Episode 4 The Village

OLD BERT: Do you know how many weddings I've been to?

You'll never guess.

142!

142 weddings,

so that's 284 lives coming together. But those two weddings,

a week apart in the spring of 1924, they were about much more

than lives coming together.

There you go. Very handsome.

Not handsome enough for anyone to marry you.

Not long, though, eh, Bert?

Can I go now?

Oh.

It's the bride that's supposed to be late, not the best man.

Only be a minute. There you go.

See you at chapel.

A chair, John.

Thank you.

Edmund will be the fifth Member of Parliament

to be married in this chapel.

OLD BERT: If love is reckless and unstoppable at the same time,

then perhaps we shouldn't be surprised

when the world's turned upside down by it.

But this, this blew all our socks off.

-Oi! You're trespassing.

-I'm best man. No ring, no wedding.

Wedding's not till Saturday - and I bet YOU'RE not invited.

Don't come this way again!

-I said ten o'clock.

-It's 10.05. Wedding's not for another hour.

55 minutes.

Perfect.

I want you to know, I'll never forget him.

He'd have wanted you to be happy.

And I will be.

So, I'm not going to be your mother-in-law.

I'm going to be your mother, instead.

Beautiful.

-It's for the Big House wedding.

-And for Gilbert and Agnes'?

He's my son. He's getting married.

If you can't support them, I'm asking you to be quiet.

Leave that. We'll be late, John.

-You go.

-What?

I promised Hankin I'd make that milk quota, no matter what.

Weddings, funerals, christenings - they all come second now.

Monday, I saw three women and children cross the road

to avoid Agnes and her pram.

They held their children close in to them,

so they didn't catch a sight of baby Sophie - the bastard.

This is more than just another wedding.

I'm not prepared to lose what we've made on this farm, Grace.

-Not for nothing.

-And what about our grandson?

-What are you going to you say to him?!

-Don't talk about that.

Cross the road, in case you catch something from the bastard?!

-You're too angry, Grace.

-No, I'm not nearly angry enough!

Come on, Mary, get your coat.

CHURCH BELLS PEAL

-Is Gilbert all right?

-Only two hours early.

I love this chapel. It's honest.

I'm so glad we married here.

Did you get married here?

21st of June. Hm, long time ago.

Did you get married here, Margaret?

I did, sweetheart. May 6, 1899.

-Last century?

-I'm afraid it was!

I was baptised here, married here

and we'll be buried here, the lot of us. Dust to dust.

If there be any person here who knows of any lawful impediment

to this marriage, speak now or for ever hold your peace.

BABY CRIES

LAUGHTER

BABY'S CRYING INTENSIFIES

(I, Gilbert.)

I, Gilbert Arnold Hankin,

take you, Agnes Scrivener, to be my...

Agnes...

I...love you with all my heart.

Will you please be my wife?

I will.

I, Agnes Scrivener...

I, Agnes Scrivener...

..take you, Gilbert Arnold Hankin...

..take you, Gilbert Arnold Hankin...

..to be my wedded husband.

..to be my wedded husband.

To have and to hold, from this day forward...

To have and to hold, from this day forward...

..in plenty and in want...

..in plenty and in want...

..in joy and in sorrow...

..in joy and in sorrow...

..to love and to cherish...

..to love and to cherish...

..as long as we both shall live.

..as long as we both shall live.

It is my enormous pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife.

APPLAUSE

You MAY kiss the bride!

You next.

CHURCH BELLS PEAL

CHEERING

Margaret, could I... Could I hold her?

-Do you know how to hold her?

-Aye!

Hey, come to Grandad, again. Hey, that's it.

You want to say hello to Grandma?

Look at them. They're happy. What else matters?

Ladies and gentlemen, what's the point of a wedding?

It's to make private feelings public.

It's an announcement of love that takes no heed what the world thinks.

I'm not very articulate with words.

I do my best, but they never seem enough or feel enough, somehow.

But I know how we can make it better - our public announcement.

With dancing!

CHEERING

To the dance hall!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

CROWD CLAP IN TIME WITH MUSIC

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

LIVELY SWING MUSIC

Get it down you.

We could...go for a walk.

I've an article to finish for the morning.

Do you mind if I stay?

Not at all... Enjoy yourself.

Why are we walking so fast?

I'm sorry.

Sorry.

-Talking shop?

