Original subtitles

From the long white night to the ocean breeze, to the damp and to the rain of

London 50.

We come from the sun to live in the coal, I make me rum, I want my coconut

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

Dear Mrs. Hollingworth, my name is Lee Stanley.

You may be wondering who I am and why I've written to you.

Well, it's taken 28 years to find you.

Yep, you guessed it.

I'm your son, Lee.

I was going to call you Mum, but it sounded a bit strange.

I don't want anything from you. After all, I mean, I could ask you for 28

pocket money.

I was thinking of popping up to see you sometime.

That's of course if you don't mind.

Yours, Lee.

P .S.

What was the name of my old man?

Everybody wants to know me more than anyone.

PPS. I hope you don't mind me dropping you a line.

Cheers. Lee.

Oh, yeah, and another thing.

Have I got any brothers or sisters?

See you later sometime.

Lee.

Return to Liverpool, please, mate.

Cheers.

I think it's well out of order.

I can handle it, sis.

Oh, what are you going to do, hit Mr Simpson?

Don't be stupid. He's not worth it. He's a prat.

That's his way of being, but he gave you a D.

Listen, I don't know what you're getting all out of shape about.

He didn't mark your paper. Anyway, it's none of your business.

It's everybody's business. You can't let him get away with it.

So what do you want me to do, tell Dad?

Dad, don't be stupid.

He'll go completely out of shape.

Would you two mind telling the rest of Peckham why your father's out of shape

and why you only got a D?

I'll tell you.

It's Mr. Simpson, Mum.

Hmm? Your sociology teacher?

Yeah, well, you see, he gave me this essay about being black and British.

Well, you're black and you're British, so how did you fail?

Was there a practical?

He must have had a reason.

Oh, you want to hear his reason?

Listen, Dad.

He says, although your essay technique is improving, I felt that you'd strayed

from the point.

You failed to address black anger, a legacy of 400 years of slavery.

You seem to have taken a very light, dare I say, quasi -middle -class view of

the subject.

I felt your answers needed toughening up. This was an opportunity to present

your views of what it's really like to be black and British.

So, in other words, I ain't black enough.

Precisely. I mean, the man wanted an essay with attitude, not platitude.

What is this world covered so that a teacher can turn wrong and tell my son

not black enough?

That's not what he said.

Okay, what did he say? Well, um, he implied that the essay wasn't...

Personalised enough. No, angry you mean, Mum.

Why are we always perceived to be angry?

There are a lot of us who are perfectly happy.

You're not angry, are you, Popeye?

Only when the kids use the lift as a toilet.

Now, the point is, there's those that go around thinking, unless you've got a

chip on your shoulder the size of a new forest, you're not black enough.

Then when you go around saying, I'm angry, you've got an attitude problem

you can't win.

Right. That's it. I'm going to ring that teacher and give him a bullet. He can't

treat my son like that. If he really wants to know what we like, I'll tell

Desmond, you can't go screaming down the phone at the man.

Why not?

That's how black people behave.

That's what he wants.

No, I'll deal with it.

Oh.

Well, I'll just walk up to him.

And say, what teach?

Reese, mate.

No. Seriously, though, it's just that I'm just getting fed up with teaching

so -called educated, you know what I'm saying?

Yeah, my respect, Sean.

Don't worry.

I'll sort it out. It's very simple.

I just asked him to explain himself.

I mean, it's important that we know who we are.

Do you know who you are, Popeye? Of course I do. I'm Johnny Mathis.

Yeah, I wonder if Lee... will know who he is by the end of the day.

Well, he should be there by now.

Come on, put yourself together.

You've walked out 45 quid so far, might as well get your money's worth.

Yeah, OK, then.

Yeah, I'll see you next time, then.

Oh, yeah. Say hello to the kids.

Yeah?

Er, it's Mrs Hollingworth in.

No. Do you know when she'll be back, Tom?

No, no idea.

Hey,

you wish to stay cold?

Nobody. It don't matter.

Have you read this article, Popeye?

No, not yet.

Alien eats my stepmother and washes her dung with ginger beer.

Oh, yes, that's one.

A little bit further.

Oh, well done, son.

I don't know why I bother. You never look at them. That's right.

Hey, Michael, has anyone ever accused you of not having an attitude?

Attitude? Yeah, you know.

May I ask what this is about?

Yes, the issue is this.

Do we cater to the popular subconscious image, or in some cases, conscious

image, to the point of obsession?

That the African, or to use a popular political term, black.

