Whoops 40th anniversary

[Douglas Enwright]

The square with Sid’s cafe Christmas 2021,and across the road looking over to the square,it’s nearly time to head to the Butchers

 

[Douglas Enwright]

Before heading to the Butchers I returned to the Church square and paused here for a while,thinking of all the memories,the traffic had stopped,there were no people,and it was lovely,after a while reflecting it was time to go to the Butchers Arms in Hepworth where Foggy, Compo and Clegg were having their Christmas Eve drinks exactly 40 years ago,and see if they would still recognise it,thankfully the pub is still open when so many have been closed or converted,my Whoops day is nearly at an end,just a short journey of 1.7 miles,or in Foggy,Compo and Cleggy’s case a 16 minute bus journey on the 310 bus

 

[Douglas Enwright]

And so to Jackson Bridge and a quick pint first in the White Horse,just 0.6 miles from the Butchers Arms in Hepworth where Foggy, Compo and Clegg are heading,hoping their friends will join them,this is the White Horse on Christmas Eve 2021,40 years to the night after that night at the Butchers,where we’re headed next

 

[Barrychuckle]

These are absolutely brilliant Chuffer thanks again for taking the time and effort to post them. On a similar thread have you seen the Summer Wino's video of the then and now of Getting Sam Home?

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[captain clutterbuck]

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

Do you think its online betting that finally forced it out of business plus pandemic or was it family run and the proprietor retire with no one to take it over , you have to wonder .

 

[Douglas Enwright]

These are absolutely brilliant Chuffer thanks again for taking the time and effort to post them. On a similar thread have you seen the Summer Wino's video of the then and now of Getting Sam Home?

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Ooh no I haven’t Barry,thanks for that I’ll look forward to watching that,I have the Summer Wine book by those two,thanks for the lovely comment

 

[Douglas Enwright]

Do you think its online betting that finally forced it out of business plus pandemic or was it family run and the proprietor retire with no one to take it over , you have to wonder .

Hi captain,Jack Pearson had ten betting shops and they all closed down suddenly in May 2021,he had been at Holmfirth for 45 years,the decision to close was a mixture of things,he said,but it is thought that in his mid to late 80’s he had had enough and decided to sell up.

 

[Douglas Enwright]

So it’s Christmas Eve and Foggy,Compo and Clegg are in the Butchers,it’s a depressing start to the evening as they sit alone and no one has decided to join them,Compo bemoans his lost passion
”I never thought it’d appen to me” he says
”My god this is going to be a sparkling Christmas Eve with him in this mood” replies Foggy
I don’t know if like the White Horse this was filmed inside,I suspect not,but although the outside of the pub is completely unchanged,I’m pretty sure they would not recognise inside,40 years later this little snug/alcove area is where they would have sat if they’d come in 2021

 

[Douglas Enwright]

It’s so great to see Wally,Sid,Gordon and Chuffer entering the pub to join them,the entrance is exactly the same,except there’s now a defibrillator on the wall next to the entrance (what a great idea,all pubs ought to have one on the outside wall so that the community knew exactly where they were)

 

[Douglas Enwright]

They entered the room on the left as you look at the pub,and this is that room at Christmas 40 years exactly later,I took the photo early before it got busy as you can see the room more clearly,completely different from the room they walked in in 1981,pubs in those days were geared up to cater for drinkers,now they’re more like restaurants

 

[Douglas Enwright]

Next we see a view of the Butchers from outside,and in the left hand window we see silhouettes of them all making lots of noise and having a great time,and I’m sure there’s a duck impression in there somewhere too,apart from this year there is no big Christmas tree outside I’m delighted to say it lt looks exactly the same and is thriving,I’m sure Foggy,Compo and Clegg and the rest would be so pleased about that too,in this age when so many pubs are being converted to flats,or shops,or just demolished,I’m really happy that it’s the same as they knew it and there to go in for a pint if we’re visiting the area,oh,and there are no lamp posts outside either !

