Original subtitles

Good night, sweet heart.

All my prayers are for you.

Good night, sweet heart.

I'll be watching all you.

Tears and parting may make us alone.

But with the coming, a new day is born.

You just have two days taking it easy at a trade fair.

I only call them fairs, you know. There's no dodgems or candy floss.

Delegates don't get sent home with a confused goldfish in a little plastic

You've come back in a rather starky mood.

I've not, it's you.

Gone all aggressive again since you started working for those Koreans.

What's wrong with working with Koreans all of a sudden?

They eat dogs.

They don't? Yes, they do. Ron told me. Well, excuse me, but in the two weeks

I've been working there, I've not seen one single dog eaten. Not even nibbled.

Yeah, well, I'm sure they're very discreet about it.

Will you check out the girl who gets their sandwiches?

Whilst everyone else is queuing up down the cab, they send her out for a slice

of whatever's going at the poodle parlour.

Oh, go on, you get it. I'm too knackered.

What? At this time of night, I'm not dressed to answer the door. I could get

ravished on that doorstep.

On the other hand, girl, try your luck on the doorstep.

It'll never happen in here.

Gary. Hmm? Deal with this.

Ron? With a suitcase.

Note the suitcase.

Do I make a suitably tragic picture?

Do I tug at the heartstrings? If not, I can't go out and come back in again.

For this evening is an evening of drama Harrow will never forget.

Stella's thrown me out.

What, just like that? For no reason? No, there was a small matter of Ron beating

up Stella's boss. I thought that was a small matter too, but apparently I've

effectively put the kibosh on her career at that particular establishment.

Consequently, I must suffer.

Sit down, mate. Gary, a word.

Look, I know what you're going to say, but we can't just throw him out on the

street, can we?

Oh, come on, Ron can't cope with life on the street.

How do we know? He might be very good at it. If we don't give him a chance, we

may never find out.

I don't believe I'm near him. It's those dark sandwiches.

Look, Stella is a very good friend of mine. I can't be seen to be taking sides

like this. Giving somebody a bed for the night is taking sides.

One night.

Do you hear me? One night, and I want that godless liberty taker out of here.

Gary.

I hate to ask you this, but considering all the favours I do you, all the little

white lie, not to mention all the thumping great black ones,

I don't suppose you could put me up for a while till I get myself sorted out?

Why not?

Yvonne?

For you.

Ron, would you kindly put them back in the vase in the living room?

It's the thought that counts, Yvonne.

I don't want you to think of me as some gormless liberty taker. Oh, no.

While I'm here in this privileged position in your marital home, while I'm

sheltered by your loving kindness and supported through each day by your

and genuine friendship... Ron, I don't think I can take this sort of thing on

empty stomach.

I'm sorry I didn't mean to embarrass you with my naked emotions.

Or even my half -naked emotions. I do like to keep a towel wrapped around the

base of ones.

No, Yvonne.

Pride. And humility is what I feel.

People would envy me if they knew I had friends like you and Gary. Yeah, well,

don't tell them. We don't have enough beds. I just wanted to know how humbled

feel to be allowed into your inner sanctum. Rob, this is not St Paul's

Cathedral. But you're welcome anyway.

See you later. No, right, fine.

She is a wonderful little woman, Gary Sparrow.

Yeah, well, you've just suffered a traumatic experience at the hands of

haven't you? I'm sure they all seem wonderful after that. Oh, very glib.

Pottered psychology, that is.

A spot of frozen Freud designed specially for the microwave.

No, Gary, you should be ashamed of yourself.

You have it all here and look at you.

Can't wait to sneak off to get your leg over to the sounds of George Formby.

George Formby? What sort of perv do you think I am?

Glenn Miller, perhaps, or Fred Astaire, yeah.

Yeah, quite light on my feet, you know. You're quite quick on your feet as well

when it suits you.

