Recurring characters in Last of the Summer Wine
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Last of the Summer Wine has featured a large cast of supporting characters over the years - some background characters, and some featuring heavily in the series. Ever since the show started in 1973, people have left the cast (often due to the death of the actor or actress playing the part) and many new characters have been written into the show. Particularly in more recent years, nearly all of the characters have been brought to the fore, and the show is now very much an ensemble piece.
Major characters are described in the page Last of the Summer Wine.
Several of the characters were first seen in "one-off" appearances, and were popular enough and felt to have enough potential that they were brought back, becoming regulars.
A couple of the characters first appeared in the Summer season version of the series, which toured in 1984 and 1985, and again, were well enough received to be added to the series proper.
[edit] Other regular characters
[edit] Nora Batty
(Kathy Staff: 1973-2001, 2003-present) Compo's next door neighbour, Nora is proudly devoted to strict housework, and stands as a monument to classic Northern women. Before his death, she used to keep her husband Wally very much under her thumb. Despite Nora's gruff manner (and famously wrinkled stockings), Compo is desperately in love with her: a lust that is used to great interest in generating comic situations as he comes up with various plots and schemes to try and impress Nora (a plot device that was used a great many times, particularly from the mid-1980s until Compo's death). Although initially a stern Northern "battle axe", Nora has shown on occasion, particularly as the years have passed, that underneath that she is actually a rather caring and kind woman - although she doesn't openly promote the fact! When Bill Owen passed away in 1999, Staff initially announced her plans to leave the series, feeling that it would not be the same without him. But with the introduction of Compo's son Tom (played by his real life son Tom Owen), she was persuaded to stay. Staff actually did leave the series in 2001, to reprise her role as cleaner Doris Luke in the doomed revival of soap Crossroads, with Nora said to be emigrating to Australia. When Crossroads folded, Staff returned, with nothing said about Nora's trip to Australia or her sudden return. Staff also played a very Nora-like character, Mrs. Blewitt, in another of writer Roy Clarke's hits, Open All Hours, from 1976 to 1985.
[edit] Ivy
(Jane Freeman: 1973-present) joint owner of tea-shop with husband Sid, with whom she would often have blazing rows in the kitchen, until his death. She now runs it solely, and viciously scolds anyone who dares misbehave or criticise the food. Generally the wisest and most level-headed of the show's female social circle. She was also on occasion a target of Compo's (unwanted) affection, who often said that if it wasn't for Nora Batty, he'd be all over her. When taking into account Kathy Staff's brief exit from the show in 2001 (see above), Jane Freeman as Ivy is the only character other than Clegg (Peter Sallis) to have been present throughout the course of the series (although Clegg is the only one to have appeared in every single episode).
[edit] Sid
(John Comer: 1973-1983), bluff tea-shop owner, who featured prominently for the first ten years, before his death in 1983. Ivy remembers him fondly, and often mentions him in conversation. Sid was one of the few characters who actually seemed to enjoy getting involved in the misadventures of the three central characters, and often saw them as an excuse to get out of the cafe for a couple of hours. Ivy and Sid often shouted and argued with each other (And Ivy was never shy about bringing up Sid's infidelity), but, as with many of the show's couples, there was little doubt that they loved each other. For John Comer's last appearance, in 1983's feature-length Christmas special, 'Getting Sam Home', illness caused by cancer affected his speech, and so his lines were dubbed over by another actor, Tony Melody. Comer passed away a few months later.
[edit] Mr. Wainwright
(Blake Butler: (1973 and 1976) The rather timid head of the local library, which the trio visited a lot in the show's early days. Mr. Wainwright stayed on a couple of years after Mrs. Partridge's departure (see below), but was little used to any great extent. (Note: Mr. Wainwright is not (thought to be) related to Aunty Wainwright.)
[edit] Mrs. Partridge
(Rosemary Martin: (1973), a librarian at the aforementioned library, and who was engaged in an affair with Mr. Wainwright which they (mistakenly) believed was secret. The characters were never really felt to catch on, and disappeared as the library was written out as a favourite haunt of the main trio. However, a few years later, the storyline was resurrected and used of sorts for Howard and Marina.
