Original subtitles

And welcome, folks, to NightTalk, with me, Lawrence Brightway.

The late night radio show for those of you who live in the twilight hours.

In the Hinterland, when the rest of our beautiful city sleeps.

So, if you've just clocked off, you cant sleep,

I don't know, you just wanna get something off your chest,

this, my friends, is your safe space.

Get involved, get dialling... on NightTalk.

They're coming out on the streets, vomiting, pissing, fighting.

Young people, Lawrence, they're out of control, wild.

And town of a weekend is like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Ask me, Lawrence, were all going to hell in a handcart.

They're all sex mad out there, like what you'd see in a porno!

All right, mate, steady on, lets not get carried away, yeah?

So half of them are off their head on cocaine, Lawrence.

They don't even try and hide it anymore.

They're just selling it in our faces.

I wouldn't dream of going near town anymore, Lawrence.

Id be scared I wouldn't come home.

Sometimes, theres as many as 20 of them.

Swearing, drinking, urinating right outside the front door.

It goes on until all hours.

Doreen, it sounds like you're a prisoner in your own home.

I tried calling the police, the council, the housing association.

They just fob me off. Its a dereliction of duty.

Our citys ruined. Nobody seems to give a shit anymore.

I tell you now, I feel powerless to do anything about it.

I feel helpless, Lawrence.

Lawrence, you're the only person who seems to listen to people like us.

Well, you know me, Doreen. I turn no-one away.

I always find the time to help people that need it most.

Thank you so much for your call, my love.

And you look after yourself, OK?

Right, folks, keep those calls coming in.

Crosby, please, mate.

OK.

Jesus, mate.

The sights you see. PASSENGER CHUCKLES.

Dunno if they're in their dresses tryna get out, or out their dresses tryna get in.

So, busy night? So-so.

Shit.

Tony Conroy?

CHUCKLES So this is what you're doing now - driving a cab?

Yeah.

It wasn't right, you know? The way they treated you.

The way they just bombed you out.

Yeah.

Yeah, I don't blame you.

Wouldn't wanna talk about it either.

CHILDREN PLAYING

SOMBRE MUSIC

LAWRENCE: Sometimes, it can feel like were just going through the motions, right?

Eat. Sleep. Work. Repeat.

A constant grind, like were merely existing, rather than living.

And that's for those of us lucky enough to have jobs.

Now, I know how many of you are struggling with one thing or another out there.

Money. Mental health. Relationships.

I know how hard it can be to cope.

How hard it can be just to keep on going.

It kind of intrigued me, you know. Got me thinking

how, in this day and age, someone can lose their job because their face doesn't fit.

KICKS VENDING MACHINE

CHILDREN PLAYING OUTSIDE But it makes you think, though, doesn't it, folks?

It makes you think, you don't know what you've got until its gone.

You dirty bastard. Are you looking at my tits?

SHOUTING AND BANGING IN BACK OF TAXI No, Im not.

I mean, you can find yourself on the edge.

You can find yourself on the margins.

All alone.

But I am here for you.

I understand. I get it, because you know what, I have been there.

Now your instinct may be to tune out, close the curtains, hide away.

But that just makes things worse.

That's why, my friends, we all need to stick together.

SHOUTING AND BANGING IN BACK OF TAXI We need to listen to each other...

and protect the vulnerable.

And those who have no-one to look out for them.

I've been in this business quite some time,

so I've been called many things over the years.

A sad sack.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Come on. Come on. Come on!

A boring tosser.

A complete waste of space.

It just makes your blood boil.

Shit!

Good night, mate, and good riddance!

WOMEN TALKING ANGRILY OUTSIDE

Its what we used to refer to as a stiff upper lip,

being stoic, you know, soldier on.

Whatever you do, for Christ sake don't show any emotion.

See, that's the problem, isnt it?

You know, we've all been told to bottle it up.

To put a brave face on it. To keep calm and carry on.

But sometimes, you just have to express yourself.

You have to let it out.

Because you know what happens when we keep it all in?

Festering and bubbling away.

There comes a point where it will all just explode!

SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC

Take a deep breath, dial back, and lets talk about it.

If you're out there, call me, you know.

Im always here for you, and Im always ready to listen.

BREATHES HEAVILY

Get through, theres some kind of bloody robot

at the other end of the line, am I right?

Because essentially, they are not interested in us... DIAL TONE ..the little people.

They don't wanna engage, or they don't wanna hear our woes.

They just do not want to know.

LADY ON PHONE: Hi. Whos calling, and where you calling from?

