TV crews heading for Filey Brigg
Town to be seen by millions on the BBC after filming of a Springwatch special
Filey Brigg will be beamed into millions of homes this Easter, for the BBC’s Springwatch.
Filey will be beamed into millions of homes this Easter with the town taking centre stage in a prime time BBC special.
The town will be featured on Springwatch on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Now one of the stars of Friday’s show claims the show could give Filey a tourism boost.
“It’s going to be great for the town and it will promote even more eco-tourism, which is a rapidly growing market,” said Mark Pearson from Filey Bird Observatory.
He talked to host Michaela Strachan on the show, which has previously attracted ratings of nearly four million viewers.
The TV star waxed lyrical about Filey Brigg, describing it as an “absolutely incredible place”.
The show was filmed in town last week and the programme will have a strong emphasis on the Yorkshire coast, with the opening of RSPB Bempton’s new visitor centre also set to be screened.
Recalling the crew’s visit, Mark added: “They really loved it – they were completely bowled over by the area.
“They were focussed mainly on wading birds and the Brigg is very special for those kind of birds.
“That’s because of the habitat and the geography of the area, in particular where it is on the coast.”
“But Filey is going to look fantastic on the show.”
The programme will be screened at 9pm on BBC2 on Good Friday, before being repeated at 7pm on Easter Sunday. And Mark, who has already appeared on the show while living in London, added the town is rapidly becoming a magnet for the growing market of ecotourism, with visitors flocking to the area to check out the “ecological goldmine”.
He feels that in a few years, the area could be as synonymous with migrating birds as it is for fish, chips and donkey rides.
The show will also be available on the BBC iPlayer after the broadcast.
‘Filey Brigg is an absolutely incredible place’
A multi-million pound centre for one of the area’s most popular tourist attractions is set to open this weekend.
The new-look £1.3 million RSPB Seabird Centre at Bempton Cliffs will open over Easter, with a revamped viewing platform among the new additions.
Keith Clarkson said he is thrilled to see the ambitious project finally opening, just as the birds return to the cliffs for the summer.
“It’s been really exciting watching the development take shape over the last seven months and we’d like to thank everyone involved for all their hard work in getting us to this point,” he said.
Around 76,000 people visit the site annually, and are rewarded with spectacular views of the quarter of a million seabirds which make their home on the cliffs here each year.
The centre, which has largely been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), will open tomorrow at 9.30am.
To celebrate the opening, an array of events are being staged including a performance by the Coastal Voices Community Choir and regular puffin patrols.