Liverpool has enjoyed 10 months in the limelight as the eyes of the world watched a Capital of Culture show off the very best in music, performance and art.
But throughout October the city will be showing another side of its spectacular character, by taking a trip down memory lane.
And in recognition of what lies ahead, regional screen agency, Northwest Vision and Media, has named Liverpool as its filming Location of the Month in October.
Last week (October 9) saw Liverpool hold the world premiere of prestigious Digital Departures feature, Of Time And The City, in which acclaimed British film director, Terrence Davies, painted a poetic picture of the Liverpool he knew as a lad.
Packed with archive footage of a Liverpool long-gone, OTATC is sure to provoke nostalgic memories with its audience as it opens across UK cinemas from Oct 31. It certainly brought back many memories for Terence.
"While making the film the memories it provoked made me quite rueful," says Terence. "I remember that little shop on the corner of the street – but now it's gone.
And I remember there were eight cinemas within walking distance of the street I grew up on – but they've all gone too," says Terence. Nevertheless, although the city has changed enormously, there is still much that remains the same – which is welcome news for film and TV production.
"Whatever the decade a production is set in, Liverpool can re-create the setting as the region has such a rich diversity of architecture," explains Liverpool Film Officer Kevin Bell.
The city has always had a strong tradition for filming period pieces, such as Victorian dramas like The Forsyte Saga, which used many of the architectural locations which helped make Liverpool a UNECO World Heritage City.
We've also witnessed the Liverpool of the 1920's via the BBC's drama, Lilies, and relived the 1960's with features like Across The Universe representing the city's famous Merseybeat.
But now we're taking another trip down memory lane with a new, nostalgic Hovis advert recently filmed in the city.
Currently being shown on TV and in cinemas, the advert was shot in Liverpool over six days, with the two-minute commercial taking in some of the major events that have shaped the country since the famous bakers made their first loaf in 1886.
"Starting in 1886, the advert is jam-packed with events that shaped the nation, including the Suffragettes movement of the 1900s, then we see soldiers marching off to the First World War, the Blitz, the Queen's Coronation in 1953, England winning the World Cup in 1966 and even the miners strike of the 1980's.
It then brings us right up to date with the millennium celebrations - and it was all filmed in Liverpool," says Kevin proudly. "Very few other cities, if any, could have facilitated such a production," he adds.
Indeed, Colin Offland, of Chief Productions, says he chose Liverpool to film the Hovis advert exactly because of the diversity of the locations it had to offer.
"I knew the new Hovis job was looming and presumed, without even seeing the script, that it should be shot up north," explains Colin.
"I considered where I was going to find all those locations in one place, and Liverpool had them all. We were able to kill 12 birds with one stone!"
Colin is delighted with the finished results. "The ad is brilliant," he says. "Watching it gave me goosebumps, it really is beautiful. The blitz scene is particularly special. For me, Liverpool's Falkner Street is the star of the show."
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