Nick agrees to move back to the
flat while Leanne moves to Stella’s with Simon; Tracy, Rob and Amy play happy
families; Maddie kisses Sophie, and Steve and Michelle avert a catering disaster in time for Hayley’s wake. But the true focus of the day has to
be Hayley’s final farewell and the celebration of her life.
As her neighbours line the
street, their regard can clearly be seen; Norris thoughtfully sports the bow
tie he wore when they danced together at the town hall, everyone dons bright attire
with some wearing her favourite colour, red, while Mary is magnificent in a marvellous
flamenco dress. With Hayley’s love of dancing and colour represented, Mary’s
outfit celebrates her quirky eccentricity.
As Carla views the arrival of the
hearse from Roy’s flat, there is a colourful sticker of a horsefly hovering over
flowers on the window, and this is symbolic of a theme that will run throughout
Hayley’s celebration; her desire to become one with, and be remembered in
nature. “She wanted to melt back into the earth she said, be recycled by nature”
Mary observes as her coffin, beautifully emblazoned with flowers, glides into
view. If she wished to be found in nature, Hayley’s personality is fittingly reflected
in the bright, sunny day as she makes her way to the ceremony where Suzie is
waiting with a “host of golden daffodils”. It was Hayley’s dream to live to see
the daffodils in spring, so having them form part of her farewell is wonderfully
apt. As her factory friends lift her coffin, the daffodils are beautifully illuminated
by the sunshine.
Hayley has chosen Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now as her entrance music to
make everyone chuckle. A song evoking such a passion for life as Hayley had seems
appropriate, and we can easily imagine her “floating around in ecstasy… a shooting
star leaping through the skies”.
Hayley asked Roy to be her eyes
and heart, and as long as she remains with him in this way, she will never
leave him, and can be found in every beautiful thing. This is reflected in Mary
Elizabeth Frye’s wonderful poem Do Not
Stand at my Grave and Weep which is read out with great ardour by Carla.
Hayley is the diamond glints on
snow, the sunlight on ripened grain and the soft stars that shine at night. Like
the poem says, she won’t be found at her grave, but in all of these beautiful things
that make life joyous, thus ensuring that she has not died. The fact that her burial
is not depicted assists in considering her thus.
Fiz’s touching eulogy recalls
Hayley’s understanding of “what it was to be yourself and to have a voice in
the world.” However, she’s interrupted by Roy who declares that people deserve
to know the truth. It’s quite a cliffhanger to end the first episode on, and we
breathe a collective sigh of relief when he realises it’s time to focus on remembering
what Hayley meant to him. “She was my light, my beautiful coruscating light” he
tells the mourners, “ My life was a dark corner, then she came into it and...I could see the world with her...I understood love...Hayley was my
truth.” He is overcome as the prospect of life without her becomes too much to
bear.
Daffodils are placed on Hayley’s
coffin by each friend as a symbol of the relationship they had with her. Wordsworth’s
poem which Roy lovingly read to her just weeks previously is upliftingly relevant
as, should anyone find themselves wandering “lonely as a cloud”, they will have
the beauty of nature to console them, where Hayley can be found, “continuous as
the stars that shine”.
For her final farewell, she chooses
the second movement of Bach’s double violin concerto. “I know this will be a
surprise Roy”, Suzie tells him, “she remembered you telling her how violins
were the instrument closest to the human voice, and that this was the perfect
duet.” As Roy listens, we contemplate the perfect duet that was Roy and Hayley.
After the service, Tyrone finds him alone, and reunites him with his bag; it's notable that he hadn’t realised it was missing.
The Rovers is similarly brightened by the
cheery faces of spritely daffodils for Hayley’s wake. As Audrey observes, “She
really was his one and only”, and Peter ponders Plato’s theory, that Zeus split
us down the middle, and that we are destined to spend life searching for our
other halves, it’s unbearable to contemplate Roy’s loss.
