South Riding (2011–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Episode #1.3 - full transcript

Hundreds of girls
have to give up scholarships

to look after children.
But Holly's exceptional.

We need a proper
purpose-built housing estate.

That parcel of land will be worth a
fortune once the council
have built there. Buy some!

Nothing has been decided yet.
Town planning will take a vote.

You're going to do
great things here, Sarah.

Sorry. It's all right.
May I ask you about your wife?

You know she's in a mental home?

Some of the girls were saying
that I needn't give myself airs

because everybody knew
that Daddy was going broke.

I wish life could be simpler.
Yeah, so do I.



Ooft! Oh!

Shall I call the doctor?
I'll be all right.
It's happened before.

Good morning, Miss, and how
can I help you this morning?

I wonder, could you put
a call in to Mr Carne?

Er, he's staying here. Mr Carne?

No, as I thought. The gentleman

checked out early this morning.

I attended to him myself, Miss.

Er, are there any messages?

The name's Burton.

I'll have a look for you,

Miss Burton.

No. No messages, Miss...

I'm afraid.



Oh, goodness me, come in,

come in out of the cold.

Whatever are you doing
here on Christmas Eve?

I came to bring you something

to wish you a merry Christmas.
Oh, that's very kind of you.

I haven't got anything for you.
You were supposed to be

a hundred miles away
with your sister, weren't you?

Yes. I changed my mind. Oh, dear.

No family quarrels, I hope?

No, no. I... Well, come on through.

We're just sorting out what's for us

and what's for other folk.

I'm sure I'll find you something.

It's Miss Burton, Jim.

How do?
Is Midge not still here with you?

Yes, she is. Well, I say yes.

She's spending the morning with a
friend, Jennifer, was it, or Judy?

It's just that I thought she'd be
back with her father for Christmas.

So did I and I'm sure she will, but
I haven't seen him since he left for

Manchester a few days ago.
Typical man! Oh.

Why? What is it?

Nothing...

Is she alright? Has her cheek healed?

I did feel awfully responsible.

No harm done, I would say. And
Robert didn't blame you, you know.

Oh. Did he talk to you about it?

He was so good at the time.

PHONE RINGS
Excuse me.

Christmas round again?

Yes. Do you like Christmas?

Yes, I do. I don't.

Folks staying in other folk's
houses, feeling uncomfortable,

not getting on,
offending each other.

All that unnecessary expenditure.

The world's gone mad in my view.
Stark staring mad.

Well, there you are.

That was Robert. He's just on
his way round for Midge.

I must go. Oh, stay. Why don't you?
I'm sure he'd love to see you.

No, no.

I wanted to call in on Lydia Holly.

Oh, right.

Well, if you're going over,
you can take them this ham from us.

I thought it would help to
see them through Christmas.

That ham?! Well, there's seven of
them, Jim, and only two of us,

and it's not as if we don't have
another in the larder.

And it is Christmas, after all.

And we must find something for you,
too, Sarah, for being such a saint.

Do you like crystallized fruits?

Yes, yes, I...

No... Really, you shouldn't.

Of course I should, go on.

We've far too many boxes
and jars of this and that.

Thank you very much.
And a very Happy Christmas.

From both of us!

Give me that! I want it,
I want it! No!

Well, this is a
pleasure, Miss Burton!

Lydia, put the kettle on.
Cup of tea for Miss Burton.

No, really, I won't stop long. I've
just came to see how you all are

and bring you a few things.
This lovely ham's from Mrs Beddows.

Oh, look at that girls!
Look at that!

Er, there's a little something
for all of you in there, thank you.
Thank you.

And this is for you, Lydia.

Oh, my stars, look at that!

Lydia, say thank
you to Miss Burton. Thank you.

There's lots of notebooks
and pens and pencils
for you to write poetry...

And anything else that you like.

It's a good strong case.
I hope it'll see you through
your student days and beyond.

My student days? You mean when
I go to Oxford, like you? Lydia.

Yes, why not? You're at
least as clever as I ever was.

You've got to keep your
dreams alive, Lydia.

Don't you think I've got enough to
do trying to keep my brother and
sisters and myself alive?

