Part 4 of 6 of the children's fantasy drama. Billy's pancakes have hospitalized most of the school for the day, leaving only Billy left in Mrs Peasgood's class. He explains about the mysterious man in the Fish and Chip shop, but when they go to find him the shop denies ever hiring him. And things get stranger when Billy receives a letter through the post saying he has won a prize at the Circus shop, even though he hasn't even entered. And while down there the unusual shop assistant gives him a choice of prizes, but guides him towards the digital watch as his choice - one that Billy discovers has most peculiar powers...
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00:00Hey! Where else are you rushing to? You know it's against the school rules to run in the
00:17corridors. Anyway, I thought Mr Hardwood had sent you all home. Oh, my missus, please. It's all an
00:24emergency. But what sort of an emergency? An urgent one, miss. Billy Webb, you are not moving from here
00:30until you tell me what this is all about. Fair as I say, miss. I was wondering if I got to the
00:36pancake share. Well, it's nice to see you so enthusiastic, but you don't have to worry,
00:41Billy. I'm sure your pancakes will be a great success. In fact, I'm sure the whole school
00:45will be talking about them by now. That's what I'm afraid of. Please, Mrs Pleasingood,
00:50can I just have a look? Oh, all right. If it's that important to you, go on. But don't run.
00:56Yes, miss.
01:20So you did a runner. Well, then I had no choice, did I? All that hiccuping was because of me and the
01:40flipping pancake stuff. I was the only one who didn't eat and eat, and I didn't get the hiccups. So it must
01:44have been there. And there they all were. Hiccuping like it was going to explode or something. Oh, nice.
01:50You can laugh, but I was in big trouble. I'm sorry, but... Oh, no. Serves you right. That's you talking
01:57about it, that is. So what happened? You must have been scared to go back to school. Yeah. I think
02:05Mr Hardwood was about as pleased as a dog with fleas, and Mrs Pleasingood thought I'd done it on purpose.
02:09Well, it didn't take long to do the register, did it, class four? My, you are all quiet. And what
02:21should we do today? Some group work, perhaps? Maybe a maths test would be a good idea.
02:29Do you know, I can't believe how lucky I am. All over the country, classes are getting bigger.
02:36The pupil-teacher ratio goes up and up, but here am I with just one pupil. It must be
02:44a teacher's dream. I can give you my undivided attention every moment of the day. Isn't that
02:51wonderful, Billy? Yes, Mrs Pleasingood. All right. I'll make a bargain with you. You stop pretending
03:00everything to work, and I will stop pretending that everything is fine, if, and I mean if,
03:06you tell me why we had a fireworks display of hiccups yesterday. You wouldn't believe me.
03:12Try me. All right. I was really worried about not being able to cook, so Dad tried to help
03:20me, but it didn't work out. So he sent me to the fish and chip shop for dinner, and this
03:23man in the fish and chip shop told me all these... Wait a minute, Billy, wait a minute.
03:26What man and what chip shop? The man in the perfect place. It was him. He gave me this
03:31special pancake mix, and that's what gave everyone the hiccups. And so that is why no-one's here
03:35today? Are you sure about this? I'm pretty sure, miss. Well, I think we'd better find out what all
03:42this is about, don't you? We'd better pay a visit to this chip shop after school. In the meantime,
03:50maths workbook. Mrs. Feesgood, was the man right after all those hiccups? Oh, yes, he was all
03:59right. Eventually.
04:04It was dead embarrassing walking along with Mrs. Feesgood. I mean, she's my teacher. I was
04:10scared someone might see me. I'd never leave it down if they did. But I forgot about all that
04:14when we got to the shop. Hello? What can I do you two for? Can I speak to the bloke who's here on
04:20Tuesday? What bloke? He was serving. There's this big queue, and when I looked up, it was gone. He told
04:24me all these jokes about fishing fees. Then he gave me his stuff to make the perfect pancakes. Whoa, slow
04:28down, Sonny Jim. I don't know what you're talking about. I think you must be in the wrong place.
