| C H A R A C T E R
Gina Bellamy | |
|---|---|
 Tricia Penrose as Gina Bellamy | |
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Episodes |
356 |
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First Episode |
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Last Episode |
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Family |
George Ward (uncle, deceased) Mary Ward (aunt) Louise Ward (sister-in-law) Susie Ward (niece) Diane Crichard (cousin) Daniel Bellamy (son, deceased) Philip Bellamy Jr (son) |
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Relationships |
Steve Adams (boyfriend, seperated) PC Mike Bradley (boyfriend, seperated) Andy Ryan (boyfriend, seperated) PC Tom Nicholson (dated) Jack Hollins (boyfriend, seperated) PC Phil Bellamy (husband, deceased) |
Georgina "Gina" Bellamy (née Ward), played by Tricia Penrose. Appeared in 356 episodes from 1993 - 2010.
Biography[]
Spirited Liverpudlian, landlady of the Aidensfield Arms. The tearaway niece of publican George Ward, Gina was sent to live in Aidensfield with her uncle as a condition of her probation after having been convicted of receiving stolen goods. She quickly fitted in to local life, assisting her uncle with running the pub and dropping her previous rebellious ways. She became the licensee of the pub after the death of her uncle. Gina has been unlucky in love, and has had a string of failed romances. The great love of her life was the now-deceased policeman PC Phil Bellamy, but she had a warm relationship with village bobby PC Mike Bradley in Series Seven, and she also dated the much younger tearaway lad Steve Adams in the same series. She had a passionate love affair with Irishman Andy Ryan, but when she found out that he was married, she broke off their relationship. They briefley got back together but when she visited him in hospital and saw that he also had children she ended it for good. Gina also dated the much younger PC Tom Nicholson in Series Eleven. After an on-off relationship with Bellamy, including a failed engagement in Series Ten, Gina fell pregnant to him in Series Thirteen. She gave birth to a premature baby boy named Daniel Bellamy who died within two days, and their engagement was then again broken off. Phil and Gina remained on good terms, even if sometimes a little awkward in each other's company; Bellamy went on to marry Debbie Black, and Gina found a steady boyfriend in Jack Hollins. However, neither of these relationships lasted, and Gina and Phil's romance was rekindled in Series Sixteen. They were finally married in the Series 16 episode "The Dreams That You Dream". Due to police regulations she was obliged on her marriage to officially give up the licenceeship of the Aidensfield Arms to Oscar Blaketon, but in practice her role there remains unchanged. In Series Seventeen in the episode "Touch and Go", her husband Bellamy was shot dead while on duty. Now a widow, Gina was contemplating leaving Aidensfield and its painful memories and returning to Liverpool, but she decided to stay, as shown at the end of the episode "Burying The Past". She later found out she was again pregnant with Phil's child, and doubts about whether to terminate the pregnancy caused her great anguish. However, she eventually gave birth to their son, Philip Bellamy Jr, in the 17th series finale "Oscar's Birthday". Gina then became tentatively romantically linked with new Ashfordly Police Station constable, PC Don Wetherby, but curtailed the relationship after deciding that it was too soon after Bellamy's death. In the opening episode of series eight, "Snake in the Grass", Gina is seen driving home from the funeral of her Uncle George. Her aunty Mary revealed that George's dying wish was for his sister to look after Gina. In "Friends Like You", Gina started up her singing career again and was peforming in a night club until another night when the Whitby CID burst in during a raid and she was accused of taking drugs although PC Mike Bradley didn't think she would do such a thing, of which she was found innocent. In a later series, she was also framed from a hit and run accident. Gina also made appearances in the first two series of Heartbeat spin-off, The Royal where in series two, she was shown to be involved with Vic Morris, the brother of Alun, but in "The Last Waltz", she told him they were finished when she found out what Vic was planning to do.
Personality and appearance[]
When Gina first arrived in Aidensfield she was just eighteen but over the course of the series she matured into a sensible, responsible young woman. She is mostly sweet-natured and innocent and one of her weakest points has always been falling for the wrong men, most of which turn out to be criminals. She often has a generally lovely, friendly personality and got along with most of the village residents. Actress Tricia Penrose has said that she could have gone down the road that Greengrass went and end up getting on the wrong side of the police far too often - but instead she has settled down and has been working behind the bar of the Aidensfield Arms and kept out of trouble ever since.
Relationships[]
Aidensfield village "bobbies"
PC Nick Rowan
PC Mike Bradley
PC Stephen " Steve " Crane
PC Robert "Rob" Walker
PC Joe Mason
Ashfordly Police sergeants
Sgt Oscar Blaketon
Gina was friends with Oscar as he eventually softened over the years. At one point she was going to ask him to be the godfather of her and Phil's baby boy Daniel, but he died within two days in the episode Daniel. In series sixteen, Gina and Phil's romance was back on and they finally married in The Dreams That You Dream, with PC Rob Walker as best man. Phil was later shot down dead in Touch and Go. In the later series, Gina seemed to be convinced that Oscar thought something would happen again, when she once more found she was pregnant with Phil's child.
