1985: The Harvest, The Robbery, The Marriage Break-Up, The Royal Connection...

Harry Mowlam established an alibi at The Woolpack in 1985.

Here's some highlights from four 1985 episodes - comedy, sadness, high drama, farming, mundane moments...

On hearing that Henry, Prince of Wales, visited Beckindale in 1420, and that his servants stayed at a local coaching inn, Amos becomes convinced that the inn was the Woolpack: "You can see him now, can't yer? The Prince of Wales on his armour plated steed, outside these premises, calling to his merry men: 'We few! We happy band of brothers! We'll stop here. I know the premier licensed house in't district when I see it!' Oh, it fills you with pride, don't it, Mr Wilks?"

Whilst Amos drives everybody mad with that little scenario, Jack, Matt and Jackie are in a race against time to get the harvest in at Emmerdale Farm as the weather forecast says rain. It had been Jack's idea to get the harvest in late, and he works through the night, with Jackie Merrick and Matt Skilbeck working shifts alongside him.

Things are going well, when, the next day, Matt and Jack discover that Harry Mowlam has blocked their right of way up to the top twenty acres with stone from a wall he is repairing. Harry refuses to shift the stone - walling is skilled work, the repairs could take two weeks, he says, gloatingly. Jack gives him three hours to shift the stone, or he'll contact the law.

Jack is furious and wants to phone his solicitor as soon as he returns to the farm house. Annie tells him, "No", and is convinced that Jack has contributed to the bad feeling with Harry. Sadly, she doesn't know Harry! She tells Jack to get some sleep and check out the situation in a couple of hours - Harry may have moved the stones by then.

When Jack comes yawning downstairs later, a storm breaks and the rain pours down. Jack is beside himself with fury and stands in the rain shouting: "Damn you, Mowlam, DAMN YOU!!"

Next day, Emmerdale Farm LTD counts the cost of the lost harvest - six thousand pounds. Annie disagrees with Jack that the whole incident was Harry's fault, and points out that it was him that insisted on a late harvest.

Harry Mowlam visits the Woolpack with Derek Warner, a villainous ex-associate of Tom Merrick, and another man - a stranger to the district. The three men arouse Amos's suspicions, and he says he'd love to know what they are talking about! When Matt and Jack come in, a row erupts over the blocked right of way.

When Harry returns to his two friends at the table, Derek advises firmly that Harry should play the good neighbour. After all, they don't want the law on the scene. Harry agrees and tells Jack he'll clear the stone right away - and he'll have no further trouble. Jack comments bitterly: "It's too late now, anyway!" But Harry bustles off. He later tells Amos that God punished Jack for taking risks with late harvesting by sending the rain.

Annie exchanges sharp words with Jack, convinced that he's being unfair to Harry Mowlam. She says that perhaps Harry moved the stones because he'd decided it was better to try and get along with people. She says she's lived at the farm for forty years and seen worse neighbours than Harry. She talks of the days when she was a girl and neighbours were good to each other. The Sugdens had not always been good neighbours, particularly in Jacob's time. But there wasn't all this talk of bringing in the law and the farmers' union. Most neighbours tried to help each other. Clifford Longthorn's father often took care of the Sugdens' stock when Jacob was drinking.

Annie is pleased to receive a letter from Joe in France and is replying when Jack enters the kitchen to make his peace over their difference of opinion. She confesses that she's ageing - it takes her longer to do things these days - and that she can't understand why the family has so many disagreements. Jack says it was always so. Annie agrees: "Maybe it's me that's changed!" But she bangs her fist on the table, and states firmly that she will not be ignored! Jack hugs her, tells her that would be impossible, makes them a pot of tea and reads Joe's letter.

Sandie Merrick leaves Emmerdale Farm for work that morning and goes across the fields to catch the bus from the Connelton Road. Derek Warner and two associates are laying in wait there, to rob the security van bringing the wages for the NY Estates men to Home Farm.

At The Woolpack, Walter and Harry Mowlam are waiting outside when the pub opens. Harry seems in a very mellow mood, and tells Amos he has plenty of time to wait when the barrel needs changing before he can have a pint. Harry is setting up an alibi - Amos, Henry and Walter will become witnesses to his position when the raid takes place on the security van. He later goes to the table outside so that locals passing can see him there, quietly drinking his pint. He becomes even more noticeable when he harasses the vicar about his sermon last Sunday.

On the Connelton Road, Warner and associates, in stocking masks, ambush the van and threaten the drivers with gelignite unless they open the doors. The drivers do so and are quickly tethered. Horrified Sandie witnesses the scene from a field nearby, and is seen by Derek Warner, hurrying away.

Warner and co rob the van and then make off: "Sweet as a nut!" says Warner.

One of the security guards also witnessed Sandie hurrying away and tells Sergeant McArthur. McArthur is concerned and hopes he can find the person before the robbers do.

From the Hotten Courier, 1985.

