Copper Kettle, The-Transcript

JUDITH: Is that you mom?

JEAN: Yes. Well dressed like that, it had better be.

JUDITH: Did you work late?

JEAN: I had a lot to catch up on.

JUDITH: You’re always working late.

JEAN: I got into the habit. There was never much to come home to.

JUDITH: Well, thanks.

JEAN: When you were married, I mean.

JUDITH: Which time?

JEAN: Both times. Have you eaten?

JUDITH: No. Want me to whip us up something?

JEAN: That offer lacked conviction. We’ll eat out.

JUDITH: I’ll get dressed. What’s that?

JEAN: A manuscript of Lionel’s book. He’s finished the revisions.

JUDITH: I thought h must still be working on that. I didn’t see Sandy in the office today.

JEAN: No, I gave her the day off to recover from working with him.

JUDITH: Is he difficult to work for?

JEAN: Bloody impossible according to Sandy.

JUDITH: I always thought age mellowed.

JEAN: Wait till you’ve aged.

JUDITH: Here we go. Did he ask you to read it?

JEAN: No. I had a copy run off.

JUDITH: Aw.

JEAN: What do you mean by Aw?

JUDITH: You want to know what he was doing all those years you lost touch.

JEAN: Oh, well, all right, I do.

JUDITH: It’s called nostalgia.

JEAN: No, it’s called nosiness.

JUDITH: I’ll get that.

JEAN:No, not like that you won’t.

JEAN: Oh, hello Lionel.

LIONEL: I’m gong to Norridge.

JEAN: Well, have a good trip.

LIONEL: No, not immediately. The day after tomorrow.

JEAN: Oh. Why are you telling me?

LIONEL: Well I didn’t want you to think I had just disappeared.

JEAN: Again.

LIONEL: Again. Well.

JEAN: Would you like you to come in and have a drink or something?

LIONEL: Oh, yes, well, thank you.

JEAN: Oh.

JEAN: Well, back to the flat now the book’s finished?

LIONEL: Yes, thank heavens.

JEAN: I’m sure the staff at the hotel will be sorry to see you go.

LIONEL: Practically inconsolable.

JEAN: What will you drink?

LIONEL: Scotch and soda would be nice.

JEAN: Do you live in Norwich?

LIONEL: No. No, I lecture, you see? I’ve managed to get myself on a sort of a circuit.

JEAN: Oh, good for you.

LIONEL: Not really. I’m mean if you actually don’t send the audience to sleep, you’re considered quite successful.

JEAN: What do you lecture on?

LIONEL: I’ll give you three guesses.

JEAN: Your life in Kenya?

LIONEL: Bingo

JEAN: Do sit down.

LIONEL: Thanks. Cheers.

JEAN: Cheers.

LIONEL: I don’t supposed you’ve read my manuscript?

JEAN: No.

LIONEL: I just wondered.

JEAN: Why?

LIONEL: Oh, no special reason.

JEAN: Oh.

LIONEL: Would you like to read it?

JEAN: Would you like me to?

LIONEL: I wouldn’t want to force it on you.

JEAN: Well, I will if you want me to.

LIONEL: I didn’t say I wanted you to.

JEAN: I won’t, then.

LIONEL: Oh, fair enough.

JEAN: Unless you really want me to.

LIONEL: What does really mean?

JEAN: Well, very much.

LIONEL: Look, this started out as a casual inquiry. There’s no need to make a court case out of it.

JEAN: Well I’m not making anything out of anything. I’ll read it if you want me to.

JUDITH: Did I hear you say Norwich?

LIONEL: Hello

JEAN: She’s god ears like a bat.

LIONEL: I’m lecturing up there.

JUDITH: About your life in Kenya?

LIONEL: Yes, about my life in Kenya.

JUDITH: Quite close, Norwich, isn’t it? You should pop up there, mom.

JEAN: Why?

JUDITH: Well, to listen to Lionel’s lecture.

LIONEL: It’s not really worth the train fare.

JEAN: Well in any case-

LIONEL: Exactly

JUDITH: Is that your joint idea of a reasoned argument?

LIONEL: Well quite honestly, it’s a bit boring, Norwich.

JEAN: And you know what the train are like.

JUDITH: Oh, yes, I know what the train are like. You get on them, and they take you to places like Norwich. All right, it was just an idea. Is Lionel coming to eat with us? All right, it was just an idea.

JEAN: I don’t feed her at home.

