#'Eleanor's Dream'

[the-paper-apricot]

'There seemed no order in these latter visions': Give My Regards to Broad Street and A Christmas Carol

The 'Eleanor's Dream' sequence of Give My Regards to Broad Street has several phases, or scenes: the boating party; the recreation of Manet's Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe; the cemetery in winter, and so on, image after image. Toward the end, the sequence takes on a Dickensian flavour.

Screen capture of Give My Regards to Broad Street, as upscaled by Kitsu.

Instantly recognisable is the English bull terrier, a dead ringer for Bull's-eye, the dog owned by Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist.

Screen captures of Bill Sikes and Bull's-eye in Oliver! (1968)

A similar image as Harry appears from a barely-lit alley, complete with wet cobbles and English bull terrier, in Give My Regards to Broad Street.

Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist (1948) attempting to drown Bull's-eye. (Don't worry, the dog gets away!)

In Oliver Twist, Sikes brings what he has stolen to the fence, Fagin. Harry is carrying the missing tape box, also presumed to be stolen at this point in the film.

For a long time I thought that was the principal Dickens reference here, other than the general smutty, foggy, sinister look which conveys that ripe atmosphere of Victorian London (in literature, in painting, but especially in film). But there's something else that I believe is more significant.

At the very end of the 'Eleanor's Dream' sequence, Paul arrives to see Harry collapse on the stone steps, as the Victorian double for Rath, and his business associates, look down. Now, here's where it would have paid to be a Londoner: it all seemed familiar, but initially I took that neoclassical façade for the Bank of England. Of course I was wrong, it's meant to be the Royal Exchange.

A debtor waits to plead with Scrooge on the steps of the Royal Exchange, in Scrooge (1951). (Filmed on location at the building itself.)

The fluted columns and steps of another location, or a set, standing in for the monumental staircase of the Royal Exchange in Give My Regards to Broad Street.

Why do I think the series of visions ends at the Royal Exchange? In A Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come brings Scrooge to this place, the ancestor of the London Stock Exchange, where he did business most days. In the time of Dickens it was abbreviated to simply 'Change.

Short extract from A Christmas Carol (1843), Charles Dickens; Harry on the steps

Rath and his partners are like the 'little knot of business men' whose unfeeling detachment is so appalling to Scrooge, and the reader. No spirit but rather Paul's mind shows him the vision, the ending of which he wants to reject or change, as Scrooge pleads for a way to change his fate:

Assure me that I yet may change these shadows you have shown me ... tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!

from A Christmas Carol (1843), Charles Dickens

If we accept this is repurposed imagery from A Christmas Carol, can we determine why it was chosen? The moment where Scrooge is forced to look at the businessmen at the Royal Exchange, and their indifference to grief? Is it a way to address Paul's feeling about the business practices around ATV's acquisition of Northern Songs, especially Dick James and Charles Silver selling all their ordinary shares in Northern to Lew Grade while Paul and John were each on honeymoon in March 1969?

Cashbox, 1969, quoted on the Paul McCartney Project website.

The group, or 'little knot' of nameless businessmen around Rath in Give My Regards to Broad Street, could suggest the Consortium, a group of London brokers that acquired 14% of the shares in Northern Songs. In May 1969, after protracted negotiation, they agreed to an alliance that essentially gave ATV control of Northern Songs. I think the Dickensian borrowing in 'Eleanor's Dream' encompasses not John's death alone, but also the irrevocable change in their friendship because of predatory business practice and the loss of control over their songs.

The redemptive close to A Christmas Carol is much of its appeal, offering that idea that we can still change the course of events to come, while there is the time to do so. Scrooge wakes and is reprieved, sends the boy for the turkey and raises Bob's salary: still-dreaming Paul finds Harry, calls Linda and brings him home. Then Paul wakes in the back of the car, and even better, finds that Harry and the music were never lost to begin with.

(Note: the quotation at the top of this post is from A Christmas Carol, as Dickens explains that the images shown to Scrooge by the spirit are disjointed and from different times. They are also unrelenting, as 'the Spirit did not stay for anything but went straight on'.)

[kiloude-city]

Wade and his polycule having breakfast with his daughter

I know its a dream/fake but the way I screamed

[gabessquishytum]

"omg I love autistic men who are obsessed with their wives" ssshhhh you couldn't even handle Hob Gadling in 1589

[asurrogateblog]

my official reveiw of Give My Regards to Broad Street

[melanodis]

🗡 + Eleanor Nightingale Madam Mossytits is real...

madame mossytits... I want her to get to play space d&d so bad

[windsweptinred]

An AU idea that just won't leave me be Hob defying 'death' to bring Dream back.

If Hob and Dream had just found each other, were in the beginnings of a loving relationship, a real chance at happiness. Would Hob truly accept Dream's death? Would he mourn? Or would he fight it? Hob's just the right side of selfish, just that touch too resolved. Would a man who dismissed death lay down to the whims of fate... Or battle againt it? Even if that means returning something to the universe that's no longer meant to be there. Could reality function with two Dreams? Would he be willing to risk that to right what he saw as an unjust death? And most importantly, what would an 'un' dead Endless be?

