Oh Doctor Beeching!

- Season 2

(1997)

Whilst Ethel struggles with her new 'Position Closed' blind, May has her own problems. Not only has she succumbed to a lingering kiss with Cecil but thieves have stolen the milk cart and she is out of milk - with the Transport Minister arriving for a visit in a couple of hours. Jack's effort to milk a cow is a disaster but he is annoyed when Cecil rings Gloria and asks her to bring a couple of pints. After all that the Minister's train doesn't even stop but runs straight past the reception committee.

Cecil gets it into his head that he could be Gloria's father and asks May to leave Jack for him. May admits to Ethel that she and Cecil had sex and he could be right. Jack knows none of this but still resents Cecil and sets out to kill him. Cecil discovers that Gloria cannot be his daughter because of their blood groups. Jack decides against killing Cecil, just putting a bucket of sump oil on top of the door to fall on him instead.

Jack finds a hold-all on an embankment, containing hundreds of five pound notes. After being carpeted by Cecil for absenting himself to go to the betting shop, he considers quitting his job and is about to tell Cecil to stuff it when Percy the guard informs him that two men have been arrested for forging five pound notes and probably threw the bag containing the notes out of the window. As Jack apologizes to Cecil, May and the other staff set about burning the evidence.

Cecil is jealous when Mr. Orkindale from Head office sends May roses, but he has also been appointed station master at three smaller stations as well as Hatley, and British Railways have given him an ancient van whose doors stick, in which to visit them. After Jack has taken May's fridge in the van to be mended, Arnold the train driver requests everybody's help as he fears his wife has locked herself in the outside toilet, though it proves to be a false alarm.

There is talk of a wild cat strike among drivers and if any Hatley staff join it the station could be closed. Ralph, the trainee engine driver, decides he is unhappy with his job and wants to join the strike. May persuades Gloria to tell him that she will date him if he changes his mind. Jack is unhappy with this but goes along with it when May threatens to deny him his conjugal rights.

Ethel has found romance with American airman Joe, who took her to see 'West Side Story' and who promises to take her back to the States with him. Wilfred decides that he will then join the army. Unfortunately Joe is recalled home very suddenly, leading to a 'Brief Encounter' moment on the station with Ethel. She is upset but she is very happy when Wilfred tells her he will be staying with her after all as the Army have rejected him on account of his flat feet.

The station staff are competing in a bowls tournament and Cecil is ready to board the train taking them there when, at the last minute Mr. Orkindale asks him to stay behind and let Jack go, because Jack is the star player. In fact he's not but he buys everybody a round. Cecil hauls May off the train claiming it is Fate that they were meant to be together but she is less sure. Ethel stands in for her on the train serving soup but an angry Jack finishes the match and hurries home to confront Cecil. Fortunately May has an excuse ready, claiming that she thought Jack was ...

Lady Lawrence's chauffeur informs the staff that her ladyship will be meeting Dr. Beeching off the evening train so they prepare to put on a good show for him. They rehearse how to greet him, with Harry standing in for the V.I.P. Lady Lawrence duly arrives but her guest looks nothing like Dr. Beeching - possibly because he's a different Doctor Beeching - her gynaecologist.

As Jack and May prepare to celebrate their wedding anniversary a tearful May suspects that she might be pregnant. Jack is not pleased. Arnold the train driver, having had an accident learning to drive the new diesel engines, fears that he will be made redundant and the staff, including Cecil, organise a petition as Arnold chains himself to the front of his engine. Fortunately, news of his redundancy, like May's pregnancy, turns out to be a false alarm.

The staff discover that the station is a hundred years old and decide to have a street party to celebrate. They dress up in Victorian costume as the mayor cuts a ribbon, a brass band plays and the press covers it for the local paper. Unfortunately, they are let down by the butcher, who refuses to contribute free food, so that the party fare consists chiefly of pea soup, tinned baked beans and rhubarb crumble - with predictably windy results.