Just Henry

Excuse me. Sorry. Sorry.

Sorry. Step on the other one

and you'll have a full set (!)

Cheeky. Excuse me. Sorry.

Ooh, sorry.

My father's family name being Pirrip

and my Christian name Philip,

my infant tongue could

make of both names

nothing longer or more

explicit than Pip.

(OWL HOOTS)

Aaaargh!

Keep still, you little devil, or

I'll cut your throat. No, sir, no!

Some fish and chips. Ooh!

Oi, watch your shoving, will you?

The air raids are over,

in case you didn't know.

'Ey up, Henry. How do?

You enjoy that? It was a cracker.

You should have a pretty lass

on your arm. Get away!

I don't really like girls. Oh, aye?

'Appen that will soon change.

Then again... don't really know any.

Listen, next time you come to

the Plaza, Henry, come and see me,

I will sneak you in the side door.

I don't want to get you in trouble.

I'm here to look after you.

After all your dad did

for the likes of us.

Thanks, Charlie. See you.

All right. See you, Henry.

NEWS VENDOR:
Echo!

Good evening.

Good evening.

Echo!

Give me an Echo. See you on Friday.

(STEAM WHISTLE, TRAIN DOORS SLAM)

(CONDUCTOR'S WHISTLE)

WIRELESS:
# String Of Pearls

'Ow do, Henry?

(WOMAN LAUGHS)

(BOTH LAUGH)

Guess what, Henry?

Bill's had some news.

Oh, aye? He's passed his exams

with distinctions.

He won't be getting his hands

dirty much longer.

He's gonna be a teacher.

Him? A teacher?

And a very good one.

Get away, will you!

What's wrong? Let me see.

No, I'm all right, Mum.

Just some soot in my eye.

Night-night, then, Henry.

(GIGGLES)

You are just like him.

I wish I'd known him.

I wish I could remember.

What was my dad like, Gran? Really.

Can't you tell? Just look at him.

Always a smile on his face.

Always a good word for people.

Everyone liked your dad.

And he was so good to me.

Best son a mother could wish for.

Would've been his birthday today,

right? Aye.

He'd have been 38.

He did his bit,

fighting for King and country.

It's not right, is it? It's not fair.

Some folk might forget him,

but we won't, will we, Henry?

(TOILET FLUSHES)

Whoa! Scuse you.

I've done your shoes.

Henry! You haven't finished

your breakfast!

I'm late.

Here.

Henry! Your laces!

Oh! Look at these tomatoes.

And the fruits of the earth

shall be thine.

Rag and bone!

(CHATTER AND LAUGHTER)

Did that deliberately, didn't you?

What?

Thought you may have scarpered.

Your family's good at that.

Shut your mouth.

Got as much right to be here as you.

BOY:
Pack it in!

GIRL:
Miss is coming!

(SIGHS)

You will remember this moment

for the rest of your lives.

My name is Mrs Beaumont.

I'm your new class teacher.

BOY:
Give it to you later.

You.

What is my name?

I... I don't know, miss.

You should eat more fish, boy.

Your memory is appalling.

(LAUGHTER)

B-E-A-U-M-O-N-T.

Beaumont.

It means "beautiful mountain"

in French.

So if you forget my name again,

think of me as a beautiful mountain.

Do any of you know

what this word means?

Or how to say it?

What about you?

N-No, Miss - Mrs Beaumont.

Mnemonic.

Mne-mon-ic.

A way of helping memory.

Beaumont:
beautiful mountain.

How do you say it, young man?

(CLEARS THROAT)

Um... New-monic. Mnemonic.

It's a strange word.

And a beautiful one.

The very first thing I've taught you.

And there'll be many more,

and you must learn them all.

(GROANS)

You are such fortunate young people.

Not merely because you have me

as a teacher.

But because your generation

will bury the horror of war

and build a better future.

Now, we must welcome a newcomer,

Grace Ellis,

who's come to stay in Sternsea

with her aunt.

I'm sure you'll grace this classroom

with your beret and much else.

(BUZZ OF CHATTER)

May I?

Sorry? Sit down here. With you.

Yes. Please.

Sorry. I'm sorry. Sorry.

Isn't she great? Who?

Beautiful Mountain, of course.

She's going to be fun.

Do you like school?

Not much. It's a waste of time.

Well, that's a silly thing to say.

I'm not silly. I never said

you were. Yeah, you did.

Very well. I'll go and sit

somewhere else, then, shall I?

Do what you like.

Who's that?

And why's he sitting on his own?

Jeffries. Cos no-one'll talk to him.

His dad was a deserter in the war.

But that's not his fault.

That's silly.

Is everything silly to you?

I'll go talk to him.

It might be a bit less wearing

than talking to you.

Half a pound of Cheddar cheese!

We'll be lucky.

How do I look?

Lovely.

Right... Where should I stand?

Just here?

What you doing, Grandma?

Don't see why I should be left out.

Thought you were having nothing

to do with it. All right, Bill.

Never come to owt, but I've always

wanted my picture in the paper.

Henry, come and be in the picture.

What's going on?

The Echo are doing a piece

about Bill becoming a teacher.

Talk about scraping the barrel.

Oh, thanks, Grandma. It's all right

for some. What about my lad?

Him being a hero meant the likes of

you could live on Easy Street.

One more happy snap, folks.

I did my bit.

Driving choo-choo trains!

Please, you two, don't argue.

Maybe there was more to the hero

you mentioned than met the eye.

I'm not standing here having my son's

memory insulted by the likes of you!

Smile at the birdie!

You're not half the man he was!

I wish you wouldn't wind her up.

Me? It was her that started it.

They always like that?

Can I have a look at your camera,

mister?

Wow. A Graflex.

I've read about these.

Whoa! Sorry.

I'll get you some tea, love.

Here, that put a spoke in his wheel,

didn't it?

(CHUCKLES)

What did he mean?

What he said about my dad...

He's just jealous, Henry.

Here, a letter came for you,

this morning.

For me? Yeah.

I've never had a letter before.

Well, open it, lad!

(GIGGLES)

It's in fancy writing.

What's all this, then?

"By order of

His Royal Highness King George VI,"

for conspicuous bravery

in the field,

"the Military Medal

is presented to... " Oh, my God.

Corporal Joseph Dodge

of the East Yorkshire Regiment."

No. It's my dad's medal!

(THUNDER RUMBLES)

(BANGING)

Ow! Aargh!

I couldn't sleep either.

Did you have a bad dream, Henry?

You know, when the war was on...

and you were frightened

and I was frightened,

you used to climb in my bed

and we'd snuggle up...

and it didn't seem

so bad any more. I were a kid.

Things are different now.

Are they?

It makes me sad.

Well, you changed it.

You went and married him.

And why'd you have to do that, Mam?

Bill's a good husband, Henry.

He'd make a good father to you,

if only you'd let him.

I've already got a father.

He's dead, son.

Not to me, he isn't.

(SIGHS)

(KNOCK AT DOOR)

Come in.

Oh, Henry! I thought it was

your mother with more toast.

Here, that bottle there,

stiffen the tea, will you?

There's nothing like it for

my arthritis, you know.

Thank you.

What's up, then, soldier?

Dunkirk, wasn't it? That was

the place, where Dad won his medal.

Tell it me, Gran.

Tell it me one more time.

It were men against tanks.

And your dad ran through

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