Sid tells a tall story

Radio Times: Jolene heads off for her secret surgery.

Characters: Eddie, Jill, Jolene, Ruth, Sid, Tom, Tony

• Before she sets off for her facial surgery, Jolene gives Sid some last-minute instructions. They’re interrupted by Eddie, who is full of news about Jamie having to share his bedroom with Meriel. Sid can’t believe it.
• Tom’s in high spirits, having secured the next-door premises for his sausage business expansion. He’ll have to take on someone to do the accounts and more packers. Knowing how pushed Tony is, Tom offers to wash carrots and to cook supper – he wants to try the winning sausages from last year’s Borchester Challenge, to see what the opposition is.
• At Brookfield, Jill admits to Ruth that she’s rather pleased Kenton has changed his plans; she didn’t want the responsibility of being in charge of Meriel, who is very like her father in temperament. Not only that – now she can give Ruth a bit more help, while she tries to shake off her cough.
• The prize-winning sausages go down well, though Tom thinks they need more fat. Eddie calls in to invite them to the Cider Club, but they’re too busy. Eddie manages to wheedle a sausage out of them before he leaves.
• At the Bull, Eddie forces Sid into telling a string of increasingly unconvincing lies about Jolene’s absence. His line is that she’s caring for her aunt, Stella from Boddington, who’s had a hip operation, and who is initially 45, then 85. Sid gets more and more stressed by Eddie’s probing.