Norman Clegg, Sir Humphrey Appleby, and Nurse Gladys Emmanuel

Time rolls on, even those who sought to bring the Eternal Captain Striker to life in the Doctor Who story "Enlightenment." A few years ago, Nigel Hawthorne, who was approached to play Captain Striker, passed on. Last year, actor Peter Sallis departed our Temporal ranks. A few months later, Keith Barron likewise departed our shores. The three actors who would have, and ultimately did portray Captain Striker in "Enlightenment" breathed their last, and spread their wings upon the great solar winds. Now they race toward the ultimate prize. Whatever sense of Enlightenment eluded them on Earth, we can only hope they will grasp it in Eternity.

Author Roy Clarke, who created and wrote "Last of the Summer Wine," created another comedy series called "Open All Hours." Although it only lasted a few years, it was so successful, and so beloved, that it recently spawned the sequel series "Still Open All Hours." Lynda Baron (no relation to Keith Barron), played the role of Nurse Gladys Emmanuel. In the first series, she played an important role, as the love interest of Arkwright, the proprietor of the local grocery store. 

After the death of actor Ronnie Barker, who played Arkwright, there was no real dramatic reason for her to return. Yet she came back for the sequel, simply because people loved seeing her in that role. It was comforting to imagine her sitting in her house across the street from Arkwright's, and in her own way, looking out for Granville, Arkwright's nephew, who now runs the shop.

In "Enlightenment", actress Lynda Baron played the role of Captain Wrack, an Eternal who sought to win the race through the solar system by sabotaging the ships of her competitors. I find it ironic how director Fiona Cumming sought out Peter Sallis, Nigel Hawthorne, and Lynda Baron, such noted comedy actors, to fill these dramatic roles. After all, the Eternals are supposed to be detached, used up creatures. In grasping eternal life, the Eternals seem to have lost their souls. Their only interest in life is derived from feeding on the emotions and thoughts of lesser, Temporal beings. 

This begs two questions. If the Eternals exist solely by constantly seeking diversions, who better to play such roles, than the people who divert us mere Temporals through their comedic performances? And if Eternals are beings who exist solely by constantly seeking diversions, could Foggy Dewhurst, Compo Simmonite, and Norman Clegg really be Eternals in disguise? 

Given the first choice of director Fiona Cumming for the casting of Captain Striker, it's ironic that the creator of "Enlightenment," the first woman to ever write for "Doctor Who," was veteran TV actor and writer Barbara Clegg. I wonder if she would have approved of well-known comedy actor Peter Sallis as Captain Striker. Or would she have seen his inclusion as one Clegg too many in her otherwise fine story...

Dragon Dave

Norman Clegg and Margot Kidder

One morning last week, I read a post on Facebook by Holmfirth artist Ashley Jackson. He spoke about how the wildness of the Yorkshire Moors had always called to him, even in his youth. It wasn't in town, or at school, or sitting in front of a TV that he felt truly comfortable and inspired. Instead, it was outside, surrounded by nature.

That afternoon, I read a newspaper article about Margot Kidder's life. The movie star, best known for playing Lois Lane to Christopher Reeve's Superman, lived her life in the big city. While acting in films and TV shows, she struggled with violent mood swings. Eventually she went off the rails, and was later found and rescued from a homeless existence. It was only then that she was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Coincidentally, I visited Holmfirth, the home of the TV series "Last of the Summer Wine," six years ago in May. I must admit, for a long time after that visit, whenever I felt low or depressed, I would turn to my computer, and review my trip to Holmfirth. Like Ashley Jackson, looking at all that pastoral beauty raised my spirits, and kept me going.

It may be a stretch to suggest that the wildness of nature calls to everyone. Perhaps some people need the confines of the urban environment to stretch themselves. Roy Clarke, the creator and writer of "The Last of the Summer Wine," suggests one reason for a Battle of the Sexes is that women and men need different things. In the series, the women like Ivy and Nora cling to the regimen of their daily routine. The men, as typified by Norman Clegg and friends, constantly yearn for adventure. While the women value schedules and cleanliness, the men value creativity, improvisation, and "getting their hands dirty."

