Actress Tricia Penrose has taken over the real-life pub in Goathland, where millions of viewers around the world saw her character Gina Ward pull pints in the television series Heartbeat for 18 years.
Along with local businessmen, Andy Fiddler and Jason Wood, Tricia has taken on the lease for The Goathland Hotel, used as the set for the fictional Aidensfield Arms, after the previous owners retired.
She said it was like Gina coming home as the trio unveiled plans to embrace the pub’s history with the police drama series which was set in the 1960s.
Heartbeat ran from 1992 to 2010 and at its peak would rake in more than 13m viewers each episode.
It is still shown in Sweden and Canada, particularly, as well as the UK and its popularity was clear when Tricia arrived for work in the village on Tuesday morning, following the announcement she had taken on the pub, as punters queued outside the door.
She told The Anchor: “It is amazing how popular it still is, I went to the shop earlier and got mobbed with the amount of people outside.
“The queue and crowd outside when I walked in, I got the best round of applause. It was overwhelming I have to say, I was nearly crying.
“I am not just saying it, and people will think ‘she’s an actress’, but I wasn’t putting it on. What a great welcome.”
Tricia will be over in Goathland as much as possible – yes she will be pulling pints even though she admits the last time was probably when they stopped filming Heartbeat 16 years ago – for singing, Q&A events and Heartbeat quizzes.
Andy also revealed plans to revamp the venue over the coming months.
The bar will be taken back to as it appeared during Heartbeat, the pub itself will be re-branded The Aidensfield Arms and the 11 letting rooms will be themed on characters from the earlier shows. Think Oscar’s Snug, Gina’s Boudoir or Kate’s Haven.
He said: “In the ideal situation we would have liked all this to be done and dusted before we launched it all but it would be crazy to do that during the summer season and school holidays.
“So, in the interim we will be greeting people with a smile, serving decent food and drinks and making sure people enjoy their visit. We want to welcome Heartbeat fans, tourists and locals alike.
“Of all the businesses I have had, I have enjoyed working in Goathland the most. I have come out of the hospitality industry and this is the only thing that would have tempted me back into it, without a shadow of a doubt.
“You mention this pub anywhere in the world and people know about it.
“I wouldn’t normally have entered into a lease, but we have a partnership and a viable proposition and the right people.”
Despite having had subsequent acting roles and television appearances, as well as charity work and other businesses, Tricia has continued to have a deep affection for Heartbeat and an affiliation with Goathland, recalling the first time she was taken to the village for filming.
She said: “They had put me in a taxi from York and I was driving over and I thought it was just like a postcard, the scenery was off the scale. I just absolutely love the place.
“When you think about when I first arrived, it was 33 years ago. I joined the second series and Heartbeat was already big then. I came in the Foot and Mouth episode. It was a brilliant time to come in, it was a fabulous episode and got massive ratings. I was only supposed to be on a one year contract and it turned out to be 18 years.”