Episodes
| Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 01 | The Trials Of Attempting An Elopement | 20120928 | 20150125 (R4) | A stellar cast of Miriam Margolyes, Alison Steadman, Nigel Planer, Morwenna Banks, Jonathan Coy and John Sessions breathes life into the colourfully chaotic characters of Gloomsbury, a riotous comedy about the Bloomsbury Group. The six-part series from the pen of Sue Limb is an affectionate send up of the infamous literary group whose arty and adulterous adventures dominated the cultural scene in the early 20th century. The series follows the fortunes of Vera Sackcloth-Vest (Margolyes) - writer, gardener and transvestite - and her urge to escape from the tranquillity of her rather cramped little castle in Kent which she shares with her doting but ambiguous husband Henry (Coy), who is 'something in the Foreign Office'. Vera's heart is forever surging with exotic passion for Ginny Fox (Steadman), a highly-strung novelist who adores her, or the beautiful but shallow Venus Traduces (Banks). As the scene shifts from Kent to London, and Cornwall to Monaco, this close-knit coterie is divided by misunderstandings, jealousies and rows. In episode one, Vera longs to elope to Mediterranean sunshine with one of her bosom chums. But her first choice, Ginny, is stubbornly impervious to adventure and Venus Traduces is fully booked for elopements until next April. Will Vera run off instead with the perky waitress at Lyons' Corner house? Meanwhile, what is Vera's husband Henry up to as telegrams fly between him and Archie Pinkerton-Poker at the Foreign Office? Produced by Jamie Rix A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4. Miriam Margolyes, Alison Steadman and Nigel Planer send up the Bloomsbury literary group. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. A stellar cast of Miriam Margolyes, Alison Steadman, Nigel Planer, Morwenna Banks, Jonathan Coy and John Sessions breathes life into the colourfully chaotic characters of Gloomsbury, a riotous comedy about the Bloomsbury Group. The six-part series from the pen of Sue Limb is an affectionate send up of the infamous literary group whose arty and adulterous adventures dominated the cultural scene in the early 20th century. The series follows the fortunes of Vera Sackcloth-Vest (Margolyes) - writer, gardener and transvestite - and her urge to escape from the tranquillity of her rather cramped little castle in Kent which she shares with her doting but ambiguous husband Henry (Coy), who is 'something in the Foreign Office'. Vera's heart is forever surging with exotic passion for Ginny Fox (Steadman), a highly-strung novelist who adores her, or the beautiful but shallow Venus Traduces (Banks). As the scene shifts from Kent to London, and Cornwall to Monaco, this close-knit coterie is divided by misunderstandings, jealousies and rows. In episode one, Vera longs to elope to Mediterranean sunshine with one of her bosom chums. But her first choice, Ginny, is stubbornly impervious to adventure and Venus Traduces is fully booked for elopements until next April. Will Vera run off instead with the perky waitress at Lyons' Corner house? Meanwhile, what is Vera's husband Henry up to as telegrams fly between him and Archie Pinkerton-Poker at the Foreign Office? Produced by Jamie Rix A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4. Miriam Margolyes, Alison Steadman and Nigel Planer send up the Bloomsbury literary group. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 01 | 02 | Desperately Seeking Peace And Quiet | 20121005 | 20150201 (R4) | A stellar cast of Miriam Margolyes, Alison Steadman, Nigel Planer, Morwenna Banks, Jonathan Coy and John Sessions breathes life into the colourfully chaotic characters of Gloomsbury, a riotous new comedy about the Bloomsbury Group. The six-part series from the pen of Sue Limb is an affectionate send up of the infamous literary group whose arty and adulterous adventures dominated the cultural scene in the early 20th century. In Episode Two, the novelist Ginny Fox is visiting her friends Vera Sackcloth-Vest and Henry Mickleton, who live in a modest unassuming little castle in Kent. Ginny has writer's block, so Vera tries desperately to provide peace and quiet, gagging the blackbirds and cloaking the gravel paths in velvet. But their tranquil idyll is shattered by the explosive arrival of Venus Traduces, hell-bent on recapturing Vera's heart with a series of appalling musical serenades. Ginny's tiresome husband Lionel has followed her incognito with a portfolio of herbal remedies, but Henry manages to detain him in the pantry whilst Ginny and Vera dive under the covers to devour a steamy new book, Lady Hattersley's Plover by the intriguing proletarian writer D.H. Lollipop. The chums emerge flushed and enthralled, convinced that they must meet D.H. Lollipop and experience his dangerous animal magnetism at first hand. Cast: Vera Sackcloth-Vest - Miriam Margolyes Gosling, her Gardener - Nigel Planer Henry Mickleton - Jonathan Coy Venus Traduces - Morwenna Banks Mrs Gosling, Housekeeper - Alison Steadman Mrs Ginny Fox - Alison Steadman Lionel Fox - Nigel Planer Produced by Jamie Rix A Little Brother Production for BBC Radio 4. Plagued by writer's block, novelist Ginny Fox visits Vera and Henry at their castle. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 01 | 03 | The St Ives School Of Painting | 20121012 | 20150208 (R4) | The writer and transvestite Vera Sackcloth-Vest and her bosom chum, the novelist Ginny Fox, go down to St Ives in search of the writer of very naughty books Mr D.H. Lollipop. Their husbands, Henry and Lionel, accompany them, hoping to prevent their wives from succumbing to the dangerous animal magnetism of Lollipop, whose book Lady Hattersley's Plover has scandalized and unsettled them all. Vera's persistent and flamboyant admirer Venus Traduces arrives, desperate to re-kindle their Sapphic passion. However she is distracted when, on the cliff path, she meets a thin man with a red beard who exudes animal magnetism. He informs her that his wife is away in London being painted by Augustus John, invites Venus to call him Dave, and ravishes her in the brambles. Meanwhile, though Vera and Ginny seem to search in vain for Lollipop, he is always much closer than they think. Cast: Vera Sackcloth-Vest ..... Miriam Margolyes Henry Mickleton ..... Jonathan Coy Venus Traduces ..... Morwenna Banks Mrs Ginny Fox ..... Alison Steadman Lionel Fox ..... Nigel Planer DH Lollipop ..... John Sessions Produced by Jamie Rix A Little Brother Production for BBC Radio 4. Vera Sackcloth-Vest and Ginny Fox pursue DH Lollipop, who writes naughty books. