
A Change in the Weather 1988-07-31 Part 3 of 5 - Suspicion
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Narrator
We present part three of A Change in the Weather, an unlikely adventure for radio by Eric Pringle. Our heroic villains Jiffy, Perkins and Burke of Madrid are now on the run not only from the police and the underworld, the big boss, but also from Henrietta and Louise, two Shropshire ladies who, like them, are seeking sanctuary in the Lake District. They're at risk too. Extreme risk from the ruthless city Nigel, who has been recruited by BB to track down the traitors who robbed him, retrieve the loot and bring Jiffy and Burko's days in the sun and rain to an abrupt and horrible end. And there's Detective Sergeant Digley of Keswick CID scouring Lakeland for anything that looks suspicious and cockney at the same time. We left Jiffy and Burko fleeing Henrietta and Louise and their own imaginations in a rowing boat across Derwent Water.
Jiffy Perkins
What are you doing? Slow down. I'm scared. You can't row faster than them. Slow down. Burger, take it easy. I can't.
Burko Madrid
Swim your rocket to Bo.
Narrator
Meanwhile, Detective Sergeant Digley, in hot pursuit of his inquiries, visits a confectioner's shop in Karo Keswick. Goodbye.
Detective Sergeant Digley
Thank you very much, mister. Bye bye. See you. Can I help you, madam?
Louise Scotnell
Oh, yes, good morning. I think I've made my mind.
Jiffy Perkins
Of course.
Sam Brown
Observe, Detective Sergeant Digley. Look at these two. Confectioner Sam Brown. Sam the Cumbrian from the Khyber. A present from India to Keswick for services rendered during the Raj. Andy's customer.
Henrietta
Look at her.
Sam Brown
Tourist 60 if she's a day. Plaits and shorts and a bum like El Vellyn, they don't care. Stick a fell in front of them and they're anybody's. And she's buying mint cake. Observe it, Digley. Take it all in. Observation is the key to success. We've been taken over by offcomers.
Detective Sergeant Digley
Well, thank you, madam, so much for. Bye bye. Excuse, please, the interruption. Sergeant Digley, unfortunately, I still do not know how to answer you. All the time you ask me questions and always I try to answer you, good man.
Sam Brown
But I want you to succeed.
Detective Sergeant Digley
Oh, I cooperate to the best of my ability because I am a citizen, am I not? And because I am a good citizen, I try to make sense of your questions. But please believe me, Sergeant, that is a very difficult thing to do. For example, you ask me, have I seen Londoners? And I say, yes, there are many Londoners in Keswick. They come every day to see our beautiful scenery.
Sam Brown
Our scenery.
Detective Sergeant Digley
I live here, Sergeant. These are my mountains too.
Sam Brown
All right. But don't get too smart, Indian Jones. I'm not talking about any old cock and bull Londoners. Special. Londoners Special. Special for any reason. Special in the way they walk, talk, spend their money. Special because they're furtive. Special because they nick people's wives.
Detective Sergeant Digley
I do not think so. And I'm glad. Those would be people to run from, not towards.
Sam Brown
Some of us don't get the option, Sam. And some of us don't want to because some of us bear a grudge.
Detective Sergeant Digley
See, my name is not.
Sam Brown
I mean special in the way they look.
Burko Madrid
Like this.
Detective Sergeant Digley
Why did you not say you had photographs?
Sam Brown
To make it easy for you. Have you seen these men?
Detective Sergeant Digley
These do not look special to me, Sergeant. These do not look like wife stealers to me. Whose wife would they steal? Which husband would be so stupid as to turn his back?
Sam Brown
Cut the performance, Sam. This is no Indian rope trick. This is serious. Have you seen these men?
Detective Sergeant Digley
I do not think so.
Sam Brown
You don't think so? You got a problem, you know that, don't you? You've got curried eyes. Have you any idea how many shopkeepers, otelliers, guest house proprietors and barmen have told me that?
Detective Sergeant Digley
Have a toffee, Sergeant.
Sam Brown
Thanks.
Jiffy Perkins
I will.
Sam Brown
Listen to that lunatic.