JUDITH: Sorry, I’m in hurry. There’s a Jacques Tati on the screen on the green, late night showing. I can’t miss that, can I?

JEAN: You never mentioned that earlier.

JUDITH: Oh, yes, I did. I told you, Lionel.

LIONEL: Did you?

JUDITH: Yes.

LIONEL: Must have slipped my mind.

JUDITH: Well, there you are, then. Anyway, I must dash. I’l probably be late, mom. I know I’m a pig, but I’m still a bit hungry, so I’ll probably grab a pizza afterwards. Very late probably. Bye then. Bye Lionel.

LIONEL: Bye.

JUDITH: Have a nice evening.

LIONEL: Your daughter is artless.

JEAN: I know.

LIONEL: Rare quality these days.

JEAN: She gets kicked in the teeth a lot for being artless.

LIONEL: I once got kicked in the teeth by a mule.

JEAN: Where?

LIONEL: Korea.

JEAN: They look very good.

LIONEL: What do?

JEAN: The teeth.

LIONEL: These are my own.

JEAN: Oh. Must have been a very puny mule.

LIONEL: All right, I embroidered. It nearly kicked me in the teeth.

JEAN: Were you wounded in Korea?

LIONEL: Only by the mule.

JEAN: Oh, hello.

MAN WALKING TO TABLE: Hi

JEAN: It’s a chap I knew once.

LIONEL: His daughter?

JEAN: Hmph, I doubt it.

LIONEL: Quite a dashing figure, as the saying goes.

JEAN: Handsome.

LIONEL: Yes, I suppose he is. How well did you know him?

JEAN: Fairly well. He asked me to marry him.

LIONEL: Good god.

JEAN: It isn’t that incredible.

LIONEL: No, I’m just surprised that you said no.

JEAN: How do you know I did say no?

LIONEL: Well if you had said yes, you’d be sitting up there with him.

JEAN: Oh, yes.

LIONEL: Yes.

JEAN: He’s a barrister. Why should you be surprised that I said no?

LIONEL: Well, let’s be realistic. Good offer don’t exactly pour in at your time of life. I’m just being honest.

JEAN: Oh, I see. You’re swamped with offers, I suppose.

LIONEL: Well of course I’m not. At least, not from anybody I fancy. There was one old girl in Kenya who set her cap at me. Mabel somebody. Used to spit when she talked.

JEAN: I wonder how old a woman’s got to be before she’s classified as an old girl.

LIONEL: Oh, older than you.

JEAN: Oh, thank you.

LIONEL: Why should you turn down a rich, handsome barrister?

JEAN: I didn’t say he was rich.

LIONEL: Have you ever heard of a poor barrister?

JEAN: I was tempted?

LIONEL: What, security?

JEAN: No, sex.

LIONEL: Oh.

JEAN: You remember the kind of thing?

LIONEL: Of course I remember the kind of thing.

JEAN: But you thought I didn’t.

LIONEL: I thought nothing of the sort.

JEAN: I know, it’s typical, isn’t it. It’s fine for men. A man is sexually active as long as he gets one foot out of the wheelchair. A woman passes 50 and her idea of sexual activity is supposed to be soaking her feet and listening to James Last.

LIONEL: What borough that on?

JEAN: You, thinking I’d settle for security. I’ve got security. I earn security.

LIONEL: Anyways, he’s rather effeminate when you come down to it.

JEAN: It’s probably why he’s with such a masculine looking girl.

LIONEL: She probably smokes a pipe.

JEAN: A meerschaum.

LIONEL: Sherlock Holmes’ job. Look, are you busy tomorrow?

JEAN: Not especially, why?

LIONEL: Well I thought we might have a day out.

JEAN:Oh.

LIONEL: Well. I’m off to Norwich the day after and then, well.

JEAN: Great Yarmouth?

LIONEL: Well, it’s hard to say with the lecturing thing. I mean, sometimes dates just crop up, and I’m off. And, well, I’ve never been much on postcards.

JEAN: Or phone calls.

LIONEL: No.

JEAN: A sort of farewell, is it, tomorrow?

LIONEL: I wouldn’t put it quite like that.

JEAN: How would you put it?

LIONEL: Look, do you want to come or not?

JEAN: All right. Yes.

LIONEL: Thank you.

JEAN: I don’t know why Judy went to Jacques Tati. We’re much funnier than he is.

JEAN: What do you think?

JUDITH: I don’t know, do I?

JEAN: Well, what does one wear for a day out in the country?

