Will Ye No Come Back Again
Encyclopedia
Will Ye No Come Back Again is the twelfth episode of the fifth and final series of the period drama
Upstairs, Downstairs
. It first aired on 23 November 1975 on ITV
.
in Wester Ross
, Scotland
, and was filmed from 6 to 9 May. The idea behind part of the plot, regarding poaching
, was taken from the 1953 film
Laxdale Hall
, which was written and produced by Alfred Shaughnessy
, the script editor of Upstairs, Downstairs. The only main cast member needed for the location scenes was Gordon Jackson, who was provided with a double
so he was only needed for one day of filming. Despite being the twelfth episode to air, Will Ye No Come Back Again was the last ever episode of Upstairs, Downstairs to be recorded in the studio.
The title of the episode is taken from the Scottish Jacobite
song Bonnie Charlie
written by Lady Nairne
.
with Alice, Richard, James, Georgina, Hudson, Mrs. Bridges, Edward, Daisy and Ruby go to stay in a house owned by Lord Berkhamstead in Carnachy in the Scottish Highlands
. Hudson, Mrs. Bridges, Daisy and Ruby arrives first, and find that there is no electricity
, the grocery order has not arrived and there is no wood for the fire
. On the first evening Roderick McKay, Lord Berkhamstead's head gillie
, arrives and tells the servants the story of how the former laird
died at the house after being injured at the Battle of Culloden
. McKay says that the laird returns as a ghost
on a handcart
during the night, and that evening Ruby hears a cart. When she hears the same the second night, she screams.
The following morning, James gets ready to go fly fishing
until McKay tells him that there are no fish
in the river. Richard goes to stay with a friend for a few days, and while he is away James tells Georgina of his love for her. However, Georgina says that she does not love him in that way. James then leaves privately very early the following morning for London
. Meanwhile, while looking for the generator
Hudson finds a room that has recently been used to prepare fish. During the night he then sees McKay and others poaching
fish. McKay and Hudson then come to a "gentlemen's agreement
" that McKay will ensure there are fish for James, and the electricity and hot water also soon start to work. McKay also reveals that the noises Ruby heard were made by him.
When they get back to London, Richard and Georgina get a telegram
from James saying he is in Liverpool
and is going to see Elizabeth
in New York
.
Period piece
-Setting:In the performing arts, a period piece is a work set in a particular era. This informal term covers all countries, all periods and all genres...
Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...
. It first aired on 23 November 1975 on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
.
Background
Will Ye No Come Back Again was recorded in the studio on 1, 7 and 8 August 1975. The location footage was filmed in ApplecrossApplecross
The Applecross peninsula is a peninsula in Wester Ross, Highland, on the west coast of Scotland. The name Applecross is at least 1300 years old and is not used locally to refer to the 19th century village with the pub and post office, lying on the small Applecross Bay, facing the Inner Sound, on...
in Wester Ross
Wester Ross
is a western area of Ross and Cromarty in Scotland, notably containing the villages on the west coast such as:* Lochcarron* Applecross* Shieldaig* Torridon* Kinlochewe * * * Aultbea* Laide* Ullapool* Achiltibuie...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and was filmed from 6 to 9 May. The idea behind part of the plot, regarding poaching
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
, was taken from the 1953 film
1953 in film
The year 1953 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*September 16 — The Robe debuts as the first anamorphic, widescreen CinemaScope film.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:A...
Laxdale Hall
Laxdale Hall
Laxdale Hall is a 1953 British comedy film directed by John Elridge and starring Ronald Squire, Kathleen Ryan, Raymond Huntley, Prunella Scales, Fulton Mackay, and Jean Colin....
, which was written and produced by Alfred Shaughnessy
Alfred Shaughnessy
Alfred James Shaughnessy , sometimes known as Freddy Shaughnessy, was an English scriptwriter and producer best known for being the script editor of Upstairs, Downstairs.-Early life:...
, the script editor of Upstairs, Downstairs. The only main cast member needed for the location scenes was Gordon Jackson, who was provided with a double
Body double
A body double is a general term for someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character in any recorded visual medium, in shots where the character's body is shown but the face is either not visible or shown indistinctly, or in shots where the image of the credited actor's face is joined,...
so he was only needed for one day of filming. Despite being the twelfth episode to air, Will Ye No Come Back Again was the last ever episode of Upstairs, Downstairs to be recorded in the studio.
The title of the episode is taken from the Scottish Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
song Bonnie Charlie
Bonnie Charlie
"Bonnie Charlie", commonly known as "Will ye no come back again?", is a Scots poem by Carolina Oliphant which celebrates Jacobitism, set to a traditional Scottish folk tune...
written by Lady Nairne
Carolina, Baroness Nairne
Carolina Nairne, née Oliphant, Lady Nairne was a Scottish songwriter and song collector.-Life:Carolina Oliphant was born in the auld hoose of Gask, Perthshire. She was descended from Clan Oliphant, an old family which had settled in Perthshire in the 13th century, and could boast of kinship with...
