Original subtitles

From the long warm night with an ocean breeze to the damp and to the rain of

London city.

We come from the sun to live in the cold, I'm in the room, I want my coconut

tree.

Let's keep the music sweet, wind up your waist and feel the heat.

How long is dinner going to be, Mum? We better get a move on or we'll be late

for the gig, man.

Soon.

Oh, no.

What the crap?

Hey,

you look flicked, Pops.

Me know.

Oh, no, Brussels sprouts.

But it would smell wonderful, sure.

Does it?

Young man?

Nothing. You look as if you've been crying.

No, it must be the onions.

You know, it's funny how onions affect some people that way. It never does that

to me.

That's because you never cook.

That's because I'm no good at it.

Practice makes perfect.

Well, you keep practicing, sure, and I'll tell you when to forget.

I'm about to get to the gig, I suppose.

Yeah, yeah.

You're not going to finish your food?

It's only half past six. Yeah, but we want to get there early so we don't miss

anything. Yeah, right.

Hey, listen.

Don't forget, we're hosting the domino competition tomorrow night and I want

Sean to help out, so don't keep him up too late. More like Sean keeping me out

too late. Come on, I've got to put some make -up on. I thought you were ready.

I am, it's just that my face isn't.

Young people today, they're always in a rush.

Ah, that must be Popeye. Look, I'd better go.

Listen, don't forget to bake the cake for the Georgetown Dreamers annual

competition tomorrow.

I always bake the cake.

I bake the cake, you play dominoes.

I serve the drinks, you play dominoes. I clean up the mess, you play dominoes.

You're not complaining, are you?

Don't worry, darling.

The chair will help you clean up.

See you later, darling.

Don't wait up.

I sound like a well -worn record.

It's just that you've been saying the same thing every Saturday night for the

past 20 years.

Why you don't say what you really mean?

Like I going out with the boys to have a drink and play dominoes. Don't wait up.

Get as much sleep as you can, because when I stack a home drunk, I will wake

up anyway.

You better go on, I'll say. No, no, no, no. It's just folk fight.

Just in short, we human beings are creatures of habit.

We tend to do the same things again and again. We do it because we want to know

what we're doing.

Like I play dominoes every Saturday night and you stay home.

I kiss you, like so.

And I walk through the door, like so.

We do wave in goodbye.

So let's try it all over again, shall we?

Kiss.

Walk.

Bye -bye.

No, wait up.

Do you remember when you lived with a woman, Popeye? What woman?

I haven't lived with any woman.

I mean your wife, you old fool.

Ah, yes, her.

I didn't live with her. She lived with me.

You live with a woman for 30 years and she keeps surprising you. My wife

surprised me after 10 years.

She surprised me with another woman and she left.

I'm surprised it took her that long.

Well, we can't all marry a Shirley.

Some of us have to marry the Brendas and Annes of this world.

Brenda and Anne? I thought your wife's name was Gwendolyn.

It was.

I just wish I had married Brenda or Anne.

Anyway, what has brought this on, all this talking about women and things?

Popeye, we've been talking about women ever since we've known each other.

true. And it's about as near as I get to women these days.

Talking about them.

So wait, this Brendan and who are they you never tell me about them?

I'll tell you later.

You're looking rather smart, father.

Oh, no more than usual.

It's that you always have your head buried so far up your... Father.

ever noticed that your dad can cut a bit of style?

Now, look here, I want you to do me a favor. I want you to referee the domino

competition for me tomorrow night. I thought the vicar always did that. Well,

after last year, we won't be asking him again.

He was so full of the Holy Spirit, he kept doubling the score.

Oh, yes. I think I can fit that in. Ah, good.

Because we want somebody straight, sober, and with no sense of humor, and

you, Totty.

Mmm, Brussels sprouts.

Oh, sorry, Mother. I didn't see you there. I just came in for the paying in

clips. Are you all right?

You didn't see me.

I'm getting used to that.

Hmm?

