A last drop of the Wine for Kathy

Mar 30 2001 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

FANS of Last Of The Summer Wine can look forward to the start of the new series on Sunday evening.

The record-breaking BBC comedy returns for its 28th series - and for the last time viewers will be able to see actress Kathy Staff in her wrinkled stocking role as the inimitable Nora Batty.

Kathy has now gone on to resurrect her role of Doris Luke in the revived afternoon soap Crossroads.

But immediately after Summer Wine, which goes out on BBC1 at 7.20, a special programme profiling the life of the actress will be screened.

Kathy Staff: Wrinkles And All features many of the people who have appeared with her over the years.

Once again, Summer Wine fans will be able to see the late Bill Owen's real-life son, Tom, playing Compo's son, Tom Simmonite.

Tom said he had no doubt about joining the show and following in his father's footsteps.

At the time he said: "It's a great honour and a privilege to follow my father into such a well-loved programme, and to work with such a wonderful cast.'

Together with Clegg and Truly, played by Peter Sallis and Frank Thornton, the three will be once again get ting themselves into scrapes - much to the disapproval of Nora, Edie and Ivy.

Former Coronation Street actress Jean Alexander also re-appears as Auntie Wain wright, and Norman Wisdom is back as Billy Ingleton after a six-year absence.