Christmas look brighter for the Grundys. George will be with Will on Christmas morning.

Radio Times: Will revels in a triumph.

Characters: Clarrie, David, Ed, Eddie, Emma, William

• Eddie has put aside mistletoe and a turkey for David but that’s not what he is after: he needs an old record turntable for Lynda’s revolving snowman.
• Ed is hard at work on Oliver’s gate but not too busy for a visit from Emma and George. Emma is not looking forward to Christmas. Ed persuades her that it would be best to let William have George this year as he wants; George is too young to understand anyway – next year will mean more to him and be more fun for them.
• David wishes the Grundys a good Christmas but Clarrie fears there is little chance of that. She explains to Eddie about the Bridge Farm veg. and produce box and capitalises on the fact that Tom’s sausages are included: some fathers know better than to bear a grudge against their son!
• Will hands over George’s maintenance money in cash but Emma would prefer a method that is more predictable; she will open an account in George’s name in the new year. She tells Will that he can have George overnight on Saturday as usual – until after lunch on Christmas Day. Ed returns and, when they are alone, assures her that she has done the right thing. To cheer her up he has brought a small Christmas tree and a few decorations.
• With the family troubles and Betty’s death, Clarrie has not felt like decorating the house. They will go with William to see Joe in the Christmas Show on Saturday – he is upstairs rehearsing now – but how she wishes that the whole family were going together. When Will brings his news, Christmas already looks a whole lot brighter and Eddie is dispatched to the loft to bring down the decorations.