Emmerdale Farm - Regional Variations In The 1980s - And The Significance Of 1988...

Daily Mirror, 1983

Cerys has written with an enquiry about regional variations in the times and dates of Emmerdale Farm screenings in the early-to-mid 1980s:

I have read that 1978 was the pivotal date and that the show was then shown in the evenings. But a 1983 TV Times I bought on eBay recently points to that not being the case. It's a Thames edition, and Emmerdale Farm is scheduled for 5.15 pm!

Interesting point, Cerys. An edition of the Daily Mirror I have from May 1980, reveals that the show was being shown at 7pm by ATV, Southern and Yorkshire, by Granada at 6.30pm and at 5.15pm by Thames (London) and Anglia (East of England).

It was shown by my own ITV region, Anglia, at 5.15pm at least until the mid-1980s.

In the mid-1980s, Emmerdale Farm became an all-year-round soap, and the seasonal breaks ceased, although the show was still briefly off-air over the Christmas season.

Some 1980 YTV publicity blurb claims that the programme was being shown:

"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."

But, of course, many people consider 5.15pm to be late afternoon!

In July 1983, an article in the Sunday Mirror revealed:

Thames TV's stubborn refusal to shift the series from their afternoon schedule suits Sheila [Mercier - Annie Sugden] just fine because she can live undisturbed by fans in Shepperton, Middlesex, with Peter, her husband and agent.

"Yes," admitted Sheila. "I am happy that the series goes out at a time when not many people are watching."

The book Emmerdale - The First Twenty Years (Box Tree, 1992) is enlightening:

On 5 January 1988, 'Emmerdale Farm' had achieved a programming milestone - being transmitted country-wide on the same day at the same time. After fifteen years, this was a major achievement. The year was also the first in which broadcasting continued through Christmas.

From the Christmas 1988 TV Times - the very first Christmas season featuring episodes of the Beckindale farming saga.

1983: Computers At NY Estates And Seth Armstrong's First Name...

Seth Armstrong "entertains" on the piano at the 1983 Beckindale Christmas Show.

In the summer of 1983, changes were afoot at NY Estates in Beckindale. The company was going computerised and each of its holdings would have a computer installed which would be linked to head office. Alan Turner (Richard Thorp) discovered that his secretary's hours would be cut from full-time to three days a week because of this.

And that wasn't all.

NY were seeking to make redundancies of around 50%, over a period of time.

Barbara Peters (Rosie Kerslake), Alan's secretary, ensured that the workforce, via Seth Armstrong (Stan Richards), got a look at the redundancies list. Alan had already told union rep John Tuplin (Malcolm Raeburn) that he was on the list, but that he needn't be. As union rep, John was in a position to cause major disruption. If he went with the flow and enabled the redundancies to be made without undue hindrance, Alan would ensure that John's name was taken off the list.

John hated what Alan was suggesting, but he had a wife and children to support.

Seth discovered that his name was on the list.

Jackie Merrick (Ian Sharrock) was curious to discover that "Armstrong: A.S." was the name listed.

What did the "A" stand for, he queried?

"It were just a name I were given. All't eldest lads 'ad it. I were never called by it," said Seth.

"Well, what's it for, then?" persisted Jackie.

"Archibald," said Seth.

Jackie was highly amused.

Seth was too devastated at the prospect of losing his job to pay much heed.

The Beckindale shoot had been operating at a loss, and NY wanted to abolish it, but Alan moved to save it, also saving Seth's job as gamekeeper.

Funnily enough, 1983 seemed to be the year of Archibalds in Beckindale - with Seth's secret christian name coming out, and Archie Brooks (Tony Pitts) making his first appearance!

Archie - nice hair, shame about the name...

The 1980s: What The Emmerdale Farm Producers Did - Part 1...

Producer Anne W Gibbons with Arthur Pentelow (Henry Wilks) and Ronald Magill (Amos Brearly) in 1980.

This is Part 1 of a brief look at the changing face of Beckindale in the 1980s - how the various producers of the show guided and moulded Emmerdale Farm/Emmerdale through a decade of tremendous change...

Maurice (Edward Dentith) and Judy Westrop (Jane Cussons) left the show in 1980 - and the workforce at NY Estates was featured as Joe Sugden (Frazer Hines) went to work there as farm manager.

Anne W Gibbons took the chair as Emmerdale Farm's producer in June 1979 and departed in 1983. Ms Gibbons began stamping her mark on the show in 1980, recasting the characters of Jack Sugden and Dolly Skilbeck - Clive Hornby and Jean Rogers debuted in the roles in February and April 1980.