04:32That's just what he said. Who? The bloke who was here on Tuesday. Look, my shop is closed on Tuesday.
04:39All day. The only thing you'd find in here on Tuesday is a few frozen fish cakes in the freezer
04:44and about 50 pounds of King Edwards under the counter. And as far as I know, they've never
04:50talked to anyone. I don't understand. Are you sure this is the same place, Billy? Of course
04:55I am, Miss. Either you've got an overactive imagination or you've got the wrong shop. I'm
04:59sorry, son. Billy, you said there was a queue. Did you recognise anyone? Anyone who could
05:03back up your story? Story? You think I'm lying, don't you, Miss? I didn't say that. That's
05:08what you think. I think we'd better leave. Thanks for your help. Any time. I'm not lying,
05:13Mrs. Spagegood. Honest. I don't understand. I'm not saying that you're lying, Billy. Let's
05:19just forget it for now, hmm? Would you like a bag of chips? Yeah, thanks. Bag of chips coming
05:26right up. And now the best thing you can do, I think, is to go home and get an early night.
05:32And I shall see you and hopefully the rest of the class tomorrow. Is that a deal? Yeah. Thanks,
05:38miss. Salt and vinegar? Yes, please. So I did what she said. I had an early night. Well,
05:44fairly early. That's what she sent us first. But when I woke up the next morning, I still
05:49didn't understand it. Did you go back to the chip shop? No. I'd had enough of chip shops
05:53by then. Besides, I had other things to worry about. Oh, no, no. Morning, Billy. Hi, Billy
06:00boy. You know, I've been thinking. I bet that hurt. Ha ha. No, I was thinking, right, if
06:06dogs should read, then Fred could do a nice hall work for me, couldn't he? Oh, perhaps
06:09they can read, Bill, but we just never bothered to ask them to. Here, I'll watch this. Fred,
06:14read that. No, no, he ain't having it. Perhaps she only likes silent readings. Oh, Bill. Oh,
06:22posty, I'll go. If it's bills, leave them where they are. Can I put it up, dear? Oh, yeah. Just
06:28boiled. Oh, Master William Webber, squire. Sounds very posh. Perhaps it's from Buckingham Palace. Yeah,
06:39maybe they're going to give you a knighthood, Sir William Webber. That'd be nice, Billy. Except
06:45we'd have to shoot ducks and we'd have all them corgis coming round, annoying Fred, messing
06:50up the carpets. Of course, it's a birthday card. No, nobody sends them that early. I mean,
06:55it's not till next week, is it? What's it say, son? Congratulations, you've won a prize. Of course.
07:02In the recent draw to celebrate the opening of our new gift shop at 176 High Street, bring this card
07:07along any day between nine and five to claim your prize. Well done, son. Let's have a look. I didn't
07:13know you'd enter the competition, Billy. I didn't. I wonder how they got my name. I don't know, but I
07:17bet there's a catch in it. You'll probably get a timeshare and a rabbit hutch as long as you spend
07:21loads of money there. Well, don't say that. I mean, it's good publicity for a new shop to give someone
07:26a prize. Hey, you might get your picture in the paper bill. I wonder what you'll get. I don't know,
07:32but I'm going down there after school to find out.
07:53It was great. Thousands of things. I could have stayed there all day. Every time I looked at something,
08:00I wondered if that was going to be reported. I wouldn't have minded any of them.
08:19Charming, sir. Charming. Do you want to buy it? No, I was just looking. Window shopping, eh? Nah,
08:27you got all the windows for me. And you sent me this. Our winner, William Webb. Billy. Everyone
08:35calls me Billy. Right. Billy. Congratulations. You're very lucky, you know. Over 2,000 names were
08:44in that drawer. Yeah. I've never won nothing before. Well, Lady Luck certainly had her beady eye on you
08:49this time, didn't she? Believe in the stars, do you? What do you mean? You know, if your rising moon is in the
08:56sun and your birth planet moves into conjunction with the north star on a cold night, then your luck's
09:00well and truly in. I'm sorry. I don't know what you're talking about. No, I don't believe it either.
