Fresh from her signal triumph over Mapp in the battle of the art exhibition, Lucia decides that she has found her new home and decides to settle in Tilling once her let of Mallards finishes.
Egged on by a delighted Irene (Lucia's most vociferous supporter, Georgie included), Lucia goes to see Mr Woolgar at Woolgar & Pipstow (We never do see Pipstow, though when Pipstow is mentioned by irene Woolgar doesn't suggest he doesnt exist).
It turns out that Woolgar has nothing in Tilling proper (by which he means a big enough house: Lucia isn't looking for a small cottage). When Irene follows up with a request for what's in Tilling IMproper, Woolgar mentions a property a mile out of town on the marshes, called Grebe. Lucia visits it and is instantly smitten. Lucia notes some odd structures on the beach which Woolgar explains are dykes to hold the sea back which haven't been breached in living memory. Unfortunately, Lucia doesn't engage a lawyer/surveyor to check this out, choosing to believe Woolgar's statement at face value. There's a moral here, as we shall shortly see.
Lucia opts to buy Grebe and rapidly sorts a sale of her home in Riseholme by telephone. No delays or chains, here!
Foreseeing problems, Lucia asks Irene to support Georgie's artistic endeavours, though Irene isn't actually impressed by them at all.
Mapp is told of Lucia's decision and unsurprisingly has a fit. Diva does her best to placate and console her and when they subsequently meet Major Benjy, he too is unfailingly supportive of Mapp. Together, they somewhat restore Mapp's fractured morale.
Georgie returns from Folkstone, chirpy at the success of the Italian letter. Lucia tries to take the credit for a 'stroke of genius' but Georgie swiftly asserts his role in the matter and Lucia accedes to him.
But when Lucia gives Georgie the news that she is staying in Tilling, he doesn't take it well. Not at all. Georgie is horrified and proceeds to throw all of his toys out of the pram. Distraught at the prospect that he will lose Foljambe, who will surely wish to stay with Cadman in Tilling, he is critical of Lucia for proceeding without consulting him. He's right of course, but Lucia merely pulls him up when Georgie complains that he'll have neither Foljambe nor Lucia and that Riseholme will be ditch water without- and Lucia makes him reverse the order.
Georgie goes so far as to wish he hadn't come up with the Italian letter wheeze at all, without which Lucia's reputation might have been so damaged as to necessitate their joint return to Riseholme. Lucia takes this without hitting back but even her best baby-talk to Georgie - her usual tactic for calming him when she goes too far - fails in its purpose. Georgie exits to go home and stew on it.
A disconsolate Georgie heads out, only to run into Cadman and Foljambe in the street. Georgie slyly- and underhandedly- attempts to persuade both of them to return to Riseholme with him and in his employ. Cadman politely declines, explaining that Lucia is a considerate employer who has done nothing to make him wish to leave her service. Foljambe explains that she can't leave Cadman, so Georgie has to accept that his subterfuge has ended in failure. Pretending that he was 'only testing', he asks the pair not to tell Lucia of his attempt to lure them away from Lucia. But Foljambe at least suggests that he consider staying in Tilling also.
Georgie then falls in with Quaint Irene, who explains how much she will miss him if he goes and how much she enjoys his artwork. Georgie starts to think again.
Later Georgie returns to Lucia at Mallards, confirming that he has had some luck - he placed his house on the market by telephone- and presto! Like Lucia's his house sells almost instantly. I don't know how conveyancing worked in 1930, but I rather doubt things moved as quickly as that. However, it helps the storyline run. Literary Licence.
Georgie has a surprise for Lucia- he can now indulge his dearest wish, to move to London where he can attend operas and theatres! He's no longer bothered about Foljambe... Lucia indulges Georgie's rant, then suggests they pop along to Woolgar & Pipstow and see what they have on their books in London. At this point, Georgie 'fesses up' that it's all nonsense- which Lucia knew all along. Her face, turned toward us as Georgie rattles on, is a study in restrained patience! He just wanted to assert his independence and hit back for Lucia's move which wasn't discussed with him.
Georgie obtains a long lease on Mallards Cottage, so he too is settled- and Foljambe confirms how happy she is to be staying with him. So he's happy.
Lucia tells Benjy that she is making him her heir in her will, bequeathing him Grebe and a 'small sum in cash'. Georgie is tearful and they both hope it will be a long time away. How ominous....
Lucia serves up a meal for everyone at Grebe to celebrate moving in, unleashing her 'Lobster a la Riseholme' which has everybody hooked. Mapp asks for the recipe but Lucia repeatedly declines to provide it, even when told that this is customary in Tilling. When it is time for everyone to head home, the weather is getting rather stormy.
Next day, Mapp sets off for a 'pre-prandial' (pre lunch for those who didn't do Latin at school) walk as the weather begins to turn stormy again: she meets Lucia and Georgie's servants on the way to a whist drive in Tilling and is told that Lucia is out for a walk too. Mapp goes to Grebe and walks into the unlocked kitchen. There, she soon locates the recipe for Lobster a la Riseholme and copies it. Lucia arrives but before she can ask Mapp why she's there, the sea begins to inundate the house! The inner door to the house has been locked by the servants before they left (presumably Lucia has only the front door key and it's too dangerous to go out to the front door) and Lucia urges Mapp to upturn and climb onto the kitchen table...
