The Jamaican Steel Band

In Episode 5, "The Summer Hunt Ball," Richard Devere tricks Audrey fforbes-Hamilton into running the manor's annual Summer Hunt Ball. A pavilion is set up adjacent to the manor, and as Audrey instructs decorators, and members of a local Army troop setting up tables, in struts far out Kevin McCloud. He's billed as The Jamaican Steel Band. Quite why he's been invited to participate in what seems a formal aristocratic affair is unexplained. Perhaps there's a rich tradition of fox hunting in Jamaica. Perhaps English hounds, or their owners, find the sound of a Jamaican steel drum soothing. Either way, Audrey assigns him to a place deep inside the manor, as far away from the pavilion, and therefore the center of the fun, as possible.

Exactly where this pavilion is set up is open to question. On the day of our visit, my wife and I walked from the front to the left of the manor, and circled around it. This was a view from behind.

While the rear patio is larger than it appears in the photo, it does not look large enough to support the pavilion. Instead, the ground steps down to meet the gravel path.

This is the view after we passed the house, prepared to turn right, and walk along the side.

The corner in the above photo resembles the corner of the manor in the still from the TV series. And then there's the garden path. I'm guessing that area in back of the house used to be higher, but landscapers cut down the height sometime in the intervening decades, perhaps to flatten the walking path, and add more drama to the rear patio area. Of course, that's only my guess. Any others?

Oh, and if anyone has any theories on why a British Hunt Ball would want to hire a Jamaican Steel Drum player, I'm all ears.

Unlike, that is, Richard Devere, who can't hear anything on the phone, because of the loud music filling the room courtesy of far out Kevin McCloud.

Dragon Dave

Appreciating Episode 1: Grantleigh

In starting off this blog on the series, I mainly focused upon the exteriors, the actual places in Cricket St. Thomas, England, in which the episodes took place. But some readers may not be familiar with the series, and may never watch any of the episodes. So I thought I'd take a moment to summarize the episodes I've written about so far, and share with you why I like them.

In Episode 1: "Grantleigh," Richard Devere arrives at Grantleigh Manor estate. While he believes he will be shown the manor house, the estate agent, J. J. Anderson, is only offering him a tour of the small house, called The Old Lodge. As he intends to run his multinational grocery empire from his home, he needs a much bigger house. As he looks through the french doors at Grantleigh Manor, he is filled with admiration for the place. He's learned the the present owner, Martin fforbes-Hamilton, has just died. So he tells J. J. Anderson, "You're an estate agent: show me that house!" and marches across the fields.

Inside the manor, Audrey fforbes-Hamilton is holding the reception for her husband's funeral. In addition to hosting her friends, she also looks forward to addressing the estate's employees. She wants to assure them that the estate's grandeur is not in its past, but that she has bold plans for the future. Two key events end up disrupting her plans, however. 

From left: Richard Devere, J. J. Anderson,
Marjory Frobisher, and Audrey fforbes-Hamilton

The first is Richard Devere. He presses J. J. Anderson to introduce him to Audrey, but she's so preoccupied that she doesn't give him much time. He shares with her that he's also recently lost his spouse, but she cuts him off, thinking that, as she doesn't recognize him, he must be involved with the company catering the event.

The second disruption is the family lawyer, Arnold Plunkett. He keeps pressing Audrey for a conversation, and when she finally grants him this, he tells her that the estate is bankrupt. She cannot press forward with any of her plans to maintain and update the estate in keeping with Grantleigh's history and traditions. Instead, her husband's creditors are insisting she sell Grantleigh immediately.

Audrey concocts a plan to save the manor. She contacts all family members, no matter how distant, and begs them to pledge money so she can buy Grantleigh back. With this, she, her friend Marjory, and Arnold attend the auction.

While Arnold Plunkett had believed that the money Audrey raised would prove sufficient, he had not reckoned with the determination of Richard Devere. The grocery empire owner demonstrates that, while history and tradition matter, what rules the world now is money. He easily ups the bidding each time, until finally, the auctioneer's hammer falls, and Richard is the new owner of the manor. 

