Have you ever found yourself wondering how Wallace & Gromit’s debut film, A Grand Day Out, ever came to be? Well folks, if your answer to that question was yes, then you happen to have come to the right place – because we now officially know the answer. Nick Park, the brains behind the beloved claymation comedy duo, has confirmed that the idea for the pair’s primary short film was actually brought to life over weekly pints at a pub in west London.
Whilst chatting to Secret London alongside Aardman Animation co-founders, Peter Lord and David Sproxton, Park revealed that Wallace & Gromit’s origins date back to his time at the National Film and TV school. Whilst he was working on his graduation project, he’d frequently meet with his art student friend, Steve Rushton, at what was at the time The Hoop in Notting Hill Gate.
The Hoop was formerly located in Notting Hill Gate, but closed its doors back in 1995. In the 1960s it was reportedly referred to as having ‘the best modern pub interior in London’, but it’s proven fairly tricky to find any photo evidence of the pub‘s inside. Over drinks, Park and Rushton would brainstorm the adventures of Wallace & Gromit; sketching the characters and working on the script. Little did the duo know that what they were working on would go on to become nothing short of a global sensation.
The site in which The Hoop once called home became a Le Pain Quotidien bakery in 2008, and more recently, it was transformed into the UK’s first ever Yo-Chi store. The viral fro-yo chain opened its doors at 81-85 Notting Hill Gate earlier this year, and has had people – quite literally – queueing round the block ever since. So, the next time you’re generously swirling your frozen yoghurt into a cup, remember that you’re standing slap-bang in the middle of a building where a pivotal piece of animation history was created. Pretty special, hey?