You're the one
who's dreaming, Miss. Lydia.

I'm sorry. I know it's hard.

But you are special.

She is, Mr Holly.

Oh, I know that.

She's one in a million is our Lyd.

Well, I should be going.

Let's talk about this
in the New Year, yes?

Happy Christmas, Lydia. Yeah.

Thank you, Miss Burton.

Daddy. Perfect timing.
Midge has just come back from
playing with one of her friends.

Come on through. Have you missed me?

Not a bit! Only joking!
Have you missed me? No, no.

Never thought about you once. Yes,
you did, you fibber, I know you did.

I've just been at Jenny's house.

We had a super time. They're not
our sort of people at all, though.

Oh, aye?
Do you know how they eat oranges?

They just cut them in half
and suck them! Do they?

It makes the funniest slurping
noises! Actually I quite enjoyed it.
Good. I'm glad.

How are you, Beddows? Struggling.

I'll be days with this.
I'll help you!

I've got a little something
for you, Robert.

I'll start in the front edge
there so you do t'sky...

Thank you.

I've got something for you an'all.

That one goes in there...

I, er,

couldn't find anything
fit to wrap it in, so...

Happy Christmas.

Oh, Robert.

This was Muriel's.

Yes.

I gave it to her after Midge were
born. But I want you to have it.

Muriel isn't going to get any
better. She's never coming home.

She can't take pleasure in nice
things, so best we can do

is make her comfortable.

Well, thank you. It's beautiful.

Emma, you've enjoyed having Midge
the last few days, haven't you?

I mean, she's been no bother to you?

Oh, not a bit of it.
We've loved having her.

So... If I had to go
away for a bit or, God forbid,

anything should ever happen
to me, I could entrust her to you?

Of course you could.
You don't have to ask, Robert.

PHONE RINGS

Oh! Ah. Disappointed.

I thought you were...

Someone else? Erm...

I saw the light,

I thought you were at your sisters.
I changed my mind.

Well, would you like some company?

Sorry, Joe. I just don't think

I would be very good company tonight.

Alright. Well...
Merry Christmas, Sarah.

Er... Is that a bottle of whisky?

God forgive you, woman.
It's a 12 year-old single malt.

What's in the newspaper?
Erm, herrings.

From the lads down at the docks.

Never let it be said us commie
bastards don't know how to
show a girl a good time!

I can't think of anything better.

They were good herrings!

Excellent malt.

Yeah, I knew there was a bit
of the Scot in you somewhere.

I'm glad you came.

You know, you're the
best friend I've made here.

Tough time of year.

Yes, it is rather.

You always tend to think
of happy times past.

Is that it? Your fiance?

No.

No, it's just...

I'm done with all that.

Falling in love, it's a fool's game.

Blundering around in the dark.

Friendship's much better.

Aye, aye. I suppose it is.

And work.

To work and friendship.

Work and friendship.

And a Merry Christmas to you, Sarah.

And to you, too.

KNOCK AT THE DOOR

Come in.
Mr Holly to see you, Miss Burton.

Oh, thank you, Midge.

Thank you for coming in, Mr Holly.

I hope it hasn't put
you to too much trouble.

Hey, you've got some books here.

Charles Dickens, Somerset Maugham.

I loved my books when
I was a little lad.

I was a proper
little scholard, I was.

But economic circumstances brutally
curtailed my education, otherwise

my life story would have been a
very different one, Miss Burton.

I'm sure it would.

And that's why we must find
a way to stop it happening to Lydia.
She's a clever girl is Lyd.

Takes after me.

Oh, I almost forgot.

This is for you.

Oh, thank you.
Barm cake. Home made.

Lydia.

It's not up to her mother's yet,
but she's coming along.

She's like a proper
little housewife these days.

But she could do so much more.

If we could find a way of
getting Lydia back to school,

I'm sure she could get a
scholarship for university.

Oxford or Cambridge, even.
Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Aye, it would. Yes.

I dare say I could have myself,
if things had gone the right way.

Do you know I could recite the
Wreck of the Hesperus from start
to finish, not a word out of place?

