1980: Domestic Crisis At The Woolpack...

There were no plane crashes in Emmerdale Farm in the 1980s, nor terrible storms, nor brawling Woolpack regulars, but Beckindale's favourite inn did have its fair share of crises in those days. Take this one:

Having just hand-washed a few tea towels at The Woolpack in the spring of 1980, Amos Brearly discovered that he couldn't disperse the suds left in the kitchen sink after he'd let the water out.

The vicar, the Rev Donald Hinton, paid a visit whilst Amos swished his marigolded hands around in the suds, and Amos confided in him:

"It's always't same. I can't get soap suds to go down't plug hole..."

"I have exactly the same problem," said Donald.

They pondered the problem long and hard, in fact the vicar was concentrating so hard he barely heard Amos discussing other matters.

Donald hit upon a possible solution: "Perhaps if you turn on the cold tap?"

Amos tried this and, with the aid of a little more hand swishing, the suds gradually disappeared.

Crisis passed.

The Wonderful World Of Amos And Mr Wilks

Arthur Pentelow as Henry Wilks (or should that be Mr Wilks?!) and Ronald Magill as Amos Brearly. These two ran The Woolpack Inn and shared the living accommodation from 1973 to 1991.

Actually there were TWO Woolpacks. The first was declared unsafe due to subsidence in 1976, so the pair relocated to premises elsewhere in the village.

Mr Wilks was a warm hearted retired businessman. Amos was... well... erm... it's not easy to summarise Amos. He was childish. Pompous. Usually rigidly formal. Given to rapid fads and enthusiasms. He was also naive and very good hearted. Underneath it all.

The character of Amos evolved. When he became Beckindale correspondent on the Hotten Courier, he puffed himself up like a peacock. But it took until the early 1980s before the character was refined and honed to perfection. Watch any 1970s episode of Emmerdale Farm, and I think you might agree that Amos was quieter, more restrained and dour than in the 1980s - when he was gloriously potty, pursuing fad after fad in quick succession, bridling at Mr Wilks' attempts to bring him down to earth and generally being a wonderful nuisance.

1980 was an absolutely pivotal year for the Amos character - with Seth Armstrong leaving The Malt Shovel bar to become a regular at The Woolpack, and Al Dixon joining the cast as Walter, Amos became more animated, fad-ridden and bizarre than ever before!

The '80s were a truly splendid era during which Amos and Mr Wilks story lines abounded, as the show became an all-year-round soap.

Do you remember the time when Amos got into transcendental meditation? The time he went "upwardly mobile" and took up golf with Alan Turner? The time he turned to bee keeping? The time he baked a cake? The time he was cursed by a gypsy? The time...

If all these sound like Amos-only story lines, rest assured that Mr Wilks was always there, advising, trying to moderate his friend's behaviour, and generally suffering!

Fortunately, Mr Wilks had friends elsewhere or he would, no doubt, have gone insane!

Amos and Mr Wilks have a disagreement in 1980...

... and they're still at in 1989. Dolly Skilbeck (Jean Rogers) looks on.

A pain in the neck to Amos was one of his best 1980s customers and arch enemy, Seth Armstrong (Stan Richards). How he loved to wind the big key in Amos' back! In 1980, Amos commented disapprovingly on Seth's loyalty to the Malt Shovel. Seth was just becoming established as a regular character back then, having first appeared in a few episodes in 1978. From 1980 onwards, Seth switched to The Woolpack, and absolutely loved to get under Amos' skin! Remember the time he booked two strippers (and a python!) to perform at The Woolpack - much to Amos' horror? Amos ordered them out and the pub was wrecked by irate customers!

Seth holding court at The Woolpack in 1983. Walter (Al Dixon) says nowt and concentrates on his ale. Al Dixon first appeared as the silent bar propper in September 1980.

Seth and pal.

"Sunday People", June 9, 1985. Apparently Jenny the donkey's braying could sometimes be heard when the "Emmerdale Farm" crew were attempting to film in Esholt - so it was decided to bring her into the story!

Joint Pipe Smokers Of The Year, 1986.

Picture the scene: it's 1980 and only 5% of UK households have video recorders. In fact, video technology had been around for yonks, but domestic players and recorders only a few years and they were highly expensive. So, unable to tape your favourite shows to keep and keep again, you bought novels of all the storylines.

.

Shadows From The Past, by Lee Mackenzie, was the 10th Emmerdale Farm novel (there would be many more) and was published in 1980. The author was excellent at bringing Amos and Mr Wilks to life on paper. Here, Amos has been awakened by a strange noise, and goes to investigate. Mr Wilks, disturbed by Amos' movements, follows and demands an explanation...

