Eddie is not in party mood as Usha tells him how much trouble he is in.

Radio Times: Eddie gets some bad news.

Characters: David, Eddie, Joe, Lilian, Mike, Neil, Usha

• It’s party night and Joe and Eddie are ready to set off for the barn but Eddie is very anxious that Usha comes and is worried that he cannot get a response from her mobile.
• In fact Usha is taking David as an escort since neither Ashok or Ruth can come.
• Mike is taken aback by the price of the burgers even though the cider is free. Lilian has brought Matt but David is not delighted to run into him; he thinks it is a great laugh that Woodbine Cottage has not sold. He has already been sniffing around Neil and Susan’s, telling them the price is too high.
• Since Clarrie is working in The Bull, Lilian is up for a bit of fun with Eddie but he is rather preoccupied. David, as guest of honour, gets free burgers much to Mike’s irritation. Finally Eddie manages a quiet word with Usha, seeking a bit of legal advice ‘for a friend’. When he has explained his friend’s problem, unwittingly selling condemned meat, Usha advises getting a good lawyer: endangering public health is not taken lightly so his ‘friend’ is in big trouble.
• Joe makes a speech thanking David and has a special mention for Lynda Snell, who cannot be there but who has sent a letter wishing that “this ramshackled excuse for a glorified shed is all that he dreamed it would be”. It is. Joe cannot understand why Eddie is so subdued. It’s their big night. They have finally turned the corner and things can only get better. Eddie cannot quite share the sentiment as he sees things getting a whole lot worse.