Original subtitles

Confirm cow number...85.

Number 85.

Nine ten.

We make a good team.

What he means is he couldn't do it without me.

It's true. Right now it doesn't feel like there's enough hours in the day.

Glad to hear it, son. Good to be busy.

I'm only doing this so I don't forget what he looks like.

Dad! Helen!

MAN ON RADIO: Tonight Britain stands on the brink of hostilities with Germany.

At dawn this morning German aircraft bombed Polish towns

and German tanks invaded her frontiers.

The evacuation of children and families from British cities

has today been put into operation.

Mr Chamberlain has asked Herr Hitler to withdraw his German troops from Poland

or Britain and France will be forced to declare war.

The opposition leader Mr Attlee has warned of the dangers of delay.

Bloody hell. It's not actually going to happen, is it?

We have been here before.

You'd hope they couldn't be that brainless again but these are politicians we're talking...

SHE TURNS RADIO OFF

Sorry, Mrs Hall, that was insensitive of me.

It's getting serious between you two.

I wonder what she'll be cooking.

Oh, she's not cooking. Mr and Mrs Pandhi are hosting us.

I was thinking we should return the invitation as soon as possible.

There's no need to look so panicked.

Panicked? I'm not panicked. I'm the opposite of panicked.

I'll be in my office, Mrs Hall.

Try not to disgrace the family name, and don't roll in drunk.

He's just protective of you, that's all.

Hmm. If you say so.

I'm sure they'll love you.

SHE CHUCKLES

DOG WHINES

Why didn't you say so, you daft beggar?

They said we could be at war by next week. What'll that mean for us?

Hey, come here. Listen, there's no point worrying

about summat that hasn't happened yet.

And if it does happen, we'll just have to muck in, all of us. We'll get through it.

Let's get back up to the house. I'll see you back at Skeldale.

I just wanted to say, there's no need for you to feel guilty.

Why would I feel guilty?

Farms couldn't function without vets and the country needs farms.

There's a lot of men would give their eye teeth to be in your position. I know that.

Look, whatever you feel about a sense of duty,

just remember, family comes first, always.

What? What's up?

I said, what's up?

Oh, bloody hell, no. No.

Oh...

No, I left India when I was young.

My parents sent me to England to be educated.

That's when I met your brother, at veterinary college.

Both top of the class and both as pig-headed and competitive as the other.

HE LAUGHSThat sounds like Siegfried all right.

So, how did you two meet?

I treated her cat. SHE CHUCKLES

Imagine his parents' reaction when they heard that he'd fallen

for a vicar's daughter from Giggleswick.

THEY LAUGH

You still working for your brother?

Strictly speaking, yes. Haven't figured out how to escape him yet.

I think it's important for families to stay together.

Yeah. DOG BARKS

Oh! Hello, Daisy, old girl. Hello.

There's no better test of a man's character than how he gets along with a dog.

Particularly this dog.

That's why you invited me, is it? To test me?

Course it is, lad. Florence is our only daughter.

We need to know your intentions.

Right... Well, er...

My intentions are absolutely honourable.

I-I would never treat Florence with anything other than the utmost...

If you could see your face! THEY LAUGH

HE SIGHS

You could have told me your mother was a joker.

Who'd like some wine? Oh, but I-I thought...

Depends on the sect. We take the view that Shakti is OK with it.

Oh, well, Shakti sounds like my kinda man.

Shakti is the Great Divine Mother.

Oh.

THEY LAUGH

DOORBELL RINGS

DOG WHINES

Where've you come from, little one? Eh?

What's this?

DOG WHINES

Hello. Hello.

"Dash." So that's your name, is it?

Who in their right mind would abandon such a beautiful animal?

DOG WHINES

Perhaps he's unwell. He doesn't seem it.

Oh. Have you seen him before? Uh-uh.

What will you do? Well, we shall have to call round, try and track down the owner.

Poor thing. You must be feeling very scared and alone.

DOG WHINES

You're safe here with us, poppet.

DOG WHINES

That's very kind of you, Dash, eh?

SHE LAUGHS

You keep it, if Jess doesn't mind.

It'll keep you company.

SHE LAUGHS

Five millimetres? Is that all?

