The spirit of Christmas is strained between Neil and Eddie.

Radio Times: Neil’s furious.

Characters: David, Debbie, Eddie, Jennifer, Neil, Ruth

• Debbie is too busy today to join Jennifer on an outing with Phoebe and she will not be fussed over. Tomorrow she will see the solicitor to get the quickest divorce possible. After that she might be ready to talk about the flat and where she will live.
• The Grundy World of Christmas is in full swing. Josh is having a great time on the bouncy castle, although Ruth notes that it is well into Neil’s barn. David thinks some of the stall-holders look a bit dodgy. Ruth is worried about her mum; the neighbour called to say there is hardly any food in the house and she has not opened the post. Ruth fears that if she goes up to Prudhoe, as David suggests, her mum might still refuse to come. Further discussion is cut short by the arrival of Neil who also notes that the bouncy castle is in his barn; no explanations, he wants it out.
• David has called on Debbie with fax from a posh butcher who is only interested in rare breeds. Uncharacteristically ahead of schedule, he delivers a Christmas card for Debbie and Simon and gets a reaction he does not understand. Debbie explains.
• No! Neil is unmoved by the fact that it is Mike’s birthday, or that Josh had a good time or that Phoebe is getting upset because she cannot go on the bouncy castle, thanks to Neil ‘Scrooge’ Carter; the latter remark seems to work – it can stay for now but Eddie has not heard the last of this.
• Ruth finally got through to her mum on the phone but is wasting her breath, she won’t come to Ambridge yet. David has the idea that if he drives up there, she will find it more difficult to say no to him than to Ruth. He will ring her tonight, go up tomorrow and bring her back on Tuesday.