The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

Colin Smith:
Running's always been a big thing in our family, especially running away from the police.

Stacy, Drake House Leader:
And always remember, they've got the whip hand.

Colin Smith:
Do you know what I'd do if I had the whip hand? I'd get all the coppers, governers, posh whores, army officers and members of parliament and I'd stick them up against this wall and let them have it 'cause that's what they'd like to do to blokes like us.

Stacy, Drake House Leader:
You'll learn.

Colin Smith:
We'll see.

Brown, House Master:
Now when you broke into this, um, what was it...

Colin Smith:
Bakery

Brown, House Master:
Bakery, yup... what were you thinking about at the time?

Colin Smith:
I wasn't thinking about anything, I was too busy breaking in.

Mike:
Come on doll, don't play hard to get.

Brown, House Master:
Just describe the action to me in your own words, put me in the picture.

Colin Smith:
Got over the wall of this baker's yard, broke into his office.

Brown, House Master:
Hmm, I think you can do a bit better than this, Smith, um, surely your nerves were on edge weren't they, you felt afraid?

Colin Smith:
If I felt afraid I wouldn't have broken in, would I?

Ruxton Towers Reformatory governor:
I used to be a runner myself, quite a useful one too but a bit of a plodder.

Colin Smith:
There's other places besides London you know.

Gladys:
Well I don't think so.

Brown, House Master:
They certainly drive themselves hard on the playing fields.

Ruxton Towers Reformatory governor:
They're high-spirited Mr Brown.

Brown, House Master:
If they weren't, they wouldn't be here.

Ruxton Towers Reformatory governor:
You don't get anywhere without effort, do you lad?

Brown, House Master:
How do we tackle the basic aggression which these lads obviously feel?

Ruxton Towers Reformatory governor:
By channelling it in the right direction.

Brown, House Master:
I was just wondering whether life wasn't a little more complicated than a football match.

Audrey:
You'll end up in prison one of these days.

Gladys:
If he aint careful.

Colin Smith:
It'd get me out of this dump.

Audrey:
It ain't the only way to get out of it.

Ruxton Towers Reformatory governor:
It was that new lad Smith who scored that goal, wasn't it?

Mr. Jones:
Right sir.

Ruxton Towers Reformatory governor:
He can run.

Mr. Jones:
He's not bad sir.

Ruxton Towers Reformatory governor:
He might be useful to us, we better keep an eye on him.

Mike:
Where d'you learn to drive like this?

Colin Smith:
Me cousin had a milk round.

Mike:
That's five bob up the spout.

Colin Smith:
Share and share alike. All for one and one for all, united we stand, divided we fall.

Mike:
You're a bloody poet, aren't you.

Ruxton Towers Reformatory governor:
What's your name?

Colin Smith:
Smith.

Chief Borstal Officer:
Say "sir" when you answer the Governor.

Colin Smith:
[insolently] Sir Smith.

Ruxton Towers Reformatory governor:
That won't get you far here, lad.

Colin Smith:
The best thing to do is be cunning and stay where you are. I'm going to let them think they've got me house trained, but they never will, the bastards. To get me beat, they'll have to stick a rope around my neck.

Colin Smith:
It's not that I don't like work. It's just that I don't like the idea of slaving me guts out so the bosses can get all the profits. Seems all wrong to me.

Brown, House Master:
So, uh, how do you come to be here?

Colin Smith:
[puzzled] I got sent, didn't I?

Brown, House Master:
[chuckles] Yes, I know you got sent, but why?

Colin Smith:
I got caught. Didn't run fast enough!

Brown, House Master:
Well, you're a new boy in here, aren't you, Smith?

Colin Smith:
Yeah.

Brown, House Master:
Yeah. So am I. Two new boys in here, in a matter of speaking. Perhaps we can help one another.

Colin Smith:
Look, I'm nobody's favorite.

[first lines]

Colin Smith:
Running was always a big thing in our family, specially running away from the police. It's hard to understand. All I know is that you've got to run, running without knowing why, through fields and woods. And the winning post's no end, even though the barmy crowds might be cheering themselves daft. That's what the loneliness of a long distance runner feels like.