The IMDb user rating gives this episode "Going On Holiday" an 8.6, the highest rating of any episode of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. The user rating has got it spot on although I would happily give it an even higher score. This particular episode is hilarious from start to finish. Frank & Betty Spencer are taking a "second honeymoon" holiday & stop a at a seedy-looking guest house run by a Mr. Bedford (Neil McCarthy). We are informed that their first honeymoon was a complete disaster when the newly weds ended up in different places, Betty in Torquay & Frank in Shrewsbury. The second time around doesn't get much better except that they did just manage to both stay together on this occasion. As soon as they get into their room Frank decides he wants to move the two single beds together to make a double bed & in so doing he rips a piece of the lino. To cover up the rip he decides he needs to use a carpet which involves rearranging the rest of the furniture creating more mayhem. Across the hall in the room opposite is a man named Kenny (Cyril Shaps) & Frank decides to pinch his carpet by sliding it from under his door. Kenny watches in horror & thinks something supernatural is taking place. "Mister Bedford!" he cries in his high-pitched, homosexual-sounding voice. After this Frank damages his wardrobe & decides he has to replace that, too, with Kenny's whilst he is out of his room. When Kenny discovers his wardrobe is missing he cries out for Mr. Bedford again. Mr Bedford arrives back on the scene & Kenny tells himabout the "funny" things that are happening to the furniture. "We don't have funny furniture in this hotel", he informs him. "Only funny people!". Neil McCarthy plays Mr. Bedford really well somewhat in the manner of Basil Fawlty. Eventually after moving all the furniture around Frank ends up breaking the damp floorboards creating a hole down into the bar on the ground floor. "This place ought to be condemned!", cries Frank. By now with all the strange noises he keeps hearing Mr. Bedford decides to keep guard in the hall by sitting down outside their rooms. Frank decides that he & Betty will have to climb down through the hole to make an escape from their second honeymoon disaster. He uses his bedsheets to make some "rope" & ties it to his wash-hand basin. When he & Betty climb down through the hole in the floor he also brings the sink crashing down into the bar as well. Time to get out of the place as quickly as possible!. Altogether this is a really wonderful piece of comedy.
Review of Have a Break, Take a Husband
