(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
Ripped By mstoll
OLD BERT: Do you know how many weddings I've been to?
You'll never guess.
A hundred and forty-two!
A hundred and forty-two weddings, so that's 284 lives coming together.
But those two weddings,
a week apart in the spring of 1924,
they were about much more than lives coming together.
There you go. Very handsome.
Not handsome enough for anyone to marry you.
(LAUGHING)
Not long though, eh, Bert?
- Can I go now? - Oh, eh!
It's the bride that's supposed to be late, not the best man.
Be a minute. There you go. See you at chapel.
(SIGHS)
A chair, John.
Thank you.
Edmund will be the fifth Member of Parliament to be married in this chapel.
OLD BERT: If love is reckless and unstoppable at the same time,
then perhaps we shouldn't be surprised when the world's
turned upside down by it.
But this, this blew all our socks off.
- Oi! You're trespassing. - I'm best man. No ring, no wedding.
Wedding's not till Saturday and I bet you're not invited.
Don't come this way again!
I said 10:00.
It's 10:05. Wedding's not for another hour.
Fifty-five minutes.
Perfect.
I want you to know, I'll never forget him.
He'd have wanted you to be happy.
And I will be.
So, I'm not going to be your mother-in-law. I'm going to be your mother instead.
ARNOLD: Beautiful.
- It's for the Big House wedding. - And for Gilbert and Agnes'?
He's my son. He's getting married.
If you can't support them, I'm asking you to be quiet.
GRACE: Leave that. We'll be late, John.
- You go. - What?
I promised Hankin I'd make that milk quota, no matter what.
Weddings, funerals, christenings, they all come second now.
Monday, I saw three women and children cross the road to avoid Agnes and her pram.
They held their children close in to 'em, so they didn't catch a sight
of baby Sophie, the bastard.
This is more than just another wedding.
I'm not prepared to lose what we've made on this farm, Grace, not for nothing.
And what about our grandson? What you gonna say to him?
Don't talk about that.
"Cross the road in case you catch something from the bastard?"
You're too angry, Grace.
No, I'm not nearly angry enough! Come on, Mary, get your coat.
- Gilbert all right? - Only two hours early.
(SIGHS)
I love this chapel. It's honest. I'm so glad we married here.
ROBIN: George. MARY: Did you get married here?
21st of June. Hmm, long time ago.
Did you get married here, Margaret?
I did, sweetheart. May 6, 1899.
- Last century? - (LAUGHS)
I'm afraid it was. I was baptized here, married here and we'll be buried here,
the lot of us. Dust to dust.
If there be any person here who knows of any lawful impediment to this marriage,
speak now or forever hold your peace.
(SOPHIE CRIES)
(ALL LAUGHING)
Thank you.
(SOPHIE CONTINUES CRYING)
ROBIN: (WHISPERING) "I, Gilbert..."
I, Gilbert Arnold Hankin, take you,
Agnes Scrivener, to be my...
(EXHALES SOFTLY)
Agnes.
I love you with all my heart.
Will you please be my wife?
I will.
"I, Agnes Scrivener..."
- I, Agnes Scrivener... - ROBIN: "Take you,
- "Gilbert Arnold Hankin." - AGNES: Take you, Gilbert Arnold Hankin.
ROBIN: "To be my wedded husband." AGNES: To be my wedded husband.
ROBIN: "To have and to hold, from this day forward. "
To have and to hold from this day forward.
ROBIN: "In plenty, and in want."
AGNES: In plenty and in want.
ROBIN: "In joy and in sorrow." AGNES: In joy and in sorrow.
ROBIN: "To love and to cherish."
To love and to cherish.
- ROBIN: "As long as we both shall live." - As long as we both shall live.
It is my enormous pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife.
(ALL CLAPPING)
(BOTH LAUGHING)
You may kiss the bride.
Sorry.
- I love you. - (MOUTHING) I love you, too.
(AGNES LAUGHS)
You next.
(BELLS TOLLING)
(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)
ALL: Hey!
Thank you.
Margaret, could I... Could I hold her?
- MARGARET: Do you know how to hold her? - Aye.
Hey, come to Granddad again. Hey, that's it.
You want to say hello to Grandma?
Look at them. They're happy. What else matters?
Ladies and gentlemen, what's the point of a wedding?
It's to make private feelings public. It's an announcement of love
that takes no heed what the world thinks.
I'm not very articulate with words though.
I do my best but they never seem enough, or feel enough somehow.
But I know how we can make it better, our public announcement.
With dancing!
To the dancehall!
(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)
(CHEERING)
Hey, hey, hey, come on, Gilbert!
