Stars of the back room

Oct 26 2001 By Neil Atkinson, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THE stars of Last Of The Summer Wine are instantly recognisable.

Dame Thora Hird, Jean Alexander and Peter Sallis are familiar figures in millions of living-rooms around the country.

But those behind the scenes are equally as important - and there are many local links behind the enormous success of the series, now about to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Director Alan J W Bell has recruited a number of people from Huddersfield to work on the past few series and all were at Shepperton Studios, Middlesex, for the final days of filming.

Sylvia Sutherland  of Holmfirth (pictured here with Warren Mitchell) made a small cameo appearance in 1999 but now works as location and unit manager.

Her local knowledge helps secure superb locations for the filming, and she also fronts the special Behind The Scenes film that is shown when the finished programmes are previewed in London.

Alison James, of Crosland Moor, is one of the team responsible for the wardrobe - the flat cap worn by Clegg, the trilby sported by Truly and Wesley's impeccably-greasy overalls.

She has spent two years with Summer Wine and is also involved with production work on Where The Heart Is, which is filmed in the Colne Valley.

"Work on location and in the studio entails meticulous attention to detail," she said. "Every item has to be ready for the actor, and we need to ensure that when a new scene is filmed they wear exactly the same as in the previous shot."

Two more Huddersfield links come in the shape of Matt Forrest and his partner Haley Burnett, of Linthwaite.

Both are former University of Huddersfield students and, for the new series of Summer Wine, worked as second and third assistant directors.

Matt said: "It is my second year with the show and my main task was to make sure the running order and the admin were in place for everyone for every scene."

Haley, who has also worked on Where The Heart Is, said: "It's brilliant. It gives us a chance to work together and to work from home in Huddersfield."

Most of the film work for Summer Wine is in the capable hands of director of photography Pat O' Shea, a New Zealander who has been with the series for six years.

He said: "I did a lot of work for the BBC drama department before joining Summer Wine and I think they are a great bunch.

"It is great to film on location in Yorkshire with such superb countryside and when the weather is good it is simply stunning."

The task of re-creating that superb outdoor location in a film studio falls to production designer Stephan Paczai, who has spent 12 years with Summer Wine.

His other work includes the hit Jimmy Nail series Spender, plus many drama series.

But he loves the tasks of replicating Ivy's cafe, Holmfirth church and Auntie Wainwright's shop in the huge emptiness of a film lot.

"We have bought most of the props over the years and held on to them. Every series I have to dress the sets up again, to make sure they look their best.

"It is hard work but it is great fun."

* Tomorrow - Neil Atkinson meets June Whitfield.