1980 - new Jack, new Dolly.

In the summer of 1980, Ms Gibbons oversaw the completion of the transition of Seth Armstrong from peripheral to central character as he became a regular at The Woolpack. She also oversaw the recasting and rewriting of the Merrick family. Out went Ruth Merrick, mother of three, to be replaced by Pat Merrick (Helen Weir), mother of two - Jackie (Ian Sharrock) and Sandie (Jane Hutcheson). Edward Peel made a fiercesome Tom Merrick.

In September 1980, Ms Gibbons' reign saw the arrival of Al Dixon as Walter of The Woolpack.

Say nowt - the fabulous Walter, played by Al Dixon, from 1980-1985.

Other notable characters introduced by Ms Gibbons included Police Sergeant Ian MacArthur (Martin Dale) in 1980 and Alan Turner (Richard Thorp) in 1982.

1980 was the year that Woolpack premier Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill) gained an allotment and became rather more animated and odd-ball in character!

The Amos '80s were a memorable era - in 1980 he gained an allotment and Seth Armstrong as a Woolpack regular. By 1981, he was gloriously mad.

Alan Turner was originally simply a bit of a slippery customer, selfish and lazy. But in early 1983, the character became rather more unpleasant. The days of the comic partnership between Alan and Seth, and Alan as a character we could at times sympathise with, were yet to come.

Don't trust him, Joe! New Beckindale NY boss Alan Turner arrived at Home Farm in 1982.

The Anne W Gibbons era confronted problems with the architecture of Lindley Farm, in use as Emmerdale Farm house since the show began. The real-life exterior did not match the fictional Emmerdale Farm interior. The Sugdens were often seen to be pushed for space, and yet Lindley Farm house appeared to be very spacious indeed - with what appeared to be good-sized rooms on either side of the front door, and a side door with bedroom windows above.

In 1982, the Emmerdale Farm production team disguised the Lindley Farm side door and windows as a barn and initiated a story-line in which Jack Sugden and Pat Merrick decided to turn the barn into an extension cottage for when they married. Of course, Matt and Dolly Skilbeck finally moved into the extension cottage when it was completed, and the exterior of Lindley Farm house then corresponded far better to the fictional interior layout of Emmerdale Farm - the only remaining mystery being the window to the left of the front door. The window to the right was supposedly the parlour. But no other room was ever mentioned in the story-line as far as I'm aware.

Perhaps the most controversial story-line of the Anne W Gibbons era was the teenage pregnancy of Sandie Merrick in 1983. The whole Merrick storyline was actually quite daring back in those days - with Tom and Pat splitting up (Pat endured a beating from Tom in 1981) and Jackie torching the caravan the family had lived in before Pat's marriage to Jack in 1982.

Tempestuous Beckindale teens of the 1980s - Jackie burns the caravan and Sandie confides in Annie Sugden about her pregnancy.

By the end of the Anne W Gibbons era in 1983, Emmerdale Farm had undergone many changes. With the highly subversive and influential Brookside serial underway on Channel 4 from November 1982, and with the opening years of the 1980s being a time of turbulence and great change (as indeed was the rest of the decade), many more changes would be seen in Beckindale as Richard Handford took the producer's chair from 1983-1986.

Anne W Gibbons went on to produce the Beiderbecke Affair.

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.

Uttered In The '80s - Part Three

1983: "Tough titty, Mr Turner!" Jackie Merrick (Ian Sharrock) can't help crowing when he has a run of good luck whilst on a day out at the races, and Alan Turner (Richard Thorp) has quite the reverse!

Coming Soon - 1982 - The 10th Anniversary, Walter's Budgie And 1984...

We're off back down our 1980s Time Tunnel at The Bugle with lots of fresh goodies in store...

We take a peek at the YTV press pack for the completion of the show's first decade in October 1982; we reveal the full facts concerning the Scandal of Walter's budgie, look at the era when Frankie Goes To Hollywood could be heard booming out of a JUKE BOX in The Woolpack (with Amos' full blessing!), and give you our long awaited 1984 Beckindale exposé.

So, twist those Rubik's Cubes, hoist those brick mobiles, go wild with the hair gel, plonk away on those ZX Spectrums and adjust those shoulder pads... There's LOTS more to come!

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.

When Did Ronald Magill Leave The Permanent Cast Of Emmerdale?