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. The writer and transvestite Vera Sackcloth-Vest and her bosom chum, the novelist Ginny Fox, go down to St Ives in search of the writer of very naughty books Mr D.H. Lollipop. Their husbands, Henry and Lionel, accompany them, hoping to prevent their wives from succumbing to the dangerous animal magnetism of Lollipop, whose book Lady Hattersley's Plover has scandalized and unsettled them all. Vera's persistent and flamboyant admirer Venus Traduces arrives, desperate to re-kindle their Sapphic passion. However she is distracted when, on the cliff path, she meets a thin man with a red beard who exudes animal magnetism. He informs her that his wife is away in London being painted by Augustus John, invites Venus to call him Dave, and ravishes her in the brambles. Meanwhile, though Vera and Ginny seem to search in vain for Lollipop, he is always much closer than they think. Cast: Vera Sackcloth-Vest ..... Miriam Margolyes Henry Mickleton ..... Jonathan Coy Venus Traduces ..... Morwenna Banks Mrs Ginny Fox ..... Alison Steadman Lionel Fox ..... Nigel Planer DH Lollipop ..... John Sessions Produced by Jamie Rix A Little Brother Production for BBC Radio 4. Vera Sackcloth-Vest and Ginny Fox pursue DH Lollipop, who writes naughty books. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 01 | 04 | Trying To Avoid Unpleasantness | 20121019 | 20150215 (R4) | The gardener Vera Sackcloth Vest and her husband Henry are obliged to offer hospitality to the writer of very naughty books Mr D H Lollipop and his new flame, Venus Traduces - who formerly harboured a Sapphic passion for Vera. The guests are accommodated in the dovecote as Henry will not have Lollipop in the house, in case the cook Mrs Gosling is exposed to impertinences. Vera is hoping that Lollipop will be able to improve her prose style, but instead he seems to take pleasure in trashing her garden and redesigning her study. Lollipop is intent on awakening Venus's blood consciousness but, alas, any educational impulse involving Venus is doomed to failure. As Venus's passion for Lollipop begins to flag, she finds consolation with the gardener Gosling on the potting bench. Despite Henry's precautions, Mrs Gosling is exposed to Lollipop's impertinences, and the outcome is unexpected and inconvenient. Cast: Vera Sackcloth-Vest - Miriam Margolyes Gosling, her gardener - Nigel Planer Henry Mickleton - Jonathan Coy Venus Traduces - Morwenna Banks Mrs Gosling, Housekeeper - Alison Steadman D H Lollipop - John Sessions Produced by Jamie Rix A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4. Vera Sackcloth-Vest welcomes the writer of naughty books, DH Lollipop, to Sizzlinghurst. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 01 | 05 | A Desperate Attempt To Have Fun | 20121026 | 20150222 (R4) | The writer Vera Sackcloth-Vest has to tear herself away from her beloved garden just at the moment when her mammillarias are about to open. She and her husband Henry have been summoned to London by her bosom chum, the novelist Ginny Fox. Ginny and her husband Lionel have realized that they have never had what is known as fun and they beg Vera and Henry to provide it. Simultaneously, Vera's ardent acolyte Venus Traduces asks Vera to educate her, so she can be taken seriously by the Gloomsbury set. Exhausted by her efforts to educate and entertain, and haunted by the fear that her beloved Henry will soon be posted to the Balkans, Vera endures an emotional crisis at a picnic in Kensington Gardens. Rescue arrives unexpectedly, and she escapes back to her beloved Sizzlinghurst, just as her mammillarias lift their saucy little faces to the sun. Cast: Vera Sackcloth-Vest - Miriam Margolyes Henry Mickleton - Jonathan Coy Venus Traduces - Morwenna Banks Mrs Ginny Fox - Alison Steadman Lionel Fox - Nigel Planer Produced by Jamie Rix A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4. Vera Sackcloth-Vest endures an emotional crisis at a picnic in Kensington Gardens. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 01 | 06 | He's Got To Be Stopped | 20121102 | 20150301 (R4) | Vera Sackcloth-Vest is bracing herself for the departure of her adored husband Henry on a Foreign Office posting to Romania. Her friends Ginny and Lionel Fox have come down to Sizzlinghurst to support her, along with her slightly demented devotee Venus Traduces. Whilst maintaining a veneer of cheerful serenity, Vera is inwardly desperate and hatches several intricate plots to detain him: an ominous dream, a succession of spurious telegrams, an extensive repertoire of ailments. She even attempts, disastrously, to persuade the cook to stage a staff crisis. Meanwhile, down in the gazebo at midnight, Venus encourages Henry to resist all Vera's attempts to detain him as she will surely give in at the last moment and go with him to Romania. Cast: Vera Sackcloth-Vest ..... Miriam Margolyes Henry Mickleton ..... Jonathan Coy Mrs Gosling ..... Alison Steadman Venus Traduces ..... Morwenna Banks Lionel Fox ..... Nigel Planer Mrs Ginny Fox ..... Alison Steadman Mr Gosling ..... Nigel Planer Produced by Jamie Rix A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4. Vera braces herself for Henry's departure on a Foreign Office posting to Romania. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. Vera Sackcloth-Vest is bracing herself for the departure of her adored husband Henry on a Foreign Office posting to Romania. Her friends Ginny and Lionel Fox have come down to Sizzlinghurst to support her, along with her slightly demented devotee Venus Traduces. Whilst maintaining a veneer of cheerful serenity, Vera is inwardly desperate and hatches several intricate plots to detain him: an ominous dream, a succession of spurious telegrams, an extensive repertoire of ailments. She even attempts, disastrously, to persuade the cook to stage a staff crisis. Meanwhile, down in the gazebo at midnight, Venus encourages Henry to resist all Vera's attempts to detain him as she will surely give in at the last moment and go with him to Romania. Cast: Vera Sackcloth-Vest ..... Miriam Margolyes Henry Mickleton ..... Jonathan Coy Mrs Gosling ..... Alison Steadman Venus Traduces ..... Morwenna Banks Lionel Fox ..... Nigel Planer Mrs Ginny Fox ..... Alison Steadman Mr Gosling ..... Nigel Planer Produced by Jamie Rix A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4. Vera braces herself for Henry's departure on a Foreign Office posting to Romania. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 02 | 01 | Anarchy Looms Over Staplehurst | 20140402 | Talk of a General Strike is in the air as Lionel and Ginny Fox pay a visit to Sizzlinghurst Castle to see Vera Sackcloth-Vest and Henry Mickleton.
Green-fingered Sapphist Vera Sackcloth-Vest shares a bijou castle in Kent with her devoted husband Henry, but longs for exotic adventures with nervy novelist Ginny Fox and wilful beauty Venus Traduces. It's 1921, the dawn of modern love, life and lingerie, but Vera still hasn't learnt how to boil a kettle.
