1980 Emmerdale: Pam St Clement As Mrs Eckersley...

Josh writes:

I'm a huge fan of Pat in EastEnders, and I've heard that Pam St Clement was briefly in Emmerdale in the 80's. Do you know anything about this? She played a woman called Eckersley.

Yes, Josh - Pam St Clement played Mrs Eckersley in Emmerdale Farm, making her debut in episode 561, broadcast in March 1980. She was in the show for five episodes.

Mrs Eckersley was a Beckindale local, and was called into help at Emmerdale Farm when Annie Sugden (Sheila Mercier) and her father, Sam Pearson (Toke Townley), went on a competition-won holiday to Ireland.

She was a capable woman, well able to step into Annie's shoes.

Mrs Eckersley's family consisted of her husband, Harold (Roger Hammond), and teenage daughter, Esmarelda (Debbie Farrington). Esmarelda had written a book and was distressed when her manuscript was rejected by the publishers she'd sent it to.

The newly returned (and recast) Jack Sugden (Clive Hornby), himself a published author, helped Esmarelda through her disappointment.

Locals though they were, once this story-line was complete, the Eckersleys were never seen or heard of in the show again - quite common in those days!

Jane Cussons As Judy Westrop

Jane Cussons - Emmerdale Farm's Judy Westrop.

Bugle reader Gareth requests information on Jane Cussons, the actress who played Judy Westrop in Emmerdale Farm from 1979-1980.

Well, Gareth, the best that I can do is to quote the information from the BAFTA site:

Jane Cussons began her career as an actress, working in theatre and television, including two years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, a year with the Old Vic Company, two major West End plays, numerous television roles and a year on TV soap, Emmerdale. She spent a year at the NFTS as a production manager on student graduation films and in 1988, she produced her first film Unexplained Laughter for BBC1. In 1990, she joined Peregrine Productions as Development Executive, where credits included Feast of July and Crossmaheart. She continued to work in production and casting on projects such as Charlotte Gray, Les Soeurs Soleil, Oscar and Lucinda, The Gathering, Family Money and Deadly Summer. Jane spent six years as Chief Executive of Women in Film & Television until April 2007. She has been a BAFTA member since 1988 and is also a member of British Actors Equity and the Casting Director's Guild, and is a RADA Associate.

Read our Beckindale Bugle Judy Westrop posts here.

Carl Rigg As Richard Anstey

Helen writes:

I recall Carl Rigg in the old soap General Hospital! Very interested to read on this site that he was in Emmerdale!

Yes, Richard Anstey managed NY Estates for a brief spell whilst Maurice Westrop (Edward Dentith) was away in early 1980. He returned later in the year when Maurice went to manage NY's holding in Wales.

Richard became friendly with Joe Sugden (Frazer Hines), and offered him the farm manager's post at the NY Beckindale holding in late 1980.

NY Estates policy sometimes created headaches. Richard did not relish clashes with the villagers over destroying an old hedgerow or creating a new area of conifer tree forest, but was well able to fulfill his role in Beckindale.

Richard was finally told to leave by NY boss Christopher Meadows (Conrad Phillips) in 1981, after it was discovered that he was having an affair with the regional manager's wife, Virginia Lattimore (Wanda Moore). Unrepentant Richard, who, it emerged, had courted controversy in the boardrooms of NY in the past, could not believe that Joe hadn't intentionally helped to bring about his downfall.

He left, talking of going abroad to work.

Judy Westrop - The Burning Issue...

Judy Westrop (Jane Cussons) has a cigarette in 1980.

Harry has written:

I was interested in your post about Emmerdale Farm in early 1980, and the screen grab you featured of Judy Westrop smoking a cigarette. I thought that people on TV were not supposed to be seen smoking until after 7 P.M. in those days? Crossroads, the ATV soap, was certainly subject to this ban and cigarette advertising on ITV had ceased in 1965 (although cigar advertising was still allowed). As Emmerdale Farm was still screened in a few ITV regions before 7 P.M. in 1980, can you explain this?

No, Harry, I'm afraid not!

The character of Judy, was certainly a smoker, although I can't recall any others in Emmerdale Farm at that time.