Im Tony, er, a cab driver, and Im in Bootle.

OK. Right, were putting you through now.

Make sure your radios turned down, please.

Yeah, OK.

LAWRENCE: Hello, and welcome back.

And, er, tonight, we've got a first-time caller.

We have Tony. And he's calling in from Bootle.

You're live on air, Tony. Welcome to the show.

BREATHING HEAVILY

Its OK, Tony, you're amongst friends.

I, erm...

I was, erm...

Its OK, mate, you're doing well. You're doing fine.

Take your time. I was a teacher.

OK, because, er, some of the callers

that have been calling earlier on have been saying that teachers

are actually part of the problem.

Yeah, I was.

You know, we were all paralysed with fear.

Sorry?

Being told how to teach, and what to teach.

Right, so what you're saying is, its the system at fault?

Yeah.

And when you say that you were paralysed with fear, Tony.

Fear of what?

Ooh, you... you know, saying the wrong thing.

Being off message.

Wow. That cant be healthy for the teachers. Or the kids.

Well, when you're not sure of yourself, your standards drop,

and, erm, you know, you let yourself down, you let... you let other people down.

The kids, you know, the kids, they pick up on that.

What, and they start taking the, like, the you know what?

You know, because I remember when I was at school,

if you messed around, you were out on your ear, mate. Quite literally.

Yeah, but I was the one who was out on his ear.

27 years loyal service, so they could just throw me on the scrapheap. So they...

OK, mate, just take a minute.

Its obviously been a very difficult time for you, mate.

And Im guessing its still quite raw? Yeah.

Probably hasn't been easy to talk about.

You know what, Tony, Im gonna call it in.

I think... maybe we should just leave it there.

But that... You know, that was... that was the thing.

The fact... That... That's what frustrated me most. The fact that...

that you couldn't talk to them.

Them? Yeah, the leadership team.

Talk about a misnomer. Huh! They were so up themselves,

they couldn't be bothered to listen.

Well, that mustve been tough, Tony.

A teacher for 27 years, I mean, the one thing you're used to

and the one thing, presumably, you'd expect is that... people would listen.

Yeah, well, you'd think so, wouldn't you?

But when your face doesn't fit.

You lost your job because your face didn't fit?

I think there mustve been something more to it than that, Tony?

Uh, Im really sorry, mate.

Were gonna have to leave it there and go straight to the news.

But I really hope you call in again.

And listen, you rest assured, I hear you. I really do, mate.

Its been really nice talking to you, my friend.

Yeah. Yeah, and... and you, mate. Yeah.

Take care, Tony. I appreciate you.

And you know where we are.

Yeah.

Usual? Er, yeah, please.

Slow night? Homework.

Im doing a foundation course.

Im a bit of a science nerd.

Though Im not sure Ill ever get my head round the Properties of Matter.

Er, cup of tea when you're ready, please, love.

Yeah. Thanks.

Hows it going?

Its OK. Yeah?

You know, I've, er, I've seen you round and about.

How long have you been in the job?

Oh, a few months.

Five years for me.

It feels like 20 years, though.

I... I used to think that Helmand was a shitshow.

Yeah. Two tours of Afghanistan, so...

ROB WHISTLES

What about you?

I was a teacher.

So, we've both been on the front line, kinda thing.

Two teas.

Aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye.

Hey, dyou know, her face lightens up every time you walk in this place.

Yeah.

Ill get the teas.

£2.80, please.

Thanks.

You know its funny, but, er, you know night workers,

they remind me of the, er, the fellas in the army.

There are those who have troubles, and then there are those who are trouble.

Which are you?

Oh, yeah.

MAN ON RADIO: My knowledge is my education.

So what I think he meant was that teachers aren't imaginative enough

in the way they teach kids.

You understand what Im saying, yeah?

LAWRENCE: Or maybe, you know, they're not allowed to be imaginative?

Its all this negativity, and its easy to forget the impact

that a great teacher can actually have.

Yeah, I hear what you're saying, Lawrence.

You know, we had a new caller just last night.

Tony. He was a teacher for 27 years, and he was telling us how teachers

are being told exactly how and what to teach.

So, you know, I... maybe its the system that's at fault, not the teachers?

There you go.

CARD MACHINE BEEPS OK. That's it. Yeah. Great.

Look, erm... a good way to start thinking about matter

is to think of all the different materials and substances that it can be made into.

LAUGHING: What?

I taught science. You never said.

SHE CHUCKLES OK, so... how about I pick your brains sometime over a coffee?

Or a beer, maybe?

