A BARTENDER has revealed she’s working her dream job – and only applied for it as she loves the movie that was filmed there.
Iconic rom-com Bridget Jones’ Diary – starring Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant – is partially set in London’s much loved Borough Market.
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Bridget’s cosy flat was actually inspired by properties above the Globe Tavern Pub, on Bedale Street and festive film fans still flock to see her door each year.
In the 2001 movie, Bridget lives above the pub.
Izzy, 21, a bartender at The Globe Tavern, told The Sun Online: “I actually only applied here because it was Bridget Jones’s pub.
“My friend worked here and told me the movie was filmed here and I wanted to do the same.”
The site is famous for being Bridget’s home – including her sweet encounters with love interest Mr Darcy.
Tourists regularly flock to the market as part of tours following the movie – meaning the already busy destination is swamped by rom-com lovers.
But locals don’t seem to mind – and instead love seeing the area filled with excited tourists.
Fellow bar staff James added: “We get a lot of people coming in. I park my bike there every morning and there are a lot of people who just stand there and say ‘there it is’.
“There are parts in the flat upstairs that do look exactly like the film.
“It does definitely bring a lot of people in here, but most of the people who come here are city workers.
The 23-year-old continued: “Me and my friend watched it in here one night because I had never seen it.”
Emily, who runs Hobbs Roast, located just opposite the legendary doorway, said: “When they were filming, this shop was turned into a taxi firm so we’re in the back of the movie.
“We do get a lot of people coming and taking pictures of the door and asking us ‘Is this it?’.
“You get to meet people from all over the world who have seen the same film, so it’s really good.”
SNAP HAPPY
Tourists, Sabine and Stephanie, had travelled from Belgium to visit the capital and decided to take some snaps in front of the iconic doorway.
The mum and daughter duo laughed and said: “We’re on a city trip and we wanted to take a picture, we’re huge fans of the movie.
“It’s amazing to see and be here.”
Davan, who works at Hobbs Barber Shop, on the same street as the Bridget Jones door, said he ran a store there 22 years ago and saw the film crew every day.
“Borough Market wasn’t like how it is today, it was really quiet, and it was after they filmed Bridget Jones then I remember we had a lot of tourists coming in,” he said.
I actually only applied here because it was Bridget Jones’s pub
Izzy
“I saw lots of cameras and lights.
“These days it is quieter. But the tourists here are incredible. I would say a quarter of my clients are tourists, they’re so interesting and they have stories to tell.”
Lucy, who works at Borough Market stall, Wyndham House, agreed and said the film brings in hoards of visitors.
“It does bring a lot of tourists, tours of 20 or so people come around to look at the door,” she said.
“And then they come to us which is good.”
This comes as locals living in the village where The Holiday was filmed weren’t so keen on the attention and slammed tourists.
The ongoing battle in Shere, Surrey has reached boiling point and now parish council members are planning to introduce parking fees as well as a charge to use the public toilets.
It is hoped these fares will deter hoards of tourists, while also raising enough money to maintain the frequently used facilities.
But, now a bitter war has erupted between homeowners and visitors after plans sparked keyed cars.
Fed-up residents are also embroiled in a heated row with business owners who welcome trade as people flock to the iconic countryside location.
One resident, who did not want to be named, told The Sun Online: “We’ve lived in the village for 18 years and the parking and traffic situation has got worse and worse.
“It’s become so bad now that we want to move, which is such a shame as it’s a beautiful village, with lots of lovely walks around it, but the invasion is just too much.
“We don’t go out with the car much anymore as there are just too many visitors to the village and I’m sure there will be an accident soon.
“The village has become a complete tourist trap and the other day a fire engine struggled to get down the road as there were cars parked down both sides.
“The situation got worse during lockdown when people couldn’t travel abroad and started finding pretty places in England to visit and it has continued.”
Another anonymous local added: “Parking has become a huge issue in the village and it’s a real problem when I have visitors.
“The Holiday movie is great for the pubs and businesses as it brings in crowds and money, but it’s not good for locals trying to get out and about to the shops and the school.”
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