Burko Madrid
I'll have him. I bet he's a bloody Londoner.
City Nigel
That. I love London. So maybe it's because I'm a Londoner that I think London.
Another Tourist
I suppose she can. You don't.
Louise Scotnell
You don't mind me talking, boatman? What is your name again?
Burko Madrid
Brian.
Louise Scotnell
Brian what?
Burko Madrid
Just Brian. Look, lady, Louise is my name.
Louise Scotnell
You can be coy if you wish. I don't mind. Hey, well, I just wanted to talk to somebody.
Burko Madrid
Oh, yeah, I'll get like that.
Another Tourist
It's.
Louise Scotnell
It's Louise Scotnell, actually. I. I live. I live in Church Stretton.
Burko Madrid
Oh, yeah?
Louise Scotnell
Do you know it, Brian?
Burko Madrid
No.
Louise Scotnell
Well, anyway, I live there with my husband, Stephen. Only Stephen. We have no children, unfortunately. Unfortunately, as it turned out.
Another Tourist
Well, that's enough about me.
Louise Scotnell
Let's talk about you. Not very busy today.
Burko Madrid
No, it's too cold on the water. It's wind, sea. It's terrible out there. Wish I was in a caf.
Louise Scotnell
Perhaps we might have a coffee together sometime. In a caf? Hey, I meant just for company. Talking.
Burko Madrid
Oh, yeah. I got to get on now.
Louise Scotnell
Sometimes one needs to talk. But you, you can't talk to a wall. You need a person.
Burko Madrid
I shouldn't be talking to you.
Louise Scotnell
Why is that?
Burko Madrid
Dunno.
Louise Scotnell
Because you're working, I expect. I'll be Seen chatting up women. Well, thank you for listening.
Burko Madrid
Well, it's all right.
Louise Scotnell
It's Henry. She's my friend, Brian.
Burko Madrid
Oh, friend. She's nice.
Another Tourist
There you are, darling. Oh, hello, Brian. I've just been speaking to your friend.
Burko Madrid
Friend?
Another Tourist
The waiter at the Rockwater Hotel. He's such an agitated man.
Burko Madrid
Yeah, he's not my friend.
Another Tourist
Isn't it? Well, I thought. Oh, well. Doesn't matter. Well, come on, Lou. Let's get on with the day. We haven't many left and we're still seeking that adventure.
BB
What a place. Bracken and moss and rock. Nature in the raw. That's hardly Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony. Ordnance Survey maps bear no resemblance to street plans. There are no names to go by. Where are. Ah, yes, this must be it. Honister Pass. And just look at it. Snaking up between those crags. All that scree. I'd hate to be here in a storm. Then it's down to Borrowdale. And so to Derwentwater and Keswick. It's time to report again to the boss. Our two friends could be anywhere, BB and probably are.
Henrietta
Maybe we're barring up the wrong tree. Barring? What's he on about? You're better off in your cosy club, drinking whisky and reading your correspondence than rotting in this wilderness. The chase is rocky, bb. With mountains and rivers and waterfalls. We're hunting in the wild. Like those Western movies I watched as a kid. Makes sense. Nigel, for God's sake. I'm paying you good money, ain't I? The trail has led to the Lake District. What the hell would Jeffrey Perkins and Berco Madrid go to the Lake District for? Nigel's lost his marbles. John, gather the boys. We got a journey to make. Get me a coat and some boots and waterproof bazookas. Lakes, waterfalls will drown em.
Jiffy Perkins
This port is freezing.
City Nigel
A pool to turn a man to stone. Roll over, Beethoven. This is Brass Monkey Pastoral. I'm a poor little lamb who's gone astray.
Another Tourist
Ba ba ba and ba to you too, darling.
City Nigel
Where did you spring from?
Another Tourist
Out of stone? I'm a Lakeland rock fairy. And so's my friend. Come here, Lou. Who's that? Who are you?
City Nigel
Name's Nigel. Oh, buzz off. I haven't any clothes on.
Another Tourist
We can see that. Do you usually bathe naked in clear mountain pools?
Louise Scotnell
Maybe? He's a merman. Are you?
