Children of the Stones (1977–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Into the Circle - full transcript

CHILDREN OF THE STONES

There's the hill.

- Pretty fantasmagorical.
- Pretty what?

Pretty fantasmagorical, with an F, which
means more fantastic than fantastic.

Rubbish, it's PH, as in phantasmagoria,
a series of illusions or phantoms.

- There's the avenue.
- The Milbury Stones,

the books say they were
erected about 3000 BC.

- Maybe even earlier.
- So they're older than Stonehenge?

Probably. By the time
Stonehenge was completed,

people had been worshipping
here for 1000 years or more.

Worshipping what?



The sun, maybe.

Here is the circle.

- With the village inside it, scary.
- What is?

- Not knowing anybody...
- You soon will...

Suppose they all turn out to be nutters?

Do we have to stay
the whole three months?

Yes, we do.
If I don't complete my research,

the university is going
to want their grant back.

And as we've already spent half of it...

Dad, stop!

EPISODE ONE
INTO THE CIRCLE

Once again, Mrs Crabtree, I'm
very sorry, but I didn't see you.

No, I'm sure [?]

We didn't expect to be met.



It was Mr. Hendrick's idea sir, he
thought you might not find it so easily.

That's very kind of him, and you.

No trouble, sir.
After all, if we didn't have you here.

I'd have no-one to look after, would I?
- True.

By the way, sir,
this stuff arrived yesterday.

I told the men to leave it
where it is for the time being.

...Two, three. Yes, it's all present.

No damage, is there, sir?
China, would it be? Or glass?

No, Mrs. Crabtree, not china, or glass.

You'll be wanting your tea, I expect.

And some of my chocolate pie?

I've never known you refuse
an offer like that before.

Oh yes, please.

You'll get used to her.

Oh, Matt, go and get the rest of
the cases in the car, will you,

while I check this lot?
- Right.

Dad?
- What is it?

Oh, nothing, I'll get the cases.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Magnotometer.
- No doubt.

An instrument for measuring
magnetic fields.

Magnetic fields?
Where are they?

A magnetic field is a field of force,
it surrounds a magnet.

Oh god, no magnets here!

That's where you're wrong, Mrs.
Crabtree, you've got at least 53.

The stones, the standing stones.

Each one a source of great magnetic power.

The stones? I never heard that.

How do you know?
- It's my job.

Well, the stones...
But I never...

So you've come to measure our stones...

Well, I never...

Shall I show her the picture, dad?

Yes, good idea. See if one
of the locals recognizes it.

Mrs. Crabtree, come and look at this.

Good lord, Mrs. Crabtree!

I imagine that was just the
effect the artist was after.

Hardly an auspicious start of
your tenancy, professor Brake.

Mr. Hendrick?

Just so. Not a good time for
the landlord to appear, hmm?

Have we another pot, mrs. Crabtree?
- Yes sir.

Well then, if you've quite recovered...
Tea for three please, Mrs. Crabtree.

And I rather think you could
do with a cup yourself.

Yes sir.

Happy day, sir.

- Now what was all that about?
- That.

How did you get this?

My son found it in a junkshop.

Your name, young man?

Matthew, Matthew Brake, sir.

What made you buy it?

I just knew I wanted it.

It was about a year ago,
before I knew I was coming here.

Now I think it looks like the
country around this village.

There's the hill,
and that will be the start of the avenue.

Yes, there is a resemblance.

What do you suppose it represents?

Some ancient ceremony perhaps?

Dad says Milbury could have
looked like that in the old days.

- It's very raw, powerful.
- Have you ever seen anything like it?

Nothing. It's very early,
good groundwork on woodpanel,

and there's an incription...

"Quod non est similo,
dissimilo quae quod est."

- Which means...
- Something like...

"I deny the existance,
of that which exists."

- Excellent. With or without help?
- With.

"I deny the existance,
of that which exists."

Remarkably futile statement,
don't you think?

Like refusing to believe
what one knows to be true.

Right Matt, boring business
chat coming up. Explore!

Everyone here is very friendly. I'm sure
you'll find someone to show you around.

- Hello.
- Hello.

- Coming for a ride?
- Where to?

Just round the village.
Show you the sights.

- I haven't got a bike.
- There's one in the shed.

I read your paper on megalithic lunar
observatories. I was very impressed.

Checking my references as a tenant?