Thankfully, after her homeless incident, Margot Kidder got the help she needed. She may have battled mood swings for the rest of her life, but she didn't go off the rails again. I wonder if she would have waged those battles with her emotions had she lived in an English country town like Holmfirth.

The women in "Last of the Summer Wine" usually view their husbands as imbalanced, and the other men as downright crazy. Norman Clegg's enduring popularity suggests that many of us yearn to be like him. Perhaps for us, he represents a person perfectly balanced. Norman Clegg: the sanest person in the world? 

Dragon Dave

Norman Clegg At The Crossroads

Norman Clegg and Foggy Dewhurst
played by Peter Sallis and Brian Wilde

In "Last of the Summer Wine," Norman Clegg is hardly a leader. Foggy Dewhurst fits that role instead. He's a former military man, a take-charge person, who is always enlisting his friends Norman Clegg and Compo Simmonite to partake in the adventures he plans. Although Norman would be content to peaceably fritter away his remaining years, he responds to Foggy's enthusiasm, and proves the ideal compatriot and friend.

Norman Clegg and Compo Simmonite
played by actors Peter Sallis and Bill Owen

Compo Simmonite is hardly a man Foggy Dewhurst would respect. By and large, the last thing Compo would readily do is hang out every day with Foggy. Norman Clegg serves as the glue that hold the three together. Norman's reluctant support of Foggy's hare-brained schemes prompts Compo to agree with them, even if he is the one of the three who usually suffers the most from them.

Norman Clegg's fear of Yorkshire women is well-known. He shrinks at raised voices, and is likely to run and hide when Ivy or Norma Batty yell at him. Actors, particularly at the BBC in the 1970s and 1980s, were chosen by directors, rather than casting agents. The directors cast people whom they've worked with before, usually because they played a similar role in another production. So actors often played the same role again and again in movies and TV shows. Or at least until a brave director ventured to try them in a new type of role.

Having never seen "The Pallisers," in which Fiona Cumming had worked with actor Peter Sallis before, I don't know the range beyond Norman Clegg the director saw in Sallis. Her casting choices for "Enlightenment" include some well known comedy names, such as Peter Sallis and Nigel Hawthorne. Also, she wanted Sallis to bring a quirkiness to the role, which suggests that she worried the production would be too serious, and wanted him to bring a touch of humor to the production.

I can only wonder what the "Doctor Who" production missed out on. I can only ponder the air of authority Peter Sallis would have assumed when ordering around First Officer Mariner, or when exchanging veiled pleasantries with the villainous Captain Wrack. I can only imagine how the actor would have transformed before my eyes, from the genial Norman Clegg, into the detached Eternal Captain Striker, and how he would have stood toe-to-toe with Peter Davison as the capable, the incomparable, Doctor Who. 

Would Captain Striker have proved a breakout role for Peter Sallis? Would he have started playing more serious and authority figures as a result? And what about "Enlightenment," which has gone on to be a fan favorite. Would the story have garnered more widespread acclaim, and won prestigious awards, had Sallis' portrayal of Captain Striker proven a success?

If nothing else, fans of "Last of the Summer Wine" can be glad Peter Sallis was never tempted away from his role of Norman Clegg to play more serious, authoritative figures. Certainly Ivy and Norma Batty had to be glad Norman Clegg never gained more confidence. What if Norman Clegg had become the leader of his little troupe of fun-loving guys? Foggy was never a serious threat to either Yorkshire woman. But an empowered Norman Clegg? Wow, that bears some thinking about!

Dragon Dave

Captain Norman Clegg

Due to an ongoing series of strikes that hit British industry during the late 1970s and early 1980s, production of the Doctor Who story "Enlightenment" shut down in November 1982. By this time, scripts had been finalized, cast and crew hired, and props and costumes made. All the model shots for the spectacular space race had been completed, along with one session of cast rehearsals. So producer John Nathan Turner worked hard at the BBC to ensure that, when labor union difficulties were resolved, production of "Enlightenment" could resume.