-I'm afraid so.

The children of this village are very lucky to have you two.

-Um...I have some things that I have to do at school.

-Now?

When I think of something that has to be done, I know I'll forget.

So, I have to do it now.

Such dedication.

What's wrong?

-I got this today.

-Who's it from?

-Ghana Jones.

-What does he say?

Just, his life outside the village, it's another world.

You can hear it in the way he writes.

It's full of hope and excitement and...

Are you leaving?

-I didn't...

-Yes...you did.

You!

What are you doing? Speak up, lad.

What were you doing?

Dirty business, was it? Filthy dirty?

Talking. It's a conversation that matters. We're doing no harm.

Let your father be the judge of that.

CLICKING

Go on!

-It couldn't wait?

-No.

-What is it?

HE CLEARS THROAT

"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.

"Out, out, brief candle."

Stay there.

Bert?

-What's going on?

-These two belong to you, do they?

-He's my son.

-Phoebe?

I found these two intertwining on Allingham land.

That's what he wanted it to be. Is that right?

-Were you hoping for something dirty?

-Shut up.

-We were talking.

Talking? Nobody goes there for talking.

No crime in that.

If it's on Allingham land, it is.

It's called trespass, isn't it, Vicar?

It's Minister, not Vicar.

Now you've said your piece, you can be on your way.

You heard him.

And don't come back an' all.

HAMMERING

So, the sign is at the old bridge?

What were you and Phoebe REALLY doing?

They were courting, Mary.

What does that mean?

The old bridge is...

Well, somewhere couples go...

Well, have always gone, to hold hands and...

hold conversations.

Did you and father do intertwining?

SHE LAUGHS

-Yes, we did.

-Urrgh!

Go on!

Hello?

Mrs Hankin.

THEY GIGGLE

-It sounds silly.

-It isn't silly, though.

No, it isn't.

-Is it your first?

-No.

I love you.

You shouldn't have had the party.

-You wouldn't have had the wedding at all.

-No. I wouldn't.

So, what do you see when you look at them - Gilbert, Agnes and Sophie?

A fool, a whore

and a bastard.

They're a family.

So, that's a family?

Then, what are we?!

I'm back.

THEY GIGGLE

After you, Lady Allingham.

How was Westminster?

Good to be back on the right side of the House again, where we belong.

Hmm, I've had a tremendous idea.

How about we make this moment, right now, the very last reference

to politics until after the wedding?!

-Drink?

-Good idea.

Has it been ghastly?

On the contrary, I've been having rather a time of it.

Well, you know what she wants, don't you?

-She wants the past.

-She wants a fiction.

I love fiction and I love friction. Plenty of both here.

Anyway, what about you?

Apart from the happy return of Conservative bottoms

-to where they rightfully belong?

-I found some time to enjoy myself.

Robert well, then, is he?

You and Phoebe?

What?

Well...

Do you love her?

Don't embarrass him, Mother.

Remember the old bridge, John?

-Grace.

-Don't embarrass him, Mother.

It isn't just about Bert and Phoebe, is it?

-Isn't it?

-No. It's an attack on our history.

It's telling anyone who has stood on that bridge and held hands

with a future, that it's not theirs. Our history, chased off at gunpoint.

They were on their land. That's the end of it.

DOOR OPENS

Eh, look who I found on the doorstep?

We wanted to thank you for the party.

Aye, best day of our lives.

BABY CRIES

I'll have to feed her.

Right, we'll, er, leave you women to it.

CRYING CEASES

When will you tell her?

-What?

-You know.

What?

Her history.

Arnold went to a lot of expense last night.

And there's a lot of tidying up to do!

How did the Shakespeare go?

Honestly?

The mistake us teachers make with children and Shakespeare

is Midsummer Night's Dream, because we think that

cos it's all full of magic they're all going to love it.

But they don't. They want Macbeth,

because it's bloody and it's short and there's more poetry

in him and her than in all of Bottom and Puck.

They loved it.

What are we going to do?

I don't know.

Thank you, Portis.

So...who's coming?

Oh... Erm, two Mauds.

Right.

One Edith and two Ernests.

-And what are they...

-Like?

They are bold and fast.

Actually, one of the Ernests is, eh...

is eligible.

Do you remember what you said?

-She's still a child, in a way.

-Yes, why is that?

She had some unhappiness.

