21 January 1997

David is getting ready for his important meeting with Simon about the Estate.
Richard is looking around again for a new surgery, and wants to consider the empty vicarage. Shula agrees to ask Janet, and Graham promises to keep his eye open for something suitable.
Lower Loxley is still in a real state, with a lot of work being done.
Phil and David have to sort out a cow which has fallen down, meaning that David misses the meeting with Simon. Simon waits for a bit, then leaves. Meanwhile, Alistair Lloyd, the vet, has contacted Graham Ryder about the business units. Graham puts Alistair’s requirements, which involve knocking two of the business units together, to Simon, who agrees to the plans on the nod – the very plans which he had refused to consider when Shula had put them to him. Shula is very angry.
Graham has a talk to David about the Estate, and starts by asking how David will reorganise things when Grange Farm land returns to the Estate. David is shocked.
Mrs Baraclough’s probate is almost finished, and Richard is expecting a cheque for GBP10,000, half of which he wants to put to a deposit for a new surgery, and half to a cancer charity.
Shula is disturbed to find that she is, for the first time, looking forward to finishing working for the Estate.

Summarised by: Chris Harrison