Flambards (1979–…): Season 1, Episode 9 - Sing No Sad Songs - full transcript

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Thank you.

Thank you.

It wasn't Sandy's fault, was it?

No, of course not.

Will?

Sorry?

I said it wasn't his fault, was it?

He was a good pilot, wasn't he?

The best.

Mechanical failure.



Must have been.

And you're trying to
work out what it was.

I'd say that was the
proper thing to do.

I expect it is.

The door?

I wonder...

Sandy's mother?

No, she wouldn't.

I'll go.

They can't be sending flowers
already, can they?

That's a Sandy remark.

All the better for it.

Newspaper man from the local rag

Like to talk to Will.



Ah.

What do you think?

Why not?

At least we can make
sure he gets the story right.

Ask him to come in, Joe.

Oh, thank you very much.

This way.

Through here.

Good evening,

Gibson.

My assistant, Jimmy, Um,
Cameron, learning the trade.

I believe Mr., um,

Mr. Hardcastle lived here.

That's correct.

He and I shared the flat.

Oh, so you must be rather
upset about what's happened.

Yes.

You could say I'm
sorry he's dead.

Do you fly
yourself, Mr., um...

Russell. William Russell.

Mr. Russell, do you fly?

Well, not exactly.

I have an aeroplane that flies. I don't
fly personally, if you see what I mean.

Will you continue to fly?
Fly your aeroplane, I mean.

Oh, yes.

There's not much else you can do
with an aeroplane, really.

No.

No, I suppose not. Um...

Can you tell me anything about Mr. Hardcastle?

What sort of young man he was?

Handsome.

Brilliant Pilot.

Marvellous mechanic.

Debonair.

Cultured.

He learned to read
when he was...how old?

16.

Amazing.

And his mother's been
in prison several times.

Ah, now I don't believe that.

She's a suffragette.

I read it in your newspaper.

And he was a music lover.

Well, it goes with
the culture, doesn't it?

Reading at 16.

A music lover?

Well, look at all these

Play the gentleman
some music, Christina.

His favourite piece of Beethoven.

Shall we dance?

Thank you.

Do you dance, Mr Gibson?

Um, not when I'm at work.

It would be wrong to
encourage Mr Gibson, Christina.

Of course.

I'm sorry.

Were there any more
questions you wanted to ask?

If I'm going to quote
the two young ladies,

I shall need to know their
names and addresses.

Miss Christina Parsons,

Chase Private Hotel.

I know it.

Miss Dorothy Saunders.

The Chase Private Hotel

Eh, Saunders?

My father owns the hotel.

Of course.

You, uh, advertise in our newspaper.

So you'll only write
kind things, won't you?

I don't know, really,
what I'm going to write.

May I?

Of course.

Mr. Gibson?

This is Joe,

The greatest
mechanic in the world.

Funny, I thought he might be.

I am.

I'll, uh, start another page.

They're all mad.

100% 24 carat lunatics.

I wish I dare write that.

Exit the press.

Poor man.

Vultures.

Back page for flying,
front page for crashing.

Time I was back at Elm Park.

I'll come with you.

Sleeping accommodations
a bit rough.

I know.

Too many echoes in here tonight.

William, when are you
going to get some sleep?

Maybe tonight.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Tea coming up.

Good.

Sit down.

You look tired.

I am a bit.

I'm not surprised.

Spent the whole
night working on that...

wreckage.

We've got to find
out why it happened.

Besides...

What?

You can't spend the night making
cups of tea and boiling kettles.

I know that's not what
you were going to say.

What do you mean?

Well you...

You said we've got to find
out why it happened, besides,

And you went on about
about me boiling kettles?

That's not what you
were thinking of, is it?

No.

Tell me.

I had to find out what happened

and I had to go somewhere quiet

to cry.

This is where you come to cry.

I know

Drink your tea up while its hot.

Oh, you're so domesticated.

It's not much,

But we call it home.

It's the first time I've
ever been close to death.

What about when
your father died?

He didn't count.

I mean, you did lose your parents.
You've had some practise.

I was only tiny.

I can hardly remember.

Besides...

Another "besides"?

It's six o'clock in the morning.

It's getting early

Time you were home in bed.

Finish your tea and I'll
drive you back to the hotel.

Shall I tell you about
my other "besides"?

I want to know about
all your "besides".

Sandy and I, we'd
made an agreement.

About what?

Has Dorothy said
anything to you?

Sandy probably told her.

She's been going on about how
handsome young men look in uniform.