Perhaps, as the show was scheduled by Yorkshire TV to go out at 7pm, it somehow slipped through the net? I do recall Mrs Tardebigge, the Crossroads cleaner smoking later in the '80s - before 7pm, but I don't know anything regarding the law, broadcasting, and representations of cigarette smoking on the box back then.

If anybody DOES know the facts, I'd be happy to hear from them.

1980: Penny For The Seth...

Annie Sugden (Sheila Mercier) and Dolly Skilbeck (Jean Rogers) were enjoying a quick cuppa one morning in November 1980, when there was a sharp rapping at the window.

"It's Seth Armstrong, I think," grinned Dolly.

Sam Pearson (Toke Townley) entered with the Guy he had made for the Beckindale Allotment Association's firework display. The mask he had bought in Hotten for the Guy had given him ideas, and with a couple of things added it was the spitting image of Seth Armstrong!

-

"Well now, what do you think of this?!" beamed Sam.

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"It's not we think of it, it's what Seth Armstrong will think of it!" said Annie.

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"Oh, he won't mind, Annie, Seth can take a joke!" her father replied.

-

As it happened, the joke was lost on Seth (Stan Richards).

-

Asked by Mr Wilks if he thought the Guy resembled somebody, Seth said yes he did.

-

But he couldn't for the life of him think who.

A wonderful signed photograph of Sam Pearson (Toke Townley) and the Seth Guy Fawkes from 1980 - it's signed by Stan Richards (NOWT LIKE ME - IT'S PRETTIER!) and was on display in the Ashwood Tea Room, Esholt, for some years. The photograph was taken at Lindley Farm, the original Emmerdale Farm exterior location.

Of course, 1980 was a big year for Stan Richards and Seth Armstrong as the character became a full-time permanent regular in the summer.

Happy days!

Maurice and Judy Westrop...

Maurice (Edward Dentith) and Judy Westrop (Jane Cussons), 1980.

In early 1980, Maurice Westrop was head of NY Estates' operation at Home Farm, Beckindale. Maurice lived at the house with his daughter, Judy.

In the spring, Maurice was asked to relocate to the NY holding in North Wales and wanted Judy to accompany him. But Judy, who had just come through a troubled few years, was not eager to move on. She had spent a lot of her life doing that and had begun to make good friends in Beckindale. As she told her father, she wanted to settle down and develop some old friends!

Daily Mirror, May 6, 1980:

Maurice Westrop is to leave Beckindale, but daughter Judy isn't keen to go with him.

Maurice was saddened at the prospect of leaving his daughter. But he accepted her wish to stay in the village. Judy got herself a job at the Hotten Market auctioneers. The only problem was accommodation. Annie Sugden (Sheila Mercier) had the answer - Joe (Frazer Hines) was away in America and Judy could stay at Demdyke Row.

Annie invited Maurice and Judy to a special dinner at Emmerdale Farm before Maurice's departure. Mr Wilks (Arthur Pentelow) made a speech, reminding Maurice that he had made many friends in Beckindale over the last couple of years. Then the assembled company - Maurice, Judy, Sam Pearson, Mr Wilks, the Sugdens and the Skilbecks drank a toast:

"TO THE FUTURE!"

But what the future held in store for the NY Estates Beckindale holding was anybody's guess...

From the closing credits of Maurice Westrop's final episode in May 1980.

Judy stayed in Beckindale for several months after her father's departure.

Emmerdale Farm - Entering The 1980s!

What were the early months of 1980 like in Beckindale? Well, the start of a new decade should have brought smiles to a few faces.

Let's timewarp back and pop up to Home Farm to see Judy Westrop (Jane Cussons). Good old Judy's having a fag and saying: "I'm angry - and I'm enjoying it!"

Oh dear...

And Matt Skilbeck (Frederick Pyne) is at the hospital where there's bad news from the doctor: "I'm sorry, Mr Skilbeck, there's no choice. Your wife's condition is critical. We must operate now."

Oh no! But surely there's better news at The Woolpack? After all, Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill) is sure to want to start the new decade on a positive note...