(CHEERING AND CLAPPING)
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
Get it down you.
We could go for a walk.
I've an article to finish for the morning.
- Do you mind if I stay? - Not at all. Enjoy yourself.
(INAUDIBLE)
- Why are we walking so fast? - I'm sorry.
Sorry.
(SLOW MUSIC PLAYING)
- Talking shop? - I'm afraid so.
(EXHALES CONTENTEDLY)
The children of the village are very lucky to have you two.
Um, I have some things that I have to do at school.
Now?
When I think of something that has to be done,
I know I'll forget, so I have to do it. Now.
Such dedication.
What's wrong?
I got this today.
- Who's it from? - Ghana Jones.
- Well, what does he say? - Just, his life outside the village.
It's another world. You can hear it in the way he writes.
It's full of hope and excitement and...
You're leaving?
- I didn't... - Yes, you did.
You! What are you doing? Speak up lad. What. Were. You. Doing?
Dirty business, was it? Filthy, dirty?
Talking. It's a conversation that matters.
- We're doing no harm. - Let your father be the judge of that.
Go on!
- It couldn't wait? - No.
- What is it? - (CLEARS THROAT)
"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow."
"Out, out, brief candle!"
Stay there.
(ALL EXCLAIMING)
Bert?
What's going on?
- These two belong to you, do they? - He's my son.
Phoebe?
ANDREW: I found these two intertwining on Allingham land.
That's what he wanted it to be.
Is that right? Were you hoping for something dirty?
- Shut up. - We were talking.
Talking? Nobody goes there for talking.
No crime in that.
If it's on Allingham land it is. It's called trespass, isn't it, Vicar?
It's Minister, not Vicar.
Now you've said your piece, you can be on your way.
MAN: You heard him.
(SCOFFS)
MAN: And don't come back an' all.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
GRACE: So the sign is at the old bridge?
MARY: What were you and Phoebe really doing?
They were courting, Mary.
What does that mean?
The old bridge is... Well, somewhere couples go, well...
Have always gone to hold hands and hold conversations.
- Did you and Father do intertwining? - (LAUGHING) Yes, we did.
- Ugh! - Go on!
Hello?
Mrs Hankin.
- It sounds silly. - It isn't silly, though.
No, it isn't.
- Is it your first? - No.
I love you.
You shouldn't have had the party.
You wouldn't have had the wedding at all.
No. I wouldn't.
So what do you see when you look at them? Gilbert, Agnes and Sophie?
A fool, a whore and a bastard.
They're a family.
So that's a family?
Then what are we?
EDMUND: I'm back.
(HARRY GIGGLING)
- After you, Lady Allingham. - How was Westminster?
Good to be back on the right side of the House again. Where we belong.
Mmm, I've had a tremendous idea.
How about we make this moment, right now, the very last reference to politics
- until after the wedding. - (BOTH LAUGHING)
- Drink? - Good idea.
Has it been ghastly?
On the contrary, I've been having rather a time of it.
- Well, you know what she wants, don't you? - She wants the past.
- It's a fiction. - I love fiction and I love friction.
Plenty of both here. Anyway, what about you?
Apart from the happy return
of Conservative bottoms to where they rightfully belong?
I found some time to enjoy myself.
(LAUGHS)
Robert well then, is he?
You and Phoebe?
What?
Well.
- Do you love her? - Don't embarrass him, Mother.
Remember the old bridge, John?
Grace.
Don't embarrass him, Mother.
It isn't just about Bert and Phoebe, is it?
- Isn't it? - No.
It's an attack on our history. It's telling anyone who's stood
on that bridge and held hands with a future that it's not theirs.
Our history chased off, at gunpoint.
They were on their land. That's the end of it.
(DOOR CREAKING OPEN)
(LAUGHING) Eh, look who I found on the doorstep.
- We wanted to thank you. For the party. - Aye, best day of our lives.
(SOPHIE CRYING)
(ARNOLD COOING AT SOPHIE)
- I'll have to feed her. - Right. We'll, er, leave you women to it.
- Okay. - (SOPHIE CRYING)
AGNES: There we go. Yeah.
When will you tell her?
- What? - You know.
What?
Her history.
(SHUSHING)
Arnold went to a lot of expense last night. And there's a lot of tidying up to do!
How did the Shakespeare go?
Honestly?
The mistake that us teachers make with children and Shakespeare
is Midsummer Night's Dream.
Because we think that 'cause it's all full of magic,
they're all gonna love it. But they don't.
They want Macbeth. Because it's bloody and it's short and there's more
poetry in him and her than in all of Bottom and Puck. They loved it.