Actor Peter Sallis, who director Fiona Cumming cast for the role of Captain Striker, had regaled and impressed the cast with humor and wit during the rehearsal period he attended. Peter Davison, who played the Fifth Doctor, recalls rehearsing with Peter Sallis fondly. Sadly, by February 1983, when production on "Enlightenment" resumed, Sallis was no longer available, due to preexisting acting commitments. Either he was busy filming studio scenes for "Last of the Summer Wine", or some other film, TV series or play. 

Fiona Cumming scrambled to fill the role of Striker, the Eternal who acts as Captain of The Shadow, the ship which the fifth Doctor and his companions unwittingly board, when the TARDIS materializes in the hold. The director offered the principle guest role to three notable English actors, including Nigel Hawthorne, who at that time was another household name in Britain, thanks to his role as Sir Humphrey Appleby in the BBC comedy "Yes Minister." Sadly, he too was unavailable, or for whatever reason, had to decline the part. 

Eventually, actor Keith Barron won the role of Captain Striker. He played his commanding, assured Eternal in a convincing, straightforward way. Compared with the villainous Captain Wrack, his was a mostly good Eternal, who treated his crew of lesser, Temporal beings comparatively well. Yet, as fans of "Last of the Summer Wine" know, another actor could never bring Sallis' unique brand of subtle quirkiness to the role. 

In a documentary on the making of "Enlightenment," Keith Barron said that his role of Captain Striker came at a time when he played many similar authority figures. Fans of "Yes Minister" and "Yes, Prime Minister" know that Sir Humphrey Appleby, as Permanent Secretary for the Department for Administrative Affairs, always had the upper hand in his dealings with Minister Jim Hacker. So, as with Keith Barron, casting Nigel Hawthorne for the role of the detached Captain Striker doesn't seem much of a stretch for the actor. Peter Sallis, so well known as the never-take-charge Norman Clegg, remains an unknown, at least to me.

As much as I would have liked to see Peter Sallis take on the role, I have to wonder how effectively Peter Sallis would have performed as Captain Striker. As I mainly know him from his starring role of Norman Clegg, it's hard to see him in another light. Could he have managed his crew, and maintained his authority of the Doctor as effectively as Keith Barron or Nigel Hawthorne? Sadly, we shall never know.

Dragon Dave

Norman Clegg in Outer Space

In the four-part Doctor Who story "Enlightenment", the TARDIS dematerializes aboard an old wooden sailing vessel. The fifth Doctor and his companions spend some time belowdecks, getting to know the crew, and learn that the officers are competing in a race. Then they visit the bridge, or the wheelhouse, and see on the view screen that they are actually racing through space.

The officers are Eternals, people who cannot die, but who exist throughout eternity. They draw their crew from the Temporals, people like you and me with a finite lifespan. The Eternals have no real society or interests of their own. So they seek diversion through competitions such as this one, where the Eternals use ships and peoples from different times and cultures in Earth history to race on the solar winds. The prize? One lucky group of Eternals hopes to win is enlightenment: to know where one stands in relation to everything else.

For the part of Captain Striker, who commands the antique wooden sailing vessel on which the TARDIS lands, director Fiona Cumming set her sights on veteran actor Peter Sallis.  Cumming had previously worked with Sallis on the 1974 BBC drama "The Pallisers." She decided that, of all the actors she had ever worked with, Sallis best fit the role of the detached, commanding Captain Striker. 

Unfortunately, industrial action derailed the production of many BBC shows in late 1982. When the labor union disagreements halted rehearsals and studio recording, producer John Nathan Turner worked behind the scenes to ensure "Enlightenment" did not suffer the same fate as "Shada", the fourth Doctor story written by "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" author Douglas Adams, which was never finished. As scheduled filming dates passed, contracts with cast and production crew expired. The only hope for the story then was this: would the BBC ever agree to pay all the associated story costs to remount the production, in order to see "Enlightenment" become a reality?

