Usha probes the reason for David’s dedication to rebuilding the tractor.

Radio Times: Tom sees things from Peggy’s perspective.

Characters: David, Helen, Jack, Pat, Ruth, Tony, Usha

• Tony is realising what his mother has to cope with day in and day out: he is taking Jack to the dentist. Jack however has another idea – that he should be meeting the (long-departed) editor of the Echo. He gives Tony the slip after visiting the toilet but is quickly ‘recaptured’.
• At Brookfield nothing changes: Ruth is still offering help; David is still turning it down. Ruth wants to talk this evening about next week, which is half-term but David is going to be too busy. When Usha calls, David seizes the perfect excuse to send them both into the warm – away, in other words.
• Helen has experienced her first session with the counsellor today and it went well. They discussed her expectations and her resolve to see it through. Tony tells of the dentist visit, but he won’t be telling mum.
• Usha and Ruth make a date for Friday. Alan is seeing the new Bishop and ‘significant others’ are not welcome this time. Ruth will be a tractor-widow and admits that when the kids have gone to bed, the house seems empty. Usha rightly concludes this is not conducive to repairing their marriage.
• Josh has slipped out to the workshop, conveniently forgetting to mention that he is due for a bath. Usha comes out to find him but stays to talk about David’s tractor project. The attraction for David is that it is something new, a break from routine farm work. He dismisses the idea that Ruth might help. It’s a challenge; on the tractor, all problems are fixable; it’s the first time in months that he has known any real kind of peace. (Might he get a visit from the vicar soon?)