Showing posts with label Arthur Pentelow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arthur Pentelow. Show all posts

Friday 11 September 2009

In Praise Of Henry Wilks (Arthur Pentelow)

Arthur Pentelow as Henry Wilks - enduring some nonsense from Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill) in 1984 and having fun at the Beckindale playgroup in 1981.

William writes to tell me that Mr Wilks is getting a poor deal here...

He was my favourite character - the ideal Dad or Grandad. I think you should feature him more.

So do I, William. I thought the world of that character!

Here's a little tribute...

Henry was kind hearted but straight talking, and utterly reliable as a friend.

Of course, he is best remembered for his partnership with Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill) - long suffering Henry was the voice of sanity, and Amos - increasingly... er... idiosyncratic! But Henry was very shrewd. He saw through Amos' daft fads and moods to the man of kindness and integrity that lurked within.

He and Amos were the best of best friends.

They both enjoyed a pipe - and the characters were even declared "Joint Pipe Smokers Of The Year" in 1986.

But Henry's life wasn't totally centred around Amos and The Woolpack - far from it. He was on the board at Emmerdale Farm Ltd, and, from 1981 onwards, was also a parish councillor.

He enjoyed walking, and studying the local flora and fauna.

Henry was the man Tom Merrick (Edward Peel) recommended troubled young Jackie (Ian Sharrock) should turn to if ever he needed help or advice.

Idealistic, eco-friendly Jack Sugden (Clive Hornby) had difficulties with Henry's business side - and we must never forget that Henry was a successful businessman before he retired to Beckindale. This provided another fascinating element to the character. The Henry we knew so well was kind and caring, but he'd once moved in very different circles. In 1986 he was canny indeed whilst buying some land for Emmerdale, and in 1989, he told unscrupulous (and, in fact, downright villainous) businessman Denis Rigg (Richard Franklin) that he knew his type.

Henry had once swum in a much more competitive and shark-infested pond than Beckindale!

At the centre of it all was his partnership at The Woolpack with Amos, but who could forget his feelings for Annie Sugden (Sheila Mercier) and his brief romance with Doreen (Sandra Gough) from The Malt Shovel?

Henry was also a family man, and his concern for his daughter, Marian (Debbie Blythe), added yet another facet to the character.

I recall (and re-watch) with delight the Mr Wilks and Amos story-lines.

But there was much more to Henry's role in the show than just living with and trying to speak sense to Amos.

Henry was a very active pillar of the Beckindale community.

And a much-loved Emmerdale Farm character in his own right.

Thursday 3 September 2009

Amos Brearly Of The Woolpack Inn - The 1980s - Update

Mr Brearly, 1985.

One of the most popular characters on this blog is Mr Amos Brearly, licensee and proprietor of The Woolpack Inn, Beckindale.

Ronald Magill was a brilliant actor, and watching the old episodes of the show it's wonderful to see how the Amos character evolved. We recently watched an episode of Emmerdale Farm from 1978 and Amos was featured. But a far quieter, less blustering and bizarre character than the Amos of the 1980s

As we've stated many times before, 1980 was an absolutely pivotal year for the dour and nosey publican, as Seth Armstrong (Stan Richards) became a regular at The Woolpack and Al Dixon began his reign as the weird silent Walter.

Seth wound Amos up to the hilt, and Amos chuntered nine-to-the-dozen to Walter. Any vestiges of commonsense the character had previously possessed seemed to disappear in 1980 and the Golden Era of Amos barminess began.

In our Amos Brearly - The 1980s post, we'll take a brief canter through as many as possible of the Amos story-lines of the 1980s.

1980:

Amos starts the decade with a fitness fad - healthy food and exercise. But he soon tires of the food and does himself a mischief with his chest expander.

Strange noises make Amos wonder if a deceased auntie is paying him a visit - but it turns out to be bats in the loft!

