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Granville (Open All Hours)
Encyclopedia
Granville is a fictional character played by David Jason
in the British sitcom Open All Hours
. Granville is an errand boy to his uncle and employer, Arkwright
, who is the proprietor of an old-fashioned Yorkshire
corner shop.
Granville was born to Arkwright's sister, who died while Granville was a young child, leaving Arkwright as his sole guardian. Granville's father's identity is not known, as his mother is implied to be a woman of loose morals, and Arkwright considers him to have likely been a Hungarian. Raised alone by Arkwright, Granville is often curious and engrossed in thoughts about who his father was and saddened not to have known his mother.
Although a kind provider (As long as it isn't too stressful on his wallet), Arkwright's miserly and eccentric personality makes him withdraw Granville from school and he starts helping in his uncle's shop at age eleven. The tedious routine weighs heavily on Granville, who hates getting up well before dawn in the morning and not being free until nine in the night. He is poorly paid, at three pounds a week, and is made to pay for anything he helps himself to from the shop shelves, even if Arkwright gave it to him. He is curious and anxious to explore the outside world and mingle with his peers, especially girls. Granville spends most of the day dreaming of being somewhere else, or doing something else, a custom which is seen as alien in the working class
Yorkshire
environment. Granville seems fairly sharp and quick witted, and is often quick to make satirical jokes about Arkwright's stammer or mannerisms whilst he will often flippantly make fun at customers to their faces, all of them seemingly being too unintelligent to realise this. He also never misses an opportunity to mock his uncle's stutter.
Unlike his Uncle who is a practical man, and a miser, Granville is a care free man yet is treated like he is a child. Granville's mundane existence is only brightened up by the milkwoman (Barbara Flynn
), the only person other than Arkwright who is awake at the same time as him in the mornings. Despite his attraction to her, she is more worldly wise than he is and likes men of the same calibre as herself, but she is generally sympathetic towards Granville, and they have kissed on several occasions.
David Jason
Sir David John White, OBE , better known by his stage name David Jason, is an English BAFTA award-winning actor. He is best known as the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter on the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses from 1981, the voice of Mr Toad in The Wind In The Willows and as detective Jack...
in the British sitcom Open All Hours
Open All Hours
Open All Hours is a BBC sitcom written by Roy Clarke which ran for four series a first run in 1976, a second run in 1981, third in 1982 and finally with a fourth run in 1985, with a pilot episode from the Seven of One series in 1973...
. Granville is an errand boy to his uncle and employer, Arkwright
Arkwright (Open All Hours)
Albert E. Arkwright, usually referred to simply as Arkwright or occasionally as 'Uncle' by his nephew, Granville is a fictional character in the British sitcom, Open All Hours played by Ronnie Barker. Arkwright is the proprietor of an old fashioned Yorkshire corner shop, which in the era of the...
, who is the proprietor of an old-fashioned Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
corner shop.
Granville was born to Arkwright's sister, who died while Granville was a young child, leaving Arkwright as his sole guardian. Granville's father's identity is not known, as his mother is implied to be a woman of loose morals, and Arkwright considers him to have likely been a Hungarian. Raised alone by Arkwright, Granville is often curious and engrossed in thoughts about who his father was and saddened not to have known his mother.
Although a kind provider (As long as it isn't too stressful on his wallet), Arkwright's miserly and eccentric personality makes him withdraw Granville from school and he starts helping in his uncle's shop at age eleven. The tedious routine weighs heavily on Granville, who hates getting up well before dawn in the morning and not being free until nine in the night. He is poorly paid, at three pounds a week, and is made to pay for anything he helps himself to from the shop shelves, even if Arkwright gave it to him. He is curious and anxious to explore the outside world and mingle with his peers, especially girls. Granville spends most of the day dreaming of being somewhere else, or doing something else, a custom which is seen as alien in the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
environment. Granville seems fairly sharp and quick witted, and is often quick to make satirical jokes about Arkwright's stammer or mannerisms whilst he will often flippantly make fun at customers to their faces, all of them seemingly being too unintelligent to realise this. He also never misses an opportunity to mock his uncle's stutter.
Unlike his Uncle who is a practical man, and a miser, Granville is a care free man yet is treated like he is a child. Granville's mundane existence is only brightened up by the milkwoman (Barbara Flynn
Barbara Flynn
Barbara Flynn is an English actress. She first became known for her appearance in the ITV drama A Family at War, that followed the fortunes of a lower middle class family living in Liverpool from 1938 and through World War II.During the 1980s Flynn's acting skills led to her being cast in several...
), the only person other than Arkwright who is awake at the same time as him in the mornings. Despite his attraction to her, she is more worldly wise than he is and likes men of the same calibre as herself, but she is generally sympathetic towards Granville, and they have kissed on several occasions.