LEAVING HOME
By
Andrew Westerside
University of Lincoln
School of Performing Arts
Brayford Pool
Lincoln. LN6 7TS
01522 837672
Cast of Characters
AMY BEECHEY: Susan Freebury
EDITH BEECHEY: Stephanie Jackson
MARGARET BEECHEY: Phoebe Wall-Palmer
WINNIE BEECHEY: Lizzy Hayes
KATHERINE BEECHEY: Charlotte Mooney
FRANCES BEECHEY: Ellie Coleridge
BARNARD BEECHEY: Samuel Mant
CHARLES BEECHEY: Samuel Davis
CHRISTOPHER BEECHEY: Jon Coleman
FRANK BEECHEY: George Creighton
LEONARD BEECHEY: Alex Watson
ERIC BEECHEY: Tom Briggs
HAROLD BEECHEY: Martyn Horner-Glister
SAMUEL BEECHEY: Jake Robinson
RECTOR: Howard Leader
RECRUITING SERGEANT: Sgt. A. Miller
The 2ndBattalion
The Royal Anglian Regiment
MUSIC The Band of The Royal Anglian Regiment, Royal Air Force Cranwell Military Wives Choir, Nick Bruce (Piper, Scunthorpe and District Pipe Band)
STAGE MANAGER Gemma Smart
DIRECTOR Andrew Westerside
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Conan Lawrence.
ii
ACT I – THE CHARABANC
THE PIECE BEGINS IN THE LPAC CAR PARK. AS THE AUDIENCE ARRIVE AT THE COACH, THEY ARE GREETED BY EDIE, WHO TAKES THE TICKETS OF EACH AUDIENCE MEMBER AS THEY BOARD, ASKING THEM POLITELY TO REFRAIN FROM SITTING ON THE BACK ROW. WHEN THE AUDIENCE IS FULLY BOARDED AND SITTING, AMY, MARGARET AND SAM ARRIVE TO TAKE THEIR PLACE ON THE COACH.
EDIE: (WHO IS FIRST ON THE COACH, AS SHE TAKES HER FIRST STEP ON-BOARD, WE HEAR HER SPEAK OVER HER SHOULDER TO MARGARET, WHO IS BEHIND HER) …of course I know that Margaret, but Kat’s older than you. (TO SAM, WHO IS LINGERING) Sam, come on.
MARGARET: Ten months, Edie, ten months –and you’d think it was ten years! Winnie went with Kat, so there’s no reason I couldn’t have gone too.
EDIE: (PLAYFULLY) Don’t forget that Kat doesn’t like you, Marg. (TO AMY) Mother I’ve saved us a row at the back.
MARGARET: Kat does like me. You’re just jealous because you don’t…
AMY: (INTERRUPTING) Enough. Hold this. (SHE HANDS HER BASKET TO A SCOWLING MARGARET). Margaret sit this side of me and straighten your face. Samuel, with Edie.
THEY SETTLE THEMSELVES ON THE BACK ROWN OF THE COACH. AFTER A TIME, THE FIRST VOICE-OVER BEGINS. AS IT DOES SO, AMY ‘SHUSHES’ THE CHILDREN.
V/O: June 23rd. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, nephew of the Emperor of Austria, Heir to the Throne and Commander-in-Chief of the Army, leaves Vienna to attend army manoeuvres in the Province of Bosnia. On Sunday 28th the Archduke visits Sarajevo accompanied by his wife, the Duchess of Hohenburg. While passing through the streets their automobile is fired upon by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb. Both the Archduke and the Duchess were killed.
In light of the assassination the sea of anti-Serbian feeling sweeping Austria-Hungary is easily understood. Yet by the 11th of July the Serbian Minister in Vienna had no reason to anticipate any threatening communications from the Austrian Government. Even as late as July 22nd, the Minister-President of Hungary stated in Parliament that a serious turn of events was not necessary, or even probable.