Seth Armstrong switches from The Malt Shovel to The Woolpack in the summer and his constant baiting of Amos leads to years of fun. Amos gets an allotment, but is disappointed when Nellie Ratcliffe (Gabrielle Blunt) wins first prize for her marrow in the annual village show. The annual Butterworth Ball cricket match against Robblesfield breaks its time honoured tradition and becomes a bowls match for one year only, at the request of the wily Eccky Tait. Beckindale loses.

Amos spots a strange light in the sky over Bogle Bog and becomes fascinated by bogles and UFOs. His Auntie Emily (Ann Way) visits The Woolpack for the very first time late in the year. Auntie Emily's visit coincides with one from Henry's cousin, Alice (Hazel Bainbridge). Auntie Emily is horrified by Amos' fascination with the supernatural and leaves in a great hurry!

At Christmas, Amos invites local bell ringers to The Woolpack, and, of course, joins in.

1981:

Aunt Emily sends Amos a hat as a present. But he's mocked so unmercifully by Seth Armstrong, that he has to stop wearing it!

When a Space Invaders machine is delivered to The Woolpack in error, Amos is most disapproving. That kind of new fangled trash was best left to Ernie Shuttleworth and The Malt Shovel. But Amos secretly becomes addicted to the machine whilst he waits for the supplier to collect it, and Mr Wilks discovers him in the early hours of the morning desperately trying to keep the Invaders at bay.

Amos is devastated to be told that his job as Beckindale correspondent on The Hotten Courier is being cut. He responds by starting a rival news sheet - The Beckindale Bugle. In the end, the new Beckindale correspondent on the Courier falls down on the job (drunk!) and Amos is reinstated.

Amos is annoyed to find that The Malt Shovel has had a burglar alarm installed. Keeping up with the Shuttleworths, he orders a device for The Woolpack. But a combination of penny pinching and Amos' DIY attempts at installation, lead to chaos.

Amos attempts to turn his hand to plumbing, and causes a flood, ruining the living room ceiling at The Woolpack.

Monks Brewery organises a "Best Kept Cellar" competition. Two visits are required by the judge, the awesome Lettice Noble (Patsy Smyth). Amos is disqualified when he applies a coat of whitewash to the cellar between the visits (strictly against the rules) and Mrs Noble discovers that the paint is still wet!

1982:

Amos cooks a rabbit pie, using a rabbit supplied by Seth Armstrong, and both he and Mr Wilks end up with food poisoning.

Seth ends up dead drunk when he stands in for Amos and Henry behind the bar whilst the pair attend the wedding of Pat Merrick (Helen Weir) and Jack Sugden (Clive Hornby).

Amos broadens his horizons with a holiday in Spain. Mr Wilks discovers that Amos, through penny pinching, ended up with unacceptable accommodation and flew back to England after only a couple of days, where he spent the remainder of his holiday in Scarborough. Amos begs him not to tell Seth and the other regulars!

Amos is affronted by a Hotten Courier article referring to "Billy Bunter" (fat) pub landlords. The article suggests that the Hotten area (including Beckindale) has many examples. Amos takes up walking to get fit. He ends up twisting his ankle on Blackridge Scarr and having to be rescued by the local fell rescue team.

1983:

Amos is encouraged by Alan Turner (Richard Thorp) to take up golf, and Mr Wilks provides a free lesson. But Amos is put off after encountering the fiercesome Major (Michael Sheard), a crony of Alan's.

Amos wins a three wheeler bike in a competition, and is highly delighted.

Amos tries to attract the Hotten Courier's pub and restaurant reviewer to The Woolpack. His support for Alan Turner in a dispute with the workers at NY Estates causes most of the Woolpack's regulars to desert him. Amos is forced to climb down.

Annabelle, a goat belonging to Pat Sugden (Helen Weir) eats Amos' hat when Amos attends Sam Skilbeck's Christening party at Emmerdale.

