The end of the war presents special problems to George Palfrey and his wife Alice in their somewhat battered home in Peckham. Alice is still suffering from bomb injuries to her back. George, the optimist, has given up his job and makes a precarious living with odd deals and backing horses. Their elder daughter Grace keeps house. The two younger children, Harry and Gloria, were evacuated to the U.S.A. and are now expected back. How will they react to post-war conditions of which they can only have a hazy idea? The answer is disturbing. Both are dismayed by the drabness and poverty, and soon exasperated by constant descriptions of bombing and the mistaken feeling that they are reminded too often that they have been sheltered. Harry is very intolerant and threatens to go back to the States if the money is not produced for an engineering course. Gloria has for yeas had a devoted admirer in Frank Gilpin of the A.F.S., who lives next door, and a more recent beau in Huck Kauffman, a G.I. stationed in London. She plays one fellow against the other, and the behaviour of herself and Harry causes a family upheaval. Gloria is taught a lesson. Huck falls for Grace and she for him. Frank threatens to go up North, but Gloria subdues her pride and begs him not to do so. Then Alice springs a surprise, pleasant to all but George. He has entrusted his bets to Frank’s young brother ‘Erbie, but now finds the money has always been handed secretly to Alice who has saved it all against a rainy day. The money for Harry’s training is therefore forthcoming, all rifts are healed, and peace comes at last to Peckham.

Published by Samuel French – RARE

106 pages

Condition; GOOD – some light wear, pencil annotations, one page slightly torn, but repairable – script unaffected.