Appointment with Venus
by Jerrard Tickell
Jerrard Tickell - Appointment with Venus
BBC Radio 4
In 1940, after the fall of France, the Channel Island of Armorel (a fictionalised version of Sark) is occupied by a small garrison of German
troops under the benign command of Hauptmann Weiss. He finds that the hereditary ruler, the Suzerain, is away in the army, leaving the
Provost in charge.
Back in London, the Ministry of Agriculture realise that Venus, a valuable pedigree Guernsey cow, remains on the island. They petition the
War Office to mount a rescue operation, and Major Valentine Morland is assigned the mission, with the assistance of the Suzerain's sister,
Nicola Falaise, who joined the A.T.S. at the outbreak of war.
They travel to Armorel by submarine, contact the Provost and other friends on the island, and discover that Weiss, a cattle breeder in
civilian life, is about to have the cow shipped to Germany. By a series of elaborate deceptions, they attempt to extract 'Venus' from Weiss's
command and bring her to England.
Adapted by Michael Bartlett from Jerrard Tickell's 1951 novel, "Appointment with Venus", which was based on a real incident told to
Tickell ten years after the fact by an army officer who was involved in a similar event.
Directed by David Hitchinson.
Note: This serial was first broadcast on BBC World Service.
1) 'Occupation' (Wednesday 8th January 1992 @ 12:25 p.m.)
They came at 10 o'clock in the morning of July 10th, 1940. They came in a small motor boat, crossing the strait from St. Peter Port in
Guernsey. They were led by Captain Hans Weiss of the 10th Regiment of Panzer Grenadiers along with Sergeant Vogel and a handful of
soldiers. That's all it took to conquer Armorel, the last of the now German-occupied Channel Islands. It is here that Captain Weiss, a farmer
by nature, finds and takes a liking to 'Venus', a valuable pedigree Guernsey cow who is pregnant.
Back in London, the occupation causes great consternation to the Ministry of Agriculture. 'Venus' is a prize cow with a pedigree as noble as
the Kings of Ireland - a triumph of breeding. Plus, 'Venus' is in calf - by 'Mars of Mellowbury III', a champion bull - and the crossing of
'Venus' and 'Mars' is of enormous financial and breeding potential, horoscopes aside. The Ministry approaches the War Office, where
'Venus' soon becomes the concern of the Armed Forces of the Crown.
With Karen Archer [Nicola Falaise], David Collings [Lionel Falaise, Nicola's Cousin], Frederick Jaeger [Captain Hans Weiss], Hugh
Dickson [The Provost], Michael Tudor Barnes [Sergeant Vogel], William Simons [Jean 'La Bouteille'], Michael Deacon [Baptiste], Steve
Hodson [Carruthers], Lawrence Payne [Petherton / Newsreader], and Percy Edwards [Venus].
Other parts were played by members of the cast
30 minutes
2) 'Venus Observed' (Wednesday 15th January 1992 @ 12:25 p.m.)
Summer 1940. The previous year at the outbreak of war, Nicola Falaise and her brother, Luke, the Suzerain (feudal ruler) of Armorel, left
their tiny island home in the Channel Islands and came to England: he to join the army and she to go into the Auxilary Territorial Service. In
their absence, the spokesman for the islanders in their dealings with the Germans was the Provost of Armorel. Luke was now abroad while
Nicola was alone in England when the news came on the 1st of July that the Channel Islands had been de-militarised with enemy landings
being made in Jersey and Guernsey. A few days later, the Germans landed on Nicola's island, Armorel, effectively making prisoners of all
the friends she left behind including her cousin, Lionel, a pacifist and painter. And then there was 'Venus', a pedigree Guernsey cow currently
in calf.
'Venus' and her babe to be were very valuable and someone in London had decided the Germans could not be allowed to keep her. As
Major Valentine Moreland crew was being assembled for the mission, he was given the charge of questioning the beautiful Nicola, called up
from the ATS, to get a better understanding on the lay of the land. And so, although she nor Major Moreland knew it at the time, Nicola
was about to become involved in a secret mission into enemy occupied territory - a mission to rescue a cow!
With Karen Archer [Nicola Falaise], David Collings [Lionel Falaise, Nicola's Cousin], Michael Cochrane [Major Valentine Moreland],
Frederick Jaeger [Captain Hans Weiss], Hugh Dickson [The Provost], Jack May [Uncle George], Geoffrey Matthews [Trawler Langley,
Native of Armorel and Seaman Extraordinary], Stephen Rashbrook [Alec (Alexander) Forbes, from the Gordon Highlanders], William
Simons [Colonel Dunn / The Newsreader], and Percy Edwards [Venus].
30 minutes
3) 'Coming Home' (Wednesday 22nd January 1992 @ 12:25 p.m.)
