SUMMER WINE ADVENTURE 2004
 - TAKE TWO!

By USA fan Helen Jones
NEW - Click here to read the final Part Three! 

PART ONE

As soon as I arrived home from my trip to England last summer, I began planning a return visit for summer 2004. My friends in York were anxious for me to visit again, mirroring my desire to return. I also wanted to return to the tiny snug villages in west and north Yorkshire that captured my heart last year. Holmfirth, of course, was at the top of my list of destinations. Its stone houses jumbled together and clinging to steep hillsides, the dark green fields filled with fat white sheep, and the simplicity of the quiet village life appealed to me as a writer looking for inspiration. Of course, the fact that Last of the Summer Wine is filmed there is an extra added bonus!

During the three weeks I planned to be in England this year, I set aside 3-4 days for Holmfirth with the hope of being inspired and seeing some summer wine filming. Memories of meeting Alan Bell and Kathy Staff last summer during filming at Nora’s house made me want more first-hand, insider experiences in the making of my favorite TV show. A few days before I left for England, I contacted Patrick Brooke to update him about my Holmfirth plans. To my amazement, he shared that information with Tom Owen who promptly invited me to participate in his kick-off event for the Compo Statue Appeal on July 3 at the Café in Holmfirth. Both delighted and honored, I immediately accepted his invitation and my “Summer Wine Adventure - Take Two” began. 

Saturday, July 3, 2004

I left my friend’s house in York at 7:45 a.m. and her husband drove me to the train station where I caught an 8:15 a.m. train for Huddersfield. Through the train window, I watched York disappear as the unmistakable stone houses, green pastures, and dry stone walls of west Yorkshire came into view.  I arrived in Huddersfield at 9:15 a.m. and sat in the tiny station to wait for Patrick Brooke who was to meet both me and Pat Carline there. Even though it was a rainy, chilly day, my spirits refused to be dampened. I was in Summer Wine mode.

Patrick soon arrived and we met for the first time in person (previously we knew each other only by e-mail). Since Pat and her daughter would not arrive for another hour, Patrick and I went to a small coffee shop in an arcade nearby and chatted about the statue event and about Patrick’s travels in the US.  His warm Yorkshire smile made me feel welcome and reminded me of the wonderful friendliness of Yorkshire folk. Then, back to the station to meet Pat and her daughter Michelle. Pat and I met last summer, so this was a reunion for us. We all piled into Patrick’s car for the short ride to Holmfirth.

Once there, we went to the Old Bridge Hotel where we were to meet Tom Owen at 11:45 a.m. Patrick left us there  to wait for Tom. I could scarcely believe that this was all for real! Around 11:20 a.m., Tom Owen arrived, unmistakable to any summer wine fan worth their salt. With him was 14 yr. old Alexander Bray who was to play the cornet for the event. Tom sat next to me, shook hands, kissed my cheek, and thanked me for coming. He then made a few calls to determine the schedule for summer wine filming so that he could arrange something for me. Suddenly, I realized that I was sitting next to Tom Owen and chatting with him about the show, his dad, and the US. It couldn’t get any more real than this. Alexander’s father, Andrew, was befriended as a child by Bill Owen. The families remained close, and now Tom has befriended Andrews’s son. Alexander, a round-faced, cherry-cheeked budding charmer, was not shy and, fascinated by America and Americans, he plied me with so many questions, I could not keep up with him! The endless fascination of the British about the US always amazes me.

At 12 noon, we went to the Café where we met Patrick. It was raining heavily, but we were undeterred. Armed with small plastic money containers, we were on a mission to collect money for the Compo Statue Appeal. Tom had agreed to pose for photos with donors. He bought coffee for us to warm us up as we huddled in jackets and under umbrellas on the courtyard outside the Café.  Many people stopped by to chat and contribute. Alexander played the Summer Wine theme song on his cornet. We all got soaking wet, but it was actually great fun. Even a photographer from the local newspaper came by and took several photos – we became instant local celebs!

After an hour, we went back to the hotel for lunch courtesy of Tom who I found to be a warm, generous, down-to-earth man. After finding out that I’m a theater buff, Tom talked with me about theater in America. Again, I felt astonished to be having lunch with Tom Owen and chatting like old friends. How did it happen?!

