Joyce and Mother are sitting in the back seat of the pre-war Vauxhall Big Six. We do not see Gilbert.

JOYCE   Where shall it be today, Mother? Any preference?

MOTHER   Where what?

JOYCE   Our destination. I thought we might have a little run to Harrogate.
The car is gently rocked.

MOTHER   Joyce.

JOYCE   What, Mother?

MOTHER   We’re in the garage.

JOYCE   I have to breathe, Mother. I have to breathe.
We see Gilbert cleaning the car.

MOTHER   Why doesn’t he put the wheels on, Joyce?

JOYCE   (winding down the window) Because we’ve no coupons, Mother. Gilbert can’t get the juice. I’ve got a husband who can’t get the juice. What are you eating, Mother?

MOTHER   A cream cracker.

JOYCE   Where did you find it?

MOTHER   In my cardigan.

JOYCE   Well, get out of the car and eat it. You know the rules. No crumbs in the car.
Mother get out.

MOTHER   He’s missed a bit here, Joyce.
Joyce, still in the car, looks out of the open window at the bit Mother is pointing at.

JOYCE   You’ve missed a bit here, Gilbert.
As Gilbert comes from the back of the car with his polishing rag, Joyce gets out and we see it’s on blocks.

GILBERT   I never have. I can see my face in that.

JOYCE   (sadly) So can I.

EXT. NUTTALL’S SHOP. DAY.

A long queue stretches along the front of the shop and beyond. Mrs Allardyce, Veronica, and Mrs Sutcliff are just inside the shop. Joyce is a little way behind them, stonding outside with a stony-faced woman between her and them.

There is a poster of Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Mountbatten in Broadbent’s window, and next door the man is hanging up Union Jack bunting.

Joyce is trying to get herself noticed, but is being obstructed by the stony-faced woman ahead of her in the queue.

MRS SUTCLIFF   Who’s this woman behind me?

MRS ALLARDYCE   (surveying queue but not stopping talking) Busy this morning, of course it will be now the other two are closed down, the chiropodist’s wife.

JOYCE   Veronica’s making great strides.

MRS ALLARDYCE   Really?

JOYCE   How’re you going on with ‘The Soldier’s Chorus’, Veronica? Keeping the fingers bent?
Veronica looks as if she would like to keep her fingers bent round Joyce’s throat.

(nailing Mrs Sutcliff) Gilbert was telling me you’d like us to save some of our scraps for your pigs.

MRS SUTCLIFF   Well … yes … if you’ve got anything to spare.

MRS ALLARDYCE   (over-sweetly) But don’t give them anything you can eat yourself.
Nuttall comes over and puts a ‘Closed for Lunch’ notice in the window. Then he forces the door closed. Joyce is left outside.

NUTTALL   Sorry. I’m run off my feet.
Veronica, inside the shop, pulls a face at Joyce outside.

INT. GILBERT’S PREMISES. DAY.