It was all too much for Molly: she died in the night. Susan faces reality over Emma’s weekend plans.

Radio Times: Phil has some sad news.

Characters: Emma, Hayley, Jill, Neil, Phil, Ruth, Susan

• Hayley and Emma are exchanging notes about their costumes for the Lower Loxley tercentenary, also about the characters. Kenton keeps inviting Emma to accompany him to the top of the folly. That would be folly indeed.
• Hankies ready folks! At Brookfield, preparations for the Village Show are interrupted by some sad news from Phil: he has discovered that Molly died peacefully during the night. Yesterday’s events must have been too much for her but she was old. Whatever is grandad going to tell Pip? Neil is on hand and understands these things; he volunteers to bury her at lunchtime. With Pip’s interest in pigs, maybe Molly will not be the last pig to grace the Brookfiled orchard.
• In the Carter household, hostilities are still in progress. Neil is less than pleased by Emma’s parting shot that she has invited William to her birthday tea; it was supposed to be a family occasion. She is still set on going away at the weekend and Neil is still set on not funding it. Susan has decided that they will have to grin and bear it; she is not having the birthday spoilt and that means that Neil will have to make William welcome at the tea. On a different subject, Neil has agreed to let Eddie keep his digger at Willow Farm although Susan is predictably underwhelmed by the prospect of £10 a week rent.
• Mrs Archer calls (that’s Jill in other circles) with some chocolates, partly as a thankyou to Neil for his undertaking services and partly because she has a bit of a conscience about making a fuss over the surgery closure on Friday and maybe adding to Susan’s stress. After Neil has gone out, Jill confides that she cannot really understand Neil’s objection to William; actually she thinks that William reminds her of Neil. Susan agrees, although she will not be sharing that observation with Neil in the foreseeable future. Susan just wants all Emma’s memories of her 18^th birthday to be happy ones.