Sandylands Series Two | Interview with Harriet Webb (Tina Taylor)

Why do people love Sandylands so much?

It’s got a lovely heart. It’s charming and warm. People really connect with the characters who are bright and fun. Audiences want to see more of them. Viewers didn’t have long to get to know the characters in the three episodes of the first series, but it made an immediate impact.

What is the driving force in Tina’s life?

Her deep and real love for Emily. She wants to save the day, but as usual, she gets it wrong. She’s the best friend that everyone needs, but no one wants!

Where does Tina’s passion for Emily stem from?

She’s in awe of Emily who has lived in London. Tina sees the world outside Sandylands as a symbol of everything she wants to do. It’s exotic and exciting. She’s living vicariously through Emily.

But Tina doesn’t want Emily to move back to London, does she?

No. Her number one priority is keeping Emily in Sandylands. She doesn’t want her going away again and is smothering her with love. After they left school, a lot of people moved away from Sandylands, but Tina hasn’t gone anywhere. So, when Emily comes back, she’s a breath of fresh air. It’s also an opportunity for Tina to reinvent herself.

How does Tina try and convince Emily to stay in Sandylands?

She takes her on Tina’s Tours. This is a personal one-on-one tour of Sandylands for Emily to make her fall in love with the town. The aim is to give Emily the best day out ever – but I’m not sure that Tina quite achieves that!

There is a great camaraderie in this cast, isn’t there?

Definitely. Because we all go away together, that really helps with the bonding. You are completely invested in what you’re doing, and you get to enjoy the evenings together, which you don’t if everyone is going home every night. We were all living in the same B&B, so we got to spend so much more time together. We ate dinner together every night and would pop in into each other’s rooms in our pyjamas before breakfast every day to make a cup of tea – “morning, guys.” It became very normal.

Was your B&B run by Derek and Jeannie?

No, but funnily enough it was next door to their B&B, which really adds something to the experience. But the person who ran our B&B wasn’t like Derek at all – she was absolutely lovely and very normal.

What does the seaside setting add to Sandylands ?

There’s something magical about it. It represents a nostalgia for childhood and family trips and grandparents and lots of fun. There was always something special about those trips, and now there is something lovable about those memories. It’s a very good match for this show.

Do you think this is an accurate depiction of the end -of -the -pier element of seaside resorts?

Yes. It captures that aspect very well. I grew up near Blackpool, and there were a lot of working entertainers like Terry Chino around. They are very much part of that culture. Those characters make up the fabric of those places. They are very recognisable figures.

Did you enjoy filming this series?

Absolutely. Being back for a second series would have been a total joy regardless of what else had been happening in the world. But the fact that we came back after everything we had all been through made it even more precious. It was like going back to your family. It was such a special time. You didn’t want it to end!

Do you have any funny anecdotes from your time in Weston -super -Mare?

Part of Tina’s tour of Sandylands was a game of crazy golf. The day before filming that scene, Natalie and I had a day off. So, we decided to do a recce of it. We ended up playing a very competitive game of crazy golf. It turns out I have a hidden skill and was a crazy golf champion. I dined out on it and told everyone I was brilliant. But having bigged myself up, the next day when we shot the scene, of course, I couldn’t hit a single ball. I was absolutely rubbish !

What do you hope the takeaway from Sandylands will be?

Friendship is a huge theme again. It’s about heart, loyalty and optimism. Those ideas are very important in these dark times. I hope the joy we had making it will translate to the people watching it.