After lunch, we went to the Last of the Summer Wine exhibit near Nora’s house for the second part of the day’s event. Again, we collected money, Tom posed for photos, and Alexander played his cornet. At 3 p.m. our task was done and we walked back to the hotel together. Once there, Tom suggested that I leave a note about filming for Alan Bell who was staying at the hotel (as was I). He felt sure that Alan would arrange something for me. Our work finished, Patrick went home, Tom took Alexander home, and Pat and Michelle went back to the Café to have tea.

After I checked in, I wrote my note to Alan Bell and left it for him at the desk. Now, all I could do was wait and hope.

PART TWO (Updated Sept 20, 2004) 

Sunday, July 4, 2004

I woke today to find a note from Alan Bell at the front desk inviting me to join him for summer wine filming!  I immediately called him as he requested and he told me they were in New Mill. Easy by bus, Alan said.

I called Patrick as we had arranged for him to bring me his digital camera if I went to filming. I was to take photos which Patrick could then download on to the summer wine website. Patrick brought me the camera and also took me to New Mill which was very kind of him to do on a Sunday morning. The site was only a mile or so from Holmfirth, but I never would have found it on my own.

When I arrived, I found Alan and thanked him for inviting me. He remembered me from last year and told me to make myself at home. There are many unwritten rules of protocol on film sets, and I needed to be careful: no talking during rehearsals or takes, no sitting on the chairs provided for the actors, etc. If I was in doubt about anything, it was better to ask than breach the etiquette. Since I would be taking photos, I also had to remember to ask first.

It was a chilly morning, gray and overcast. I had brought summer clothing to England since July had been very hot last year. I did not expect the cold, 60oF weather of the last two days. Oh, for a warm jacket!  The film site was a parking lot behind a large tan and cream stone building that had dark brown corrugated metal siding on the upper half and roof.  Not beautiful, but it served the purpose of the scenes to be filmed there. The site had been transformed into a film set long before I arrived. A green City Rover car parked behind the building was the focal point of the scene. Around it were two lights on high poles, their lenses covered with plastic. Alongside the car on the ground was a track with a “rolling” camera mounted on it. Nearby, the “boom,” a shaggy-topped microphone on a long pole, sat ready. The sound technician sat under a tarp with his sound equipment. The actors, Mike Grady (Barry) and Chris Beeny (the Repo man), were in costume and ready to move on to the set. Their two green folding chairs were out and ready for them.  Three large panel trucks stood with doors open, additional equipment inside. Several vans used to transport the actors and crew were parked in the lot along with personal cars of the crew members.  All in all, there were twenty or so crew members bustling about preparing for the filming.

For the first scene, Barry sat in the green car and was approached by the Repo man. Barry got out, they talked, and the Repo man handed him a ring full of keys. Alan rehearsed the scene many times with the actors as I stood well back and watched. Then, they did a few takes of the scene. At that point, Alan called me over and said he had a job for me as an extra in the scene. Huh? Did I hear right? Egad! I was feeling lucky to be on the set watching a scene being filmed. It had never occurred to me that I might actually be given the chance to be in a scene.

First, my “costume.” I was dressed in jeans and a blue sweater which was fine. However, my backpack, glasses, camera, notebook, and pen had to go. Someone gave me a small black shoulder purse to carry. My role: walk across the parking lot behind the car while the actors were talking and disappear on the other side of the building. Adrian, a crew member, was stationed where I was to walk. He also served as security to keep cars out of the filming area. Could I do this without falling down, stumbling, going too fast or slow? The pressure mounted!

I waited on the parking lot where I was told to stand, hoping that I would be able to see the assistant director’s cue without my glasses. Then, I heard those now-familiar words: turnover - stand-by - action.  I watched for my cue with squinty eyes, saw it (thankfully), and walked over to Adrian where I stayed until I heard “cut” and he signaled me to go back to the starting point. I had walked straight ahead, taken twenty or so steps, and didn’t stumble or fall. What a relief! We had to do the scene several more times (not because of me I’m glad to say) before Alan was satisfied. Mike Grady clapped for me when we were done - very sweet of him to do. It was a “wrap” and my summer wine debut was official! My only regret is that I’ll probably not see the episode in the US for several years because my public TV station seldom acquires new episodes to air. Oh, well.