.

"There was somebody here. I heard him."

.

"Heard what?"

.

I heard a... There was a... A sound."

.

"You probably woke yourself with your own snoring, Amos."

.

"I do not snore, Mr Wilks," said his partner, offended.

.

"How do you know if you don't? Have you ever stayed awake to listen?"

.

"How could I stay awake and..." Amos realised his leg was being pulled. "I'm serious, Mr Wilks. Someone is in the Woolpack."

.

"Rubbish."

.

"I tell you I heard a sort of a thud -"

.

"A sickening thud?"

.

"Eh?" Amos read very little and knew nothing about well-worn cliches from the thrillers of bygone years. "It was more of a... chunk."

.

"A chunk of what?"

.

"A sound like a chunk. Like this." Amos picked up a jug from the top of the fridge and put it down on the metal top. "Like that, only louder."

.

"It was something falling over."

.

"What, then?" Amos waved a hand. "Nothing's fallen over."

.

"Aye," Henry said, rather dry. "Everythings just as usual."

.

"In here." Amos agreed. "But who knows where else he's been? He suddenly clutched his dressing-gown in the region of his heart. "The till!" he cried.

.

He rushed out into the bar. Henry followed, much more slowly. Accustomed as he was to Amos' funny ways, this amused him only a little. As a man approaches the golden years, he needs his sleep.

.

Amos went to the till, rang up 'no sale' and found the money still there. It's to be understood that this money wasn't the whole day's takings. Those were upstairs under lock and key in a box below Amos' bed. The money in the till was a peace-offering to any burglar who might get in: Amos reasoned that if a man got something, he wouldn't creep upstairs and murder you in your bed.

.

He had a low opinion of how much a burglar would be satisfied with. Nevertheless the one pound note, one fifty pence piece, and four twopence pieces were still there.

.

"You see?" Henry said. "Nobody's got in. If they had, they'd have taken that."

.

Amos was shaken. Then he said, "I disturbed him at it. That's what it is! The chunk I heard - that was the till being pushed shut."

.

"Funny sort of burglar who bothers to close the till when he's disturbed," Henry rejoined, rubbing the back of his neck and stifling a yawn. "Come on, Amos, let's get back to bed."

.

"Nay, Mr Wilks, I tell thee - someone's been in here. I can feel it."

.

"Clairvoyant, are you?"

.

"Mr Wilks, I'm C of E as well you know..."

.

Excellent stuff - and the best was yet to come!

Some Beckindale Cast And Characters - September 1984

Some of the cast and character details from the Hotten Courier, Yorkshire TV's publicity pamphlet for Emmerdale Farm, September 30, 1984. Did you know that Hugh Manning (the Rev Donald Hinton) also starred in the highly successful 1960s series Mrs Thursday? That Arthur Pentelow (Mr Wilks) was a keen birdwatcher, just like his character? That Al Dixon (Walter) hoped his character would never speak? Or that Sheila Mercier (Annie Sugden) is the sister of Brian Rix?

Also from The Courier, Al Dixon, who played the second Woolpack Walter, and contributed so much to the pub's atmosphere, celebrated four years at the bar in 1984, having debuted in September 1980. Mr Dixon suffered a stroke in late 1985, but continued to appear on-screen until Christmas, when he had a small role in the village play, Toad Of Toad Hall. The play sequence, plus another scene with Walter knocking on the door of the Woolpack at opening time, to be admitted by Amos, had been filmed on location in Esholt before the actor fell ill.

-

In early 1986, Walter departed from Beckindale to stay with his sister in Worthing. It was hoped that Al Dixon would recover from his stroke and return to the show, but he died not long afterwards.

Happy Birthday From Amos

Amos, hoping for a best-loved landlord award in 1985 - "Nay, Nay, Mr Wilks - 'Loveability' is my middle name."

Some years ago I received a birthday card from Mr Amos Brearly, proprietor of the Woolpack Inn, Beckindale. Well, actually, I received a birthday card from Mr Ronald Magill, the actor behind the Mr Brearly character but, as was his habit, he also signed it as Amos!

My wife organised the card with Mr Magill as a surprise - and it made that birthday particularly special. It remains a treasured souvenir of one of the all-time soap greats.

As Beckindale correspondent for the Hotten Courier, Amos was probably quite used to replying to fan mail!

1988: Amos, Seth, A Hot Air Balloon And A Dead Rabbit...

