Everyone knows that birds migrate...
...but not which country they believe to be their home -
the hard, hot, cloudless climate of the south,
or the fragile, grey-white warmth of our own climes?
But perhaps the birds are simply lucky
they have the best of both worlds.
I spy with my little eye, something beginning with I, Nancy.
Ladder?
SHE GROANS
These were the best of the bunch.
I thought if the hole was round the back, the patients wouldn't see it.
You know perfectly well that that is not acceptable, Nurse Corrigan.
Does anyone have a spare pair?
I always have a spare pair, as Nurse Corrigan knows.
Sister!
What's the matter?
I...
I just feel so dreadfully...
...dizzy, as though I might be sick.
Don't worry, don't worry, I'll get you home. You can lean on me.
Oh!
Oh, Miss Higgins,
we've had overnight guests at the back of the building.
It was meths drinkers, I'm afraid.
I asked them to take their leave when I arrived,
and they did so with surprising courtesy.
They've been using the stairwell as a lavatory.
Reparations are in hand
and hygiene will be restored before patients arrive.
Thank you, Miss Higgins.
I hope they don't make a habit of it, Patrick.
We seem to be seeing more of them round here recently.
It's this new wave of demolitions.
The men tended to gather in the cellars of the old houses
up around Albany Square,
but with those gone, they'll be looking for new quarters.
Homelessness is all relative.
I know, but they're so unsavoury and people are afraid of them.
PHONE RINGS
Good morning, Dr Turner's surgery.
I spoke to the surgery.
Dr Turner's going to come see Sister Julienne at 11:30am.
Thank you, Nurse Corrigan.
Meanwhile, we have a change of tack for you this week.
Your debut on the district roster beckons.
I usually just do midwifery.
That's because you needed to consolidate your skills.
Now you need to expand them.
You're to go with Sister Frances on the district round.
That means you can help me do the sputum tests
at the Hostel for Tuberculous Men.
See? It's non-stop glamour.
Midwife calling.
You here to see Maureen? Mm.
She's gone down the launderette.
It's just a routine call. I shall leave a note.
It's Thelma Haig, isn't it?
I bet you never forget a face...
...or a varicose ulcer.
I thought we'd never see the back of that one.
I must have been dressing it for nigh on three months.
Right as ninepence now, thanks to you, Nurse.
Is she ready, Mrs Haig?
Julie, your manager's here!
I'm off, Mum.
Don't wait up.
I'll always wait up. You're my daughter.
He's her manager.
I gathered that.
She's blossomed since I last saw her.
Yeah, she never used to look like anything much
but she could always sing.
I used to say to her all the time,
"You keep up that singing and it'll bring you opportunities.”
A girl with a gift is a woman with potential.
Mr Lewin spotted her in a talent show,
and now she sings in clubs all over town, yeah.
She's got a contract to record a single
and he reckons she's in with a chance of being on the telly,
and if he can make that happen, well, the sky's the limit.
It's always been just you and her, hasn't it?
I brought her up on my own, yeah.
You look after each other, now.
We will.
I never heard of a TB hostel before.
I thought everyone with TB went to a country sanatorium.
It's quite a new idea.
Cheaper probably, but...
...it keeps all the men under one roof, so we know where they are,
and it's clean, they can be monitored
and we can help them with nutrition.
Where are you?
Eh...
Your blood pressure's normal.
No sign of any swollen glands or fever.
I'm putting my money on labyrinthitis.
Is that the inner ear?
A mild infection or...
...possibly a bubble in the vestibular fluid.
The best treatment is rest.
You can draw the curtains if you feel very dizzy.
Resting and drawing the curtains is not going to help...
...Nonnatus House run smoothly.
I can see to all of that.
There's even more to do than usual.
I still haven't managed to arrange the anniversary event.
This month marks 100 years since the Order came to Poplar.
I specialize in celebrations.
I know you do.
Sister, we've been here before.
You work yourself to a thread time and time again,
and then what happens?
Threads snap.
One day, we won't be able to mend you.
I will rest...
...for three days.
You will rest for as long as I tell you to.
And in the meantime, I don't care who helps you, but someone must.
And you must accept that with good grace.
I think we need to get the doctor out to see you, Mr Huntley.
I'm worried about your weight loss and your weakness.
Nurse Corrigan...
- ...have you collected those samples? - Al done and dusted.
Nothing like decanting some phlegm to brighten up a morning.
