Nearest and Dearest

When bankruptcy hits, the Pledge family are forced to liquidate all their possessions just to afford food. Their woes deepen further when several members of their staff desert them to join a rival pickling firm, threatening the business’s survival in the local market.

Two Pennies to Rub Together is a programme presented in the format of an episode, forming a discrete instalment within its broader series. The episode opens with the Pledge family hit by bankruptcy, leaving them with no financial cushion. In order to secure even the most basic sustenance, they’re forced to liquidate every personal item they own, turning their household possessions into cash simply to buy food. This drastic measure highlights the depth of their monetary distress, as they part with cherished belongings merely to keep a meal on the table. Just as the family thinks they’ve endured the worst, another calamity emerges. Several members of their workforce decide to leave, opting to join a competing pickling company instead. This exodus not only robs the Pledges of essential staff but also strengthens a rival firm in the same trade, compounding the difficulties they already face. The loss of employees to the rival pickling business adds a further layer of trouble to their already precarious situation. The combined impact of selling all personal effects for food and the staff’s defection to a rival pickling operation leaves the Pledge family in a markedly vulnerable position as the story unfolds. They’re left scrambling for any solution.