My dear fellow, don't be so modest.

Anyone with the faintest interest in
astrophysics has heard of Adam Brake.

You must have more than a faint interest
to come accross the observatories paper.

I dabble, you know.

It's difficult not to speculate,
beside the circle.

- Odd, that.
- Odd?

Matthew coming accross that picture.

Perhaps the picture came accross him.

When your work here
is finished, you'll stay.

I'm afraid I can't afford to.
I've a growing boy to bring up.

My wife died two years ago.
- I'm sorry.

I have Matthew,
he's a great consolation.

- How did he take it?
- Very well at first,

but...
- But what?

I found it was unwise to let him handle any of my wife's possessions,

books, things like that.

He began remembering incidents
with her in incredible detail.

It was morbid, really.
- Perhaps the change of scene will help.

- I hope so.
- Another reason for you staying on.

What's his future?
- Astrophysics, probably.

I think he's inherited some of my...

- Intelligence?
- ...curiosity.

Come on, get moving!

Stop!

Come on!

- Happy day, Mrs. Warner.
- Happy day, Bob.

- Cornet for two?
- Mars ice cream?

No, Bob, no thanks.

- Two please, Mrs. Warner.
- Vanilla?

And chocolate. Vanilla and chocolate.

- Hello.
- Hello.

Just arrived?

Why were you staring through our window?

- I heard your coming.
- What?

New people...
We need new people here.

- Why?
- We got to stick together.

- My treat.
- Who's she?

That's Sandra,
her mom looks after the museum.

- She's strange.
- Yes, I know.

She says funny things.

- Happy day, boys.
- Happy day, Mrs. Warner.

That's because she's not a happy one.
- What's a happy one?

Someone who is happy, of course.

END OF PART ONE

PART TWO

How long do you propose staying here?

The university has given me
three more months research.

- Three months?
- Then my grant runs out.

It's not a very long time
for anything as serious as that.

It's the end of a year's work.

George, I've brough you
a new customer, Mr. Brake.

He's with us for a while.
A drinking man, I hope.

- I'll have a whiskey.
- Two large, if you please.

Margaret Smythe, another new arrival.

She's curator of the museum.
Widowed, one daughter.

Margaret,
this is Adam, Adam Brake.

Poor fellow doesn't know
anyone in the village,

and wants to be taken under your wing.
- Why mine?

I think he likes the
look of the feathers.

Maybe.

I think I'm going
to need your help.

I'm doing some research
on the circle of stones.

I know. A village is a small place,
Mr. ... Adam.

- May I?
- Please.

I'm as up to date as is academically
possible on the circle, but...

Well, I'm sure you must
have some theories.

Oh yes, I've plenty of theories.

I'd very much like to hear them.

Come to the museum tomorrow,
and we can talk then.

Sherry... and etc?tera.

- Welcome to Milbury, Mr. Brake
- Indeed.

And may I include you
both in my usual toast?

"Old times, and new."

- You should sit there for the moment.
- Thanks. - Hello.

So new boy, what you
going to do about that then?

- Break your leg!
- Go on! - Stop it!

Had to find out if he was human.

Of course he is.
He only arrived yesterday.

- Good. One of us then?
- What do you mean?

- Not one of them?
- One of them?

Don't be silly, he doesn't
know the difference.

The difference between...?

- Happy day, children.
- Happy day, Miss...

Now, before we begin, I want you to
welcome a new member of the class,

Stand up, Matthew.

This is Matthew Brake, who is
joining us for a few weeks.

Matthew's father is an astrophysicist.
Anyone know what that entails?

Bob?

Study of matter and energy
in relation to the stars, miss.

Rubbish.

- Correct, Matthew?
- Yes, Miss.

Now, anyone have any problems
with the prep I set you yesterday?

Bob, would you like to show
us how you solved it?

Good. Now,
I must look after our other friends,

so here is something
else for thinking about.

Right?
Off you go.

Miss Clegg?

Oh, not you, Matthew, we'll start you
on something else, shall we?

Just see how you get on.

Some of us have difficulty even with
the simple stuff, don't we, Sandra?

And I suppose it's no use asking
to see your work, Jimmo.

Figures are not your
strong point, are they?

Have you any idea what one and one make?

Me dad's a farmer, miss.

Explain yourself.

Well, on a farm, put one and
one together, usually get a third.

