It don't 'alf Pennan Ink

Pennan, the "picturesque" village that clings ot the coast of Aberdeenshire, is in danger again after severe flooding, causing the "Local Hero" location to be closed to all but emergency vehicles. This comes after a major mudslide two years ago which devasted houses. According to a report in The Times, only 12 householders reside there now.

I vistited Pennan a few years ago, as a sort of pilgrimage to see the location for "Local Hero"

"Local Hero" was a fantastic film; quirky, fresh, visually pleasing and heartwarming. The actual place was none of these. The Pennan Inn, at which we were planning to eat, had been neglected badly, and was a stinking, nicotine stained pit. The menu was of the sausage and chips variety, and so filthy was the bar that it took about 5 seconds to decide to move on and ended up at Portsoy. The local pub in Portsoy was run by a Londoner and the food was good. Outside, some loud East End types with lots of thick gold jewellery were tucking into some fish. I got talking to them and quipped that there were so many East Londoners here they must be on the run, and it was like the Costa Del Crime. One of the group fixed me with a strange stare and replied, "You are not far from the truth, there".


Pennan has attracted incomers. I suppose it may have had something to do with the film, but, apart from the pub, the only accents we heard were Surrey accents. Their houses cling to the edge of the pebbly grey coastline for dear life. I would feel doomed if I had to live there. Maybe they are.

4 comments:

knoppler effect said...

I've always wanted to visit Pennan but have never got around to it. Maybe I should hurry up before it's gone !
I loved the tune in the film. Was it Dire Straits ? I think so.
The Inn was on tv last week. After being closed for a few years a couple from down south bought it over and did it up so maybe it's in a better state now.
Seeing the cliff face on al ja beeba tonight it looked like the huge crack in the cliff might be too great to fix.
The council said people might be out of their houses for a week so that means they will get back for the New Year at the earliest.
And yes all the locals being interviewed weren't from around these parts.

Wrinkled Weasel said...

It was Dire Straits. A young Peter Capaldi had a decent part, too.

A lot of the location shoot was done on the West Coast, because the beaches around there are shite, so all in all, the movie was sheer fantasy.

knoppler said...

Peter Capaldi is excellent in "The thick of it". Only good thing about the show.
He was on telly tonight talking about Scottish painting. I didn't realise Scotland had the first National Portrait Gallery in the world.

Wrinkled Weasel said...

knoppler

The Scottish National is for me a great refuge from the hustle and bustle of Princes Street, a great place to pee (the loos are like an old fashioned gentleman's club) and a mine of great art.

After what you might call a faltering start, the new series of The Thick of It seems to have gotten into its stride.