Cwmderi Diary 2018: 3 December 2018

"Why haven't you gone to school?"

Colin returns to the chip shop flat the next morning, and finds Aaron playing with his computer game; “Why aren’t you in school?” he asks. Aaron replies that Catrin is on a sleepover somewhere, then picks up his bag, ready for school,

Aaron grabs a snack bar for his breakfast

grabbing something to eat on the way.

Colin is concerned that he has had no breakfast, then Britt appears from the bedroom,

"I want to talk to you"

and he wants to talk to her after Aaron goes to school. “The bus went ages ago, so I shall take him,” Colin tells her, “I’ll come straight back, so we can talk.”

"My Christmas list is on the fridge"

“Mam, my Christmas list is on the fridge,” Aaron tells his mother, and she promises to get everything he wants,

Britt is all over him again

and extravagantly hugs him once more.

“Do you know what? You’re still Mami’s little boy, aren’t you?” she enthuses, and Aaron does not quite understand what is going on;

Colin is at a loss to understand it

nor does Colin.

Mal is the first to see that Dani is back

A blue Volkswagen campervan pulls up outside the Deri, and Mal recognises the driver as Dani;

Ed waves to her

Ed is crossing the road and waves to her, as he goes to open up the chippy.

Dani is concerned to see Gwyneth in the salon

Dani notices that Gwyneth is inside the salon, and looks puzzled.

"Let's go and see Dadi, shall we?"

“Right, let’s go and see Dadi, shall we?” she says to Seren.

Colin escorts Aaron into the school and is reprimanded by Gaynor; “You’re not supposed to be on school premises!”

"I wanted to make sure he got to the classroom"

He explains that Aaron missed the bus and he wanted to make sure he got to the classroom; he goes on to say Britt is not her usual self, and Aaron was playing computer games when he went over there.

"He hadn't even had any breakfast"

“He hadn’t even had his breakfast,” he says, but Gaynor is confident that things will get back to normal now that he is back there.

"I'm worried she's having some kind of breakdown"

“I’m worried that Britt maybe having some kind of breakdown or something,” he fears.

"I'll talk to Aaron"

Gaynor will have a word with Aaron.

"Guess who?"

Garry is putting flowers on the table in the Deri flat when Dani creeps silently in; “Guess who?” she says, and Garry is delighted to see her and Seren.

"I wasn't expecting you until next week"

He was not expecting her back until next week, but she says she could not wait.

He explains the presents of the flowers, “Someone phoned to ask if we still do B&B. They are coming to stay for three weeks – I don’t think we know her – she’s a ‘Gog’! How does it feel to be back?”

"It's strange to be back – and Gwyneth in the salon?"

Dani replies that it feels odd; “It’s strange to be back, after all that’s happened. And Gwyneth in the salon? I can’t believe that Sheryl left her the place!”

"You're home – and we're together!"

He urges her to forget about that now, and is happy that she is home, and they are together; “That is all that matters!”

The head teacher chats to Aaron

Gaynor has a chat with Aaron, assuring him that it is totally confidential; “I’m late because the alarm didn’t go off!” he protests,

"Your marks haven't been quite so good lately"

but she points out that his marks have not been quite so good lately, and enquires if anything has changed at school or at home.

She continues, “Are you worried about anything? Catrin, or your mother? You don’t have to go through anything on your own.”

"I'm not worried about anything"

He again insists that he has no worries, and Gaynor says they will leave it for today.

"I hope there are no problems there"

Tyler comes in, and is told that Gaynor hopes nothing is the matter with Aaron’s family.

Britt is arranging a darts match . . .

Colin looks exasperated as Britt is organising a darts contest; “No, it won’t be a problem – I can get a team together,” she says, and laughs hysterically.

. . . with Theresa from Llanelli

She explains that was Theresa from Llanelli, and wonders who to ask.

"I just want to talk, Britt"

Colin simply wants to talk, but Britt goes on about Anita not being able to play, as she is rubbish. He asks if he can move back in here;

"After you said I was losing my marbles?"

“After you said I was losing my marbles?” He emphasises that he is concerned about her – and that she is not her usual self.

"Stop treating me as if I'm ill all the time!"