Liz writes:

I know you only deal with the 1980s here, but can you make an exception because I'm mighty puzzled? When did Ronald Magill leave the permanent cast of Emmerdale Farm? I always thought it was January 1991, but I read recently on a Digital Spy soap forum that he "went part time" in 1991, and actually left in 1995?

The Bugle says:

Well, the 1980s are really our bag, but we'll make an exception just this once, Liz!

Ronald Magill left the permanent cast of Emmerdale in 1991, as you originally thought. He did a few short guest stints after that, up to 1995 we believe, but he was guesting, not on a "part time" contact.

When he left in 1991, Ronald Magill was honoured with his own tribute show from YTV - Last Orders For Amos, and also appeared on Wogan, where he had his famous mutton chop sideburns shaved off!

Fond farewell - Amos and Mr Wilks outside the Woolpack in 1991 - Amos actually called Mr Wilks "Henry"! - and (right) Ronald Magill appearing with Terry Wogan shortly afterwards.

Is Emmerdale Today The Same As Emmerdale Farm In The 1980s?

'80s incomer Alan Turner (Richard Thorp), who first appeared in March 1982.

Moggy has written to ask if I think the modern day Emmerdale serial is the same, in terms of style and story-line content, as Emmerdale Farm in the 1980s?

No, is the simple answer. Life changes and soaps evolve. The Emmerdale Farm of the 1980s was not the Emmerdale Farm of 1972-1979, and the Emmerdale of the 1990s was not the Emmerdale Farm of the 1980s, and the Emmerdale of the early 2000s is not the Emmerdale of the 1990s.

Tastes change, soaps have to change with them.

For instance, in the '72-79 era, Emmerdale Farm had a few outlandish storylines: the vicar's son was arrested for gun running in Athens, tramp-like wanderer Dry Hogben turned out to be stinking rich and on the run from his responsibilities, and Sam Pearson worried that one of his forebears was a witch. There were a few other such "oddball" storylines. But these was very much in keeping with the style of soaps back then. Viewers wanted a bit of escapism, a touch of the incredible in their soaps.

The '72-'79 show was also largely centred around older people: teenagers - like Rosemary Kendall - tended to be passing through.

In the 1980s, the show became grittier, more down to earth, faster moving, and more political - the anti-nuclear storyline of 1987 was hailed as a major step forward in the politicisation of soap operas by some, but as anti-government propaganda by others. There were permanent youth characters, an expanding cast, and more graphic and racy scenes - which had a mixed reception. In 1989, the decision was taken to edge farming out of the storyline to some degree and so "Farm" was dropped from the show's title.

The 1990s were a positive riot - with the glorious camp bitchery of Kim Tate and indeed the whole saga of the Tate family, a family very much at war. Once again, the show was keeping up with the times - much influenced by '80s era American soaps, like Dallas and Dynasty. Spectacular disasters - like the 1993 plane crash - altered the village landscape and viewers' perceptions of the show forever.

And so on to the current day.

If the Emmerdale of today was the same in style and content as the Emmerdale Farm of the 1980s, then I doubt it would be attracting viewers. Even EastEnders, which actually began in the 1980s, is not the same show it was back then. Viewers of the early 21st Century want different things from their soaps than the viewers of the 1980s did.

So, Moggy, I must say no, modern day Emmerdale is not the same show as 1980s Emmerdale Farm. I think anybody sitting down to watch, say, an episode of Emmerdale Farm from 1986, and then an episode of Emmerdale from 2009, would see the truth of what I'm saying.

Life moves on, soap moves on. This also applies to Coronation Street, EastEnders, etc.

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.

1981 and 1982: The Death Of Enoch Tolly And Its Aftermath...

Enoch Tolly (Neil McCarthy) was very much a man of the '80s. The 1880s, that is. As Jack Sugden (Clive Hornby) commented in early 1981, Enoch simply did not seem at home in the 20th Century.

Enoch was in his usual belligerent frame of mind as the year began - lambasting Jack and Matt Skilbeck (Frederick Pyne) about the state of a boundary wall.

The Tollys led a frugal and somewhat grim existence on Tollys' Farm. Money was short, but with Enoch, his wife, Grace (Margaret Stallard), and daughter, Naomi (Jenny Tomasin), working together, the family managed to keep the farm going.

When Grace told Enoch that their other daughter, Hannah (Alison Ambler), who had broken away from Beckindale and was working as a trainee hairdresser in Hotten, would not be coming home on Sunday as usual, Enoch was horrified. If she would not return home for the sabbath, then she needn't bother coming home again at all, he ranted.

