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Posted by: Sherlock Oct 14 2013, 01:32 PM

Apparently Downton Abbey has some 160 million viewers in China http://goo.gl/5U1QvB

Also, we hear in the news today, our excellent coalition government is bending over to attract more Chinese visitors to the UK http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24512781

Surely someone responsible for promoting tourism in our area has spotted the huge opportunity this represents? If only a tenth of the Chinese viewers can be tempted to visit Newbury - which can rightly claim to be Downton's nearest town - that would be a **** of a lot of visitors to our area.

I propose that WBC take the following steps immediately:

• invite Disney (or similar) or similar to develop a 'Downton World' (working title only) theme park to the south of Newbury - ideally at Sandleford as it seems unlikely that houses are ever going to be built there;
• rename Newbury 'Ripon' http://downtonabbey.wikia.com/wiki/Ripon - this should be fairly straightforward and uncontroversial;
• explore other attractions which could be built to lure in visitors - e.g. a cable car from the grounds of Highclere Castle/Downton to the summit of Beacon Hill;
• reopen the Newbury-Winchester railway to improve access to Downton.

And don't forget, Downton isn't only popular in China - it's a world wide phenomenon! We're sitting on a gold mine here!

Posted by: motormad Oct 14 2013, 01:56 PM

Do you honestly believe that if Newbury were attracting even half the amount of daily visitors that say, Thorpe Park does, that that would be in any way, shape or form even remotely good for the local area? We are already bursting at the seams with the residential traffic as it is.

The most they should do, if they don't already, is open the Abbey for guided tours with the actors and producers, etc.

If it's meant to be in Yorkshire then why is it filmed in Newbury. We don't say tut.

Posted by: Sherlock Oct 14 2013, 02:39 PM

Let's not have any of this defeatism! I've already pointed out that with numbers like this we could easily afford a huge investment in new railway infrastructure. And anyway we have to find some way of filling our ever increasing numbers of coffee shops.

It turns out our barely numerate Chancellor was a bit awry with his 160 million figure http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tomchiversscience/100241196/george-osborne-thinks-160m-chinese-watch-downton-shouldnt-the-chancellor-have-a-good-head-for-figures/ (Next thing we know we'l have a an education secretary who wants all schools to be above average.) However, I'm confident that the deficit will be more than made up by visitors from South East Asia and other areas with booming economies.

Let's aim for around 5 million new visitors a year from 2015 with a 10% per annum growth target. How does that sound?

Posted by: Blake Oct 14 2013, 03:12 PM

The vast majority of the characters in this show do not sound as if they are from Yorkshire.

And why are there no middle class characters in it? Is Fellowes a closeted Marxist? I sometimes wonder.

Posted by: Simon Kirby Oct 14 2013, 04:22 PM

I hope they don't all jump off the train at the same time.

Posted by: Sherlock Oct 18 2013, 06:35 AM

Well there was the lawyer chap, until his unfortunate accident, and his mum. Definitely upper middle class - they only had a couple of servants and a modest 5 bedroom detached house in the village. And Doctor Finlay, of course. At the time of the current series the lower middle class - who only have walk on parts - are about to have suburbs built for them in the outskirts of Ripon and Metro-land. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro-land

So far I can't detect any public sign of interest in the Downton World idea from the authorities but I'm reliably informed that tourism promotion officers at WBC have been meeting in secret to brainstorm some options so I'm sure we can expect an announcement soon. Exciting times!

Posted by: JeffG Oct 18 2013, 09:56 AM

Wow! Has Downton recycled Dr Finlay? Does he have a Casebook?

Posted by: On the edge Oct 18 2013, 09:58 AM

That would be a great idea! Certainly drum up a lot of trade for the town and perhaps encourage a few other programme makers.

Posted by: Sherlock Oct 19 2013, 06:45 AM

No sign of the large numbers of Chinese tourists yet but it can only be a matter of time. While the Council are considering strategic options I suggest that a useful first step would be to mention our Downton connection here http://www.visitnewbury.org.uk/

We need to associate a tag line - I propose 'Downton Country' - with the name 'Newbury' so that the two become inextricably entwined in the mind of the prospective Chinese tourist. Let's replace the weak 'and surrounding area' with our new branding and add 'Donwnton Country' to all the Welcome to West Berkshire signs.

We must also big-up facilities in Newbury itself. E.g. our wide range of hostelries, restaurants and eating places (including, of course, a number of excellent Chinese takewaways!), our parks, shopping centres etc etc.

Also, I see that the 'Twinned with Downton' signs have been removed from the Highclere village signs. Don't know why (I expect there were ructions on the village council) but this gives us an excellent opportunity to twin Newbury/Ripon with Downton.

Edit: I see that visitbritain.com is already promoting Downton Country! http://www.visitbritain.com/en/Things-to-do/Culture/Downton-Abbey.htm and that there is a Chinese (Mandarin?) version of the site http://www.visitbritain.com/zh/CN/

Posted by: Sherlock Oct 19 2013, 06:49 AM

We don't know much about the doctor, but I imagine that he could feature in a Dr Findlay rip off series in much the same way that the Downton is an Upstairs Downstairs rip off.

Posted by: Biker1 Oct 19 2013, 09:42 AM

There's picture of Highclere Castle, "Hampshire"! and then a paragraph underneath "Highclere Castle in Berkshire".
No one seems to be able to decide which county "Downton" is in!!