London: Galton-Simpson Productions, 1963

Mimeographed screenplay, 126pp., bound in tan stiff paper wrappers and secured with three split pins to left edge. White title label to front wrapper dated 12 August 1963, with 'Copy No. 71' typed to bottom right corner and 'No. 2 SPARE' handwritten to top right. Wrappers marked and stained, with old water stain to left edge of front wrapper, not affecting contents.

Revised screenplay for The Bargee dated 12 August 1963, and still bearing the working title Castles and Roses. Duplicate copy from the files of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.

The story of a London lothario working on the canal boats, The Bargee (1964) was directed by Duncan Wood and starred Harry H. Corbett, who at the time was enjoying huge success in Galton and Simpson's classic TV series Steptoe and Son. The theme was better treated -- in fact, never better treated -- by Alfie, released two years later. But as well as Corbett, The Bargee boasts a cast packed with UK comedy royalty, Ronnie Barker, Eric Sykes, Miriam Karlin and Richard Briers among them.

An unannotated copy from the collection of the writers, but one which was close enough to production to regular updates: the pages are a variety of colours, showing where multiple rewrites have been inserted.