Bank of Dave: Historic Leeds pub Duck and Drake used for filming brand new Netflix movie starring Rory Kinnear

Duck & Drake on Kirkgate was closed for five days in March last year so that filming could take place for Bank Of Dave, which was released on Netflix today (Monday).

The heart-warming true story is based on the life of Dave Fishwick, a working-class Burnley man and self-made millionaire who fought to set up a community bank so that he could help local businesses after the financial crash in 2008. In his bid to help his beloved community, Dave – played by Rory Kinnear – takes on the elitist financial institutions of London to receive the first new banking license to be issued in over 100 years.

The film was mostly shot in Dave’s local Burnley but additional filming took place in Leeds, with scenes when Dave comes up with the idea for the bank and organises his first loans shot at Duck & Drake.

The pub’s landlord, Rob Wilson, said that he has had interest in the past by filmmakers wanting to shoot in the Victorian pub but none wanting to use it for as long as the Netflix crew. He said: “The location manager came and said they really like the look of the place and it was the kind of vibe they were going for. We thought we’d try it out.

"It was really fun doing it and interesting to see it up close. They were really nice guys.”

He said that despite having the crew round he wasn’t able to get involved too much due to Covid restrictions and mostly just “left them to it”. He said: “I didn’t realise the scope of how many people there would be. They were really busy and kept people pretty separate.”

Mr Wilson said that he got some concerned calls from regulars asking why the pub was closed from the Monday to the Friday, as blacked out scaffolding was put up around it. He said that he hopes the film brings more exposure to the area, adding: “This area of town needs some rejuvenation. Some cool bars have popped up and but if this leads to more people coming that can only be a good thing.”