Cwmderi Diary 2018: 10 December 2018

"Here's the stall you've all been waiting for!"

Iori has set up a stall outside APD, and announces to the villagers, “Here is the stall you’ve all been waiting for!”

Iori is very grateful to them

He tells Debbie that he said he would shift the stock, and it is all thanks to her;

"I'd still be hiding at home!"

“I’d still be hiding at home if you hadn’t dragged me out of my shell!”

"Show me your permit!"

Diane arrives and is most disapproving; “Show me your permit!” she demands, “You need permission from the council for a stall!”

"The council can get lost!"

He replies that the council can go and get lost, and when told that she will inform the council,

"Ooh – I'm quaking in my boots!"

says that he is quaking in his boots. “They have strict rules to deal with people like you!” she exclaims, and goes into APD.

Mark is going home to bed, as he has been up since four o’clock.

"You don't want to leave an old man struggling on his own"

Iori protests that he wants some help; “You don’t want to leave an old man struggling on his own,”

Mark has reindeer antlers added to his Royal Mail uniform

and Mark agrees to help.

"Where's your bodyguard, then?"

In the Deri, Angela is sitting quietly when Garry comes in, and is surprised to see her; “Look who’s back! Where’s your bodyguard? You’re very brave to show your face around here without one.”

"I was hoping to bump into Mam"

She was hoping to bump into her mother, and is told by Garry,

"She's arranging the christening of the century"

“She’s probably making arrangements for the christening of the century – on Christmas morning! Yes, the same day as Jesus Christ and Seren – I’m a father again!”

She wonders who is the mother, at least told that it is Dani; “Things can change quickly around here,” she says.

"I'm meeting my little brother"

Then Debbie comes in and wonders what she is doing back; “Meeting my little brother! Steve and I have finished – but that’s enough about me,” Angela says, “What else has been going on? Any scandals?”

"Your ex is gay, and your sister has been in prison"

Garry interrupts to say, “Your ex is gay, and your sister has been in prison for domestic abuse. As you said, things change quickly round here.”

Dai sounds as if he is apologising to Jim . . .

Dai shouts across the road to Jim, apparently apologising for going overboard when he heard that Jim was going for Pwll Bach. Jim is somewhat confused;

. . . something which Jim finds confusing

“I don’t think you’ve ever apologised to me before – I’m not quite sure what to say.”

Dai continues, “Just because I can’t afford it, that shouldn’t stop you – good luck, boy!”

"That mine will be more trouble than it's worth!"

Diane is glad that Dai is not buying it, predicting that the mine will be more trouble than it is worth.

Mal appears to be a motorcycle fancier

Then they hear a terrific noise – it is Gwyneth, revving up her motorbike, with Mal admiring it. DJ comes out to complain that some people are trying to work; “Gorgeous, isn’t she?” asks Gwyneth,

"A dose of adrenaline with me?"

“What’s it is to be then? Counting T-shirts in there, or a dose of adrenaline with me?”

"I'm busy!"

DJ replies that he is busy, but she informs him that he knows where she is if he changes his mind, and again revs the bike,

"What an awful noise!"

much to the displeasure of Dai and Diane.

"That's not the only stink we shall have round here!"

In the café, Gaynor is being served by Gwen as Diane comments that the fumes from that bike are awful; Dai begins, “That’s not the only stink we shall have around here if Jim Probert gets his way! I can’t believe that Penrhewl is going to pollute the countryside – the thought of landfill on my doorstep leaves a nasty taste!”

"Jim Probert is buying Pwll Bach to open a dump"

As intended, Gaynor enquires about what he is saying; “Jim Probert is buying Pwll Bach to open a dump there,” Dai tells her, as Dani comes in.

"We shall all need gas masks!"

“If the wind blows in the usual direction, we’ll all need gas masks! There will be lorries driving through Cwmderi, and seagulls flying overhead!”

Eco-warrior Dani is eager to stop this

The newly eco-conscious Dani is determined that they will have to stop Jim, and must call a meeting as soon as possible – today. “If you organise it, Diane and I will be right behind you!” Dai promises.

Gaynor cannot believe this, and calls it a disgrace;

"You show Probert who's boss round here!"

Dai tells them, “Well done, ladies – you show Probert who’s boss around here!”

"I should have realised you had something up your sleeve!"

Diane says she should have realised that he had something up his sleeve.

Angela looks at their former home

Angela stands outside Hywel’s house, looking up at it, when Eifion passes, on his way to the Deri; “If these walls could talk,” he comments, and she asks if he has seen her mother.

