Hexham has been praised as a “home from home” by actors Denise Welch and Amy Nuttall after the pair finished filming Graham Norton’s new Channel 5 drama Forever Home.
The six-part family mystery is based on Norton’s bestselling novel and moves the story from Ireland to the fictional Northumberland town of Allentown. Several cast members stayed in Hexham during production, while parts of the drama were filmed close to places familiar to Welch, including Tyne Green in Hexham and Broomley Grange near Stocksfield.
‘A lovely hotel in Hexham’
Welch, who plays Moira Crottie, said the production brought her back to an area with personal connections. She said the cast had been placed in a hotel in Hexham, allowing her to spend time with her sister and friends from the area.
“They put us in a lovely hotel in Hexham, which is a lovely city (town). I was able to see my sister some nights and all my mates from around there could come and have lunch with me.”
The actress also appeared in a production image with co-star Kevin Whately on the Forever Home set. The drama’s Northumberland locations included Tyne Green in Hexham and Broomley Grange near Stocksfield.
Hexham became a base for the cast
Nuttall, who plays Carol Crottie, said Hexham became a base for the cast as filming continued. She described the town as a “home from home” and said the actors made use of its restaurants when their schedules allowed.
“I absolutely loved it there. Hexham became a home from home. It was delightful.”
She added that cast members looked forward to seeing everyone listed on the call sheet so they could arrange meals together, saying they had worked their way through the town’s restaurants.
“It's always lovely when you see on the call sheet that everyone is in so we can arrange a meal. We went through all the restaurants in Hexham together.”
Nuttall also praised Northumberland’s scenery and communities, calling the county the perfect backdrop for the series. She said its landscape, coastline, streets and houses gave the production a lived-in feel and described the story as being about family, love, loss and connection.
“It's such a beautiful backdrop, the landscape, the coastline. The streets and the house all have a very lived-in feel.”
“It's about family, love and loss, and connection. Northumberland felt like the perfect backdrop. There's a real sense of community.”
What the drama is about
Forever Home follows Carol and her partner Robert, played by Douglas Henshall. Robert’s worsening dementia raises questions about long-buried family secrets and the disappearance of his first wife decades earlier.
The cast also includes Lewis Cope, Jenny Walser, Shane Zaza and Kevin Whately. Norton said relocating the story to Britain had given the adaptation a fresh dimension, with new scenery and voices.
“Relocating the story to Britain seems to have opened it up somehow. The canvas feels bigger, and for me, it made the whole story completely fresh, with new scenery, and voices that have a different music to them.”
The first episode is scheduled to air on Channel 5 at 9pm on Monday, September 14. The opening three episodes are due to be broadcast on consecutive nights, with the series concluding the following week.