BARNARD (V/O): Barnard Beechey, Schoolmaster and employee of Lincoln Education Board, eldest child of the Reverend Prince William Thomas Beechey, Rector of Friesthorpe and Snarford until his death in 1912, and Amy Beechey, my mother, who survives him. We grew up here, in Lincolnshire. About nine miles north, in a beautiful little hamlet called Friesthorpe. It's magnificent -the kind of place that just captures your heart. I'm the eldest, then my brother Charles, and when we were young we used to have the most fantastic times in the fields around the rectory. We'd pretend we were explorers, discovering all kinds of things -rocks, old burial sites, roman art - we were quite the young adventurers. We'd make up stories about the things we'd found -explain them to each other, I often wondered if we were destined to be schoolmasters. I remember a summer - Chris had just been born, and Len was about two, so I was no older than six - Charles found the most enormous worm, took it back to the house and told father it was a cobra, and that if he didn't give him a penny it would bite him. To his great surprise father acted as though he was terrified and pulled a penny straight out of his pocket. And now we're men. In the blink of an eye we're men, children in bodies they don't recognise, but somehow became used to. Good men, kind, thoughtful men -I hope. And we stand, it seems, on the brink of war. I used to command the Officer Training Corps, leading the cadets on manoeuvres, charging them up the hill to attack Maiden castle. And still, I don't really know what's coming. I don't really know what it's like, out there. Perhaps I'm too old for all that now anyway. Thirty-seven years old -I don't know where the years disappear to, or what I've got to show for them. I've been in love, I'm just not sure anyone's been in love with me. Ah well, there's still plenty of time for all that.
V/O: July 23rd, Austria shows her hand. An ultimatum of ten demands is delivered to Serbia, with a deadline of forty-eight hours. The demands include: the suppression of newspapers and literature; the suppression of nationalist societies; a reorganisation of schools; a dismissal of officers from the army, and the participation of Austrian officials in Serbian judicial proceedings. It is perhaps fair to say that no independent nation had ever been called upon to accept a greater humiliation.
V/O: July 25th. Russia's significant interest in Serbian affairs, as with all the Balkan states, suggests that she can do naught but take a most serious view of Austria's ultimatum. It is widely understood that Russia will defend Serbia in the event of war.
V/O: July 28th. The strenuous demands of the ultimatum not met, Austria has to-day declared war on Serbia.
CHARLES (V/O): Charles Beechey, Schoolmaster at Stamford School, Lincolnshire. Bar and I were very close. Perhaps not so much once we reached twelve or thirteen, but for those first years we were inseparable. We just became different people. I have a great fondness for him, but he's a harder man than I am, perhaps quicker to temper -or melancholy. Something changed in him when father... you know. Him and Harold took such good care of him, but they never really took care of themselves. Especially Bar -it aged him, I think -always seems half a step behind the rest of the world. We're a family of two halves, in a way. There's me, Ba, Len, Chris, Frances and Frank - although I was already nine by the time Frank was born - and then the others. I was 12 by the time Harold came along and 21 when Sam was born. It's nice that all the girls are similar in age, although I do feel for Fran - she was already eight by the time Kat was born and she'd put up with our teasing for so long, the poor thing. It makes me wonder how mother did it, to be honest with you. You don't think about it growing up, but we rarely wanted for anything. We had such space to play and walk and run, and everyone was lovely in the village. Mr Kirk and Mr Otter would always give their bicycle bells a ring -people were friendly, you know? And now onwards to the future! I suppose I ought to find myself a wife -I'm not such a young man anymore, although it's something I often forget. I'll stay in Lincolnshire. I'm not fond of the big cities -the muck and the smoke, it's all machines now isn't it? Factories and such. I've always wanted to go to Scotland, I'm not sure why, I suppose I like the peace and quiet.
V/O: July 29th. A mere 24 hours after Austria's declaration of war, the Serbian capital of Belgrade is placed under bombardment. The following day, Russian troops fully mobilise in response to Austro-Hungarian aggression in Belgrade.
V/O: July 31st. Germany, allied to Austro-Hungary by treaty, sends an ultimatum to Russia demanding immediate demobilisation. A further ultimatum is sent to France, insisting on French neutrality in the event of a war between Germany and Russia. The ultimatum has a deadline of 12 hours.
LEN V/O: Leonard Beechey, Clerk, London. I work at the Railway Clearing House, which is near Euston. There's about two-thousand of us work there -I'm a payment clerk. Seems I got father's knack for mathematics, most of us did. It's mostly simple calculations, though. When you travel on a train, if the carriage you're riding on is owned by the same people who own the track, then the fee that you pay, all of it, goes to that company. But if the carriage belongs to one company, and the track another, then the fee is split, you see? At the clearing house I work out which company is owed what, and I make sure everyone gets their fair share. There's other things going on, too -the Clearing House sets the standards for the railways. You know the buffers on the end of the trains? Well the old ones have what we call 'Dumb Buffers' on them, and they're not very safe, so the clearing house declared them obsolete. Now people are using spring buffers -I'm sorry this must be terribly boring! I do this all the time to Annie! I met her in London. She's wonderful. She's not from the city either, so we like to get away when we can. Not very far, usually, but we like to go up to Hampstead Heath for walks -you get a lovely sunset up there, just like back home in Lincolnshire where it's so flat. I think I was a rather quiet boy. Bar and Char were the best of friends, and I was just that touch younger. Then by the time I'd reached ten Chris, Fran, Frank, Eric and Harold had all been born, so I suppose I felt a little lost in the crowd. Annie thinks that's why I moved down to the city, because I'm comfortable in crowds. We're terribly close, the family, coming home is still the highlight of my year. And it's easy -especially on the railways because Annie and I can travel for free. I like our Eric, he's smart lad. We go cycling together, down to Market Rasen or over into the Wolds. I'd like to do a little more travelling, I think. I had wanted to go to Germany, the things they're doing with trains is amazing -some of the finest engineering in the world. They've got a few smart fellows at work over there that's for sure. Don't suppose I'll have the chance for a while, it's all looking a little fraught overseas -or so I'm reading.