As he’s surrounded by
well-wishers in the Rovers, his expression belies the sad truth that it’s
possible to be lonely in a room full of people. Carla raises a toast, including
a message from Hayley; “stop moping about and have a good old party”. Norris and
Mary honour her request with a dance. As the strains of The Carpenters' Close to You fill the Rovers, everyone
pauses to remember, sing, and hold one another, and Suzie’s words come to mind;
“we’re all part of one human community, and no one of us is independent or separate”.
As the lyric “why do stars fall down from the sky” rings out, the
stars that shine in Don’t Stop Me Now, Do
Not Stand at my Grave and Weep, and Daffodils
align as a heartbroken Roy takes his bag and slips out of the Rovers into the night. As he goes, his lonely shadow
disappears through the frosted glass, but we know that, like his shadow, Hayley
will always walk alongside him. Fiz and Anna later find a note to say he has gone to stay
with Sylvia. Loud sirens wailing as he walks down a crowded street, he appears so
vulnerable, but we can take solace in the fact that Hayley, his coruscating
light, has assured her presence in the stars which will shine above him, always.
By Emma Hynes
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14 comments:
Thought the service very touching especially with the daffodils representing everyones' special relationship with the deceased. Unfortunately interjected with Sophie wearing a silly knitted hat that Frosty would like to pull down over her face ludicrously chasing after the dreadful homeless girl. Wish I could boot em both straight into the canal.
BEAUTIFULLY written, Emma!
"Corruscate: to give off or reflect light in bright beams or flashes : sparkle" (I had to look it up.) What a perfect word to describe how Roy felt about Hayley. David Neilson was amazing, again, keeping very private Roy clearly uncomfortable with all the hugs and intrusions. The only things wrong. IMO, were the pointless catering 'fiasco' and no mention of Becky. Sylvia and Ken got lip service. Even if she couldn't come, Becky would have done something: flowers, a letter to Roy. Glad they remembered to keep Tracy away; the bit with Rob and the movie was sweet, and less contrived than Rita et al spying on Norris in the smoking area.
LIKE Frosty's Sophie thoughts. Normally I'm a fan but that felt like a nauseating intrusion into tonights real story. It could have been put off a day or so (or dumped). And since when is Steph her bff?
Thank you so much!
Usually when there is a tragedy or sad moment, there is a counter story playing out....for example: Judy Mallet dying while Maxine and Ashley got married.
So during the funeral - why were we subjected to Sophie and Maddie? It did not make sense. At least we had a nice moment with Tracy, Amy, and Rob. I really liked it when he told Deirdre that she could be one of his girls too. Too sweet....I know it does not make me popular here...but I like Tracy and Rob...and this new Deirdre (eyes open to Tracy's true character) has me looking forward to the scenes they share. :-)
Thus write-up had me in tears. Yes, beautifully written, Emma! Thank you. It did proper service to the character and the relationships, especially Roy and Hayley's.
Thank you Emma for a wonderful review - you make a lot of attention to detail, which I love!
Emma, I just have to tell you what a wonderful job you are doing of episode reviews - so accurate and descriptive, capturing the mood exactly.
Thank you so much!
Bev
Sophie Webster - lets see now..she misses Haleys funeral because she's concerned over a home-less girl who - assaulted her mother, stole her mum's handbag and watch - tried to extort money for the return of the watch, broke into Sally's house and assaulted her boyfriend, which they find highly laughable although I fail to see why. That knitted cap must be on too tight I think. What a waste of time - can she be the next one killed off?
A really beautiful, well considered review of a wonderful couple of episodes.
A fabulous, perceptive review. I felt the Sophie nonsense got in the way too. So contrived and annoying, and intercutting it with the funeral scenes was just bad taste
I thought andrea was supposed to save the day
Lovely piece Emma
Thank you so much Bev, Hayley's mate, Llifon, Mrs Barton and the Anonymous contributors for your lovely comments about my review.
It really means a lot to know that you enjoyed it, and that you would take the time to post such thoughtful comments.
Thank you again,
Emma
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