Oh 'eck! Steady on, Amos - you'll do yourself a mischief!

"ARRRGGHHH!!!"

Too late!

Oh, well... much better news - Clive Hornby made his first appearance as Jack Sugden on 19 February 1980 - and Joe (Frazer Hines) greeted him: "Welcome back to Emmerdale, big brother!"

And a bit later there was a new woman at Annie's Aga - just temporary of course... but, hang on, doesn't she look familiar? Good grief, it's Pam St Clement, later Pat of EastEnders, getting an early taste of soap life as Mrs Eckersley in March 1980.

Eee, and Grandad Sam Pearson (Toke Townley) caught a big smelly fish whilst on holiday in Ireland: "I'm goin' to 'ave it stuffed, and it's goin' in a glass case over't mantelpiece," said Grandad.

Yeuk!

Funny old year. Funny old start to a new decade...

However, villagers and viewers alike were delighted to meet the new Dolly Skilbeck, now played by Jean Rogers. The new Dolly made her screen debut on 1 April, 1980.

More from the early months of the decade's first year soon!

STOP PRESS: GEOFFREY HOOPER - A TALKATIVE FIRST WALTER!

1980: Geoffrey Hooper's Walter chats to Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill) in The Woolpack.

Sometimes people ask me: "Why have you dedicated your blog to Emmerdale in the 1980s? Why the 1980s in particular?"

The fact is that was when I enjoyed the show most.

And all my regular visitors (bless you both!) know that I was a particular fan of Al Dixon - he played Woolpack Walter, from 1980 to 1985.

But regular visitors also know that there were two Walters - Geoffrey Hooper being the first.

Geoffrey Hooper appeared in the show from around 1974 to, I originally thought, 1979. Al Dixon became Walter around September 1980.

Indications were that Geoffrey Hooper's Walter was not always silent - he sometimes spoke. But I imagined him as being very like the Al Dixon Walter, and thought that in his later years he was silent.

Watching some episodes from February 1980 today, I was startled to see Geoffrey Hooper on-screen as Walter at the start of the new decade. Al Dixon's debut was still months away.

I must be honest - although I remember the first Jack Sugden and the first Dolly Acaster/Skilbeck, I don't remember the first Walter at all, so I was fascinated to see him - and to note the fact that he bore no resemblance to Al Dixon.

There he was, in early 1980, with Amos chuntering away to him and about to pull him a pint...

And then it happened!

"'I'll just 'ave an 'arf, Amos," said Geoffrey Hooper's Walter.

"But you never drink 'arfs, Walter!" cried Amos.

"Well, 'appen it does no 'arm to cut down," said Mr Hooper's Walter.

And there it was. Geoffrey Hooper was speaking in a way I could not imagine the 1980s Al Dixon creation speaking.

In his early days, I think I heard Mr Dixon mutter "Thank you," once when Mr Wilks served him. And he laughed out loud when Amos got into a twist over an attempt at DIY plumbing in 1981. But apart from that - silence. In the Al Dixon Walter years of 1980 to 1985, it appeared that the character never spoke - in fact it became something of an in-joke, with viewers in 1983 campaigning for him to speak.

Occasionally, other characters reported things that Mr Dixon's Walter had said, but he never uttered a word on-screen.

However, Geoffrey Hooper's Walter did speak - just how rare an occurrence it was I don't know, but he did speak!

And I've heard him!

And I'm flabbergasted!

I'm also surprised at just how different the two Walters were from each other facially.

I have to say, in my humble opinion, that apart from the way they dressed and their name, it is as though they were two completely different characters.

And if they were regulars in a real boozer, there is no way you would mistake one for the other.

I'll be up-dating the rest of this blog's Walter info over the next few weeks.

1985: Walter Speaks!!

Al Dixon - Woolpack Walter, 1980 to 1985,

I've received an e-mail from somebody apparently called Tibbles.

Tibbles has recently viewed the 1985 TV special celebrating 1,000 episodes of Emmerdale Farm, which featured actor Al Dixon, the show's silent Walter character in the early-to-mid-1980s.

