I Grew Up in the Village from 'The Holiday' – Here’s What It’s Really Like
When it comes to Christmas classics, The Holiday is a seasonal staple that delivers every December – conjuring up a snow-covered country village fantasy, complete with quaint Christmas cottages and a jumper-wearing Jude Law.
But this familiar rural setting was, in fact, the backdrop to my childhood – with a bit less Hollywood glamour, of course, and no Jude Law – as I grew up in Shere in the Surrey Hills, the film location for Iris’s village in The Holiday.
The reality was slightly different to what you see on screen, though. A few spoilers: Kate Winslet’s cottage didn’t really exist – although a stunningly-detailed wooden façade was erected in the fields above the village, in the space of just one week, to capture the outdoor shots. Nor was it snowy. I still remember the thrill of travelling to school as a child in spring along “snow-lined” country roads, and glimpsing the fake snow sprayers at work.
In fact, growing up it was sometimes confusing trying to figure out what was real and what was part of the film set; the church vicar was somewhat disgruntled when he was once asked by an American if he was “a real priest”.
Some parts were all real though – including Graham’s local pub, The White Horse. Visiting friends still get excited to sit in “Jude Law’s seat”, signposted by a gilded frame above – and who am I to deny anyone the vicarious thrill of sharing bottom-space with Jude?
In many ways, Shere was an idyllic place to grow up. The village is just as charming as it appears on screen (if a little busier!), with a few small shops housed in beautiful beamed buildings and a handful of pubs and cafes, all bordered by rolling Surrey Hills woodland.
As a child I took dance classes in the village hall, sang in the church choir and fed the ducks in the stream that flows through the village (I've become less angelic as I've got older).
As anyone who has ever lived in a village will tell you, they have a distinct “feel” which is hard to describe to anyone who hasn’t experienced it. Some call it community spirit. Some call it people being too involved in other people’s business.
I, for one, find the passionate emotions and altercations stirred up by powerful issues such as parking and the behaviour of visiting cyclists an engaging spectator sport – and one best appreciated from a safe distance.
One of the main things uniting Shere’s residents is a shared vengeance for inconsiderate parking. A side effect of The Holiday’s popularity has been a large increase in the number of visitors to the tiny village, which has narrow streets and a distinct lack of parking spots. So if you do decide to visit, consider getting the train to nearby Gomshall. The short walk to Shere from there goes through bucolic fields of sheep, right past the location of the famous 2D cottage in The Holiday with views over the valley.
Christmas, however, is when Shere's village spirit really comes into its own.
Every Christmas Eve, the community comes together for Carols in The Square – an outdoor gathering around the central oak tree. Illuminated by fairy lights and fuelled by mulled wine, locals sing carols with varying levels of vocal talent (mine is at the lower end, but made up for with enthusiasm). And things get pretty rowdy – well, as rowdy as a middle-class Surrey village singing hymns can be. Overseen by the vicar, different factions of the crowd vie for different carols to be sung and belt out their favourite ones once chosen. The pub side of the square is, unsurprisingly, the loudest.
Shere may not be home to Jude Law in real life, but it is still a beautiful village which I feel very lucky to call my "home town". You might catch me visiting Jude's preferred seat in the pub from time to time though, just in case…
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