I think I still could.

"It was the schooner Hesperus
that sailed the wintry sea."

Mr Holly. Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow, that was your boy

for poetry. But why couldn't
I have written poetry?

It was always in me.
It's still in me now.

I'm sure it is, but we're
thinking of Lydia now, not you.

Aye, we are.

Can't you think of
anyone who might be persuaded

to come and help you at home
so that Lydia could return to school?

No.

I don't think I can.

Just this one and we're all done.

It's very good of you to get this
all drawn up so quickly, Drew.

Least I could do
with your life insurance

burning a hole in your pocket.

Now it's just Town Planning
we've to wait on.

Yeah, but not for long, eh?
I mean, the vote's coming up.

So, I mean,
that's when prices will rocket, eh?

Should do, should do.

Providing Mr Carne
doesn't cause too much bother.

But one man can't stand in the
way of progress like this, Drew.

He may be going bust
but he's very well respected.

He could still spoil
it for the rest of us.

You'll just have to hope
for the best, Alfred, hmm?

Little beauty, isn't he?

I wish we could keep him.

Yeah, so do I.

I wish a lot of things.

It's all right, Daddy.

I know Mummy isn't
ever going to come home.

But it's all right, just us.
Isn't it?

Who's this?

Alderman Huggins.

Good afternoon! Afternoon.
Ah. Lovely little creature.

Beauty comes in many forms.

I, er, wanted a private
word, if you've got a moment?

All right, take him back.
Right, sir. You go up to the house.

Now, I know we
haven't always been on the same side

but I've always liked you, Carne.

And, well, I've come to ask you
to drop your opposition
to the housing scheme.

Why would I do that?

Because a new estate's in
everybody's best interest.

I mean, what's the good of being
on the council if you can't make
things better for folk?

And between you and me, I think
it'd be to your advantage, too.

How d'you work that out?

Well, if you were to buy up some
land on the Wastes, you know,

I think it'd solve all
your problems for good.

I mean, I've got it on good
authority that the new estate's

being built there, so anybody with
land there can only make money.

Whose authority? Never mind.

You mean Snaith? All I can tell you
is that I'm sure enough about this
that I've got 32 acres for myself.

So you want me to act against my
principles so that you and your

friends can make a profit
on a bit of land speculation?

Not at all! This is a grand scheme
whether we profit by it or not!

Look, I've just come round
here to do you a favour,

so come on, what do you think?
What do I think? I think you,
Snaith,

Drew, all your friends,
you're nothing

but a bunch of criminals. Now,
you can't take that tone with me!

Yeah? We'll see what tone
South Riding Press take when
I tell them about it, eh?

You can't do that!
This conversation was confidential!

Get off my land before I throw you
in the horse pond. You understand?
You've got it all wrong.

You've misunderstood me.

Oh, Lord!

Educate your
children well, said Plato.

And they will grow up with rightly
and nobly ordered minds
and characters.

Now, this is a good
example of what I mean.

The modern school is light
and airy with large windows

and good ventilation.

Here, as you watch
English youngsters

engaged in a wide range of physical

and intellectual activities,
you may conclude, as I do...

How do you manage it, Mr Carne?

We've all been kept back after class
and you seem to have escaped again.

Come and sit down,
you haven't missed much.

Miss Burton's just been
showing us the error of our ways.

Oh, I doubt Miss
Burton knows the half of it.

Robert? For God's sake, man.
Don't start. Not again.

What do you think's
going on here, Astell?

Would building a future
be too simple for you?

Is that what you think?
Serving the people.

Is that what you
think's happening here?

Well, isn't that what we all want?
Then you're a fool, Astell.

Though I believe you
to be an honest one.

But there's people in this room
whose only interest is lining their
own pockets at the public's expense.

You should be careful
what you say, Mr Carne.
Those are very serious allegations.

Aye, and I've got good grounds
for them. Oh, for pity's sake,
Robert. Say no more.

I know you've been quietly buying
up land on the Wastes for months,
pushing up the price bit by bit.

