the romantic life of Norman Clegg

M

manfromoswestry

Dedicated Member
I know he mentioned he was married once, and there were times here and there when Marina took a liking to him, but was that pretty much it? Was he always nervous and hesitant around women and trying to avoid them?

Also, regarding his former job as a lino salesman, did he just sell it, or did he install it too? Was there any mention of the company he worked for? I'm assuming that "lino" is what we call "linoleum" here in the States, but please correct me if I'm wrong.
 
manfromoswestry said:
I know he mentioned he was married once, and there were times here and there when Marina took a liking to him, but was that pretty much it? Was he always nervous and hesitant around women and trying to avoid them?

Also, regarding his former job as a lino salesman, did he just sell it, or did he install it too? Was there any mention of the company he worked for? I'm assuming that "lino" is what we call "linoleum" here in the States, but please correct me if I'm wrong.
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Clegg was always nervy around women,only have to check the episode The Black Widow when he was 'kidnapped' by Mrs Jack Attacliffe. Mavis Poskit freaked him too.Foggy was similarly timid around women most of the time
 
manfromoswestry said:
I know he mentioned he was married once, and there were times here and there when Marina took a liking to him, but was that pretty much it? Was he always nervous and hesitant around women and trying to avoid them?

Also, regarding his former job as a lino salesman, did he just sell it, or did he install it too? Was there any mention of the company he worked for? I'm assuming that "lino" is what we call "linoleum" here in the States, but please correct me if I'm wrong.
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James26 said:
i think he worked for the CO-OP and just as a salesman, can't imagine Cleggy being able to fit lino.
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Yes it was the CO-OP and he was only a salesman, even in FoTSW he was nervouse around woman. And yes lino is linoleum.
 
In one of ther epiodes he mentions he only got married because he was polite at a chapel tea. We know his wife was called Edie (Edith) and she was formidable with her tongue, probably on a par with Ivy and Norah - there is this line about her being so, but with he added comment that she was a lot quieter now she was dead.

We know his wife did not take to camping and after his one attempt she returned home to some scalding tea and papered the kitchen ceiling.

Apparently the story is that he and Marina once got trapped in a lift for some time thus explaining her brief dalliance with him.

I can not even imagine him "selling" you linoleum, he would serve you if you asked but never the modern style of sales. Just as I woudl never make it in todays sales world, both Clegg and I would more properly be called, assistants who served customers. We never sold.
 
We mustn´t forget the very first few episodes when he was still much cheekier and less timid. Didn´t he mention a girl who let him see her vest in the sand pit or so when they were 10 or 11? Perhaps he was finished with romance by his teens, lol!
 
**** said:
We mustn´t forget the very first few episodes when he was still much cheekier and less timid. Didn´t he mention a girl who let him see her vest in the sand pit or so when they were 10 or 11? Perhaps he was finished with romance by his teens, lol!
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I think so - his description of honey moon seems that the entire idea of romance seemed to ahve passed him by.
 
I have always liked and enjoyed watching Norman Clegg but i would tend to favour him in the earlier series.He was much sharper and quite often the instigator of the trios misadventures.He was also more courageous and once locked horns with Nora Batty much to the surprise,i think,of even Blamire :D.Throughout the show he was a warm,gentle and obliging sort of person,someone,who was easy to like and feel comfortable with.I often thought he would have made a great mate or friend.
At the end of the day it was a great piece of writing coupled with some great acting to achieve such a wonderful character and i dont believe anyone could have done it better than Peter Sallis.

Hector
 
I agree, Hector, especially as there is very much of both Cleggs in Peter Sallis I dare say. There are so many clegg-like things about him (not all of course), it´s quite amusing and charming.
 
I have heard that he also played a very important off camera role as well, in that he often served as a calming influence for the other two.
 
I like Clegg in the early episodes as well, I love the pilot where he grabs the side of the hearse to get a ride, and where he pointedly ignores the no smoking sign in the library and lights up. He does grab Ivy and kiss her at the end of the film about Sam but that's just relief that she has saved their bacon as it were. I also read somewhere that Peter Sallis would sometimes disappear during a break in filming and after a search someone would find him in a book shop.
 
I love poking around in bookstores myself. They have a calm relaxing atmosphere for me. It could also be so for Peter, considering work and keeping the other two away from each other's throats.
 
Our Norm, was a gentleman, and as such he would have found it hard to say no to any woman. This was how he came to be married in the first place. The classic line 'I asked for cream, but she converted me to custard' says it all really.
 
I think Clegg would have been a very quiet member of staff and probably didnt take part in any capers in the department.Could imagagine him hanging back from serving customers and finding excuses to go to the stockroom.When I started work in a shop in 1962 the staff structure was rigid and a new person was right at the bottom with no christian names used and the manager was god!You didnt sell you served ,when a customer clicked thier fingers you jumped and said yes madam no madam!
 
I started work in 1955. I worked in a shop which was similar to 'Grace Brothers' from 'Are You Being Served'. I was there five years and it was not always fun, but I learned how to talk to customers properly, this has served me well in later life. I can talk to anyone, high or low. So often now when I visit a shop the transaction is done with the assistant just taking my money and giving me change without a word. There are exceptions though. I was in a shop with my daughter which had 'background' music. I was finding it difficult to hear her speaking. The assistant asked if the music was worrying me, and turned it down!! Full marks to her.
 
chris said:
I think Clegg would have been a very quiet member of staff and probably didn't take part in any capers in the department.Could imagine him hanging back from serving customers and finding excuses to go to the stockroom.When I started work in a shop in 1962 the staff structure was rigid and a new person was right at the bottom with no Christian names used and the manager was god!You didn't sell you served ,when a customer clicked their fingers you jumped and said yes madam no madam!
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Absolutely - only in my case it was the owner; but his son-in-law was also there, ostensibly as manager, and he was always up to tricks. One related to the plastic hangers for pairs of socks (only the nylon ones, the woollen or cotton ones were kept in drawers by length and size of course) and he would crouch down and set them off at you using an elastic band so they would ping your leg whilst serving a customer. One could not grimace or react but they were painful!


The owner was insistent that you made a great splash of colour when serving knitwear - even though this could mean almost an hour folding and reinserting the Byford v neck pullovers back into their plastic bags.

The only things that a customer could browse unattended were the aforementioned nylon socks, and the cheaper ties - 10/6, 12/6, 14/6. The more expensive ones 21/- to 5 guineas were kept in drawers. You could also help yourself to a packet of three lawn handkerchiefs or a pair of shirt arm bands in either silver or gilt finish: both these items were on the counter.

The hardest work was carrying a carton of underwear (about 500 pieces) up a flight of stairs!
 
I remember in FOTSW 'Compo drops in' Clegg is walked home from the Co-op dance by a very gawky looking Anita Pilsworth. She makes it her business to meet him on his way to work next morning and later on the way home attaching herself to him, very much in the style of Mrs Jack Attacliff. Even the young Cleggy was very much outside his comfort zone in the presence of females. Howard was right when he said of Clegg " I`ve never seen a bigger butterfingers with the ladies".
 
Ey-yup, who was the character who married Norman Clegg?
Was his romance to her portrayed on the show “ first of the summer wine?”
Was the character who portrayed Norman Clegg’s future wife played by the same actress who portrayed Miss lovelock on grace and favour?
 
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