Producer John Nathan Turner worked with Fiona Cumming and Peter Sallis on 1974 drama "The Pallisers." He had seen how Sallis elevated that production with his presence. Also he was always keen to cast well known actors on "Doctor Who", and by this time Sallis had risen to stardom as Norman Clegg on the BBC comedy "Last of the Summer Wine". No wonder he wished to cast the veteran character actor for the principle guest spot in the production. We can only imagine how much he and Cumming yearned to see Peter Sallis assume the bridge of a rickety nineteenth century sailing vessel, and race his fellow Eternals among the stars. 

Dragon Dave

The Rise of Buck Rogers and Norman Clegg

Holmfirth, England 2012

I've resisted updating the statistics on My Ten Most Popular Posts page. It's always nice to be able to look back, and see how things have changed. But it's been six months since I updated them last, and I thought the list should reflect current reader interest. 

On the side of stability, the top six posts remain unchanged in position. This means they all remain relevant, despite having been written four to six years ago. The two posts on author Steven Brust were early favorites, but garnered most of their interest around the time they were written. Other posts have since assailed their once indomitable positions. Perhaps interest in them will renew at some point, for Steven Brust continues to write novels in his popular Vlad Taltos series. Additionally, it's good to see he's stretching by writing original books, and collaborating with other writers. 

Catching a Glimpse of Norman Clegg and Jean And Lionel's House in "As Time Goes By" remain popular, due in no small part to how the characters became alive to us in their TV series. It makes sense that we would want to know where they lived, look around the neighborhood, and for a brief moment at least, inhabit their world. Likewise, James Herriot Trivia II informs us not only about the life and places where the popular veterinarian lived and worked, and how significant members of the cast and crew brought his stories and characters to life. It's always nice to learn of similarities between Herriot's world, and the director and actors' lives.

The sole hold out from the comics' genre is Pride And Prejudice And Pictures, which suggests that, while Stan Lee and his Marvel-ous characters will continue to entertain people, the immortal Jane Austen contributed more to literature than hundreds of superhero stories ever could. I'm not sure if I agree with this conclusion. It must be argued that, since I set up my blog on Valiant Comic's character X-O Manowar, I've written no new comics-related posts, so I'm not exactly driving superhero readers to The Dragon's Cache. Still, it's worth noting that many of the classic superhero writers were inspired in their youth by classic literature written by authors like Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, and of course, Jane Austen. 

A Harrod's Bell & Jingle Shells, along with The Sacred Retreat: Part 1, were two reflections on life that found an unexpectedly wide audience. Along with the posts on Stan Lee and She-Hulk (or, more accurately, Spider-Man), they've been superseded by 2017 posts on Buck Rogers and Norman Clegg. Perhaps this is because all of us see a little of ourselves in the two kind-hearted heroes. 

In their own way, Buck Rogers and Norman Clegg represent the Everyman. (Or, if you prefer, Every Person). I may lack the training and experience to be a NASA astronaut, but I can imagine how much of a fish-out-of-water I would be if I were suddenly transported five hundred years into the future. Likewise, if I were transported to a secluded rural village, I can imagine wanting to retain my independence, while at the same time recognizing the importance of forging strong friendships. I can imagine wanting to protect Earth against dangers only I, with my unique twenty-first century insights, could see. Likewise, I can imagine wanting to spend as much time as I could amid strolling around the countryside, and soaking in the beauty of England's largely undeveloped Peak District. 

Concern and sacrifice for others. The need for independence. Striving for friends, and for what we feel is right (even when beset by strong-willed women). A love for the world around us, even if we feel it has lost its way. That's the power of Buck Rogers and Norman Clegg.

Dragon Dave

P.S. For those of you who may never have read them, or would like one last look at my formerly popular posts, here they are. Perhaps you can spur them on to new heights of popularity...

  She-Hulk's Favorite Superhero
  A Harrods' Bell & Jingle Shells  
  The Sacred Retreat: Part 1
  Everyone Wants to See Stan Lee  

August 2013 In Review

I didn't do much tweaking to the blog in August, but I thought I'd share with you which posts drew the most interest.

