Tuesday 21 October 2008

Competition: What A Nightmare! Beckindale With A Dallas Twist!

The Woolpack Inn, Beckindale, December 19, 1989: 7.15 am - Amos Brearly wakes up and goes downstairs to find Mr Wilks preparing a full English breakfast for them both...

"Mr Wilks!" he groans, "I've just 'ad this terrible dream. It seemed to go on for years. Them Tates what 'ave just moved into Home Farm turned out to be right nasty, and there was a plane crash in't village, and Emmerdale Farm fell down, and the post office blew up, and there was a seige at Home Farm and a house blew up in a gas explosion, and a baby died - one o' them cot deaths - and the people who thought they were't parents found out it was somebody else's baby, and there was a seige at Home Farm and a family called King moved in and one of them put his step-mother's coffin in a bin lorry and people in't village were being right strange - like they were actin' in a third rate pantomime... and there were a lot else besides..."

Mr Wilks smiles: "Amos, how many times have I told you not to eat cheese just before bed?"

So, it's still December 1989. Amos has dreamt all the events taking place in Beckindale/Emmerdale from December 1989 right up to 2008. Now, it's over to you! How do you imagine the saga may have continued if there had been no plane crash? If Amos hadn't retired in 1991? If Emmerdale Farm hadn't fallen down? Could Matt and Dolly have been reconciled? Should the teen element in the show have been raised - or lowered? What about the Tates, newly arrived in November 1989 - how would you have developed their characters? Would you have brought in the modern day characters of the Emmerdale saga? Would you have changed the name of the village?

What exactly would you have done if you were taking the show into the 1990s - and beyond?

Please share your alternative Beckindale Beyond The '80s Vision with us here at The Bugle - e-mail or leave your thoughts in the Comments. Our favourite entry will win colour signed photographs of Arthur Pentelow (Mr Wilks) and Ronald Magill (Amos Brearly) from the 1980s.

Monday 13 October 2008

What's On Your Mind?

The early 1980s: Joe confides in Mr Wilks at The Woolpack.

A lot of e-mails/comments in my absence. There's a few, with answers, here...

"Sandie Merrick" writes:

The feminist fight seems pretty rampant in 80's media. Do you think Annie Sugden was a positive image for women, tied to the Aga all day long? Or, as you're a man, do you think feminism is all a load of clap trap?

As a blokey type bloke I daresay I shouldn't venture an opinion, Sandie, but yes, I think Annie was fine. She was the rock, the person who kept the farm and family together. She was also a prominent figure in Beckindale - with her work as a churchwarden and on the WI.

No, I don't think feminism is a "load of clap trap" - but I must say I think gender issues are far more complex than feminism allows. The biggest influence pushing me towards a traditional working class English male stereotype personality when I was a child was my mother's! What is it they say? "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world"!

From Mark:

Your Walter stuff is most excellent. Do you think Geoffrey Hooper and Al Dixon were playing the same character, because they seemed so different?

A friend of mine recently asked me the same question, Mark. Geoffrey Hooper was originally simply an extra in Woolpack scenes, and the production team later decided to name him and bring him forward a little.

I think Geoffrey Hooper's Walter was more of a prop than a character - on-screen for Amos to chunter to. He looked far more ordinary too - he was seen in the background in Woolpack scenes, interacting with other regulars and talking!

Al Dixon's Walter looked strikingly different and was far more prominent and silent. It was in the Al Dixon era (1980-1985) that Walter became a cult. Mr Dixon was actually recruited to play Walter as a character.

Al Dixon's Walter was not recruited to resemble Geoffrey Hooper's version, and producer Anne W Gibbons simply stated that there had been a tradition of having a Walter in The Woolpack. She seemed keen to expand on that tradition and flesh it out. I believe that the two Walters were linked, one based on the tradition established by the other, but not actually intended to be the same person.

I think Walter was a fun gimmick.

For ease of reference, I personally refer to the two Walters as Walter Hooper and Walter Dixon!

These are simply my opinions - but if you watch a Geoffrey Hooper episode of Emmerdale Farm, then an Al Dixon episode, it is evident that Al Dixon was not trying to imitate his predecessor. And Walter was quite a common Christian name amongst elderly men in those days.

