- The brooch of doom
- “You were right, mum”
- David’s beyond maudlin
- Kenton’s worried about being disrespectful
- Shula and Joni Mitchell
- Those we didn’t hear from
- “They think daddy’s helping God with his allotments now”
The brooch of doom
Turns out it was a lasting memory, rather than a curse from Julia Pargetter.
Ah well. I think a lot of us would have preferred a cursed Nigel and Elizabeth to a dead Nigel …
“You were right, mum”
I’ve said it before, but Jill is just always right!
Seemingly the kids told Elizabeth that they had wanted to go to the funeral, but did think Elizabeth wanted them there.
David’s beyond maudlin
David was never going to have an easy time at the funeral (which is why he didn’t want to speak at it), but he seems to be diving into the ‘dark pool’ after Elizabeth.
Before the service, he was depressed that Jill had never before spoken of her grief and anger at not being allowed to be at her mother’s funeral:
[David] “So much goes on in this family Ruth, so much that the family doesn’t talk about”
Later, as he’s at the funeral tea, he seems to be getting even more depressed at the sight of the sheer number of people who come to bid Nigel farewell.
[David] “It’s such a waste … if ever anyone made the world a better place … it’s so wrong he’s gone”
Oh dear.
Now, David has some guilt to carry for being up on the roof in the first place, but it would seem he’s comparing himself with Nigel.
Apples and kumquats, I think.
Is David heading for depression? Does he think he should have died in place of Nigel (as the lesser man)?
Will we ever see our usual confident (and a tad self-righteous) David return?
Kenton’s worried about being disrespectful
Which is a first.
But I think his speech at the funeral was perfect.
[Kenton]
“I suppose we should have guessed Nigel might become someone special in Elizabeth’s life when he helped her scape from boarding school …
“ …there was a bit of a wobble in their relationship when they become rivals in what became known as the ice cream wars … yes, they each had their own van, and Nigel’s jingle was, of course, the Teddy Bear’s Picnic in honour of his own beloved teddy bear Tiddles.
“But, they got together in their own good time, and for Nigel and Elizabeth, the romance never died”
“He told me his music master used to say, ‘spare us the caterwauling Pargetter, just mouth it silently”
So, as we sing, let’s imagine Nigel beside us, miming”
And Kenton's speech even managed to comfort Elizabeth.
[Elizabeth] “You brought Nigel to life … gave me back some happy memories”
Nice one Kenton.
Shula and Joni Mitchell
While I still feel very odd about actually liking Shula at the moment, it was Shula’s speech at the funeral which finally brought my tears:
[Shula]
“Nigel was green long before it became fashionable. But he combined this with a great love of tradition, which we saw beautifully expressed in the way he made his last journey here
“On a wicker coffee, in a waggon, pulled by his beloved shire horse
“He was very conscious when he inherited Lower Loxley that he was a custodian for future generations. Handing down what was best of the past, but taking great care to safeguard this for the future
"Nigel was my very dear friend for so many years … if ever anyone was a child of the universe, it was Nigel Pargetter.
“To quote one of his favourite songs:
‘We are stardust, we are golden, and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden’
“Well, he’s back there now”
*sniff a lot*
Those we didn’t hear from
Debbie was back – as she’s Lily’s godmother
Alistair – who’s Freddie’s godfather
Jolene (bless)
Lewis, and his daughter Felicity
Camilla (Nigel’s sister), her husband and his aunt,
I still think there might be an inheritance issue, by the way …
“They think daddy’s helping God with his allotments now”
So what now?
Freddie and Lily have had a chance to say goodbye to Nigel, and
[Elizabeth] “Tomorrow’s the first day of the rest of our lives”
Although Elizabeth is keeping them off of school tomorrow, there’s still the ever looming entrance exams.
So what will Elizabeth do?
Let Freddie escape the hell that is public school academia (after his success as a rat, maybe an early entry to stage school would be more apt) – or stay true to Nigel’s firm wish?
As Jill said:
[Jill] “And now the hard part starts, doesn’t it”
- Poor Kenton
- Joe in vestments?
- The simple pleasures
- Guilt’s not attractive on David
- Those early hurts are the deepest
Poor Kenton
[Kenton] “I wished she’d asked me … well, it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to bother her now that it’s sorted … she knows that (David’s) the reliable one”
[Shula] “Well, he clearly didn’t want to do it which is why I offered … why, what did you want to say?”
[Kenton] “Well, just what fun he was”
It’s not nice being Kenton sometimes.
The black sheep of the family, to the point where he believes that he no-one else will trust him to say the right thing at his best friend’s funeral.
It’s a shame that neither Shula nor David thought of Kenton. Elizabeth is hardly best placed to think of anything …
Joe in vestments?
*shudder*
Still, at least Joe is providing some light relief to the Archer clan.
Kenton and Shula are guffawing away at the fact that Jim hasn’t as yet spotted that Joe’s more interested in a few extra £ than ancient history.
And, at the idea of Joe trying to make more money by becoming a Druid priest:
[Kenton] “ …a priest in white vestments climbs an oak tree and cuts down the mistletoe with a golden sycle”
[Shula] “Sounds quite beautiful”
[Kenton] “Well, not when the priest is Joe Grundy”
While Shula is tempted to get Joe in to do his new found magic on her trees, Kenton's more in the mood for a sing song.
Quite bizarrely, Shula joins in:
“Hey down (Ho down) Derry derry down
Among the leaves so green-o”
Odd, as that was quite a prominent song in the last run of Lark Rise to Candleford.
Maybe Kenton and Shula watch it (Shula, I can imagine, but Kenton? Is he that ,lonely?)
