Oh, you're out early.
Hairdresser's. She was booked up.
The only slot she could fit me in.
Come on, then, let's have a look.
You have to wait till I'm in full war paint and battle gear.
Sounds dangerous. Should I be nervous?
You're safe enough here.
For the moment, anyway.
Ask me later, when I've got some bubbly under me belt.
CROCKERY RATTLES
And then, about mid-day, I want to call home and pick up my best uniform.
What for?
The wedding.
We've not been invited. We're only handling traffic.
I don't care.
I'm not going all creased up.
It's murder on a uniform, sitting in these cars.
Should have brought your ironing board(!)
Then there'd be no room in't boot for the barbecue and grill.
Does it smell of mothballs?
I could smell it down the street.
You didn't say anything.
I thought it was me.
Phew.
This is one I did while recovering from the stress of an operation in Albania.
You had an operation in Albania?
It wasn't the appendix.
I was trying to locate their secret moustache factory.
You've seen the size of their moustaches.
You didn't think they were real, did you?
Ohh.
You're not in the mood for embroidery - I can tell.
I'm getting the feeling that needlework is wasted on you.
What am I going to wear?
For needlework?
I've never felt it was a problem.
For the wedding.
Ah, the wedding.
You're going to wear your best suit.
It's at home.
Pearl won't let me in.
I'll clear the way for you.
You've been saying that all week,
promising to get me back home.
And today's the day.
She'll let you in to change your suit.
Once you're in, you turn on the charm.
Let her see how much she's been missing.
No scrub that bit.
Let her see how much you've been missing HER.
Look lost. You're a tragic figure.
Go for the sympathy bit.
We tried that.
Ah, but today, she's going to a wedding. Heh?
She'll already be all emotional.
They're like that about weddings.
And I must admit...
..I'm the same.
Collars and cuffs, Morton.
She'll be there at the wedding.
My own little bride that was,
the evil little conniving...
Love her dearly, of course.
And I do mean DEARLY.
She took me for the lot.
So did mine. The only thing she left were the wedding photos.
We're birds of a feather, Morton.
Victims in life's harsh lottery.
Admittedly I'm in a higher socio-economic group,
but still, I sense a comradeship between us.
Although don't go noising it about.
I won't say a word.
Very wise. I'd only deny it.
Nobody listens to me, anyway.
What?
You see!
Watch the collar! Watch the collar!
It's a day for looking one's best.
I'll show my ex what she's in danger of losing entirely,
if she's not careful.
Mine won't be there.
I'm supposed to be going with a Moira.
Glenda arranged it.
You'll be all right. I'll guide you through.
Unless of course she's hideous - in which case, you're on your own.
You can manage hideous.
Go. Get in there, right?
You've got the perfect excuse.
You need your best suit.
Maybe I ought to phone first.
ALL: Go!
Remember, sympathy.
You're a tragic figure.
There's nobody in.
You didn't even knock. How do you know?
When you've been married all those years, you just KNOW.
(You see.)
You read tea leaves as well(?)
It's just an instinct for knowing where your wife is.
And boy, have you needed it!
Give her a smile and a wave.
DOOR SLAMS SHUT
Looks like that wave was goodbye.
Come in, Morton.
Make yourself comfy.
Relax and sit down.
SIT DOWN, Morton!
You thought it was just an invitation, didn't you?
And you!
If it's about your friend...
After today, she's going to be YOUR friend, Morton.
She means it. It's like her "sit down".
You might as well get used to it.
You'll like Moira.
Again, not optional.
Go and put the kettle on, Barry.
Why don't I put the kettle on?
I could... Sit!
Barry!
Now, Morton...
Have you paid Pearl a compliment lately? Yes.
Such as?
Well...
She knows I think she makes good gravy.
Ah!
You're a little smoothie with the ladies.
Man with golden tongue.
Why do you think she's wearing a headscarf?
She's had her hair done.
So there's your opportunity.
You go home, you knock on the door,
she opens up, you say, "Ahh!"
You take a step backwards
and you say, "Why, Pearl,
"your hair looks stunning."
Doesn't sound like me.
Not the old you. She threw that one out.
You need a new you.
And a better suit.
Let her see man with golden tongue.
Her hair looks how?
Stunning. Stunning...
Agh! Why, Pearl, your hair looks stunning.
You can't even see it, you gormless twit!
Today's the day. I can feel it.
I feel strange with this hairstyle.
These are not hairstyles.
These are man traps.
We are going to drive the men wild.
I think just one will do.
Wrong. We're going to slaughter across the board.
We're giving out a force-field of pure femaleness.
Pure(?)
Of intense femaleness...that the men will not be able to ignore.
Ooh! Here's two now. Let's show them what we've got.
Pull yourself together, Morton.
Look, it's one of the...
I'm no good with women.
I am, and look where it's got me.
I thought she liked me.
I mean, she took me on honeymoon.
They can be very deceitful.
Mine's still pretending she hates me.
So, OK, she's thrown you out.
You're all alone in the world. You're homeless.
Let's look on the bright side.
What's the bright side?
You've always wanted to be free.
