01 October 1996

Characters: Eddie, Joe, Lynda, Marjorie, Richard, Satya, Simon

• Lynda’s concerned about the house after the number of comments regarding their bravery at leaving Ambridge Hall in the hands of strangers, so she’s storing some bits with Mrs Antrobus. Lynda also has plans for an alternative Christmas show, although Marjorie tells of traditionalist leanings in the village.
• Simon shows his face again, at last, firstly for a meeting with an associate at Grey Gables, where he’s less than pleasant to Mesdames Antrobus and Snell as they comment on his absence from the fete (rural junketing not being hereditary!) and then to wonder at his luck as the Grundys tell him of their MAFF inspection and its consequences.
• More news of the journalist sniffing round the village. As Richard gives him a clean bill of health, Joe mentions that he’d been singing his praises to the journalist.
• After Simon doesn’t seem to want to help them, Joe and Eddie are looking to the gloomy future and whether they’ll be able to carry out the refurbishment and not have their dairy licence revoked.

Summarised by: Chris Harrison