Now married to Georgie, Lucia is visited by the Mayor who reveals that he is to step down and invites Lucia to take over as Mayor.
Naturally, Lucia accepts and is soon engaged in the sport of deciding who is to act as Lady Mayoress.
Each of the other lady 'society Tillingites'- Diva, Susan Wyse, Quaint Irene and Mapp - express their willingness to serve. While Georgie is disappointed to discover that being the Mayor's husband confers no benefits upon him whatsoever.
Indeed, the appointment appears to redound to Georgie's disadvantage because Lucia insists that the Mayor must be seen to economise, taking mutton instead of lamb amongst other things.
Lucia appears to be suffering from the same problem as Susan Wyse: as Susan is too proud to talk directly to the shopkeeper but issues her order from her car through her chauffeur, so now Lucia disdains going shopping, explaining that this is in case the other customers feel compelled to defer to her and make way. For her.
Georgie reassures Lucia that this will not happen anyway: he is clearly irritated by it all. His view is that her peers will regard her reluctance to shop as excessive pride.
Lucia canvasses the candidates for Mayoress In the end she opts for Mapp, to Georgie's surprise and disapproval.
Susan Wyse pretty much disqualifies herself by suffering a form of nervous breakdown after accidentally sitting upon and squashing her pet budgerigar Bluebirdie. Bluebirdie is displayed upon her hat and blouse but ultimately falls into her dessert at a meal. Ultimately a distraught Mr Wyse persuades Lucia to 'exorcise' Bluebirdie at a fake seance then burn the body, which seems to calm Mrs Wyse.
Lucia continues to be generous however- when Diva Plaistow tells Lucia she has a problem with her tearooms, Lucia is quick to offer her a loan but this isn't required.
Diva might have made a good Mayoress, being knowledgeable about Tilling and fairly supportive. Irene would also have been a reasonable choice but she is inclined to deliberately inflammatory behaviour and her general demeanour to Lucia - emphasised by her tearful response to news of Lucia's marriage to Georgie - is so warm as to suggest an unrequited crush, which Lucia. Probably finds uncomfortable.
Lucia's choice of Mapp is counter-intuitive but suggests that she rather enjoys their confrontations, which she is generally able to win. (For instance, in series 1 Lucia had Mapp 'dead in the water' over the returned artwork exhibits affair but declined to press the matter for the same reasons.) No doubt this was also required to make an interesting story.
Mapp retails a false story to Irene of a worn-down Lucia begging her for help, though why she bothered telling Lucia's most enthusiastic adherent is unclear since Irene's response to her is characteristically unpleasant.
Irene then suggests that Mapp adopt a half-hopping pose which she photographs - and promptly flogs the photo to the local paper where the photo is displayed with the heading 'Our New Lady Mayoress'.
Mapp is humiliated and in an amusing sequence Major Benjy walks into town clutching a bullwhip intending to take it out on the newspaper editor personally. The editor's secretary explains that the editor won't be free for a quarter hour and offers Major Benjy a drink.
An hour or two later, Benjy and the editor make it home to Mapp, both blind drunk and requiring dinner and new fast friends.
The Tillingites have a close call when taking tea at Diva Plaistow's new teashop, sitting in a back room playing bridge for a penny a hundred points. At the time gambling was illegal (even for paltry sums like here) so when the Police Inspector calls.- and there is no alternative exit from the room- the group sit transfixed as the Inspector requests Lucia's signature on some warrants. In doing so the cards and stakes are exposed but the Inspector ignores it.
Next Lucia is bitten by a craze to ride a bike. Despite a few mishaps along the way, to the financial profit of workmen whose tent is serially and comically demolished, most of the Tillingites join in- even Susan Wyse, who cycles with her chauffeur walking behind her to hold up her fur coat!
Lucia cycles too fast downhill through Tilling and is caught by the Police Inspector, not realising at first who she is. When he finds out, he is again disposed to forget the matter but Lucia insists she is summoned and fined, like anyone else would be.
Once again Lucia demonstrates her principles but Mapp gossips that she is bringing shame to her Office and that she is considering resignation as Mayoress in response. Padre responds that it is a reasonable idea and Mapp drops the matter.
