- 1 day ago
First broadcast 31st March 1981.
Robin's offered a job with an international company that he can't refuse.
Richard O'Sullivan - Robin
Tessa Wyatt - Vicky
Tony Britton - James Nicholls
David Kelly - Albert
Peggy Aitchison - Gertrude
Jeremy Child - Geoffrey Elliot
Timothy Carlton - Charles Montague
Robin's offered a job with an international company that he can't refuse.
Richard O'Sullivan - Robin
Tessa Wyatt - Vicky
Tony Britton - James Nicholls
David Kelly - Albert
Peggy Aitchison - Gertrude
Jeremy Child - Geoffrey Elliot
Timothy Carlton - Charles Montague
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:28Satsang with Mooji
00:38well they're both fast asleep good hey you should have seen jamie his blankets were all over the
00:47place he's just like his dad what do you mean always on the move in bed
00:55am i really that sort of restless in bed only when you're awake
01:02well that's because i'm madly in love with my wife and i'm just making up for lost time
01:09well this morning let's make up for a little lost sleep instead
01:14but what are you what are you going back to sleep well the thought did cross my mind since it's
01:20only
01:206 15 oh fine fine
01:28it's not really worth my while going back to sleep vicky
01:32because i've got to get up in a quarter of an hour
01:35you know
01:38so i'll just sort of uh sit here and uh contemplate
01:51come in
01:55vicky you don't really want to go back to sleep do you
02:03robbie you are impossible i know but as i said before i'm madly in love with my wife
02:19you know i reckon you drive him
02:21it might be lucy
02:22no no no it's not lucy lucy takes after her mother
02:27she likes her sleep in the morning
02:29and jamie takes after his father he won't let her
02:38you see riddle there is a lot more to serving a bottle of wine than you realize
02:42oh i didn't realize
02:44i know that's why i'm telling you
02:47a bottle of wine should be handled with reverence with tenderness
02:51one should treat a bottle of wine as one would a woman
02:55oh i don't want to be treated like a bottle of wine
03:00i know the way he drinks
03:03what i want you to understand riddle is that there is a right way of serving wine and a wrong
03:08way
03:08and banging a bottle down on the table and saying there you are that'll put hair on your chest is
03:12not the right way
03:14oh albert you didn't
03:15he did
03:17the woman was most upset
03:19well i was only trying to be cheerful and friendly like mr tripp is always telling me
03:23being cheerful and friendly is one thing riddle
03:26but telling a woman that wine will put hair on her chest is quite another
03:29albert if you must say a thing like that at least say it to the man
03:34no gertrude one should never say it to anybody
03:36people don't wish to discuss that sort of thing over dinner
03:38all i'm saying mr nichols is that i'm sure that nice lady last night
03:43didn't really think that if she drank her wine she'd go away with a hairy chest
03:47riddle i am going to teach you how to serve wine properly
03:51now you are the customer so sit down and shut up
03:55oh now you may know all about wine mr nichols but believe me
03:59you can't talk to customers like that
04:03a customer also has to be treated gently like a woman
04:07even if she's a man
04:10riddle
04:11be quiet
04:14now then
04:15look listen
04:17and learn
04:18listen do you know what i
04:20now there's the wine list
04:21choose something
04:25um
04:26oh well go on choose something
04:28i'm deciding
04:36right i've decided
04:37oh good
04:38what will you have
04:39i have a baby sham
04:43riddle i want you to choose a bottle of wine so that i may show you how to serve it
04:47properly
04:47but if i drank a whole bottle of wine i'd be flat on me back that's why i chose a
04:51baby sham
04:52oh albert don't be so dozy it's only pretend mr nichols isn't really going to serve you with wine he's
04:59far too mean aren't you mr nichols
05:04look riddle it doesn't matter what you choose i simply want to show you the basic rules
05:09oh
05:11go on choose anything
05:13uh right
05:14um
05:17um
05:22waiter
05:24yes sir
05:26what would you recommend
05:29right
05:29oh a bottle of white burgundy
05:31with steak
05:32who said anything about steak
05:34oh well i always eat steak when i go out to dine
05:37all i'd like is well done please
05:40riddle you are being particularly obtuse this morning
05:43thank you mr nichols
05:48now then
05:53now i know that the bottle is empty riddle but that's because we're pretending all right
05:58right
05:59now then when the customer has chosen his wine
06:01you bring the bottle to the table and you show him the label
06:04why
06:08you show him the label to ensure that it is the bottle of wine that he ordered
