In 1993 Bill Owen agreed to become Patron of a charity I was working for and the following year I jumped at the chance of going over to Holmfirth to meet Bill and watch filming. Bill soon became an old friend and I looked forward to seeing him on location every year. It was Bill who told me about the Summer Wine Society and got me as involved as I am today. The following interview took place at Jackson's Bridge on June 2nd 1994 during filming of 'Once in a Moonlit Junkyard'.

M: Good Morning Bill, it was very kind of you to spare the time in your busy schedule for this chat

B: That's no problem. It's nice to meet you at last Mike.

M: As you know I've come over from Lancashire today. I believe that Lancashire is another county that you have connections with?

B: Yes, that's right. My real name is actually Bill Rowbotham and although I was born in London, my son has researched the family tree and it does indeed lead back to Lancashire. I'm also an adopted Yorkshireman. It does seem as though I have London, Yorkshire and Lancashire blood flowing through my veins.

M: If you don't mind me asking, how old are you now?

B: Quite a bit older than you think. I was born in London on March 14th 1914, I'm 80 years old.

M: Wow, I hope that I'm as active as you when I reach 80. Now, as you know, as well as being a very big fan of yours, my main reason for being here today is to meet you in your new capacity as Patron for the charity that I work for. It's very kind of you to accept this position and for you to allow us to use your name during fund raising campaigns. You were my first choice for the role as I thought that Compo would be a perfect figure for a wildlife charity. Do you have any views on conservation and green matters?

B: I am very sympathetic to any organisations who are hoping to improve our planet. I have very deep regrets at what we are doing to our planet and any organisation who is working to make it a cleaner, greener place has my full support.

M: You said that you live in London. Do you have any countryside near your house?

B: Yes, I'm very lucky really. I live in a very wooded area near both Queens Woods and Highgate Woods. I also enjoy getting back to Holmfirth which is really open and green.

M: So, like your character, you like to get out and about when possible?

B: Oh yes. I enjoy a good strong walk. I do have to say that at my age I prefer a good strong, flat walk to tramping over the hills.

M: If you don't mind I'd like to talk a bit about Bill Owen and 'Last of the Summer Wine'.

B: No that's fine, where do you want to begin?

M: How about at the beginning? Where did it all start?

B: My first show business job was as an entertainer in a holiday camp in 1937. Since then I've worked on more or less everything - stage, film, television, singing with a dance band and playing Koko in 'The Mikado' with Saddlers Wells. The only things I haven't done are circus and ballet. Behind the scenes I've worked as a playwright, a producer and a director, and I've written hundreds of songs.

M: And then Summer Wine arrived in the early seventies.

B: Yes, I started filming for Summer Wine in 1971 and I'm still here.

M. Has working on the programme changed much over the years?

B: In the early days we were filming before a live audience and I was always very anxious to get it all right. As times gone by I've begun to relax and settle into the character. It's a lot easier now.

M: Talking to you now, your accent is very different to Compo's.

B: Yes, I've developed the Yorkshire accent over the years, now I can turn it on and off as I please.

M: What does your working week consist of?

B: We work six days a week, with a ten-hour working day. We have Saturdays off and work a very tight schedule.

M: What happens with all the stunts that are carried out?

B: I used to carry out most of my own stunts during the early years. Nowadays I have a stand in and a stunt double.

M: I can imagine that as it's so open up here, there must be a great deal of differing weather conditions that you have to put up with?

B: Yes the weather affects filming greatly, and as you say the weather is very variable up here.

M: How do you get on with your fellow co-stars - the ferrets?

B: Oh, we have a handler to deal with the ferrets. He holds them on the close up shots. I refuse to touch them!

M: How about a bit of name dropping?

B: Well I've appeared with Katy Hepburn, Dirk Bogarde and Patricia Roc, and I've written songs for Cliff Richard, Matt Monro and Sacha Distel.

M: I read in a book that you appeared in the fifties in the BBC television series of Sherlock Holmes.

B: Did I really? That's one I don't recall off hand.

M: Yes, you played the part of Inspector Lestrade with Allan Wheatley as Sherlock Holmes and Raymond Francis as Doctor Watson.

B: I'll have to look that one up.

M: Do you keep a record of what you've done?

B: Yes, I keep a scrapbook covering all my career.

M: Going right back in time, what did you do during the war?

B: I was an officer in the Royal Pioneer Corps.

M: Do you have any war stories?

B: Hmmm, I feel a bit like Foggy! Well, yes I do. I did a show in the Royal Mint, it was an underground location and there was money all over the floor. It was during the blitz and as it was a particularly bad night we had to sleep in the Royal Mint! We were each given a set of Maundy Money for the performance but unfortunately mine was later stolen.

M: Moving back to show business, have you ever appeared in pantomime?

B: Yes I was a regular in pantomime up to about five or six years ago.

M: All these memories, have you any plans to write an autobiography?

B: It's funny you should mention that. My autobiography is being released later this year. I can't really tell you much more than that at the moment.

M: Well I'd really like to thank you for giving up your spare time to talk to me this morning. It's been a real privilege and a pleasure to meet you and I look forward to working with you in your new position as Patron. Are there any last words you would like to say?

B: I'd just like to send my love to everybody and wish them all well.

M: Thank you Bill.

B: Thank you Mike.

I joined Bill for lunch and then watched as he filmed the motorcycle scenes from 'Once in a Moonlit Junkyard. Did you know that Babs was actually a man?