A visit to Holmfirth in West Yorkshire is not likely to be on every tourist's standard itinerary. For fans of Last of the Summer Wine, it's a good day out, and for everyone else, it's a chance to enjoy some beautiful English scenery.
Last of the Summer Wine - A Classic Britcom
According to the BBC, Last of the Summer Wine (or "LOTSW" as insiders call it) is the world's longest-running sitcom. The first episode was broadcast in 1973, and there are a few original cast members still appearing.
TV viewers may think Jerry Seinfeld invented the "show about nothing". Seinfeld may have come up with the name, but LOTSW had long since perfected the concept. LOTSW regulars know that nothing much will happen in any given episode, and that all the action will be more or less predictable.
What Happens in a Typical LOTSW Episode
Set in Holmfirth and the surrounding valley, Last of the Summer Wine treats the beautiful Yorkshire landscape and the little village with its stone houses and pretty bridge as essential characters.
In any given episode, the three aging men whose lives and friendship are the core story will have some minor adventure. Typically at least one man gets dumped in the river, falls from a tree, drinks a bit too much, or does all of these. The ladies of the village will have coffee and discuss the shortcomings of men in general and theirs in particular. Would-be lovers Howard and Marina will sneak away for a secret rendezvous, inevitably to be discovered before their first kiss. The two witless policemen will lose their car, and someone will roll down the long, steep hill in a steel bathtub on wheels.
Committed show followers know and expect all this. They tune in to make sure everyone else shows up, and to indulge in an armchair visit to some of England's most beautiful countryside.
Visiting Holmfirth
The village of Holmfirth is just south of Huddersfield. It lies roughly halfway between Manchester and Leeds.
The village is small and pleasant to stroll around in. Sid's Cafe is easy to find in the centre of town. Sid's is featured in every LOTSW episode, though Sid himself is long gone. There are tours operated by a local company, Summerwine Magic, leaving from Sid's.
Over by the river on a quiet street is Nora Batty's house - easily recognized. It's available as a self-catering house now (The Nora Batty Experience), so true admirers can sleep where the daunting Nora has previously laid her curlered head.
For Everyone Else
As hard as it may be to believe, not everyone loves LOTSW. Because Holmfirth is so beautiful, visitors can enjoy a day there without having to be Britcom fans. Take a camera, a picnic, and be prepared to get lost in the hills of Yorkshire for a day. It's a welcome change of pace, which, by the way, is more or less the point of the TV show.
The photograph of Holmfirth below was provided by RIchard Harvey and is subject to a Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 England & Wales (UK) License.
Related Article:
The Last of the Summer Wine Trio
Read about Compo, Cleggy, Truly, and the others at the heart of this long-running UK sitcom.
Jill Browne - Living near the Rocky Mountains in beautiful Calgary, Alberta, Canada, gives Jill Browne many great opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. ...
Join the Conversation