Naturally, Lucia accepts and is soon engaged in the sport of deciding who is to act as Lady Mayoress.
Each of the other lady 'society Tillingites'- Diva, Susan Wyse, Quaint Irene and Mapp - express their willingness to serve. While Georgie is disappointed to discover that being the Mayor's husband confers no benefits upon him whatsoever.
Indeed, the appointment appears to redound to Georgie's disadvantage because Lucia insists that the Mayor must be seen to economise, taking mutton instead of lamb amongst other things.
Lucia appears to be suffering from the same problem as Susan Wyse: as Susan is too proud to talk directly to the shopkeeper but issues her order from her car through her chauffeur, so now Lucia disdains going shopping, explaining that this is in case the other customers feel compelled to defer to her and make way. For her.
Georgie reassures Lucia that this will not happen anyway: he is clearly irritated by it all. His view is that her peers will regard her reluctance to shop as excessive pride.
Lucia canvasses the candidates for Mayoress In the end she opts for Mapp, to Georgie's surprise and disapproval.
Susan Wyse pretty much disqualifies herself by suffering a form of nervous breakdown after accidentally sitting upon and squashing her pet budgerigar Bluebirdie. Bluebirdie is displayed upon her hat and blouse but ultimately falls into her dessert at a meal. Ultimately a distraught Mr Wyse persuades Lucia to 'exorcise' Bluebirdie at a fake seance then burn the body, which seems to calm Mrs Wyse.
Lucia continues to be generous however- when Diva Plaistow tells Lucia she has a problem with her tearooms, Lucia is quick to offer her a loan but this isn't required.
Diva might have made a good Mayoress, being knowledgeable about Tilling and fairly supportive. Irene would also have been a reasonable choice but she is inclined to deliberately inflammatory behaviour and her general demeanour to Lucia - emphasised by her tearful response to news of Lucia's marriage to Georgie - is so warm as to suggest an unrequited crush, which Lucia. Probably finds uncomfortable.
Lucia's choice of Mapp is counter-intuitive but suggests that she rather enjoys their confrontations, which she is generally able to win. (For instance, in series 1 Lucia had Mapp 'dead in the water' over the returned artwork exhibits affair but declined to press the matter for the same reasons.) No doubt this was also required to make an interesting story.
Mapp retails a false story to Irene of a worn-down Lucia begging her for help, though why she bothered telling Lucia's most enthusiastic adherent is unclear since Irene's response to her is characteristically unpleasant.
Irene then suggests that Mapp adopt a half-hopping pose which she photographs - and promptly flogs the photo to the local paper where the photo is displayed with the heading 'Our New Lady Mayoress'.
Mapp is humiliated and in an amusing sequence Major Benjy walks into town clutching a bullwhip intending to take it out on the newspaper editor personally. The editor's secretary explains that the editor won't be free for a quarter hour and offers Major Benjy a drink.
An hour or two later, Benjy and the editor make it home to Mapp, both blind drunk and requiring dinner and new fast friends.
The Tillingites have a close call when taking tea at Diva Plaistow's new teashop, sitting in a back room playing bridge for a penny a hundred points. At the time gambling was illegal (even for paltry sums like here) so when the Police Inspector calls.- and there is no alternative exit from the room- the group sit transfixed as the Inspector requests Lucia's signature on some warrants. In doing so the cards and stakes are exposed but the Inspector ignores it.
Next Lucia is bitten by a craze to ride a bike. Despite a few mishaps along the way, to the financial profit of workmen whose tent is serially and comically demolished, most of the Tillingites join in- even Susan Wyse, who cycles with her chauffeur walking behind her to hold up her fur coat!
Lucia cycles too fast downhill through Tilling and is caught by the Police Inspector, not realising at first who she is. When he finds out, he is again disposed to forget the matter but Lucia insists she is summoned and fined, like anyone else would be.
Once again Lucia demonstrates her principles but Mapp gossips that she is bringing shame to her Office and that she is considering resignation as Mayoress in response. Padre responds that it is a reasonable idea and Mapp drops the matter.