Don't Do That!

'How!'
'Don't do that!'
What?'
'Enquire.'
'What's your number?'
'What?'
'Your number, what is it?'
Be careful.'
'One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight...'
'Quiet.'
'....nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen?'

    Such is the conversation between No.6 and No.86 in the early morning of Once Upon A Time. It is perfectly evident that No.86 is afraid of anyone enquiring about him. Afraid to give even his own number away to others, in this case No.6. Afraid to give anything away, to say the wrong thing, because someone might very well be listening and over hear what was being said. This is much the same as it was in Napoleon Bonapatre's France. His was a France of a police state, with a vast network of secret police and spies. Citizens were afraid to pass comment, or to express an opinion for fear of being denounced by a neighbour, and taken before the Committee, as was the case during the French Revolution.
   In the Prisoner epsiode A Change of Mind citizens of the Village are quick to denounce a fellow citizen as being Unmutual for not observing, or keeping to the rules of society. For simply not returning a citizens greeting can see one taken before the Committee. In revolutionary France, after being brought before the Committee, the next step was on the steps to Madame Guillotine. But in the Village, there is the operation known as Instant Social Conversion! There is much in common between revolutionary France and the Village, would you not say citizen?          Bonjour Chez Vous.

The Prisoner Shop

   I was thumbing through an old book of information the other day, whilst looking up a name from the past, and there was a number of photographs, this being one of them. This is the bay window of the Prisoner shop at Portmeirion, as it used to be up until 2000, after which the shop was completely refurbished, and the bay window replaced with French doors, as it was originally, and seen in the Prisoner.
   I have to say that at certain times of the year, when visiting the Prisoner
shop is was cold and damp, enjoying an atmosphere all it's own. But the shop, which was run by Max Hora, was always amply stocked with all kinds of Prisoner merchandise. But it wasn't always easy to gain entry into the shop, it didn't open until 11am, and closed promptly at 5pm, and during that time, if a keen fan of the Prisoner having arrived at Portmeirion, keenly making a bee-line for the Prisoner shop, then he or she was sometimes faced with this...

a hand writen note on the door handle 'Back soon.' There used to be a warning sign upon the door, warning visitors that the shop was to do with the 1960's television series the Prisoner, that it might be confusing for people not familiar with the Prisoner. Well people did go in not knowing what they were walking into, and from time to time visitors to Portmeirion would go into the shop looking for an ice cream or a cup of tea, and Max would have to explain that this was not the tea shop or ice cream kiosk. And others simply wandering in and wandering out, wondering what it was all about! For me, it was like a sweet shop, filled with all kinds of goodies to buy.  Be seeing you.

In An Emergency We Walk!

    Such is the slow pace of life in the Village, that those such as electricians, use a garden tractor such as this to get about the Village. Yet in an emergency - they walk! Well perhaps if the maids had walked carrying citizens breakfast trays in the opening scene of Dance of the Dead, then the breakfast would have arrived hot!
   Yet there is a variety of transportation in the Village, the Austin Mini-Moke used as the Village taxi. The Penny Farthing bicycle, which no-one in the Village is seen riding! The old faithful Tricycle. The canopied RWS 16 bicycle. The French Alouette helicopter. The Doughty Jet Drive boat, as seen in Free For All, used by No.6 in an attempt to escape the Village. And M.S.Polotska, real name Breda, original name DABII, which was actually one of the fleet of little boats to go across to help in the evacuation of Dunkirk in WWII.
   But remember, if you want to get anywhere in the Village in a hurry, then it's always qicker to walk. A taxi, oh no, I wouldn't use a taxi, local service only. Yes they'll take you anywhere you want to go just as long as you arrive back here in the end, that's why they're called local!
Be seeing you

The Most Irritatiung Man In The Village!

    Yes, this fellow here is the most irritating man in the Village! Why? Well by the way he pulls ridiculous faces when speaking on the telephone in the opening scenes of It's Your Funeral. More than that, in the way he keeps taking off and the putting on of his spectacles, during an interview with No.6! And what's more, how come actor Derren Nesbitt got away with not having to use that over-sized curved red telephone which both Colin Gordon and Patrick Cargill, both as No.2, were forced to use during their episodes? Because I would have liked to have seen Derren using that phone, and with good reason, as being the most irritating man in the Village, having been brought down to size!  Be seeing you.

The Spy Who Was Recruited........

.............Into The Banking Service!

    During Once Upon A Time the Prisoner was interviewed by the managing director of a Bank. Indeed the Prisoner was recruited into the Banking service, which was a cover for secret work. In John le Carre's novel The Spy Who Came In From The Cold which was adapted as a film in 1965 starring Richard Burton as Alec Leamas. Alec Leamas was basically a field agent, but he aworked in MI6's Banking Service, being the Banker for many British agents around the world, but chiefly those in West Germany. Lemas would set up Bank accounts in false names in West Germany, mainly in Berlin, he would then deposit a sum of monies into the account, after which a British agent for whom the money was intended, would use his or her false name to withdraw the said monies from the account.
    Perhaps the above account is something on the grounds for which the Prisoner was recruited into a Banking Service. After all as No.2 said, such a man as the Prisoner with his talents would not be wasted in licking stamps!
Brrrrr its could out there! But not as cold as it once was.  Cor, that sounds like a password recognition response.     BCNU

What's That Patrick McGoohan Up To?

    'Alright, who's idea was it to use these damned balloons? Look who's got the foot pump, I can't stand about here all day you know. And tell my wife to get a move on, these things burst easily, we've got through 20 this morning already. So tell Joan to use the vacuum cleaner to blow them up with, it'll be qucker!'
Be seeing you

Why Did You Resign?

No.6 'I didn't accept, why did you accept?'
No.2 'You resigned!'
I rejected!'
'You accepted before you resigned.'
'I rejected!'
'Who?'
'You.'
Why me?'
    This is part of the conversation between No.2 and No.6 during their deliberations in the Embryo Room of Once Upon A Time. It would appear that No.6 rejected No.2, that he has something against him, but I don't know what. Unless of course we have been here before, and it was No.2 and the Village that No.6 rejected. It is also possible that they knew each other before they encountered each other in the Village. Or perhaps they are the same birds of a feather, in that No.2 was once a Prisoner in the Village, that what was so deplorable is that he resisted for so short a time! In other words, No.2 accepted.
   It is my opinion that after rejecting the Village, the Prisoner was on his way to hand in his resignation, but afterwards was adbucted back to the Village.................its a vicous circle you see. The events of the Prisoner being played out over and over again.
Be seeing you.