Compo: Bill Owen

Jan 1 2000

You could always count on Compo to bounce back with that familiar cheeky grin and mischievous chuckle no matter how many times he was frustrated in his lifelong quest to win the heart of Nora Batty.

An icon of British comedy, the loveable old rascal in tatty jacket, woolly hat and wellies, was looked upon with great affection by actor Bill Owen, who played him for 26 years.

Sadly, Bill Owen died on 12 July 1999, losing his fight against cancer just a few days after leaving the set in France, where he was involved in filming a Summer Wine Millennium Special.

His family carried out the star's final wish - to be buried in Holmfirth, where he will be remembered with great affection, as the town's adopted son.

Even after 26 years of Summer Wine, Bill's enthusiasm for the series was as great as ever, right up to his death.

"Compo has become a very important part of my life over the years," he once said. "He's a great character who has brought me in the evening of my life a kind of adulation which is not normal for an actor of my age.

"I have been very lucky. And while Roy Clarke wants to write him and the BBC wants to do the series, I shall be very happy to play him."

While Compo was known to burst into a song and dance routine on occasions, Bill had taken on a number of very different acting roles. Recently these included a part in a play about the seamier side of showbusiness. He appeared in a new TV version of John Osbourne's 1950s classic The Entertainer, as the father of a seedy end-of-the-pier comic played by Michael Gambon.

Brought up in the London district of South Acton, Bill became so attached to the Holmfirth area that he came to regard it as home.

He developed a real passion for the Yorkshire way of life including a love of brass band music. Grimethorpe Colliery Band was a particular favourite.

He also took a great interest in the life of the Holme Valley community and liked to support local events and causes whenever possible. A few years ago he presented An Evening With Bill Owen at Holmfirth Civic Hall, which raised 1,000 towards the River Holme improvement scheme.

The idea proved such a success that a follow-up event was held in 1993 to help cover the cost of the new riverside picnic area below Crown Bottom car park.

Bill entertained the audience with anecdotes from his long career including his experiences in New York many years ago when he appeared with Katharine Hepburn in As You Like It.

A reminder of his close ties with the area can be found in the Holmfirth Civic Hall, which includes a seat donated by Bill, bearing the inscription "Bill Owen: Your Adopted Son."

In recent years Compos's madcap antics could sometimes be just a little too strenuous and a "double" was on hand to film the more daring stunts.

Having said that, Bill still had to be at the forefront of the action. Viewers could appreciate that a stand-in had to be used to somersault into a lake, but they still expected to see a close up of the real Compo splashing about in the water to give the scene an air of authority.

One thing is for sure, while lesser men tremble in their bootsat the very thought of Nora Batty and her wrinkled stockings, Compo would always try every trick in the book to woo the woman of his dreams.