 

[Douglas Enwright]

It’s the end of the night and the women have come looking for them,here’s Ivy finding Sid up a lamp post,the house and street and everything is exactly the same,unchanged from 1981,except there are no lamp posts,but I have a feeling they were only props anyway,so in 2021,40 years later,there are no lamp posts outside the pub to drunkenly climb up,I love the coloured Christmas lights across the street,they were everywhere

 

[Douglas Enwright]

It’s time to catch the bus back to Holmfirth,here’s Foggy and Compo at the bus stop outside the Butchers with Cleggy waving the bus down,they’re going to jump off at the church square by Sid’s cafe as the bus is still moving,all recognisable today,they’re going to catch the 22.38 pm number 310 bus into Holmfirth 1.7 miles away,interestingly the Butchers at Hepworth is on Town Gate,and Sid’s cafe and the square where they’re getting off is on Towngate,their bus ride is Town Gate to Towngate.

 

[Douglas Enwright]

They arrive at their bus stop and jump off while it’s still moving to the cries of “Geronimo” and end up in a heap in the gutter and road,it’s all still exactly the same,the Christmas tree is there next to the church,and the square with Sid’s cafe,I hope the modernisation of the Holmfirth action plan next year doesn’t change too much,this is the very spot they landed 40 years later,I think I was the only person there that night imagining Foggy,Compo and Clegg laid there and the cries of Geronimo,this time the bus is heading in the right direction,if you caught the bus from the Butchers it really would be going this way and stopping here

 

[Douglas Enwright]

It’s time for the closing credits and my Whoops day is almost over,it’s been great following exactly in their footsteps,I really did feel connected to them,so the closing credits appear with a shot of the church,the church square and Kayes ironmongers,and it is all exactly the same 40 years later,I’m so pleased about that,as the credits start we hear dialogue from an unseen Foggy,Compo and Clegg as they walk towards Sid’s and into the darkness beyond
Cleggy : Why do we always shout Geronimo
Compo : What else is there to shout
Cleggy : How about Whoops
Foggy : He’s right you know,that’s much more appropriate
All together : WHOOPS
And so my 40th anniversary tribute and my day following in their footsteps has ended,thankyou for all your likes and comments,I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did making it.
Theres just one more photo and I’ll post that tomorrow

 

[Graham]

Thanks Douglas, an excellent days work & very enjoyable experiencing it with you through your comments & photographs.
Top man.

 

[Douglas Enwright]

Thanks Douglas, an excellent days work & very enjoyable experiencing it with you through your comments & photographs.
Top man.

Thanks so much Graham

 

[Douglas Enwright]

One last photo.
This thread following in the footsteps of Foggy,Compo and Clegg has taken from Christmas Eve to New Years Eve to post,but I did the walk in one day just before Christmas,following exactly in their footsteps in the exact order they spent their day,and really enjoyed it,and felt connected to them.
I only joined this site to post the Whoops 40th anniversary photos,and you’ve all been so kind,welcoming and lovely,and the knowledge you all have of the best programme ever made is astounding.
Thankyou so much for taking the time to read,and for your likes and comments,which I have loved reading.
When you next come to Holmfirth take a look and pause at this bench,the locals call this bench Chuffers bench,because of the amount of time I spend here practicing my duck impressions,if you happen to see a man here with a dodgy knee quacking along with the ducks do say hello,it’s beside the river behind the Co op where many scenes were filmed,if ever there’s someone on the bench I carry on regardless quacking and waddling in the duck feeding area and it’s surprising how the bench always quickly becomes free,I go down every day if I can,especially leading up to Christmas when the duck impressions are my party piece.
Finally,happy new year and wishing the best of luck,health and happiness to you all,
Chuffer x

 

[Graham]

Please stay on the site Chuffer & keep on posting your adventures. We had a favorite duck there that we named 'Bouffant' & you may remember it with its distinctive 'hair do'. Unfortunately not seen it for the last few years so assume the worst. Happy new year to ALL & keep on Quacking!

 

[captain clutterbuck]

Thank you for posting this Douglas it has been the LOTSW equivalent of Dick Barton Special Agent [even though we knew what would basically happen having watched Whoops many times] . Presenting each aspect with accompanying photos of then and now is a great format , thank you for taking the time not only to undertake the recreation personally but for the effort to compose the narrative and create and match up the photographs.