Emma makes a bit of a breakthrough with Oliver at the picnic. Susan is confident she’ll win Tom’s kefir recipe challenge with Clarrie.

Radio Times: Oliver is unable to say no

Characters: Clarrie, Ed, Emma, Keira, Oliver, Peggy, Susan

• Susan is continuing her obsession with fermented foods, seeing herself as a future manager. Tom has sent her and Clarrie a challenge to come up with the best recipe which he will judge on Thursday. Susan is convinced it is in the bag. Oliver isn’t really paying any attention. Once again she makes poorly supressed comments suggesting that Oliver is short of money. He finally gets fed up with her and reacts to her “misplaced concerns” and says the reason he is shopping is because he can no longer go to the Grundy picnic.
• Ed drops in some information to Peggy about the WI and finds out that she has broken her trowel – she must have been giving it some welly. Ed explains to her that George can’t go to the picnic now but she says she thinks that inviting Oliver is a very nice gesture. She’d also heard the rumours that Oliver was selling up.
• Oliver drops in the treats for the picnic and Keira is so pleased to see him that in the end Oiiver can’t say no. Once he gets there he finds he is enjoying it. Oliver and Emma have a heart to heart while Ed plays with Keira. It’s the first day he can remember laughing since Caroline died. Emma doesn’t know how she would cope. Being on his own is hard. He can’t seem to make any decisions. He must have caused them so many problems over Grange Farm. Emma says they understand. She misses Caroline too. She was always so kind to them. Though she admits she was a bit afraid of her when she was growing up. But once she got to know her, she knew Caroline would never look down on her and Ed the way others do. Oliver gets quite emotional but Emma says that after all Oliver has done for them, they are family and family cares for each other and she gives Oliver a hug.
• Clarrie pops round with a spare trowel for Peggy and Hilda makes it clear she isn’t welcome. Clarrie tries to escape but Peggy forces a cup of tea on her before the cat escapes. It has been a terrible year for weeds.