Grace - very much under Enoch's thumb.

Grace visited Hannah - but Hannah was insistent: on this one Sunday she was going out with her boyfriend - she had her own life to lead.

With a heavy heart, Grace headed home, dreading Enoch's reaction to the news.

Grace, Naomi and Enoch Tolly at home in early 1981. Enoch drank tea and laid down the law. Things were soon to change.

Back in Beckindale, Naomi had prepared a midday meal, and was surprised when her father did not come in for it. Finally, she went to investigate. She found that the tractor Enoch was driving out in one of the fields had toppled over. He was dead.

Grace was devastated. She expected Hannah would now return home and refused a generous offer from Richard Anstey (Carl Rigg), NY Estates' Beckindale manager, to buy her out. The house and much of the land belonged to NY Estates, and Richard proposed a generous deal to purchase the stock, equipment and land owned by Margaret. She refused. The Tollys would stay at Tollys' Farm. She and Enoch had built things up together. She would not even consider leaving.

Hannah caused her mother hurt and disappointment by refusing to move back home, stating once again that she had her own life to lead. However, she did spend some time at the farm to help out, and made it plain that, although she needed to lead her own life, she still cared about her mother and sister.

Unexpected help came via Seth Armstrong (Stan Richards). Seth confided in Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill) that he had courted Grace many years ago, before his marriage to Meg. He still retained a soft spot for her, and turned up at Tollys' Farm on several occasions to offer assistance.

Grace was convinced that she and Naomi could not cope alone - Enoch had worked all the hours God sent - and she decided to employ a man to work on the farm. It so happened that Seth was then able to help her further.

Cowman Daniel Hawkins (Alan Starkey) had been unhappy at NY Estates since the arrival of Joe Sugden (Frazer Hines) as farm manager in late 1980. It had been Joe's decision to begin a hormone injection trial with some of the cattle in Daniel's care. Daniel hated the idea, considering it highly unnatural. In 1981, Joe and Richard Anstey declared the trial a success, the injections would be extended to all the NY Beckindale cattle on a permanent basis. Daniel, who had promised to give in his notice in the event of such an outcome, was as good as his word.

People thought he was mad, in that era of high unemployment, and Daniel was not a young man. How would he find another job? But Daniel insisted he would not compromise his principles.

Seth discussed the situation with Daniel in The Woolpack, and Daniel assured him that he'd be all right - he was not only a cowman, he was well experienced in farming in general. Eureka! Seth immediately dragged him off to see Grace Tolly. Within a very short time a deal was struck and Daniel was in the employ of Tollys' Farm.

And for almost a year things were settled. Then, in early 1982, Grace faced facts: even with Daniel on hand, things were not running as well as they had in Enoch's day. Back then the Tolly family had managed to scratch a living, but now... well, the work was too long and arduous and the rewards too small.

Grace sold up, and the Tolleys left Beckindale for a new, hopefully easier, life in Hotten.

And as for Daniel Hawkins - fortune smiled on him. Grace's decision to leave Beckindale coincided with the arrival of Alan Turner (Richard Thorp) as the Beckindale NY Estates manager in March 1982. And the first thing Alan did, much to Joe's chagrin, was stop the NY cattle hormone injections.

Daniel was able to return to his old job, and Alan was able to try and tempt Matt Skilbeck away from Emmerdale Farm to work as shepherd at NY Estates. Dolly (Jean Rogers) was pregnant, and the couple were seeking a home of their own. The Tolly Farmhouse would go with the job, Alan assured them. Tempting bait indeed!

But in the end Alan's ploy was unsuccessful: Matt and Dolly moved into a new barn conversion at Emmerdale, and Tollys' Farm faded from the story-line.

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!

When Do We Get To 1984?

1984 - friendly service from Henry Wilks (Arthur Pentelow). Meanwhile, Walter - played by Al Dixon from 1980 to 1985 - gets a new hat and faces a difficult time with charming mine host Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill).

An e-mail from Cerys, who asks:

At the end of last year, you promised us Beckindale tales of 1981 and 1984. Well, we've had lots of 1981 so far, but no '84. Have you changed your mind?

No, Cerys - I just got a load of material together from 1981 and thought I'd do things in year order. We have a couple of further visits to 1981 ahead, then it's 1984, I promise!

1984... when Amos tackles a microwave oven. Can Annie Sugden, a dab hand with an Aga, help? No, sadly not - she's never even seen a microwave oven before... Chaos ahead!

Also, why are Amos' customers periodically deserting The Woolpack en masse? Amos decides to interrogate Walter - who is (strangely) silent...