Why, asks Tibbles, did Richard Whiteley, the show's presenter, state that Al Dixon had not spoken a word during 13 years in Emmerdale Farm, and yet Al Dixon did not actually first appear as Walter until 1980?

It's probably an error, Tibbles - although it is possibly a slightly garbled reference to Al Dixon's first Emmerdale Farm role - he appeared in a photograph as Jacob Sugden, alongside Sheila Mercier as Annie. The photograph stood on the farm's mantelpiece in the very early days.

So, Al Dixon had played two silent roles in Emmerdale Farm.

Sheila Mercier revealed in her autobiography, Annie's Song (1994):

It was decided there should be a photograph of Annie with her late husband, Jacob, on the mantelpiece [at Emmerdale Farm] and they chose Al Dixon to pose for a picture with me. I was absolutely furious because I thought Annie should have a great lion of a man for a husband, not a tiny, weedy thing like he was. I took it out on Al and couldn't bring myself to be nice to him, although he was terribly nice to me. I still couldn't forgive him for daring to be my husband.

Mr Dixon became Walter in September 1980 and was last seen on-screen in December 1985. There were some delightful clips on YouTube in recent years showing a totally different actor being a Woolpack Walter in the late '70s. The actor playing "old Walter", listed in a 1976 TV Times special, was Geoffrey Hooper. Mr Hooper's Walter was, apparently, occasionally known to speak. The story of Walter, as far as we know it, is covered in more detail here.

The wonderful thing about the 1,ooo episode celebration was that we actually heard the '80s Walter (Mr Dixon) speak! Had he ever been tempted to speak in the show? asked Richard. "Oh, many times!" said Mr Dixon.

A toast to all the good folks at the Woolpack!

.

"Daily Mirror", 23 May, 1985.

"TV Times" tribute to Al Dixon, 1986.

Helen Weir On Pat Sugden And Emmerdale Farm In The 1980s...

Pat gives Jack some highly significant news in December 1981.

Ah, the Merricks!

The Merricks?

Yes, the Merricks - a family that made a major impact on Emmerdale Farm from 1980-1989. They weren't there at the beginning of the decade. And, apart from Jackie Merrick's young widow, Kathy, shortly to remarry and change her surname, they weren't there at the end of the decade, either.

The Merricks began life in the early days of lunch time soap Emmerdale Farm in 1972. Ruth Merrick was the wife of yobbish Tom, and they (apparently) had three children. However, it seemed that the father of Jack/Jackie, the oldest child, was actually Jack Sugden...

After a few episodes, the Merricks left the village. Ruth returned briefly once, yobbish Tom returned once or twice, but apart from that the village was Merrick-less.

Fast forward to 1980 and the Merricks returned to Beckindale. Not that you'd have recognised them: Ruth Merrick was now called Pat (it was revealed in 1982 that her full name was Patricia Ruth Merrick, but that didn't really explain her sudden change of Christian name), she now had two children, not three, and the whole family, including Tom who only appeared intermittently, had been recast. Edward Peel, who stepped into Tom's shoes in late 1980, gave the character an intense and sneering edge previously unseen - and highly memorable!

By the end of the 1980s the new Merricks were no more. Pat and son Jackie (Ian Sharrock) were dead, and Pat's daughter Sandie (Jane Hutcheson) had moved away. Yobbish Tom (who had undergone another change of actor during the decade, morphing into Jack Carr) had no further reason to visit the village.

But the Merricks had packed an awful lot of action into the 1980s.

Helen Weir (Pat) recalled those days in a recent article in the Northern Echo:

HELEN Weir was married to on-screen husband Clive Hornby, who died last year while still playing the role of Jack Sugden. The couple divorced offscreen nine years ago and had a son, Thomas.

She took over the role of Pat Sugden for six years from 1980 and has fond memories of Toke Townley, who played Sam Pearson for 12 years.

“It’s been a long time since I was in it and I’m not saying it was better or worse, but it was definitely about the country. I was brought up in Yorkshire on Ilkley Moor and I loved working with the animals and, as Pat Sugden, I’d have my arm inside a cow bringing out a calf.