What are we going to do?
I don't know.
Thank you, Portis.
- So, who's coming? - Oh!
- Er, two Mauds. - Right.
One Edith and two Ernests.
- And, er, what are they... - Like?
They are bold and fast. Actually, one of the Ernests is, er...
Is eligible.
(CHUCKLES)
Do you remember what you said? She's still a child, in a way.
Yes, why is that?
She had some unhappiness.
And now she needs some fun.
Here he is, our vicar on a mission.
I've counted at least three more paths you intend to block off.
I don't understand your problem.
The way the Allinghams see it, you can cycle where you like.
You're married in, aren't you? You're one of them.
(MEN LAUGHING)
- MAN: Oi! - (STAMMERING ANGRILY)
Would an Allingham do that?
PHOEBE: Wouldn't you miss this?
BERT: Yeah. But I don't want to look at it every day for the rest of my life.
These are good.
Thomas likes his without butter. And Louis won't touch egg.
I look after them, Bert. I'm the only mother they've known.
I used to think I couldn't leave either.
Not after Joe.
Not with the farm how it was. But Father's got Henry now and the farm...
It works.
You can't stay here, can you?
Then neither can I.
(SOPHIE COOING)
Agnes?
Hey.
My granddaughter will be needing a feed. Go on.
(DOOR OPENING)
This one was only trying to clean up after her own wedding.
Was she now?
You've done so much for us. I just... I just wanted to do my bit.
Your bit in life will be making my son happy. Not skivvying at a dance hall.
You're no Cinderella.
You're not wrong there, Arnold.
POLICEMAN: Well, he's lucky he's got friends in high places.
Ah, here he is.
Rest assured, Andrew will be dealt with.
He can be overzealous at times but he works hard.
We don't have to tell Martha. Nobody need know.
Is that what you think I want?
We all make mistakes.
It wasn't a mistake.
(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)
(DOOR OPENS)
What is that?
"Coon Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra", Lady Allingham.
You'll be familiar with it by the end of the weekend if Harriet's crowd have any say.
Well, whatever the music, it's a good match.
No question of it. Yes, come the next reshuffle I'm sure Kilmartin will see to it
that his new son-in-law is in the right place.
Men can push against a mother's guidance now and again.
But he sees that you're right
and when he's the new Home Secretary, he'll see then even more clearly.
Your assistance in, er, helping him to see it hasn't gone unnoticed.
One big happy family.
He is happy. Isn't he?
Oh, yes.
Ghana Jones. Where's he now?
Liverpool. They won't let him fight championship bouts.
So he's doing something about it.
What do you mean? What can he do?
America. He's going to America.
When we're grey and old, this'll be us.
Drinks in The Lamb and a good woman at home.
Speaking of which, any deeper conversations with Miss Rundle?
- No! - Right.
You're in good company. You and him.
Arrested apparently.
I wonder who he was intertwining with?
(CLEARS THROAT)
What?
A changed man, right enough.
Ah, you two are lovely and all that, just not as lovely as my wife and daughter.
He's found it, hasn't he?
It's all he ever wanted.
And you?
Hmm? Oh, I'm fine.
Wedded to teaching.
I wish I was Ghana Jones.
Then go, Bert. Stop talking about it and act.
Leave the village and go after whatever it is that you want.
'Cause if you don't then...
Out.
- He's a good man, Mr Eyre. - Yes, he is.
He knows his own mind.
Yes.
The kind of man you could take advice from.
Why are you telling me this?
And what are you not telling me?
Is everything all right? Between you and Father?
Everything's fine. Is that what you've been worrying about?
The farm is good?
The farm is good.
I'm proud of you all. And I know that I'll be proud of you all tomorrow.
The sunshine is coming back.
The life that was lived here when I was a child is here again.
You didn't ask.
What?
I looked at you and I looked at you, and I... I waited.
The moment was there, Bert, and you... You didn't take it.
I can't come with you anyway. And it's not just 'cause of the boys.
I don't want to leave.
You can't be here. I can hear it and see it in everything you do and say.
And I can't be anywhere else.
But I love you.
And you love me.
It's not enough.
(SIGHS)
Well, what a delight to have you back in our midst, Lord Kilmartin.
The pleasure is all mine, Lady Allingham. And if I may?
- Oh! (LAUGHS) - Mmm.
KILMARTIN: Is your wife joining us?
- Teaching, I'm afraid. - HARRY: Martha has a job, Daddy.
Impressive isn't it?
KILMARTIN: The modern woman.
Well, a toast. To Eddie and Harry, a modern pair.