And then you'll vote for Astell's
estate to be built there and the
ordinary people of the South Riding,

they'll have to pay a pretty penny
for ground that was just worthless
swamp a few months ago, won't they?

It's people like you, Snaith,
that make politics a dirty game.

And you, Mr Carne, have
made a very big mistake.

I got it from your friend,
Huggins, here. He invited me
to join your scheme.

I never said that!
You've got it all wrong, Carne!

Have I? I don't think so. You're
nothing but a bunch of crooks!

Mr Carne?

You have accused me of
corruption in front of witnesses.

That is slander
and I shall sue you for it.

I shall prove in court that
I own no land on the Wastes

and never did own any land there.

I shall demand punitive damages for
this gross slur upon my character,
and I will get them.

If you are not a ruined
man already, Mr Carne,

then you will be by the
time I've finished with you.

You can do what you damn well like.

I'm done with the lot of you.

The dictators are
acting on that knowledge.

Can the democracy
afford to fall behind?

Should they, even if they could?

Oh, Lord! Who would have
thought that would have happened?
Yes. Quite lively!

You were as cool as a cucumber.

Are you sure we're alright?

Quite sure. Poor Carne,
I feel quite sorry for him.

I don't. He were very rude to me.

Oh, dear. Was he? I were only
trying to do him a favour.

I'm sure you were. People are so
quick to misinterpret one's motives.

I sometimes wonder why
any of us venture into politics.

Well, to make things
better for our fellow men.

Oh, yes, of course. That must be it.

Come on. There we go!

Here... Don't forget to hold their
hand on that road.

Have a good day. Bye!

Bye!

Dad, this is yours.

Thanks.

BABY CRIES

Thanks, love. Lennie, alright,
alright, ey, ey, ey.

Give us a smile, then.

Eh, lads, look at that for
a vision of loveliness.

None of your impudence!

Off to town, is it?

Like a bit of company? Quite
happy on my own, thank you, Mr Holly.

A lovely lady like you
should never be alone!

Oh, hold the bus for us!

No. Whoa! Hold on!

Mrs Brimsley!

Hello.

I haven't got any curd tarts with me,
if that's what you're after.

I'm not after curd tarts.

That'll be a first.

How's that lass of yours coping?

She's too young, Missus,
and that's the short of it.

Aye, she is. I'm sorry for her loss.

And for yours.

So how're you getting on now
that your lads have left home?

All that baking
and no mouths to feed?

Oh, I manage. It must get
a bit lonely now and then.

What's your game? What's this about?

Well, everyone gets lonely
now and then, don't they?

Sorry about that.

No-one hurt?

Just sit tight while
we clear this lot.

Ey, where you going? You heard
the man. You're to sit tight.

You just,
you just rest, rest against me.

You're a cheeky monkey, you are.

If my boys could see me now.

They're not here are they?

You're shameless.

But you're comfy enough
where you are, aren't you?

Seems I don't have a choice.

The thing is, Mrs Brimsley,

we're all at sea.

And we need someone to come
and take charge of us so that
Lydia can go back to school.

And I think you need a bit
of looking after an all.

And I'm the man to do it.

Oh, you are, are you? I am.

If you'll let me.

He's demanding £10,000.

I haven't got that kind of money!

No. I imagine not.

Can we fight it?
No, Robert, we can't.

Alderman Snaith's case is unarguable.

Can you raise a
mortgage on Maythorpe?

Lydia! Lydia! Lydia!

Leave me alone.

I'm in the middle of a good bit.
It's Dad,

he's got a lady with him!

Lydia, come down
and say how do to Mrs Brimsley!

Hello, dear.

Your father's told me all about you,

about how clever you are and
how well you've been managing.

You can take up your scholarship
again because Mrs Brimsley says
she's going to come and look after

t'little uns. What do you
say about that then, eh?

Give her a bit of time, Jessie, eh?
She'll come round.

In't your brother a good boy?

Is he always this good?

Sometimes. Does he cry a lot?

Eh, this is a bit of
alright, isn't it, eh?

What do you say?

Thanks. This is the best curd tart in
South Riding by miles!

And this is the kindest
hearted woman in Yorkshire!