I need your help turning Mr Huntley and getting him more comfortable.
He's not doing so well all of a sudden.
Right. One, two, three.
There you go. All done.
You're good girls.
It's all part of the service.
My name's Avis.
Joan Avis, Cotton Field Tower.
Our rubbish chute has been blocked for two weeks
and there's no light bulb in the stairwell.
Well, I have an evening surgery.
You're welcome to attend, if you'd like to make a formal complaint.
This is a formal complaint. I've got my smart coat on.
And please be advised, I shall be suspending payment of my rates
if matters don't improve.
I'm not quite sure where you think you are, Mrs Avis, but...
...this isn't the rates office.
Oh, it's not a dressmaker's either.
That hem looks like it was done with a knife and fork.
We need to go straight to the phone box and call the surgery.
Mr Huntley's pulse is weak and he's so debilitated.
Shouldn't he be in a hospital?
Well, if he is dying, and I think he might be dying,
we'll take care of him here in his own bed.
His own bed?
This is no better than a dosshouse.
The men in here used to be sailors and labourers, Nancy.
They're too old and too sick to work now,
and they've no families to turn to or to take them in.
They've been in and out of actual dosshouses their whole lives,
and I promise you, this is better.
I'm sorry, I just don't see how.
And it's an emphatic no to strawberries and evap
from Sister Julienne.
That bodes ill.
The strawberry is a fruit of which she has always been extremely fond.
I don't think she fancies trying to eat them lying down.
She goes dizzy the minute she tries to lift her head up off the pillow.
I shall be heading upstairs in short order
to make sure she passes all responsibilities on to me,
including the centenary celebration.
I think you'll find she refers to the event as a "commemoration".
Be that as it may,
she can't be setting events in train from her couch of anguish,
and I am content to step into the breach.
I think, after this, I shall be a shoo-in for next year's Olympics.
Mexico City, here I come.
Do the Olympics have a medal for catching and throwing?
Of course, and I'd get a gold medal with moves like this.
Mummy!
Excuse me, mister, can I have my ball back, please?
Yeah, you'll have to come fetch it if you want it,
cos I've got a bad leg.
All right.
Colette.
Come away!
She's all right.
Don't panic, I had her in my sights.
The likes of him shouldn't even be around here.
He looks harmless enough.
There is a school over there!
Meths drinkers are like rats,
except the council does something about rats.
COLETTE: Why does that man smell so horrible?
He's in the habit of drinking stuff that's very bad for him.
It has an effect on his blood and his insides.
So, why does he do it?
I don't know.
He might not know himself.
But you keep away from him and men like him, do you hear me?
OK, come on. Let's get you a piece of cake
before I take you back to Auntie Vera's.
♪ Cry me a river
♪ I cried a river over you
♪ I cried a river over you. ♪
APPLAUSE
Wow!
Wow, girl, they love you!
DOOR OPENS
Oh, Vi.
I was getting worried about you.
You've been cooking fried bread?
It was for you but it was getting cold.
Council meetings don't normally go on this late.
Well...
...we had a bit of a turn-up for the books, as it happens,
and we ended up with quite a lot to discuss.
Oh, yeah?
What's that, then?
Lord Stonham has invited us
to send a deputation to the House of Commons.
Oh, what brought that about, then?
You know he started out in the East End himself,
and we've corresponded with him over various issues
for the last year or two, and...
...well, he always seemed inclined to listen to working people.
And now that he's Minister for State,
he wants to hear from us direct.
Are you going to get to go, Vi?
Well, I thought it would be all the men
but they want me to be part of the deputation.
You say that like you're surprised.
Yeah, well, I'm certainly daunted.
All the way home I kept on thinking,
"What am I going to wear? What am I going to say?
"And what is it that Poplar people really want?"
If I were you, I would just round them up and ask them face-to-face.
Mm.
Milk's going on for your Bournvita.
How was it?
You look proper washed-out under all that panstick.
SHE SOBS QUIETLY
Petal...
...what's up?
I had one of them funny turns onstage.
Everything was just swimming in front of me
and there was smoke in my eyes,
and the baby was just kicking and kicking.
You're going to have to tell Mr Lewin.
You haven't even told Jeff and he's the baby's father.
Everything's fizzled out since he joined the Army.
It's like we're just pen-friends.
We've both had our heads in the sand about this.
Me just as much as you,
cos I've been trying to play things your way but...
...Julie, you are pregnant.