[edit] Wally Batty
(Joe Gladwin: 1975-1987) Nora's perennially shell-shocked husband and Compo's next-door neighbour, Wally Batty was a short quiet man, kept on a short leash by his wife. His relationship with Nora stood in stark contrast to Compo's unrequited lust after her. Initially mentioned but not seen, he first appeared on-screen in 1975. Wally had a passion for racing pigeons and owned a motorbike and sidecar, occasionally taking Nora for a spin around the countryside. With the death of Joe Gladwin in 1987, the character died off-screen, but is still occasionally mentioned. (Note: in the Pilot episode of the series, which was part of the Comedy Playhouse strand, Nora referred to her husband (not seen) as Harold, not Wally).
[edit] Gordon Simonite
(Philip Jackson: 1976) An oft-forgotten character, Gordon was Compo's gormless nephew, and appeared in a few 1976 episodes. In some ways he was a prototype of Barry, who was introduced in the mid-1980s.
[edit] Wesley Pegden
(Gordon Wharmby: 1982, 1984-2002) Edie's husband, who spends all his time in his workshop / garage. One of the most popular and often recycled scenes in the series, would be as Edie called Wesley in from his garage (after much shouting) and would lay down a trail of newspaper for him to stand on - often putting one on the wall just in time as he leant against it. Wesley generally kept out of wife Edie's way in his garage, restoring old motors. The men would often come to him for assistance when the situation called for him; be it to drive them somewhere, or to construct their latest mechanical invention. The character first appeared in the opening 1982 episode 'In the Service of Humanity' in a small part. The writer and producers liked him so much that they brought him back for the 1984 Christmas Special 'The Loxley Lozenge'. He reappeared, just over a year later, in the feature-length 'Uncle Of The Bride', in which he was established as Edie's husband, and both became regulars. Mechanic Wesley was often called apon by the main trio to construct the many bizarre creations they came up with, and to drive them into the hills for test runs. In early years in the series, Wesley seemed to have a love of loud rock music, which led to the trio desperately trying to call over it to get his attention on a number of occasions. When Wharmby died in 2002, the character also died; although it was not immediately announced, subsequent references to him were in the past tense.
[edit] "Crusher" Milburn
(Jonathan Linsley: 1985-1987) Ivy's giant, lumbering and very strong nephew, although bearing a striking resemblance to Sid. He helped Ivy out in the cafe for a few years after Sid died. His real name was Milburn, but insisted on being called "Crusher", was influenced by the Rock & Rollers of the 1950s and was into heavy metal music. Well meaning but not overly bright, he was rather easily led. Crusher was first seen in the touring stage show before being introduced into the series.
[edit] Howard Sibshaw
(Robert Fyfe: 1985-present) shy, simpering, henpecked husband, and would-be lover of Marina. A creative but unconvincing liar, he and Pearl live next-door to Clegg, and, much to the annoyance of Clegg, Howard is always pestering him to aid in his various schemes to escape Pearl and to be with Marina. Over the years, he has come up with countless disguises, cover stories and hideaways to allow him to see Marina, all of which have ultimately been doomed or exposed. He tends to ignore Marina when he's out with her, partly out of fear of his wife Pearl, and partly because he gets so deeply caught up in cooking up charades to cover up his affair. However, their relationship doesn't appear to have gone beyond hand-holding and moony-eyed gazing (much to the annoyance of Marina), and it is hinted that even if the opportunity ever did arise, Howard would be too cowardly to go through with it anyway! Howard first appeared in the Bournemouth Summer season show of the series, and was popular enough and felt to have enough potential that he was soon brought into the series proper. At first, he, Pearl and Marina were used on a semi-regular basis, but as time has passed and their popularity grew, they are now firmly regulars. Although very seldom used in the series, Howard and Pearl's last name has been confirmed as Sibshaw.
[edit] Pearl Sibshaw
(Juliette Kaplan: 1985-present) Howard's wife, a bit of a shrew and always one step ahead of his crafty schemes. She is often shown to know about his (attempted) affair with Marina, but is almost gleefully obsessed with exposing Howard's philandering and generally tormenting him. Although she has a fearsome reputation, she, like Nora, occasionally surprises Norman Clegg and others (not including Howard) with displays of kindness.
