When Robert takes pity on a homeless family and takes them in, Emma’s horror is nothing compared to their shock when they discover the family have departed during the night, leaving behind their little daughter, Polly, as the adaptation of Flora Thompson’s magical memoir of her Oxfordshire childhood continues.

Lady Adelaide becomes aware of Polly’s existence and soon falls in love with her. Sir Timothy, however, is extremely wary of this. He knows how badly Adelaide wants a child, but for them to adopt Polly would be completely inappropriate. Sir Timothy takes Polly to the Post Office where an out-of-sorts Zillah is lifted by the bond she forges with the child. Adelaide realises she cannot keep Polly but follows Sir Timothy to the Post Office in order to say goodbye. As it becomes apparent that there’s no clear solution, little Polly’s future hangs in the balance.

Thomas, meanwhile, has been having trouble sleeping and his restlessness is keeping everyone else at the Post Office awake. When Laura and Dorcas realise that it is thoughts of Miss Ellison that are keeping him up, they decide to intervene by sending her a love poem on his behalf. Miss Ellison responds with a poem of her own. Her poem ends up in Sir Timothy’s possession, however, and events spiral out of control, making Dorcas wish she’d never intervened.

Back in Lark Rise, Queenie is increasingly concerned about Twister’s worsening delusions.

Robert Timmins is played by Brendan Cole, Emma Timmins by Claudie Blakley, Polly by Ruby Douglas, Lady Adelaide by Olivia Grant, Sir Timothy Midwinter by Ben Miles, Zillah by Liz Smith, Thomas Brown by Mark Heap, Laura Timmins by Olivia Hallinan and Dorcas Lane by Julia Sawalha.

The BBC has announced a second series of the long-running Sunday night drama Lark Rise To Candleford.

The series stars Julia Sawalha, Olivia Hallinan, Dawn French, Brendan Coyle, Olivia Grant, Mark Heap, Ben Miles and Liz Smith in Bill Gallagher’s adaptation of Flora Thompson’s magical memoir of her Oxfordshire childhood.

“We are delighted with our audience’s positive and warm reaction to Lark Rise To Candleford and have subsequently commissioned a second series of 12 episodes for transmission in 2009,” said Kate Harwood, Head of Series and Serials for BBC Drama Production.

“The talent and strength of the assembled cast and production team pay tribute to the excellence of Bill’s Gallagher’s vision and scripts.”

Set in the small hamlet of Lark Rise and the wealthier neighbouring market town, Candleford, at the end of the 19th century, the series chronicles the daily lives of farm workers, craftsmen and gentry, observing characters in loving, boisterous and competing communities of families, rivals, friends and neighbours.

Written and Executive produced by Bill Gallagher, who added: “What struck me first about Flora Thompson’s three books was how they are teeming with wonderful characters and anecdotes, story lines come tumbling off the pages thick and fast. I can’t wait to start work on the new series.”

The first episode transmitted on 13 January at 7.40pm on BBC One with viewing figures of 6.7m, peaking at 7.1m. The second episode brought an audience of 6.5m, peaking at 6.8m (slot average is 5.5m).

The second series has been recommissioned by Jane Tranter, Controller of BBC Fiction and will begin filming later this year for transmission in 2009.

Thomas (Mark Heap) is in danger of losing his job and his pension

Dorcas is thrown by the surprise arrival of a new Post Office inspector, Mr Rushton, as the adaptation of Flora Thompson’s magical memoir of her Oxfordshire childhood continues. Rushton starts to unearth anomalies in the way Dorcas runs the Post Office, which are in breach Read the rest of this entry »

When a strange old man appears in a woodshed, things take a turn for the worse in this week’s episode of Lark Rise To Candleford, Flora Thompson’s magical memoir of her Oxfordshire childhood.

Mr Ashlow has come looking for his estranged daughters, Ruby and Pearl Pratt, but in the meantime he’s determined to make as much money by mischief as he can, with Caroline Arless a willing accomplice. When Queenie hears that Ashlow is selling Read the rest of this entry »

Dorcas (Julia Sawalha) is
looking for a new maid for
widower Amos Wardup

Laura continues to settle in to her new life in Candleford this week, as the adaptation of Flora Thompson’s magical memoir of her Oxfordshire childhood continues.

Dorcas, meanwhile, sets about engaging a new maid for widower Amos Wardup and his son, Young Amos. Patty is a dream come true for Amos, but Young Amos takes against her. It’s not long before most of Candleford – and particularly the Pratt sisters – start to doubt Patty’s motives and suspect her of being after Old Amos’s money. Young Read the rest of this entry »

Laura is still settling in to her new life at the Candleford Post Office, as the adaptation of Flora Thomson’s magical memoirs of her Oxfordshire childhood continues. Laura is helping postwoman Mrs Macey with her rounds and making friends, when Mrs Macey learns, to her horror, that her husband has escaped from prison.

Worse still, her son has apparently befriended a mysterious stranger in the woods and it’s no surprise to learn that it’s his father. Encouraged by Dorcas, Mrs Macey Read the rest of this entry »

When a new baby arrives in the Timmins family, Laura, the eldest, is forced to leave the family home and embark on a new life.

