I traveled 240 miles to visit the Yorkshire town for a special reason

The final episode aired almost 14 years ago, but Last of the Summer Wine still has power in Holmfirth.

The West Yorkshire town is still a magnet for fans of the long-running sitcom, who can be found wandering the streets, Compo-style, in all weathers.

On Thursday this week, Janet and Hugh Muir visited Holmfirth from their home in Glasgow, which is around 240 miles away. Janet, who isn’t much of a fan of Summer Wine, surprised her husband with a three-day holiday in Holmfirth because she really likes old shows.

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Neither had ever been to Holmfirth but instantly fell in love with the place thanks to the old buildings, country walks and various Summer Wine attractions, including their holiday accommodation, Nora Batty’s Cottage and the nearby Summer Wine Exhibition.

Hugh has been watching the show for ‘donkey years’ – there were 295 episodes between 1973 and 2010 – and still watches old episodes on the Drama channel.

“My wife is not so keen and says ‘oh don’t look at it’.

Both agreed Holmfirth was a “fantastic place” to explore. They visited Sid’s Cafe and Upperthong Cemetery to see the graves of actors Bill Owen and Peter Sallis.

Hugh said: “The Last of the Summer Wine museum was absolutely excellent with lots to see such as old BBC props. We have been to all the main sights and will be visiting all 12 Holmfirth Blue Plaques on the Blue Plaque Trail. “

Janet described Holmfirth as “fascinating”, mainly because of the wealth of old buildings, from cottages to churches.

And Hugh dismisses anyone who might suggest Holmfirth should ‘move on’ from its addiction to Summer Wine to attract visitors. “That’s silly – I think Last of the Summer Wine, no matter what you say about it, will always bring in tourists. You can’t ignore the fact that that industry (created Holmfirth), but it was Summer Wine that put Holmfirth on the map. “

They both plan to return to Holmfirth.

In Sid’s Cafe, there has been a steady stream of visitors this week, many of them from out of town, including tourists from Japan, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. They bought fridge magnets, teapots, napkins and other cafe products.

Maxine, manager at Sid’s Cafe, said the sitcom still has great appeal. “It’s surprising how many of the younger generation are getting into it now.

“We have a 10- or 11-year-old who visits (from Wales) with his grandparents two or three times a year. He dresses up in a cap and cap and spends all his money on souvenirs.”

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Michael and Sharon Potts, from Newcastle, can’t get enough of Holmfirth, having visited it many times. But it was the Summer Wine show that first alerted them to the beauty of Pennine Yorkshire.

“We live here and have visited four times. The first time was because of Last of the Summer Wine and then we fell in love with the area,” says Michael.

When Peter Sallis died, they visited his grave and enjoy wandering the country, as Norman ‘Cleggy’ Clegg did all these years.

“It’s so peaceful here,” says Sharon. “The scenery is amazing.

Michael adds: “It was Last of the Summer Wine that drew us here. My mom and dad loved it. I think Compo is amazing.”

The couple stops for a few nights and then heads to Filey.

Sharon doesn’t want Holmfirth to lose its unique charm. “People love Holmfirth because it has character. It’s like stepping back in time.”