What he's trying to say is, are you black enough?

That old chestnut. All I usually say is that I'm black and I'm proud.

Right on, brother.

Pearl? Hello, Shirley.

Desmond? Hello, Pearl.

You look marvellous.

Hello, Pearl.

Remember me? How can I forget you?

I've lost this little part of... Call me Pork Pie.

Yes, of course.

Pork Pie.

Shirley, is there somewhere we can go that's private?

Yes, sure. We can go upstairs.

Who's that?

That is Pearl, an old friend. Oh, we can see that.

Yeah, but who is she?

We'll talk about that later. That's Lee's mother.

Lee's mother? Lee's mother? Oh, fine.

Oops. Sorry, Desmond. Look, you children go upstairs to your rooms. We had some

things to talk about. We're not kids, Dad. Look, don't argue. Go upstairs.

And you, Michael, go to your room.

Father, I don't even live here anymore.

Don't argue with me, boy. Go upstairs or go to your bunk.

I had to talk to Mum about it anyway.

All right, you heard the man. It's lunchtime. Come back in the hour.

Oh,

dear.

Can you believe it, Popeye?

The first day Lee goes up to see his mother, she comes down to see him. Talk

about bad timing.

After 28 years of trying to find each other.

She comes down to London, he goes up to Liverpool.

Why didn't you ring her to tell her he was coming?

Because he didn't know if he wanted to see her or not.

You mean, he get up with a crack of dawn, put on his clothes, get on a

travel 300 miles to Liverpool and he's still not sure?

Well, I would have stayed in bed.

She's still good looking, that folk, right?

Yeah, man.

You go back a long way with Pearl. Oh, yes, very far away.

Way back. up to the dressing room, eh, Desmond Ambrose?

And you know something, Matthew?

No one knows who Lee's real father is.

Hmm, is that right, eh, Desmond?

What? No, it could be me.

She had her eyes on you.

Well, all the boys in the club had their eyes on her. You see, Matthew, she used

to sing with our band, Pork Pie, Vince, Bert, Sweet Sticks, and myself.

Sweet Sticks? Yes, he was our band player.

The five of us were her support.

Yes. But how much support did you give her, Desmond?

She was a good Catholic girl from a strict family.

When she found out she was pregnant, instead of facing the shame of it, she

away to have the baby. And after a while, she came back and put Little E in

Dr. Bernardo's home. But you were a long time in that dressing room. All right,

all right.

One night after the gig, some of the guys wanted to go on to a party. But I

drinking most of the evening and Pearl said she wasn't feeling too hot.

She was looking hot, though.

She was?

Yeah, ma 'am. All right, all right.

So, um, we went back to the dressing room and ting and ting and ting.

You gather everything.

63. If it was me, Lee would have been born in April 64. Instead, he was born

August 64.

I mean, the thing with Paul was a mistake.

What about that big a mistake?

I shouldn't say this, but in a way I'm relieved he isn't here.

But you are going to come back and see him, aren't you?

Yes, I am.

I can't run anymore.

Mother, can I have your signature on... Not now, Michael. Go to your room. I

haven't got a room.

Love you then.

I suppose you want an explanation.

Only if you want to give me one.

Thank you for looking after him.

He's a big boy.

He looks after himself.

I know.

Where do I start?

After I became pregnant and went... Ah, Pearl.

Great timing, Desmond.

Shall I go?

No. Yes.

It's all right, you can stay. I think I owe you an explanation as well. You

don't have to explain.

Yes, I do.

All right, go on then.

When I found out I was pregnant, I was shocked.

But the real surprise was, I was already four months gone.

You mean, Lee wasn't born in August, he was born in April?

16th April, 1964.

what all the fuss is about, just tell her the truth.

To Shirley?

Oh, it was only a suggestion.

Can you imagine how my whole relationship would change?

Not just with Shirley, but with the children as well.

What am I going to say to them?

What am I going to say to Lee?

All these years, the poor kid been looking for his father, and all the time

been right on his toes.

Sit down before you collapse.

I have an idea.

You do?

Yes, and don't look at me that way, okay?

on the part of Desmond. I would hardly call it an indiscretion. Bless you. I

call it an indiscretion. You can call it whatever you want, all right?

Because Desmond was indiscreet one night, as was Pearl, and the thing and

in this case, is.

Why?

Because she was the soul of discretion.

Why?

Because she and Shirley were good friends and Shirley would have killed

she had found out.

And Desmond, too, I must add.

