#the durrells

1. The Durrells (feat. the The San Giacomo Corfu Choir)

2. How To Be Greek

3. Going To Be ... Wonderful

4. Bad Timing

5. Swimming

6. Gerry And The Animals

7. Jealous Wife

8. Fireman

9. Margo Swims

10. Louisa And Spiro

11. Birds & Bees

12. Birdwatching

13. Beautiful Italians

14. Today’s The Day

15. Louisa And Sven

16. Fire Breathing

17. Pera Stous Pera Kampous (feat. The Corfu Children's Choir)

18. Leslie Man of Action

19. Louisa Breaks Down

20. Searching for Vangelatos

21. Aspro Harti e Zoe (End Titles Theme) [The San Giacomo Corfu Choir]

YES TO THE FUCKING PLEASE

I have many, many thoughts around these two shows (and we should absolutely have a post-war Durrells reunion series, please thank you).

This fic sees Louisa, Margot and Gerry on holiday in the Dales. And Louisa and Audrey have a lot in common...

In the short walk across the square, Louisa learns that Audrey’s home is Skeldale House, that she’s the housekeeper for the veterinary practice there. She folds that information away for later – could Gerry train to be a vet, perhaps?

They go in the back door. “Morning surgery,” Audrey explains, “the hall will be crowded with all sorts of animals.”

They go in, and they’re in a big kitchen and it’s so familiar it takes Louisa’s breath away. The wide space, the central table, the number of chairs around it, the sense that all these spaces will be filled imminently. This is what she had in Corfu, what she’s missed ever since.

“Sit down,” Audrey offers. “I’ll put the kettle on.”

Louisa drops her bags gratefully, slides into one of the chairs while Audrey bustles around.

“Aunty Audrey!” A small child clutching a little cardboard box runs into the kitchen and stops short at the sight of her. “Who are you?” he asks curiously.

Audrey turns to him. “This is Mrs Durrell,” she says, “a new friend of mine.”

“Hello,” the child says. “I’m Jimmy. Do you want to see some animal poo?” The box is thrust under her nose before she can reply. There is, indeed, some sort of animal dropping inside it.

“How lovely, Jimmy,” she says, with all the same enthusiasm she’s had for Gerry’s finds over the years.

Audrey puts the tea things on the table and smiles. “You almost said that like you meant it,” she says, and pushes Jimmy gently into a chair.

“I’ve had a lot of practice.” It comes out ruefully, wistfully, and Audrey raises an eyebrow. “Gerry, my youngest,” she explains, “is animal mad. The things he’s collected over the years. He had a zoo, our last months in Corfu.”

Little Jimmy’s eyes light up. “A zoo!” He turns to Audrey. “Aunty Audrey, could I-”

“Don’t even think about it,” Audrey says sternly, and passes him a biscuit. “Here you go. I’m not really his aunt,” she explains belatedly to Louisa. “I’m his godmother.” Louisa nods in understanding, and wonders if anybody will ever call her aunty. Audrey’s eyes are alight with curiosity. “A real zoo?” she asks. “What sort of animals?”

“All the animals he could get his hands on,” Louisa says with a laugh. “He bred otters, we had owls and snakes and pelicans and flamingos…”

Little Jimmy’s eyes are practically popping out of his head and Audrey looks barely less astounded.

“It sounds like a different world,” she says.