Ginny is writing a new book and wants to pick Vera's brains about her aristocratic childhood. But all is not well. Henry thinks that Ginny is a bad influence on Vera because Ginny is so highly strung and Lionel thinks that Vera is too aristocratic and not socialist enough for Ginny.
Terrified that the oppressed people of Staplehurst will rise up and storm the castle, they flirt with a posh kind of socialism until the working class DH Lollipop pops in with his demi-mondaine Venus Traduces and tells them that he likes them just the way they are.
Producer: Jamie Rix
With a general strike looming, the Foxes visit Sizzlinghurst to see how aristocrats live. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. | |
| 02 | 01 | Anarchy Looms Over Staplehurst | 20140402 | 20151110 (R4) | Talk of a General Strike is in the air as Lionel and Ginny Fox pay a visit to Sizzlinghurst Castle to see Vera Sackcloth-Vest and Henry Mickleton.
Green-fingered Sapphist Vera Sackcloth-Vest shares a bijou castle in Kent with her devoted husband Henry, but longs for exotic adventures with nervy novelist Ginny Fox and wilful beauty Venus Traduces. It's 1921, the dawn of modern love, life and lingerie, but Vera still hasn't learnt how to boil a kettle.
Ginny is writing a new book and wants to pick Vera's brains about her aristocratic childhood. But all is not well. Henry thinks that Ginny is a bad influence on Vera because Ginny is so highly strung and Lionel thinks that Vera is too aristocratic and not socialist enough for Ginny.
Terrified that the oppressed people of Staplehurst will rise up and storm the castle, they flirt with a posh kind of socialism until the working class DH Lollipop pops in with his demi-mondaine Venus Traduces and tells them that he likes them just the way they are.
Producer: Jamie Rix
With a general strike looming, the Foxes visit Sizzlinghurst to see how aristocrats live. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 02 | 02 | Desperate for a Thumbs-Up | 20140409 | At last, Ginny Fox has finished her rewrite of Borlando and rushes it off to her friend and confidante, Vera Sackcloth-Vest, for appraisal. Meanwhile, DH Lollipop has just completed a rewrite of Lady Hattersley's Plover and is nervously awaiting the critical verdict of Lionel Fox.
Never have two literary giants been so eager to have their geniuses confirmed, but self-doubt plagues their every waking hour.
Due to a series of unfortunate coincidences, involving Lionel's inability to remember addresses and Vera's obsession with creating a new Blue Garden at Sizzlinghust, which involves her sending off for hundreds of new plants by mail order and storing them in Gosling's shed, the manuscripts go missing.
What the writers interpret as a literary thumbs-down from their readers is nothing more than misdirected-mail. Friendships are strained to breaking point, while Ginny and Vera try to guess what the other is thinking and Mrs Gosling burns DH Lollipop's filthy manuscript when she accidentally comes across it and reads it from cover to cover.
Producer: Jamie Rix
Ginny Fox and DH Lollipop desperately seek literary acclamation for their latest work. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. | |
| 02 | 02 | Desperate for a Thumbs-Up | 20140409 | 20151117 (R4) | At last, Ginny Fox has finished her rewrite of Borlando and rushes it off to her friend and confidante, Vera Sackcloth-Vest, for appraisal. Meanwhile, DH Lollipop has just completed a rewrite of Lady Hattersley's Plover and is nervously awaiting the critical verdict of Lionel Fox.
Never have two literary giants been so eager to have their geniuses confirmed, but self-doubt plagues their every waking hour.
Due to a series of unfortunate coincidences, involving Lionel's inability to remember addresses and Vera's obsession with creating a new Blue Garden at Sizzlinghust, which involves her sending off for hundreds of new plants by mail order and storing them in Gosling's shed, the manuscripts go missing.
What the writers interpret as a literary thumbs-down from their readers is nothing more than misdirected-mail. Friendships are strained to breaking point, while Ginny and Vera try to guess what the other is thinking and Mrs Gosling burns DH Lollipop's filthy manuscript when she accidentally comes across it and reads it from cover to cover.
Producer: Jamie Rix
Ginny Fox and DH Lollipop desperately seek literary acclamation for their latest work. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 02 | 03 | Bonfire of the Jealousies | 20140416 | Vera is consumed with jealousy, because Ginny has won a literary prize and is going to be photographed for the front cover of Vanity Fair by acclaimed Society photographer Manta Ray. To make matters worse, Venus is getting a teeny crush on Ginny. So, when Ginny asks for style advice in advance of her photographic session, Vera's suggestions have an edge of mockery.
Vera, wracked with torment, breaks the habit of a lifetime and unburdens herself to Mrs Gosling. But of course Mrs Gosling's life has been an endless struggle to suppress her jealousy of her employers' wealth and privilege. Even a chance encounter with Sigmund Void on Hampstead Heath fails to shake Vera from her melancholic mood. In the end it falls to Henry and Lionel to try to boost Vera's confidence.
Producer: Jamie Rix
Vera is consumed with jealousy because of the literary success of her friend Ginny Fox. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. | |
| 02 | 03 | Bonfire of the Jealousies | 20140416 | 20151124 (R4) | Vera is consumed with jealousy, because Ginny has won a literary prize and is going to be photographed for the front cover of Vanity Fair by acclaimed Society photographer Manta Ray. To make matters worse, Venus is getting a teeny crush on Ginny. So, when Ginny asks for style advice in advance of her photographic session, Vera's suggestions have an edge of mockery.
Vera, wracked with torment, breaks the habit of a lifetime and unburdens herself to Mrs Gosling. But of course Mrs Gosling's life has been an endless struggle to suppress her jealousy of her employers' wealth and privilege. Even a chance encounter with Sigmund Void on Hampstead Heath fails to shake Vera from her melancholic mood. In the end it falls to Henry and Lionel to try to boost Vera's confidence.
Producer: Jamie Rix
Vera is consumed with jealousy because of the literary success of her friend Ginny Fox. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 02 | 04 | Ever Decreasing Literary Circles | 20140423 | Flushed with her recent success, Ginny is to hold a literary salon, but she wants Vera to co-host it. They argue about where to have it, whom to invite and what kind of refreshments should be offered. Mrs Gosling is obstructive about the possibility of vegetarianism.
Meanwhile, Henry can't decide whether to carry on working for the Foreign Office or write a biography of Byron or Tennyson, and follows Vera round the castle unsuccessfully trying to elicit her advice.
When the great day arrives, Henry is banished from the castle lest he gets in the way. Instead of the longed-for literary celebrities, however, the only arrival at Sizzlinghurst that day is a snowstorm of apologetic telegrams. Hurt and aghast that nobody loves them, Vera and Ginny blame each other.