Several more scenes were done featuring Barry dropping his keys and activating the alarm of a silver car. The filming was interrupted by rain. Actors were immediately put under umbrellas or into cars. Tarps were thrown over cameras and sound equipment. Several crew members got under big “Last of the Summer Rain” umbrella with Alan; others got into their cars. I stood under the Union Jack umbrella I had purchased on a rainy day in York, but when the rain became heavier, I jumped into one of the vans on the parking lot. Mike Grady was in the silver car next to me. We waited out the rain. There are no cancellations on a film set. Everyone just waits.

After the rain, several crew wiped down the silver car with rags and squeegees and another swept up the water on the ground around the car with a yard brush. This was for consistency as the scene had been started with a dry car and ground. No sooner had they begun rehearsing then it started to rain again. Most of us retreated to a large covered breezeway where everyone chatted or joked while waiting. I was lucky enough to be with Christopher Beeny who I remembered from Upstairs, Downstairs. He told me that TV acting is a lot of sitting or standing and waiting with a little to do in between. When it’s time for action though, the pressure is on as actors like to get it right the first time due to costs of filming, etc. He enjoys working on Last of the Summer Wine. It’s easy to film, he said, because there are few references back in time, and few costume changes.

I also chatted with the prop man whose job requires him to be very creative at times in finding props for the show. Carol, the nurse, told me about her job and how she is responsible for the safety and health of the actors and the crew during filming. She took care of me today, too.  

Filming continued when the rain stopped. Mike Grady stood with me and we watched Chris Beeny’s scene. Mike told me about a famous film featuring the Hermitage in Russia. The cast and crew rehearsed for six months, and then filmed it in one take. He had seen the film and had been fascinated by it. Mike is quiet and gentle and, I think, a little shy. That was good because I’m also shy and would never have approached him on my own to talk to him. Yet, there I was, talking to Glenda’s Barry as if we were old friends.  

Filming ended for the morning, and it was on to lunch at the Base Camp in Hade Edge. The crew packed up all of equipment before I realized they were doing it. I rode to camp with Carol.

Base Camp was a huge, grassy farmer’s field, filled with caravans, trailers, trucks, and cars. Caravans labeled with actors’ names were lined up in a row next to a larger wardrobe truck where costumes were not only stored but cleaned every day. Actors change into costumes at Base Camp, then ride to the location site for filming. A large caravan housed the kitchen where meals were prepared. Everyone, even the actors, stand in line at the caravan door to order and receive their meal. Each person is issued a meal ticket which must be handed in when you get a meal (I was allowed to keep mine as a souvenir).  Food is served on china plates with silverware. My choice for lunch: roast pork with Yorkshire pudding. The “dining room” was a large bus that had been outfitted with booths and seats much like a train’s dining car. After lunch, I walked along Scholes Moor Road and took photos of the Yorkshire hills surrounding us – the greens and browns and stone walls of the patchwork quilt hills I so love. It was beautiful.

At 2:30 p.m., we went to the next location, a garden center. A large stretch of grass served as a golf green for the scene to be filmed there. It was set in winter, and so the actors were now in winter clothes with jaunty scarves around their necks (I could have used one of them to keep me warm!). Two huge slabs of Styrofoam snow were carried on to the set and laid along the edge of a stand of evergreen trees bordering the grass. Stephan Paczai, the show’s designer, worked a miracle and, using a few sticks and some soil, made the Styrofoam look like a mound of melting snow. The crew meanwhile had set up their equipment in a matter of minutes, transforming this empty spot into a film set.

 In the scene, Barry hit a golf ball with his club and walked away from the tee. Then, the Repo man tried to hit his ball and missed. He threw his club away over his shoulder in disgust and walked off. The camera then panned to Barry lying on the grass where he had been knocked out by the club. (Inside story: after he hit his golf ball, Mike Grady went off camera and lay down on his back on the grass. A crew member laid a golf club across his body in preparation for the camera pan later.)