“Stop treating me as if I was ill all the time!” she rants, but he is concerned about her well-being. “You’re doing it again! There’s nothing wrong with me,” she replies,

"I think you'd better go!"

“I think you’d better go!”

"Are you finishing with me. Britt?"

He demands if she is finishing with him, and she does not appear to be sure;

"I can't handle you wittering on and on!"

“I just can’t handle you wittering on and on all the time!” she groans.

“Look, we can work through this – I love you, Britt,” Colin assures her, “Don’t you love me?”

"I don't want you here, Colin!"

She says that she does, but she does not want him here, so he picks up his coat and leaves. Her mind is more concerned with the darts team.

A taxi arrives in the village

A taxi arrives in the village, and someone wearing high-heeled shoes alights from it;

Colin is too pre-occupied to notice who it is

Colin walks past, but does not notice her.

She heads towards the festively decorated Deri

She proceeds along the road towards the Deri, with its Christmas tree outside,

"We're back!"

and announces to no-one in particular, “We’re back!”

Dani disapproves of artificial trees

Inside the Deri, Dani voices her disapproval of artificial trees; “They’re so bad for the environment, Gar,” she moans.

"Cassie, isn't it?"

The woman comes in and advises she has booked a room; it takes Garry a few seconds to recognise her as Cassie, and she realises he is Britt’s brother, Garry.

“Before you say it, no, I haven’t changed a bit!” she says,

She is introduced to Dani

and Garry introduces her to Dani, his wife.

"What brings you to Cwmderi?"

When asked what brings her back to Cwmderi, Cassie replies, “Jean McGurk – I’ve brought her home!”

She has brought Jean McGurk's (MRS MAC'S) ashes

She places an urn, containing ashes, on the bar.

They find this rather surreal

Both Garry and Dani look somewhat nonplussed.

"Why does she want to organise this now?"

Garry puts up a notice about the darts match, and wonders, “Why does she want to organise this now, before Christmas?”

"Don't ask me – I don't know anything!"

Colin does not know the answer – in fact he does not know anything, and walks out of the pub.

"Welcome back, Dani"

Gwyneth welcomes Dani back, and queries what is the strange item on the bar.

Britt is moaning, as usual

Britt rushes in, disappointed that no more people have arrived for the darts, but Garry says that he has only just put up the notice.

"I'll play, if you want!"

Cassie volunteers to take part;

They are surprised to see her

Anita and Britt are surprised to see her, and she explains, “I’ve come to scatter Jean McGurk’s ashes – she died a few weeks ago. She fell, and there were complications in hospital.

"Her heart was in Cwmderi"

“Although she been in Tenerife for a long time, her heart was in Cwmderi.”

Britt demands that Garry give her the darts, and he says that Colin was in earlier;

"Never been better!"

“Is everything OK?” Britt answers that it has never been better,

Unusual dart-throwing stance?

and invites Cassie to show them how it is done.

"I'm not interested in playing darts"

Colin has gone to see Gaynor once more, but she informs him, “I’m not interested in playing darts – I don’t see how darts will bring Britt and me closer.

"I don't know what else to do"

He begs her, “I don’t know what else to do – she won’t talk to me. I’ve never seen her like this before – if you went round and kept an eye on her – please?”

"I want to talk to her, anyway"

She eventually agrees, and needs a word with her about something else, anyway. Colin is very relieved.

Mathew and Rhys seem to be considering a Christmas holiday

As they come into the Deri, Mathew tells Rhys he wants to get away, but is told that it is very expensive; “We can get one of those last-minute deals!” Mathew insists.

"I'll come with you, if you're stuck!"

Cassie interrupts, “I’ll come with you if you’re stuck! I’m in bed by eleven these days, so I won’t cramp your style –

"Unless you want me to cramp your style!"

“unless you want me to cramp your style, of course!” She introduces herself to them, and Rhys is surprised she does not recognise him.

"I didn't recognise you with those muscles!"

Then she suddenly realises; “I didn’t recognise you with those muscles!”

"Standards have improved here"

She mutters to Garry, “Standards have improved since the last time I was here.”

Britt was not expecting Gaynor to come

Gaynor arrives, ostensibly for the darts, and Britt did not think that she would be interested; “It’s a good way of focusing the mind,” explains Gaynor.

