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Emmerdale Woolpack

The Woolpack today.

The Woolpack is Emmerdale Village's main public house. It is the main meeting place for villagers and a stop for tourists visiting the Dales and a stop gap for the hikers and ramblers that pass through the village. The longest serving landlord of the Woolpack was Amos Brearly who ran the pub from 1948 to 1991 with his business partner Henry Wilks. The current building has only been in use since February 1976. Until then the Woolpack was at the other end of the village opposite a large green, which was vacated due to subsidence in early 1976. There is a separate page for The Old Woolpack.

Chas Dingle and Charity Dingle are the current landladies of The Woolpack.

History

The premises us

Emmie woolpack move pic 3

The soon to be Woolpack in January 1976, empty and derelict.

ed to be a corn chandlers dwelling run by a Mr Mason. The chandlers closed down in the 1920s and the premises was empty and derelict for many years.

In January 1976, Mel Openshaw inspected the old premises as a potential new site to house The Woolpack after the then current pub had subsidence. Henry Wilks had considered the old chandlers as well.

1976-

After the old Woolpack was found to be suffering from subsidence in January 1976, Amos Brearly and Henry Wilks strongly considered surveyor Mel Openshaw's suggestion about using the former chandlers as the new Woolpack. Henry and Amos then bought the

Emmie sam in late 1975 outside b&b

Sam Pearson in December 1975 outside what was soon to be the new Woolpack.

current premises, and work begun on renovating the building straight away, and it became the new pub in February 1976. The new Woolpack building was at the other end of the village to the previous one. Amos was initially reluctant to move into the current building but Mr Wilks made him see

Emmie tom merrick outside pub 1982

Tom Merrick outside the Woolpack, 1982.

reason. At first Amos said he did not feel at home at the new premises, seeing as he loved the old one, which had more of a rural pub feel. But Jack Sugden said this new pub was better than the old one. Amos said he was taking to this place as well. Amos had now became accustomed to the new Woolpack and settled in, so he and Henry could happily keep being business partners in the new pub. In January 1977 Amos kept being awoken by a thumping sound which he described as "rupperty".

1983 woolpack

Amos and Mr Wilks in 1983. Photo courtesy of Beckindale Bugle. http://www.beckindale.com/2008_07_01_archive.html

In 1978 they were held hostage by a young gunman, Steve Hawker and his girlfriend Pip Coulter. In 1980 Seth Armstrong decided to make the Woolpack his regular after deserting The Malt Shovel, Beckindale's other pub. He started what was to be many years of annoying and baiting Amos to the hilt.

Amos and Mr Wilks were on tap behind the bar for the entire 1980s. In July 1990 at Annie Sugden's birthday party Amos suffered a stroke. He later decided to call time as landlord. In January 1991 Amos retired to Spain. Alan Turner bought the Woolpack off Amos. Mr Wilks moved into Emmerdale Farm and carried on working at the pub. He was constantly irritated by Alan's modern ways of running the pub. Henry died suddenly in October 1991. Alan had a wine bar built at the back of the pub but it was destroyed in the 1993 plane crash. Alan married Shirley Foster in February 1994 but she was shot dead after being held hostage by Viv Windsor's crazed ex husband Reg Dawson. In early 1995, Alan took on managers Terry Woods and Britt Woods. When Amos came to the village again in June 1995, he was not pleased. He still dished out advice about his former pub.

Alan carried on as Woolpack landlord until 1999. He had to endure lots of bickering between his granddaughter Tricia Stokes and Mandy Dingle. Tricia and Mandy had a huge mud fight outside The Woolpack in February 1999. Turner was livid and told them they would get sacked if they did not get back inside now. Turner then had a heart attack and this made him decide he had enough of the pub.  He sold it to Diane Blackstock who became the landlady alongside daughter Bernice. Louise Appleton worked behind the bar and became the pub woner in 2002 when Bernice sold up and left Emmerdale. In 2004 the pub suffered structural

Emmie marlon 2008

Marlon outside the Woolpack in 2008 when he lost it with copper Shane Doyle.

damage after lightning hit it. In 2005 Louise Appleton sold her share to Diane's sister Val Lambert. When Val wed Eric she sold her share to Diane making her the sole landlady. In 2011 Diane sold half the pub to Chas Dingle. Diane runs the pub to date and has recently gone into business with Chastity Dingle, member of the infamous Dingle family.

Diane Blackstock Emmmierdale

Diane Blackstock and Chas Dingle, the current Woolpack ladies, in 2011.

They are similar to Amos and Henry of the 1970s and 1980s to 1991.

Rachel Breckle became a cleaner and Alicia Gallagher was a barmaid, all working under Diane and Chas. In 2016, Diane sold up and sold her half to Charity Dingle. She then moved out.

As of March 2017 Marlon Dingle is still employed as a chef at the pub, after 18 years.

Neighbouring Properties

Memorable info.

In 1974 when cleaning out one of his cupboards, Amos was rifling through some old pictures, photos and documents and mentioned some of those belonged to his predecessor. The identity of Amos's predecessor has never been revealed to my knowledge.

"The new premises is just around the corner, not a 5 minute walk from this place". Mel Openshaw on the distance between the old Woolpack and the new Woolpack, which opened in 1976.

Occupants

Owners/Landlords

  • 1976-1991 Amos Brearly (landlord)
  • 1976-1991 Henry Wilks (landlord)
  • 1991-1999 Alan Turner (landlord)
  • 1993-1994 Shirley Turner (landlady)
  • 1999-2010; 2010-present Diane Sugden (landlady)
  • 1999-2002 Bernice Blackstock
  • 2002-2006 Louise Appleton
  • 2006-2009 Val Lambert
  • 2010 Jimmy and Nicola King
  • 2011-present Chas Dingle (co-landlady)
  • 2015-present Charity Dingle (co-landlady)

Other Staff

  • 1977-1978 Dolly Acaster (barmaid)
  • 1990-???? Sarah Connolly (barmaid)
  • 1991-1993 Carol Nelson (barmaid)
  • 1991 Mark Hughes (waiter)
  • 1995 Britt Woods (bar manager)
  • 1995-1998 Terry Woods (bar manager)
  • 1995-???? Mandy Dingle (barmaid)
  • 1996-present Marlon Dingle (chef)
  • 1998-2004 Tricia Stokes (barmaid)
  • 2004-2009 Paul Lambert (barman)
  • 2008 Jake Doland (chef)
  • ???? Bob Hope (barman)
  • 2009-2012 Moira Barton (barmaid)
  • 2009-2011 Maisie Wylde (barmaid)
  • 2010-2015 Alicia Harding (barmaid)
  • 2014-present Victoria Sugden (chef)
  • 2015 Doug Potts (barman)

Residents (including non-staff)

  • 1976-1991 Amos Brearly
  • 1976-1991 Henry Wilks
  • 1991-1999 Alan Turner
  • 1993-1994 Shirley Turner
  • 1995 Britt Woods
  • 1995-1998 Terry Woods
  • 199? Viv and Donna Windsor
  • 1998 Heather, Lyn and Kirsty Hutchinson
  • 1999-present Diane Sugden
  • 1999-2002 Bernice Blackstock
  • 2002-2006 Louise Appleton
  • 2006-2009 Val Lambert
  • 2008 Andy Sugden
  • 2010 Jimmy and Nicola King
  • 2011-present Chas Dingle
  • 2008-2012; 2014-present Aaron Livesy
  • 2015 Robert Sugden

See also

Gallery

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