The final season of Peaky Blinders has officially come to an end, and once again we’ve been treated to plenty of incredible sets based here in Manchester.
Our city is often used by BBC film crews for the series, despite the drama actually being set in post-war Birmingham.
The excitement started building way back in spring last year when Cillian Murphy and his co-stars were spotted filming scenes around Castlefield.
In previous years, Peaky Blinders cast and crews have descended on locations like Victoria Baths, London Road Fire Station, and Stockport Plaza.
There have been masses of familiar locations that have popped up on screen this year too.
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And a warning – spoilers lie ahead.
Chrome Hill
Chrome Hill was a filming location in the Peaky Blinders finale. Credit: BBC
One of the most spectacularly visual scenes of the whole season of Peaky Blinders was right at the end, where Tommy has taken himself off to live in a caravan in the hills.
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Those hills aren’t too far from Manchester – it was all filmed near Chrome Hill in the Peak District.
The beautiful peaks around here are sometimes nicknamed the ‘Matterhorn of the Peak District’ thanks to its pyramid-like shape, similar to that of the iconic Toblerone mountain in the Alps.
Ashton Memorial, Lancaster
Gina in Peaky Blinders inside the Ashton Memorial. Credit: BBC
The stunning art deco room where Gina Gray (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) lounged in a lot of her scenes was meant to be in America.
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But it’s actually in the north west – the incredible white marble interiors are the inside of the Ashton Memorial in Lancaster.
You’ll find the Grade I-listed building in Williamson Park.
Le Mans Crescent
Scenes at Le Mans Crescent in Peaky Blinders. Credit: BBC
The sweep of Grade II-listed buildings in the centre of Bolton regularly pops up in historical dramas, and Peaky Blinders is no different.
One of the end units in the grand terrace became the Shelby Sanatorium for Sick Children, where Tommy and his wife Lizzie sadly spent a lot of time in this series.
It cropped up in several episodes – including the gut-wrenching moment where the lead character found out his daughter had died.
One of Greater Manchester’s most iconic historical buildings pops up, very briefly, as a location in this final season of Peaky Blinders.
When Tommy – who is MP for Birmingham South as well as a notorious gangster – pops along to give a speech to Labour party supporters, it’s Salford Lad’s Club that he approaches.
The club has been there since 1903.
Arley Hall
Both the inside and the outside of Arley Hall have become familiar sights while watching the BBC’s hit gangster drama.
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And this year was no different – including an, erm, explosive moment right in the final episode.
The grand Cheshire mansion has been there from the very opening scene of season six, and its rooms have doubled up as Tommy’s study and the family’s dining room.
Castlefield
Castlefield’s historic cobbled streets have doubled up as Birmingham’s Small Heath for the final instalment of Peaky Blinders.
It caused a lot of excitement when the huge set was built, including a mock-frontage of the Garrison Pub owned by the Shelby clan.
The area beneath the railway bridge was even used in the season finale’s dramatic shoot-out scene.
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Castlefield, again
Castlefield was a major filming location for Peaky Blinders this year. Credit: BBC
Castlefield was also used for Chinatown, complete with red lanterns and fake tea houses.
The pyrotechnics were back out in force here, when Tommy dropped a bomb off one of the footbridges over the canal.
There were 1930s-style Chinese adverts plastered on billboards too, along with a poster advertising Shelby Dry Gin.
Lee Quarry, Bacup
Over in Lancashire, the Lee Quarry in Bacup provided a dramatic backdrop for Tommy’s encounter with his ex-sister in law Esme.
The former working quarry is now a free-to-use mountain bike trail.
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Hotel Gotham
Hotel Gotham was one of the locations used in Peaky Blinders. Credit: BBC
There’s absolutely no mistaking this Manchester landmark, even if the Peaky Blinders team have rebranded it to the Midland.
This is the Hotel Gotham on King Street, a huge art deco five-star hotel that is one of Manchester’s most beautiful buildings.
Its familiar exterior only gets a very brief appearance before Tommy heads inside to a nondescript hotel room.
Featured image: BBC
TV & Showbiz
BBC’s popular Stockport-set sitcom Daddy Issues to return for third and FINAL series
Emily Sergeant
BBC’s popular Stockport-set sitcom Daddy Issues is set to return for its third and final series.
Daddy Issues follows Gemma, played by Manchester actress Aimee Lou Wood – most-known for her role on Netflix’s Sex Education – who lives for the weekend when she can ‘get blasted and party hard’ in Stockport, but after joining the mile-high club with a random hook-up on her way back from a holiday to Portugal, she finds out she’s pregnant.
