Caroline has a visitor about fostering; Matt lays down the law about getting a new Head Keeper.

Radio Times: The pressure is on for Brian.

Characters: Brian, Bridget, Caroline, Clarrie, Ed, Lilian, Matt, Shula

• It’s the day of the Puppy Show, but Caroline has other matters on her mind, namely a visit from the social worker, Bridget, who wants to observe Caroline and Oliver interacting with young people. When Ed appears, Caroline is clearly on edge, until Ed puts his foot in nicely, commenting that she wasn’t so nice to him when he got mud all over the floor last week. He thinks Bridget is there to keep tabs on him.
• Lilian has a surprise in store for Matt, though he has other ideas about how they might spend the afternoon. Dressed in a very showy new outfit, she takes Matt along to the Puppy Show, much to Brian’s horror. Matt is delighted – another chance to scale the Borsetshire social ladder. Lilian is less than delighted when one of the hound puppies mistakes her for a lamp-post.
• Bridget has also wangled an invitation to the Puppy Show, and when she sees a much more relaxed Caroline having a laugh with Ed, she says that can count as the home study. Caroline is greatly relieved.
• Brian has another spat with Matt, this time over the Head Keeper’s job. Their preferred applicant has turned them down. Matt says it’s because they have a bad reputation following Greg’s death, and he implies that it’s all Brian’s fault. Brian, he says, has just got to get the problem sorted.