Olive Scrimshaws pub

Douglas Enwright

Douglas Enwright

Dedicated Member
Apologies first because this isn’t Last of the Summer Wine,but it’s a show I know a lot of us have watched and enjoyed.
Anyone that has watched I didn’t know you cared will know that Olive Scrimshaws pub featured heavily in the last series,I went to take a look at her pub today to see the changes in the 45 years since it was filmed.
Today it lies empty,it hasn’t been a pub since 2015 when it was called the Bridge Inn,although it’s known to most people as the Red House,permission has been granted to turn it into apartments.
When it was in the show it was called the Boatmans Comfort,and the landlady,who Mort inexplicably became betrothed to,was a very nast piece of work that didn’t like any customers frequenting her pub.
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Mort decided to take the family for a picnic here because it was surrounded by three pubs,today they have all gone,the Towpath across from the bridge was demolished and a block of flats built,the lovely white Ship Inn has been knocked down and there is no trace of it,and the Boatmans Comfort is awaiting conversion to flats
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Thankyou Rick/Graham/Terry.
Its such a shame isn’t it,not only the three pubs all lost,but the canal blocked and closed too,it must have been lovely sitting outside the pub watching the boats go by.
I enjoyed the show but I think it quickly lost its way and burnt out.
The first series was brilliant,but I think the writing started to decline even in the second series,I didn’t enjoy the Mort relishing death storyline,and I didn’t like the change in Les (John Comer).
In the first series he was most definitely one of the men,defending mens ways with Mort,and you really could imagine him in the cafe with Mort and Wally calling out the faults in women,and then cutting to the coffee morning and the women doing the same about the men,but in the second series I didn’t like how he became fussy and houseproud getting annoyed at the other men tidying up after them,and I really didn’t like how he was so unsympathetic and uncaring with the news of Morts terminal illness and when they thought he had died,I preferred series one Les,agreeing with Mort about all the faults in women.
I think it actually got worse then with the new arrivals,I really didn’t take to the new Carter and Pat at all,no fault of the actors,it just wasn’t the same.
Mort continued to be the highlight but the writing didn’t improve and from the third series we were bombarded with what I presume the writer hoped would become well known catchphrases
”I heard that..pardon”
”Ah,well,mmm”
”I’m right aren’t I,yes I am”
All in all though I really did enjoy the series,but from my initial impressions it got less and less like Last of the Summer Wine.
It just goes to show what a brilliant job Roy Clark did for maintaining the quality and writing for all those years and all those episodes compared to I didn’t know you cared,which lasted four series,and really couldn’t have gone on,what a brilliant achievemen,I can watch any of our episodes from series 1 to series 31 and love every one.
It also got me thinking,I’m glad Roy Clark didn’t do the same as Peter Tinniswood and replace the actors and not the characters,imagine a different actor suddenly playing the part of Foggy or Compo,or Wesley and Edie,as if nothing had happened.
And who on Earth would they choose to play the parts ?
Although I enjoyed it,watching this made me appreciate our beloved show even more,and recognise how well it did to last so long for all these years,and never drop its incredibly high standards.
 
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I agree the show did seem to change a bit as it went on. Preferred the original Pat, Carter and Uncle Staveley. The main reason I kept watching was because of Linda Preston / Deirdre Costello. :21: :08:

When she offered her hand to Carter across the canal and asked if he wanted to walk hand in hand with her into a mucky sunset... I thought 'Yes please, I do.'
 
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“If you’d played your cards right you could have had that chip”
I loved that scene too,the original Carter made our Barry seem like a live wire.
I agree too Rick,along with Uncle Mort,Linda Preston was a highlight of the series,a great character and a lovely lady.
 
Great posts Chuffer . I agree the change in the scripts and certainly the characters detracts from what started as a brilliant show . I was lucky enough to get a couple of second hand , well thumbed paperback copies of Peter Tinniswood's books I didn't know you cared and Uncle Mort's North Country from World of Books been out of print a while so I was glad to secure them . I am just starting on the Uncle Mort book and I started laughing out loud reading the first chapter so I am going to plough on through it I will report back .
 
