Mike’s exploration of Lonely Hearts is a resounding failure.

Radio Times: Hayley gets Mike back in the saddle.

Characters: Brenda, Clarrie, Eddie, Marion, Mike, Tom

• Brenda is worried that her dad is not returning her calls. When she calls at Willow Farm to check on him, Hayley reveals all: he has answered an ad and is on a date. Tom’s reaction is scathing and Hayley suggest that is why he has kept quiet about it.
• Marion is a widow, so losing a partner is something they have in common; there the similarity ends: she was going to divorce him anyway. Mike struggles to find some common ground with what he must think is the dullest woman in the country. He wonders why she called him – because he answered the ad, so she thought he was interested in her.
• Clarrie is full of criticism of Nic. Eddie rides to her defence: she is a perfectly nice girl; William obviously thinks the world of her; Eddie likes her and Joe likes her. If Clarrie interferes, she will drive William away. She must keep out of it and not look down her node at his girlfriend.
• Mike decides that one drink is enough, although he has to work hard to resist having one bought for him in return. He gives it to her straight: this is not working for him; they have nothing in common; they don’t like the same things. He escapes.
• Tom cannot understand why Brenda wants to spend time with Matt Crawford instead of him. It’s only a couple of hours tomorrow and then she is all his. For what? For three solid days of Gourmet Grills. My, but he knows how to treat a girl!
• Mike reports back to Hayley on his close shave. He admits that he thought she sounded a bit like Betty. Hayley explains the meaning behind some of the code used in the ads but Mike decides this is not for him.