09:06Load a codswallop, if you ask me, still. The important thing is you have well and truly won. Come here.
09:12You even have a choice of prizes. Your very own personal stereo. Best Sheffield stainless steel cutlery set
09:26or the very latest in digital watches. Choice is yours. Oh, I don't know. I ain't got a walkman,
09:36but I have to buy tapes for that. The cutlery set's dead posh. Mummy like that. The watch looks
09:42smart too. The moment I spotted you, I could tell you were a boy with judgment. A boy who knows quality
09:47when he sees it. Yeah. I think I love the cutlery set. Almost perfection, this watch is. Press the button
09:53once, you get the date. Twice, you can set it for an alarm call. I don't need an alarm call. I'm always
09:59the first up in the house. You can use it as a stopwatch for running. I don't like running. You
10:03can set it to remind you when your favourite television programme's on. I know that'd be useful.
10:07Last you three lifetimes a watch like this. I don't believe it. What? Well, your name's Billy,
10:14right? Yeah. Well, see for yourself. Oh, yeah. I suppose some things were just meant to be.
10:20Oh, I'll go on him. I'll have the watch.
10:26Must have a photograph of our winner with his new watch. Smile.
10:35Probably put that one in the shop window. All right, then. Great. Thanks a lot.
10:40Bye. My pleasure. See you again.
10:44Hello, Mrs. Frisbee. Hello, Billy.
10:53Running late today. Funny how it always happens on a Wednesday, isn't it?
11:05Hello, Billy. Oh, what's your night?
11:07Is that your story project yet? No. I haven't had the time.
11:09I nearly finished mine. I've got this ace book called Robo Hunter. There's this robot scene.
11:14He hunts down all these aliens with two heads that are trying to destroy the Earth.
11:18You aren't listening to me, are you? Oh, sorry. I was speaking about the time.
11:22I should have been home by now. All right. I'll see you then.
11:28Hello, Billy.
11:29Hey, look what I've got. Oh, it's lovely. Is this your prize?
11:35Yeah. I bet they'll like it. I'm going to go round to show it to Scott later.
11:39Well, go now if you like. Tea won't be for a while.
11:41Nah. I better go and make you start my story project.
11:46What do you think, Alfred? Not bad, is it? Press the button once and you get the date. See?
11:52Twice and you can set an alarm call. Good, eh?
11:54I wonder what happens if you press it three times.
12:05What's happening? Stop! Stop!
12:17Oh, it's lovely, Billy. Is this your prize?
12:19Yeah. I bet Dad'll like it. I'm going to go round to show it to Scott later.
12:22Well, go now if you like. Tea won't be for a while.
12:25Nah. I better go and make it start my story project.
12:30Hang on. We've done this. This has already happened.
12:34What, love?
12:35Oh, er, nothing.
12:46Did you see that, Fred? I pressed the button three times.
12:51You went back in time?
12:53Yeah. Just a few minutes. And if I pressed the button again, it stopped and I came back.
12:58Back to the present. Good title for a film, that.
13:02Anyway, I couldn't believe it, so I tried it again. And the same thing happened.
13:05It was brilliant. So now I began to wonder, what would happen if I pressed it four times?
13:10Oh, no. The flipping sink's blocked again. It's no good, love. You'll have to do something with this U-Bend.
13:16Yep, all right. No peace for the wicked, eh?
13:23One, two, three, four.
13:26Well, what do you think?
13:43I got it cheap from a girl at college. Great, isn't it?
13:46Yeah. You went forward in time.
13:50Yeah. I could go backwards or forwards, just by pressing the button.
13:54And Linda really did come in with the new jacket.
13:56Yeah, exactly like before. I don't want me in after.
14:00I don't think much of Linda's new jacket.