It's marginal but the rules are very clear, I'm afraid.

I should never have agreed to this.

I knew it were trouble. They'll shut us down, won't they?

Only temporarily. They'll run further tests

and if the herd stays clear for a month or so,

you'll be free to re-open the farm. A month?

What am I supposed to do with no income for a month?

I don't know. What do you mean you don't know?

What the hell are we going to do? I don't see that we have a choice.

I have to the inform the Ministry of Agriculture

and hope the process is as short as possible. I'm very sorry.

Wait a minute, listen, there's no need to be so hasty.

What if... What if I were to fetch my gun and go and shoot the infected beast myself?

There'd be no reason for the MAG to know.

The thing is, it's about public safety. The rules are there for the greater good...

Yeah, well, sod the bloody rules! People who make rules about farming

don't understand farming and they never have.

Look, I'm on your side here but I can't make exceptions. You know I can't.

Do you know happened in the last war, eh?

The government let anyone go and fight. Farmers, miners, doctors, vets, anyone.

And do you know what happened?

The whole bloody country ground to a halt.

And then halfway through the war, things start to come undone.

And I were working all hours. I couldn't get the help.

And there weren't a day went by that I weren't scared out of my wits

that we'd have enough food to feed our Helen.

I didn't know that.

Took bloody ages to recover.

Just because some pompous pen pusher at Whitehall

thought they knew best. Well, I can't have that again.

Look, I can hold off informing the MAG

until I've run a sputum test in the lab to be sure.

Might we get a different result? It's unlikely.

But if you want me to do it I will.

Aye.

James.

Thank you.

How'd it go?

Fine. Go back to sleep.

HE GROANS

MUSIC PLAYS QUIETLY

How did it go?

You look like you've been dragged through several hedges backwards.

It's impossible not to love someone who makes toast for you.

It was great. Better than great.

You're not hungover?

Oh, I feel like a herd of elephants are stomping on my head

and it's not out of the question that a rodent has died in my mouth.

It's all Mr and Mrs Pandhi's fault. My God, those two can knock it back.

It was all I could do to stop them from cracking open the absinthe and seeing in the dawn.

HE LAUGHS

Is it possible you're still drunk? Yes!

PHONE RINGS

I'd like to invite Flo over here provided you've no objections?

That sounds wonderful. Excellent.

Could I ask her for Sunday lunch tomorrow?

Sunday lunch is a family occasion. Fine.

DOG WHINES

Morning. I thought I'd let you have a lie-in.

Morning. Whose dog is this?

Somebody left him on the doorstep. Have you seen him before?

That was Mrs Pumphrey. She's worried about a stray cat.

Would you mind? I've got far too much to get through this morning.

BLEEPING ON RADIO

MAN: Mr Chamberlain has sent an ultimatum to Herr Hitler.

Withdraw from Poland by no later than 11am tomorrow,

or Britain and France will be forced to declare a state of war with Germany.

The Prime Minister will broadcast to the nation on the morning of the 3rd,

and should the conditions set out to Germany not be met,

then Mr Chamberlain will have no hesitation in announcing

that a state of war exists between Great Britain and Germany.

Sit yourself down. You must be starving.

I thought you had the day off.

After you left yesterday,

it looks like one of the cows might be positive.

Why didn't you wake me up?

I didn't want you up all night worrying.

James, of course wake me up.

This will confirm it one way or the other.

And the rest of the herd were all negative.

Well, get on with it then.

Poor Dad. Is he all right?

He doesn't want it reported. He knows they'll shut the farm down.

We can't keep this from the MAG. I's TB we're talking about.

We have to report it.

Let's go and break the news to Dad and then I'll redo the paperwork.

That's Mallock's van.

Oh, heck.

I had no choice but to kill it. If the MAG shut this place down

we'll struggle to survive the year. This is a deadly disease, Dad.

Have you forgotten about poor Mr Henry's boy?

The rest of the herd's tested negative, all of them.

I'm just saying, with a bit of common sense we can keep running the farm safely.

Killing it is against the law.

They could hit you with a whopping fine, or worse.

More than that, James could get struck off for this.

It won't come to that.

Hang on, if James is struck off,

does that mean he has to go and fight?