And now she needs some fun.

Here he is - our vicar on a mission.

I've counted at least three more paths you intend to block off.

I don't understand your problem. The way the Allinghams see it,

you can cycle where you like. You're married in, aren't you?

You're one of them.

OTHER MEN LAUGH

Would an Allingham do that?

-Wouldn't you miss this?

-Yeah.

But I don't want to look at it every day for the rest of my life.

These are good.

Thomas likes his without butter. And Louis won't touch egg.

I look after them, Bert. I'm the only mother they've known.

I used to think I couldn't leave, either.

Not after Joe. Not with the farm how it was.

But...my father's got Henry now and the farm...

..it works.

You can't stay here, can you?

Then...neither can I.

BABY CRIES

Agnes?

Hey.

My granddaughter will be needing a feed. Go on.

This one was only trying to clean up after her own wedding.

Was she now?

You've done so much for us. I just... I just wanted to do my bit.

Your bit in life will be making my son happy,

not skivvying at a dance hall.

You're no Cinderella.

You're not wrong there, Arnold.

APPROACHING FOOTSTEPS

Well, he's lucky he's got friends in high places.

Right, here he is.

Rest assured, Andrew will be dealt with.

He can be over-zealous at times, but he works hard.

We don't have to tell Martha. Nobody need know.

Is that what you think I want?

We all make mistakes.

It wasn't a mistake.

LIVELY VOCAL SWING MUSIC

What is that?

Coon Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra, Lady Allingham.

You'll be familiar with it by the end of the weekend,

-if Harriet's crowd have any say.

-Well, whatever the music...

-..it's a good match.

-No question of it.

Yes, come the next reshuffle, I'm sure Kilmartin will see to it

that his new son-in-law is in the right place.

Men can push against a mother's guidance now and again.

But he sees that you're right and when he's the new Home Secretary,

he'll see that even more clearly.

Your assistance in, er, helping him to see it,

hasn't gone unnoticed.

One big happy family.

He is happy, isn't he?

Oh, yes.

Ghana Jones. Where's he now?

Liverpool. They won't let him fight championship bouts,

-so he's doing something about it.

-What do you mean? What can he do?

America. He's going to America.

When we're grey and old, this'll be us -

drinks in The Lamb and a good woman at home.

Speaking of which, any deeper "conversations" with Miss Rundle?

-No!

-Right.

You're in good company. You and him.

Arrested, apparently.

I wonder who he was intertwining with?

TRIO STIFLE LAUGHTER

HE CLEARS THROAT TELLINGLY

HE CLEARS THROAT TELLINGLY AGAIN

-What?

-A changed man, right enough.

Ah, you two are lovely and all that, just not as lovely

as my wife and daughter.

He's found it, hasn't he?

It's all he ever wanted.

And you?

Hmm? Oh, I'm fine.

Wedded to teaching.

I wish I was Ghana Jones.

Then go, Bert.

Stop talking about it and act. Leave the village

and go after whatever it is that you want.

Cos if you don't then...

Out.

He's a good man - Mr Eyre.

Yes, he is.

He knows his own mind.

Yes.

The kind of man you could take advice from.

Why are you telling me this?

And what are you not telling me?

Is everything all right...

between you and father?

Everything's fine. Is that what you've been worrying about?

The farm is good?

The farm is good.

I'm proud of you all.

And I know that I'll be proud of you all tomorrow.

The sunshine is coming back.

The life that was lived here when I was a child is here again.

You didn't ask.

What?

I looked at you and I looked at you and I waited.

The moment was there, Bert, and you, you didn't take it.

I can't come with you anyway.

And it's not just cos of the boys.

I don't want to leave. You can't be here.

I can hear it and see it in everything you do and say.

And I can't be anywhere else.

But I love you.

And you love me.

It's not enough.

Well, what a delight to have you back in our midst, Lord Kilmartin.

The pleasure is all mine, Lady Allingham. And if I may?

-Oh!

-Mm.

Is your wife joining us?

Teaching, I'm afraid.

Martha has a job, Daddy. Impressive, isn't it?

The modern women.

Well, a toast. To Eddie and Harry, a modern pair.

SOME OTHERS: A modern pair.

And to the union of our two families.

ALL: Hear, hear!

CAR HORN OUTSIDE

Oh! They're here!