Later, we see, in a distant haze, an upturned kitchen table out at sea with two figures upon it.....
Of course it's a contrived situation (not to mention it's odd that the servants leave access open to the kitchen with all its books, cutlery, crockery and implements). Woolgar's comment about the dykes never being breached in living memory is proven wrong remarkably quickly. We'd never expect it of an estate agent! Was he just using sales spiel?
The others gather sadly in the village hall to keep a vigil. Irene and Georgie are inconsolable.
The local lifeboatman reports that he saw something strange- like an upturned kitchen table with two ladies grasping the legs - but dismissed it as too unlikely and ascribes the sighting to sea serpents!
So- no rescue....it looks grim...
Mr and Mrs Wyse invite everyone for dinner - 'no need to dress for dinner' - it must be serious!
Everyone gathers at Mr & Mrs Wyse's house. Diva raises the possibility that Mapp went to Grebe to steal the recipe, which is strongly dismissed by Major Benjy. Irene stalks out in tears, while Georgie remonstrates with Mrs Wyse.
A few days later, the kitchen table is found on the seashore. Padre attempts to appropriate it as finder but is prevented by Georgie.
A couple of months later and Georgie is visited by Lucia's solicitor. He confirms that Georgie is to inherit Grebe: but the 'small cash sum' is a humungous £80,000, equivalent to more than £6 million in 2023! The only problem is that wthl Lucia not yet officially pronounced dead, pending further evidence, her servants cannot be paid by the estate nor the property heated and provided with electricity. It's understandable how this problem arises, though it's surprising it takes as long as 2 months for the solicitor to say something about it. Didn't Grosvenor and Cadman say something about not being paid and asking what's to happen? Who is paying for food on the table for them?
Georgie solves the matter by paying these costs himself, rather than making the servants redundant and closing up Grebe. Good for him!
In the bar next day, Major Benjy explains the same has happened to him, though he gets Mallards and £10,000 (say £700,000 in todays money. Less than Lucia by a long way, but still a great deal of money). They exchange muted 'congratulations' (to be fair, the Padre falls into the same error). We see Georgie talking to Lucia's staff and looking after the finances. We don't see Benjy's interview with Mapp's solicitor, but the same must apply - Mapp has Withers and a cook and probably a maid, so who is paying them, employing them and paying to maintain Mallards? We can only presume a similar agreement is made by Benjy - but we don't get to see it. The contrast makes Georgie appear caring and Benjy callous, an impression intensified in the next episode.
Egged on by a delighted Irene (Lucia's most vociferous supporter, Georgie included), Lucia goes to see Mr Woolgar at Woolgar & Pipstow (We never do see Pipstow, though when Pipstow is mentioned by irene Woolgar doesn't suggest he doesnt exist).
It turns out that Woolgar has nothing in Tilling proper (by which he means a big enough house: Lucia isn't looking for a small cottage). When Irene follows up with a request for what's in Tilling IMproper, Woolgar mentions a property a mile out of town on the marshes, called Grebe. Lucia visits it and is instantly smitten. Lucia notes some odd structures on the beach which Woolgar explains are dykes to hold the sea back which haven't been breached in living memory. Unfortunately, Lucia doesn't engage a lawyer/surveyor to check this out, choosing to believe Woolgar's statement at face value. There's a moral here, as we shall shortly see.
Lucia opts to buy Grebe and rapidly sorts a sale of her home in Riseholme by telephone. No delays or chains, here!
Foreseeing problems, Lucia asks Irene to support Georgie's artistic endeavours, though Irene isn't actually impressed by them at all.
Mapp is told of Lucia's decision and unsurprisingly has a fit. Diva does her best to placate and console her and when they subsequently meet Major Benjy, he too is unfailingly supportive of Mapp. Together, they somewhat restore Mapp's fractured morale.
Georgie returns from Folkstone, chirpy at the success of the Italian letter. Lucia tries to take the credit for a 'stroke of genius' but Georgie swiftly asserts his role in the matter and Lucia accedes to him.
But when Lucia gives Georgie the news that she is staying in Tilling, he doesn't take it well. Not at all. Georgie is horrified and proceeds to throw all of his toys out of the pram. Distraught at the prospect that he will lose Foljambe, who will surely wish to stay with Cadman in Tilling, he is critical of Lucia for proceeding without consulting him. He's right of course, but Lucia merely pulls him up when Georgie complains that he'll have neither Foljambe nor Lucia and that Riseholme will be ditch water without- and Lucia makes him reverse the order.
Georgie goes so far as to wish he hadn't come up with the Italian letter wheeze at all, without which Lucia's reputation might have been so damaged as to necessitate their joint return to Riseholme. Lucia takes this without hitting back but even her best baby-talk to Georgie - her usual tactic for calming him when she goes too far - fails in its purpose. Georgie exits to go home and stew on it.