Alan Turner is concerned that he is unable to pay the men at NY. He gives Seth a cheque, and Seth is horrified, always having dealt in cash. Henry comes to his rescue by cashing it.

Amos blames Seth when the Beckindale Horticultural Society hits financial difficulties and decides there will be no 1985 show. Seth decides to set up "The Seth Armstrong Horticultural Show" and get the vicar, Donald Hinton, to judge it. He tells Amos it's "five quid" to enter - but advises him not to bother - "you won't win owt!"

Amos decides to set up "The Amos Brearly Horticultural Show" on the same day as Seth's show, and get the vicar to judge that, too. Bitter rivalry erupts between the two old enemies.

Seth Armstrong is annoyed when Amos goes into competition with him, Mr Wilks is bothered by Amos's obsession with a possible link between The Woopack and royalty, Walter sees all, hears all, says nowt.

Mrs Bates tells Alan Turner that her marriage is over. Malcolm is seeing another woman. He has told her that he always thought that their marriage was a sham, and was only staying until the children grew up. "He won't leave me, so I'm leaving him!"

Mrs Bates admits that her marriage was not perfect, but she is stunned by recent developments. She's taking her teenage children to stay with her sister in Richmond.

Alan tells Terence that he is worried about Mrs Bates - "She's a good sort" - and he likes his staff to feel that they can take their problems to him. Terence advises Alan to allocate Mrs Bates an NY Estates cottage. Alan agrees it is a good idea. Terence cynically comments that women of Mrs Bates's age are usually grateful.

Alan tells her Mrs Bates that NY Estates has a slightly run-down cottage in Main Street, Beckindale, where she could live. He would charge her a cheap rent of £30 or so a month. Mrs Bates is pleased.

Pregnant Dolly Skilbeck is suffering from morning sickness. When Mrs Bulstrode tells the vicar that Nellie Ratcliffe's flowers always get a better position in churtch than hers, and refuses to lead the Sunday school any more, Donald asks Dolly to help out for a few weeks. Dolly happily agrees, but Matt is concerned that she's overdoing things. Dolly tells him it's only an hour a week for about four weeks, and her friend Liz McDonald is going to help her.

Meanwhile, Jackie Merrick meets his Indian girlfriend Sita's father. Dr Sharma is not impressed with Jackie and tells Sita that Jackie is: "An English boy without great prospects and little education." He refuses to meet Jackie's family. Sita is upset, but her father tells her to think about the situation. Sita replies: "I HAVE thought about it!"

Jackie and Sita discover opposition to their wedding plans.

When Sandie gets home, she finds Jack tinkering with a farm vehicle in the yard. "Eventful day?" he asks her. She replies that it was all right, and makes her way towards the farmhouse, looking terrified...

Matt And Dolly And A Shaggy Dog Story - And Changing Times In Beckindale...

Daily Mirror, December 15, 1983.

Ben belonged to the horrifying Harry Mowlam (Godfrey James) and Matt Skilbeck (Frederick Pyne) snatched him after he witnessed Harry kicking him.

Of course, Harry wasn't having this - Ben was his property - and he wanted him back...

And there was trouble.

But Harry didn't succeed in getting Ben back.

The terrified dog proved a handful - and frightened the wits out of Dolly (Jean Rogers) when she took him some food to the outbuilding. The hairy beast cornered her, snarling most alarmingly...

But all turned out well in the end.

Until 1985. When Harry Mowlam turned his sights on Beckindale again.

And he hadn't forgotten the Skilbecks...

Was Emmerdale Farm a seething hotbed of anger and passion in the 1980s?

No.

But it certainly wasn't as safe as it had once been.

Many of the story-lines revolved around Amos and Mr Wilks (Ronald Magill and Arthur Pentelow) - in their absolutely golden era, Mrs Bates and Mr Turner (Diana Davies and Richard Thorp) in the NY office at Home Farm, Seth Armstrong (Stan Richards) on the cadge or the wind-up, domestic affairs with Matt and Dolly, and the romance between Kathy (Malandra Burrows) and Jackie (Ian Sharrock).

But we also had snarling Tom Merrick (Edward Peel), devious Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell), and, in his early days, awful Alan Turner.

Baddies made their mark on Beckindale, and at least one stuck around.

But the anger and passion were always balanced by beautifully mundane and often comic scenes.

When Derek Warner (Dennis Blanche) almost ran Harry Mowlam over in 1985, and then threatened him with a knife, we were treated to hilarious scenes in the same episode with Alan Turner and the Rev Donald Hinton (Hugh Manning) rehearsing for the Christmas play.

When Jack Sugden (Clive Hornby) was bedding Karen Moore (Annie Hulley) in a hotel room in 1984, the show kept flipping to scenes of Amos and Mr Wilks confronting each other over the breakfast table, or Matt and Jackie dealing with a ram at Emmerdale Farm who was no longer "up to it" and, as Matt said, "ready for the meat pie factory".

The scenes of mating sheep on the farm, and Jack's apparently high-minded affair with Karen, which was simply amounting to humans mating in an adulturous fling, seemed beautifully thought out.

