He became part of the established line-up with Bill Owen and Peter Sallis - Compo and Clegg - until 2000, when Compo died in the series following the real-life death of Owen.
In Europe, the market has generally preferred hand-carved frames to those common in England and America in the 19th century, which were adorned with molded and applied ornament made from "compo, " a plasterlike composition material.