Cwmderi Diary 2017: 13 October 2017 (2nd)

Eileen gives the boy his instructions

Eileen tells her protegé to sort out the fridge and then bring out the stock. Sioned comes into the shop

"It makes you look less . . ."

and her mother tells her that her coat makes her look less . . . Sioned completes the sentence, “Of a tarty cow?” Then there is the sound of something breaking, and Eileen rushes to see what it is.

"How's the head, then?"

Gwyneth joins Sioned in the shop, enquiring about the state of her head this morning; she says she is looking forward to the show.

"It was only a bit of fun – I won't go back on my word"

“About the ‘spin the bottle’ last night – it was only a bit of fun,” insists Sioned, “I won't go back on my word.”

"Take your time!"

Eileen and her assistant come back into the shop; she shouts at him, “Take your time when you do it next!” Sioned tells her that Gwyneth is accompanying them to court,

"No, I can't get the time off"

but Gwyneth suddenly announces that she has been unable to get the day off from work, and walks out, looking miserable.

“Don’t touch those bottles again – all right?” Eileen instructs her assistant, and they leave; Eileen is keen to get this over with as soon as possible.

Ed is concerned about his appearance

At number 10, Ed is ensuring that he looks smart, but Kelly reminds him he will only be sitting in the viewing gallery, and the judge will not even know he is there.

"Today is important, Kelly"

“I’ve let myself go recently, and today is important,” he stresses, so Kelly thinks she had better get changed, as she does not want to let the side down. Ed checks in the mirror again.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

Britt gets up late and demands why no one woke her earlier;

"This is your new filing system . . ."

she finds Colin sitting on the floor, surrounded by papers.

". . . everything is colour-coded"

He announces that this is the new filing system for the chip shop, with everything colour-coded. “The books will be easier for you now – they’re all the colours of the rainbow,” he says,

"Aren't they beautiful?"

“Aren’t they beautiful?”

Britt protests that her accountant is colourblind;

Britt does not welcome his interference

“What came over you, Colin? You’re just looking for something to do. I want every piece of paper back in the box, filed month by month, do you understand?

Poor old Colin has 'blown it' again

“Before I file you under ‘ex-partner’!”

Chester tells him he will have to find a new business, now the photography one has ‘gone to the wall’,

"You're going to drive Mam up the wall"

otherwise he will drive Britt ‘up on the wall’.

As the mug warms up, the picture is revealed

Colin then looks at the mug of tea he has been handed, and sees a picture of a young Chester on it,

Colin detects a business opportunity

which gives him an idea.

"You're supposed to be having a day off"

Gwyneth arrives at Awyr Iach, much to the surprise of Sara, thought she was having a day off; “I had thought of going shopping –

"I'm not going now!"

“but I’m not going now!” is the abrupt reply. Gwyneth tries to feign ignorance about Sioned’s court case, and Sara tells her that she has cleared the decks, so everyone has a chance to attend Megan’s meeting –

"We must show that Awyr Iach supports the community"

to show that Awyr Iach supports the community.

"How long have you been best mates with Megan?"

Gwyneth demands how long Sara has been best friends with Megan.

Colin demonstrates his mug idea . . .

Then Colin appears in the doorway, carrying a flask; he pours the hot liquid into the mug, advising that he can do all sorts of designs.

. . . which he regards as a money-spinner

As the picture of Chester gradually appears, he goes on, “We’d make a fortune, in partnership before Christmas!”

"You need to get out more, Colin"

Sara’s verdict is that Colin needs to get out more, and she walks away.

"You're happy to plead guilty?"

The court convenes, and Sioned’s counsel checks that she is happy to plead guilty. She replies that she just wants everything to be over.

Kelly and Ed arrive at the court

Ed and Kelly arrive and take their seats.

Sioned is told, “Because you said you are going to plead guilty, they’ll have a good idea of the sentence. Try to look sorry, and it would help if you looked nervous, too.”

It is easy for Sioned to look nervous

She tells him that is easy, as she feels sick.

He is not expecting the sentence to be severe, and advises her to stay strong, as it will be all right.

Eileen joins Kelly and Ed

Sioned looks across the court at Kelly and Ed, and sees her mother come in.

Gwen gives Gwyneth her coffee

Gwen serves Gwyneth with a mug of coffee;

"No, Colin – it's a terrible idea!"

meanwhile Sara is again telling Colin that it is a terrible idea.

"She's fifteen minutes late already!"

They are wondering where Megan has got to, as she called the meeting, and Britt complains that she is fifteen minutes late already.

“I’m going to look for her – she had a funny turn yesterday,” Sara tells them, and Britt will go with her.

Gwyneth is about to be subjected to Colin

Colin has a few ideas he would like to run past Gwyneth; she does not look very interested.

The charge is read out

The charge is read out; “On 9 March 2017, in flat number 5, High Street, Cwmderi, Edward Charles was attacked, when the aforementioned Edward Charles suffered actual bodily harm, contrary to section 47, Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

"How do you plead?"

“In the case against you, where you are charged under law, how do you plead?”

Sioned is very hesitant . . .

Sioned is momentarily distracted,

. . . when she sees that an old school friend is the reporter

when a reporter from the Western Post enters the room. “I’m sorry,” says Sioned, and the question is again put to her.

"I plead . . . not guilty"

Very hesitantly, Sioned replies, “I . . . I plead . . . not guilty!”

A collective gasp is heard

Eileen cannot believe this, and Ed looks horrified, but Sioned repeats what she said.

"The case will be transferred to Crown Court"

Sioned is informed that the case will be transferred to Crown Court.

"You're coming home, now!"

As the court is adjourned, Eileen instructs Sioned to come home now, and Kelly remarks, “That’s low – even for Sioned.”

"Natalie Gardner, grade A cow!"

