Utterley
Encyclopedia
Utterley is the name of the small
fictional town in Lancashire
, England
that was the main setting for the 1980s and 1990s Granada TV series Brass
.
Brass was a comedy satirising not only all the "it's grim oop North" dramas of the 1970s (most significantly When the Boat Comes In
), but also the American supersoaps such as Dallas
and Dynasty
. Its humour lay in convoluted wordplay and subtle commenting of popular culture. Brass is northern English slang for 'money'.
Utterley was portrayed as a typical Lancastrian mining
and mill
town in the 1930s.
The town was controlled by Bradley Hardacre who had risen from a childhood spent in the town's workhouse
(which later became the Cottage Hospital
) to owning through his company Hardacre International most of the town's industry (mine, mill, munitions factory, shipyard, crutch factory and aircraft factory) and also it would appear all or at least most of the property in the town.
The Hardacres lived in a mansion (known as High Haddom Hall) on a hill overlooking the town whereas most of the town's population lived in back to back
terraced housing.
Utterley lay in the fictional valley of Swarfdale or Swarfside with both the River Swarf and the Utterley canal
flowing through the town.
The nearest other town was the equally fictional Bishops Tippings which was hinted at being larger than Utterley.
Agnes Fairchild (one of many mistresses of Bradley Hardacre) became MP
for Utterley in 1936 representing the Labour party
.
fictional town in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
that was the main setting for the 1980s and 1990s Granada TV series Brass
Brass (TV series)
Brass was a British television Comedy-Drama, made by Granada Television for ITV.Set mostly in Utterley, a fictional Lancashire mining town in the 1930s, Brass was a comedy satirising the working-class period dramas of the 1970s and the American supersoaps such as Dallas and Dynasty...
.
Brass was a comedy satirising not only all the "it's grim oop North" dramas of the 1970s (most significantly When the Boat Comes In
When the Boat Comes In
When the Boat Comes In is a British television period-drama produced by the BBC between 1976 and 1981.The series stars James Bolam as Jack Ford, a First World War veteran who returns to his poverty-stricken town of Gallowshield in the North East of England in the 1920s.The memorable traditional...
), but also the American supersoaps such as Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
and Dynasty
Dynasty (TV series)
Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
. Its humour lay in convoluted wordplay and subtle commenting of popular culture. Brass is northern English slang for 'money'.
Utterley was portrayed as a typical Lancastrian mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
and mill
Textile industry
The textile industry is primarily concerned with the production of yarn, and cloth and the subsequent design or manufacture of clothing and their distribution. The raw material may be natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry....
town in the 1930s.
The town was controlled by Bradley Hardacre who had risen from a childhood spent in the town's workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
(which later became the Cottage Hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
) to owning through his company Hardacre International most of the town's industry (mine, mill, munitions factory, shipyard, crutch factory and aircraft factory) and also it would appear all or at least most of the property in the town.
The Hardacres lived in a mansion (known as High Haddom Hall) on a hill overlooking the town whereas most of the town's population lived in back to back
Back-to-back houses
Usually of low quality and high density, they were built for working class people and because three of the four walls of the house were shared with other buildings and therefore contained no doors or windows, back-to-back houses were notoriously ill-lit and poorly ventilated and sanitation was of...
terraced housing.
Utterley lay in the fictional valley of Swarfdale or Swarfside with both the River Swarf and the Utterley canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
flowing through the town.
The nearest other town was the equally fictional Bishops Tippings which was hinted at being larger than Utterley.
Agnes Fairchild (one of many mistresses of Bradley Hardacre) became MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Utterley in 1936 representing the Labour party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
.