As Richard tells Audrey later, he had set his mind on Grantleigh, and determined that he would own it. The great estate, which had been in her family for four hundred years, is his now. He also has great plans for the place, but all will reflect his tastes, not hers. All the changes will address his current needs, regardless of how they sweep away history in the process. Marjory attempts to comfort Audrey after Richard leaves, by telling her, "At least he's English." But even that will turn out to be a lie in later episodes.

This episode highlights a number of themes, chief among them being the inevitability of change. It also introduces us to two highly driven people, in Richard and Audrey, who are perfect foils for each other. It shows us how suddenly our perceptions of the world, and our futures, can be overturned in an instant. Perhaps, most importantly, it reminds us that we are never alone: that other people out there love and care for us, and if approached properly, will help us out in times of need. For Audrey was not close to many of those who pledged her money to buy back Grantleigh. We'll meet one of those later in the series. But for now, that's my summary of Episode 1.

What are your thoughts on Episode 1? Did I miss any themes, or special scenes, that you feel deserve special attention?

Dragon Dave

P.S. To review the exterior filming locations for Episode 1, read:

Richard Devere's Dream House &

Audrey's Grand Design

Modernizing The Manor: Part 2

In Episode Four, "The Nation's Heritage," Richard Devere's desire to modernize (or functionalize, as he put it), met his demands for the moment. Audrey fforbes-Hamilton saw him ripping out a unique, neoclassical fireplace, and replacing it with a modern safe to hold his valuables, as a barbarous act. It's possible to modernize while honoring the past, and that's what Audrey attempted to communicate to him. But Richard owned the manor now, so he could do anything with it he wished. 

I saw a curious aspect of modernizing (or functionalizing) in one of the newer buildings on the Cricket St. Thomas estate. A men's restroom (or Toilet, as they say in England) had been thoroughly modernized, with dark wood paneling and zero-water urinals. Yet the design honored England's past with light fixtures in the shape of Bowler hats. 

For over a century, bowlers formed an essential part of one's attire. Along with other distinctive styles, bowlers defined one's sensibilities and place in society. An individual chose his hat carefully, as each style made a contemporary statement, and carried as much cultural heritage as an Adam fireplace. A man chose his hat carefully, and cared for it as he would a suit, tie, or pair of dress shoes.

In the early 1980s, when To The Manor Born was broadcast, men in England started to move away from such iconic, historic styles of hats. On each of my visits, I've searched department stores for a selection of these elegantly styled hats at reasonable prices. Instead, I've only found nice hats like Bowlers at specialty shops (which, naturally, also came with specialty prices). Today, people would rather spend their money on mass produced low-key bill caps displaying contemporary corporate, sports, or entertainment branding. Bowlers, along with other styles of well-made hats, have been relegated to costumers, not clothiers. So I thought it interesting that the current owners of the manor would modernize the manor to meet today's demands, while making such a nod to the past. 

Each writer tells his story with a message in mind. Peter Spence has stated that his intention for the series paralleled Richard's plans for the manor: to discuss how the old must constantly give way to the new. Yet in Audrey, he found a spokeswoman whose reverence for history, culture, and tradition made us care about the old ways, and wish to preserve them. That's what all great authors do. They show us two sides of any issue, and let us make up our own minds about what's truly important. They create a world in which this constant tension between old and new seems authentic and organic, so that we get caught up in the characters. Consequently, we come to love and respect what their characters care about. 

Dragon Dave

Modernizing The Manor: Part 1

In Episode Four, "The Nation's Heritage," Audrey fforbes-Hamilton observes a truck parked outside the manor from her drawing room window. When she picks up her binoculars, she sees workmen carrying out an old Adam fireplace. Although she never liked this fireplace, she objects to Richard Devere removing it from the manor she once owned. So she storms out of the old lodge, stomps across the field, and bursts into his office (while he's in conference) to decry his disdain for England's national heritage.

The neoclassical design of fireplace, associated with three brothers of the Adam family, suggests that this particular fireplace was installed in the manor between 1760 and 1795. In 1980, when this episode was made, the fireplace would have been roughly two centuries old. Or, to put it another way, as viewers in America had recently celebrated their nation's bicentennial, Richard was celebrating this Adam fireplace's bicentennial by carting it off to the local landfill. 