If I can just keep it a secret for a bit longer...
You're running a temperature, Julie.
I don't think we can.
PHONE RINGS
Good morning. Nonnatus House, midwife speaking.
You were right, Sister Frances.
I was slightly worried about Mr Huntley at the TB hostel
when I saw him last night, but he seemed bright enough.
I came back early this morning and he's really gone downhill.
Does he need someone with him?
Yes.
It could be another 24 hours or so.
You know what it's like, but...
No-one dies alone, Doctor Turner.
Not on our watch.
HORN BEEPS
- Is she all right this morning? - I'm fine.
She's got a bit of a sore throat.
I'm taking her to the quack
to see if he can give her some sort of prescription gargle.
Perfect.
Cos I have secured an audition for a certain young lady for...
...Associated Television.
When, Mo?
5pm tomorrow.
Hop in, let's make sure we get your pipes oiled.
Smoking is not permitted in the surgery.
It's a top-quality cigar.
Havanas, Panatellas, Henley's
or roll-ups stuffed with the cheapest shag...
The same rule applies and will be enforced.
Look, if we don't get satisfaction here,
I'm taking Julie to Harley Street.
That girl...
...heading for the top.
I'm quite far gone, aren't 1?
I'd put you at 36 weeks, lass.
In other words, you've seen off eight out of nine months pregnancy
with no medical support.
No wonder you're feeling a bit frayed around the edges.
Will she have hurt the baby, Doctor...
...cramming it flat with that panty girdle?
We're giving her a thorough once-over but I doubt it very much.
NURSE CRANE: Doctor's going to have a feel of your tummy now, Julie.
Usual bloods?
Oh, come on. No tears, now.
We've plenty of time to get things organised.
She's got an audition for a television show tomorrow night.
SHE MOANS
Oh, no, she hasn't.
Because what she has got, I suspect, is a very nasty water infection.
Is Colette too young for the Judy, Fred?
I wouldn't know. Reggie's the expert on the comics.
I bet even he don't read the girls' ones.
I'll get it anyway. Free gift this week.
Nurse Nancy, just the person!
Now, I've arranged an open meeting at the Institute.
Could you deliver some handbills on your rounds, please?
Do you sell drink?
No, sorry, pal. We don't have a licence.
We do baccy and fags, if you want those.
No, I'll leave it.
Thanks all the same.
He'll probably go straight to the ironmongers
and buy methylated spirits.
It smells like sewer gas.
I wouldn't light any matches for a while.
SHE GIGGLES
He would've been a respectable bloke, once.
Just because he isn't now doesn't entitle us to laugh at him.
Here, mate.
Take these.
It's not got much of a kick to it, but, you know,
with the warm weather and all that.
Well...
...I won't say no.
Thank you.
She can't be in the family way.
She's... she's been wearing minidresses!
We've built every stage outfit around the Sandie Shaw look.
She needs bed rest and antibiotics.
They're going to keep her in overnight in the maternity home.
Maternity home! I never even noticed a blinking thing!
The chances are ATV won't notice either.
- She can still do the audition. - No, she can't!
From now on, my daughter's health comes first.
I'm not saying never mind about her health, Mrs Haig.
But I am saying, what about her future?
I can't market an unmarried mother.
She's already got a contract for the single.
They'll drop her like a stone the minute they find out.
Well, then, her future stops here, doesn't it?
Everything we planned is over.
If she tied the knot with someone, it would be a different matter.
Dare I ask where the father is?
Westfalen, Germany.
He's in the Rifles.
Well, he wants ruddy shooting.
It must be like feeling seasick.
It is, only without the consoling thought of a holiday destination
at the end of it.
All will be well.
Only I'm not convinced all will be well in time for the centenary.
Do you have to mark it at all?
There have been so many miracles along the way
that thanksgiving seems essential.
But...
...we mustn't seem to be patting ourselves on the back.
Sister Hilda seems to be full of ideas.
Sister Hilda is as inventive as she is enthusiastic,
which I fear will prove a rather febrile mix.
You, on the other hand...
...know us inside and out...
...and can look towards us from the outside in.
Oh, I hope you're not suggesting I might take it over.
No, I'm asking you to.
Simple, dignified, loving and truthful.
No-one can do it... better.
I want all of this drunk up
and there'll be another glass of water with your teatime omelette.
The baby's going to drown if 1 carry on like this.
A regular intake of fluids is just as important as your antibiotics.
