Homesick

"**Homesick**" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, *Only Fools and Horses*. It was the first episode of series 3, and was first broadcast on 10 November 1983. In the episode Rodney is appointed chairman of the local Tenants Association, and Del expects him to use his influence to secure a move to a council bungalow.

## Synopsis

As Del Boy prepares himself to go out with a waitress from a pizzeria, Rodney tells him that Grandad's legs are still hurting, so he has to stay in bed. Rodney plans to go to the local Council Tenants Association meeting to report things that are needed sorting such as Nelson Mandela House's lifts.

Rodney arrives at the meeting to find that the only other person attending is Trigger. While waiting for the meeting to start, Rodney finally asks Trigger why he keeps calling him "Dave". Trigger explains that he thought it was his name, but Rodney assures his name isn't, nor has it ever been, Dave. Trigger states he'll have to start calling him Rodney, only to start using Dave again straight away. Baz, the chairman, finally turns up and mentions that the vice-chairman died a fortnight ago, and that he wanted to elect a new vice-chairman, and Trigger votes Rodney to fill the position. The meeting starts, and Baz then resigns and promotes Rodney to chairman in an instant. Rodney is shocked, and Baz and Trigger leave to get a drink. Sat up on the stage, Rodney begins to realise the power he has with the position.

Later that day, at the market, Del is flogging fresh Spanish oranges, as Rodney shows up. Del berates him for being four hours late, but Rodney explains that he was talking to Margaret Mackenzie, who is charge of Housing & Welfare down at the town hall. Grandad walks by, after shopping at Sainsbury, and tells his grandsons that he was buying some more food for this evening's dinner, including haddock pie. Rodney offers to give him a lift back home in the Trotter Van, but Grandad declines, saying that he'll walk off the pain in his legs. Grandad heads off home, as the Trotter Brothers resume their business.

That evening, Del and Rodney return to the flat, still talking about Ms. Mackenzie, until they find Grandad collapsed on the floor. Del prepares a glass of brandy, as Rodney prepares to give Grandad the kiss of life, only for Grandad to wake up and explain to his grandsons that when he was trying to get up and change the channel on the TV's to ***Crossroads***, his legs gave out. Del puts Grandad to bed, while Rodney gets on the telephone and calls Dr. Becker.

Later, Dr. Becker tells Del and Rodney that Grandad is OK, but was exhausted from climbing twelve flights of stairs. The only solution to this problem is for the Trotters to move into a bungalow in Herrington Road with approval from the chairman of the Council Tenants Association. Rodney admits that *he* is the chairman, much to Del's delight.

Rodney is initially reluctant to exercise his influence in fear of appearing to exploit his position so soon for self-interest. That night, Del is sitting by Grandad's bedside, as Rodney enters with a bag of oranges. Rodney doesn't feel comfortable with phoning Ms. Mackenzie for a new bungalow, but Del is more concerned with Grandad's health. Just then, Grandad wakes up and praises Rodney for looking after him. Shortly, Grandad asks Rodney to put his hand under his pillow, because underneath it is a silver cigarette case which was carried by Grandad's grandfather during the Boer War. Grandad also explains to Rodney why there's a huge dent on the cigarette case. Grandad's grandfather was on sentry duty in the middle of Africa one night, when a sniper attacked him, but since Grandad's grandfather was wearing the cigarette case in his breast pocket, the bullet ricocheted up his nose and killed him. Grandad also mentions to Del and Rodney that the place his grandfather died was fighting the Zulus at the Battle of Rorks's Drift. Now completely choked up about Grandad's health, Rodney goes and phones Miss Mackenzie for the bungalow, making Del happy.

The next night, Del returns home from the market to be introduced to Ms. Mackenzie by Rodney. Del and Ms. Mackenzie talk about Grandad's health, dancing, and Nijinsky (although Del doesn't know that Nijinsky has been dead since 1950). Soonafter, Ms. Mackenzie shows Del that the document for the Trotters to move into their new bungalow has been signed by her officially. The Trotters can move into their bungalow in one week's time.

As Ms. Mackenzie exits, politely refusing to go out with Del for a drink, the Trotter Brothers chat about what it was that made her give them the bungalow, Grandad suddenly comes out of his bedroom, back on his feet, asking if they got the bungalow. Del says yes, shows him the document, and they dance. Rodney is shocked to learn that Del and Grandad had planned it all along to move into a lovely bungalow in Herrington Road with a nice garden, a garage, and no stairs.

As Rodney moves in to hurt him, Del hears the doorbell, escapes to the hall, and answers the door, where Ms. Mackenzie has come back and decided to have that drink with Del after all. Del tells his family that he's off out, and as he prepares to kiss Ms. Mackenzie, Grandad and Rodney both enter the hall, and the jig is up. Ms. Mackenzie cancels the deal, and Rodney shamefully resigns as chairman. As Ms. Mackenzie leaves, Del asks her, "Are we still on for that drink?"

