Caroline is surprised on her birthday – a few times!

Radio Times: Eddie is on to a winner.

Characters: Caroline, Ed, Eddie, Fallon, Joe, Oliver, Susan

• The Grundys and Fallon are getting ready for the big ferret race at Penny Hassett Spring Fair, but it looks as if Jazzer has let them down – he’s nowhere to be found and not answering his mobile. Ed looks for Mike Tucker as a possible to give them a hand but finds Neil and Christopher Carter in the process – Christopher’s willing, but has to ask his Mum first.
• Oliver and Caroline have finished a delicious lunch at a newly discovered little restaurant which is rather handy for the next part of his surprise for her birthday. She starts to guess where they are going but the conversation turns to how Caroline spent the morning – so she tries to elicit a response from Oliver about the change in her appearance. He wrongly identifies her blouse as previously unseen, correctly stabs at the earrings (a gift from Shula), covers his confusion with a shower of compliments but still doesn’t manage to recognise the new hair-do! Caroline forgives him as long as he will tell her where they are going – and then sounds momentarily disappointed when he announces the ferret racing at Penny Hassett!! Fun – or what?!
• Susan is kindly giving an appreciative Joe a ‘decent’ ride to the fair in her car. Their conversation includes Bert’s shingles, how Neil, currently helping out at Brookfield, won’t be able to long-term because of his own work, Joe’s hand-milking techniques and the wonders of Baby Spice’s milk that Lynda Snell raves about – though Susan wouldn’t touch it personally. “Is it safe though? I wouldn’t risk it”, she declares. Joe reckons Susan will really have a good time once the ferrets start racing but she’s adamant she’s only going to drop Christopher off, then walk round the other stalls. She certainly won’t be interested in ferrets.
• The excitement has obviously changed Susan’s mind, especially when the ferret she has backed, wins! Oliver is not sure whether Caroline is enjoying it, though Susan tries to put his mind at rest by suggesting she is stuck in the queue for the ‘Ladies’. Eddie and Joe are delighted with the success of their stall – as demonstrated by the other stall-holders asking them to stop the racing for an hour so that folks can have a chance to look at their stalls! Eddie reckons he’s on to a winner and Joe agrees with him that they should book into all the local fairs and fetes in the county this summer. Fallon is anxious that time is running out for their rehearsal but apparently Jazzer is staying put today for a ‘delivery’. He will however come over tomorrow to rehearse and bring the stuff he promised.
• Caroline and Oliver are relaxing at home after his novel birthday treat – he still seems blissfully unaware that she has changed her hair especially for the occasion. Oliver refuses to let Caroline run her fingers through his hair because of the hair spray which is helping to hide his bald patch; each starts reassuring the other that neither is ageing half as much as imagined. Caroline suggests all Oliver needs is a new hair cut – “You’d be amazed at the difference it makes”, she assures him, adding wryly, “Well – usually!”