Some reflections on 1976

barmpot

barmpot

LOTSW Fanatic
Have started looking again at series 3.

Some thoughts from the first two episodes:

1. Clegg was still wearing stiff collars (mind you so was I from time to time up until about 1981 when they wore out!) In those days they were beginning to get expensive to be laundered and they were more starch than cotton so difficult to do at home. Could have been trubenised ones - which you did not starch. I still have some of those!

2. Norah and Compo actually seemed to hit it off on VE night: although I thought he was meant to have been in the army in Aldershot?

3. There was some real violence - Foggy being bashed up by a pub character played by Paul Luty; Ivy throwing crockery at Sid!

4. Clegg wondered if you had square ears whether they would tend to cut the pillow?

5. Clegg referred to Foggy as a genuine 14 carat barmpot! Notice the lack of extreme here, Yorkshire respectable, nothing flash like 18 carat or 22 carat but a step up from 9 carat!

6. Many of the cars would be vintage items by now with some rarity value.

7. There was Pentecostal Church next door to the library - not a name that is so often seen these days.

Just some idle observations - are there any others that have occurred to any of you?

But an indication of the changes in the last 37 years.
 
I was a one year old then!

You mentioned the library. One big difference between now and then is the importance of the library. To my knowledge, With the access of the internet, the library relied on less now. Though I still remember as a child the old people who spent their entire mornings and afternoons looking at newspapers in the library. I always related these folk to the trio in the earliest years.
 
Some of my observations from the 1976 series;

Ivy doesn't appear in the first episode of the 1976, 1977, or 1979 series.

A lot of Foggy's lines are clearly intended for blamire - talk of landlady, 'gee-gees', etc.

The 1976 heatwave/drought is very apparent in the 'Niblick' episode - which makes it even more special.

The second episode doesn't really show Foggy settling in - it's like he's always been there - so again clearly written with Blamire in mind.

The cafe looks at it's dirtiest, looks cleaner in following series.
 
Other observations;

There are some semi regulars in this series, who did not return - Gordon, Big Malcolm, Josie.

The first two part episode was shown - this format was repeated twice in 1979, and to some extent, the final series followed a serial plot. I think many episodes could have followed a two part format - some brilliant episodes just end too soon.

This is a particularly good series in my opinion.
 
wstol said:
Other observations;
There are some semi regulars in this series, who did not return - Big Malcolm
Click to expand...

Speaking of whom, we saw Paul Luty in several episodes of
Thora Hird's In Loving Memory. Almost did not recognize
him as Big Malcolm.

chuck
 
I was 13 in '76 and all I really remember was a scorchingly hot summer and what seemed an endless break from school.
 
I was working for the Fire service at the time in the operations room,wow that was a busy time,I never saw much of my home,family or bed for several weeks during that summer,I recall falling into bed after a hectic night shift,the family were out and I had forgotten to unplug the phone,I could of only been asleep a couple of hours and the phone rung,my automatic answer was "Fire Brigade" the voice at the other end said "How did you Know" they wanted me back in to help asap
 
That year was a bit sad for me. My grampa Arthur passed away that year, but I had so many fond memories of him. I have said this before but helooked a bit like Bill Owen. He had bright blue eyes and stood about 5'4". My gramma was taller and had dark features-beautiful woman. I would often think of them then as "Sonny and Cher" :D. Grampa loved to tease and aggravate much like "Compo" except he was quiet spoken most of the time. I remember wanting to help him on his farm by gathering eggs. He finally relented and told me to go in the coop and yell loudly "Here chick chick chick....it was very early morning...and all was quiet. After I yelled several of the hens flew out of the coop chasing me around. My grampa Albert was rolling on the ground laughing. I had my hands on my hips and scolded him and went off to tell gramma on him. Wonderful memories................ ;D
 
1976 was the year I still used two wheels for transport (did not take my car driving test util 1981) and had a Honda 250 which was fast.

Remember that summer, long and hot.
 
I was four then, but I remember clearly all the bicentennial celebrations going on here. Everything had stars and stripes and eagles on it. From then until 9/11 there were not as many flags flown and fervent patriotism that is more common today. I also remember the quarters that they made especially for the year with 1776-1976 on them, and there are still some in circulation today!
 
Just watched the two parter of the week-end in Scarborough.

Some isolated thoughts -

the M62 looked quite deserted in those days

Compo wore a collar and tie

Clegg had quite long side burns

Foggy had a regimental cravat as well as tie and blazer.

However I noticed one small continuity error.


Clegg is wearing loose collars and in one scene (when he and Compo are commenting on Foggy in the sea) his collar style has changed!