Well, it certainly made me think!

Stability won the day in the Beckindale of the 1980s.

It was more chit-chat and sheep, comedy and everyday drama than anything else.

However, although Beckindale had never been an entirely safe place before the 1980s, there was a feeling that the big bad late twentieth century was brandishing a fist at the village rather more than in the past.

Hotten Courier, Beckindale Edition, 1985

Whilst Annie Sugden tended her Aga, Matt Skilbeck tended his sheep and Walter silently supped at The Woolpack, elsewhere in Beckindale, things were not so serene...

ARMED MEN IN WAGES SNATCH

A security van on its way to deliver wages to NY Estates was held up by armed robbers on a lonely road near Beckindale yesterday.

The masked gunmen, who were also carrying explosives, drove a herd of cows into the path of the security van, forcing it to stop, and then threatened to blow up the vehicle unless the guards handed over the money.

The gunmen escaped into the trees with £10,000 and police believe they had a getaway vehicle parked nearby.

"I don't know what I'm going to tell my employees," said NY Estates Manager Mr Alan Turner. "We don't have enough money on the premises to pay their wages, and many of them have wives and children to support."

The police would like to hear from anyone who has noticed an unusual or suspiciously parked vehicle in the Beckindale area recently.

Oh dear. Could this next story be related?

RECORD PRICE PAID FOR FARMLAND

Thirty acres of land previously owned by Mr Clifford Longthorn were put up for auction this week by Golding & Sons, the auctioneers, and achieved the record price of £1,600 an acre.

The land, which adjoins Emmerdale Farm run by Mr Jack Sugden, and property belonging to NY Estates, was bought by Mr Harry Mowlam, an ex-quarry owner.

"I'm delighted," said Mr Mowlam. "This is my first venture into farming and I'm planning to put sheep on the land.

"It was quite a battle, but the other bidders dropped out in the end. £1,600 an acre seems a fair price to me."

Mr Sugden, who was also bidding for the land, was not available for comment...

Meanwhile, Alan Turner and NY Estates were, once again, not exactly the community's pet loves...

TODDLERS POISONED IN CROP SPRAYING ROW

Twelve Beckindale toddlers, all members of the Beckindale Playgroup, were being treated for poisoning last night after a crop spraying incident.

It is thought that the children, all suffering from sickness, diarrhoea and skin rashes, were exposed to a pesticide used in crop spraying while they were on a nature walk in woods near the village.

"I think it's disgraceful," said playgroup leader Mrs Dolly Skilbeck, whose two-year-old son Sam is now being treated by the doctor. "Anyone irresponsible enough to spray their crops in a high wind when there are children about ought to be locked up."

Mr Alan Turner, manager of NY Estates, on whose land the incident occurred, said he was mystified by the whole thing.

"I know nothing about it," he said from the estate office near Beckindale. "All my employees are highly trained and experienced men. There is no way they'd spray the crops in harmful conditions. The children are probably suffering from food poisoning or some sort of virus."

Wasn't there any good news? Well, yes, young Jackie Merrick, recently out of hospital after being run down by the aforementioned Mr Alan Turner, had come sixth at the local sheepdog trials, and in the year of Live Aid, Beckindale had organised its own musical effort to help the starving...

BAND PLAYS TO FEED THE HUNGRY

The starving thousands in Ethiopia are to benefit from a charity concert held in Beckindale last week.

The Hotten and District Brass Band assembled outside The Woolpack Inn in Beckindale High Street and kept the villagers entertained with a medley of popular tunes.

The weather smiled on the proceedings and Mr Amos Brearly, landlord of the Woolpack, was kept busy all afternoon serving drinks and snacks to the thirsty crowds.

"All the profits will be going to Ethiopia," said Mr Brearly, "and I'm very proud to do my bit."

"It was a grand day," said band member Seth Armstrong, who played the triangle. "I reckon everyone enjoyed it."

Nice.

And, on another positive note (perhaps), the Beckindale Players were planning their next venture:

BECKINDALE PLAYERS SEARCH FOR A TOAD

The Beckindale Players have announced this year's Pantomime Production is to be Toad Of Toad Hall. Rehearsals are due to start in the village hall soon.

Anyone interested in taking part should contact the Rev Donald Hinton on Beckindale 6347. All the villagers are looking forward to what should be another splendid production from the Beckindale Players.

Do you recognise the faces behind the masks?

The '80s Bad Boys Of Beckindale...

The first of the 1980s bad guys who brought a touch of the ruthless to Beckindale was one Alan Turner - manager of NY Estate's Beckindale venture at Home Farm.

Alan swept into Beckindale in 1982. He blustered and bullied, and was thoroughly grotty to his staff - which included Joe Sugden. Women like Barbara Peters, the vicar's glamorous daughter, who worked for a time as Alan's secretary, could see through him and, despite his romantic overtures, kept their distance.

Interviewed in 1993, Richard Thorp recalled the turning point in Alan's life...