Sgt Raymond Craddock
Sgt Dennis Ian Merton
Sgt George Miller
Other Ashfordly Police
PC Alfred " Alf " Ventress
PC Phil Bellamy[]
Gina first met Phil, her future on-off lover and eventual husband in the episode "Bitter Harvest", when she first arrived from Liverpool to help her uncle George run The Aidensfield Arms. After a few years, she started finally warming up to him. Phil was distressed when Gina first started flirting with rugby Harbour man Neil Gibson - the first of many signs that he was showing interest in her. Phil was considered a suspect when someone persued her on the way home from the celebrations and his tie was found in her car. It was in fact PC Little who was attacking her along with another barmaid from Whitby. In the episode "Daniel", Gina went into labour after breaking up a fight between two men in the pub and was rushed to hospital where she gave birth to a premature baby boy called Daniel Oscar Bellamy. Daniel struggled to stay alive and had died within just two days. They were going to give him the middle name Oscar after Oscar Blaketon. Both Gina and Phil were distraught and the two were going to get married but Gina broke off the engagement - meaning that Phil would be left on his own again. In series sixteen they were finally married; the episode "The Dreams That You Dream" showed their wedding and they also visited Daniel's grave to let him know they were now married. In the episode "Touch and Go", Phil was shot down dead leaving Gina a widow and the rest of the village distraught.
PC Thomas " Tom " Nicholson
PC Geoffrey "Geoff" Younger
Medical staff
Aidensfield doctors
Dr Alex Ferrenby
Dr Kate Rowan
Dr Neil Bolton
Dr Patricia " Tricia " Summerbee
Dr James Alway
Dr Liz Merrick
Dr Helen Walker
Other medical staff
Dr James Radcliffe
Nurse Maggie Bolton
Jenny Merton
Nurse Carol Cassidy
Dr Chris Oakley
Aidensfield Arms staff
George Ward
Mary Ward
Susie Ward
Dawn Bellamy
"Loveable rogue " lineage
Claude Jeremiah Greengrass
Vernon Scripps
Peggy Armstrong
Aidensfield Garage staff
Bernard " Bernie " Scripps
David Stockwell
Rosemary " Rosie " Cartwright
Other regular characters
Lord Ashfordly
Katie Rowan
Eileen Reynolds
Joanna " Jo " Rowan
Jacqueline " Jackie " Rosemary Bradley
Andy Ryan
Ben Norton
Jack Hollins
Debbie Black
Family[]
Gina's surname was Ward but she becomes Gina Bellamy when she marries PC Phil Bellamy. Notable family members included aunt Mary Ward and uncle George Ward. With Phil, she ended up having two sons, one of whom was Daniel who sadly died within two days. The other was Philip Oscar Bellamy, named after Oscar Blaketon. Philip was actually born on Oscar's birthday, in the episode "Oscar's Birthday".
From Nicholas Rhea's website
This year Tricia Penrose celebrates ten years behind the bar of the Aidensfield Arms playing one of Britain's favourite barmaids, Gina Ward.
"Gina was just a little girl when she first landed in Aidensfield and now she's a grown mature woman", says Tricia. "She's responsible - a landlady and the licensee of the pub. I never thought that would happen when I first started playing her."
When we first saw Gina she was on probation for receiving stolen goods.
"She's come a long way since she was the waif who turned up to work with her uncle to save her from a life of crime," Tricia laughs. "When I landed the part I thought she could go one of two ways. She'd either become a bit of a rogue and, like Greengrass, be a thorn in the side of the police or she'd mend her ways and buckle down to work in the pub. I'm pleased she's taken the right road - she's sweet and innocent and in the midst of all the goings on in the village I think the viewers are pleased she's there. When you're in the pub you know there'll be a bit of light relief from that episode's criminal activity."
Not that the Aidensfield Arms hasn't had its fair share of dealings with the criminal fraternity.
"In all long running series the pub is often the hub of activity", says Tricia. "The Aidensfield Arms has probably seen more villains through the doors than Wormwood Scrubs! There's often two ways of working out who the villain is in an episode - whether they're staying in the pub and whether Gina fancies them or not!"
Gina's ability to fall for the wrong men has been her biggest weakness and, in the last series nearly landed her in serious trouble after she was framed for a hit and run accident.
"Bless her, she always falls for them!" Tricia says. "I wish she'd settle down with a nice bloke but there's something that attracts her to danger like a moth to the flame. Her brush with the law last series really woke her up though. It was terrible for her and I think she'll be more cautious in the future."
Rhea about Gina Ward:
"The bubbly barmaid, Gina, does not appear in my early books but everyone, including me, loves her. She came into the series having been sent to live with Uncle George at the Aidensfield Arms because she had committed a petty crime in Liverpool and had been placed on probation. Her new life in Aidensfield offered a challenge to which she responded, and when George became ill, she took over the running of the pub with great charm and efficiency. Tricia Penrose's portrayal of Gina is excellent and we all hope Gina finds true happiness in the future."
Tricia would like to see Gina get on with her career as well as finding a more permanent love.
"I think it's great that Oscar is her boss", she says. "They have a love hate relationship but are really like a father and daughter. Despite this I would like to see her take over the pub completely in the near future. I'd also like to see her with a man! I can't believe she let Phil Bellamy slip through her fingers!"
As well as seeing Gina grow up over the last ten years, Tricia feels she's grown up alongside her.
"Heartbeat has been a great learning curve for me; I couldn't have wished for a more fantastic job," she says. "I know, like Gina, that I've grown up too. I couldn't believe it when I got the role - and thinking back I don't know how I did it. Little me amongst all those huge name actors ten years ago. It was so daunting I think I just shut my eyes on the first read through day and got on with it!"
As well as getting the chance to work with the regular cast of the series Tricia has particularly enjoyed meeting the guest artists who have become such a major part of the history of the show.
"I get unbelievably excited when they tell us who's coming in!" she confesses. "It's been fantastic working with Lulu this year as I'd just done her Audience With a few days before she filmed her episode. I loved David Essex - and he brought his mum up to watch the filming because she's such a big fan. My favourite though had to be Gary Barlow. I was just the biggest Take That fan. When I heard he was coming on I was just overwhelmed - like a kid at one of their concerts!".
Gallery[]
