| All is Safely Gathered In | |
| Series 5, Episode 8 | |
| [[Image: |center|250px]] | |
| Air Date | 24th November 1972 |
| Written by | Jimmy Perry & David Croft |
| Director | David Croft |
| Producer | David Croft |
| Length | 30 Minutes |
| Original Audience Figures | Unknown |
| Previous episode | The King was in his Counting House |
| Next episode | When Did You Last See Your Money? |
| List of episodes | |
All is Safely Gathered In is the eighth episode of the fifth series of Dad's Army, which was originally transmitted on 24th November 1972.
Synopsis[]
Private Godfrey requests leave to help an old flame gather in her harvest and Mainwaring, citing the harvest as vital to the war effort, offers the assistance of the platoon. Meanwhile, ARP Warden Hodges has a narrow escape from a falling bomb and, in a crisis of faith, decides to assist them.
Plot[]
At the start of the episode Lance-Corporal Jones and Private Godfrey are waiting in Captain Mainwaring's office. Godfrey is worried that Mainwaring will make him miss the ten past bus but Jones assures him that he has 4 sausages and a ¼ lb of dripping to win the captain over. Mainwaring and Private Pike enter cradling a Tommy gun wrapped in cloth with Sergeant Wilson close behind. Unwrapping the gun they ignore Jones and Godfrey and despite Pike's pleas Mainwaring takes it himself to present to the platoon. After a conversation on the ammo capacity of the 25 round sticks vs the 50 round drums Godfrey announces that he wants 3 days' holiday. Returning to the the office, Wilson takes notes as Jones rattles off the story of how, before the Boer War, as a 'dandy young buck' of 20 Godfrey had become involved with a young servant in the nearby Great Hall. Mainwaring is unable to see the relevance until Godfrey interjects that the servant girl was a farmer's widow with 100 acres of wheat that need harvesting. (Her Foreman was invalided with a hernia—left side.) Though Godfrey has missed his bus Mainwaring realises the importance of such a large crop to the war effort, deciding that the platoon will mobilise to bring in the harvest.
Meanwhile the vicar, having been kept out of his office by Mainwaring, sits in the church writing his sermon as the verger reassures him that he shall be able to work in peace and quiet, then loudly dusts off the books on a nearby shelf. The verger is only briefly silenced before Warden Hodges bursts in seeking guidance. He explains that an unexploded bomb fell close enough to him to shatter the pint glass he had been holding, the handle of which is still clutched in his hand. As a result he resolves to mend his ways and love his enemies, even Mainwaring (although not Hitler) who he storms off to help.
The platoon arrive at the farm and set up in a barn, making themselves comfortable but keeping their rifles close just in case. Mainwaring is concerned that Private Frazer has handed the Tommy gun off to Pike but he is distracted by Mrs. Prentice who flatteringly addresses him as "Colonel Mainwaring". She explains that not only is her Foreman unavailable (left side) to run her threshing machine but that Mr Yates from Grove Farm, who had offered to let her use his, was now too far behind. Mainwaring is confident that the platoon are resourceful enough to handle it and Wilson notes that Private Sponge is a farmer. At this point Hodges eagerly marches in to report for duty but is met with heavy suspicion. Nevertheless he begs to stay and is soon repeating Mainwaring's orders which upsets Jones.
Faced with the machine it turns out that being a sheep farmer, Private Sponge has no idea how it works and despite Wilson's flirting the nearby land girls is not any more help. Thankfully Corporal Jones is able to give an energetic demonstration, complete with sound effects and hip thrusting. The platoon is soon put to work with Jones and Pike loading the hopper, Godfrey watching the grain, Frazer running the engine and Hodges feeding the horse. Throughout the process Private Walker is found in various haystacks with each of the girls. Aside from Mainwaring losing his sandwich and Jones losing his trousers to the hopper all goes well and with 72 sacks on the Saturday, 73 on the Sunday and 83 on the Monday Wilson somehow manages to tally up a total of 233. As thanks Mrs. Prentice announces a harvest spread of pasties and potato wine followed by a blessing from the vicar, Unsurprising the former is greeted with significantly more cheer.
The vicar arrives on his bike as the verger sets up an altar and pews in the field. Drunken singing carries across from the house before the platoon stagger out for the service. Standing at the door with Mrs Prentice, Godfrey watches them go and admits that he has not touched potato wine since "that night", before gently taking her hand. As the organist begins playing "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" Mainwaring leans on Hodges who pushes back. Quickly the shoving spreads and even the vicar sends the verger careering into the melee for pushing the organist who plays on as Godfrey and Mrs Prentice peacefully on from a distance.
Cast[]
- Arthur Lowe as Captain Mainwaring
- John Le Mesurier as Sergeant Wilson
- Clive Dunn as Lance Corporal Jones
- John Laurie as Private Frazer
- James Beck as Private Walker
- Arnold Ridley as Private Godfrey
- Ian Lavender as Private Pike
- Bill Pertwee as ARP Warden Hodges
- Brenda Cowling as Mrs. Prentice
- Frank Williams as the Vicar
- Edward Sinclair as the Verger
- Colin Bean as Private Sponge
- April Walker as Judy, a Land Girl
- Tina Cornioli as Olive, a Land Girl
Referenced characters[]
- General McCulley - A fairly unimportant man, remembered for saying "Take it in turns".
- Mr Yates - Owner of Grove Farm