Not this free. Marina might adopt you now.
She's not speaking to me either.
She said goodbye.
Quiet, team.
I need to confide in you.
Nothing you hear must leave this room.
I have a problem. I can't help it.
I'm not ashamed, and it doesn't mean I'm any less of a lethal machine,
but I always cry at weddings.
Go on, laugh.
I knew you'd laugh. Well, laugh away.
These things can be controlled. Agh!
What was that? What was what?
That thing with the knee.
Well, that's it. That's how I control them.
With one knee? Sometimes one, sometimes the other.
What, you use both knees?
Not at the same time.
You raise both knees, you fall down.
That thing with the knee - stops you crying at weddings?
Oh, no, it's not just for weddings.
It's a method for controlling the emotion in any situation.
A very ancient practice of a warrior people. The Erics.
The who?
You've heard of the Saxons and the Franks. These were the Erics.
Great knee-fighters.
Oh, they believed the knee to be the centre of power.
You'll find it on Google.
A knee in the googles? I've heard about it.
Never mind knees.
How do I get my suit? No problem.
I'll lend you one of mine.
It's never going to fit.
Exactly. There's no way Pearl is going to let you go to a wedding dressed like that.
She'll whisk you off home to get changed.
Is that planning, or what?
Show yourself, Howard.
THEY LAUGH
Ignore them.
You look like someone whose wife is just about to take pity on him.
If you won't let me get me suit, I'll have to go in this.
Well, just don't tell anybody we were once related.
Well, that worked like a dream(!)
It was heartbreaking to see him when he left.
Heartbreaking?
He looked hilarious in that suit.
"I'm going off down the lane," he said.
"I need some space."
How much more space does he need, in that jacket?
"I need to think things out," he said.
Oh, he looked so sad.
It affected us all.
We were tearing up.
Trying to remember strong men don't cry.
"I'm going to have to get used to being alone," he said, with a...catch in his voice.
How far has he gone?
It's time he was home, getting bathed and changed. Home?
You mean here? This house?
It's where he belongs.
Maybe now he won't be so quick to forget it. We'll fetch him.
No, you won't. I'll fetch him.
I can hardly miss him in that suit.
He's going to get his palm read loud and clear before he sets his foot back in here.
You'll like Moira.
Is she attractive? Course she's attractive.
I'm better with ugly.
Moira's a shy person.
That's going to be no good.
We'll both be standing there saying nothing.
I'm convinced that behind that shyness, there lurks this demon with the ladies.
You're just saying that. Feeling better, though, aren't you?
Yes...momentarily.
Hang onto it. That could be romance waiting for you in there.
The day we were married, YOU wore a suit.
You couldn't wear a white dress.
It wasn't because I didn't qualify.
I know. It was wartime.
Unless you knew somebody with a spare parachute,
white silk was unobtainable.
You looked nice in that suit.
Which is more than anyone's going to say about you.
You had the kind of figure they all want nowadays.
And what am I now, a sack of loose chippings? No.
It's just that... we've had that kind of marriage.
Not white silk but... Careful!
Not a bad suit.
Took you a while to find out.
No, it didn't.
Right from our wedding breakfast,
I was reaching across for something and you whacked my knuckles with your spoon.
Your mother should have taught you better manners.
You weren't kidding with that spoon.
It was a right crack.
But that's when I realised...
I was always going to be looked after.
I was home.
Get yourself inside and get that suit off. I'll run your bath.
Inside?! In the house?
OUR house?
Well, you're not getting bathed in the yard.
Are you ready?
I'm ready. I'm ready.
The bus is going to pick us up at the Stanhope.
What about our own transport?
The milk float? You must be joking.
Nobody's going in their own transport. They'll be drinking.
How much is the bus?
Hobbo arranged it. He's got us a bargain.
Have you locked that back door?
You've asked me that twice. Yes.
And are all the bolts on?
Yes. And the man trap's in place, and the boiling oil's ready(!)
There's no need to be sarcastic.
Although I must admit, the man trap idea does have its attractions.
On your way then, I'm ready.
You're not going like that, are you? It's not a funeral. It's a wedding.
It's what I always wear.
Exactly! And it's no good for weddings.
Have you had a look at yourself lately?
Not since I sold the big mirror.
It's going to be a long day.
Do you think we'll enjoy it? We'll fake it.
KNOCKING ON DOOR
It's only us.
That narrows it down(!)
Look at you.
And look at you.
You know me. I'd rather be in combat gear.
My wedding suit turned out to be combat gear.
Well, I think we all look delicious.
I wish you hadn't said that.
I'm going to feel delicious now, all day.
Have you got your tissues? ..He cries at weddings.
Not all the time.
I'm not ashamed.
You know what that says about me - a sensitive nature,
which I think is essential if you're going to be employed by the state as a killing machine.
Otherwise, you'll just become an unpleasant person.
Go through there, Barry, and get those two talking. In there?
It's like walking into a fridge. Ohh.
Why don't I go?
Because you'll bully Morton and start flirting with Moira.
That was the old me.
Go, Barry. Break the ice in there.
You know Morton. He's in shock.