What do you mean?

Well, take a good look, Michael.

Something new? Is it the curtains?

No, I want you to look at me.

Okay, I'll look at you.

What do you see?

This is not a game, is it, Mother? Because I'm in a bit of a hurry.

No.

Sorry.

Well,

when I look at you, I see you. My mother, of course.

My dear, sweet little mother, who I love a lot. A mother who shouldn't... Why

you don't see Shirley?

Well, I do, but you're my mother. I wouldn't call my mother Shirley. It

disrespectful.

Just about sums it up.

Even my name is no longer respectable.

I just wear a series, a label.

You don't. You're plain, Michael.

Not so much of the plain, please, Mother.

Oh, you and your big head.

I've always been to trouble with you, you know.

Ever since birth.

The head was so big, it got stuck and they had to use force.

Desmond said it was because you inherited his brain.

It was a difficult delivery.

It took a long time to get over it.

Well, you're feeling better now, huh?

Mother, I must go.

I'm in a bit of a hurry and I'm running late. Look, have a nice evening, okay?

Bye -bye, Mum.

Bye, big head.

I know it's traditional on the day of the competition to have our hair cut,

it's wrong to send a boy to do a man's job. Ah, you're in good hands, Vince,

like father, like son. That's what he's afraid of.

No,

no, no, no, it's traditional for a father to pass all his skills to his

Besides, Bert is insulting me. The way you cut hair, you should be used to

insults. If it's only a short back and sides, what could go wrong?

Last year you cut it so short, it looked like my backside.

competition, I'm going to go bald again.

Where did the tradition of cutting hair on the day of the competition come from?

The same place where all our greatest traditions come from.

Africa? A bottle of rum.

Hurry up and play the 4 -2.

Okay.

4 -2.

I win.

What's the point of paying me to practice with you if you're going to

You keep practicing, Popeye. You need it. You've never won a competition yet.

I have.

When? 1963.

Did he? I don't know.

Did he?

I don't know. You mean you don't remember?

Well, we must have been a bit... Talking about cake. Has Shirley made the tears

yet? No. Where is she? Has anyone seen her?

No. No.

Well, we're supposed to help her with the cake this morning.

I wonder where she's gone. Well, she's a grown -up, responsible woman.

And I suppose she's doing what all grown -up, responsible women do when they

don't want to be grown -up and responsible.

What's that?

Gone wrong to a friend to talk nonsense.

Who is going to bake the cake?

I will. Good idea. I'd rather you bake rum cake than cut my hair.

Sean, what do you know about rum cake?

It's all in the mix, man.

We have another problem.

What's that?

Who is going to referee?

Well, I've asked Michael. No, no, no.

No family connection.

We want somebody who's unbiased. Well, Michael will be biased towards me. It

will take away the pleasure of seeing me lose.

I suggest Matthew.

Matthew?

What does Matthew know about dominoes? Enough for you to pay him 50 pence an

hour.

All right, Matthew's the referee.

Delighted, I'm sure.

Well done, Matthew.

This is the first time Africans and West Indians will ever have helped each

other.

What's wrong with you, I hope, eh?

ailment that comes and goes every now and then.

Well, thank you for letting me be part of this stupendous West Indian occasion.

To rat free the Jawtown Dreamers annual dominance competition will be a pleasure

and a privilege. Oh, just say yes, no man.

Yes.

Like a woman with a lot on your mind.

Look at the poor creatures.

They spend their lives having other people's problems thrown at them.

No wonder they're called ducks.

Ducking and diving.

You know, I've become quite an expert at the scale of people's anxieties.

One can tell by what they chuck at these poor blighters.

You get crumbs.

Slices? I once saw a man throw a whole French loaf.

You've seen how the moorhens swim around looking nervous?

They're scared he's coming back.

Where do I stand on your scale?

There's hope yet.

Is that, uh, Fred?

Yeah. Am I?

hungry? A little peckish.

Look, there's a nice little tea shop I used to go to.