“But I did also have to be seen milking and the cows were always treading on my toes and virtually sitting on me while I was sitting on a three-legged stool.

“Clive was one of the mainstays of the programme and I think it was wonderful he was in the series for so long. His character went through so many trials and tribulations. He had so many ladies and actually had a lady friend before my character. In fact my character’s name was Ruth before I came into it and then it was changed to Pat. I think the way they held the funeral for Jack in Emmerdale was the most delicate way they could handle his death,”

says Weir.

Her character departed the series in 1986 after fatally swerving her car to avoid sheep on the road. “When people see me they say ‘when are you coming back?’ and I reply ‘I can’t because I went over the hill in my car’. It is quite strange filming your own demise,” Weir says.

Pat was a splendid character - and Helen Weir played her to perfection. We fondly remember her careworn days of living in the NY Estates caravan with Jackie and Sandie, her marriage to Jack, and her resolute refusal to be a domestic paragon of virtue like Annie. Dolly and Pat got on each other's nerves at times, and Pat certainly didn't see why she should always wash up the cups before the plates.

Her breakout from the kitchen to help the men with the farm work, and her strength during the Jack/Karen adultery story-line of 1984, were both loudly applauded by we Buglers of Beckindale.

Our best wishes to Helen Weir in all her future endeavours.

Hotten Courier - September 1980: Brearly's Beckindale

From The Hotten Courier, September 1980 - Amos Brearly's Beckindale column - a treat for all Amos fans!

Beckindale's plans for a farm museum with permanent displays showing the history of farming are reported to be underway in the village, according to reliable reports received by AMOS BREARLY.

The museum, which is at yet in the ideas stage, is the brainchild of a villager who wishes for the moment to remain anonymous: but he has informed me that his plans are comprehensive and ambitious. The museum will include permanent displays of farm implements and farming methods of the past, collections of rare breeds of animals, and many other things that this reporter for one, is sure will be of interest to people interested in this sort of thing. Sam Pearson, who has told me with assurance that 'the old ways are best', will be on hand to act as advisor to Mr Wilks' plans, which I am sure will be very successful.

CHURCH NOTES

At a meeting of the Beckindale Temperance Society in the village hall, Mrs. Ratcliffe spoke at some considerable length about the aims of the society. Unfortunately this reporter missed the conclusion of her very interesting talk owing to the pressure of his responsibilities at the Woolpack Inn.

REPAIRS TO CHURCH "URGENTLY NEEDED"

At the last meeting of the friends of St Mary's, the Reverend Donald Hinton reported on the findings of the surveyors after their last visit to the church. It was clear, he said, that repairs must be carried out in the immediate future if major rebuilding work is to be avoided. The leaking church roof and the re-pointing of the west wall are the most urgent problems, and the leading of the east window will consequently have to wait until more money becomes available.

Mrs. Sugden and Mrs. Longthorn suggested that the society start work on some charity events to raise money for the church. It is expected that the details of their plans will be made available at next month's meeting.

BUTTERWORTH BALL MATCH

BECKINDALE v. ROBBLESFIELD

Beckindale's cricket season draws to a close this September with the annual match against Robblesfield for the Butterworth Ball. This is probably the most important ball of all. We have been playing Robblesfield for the trophy since 1903, and the Butterworth Ball has held pride of place at the well-known and much frequented Woolpack Inn in Beckindale, on the shelf where I keep the tomato juices.

After a long run of bad luck from 1961 to 1967, when the partnership of Eccky Tait and Bob Marly as openers seemed invincible, Beckindale managed to catch up with the opposition and take the lead. Of the seventy-seven matches we have now played, the score now stands at Beckindale 39, Robblesfield 38. So this year's match is very important if the ball is going to stay in its place behind my bar. Brearly expects that every man will do his duty, especially Sam Pearson as Umpire.

BECKINDALE CLAIRVOYANT SOCIETY

Owing to unforeseen circumstances this month's meeting has been cancelled.

2009 British Soap Awards: Elizabeth Estensen's Clive Hornby Tribute...

When Clive Hornby made his debut as Jack Sugden in Emmerdale Farm back in 1980, he could not have guessed that the role would last for twenty-eight years, and that he would become a much-loved soap icon.

