COMPO’S bathtub could make a glorious return to Holmfirth, the Examiner can reveal.
As the Last of the Summer Wine dries up next month, ambitious plans are under way to save the iconic sitcom’s sets in a new tourist attraction.
Six weeks on from the announcement that this is to be the last series, members of the Holme Valley Business Association (HVBA) reveal how they have been offered all of the show’s sets and props.
Andrew Bray, a member of the HVBA, said the association had hatched a plan to create a joint Summer Wine and Bamforths museum on the top floor of Holmfirth’s Riverside Shopping Centre.
But Mr Bray said there was a race against time to organise the project as BBC chiefs were keen to dispose of the items.
He said: “There’s about five artic’ loads: all the sets and the props – the bathtub, the whole lot.
“The BBC have suggested we take four sets: the church yard, the cafe, Auntie Wainwright’s and Compo’s house.
“It’s very much in the early stages but we’re under time pressure because they want to get them out of storage because it’s costing them a lot of money to keep them in their lock-ups.
“We could have a theatre in there and do a lot of little projects.
“There’s great potential at this stage and it would help boost the Riverside Centre and help the area.”
Mr Bray said early indications were that it would cost more than £30,000 to get the project off the ground.
But he added that Afzal Khan, the owner of the Huddersfield Road based Riverside Shopping Centre, the old Lodges supermarket, was very interested in the idea.
And he said they had approached the Golcar-based Colne Valley Museum for advice on how to operate a volunteer run museum.
He added: “We need transportation to bring the sets up from down south and we will need a crane to get them through the roof; it’s not simple.
“There’s lots of things happening but whether it comes off I don’t know.
“We don’t know what the deadline is – when the BBC’s patience runs out I suppose.
“The parish council and local Kirklees councillors are keen to help and we’re trying to find funding from Kirklees.
“It’s not easy as everyone’s tightening their belts.
“At the end of the day it’s a one-off offer and they will be destroyed if they’re not taken in the next few weeks.
“We’ve approached a lot of people for advice because we don’t know what it entails.
“It’s a massive task but we’re going to give it a good crack.”
Summer Wine writer Roy Clarke said he backed the plan and wished the group well.
If you can help with transportation, funding or organising contact Mr Bray on 01484 682787.
