Ethel and Ernest

[Luckystar1]

Did anyone watch it?? Absolutely beautiful. And heartbreaking.

Missed the first half hour - were they older parents when he was born? Think the dad was born in 1895 so 39 when RB was born.

Yes, there was a storyline about this - they tried for two years for a baby and Ethel was in despair thinking it wasn't going to happen. Then when she gave birth she nearly died, and the doctor said 'at her age' they'd better not have any more as she wouldn't survive. Anyone else struck by them being able to afford a big house in Wimbledon Park on a milkman's wages? An indoor bathroom would have been quite something in those days - my parents were only a couple of years older than Raymond Briggs, and they definitely grew up without indoor plumbing, and their first married home (where they lived till I was six) didn't have central heating or an indoor bathroom - this was in the mid-late 60s. Did Ethel inherit money or something?

They took out a 25 year mortgage which was unusual in those days, but Ernest must have been determined to try and do it. He was five years younger than Ethel , she was the one born in 1895.

I thought it was so lovely - such a beautiful way for Raymond Briggs to remember his parents. I was howling at the end so glad I was watching it alone!

Ah, thank you. Both of my sets of grandparents (same generation as his parents) had outside loos until the early/mid 70s and only one set owned the house (with help from their employer, I think).

I was weeping like a baby by the end, it was a lovely film!

I was so delighted to see this was on this evening. I read about it but could not find a cinema showing it, so was resigned to looking for it on DVD some months down the line. So I've recorded this and am so looking forward to it. I've read the book so I know the story (you can spoiler away!).

His and his parents age and experience really closely match my own parents/grandparents, plus we live in the area so the pictures are very close to my daily life. I did not realise he came from Wimbledon until recently which extra explained why it felt so resonant for me.

I'm really pleased so many people said they loved it. Am saving it for a quiet evening and a nice glass of wine. The book made me cry (and I'm absolutely nails) so I'm sure the film will be very evocative.

Ah I've just finished watching it! The end credits made me sob! We have photographs like that in our family and it just made me think of everyone who has gone before. Beautiful film, beautifully done.

I also thought it was lovely, I sobbed for ten minutes at the end I think it was the photographs at the end credits that did it for me & that they both died in the same year, like my parents.
As pp the changes & world events they lived through was astounding.
Was such an affectionate & beautiful portrayal of his parents.

I'm not one to cry at TV programs / films usually but I felt very emotional towards the end of this brilliant program. It was very well done.

That was beautiful and really moving. Suck a lovely portrayal of ordinary life.

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It was lovely and a great record of life in the middle of the last century, encompassing so much change and of course, living through WW11. No tears from me though. I saw death as a release from dementia for Ethel and at least Ernest wasn't on his own too long, dying months after his wife of 43 years.

Me and dh have just watched and we are both in bits!
So moving and beautiful to look at.

Just watched. Dd and I were sobbing by the end. What a beautiful tribute to his parents.

I picked up the book of this second hand a few years ago. It's a strip cartoon like Father Christmas l, Snowman etc. Beautiful on the page and the film really did it justice. Lovely casting of Jim Broadbent and Brenda Blethyn. I've not watched a huge amount of Christmas TV this year but this has to be the best thing I've seen so far.

I loved it. I was in bits when he was evacuated. Knowing it's the best for you child but having to send them away .

Made me realise what a full big life we all live. We forget sometimes.

Absolutely wonderful. Sobbed my heart out ,but a lovely story dedicated to the memory of his parents . Beautiful.

I loved it too. I was also struck by how a milkman could afford a house in Wimbledon Park, but at that time Wimbledon was out in the sticks by comparison. Those houses look the same today - you can walk through streets and streets of them - but they are no longer affordable by people on modest wages.

The other thing that resonated with me was his dad washing at the kitchen sink on coming home from work when they had a lovely bathroom upstairs. My dad did exactly the same and mum would be trying to prepare dinner at the same time, dodging round him to draw water from the taps or stack things on the draining board. My dad was a plumber and would be very dirty after work (possibly why he didn't want to use the bathroom) and mum would tut as the soapy water ran down his arms and on to the lino. Ahh - happy days.

I remember my dad shaving and washing at the kitchen sink too. Guess it was because our previous house had no bathroom and he was just used to it!

I loved it. DH and I watched it in bed and smiled and cried. How hard it must have been to send the children away during the war.

Just watched this and was absolutely mesmerised. So engaging and moving and yet understated. Agh I actually sobbed!

3 generations of my family watched this together. DM, myself and my DCs. DM was evacuated during the war, it resonated with us all. I only happened upon it by chance in the RT.

Me,mil and dh have just watched it . Lots to talk about, we really enjoyed it and the story behind it and the history . It was so beautifully drawn and acted . Welldone bbc

I cried too. Lost mum last month and both parents gone now.