Then she notices the Western Post reporter, “Natalie Gardner – grade A cow! But she owes me a favour, so I will ask her for an interview.” Ed protests that he does not want to talk to anyone; he just wants to go home.

"Megan, are you there?"

Outside Megan’s house, Sara peers in through the letterbox and shouts her name,

Sara deploys her key

then, as the postman delivers the mail, she takes about the spare key and opens the door; they go inside.

"It's all about thermodynamics"

Colin is explaining the principle of thermodynamics to Gwyneth, so she calls to Chester to save her,

"A petition asking Eileen to take you back"

and he alleges he is about to start a petition asking Eileen to take him back.

Eileen and Sioned come in, looking grim;

"Ask Sioned – unless you already know!"

when Gwyneth enquires how it went, Eileen snarls, “Ask Sioned – unless you already know!” Sioned insists this was nothing to do with Gwyneth, who is amazed that she actually pleaded not guilty.

Gwyneth wears that jubilant look, yet again

Gwyneth looks highly delighted by this development.

"Maybe something serious has happened"

As they walk along the back street, Britt summarises, “Well, if she isn’t at home, and isn’t answering her phone, maybe something serious has happened.”

Megan copnfirns that she is perfectly all right

Then Sara suddenly has a phone call from Megan, revealing that she is as right as rain.

"Why have you done this to him?"

“I thought you loved Ed,” says Eileen, “Or you did at one time, and so why have you done this to him?”

"You have no idea what it's like!"

Sioned rather lamely explains such she had not meant to do so. “You have no idea what it’s like to stand up in court – to have everybody looking at you,

"Some cow from school reporting it!"

“and have some cow from school reporting it!”

Eileen cannot believe what she is hearing

Eileen is amazed that she would do this because of some animosity.

"It would be there in black and white"

“The truth is, if I pleaded guilty, it would be there in black and white for ever,” she goes on,

"But you're guilty!"

but her mother points out that is what a court of law is – you take the blame and then you are punished.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Mam"

Sioned goes on, “I realised there that doesn’t have to happen – at least now I’ve got a chance. Innocent until proven guilty, Mam. I’ve got a chance to restore my good name.”

"I can't even bear to look at you!"

Eileen is disgusted, and saying she cannot even bear to look at Sioned, walks out of the flat.

In the café, they are worrying about what state Ed is in, but Gwyneth is very scathing about him.

They seem to think this is typical of Sioned

Britt comments, “Did anyone expect any better from Sioned?”

"I don't condone what she did"

Eileen comes downstairs and tells them she does not condone what Sioned did, and had no idea she was about to do it.

"Where is the cow?"

Then Kelly marches in, demanding, “Where is the cow?” When Eileen says that Sioned does not want to see her, Kelly asks, “Why? Doesn’t she want to hear the truth?

"Let's face it, she can't tell the truth!"

“Let’s face it, she can’t tell the truth! You should be really embarrassed with your daughter, Eileen – she’s a selfish bully who deserves to be banged to rights! And do you know what?

"She'll have to face a lot more truths from now on!"

“She’ll have to face a lot more truths from now on!” She walks out, leaving Eileen in tears.

"I'll take you home, Eileen"

Colin springs to her aid, and will take her home, as it has been a long day,

That evil, smug expression again

while Gwyneth simply looks quietly triumphant.

"I dropped a case of wine"

When Eileen arrives back at the shop, she is told by the new assistant that she should not go out the back, as he dropped a case of wine and has not had a chance to clean it up.

Eileen gives him his marching orders

Eileen tells him, “Look, this hasn’t worked out, has it? You’d better leave!”

"The worst thing I ever did was sack you!"

Colin wants to make her a cup of tea upstairs, but she is reluctant to close the shop. “The worst thing I ever did was sack you,” she laments, and he replies that he could help out for a few hours,

"Well, if you need anyone long-term . . ."

and if she needs anyone long-term . . .”

Eileen jumps at the chance, and thinks that she may have been wrong;

"Perhaps raising Sioned was the worst thing I ever did!"

“Perhaps raising Sioned was the worst thing I ever did!”

"She's old enough to make her own decisions"

He reminds her that Sioned is old enough to make her own decisions, and local people know that as well.

“They soon will know, now that I’m back behind the counter,” he assures her,

"I feel as if I'm back home"

“I feel as if I’m back home. Britt will be grateful to you for taking me out from under her feet – she’s starting to get fed up. I’ll bring you up cup of tea in a minute.”

Colin is back where he belongs

He stands behind the counter, looking very pleased with himself.

Megan has turned up, at last

Megan, who is with a man, appears from the alley as the others are leaving the café, but Britt explains that Sioned’s shenanigans were the cause of the meeting being cancelled. “She pleaded not guilty!”

"There's no end to how far that girl will go!"

Megan says that there is no end to how far that girl will go.

They are introduced to Gilmor

Then she introduces them to her friend, Gilmor, who says he enjoys chips, when told that Britt runs the chip shop. Megan explains that they have both benefited from going to the diabetes clinic.

"Ah – isn't it lovely?"

Sara and Britt find this encounter very amusing.

"Well, you pulled the wool over my eyes!"

Once again, Gwyneth arrives at Sioned’s flat, with another bottle; “Well, well – you pulled the wool over my eyes!” she exclaims, “I’m gutted I didn’t come!

"I'd give anything to have seen his face!"

“I’d give anything to have seen his face! How did he respond?” Sioned answers that you did not know what had hit him. “I want a grandstand seat for the Crown Court!” Gwyneth laughs.

"He won't give evidence – he's such a coward"

Sioned wonders if he will give evidence, as he is such a coward, but stresses that she will need the help of Gwyneth to practise looking innocent; “Like an angel,” as Gwyneth puts it.