by Mark Murton

Original Air Date: March 21, 1974

Directed by: Alan Clark

Synopsis: In this multi-layered metaphysical drama young Stephen (Spencer Banks), a boy in the last summer of his boyhood, has a series of encounters in the landscape near where he lives which set him on a rites-of-passage spiritual quest that alters his view of the world and his place in it.

Kitty Cameo: Passing the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arne (Ian Hogg and Jennie Heslewood), Stephen spots his father (John Atkinson) talking to Mr. Arne while a small longhair tabby kitten sits on the path behind them. Emerging from the house, Mrs. Arne goes to the kitten and places the saucer she is carrying on the ground next to it.

“What’s the leaf for?” asks Stephen. “Comfrey”, replies Mrs Arne as she scoops up the kitten, “she has an abscess.”

Stephen queries why the vet couldn’t just put a poultice on it and Mrs. Arne explains, “She’ll tear it off. They don’t like foreign bodies, but she’ll leave a leaf, she doesn’t even know it’s on.” And although she is being affectionate with the kitten she inexplicably calls her “Bitchface.”

As Stephen and his father leave, Mr. Arne comes up to his wife and tells her, “Put the cat down, dear, she isn’t a child.” The cat isn’t present during Stephen’s two others visits to the Arne’s house.

Final Mewsings: We all have nicknames for our cats . . . hopefully “Bitchface” is one of the rarer ones.

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