1984 is a very troubled year at The Woolpack... And elsewhere in Beckindale...

Relive it all here soon!

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!

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.

Remember This Is Emmerdale Farm In The 1980s - Not Emmerdale In 2009!

I've just had a somewhat perturbed e-mail from Mel asking why there is no material about Charlie Hardwick on this blog? The answer, Mel, is revealed in the blog's header - the subject is Emmerdale Farm in the 1980s, when Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill) and Henry Wilks (Arthur Pentelow) owned The Woolpack, not Emmerdale today!

There's plenty of on-line stuff about Emmerdale if you take a look around the Web.

1981: A Quickie Quiz Starring Walter, Amos Brearly And?

Paul has written to say that I haven't mentioned Al Dixon's Walter (1980-1985) for a while. Thanks, Paul - that won't do at all! Here's a Quickie Quiz featuring Walter - no prizes, just a bit of fun!

In late 1981, Walter was left knocking at The Woolpack as the pub remained closed at Opening Time. Highly puzzled, and persistent, Walter knocked and knocked and knocked...

Then another customer arrived - a man who was an infrequent visitor to Beckindale. He sounded his van horn, which was rather loud, to say the least...

... alerting Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill), who was busy painting the cellar to the strains of Gilbert And Sullivan's With Cat Like Tread on the radio, to the fact that Opening Time was past...

Missing Opening Time was something Amos never thought he'd do, but he was entering The Woolpack in the brewery's "Best Kept Cellar" competition, and, terribly keen to win, had been quite engrossed in his task.

Amos reprimanded Walter for rapping on the pub door so persistently and was not best pleased to see the man who had been making such a noise on his van's horn...

Here's the Quickie Quiz:

Can you tell, from looking at the middle photograph featured in this post, who the man in the van was?

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.

1982: Ashes To Ashes

"Eighteen going on eight," was how my mother once described Jackie Merrick (Ian Sharrock).

It was late 1982 when Jackie Merrick torched the NY Estates caravan where he had lived since 1980.

Jackie was a troubled teen. Fashion-wise he was a disaster in those early years - several comments here have claimed that in real life he would have been ragged unmercifully by his mates for wearing out-dated clothes, and I think they may have a point. Some people have also pointed out that it was easy to see that actor Ian Sharrock was years older than Jackie as no self-respecting teen would have been seen dead looking like that - particularly by millions of people on television!

But in some ways it was fitting. Jackie was not the brightest lad in Beckindale, and since his mother had walked out on his "father", Tom, in 1980, his world had been turned upside-down. Bedding down into a job as Seth Armstrong's assistant at NY Estates was one of the best things to happen when he left school in 1981, but that was threatened when Jack (Clive Hornby) blurted out that he was Jackie's real father later in the year.

The resulting tumult, with Tom Merrick (Edward Peel) also having to come to terms with the fact, spilled over into 1982 and led Jackie to consider running away.

Things settled down, and Sandie (Jane Hutcheson) persuaded Jackie to make the run-up to Pat's wedding to Jack as happy as possible, and to attend the wedding with a smile on his face. Jackie did well, but after the briefest of stays at Emmerdale Farm whilst Pat and Jack enjoyed a couple of days away on their honeymoon, he moved back into the NY caravan that he'd occupied with his mother and half-sister since late 1980. The reason was a falling-out with Jack.

When Jackie turned eighteen in late 1982, Jack bought him a new gadget - a personal stereo. Pat (Helen Weir) thought the gift was a little OTT - they did seem posh and new-fangled in those days. Jackie was actually quite pleased with the gift, but kept a sullen upper lip.

The return of Jackie's old mate, Graham Jelks (Richard Tolan), on leave from the Army, and Graham's attempts to persuade Jackie to enlist, led the lad to the recruiting office.

There had been changes at NY Estates. The arrival of Alan Turner (Richard Thorp) as Beckindale manager in March 1982 had caused various headaches for Jackie. Despite protestations from Jackie's immediate boss, Seth Armstrong (Stan Richards), Alan would insist on Jackie being taken away from his primary tasks to do general labouring whenever the occasion demanded.

Joe Sugden (Frazer Hines), as farm manager, tried to smooth things out, but he was fighting a losing battle with Alan.

The crunch came when a shooting party on NY land, set up to impress a business contact of the company, turned out disappointingly. There were hardly any birds to shoot at. Jackie was in charge of the shoot and, due to his being frequently re-assigned to labouring tasks, plus a tendency to skive off and stand around yakking, had not prepared things properly.