We need to get that infection on the run.
Yep, you do as the nurse says, girl.
Now I've rearranged the audition for next week,
you've really got something to aim towards.
If I may interject,
I think Doctor Turner may be of the opposite opinion.
I just want to sing, Nurse Crane.
I want to be like Helen Shapiro used to be, like Shirley Bassey is now.
She's from somewhere no better than round here,
and they say she's made so much money
she's going to have to live abroad.
There's nothing wrong in wanting to get on in life.
I transfigured my own fortunes in my small way.
But you're not going to be playing The Palladium
when you're 36 weeks gone.
The audition is for the telly
and they can do things with camera angles.
What you can't do with a camera is bring an infant into the world
on time, properly nourished and healthy.
You've got work to do, lass...
...and it isn't on the stage.
Hello.
I'm sorry to disturb you.
I'm only listening to the dogs bark.
They do that in the evenings.
They send messages to each other.
I brought you some things that you might find handy -
a walking stick and a mack.
You'll be too warm in that overcoat soon.
I don't like to take it off.
A good coat gets to be a friend.
Will you have the stick?
I might give it a try.
I wondered if you'd hurt your foot, sir.
"Sir"?
HE LAUGHS
I'm a nurse. It gives you a knack with the etiquette.
No, I got shot of my surname years ago.
I just answer to the name of Bernard, like a dog.
You're from Ireland.
My name's Nancy.
I was born in Cork but I live here now.
My mother was from Skibbereen.
She... she lived here, too.
People from our neck of the woods get everywhere.
When I see things that are yellow sometimes, I... I think of her.
A painted door, a ribbon on a child...
She... she had eyes the colour of robins' eggs
but it... it was the yellow things she loved.
Does that foot hurt you, Bernard?
You could come to the surgery, where I work, and get it dressed.
No.
I can't... can't even feel it.
It's the best way.
Best way.
Is that the pop that Fred gave you from the shop?
Might be.
Might be a little bit more to it, now.
You know, I... I was just looking...
...for them little golden flowers.
Not daisies.
The ones that shine.
Butterfingers and all that.
You mean buttercups?
Might do.
I keep looking but I never find any.
I have no objection to Mrs Turner...
Doctor's wife, midwife, nurse and, well, general all-round good egg...
Arranging the centenary celebration.
I have every objection to such an important role
being assigned to Sister Bernadette, ex-nun!
Perhaps we can talk about what we're likely to see the Queen wearing,
during her forthcoming tour to Canada.
I'm always very struck by her diplomatic choice of colours.
So, I'd anticipate a lot of red and white
and she might borrow the maple leaf brooch from the Queen Mother.
I'd just like to see her jazz up her shoes a bit.
And her bags. I mean, they're all the same.
Her footwear does seem to be becoming increasingly conservative.
Once upon a time, it wasn't unusual to see her in a peep-toe.
Hello. I'd like to enquire about making an international call...
...to West Germany.
There you go, Albert.
That should freshen you up a little.
Albert - it seems so natural now,
even to one from a generation such as mine,
where formal terms prevailed.
A woman's Christian name, when she's in travail.
A man's, when he stands in equipoise betwixt this life and the next.
You think of his mother choosing it, don't you, when he was born?
Looking down at his little face and wondering what would suit him.
I've brought you a Thermos of minestrone and some Cheddar rolls.
A rather savoury repast for so early in the day.
Sister Monica Joan...
...I think he's going.
Depart, O Christian soul, out of this world.
In the Name of God, the Father Almighty, who created you.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, who redeemed you.
In the Name of the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies you.
May your rest be this day in peace
and your dwelling place in the Paradise of God.
WHISPERS: Amen.
WHISPERS: Is there anything I can do?
Open the window.
Let his soul out.
Mrs Buckle, what plans has the council
to ensure that the order of St Raymond Nonnatus
remains at the heart of midwifery and nursing in this area?
The council makes a significant contribution to health care
right across Tower Hamlets.
My understanding is that there are no plans whatever
to change the funds already allocated.
But, in the centenary year of the Order's arrival in the area,
is Lord Stonham even aware of the extent to which a vital service
has to rely on religious charity and private donations?
I can certainly ensure that it is brought to his attention.
No-one's higher up in the nun's fan club than me, Mrs Buckle.
I've had five kids with them...
Four in my own bed and one in the air raid shelter.
They are the best of the East End.