[expectiations]

From Stage to Screen: The Many Faces of Eve Best

some of the pictures are from @evebestonline

[beatleswings]

LINDA and PAUL McCARTNEY during the filming of GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROAD STREET. 1980s.

[starfleetwitch]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THIS TALENTED BEAN! <3

[wolfgirl-valentine]

"He'd been able to give her one of those things at least, at the next full moon, and she had stroked his ears and petted his muzzle, and she had fed him little bits of raw venison, and he had fallen asleep beside her just as the moon was beginning to sink and it had been the happiest he could remember being in a very long time."

Second piece inspired by @moorishflower fic "Us and the Moon" !!!!!

[diioonysus]

vintage illustrations + my tattoo list

[notallsandmen]

The Picture of Hob Gadling

Given that Dream commissioned a Shakespeare play to subtweet his ex Titania, I’m just gonna go right ahead and suggest that Dream immediately post-1889 meeting inspired Oscar Wilde to write a novel about a handsome, cocky young man made immortal through Faust-like corruption by an imperious aristocrat, only to then become an ungrateful prick who friendzones sensitive misunderstood artistes

[10moonymhrivertam]

I feel like there is untapped potential in “Dream collects names like other people do friends” and Hob having sort-of-accidentally nicknamed him for convenience and Dream loving it and integrating it happily into his lore.

[gabessquishytum]

Hey, Gabe. I’m so happy you're doing better and taking time for yourself.

I've had this thought percolating in the back of my brain for a little while, for Dream and Hob, and their darling wives, Calliope and Eleanor to have a lovely poly/qpr style thing happening, because, as much as I love all the romantic, sexy, and unhinged shenanigans on here, I would like to see something similar to my own situation floating about.

Dream and Hob have been attached at the hip since childhood, when Hob punched another kid for trying to kick them out of the sand pit. They love each other fiercely and have been through all the ups and downs of adolescence: the conflict of who they were as individuals, the struggle to stay together in a world that told them they were too close, exploring sexual identities, mapping out their dreams of the future, and last, but not least, figuring out how to share with a dating partner.

It's surprisingly difficult to find someone that doesn't assume you're cheating on them with your best friend when you're so close. If they trust sex isn't happening, they tend to get angry about the casual intimacy. Feeling blocked by or jealous of the already established bond.

At one point, Dream and Hob's friends told them they were so close they should try dating each other. So they did. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be. The sex was fun and engaging. They learned a lot about themselves, explored kinks and the kink community. There wasn't another person's feelings they had to navigate, but beyond the lust there was no spark of romance, no passionate love, no mystery. There was comfort, devotion, and the soft, mellow love of their friendship.

They amicably broke up with a new, physical dimension to their friendship that only made dating harder in the end. Still, they persisted.

Eventually, Hob met a wonderful, dark-haired woman named Eleanor. She was fiery and beautiful, willing to barge into Dream and Hob's life and demand they make room for her. She was a raging river, filling in the ravines and creating estuaries where Dream and Hob had long ago learned they didn't meet. She was new life and new paths, and Hob fell hard and fast.

There’s a certain point, early on, in a relationship where you have to explain the complex dynamic between you and your best friend. It's the breaking point for many people. It's hard, to share, to be unintentionally excluded, to learn secrets from a third party, but the people that stand their ground and thrive are breathtaking.

Eleanor, when she is told, demands space. She does research, talks to people in similar situations, takes the time to suss out her own feelings, tries to feel out the edges of compromise and expectation she requires. In the end, she flows back into their lives with a willingness to try and an adventurous gleam in her eye.

She proposes a new dynamic between the three of them. She wishes to pursue a romantic relationship with Hob, but wants to learn how comfortable she can be with Dream in the bedroom.

Hob's quick to assure her that he and Dream don't have physical relations when dating.

Eleanor, brave woman that she is, tries to explain why she thinks that's part of the problem they have with dating. They're so entwined in each other's life that removing them from one area only causes more stress. “You're practically married already,” she snorts. “You just need to find people who can live with that. I’m willing to try. Are you?”

It takes work and patience, respect and communication. They still hurt each other. Life gets in the way. People judge them and cause problems. They make it, in the end, to a place where they are content and no one is left out. Eleanor and Hob are happily married. Dream has a special place in their hearts and marriage bed whenever he needs or wants.

Years pass, Dream has proof now, that he can have romance and his best friend. That he doesn't have to sacrifice a portion of his heart for love. He has taken lovers, tried to bring them into the dance that is his relationship with Hob and Eleanor. Reluctance, timidity, and selfishness ended those relationships. At some point, Dream starts to give up, maybe Eleanor was special, a miracle.

This is, of course, when someone new enters the scene.

Calliope, stunning and witty, drifts on the edge of their existence, darting forward and back to a tune only she can hear. She flirts, flutters, and flees. She's looking for something and she won't be caught until she wishes it.

