Will and Ed exchange a few words but Ed’s olive branch is spurned.

Radio Times: Will’s festive cheer stops short.

Characters: Clarrie, Eddie, Joe, Nic, William

• Turkey plucking has been in progress at the Grundys’ field; Eddie and Joe are doing most of the moaning but they are stuck out in the cold. William seems in good spirits and teases his father about being not much good as the back end of a cow. His mood changes when Ed appears, willing to help having finished milking early.
• Back in the shed, Clarrie worries if the boys are fighting but is taken aback when William comes back and announces his rapid departure; it must be because Ed turned up. Eddie is more upbeat – at least they talked. Eddie is pleased that Ed has recruited him to cover for milking at Grange Farm when he has some time off for Christmas shopping.
• Will uses the time to call on Nic, who is very pleased to see him, even though he is in a mess from turkey plucking. Nic allows him to blow off steam about what Ed had said to him and interprets it more positively than Will – he was just trying to be nice. Will coped; he did well; he shouldn’t be so hard on himself. Nic would like him to stay but he must head back to Gloucestershire. She would be pleased to see him at Christmas too, if Ambridge gets too heavy for him.