He started by wearing a semi cutaway style of collar (probably a Van Heusen style 11) but in this scene it is a much more pointed style (Van Heusen style 52). I only notice these things because I sold them in the 1960s about 4/11d each if I recall.


This of course includes the wonderful dialogue between Sid and Ivy on the beach discussing their more intimate life. Priceless.
 
barmpot said:
Have started looking again at series 3.

Some thoughts from the first two episodes:

1. Clegg was still wearing stiff collars (mind you so was I from time to time up until about 1981 when they wore out!) In those days they were beginning to get expensive to be laundered and they were more starch than cotton so difficult to do at home. Could have been trubenised ones - which you did not starch. I still have some of those!

2. Norah and Compo actually seemed to hit it off on VE night: although I thought he was meant to have been in the army in Aldershot?

3. There was some real violence - Foggy being bashed up by a pub character played by Paul Luty; Ivy throwing crockery at Sid!

4. Clegg wondered if you had square ears whether they would tend to cut the pillow?

5. Clegg referred to Foggy as a genuine 14 carat barmpot! Notice the lack of extreme here, Yorkshire respectable, nothing flash like 18 carat or 22 carat but a step up from 9 carat!

6. Many of the cars would be vintage items by now with some rarity value.

7. There was Pentecostal Church next door to the library - not a name that is so often seen these days.

Just some idle observations - are there any others that have occurred to any of you?

But an indication of the changes in the last 37 years.
Click to expand...

Some of the items that caught my attention:

Mention of the oil shortage

Their accents seems to be "thicker", just an observation from an American

Compo mentioning encyclopedia salesmen, I can remember when they used to come around our town.

One other thing that caught my attention was Clegg using lighter fluid to clean the oil from his pants. I remember my father would use gasoline to clean everything. If I had grease on me as a kid, a good wash up with a gasoline soaked rag would do the trick.
I would never do that in these days.

I like going through the episodes and really paying attention to what catches my attention, a different way to watch them.
Good thread Barmpot, I like it.
 
fsj1981 said:
Their accents seems to be "thicker", just an observation from an American
Click to expand...


I notice that too, although I coud just be confused. I think Clegg's accent stayed the same, but Compo's accent softened. The switch from Blamire to Foggy also led to softer accents.

Am I on to something or am I just crazy?
 
codfanglers said:
I was a one year old then!

You mentioned the library. One big difference between now and then is the importance of the library. To my knowledge, With the access of the internet, the library relied on less now. Though I still remember as a child the old people who spent their entire mornings and afternoons looking at newspapers in the library. I always related these folk to the trio in the earliest years.
Click to expand...

When I was in college in 1972, it was customary for some to sit in the library and read the newspapers in the morning.
 
Talking of library usage when I was made redundant in 1991 I spent some time in the reading room of the library and there were a lot of people, nearly all male, reading magazines and the newspapers. Sometimes it was difficult to find a space.

I think that as income had been reduced by about 75% for me I saved costs by reading periodicals for free.
 
codfanglers said:
fsj1981 said:
Their accents seems to be "thicker", just an observation from an American
Click to expand...


I notice that too, although I coud just be confused. I think Clegg's accent stayed the same, but Compo's accent softened. The switch from Blamire to Foggy also led to softer accents.

Am I on to something or am I just crazy?
Click to expand...
Yes I noticed that the first episodes with Blamire were hard for this "Yankee" to understand what they were saying. I just quit watching it until Foggy came. There speech seemed to be more "Americanized? " ;D....strange isn't it.
 
I graduated high school in May of that year at the age of 17. I got my first car, a 1968 chevy Impala, the next day as a graduation present. It was definately a "clapped out old banger", as Wesley would call it,, but since I had been riding a bicycle up till that day, it looked like a Cadillac to me. ;D

I don't recall us having a heatwave here in the US at that time.
 
minxie said:
Stiff collars!! Loose collars!! What language is this, it's all foreign to me :me:
Click to expand...

Minxie

many years ago men wore shirts which just had a neck band and the poorer ones used a muffler (or scarf) around their neck. However if you had a job you normally wore a collar and tie. The collar was held on with collar studs, front and back. So the collar was "loose" and was usually starched. Aka as"detached" collars.

Those you could launder at home were usually semi-stiff but a very stiff one needed a professional laundry which pt shine or gloss on them - they were actually very smooth and cool so quite comfortable even in summer. Often as much starch as cotton or linen! Occasionally people had plastic ones or even cardboard ones (Woolworths used to sell these).

Clegg wore loose collars, latterly semi-stiff but in the earlier series it was a stiff one. Compo when dressed up in the earlier series wore a stiff collar.

Perhaps I shall have to take a photograph or two of mine! Yes, I still have some which are wearable!

I know because I am a former menswear sales assistant from the 1960s when such items were still commonplace.

 
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