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Tom returns again to the garden. This time it is Winter and everywhere is covered in a thick blanket of white snow. He does not feel the cold since he does not belong in that time period and so wanders onto the lawn looking for Hatty. He sees some footprints and follows them down to the river. There he finds Hatty learning to skate. Hatty looks older again and more grown up. He reminds her that she was to find out about the picture on the clock but she says that the promise she made was a long time ago. They go back to the house and open the clock up. There is some writing on the disk inside. "Time no longer" it says. The Book of Revelation Chapter Ten verses one to six states Hatty. Hatty has a bible but does not want to go back into the house because of Aunt Grace. The friends go and get Abel's bible in his work room and look the verses up. Whilst starting to read, Abel comes in and catches them both but he does not object to their reading since he thinks that Tom must be okay if he is reading the good book. The pair look up the verses one...

"And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven,

clothed with in cloud and a rainbow was upon his head,

and his face was as it were the sun,

and his feet as pillars of fire

and verse six

And sware by that liveth for ever and ever

who created heaven and the things therein are

and the earth and the things that therein are

and the sea and the things which are therein

that there should be time no longer"

Tom does not know what it means. Hatty thinks it might have something to do with the end of the world. Tom returns to his own time once again and is constantly thinking about time. He falls asleep and starts to dream. In his dreams someone appears and asks who has been meddling with the time on her grandfather clock.

The next day Tom asks Uncle Alan about time. He asks what time is and how does it work. Uncle Alan is overjoyed at a sensible question for a change but then gets annoyed when Tom asks further questions about fantasy and time. Tom returns to Hatty's time that very night. She is skating with friends on the frozen river. She misses Tom but has new friends such as young Barty. Hatty looks more refined and much more lady like. Tom asks her to put her skates in the secret place in the cupboard. She promises to put them there when she has finished with them. She goes back to the skating with the others while Tom returns to his own time. The next morning Tom does not want to go out with Aunt Gwen but instead goes and checks the secret place underneath the floorboards and he finds the skates carefully wrapped containing a letter. He opens it and reads "To whom ever may find this. These skates are the property of Harriet Melbourne and are left in fulfilment of a promise made to a little boy, dated June 18th 18 something or other." Tom cannot make the year out but is so excited about going back with the skates that completely forgets to write to Peter. Peter meanwhile is longing to see Tom and to go back in time with him. He constantly thinks about where Tom has gone and stares at the postcards.

When Tom arrives in Hatty's time period he is very faint. Hatty has trouble seeing him and she herself has changed becoming a little older. James nearly ready to take her to Castleford market. James does not know it, but Hatty intends to skate the river to Ely. James drives the cart and Tom gets a lift on the back. When they arrive at Castleford, James asks Hatty if she will be wanting a lift back but she says she is not sure when she will be finished. Tom and Hatty head off towards the river and begin putting on their skates. "To Ely" they say and begin skating down the river. The view of the town is superb, the huge Cathedral bells can be heard miles in the distance. Hatty informs Tom that the people call it "the great ship of the Fens." The two of them go into the Cathedral to look at its high stone walls. They then ask if they can go up the tower to see the view. The Verger says that a few people will be going up soon. the continue to look round the huge stone structure and see a plaque on the wall. Tom wants to tell Hatty about time both his and hers but he gets distracted. Tom counts the steps up the tower, all 286 of them. They remain at the top admiring the view.

Peter meanwhile starts to concentrate hard on Toms locality and somehow sends himself back in time to see Tom. He appears at the top of the tower in the Cathedral much to the surprise of Tom. .

The verger states to the interested parties that they can see both Castleford and Peterborough from the tower. Tom sees Peter and they begin talking. Peter asks about the garden and then asks about Hatty. Tom point Hatty out to him. Peter says that the Hatty in front of them is a grown up woman not a little girl. Hatty sees Peter who then vanishes. Hatty asks who he was and Tom tells her that he was Peter his brother.

