The Proud Valley Page #5

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I'll tell you.

Because of Mam and the kids.

- They're my responsibility.

- Not altogether, Em.

Listen, son.

Your father was my friend.

He took me in,

gave me food and shelter, found me work.

What kind of a man would I be if I left now

when things are bad?

- Let's don't talk about it anymore.

- All right, Dave.

That old thing from the post office

won't come back here again in a hurry.

Oh, no. Not after what I told her

out there in front of all the children.

Dilys, children,

come on now to your food.

Oh, you don't miss much, do you?

We were only waiting for you

to call us to supper, Mam.

Yes, with one eye to the keyhole.

Come on. Eat your food.

Coming here with her own cheek.

Paupers indeed.

My boy not good enough

for her Gwen.

Mam, we may as well face it.

She was right.

- Right? What do you mean?

- We are finished, scrapped and finished.

- But, my boy, we can't -

- It's no use, Mam. There's nothing more to say.

Oh, yes. Oh, yes.

I - I think he's still fond of you.

Indeed?

That's very kind of him.

But it's all over.

I'm afraid he agrees with her.

And they've made up their minds,

both of them.

They've made up their minds?

I don't suppose I count in the least.

Well, Emlyn said he was gonna

tell you about it.

- I'll tell him.

- Where are you going?

- I'm gonna have a word with Mr. Emlyn.

- Well, you'll find him up at the house.

Emlyn.

Emlyn.

- Hello, Gwen.

- What's the matter?

Everything.

Em. Don't be silly.

- Give me a kiss.

- Have some sense. I'm not made of stone.

Then you don't care for me anymore.

How can you say that when everything

I've tried to do for years has been for you?

Down the pit eight hours a day.

After work, sitting in night school

through the winters to get that certificate.

Who for?

- Em, let's get married.

- What, on my dole money?

With my mother and the kids on public assistance

and things getting worse every week?

Emlyn, listen.

Those things aren't really important.

Plenty of people in Blaendy

have married like that.

Aye, it's easy enough to get married...

- but what about the future?

- We'll be facing it together.

And bringing up our children

on two bob a week?

- It's not good enough.

- I tell you, it's good enough for me.

I like your spirit, lovely.

Lord, I'm as anxious

to get married as you are.

My own boy.

There must be something I could do.

Gwen, if I went to London

and met those owners face-to-face...

do you think that would do any good?

They can't stop us singing

They can't stop us singing

d For overhead

the stars are shining d

All through the night

They can't stop us singing

d They can't stop us singing d

All through the night

d So still keep on singing d

They can't stop us singing

For in the darkness we are singing

Morning sun we'll soon be greeting

All through the night

They can't stop us singing

Through the night

Here we are, Ned. Easy.

Take a drink of this

and rest a while.

Get this inside you, Ned.

I've had plenty.

Don't want any more.

- Dave.

- Ta, Nick.

I don't like the look of old Ned.

That bit of bread is poor packin'

for a man in his state.

Some proper grub and a bed

is what he wants.

At this rate, it don't look like

we'll ever get to London.

London be damned.

All I want is a good meal.

Ah, well, the first 200 miles is always the worst.

It's a long way to Tipperary

It's a long way to go

- It's a long way to Tipperary

- How do you feel, Ned?

Not so dusty now, lad.

- I got an idea, Em.

- d To the sweetest girl I know d

- Listen to that.

- dd

You chaps are Welshmen,

and you can sing.

What's wrong with

singing our way to London?

- What, beg?

- Why not?

Ned's a pal of ours.

We've got to do something.

Yes. You're right, Dave.

- Hey, Nick, Seth.

- What's up?

- Come on.

- What's wrong?

- Fall in.

- What, again?

- Ah, shut your mouth and do what you're told.

- Come on, Ned.

Hitler demands Danzig and the Corridorl

Hitler demands Danzig and the Corridorl

Ha! That flamin' Adolf

will be askin' for Blaendy next.

- What's in the paper, boy?

- Buy one and see.

Oh, come on, son.

You know we haven't got a penny between us.

That's all you get for nothing.

Hitler demands Danzig and the Corridor!

- Read all about it!

- What's Hitler got to do with us?

- You never can tell.

- Oh, come on, lads. Hit the note, Dave.

They can't stop us singing

They can't stop us singing

For overhead

the stars are shining

All through the night

There you are. I told you.

That means war.

Never mind. We've marched into London,

which is more than he'll ever do.

Well, here we are at last.

After three days solid singing, our throats

will need decarbonizing to talk to these owners.

I'll talk to them when the time comes.

Parliament called for Sunday! Official!

Parliament called for tomorrow.

On a Sunday, of all days. Things are pretty rough.

- Is it any good going in now?

- Why not?

We've come a long way to put the case

for Blaendy, and we're going to put it.

- Emlyn's right. In we go, boys.

- Aye, and to hell with Hitler.

Read all about it!

Night news extra!

Go on, Ellen.

Slip into the boardroom...

and tell SirJohn that these men

from Blaendy are here.

- That'd be more than my job's worth.

- Can we wait here, miss?

Perhaps SirJohn might be able to spare us

a few minutes after the conference.

- They don't mind how long they wait, you know.

- Oh, it's no use, Jackson.

SirJohn will have to go straight over

to the Ministry of Mines.

I'm awfully sorry, but this crisis

has turned everything upside down.

Hello?

Oh, Syd. Hello, darling.

What?

Oh, dear.

When? Tonight?

But I can't.

We're terribly busy here.

Oh, don't.

All right.

If I possibly can.

Good-bye, darling.

- What's up, miss?

- It's my boy.

He's just been called up. He's leaving

for his depot in about an hour's time.

Wants me to go to Victoria Station

to see him off.

Why don't you go?

The place will be here when you come back.

- Do you think it would be all right?

- Of course.

You go, and give the young fellow

a kiss to remember you by.

- Tell him I won't be long, Jackson.

- Right.

And I'll hold the fort till you get back.

Make yourselves at home, boys.

Ah, yes. That's the way of it.

The sweethearts and wives

will have to go through the hoop...

the same as my old woman did in 1914.

Miss Gray?

Miss Gray.

Oh, where's Miss Gray?

Have you seen her, Jackson?

Oh, uh, yes, sir. She's, uh -

She's just gone round the corner

to the, um, you know, sir.

What? Oh, yes, yes, yes. When she returns,

tell her SirJohn wants her in the boardroom.

Very good, sir.

- It takes an old sweat to tell 'em the tale, huh?

- Is SirJohn in there?

- Yes, that's the boardroom.

- Say, friend.

We wouldn't mind if you went

for a bit of a walk.

- Huh?

- And have a smoke while you're waitin'.

Oh. A nod's as good as a wink

to a blind horse.

But make it snappy.

Can't stay too long, you know.

Go on inside, lads,

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