The only person who turns up is Venus, who wasn't invited and has never read a book in her life. Only as the day draws to a close does Vera remember with horror that today was Henry's birthday and that she has neglected him without so much as a card, a gift or a kiss. Wracked with guilt, Vera makes up to Henry on a pile of dusty sacks in Gosling's shed.
GLOOMSBURY - THE SERIES
Flushed with her recent success, Ginny holds a literary salon at Vera's castle. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. | |
| 02 | 04 | Ever Decreasing Literary Circles | 20140423 | 20151201 (R4) | Flushed with her recent success, Ginny is to hold a literary salon, but she wants Vera to co-host it. They argue about where to have it, whom to invite and what kind of refreshments should be offered. Mrs Gosling is obstructive about the possibility of vegetarianism.
Meanwhile, Henry can't decide whether to carry on working for the Foreign Office or write a biography of Byron or Tennyson, and follows Vera round the castle unsuccessfully trying to elicit her advice.
When the great day arrives, Henry is banished from the castle lest he gets in the way. Instead of the longed-for literary celebrities, however, the only arrival at Sizzlinghurst that day is a snowstorm of apologetic telegrams. Hurt and aghast that nobody loves them, Vera and Ginny blame each other.
The only person who turns up is Venus, who wasn't invited and has never read a book in her life. Only as the day draws to a close does Vera remember with horror that today was Henry's birthday and that she has neglected him without so much as a card, a gift or a kiss. Wracked with guilt, Vera makes up to Henry on a pile of dusty sacks in Gosling's shed.
GLOOMSBURY - THE SERIES
Flushed with her recent success, Ginny holds a literary salon at Vera's castle. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 02 | 05 | The Theory and Practice of Hanky Panky | 20140430 | Vera and Henry are undecided about whether it is time for their Eton-educated sons, Charlie and Fred, to be told the facts of life. Neither parent feels that they are sufficiently qualified to discuss the birds and bees with their sons, so they go in search of somebody who is. Ginny and Lionel, conveniently staying, are invited to contribute, but it soon becomes clear that they are urgently in need of sex education themselves.
The Goslings deliver conflicting opinions: Mrs Gosling is affronted by the very mention of the facts of life, whilst Gosling, dealing with pollination on a daily basis, would happily talk of nothing else all year.
Finally a willing educator is found. Venus, deeply broody for her first child, volunteers to rush down to Eton and enlighten Charlie and Fred over ginger beer and crumpets. Worried lest they should suddenly become grandparents before their time, Henry and Vera swiftly call a halt to the whole scheme and pack Venus off to climb Everest instead.
GLOOMSBURY - THE SERIES
Producer: Jamie Rix
Vera and Henry get into a stew about who should tell their sons the facts of life. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. | |
| 02 | 05 | The Theory and Practice of Hanky Panky | 20140430 | 20151208 (R4) | Vera and Henry are undecided about whether it is time for their Eton-educated sons, Charlie and Fred, to be told the facts of life. Neither parent feels that they are sufficiently qualified to discuss the birds and bees with their sons, so they go in search of somebody who is. Ginny and Lionel, conveniently staying, are invited to contribute, but it soon becomes clear that they are urgently in need of sex education themselves.
The Goslings deliver conflicting opinions: Mrs Gosling is affronted by the very mention of the facts of life, whilst Gosling, dealing with pollination on a daily basis, would happily talk of nothing else all year.
Finally a willing educator is found. Venus, deeply broody for her first child, volunteers to rush down to Eton and enlighten Charlie and Fred over ginger beer and crumpets. Worried lest they should suddenly become grandparents before their time, Henry and Vera swiftly call a halt to the whole scheme and pack Venus off to climb Everest instead.
GLOOMSBURY - THE SERIES
Producer: Jamie Rix
Vera and Henry get into a stew about who should tell their sons the facts of life. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 02 | 06 | Two Broads Broadcasting | 20140507 | Vera is terrified when she receives a letter inviting her to do a lecture tour of America, and instantly begins a search for plausible excuses. But when Ginny asks her to help present a programme on BBC Radio about modern poetry. her anxiety is swiftly forgotten. Vera sees a chance to read one of her poems on the radio and share the limelight with those two wonderfully modern poets, TS Jellitot and DH Lollipop.
Henry warns Vera not to underestimate Ginny, however, who won't allow Vera to read anything unless Ginny agrees to it... and Ginny does not think that Vera's poem is modern enough to be in her programme.
What Ginny has not bargained for is the prudery and authority of Lord Reith who will not allow TS Jellitot to appear on her programme, because his American accent will corrupt the listeners and banishes DH Lollipop from Broadcasting House because of the constant sexual references in his language.
It falls to Vera to save the day by impersonating TS Jellitot and DH Lollipop live on air and then to get one over on Ginny by reading out her poem before Ginny can stop her. The broadcast falls apart, but Vera returns Sizzlinghurst the victor. Back at home, over a brandy or two, Henry reminds Vera about the prohibition movement in America. Reason enough for Vera to wriggle out of her lecture tour. Chin chin!
GLOOMSBURY - THE SERIES
Producer: Jamie Rix
Ginny asks Vera to help her present a programme on BBC Radio about modern poetry. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. | |
| 02 | 06 | Two Broads Broadcasting | 20140507 | 20151215 (R4) | Vera is terrified when she receives a letter inviting her to do a lecture tour of America, and instantly begins a search for plausible excuses. But when Ginny asks her to help present a programme on BBC Radio about modern poetry. her anxiety is swiftly forgotten. Vera sees a chance to read one of her poems on the radio and share the limelight with those two wonderfully modern poets, TS Jellitot and DH Lollipop.
Henry warns Vera not to underestimate Ginny, however, who won't allow Vera to read anything unless Ginny agrees to it... and Ginny does not think that Vera's poem is modern enough to be in her programme.
What Ginny has not bargained for is the prudery and authority of Lord Reith who will not allow TS Jellitot to appear on her programme, because his American accent will corrupt the listeners and banishes DH Lollipop from Broadcasting House because of the constant sexual references in his language.
It falls to Vera to save the day by impersonating TS Jellitot and DH Lollipop live on air and then to get one over on Ginny by reading out her poem before Ginny can stop her. The broadcast falls apart, but Vera returns Sizzlinghurst the victor. Back at home, over a brandy or two, Henry reminds Vera about the prohibition movement in America. Reason enough for Vera to wriggle out of her lecture tour. Chin chin!