Amos, Seth and Walter at the Woolpack in 1983. Sadly, Walter last appeared in 1985, and actor Al Dixon, who stepped into the role c. 1980, died in 1986. But Amos and Seth's continuing feuds and rivalries made the whole of the '80s decade in Beckindale simply wonderful to watch!

From the Sun newspaper, September 15, 1988:

The balloon goes up at Beckindale Fete as Seth sets out to prove that Amos' tales of daredevil flying are so much hot air.

From the same edition of the Sun - what's all this about Amos, Seth and a dead rabbit?! Does any reader know the full details of this and/or the 1988 Beckindale Fete episode? If so, please drop me a line!

25 Years Ago - The Way Things Were - Gossip From Beckindale 1983 - Part 3

A cold, sunny morning in early 1983, and Mr Wilks arrived at the Woolpack at the same time as the postman with that day's post. He took it. Amos was busy behind the bar and would read his mail later.

Up at Emmerdale Farm, the postman gave a letter to Sam Pearson...

... who became very excited upon opening it. "Annie! Annie!"

In the farmhouse, Sam showed Annie and Pat the letter, which revealed that he had won a competition organised by Shepherd's Super Seeds - a cruise for two to the Canaries.

"I may not know much, but I know all about flowers! 'Supersede all other seeds,' as soon as Jack said that, I knew it couldn't be beat." He turned to Pat: "So, half of it's yours and half of it's Jack's and you must have a lovely holiday between you!"

But Pat refused. She was worried about Sandie who, having broken the news of her pregnancy, had gone to stay with her father. Pat wanted to remain at home in case she was needed in any way.

"She seems to have taken Sandie's going harder than I thought, Annie," said Sam after Pat had left them.

"Give her time, Dad, it hasn't been easy," said Annie.

As for the cruise, Annie and Sam decided they would go together, if that was all right with the others.

"I've just thought of something - this is going to put a flea in Amos' ear - he went in for the competition too!" laughed Sam.

Annie was delighted to see her father in such good spirits. The news of Sandie's pregnancy had made Sam very unhappy - he was fond of the girl and very concerned for her. Annie was glad that something had put the spring back in his step.

Meanwhile, at the Woolpack, Amos had sat down to read his mail whilst Mr Wilks prepared them something on toast.

Suddenly, Amos became very excited: "I'm a winner, Mr Wilks, a winner!"

It turned out he'd won one of fifty tricycles as a runner-up in the Shepherd's Super Seeds competition. "That'll just suit me, with my balancing!"

Of course, Amos couldn't resist puffing himself up a little: "I just knew that little rhyme of mine would catch their eyes! You thought I couldn't find a rhyme for that, didn't you?"

"A rhyme for what?" asked Mr Wilks.

"Horticulture, Mr Wilks, horticulture - Shepherd's Super Seeds! 'Considering gardening at this juncture, you can't beat Shepherd's Super Seeds for horticulture'! I knew that was a winner as soon as I thought of it!"

Well, it certainly deserves summat," said Mr Wilks. He reminded Amos that he was only a runner-up, an "also ran", but Amos was not to be deterred - a winner was a winner!

Then another thought struck him: "Sam Pearson's going to take this hard - me being a prize winner! Well, he went in for the competition an' all!"

Annie was soon into listing what was "wanted on voyage", although as she said to Pat: "The more I try to shorten this, the longer it seems to get!"

Sam was very excited: "Annie, I've been looking in this book and it says the way to avoid sea sickness is not to keep your eyes fixed on owt - it's written by a globe trotter, a travel book."

"I'd have thought that meant he was a walker!" laughed Pat, who was doing some hand washing at the sink.

"Hmm," Sam decided to ignore that. "And it says you should only drink bottled or boiled water."

" Dad, this was written in 1870!" said Annie.

"That doesn't matter! The desert hasn't changed, has it? I mean, the Sahara's still there?"

"It's the Canaries, Dad, and we're going on a ship - a modern ship."

"Annie, it says a day in Casblanca. Now, that's in Africa, isn't it? And it's near the desert!"

"But they don't live in tents and drink river water, Mr Pearson," Pat laughed.

"I hope not!" said Sam

Meanwhile, Amos was thrilled with his tricycle. It had been expected in some quarters that he might be more than a little jealous of Sam's prize winning success, but not Amos - the tricycle had gripped his imagination, as things tended to do, and he was as pleased as could be.

"You make a fine sight on that!" said the vicar, the Reverend Donald Hinton, meeting Amos in the village one morning.

