An Australian super fan, who travelled 21,000 miles to attend a Vera event in Newcastle, says that her chance to meet up again with award-winners Brenda Blethyn and Ann Cleeves has created “a memory for a lifetime”.
Christine Bennett, known as Chris, is currently back in the city which, as previously reported, she visited for the first time last year after hearing that her favourite series Vera was coming to an end. She made the mammoth journey then in the hope of seeing some of the last scenes being shot for the North East-made drama starring Brenda and, although she missed out on that, she managed to meet the actress herself as well as Vera creator Ann Cleeves.
She enjoyed it all so much, saying the meetings were highlights of my life“, that she decided to make the trip again when she heard of a special Vera – End of an Era event taking place with the pair at the 02 City Hall this week, to celebrate and say farewell to the series. And, as the 71-year-old turned up for Thursday’s sell-out show, she found she was in for another treat, with an opportunity to meet up again with her favourite actress and writer before the start of the event as well as an invitation to join them afterwards too.
She joined the pair back-stage and saw Ann was wearing a scarf she had earlier given the author as a gift, having sent a similar one to Brenda. “That made it all the more personal,” said Chris, adding that: “Brenda greeted me before I had a chance to speak so that was special.”
There was time for some quick photos and they invited Chris to join them again after the show, which saw a packed-out audience of fellow fans enjoy their on-stage chat about Vera, joined by fellow actors David Leon and Riley Jones. Hosted by TV presenter Steph McGovern, they shared Vera stories and behind-the-scenes goings-on and Chris loved it, finding it “truly amazing, informative, funny at times and very emotional”.
“I was happy to see David Leon and Riley Jones taking part as well,” she said. “We all laughed, we cried and the audience was entertained with the anecdotes of filming.
She also thought compère Steph did “a brilliant job”. She adds: “The night on the whole was so precious to me and was a fitting end to my Vera journey.
(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
“I felt so privileged to be there.” Of “another big privilege” she enjoyed when the event was over, she says: “Afterwards I was collected and taken backstage.
“The whole ensemble of participants in this event were present and when I walked in Brenda exclaimed ‘come over and sit with me Chrissie’.” They ended up spending more than an hour enjoying drinks and nibbles.
“Brenda and I chatted about her ventures filming her TV series and her movies,” she says the day after the big night. “Ann chatted about her upcoming books.”
Chris herself shared stories about her overseas trips and says she suggested that the Vera – End of an Era show would also attract a huge crowd if they bought it over to Australia. “Vera is really big in Australia – food for thought. We had a laugh!”
Before setting off on Monday on her return to to Essendon, in the state of Victoria, after her whistle-stop trip, Chris will have time to squeeze in a bit more of the local countryside. She explored Northumberland and saw several Vera locations on her last visit and this time has already visited Berwick.
Now, thanks her Vera friendships, she is planning a trip to Holy Island on Sunday. She says: “I met up with some Vera fans prior to getting to the event and I was invited to Holy Island on Sunday, before I head off home on Monday.” The invitation came from a woman who works at a pub on Holy Island which was used in a Christmas episode of Vera a few years ago and Chris will be travelling up there with someone who runs a Vera fan club on Facebook.
Then it will be en route home with new tales of her adventures and of that special Vera farewell which she calls it: “Such a wonderful night – a memory for a lifetime.”
For a review of the event see here.
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/brenda-blethyn-vera-ann-cleeves-31202008