Mr Hornby's death in 2008 meant that Jack Sugden also had to die. The role had been recast when Clive Hornby took it in 1980, but he had made Jack Sugden so much his own, over such a long period of time, that a further recast would have been unthinkable.

Elizabeth Estensen, who stars in the modern day Emmerdale serial as Diane, appeared on the British Soap Awards programme to pay tribute to him with a simple, and obviously heart-felt speech:

"Clive Hornby made his first appearance as Jack Sugden in 'Emmerdale Farm' on February the 19th, 1980. For twenty-eight years he continued through, among other things, a plane crash, a barn fire, being shot, and several marriages. But always the farmer, with his signature flat cap and wax jacket, he was one of Emmerdale's most loved characters. Clive was a fine actor, a true professional, and a dear friend and colleague to all of us who worked with him. We miss him."

Happy memories.

Anne W Gibbons - Taking Emmerdale Farm In To The '80s...

This photograph was captioned: Producer Anne Gibbons discusses a point in the script with Henry and Amos. "Henry and Amos" were, of course, in reality, Arthur Pentelow and Ronald Magill.

From The Hotten Courier, YTV Emmerdale Farm promotional material, September, 1980:

PROGRAMME PRODUCER LOOKS FORWARD TO A PRODUCTIVE NEW SEASON

By Our Television Correspondent

On completion of her first full year as Producer of 'Emmerdale Farm', Anne Gibbons looks forward to her second with a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement. As she told me...

"Considerable work and effort goes into a twice weekly series like 'Emmerdale Farm'. It's worth pointing out that that for this new season, which begins transmission in September, production started in June, and pre-production work began as far as back as last December. When a draft of the proposed shape of the new series was drawn up, I had meetings with the creator Kevin Laffan, Executive Producer Michael Glynn, Script Editor Michael Russell and the scriptwriters who are to be involved in writing the 44 episodes.

In March, the first writer submitted his proposed storyline for the first six episodes, and the new season was underway and had automatically slipped into gear.

The first production team joined at the beginning of June, as the first six scripts were finalised and broken down into shooting order. Locations were found, sets built, props bought and hired, costumes purchased, and graphics ordered. Schedules, call sheets, camera scripts and detailed instructions poured from the 'Emmerdale' office.

We held casting sessions in both Leeds and London to find the right guest artists to be contracted for new roles.

Suddenly, we were moving faster down the production highway.

Production team number one went 'on the road' in June - just as the second team moved in to prepare for the next six episodes.

We were gathering speed and the revs were up.

The third production team is now underway; and with three teams at various stages of production with a total of 18 episodes, and a further 18 scripts discussed, commissioned and in the pipe-line, we are cruising along in top gear.

An extension to the hours in a day, or even days in the week would be very welcome - overdrive perhaps!"

Bugle Note:

Anne W Gibbons produced Emmerdale Farm from 1979 to 1983, spanning the show's tenth anniversary in October 1982. It was Ms Gibbons' task to take Emmerdale Farm well and truly into the 1980s - and all of us here at The Bugle think she did a grand job!

1980: Jack Sugden - "A Completely Different Person!" - Sheila Mercier

Jack Sugden returns to Emmerdale Farm with a new face in February 1980 - Clive Hornby has taken over the role from Andrew Burt. Annie (Sheila Mercier) and Sam (Toke Townley) greet him.

When Jack Sugden left Beckindale around 1964, after conflict with Jacob, his father, he went to London - then very swinging! When he returned to the farm in 1972, after his father's death, Jack (then played by Andrew Burt) was not a typical Sugden: he spoke "posh" and appeared educated and sophisticated. Some of his attitudes shocked Beckindale, which had not actually caught up to 1960s London standards even by the early 1970s. Jack appeared as rather an outsider.

When Clive Hornby first appeared as Jack in February 1980, the character was very different. This Jack was not as sophisticated, although occasional reference was made to the book he had written, Field Of Tares, and in 1983 Jack was writing a little poetry.