"Oh, Alan was an absolute stinker in the beginning, he rubbed everyone up the wrong way. The major influence on him was Mrs Bates who was played by Diana Davies. In the very first scene we did together I was losing my temper, ranting and raving, so she sent me up and it came across when we did the scene."

Mrs Bates arrived in 1984 and simply couldn't keep a straight face...

And so Alan became a lovable, comic character...

Remember the time in 1986 when he went on a diet, bought an exercise bike, talking scales, and took up jogging? By the time he reached the Woolpack after his first jogging session, he was close to collapse - and in fact he did so as soon as he entered the pub, flopping inelegantly onto the floor before the startled regulars.

"My gaffer!" said Seth Armstrong.

"My floor!" said Amos Brearly, who'd just cleaned it.

Not all the Beckindale '80s baddies turned out to be good fun in the end. Harry Mowlam (Godfrey James) was a thoroughly nasty piece of work who brought much unhappiness to Matt and Dolly Skilbeck when they intervened over Harry's mistreatment of his dog.

Mr Mowlam then left the scene for a time, returned in 1985, and was soon involved in a security van robbery, netting £6000. Harry had a huge inferiority complex - he thought that the village, and the folk at Emmerdale Farm in particular, looked down on him. He plagued the vicar, the Rev Donald Hinton, with questions and statements about religion, was a generous buyer of drinks in the Woolpack, and had a sadistic streak a mile wide.

When Dolly miscarried the baby she was carrying in 1985, Harry was very much on the scene and Matt later confessed that he thought Harry was the cause of the miscarriage. In 1986, Matt treated several of Harry's ailing sheep - taking them up to Emmerdale to do so. Three of the sheep died, through no fault of Matt's, but Harry, who had not given permission for the sheeps' removal to Emmerdale in the first place, was furious.

He frightened Dolly further by accosting her in Beckindale, then stole several Emmerdale sheep to "make good" his loss. Unfortunately Matt caught him in the act.

"I'm gonna break your bloody back..."

A terrible fight took place, entirely initiated by Harry - at one point he seemed set to squeeze the life out of Matt with a fierce bear hug. Matt fought back, Harry tripped and fell backwards into the beck and Matt left him with Mowlam's comforting assurance "I'll 'ave you, Skilbeck!" ringing in his ears.

The next day, out on a walk, Henry Wilks found Harry dead.

Matt was accused of the crime and endured several months of hell until the true culprit, Harry Mowlam's accomplice Derek Warner (Dennis Blanche), confessed to the crime, holding the Rev Donald Hinton hostage at St Mary's Vicarage before finally giving himself up to the police.

Richard Franklin (formerly Mike Yates of "Dr Who") with Frazer Hines (formerly Jamie McCrimmon of "Dr Who"). Photograph courtesy of Bill Sands.

Next on the list of '80s baddies is businessman Denis Rigg - played by Richard Franklin.

Turning up in 1988, Denis wasted absolutely no time in making enemies. He was too old to be a yuppie, but he was, however, a ruthless old school businessman - not ashamed to use underhand methods to get his way.

His desire to turn part of the area, including Emmerdale Farm, into a quarry not surprisingly met with resistance from the Sugdens in 1989. Rigg used various devious and underhand tactics to "persuade" them, including trying to get their long-term friend Henry Wilks on his side. After years in business himself, Henry knew Rigg's type, told him so, and showed him the door.

Rigg went to the farm to continue his campaign, cornered Joe in an outbuilding, tried the sweet approach, then turned nasty. Unfortunately, Rigg's tone and animated manner upset Emmerdale's prize bull, which Joe was tending at the time. Rigg was crushed against the wall by the bull and died.

So, judging by Alan, Harry, Derek and Denis one can assume that Beckindale's '80s baddies either turned nice, disappeared to prison never to return or got bumped off. But that's not absolutely true...

This man arrived to work as auctioneer at Hotten Market in 1986, and judging from his manner to his assistant, Sandie Merrick, right from the first, would not be qualifying for any Charmer of the Year awards.

Smiling in triumph in 1989, Eric Pollard's reign of rottenness was only just beginning as the show leapt into the increasingly far fetched '90s...

And no, he's never turned nice, never disappeared into prison forever, and never got "bumped off". Eric Pollard is one '80s Beckindale bad guy who still runs rampant - over twenty years after his debut.

Said Christopher Chittell of the role:

"There are certain destructive elements in all of us which we try to keep subdued, but they raise their ugly heads from time to time..."

1984: Harry Mowlam And Walter...

Harry Mowlam (Godfrey James), owner of the quarry at Connelton, had been troubling the good people of Emmerdale Farm since late 1983.

And he mistreated his pet dog, causing Matt Skilbeck (Frederick Pyne) to take the animal and give it refuge at the farm.

Harry didn't like that. He didn't like that at all.

He threatened to take Matt to court.

Harry was twisted and rotten to the core.