Amos reports the sorry state of Seth Armstrong's garden to the Reverend Donald Hinton (Hugh Manning). Our Mr Brearly sees it as a major obstacle to Beckindale winning the Best Kept Village competition. Donald consults Alan Turner, who threatens Seth with dismissal if he doesn't tidy up the garden of his home - which is an NY Estates tied cottage.

Seth complies, and is highly commended by the judges, but he ensures that Amos is shown up well and truly by dumping a load of horse manure outside The Woolpack on the morning of the "judgement day"!

Amos takes up meditation and delivers half-baked sermons on philosophy to Mr Wilks and the regulars.

Amos' Aunt Emily and brother Ezra (Martin Matthews) turn up when Amos' Uncle Arthur dies. Aunt Emily is determined to stop her brother, Sidney, getting his hands on Uncle Arthur's valuables. But things don't go according to plan, and the will reading reveals that Uncle Arthur has left a load of worthless tat to Emily, Sidney, Amos and Ezra.

Ezra at The Woolpack, with Walter and Wilks.

Amos organises the annual Christmas Show at the village hall and books a local New Wave rock band to attract youngsters. Amos is so horrified at the din the band makes, he tries to turn the sound down - and fuses the lights, plunging the hall into darkness. Amos is convinced that he is a laughing stock in the village for fouling up the show and takes some time to get over it all.

1984:

Peter Schofield debuts as Ernie Shuttleworth of The Malt Shovel, a role previously (and very briefly) played by John Comer.

Amos goes to a health farm for three days rest and relaxation... but it turns out disastrously when he discovers they don't serve potatoes for dinner or sell pipe tobacco.

Annie Sugden (Sheila Mercier) accompanies Amos to the local Licensed Victuallers' Association ball. Amos ends up leaving in a strop and a taxi, believing that Annie has left the ball with Ernie Shuttleworth. But she hasn't and is annoyed that Amos has left her there. Amos ends up with some apologising to do.

Amos is puzzled when his regulars start leaving The Woolpack
en-masse every night, each time returning after an hour. He follows them, and discovers they are attending Ernie Shuttleworth's "Happy Hour" at The Malt Shovel. There is bad feeling between Ernie and Amos, heightened when Ernie tampers with the clock at The Woolpack, ensuring that Amos and Mr Wilks are caught by Police Sergeant MacArthur (Martin Dale) serving drinks after hours.

Amos grows neurotic after Nellie Ratcliffe suffers a gas leak. He's convinced that there is a leak at The Woolpack. There isn't, but the cooker blows up anyway when Amos tampers with it to make it "safe". A grand meal he has prepared for friends is splattered all over the room. Amos and Mr Wilks decide that it's time to redecorate.

Amos and Mr Wilks install a microwave oven - these were regarded as "new fangled" gadgets back then. Amos asks Annie Sugden for advice - but she's never even seen a microwave oven before! Chaos ensues as Amos tries to puzzle it out.

Seth Armstrong and Amos are in competition to win the village show with their marrows. Seth's exhibit wins on weight - and as he hoists it triumphantly, a load of nails fall out! Seth is disqualified and Amos wins.

Keep an eye on this article - it will grow!

Saturday 16 May 2009

When Did Ronald Magill Leave The Permanent Cast Of Emmerdale?

Liz writes:

I know you only deal with the 1980s here, but can you make an exception because I'm mighty puzzled? When did Ronald Magill leave the permanent cast of Emmerdale Farm? I always thought it was January 1991, but I read recently on a Digital Spy soap forum that he "went part time" in 1991, and actually left in 1995?

The Bugle says:

Well, the 1980s are really our bag, but we'll make an exception just this once, Liz!

Ronald Magill left the permanent cast of Emmerdale in 1991, as you originally thought. He did a few short guest stints after that, up to 1995 we believe, but he was guesting, not on a "part time" contact.

When he left in 1991, Ronald Magill was honoured with his own tribute show from YTV - Last Orders For Amos, and also appeared on Wogan, where he had his famous mutton chop sideburns shaved off!