Sheila Mercier wrote in her autobiography, Annie's Song:

Clive Hornby, who had taken over the role of Jack Sugden, settled in quickly. He was even honoured with a special dinner at the Queens Hotel in Leeds on his arrival. It was, after all, a very important part that he was coming to play, although his character returned as a completely different person, more dedicated to farming than ever before!

Like the first Jack, this version favoured free range farming, but he was far more involved practically, far more interested in working on the farm and making the farm work. The original Jack had simply sat back and allocated shares in the farm to the rest of the family.

Clive Hornby's Jack did not sound as "posh", and his ideas were not as "enlightened". The character was not as restless. He seemed more typically a Sugden.

In 1982, after he married Pat Merrick (Helen Weir), Jack told her that he didn't like her working. She was then a clerk for Alan Turner (Richard Thorp) at NY Estates. The original Jack would, no doubt, have grimaced at such an attitude. But the new Jack was in tune with his grandfather, Sam Pearson (Toke Townley) on this issue.

The new Jack fitted more neatly into the Emmerdale Farm/Beckindale scenario. And although Clive Hornby bore a certain facial resemblance to his predecessor, the 1980s Jack was, as Sheila Mercier said, a "completely different person" from the sophisticated but troubled Jack of the early years.

Judy Westrop And Alan Turner...

Judy Westrop (Jane Cussons) - a signed photograph from 1980.

Two former inhabitants of Home Farm are the subject of e-mail enquiries this week.

Jez asks:

Did Judy Westrop ever return to the show?

Not as far as I know, Jez. Judy departed in the summer of 1980, and Beckindale saw no more of her. After a brief word of explanation from Dolly Skilbeck (Jean Rogers) about Judy's whereabouts (she had relocated to take up a new job) I don't think that she was ever mentioned again.

However, Judy's father, Maurice (Edward Dentith), who had departed from Beckindale in May 1980, was mentioned again. Alan Turner (Richard Thorp) criticised him and Richard Anstey (Carl Rigg), his predecessors as NY Beckindale managers, for not having the Turner drive and spark in 1982.

And that brings us neatly on to our second e-mail enquiry - this time from Brian:

Was Alan Turner really a swine right from the beginning?

Not really, Brian. In 1982, Alan seemed a bit of a silver-tongued, faintly devious smoothy. There were problems for Joe (Frazer Hines) as farm manager, particularly when cattle at Emmerdale stampeded after a helicopter spraying crops for NY flew too low - but this occurred because Joe had asked the pilot to spray some Emmerdale land as a favour - and was mainly due to a breakdown in communication between Matt Skilbeck (Frederick Pyne) and Jack Sugden (Clive Hornby). The cows were in the wrong field.

Alan blamed Joe for the incident - and, I think, he had a point. Doing favours for other farmers in this way could be risky, and Alan was furious when NY ended up paying Emmerdale compensation for the accident.

Another bone of contention was an area of land known by Henry Wilks (Arthur Pentelow) as "Primrose Dingle". Builders dumping debris here upset Mr Wilks, but it turned out that they were doing so under contract - a contract drawn up by Joe before Alan Turner arrived. However, the contract was for six weeks and the builders had well exceeded this - whilst Joe had simply stood by and let them.

Pat Sugden (Helen Weir), working as a clerk at NY briefly, was startled to see a steely side to Alan's nature when he criticised Joe to Head Office on the phone. Joe felt completely unsupported by Alan, and believed that Mr T was simply out for himself.

I certainly wouldn't call Alan a "nice" character in 1982, but there was far worse (and far better) to come. Things really began to get interesting when Alan brought home a young woman to Home Farm for a one night stand in early 1983 and we began to see his boozy, lecherous side. By the end of that year, we'd seen more of his deviousness, heard more of his silver tongue, and found the guy could be completely unfair and quite ruthless.

But we'd also seen sadness and vulnerability. And Richard Thorp's famous twinkle, beaming out from a face which, it seemed, couldn't possibly bear anybody any ill will, had begun to make us warm to the character.

Plus, the comic encounters with Seth Armstrong (Stan Richards) were well and truly kicking in.

And then, in 1984, came Mrs Bates (Diana Davies).

