Pip is heading for a yuletide disaster and maybe a financial disaster.

Radio Times: Susan dresses to impress, and Pip makes an investment.

Characters: David, Kate, Neil, Pip, Ruth, Susan, Toby

• It’s “take two” for the Carter family photograph. Susan insists that Neil should get another haircut along with a barbers shop shave. Neil warms to the command, but slowly. Susan is undecided about which dress to wear, the newly laundered yellow or the fuchsia. When pushed, Neil says that none of the new kit becomes her as much as the red velvet number she wore at her 50th. A shame really as Susan admits that it has been sent to the charity shop.
• David is emailing Brian about the travel arrangements for the NFU Christmas lunch. Ruth drops in with two mince pies; one is her bake, the other Jill’s. David has the task of deciding which is the better. She’s also bought some mistletoe from the Grundy’s pop up shop, knowing full well that it came from Brookfield. The very mention of Christmas strikes dread into Ruth’s heart, she is worried about whether Jill will behave herself. David’s sure that she will.
• Toby returns home from a morning of geese gutting to find Pip repairing a tyre. The romance of it all. As she plans for Christmas Day, Toby becomes somewhat morose. It’s just not right that he can’t contribute financially. Next year will do she says. She then makes an astounding offer, to invest the profit from her cattle, around five thousand pounds, in his gin project. She thinks that his plan has legs and she sees it as an investment in their future. Stuck for words, he can only say “thank you”.
• At the farm shop, Susan congratulates Kate on taking on the task of costume making for the pantomime. It’s a signal for Kate to ask for help. Susan gives a very firm “no”. Ruth calls in for mince pie ingredients and gives Kate a similar reply when asked to help. Kate, of course, flounces off in a state of high dudgeon. As it’s Ruth’s 20th wedding anniversary coming up, Susan asks what Ruth believes is the secret of a long and happy marriage. Her reply was that of “listening”. It rather stumps Susan. It’s not a word that she’s used to hearing let alone applying in her daily life.
• Toby is serving Neil at The Bull and admires his new shave. Kate joins them in a sombre mood. A Christmas card from her children in South Africa has kisses on it from her son but nothing but a signature from her daughter. In addition, the magnitude of the hill she has to climb regarding pantomime costumes is just dawning on her. She wishes that she was a million miles away from Lynda this Christmas.
• Having discovered that Jill is not at home, Pip accepts the offer of a cuppa from David. Ruth calls for them to road test her mince pies just as David mentions that he expects Pip to spend Christmas Eve with the family and stay over for the gift giving on Christmas Day. Before Pip can answer, the air is filled with shouts of despair from Ruth and they hurry in. Meanwhile, at Ambridge View, Neil is shocked to find Susan wearing her velvet dress. It’s been in a charity bag for months. He really feels that she looks more beautiful than ever and is well worth a kiss.