This was a very funny scene. They rehearsed a few times, did a few takes, and then it was a wrap. We were at this site for barely an hour. I learned today that, when filming is over, it’s over very quickly. Equipment was broken down immediately and actors were whisked away. I managed to get Mike Grady’s autograph on the back of my lunch ticket before he left.

I thanked Alan for inviting me to the filming and asked if he would pose for a photo with me. He said, “Why we don’t wait until tomorrow?” I wasn’t sure I had heard him correctly, so I asked if he was inviting me back tomorrow. He said, “Well, you’re here until Wednesday aren’t you? Come back tomorrow.”  I was speechless but my ear- to-ear smile said it all. I’m coming back tomorrow!

Back at Base Camp, I was given a map of the area so that I could find my way there the next day. Then, I rode back to Holmfirth in one of the actor transport cars with Chris Beeny who was being driven to a hotel in Huddersfield. What a treat.

That evening, I bought a fleece jacket, a necessity for summer wine crew members when working outdoors at film sets.

PART THREE (Updated Nov 7, 2004) 

Monday, July 5, 2004

 I got up at 6 a.m., had breakfast, and ordered a cab to take me to Base Camp in Hade Edge. When I arrived, the crew was pulling to go to the location site, so we just followed them.

The site was a narrow lane not far from base, bordered on one side by a steeply rising hill and on the other by a low stone wall followed by a steeply descending hill.  The view of the hills spreading out in front of us beyond the wall made me catch my breath: green velvet pastures divided by dry stone walls, filled with lowing cows and  dotted with small stone cottages. The word bucolic was invented for views such as this.

 Along the tiny lane, the crew vans were lined up and parked as close to the stone wall as possible. Even so, there was hardly any room left for a car to pass. Despite the warm sun and blue sky, a chilly wind moved across the valley toward us and I was glad I had my fleece jacket. I walked along the lane until I came to the film site where the crew had, once again, very quickly set up equipment for the scene. The geography made set up tricky but not impossible.  The light was set up in a field below the stone wall. A track had been laid on the road along the stone wall. Across the lane, a local police car was parked, ready for use in the scene. Ken Kitson and Louis Emerick were there and ready to work.

In the scene, Clegg (unseen) had climbed a tree in the hills beyond the wall and become stuck. The two policemen looked over the wall at him from above. Ken Kitson had dialogue that has come to be recognized as his signature. He told Louis that there must be an ancient ritual going on around the tree or even human sacrifice. Human sacrifice is a possibility in this area, he said, because they still have 3-legged races on Pancake Tuesday.  Absolutely hilarious!

The cast and crew worked in very tight quarters to do this scene. The camera was lodged tightly against the wall. Alan stood next to it just a few feet from the actors. When we see the scene in the show, the actors seem to be all alone in the hills with no one else in sight. In reality, they are surrounded by a dozen crew members, with a camera pointed at their faces and their director standing so close they could reach over and shake hands with him.

Occasionally, the sun moved behind a cloud, forcing filming to stop until it came back out. Again, sit, stand, wait, like yesterday. In addition, there was more traffic on this tiny road than I would have expected, causing more pauses in the filming. One time, everything stopped to allow a muck truck to pass by (remember the summer wine episode in which the trio and Wesley attached Wesley’s car to a muck truck to pull them home? They ended up very mucky!).   We even stropped for a man walking his dogs. There were other reasons for stopping as well. When the bill on Ken’s cap was reflecting too much light, filming stopped so that crew members could spray the bill with black non-reflective paint.  We didn’t stop for sounds though. Somewhere in the valley below us, dogs were barking and cows were mooing, but the scene went on.

I learned today that a grip is the person who lays the track for the camera, and a boom operator is the person who handles the mike on the long handle. I also learned to identify each part of the sequence for filming a scene as announced by the assistant director: rehearse, stand-by, turnover, action, cut, and wrap. As Ken and Louis worked, the sound technician gave me a pair of earphones and let me listen to the dialogue as it was being taped. Dialogue was not always audible during site filming because of being out in the open. 

Alan Bell is wonderful with his crew. He obviously cares about each of them and, in return, he has the undying loyalty of all of them. He is easy going and upbeat on the set and often jokes with the crew between takes. Yet, he is a consummate professional who knows his craft completely. Alan makes what is a painstakingly technical and difficult job look easy. It is awe inspiring to watch him work.

