Lad: A Yorkshire Story (2013)

Alan Gibson: Al Thorpe

Photos 

Quotes 

• [Tom is working for Al, the National Park ranger. He doesn't want to be there and thinks it is a waste of time. Al shows him how to saw a length of wood for a new stile he is making] 

  Al Thorpe : You ever used a saw before, lad?

  Tom Proctor : [sullenly]  Maybe.

  Al Thorpe : Aye. Come over here and I'll show you how.

  [Al rests his hand on the wood with his thumb sticking out. He rests the blade of the saw against the tip of his thumb] 

  Al Thorpe : See how I use me thumb to guide it.

  Tom Proctor : [horrified]  I could cut me thumb off!

  Al Thorpe : No you *won't*! Now listen! All you're doing is establishing the cut. Once you've got a groove, you move your thumb out of the way. And then that's when you start to saw properly.

  [sound of Al sawing] 

  Al Thorpe : Right. You got that?

  [Tom looks away, bored] 

  Al Thorpe : Come on, then. *You* do it.

  Tom Proctor : [mutters]  Child bloody labour.

  Al Thorpe : [sternly]  Listen, lad. Ten weeks, me and thee have got together. And I'll not have you standing about idle whilst *I* do all the work. You're here to help. You're *not* here for a holiday. Do you understand that?

  [reluctantly, Tom begins to saw]