List of Heartbeat Characters - Aidensfield Garage Staff

Aidensfield Garage Staff

In early series, Aidensfield Garage featured only peripherally; it was run by Malcolm Mostyn (as late as episode 7.6, long after his apparent departure, a sign outside the premises still read "Mostyn’s Garage and Funeral Services"), but the garage later came into the hands of Bernie Scripps and took on a much more prominent role in the storylines.

• Peter Benson as Bernard ("Bernie") Scripps (1995–2010). Proprietor of Aidensfield Garage, mechanic, taxi operator and funeral director, though he appears to be some way past retirement age. A melancholy, tall and gaunt individual, but level-headed and kind, he is often roped (reluctantly) into madcap escapades by Claude Greengrass and (later) his half-brother Vernon Scripps, and, more recently still, Aunt Peggy. The schemes inevitably go wrong, with Bernie usually left to pick up the pieces. He is also something of a father figure to his longtime assistant David Stockwell. In the series 18 episode "Guilty Secrets", Bernie discovered that he has a long-lost daughter, Ruth, whom he had never met. Bernie engineered a meeting but did not reveal his true identity.

• David Lonsdale as David Stockwell (first appeared as an occasional character 1993, 1995 and regular 1996–2010). Comical village buffoon. Originally it was subtly suggested that David had severe learning disabilities and possibly some kind of mental disability, having to be cared for by his mother. However, as his appearances became more regular these elements were toned down, and he grew into more of a comedy character: clumsy, slow-witted, easily-led and uneducated, but with the proverbial "heart of gold". Due to his gullible nature he became a dogsbody first to Claude Greengrass, then Vernon Scripps, then Peggy Armstrong. David's signature gesture is to whip his hat off when he meets another person, or to scrunch it up in his hands when he is nervous or worried. David earns a living of sorts by doing odd jobs such as making deliveries, digging graves, gardening, and driving a taxi (originally for Vernon Scripps, though since the latter's departure from the series David is now apparently self-employed as a taxi driver, with his base being Bernie's garage, where he also acts as a mechanic). David originally "worked" for and lived with Claude Greengrass, and he took on Greengrass' house when the latter emigrated. Later Vernon Scripps moved in with David, until he too left the series. David's latest "house guest" is his aunt Peggy (Armstrong), who took it upon herself to move in with him. For many years David was accompanied by a lurcher dog called Alfred, which originally belonged to Greengrass. Alfred's death upset David greatly, but the grief was lessened by Peggy's gift of a new dog "Deefer" (from "D for dog"). In Series 17, a pregnant Gina Ward informed David that she wanted him to be her baby's godfather.

• Vanessa Hehir as Rosemary ("Rosie") Cartwright (2004–2007). Mechanic, who worked for Bernie Scripps at Aidensfield Garage. Implausibly young and pretty to be getting her nails dirty in Bernie's workshop. Bernie was the only person who called her "Rosemary"; to everyone else she was "Rosie". Rosie lived on a farm with her father and two brothers, though her family life was rarely touched upon. She was unlucky in love despite her looks, with one suitor trying to hurry their physical relationship, another, a vet, having to move away to Birmingham to look after his dying father, and yet another, a motorcycling vicar, leaving to start a mission in India. PC Geoff Younger also displayed a keenness for Rosie, which was generally not reciprocated (there were signs towards the end of the first part of Series 16 that this might change, but Rosie's departure prevented this storyline from developing further). It was also suggested on occasion that David Stockwell had a crush on her. In the Series 17 episode "Love Story", the vicar (Jamie Finn, played by Nolan Hemmings) returned. He tried to persuade Rosie to join him in India, but Rosie turned down the proposal and instead left Aidensfield to go travelling with three Australian sheep shearers. This was initially meant to be only a temporary absence, but she later informed Bernie by letter that she would not be returning. Rosie wound up in Queensland with one of the shearers (Mick MacDonald, played by Blair McDonough) but went missing after the two separated. After no word had been heard from Rosie for several weeks, PC Mason and DS Dawson were dispatched to Australia to mount a search (accompanied by Nurse Carol Cassidy who was making a simultaneous search for her long lost brother). Two episodes depicting the search were filmed in Australia in August 2008 (aired May 2009). Mason and Dawson eventually discovered that Rosie had been kidnapped by a man living in the outback who had kept several women in small cages and left them to die. Rosie's body was not found but her mutilated passport picture suggested that she had met an unpleasant end.