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Drama on 4: Love, War and Trains

Love, War and Trains

01/05/2013

BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, Love, War and Trains

Verse drama based on the story of how poet Ian McMillan's parents got married during WWII.

Funny and poignant verse drama based on the story of how poet Ian McMillan's parents got married during the Second World War. Starring Billy Boyd (Pippin in Lord of the Rings).

Love, War and Trains by Ian McMillan
John is a sailor in the Royal Navy and Olive is in the WAAFs based in Wigan. He's Scots, she's a Yorkshire lass and they're in love. John has a 48 hour pass to get married in Scotland - but he's travelling from Plymouth and she can't get leave. So she goes AWOL. This is the heart warming story of how poet Ian McMillan's parents' got married during World War 2. A poignant and funny verse drama.

Director/Producer Gary Brown

John is played by Billy Boyd - Pippin in 'Lord of the Rings'.

Ian McMillan: "This is the story of my mum and dad's wedding in October 1943 in Peebles in the Scottish Borders. They wrote to each other for a few years, met a couple of times and then got married on a forty-eight hour pass.
My dad's ship docked at Plymouth and he got the train to Peebles; my mother had applied for leave but they wouldn't give her any so she went AWOL, over the fence and away to the nearest station. They arrived in Peebles, got married, had one night together in the Tontine Hotel and then my dad went back to his ship and my mother went back to base and got arrested and spent two weeks in the glasshouse. Arrested for love! Fantastic!".

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