Bruno’s prison visit is an unqualified disaster.

Radio Times: Oliver gets a reality check.

Characters: Bruno, Caroline, Christine, David, Oliver

• Bruno has come home early from school because today he and Oliver are going on the prison visit.
• David has brought a load of logs for Christine – probably outside the terms of her tenancy agreement. When she points out the sticking gate, landlord David promises to come back later and fix it. Maybe he will not be her landlord much longer: she would like to buy Woodbine Cottage.
• The prison is not what Oliver expected, although he didn’t really know what to expect. It’s very hot but Bruno has cold feet about the visit; Oliver persuades him to go through with it because his dad would be disappointed. Bruno doesn’t have anything to say to his father; he wouldn’t be interested in any of the topics Oliver suggests.
• The gate was easy to fix; Christine reflects that she met George through him doing odd jobs for her. David suggests that she comes to Brookfield for supper next week; Heather will be visiting and she understands what Chris is going through. However, for now they have important business to discuss: he and Ruth would love her to have Woodbine.
• Bruno comes in with scarcely a word and no appetite. No need to ask how the visit went. Oliver concludes that it was a bad idea from start to finish. He should not have pushed Bruno into it. It was an awful place and Snatch just ranted about the Grundys. Bruno knew what to expect and they should have taken more notice of him. They might only have him here for a few months, so they must stick with him and show him that there is an alternative. They are all he has got.