Lilian won’t play ball over the ransom strip and Helen is persuaded to think about trying cheese-making again.

Radio Times: Helen is cheesed off.

Characters: Brian, Greg, Helen, Janet, Jennifer, Lilian, Tim

• Janet is back from retreat much refreshed and ready for a good sort out. Tim tells her he feels like the village pariah – even Susan is giving him the cold shoulder, but Janet says that she finds most people being sympathetic towards him. She has been told by the Bishop of a job in Plymouth – but Tim, who expresses a liking for Devon shouldn’t, she says, start counting chickens yet.
• Helen is anti all the rest of her family because they won’t take seriously her determination not to try cheese-making again. She and Greg have one of their typically grumpy and confrontational dialogues before he decides to take her out for lunch.
• Brian has phoned Lilian for her decision on the ransom strip. She’s not going to accept his cash offer because Matt has revised his plans and, it would appear, has made her a better offer, which also allows her to keep the strip. Jenny calls Lilian horribly selfish, congratulates Brian for his efforts and typically proceeds to drip honeyed condolence and chicken sandwiches all over him.
• Lunch at The Bull is poor – Freda is still off ministering to Bert. So Greg spends a boring five minutes persuading Helen to take some good advice about cheese-making from Ann Baxter. She agrees to call her.
• Jenny and Brian catch Janet after the Ascension Day service. She wants to look up a couple of birth dates in the church records. Tim appears and Jenny suggests Brian chat with him while she goes back in with Janet – Brian, much to Jenny’s surprise, declares an interest in sharing her quest. Tim says he will see Janet tomorrow, and Jenny says how much they are all going to miss him.
• Another exciting day in Ambridge over, thank goodness!