Im buying.

OK. Great.

You got your mobile? Ill give you my number.

Thank you.

That's it.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Aye.

LAWRENCE: And, Roger, lets not forget one thing that, er,

is also a Christmas day staple.

ROGER AND LAWRENCE: True Grit!

That's absolutely right, my friend!

You know, honestly, I cant tell you, the amount of times I've sat fatly on my couch

with a cheeky little something in my hand, mate, honestly.

ROGER: Been there, Lawrence.

See, with cowboy films and why they were so popular back in the day,

you knew who the good guys were and who the bad guys were.

You knew who to pull for.

Yeah. When did life become so complicated, my friend?

Dont get me started or were gonna be here all night.

So, to wrap things up, heres a thought, folks.

Maybe we should all believe in ourselves a little more.

Be a bit more John Wayne, a bit more Clint Eastwood,

and maybe, just maybe life would be a little less complicated.

Westerns.

Hi, Rosa. Its Tony.

Just ringing about the coffee.

OK. OK, OK, OK.

DIAL TONE Hi, you've reached Rosas phone.

Please leave a message after the beep.

Hello, its, erm... Its... Its Tony from the cafe.

Im just ringing about that, erm, that coffee.

So, erm... If, er, if you pick this up, then, er...

Yeah. OK. Bye. Bye. Bye.

PHONE VIBRATES

Hello?

Im calling because you've been randomly selected

to take part in our... Take my name off your list!

And don't f... And don't call back!

CHUCKLES

SIGHS

LAWRENCE: And, er, we have a new caller.

We've got Tony. He's in Liverpool City Centre.

So what's on your mind, Tony?

Erm... We, er, we spoke last night.

Yes! Of course we did, Tony.

You're the teacher of 27 years, am I right?

Hey, you remember!

Yeah, of course, I remember. Yeah.

Because, you know, you said something, Tony, that's really stuck with me.

It was you saying that, uh, that your face didn't fit.

It kind of intrigued me, you know, got me thinking.

Er, well, you know, Im touching 56, top of the pay scale.

OK?

Not quite sure I follow, mate.

Well, erm, they can get some kid straight out of teacher training college,

pay them half the money.

So, its about the money?

Well, moneys just a stick they beat you with.

But they keep beating you, and they keep beating you.

Until you don't know who you are anymore.

You know, you... you lose your self-respect...

your self-worth.

And everything that goes... And everything that goes with it, you know?

Im very sorry to hear that, Tony.

So this wasn't really about money.

It was about your age, right?

Yeah, well, that's part of it.

Nowadays, you know, you have to be, erm... You've got to be a what?

Well, you have to be a certain type of person.

And what type of person is that?

Erm... Well, how about someone whos the complete opposite of me?

OK, fine, sure.

REVELLERS CLAMOURING No!

Lawrence, mate, Ill have to go. Er, I got a fare.

LAWRENCE LAUGHS Folks, that's what I absolutely love about this show.

Its completely bonkers.

You know, you never know what's coming next.

What about Ravi? Wheres Ravi? Rav? Rav?

CLAMOURING Hello, Ravi.

I really don't wanna know what's going on in the back of the taxi, Tony.

Tony, Tony, listen, mate, you have a good one.

Yeah. Been lovely talking to you.

Yeah, all right, mate, and you.

What's the old saying, Lawrence?

Erm, lucky at cards, unlucky in love?

Right, well, that sums me up.

Oh, mate, it sounds like you've had a right old time of it.

Yeah. She even took the cat.

Oh, bloody hell.

You know what, hang in there, big fella.

Plenty more fish in the sea.

The right one will come along soon, I guarantee you.

Thanks, mate. I hope so.

Oh, you know, by the way, Jack, do you play a lot of cards, mate?

Not really, no.

OMINOUS MUSIC

Ow!

SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC

LAWRENCE IN TONYS HEAD: Because you know what happens when you keep it all in.

There comes a point when you just explode!

There you go.

OK?

Piece of shit.

Who is he?

Ste. My ex.

Oh, right. I know.

Im sorry I didn't call you.

Oh, no, that's OK.

I had to turn my phone off cos he was being a dickhead.

Whered you meet him?

When I first came to Liverpool, I was working behind a bar.

I had no friends. I was lonely.

He was nice to me to begin with, and then he became this fucking...

I told him it was over, but he won't leave me alone.

Have you called the police?

SCOFFS There was a fight outside here the other night.

A fella had a knife.

I called the police - it took them over an hour to come.

Why would they be interested in me? The police cant help.

ltd be different if I was back home in Wales.

