Character Relationship Map: Time, Gentlemen, Please!

Characters

• Sally (played by Jane Barrett) — supporting

  Dan's granddaughter, Sally secretly gives him Sir Digby Montague's leftovers and is dismissed when the practice is discovered. Later employed by Mary Wade, she becomes romantically involved with Bill...

• Bill Jordan (played by Robert Brown) — supporting

  A villager sympathetic to Dan, Bill reminds the councillors that an election will take place before the Prime Minister's visit. He is attracted to Sally and dates Peggy Stebbins, whose encouragement l...

• Eric Hace (played by Sidney James) — supporting

  A pub landlord and councillor, Hace reports Dan to the village policeman after Dan leaves without paying his bill. He later plots to make Dan miss the almshouse's closing time and helps recruit tramps...

• Peggy Stebbins (played by Dora Bryan) — supporting

  Peggy goes on a date with Bill Jordan and insists that he kiss her. Bill then visits Sally and kisses her too, but Sally becomes annoyed when he admits Peggy prompted the idea. Peggy's date therefore...

• Timothy Crouch (played by Ivor Barnard) — supporting

  One of the almshouse custodians, Timothy is told by the vicar to enforce the centuries-old rules governing Dan's residence, including the prescribed treatment and uniform. The villagers pelt Timothy w...

• Miss Mouncey (played by Marjorie Rhodes) — supporting

  A councillor, Miss Mouncey proposes sending Dan to the long-empty almshouses. Later she helps Hace distract Dan so he will miss the nightly gate-closing time and lose his entitlement, but Dan gets her...

• Sir Digby Montague (played by Raymond Lovell) — supporting

  The head of Little Hayhoe's council and a local magistrate, Sir Digby plans to sentence Dan to a week in gaol and sacks Sally after discovering she has given Dan his leftovers. He later offers Dan an...

• Mary Wade (played by Edie Martin) — minor

  Mary Wade is the shopkeeper who employs Sally after Sally is dismissed from Sir Digby's service. She joins Dan's election effort alongside Bill Jordan and Spink, helping the new candidates challenge t...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Timothy Crouch → Eric Hace (Power Political Pawn) — Timothy becomes exposed to the consequences of the councillors' unpopular decisions.

  When the villagers object to the intended punishment of the almshouse resident, they pelt Timothy Crouch with food instead, making him the immediate t...

• Timothy Crouch → Sir Digby Montague (Professional Administrative Subordinate) — Timothy is connected to the council's enforcement of the almshouse rules.

  Timothy Crouch serves as a custodian of the almshouses while Sir Digby Montague directs the council's policy concerning them.

• Mary Wade → Sally (Professional Employer) — Mary provides Sally with employment and practical support.

  Mary Wade, the shopkeeper, employs Sally after Sally loses her position as Sir Digby Montague's maid.

• Bill Jordan → Peggy Stebbins (Romantic Date Partner) — Their date briefly influences Bill's later behavior toward Sally.

  Bill Jordan goes on a date with Peggy Stebbins, and he kisses her at her insistence.

• Bill Jordan → Sally (Romantic Interest) — Their relationship develops from attraction and awkward courtship into mutual affection.

  Bill Jordan is attracted to Sally, visits her lodgings, and kisses her. Sally later kisses Bill after the new candidates win the election.

• Sir Digby Montague → Miss Mouncey (Professional Council Colleague) — They share council responsibilities and an initially restrictive policy.

  Sir Digby Montague and Miss Mouncey are both identified as members of the village council and act together against the almshouse resident.

• Eric Hace → Sir Digby Montague (Professional Council Subordinate) — Eric Hace operates within Sir Digby Montague's council structure.

  Eric Hace acts as a councillor and reports the unpaid pub bill, while Sir Digby Montague leads the village council and plans the legal response.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Mary Wade → Bill Jordan (Alliance Campaign Ally) — They cooperate in the successful electoral campaign.

  Mary Wade and Bill Jordan join the same group of new candidates in the council election.

• Eric Hace → Bill Jordan (Conflict Political Opponent) — Their opposing political positions place them on rival sides of the village conflict.

  Eric Hace works to undermine the almshouse resident's position, while Bill Jordan supports change and joins the successful election campaign.

• Mary Wade → Sir Digby Montague (Conflict Election Opponent) — Mary participates in the electoral challenge to the old council.

  Mary Wade joins the new candidates, who are elected and displace the previous councillors led by Sir Digby Montague.

• Bill Jordan → Sir Digby Montague (Conflict Political Opponent) — Bill challenges the established council represented by Sir Digby.

  Bill Jordan warns the councillors that an election will occur before the Prime Minister's visit and later joins the campaign that displaces the existi...

• Eric Hace → Miss Mouncey (Alliance Conspiracy Partner) — They cooperate in an attempt to remove the troublesome almshouse resident.

  Eric Hace schemes to make the almshouse resident miss the closing time and enlists Miss Mouncey to distract him.

Story Analysis

A village's attempt to conceal one unemployed resident becomes a comic struggle over dignity, wealth, political power, and social reform.

Plot Progression

1. The Missing Percentage — Little Hayhoe is celebrated for its employment figures, but the council identifies one homeless resident as an embarrassment before the Prime Minister's visit. Eric Hace and Sir Digby Montague begin e...
2. Rules of the Almshouse — The council uses an ancient almshouse and harsh regulations to control the unwanted resident. Sally loses her position, and the villagers begin resisting the council's treatment of him.
3. The Hidden Fortune — A new vicar discovers that the almshouses are supported by substantial rents and that the sole inmate is entitled to daily payments. The money transforms the resident's social position and exposes the...
4. Plots and Alliances — The old council tries to force the resident out through a cheap job and a closing-time trap. Meanwhile, Bill's confused romantic behavior and the approaching election reshape the village alliances.
5. A Hundred Percent Victory — The reform candidates defeat the old councillors and gain control of the village's future. The almshouses receive a new social purpose, and a final job brings Little Hayhoe to complete employment.