It was in June 1992 when Mum & I went to Holmfirth to follow in the footsteps of the gang in The Last of the Summer Wine. We had hoped for glorious summers day, but it was overcast all day. We still had a day to remember !
Holmfirth is also the home of Bamforth's saucy post cards.
Our first port of call had to be Nora Batty's House.
It's the blue door, Number 28. Compo was chased many times off these steps by Nora & her trusted sweeping brush.
Compo showing Nora inside his famous match box. We still don't know what was in the box, apparently it was buried with him, only his Son, Nora & Terry Wogan knew the answer. May bet it was either a dead spider or his pet cockroach.
Next we went in search of Sid & Ivy's Cafe. The inside of the cafe you see in the program is in the studio. The real Cafe is very small inside, it was originally a store room belonging to the Ironmongers. It was only after it was used by the program that it was converted into a real cafe.
Mum standing on the well worn step of the Cafe. I wonder how many people over the years, have had their photo taken here. ?
After lunch we had a walk round the rest of the town looking for other set locations that we might recognise from the program, but we found out afterwards that filming was done in many towns. It is only now that you can go on web sites to find all of the film locations. I digress, back to the events of the day. I then said to mum, have we got time to go towards Marsden where they film some of the hill scenes which a friend had told me about, but this was in the opposite direction to home. So we elected to call in on Jackson's Bridge to see the White Horse pub. We had passed Jackson's Bridge on the main road when going into Holmfirth. This is were they filmed Compo & the gang sitting & drinking outside the pub telling stories & jokes.
After lunch we had a walk round the rest of the town looking for other set locations that we might recognise from the program, but we found out afterwards that filming was done in many towns. It is only now that you can go on web sites to find all of the film locations. I digress, back to the events of the day. I then said to mum, have we got time to go towards Marsden where they film some of the hill scenes which a friend had told me about, but this was in the opposite direction to home. So we elected to call in on Jackson's Bridge to see the White Horse pub. We had passed Jackson's Bridge on the main road when going into Holmfirth. This is were they filmed Compo & the gang sitting & drinking outside the pub telling stories & jokes.
Although it was June, it was starting to get dark as thicker clouds were forming. As we turned off the main road down the steep hill, I said to mum it's getting lighter here. No it wasn't, It was the light from two massive set lights belonging to the film crew.
WE HAD STUCK GOLD, THEY WERE FILMING !
After finding a place to park the car & with baited breath & excitement with who might be there. We set off with camera at the ready. Sure enough, there was Compo, Clegg & Foggy right in front of our very eyes.
Clegg discussing the script with Foggy.
Nearly ready for action.
After a while mum went to sit in the car. I watched them rehearsing & filming for an hour & a half. When the scene was shown on TV, it lasted no more than two to three minutes. So much time to create a satisfactory result. I have found out since with being on other film sets, that you cannot hurry directors or actors. Sometimes the fluffed out takes are better than the final cut.
Compo reading his next lines.
Just resting our eyes, between takes !
This great day was rounded off by getting their autographs.
Brian Wilde, Bill Owen & Peter Sallis.
Many Thanks.
