Beckindale Bugle - Emmerdale Farm In The 1980s: January 2011

Thursday 27 January 2011

Competition: What's Dolly Saying? Win A Beckindale Bugle Mug!

Here's your chance to win your very own, limited edition Beckindale Bugle ("Gossip From '80s Amos") tea mug.

Just study the screen grab above: Dolly Skilbeck (Jean Rogers) is having dinner with husband Matt (Frederick Pyne) and Jackie Merrick (Ian Sharrock), but her attention appears to have been distracted. Write a witty caption for the pic, enter it via our "comments" facility, and the three best entries will win Bugle mugs (Walter and Mr Wilks have already got theirs!). So, don't delay, write today!

CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES: 28 February 2011.

Wednesday 12 January 2011

The Long Silence...

Just checking my sitemeter tonight and I note that there is quite a lot of interest today in Alan Turner and Mrs Bates. I'm glad that people are still visiting! To those that have written - sorry for the long silence here - even Walter has been a little disgruntled by it - but 21st Century life is busy and so updates are few. We'll be back in the 1980s Beckindale groove again soon, I promise!

INTRODUCTION

The inspiration for this blog came from a stack of old newspapers and magazines found in my loft. The publications were dated from 1978-1991 and the 1980s editions contained quite a few articles about the English television soap opera Emmerdale Farm.

So, I decided to share them with Emmerdale historians.

Here at The Beckindale Bugle you will find newspaper and magazine articles about cast members and characters, plus storylines and screen captures from 1980s Emmerdale Farm episodes.

What's contained here should give an insight into the way things were down Beckindale way in the 1980s.

The decade which began with the strapped-for-cash Merrick family trudging into the village, and ended with that charmingly upmarket family the Tates moving into Home Farm...

The decade when Seth Armstrong became a full-time regular character.

The decade when Al Dixon arrived at The Woolpack and had his glorious reign as silent Walter.

The decade when the wonderful Amos Brearly went pottier than ever, and Mr Wilks was a good friend to all.

The decade when the much-loved Sam Pearson, after a very active final few years, died, Jack Sugden returned with a different face, and Dolly Skilbeck also underwent a transformation.

The decade when Alan Turner and Mrs Bates made their first appearances, along with Alan's son, Terence, and Mrs B's children, Kathy and Nick.

The decade when we first met Archie Brooks, Kate Hughes and her children, Mark and Rachel, Jack's romantic interest, Sarah Connolly, and a schemer called Eric Pollard...

I hope that this blog will encourage interest in 1980s Emmerdale Farm, and assist in encouraging YTV to bring out further seasons as official DVD releases.