Plot[]
It is Mr Swindley's birthday and every year a heavy parcel arrives from Great Aunt Ellen - a squashed birthday cake. A quick pay-day whip-round results in enough for the perfect birthday treat for the popular Assistant Manager - a set of Pablo Casals records. Ernest Parbold springs his own anniversary surprise as the day of Swindley's birthday also marks Parbold's twentieth year with the firm and he modestly tells Swindley that he expects a present too. Knowing that he has no chance to get enough money for the unpopular manager for the staff, Swindley's solution is to pretend to Parbold that the records are his gift from the staff. Being more of an Eartha Kitt fan, Parbold 'generously' donates his records back to Swindley, telling him that he's satisfied as it's the thought that counts.
Cast[]
Regular cast[]
- Leonard Swindley - Arthur Lowe
- Miss Sinclair - Joy Stewart
- Mrs. Edgeley - Betty Driver
- Mr. Parbold - Paul Dawkins
Guest cast[]
- Pam Plummer - Barbara Young
- Mavis Foster - Holly Doone
- Gladys Cheeseborough - Margery Campi (Credited as "Gladys Cheesborough")
Notes[]
- Comments within the dialogue show that Swindley's service date with Dobson and Hawks is 2nd June - the date on which the first episode was shown. Swindley's birthday is not given a date but he is stated quite clearly as being a Leo which puts his birthday to between 16th August to 15th September however within the narrative of Coronation Street his date of birth was given as 9th December 1916.
- This episode was transmitted on Thursday 29th July at 7.00pm by both Scottish Television and Border Television. Alone of the series this episode was not transmitted by Grampian Television but along with the rest of the series, it was also not transmitted by Westward Television, Channel Television or the Teledu Cymru service of Television Wales and the West.
- Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 5,510,000 homes (8th place).
Commercial releases[]
This episode was included in Network DVD collection Pardon the Expression - The Complete First Series, released on 4th May, 2009.