## Featured characters

* Del Boy
* Rodney
* Grandad
* Trigger
* Dr. Becker
* Baz
* Margaret Mackenzie
* Miss Tibbs
* Miss Gatsby

## Other notes

### Story arc

* Dr. Becker would be mentioned again in "Thicker than Water", as well as the first episode of the prequel series ***Rock & Chips***.

### Continuity errors

* When Grandad is in bed, he tells Del and Rodney that he has never had a garden, but in "Mother Nature's Son", the Trotters go to Grandad's allotment, which would surely count as a garden.
* Del tells Dr. Becker over the phone, "You don't know me." But in "Thicker than Water", Rodney claims that Dr. Becker is the family doctor and has been for years (as also mentioned in the first episode of the *Rock & Chips* trilogy) - therefore he would know who Del was.
* As Del and Rodney sit at Grandad's bedside, Rodney says, "We could take him to Lourdes." Del replies, completely seriously, "Lords? He doesn't even like cricket." This indicates that Del has never heard of Lourdes. However, in "Christmas Crackers", Del was talking to Rodney about his friend's father being hospitalised and jokingly said, "He wanted to take his old man to Lourdes, but he couldn't afford the fare. The way his luck's been going, he couldn't afford the fare to Leeds let alone Lourdes." Given the context of the joke, this clearly indicates that Del did know about Lourdes prior to this episode.
* Grandad says he wanted to be cremated, but he was buried instead in "Strained Relations".
* When exactly do Del and Grandad come up with the plan to get the bungalow? The lifts are broken, Grandad's legs are hurting at the beginning of the episode, and he's back on his feet at the end of the episode, so does that mean it was all planned before Rodney went to the meeting? Or does Del come up with the plan after Rodney becomes chairman of the Tenants' Association and Dr. Becker says that the chairman would hold some sway? Either way if it were planned from the start, how would Del know that nobody else except Baz and Trigger turn up at the meeting to vote Rodney as the new chairman? The whole estate was invited. If it weren't planned, why would Del break the lifts if Grandad wasn't well? Plus it is clear that there is nothing wrong with Grandad at the end, yet Trigger is in on it at the start, telling Rodney that he heard Grandad's legs were playing him up.

### Production goofs

* The bed Granddad sleeps in is a single, however, in "If They Could See Us Now", Del explains to a horrified Rodney and Cassandra that Grandad had his first fit in that bed, but the bed in that special was a double.

### Miscellaneous trivia

* This was the only episode in which Rodney would openly discuss with Trigger that his name was Rodney and not in fact Dave as Trigger had hitherto referred to him (the first occasion on "Big Brother" two years earlier). Trigger used the name Rodney when voting him onto the committee but from thereonafter, reverted to speaking of Dave, even in the final episode "Sleepless in Peckham" twenty years later.
* Gilly Flower and Renee Roberts are briefly seen in this episode reprising their roles as Miss Tibbs and Miss Gatsby from ***Fawlty Towers***.

"Go West Young Man" ·
"Cash and Curry" ·
"The Second Time Around" ·
"A Slow Bus To Chingford" ·
"Ashes to Ashes" ·
"A Losing Streak" ·
"No Greater Love" ·
"The Yellow Peril" ·
"It Never Rains..." ·
"Healthy Competition" ·
"Friday the 14th" ·
"Yesterday Never Comes" ·
"May the Force Be with You" ·
"Wanted" ·
"Strained Relations ·
"Hole in One" ·
"It's Only Rock and Roll" ·
"Sleeping Dogs Lie" ·
"Watching the Girls Go By" ·
"The Miracle of Peckham" ·
"The Longest Night" ·
"Tea for Three" ·
"Video Nasty" ·
"Danger UXD" ·
"Chain Gang" ·
"The Unlucky Winner Is..." ·
"Sickness and Wealth" ·
"The Chance of a Lunchtime" ·
"Stage Fright" ·
"The Class of '62" ·
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Uncle" ·
"Diamonds Are For Heather" (1982) ·
"Thicker than Water" (1983) ·
"Licensed to Drill" (1984) ·
"To Hull and Back" (1985) ·
"A Royal Flush" (1986) ·
"The Frog's Legacy" (1987) ·
"Dates" (1988) ·
"The Jolly Boys' Outing" (1989) ·
"Rodney Come Home" (1990) ·
"Miami Twice" (1991) ·
"Mother Nature's Son" (1992) ·
"Fatal Extraction" (1993) ·
"Heroes and Villains" (1996) ·
"Modern Men" (1996) ·
"Time On Our Hands" (1996) ·
"If They Could See Us Now" (2001) ·
"Strangers on the Shore" (2002) ·
"Sleepless in Peckham" (2003)
"Beckham in Peckham" (2014)