July 1940. The Germans now occupy all of the Channel Islands including Armorel, Nicola's home. Among those now under German rule
were her cousin, Lionel, a painter and a pacifist, and, of course, 'Venus', a pedigree Guernsey cow currently in calf. She and her babe to be
are very valuable and it was decided that the Germans must not be allowed to keep her. And so, Major Valentine Moreland was given the
job of organising her rescue. The Major's companions in this bovine kidnapping were Alexander Forbes from the Gordon Highlanders and
Trawler Langley, native of Armorel and seaman extraordinary. There was also Nicola Falaise, who persuaded him against his better
judgement that her presence is essential, although he thinks she had a moment of doubt when she first saw the submarine that was to
transport them to her home.
Little do they know that a day before their arrival on the island, a force of German shock troops have arrived on Armorel for training.
With Karen Archer [Nicola Falaise], David Collings [Lionel Falaise, Nicola's Cousin], Michael Cochrane [Major Valentine Moreland],
Frederick Jaeger [Captain Hans Weiss], Hugh Dickson [The Provost], Jack May [Uncle George], Geoffrey Matthews [Trawler Langley,
Native of Armorel and Seaman Extraordinary], Stephen Rashbrook [Alec (Alexander) Forbes, from the Gordon Highlanders], William
Simons [Jean 'La Bouteille'], Susan Sheridan [Georges, Grandson of the Provost], Michael Deacon [Baptiste], Diana Olsson [Marie, the
Provost's Wife], John Samson [German Newsreader], Kim Wall [Submarine Captain], and Percy Edwards [Venus].
30 minutes
4) 'The Evacuation of Venus' (Wednesday 29th January 1992 @ 12:25 p.m.)
July 1940. The group have landed on Armorel and have found out Captain Weiss, the German Commandant, realised the cow's value and
plans to send her to Germany later that day. To offset this, Nicola has persuaded her cousin, Lionel, a pacifist and painter who had stayed
on the island, to help them in their mission by camouflaging another, similar cow. By painting it to look like 'Venus', they hope to fool the
Germans while they spirited the real 'Venus' away to the beach to rendezvous with an British MTB (Motor Torpedo Boat). If they make it
that far, they will then have to deal with a faster German gunboat that happens to be sitting in the harbour. Will 'Venus' give birth before
rescue? Will the Germans discover the British plot...?
With Karen Archer [Nicola Falaise], David Collings [Lionel Falaise, Nicola's Cousin], Michael Cochrane [Major Valentine Moreland],
Frederick Jaeger [Captain Hans Weiss], Hugh Dickson [The Provost], Stephen Rashbrook [Alec (Alexander) Forbes, from the Gordon
Highlanders / German NCO], Michael Tudor Barnes [Sergeant Vogel], Susan Sheridan [Georges, Grandson of the Provost], Geoffrey
Matthews [Trawler Langley, Native of Armorel and Seaman Extraordinary], Paul Gregory [Muller, a German Soldier], Michael Deacon
[Baptiste / The Newsreader], John Samson [The German Sentry], and Percy Edwards [Venus].
30 minutes
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Edward Jerrard Tickell (1905 - 1966) was an Irish novelist.
Tickell was born in Dublin and educated in Tipperary and London. He joined the Royal Army Service Corps in 1940 and was
commissioned in 1941, when he was appointed to the War Office. Between 1943 and 1945 his official duties took him to Africa, the
Middle East, Washington DC, Canada, the West Indies, and Europe. He was appointed to the General Staff in 1945. He was married to
the author and spiritualist Renee Haynes (the granddaughter of Thomas Huxley) and they had three sons: Crispin, Patrick, and Tom.
He wrote 21 novels, including the bestselling "Appointment with Venus" (1951) (which was made into a film starring David Niven).
Novels:
Yolan (1928)
Fly Away Blackbird (1936)
See How They Run (1936)
Silk Purse (1937)
Jill Fell Down (1938)
Gentlewomen Aim to Please: Edited from Victorian Manuals of Etiquette (1940)
At Dusk All Cats Are Grey (1940)
Soldier from the Wars Returning (1942)
Appointment with Venus (1951) aka Island Rescue
The Hand and Flower (1952) aka A Day to Remember
Dark Adventure (1953)
The Dart Players (1953)
The Hero of Saint Roger (1954)
Miss May: The Story of an Englishwoman (1958)
Wings On My Suitcase: Personal Adventures of Air Hostesses (1958)
Whither Do You Wander? (1959) aka The Hunt for Richard Thorpe
Come with Me Home / Hunt for Richard Thorpe (1960) (with Gladys Hasty Carroll)
Villa Mimosa (1960)
Hussar Honeymoon: A Hungarian Night's Entertainment (1963)
High Water At Four (1965)
Non Fiction:
Odette: The Story of a British Agent (1949)
Moon Squadron (1956)
Ascalon: The Story of Sir Winston Churchill's Wartime Flights from 1943 to 1945 (1964)
Omnibus
Reading for Men (1958) (with Captain A A Bestic, Victor Canning, Whitney Darrow Jr, Corey Ford, Harold Sinclair)
Jim