JUDITH: Cowboy hat with Kiss Me Quick on it?

JEAN: Oh, you’re in a very helpful mood.

JUDITH: Two hours that Japanese film went on. It seemed like two centuries.

JEAN: I thought you went to see Jacques Tati

JUDITH: I went to see whatever was on. I was being discreet. Then I had a terrible pizza afterwards and got here half past two in the morning. And what are you doing? You’re in bed, sleeping your head off.

JEAN: What do you expect me to be doing?

JUDITH: I expected you to be with Lionel.

JEAN: In bed?

JUDITH: No. What? I don’t know. I expected you to be together, anyhow. I’m not seeing any more Japanese films for your benefit, I’ll tell you that.

JEAN: What are you looking for?

JUDITH: A review of the film I saw. I’d like to know what it was supposed to be about. Where’s Lionel taking you anyway?

JEAN: Buckinghamshire.

JUDITH: What, all of it?

JEAN: We used to go out there if he had leave and I could get away f rom the hospital.

JUDITH: Did he have a car?

JEAN: No, pony and trap. Well, of course he had a car, an Austin Seven.

JUDITH: Did yo steam the windows up?

JEAN: Tiny little thing it was.

JUDITH: Yes, but did you steam the windows up?

JEAN: Well, of course we steamed the windows up.

JUDITH: And now you’re going back.

JEAN: Not to steam any windows up.

JUDITH: Why, then?

JEAN: Oh, I don’t know. Have a look around.

JUDITH: I’ll be seeing you in all the old familiar places?

JEAN: If there are any left. As I’ve told you, things move on.

JUDITH: Still.

JEAN: There is not still.

JUDITH: No, all right. Still.

JEAN: Oh, good morning.

LIONEL: Good morning. All set?

JEAN:  Yes, all set.

JUDITH: Uh, I should buy a can of delisted on the way if I were you.

LIONEL: What’s she talking about?

JEAN: All our yesterdays.

LIONEL: Oh. I’ve hired a car.

JEAN: Oh, nice.

LIONEL: Not that one. That one.

JEAN: Oh. Nice.

LIONEL: That said Wales. We don’t want to go to Wales.

JEAN: We turn off.

LIONEL: This isn’t the way we used to come. I don’t remember any of this.

JEAN: Well, you wouldn’t. It wasn’t here then.

LIONEL: I assume Buckinghamshire is still here.

JEAN: Oh, we turn left there.

LIONEL: Where?

JEAN: There, there!

LIONEL: We want to turn right, not left.

JEAN: You have to turn left to turn right.

LIONEL: I hope you know what you’re doing.

JEAN: Well, one of us had to, don’t they?

LIONEL: This is better, isn’t it?

JEAN: It’s much better.

LIONEL: It’s still very pretty around here.

JEAN: I haven’t been this way for ages.

LIONEL: We’re nearly there now, aren’t we?

JEAN: Must be.

LIONEL: We’ll have lunch in that little restaurant. What was the name of it? The Spinning Wheel? The Wagon Wheel? I know it had Wheel in it.

JEAN: The Copper Kettle?

LIONEL: That’s it.

LIONEL: It’s a garage.

JEAN: I can see it’s a garage.

LIONEL: Perhaps we’ve got the wrong place.

JEAN: Perhaps they’ve knocked it down.

LIONEL: Excuse me. I’m looking for The Copper Kettle.

SOME GUY: There’s a hardware shop down the road.

LIONEL: Not a copper kettle. The Copper Kettle. I’m looking for a restaurant.

SOME GUY: I thought you said you were looking for a kettle.

JEAN: We’re looking for a restaurant called The Copper Kettle.

SOME GUY: Oh, I see. I’ve got you now.

LIONEL: Do you know where it is?

SOME GUY: No.

JEAN: Well we think it may have been here before the garage was built.

SOME GUY: I wouldn’t know about that. I’ve only been here a year. When was this restaurant here then?

JEAN: 1953

SOME GUY: 1953? I wasn’t born in 1953. My dad might know.

JEAN: Do you think you could ask him? Just out of curiosity.

SOME GUY: Not really, no. He’s in an old folks’ home.

LIONEL: I think we’ll drive on. I’ll just see if the chap with the red flag is ready to walk in front of us again.

LIONEL: At least the war memorial is still there.

JEAN: Well we couldn’t logically have expected it to stay the same, could we? We haven’t.

LIONEL: That’s very true.

JEAN: Anyway, let’s eat here. I’m hungry.

