The Grundys’ last resort is to write a letter and an advance might help in a small way.

Radio Times: David makes an advance.

Characters: Clarrie, David, Eddie, George, Hayley, Joe, Marjorie, Roy, Simon

• Simon’s been helping Debbie with the lambing – and has delivered his first! David’s at Home Farm looking for Debbie in relation to their lamb co-operative and discovers that she’s going to a farming conference in Oxford that Phil is attending, which means that, with Jill moving into Lower Loxley for a while, David and Ruth have Brookfield to themselves again.
• The Grundys decide to stop moaning and to write Borchester Mills a letter outlining their plight and pointing out a few of the woes and worries that are affecting all farmers at the moment, although they omit Joe’s idea of blaming Borchester Mills’ low-standard feed on their lack of milk yield and consequent drop in income!
• Another New Year, another bout of tree-planting in the Millennium Wood and there’s a big turnout. Including Roy and Hayley, who seem a little uncomfortable around each other – she’d been home to Brum for a few days, she hadn’t been avoiding him.
• Eddie, who’s working his socks off at the moment, gets a little surprise from David. Jill’s told of Clarrie’s tearful confession and passed the news on – although it’s far from common knowledge – and offers Eddie an advance on the work he’s doing for them at the pig units. Eddie’s grateful and only hopes he can share David’s optimism that the Grundys always find a way to survive.