Jim arrives in Ambridge and immediately imposes himself on Shula’s hospitality.

Radio Times: Ambridge gets a new resident.

Characters: Alistair, Brian, Elizabeth, Jim, Matt, Shula

• Elizabeth calls on her sister to wish her luck: today is that day her father-in-law arrives. Shula plans to keep extra busy over the coming weeks, not that it will take much effort to achieve that.
• Late as they are, Jim insists that Alistair stops at the village shop so that he can buy flowers for Shula. Alistair thinks that Shula, left in charge of the unpacking, would have preferred an earlier arrival.
• Brian calls on Matt and initially gets the cold shoulder, but then Matt realises that he is being rude and asks Brian in. The place is in a bit of a mess. When Brian steers the conversation to Matt’s relationship with Lilian, he is told very firmly that it is none of his business.
• Shula has done her best, in the absence of labels on boxes. Needless to say she hasn’t got it all right. The desk, for example is not meant to go in Jim’s study upstairs but rather in the living room; it must be moved down again!
• The pause at the village shop allowed Jim to get a full update from Susan on village gossip. Thoughtfully Shula has stocked his fridge to allow Jim to have a quiet evening to get over the journey; not a bit of it – he invites himself to The Stables. This looks like an early sign of things to come.