Ladies Of Letters

Irene is in hospital - suffering from amnesia, loss of sex drive and a compulsion to use bad language.

Irene did wear the dayglo lurex tankini at the demonstration against the nuclear fuel dump! Vera is deeply shocked to hear that Irene was both injured and arrested, and is now in hospital - suffering from amnesia, loss of sex drive and a compulsion to use bad language. Irene's friendly vicar Bruce suggests that Vera could help, but the hints and assorted memorabilia she sends to Irene confuse rather than clarify. Her letter is mostly about herself - her early years and working in a laundry, her introduction to sex, her difficult father...

Irene does her best to get her bearings. There's the resentful daughter Lesley who calls in the middle of the night from Australia, the photos of her late husband, and - strangest of all - newspaper reports of her arrest - for head-butting a bulldozer! None of it makes much sense. And the swearing is a problem... except when you have to deal with a hoodie who tries to snatch your handbag. Then it can come in quite handy.

Finding herself next to a roadworks - and a bulldozer - Irene decides to show a group of friends what happened at the demo. A passing policeman thinks she's up to her old tricks, her Tourette's Syndrome kicks in, and she's under arrest again! Irene writes in desperation from a cell at Grossthorpe Police Station.