The pregnancy couldn’t have come at a worse time for Gemma, as the only person she has left in her life is her dad Malcolm – played by David Morrissey – who is ‘kind hearted but useless’.
Gemma and her dad end up living together in Gemma’s flat, as she needs support at a critical time in a woman’s life… and he needs help microwaving rice without it exploding.
Aimee Lou Wood and David Morrissey are set to return for the third series of Daddy Issues / Credit: BBC
The second series followed Gemma coming to terms with motherhood and caring for baby daughter Sadie, and the third – and sadly, final – series sees Gemma 18-months on from where we left her in series two, and life has settled into a familiar rhythm.
Sadie is now in nursery, Gemma’s been promoted at the salon, and Malcolm has just ordered a fancy new washing machine to optimise the laundry. Things might finally be on an even keel… but it doesn’t take long for chaotic ‘old Gemma’ to rear her head.
Star Aimee Lou Wood says she’s ‘so happy to be back’ for series three.
🎬 Daddy Issues is returning for a third and final series!
Aimee Lou Wood and David Morrissey are back as Gemma and Malcolm
“Gemma and Malcolm are one of the funniest and sweetest comedy double acts on TV, and I’ve loved being a part of it,” Aimee said.
David Morrissey added: “I love doing Daddy Issues so much, such a great cast and crew! So I’m delighted to be coming back to have more adventures with Gemma, Malcolm, and the gang.”
Ahead of the show’s return, Jon Petrie, who is the Director of BBC Comedy, commented: “As Daddy Issues becomes a threenager, it’s been great seeing audiences take Gemma and Malcolm to their hearts. Danielle has created a brilliantly sharp, fearless comedy, and we can’t wait to see the Moscrips take the next, slightly wobbly steps in life with a toddler.”
Daddy Issues returns for its third and final series on BBC iPlayer and BBC Three, with air dates set to be confirmed later down the line.
Featured Image – BBC
TV & Showbiz
Salford-born Marvel star Benedict Wong gives inspiring speech after receiving honorary degree
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester’s very own Marvel movie star Benedict Wong gave an inspiring speech to the minds of the future as he accepted an honorary degree from the University of Salford as graduation season ramps up.
The Salfordian ‘Sorcerer Supreme’ from Doctor Strange and Avengers started out in acting during the 1990s, and has gone on to become a hugely recognisable face across multiple generations.
From those who remember him for that hilarious cameo in The IT Crowd and playing Kublai Khan in Netflix’s Marco Polo, or those who know him only as ‘Wong’ (where’d they come up with one?) in the MCU or shining in the mind-bending 3 Body Problem, he’s gone on to have quite the career in the arts.
That being said, the Eccles-born Manchester United fan has never forgotten where he came from, and was recently awarded an honorary degree from Salford Uni, offering a message filled with sage wisdom to students in return. Here’s a short clip:
Wong, both his real name and best-known superhero moniker, began by joking that it’s been a “34-year ‘overnight’ success” before quickly segueing into much more sincere sentiments shortly thereafter.
He insisted that none of the wonderful things that have happened in his personal and professional life could have been possible without “standing on the foundations of where [he] grew up”, a line that saw him visibly choke up a little.
But it didn’t take him long to return to some levity, confessing to his fellow graduates that he knew a member of the teaching staff way back when, revealing that besides days spent at the historic Adelphi Theatre, they shared a pub lock-in at the nearby pub.
‘You can take the bloke out of Salford…’
Most notably, however, his main takeaway that he wanted to impart on the graduates getting ready to go out into the world was to stay hopeful and motivated; once again, he sprinkled in the serious points with little gags like the repeating THAT Coronation Street “London!?” meme for an easy laugh.
He did also go on to echo similar advice in a short interview after the ceremony, including the importance of making mistakes, which he believes is especially key at this kind of young age:
Put in simplest terms, he said that you should take things a day at a time and just start crossing off “coordinates of where you want to go” one by one until you truly realise it.
Being the latest recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Arts by UoS, who took the time to thank his lawyer Bob as well, crediting his faith in looking after people above simply making money.
Big up Bob.
Finally, he concluded things by wishing these aspiring talents and creatives all the best and signing off by adding, “On your marks, get set, go.”
You can see Benedict Wong’s Salford University acceptance speech in full down below, and trust us – if you’re in need of some inspiration, it’s well worth a watch.
Daisy Jackson -
6th April 2022 
