Rita: "I don't know why it says '1989' on this photo, 'cos it's 1983 really. Well, at least I think so..."Sue writes:
Why didn't Rita Fairclough expect to see her Uncle Sam in Blackpool when she had amnesia in 1989? After all, he lived there years earlier!
Eee, chuck! As we know, Rita's mind had retreated back to her marriage to Len. Alec Gilroy stated that Rita had blotted everything out since before Len died. We also know that Sam Littlewood (Harry Littlewood) was living in Blackpool in 1980, and that he'd retired there shortly after Len and Rita married. According to one on-line source the character died in September 1982, so it seems Rita's delusional state had taken her back to a time slightly after that.
In fact, it now seems we can confidently declare that Rita's 1989 amnesia time warp had taken her back to late 1982 or 1983.
We know she continued her singing engagements on an occasional basis under her maiden and stage name, Rita Littlewood, after her wedding to Len, and she was listed as Rita Fairclough on the hotel register (this is clearly seen when Alan Bradley arrives at the hotel searching for her), so it all fits!
She was in Blackpool, Len was at home, and Uncle Sam had died shortly before.
By gum, that was a difficult question to answer!
UPDATED 19/6/12
1 comment:
That makes sense! Although Sam retired shortly after Len and Rita got hitched, the way Rita spoke in Blackpool in 1989 about Len and the kippers implied that they'd been married for several years, so late 1982 to December 1983 fits the time frame of Reet's amnesia throwback.
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