City Nigel
I. I thought I was miles from anybody.
Another Tourist
You're never alone in the Lakes, darling. There are walkers everywhere. Unless the weather takes a turn for the worse, of course. And Then everybody shoots off home, leaving you lost among the crags.
BB
It's freezing in here.
Another Tourist
Are your parts icing up?
City Nigel
Henry, I'm coming out.
Another Tourist
Oh, let's go, Lou. I couldn't stand the shock.
City Nigel
No, don't go yet.
Another Tourist
Why?
City Nigel
You can help me. Go to my clothes, please. They're beside the motorcycle.
Another Tourist
Is this a trick, darling?
Louise Scotnell
Do you want us to throw them to you in the water?
City Nigel
No. You see the leather jacket? Look in the pocket, the right pocket.
Sam Brown
That's it.
City Nigel
There's two photographs.
Another Tourist
Yes, I see them.
City Nigel
Take them out.
Sam Brown
Look at them.
Another Tourist
Shut up, Blue. Don't say a word. We're looking.
City Nigel
Have you seen those two men anywhere about while you've been walking, perhaps?
Louise Scotnell
Henry, be quiet.
Another Tourist
Who wants to know?
City Nigel
I do.
Another Tourist
Why?
City Nigel
They have a surprise coming. I'm a solicitor. I am Minister of State, that sort of thing. And these two men are beneficiaries in a rather large will. I'm trying to trace them.
Another Tourist
Oh, we haven't seen them, Henry.
City Nigel
What about your friend?
Louise Scotnell
No, no, no. I haven't seen them either.
Another Tourist
We'll put the photographs back.
City Nigel
Thank you.
Another Tourist
We'll go now. Then you can get out of the pool before your parts become stalactite.
City Nigel
They have already.
Another Tourist
Goodbye, Nigel.
City Nigel
Goodbye, ladies.
Louise Scotnell
Goodbye. Why didn't you tell him?
Another Tourist
Because he can't be what he says. Whoever heard of a motorcycling, nude bathing solicitor? But the photographs, Lou. The boatman and the waiter at our hotel. They look different, of course, with the mustache, grizzly beard. But it's them all right. And they do know each other. That was such a cock and bull story, wasn't it? I wonder what Nigel really wants. Them before there's something fishy. I can smell it.
Louise Scotnell
This is exciting.
Another Tourist
It's a mystery, darling. A small adventure. At last. Nigel could be a policeman.
Louise Scotnell
He didn't seem like a policeman.
Another Tourist
Nor do some policeman, darling.
Sam Brown
Record of observations made by Detective Sergeant Digley while working on the Brixton and bank job watch. No lead so far. Proceeding to hotels in porting scale to interview waiters and porters and upstairs maids, etc. Etc. There. That'll do for now. A full record of the sniffings of a first class police dog so that even God Almighty can't complain. They reckon 3 million people visit Cumbria in a year. Look at this lot. Listen to them. Every shape and size of body swathed in hiking boots and anoraks, sucking fishermen's friends, strapped into rucksacks, clutching maps in polythene bags against the rain. It's like a Regimental uniform. A universal fancy dress. The Lake District is a flaming transit camp. You'd think half the population of the country, let alone London, was passing through. Trotting up a few fells and dipping in tarns on the way. They're all barmy fitness freaks. Earth worshippers. Daffodil. Daft Wordsworth has a lot to answer for. I'd like to strangle a lot, but I've only got license for two or three at the most. But how do you find three cockney needles in a haystack that covers 900 square miles? That's if they're here. Down two scared rabbits and a fox. If they have any sense at all, they'll be snug in their concrete burrows under the East End. Hey, you have that bastard for breakfast.
Jiffy Perkins
Who is it? It's me, Brian. Oh, not again. Come in. Get him.
Burko Madrid
Hello, Jiffy.
Jiffy Perkins
Lonely again, are we?
Burko Madrid
Well, don't be mad, Jiffy. I had to come mad.
Jiffy Perkins
Why should I get mad? Just because you can't do anything right. No wonder your wife ran away with a dustman.
Burko Madrid
I was scared. Our pictures was on the telly.
Jiffy Perkins
What?