To sum up, Brian, I would say that Alan Turner's "JR" tag from 1982 until midway through the decade was a tremendous exaggeration.

But you'll be able to judge for yourself. We've got lots more Mr Turner material planned for the Bugle.

Thanks for writing.

Emmerdale Spoiler Pics - 1980s Style!

Back in the 1980s, the process of providing "spoilers" for Emmerdale Farm - and in fact all other soaps and TV programmes was rather different. For a start, the World Wide Web wasn't invented until March 1989 (more here) and not up and running until the early 1990s. So, the Internet was a mystery to the vast majority of us and a very different place to today.

In those prehistoric days, TV companies sent out photographs via snail mail to relevant publications - newspapers and listing magazines, with some blurb pasted to the back giving details of the actors and characters pictured, the programme date, and a little teaser about what was going on. The photograph above shows Amos Brearly embarking on his first story-line of the 1980s, and the blurb on the back read:

FULL ITV NETWORK (except STV/WTV/CHA) Tuesday, JANUARY 8, 1980.

STV Wednesday, JANUARY 9, 1980

WTV/CHA Thursday, January 10, 1980 } times vary, all early evening

Amos turns his hand to poetry in the new series of

"EMMERDALE FARM"

Mine Host at the Woolpack, Amos Brearly (RONALD MAGILL -right), finds the Curate, the Rev. Bob Jerome (RICHARD HOWARD), very non-committal when he presents him with his masterpiece of poetry for the parish magazine. An amusing moment from the opening episode of the new series of Yorkshire Television's dales serial, "EMMERDALE FARM".

A 1987 "spoiler":

EMMERDALE FARM EPISODE 1201 THURSDAY NOVEMBER 12 1987 AT 7 P.M.

It's Seth's birthday and plans are afoot for a surprise party down at the Woolpack. Seth just thinks all the whispering is people talking about him behind his back. But no-one knows how old the errant gamekeeper is - and Seth certainly isn't letting on.

Press contact: Katy Turner (0532) 438283 Ext 3065

The Funeral Of Jack Sugden - Farewell To An Emmerdale Favourite

Click on image for details. Clive Hornby debuted as Jack Sugden on 19 February 1980. The character's funeral will be featured in this week's episodes of Emmerdale on ITV1. See all our Clive Hornby/Jack Sugden information here.

1980: Clive Hornby - First Scenes As Jack Sugden

With the funeral of Jack Sugden to be featured in Emmerdale next week, and Sheila Mercier making a brief return as Annie Sugden, I've had several enquiries about Clive Hornby's debut as Jack back in 1980. So, I've opened my 1980 folder and discovered these pics and details.

Clive's first scene as Jack was outside the farm.

He took a long look at the exterior of his family home, and then made his way to the kitchen door...

Jack's grandfather, Sam Pearson (Toke Townley), answered the door and, with a wink at Jack, said:

"Oh, Annie, it's the man from the travelling library!"

"Eh? They're not coming round door-to-door now, are they?" Annie was highly puzzled.

"Just trying to encourage more people to read, Mrs Sugden!" said Jack, stepping over the threshold.

Annie was delighted: "Jack! You're early! You were gonna phone! I was gonna come to meet you!"

Jack: "I 'ad to walk it, Ma."

Annie: "Oh! Nothing's ready, you know!"

Sam: " 'Course it is! Been ready for ages!"

Annie: "I didn't expect you to walk in like that! Oh, it's good to see you! You look well, I'll say that for you. Welcome home, lad!"

Sam: "Aye, welcome back, lad!"

More to follow on Jack's funeral at the weekend. In the meantime, for all those interested in Clive Hornby's opening decade as Jack Sugden, please look at our 'Jack Sugden' label here.

Am I A Fan Of The 1980s Walter?

Are you a fan of Al Dixon's Walter (1980-1985) asks Laura, via e-mail?

I loved that character, Laura - one of Emmerdale Farm's '80s and in fact all-time greats.

When Walter was in The Woolpack, with Amos chuntering on at him, all seemed right with the world!

Read The Bugle's Walter information here.

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!!