Would you like to come?

My name's Shirley.

Well, if you won't eat, at least you You better tell me your troubles.

Oh, I don't know.

Yesterday I got to the stage where I hated everything and everybody,

myself.

Even Desmond's stupid grin that's usually guaranteed to make me laugh just

me want to put a bag over his head.

Maybe I should put one over mine, then he'd see me.

What do you do when nobody sees you anymore?

I know what you mean.

To most people, one's a dirty old bag lady. They don't want to see the

wife, one once was.

It all begins when you get married.

You lose your name and you take on theirs.

I got married and Shirley Plechette became Shirley Ambrose.

Shirley Ambrose became Shirley Dishwasher.

Shirley Dishwasher became Shirley Nappy Changer.

Shirley Cook.

Became Shirley Household Appliance. Shirley Household Appliance eventually

became Shirley the Invisible.

Excuse me.

Excuse me, could we have a... Waitress! More tea!

Army training.

My children will be leaving home soon. Then it'll be just me and Desmond.

What am I going to do when it's just the two of us?

Maybe I should take up something as a hobby. I need something stimulating.

Maybe you should have an affair.

I did.

It worked wonders for my marriage.

No, thanks.

Having to cope with one man is more than enough.

Oh, no, I mean have an affair with oneself.

Pride in who you are, not what others think you are.

Make your own choices.

I made mine.

Yes, well, at least I chose to take a walk today.

You see, it's a beginning.

I began ten years ago when my husband died.

Oh. Oh, don't worry. It was useless, really.

I never liked the army and what it stood for.

But I did love the uniform.

Theodore died.

He entrusted everything to our sons, including my welfare.

The boys decided I would be better off in an old people's home, so I ran away

and came to Peckham. They're such snobs, they wouldn't be seen dead in Peckham,

let alone look for me here.

It's nearly 12.

Well, if we don't get this in the oven soon, it's never going to be ready on

time.

Sean, what are you doing?

Be more generous, man.

Gloria, what are you doing, man? It says three ounces, not 43.

Look, I know what I'm doing, and that's the way Mum makes it. And then you add a

bit of rum.

No, this is the way Dad takes it.

This is the only cake I know, guaranteed. to give you a hangover.

Why don't they just drink it? It'd be a lot easier.

Yeah, it's all in the mix, man. It's all in the mix.

Matthew, stop dancing around like that.

This is a dominoes competition, not a boxing match.

Sorry, Bert, but I have to make sure that no one is cheating, especially

Who are you calling a cheat?

Just who are you calling a cheat? Now, this is a serious allegation from the

African referee.

Once more, the game is held up, not by Pokpai's extremely slow play, but by

accusations of cheating from the African referee.

I didn't actually say you were cheating, Pokpai.

Now, this is not... A joke. I demand an apology from the referee.

Of course. Please accept my apologies, Mr. Grant.

Such drama.

The African referee has apologized at the 23rd annual domino knockout

competition here in Peckham.

Ha! I got you now, Vincey baby.

I couldn't play even if my life depended on it, Vincey baby.

Don't call me Vincey baby.

Oh, my... Any game will stop running off your mouth.

Ah, you see? More doubters.

Brothers, I've got news for you. I can't wait.

I thought Dominus was supposed to be a fast -moving game.

Not a big poke like this.

Now, you listen to me, Popeye.

Hurry up, or else I will have to penalize you for wasting time.

That's not in the rules.

Oh, it is now.

I'm the referee, remember?

And I'm sure I have the full backing from the rest of the competitors. Oh,

Okay, you'll wish you never said that. Ma, just play the domino. Don't shout at

me, Desmond.

I shout at you. Hurry up and play. All right.

All right.

That's the way you want it? You trying to intimidate me? You asked for it.

You can't play, so it's my turn again.

And you still can't play, right? So it's my turn again.

And again.

And that game's set on you out of this competition.

Why?

I never felt so good since my wife left me.