Oh, give over! Oh, by the way,
I don't think your Lydia's too happy.

She'll just have her nose
in a book, that's all.

Lydia?

It's all right up here, in'it?

Ah, best view in Yorkshire.

I wonder I never tried it before.

So what is it, then, Lyd?

Have you taken against Mrs Brimsley?

Dad, we were all right the way
we were.

Aye, you did a right good job of
looking after the little ones.

But it weren't fair on you, it were
robbing you of your scholarship.

I didn't mind that.

Well, I did,

and Miss Burton did, and your
mother would have too, and she were

that proud of you getting into
high school and doing so well.

I thought you'd forgotten about her.

Lydia!

How could I ever do that?

Your Ma was my dear darling,

she was my first and only love.

But I'm not the sort of man who
could go about in mourning for the

rest of my life, with a long face
and black armband. I'm not that man.

I know! Lyd, it's just not in me.

But I swear to you that nobody
could ever take your
mother's place in my heart.

Do you? Do you truly?

I do.

See, it's just like

a new chapter in our lives.

It don't mean we
forget about our past.

And you're going to
make us so proud of you,

and your mother's going to
be watching from up there
and she's going to be saying

to the angels, she'll be saying,
that's my Lydia down there,
such a clever girl.

She takes after her dad, you know!

And the angels'll be saying, aye,
Barnabas Holly, ah, we always
hoped he'd make more of hissen.

A Prime Minister, maybe.

But his daughter,

ah, his daughter's going to fulfil
his hopes and his dreams.

One hundredfold! Oh, shut up, you.

So you're all right about it, then?

Case of like it
or lump it, ain't it?

Might as well make up me mind...

to like it.

That's my girl!

It's one of the
shortest poems I know.

It was written over 400 years ago and
yet it still feels so fresh today.

Some people say the first two lines
don't have anything to do

with the last two. What do you think?

"Oh, Western wind,
when wilt thou blow,

"that the small rain down can rain?

"Christ, that my love were in my bed

"and I in his arms again."

Miss, that's not quite right.

Isn't it?

No, in the book it's,

"Christ, that my love were in
my arms and I in my bed again."

Oh, yes, so it is.

Like, in the book you can't tell
if it's a man or a woman talking,

but the way you said it,
it's definitely a woman talking.

Yes, yes, you're quite right.

How silly of me, oh, dear.

You're blushing, Miss.

KNOCK AT THE DOOR
Well, none of us like to
make mistakes. Come in.

One of the governors to
see you, Miss Burton.

Right. Er, this shouldn't take too
long, why don't you wait outside,

make some notes on the poem and
we'll talk about it afterwards.

It's you.

Is this a bad moment?

Well, you could have
made an appointment.

No, it's all right.

What did you want?

I thought you'd like to know
that I'm going to be stepping
down as one of the governors.

I'm about to be bankrupted,

so I thought I'd go
before I was pushed.

I dare say you won't be
sorry to see the back of me.

How can you say that? Because you're
against everything I stand for.

Of course I am,
but that doesn't matter!

I'm not against you.

I don't see the difference.

Yes, you do, don't pretend to be more
pigheaded than you really are.

Why haven't you been
near me since Manchester?

I was worried about you.

You could have been dead,
for all I knew.

Why have you been avoiding me?

I could ask the same of you.
Were you hoping I'd run after you?

No. I assumed you were as
embarrassed as I was about
the whole episode.

So I embarrass you, do I?
I didn't say that.

I suppose you think I'm some cheap
little tart, but believe me,

I don't make a habit of
sleeping with men in hotel rooms.

I'm sure you don't. Then what?

For God's sake, woman!
I embarrassed myself!

To take advantage of you,
put you in a compromising

situation, then collapse on
you like a broken down nag?

I don't think of you
as a cheap little tart.

You're a remarkable woman.

But I assumed what you wanted
that night was a man, not just a

washed-up wreck! Oh, God!

Men!

It's all got to be about
your virility, hasn't it?

I didn't want a man, I wanted you!

And we were together.
I thought we were.