Alan was furious and gave Jackie the sack.

Shortly before this, Jackie had heard he'd been accepted for the Army. Pat was convinced he didn't really want to go, and he certainly didn't seem happy at the prospect.

But then he rarely seemed happy at anything.

Having been sacked by Mr Turner, Jackie bought some beer and got drunk. He ranted to Sandie about the family's changing fortunes since 1980, declared the caravan a dump, and then torched it.

Sandie had been experiencing problems of her own. A couple of dates with the local vet (a man in his mid-20s!) had earned the 17-year-old girl the nickname "randy Sandie" at school. And now Andy Longthorn (Mark Botham) was once again looming large in her life. As the caravan blazed, she could only stare, horrified and scared out of her wits...

And Jackie certainly wasn't going into the Army now. He was in trouble.

Serious trouble.

1981: Break-In At Emmerdale Farm

When Dolly Skilbeck (Jean Rogers) took the best tea service and placed it on the dresser, ready for a wash as part of spring cleaning, she had no idea that this would bring about the end of a treasured possession for Annie Sugden (Sheila Mercier).

There had been a spate of burglaries in the district. And, late that night, the burglar came to Emmerdale Farm...

... and, once inside, began seeking valuables - as burglars tend to do.

Upstairs in the attic bedroom, Matt Skilbeck (Frederick Pyne) was restless, worried over a poorly ewe in the barn. He told Dolly he would go out to check on her, but Dolly advised not - it was best to get some sleep, he'd only disturb the ewe. Suddenly, there came a crash from downstairs! The clumsy burglar had managed to knock the tea service from the dresser to the floor as he probed around by the light of his torch.

Matt dashed downstairs, to find the burglar gone, the door wide open, and the shattered tea service all over the floor.

Sergeant MacArthur (Martin Dale) informed Matt and Jack Sugden (Clive Hornby) that although the door lock was strong, the wood around it was weak. There was no point in having a good lock if the surround was like plywood. And wasn't it a bit daft to keep the sheep dogs, Nell and Snip, in the buildings at the back of the farm?

Matt and Jack took the lecture quietly, although Jack later told Matt that he didn't like Sergeant MacArthur very much at all.

The next day, in the farmhouse, Dolly and Annie chatted. Annie was distressed over the loss of the tea service.

"It were a wedding present. I 'ad an aunt, lived in Richmond. We never saw 'er from one year's end to the next. But she turned up at the wedding with this present. It was good china, too - not the sort of present you expected in them days. You never knew Jacob, did you, lass? But you know things weren't always what they might have been between us. But there were good times - especially at the beginning. It was a marvellous wedding. Everybody singing and laughing and joking and folk all pleased to be with each other. Jacob had one too many, of course. But in them days he knew how to make folk laugh. And how to make folk love him... Somehow this china seems to stand for all that was good between Jacob and me..."

Matt was inducting Snip, a new sheepdog, at Emmerdale and one day, shortly after the burglary, Snip ran out into the road near the farm and was run over and killed by a speeding red Escort car.

Matt contacted the police.

Meanwhile, young Jackie Merrick (Ian Sharrock) and Andy Longthorn (David Clayforth) had stumbled across some of the burglar's loot at derelict Alder Cottages.

The burglar turned out to be the driver of the red Escort - he was pulled over and a stolen television and two radios were discovered in the back seat. Sergeant McArthur surmised that the man was in the act of hurriedly fleeing from the area, having discovered that the hiding place for his spoils at Alder Cottages had been rumbled.

Matt called the old faithful Nell out of service to resume sheepdog duties at Emmerdale.

And Jack, Joe (Frazer Hines), Matt and Dolly clubbed together to buy Annie a brand new tea service, an act which touched and pleased her greatly.

1981-1982: Alison Dowling As Jane Hardcastle

When the Reverend Donald Hinton held a disco for local youngsters in the village hall in 1981, it wasn't exactly Thrillsville. Donald delved into his son's old record collection - and out of date was the order of the night. Nobody was that happy - but wonderfully drippy Jane Hardcastle, a schoolfriend of Jackie and Sandie's, thought it was great.

She didn't get out much, it seemed.

Jane made occasional appearances in the Beckindale saga during 1981 and 1982. She was Jackie's girlfriend for a while, but the relationship fizzled.

