Brothers in Arms by Kevan Fawkes
ACT ONE - SCENE ONE
The scene is inside the public bar of the Black Swan, Leyburn. It is
January 1964, there are four men, in their late sixties or early
seventies, sitting around a table drinking beer and playing dominoes
The ubiquitous landlady stands behind the bar watching the men play.
There is another table remote from the other where sits another man
alone, hunched over a half finished pint, seemingly oblivious to
anything else. The radio is on and we hear the news report
"The trial of the felony now being described in the tabloids as the
"Great Train Robbery" began today at Aylesbury Assizes with
Justice Mr Edmund Davis presiding. In the dock, eleven men stand
accused, they face a series of charges ranging from "armed
robbery", "grievous bodily harm", "conspiracy to rob",
"the receipt of stolen goods" and "obstruction of justice".
It is expected that this trial will be one of the longest, most
complex and most costly in legal history"
(The Landlady turns the radio off).
OLD BULLY I 'ope they put 'em away for life!
OLD WILF For what they did t' guard they deserve nowt less!
OLD BULLY Crippled t'poor fella!
OLD WILF Aye, nor 'ave they seen t' back o' all t' money they
took neither!
OLD BULLY Someone's livin' it up in t' sun, I'll be bound!
OLD WILF Over a million they reckon it were!
OLD PORKER Are we playing dom's or what? It's thee t' lay
Bully.
OLD BULLY All right! Hold tha' horses!
Slams down a domino.
OLD BULLY There! Double five for eight!
They continue to play as a woman wearing a smart twin set enters; she
has a large fashion bag hung from her shoulder. She tentatively
approaches the bar and smiles pleasantly at the landlady, who throws a
glance in her direction before returning her interest to the game of
dominoes. The woman waits a moment before enquiring further.
REPORTER Excuse me?
The landlady turns, looks at the woman dismissively before responding
morosely.
LANDLADY What?!
REPORTER Err…. Yes. Umm…A dry martini and lemonade please!
LANDLADY If thee must!
The woman turns to watch the game as the landlady returns behind the
bar to prepare her drink. Then landlady snaps at the woman causing her
to start a little.
LANDLADY Will thee be wanting "Cinzano" or "Noilly Pratt"?
REPORTER Err "Cinzano", please!
The Landlady pours the drink and places it on the bar.
LANDLADY Ice or lemon?
REPORTER No, thank you…
LANDLADY Just as well - we got none!
The Reporter taken aback, but after taking a moment to recover she
addresses the Landlady once more, politely, and with some enthusiasm:
REPORTER Look… um… I'm a reporter with the "Northern Echo"
and I'm doing a piece on the First World War… You know… what
with the fiftieth anniversary of the start of hostilities coming up…
Yes?
LANDLADY Is that right?
REPORTER Yes… 50 years… um. Do you think any of your customers
might…err…have a story to tell… you know…of their war time
experience?
LANDLADY Tha'd have t' ask them!
REPORTER Yes, of course! Right, sorry… Thanks for your help!
She turns to move away before the Landlady barks at her.
LANDLADY That's one and eight!
REPORTER Right! Sorry…One and eight?
LANDLADY If tha' please!
REPORTER Sorry.
The reporter takes out the purse from her shoulder bag, shuffles
through some coinage and pays the landlady after carefully selecting
the correct change.
REPORTER There! One shilling and eight pence. Thank you.
The landlady watches the reporter carefully, slowly shaking her head
in disbelief, as she picks up her drink and moves over toward the
table where the three men are playing dominoes; she watches them for a
short while before hesitantly enquiring of them.
REPORTER Err… Excuse me but are any of you… err, perhaps… First
World War veterans?
She casts a look around but the players continue with their game
without reaction
REPORTER With…a… a story to tell… maybe?
Bully gives the reporter a dismissive look, and then returns to his
game without a word. The reporter moves around the table a little,
watches the game for a moment or two and then tries again saying:
REPORTER Err… the double blank will go there you see…
She attempts to show the man what she means when all three men turn
towards her menacingly and Bully stands, noisily slamming his dominoes
back on the table. Realising she has made a mistake the reporter
begins to back off as Bully retorts:
OLD BULLY We've a bob or two on this hand, so kindly keep thy neb
out! If tha' please. Pretty as it may be!
REPORTER Sorry, I didn't mean to… I was only… Sorry!
The game continues and the reporter stands uncomfortably looking on
unsure of how to proceed before one of the players speaks…
OLD PORKER This story tha' wanting - happen there's a fee involved?
REPORTER I… err…
OLD PORKER Tha' knows - a reward or summat?