CROWD: Hear, hear!
And what I want to know is, what are you going to do about the worst?
Well, I think you're going to need to define
what you mean by "the worst",
if I'm going to answer that question in a satisfactory manner.
I mean cars all over the bombsites, with God knows who living in them,
people keeping goats in their back yards
and meths drinkers in every doorway.
One cannot be oblivious to the presence of unsavoury elements
throughout the borough,
which appears to be the direct result of the chaos
caused by the housing programme.
Will you be asking Lord Stonham how this can be remedied?
We all have grave concerns about housing, Miss Higgins.
I have grave concerns about people using my stairwell as a khazi.
CROWD MURMURS IN AGREEMENT
Your concerns have been noted and will be passed on,
when the deputation visits the House of Commons.
My mum thinks you should've kept me in longer.
You're doing very nicely.
If this were a test at school, you'd be top of the form.
That would be a first.
Can I do classes in what to expect?
I feel like I've got to make up for lost time.
The only thing you've got to do is stop berating yourself.
There's no harm done.
And you can't turn back the clock.
You don't understand. I've got to be fantastic at this.
Like I've always had to be fantastic at everything.
Why do you think that?
Because my dad ran out on me after I was born.
The only thing he left behind was the colour of my skin.
He also left your mother.
And she's given you enough determination, love
and willpower to make up for any deficit of his.
Now...
...I'll talk you through what to expect, shall 1?
KNOCKING
Mr Lewin, you're intruding upon a professional consultation.
I've actually come in search of a professional consultation
about residential nurseries for the nipper.
I beg your pardon?
What's a residential nursery?
A select, fee-paying facility, where babies can reside all year round.
Now, we can pick up where you left off.
I've even got contacts at Search For A Star.
Out of this young lady's bedroom, now!
She may have decisions to make about her future,
but she also has a mind and opinions of her own.
I've been her manager for a year. Do you think I don't know that?
Julie, if we don't sort this out,
none of this will ever come your way again.
Jeff, what are you doing here?
Well, what do you think?
As soon as you told me, I couldn't get to the boat train fast enough.
I didn't even change out of my uniform.
Oh, have a heart, Thelma.
Let me in.
Jeff, why aren't you in Germany?
Because of this.
Is she having it now?
NURSE CRANE: No, although I can't vouch for how the day will unfold,
if we are subject to any more drama.
I brought Lucille's lacquer.
You can immobilise Big Ben with what she's sprayed on her barnet already.
It's a windy day
and we're having our photograph taken with Lord Stonham.
Have you got the French chalk?
Where's the kid gloves?
On the kitchen table. The mark is on the thumb.
Just pretend you're spraying a car.
You have to stay calm, Mrs Buckle.
You're looking elegant and dignified
but it's not your appearance that matters today,
it's about what you are going to say.
That's exactly why the backs of my knees have turned to water.
Why, when all you have to do is tell the truth
and ask the questions that matters on behalf of the people you love?
You make it sound so easy, Cyril.
Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, but you know...
...it can be quite simple, if you just speak from your heart.
Garnets?
They're your birthstone, if you're born in January.
I was going to get you a diamond but that's the birthstone for April
and I thought it might be unlucky.
I've applied for a special licence.
It only takes a few days.
Please...
...please, say yes.
At least it'll make having gone AWOL worthwhile.
AWOL?
You've come here absent without leave?
What did your mum say?
She thinks they've let me home on compassionate grounds.
I panicked.
Jeff...
...what if I say yes and I make you miserable?
Well, I keep telling myself how much more miserable I'd be,
knowing our little titch was getting name called for being a bastard.
You had it just as bad as me, didn't you, Jeff?
Almost.
Let me be a man who does the decent thing.
Would the delegation from Tower Hamlets please come with me?
Greetings.
I imagine you've come to confer with Sister Julienne.
I approve of all of it.
Even the balloons?
Especially the balloons. So much of our work has been about children,
why not do something that will make them smile?
Sister Hilda, would you like to see this?
This all seems most...
...acceptable.
But what, may I ask, is item 10... Surprise?
I can't say.
All of this is in the manner of a gift to you.
To the whole Order.
And it doesn't seem right to unwrap every element at once.
DOOR OPENS
Violet, you're home!
The minister gave us a full 40 minutes of his time.
That's good, isn't it?
We discussed play streets, playgrounds, unlicensed dogs,
and what's going on at Tilbury Docks.
