This is a film version of the  BBC Television Series The Grove Family which was quite popular in the mid fifties and ran for over two years.

Ruth Dunning played Gladys Grove and Edward Evans Bob Grove – and these two characters with the same actors had been in the Norman Wisdom film ‘ Man of the Moment’ the previous year to the TV series starting – and I would reckon, even though they were uncredited in the film,  that this produced the idea for the BBC series.

Granny Grove – who seemed to be, in some ways, the star of the film and the series, was played by Nancy Roberts

In this film version ‘ It’s a Great Day, building contractor Bob Grove is desperately trying to find floor tiles to complete the council housing estate, which is shortly to be opened by Princess Margaret.

The Borough Surveyor does not like Bob Groves and, when he suspects that the tiles were stolen, he sets the police on Bob and rescinds the invitation to meet the Princess.

Bob is cleared of any wrong doing in the end  but too late to get back on the guest list. However there follows a twist in the story here – and all ends very satisfactorily and happily.

Along the way, we are treated to son Jack’s and daughter Pat’s romantic interludes, young Lennie’s dangerous escapade on some unstable scaffolding and numerous  humorous, asides from Gran, played  by Nancy Roberts.

Sheila Sweet ABOVE played daughter  Pat. In real life Sheila was first married to actor William Sylvester then later to another well know actor Richard Johnson by whom she had two children.  She didn’t have a very long TV or film career.   She died in 2003.

Nowadays, the film ‘It’s a Great Day’ is of more interest as a nostalgic piece of 1950’s family life.

This film is more for nostalgia fans like me,  and those interested in early British television – again like I am.