Top Ten Posts For August 2013

Post Name                                              Date Posted         Views
1. The Conan Chronologies                      April 4, 2013             60
2. Daleks Love Doctor Who Breakfasts     August 23, 2013       36
3. Postcards from San Diego Airport         August 12, 2013       29
4. Daleks & the Judgment of Solomon      August 16, 2013       22 
5. Norman Clegg's TV House                   July 30, 2013            22
6. Red Dalek Builds Lego Star Wars         August 1, 2013          21
7. Another Way to Train Your Dragon        August 5, 2013         19
8. Catching a Glimpse of Norman Clegg      May 24, 2012         17
9. Looking for Alec & Zoe Calendar: Pt. 1    Nov 28, 2012          16 
10. Ruining Frank Thorne's Red Sonja Art   August 8, 2013       16

"The Conan Chronologies" really caught people's attention. This post covered how Robert E. Howard wrote the Conan stories out of sequence.  I thought many casual fans might not be aware of this, as our concept of Conan is largely structured by several chronologies that were worked out for the barbarian's life.  L. Sprague de Camp and others used this to organize the Conan stories in the landmark twelve-book paperback series.  Then again, readers might merely have liked it because I provided a link to an online Conan comic audio/visual adventure.  While Blogger lists it as having over 80 page views (and climbing) on my total posts list, it hasn't yet added the post to my Top Ten in the Statistics section.

As of yesterday, "Norman Clegg's TV House" had gotten 52 views, which meant it would have placed higher on the list, had I posted it a few days later.  Amazingly, no Last of the Summer Wine fans have snapped up his house in Holmfirth yet.  Come on, folks: this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to own a piece of precious TV history (and support your favorite fictional character).  If you all don't get with the program soon, I may have to have another talk with my wife. After all, I've been assured that British Matter Transmissions (BMT) will build a station in Holmfirth in the near future.  (Oh, and by the way, my dearest, most beautiful wife, we could always add a bathroom to the first and/or second floor).

"May To December" was created and written by Paul Mendelson,
produced by "Doctor Who" producer Verity Lambert,
and originally starred Anton Rodgers and Eve Matheson.

British comedies in general fared well in August, with three of the top entries related to "Last of the Summer Wine," and the final one related to "May To December."  I wrote three entries on our visit to the English village of Pinner, where the series was set.  (The other two entries were "Looking for Alec & Zoe Calendar: Part 2," and "Verity Lambert's Other Great TV Show.  They rounded out November, 2012).  I know why people love my "Last of the Summer Wine" entries: the series proved so popular it lasted over thirty years.  Sadly, "May To December" remains a little known (or remembered) show, but I'll love it until the day I die.  Ironically, the post didn't actually talk about Pinner, or what I loved about the TV show.  Instead, it focused on how surprisingly difficult it was to find Pinner, and the difference between the English and American road systems.  Ah well, I suppose anyone who's ever gotten lost while driving, or felt lost on the great journey of life, can relate to that.

My article on Marvel Comics' "Red Sonja" Issue 2 didn't generate as much interest as my posts on Issue 1, but I now realize I should have given you folks a summary of that story, so that you could better appreciate readers' reactions to it, and then commented on that. (Maybe I can do that in September).  Still, for one Conan blog and one Red Sonja post to reach the Top Ten Posts for August: that's not a bad reflection on the enduring impact of Robert E. Howard. 

Finally, I must cheer the fact that three out of five Dalek posts in August made the Monthly Top Ten.  What can I say, people love Daleks.  (And Daleks--at least my Daleks--love you).  Three cheers for Daleks!  Hip hip exterminate!  Hip hip exterminate!  Hip hip exterminate!

Dragon Dave 

"Hold on, Dragon Dave!
You forgot about your dragon entry!"

P. S.  Oops!  I can't sign off without mentioning Cressida Cowell's novel How To Train Your Dragon.  It's a fun book, so different from the movie, and yet a story that should be read by all serious dragon lovers.  (And perhaps all non-serious ones too).  Her book reminded me that it's okay to loosen up in your storytelling style, as long as you entertain them.  Like her unconventional story, her illustrations demonstrated the power that even the simplest artwork can wield.  Truly, we're never too old to learn to learn from others' achievements.

