Cranford

Mary Smith flees a crisis at home in Manchester to stay with two spinster sisters, Deborah Jenkyns and Matty Jenkyns, in the small, rural town of Cranford. Deborah is the dominating force in Cranford society, and the kind-hearted and eccentric Matty believes her to be the best judge in all matters.

Cranford’s ladies are focused on preparing for Lady Ludlow’s Garden Party, the social event of the year. New bonnets are made by the town’s long-suffering milliner Miss Galindo, and there’s a new gown for Caroline Tomkinson, who has fallen for Dr Harrison and is eager to impress him. Dr Harrison has set his sights on Sophy Hutton, the eldest daughter of Cranford’s rector, Reverend Hutton.

When Dr Harrison’s housekeeper, Mrs Rose, discovers a leg of mutton has been stolen from by the kitchen window on the very same night that Mr Johnson, the owner of the town’s most important store, is mugged, the ladies decide that a crime wave has hit Cranford.

Matty suffers great disappointment and, in a nostalgic mood one evening, decides to confide in Mary about Mr Holbrook and how things were put asunder by a trick played by her younger brother, Peter, who then ran away in disgrace to India and has not been seen since.

Miss Pole invites the ladies of the town to a secret meeting to discuss Matty’s crisis. United in their love for Matty, they decide to secretly share part of their own incomes with her. Mary is recruited to devise a means of getting this to Matty without her knowing where the money came from.