Toby slams the door firmly shut; the PCC meeting looms.

Radio Times: Pip receives a surprise visitor and Pat has lots of questions

Characters: Helen, Johnny, Pat, Pip, Rex, Toby

• Pat agrees to babysit to allow Helen offer support to Kirsty at the forthcoming PCC meeting. Kirsty reckons that there’s much less interest locally in the pig unit than there was in the dairy. Pat can’t see what use speaking at the meeting will be as there isn’t even a planning application. As Helen begins to give her reasons for public support, Johnny breezes in on the way to the Young Farmers meeting. He agrees to Helen’s plea for help on Open Farm Sunday, providing that Jazzer can be paid to help if Tom isn’t around. He’s also miffed about Tony lending Brookfield his Fordson for Josh’s display when it could have been a centrepiece at Bridge Farm.
• At The Bull, Pip tells Rex about her sumptuous lifestyle at Lower Loxley, though she feels that the gingerbread could loose its gilt over time. Commenting that her long-term future is at Brookfield, he’s surprised to hear that she’s not so sure. As Johnny joins them, Pip nips off to see Todd about arranging some contract milking. Rex listens to Johnny’s glee about having managed to persuade Amber to go to the festival with him. He’s glad to hear that Johnny’s love life is doing so well, even though his own with Anisha isn’t going so well.
• Pip is enjoying herself with her friends and heads off to the bar for more drinks. She’s accosted by a very moody Toby who can’t see why he can’t join her during his break. He insists that he would be an asset to the conversation. Pip loses her patience and gives him an unmistakable “no”. As she heads to the bar she meets Rex and explains how Toby has tried to muscle in on her group. She reckons that an amicable break-up while remaining mates is not going to work with Toby. He can’t just barge in at will.
• Rex finds Toby sulking outside. Toby just can’t see why Pip would ignore him. Rex explains that she is a free agent, out with her friends. Poor old Toby hopes that despite everything, there may be a chance of reconciliation, even though he knows deep down that it won’t happen. Seeing her with others hurts so much; he’s never felt this way before. All Rex can do is offer fraternal sympathy, and then some more
• At Bridge Farm, Pat begins to backtrack on her offer to Helen of babysitting. Apparently, she’s offered to take Peggy to the hairdresser and may not be home in time. Anyway, she has the impression that Helen’s presence isn’t essential, it’s not as though she’s making a speech. Couldn’t someone else offer support? Helen insists that she wants to back her friend, even if only by being a silent presence. It becomes clear that Pat doesn’t want Helen to stand up in the firing line, she feels protective, given everything that’s happened. However, Helen manages to convince her that she can look after herself.
• It’s the dead of night, the owls are hooting and at Lower Loxley Pip has opened the door to a distraught Toby. He can’t sleep and has had to make the journey to tell her that they can no longer be friends and that he can’t keep seeing her. It’s agony for him especially as she dumped him. Every time the phone rings, he hopes that it’s her. He’s made the decision to block her number and remove her from his social media list. She insists that she doesn’t want to lose his friendship but it’s no good. He ends the conversation by telling her once and for all, to get out of his life and to leave him alone.