JULIE Hesmondhalgh has been spotted in Craig-y-Don as filming gets underway for ITV's new factual drama - Mr Bates vs the Post Office.
Filming for the new drama series started today (Tuesday, July 18).
The St David's Hospice charity outlet, on Queen's Road, is being used as the main location; the shop has been re-transformed into the former wool and clothes shop, known as the Wool Post, and Post Office. A banner is also on show with the wording: "Justice For Post Office Victims".
Resident Glenda Tobin spotted ex-Corrie actress Hesmondhalgh who is best known for her role as Hayley Cropper in the soap. She has also starred in Broadchurch, Doctor Who and The A Word.
Actor Toby Jones, known for his roles in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Hunger Games and played Basil Shaw in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, was also spotted by Glenda.
Glenda said: "It was great to see them filming the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office in Craig-y-Don. They have restored the old Post Office for the filming, which is the real location the story took place in.
"I could see Toby Jones, who plays Mr Bates, sitting behind the post office counter filming his scenes and actress Julie Hesmondhalgh filming scenes both inside and outside.
"Period cars were seen positioned along the road."
According to the letter received by residents, ITV crews will be filming in Llandudno and Craig-y-Don on Tuesday and Wednesday (July 18 and July 19).
The letter reads: "We have a number of locations for this drama around Llaudnduno including our main location which is the St David's Hospice on Queen's Road.
"This used to be the actual Post Office of Alan Bates and St David's have kindly allowed us to recreate a post office in their shop.
"On Tuesday 18 and Wednesday July 19, we aim to film the interior and exterior scenes on Queens Road."
Mr Bates vs The Post Office is about "the greatest miscarriage of justice in British legal history", according to ITV.
In a statement, ITV said: "Hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters and postmistresses were wrongly accused of theft, fraud and false accounting due to a defective IT system. Many of the wronged workers were prosecuted, some of whom were imprisoned for crimes they never committed, and their lives were irreparably ruined by the scandal.
"Following the landmark Court of Appeal decision to overturn their criminal convictions, dozens of former sub postmasters and postmistresses have been exonerated on all counts as they battled to finally clear their names.
"They fought for over 10 years finally proving their innocence and sealing a resounding victory, but all involved believe the fight is not over yet, not by a long way."
Alan Bates said: "This is one of the most egregious scandals the country has ever seen and a major corporation has managed to keep it covered up for years. Thankfully this has now been exposed and the victims are finally on their way to finding the justice they deserve."
Jones, who plays Alan Bates in the series, said: “I am proud to be a part of this shocking, unsettling but ultimately inspirational drama.”
Jones and Hesmondhalgh will star in Mr Bates vs the Post Office alongside Monica Dolan (The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe), Alex Jennings (This Is Going to Hurt, The Crown), Ian Hart (The Responder), Lia Williams (The Crown, The Capture), Will Mellor (Coronation Street, No Offence), Clare Calbraith (Grace, Anne), Shaun Dooley (Gentleman Jack, It’s A Sin), Amit Shah (Happy Valley) Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey) Adam James (The Suspect, Vigil) and Katherine Kelly (Bloods, Gentleman Jack).
The series is written by screenwriter Gwyneth Hughes (Tom Jones, Honour, Vanity Fair) and produced by ITV Studios and Little Gem.
The series is being directed by James Strong (Broadchurch, Crime, Vigil) and produced by Chris Clough (World On Fire, The Missing).
According to History Points, Alan moved to North Wales in 1998 from Halifax, where he managed a museum. He and his partner Suzanne Sercombe developed a wool and clothes shop, known as the Wool Post, alongside the post office. In 1999 the Post Office started installing the Horizon computer system in post offices, but the system was faulty.
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When daily takings at individual offices didn’t tally on Horizon, the Post Office accused the sub-postmasters of theft.
From 2000 to 2014, it prosecuted 736 sub-postmasters, an average of one per week.
Details into injustice on the History Points website says: "Two months after Horizon was installed here, the Post Office told Alan he was liable for a 'variance' of over £6,000 but wouldn’t let him see Horizon’s details for Craig-y-Don Post Office.
"Alan set up a 'Post Office victims' website, which enabled other sub-postmasters to realise that they had also been wrongly accused. This laid the foundations for a successful High Court challenge by 550 sub-postmasters, led by Alan.
"The Post Office terminated his contract in 2003, claiming he was not fulfilling his contractual obligations. Alan said this arbitrarily wiped out the life savings he and Suzanne had invested in developing the shop and post office.
"It wasn’t until 2018 that the Post Office accepted the blame for the Horizon scandal. By then, some of the wronged sub-postmasters had died, including at least one who took their own life.
"Compensating the hundreds who were wrongly convicted would have bankrupted the organisation, so the government agreed in 2021 to foot the bill.
"Some 2,500 people had lodged claims when the Post Office’s 'historic shortfall scheme' closed in 2020."
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