GLOOMSBURY - THE SERIES
Producer: Jamie Rix
Ginny asks Vera to help her present a programme on BBC Radio about modern poetry. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 03 | 01 | All Very Hush Hush | 20150529 | A security breach at the foreign office means Henry sees spies everywhere at Sizzlinghurst. His paranoia is fuelled by Vera's procession of clandestine visitors.
When Henry decides to work from home, his wife - the novelist and gardener Vera Sackcloth-Vest - is forced to rearrange her secret liaison with Venus Traduces lest Henry should discover her betrayal.
But Henry has more pressing matters to attend to. His boss from the foreign office is coming down for a secret meeting to discuss a breach of security at Sizzlinghurst and, as a result, Henry can't stop seeing spies round every corner. His paranoia is fuelled by the arrival of a journalist and a photographer from that hotbed of Bolshevism, the Observer newspaper, who have come to interview Vera, and by the unexpected visit of Ginny Fox and her Socialist husband, Lionel, who have come to do research for Ginny's new novel on the Foreign Office.
Everyone appears to be asking intrusive questions and Henry becomes very, very twitchy - especially when he discovers that the interviewer is the working class genius DH Lollipop and the photographer his occasional squeeze, Venus Traduces.
Now Henry feels properly betrayed and only Vera denouncing Venus in public can assuage his jealous rage.
MIRIAM MARGOLYES AS VERA SACKCLOTH-VEST
Producer: Jamie Rix
A security breach at the foreign office means Henry sees spies everywhere at Sizzlinghurst Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. | |
| 03 | 01 | All Very Hush Hush | 20150529 | 20161102 (R4) | A security breach at the foreign office means Henry sees spies everywhere at Sizzlinghurst. His paranoia is fuelled by Vera's procession of clandestine visitors.
When Henry decides to work from home, his wife - the novelist and gardener Vera Sackcloth-Vest - is forced to rearrange her secret liaison with Venus Traduces lest Henry should discover her betrayal.
But Henry has more pressing matters to attend to. His boss from the foreign office is coming down for a secret meeting to discuss a breach of security at Sizzlinghurst and, as a result, Henry can't stop seeing spies round every corner. His paranoia is fuelled by the arrival of a journalist and a photographer from that hotbed of Bolshevism, the Observer newspaper, who have come to interview Vera, and by the unexpected visit of Ginny Fox and her Socialist husband, Lionel, who have come to do research for Ginny's new novel on the Foreign Office.
Everyone appears to be asking intrusive questions and Henry becomes very, very twitchy - especially when he discovers that the interviewer is the working class genius DH Lollipop and the photographer his occasional squeeze, Venus Traduces.
Now Henry feels properly betrayed and only Vera denouncing Venus in public can assuage his jealous rage.
MIRIAM MARGOLYES AS VERA SACKCLOTH-VEST
Producer: Jamie Rix
A security breach at the foreign office means Henry sees spies everywhere at Sizzlinghurst Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 03 | 02 | A Slanging Match Made in Heaven | 20150605 | Vera Sackcloth-Vest has promised her husband Henry, that her affair with Venus Traduces is at an end - but when Venus writes Vera a secret billet-doux, Vera is powerless to resist and makes hurried plans to meet Venus in London.
However, before she can leave Sizzlinghurst, Lady Utterline Amoral and Lytton Scratchy arrive unexpectedly to take a tour of the garden. Keen to see them leave, Vera's patience is put to the test in the face of Lady Utterline's snobbishness, insisting that Vera should follow her example and hold an annual garden party to raise money for the Red Cross.
Meanwhile, Henry is chased round the sofa by Lytton who, as an irrepressible gossip, lets slip that Vera and Venus are back together. His suspicions now confirmed, Henry insists on accompanying Vera down to London.
Produced by Jamie Rix
Vera Sackcloth-Vest puts her marriage to the test by rekindling her infatuation with Venus Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. | |
| 03 | 02 | A Slanging Match Made in Heaven | 20150605 | 20161109 (R4) | Vera Sackcloth-Vest has promised her husband Henry, that her affair with Venus Traduces is at an end - but when Venus writes Vera a secret billet-doux, Vera is powerless to resist and makes hurried plans to meet Venus in London.
However, before she can leave Sizzlinghurst, Lady Utterline Amoral and Lytton Scratchy arrive unexpectedly to take a tour of the garden. Keen to see them leave, Vera's patience is put to the test in the face of Lady Utterline's snobbishness, insisting that Vera should follow her example and hold an annual garden party to raise money for the Red Cross.
Meanwhile, Henry is chased round the sofa by Lytton who, as an irrepressible gossip, lets slip that Vera and Venus are back together. His suspicions now confirmed, Henry insists on accompanying Vera down to London.
Produced by Jamie Rix
Vera Sackcloth-Vest puts her marriage to the test by rekindling her infatuation with Venus Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 03 | 03 | Relishing the Gentleman | 20150612 | Having declared that she would rather die than take any of Lady Utterline's advice, Vera has decided to open her garden to the public.
Ginny and Lionel have come down to help without realising that Vera is planning to dress up as a man (to avoid being recognised), so that she can indulge in a secret liaison with Venus, who is planning to dress up as a Russian Fortune Teller - Mrs Pullova.
And all of this charade just to deceive Henry.
But from the moment Vera asks Ginny and Lionel to be co-conspirators in her plot by luring Henry away from the garden party, things start to go wrong.
Eventually, Henry finds out about the clandestine meeting in the fortune teller's tent and - despite an unwanted furore when the police arrive to arrest DH Lollipop for selling the vicar his pornographic novel (Lady Hattersley's Plover) - Henry manages to put a stop to Vera and Venus's elopement.
Produced by Jamie Rix
Vera opens her garden to the public as a smoke screen to hide her liaison with Venus. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. | |
| 03 | 03 | Relishing the Gentleman | 20150612 | 20161116 (R4) | Having declared that she would rather die than take any of Lady Utterline's advice, Vera has decided to open her garden to the public.
Ginny and Lionel have come down to help without realising that Vera is planning to dress up as a man (to avoid being recognised), so that she can indulge in a secret liaison with Venus, who is planning to dress up as a Russian Fortune Teller - Mrs Pullova.
And all of this charade just to deceive Henry.
But from the moment Vera asks Ginny and Lionel to be co-conspirators in her plot by luring Henry away from the garden party, things start to go wrong.
Eventually, Henry finds out about the clandestine meeting in the fortune teller's tent and - despite an unwanted furore when the police arrive to arrest DH Lollipop for selling the vicar his pornographic novel (Lady Hattersley's Plover) - Henry manages to put a stop to Vera and Venus's elopement.
