Are You Being Served?/Camping In

Camping In
Season 1, Episode 3
Airdate	April 4, 1973
Script by	Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft
Directed by	Bernard Thompson (uncredited)
Produced by	David Croft
← 1x02 Our Figures Are Slipping	1x04 → His and Her's
Are You Being Served? — Season One

Camping In is the third episode of the first season of Are You Being Served?, and the fourth episode overall.

You have been watching: Trevor Bannister (Mr Lucas), Mollie Sugden (Mrs Slocombe), Frank Thornton (Captain Peacock), John Inman (Mr Humphries), Wendy Richard (Miss Brahms), Arthur Brough (Mr Grainger), Nicholas Smith (Mr Rumbold), Larry Martyn (Mr Mash), James Copeland (Scottish Customer), Anita Richardson (the 38C Cup), Pamela Manson (the Large Brim with Fruit), Stephanie Gathercole (the Secretary), David Rowlands (the Man with Large Bra), Colin Bean (the Leatherette Gloves)

Plot Overview

With a transportation strike underway, the staff is unable to get home. Grace Brothers accommodates them by furnishing them with the means to sleepover in the store for the night.

Arc Advancement

Characters

• It's stated that Mr Lucas has now been with Grace Brothers for two months.

Trivia

Allusions and References

• The song the staff are singing at the campsite is "Keep the Home Fires Burning", a World War I song composed in 1914 by Ivor Novello with words by Lena Guilbert Ford.

Quotes

• Mr Humphries: I wore a pair of those myself last season and I had quite a lot of satisfaction. Didn't I, Mr Grainger?

Mr Grainger: I believe you did, Mr Humphries.

Mr Lucas: During the freeze up last winter, you know, when I couldn't fill my hot water bottle, I wore a pair of those on my feet and I got quite a lot of satisfaction, too. Didn't I, Mr Humphries?

Mr Humphries: What you say, Mr Lucas, has a distinct ring of truth about it, despite the fact that you've only been with us two months.

Customer: As a matter of fact, they're for the wife's brother. I don't like him very much.

Mr Humphries: Well, in that case, sir, you couldn't have made a better choice.

• Mr Grainger: Is something wrong, Captain Peacock?

Captain Peacock: Mr Lucas was bemoaning the fact that he hasn't had a chance of serving a customer all day.

Mr Lucas: I wasn't complaining, Mr Grainger. Mind you, if I'm not allowed to earn any commission, I can probably live for another two or three days before I starve to death.

• Mr Lucas: Mr Grainger, can I borrow your tape measure? I've... I've gotta take that gentleman's inside leg.

(sees the man in the kilt)

Mr Grainger: I'd prefer that you borrowed Mr Humphries's.

Mr Lucas: Mr Humphries, do me a favour. Take that man's inside leg.

Mr Humphries: Don't ask me. I've given it up for lent.

• Mrs Slocombe: I'm so sorry we couldn't find anything to go with your face, madam. But no doubt you'll try us again. Awkward cow.

• Mr Rumbold: Now, which of us has cars?

Mr Humphries: Oh, dratted. I let the chauffeur have mine.

Mr Grainger: I had an old banger before the war.

Mr Lucas: And then Mrs Grainger made him give her up.

• Captain Peacock: I think Mrs Slocombe has raised a very valid point. I think there should be some separation between the sexes.

Mr Grainger: (looking to Mr Humphries) And also within the sexes.

• Mrs Slocombe: Miss Brahms, our sleepwear has arrived.

Mr Mash: What size are you?

Miss Brahms: Oh, not for me, thanks. I never wear anything in bed. I don't like rough things next to my skin.

Mr Mash: You're lucky you ain't got me in there with ya.

Mrs Slocombe: You will wear pajamas tonight, Miss Brahms. Suppose there was a fire and you have no clothes on?

Miss Brahms: Oh, I'll be first to be rescued.

• Mrs. Slocombe: I was blowing up my air bed and it takes puff after puff after puff.

Mr Humphries: Can I help anybody?

• Captain Peacock: Miss Brahms refuses to leave my tent.

Mr Rumbold: Have you tried persuading her?

Captain Peacock: Yes, she was quite adamant.

Mr Rumbold: Well, you're quite right to tell me, of course. What you do after hours in normal times is entirely your own affair. But you can hardly go through with this under our very noses, so to speak.

Captain Peacock: I think you may have, sir, what might be termed the wrong end of the stick.

Mr Rumbold: Have I?

Captain Peacock: Yes, sir. I had arranged for Mrs Slocombe to have that large tent because I was quite sure that she would be willing to share. To my surprise, she wouldn't hear of it.

Mr Rumbold: Do you suppose she, uh, has heard about you and Miss Brahms?

Captain Peacock: I was trying to get Miss Brahms and Mrs Slocombe together in the same tent.

Mr Rumbold: What? All three of you?!

Captain Peacock: No, sir. I don't want to share with the ladies.

Mr Rumbold: Oh, good.

Captain Peacock: I want to share with you.

• Mrs. Slocombe: But I was in Air Raid Precautions. In fact, that's how I met my husband, during an air raid. The bombs were raining down and I saw his face lit by an incendiary. He threw me on my face and said, "Look out, here comes a big one."

Mr Lucas: I suppose there wasn't much time for chatting in those days.

• Mr Grainger: I used to do impersonations, you know? I called myself Whimsical Willie. I did impersonations of Hitler and Gerding and Goebbels and von Ribbentrop and Lord Haw-Haw.

Mr Lucas: Whose side were you on?