11-hour coach trips to its locations

Die-hard fans of Gavin and Stacey are being offered a buttock-numbing 11-hour coach trip to see some of the locations that featured in the BBC sitcom.

For £65, you can see the Italian restaurant where Smithy once ate, visit the amusement arcade where Nessa worked and visit the church hall where the characters held a barn dance.

The journey between London and Barry in South Wales even features a rest stop at the same motorway service station used by James Corden’s character Smithy and baby Neil.

And sightseers may need the break, as the coach from Brit Movie Tours will not only be screening back-to-back episodes of the show, but also feature group singalongs. The company also says: ‘We encourage anyone who wants to get dressed up as one of their favourite characters from the show.’

Company director Lewis Swan said, redundantly: ‘I’m a fan of Gavin and Stacey.’

The sitcom has given the town of Barry a tourism boost. If a recent study by search engine Ask Jeeves, three per cent of the entire adult population have visited the resort after seeing the show.

The first tour takes place on June 22.

Published: 25 May 2010