The Billy Hardcastle period

Philosopher Clegg said:
codfanglers said:
Philosopher Clegg said:
There was always going to be a tricky period after the death of Bill Owen, it was obvious you could not replace Compo. Tom as his son didn't really fit because he was far younger than Truly and Clegg, the audience didn't really take to that idea. Perhaps because of Bill Owen's death, the series then moved more towards a collective with several characters being seen more together rather than the traditional trio. Billy then emerged as one of the better characters, but unfairly didn't really get the same recognition as others when he became part of the trio.

I liked Billy and felt that he was one of the better characters introduced in the later years. It was unfortunate when he left because along with Alvin I think he would have been a better option from which to form a new trio. I also thought that in an episode that Bobby Ball appeared in there was a chemistry between the three which I happen to think would have made a decent trio. I'd rather have watched those three together in the last two series than what we got in Hobbo, Alvin and Entwistle.
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Philosopher Clegg,

I agree with a lot of your thoughts. I have been through many discussions in the past about ideas of characters for comebacks and if there was really an authentic trio after Compo. Like you, I view the post Compo years as a larger collection of Barmpot characters getting into various mishaps. Billy was a good part of this mix. I still don't see an actual trio (until they tried Hobbo, Entwhistle, and Alvin.

I also mentioned before about the potential of Bobby Ball being a regular member. I recall suggesting that Barry (even though he was married), Bobby Ball, and Billy become a trio. There were in a similar age group.

You suggest Bobby Ball, Billy, and Alvin. Interesting. Although, who would have played the Clegg-type role, and who would have been the third man? To me they are all sort of Compo-type characters.
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Barry was a difficult one for a trio because he did have a full time job at the Building society so where would he get the time to go off wandering? They got around it with Entwistle although he ran his own business, but for me the trio had always been essentially unemployed or forced into early retirement. Barry had his own little professional trio of friends in the final few series, but not sure it always worked, they could be quite silly at times.
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Of course this is pure speculation, but Clarke could have put Barry into a "Richard Bucket" situation and face early retirement!
 
codfanglers said:
Philosopher Clegg said:
codfanglers said:
Philosopher Clegg said:
There was always going to be a tricky period after the death of Bill Owen, it was obvious you could not replace Compo. Tom as his son didn't really fit because he was far younger than Truly and Clegg, the audience didn't really take to that idea. Perhaps because of Bill Owen's death, the series then moved more towards a collective with several characters being seen more together rather than the traditional trio. Billy then emerged as one of the better characters, but unfairly didn't really get the same recognition as others when he became part of the trio.

I liked Billy and felt that he was one of the better characters introduced in the later years. It was unfortunate when he left because along with Alvin I think he would have been a better option from which to form a new trio. I also thought that in an episode that Bobby Ball appeared in there was a chemistry between the three which I happen to think would have made a decent trio. I'd rather have watched those three together in the last two series than what we got in Hobbo, Alvin and Entwistle.
Click to expand...

Philosopher Clegg,

I agree with a lot of your thoughts. I have been through many discussions in the past about ideas of characters for comebacks and if there was really an authentic trio after Compo. Like you, I view the post Compo years as a larger collection of Barmpot characters getting into various mishaps. Billy was a good part of this mix. I still don't see an actual trio (until they tried Hobbo, Entwhistle, and Alvin.

I also mentioned before about the potential of Bobby Ball being a regular member. I recall suggesting that Barry (even though he was married), Bobby Ball, and Billy become a trio. There were in a similar age group.

You suggest Bobby Ball, Billy, and Alvin. Interesting. Although, who would have played the Clegg-type role, and who would have been the third man? To me they are all sort of Compo-type characters.
Click to expand...

Barry was a difficult one for a trio because he did have a full time job at the Building society so where would he get the time to go off wandering? They got around it with Entwistle although he ran his own business, but for me the trio had always been essentially unemployed or forced into early retirement. Barry had his own little professional trio of friends in the final few series, but not sure it always worked, they could be quite silly at times.
Click to expand...

