Carrie's War (1974 TV serial) facts for kids
Carrie's War is a TV show based on the famous book by Nina Bawden. It was shown on BBC1 in 1974. There were five episodes, each about 30 minutes long. The story is about a young girl named Carrie and her brother during World War Two.
Contents
What is Carrie's War About?
Carrie and Nick's New Home
The story takes place in Britain during World War Two. A girl named Carrie Willow, who is about ten, and her younger brother, Nick, are sent away from London. They go to a small village in Wales to stay safe during the Battle of Britain.
They live with Mr. Samuel Evans, a strict shopkeeper, and his shy sister, Auntie Lou. Mr. Evans often bosses Auntie Lou around.
Friends at Druid's Bottom
Another child, Albert, who is also an evacuee, lives nearby. He stays at a big country house called Druid's Bottom. This house is run by Mrs. Dilys Gotobed, who is Mr. Evans's older sister. She is not rich and is very unwell.
Also living at Druid's Bottom are Mrs. Gotobed's cousin, Mr. Johnny, who needs special care, and their kind housekeeper, Hepzibah Green. Everyone at Druid's Bottom becomes good friends with Carrie and Nick.
A Quiet War Story
Unlike some other war stories, Carrie's War does not have spies or violence. Instead, it is a quiet story about how people get along. It shows how their relationships change over time. There is also a bit of a mystery. Hepzibah is known as a wise woman. People also say there is a curse on Druid's Bottom.
Changes and Challenges
During the series, Auntie Lou marries an American soldier. She leaves the village, even though Mr. Evans is very unhappy about it. Later, Mrs. Gotobed dies. Mr. Evans then tries to take over her house and property. He wants to make Hepzibah and Mr. Johnny leave. This happens because Mrs. Gotobed's will (her last wishes) seems to have disappeared.
Carrie and Nick think Mr. Evans stole the will. Carrie decides to take an old skull. People believe this skull controls the curse on Druid's Bottom. After she takes it, the house burns down. Carrie feels bad when she finds out Mr. Evans hadn't stolen the will. There wasn't one to begin with.
Life After Druid's Bottom
Carrie and Nick then go to live with family in Glasgow. The story ends with an update from thirty years later. The adult Carrie returns to the area with her own children. She finds out that Hepzibah and Mr. Johnny are still living at Druid's Bottom. Albert Sandwich now owns the house. Mr. Evans had died many years before, alone and sad.
How Carrie's War Was Made
Filming Locations
The BBC made Carrie's War. Most of the filming happened in Blaengarw, a countryside area in Wales. Only a little bit of Welsh language was spoken in the show. Mr. Evans said grace in Welsh in the first episode. The minister, Mr. Morgan, spoke Welsh at Mrs. Gotobed's funeral in episode four.
Railway Scenes and Broadcast
The scenes that took place on a railway were filmed on the Severn Valley Railway. There were five episodes in total. Each episode was about half an hour long. They were shown in January 1974. The series is now available to buy on DVD. It was also mentioned in a BBC documentary called From Andy Pandy To Zebedee in 2015.
Cast Members
- Juliet Waley as Carrie Willow
- Andrew Tinney as Nick Willow
- Aubrey Richards as Samuel Evans
- Avril Elgar as Lou Evans
- Rosalie Crutchley as Hepzibah Green
- Tim Coward as Albert Sandwich
- Matthew Guinness as Mr. Johnny Gotobed
- Sean Arnold as Frederick
- Patsy Smart as Dilys Gotobed