Oh, don't start giving me judgement, Ron. I don't need it. Look, what will

will be. Oh, dangerous, Gary, very dangerous.

You shouldn't run fast and loose with faith.

At this very moment, the gods could be choking your name on a doodle bug or a

thousand pounder or on the side of a war -ravaged building destined to collapse,

entombing your crushed, unrecognisable remains in the rubble forever in another

time.

Thanks very much, Ron. Have a nice day yourself.

Why not?

That's why not.

As in February 1942, it snowed.

Michael Fish, you are no help at all.

Hey!

Peter?

Gary! Hi.

When did you get back?

Three days ago.

Native's giving you a hard time, eh?

I've been waiting for you. Phoebe said you'd probably be coming today.

Will you be playing the piano?

Mm -hm. Do you still do secret work? Shh, careful.

Careless talk, careless talk.

The enemy could still be around.

See?

Snipers everywhere. Come on.

Well, don't wobble anymore.

I'll tell you what, I'll come back this afternoon and have another go.

Sally, look who it is.

Gary! It is great to see you.

And you have grown. Well, I mean, you both have. I nearly didn't recognise

that's right.

Gary, there's somebody else over here waiting for a kiss. Oh, sorry.

Pucker up, Reg.

Yeah. Can you curb your nightclub sense of humour?

I told you before, my mini gets wind of anything like that, I'll be sleeping

down the backyard.

Come here.

So,

how did they get back?

Well, they got live with the Pearson kids, you know, from Andam Street.

Took nearly seven hours.

Seven hours from Buckinghamshire?

I know, that Bill Pearson, he drives like a man possessed.

Come on, Gary, play the piano for us. Sing a song of his songs. We've been

for you to come. It's been really boring. Oh, thank you very much.

So much for my efforts to entertain.

And mine.

Two hours of eye spy with my little eye. Very humiliating it was for a trained

observer like me.

He's hopeless.

Shouldn't you be at school?

What school?

Lacey Street Primary got flattened ages ago.

Besides, there's no teachers left. They've all been called up. That's

brains left around here.

I'll take your word for that.

Sir? Got a little family, eh?

After all the precautions we took.

Gary. Oh, now, come on, you two. I've got to have a little chat with Gary

something. Go on upstairs.

Oh, but we'll miss Gary playing the piano.

Sally, you'll miss nothing. Go on, it's only for five minutes. Up you go.

Go on, I'll see you later.

Well,

things are going to be a bit different around here now, aren't they?

Well, what else could I do?

Mum and Dad are dead.

They're on their own.

They're only little.

I'm the only family they've got.

Hello, is that a tear?

Only I'm not too handy in tearful situations at the minute.

My Minnie's worked that one out. She's taken to turning on the waterworks at

will. It paralyzes me every time.

You know, I sometimes wonder, if you floated her up on a long cable, if she'd

the same to the Luftwaffe.

Certainly give me a break every now and then.

Oh, dear.

You don't want to listen to my problems.

No.

I'll tell you what, I'll pop back later and have another fiddle with your wasp

name.

Cheerio, then.

Well, you've certainly got your hands full.

A pub and two kids to look after.

Well, three if you count, Reg.

Well, I had to do it, didn't I?

All the evacuated kids are coming back now. There's been no bombing for months

and months.

Well, so far.

Oh, come on, Gary, there's been no bombs anywhere.

And now the Yanks are in, how long can it all last?

Are you really asking?

Phoebe, it's just gone from a European war to a world war.

Yeah, but Japan and Burma and America, they're all on the other side of the

world. I just think it's bound to be a big change for those kids.

And for us. Well, we'll be all right.

I mean, they're a bit like fishes out of water at the moment, but, Gary, I know

you can't be here all the time, but the kids will love it when you are.

And anyway, it'll be, you know, practice.

For what?

You opening up an orphanage?

The Phoebe Bamford home for wayward boys and girls? I mean us. Gary, don't you

want us to start a family?

