Jim teases Susan about her Lent challenge – and gets one himself.

Radio Times: Alan throws down the gauntlet, and Brian fishes for information.

Characters: Adam, Alan, Brian, Clarrie, Helen, Jim, Susan

• Clarrie’s visit to the shop is somewhat barren, since all the things she and Susan want to talk about are ‘gossip’ and therefore off limits. Jim has no such reservations and delivers a report on yesterday’s demonstration and Brian’s rather unwise intervention; they don’t want to hear this.
• Today Brian has a more pleasant task – helping Helen with the veg boxes; Helen steers the conversation away from Kirsty’s involvement in the demonstration. Helen usually puts recipes in the veg boxes at this time of year but really hasn’t the time. Jenny has time and is keen to help so Brian volunteers her services.
• Susan admits to Alan that the abstinence from gossip is proving harder than she and Clarrie thought, not helped by Jim leading them astray.
• Brian finds Adam repairing tables for the strawberries; he already knew about the demonstration from the website. Brian was impressed with their leaflet; it contained some serious propaganda which BL could do without. Adam suggests that Brian checks out the demonstrators’ website for himself.
• When he catches up with Jim, doing some peregrine-spotting at the church, Alan takes him to task for teasing Susan and Clarrie about their Lent challenge. Susan is quite upset about it. Alan suggests that for Jim, instead of giving something up, he should take something on – like paying someone a compliment every day. Of course if he has less willpower than Susan… That does it! Jim accepts the challenge.
• Brian has looked at the website and now knows that there is another demonstration planned for tomorrow. Adam warns him that there is a lot of opposition to the scheme and he must expect more protests. Good luck!