.
Cast
- David LangtonDavid LangtonDavid Muir Langton was a British actor who is best remembered for playing Richard Bellamy in the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs.-Early years:...
- Richard Bellamy - Simon WilliamsSimon Williams (actor)Simon Williams is an English actor known for playing James Bellamy in the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs. Frequently playing upper-class roles, he is also known for playing Dr...
- James BellamyJames BellamyMajor The Honourable James Rupert Bellamy MC is a fictional character in the ITV period drama Upstairs, Downstairs, that was originally broadcast for five series from 1971 to 1975... - Lesley-Anne DownLesley-Anne DownLesley-Anne Down is a British film and television actress, former model and singer.Down achieved fame as Georgina Worsley in the ITV drama series Upstairs, Downstairs...
- Georgina Worsley - Gordon JacksonGordon Jackson (actor)Gordon Cameron Jackson, OBE was a Scottish Emmy Award-winning actor best remembered for his roles as the butler Angus Hudson in Upstairs, Downstairs and George Cowley, the head of CI5, in The Professionals....
- HudsonAngus HudsonAngus Hudson was a fictional character in the ITV drama Upstairs, Downstairs, portrayed by actor Gordon Jackson from 1971 until 1975.-Biography:... - Angela BaddeleyAngela BaddeleyAngela Baddeley, CBE , born Madeline Angela Clinton-Baddeley, was an English actress best remembered for her role as Mrs Bridges in the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs...
- Mrs Bridges - Jack WatsonJack Watson (actor)Jack Watson , was an English actor who appeared in many British films and television dramas from the 1950s onwards....
- McKay - Christopher BeenyChristopher BeenyBorn in London, Beeny began his career at the age of six when he danced for the ' Ballet Rambert. He spent several years at the ' Arts Educational School before later progressing to 'RADA.His first screen role was in the 1952 film The Long Memory...
- Edward - Jacqueline TongJacqueline TongJacqueline Tong is an English actress who is best known for playing Daisy Barnes in the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs from 1973 to 1975. In 1975, she was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in the Primetime Emmy Awards.-Early life:Tong was born in Bristol,...
- Daisy - Jenny TomasinJenny TomasinJenny Tomasin is an English actress best known for her roles in Upstairs, Downstairs and Emmerdale.-Career:Tomasin became well known in the early 1970s when she joined the cast of Upstairs, Downstairs as kitchen maid Ruby. She stayed with the series until the end in 1975, appearing in 41 episodes...
- Ruby - Georgine Anderson - Mrs. McKay
- Kenneth Ward - Double for Gordon Jackson
Plot
While Virginia and Rose are in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
with Alice, Richard, James, Georgina, Hudson, Mrs. Bridges, Edward, Daisy and Ruby go to stay in a house owned by Lord Berkhamstead in Carnachy in the Scottish Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
. Hudson, Mrs. Bridges, Daisy and Ruby arrives first, and find that there is no electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
, the grocery order has not arrived and there is no wood for the fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
. On the first evening Roderick McKay, Lord Berkhamstead's head gillie
Gillie
Ghillie or gillie is a Scots term that refers to a man or a boy who acts as an attendant on a fishing, fly fishing, hunting, or deer stalking expedition, primarily in the Highlands or on a river such as the River Spey...
, arrives and tells the servants the story of how the former laird
Laird
A Laird is a member of the gentry and is a heritable title in Scotland. In the non-peerage table of precedence, a Laird ranks below a Baron and above an Esquire.-Etymology:...
died at the house after being injured at the Battle of Culloden
Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...
. McKay says that the laird returns as a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
on a handcart
Cart
A cart is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people...
during the night, and that evening Ruby hears a cart. When she hears the same the second night, she screams.
The following morning, James gets ready to go fly fishing
Fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting...
until McKay tells him that there are no fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
in the river. Richard goes to stay with a friend for a few days, and while he is away James tells Georgina of his love for her. However, Georgina says that she does not love him in that way. James then leaves privately very early the following morning for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Meanwhile, while looking for the generator
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
Hudson finds a room that has recently been used to prepare fish. During the night he then sees McKay and others poaching
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
fish. McKay and Hudson then come to a "gentlemen's agreement
Gentlemen's agreement
A gentlemen's agreement is an informal agreement between two or more parties. It may be written, oral, or simply understood as part of an unspoken agreement by convention or through mutually beneficial etiquette. The essence of a gentlemen's agreement is that it relies upon the honor of the parties...
" that McKay will ensure there are fish for James, and the electricity and hot water also soon start to work. McKay also reveals that the noises Ruby heard were made by him.
When they get back to London, Richard and Georgina get a telegram
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
from James saying he is in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and is going to see Elizabeth
Elizabeth Bellamy
Elizabeth Kirbridge is a fictional character in the ITV period drama Upstairs, Downstairs, that was originally broadcast for five series from 1971 to 1975. She was portrayed by Nicola Pagett....
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.