Well, no-one likes the sound of those containers coming in.
And then, finally, we looked at a plan of action
against the meths drinkers.
Councillor Finney persuaded the minister that what we really need
is to increase police powers of arrest and dispersal.
All that's going to do is move them on
and make them somebody else's problem.
Oh, half the time, that's what politics is, Fred.
Good afternoon, sir. May I be of assistance.
Um... Yeah.
There's a... there's a nurse, who works here, name of Nancy.
You can't have him in here. It's insanitary!
I'm afraid Nurse Corrigan is not on the premises today.
I will confer with Dr Turner, if you would like to wait outside.
No, it... it's not bad enough for a doctor.
No, I'm... I'm happy with the nurse.
Sorry for dragging you out, Fred.
Nothing much scares me, but on my own,
I can't vouch for Nurse Corrigan's safety in this set-up after dark.
And I suspect she's the only one this man will trust.
- What's this? - Eucalyptus ointment.
Rub it underneath your nose.
It's a trick I learned years ago, going into dosshouses.
What is it about drinking meths that makes them like this, Doc?
If you mean the smell,
the raw alcohol is rotting their flesh from the inside out.
Some of them will have gastritis and soil themselves constantly,
and their legs are probably covered in ulcers.
Poor sods.
If you mean why are they confused and incoherent,
it's because the alcohol is damaging their brains,
possibly even blinding them.
Why is there nowhere for these people to go and get treatment?
There is no treatment and they wouldn't go.
They cling to each other
and the few small things that still feel familiar.
Everything beyond that is the void.
And in the one place they can bear to be...
...nobody even wants them.
- I got the licence. - I got the dress.
Me and Mum nipped up to Venus Modes
and bought a little white number off the peg.
- Hat to match, and all. - Oh, can I see it?
No.
It's like diamonds when you're born in January...
unlucky.
I hope you aren't planning on wearing that shirt.
Bernard?
It's Nancy, the nurse.
You asked for me at the surgery but I wasn't there.
I've brought the doctor.
I don't need the doctor.
Now, I reckon you do.
But I'm just junior, he knows more than me, which isn't difficult.
If you'd let the nurse just ease your shoe off, have a quick look,
I won't interfere, unless it's necessary.
I've heard of a thing called antibions.
Antibiotics?
Mm, we've tonnes of them.
Pills, lotions, liquid, solid.
- Probably even gas. - Just her.
Right.
Let's ease this off, then.
My mother, right, she used to be a Lady's maid.
The family, who she worked for,
they used to have their shoes handmade in Piccadilly.
His.. his foot's come off with the shoe.
I'm... I'm sorry, Bernard.
I'm sorry.
I didn't feel a thing.
You wouldn't.
You've got gangrene.
What will they do at the hospital?
Amputate...
...somewhere below the knee, if he's lucky.
If he'd led a different sort of life,
he'd stand a decent chance of being fitted with an artificial leg.
That's not going to happen,
because of the thing that got him in this state in the first place.
The drink?
The drink...
...and everything that made him drink.
Smoking can cause arteriosclerosis.
A bad diet can cause diabetes.
Both can lead to loss of circulation and dry gangrene.
But only catastrophic self-neglect
can result in a sight like we've just seen.
It didn't even seem to hurt him.
It was as though he hardly cared.
And that is the most painful thing we ever see.
I can't stop asking myself.
I mean, why is it that I bend over backwards for some people
and not for others?
And all for the sake of what, a well-kept street?
I can't say I'm keen on driving those poor men
as far away as possible.
It's not about what I want, is it?
It's about what my constituents want.
I mean, I am in the service of others,
however unfortunate that may be in this instance.
What about Bernard?
Isn't he your constituent, too?
Knock, knock.
Bernard, it's Dr Turner.
We met last night.
Do you work here?
No, but...
...I'm good at sneaking in.
And there is a lady, who wanted to visit you.
Is it Nancy?
I'm Councillor Buckle.
Violet.
I'm so sorry for your troubles.
...I brought you a small parcel of essentials
from the Pensioners' Benevolent Society.
Oh, I don't get a pension.
I lost me cards.
Is there something wrong with me
cos I keep thinking I ought to want to drink?
They're giving you medication to take the edge off any cravings.
Yeah, they took me leg off too, didn't they?
Not all of it.
According to the staff nurse, you've still got your knee joint.
I always wanted to disappear.
Looks like I'm doing it bit by bit.
