A story of a man of character by Thomas Hardy
Dramatised for broadcasting by Desmond Hawkins
Music composed for the serial by Ralph Vaughan Williams
2 — ' A Journey to Casterbridge'
BBC West of England Light Orchestra
Conducted by Reginald Redman
Produced by Owen Reed
In the BBC's West of England studios
As a young man Michael Henchard was given to savage, drunken humours which culminated in the evil moment when he auctioned his wife and infant daughter on a fairground and sold them to a sailor for five guineas. His efforts to trace them when he came to his senses were unsuccessful. Overcome with remorse he took an oath to avoid all strong drink for twenty-one years. When twenty of these years had passed Susan Henchard set out to look for her husband who had discarded her in such shameful circumstances. The sailor who treated her very kindly had been recently lost at sea. Susan's only companion was her daughter Elizabeth-Jane who knew nothing of her mother's marriage to Henchard.