Death Comes To The Dales: Part II Quiz

Answer: Ashley Thomas

Ashley Thomas arrived in Emmerdale in December 1996 with his pregnant wife, Bernice Blackstock. She gave birth to a daughter, Gabrielle, but initially insisted the father was Carlos Diaz, who was engaged to her half-sister, Nicola. A paternity test shows that Ashley was the father.

Ashley was left to look after Gabrielle when Bernice departed to work on a cruise ship. He married Laurel Potts, and they eventually had a son and daughter together,

Ashley and Laurel divorced after he assaulted his father, Sandy. He also lost his job as a vicar and became down-and-out for a time.

Ashley and Laurel reconciled and he got his job back again (hurray!)

In 2016, Ashley was diagnosed with early onset vascular dementia.

That allowed the soap to run strong storylines showing how dementia can affect individuals and their families.

These helped the show win six honours at the 2017 British Soap Awards, including: Best British Soap; Best Storyline; Best Actor and Best Male Dramatic Performance for actor John Middleton, (Ashley); Best Actress for Charlotte Bellamy (Laurel) and Best Single Episode (one that showed life through Ashley's eyes.)

Rev Ashley Thomas was played by John Middleton between December 1996 and June 2017.

Answer: Cameron Murray

Okay, how do we summarise Cameron Murray in just a few lines of interesting information?

He was bad boy, and in his time in the Yorkshire village committed three murders and died trying to increase that tally.

He arrived in the village after a holiday affair with Debbie Dingle. He could not be satisfied with Debbie, though, and his roving eye turned to other likely ladies.

His first victim was Carl King, who had been blackmailing him. Just desserts, you might say, for the arrogant Carl King, who was himself a murderer - he killed his father.

Victim number two was farmhand Alex Moss, who Cameron had confessed the murder of Carl King to. He subsequently beat Alex to death and buried him on a local farm.

Victim number three was the very lovely Genesis Dingle who stumbled on evidence that Cameron had killed Carl. In a desperate car chase to get away, she crashed, he pulled her from the wreckage and suffocated her.

The evidence was on a Dictaphone that Genesis had and Cameron was arrested.

He escaped from prison and held hostages in the local pub. In dramatic scenes in the flooding cellar, he tried to kill three more people, but was electrocuted after grabbing a live cable.

A note on the Dingle family. They were introduced as the village n'er-do-wells, involved in poaching and other unspecified criminality. Most had Biblical names including Zacariah, Cain, Charity, Chastity, Sam, and Samson (who was Sam's son - geddit?)

Answer: Grace Barraclough

Detective Chief Inspector Grace Barraclough arrived in the village to investigate the death of haulage company boss Tom King.

She began an affair with King's son, Carl, in a bid to gain information, but fell deeply for him.

Eventually Carl confessed that he had killed his father. Soon after, Grace was knocked down and killed by a lorry.

While never clearly established, Carl's brother, Matthew, was thought to have ordered the killing.

D/C/I Grace Barraclough was played by Glynis Barber between December 2006 and September 2007.

Answer: Jackie Merrick

Jackie Merrick was the love child of Ruth Merrick and Jack Sugden, although he left the village without knowing she was pregnant.

She married Tom Merrick soon after and pretended that the birth was premature.

After a period away from the Dales, Jackie and his mother returned in 1980. It was then Jackie learnt that Jack Sugden was his real father and became rebellious and a troublemaker.

He had a troubled marriage to Kathy Bates, but died in an accident when a shotgun went off accidentally while he was taking it out of a car.

Ian Sharrock played Jackie Merrick between 1980 and 1989. The character was introduced in 1972 but the name of the actor in that childhood time is unknown.

Answer: Tom King

Tom King brought his family and haulage business to Emmerdale in February 2004.

Although he had been brought up in Emmerdale, King and his family, were not popular with the villagers. Tom King did not think twice about a shady deal or two, and soon established his company as the top dogs.

