Spring & Port Wine
Characters
​
Rafe . Daisy
Their children: Florence . Wilfred . Harold . Hilda
Outside characters: Betsy Jane . Arthur
.jpg)
Foreword by the author - Bill Naughton
Home
Even with the best intentions it can be hard to keep peace at home. As children grow up they test boundaries, questioning the way of the world and feeling the need to be released to find their own path.
Fall
Young love and its dangers.
Daughter Hilda returns from a party feeling a little merry from the excitement of a wedding, love and a little port wine. Her brothers tease her singing 'The Banks of Allen Water' by Matthew Lewis which we've featured in the lyrics.
The Clock That Tells Time
Rafe feels that his children are all terrible portrayals of society today, smoking indoors, enjoying glossy magazines full of gossip and he isn't afraid to tell them so. "In my day..."
Dignity
The neighbor down the road, Betsy Jane, has come to ask Daisy (Rafe's wife) to borrow some money. When Daisy says she can't, Betsy throws a load of gossip at her. It seems that the family aren't the only ones aware of Rafe's dominant nature.
Betsy Jane
Betsy finds out that Rafe manages the family money and is disgusted.
"He's got the key, eh?...If I had him here, I'd ruin him!"
​
Daisy doesn't know how to find some money to give to her daughter Hilda who is threatening to leave and ends up pawning Rafe's brand new coat.
You and Your Truth
Florence's boyfriend Arthur has had enough of Rafe.Â
Hilda refuses to eat her herring at dinner and a stand off ensues. Her brother, tired of all of the unrest in the house feeds the fish to the cat.
Rafe has no control over the house and explodes. Arthur finally stands up to him and he leaves with Florence.
Florence and Arthur
Florence is headstrong, the eldest of the children.
Arthur is completely in love with her but she constantly brushes him off disinterested.
When Arthur proves he has a will of his own, standing up to Rafe, Florence realises her love that lay hidden behind her preconceptions of Arthur being too timid.
In Her Eyes
The truth comes out and Rafe realises the strain he has put his family through, especially Daisy.
Balancing out the wills of so many people within the house has been put on her shoulders for too long and Rafe tries to make amends.