Burko Madrid
Yeah, you and me. Mugshots. Straight up descriptions and all believed to be hiding in the Northwest, it said. Well, that's where we are, innit?
Jiffy Perkins
Shush. That's where we are.
Burko Madrid
I come to tell you about it.
Jiffy Perkins
Yeah, well, I might as well tell you now. We're in the dailies too. Look.
Burko Madrid
No, no, I don't like to see it.
Jiffy Perkins
Yeah, Fame at last. But I don't want it. Oh, look, I'm sorry I shouted at you.
Burko Madrid
Yeah. How'd they find out?
Jiffy Perkins
It must have been that driver at Victoria Coach Station. He knew me. I could tell by his eyes.
Sam Brown
Shifty.
Burko Madrid
We'll give him the balls.
Jiffy Perkins
Yeah, well, that isn't all.
Burko Madrid
It's more.
Jiffy Perkins
Yeah, listen to this. Yeah, this is the personal column. Bj Our heroes climb the highest mountain and we'll follow Sign DJ There.
Burko Madrid
Sign DJ Yeah, Jiffy.
Jiffy Perkins
Don't you understand who it's for? No, who? It's from bj. That's us, Burgo. You and Jiffy. Me?
Burko Madrid
Oh, well, could be. Maybe it is.
Jiffy Perkins
BJ Our heroes climb the highest mountains. Well, we're surrounded by bloody mountains here. And we'll follow Sign DJ That's Deidre and Jean.
Burko Madrid
Who?
Jiffy Perkins
Our wines got it.
Burko Madrid
But Deidre's got another bloke. She left me.
Jiffy Perkins
Yeah, that was before you were worth £500,000. I mean, Gene hated my guts, but. Money talks, Bertco. Money shouts. Money's turned us into heroes. And our fan club's after us.
Burko Madrid
I don't like that, Jiffy.
Jiffy Perkins
Well, there's something else.
Burko Madrid
There's more.
Jiffy Perkins
What? Worse. Much worse.
Burko Madrid
Oh, geez.
Jiffy Perkins
This is the local paper. It has a personal column, too. JB the Catcher is coming. And so am I. Signed bb.
Burko Madrid
Bb.
Jiffy Perkins
Bb, you're catching on. JB is you and me. And a catcher is coming for us.
Burko Madrid
BB's catcher, too.
Jiffy Perkins
Right. And BB is coming himself. Sending his orc first to pounce on the vermin and layers at his feet, so help me.
Burko Madrid
Cool.
Jiffy Perkins
They're both coming. Virgo. God Almighty and his angel of death. And they know where to come. This is the local paper, and they're coming here.
Burko Madrid
Oh, I've been worried, Jiffy, all this time. But now I'm sick. I wish we stayed in a bank with Billy when he took bad.
Jiffy Perkins
I wish I'd gone straight.
Burko Madrid
Yeah. We shouldn't have run with the money.
Jiffy Perkins
I get carried away. Why didn't you stop me?
Burko Madrid
Oh, Ms. London.
Jiffy Perkins
Yeah, so do I. These mountains hang over you. They. They make you feel small.
Burko Madrid
Deirdre and Gene didn't even like us.
Jiffy Perkins
It's just the money, Burt.
Sam Brown
Go.
Jiffy Perkins
And that's sad, really.
Burko Madrid
Oh, well, I can go to hell. We got each other.
Jiffy Perkins
Yeah, and a million quid. And BB and his catch are closing in. Well, we're not running yet.
Burko Madrid
Not running. And we. I don't understand, Jiffy. Well, to be honest, I don't understand hardly anything.
Jiffy Perkins
Look, we made a plan. It was a good plan. I think we should stick it out until we're sure it isn't working. Hey, maybe they're bluffing. Trying to panic us into running so they'll see us move. Maybe those messages are in local papers all over the place. Maybe they don't know where we are at all. Yeah, we just gotta keep our integrity.
Burko Madrid
Yeah, integrity. Have we?
Jiffy Perkins
Our bottle. Oh, come on. Let's get some fresh air. We'll get out of town.
Burko Madrid
Come on. Mine.