OLD BULLY Going on seventy year old and still as simple as a suckin'
duck! Tha' gets nowt for nowt, Porker Poskitt! Not in this life!
OLD WILF Give over Bully! T' lad were only asking!
REPORTER I'm sorry but I'm afraid I'm not authorized to offer
any monetary inducements.
OLD PORKER Sod it!
REPORTER But, if accepted, your story will be printed in the
"Echo"...your picture too.
Pause and then with some disdain.
OLD BULLY What did I tell thee? Nowt for nowt!
REPORTER I'd be happy to buy you a pint though…
OLD PORKER Just one then is it?
REPORTER Well, I suppose…
OLD WILF Stop teasing t' lass! If it's a tale from t' Great War
thee wants, why don't thee try thy luck wi' ol' "Chilly" over there? He's
got nowt better t' do!
He indicates the man at the other table.
REPORTER Chilly?
OLD PORKER Aye, Chilly by name, Chilly by nature!
OLD BULLY Now then, thee t' lay Wilf, I reckon.
REPORTER Right…thanks!
The three men do not respond but merely continue their game. The
Reporter collects her bag and glass and then makes her way over to the
lone man in the corner. He has not looked up once during the previous
action and remains hunched over his pint glass. As she gets to the
table the reporter says cautiously:
REPORTER Err… I'm a reporter with the "Northern Echo"... May
I sit?
Chilly looks up and shrugs
The Reporter sits, and then continues.
REPORTER The ... gentlemen over there… suggested that, um… that
you might talk to me about your experiences of the First World War?
CHILLY Might!
Chilly picks up his pint glass drains it and places it down in front
of the reporter.
REPORTER Oh! Right… yes… yes, of course! Bitter, is it?
She calls over to the landlady
REPORTER Could I have a pint of bitter over here please?
LANDLADY Grand! It's a bloody waitress I am now is it? Bloody
Incomers!
CHILLY Wi' a pack o' scratchings, Connie!
The reporter nods at the landlady who goes about pulling the pint.
The Reporter turns back to Chilly:
REPORTER Thanks for talking to me, it's much appreciated. I'm
doing a special exposé on World War One. You know veterans… their
war time tales. That sort of thing…. to mark the 50th anniversary
of the war!
CHILLY Oh, Aye?
REPORTER Yes, I'm really quite excited… It's going to be
published as a weekly two page spread, over a four week period,
running up to "Armistice Day". There will be photographs of all
contributors… their families…it should be quite something! It's
my first real break with the paper… Of course, I have done some
other smaller pieces but this is…
The landlady interrupts by placing the pint of beer noisily on the
table in front of the reporter.
LANDLADY One and six and thruppence for t' scratchings!
The reporter fishes the money out of her purse and, ensuring she hands
over the correct change once again, she gives the money to the
Landlady who takes the coins, returns a scowl and then goes slowly
back to the bar.
REPORTER You see… as I was saying, I'm about to…
CHILLY So! It's a tale thee wants is it?
REPORTER Yes, please! Any item of interest would be….
CHILLY Then tha'd better be listening! Now then! Are thee
listening?
REPORTER Right, Sorry! Yes! I'll just get my note book! There!
Sorry! You…you have my complete attention.
She drops her pencil.
REPORTER Sorry.
She recovers the pencil and smiles nervously.
REPORTER Sorry!
CHILLY This is t' story o' three brothers. We'll begin just
afore t' war, July 1912 it were, and t' three o' them lived
local, in Leyburn, wi' their Mother and Aunt. Their father had been
taken a few years afore wi' consumption. They worked one o' t'
old lead mines, over on t' top, by t' Scar! There weren't much
lead worth tekkin' mind, but, there were "Fluorspar", tha
knows… t' spoil t' old man 'ad left behind…there were no
call for t' stuff in their day…but later they set t' use it in
t' glass and steel mekkin' industries… right good money they
paid too!!
Pause as he takes a mouthful of his pint.
CHILLY But back t' story - them brothers grafted hard…hard enough
t' scrape an 'alf decent living out o' that there scarp and,
happen, they were content wi' their lot. Their family were close
knit, well, that's t' way it 'ad t' be in them days - family
were all thee could rely on. Aye, and they nobbut thought nor cared
for t' trouble brewing in Europe… trouble that'd soon come
a-rapping at their door, tearing at t' very fabric o' t' dales;
cleaving t' beating heart out o' us towns and villages… things
would never t' be t' same… never… never the same again…..
The lighting slowly fades
BLACKOUT
[end of extract]