Yeah, yeah, of course.

I mean, starting a family's the most enjoyable bit, isn't it? It's the next

years that bothers me.

But I've got a feeling that we won't get much chance for that sort of thing.

How do you mean?

Gary, play the piano!

That's what I mean.

You bet you won't.

Mr. Deadman, you couldn't come and have a look at my toilet, could you? It's

been frozen solid since yesterday.

Kettle of boiling water and a lot of towels on the pipe, Mrs. Cooper. It's

can do.

To tell the truth, I'm not a very good plumber.

Yeah, well, you're not a very good copper, but we don't hold that against

I'll tell you what, I'll pop back in the morning and have another go.

Well, what do you think it says?

People. It says people.

He can't read properly.

I can!

Oh, it's all right. It's OK. Don't worry.

Oh, it's been lovely.

Just taking them off my hands all afternoon.

Phoebe?

Do you know they haven't been to school in over a year?

Looks like you started your own school.

Good idea, if you ask me.

Oh, don't be silly, Reg. I'm no teacher. I don't know enough. Of course you do.

You're the cleverest person we know.

Yeah, but most of what I know is...

Well, you know, top secret.

Likewise. Reg, most of what you know is a secret even from you.

Now, some sort of school would be good, though, Gary. I mean, we could use that

part of the bar out of hours, make do. You know, it'd be ever so handy,

it, Mrs Cooper?

Oh, it would.

I don't want my little Henry to grow up stupid.

Do you know, he's got bank manager written all over him. Yeah?

Graffiti problem round here, is it?

Go on, Gary. I mean, there's lots of parents around here who would really

appreciate some sort of school for their kids.

There's a few kids I could bring you. Yeah, well, hang on, Reg. Hang on. Well,

for a start, there's the Cray twins.

Oh, no.

No, no, no, no. I am not having them in here. Do you know the last time their

mum brought them in, a bottle of whiskey went missing?

Well, that's a coincidence.

They sold me a bottle of whiskey last Christmas.

Come on, Gary. I know it'll be only part -time, but anything's better than

nothing. What do you say?

Yeah, go on, Gary. It would be fun, wouldn't it, Peter?

Yeah, go on, Gary.

All right.

There you are, you two. You've got yourself a teacher.

And who knows? In years to come, parents might have to put their kids' names

down at birth to go to the Gary Sparrow Royal Oak Educational Academy for the

Children of Gentlefolk.

I think that's why I drifted towards printing. I mean, the machines don't

actually reject you.

Ah, but in this world of machinery, what price the human spirit?

What happens to hope?

What happens to idealism?

In this vast electronic machine called life, hope is just the rat in the

The what?

The rat in the wiring.

Well, thank you for listening, Yvonne.

What time is it?

Too late.

For some of us. It's late for Gary.

Where is he?

Did he say where he was going?

No, he didn't actually say. I just put two and two together.

And?

And, er... Got four.

If you were a more together person, Rob Wheatcroft, I would say you were being

evasive.

But as it is, I will make allowances for your vague and vacuous state.

Thank you.

Is there a scientific one?

I left him downstairs, examining his psyche.

Oh, well, I hope you put some newspaper down.

I couldn't ask him to leave. I tried to, honestly.

I mean, I know there's his brother in Dunstable, but Dunstable, he can't live

there. I've no life for a qualified fine art printer.

Well, I don't understand. It's why Stella actually threw him out.

I mean, all right, yes, so he duffed up her boss.

Not the smartest career move, agreed, but is that really an evictable offence?

Look, you're her friend. Can't you have a word?

I rang her this afternoon.

She was in bed.

Yeah? She picked something up?

Hmm. His name's Frank, apparently.

What? His wrong paper supplier.

I know. I couldn't believe it myself.

I mean, it's not that I've never phoned up a mate and caught them in bed with a

bloke. I have.

In fact, one girlfriend used to say I was the best contraceptive she knew.