"She's at Penrhewl, where she lives"

“She’s at Penrhewl, where she lives,” he replies, and Angela was hoping to bump into her without Jim.

"I was happy here – you, me and Courtney"

“I was happy here, you know,” she recalls, “You, me and Courtney.” He remembers that a lot of lies have been told in that house, and there have been a lot of sleepless nights, thanks to her.

"The thought of all those men kept you awake, too"

“I bet the thought of all those men kept you awake, too,” she emphasises, “Like you said, a lot of lies. Meet me in the Deri later? I think we’ve got some catching up to do.”

Eifion arrives just in time to hear . . .

Eifion enters the Deri, followed by Iori, just as Iolo is announcing the winner of the raffle; “I’d like to thank you all for supporting the rugby club raffle –

. . . that the winning number is 617 . . .

“the first prize is a holiday cottage over Christmas, and the winning number is 617.

. . . which Eifion finds is his

Eifion rather sheepishly finds that he is the winner, and Iori is very put out about this, after spending £50.

"It's not every day you win a holiday"

Garry tells Eifion to smile; “It’s not every day you win a holiday.”

"I have no-one to take with me"

Eifion replies that he would smile if he had someone to take with him; Cadno and her partner are taking the boys away somewhere.

"I could take it off your hands"

Iori enquires if he could take this holiday off Eifion’s hands, and after some haggling, they agree on £120;

"Not a word to the Joneses, mind"

“And, if you see one of the Joneses, not a word, as I want to surprise them – we’re going to have a Christmas to remember!”

Why on earth did he let her in?

DJ is having lunch at Bryntirion when Gwyneth arrives;

"You were desperate for a go!"

“I saw the way you looked at that bike – you were desperate for a go – I could see it in your eyes.

"Daddy's not here now, is he?"

“If Daddy hadn’t been there, you would have come with me. But he’s not here now, is he? And the bike’s outside – so there’s nothing to stop us, is there?”

"Take your helmet and leave me alone!"

DJ declares, “I’m not interested – so take your helmet and leave me alone!” Quite satisfied that her plan is working, she leaves the house.

The protest meeting has begun

The short-notice meeting takes place in the Deri flat; Hywel thanks them all for coming and points out that this a bit of a crisis. “Having a landfill site near the village would be terrible.”

"We need to stop him now!"

Dai pipes up, “We need to stop Jim Probert, and we need to stop him now!”

"There are three factors"

Hywel continues that the site in question is Pwll Bach, and they oppose it on the basis of three factors; again Dai interrupts to point out, “The place would stink – we wouldn’t be able to hang out any washing!”

"And there would be heavy lorries"

Hywel goes on, “Secondly, heavy lorries would be travelling through the village, and thirdly, it sends out the wrong message.”

"The focus should be on recycling!"

Dani points out that the focus should be on recycling, not burying waste in the ground,

"What can we do?"

and Iolo demands what they can do.

"I'm not here to cause trouble"

At this point, Jim appears and assures them he is not here to cause trouble, but wants a chance to defend himself. “I know you’re angry, but give me a chance – five minutes, please!”

"Well, Iori is on his way over"

Debbie’s feet are killing her, and all she wants is a quiet night; “Well, Iori is on his way over – he wants to ask us something,” Mark informs her,

"He just wants an excuse to visit"

“He just wants an excuse to visit, doesn’t he? Do you think we should have a word with him? He’s a nice bloke, but we don’t want to see him every day.”

"We can't tell him where to go"

Debbie replies that they can hardly tell him where to go, but Mark says he must have family somewhere, and they should hint that he contacts them; “The longer we leave it, the more difficult it will get –

"He'll be cwtching up in bed with us at this rate!"

“he’ll be cwtching up in bed with us at this rate!”

She confesses that Steve and the engagement were imaginary

Angela and Eifion sit down in the Deri; “You didn’t get an engagement ring then?” he asks, and she confesses she did not get engaged and Steve does not exist.

"I'm surprised you remember what's true and what's not!"

“I’m surprised you remember what’s true and what’s not!” he exclaims. She just wanted people to think that she was happy, then changes the subject to ask about Cadno.

"Things are improving – slowly"

He says things are improving slowly, and realises he has put her through so much;

"Were you sleeping with men when we were together?"

Angela asks, “Were you sleeping with men when we were together? I want to know.” He nods his head, but insists that he still loved her; he is bisexual, and can still love women.

"You've got a nerve!"

She says, “You’ve got a nerve – giving me a hard time while you were sleeping with men. The more I think about it, the more unfair it is. We both deceived each other – but I’m the only one who lost everything.”

