Beckindale Bugle - What Would You Like To See?

"Eee, an 'oliday down south, Mr Wilks! We Brearlys have never been afraid of travel. You take my Uncle Arthur - he went overseas. Isle of Wight, it were... the tales he could tell..."

We are off to Bournemouth tomorrow. It's time for some sun, sand, sea and... fish and chips.

Walter's packed his bucket and spade and got Archie to look after his budgie whilst he's away, Amos is planning to write an article on "Down South" for the Hotten Courier, Mr Wilks is planning a few good walks and some bird watching, and Alan Turner is planning some bird watching of a different kind!

Before we go, we'd just like to draw your attention to our three new polls. Here at The Bugle, we value your feedback, so we'd like you to cast your eyes right and look at our new polls.

We'd love your views.

Got to go now. Nay, Walter, you can't take the goldfish!

See you in a fortnight! xxx

New Beckindale Bugle Header Poll

We've just designed a new header for the Bugle - we hope you like it! Before making a final decision on whether it's to be permanently "out with the old, in with the new" we'd like your opinions, so if you have a preference between old (above) and new, eyes right to our poll and let us have your vote!

Poll Result - Kim Tate Rules, OK?!

Thanks to everybody who voted in our recent "'80s Introductions" poll - in which we set out to assess the popularity of new characters, recasts and permanent incomers in Emmerdale Farm/Emmerdale in the 1980s.

The results are as follows...

Helen Weir as Pat Merrick, Edward Peel as Tom Merrick, Carl Rigg as Richard Anstey, Jim Millea as Pete Whiteley, Glenda McKay as Rachel Hughes, Craig McKay as Mark Hughes and Drew Dawson as Jock MacDonald all receiving one vote each.

Two votes each for Jane Hutcheson as Sandie Merrick, Martin Dale as police sergeant Ian MacArthur, Peter Amory as Chris Tate, Sally Knyvette as Kate Hughes and Madeleine Howard as Sarah Connolly.

Receiving three votes each are Peter Schofield as Ernie Shuttleworth, Norman Bowler as Frank Tate and Teddy Turner as Bill Whiteley.

Four votes go to Fionnuala Ellwood as Lynn Whiteley.

On five votes - wonderful Walter, played by Al Dixon, Ian Sharrock as turbulent teen Jackie Merrick and Cy Chadwick as nice Nick Bates.

Seven votes go to Leah Bracknell as Zoe Tate.

Jean Rogers as the dependable and much-loved Dolly Skilbeck and Malandra Burrows as tragic Kathy Bates both score eight.

Stan Richards as Seth Armstrong, a permanent character from 1980 onwards, scores nine, as does Clive Hornby's Jack Sugden, a 1980 newcomer.

A bit of a surprise this, but I was glad to see Tony Pitts as Archie Brooks scoring so highly with ten votes, and joined by the brilliant Mrs Bates, who also scored 10 votes.

Almost neck-and-neck, we find Richard Thorp as Alan Turner on thirteen and Christopher Chittell as Eric Pollard on fourteen.

And the winner is...

KIM TATE

... on seventeen votes!

Why aren't I surprised?!

Thanks to everybody who voted - one-hundred-and-fifty votes in all - and took a little time to remember and rate those who arrived in Beckindale during the 1980s.

More polls next year.

Poll: Favourite '80s Introduction...

Alan Turner (Richard Thorp) arrived in 1982... poor Joe (Frazer Hines)!

We all know that soaps evolve, as do their characters. As I've written before, my favourite Emmerdale Farm era for Amos Brearly was the 1980s when the character became gloriously mad. This is the era that contains the Amos many of us fondly remember. Not that he wasn't great before, he most certainly was, but in the '80s... well, he became pure Amos perfection.

As well as established characters evolving as soaps move on, new characters are introduced, and old ones sometimes recast. The interpretation of an established character by a new actor is often very different from the original.

Sometimes non-permanent characters, who flit in and out of episodes, join the permanent line-up.

So, who was your favourite Emmerdale Farm character that was introduced, joined the full-time cast or was recast in the 1980s?

Was it Clive Hornby, stepping into Jack Sugden's shoes? Al Dixon taking on the tradition of a Walter at The Woolpack and creating something highly quirky and memorable? Stan Richards as Seth Armstrong joining the full-time regular cast in the summer of 1980? Richard Thorp as Alan Turner arriving at Home Farm in 1982? Diana Davies as Mrs Bates saving his bacon in 1984? Chris Chittell as Eric Pollard slithering into Hotten Market in 1986? Or that lovely new family, the Tates, heralding a new era in 1989?

