The Joy Ride
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"The Joy Ride" is the fourth episode of the fifth and final series of the
period drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...
''
Upstairs, Downstairs Upstairs Downstairs may refer to: Television *Upstairs, Downstairs (1971 TV series), ''Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1971 TV series), a British TV series broadcast on ITV from 1971 to 1975 *Upstairs Downstairs (2010 TV series), ''Upstairs Downstairs'' ...
''. It first aired on 28 September 1975 on
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.


Background

"The Joy Ride" was recorded in the studio on 20 and 21 February 1975. Originally,
Elizabeth Jane Howard Elizabeth Jane Howard, Lady Amis (26 March 1923 – 2 January 2014), was an English novelist, author of 12 novels including the best-selling series ''The'' ''Cazalet Chronicles''. Early life Howard's parents were timber-merchant Major David L ...
had written a script called ''The Price of Rubies'', which would have shown James Bellamy gambling and getting involved with an unsuitable woman. However, for an unknown reason, this was quickly dropped and in the space of one long weekend
Alfred Shaughnessy Alfred James Shaughnessy (19 May 1916 – 2 November 2005) was an English scriptwriter, film director and producer best known for being the script editor of '' Upstairs, Downstairs''. Early life Alfred Shaughnessy was born in London, his father, ...
produced "The Joy Ride". A later episode, '' An Old Flame'', written by John Hawkesworth, had a storyline similar to ''The Price of Rubies''.


Cast

* David Langton - Richard Bellamy * Simon Williams - James Bellamy * Hannah Gordon - Virginia Bellamy *
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-
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* Gordon Jackson -
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* Joan Benham - Lady Prudence Fairfax * Gareth Hunt - Frederick *
Karen Dotrice Karen Dotrice ( ; born 9 November 1955) is a British actress. She is known primarily for her role as Jane Banks in Walt Disney's ''Mary Poppins'', the feature film adaptation of the ''Mary Poppins'' book series. Dotrice was born in Guernsey in t ...
- Lily * Jenny Tomasin - Ruby


Plot

It is the autumn of 1921, and following the death of his aunt Kate, Lady Castleton, James uses £375 of the money he has been left by her to buy himself an Avro 504 aeroplane. He has been taking flying lessons at Brooklands. On a clear, sunny day, James invites Virginia to go to Brooklands with him so he can take her flying. However, Richard wants her to sit in the
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in the House of Lords while he delivers an important speech, and then to go to tea with him and some friends. However, Virginia decides to go with James, and Richard is visibly annoyed with this decision, as well as his son's use of the money. At very short notice, Lady Prudence accompanies Richard to the Lords debate. When they return to 165, Eaton Place at 6.15pm, James and Virginia are still not home. Not long afterwards, Richard rings the flying club secretary, who tells him that the two are missing. By 8.00pm the news has reached the front page of the '' Evening News''. The article implies that there is something improper going on between James and Virginia. There are later reports that a plane was seen over James' ancestral home, Southwold in Wiltshire, that afternoon; and later on there is a sighting of a plane near the sea at
Swanage Swanage () is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck and one of its two towns, approximately south of Poole and east of Dorchester. In the 2011 census the civil ...
. Lady Prudence insists on staying at 165 Eaton Place, and sleeps in the morning room as Richard dozes. In the morning, Richard is told by telephone what has happened. The plane had landed on a
mudflat Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal fl ...
at Poole Harbour night having gone south rather than east, and James and Virginia had to spend the night in the plane. In the morning, they had been taken to
Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...
and reported the accident. The same day they return to London by train, and Richard and Virginia make up.


Footnotes


References

* Richard Marson, "Inside UpDown - The Story of Upstairs, Downstairs",
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, 2005
Updown.org.uk
- ''Upstairs, Downstairs'' Fansite {{DEFAULTSORT:Joy Ride, The Upstairs, Downstairs (series 5) episodes 1975 British television episodes Fiction set in 1921 fr:La balade des souvenirs