Why Pay Tax 

Episode Overview

While placing a bet, Terry falls for Dolly, the widow of former bookmaker Charlie Warner. After arranging a date that evening with Dolly, Terry meets Arthur who tells him he has a job lined up for him accompanying another bookmaker Barry ‘the book’ around town collecting and dropping off money for bets made without tax. That evening, Terry accompanies Barry to meet hard man antiques dealer Ray Newell, who is expecting sixteen grand in winnings. When Barry hands over the money to what seems like a thief, he calls on Terry for help. While attempting to catch up with the culprit, Terry gets injured and ends up in hospital with eight stitches – and fails to meet Dolly for their date. 

The next day Terry and Arthur go to visit Barry as Terry suspects Barry has set it all up, which he has. Barry confesses to Arthur and Terry that he is skint. Moments later Ray Newell arrives at Barry’s place to collect his money and takes all of Barry’s possessions including his car. As a result of this meeting, Terry fails to turn up for a second rearranged date with Dolly. When Terry finally gets to meet Dolly she tells him she thinks he should get himself a real job, and asks him to accompany her to Kempton races the following day. In desperation, Barry approaches Dolly as a fellow bookmaker, asking her for money which Barry claims he needs to help a mate of his called Terry who is in trouble, using Terry as a stooge to swindle money from Dolly.

Although Terry proves to Dolly that what Barry has said is untrue, she comes to the conclusion that Terry is nothing but trouble and calls the whole relationship off, much to Terry’s disappointment. Meanwhile, Arthur is dealing with local Irish builder Dermot and thinks he is on to a winner buying and selling secondhand fireplaces. When Arthur thinks he has purchased a collectable antique Robert Adam fireplace he calls up Ray’s valuer Cyril, who tells Arthur he has purchased a fake. Cyril and Ray purchase the fireplace from Arthur, although Terry later discovers that the fireplace is in fact real ‘Adam’ and that Cyril and Ray are selling it for five thousand pounds and that they have quite clearly ripped Arthur off.

Cast

 Glynn Edwards as Dave, Nigel Davenport as Ray, Kika Markham as Dolly, Michael Medwin as Barry, Roger Brierley as Cyril, Ronnie Cush as Ram, Shay Gorman as Forman, Peter Machin as Doctor, Cecil Cheng as Mr Wong, Richard Bartlett as Settler, Eliza Buckingham as Woman Customer, Kevin Burke as Young Policeman, Paul Weston as Man in Car

Facts

The twist in the tale in this episode is that everyone Arthur deals with turns out to be crooked in some way. The street in which Dolly’s bookmakers can be found is Lucy Road SW15 – the same street had previously been used for filming Mrs Knight’s pet shop in the episode #3.7 The Birdman Of Wormwood Scrubs just two episodes before. Dennis Waterman had previously appeared in the ‘Crooks Anonymous’ with Michael Medwin in 1962.

Double Take

Roger Brierley who plays Cyril (Ray’s valuer) also appears in #8.6 The Last Temptation of Daley.

Bloopers: At 14m45s in the pub car park – watch carefully as Terry is running to save Barry – it is quite clearly not Dennis Waterman but a stunt man. Watch as Terry hits the ground, Dennis Waterman carefully flicks his right arm so that he lands in a more correct position. Also, at 06m48s when Barry gets into the BMW to eat his chips with Terry, you can see a family looking at what is going on standing alongside their camper van at the petrol station in the background.