It's all too easy to dismiss Audrey's frequent criticisms of Richard as hypocritical. After all, Audrey often disposed of old pieces of her family's heritage. The thing is, Audrey always knew what she was getting rid of. She might not know the current market price for any particular piece, but she knew its history, and what it had meant to previous generations. To Richard, it was just an old fireplace. To Audrey, such a casual dismissal of the past threatened to strip everything from the manor that truly mattered.

Some people see little or no value in anything that does not address their present needs. Others would preserve their heritage, even at the cost of current effectiveness. History can enrich our lives, but preserving it shouldn't prevent us from achieving our best efforts each day. Where should draw the line between preservation and modernization? How best can we address the needs of today, while honoring the sacrifices, achievements, and traditions of previous generations? What do you stand on this issue? And how have such stands positively or negatively impacted your life?

Dragon Dave

Horatio Nelson & the Bronte Sisters

In Episode 3, Audrey (and Mrs Poo) told Richard the walls of the small parish church were adorned with plaques dedicated to members of the fforbes-Hamilton family. As I'm less acquainted with English history than its literature, the family name that jumped out to me, when my wife and I toured the St Thomas church, was not Nelson, but Bronte. In subsequent research, I've learned that Bronte, in this case, refers to a duchy, which English naval hero Horatio Nelson (and his descendants) was awarded for the pivotal role he played in several battles. So there's apparently no connection with writer Charlotte Bronte, whose novel Jane Eyre I read last year, after visiting her hometown of Haworth back in 2012.

Still, Peter Spence would have visited the St Thomas church regularly, as his in-laws owned the manor house and surrounding estate when he was creating To The Manor Born. He would have studied all the plaques dedicated to the Nelson family. As a writer, he would also have noted the Bronte name, as the novels of the three sisters--Anne, Emily, and Charlotte--are regarded as some of the most important in western literature. 

I don't know what literature English teachers assign to students in English schools, but as Haworth is one of the most visited literary shrines (second only to William Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon), I'm guessing he would have read some of the Bronte sisters' stories in his youth. If he hadn't, it wouldn't surprise me to learn he read their novels before or while he wrote To The Manor Born. Such novels as Wuthering Heights by Emily, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne, and Jane Eyre by Charlotte all speak of the demands placed upon the aristocratic families, and how dealing with those weighty responsibilities shaped the characters of the rich and powerful. What I find even more striking is how those novels resonate today with people across races, religions, and social strata. Here were three women who grew up poor, who never wielded an ounce of real power in their lives, yet their stories dealt so truthfully not only with those (like Richard and Audrey) who wielded power, and those like estate worker Old Ned and the butler Brabinger who worked for them.

Is it reasonable to assume that Horatio Nelson, and the Nelson dukes and duchesses who succeeded him, led Peter Spence to create the rich tapestry of the fforbes-Hamilton family, which Audrey continually cites in To The Manor Born? Is it likely that the repeated mention of the Bronte name helped Spence create more than just an ordinary sitcom, but also a romance that attracted some of the highest viewing figures for any show of its era? Is it likely those plaques inside the St Thomas Church, in their small way, helped him create a saga still beloved around the world, and deemed one of the most important British sitcoms ever?

Well, they couldn't have hurt, could they?

Dragon Dave

A Memorial to Horatio Nelson & Family

After last week's post, my wife mentioned to me that she couldn't read the above inscription. On my computer, I can readily zoom in on any photograph, but some readers may have trouble doing so. So for all of you out there in my wife's shoes, here goes:

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF THE

REVEREND WILLIAM, EARL NELSON, DUKE OF BRONTE,

WHO WAS BORN THE 20TH OF APRIL, 1757, AND DIED 28TH FEBRUARY 1835.

HIS REMAINS ARE DEPOSITED IN ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL,

BY THE SIDE OF HIS GALLANT BROTHER, HORATIO, VICOUNT NELSON.

