Storyline: Cockney extended family decamp to the countryside, after inheriting ramshackle farm in Devon to try their hand at farming. Leslie Dwyer, stalwart character actor of British films, George Cole, with permanent fag in the mouth, plays a 'spiv' - a sort of Flash Harry, a role he reprised in several later films and the irrepressible Kathleen Harrison of 'Meet the Huggetts' fame are all a joy to watch. Leslie Dwyer, who plays middle aged Alfie Brewer, enthuses about taking up farming as a way of life, as he can't wait to see the back of London and 'Turkish baths' where he was gainfully employed, but the rest of the 'family' are distinctively underwhelmed with 'working on the soil,' and would rather sell the place. However, Dwyer finds an ally in his dreams of running a farm by striking up a very friendly relationship with the deceased farmer's housekeeper, played by the delightful Kathleen Harrison, a spirited and canny woman, who encourages him to pursue his rural dreams with her. There's only one 'fly in the ointment' which is the housekeeper sees herself as being a lot more than a housekeeper/companion to Dwyer! My problem with the film is there are too many stereotypical characters and a storyline overburdened with too much dialogue about the interminable problems of the mortgage, which after a while became a total bore! On hindsight, this light hearted comedy would have been better and more interesting as a TV series of six episodes as a way of developing the writer's (R. F. Delderfield) characters. Nevertheless, the film is a pleasure to watch as it features so many talented character actors, who went on to appear in countless films over the decades.