What, cos of the local police?

Why would I go to the police when I've got two brothers to protect me?

DOOR OPENS

Thanks.

They're painting frigging rainbows on panda cars

instead of taking criminals off the street.

LAWRENCE: So rainbows don't appeal to your sense of aesthetic then, Ian, I take it?

Only if theres a pot of gold at the end of them, Lawrence.

LAUGHS Thanks, mate. Er, now listen, folks, you know, keep those calls coming in.

Oh, and welcome back, Tony.

Lawrence, we all know there are good guys and bad guys.

Yeah, but its not as simple as that anymore, is it, Tony?

That's my point. It should be.

I bet the average bobby on the beat, right,

just wants to get on with his job and lock up the bad guys?

Well, that's my point exactly, mate.

There are no bobbies on the beat.

Yeah, that's because the people who make the rules

and all the other stuff they ram down our throats,

they've forgotten that the police aren't there to serve them, they're here to serve us.

The taxpayers. Exactly.

Did you know who I worked for when I was teaching? The kids.

If they thought I was doing a good job, that was good enough for me.

And, by the way, I was doing a bloody good job.

Listen, my friend. Listen, Tony, I don't doubt it, at all.

You know what?

You've absolutely nailed it yet again.

Because from the moment I started this job, my job,

I've been saying exactly the same thing.

Its you lot out there that I work for - the listeners.

Not the station. Not the controller or some accountant somewhere

that might be paying my cheques every month, but its you lot who pay my wages.

Yeah. And well be the ones wholl judge if you're doing a good job.

And that's exactly how it should be, mate.

And well let you know when its time for you to go by switching off the radio.

CHUCKLES Steady on, Tony.

Listen, lets not get carried away here.

Speaking of jobs, Tony, I mean, you've gotta have some stories.

So go on. Go on, don't be shy, give us your best one.

God, mate, I... Pfft. I don't know.

Mate, teaching in a Liverpool secondary school,

it must have been a riot. I mean that quite literally.

Erm...

Well, I was... I suppose there was a time that the, er,

the Year 11s locked me in a store cupboard for an hour-and-a-half.

There we go! Cheeky little scallywags.

It was their leaving do present to me before they went off and did their GCSEs.

How many years ago was this?

It was about, er, I don't know, about three years?

So that would make them about, what, 19, 20 now?

So, come on, Tone, give us the name.

Who was the ringleader? Just in case they're listening.

Gotta hear their side of the story.

Give them the right to reply.

Tony?

Tony?

Ah, I think we lost him, folks.

Interesting chat, though, Tony.

If you get a chance, mate, call me back, you know where we are.

Honestly, guys, you simply must must, must tune in tomorrow night.

Now, folks, Im going to play you a special tribute.

SNIFFLES

PANTING

SOMBRE MUSIC

BLEEPS

TAPS CARD

For fuck sake!

And welcome back.

Were still with World War II vet, Albert Collins.

So tell me, you must have lost so many friends, Albert?

Young men gave their lives.

The way I saw it, Lawrence, I was doing my duty.

Not just for my country, but also for my pals who I was fighting alongside.

When you look back, mate...

how does it make you feel?

Proud to have known them.

And proud to have called them my friends.

KNOCK ON WINDOW, DOOR OPENS Sorry, give us a sec.

CLEARS THROAT MAN: Just jumped in a cab.

OK, mate, where...?

West Derby Road.

Im just talking to the cabbie.

Yeah, mate, Im heading up her direction now.

Nah. She has.

She has proper done me in.

Fucking talking back to me like shes someone.

With a shitty little cafe job.

Nah, shes gonna pay, mate.

And I am gonna enjoy every little fucking minute.

Anyway, no-ones gonna miss her, are they?

No-one who cares.

CHUCKLES

Yeah.

See you later.

Stop here.

STE LAUGHS MENACINGLY

Shithouse.

SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC

LAWRENCE IN TONYS HEAD: We all need to stick together on this

and protect the vulnerable.

DIAL TONE Hi, you've reached Rosas phone.

Please leave a message after the beep.

Hi, Rosa, its me.

Look, I-I-I just let Ste in the back of the cab.

I don't know if he was on something, but, erm, just stay clear, OK?

DIAL TONE

Shit! Hi, you've reached Rosas phone.

Please leave a message after the beep.

Hi, its me again.

Look, Im just heading over to the cafe, so just sit tight, yeah?

Oh, and, erm, best not go outside.

Ill be there in ten.

THUD THUMPING Fuck!

