As the longest running comedy in Britain, Last of the Summer Wine has been enjoyed by generations for years.
Set in the lovely town of Holmfirth in West Yorkshire, the sitcom follows three old men and their adventures over the years.
It first aired in 1973 and the final episode aired in 2010 and there’s 295 episodes in total to watch!
From the cast to the theme tune and filming location, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about Last of the Summer Wine.
Last of the Summer Wine theme song
Last of the Summer Wine cast
With the show running for such a long time, it’s no surprise that the cast have had to change over the years.
Norman Clegg
Often nicknamed Cleggy, Norman is the only character to appear in every episode of the show. The character was played by Peter Sallis from 1973 to 2010.
Compo Simmonite
Compo, or William Simmonite, is better known by his nickname of Compo because he is on unemployment compensation according to the shows writers. The role was played by Bill Owen from 1973 to 2000.
Cyril Blamire
Cyril was played by Michael Bates from 1973 until 1975 and was the most youthful and energetic of the three men.
Foggy Dewhurst
A former soldier, Walter 'Foggy' Dewhurst was played by Brian Wilde from 1976 to 1985 and later 1990 to 1997.
Seymour Utterthwaite
Seymour liked to take it upon himself to educate his friends and was played by Michael Aldridge from 1986 to 1990.
Herbert 'Truly Of The Yard' Truelove
This retired policeman was played by Frank Thornton from 1997 to 2010 and was a bit more of a devious character.
Billy Hardcastle
He was first introduced as a guest star in 1999 and 2000 and thanks to the character's popularity, was made a regular in 2001 until 2006. He was played by Keith Clifford.
Alvin Smedley
Played by Brian Murphy from 2003 to 2010, Alvin Smedley was introduced in the 2003 series as Nora Batty's new next door neighbour following the death of Compo.
Electrical Entwhistle
Played by Burt Kwouk from 2002 to 2010, he was an electrician and fortune-teller from Hull. His real name is Mcintyre but he changed it so people wouldn't mistake him for a Scotsman.
Hobbo Hobdyke
A former milkman, Hobbo was played by Russ Abbot from 2008 to 2010. He also had ties to MI5.
Other Characters
Nora Batty
Nora Batty became a national icon, thanks to her wrinkled stockings, pinny and hair curlers. She appeared in 245 of the 295 episodes and way played by Kathy Staff.
Ivy
Played by Jane Freeman from 1973 to 2010, Ivy was the joint owner of tea-shop with her husband Sid.
Howard
Howard Sibshaw, played by Robert Fyfe, was the shy and simpering husband of Pearl, as well as Marina's lover and he regularly takes her on dates when Pearl is not around.
We were so sad to hear Robert passed away recently aged 90.
Pearl
Howard's wife is always one step ahead of his schemes and was played by Juliette Kaplan from 1985 to 2010.
Marina
Played by Jean Fergusson from 1985 to 2010, Marina is the love interest of Howard who works in the local supermarket.
Glenda
Played by Sarah Thomas from 1986 to 2010, Glenda is the daughter of Edie and Wesley.
Last of the Summer Wine location tour
With Holmfirth being such a beautiful place, fans of the show can go on tours to see all the filming locations of the show in person.
To find out more about the Last of the Summer Wine official tours and organise your trip, you canbook your tickets online here.
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