Call the Midwife

'In the early 1960s,

'the entire world still seemed to flow through the London docks.

'We were shown an image of plenty and it encouraged us to want

'and made us hungry for more.

'For some, these new luxuries brought ease

'and wonder into tough, hard-working lives.

'But for others, they made it more difficult

'to accept the lot was truly theirs.'

It's saving. Regular amount each week till it's paid off.

Better than the never-never.

Johnny don't hold with no more credit.

He should want to treat you.

Mrs Beckett? Midwife's ready.

Your blood pressure's a little up again -- you aren't overdoing it, are you?

Chance'd be a fine thing.

It's just staring at four walls now I can't work.

And them flaming tramps dossing outside.

What kind of world's that for a baby?

Whenever I worry, my father tells me to trust God, he says God has

a plan and no matter how dark the world appears the sun always rises.

Your old man thinks a lot of God, don't he?

I should probably add he's a vicar.

Well, God don't seem too bothered about Poplar.

Breathing can ease anxiety.

Deep breath in, so you can feel your chest rise,

and then...

breathe out slowly -- it really can help.

That's the tip, is it? Breathing?

Here we have the Marlowe's product.

As you can see, the tin is a very convenient size for the kitchen.

Now, Marlowe's are the first company to create a whey-based formula...

What's all this?

An exercise on behalf of Marlowe's Baby Formula.

A photograph and free tin of formula for each baby. They're American.

It's "public relations".

Propaganda more like.

.. so much easier for baby to digest and enriched with vitamins.

Some doctors say formula can make baby more intelligent,

more attractive.

Can you really afford not try it? Doesn't baby deserve the best?

Baby has the best. And it's free -- the breast.

This is nonsense.

Nonsense? Offering mothers choice?

Healthy mothers don't need choice.

Well, maybe she wants to go back to work.

Maybe she wants her shape back.

This is just shillings and pence to you, isn't it?

You're all charlatans.

Perhaps we should get on with clinic? You have Mrs Manley.

Ah. C'mon, Connie.

If you can tear yourself away from Professor Flimflam here.

Cup of tea?

How are you getting on with the Woolwich shells?

Do I have to keep on with them?

Yes. Because they're doing their job.

They're drawing out your nipples.

And we can't feed baby with inverted nipples, can we?

That formula looked ever so tempting.

I thought you had more sense than that.

You're a healthy young woman and what you can give your baby,

no fancy slogan or doctor can better.

It's practically a sea view.

Imagine we're dining in St Tropez with David Niven.

Quite what he'd make of cockles and chips, I don't know.

It's David Niven. It doesn't matter what you're eating.

There are chips going uneaten, Nurse Franklin.

And while not an emergency, it is cause for concern.

Patient shows no sign of elation in the presence of deep-fried matter.

I don't know what it is. I'm trying to look after Mrs Beckett.

She's got high blood pressure and she's very anxious.

But she won't talk to me.

Whatever I say, she makes me

feel like if I'm straight out of Malory Towers.

It's the same for all of us at the start -- it's about building trust.

But I'm not new any more.

No, but you're newer. You just need a few more battle scars.

I have them. I just choose not to display them.

Well, we think you're wonderful and we couldn't manage without you.

And your knowledge of Bunty is quite unsurpassed.

Remember dancing to this?

Even you wouldn't mind pushing that.

It's handsome all right.

Rita was saying with the mail order, you pay for it in instalments.

We ain't getting in the red for a pram.

How else are we going to manage it?

Cos you ain't bringing nothing in.

Ain't my fault the docks are slowing down.

You got to try harder.

You got to want less!

I just... I just mean, things are tight.

I ain't asking for a week in Paris.

It's a pram.

A new system -- help us get the most out of every day and ourselves.

Each coloured pin represents you and your patient visits.

We can see straight away if we're covering the same patch.

Nurse Mount -- you're on district with me.

You're yellow.

Not my best colour.

I'm blue. Efficiency, ladies.

We need to do more and we need to do it faster.

Why not simply give us radio transmitters

so we can telegraph our whereabouts?

There are people in Poplar falling through the cracks.

I've persuaded the borough council to provide a number of home helps.

So, when you're on your visits,

make a note of anyone you feel cannot cope, we'll

put their names forward, and see if we can't make life a little easier.

Mission accepted. Quite so.

Oh, and while I've got you,

we have visitors of many lands now amongst us and I thought

we might equip ourselves with languages to serve them better.

I had hoped to find a class in Urdu or Punjabi but these have eluded me.

However, there is a module in Spanish starting this evening.

Anyone who wants to join me,

I shall be leaving at seven o'clock, sharp.

Half the day's gone, Johnny.

There's men down at the docks from dawn waiting to take work

and you're still half asleep.

There is no work.

Fill it. Cos that's your side of things.

And this is mine.

Midwife calling.

Them tramps are back again.

They ain't doing no harm.

A decent man don't live on charity, he goes out and finds work.

I'll pop the kettle on.

Finch!

Yes! Pence!

Paterson. Sir.

Milling. Tender. Watts.

And the Turpin brothers. That's it.

We want you to have baby at home but if your blood pressure

remains high we'll have to bring you in.

Be a relief.

Oh, Mrs Beckett, Oh, please don't be upset.

The thought of baby's daunting, but you're not alone...

I'm talking about having no home.

In the past six months, Johnny's brought in next to nothing

in shifts and I'm living off what my sister can send us.

I don't know how we'll make next rent.

Have you applied for National Assistance?

He won't beg.

But the Assistance Board's there for hard times.

My father's parish serves the docks in Liverpool

and he's referred many men to the Board in recent years.

There's work for those who wants it.

The man I married, he would've died for his family

but Johnny ain't the same no more.

Some men are overwhelmed by the thought of fatherhood.

There ain't no time to be overwhelmed!

Well done, Connie... Yes!

Here's your beautiful little son, Connie.

What did I tell you?

You made that look easy -- just like your mum when I delivered you.

I wish she were here now.

She'd be very proud of you, Connie. And her little grandson.

I heard the crying -- I couldn't wait any longer.

Oh, Connie... We got a little boy, Frankie.

We are not yet done, Mr Manley.

And until we are, this is my delivery room.

And you will knock.

Sorry, Sister. But I do so want to see him.

All right, one quick look and then out, please.

Going to be putting baby to the breast.

Well, he's just perfect, Connie. He's just perfect.

We haven't slept, we've been that nervous.

No need for nerves -- your wife can take all this in her stride.

Isn't that right, Connie?

I hope so, Sister.

Good evening. Buenas noches a todos, and welcome, everyone.

I'd like to welcome Phyllis. Miss Crane...

Hola, Phyllis.

Let's begin. The verb "ser".

Yo soy.

Yo soy.

Tu eres. El, ella es. Nosotros, nosotras somos.

Vosotros, vosotras sois.

Might I say what lovely accents you young people have.

Past tense.

Oh, I've missed that sound.

Glad you could make it, Tommy.

Hola, Tommy!

May I?

I don't believe I've seen you here before? Tommy Smith.

Oh, Phyllis Crane.

Vosotros, vosotras fuisteis.

Ellos, ellas fueron.

Ole!

I can't be the only one drinking Campari?

I told my class my complexion was purely down to the lemons

in my lemonade.

I must live as I teach.

Do we get a mention in that letter home?

It's more to do with my father's experience with

the National Assistance Board -- advice to help Mrs Beckett --

she and her husband are having quite a struggle.

How dreadfully dull for your parents.

Wouldn't they rather hear about your exciting London life?

Excitement is what parents want for other people's daughters.

When I used to help my father on his visits, he would introduce me