Produced by Jamie Rix
Vera opens her garden to the public as a smoke screen to hide her liaison with Venus. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 03 | 04 | Women in Love and Men in Disgrace | 20150619 | Ginny Fox has planned a trip with Vera Sackcloth-Vest to see her sister, Nesta Bell, at Charlatan House in Sussex, so that Nesta can paint Vera's portrait.
Lionel disapproves of the Bohemian lifestyle of Nesta and her husband Cliff and goes off to spend the weekend with Henry at Sizzlinghurst. Cliff is a rogue who spends half of his time away from the house living with his lover, Mrs Hutchinson. Nesta only tolerates Cliff's dalliance because there's another man living at Charlatan with whom she's really in love - Duncan Grunt. Unfortunately for Nesta, Duncan only has eyes for his homosexual lover, who also lives in the house, and whose name is Flopsy. And to top it all, Nesta's two children run up and down the garden without any clothes on.
When Ginny and Vera turn up at Charlatan House, Nesta makes an improper suggestion when she asks if she can paint Vera in the nude. Vera is shocked and wants to leave. Unable to share Vera with her sister, Ginny storms out too, and she and Vera return to Sizzlinghurst, where their mood is not lightened by the discovery of Henry and Lionel wrestling naked in front of the library fire as research for DH Lollipop's new book.
Produced by Jamie Rix
A trip to see Ginny's sister at Charlatan House turns into a Bohemian nightmare. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. | |
| 03 | 04 | Women in Love and Men in Disgrace | 20150619 | 20161123 (R4) | Ginny Fox has planned a trip with Vera Sackcloth-Vest to see her sister, Nesta Bell, at Charlatan House in Sussex, so that Nesta can paint Vera's portrait.
Lionel disapproves of the Bohemian lifestyle of Nesta and her husband Cliff and goes off to spend the weekend with Henry at Sizzlinghurst. Cliff is a rogue who spends half of his time away from the house living with his lover, Mrs Hutchinson. Nesta only tolerates Cliff's dalliance because there's another man living at Charlatan with whom she's really in love - Duncan Grunt. Unfortunately for Nesta, Duncan only has eyes for his homosexual lover, who also lives in the house, and whose name is Flopsy. And to top it all, Nesta's two children run up and down the garden without any clothes on.
When Ginny and Vera turn up at Charlatan House, Nesta makes an improper suggestion when she asks if she can paint Vera in the nude. Vera is shocked and wants to leave. Unable to share Vera with her sister, Ginny storms out too, and she and Vera return to Sizzlinghurst, where their mood is not lightened by the discovery of Henry and Lionel wrestling naked in front of the library fire as research for DH Lollipop's new book.
Produced by Jamie Rix
A trip to see Ginny's sister at Charlatan House turns into a Bohemian nightmare. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 03 | 05 | Tired of London | 20150626 | Henry finally gives up his job at the Foreign Office and embarks on a career as a writer. He lands a job as London Diary writer for the Evening Standard, a publication loathed by Vera because it maligned her when reporting on her elopement with Venus.
But Henry has writer's block and can't think of a single thing to write. He asks Vera to do it for him. She refuses, but does offer to accompany him up to London to see Ginny and Lionel Fox in the hope that something on the trip will inspire him.
Lionel and Ginny are having their own problems - Ginny feels trapped by the city and wants to escape to the country. Lionel suggests to Henry that they go to London Zoo as this has always been a source of inspiration to him. There, Ginny reflects on how the animals in their cages resemble the way she feels about her current situation and, when Henry pounces on the idea as a splendid subject for his article in the Evening Standard, Ginny throws a fit. She accuses him of plagiarism and storms out.
Vera and Henry are sitting in the cafe alone when the Prince of Wales happens to turn up with one of his mistresses and starts to flirt with Vera. Jealousy inspires Henry, but it takes Vera to save his reputation as a fledgling writer.
Produced by Jamie Rix
Henry finally gives up his job at the Foreign Office for a career as a writer. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. | |
| 03 | 05 | Tired of London | 20150626 | 20161130 (R4) | Henry finally gives up his job at the Foreign Office and embarks on a career as a writer. He lands a job as London Diary writer for the Evening Standard, a publication loathed by Vera because it maligned her when reporting on her elopement with Venus.
But Henry has writer's block and can't think of a single thing to write. He asks Vera to do it for him. She refuses, but does offer to accompany him up to London to see Ginny and Lionel Fox in the hope that something on the trip will inspire him.
Lionel and Ginny are having their own problems - Ginny feels trapped by the city and wants to escape to the country. Lionel suggests to Henry that they go to London Zoo as this has always been a source of inspiration to him. There, Ginny reflects on how the animals in their cages resemble the way she feels about her current situation and, when Henry pounces on the idea as a splendid subject for his article in the Evening Standard, Ginny throws a fit. She accuses him of plagiarism and storms out.
Vera and Henry are sitting in the cafe alone when the Prince of Wales happens to turn up with one of his mistresses and starts to flirt with Vera. Jealousy inspires Henry, but it takes Vera to save his reputation as a fledgling writer.
Produced by Jamie Rix
Henry finally gives up his job at the Foreign Office for a career as a writer. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 03 | 06 | One Day My Prince Will Come | 20150703 | The visit of the Prince of Wales to Sizzlinghurst to admire Vera's garden has ardent Monarchist, Mrs Gosling, in a tizzy. It also leaves Henry on edge. and suspecting everyone of trying to assassinate the Prince.
With good cause it would seem.
Gosling's rampant Republicanism and grandmother's shot gun means that Henry has no choice but to lock the gardener up in the potting shed. Then two gun-toting Americans pop in unannounced and brandish their weapons on the front lawn - the poet Gertrude Klein and the socialite Mrs Wallis Simpleton.
Henry manages to disarm them just as the Prince makes his entrance. But when the Prince of Wales makes a play for Vera, asking her out on a clandestine date to to the theatre, Henry regrets getting rid of the guns.
If the Prince continues to threaten his marriage, Henry might have to assassinate the Prince of Wales himself.
Produced by Jamie Rix
The visit of the Prince of Wales to Sizzlinghurst Castle throws the household into chaos. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. | |
| 03 | 06 | One Day My Prince Will Come | 20150703 | 20161207 (R4) | The visit of the Prince of Wales to Sizzlinghurst to admire Vera's garden has ardent Monarchist, Mrs Gosling, in a tizzy. It also leaves Henry on edge. and suspecting everyone of trying to assassinate the Prince.
With good cause it would seem.