LIONEL: No, there’s another place I want to try.

JEAN: Is there?

LIONEL: yes, smashing pub there. What was the name of it?

JEAN: What, the pub?

LIONEL: No, the village. Upper something. Upper Marlow?

JEAN: Marlow Bottom.

LIONEL: That’s the place. It’s gonna take us 20 minutes. Oh, now, look at that, idiot parking. Shouldn’t be allowed on the road, people like that, can’t even park properly.

JEAN: Well, it’s you, actually.

LIONEL: Look, I’ve driven Bren Gun Carriers.

JEAN: Shame you don’t have one with you. You could smash your way out.

LIONEL: That’s not funny.

JEAN: Oh, leave it till somebody moves. Let’s eat here.

LIONEL: We’re eating at Upper Marlow and that’s that.

JEAN: Bottom

LIONEL: Bottom. That’s it. Now… If I can just get my leg in.

JEAN: You’ll never squeeze in there. Breath in.

LIONEL: Damn and blast. And stop laughing, it’s not funny.

JEAN: It is form where I’m standing. I’ve got an idea.

LIONEL: What?

JEAN: Let’s eat here.

LIONEL: Excuse me. Sorry, can I… Thanks.

JEAN: Must be a flat surface somewhere.

LIONEL: Try the top of my head.

JEAN: Now, really.

LIONEL: Well, it’s a disaster, isn’t it? I’d take you home, but we can’t get into the car.

JEAN: You’l feel better when you’ve eaten something.

LIONEL: I’ve got something to eat, but I can’t eat it.

JEAN: Well, have a drink.

LIONEL: How?

JEAN: Well…

LIONEL: Thank. I suppose if I do the same with the plates, we might get a chip or two off.

JEAN: No, I don’t think so.

LIONEL: Where do all these people come from, anyway?

JEAN: You’re a bit old to be asking that question.

LIONEL: Oh, this is grotesque.

JEAN: Look, the table behind you! Excuse me. Excuse me.

LIONEL: Oh, sorry. Thank you. Um… There’d be no point in asking someone to clear this lot, I suppose.

JEAN: What do you think?

LIONEL: Ah

JEAN: There

LIONEL: Well now.

JEAN: That’s better.

LIONEL: Cheers.

JEAN: Did you bring the knives and forks?

LIONEL: Sorry. Thanks. Did you put that on?

JEAN: Well, of course I did. Thought the place needed a bit of atmosphere. Actually, this isn’t bad.

LIONEL: It isn’t hot, either.

JEAN: True.

LIONEL: If the car has got a sunroof, I could climb in through it.

JEAN: Assuming you’d left it open.

LIONEL: Mind you, the way things are going, if it was open, it would be pouring with rain.

JEAN: You used to be such an optimist.

LIONEL: Are you sure?

JEAN: Yes. You used to believe that lovely, cheerful, things were going to happen to us and they always seemed to.

LIONEL: I expected them to, I suppose.

JEAN: And now?

LIONEL: Now is now.

JEAN: Oh, let’s go.

LIONEL: Where?

JEAN: I thought we could stroll around the cemetery and cheer ourselves up.

18:15

JEAN: This isn’t the way to the car park.

LIONEL: I know it isn’t.

JEAN: I wasn’t serious about strolling around the cemetery.

LIONEL: Ah.

JEAN: What?

LIONEL: I knew something still had to be here. Look.

JEAN: What at?

LIONEL: Look.

JEAN: The walk.

LIONEL: That’s right. Across the fields…

JEAN: Down the hill…

TOGETHER: And there were some woods.

JEAN:

LIONEL: That’s right. We picked bluebells.

JEAN: Metaphorically speaking.

LIONEL: Metaphorically speaking. Then there were some more fields and you came just down the lane.

JEAN: It wasn’t a long walk?

LIONEL: It depended on how many bluebells we picked.

19:01

LIONEL: It’s petered out. The bloody thing simply petered out. Where are you?

JEAN: Here.

LIONEL: What were you doing?

JEAN: I fell over?

LIONEL: Why? Are you all right?

JEAN: I’m wonderful. I’m having a wonderful walk.

LIONEL: Look, it was as much your idea as mine.

JEAN: A bigger man wouldn’t have said that.

LIONEL: Well, I’m not a bigger man; I’m a lost man.

JEAN: Which way shall we go?

LIONEL: I don’t know, I’m not an Indian Scout. Where have the woods gone? I can’t see any woods.