(EDMUND CHUCKLING)
ALL: A modern pair.
And to the union of our two families.
- ALL: Hear, hear! - (GLASSES CLINKING)
- (CAR HORN HONKS) - Oh! They're here!
(DISTANT LAUGHTER)
(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)
Oh, do you mind if my friends join us for lunch?
Of course not.
(HARRY LAUGHING)
Which one is Ernest?
I'm taking your advice.
- You're leaving? - I've not told my parents. Not yet.
Well, you'll have to.
- Where are you... - Liverpool.
Ghana.
- He's, er... - America.
- Er, look, it's not much... - Oh, no, no.
Take it. For me.
Have you told Phoebe?
She told me, really.
Are you all right?
- I wanted to thank you. - (SCOFFS) Why?
You've given me the push I needed. The right advice from a good man.
- What was it that American president said? - Which one?
You told us about it. Ideas shared...
(SIGHS)
"He who receives an idea from me receives it without lessening me,
"as he who lights his candle at mine receives light without darkening me."
Thomas Jefferson.
(GUNSHOT)
(PANICKED GASPING)
Pull!
- She's a crack shot. - Did you teach her to shoot?
Oh, yes.
Watch this.
Pull.
(ALL LAUGHING)
You bastard!
All of you! (LAUGHING)
Good shot!
I'm sorry!
I'll get you a new one, of course.
(LAUGHS)
Well done, girl! Don't wait for the old man!
Margaret, you got your finery laid out for tomorrow?
Oh! Lady Allingham is terribly disappointed that I cannot attend.
But I'll tell you what I told her. "Lady Allingham," I said, "it's wash day."
"Even if it were the wedding of the Prince of Wales hisself,
"my Henry's dirty smalls wait for no man."
(ALL LAUGHING)
I expect you'll be going though, eh?
- Er, Peter, I'll get this. - Oh?
A man jailed for his principles deserves a drink. Man needs his lemonade.
The old bridge is just the start.
- Look. - Bloody hell.
- Excuse me. - ROBIN: I won't stop going.
They can keep arresting me.
Aye, and they'll keep letting you out and all. The Revolving Reverend!
Let's see.
ROBIN: The Edge, Snake Pass,
the top path to the Chinley Road, all to be fenced and gated.
I drive my sheep over Snake Pass.
Not this winter.
Will you be walking that way again?
Tomorrow.
Well, would you like someone to walk alongside you?
- Aye. - Me an' all.
They can't arrest us all, can they?
Here, I thought you said tomorrow were wash day.
Well, it is. But this is important, isn't it?
I'd say it was.
Grace. Grace. Why are you running away?
Eleven months! And not a word.
I was in Westminster, Grace. We were trying to stay in power with a minority government.
You made this village matter.
You said you felt at home here, that we were your people.
I was representing you, down there.
- It's what I was doing day and night. - Well, you never came back. Not once.
- I'm here now. - Yeah, now it's over!
Now you're not in power and now, now you've got time to...
I came to see you.
What?
I came to see you, Grace. Answer me this. One question. That's all.
Are you pleased to see me?
I've got to get on.
(INDISTINCT)
(DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES)
They let Robin out. The trespassing Minister is free to trespass again.
It's a clever move. The Left love a martyr.
And a man of God jailed for walking this green and pleasant land
is as good as martyrs get.
Are you drunk, Arnold?
Yes.
You should have more sense.
Men of God, they know what they want and they stick to it.
He's trespassing again tomorrow.
The Allinghams have got a fight on with God.
(SNIGGERS)
Why's it so funny? I thought you voted Conservative.
Oh, come on, Norma. Enough deference to the Big House.
Don't use big words with me, Arnold Hankin.
- (EXHALES) - We're to be guests at their wedding.
And you think to sit there accepting their hospitality while all the time
supporting those that would trespass on their land?
Oh, you sound like the Lord's Prayer.
- Like I said, enough deference. - What's the answer to my question?
And you're right. So I won't go. To the wedding.
(PLAYFUL CHATTERING)
- Are they keeping you awake? - (SCOFFS)
Are you not joining in?
No, not really my thing.
(CAR HORN HONKING)
Don't, I'll be right back.
Robert!
Yes!
HARRY: Oh, it's so good to see you!
Oh! Look, darling, it...
Dear chap! How are you? Of course, so good. Come in, come in.
We're off.
Where're you going?
To show Allinghams that their fences won't keep us off the land.
- I want to show you something. - Well, won't it wait?
You've seen sense?
It's very lovely.
You look beautiful.
What is it, Norma? Why are you so angry?
Don't you listen?