P.S.S.  I did add one new feature this month.  At the end of each post, you'll find a line called reactions.  There you have three ways to rate my post, as either funny, interesting, or cool.  So if you've been dying to share your reaction to a particular post with me, but had trouble boiling that down into words, all you have to do is check a box.  That's it, just tick a little box.  It's like voting...actually, it is voting.  It's Democracy in action.  It's your chance to voice your opinion, to make yourself heard, and in so doing make a lasting impact on your world!

P.S.S.S.  I've updated My Ten Most Popular Posts.  If you'd like to read to, you can reach it from the Pages section, or by following the above link.  

Psssst!  I'm through pestering you with the postscripts now, so you can get on with your busy--and hopefully fruitful--day.

July 2013 in Review

While a few of "My Ten Most Popular Posts" have swapped positions, no new entries have climbed onto the list.  So, instead of listing the old numbers and positions for you, I thought I'd share with you the posts that generated the most interest in July.  (As always, I've listed the titles as links, so you can review any posts you might have missed).

Oscar Goldman.  Yeah, he's cool.

1. My Meeting with Oscar Goldman (40 Page Views).  I posted this last October, and it only got a few page views initially.  But people love the Bionic TV shows, and I'm glad some people found it, and shared it with their friends.  

2. James Herriot Trivia (36 Views).  I posted this back in June, but as it came well after I posted the rest of my James Herriot-themed entries, I think it took those readers awhile to find it.  

3. Daleks Versus Monsters (34 Views).  This was the most popular post for July.  This came as quite a surprise to me, as I had intended it as a lead-in to what I thought people would really get a kick out of, which was the appearance of Captain Skaro, the Dalek equivalent of Captain America.  (As it happened, Captain Skaro to the Rescue! fell below the Dalek average).  I guess it's just as well I never got into playing Poker.

4. Norman Clegg's TV House (28 Views).  Despite how Blogger continually juggles its Page View numbers (see My Ten Most Popular Posts for an explanation), it's rare that a month goes by without a few people checking out my post "Catching A Glimpse of Norman Clegg's House."  When a reader alerted me to the fact that the house Norman Clegg lived in during the production of the TV series "Last of the Summer Wine," I knew I had to return to Holmfirth and check it out.  Oh, it would be neat to live there.

5. C. J. Cherryh: Exceptional & Accessible (22 Views).  Meeting this Science Fiction luminary was a real treat.  I enjoyed my long chat with her at a convention, and we've corresponded once or twice since then. I really, really like her.  Obviously, other readers do too.

6. Understanding Kimi Raikkonen: Part 3 (22 Views).  This was one of a series I did last year, when I compared Kimi Raikkonen not only to other Formula One race car drivers, but also to test pilots of experimental aircraft.  This idea seems bizarre in retrospect, but if you never act on an idea other people might regard as crazy...well, maybe you're too busy playing Poker.

7. Pocket Dalek Knitting Pattern (20 Views).  People like my Dalek posts.  People like Daleks.  People obviously want to knit Daleks for their very own home.  What's even remotely crazy or bizarre about that?

8. Catching a Glimpse of Norman Clegg's House (17 Views).  See!  See!  See!

9. Indulging my Inner Cow with Superman (17 Views).  I suppose it's possible that people were interested in my review of the Superman movie "Man of Steel," but personally, I think they just liked seeing me in a funny outfit.

10.  Robert E. Howard's King Kull in Comics (16 Views).  It's amazing how high profile readers, critics, and historians continually denigrate Robert E. Howard's writing.  It's equally amazing how fans of his literary efforts usually denigrate adaptations of his stories and characters, particularly in comics.  But my Robert E. Howard comic-related posts get a fair number of views, usually in excess of my Dalek entries.  

Well, there you have it, what you and other readers found most interesting at The Dragon's Cache in July.  Thanks for reading, and recommending my posts to your friends.