06:15now when the customer is quite satisfied you remove the cork very carefully
06:19so
06:21you of course will use a corkscrew
06:24now then you wipe the lip of the bottle so and then you pour a little of the wine into
06:31the glass so so that the customer may taste it
06:37would you care to taste the wine sir
06:42oh go on a bit
06:43they'll taste it
06:55what do you think of it
06:57why i don't know i i've tasted better
07:03what's your opinion mr trippon
07:06sorry ma'am ma'am
07:14yes i agree with albert action
07:16it's a little bit insipid
07:19personally i'd send it back and demand another bottle
07:22right that's it
07:23i've had enough
07:23i want a drink
07:24oh then finish off this rubbish
07:30i think we should aim for 3.5 million
07:33yes yes i'm not sure
07:34maybe rising to 4.5 million
07:36yes within a moment miss
07:38maybe dropping to 3.5
07:39yes
07:40i think that's probably going to make sense don't you
07:42absolutely
07:42sir
07:43yes
07:45is this what you ordered
07:50yes
07:51yes that's fine
07:52anyway charles we've got the okay from head conference
07:56i really can't see them refusing our offer
07:58me neither
07:59when are we going to approach
08:02straight after lunch
08:18yes it's very nice thank you
08:21merci monsieur
08:28merci monsieur
08:38gertrude the trifle is off for the rest of the afternoon
08:44quite honestly jeffrey i'd be surprised if we encountered any problems
08:47thank you sir
08:48i hope you enjoyed your lunch
08:50yes it was excellent thank you
08:51oh just one thing
08:52yes sir
08:53we'd like to have a word with mr tripp please
08:55right
08:58it's half past four and now they want a word with you
09:01bangos are shopping
09:02vicky they are customers we can't chuck them out
09:04i know but i think it's a bit much frankly
09:06i mean even albert and gertrude get an afternoon off
09:08do you know what i bet you they're from the good food guide
09:10well they enjoyed their meal
09:12well i bet you that they didn't enjoy the service
09:13not only did albert make a pig's breakfast or serve them the beer
09:16he fell into the trifle
09:17last in the same door at the cabaret
09:28sorry mr elton
09:29elliot elliot elliot
09:31elliot yes sorry
09:32my wife said you'd like to have a word with me
09:34yes my associate mr montague and i would like
09:36look if it is about the waiter i'm very sorry about that but he does try his best
09:40but i'm sure you can appreciate how difficult it is to sort of recruit staff these days
09:44we know we know that's why we're here
09:46you see my colleague and i we run a consultancy firm which specializes in staff recruitment
09:52an employment agency
09:53well of sorts but rather more exclusive
09:55well i'm afraid i'm quite satisfied with the staff i've got
09:58even though sometimes they do tend to be a little bit
10:00no no no no no
10:01we're here to offer you a job mr tripp
10:04me
10:05yes
10:06well i've already got a job i don't think i've got time for two
10:09no no i don't even quite understand mr tripp
10:10we're headhunters
10:16lucida
10:19you see we're here on behalf of our clients to persuade you to join their organization
10:24and and which organization is this
10:26well i'm afraid we're not at liberty to say at the moment uh
10:29other than it's uh it's a company with an international reputation
10:33it's not trust house 40 is it
10:37we can't say
10:40is it grand metropolitan hotels
10:43no please don't press us mr tripp it really would be very unethical of us to mention it at this
10:47juncture
10:47i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry
10:50it's the safari isn't it is it's the safari
10:53please mr tripp
10:54i'm sorry i'm sorry
10:55now what we can tell you is that our clients predict that within the year you'll be managing five of
11:00their restaurants
11:01five
11:02well no doubt you'd like to discuss this with your senior business partner mr nichols
11:06yeah well he's only senior by age
11:08i mean you know we are equal partners i mean i do all the work he takes all the profits
11:14quite
11:15now um i gather that your father-in-law actually owns the property
11:19yes he does yes
11:20and that if you relinquish your partnership i assume he would wish to dispose of the property
11:25well i'm sure he would wish to yes
11:27well no doubt you'd uh you want to discuss this with your wife victoria
11:30decide with her what's in your best interests uh and the twins
11:33six months old tomorrow aren't they
11:36yes they are but uh thing is you see here i am my own boss you know
11:41i can sort of
11:42don't come as i please i can take afternoons when i like
11:45oh by the way i nearly forgot our clients are offering fifteen thousand a year
