It’s not Joe’s show! At last Tony thinks positively about his potatoes!!

Radio Times: Joe’s got high hopes.

Characters: Bert, Ed, Jennifer, Jill, Joe, Oliver, Pat, Tony

• The Ambridge stalwarts are waiting patiently outside the village hall anticipating the results of the judging in the Flower and Produce show. Jill is light-hearted, Joe is anxious about his parsnips, Pat is having second thoughts and Bert is looking for Freda who hasn’t been let off her cleaning duties. Chaba wouldn’t come – he seems to have lost his earlier enthusiasm, says Bert, and doesn’t know why. Could it be something to do with Usha turning him down yesterday?
• At Grange Farm, Oliver is expecting a delivery of ten Simmental crosses all in calf. Ed is discussing plans for Sunday’s birthday bash. Oliver doesn’t quite appreciate Ed’s description of their latest retro compositions – learning one new foreign language at the moment is enough for him!
• Joe is gracious in defeat – Bert won 1st for marrows and parsnips. Joe’s didn’t even get a mention, but where are the beetroots?
• Tony and Jill are looking at the Jubilee photos. he quizzes her about the rumours of Kenton’s latest venture but she is unable to enlighten him. Tony thinks he has the right idea – trying to go it alone. Jennifer hails them to look at something.
• Bert has pipped Joe again – 1st for beetroots! At least this time Joe has 3rd prize – and he is still confident that his roses will do well …
• Ed is impressed with the new heifers, and even more so when Oliver discloses that he and Caroline would like to make him a birthday gift of one of the calves when it is born. He will have to take full responsibility for it but it can run with the herd and they will pay for feed and veterinary costs until he has built up some capital of his own. Ed will also have to work more hours in return – no problem – much better than bagging compost. He is over the moon with the whole idea and can’t wait to tell his mates – and doesn’t care if they might think it a strange kind of present!
• Jennifer, Jill and Tony are admiring the wild flower photos. Usha just happens to have won with her photo of Lady’s Bedstraw. Right up Linda’s street as that’s what she wants for the county flower – one of her more harmless campaigns, they all agree!! Pat’s cake got nowhere, and much to Tony’s chagrin won’t even get home – all the entries are to be auctioned for charity.
• Poor old Joe – not his day at all. Phil has won 1st for his roses, pushing Joe into 2nd place. Not fair, he reckons – Phil is retired after all and has nothing to do all day except tend his roses. Not like Joe, who’s never worked so hard in his life! He knew that Ted Hargreaves would be no good at judging! Bert reckons Joe is being a poor loser – after all, he and Freda have done very well …
• Tony is deep in mental calculation, even before he’s had a cup of tea – if he takes the grade-out potatoes back from the cooperative, they could bag them, sell them and 160 bags would make them a profit. Pat agrees he should go for it. Tony has certainly taken David’s words on board – he’s not going to lie down and let the supermarkets walk all over him!