And afterwards, apart
from knowing you were

all right, all I wanted was some
sort of acknowledgment that
it did mean something, that

it wasn't some grubby little episode
to be forgotten about as
soon as possible.

Clearly you see things differently.
Sometimes I think men and women

must be two completely different
species.

Yeah, I think you could be right.

And now I've embarrassed and
humiliated myself all over again.

I'd like you to go now, please.

So you don't think less
of me for what happened?

You stupid man. Of course not.

Will you please just go?

It did mean something to me, Sarah.

Just go, please!

Awful, awful!

Come on!

At least I didn't
tell him I'm in love with him.

Stand. Stand.

It's all right. It's all right.

He will come back.
He always comes back.

Don't you worry, Miss.

I'll wager he'll be
home come tea time.

Thank you, Hicks.

I'm so sorry to burst in like this.

But there's some dreadful
news for poor Midge Carne.

Is it her mother? No, it isn't.

Back to your class, Lydia.

What is it?

It's her father. It's Robert Carne.

There's been an accident.

His horse was found on
the beach this morning.

I don't know how I'm
going to tell the poor girl.

They were so attached,
the two of them.

No, no, no! You need to find him!
You need to bring him back!

Until a body is recovered, we shan't
be able to proceed with probate,

but I wanted to see you
because of the child.

Mr Carne made a new will quite
recently, naming you as Midge's legal
guardian in the event of his death.

Were you aware of that?

No.

He asked me, informally,

in a friendly kind of way,
if I'd look after Midge
if anything happened.

And, of course, I
said I'd be glad to.

Good, good. Erm,
had you spoken with him recently?

Of course. We see each...

We saw each other almost every day.

And he seemed his usual self? Not...

depressed or agitated? Not at all.

He was worried about money

and a little vexed with some of
his fellow councillors, but...

Oh, no. You can't think that...

He wouldn't do a thing like that!

How do?

Sorry.

At least you came.

Well, you have to, don't you?

Now, I wonder if you gentlemen
will help settle an argument
between my friend and me?

You know all the tides and currents.

Man goes over the cliff
at Maythorpe.

How long till his body washes up
and where will it be?

This is unbearable.

Three days, likely.

Well south of where he went in.
Leame Estuary, somewhere like that.

There you are, what did I say?
He'd have shown well before
now if he was going to.

This that chap Carne who
went over, horse and all?

That's the man. And I think
we'll find he doubled his life
insurance before he went out.

Shall we go? Yes.

You don't think he killed himself,
do you?

I can't say.

Sarah, I can't.

How can we know what's going on
in another person's mind?

How can you know that he
hadn't simply just had enough?

No, you don't understand.
I have to believe

it was an accident, that he was
thinking about the future.

Because I can't bear to think
that he'd given up on life.

Well, I'm afraid I
can't help you there.

If you want my advice,
you're the one who ought to
be thinking about the future.

The first conversation I had with
you, you were still mourning a man
who'd been dead for nearly 20 years.

And now you're setting yourself up
to spend the rest of your life
mourning for another one.

You have to live the life
that's there to be lived.

Bad things happen, life goes on.

Sarah, I'm leaving Kiplington.

I've had enough of the sewage
farms and the small politics.

No, not you as well.

You're the only thing
that could make me stay.

Well, do. Do stay. Do stay!

You don't understand.

There are bigger things
out there in the world
and I want to be part of them.

Now, if I had a chance with you,
to be more than just a friend...

Och, damn it, woman. You must
know I'm in love with you?

All right. I understand.

So...

I'm going to London.

There's real work
for me to do there.

I can't see another war
coming and do nothing about it.

If you ever change your mind...

You keep away from that edge now.

BABY CRIES

Mrs Carne?

Muriel?

I'm Emma Beddows,

a good friend of your husband's.

I've got some very sad news.

Robert was killed
in a riding accident.

Robert?

Yes, Robert. Your husband.

Am I coming home now?

Man that is born of a woman

hath but a short time to live

and is full of misery.

He cometh up and is
cut down like a flower.

Not much cutting down
required, from what I hear.

What do you mean?
I mean this is consecrated ground.

Would you bury him in consecrated
ground in your own church?

