Grantchestert

[Clawdy]

Anyone watching new series? Not sure the new vicar can replace James Norton!

" but to disapprove to the extent of withdrawing support for him getting the vicar job?!"

I thought that it was quite realistic.

As it was said that curates aren't usually promoted in their own parish, I thought that she let things be rather than withdraw support.

I was amazed that she was so supportive of him at all tbh.

As it was said that curates aren't usually promoted in their own parish, I thought that she let things be rather than withdraw support.

Yes, true, I didn't phrase it very well. You're right.

I still think it demonstrated that she felt very strongly about it, though, and I would have thought – hoped? – she might be more supportive and less censorious of Leonard.

Not surprised by Mrs C's reaction either. Remember this is the 1950s when homosexuality is a crime in the eyes of the law and a sin in the eyes of the church.

Knowing & being able to put it to the back of your mind would be quite a thing though to being faced withseeing him kissing another man.

That said, I was surprised to see the boyfriend there when her letter of support was initially being read.

Didl I loved ladies of letters, so well observed & brilliant performances.
Yy Leonard love him & he was a natural sleuth I thought, JN studied theology at university I think, so very different from his happy valley character.

Yes, homosexuality was a crime, punishable by prison terms for "gross indecency". It was regarded as a sin, as pp have said, and also as a perversion.
I do like Leonard and hope he doesn't get shamed and imprisoned.

The previous Lord Montagu (who was imprisoned in the 1950s for consensual homosexual acts) wrote about the virulently anti-homosexual atmosphere in Britain in the 1950s. The then Home Secretary promised a drive against "male vice" that would rid England of "this plague". About 1,000 men a year were sent to prison and undercover officers posed as gay men soliciting in public places.

Truly horrific. Difficult to imagine our gay friends, colleagues and acquaintances being viewed like this but we can't judge Mrs M's reaction by today's standards. I think it's quite admiral she hasn't grassed Leonard up to the church authorities really.

Good points, tinstar. Just look at poor Alan Turing.
My worry was that Mrs M would report him. Her face in church was a picture.

"we can't judge Mrs M's reaction by today's standards."

I think there's still some who would be shocked even disgusted to see two men kiss.

I enjoyed the episode because of the characters ' storylines - Leonard, Mrs M, poor Mrs.Geordie. But the crime story was very poor, no depth or twists at all, it was a damp squib. Hope it improves.

Poor Mrs Geordie. She probably thinks it's her fault, she led him on. That's how so many men got away with it. Still do.

Clionba i don't agree; she went for a drink with a male colleague, he plied her with drink and took advantage. she did not lead him on!

No!! She most definitely did not lead him on!
That's what the man would say, and women internalise the responsibility and guilt. So the men get away with it!

Didn't she also think he was possibly gay? She probably thought he saw her more as a friend.

And she knows if she tells Geordie he'd kill him!

Interesting about the books being so different. Have given up on the TV series now as it's such terribly written rubbish. DH & I laughed out loud at the cliched scene last week where camera panned out to show all the women who were queuing up to give evidence at the end. Shame it's gone so downhill as the first series or two were good - presumably they were the ones based on the books.

It takes years to kill someone with metallic mercury.

Really love Leonard. Such a great character and wonderfully acted by Al Weaver. I thought he was great as Geordie's sidekick but of course you knew it was doomed from the start.

Geordie's wife would be seen as leading him on as she had gone for a drink with him and people, probably including Geordie, would have said no smoke without fire! Just not acceptable thing to do if you were a married woman in the 50s & 60s. We live in very different times.

I hadn’t realised that Mrs Housekeeper didn’t know about Leonard. I thought she knew and grudgingly accepted that he had a boyfriend in the cottage.

Choccy - I'm sure she suspected but chose not to think about it too much. When the family from America stayed over and she was fussing about where everyone would sleep, didn't Leonard offer to go and stay at his bf's? She raised an eyebrow and he swiftly said that his bf was away.

I'm sure she suspected but chose not to think about it too much
I think so too. Which was presumably a lot of people's way of handling the fact that being gay was illegal/a sin/taboo at the time.

So the kiss tipped her over the edge then. I guess so.

I also thought of the bit where he said his bf was away, that’s why her reaction this time suprised me.

Oh Mrs M - how could you!

I like the new vicar. Sidney was beginning to get on my nerves as he'd become so whiney and self absorbed. I'm glad of the change. Tonight's episode is good so far imo. Feel sorry for Leonard. And disgusted by the reaction of Mrs Geordie's employer when she told him she was being harrassed.

But, like Mrs C's reaction to Leonard, Mrs Geordie's employer's reaction was no doubt typical of the times.

What disgusted me more was Geordie coming into the hall, realising she was crying, and turning away. That really was shitty.