The customer then reveals he wants 'brown pumps size nine'. The shopkeeper brings a foot-operated pneumatic pump to the counter. The customer complies by asking for 'foot pumps'. He then asks for 'pumps' and the shopkeeper asks him to elaborate. At this point the shopkeeper first suspects it may be a joke.

The customer waits for him to get the box down again before better explaining what he wants – tins of peas. When he asks for 'peas' the shopkeeper, believing him to be asking for the letter P for a garden gate, is understandably annoyed as they are in the box he has just put back. The box of garden gate letters is noticeably difficult to get to and put back, requiring a ladder. This item causes the most frustration with the shopkeeper bringing a hoe, a hose (''Ose! I fought you meant 'oes!') and pantyhose to the counter before working out what he wants are the letter O for the garden gate – ''o's as in Mon Repos'.

After a better explanation the shopkeeper explains they do not have any. Confused, the shopkeeper asks if he wants an ointment for 'sore tips'. The customer's answer is 'thirteen amp' revealing he in fact wants an insulated electric plug. Believing that he is asking for rubber bath plugs the shopkeeper gets out a box of them and asks for the size. To try to avoid a similar mistake the shopkeeper asks what kind and is told 'a rubber one, bathroom'. The customer rephrases his request to reveal he in fact wanted 'fork 'andles - 'andles for forks' (garden forks). The shopkeeper then takes out four candles, but the customer merely repeats his request and the shopkeeper is confused. The customer then requests what sounds like 'four candles'. The lady exits and the shopkeeper is then approached by a customer (Barker), who is holding a shopping list. The sketch opens with a throwaway joke as the hardware shopkeeper (Corbett) hands a lady a roll of toilet paper, saying 'mind how you go'.

Further inspiration came from the range of goods stocked by Harrington's hardware store, located close to Ronnie Corbett's holiday home in Broadstairs, Kent. The sketch was inspired by a real incident in a hardware shop in Hayes, which was submitted by the owners as possible material. Corbett surmised that the script may have originally been donated to a charity fund-raiser, as Barker, being uncomfortable with appearing in public, would often donate an item to charity events rather than appearing in person. Comic effect is largely generated through word play and homophones as an ironmonger or hardware shopkeeper, played by Ronnie Corbett, becomes increasingly frustrated by a customer, played by Barker, because he misunderstands what the customer is requesting.Ī script for the sketch in Ronnie Barker's handwriting was discovered on Antiques Roadshow in 2006 and subsequently authenticated by Ronnie Corbett, who noted that while it was unusual for Barker to write in red ink, it was undoubtedly his handwriting. Harrington's hardware shop in Broadstairs, Kent, part of the inspiration for the Four Candles sketchįour Candles is a sketch from the BBC comedy show The Two Ronnies, written by Ronnie Barker under the pseudonym of Gerald Wiley and first broadcast on 18 September 1976.

Person sketch