Eddie’s propaganda campaign is working as Neil takes him up on a bet for the model car race.

Radio Times: Helen doesn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition.

Characters: Betty, Eddie, Helen, Jennifer, Neil, Pat, Tony

• Pat and Tony are worried about Helen; she is up early, going out without breakfast and doesn’t seem quite with it. She has not left Tony a list of vegetables needed for the shop, so she will have to ring later. They feel they cannot take much more of the silent treatment. Working with Tom yesterday, he said she only opened her mouth to bite his head off.
• At Willow Farm, Eddie learns that Neil and Betty are having team colours made up to support Christopher’s entry in the model car race, although he is not at all keen on having the car christened “Egg-mobile”. Eddie bemoans the reliability of Death Wish; it keeps breaking down, which must make it a good car to bet against. He really came to talk to Neil about using his Dutch Barn to rear turkeys. Neil can think of lots of reasons why not.
• Helen is having a “really miss you” phone call when Pat arrives at the veg. shop and she hurriedly rings off. Pat tries to get to the bottom of what is troubling her but Helen insists that all is well; there is nothing she wants to share with her mother so would she please “butt out”.
• In the village shop, Jennifer is pleased to report that Alice has a colourful bruise but is otherwise well. Simon has persuaded her to practise with the model car and give Chandler a rest. Jennifer is not so pleased when she lets it slip to Pat about Lilian’s face-lift.
• At The Bull, Tony persuades Neil to do some hoeing and weeding for him next week. Eddie quizzes him about the course for the race: how tight is the chicane and is the pit lane narrow because their car is rather wide. Eddie seems to have done enough to talk down his own car because when he suggests a £5 bet, Death Wish against whatever Neil’s car is called, Neil raised the stakes to a tenner.