ALSO SACRED TO THE MEMORIES OF HORATIO NELSON,

SON OF SAMUEL, LORD BRIDPORT, AND OF CHARLOTTE MARY, HIS WIFE,

WHO WAS BORN JULY 25TH 1922, AND DIED JANUARY 19TH 1826.

AND OF HIS BROTHER, HORATION NELSON,

WHO WAS BORN APRIL 27TH 1826, AND DIED JANUARY 2ND, 1832.

THIS MONUMENT WAS ERECTED BY CHARLOTTE MARY, LADY BRIDPORT,

AS A TOKEN OF AFFECTION AND GRATITUDE TO HER FATHER,

AND OF TENDER LOVE AND REGRET FOR HER TWO CHILDREN.

I'm sure there's a wealth of historical information out there on Horatio Nelson, as well as the entire Nelson family. I'd like to learn more about his naval exploits, the role he played in Britain's government, and learn more about his family. Perhaps some of my British readers would care to comment, and share with me, and all of you, what they remember learning about Nelson in school, and what they feel others should know about his contributions to the world?

As for me, I'm still a little amazed at discovering such a strong link with such an important man in Audrey fforbes-Hamilton's little country church.

Dragon Dave

The fforbes-Hamilton Family's Surprising Hero

In the final scene of Episode 3, "The Rhythms of the Earth," the following Sunday morning service ends, and Richard leaves the church with Marjory Frobisher. The Vicar thanks him for reading the Bible lesson, and Marjory gushes that Richard read it beautifully. Then Audrey arrives, confused that the service is over. "Ah," the Vicar replies, "there's always one on the day the clocks go forward."

Poor old Ned. While fixing Audrey's clock, he forgot to adjust for the spring time change!

With a grin, Richard suggests that this is the first Sunday in the long history of the church in which a fforbes-Hamilton hasn't attended a service. Nonplussed, Audrey counters, "If you look at the walls inside our little church, I'm sure you'll find that lots of fforbes-Hamiltons were there this morning."

As my wife and I toured St Thomas Church, we saw several plaques dedicated to one family. With apologies to Audrey, it wasn't the fforbes-Hamilton family that adorned the sanctuary walls. Instead, it was the prestigious family of Horatio Nelson.

Horatio Nelson was an eighteenth century naval officer whose tactics and strategies helped defend England during the Napoleonic Wars. He is regarded as single-handedly saving Britain time and again. Perhaps, had he been less bold or brilliant, Britain might be part of France today.

His statue adorns a pillar that towers above London's Trafalgar Square, and he is still celebrated for his inspiration and leadership. 

I'm not an expert on English history, but I've visited Trafalgar Square twice now. I'm guessing that, by the height of the pillar atop which they've placed him, the English regard Horatio Nelson as one of their greatest military heroes. 

I don't know about you, but I never would have expected to find the name of Horatio Nelson, let alone those of his descendants, gracing a small, country church in Cricket St. Thomas. 

But then, sometimes you find the greatest treasures in the most unlikely places.

Dragon Dave

The Arrival of Spring

In Episode Three, "The Rhythms of the Earth," we hear the chimes on the church tower ring, and the organ playing. As the rector walks outside, followed by his parishioners, we realize that the Sunday morning service has just ended. 

Here he shakes hands with old Ned, who has kindly agreed to perform some maintenance on the large church clock. Audrey and her friend Marjory are happy to see old Ned, but Audrey in particular has noticed the absence of Richard Devere, the new lord of the manor.

So after asking old Ned to call by the old Lodge, and take a look at her grandfather clock, she heads off to the manor, to acquaint Richard with his lordly duties. 

There she informs him that there is no time for him to gradually grow accustomed to life in the country. Spring has arrived, and there are any number of tasks he must get started on immediately.

On the day we arrived at St. Thomas Church, the clock on the church tower was keeping accurate time. It was good to see that Old Ned, or his successor, still kept the clock in good repair.

One thing I never realized was how far the entrance is from the church door. I love the way the covered entryway extends out, and the masonry opens outward, ushering you to step in out of the elements, before entering the covered walkway. This gives the church a nice welcoming feeling, which I always sensed before when I saw it on TV. Now I know why.

