Beckindale Bugle - Emmerdale Farm In The 1980s: Amos And Mr Wilks

Sunday 3 May 2009

Amos And Mr Wilks - A Question Of Nationality

Amos serves up Mr Wilks' dinner.

I recently went to a wonderfully inclusive, totally non-racist St George's Day celebration in my locality, attended by people of many different racial backgrounds. It was an altogether terrific day (I was persuaded to do some morris dancing, but fortunately no cameras were present), and since then I've found myself pondering politics.

Devolution has brought about many changes in the UK, including a National Assembly for Wales and a National Parliament for Scotland. England continues to be ruled wholly by the UK Government at present, but there has been a reawakening of the knowledge that England is merely a country within Britain, and not Britain itself (in the past, this fact tended to get muddled!).

So what did Amos and Mr Wilks consider their nationality to be?

Well, back in 1981, Amos described Mr Wilks as being "English and Yorkshire!"

In 1982, Mr Wilks, speaking of Amos, told a Spanish visitor to The Woolpack: "He's not English - he's Yorkshire!"

Interesting...

Amos was definitely Yorkshire. And English too, I'm sure.

But, most of all, he was Amos.

It's my belief that if he'd had "Beautifully Barking" emblazoned across his passport, that would have described him far better than any mere nationality!

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INTRODUCTION

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

So, I decided to share them with Emmerdale historians.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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