All right. What I suggest is to save the marriage, which I'm sure Pearl will

want to do, I will volunteer my services as Lee's father.

ever have fallen for somebody like you? About a time, Chief.

I offered to save your marriage, and you say I'm not good -looking enough?

What makes you so different?

An illegitimate child?

Oh, shut up.

The man is virtually on his deathbed as far as his marriage is concerned, and

he's still boasting.

All right.

Let's see how much you will boast when you tell Shirley.

What happened?

Well, see, Dad collapsed, right, because there was something under his nose,

right? What?

Yeah, and then they started talking about something in the... in the

In the street?

No, in the street. Something happened in the street. And then Paul passed it up,

right, and did what sounded like a Ron Polar to Bailey speech, talking about

voluntary work or something.

Tell me today's marriage guidance, because he's not good -looking enough.

Sean, that was as clear as mud.

Gloria, get out there and get the facts.

for you to find out.

I mean, is he a good boy?

You mean, does he go to the toilet by himself?

Yes.

So, how did you meet Joseph, Mr. Hollingworth?

And do you have any more... No, we didn't have any kids.

It wasn't for one to try.

He was a sax player.

I met him in a band, needless to say.

Yes, needless. You get very close to people when you're working together in a

band.

Yeah. All that jazz.

Freeform expression.

Unbridled horn playing.

Desmond blew the horn.

What are you getting at, Shirley?

What I'm getting at is why you kept the father's name a secret all this time.

Because... Because... Lee's father was already married,

Shirley.

Was he you?

Yes.

He was... He was a member of the band.

Who?

So? I couldn't hear what they were talking about properly, but they were...

when they were younger, you know, in the 60s, and Mum was going on about free

-form and you're bridled.

What, you mean she burnt her bra?

Mum burnt her bra. Only in a night.

I can't imagine parents being young.

So what did Pearl say?

Oh, yeah, she kept going on about how close you get when you're a musician.

Yes, one can't get close to anyone one sees over a prolonged period of time.

Well, how come it never happened between us and you? Yeah.

I wonder if Pearl... Nah.

It's nothing. It's just that... Well, it struck me that... Well, could she have

been in the same band as Dad?

If she wasn't, she certainly knew them well.

Yeah, but how well?

Well enough to... Are you thinking the same thing I'm thinking?

I never thought a deal would come if we were speaking the same thing.

Me neither.

What was she thinking?

It's a stupid notion.

So is I.

It's a long shot.

Yeah.

It's a cheap shot.

Spit it out, Michael.

Well, it occurred to me that Dad could be Lee's dad. Why, that was long.

Yes, I'm cheap.

But it's what I thought.

Yeah, me too. Well, if it's what we're all thinking, do you think it's likely

be true?

Nah.

bad as we feel.

Porkpie has a confession to make, haven't you, Porkpie?

Yes, Cheryl.

What is it, Porkpie?

Well, I'd like to own up for the first time in 28 years.

What about?

About being Lee's dad.

You? Yes.

Well, you see, Pearl did the honourable thing. She didn't want to let it out of

the bag because I was married. That was a very gallant effort, and I admire you

for it, but I'm afraid it was sweet -stick.

Sweet dicks?

Sweet dicks?

Sweet dicks?

The little rascal.

No, he wasn't.

It's just that we were a bit foolish.

Yes, but what about you and Desmond?

What about you?

As I said to Cheryl, it was just harmless flirtation.

We all need that once in a while. It feeds the soul.

And what about the dressing room incident?

Last night, Desmond and I got a bit merry and went back to the dressing

And?

Nothing happened.

It didn't?

If it was ever going to, we're far too drunk to do anything about it. We both

fell asleep.

Oh, yes.

I remember it well.

Oh, I see the shop's busy as per usual.

Lee!

All right, how goes it, eh? Well, it went.

Well, I went, and now I'm back.

Least to know it sent me Mother's Day card, didn't it? Oh, hi, Lee.

I should go away more often.

Here's another one, then. Lee, do you know what these are?

Oh, they're pan sticks, aren't they? For still pan playing.

Yeah, they belong to Sweet Sticks, the pan player and dad's band.

See, they were given to me when he died, but I think they should be yours now.

Please!

How was your trip?

Oh, there's me old son.

You ever been to Liverpool?

It's a lot of Liverpudlians.

The whole trip was one wild goose chase.

Oh, hello, Shell.

Couldn't do us a cup of tea, could you? I could do better than that.

There's someone I want you to meet.

Lee?