Is there a Call the Midwife thread?

[Oodbrain]

The poor little boy

Their baby didn't want to be fed in that scene did she? We had a little giggle about her pushing Shelagh's hand away very firmly

the old gypsy who died, ? Peggy, had remarkably good teeth.

it ended a bit strangely I thought, what happened to diabetic girl's boyfriend? I find it hard to believe her mother would forgive him, he took her out of hospital, he may have saved her but he caused the problem - and the gypsies were quite compliant although cynthia spoke really tactfully to them
did i miss the episode where she decided to become a nun? why did she decide does anyone remember?

breward: "Can I ask a daft question? Was Peggy's body still in the caravan when it was burned. Is it like a funeral pyre, is it just tradition to burn the deceased person's caravan? "

I assumed the body was still in the caravan. But I thought it was a Romany gypsy tradition - the people shown here were Irish travellers.

I suppose I could google the answer - perhaps I will.

girliefriend I think the BODY of the old lady was in her caravan when they burnt it. Probably a specific custom. Though I've never heard of it.

Ha no, Angela definitely wasn't up for whatever 'breakfast' she was being offered! Although I possibly was distracted by Patrick's 'Hello Nurse' and accompanying leer!

And I do wish they'd buy poor Timothy some clothes that fit him and not his father! I've never seen such flappy trouser legs :o

YY to East is East being a fab film, Love Linda Basset and am liking Nurse Crane too.

I assumed the body was still in the caravan...

I thought the body was there too, but then they just left it? Aren't there parts which don't burn? Was somebody going to find a blackened skeleton there later?

I thought that the body was there, although that doesn't really make sense, does it?

In terms of the caravan not burning hot enough?

I've just read an article which says that they did used to burn the caravans with the body inside, but that these days they still burn caravans where they can (it was given as a disapproval of being offered council houses) but the body is dealt with legally - burial or cremation. In the 1960s, I don't know which way it would have gone. Perhaps that's why it was ambiguous.

Just found an old BBC story. Apparently Romany Gipsy tradition is that you burn the caravan with the body inside it. These days the body is removed first (presumably it's illegal to burn it inside the caravan). Here's the story:

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/3031922.stm

I can't find any evidence that this is an Irish traveller tradition, however, so that's a bit of an anomaly (polite way of saying they got it completely wrong).

Sorry, cross post with Bertie.

Bertie It is the custom to burn bodies on funeral pyres in India isn't it? Maybe they throw the bones in the river or keep them in a pot or something like the ashes!

That was the same one I read too.

ppeatfruit I have just gone on a bit of a wikipedia trail and now know more than I wanted to know about cremation :( I didn't see what they did in India but it's very interesting, if a bit morbid, if you want to read.

Thanks Bertie I'll leave that to you .

They used to burn the unwanted wives alive on the pyres too with the dead husbands in India ( I remember that fact from the film Round the World in 80 Days ) It's strange how that sort of thing sticks in your mind isn't it?

I have to admit I really struggled through this last one. Agree the 'gypsy' characters were wince-inducing and I really disliked the way they set up the diabetic girl and her mum as posh and therefore deserving a bit of a fall.

Is it just me who finds the storylines for Dr Turner awful? I know he's married to the writer, and she must find him delightful and attractive and so on, but can she not pause for a minute and consider that he's quite an ordinary-looking man whose character is a local doctor, and he probably shouldn't be written as if he's staring into the depths of Mordor every time he has a tiny wobble.

And I know it's the 60s but I'd have thrown something if my loving husband had promised to get me help, then 1) palmed it off on my busy work colleagues and 2) given me extra work by buying more clothes to put names on!

I thought it was Romany too, hackmum. Though I'm really confused now because her caravan, the one burnt, looked like a Romany caravan.

I'm not sure I liked the way the travellers were portrayed either, patronising sprang to mind first, rightly or wrongly.

Jeanne The doc. has a mental breakdown due to something happening in the 2WW, I suppose we'd call it post traumatic disorder now.

Yeah, I know ppeat. That's sort of my problem - they're writing it as 'noble conqueror of mental pain' and it just rings false to me, you know? He never seems to be actually breakdown-y without managing to push it aside heroically at the last minute, which isn't a very healthy picture of mental illness.

No idea what Mordor is but they're not trying to portray a healthy picture of mental illness. It's not a documentary. And the writer being his wife has very little to do with anything. He has no say over script contents and actually, until Chummy departed he and his on screen family got precious little screen time.

'Ordinary looking man' well, that's your view. Not one I agree with as my user name probably indicates but you're entitled to it.

Jeanne Well I suppose it depends on the type of MI, I don't know enough about it but I know some people can function with it in an irregular way , I'm thinking manic depression but PTD is not something I know enough about to comment.

Yes sorry Marthas and Shelagh I quite fancy him too but of course you saw him first and LIVE too !!!

:o :o :o

Phew. I came over all unnecessary then. Much needed tea and garibaldi, thanks!

Yes more people need to see him live Oh no hang on, fewer people need to see him live. Except me. Preferably with fewer clothes.

I thought Sunday's episode was a bit weak tbh. Normally they have a quiet realistic conclusion but this week was very happy ever after. Also the whole gypsy story was far too romanticised. In an earlier series CTM would have been far more realistic about the hardships, discriminations and anti-social behaviour surrounding the whole issue of gypsies trying to set up camp within communities.

The programme is also becoming a bit overcrowded with main characters. I wonder are some departures being anticipated by the next series, and the programme makers are anxious to have new characters in situ by then? To be honest, I'm wondering if CTM has peaked and might be beginning a bit of a downward spiral. I'd much rather see it go out on a high, than be dragged on way past it's 'best before' date.

That's what I suspect is happening. I think next series (which has already been commissioned) we'll lose Trixie and Chummy (yay!) and they're bedding in new characters in preparation. It always has been an ensemble show though and not every character is featured every week.

Definitely don't agree it's on a downward spiral yet. My money is on 6 series then it'll go.