I pretend to
agree, it's easier.

Sandy and I, we said
that if there was a war,

We'd join the Royal Flying Corps.

Immediately.

What about the Farmbridge job?

I can't do both.

Will the agreement still stand?

Yes.

So if you want to back out?

Back out of what?

You know.

Us and everything.

It's taken me three
years to get you.

I'm not giving up that easily.

I might go to the
war and get killed.

No you won't.

And if you do,

there's a poem I
learned when I was little:

"When I am dead, my dearest,

"Sing no sad songs for me;

"Plant thou no roses at my head,

"Nor shady cypress tree:

"Be the green grass above me

"With showers and dewdrops wet;

"And if thou wilt, remember,

"And if I wilt, forget."

I must say, I think I've done
a marvellous job on you.

I think so, too.

Thank you, Dorothy.

Oh, don't move quickly like that.

The whole lot
might tumble down.

Sorry.

Mark should be here by now.

Oh, he is.

Making all your Aunts giggle.

Except the ones that are crying already.

I mustn't be late.

Oh, there's plenty of time.

Come in.

You decent?

- Yes.
- Oh, pity.

Well, that's beautiful.

You've done a remarkable job,
Dorothy, making her look as good as that.

The raw material
has to be there first.

Oh, I know,

Don't let me lose that.

What is it?

It's a wedding day surprise.

Something nice, I hope.

Of course.

Well, if you'll excuse me,

I just want to go and do a
little more to my nose.

It looks perfect.

I'm perfectionist about noses.

I hear you've been
making all the Aunts giggle.

I tried.

They were all crying their eyes
out by the time I'd finished with them.

Funny...A wedding
with no parents.

Nobody losing a son or gaining a
daughter or any of that nonsense.

Better really, if nobody feels
they're losing anything.

I didn't say that.

Sorry?

Well, when I see you all in
your pretty dress and everything,

Somebody's losing, Christina.

I did ask you if you remember.

You must have
been drunk at the time

And you refused me.

I must have been sober.

You see...no
parental guidance.

You young people,
all running wild.

I think running wild is fun.

I hope you'll both be very happy.

Must say I envy
little brother William.

I'm quite ordinary, really.

Not just that

He's clever.

Brave in his own way.

He knows where he
wants to be...now...this year.

Next year.

Don't you know
things like that?

No, I should be fighting a war.

Galloping over
trenches shot and shell.

And winning medals, I'll bet.

I daresay

Hurry up, time we are going.

And still be frightened.

Come on.

Let's go to a wedding.

Why not?

Nothing much else to do.

Do hurry up, Mark.

Don't worry.

Can't start the show
until we get there.

Hold it right there and
watch the Dickie Bird.

Thank you.

Dearly beloved.

We are gathered together here in the sight
of God and in the face of this congregation

to join together this
man and this woman

in holy matrimony.

♪ Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us ♪

♪ o'er the world's tempestuous sea; ♪

♪ guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us, ♪

♪ for we have no help but thee; ♪

Smile, please.

Thank you.

Smile.

Mark?

Watch the Dickie Bird.

Thank you.

I thought you did
that beautifully.

Well, I am a technical man.

Thank you.

Uh, just a minute.

What's the matter?

We'd like the cake back, please.

What for?

Must have a picture of the
bride and groom cutting the cake.

We've already cut it.

This is ridiculous.

Smile.

I don't even like cake.

All right.

Watch the Dickie Birds.

Smile.

Mhm.

It's quite nice.

It's like marriage, Will.

You might not be sure at first

but you get to like it eventually.

Are you an expert?

On everything.

Is he with you?

Not if I can help it.

Oh, this is the bit I like.

So I hear.

You know, I've been known to do all kinds
of things under the influence of this.

I hope we'll be
very happy together.

Only hope?

I know so.

I thought I saw Dick.

Dick?

From Flambards.

Watching outside the church.

I thought he was in the Army.

You can still watch weddings
even if you're a soldier.

As long as you stand to attention.

Who's Dick?

Oh, just an old friend.

Ask Mark.

Mark?

At your service?

Who's Dick?

Our old stable lad, you mean?

Yes.

We used to be, uh,
sparring partners.

Your carriage awaits. I'm sorry it
couldn't be a horse drawn Bleriot,

but they've all been
requisitioned by the army.

If we stand up and walk
over there to get changed,

will that man want to
take our photograph again?

You know, I just can't
find a way of stopping him.

What is that?

Oh, shh-shh...a surprise.

