We’re sick of thousands of The Holiday & Bridget Jones fans invading our picturesque village – now we’re CHARGING them
DISGRUNTLED locals living in the picturesque village used to film The Holiday and Bridget Jones’s Diary are so sick of tourists – they’re charging them to visit.
Festive movie fans descend on Shere, in Surrey as Christmas approaches every year – much to the fury of residents who are forced to stay inside as the tiny high street is blocked by a flood of tourists.
The ongoing battle between homeowners and visitors has reached boiling point and now parish council members are planning to introduce parking fees.
Desperate locals pray the controversial move will deter so many people blocking road and causing a traffic nightmare every weekend.
Located between Dorking and Guildford, the breathtaking quintessentially English village is a short distance from London – which encourages even more holidaymakers looking for a quick escape to the country.
This also means housing is being snapped up for holiday rentals and Airbnbs, which wreaks havoc on the village’s younger families.
One local resident, who did not want to be named, said: “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.”
Jim Worsfold, who has lived in the village for 30 years and remembers The Holiday being filmed, said: “There were lots of tourists in Shere before the film came out and now there are even more.
We’ve lived in the village for 18 years and the parking and traffic situation has got worse and worse.”
Fed-up resident
“Parking has become much harder over the years and it’s always a struggle to get a spot in the centre.
“We have visitors from all over the world, including America, Canada and even Australia.”
To bat away the impossible influx of tourists the parish council also want to add a charge to use public toilets.
Dr Lynette Nusbacker, who has lived in Shere for 12 years, previously told The Sun Online: “The car parks are completely full and people who actually live here have to sit and wait in queues to get a space.
“We decided to create our own private parking area but on the weekends it is ‘mysteriously’ unlocked and full of other cars.
“We don’t want to ruin our recreation ground by extending the car park further, and adding more spaces will only attract more people to come here.”
Asked about how many people the Nancy Meyers classic brings to the area, Lynette estimated: “If you would see 20 people here on a weekday, you see five times that on a weekend.
Parking has become a huge issue in the village and it’s a real problem when I have visitors.”
Disgruntled resident
“A lot about this village is very traditional. For example we don’t have streetlights, which means we can’t have speed bumps, so we have people zooming through the roads.”
Shere became “especially rammed” after Covid restrictions lifted, according to the 55-year-old strategist.
She added: “Before the pandemic there was only one Airbnb in the village but now there are far more.”
However, Lynette did point out that without tourism, the village would not be able to afford the amenities it has.
Shere parish council are currently in an adjudication process with Shere Recreation Ground Trustees, who own the village car park.
A decision is set to be made on Wednesday, November 15.
Iconic Christmas film, The Holiday stars Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz, and sees the two icons swap homes over Christmas.
Kate’s character Iris moves to sunny LA where she meets love interest Miles – played by Jack Black.
Meanwhile Cameron’s character Amanda travels to the English countryside to fall in love with widowed father Graham, portrayed by Jude Law.
While some of filming locations were created specifically for the movie, several exist in Surrey and Oxfordshire.
Among them is The White Horse pub in Shere, where customers can enjoy a pint on the same wooden bench as heartthrob Jude Law did.
There is even a plaque on the wall commemorating the filming of The Holiday, which is said to be getting a sequel.
If this goes ahead, Shere could see an even bigger invasion of Hollywood fans.
The new movie is expected to feature its original lead cast and revisit their romances.
A source said: “The plan is to start rolling on scenes next year, primarily in the UK and in Europe, but the main talent are all signed up and on board.
“It’s one of the most successful movies of its kind and still enjoyed every year by millions of fans around the world – it makes perfect sense to revisit those characters and find out what became of their lives after they hooked up.
“It’ll be funny, poignant, and heartwarming – just what everyone wants for Christmas.”