Two former Huddersfield police officers will be among the millions of viewers tuning in for the new series of TV drama Happy Valley.
And both Lisa Farrand and Bob Bridgestock have a special reason for tuning in on Tuesday evening as both were consultants to the gritty cop drama.
Lisa, of Marsden, is said to be the role model for top actress Sarah Lancashire, who reprises the role of police sergeant Catherine Cawood in the hit series.
Watch the trailer for Happy Valley series two
The actress herself said: “I had an inspector write to me who’d been in the force for years, and he said, ‘That’s the most accurate portrayal of a police officer’.
“Of course, this isn’t down to me. This is down to Lisa Farrand, who’s our police advisor, and who Catherine is really based on.”
Recalling her very first meeting with the former WPC, Lancashire says: “The first thing she said to me was, ‘You’re going to have to man up’. She’s very no-nonsense and just gets on with the job.”
Mrs Farrand was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal during her police career, which began after she had been working in the education sector.
She joined up in August 1989 and served for many years across West Yorkshire, including a stint in Huddersfield town centre. She worked closely with students at the University of Huddersfield to improve safety.
Her work on Happy Valley reunited her with Huddersfield-born write Sally Wainwright who was an old schoolfriend.
Mr Bridgestock, a former detective with 30 years experience, was a consultant on the first series along with his wife Carol and were delighted when it scooped numerous awards.
The couple were also retained for the second series and were closely involved with the planning of the series, although their role has now been taken over by another former West Yorkshire officer, Samantha Manning.
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Mr Bridgestock said: “We have been so pleased to have been involved with the series, both for the first run and for the new series.
“We are aware now that another consultant has been taken on, in addition to Lisa Farrand who we introduced to the team, and I’m certain the new series will be as big a success as the first one”.
Much of the series was filmed around Huddersfield and Calderdale, with scenes shot in Armitage Bridge, Brighouse and Elland.