Dragon Dave

Norman Clegg's TV House

When Andrew, one of my "Last of the Summer Wine" friends, told me that Norman Clegg's house was for sale, we knew we had to check it out.  So last Saturday, we took a taxi to the new Matter Transport Station in downtown San Diego, and beamed over to the MT Station in Manchester, England.  From there, we rented a cute Mini Cooper, and drove out to Holmfirth.

We found Simon, the agent handling the sale, as charming as the town in which he lives.  He drove us out to the house, and allowed us to walk through every room, and peer into (nearly) every closet and cupboard. Since the TV series ended in 2010, Norman Clegg has used his royalties to carry out some renovation work, and the house really looks lovely.  His garden shows equal attention to detail, and exhibits a delightful quirkiness.  We could imagine sitting out there for hours, even in the cold and rain, and gazing at all the points of interest he's created. And when it snowed, or we just needed to warm up, we could go upstairs and gaze out of the third-story windows upon a stunning, hillside vista.

Compo and Foggy no longer live nearby, but I'm sure we would find other laid back folks to hang out with.  Each evening, we could also wander down to the White Horse Tavern for a swift half, and take the pulse of local life.  

Sadly, after discussing the particulars with Simon back at his office, we realized that purchasing Norman Clegg's former house doesn't make sense right now.  First we'd have to petition for an extended stay visa, and the British government doesn't hand those out every day.  Plus, even after they build the proposed Matter Transport Station in Holmfirth, there's the fact that England is eight hours ahead of us.  So by the time we clocked off work, and could beam over, we'd get there in the wee hours of the morning.  And when we woke up to beam back to San Diego, it'd be early evening in England, which means that in the winter, we'd only see the sun on the weekends, and that would mean constantly adjusting our sleep schedules.  But, as Simon said, the MT Station won't be built in Holmfirth for a few years, and we couldn't handle driving between Manchester and Holmfirth every day.

Disconsolate, we bade Simon farewell, and wandered down into Holmfirth for a last tour of the town before we drove back to Manchester. We paid our respects to Compo and Nora Batty's houses, then stopped in at Sid's Cafe for some Yorkshire Tea and a sandwich.  As we ate, my wife pointed out one final barrier to purchasing Norman Clegg's House, an important factor that we had previously overlooked.  There's only one bathroom in his former home, right next to the bedroom.  Imagine having to troop up two flights of stairs every time you wanted to...you know, use the facilities.  

I felt a little better about the whole situation after she pointed this out.  I mean, if you want something bad enough, you'll find a way to work around most of the problems that stand in your way.  But then there are others, like this last one, that make the whole situation just plain impossible!

Dragon Dave

Related Dragon Cache entries
Catching a Glimpse of Norman Clegg's House

Related Internet Links
Norman Clegg's House Listing

Holy Trinity Church in Holmfirth

This is the view of Holy Trinity Church that we most often see in the British TV show “Last of the Summer Wine.”  Our favorite characters, Norman Clegg, Compo Simmonite, and Foggy Dewhurst, walk along a road that climbs the hill, and in the background, we see the familiar blue clock face on the Church tower.  Or, alternatively, we see the white clock face.  (They don’t discriminate on clock face colors in Holmfirth). 

What I hadn’t realized was that this church was located adjacent to Sid’s Café, where Sid and Ivy, along with their occasional helpers, served our favorite characters their usual cup of tea.  The exterior shots never revealed this, and the church windows shown through the windows in the studio interiors for the café never revealed this.  So it was that when we visited Holmfirth last year, we discovered Holy Trinity, and after taking tea at Sid’s, stepped inside to see the church.

We spoke with a nice woman in the foyer, who related several anecdotes about the filming of the television series.  She was used to being asked questions by those who had made the pilgrimage, from all over the world, to see her town.  She also said that someday she’d like to visit the United States.  The place she’d most like to visit?  Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley.

Those days in May were cold, but every night we retired to our warm, second floor room in the Old Bridge Hotel, and as darkness descended, the church clock faces would begin to glow.  We didn’t get to attend a service in Holy Trinity that weekend, as we had so little time to see the town.  I wish we’d been able to squeeze one in. But that’s a joy that will have to wait until we can return to Holmfirth.