The pair then go down the Cathedral steps. Peter awakens back in his own room and calls for Tom. His mum comes into the bedroom to settle him. A Chestnut seller tells Hatty that there is a thaw coming and that it would treacherous to skate home and that she must be careful as someone has already fallen through near the reedbeds. Hatty will skate some of the way and then get the train at Castleford market. On the way back Tom asks how old she is. Before she can answer she meets young Barty. Hatty is overjoyed to see him and he offers to escort her to the station. Tom is a bit annoyed since he is being ignored by Hatty. On the way to the station they realise that the last train has gone. They take a gig back to the house totally forgetting Tom. Tom meanwhile has fallen asleep in the back of the gig.

the next morning, Aunt Gwen gets up to find the front door open (wedged with a shoe) and goes to speak to Tom who is back in his own bed. He wakes up very upset as the time is back to normal.

Tom still has one more night at the flat and so creeps downstairs. He hopes to find a young Hatty again to play games with and have fun. When he opens the front door and steps out he finds just the plain backyard and falls over some of the dustbins. He starts to shout for Hatty and everyone in the house is disturbed including Mrs. Bartholomew. Uncle Alan drags Tom back inside. Mrs. Bartholomew then cries out "who is calling?" and comes down stairs. she is rapidly intercepted by Uncle Alan who apologies for the shouting and explains that it was their young nephew sleepwalking. Mrs. Bartholomew is adamant that Tom was shouting her name. Aunt Gwen gives Tom a mug of hot milk to calm him down. Uncle Alan finds the skates well polished / oiled but ancient. They will talk to him in the morning about it.

The next morning Tom is still very upset. Uncle Alan decides he will take him home in the car. Aunt Gwen tries to console Tom but he still too upset. The flat doorbell rings and Uncle Alan goes to answer it. Mrs. Bartholomew wants an apology from Tom concerning the previous nights disturbance. Aunt Gwen is furious but Tom agrees to go and apologise to her. Uncle Alan thinks Tom is a really good chap in offering to do this.

Tom rings Mrs. Bartholomew's doorbell and she come to see him. She asks him his name. Tom long he replies. Mrs. Bartholomew is overjoyed. He is a flesh and blood boy. She tells him that he called her Hatty last night and tells him that she is Hatty. We learn that she eventually married young Barty. The night before her wedding a great storm hit the area so Ely was not that last time he saw her. Tom remembered that he heard a cry when the tree was struck. "You are Hatty, you really are Hatty, your eyes are the same." he says. The tree was lost forever except in our memories. Abel married Susan and had a large family. Aunt Grace said he was as stupid as the cows in the field but he could see me whereas she could not. Downstairs the clock chimes but Hatty knows the time - she understands it's language.

Tom goes back to his Aunt and asks for permission to have tea with Mrs. Bartholomew. She tells him that she and Barty were very happy. The cousins did not fair too well though as money was very problematic. James had to sell the house and so Barty and Hatty went to the auction. Barty said she could have whatever furniture she wanted. In the end he bought her both the house and the clock. He made it into flats but when he died Hatty came to live here. Because Hatty dreamed, both she and Tom were able to go back in time. They both longed for a garden and their dreams actually met. Lately though she had been dreaming of growing up and last night she dreamt of the wedding and that was the reason the garden had gone. It all made perfect sense now. They both existed then and they both existed now just like what the angel had said,

"Time no longer"

And so ended what is perhaps the most enjoyable children's drama to come out of the BBC. They sure don't make them like this anymore.

Anyone having any memories, corrections, additions or anyone involved with the making of Tom's Midnight Garden (in front of or behind the camera), then please email at the address at the bottom border.

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Tom's Midnight Garden main Page	Tom's Midnight Garden Part One	Tom's Midnight Garden Part Two	Tom's Midnight Garden Part Three	Tom's Midnight Garden Part Four