I doubt if he can speak.
What am I going to say to Moira?
"I like your dress"? That's me finished.
How much do you like her dress?
Not as much as yours.
Correct answer.
You're now in line for our big prize.
Why don't you go and start them, talking even if it's only sign language?
Keep off the pop.
The old you?
I'm on a more spiritual path,
which, as yet, doesn't require me to give up every pleasure.
Shall we have another before I go totally ascetic?
I don't think you're in any danger.
Do you think anyone will notice we're in best uniform?
It's a question of pride.
It's some girl's big day.
We owe her the best.
They'll be hating us, anyway,
because we've got to tell them they can't park where they want to park.
We can make friends later, at the buffet.
We're invited to the buffet?
I wouldn't say invited, but if you turn up with an empty plate, what are they going to do?
Here's the tricky bit.
This is where the crease in your trousers goes to mush.
Big smiles, ladies. Big smiles. Could you move in a bit?
Moira, come on!
That's it. A bit more.
Closer... Real close.
A bit more...
Real close. Good, good. That's it.
That's it. A bit more.
Looking good. Now, big smiles...
I'll be with you in a moment.
Just...smile amongst yourselves.
My my! Who's looking scrumptious today?
Why, thank you.
At last...a gentleman.
Ooh!
Hello, Mr Hobdyke. Miss Davenport!
How...how different you look. I was hoping you'd think so.
I'm having a bit of trouble. I hope nothing serious.
Oh, no. No, no. Just the old tripod.
Ohhh!
Watch it. I'm in enough trouble.
Look what I've found.
I understand you're between marriages.
No, no!
We're a solid team.
I'll be back with her before you know it.
Poor man.
You miss her.
I do.
In the meantime, you'll need a sympathetic shoulder.
Ye Gods!
What big shoulders you have.
Got a thing for walls, have you, Howard?
I daren't look anywhere else.
What time did you order that bargain bus?
It should be here any minute now. Ohhh.
Found this person in the shop.
Oh, you look nice.
Don't...don't crush me.
This lot has to go back in stock.
Hey...
Oh, please, please... Not only cries at weddings, looks like he's ready to scream.
Twitching well...
Wait for leg.
There she goes!
Excuse me.
Why is Moira crying?
Morton's been telling her his sad stories.
You know Morton - he only does sad stories.
Well, go and stop him. It's supposed to be a happy day.
Stay where you are.
He's doing all right.
Did I lock the door?
Twice. I was there.
My memory's going.
I blame this suit.
Nice smiles, ladies...
Woo-oo...
Here we are... Ah...
CAMERA CLICKS
Sorry.
We'll do that again.
How did you get Aunty refurbished like that?
We had a couple of sherries. That helped.
She opened bottle of sherry?
No! It was already opened.
About 1936.
You're looking good, Stella.
It happens...occasionally.
HE COUGHS
Is this the...
Is this the...bus for the wedding party? Hello, Conrad.
Sounds more like, "Goodbye, Conrad!"
Oh, get him a chair, somebody.
Get him an ambulance.
I'll get a glass of water.
I'll be all right when me sight comes back.
Are you telling us you can't see?
It's only temporary.
Don't fret, love. It's back already.
Here.
Have a glass of water. Ohhh...
Are you the regular driver?
No, I'm filling in for our Barney.
This is his hat.
What happened to Barney?
Oh, he's gone down with some nasty disease.
HE COUGHS AND SPLUTTERS
MOBILE PHONE RINGS
Sorry.
Hello?
Hello.
Oh, um...hang on, um...
Glenda!
It's Gloria.
Ohhh.
So, how's the blushing bride, then?
Oh, dear.
What can I say, except you're probably well rid.
I can guess how you must feel.
Don't worry about us.
Oh, don't cry, he's not worth it.
I'll call you tomorrow.
The bridegroom's done a runner.
ALL: Aw...
I know not everybody likes her, but she didn't deserve that.
Glenda's right. She's well rid of any lowlife who'd do that.
Well, here we are, all dressed up.
I came ready for a day out and I'm going to have a day out.
Sounds good to me.
'Ere you, can you see yet? Course I can see.
Well, all right, prove it, then. You find us a nice restaurant.
No problem.
Why are they just sitting there?
I'll go and see what I can do.
Are you sure that's wise?
Don't get them any more fire-up than they'll be already.
It's a tactic to make us feel guilty.
That's far enough, sir.
Are you all right?
We're all fine on the bus.
We're good, sir.
Don't bother yourself. No problem.
No problem?
That's a very tolerant way of looking at things.
I don't suppose he meant to be driving like a lunatic, did he?
No, no, no.
It's just the hat.
He, um, loses control of the hat.
Not very good with the bus, either.
Oh... He's standing in for their Barney.
I'll take charge of him as from now.
That's good enough for us.
Have a nice day.
You...you mean we can go?
Good luck with his hat.
Oh, thank you.
Yes, I'll take charge of that, too!
How did you manage that?
I'm not without influence in official circles.
ENGINE CHUNTERS AND BANGS
CLEGG: Did I lock the door?
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
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