Alan has a hard time at the PCC.

Radio Times: Good news for Emma.

Characters: Alan, Alistair, Bert, Christine, Emma, Neil, Shula, Susan

• The financial crisis in the Hebden household seems to be gaining momentum. Shula can’t find the bank statement she left on the table, and she needs to check that they have funds following her embarrassing incident when their credit card was rejected. Airily Alistair tells her he must have binned it by mistake; never mind, he’ll drop the cheque for Daniel’s school trip in to the school – there’s no problem.
• As Neil and Susan sort out the paperwork for their planning application, Susan has regained her earlier enthusiasm for the project. As Neil tells Emma, that’s what he loves about Susan – she has dreams, and she adds sparkle to his life. Emma’s got reason to sparkle, too; Elizabeth has said they can have a room at Lower Loxley for their reception, as long as it’s on a Friday and Emma arranges the catering herself. So all she has to do is ask Alan to bring the wedding forward one day.
• Weddings are not uppermost in Alan’s mind at present. He puts his ideas for a homeless hostel before the Ambridge PCC, and gets a very negative response indeed. Christine manages to sound like a clone of Peggy, full of righteous indignation. Susan is convinced it will only lead to drug dealers flooding Ambridge. Bert adopts the Nimby approach. So it’s left to Shula to pour what oil she can on troubled waters, and suggest they leave the discussion to next time. Afterwards she is left to cheer a very depressed Alan up. He thinks he’s been a fool – but he knows he’s got to take the project on.