HE LAUGHS
This is not something I get to say every day,
but we have a bride in labour.
Events have taken something of a turn.
And are we to book the lady in question in as Miss Haig or Mrs...?
...Lilly. My client is in fact a married woman, now.
We told the registrar to keep proceedings brief.
I love you, Julie.
COUGHING
They won't let me smoke. It's making me cough.
Pneumonia's making you cough.
- Is it? - Mm, it's in your notes.
I took a shufty at them.
Is pneumonia when your lungs fill up with water?
Well, it's an acute lower respiratory infection,
involving the alveoli.
But, yeah, it comes to the same thing.
Ah, I can go along with that.
They're giving you medicine for it.
My mother drowned...
...in a canal.
She left her handbag on the side
and there were three ha'pence in her purse.
They gave me the coins to take to the industrial school
but the matron robbed them...
...and I've been grubbing about in the dirt,
looking for pennies ever since.
I lost my mother when I was a child.
I'm a mother myself, now.
Does it make things better?
Yeah.
PIANO PLAYS
I'm sorry, Miss Higgins, but if this is to be set to "Repton”,
I don't think that's the appropriate key.
It's the key I sang it in, when I was writing the verse.
Miss Higgins, the words are your domain.
The music is mine.
PIANO PLAYS
I joined the Navy when I was 14.
That didn't make it better.
I started with the booze at 16.
That didn't make it better, either.
You certainly gave it enough of a chance.
The war made it worse.
Living a life at sea in peacetime made it worse.
Every year, every day, I needed something stronger...
...and I just tramped about.
Went all over...
Land's End to John O'Groats, like a ship avoiding harbour.
And then...
...in the end...
...I came home.
Home to Poplar.
Where I lived with my mother.
It was like I could see her footprints on the pavement
and hear her voice.
IN IRISH ACCENT: "Let's see if you like butter.”
And the tickle of the flower underneath me chin.
"Yes... yes, you do."
One way or another, I've been trying to drown myself for 40 years.
Now, I have the pneumonia...
...I can stop.
I'm sorry about the smell of dog dirt.
I'm trying not to spray it around with the brush.
After the stenches I've encountered in the last few days, it's nothing.
How do you do it?
Do what?
This job.
Seeing people so...
...broken and in so much want?
You have to sidestep want most of the time.
Just concentrate on providing what they need and that's...
...just love, most of the time.
I just want it to be all right, Nurse.
Not too weak or too small or too poorly.
Come on, precious.
You're using up all your strength with all this crying.
And I don't want any more contractions.
Nobody said how much they were going to hurt!
Julie, if we can get you nice and calm,
we will have a try with the gas and air with the next one,
and I promise that will really help.
But first, let me get you a nice, cool cloth to bathe those eyes.
No wonder she's in no frame of mind for this, with all their fretting.
And she's had no time whatsoever to prepare.
I'm scared.
Everybody is scared of things they've never done before
but that's where we come in.
We've done this time and time again, haven't we, Nurse Crane?
I delivered my first baby
before Shirley Temple was top of the hit parade.
SHE SHRIEKS
Here we go, precious.
You do exactly as I tell you, and I promise,
the difference will be like night from day.
JULIE SCREAMS
I brought us all some pie and mash and a bottle of champagne for later.
Vintage.
I just hope we've got something to celebrate.
It's coming too early, Mo.
I've never known a girl push so strongly and with such control.
Every time you push, I can see a bit more of the head.
You're doing so well, lass.
And the head is with us.
See how well you've done?
The baby's head's starting to turn now, just one last push, Julie.
Give it all the strength you've got.
SHE SHRIEKS
BABY CRIES
Hello.
May I introduce you to your daughter?
BABY CRIES
She's beautiful.
And that was... that was...
How about fantastic?
So many men are psychologically damaged.
Loss or...
...poverty.
Always, always war.
When I got back from Italy, I was encouraged to talk.
Maybe I didn't talk enough.
Maybe I could've talked more about talking...
...but I was healed.
People like Bernard never get that chance.
We are all the things that have happened to us, aren't we?
I keep thinking about that all the time,
while I've been organising the centenary.
All the things I was part of...
...and how those things became a part of me.
We've been so lucky, haven't we?
One for posterity, in case the press ever ask.
What are you going to call her?
Nicola Samantha.
I love it.
Is it all right to come in?
Please, do. There's no-one we can send for.
Mother...