[edit] Marina
(Jean Fergusson: 1985-present) flashy but over-age, Howard's love interest, Marina works in a local supermarket. Despite her carefree appearance, Marina is a long-suffering type, having to deal with the disapproval of the prominent village women, the indirect wrath of Pearl, and the timorous and neglectful romancing by Howard. Although at first seeming a "tart", in truth Marina is only longingly searching for love. Marina works as a check-out girl at the local Co-Op (although in more recent series, the name has not been given); a place where Howard often sneaks to pass or receive notes to her (or more often, sends Norman Clegg in his place!). Marina longs for love, and seems to have a particular soft spot for Clegg; It is indicated that there was once a - what she perceived as - romantic incident with Clegg, something always strongly denied by Clegg, who is terrified of her. Marina first appeared in the spin-off 1984 Eastbourne Summer season show, and was soon introduced into the series properly.
[edit] Edie Pegden
(Dame Thora Hird: 1986-2003), a highly opinionated older woman, sister of Seymour Utterthwaite and house-proud host of the women's coffee mornings. She was introduced, along with Seymour, daughter Glenda and son-in-law Barry in the 1985 episode "Uncle of the Bride" (husband Wesley had previously been seen a couple of times previously). Wesley restored a convertible car for her to drive, despite the fact that she is a terrible driver, and was always accusing Wesley of moving things (particularly the gear lever) around. In later years, Hird (who entered her 90s during her tenure on the series) suffered bad health, which particularly affected her being able to stand. To cover this, she was often seen sitting down, or, when standing, something for her to hold onto (often out of camera shot) was used. For driving and far-off shots, her double (Amy Shaw) was used. When Hird died in 2003, Edie was also said to have died; as with husband Wesley, it was not immediately made obvious, but later references to the character indicated that she had passed away.
For the first few series in which she appeared, Edie was extremely concerned with her reputation in the neighbourhood: whenever there was company, Edie would try to put on a posh, educated voice - which would suddenly vanish when she was shouting for (or at) Wesley. This aspect of Edie's character acted as a prototype for Hyacinth Bucket in Keeping Up Appearances (also written by Roy Clarke). Once the latter series was created, this aspect of Edie's personality was toned down a bit (although not completely), in order to create a difference between the two characters.
[edit] Glenda Wilkinson (née Pegden)
(Sarah Thomas: 1986-present) daughter of Edie and Wesley. It is considered by the other women in the group that she is somewhat naive, despite her being middle-aged. When her mother was alive, if she attempted to join in a mature conversation, Edie would snap "drink your coffee!" She speaks glowingly of her husband Barry but is often insecure and unsatisfied with him at home.
[edit] Barry Wilkinson
(Mike Grady: 1986-1990, 1996-present) meek and mild husband of Glenda. Dull and ineffectual, accountant Barry strives for adventure but seems destined for paperwork and domesticity. His one pride is his shiny new car, which he was always trying to keep away from father-in-law Wesley, who could not resist tinkering under the hood. Barry is often trying out new hobbies in an attempt to stop his life being humdrum; and in more recent years, has made a number of attempts to fit in at a local golf club, often upsetting the golf captain "The Major". After being introduced in the feature-length "Uncle Of The Bride" in 1986, which centers around Barry and Glenda's wedding, Barry was much-mentioned but not seen for a few years when Mike Grady left to pursue several other television projects, before returning as a regular in the mid-1990s.
[edit] Eli Duckett
(Danny O'Dea: 1986-2002) An extremely short-sighted bumbler, Eli maintains a highly cheerful, friendly attitude despite not having a clue what's going on around him. Eli has not appeared since the death of O'Dea, though the character has not been explicitly killed off. In the final 2002 episode, Eli was not present. His place of sorts was taken by two drunks, but this turned out to be their only appearance in the series.