Fond farewell - Amos and Mr Wilks outside the Woolpack in 1991 - Amos actually called Mr Wilks "Henry"! - and (right) Ronald Magill appearing with Terry Wogan shortly afterwards.

Tuesday 5 May 2009

When Do We Get To 1984?

1984 - friendly service from Henry Wilks (Arthur Pentelow). Meanwhile, Walter - played by Al Dixon from 1980 to 1985 - gets a new hat and faces a difficult time with charming mine host Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill).

An e-mail from Cerys, who asks:

At the end of last year, you promised us Beckindale tales of 1981 and 1984. Well, we've had lots of 1981 so far, but no '84. Have you changed your mind?

No, Cerys - I just got a load of material together from 1981 and thought I'd do things in year order. We have a couple of further visits to 1981 ahead, then it's 1984, I promise!

1984... when Amos tackles a microwave oven. Can Annie Sugden, a dab hand with an Aga, help? No, sadly not - she's never even seen a microwave oven before... Chaos ahead!

Also, why are Amos' customers periodically deserting The Woolpack en masse? Amos decides to interrogate Walter - who is (strangely) silent...

1984 is a very troubled year at The Woolpack... And elsewhere in Beckindale...

Relive it all here soon!

Saturday 7 March 2009

1981: Mr Wilks - The Red Indian!

Dolly Skilbeck took her role as head of the Beckindale playgroup very seriously, and had no hesitation in going to Henry Wilks, who had become parish councillor for Beckindale in 1981, when it seemed maintenance was needed at the village hall, where the playgroup was held.

The rent the playgroup paid, which hadn't been raised in years, was increased slightly and some of the major work was carried out. But Dolly still wasn't happy. When a little girl scraped her knee slightly on a nail sticking up out of the floor, Dolly determined to get Henry on-side. The general opinion in Beckindale was that the village was not getting a fair deal out of the rates - in comparison to larger places like Hotten.

Dolly invited Henry to spend some time at the playgroup. At first he was sceptical: children did scrape their knees, and the hall looked fine to him. He spent several hours at the playgroup, getting involved in face painting and reading stories to the children. By the end of it, he was so taken with the playgroup and the children that, although he still didn't see why Dolly was so up in arms, he vowed his support to her.

Dolly was very pleased with herself for seeing the issue through, and even more so when money was provided to carry out the repairs.

Mr Wilks left the playgroup in a great hurry on the day of his visit, realising that he would be late back at The Woolpack, and not wanting to incur the wrath of Amos.

But laughter not frowns greeted his arrival at the pub: he's forgotten to remove his face paint and head dress!

Arthur Pentelow at the Corner Shop, Esholt, in the 1980s. Always a tempering influence on Amos (particularly necessary during Amos' manic-to-the-max '80s era), Mr Wilks was one of Beckindale's best-loved villagers, and a huge favourite with viewers of Emmerdale Farm.

Friday 14 November 2008

The Emmerdale Farm Who's Who Of The 1980s - Part 2: Always There - Cast And Characters Who Spanned The Entire Decade...

If you switched on Emmerdale Farm in the 1980s, who would you be assured of seeing throughout the entire decade? First and foremost would have to be Sheila Mercier (Annie Sugden), seeing out a decade of tremendous change in Beckindale. She remained a central character, although her scenes were somewhat reduced after the death of Toke Townley (Sam Pearson) in 1984. Annie was still very much the head of the Sugden family and could always be relied upon to provide support and advice. In 1989, her strength appeared to be crumbling, and she became briefly addicted to tranquillisers. But, Annie being Annie, she was soon back to her old self. And we were very glad.

Ronald Magill - the wonderful Amos Brearly of The Woolpack Inn - was another splendid Emmerdale Farm actor who spanned the entire 1980s. This was a tremendous decade for Amos, as Seth Armstrong (Stan Richards) became a regular at The Woolpack in 1980, and the very odd silent Walter (Al Dixon) also joined the regulars that year. Amos chuntered at Walter and was wound up to the hilt by Seth. Amos' 1980s were days of fads, strange relatives, allotment rivalries, strippers, leaking cisterns and general mayhem at The Woolpack. Simply terrific.