From Sara P:

Can we have some more late 1980's stuff on here? Lately you seem to be favouring the first few years!

LOL, Sara! Up until recently comments were telling me I was favouring the last few years of the '80s! Coming up is more info on 1981 and 1982, then I intend to move on up the decade to 1986!

Christopher says:

I'm told Emmerdale was all about sheep in the 1980's. Was it?

No! But there were a lot about. I was watching a 1986 episode whilst eating my dinner a few months back and was not terribly keen to see Matt Skilbeck actually delivering a lamb - in full detail! But '80s Emmerdale Farm was also about Matt and Dolly, and Annie and Sam, and Amos and Mr Wilks, and Walter and Seth, and Archie and Nick, and Alan Turner and Mrs Bates, and Kathy and Jackie, and Sandie and Phil, and Jack and Pat, and Joe and Barbara, and the Rev Donald Hinton and Harry Mowlam, and...

More comments answered very soon! Thanks for all the e-mails!

Tuesday 30 September 2008

Meadows White

An e-mail from Stockholm:

Hello Thanks for a nice informative Blogg :)

Earlier this year i bought the " Emmerdale farm first series dvd" and in at least one episode "Walter" together with another gentleman was sat outside "Frank Blakeys" Smithy And the name in the list was " Meadows White"


Thanks for that. Meadows White is mentioned as a Beckindale Walter in several of the 1980s Walter articles on this blog, but I don't think the character was actually related to the Geoffrey Hooper Woolpack Walter - on-screen circa 1974 to 1980 - or the Al Dixon Woolpack Walter of 1980-1985.

The Meadows White Walter was not silent and, in the episodes I have, he was not in The Woolpack. Also, according to his IMDB profile, Mr White died on 20 November 1973 - several years before Geoffrey Hooper appeared as the first Woolpack Walter.

Many thanks for taking the trouble to write.

Sorry for the lack of blog updates this month - but I'm currently in hospital. Things will hopefully be back to normal in the near future. I'm hoping to be back very soon with an in-depth look at Beckindale in 1981 and 1982.

Read about Al Dixon's 1980s Walter here.

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.

Sunday 31 August 2008

Farewell, 1980 - For Now!

And so we bid farewell to 1980 - for now! It was a truly memorable Emmerdale Farm year, which saw the arrival of Clive Hornby as Jack Sugden, Jean Rogers as Dolly Skilbeck, Al Dixon as silent Walter, Martin Dale as Sergeant MacArthur and the debut of Richard Anstey (Carl Rigg) at NY Estates.

The Merricks (Helen Weir, Ian Sharrock, Jane Hutcheson and Edward Peel) apparently "returned" - but all had different faces - and Ruth had a different Christian name too - she was now Pat! Also, the family seemed to be minus a child as Ruth Merrick had been the mother of three children in the 1972 episodes!

Seth Armstrong made a huge change in the summer of 1980 - deserting The Malt Shovel, his local for many years, to drink at The Woolpack, dramatically increasing the character's on-screen appearances - and driving Amos Brearly madder than ever!

Annie Sugden had a bad knee, the Longthorns first appeared, and Joe went to NY Estates to work...

By the end of the year, Walter and Seth were established at The Woolpack, Andy Longthorn was making eyes at Sandie Merrick and we had finally broken out of the NY Estates office to begin exploring life with the estate workers.

Amos celebrated Christmas with some traditional bell ringing at The Woolpack.

1981 would bring what 1981 would bring...

A tractor falling on Enoch Tolly?

Amos Brearly grappling with one of those new fangled Space Invaders machines?

Seth Armstrong being a lousy gamekeeper and facing the sack?

Bitter battles with NY Estates over right-of-ways?

Arson at NY Estates?

A burglary at Emmerdale Farm?

Surely not!!

Friday 29 August 2008

Home For Matt And Dolly In 1980...

At home with Matt and Dolly Skilbeck in 1980...

An e-mail from Dennis asks:

Where did Matt and Dolly Skilbeck live in 1980?

At Emmerdale Farmhouse. They slept in the attic conversion bedroom. Dolly set her sights on the old Hathersage farmhouse in 1981, but it was in too poor a state of repair.

