Spotlight on Ask a Policeman 3

Harbottle’s Stores

Will Hay’s sidekicks, Moore Marriott (the old man) and Graham Moffatt (the fat lad) are as well-loved as the main man himself. Marriott plays old Harbottle, prematurely aged after seeing the headless horseman driving the phantom hearse. It made all his teeth fall out. The scene where he explains this to the Chief Inspector is priceless.

When he isn’t doing his constable-ing around Turnbotham Round, Harbottle runs the local stores. This shop offers a wonderful peep into rural retail customs of the day. Next time you watch ‘Ask a Policeman’ (you never watch this film just once, it bears repeated viewings) take your eyes off the main characters while they are in the stores and see what’s going on in the background.

First of all there is the library, with its notice imploring readers not to tear out pages. It seems rather a limited selection and I’m sure local avid bookworms would not be satisfied! Before local authorities opened public libraries, then you would have to use a subscription library within a shop – Boots famously ran one for several years and it features in ‘Brief Encounter’.

Then we have the brilliant notice outside the shop  - “Funerals undertaken and other odd jobs”. It seems Harbottle was happy to bury your granny and put your shelves up on the same day.

Then there is the bizarre mix of products on sale, which includes broken biscuits and dog biscuits – hope he never mixed the two up…

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