Take That fans descend on Clitheroe after Greatest Days release

The movie was filmed at several locations in Clitheroe and the surrounding countryside, culminating in a huge song and dance number featuring hundreds of people in the town centre.

Many visitors have loved the new selfie trail which is based on the film is flying off the shelves.

One Clitheroe town centre cafe, which was a location during filming, has even been visited by groups of Take That fans from across Lancashire.

The town’s chamber of trade said plans are being made for an outdoor screening of Greatest Days at the Clitheroe Castle bandstand, alongside a performance by a Take That tribute band and community singalong.

Ribble Valley Council, which helped bring the film to Clitheroe and assisted production company Elysian Films during the 10-day shoot, launched a series of initiatives marking the film’s nationwide release.

The cast and crew from Greatest Days at Colborne House Cafe in Clitheroe (Image: Ribble Valley Council)

Last month, cast and crew from the film, including director Coky Giedroyc and the actors and dancers who play the boy band, helped Ribble Valley Mayor Mark Hindle unveil a huge gold star at Clitheroe Market, the scene of one of the film’s many spectacular song and dance numbers.

The gold star marks the start of a Greatest Days ‘selfie trail’ taking in some of the film’s locations, which has been downloaded more than 500 times and more than 2,000 paper copies have been taken by fans.

Ribble Valley Borough Council leader Councillor Stephen Atkinson said: “I was delighted to attend the cast and crew screening of Greatest Days in Clitheroe prior to the nationwide release.

“It received a standing ovation and the audience was delighted with its laugh-out-loud moments and amazing song and dance numbers.

“Greatest Days has introduced Clitheroe to a global audience and our anecdotal research reveals the film is attracting people who have never visited the town before, as well as people who visited some time ago and have been inspired to return. 

“Our officers worked hard to secure the film and the Filming in England Partnership aims to make the council’s successful approach a best practice case study. 

“We are delighted with our legacy from Greatest Days and Take That fans can be assured of a warm Ribble Valley welcome over the coming months and years as they visit Clitheroe to see for themselves some of the film’s delightful locations.”

Lucy Greenhalgh, president of the Clitheroe Chamber of Trade, added: “We are  constantly looking for ways to boost footfall in Clitheroe and a screening of Greatest Days on the castle bandstand along with a community singalong would be fantastic.

“We could even recreate the film’s final song and dance number or have a huge conga in the town centre – how great would that be!”

Greatest Days is based on the stage musical, The Band, about a group of women who reunite after 25 years to see their favourite band.

The film is directed by multi-BAFTA-winning Coky Giedroyc (How to Build a Girl) and written by Tim Firth (The Band, Calendar Girls and Kinky Boots).

It stars Aisling Bea, Alice Lowe, Jayde Adams, Amaka Okafor and Marc Wootton, along with boy band Aaron Bryan, Dalvin Cory, Joshua Jung, Mark Samaras and Mervin Noronha.

The cast and crew from Greatest Days in Clitheroe (Image: Ribble Valley Council)

Described as ‘a feelgood universal story of love and friendship’, it introduces five schoolgirls – Rachel, Heather, Zoe, Claire and Debbie – who live in Clitheroe and have 25 years later their lives have changed in a myriad of ways, as they reunite to reminisce about their past and discover their future.

Greatest Days has received positive reviews since its nationwide release and described by one national film critic as ‘a joyous crowd-pleaser’.

It can be seen at cinemas across the UK, including the Everyman in Clitheroe.