In October 1982, Matt and Dolly moved into the new barn conversion cottage at Emmerdale.

Saturday 23 August 2008

1980: Bogles In Beckindale...

It all began in the autumn of 1980. Seth Armstrong (Stan Richards) was doing a spot of taxi driving for Jim Blake, and one of his fares this particular night was Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill), co-proprietor of The Woolpack Inn, Beckindale. The car engine had been behaving erratically throughout the journey but, finally, on a lonely road by Bogle Bog, it conked out.

Seth suggested that they should walk back to Beckindale...

... but Amos was having none of it. They couldn't walk back it was dark. The Hotten Courier had hired the cab to get Amos home after a function, the taxi proprietor was legally bound to do just that, Amos was ex-artillery - he knew his rights, Seth must go back to the phone box they'd passed earlier and phone the taxi firm from there and demand another vehicle be sent out to them. And whilst he was at it he must also phone Mr Wilks (Arthur Pentelow) - it was late and he'd be wondering where Amos had got to.

Seth asked him if he was afraid of Bogles (more about them later) but Amos hotly refuted the idea.

Seth went. Amos clicked on the car radio. Beneath all his bluster he was actually quite afraid, being out there alone at that time. It was around midnight. The newsreader provided little comfort - just a tale about a man trapped on a ledge of rock in the Lake District by a freak storm. Amos changed channels, to find a dreadful winky-wonky instrumental version of Smile Though Your Heart Is Breaking...

He was listening to an equally winky-wonky version of Amazing Grace when he saw it. A light, moving around and going on and off in the sky over Bogle Bog...

Amos stepped out of the taxi. Instinctively, he thought Seth was to blame, playing one of his daft tricks. But when Seth returned, coming from the opposite direction, Amos knew he was wrong. Seth didn't see the light and doubted Amos' word. The Woolpack landlord was a barmpot anyway. How could there be a light out there? That was Bogle Bog...

What is a "Bogle"? Well, according to my trusty old dictionary, it's a spectre or goblin, a scarecrow or bugbear.

The word is claimed to be of Scottish origin - although Emmerdale Farm had a strong Yorkshire flavour in the 1980s, and I fail to see how a word that originated from Scotland would be deeply embedded in Beckindale folklore. I wonder if the word is in reality simply Northern British - perhaps derived from the Vikings.

Much is made of various colloquialisms being strictly Scots/Welsh/English - but the simple fact is that this is a tiny island and national borders (and indeed county) are entirely artificial. It's next to impossible to be entirely sure - and things often overlap. The Welsh fancy that the quaint phrase "round by here" is Welsh is another uncertain claim - I've also heard it just across the border in England.

Bogles, it seems, can manifest themselves as lights in the sky. Boggy areas are often renowned for this phenomenon - and names for it differ in various parts of the UK. "Will O' The Wisp" is another. Variants on the "Bogle" name in Beckindale included "Boggarts" and "Bog-A-Boos".

The logical scientific explanation is that the lights are created by marsh gases.

Amos, of course, was neither logical nor scientific, and thought he had seen an alien space craft. UFOs were very big in 1980 - the BBC radio serial Waggoners' Walk had contained a UFO story line in its closing months, Close Encounters was just three years before, The Empire Strikes Back was debuting at cinemas, and ET was a couple of years ahead. The pop group Hot Chocolate scored a major hit in 1980 with their excellent UFO ditty No Doubt About It.

Amos took to studying the skies over The Woolpack...

... and was quite alarmed when a crash helmeted young man called at the pub for a drink, stating that he came from a long, long way away. Was he an alien? The man was very interested in Bogle Bog and was camped out near there.

As it turned out, the young man was called Ned and he was at Bogle Bog with a metal detector, searching for Roman artifacts. He had some success, and told Amos about a legend he had read whilst doing his research: Romans fleeing from a villa in the locality during the Boadicea era, had seen a strange light over what was now Bogle Bog - and attributed it to an evil Bogle!

So it wasn't an alien space ship Amos had seen, it was a Bogle. Well, at least that's what our Mr Brearly thought!

He phoned Mr Tyler, editor of The Hotten Courier, and told him he was going to research the subject of Bogles and write an article.