Arthur Pentelow - "Mr Wilks" to Amos, "Henry" to others, was the calming voice of reason at The Woolpack and a great friend and business partner to the family up at Emmerdale Farm. He also became a parish councillor during the 1980s. Henry survived all Amos' absurdities, and his daughter Marian's marriage problems, and was the man Tom Merrick advised Jackie to turn to if ever he ran into problems. Henry was never a saint but he was a warm and caring character who hid his warm heart under a gruff exterior. We loved Mr Wilks. We loved Amos. We loved The '80s Woolpack!

Stan Richards - Seth Armstrong - began his career in Emmerdale Farm as a temporary character in 1978, made several appearances afterwards, and became a full-timer in 1980.

In the summer of 1980, Seth switched loyalties from The Malt Shovel to The Woolpack and was soon appearing in the Emmerdale Farm story lines as much as the longer-established characters. Seth's glory days became even more glorious when Alan Turner arrived at Home Farm in 1982.

Almost making it on to this list were Frederick Pyne - Matt Skilbeck - who left the cast in November 1989 (Matt last appeared on-screen in December), Hugh Manning - the Rev Donald Hinton, who left the cast in the summer of 1989 and Clive Hornby (Jack Sugden) - who made his debut in February 1980. Frazer Hines (Joe Sugden) was present at the start and at the end of the 1980s, but took three years out (1983-1986) in-between!


Saturday 6 September 2008

1981: The Cat And The Hat

Amos and Mr Wilks admire the new hat in 1981. Inset: Auntie Emily Brearly on her first visit to The Woolpack in 1980.

Emily Brearly's first visit to The Woolpack had caused much disruption. She had been horrified to find her nephew, Amos, meddling with the occult - bog-a-boos no less! - and departed in a great flurry - telling Amos that he should have the pub exorcised!

In 1981, Auntie Emily sent Amos a gift - a wonderfully classy hat. Very dressy. Too dressy in fact.

"This is the type of hat as history is made in," said Amos.

Amos' pleasure soon turned to disgust as his friends and neighbours sniggered to themselves whenever he came into view in his natty headgear, and Seth Armstrong serenaded him across Main Street: "Where did you get that hat, where did you get that hat?"

Mr Wilks and Walter were not impressed.

Amos did not want to give into the local philistines - he certainly didn't want to give into Seth Armstrong - and, besides, his feared Auntie Emily had bought him the hat and she would be not happy if she knew he wasn't wearing it.

Finally, he hit on a solution: Mr Wilks had adopted a pregnant cat, due to have her kittens any day. Amos decided that the hat was the perfect home for the new family - and organised things so that it looked like the cat had chosen it herself.

Of course, he couldn't possibly wear it now!

But Mr Wilks secretly guessed what he'd done, and told Amos that he felt dreadful about the loss of the hat (he, after all, had adopted the cat) and that he was going to buy Amos a new one, just the same as the original, from the very same shop.

Amos squirmed, and owned up.

Friday 5 September 2008

Did The Malt Shovel Ever Appear On-Screen?

1984/1985 - barmaid Doreen (Sandra Gough) catches Mr Wilks' eye. Amos does not approve. He's also not keen on having Ernie Shuttleworth in such close proximity! Photograph courtesy of Bill Sands.

An e-mail from Wendy asks if the interior of The Malt Shovel, the arch rival public house to The Woolpack, ever appeared on-screen?

I have some episodes from 1981, Wendy, in which Seth Armstrong revisits the 'Shovel - his old local (he became a regular at The Woolpack in 1980) - and both interior and exterior are seen. I believe the interior of the pub was also seen in the 1984/1985 storyline involving Mr Wilks and Doreen.

Tuesday 5 August 2008

1980: A Tale Of Three Marrows...