Spring had well and truly arrived at the manor when we visited, and the landscape looked beautifully maintained. Evidently Audrey's pep talk to Richard proved profitable. Grantleigh Manor always looked like such a beautiful place to visit on TV. I was pleased to find it even more beautiful than I had imagined.

Dragon Dave 

The Magic of Television: Part 2

In the beginning of Episode 2, "All New Together," the Vicar and Marjory Frobisher gaze down at the manor house from the end of the short drive. From there, the manor is just a spot on the horizon. 

When my wife and I arrived at the entry to Cricket St. Thomas, we thought of stopping and looking around the Old Lodge next to the gate. But we really wanted to see the manor house first, and also try to find the church. Now that we knew where the Old Lodge was, we could return to it later. So we headed on down the long, winding, one-lane drive.

Time flew past as we walked around the manor, taking photographs, and reminiscing. We also spent a fair amount of time inside the old church. By then we were getting tired, and decided to head back up the drive to see the Old Lodge. Even if the interiors were filmed in a studio back in London, we were really looking forward to seeing the outside of Audrey's residence-in-exile.

As we neared the entryway, with the gates still open, we stopped and I took a few photographs of the Old Lodge from the back. It was a pastoral place, and better maintained than in the days Audrey and Brabinger lived there off her slim savings.

But it looked different somehow, and when we pulled up in front, it struck me that this couldn't possibly be the Old Lodge. At least, not unless it had been significantly remodeled. So I got back in the car and we consulted a crude map I had found online.

Sure enough, this wasn't the Old Lodge: that lay in the opposite direction, along the narrow, winding one-lane road we had entered along. To visit the Old Lodge, we would have had to turn around, and head back, and drive well past the manor to find it. The drive each way would probably amount to thirty minutes, plus the time we spent there. Given our predilection for exploration, we figured the trip to the Old Lodge would take up at least an hour. Then we'd need to hit the road again. But we were already tired, and jet lagged after our long flight from San Diego to Heathrow the previous day. (Actually, I think we lost a day in the process). And after our nightmare journey from Heathrow to our first hotel the previous night, when our GPS refused to work properly, we were still a little iffy about driving along English roads. So reluctantly, we decided to leave the Old Lodge for a return journey to Cricket St. Thomas. After all, we have to leave something new to discover, if we want a reason to return, right?

Assuming the Old Lodge still stands, it's not situated with a view of the front of the manor house, but well behind. (At least, according to the map I found). So it can't have the view that Marjory and the Vicar had. Nor can Audrey look out her back porch through her binoculars and see the the front of the manor. 

I wonder how they filmed that scene at the beginning of the episode, with Marjory and the Vicar standing outside the Old Lodge. I can only assume the production team must have placed a large green screen behind the actors when they filmed at Cricket St. Thomas. Then, back at the studio, that the special effects people used a process called Color Separation Overlay, or CSO, to insert a view of the manor house onto the green screen. This process was regularly used back then on such TV shows as Doctor Who, and is still used today in making TV shows and feature films. Blue or Green Screen technology was used in making Star Wars, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies, and even, I believe, in the western Appaloosa. But it's odd to think that the Special Effects department played such a role in making a sitcom. 

But then, that's the magic of television.

Dragon Dave 

The Magic of Television: Part 1

In Episode 2: "All New Together," Marjory Frobisher and the Vicar meet outside the Old Lodge. They gaze down the drive at the manor, where a moving company is packing up Audrey's personal possessions. They represent the local community, who never suspected Audrey's husband was deeply in debt, or the day would come when the fforbes-Hamilton family would leave Grantleigh Manor.

When the time comes to depart, Audrey and her butler Brabinger are waved away by the Vicar, Marjory, the cook Mrs. Beecham, a housekeeper, Old Ned, and Linda Cartwright. 

At this point, they don't know where Audrey is moving to, as she has kept her new residence a secret.

To everyone's surprise, they see Audrey's old Rolls Royce stop at the end of the drive. Out pop Audrey, Brabinger, and Audrey's dog Bertie. Suddenly, Marjory realizes the truth: Audrey has used her residual savings, after the sale of the manor, to buy the Old Lodge.