V/O: August 1st. With scant warning, Germany declares war on Russia. Stock exchanges begin to panic, and close.
V/O: August 2nd. Germany delivers an ultimatum to Belgium requiring that she remain neutral toward any German troops en route for France.
CHRIS V/O: Christopher Beechey, soon-to-be farmer, or, almost ex-employee of the Railway Clearing House. I've been at the RCH with Len for a few years but to be honest with you don't really like it. I prefer the outdoors -god didn't put me here to push other folks pennies around -I didn't get the family trait for numbers. So I'm going to Australia, and I'm trying to convince Harold to come with me. There's a great deal of work on the Wheatbelt. It's on the west coast of Australia, near Perth. It's cooler than the rest of the country and there's a fair bit of rain, so most of the farming happens there - wheat and grain - the Wheatbelt. There's sheep, too, and oranges, but I can't see folk calling it the sheepbelt. It'll be lovely and warm -I can't stand the rain, and the work's outdoors. I'd stay in Lincolnshire if it weren't so bloody cold all the time. London wasn't for me, either. I'm sure it's marvellous if you like it, I know Len does, but no, not for me. It'll sound barmy, this, after telling you I'm emigrating, but I missed the family a bit too much. These big cities, there's lots of people but none of them are your people - does that make sense? Since father died, I've been back with the family a little more. I know she's got the girls, and Sam, of course, and Harold and Frank are close by but -I don't know, I just think it's a lot to do. I don't like the thought of her being alone. She's been through a lot, mother. We're a close family -big, but close. I don't think she likes us all being away from the nest. I think she worries about us. It'd be a thing if this war started, wouldn't it? Think of it, the whole of Europe dragging itself around in a continent of mud. No, it'd be a bloody good war this one, no doubt. Can't see us getting involved though to be honest with you -leave 'em to squabble and if they get too boisterous we'll pop over and give them taste of the Empire.
V/O: August 2nd. France responds to the German ultimatum, stating that France will act in accordance with her own interests. Germany declares war on France.
V/O: August 3rd. As a protectorate of Britain from the 1839 Treaty of London, British Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey announces to Parliament that Britain will fight to defend Belgian neutrality if necessary.
FRANK V/O: Frank Beechey, Schoolmaster at the Choir School, Lincoln, although I can't sing for toffee, the choir masters take care of all that. I'm a fair sportsman, though -captain of Lindum Football Club; wicket keeper for Lindum and county. Between that and riding a motorbike I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing, it's certainly all I did growing up. I'm still in Lincoln, I like to be close to the family. Family's all you've got, isn't it, so you look after them. Edie's my favourite, but don't tell anyone. I've got a lot of time for Fran, too. She liked being older than someone for a change, even if it was only by 18 months. Frances. Frances, and then Frank. I suppose she'd have been Frank if she'd been a boy. Which would have made me Eric. Anyway, now she's got lots of perfectly delightful friends that she can introduce me to, and she does -I'm certain she's intent on marrying me off as soon as possible, which I suppose I ought to consider. Eric's managed it, so I fancy my chances. Mother would like to see some grand-children, I think. She's given up on Bar, though, and Charles wouldn't know what to say to a woman if you gave him a script -truly astounding with numbers, terrible with words. I've noticed Edie getting some smiles from the local boys. With father gone, I suppose one of us'll have to meet the young chaps and make sure they're all tip-top. I'll do that, I think, Harold might just punch them. Been thinking recently, about joining up. Not with any seriousness, I'm just not sure I'm Schoolmaster material. My friend Tom's in the reserves, and he's saying that if we actually went to war, that the reservists might have to fight as well. Not sure where he's heard that from, though, the Army's huge. And don't forget the navy -envy of the world it is. It'd mean leaving home though, most likely, at least for training. Not sure how I'd feel about that.