Small Welsh businesses contributed significantly to the beloved show’s finale, keeping their involvement a secret until it aired.
Barry: You know, while Ruth Jones and James Corden were the stars of the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special, it turns out a bunch of small Welsh businesses were the real MVPs behind the scenes. The BBC reached out to local business owners to help pull everything together, but they had to keep it all hush-hush until the big reveal.
We chatted with some of these local heroes who made the finale happen. From feeding the cast to sprucing up the sets, they played a huge part in creating that memorable episode that fans adored.
One of the businesses, Attention to Detail, is run by Paula Blinkhorn. She was totally shocked when the BBC called her up last July, asking if she could handle the decor for a wedding scene in the finale. She’s been running her wedding decor business in Ferndale for seven years, so this was a big deal for her.
Paula thought it was a prank at first. I mean, who wouldn’t? She said, “I couldn’t believe it because there are much bigger businesses out there.” But she was excited and nervous at the same time. Being a huge fan of the show, she couldn’t pass up the chance.
That weekend was a whirlwind for her. She had other weddings to manage and was also celebrating her 60th birthday. But she made it work. “It was a frantic weekend, but we got there,” she said, and she still managed to enjoy her big celebration.
When she arrived at Court Colman Manor in Bridgend, where the wedding scene was filmed, it felt surreal. She was used to setting up for weddings, but having cameramen and security around was a whole new experience. She even joked with the crew, saying, “Do not touch my flower arch!”
Paula and her family created the stunning flower arch and all the decor for the wedding scene where Smithy almost marries Sonia. It was a big moment, and they were proud to be part of it.
Even though she knew she was decorating for a wedding, the plot was kept under wraps. Everyone thought it would be Smithy and Nessa getting hitched, but Paula had her doubts. “I was thinking, ‘Nessa wouldn’t have all this stuff,’” she laughed.
Keeping it a secret was tough, especially since the show is so popular. “I felt privileged to be asked,” she said. “I’m just a little family-run Welsh business.”
After the episode aired, people started recognizing her work. She received messages from brides who knew it was her decor, and her friends were all buzzing about it. “When I went to the pub on Boxing Day, everyone shouted, ‘Oh! What’s occurrin?’” she said, smiling.
Another local business, Occasions of Porth, also got involved. They created the balloon arch for Sonia’s hen night after Paula recommended them. They said being part of the finale made their Christmas extra special.
They had to sign non-disclosure agreements, so they didn’t even know what they were creating the balloon arch for. It was all very secretive but exciting.
Sonia’s hen night was filmed at The Pumphouse in Barry, which is now a pizzeria and cafe called the Front Room, owned by David Wigley. When the cast was using the Front Room as a green room, David and his team treated them to pizza. The cast loved it, and Ruth even promised to come back as a customer!
James Corden later dropped by to try the pizza he’d heard so much about. It sounds like they had a blast filming there!
Fans can look forward to learning more about the making of the finale and the series in a special documentary airing on New Year’s Day. It’s called Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell, and it’ll be on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 7 PM.