[edit] Aunty Wainwright
(Jean Alexander: (1988, 1989, 1992-) sly and grasping junk shop owner. She is Howard's "Auntie" and while both have a general predisposition towards sneakiness, Auntie Wainwright is much more adept at applying it. Clegg is reluctant to go into her store, since she always sells him something. As with several other characters, she originally was seen in a "one-off" appearance, and was so popular that she was brought back, eventually becoming a regular.
[edit] Clem "Smiler" Hemmingway
(Stephen Lewis: 1988, 1990-present) eternally miserable and not-too-bright comic foil, very similar to Lewis' character Inspector Cyril "Blakey" Blake in LWTs hit comedy On The Buses (many episodes of which he co-wrote) from 1969-1973. Smiler was first seen as a one-off character in 1988's 'That Certain Smile', in which the trio had to sneak a hospitalised Smiler's beloved dog Bess in to see him. The character was popular enough to be brought back on a semi-regular basis, and nowadays is a regular (although his dog died between his first and second appearances). In some early appearances, he was a lollypop man ("crossing guard" to Americans), and nowadays works for Auntie Wainwright, unto whom he seems to be suffering some sort of indentured servitude. On early appearances, Smiler was also a lodger with Nora Batty, which enraged the jealous Compo. Smiler also owns a big, but rather beaten up and poorly maintained, white convertible Cadillac, which he sometimes drives around in with Tom, and which on occasion has been used in various promotions for Auntie Wainwright.
[edit] Billy Ingleton
(Norman Wisdom: 1995, 1996, 2001, 2002 and 2004) First appearing in 1995's New Year's Day special 'The Man who Nearly Knew Pavarotti', and quickly brought back for the 1996 Christmas Special 'Extra! Extra!', much loved comedian Norman Wisdom occasionally pops up in the series, sometimes for the storyline of an episode, other times in smaller appearance. He is not always credited for smaller appearances.
[edit] Billy Hardcastle
(Keith Clifford: 1999, 2000-present) An avid outdoorsman, who claims to be the direct descendant of Robin Hood, Billy Hardcastle attempts to follow the lifestyle of his ancestor - usually without success. The character was initially one-off guest role in 1999, which proved popular enough to return in the millennium special. Following the death of Bill Owen, Billy Hardcastle was written in as a permanent character, filling the role of Owen's character Compo in traipsing round the hills with Truly and Clegg. Billy did not appear in the 2006 Christmas episode; it is as yet unknown if this was just a temporary absence or if he has left the series.
[edit] Roz
(Dora Bryan: 2000-2005.) Edie's sister, who has always been more romantically adventurous, to Edie's unending shame. She often speaks of past flings, often with married men. Dora Byran left the series in 2005 to concentrate on stage work, although the door has been left open for her to return.
[edit] Tom Simonite
(Tom Owen: 2000-present) Compo's long-lost son, arriving just after his father’s death, Tom is played by Bill Owen’s real-life son. Tom is a layabout like Compo but seems a bit more enterprising in his attempts to maintain his slothful lifestyle. Originally it was planned that Tom would fill the gap in the three-man line-up left by his father, but it didn't quite work. These days he is paired with Smiler working for Auntie Wainwright, and also, in one episode, goes to live with Smiler (though it's not clear if this continued or not). Of the duo, he designates himself the 'leader' and the planner (often leaving Smiler to struggle with Auntie Wainwright's antiquated hand-cart while he strolls on ahead), although in truth, is not particularly bright himself. Clegg and Truly often take advantage of his desire to live up to his father's reputation in order to convince him to do rather stupid things. After the death of Compo, Nora feels somewhat maternal towards Tom, and often showers him with affection - much to the embarrassment of Tom. He also has a scruffy puppet dog called Waldo. When not working for Aunty Wainwright, Tom can usually be found in his allotment shed, avoiding the repo man. When he first arrived in the series, Tom also had a tatty old yellow transit van, but this was only seen in a couple of his early appearances. (Note: For some years before joining the series as Tom Simonite, Tom Owen sometimes appeared in small walk-on parts on the show, sometimes with no dialogue, and not always credited.)
