1 in 3 fear cowboys
ONE in three homeowners has put off house improvements because they fear hiring a cowboy builder, a study has revealed.
The Federation of Master Builders estimate the economy misses out on £10billion every year because of the issue raised in a survey of 2000 people.
The FMB said: “If we were able to unlock this pent-up demand from fearful consumers, the benefit to jobs and growth would be enormous. THE cast of TV comedy Benidorm hardly need an excuse for a party as the hit show marks its 10th birthday, says star Sherrie Hewson.
They have such a great time making the sitcom that Sherrie has had to call time on the partying – as it was taking too much of a toll on her health.
Sherrie, 67, said: “I’ve never been on a girls’ holiday because my mother was a very strong, dominant woman, so I always had to go with her.
“So when I first started Benidorm, I thought this is what it must be like. I was out every night, it nearly killed me. It had to stop.”
On location at the Sol Pelicanos in the Costa Blanca resort, the cast and crew take over half the hotel and are only divided from holidaymakers by a plastic hedge.
And as the show has grown in popularity over the last decade, they are now greeted by fans who treat a trip to Benidorm like a religious pilgrimage.
Former Coronation Street and Emmerdale favourite Sherrie, said: “It’s incredible. We’re making Benidorm in Benidorm and it’s like the Beatles in Liverpool.
“Fans queue in 40C for hours to be extras. There’s a guy who has every character tattooed on him. I was relieved that my picture is by his ribs.”
Sherrie recalls filming a scene with guest stars Hale and Pace in the upcoming series when two fans were heard whispering through the hedge: ‘Is that Sherrie Hewson? That’s Sherrie Hewson, isn’t it?’
She said: “Hale and Pace nearly fell off their sunbeds laughing. But Dame Joan Collins has been my favourite guest star. She’s so much fun.”
Sherrie has played hotel manageress Joyce Temple-Savage since series five in 2012. This month sees a 10th anniversary special and the beginning of series 10.
One of the highlights of the upcoming series will be Joyce walking down the aisle to marry on-off lover Monty.
Sherrie admits that there are plenty of similarities between her and Joyce. She said: “A lot of her is me, in the sense that I’m silly and camp and outrageous, and I’m a frustrated old bag. I’ve been on my own for a very long time. Joyce is like that.”
Sherrie, a mum of one and grandmother of two, spends five months of the year filming in Benidorm. The show pulled her back into acting during a 15-year stint as a presenter on Loose Women. She says: “A part like this rarely comes along and I was very lucky I met the writer Derren Litten who decided I fitted the bill. This role is the joy of my life. “It’s such an incredible family. I think the show’s longevity is down to the most wonderful British humour, like the Carry On genre.” Among the comedy favourites of the early series were the Garvey family,