And even more bizarre yet, Helen walks in as Shula and Kenton are singing, making them both behave like naughty school children caught misbehaving.
Still, any laughs right now must be welcomed.
The simple pleasures
At first a bit perturbed to find Shula and Kenton singing in a house of mourning.
[Helen] “They seemed in an …odd … mood”
Helen soon settles down to both comfort Elizabeth, and also make much of her wee boy Henry.
Not that Helen went overboard, or Elizabeth was not welcoming a happy diversion.
All Helen wants to do it to be able to care for Henry, but that’s difficult when he’s still in hospital.
She just wants to be able to give him a bath.
[Elizabeth] “Nigel said it was lucky we had twins as we both had one to bath”
It’s the simple moments that stay with us.
Guilt’s not attractive on David
I’ll admit I reckon David’s quite right to feel a bit of guilt (why else where they both up on the roof?), but he’s going to drive himself insane if he keep being so down on himself.
Despite putting his entire life on hold to run Lowe Loxley with Lewis (including a big society wedding which sounds a bit tricky – likely more of that to follow), David can’t give himself a break for not wanting to speak at Nigel’s funeral.
Would anybody actually expect him to?
Those early hurts are the deepest
[Jill] “You know I was brought up by my mother’s cousin …”
[Elizabeth] “Yes, aunt Daphne, because your father died when you were a baby”
[Jill] “Yes, and then my mother .. she struggled to keep out little family together, but it was too much for her”
“I’ve never talked about how I felt .. .what it did to me .. .it went too deep”
Jill’s talking to Elizabeth about her own experiences of death as a young child.
Her father died when she was a baby. Her mother when she was but knee high. And her Aunt, in trying to protect her from the pain of her mother’s death, decided to keep Jill away from the funeral.
[Jill] “I know what it’s like to not say goodbye … it made me think people could disappear without any explanation .. people you loved, people you thought loved you … you couldn’t trust them ..
“I used to be a very wary person Elizabeth, I didn’t want to be hurt again …but then I met your father, and he showed me I was wrong. He ;loved me, and I know he’d never leave ,me.
“He taught me to love again, so I could start to forgive my mother .. .for abandoning me, for leaving me without a word and never coming back …”
[Elizabeth] “But she couldn’t, you must have known that, she was dead”
[Jill] “I was seven, Elizabeth”
[Elizabeth] “Oh mum, I wish you’d told me before.”
[Jill] “But I had to tell you how important it is – give Lilt and Freddie that chance. Let them say goodbye to their father, please …”
All of which was a bit of a teary moment for me.
Jill was crying at her own pain, and at the thought of her grandchildren having to feel the same.,
Elizabeth was crying as her mum crying.
But, as sad as it all was, at least Kenton managed to both help Elizabeth out, while also being able to find his proper place at Nigel’s funeral.
Lily and Freddie are now going to the funeral. Which means Elizabeth doesn’t want to speak (in case she breaks down).
Which means Kenton will have his chance to pay homage to his mate, properly.
Good.
- Is Brian genuine?
- There’s no point arguing with Jill
- Exams ahoy!
- Funeral plans, so far
- Why not Kenton?
Is Brian genuine?
It’s been a while since Brian went a-wandering.
Do we think he’s moving in on Ruth – a female farmer in distress?
Probably not. But it’d be funny if those two paired up …
There’s no point arguing with Jill
Not that Shula was arguing. She was only trying to get Jill to see Elizabeth’s point of view, about the children not being at Nigel’s funeral.
[Shula] “Elizabeth might have a point. They are her children”
[Jill] “And she’s mine!”
[Jill] “It’s really important there all together. That they say goodbye together”
Jill sets David onto Elizabeth – who fails.
Even his reminder that he found it comforting to have his children at Phil’s funeral – for both his and the kids’ sake.
[Elizabeth] “I can’t imagine everything after the funeral. It’s just a great big black hole … (when she mentioned the funeral) Freddie went totally silent, and Lily changed the subject … I’m doing this for them”
Jill also sets Alan onto Elizabeth – who (in his very gentle and understanding way) fails.
[Alan – relating what Mabel had said about Amy being at his wife’s, Mabel’s daughter’s, funeral] “Jesus loves little children, and he’ll be holding Amy’s hand”
[Alan] “I think the ceremony would embrace the children”
[Jill] “Rather than shut them out in the cold”
[Alan] “Grief is such a maze …”
[Jill] “They’d be lost in it for ever … I know it. And I have to change Elizabeth’s mind”
My money’s on Jill.
Exams ahoy!
Pip was off today to her re-sits.
Freddie and Lily have entrance exams to do for three schools.
(it doesn’t sound like Elizabeth is about to let Freddie off the hook).
Who said childhood was the best days?
Funeral plans, so far
Donations to environmental; charities
Hymn: Dear lord and father of mankind (as Nigel was a peacemaker)
Hymn: All creatures of our god and king (as Nigel loved the natural world and was joyful)
Alan’s doing the eulogy
Elizabeth will try and speak
The funeral tea will be back at Lower Loxley – with Lower Loxley wine
And they’re on the track of the harpist who played for Nigel and Elizabeth’s anniversary.
I did say that Nigel would normally hire a harpist to cheer Elizabeth up.
Why not Kenton?
Elizabeth asked David to speak to Nigel’s’ funeral, but Shula interrupted to say she would.
Saving David from having to refuse (I imagine he feels too guilty, can’t wipe the image of Nigel falling out of his mind, too emotional etc), Shula did well.
But what about Kenton?
Wasn’t he Nigel’s best mate?
