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and impressed with the likeness, Clegg jokingly suggests Compo's father to have been
Japanese, to which Compo replies "Japanese? With a name like Withenshaw?" indicating this to have been his father's surname and that the Simmonites are his mother's family. He mentions that, according to his mother, his father was from Chesterfield. The Simmonite family was and is a large one. He had several encounters in his schooldays, which he remembers fondly – with the exception of one with Aggie Duckett who, he claims, "used to make his
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superior to Compo (and occasionally Clegg) and made snide remarks about Compo's working class lifestyle more frequently than his successors. His right-wing political views contrasted to Compo's left wing views. (In real life Bill Owen's and
Michael Bates's political views were similar to their onscreen characters and, in turn, both conflicted.) Despite this, Compo and Cyril were still close and Compo was very miserable about his departure.
66:
25:
606:!" in 1947. He had several flings in his youth, one of which went to the next level and resulted in the birth of his son, Tom. Tom tracked his father down and wrote to him (mentioning Compo's two grandchildren, who "went off in search of truth and wisdom with bits of metal through their nose"), but he arrives in Holmfirth just after his father's funeral. Out of loneliness, he once hired a housekeeper (
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also made Compo volunteer for often dangerous and ridiculous situations and, as a result, he was regularly harmed (though rarely injured) or humiliated. Foggy also commented on Compo not serving in World War 2. (In reality Bill Owen served in the Royal Army
Ordnance Corp and was injured in an explosion during a training exercise).
684:) does not try to stop him as he knows Compo does not mean anything by it. Whenever he tries to make advances to Ivy, the result is that he and his companions are thrown out of the café or hit on the head with Ivy's metal tray. Said Compo in one episode, "I'm just goin' to get me 'ead bashed with a tray."
712:
In his later life, Compo, Norman and a third man (such as Cyril) roamed the hills around
Holmfirth, getting involved with harebrained schemes to keep themselves one step ahead of boredom. Compo often talks of his vast, vast family and their exploits. He seems closest to Norman, as it is the third man
721:
During Foggy's first stint Compo frequently argued with him in a similar manner. This was largely due to Foggy's military background and, like the previous third man, Foggy often made insults of disgust over Compo's attire. He frequently referred to him as "that man". As a part of his schemes, Foggy
565:
began to sing. Mentions of his father suggest Compo was born illegitimate from a brief liaison; Foggy states of Compo's father that "he was away before you got a good look at him... in fact, he was away before your mother got a good look at him". Having rigged Compo up to look like a kamikaze pilot,
729:
When
Seymour departed the show, Foggy returned at the beginning of the 90s. During this time, Foggy was shown to have mellowed somewhat and as a result became more tolerant of Compo (though not always). It was during this period when perhaps Compo's most famous misfortune happened, in the series 15
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for their schemes. On one occasion Compo was repeatedly thrown backwards in the hope of getting a lift up a hill. Throughout the series Compo always loved an argument with the third man, Cyril
Blamire was perhaps the person he argued with the most. This was largely because Cyril viewed himself as
630:), they'd neighbours since 1957. Despite constant reminders that it would never happen or, in earlier days, that she was married, Compo persisted in his attempts to elope with Nora. However, he may only like Nora because he knows it will not progress further. When Nora's downtrodden husband Wally (
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Although Nora often gives Compo the hard end of her broomstick, she does often display concern or kindness towards him. When he cleans himself up during Wally's escape, she dresses up for a meal with him; when he disappears off a cliff on one of Foggy's wild schemes, she shows concern; when he is
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tailor who made his wedding suit. He cannot pay his television rental, so the shop take it back so frequently that he leaves his door unlocked so they can take it whenever necessary. In one episode, Foggy states that Compo owes him money and in the episode Compo was buried, Truly remarks that he
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and other such things. His lack of funds always surprises his friends, to the point when Compo is willing to get injured as it will end up with someone, usually Foggy, buying him a drink out of guilt or remorse. Although he married soon after the war, almost thirty years later he is still in an
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Throughout Compo's time on the show, there were numerous references to Compo's vast family and their (implied) criminal tendencies. Although several relatives appeared in the show, this does not come close to the number of relatives mentioned lightly in conversation. By the time Compo’s son Tom
725:
During
Seymour's brief stint in the late 80's, Compo was often made to test the former's inventions which frequently ended up in disaster for him and he called Seymour a twit whenever things went wrong. Despite this, Seymour was more willing to play along with Compo's childish antics than his
734:. While trying to push the bath up a steep hill, Compo lost his balance and fell into the bath, causing the others to lose their grip on the cart which started speeding down the hill with Compo in the bath. The bath fell off the cart and crashed into a loose drain pipe, which soaked Compo.
687:
Ivy sometimes appreciates Compo's advances and, when he is not in the room, smiles superiorly. In the early episodes, when it seemed like Compo and the other two members of the trio were not getting hospitality or being welcomed in the Cafe, they would break out into a rendition of
638:, Compo immediately tried to step into Wally's place with an apparently willing Nora. Wally had told Compo privately that he was actually only going to his mother's for a few days and would be back soon. When Clegg and Blamire tricked Compo into believing that Wally was
702:"The joy of Bill Owen's Compo is not what he does with the words but where he takes the character beyond what's in the script. He did this in a physical manner. It was only when I saw Bill on screen that I realized what a wonderful physical clown he was."
610:). He takes her out for a meal at Sid's Café and tries to start a relationship. However, she does a moonlight flit with all his newly-bought possessions. After his death, it is revealed that Compo went every Thursday to visit Regina "Reggie" Unsworth (
737:
During Truly's stint on the show, Compo was similarly often involved in dangerous situations against his will. Though Truly was pompous like his predecessors, he eventually grew used to Compo's childish behaviour and the two did not argue frequently.
