Peggy decides to give her children a treat: an advance on their inheritance.

Radio Times: There’s gossip about Siobhán

Characters: Caroline, David, Elizabeth, Jack, Jill, Oliver, Peggy, Ruth

• Caroline is being warmly welcomed onto the Village Hall Committee – Jack is particularly pleased as he knows her organisational flair. Talk is general, Oliver and Caroline’s imminent visit to Hungary being one of the topics ( …. wonder if Jennifer knows?). Jill tells them of the planning committee’s go-ahead for housing in the village, they are all more than a little disappointed. Onto the purpose of the meeting though – the fundraising ideas are going slowly … the scrabble tournament in particular is slow getting off the ground.
• David greets a shopped out Ruth with the news that Elizabeth is coming over this pm – a rare treat for them indeed! She wants to see Phil and Jill, who will be at Brookfield for tea. What can she want?
• After the committee leave, Jack is still fretting over the fund raising. Wouldn’t it be simpler for him to just fund the renovations? After all he can afford it. Peggy says no (how surprising!). She feels the village must stand on its own – collective – feet. However, she does want to do some giving. She wants to give some cash sums to her children, to spend on themselves, on something really special. How much? Well how does £5000 sound for starters?
• At tea Lizzie is giving an account off the retrieval of Eleanor, also bragging about the designer clothes she and Nigel bought at some outlet on the way back from Henley. She’s wearing a new suit and twirls it for David’s typically unappreciative gaze. Ruth is a more than a little envious. She just wishes she could get into anything fitted. Lizzie goes on to the topic of baby names. Ruth favours Chloe (David doesn’t – sounds like a cow) they both like Jack or George. That (George) reminds Jill of the planning application. Strange says Lizzie, Siobhán said nothing when she called yesterday – but then maybe her head was too full of the German marketing manager! David and Ruth join in with a little idle speculation on the trips abroad – but Jill rounds on them all. They shouldn’t start such gossip. Siobhán is a happily married woman!