On 13th January 1976, Sam and Sally Skilbeck died.

Matt Skilbeck, who had lost his wife three years earlier, was devastated to hear that his children, Sam and Sally, had been killed in a road accident together with his Aunt Beattie, when a train hit her car after it stalled on a level crossing. Matt consumed himself with his share of Emmerdale Farm (inherited from Peggy and with the twins dead, was now Matt's.).

William Simons and Gwyneth Powell played PC. Will Croft and wife Julie. They arrived in Beckindale in January 1976.

17 year old Rosemary Kendall, the daughter of Annie Sugden's cousin was staying at Emmerdale Farm. She was seeing Martin Gimble, the son of Jim and Freda. Martin, who was 20 years old was expected to work on his fathers farm for a pittance. Rosemary actually had a crush on Joe Sugden, who was once again single. Her interests in farming and love of animals was almost certainly fulled by Joe's presence rather than by ant previous yearning for such a life. However she was rather young for him and her love was not returned by Joe. The two never shared a serious romance.

Joe started a relationship with Jim Gimbels'divorced daughter, Kathy in June. Kathy had married local bad boy Terry Davis under pressure from her family after discovering she was pregnant.When Kathy miscarried, she left Terry and returned to the Gimbel household at Holly Farm. She and Joe felt they could put their marrages behind them and make a go of it. Things didn't go well and they parted, but were to get back together for a short while the following year.

The Woolpack was found to be suffering from subsidence when a crack appeared in the wall by the fireplace. A new venue was found in a former corn chandler's dwelling in a more central position in the village. As always superstitious Amos backed out of the deal when he heard the building was haunted, and this building was not used. (Some Emmerdale books say the corn chandlers became the new Woolpack, this is NOT the case.
Fortunately Henry and his buisinessman friend, Mel Openshaw, found a building that was a pub in Victorian times. This building was purchased by Amos and Henry and the new Woolpack was born.

77 year old Sam Pearson, proposed to old flame Nellie Radcliffe, but she turned him down, saying they were too old. But Sam still lead the fight to stop NY Estates evicting Nellie from her cottage.

Local farmer Tad Ryland's wife Bella, died after a long illness, during which she was nursed by her cousin Nan Wheeler. There had been a rumour in the village (started by Sam Pearson) that Tad planned to marry Nan as soon as Bella was dead, but that was totally untrue and Tad was devastated when he finally lost his wife.

Over the years The Mill has moved around the countryside in the Emmerdale storyline. It began as a derelict mill on Emmerdale Farm land, just across the river from the farmhouse and Hawthorn Cottage, at which time Jack Sugden moved in with the aim of converting it into living accommodation, but when Jack returned to the village from Italy in 1976 the Mill had been demolished because it was deemed unsafe.

By the time his brother Joe and Phil Pearce began the conversion work in the 1980s, it existed again and had moved to the neighbouring village of Connelton and was called Colebrook Mill.

When it featured in the storyline again, the mill returned to the outskirts of Beckindale and - by the time Chris and Rachel Tate moved in - became known as Mill cottage.While planning the building of the Harewood outdoor set,designer Mike Long moved it closer to the village and called it The Mill, a name befitting to its elegance and history.