Postman Pat's Rainy Day is the fourth episode of the first series of Postman Pat.
Summary[]
It is a very heavy rainy day in Greendale. Even the letters are wet when Pat goes to the Post Office to collect them. The rain has stopped. Pat goes to deliver his wet letters. Some people still have their lights on in their houses as the weather has been so dismal. Pat stops to see what has happened to Peter Fogg. Peter's old tractor is bogged down and he has fallen over in the mud. He then prepares to go home to change and then get his new tractor to pull the old one out of the mud. Pat bids him farewell and sets off again. At the village school, the children are looking to see if the rain has stopped. Charlie Pringle collects the letters, as Bill Thompson is off school at Thompson Ground, helping his father with the sheep. Pat watches the children have fun in the rain and then drives over to Greendale Farm where Peter Fogg shows him his new tractor with the bulldozer blade. Pat gives him his post and sets off again.
The church roof is leaking, and the Reverend Timms is having trouble catching drops of water in the buckets. Pat promises to ask Ted Glen to have a look. Pat buys some bananas from Sam Waldron. Pat is heading up into the hills when he is stopped by Mrs. Thompson. The road has to be cleared, due to a blockage of mud. Alf tries to get through with his tractor, but gets stuck. Bill brings his model airplane, and Pat ties an SOS message to it and flies it over to Peter, giving him the message to clear the blockage with his new tractor and bulldozer blade.
It seems ages ever since the plane has gone away. Just when Pat is thinking it has crashed, he hears an engine coming along the road and sees Peter on his tractor. He clears the mud away and there is just enough room for Sam to get through, and then Pat continues with his journey through the valley. Pat sees Ted mending a wall. He asks Ted to have a look at the church roof. Ted says he'll go along when he's finished. Miss Hubbard's stops for a chat. Pat suggests she turn back, otherwise she'll have to swim home. However, it'll take more than a drop of rain to stop Miss Hubbard, and she heads on her way. Pat heads on his way too. It looks like there'll be rain again, but Pat knows that he will be able to sit by a warm fireside once he's delivered all the letters.
Characters[]
- Pat
- Jess
- Mrs. Goggins
- Ted Glen
- Alf Thompson
- Dorothy Thompson
- Bill Thompson
- Reverend Timms
- Charlie Pringle
- Miss Hubbard
- Sam Waldron
- Peter Fogg
- Katy and Tom Pottage (cameos)
- Lucy Selby (cameo)
- Sarah Gilbertson (cameo)
- Mr. Pottage (mentioned)
- Other Greendale people (mentioned)
- Sara Clifton (not named; mentioned)
Vehicles[]
Locations[]
- Greendale Post Office
- Greendale Primary School
- Greendale Farm
- Greendale Church
- Thompson Ground (mentioned)
Differences between the TV and book versions[]
- In the book version, the sitting room in the back of the post office appears, but doesn't in the TV version.
- In the book version, Mrs. Goggins hung the wet letters over the fireplace in the sitting room, but it doesn't happen in the TV version.
- In the TV version, Peter Fogg changes into his regular clothes after falling in the mud, but in the book, it's the other way round.
- In the TV version, The Red Tractor belonged to Peter Fogg, but in the book version, it belonged to Mr. Pottage.
- In the TV version, a drop of water from the church roof lands on Pat's face, but it doesn't happen in the book version.
- In the book version, the Reverend Timms had to move around with his buckets, bowls and basins to catch the rain drops, which doesn't happen in the TV version.
- In the TV version, the Reverend Timms had his umbrella while inside the church, but not in the book version.
- In the TV version, the Reverend Timms had two buckets and a metal tub by the church door, but in the book version, he had more buckets, basins, bowls and vases all over the church.
- In the book version, Jess sneezes when the rain drop falls on his nose, but he doesn't do that in the TV version.
- In the book version, Dorothy wore a raincoat, which she doesn't wear in the TV version.
- In the TV version, Alf drove The Yellow Tractor and it doesn't get damaged by the landslide, but in the book version, he drove The Blue Tractor and it gets damaged at the front.
- In the TV version, the wall Ted was mending at the end was Mr. Pottage's, but in the book version, it's a generic wall.
Trivia[]
- Going by production order, this episode should have come before Postman Pat's Birthday as it marks the introduction of the Red Tractor which is mentioned to be new.
- Due to Bill Thompson being reduced from being 25 to 11 years of age for the final television series, a reason had to be given for Bill's absence from Greendale Primary School, due to flooding at Thompson Ground.
- The Official Royal Mail Logos are only used in the book.
- This is the first time Sam's mobile shop is seen with its branding and also seen moving.
- Pat's umbrella would later appear in a few episodes of "Gran" and in two "Charlie Chalk" episodes "Shipwrecked Charlie" and "Edward Keeps Fit" as Edward's umbrella.
- A clip of this episode was used in an episode of EastEnders on the 6th January 1987.
Goofs[]
- In the long shots of Pat driving through the village and countryside, he is not wearing his hat or his glasses and Jess is not there. This practice is even more evident in a street view shot when Pat rounds a corner on leaving the post office.
- When Peter closes the field gate, the branch of a bush near the gate can be seen jumping slightly.
- When Pat exits the church, a bush suddenly appears outside the stained glass window.
- In real life, the school gate would not have a mind of its own.
- When Alf reverses the tractor off screen, a large clump of grass by the wall and road can be seen shifting.
- When Pat is driving to the post office, his van door windows are open even though it is raining.
- In real life, if Alf had driven the tractor towards the landslide at such speed without a bulldozer blade, he would likely have damaged the front axle. In the book, the tractor does get damaged at its front.
- When Pat starts up the van after buying the bananas from Sam, the roof of the van jumps up a little bit.
- When Pat and Dorothy go to inspect the landslide, a puddle changes its position slightly.