14:03What jacket?
14:04A new one. It looks like a piece of Mako's wall.
14:06She hasn't got a new jacket. She went out this morning in her old one.
14:10Well, what do you think? I got it cheap from a girl at college. Great, isn't it?
14:16Mako-phile. Like Billy said.
14:19How do you know that, Bill?
14:22You saw her coming up the street, didn't you? He's a joker, he is.
14:26What's going on here? This family gets more and more peculiar.
14:29Well, you know what they say. We live in very confusing times.
14:33You never know what's going to happen next, do you?
14:35At least, most people don't.
14:41It was brilliant. I knew exactly what was going to happen.
14:45And no one knew how I did it. I couldn't wait to get to school the next morning.
14:50Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen. What will Butch eat first?
14:53The carrot, the cheese or the sunflower seed? Five for your bet. Who's feeling lucky?
14:57I'll have five on the cheese. Old Butch is bound to go for that, innit?
15:01Yeah, me too. Five on the cheese.
15:03I'll have five on the carrot. Yeah, I'll have five on the carrot.
15:04Come on, Butchie. Oi, I'll pack that innit for us, you.
15:07Why's that? Well, Mrs. Pace is going to walk in in, um, exactly 20 seconds.
15:12How do you know? He's just having you on. It's five minutes until the lesson starts.
15:16She'll be still having her cover in the staff room. Get on with it, Nigel.
15:19Go on. Don't let me down, Butchie boy.
15:21Oh, come on, Butchie.
15:22We're on the side of the orders. The flag is coming down. And we're off.
15:25Jesus!
15:26Go!
15:27Jesus!
15:28Go!
15:29Jesus!
15:30Go!
15:31All right, everyone. Back to your desks.
15:46Nigel, how many times have I told you not to bring your hamster to school?
15:53Uh, but no, Mrs. Pace good.
15:54Miss? I know miss. Five times miss. I've been counting.
15:59Well, it's nice to know that someone takes note of what I say in this classroom. If this
16:04happens again, Nigel, you will go straight to Mr. Hardwood. Is that understood?
16:08Yes, Mrs. Pace good.
16:09Right. Put the hamster away so that we can get on with something more interesting, like
16:15an oral spelling test. Scott Barnacle, spell the word demolish.
16:20D-I-M.
16:24I-M.
16:26Yes, thank you. Watch, please. D-E-M-O-L-I-S-H.
16:34Right, Nigel.
16:36All right, then, Billy. Rhododendron.
16:50Annette, spell the word silence.
16:54S-I-L-E-N-C-E. Winston, the word necessary.
17:08Is it really necessary, miss?
17:10Yes, it is. Come on.
17:12I know exactly what she was going to ask, so I found a word in the dictionary, wrote
17:16it down and waited.
17:18All right, then, who shall we have next? Um...
17:22Yes, Billy Webb. He's useless. He can't miss Billy's name.
17:28Spell the word surprise.
17:29What, miss?
17:30Spell the word surprise.
17:32Uh, miss, that's dead easy. Can't you think of another one?
17:35Well, you're very confident. All right, then, Billy.
17:38Um, spell the word rhododendron.
17:41R-H-O-D-O-D-E-N-D-R-O-N.
17:47A large flowered evergreen shrub, Mrs. Pacegood.
17:50Oh, that's right, Billy, but how...
17:53Oh, no, never mind.
17:54Uh, Nigel, spell the word, um, chemistry, would you?
17:58Uh, C-A-T-M-I-S-T-R-Y.
18:00I couldn't spell surprise anyway. Still can't.
18:01I know I was showing off a bit, but somehow, I couldn't help it.
18:04R-I-S-T-R-Y.
18:06I tried to watch a game before the end of the lesson,
18:09so I knew what was going to happen in the corridor.
18:11I'm...
18:12Pancakes!
18:14Pardon, sir?
18:15Pickups.
18:16Well...
18:16I'm not a suspicious man, but when I smell a rat, there's usually one to be found.
