We live in real Last of the Summer Wine town – the show’s characters would HATE what quaint area has turned into
RESIDENTS in the town where Last of the Summer Wine was filmed say the show’s characters would hate what the quaint area has become.
Holmfirth, in West Yorkshire, still attracts fans of the BBC comedy which aired the final episode 13 years ago.
Devotees come from all over the country to the pretty Pennine town to walk in the footsteps of the characters Compo, Clegg and Foggy.
While fans can still grab selfies on the steps of Nora Batty’s cottage – and even holiday inside it – Holmfirth is now very different with lots of modern bars, posh restaurants and hip coffee shops.
Property prices have soared by 50 per cent in less than a decade – selling now for an average of £320,000.
The demand has led to locals moaning on social media groups about “come-inners” to the town and traffic congestion on its narrow roads.
A local estate agent, who asked not to be named, said: “A lot of people think of Holmfirth as quite old-fashioned because of Last of the Summer Wine.
“They think it’s all lost ferrets and wrinkled stockings but it’s not like that at all.
“It’s a really buzzing place with great bars and restaurants and nice walks.
“We get tourists coming in on the coaches for other reasons than Summer Wine now.
“There’s been an influx of people moving into the area and buying up property.
“We get lots of people coming over from Manchester and wanting a bit of the country life.
“That’s caused a bit of commotion with some people, especially because of the increased traffic.
‘YOUNGER CROWD’ NOW
“I think people expect it to be quite sleepy here – like it is in the show. But there’s a younger crowd here now and it’s getting increasingly trendy.
“Nora Batty wouldn’t believe what’s happened to the place.”
Last of the Summer Wine, Britain’s longest-running comedy, first broadcast in 1976, clocking up 31 series before the cameras stopped rolling in 2010.
Thousands still flock each year to take a glimpse at Compo’s cottage – or lay flowers – or wellies – at the nearby grave of star actor Bill Owen.
Crowds are set to descend on Holmfirth – famed for its sandstone buildings and narrow cobbled streets – over the May bank holiday for the show’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
Compared to what Holmfirth looked like on the show, the place has changed quite a lot.
Laura Booth, owner of Sid's Cafe
Laura Booth, 53, owner of the iconic Sid’s Cafe for the past 17 years, said: “We get people from all over the world pop in to see us.
“Covid put the kibosh on it but slowly the coach trips are coming back. There are still a lot of big fans of the show out there.
“Holmfirth is brilliant. We’ve got all the Summer Wine stuff, and you can stay in Nora Batty’s cottage – and there’s the museum underneath.
“But people always said Holmfirth and the countryside was the fourth character in the show.
“As soon as you get on the valley side it just opens out. People come from walks and cycling.
“Compared to what Holmfirth looked like on the show, the place has changed quite a lot.
“I guess it has become more gentrified – there are independent boutiques and coffee shops.
“It’s well-liked for commuting because Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds are within hitting distance.
“But we’ve not changed as much as other places – like Hebden Bridge, for example.”
Colin Frost, 72, has run Summer Wine tours for 30 years, taking passengers on a 10-mile round-trip in his little mini-bus.
He said: “I’ve been doing this for 30 years now and I never get fed up – it’s the best job in the world.
“Every day, whatever the weather, there are fans who turn up wanting to see the famous locations.”
Customers have given Colin rave reviews for his £10-a-ticket tour – but there are rules to abide by.
He said: “If people talk while I’m on the microphone, I’ll tell them to be quiet. Because I think that’s rude.
“If they come on my bus, then they’ve got to stick to my rules.
“They do get time to talk but if they’re talking when I’m doing the commentary, I’ll be rude back.
“Some people say ‘can’t we get off and take a photo?’ – but the answer is always no.
“There are people living in these houses and they don’t want people taking photos.
“And if we stopped every time someone wanted to take a picture, then 45 minutes would turn into three hours.
“We’ve got to stick to the timetable.”
MIchael Giff, 52, and Colin Cass, 74, were staying in Nora Batty’s two-up-two-down – available as a holiday let.
Michael, from Swansea, South Wales, said: “Last of the Summer Wine has been a part of my entire life.
“We watch it every day – we love it. Every morning, religiously.”
Colin added: “The cottage is really atmospheric. They’ve got Nora’s knickers hanging from the clothes airer.
“We were talking about Nora in the cottage and the lights started flickering – I thought that was just typical.
“We were both surprised by how trendy Holmfirth is – it’s a great little town. There’s loads to do.
“I don’t think we quite expected it.”
We get a mix of people in Holmfirth – we still get lots of Summer Wine fans but the town is a bit of a tourist destination in its own right.
Katie Lodge
Holmfirth, which counts ice skating legend Christopher Dean among its locals, boasts a range of independent boutiques, antiques dealers and farm shops.
And the town even has a vineyard – now among 20 in Yorkshire producing more than 100,000 bottles of plonk each year.
Katie Lodge, 31 and Camryn Gill, 22, work at the Wrinkled Stocking Tearoom, named after the notoriously ill-fitting hosiery worn by Kathy Staff in her role as Nora Batty.
Katie said: “We get a mix of people in Holmfirth – we still get lots of Summer Wine fans but the town is a bit of a tourist destination in its own right.
“It’s a great little place to visit – we’ve got excellent restaurants, cafes, shops and bars.
“But at the same time, you’ve still got the famous Nora Batty steps. Every day there are always people posing up for photos.”