He refused to pay Mike (Martin Barrass), Archie (Tony Pitts) and Jackie (Ian Sharrock) their full dues when they did some work for him, and Henry Wilks (Arthur Pentelow) got the surprise of his life, in early 1984, when he found Harry sitting on the Woolpack bar stool usually occupied by Walter (Al Dixon).

When Walter arrived and tried to reclaim it (silently, of course), Harry simply ignored him, forcing the poor old gent to retreat further into the corner and drink his pint standing up!

This underlined to us viewers what a horror Harry truly was - how dare he take Walter's seat at The Woolpack?! The swine!!!

Jackie arrived and could not resist making a few loud and antagonistic remarks about Mr Mowlam. Harry frowned.

When Jackie left the pub, Harry followed him - nobody got the better of him if he could help it! He was out for revenge.

As Jackie made to leave The Woolpack car park on his motorbike, Harry pulled out in front of him in his Land Rover, causing Jackie to fall from the bike.

Fortunately, no harm was done to either Jackie or the bike.

And inside The Woolpack, Walter was able to return to his usual perch.

Of course, he said nothing. But judging by the expression on his face, he was not impressed by Mr Mowlam.

And neither were we, the viewers.

Godfrey James was a truly memorable baddie as horrific Harry.

The explosive quarry owner seemed rivetingly real.

Mind you, from 1983 to 1984 Harry was an absolute pussycat compared to what he got up to in 1985.

And 1986 brought a violent end to his life.

Read our Bugle posts about the Brute of Beckindale - and the excellent Godfrey James who played him - here.

Uttered In The '80s Part 7: "P*SS OFF!"

Ah, the 1980s! The man from Del Monte, he say Yes, Frankie, they say Relax, the Scotch Skeleton he say Re-Record, Not Fade Away (more here), and the man from Beckindale's local quarry, he say PISS OFF!

Harry Mowlam (Godfrey James) blasted into Emmerdale Farm in late 1983, the early months of Richard Handford's stint as producer. And he was trouble. In fact, you can give that "trouble" a capital 'T'.

Harry was rude to Dolly, dumped a load of stones in the Emmerdale farmyard, and mistreated his dog.

Richard Handford was giving the show a shake-up, and there is no doubt that this shake-up was influenced by Brookside's debut. Emmerdale Farm had never been as cosy as some believe (indeed, in 1981, Pat Merrick had been hit and bruised by her soon-to-be-ex-husband Tom) but under Richard Handford's leadership in 1983 the pace gathered speed, scenes grew shorter, and a real baddie arrived...

The breath-taking Harry Mowlam. The awe-inspiring Harry Mowlam. The terror-inducing Harry Mowlam.

And, via Harry, Emmerdale Farm followed in Brookside's 1982 footsteps by letting fly some verbal naughtiness in 1983.

Brookside supremo, Phil Redmond, had wanted down-to-earth language to feature in the new serial from its beginning in November 1982. He'd wanted a few choice words and phrases sprinkled into the dialogue. Like real life. But the audience hated the swearing, and Redmond dropped it, puzzled over the fact that, whilst people swore in their everyday lives, and knew they did, they seemed to have a deep-seated need to be offended by hearing it on the telly.

In late 1983, as Beckindale's thoughts turned towards Christmas, Matt Skilbeck (Frederick Pyne) witnessed Harry Mowlam abusing his dog and stole it away from him.

Harry was furious, and when young Mike (Martin Barrass) made a joke about the sorry state of the dog's kennel, Harry asked him what he knew about the dog?

"Nothing, it's just a joke, that's all," said Mike.

"Piss off!" said Harry.

In homes across the land, mouths dropped open... knives and forks clattered onto plates from suddenly nerveless fingers...

And then a howl of "WELL REALLY, HOW DISGUSTING!" (probably followed by torrents of outraged expletives), went up from houses all round the United Kingdom.

Toke Townley (Sam Pearson) once recounted a conversation with an Emmerdale Farm fan who told him that the show, for her, did not represent how life was, but how it should be.

It seems that, by 1983, this was changing...

Harry Mowlam didn't stick around that long initially... but he later returned...

Read all about him here.

Harry Mowlam: Brute Of Beckindale

Ah, Beckindale in the early-to-mid 1980s...

Annie at her Aga, Amos behind the bar at the Woolpack, the Rev Donald Hinton being concerned for the spiritual welfare of his flock, our Jackie making a mess of things, Grandad Pearson making a crib for the Christmas nativity, Jack and Matt creosoting a fence and talking about the meaning of life...

1980s? Some said it was so sleepy it could almost have been the 1880s! As one viewer told Toke Townley: "Emmerdale Farm isn't about how life is, it's about how life should be."

Then, BANG! POW! the late 20th Century burst in, turning village life upside down, in the shape of Harry Mowlam.

Harry had a brief innings in the show in late 1983 and early 1984, when Matt and Dolly fell out with him over his mistreatment of his dog. But in 1985 he blew back in to Beckindale - worse than ever, chip firmly on shoulder.