JEAN: I’d settle for a road.

LIONEL: I can see some telegraph poles.

JEAN: What do you intend to do, shin up one and find out where we are?

LIONEL: Telegraph poles mean a road.

JEAN: Unless they’re gong across a field.

LIONEL: Have you got any better ideas?

JEAN: Yes. wait for Humphrey Bogart to come along, towing the African Queen and ask him where.

JEAN: You need a machete to get through here.

LIONEL: There’s a road the other side and we are getting through. Now, come on.

JEAN: Ouch!

LIONEL: Mind the brambles.

JEAN: That was a bramble.

LIONEL: Ah, we’re nearly there!

JEAN: What are you doing?

LIONEL: I’m standing in a muddy ditch. Give me your hand and jump.

JEAN: Look, if I fall in—

LIONEL: Just jump.

JEAN: Gosh, you look a mess.

LIONEL: You don’t look too good yourself.

JEAN: Well, where are we?

LIONEL: Scotland, for all I know.

JEAN: I don’t think I can possibly go on wal—

LIONEL: Good god.

21:21

HOTEL MANAGER: Good Afternoon.

JEAN AND LIONEL: Good afternoon

LIONEL: Uh…We’ve been walking.

HOTEL MANAGER: Oh, yes.

JEAN: Across the fields.

HOTEL MANAGER: I see.

JEAN: Look, I know we look a mess, but we’re really quite respectable. Do you think we could have some tea?

HOTEL MANAGER: Yes, of course you can. You go into the lounge and I’ll bring some in.

JEAN: Thank you very much. I think I’ll go and clean up first.

HOTEL MANAGER: The cloakrooms are through on the left.

JEAN: Yes, I know.

LIONEL: I’d better take these off.

HOTEL MANAGER: Oh, dear. You’d better take your socks off as well. They’re soaking.

LIONEL: I don’t think they’re too bad.

HOTEL MANAGER: You give them to me and Florie will give them a quick wash and a spin. They’ll be dry by the time you finish tea.

LIONEL: That’s very kind, but—

HOTEL MANAGER: No, don’t you worry. My son’s about your size.

22:10

JEAN: It’s like being in a time warp.

LIONEL: I know. Nothing’s changed, except the calendar. I thought it might say 1953 for a moment.

JEAN: Where’s the chair with the wonky arm?

LIONEL: This one.

JEAN: Oh. I like the shoes.

LIONEL: Yes, they’re very me, aren’t they?

HOTEL MANAGER: Here we are. I’ve put out honey as well as jam.

JEAN: Good heavens.

HOTEL MANAGER: Is something wrong?

JEAN: The cups are the same.

HOTEL MANAGER: I wouldn’t serve tea in odd ones.

JEAN: No, I know that. They’re the same as they were years ago.

HOTEL MANAGER: Oh, you know the hotel, then.

JEAN: Yes, we used to come here for tea or dinner sometimes when we were, um…

LIONEL: Young

JEAN: Young

HOTEL MANAGER: Isn’t that nice? And now you’ve looked us up again.

LIONEL: Well, not so much looked you up as stumbled through a hedge and found you.

JEAN: Did you work her win 1953?

HOTEL MANAGER: Oh, no, dear. I was still at school. Enjoy your tea.

LIONEL: At least she was alive in 1953.

JEAN: I knew someone had to be.

LIONEL: We should have gone to Eastbourne. We’d be comparative striplings in Eastbourne.

JEAN: You’d have wowed them with your trainers.

LIONEL: Well, there’s a first time for everything, I suppose.

JEAN: Yes, I suppose so.

LIONEL: Why are you smiling? Thanks.

JEAN: Nice tea.

LIONEL: I know it’s a nice tea. You don’t smile like that over a nice tea.

JEAN: Well, I do.

LIONEL: What do you do if you have a nice dinner. Shriek with laughter?

JEAN: The honey’s nice.

LIONEL: Look, I’m not a fool. You’re not smiling about the tea and the honey. You’re smiling about something else.

JEAN: All right, I am.

LIONEL: What?

JEAN: I don’t feel like telling you.

LIONEL: Aren’t we a little old for games?

JEAN: It’s not games. If you don’t know why I smiled, then I’m not tell you ‘cause you should.

LIONEL: Should what?

JEAN: Know.

LIONEL: Well, I don’t

JEAN: Oh, have some honey.

LIONEL: I don’t want any honey. It’s not the shoes, they’re not that funny.