Jiffy Perkins
These pine trees smell like logs on the fire at Connie's club. I wish I was there right now.
Burko Madrid
Burgo.
Jiffy Perkins
Brian. Where the hell's he got to? Oh, no rain. Oh, that's all we need now the weather's going off. We've been lucky so far, but there's a change coming. And that Bert has got himself lost. Always as dark as a brush. Still, he's loyal. And there's not a lot of that around. Not around me, at any rate. I'll miss him when he's not here.
Burko Madrid
Jeffrey.
Jiffy Perkins
Oh, where the hell have you been?
Detective Sergeant Digley
Are you there?
Burko Madrid
Jeffrey?
Jiffy Perkins
Here.
Burko Madrid
I couldn't see you. These trees are thick. I got lost, you feet. I took a shortcut up some rocks and I got stuck. I'm afraid of heights.
Jiffy Perkins
You get vertigo?
Burko Madrid
No, I get dizzy.
Jiffy Perkins
Why the hell didn't you tell me that before we came to mountains? How can you have mountains without ice?
Burko Madrid
Well, I didn't know. I never been on a mountain before. Sorry, Jiffy.
Jiffy Perkins
Well, I'm sorry. It seems we're both learning about ourselves. I find I'm allergic to rain. It's cold rain here. Aunt Ada never said it would be like this.
Burko Madrid
And indoors are bow a tail, Jiffy. I look down the lake at them all day, they give me the dead spoon.
Jiffy Perkins
Oh, come on, let's walk before we catch cold. I suppose this place is all right. I mean, it must be us. I don't think we're suited for to it. We like fish out of water.
Burko Madrid
Well, only we're in the water, ain't we? In speeding rain.
Jiffy Perkins
I am sick of these trees.
Burko Madrid
Trees? It's all right get trees in Spain, you know, forests.
Jiffy Perkins
But we keep seeing the same trees over and over. I think we're lost again.
Burko Madrid
Yeah, I didn't want to say cold, wet and lost.
Jiffy Perkins
And people come here for holidays.
Burko Madrid
See, it all scares me, Jiffy and me.
Jiffy Perkins
That's because we're not used to this. It's terrain. I mean, street traffic and corner shops.
Detective Sergeant Digley
That's us.
Jiffy Perkins
Supermarkets and Connie's Club lit up in the gloom, eh? Hey, what the hell's that?
Burko Madrid
Should we hide?
Jiffy Perkins
Well, and get more loss? 12 Burgo. We'll brazen it out. Oh, I'm tired.
Louise Scotnell
Aren't you too lovely?
Another Tourist
Oh, look who's here. Both together. Little as me. Narge. Albert and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, Bill and Ben.
Burko Madrid
I let the flower pot me.
Jiffy Perkins
Very funny.
Another Tourist
Well, you do look a sight.
Jiffy Perkins
Well, we're lost. That is, he's lost and I'm lost. We just met back there in the trees. But we're both lost.
Louise Scotnell
Well, Val, we're not lost, are we, Henry?
Another Tourist
No, we're not lost.
Louise Scotnell
Shall we help them, Henry? Be their guides?
Another Tourist
Girl guides? Why not? Come on, you two. Best feet forward will set you in the right direction. Then you can go your separate ways again. And may the best man win.
Louise Scotnell
Best man win?
Jiffy Perkins
No, hold on.
Burko Madrid
But they're going to help us, Jeff. Joe. Who are the girls?
Jiffy Perkins
Why? What's in it for them?
Another Tourist
How extraordinary.
Burko Madrid
Just helping.
Louise Scotnell
It's our good deed for the day.
Another Tourist
Are you worried we'd lead you into a trap.
Jiffy Perkins
Why do you say that?
Another Tourist
Why do you think?
Jiffy Perkins
What sort of trap?
Another Tourist
A gin trap. What a suspicious man you are. But I understand. Nobody ever helped me either, huh? Trust me. Come on.
Burko Madrid
What do you say, Joe?
Jiffy Perkins
Oh, all right.