Mr Mowlam had a cruel, villainous streak a mile wide and was quickly involved in a security van robbery.

As 1986 began, the man turned his venom back on to the Skilbecks - and finally there was a terrible fight with Matt, entirely initiated by Mr Mowlam, and the man ended up dead, with Matt accused of his murder...

Life in Beckindale had never been absolutely cosy - the early years of the programme had featured murder, suicide, rape, a teenage pregnancy, adultery, arson and a gun hold up. But Beckindale had never seen the likes of Harry Mowlam before.

The part was an acting triumph for Godfrey James - Mowlam, whether wallowing in self pity, bantering in the Woolpack, battering Matt Skilbeck or menacing Dolly, was absolutely believable, a bearded hulk of a man, as turbulent and changeable as the Yorkshire weather. And thoroughly twisted.

From the Yorkshire Evening Post Emmerdale Farm 1,000! supplement, 1985:

He's the nastiest man ever to walk the streets of Beckindale. A big, bearded loudmouth whose loathsome behaviour earned him a smack across the face from Dolly Skilbeck.

Godfrey James, who plays the hated Harry Mowlam, has even been spat at in the street by real-life old ladies who take exception to Harry's wild antics on the box.

"Mowlam is thoroughly hated," said Godfrey. "He's a nutcase. He's a bit touched."

Playing the villain comes easy to the surprisingly mild-mannered Godfrey. Off-screen, he's nothing like the man who gets up the noses of everybody down on the farm.

But bad guy parts have regularly come his way in films and TV.

And he's so convincing, it often lands him in trouble with people who can't tell the difference between fiction and reality.

He might have got spat at for looking like Mowlam, but his part as a hard man in "The Sweeney" almost got him beaten up in a London pub.

"I was down in the East End when these characters tried to have a go at me," he says. "They wanted to see how tough I was."

The East End is Godfrey's home ground. He was born there 54 years ago, the son of a greengrocer who, he says, "didn't like the idea of me becoming a woofter actor."

After a brief stint as Harry in Emmerdale Farm, Godfrey James was invited back a couple of years later for a longer run.

Filming in Yorkshire means long spells away from his home in Pevensey Bay, East Sussex, where he lives with his wife Vivienne - "she's a cracker" - and spends his leisure time at sea in his own fishing smack.

They've been married for 32 years and have a daughter, Tracy, 24, named after the film star Spencer Tracy. She works as a nurse.

He doesn't like hotels, so he's brought his caravan north and let it come to rest in a pub car park.

He's managed to convince the regulars that he's not quite as distasteful as Harry Mowlam. They even play dominoes with him.

The '80s Bad Boys Of Beckindale...

The first of the 1980s bad guys who brought a touch of the ruthless to Beckindale was one Alan Turner - manager of NY Estate's Beckindale venture at Home Farm.

Alan swept into Beckindale in 1982. He blustered and bullied, and was thoroughly grotty to his staff - which included Joe Sugden. Women like Barbara Peters, the vicar's glamorous daughter, who worked for a time as Alan's secretary, could see through him and, despite his romantic overtures, kept their distance.

Interviewed in 1993, Richard Thorp recalled the turning point in Alan's life...

"Oh, Alan was an absolute stinker in the beginning, he rubbed everyone up the wrong way. The major influence on him was Mrs Bates who was played by Diana Davies. In the very first scene we did together I was losing my temper, ranting and raving, so she sent me up and it came across when we did the scene."

Mrs Bates arrived in 1984 and simply couldn't keep a straight face...

And so Alan became a lovable, comic character...

Remember the time in 1986 when he went on a diet, bought an exercise bike, talking scales, and took up jogging? By the time he reached the Woolpack after his first jogging session, he was close to collapse - and in fact he did so as soon as he entered the pub, flopping inelegantly onto the floor before the startled regulars.

"My gaffer!" said Seth Armstrong.

"My floor!" said Amos Brearly, who'd just cleaned it.

Not all the Beckindale '80s baddies turned out to be good fun in the end. Harry Mowlam (Godfrey James) was a thoroughly nasty piece of work who brought much unhappiness to Matt and Dolly Skilbeck when they intervened over Harry's mistreatment of his dog.

Mr Mowlam then left the scene for a time, returned in 1985, and was soon involved in a security van robbery, netting £6000. Harry had a huge inferiority complex - he thought that the village, and the folk at Emmerdale Farm in particular, looked down on him. He plagued the vicar, the Rev Donald Hinton, with questions and statements about religion, was a generous buyer of drinks in the Woolpack, and had a sadistic streak a mile wide.

When Dolly miscarried the baby she was carrying in 1985, Harry was very much on the scene and Matt later confessed that he thought Harry was the cause of the miscarriage. In 1986, Matt treated several of Harry's ailing sheep - taking them up to Emmerdale to do so. Three of the sheep died, through no fault of Matt's, but Harry, who had not given permission for the sheeps' removal to Emmerdale in the first place, was furious.

