Jim’s being nice campaign backfires as Vicky wonders why he was being nice to her.

Radio Times: Jim gets into his stride, and Emma has childcare problems.

Characters: Brian, Emma, Jennifer, Jim, Neil, Susan, Vicky

• Emma is still finding childcare a problem. Tracy won’t help and she will need help herself if she gets a job. And no childminders are interested. She is running out of options. Later on Emma pops back to find a cup Keira is missing and Neil points out how demanding Keira is. Susan then proceeds to gossip about Hilary Noakes’s parrot but she claims it is a point of information and not gossip.
• Jennifer has sorted out the veg box recipes. But Brian is more interested in the huge number of people who have signed up to Pat’s petition. Funny old world that they are helping Pat and Tony out and yet the protest goes on unquestioned. The PR firm are doing the best the can but will it be enough. But Brian is determined to see the dairy through if it’s the last thing he does. Prophetic stuff maybe.
• Susan is looking forward to Mother’s day though it might be Emma that does better from it. Keira is such a bright child…. Meanwhile Jim comes into the shop and tries his being nice to Vicky and Susan – commenting on their clothes and Vicky’s weight. They are rather startled.
• Later Jennifer finds Brian scrabbling around under a tractor and keeps trying to calm him down. But even Lord Aylebury has fallen for the anti protest. Brian thinks it’s funny when he realises that she thinks he is going to have a heart attack too and suddenly realises why he has been served mackerel and lentils. Brian says she isn’t getting rid of him just yet….
• Vicky pops round to see Susan and Neil accuses them of being about to be gossiping. But it turns out that Vicky thinks Jim was accusing her of being fat before. She asks Neil what she thinks Jim meant but he won’t be drawn. Susan tries to convince her it was a compliment but Vicky isn’t convinced.