During a break in filming, I chatted with Ken Kitson who, fans will be not be surprised to know, is as funny in person as he is in character. To be with him is to laugh – at a joke or a funny story (and he has many of them). He was most kind to take time to chat with me.

At mid-morning, we moved to a new location on the moors where we were wrapped in the stunning, verdant hills around us. I could well imagine Clegg and Compo with their third man standing there and looking out over the panoramic view of the Yorkshire hills unfolding in front of them.

In the first scene there, Ken walked along the top of a stone wall next to the road. He told Louis that it was an old courting custom to walk on these walls, and, that if you fell, the woman had to comfort you.  However, when he fell while courting, he landed on his head and couldn’t remember being comforted.

Ken did the stunt himself, practicing many times to walk, balance, and say his lines at the same time.  Crew members put chalk marks on the wall to indicate where he was to walk, to stop, and to jump down on to the road. They also placed rubber markers on the ground where he was to stand. On the other side of the wall was a steep hill that descended sharply to a road below. Crew had placed a large padded blue mat on the ground behind the wall. A crew member sat on the mat to catch Ken if he fell, and the nurse was there as well. In the next scene, Louis vaulted over the wall to prove that he could do it. He landed on the mat before getting up and appearing disheveled to Ken on the other side of the wall.

We moved a few hundred yards down the road for the next scene. A crew member drove Entwistle’s truck into a field and parked it askew under a tree. Various pieces of furniture were strewn about haphazardly on the ground around the truck.

During set up, several cars pulled up along the side of the road and one by one, actors in costume emerged: Stephen Lewis (Smiler), Bert Kwouk (Entwistle), Tom Owen  (Tom), and Jean Alexander (Auntie Wainwright).  Suddenly, I was surrounded by Summer Wine characters! Stephen Lewis immediately walked over and said hello. Tom greeted me with a hug. Bert smiled and waved. I was on summer wine overload!

In the scene, the truck had run off the road, spilling Auntie Wainwright’s furniture on the ground. The guys formed  a line to pass the furniture pieces along to Bert on the truck while Auntie Wainwright stood nearby telling them not to damage anything. Vintage summer wine.  This was a short scene, lasting less than 30 seconds. It didn‘t take more than a few minutes to rehearse and film it.

Back to Base Camp and lunch. Well, I ate lunch with Stephen Lewis! During our half hour together, he talked about English history and geography, and his acting career and I told him about my work and my hometown. He is a very intelligent, lovely, gentle man and I thoroughly enjoyed his company.  Robert Fyfe and Jean Ferguson sat at the table across the aisle from us. Imagine being at a restaurant, looking over at the next table, and seeing Howard and Marina out together in broad daylight! They are actually very good friends in real life. I chatted with them also.

After lunch, we went back to the same location. This scene was set along the road near a large tree. Marina walked her bike along the side of the road and stopped at the tree. She rang the bike bell and Howard answered from the field off road with a ring from his bike bell. Marina left the bike and walked across the field to meet Howard who was upset. He had just found out that he’s an orphan. Because of the layout of the area, the camera had to be mounted on a crane that ran along a track in the road.

It did not take long to shoot the scene and we wrapped early at 3:30 p.m.  Still reeling from being surrounded by so many summer wine characters, I thanked Alan for inviting me to the filming for a second day. I told him I was thrilled and that, counting the two actors I met yesterday, the seven I met today and the three I met last summer (Kathy Staff, Jane Freemen, and Brian Murphy),  I had met almost everyone in the cast. Everyone, that is, except Frank Thornton and Peter Sallis. Alan said, “Why don’t you come back tomorrow because Frank and Peter will be here” My heart nearly stopped! I didn’t hesitate and almost shouted “You bet I’ll be here!” I was given a call sheet for the next day’s filming, and sure enough, there were Frank and Peter’s names.  

Jimmy La., one of the drivers for the actors, took me back to Holmfirth. I spent the evening with Patrick Brooke and his family regaling them with summer wine stories. In return, their three sons treated me to a lovely guitar concert.