You're not saying...?

That's exactly what he's saying.
Excuse me?

So say it.
Out loud, if that's what you think.

Would you rather whisper behind
your hand? I think the rector...

You think he'd leave his daughter?

Do you think he'd abandon the
woman he loved for years, even...?

That's not the man I knew.

And no, I won't excuse you.

You obviously knew him very well,
Miss Burton.

Yes, I did.
And I'm not ashamed to say it.

Please.

Thou knowest, Lord,
the secrets of our hearts.

Shut not thy merciful
ears to our prayer.

But spare us, Lord most holy.

Suffer us not at our last hour.

For any pains of
death to fall from thee.

For as much as it hath pleased
Almighty God of his great mercy.

To take unto himself the soul of
our dear brother here departed.

We therefore commit
his body to the ground.

Steady! 'Earth to earth.'

Steady, boy!

'Ashes to ashes.'

Steady!

'Dust to dust.

'In sure and certain hope
of the resurrection to eternal life.

'Through our Lord, Jesus Christ.'

Amen. Amen.

Are you all right?
I beg your pardon?

Do you have everything you want?

There's some bits and
bobs, if you're hungry.

Would you be Mrs Beddows,
by any chance?

Yes. And you are? Sedgmire.

Oh, we didn't think you'd come.

Why wouldn't I come?
I want to see my granddaughter.

Do you? After all this time.

Better late than never.

And do you think she'll
want to see you?

Why don't we find out?

So you're Midge. You're very
like your mother was at your age.

Thank you.

Now... Your father appointed Mrs
Beddows your legal guardian but
I want you to come and live with me.

My nephew and his
wife are at the castle now.

More to the point, they have a girl
a little younger than you.

We haven't sent her to school yet.

She's had governesses.

We're thinking of a finishing
school in France or Switzerland.

You could go together.
Or you could stay here with me.

She's at a very good
school here, you know?

She's happy there and she's
doing really rather well.

It might not be a good idea to
disrupt her life at this stage.

Her life's already been disrupted.
Shall we ask the girl?

Would you prefer to stay here

or come to Shropshire?

Oh...
Come and live with you, Grandfather.

Now that Daddy's dead,
there's nothing to keep me here.

So be it, then. I assume
you won't go to law about it?

No. No.

If that's what Midge wants.

Good.

Elsie!

Have you seen Miss Burton?

I don't think she
came back to the house.

Where's Miss Burton?
Oh, she's not here, Mrs Beddows.

She's catching the train to London.

Although she did leave this letter
for the Chair of the Governors.

Give it to me.

Where's Lydia Holly? She should
be in room four, Mrs Beddows.

WHISTLE BLOWS

Is this the London train? It is.

When's it due out? Two minutes.

Did you
see Miss Burton get on, Percy?

Next carriage down.

You wait there.

You'll be the death
of me, young lady! Oh!

Wait a minute, Percy!

Well, I must say, I never
had you down as a bolter.

No, I am not a bolter.
So what's all this, then?

How can I stay here with the
whole town laughing at me?

I'm not fit to be a head teacher.

It'll die down. You're not
the first woman to embarrass
herself in public.

I could tell you of the time
my knickers fell down when I

was presenting the prizes
at the brass band festival.
I don't know what came over me.

It's been going on for weeks,
I just had to bear it, but when
they were gossiping over his grave...

He didn't kill himself,
I know he didn't.

Sarah, I heard the gossip, too,
and it hurt me just as much
as it hurt you.

I don't want to believe he killed
himself either but I can't overlook

he changed his will before he died
and left Midge for me to look after.

It doesn't really matter.

I loved him just the same.

Probably more than was good for me.

And Jim.

No, you don't understand.
He didn't kill himself. He was ill.

Oh, nonsense! He never had
a day's illness in his life.

Yes. He collapsed with a
heart attack when he was with me...

With me in Manchester.

I didn't know. He didn't tell me.

I wish he'd told me.

I'm sorry.

Well, at least you know that much.

WHISTLE BLOWS

Not yet, Percy! Put that down!

Right.

We'd better get off this train
before we both end up in London.