Gosling's rampant Republicanism and grandmother's shot gun means that Henry has no choice but to lock the gardener up in the potting shed. Then two gun-toting Americans pop in unannounced and brandish their weapons on the front lawn - the poet Gertrude Klein and the socialite Mrs Wallis Simpleton.
Henry manages to disarm them just as the Prince makes his entrance. But when the Prince of Wales makes a play for Vera, asking her out on a clandestine date to to the theatre, Henry regrets getting rid of the guns.
If the Prince continues to threaten his marriage, Henry might have to assassinate the Prince of Wales himself.
Produced by Jamie Rix
The visit of the Prince of Wales to Sizzlinghurst Castle throws the household into chaos. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 04 | 01 | Digging the Dirt | 20170407 | When Henry announces to Vera that he has invited Llewd George down to Sizzlinghurst to advise him on the best way to become a Labour MP, Vera flies off the handle. Can she get no privacy in her own garden? All she wants is to be left alone.
Not only does Llewd George live up to his reputation as a randy old goat (as Vera suspected), but Mrs Gosling takes affront at his politics and, after a row with Mr Gosling, goes on strike and storms off to live with her sister.
Meanwhile Vera has resorted to digging in the corner of her garden to escape Llewd George's clutches, only to be interrupted by Ginny Fox and a BBC producer, Miss Hilda Matthewson. There is a fascination between Vera and Hilda, much to Ginny's chagrin, and plans are immediately set in motion for Hilda to arrange a BBC tour for Vera talking about her books and her garden so that the two women can be together.
But telling Henry that she is going on tour raises Henry's suspicions. After all, it was only this morning that Vera craved solitude and swore she would never leave her precious castle again.
A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4.
VERA SACKCLOTH-VEST.........................MIRIAM MARGOLYES
Vera reacts badly to Henry's announcement that he wants to become a Labour MP. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. | |
| 04 | 01 | Digging the Dirt | 20170407 | 20230201 (R4) | When Henry announces to Vera that he has invited Llewd George down to Sizzlinghurst to advise him on the best way to become a Labour MP, Vera flies off the handle. Can she get no privacy in her own garden? All she wants is to be left alone.
Not only does Llewd George live up to his reputation as a randy old goat (as Vera suspected), but Mrs Gosling takes affront at his politics and, after a row with Mr Gosling, goes on strike and storms off to live with her sister.
Meanwhile Vera has resorted to digging in the corner of her garden to escape Llewd George's clutches, only to be interrupted by Ginny Fox and a BBC producer, Miss Hilda Matthewson. There is a fascination between Vera and Hilda, much to Ginny's chagrin, and plans are immediately set in motion for Hilda to arrange a BBC tour for Vera talking about her books and her garden so that the two women can be together.
But telling Henry that she is going on tour raises Henry's suspicions. After all, it was only this morning that Vera craved solitude and swore she would never leave her precious castle again.
A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4.
VERA SACKCLOTH-VEST.........................MIRIAM MARGOLYES
Vera reacts badly to Henry's announcement that he wants to become a Labour MP. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 04 | 02 | Your Very Very Humble Servant | 20170414 | Vera and Ginny are off to Sandwich to get Mrs Gosling back. Henry must crack on with his biography of the King - Ginny orders Lionel to stay and help him. Ginny wants to call en route on Lytton Scratchy and Dora Barrington who have rented a cottage nearby. Ginny admires Barrington's boyish and independent spirit (and haircut) and thinks she is the epitome of the Modern Woman. Back at Sizzlinghurst , Lionel, a republican, tries to persuade Henry to abandon the biography of the King, but Henry needs the money, finds Lionel's interference annoying, and sends him off to walk the dogs. The peace and quiet is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of the Prince of Wales with Mrs Simpleton. The Prince wonders how the book is going and Henry assures him he it's all wonderful and fascinating even though moments before, he was telling Lionel that the King is the most boring man ever born. Then, walking in the garden, Mrs Simpleton meets Lionel. Not knowing who she is, he launches into an anti-monarchist tirade about Henry's talents being wasted on this mediocre king. When he realizes who she is, he has a panic attack and feigns madness to escape. Meanwhile Ginny and Vera have moved on to Sandwich, disappointed by what they found at the cottage. For all their claims to a modern lifestyle, Scratchy and Barrington displayed a nauseating example of women's enslavement. Talking of which, Mrs Gosling is persuaded to come home, but her marriage to Mr Gosling is more fragile than ever now that she knows he has slept with her sister.
GOSLING THE GARDENER...............................NIGEL PLANER | |
| 04 | 03 | Honestly, Darling | 20170421 | Henry and Vera are staying the night at Ginny and Lionel's because they are doing a broadcast on the BBC about the need for honesty in a modern marriage. Henry hopes the role of marriage guru will help to repair Vera's reputation as a Sapphic seducer and might show Mr and Mrs Gosling the way to a happier future.
The Goslings have effected a reconciliation of sorts after Mr Gosling tells Mrs Gosling about a dream he's had in which Jesus told him that Mrs Gosling should forgive his dalliances. And to quash Mrs Gosling's doubts and prove the authenticity of his visitation, he shows his wife the stigmata on the palms of his hands.
Meanwhile at the Fox's, Henry is sick not just with nerves but with the pickled herring that Lionel has fed him for breakfast. This results in Henry being sick in the middle of the broadcast - leaving Vera and Hilda alone by the microphone. But an open microphone reveals more than their scripted conversation ever could.
A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4.
GOSLING THE GARDENER........................NIGEL PLANER | |
| 04 | 04 | Bosom Chums | 20170428 | At Sizzlinghurst, Mrs Gosling is on the point of divorce - which is seriously affecting her cooking. Henry has had enough and is on the verge of firing the Goslings, so Vera embarks on a mission to get Mrs Gosling to forgive her husband and bring harmony back below-stairs.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to win back Vera's affection (which Vera has given to Hilda), Ginny secretly installs an Aeolian Harp in the gardens at Sizzlinghurst in the hope that its sweet sound will captivate Vera. But things backfire when the painter Augustus Dong and his Biblical beard turn up to propose the setting up of a pantisocracy with Vera and Henry.
A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4.
VERA SACKCLOTH-VEST..........................MIRIAM MARGOLYES | |
| 04 | 05 | The Celtic Cringe | 20170505 | At Sizzlinghurst, Mrs Gosling is on the point of divorce - which is seriously affecting her cooking. Henry has had enough and is on the verge of firing the Goslings, so Vera embarks on a mission to get Mrs Gosling to forgive her husband and bring harmony back bFeeling ostracised by Vera's relationship with Hilda Matthewson and slighted over the lack of thanks for her Aeolian Harp, Ginny decides it is time to end her relationship with Vera and sever the tie forever. But, just as she is leaving London to give Vera a piece of her mind, an unexpected visitor drops in. The poet WB Yikes and his wife Georgie arrive at the Foxes' house in Tavistock Square looking for a precious thing.
