Gloom and Doom – but some conflicts resolved

Radio Times: Neil and Betty go house hunting.

Characters: Betty, David, Lizzie, Neil, Roy, Ruth, Siobhán

• Ruth and David are discussing the current crisis as she feeds the calves, once she’s done that it’ll be off to put down fresh straw and disinfectant at the farm gates……an immediate reminder of the fear that grips the farming community. No walking, no hunting, no markets – to David it seems as if the whole countryside is closing down
• Siohbhán and Lizzie are discussing the school at Lower Loxley and the possibility of sending Lily and Freddy there – it’s a good school with manageable class sizes. Siobhán doesn’t know if her marriage will last long enough to have children to send there. The conversation turns to the state of the marriage – Tim has apologised and they are being polite to each other. Now it’s down to her to learn to trust him again.
• Making a school protest poster, Ruth is interrupted by David who also wants to use the PC to make a leaflet promoting Hasset Hills lamb. He loses the tussle and is en route for the kitchen to make supper when he turns the calendar to March – forsaking Jean-Paul and his french stick for Eddie and his oilcan! He is not cheered by this.
• Neil and Betty are poring over adverts for hen houses, the riveting merits of fixed polycarbonate windows are debated! Roy comes in to pick up a foodie magazine as Hayley isn’t too impressed by the Bull’s menus and wants to give Jolene some more exotic ideas. They can afford to splash out on the receptionnow that Hayley doesn’t want a honeymoon. She wants to settle into family life, just the three of them………
• At Lower Loxley Ruth and Lizzie are mulling over past differences and present difficulties. Lizzie admires the way that Ruth has coped over the last year. Ruth feels that her cancer has helped her prioritise, she can now face whatever life throws at her, even Foot and Mouth