Jill and Heather are at cross purposes and Jill is unusually prickly.

Radio Times: Chaba has a date.

Characters: Brian, Chaba, Debbie, Heather, Jennifer, Jill, Ruth

• Ruth was pleased with the way last night’s meeting went; her group plan to buy into a processing plant as many farmers in Europe do. Chaba is just praising Heather’s soup when she appears to tell him of a phone call for him. Heather had a great time at the concert last night, Phil was such a gentleman and she really enjoyed it; it was a pity Jill was babysitting. Heather is off to Borchester to the sales but will pick up the children on the way home.
• Alice has not brought her uniform down to be washed so Jennifer goes up to retrieve it and finds something she did not expect – you stupid child.
• Jill has left her flower-arranging in the church to collect the children and is more than a little annoyed to find that it was not necessary. Apparently Phil forgot to pass on Heather’s message.
• Jennifer is hopping mad, she could slap Alice; Alice is sobbing her heart out. She is grounded: there will be no party for her tonight. What brought all this on? Alice has had her belly button pierced. Debbie tries to smooth things over with tales of her own under-age drinking and urges Jennifer not to be too hard on Alice.
• Chaba has another phone call and Ruth is feeling like his social secretary; maybe he needs a mobile. It was Kirsty and he is keen to ring her back straight away; they are going to a concert at the University this evening. Jill turns up, still prickly, and begs a word with Ruth. So that she and Heather know where they stand and do not tread on each others toes, perhaps Ruth could organise a rota – nothing formal of course. That’s all she wanted to say.
• When Brian comes in for supper, matters have still not been resolved; Jennifer is still cross, muttering about Alice mutilating her body and looking like a little tart, and Alice is still crying. Brian offers to talk to her but Jennifer decides she will go up herself and make it up.