Ah, well, if... If they find out, I'll tell 'em it were my decision.

I'll tell 'em it were nowt to do with James.

They're going to find out, Dad, cos you're going to tell them the truth.

The farm being shut down for a few weeks is one thing.

James's career being destroyed and everything that goes with that is another.

Go and phone the MAG.

The sooner this is straightened out, the better.

Aye.

To be fair to your dad, he was just trying to protect you both.

As was I.

We can look after ourselves, James.

Understood.

Just don't be too hard on him.

When it comes to the people you love, sometimes judgement goes out the window.

You do whatever you can to protect them, no matter the cost.

Here we are.

CAT SQUEALS

HE CHUCKLES She'll come for a saucer of milk,

recline in the sun like Cleopatra, and then she'll be off again.

CAT SQUEALS

Well, she's in pretty good health for a stray.

I'll give her a vitamin shot.

Friends of yours?

I'm growing a War Garden with the Women's Institute.

It's really going rather well. We've got runner beans, beetroot, potatoes, turnips.

I'm thinking of having a crack at celery but it's notoriously difficult.

I can't stand celery. Give it a wide berth, I say.

It's as much about building morale as anything else. All of us mucking in together, you know?

We must all do our bit, Mr Farnon.

If it comes to it, I shall pelt those Nazi buggers with root vegetables.

HE LAUGHS

Come here then, you.

There we go. Oh, well done, you.

Isn't she a darling?

She doesn't quite trust me yet but I'd love to take her in one day.

Wouldn't Tricki be jealous?

He doesn't perceive her as a threat.

TRICKI GROWLS Do you, Tricki?

THEY LAUGH

You're taking this really seriously, aren't you? One can't afford not to.

If it makes you feel any better, I don't imagine Pumphrey Manor

is high on Hitler's list of targets, Mrs P.

You'll forgive me if I don't take military advice from a veterinarian.

HE LAUGHS

If there is a war, I want this place to be a sanctuary.

Not just for my staff but for anyone who might need it.

When you find someone you really care about,

you must cling on to them like a life ring in a storm

cos you never know what might happen next.

What will your dad and Jenny do while the farm's shut down?

Back there, what did you mean about protecting the people you love?

Can we just put the whole thing behind us and enjoy the weekend?

James, you promised you'd be honest with me. No secrets, remember?

DOG WHINES, SHE SIGHS

If Jess isn't allowed on Mr Farnon's chair then neither are you. Go on, down.

All right then.

But not a word to Mr Farnon.

SHE CHUCKLES

Everywhere I look, it feels like we're heading for war.

I can't say it's easy watching all these other men signing up.

It made me realise how lucky I am to have you,

and our life here in Darrowby.

I feel the same.

And on the one hand I want to hold you close and never let you go

and on the other I want to fight for you with every fibre of my being.I understand that.

But the war's hundreds of miles away and there's no certainty it'll happen.

I hope you know that what you're doing here is incredible, James.

I'm so proud of you.

CHILDREN'S VOICES

What's going on? They're evacuees.

Oh, James, look at their little faces.

Hello. Where have you come from?

WOMAN:Come now, children.

That's it.

SQUEAKING

You really don't have to follow me, Dash.

I'm sure Jess would love a playmate.

Mr Farnon has many qualities

but tidiness isn't one of them.

"If you are suffering hardship and you cannot place your animals in the care of neighbours

it really is kindest to have them destroyed."

It's from the government.

You can't put him down. It's barbaric.

And what do we do when the next one's brought in?

And the one after that? We can't keep him, Mrs Hall.

Then what do we do? I don't know. But he can't stay here.

Everything all right, Tris?

Right. Yes. Absolutely.

Are you sure about that?

Would you... Could I interest you in a pint in the Drovers?

I'm gasping for an ale. Why don't I get us all one?

MAN: Gents, can I leave these with you?

Do you think there will be a war?

I don't know.

What will you do if there is?

Why do you ask?

I suppose because you always do the right thing.

But what is the right thing?

Sorry it took so long. What have I missed?

Oh, I was just telling James how he's my all-time hero.

Did you hear that, James?

See, not everyone wants to throttle you.

Ah.

