Bowls and Croquet Clubs it has been decided to accept the money in return for members making alternative arrangements. It’s a win for the Bowls Club especially as it will allow some much needed maintenance to go ahead with a contribution from Village Hall funds”.

This means that there is no parking whatsoever permitted in the village hall car park during the week while the production team are on site. Weekend parking is unaffected and is available any time on Saturday and Sunday and also from 7 p.m. weekday evenings.

As far as work on the production itself is concerned, the verandah in front of the cricket pavilion has taken on a completely new guise and is now set up with chairs, tables and flower pots. Vibrant colour is certainly the order of the day and a quick sneaky glimpse through the pavilion doors showed bright hues on the wall inside.

Members of the crew told Bishop Monkton Today that everything seemed to be progressing well, the spring weather was a bonus and particularly wished to remark on the welcome they had received. Every villager they had come across had been very positive and interested, which was not always the case at many other film sets on which they had worked. So top marks Bishop Monkton.