Joe gatecrashes the book club.

Radio Times: Jim has some exciting news, and unexpected visitors turn up at the Ambridge book club.

Characters: Caroline, Christine, Elizabeth, Jim, Joe, Lily, Usha

• How exciting! Gardeners’ Question Time is looking for a venue and has enquired about Ambridge. Christine will hold the date free and Jim will get back to them.
• Visiting Lower Loxley, Caroline is told what she already knows – that Roy is a treasure and so calm. One of the repercussions of his secondment is that Lynda has to work this evening and so cannot attend the first meeting of the book club. Caroline defers any discussion of money; it depends how long Roy stays. Lily reappears, unable to sleep; may she sleep in mum’s bed tonight?
• Jim has brought a bottle, Caroline some canapés – but there are uninvited book club guests too – Joe has brought an appetite for nibbles and Nathan Booth has brought a desire to spend an evening in the company of Sabrina Thwaite; he is going to be disappointed. Of course, Joe hadn’t bothered to read the book and, though he had a lot to say, it was off-topic. He thinks tonight’s book sounded good though, and he might see if the mobile library have a talking version of it.
• Usha is disillusioned but Jim reassures her that the evening was a success. He will choose the next book from one of the many classics that are close to his heart.