The Bargee

1 9 6 3 (UK)

"The Casanova of the canals"

Womanising barge worker Hemel Pike has a woman waiting for him at every port of call as he travels the inland waterways of England with his fellow crewmember Ronnie.

Christine Turnbull is the one girl who plans to get Hemel down the church aisle and while Ronnie keeps Christine's irascible father Joe busy down the pub with a drinking contest, the two have a clandestine assignation and discuss marriage. Hemel’s carefree days seem to be over though, when following a fainting spell Christine is diagnosed as pregnant and Hemel has to face the wrath of her outraged father.

Joe is a canal lockkeeper, and armed with a shotgun, he rigs an explosive charge to the lock gates and threatens to blockade the canal until the person responsible for putting his daughter in the family way confesses.

The Bargee was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson - The famous British comedy team responsible for Steptoe & Son and Hancock. Eric Sykes guests as an absurd mariner who behaves like Lord Nelson (nicknamed ‘Jack Hawkins’ by Ronnie).