In Announcement, Walters has a story that the government is due to build a machine tool plant in Westdale that would guarantee a minimum of 700 jobs to the area. Returning from London Hadleigh announces that the story is bigger than that – the Plant is actually going to Wales instead and that all the town will get is a small electronics factory.
Hadleigh tells Walters the deal was brewing for some time and infers that it was the catalyst for him leavng the civil service. Although it may well have been a relationship he was having with the wife of fellow minister and Hadleigh’s boss The Hon. Austin Gregory.
Matters come to a head when Gregory pays a visit to Westdale to announce the electronics factory. Given an advance look at the minister’s planned speech Hadleigh and Walters realise that he is still not going to admit that the plant will not be going ahead. Hadleigh is willing to risk breaking the official secrets act and release the real facts of the story if the minister doesn’t change his speech. Thankfully for Hadleigh, Gregory elects to tell the truth.
There’s a fabulous scene where Hadleigh visits Westdale Palais with Sue and takes to the dance floor, first to a 1920’s Charleston number followed by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown’s number one Fire. It’s quite an interesting development, Hadleigh has made several comments about Sue so far and it’s clear he is interested in her – even if she is much younger than him. Although at this stage it’s still at the flirty stage.
Cult favourite Adrienne Corri (A Clockwork Orange) plays Gregory’s wife Helga.
production details
UK / ITV – Yorkshire / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Friday 27 September 1968 at 9.00pm
Writer: Elwyn Jones / Production Design: Gordon Livesey / Director: David Andrews
Series: Gazette Episode 9 of 13
cast
Gerald Harper as James Hadleigh
Jon Laurimore as Walters
Gillian Wray as Sue
Michael Blackham as Bill
Adrienne Corri as Helga Gregory
Robert Harris as Rt Hon Austin Gregory
Ralph Michael as Colonel Chamberlayne
Ben Aris as Potter
June Liversidge as Vanessa
Kevin Walker as Copy boy