This he did, although he had moments of uncertainty. What if Bogles read The Courier and were upset by what he wrote? Mr Wilks was amused. That was assuming that Bogles could read, let alone that they read The Courier, he told Amos.

Amos was going well over the top in 1980. The arrival of Seth as a Woolpack regular and Walter (Al Dixon) seemed to be making him pottier than ever. He told Mr Wilks that The Courier was the only local paper they could read - there was only one!!

I agree with Amos - it's likely that any self respecting Bogle would be keen to keep abreast of local news!

The article was published. Towards the end of 1980, Amos had cause to upbraid Mr Wilks about the inconsiderate nature of his relatives. Alice Wilks (Hazel Bainbridge), Mr Wilks' cousin, had announced she would like to visit him with very little notice, and Mr Wilks had agreed.

But if Mr Wilks' relatives were inconsiderate, Amos' were even more so: his Auntie Emily (Ann Way) turned up out of the blue in her old fashioned car, almost colliding with the Emmerdale land rover before she reached Beckindale.

Sam Pearson (Toke Townley) commented that Amos Brearly had been in Beckindale for around twenty years. In all that time, Sam hadn't even known that Amos HAD an auntie! Matt Skilbeck recalled that Amos had been expecting a visit from an aunt some years before - but she hadn't actually turned up.

Auntie Emily was a large eyed, somewhat bird-like woman in appearance, who bossed Amos around, sat in the bar with her knitting, and was decidedly different to your average relative. It was easy to tell she was a Brearly. Mr Wilks actually wondered if she might be a Bogle!

Mr Wilks' cousin, Alice, was relaxed and charming. Very much a Wilks. She and Auntie Emily managed to fall out and gently tiffed for a while, but a party at Emmerdale Farm, thrown by Annie Sugden in honour of the visitors, lessened the tensions.

Then came the day when Auntie Emily got herself into a state of "high dungeon" as Amos called it: she saw the article Amos had written about Bogles in The Courier and told him he should never have done it. Such things as "Bog-A-Boos" should be left strictly to themselves.

She told Mr Wilks that she hoped she would meet him again, although she would not be returning to The Woolpack, and left in a great flurry, telling Amos he should have The Woolpack exorcised.

Amos' loss of interest in Bogles was immediate.

And, as far as I know, the lights in the sky were never seen again. Auntie Emily returned in 1983 however.

Tuesday 19 August 2008

1980 Month - Feedback And Queries

First, some queries:

Pete asks: "Is it true that Seth Armstrong was not a regular at The Woolpack in early 1980?"

Of course, Pete. He was a Malt Shovel man. In early-to-mid 1980, Seth was a semi-regular in the storylines - there are a couple of quite long runs of episodes where he didn't appear at all. By about midway through the year he was a Woolpack regular - winding Amos up at every opportunity! In December, Tom Merrick called Seth a "snob" for deserting The Malt Shovel.

Lorraine asks: "How long did Nellie Ratcliffe appear for?"

I believe that Nellie was originally a temporary character, established in 1978 for a storyline about NY Estates seeking to evict her from her cottage. In 1980, she appeared occasionally - featuring quite heavily in storylines about the horticultural show, Sam Pearson's birthday, the return of the Merricks to the village and the Allotment Association's bonfire night celebration. She also featured in 1981. Amos mentioned her in 1986 and it seems she was still a village resident, but I don't think she appeared on-screen at that point.

Nick asks: "I remember the Merricks' caravan as being quite convincing, was the interior real or a studio set?"

It was convincing, but I believe it was a studio set.

Mrs Shook asks: "Did we actually see The Malt Shovel in 1980?"

No, it wasn't featured - and neither was Ernie Shuttleworth, who underwent a change of actor in the early 1980s.

Greg says: "Tom Merrick, nicking Christmas trees - I read that was 1981."

No, Greg, it was just before Christmas 1980.

Thanks to all those who have written with compliments and suggestions about 1980 Month. I have been asked if a "1981 Month" is a possibility. It certainly is, but will take some time to prepare and will not appear until October at the earliest if I choose to go ahead with the idea.

Sunday 17 August 2008

1980: Introducing The Longthorn Family...