Back at the hotel, the reality of what had happened today finally hit me. It had all happened so fast, faster than I could absorb it. Had I really joked with Ken Kitson out on the moors? Or had lunch with Stephen Lewis? Or  talked with Jean Ferguson about Baltimore?  Indeed I had. I was in the middle of this awesome experience that many fans dream about but few see realized, and I felt both privileged and extremely lucky.  

And I was also extremely excited because it has always been my dream to meet Peter Sallis, one of the finest actors I’ve ever seen and one whose work I had long admired. In Clegg, I see myself and I have long wanted to meet the man who brought him to life from Roy Clarke’s superb scripts. Now, it seemed like that dream would finally come true.  Could there be a luckier person in the world?

Tuesday, July 6, 2004

At 5:30 a.m., dawn “cracked” and I was awake and out of bed – and this is my vacation?! I went to the hotel lobby at 7 a.m. and called to order a cab, but the company was not yet open. Fortunately for me, a Summer Wine cast member who was also staying at the hotel had an early call and offered me a ride to base camp when she saw me in the lobby.

At base, everyone was eating breakfast. I climbed onto the bus, helped myself to a cup of coffee, and sat down. Joining me there were Ken Kitson, Robert Fyfe and Keith Clifford. Before I knew it, I was having a coffee morning with Howard, Billy (the direct descendent of Robin Hood), and a policeman!  A few other actors were milling around outside the bus, but there was no sign of Peter Sallis or Frank Thornton. Not to worry - Alan said they would be with us today. Their names were on the call sheet. Maybe they were coming in the afternoon.  

All of the filming today was done on the moors along a paved road flanked by low stone walls and unending green fields that stretched to the horizon. It was cold and windy but the sky was clear and brilliantly blue. I was prepared with my fleece jacket and, like all crew members, had dressed in layers to meet the challenges of the area’s changing weather. An array of actors soon arrived at the site: Bert Kwouk, Keith Clifford, Louis Emerick, Ken Kitson, and Robert Fyfe.

The work done today was by far the most technically complicated that I had seen so far. In the first scene, the two policemen sat chatting in their car along the side of a road. The camera positioned up against an open window, and Alan sat next to the car window to direct, working with the actors and the cameraman in a tight, close space.

The second scene involved Entwistle’s red truck which had been placed along a small road facing an intersection with the main road. Entwistle drove the truck to the intersection and braked suddenly. Billy and Howard, who were in the back, fell down and lay with their feet in the air. Entwistle continued driving down the road.

This scene was broken down into three parts for the filming. The first part was a close-up of Entwistle in the truck as he stopped. The camera was in the cab with him. He drove the truck a few feet forward, slammed on the brakes, and responded to the sudden stop. Next, Entwistle drove the truck down the road with Billy and Howard sprawled in the back, feet in the air. This was filmed by a stationary camera along the side of the road that caught the action as the truck passed by. Finally, Alan and the cameraman sat in the back of another truck driven by a crew member and filmed Entwistle's moving truck while traveling parallel to it. The result of about an hour’s worth of work is a scene that will probably last less than 30 seconds in the episode. For the crew, this dissecting and filming of a scene in various ways is a day to day occurrence, but for me it was a novelty and highly interesting. Rather than being bored as the crew thought I might be, I found the filming process fascinating, even with all of the waiting and setting up and resetting. Having seen the finished product on TV, it is amazing to see what it takes to create an episode. 

The next scene was filmed using a green board or a CSO (color separation overlay), a lightweight board covered with green material and about 10”x10” (I’m not good at estimating sizes, so I’m guessing it was probably bigger). The screen was set up on the road using ladders, ropes, and several crew members to support it. The police car was then placed in front of it. In the scene, the two policemen sat in the front looking ahead as if driving down the road. In reality the car did not move, but rather movement was simulated by two crew members jostling the hood of the car out of camera-sight. The green board behind the car blocked out the view behind so that, during editing, another view can be digitally placed there. The car was filmed from the front, then turned around and filmed from the back with the green board still in place in the background.

How many crew does it take to use a green board? I counted four to hold it, two to jostle the car, three to work the lights, one security person to keep the road clear of vehicles, one cameraman, one director, one assistant director, one sound technician, one boom operator, and one make-up artist.  Total: 16.

