Secrets and Lattes

Written by Hilary MacLean

Starring Hilary Maclean, Hilary Lyon, Derek Riddell and Pearl Appleby, the series starts on Monday 6th July at 11.30 a.m.

Hilary Lyon’s comedy narrative series “Secrets and Lattes”, set in Edinburgh’s most entertaining coffee shop, is back in business again this summer on BBC Radio 4.

Ex-art teacher and free spirit, Trisha, has settled into her native Edinburgh after years of London life and continues to run ‘Cafe Culture’ in leafy Bruntsfield with bossy ex-accountant big sister, Clare.  The distinctly different sisters continue to negotiate their way through staffing changes, relationship turbulence and  menu variations with intermittent good humour, bad temper and alcohol.  Throw in recovering kleptomaniac Lizzie’s candid comments and intriguing new chef Callum and you have a recipe for entertaining trauma.

Has Trisha really created a new life for herself or is she still hankering after the past?  Will Clare ever get on her feet again after being floored by nearly ex-husband Struan’s departure?  Where did Lizzie really get that bike, those handbags and that bloody dog……and who actually gets off with who on a night out on a boat?

Life in the cafe is never dull; there’s always  an everyday crisis or the odd epic drama.  Sibling tensions are never too far from the fore and relationships are tested all round as our cafe team copes with life’s unexpected events and its inevitable trail of issues.  All that before they’re even made a latte…..

Tune in on Mondays at 11.30am from 6th July for your next caffeine-fuelled hit…..

Hilary Maclean- Trish

Hilary Lyon- Clare

Derek Riddell- Calum

Pearl Appleby- Lizzie

June Watson- Minty

Roger May- Richard

Scott Hoatson- Max

Episode 1 – All Change

It’s the second series of Hilary Lyon’s ‘Secrets and Lattes’ and Trisha (played by Hilary Maclean) and Clare (played by Hilary Lyon) keep the caffeine-fuelled comedy coming in their Edinburgh coffee shop,  ‘Cafe Culture’.   But can the sisters rise to the challenge of keeping the business going whilst coping with a missing chef and dealing with 20 year-old waitress, Lizzie (Pearl Appleby) falling off the kleptomania wagon?  Throw in Trisha’s married ex-boyfriend and Clare’s absent husband and it’s emotional carnage all round.   Clare can’t cope with change but Trisha positively craves it: praise the Lord for God-fearing Minty (June Watson) – an eccentric but helpful customer who won’t make a drama out of a crisis…..

Cast: Hilary Maclean- Trish, Hilary Lyon- Clare, Pearl Appleby- Lizzie, June Watson- Minty

Episode 2- Off Piste

Episode 2 of the second series of Hilary Lyon’s ‘Secrets and Lattes’ sees Trisha (played by Hilary Maclean) and her big sister Clare (Hilary Lyon) grappling with yet more change and upheaval whilst still serving up the best coffee in Edinburgh.  Clare has great expectations of expanding ‘Cafe Culture’ although Trisha has rather more pressing, personal matters on her mind.  Lizzie (Pearl Appleby) harbours dreams of becoming a chef, whilst eccentric temporary cook Minty (June Watson) drives Clare to Health and Safety distraction.  Can a good-looking man on a bike (Derek Riddell) help save the day on a soaking wet Sunday when the team is faced with a sea of folk in kilts?

Cast: Hilary Maclean- Trish, Hilary Lyon- Clare, Pearl Appleby- Lizzie, Derek Riddell- Calum, June Watson- Minty

Episode 3 – Strictly Christmas

It may be the run up to Christmas in Episode 3 of the second series of Secrets and Lattes by Hilary Lyon, but it’s not all tidings of joy in Edinburgh’s ‘Cafe Culture.’   Sibling cafe owners Trisha (Hilary Maclean) and Clare (Hilary Lyon) are being haunted by their ex-partners.  Richard (Roger May) gets in touch with Trisha with some surprising news and Clare’s almost ex-husband Struan (Stuart McQuarrie) is disconcertingly hovering around the city sticking his beak in.  Meanwhile, multi-talented new chef Callum (Derek Riddell) continues to turn everybody’s head with some unexpectedly fancy footwork.  An invitation to a ball sees the sisters and would-be chef Lizzie (Pearl Appleby) resembling characters from a well known fairy story but will anyone actually end up kissing their very own prince?