Ron's paper supplier?

And she's only just finished her affair with her boss.

Do you mean... Do you mean Ron was right to suspect something? Gary, someone a

bit brighter than Ron would have sussed out that there had been at least three

others in the last month. And that's just what she's telling me.

Oh, honestly, Gary, I just don't know what to think.

Obviously she's going through something.

Yeah, the male population of North London.

This is not the Stella I know. She was never into sleeping around.

Stella was always dead serious about her relationship.

Well, blinkered even.

Well, I mean, look at Ron.

How blinkered can you get?

He didn't even know what was happening in his own bed.

Knowing Ron, he probably slept through it a couple of times.

Poor mistreated sod.

But it's the cheating, isn't it?

Stella having a whole other life while Ron, her life partner, knows nothing at

all about it.

Oh, it's sad, isn't it?

But he's got me thinking about it all.

You know, other people's lives and all the little secrets. Yeah, yeah, he can

a bit unsettling, can't he?

Yeah, I think he should go. I'll have a word with him in the morning. I mean,

Dunstable, what's his problem? People commute from Dunstable every day.

And it is his brother, you know, I mean, it is family.

No, don't worry, I'll have him out by tomorrow.

Don't you dare!

Eh? We can't throw him out now!

No, not now, tomorrow.

We can't, Gary.

Not poor Ron.

I mean, what are friends for?

I'm not sure.

So go on, you were saying.

Oh, yeah, so I was just sitting there and suddenly I heard this voice say, so

what are friends for?

And I thought... Hold on, hold on. Where were you when you heard that?

Well, here.

Oh, right, I thought you were... Carry on.

Well, anyway, you can't lie to your friends, can you?

What?

No, no, no, of course not. Exactly, so don't ask me to lie to Yvonne because I

consider Yvonne... To be a very close friend of mine.

Yeah, but come on, Ron, you know, I mean, the odd white lie, just to cover

for little things.

Oh, you mean like the fact that you time travel and have a flex drive that spans

over half a century?

Sorry, Gary, can't cover for that one any more.

No, you listen to me, Ron Wheatcroft. I put a roof over your head, giving you a

nice warm bed and access to the fridge freezer.

Oh, and incidentally, don't think I don't know what happened to those three

boxes of profiteroles.

What I'm saying, Ron, is I did not invite you into my house so you could

me up.

Ah, it's not a case of grassing you up, Gary. It's just that, well, if Yvonne

asks me anything, I cannot tell a lie.

Then dash to the bathroom. Take a vow of silence. Faint. I don't care. Just shut

it.

Look, I can't stay here any longer. I've got a class to teach.

There you go.

Now this.

It's a five -time table. I expect you already know it. One five is five.

Two fives are ten.

Three fives are fifteen.

So what are four fives? Twenty!

Yes, well done.

Phoebe, a word in your ear.

It's a slightly delicate matter.

Delicate? It seems there's a certain amount of worry.

Worry? Mrs Cooper, will you let me tell this? I'll put my uniform on specially.

Now, Phoebe.

This school that Gary's running... Well, it seems all right to me.

Yeah, it does, doesn't it? I mean, shouldn't someone check his lessons?

Someone official?

Filling young heads with rubbish.

Gary wouldn't do that, Mrs Cooper.

Well, my Henry's confused and upset.

How dare he go telling children we're going to lose the war?

What? Well, that's right.

He said that in years to come we'll all be driving German cars and listening to

Japanese wireless things.

This is serious stuff, Phoebe.

Bouldering on Nazi propaganda at the thumb.

Should be a proper school or not at all? Well, I'm sure Gary is doing his best,

considering he's not qualified.

Qualified? He should be certified.

I won't have Gary talked about like this. That's right. He's helping out,

his bit.

Who for, Goebbels?

Mrs Cooper, I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill.

Now, just listen to them kids in there. They're happy and they're learning. What

is so bad about that?