Right, you do that side, I'll do this one.

That'll be lovely, thank you.

One of the good things about the TB testing

is that I've been able to save some money.

I was putting it aside for a place of our own but if your dad needs it...

You really are the most selfless person I know.

Has someone tidied up in here?

Why?

Audrey? What's the matter? Mm?

The letter on here. Have you seen it?

The MAG one? I posted it for you. It didn't have a stamp on it.

Well, I thought I were being helpful.

Oh, God.

Tell me we haven't just sent the MAG a form stating there's no TB at Heston Grange.

Harcourt's going to strike me off for this.

I should have called the minute the cow tested positive.You've done nothing wrong.

It looks to them like I have. It looks to them like I've falsified a form

to prevent my wife's farm being shut down.

SIEGFRIED:What if I were to take responsibility?

If they strike me off, I'm too old to be conscripted.

You can't do that, Mr Farnon.

JAMES: Mrs H is right. It's out of the question.

HE BREATHES HEAVILY

I'm going to see Harcourt myself. If I just tell him the truth, maybe he'll believeme.

Believe you? He'll eat you for breakfast. I need to explain what happened.

HELEN:Then I'm coming with you.

HE EXHALES

HE EXHALES

HE SIGHS

DOG BARKS

It's lucky you're a good vet cos I'm not sure you'd cut it as a florist.

Fancy a cuppa? I've just put the kettle on. Great, yes.

What, no, erm...

Sorry, is... Is anyone else home?

Joan's here. Doris too, maybe. Why?

Erm... Could we talk out here instead, maybe?

I'll bring the tea out then. Great.

HE SIGHS

Can we not just go inside?

I know they may be a bit strange but they don't bite.

Wouldn't you rather be out here in the fresh air?

By the smelly drain? It does smell a bit, yeah.

THEY CHUCKLE

Why are you being so weird, Tris?

Right. Yes. Erm...

The thing is, I've been doing a lot of thinking.

You know I think you're great. Not just to look at.

THEY LAUGH

You know exactly who you are. And that to me is just...

I've only ever done what Siegfried wanted.

He expected me to go to veterinary college, so I did.

He told me to retake my exams, so I did.

He asked me to join him in his practice and... Well, you get the idea.

Anyway... To the point.

I know we haven't been seeing each other for very long,

and I'm sorry this isn't more romantic

but for the first time in my life

I want to be my own person.

Plough my own furrow, so to speak.

Oh, my God.

And I want to plough it with you.

What the hell are you doing?

That didn't come out quite as I'd hoped.

No, I mean, why would you propose?

I... I don't know.

I suppose I thought you're a life ring in a storm.

A what?

Oh, God, you're going to turn me down, aren't you? This is horrendous.

SHE SIGHS You know how fond I am of you, Tris.

You're kind and funny.

I just... Maybe now's not the time, you know?

Don't you think there are more important things going on in the world?

So you're not saying no? You're just saying not now?

Here's what I think.

I think maybe you're right about your brother.

You won't be happy until you step out of his shadow.

I think if we got married now, you'd never know.

You need to find out who you are

and you're not going to do that by being with me.

PHONE RINGS

It's a bit like waiting outside the headmistress's office.

You never got in trouble, did you?

Someone had to be the teacher's pet.

Mr Harcourt will see you now.

Wish me luck then. Don't be daft, I'm coming with you.

Would I be right to assume this has something to do with

the phone call I received from Richard Alderson earlier today?

Yes, Mr Harcourt. Unfortunately we found a case of TB at his farm.

Well, perhaps you'd care to tell me why

he put the animal down himself rather than letting us deal with it?

The reason I'm here, Mr Harcourt, is to tell you that, unfortunately,

a mistake was made with the forms.

I see. In the next day or two you're going to receive a form in the post

declaring the herd to be negative.

Are you telling me that not only was an animal improperly culled

on your wife's farm but you tried to cover it up?

No, sir. You see, it wasn't me who filled out the form. It was an honest mistake.

Oh, bloody hell. It gets worse by the second.

I hope you're not going to tell me it was your wife here

because unless she's passed her exams on the sly, she's not a registered veterinarian.

