Nora to quit Summer Wine

Oct 9 2000 By KAREN GRATTAGE

LAST of The Summer Wine's Nora Batty is to quit the hit TV series.

Actress Kathy Staff, 71, plans to hang up her wrinkled stockings after 26 years with the award-winning BBC comedy, filmed mainlyaround the Holme Valley.

Rumours of her imminent departure, which have been circulating since the death of Bill Owen last year, have, until now, been denied.

But today the actress confirmed she had decided there was no future for Nora without Compo. The lovable character, played by Bill Owen, pursued her throughout the series.

Kathy said today: "I wanted to leave last year, but was persuaded to do another series.

"The problem was that once Compo was gone there was no storyline left for Nora.

"Nora's husband, Wally, had died, and when Bill died there was nobody left to do scenes with.

"It has been a wonderful series and I have loved every moment of it - but I decided to leave before I began to hate it."

Filming has just finished on the next 10-week series, the last to feature Kathy's character. It will reach our screens in January or February.

The actress said: "I didn't really want to say anything until the next series had been shown.

"I just spoke to the writer, Roy Clarke, after filming finished last week to say I was going - and somehow the story got out."

The actress confirmed she had been approached by the soap Crossroads, set in a Midlands motel, in which she appeared as Doris Luke in the 1970s and 1980s. But she said she had not yet decided whether to join it.

BBC producer Alan Bell, the man behind Summer Wine, confirmed Kathy's decision to leave, but said programme makers had already agreed to write her out of the series.

He added: "The truth is that Kathy has been saying for the last two years that she wanted to leave. Lots of actors say things like that, and we weren't sure if she meant it.

"But this time the decision had already been made to write Kathy out of the series. There are so many characters in the series now and we are concentrating on the ones which will progress the story."

Discussions are taking place between programme makers and Mr Clarke to plan another series of the comedy.

Mr Clarke said: "The truth is I don't know what the next series will be like.

"I want to see the audience reaction to next year's series - the first without Bill - before I start on the next."

He added: "Fans will be sad to see Kathy go, but I understand her reasons."

The series which starts next year contains a new character, Keith Clifford, who programme makers hope will become the new Compo. The programme now also features Bill Owen's son, Tom, who plays Compo's son.

A number of celebrity guest appearances, including one by Norman Wisdom, are also planned.