[edit] Mrs. (Lolly Minerva) Avery
(Julie T. Wallace: 2000-2001) Tom's live-in "associate"; much larger than him, and somewhat of a battle axe, yet rather easily manipulated. Although Tom always insisted that she was merely an acquaintance, Mrs. Avery always wanted more, and was under the impression that Tom had promised to marry her. After a brief spell of living in the pair's bus, they moved into the deceased Compo's home next-door to Nora Batty's. This was not to last; she threw him out and disappeared from the series after a couple of years.
[edit] Babs Avery
(Helen Turner: 2000) Arriving on the scene with Mrs. Avery was her niece Babs, a rather large and troublesome teenager who was involved in several of Tom's schemes. The character was generally considered rather lame; after the handful of episodes that remained of her inaugural season, she quietly disappeared.
[edit] Repo man
(Christopher Beeny: 2001-present) The Repo man is always pursuing Tom Simonite, claiming that he owes money. While he is determined, however, he is gullible, and Tom always evades him.
[edit] The Major / The Captain
(Trevor Bannister: 2001-) The Captain at the local golf club of which Barry is often trying to fit in as a member, but always manages to end up somehow offending the Major, despite his best efforts to impress him. Trevor Bannister (best known for playing Mr. Lucus in another comedy favourite, Are You Being Served? from 1972 to 1979, and who also starred with Brian Wilde in the short-lived Wyatt's Watchdogs) had previously played a Tailor in the 1992 episode 'Who's Got Rhythm?'.
[edit] Entwistle
(Burt Kwouk: 2003- ) Electrician and fortune-teller from the land of Eastern wisdom, Hull. His real name is McIntyre but he changed it so people wouldn't mistake him for a Scotsman. When Wesley passed away, Entwistle took over his job of shuttling the others across the countryside in a battered red pick-up truck, and occasionally constructing the various contraptions that the main trio comes up with.
[edit] Alvin Smedley
(Brian Murphy: 2003- ) Nora's neighbour after Mrs. Avery relinquishes Compo's old house following her disappearance from the show. At first, Alvin publicly claims he can't stand Nora but he can't seem to resist trying to liven up her life a little. As he has settled in, he has become fond of winding up Nora with his various antics (which Nora also rather enjoys, but won't let him see it). He is also an avid hobbyist but can never settle on which hobby to pursue. In recent times, he has shared Billy Hardcastle's role of filling the gap left by the deceased Compo, making the traditionally three-man group into a foursome (though Clegg has often dropped into the background in many more recent episodes, turning the group back into a threesome). Brain Murphy, who starred with Yootha Joyce in ITV's popular 1970s comedy George & Mildred, has commented that he has "gone from being married to a battle axe, to living next door to one".
[edit] Miss Davenport
(Josephine Tewson: 2003- ) the current librarian, a very emotional woman haunted by a string of past rejections. She first appeared as a guest, driving Gavin Hinchcliff around while he skied on the car roof. Originally, Glenda took up the cause of socializing her and tried to fit her in with the coffee-drinker circle of Nora, Ivy, Pearl, and co. They didn't take too well to each other; in more recent episodes, she's bonded with Marina instead, with the pair of them both longing for love in their individual ways.
[edit] Nellie
(June Whitfield: 2006- ) A more recent addition to the ladies' coffee-drinking set. Nellie's never-seen husband Travis is a constant source of anecdotes. She provides a counterpoint to the other currently married ladies in the circle by not placing her husband on a pedestal (like Glenda does with Barry) or openly holding him in contempt (as Pearl does with Howard). June Whitfield previously made a "one off" appearance in the series as a different character, who was married to Roy Hudd, a couple of years before she became a regular as Nellie.
[edit] Policemen
(Most often were Ken Kitson and Tony Capstick (particularly from the early 90's onwards); Louis Emerick replaced the late Capstick in 2004 although he had previously appeared as a policeman on a number of occasions alongside Kitson, such as in the episodes 'Downhill Racer' in 1988 and 'Three Men and a Mangle' in 1989) They are generally seen parked up around the moors and trying not to get involved with anything. They often witness the bizarre goings on, usually related to the main trio, and watch in bemusement.
