Heavens Above (2021) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

John Smallwood, a prison chaplain, was mistakenly appointed as vicar to Orbiston Parva due to a clerical mix-up. The Bishop had actually intended to place his preferred cleric in the town to maintain the Despard family's factory influence over the church. Smallwood's naive and compassionate nature made him an unlikely candidate for this politically sensitive position.

• John Smallwood
• Orbiston Parva
• vicar appointment
• Bishop

Smallwood appointed the black dustman as churchwarden to demonstrate his belief that charity and inclusion should be practical, not just symbolic. He saw beyond racial and class distinctions, viewing this appointment as a genuine act of Christian fellowship rather than a political gesture. The act intentionally challenged the town's preconceptions about who deserved positions of authority in the church.

• black dustman
• churchwarden
• appointment
• social reform
• class

Smallwood convinced Lady Despard to provide food for the church to distribute freely to those in need. While this addressed genuine hardship, it drew crowds away from local traders who lost customers. The scheme undermined the town's economic order and exposed the gap between the community's self-image as devout and its actual treatment of poorer residents.

• free food scheme
• Lady Despard
• local traders
• economic impact

After the church hall siege, the Bishop needed to remove Smallwood from Orbiston Parva to restore political harmony. Rather than removing him entirely, the Bishop crafted a face-saving solution by sending him to a remote Scottish island called Ultima Thule with the fictional title "Bishop of Outer Space" for Britain's space operations there. This was essentially an exile disguised as a promotion.

Foreshadowing: The ending foreshadows this unusual posting when the Bishop first creates the title, linking Smallwood's disruptive nature to an equally unprecedented space mission.

• Bishop of Outer Space
• Ultima Thule
• exile
• church politics

When the originally chosen pilot became hesitant or reluctant to fly the mission, Smallwood unexpectedly volunteered to take his place. Despite having no pilot training, he stepped forward, viewing this as another opportunity to serve. His faith-based perspective guided him to accept the role as a natural extension of his willingness to help others.

• space pilot
• Ultima Thule
• volunteer
• mission

Townspeople, angry over Smallwood's reforms that threatened their economic and social order, surrounded the church hall in a hostile manner. Smallwood tried to reason with the crowd, but the situation escalated dangerously. Police intervention was necessary to extract Smallwood from the building, ending the immediate confrontation but forcing church leadership to address the growing controversy.

• church hall siege
• police
• crowd
• confrontation

Local traders opposed Smallwood because his charity initiatives directly harmed their businesses. The free food distribution drew customers away from their shops, and his overall approach challenged the established economic hierarchy. Their complaints reflected broader town resistance to changes that disrupted the careful social balance Smallwood's reforms threatened.

• local traders
• opposition
• economic concerns
• business impact

As the space capsule launched, Smallwood broadcast hymns over the radio, marking the last communication heard from him. This final act symbolizes his unwavering commitment to faith and compassion, even in the most extreme circumstances. It represents the merging of his spiritual calling with humanity's cosmic ambitions, leaving the town to contemplate whether mercy and duty can truly coexist.

• hymns
• space broadcast
• final message
• faith

Lady Despard, as a landowner and significant figure in Orbiston Parva, was persuaded by Smallwood to contribute food for distribution to those in need. While her motivations aren't fully detailed, her agreement likely stemmed from a combination of genuine charitable impulse and respect for Smallwood's sincere approach, despite knowing it would create social upheaval in the town.

• Lady Despard
• food donation
• landowner
• charity