Ludwig season 3 filming location at risk of closing permanently and launches fundraiser to stay open

A tea room and community hub where season 3 of the BBC's huge hit show Ludwig is currently filming is at risk of permanent closure and has launched a fundraiser in order to try and keep its doors open.

Hemel Hempstead venue Liberty Tea Rooms is currently closed until Wednesday, 7 October for the David Mitchell crime drama to use. Before it was a tea room, it used to be a bank, and the show's production team has transformed it back into one for the purposes of filming.

However, the volunteer-run venue may have to close its doors if it can't raise £25,000 by the end of the month.

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Speaking to BBC News, trustee chairman Mark Kitson said: "Lots of towns and high streets are having tough times at the moment.

"When you come into the Tea Rooms, someone will welcome you, talk to you if you want a chat, offer a meal if you need it, and can also provide debt advice or a food bank parcel.

"You might just want tea and a scone, but if you need something more, we will do our very best to help you."

He said that the Ludwig filming has been a help, and that the team will repair a broken window and update the venue's signage once production is finished, but the tea room still needs more money to survive.

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"The filming has been brilliant. It's created a real buzz and excitement on Hemel Hempstead High Street, and for our team and volunteers", he said.

"They have also paid us a fee for being in the building at a time that we really need the extra funds."

At the time of writing, the JustGiving page has raised just under £6,000 of its £25,000 target.

Ludwig seasons 1 and 2 can currently be streamed on BBC iPlayer. Season 3 is currently in production.

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Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he's covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I'm a Fish.