- You find that funny, Kevin?
- Sorry, Miss.

Seems we've drawn another blank.

Think you can do better, Matthew?

- I'll try, Miss.
- See how you get on.

Anyone finished?

Good.

- Good morning.
- Good morning.

Oh, not "happy day"?

Definitely not.

"Happy day" sounds more like a password
than a greeting, doesn't it?

Yes.

- What are these?
- They're leylines.

Leylines, are they indeed?

Tell me, you believe
in all that sort of thing?

- I try to keep an open mind.
- Oh come on...!

Invisible straight lines that are supposed
to connect ancient sacred places...

...churches, markstones, barrows...
- And stone circles.

You know my idea of hell?

Write out 100 ley lines.

I take it you're not a believer.

I'm a scientist.
Scientists need proof.

Well, I can't offer you that I'm afraid.
But there are some interesting theories.

Some people even believe
that leylines are power cables,

and that the sacred places
they connect are temples,

built by Neolithic man as a...
storehouse of psychic energy.

So, Milbury is full
of psychic energy, is it.

Who traced ouf these lines?

Various ley hunters. People who spent
all their spare time looking for them.

Some I worked out for myself.

- How many are there?
- 53.

- Interesting...
- Why?

How many stones are left
standing in the circle?

- Fifty...
- ...three.

Well done, Matthew.

I can see it won't take
you long to catch up.

- Catch up?
- With the others.

Well, I think they're
a bit above my standard.

Oh, nonsense.

There's no knowing what you
will achieve, once you're...

Once I am what, Miss?

Once you've settled down, Matthew.

How long have you been here?

Oh, it seems like ages, but it's
been hardly any time at all.

Just six weeks.
- You obviously enjoy it.

I enjoy the work.
I'm trying to catch up with the facts.

It's the first time
you've curated, is it?

First time I've had
to earn my own living.

Luckily, I had a degree in archaeology,

and a colleague of my husband's
on the selection board.

So...
- So, what don't you enjoy?

I don't enjoy... being alone.

- You miss your husband?
- No. No, I mean, you don't understand.

You haven't been here long enough.

Would you mean the "happy day"
natives are unfriendly?

I mean I'm glad you're here.

- I've been dropped, I'm not in the team!
- Well what did you expect?

I scored twice. Marvelous, isn't it,
top scorer and you get dropped.

You argued with decisions,
that's no way to be happy.

Happy? That striker deliberately
fouled me and the ref took no notice.

- Well, perhaps he was short sighted.
- Perhaps he was stone blind.

You certainly told him so.
Did it make you feel better?

I'll tell you what would
make me feel better.

Go on then, thump me.

See, didn't solve anything, did it?

Alright, Mrs. Smythe,
would you care to summarize?

Certainly, professor...

The stones are undressed Sarson,
weighing approximately 40 tons each.

There were a hundred in the original
circle, of which 53 now remain.

Two avenues of stones used
to extend from the circle,

one to the South East which terminates
in the barrow on the hill,

known as the hackpen,
or serpents head, or sanctuary....

And the other to the South West,
which no longer exists.

These avenues form the head
and tail of the solar serpent,

the symbol of inner truth.

- Bravo!
- Not bad for a beginner.

- Walking encyclopedia.
- No, I've just got good eyesight.

What? Oh...

Yes, 40 tons. Wouldn't like
to get caught under that.

Someone was caught, centuries ago.

The barber surgeon.

He was helping to bury one of the
stones when it crushed him to death.

- And he was found...?
- Earlier this century.

When they re-erected the Sarsen
his skeleton was found underneath.

- Why were they burying the stone?
- Local superstition.

The villagers believed that if they
buried one of the stones each year,

it would bring them luck.

It didn't do much good
for him though, did it?

Well thank you for the guided tour,
I must get back to my work.

- What's first on your schedule?
- First to make a schedule.

And then I must do
some electronic dousing.

Find out where the fallen
stones are, things like that.

There's no need to douse. There's
concrete posts marking appasitions.

I prefer to do my own research.

Anyway, I like playing with
expensive sonar equipment.

- Adam, would you do something for me?
- Of course.

- Touch one of the stones.
- What?

I just want to see if you're
the kind of man I think you are.

- What sort of man is that?
- No, please, come with me, please.

And you just want me to touch it?

Yes, please.