Another Tourist
Good. March on, darling. Hi ho, hi ho. It's off to what we know. Lou is loyal, nice. She's a real friend. Most people I find, are selfish, unfaithful, nasty. They kill you little by little or all at once. Well, now we've exchanged confidences and are no longer strangers. We might even be on the way to becoming friends. I'll tell you something. We met a man in a pool. He was asking about you.
Jiffy Perkins
No. So it was true.
Another Tourist
He had to photograph without the mustache. And your friends without the beard. He spoke like a Londoner, educated. And he had a motorcycle. Said he was a solicitor.
Jiffy Perkins
City Nigel.
Another Tourist
Yes, Nigel. That's his name.
Jiffy Perkins
BB Sent City Nigel. Brian. Brian. Brian.
Detective Sergeant Digley
He comes like a Bombay duck with his feathers ruffled.
Burko Madrid
Oh, come in.
Detective Sergeant Digley
Sergeant Digley.
Burko Madrid
I was on my way to Grange.
Sam Brown
When you called, Sam. I was going hunting. Like a hawk? Like a falcon, Digley. The eagle searching for his prey. Hope you're not about to throw me a duff worm.
Detective Sergeant Digley
Not at all, Sergeant. I toss you human bait.
Sam Brown
I'm not a cannibal.
Detective Sergeant Digley
No. Nevertheless, there was a man in here this morning. Morning. Buying sweets. May I see those photographs again, please?
Sam Brown
Yeah, we're getting crumpled. Worn with grubby fingers.
Detective Sergeant Digley
Well, I'm not sure.
Sam Brown
Cretin.
Detective Sergeant Digley
How kind it could be. This one.
Sam Brown
Madrid.
Detective Sergeant Digley
A most big man indeed. But he has a beard.
Sam Brown
We could have grown a beard.
Detective Sergeant Digley
He wanted toffees. He paid with a 20 pound note. This 20? I kept it for you.
Sam Brown
I'll check it up. You realize, of course, that buying toffees is not in itself evidence of a criminal nature.
Detective Sergeant Digley
They were brown toffees. As brown as me, Sergeant.
Jiffy Perkins
It's suspicious.
Sam Brown
Therefore you sent him your.
Detective Sergeant Digley
Another man came in later. He was looking for them too.
Sam Brown
Looking for toffees?
Detective Sergeant Digley
Looking for villains, Sergeant. He had photographs. The same photographs.
Sam Brown
What was he like?
Detective Sergeant Digley
30S, a pinstripe suit, motorcycle helmet.
Sam Brown
Motorcycle? That speed maniac. Who the hell is he?
Another Tourist
Here's the lake, Joseph.
Jiffy Perkins
Oh, nice.
Another Tourist
This is Derwent Water. You're almost at Grange. So you're not lost anymore, are you?
Jiffy Perkins
No.
Another Tourist
Keep the water on your left and eventually you'll come to Keswick. Well, we're off for more walkies. Come on, Lou. Goodbye, boatman. Brian.
Burko Madrid
Yeah, Cheers, Louise.
Another Tourist
Goodbye, darling.
Jiffy Perkins
Yeah, cheerio. Thank you.
Another Tourist
Anytime. If we can help somebody as we pass along, then.
Burko Madrid
Yeah. They're all right then, Jon.
Jiffy Perkins
Well, I don't trust them. Hey, City Nigel.
Burko Madrid
City Nigel.
Jiffy Perkins
What did we ever do to deserve him? He's a shark on a motorbike. The coldest, most rufous fish in the world. Oh, this is getting out of hand. Everybody's moving in, and with him pushed out. It ain't fair. All these people after us just because Billy died.
Burko Madrid
Well, I miss Billy. But we have to stick it out.
Jiffy Perkins
We'll win in the end. Courage brings rewards.
Burko Madrid
You sure?
Jiffy Perkins
Yeah. Trust me.
Burko Madrid
I do. Of course, we are friends, that's why. But. Oh, Jiffy City Nigel.
