Brenda Blethyn has named a Northumberland pub as her ‘favourite’ to go to during filming, as Vera’s finale drew millions of viewers on Thursday night.
While already an established and award winning actress by the time she first pulled on Vera’s rain mac and fishing hat combo in 2011, Brenda’s portrayal of the not to be messed with detective elevated her national treasure status to new heights, as fans lapped up pilot episode Hidden Depths and instantly wanted more.
After a successful launch 14 years ago, Vera became a massive hit for ITV, not just in the UK, but in numerous countries across the world, meaning that there was widespread upset, when channel bosses announced last year that it would be coming to an end. Vera’s final series came around all too quick for fans, with first episode Inside airing on New Year’s Day and followed by last ever episode, The Dark Wives, on Thursday.
The final scene of the Vera finale saw Brenda bow out in a moving scene that had viewers close to tears and, ahead of the final series coming to TV, Brenda spoke fondly about her time in the North East, the region she spent every summer from 2011-2024 to film Vera.
And she has a special place in her heart for The Rat Inn in Anwick, the popular pub near Hexham, where Vera series 13 opener Fast Love was filmed.. Chatting to ChronicleLive at a Vera press event, both Brenda and the show’s executive producer, Will Nicholson, spoke about how much they enjoyed going to The Rat, which recently made the list of the Top 50 Gastropubs in the UK, for food and drink, during breaks in filming, revealing it as one of their favourite places to go away from cameras.
The Rat Inn, Anick, Northumberland
(Image: Newcastle Journal)
Brenda has always spoken highly of the North East and, waxing lyrical about the region, the 78-year-old commented: Northumberland and the wider North East is so varied and beautiful. It’s not just one thing. It’s the seascapes, the landscapes, the moors, the cities. A lot of them steeped in history. And lively. It’s not for nothing that Newcastle is called the party town.”
She added: “I always love everywhere we film. And the people are so nice.”