Call the Midwife

Sometimes in life we get the chance to start again.

We breathe deep, stand tall.

We prepare to make our way.

The future waits, the night is ended.

The light is flooding in.

This is the morning that we dreamed of when we struggled.

This is the dawn, the new day, the road back.

This is everything we wanted,

everything we thought was lost.

And our journey begins

with steps so few that a child could count them,

forged by the force of life itself.

Straight to the maternity home as soon as you're ready,

Nurse Anderson!

- Yes, Nurse Crane. - Good morning, ladies!

One delivery of iodine paste for the venous ulcer cases,

fresh from the chemist,

and one tin of biscuits, fresh from my daughters' hands!

Angela and May always like to bake something

when Mother Mildred visits.

I'm not telling you what I'd like to do when Mother Mildred visits.

Oh, gingerbread monsters.

That's, er, novel.

They're actually shortbread nurses.

The girls wanted to make them nun-shaped, but I...

...I thought that might be seen as disrespectful.

Good morning, ladies.

I've just been informed that Mother Mildred will not be arriving

- at teatime today. - She's not gonna come early, is she?

She's not going to come at all.

Nevertheless, we have important matters to discuss,

and Mother Mildred will telephone later this morning.

Sister Hilda, I'd like you to join me.

If you would bring a tray of coffee

I shall require two spoons of Nescafe.

- Morning, Mrs Buckle. - Morning.

When you close the shop at lunchtime,

I need you to nip to the cash-and-carry and fetch a gross

of assorted chocolate eggs.

We've only just had Pancake Day!

Ha, well, that's as may be, Fred Buckle,

but we don't want the Easter Bunny being caught on the hop!

The Easter Bunny being you.

Vi, I wanted to get across to the allotment.

There's daffodils need deadheading and I think Mr Rat's back,

underneath that shed.

You can't go wandering all over Poplar doing whatever you like

until we can afford an assistant.

And we can't afford an assistant

until we've rented the flat upstairs.

That card's been stuck in the window for weeks.

Needs to be bigger.

Mrs Winch! Whatever do you think you're doing?

Scrubbing my step, Sister.

I thought you'd approve - cleanliness being next to godliness

and all of that.

It isn't next to godliness when you're nine months pregnant.

I've brought your delivery pack, and I've come to do your antenatal check.

Oh, I was going to the clinic this afternoon anyway.

I've already washed out a jar to have a wee in.

We make an outing of it every Tuesday, don't we, Glenys?

I can help her with the twins, they're into everything these days.

You have mine, Sister. I'll fetch myself another.

Oh, are you feeling better?

You were bent double with bellyache this morning.

Your vulgar language is offending my shell-like ears.

I don't get bellyache, I have a delicate stomach.

You can't live on rice pudding, Derek.

Oh, yeah? Hasn't killed me yet.

Sister, you're knocking that back like a stiff gin.

I've never had a stiff gin in my life,

which isn't to say I wouldn't like one now.

And no wonder.

You've just told Mother Mildred that Nonnatus House is going private?

Correction - I've suggested that the Order supplies midwives

to a private maternity hospital in Mayfair.

The finances raised nursing the richest women in London

will be ploughed back into Nonnatus House

and enable us to carry on serving the very poorest.

And as Mother Mildred responded,

"Rather in the manner of Robin Hood with wimples!"

I heard every word.

I've been corresponding with

Mr Scarisbrick of the Lady Emily clinic

for some time now.

He wants the cachet of religious Sisters nursing on his premises,

and we need the money he is prepared to pay.

But Mother Mildred says no Sister may set foot on his premises

until all due diligence has been observed.

How on Earth are you going to do that?

I know exactly how I'm going to do it.

Oh!

I'm sorry, Sister Julienne.

Althea Mulligan's episiotomy needed a bit of a once-over,

and I was late leaving the maternity home.

Miss Higgins said you asked to see me.

Yes, Nurse Franklin. I did.

