Skip to content

Cult comedy screening to fund seawall repair

John Ayres
BBC News, Devon
BBC The Hope Cove Breakwater on a calm overcast day with flat seas.BBC
The breakwater at Hope Cove Harbour, in South Devon, needs to be repaired

A special screening of a cult 1980s comedy film is taking place to help raise funds to repair a 100-year-old Devon seawall.

The breakwater at Hope Cove Harbour, in South Devon, protects the beach at the seaside village but needs urgent work and if it is breached the sands could be washed away.

The 1985 film The Supergrass, by the comedy group The Comic Strip, features an iconic scene in which the late actor Robbie Coltrane marches along the breakwater in crashing waves.

The director of the film, Peter Richardson, is holding an event showing a special director's cut screening in nearby Marlborough to help raise funds for the repair work.

'Breakwater is crumbling'

The breakwater was last repaired in 1983 but it has some big cracks and local residents are concerned that a breach in the wall could have a devastating impact on the village.

"If we lose the sand, we lose the harbour and that would be catastrophic for the village," said joint Harbourmaster Sean Hassall.

"We'll lose our tourism industry.

"The locals come down here as well so really we want to make people aware how crucial our breakwater is and how important it is to get the funding and get it sorted," he said.

The benefit night, at Marlborough Village Hall, is designed to try to raise awareness of the breakwater as well as to raise money to support the repair work.

The Supergrass (1985)/A Peter Richardson Film Actor Robbie Coltrane, wearing a suit and holding a guitar case, walking along the Hope Cove Harbour breakwater in strong seas and high waves in the film The Supergrass (1985).The Supergrass (1985)/A Peter Richardson Film
Actor Robbie Coltrane walking along the Hope Cove Harbour breakwater in the film The Supergrass (1985)

"The breakwater is crumbling and we need to find some way to get it repaired and it costs money these days," said Mr Richardson.

"They need to raise it [money] and that is why we are doing a charity benefit showing The Supergrass which features that scene with Robbie on the breakwater."

'It's the 40th anniversary of the release of Supergrass so it seems like a good time to do something with it so I've recut it."

The Comic Strip actor and director Peter Richardson at Hope Cove standing in front of the breakwater on a sunny day. He has white hair and is wearing a cream jumper and a dark grey jacket.
The Comic Strip actor, writer and director Peter Richardson at Hope Cove where the film The Supergrass was made in 1985

The coastline is part of the Crown Estate and the harbour is leased by the Hope Cove Harbour Commissioners.

The harbour is self funding and raises money through mooring and launch fees.

It is estimated the breakwater repairs will cost more than £1m.

The Friends of Hope Cove Harbour is a charity trying to raise money for the repairs.

So far they have accumulated £100,000.

Cracks in the side of the Hope Cove Harbour breakwater.
Cracks in the 100-year-old Hope Cove Harbour Breakwater are getting worse

"We've had various experts look at it [the breakwater] in the past few years and it is going to go at some stage but nobody can give a date," said Graham Phillips, the chairman of the charity.

"Before it goes we want to try to raise enough money to repair it in a substantial way because if it goes the beach will disappear."

The Supergrass is due to be shown at Marlborough Village Hall on Saturday 15 March 2025.