Narrator
Oh, dear. The hounds have the scent and are yapping at the heels of our two foxes. Who will get to them first? Will it be the indefatigable? Vengeance is mine? Seth Sergeant Digley? Or will BB Sort out the sheep from the lambs and track down City Nigel? And will Nigel get to write the last climactic bars of his killer's concerto? And just how deeply embroiled in the fate of our foxes are Henrietta and Louise getting? And can they survive it? Will everybody climb a mountain and fall off next time? Fate begins to catch up. With Jiffy Perkins, played by Peter Craze, and with Berco Madrid, played by John Hollis, and Henrietta and Louise, played by Dilys Lay and Polly. James City Nigel is played by Philip Sully, BD By William Simons, the Shopkeeper by Amadou Dhu, and Detective Sergeant Digley by Trevor Nicholls. A Change in the Weather is written by Eric Pringle and directed by Ian Cotterell.
Another Tourist
It.
Episode: A Change in the Weather 1988-07-31 Part 3 of 5 - Suspicion
Release Date: May 11, 2025
Host/Author: Harold's Old Time Radio
Written by: Eric Pringle
Directed by: Ian Cotterell
In A Change in the Weather, an immersive radio adventure by Eric Pringle, listeners are plunged into a suspense-filled narrative set against the picturesque yet treacherous backdrop of the Lake District. This summary covers Part 3 of the five-episode series, titled "Suspicion," where tensions escalate as our protagonists navigate both natural obstacles and human threats.
The episode picks up with the protagonists, Jiffy Perkins and Burko Madrid, escaping their pursuers across Derwent Water. They are not alone in their quest for sanctuary; Henrietta and Louise, two Shropshire ladies, are also seeking refuge in the serene yet unforgiving landscape. Their flight is complicated by the relentless pursuit of Nigel, a city-dwelling antagonist enlisted by BB to capture the traitors and reclaim stolen loot. Concurrently, Detective Sergeant Digley of Keswick CID intensifies his investigation, combing through local establishments for any clues.
Jiffy Perkins (Peter Craze): One of the fleeing traitors, struggling with fear and the realization that their predicament is worsening.
Burko Madrid (John Hollis): Jiffy's companion, equally frightened and grappling with the consequences of their past actions.
Henrietta and Louise (Dilys Lay and Polly): Shropshire ladies seeking safety alongside Jiffy and Burko, adding complexity to the group's dynamics.
City Nigel (Philip Sully): A relentless pursuer from the city, characterized by his aggressive tactics and determination.
Detective Sergeant Digley (Trevor Nicholls): A local detective engrossed in his investigation, providing a grounded perspective amidst the chaos.
Escape Across Derwent Water
[00:05] The episode opens with narration setting the stage: Jiffy, Burko, Henrietta, and Louise are fleeing across Derwent Water, facing threats from both police and the underworld.
[01:02 - 01:09] Jiffy urges caution as the group rows, expressing fear:
Jiffy Perkins: "What are you doing? Slow down. I'm scared. You can't row faster than them. Slow down. Burger, take it easy. I can't."
Detective Sergeant Digley's Investigation
[01:14 - 04:11] Detective Sergeant Digley visits Sam Brown’s confectionery in Keswick, questioning him about suspicious behaviors linked to Londoners. Sam, a local confectioner, is portrayed as a skeptical yet cooperative figure:
Sam Brown: "Observe, Detective Sergeant Digley... Observation is the key to success."
[02:33 - 03:32] An intense exchange unfolds as Sam Brown presents photographs of Jiffy and Burko, labeling them as potential "wife stealers," highlighting his distrust of outsiders:
Sam Brown: "Have you seen these men while you've been walking, perhaps?"
Interactions on the Lake
[04:30 - 11:52] As the protagonists continue their escape, they encounter Louise Scotnell, who offers to converse and potentially assist them. Conversations reveal underlying tensions and suspicions about Nigel's intentions:
City Nigel: "I love London... I'm a solicitor. I am Minister of State, that sort of thing."
[10:46 - 11:25] Nigel tries to extract information using photographs, leading to a moment of confusion and suspicion:
City Nigel: "They have a surprise coming. I'm a solicitor... trying to trace them."
Heightened Suspicion and Tension
[12:30 - 18:14] Back at the confectionery, Sam Brown laments the difficulty of tracking the fugitives amid the Lake District's vastness, expressing frustration and cynicism about the chase:
Sam Brown: "It's like a Regimental uniform. A universal fancy dress."