LAUGHTER OUTSIDE

Oh, do you mind if my friends join us for lunch?

Of course not.

Which one is Ernest?

CHILDREN SING

I'm taking your advice.

You're leaving?

I've not told my parents. Not yet.

Well you'll have to.

-Where are you...?

-Liverpool.

Ghana.

-He's erm ...

-America.

Er... Look, it's not much...

-Oh, no, no.

-Take it.

For me.

-Have you told Phoebe?

-She told me, really.

Are you all right?

I wanted to thank you.

Why?

You've given me the push I needed.

The right advice from a good man.

What was it that American President said?

Which one?

You told us about it. Ideas shared...

"He who receives an idea from me receives it without lessening me,

"as he who lights his candle at mine receives light without darkening me."

Thomas Jefferson.

GUNSHOTS

HE WHIMPERS

Pull!

-She's a crack shot.

-Did you teach her to shoot?

Oh, yes.

Watch this.

Pull!

LAUGHTER

You bastards! All of you!

Good shot!

I'm sorry!

I'll get you a new one, of course.

HE LAUGHS

Well done, girl! Don't wait for the old man!

Margaret, you got your finery laid out for tomorrow?

Oh! Lady Allingham is terribly disappointed that I cannot attend(!)

But I'll tell you what I told her - "Lady Allingham," I said,

"it's wash day.

"Even if it were the wedding of the Prince of Wales his-self,

"my Henry's dirty smalls wait for no man."

LAUGHTER

I expect you'll be going though, eh?

Er, Peter, I'll get this.

A man jailed for his principles deserves a drink.

Man needs his lemonade.

The old bridge is just the start.

Look.

Bloody hell.

-Excuse me, I'm going to have a word.

-I won't stop going. They can keep arresting me.

BARTENDER: Aye, and they'll keep letting you out and all. The revolving Reverend!

LAUGHTER

Let's see.

The Edge, Snake Pass, the top path to the Chinley Road,

all to be fenced and gated.

I drive my sheep over Snake Pass.

Not this winter.

Will you be walking that way again?

Tomorrow.

-Well, would you like someone to walk alongside you?

-Aye.

Me an' all.

They can't arrest us all, can they?

Here, I thought you said tomorrow were wash day.

Well, it is. But this is important, isn't it?

I'd say it was.

Grace. Grace.

Why are you running away?

11 months! And not a word.

I was in Westminster, Grace. We were trying to stay in power with a minority government.

You made this village matter.

You said you felt at home here, that we were your people.

I was representing you - down there.

It's what I was doing day and night.

-Well, you never came back. Not once.

-I'm here now.

Yeah, now it's over!

Now you're not in power anymore. Now you've got time to...

I came to see you.

What?

I came to see you, Grace. Answer me this. One question.

That's all.

Are you pleased to see me?

I've got to get home.

MUFFLED CHAT

DOORBELL

They let Robin out. The trespassing Minister is free to trespass again.

It's a clever move.

The Left love a martyr and a man of God jailed for walking this

green and pleasant land is as good as martyrs get.

Are you drunk, Arnold?

Yes.

You should have more sense.

Men of God, they know what they want and they stick to it.

He's trespassing again tomorrow. The Allinghams have got a fight on with God.

HE LAUGHS

Why's it so funny? I thought you voted Conservative.

Oh, come on, Norma. Enough deference to the Big House.

Don't use big words with me, Arnold Hankin.

We're to be guests at their wedding.

And you think to sit there accepting their hospitality while all

the time you're supporting those that would trespass on their land?

Oh, you sound like the Lord's Prayer.

Like I said - enough deference.

What's the answer to my question?

And you're right. So I won't go...

to the wedding.

CHATTER AND LAUGHTER

-Are they keeping you awake?

-Oh!

Are you not joining in?

No, not really my thing.

CAR HORN

LAUGHTER AND SHOUTING

-Robert!

-Yes!

Oh! Look, darling, it...

Dear chap!

How are you?

Of course. Come in, come in, come in.

We're off.

-Where are you going?

-To show Allinghams that their fences won't keep us off the land.

-I want to show you something.

-Well, won't it wait?

You've seen sense?

It's very lovely.

You look beautiful.

What is it, Norma? Why are you so angry?

Don't you listen?

Yes, but what you're feeling goes beyond what you're saying.

I'm your husband. You can talk to me.

