The Last Detective Lofty
Breanna Mangels
The Last Detective is a British TV comedy drama series, broadcast on ITV between 7 February 2003 and 31 May 2007, starring Peter Davison as the title character, Detective Constable "Dangerous Davies". The series is based on the "Dangerous Davies" series of novels written by Leslie Thomas, and was filmed in the north London suburbs of Willesden, Neasden and Harlesden.
The first series aired in 2003, with three more series following it. The first, second and third series all consist of four 70-minute episodes (90-minutes with advertisements). The fourth series is slightly longer, encompassing five episodes in the series. After a total of seventeen episodes, production company Meridian Broadcasting (later Granada Productions), who produced the programme, stated that the series had been axed due to falling viewing figures, and that the fourth series would be the last.
The series follows Detective Constable "Dangerous" Davies. Davies discovered a crime committed by a fellow officer at the opening of the series, and is treated as a pariah by his colleagues as a consequence. Moreover, he is committed to his work and is staunchly humane, leading to a view of his being soft by colleagues, and a degree of grudging respect from local criminals. The show's title reflects the initial attitude of his superiors, who describe him as "the last detective" who would be considered to head up a major case. Recurring themes include Davies solving the apparently minor crimes he is given, often resolving more complex and associated crimes (historical or contemporary), and Davies repeatedly being the target of practical jokes by younger but more well positioned detectives in his unit.
As the series progresses his reputation improves with his superior, Detective Inspector (DI) Aspinall, who realises that Davies' intelligence and fair but determined methods make him the best policeman in his squad. A strained mutual respect develops between the two characters as Davies increasingly finds the time to try to understand the troubled, hard drinking DI and his history (and demons).
The other major aspect of the series concerns Davies' private life, which centres on his estranged wife, Julie (played by Emma Amos). The storyline regularly integrates Davies' attempts to address the loss of his wife's respect and to repair the damage done to their marriage after his career stalls in the Metropolitan Police Force; for instance, the estranged character returns to pick up a dog whose custody he shares with Julie in the first episode, serve as her occasional chauffeur and carry out routine household maintenance at the family home (occasionally intersecting with Julie's new relationship interests).
The Last Detective: Complete Collection was released on Region 1 DVD on 20 January 2009 and includes all 17 episodes of the TV show, the earlier TV movie, and other features including an interview with Peter Davison. The DVD set is distributed by Acorn Media UK.[2]
My experiments did teach me about yarn construction. Swapping sock and fingering-weight yarns taught me to really pay attention to how yarns naturally behave, and to investigate the ways I could get them to do my bidding and make my switcheroos satisfying. Sneaky, I know.
Fingering-weight yarn (pink yarn in the photo above) can be any fiber, is usually worsted spun, and can be single or have two or more plies. The amount of ply twist is light to regular; you can see a line between the plies, it looks diagonal.
Sock yarn (orange in the photo above) is often a superwash wool, frequently blended with nylon for strength, and has three or more plies. The ply twist is tight. The visible ply line on the yarn is almost horizontal; some say it looks like beads on a string.
Many fingering-weight yarns are 100% merino and may not even be superwash. Make sure to read the label and think about each facet of the yarn. Beware the siren song of making socks out of single-ply merino. Your socks will likely felt on the first wearing, which would be sad.
Behold the mighty Studio Sock. It knits tightly without a split, and all of that ply goodness makes the stitches stand out smoothly, with a spring-back after stretching that you can almost hear. The combination of fibers, twists and tight gauge would make socks that will last, and give texture stitches pop.
While Studio Sock (orange) makes great socks and textured stitches, it makes for a very particular lace. The Perennial (pink) relaxes into the lace stitches, and the alpaca adds so much to lace: drape, silkiness and little bit of halo. It has this wonderful feeling of being both lofty and swingy.
I like my lace to look (and be) flowing, especially for a shawl. Sock yarn lace looks (to me) oddly at attention. The two swatches look like the difference between a dog lounging on the couch, and the same dog the instant you pick up a tennis ball.
When I blocked the two lace swatches, the Perennial (pink) needed only enough pinning to open the holes; the Studio Sock (orange) needed a harder stretch and twice the number of pins. When I knit lace shawls with sock yarn I find I have to reblock them every once in a while to keep the lace open. The spring-back that is so useful for socks is a deficit for lace shawls.
For these swatches I used the same sized needle for an accurate comparison. In my real life knitting I would have gone up a needle size or two for the Studio Sock, to give the stitches a little more drape.