Or maybe it was Jean Rogers becoming Dolly Skilbeck in 1980, or one of the Merrick family that "floated your boat"?

Or maybe somebody completely different.

So, take a look at our new poll, and let us know your thoughts!

You Love 1986

Thanks to everybody who voted in my recent poll. Your favourite '80s year of Emmerdale Farm action appears to be 1986 - the year of Meg Armstrong, Harry Mowlam, Eric Pollard, Walter's departure and Pat's death. The year Seth Armstrong cheated at the Woolpack Vs Malt Shovel Dominoes Tournament and Joe Sugden had an affair with Karen Moore. The year Sandie Merrick began her affair with Phil Pearce and Jackie Merrick lost Sita Sharma.

The results are:

1986 - 18 votes

1984 - 16 votes

1989 - 14 votes

1980 and 1987 - both had 8 votes

1988 - 6 votes

1985 - 5 votes

1982 - 4 votes

1981 and 1983 - 1 vote each!

New Poll - What's Your Favourite 1980s Emmerdale Farm Year?

1980 - the return of Jack Sugden (now played by Clive Hornby).

What was your favourite 1980s year of Emmerdale Farm action? Was it 1980, when Jack arrived back from Italy - and Pat Merrick brought Jackie and Sandie to the village?
Perhaps it was 1982 - a good year for Matt and Dolly - with the birth of their son, Sam.

1983 - Walter broke Seth's glasses...

And then there's 1984, when Jack was a bad lad with Karen Moore, Mrs Bates formed a fun working relationship with Alan Turner and dear old Grandad Pearson died...

Perhaps the gritty drama of 1986, with Harry Mowlam wreaking havoc before being brutally murdered, Eric Pollard first appearing at Hotten Market and Meg Armstrong imposing a strict regime at the Woolpack floats your boat?

1986: "I'm Eric Pollard!" - the devious one introduces himself; "That's quite enough out of you, poppet!" says Meg Armstrong; "I'm gonna break your bloody back!" says Harry Mowlam...

How about the struggle against a nuclear waste dump in 1987 - hailed as a major step forward in the politicisation of soap, or 1989 when Jackie died and the Tates arrived at Home Farm?

Lots of memories from a pivotal decade of Emmerdale history, which saw changes in pace, characters and name. The 1980s saw the serial celebrate ten years and was also the first full decade of the serial. Whichever 1980s year you choose, there was Emmerdale!

1987 - Say NO To The Beckindale Nuclear Dump!

1988 - Jackie and Kathy marry.

Eyes left for our Poll - hover your mouse over each year and you'll see a brief list of some of the events contained therein.

And then vote, vote, vote.

Talking of voting, remember when Amos wanted to become Member of Parliament for Halifax in 1982? Poor Halifax!

But what a great storyline...

1989 - the shock of the new - the Tates arrive at Home Farm...

Poll Result

"Get out, Seth!" was the oft-repeated catchphrase of Alan Turner (Richard Thorp) to gamekeeper Seth Armstrong (Stan Richards) back in the NY Estates days, and both characters have scored top marks in our poll - 30 each! Mr Turner and Mr Armstrong were this blog readers' favourite Emmerdale Farm characters in the 1980s.

Coming next, sharing 22 votes apiece, is our lovable publican Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill) and the foxy Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell). Just behind, on 21 votes, is playgroup helper Dolly Skilbeck who was also, of course, mum to Sam and wife to Matt. The character was played by Jean Rogers from 1980-1991.

Mrs Bates (Diana Davies), Alan's long suffering friend and secretary is next on 15 votes, closely followed by her daughter Kathy (Malandra Burrows) on 14 votes, original matriarch Annie Sugden (Sheila Mercier) also with 14 votes, and Beckindale '80s beefcake Jackie Merrick (Ian Sharrock) with 13 votes. It's great to see Beckindale's '80s subversive Archie Brooks (Tony Pitts) scoring 10 votes. Mr Wilks - great friend to Amos and all at Emmerdale Farm - also scored 10 votes.

Thanks to everybody who voted!

The Big '80s Emmerdale Poll

Whether it's dependable Annie, anarchistic Archie, oddball Amos, amiable Alan (!), silent Walter, evil Eric or someone completely different, I'd like to know who was your favourite Emmerdale Farm character in the 1980s. So, eyes right please, and click on your choice!