Archive film puts focus on current tourism

Television presenter Cheryl Baker was in Bexhill last week to film a sequence.

Bizzy Fingerz and the Bexhill Information Centre in St Leonards Road were delighted to welcome Cheryl and a BBC TV crew last Wednesday when they visited the town to find out about the promotion of tourism in the area.

Cheryl, well known for losing her skirt with pop group Bucks Fizz during the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest and currently appearing in Footloose in London's West End, spent time talking to shop-owner Anna Champ and her elder daughter Kat about their experiences as part of the Inside Out series of programmes currently showing on BBC1 on Monday evenings at 7.30pm.

Anna said later: "Having expected our bit to involve watching promotional footage of Bexhill in the 60s and gasping in astonishment at the changes which have taken place since then, our contribution became more about what is happening now to promote tourism in the town.

"Or at least, I think so!

"All I know is that we didn't get to see the film and I did my usual too much talking '“ and they seemed to make some sense of what I said!

"But we all enjoyed meeting Cheryl Baker!

"Quite frankly, what actually goes out in the programme is all about how they choose to edit it '“ so local residents may, or may not, be happy with what is said.

"But it does at least help to get Bexhill noticed, which is what our information centre is trying to do.

"And with a number of shops closing, or thinking of closing, due to the reduced trade in the town this summer, poor Bexhill really needs all the attention it can get.

"Filming also took place on the seafront and at the De La Warr Pavilion '“ and the programme is scheduled for transmission in early October."