Having spent her early years in the small hamlet of Lark Rise, in late 19th Century Oxfordshire, Laura finds herself working in the Post Office, the hub of the bustling market town of Candleford, under the watchful eye of the woman who is to become her mentor, the effervescent Read the rest of this entry »

The Pratt sisters run the women’s clothing store in Candleford. Neither is married and they spend most of their time running a critical eye over other people’s affairs.

Pearl is the elder sister and takes the lead in ensuring that the highest standards are maintained in their shop and in the town as a whole – while her younger sister Ruby is always quick to back her up.

The sisters immediately turn their noses up at Laura when she arrives from Lark Rise as she lacks refinement in their eyes – unlike the graceful Lady Adelaide, whose Read the rest of this entry »

Zillah

Zillah is Dorcas’s servant.

Zillah has known Dorcas since she was a child, and worked for her father, and her grandfather before her. Nobody could love Dorcas more than Zillah, and she also considers Matthew and Thomas as part of the family, not that this stops her grumbling about all three of them and the work they create for her. Zillah is naturally suspicious, she doesn’t warm to strangers, and anyone new has a tough time earning her trust. But once she accepts you, you’re a friend for life. Zillah is also a terrible gossip.

Thomas Brown

Thomas is Dorcas’s head postman.

Thomas is a devout Christian, a teetotaller and non-smoker. He has worked for Dorcas since he was a young man and is devoted to her, if occasionally frustrated by her decadence and lack of piety. Thomas has a reputation for lecturing and sermonising – people have been known to run in the opposite direction when they see him coming in case he starts asking impertinent questions about their souls. He is convinced that eventually he will succeed in converting all his friends, even Dorcas. And until that day he will not rest. Thomas can take his obsessions to extremes, but he’s no hypocrite, he practices what he preaches, has a true heart and an unswerving loyalty to Dorcas.

Matthew Welby

Matthew runs the forge for Dorcas.

Matthew is a silent but powerful presence at the forge. Like Thomas and Zillah, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for Dorcas but he’s perhaps a little more aloof from the goings on in the Post Office than the other two. Matthew has an amazing gift for working with the horses that are brought to the forge – even the most nervous animals quieten immediately when approached by Matthew. He says it’s just a matter of speaking to them in their own language. Matthew says little, but when he speaks others know to listen.

Lady Adelaide Midwinter

Lady Adelaide is married to Sir Timothy Midwinter.

Lady Adelaide’s family made their money in trade, so marrying Sir Timothy was a step up for her into society. But life in Candleford hasn’t proved to be entirely what she’d anticipated. It’s a world away from the balls and parties where she first met Tim. So, until they start a family, she has few distractions. For the residents of Candleford and Lark Rise, Adelaide’s a less approachable, more remote figure than Sir Tim. But they respect her and warm to her as his wife. She brings a touch of glamour to the town, she’s graceful, beautiful and stylish, and to outsiders her life is to be envied.

Philip White

Philip is Sir Timothy’s assistant gamekeeper.

Philip’s father is head gamekeeper on an estate near Oxford. He worked for his father before taking up the position of assistant gamekeeper with Sir Tim on the understanding that when Tim’s head gamekeeper retires, Philip will take his place. He’s still close to his mother, father and sister and is proud of the fact that his father’s estate is owned by a nobleman with an historic title – he makes it very clear that it is larger and better preserved than Sir Tim’s. Philip is a couple of years older than Laura.

Lark Rise:

Edmund Timmins

Edmund is Laura’s brother, he is still at school.

Edmund is younger than Laura by three years, but the two are very close. He’s a gentle, thoughtful boy, but no wimp – popular at school, and well able to fight his own corner. He often clashes with his mother, particularly over his future, perhaps because they are equally stubborn. She wants to see him apprenticed to a trade, but Edmund dreams of joining the army and seeing the world.

Queenie Turrill

Queenie lives with her husband Twister next door to the End House.

Queenie is one of Lark Rise’s older residents and in many ways is the matriarch of the village. As well as looking after her bees, she gives support and advice to the mothers and children of Lark Rise. Queenie’s age means she is more in touch with the old country ways of doing things. She cares about the values and the superstitions of the old days and would like to see them passed on to the next generation.

Twister Turrill

Twister is Queenie’s layabout husband.

Twister is Queenie’s husband, and he is not the brains of the marriage. He can usually be found in the Wagon and Horses pub telling jokes and stories with the men of the village though, more often than not, he finds that the jokes are on him, as he is sometimes forgetful and a little slow-witted. Despite this he is well-liked figure in the community and the other residents know that his heart is in the right place.

Paxton

Mr Paxton runs the Wagon and Horses.

Mr Paxton runs the pub in Lark Rise and enjoys the position this gives him at the centre of the community. He is never short of an opinion on any subject being discussed by the men in the pub. His favourite topic of conversation is criticising the Candleford folk, who he thinks are always looking down on Lark Rise.

He left school early to help provide for the family. Unlike his mother he is extremely honest and hard working. He is only a boy himself but is responsible for earning the majority of the family’s money by working in the fields. It pains him to see his mother fritter his Read the rest of this entry »