Mr Harcourt, let me start by offering you a full and unreserved...

Bugger your apology, man! We're in the middle of a national crisis

and you're trying to pull a fast one on me? That's not how it is, I promise you.

Do you actually want to be struck off?

Because I can't for the life of me think of another reason you'd do something so bloody stupid.

If I can say something... No, you may not!

Never, never have I seen such reckless disregard

for the safety of farming and the population at large!

If you'd just let me explain, please.

That's all I'm asking.

I'm going to give you one chance but you'd better make it good

cos you're not getting a second.

Nothing good comes from worrying.

That's what I keep telling myself at any rate.

I don't like how long he's been.

DOOR OPENS

FOOTSTEPS APPROACH

Did somebody die? We thought you were James.

He's gone to see the MAG. We're worried about him.

So I can see. It were all my fault. It was not your fault.

How's Florence? Is she coming for lunch tomorrow?

She may never come for lunch. Turns out she doesn't want to marry me.

You proposed to her? Oh.

I'm so sorry. Love, are you all right?

For God's sake, Tristan, what were you thinking?

Well, I was thinking she'd say yes, obviously.

Only you. Only you could rush into a marriage proposal

and then be surprised when it didn't work out.

Why is belittling me all you care about? I wasn't trying to belittle you.

You put everyone else on a pedestal and me you treat like an animal that needs training.

Oh, what absolute nonsense! You think so?

It's blindingly obvious to everyone that James is the apple of your eye. You're so terrified of losing him.

Well, why aren't you terrified of losing me?

Tristan, I realise you're angry. Angry? I'm not angry.

I'm awake, Siegfried.

I feel like I've opened my eyes for the first time in my life.

Maybe you should open yours too because the world is changing

and you need to change with it.

You know one of things I most admire about Flo,

not that you've ever bothered to ask, by the way,

is that she has the courage to live her own life.

I'm sorry if I've made you feel like that.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The truth is that nothing I ever do will be good enough for you.

I only wish I'd realised it sooner.

I will always look after you.

I hope you know that.

That's just the thing. I know you will.

Mr Harcourt, I understand where you're coming from, I do.

But I want to be very clear about this.

This is the antithesis of clear.

I didn't knowingly try to conceal the truth. I would never do that.

Just as I would never put my name to a false document.

I didn't put my name to a false document.

I never signed it. It's true.

The form's null and void. It counts for nothing.

Signed or not, you still tried to pull the wool over my eyes

and that's a sackable offence.

My husband's not a liar.

In fact, he's one of the best people you're ever likely to meet.

Kindly control your wife, Herriot, or I shall have to.

You can talk to me. I'm right here.

And I'll have my say, if you don't mind.

Even when he makes mistakes, James is never anything but honest.

And every single thing he does is about helping other people,

and if you knew him like I do, you'd know he'd never lie.

Look, Dales farmers are a tough bunch.

They know their mind and they're not easily swayed.

I should know, I'm one of 'em.

Now here's the truth of it.

James worked hard to win their trust.

He's the one that got 'em signed up to your TB testing scheme.

Without him, none of them would have agreed to it. Not one.

You strike him off now and you'll lose all of 'em,

I can promise you that.

And with them, any hope of controlling TB in this county.

My husband's a good man and right now we need good men more than ever.

Much as I'd like to see you dragged across the coals,

the truth is, your wife's right.

You are a lucky man, Herriot. Thank you, Mr Harcourt.

Now get out of here before I change my mind.

Bloody hell.

MAN:By signing here, you agree to the Ministry of Agriculture

taking temporary custody of your entire herd

until such time as the necessary conditions have been met.

At which point the animals will be returned to your charge.

Thank you, Mr Alderson. We'll be in touch.

We'll get through this, Dad. I'll make sure of it.

I'm sure Heston Grange won't be closed for long. Still, you must be worried.

I am. But I can't lie, I'm more worried about James.

SIEGFRIED: I think we all were.

Has there been any news this morning?

Not since the cabinet meeting last night.

There was talk of an announcement but...

Hello! Hello. You're still here then?

Your brother wants to put him down.

You know perfectly well that's the last thing I want to do.

HE WHINES

Oh, what are we to do with you?