I am always drawn to the amazing dye work on sock yarns. Although I do know that they make better socks than shawls, I will still knit whatever I want with them. I know better now how a sock yarn will look as lace and how to convince it to behave with a little more swing.
Fingering-weight yarns make me want to touch them: even in the skein they bloom and radiate softness. They make delicious shawls (and sweaters), but sometimes a woman needs a neon pink pair of socks with a silky soft halo. I know the needles to use to combat splitting, and exactly the sock patterns that will add a little extra elasticity.
I started separating my fingering weight stash into both sock and fingering weight about a year ago. I still find myself dipping into the sock yarn bin for a shawl project and the fingering bin for socks on occasion though.
Mohair in sock yarn can adds some real strength. It would not be kid mohair but an adult fleece. I believe Priscilla Gibson-Roberts who has written extensively on socks and handspun for socks has recommended mohair fibers as a replacement for the nylon.
I am delighted to learn about all the yarn things! However, with knowledge comes great responsibility, and so now I cannot naively choose my yarn just by color. Gonna bookmark this and study it, because I caught the fact that cocktails were being mixed, but I missed the actual time to show up.
It is superwash, but so are the single plus that I use, and the mcns for that matter. I have just noticed that the neighborhood finer company sock yarn makes a cooler shawl (granted, no significant lacework).
Thanks for this info! It coincides with much of my experience. I believe plying plied yarns is called cable plying, correct? My current favorite sock yarn is superwash corriedale + nylon (Poste Yarn from Simply Socks Yarn Co). I find it tougher than merino but just as cushy.
I am going to be cognizant of the differences the next time I buy yarn for socks. I have had some sagging socks and I have also had 1 experience with a pair of socks felt after being laundered. Thanks for the clarification!
This is amazing! I kinda had the feeling that there were differences, and for good reason. Your article put clearly what I had a vague idea of. It just clicked into place. Thank you for putting this all together in one place.
Wow. This article made me gasp with awe. You are amazing!! Maybe if I start younger next lifetime I could have all that knowledge. Better buckle down to get a head start. Thank you for the motivation!!
VETERAN comedy star Norman Wisdom goes straight when he plays an eccentric tramp with a secret past.
Having just celebrated his 88th birthday, the legendary little clown takes on the role of Lofty in The Last Detective.
"Lofty is an amazing name for me, when I am only five feet four and three quarters," he laughs. "You won't see any of my trademark trips and falls in this drama. He doesn't have many laughs, but it was great for me to do straight acting."
In the last of four films, Det Con "Dangerous" Davies, played by Peter Davison, has the job of solving the mystery of Lofty's sudden disappearance, and his true identity.
Lofty has a bizarre hobby of collecting waste paper, which he hoards in a pram. He's well known in his neighbourhood and causes no harm to anyone. But is he who everyone thinks he is?
Filming on location, Norman went out of his way to meet his fans. When one of the film company's drivers asked for an autograph for his mum, the Isle of Man-based actor asked to be taken to her house where he joined her for a cup of tea.
Also seen as Billy Ingleton in Last Of The Summer Wine, he says: "I'm a lucky old devil. I am grateful to fate and good fortune.
"The reason I am still working at 88 is because I remember when I was a teenager I had nothing. I slept in ditches and haystacks. I had no home, no parents and nothing to eat. From that, to the position I am in now is so fantastic, unbelievable. I have to keep pinching myself."
Given that he first broke into films 50 years ago, Norman is allowed a bit of fun on set - though not too much. Summer Wine star Peter Sallis has told how Wisdom would drive the director mad with his antics. "I developed three words to help Norman in his work. They were: SHUT UP NORMAN."
Expectation
Davison recalls: "He lived up to your every expectation. When he first arrived on set, he got out of the car and did a pratfall. And there was a certain amount of trouble actually getting him to 'cut' at the end of each performance. And he did tell me the same joke a few times, but it was a very good one."
Tonight's film sees Davies' estranged wife, Julie, played by Emma Amos, with a new lover - an aquatic engineer who's about to whisk her away for a romantic break in Paris. Even though their marriage is over, the unconventional detective can't help feeling a twinge of jealousy.
"They still care for each other," says former Goodnight Sweetheart star Emma, "but he brings out the worst in her. It's very sad. They just can't get it right."
Emma is married to actor and familiar TV face Jonathan Coy, recently seen as a police chief in Shipman, Bracegirdle in Hornblower and Dr Hetherington in The Lost Prince.