11:49a car plus accommodation and four weeks holiday a year
11:52and i shall instruct my partner to put the property on the market immediately
11:59i mean so you see mr nichols i've got no choice i want out
12:03i want out
12:05it's not even grammatical you might at least speak the queen's english
12:08i want out
12:10look dad we know you're upset we're upset too but it's the chance of a lifetime
12:14i mean look at it from my point of view right fifteen thousand pounds a year a car accommodation
12:20we'll still be in london we'll still see you
12:22yes but i won't be able to pop in and see you when i want to will i
12:27who's offering you this job anyway i was headhunted by an international company
12:32headhunted
12:32robin thinks it could be trust house forte or grand metropolitan hotels
12:37well they wouldn't tell me until i've spoken to you but they did say by the end of the year
12:40i'll be running five restaurants
12:42just think of all all the staff i'll have under me
12:45yes and you probably won't be involved in the practical side of cooking will you robin
12:49no no no i should just sort of be working out menus for my chefs you know creating new dishes
12:54well look the thing is miss nichols they want me to start as soon as possible
12:57and i said i i i wouldn't give them a definite answer until i'd spoken to you
13:01i mean after all i don't want you to be left here high and dry with this place
13:04oh don't worry about me i should probably sell this tomorrow
13:07believe you me hardly a week goes by without my being approached by somebody or other
13:11well maybe it's the way you walk
13:18only last week i had an offer a very good offer
13:22and you know what i said to them i said robin's nest is my son-in-law's livelihood
13:27and under no circumstances would i sell it
13:31ironic isn't it
13:37mr nichols we're just trying to plan ahead very well i shall instruct my solicitor to go ahead straight away
13:42when are you meeting your headhunting friends uh the day after tomorrow
13:47fine fine i shall no doubt have several very firm offers by then
13:54i want out
14:01well i think he took it quite well really
14:06so you see albert uh gertrude um vicky and i feel that when an opportunity like this comes along
14:11you know we we've got to grab it it's not definite yet of course but uh we just thought it
14:16would be
14:17best to tell you straight away i mean you know we're just sort of trying to plan ahead
14:22there's um there's just one thing i don't understand mr thrift
14:26yes albert if you're not going to be here who's going to be doing the cooking
14:33well nobody albert how but don't you understand the restaurant is closing down that's what mr trip
14:39is telling us mr nichols is going to sell it
14:43do you mean you're giving us the booze no and we'd be going with you no no look i'll try
14:50my best to find jobs for both of you
14:52uh and you're well i can't promise you see i know i'll give you a month's salary
14:57uh well at least yes we really are very sorry but
15:01you see it's such a marvelous opportunity for robin oh come on albert i'm gonna sweep out the restaurant
15:12just when i was getting the hang of it
15:19the babies are crying thank god for that i thought it was albert and gertrude
15:28ah there's not many jobs gone for someone with my qualifications
15:32but you haven't got any qualifications exactly
15:37well good morning gertrude good morning albert come on gertrude we'll do the kitchen
15:41yes dear
15:45it's gone past ten robin you better get going right how do i look
15:48like a fifteen thousand pound a year man now off you go to your meeting
15:53well by the way dad phoned earlier he's already got a buyer for the restaurant
15:56already apparently they want to exchange contracts as soon as possible
16:00well don't you think you should have waited till i've had my meeting i mean i
16:03i might change my mind darling you can't mess people about
16:07now off you go you don't want to be late good luck darling
16:14bye albert bye gertrude see you later
16:23another scotch robin no no really no thank you i'm fine
16:25come on oh boy have another snifter
16:28well maybe just a small large one
16:33so everything's going ahead from your point of view yes yes yes it's fine yes we've already got a
16:37buyer for the bistro excellent excellent now presumably you're uh you're happy with the
16:41terms that we're offering you oh yes yes fine fine one thing you haven't actually sort of told me
16:46what sort of cuisine i'll be doing oh my dear chap i don't think you'll have any time for cooking
16:50you'll have a full-time staff working under you that's what i said to my wife
