Call The Midwife

[Daffodilly]

I'm sure after the Christmas special they said a new series would be starting in the New Year. So where is it?? [impatient]

I wonder if the Dr is ill (they make a point of him smoking all the time, don't they? He's hardly ever seen without a cigarette in his mouth) and he knows it but doesn't want to mention it, hence the reluctance to complete the forms?

(my track record in guessing plot developments is spectacularly abysmal, however....:))

He did look quite grey but possibly just my tv?!

It's taken me until tbis point of the third series to realise that the doctor is being played by one of the McGann brothers..,,

Didn't clock that before

The doctor was fine about adopting until he started reading through the forms then he seemed to see something he didn't like and abruptly changed his tune. My immediate thought was that he's got something to hide!

I liked the irish couple too, and the Trixie/Tom storyline. She has some beautiful clothes, nurses must have got good wages .

Pixel - I think you're right about him having something to hide. Can't imagine what, though.

I did love Trixie's dress last night - it wouldn't have looked out of place today. I also really like their coats.

They are really pushing his smoking habit,a bit over the top, and it's obviously heading somewhere. Surely they didn't specify non-smokers only on the forms! certainly not likely in those days.....

They all smoke at the baby clinic and in the doctors surgery so probably not seen as an issue.
Tom was very nice when he stripped down to fix the bus...

I think they had to go through a lot of medicals for adoption then (not sure if they do that now) - have my fathers adoption papers and it seems my grandparents were asked to have full body x rays (to be done privately at ones own expense) amongst various other tests (I imagine blood tests, heart and lungs and that). Seems also that they needed to have this done every year that they remained on the adoption register - which, at the time, if they wanted to adopt a girl, could be up to 6 years.

Coincidentally my grandmother died in 1963 of something - we presume some form of cancer, she was just 32 - and her last medical was in that year, as they were hoping to adopt a sister for my father. The adoption of the sister never did work out and I often wonder if it was such that her illness was picked up during the medical...

They went through Church of Scotland so am imagining Church of England was very similar.

I am guessing he has some sort of illness or disposition to illness that's putting him off. The funny thing is that I'm not sure she would be entirely able to adopt herself unless they can prove that the TB is pretty much 100% cleared with no damage to her lungs or anything. Might be wrong though - both in him being ill and her having difficulty passing any medical.

I wonder if he's worried she will be declined due to the medical, then? Because of the TB?

That Jenny one was recently in the BBc Drama 'Line of Duty' so that must explained why she was shipped of to 'the Mothers Home"

Imagine she will be back soon

Was Mrs Doyle from Father Ted in it last night ?

I was trying to work out if it was little Mo playing Colins mum?!

Enjoyed it last night, thought Trixies outfit looked amazing and that is one hot vicar - if all vicars looked like that I might be persuaded to go to church

Liked the Irish couple and was crying when they thought the baby might die (bought back memories of when dd was born and struggled to breathe - she was fine but was in scbu for a week sometimes wonder what would have happened had she been born in the 50s - have a horrible feeling we both might not have made it )

Also imagination in overdrive as to what the Drs big secret is, def something dodgy there.......

I like the new midwife as well bit sad to see Chummy and her hubby arguing most weeks now.

Ooh you suspicious lot

DH and I have been commenting for weeks that the doc is always smoking and they have even had him comment on smoking. There's summat afoot.

Last week's episode was very moving. My great uncle had DS and was born in the late 20s. He had a couple of additional problems, never spoke and needed a lot of care. My Great Grandma had delayed having children because of the first world war. She wanted to work as a midwife/nurse during the war and shocked her family and her local tiny mining community by having a career first not marrying until she was 30. She had 3 children. One choked to death as a toddler, one was my grandad and one was my uncle who had Down's. She was told to put him in a home and forget about him. She told them to get stuffed. When her husband was killed down the mine, they told her again to send her son away to lessen the burden. She told them to nob off. He lived with her until she died aged 93 and then he lived with my grandad (his brother) until he died aged 67. My Great Grandma was a formidable woman and to her dying day fought against the way he was treated and excluded by society.

My aunt is in her 60s and was brain damaged at birth. She lives in a shared house with 24hr care. Two of her housemates have DS and it's very interesting talking to their carers. They have a wonderful life and many brilliant freedoms. They travel and do hobbies and go out dancing and have a whale of a time generally. But there is still a huge problem with personal relationships. They very much discourage romantic relationships between the people who attend my aunt's various clubs. One of my aunt's housemates in in her late 20s and has Down's. She wants a baby. She asks many, many times why she can't have one of her own or why they can't all adopt one together. I know they all watch Call the Midwife. I'll ask them this week if they saw it.

The Doctor character has changed.

When he and Shelagh were courting he was lovely and I really wanted it to work out for them but I find him annoying now. He puts her down and he has an OTT way of being calm to dismiss any worries (yes I know it's not real) at the same time as always looking like he's about to lose his temper.

I think they're gearing up to have something in his past that wouldn't be likely if he was all lovely. OTOH, I thought he looked ill (thinner?) last night.

Agreed Notify I don't like him so much now.

In the clip for next week's episode she was obviously arguing with him and was saying "I won't have this between us Patrick!"

Sounds like something other than an illness?

I wonder if the doctor objected to very personal questions being asked on the adoption form. I am sure that frequency of sex and other sex related questions used to be asked.
I do think he is becoming irritable with Sheila's desperation for a child.

Also, he's married IRL to the series writer. She's not going to write him out unless he wants out of his contract.

I bet its a past misdemeanor.

Or unless he's ill IRL?

I thought it was a great episode, I was wondering is the doctor worried that he will be widowed again and have to raise another child by himself, loved Trixie clothes and hair, she looks great, I felt so sorry for nurse Mount when she was telling her story about being a prisoner of war

I didn't think he was getting irritated with Shelagh,he seemed delighted to be talking about adoption and looked really happy as the three of them discussed it. It was something on the form he spotted,guess we will find out next week!

OTOH, I thought he looked ill (thinner?) last night.

That made me laugh Notify. What a fine actor he must be. I'm off to drama school if they can teach me to look thinner .

Perhaps the doctor had a miss-spent youth and has a secret criminal record?

I've alwAys loved the Mcgann brothers in different things especially Withnail and I. Trixie's snobby voice is grating on me tho , I will be glad if the curate goes off with Patsy next week .