Toby gets the cold shoulder from Rex; Richard gets the cold shoulder from Elizabeth.

Radio Times: Elizabeth turns down an offer, and Jolene makes a suggestion.

Characters: Elizabeth, Jolene, Rex, Richard, Roy, Toby

• As he might have expected, Toby gets a frosty response when he calls on Rex. He has been speaking to their mother who wants him to join her to celebrate her birthday but Toby is not keen to go alone. Rex points out that he is on his own here, too busy to go; he reminds Toby that when dad was ill, Toby was ‘too busy’.
• Later, outside The Bull as they wait for the Ambridge lights switch-on, Rex gets in more jibes about Toby living off Pip, not to mention jeopardising Rex’s business and home with his illegal activities.
• It is an Ambridge tradition but one that Roy is enjoying alone this year: Hayley and Abbie have not come and Phoebe is still in Oxford helping with interviews. Roy is getting a stream of texts from several prospective dates; he currently has five on the go. This is problematic because he is getting them mixed up.
• Richard is impressed with Deck the Hall at Lower Loxley and tries to tempt Elizabeth to take a break. He enquires about the twins and when he learns that their mum is buying them a car to share, offers to help her choose it. She declines and, when he persists, is quite forceful about it. She must get on, so will see him around.
• Jolene has some advice for Roy: forget the dating app and do it the old fashioned way. She suggests a 90s night in Felpersham which Roy thinks sounds interesting. Another text arrives; he ignores it.