Roy prepares a nice surprise for Hayley and Brian prepares a nasty one for the Board of Borchester Land.

Radio Times: Brian feels the pinch.

Characters: Brian, Caroline, Debbie, Jennifer, Roy

• The hunt is assembling for the Boxing Day meet; Debbie and Caroline are taking part and Jennifer is an onlooker who is regretting not bringing her camera.
• Brian, meanwhile, is hunting for a way to make the farm accounts look good. It is not to his wife’s liking that he is stuck in his office; it is not to his liking that she is planning a very expensive party on New Year’s Day for her mum’s tenth anniversary. His suggestion that they ought to be looking for ways to make savings falls on deaf ears.
• Roy is surprised to see Caroline back early from the hunt; it was not a good day apparently, clever old foxes! He lets her into a big secret, that he intends to propose to Hayley on New Year’s Eve, just a year after their first kiss. Caroline will try to help his romantic evening along by warming Jean-Paul to the idea of cooking him a “take-away” candle-lit dinner, although she is doubtful about succeeding.
• Debbie is convinced that they should buy an expensive new cultivator drill but she has picked a bad time to suggest it. Good thought the technical arguments might be, Brian is sure this is not the right time to be spending £100K. Savings are needed or they might go under; he is not kidding, no farm is safe in these times.