The group outside the manor then greet Richard Devere and his mother as they arrive at their new home.

On the day we visited Cricket St. Thomas, it was already afternoon. We had spent all morning, and the early afternoon at Stonehenge. We hadn't been sure if we would be allowed to enter the grounds, as we were not paying guests. But thankfully the gates were open, and we were allowed to drive down the long, wandering, one-lane road to the manor.

I had read that the manor house lay much farther away from the Old Lodge than it appeared on TV. Still, I was surprised.

But then, that's the magic of television, right?

Dragon Dave

Audrey's Grand Design

In the first episode of the classic British sitcom, "To The Manor Born," Audrey fforbes-Hamilton and her friend Marjory Frobisher wait outside the parish church of St. Thomas until all of the other mourners have departed. 

Then Audrey tells her butler Brabinger to take her dog Bertie home in the car. She and Marjory will walk back to the manor.

Audrey pauses when she reaches these flower pots, and asks Marjory if anyone is looking. After Marjory assures her that they are alone, she removes her black hat, lifts her arms, and shouts "Hooray!" Marjory is shocked by what she can only imagine is her friend's strange outpouring of grief. 

Audrey refuses to pretend that she's not relieved that her husband Martin died of pneumonia. Marjory says she knows that Audrey and Martin didn't always "get on." Audrey responds, "Well, we do now." Audrey has big plans to improve the manor, and she looks forward to having a free hand to get the house and grounds into their ideal state.

Then the two friends walk off toward the manor, to attend the funeral reception.

On the day we attended St. Francis Church, no snow covered the ground.

Nor were we shocked by any black-garbed women throwing their hats in the air.

The flower pots were bursting with color.

And all the plants and trees were thriving.

I wonder if that's all a result of Audrey's grand design for the manor?

Dragon Dave

Audrey and the Paperboy

Another thing that surprised me in the radio version of TV episode 3 (for Radio Episode 1) was how original series creator and writer Peter Spence rewrote the motivation for Audrey's visit to the manor. In his TV version, she is incensed that Richard didn't bother to attend church on his first Sunday living at the estate. She regards this as his duty, as he is the new lord of the manor. She even instructed the rector to preach a sermon on all the duties required of the master of the estate. Yet he didn't show up, so all the effort she went to was wasted. 

This man might be able to run a supermarket chain, but how can he ever hope to run his estate properly if he flaunts his responsibilities in such a fashion?

So instead of returning home, she walks to the manor after the service to instruct him in his duties to the community. On the doorstep, she picks up his morning paper. When Richard arrives at the door, he's so sleepy he takes the paper without thinking, without even recognizing her, and shuts the door in her face! 

In the rewritten radio version, she intercepts the paperboy before church, before she even knows whether he will attend the service or not. So we realize she planned on visiting him all along, with the intention of molding him into her vision of the ideal lord of the manor. (Whether he liked it or not!) Or, barring that, send him fleeing back to London by overwhelming him with all the demands country life will place on his time. Thus she becomes more proactive as a character. This is a nice touch, as in the TV series she's usually reacting to how Richard does or does not perform his community and lordly duties. 

There's lots of other little extra bits, and rewritten dialogue, that adds a new dimension to the episode. Unburdened by staging visuals, writer Peter Spence succeeds in not just elevating minor characters like Old Ned, but also in expanding the roles of the series' regulars for "The Rhythms of the Earth." I look forward to listening to the remaining episodes, and savoring the differences between the original TV shows and their radio adaptations. 

Dragon Dave

P.S. To listen to "The Rhythms of the Earth," follow the link below.

To The Manor Born Radio Episode


P.P.S. I've added a new feature, Stand-Alone Pages, to my blog. You'll find it below My Blog List on the right, between About Me and the Blog Archive. Hopefully, this section will function as a resource for newcomers to this blog who are unfamiliar with aspects of the classic TV series. To view the first entry, click the link A Few Words of Introduction in the Stand-Alone Pages section. Then you can return to the main blog by clicking the Home link.

A Spotlight on Old Ned

Dedicated reader Joppy commented on the previous post to say that radio plays based on the "To The Manor Born" TV series are currently available on BBC Radio 4 Ex in Britain. I was delighted to find that I could access them in the United States via my laptop. 

