The Green Green Grass

Boycie is set to dismiss every member of his farm workforce. However, his manager, Elgin, convinces him to retain the staff and adopt the role of a “gentleman farmer” in the countryside, a position that appears to require minimal effort in practice.

The title “A Rocky Start” denotes a single episode within a larger programme. Classified as an episode, it belongs to the genre of a programme piece that follows a straightforward narrative structure. Though brief, the installment delivers a concise story centred on farm life and the characters’ decisions, and the episode is self‑contained, focusing on a single dilemma. In this instalment, Boycie is on the brink of dismissing every member of his farm workforce. He believes that cutting staff is the only way forward, feeling pressure to reduce costs and convinced the employees are superfluous, and he prepares to issue the sack notices. His resolve appears firm until an unexpected conversation changes the direction of his plans. The farm’s manager, Elgin, steps in and argues against the wholesale firings. He persuades Boycie to retain the employees, proposing an alternative path. Elgin frames the gentleman‑farmer role as one where the owner oversees rather than toils, suggesting that Boycie adopt the title of “gentleman farmer”, a designation that traditionally implies a more leisurely approach to running the estate. Following Elgin’s counsel, Boycie agrees to keep his staff and embraces the gentleman‑farmer concept. The implication is that his responsibilities will shift toward supervision rather than hands‑on labour, allowing him to oversee the farm with minimal physical effort. By adopting this stance, Boycie hopes to maintain the farm’s productivity while enjoying a more relaxed routine, marking a turning point in his attitude toward farm management.