JEAN: No, it’s not the shoes.

LIONEL: I haven’t got mud on my face?

JEAN: Why are you so suddenly concerned about your personal appearance?

LIONEL: I’ve lost interest in this conversation.

JEAN: So have I.

LIONEL: Funny being back, though.

JEAN: Yes, funny.

LIONEL: It was small than I remember from the outside. Then I suppose it never had more than 12 rooms or so—Good god, I just remembered something.

JEAN: Oh?

LIONEL: Here, then…In one of those 12 rooms or so, we made love for the first time.

JEAN: Did we really?

LIONEL: That’s why you were smiling. You remembered. So why didn’t you say so?

JEAN: I didn’t want to be the only one who did remember.

LIONEL: Yes, I see. Room 8.

JEAN: With the squeaky door.

LIONEL: Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose Smith.

JEAN: I always wondered why you added the ‘Ambrose’.

LIONEL: I didn’t want to be too obvious.

JEAN: Do you think they knew?

LIONEL: As we had no luggage and were both as red as beetroots, I think they must have known.

JEAN: Now you’re smiling.

LIONEL: I just was just think of the 28 cups of coffee we had after dinner before we headed up to the room.

JEAN: It wasn’t really 28.

LIONEL: It seemed like it.

JEAN: You kept ordering them.

LIONEL: I didn’t want to rush you.

JEAN: Oh, I’ve always wondered, did you plan that night?

LIONEL: Oh, give me some credit. I’d have had a suitcase in the car if I’d planned it.

JEAN: We didn’t even have a toothbrush.

LIONEL: You wore a gray slip.

JEAN: Oyster.

LIONEL: Oyster.

JEAN: I kept giggling all the next day at the hospital.

LIONEL: Who with?

JEAN: No one. Just everything everybody said seemed to have a double meaning. What about you when you went back to the camp?

LIONEL: It isn’t really a time for giggling when you’re on adjutants parade.

JEAN: I didn’t mean if you giggled, I mean did you tell anyone?

LIONEL: No. I think I probably just walked about with a silly smile on my face all day.I couldn’t get over the fact that the night before I’d made love to the most beautiful girl I’d ever laid eyes on.

JEAN: Oh.

HOTEL MANAGER: Would you like some more hot water?

JEAN: No, thank you.

HOTEL MANAGER: Right.

LIONEL: Um…I don’t suppose you’ve got a room by any chance? We were thinking of staying overnight.

HOTEL MANAGER: I’ll go and have a look.

26:26

JUDITH: Then why on Earth didn’t you stay?

JEAN: I don’t know.

JUDITH: You chickened out.

JEAN: No, I didn’t chicken out.

JUDITH: Lionel chickened out.

JEAN: No.

JUDITH: Then what?

JEAN: It was just one of those impulses that loses impetus all by itself. Everything looked rose tinted.

JUDITH: You should have torn upstairs.

JEAN: Torn?

JUDITH: Well, hurried.

JEAN: Just gone with the flow?

JUDITH: What happened to the flow?

JEAN: It diminished to a trickle. By the time we sat down to dinner, it had dried up completely. Well, we had no luggage.

JUDITH: Who needs luggage?

JEAN: At our age, we need luggage.

JUDITH: Not for appearances.

JEAN: Private appearances, yes. And then Lionel remembered the hired car and that he had to get up tomorrow to go to Norwich. And I remembered I had to get up early, busy day.

JUDITH: Doing what?

JEAN: I don’t know.

JUDITH: Dull, dull, dull.

JEAN: Yes, but sensible.

JUDITH: Same thing.What are you going to do now?

JEAN: Well, I’m going to do what a woman of my years should do. I’m going to bed with a hot drink and a dull book.

JUDITH: Talking of dull, I read Lionel’s manuscript.

JEAN: Very dull?

JUDITH: Better than a sleeping pill. The most interesting part is the dedication. It’s weird. It says, “To Pooh.”

JEAN: That’s what he used to call me.

JUDITH: Pooh?

JEAN: Not as in smell, as in “Winnie The.”

JUDITH: Why?

JEAN: Well, I used to like honey. Ik now it sounds soppy now, but at the time…

JUDITH: Well, well, well. He dedicated his book to you and he hadn’t seen you for 38 years.

JEAN: A dull book.

JUDITH: Nevertheless. Let’s go and see him in Norwich.

JEAN: Oh, don’t be silly.

JUDITH: To Pooh

JEAN: Don’t be silly.