When WB Yikes meets Ginny he announces that he has found it and declares that she is his muse. Ginny sets off for Sizzlinghurst with WB Yikes and his wife in tow in better spirits.
Meanwhile WB Yikes gives Lionel and Henry a rejuvenating pill designed to cure writer's block in Henry and give Lionel a younger outlook on life. But the pill has unfortunate side effects.
A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4.
GINNY FOX....................................................ALIS0N STEADMAN | |
| 04 | 06 | Venice the Menace | 20170512 | Ginny Fox and Vera Sackcloth-Vest go to Venice in search of inspiration for Ginny's new book - but unfortunately they are accompanied by their husbands, neither of whom is particularly enamoured of the place.
Apart from the smell and his fear of water, Lionel is worried about money and is anxious about the cost of the trip while Henry is worried about the cost of replacing a figurine that he inadvertently smashes whilst swatting a mosquito on their first night in the Grotti Palace Hotel.
They meet Dave Lollipop and his pneumatic German wife Frieda on the Rialto and Ginny is whisked off to see his paintings. He too has money problems and is planning to sell them to Art Connoisseur and man-eating American, Peggy Googleheim.
Meanwhile Lionel has despatched Henry and Vera to see Peggy as well, with the aim of getting her to put money into his avant garde publishing house. Peggy takes a shine to Henry's moustache and attempts to seduce him on the steps of the Campanile. But when Vera gets to hear of their kiss she explodes and tells Peggy what she thinks of her, which swiftly puts an end to Dave or Lionel extracting any cash. The trip is nothing more or nothing less than a disaster.
A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4.
GINNY FOX....................................................ALIS0N STEADMAN | |
| 05 | 01 | Prejudice and Persuasion | 20181012 | Henry is preparing for a lecture tour of America and is desperately trying to persuade Vera to accompany him. But first he must negotiate his 50th birthday.
He is hoping to ignore it, but Vera has organised one of those vulgar Surprise Parties and everybody will be there - Lytton, Barrington, Hilda, DH Lollipop, his wife, Frieda and Venus, who sneaks in without an invitation and makes a nuisance of herself in the bushes.
By the end of the party a seven week lecture tour in America seems quite appealing.
ANNOUNCER ...... NIGEL PLANER
A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in October 2018.
Henry is not keen to celebrate his 50th birthday. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. | |
| 05 | 02 | A Tale of Two Sillies | 20181019 | Henry and Vera are on a lecture tour of the USA.
Vera is invited to the Round Table at the Algonquin and meets Dorothy Barker, who she finds repellent. Henry, travelling towards Chicago on the sleeper, finds he is sharing a compartment with Al Padrone and his mysteriously heavy violin case.
Meanwhile, back at Sizzlinghurst, Ginny and Lionel are acting as caretakers and making a spectacular mess of things as they attempt to remodel the garden.
Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the Bloomsbury Group.
Vera Sackcloth-Vest ...... Miriam Margolyes
A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in 2018.
Henry and Vera are on a lecture tour of the USA. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. | |
| 05 | 03 | Nightmare Cottage | 20181030 | 20181026 (R4) | Vera is still very angry with Ginny and Lionel for creating havoc at Sizzlinghurst while she and Henry were in the USA.
Henry notices that some of the silver is missing and suspects the Goslings.
Nutwood Cottage, a pretty cottage on the estate. has become vacant and everyone wants it - the Goslings especially and, in a surprise reappearance, Venus whose excuse is that it would be the perfect location for her to nurse her husband in his `last weeks of life`.
Meanwhile Ginny is desperate to get back into Vera's good books and she and Lionel visit Scratchey and Barrington to house hunt for a weekend cottage. The hunt proves fruitless but inspires a fabulous idea.
Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the Bloomsbury Group.
Vera Sackcloth-Vest ...... Miriam Margolyes
A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in October 2018.
A cottage on the Sizzlinghurst estate becomes vacant and everyone wants it. Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the arty and bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group. |
| 05 | 04 | Warning Contains Strong Language, Violence and Nuts | 20181102 | In the middle of a General Election in which he is standing for the Labour Party, Henry begins to wonder what socialism is.
He puts out a general invitation for a brainstorming session. Vera, who has refused to attend any of his meetings, simply wants to spend the day gardening.
Ginny is still keen to repair relations with Vera and she and Lionel, accompanied by Scratchey and Barrington, go down to Sizzlinghurst to talk about socialism. George Gurnard Shaw also turns up accompanied by his crazy wife Charlotte.
They are not liked by Mrs Gosling, who takes vociferous exception to vegetarians who go skinny-dipping in Madam's pond.
Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the Bloomsbury Group.
Vera | |
| 05 | 05 | I Wouldn't Say No | 20181109 | Henry's sister Gwen is recuperating at Sizzlinghurst after a major operation.
She is very religious and Vera is influenced by this, to Henry's atheistical disgust. Vera also has a fleeting longing for a third child and promises Henry that she will never kiss another woman again in her life, if he will just agree to make one with her.
So Ginny's new idea, inspired by Aristophanes and Lysistrata, that the women of Britain must stop the looming war by refusing to sleep with their husbands comes at a tricky time.
Meanwhile, Lionel goes to Westminster to meet Henry and hear a debate. He meets - and is slightly smitten by - Nancy Astor. Churchill advises Henry to take Vera to Paris for a fling before the war starts. And Gwen, curious about same-sex relationships, asks Vera for a kiss.
It's not long before they both regret it.
Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the Bloomsbury Group.
Vera | |
| 05 | 06 | Don't Mention The Gooseberry Fool | 20181116 | Vera and Henry are in Paris with Ginny and Lionel - a last-minute irresponsible whirlwind of pleasure before the war starts.
But it's not the carefree, scintillating city of their youth. The atmosphere is oppressive - everyone is preparing for war. Nevertheless, Gertrude Klein's parties of the literati beckon, and Hammingaway escorts Henry and Lionel to the Folies Bergere afterwards.
Venus reappears briefly with the awful news that Hitler has invaded somewhere or other, it begins with a P, and the foursome scuttle home, arriving on the very evening when Sizzlinghurst is rocked by a massive explosion.
Literary comedy by Sue Limb parodying the Bloomsbury Group.
Vera |