"Aye, it's the extra wheel, you see - lending not only balance, so you can't fall off it, but making it look right - like it's meant to have a body on it," explained Amos.

"I see," smiled Mr Hinton.

"And it's safe, you feel quite safe with this," Amos continued. "Not vulnerable and you can take a look around at things without wobbling."

"Yes, you did have a wobble on the other, I had noticed." said Mr Hinton.

"Aye, I always did have a wobble. I always used to say, 'Put me on a bike and you have a wobble'. Not with this, on this I never wobble!"

On the cruise departure day at Emmerdale Farm, Annie was serene and ready well in time...

... whilst her father flew around the house, seeking things already packed, and checking and rechecking his suitcase, until Jack loaded it in the car!

But finally the travellers were off, with Jack driving them to the airport.

The intrepid travellers were only away for a few episodes, but life didn't stand still. In their absence, Jack and Jackie became closer and Pat deserted her disliked (and not terribly successful) duties at the Aga to help out on the farm - which rather took Jack aback.

When the travellers returned, they declared that they'd had a lovely time.

And one of the first things Sam did was to pop round to the Woolpack to show Amos his holiday snaps.

The Emmerdale Farm Book Of Country Lore

Browsing through the local newspaper archive on a work-related project yesterday afternoon, I came across this rather faded announcement from November 1988. Spot the flaws! Amos Brierley? A few incorrect spellings of our favourite landlord's surname have appeared in Emmerdale Farm-related publications over the years. And this Cambridge bookshop also goofs. The correct spelling, of course, is Brearly.

And Ronald Macgill? Of course it was Magill.

And what on earth was the Emmerdale Farm OF COUNTRY LORE? Had the ad's writer been on the sherry?!! Insert the word "Book" between "Farm" and "OF" and you get a much clearer idea!

Despite the errors, it's an interesting ad to have - I hadn't realised that Ronald Magill had helped to publicise James Ferguson's book. I'm sure Cambridge wasn't his only port of call. Did any readers of this blog buy a copy of the book signed by Mr Magill?

The Emmerdale Farm Book Of Country Lore was based on the premise that Sam Pearson, who had died in late November 1984, had left behind a book, an incomplete work, detailing the various doings and sayings of country folk. He left the book to his eldest grandson, Jack, who set about tying up the loose ends and getting it published.

A photograph of actor Toke Townley as Sam Pearson appeared on the back cover and the book served as a tribute to his memory and that of the character he played.

The book was split into sections covering various topics, and featured Jack, Joe and company reading through Grandad Pearson's work and seeking out and exchanging pearls of wisdom from many years ago. There was something of an emphasis on Yorkshire, naturally, but the book was written to sell countrywide, so items of interest to people living in other English counties - and elsewhere in the UK, were included.

A taste of the book - Matt and Jack on counting sheep!

Copies of this book sometimes appear on eBay and if you are interested in folklore and Emmerdale Farm in the late 1980s I highly recommend it. It's just the thing to take to bed with a nice mug of Horlicks on dark winter evenings!

Remember '88?

Archie Brooks has a surprise for some friends and it's Mrs Bates last day as Alan Turner's secretary - TV Times, 21 January, 1988.

Amos and Mr Wilks square up...

... for the battle of beers - 3 March, 1988. Does anybody have details of these episodes? I'd love to know more!

Screen Captures Request

I've had an e-mail from Tom requesting some larger screen captures of Amos, Mr Wilks and Walter. A pleasure, Tom - above we see Amos and Mr Wilks in 1983. Amos had been out the night before to a licenced victuallers' "do" and is suffering from a hang... er, sorry, I mean "nervous exhaustion". Mr Wilks' offer of a delicious full English breakfast is not appreciated.

1983 again - a typical evening at the Woolpack.

A final visit to 1983 (for this post!) - Walter soaks up the happy atmosphere at the Woolpack. Al Dixon stepped into this role c. 1980 and appeared until 1985. He is still fondly remembered.

1985: Viewing Figures Hit A New High, Jenny Runs Amok And Amos Takes Up Bee Keeping...

From the TV Times, 6-12 July, 1985. Some interesting soap predictions can be found under 2000 - a watch-this-space odyssey.

The serial is heading for greater days yet. In September, after its summer break during which some regions will see selected repeats of programmes, all ITV regions will finally be showing the same episode on the same day...

Synopsis for 9 July 1985.

Amos the bee-keeper!

Alan Turner on horseback and the programme synopsis for 11 July 1985.

Seth and Jenny.