Eddie saves the day for Linda. David and Debbie have power thrust upon them.

Radio Times: Eddie seizes the main chance.

Characters: David, Debbie, Eddie, Joe, Linda, Neil, Ruth

• Joe needs Eddie to take him to Borchester but Linda arrives in a panic. A tree has fallen on her drive and Robert cannot get the car out to go to an important meeting. She needs Eddie’s help urgently. Eddie reminds her that he is due to start the patio job for her friend. Linda has already impressed on him the need for punctuality and has warned Maddie that he is not reliable in the matter of time keeping. Joe comments ‘How our words come back to haunt us!’. Linda is desperate. Eddie goes into negotiation mode and offers to do the job for £50 (and he keeps the logs) which includes the damage to his professional reputation as he will be late getting to Mrs Watkin to start the work. He wants the money to go towards a car for William’s 18th birthday. He rings Neil on Ed’s mobile to tell him he may be late. Neil is about to leave, and there is a comedy routine as Eddie lengthens the time that Neil will be on his own. Joe comes back, having collected the chain saw, and asks ‘Did you tell Neil about the dog?’
• David and Ruth call on Debbie, to take her to the Hasset Hills meeting. She complains that she and Brian are still at odds over the farm finances. Ruth is in raptures over the new baby and David is still teasing her about her high speed driving of Jennie to the hospital. The two girls are evidently struck by Lucas.
• Neil rings Eddie. He has found the house but there is a warning notice ‘I AM ON PATROL’ and a photograph of a very large dog. It is howling inside. Eddie says that means it has its muzzle on. He promises that the dog will not cause Neil any trouble. We hear barking and snarling as Neil goes through the gate….
• Eddie and Joe finish clearing the tree. Joe still wants to go to the sales in Borchester and Eddie ‘may have a look ‘ at a second hand car he has seen advertised. Linda has rung Maddie and told her that Eddie will be delayed. She offers a cheque, but he wants cash. She tells Eddie that she will pay him later. Maddie has rung to tell Linda that Neil had flown out of the gate when ‘Hansi’ – the Rhodesian Ridgeback – appeared. Neil refused to go back in until Hansi had been tied up. Linda says that Hansi is no trouble – it’s the Yorkies you have got to watch at Maddie’s house!
• David, Ruth and Debbie are having a drink after the meeting. Debbie has been elected Chair of the group, and David Vice-chair. She didn’t see the appointment coming. They want to appoint Usha’s firm, Jefferson Crabtree, as the business’s solicitors. Some serious decisions were made at the meeting intending to set things up in a proper fashion; processing, packing, marketing etc. The topic switches to the Herefords. David and Ruth are off on more visits next week. Debbie is worried about Brian. He doesn’t seem bothered any more. There is no fight in him. If this change in him is permanent, what does it mean for her? Ruth points out that, in addition to Brookfield, there are three other farms in Hasset Hills with arable crops. Debbie could negotiate with the others for harvest contacts. If she won some orders, it might persuade Brian to change his mind.