Our Zoo

Come on.

"Our Zoo News. Edition One.

"The first thing you need to know about animals is that they're

"just like human beings only with much better manners.

"I always knew my dad loved animals, but three months ago

"we didn't even own a cat, let alone have space for a monkey."

Me and your Uncle Stan saw an elephant

first time we ever came to a circus.

Will there be monkeys?

Monkeys, lions, all sorts. Ah! Look, look!

Dad?

Ladies and gentlemen,

boys and girls,

we bring you the wonders

of the natural world, right before your very eyes!

Man and beast!

Ooh!

Dad? What's wrong?

You're squeezing too hard.

Dad?

Dad?

Got a surprise for you.

I got it off a lad at work. What is it?

Oh, you'll have to ask nicer than that.

Blimey... I was thinking about New York.

You're still in school.

Not for long. And I'll have to get a job after, anyway.

We could pay for our passage over by working.

Yeah, all right.

Dad, what's happened?

Mew, inside. Christopher, go home.

I said go home!

What's going on? Do you want the whole street to hear?

George, what's the matter?

Eh?

Are the girls all right? I didn't scare them, did I?

They'll be fine. It's you I'm worried about.

I'm sorry.

What's wrong with me? Why can't I get past this? Other men do.

You've got to give yourself time, George. It's been years, though.

I'm sorry Lizzie, I'm sorry.

We're still living here with my parents. All crammed in the house, I'm sorry.

'I thought he'd turned a corner.'

But he's going backwards.

I'm not sure he's ready to take this place on, love.

He'll have to be. We've got plans.

Let's just give him another year.

Him or you? Everyone has to retire at some point, Albert.

And we should be enjoying these precious last few years together.

I'm not dead yet!

If you don't slow down, you will be.

Is he sick?

No.

People will think he's a lunatic if he carries on like that.

Grown men don't cry. That's enough.

He's your father.

And he's going through something awful,

and we're going to help him.

Here you are.

Everything all right with your George?

Yeah, he's fine. He's just tired, that's all.

You sure? He tore a right strip off of my Christopher.

Scared him half to death.

You remember Danny Robertson, don't you, Albert?

Two streets over.

Yeah, fought in the Somme? Came home, seemed fine.

Now he won't even come downstairs.

That's nothing like our George.

Well, I'm just saying,

shell shock creeps up on some men.

Thank you, dear.

What is it, Gran? It's the South Lancashire Regiment.

Your Uncle Stan's company in the war.

George's, too. Sit down, sweetheart.

Only me.

Good day, son?

Not bad.

Another reunion.

You ought to go this time, for Stanley's sake,

remind yourself how lucky you are still to be here.

Lucy! You want to get a grip on yourself, George.

That's enough.

I beg your pardon, this is my house,

and we've been tiptoeing around him far too long.

There's nothing wrong with you, you're not injured.

Your wounds have healed.

I think what your mother is trying to say

is that it might be better to air it out, son.

Rather than keeping it bottled up.

Well, there's nothing to say!

I know I'm lucky, Mother.

And I'm sorry that Stan's not here and I am.

I'm sorry for that every day.

Sorry that I shouted at Christopher, Mew. Why don't you invite him

around for tea? Cos I'd die of embarrassment.

Mew!

Mew.

Son!

Let him go, leave him.

Eat up, love.

Hey, I saw you looking at my shirt, pal. You like it?

Cos I can get you half a dozen of these.

Made by the same bloke who cuts cloth for the King.

No word of a lie.

Have a look at this.

What the hell are they? Sunglasses from America.

Stops you squinting on the beach and you can sneak a look

at the ladies without the missus knowing.

Have you ever used an electric razor?

You'll never go back, my friend. Forget hot water and towels.

Can you provide a bill of sale for them items, sir?

Georgie! You scared the daylights out of me.

How long have you been home? Couple of weeks. What are you drinking?

Little tip for you, Georgie,

if you're looking for a bit of excitement in your life...

..papayas.

Right, what's that?

Fruit. Had one last year in a restaurant in Boston.

All the fashion. Docks are flooded with them and the best part is

they're dirt cheap cos no-one knows what the hell to do with them.

Take those off, will ya, Billy?

Oh! Yeah.

How's the shop?

Yeah. Erm, Lizzie's doing a book-keeping course

so we can take it over from my old man, you know?

How is she - Lizzie?

She's YOUR sister, Billy.

Why don't you come with me and ask her yourself?

You won't tell her you've seen me, will you?

Why not?

I just want to pick my moment. I'm a changed man.

On my mother's sacred life. I just want her to see that.

I don't know how you do it, Billy.

You've always got a smile on your face.

You're always moving on to something new.

You going, then?

I can't. A few drinks, couple of war stories. How hard can it be?

You didn't even serve, Billy.

Yeah, well, I'm just saying it might do you some good.

I'll come with you, if you like.

I'm told this is the future. Whatever you think, mate.

Get a move on. Get a move on, then.

That's it, that's it...

In here. Come on!

Come on, there's a good girl.

Come on, there's a good girl.

Yes, sir, have you come to collect?

No, no. I'm just, erm, just looking.

That's a kangaroo, innit?

Here, if you want to see something...

Hey, look at that!

Came in on a Navy boat from Australia.

No-one ever bothered to pick him up.

Yours for two bob.

What would I want with a parrot?

Fair question.

There's a good lad. Easy now...

Hey, what's in there? Monkey.

Someone ships it all the way from Colombia

and can't even be bothered to come and pick it up.

There were two of them. Other one died.

Took us a while to work out what to feed them.

Trouble is we can't keep them forever.

What's that stuff there?

Chloroform. Trust me, it's the best way. He'll just drift off.

All right. All right!

All right, what?

How much do you want?

For the parrot or the monkey?

Both.

Junebug. June!

What did you buy? Pineapples?

And a few other bits and bobs.

What is it?

That, that's a monkey. From Colombia.

And this is a parrot.

All the way from Australia.

Where are they going to live?

Must be some nuts in here.

Try the top shelf.

What were you thinking of?

I couldn't leave them there. They just need feeding up, that's all.

What about the smell in the meantime?

What if that thing out there escapes? We've got customers.

We're respected in this community.

Don't worry, Gran, I'll make sure they stay in their cages.

We're not keeping him, love.

You're damn right we're not. There's a monkey in the... We know!

Right. Looks exotic.

What's wrong?

I've just got work in the morning, that's all.

It's my dad, isn't it?

He won't hurt you. He's perfectly normal.

There's something in there.

It's lovely, is this, Mum.

Bloody monkey scratched me!

He's defending himself, that's all. Let me look, let me look.

It's just a scratch is that.

Why do you put up with this?

All right, I'll find a home for him. I said I would.