It's what they're learning that worries me.

I know. Let's see if we can learn another verse of our song, shall we? Get

instruments out.

All right. Are we all ready?

Yes. OK.

Come, mothers and fathers throughout the land.

And don't criticise what you can't understand.

Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command.

We'll see you then come on, dear.

Yeah,

well, they can stop changing right now.

Fill in their heads full of useless rubbish and revolutionary ideas.

Henry, you're coming home now.

Oh, Gary.

Oh, come on, Phoebe, it was only a song.

And I didn't write that one, honestly.

It's this little American bloke with a big nose and a lousy voice.

Oh, that's right.

Blame Jimmy Durante.

It is not the song, Gary.

You've no idea what I've been going through.

I've been a lousy mother.

Well, don't be silly. Peter and Sally are fine.

They're not.

They're only happy when you're here. The rest of the time, they're bored, and I

can't entertain them like you can.

I mean, they're forever complaining about the food in town, and I know it's

up to much, but I can't get a hold of anything better.

I just don't know what to do, Gary.

Well, don't worry.

Don't worry?

This is me, Phoebe Bamford.

I'm used to coping. I've always coped. Not coping makes me feel awful.

Well, let me see. How can I make you feel better?

Hmm?

Hmm? Well, why don't you and I creep off somewhere and, uh... Gary!

Yes, Sally, we have finished our singing lesson, probably for the duration.

This is not how I imagined it.

I've dragged them back from the country for all the wrong reasons.

No wonder it's a mess.

No, you weren't to know.

Anyway, it's not a problem. I'll sort it out.

Eh? How?

We'll call it Operation Dunkirk.

Yeah, it'll take a little bit of organising, but I think I can sort

for Peter and Sally.

Just means I'll have to call in somewhere on my way home. Where?

The ministry?

Your secret operations centre?

No. The post office.

Suppose

these

are all your songs for the shelter, say, Gary?

Things to sing during an air raid?

That's probably why they didn't have to be any good.

You couldn't hear yourselves anyway.

Another time, eh, Gary?

That's right, Ron.

Another time.

That's why people pay good money for these, isn't it?

Does Gary ever wake up in the middle of the night muttering about doodle bugs?

Do you mind? You're leaning on my stock. Oh, sorry, I'm sure.

Oh, look.

An old It Mart script.

Signed by Tommy Handley.

Must be one of the most sought -after signatures in the history of popular

entertainment.

But is it authentic or is it an elaborate Cockney fake?

Oh, it's real all right.

Do you know that because you asked him for it yourself, Gary?

Is Tommy Handley how we all imagined him to be?

I don't know, Ron. How did you imagine Tommy Handley to be? Yeah, come on, Ron.

Tell us about your Tommy Handley fantasies.

No, on second thought, don't bother. I don't want to take those pictures to bed

with me. Hey, Ron, do you ever seriously consider where all this merchandise

comes from?

It comes from the past, Ron.

Yes, but do you ever consider how it got here in the Pround?

Well, I assume, Ron, it got here the same way as I got here. I just stood

and time galloped past.

That is one theory, yes. Thank you, Ron. It's late. One theory is all I can

take. Try me with another theory tomorrow. Good night.

Yes. Night, love.

Um, I'll be up in a tick. Just got one quick job to do.

I have to cut Wheat Cross windpipe. Now, look. No, you look.

This goes way beyond not covering up. This is a stitch -up bordering on a

carver. I'm sorry, Gary. I just can't bear to see if I'm deceived like this.

Suddenly I am attracted to the truth like a moth to a flame.

Yeah, well, be careful you don't get too close to that flame, Ron. Oh, woof.

Wingless wheatcroft. One very char -grilled moth.

You be careful, Ron. We can all get burnt by the truth. Oh, really?

Yes, Ron, really. Let me tell you something about your... About your,

Your local delicatessen and the little old Jewish bloke who runs it.

Old Mr Bloom?

