LOCALS living in towns where ITV crime drama Vera is set say filming was chaotic – but that Geordie Shore scenes were even worse.
Residents living in Chester-le-Street, County Durham said their quaint cafes were turned into a TV set after the popular series descended on their town.
Francis Citrone, who owns Citrone’s café, said he was intrigued by the film crews.
He said: “They initially wanted to film for two days but it ended up being four.
“I had to make sandwiches and peach melba cakes every morning but throw them out after as it was during Covid so no-one could touch them and they had to be fresh.
“They were long days, I got there at five in the morning and they were filming until nine at night.
“Despite the fact that it was Covid there was crowds in the street when they were there, everyone was interested.
“I still hear about it now, people asked where Vera sat and if we were in the show.”
“They paid us for the location. They covered our loses for the day and the staff wages. Then they doubled it.
“I would do it all again tomorrow. You couldn’t have worked with nicer people.”
The ITV drama also shot an intense scene at The Meeting Place, a café in Wallsend, North Tyneside between Vera and her sidekick Aiden Healy, portrayed by Kenny Doughty.
According to manager Carol Storey, another popular programme’s crew were not nearly as respectful during filming.
“We’ve had the Geordie Shore lot in before and the Vera crew were more inclusive of the business and quieter.
“They set up in the morning and filmed from three until six.
“It was business as usual for us. I don’t watch much TV so I took it all in my stride.
“I haven’t even seen the episode the cafe is in as they didn’t tell us what episode or series it was for.”
For residents in Tynemouth, North Tyneside, the experience was one to forget.
Locals slammed the production team as “disorganised” due to confusion over parking when the show parked its vans in the sleepy coastal town in August.
The protagonist was filmed coming and going from a grand Victorian house overlooking the North Sea before getting into her famous Land Rover.
The crew commandeered an entire property consisting of three flats during the shoot.
Retired nurse Deanna Lagun, 59, said: “Some residents were annoyed about the parking.
“They initially said the parking needed to be cleared on the wrong end of the street.
“Put it this way, I wouldn’t want them planning a wedding.
“It seemed quite chaotic and disorganised.”