[15:01 - 18:14] Jiffy and Burko reflect on their dire situation, grappling with guilt and the inevitability of their capture:
Jiffy Perkins: "BJ Our heroes climb the highest mountain... and we'll follow Sign DJ."
Climactic Confrontations
[24:14 - 27:05] As the pursuit tightens, Detective Sergeant Digley interacts with Sam Brown again, piecing together inconsistencies in Nigel’s story. Meanwhile, Jiffy and Burko confront their fears of being caught:
Burko Madrid: "These mountains hang over you. They make you feel small."
The episode culminates with increased tension as Nigel inches closer to capturing the fugitives, while Jiffy and Burko encounter Henrietta and Louise's changing loyalties and fears.
Fear and Urgency:
Jiffy Perkins ([01:02]): "What are you doing? Slow down. I'm scared. You can't row faster than them. Slow down. Burger, take it easy. I can't."
Suspicion and Investigation:
Sam Brown ([03:01]): "But don't get too smart, Indian Jones. I'm not talking about any old cock and bull Londoners."
Revelation of Exposure:
Burko Madrid ([15:01]): "We're in the dailies too. Look."
On Impending Capture:
Jiffy Perkins ([17:03]): "They're both coming. Virgo. God Almighty and his angel of death."
Desperation and Reflection:
Burko Madrid ([17:52]): "I wish we stayed in a bank with Billy when he took bad."
Resilience Amidst Fear:
Jiffy Perkins ([27:30]): "We'll win in the end. Courage brings rewards."
Isolation vs. Community:
The protagonists' flight into the remote Lake District juxtaposes their isolation with the presence of other locals and tourists, highlighting the clash between their internal turmoil and the serene environment.
Trust and Betrayal:
Interactions between characters, especially with Sam Brown and the tourists, underscore themes of mistrust and the precariousness of alliances in dire circumstances.
Pursuit and Escape:
The relentless chase by Nigel and Detective Sergeant Digley embodies the classic cat-and-mouse dynamic, emphasizing the inescapability of consequences.
Identity and Perception:
Nigel’s facade as a solicitor and his aggressive interrogation tactics reveal the complexities of identity and the ease of misperception in high-stress scenarios.
Human Frailty:
Jiffy and Burko’s fears, confessions, and reflections convey the human side of fugitives, portraying vulnerability amidst criminality.
As "Suspicion" concludes, the tension reaches a boiling point with multiple forces converging on the fugitives. Detective Sergeant Digley remains unsatisfied with his leads, Nigel’s persistence grows more menacing, and Jiffy and Burko find themselves increasingly cornered both physically and emotionally. The episode ends on a cliffhanger, with the hounds of pursuit gaining ground and the protagonists facing the imminent threat of capture or further entanglement with their pursuers.
Narrator's Closing ([27:54]):
"Oh, dear. The hounds have the scent and are yapping at the heels of our two foxes. Who will get to them first? Will it be the indefatigable? Vengeance is mine? Seth Sergeant Digley? Or will BB Sort out the sheep from the lambs and track down City Nigel? And will Nigel get to write the last climactic bars of his killer's concerto?"
This sets the stage for the subsequent episodes, promising heightened drama and resolution of the characters' intertwined fates.
Jiffy Perkins: Peter Craze delivers a nuanced portrayal of a man grappling with fear and regret, bringing depth to Jiffy’s internal conflicts.
Burko Madrid: John Hollis effectively conveys Burko’s anxiety and loyalty, highlighting the strain of their fugitive life.
City Nigel: Philip Sully embodies Nigel’s relentless and cunning nature, providing a formidable antagonist.
Detective Sergeant Digley: Trevor Nicholls portrays Digley with a blend of determination and frustration, capturing the essence of a dogged investigator.
Part 3 of A Change in the Weather masterfully weaves suspense, character development, and thematic depth, keeping listeners engaged and eager for the unfolding adventures. The intricate plot and rich dialogues underscore the golden age of radio storytelling, making it a compelling listen for enthusiasts and newcomers alike.