The Casual Vacancy – #10 (Part Two)

In case you missed my last post about The Keeping Place. I announced that due to time restraints over the next couple of weeks I will have to alternate blogging about The Keeping Place and The Casual Vacancy, and unfortunately stop posting two posts in one day, effective, as of yesterday. It means it will take a while longer to get through things, but that way we can enjoy them for longer!

So in my last TCV post, we just witnessed Barry’s funeral, and found out Fats exploits with Krystal (with some drug experimentation on the side). That rounded out Part One, or maybe it was (Olden Days) I’m not really too sure, it has some unusual ‘chaptering’ (like The Book Thief and Cloudstreet both I have previously reviewed). Once gain we get an exert of Local Council Administration, Seventh Edition (I’m guessing this is a real book, and wouldn’t that be riveting reading…). This time it is about ‘Fair comment’, which is ‘not actionable’ on a matter of public interest. I have no idea what that means. But Google seems to tell me ‘not actionable’ means you cannot have a law suit brought after you, so I guess if you make a ‘fair comment’ on a public matter, you won’t be charged for defamation. So really you can say whatever you like and won’t be sued, which is exactly what politicians can do in parliament, they can say whatever, and because of what I assume is ‘Fair comment’ they won’t be charged with anything. I’m not sure whether this will have much to do with the forthcoming Part, as the last one about Trespassing, didn’t appear to be relevant, as far as I could tell (did I miss something?)

I

• I can only assume that it is still Saturday
• Such fitting weather for a sombre occasion, very stormy
• Poor Sam Mollison had a small prang due to the weather
• It’s not Saturday any more
• Oh, Mrs Catherine Weedon, Krystal’s great grandmother, is dead
• Took them three days to realise, that is always the saddest most tragic way to die, without anyone noticing
• Kay found her, at least she is doing her job still
• The newspaper has decided to run Barry’s article on the Fields, arguing that the Fields should remain part of Pagford, but in ‘journalistic fairness and balance’ they want an opposing argument, which makes Howard, very happy
• A number of letters have come to Howard to request an election to fill Barry’s seat, he has more than 9 votes to mean an election must occur
• Shirley and Maureen were discussing Mrs Weedon and the discovery of her dead body
• Surely it wasn’t Dr Jawanda’s fault at all? She did nothing wrong, and don’t you take pride in hoping she did, you two vile women
• A lot of people? Yeah you and the snobs
• Miles’ has completed his application, and so has Colin, who has the support of the ‘Obstreperous Faction’, a group of I think seven members (previously 8, but now there is no Barry)
• Four other letters arrived for him, from the ‘professional complainers of Pagford’ and there are always a few in each and every town. They wouldn’t have allowed Miles to be ‘co-opted’ and would have accused Howard of nepotism (which is fair), but they are strongly anti-Fields
• Another letter was from the Bellchapel Addiction Clinic, or ‘claimed to be’ in the eyes of Howard
• The last letter was unsigned demanding an election, it was littered with typos, and said Miles was ‘unfit to replace Barry’. He decided this was not a vote for an election, so shredded it. But I wonder was it Simon who sent the letter. Or maybe unlikely, Krystal? Or someone else?

II

• Edward Collins & Co. solicitors, why don’t they change the name if he is no longer around?
• Miles has two windows in his office!
• The Friday after the funeral, quite some time has passed
• What happened to Barry’s life insurance, did Miles do something, because that would be unforgivable!
• Where is Miles going? His father’s deli?
• A queue of 8, not really that small a town then
• Is that Miles opinion or the omnipresent narrator, I don’t think Miles is at all handsome, his personality causes his appearance to become putrid
• Howard is expanding, opening ‘The Copper Kettle’, a new cafe, they must need more help to run both businesses
• Howard just wants to tell Miles that Colin has sent in his forms, and he is setting a two week deadline for everyone to declare
• Shirley has mentioned that Simon Price wants to run, seems nobody really does know him in the town
• Trouble in ‘paradise’, Sam doesn’t want Miles running, and I don’t want him either, actually nobody is a good fit. Maybe Krystal should go on it!
• Howard seems to think having Simon, who is Fields-born, could work to their advantage, because if the pro-Fields people split between Simon and Colin, then that leaves room open for Miles (who will have the anti-Fields support)
• Pity to think that these are the only three options of councillor, all are terrible, hopefully someone better stands
• Howard do you really think Sam cares whether she gets to go over to Aubrey Fawley’s house, she might just want to have an affair with the man, but really what is so good about going to people’s houses when you aren’t really friends with them?
• Miles is going to help Howard write the anti-Fields piece, I wonder if we will get to read their piece and Barry’s
• What’s wrong with the Clinic?
• Aubrey is trying to pull funds from Yarvil District, and Howard wants to pull funds from Pagford
• Maybe nothing tenable to show, but you can’t just close the place

III

• Gavin cooked Kay dinner, is this a real sign that Gavin wants to do ‘right’ by Kay, or is he just trying to patch things up, and continue hating her
• I don’t get you Gavin, do you love her or not? Do you want to be with her or not? Make up your mind!
• So you make a small effort, but make sure you don’t look like you are making a big effort
• Kay, talking of ex’s is dangerous territory
• Gavin, Kay does get out and about, so she will meet people occasionally, and why do you care if Sam saw her?
• You are infuriating Gavin! Don’t make Kay’s life hell just because you are afraid to commit, and are embarassed
• And I’m sure you would be happy to see Miles some more
• Why can’t you just tell her you don’t want her. Oh, that’s right you are a coward
• Barry’s life insurance company are trying to find a way to make sure they don’t have to pay, companies are bastards
• Oh come ON! His uncle died of an aneurysm, so of course that means Barry lied and didn’t tell them about his possibility of dying from an aneurysm! You make billions of dollars, you should have to pay out without argument, that’s why we pay you money!
• And Barry even told them about it! But they guy didn’t think it would matter.
• What happened to Gaia’s father, does Gavin even ask or care about Kay’s life?
• Pushing her away, when she is only being nice, and you just talked about how nice Barry was, is demeaning
• We can only hope that Gavin comes to his senses, actually I kinda hope that Kay dumps him, and then he comes to realise just what he has lost, but he can never get it back.