Hadleigh: A Tale of Two Paintings (ITV 13 July 1973, with Anthony Nicholls)

In A Tale of Two Paintings the focus is on Jennifer’s work as an art restorer. As the episode begins an art gallery owner is keen to show Hadleigh an early Turner sketch but it’s a bit pricey for Hadleigh at £9000. Meanwhile, at the opening of a new antiques shop owned by a friend of Helens, Jennifer spots a painting (priced at just four pounds) that she believes is an unknown Turner.

Jennifer doesn’t buy it at the time (James thinks they should tell the owner what it might be worth, Jennifer doesn’t) and she is less than pleased to learn when they do go back to get the painting that all of the pictures were bought by Charles Hart. James pays him a visit and persuades him to part with on the proviso that he talks to his farm manager Roper about joining Hart. (In the previous episode The Last Rent Dinner, Hadleigh and Roper had had a major disagreement about the running of the estate but James has known him all his life and doesn’t necessarily want to let him go.)

Jennifer invites art expert Sir Nigel Coleshill in to help back her hunch. She knows him professionally and he knows the Hadleigh’s very well having been an old paramour of Helen’s. However it looks like Sir Nigel may be losing his touch. The real reason though turns out to be more romantically inclined – Sir Nigel was something of a lothario in his youth and was not only engaged to someone else when he was seeing Helen he was also spending quite a bit of time with Helen’s friend Enid.

An entertaining episode with Anthony Nicholls very funny as Sir Nigel.

production details
UK / ITV – Yorkshire / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Friday 13 July 1973 at 9.00pm

Writer: Carey Harrison / Production Design: Andrew Drummond / Director: Bob Hird

Series: Hadleigh Season 3 Episode 4

cast
Gerald Harper as James Hadleigh
Hilary Dwyer as Jennifer Hadleigh
David Webb as Willie Pickup
Ambrosine Phillpotts as Aunt Helen
Peter Dennis as Sutton
Joan Hanley as Enid Broughton
Derek Smith as Charles Hart
Anthony Nicholls as Sir Nigel Coleshill
Margot Thomas as Lady Coleshill