Fuck!

Fuck em!

Oh, shit.

GRUNTS

Oh, no, no.

DIAL TONE Hi, you've reached Rosas phone.

Please leave a message after the beep.

Ro... Rosa. Yeah, its me, erm...

Er, look, give me a call when you get this message, OK?

Well, Lawrence, if we didn't stand up for each other on the battlefield, people died.

Our friends died.

My friends died.

LAWRENCE: I mean, you often hear people talk about, er, matter of life and death,

but this truly was a case of exactly that.

You either do something, or someone really will die.

Hey. Whys the cafe closed?

I don't know, er... One of the lads said Rosa didn't turn up for work, so... Oh, shit.

Er, she might be in trouble.

What sort of trouble?

Her ex. This fella called Ste. He's bad news, mate.

Do you know where she lives? Im... Im not sure.

Somewhere up past erm, erm, Hope Street.

What about the bloke who owns the place? Will he know?

I don't know. Its, er, its the middle of the night,

and Im fucking shattered, OK? So, good luck.

Is that it? You were in the forces!

And? I thought that... Whoa, whoa, hang on. You thought what?

That... That you'd know how to deal with someone like this... this Ste fella.

I don't... I... I barely know you.

Please, mate. Just tell me what to do, ey?

Hey, listen.

You know when I close my eyes in the dark...

I see things that I don't wanna see, right?

And I don't wanna ever see them ever again.

That's why I work nights.

But you know those two types of people that I told you about the other night?

This other fella. He's trouble.

And I-I-I don't know... Whatever trouble you've got, I have no idea, but...

do you really want to add to them?

Do you?

You need to turn around, get in that cab, sit in the rank,

and keep your head down. Do you hear me?

Do you hear me?

Hm?

LAWRENCE: Were still being absolutely swamped

with texts about the incredible World War II vet, the indomitable Mr Albert Collins.

Great interview, and the work Albert still does for charity

and his local community is amazing.

We've got one here, it is, er... It says, er, Moira from Crosby, Albert! What a man!

An inspiration and proud to be able to call him one of our own.

Hear, hear, Moira. Nice one.

Er, Tommy from Kirkby, If there were more fellas like Albert,

the world wouldn't be in the mess it is in today.

I second that, mate, I second that.

Now this one, this one, really, er, this one struck a chord.

And a lot of you are saying exactly the same thing.

If a man in his 90s can still help those in need, then maybe,

just maybe a few more of us should get off our big fat backsides

and follow by his example.

And that's the crux of it, isnt it?

What we desperately need is more people like Albert.

More people to stand up for those in need.

People willing to fight for what is right.

If you see someone struggling, reach out.

If you see someone in danger, don't stand idly by, do something.

So what gives him the right to tell people how to live their lives?

Oh, here we go. I don't think he was telling anyone

actually how to live their lives, mate, you know?

Its not what it sounded like to me.

There is such a thing as giving people

the benefit of your experience, if you know what I mean?

What, cos he fought in some poxy war years ago?

What do you mean some poxy war, mate?

Shut up, lad. Have you heard yourself?

He fought against Hitler and Nazi Germany for Christs sake!

He fought for your freedom, son!

He fought for your freedom, my freedom, all of our freedoms!

So jumped-up little twerps like you could go on radio shows

and speak their mind without fear of persecution or prosecution.

Oh, why don't you piss off? Seriously, piss off!

Anyway, what is it exactly you do, you non-entity,

apart from sitting around on your fat arse all day doing absolutely nothing?

And you've got the bloody cheek to go ahead and judge people.

You've got no respect for anybody or anything, and I for one am sick...

You're pressin my buttons.

LAWRENCE IN TONYS HEAD: Dont stand idly by, do something.

Do something! Do something!

PANICKED BREATHING

GURGLES

PANICKED BREATHING No, no.

Oh, please, God, no.

PANICKED BREATHING

Tony Conroy? Im DS Marshall. Can we come in?

I warned you, didn't I, to stay out of it?

I know what sort of man he is, but he doesn't deserve this.

Do you know the victim? Only what I've heard.

The only way to deal with rats is to exterminate them!

And you're saying that makes him fair game?

Too bloody right it does, yeah!

Needs some body work done.

Yeah, it was a dog. Must have been a big dog.

So what's gonna happen now? What do you care?

There is a genuine bond between me and my audience.

That I could be that person they could talk to

that would listen. I could be that friend in need.

I was just thinking about the person who did this to him.

What do you mean? Well, they need to be found

before they do the same thing to someone else.