Romance came his way in the form of the much younger Charity Dingle, and they planned to marry.

On the day of the wedding, Tom jilted Charity at the altar because he thought she had dallied with her former lover (and cousin) Cain Dingle.

Romance did not stray far away, and Tom subsequent married gold-digger Rosemary Sinclair.

By now he had antagonised many in the village and his four sons were also worried about their future inheritance.

On the night of his wedding, Tom died after he was pushed from an upstairs window of his home.

Police began a murder enquiry, with suspects quietly queuing up half way to the village of Skipdale.

Tom King was played by Ken Farrington between February 2004 and December 2006.

Answer: Henry Wilks

Henry Wilks was one of the first characters seen when "Emmerdale Farm" first aired in 1972.

Then, he was a retired businessman who became a shareholder in the farm when it became a limited company.

Later he became joint licensee of the village pub, The Woolpack.

He died of a heart attack in October 1991.

Henry Wilks was played by Arthur Pentelow between October 1972 and August 1991when he died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 67. The character was written out several months later.

Answer: Rachel Hughes

In fact Rachel Hughes did not fall, she was pushed.

Rachel Hughes had a lot of relationships after arriving in the village, and her share of tragedy. Her brother died in a plane crash; her boyfriend was run over by her mother; her stepfather died; and her mother died of a brain haemorrhage.

Then Rachel started to date schoolteacher Graham Clark, little realising how manipulate he was to become. He wanted to control every pert of her life, including have her dye her hair and dress like his late wife, Rebecca.

All came to a head at a picnic on a clifftop when she tried to end the relationship. Graham became enraged when Rachel said she knew he had killed his first wife, and pushed her off the edge.

Rachel Hughes was played by Glenda McKay between September 1988 and May 1999.

Answer: Alex Moss

Alex Moss was one of three confirmed victims of the murderer Cameron Murray.

His fate was probably sealed when Murray confessed to Alex that he had killed Carl King. Murray beat Alex to death and buried his body in the woods at Home Farm. It was presumed that Alex had disappeared after burgling the home of Edna Birch.

In July 2013, Alex's body was unearthed by builders at Home Farm.

Alex Moss was played by Kurtis Stacey between April 2011 and December 2012.

Answer: Sarah Sugden

Sarah Connolly was first seen in the village as a librarian and caught the eye of farmer Jack Sugden and they married. She worked for 10 years as a barmaid at the Woolpack inn.

Jack and Sarah had a daughter, Victoria, to add to Jack's son from his previous marriage, Robert. They subsequently adopted troubled by Andy Hopwood, who had a criminal as a dad.

Jack and Sarah's marriage was troubled, and both had affairs. Sarah, though, decided to give it another go with Jack and walked to the farm. Her lover, Ritchie, intercepted her, and they went into a barn to talk.

They heard someone come in and hid behind some bales. It was Andy, who had decided to set fire to the barn for the insurance money - he did not know anyone was in it.

Ritchie escaped from the burning barn, but despite Jack's efforts to get to her, Sarah died.

Sarah Sugden was played by Madeleine Howard in 1988, and from 1989 to 1994 and by Alyson Spiro from 1994 to 2000.

Answer: Tricia Dingle

Tricia Dingle was the granddaughter of Woolpack licensee Alan Turner and arrived unannounced in the village in September 1998.

Turner made her a barmaid and she soon started to catch the eyes of the local lads.

Several affairs later, she married Marlon Dingle. Eventually she got a job starring in a Bollywood movie - as you do. She and Marlon left the village, but Marlon had to return because he had problems with his passport.

While back, he slept with his cousin, Charity, and Tricia found out. She told him she was walking out on their marriage, but changed her mind.

As she waited, a bolt of lightning struck a tree and a second struck the pub. A window fell from the pub and crushed Tricia to death - you couldn't make this up, well I suppose some scriptwriter did.

Tricia Dingle was played by Sheree Murphy between September 1998 and January 2004.