Dream watches her from the corner of his eye, intrigued and wary. He watches, in the hopes of learning what he can before approaching. He knows what to look for now, those early signs that will tell him if she wouldn't be a good fit. He isn't nearly as subtle as he wishes.

It doesn't take long for to Calliope notice. She glides closer, flitting back when others pursue.

There are clues to be found in who she lets close, and why. The outline of what she wants takes shape as partner after partner fails to meet certain criteria.

They start to circle each other at parties, a corkscrew winding tighter and tighter. He waits with hard learned patience. She slowly grows bolder.

Eleanor and Hob poke gentle fun at him, waiting on the sidelines, wishing him well. No matter how it ends, he'll always have them.

When Dream and Calliope finally crash together it's quiet, a gentle brush of fingers, a soft touch at the hip or arm. There are walks and dinners and music. They go to theaters and museums and libraries. She slots into Dream's life seamlessly, confidently.

There are the typical growing pains of partnerships and cohabitation, discovering how to be part of a couple separate from Hob and Eleanor, and learning where the four of them line-up and interlock.

People outside the relationship try to cause problems at times. They look at Dream and Eleanor or Calliope and Hob and notice how visually similar they are and accusations of cheating fly around. Sometimes someone close-minded will notice their closeness and try to enforce ridiculous religious views. Those that are covetous and jealous try to tear them apart.

They've worked too hard to let such things tear them apart.

Dream looks up one day to realize he’s curled against Hob's chest, in love and happy. Eleanor and Calliope are plotting something a few feet away, smiling. The future is unfolding before him, full of laughter and affection, understanding and belonging. The long journey and heartache was worth it.

—🏵

This is such a delightful and loving depiction of a beautiful poly/qpr relationship! I particularly love the way that Dream and Hob manage to work out their situation in the way you've described. Because not all friendships are meant to develop into romantic relationships, and platonic love certainly isn't worth less than romantic love. I genuinely enjoy the idea of them trying out romantic dating for a week and mutually deciding that it just isn't meant to be! The way they express love (romantically) is so different - Dream is all wild grand gestures and extremes, and Hob just. Isn't about that life. It just isn't going to work, and that's absolutely okay because the sex is still wonderful, and they're still best friends. They still want to grow old together, doing kinky things occasionally. They've both kind of accepted that they're lucky to have each other, and wanting more is probably a bit greedy.

But it's okay to be greedy.

With Eleanor and Calliope, life is never dull. In the large house where the four of them live, there is always music. Always laughter too, unless somebody is upset - then the other three will descend on them, and do everything they can to make it better. There is always a queue for the bathroom (even though they have more than one bathroom, all four of them tend to gravitate together into one space - you'll find Hob trying to shave while Calliope does her makeup and Dream tries to shower and Eleanor sits on the loo singing along to the radio). Somebody is always available for a cuddle (it's usually Dream who wants a cuddle, or some kind of physical touch, and it's great because he never has to worry about being too much. there are three people to take the load). Sex is just... easy. Even if somebody doesn't want to participate, they're always welcome to watch.

Hob loves silly jokes, loves it when Eleanor says "this is my husband Robert, and this is my husband's boyfriend, Dream". But he also secretly loves arguing with people who are rude about their relationship. He loves it even more when he's able to throw a punch. Dream and Eleanor might try to hold him back, but he can always rely on Calliope to join him for a scrap. She's taught him some wonderful Greek insults.

And life is basically very good. Turns out that more partners DOES equal more happiness, as Hob loves to say. Dream will never admit it but Hob is generally absolutely right.

[mentallyinvernation]

Boy's Too Young To Be Singing The Blues for the ask game!

Oh man, this one is so so bittersweet. I get emotional about this wip.

CW: implied child death

Basically! Robyn is the Vortex, and Dream struggles to come to terms with what that means - because that's Hob's child, and Dream's going to have to be the one that takes him away.

Despite the angsty premise, it's actually quite fluffy and domestic for like the first half! Dream procrastinates dealing with the whole vortex problem until it's literally ripping apart the Dreaming, and even then he's like 'I pretend I do not see'. Mainly because, before that happens, Robyn keeps popping up around the Dreaming in places he shouldn't (like the throne room), and Dream sort of ends up co-parenting with Eleanor and Hob without either of them realising lmao.

Mervyn: Don't name the vortex, you'll get attached!

Dream: Not only did I name the vortex and get attached, but I also adopted him.

A snippy snip for your time (it's kinda rough tho because I'm nowhere near this point lol):

“The fate of every being in the universe –“ “Aren't worth him!” Hob screams, chest heaving, something wild, illogical, and frantic scrabbling in his eyes. “Not to me.” "I know," Dream replies hoarsely, heart aching in his throat, and he does know. This tragedy has befallen him once before.

IT HAS A HAPPY ENDING THEY'LL BE FINE I PROMISE.

Chapter 1 is up if ya wanna check it out!

[connectionterminated13]

Nothing is funnier than the implication from frailty That Eleanor just shows up to her past victim's house sometimes for funzies.