Whoops 40th anniversary

[Douglas Enwright]

So now Foggy,Compo and Clegg having jumped off the bus walk along the old lanes of Holmfirth,and 40 years later I follow in their footsteps,it’s all exactly the same I am so pleased to say,no modernisation,no redevelopment,they could walk these lanes themselves today and not see a change,the prominent building is the rear of the Th’owd Towser dating from 1597,it was a church lock up but has also been the town jail and a mortuary,it’s open to the public on just two days a year,where you can still see the iron ring in the wall that they chained the prisoners to

 

[Douglas Enwright]

I love this little quiet area,this is where they reminisced about their old school friends in that Christmas of 1981,and in honour to them I paused here in the Christmas of 2021 and thought about my own school days,I always stop and pause at these railings when I pass,this is where they remembered old school friends Douglas Chuffer Enwright and Gordon Splutter Lippenscale,and invite them to Christmas Eve drinks,next they’ll walk up Goose Green looking for Chuffers house,and 40 years later I will follow them

 

[Marianna]

What a wonderful way to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Whoops!

 

[Douglas Enwright]

What a wonderful way to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Whoops!

Thank you so much Marianna,it’s lovely to hear that and so kind of you to say,it’s my own little tribute to a wonderful show and people in it x

 

[Douglas Enwright]

So now Foggy,Compo and Clegg walk up Goose Green,an old lane in Holmfirth,and I’m following them 40 years later,here they talk about Chuffer,and how he dared wrestle Doreen Tattershall,but he never won,she was cock of the school after all,I think if they walked up here today they wouldn’t be too disoriented,apart from the modern cars it’s pretty much the same,to be honest I couldn’t find Chuffers house,it certainly wasn’t in the area at the top of this hill,so after their encounter with the fearsome Mrs Enwright they head to Compo’s house and an encounter with an equally fearsome Nora Batty,and that’s where I’m going too

 

[Douglas Enwright]

Heading back to Compo’s house Compo spots Nora Batty’s prop left out,and remembers how they used to pole vault with them,I think this landing/terrace area is more familiar in later episodes when Alvin used to sit out here with his morning cuppa and toast,still,this area is still totally recognisable 40 years later to Foggy,Compo and Clegg,lately there has been no prop,but a sweeping brush left out so that people can have their photo taken wielding the brush outside Nora’s house

 

[Douglas Enwright]

Although structurally it’s unchanged,I was shocked by how much this area outside Nora’s is overgrown,I think it ought to be trimmed back,and I think Foggy,Compo and Clegg although they would easily recognise it,would have something to say too,here Compo is trying to recreate a childhood pastime of his,pole vaulting with a prop,but Nora Batty is about to make an appearance and put a stop to it

 

[Adrian Morris]

Although structurally it’s unchanged,I was shocked by how much this area outside Nora’s is overgrown,I think it ought to be trimmed back,and I think Foggy,Compo and Clegg although they would easily recognise it,would have something to say too,here Compo is trying to recreate a childhood pastime of his,pole vaulting with a prop,but Nora Batty is about to make an appearance and put a stop to it
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It is a pity to see outside Nora's so overgrown but Foggy would love it as it looks like a jungle.

 

[Graham]

Again, excellent detail D E. I notice the 2 shops are now just 1 charity shop. 1 shop doorway has a step & the other does not which proves the exact location. I will have new images in my head next time we visit.

 

[captain clutterbuck]

I take it the Whippet and Pickle [Brilliant name] is relatively new have you been in Chuffer?

 

[Douglas Enwright]

It is a pity to see outside Nora's so overgrown but Foggy would love it as it looks like a jungle.

Haha you’re right Adrian I never thought of that,but you know how Nora likes a tidy yard,I watched White mans grave today where Foggy stutters Is Wally coming out to play,when faced with the wrath of Nora,it would be no contest.

 

[Douglas Enwright]

Again, excellent detail D E. I notice the 2 shops are now just 1 charity shop. 1 shop doorway has a step & the other does not which proves the exact location. I will have new images in my head next time we visit.

Oh thanks Graham,that’s a detail I didn’t spot,I just recognised it from watching the scene and knowing the street,yes most people see a charity shop,I see Foggy,Compo and Clegg laid in the gutter.

 

[Douglas Enwright]

I take it the Whippet and Pickle [Brilliant name] is relatively new have you been in Chuffer?

Hi captain,yes it’s beautiful inside,I don’t know how long it’s been open,it seems to have been there a while,it was gutted in a fire in 2017,it’s on those beautiful back street cobbled lanes by Daisy Lane books and the old towser,the only problem is the opening times,it’s closed every Monday and Tuesday,and only opens at 7pm on Wednesday,Thursday and Friday,and think 10 till 2 Sat and Sun,yes it’s a great name isn’t it,it always reminds me of Wally’s black whippet from Uncle of the bride.

 

[Douglas Enwright]

Having realised her prop has been stolen,a furious Nora,in a rare shot of her hatless and curlerless emerges to put a stop th the shenanigans,I preferred to take this view of her door and step,all the same as it was 40 years ago thankfully

 

[Douglas Enwright]

This is what happens to three grown men when faced with the wrath of Nora Batty,I didn’t throw myself down the steps,but I did sit at the bottom of them like Foggy and Cleggy did for a moment,it’s still the same as it was 40 years ago,next they all retire to Compo’s house to discuss their Christmas Eve plans,and that’s where I intended to go too

 

[Douglas Enwright]

This is where Foggy,Compo and Clegg go to Compo’s house to discuss their Christmas Eve plans,Foggy says he thought Compo should have decorated for Christmas and he says he has,producing a sprig of holly in a jar,they talk about who might join them in the Butchers,Chuffer might come,says Cleggy,yes,says Foggy,and bore us with his knee,Wally joins them to give them each a mince pie,before being manhandled out by Nora,I intended to go in the Summer Wine exhibition and go to this room,which is an exact recreation of the room in this scene,in the very room where Compo’s room actually was,but the exhibition was closed in the week leading up to Christmas until January 8th,a setback for me on my Whoops day,if Foggy,Compo and Clegg were to go into the actual Compo’s house today,they would see it as it was in this scene,but of course in the show the room was completely different after Alvin moved in,we see a lot of it in A tale of two sweaters,next up they all go home to get ready for their Christmas Eve drinks at the Butchers,and in the meantime I’m going to have a wander around Holmfirth till it gets dark when I will go there too

 

[Douglas Enwright]

While our trio get ready for their night out at the Butchers I’m going to have a walk around until it gets dark and I can join them,for almost all of the 40 years since Whoops,Compo’s bookies,Jack Pearson’s has always been there and exactly the same,never having been taken over by any of the big betting chain shops,however it succumbed this year and is now Ribbles of Holmfirth,I’v not been in but it looks nice,and is much better than it becoming run down or unused,Holmfirth is blooming !

 

[Douglas Enwright]

I had a walk to the Sands recreation ground in Holmfirth,where there is a swimming pool and football ground and children’s play area,there is also this bridge over the river Holme,it’s been in many scenes over the years and I love it here

 

[Douglas Enwright]

A wander to Edie and Wesley’s house,so many great scenes and memories here,you wouldn’t think it was the week before Christmas would you,there’s just the neighbours with the wreath but no other decorations,always think of Edie treble checking the door and then pushing into it to make sure it’s locked,and all getting in the red Triumph,and I loved the scene where Compo had an altercation with Seymour and Seymour instructed Barry “Thrash him Barry”

 

[Douglas Enwright]

This is Towngate where they jumped off the bus,as it’s starting to get dark