It all began in the spring of 1980, when Seth Armstrong phoned The Woolpack with a message for Amos. As it happened, Amos was down in the cellar at the time, so Mr Wilks took the message, which was that Seth had news for Amos and would be calling in later that day.

Amos was not happy. He hated phone calls of this nature, and he was ill at ease wondering what Seth wanted.

Amos was suspicious of Seth at the best of times: "Any man who spends as much time as he does in't Malt Shovel when he could drink good beer in't Woolpack... He needs watching."

The Malt Shovel was Seth's "local" at the time - although as 1980 wore on, he switched to The Woolpack, which didn't please Amos either.

Seth had invited Sam Pearson along to hear the news he had for Amos.

"What were you phoning me about this morning, Seth Armstrong?" asked Amos. "Mr Wilks said it were important. You can have folks worrying leaving that sort of message."

"It's about your allotment," said Seth. "It's come through sooner than expected." Amos had applied for an allotment some months before. "There's been one disused for awhile up near't Ramseys'..."

"Well, what's that got to do with me?"

"It's yours now. I know how disappointed you were when you didn't get one a few months back. So, me as Chairman and't allotments committee have moved heaven and earth to get you this one."

Amos was most unhappy. He confided in Mr Wilks: truth to tell, he'd gone off the idea of an allotment. But he didn't want to turn it down when so much trouble had been taken to secure him one.

"Anyway, Seth and Sam were waiting for me to back down - I could see it in their eyes."

And the Brearlys had their pride.

Amos made his way to the allotments and consulted a rough map Seth had drawn... where was his plot?

Then he saw it: "Oh, 'eck!!"

Amos had been allocated a shambles of an allotment. And he knew Seth Armstrong had done it on purpose.

"You'll sort that out in less than five minutes, Amos," said Seth later that day in The Woolpack. "Anyway, digging runs in't family, don't it?"

"Eh?" Amos was puzzled.

"Undertaking!"

"I hardly thinks that's the sort of comparison to go making in polite company," bristled Amos. "Anyway, techniques are quite different."

"How?" asked Seth.

"I've no intention of discussing that sort of thing over my bar!"

"Well, Amos, if you can't cope..." said Sam, impishly.

"Of course I can cope! Us Brearlys have always been noted for keeping a good garden - we've always had brown fingers!"

- So, fleet of foot and light of head, Amos made his way down to the allotments again to start work on transforming his patch the very next day.

Off with his duffle coat, out with his fork, dig in, and...


... immediate humiliation as the fork handle snapped in two. Of course, there were a couple of village worthies nearby to spread the news of Amos' glorious debut at the allotments all around Beckindale.

However, the Brearlys were not to be put off by minor setbacks, and when Sam and Seth arrived to check on Amos' progress (this should be a laugh, they thought!) they were taken aback to find that Amos...

... was bringing order to what had previously been chaos. Neighbouring allotment holders were agog.

Of course, the physical toil took its toll on Amos and one afternoon Seth and Sam called on him and found him in a very undignified state...

... sleeping like a true allotment holder.

Amos set to to study horticulture and came across a "deep bed planting method" he reckoned was well worth a try.

It involved not walking on the soil - hence the plank.

Several villagers got told off for treading on his precious patch of ground: "I'll not have my horticultural facilities sabotaged!" Seth and Sam were, despite themselves, interested in Amos' efforts and Sam even suggested that they might have to look to their laurels.

Amos even bought a propagator. He really was very devoted to his hobby.
-
Until a new fad came along.

As 1980 progressed, Amos held a charity auction and investigated bogles (what?!) in the locality. The allotment fell by the wayside and soon Seth was complaining about the weeds which were beginning to sprout there.
-
Mr Wilks made fun of Amos' neglect of the allotment and, stung, Amos set out to make amends. Once on his patch of God's good earth, he lifted a piece of sacking and found...

... a magnificent marrow - which he had planted but which had since grown with no help from him!