Of course this is pure speculation, but Clarke could have put Barry into a "Richard Bucket" situation and face early retirement!
Click to expand...

Barry was a difficult one because he was white collar and that is why I think Clarke surrounded him with his own group of professional friends that at times were almost an alternative trio. He's wasn't like the traditional trio as he didn't fit in as the third man bossy, authority figure, the take life as it comes like Clegg or lazy radical Compo type. I suppose he was a bit like Clegg in that he occasionally pondered the bigger things in life.
 
Re: The Billy Hardcastle periodI think st of the time Barry

I think that most of the time Barry was not in the real world and the only time he did enter the world was when Glenda told him to. A lot of the time he had a totally gormless look,witness on his stag night asking if anyone could hear a dodgy wheel bearing even Seymour could not wake him up.Are you holding it properly Barry!!!!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
 
On the contrary (even though married and white collar), I think Barry worked great with the older barmpots. It was amusing how he was gently bossed around. While watching the first Truly series recently, I really enjoyed Barry often being in a hurry but the guys always telling him, "hold on", "just wait" etc.

Going back to the title of this thread, there were times when Billy and Barry worked great together, especially when Billy was trying to get him into archery.

I recall the "being in his own world" was more of a trait to the early Barry, during the Seymour era.


Of course, there aren't any right or wrongs in this discussion, just a fun, thoughtful topic.
 
Not sure why I say this but I often had a feeling that Billy was still working (probably a brief line somewhere) and thus he only joined in escapades at the week-end as Barry would have done.

Barry had the occasional telephone call from Glenda telling him to come and do something straight away,even though he was at work. This happened to Richard Bucket.
 
barmpot said:
Not sure why I say this but I often had a feeling that Billy was still working (probably a brief line somewhere) and thus he only joined in escapades at the week-end as Barry would have done.

Barry had the occasional telephone call from Glenda telling him to come and do something straight away,even though he was at work. This happened to Richard Bucket.
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I may be wrong, but I'm sure I heard in one episode something about Billy having been made redundant? Can't remember the name of the episode.
 
Redundancy happens to the best of us!!! :santahat: :santahat: :santahat: :xmasstree: :xmasstree: :xmasstree:
 
barmpot said:
Redundancy happens to the best of us!!! :santahat: :santahat: :santahat: :xmasstree: :xmasstree: :xmasstree:
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When he first appears in How Errol Flynn Discovered the Secret Scar of Nora Batty, which I watched yesterday, he does mention that he took early retirement. At some point in a later episode I think someone mentions he was made redundant from a local factory. Clifford was a young looking 61 when he first appeared in the series so chances are his LOTSW age was somewhere in the mid to late fifties.
 
Billy usually went to avoid the wife and her sister a pair that maintained the tradition of Yorkshire wives . :merrychristmas:
 
Hopefully the rest of the Billy era and beyond will be on DVD before too long,prob more chance of Bill Owen coming back from the dead though
 
Oh beans! It says it can't play in my region. 8) Am I allowed to sulk so near Christmas? ;)
 
Philosopher Clegg said:
I haven't watched this, but as there is a LOTSW connection others may be interested. On ITV today and is available via the itvplayer for the next month (probably UK only).

Lost for Words with Thora Hird and Keith Clifford in a supporting role.

https://www.itv.com/itvplayer/lost-for-words
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its got a few links with Summer Wine, the two you already mentioned as well as Pete Posthelthwaite appeared (he appeared in "A Merry Heatwave" apparently) and Alan JW Bell was the director on it, its a really nice and moving story and can totally understand the plot seeing i've been in that situation myself
 
I also did this comment on the "TV that may be worth watching " thread, I read the book first then caught the play some years ago. Very moving but not without some humour also. The book was part of a series by Deric Longden about his wife and his mother.
One funny bit I remember was:
"Mum, when you die do you want burying or cremating??"
"I dont know love , surprise me!!"
 
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