During a morning break, I chatted with the actors. Keith Clifford told me about the stunts he had done in the show (he still does most of them himself). He lives in the Pennine area of northern Yorkshire and I learned a great deal about the area from him. Louis Emerick was curious about the US and asked me many questions about it. Robert Fyfe was interested in the things I was planning to do during my three weeks in England. And, Bert Kwouk absolutely surprised and delighted me when he told me that he was a Baltimore Colts football fan! Here I was, 3,700 miles from home, out on the West Yorkshire moors, talking about American football heroes Johnny Unitas and Alan Ameche. It doesn’t get any cooler than this! Alan Bell borrowed my digital camera while the actors and I were chatting, and he took a photo of me with the guys to capture the moment. Once again, I suddenly found myself surrounded by summer wine actors. And the producer/director of the show was taking our picture. Incredible! I also used the break time to collect the actors’ autographs on the call sheet for the day’s filming. A great souvenir!

Throughout the three days, I had noticed a crew member taking Polaroids of each actor and pasting them in a large notebook. I found out that she is the costume assistant and it’s her job to record what each actor wears in each scene. She made notes next to each photo in the notebook which will be used by the London studio crew to ensure consistency of costumes in scenes and episodes.  Since the London crew is different from   the location crew, this record is critical.

The technical aspect of filming was not the only thing that fascinated me. I was also amazed by the remarkable amount of equipment needed to work on location, and by the fact that it is all unloaded at a site and then packed away at the end of the day and taken back to base camp.  You name it, I saw it used: spray paint, bug spray, antiseptic spray; yard brushes, squeegees, rags; tarps, umbrellas, sheets of plastic; rolls of colored tape, markers, chalk;  make-up bags, costume odds and ends, yellow-striped safety jackets; cigarette butt cans, trash cans, ladders. And - coffee, tea, cookies; first aid kit, water, AED; cell phones, walkie-talkies, microphones; lights, filters, cables; generators, black boards, green board; cameras, tracks, tripods. Plus - folding chairs, Alan’s chair, stools; sound equipment, headphones, booms; and back packs, ruck sacks, fire extinguishers, and rope.

We went back to base camp for lunch around 1 p.m.  I still saw no sign of Frank or Peter. I dared not hope too much because I had been very fortunate up to now in meeting so many actors. I didn’t want to push my luck. Yet, Frank and Peter were the only ones I had not met, so it would be great if ……. Well, Alan said they would be here and I decided that I just had to trust that that would be the case.

We went back to our morning film site after lunch. Most of the actors returned with us and soon we were mingling again on the set while the crew set up the first scene. Entwistle’s truck was positioned on the road. Lights and the camera were placed around it. There were no actors – the set up was done without them, but I overheard a crew member say that Bert, Frank, and Peter would be in the truck. What was that?!

Then, one of the actor transport cars pulled up near the set and Frank Thornton got out. He walked over, said hello to me, and sat on his chair on the set. He was unmistakable in his Truly of the Yard costume.

And then, Peter Sallis got out of the car, walked to his chair, and sat down. He saw me and asked who the lady in the red jacket was. I walked over to him and he introduced himself – as if he needed an introduction!  I think I said hello to him – or was my tongue paralyzed?  We did not have much time to talk because Alan was ready for him to do the scene. Peter walked to Entwistle’s truck, chatting and joking with the crew along the way. As for the crew, the enormous affection that they have for Peter was palpable.

After the scene, Peter sat down and called to me, and before I knew it, we were chatting like old friends. I told him about my hometown, Baltimore, Maryland on the east coast of the US. He talked about what was obviously his favorite subject: Last of the Summer Wine. Peter’s face lit up and his hands animatedly punctuated his words as he raved about Roy Clarke’s superb writing, especially in the Compo funeral episodes. Peter likened the summer wine characters to the animals in Wind in the Willows who, like Clegg and company, interact with each other without the world ever touching them. What a lovely analogy. He both marveled at and was delighted by the American affection for Last of the Summer Wine, and we agreed that the hook for Americans was the gentle humor and the stunning views of Yorkshire.

Peter was at once charming and disarming (and a bit of a rascal!). To me, Peter is the soul of Last of the Summer Wine. He and his marvelous Clegg are the thread from which the fabric of the show has been woven for 30+ years. Peter owns the history – he is the history – of Last of the Summer Wine and it was an honor for me to spend this time with him.