Yes, but what you're feeling goes beyond what you're saying.
I'm your husband.
You can talk to me.
Not that tie. Wear the blue one.
Oh, lost your way, Robert?
Just wanted to wish the groom good luck.
Oh? Of course.
- Darling... Oh! - Mother!
Do you enjoy embarrassing me, Edmund?
I'm not sure what you mean.
I've only ever wanted to secure your future.
The future of this family!
You have. I'm marrying Harriet.
You do still want it, don't you?
Yes, but you have to do it properly!
(STAMMERING) You and Harriet...
You have to be married.
You mean you want grandchildren.
- Well... - And a "homosex" won't give you one.
I don't believe you have to be an invert!
I...
I think that you can conquer it.
Harry's a cure? A good dose of wife will sort out the queer in me?
This house, this family, this line.
You'll only know what it means when it's left to you to protect it.
And you'll only understand me
when I'm gone.
It's a good turnout.
Looks like there's more coming. It's Bill Gibby.
Guests are arriving.
You never married, Mr Bairstow. Why is that?
Never had the need.
I'm not a queer. In case you were asking.
I married here myself, you know.
An unseasonably cold day in June.
Even at nineteen, I knew it wasn't for love.
The future Home Secretary is about to get a wife.
And the sun is shining.
What's in the bag?
Clothes.
Why?
I'm going to carry on walking, Mother.
What?
I'm with you for this and then I'm the other way. Down Chinley Road.
Why?
I'm leaving.
- Bert... - Liverpool.
Ghana's gonna be there next week.
And the way he speaks, Mother, about his life...
Bert, I...
BILL: Grace.
Bert Middleton, the boxer. How are you, son?
I'm... I'm just say gonna say hello to Mr Eyre.
- I thought you'd like some support. - We appreciate it. Thank you.
They're not gonna be able to ignore us now, eh, Grace?
Yeah.
Please be up standing for the bride.
(ORGAN MUSIC)
Please be seated.
Dearly beloved...
They're the thieves! This is our land and we'll walk on it when we want to!
- What do you say? - ALL: Yes.
Bill, I don't usually go that way. Besides, it overlooks Allingham Hall.
What's the point of a protest if no one sees it? Let's go!
MAN: Come on, Bill.
Let's not speak about it. I want our last hours together to be good ones.
Come on.
(ORGAN MUSIC)
I will make him happy.
For better or for worse.
Get yourself up the Big House.
(HAPPY CHATTERING)
White Russian.
Rescued from the Bolsheviks?
Mmm. (CHUCKLES)
Er, excuse me.
Oh, for God's sake!
(GLASS SHATTERS)
Was he laughing at me? Did I say something wrong?
Nothing.
Oh, come on, Norma.
People have been laughing at me for years.
No. They haven't.
And do you know why? Because I want to be something more,
something better.
I want this. What is wrong with that?
Is that it? Is that all? Then why have you been so angry with Gilbert and Agnes?
Because I am jealous. Because I want what they have.
I want a child. I want a baby, Arnold.
I know.
Stop them looking. Stop them laughing at me.
Yes.
KILMARTIN: Come on, George, you're a soldier, finish your milk.
Go.
You can't come through here!
And what are you going to do? Arrest all of us?
How much are you paid for your work? Is it enough for this?
Where does your loyalty lie, man? Your employer or your class?
Come on!
- From one small protest. - Grows a movement.
GEORGE: What are you doing?
Come on, George. You're not a pansy, are you? What's wrong with you?
(PANTING)
- Turn around. - No, we're going for a walk.
You've been told once. We won't go easy a second time.
It's a peaceful protest.
Take it elsewhere. You're not coming through here.
(ALL GRUMBLING)
And you three intend to stop us?
ANDREW: We do.
You can't stop us. And neither will that.
ALL: Yeah!
(ALL MURMURING)
GRACE: Bill.
Now!
(UPBEAT CLASSICAL MUSIC)
(GUNSHOTS)
(MUSIC STOPS)
(LOUD SHOUTING AND PROTESTING)
Listen to me! I suggest you all go home!
- Bert! - Or my next shot will be more than a warning.
Bolsheviks!
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
(GUNSHOTS)
(WHIMPERING)
(SOBBING)
(ALL CLAMOURING)
Grace!
John! John! John!
John, John, John!
Go on. Keep going, keep going.
John.
(YELLING)
John, John. John, it's Grace. John.
John. Come on, John. John, listen to me. John.
John.
Can you hear me, John? John.
(SCREAMING)
John, John, come on! John, please! (CRYING) John.
Ripped By mstoll