Why don't you ask if Mrs Pumphrey will take him?

You think she would?

I do, actually. Why don't you give her a call?

BLEEPING ON RADIO Be quiet, this is it now.

CHAMBLERLAIN ON RADIO: I am speaking to you from the Cabinet Room

at 10 Downing Street.

This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin

handed the German Government a final note

stating that unless we heard from them by 11 o'clock

that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland,

a state of war would exist between us.

I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received,

and that consequently this country is at war with Germany.

Why don't you say hello?

I don't know.

He's a good man who cares for you. It doesn't need to be complicated.

I'm sorry about Flo.

It's funny, it's like.. It's like she knows me better than I know myself.

You and Helen seem so happy.

I suppose I thought why can't that be me?

You know, when I first arrived, I didn't know what to make of you.

THEY LAUGH

To be honest, I thought you were a bit of a cad.A cad?

A chancer. I thought you only cared about yourself.

Oh, thanks very much. HE LAUGHS

But then I got to know the real you,

and I realised that couldn't be further from the truth.

You're a good man, Tris.

For what it's worth, I don't think marriage tells you who you are.

I think you need to find that out for yourself.

You've been like a brother to me, Jim.

You say that like...

HE LAUGHS GENTLY

No one's going anywhere.

DOG BARKS

MRS HALL: It's hard to fathom, isn't it?

Perhaps it were inevitable.

I'm glad they can't call you up. HE CHUCKLES

First time I've ever felt glad not to be a young 'un any more.

You must be worried about your lad.

We're writing to each other now.

He told me in his last letter, he said, he said he weren't afraid.

I were so scared he'd end up like his father, but he's not.

Not like him at all.

One day you can tell me about it.

But you've no need to now.

It's just good to see you again.

DOG BARKS

DOORBELL RINGS, DOG BARKS

Ah, Mrs Hall. Good morning. Good morning.

I won't keep you. But I've thought about it and I'd be very happy to take him.

I'm sorry, Mrs Pumphrey, I...

I feel it's the right thing to do under the circumstances.

And Tricki and I could do with some extra company, couldn't we, Tricki?

Mr Farnon called me about the Springer Spaniel. Dash, is it?

Oh, I see.

Delighted to hear it. Good morning Mrs Pumphrey.Morning, Mr Farnon.

The thought of putting him down was rather too much to bear.

Dash? Oh, look at him, he's beautiful!

Come here, come and say hello to Tricki.

TRICKI GROWLSYou're going to be the very best of friends, I can tell.

SHE LAUGHS, TRICKI GROWLS

DASH BARKS

No, no. You must go with Mrs Pumphrey, there's a good boy.

Come on, Dash, come on, you have to go.

DASH WHINES

She'll look after you. DASH WHINES

I'm sorry, Mrs Pumphrey. No, no, not at all.

We shall pop back again tomorrow, won't we, Tricki?

No, I mean, I'm sorry to have put you to this trouble.

Dash belongs here with us.

Isn't that right, Mrs Hall?

As you wish, Mr Farnon.

DASH BARKS

James?

Talk to me.

About what?

I'm not stupid.

Most people given an 11th hour reprieve like Harcourt gave you

would be doing cartwheels.

When I saw the faces of those children,

I couldn't help but think they might never see their homes again,

or their parents.

The only rational human response is to try and stop it.

To help. I do know that.

The thing is, if I don't put myself forward, then who am I?

I just know I could never forgive myself if I did nothing.

I'll always be grateful to you, Siegfried, you know that.

They might turn me down but I have to at least try.

Wait a second, Jim. I'll walk with you. Can't let you go on your own.

SIEGFRIED: I never thought we'd be here again.

All wars end eventually.

Normal life will return.

In the meantime, we must appreciate what we have.

I intend to be kinder to my brother. You should hold me to that.

SHE LAUGHS, CHURCH BELLS CHIME

Do you think they'll stop ringing, like in the Great War? Do you remember?

Every bell in the country from Land's End to John O'Groats.

Completely silent till the armistice.

I wonder if this will be the last time we hear them.

You'd best leave me here

or you'll end up getting recruited yourself.

CHURCH BELLS CHIME

Subtitles by Red Bee Media