Cast: Hilary Maclean- Trish, Hilary Lyon- Clare, Pearl Appleby- Lizzie, Derek Riddell- Calum,            Roger May- Richard, Stuart McQuarrie- Struan and Jeremy, Moray Hunter- Brian.

Episode 4- Burns and ‘a that

It’s January in Episode 4 of Hilary Lyon’s Secrets and Lattes and it’s time to beat the post-festive blues.  Hilary Maclean and Hilary Lyon star as sisters Trisha and Clare who run ‘Cafe Culture’ in Edinburgh’s leafy Bruntsfield.  Trisha is on a single-minded start-of-the-year health kick whilst trying to get over yet another breakup with her long-distance lover Richard (Roger May) and Clare is desperate for a business project to get over her crush on sexually-ambivalent chef Callum (Derek Riddell). Trisha and Clare find they have distinctly different ideas about hosting a Burns Supper, trainee chef and recovering kleptomaniac Lizzie (Pearl Appleby) makes a new friend …and everybody parties in true Rabbie Burns’ spirit until an unexpected guest makes for a dramatic turn of events.

Cast: Hilary Maclean- Trish, Hilary Lyon- Clare, Pearl Appleby- Lizzie, Derek Riddell- Calum,            June Watson- Minty, Roger May- Richard, Scott Hoatson- Max

Episode 5 – Home and Away

It’s  Spring in Edinburgh in Hilary Lyon’s ‘Secrets and Lattes’ and new beginnings are on the horizon for the staff of ‘Cafe Culture’.  Trisha (Hilary Maclean) is now engaged to her long-distance lover Richard (Roger May) and her big sister Clare (Hilary Lyon) is gradually working her way through her divorce. Laid-back Glaswegian chef, Callum, (Derek Riddell) is struggling to let the reins go as his autistic son Max (Scott Hoatson) turns 18 while Lizzie (Pearl Appleby) is enjoying helping the officially adult, Max, spread his wings. Nobody quite seems to know where home is at the moment, including the stray dog that Lizzie has acquired. Things come to a head when Max’s birthday party doesn’t quite go according to plan and an unwelcome encounter for Lizzie results in trauma all round.

Cast: Hilary Maclean- Trish, Hilary Lyon- Clare, Pearl Appleby- Lizzie, Derek Riddell- Calum,                      Roger May- Richard, Scott Hoatson- Max

Episode 6 – The Plans the Thing

It’s May in Edinburgh and life at ‘Cafe Culture’ is certainly bursting with life.  Trisha (Hilary Maclean) is about to marry her long-term, long-distance lover Richard (Roger May) and despite being mid-divorce, big sister Clare (Hilary Lyon) can’t resist meddling in the wedding arrangements. Relations are strained, too, between supposedly recovering kleptomaniac trainee Lizzie (Pearl Appleby) and laid-back Glaswegian chef Callum (Derek Riddell) over her friendship with his autistic teenage son Max (Scott Hoatson). There is much uncertainty over living (and sleeping) arrangements all round as everyone works out where home is, exactly…. and who else is in it.  Will Trisha and Richard actually make it up the (outdoor) aisle and who might still be speaking to who?

Cast: Hilary Maclean- Trish, Hilary Lyon- Clare, Pearl Appleby- Lizzie, Derek Riddell- Calum,                      Roger May- Richard, Scott Hoatson- Max

Written and Created by – Hilary Lyon
Director – Marilyn Imrie
Producers – Gordon Kennedy and Moray Hunter
Sound Engineer and Editor – Alisdair Macgregor
Production Managers – Emma Hearn and Sarah Tombling
Studio Manager – Lucy Barter

Studio Facilities – Motivation Sound
Production Photographer – Richard Bailey
BBC Commissioning Editor – Sioned Wiliam
Executive Producer – Chris Pye
Production Company – Absolutely Productions Ltd

Read more about series one