To Serve Them All My Days

1980-1981
1 season
Drama

David Powlett-Jones has just returned to England from the trenches of WWI. He was injured and shell-shocked and, after a spell in hospital he gets a job teaching in a boys boarding school in S.W. England. He is not at all sure he can do the job, but the avuncular headmaster has faith in him. David, although well educated, is just a humble lad from the Welsh valleys at heart and has to fit himself and his ideas into the heart of the English establishment.

1980-1981
1 season
Drama

Season 1 Episode Guide

13 Episodes 1980 - 1981

Episode 1

Part One

During WWI, an injured and shell-shocked David Powlett-Jones applies to teach history at an English boys' public school, but he is concerned about whether a lower-class product of the Welsh mines can fit in. The boys are alarmed by his unconventional teaching approach and the masters suspicious of his

Episode 2

Part Two

David goes home to Wales for the first time since he was invalided out, but his brother rags him about turning into an upper-class snob. He spends the day at the seaside and meets Elizabeth Marwood, a nurse who is also on holiday, and they agree to write. Back at school, students and masters celebrate the Armistice. David invites Beth to the school for Founders Day and pops the question.

Episode 3

Part Three

Alderman Blunt wants to donate a war memorial to Bamfylde, but some of the Board resent a donation from a war profiteer. David and Beth marry and settle at Bamfylde, where Beth soon becomes pregnant. David fights the idea of a useless war memorial but loses to Carter and Blunt.

Episode 4

Part Four

Headmaster Herries hires Mrs. Darbyshire, a semi-widow whose husband was gassed and will never leave the hospital, to teach second form. Beth gives birth to twin girls. A fire challenges David when he steps in as housemaster after Cordwainer is taken ill. Blades and Mrs. Darbyshire are drawn to each other.

Episode 5

Part Five

When Cordwainer dies, Headmaster Herries offers David the housemaster position. Winterbourne, the son of a famous actress who is being divorced, runs away from school. While David supervises the hunt for the missing boy, Beth and the twins take the new car into town to get their pictures taken.

Episode 6

Part Six

David is devastated by the death of Beth and the twins, and contemplates leaving Bamfylde for good. Years later, David discovers Carter has been calling his house the Kremlin and demands an apology. David runs into Julia in London and discovers she is interested in him.

Episode 7

Part Seven

Headmaster Herries announces his retirement, and David feels forced to campaign to be his replacement to be sure Carter can't turn the school into a military environment. David spends the night with Julia and proposes to her, but she reminds him she hates Bamfylde.

Episode 8

Part Eight

Mr. Alcock is the successful candidate for the Headmaster position and both David and Carter reassess their positions at Bamfylde. A more different Headmaster than his predecessor couldn't be imagined. Alcock is dry and dour and his first act is to call a meeting of the senior staff in the latrines in order to emphasize their lack of cleanliness. He proves to be a strict disciplinarian and disciplines one boy when he catches him smoking and sends another boy home for taking bets on sports day. Carter decides to resign and sounds out David on the possibility of running their own prep school. David is surprised to receive a visit from Julia Darbyshire who, after spending the night, informs him she is to marry her employer and move to America permanently.

Episode 9

Part Nine

Alcock demands that the housemasters identify the older boys who have special friendships with younger boys. Carter intends to buy a prep school and invites David to be his partner. David is intrigued by Christine Forster, a would-be Labour MP from an upper-class background. Alcock threatens David with dismissal if he doesn't resign.

Episode 10

Part Ten

Headmaster Alcock is determined to have David fired and makes a formal complaint to the governors. David's book finds a prestigious publisher. Alcock tries to bribe Howarth with an assistant headmastership. Alcock reacts unexpectedly to the governors' decision.

Episode 11

Part Eleven

David feels guilty about Alcock's death. Herries steps in as temporary headmaster to groom David to take over. David tries to encourage Christine, who is sure she is going to lose the by-election. David's book is published to glowing reviews.

Episode 12

Part Twelve

Some years have passed and David has proven to be a worthy Headmaster. He's surprised to find Christine Forster waiting for him one day. With her is a young German refugee, Ulrich Meyer, a Jewish orphan she has taken under her wing and would like to send to school at Bamfylde. Meyer is a serious boy and has to face the taunts of some of his classmates but specifically asks his House Master not to punish any of the boys involved. David receives news that his mother has died and regrets not having visited her recently. His return home for the funeral is not only tinged with sadness but with recriminations from his brother Emrys. Christine joins him there and he again raises the question of their future. David hopes to open a prep school at Bamfylde and tries to sway the chairman of the school's Board of Governors.

Episode 13

Part Thirteen

David and Christine are now married but she is unhappy and has yet to find her place at Bamfylde. David is oblivious to Christine's state of mind and even Howarth is unable to suggest otherwise to him. Howarth is also worried about one of his students, Crispin, who had recently been caught shoplifting and subsequently tried to take his own life. He enlists Christine's help in determining just what the boy's problem might be. Both she and David have to face tragedy in their personal life and it's Howarth, once again, who suggests a solution to Christine's subsequent depression. As the years go by, they both settle into a happy life. Howarth's days are are numbered and after a period in hospital, he asks David if he can return to Bamfylde for the few days he has left. David is happy to accept a new student at Bamfylde, Julia Darbyshire's son, Charles. Julia has some important information for him as well. The clouds of war are once again gathering over Europe and David is left to wonder how many of his boys will die on the battlefield.