He frightened Dolly further by accosting her in Beckindale, then stole several Emmerdale sheep to "make good" his loss. Unfortunately Matt caught him in the act.

"I'm gonna break your bloody back..."

A terrible fight took place, entirely initiated by Harry - at one point he seemed set to squeeze the life out of Matt with a fierce bear hug. Matt fought back, Harry tripped and fell backwards into the beck and Matt left him with Mowlam's comforting assurance "I'll 'ave you, Skilbeck!" ringing in his ears.

The next day, out on a walk, Henry Wilks found Harry dead.

Matt was accused of the crime and endured several months of hell until the true culprit, Harry Mowlam's accomplice Derek Warner (Dennis Blanche), confessed to the crime, holding the Rev Donald Hinton hostage at St Mary's Vicarage before finally giving himself up to the police.

Richard Franklin (formerly Mike Yates of "Dr Who") with Frazer Hines (formerly Jamie McCrimmon of "Dr Who"). Photograph courtesy of Bill Sands.

Next on the list of '80s baddies is businessman Denis Rigg - played by Richard Franklin.

Turning up in 1988, Denis wasted absolutely no time in making enemies. He was too old to be a yuppie, but he was, however, a ruthless old school businessman - not ashamed to use underhand methods to get his way.

His desire to turn part of the area, including Emmerdale Farm, into a quarry not surprisingly met with resistance from the Sugdens in 1989. Rigg used various devious and underhand tactics to "persuade" them, including trying to get their long-term friend Henry Wilks on his side. After years in business himself, Henry knew Rigg's type, told him so, and showed him the door.

Rigg went to the farm to continue his campaign, cornered Joe in an outbuilding, tried the sweet approach, then turned nasty. Unfortunately, Rigg's tone and animated manner upset Emmerdale's prize bull, which Joe was tending at the time. Rigg was crushed against the wall by the bull and died.

So, judging by Alan, Harry, Derek and Denis one can assume that Beckindale's '80s baddies either turned nice, disappeared to prison never to return or got bumped off. But that's not absolutely true...

This man arrived to work as auctioneer at Hotten Market in 1986, and judging from his manner to his assistant, Sandie Merrick, right from the first, would not be qualifying for any Charmer of the Year awards.

Smiling in triumph in 1989, Eric Pollard's reign of rottenness was only just beginning as the show leapt into the increasingly far fetched '90s...

And no, he's never turned nice, never disappeared into prison forever, and never got "bumped off". Eric Pollard is one '80s Beckindale bad guy who still runs rampant - over twenty years after his debut.

Said Christopher Chittell of the role:

"There are certain destructive elements in all of us which we try to keep subdued, but they raise their ugly heads from time to time..."

Sexed Up In The '80s?

I've had an interesting e-mail from Francois who asks if it's true that Emmerdale Farm became "sexed up" and "grittier" in the mid-1980s and adopted its modern day style way back then?

In a nutshell, to a degree and no.

Emmerdale Farm did become raunchier in the mid-1980s. Jack Sugden's adulturous relationship with Karen Moore was something of a departure for the show and, in August 1985, Emmerdale Farm's creator, Kevin Laffan, stopped writing for the show after a series of disagreements about its content.

The show also became a little grittier as the decade wore on.

But looked upon from the viewpoint of the modern day saga, episodes from the '80s look positively quaint!

Here's a rundown of some controversial Emmerdale Farm events from the 1980s:

1983 - Sandie Merrick becomes pregnant at eighteen. She is unmarried.

1984 - Jack Sugden has an affair with Hotten Market auctioneer Karen Moore.

1985 - Jackie Merrick is run over by Alan Turner in his car. Roadside scenes featuring the character liberally sprinkled with "blood" are sometimes cited as being a shocking moment in the show's history.

1986 - Harry Mowlam is murdered.

1986 - Sandie Merrick begins a relationship with married Phil Pearce, who leaves his wife and family to set up home with her.

1987 - Eric Pollard, a new found enemy of Sandie's, breaks into her home and brandishes a poker at her. He ends up confiding in her and breaking down. Sympathetic Sandie drives him home.

1987 - the villagers unite to prevent a nuclear waste dump being built near Beckindale.

1988 - Dolly Skilbeck has an affair.

1989 - teenager Rachel Hughes has an affair with married Pete Whiteley.

In the 1980s, Emmmerdale Farm/Emmerdale certainly became pacier, raunchier, sexier, but did it adopt the style of modern day Emmerdale? "Nay, nay, nay, Mr Wilks!"

1986: A Fond Farewell To Walter!

Al Dixon as Walter in one of his last "Emmerdale Farm" appearances in 1985.

Al Dixon became the Woolpack's second Walter in September 1980 - rather quirkier than the first, and also rather more silent! Mr Dixon, from his debut onwards, stood out as a memorable face in The Woolpack crowd.