16:55now i'm afraid i can't give you a starting date immediately so i suggest we meet here about the
16:59second or the third would that suit you yes fine fine fine fine yes one other little thing you haven't
17:05actually sort of told me who is offering me the job haven't i no
17:18you can't believe it jeffrey you can't believe it can you robin oh that's fantastic fci
17:28fci
17:45come and join us we're celebrating what are you celebrating not only has dad got a cash buyer for
17:52the restaurant but he's also secured jobs for albert and gertrude really i'm very pleased well
17:57done mr nickel hey i drink to that well done you you see it was meant after all i'm sorry
18:04i was so
18:04unenthusiastic i think i was being perhaps a little selfish anyway i'm very happy for you for both of
18:10you oh thanks dad and that goes for me and albert yeah i drink to that cheers cheers did you
18:19have a good
18:19meeting yes it went very well very well they're drawing up contracts and then i'm going to go back
18:23and see them around about the second or third and you were right vicky you know no more slaving over
18:27a hot stove for me i should be telling other people what to do oh robin congratulations and who's
18:33offering you the job is it trust house 40 nope grand metropolitan hotel nope the savoy group nope fci
18:48fci
19:07fci's lawyers have drawn up their usual standard contract i assume you'll be free to start within a month
19:12oh yes yes yes the sale of the bistro is going ahead in fact uh mr nichols and the buyer
19:16exchanging
19:17contracts this morning probably with this moment i should think excellent excellent i think it's very
19:22much simpler if i just uh run quickly through this with you yes and then charles can witness both our
19:25signatures fine memorandum of agreement made and entered into on the second day of april between
19:32food consortium international incorporating range rider beefy burgers here enough to call the employer
19:37and robin tripp here enough to call the employee sorry sorry sorry excuse me just a second
19:44uh sorry um what is this uh what is this range rider beefy burger business
19:50well that's who you'll be working for now where was i yes robin tripp here enough to call the employee
19:57hang hang hang hang about a minute do you mean to say i'm going to be running a hamburger joint
20:03but we like to call them restaurants where my customers can either eat them there or take them
20:07away a takeaway hamburger joint several of the fci are as successful here as they are in the states
20:15carry on jeffrey thank you where was i oh yes robin tripp here in call wait wait what about
20:22look what about all the staff i was going to have under me accommodation it's all in the contract don't
20:27worry since we're talking of accommodation the glorious thing about this is of course you won't have
20:31to worry about moving oh and then there's the added bonus that you already know the staff albert riddle
20:36get your pim now where was i oh yes robin tripp herein called the employee hereby guarantees to
20:44offers his services on or above the starting didn't want me they just wanted the property oh robin i don't
20:51know how you could have been so stupid i was conned all the way down the line we'll get in
20:55touch with
20:55dad he refused to sell vicky vicky vicky look don't you realize that while i was having the
21:01meeting with mr elliott your father was exchanging contracts on this place it's too late he's committed
21:07and when he finds out what's happening most probably suggest i should be as well
21:11oh robin it's a nightmare
21:15victoria
21:17victoria ah there you are now he's been a slight hitch i'm afraid we can't exchange contracts until you've
21:23signed these documents i've quite forgotten the tax purposes i put the company in your name
21:28my darling what is the matter please thank heavens mr nichols you see well vicky doesn't want to move
21:36and i'll say please vicky let me finish and you know if she feels that strongly about it then i
21:42shall turn down the job i mean after all money isn't everything
21:54oh just think all these years the restaurant's been in your name
21:59i mean technically you've been the boss all this time
22:05technically i still am
22:08this certainly changes the balance of power
22:12there are going to be a few changes around here trip you're fired for a start
22:20vicky i was conned i don't know how you could have been so stupid fci
22:27well it sounded so impressive
22:34anyway i was only thinking of planning ahead
22:41talking of planning ahead why didn't you
22:47sorry what what did you talk about me
22:53put it this way let's hope it's not twins again
23:01what
Comments