1980 - making plans - Matt Skilbeck (Frederick Pyne), Jack Sugden (Clive Hornby) and Dolly Skilbeck (Jean Rogers).

Jack's return to Emmerdale Farm in February 1980, and Joe's absence in America shortly afterwards, was leading to changes at the farm. Jack was keen to upgrade the cattle herd and add a couple of British Friesians. The rest of the family hesitated: how would Joe react - after all he'd been managing the farm up to now?

Jack's decision to use his own money to pay for the cattle did not ease the uncertainties, but once he'd consulted with Joe on the telephone, and Joe had agreed to the new venture, it was simply a matter of buying the cows.

And the best farmer in Beckindale - and in fact for some miles around - to supply the cows was one Clifford Longthorn, of Lower Hall Farm.

In 1986, Annie commented to Joe that there had been Longthorns in Beckindale before there were Sugdens. But none were seen on-screen until 1980.

Clifford (Jim Barcroft) and Peggy (Dorothy Vernon) Longthorn lived at Lower Hall Farm with their teenage children, Andy (David Clayforth) and Carol (Jane Hollowood).

Andy was a bright, studious lad and in the spring of 1980 knew that a confrontation with his father could no longer be avoided. Clifford took it for granted that Andy would carry on the Longthorn tradition of farming and take over at Lower Hall Farm when he retired. Andy saw his future as doing 'A' Levels, going to university, and then becoming a teacher or something else. He didn't quite know what he wanted to do. But he did know that he didn't want to be a farmer.

Clifford was furious. Both he and his father had been happy with farming, and all his efforts had been for Andy. How dare Andy be so ungrateful?

Peggy told Clifford that when it came to raising the children emotionally, Clifford had always left things to her. Andy had a right to want something different from his father.

Carol Longthorn had her own bombshell to drop. She wanted to go to agricultural college and farm!

Clifford could not comprehend this. When it was pointed out to him that Land Army girls had done a sterling job during the war, he said that had been a "National Emergency". He did not want to negate women's abilities, but some things were "men's work".

Andy met Jack Sugden on a walk one Sunday afternoon and, mindful of Jack's difficult relationship with his own father, confided in him.

Jack met Clifford in The Woolpack and rather poked his nose in - to Clifford's way of thinking - speaking up for Andy and Andy's right to decide his own future.

Clifford was highly annoyed, and pointed out that Jack popped in and out of Beckindale as it suited him and had lost touch with what was important to the local people - and the way they thought. He then stormed out.

Things came to a head unexpectedly a few days later when Clifford was brought from his bed by the sounds of a cow in distress. Cherry was about to calf...

Clifford slipped and fell, hurting his back. He called out and managed to rouse his family from their slumbers. They assisted him to get back to the farmhouse.

In great pain with his back, Clifford asked his family to phone Emmerdale Farm - the Sugdens would help...

... but Carol had other ideas. She had assisted at countless calvings and, with Andy to help, was confident she could deliver this calf.

Clifford appealed to his wife, but Peggy was firmly on Carol's side.

And so the calf was born...

... delivered by Carol...

... with no problems at all.

A day or two later, Clifford commented to Peggy that they had a topsy-turvy pair of kids on their hands. But Peggy was convinced that both Carol and Andy would make them proud.

Within a week or two, Clifford was proudly discussing his son's choice of 'A' Levels with Jack Sugden, now the proud owner of two of Longthorn's finest British Friesians, bought at Hotten Market.

Tuesday 12 August 2008

Joe Sugden - "Always One For The Women"?

Joe Sugden, December 1980.

Doreen has written:

I've got an Emmerdale Farm episode from 1983, and in it Henry comments that Joe Sugden was "one for the women". That's not how I remember him - he always seemed a romantic type of man to me, not some randy little swine!

I agree, Doreen. Joe always seemed to be out for more than just sex in his relationships. And he often ended up getting hurt - in the 1980s, he was deserted by Barbara Peters and Ruth Pennington. He always seemed to be seeking something lasting.

Mr Wilks would view things as an outsider - only we viewers were privy to Joe's innermost hopes and fears.

Joe was a nice character - we used to worry about him and his disastrous love life a great deal!

Then, of course, he found Kate Hughes.

Bliss!

And then came 1990...