18:21Sir, the phone's ringing.
18:23I know it's ringing.
18:24But it's important, sir.
18:26Oh, extra sense of perception now, is it?
18:28No, sir. I just think you ought to know.
18:31Know what?
18:32Well, your wife...
18:33I mean, it's not a real emergency, not life or death or anything.
18:35What is it? What the dickens are you talking about, lad?
18:38Sir? I mean, it wasn't her fault either, sir.
18:40She was just back in the car wreck when she saw this cat,
18:42so she swerved a bit and hit the gate post.
18:44Only a little bit evident in a bumble, sir.
18:45Are you trying to be funny?
18:47No, sir!
18:47Because if you are, I'll...
18:49Oh, bless the things, get it on my nerves.
18:52Aha! You stay, Webb.
18:54I haven't finished with you yet.
18:57Hello, Hardwood speaking.
18:58Oh, hello, my angel.
19:02Yes, I am rather busy.
19:04An emergency.
19:07What cat?
19:09A dent in the bumper?
19:12No, my petal, I'm not angry.
19:14No, of course, a little dent in the bumper doesn't matter.
19:19Just hang on a minute, my love.
19:20There's someone I have to speak to urgently.
19:29Webb!
19:29I thought I'd better nick off a bit sharpish.
19:32I mean, I haven't done nothing wrong.
19:34I just didn't want him to ask any questions.
19:36The watch was turning out to be dead useful.
19:38Hello, Bill.
19:40I'm just going to go and post me pause coupon.
19:42I'll take you for if you want, Dad.
19:44Yeah? What's the time?
19:45I don't want to miss the post, though.
19:46It's five past five.
19:47Is it? It went five minutes ago.
19:49Oh, never mind.
19:50It might be all right.
19:51Sometimes just watch Gaines a bit.
19:53Yeah, I'll get it.
19:54I went down to the post to watch for you.
19:55Oh, thanks, son.
19:56Oh, thanks, son.
20:26Oh, no!
20:50I made it in time, Dad.
20:52Oh, great. That's the winner, that one, son. Cheers.
20:55Can we watch that right now?
20:57Let's have a look.
20:59Well, that's a bit much, isn't it?
21:01A new watch like this.
21:03Oh, no, it's all right.
21:05It's only the clasp. Look, I'll soon fix that for you.
21:08One good turn deserves another.
21:10Oh, great. What's red, Mum?
21:12Up in your room, I think. Probably having a nap.
21:15Oh, right. I'll be upstairs then.
21:19It's no good looking at me like that, Fred.
21:21I know what you're thinking.
21:23Look, the thing is, I could use the watch to help Mum and Dad.
21:27You know how at the dog track or horse races?
21:29The races only last a few minutes,
21:31so if I used to watch, I could find out who the winner was,
21:34Dad could put a bet on and he'd win.
21:36And if he kept doing it, he'd be a millionaire or something.
21:39But you know how that would mean, don't you?
21:43Yep. That's right.
21:45We'd have to leave this house and Splott Street
21:47cos they'd want to move into some flipping mansion somewhere.
21:50They'd have servants and swimming pools
21:52and Mum would have her hair dyed pink.
21:54And you wouldn't be able to mess about in the park
21:57or in the street no more.
21:59It probably wouldn't be that bad, though.
22:01Once we got used to it, like.
22:03And I know that's what they want.
22:05Oh, what shall I do, Fred?
22:08We want to stay here, don't we?
22:10Just be ordinary.
22:12But I'd always know I could have done something.
22:15Every time Mum and Dad talks about having a bigger house
22:18or more money, I feel dead guilty.
22:21I couldn't stand that, Fred.
22:26Oh, I've got to do it.
22:28Now, come on.
22:29Let's go downstairs and get the watch.
22:39Whatcha, Bill?
22:40I thought I'd have a butcher's at this watch.
22:42You did say it was gaining a bit, didn't you?
22:44Yeah.