Compo's young neighbour Gloria is emigrating to Australia. This was surprisingly common at the time. Almost everyone in the UK of a certain age probably knows someone who moved there. A bit of research reveals there was an assisted migration scheme, run by the Australian govt (for not entirely altruistic reasons - google White Australia) so Gloria and her family can go for only £75 per adult ticket, kids going free (originally this was the Ten Pound Pom scheme & amazingly it didn't end till the early 80s) but it will cost a lot more to come back. Along with the general price of travel in the 70s, there is every chance Gloria's mother will never see her again, which is one reason she & Gloria are so upset. Travel from the UK to Oz & vice versa would, like all travel, become a lot more affordable in future decades but at this point, Gloria might as well be going to Mars.
The rest of the episode is really based around the concept of a leaving do for Gloria. This involves the three collecting a piano, which Blamire proceeds to bash out tunes on (& if you concentrate, there are actually melodies buried under the thwacking!) & some flirting of Compo with Nora - who looks more recognisable in her first scenes than in series 1 and positively poshed up at the end! She also flashes her stocking for possibly the first time.
The new librarians are clearly supposed to be a stereotype either of radical feminists or lesbians, or possibly both. With a bit of Mrs Whitehouse, bigoted anti "smut" campaigner, thrown in. Apart from the enjoyment of realising one is played by Mrs Pike from Dad's Army, they don't add much to proceedings.
Once again, series 2 is moving ever so slightly closer to the SW of later years.
The rest of the episode is really based around the concept of a leaving do for Gloria. This involves the three collecting a piano, which Blamire proceeds to bash out tunes on (& if you concentrate, there are actually melodies buried under the thwacking!) & some flirting of Compo with Nora - who looks more recognisable in her first scenes than in series 1 and positively poshed up at the end! She also flashes her stocking for possibly the first time.
The new librarians are clearly supposed to be a stereotype either of radical feminists or lesbians, or possibly both. With a bit of Mrs Whitehouse, bigoted anti "smut" campaigner, thrown in. Apart from the enjoyment of realising one is played by Mrs Pike from Dad's Army, they don't add much to proceedings.
Once again, series 2 is moving ever so slightly closer to the SW of later years.