Thanks for this Captain! I had no idea about those books. Starting a search to see if I can get my hands on some as well. Found that some are on audiobooks also. Discovered some audio on the youtube and had a quick listen. I'm liking it so far. You made my morning.

Chuffer, you are spot on my friend. :18:
 
Hi @captain clutterbuck or anyone else with info. I found a copy of the book - I Didn't Know You Cared and am wondering if it is very similar to the TV show. A bit like the books for 'Allo 'Allo or Yes, Minister / Yes, Prime Minister where they closely follow with the TV show and maybe have some extra insights. Since the two just mentioned books came after the TV shows(I'm guessing). I'm thinking a bit more detailed since I believe the book came before the TV show which it then spawned.

Did not find much for the Uncle Mort trilogy yet book-wise but found several audio cassettes for sale. Nor did I see A Touch of Daniel or Call it a Canary books.

I did to my delight find on youtube the audio of the radio broadcasts for Daniel, Canary and Uncle Mort trilogy (North / South Country, Celtic Fringe).


Missing from this list is part 2 of episode 10 of Celtic Fringe but it is in Fractotum 's page (which most of the links point to).


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Woot, just got a 10% off offer on the book - I Didn't Know You Cared and took it. Coming from Australia.
 
Hi Rick I bought the two books I mentioned simultaneously and opted to read Mort first and I am enjoying it immensely , as I read I hear Robin Bailey's masterful portrayal which helps so much absorbing the content , I cannot imagine I didnt know you cared being anything other than a great read pleased you managed to get a copy , glad you found the audio broadcasts for Mort trilogy . There are 4 x 15 minute episodes of Mort's North Country still on the BBC Sounds app if you have anyway of accessing .
 
Its the sheer imagination of Peter Tinniswood he thinks laterally and its those anecdotes which make him different very much like Les Dawson's observations . In Mort episode he mentions it being a windy day the sort of day when Spaniels ears are pinned to the back of their head and everyone looks angry as the wind whips across the loose skin of people's foreheads creating temporary frown lines :)

I try in vein to think in that manner sometimes I get it right but mostly it falls flat . I was on a guided walk yesterday and the guide mentioned in the context of a building housing the Literature and Philosophical Society that the members would often discuss the matters of the day only breaking for that day's cold collation or buffet to you and I .

I immediately thought of a Les Dawson monologue where he would be saying something about being out all day in a wet and windy Blackpool returning to his B and B to be met with an insipid grey cold collation the landlady threw together for evening meal . It was tasteless , some flavour would have been granted but the landlady charged a shilling a day for use of the cruet set. I alluded to my thoughts to the rest of the group and in Frankie Howerd's words "Titter ye not!" they didn't not, not even a forced grin :(
 
For what it's worth captain, I find you very 'Uncle Mort like' in some of your musings :21: . Just because the others in the walk did not get it, then that is their loss.

I do like the imagery created - it would have to be really windy to blow back a Spaniels ears and people do scowl when blasted by the wind. I can even imagine Mort recanting your tale of driving down the freeway not knowing you had another higher gear or an Overdrive. Baffles me how after time no one in the vehicle familiar with it suggested you had extra gear to go. :confused2:

In chatting with you recently I have discovered that it may be Uncle Mort after all who is the central character of I Didn't Know You Cared. Peter's other books / broadcasts are titled with his name...

Being a Summer Wine fan is how I know John Comer and naturally thought him the main character at first. Hadn't considered it to be Carter as the main, reminiscing of his uncle, but might be him as well. I have not delved into the rest of Peter's audio broadcasts yet to find out. Eagerly looking forward to my book IDKYC by him coming in a few weeks.

Will touch base with you on it after I've read a bit. Hope you will do the same about your thoughts on Uncle Mort's North Country.
 
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