Eddie finally agrees on a date with Lynda and Sid’s mulling over the letter from Kathy’s solicitor

Radio Times: Freda shows her feelings.

Characters: David, Eddie, Jolene, Lynda, Ruth, Sid

• Eddie’s working on his tractor when Lynda catches up with him over the work he’s not doing on her patio, her chi is still out of alignment. He promises her a definite date by the end of the day. Clarrie has a go at him over it, suggesting that Lynda will pay now rather than spending time and money on the tractor that is purely speculative. And she wants him to help Joe blow up balloons ahead of tomorrow’s party. (He eventually promises to Lynda that he, and Neil, will be around on Tuesday.)
• Another birthday looms – David’s – and the kids are looking forward to it. They’re going to give him a cake and fizzy drink filled tea (the adult drinks will be tomorrow) and Jill babysits so he and Ruth can enjoy a drink in the Bull. He wants Ruth to promise to not spare his feelings while she’s away – he wants to know her news, warts and all. When he suggests that a 41st birthday isn’t important, Ruth underlines that it is to her, all birthdays are special.
• In the pub both Freda and Lynda let Jolene know what they think of her, and Sid’s received the letter from Kathy and his mind is stuck on it, he can see the spite through it. He’s not just amazed at Kathy refusing his offer of splitting her costs – the amount claimed for Jamie’s maintainance is higher than that which all three of them used to get by on! He’s worried that she might be asking so much that the pub – and thus his livelihood – is under threat. Hell hath no fury …