War is narrowly averted at the Archers’ birthday party.

Radio Times: Archer birthday celebrations.

Characters: Adam, David, Elizabeth, Emma, Phil, Ruth, William

• At Lower Loxley, Elizabeth is saying all the right things to Emma. Knowing that Kenton is apt to be cavalier about such details, she checks on the NVQs. If it doesn’t work out, Emma is assured she has not burnt her bridges there.
• Adam is at Brookfield to discuss marketing strategies; he has yet to share his ideas with Debbie but it will be a good excuse to see how she is recovering. Ruth fears that Adam and Brian are getting very chummy these days and does not want to see Debbie left out.
• At Glebe Cottage the Archer clan are gathered for birthday celebrations for Phil and Elizabeth. David gets a polite request from his sister to humour Nigel if he should seek help about cycle tracks. She even enquires about the election campaign and David’s chances against Graham Ryder. From there it is but a short step to Matt Crawford, Midsummer Meadow, Woodbine Cottage and hence into a head-on confrontation about the money from its sale. The siblings are separated in the nick of time by Ruth.
• Meanwhile, in the more romantic setting of a tapas bar, William is wining and dining Emma. She confirms her decision to take the café job and he is supportive, admitting that he would have been too scared to take the risk himself. Judging by the number of kisses he is getting, the evening is a success. It will have to last a while, he will be too busy to see her next week because he is in charge of the shoot while Greg is away. Emma dismisses his idea that she might visit Ed to cheer him up, saying (not very convincingly) that she will fix up a night out with the girls instead.