All too soon, we had to move to the next site. He got into his car and I jumped into the crew van for the short ride down the road. All of a sudden it hit me: I just met Peter Sallis. My dream had become a reality. I was absolutely stunned.

At the next site, Peter stayed in the car while the scene was set up. Frank Thornton, however, sat in his chair on the set and invited me to sit with him. Would my good luck never end?! Before I knew it, he was chatting with me about his career, his work for BBC, and a trip he had taken to New York many years ago that involved Zero Mostel and Sardi’s Restaurant! I first saw Frank on TV as Captain Peacock in Are You Being Served (it still is running in the US), and I instantly became his fan. I was delighted when he joined the summer wine cast and even more delighted to meet him today. He was most gracious and kind and so easy to talk to.

After a long preparation, it was time to film the scene. In it, Entwistle drove his truck down the road with Truly and Clegg next to him in the cab and Billy in the back. They passed a dejected Howard walking along the road with his bike, and they stopped and gave him a lift.

The actors began gathering on the set for the scene. When Peter arrived, I was completely surprised when he looked around for me and asked where I was by saying, “Where’s Connecticut?  Where’s Oklahoma?” The crew was not ready for him yet, so he sat down in his chair and called to me. I was then treated to more conversation with him. He asked about Maryland and songs written about the state. I told him about our state song and about how our US national anthem was written in Baltimore. He kindly agreed to pose for a photo with me, and when I told him he looked much better in the photo than I did, he said that’s because he lives there and I don’t.  He was in fine form with a crackling wit and that marvelous dry sense of humor that is as much his as it is Clegg’s.

Finally, the set was ready and the scene was filmed with very few takes. That is the other thing I have noticed during my time on the sets. The actors are so talented, so professional; they need only a few takes to get a scene perfect. This was unfortunate for me because only too soon, filming was over for the day and the actors were quickly whisked away.

I don’t remember how I got back to Holmfirth. Someone must have given me a ride, or maybe I floated there. I could have because I was ten feet off the ground. Had I really spent the day with Keith Clifford, Bert Kwouk, Ken Kitson, Louis Emerick, Robert Fyfe, and Frank Thornton? Did I really meet Peter Sallis?

I often wonder if actors understand know much it means to their fans to meet them. I think the summer wine actors understand. To a person, they were gracious, kind, and friendly to me. They chatted with me and made me feel at home. They were not obligated to interact with me at all; in fact, I would have understood if they chose not to do so because they were working, not on vacation like me. Yet, they gave freely of themselves and in so doing, created wonderful memories for me. To the actors: To know your characters has been a joy; to have met you was a privilege.

The summer wine crew was patient with me and unfailingly kind as I lived in their world for three days. To the crew: My warmest thanks for allowing me to be a crew member for this little while.

And finally, what can I say about Alan Bell? His generosity overwhelmed me.  He invited me to be a part of his summer wine family and ensured that my experience with them was all that I had hoped it would be – and more. Alan even gave me my own small place in summer wine history by allowing me to be an extra in a scene – what more could a fan want? To Alan: I am profoundly grateful to you. In the words of an opera  buff: “mille grazie!” (a thousand thanks).

POST SCRIPT : After I left Holmfirth, I went back to York and visited with my friends. Then, I traveled throughout northern England, spent a few days in Edinburgh, and visited the north coast of Wales before going home to the US. By any standards, I had an absolutely wonderful vacation. But the highlight of my three weeks in England was the time I spent with the cast and crew of Last of the Summer Wine. Those days were among the most enjoyable, delightful, surprising, and exciting days of my vacation. I am still basking in the glow of meeting Alan, Mike, Chris, Ken, Louis, Stephen, Tom, Bert, Robert, Jean, Keith, Frank, and Peter. I am still impressed by the amazing dedication and hard work of the crew.  I am still stunned that I was the recipient of the wonderful honor and privilege of becoming a part of the Last of the Summer Wine family. When I arrived home, the very first thing I talked about (and am still talking about) was my Summer Wine Adventure – Take Two. I’ll never forget it.