So, horticulture was well and truly back on the agenda. Seth and Sam were in heavy competition with marrows for Beckindale's annual horticultural show, but Amos reckoned he had the winner.

Seth was well pleased with his little beauty, and went to feed it some of his top secret preparation a few days later...

... unaware that he was being spied on.

But then...

... he did become aware: "What do you want, Amos Brearly?!"

Of course, Amos was all innocence.

Sam was later bothered by Seth in his shed. The competition was intense, and Seth was out to discover the strength of the opposition. Having seen Seth off with a flea in his ear, Sam settled down to play his recorder. Then a terrible thought struck him!

Outside, it was plain that Seth had no intention of leaving Emmerdale Farm just yet. Stealthily, he set off in the opposite direction...

Until Sam appeared and pointed out that the direction Seth was taking led to his garden...

... and that he should be walking in the opposite direction - off the farm.

Well, of course, Seth was all injured innocence.

The day of the show dawned, and Amos applied the final beauty treatment to his pride and joy:
-
"Are you sure it's according to the rules for you to do that?" asked Mr Wilks.
-
"There's nowt in this but a drop of oil and vinegar, Mr Wilks, and nowt illegal in giving it a sheen."
-
All was hustle and bustle in Beckindale as preparations for the show began...

Seth arrived with his marrow in a little cart behind his bike...

Amos arrived, as did Sam. Their greetings were friendly on the surface, but highly guarded:
-
"Morning, Sam."

"Morning, Amos."

"Nice day for't show."

"Aye."

"Aye. Very nice."
-
Amos could see that Sam was looking at him with thinly veiled hostility.
-
"I'll see you inside."

"Aye. I daresay."

"Aye," said Amos and scuttled off towards the marquee.

On the way he met Seth:

"Morning, Seth."

"Morning, Amos."

"Nice day for't show."

"Aye - nice day."

"Aye, very nice."
-
You could have cut the atmosphere between the two men with a knife.

Marrows all laid out in the marquee, it was time for Amos to open The Woolpack. Seth and Sam joined him there for a drink. Tension was running high. The Judgement Hour loomed.

Richard Anstey, NY Estates boss, who had been at the show earlier, came in.

"Judging's not done yet?!" cried Amos.

"Oh, aye - they're letting the crowds in. They decided to start early because of the bowls match." For Beckindale was taking on Robblesfield that afternoon.

"Who won?" Seth was highly agitated. He had to know who had won the best marrow section.

"I didn't see that. I can tell you who won..."

But Seth, Sam and Amos were off: "MR WILKS - TAKE CHARGE!!" squawked Amos, as he shot out of the door.

Mr Wilks was highly amused: "I don't know about the three minute mile," he told Richard, "but I reckon there's gonna be summat close to it there!"

The three men flew from the pub...

... and across the village...

... to find a very large marrow had joined theirs in the marquee - and what's more, had been awarded First Prize!
-
The three men stumbled to a halt:
-
"Whose is that?" cried Seth.
-
"Mine!" cried a jaunty female voice. "I thought I had a chance! And they're so easy to grow, en't they?"
-
And there was Nellie Ratcliffe, winner of the Best Marrow Prize in the Beckindale Horticultural Show, 1980.
-
Amos, Seth and Sam were numb with horror. Sam was even more distraught when the realisation hit him that his marrow had been awarded joint second prize along with Seth's and Amos'. Imagine being lumped in with those two!!
-
Amos carried his disgruntlement back to The Woolpack where the locals were reeling: Robblesfield had won the Butterworth Ball. It was a grim day for Beckindale.
-
Mr Wilks reminded Amos that he had other fish to fry with The Hotten Courier, which cheered him up a bit. He even bought a round of drinks for his customers.

Meanwhile, through the back lanes of Beckindale, wended a weary figure on a bike. A broken man. A man who had been subjected to complete and utter humiliation.

"Nellie Ratcliffe! Anybody but Nellie Ratcliffe!!" he was muttering.