Alison Dowling, who played Jane, has become far better known for her role in another English farming serial - she is Elizabeth in BBC Radio 4's The Archers. She also briefly appeared in that famous motel/hotel soap Crossroads, as it coasted towards its end in the late 1980s, playing fun-loving yuppette Lisa Lancaster.

Judy Westrop And Other Queries...

Billie asks: How long did Judy Westrop (Jane Cussons) appear in Emmerdale Farm?

1979-1980, Billie. She debuted in the show in '79, the year of the ITV Strike, which, of course, disrupted Emmerdale Farm as much as any other ITV show.

In May 1980, Judy's father, Maurice (Edward Dentith), left Beckindale, but Judy stayed on to work at Hotten Cattle Market and live at Demdyke Row. She had a brief but unhappy dalliance with a gutter press journalist, who was in Beckindale to "dig the dirt" on the newly-returned Jack Sugden.

Judy left to take up a new job elsewhere in the late summer of 1980.

Carol enquires:

I've read that Jack Sugden was framed for setting fire to an NY Estates barn around 1980. What were the pyrotechnics like way back then?

Non-existent in this instance, Carol! The story-line actually took place in 1981, with Tom Merrick out to frame Jack, but although the barn apparently burnt down, we saw nothing on-screen.

Paul says:

More Malandra Burrows, please. I've loved her since those days of yore.

There'll be more soon, Paul - I promise!

And finally - from Mike:

Just found this blog of yours. It's really good stuff.

Cheers, Mike, the cheque's in the post!

The Beckindale Bugle In The Guardian

After the recent appearance of The Beckindale Bugle in both the print and on-line Guardian, we took a Tardis back to 1982 and asked Mr Amos Brearly, Licensee and Proprietor of The Woolpack Inn, Beckindale, his thoughts on the matter. We arrived just in time for dinner.

"I'm not surprised," said Mr Brearly, on being told the good news. "I always thought Bugle would be a winner. Of course, you have to have a natural bent for writin'. Mr Wilks tries with his nature notes, but he hasn't quite got my touch. We Brearlys are known to be multi-talented. Of course, I'm not one to brag, but the truth will out and..."

The '80s Emmerdale Easter Quiz

One of my favourite times of year, Easter. And so, as you gronff your way through a mound of hot cross buns and chocolate eggs, and maybe even attend a church service or two, here's the Emmerdale '80s Easter Quiz. Some of the answers are a teensy bit difficult (a few can be found on this blog), some are easy-peasy. Can you answer all twenty questions?

1) Who was the landlord of Beckindale’s “other” hostelry, The Malt Shovel?

2) Two actresses portrayed Seth Armstrong’s wife, Meg, in the 1980s. Can you name them both?

3) Which character left England bound for France in 1983?

4) Who murdered Harry Mowlam in 1986?

5) What was the name of Sandie Merrick’s daughter?

6) Al Dixon’s version of the Woolpack’s silent regular, Walter, debuted in September 1980 and was last seen on screen just before Christmas 1985. The actor was ill and unable to continue in the role, although it was at first hoped he would return to it. What was the reason given for Walter’s departure from Beckindale in January 1986?

7) Pat, Sandie and Jackie Merrick briefly rented accommodation from NY Estates in the early ‘80s. What was it?

8) What was the name of Alan Turner’s son, who turned up in Beckindale in 1985?

9) The Rev Donald Hinton had a daughter who arrived at the Vicarage fleeing from marital problems in 1983. Name her.

10) Archie Brooks stated that everything would be all right once he’d solved his financial problem in 1985. What was his financial problem?

11) Evenin’ All! Which long-serving Beckindale bobby began pounding the village
beat in 1980?

12) And who played him?

13) When Amos Brearly went “upwardly mobile” in 1983 and took up golf, he met The Major, a fiercesome local bully and snob. The actor behind The Major became the terror of a well known fictitious school later in the decade. Can you name him?

14) In which year was Samuel David Skilbeck born?

15) Seth Armstrong ended up in hospital in 1986. Why?

16) Who played Kathy Bates/Merrick?

17) And who played her mother?

18) Henry Wilks suddenly manifested symptoms of a seasonal ailment he’d never suffered from before in 1989. What was it?

19) Name the two actors who played Tom Merrick in the 1980s.

20) For her birthday in 1986, Matt surprised Dolly with a holiday. Where was it?

