Vintage tour (From The Northern Echo)

Vintage tour

11:43am Saturday 14th November 2009

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Holmfirth, the setting for Last of the Summer Wine, still one of British television’s bestloved sitcoms, is a star in its own right as a short-break destination.

AS the long-running TV sitcom Last of the Summer Wine takes to the stage for the first time, fans are being encouraged to transport themselves to Holmfirth and the Holme Valley to relive the antics of their favourite characters.

Theatre audiences can see actors Ruth Madoc, Tony Adams and Steven Pinder in this unique production, written by Last of the Summer Wine creator Roy Clarke, and to celebrate the tour, Holmfirth, in Pennine Yorkshire – the true home of Compo, Foggy, Clegg, Nora and Co – is being promoted as a short-break destination.

Keen fans should stay in or near Holmfirth, wander the cobbles of this small market town and feel as though they are in an episode of the series. Visitors can enjoy a pot of Yorkshire tea in Sid’s cafe or the Wrinkled Stocking Tea Room and experience the Last of the Summer Wine exhibition. A must-do for any visitor is a photo on Nora Batty’s famous steps and, for the ultimate experience, people can book a short break in Nora Batty’s cottage, now a self-catering holiday let.

One of the most memorable things about Last of the Summer Wine is the backdrop of rolling hills and countryside where visitors can take a self-guided tour of the surrounding area or board the Summer Wine Magic Tour Bus that visits the landmarks made so familiar by the series.

Holmfirth is a charming Yorkshire market town, crammed full of quirky boutiques and cafes. The area is renowned for its creativity, playing host to folk festivals and art weeks, and is also home to the gallery of landscape artist Ashley Jackson, whose paintings are synonymous with the brooding hills of the Holme Valley.

As well as being home to the longrunning sitcom, Pennine Yorkshire is also renowned for much more.

The Bronte Connection

PENNINE Yorkshire has been the setting for many TV dramas and films including the recent ITV dramatisation of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights at Oakwell Hall. Visitors can discover how and why Charlotte Bronte’s novel Shirley caused such controversy among the Spen Valley locals when it was published in 1849. Oakwell Hall has also hosted the recent ITV drama Lost in Austen, a modern twist on Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, starring Bond girl Gemma Arterton.

Red House Museum is a delightful 1830s cloth merchant’s home and was the residence of Bronte’s lifelong friend, Mary Taylor. Each of the rooms at Red House brings you closer to the 1830s, from the elegant parlour to the stone-flagged kitchen with its Yorkshire range, jelly moulds and colourful crockery.

Pretty as a Picture

FROM the high moorlands of the Pennines to the Peak District National Park, Pennine Yorkshire is an award-winning walkers’ paradise.

Why not take to the skies and explore the hills and valleys by helicopter, or by barge or classic car.

Summer Wine Classic Cars puts you in the driving seat of Inspector Morse’s pride and joy, a sleek silver Jaguar Mk II, or you can purr your way across the tops’ in a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow, put the soft top down in a brilliant red Triumph Stag or a gleaming MGB Roadster.

Traditional villages /local produce

FROM the small market town of Holmfirth to the canal side villages of Marsden and Slaithwaite offering a rich textile history, weavers’ cottages, historic mills and ancient packhorse trails, there really is something for everyone in Pennine Yorkshire.

Priding itself on using local produce, award-winning restaurants like The Olive Branch and The Weaver’s Shed are recommended in The Good Food Guide. Alternatively, The Butcher’s Arms is home to Yorkshire Professional Chef of the Year Timothy Bilton who learnt his skills with Raymond Blanc.

Indulgence & Relaxation

HOME to two award-winning spas – Titanic Spa, the UK’s first eco-spa, and Eastthorpe Hall, the Best Day Spa in Britain – Pennine Yorkshire offers an array of tempting treats as well as great value packages to accommodate all budgets.

■ For more information about Pennine Yorkshire, go to pennine yorkshire.com

■ Last of the Summer Wine is having its last night at Darlington Civic Theatre tonight.

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