Promise me it's not another set of twins, Dr Turner! Promise me.

You say that at every appointment, Mrs Winch!

And Doctor will say what he always says.

If you were having a second set of twins,

he'd have worked it out by now.

He didn't work it out last time till he saw the second one's backside!

Stop giving him a hard time, Glenys!

You're only half the size you were with the twins!

Aude, you might be my mate but you are not a midwife!

I've got my Brownie First Aid badge!

That's enough, thank you, ladies.

I'm not kidding, Sister.

When Glenys was having the demon duo,

she was like the ruddy Hindenburg.

What, you mean on fire?

No. Just massive.

Oh.

Ah, it used to hurt me,

somewhere pushed inside where I couldn't let it show.

Well, cos she was my friend and I was, I was glad for her,

but me and my Derek, we'd been married five years and nothing.

Well, nothing until now.

I've enjoyed every minute of it.

It's been so nice being able to share things.

The Lady Emily is one of the smartest clinics in London.

Their garden parties are in Tatler.

If you don't want to be involved with this proposal,

there are others I could ask.

When did I say I didn't want to be involved with it?

It might be the thing that saves Nonnatus House!

You will work there for six weeks.

Mr Scarisbrick and I both feel this would give ample time for you

to examine the day-to-day running of the Lady Emily

and for all involved to plan the way ahead.

I think I would be in dereliction of my duty if I didn't go.

I've never heard anything like it!

Religious Sisters have been involved in private practice

since time immemorial.

Well, not these Sisters.

Shelagh, did you know about this?

No, I did not know about this, and I'm as startled as you,

but if the people of Poplar are to get what they deserve,

we have to be inventive.

We shouldn't have to be inventive.

The National Health should be able to keep its promise

of protecting people from the cradle to the grave!

We do keep that promise and we will.

If the powers that be

don't make that easy, it's not our fault or Sister Julienne's.

Nurse Anderson!

What's that you have there?

Mrs Wallace made me some chicken, rice and peas.

Did she have any news on finding a new home for the church?

She'd been all the way to Whitechapel in a special hat.

Lord, was it a special hat!

The sort of hat that say,

"I used to be a bank manager's secretary in Kingston"?

Oh, yes.

But the minute she arrived,

the landlords realised what kind of church she came from,

and it turned out the building was already rented.

Was it in Isaiah that the Lord promised

everybody would sit under their own vine and fig tree?

It was Zechariah and Micah. And the First Book Of Kings.

So it's definitely going to happen, then.

Right now, I don't care about having my own vine and fig tree,

so much as my own roof and bed.

My rooming house has been condemned.

They put the notice up this morning.

There is an empty flat above the Buckle paper shop.

You could try that.

Dr Turner, could you take a look at Enid Chu before you go?

She has a slight temperature.

I think she needs to stay another night with us.

Of course.

There will be no charge.

A state of affairs I hope will never have to change.

Patrick, I don't believe that was called for.

That was the first cross word

I've had with her in almost 20 years.

I hope it's going to be the last!

I'm sorry.

But I just struggle to see who this is going to benefit.

This Lady Emily clinic must have money to burn -

sending a frock round in a taxi cab!

It's not a frock, Phyllis, it's my new uniform!

Mr Scarisbrick's sister was a couture model for Balenciaga.

I believe he drew on her expertise when designing for his staff.

It's got too many frills and falderals, it's too form-fitting

and, according to this label, it's "professional laundering only"!

Oh, how the other half live!

Nonnatus House, midwife speaking.

I think I'm in labour. And my Derek, he's gone up West

to his National Service reunion!

Oi!

Private Fleming!

Evening, Corporal Delamore!

And what, may I ask, are you doing loitering in a public place

and with no alcohol in your possession?

A, I'm waiting for you, Corporal D, and B...

...I'm not guilty of the second charge.

Wahey! Brahms and Liszt and all their mates await us,

but, come on, we can save all the backslapping for later