The Men of Lark Rise and Candleford

It's a long list, and not nearly as star-studded, but I could be an early fan of many on this list. Let's first start with the attractive and/or hilarious but taken.

Robert Timmins
(Brendan Coyle)

Brendan Coyle is quickly becoming one of my favorite BBC staples. He played Nicholas Higgins in North & South and John Bates in Downton Abbey (a must-see after you finish Lark Rise to Candleford - streaming on Netflix). He is a bit type-cast--strong, opinionated, advocate for the working man, principled above all--but he plays the part so well. Robert is a devoted father, a loving husband who isn't quite sure he's liking the changing tides of women's rights, and the hamlet's political pot-stirrer.

Twister Turrill
(Karl Johnson)

I have never seen this actor before but he is hilarious. He blames every lazy bone in his body on "the rheumatism" and yet he finds enough energy to get into plenty of trouble around the hamlet and in town. There isn't a penny in his pocket he doesn't spend on drink, much to Queenie's ire. However, his shenanigans are perfectly balanced with his spells where he isn't quite in his right mind: he gets lost sometimes, hears voices, and sees visions. You're never quite sure if he's gone loopy or if he's connected to the earth in a way similar to his wife, Queenie.

Thomas Brown
(Mark Heap)

I thought I had never seen this actor before, but apparently he was one of the King's sons in Stardust. That makes me laugh a lot; those sons are pretty hilarious. Thomas Brown falls into the in-between category of the Men of Lark Rise: he eventually enters the realm of the married but until then (and after, I suppose) he is a most devoted servant of Her Majesty, the Queen, as Candleford's postman. He is also obsessed with being a Christian and is determined to convert everyone around him. His self-righteousness can be wearisome at times, but he also has his fair share of hilarious moments.

--And now we transition in the MEN of Lark Rise. Between Laura and Dorcas Lane, there are many, uh, treats that make their way through Candleford. Some are better than others. Let's begin with the most stable character.--

Alfie Arless
(John Dagleish)

Alfie (or Alf, as he's known in Lark Rise) is Laura's childhood friend. He might even be a little sweet on her, but since I'm not doing spoilers here I will leave it at that. It is really a pleasure to watch Alfie grow from a child into a man in this series. He has a less-than-responsible mother, a father away at sea, and four younger siblings, so he has to grow up pretty fast. He is a man of the land, through and through, and a loyal friend and lover. I love how his story ends up.

Laura's Love Interests

Phillip
(Oliver Jackson-Cohen)

The fact that I can't find one picture of this guy in costume leads me to believe that people feel the same way about him as I felt about my high school boyfriend: better left in the past, better if it hadn't happened at all. I was glad to see Phillip kicked to the curb and with as much passion as Laura did it with. Good riddance. (Sorry for breaking my spoiler rule--I just can't stand this guy.)

Fisher Bloom
(Matthew McNulty)

Why I can't find a better picture of him is beyond me. This hardly does him justice. Fisher the clockmaker. Mmmm. As Mac (my friend who introduced me to this show) said, "Have you gotten to Fisher yet? When you do, hold onto your socks." I had no idea what she meant, but when I got there I knew she was right. Fisher is like every bad-idea/"but he has so much potential" boyfriend I've ever had or tried to have: he is so hot, the kissing is amazing, but you know he can't possibly stick around. Or can he?

Daniel Parrish
(Ben Aldridge)

Be still my beating heart. Seriously you guys. Look up his profile photo on IMDb. YOWSER. I mean, when you meet him as Daniel, he's a total prick. I really didn't think he was going to last. And when he did, I wasn't sure I wanted him to. And I'm still not really decided, except that I think Daniel is the most accurate representation of what real-life-with-a-man-you-want-to-marry is like. There are power struggles, mistakes are made, feelings get hurt, but ultimately you are on the same basic trajectory and you make it work. Plus, the kissing is still really good and you know he'll stick around.

Dorcas Lane Love Interests

I knew I had arrived at adulthood when I realized I wasn't slobbering over what's-his-bucket in that Amanda Bynes' movie, What a Girl Wants, and instead was actively lusting after Colin Firth (who was not the intended eye candy for the teens the movie was aimed toward). I have to say that the fact I was more invested in the following men plants my feet firmly in womanhood.

Sir Timothy
(Ben Miles)

Sir Timothy is the squire of Lark Rise and Candleford, childhood friend of Dorcas Lane, and spends a curious amount of time at the post office. He's also married to Lady Adelaide. I detest infidelity of any kind (real or fictionalized) and so, while the chemistry between him and Dorcas is incredible, it always left me feeling pretty unsettled. I think I have secret fears of marrying the wrong person, and this just kind of added to them.

James Dowland
(Jason Merrells)

Wah wah. What a sad follow up to Sir Timothy. Former Lark-Riser, now-successful hotelier, barging in on Candleford like he owns the place. Not cute. Not charming. Ends up being kind of pathetic. Blech.