Come on, Joe. Call
yourself a mechanic?

No.

Should I come and do it?

No, no, no, no.

No need.

Bye-bye...bye.

Bye....Bye

Is that it?

What?

The joke you've
been saving up all day.

Yes.

Chaps in the mess
thought it was hilarious.

Funny chaps.

Bye.

Oh. come on, what
are you playing at?

Didn't Christina look lovely?

I don't like the
sound of that motor.

I think there was
some wine left.

How long ago is it?

Two and a half years?

Two years, eight months and 17 days.

And got the photographs
put in the album.

Last week when I heard
you were coming home on leave

A remarkable achievement.

I stayed up till two in the morning
getting this album finished.

And the next day I
trampled the streets for hours

looking for an estate agent with a
beautiful cottage to rent for a month.

Is this it?

Yes.

I think you did very well.

I always do.

You still love me?

Yes,

But I hate the uniform.

So do I.

Skylark?

Swallow

Cuckoo

And that's

A bit of genuine
German shrapnel.

Where did this come from?

My left shoulder.

And before that, it
came from Germany.

I shall have
to kiss it better.

You did.

You should see this.

Ah, what is it?

It's the telegram
they sent about Mark.

Missing,

Presumed killed in action.

Does that mean they're not quite sure?

It means...

Go on.

It's to do with the way men
get killed in the war.

After they've been killed, you
can't always tell who they were.

You can count how
many, approximately.

But you can't recognise them.

Not always.

I haven't killed anybody.

I'm glad about that.

Well, what do you do?

I fly high above the battle

and tell the army what's going on,

where they should fire the
guns so as to do

the most damage and kill the
maximum number of Germans.

So you can't blame them for
throwing this at me?

They're all mad, Christina.

Both sides.

Aren't you frightened?

No,

Because I'm better at flying my
aeroplane than they are at hitting me.

I remember Mark telling
me he was frightened.

Well,

He and his brave companions
rode into battle on horseback.

I'd be frightened on a horse.

The British army still thinks
they're fighting at Ashen Core.

These wounds you
had on Crispin's Day.

No, it was a Friday.

Golden Eagle.

Sparrowhawk.

Mhm.

Bird of prey.

I always feel
sorry for the prey.

Like foxes, they enjoy it.

Don't be impertinent.

Oh, Christina, you've hit
me right on my war wound.

Ahh.

I'll make you better.

Better?

Better.

What's funny?

A book I read once.

I didn't realise
you'd read a book.

I read several books
while you've been away.

At least two

And coloured some others.

What was the funny one?

The one that said:

"Close your eyes and think of the Empire."

Well, what's funny about that?

It just is.

I never think of the Empire.

I think that's what I'm
supposed to be fighting for.

The Empire?

And our freedom
and our way of life.

Something like that.

Thank you, William.

Thank you on behalf of the Empire
and our freedom and...

What else?

Our way of life

Our way of life.

Haven't got one.

What?

A way of life.

How long have we been
married? Two years and...

Two years. Eight
months and 26 days.

And how long have we
been together in that time?

Two months? Three months?

Including the amount of time
before you left and your visits?

Yes, including everything.

83 days.

84 if it's after midnight.

Is that a way of life?

William.

Christina?

84 days like nobody
else in the world has known.

So, yes,

That is a way of life.

93?

93 days.

Well,

It's a way of life, I suppose.

I suppose so.

Look.

Another Golden Eagle.

You're obviously an expert.

Is it a bird of prey?

No,

Definitely not.

Good.

Can you manage?

Yes, can you?

Yes.

Wish I hadn't brought
so many things.

I wish you hadn't as well.

It's a nice cottage.

We'll come back here again,

After I saved the Empire.

And on the 93rd day,

we went for a long, long walk

And we saw all sorts of
birds-Swallows, cuckoos

Sparrowhawks

Golden Eagles

Golden Eagles?

It's a long way off.

It's difficult to tell with Golden
Eagles when they're a long way off.

Yes, I have the same trouble.

I'll go.

The Chase Private Hotel.

Yes.

When for?

Just a moment, I'll check.

I'm sorry. I'm afraid we're
fully booked next week.

Yes,

Thank you.

Goodbye.

I keep thinking if I put it back in
the envelope and leave it for a while

Somehow the next time I read
it, the words will have changed.

But it still says Captain William Russell
killed in action.

Oh, come on, love.

What does that mean?

Well, it means come
on out to the pictures?

Come on out for a meal?

