David has to face change. Peggy reflects on change.

Radio Times: The Fairbrothers have a proposal, and David may be having doubts.

Characters: Christine, David, Peggy, Rex, Ruth, Toby

• As Peggy and Christine put the Christmas decorations away, Peggy muses on Phoebe’s offer from Oxford and her own father’s refusal to let her take up a grammar school place. How things have changed. Tomorrow they are having a family meal to celebrate Phoebe’s news and Jennifer’s birthday. Meanwhile the two women wrangle over the date of Twelfth Night and whether they have missed Jamie’s Christmas tree collection. Christine reads the Echo review of Calendar Girls aloud. It praises Jean Harvey but fails to mention any Archer women. Oh dear.
• As Rex and Toby head for Brookfield, where Toby intends to wow them with his business presentation, Rex urges caution with both David and Ruth and other road users. Toby goes on and on in management speak, while Rex endeavours to shut him up. Ruth interjects with the odd sarcastic comment, feeling somewhat sidelined by Toby, who addresses every remark to David. It appears that Toby thinks they can stay at Hollowtree permanently, but Ruth puts them right. David remains silent for the most part. The brothers leave Ruth and David to consider their offer, Ruth makes it clear that two years would be the most she would offer them. As the Fairbrothers eventually head home, they stop to help Chris and Peggy move their Christmas tree but decline the offer of tea, having had coffee which the sidelined Ruth said was made by David.
• Moodily, David attempts to use the yard brush. Ruth urges him to say what is on his mind. He still hasn’t organised the TB tests. David retorts that the big change is going to happen whatever he says. Ruth insists that he must be happy with the new scheme or it will not work. She knows they are making a loss on milk and she wants a better life for them and the cows (which will, apparently, be the result of selling the said cows.) But if David doesn’t want to change, it will not happen. They are a partnership, after all.