November 4, 2025
5 mins
Destination: United Kingdom
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This Is Our England. The Story Behind the Video
Taking almost seven months from idea inception to complete edit, we’re delighted that our new video is finally seeing the light of day!
As with any long-term project, video or otherwise, this one has been a labour of love. And so, we thought it’d be great to showcase the time, dedication and collaboration that goes into completing something like this.
This is the behind-the-scenes story of This is Our England.
How It All Started
Like many things at Active England, the video concept began with a light bulb moment. Commander-in-Chief, Will’s lightbulb, to be exact.
“How about we illustrate just how fantastic England is for an active or adventure holiday?” he suggested one day. “Beyond the postcards and famous landmarks – there’s another England out there!” And so the idea for showcasing England from an active, unseen lens was born.
The plan was to film across multiple months of the year, showcasing different activities and destinations – from the Lake District fells to the stunning Devon beaches and classic Cotswold countryside.
Lights, Camera, Lake District
It’s fair to say that we dove straight in. Will had an opportunity in the Lake District to get the ball rolling. With an unseasonably sunny weather window at the beginning of April, we quite literally seized the day. Our videographer followed Will, Gaby and Martha to capture the first scenes.
As it turned out, we got the opening shot completed with a beautiful scene of “welcoming the day like this.” Would you believe Martha works in our Sales team? Perhaps she should consider an acting career!
These early scenes laid the groundwork for how the video would begin and helped us think about where to take the story next. For this, we brought in a scriptwriter to help figure out how to portray England in a fun and engaging way with a clear narrative.
Making Friends with the Locals
While filming for other content shoots, we managed to double up and record more scenes in the Cotswolds. That’s where “making friends with the locals” came from, featuring some very photogenic sheep and that classic Cotswold scenery.
Luxury Cotswold hotel, THE PIG-in the Cotswolds, kindly agreed to let us film at their hotel, where we captured the food and celebration scenes. It helps so much to have amazing partners across the country who support our projects and creative ideas!
A Tricky Summer Stretch
The middle section became trickier as summer arrived. With a busy touring season, very hot and dry weather across the UK, and staff holidays, bagging the shots for all the scenes slowed.
Thankfully, our wonderful videographer Ben stepped in and filmed the now-famous contrast between “sunshine guaranteed” and “rainy Britain.” His humour and delivery have definitely earned a place in the final cut.
Devon, The Grand Finale
Lastly, we spent a whirlwind 48 hours in Devon. This was our chance to capture coastal walks, welcoming hotels and hidden gems such as secret swim spots. It was another head-first-into-the-action couple of days.
Starting at 6.30 am, we had the beach to ourselves, and by 9 am we’d already been for a walk, swum in a private tidal pool at the beautiful Burgh Island Hotel, and enjoyed a tidal swoosh and swim in the sea at Bigbury.
It was a really successful day for the shoot, although we went slightly off script with some of the lines, which caused a few challenges with the flow of the video later. In the end, we cut quite a few of the originally planned lines and worked around the one that stayed — “where hotels are on islands and dogs steal the show.”
The final four weeks were spent re-recording a few lines, recording the closing frame and finalising the order.
The Final Push
By the end, we had all reached that stage of creative tiredness where everything starts to blend together. It’s hard to see clearly when you’ve rewatched the same two minutes of footage over and over!
The last week was a mix of relief and excitement as everything finally came together. When we saw the final version, we knew the hard work had paid off.
Highlights, Laughs and Lessons
Looking back, my personal highlight was filming day in Devon. It was full of positive energy, fun experiences and beautiful English sunshine. It was probably one of the most enjoyable days I’ve had working for Active England.
The funniest moment for me was falling into a hole while walking up the coastal path in Devon. I’m not exaggerating when I say it was almost six feet deep; my entire leg disappeared!
The food scenes were also unforgettable. We had warm dishes placed in front of us for at least 20 minutes before we could eat them, because we had to film multiple takes. Torture, but very funny at the same time.
And of course, I’m so proud of the whole office team for stepping out of their comfort zones, doing things like jumping in front of Castlerigg Stone Circle in the Lake District or pretending to check into a hotel by talking to ducks!
All’s Well That Ends Well
We’ve had so much laughter and learned a lot along the way. The project tested us, taught us, and brought out the best of our team spirit.
This might just be the start. There could be future versions that showcase our villages, valleys and cities, or even themes like woodland, wild swimming and wellness. England has so many hidden corners waiting to be explored.
All’s well that ends well — isn’t that what they say in show business?