Come on. Come on.
Let's go to Elm Park.

Elm Park?

Well, that's where
my chap was killed.

We can cry our
eyes out together.

I think I might enjoy that.

The first person to say remember
all the good times we used to have

Gets beaten over the
head with a bicycle.

All right.

I won't say it.

I bought a picnic.

Thank you.

Christina?

Yes.

This afternoon
when we were talking,

You kept going on about the 93rd day?

Yes.

Why the 93rd?

It was the last day of our holiday, and we
had this long walk and we saw birds and...

And Golden Eagles?

And an aeroplane.

You would.

And at the end of the afternoon,

We collected our bags and we went
into the village and...

We got on the train.
Will went back to...

...to war.

And I came home to the hotel

The 93rd day?

Those are the days
of our marriage: 93.

We spent 93 days together

From the day of our wedding

To the last day of our holiday.

I see.

They're all good days.

You can hit me if you like.

We had good times here.

Didn't we just?

You know, it's silly, but
sitting here looking at you,

I can't help thinking you'll
look rather nice in black.

Beautiful young widow.

Yes,

That's wrong.

What?

Should be me.

Oh, I know.

I don't even know if
it's for William or Sandy.

Oh, the whole rotten world.

No, it's not rotten.

We had 93 marvellous days.

Have some more chocolate.

Thank you.

Seems wrong without aeroplanes.

We won't have to live
with aeroplanes anymore.

Do you realise that?

Back to horses, is it?

I think it might be.

You going somewhere?

Promise I'll cry later.

Once around the
airfield and then home.

♪ I'll sing you stories of
young, widowed ladies. ♪

♪ Gallantly crying these
hankerchief tears; ♪

♪ Instead, let me sing
you a song of Christina ♪

♪ Brave in her loving,
but tender in years ♪

♪ I'll chant you no requiems
or bitter resentment ♪

♪ As Dorian, the dorm
and the virgin sky ♪

♪ We'll all cheer cherish
the days of the roses, ♪

♪ Tomorrow she
looks in the eyes. ♪

♪ I'll sing you a song of
Christina, Christina, of Christina. ♪

♪ I'll sing you a song of [Race you
to the gate.] Christina at Flambards. ♪

♪ I'll sing you a song of
Christina, Christina, of Christina. ♪

♪ I'll sing you a
song of Christina ♪

I claim a dead heat.

All right.

Dead heat it was.

I think I'll go back
to Flambards.

You have a pleasing
journey, Miss Christina?

I had an ordinary journey.

On ordinary train.

Ah,

Well, after now,

There's no need
to be frightened.

Pardon, Miss?

It's all right to talk about William. I
won't burst into tears or anything.

Perhaps you have nothing
to say on the subject.

It's just that we're
all a might sorry, Miss.

Everybody loved our boy.

I know.

Hello, Miss Christina.

Hello, Mary.

Welcome home.

Welcome home?

There's a nice fire
in the dining room

And in your old room upstairs.

Good.

Shall I take things
up, Miss Christina?

That would be something
to do, wouldn't it?

Are you tired from
the journey, Miss?

Not from the journey.

I did my best to clean up
and everything, Miss, but...

I know

It's all falling to pieces.

Somehow it doesn't
seem so important when...

When all the men
of the house are dead.

Thank you.

It's going to be
important again, Mary.

Yes, Miss.

I'm 21.

I've come to my inheritance.

We're going to do all
sorts of peculiar things.

Like paying bills,

bringing this place back to life again.

I see.

You might even enjoy it, Mary.

Yes, Miss.

I daresay.

But if in doubt,

think of the Empire.

Yes, Miss.

I'll make some tea.

That should solve things.

What do you think, then?

She's in a funny mood.

That's just what I thought.

Mind you, it's always been like that.

Mr. Russell, Mr. Mark.

Not Mr. William, there.

No,

Not Mr. William.

♪ Christina ♪

♪ Christina ♪

♪ Christina ♪

I'm called William.

I'm called Christina.

Good morning, Doctor.

Good morning, Mary.

Well?

What's the trouble?

It's Miss Christina, Doctor.

She's really very poorly.

There's a perfectly
natural explanation.

I know.

I'm missing my dead husband like
thousands of other young women.

And I should pull myself together.

And you're going to have a baby.

Am I?

It's quite common.

Yes, I know.

We did all the right things.

Sorry, Doctor

But it was beautiful.

The Doctor's been...Miss
Christina, she's expecting.

She's what?

She's expecting.

Thank you, William.

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