Yeah, that's him. He's got a sweet little grey -haired wife. Where's the

aid? Yes, they're a lovely couple. Yeah.

Word is, she's an absolute wow round the S &M clubs.

No.

Old Mrs Bloom into Leather and Bun... No.

Yeah. Been at it for years, apparently.

Now, knowing what I know, do I tell him the truth?

Because personally, I think he might be a little bit upset.

A little bit upset?

Totally devastated, I should think.

Well, that's the truth for you, Ron.

Would he thank me for devastating him like that?

Would either of them ever talk to me again?

There's no winners, Ron. Everybody loses.

So is turning a blind eye so bad?

Oh, I see. It was an analogy.

You had me going there.

Old Mrs Bloom, Miss Whiplash with a deaf aid.

That's about as likely as Stella putting it about.

And in the end, there was Mr Baggs and PC Elbert.

Both in the ditch with the pig on top of them.

What's happening at White Cross Mall now?

Where's Ian and Keith?

Oh, later, later.

You've left in me a gossip for the moment.

Yes, go on, finish it.

God, that steak and kidney pie smelt good.

That's country living. We should all be evacuated.

Mrs French, you've made my day. You really have.

It's lovely to see them that happy.

The timing is perfect.

You must be a mind reader.

Oh, no, love.

A telegram reader.

Telegram? What telegram?

Gary, what telegram?

The one I sent from the post office.

Operation Dunkirk, remember?

I just thought a visit from Mr. French would be a sort of present for the kids.

Wine for me, Gary.

Mr. Secrecy, as usual.

Oh, they've missed country food.

In fact, they missed the countryside full stop.

They're not town kids any more, Mrs French. They're just not happy here.

I know. They said.

Oh, no, did they?

Did they actually say that? Oh, Gary. I would hate to see them miserable.

Plus, there's a bit of a split between the kids who left and those that stayed,

and what with there being no school to go to.

Oh, our local school's just opened again.

The headmaster's been invalided out.

Of course we knew he would be, the clumsy so -and -so.

Oh, dear me.

I do miss them.

I miss the sound of their laughter. Oh, don't. Oh, God.

The waterworks are back.

I think they'll go and check the snow levels or something.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I shouldn't have come.

It were a silly idea.

What time's the next train? Oh, no, Mrs French, don't go.

No, don't leave us, not yet.

Mrs French, look, I feel really guilty about sending that telegram now.

I mean...

I did it for the kids, but... Well, I also hope that once you'd seen them,

want to take them back with you.

Well, of course I would.

The place is as quiet as a grave without them.

Phoebe, the food's better.

Their friends are there. And the school's open again.

I know, I know, I know. I hear what you're saying, Gary.

I suppose it's for the best. Well, of course it is.

They've got more of a life in the country.

One day things will be better in London. It'll be all bright lights and

opportunity. Then they'll really want to come back.

Well, you just make sure they write to me regularly, that's all.

I'll see they do.

Well, come on, you two. I suppose we'd better get your things together.

Look,

let me pay you for the train fare. After all, it was me who asked you to come.

Oh, I know, but I couldn't wait to see them again.

No, no, no, this mustn't cost you anything.

Look, there's some expenses and... Well, it's just for whatever Peter and Sally

might need over the next few months.

Oh, and I've got some clothing coupons somewhere.

Here. Oh, Gary, this is... this is wonderful.

Yeah, Ron's really good at doing the squiggly bit.

Ron's my boss.

Very generous.

You all right?

Yeah, I just left them to it.

Has he dried up in here yet? He's getting a bit parky outside.

Come on in, Reg.

Drink's all round, I think.

I could do serious damage to a pint.

Well, looks like you already have, Reg.

Good night, sweetheart.

Sleep will banish sorrow.

Good night, sweetheart.

Till we meet tomorrow.

Dream and hold you.

Remember I'll hold you.

Good night, sweetheart.