Call The Midwife Christmas Special

[PinkFrogss]

Anyone watching? Apologies if I’ve missed the thread.

My mum was a pregnant teen in 1970/71.
The father's mother (staunch baptist) wanted the baby to be given up for adoption. Her mother(catholic) said she would adopt rather than let the baby leave the family.
Mum kept the baby, and married the(my) dad a couple of months after the birth.
She was asked to leave school. And there were people who were still sniffy about it.

Trixie was a very minor character in the books and was, apparently, an amalgam of a few different people that Jennifer Worth worked with. I don't think she ever expressed any dislike of her.

Ahh thank you I wasn’t sure - may have to have a reread.

Cynthia was real and a life long friend of Jennifer Worth. Her daughters also believe that Chummy was real, although Chummy was not her real name. Sr Julienne was also real as was Fred. I think the other characters in the earlier series were made up or just loosely based on people Jennifer had worked with.

I think Sr MJ was also real.

That was a much better episode. Great to have some new faces to shake things up. I wonder what storylines are in store for them.

The siege with the husband was a good dramatic storyline (if a little too easily resolved). Wasn't it sad when the pregnant lady told Phyllis about the domestic abuse, but all Phyllis could do was offer a sympathetic ear. I guess they didn't have women's refuges back then.

I also don't understand why Trixie and Matthew are buying an apartment instead of a house and garden. Trixie would definitely have been expected to give up work to care for Matthew's son, as well as any future children they might have.

Lucille had some good storylines (racism, the miscarriage, depression etc.) but her disappearance has gone on for too long now. That storyline needs some kind of closure.

I'm always amused at the way they discuss all of the cases over dinner/tea. There's no data protection at all (I know it wasn't a thing back then). I'm sure Violet and Fred hear about all the pregnancies and babies too.

Wasn't it sad when the pregnant lady told Phyllis about the domestic abuse, but all Phyllis could do was offer a sympathetic ear.

They have done more in past episodes, but can't do anything if the woman doesn't want to report or leave - and in this case she didn't.

I’ve been reading the book of letters to Jennifer Worth (wouldn’t particularly recommend it as it isn’t as compelling as her books) but there is an introduction from Miranda Hart. Apparently Jennifer Worth wrote to her & told her that she reminded her of her friend ‘Chummy’ & that if they ever made a TV series she would love her to take the role!

You're right that there weren't dedicated refuges - not for another couple of years. And the police weren't particularly sympathetic unless the violence was extreme and witnessed, but lack of official options doesn't mean no options. (Especially given the apparent recent discovery of extra rooms at Nonatus House.)

What, Lucille and Cyril have split up? They were trying for a baby weren’t they?

@bendmeoverbackwards She was depressed after having a miscarriage. So he spent their savings on a ticket to Jamaica to see her family, to cheer her up. She got a job there and has never come back. He went over to see her but came back alone.

Good scene but I was distracted by the actress In the crowd who was shaking her fist at the man. Very very funny

The siege with the husband was a good dramatic storyline (if a little too easily resolved). Wasn't it sad when the pregnant lady told Phyllis about the domestic abuse, but all Phyllis could do was offer a sympathetic ear. I guess they didn't have women's refuges back then

growing up I can recall seeing women who had very obviously received a beating at the hands of their husband. I can recall 3 women ( 2 of them sisters) in the block of flats we lived in screaming when being attacked and my father and other men ( and women) would go to the flats and get in to help the women but sometimes it made it worse for them and they’d be beaten again.

We all knew it was happening and if you ever saw a woman on the bus with a black eye or the likes you wouldn’t ask what had happened to her.

And Ive just recalled that other woman would verbally abuse the wife beater. They hated them but in many ways the beatings were put down to a ‘woman’s lot’ in life.

Oh and then more often and not there would be a visit from the priest. 🙈

I agree that storyline was never satisfactorily resolved. Cyril and Lucille were madly in love and Lucille was a very sensible person. There was no way she would just decide to stay in Jamaica and leave her husband in London. And there was no way he would visit her in Jamaica and then just come home without her and get on with his life. I know Lucille was suffering from depression following a miscarriage when she visited Jamaica but there was still no logical reason given for why she has decided not to resume her life in the UK.

@Claustrophobiclown exactly! It makes no sense. And as one already said, their marriage vows would be sacrosanct to them both.

@StrawberryJellyBelly you've just reminded me of a storyline in Ballykissangel. Where a woman flipped after years of abuse and hit her husband with a frying pan, and thought he'd killed him. Absolutely nothing was done by the police, doctor or priest. No help or advice to the woman to leave or criminal charges for the husband. And that was set in the mid 90's.

Noooo

I’m obviously out of step here because I don’t mind Nancy or Trixie (or even Matthew) and I thought the siege was an absolute farce!

I liked the moment with Trixie on the stairs, wistful / melancholy at the sound of the young students and Nancy playing records together in her old room, the way she once did with the likes of Jenny, Cynthia, Patsy, Barbara. A reminder of times gone by and friends loved and lost, of being young and carefree but also hiding the pain of alcoholism from those friends. I thought Helen George conveyed that well.

How do you know that?

Sorry my message was for MeMyBooksAndMyCatd

I've only just caught up with the new series, I enjoyed the episode.

I thought the disabled mum storyline was well done and I cried a little tear when she said 'I got it right' 🥺

It will be ridiculous if Trixie does die, very unlucky to be widowed twice before you're 50 (?40)

I wish they'd replaced Lucille with another actress as it's annoying that the storyline does not ring true at all.

I liked the new trainees although I thought they'd be itching to get out and sample the London nightlife.

I agree, I don’t think Helen George is leaving (although I’ve been wrong before!) and I wish we had a new Lucille. I want to see more of their struggle and then either a baby or a coming to terms with no baby outcome.

Surely Cyril would be far too old to date one of the new students? I know many couples have large age gaps, but I really don’t think that anything would happen between them. And of course Cyril is still married and is a Christian man so I don’t think he would do anything.

I was disappointed surprised to see Olly Rix. I thought he’d left the series.

He has, but this was filmed before he did.