"Cadno has gone and taken the boys"

He points out that Cadno has left and taken the children with her, but she reminds him that he still sees them, and he has not been cut out of his family.

"We might have been able to reach an understanding"

“You should have told me – we might have been able to reach an understanding – you should have tried to talk to me,” she insists, but he says that they are talking now.

"There's a meeting upstairs to oppose Pwll Bach"

Garry tells Gwyneth that there is a meeting upstairs to oppose Pwll Bach, and she wonders what Probert expected; “No-one wants a smelly dump on their doorstep.”

"They will have eaten Jim alive by now!"

Garry reports that Jim went up there earlier, and imagines that they will have eaten him alive.

Jim faces a hostile audience

Jim is at that moment addressing the audience, “You’re not listening – Pwll Bach was landfill years ago, and we had none of these problems.”

"Times have changed since then"

He appeals to Cassie for support, but she points out times have changed since then.

"They used to send children up chimneys!"

Iolo protests, “They used to send children up chimneys, but that doesn’t make it right!”

Jim is insistent that there are a lot of advantages – jobs for instance – he is not sure how many, and predicts it will boost the local economy. The audience, however, are of the opinion that it will boost things for him. Dai warns them not to believe a word Jim says.

"A landfill site was Dai's idea!"

“Opening a landfill site was his idea – but he couldn’t afford it!” shouts Jim.

"Nonsense – I was only looking at options"

Dai maintains that he was only looking at options, and when he saw how much damage it would cause, he changed his mind straightaway.

"Jim is the one who wants to spoil the area"

Hywel points out that it is Jim who wants to open the landfill and spoil the area.

Angela arrives and gives the kiss of death to Jim's hopes

Then Angela comes upstairs and interrupts the proceedings; “I’ve known Jim longer than anyone, and two things mean a lot to him – family and the community.

"Jim is a good man – you can trust him!"

“Do you really think Jim wants to destroy his own village? He’s just become a father again – he wouldn’t do anything that would affect Huwi. Jim is a good man – you can trust him!”

Dai says that they all remember exactly what she did, and Diane adds that she does nothing but tell lies.

"You hardly know the mine is there!"

Angela ploughs on, “You hardly know the mine is there – you can’t see it from the village.”

Jim wants her to stop,

"He wants to ruin the village for everyone"

and Hywel summarises that what he is offering will ruin the village for everyone; “No-one will want to buy houses here, and you can go on and on about jobs and the economy, but it’s nonsense.”

Iolo stresses, “Having her stand up for him says it all!”

Jim realises he might as well give up

and Jim realises he has lost the battle.

"I've got something to ask you"

Iori arrives at Maes-y-Deri, and hopes he is not disturbing them; “I’ve got something to ask you,” he begins, and Debbie says she wants to ask him something too.

"Shouldn't you contact your family?"

“We’ve been thinking – as Christmas is the time for family, it’s an opportunity for you to contact your family. Your sister has children, doesn’t she? Why don’t you ring them?”

He pretends this is a good idea

Iori replies that it is a good idea, commenting that it will be nice to put the world to rights.

Rather deflated, he is about to leave, saying, “200 glow-in-the-dark baubles won’t sort themselves out! What I wanted to ask is not important – I just wanted your thoughts on the stall today.

"These knees are not what they used to be"

“I shall need some help – these knees aren’t what they used to be.”

"I'll ask around for you, Iori"

Debbie will ask around to see if she can find someone, and he takes his leave;

Debbie feels guilty

she feels rather guilty.

Hywel winds up the meeting

As the meeting draws to a close, Hywel advises they will have to start thinking about protests, petitions and posters; “We need to throw everything at this, to make sure it doesn’t happen!”

"There's something attractive about a man with passion!"

Cassie remarks to Diane, “There’s something attractive about a man with passion!” and proposes to buy Hywel a drink.

"What do you think you were doing?"

Angela maintains that she was trying to support Jim, but he snarls,

"Stay away from me – and my family!"

“I’ve told you before, and I’ll tell you again, stay away from me and stay away from my family!”

"No-one wants you sticking your nose in!"

Then Diane says her piece, “No-one wants you, of all people, sticking your nose in, Angela!”

"All I want is some peace and quiet"

Downstairs in the bar, DJ arrives, and Gwyneth jokes, “We’ll have to stop meeting like this – people will talk!” He is adamant that all he wants is a pint, plus some peace and quiet.

"A strong man like you, living with Daddy!"

She taunts him, “Is DJ losing his temper? Look at you, a strong man like you, living with daddy. Does Diane make you cocoa every night, or does Dai read you a story?