Those steeped in Audrey and Richard's TV adventures will find the stories they know and love slightly rewritten for their radio presentations. For example, the first radio episode, "The Rhythms of the Earth," is an adaptation of the third TV episode, so it helps to know the set-up for the series--that Audrey loses the mansion to Richard--before diving into the radio program. But one enjoyable aspect of that first radio episode is a beefed-up role for Ned. He appears briefly in episode 1 of the original TV series, but it's not really until episode 3, "The Rhythms of the Earth," that he comes into his own as a character.

Old Ned (2nd from left) acts as pallbearer
 for Audrey's deceased husband
in Episode 1 of the TV series.

Ned, or Old Ned as he introduces himself to Richard, is a lifelong worker on Audrey's family estate. He's a jack of all trades, able to turn his hand to any work that needs doing. This includes mending the local clocks. This includes the clock that sits atop the church tower. In Episode 3 of the TV series, Audrey sees him outside the church after the Sunday morning service. She asks him if he can take a look at her grandfather clock, then walks back home. 

Original TV series writer Peter Spence changes things slightly for radio. In his new, upscale vision, Ned drives a tractor to and from church. Thus, Audrey sensibly adds the proviso that Ned first drop off the load of manure in the tractor he's driving. But Ned doesn't appear to hear the request, as he's just started up the tractor's engine. Peter Spence develops this idea through the radio episode, with characters mentioning at one point that there's a certain smell associated with Audrey's clock, which Ned has taken away to fix. 

In the TV series, Ned is an incidental character for the most part. Here he is, in TV episode two. He doesn't get any lines, but he hands her a small bunch of wildflowers as she leaves the manor.

Audrey thanks him for the flowers, and wishes him all the best with his cucumbers.

Later in the radio version of "The Rhythms of the Earth," as Richard wanders his estate, his conversation with Old Ned is longer than its TV counterpart. The overall effect is that, at least for this first episode of the radio series, his role is much larger. This elevates him from a minor character, to part of the regular ensemble. As Old Ned was one of my favorite characters in the TV series, I enjoyed his greater presence in the radio episode.

I look forward to listening to more of the radio series, and seeing (or should I say hearing) how Peter Spence adapted his original stories for a new medium. Oh, and Thank You, Joppy, for letting me know the radio programs were available. What a wonderful way, as Audrey might say, to demonstrate your sense of noblesse oblige.

Dragon Dave

P.S. To listen to "The Rhythms of the Earth," follow the link below.

To The Manor Born Radio Episode

Richard Devere's Dream House

In the first episode of "To The Manor Born," a Rolls Royce stops before an English church.

The driver gets out, and asks the priest for directions to The Old Lodge, a gentleman's estate he is planning on buying for his mother and himself. 

After giving him directions, the vicar politely asks him to leave, as a funeral service is underway.

When the man pulls up outside The Old Lodge, he tells the real estate agent that this isn't what he is looking for. He introduces himself. His name is Richard Devere. He's the owner of the multinational supermarket chain Cavendish Foods. He wants to escape the hustle and bustle of London, and run his business from a country home. The Old Lodge is hardly large enough to house himself and his mother, in addition to to serving as a regional corporate office.

Still, as long as he's driven this far, he agrees to tour The Old Lodge anyway.

Then he opens the french windows leading onto the back porch. There, in the distance, he sees what he desires: a real gentleman's country house. It would be perfect for his needs! "That's the one I want you to show me," he announces, and hurries off across the back porch and onto the snow-covered ground, not waiting to see if the real estate agent will follow him.

This little country church still stands. It's called The Parish Church of Saint Thomas. It's located on the grounds of Cricket St. Thomas, an old gentleman's country house. On the day we visited, no funeral service was underway. Nor did a vicar come out to greet us. But it was hardly necessary, as the house we wanted to see, the kind of house Richard Devere needed for himself, his mother, and his business, was easy to find.

As with Richard Devere, one glimpse, even from far away, is enough to make you fall in love with this stately old manor house.

Dragon Dave