A culinary triumph for Usha, a decorating disaster for David and Ruth and trouble ahead for Alistair?

Radio Times: Alistair can’t resist temptation.

Characters: Alan, Alistair, David, Ruth, Shula, Usha

• It’s a hive of activity: Usha is preparing to cook a meal for Alan, and Ruth and David are about to embark on the final phase of their decorating.
• Alan has found a good site on Lakey Hill for a soap box derby but Alistair injects a note of realism – or gloom, depending on your point of view. Shula and Alistair have many such differences these days. Alistair will not be going to the Candlemas service, pleading a mountain of paperwork.
• At Brookfield things are not going well. What is vertical and true to David is ‘wonky’ to Ruth, for whom the final straw is putting her foot in the paste bucket.
• Wow! Amazing! From which you may deduce that Alan is impressed with Usha’s yellow dish, even though she admits to having used Ruth’s food colouring. They talk about Usha’s relationship with her parents and about her reluctance to visit them; it might be easier if Alan goes too – which he would be pleased to do.
• At The Stables things are not going well. Alistair feels he can say nothing right and decides to head for The Bull. David and Ruth are there already and offer him a drink; however he suddenly decides he has things to do. A call to Matt reveals that poker is on his mind. Alistair has given in to temptation.