Emmerdale Farm in 1973

1973 was Emmerdale's 2nd year.

Main Cast

 * Frank Blakey - Eric Allan
 * Jack Sugden - Andrew Burt (until October)
 * Christine Sharp - Angela Cheyne (November onwards)
 * Janie Harker/Blakey - Diane Grayson
 * Liz Ruskin - Daphne Green (February onwards)
 * Marian Wilks - Gail Harrison (until January)
 * Joe Sugden - Frazer Hines
 * George Verney - Patrick Holt (January onwards)
 * Peggy Skilbeck - Jo Kendall (until July)
 * Edward Ruskin - George Little (February onwards)
 * Amos Brearly - Ronald Magill
 * Annie Sugden - Sheila Mercier
 * Alison Gibbons - Carolyn Moody (February to April, July onwards)
 * Henry Wilks - Arthur Pentelow
 * Lena Dawkins - Lorraine Peters (October onwards)
 * Matt Skilbeck - Frederick Pyne
 * Clare Scott - Joanna Tope (May to October)
 * Sam Pearson - Toke Townley

January

 * Local teenager Sharon Crossthwaite is stalked by local oddball Jim Latimer at the sheepdog trials. He later steals her shoes from her and forces her to hide in the old abbey ruins until dark. When she refuses to have anything else to do with him, he arrives at her house and noticing her with a stash of cash, grabs her.
 * Henry Wilks and Jack Sugden enter a bidding war with Harry Jameson for his farm which he's selling ahead of his retirement. As Jack makes plans to stay on in the village and live in the millhouse, Henry pulls the rug from under him by buying the freehold to the millhouse from George Verney and blackmails Jack from outbidding him again for Jameson's Farm. Disgusted with her father's business acumen and sick of constantly rowing with Jack, Marian Wilks leaves the village to set off on a Greek cruise. Jack goes after her, after deciding to split the farm equally between his family. The Sugdens and Henry decide to go into a partnership at the farm together and decide to split Jameson's Farm between them as well.
 * News of what Jack was doing while in London spills out into the village when a friend of his visits and lets slip that Jack is famous. Then whilst visiting Frank Blakey, Marian realises that Jack wrote a book when she discovers it on his shelf.
 * Frank and Janie Harker become engaged.
 * Trash, a tramp who pops up in the village every now and then, takes residence in the millhouse in Jack's absence. Jack arrives back and agrees to let him stay if he runs errands for him.

February

 * News spreads around the village of Sharon's mysterious disappearance and everyone is on high alert. Trash becomes the main suspect as he appears in The Woolpack with money, which is eventually discovered by the villagers to be Jack's who has returned to the millhouse and is sending Trash out on errands. Suspicions are soon aroused again however when Trash finds a watch belonging to Sharon and Jack hands it into the police. Trash panics when the police arrive to question him and flees the room. He later returns to the mill while Jack is out and gets drunk on Jack's whiskey. When Jack arrives back, he locks Trash in the room as he leaves to get him a doctor. Trash panics when he finds the door locked and tries to clamber out of the window but falls to his death. His death is deemed suicide.
 * Laura Verney tells George Verney she wants a divorce and admits to being unfaithful. When Laura and George accompany Jack for dinner at the Vicarage, there is a spark between Jack and Laura and later Reverend Ruskin walks in on the pair kissing. Reverend Ruskin tries to talk sense into Jack, but later he and Laura decide to leave for London together.
 * Reverend Ruskin asks Amos Brearly to give Alison Gibbons a job at The Woolpack. The Reverend tells Amos that Alison was convicted for theft, but it was highly out of character for her. Amos initially refuses but when he realises the act could be beneficial for him in front of Dale Breweries who are overhauling the pub, he reconsiders.
 * Jack admits to Henry that he caught with Marian before the cruise, but they ended up falling out again. Henry finds out that Marian has met a man on the cruise and is moving to New Zealand.
 * Peggy Skilbeck is admitted to hospital with high blood pressure, but discharges herself later in the month.
 * Sam Pearson buys a puppy.

Who lives where

 * Miffield Hall - George Verney. Laura Verney (February, March)
 * Inglebrook House - Henry Wilks (until April). Marian Wilks (until January).
 * Emmerdale Farm - Annie and Joe Sugden. Peggy Skilbeck (until April). Matt Skilbeck (until April, July onwards). Sam and Sally Skilbeck (July onwards). Sam Pearson. Jack Sugden (until January). Penny Golightly (March to April). Henry Wilks (April to July)
 * Hawthorn Cottage - Matt, Peggy, Sam and Sally Skilbeck (April to July)
 * Rose Cottage - Charlie Nelson
 * Beckindale Forge - Frank Blakey. Janie Harker (February onwards)
 * Beckindale Vicarage - Edward and Liz Ruskin. Alison Gibbons (February to April, July). Henry Wilks (April)
 * The Woolpack - Amos Brearly. Alison Gibbons (April)
 * Crossthwaites' Cottage - Ronnie and Beryl Crossthwaite (until July). Penny Golightly (April)
 * Millhouse - Jack Sugden (January onwards). Trash (January to February). Penny Golightly, Gwen Russell and David Reece (April to June)
 * The Feathers Country Hotel, Connelton - Henry Wilks (July onwards)

Awards and Nominations
to be added