The Godiva Affair is the fourth episode of the seventh British comedy series Dad's Army

Dad's Army

Dad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...

that was originally transmitted on Friday 6 December 1974.

Synopsis

As the town is still £2,000 short of the sum it requires for the purchase of a Spitfire

Supermarine Spitfire

The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...

, the platoon decide to drum up support by performing a morris dance

Morris dance

Morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Implements such as sticks, swords, handkerchiefs and bells may also be wielded by the dancers...

 at the fund-raising carnival. It is the identity of the Lady Godiva

Lady Godiva

Godiva , often referred to as Lady Godiva , was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants...

 figure, however, that ends up grabbing the most people's attention.

Plot

The platoon are practising their morris dance in the church hall. Mainwaring notes that Corporal Jones is not his usual self. A few minutes later, Jones comes in and asks for a heart to heart with his Captain. He reveals that his paramour, the widowed Mrs Fox, has become involved with another man - Mr Gordon, the town clerk, who Sergeant Wilson describes as a bald-headed old duffer. Jones implores his commander to do something about it.

Reluctantly, Mainwaring agrees to meet with Mrs Fox in the Marigold Tea Rooms - unfortunately a large portion of the platoon is crowded into the cafe to watch, sensing a scandal. Mainwaring is distinctly embarrassed by the whole affair; he is clearly made uncomfortable by the overly forward Mrs Fox, who he describes as a 'flashy woman'.

He tries to speak to her on Jones' behalf, but when he subtly refers to a new bald-headed admirer, she assumes he means himself - and in the process mistakenly believes he is trying to proposition her. She offers to let Mainwaring have Tuesdays and Thursdays, Jones Mondays and Fridays. When a shocked Mainwaring points out he is talking about Mr Gordon she says "well he can have Wednesdays". The whole meeting leads to speculation through the town that the two are involved, rumours which reach the ears of Mrs Mainwaring.

The same evening Mainwaring is giving a lecture in the office, when they become curious about what is happening in the adjoining church hall. They enter to find the Vicar, Verger, Chief Warden and Town Clerk are holding trials for a Lady Godiva to ride at the head of the coming Spitfire Fund procession. While Mainwaring is outraged and appalled, Hodges tells him not to be so 'Victorian

Victorian morality

Victorian morality is a distillation of the moral views of people living at the time of Queen Victoria's reign and of the moral climate of the United Kingdom throughout the 19th century in general, which contrasted greatly with the morality of the previous Georgian period...

'. Mrs Fox meanwhile persuades Mr Gordon to use his influence to allow her to play the part.

The choice of Mrs Fox causes quite some consternation amongst the womenfolk of the town. Mrs Pike for instance berates Sergeant Wilson for allowing this to happen, noting she is 'much slimmer' than Mrs Fox, while Mrs Mainwaring, clearly suspicious her husband is conducting some sort of affair with Mrs Fox, constantly rings him at the bank and church hall demanding to know why she has not been chosen to play the part. Jones meanwhile is distraught, convinced he has now lost Mrs Fox to Mr Gordon.

On the day of the procession, the platoon are readying themselves for their morris dance. At that moment a tearful Mrs Fox arrives, and falls into the arms of Corporal Jones. Somebody has stolen the Lady Godiva costume from her at the town hall. Fraser disappointedly notes that they won't get to see a Lady Godiva after all.

Just then Pike announces that a Godiva is going down the high street. It is assumed that Mrs Pike has stolen the costume and Mainwaring chides Wilson "can't you keep that woman under control?". However, when it is revealed that it is instead Mrs Mainwaring who has taken the part, a distraught Mainwaring faints into the arms of Jones.

Quotes

• Captain Mainwaring collapses after seeing his wife as Lady Godiva.

Jones - "Speak to me sir, speak to me. Poor Mr Mainwaring, he'll never get over the shock."

Frazer - "Aye, and neither will the horse."

Cast

Cast	Characters
Arthur Lowe Arthur Lowe Arthur Lowe was a BAFTA Award winning English actor. He was best known for playing Captain George Mainwaring in the popular British sitcom Dad's Army from 1968 until 1977.-Early life:...	Captain Mainwaring
John Le Mesurier John Le Mesurier John Le Mesurier was a BAFTA Award-winning English actor. He is most famous for his role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the popular 1970s BBC comedy Dad's Army.-Career:...	Sergeant Wilson
Clive Dunn Clive Dunn Clive Robert Benjamin Dunn OBE is a retired English actor, comedian and author, best known for his role as Lance-Corporal Jack Jones in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army.-Early life:...	Lance Corporal Jones
John Laurie John Laurie John Paton Laurie was a British actor born in Dumfries, Scotland. Although he is now probably most recognised for his role as Private James Frazer in the sitcom Dad's Army , he appeared in hundreds of feature films, including films by Alfred Hitchcock, Michael Powell and Laurence Olivier...	Private Frazer
Arnold Ridley Arnold Ridley Major William Arnold Ridley, OBE was an English playwright and actor, first notable as the author of the play The Ghost Train and later in life for portraying the elderly Private Charles Godfrey in the popular British sitcom Dad's Army .-Early life:Ridley was born in Walcot, Bath, England where...	Private Godfrey
Ian Lavender Ian Lavender Arthur Ian Lavender , better known as Ian Lavender, is an English stage, film and television actor, best known for his role as Private Frank Pike in the BBC comedy series Dad's Army.-Early life and career:...	Private Pike
Bill Pertwee Bill Pertwee William Desmond Anthony Pertwee MBE is a British comedy actor. He is best known for playing the part of antagonist ARP Warden Hodges in the popular sitcom Dad's Army.-Early and personal life:...	ARP Warden Hodges
Frank Williams Frank Williams (actor) Frank Williams is an English actor.Williams was educated at Ardingly College. He starred in The Army Game and as the Vicar in Dad's Army. In 1970, he starred in the short-lived sitcom As Good Cooks Go...	The Vicar
Edward Sinclair Edward Sinclair Edward "Teddy" Sinclair was a British actor most famous for his role as the verger Maurice Yeatman in Dad's Army. He also made appearances in Z Cars and Danger Man.Edward's father was the son of a stage actor who died when he was 14...	The Verger
Janet Davies	Mrs Pike
Pamela Cundell Pamela Cundell Pamela I. Cundell is a British character actress. Her best known role was Mrs Fox in the long-running TV comedy Dad's Army....	Mrs Fox Mrs Fox Mrs Marcia Jones is a minor character, played by the actress Pamela Cundell in Dad's Army, a situation comedy depicting life in wartime England that ran between 1968 and 1977 on BBC TV...
Talfryn Thomas Talfryn Thomas Talfryn Thomas was a British character actor, best known for supporting roles on British television in the 1970s.-Biography:Talfryn Thomas was born in Swansea on 31 October 1922....	Private Cheeseman
Colin Bean Colin Bean Colin Bean was a British actor best known for his role as Private Sponge in the Second World War sitcom Dad's Army from 1968 to 1977, appearing in76 of Dad’s Army’s 80 episodes....	Private Sponge
George Hancock	Private Hancock
Peter Honri	Private Day
Eric Longworth Eric Longworth Eric Longworth was a British actor, best known for his semi-regular part in Dad's Army as Mr. Gordon, the town clerk of Walmington-on-Sea....	Town Clerk
Rosemary Faith	Waitress