Not that tie. Wear the blue one.

Oh, lost your way, Robert?

Just wanted to wish the groom good luck.

Oh! Of course.

-Darling...

-Oh! Mother!

Do you enjoy embarrassing me, Edmund?

I'm not sure what you mean.

I've only ever wanted to secure your future.

The future of this family.

You have. I'm marrying Harriet.

You do still want it, don't you?

Yes, but you have to do it properly!

You, you and Harriet... You...

You have to BE married.

You mean you want grandchildren.

-Well...

-And homo sex won't give you one.

I don't believe you have to be an invert!

I... I think that...you can conquer it.

Harry's a cure(!) A good dose of wife, will sort out the queer in me(?)

This house, this family, this line.

You'll only know what it means when it's left to you to protect it.

And you'll only understand me... when I'm gone.

It's a good turnout.

Looks like there's more coming.

It's Bill Gibby.

FOOTSTEPS

Guests are arriving.

You never married, Mr Bairstow? Why is that?

Never had the need.

I'm not a queer. In case you were asking.

I married here myself, you know. An unseasonably cold day in June.

Even at 19, I knew it wasn't for love.

The future Home Secretary is about to get a wife.

And the sun is shining.

What's in the bag?

Clothes.

Why?

I'm going to carry on walking, Mother.

-What?

-I'm with you for this and then... I'm the other way down Chinley Road.

Why?

I'm leaving.

Bert...

Liverpool.

Ghana's going to be there next week and the way he speaks, Mother,

about his life...

-Bert, I...

-Grace.

Bert Middleton, the boxer. How are you, son?

I'm... I'm just say going to say hello to Mr Eyre.

-I thought you'd like some support.

-We appreciate it. Thank you.

-They're not going to be able to ignore us now, eh, Grace?

-Yeah.

Please be upstanding for the bride.

MUSIC: "Bridal Chorus" by Wagner

Please be seated.

Dearly beloved...

They're the thieves.

This is our land and we'll walk on it when we want to. What do you say?

ALL: Yes!

Bill, I don't usually go that way. Besides, it overlooks Allingham Hall.

What's the point of a protest if no-one sees it! Let's go!

-Mother...

-Let's not speak about it.

I want our last hours together to be good ones. Come on.

MUSIC: "Wedding March" by Mendelssohn

I will make him happy.

For better or for worse.

Get yourself up the Big House.

CHATTER AND LAUGHTER

White Russian.

Rescued from the Bolsheviks?

Hmm!

HE CHUCKLES

Excuse me.

Oh, for God's sake!

Was he laughing at me? Did I say something wrong?

Nothing.

Oh, come on, Norma.

People have been laughing at me for years.

No. They haven't.

And do you know why?

Because I want to be something more, something better.

I want this.

What is wrong with that?

Is that it? Is that all?

Then why have you been so angry with Gilbert and Agnes?

Because I am jealous. Because I want what they have.

I want a child. I want a baby, Arnold.

I know.

Stop them looking. Stop them laughing at me.

-Come on, George, you're a soldier, finish your milk.

-Go.

You can't come through here.

And what are you going to do? Arrest all of us?

How much are you paid for your work?

Is it enough for this? Where does your loyalty lie, man?

Your employer or your class? Come on!

From one small protest.

Grows a movement.

What are you doing?

Come on, George, you're not a pansy, are you?

What's wrong with you?

HE PANTS

Turn around.

No, we're going for a walk.

You've been told once. We won't go easy a second time.

It's a peaceful protest.

Take it elsewhere. You're not coming through here.

CLAMOUR

And you three intend to stop us?

We do.

You can't stop us.

And neither will that.

CLAMOUR

GUNSHOT

SILENCE

A FEW VOICES

Bill...

Now! Come on!

ROAR

GUNSHOTS

Listen to me! I suggest you all go home!

-Bert!

-Or my next shot will be more than a warning.

Bolsheviks!

GUNSHOT

HE PANTS

GUNSHOT

HE WHIMPERS AND SOBS

SHOUTING

Bert!

Grace!

John! John!

John!

John! John!

Go on. Keep going. Keep going. John! John!

John, John, can you hear me? John, it's Grace.

John, John.

Come on, John. John, listen to me. John.

John. Can you hear me, John?

John.

HE WHIMPERS AND SCREAMS

John, John. Come on. John.

John!