Tony recruits a relief milker. Usha tempers kindness with some straight talking.

Radio Times: Usha seeks sanctuary and Tony has a surprise up his sleeve.

Characters: Amy, David, Pat, Pip, Tom, Usha

• On Monday night Tom anticipates that the assembled throng at the beacon will be hungry, so he recruits Pip to help again on the burger van. Today David is on trailer duty for silaging. The talk is of the Ambridge cricket team’s loss to Darrington.
• The vicarage washing machine is in demand: finding that Usha has beaten her to it, Amy declares she will take her washing away again, rather than leave it for Usha to put in the machine later. This must be her most stupid and petty action to date and Usha tells her straight – it’s ridiculous. Usha points out the effect Amy’s attitude is having on her father, caught in the crossfire. Hurtful comments fly about Usha’s caring for Amy being a sham, just part of her own agenda.
• Pat and Tom are in for a treat – lunch prepared by Tony. That’s not all: he has recruited a relief milker for the afternoons, and one weekend a month too. But Trevor cannot start for over two weeks.
• David returns home for lunch, but really to check that Ruth is ok. All is quiet. Later they discuss Farm Sunday; Ruth would happily cancel it but that would look like failure; at least the cameras will be up by then and they can keep the tours shorter than usual. Pip agrees to help recruit some stewards from the Young Farmers. A knock at the door generates some consternation but it’s just Usha seeking refuge in what she expected would be a sane, sensible house.