The second Walter became a much loved feature of the series. Then, in the autumn of 1985, Al Dixon suffered a stroke. It was hoped, initially, that he would recover and be able to return to the Woolpack bar in the near future. In the meantime, advance location filming kept Walter on screen (outside the Woolpack and at the village hall) until Christmas.

A cover story was needed to explain Walter's absence at the Woolpack. In an episode broadcast in January 1986, Harry Mowlam commented: "No Walter today?"

-

Amos: "Nay, 'e's not 'ere."

-

Harry: "So I can see."

-

Amos: "Walter, I regret to say, has gone down South - Worthing. Humph! He'll be there weeks an' all. Oh, I know 'e'll be glad to see 'is sister, but I'm not sure what 'e'll make of all them fancy licenced 'ouses down there - I think yer know what I mean!"

-

Al Dixon's death in March 1986 put paid to any hopes of a return to Beckindale for Walter.

-

As far as I know, Walter was not killed off in the show.

-

So, I'm left to conclude that the Sussex sea air, the Worthing public houses and his sister's cooking were very much to his liking!

Oh No - It's Harry Mowlam!

TV Times, 31 August - 6 September 1985. Quarryman Harry Mowlam (Godfrey James) is back for another stint in Emmerdale Farm. Mr Mowlam first appeared in a storyline in which he mistreated his dog, and ended up clashing with Matt and Dolly Skilbeck.

In 1985, his return heralded more trouble for Matt and Dolly - Mowlam made improper advances to Dolly and, shortly afterwards, she suffered a miscarriage. Mowlam had other irons in the fire - he was one of the crooks in a storyline about a security van robbery, which spilled over into 1986. After the robbery, Mr Mowlam was murdered by his associate Derek Warner, who ended up holding the vicar, the Reverend Donald Hinton, hostage at gunpoint.

Whilst Derek Warner seemed a sad, desperate and inadequate man, worthy of some sympathy at least, Harry Mowlam had been a complete and utter swine and was not mourned in Beckindale.

Matt Skilbeck was originally accused of Mowlam's murder, and the threat of a prison sentence hung over him until the true culprit was discovered.

Matt found it difficult to join in the celebrations which followed. Why should he celebrate the fact that his liberty was no longer threatened when it should never have been threatened in the first place? He brooded long and hard, but finally bucked his ideas up when he realised the effect his depression was having on those closest to him, particularly Dolly.

Note: Emmerdale Farm was still being shown at 5.15pm in the Anglia TV region and was returning for a "new series".

1986: The Night The Mobile Phone Arrived In Beckindale...

A freezing cold night in 1986, with snow on the ground, and a figure came running down from The Struggle...

... and into the village of Beckindale.

Young Kathy Bates (Malandra Burrows) emerged from her mother's house to fetch something from the car and heard the sound of metal dustbins clattering and a cat yowling. She paused, alarmed. But everything was still.

At the Woolpack...

... Amos (Ronald Magill) was unhappy. He was suffering from conjunctivitis (or "conjunc-tia-vities" as he called it), hence his pirate-style eye patch...

... and Seth (Stan Richards) never tired of teasing him about it.

Having left the pub, Seth started for home...

... and was surprised when two police cars come roaring into the village, sirens going "nee-norr"...

Seth never liked to mix with the police. This feeling got the better of his curiosity and he continued on home.

Curtains twitched at the Woolpack as the police arrived there. The regulars were told that a dangerous man was on the loose.

Over at the village church, the Reverend Donald Hinton (Hugh Manning), locking up for the night, was startled when Derek Warner (Dennis Blanche) jumped out on him, brandishing a shot gun.

At the vicarage, Derek told Donald Hinton that he was the killer of local Mr Nasty Harry Mowlam (Godfrey James)...

A siege was underway, Derek told the vicar he could leave, but the Rev Hinton, stirred by his plight, decided to stay and talk to him. Outside, the police wanted to phone the vicarage and on came a hand-held mobile phone!

It was a Motorola analogue model - state of the art. The first mobile phone call in England - indeed the whole of Britain, had been made by comedian Ernie Wise at St Katherine's Dock, London, on 1 January 1985. The very first commercially available hand-helds had been unveiled by Motorola in 1983. They were hugely expensive and many of us dismissed them: "Yuppie toys - ridiculous, haven't they ever heard of phone boxes?!!"

So, the first sighting of a hand-held mobile in Emmerdale Farm was quite a milestone in the serial's history!

Back to the storyline, and the assembled police (including village bobby Sergeant MacArthur, played by Ian Dale) awaited developments at the vicarage. Finally, Derek emerged with the vicar, and was hustled away by police officers.

.

Life in Beckindale soon settled down again, but the glimpse of the mobile phone was an indication that a great technological change was soon to impact on everyday life in the village. And everywhere else!

.

When you add to that the invention of the World Wide Web by Tim Berners Lee in 1989, which brought the Internet into all our homes in the 1990s, and the arrival of Sky TV, also in 1989, it seems surprising just how recent the advent of the technology we now take for granted actually was.

.

Read more about the arrival of mobile phones in the 1980s here.