Yet she felt even better.

Grant has now progressed to the final and will play Ambrose. I will beat

Ambrose. Grant beats Ambrose. Grant beats Ambrose. You can't beat me. Yes, I

and I have.

When? 27 years ago. Gentlemen, please.

Shut up, Matthew.

You can't be having an argument with Popeye. Children, children, children,

please. Look, if you don't behave yourselves, I'll send you all to bed

any tea.

How's mother? I don't know. Has she come back yet? Where's she gone? She's gone

missing. She's not missing.

It's just that... She's not here.

Yeah, well, it's not like her.

Oh, I wouldn't worry, Glor. My mum's always walking out on my dad.

Last time was when she bought a new dress and he said she looked like a

marshmallow.

Did you call Sherry a marshmallow, Desmond?

No, of course not. Why don't you ring Beverly?

Maybe she's there.

That's a good idea.

Lend me a phone.

It'll be cheaper on the payphone.

Maybe you're going to go on a mission and all you can think about is money.

You know, they say if somebody's really going to go, they always tell somebody

first. When my wife decided to leave, She told everybody, except me.

In Africa, when someone is missing, we say you must first look under your nose

before you look behind your ears.

Well, give me the phone.

It's a matter of wife or death.

Mother did seem rather odd last night, you know.

She kept talking about how big my head was at birth.

And don't start.

What else did you say?

Well, she kept asking who she was and what I could see when I looked at her.

would she ask that?

She said she took a long time to get over my birth.

Yeah, well, who wouldn't?

That's it?

Where are you going?

I'm going to find your mother. Do you want any help, Father? No.

Well, can I come, Dad? No.

I think I know where she might be.

But what about the game?

There's Mon Ambrose. You just can't leave now. Who am I going to beat in the

final?

You want to beat Ambrose?

Take my chair.

You see this big head?

That's my brain.

Would you care for a cream cake?

No, thank you.

I'm not hungry.

Desmond, I'd like to introduce you to my friend. This is, um... Claudia

Massingham.

Oh, you know I'd be here.

Instant.

After our eldest son was born, times were hard, and I used to get really low.

Desmond used to bring me here to cheer me up.

You could only afford one pot of tea.

And one cream cake, which we shared.

So you're really low now?

I was.

But this lady helped me realize what I really want.

And what's that?

Come on, girl.

Spit it out.

But last night... Did you mean what you said when you said what you did?

Yes.

I think so.

So really get you down?

Well, sometimes.

And I'm sure I get you down.

Look, I'm sorry about last night. I didn't realize... You love me, Desmond.

kind of a question is that?

I'll tell you when we get home. I want to know now.

That in fear, surely.

Okay, yes, I do, you know I do.

Which part of me do you love? What?

I love the usual parts, you know, the little parts and the

big parts.

Why are you doing this to me?

Because you fail to see the real me any longer.

You just see the labels.

Wife, mother, shopper, cake maker.

You don't see the me you married, the me I want to be again.

The you?

Yes, Shirley Plechette. I want to put myself first for a while.

All right, I'll put you first too.

I had a dummy nose.

Now, if I play this, then he will play that, and then I will play this, and

that.

No, no, I didn't mean to play that one.

Don't get back, pork pie.

You know the rules. It's my eyesight, man, you know, old age. Give me a chance

now. Pork pie, this is a competition.

winner gets all excited.

Yeah, well, they do say men are basic animals once aroused.

I declare Ambrose Jr., who deputized for Ambrose Sr., the winner for this year's

Georgetown Dreamers Knockout Competition.

How can you win the competition? He's not a Georgetown dreamer. You've lost.

You've lost.

You're in?

any serious matters, you can always rely on Michael Domino, man.

What did I tell you? You got a great brain, ain't it? You know where you get

from?

You made the cake.

Oh, good.

You managed without me.

Yeah, we used your recipe.

More or less.

Oh, that smells nice.

You first, darling.

Thank you, Desmond.