ANSWERS

1) Ernie Shuttleworth; 2)Ursula Camm and Ruth Holden. 3) Joe Sugden; 4) Derek Warner; 5) Louise; 6) He went to visit his sister. 7) A caravan. 8) Terence; 9) Barbara Peters; 10) He hadn't got any money. 11) Sergeant Ian MacArthur; 12) Martin Dale; 13) Michael Sheard; 14) 1982; 15) He was beaten up by badger baiters. 16) Malandra Burrows; 17) Diana Davies; 18) Hayfever; 19) Edward Peel and Jack Carr. 20) Bridlington

1981: Jackie Merrick With A Gun!

Summer 1981, and young Jackie Merrick (Ian Sharrock) seemed to be settling into his new job as assistant to NY Estates gamekeeper, Seth Armstrong (Stan Richards).

Seth began inducting Jackie into the safe art of using a gun, and things seemed to be going well - until Jackie showed off a little in front of a couple of his mates - one of these being Seth's son, Fred.

Things got a little out of hand, the gun went off, and shot out a window of the Merricks' caravan. No harm was done, there was no great drama - although, as was made plain to Jackie, things could have been very different - particularly as his sister Sandie and her boyfriend were inside the caravan at the time.

Seth was furious with the daft young lad. Jackie bemoaned his stupidity. Word spread to his boss, Joe Sugden, who covered for him with Richard Anstey. But it was made plain by both Joe and Seth that Jackie was now barred from using the NY guns.

Perhaps Jackie should have stayed away from guns for good. In 1989, a tired act of clumsiness with a gun would result in his death.

Friends again - Seth and Jackie - Stan Richards and Ian Sharrock - at the corner shop in Esholt. Jackie had a black eye - all part of the story-line - the lad had almost got into a punch-up at the local disco, and sustained slight damage. This photograph was taken by the Esholt shop's proprietor in 1983 and sold as postcards for some years afterwards.

1981: Brothers At War - With Each Other - And Joe Lives In Hope...

Caught between the warring Sugden brothers (Frazer Hines and Clive Hornby), Matt Skilbeck (Frederick Pyne) longed for a peaceful life.

There was an outbreak of food poisoning at The Woolpack in late 1981. Amos had made a rabbit pie, from a rabbit given to himself and Mr Wilks by Seth Armstrong. He'd borrowed Annie's recipe book, and the pie was (apparently) a culinary delight. But very soon after it was eaten, the colly-wobbles set in. Seth's rabbit was, it seems, the chief suspect.

As Amos and Mr Wilks were not up to the evening session, kindly Dolly Skilbeck offered to step in and look after the bar for a while. This left her husband Matt alone at a quiet table in the pub with Jack and Joe Sugden. The table was not quiet for long.

Joe was in high spirits: Richard Anstey had gone from NY Estates, gone from Beckindale. Joe had enjoyed his time working with Richard, but the last few months had been fraught. Richard's affair with Virginia Lattimore, wife of NY regional manager Derek, had rather shocked Joe - particularly when he'd discovered the couple openly kissing outside Home Farm.

A wrangle over a pig unit hadn't helped: Joe wanted a unit for NY's Beckindale holding, having visited Lincoln and seen one in action, Richard was opposed to the idea on several grounds - not least that it would give Derek Lattimore reason to visit Home Farm more often to oversee the new development.

And Derek was growing suspicious that Richard and his wife were having an affair.

The languid and lovely Virginia Lattimore (Wanda Moore) shared intimate moments with Richard Anstey (Carl Rigg) at Home Farm in the 1980s.

Richard was also beginning to think that Joe was a bit of a bumpkin at times: "This is big business, Joe, not Emmerdale Farm!" he exploded on one occasion.

Tensions grew, Richard felt that Joe had plotted against him when the decision was taken over his head to start a pig unit at the Beckindale NY operation. He was finally told by NY chief Christopher Meadows to leave.

Joe was sorry to see Richard go, but Richard found it hard to believe that Joe hadn't plotted his downfall, with one eye on his own main chance.

Christopher Meadows asked Joe to take over the Beckindale holding as temporary manager for a few months - and who knows, perhaps he could apply for the position on a permanent basis? NY was apparently very pleased with Joe's work. Joe was thrilled.

But Jack was not so. In The Woolpack, with poor old Matt playing piggy-in-the-middle, Jack told Joe in no uncertain terms that he may be king of one castle, but if he thought he was going to be king of two (NY and Emmerdale Farm) he had another think coming!

The evening ended on a very stormy note.

But never mind. Joe had temporary promotion at NY, and could look forward to a possible permanent manager's post.

Christopher Meadows had been so encouraging.

As 1981 moved towards 1982, Joe decided that he would apply for the post.

But whether he would get it or not, well, who knows?