Gabriel Cochran
(Richard Harrington)

Man. Or, as Dorcas says, "He's a manly man." A former blacksmith, and down on his luck after the unexpected death of his wife, Gabriel wanders into Candleford looking for work. Dorcas just happens to have an empty forge and a need for a blacksmith, perfect for him to start over. He's hot-blooded and passionate, but can also be quite contemplative. He's not perfect by any means, but he's the just type of man you hope wanders into your life after a long dry spell following a whelp like James Dowland.

And that, my friends, is it. Watch it quickly so we can talk about it!!

Not really a confession...

Okay. Let's give this a go. Just to see...

You all know of my penchant for British dramas/miniseries/series. My newest love is Lark Rise to Candleford. This series is based off of Flora Thompson's memoir of her childhood in Oxfordshire during the turn of the century (1895-ish). The series is delightful--LOTS of familiar British faces and a plethora of healthy love interests. It follows the interactions of the hamlet of Lark Rise with the town of Candleford, conducted largely through the activity in the post office. It sounds iffy, but I promised if you give it a go, you will not be disappointed! All four seasons are on YouTube, so you can watch to your heart's content. One tiny confession here: I spent the majority of my last month in Rexburg watching all 4 seasons, once staying up until 3:30 am watching episodes...

There's too much for one post, so we'll break it into several, beginning with the women of Lark Rise and Candleford.

Laura Timmons
(Olivia Hallinan)

Laura, the oldest Timmins child, was born in the hamlet of Lark Rise. When she turns 17, her parents ship her off to work at the post office in the nearest town, Candleford, with her mother's cousin, Dorcas Lane. I've never seen this actress before, but she's a pretty good Laura. We see her come of age over the course of the series: She falls in love, finds and defines herself and her opinions, and learns how to interact with her hamlet family once she is exposed to the ways of "town."

Dorcas Lane
(Julia Sawalha)

You might remember her better as Lydia Bennett in the 1995 (Colin Firth) version of Pride & Prejudice. She also plays Horatio Hornblower's wife Maria in the A&E miniseries Horatio Hornblower. I recognized her as Maria but didn't make the Lydia connection until the end of season 4 for some reason. I'm kind of glad I didn't, because if I had this image of her giggling at the soldiers in Meriton, it might have ruined it for me (sorry folks). Anyway, she owns the post office and forge in Candleford and is well-known as the most beautiful of the four spinsters in town. She is well-meaning but constantly meddling in everyone else's business...And beware of her "one weakness."

Queenie
(Linda Bassett)

You may recognize her as Mrs. Jenkins from the new Sense & Sensibility. She is fantastic as Queenie Turrill. She is the unofficial but recognized matriarch of Lark Rise--she's lived there the longest of anyone. She raises bees and sells nuts to survive, takes in anyone in need of food and shelter, believes in ghosts and natural remedies, and is kept busy by her mischievous and lazy husband, Twister. I think her character is one of my favorites. I love how close she is to the earth and her people. She's not ashamed of her roots or her poverty. It's a lesson I needed to learn while living in poverty in my own little town this summer.

Emma Timmins
(Claudie Blakely)

She's pictured here with her husband, Robert Timmins (more on him in the next post). You may recognize her as Charlotte from the Kiera Knightly Pride & Prejudice. She plays Laura's mother in this series and does a smashing job of it. She does such a great job especially of portraying that fine balance between being subservient to her husband while also questioning the accepted roles of women, perfect for the time period of this series.

Minnie
(Ruby Bentall)

I love, love, love Minnie. She doesn't show up until season 2, but she is delightful in every way. I have to admit, I was skeptical of how long she would last on the show, but her character takes on such unique and refreshing qualities that you can't help but love her. Her honesty and purity (and her naivete) have me laughing through many episodes. Her love, though, is also some of the most touching in the series.

Lady Adelaide

(Olivia Grant)

I have to admit, I spent most of my time feeling sorry for Lady Adelaide. She's only in season 1, though she does pop back up for a surprise visit in season 3 I think, and she's not even in very many episodes, but she is perfect for her role. I won't say much more than that for fear of giving too much away. Suffice it to say, she is a potent force in both Lark Rise and Candleford.

Margaret
(Sandy McDade)

I have never seen this actress before, but she is perfect for her role. Sometimes I want to shake her, but for the most part I like her. She's the rector's daughter and is one of the four spinsters in Candleford. I think my favorite episode of hers is the one about cricket.

Pearl and Ruby
(Matilda Ziegler and Victoria Hamilton)

I haven't seen anything with Pearl in it, but Ruby played Maria Bertram in the movie version of Mansfield Park. This picture captures these spinster Candleford dressmakers perfectly. It's like you can see in their eyes what vicious gossips they are.

Caroline Arless
(Dawn French)

The "fat lady" from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. She is constantly getting her Lark Rise family into financial scrapes. She is well-meaning but has absolutely no discipline. She only appears in season 1 but she sets the stage for the plight of the Arless family through all 4 seasons.

See what I mean: LOTS of famous faces. This should just whet your appetite. The men of Candleford and Lark Rise are not quite as famous, but they sure are lovely...Are you excited yet?

Ahem

Confession: I come back here frequently to relive some of my most favorite moments that I've shared. And I'm contemplating, after a 2+ year hiatus, of revisiting the blog. Mom did love the blog...

Anyway, no promises. I'm just thinking.