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We followed Take That movie star footsteps and took the Greatest Days selfie trail in Clitheroe
“It’s such a beautiful place and there’s such an authenticity to it”, Coky Giedroyc, director of Greatest Days said. Coky had spent 10 days on location in and around Clitheroe, shooting the British film which is inspired by the music of Take That.
Coky and members of the cast, who play the fictional boyband in the film which is set in both the 90s and present day, returned to the Ribble Valley to unveil a special Hollywood-style gold star at Clitheroe Market. It is a case of ‘star marks the spot’ as it is the first stop in a special ‘selfie trail’.
It takes film fans in the footsteps of the movie’s characters to discover the exact location where scenes were created.
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We joined the cast – Aaron Bryan, Dalvin Cory, Joshua Jung, Mark Samaras and Mervin Noronha – who played the five band members in their younger 90s days, as they headed back on location in Clitheroe for the first time since filming in spring 2022.
There’s nine stops on the selfie trail, which should take no longer than an hour (longer for those who want to completely re-create scenes).
1, Clitheroe Market
Begin under the giant gold star. We’d recommend visiting on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday as they are market days, so you could bag a bargain, fresh fruit and veg or special gift, with more than 80 stalls to browse.
The market was a beacon of sound and colour during one of the film’s biggest song and dance numbers, which is among 19 Take That songs on the soundtrack.
2, Clitheroe Castle
Head up to the historic castle which has been standing since the 12th century. It boasts 16 acres of public park space and the museum features exhibitions offering insights into all things Clitheroe.
The five teen school friends, who we later see in the film reuniting as adults to attend a gig of their favourite boyband, are seen almost 30 years ago at the castle’s main gates in Castlegate. This scene is replicated later in the film by their adult counterparts.
3, The Ironing Maids
Run by Pip Dunn and chief ironer Noy Pollard for 15 years, this tucked away shop in Lowergate was the location for the character of ‘sporty one’ Claire (Jayde Adams as Clair and Carragon Guest) and her family, who run the shop in the film.
Claire worked in the shop into adulthood and it features in several key scenes in the movie.
4, Banana News
You can’t miss this striking yellow-fronted shop. On the silver screen cinemagoers will see the castle Street store double up as the venue for the 90s photobooth.
“It’s great for the town, it brings people here, “David, who runs the newsagents told LancsLive. ” So if it is good for the town, it is good for me.
“I’ve been in business for nearly 50 years, and I’ve seen it all, with filming here before but this is great, especially after Covid.”
Look out for David in the background of this scene.
5, Brioche
Clever films sets saw this British bistro on Wellgate transformed into a wellington boot and umbrella shop, boasting a colourful window display. It is the backdrop for the five school pals, who sit across the road in Colborne House Cafe.
Brioche are known for their brunch menu and afternoon teas and the restaurant became popular with cast and crew to grab a bite to eat in-between scenes and when filming had wrapped for the day.
6, Colborne House Cafe
This cafe has been in the Sawles family since 1975. A traditional English caff, it is currently run by son Anthony and his wife Gill, who bakes fresh cakes every morning while sister Julie also helps out.
The side street cafe is shown in the film as being run by character Zoe’s mum and can be spotted a number of times during the music-heavy movie.
7, The Grand
This beautiful building is a former Victorian cinema and is now the home to the Ribble Valley’s largest town’s arts, theatre and culture scene. It was used as the fictional Apollo theatre in the film and was also the home for the wardrobe department for the duration of the shoot.
It is the venue where the scenes of the life-changing concert the five friends attend were filmed and in turn, one of the most magnificent full-cast sequences.
8 & 9, Paradise lane and St Mary Magdalene’s Church
A narrow, steep cobbled lane right opposite The Grand and it leads to St Mary Magdalene Church. The alleyway runs next to the church hall, which was used for one of the film’s most fun scenes.
Here, you can also see young Rachel (Lara McDonnell) experience something that will change her life. The church and its tranquil gardens offer amazing views of the Trough of Bowland and the valley beyond, and it was the ideal spot to film some of the most moving scenes.
Tissues at the ready.
We’ll sign off with some final words from Coky: “This is just a lovely, lovely place, I am so happy to be back here in the Ribble Valley, I hadn’t been before we came to film. If I had young children, I’d want to bring them up here, I love it.
“There was such a warmth. The film is set in the 90s and we needed a place that wasn’t taken over by chains and there’s so many independent businesses here.
“Clitheroe is a cool place to film and all be on location together. People loved it here and the town took us to heart – it was funny, people have got a very good sense of humour here.”
The cast, director, producers and special guests enjoyed a gala screening of the movie at the Everyman inside Holmes Mill, ahead of the London and global premiere on Thursday, 15 June. The film was released worldwide on June 16.
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