A disconsolate Georgie heads out, only to run into Cadman and Foljambe in the street. Georgie slyly- and underhandedly- attempts to persuade both of them to return to Riseholme with him and in his employ. Cadman politely declines, explaining that Lucia is a considerate employer who has done nothing to make him wish to leave her service. Foljambe explains that she can't leave Cadman, so Georgie has to accept that his subterfuge has ended in failure. Pretending that he was 'only testing', he asks the pair not to tell Lucia of his attempt to lure them away from Lucia. But Foljambe at least suggests that he consider staying in Tilling also.
Georgie then falls in with Quaint Irene, who explains how much she will miss him if he goes and how much she enjoys his artwork. Georgie starts to think again.
Later Georgie returns to Lucia at Mallards, confirming that he has had some luck - he placed his house on the market by telephone- and presto! Like Lucia's his house sells almost instantly. I don't know how conveyancing worked in 1930, but I rather doubt things moved as quickly as that. However, it helps the storyline run. Literary Licence.
Georgie has a surprise for Lucia- he can now indulge his dearest wish, to move to London where he can attend operas and theatres! He's no longer bothered about Foljambe... Lucia indulges Georgie's rant, then suggests they pop along to Woolgar & Pipstow and see what they have on their books in London. At this point, Georgie 'fesses up' that it's all nonsense- which Lucia knew all along. Her face, turned toward us as Georgie rattles on, is a study in restrained patience! He just wanted to assert his independence and hit back for Lucia's move which wasn't discussed with him.
Georgie obtains a long lease on Mallards Cottage, so he too is settled- and Foljambe confirms how happy she is to be staying with him. So he's happy.
Lucia tells Benjy that she is making him her heir in her will, bequeathing him Grebe and a 'small sum in cash'. Georgie is tearful and they both hope it will be a long time away. How ominous....
Lucia serves up a meal for everyone at Grebe to celebrate moving in, unleashing her 'Lobster a la Riseholme' which has everybody hooked. Mapp asks for the recipe but Lucia repeatedly declines to provide it, even when told that this is customary in Tilling. When it is time for everyone to head home, the weather is getting rather stormy.
Next day, Mapp sets off for a 'pre-prandial' (pre lunch for those who didn't do Latin at school) walk as the weather begins to turn stormy again: she meets Lucia and Georgie's servants on the way to a whist drive in Tilling and is told that Lucia is out for a walk too. Mapp goes to Grebe and walks into the unlocked kitchen. There, she soon locates the recipe for Lobster a la Riseholme and copies it. Lucia arrives but before she can ask Mapp why she's there, the sea begins to inundate the house! The inner door to the house has been locked by the servants before they left (presumably Lucia has only the front door key and it's too dangerous to go out to the front door) and Lucia urges Mapp to upturn and climb onto the kitchen table...
Later, we see, in a distant haze, an upturned kitchen table out at sea with two figures upon it.....
Of course it's a contrived situation (not to mention it's odd that the servants leave access open to the kitchen with all its books, cutlery, crockery and implements). Woolgar's comment about the dykes never being breached in living memory is proven wrong remarkably quickly. We'd never expect it of an estate agent! Was he just using sales spiel?
The others gather sadly in the village hall to keep a vigil. Irene and Georgie are inconsolable.
The local lifeboatman reports that he saw something strange- like an upturned kitchen table with two ladies grasping the legs - but dismissed it as too unlikely and ascribes the sighting to sea serpents!
So- no rescue....it looks grim...
Mr and Mrs Wyse invite everyone for dinner - 'no need to dress for dinner' - it must be serious!
Everyone gathers at Mr & Mrs Wyse's house. Diva raises the possibility that Mapp went to Grebe to steal the recipe, which is strongly dismissed by Major Benjy. Irene stalks out in tears, while Georgie remonstrates with Mrs Wyse.
A few days later, the kitchen table is found on the seashore. Padre attempts to appropriate it as finder but is prevented by Georgie.
A couple of months later and Georgie is visited by Lucia's solicitor. He confirms that Georgie is to inherit Grebe: but the 'small cash sum' is a humungous £80,000, equivalent to more than £6 million in 2023! The only problem is that wthl Lucia not yet officially pronounced dead, pending further evidence, her servants cannot be paid by the estate nor the property heated and provided with electricity. It's understandable how this problem arises, though it's surprising it takes as long as 2 months for the solicitor to say something about it. Didn't Grosvenor and Cadman say something about not being paid and asking what's to happen? Who is paying for food on the table for them?
Georgie solves the matter by paying these costs himself, rather than making the servants redundant and closing up Grebe. Good for him!
In the bar next day, Major Benjy explains the same has happened to him, though he gets Mallards and £10,000 (say £700,000 in todays money. Less than Lucia by a long way, but still a great deal of money). They exchange muted 'congratulations' (to be fair, the Padre falls into the same error). We see Georgie talking to Lucia's staff and looking after the finances. We don't see Benjy's interview with Mapp's solicitor, but the same must apply - Mapp has Withers and a cook and probably a maid, so who is paying them, employing them and paying to maintain Mallards? We can only presume a similar agreement is made by Benjy - but we don't get to see it. The contrast makes Georgie appear caring and Benjy callous, an impression intensified in the next episode.