No, I can't. Why? Because you've
been disappointed in love?
Join the queue.

When you came here six months ago,
you blew your horn pretty loud.

You were full of plans for
what you could do for our girls.

You can't leave now
because your heart's been broken.

You'll find another head teacher.

She won't.

No, that's not fair! No, it's not.

You made a big song and dance
about the waste if she had to leave.

Are you going to leave her in
the lurch now? And all the other
girls whose lives you could change?

Now that would be a
waste, wouldn't it?

I know you're unhappy,

but running away won't
make you any happier.

All right, Percy, we're getting out!

Oh, Mr Drew. Councillor Huggins.
How are you?

Very well. Good luck.

HE BANGS GAVEL

Ladies and gentlemen of the press,
I am now in a position
to announce the decision

of the Town Planning Committee with
regard to the new housing estate.

After long deliberation,
we have decided on Schedule B.

No! Schedule B,
that's the Cold Harbour site.

That is the decision of the
committee, Councillor Huggins.

That's impossible!
That's impossible!

I assure you, Councillor Huggins,
that the vote, a unanimous one, as it
turned out, has chosen Schedule B.

The overriding reason being that
recent land speculation has forced up
land values on Leame Ferry Wastes

so that a compulsory council
purchase would be a very bad bargain.

This is an historic day for the South
Riding, and a vindication of the
theory of public-private partnership.

APPLAUSE

No doubt you're pleased with
the outcome, Mrs Beddows.

It's hard to feel pleased about
anything just now, Mr Snaith.

Yes. Very sad. Very sad.

However, the council may have an
opportunity to acquire Maythorpe.

The house and grounds could be
converted into a municipal care home
for mental incurables.

We might even name it after Carne.
The Robert Carne Memorial Hospital.

That's got a good ring
to it, don't you think?

Excuse me, Mr Snaith.

I'm not sure he's at home, sir.
I'll ask if he can see you.

Oh, he'll see me or I'll want to
know the reason why! I'm sorry, sir.

It's all right, Christie.
What can I do for you, Huggins?
You can damn well explain yourself!

You've ruined me!
My dear man, I don't understand.

You told me the new estate
would be on the Wastes!

It was always going to be built on
the cheapest site. Anything else
would be irresponsible.

But I sold my life
insurance to buy 32 acres.

Did you? Course I did, man!
Did you think I'm so slow
I wouldn't take your tip?

To do what? Defraud the County
Council? That was never my intention.

The thing about corruption is that it
nearly always comes out in the end.

You should know that.
I'm not corrupt.

I'm a good man! I've always done
what's best for the people.
I've never been in it for myself!

I was in a bit of a spot and I
thought you might help me out!

And what a mess you
got yourself into.

I suppose, with the benefit of
hindsight, we could have all seen
it coming. Couldn't we, Edgar?

Never mind bloody Edgar!
Why did you do it?

Why did you lend me £500 when
you thought it might all go wrong?

The £500 was for your daughter.

Wait a minute.
You'll be all right, won't you?

You've got that little
railway down at Cold Harbour.

That's what you wanted
all along, wasn't it?

Yes, it's funny how things turn
out, isn't it? You slimy bastard!

HE CHOKES

Oh, Lord, have mercy
on us miserable sinners!

Aagh!

HE GASPS

Oh, Lord, I'm sorry!

Not quite the evening we had in mind,
is it, Edgar?

To those of you who are leaving,
you will find the world a lot
more complicated than it looks.

There will be unexpected delights
as well as setbacks.

As you get older,
you know fewer things for certain.

Not more.

PAPER IS TORN

Things will happen
to you that you didn't expect.

Things that challenge
everything you thought you knew.

Don't be afraid of that.

We all have to make mistakes.

The trick is to learn from them.

You've heard me say before,
question everything.

Question yourselves,
question authority.

But open your eyes,

your ears and...

your hearts, too.

You can learn things from the most

unexpected people.

People you might not think
could teach you anything.
That's a lesson we all must learn.

Above all, enjoy your lives
and live to the full.

Please, don't ever be afraid.

The future belongs to you.

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