Hadleigh: A Household of Gamblers (ITV 30 Apr 1976, with Lois Baxter)

In A Household of Gamblers it’s becoming obvious to everyone around him that things are beginning to look very bleak for James in fact they are going out of their to help him. Stable boss Tedbut has laid off half his staff in a bid to economise but the move has not gone down at all well and the rest of the staff have come out on strike. Worse still there is a major race coming up that one of the horses is firm favourite for. After an accident leaves one of the horses lame and having to be put down James sacks the young apprentice responsible – he just happens to be the brother of jockey Johnny Sefton and when Johnny finds out what is going on he refuses to ride in the race.

Meanwhile Lady Helen, mis-overhearing a phone conversation of Hadleigh’s, thinks he is selling all of his properties. She decides to sell off all her shares in what appears to be a bid to raise money to help James. This gives James the opportunity to meet stockbroker Zena Sheridan (she is handling Helen’s shares), she is apparently minded but there is definitely a mutual attraction between her and Hadleigh.

When Joanna does turn up to join Hadleigh at the races she is sporting an epic black eye. She has had a fight with Sefton but James doesn’t seem that bothered, which seems somewhat out of character. Joanna also reveals in the final scene that she has been offered a job with a well known trainer in the Argentine and will be taking it.

James is very out of sorts pretty much all the way through this episode, he really does not like the fact that everybody seems to know about how much debt he is in and definitely is not happy about economising going on without his say so. Even Sutton gets in on the act buying a different brand of Scotch Whisky simply because it was on sale!

production details
UK / ITV – Yorkshire / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Friday 30 April 1976 at 9.00pm

Writer: Patsy Trench / Production Design: Vic Symonds / Director: Derek Bennett

Series: Hadleigh Season 4 Episode 9

cast
Gerald Harper as James Hadleigh
Jenny Twigge as Joanna Roberts
Peter Dennis as Sutton
Ambrosine Phillpotts as Lady Helen
Joseph Greig as Tedbut
Richard Gibson as Steve
Noel Johnson as Roland Shepperton
Lois Baxter as Zena Sheridan
Malcolm McFee as Johnny Sefton
Raleigh Gilbert as Commentator