The cows are out at Brookfield; the fridge stands out at Ambridge Hall; the truth is out at Home Farm

Radio Times: Siobhán wants more.

Characters: Brian, David, Lynda, Robert, Ruth, Siobhán, Tim

• David and Ruth are delighted because the cows are out in the fields again – Spring starts here, declares David. She ties him down yet again to choosing the baby’s second name, suggesting that they use her parents’ names this time. He thinks Benjamin Solomon sounds a bit Biblical but Ruth’s idea was her Dad’s middle name – David – which meets with great approval, as does Emily Heather if it should just turn out to be a girl. Ruth tells the baby it can now arrive anytime it likes but David would rather get Brian’s linseed in first!
• Siobhán tries to feed Tim again, in vain, so turns to holiday brochures. Easter in Rome? “Hoping for a spot of absolution, are you?” returns Tim sarcastically. He tries to apologise but explodes with the burden of his emotions which make him feel either like crying or punching someone. Siobhán tries to apologise too, but Tim thinks it doesn’t seem to mean anything any more. Going away or even moving away is not the answer either – they’ve got to keep trying to make it work here in Ambridge, or not at all.
• At Ambridge Hall, work is progressing nicely towards Lynda’s ‘restrained, elegant’ look – the red fridge (‘very cheery’ splash of colour!) is going to take a bit of getting used to – Robert feels as if he should be posting letters or making phone calls in it! They haven’t been able to find a rug for the hall in Underwood’s, so Lynda suggests that they bring out one that Robert’s uncle brought back from Turkey after the war – she disliked it before because it obviously was wrong for their then colour scheme. He is rather confused about who ‘Ollie’ is – but is enlightened by Lynda who hopes that David will realise, now that ‘he’ (Oliver Twist, the hungry orphan) is back at Brookfield, that ‘he’ likes his ears stroked and that ‘he’ will eventually make Hassett Hills grade chops!
• Brian is appreciative of David’s help at Home Farm, though rather surprised that he has left Ruth at this crucial time – they both agree that even in an emergency Bert breaking into rhyme would not be the best first experience for a child! Brian is even more surprised that David’s exit coincides with Siobhán’s entrance – he is harsh with her at first, then more gentle, then very ‘Brian’ when she asks why he won’t leave Jenny so that they can be together. She accuses him of being patronising, pleads that she is happy to continue on HIS terms if he won’t leave Jenny, affirms her love for HIM and requests the obvious response – but Brian doesn’t even lie to subdue the sobbing, though he does admit to being very, very fond of her.