Anita needs some serious practice

When Anita throws her first dart, Gwyneth seems to be less than impressed, but tells her that she needs a bit of practice.

Gaynor raises the subject of rubbish outside the chippy . . .

“I wanted a word with you about something else, too,” begins Gaynor, “We’ve received complaints that some pupils are throwing rubbish outside the chip shop – I thought you could have a word with them, and put signs up urging them to throw rubbish into the bin.”

. . . and Britt immediately flies into a rage

Britt takes serious exception to this; “Let me get this straight – you want me to take responsibility for your pupils’ behaviour when they’re not in school! Don’t look down your nose at me, just because I run a chip shop.

Gaynor wishes she had kept quiet

“Maybe you are a posh headteacher, with all your qualifications – but if you’ve got problems with your pupils, don’t blame me!

"Colin thinks the sun shines out of your backside!"

“Perhaps Colin thinks the sun shines out of your backside, but I know better!”

Then Gaynor is persuaded to try her hand with the darts

Then she decides that it is time Gaynor had a try with the darts,

Is Gwen participating, or just watching?

and very apprehensively she does so.

It appears that Dani has gone all ecological

In the Deri flat, Dani explains to Tyler, “The biggest new venture is – I’ve been cleaning beaches – picking up plastic and stuff like that.” He describes her as a real eco-warrior, and she goes on, “I think we have responsibility to respect the planet – for Greta and Seren!”

"I don't want to talk about it!"

When he asks if she has heard from Gethin, she snarls, “I don’t want to talk about it – but no, I haven’t!

"I'm determined to look at the good and the positive!"

“I dreaded coming back – so many bad things have happened here. That’s why I’m determined to look at the good and the positive!

"I don't want to hear his name ever again!"

“I don’t want to hear his name ever again.”

Cassie extols the virtues of her conquest, Alfonso

Cassie is showing Britt and Anita pictures on her phone of Alfonso on the beach; “I met him when I went to Tenerife once – that’s what I call a holiday – it was better than watching the sunset.”

"It's lucky he's holding his hat there!"

Anita remarks that it is lucky he is holding his hat there, or she would not know where to look. Cassie does not know how old he is; “I haven’t asked him – I can’t understand him – his accent’s a bit broad –

"We didn't have much time to talk!"

“and we didn’t have much time to talk!”

"Pupils' behavioural problems are your responsibility!"

Kelly walks in and wants to speak to Gaynor; “I got your message about the rubbish outside the café. The pupils’ behavioural problems are your responsibility!”

Britt cannot believe that Kelly has been asked to sort out rubbish problem too;

"That would make you look bad, wouldn't it, Mrs Perfect?"

“Why don’t you ban pupils from leaving the school grounds? That would sort the problem – but no, that would make you look bad then, wouldn’t it, Mrs Perfect?”

Gaynor is furious;

"Let the rubbish pile up – I don't care!"

“Forget I mentioned it – let the rubbish pile up outside your businesses – I couldn’t care less!”

"Garry, go and get Dani!"

Britt instructs Garry to go and get Dani, as they are one short for the darts team.

They have been chatting about Christmas

Tyler tells Dani, “It will be great this year – Greta will understand more about it.” Then Garry comes in to tell Dani she is required to play darts.

"A camper van on the beach this Christmas"

As she is about to walk out of the door, Tyler comments to Garry, “I understand you are having a different kind of Christmas this year – a camper van on the beach.”

"Sorry, I haven't told you, Gar"

Of course, Dani has not yet mentioned this to Garry, so tells Tyler that she will be on her way shortly, then explains,

"I've been talking to a few of the crew I met"

“I’ve been talking to a few of the crew I got to know recently, about spending Christmas together.”

"In a camper van on the beach?"

“In a camper van on the beach?” he asks, and she suggests they could put up a tent as well.

Garry makes his feelings crystal clear

“You’re really selling it to me now – no!” he declares, “Seren has had enough of life on the road – Christmas morning, I want us all here – lots of presents, lots of food, lots of central heating!”

"I've never felt so embarrassed!"

Gaynor reports back to Colin, “I’ve never felt so embarrassed – she showed me up in front of everyone!” He stresses that Britt has suddenly become like that; Gaynor adds, “I’ve disagreed with Britt in the past – and she’s never been the most stable person.”