797:
Compo was always broke. He spent most of his life (presumably until he reached retirement age) in the unemployment queues, as the prospect of a job sent his skin white. He always relied on Clegg and whoever was completing the trio to supply him with
753:
According to Truly and Clegg, Compo died from a heart attack after catching the sight of Nora Batty in chorus girl clothes. However, he died with a smile on his face (as claimed by Truly, Clegg and Nora).
765:) arranges for an abundance of white painter's overalls to be laid out in a formation saying 'See Ya, Compo' on the opposite hill. All the other main characters – Wesley, Edie (
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emigrating and Nora was intent on marriage, he panicked and tried his hardest to remove Nora from the dinner to which he had invited her.
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657:. She and Ivy sit up for the rest of the night, reminiscing about his various exploits. When Nora and Ivy go to visit Compo before his
534:, as in the phrase "he's on the compo", according to series writer Roy Clarke), was a character in the world's longest-running sitcom,
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Nora feels guilty when Compo dies in hospital with a smile on his face after suffering a heart attack when seeing her in unwrinkled
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episode "Stop That Bath". The trio were helping Howard transport a cast iron bath for Marina, by wheeling it on a cart through the
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Compo married soon after the war, but the marriage did not last long and he does not remember her, as she "ran off with a chuffin'
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Although his main aim in life was Nora, he also played his luck with the formidable owner of Sid's Café, Ivy (
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in the Chapel of Rest, Nora is horrified that he still has the smile on his face much to Ivy's amusement.
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may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience
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still owed him two quid and questioned Clegg if the money was in the letter he sent to him.
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any relevant information, and removing excessive detail that may be against
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appeared in the series it is said all of Compo’s family have died.
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Bill Owen said in an interview that Compo sees Nora as the
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16:Fictional character from Last of the Summer Wine
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750:Bill Owen died of pancreatic cancer in 1999.
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53:Learn how and when to remove these messages
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227:Learn how and when to remove this message
209:Learn how and when to remove this message
150:Learn how and when to remove this message
1278:Television characters introduced in 1973
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757:He was buried alongside his signature
86:Please improve this article by adding
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856:Here We Go Into The Wild Blue Yonder
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962:Bright and Ross (2000), p. 40
646:caught in one of Wesley Pegden's (
526:, better known by his nickname of
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34:This article has multiple issues.
614:) to whom he left his ferrets.
590:) and Herbert "Truly" Truelove (
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483:Connie Simmonite (niece-in-law)
42:or discuss these issues on the
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830:"An Interview with Roy Clarke"
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544:Fictional character biography
508:Sean Simmonite (great-nephew)
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582:), Walter "Foggy" Dewhurst (
287:"Magic and the Morris Minor"
191:Knowledge's inclusion policy
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438:Lionel Simmonite (brother)
420:Walter Simmonite (brother)
414:Harold Simmonite (brother)
405:Phyllis Simmonite (sister)
402:Dudley Simmonite (brother)
376:Mrs. Simmonite (separated)
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807:argument with the thirty-
692:" much to Ivy's chagrin.
586:), Seymour Utterthwaite (
532:unemployment compensation
497:Arnold Simmonite (cousin)
459:Wilfred Simmonite (uncle)
441:Nellie Simmonite (sister)
432:Peggy Simmonite (brother)
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462:Dudley Simmonite (uncle)
429:Ethel Simmonite (sister)
423:Wendy Simmonite (sister)
417:Hilda Simmonite (sister)
325:First of the Summer Wine
1273:Last of the Summer Wine
1025:Last of the Summer Wine
971:Series 15, Episode 9 –
904:Destiny And Six Bananas
902:Series 18, Episode 9 –
878:Series 21, Episode 7 –
866:Series 17, Episode 1 –
537:Last of the Summer Wine
514:2 unnamed grandchildren
465:Percy Simmonite (uncle)
456:Gladys Simmonite (aunt)
453:Lizzie Simmonite (aunt)
450:Connie Simmonite (aunt)
411:Les Simmonite (brother)
336:In-universe information
316:Last of the Summer Wine
254:Last of the Summer Wine
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950:Series 2, Episode 1 –
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928:Some Enchanted Evening
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854:Series 5, Episode 6 –
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468:Ned Simmonite (uncle)
447:Beth Simmonite (aunt)
444:Ruby Simmonite (aunt)
1251:There Goes the Groom
1244:Of Funerals and Fish
713:who uses Compo as a
690:We'll Keep a Welcome
267:Of Funerals and Fish
726:predecessors were.
241:Fictional character
834:Summer Wine Online
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840:23 February
785:), Marina (
779:Robert Fyfe
777:), Howard (
769:), Glenda (
696:Later years
636:New Zealand
632:Joe Gladwin
628:Kathy Staff
584:Brian Wilde
1267:Categories
1210:Nora Batty
1202:Characters
816:References
800:cigarettes
781:), Pearl (
775:Mike Grady
773:), Barry (
715:guinea pig
682:John Comer
624:Nora Batty
618:Nora Batty
612:Liz Fraser
568:nose bleed
549:Early life
368:Unemployed
365:Occupation
298:Roy Clarke
294:Created by
187:relocating
110:newspapers
77:references
39:improve it
655:stockings
608:Liz Smith
598:Love life
555:Holmfirth
391:Relatives
311:Bill Owen
257:character
45:talk page
1229:See also
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489:(nephew)
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474:(cousin)
381:Children
199:May 2024
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732:streets
659:funeral
563:swallow
349:Species
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640:really
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352:Human
341:Alias
131:JSTOR
117:books
842:2020
604:Pole
397:List
360:Male
103:news
809:bob
804:ale
672:Ivy
185:or
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