Ironically, I saw the Doctor yesterday.  With his mop of dark hair, and his youthful inquisitiveness, he always brings a smile to my face.  I’d met his friend Jamie before, and the two introduced me to Victoria, a young girl who’s traveling with them after the death of her father.  Apparently, they’d read my post “Mummies, Yetis, and Zombies, Oh My!” and the three told me about their own encounter with the Yeti.  When I mentioned that I was missing Holmfirth, the Doctor offered to take me there for a quick visit.  Unfortunately, his TARDIS is a little erratic.  I might end up instead on the planet Skaro, on a space station hundreds of years in the future, or even on the moon.  Sure, I'd have an exciting adventure, but I also might not return home for a year or two.

Needless to say, my wife would not be amused.

Dragon Dave

DTM Cars & "Last of the Summer Wine"

After we booked a week at the resort near Lancaster, we had one more week to spend somewhere in England.  If you’ve been following my blog, you know that we ultimately decided to spend our entire vacation in the Yorkshire area.  To do so, one option that appealed to us, but we ultimately had to give up, was to attend the DTM German Touring Car event at Brands Hatch.  Every year, usually starting in December, we watch the hour-long TV highlights of each race, and have been doing so since Nicola Larini won the championship in 1993.  This year, the series featured brand new cars and a new manufacturer, and it would have been great to have seen them in action, to hear them roar around the track, to catch a glimpse of former Formula One drivers like Ralf Schumacher and David Coulthard, or series frontrunners like Bruno Spengler and Gary Paffett.  Ultimately, we chose to visit Holmfirth that weekend, where the TV show "Last of the Summer Wine" was filmed.

This Christmas, we got two "Last of the Summer Wine" DVDs from family members.  The other night, we watched "Merry Christmas, Father Christmas," in which Seymour convinces Campo to climb onto village roofs in a Father Christmas outfit.  The episode featured some great moments, such as when Pearl catches Norman Clegg sneaking Howard a present from his girlfriend Marina.  Although Norman valiantly pretends that he actually knitted the sweater, when Pearl opens Marina's card, and reads out her message of love, he decides the best option is to take flight.  There’s also a wonderful line, when Seymour tries to dispel Campo’s fear of climbing onto the second-story roof by telling him, “Nonsense!  If that roof were any lower, it’d be a floor!” 

At the beginning of the episode, we felt a special thrill as Seymour, Campo, and Norman walked past Daisy Lane Books.  We don’t remember the bookstore being featured in any of the episodes we’d seen previously, but we happened upon it during our visit to Holmfirth last May.  A mother and son owned the small two-story shop, and every room was crammed floor to ceiling with books.  The man had decided to throw a half-price sale that day, in celebration of his mother’s eightieth birthday, and it was there that I picked up James Herriot’s Yorkshire, a picture book that proved a helpful resource during the rest of our vacation.  There was something about watching three of our favorite characters walk past the shop we visited that is impossible to describe, yet immensely meaningful. 

For Christmas, my wife surprised me with a mug she made on Shutterfly from our visit to Holmfirth.  She’s been working with Shutterfly this year, and has produced a couple nice photobooks from our trip.  But I hadn’t noticed her working on a mug for me.  It resides now beside the teapot we got in Sid’s Café.  I’m sure I’ll use it someday, but for now, it’s too special to use.

Today, we watched the hour-long highlight show from the Brands Hatch round of the DTM championship.  I enjoyed the little they showed of the race, and all the interviews with Jenson Button, Paul di Resta, and many of the series’ drivers.  It would have been great to have watched all the support races, and even seen some of my former heroes, such as Damon Hill, race around the track in other types of cars.  As with everything in life, we have to make choices, and each choice costs us something.  I’ll never know what I missed by not attending the Brands Hatch event, but I know what I gained by visiting Holmfirth.  I’ll clutch that particular visit close to my heart, forever.

Dragon Dave

Related Internet Links

Watch "Merry Christmas, Father Christmas" on Youtube