- ...is that you? - You're out of luck, love.
But I brought you some flowers.
I've been crawling all over the bombsites with a nun,
looking for these.
I hope you're grateful.
It's not right, is it, Nurse Crane?
It's a tiny bit on the high side.
Little lass might have picked up a mild infection.
What will you do?
Will you send her to hospital?
I'm going to telephone Dr Turner and we'll see what he advises.
I can see it glowing against your skin.
Brightest gold you ever saw, like a coin...
...or a Fairy Flag.
WHISPERS: Shall we see who likes butter?
Oh, you do, Bernard.
You do.
I don't want her to go.
I'm her mother.
And you're a very good one,
which is why you know you have to let her get the best of care.
Will you leave the buttercups with him?
He loved yellow things.
I'm the only person who's crying for him in the whole world.
No, you aren't.
These readings are going up and up, Julie.
I don't want to have to ask Doctor for a sedative.
Baby will be back in your arms in a day or two, I'm sure.
And what's going to happen, then?
I hand her over to my mum, put on my glad rags,
paint my face and go out singing?
You're under contract to Mr Lewin and to the record company.
My contract is with my daughter.
Sincere apologies for any disturbance,
but two gentlemen have called for Mr Lilly.
♪ Something happened to my heart the day that I met you
♪ Something that I never felt before
♪ You are always on my mind no matter what I do
♪ And every day, it seems I want you more
♪ My love is warmer than the warmest sunshine, softer than a sigh
♪ My love is deeper than the deepest ocean, wider than the sky
♪ My love is brighter than the brightest star
♪ That shines every night above
♪ And there is nothing in this world that can ever change my love. ♪
Do the hospital require any assistance
with the gentleman's funeral arrangements, Dr Turner?
There are age-old routines for burial in a council grave.
They do it all the time.
I said they could use my surname, on the forms.
Bernard Corrigan.
If anyone looks at the cemetery records,
they'll know he belonged to someone.
Well, he belonged here. He was born in Poplar.
Poplar should have taken better care of him.
We tried...
...but we could all do better.
And we will.
Now, I know we have hostels for treating men who have TB.
We need similar facilities for treating people,
who suffer from alcohol addiction.
Somewhere where they can be helped.
Somewhere where they can be treated like human beings.
Would the council fund that?
Well, it will take time...
but I will try.
We look after our own here.
JULIE: I'm going to sing her so many songs, Mum.
I wanted more for you.
You gave me everything I needed.
And now, I'm going to do the same for her.
With respect, Mrs Turner,
wouldn't it be more sensible to get this into position
once the rain had packed in?
It's going to end up out of tune, you know.
The rain is not due to "pack in" until early afternoon,
exactly as the service commences.
I'm also armed with a large tarpaulin.
TRIXIE: When we first started,
this seemed like the most marvellous idea.
A canopy of massed summer flowers
donated by well-wishers from the community of Poplar.
What we've ended up with is a sort of...
...chrysanthemum soup with privet croutons.
So, that's no good, then?
Matthew, I'm Constance Spry-trained.
Well, I'm glad I didn't know that
when I sent you the Swiss cheese plant.
It wasn't...
...right for me to send you actual flower flowers, then.
And it wasn't right for me to do that for a long, long, time.
No, when I...
1... 1 never wanted that.
And do you want that, now?
I mean, would you allow that, now?
Because, if you'd let me...
...I would fill your arms with flowers.
Roses, lilacs, lilies...
...and something red.
Like, more roses.
- Red roses. - Yeah, red roses.
Because, I mean, everybody knows what they mean.
And I hope very much you know what I mean, when I do this.
♪ Their heads were veiled, their lives avowed.
♪ They came to serve the people proud. ♪
The Nonnatus House centenary celebrations took place
in gently falling rain.
The people, who loved it, stood shoulder to shoulder
in defiance of the elements,
determined to carry on and regardless.
The weather could not have been more perfect.
Skies will always shift, seasons with them.
Days become years, years become decades.
Decades evolve into a century and more.
And all the while, our lives entwine, and then, unspool,
borne on the winds of time and aimed we know not where.
But we know where we come from and where our hearts call home.
May I give you a wee bit of advice?
Please do. Polish up your dancing shoes.
Make her feel like she's the only girl in the world.
Well, how does Cyril feel about that?
I haven't told him yet.
Get away from her. You're hurting her!
I prayed for the intervention of angels and I have been answered.